The Scarf

Well I was finally able to finish the scarf I was making for the swap, and I even made a set of fingerless mittens to send to my recipient.
I went with this Claudette pattern from Lion Brand for the scarf and these Autumn Mittens that I found on Ravelry.  I used Premier Yarns Serenity Chunky Weight in Puppy Dog.  The scarf pattern and color aren't anything I would've chosen for myself but I hope my recipient likes them!!

Girls Weekend

I am totally behind on crafty blogs for myself but I thought I would upload pics and blog about our Girls Weekend the 16th/17th!! I know it is not exactly crafty...but we did bring and do crafty things along the way!?!? Feel free to post and upload your pics too!! :)

A much needed, no husband, no kid weekend was planned and finally here!! I know we were all so excited!! Unlike most weekends, where I sleep in and hate getting up early, I bounced out of bed and hit the road early (7:30am) Saturday to meet Natalie at Janel's place. We packed up and hit the road! Woo Hoo! We headed down the highway to pick up Kalinda on our way to KC to meet Lisa at Legends. Once at Legends, we stopped for coffee and plenty of shopping!!

SHOES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After lunch at a Mexican restaurant "Los Cabos", we headed back out for more shopping! Nat and Lisa were on a hunt for the perfect purse! We checked out every store and even tried on a few things.....

Not the purse she bought, but a very cute one!

Lisa in her "reading hat" and I love this fedora!

Super cute Kalinda in a super cute stocking hat!!! (Yes, we could so make that!)

Side note: I took several pics of cool stuff that I could make...yes, not buy...but make...how old are we!?!

Yes, Nat and Lisa found their perfect bags and we headed out to our next stop...WINERY!!!

Holy Field Winery was on our way back to the B & B where we were meeting up with Tonya!!

GRAPES!!

Taste testing almost all their wines!! Taking a "few" bottles to the B & B with us for later!!

On the road again and we finally arrive at The Barn, our B & B for the weekend!

The Barn and our welcome party...

We settled into our room, changed purses, played outside, explored and got ready for dinner!!


Our 3rd floor attic room #20 and our scary winding stairs to our room!

YES, Lisa had all that stuff in her purse!!! She would be the perfect contestant for Let's Make a Deal!!

View out back....beautiful.

Swinging on the big teeter-totter swings!

The view from my hammock! Hammocks are not the most easy thing to get into or out of...

Tonya and Lisa chillin'

Fish!!!!!!!!!!!

Our fab dinner in our own little sun porch nook! Chicken, potatoes and asparagus, plus rolls and salad! YUM! And yes, we had wine with dinner too! :)

Swimming in the indoor pool and non-jet hot tub! Absolutely the best sign EVER!!!

We retired for the evening for a couple rounds of BS and our own tarot card readings! We woke early with the smell of bacon and breakfast started at 7:30am (what's up with that!) so we couldn't be late!

After breakfast, we got ready, had lots of girly gossip, crafted a little and hit the road for home in all our different directions. Never enough time together, but a much needed and totally fun weekend was had by all!! Can't wait to do it again soon! Love you girls!!!

A New Dress Inspiration

365 days. 365 items of clothing. 365 dollars And then she blogs about it.

That is what Marissa has been doing for almost the last year and I have been following her since sometime this summer. New Dress a Day is the blog and Marissa challenged herself to make a new dress every day for a year. She transforms the many muumuus’ and other thrift store/ flea market $1 finds. Most of the time she had her seem ripper out and has to hem and take in her dresses but other times she uses safety pins and packing tape!

Even though she is near the end of her 1 year journey take a look back at all she has done. Read about her inspiration and you may be inspired yourself. If you are like me, there just certain things about the clothes that I have in my closet that are just not quite right. Why not change them? All I need now is sewing machine. Oh Honey, guess what I want for Christmas.

WD-40

I got this email today and thought it would be useful for everyone......

WD-40. Who knew....... I had a neighbor who bought a new pickup. I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all around the sides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason). I went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news. He was very upset and was trying to figure out what to do.... probably nothing until Monday morning, since nothing was open. Another neighbor came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint job that was on the truck. I'm impressed! WD-40 who knew? 'Water Displacement #40'. The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and de-greaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a 'water displacement' compound.. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The Convair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts. Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you... When you read the 'shower door' part, try it. It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your stove top ... Viola! It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed.

WD-40 uses:

1. Protects silver from tarnishing.
2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4. Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them slippery.
5. Keeps flies off cows.
6. Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7. Removes lipstick stains.
8. Loosens stubborn zippers.
9. Untangles jewelry chains.
10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12. Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13. Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16. Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.
18. It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19. Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
20. Gives a children's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21. Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers...
22. Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open..
24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans
28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31. Removes splattered grease on stove.
32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35. Removes all traces of duct tape.
36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
37. Florida ’s favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.'
38. The favorite use in the state of New York , WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
40. Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41. WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
42. Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash. Presto! The lipstick is gone!
43. If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.

