New idea from Pinterest Pin

Ok so I have been working my fingers off making curly scarves for sale. It is how I make my Christmas money. I am posting this picture because I pinned an idea from Pinterest and put it to work. The yarn for curly scarves gets twisted like no other. This way, it rolls off easily and doesn't get twisted. Quickly is what I call my winding method. My man sits on the ottoman and I separate the yarn while he winds it on the toilet paper rolls. It makes my scarf making faster and easier. Give it a try for any yarn. This may never mak it back to the bathroom!!!! Enjoy!!

Many Blessings to you & yours!!!

SEARCH WITH CARE

I was searching for dishcloth patterns. I saw a lot of porn. MY GOD!!! WTH is going on when you cannot safely search for yarn crafts?????
I decided to post this lady's beautiful blog post because the picture of her work has been hacked and connected to porn. THIS IS NOT PORN, but the REAL pattern site!!! Click on the picture!!

Enjoy this beautiful pattern and do not click on this picture on a LOT of search results!!!

Cantaloupe Smoothie!!!

This is just wonderful and good for you!!!

Cantaloupe Smoothie

1/2 cantaloupe seeded and cut into chunks
1 bottle Atkins Vanilla Protein shake (all I had on hand)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/8 cup watermelon lemon juice (sold at Kroger for sure) You could use any lemon juice
pinch salt & about 1/4 t black pepper
about 1/4 c agave
crushed ice (wish I'd had Sonic ice)

Place about half of all ingredients in blender. Blend to smooth. Pour into cups.
Place remainder in Blender & blend til smooth.
Enjoy!!!

This made 3 large glasses (abt 36 ozs each).

WEEK 18

This has to be my favorite cloth. I am so proud of me and my new found perfections with knitting. I know how to correct my mistakes, how to correctly make the stitches the way I knit and I learn every time I knit. If you have not yet joined this Dishcloth challenge, join in now. You can catch up. It is a small, portable craft you can learn something new and finish anywhere. 

I am working on a way to knit in the pool and then life will be perfect!!!

This is so much prettier in person but I love it!! The stitch pattern is easy to follow and it works up quick. It would make a pretty scarf. You can find the free pattern HERE.

I am on the colonoscopy diet again. UGH. I am not sure if I will lose weight, but I will surely lose water weight!!! I know it is better to have a procedure than to die of cancer, but it sucks to go through all of this.

I am ready to hit the pool. Relaxing in the water really does make me feel more human. It is 103 degrees here and I need a dip. If I could knit in the pool, I would never leave!!!

Many blessing in your life and keep on believing!!!

LET'S GO TO IRELAND!!!!!

https://www.dreamplango.com/ireland/189332  I have entered and desire a trip to this beautiful place...Lets go!!!

WEEK 17 & OTHER STUFF

Whoa Nellie it has been a weird few days. Getting over my sickness was tougher than I thought it would be. The antibiotic I received was usually prescribed for anthrax and the plague. I bet anything in me was killed. However, the day after my meds and for 2 days, I sorta felt worse. WTH? Today, I am trying to stay up and alert. 
Now to the dishcloth challenge. I am devoted. I am trying to work on things that I can finish and feel like I am changing my ways. I have a lot of WIPs. Sad state of affairs.
Here is my attempt of Week 17:

This is tiny and just right for a cute young lady for a face scrubber or bath scrubbie with a pretty handmade soap. That may be something I need to learn...soap making. If only I could make money at my passion. You can find the pattern HERE: Give it a try. So easy & you will include it in many gifts you may be making!!!

Many Blessings your way!!!

WEEK 16

This is the week 16 dishcloth. It is called The Hive Knit Dishcloth. I enjoyed this pattern all the time I was working on it. It is always interesting to see how a new pattern "works out". The only thing I will go back and do (maybe) is a better edging on the sides. I slipped stitched around with a crochet hook. I may go around and do a single crochet. We shall see. 

My sickness sent me to the doctor. Yep I finally gave in and now glad I did. I had an upper respiratory infection, ear infections and sinus/throat infections. The antibiotic is commonly used to fight the plague and anthrax. Think it will cure what ails me? I hope so. Sick of being sick!!

Going to try and cast on a sock later.

This is what I faced last night after the kitties got in my yarn. I finally got it all sorted out after hours of cursing. It was very pretty after I had it all rolled up. Now I think it will be a pretty sock. 

