Summer's in the Air

I'm loving the weather we're having right now. It's warm but not hot. The air conditioner doesn't need to be turned on yet and clothes are drying on the line so this month is one of the few that the utility company doesn't get to empty our wallet.

The pool is filling getting ready for us to start cooling off in this summer.

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The cucumber plant has buds already. This cucumber plant is a pickle cucumber and it is a bush instead of a vine. Sounded unusual and a bit of a space saver so I decided to try it.

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The clematis has grown like crazy and has beautiful purple flowers.

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And romance is in the air for Nellie Belle and her stuffed Julio!

Nellie is really cute when she plays with her Julio but she ALWAYS stops as soon as I grab the camera!

That's it for now. Have a great weekend!

Whoo Hoo

I got a commission to make 2 afghans! They're going to be in team colors for the San Francisco 49ers and the other is Minnesota Vikings. I'm going to use this pattern for both of them. Thanks to my friend Laurie for her business.

I've made things for her before so this is repeat business. We discuss the yarn and color then figure out how much I'll need then she places an order and then has it delivered to me. This time I told her to wait to send money until they're finished that way I stay MOTIVATED and she has extra money on hand in case something turns up.

I'm pretty excited about this. I need to stash some money so I can go visit my uncle in Florida when it gets cold here next winter.

Take care...

Did You Ever Notice...

People on Etsy scanning patterns from major companies and selling pdfs of them? That's really brazen. I saw one "store" there with 556 positive feedback and I recognize many, many patterns from older books I've used (exact same pictures). Amazing how she's selling these patterns for a little over $2 each. That's over $1100 she made just off of people who have left feedback and no telling how many people bought patterns from her without leaving feedback. I believe this is known as copyright infringement. I'm really not a member of the crochet posse, this one instance really amazed me in it's flagrant theft.

WIP Wednesday (16 May 2012)

Yep, it's another baby blanket. I have a cousin expecting twins and I want to make baby blankets for each of the precious little ones. Problem is, I don't know if they're going to be boys, girls or one of each. What I'm doing is gambling on at least 1 little girl and I'm making this in girly colors. No one in my family reads my blog so I can post this here without spoiling the surprise. Just started this last night so not too much progress yet.

I might live in a different state but I can "cuddle" the little ones with baby blankets.  I have some bright yarn in my stash that will make a great boy version of this blanket too. I plan to make both blankets out of the same pattern but different colors and other slight variations.

Signing off now....




Ripple Crochet Patterns

Baby Blue Blanket

Hi everyone. I made this out of a basic granny square. I edged it with shell stitches. The blue is Paton's Me Mine yarn and the edge is out of Red Heart Buttercup. I love this yarn except that finished objects made from these yarns have to be hand-washed and dried flat.  I'm fortunate that my machine has a hand-wash cycle and things like this I put in a large mesh bag and wash them in the  machine. Here's the pictures:

A closer look at the edging--

That's it for this post! Have a good evening.

I Saw This Old Article...

Read this article this morning and I must share it with you. It's about the world's largest yarn stash. WOW! Looks more like the interior of a yarn store rather than an individual's stash. Check it out here. Maybe you've seen this before but it's great to go back to it and show hubby when he asks "Don't you have enough yarn?" Nope dear, I haven't even come close to having a big enough stash. "Big enough"-- I'm not sure how to define the meaning of those two words.

A $2 haul in 2008 added to stash. ;)

This is it for now. Hugs...

Storage for yarn idea

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern

I'm looking at finishing up a few bigger projects and then when the weather is really hot, I'll be concentrating on some smaller projects. One thing I'd like to make is a set of golf club covers. Hubby used to golf, but hasn't in quite a while so maybe if I make some covers for his clubs he'll take the time to hit the links and enjoy himself. Here's a nice set.

Have a great week everyone!

A Bit of Catching Up

First and foremost, I want to send out positive wishes for Mothers Day to all of you who have ever "mothered" anyone. You may be a traditional mom, a single mom or even a dad who fills the shoes of a mom. To all of you, may you have a blessed day.

Thanks going out to Christy of Crochet Happiness. She had a giveaway and I won! She gave away a spool knitter. I used to have one of those a while ago but it broke. Now, I have a nice, sturdy one. I had fun playing with it the other night as I watched television. Thank you Christy!

The other day when I went to Hobby Lobby in Louisville, I did not find the yarn to make a border/edging for the blue baby blanket. I did however, find a yarn I like at Meijers. I should be finishing this up very soon.

Ray was getting my flower boxes ready to go on the front porch. A few wave petunias and some transplanted vine-like plants should do the trick . He's a good guy when he wants to be. ;)

I've been trying to work up a pattern for a clothes pin bag. I bought some clothes line at Dollar Tree. This yarn is made of 3 strands. Ray helped me divide the strands--a real pain in the behind (the job, not Ray lol). This stuff is a bit more difficult to crochet with. It's not impossible, just seems like it takes more energy and I'd have to stop frequently and rub my hands and shake them out. Besides the sore hands, I am liking it. What I've made so far has used up an entire "skein" of the clothes line. Here's a few pics:

I think I've caught up for now. Have a great week. Hugs to all....