P.S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.

Ellie's Shocker Hat

I finished this hat this afternoon. Ellie is going to be the cutest kid at the Shocker games this year.

The pom poms were supposed to stand more upright but I made them to big. Oh well, I still think it's cute. Go Shox!!

Well, frog-it all anyway!

I've been working, very slowly, on this swap project.  I was going to make a set of wrist warmers and use the same pattern to make a scarf.  I thought the blue tube thing I was using needed to be replaced by something else, so I went with a ruler.  It was the perfect size for the pattern, but it was a wooden ruler so kept snagging the yarn.  (I'm also sure I got a minuscule splinter or two, as well.)  I couldn't figure out why I kept procrastinating.  I've had plenty of time to work on it recently, yet I found myself figuring out other things to do.  As I worked on it more tonight, I realized the whole thing was just wrong and would have to be frogged.  I think part of the problem may be the yarn - I thought it would show off the pattern nicely, but as it turns out, it doesn't, really.  (I found Deborah Norville's Serenity Chunky Weight in Puppy Dog at JoAnn's and used my "coupon commotion" coupons to get a few skein's at around $2.20 a skein, I think.)
Also, as you can see, it went all wonky on me, too.  A crooked wrist warmer would never do.

So here is the unfinished wrist warmer using the "broomstick lace" stitch.  After I click "publish post" on here, I'm going to unravel the whole thing, re-wind the yarn onto the yarn-ball then hop onto either Ravelry or Crochet Pattern Central and find a new pattern.  Wish me luck! 
(Side-note - As I was waiting for the picture to upload, I started frogging.  It is not happy about being ripped out!  I guess I caught too many stray strands as I was going along.)

Do it Yourself....a.k.a DIY

I came across this blog www.younghouselove.com while looking at another blog (www.andrewandkyle.blogspot.com)......and I have been ADDICTED to it. There are some great DIY things and they have great ideas for home projects....EVERYONE should check it out.

Crochet Bottle Cozy or Sling

This fun water bottle cozy I borrowed from Morgan. I found my pattern on the Lion Brand Website. I used the basic pattern (Vanna's Choice Can Cozy) to get started then increased the size and made a strap to fit around me. You could definitely use this basic pattern and adjust size or height for a mug, can or for whatever you need a cozy!

I made the denim and multi one for myself this summer out of 100% cotton yarn (like Sugar & Cream) using simple Single Crochets and a G size Hook. Now, I am working on several others as gifts and to sell. I love mine for walks with the dogs, then I have my hands free for their leashes..they are quite the handful! I am going to re-work the pattern and add a pocket to store a phone or doggie bags that I take on walks too. The possibilities are endless!!!

Sorry the pics are very good...I need to take a pic with one on me so you can see how cool it is!!

hats for toddlers

Last year I made this hat for Ellie and got so many complaints. A friend at work has 4 kids including a set of twins that will turn 1 in January. So she asked me to make her matching ones for the twins, just different colors. It's made with cotton yarn, I personally think is wears better and much more durable for kids...plus it washes well.

Ellie last winter...she loved her hat....she's sitting on our bed watching TV. I doubled the yarn to make it extra warm....since she didn't have very much hair.

I just finished this one.....for Torre.

This is Creighton....the hat is navy and red. Picture is done with a phone, so sorry about the resolution....but it's still cute.

Wrist Warmers

Recently I signed up to be a part of a scarf swap.  There are about 6 or 7 of us, I think, and we've all been assigned a recipient to make a scarf for.  We shared the colors in which we'd prefer our scarf be made and what type of winters we usually have.  As for the type of yarn and the pattern, that was up to the creator.  It took me a long time to decide upon the pattern.  I finally decided and went out to buy the perfect yarn.  Once I started working on it, however, I realized that the pattern, paired with the type of yarn I chose, would take a lot more effort and time than what was expected to be put into this project.  So I jumped back onto the 'net and found a really cool pattern on Ravelry.  It looks very complicated but is actually quite easy. 

I wanted to do a little practice run while learning how to do the stitch.  After I did 4 rows, I felt I was ready to move on to the real thing, however I didn't want to frog* the work I'd just done.  So as I was staring at my practice, I thought maybe I could make this into a little wrist warmer.  I added a few rows of single crochet around 3 of the 4 edges, threw in a loop for the thumb then sewed two edges together.  Me likey.  

*To frog something means to rip out the work you just did, either part of it or all of it.  Rip It/ Ribbit.  If you messed up and are unable to neatly cover up your mistake, or if you find a project you started long ago and can't/don't want to finish it, its best to just frog it and re-use the yarn.