Many Blessings. Time for some supper. Food sounds good tonight. We shall see!!  O:)

I do more than you think, I learn proper Wrapping!

I have been sick for 2 weeks now. Some days were good, some not so good. Today is not so good. Last night was a getting not so good night and I hurried through finishing a gift for my beautiful daughter. Now let me say she won't mind but I am sick (pun intended) that I screwed up the end of it and didn't notice til I bound off and was taking my proud pictures. *SIGH* I won't fix it and my kid won't mind.  I will be embarrassed forever though. I guess I got off count of the rows I was on somehow. 

The top picture shows how I totally screwed up. UGH It is a Tiger Paw for her beloved Clemson Tigers. I am so mad at me but to my sanity, I have been very sick!! OH well. It will be OK.  The next picture shows how I learned I was twisting stitches when I was purling the stockinette row. I called my Mother and together we figured it out. Now I make pretty uniform stitches. I never noticed it until I did this pattern and it is very obvious here.  Now I need to focus on purling in a new direction. Wrapping the yarn makes all the difference. in the arrow picture, every other row is the one with the legs twisted. It was simply the way I wrapped the yarn over the needle. 

Just when you think you know it all, you are not too old to learn new things. Notice your stitches and their general construction. It really does matter. Half of this project is twisted and the other half is not but still screwed up. 

I don't just craft dishcloths, but living in Texas, I have no use for sweaters, scarves or hats. Being Menopausal doesn't help either. I do some of those things for charity but not for self or for people I know live here. 

I think my calling will be socks. Since I cannot wear pretty shoes, I opt for wearing pretty socks. I will be casting on very soon. I am ready for some pretty socks.

Many Blessings to you all.

WEEK 15

OK I went rogue again. I loved this pattern and added a few touches of my own. I used "Americana" colors. It just seemed like a good fit. I love how the colors worked together.  This was fun and since I made it bigger, I think it will be a centerpiece in gift basket I am making.
You can find the pattern HERE.
Follow the pattern the first time around and then play with it!!
Many Blessings to you as you hook your masterpiece!!!

 Enter for a chance to win a trip to Ireland. HERE

WEEK 14 DISHCLOTH

The holiday got me behind in my posting. I finished this cloth a couple of days ago but I hadn't done the photography and blogging. 

Some times life just gets in the way and you forget to finish up a lot of things you actually got to the finish line. All you have to do is jump over and tick the box in the win column!!

I actually enjoyed working on this little cloth. Once you get the rhythm of the pattern, it goes quickly. I can best describe it at 1/2 of linen stitch. I didn't block this one, but I think it would be prettier with a little crochet edging. Please go give this a try. It is so easy a beginner could pick it up and make something that looks harder than it is.

You can find the pattern HERE. 

So yesterday we did yard work and made a safe spot for the pool my daughter bought for us all to share. I have not spent that much time in my backyard since I moved in 5 yrs and 5 months ago. It has always been scary so I avoid it. We cleaned up old brush, trees, vines etc. We laid down a tarp, set up the pool house (a great screen tent to avoid bugs) and tried to start filling the pool, but it didn't come with all we needed to set it up. Pictures will follow!!

Many blessings for your day!!

CRAFTY LAZY BLOGGER

I realized that I was only blogging about my dishcloths and how lazy lame that is.  I have more going on than dishcloths.  Have come to the conclusion that I want to be a sock maker. I live in Texas and and seldom need scarves, hats and shawls. I do think they are pretty and have made my share. I will keep making hats for charity and gifts. 
Okay so you ask what I am working on now. I picked up several books at the library for socks and I need to make my own socks. The kicker is, I can make one sock and be ok. I wear a brace on my left leg to help me walk and have a special sock to wear with it. Don't be a hater. I know a lot of people get one made and never finish the second one. You can always send orphans to me!!!!
Tune in I may post pix soon. Happy Independence Day!!!!!!!!

