Hello Sunshine!

I'm back! Where was I you ask? Well, nowhere really. I just took a wee break. Lot's of things going on around here and I needed some readjustment time. It was also nice to give my wrists a break (they get sore when I'm in super crochet mode for weeks).

How pretty are these flowers?
I love spring!

This week is looking a little empty though, so I'm getting my butt back into crochet gear. I'm super close to finishing the afghan for my mom, just in time for her birthday! So that's priority number one, and then I want to finish up the Companion Cube and the golf club head cover I've been working on. All preferably by the end of June, so make sure to watch for pics and updates on instagram & ravelry!

And to everyone who's been checking in and reading while I was a way: Thank You Thank You THANK YOU!!!!

Quick Update

Not a lot to post, but I've been working on a bunch of things for the blog. Get excited!

If you haven't noticed, I've updated the blog a bit. To the left, I added a few social media buttons if you want to find me elsewhere on the internet. These buttons include one for Pinterest, which is super cool, because I spent several hours moving all my crochet pins onto their own separate Pinterest page. So, if you follow all "iloveicraft" boards on Pinterest, you can get lots of awesome crochet pins and none of my personal ones. Yay!

I've also been working on the three FREE patterns I have yet to post. They're all planned out and include a dishcloth, my favorite scarf, and something amigurumi! The amigurumi pattern is a surprise, but I love making critters and plan on writing plenty of amigurumi patterns to sell later on, so I'm going to do one for free to give you a taste.

2013. ready. set. GO!

Ok. So clearly my past blogging habits are less than desirable, and all but dropped off a cliff somewhere in June. But in light of the new year, (and since 13 is my favorite number) I got to thinking, and this post is what I came up with. 

Be advised. these are not New Year resolutions.
They are only goals, which means I'm not setting myself up to fail.
They're merely something to strive for spelled out in plain English for all the world to see. (as opposed to floating around in my head)

13 Goals for 2013

1. Blog!!! At least once a week. No Limits.
   I know everyone enjoys my crochet updates, but no limits on topic, mean no excuses to skip a week, or two, or 13. And who knows where things may lead?
2. Finish my Associates Degree.
   I'm 6 classes away from an Associates degree in business. Two of those classes start in a couple weeks. This is by no means where I intend to finish my education (I'm defiantly a lifer), but it's the next milestone.
3. Write crochet patterns for the public. At least 5.
   Five seems like a low number for the whole year, but I'll tell you something. Writing a crochet pattern is HARD. Especially since I don't think about crocheting the same way as your average person. It's very mathy and numeric in my head when I'm making things, so translating this to regular crochet-speak takes some work.
4. Finish the Latch-Hook Rug.
   I got a latch hook kit for Christmas. It's a picture of a kitty in a basket of yarn and is completely adorable. Unfortunately, this is one of those projects I don't usually finish 100%, so it's going on the list.
5. Make Mom and Afghan.
   For part of her Christmas present, I promised to make my mom an afghan (that she may help design). It would be nice if that was done before NEXT Christmas.
   
6.  Read.
   This one isn't so much of a specific goal, as a reminder to myself. I love to read and get lost in other worlds, but when life get's crazy, it's one of those things that falls to the wayside, and I don't want it to.
7. Swim.
   I recently discovered that my exercise of choice is swimming. I'm definitely a mediocre swimmer, but it's the only physical activity I really enjoy.  I got a membership to the local pool for Christmas, so I'm looking forward to starting it up and taking full advantage. Yay for fitness!
8. Get a new tattoo.
   Perhaps a bit silly, but I got my first and only tattoo back in the summer of 2008. Nearly 5 years ago. So I'm thinking it's time for another one. No specific plans yet however.
9. Road Trip!
   I don't travel much outside my hometown, and visiting my friends and bf out of town. So it's time to nail down some plans and go somewhere.
10. Try something new.
    What that might specifically be, is yet to be determined.
11. Sleep Enough, but not too much. aka Stop hitting the snooze.
    I like sleep. No, I LOVE sleep. probably more than I should.
12. Wear Sunscreen.
    If you've never listened to this speech. Do it. It's beyond inspiring.
    
    
13. Breathe.
    Sometimes everyone needs a reminder.