Lucy's Valentine's at Daycare

Every once in a while I get in this streak where I just need to get rid of some of my scrap yarn and I make it my mission to get rid of scrap yarn. When I get in these moods every project I do MUST include scrap yarn (unless I have a super important project come up - then I give myself some grace and buy what I need) and I only buy yarn I need that will allow me to use up yarn, traditionally this means I buy a lot of neutral colors in order to balance out the crazy colors I have stored up.

Back in the beginning of November, I decided I was at the point that I need to use up my scrap yarn pile and started looking at my bins (ugg yes, bins) of scrap yarn and the strange amounts I had left and was puzzled at what I could make with the yarn, because it really was great yarn just small amounts of great yarn, and I kept thinking that I could make a ton of hats if I had somewhere to take/give a ton of hats. I looked into the NICU where Lucy stayed for a  while, however they cannot take handcrafted items due to fear of germs coming in (which I suppose makes sense) and was thinking about where else are there lots of kids and my mind went to Lucy's daycare. {I did end up doing a NICU preemie hat challenge in the month of December and took them down to Children's Hospital in Minneapolis}

Then the idea was born - I would make some type of valentine card that said "Hats off to you Valentine" and attach it to a handmade hat for each kid. The idea was brilliant, I had 3 plus months to make roughly 16 hats. My goal: try lots of new patterns that I have been storing up in my ravelry library AND use up a ton of scrap yarn. BRILLIANT. My yarn stash is now MASSIVELY under control (Thankfully).

The Hats:
Ladybug by Repeat Crafter Me
Penguin by Repeat Crafter Me
Happy Hat 2 by Mamachee
Zebra by Repeat Crafter Me
Shark by Repeat Crafter Me
Snowman by Repeat Crafter Me
Brainwaves by Playin Hooky
Aviator by Repeat Crafter Me
Snow Queen by Repeat Crafter Me
Pop of Color by Mamachee
Mohawk Beanie by Boomer Beanies
Galilee Hat by Mamachee
Tiger by Repeat Crafter Me
Basic Stripes by Colie's Crochet
Emersyn Newsboy Hat by Frayed Knot

All of the hats are adapted from the above patterns, I didn't follow any of them exactly. The only hat I repeated was the Mohawk beanie, I made two of those for a set of brothers. I am actually fairly impressed I managed to get these done.

I know it won't be possible to make hats every year for the kids at daycare for Valentine's day, but it was super fun to come up with a project that allowed me to try a whole bunch of new projects without the stress of them being perfect. As you can tell by the list above I REALLY got into the Repeat Crafter Me patterns, they were fun and easy to follow, I liked how they turned out as a whole and I know I will tweak them a little next time I make them.

I also was thrilled to not be giving out candy for Valentine's day - while I am not anti-candy, it was nice to do something other than candy. I may make it my goal to do noncandy for Valentine's day for a few years, just as a different option.

Note to self: next time you decide to make 16 of anything - give yourself more than two months, particularly if Christmas and the New Year falls in that window as well as a work trip and a vacation.

In the end I LOVED this project.
Are you doing anything fun for Valentine's Day?

Obligatory Valentine's Day Post

My parents, Mickey Mouse, and I on our recent trip to Disneyland

Hearts, Hearts, Hearts, love, love, love, blah, blah, blah - insert other sappy valentine's day stuff here.

For some strange reason I feel the need to write the obligatory valentine's day post. Now by no means am I going to get on my high horse and begin my rampage about how I hate valentine's day and it is just an over commercialized holiday made up by Hallmark or whatever company you want to blame. I could go on and tell you stories of when I was in junior high and high school and even through college at times that there were moments in which I still sort of dreaded valentine's day - I dreaded the fact that I wouldn't have a date, I dreaded the fact that there wouldn't be a boy waiting to remind me how much he loved me and blah blah blah. Yes, yes I did have those moments. I would be a full fledged liar if I didn't admit to it.

At some point in college I realized the truth, at some point in college around valentine's day when I went to my mailbox and found a package from my parents and a card from my grandparents and an aunt, I was reminded several things that remain true today.

• I am loved. My God has known me since I was in my mother's womb and knows every hair on my head, it is the God who shows up in every sunrise and sunset and claims me as Gods' own in my baptismal waters and makes me new each and every day, and this is humbling.
• I am loved. This is something I have never ever ever ever doubted since I was born. My parents, grandparents, brother, extended family all love me more than I probably can even acknowledge, it is the text messages and phone calls and occasional cards that remind me how much they love me, it is the excitement to spend be together and to journey through life together in the every day 265 days a year I am reminded how much they love me, and this is humbling.
• I am loved. I have a group of friend who surround me and uphold me daily. My friends have always been amazing and continue to be, it is the ways in which they call and leave messages, the ways in which inside jokes carry on for years upon years, it is the encouragement to keep pushing forward and the hugs after a long day that I am reminded I am loved, and this is humbling.
• I am loved. There are people I get the opportunity to work alongside and walk beside who remind me daily that they love me, sometimes it is at my full time call or at my part time job working as a life guard the kids and families that I get to work with show me in their own ways that they love me. It is the smile on a kids face as they walk in the door, its the invitation to be a part of some of the most sacred moments in a families life, it is the honor and privileged to share in a meal or serving together that I am reminded I am loved, and this is humbling.
• I am loved. While yes, this year I am engaged and last year I was dating, and yes, I did get Marc something for Valentine's day (nothing screams romantic like getting a gift certificate to go have your bike all geared up and ready for the upcoming spring/summer), and I couldn't be happier to be getting married in less than four months, I live in the conviction I am loved when every night before he leaves he kisses me on the forehead and says I love you as he walks out the door, the notes that get left under the windshield wiper on my car, its the text message in the middle of the day all that remind me I am loved, and this is humbling.