WEEK 13 DISHCLOTH

I seldom discuss the yarn I am using because I often can't remember what it is if I lose the label & I often do. I know this one however. I used it to make Katy's (my niece) prince doll. It is "I Love This Cotton", the house brand for Hobby Lobby in Taupe. I just have to say that after weeks of using other kitchen cotton brands, this yarn feels like silk in your hands. It is beautiful and shiny. It just makes me happy. This is week #13 and I enjoyed it thoroughly. After working the pattern on 2 rows and getting the hang of the pattern, I didn't look at the instructions again. I then got into my rhythm  and it worked up quickly. It is beautiful and in this yarn could be a beautiful scarf someday.
I did not follow the pattern completely I must confess. Now don't be rogue and do as I do. I have my own quirky style. When  I start something on a straight chain, I do not chain. WHAT??? Yes I said it I do not chain. I make a sc start chain. It keeps an item from being shorter on the beginning side than it is on the ending side. I call this afghan hell. Until I learned this trick, I live in afghan hell. Ripple afghans showed it off worse than most. No more Hell for me!!! I started this cloth that way. My other venture from the pattern has to go with starting side chains or chain ups. I never count them. I make the pattern stitch right beside the chain up. That is why it has a scalloped edge (slight but I see it). I prefer that to working in a chain up. I just hate that. OK that is all I did differently. I can tell you are surprised...LOL
Please try this pattern. It is so pretty!!! You will love how it looks in person. This yarn is so soft I may make a scarf from it in this yarn. (Now what color???)
You can find this pattern HERE. Go get your hooks!!! You won't regret it!!!!
Many Blessings!!!

WEEK 12...I FORGOT!

I finished this cloth several days ago, photographed it and then forgot to post about it. WHAT???  I know right?? This was fun to work on and after I got a good rhythm, it went very fast. This would make a pretty pattern for a kids afghan in a nice soft yarn. Quick and easy. I must say my least favorite stitch is k2tog. Once I got rolling, it wasn't as bad as I thought.  The pattern can be found HERE. Go give it a try. I think it would be great for a beginner to try. Don't let the pattern scare you!!

So what is going on at the ranch? (I wish I had a place that big) Truth is I can barely keep up with my tiny Hobbit House. After church today, I took a nap! HA....I needed it!!! After about an hour, I got up got dressed and pulled up the birdseed plants that were growing in my pretty flower bed. Yep I did something that dumb!!! I thought the cats would enjoy seeing the birds out front. Little did I calculate that they would scatter seeds in my flower bed! GRRRRRR

Ok get out your needles and knit. I have to get busy on the next one!!! See you next post!!!
Many Blessings!

BASEBALL CLOTH!!

I attended a Texas Rangers game recently. It was during Knit In Public Week. So what does someone who aspires to be a good knitter do? You got it!!! I took my knitting! I decided to use the Idiot's cloth pattern so it would be mindless. The Rangers lost but I had a great time sweating in extremely close quarters. Secret professional strength worked for me but no one else had it on. I digress. I finished the cloth and then to make it remind me of the ball game, I crocheted the line around the "bases". The colors are like a baseball, it looks like a field diamond and I loved it!!!
June has been a rough month for me. My pain has been worse than in many years past. I think it has something to do with barometric pressure, humidity and yo-yo temperatures. It doesn't help that certain doctors don't get on the ball refilling my scripts. Exercise hurts and not in a good way. It hurts to do it and the next day I am in bed almost every day. So glad I have things to occupy my time and mind. Otherwise I would go crazy. Thinking about creativity lets me not focus on how bad I feel. Invisible pain and disability is a heavy burden to carry. No one can see your pain. Someone asked me recently when my leg would be all healed. I said, "Never". and she said, "Oh no how bad did you break it?" I mentally rolled my eyes and said, "It's not broken, it is paralyzed." She still didn't get it. *sigh*
OK....anyone ever cleaned their glass casserole dishes with aluminum foil? Does it work?  OR....is Pinterest a scary place to get ideas?
LOL OK back to my dishcloth of the week to be posted soon!!!!
Many Blessings to you all!!!

WEEK 11 DISHCLOTH

Well here is my Week 11 of the 52 week dishcloths. This is very pretty and feminine. You will have fun with this one. I made it in just about 90 mins. Not sure what I will do with this. I just loved it HERE is the pattern. Please try to make it. You will not regret the fun.

On the Garden front, my flower beds look beautiful!!! My Vitex is blooming and I wish it smelled as great as it looked. The potato garden now has all of the concrete blocks. I am hoping next year to have a gorgeous garden. We just started too late. It needs earthworms and new soil. I need to get it fertile before I plant. The potatoes were just a fluke. I didnt think they would grow. Now if they produce!!!

I will keep you posted!

Have a blessed day!!!!

