Mermaid Tails and Clutter!

It has been lots of fun crocheting the mermaid tail.  We watched a movie last night and I managed to weave in all the loose ends! Yay! I have a box, I have a gift bag, this will be on its way this afternoon.  Here's what it looks like all finished:  

Time to put the crochet hook down for awhile and give the old fingers a rest.  The last time I was in the shop, it didn't look too bad.  When I peeked in this morning....holy clutter Batman!  It looks like everyone has been having fun in there except me!  

So I spent some time cleaning up a little so I could at least move around a bit in there.  The Captain greeted me with a hearty welcome and Rose hugged me tight.  I think they want me to start back up on the Summerhouse, don't you?  I tossed around the idea of putting brick paper on the inside of the exterior walls on the second floor. But after looking at it for awhile, decided to go with my original idea.  I think I'm going to have to wallpaper that small section of roof where the chandelier will be hanging as I don't think I can get in there once it's all in place. Will have to do some thinking about that one.  

Well, it's off to the post office I go with the mermaid tail!  Have a great day!

Tying up Loose Ends...

It's a beautiful morning in Tennessee!  Last night was a little lively as they were harvesting corn down at the end of the street until 11:30 last night.  Truckloads of corn rumbled by about every 5 or 6 minutes.  But aren't we fortunate to live in a country where food is in such abundance.  

The tail for the mermaid afghan is done!  The video I saved here came in handy as I had to refer to it often in order to finish this.  

My little grandaughter might even get this in time for her birthday!  I only have one thing left to do......weave in alllll the loose ends.  All 125 of them....

so I guess I will be busy for another day or so.  But it is nice and thick and warm and I hope she enjoys it alot.  How much you want to bet her sister's going to want one too...:)

On another note, "Tex" (remember him?) ambled up to the breakfast table this morning and wanted to know where his six shooters were.  I told him they were tied up in paperwork....then he wanted to know when I was going to buy him a "decent piece of horse flesh"....his words, not mine.  I tried to break it to him as gently as possible, but he is not shaped quite right for riding.  He can't straddle a horse.  I told him I could get him a nice side saddle but steam started coming out of his ears and he threw down his hat with a "Dag nap it!" and stomped off to the shop.  I think the cowboy phase is over.  I think he would like a nice set of goggles and a steampunk vehicle....I'll have to see what I can work out.  But not today, I have to tie up a few loose ends! LOL!  Have a great day all!

This is going Swimmingly!

Yes, I did indeed have to watch the video to finish the body of the afghan and yes there was a typo in the instructions!  In round 51, it says to SC at the beginning of row 66...?? The instructions were just duplicated from the other sizes so everything was cool.  I watched the video for the last 10 rounds. I had to keep stopping it as she crochets faster than me.  So here is where we are at right now...

Kind of looks like a giant baby cocoon at this point, but will look much different when we attach the tail.  I started the tail yesterday, but it was kind of getting smaller where it wasn't supposed to so I tore it all out and started again.That explains why there is so much yarn wrapped around the skein....

So will have to go back to watching the video to see what I did wrong.  So glad she made the video! I have to get this done soon as the minions are getting impatient about their banana stand and The Captain has been huffing his pipe and saying if Rose takes him on one more picnic to calm him down he's going to chuck her in the river! Fortunately, the river is very shallow, but I'm sure Rose would have plenty to say about that! LOL!  Have a great day!

Progress and Freebies!

Yesterday was a busy one!  I took our truck over to Leonard's to have our cap put on and took the mermaid tail with me to work on.  I hit the 50 row point and started the joining round.  I'm not sure if there is a typo in the instructions so will have to go to the video to make sure I'm doing this part right.  If you have been following along and want to make your own mermaid tail, here is the video:

As you recall, I started with 111 stitches instead of the suggested 153.  This is more child sized which is my intention.  So looks like I only have about 10 rows left and I can start the tail.  While I was waiting for the truck cap, a young couple came in and when she found out what I was making she squealed with delight!  "She is so going to love that!" she said.  So it was nice to get more encouragement as I work on these last few rows.  

On another note, I don't think I've mentioned it here before, but I am a member of Team Natural (my daughter's team) and we are part of the Young Living Essential Oils company.  She's on Facebook under Sarah Adamo https://www.facebook.com/sarah.adamo.50?fref=tl_fr_box&pnref=lhc.friends.unseen  
and can answer questions for you. The oils are a nice alternative for lots of things and they also have personal care items and safe to use cleaners that work. This is a pic of the freebies I just received:  

I really like the toothpaste, does a great job on that old tartar build-up! So give them a look see and see what you think!  Time to clean up the kitchen and get on with the day, Dear Hubby is out mowing the grass this time as my back is still giving me twinges....time to break out some Panaway essential oil! Have a great day!

Just Keep Swimming....

Forty rows and counting!  We will get this mermaid tail done yet! LOL!   
Was going to go to Walmart today but I hurt my back and it's raining too, so tomorrow looks like a better day.  It has been so humid here this year, my husband and I are definitely looking forward to fall.  I saw some of the first mums at the store last week and the kids started school over two weeks ago so it feels like fall is on its way even though the calendar says August.  The weather doesn't feel like it though! Well, have to go back to the mermaid tail....my little grandaughter is going to love this thing! LOL!  Have a great afternoon!

Mermaid Tails and Concessions...

Lost a little momentum on the mermaid tail over the weekend so had to make up for it today.  Put in six hours and am now up to 32 rows!  

I still don't look much like a mermaid when I have it on my lap, but it's a little bigger than it was the other day. I have about 35 rows to go and then I can start on the tail part.  

Meanwhile, while I am crocheting in the living room, I hear hammering and sawing in the shop.  I think one of the minions has even figured out how to operate my little power chop saw!  It must be a group effort...one jumping on the on buttom and two or three hopping up and down on the top of the saw to get the blade to come down.  These guys are fearless! I hope they haven't been using up all my nice strip wood.....though I did hear the scrap box fall from the shelf awhile back and alot of skittering around which usually means the skellies are in on it too. I guess the concession stand is going to happen whether I like it or not! Well, don't have time to check on them right now, there's a mermaid tail that has to get done! Enjoy your evening everyone!

Yarn Wrangling and Anniversaries...

Hope you are all well today!   Today was my husband and my 40th wedding anniversary!  We had a wonderful day eating out and going to the movies.  Went to our favorite Italian restaurant, The Gondolier.  Then saw the new Mission Impossible movie, loved it!

Now am back home and working on a temporary new project.  One of my delightful grandaughters wants a mermaid tail and what Grandma in her right mind could turn down a request like that?!  My dear daughter-in-law saw a pattern online and I searched a little more for a pattern that included directions for a child-sized tail.  The pattern was on YARNutopia By Nadia Fuad.

I just might have to make myself one of these too when I'm done! LOL!  I thought this would be perfect in shades of soft green sparkly yarn, but the Walmart yarn department had other ideas...so this is what I came up with for a combination of colors:






The strip that you see finished is 8 rows that took about three hours. So I will be keeping you updated on my progress....her birthday is the end of the month! Yikes! I guess I'd better get back to my crocheting!  Have a great evening all!

P.S.  Don't worry, we will be back to the Summerhouse in no time...The Captain won't let me stay away for too long!