Slipper Marathon...

Here is my current crochet project. I need some quick gifts so I'm whipping up some slippers. I made one slipper last night. It's for a man and I had to resize the pattern a bit so that it would fit. Here's what I have so far:

I may have to pick up another skein of the variegated yarn. I need another 2 pair for men and a couple for ladies. I may have enough ladies pairs in my gift "stash" but I need to check that out to be sure.

You can click on the button below this post and see what other things are being created on this "Work In Progress Wednesday."

Search Amazon.com for slipper patterns

Happy Birthday Uncle!

It's my uncle's birthday today. He's a great guy and I just want to wish him a "Happy Birthday." He's my mom's baby brother so he's still a young puppy. :)

Opi to the Rescue...

I don't think Nellie Belle likes the shrug I made her. I put it on her this morning to take her picture and she took it off and "lost" it when I went to get the camera. So, he-man Opi became the designated model. He doesn't mind wearing a flower on his sleeve. Here's the "man" of the hour--

The pattern I based this doggie shrug on is here. I used a smaller hook and did this mainly in dc rather than the huge stitches they used. I also modified the flower by only making one of them and putting a button in the center. I think it is cute but I know dh will strip down the babies if he sees them wearing it. When he's not around, we play dress-up!

My FurBaby Model Went into Hiding

I made Nellie Belle a shrug based on this pattern. After having her try it on 3 times for "fittings" she ran off to bed with dh. That is totally out of personality for Nellie B--usually she has to be the last one up. Anyway, I'll "capture" her tomorrow and have her model it for you.

Second Time Scammers Called in Less than an Hour!

The scamming Card Services just called AGAIN! This time I was able to press "9" and get someone. The man asked "are you calling to lower your interest rate?" I replied, "I pressed 9 to tell you not to call me again." Click. This time the number I was called from was (567) 259-9780. This call came in at 2:39 pm. The previous call was at 2:15 pm. Filed 2nd complaint of the day with the "Do Not Call" registry.

The Bums Called AGAIN!

The scamming Credit "Card Services" called again. When I pressed "9" to talk with a representative, it hung up on me so I wasn't able to tell them to get lost again. I'm off to fill out ANOTHER complaint. The number they called from this time was (637) 000-2238. Do not have anything to do with these people if they call you. They are identity thieves.

Crazy Weather

The weather here is crazy. When the rest of the country was snow-bound, we didn't get snow. Now, the temperatures are above freezing and it's snowing like crazy. Strange, strange weather! I love my spruce tree in the front yard and you've probably seen it numerous times in my blog. I think it looks so pretty with snow on the branches. If you click on the picture you can see the snow coming down. Have a nice, warm day everyone...

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

Opened Another Blog

I decided to keep this blog as my family/crochet blog. I opened a new blog to have a place for topics of history, current events and that sort of thing. It is called Little Looks at History. I'm not going to move things from here to there so it's pretty empty right now but I hope you'll stop in every now and then for a visit.

Hobby Lobby 40% Off Coupon.

40% Off Coupon--Good through January 22nd.
Hobby Lobby's ad, good through January 22nd.

What's Going on in My Crochet World?

I'm working on a granny ripple afghan. My other projects have been put on hold because there is a time limit on this one--I plan to give it to a dear aunt and uncle. They don't know about it so shhh if you know them. ; ) I'm enjoying the use of neutral colors. I never thought I'd say that! I had gotten so used to white walls when we moved around in the military that I have gone crazy with color when we finally settled in our own home. My big mistake was when I picked a color for our bedroom that I thought resembled terracotta but it ended up looking like we were living inside a CARROT! That lasted a few years and I now have a soft-blue colored bedroom that is perfect. Anyway, I'm jabbering on here about carrots and colors and what I really wanted to do is show you how far I've gotten on this project. Sometimes I take part in the WIP Wednesday over at Every Day Crochet but I don't think she's doing it this week. Oh, and finally, here's the picture:

Affordable Health Care Act

Is anyone interested in the almost 1000 page Affordable Health Care Act? It's rather lengthy and full of political double talk but it is available for you to read and lookup answers to your questions. I would really appreciate knowing what it entails but I just don't have the wherewithal to read the entire thing! Anyway, I thought it was important to know where it is.

