Blue Baby Blanket out of Squares

I finished this blanket for a baby boy tonight. I'm going to do a quick wash and blocking and then it's off in the mail. You can find the pattern here.

I have 2 more baby boy blankets to make--one is almost done and the other one will be another spiderman one (per request). Oh yeah, and there may be a 3rd one, but if it is a girl, then I have a pretty one in the gift drawer that I may use but if it's another boy, then I'll have to whip up a quick one in boy colors.

My tomato sauce is still cooking down on the stove. It smells delicious! I'm getting in the mood for some Italian food. I'm thinking that I might try out a new recipe tomorrow night. Stay tuned...

Hugs,
Sharon

P.O.D (Plan of the Day)

It's that time of the year again--tomato sauce making season. This year, I am using roma tomatoes (and other misc tomatoes from the garden too). I do have a gripe about this years tomato crop. I ended up with 6 cherry tomato plants and I expected them to be "big boys." Seems like the wrong name was put in the planters for my tomatoes. We'll see how this years batch of sauce turns out. Sauce making is about to commence very soon now.

After our evening meal, when we usually kick back and watch a little television, I will be finishing up the baby blanket I have been working on. I only have a few ends to weave in (mostly kept up with them), a quick wash and then a bit of blocking on the spare bed.

I hope to have a "reveal" of this blanket within the next few days. I'm loving this pattern. I had a hard time deciding on how I wanted to join the squares; I've developed a fondness of single crocheting on the right side and that's the route I went. You've probably guessed from this picture that the blanket is for a little boy. Must be my age or something but I really like the traditional "pink for girls and blue for boys" colors and was pleased that the friend I'm making this for requested blue.

Stay tuned for the reveal and link to pattern.

Have a great weekend!

Sharon

More Canning Supplies

Definitely Needs Blocking!

DSCN0169, a photo by Ms Sharon Marie on Flickr.

This is going to be a baby blanket soon. These squares are wonky and I'll be blocking them.

What's for Supper???

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I'm trying a new recipe for supper tonight. I had bought a large package of skinless-boneless chicken breast at Sam's Club and spaced out breaking down the package for more than one meal. So, for Sunday dinner,  I defrosted them and set aside 2 pieces to go on the grill the next day. The rest I found a new recipe to try in my crock pot. Seems like I've been stuck in a rut with my cooking so I decided to try something different. There will be enough for a few meals out of this for dh and me. Here's the recipe:

Slow Cooker Pineapple Glazed Chicken 
Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (20 oz) can pineapple slices, juice reserved
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup cornstarch (could add less if you want sauce to be thinner)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, more or less depending on heat level you like)

Directions:
Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken breasts inside slow cooker and place pineapple rings on top of chicken. In a separate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 5-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
Serve over rice and garnish with green onions (optional).

I doubled the sauce recipe so that we would have plenty to spoon over the rice. I did put in the optional red pepper but I used ground and did not double it. 
I found the recipe on this site and there are plenty more delicious looking things there for us to try.

Ray wasn't too impressed with this. I like it but this probably won't be a regular feature on our dinner table because I have to please the hubby too.

Have a great week everyone.

PS--I'm working at uploading my photos from flickr instead of picasa because I'm over my limit for free storage there; so please forgive any "goofs" related to formatting and picture postings. I'll work on getting better.

  Paula Deen Cookbooks

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern (22 July 2013)

Probably the finished crochet projects I used the most beside potholders and dishcloths are slippers. I find that I can always use another pair.  Here is a sweet looking pair of slippers for the ladies.

More Patterns for Slippers

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern (15 July 2013)

Here's a pattern for another hat for the men in your lives. It's a small project that is nice to work on during hot summer days. Hope you enjoy!

Hugs, 

Sharon

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern (08 July 2013)

Hope everyone had a fun 4th of July weekend. We cooked out with some of the neighbors and had so many leftovers, we got together the next day to finish them off.

