Thursday's Tricks (24 April 2014)

Use chalk to remove grease stains from clothes. Simply rub white chalk on the affected area and wash as normal - the chalk will absorb the grease and be washed away in the cycle. Has anyone tried this one? It sounds like an inexpensive way to get the grease off.

Wrap rubber bands around the ends of a hanger to help keep clothes from slipping off. This is another good idea. I've started switching over to velvet hangers (they work very good too) but this is worth a try before I spend money on more hangers.

 More slip-proof velvet hangers

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern (21 April 2014)

Sometimes you just have to have flowers as the finishing touch on your crocheted projects. Today's link is to a pattern for 2 versions of crocheted daisies.

To go along with the idea of "daisies" is Doris Day singing Please Don't Eat the Daisies.




 





Buy the video "Please Don't Eat the Daisies"

Switched to Crocheting Dishcloths for a While

I wanted something brainless to crochet so I broke out my patterns and found what I was looking for in Dishcloths (12 crochet designs) published by Leisure Arts. I saw this pattern for a dishcloth that is crocheted corner-to-corner and I thought I'd give it a whirl. After making 5 of them, suffice it to say that I enjoy this pattern very much. A couple of the dishcloths I made out of scraps of yarn. These will be for everyday use here at home. The "nicer ones" are going in the gift drawer to be gifted to someone at a later day. And here's some pictures--

Crochet Patterns for Dishcloths

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern (14 April 2014)

Here's an elegant and feminine shawl that would look beautiful for a bride or for a young lady to wear to the prom. I don't think it would take more than a few days to make either.

Have fun everyone!
Sharon

It's the Easter Bunny!

Sitting like a lady

Showing off the booty tail 

Here is my latest FO--the Easter Bunny. This pattern needs a bit of tweeking and proofing but overall, I like the design and how it turned out for me. I want to figure out a way to make it part of our Easter centerpiece. Maybe I'll sit it on a large decorative dish with Easter grass and put some foil wrapped candies around it. Hope you all have a wonderful week.

Hugs,
Sharon

Thursday's Tricks (10 April 2014)

• Brown sugar get hard? Toss a couple of the larger sized marshmallows into the bag with the brown sugar and then seal it up.
• Keep your dishwasher extra clean with white vinegar. Pour ½ cup into the detergent cups and run the empty machine for a complete cycle. 

There's a couple hints for this week that I found. Hope everyone is enjoying the spring-time weather and blooms. 

Take care--

Sharon

Free Ebook at Amazon

Browsing around some groups I belong to on Facebook, I found this link for Crochet Rag Rugs Basic Pattern Collection in Kindle ebook format. I thought that I would share it with you. The price is right--FREE! It is for Kindle, but there is a free converter called Calibre that is available so you can convert it to another format for other book readers.

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern (07 April 2014)

Here it is--it's a crocodile flower! Actually, it's a crocheted square made with crocodile stitches. It's has a very striking appearance. So go here and check it out.
Enjoy,
Sharon

A Ladies Camouflage Hat

I had plenty of yarn left after I made the man's camouflage hat so I decided to make a more feminine camouflage hat. I love this pattern and have used it many times. To make a little larger hat to cover the ears better I will up-size the hook I'm using. This time I used the G hook like the pattern calls for; it will also fit a girl or be a more snug fit for a woman.

Now I really need to get my act together and finish a ufo or 2.

Take care,
Sharon

Amazon Fire TV

Man's Hat is Finished

Here is one of the projects that was bugging me and it is now finished. It became less frustrating working with all the slip stitches as it progressed. I may actually make a few more of these for the guys in my family. Here's the finished project--

I definitely like how the camouflage yarn looks with this pattern. The hat looks small but it stretches quite a bit.  The pattern is located here if anyone wants it.

Take care everyone!

Hugs,
Sharon

Thursday's Tricks (03 April 2014)

Put Your Dishwasher on Double Duty

You've finally learned how to load it correctly, but are you really taking full advantage of your dishwasher's scour power? A dishwasher can reach 155 degrees Fahrenheit to kill bacteria — just the ticket for sanitizing some of the more unsavory items in your household. Tossing these 10 soiled staples in the dishwasher will save time when hand washing or the washing machine just doesn't hold water.

Rubber boots and flip flops*. Freshen your step from summer's sweaty buildup by placing shoes horizontally in the dishwasher rack (make sure to remove the boot liners before hitting START).  Add a little baking soda to the mix for extra deep cleaning.

Plastic hair brushes. To zap all the dirt, skin and debris that collect in the bristles, first use a comb to remove all the excess hair. Then, toss brushes in the quickest cycle available and finish the job by running the dry cycle.  Note: Do not wash brushes with wooden handles

Stove burner grates. A hassle to clean by hand but a dream to throw in your dishwasher's bottom rack.

Potatoes. Yes, potatoes! Lay them flat in a dish or place them on the top rack and give them a bath in the rinse cycle sans detergent. A lifesaver during the holidays.

Baseball caps*. While caps can lose their shape in the washing machine, they do magnificently well in the dishwasher. The normal cycle is all it takes to tidy up these toppers.

Athletic accessories*. There's nothing like the smell of ripe sports paraphernalia to make the whole family run screaming out the door. Shin guards and knee pads are safe for the top rack. Just skip the dry cycle.

Dish sponges. Often the germiest frenemies in the entire kitchen, dish sponges can be successfully sanitized in the dishwasher with the rest of your dishes through a full wash and dry cycle.

Plastic or metal-handle garden tools. No wooden handles, please.

Refrigerator shelving. Newer models are usually dishwasher safe, but consult your user's manual to be certain. You may have to do some maneuvering to fit the shelves in the bottom rack.

Toothbrushes*. Sterilize brushes in the top rack. Your dentist will thank you.

*Avoid washing with dirty dishes

Tip: items that should NOT be placed in the dishwasher include:
Wood (it warps)
Cast iron (it rusts)
Crystal (it cracks)

The above hints are from Scott Brand. Go to their web site for more helpful hints and coupons too.

Dishwasher Clean/Dirty Magnets

3 Projects I Want to Chuck out the Window!!!

Yes, you read that title right, I have 3 projects I want to toss out the window and forget I ever started them. 

• The 1st I talked about last week. It is painfully slow making this men's hat.  Maybe it's not the hat, maybe it's my CADD (crochet attention deficiet disorder) and this hat is largely made out of slip stitches so it takes forever to get anywhere with it.

Should look like

(Picture courtesy of Ravelry)

Mine

• The 2nd project is a deerstalkers hat. Love the look of this and thought it would make a nice gift for someone. The problem is, after working 91 rounds, I don't know where to attach the brim. I mean theoretically, I know where it goes, but I just don't know where to put it if that makes sense to you. I was going to take a picture of what I've done so far but I couldn't find it so chances are I did toss it out the window and it's blowing in the wind as the old song goes. 

Should look like

(picture from here at freepatterns.com)

• The 3rd project, the zen sweater designed by Doris Chan, almost has me crying in my beer because it should be so beautiful. I have frogged and frogged this baby more times than I can count and it needs to be frogged again. I should have 12 fans at this stage and I only have 10. I should have known this was going to be a problem when I ordered light gray yarn and I ended up with a light tan.

Should look like

(Picture courtesy of Ravelry) 

Mine

So, the plan right now is to work on the 1st project I wrote about here and get it done and out of the way. Then move on to the zen sweater and lastly the deerstalker hat if I haven't really tossed it out the window.

That's all for now...

Hugs,

Sharon