Friday, March 20, 2009

Friday Fun Times

There is NOTHING like moving or spring cleaning to test a relationship. We have now done both and survived it all. Now I never said it was easy or fuss free, but we managed to get the living room shampooed and cleaned up...I even washed windows! I KNOW skeery! We moved some furniture (It's a girl thing) and that helped make the room look bigger. I like it. I have the corner now and maybe I can keep it more craft oriented and tidy (tidy as I can be with all those WIPs). I have a lot of those! I am tired so this is a quick and down and dirty post, but at least I got to it!!!
Be blessed

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Toe Up Math Problem



Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

OK so the new pictures for today are the new images of the finished toe. I am about to work my way up the foot when math becomes a new problem. Ok stay with me a minute. It tells you to work the toe until you have 15 stitches on each needle (4 x 15 = 60) It then tells you to knit 13 and then k2tog this leaves 14 on needle 1 and 15 on 2, 3 & 4. Right? Still with me? Now it is time to start working on a lace pattern and the chart is 13 spaces wide. Instructions say work the lace pattern across the 29 stitches and then knit plain the last 30. 13 + 13 = 26 right? what do you do with the extra 3 stitches? 29 - 26 = 3 I am so confused!!!!!!
OK back to the pictures. Doesn't that toe look great??? I am so happy with it that the 8+ frogs no longer matter!!!
It is bedtime for Irish girls so I am off to brush teeth and take meds.....Erin Go Bragh!!!
Be Blessed!!!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Free Crochet Wishcloth


Ok so what is a wishcloth? It is a crocheted, homemade cloth that can be used as a dish cloth or wash cloth.Today I will give you instructions to make one that I feel has a lot of thickness, strength and yet soft enough to use on your delicate skin. I call it the Wishcloth. Please enjoy.
The stitch is not fancy and I did not invent it. I will just tell you how I use it.

Hook size H
Cotton Yarn (I used Sugar & Cream)

The pattern math is a multiple of 2 plus 3 for the end chain up.
For this cloth, I chained 43
sc in the 4th chain from the hook (ch 3 = 1st dc-ONLY here) *dc in next ch, sc in next chain* repeat * to * to the end of the row. You should end with a sc. ch 3 turn Now listen closely here you need to dc in the last sc of the previous row. Your chain 3 up for this row will never count in your stitching. This makes sure you don't have those pesky holes in the ends of the rows. Alternate sc in the dc and dc in the sc to the end of the row. This second row is the only time you will do a sc in the top of a turning chain up. When you sc in that chain up, you will ch 3 and turn. Now on Row 3, dc in the last sc of the previous row and sc in the dc of the previous row all the way to the end of the row. SC in the last dc of previous row (
do not stitch into the ch 3 turn) ch 1 (this ch 1 never counts as a place to stitch into either) and turn sc in the last dc of previous row and continue in pattern to the end of the row. Clear as mud? I hope clearer.
I made about 40 rows or until it was a big as I wanted. You can judge for yourself how big to make it.
I gave this wishcloth a try out, test drive last night before this post. OMG it holds soap so well I could use less. It was a soft scrubbie, did not hurt my skin but exfoliated dry skin really nicely. Please if you find this, try it and have an opinion or question, ask me, let me know. I will work with all comments and questions as best I can. I feel like anyone who makes it will love it as much as I do. I cannot wait to make more for my kitchen. If you carry a strand of tulle along with the cotton, it will be an awesome scrubbie for the kitchen. You can buy it on the roll at most craft stores and cut it into strips as wide as you want by removing the cardboard tube and cutting it across the roll....give that a try! It works great!
Don't forget to click on the picture above to see a larger image.
Be Blessed!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Toe Up Sock round 3


I had to frog this new technique about 8 times. I think I finally got it right. I am on round 3 of the sock pattern and exhausted. The Eastern cast on is very nice and neat bt it was awkward to learn. Thing is, I could see when it was wrong. Now if that makes me an experienced knitter, then I guess I am. This sock will be very pretty and I cannot wait to get it going. The Kitchner Stitch on a toe is nice but this method is smooth and so nice to look at. I do not have small delicate hands so for me it was tough to get it going in the round. The instructions were also a bit vague about moving to 4 needles. I figured that one out with the help of my Mother. (Thank you Momma) I left the picture of my sock to be up above and you know you can click on it to see the better picture, so take a look. Leave me an opinion. I hope to get more done tomorrow. Tonight, I am sick of ripping it out.
Today, before the knitting, my beloved Ed went with me to a freecycler's home and we picked up landscape edging. Now let it be known that I drive an old Buick Roadmaster, and she thinks she is a truck. I have hauled a lot of stuff. These concrete edgers were so heavy, that my car looked like a low rider. Most of them are still in the car. I do not know where I will be putting them, but I hope to clean them good and paint them first. What do you think of red? maybe green? Ed is a gift from God. He loaded all of that stuff and tomorrow will do the majority of the unloading. I should make a plan so I don't move them too many times. *to do list*
What else is up? Not much the ground is so wet it squeaks when you walk on it. Ed put the last of my roses in the ground today so I hope they do ok. The climbing roses look good, but the peach roses do not look so good. I will cross my fingers for these yellow ones. *Thank you Debi*
Ok Be blessed and may peace guide your decisions today and every day.

Monday, March 9, 2009

More Dirt under my nails!

Today was a cloudy & overcast day. I had purchased some bulbs and needed to get them in the ground. since my sprain in my right wrist, I have been unable to use my good digging arm like I would enjoy doing. I used the next best thing. The most wonderful man a girl could have in her life. My Ed dug all of the holes for me and planted my Dalias, Star gazer lillies, and a purple clematis. My clematis was placed in the hole where the dead wisteria was. We left the wisteria in there for the clematis to climb on. I hope it will be pretty along the fence and on those old dead vines. Maybe I can get another wisteria for my yard, I sure miss the one I tried to transplant. I had never handled dalias before and I am told that my Grandmother was a pro with them. I hope they grow and spread and come back fuller every year. The lillies are for my daughter. If they come up, they will be a big surprise for her. She loves them and so I wanted to make her smile a bit. I am almost finished with the purple purse. I need to make a handle and then I will showcase it here. It is made from recycled plastic bottles so I say keep drinking from them, recycle and make me more yarn!!! *smile*
My current project is a red suede purse. I am running a strand of nylon along with it for strength which is lending a bit of design to the bag. It will be a while before it is done, but I am trying to get it done.
I am also working on a potato bag, a baby blanket, and who knows what all.
I just want to virtually say thank you to my hunnie Ed. He does so much for me and is just the best gift I could have received in my life. The house is slowly starting to look like a girl lives here...hehehehehe.
Thank you my love!!! You are the best!!!
Be well and be blessed.