At Last, Crochet a Striped Blanket or Afghan Without Loose Yarn Ends!

Do you sometimes resist crocheting items made out of more than one color because of all the loose ends that need to be woven in? I do. I found this video on youtube that shows an excellent way to crochet a striped blanket without all the pesky loose ends. What's even better, I think it looks like it has an edge on it without the extra work of working one! Check this out. It is by mikeyssmail. Hugs...

A Look Back at New Years Eve 1957

I was trying to think about what to post for my New Years Eve blog entry. Hmmm, I thought maybe I can check out youtube or google and see what I can find. Lo and behold, I found a video of the Times Square celebration in 1957 with Guy Lombardo. I was (choke, gasp, sputter) born in '57 so it is quite possible that my mom and dad were sitting on the couch watching this and feeding me my bottle at the same time! I want to wish everyone a happy 2010 and pray that our country, nay the world becomes a better place for us all. Anyway, here for your enjoyment is the video. Hugs...

Crochet Accomplishments in 2009

Gee whiz, I really thought I had crocheted more this year than I actually did.  I keep track of my accomplishments in my signature block at crochetville.org .  I know I won't finish any projects before the new year starts so I decided to post my list today.  Anyway, here they are:

Finished 2009: dishcloth (asst) 19, hotpad/potholder 3, hexagon afghan 1, granny sq. 56, scarf 3, kk hat, slippers (19 pr), rr afghan 3, baby blnkt 1, lapghan 1, shawl, mat for dogs.


My latest WIP (work in progress) is a doily.  I've never made one before and am only undertaking it at the request of my uncle who recently moved into his own geo-bachelor (geographical bachelor) place for the winters.  I chose a relatively simple pattern that doesn't have a lacy flowery look to it.  You can see it here .  I'm not sure if I'm using the correct size thread since I've never used thread before; just had the thread in my stash from a thrift store find.  In case I don't get back here in the next day or 2, I'd like to wish all of you a happy New Year!  Hugs...Sharon

Barney Finally Gets a New Bed

Our little chis--Opi and Nellie Belle have 3 beds between the 2 of them not to mention all sorts of little blankies/mats/rugs that I have crocheted for them to snooze on. For Christmas, Santa brought Barney her own big girl bed. Opi staked a claim to it right off the bat. Today, for the 1st time, Barney was able to take a nap in her own big girl bed.  Hey, you can check out my chis blog if you want to.  Hope you enjoy. Hugs....

Barney Napping in New "Big Girl" Bed

 

Opi, the Bed Thief!

 

Hmmm, Maybe Opi Was Giving Paybacks!

A Look at Our Christmas 2009

My brother,his fiancee and one of my nephews were able to visit us at our home in Kentucky from their home in Arkansas. They brought their little fur babies too. Our fur babies had a great time with them. Here are some high-lights of their visit with us. I hope you enjoy. Of course, you won't see me because as usual, I am the photographer lol. You may turn off the blog's music player by scrolling down the column on your right side and clicking on the parallel lines on the player. Hugs to all...

Christmas Slippers

Hello Everyone! Here are the slippers that I made for Christmas presents this year. Of course, they're from the same pattern I almost always use. On a few pair, I was afraid I might not have enough yarn so I did away with the cuff.  The only picture at the top of the post is one I somehow missed when I made the slide show. There is some music with the slide show so you may want to go to the column on your right hand side and scroll down to the music player and click on the parallel lines before starting the slide show. Anyway, here's a slide show of the slippers:

Mouse Christmas Cartoon for Your Enjoyment

Here's a cute Christmas cartoon for you and your young'uns to enjoy this holiday season. To turn the blogs music off and hear this without music clashing with it go to the column on your right and scroll down to the music player and click on the parallel lines. Happy Holidays and I hope you enjoy the cartoon. Hugs....

A Christmas Story for You: "Little Gretchen and the Wooden Shoe"

The following is a special Christmas story for your enjoyment. It can be found at this page.
This story is part of the collection of free e-books available at Project Gutenberg and is free of United States copyright restrictions. I hope you enjoy. Hugs to all....