A WIP I Forgot

I forgot about this wip and found it the other day and recommenced working on it. Geez, that CADD and Old-Timers is really kicking in here. It's going to be a baby blankie when it grows up is finished. Anyway, I'm just using the basic granny square design for this. The yarn is soft and fluffy--Be Mine by Patons that I got cheap some time ago. I was on the hunt this morning for a unique background for the picture. I think I failed in that when I used the bushes in front of the house. There's only so many places to take pictures around here. Maybe I should have made my bed since my comforter is a pretty blue and tan design that might have looked nice, maybe next time. ;) Here it is (alas it's a bit dark-looking):

I'm going to Louisville today and Hobby Lobby is there so I'm going to look for a contrasting color yarn to use as the border. Speaking of border, is the correct term border or is it edging or does it really matter? I seem to use both terms interchangeably.

Take care everyone, I'm off to get ready to go to the "big" city!

Granny Mandala Is Finished

I loved doing this. It was relatively quick and didn't require too much concentration so I was able to listen to an audio book as I did it. Here's the pic:

I didn't have quite enough yarn to make it solid white so I thought that the yarn I chose for the last round worked out fairly well. My walls are painted a little darker green that what was in the yarn so it's a close match. I used ww cottons to make this. I did a quick block-job by using my steam iron and shaping it as I ironed. 

Here's the pattern link if you would like to have it.

Take care everyone...

See Avenue Plus Size Clothing for your summer wardrobe.

WIP Wednesday (09 May 2012)

I started a granny mandala last night. The plan is to make it in solid white but if I run out of yarn then I'll make the last row in a coordinating color. I think I'll put this on my dining room table. Here it is:

A tutorial for making these is found here if anyone is interested.

Hugs...

Homemade Window Cleaner

I ran out of window cleaner and decided to make my own. I went to this webpage and tried recipe #2 because it looked simple, made a small batch and I had all the ingredients. It does a so-so job of cleaning. I'm not terribly impressed with it so I'm going to try another recipe later on. Does anyone make their own and if so, are you willing to share your recipe?


From Amazon: The Pantry Cleaner--Kindle and print versions

No Wonder Why I Need to Dust!

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern

Here's a link to a lacy afghan that would be perfect for those summer evenings that have a chill in the air. Enjoy everyone!

Pink Wavy Round Ripple Baby Blanket

Finished a baby blanket last night. I'm pretty happy with this one. I do have to do a quick wash and block it though because it has a slight "ruffliness" to it. I based it on this pattern but did my own edging. My doll Rosie likes it ;).

The edging:

I'm working on a blue baby blanket now; more on that later.

Y'all have a great week!


Shop Amazon - Mother's Day Gifts

Win Recycled Silk Yarn

Here's another interesting contest. You can win silk yarn that is made from vintage saris. Go to http://stitchandunwind.com/new-yarn-giveaway-from-allfreecrochetafghanpatterns/ and check it out.

Chance to Win "The Best of Interweave"

Go here for your chance to win a copy of "The Best of Interweave." Good luck blogger buddies! :)

No crocheting yesterday, and I don't know if I'll have time to do any today :(. Doing some work in the yard. My new Kindle Fire should be here today and I've been like a kid waiting for Santa Claus! So, I'm going to be hard-pressed trying to concentrated on my chores when it gets here.

Take care everyone...:)

Great Tuesday

Today when dh and I were sitting on the patio, we were watching all the wildlife in our backyard. A cardinal was in the birdbath sprucing up while a robin was in her nest in a bend of the gutter. A rose-breasted grosbeak was also chowing down at the bird feeder too.A chipmunk was eating from the bird feeder and a silly squirrel was doing acrobatics trying to get the bird food too! Here's a look at the limber squirrel eating from the bird feeder:

Really need to fix the one feeder!

I also went to get some plants and seeds for the garden. Derby weekend is almost here and that's the right time to get gardens in here in Kentucky.

The egg cartons have flower seeds in them that I started the other day.

I had to go to 4 different places to find cucumber plants. I don't need many of them, just enough to eat through the summer so I didn't get seeds. So, we're going to have tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, potatoes, watermelon, zucchini, strawberries, cabbage and green beans. I also got a few perennials that were marked down. Love the flowers but not the prices.

Hope everyone's having a fun week. Take care...

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern (30 April 2012)

Here's a cute pair of baby booties to crochet. They look like cowboy boots complete with spurs! This is an interesting pattern and small enough to make on those hot summer days that are coming up. Enjoy!

Not Much Going on Today

Not too much is going on today. I'm washing clothes and I'll be putting them on the clothes line in a few minutes.  Ummmmm, having some Starbucks coffee. Nah, I'm not a coffee snob, I just get such a good deal on it at a salvage grocery store in Louisville that I've been buying it lately. Another thing I've been wasting time on doing is making stick figures  online. Here's my little empty nest family--

Okay, I don't hear the washer anymore, time to hang some clothes. Think I'll work on a baby blanket while I watch the clothes dry. Take care....