Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern 07 February 2011

I've recently discovered that making baby booties helps to use up those small balls of left-over yarn. Here's a cute girlie pair made out of dk weight yarn. I have some of this yarn in my stash of left-over yarn and I just might make a pair of these. I bet making them out of ww would work for an older baby or maybe even a younger toddler.

Texting and Driving

If you text and drive or know someone who does, please watch this video.

More Baby Booties...

I'm on a roll with crocheting baby booties. This is the 3rd pair and I'm putting them aside for some lucky baby in the future. Same pattern as the others I've recently made--pattern info is: "Winner's Circle: Easy Baby Booties."Crochet World, June 2010: 6-7. The yarn I used was some left-over yarn from an afghan I recently finished. It is a RedHeart yarn but I don't know the specifics on it because I threw the label away. I do know it is acrylic and the color is off-white with flecks of tan, blue and green. Thanks for looking. 

Granny Ripple Ghan is Fini!

Here it is, finished at last. I made it a little wider than the pattern I based it on. I ended up doing a light blocking by putting it on the bed slightly damp and finger-smoothing it flat. I only did 1 round of single crochet and maybe I should have done a 2nd but I think it looks ok.  Thanks for looking...

Quick and Easy Cheesecake

I'm not a Susie Homemaker nor a Betty Crocker but I do get ambitious once in a while to make some "treats." I see all sorts of delicious goodies on some blogs I read and I'm jealous. Not that I'd want to take the talent/goodies away I'd just like a little bit of my own. So, sometimes I find shortcuts and easy things to make. I've been in the mood for some cheesecake lately so when DH and I stopped at Meiers yesterday on our way back from Louisville we bought some cream cheese (on sale 4 packs for  $5). Today when my sweet, adopted great-granddaughter came over we made an easy cheesecake. Here's how we did it:

Easy Cheesecake
1 store-bought graham cracker crumb crust (or one of the cookie flavor ones will work)
2 8oz. packs cream cheese--let it get to be room temp (I let mine sit on counter for an hour)
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar (I used an off brand of Splenda)
2 teasp vanilla
1/2 teasp grated lemon peel (I use the stuff in the jar from the spice section)

Preheat oven to 350

Beat cheese

Add eggs, sugar, vanilla and lemon peel--beat it until it is fluffy-looking

Bake about 25 minutes until it looks firm

Refrigerate 8 hours

Eat with your choice of topping or plain. We like it plain.

Very easy and quite tasty. Enjoy y'all....

Search Amazon.com for cheesecake recipe book

Granny Ripple Is Entering the Home Stretch...

I know you've seen this picture not too long ago but I have to let you know that I have a row and a half to go then it's an edging and weaving in the loose ends. It's going pretty quick especially since there were days I didn't pick it up. I really like the colors--a bit of contrast but still neutral. Stay tuned, I hope to post a finished picture in a week or less. Hugs...

And Yet ANOTHER Call from the SCAMMERS!

If you've been visiting my blog lately, you may have noticed that I've been getting many calls from an organization that specializes in identity theft. Well, I just received ANOTHER call from them at about 2:45 this afternoon. This time, as soon as I talked to the person and said "no" to the question "do you want to reduce the interest rates on your credit cards?" the woman (this time it was a female) hung up on ME. She didn't even give me the opportunity to say that they needed to remove my number from their list and not to call again. The number the call came from this time was (870) 000-6654. I'm off to file ANOTHER complaint!

Another Pair of Baby Booties

I'm really enjoying crocheting baby booties for some reason. I did another pair today. I used the same pattern as the pair I made yesterday but I used the other option for the cuff. I also added little pompoms to the ends of the ties. This used up some more scrap yarn. The remainder of this skein is now going to become part of a "magic ball." Here's a picture of 'em:

Pattern source: Voelker, Estelle. "Winner's Circle: Easy Baby Booties."  Crochet World, June 2010: 6-7.

Why Won't the Scammers aka "Credit Card Services" Stop Calling?

I know I shouldn't answer the phone when I see a telephone number that that starts with "000" I should ignore it. I don't even though it is probably "Credit Card Services". I want to tell them again not to call and document that they are in violation of the "do not call" registry. Tonight at about 5:15, I see the number (637) 000-2238 on my caller id. I answer it, listen to the recording press the button to speak with someone, tell them to stop calling, that I have reported them several times in the past week and will do it again tonight. I told them that they were scammers and identity thieves and to take my name off their list and stop calling. He said they were not any of the things I said they were and that he'd be calling AGAIN! I told him in bad, bad language (left over from my days as a sailor) what he could do with himself. I thought he'd hangup but he didn't and then I did. I have already filed my new complaint with the "do not call" registry. One of these days they will be caught.

Did a Small, Quick Project Today

Today as I was keeping an eye on the worker who was fixing my oven, I decided that I needed a small project to work on because my kitchen is very small and the afghan I'm working on is getting pretty big. I went into the yarn warehouse (aka craftroom/extra bedroom) and grabbed a couple crochet-type magazines and a small bag of yarn odds and ends. I found this cute pattern for baby booties and so that's what I made. This pattern was easy and worked up fast. OK, I know I used Christmas colors but maybe someone will have a Christmas baby this year. :) Sorry the picture isn't very good, the lighting inside and outside is bad today. Here's the pic:

Pattern source: Voelker, Estelle. "Winner's Circle: Easy Baby Booties." Crochet World, June 2010: 6-7.

