“Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.” —Karen Kaiser Clark

As New Year's Resolutions go, every year I resolve to take better care of this blog. After all, I pay for the rights to use its name... so I should get my money's worth.

In addition, I have convinced myself that at least one person in this world is sitting around waiting for me to post my musings. That might not be true, but we choose what we want to believe and that is the truth for us.

So, in honor of that one silent viewer, I am posting today... January 1, 2023, to share my experiences with a particular project that I completed on December 24th, 2022 (quite photo finish for Christmas), even though I began working on it at the beginning of November.

The idea for this special project came through my eldest daughter who has been a fan of the movie Hocus Pocus since it first came out in 1993. The release of the second movie this September inspired me to crochet an agenda cover based on Book, the spell book presented in the movies.

​If you have no idea what I am talking about, check out the link below.

evil.fandom.com/wiki/Spellbook

In this post, I would like to share my experiences with that project.
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I have mentioned previously on this space that I practice several crafts and that I have, on occasion, used more than one craft to complete a project.
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For example, I once created needle felted canvas panels for a seamstress who later turned them into bags for cosmetic cases, notion pouches or crochet/knit project bags.

I have also combined needle felting with embroidery to create jewelry.

​At times, I have combined crochet with knitting to complete socks or garments.

​On this occasion, I would like to share with you my experiences combining crochet with sewing in order to construct a garment.

I am by no means a knitwear designer. If you have been coming around here for a while you know that I can take a written pattern, make some simple modifications and end up with a decent looking result. I've shared a lot of my attempts at doing that in previous posts. Below are some examples. Interested in the original patterns? Hover over the images to see the links if you like. Then, read on about how I made an oversized Snoopy Sweater!!

When I travel, I like to travel light. Especially since the cost of carrying luggage has risen so much. So when I travel to visit my daughter, I generally don't take any luggage because little by little I have left clothes and accessories at her house so I can just pick up my purse and get on the plane.

​One thing that makes me doubt whether I should pay for at least a carry-on is my desire to continue working on my crafting projects. Honestly, being on vacation for me, means lots of crochet time, so I want to take all my projects. But, what if they get lost or damaged?

Over the years, I have made my crochet time an important part of my daily routine.  It is either, the first thing I do in the morning, the last thing I do at night or, let's face it, on some days I just spend all day crocheting. 

One reason for this is that, over time, I have also accumulated a lot of yarn. For several years now, I have been going through a minimization phase in my life, so getting rid of all that hoarded yarn was a priority. I can't imagine what my husband would do with all of it if I suddenly wasn't around anymore. And with everything happening around the world, unexpectedly leaving it is not such a farfetched idea for anyone.

Some would say that dreaming is a form of planning. When we allow ourselves to dream about where we would like to be, what we would like to be doing, or what we would like to wear, we are actually on our way to developing a plan that will allow us to achieve those things. Boredom can be an enemy of happiness. When our current situation no longer entertains us, it is time to dream about new adventures and in doing so sketch a mental plan to allow changes in our lives. ​

And this is where summer comes in, isn't it? Some say that Summer is when life begins all over again. The spirited tones of green of the landscape along with the calid air, spark inspiration and creativity. This warm and lazy season extends us an invitation to dream and plan. As such, Summer is a time for wandering as well as a time for wondering.

Back in October of 2020, I read a blog post at https://zeensandroger.com/2020/10/08/my-crochet-jw-anderson-cardigan/ about how to make an oversized colorful cardigan. The blogger had recreated, using crochet, a knit cardigan that had gone viral over the inter webs. That cardigan, although designed by JW Anderson, was better known as the Harry Styles Cardigan. I was fascinated. It was time to get some color into my life!

​As the days become shorter and the nights become cooler, we begin to sense our energy is changing and so is the energy of the world around us. And so Autumn creeps in on the northern hemisphere bringing with it change and transformation. 

Christina Corujo describes National Hispanic Heritage Month in her article on nbcnewyork.com . In her article she states "​It's a national celebration to honor the history, culture and influence of past generations who came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America." National Hispanic Heritage Month was officially designating in 1988 by President Reagan as the 30-day period starting on Sept. 15 and extending to Oct. 15 .

​The year 2019 was the year I intended to be more authentic. Yes, authentic was my “word of the year” last year. If you are new to this habit, choosing a word for the year is suggested as a way to help you focus your time and efforts during the new year towards achieving goals associated with a theme.  Elizabeth Rider, a nutritionist, author, blogger, health coach and online business mentor tells us, “Your Word of the Year sets an intention, a theme per se, for how you want your year to flow. It is a constant—yet gentle—reminder to focus on creating positive change.” (https://www.elizabethrider.com/word-of-the-year/)