A run of hats.  I just decided to go wild with hat patterns. The ecru/beige hat shown here comes from the newest Crochet Today magazine.  It has 2 parts.  The bandanna is removable so it is actually 3 toppers in 1.  Nifty.  The green hat is a creation of my own.  I started off the brim from a patern and then got bored so designed as I went.  If anyone is interested in the green hat pattern, just write and ask me and I will write it up.  It would make a neat ponytail hat, I think.  My poor dummy's head is actually too small for an adult hat but she does well, don't you think?  Big Grin.

The gray and blue shawl is made from a #2 silk yarn that was sent to me by a friend.  It went to a woman who was going into the hospital to have surgery and she was thrilled to get it.  I don't know this person, as it is a prayer shawl and I don't know who gets them but I was glad to giver her a lift of her spirits.

The darker variegated hat is also a beret.  I love making those as they are versatile and can be dressed up or down.  The light variegated was worked up and down instead of around.  It was made from a chain of 34.   sc 3, hdc 3, DC 20, treble crochet in 5.  Turn, chain 4, sk 1st st, Treble in each of next 4 sts, DC 20, hdc 3, sc 3.  Turn, ch 1, sc 3, hdc 3, DC 20, treble crochet in each of next 5 sts.  I just worked until it fit around my little dummy's head and then sewed up the seam.  It is a very easy hat to make.

The very last hat photo was made from a pattern that I can't recall offhand but I mentioned it in the last post.  It came out gorgeous, I think.  The original hat was done in a single color but I was using leftover yarn which always makes things creative.  I so appreciate that I have the ability to crochet and to make things for people.  I am thankful to my Higher Power that she is there for me and has given me so many abilities!!  I will be teaching a basic Sign Language class starting in January.  I miss teaching sign language.  Thank you to you all for following my simple and "spastic" blog.   Have a Wonderful Holiday Season and no matter what the advertisements and other people say, Jesus IS the reason for the season and it is good to remember him both historically and spiritually.  Blessings.

Oh Boy.  Should I start off whining?  Nahhhhh.  I have been creating hat patterns but not writing them down.  In my old age I am getting too grouchy and LAZY!!  I so wanted to share my designs but feel as if I have come to a standstill and I apologize.
This is me and my Best Friend Harry at a dinner of some kind.  He has been in the VA Hospital and out many times with his eyes.  I have become officially his chauffeur.  It keeps me feeling useful in life.

I miss my son.  Oh, Timothy, I hope you know that you are in my prayers and in Julie's prayers all the time.  When Tegan comes to visit, I tell her little anecdotes about your life and who you were.  I want them to have memories of you.  
I bought the current Crochet Today! and made the Bessie Cap.  I used plain Caron Soft in a beautiful soft beige and it came out quite classy.  If you haven't seen the current Crochet Today! then you are missing some really nice sweater patterns.
On the PTSD front:  have been having a most difficult time with nightmares.  My nightmares are so detailed and complicated.  Sometimes I have to wake up and "finish them in my head" so they will stop bothering me. Fibromyalgia and Chronic Lyme Disease aer also rampant.  Some days I just would like to lie down and read a book without hurting.  OR even read a book sitting in a chair and have no pain.  I know that this, too, shall pass.  So keepin' on keepin' on is the only way to go.  I trust in the Lord so much and know that this cross to bear will be okay someday.

 Bearli is growing. I thought cats stopped growing at a certain age. He is 5 yrs old and getting longer, it seems.  He is like velvet and so scared of people.  Sometimes I think he has kangaroo genes or rabbit genes.
Regan is 10 yrs old and is my lap cat.  He loves to be held and scratched.  I am thankful that one of the cats likes to be held.  I know when I am away for awhile that Bearli misses me because he has to sit next to me for hours when I come home.  I am SO thankful for my boys--both cats and children, and no necessarily in that order.