HAPHAZARD GARDENER

I admit that gardening is not my best thing in the world. I do enjoy trying to make things look beautiful. Seems to me that just getting your hands dirty and helping mother earth by making oxygen and fertile soil would be enough for some people. For me not that easy. It seems to me it's a challenge.Can I make something beautiful grow? Something small fragile and interesting in my hands. My mother claims that she did not get the genetic code for being a beautiful gardener like my grandmother. It seems that my skills are better put to use on plants that are in clearance or by just throwing seeds down randomly and just burying what look like dead sticks. I have done all of these things and manage to get beautiful plants out of them. If I've tried to buy expensive beautiful plants put them in my yard and then nurture them 9 out of 10 times, they die. So you say why do you keep torturing yourself but putting that much effort into yard work of all things. Why indeed. I manage somehow to get joy out of this activity.
Last night I put out some begonias that I bought on clearance for 75 cents a six pack. Oh yes they looked pitiful and I just knew they needed my help to grow and be beautiful. I put out cow manure, topsoil and mulch and I really treated these babies well. Last night we had storms come in. I am too scared to go outside and look at what may have happened to my beautiful flowers. Yes this is a coward speaking. I will probably go out later and take a peek but not now my heart couldn't take it. The mosquitoes here in Texas are already bad. I was I suppose supper time for several of them last night as I have bites on me today. Last night my neighbors let me know that my efforts were not in vain because my yard looked very pretty. That made my heart so happy that I was just jumping up and down and Snoopy dancing in my heart. Now a little bit of hard work is not a bad thing. Trust me when I tell you though that stinky sweaty garden body does not feel good in the shower when all of the hot water is gone. We have a tankless heater so I would never have thought we would not have hot water for my after work shower. God has a sense of humor because the flame went out and I had to take a freezing cold shower. Well I was no longer stinky but man I was freezing big time. As a lot of you may know in your own personal life a job well done and a shower to prove how hard you worked are too beautiful things. Too bad our young generations today in this world don't have good examples of that in their lives. None of them here today are getting out there and working hard for anything. Kids don't have to earn privileges they don't have to clean up their rooms and they have plenty of attitude to back that up. I think children today need to get out there with their moms their dads and their grandparents and just get their hands dirty in the soil. They need a good hard days work to see their beautiful efforts come to fruition and then they can see that the Pride they have in that job is worth all the hassle.

Blessings to you all.

WEEK 10

Ok color does not always photograph well. This is more like taffy pink, minty green etc. This is week 10!!!! I enjoyed this one a lot once I got it cast on and 2 rows done. I thought it was laying a bit flatter when I snapped it. This is pretty. It is dainty and I really like it. 
You can find the pattern HERE. Please give it a try. You can do it and it would be a great little gift with a pretty soap. O:)
Nothing really going on here. I have been sick off and on and tried to get out for my walk again last night. I made it 1/4 of a mile and was done. I took some benedryl before bed and didn't have leg tremors but alas I still didn't sleep. From 3:30 am to 6 something, I don't remember but before and after that I saw every hour. *sigh* One day sleep will come.
Til next time!!! Blessed be!!

Week 9

It has been an interesting week & 1/2. I have been sick and mentally out of it but since I was slugging, I got all caught up on the dishcloth challenge. Now I can concentrate on other things. This is a pretty fan design that I of course put my own little spin on. I am a rogue artist sometimes!! I made it a bit bigger than the pattern called for and then put a 2 dc 1 sc edging on it. It is a pretty minty green  that is almost icy. It is tough to see it here, but I sure do like the way it turned out! Try the pattern located HERE! You can do it!!! Walk on the wild side and do something to make it your own!!!
How's other stuff going you ask? Not well. My laptop is dead since our trip to SC. I am pissed with it but I am going to try to work on it tomorrow. My life is on that computer!!! It will take me forever to reclaim everything and on top of that, all of my photos lost. Patterns, passwords, you name it. Can you spell HEADACHE?

WEEK 8 OF 52 WEEKS OF DISHCLOTHS!!

Okay so this is funny and laugh if you want to but boy did I screw this one up! I was setting up to photograph this cloth from the 52 week challenge. I shot the picture and as I cropped it and edited it, I realized what I did to screw this tiny little cloth. If you look closely, somewhere in the middle, I lost control of the front and the back. NO I wasn't going to frog it and do it over. I kinda like it even if it is all wrong. This pattern is easy and I would make a larger one (in the future) because I think the pattern is pretty. Would make a nice silk scarf too or bamboo. Here is the PATTERN. Give it a try and watch closely as to which row you are on!!!  LOL

WEEK 7

This is week 7's dishcloth. I have one more to go before I catch up. WHEW....it is possible when you put your mind to it!! I have to confess here. I did not make this a full size cloth because I plan to put soap in it and use it as a scrubbie. I have the perfect soap in mind. It was beautifully scented lavender clay soap. I cannot wait to use it. Please try the pattern. It is so easy and you can use this one to make a beautiful purse lined with a gorgeous fabric. Here is the PATTERN. Have fun with it. Maybe use a homespun or thick and chunky for an afghan. Enjoy!!!!