LITTLE GRETCHEN AND THE WOODEN SHOE

By Elizabeth Harrison

Once upon a time, a long time ago, far away across the great ocean, in a country called Germany, there could be seen a small log hut on the edge of a great forest, whose fir trees extended for miles and miles to the north. This little house, made of heavy hewn logs, had but one room in it. A rough pine door gave entrance to this room, and a small square window admitted the light. At the back of the house was built an old-fashioned stone chimney, out of which in winter curled a thin, blue smoke, showing that there was not very much fire within.
Small as the house was, it was large enough for two people who lived in it. I want to tell you a story today about these two people. One was an old gray-haired woman, so old that the little children of the village, nearly half a mile away, often wondered whether she had come into the world with the huge mountains and the giant fir trees, which stood like giants back of her small hut. Her face was wrinkled all over with deep lines, which, if the children could only have read aright, would have told them of many years of cheerful, happy, self-sacrifice; of loving, anxious, watching beside sick-beds; of quiet endurance of pain, of many a day of hunger and cold, and of a thousand deeds of unselfish love for other people; but, of course, they could not read this strange handwriting. They only knew that she was old and wrinkled, and that she stooped as she walked. None of them seemed to fear her, for her smile was always cheerful, and she had a kindly word for each of them if they chanced to meet her on her way to and from the village. With this old, old woman lived a very little girl. So bright and happy was she that the travellers who passed by the lonesome little house on the edge of the forest often thought of a sunbeam as they saw her. These two people were known in the village as Granny Goodyear and Little Gretchen.
The winter had come and the frost had snapped off many of the smaller branches of the pine trees in the forest. Gretchen and her granny were up by daybreak each morning. After their simple breakfast of oatmeal, Gretchen would run to the little closet and fetch Granny's old woolen shawl, which seemed almost as old as Granny herself. Gretchen always claimed the right to put the shawl over Granny's head, even though she had to climb onto the wooden bench to do it. After carefully pinning it under Granny's chin, she gave her a good-bye kiss, and Granny started out for her morning's work in the forest. This work was nothing more nor less than the gathering up of the twigs and branches which the autumn winds and winter frosts had thrown upon the ground. These were carefully gathered into a large bundle which Granny tied together with a strong linen band. She then managed to lift the bundle to her shoulder and trudged off to the village with it. Here she sold the fagots for kindling wood to the people of the village. Sometimes she would get only a few pence each day, and sometimes a dozen or more, but on this money little Gretchen and she managed to live; they had their home, and the forest kindly furnished the wood for the fire which kept them warm in winter.
In the summer time Granny had a little garden at the back of the house, where she raised, with little Gretchen's help, a few potatoes and turnips and onions. These she carefully stored away for winter use. To this meagre supply, the pennies, gained by selling the twigs from the forest, added the oatmeal for Gretchen and a little black coffee for Granny. Meat was a thing they never thought of having. It cost too much money. Still, Granny and Gretchen were very happy, because they loved each other dearly. Sometimes Gretchen would be left alone all day long in the hut, because Granny would have some work to do in the village after selling her bundle of sticks and twigs. It was during these long days that little Gretchen had taught herself to sing the song which the wind sang to the pine branches. In the summer time she learned the chirp and twitter of the birds, until her voice might almost be mistaken for a bird's voice, she learned to dance as the swaying shadows did, and even to talk to the stars which shone through the little square window when Granny came home late or too tired to talk.
Sometimes, when the weather was fine, or her Granny had an extra bundle of knitted stockings to take to the village, she would let little Gretchen go along with her. It chanced that one of these trips to the town came just the week before Christmas, and Gretchen's eyes were delighted by the sight of the lovely Christmas trees which stood in the window of the village store. It seemed to her that she would never tire of looking at the knit dolls, the woolly lambs, the little wooden shops with their queer, painted men and women in them, and all the other fine things. She had never owned a plaything in her whole life; therefore, toys which you and I would not think much of seemed to her very beautiful.
That night, after their supper of baked potatoes was over, and little Gretchen had cleared away the dishes and swept up the hearth, because Granny dear was so tired, she brought her own little wooden stool and placed it very near Granny's feet and sat down upon it, folding her hands on her lap. Granny knew that this meant that she wanted to be told about something, so she smilingly laid away the large Bible which she had been reading, and took up her knitting, which was as much as to say: "Well, Gretchen, dear, Granny is ready to listen."