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern 31 January 2011

Because I love to crochet, I often get teased about not having a crocheted toilet tissue cover. Well folks, that's somewhere on the list of to-do projects. I'll get to it one of these days.  Here's a sweet looking one with a flower on it. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for stopping in. Hugs to all...

Forgot My Oven is O.O.C.

I had taken a big turkey breast out of the freezer and defrosted it. I was looking forward to having a big meal tonight. I forgot my oven is out of commission until Monday when the repairman comes AGAIN, this time with the parts. So I had to use some good ol' Yankee ingenuity down here in Kentucky and figure out how I was going to fix it. So

I plopped it in the electric skillet...

to brown it. Then...

I put it in the crock pot with a little water and seasonings. I got a late start with it so we'll have it tomorrow with some stuffing, veggies and biscuits with honey butter. Yum!

So that's today's damage control. Hope y'all are having a nice weekend. Hugs...

Need to Finish a Few Projects...BUT Really Wanna Make This!

I have a deadline to meet with the afghan I'm currently crocheting. Last night I was dropping stitches left and right and had to do some frogging a few times--once I had to frog FIVE rows! Gee whiz, where was my concentration at? Anyway, I bought myself Twinkie Chan's Crochet Goodies for Fashion Foodies with a Christmas gift card. There is a very cute pattern in this book for a popcorn scarf. I really, really want to make it for my dil who works in a movie theater. I need to stay focused, I really need to stay focused and get a few other wips and ufos finished before starting a new project. Why do crochet designers make such cute, tempting patterns? ;)

See, it really is a cute scarf

This is the book it is from.

Two More Calls from the Scamming "Credit Card Services"

I made someone mad the other day. Credit Card Services has called TWICE today! I have filled out THREE reports, this week, with the Do Not Call registry on them because each time the call comes from a different telephone number. Here's my last entry on them. I also added the new telephone numbers they used (see comments). This time I called my telephone company too and info'd them that their phone security has been breeched--someone is STEALING phone numbers from them.

"Credit Card Services" = Identity Thieves

• Do NOT trust these people. 

• They are NOT a reputable company. 

• They are IDENTITY THIEVES.

Scammers Are Calling AGAIN! BEWARE of "Credit Card Services"

Some of you who have been reading my blog for a while may remember that I am having a war with a scamming company called Credit Card Services. They call you and promise to lower your credit card interest rates. OK, the first problem is, it is NEVER a good idea to give out credit card information over the phone unless you initiate the call to a business that you KNOW is reputable. The second problem is the number that shows up on the caller id LOOKS BOGUS-- (637) 000-2238. The 3rd problem is I have asked them many, many times to STOP CALLING ME, but they don't. For more information google their name or the telephone number I've given you and  see all the complaints about them. Once again, I registered a complaint with the Do Not Call folks. Today I told these idiots that they were predatory scammers and that I reported them before and was going to do it again. I told them that I was telling them AGAIN to take me off their call list. Their call came in shortly before 1 this afternoon and by 1, I was filling out the form to report them.

There is still plenty of time to crochet your fur-baby a bit of crocheted bling for Valentine Day. A pretty collar of hearts would look really pretty for your K-9 Valentine (oooh, that rhymed, I'm a poet). Have fun...

Note: This is Opi before he became a "chunky monkey." :)

Found an Interesting Butterfly Looming Blog...

Small Butterfly Loom

Have any of you seen the butterfly looms? I fell in love with the idea of making some beautiful afghans with them and when Annie's Attic had them on deep-discount several years ago I bought 3 or 4 different sizes. They're now sitting in my "yarn warehouse" gathering dust! After seeing this new-to-me blog, I will be dusting mine off and putting them to use after I finish up a few crochet wips! Check out the Butterfly Loom Blogspot and see some great projects and how-to videos.

Search Amazon.com for butterfly loom

Nellie is Kickin' Back with Dad...

Just thought I'd share this cute picture of Nellie Belle. This is the position you'll see her in most nights as she cuddles in the recliner by her "daddy" and gets her belly tickled... :)

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Search Amazon.com for chihuahua calendar 2011 (several versions/prices are available)

The Granddaughter of My Heart Models New Winter Set

This young lady became my great-granddaughter when my son married her nana. She was 4 then and now she's a special young lady of 12! When she came over today, I took the opportunity to snap a photo of her wearing the hat and scarf I made her for Christmas. I know you've seen a picture of it before but this time someone is wearing it! Here she is....

Oh, and when she comes to see grandma, we sometimes work on her blog. 

Nellie Braved the Cold to Greet Her Daddy

I couldn't resist sharing this photo of Nellie Belle and Ray with you. There are a couple more pictures of the chi kids, ready to greet Ray after work, on their blog.

Look--Ray brought in the mail too--An Annie's Attic Catalog!

Search Amazon.com for annies attic mysteries