December 30, 2018

My Bootie Buddies

They are a year apart...don't ask me why!

December 9, 2018

Finally . . .

OMG, I finally, after trying since 17 December last year, after crocheting four beanies to get the feel of crocheting, after trying several tutorials, after stepping aside for weeks owing to my frustration--crocheted my first baby bootie. I now know I cannot follow a video where the instructor is facing me (to me it is like learning from a left-hander)! I am going to visit my senior center to check on a couple of things that look a tad off and I can't seem to make a presentable bow, so this bootie is going in my stash. 

November 18, 2018

I can crochet after all . . .

My sister is stopping by today. We are converting old VHS tapes to movie files. I can't wait to show her my first crocheted beanie hat! I decided any new crochet projects I do will be with the help of a video tutorial. There are several videos on how to crochet all styles of beanies. I will be doing a lot of these as well as baby booties. For a link to the tutorial..."click" here

 She likes it. . .

November 13, 2018

Baby Afghan Crochet Blanket Gone Wrong

Wow, I am really messed up. I completed five panels of seven blocks each and I am pulling them all apart. It's frustrating because I did this same blanket many years ago. I don't remember anything about crocheting. My husband's SIL was in her late eighties and is the reason I was able to crochet the first blanket--which turned out beautifully. She could no longer crochet and hadn't crocheted in years, but her mind was sharp as a tack. I don't think it took her more than four 15 minute sessions along the way in helping me to understand the instructions. I truly miss her; she was an amazing woman! All is not lost. I will save the yarn--hoping I can use the yarn for crocheting baby booties.

November 3, 2018

October 30, 2018

I finally did it

I have been blogging to myself off and on for several years. One thing kept bugging me--how to add pictures to my gadgets without having to utilize a third party host site. Many thanks to Rachid Amaoui https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!starred for helping me

October 25, 2018

A-mazing Video by UK Based Joseph Pelling

Talk about creative--check out Joseph Pelling's clever illustrations, animation and writing!

Still working as of 32,975 days and I don't mean the tractor...

The tractor was a gift from the kids. I don't remember whether it was a Christmas gift or his birthday gift--it was many many years ago. One more thing to check out. Many a summer days were spent moving trees, rocks, and bucketing just about anything over 25 lbs. Here he is bucketing snow to get out of our garage. Our favorite saying is "Nothing Runs Like a Deere"!

October 16, 2018

I Ain't Doing It !!!

The two pedals on the floor next to the toilet are not for flushing--ask me how I know...

Do not let your husband figure out how to get off the bed (with a little help from you) instead of buzzing an attendant--ask me how I know...

If, in the middle of the night you NEED a chocolate bar, and you need to find the vending machines--be sure you bring your GPS thingy with you. Ask me how I know...

When you do find the vending machine and insert two quarters before you realize you only have one $20 bill in your wallet--don't put in your debit card before first removing the quarters--ask me (and the guy behind me also NEEDING a chocolate bar in the middle of the night) how we know...

October 9, 2018

Need help with edging around panel

I don’t know where to insert my hook (what amounts to 1 ½ rows?) across Lace Square.

With loop on hook, st st in first row of afghan st at lower corner of panel, working along long edge ch 4, skip 2 rows sc in next row, * ch 4, skip one row sc in next row; rep from * across Afghan Stitch Square, having ten loops across.

*ch 4, skip 1 ½ rows sc in next row; rep from * across Lace Square, having ten loops across.  Work edge around 4 sides of panel.














October 5, 2018

Baby Afghan Pattern and Notes

I can't find any copyright information on this pattern (I purchased it about 45 years ago). I forgot everything I knew about crocheting since doing this pattern in 2003. I am making this for a second time and made notes to myself along the way. More to come...I have yet to do the borders!




June 21, 2018

I was upset...to say the least!

One of my two holly bushes planted in 2009--BEFORE being run over by mower (picture taken in 2010 and was much larger now):


AFTER ran over by mower















Of course I had to Google to see if it would grow back-- two of the many responses after posting:

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5 
not many trees or shrubs die.. simply due to pruning .. no matter how the pruning is accomplished ... or how badly it was done ... and mostly that is because there is no impact on the established root mass ... this is why i call many of them ... 'run them over with the truck' type plants ... i simply never considered using a lawnmower ... lol .. i would also clean up all the rough cuts.. and just ignore it ... [if you can] ... and you might be surprised what it might look like by fall ... yes.. think in tree time.. rather than running out there every day.. and fixating on it ...

lovetogarden(z5a NY)
OMG! I think I'd kill him. I once had a guy do my lawn and one of the shrubs I just planted started to look really bad a few days after he left. On closer inspection I found that he cut the shrub off at ground level with the weedwhacker and just stuck it right back in the ground to hide the fact from me. Grrrrrr! I was so mad!

… calls from a couple of my many sibling’s and even a SYMPATHY card from one sister (I can hear her laughing).














…beginning to see the humor in it so I created a caution sign--which the mower’s dog demolished; I made a second one:

 











                                        










As for the bush growing back -  will be posting pictures every year for the next 10 years!

March 16, 2018

I don't know who I make these for...

Our grandkids, great great grandkids, or me? For a link to the close pin tutorial "click" here.
















For a link to the finger puppet tutorial..."click" here

March 9, 2018

I've been busy

In a little over a year we have become great great grandparents to seven babies, I have taken up sewing and learning to crochet again...



March 3, 2018

I am such a procastinator...

I started this pillowcase set in 2013, came across it while organizing my sewing room, walla--DONE!





Rome wasn't built in a day!!

I started this in 2015. Many weddings have passed so I will have to wait until the next one before adding words to it and framing. Until then, in the dresser drawer it goes with all my other UFO's!

February 12, 2018

I am surprised I have any hair left

I just realized my pattern is going to run off the cloth. I am on page 21 of 31 pages and there is only enough material for 5 more pages. Aaagh!!!















If I end it here I have a cover for my footstool. I am thinking of starting a new piece--starting with page 15, ending with page 31. I think I will have enough to cover my piano stool. I will start in the center of the fabric and work to the outside, staying in a circle the size of the piano stool. I think I don't know what I am talking about. So much for lemonade...

February 4, 2018

I Demolished My Wall Hanging

I spent the morning learning how to to machine satin stitch around my applique pieces, totally wrecking every corner of every block of my wall hanging. After I ran out of corners I started in the middle of my leaves and 'walla'--I finally got the hang of it!!!



January 13, 2018

See what happens...

When you try to enlarge a pattern! The rectangular piece wound up short of what was needed to wrap around the car.



















I tweaked the pattern a bit--problem solved.

January 8, 2018

OK, today I made my first baby beanie AND I finally learned how to use the automatic needle threader on my CS 6000i sewing machine--which I LOVE...

For the hat I found a great video on YouTube "click here for link". I didn't quite get how to do the crown so I searched Googleland for clearer instructions.

I found written instructions, with pictures, for a beanie (with a lining) "click here for link".

For pattern sizes "click here for link".

A bit tricky for me, but I can't wait to do one for myself. Anyway, I will find out if my head is large or extra large...