"Granny," said Gretchen slowly, "It's almost Christmas time, isn't it?"
"Yes, dearie," said Granny, "only five days more now," and then she sighed, but little Gretchen was so happy that she did not notice Granny's sigh.
"What do you think, Granny, I'll get this Christmas?" said she, looking up eagerly into Granny's face.
"Ah, child, child," said Granny, shaking her head, "you'll have no Christmas this year. We are too poor for that."
"Oh, but Granny," interrupted little Gretchen, "think of all the beautiful toys we saw in the village today. Surely Santa Claus has sent enough for every little child."
"Ah, dearie, those toys are for people who can pay for them, and we have no money to spend for Christmas toys."
"Well, Granny," said Gretchen, "perhaps some of the little children who live in the great house on the hill at the other end of the village, will be willing to share some of their toys with me. They will be glad to give some to a little girl who has none."
"Dear child, dear child," said Granny, leaning forward and stroking the soft, shiny hair of the little girl, "your heart is full of love. You would be glad to bring a Christmas to every child; but their heads are so full of what they are going to get that they forget all about anybody else but themselves." Then she sighed and shook her head.
"Well, Granny," said Gretchen, her bright, happy tone of voice growing a little less joyous, "perhaps the dear Santa Claus will show some of the village children how to make presents that do not cost money, and some of them may surprise me Christmas morning with a present. And, Granny, dear," added she, springing up from her low stool, "can't I gather some of the pine branches and take them to the old sick man who lives in the house by the mill, so that he can have the sweet smell of our forest in his room all Christmas day?"
"Yes, dearie," said Granny, "you may do what you can to make the Christmas bright and happy, but you must not expect any present yourself."
"Oh, but, Granny," said little Gretchen, her face brightening, "you forgot all about the shining Christmas angels, who came down to earth and sang their wonderful song the night the beautiful Christ-Child was born! They are so loving and good that they will not forget any little child. I shall ask my dear stars tonight to tell them of us. You know," she added, with a look of relief, "the stars are so very high that they must know the angels quite well as they come and go with their messages from the loving God."
Granny sighed as she half whispered. "Poor child, poor child!" but Gretchen threw her arm around Granny's neck and gave her a hearty kiss, saying as she did so: "Oh, Granny, Granny, you don't talk to the stars often enough, else you would not be sad at Christmas time." Then she danced all around the room, whirling her little skirts about her to show Granny how the wind had made the snow dance that day. She looked so droll and funny that Granny forgot her cares and worries and laughed with little Gretchen over her new snow dance. The days passed on and the morning before Christmas Eve came. Gretchen having tidied up the little room—for Granny had taught her to be a careful little housewife—was off to the forest, singing a birdlike song, almost as happy and free as the birds themselves. She was very busy that day preparing a surprise for Granny. First, however, she gathered the most beautiful of the fir branches within her reach to take the next morning to the old sick man who lived by the mill.
The day was all too short for the happy little girl. When Granny came trudging wearily home that night, she found the frame of the doorway covered with green pine branches.
"It is to welcome you, Granny! It is to welcome you!" cried Gretchen; "our dear old home wanted to give you a Christmas welcome. Don't you see, the branches of the evergreen make it look as if it were smiling all over, and it is trying to say, 'A happy Christmas to you Granny'."
Granny laughed and kissed the little girl, as they opened the door and went in together. Here was a new surprise for Granny. The four posts of the wooden bed, which stood in one corner of the room, had been trimmed by the busy little fingers, with smaller and more flexible branches of the pine trees. A small bouquet of red mountain ash berries stood at each side of the fireplace, and these, together with the trimmed posts of the bed, gave the plain old room quite a festive look. Gretchen laughed and clapped her hands and danced about until the house seemed full of music to poor, tired Granny, whose heart had been sad as she turned toward their home that night, thinking of the disappointment that must come to loving little Gretchen the next morning.
After supper was over little Gretchen drew her stool up to Granny's side, and laying her soft, little hands on Granny's knee asked to be told once again the story of the coming of the Christ-Child; how the night that he was born the beautiful angels had sung their wonderful song, and how the whole sky had become bright with a strange and glorious light, never seen by the people of earth before. Gretchen had heard the story many, many times before, but she never grew tired of it, and now that Christmas Eve had come again, the happy little child wanted to hear it once more.
When Granny had finished telling it the two sat quiet and silent for a little while thinking it over; then Granny rose and said that it was time for her to go to bed. She slowly took off her heavy wooden shoes, such as are worn in that country, and placed them beside the hearth. Gretchen looked thoughtfully at them for a minute or two, and then she said, "Granny, don't you think that somebody in all this wide world will think of us tonight?"