WEEK 6

Ok so I am almost caught up with the dishcloth event. 52 patterns for the year. If you did the math, that is one per week. I got behind because my daughter was in a national pageant as Miss Texas and my brother died yadda yadda. This is week 6 called Grandma's favorite dishcloth or on the net it is also known as the Idiot dishcloth. If you knit, and are a beginner you should try this one. It will help with increases and decreases. Here is the PATTERN. Give it a go. This makes great shower gifts for brides or babies or as housewarming gifts. Let me know how it goes!!!

This is my attempt at week 5. Is it called cupcakes. You can see the cake and the frosting if you look real hard...LOL So far, this pattern was my least favorite. It has nothing to do with the pattern just me and my attention span vs the pattern. It was fun watching it develop so give it a try if you enjoy the hook. Here is the PATTERN. You may love it!!

WEEK 4 of dishcloths Cherry Pie

This is my attempt at week 4, the first knitted cloth. It was not my first attempt at knitting or short rows (I have knitted several socks) but it was my first attempt at a pattern like this. I learned a lot about turning on short rows. I also remember that I should keep better track of where I am in the pattern. OH and here is the PATTERN. Give it a try. Oh and when you are on the Last "PIE" section, bind off where it tells you too. I messed up but was too tired to frog anything else!! I frogged this one 3 times and backed up 2 other times.

Week 3 Tulip Stitch

This is my attempt at the week 3 dishcloth. Yes I am behind, but I am getting caught up! This was not made from normal kitchen cotton but Red Heart Eco-Cotton blend made from 75% recycled materials. HERE is a link to the pattern. Give it a try. it is very easy! Using the yarn I used, it came out longer than a dishcloth. I kept going because I am going to use it on the top of the tank for the toilet. ENJOY!!

This is my week 2 of 52 Weeks of dishcloths. I made a lot of mistakes but I learned from them then twisted things around to make this one unique. Fun!!!

This is my attempt at week one of 52 Weeks of Dishcloths. I honestly forgot I was doing this. WHAT is wrong with me??? HERE is where you can find the pattern. This would also make a great blanket.

52 weeks of dishcloths is a challenge to my head and I am thinking I will join in. I love the scrubbiness of the first cloth. Very basic if you want to try to make it!!! What color should I use??? Let me dig in my stash!!!

52 weeks of dishcloths

Have fun!!!

Missing Ricky

It has been 18 days now. My Brother was found dead in his home. My sadness is causing me to scrunch down in despair. I have been back home from a trip I was on during my loss for almost a week. I cannot shake it. I thought I would be ok and I would jump into some projects I have been planning. I haven't. I want to but I just cannot lift my self up. I will eventually. I know it but not today. I have great ideas. Maybe next week. My kitchen is a scary science experience at best and I need to get control of it. I need to sew, crochet and knit. 

Losing my brother struck me like the song saying: The day the music died. I know the title but that phrase makes me think of him. He was a genius at knowing not only who was singing, but also the words and album. He was a music freak and loved so many genres that I doubt he could choose just one, unless it be the Beatles. He loved them and I bet had all of their music. My big and only brother. Why did he have to leave us so soon?? I wasn't ready. We were best friends growing up and he knew how much I loved him and I know how much he loved me. He recently turned 55. He was getting to know Christ and the teachings again. We were baptized at the same time. He was a scrabble king. He had a photographic memory and could remember phone numbers like no other. He could also type 120 wpm when he was tested back in school. All of our common teachers adored him. I just disappointed them. It was ok. It was my brother. God I miss him and my heart is broken.

Rest in Peace James Richard Fortune. Our "Ricky". I love and adore you.

Found this craft on this blog today. I have been Gawkering today. O;) Petal Lamp I am thinking about what I want to petal up. I love it but I don't want to dust it...LOL I am lazy but I know it. This would be so pretty in so many ways.

I have been busy making curly scarves. The ones above are just 2 of the colors. My daughter has been selling them to help buy her pageant dress.I have been very busy. O;)