For this week's pattern, we have a beanie for men. The pattern comes with the option of making it with or without a cuff. Seems rather difficult to find many nice patterns for men so I'm going to try and dig up a few this month to share with you.

Have a great week everyone!

Sharon

 

Smile...

I got a new camera and I was playing around with it. Love the zoom lens . The text is from fotoflexer. 

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern (01 July 2013)

Today's link takes us to a free pattern for a toilet seat cover. It is done in a pretty shell design. A project this size is nice to crochet on these hot summer days. Hope you enjoy.

Sharon

Monday's Link for Free Crochet Pattern (1 day late)

Is your Barbie nekkid and in desperate need of clothes? Here's a page with many different outfits and accessory patterns for your Barbie.

I haven't been on here much lately and now I'm trying to catch up on reading your blogs.

Have fun everyone!

Sharon

More Collectible Barbies

Life is like Coffee Movie

Life is like Coffee Movie: Do you know people that just seem to be happier in general? Do you say to yourself, "I want to be more like them"? Often, the happiest people in the world don't have the best of everything...they just make the best of everything!

Thanks to my friend Beth for sending this to me.

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern (17 June 2013)

I'm off season here, but today's link is for bells. They make great decorations for Christmas and you can use up the odds and ends of yarn you have leftover from other projects you make this summer. These bells would look great on your Christmas tree or as an embellishment for gifts or maybe for wedding decorations.

Have a great week!

Sharon

Just Piddling Along with Crocheting...

I'm just piddling along with the projects I'm working on. Lately I haven't finished much--I've been working a little here and there with a baby blanket. Tonight I finished a dishcloth. I worked a row every now and then when I didn't feel like working on the baby blanket. The pattern (#5) is from The Big Book of Dishcloths from Leisure Arts. The yarn I used is reminiscent of the 1970s and it has a warm, cozy look to it. I've used this yarn before, it's cotton on a cone and the label has been gone for sometime now so I don't know the name of it. I've been chatting away for a bit much now so I'll "be quiet" and show you the picture.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week!

Sharon

Changing Times...

I saw this on facebook and I thought that it was so relevant that I wanted to share it with you. When I see things like this I sometimes wonder if it is possible that I am becoming a member of my parents generation; you know the phrase, "I remember when I was a kid we (fill in the blank)" that we heard growing up. Anyway, enjoy the video.

 

Hugs,
Sharon

Current Project--

I'm working on another baby blanket. Seems that there are lot of babies going to be born lately. I have 2 more to go after this one. So far this is what I have finished--

There are some granny squares that get worked with this too. This will be for a little boy. His grandmother has been a friend since high school so of course I have to make a blanket for this this guy's grand entrance.

Pattern is from an Annie's Attic publication called Best-in-Show Baby Blankets, edited by Brenda Brinneman, published by DRG in 2005.

Stay tuned for more...

Have a great day everyone,

Sharon

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern (10 June 2013)

Today's free pattern is for bunny slippers for a 0-3 month old. They're really cute and not only would they're nice anytime but would be especially nice at Easter-time (I'm a bit late for that this year though  ).

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Hugs,
Sharon

Crocheted Spiderman-Like Baby Blanket

This week I finished a baby blanket reminiscent of Spiderman's web. This is going to the soon to be born grandson of my neighbors. Their daughter and son in law are decorating the baby's room with a super hero theme. The basic round ripple pattern is by Aggie May of Crochetville. I finished it up by using bits and pieces from other similar "web like" patterns others had done. Hope the new parents like it.  Oh, if anyone is interested in the basic round ripple pattern I used, Aggie May has generously shared her pattern to Crochetville members who have pm'd her at Crochetville.

Take care everyone.