"Nay, Gretchen, I do not think any one will."
"Well, then, Granny," said Gretchen, "the Christmas angels will, I know; so I am going to take one of your wooden shoes and put it on the windowsill outside, so that they may see it as they pass by. I am sure the stars will tell the Christmas angels where the shoe is."
"Ah, you foolish, foolish child," said Granny, "you are only getting ready for a disappointment. Tomorrow morning there will be nothing whatever in the shoe. I can tell you that now."
But little Gretchen would not listen. She only shook her head and cried out: "Ah, Granny, you do not talk enough to the stars." With this she seized the shoe, and opening the door, hurried out to place it on the window sill. It was very dark without and something soft and cold seemed to gently kiss her hair and face. Gretchen knew by this that it was snowing, and she looked up to the sky, anxious to see if the stars were in sight, but a strong wind was tumbling the dark, heavy snow-clouds about and had shut away all else.
"Never mind," said Gretchen softly to herself, "the stars are up there, even if I can't see them, and the Christmas angels do not mind snow storms."
Just then a rough wind went sweeping by the little girl, whispering something to her which she could not understand, and then it made a sudden rush up to the snow clouds and parted them, so that the deep mysterious sky appeared beyond, and shining down out of the midst of it was Gretchen's favorite star.
"Ah, little star, little star!" said the child, laughing aloud, "I knew you were there, though I could not see you. Will you whisper to the Christmas angels as they come by that little Gretchen wants so very much to have a Christmas gift tomorrow morning, if they have one to spare, and that she has put one of Granny's shoes upon the windowsill for it?"
A moment more and the little girl, standing on tiptoe had reached the windowsill and placed the shoe upon it, and was back again in the house beside Granny and the warm fire.
The two went quietly to bed, and that night as little Gretchen knelt to pray to the Heavenly Father, she thanked him for having sent the Christ-Child into the world to teach all mankind to be loving and unselfish, and in a few minutes she was sleeping, dreaming of the Christmas angels.
The next morning, very early, even before the sun was up, little Gretchen was awakened by the sound of sweet music coming from the village. She listened for a moment and then she knew that the choir boys were singing the Christmas carols in the open air of the village street. She sprang up out of bed and began to dress herself as quickly as possible, singing as she dressed. While Granny was slowly putting on her clothes, little Gretchen having finished dressing herself, unfastened the door and hurried out to see what the Christmas angels had left in the old wooden shoe.
The white snow covered everything—trees, stumps, roads, and pastures—until the whole world looked like fairy land. Gretchen climbed up on a large stone which was beneath the window and carefully lifted down the wooden shoe. The snow tumbled off of it in a shower over the little girl's hands, but she did not heed that; she ran hurriedly back into the house, putting her hand into the toe of the shoe as she ran.
"Oh, Granny, Granny!" she exclaimed; "you did not believe the Christmas angels would think about us, but see, they have, they have! Here is a dear little bird nestled down in the toe of your shoe! Oh, isn't he beautiful?"
Granny came forward and looked at what the child was holding lovingly in her hand. There she saw a tiny chick-a-dee, whose wing was evidently broken by the rough and boisterous winds of the night before, and who had taken shelter in the safe, dry toe of the old wooden shoe. She gently took the little bird out of Gretchen's hands, and skilfully bound his broken wing to his side, so that he need not hurt himself trying to fly with it. Then she showed Gretchen how to make a nice warm nest for the little stranger, close beside the fire and when their breakfast was ready, she let Gretchen feed the little bird with a few moist crumbs.
Later in the day Gretchen carried the fresh, green boughs to the old sick man by the mill, and on her way home stopped to enjoy the Christmas toys of some other children that she knew, never once wishing they were hers. When she reached home she found that the little bird had gone to sleep. Soon, however, he opened his eyes and stretched his head up, saying just as plain as a bird can say:
"Now, my new friends, I want you to give me something more to eat." Gretchen gladly fed him again, and then, holding him in her lap, she softly and gently stroked  his gray feathers until the little creature seemed to lose all fear of her. That evening Granny taught her a Christmas hymn and told her another beautiful Christmas story. Then Gretchen made up a funny little story to tell the birdie. He winked his eyes and turned his head from side to side in such a droll fashion that Gretchen laughed until the tears came.
As Granny and she got ready for bed that night, Gretchen put her arms softly around Granny's neck, and whispered: "What a beautiful Christmas we have had today, Granny. Is there anything more lovely in all the world than Christmas?"
"Nay, child, nay," said Granny, "not to such loving hearts as yours."

