02 June 2009

Pretty Scarf for Winter and a Dishcloth




I recently finished a pretty scarf for winter. It is made out of Lion Brand Yarns, suede and a mohair blend. It is washable but should be dried flat. It is a ribbed pattern and is made to drape around the wearers neck and tucked under coat--peeking out a little for show. This is going in my "gift" drawer to be later bestowed on a special recipient. I also made another dishcloth and I've posted the picture here. The dishcloth is a bit large but it is great for washing kitchen counters. Both items are what I call "purse projects;" meaning that they are small enough to carry in a purse and work on while waiting for an appointment or during other unplanned "free time." I hope you enjoy these. Hugs...

Ideas for Using Potholder Looms

On one of the websites that I haunt, I read a post from one gal about some videos on YouTube about using potholder looms to make yarn squares to use in other projects. I thought, hmmm, maybe I can get some use out of that potholder loom that I just had to have. I don't care for the loops that I have because they are made of old nylon stockings/pantyhose and as we all know, that type of material MELTS when exposed to high temperatures. Anyway, here are part 1 and part 2 of the video--
PART 1:

PART 2:


The lady in this video has a site that she sells patterns for using these squares. I think that you could probably make a nice blanket out of them and it would be nice and toasty warm too. These projects can quickly shrink your yarn stash. I hope you have enjoyed this post. Hugs...

Homemade Treatment for Fungus on Rose Bushes


My roses are under attack from black spot fungus. I don’t like to spend a ton of money on chemicals that could be bad for my little Chihuahuas so I've been looking for a less toxic treatment. I have found a few non-toxic homemade remedies that you can try. I’m going to start my treatment today. Here’s a few of the possibilities that you may decide to try. I can’t guarantee these because I found them on the Internet and haven’t tried on my roses yet. A few things to remember are:

· No matter what you do, start with trimming off the damage leaves and limbs. Burn them or toss in trash. They are carriers of the disease and must not be left laying around! Do not compost any diseased parts!!!
· Get a good hand-held sprayer. The empty spray cleaner bottles don’t have enough oomp to them.
· The secret to successful treatment is to spray UNDER THE LEAVES EVERY DAY when your Roses are under attack.
· Do treatment as a preventive measure--don't wait for damage; spray weekly with your treatment of choice.
· It is important to keep roses well watered at the root level during hot days and prevent water from getting onto the leaves, especially before nightfall. Providing good air circulation between roses is vital. This helps dry up the roses more quickly. Good pruning methods and generous spacing between rose bushes when planting (generally 3 feet between hybrid teas and 4 feet between larger rose bushes is recommended). Treat dormant plants with lime sulphur in spring and spray with fungicidal soap.

1. Mix 3 tsp Baking Soda in a bucket of water dissolved with 1 Tbsp dish detergent in a bucket of water. Hose down all leaves before you spray and let them dry. Wait until evening then spray under the dry leaves.
2. Spray with a mixture of equal parts fat free milk and water
3. spray weekly with 1 tsp. baking soda mixed with a quart of water
4. Take a gallon of the basic baking soda recipe above (#3) and add 1 tbsp. fish emulsion, seaweed, Vitamin B1 and molasses
5. Cornmeal fights fungus so a good preventive measure is too sprinkle it at base of your rosebushes
6. A remedy recipe I found at a gardening magazine is to mix the following ingredients with 1 cup water. Add the vinegar last so that the mix won’t bubble over. Pour the mixture into the sprayer and add 1 gallon water. Shake to combine. Spray plants thoroughly. This formulation may need to be reapplied after rain since it tends to wash off. One side benefit to the baking soda spray is that insects don’t love it either! Baking Soda Spray:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 gallon unchlorinated water
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp regular flavor Listerine
1 tbsp liquid soap
1 ½ tbsp baking soda
Pump sprayer (large)
7. Some gardeners use stinging nettle spray. It is meant to help plants resist mildew and other diseases such as blackspot and rust. To make: gather 1 pound of stinging nettle plants (use long rubber gloves and protective clothing to prevent from being stung!); crush stinging nettle leaves and put into an old burlap sack or pillow case. Submerge the bag in a one-gallon bucket containing unchlorinated water, cover and let sit in a warm place for a week. Strain mixture through cheesecloth or mesh. Dilute liquid stinging nettle concentrate with 5 parts water to 1 part concentrate. Spray this over rose bushes every two weeks.

Remember, these are suggestions that I have gleaned from the Internet. I’m not entirely sure of the effectiveness of these remedies but I will be trying one or more of them so that my roses will be healthier and more beautiful.