When Christ comes again, I am looking forward so much to seeing my son, whole, hugging him, and just looking at him.
OK.  Enough of whining and down stuff.  Hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday season and that Christ is kept in CHRISTmas.  Thanks for bearing with me.
Linda

Missing Timothy

Good Morning.  For some reason lately I have been thinking heavily of my son, Timothy.  I am sure that never goes away.  He is the child of my heart and I miss him.  I am having dreams about him.  Or should I say that he is in my dreams.  There is this part of my heart that aches to see him once more.  I am better at understanding grief.  Each person grieves in their own way whether it be to make jokes, cry, withdraw from the world.... whichever form grief takes is okay.  
I have been crocheting a laptop carrier to felt.  Will include photos when I am finished.  It is HUGE!!!  The end result has to be 16"w x 11"h.  I designed my own and will give a brief description of how I worked it here and later maybe be more specific.  Before I sewed up the sides, it looked like an "H" with Huge sidebars and a teeny center bar.  When I sewed the sides, It is an envelop with about 3" sides and bottom.  I put a flap on it and to make it stronger, I made a strap with a wide shoulder handle/pad at the top and then sewed it over the bottom and sides.  I will put on a weight (looks like a tree of life) for the flap when I am done.   It is made from LionBrand classic wool and from all my leftover pieces so it is indeed a "Joseph's Coat of Many Colors" laptop carrier.  I am making it for the young woman who comes to sign a Bible lesson for me about 3X a month.  I am excited to see how it looks when it is finished.
My son Shawn has a family!!   He met a girl about 2-1/2 years ago that he worked with for 2 years and then they started dating.  She sounds very nice on the phone.  Haven't met her.  They moved to MI for his new job and took 2 of her sons with them.  So he has a ready made family and is starting out with a teenager.  Smile.  God does answer prayers!!  

Brendan and has family is doing well.  He has finished studying Greek and is now studying Hebrew.  That along with his family and being a Chemical Engineer in charge of 92 or so other engineers.  Whew.
Kevin is not calling me or communicating with me still.  He says he doesn't know if he loves me.  Ha!  I defy him to find anyone who hasn't made mistakes in their life and then he can say taht.  We were so very close.  And if I call him, we still talk about how much we read or like certain books.  What happened????  I don't know.  But if he won't tell me then I'm not guessing.   I have no recent photos of Kevin to put up.

My cats are both fine.  Doing so well.  I pray to God every day that they don't get sick cuz I can't afford it.  They are so comforting and beautiful.  Wow.  
That's about it.    My life has been slow and peaceful for the most part except for that heart piece that is missing.
Sincerely,  Linda

You know, I have been creating but not writing out the patterns as I guess in my old age I am getting Rawthah Lazee!    My 65th birthday just passed and I don't look a DAY over 64...
This photo is a lace valance that I made for myself (surprisingly enough!) out of thread that my friend had sent me.  I don't usually work with thread, however, this pattern worked up fast!!
I have made more of my easy shawl pattern.  They work up SO quick!!!  And are mindless, essentially.  They make nice prayer shawls.  I have made many hats for the homeless and for Africa for this coming year. I also have been working on felted hats.  The pattern I use is "in my head" and is essentially:  hdc 10 into a ring, join.  2 hdc in each hdc, join.....and I add 10 new sts per row up until I have 140 sts.  Then I work hdc down until I have 28 rows.  Then I change colors for a 4 row stripe.  Back to original color and finish off with 4 more rows.  It is HUGE!!!!  And then I felt it and it becomes a medium man's or a large women's warm hat!!!  I am making them for my son, Shawn's, family.
The photo is my son Timothy Brian Patrick Rollins Arbuckle with his biological dad, Jackie Don Rollins.
We scattered my son, Timothy's, ashes this past week.  Because Tim was in the Coast Guard, they kindly took us out off of Fischer's Island (NY?) and 8 family members had a service of our own and we scattered him where he wanted.  My dil, Julie, has done all that Timothy wanted to have done.  She has done an incredible job of managing.  His children, Devin and Tegan, were there.  They did so very well.  I am proud of them and of all my family.  
2nd son Shawn has found a new job and relocated to Michigan with his family.  I think with the economy the way it is, for him to find a job that pays almost twice what he was making in FL, it is a miracle.  I don't know how all of them will like Michigan winters but....thank goodness it's not my job.  Grin.
Brendan and his family are doing so well.  He works very hard and travels 2 hours each way to work.  They are selling their home and will be moving closer though.  That is a big plus.  I will pray that they find a buyer quickly and then find a home with a mil apartment so I can see my grandkids more often!   Yay.
Kevin is not quite feeling up to par and he is home a lot.  He is disabled.  His wife works as a manager at a pet store.  She is such a good and hard worker!  When she and Kevin were managing a store together, they were The Best Team I have ever seen!!
If you have read this far then you will know that I wish Blessings on you and your family and my prayers are with you in whatever is happening in your life.
This, too, shall pass.
Linda