Japanese Companies and the U.S.: A Shared Dark History

Picture from here

This post is about something that has caused me a large loss of confidence in our country's protection and appreciation of our veterans. When I was in college, I wrote my senior thesis on some of the POWs , formerly of the heavy cruiser Houston, held by Japan. I learned that many of the POWs had not only been used as slave labor to build the bridge on River Kwai, but also used as slave labor in many industries that are well known today. The businesses were never penalized for their treatment of our men. If you follow this link you can see a short video about this (embedding for this video is not allow; that's why you need to follow link). I read of this in my research in a book by Linda Goetz Holmes titled Unjust Enrichment: How Japan's Companies Built Postwar Fortunes Using American POWs. The U.S. government has consistently forbidden former POWs from suing these Japanese companies. What can we do to put a hurting on them? We can stop buying any products made from these companies and to be sure that they're not making money off of Americans just stop buying ANYTHING made in Japan. It is shameful that our own country won't force Japan to pay reparations to our heroes when we paid reparations to the Japanese Americans who were were sent to relocation camps. Is a military person any less deserving than a civilian? I don't think so. Perhaps our country should pay the survivors instead of Japan. Unfortunately, there are few survivors left so we better get a move on before they're all gone.


More articles on this topic:

• How the Japanese Used American POWs as Slave Labor
• POW Forced Labor Lawsuits Against Japanese Companies
• Mitsubishi WWII Slave Labor
• Survivors of Japan's WWII Death Camps
• WWII forced labor issue dogs Aso, Japanese firms
• POW compensation bill: Significance for Japan
• Allied POWs Under Japan

Search Amazon.com for Unjust Enrichment: How Japan's Companies Built Postwar Fortunes Using American POWs

Yesterday Ray and I Celebrated Our Anniversary

24 years ago yesterday, Ray and I were married. We didn't have a big to-do, we were both in the navy. I was stationed on a ship, the USS Ajax, and Ray's ship, the USS New Orleans, was temporarily in the yards in San Francisco. He flew to San Diego for the weekend, we got married and he went back to Frisco the next day. The following weekend he came back to San Diego and we rented an apartment and set up housekeeping although in the beginning neither of us spent much time at home. It was nice to have a home to go to away from our ships when we were able to get there. Here's a picture of us on our wedding day (couldn't find the original only this one I played around with). See, I told you it wasn't a big to-do. :)

Tonight Ray came home with these beautiful roses--

Next year we'll have our silver anniversary. Where has the time gone?

Quick Note

FYI I have a new page listed in my blog's header. It is a page of links to free patterns for dog sweaters/coats. If you notice that a link is broken, please let me know and I'll investigate. Enjoy...

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern 17 January 2010

Step aside Cake Boss because today's free pattern link is for a non-caloric, high fiber cake that will last practically forever! OK, enough chattering, here's the pattern. Enjoy!

ANOTHER New Project

Nope, I haven't finished the projects I've been working on and yes, I did start another project. I am working on a granny ripple afghan. I need it for someone so the slippers and granny square afghan I was working on are on hold for now. My camera I just got a month or 2 ago is acting up so this picture was taken with my phone camera so that's why it's kind of icky. I really love the colors of this new afghan. I'm going to be sad at parting with it but that's the way it is with so many things I make. It almost feels like I put a little bit of myself in the things I make. Do any of you feel that way or am I being a little bit silly? Anyway, here's the picture:

ps--I think that the teddy bear is going to become my mascot since he shows up in so many pictures I take :)

Let's Read Together

Anyone interested in reading some good old-fashioned literature? Why don't a group of us have a virtual get-together and read the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne? You can download it for free from this page at Project Gutenberg. There are several different formats. You can read it on your computer screen, download it to your Kindle or several other formats that I'm not sure what they are. :) OK, there are 24 chapters. How about if we read 3 chapters a day. The chapters are relatively short so it shouldn't be too much of a struggle. I will set up a posting for 3 chapters each and we can each write comments about what we're thinking as we read--such as compare and contrast then and now and whatever other ideas you may have. I haven't read this book since I was a sophmore in high school (early 70s UGH) so I'm getting excited about reading it again. If the pace is a bit fast for you, that's ok because you can always go back to where you're at and leave your comments too. Let's get reading--first assignment "due" on Monday, 17th of January...

NOTE added 20 Jan. 2011: Didn't get too much interest in reading this so maybe we can do this at a later date with another classic book. 
Search Amazon.com for scarlet letter

Do Your Yarn Projects Ever Come Out the Wrong Size???

You Are Not Alone!!!

Hancock's Coupon Good only 8am - Noon on 17 January.

I will try to be better about remembering to post links for coupons that you may use for crochet supplies or other "domestic arts." Hancock's has a 10% off entire purchase coupon that is good for early birds on Monday, 17 January from 8am to noon. Read the fine print because there are a few items that the coupon may not be used for.

13 January 1992 Japan Admits to Sex Slavery in WWII

On this date in history 1992, Japan admits to forcing tens of thousands of Korean women to serve as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during World War II. 


For more information:

• Former South Korean Sex Slaves Recall Humiliation, Brutality
• Japanese Officer Admits Coercive Sex Slave Trade
• Japanese Prisoner of War Interrogation on Prostitution
• US Congressional Resolution Calls on Japan to Accept Responsibility for Wartime Comfort Women
• The Politics of Apology for Japan's "Comfort Women"

Search Amazon.com for comfort women wwii