Life and Love

September has been a hard month for myself and my family.  Between work, daycare, and family life hasn’t been calm. I’ve started so many different projects this month. I’ve always suffered from Starter-itis; it gets worse the more I’m stressed. Starting something gives me something to solely focus all of my energy on.

Work was a relatively easy fix. I started a new job this week. It’s only been a week, but I’m so much more relaxed. I’ve spent the last three weeks looking for another daycare for Abby. I think I’ve found one that I’m happy with.

The biggest stressor this month is, was, is my great aunt. Back in July, she was diagnosed with cancer. This month she was rushed to the ER, placed in ICU, and passed away all within a couple of weeks. It was hard to see. This woman was so full of life and love, and that was reflected by the multitude of people who came to visit her. When she was moved into Comfort Care, they gave us a bigger room because of all the people who would come see her. It was awesome to witness.

Grief is a strange thing. With everything, I was fine, until the funeral. I did not take Abby. I didn’t even tell her that our aunt had passed away until after the funeral. She went to stay with her other grandmother until after the funeral. It was a long weekend for Abby. Her father and grandmother kept her busy with outings and trips. The funeral was difficult for me. That’s when it all hit.

I started a washcloth, a  burp cloth, and Abby’s Halloween costume while sitting in multiple hospital rooms. I don’t have any pictures of the washcloth or burp cloth. They’re simple. The washcloth is half-double crochets through the back loop. The burp cloth is just garter stitch.

Abby’s Halloween costume, however, will be a work of art. I started it after the funeral. I was sitting at home, starting to feel overwhelmed, so I started something new. Something absorbing that would take a lot of concentration: Hexagons.

I have a love-hate relationship with hexagons. They’re my favorite shape, and crocheting them has been a struggle. Last year, I wanted to do a temperature blanket out of hexagons, but I struggled to find a pattern I liked and could understand. I’d only been crocheting for a little while, and it was mostly square washcloths. So, I did what any sane person would do. I made up my own pattern. It was flawed because I’m terrible with numbers. Anyway, these hexagons are perfect, maybe because I’m an idiot and just can’t read a pattern.

Abby originally wanted to be a rainbow butterfly, so I bought the yarn for that. Of course, as soon as I’d ordered it, she changed her mind. She’s now a rainbow fairy. The general design has stayed the same, however. And by that, I mean that I had no design and was *ahem* winging it. Until yesterday. The wonderful, amazing person who is my best friend and can think in shapes made this template. It was, of course, Not Right. So we fixed. I laid out one wing out of the hexes and moved them around sending a BAJILLION pictures until we decided on a design. And this design isn’t exactly accurate because we changed it.

I should need 21 hexagons, which will be interesting because I have seven colors: Red(Serrano), Orange(Orange), Yellow(Canary), Green(Macaw), Blue(Celestial), Indigo (Eggplant), and Violet(Fairy Tale). Oh… No… Wait… That’s three of each color, I think. *pulls out a calculator* It is three. I’m so bad with numbers. Technically, there are actually eight colors. The eighth, a brown named Bark, will be used to outline the wings and make straps. I plan on crocheting around a wire so the wings will hold their shape.

Abby is extremely excited about the hexagons, especially the baby hexes. She gives each one a kiss if she walks in on me making them. They don’t take long to make, maybe 20 minutes if I’m uninterrupted. The hexagons have been quick and easy, which has helped keep my mind off of things.

October Preview:

If all goes well, October will be all about blocking, piecing, and finishing the costume. I’m hoping to have all of the hexagons done before next weekend, or shortly there after. I’ll put all the yarn, hook, and wire information in the next post, as well as the pattern, if I get it written out.