  Other Spiderman clothing

I've Been AWOL from Here

I've been missing in action here again. I did go to Illinois to visit family and friends. It was a whirl-wind trip. Son Matthew went with me and we were constantly on the go. Even though we saw everyone we set out to see, I felt like our visits were too short. I brought some crochet items as gifts but spacey me forgot to give the slippers I crocheted to 2 people I had them for. I'll make it up to them the next time I see them. I got carried away talking and visiting and forgot about taking pictures. My son took a couple but he's not familiar with my camera and  they turned out blurry. Anyway, here's what we did.

Met up with an old high school friend and we went to Aurelio's  in Frankfurt, IL for pizza and chat. The pizza was great and the chat was even better. Beth is a great friend and I miss her dearly. Here's a blurry picture   of us--

Our room wasn't ready when we checked into the hotel so we went to the cemetery and put out flowers for my mom. It was between Mothers' Day and  Memorial Day so I decided to go with a patriotic theme for the decorations.

Mom

Grandma and Grandpa

For the first time since I graduated high school back in '75, I saw the lady who taught me to crochet. I thanked her several times for teaching me. Crocheting is a great stress reliever for me and I feel like when I give someone something I've crocheted it comes from the heart because of all the hours it takes to make a project and the happy thoughts about the person I'm making the item for. Anyway, she's in her 80s now and no longer crochets because no matter how she sits, her back hurts. She told me to stop in and visit any time I'm back in the area. To be honest, I'm not sure she remembered me.

After not making a trip up there the last 4 or 5 years, I was rather surprised at how much a couple of older relatives have slowed down. I need to make an effort to make a trip more frequently.

My aunt is taking care of my cousin's twins who were born last fall. They're the cutest little things. The little girl has longer hair and very feminine eyebrows. She's definitely the alpha child (is there such a thing?) and she has a very dominant personality. She wasn't happy when I tried to hold her. Her brother on the other hand, not only was I able to hold him but I was able to feed him a bottle too. His hair is shorter and his eyebrows are thicker and he just looks like a little boy already. I took the blankets up there that I've procrastinated about mailing. It was such a long time since I held a baby and I was amazed at how heavy the little ones were! Got me wishing that there were more little ones around us. .

I visited with my cousin and it was very nice. We met at Jameson's Pub and dined outside. Food is delicious there and service is great too. I had a hamburger that was too big to finish at one sitting. I had a small cooler with me so I put my leftovers in it and had the rest for breakfast. I often eat crazy things like that for breakfast, I hate to waste food. Her mother is my aunt who passed away last Thanksgiving. I put some flowers out for her at the cemetery too.

Before I made the drive, Ray had the tires and oil changed in the truck. I'll be darned if my uncle didn't notice a strange sound when he rode with me and after getting it checked out, I had a bad wheel bearing. I'm pretty happy that he noticed it because I could have had a bad accident driving home. So, I extended my stay and had it fixed. My son ended up missing a day at work. Even though he called the day before, he was given a point, or as I call it, a demerit for missing work. He works at Wal-Mart and they're really mean about those things. I've been contemplating boycotting them but then again, my son still works there and is getting a check so I should be less quick about the boycott thing.

We made it home safely and my "babies" were happy to see me.

Nellie Belle

Opi

I have a few ends to weave in on my latest project then I'll post a picture for you.

Take care everyone and hugs,

Sharon

Have You Seen One of These?

My Nellie Belle loves this stuffed animal. She takes it to bed with us every night and it is the only toy she brings in from outside. She has just about loved it to death. I've mended it several times and the fabric is starting to rot. I've been looking for a replacement in stores and online but no luck. I've tried substituting similar stuffed animals but once again, no luck. The manufacturer's tag is no longer legible so that's a dead-end. I got it several years ago at Big Lots.  Have you seen one of these anywhere? Please let me know if you have so I can get her a new one.

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern (13 May 2013)

graphic from here

Today's Link is for a sporty looking tote with a pocket for an umbrella. I'm not one for crocheted bags but this one is right up my alley. Check it out, I think you'll like it too.

Have a great week everyone!


   All kinds of umbrellas here