 

Project Gutenberg Selections for Kindle

Update to Round Afghan Pattern List

I have been maintaining a list of round afghan patterns available for free on the Internet.  I love the shape--for a big person cuddling up on the couch with an afghan, it covers the behind rather well--lol!  Here is the list of round afghan patterns. I add to it as I find new ones. I have to admit, the only round afghan pattern I've used (over and over) is not on the list; it is graciously provided by a member of crochetville.org by the name of Aggie May. I do have tentative plans to make a few of the ghans on my list but there is so little time! I admit, that I am in my comfort zone when I find a pattern I like and it is hard to get in the mode of trying new things :).  I almost forgot, here is the new link I've included on my list.

Christmas Presents for 2 of My Doctors

I see several doctors and I thought it would be nice to give them a small present for the holidays.  Here are some slippers that I made for them.  They don't check my blog so I can post the pics here.  I love this pattern and have been using it for many years now. The pattern is very easy and pretty quick to make too.  Hope you enjoy.  Hugs...



Slippers

Tiny Tim and Miss Vicki Marry on this Date (December 17th) in 1969

Herbert Buchingham Khaury more commonly known as Tiny Tim married Miss Vicki (Victoria Budinger) on this date in 1969 on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson.  Tiny Tim was known for his 1920ish  falsetto version of Tiptoe Through the Tulips.  You  may want to visit The Official Tiny Tim Web Site for more information on this flamboyant musician.
Below are the videos of this show including commercials.  I was surprised to see cigarette commercials--really shows you how times have changed.  If you're only interested in seeing the wedding, skip down to the 7th video.  I posted all the segments because I found it fascinating to see the commercials and the changes in television shows.  Oh yes, you can turn the blog's music off by scrolling down the column on your right to the music player and then clicking on the parallel lines.  Enjoy!






















Tiny Tim's Music

A Christmas Cartoon for Your Enjoyment

Christmas time comes around with sentimental movies and cute cartoons. I thought that I would post for you a Casper the Friendly Ghost Christmas cartoon for your enjoyment. I love the older cartoon characters in this cartoon and I hope you do too. Now, for your enjoyment, Casper's First Christmas. Hugs to all...
ps You can turn the blog's music player off by going to the right hand column and clicking on the parallel lines on the player.

A Free Slipper Pattern

The copyright has expired for this pattern and it is now in the public domain. I thought I would post it here for your perusal and use. It is always great to find new patterns to use. I have a box loaded with patterns that I sometimes break into just to think about making up one of them. On occasion, I actually do make something from one of these stockpiled patterns. Usually, I have a compulsion to make the same few items over and over again such as slippers and round-ripple afghans/baby blankets. I hope you like this pattern. Hugs to all...
Pantuflas Slippers

Christmas Greetings...

I am really bad about getting Christmas cards in the mail. I mean to every year but then I well, just don't. My family and friends are very important to me even though many of use are separated by hundreds or even thousands of miles. You are all special to me. Here is a Christmas greeting to all of you from my family and me. Love to all...
p.s. If you go to the right hand column you can turn off the blog music and listen to the video.

"We Didn't Start the Fire" A Musical Look at the Cold War.

A friend sent me another version of this in an email. I went to Youtube and found a gazillion versions of this video. It is We Didn't Start the
fire by Billy Joel. I thought it was a good look at the Cold War Era.  I hope you enjoy.  Oh yeah, the link for the video I was sent is here. You can turn the blog music off to listen to this video by going to the music player in the right hand column and clicking on the double lines.

"2008 Lengthwise Striped Scarf"

2008 Scarf Pattern Crochet 2   

Honoring Veterans

I received this video in an email some time ago.  It has been sitting in my email because I did not want to delete it.  I decided to share it with all of you.  I hope you take the time to appreciate the veterans who have served our country (or yours) selflessly.  You can turn the blog's music player off by finding it in the right hand column and clicking on the double lines.

A Crocheted Mat for My Fur-Babies

Hi everyone!  Here is my latest crochet project.  It is a crocheted mat for my fur-babies for resting on the cold floor.  I made it out of 3 strands of ww yarn.  Two strands were from an assortment of scrap colors and one strand was black ww yarn.  I used a Q-hook to crochet it.  The 1st and last rows were single crochet and the remainder of the rows were half-double crochet.  The edging I made by doing a round of single crochet.  The 2nd row of the edging I did by crocheting triple crochet-chain 1-single crochet in one single crochet then skip one then do repetitions of  triple crochet-chain one-single crochet up to the corners.  For the corners, I did double crochet-chain 1-double crochet.  As you can see in the following pictures my chis--Nellie Belle and especially Opi like it.

Hugs to all...Sharon