May 23, 2021

Dear Blog

My sister and I are beginning to get the hang of how to operate a laser machine and learning the necessary software to make and engrave wood cut outs. We are learning how to operate a chop saw, jig saw, table saw and much more, making mini wood houses, at the Rochester Makerspace, https://rocmakers.org/ , giving us access to their tools & equipment, free training classes that teach you how to be safe and productive with that equipment.








 

April 27, 2021

Dear Blog

Tuesday, April 27, 2021, my sister and I are learning how to make cutouts on the laser machine at Rochester Makerspace. It requires knowledge of  the software program "Lightburn" which is free to download.

Class-Day 1: Learned how to Power Up and shut down Laser and to Never eve3r leaave the machine when operating.

Day 2: We were on our own. Spent 15 minutes for about a week just to get the machine running and shutting down when done.

Day 3: Laser disaster. OMG did we power down incorrectly!!! Machine caught fire and melted inside. My brother works on most of machines and came in to check on us. First thing he asked "Was it us?"It was a couple of nerve-racking" days before we found out it is not us, but one the the regular operators.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First attempt at etching stones.



 

 

 

 

 

 


January 31, 2021

I just like to embroider


 

Maybe for a small footstool


 

Just another reason I love the Internet, Facebook, and YouTube

 My sister, Melody, insists we go walking most every day, weather permitting. She knows all the parks in the area and we walk average of three to five miles. I click on all those little boxes to the left on YouTube and came across RocRocks.com on Facebook. We are now into painting rocks and hiding them along our walks, hoping someone will find one and post to Facebook and they can either hide them or keep them.

 



 


 
















Loved doing this, not once--but twice.

Valerie Pfeiffer Harmonies Birds Chorus Line. I finished my first around January 2015 and eventually gifted it.  I just finished the second one December 2019, I had to fudge a bit in doing the outline stitches. All that's left if to get it framed.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 


 

January 4, 2021

Never to old to learn . . .

While surfing the Internet came across this fun link: Learn to Draw

 My six minute artwork



 


January 3, 2021

Still learning HobbyWare Pattern Maker Cross Stitch Program

Before image, sketch self portrait. Colors are off in finished cross stitch...suggestions appreciated!




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is pretty close to actual picture...


 

November 22, 2020

 Help with cross stitch instructions.



November 16, 2020

If An Elephant Can Paint...

 I can create a piece of DIY wood art from image I found on the Internet. Now all I have to do is figure out where to hang it...



My First Attempt at Pebble Art

 My husband passed away January 31, 2020, I am so sad each and every day. Knowing he would want me to get on with my life hasn't helped. OMG, I am so lucky to have siblings who are always there for me. I am long time retired and trying to learn new things to occupy my mind. Thank you Internet peeps.




September 27, 2020

My Redwork Footstool

I embroidered the cover for this footstool some years back. I have in mind another footstool I would like to repurpose. Any suggestions for choice of fabric would be greatly appreciated.


 


 

January 8, 2020

My Tunisian Crochet Hat for Kids

Oana is amazing; her tutorial is fantastic. I love this hat! I put the pattern in writing (so I don't have to sit in front of my computer while crocheting it). I will post my finished hat here along with my notes. Thanks Oana for taking the time to make this tutorial. I am not sure all is right with the pattern--I am just starting to work from it. I am about to be a grandma for #nine with another in the basket--all within three years! I NEED to learn how to crochet!



The video didn't have a written pattern so I typed the pattern best I could (below):

This is it beanie hat for a 0 to 3. You can work it in any kind of yarn and with any kind of Tunisian crochet hook. The chain will be the length of your beanie. The length of the stripe will be the circumference of the head. It's really easy to work in any size you want. I’m using a 5mm Tunisian crochet hook.


ROW1 - Cast On Stitches
Begin with 28 chains, work in on the backside of the chain. Insert hook under first bump, yo, pull through. Continue until the end of the row. (28 loops on hook)












YO, pull through one loop.

YO, pull through two loops until you reach the end of the row.

We will work four rows with the Tunisian purl stitch and three rows with Tunisian simple stitch and will begin each row with a decrease and end each row with an increase. You will need to know the differences between doing the Tunisian purl stitch and the Tunisian simple stitch: 


TUNISIAN PURL STITCH:

Begin the row with a decrease:

Push the yarn to the front (keep on hook), yo,  push through the first two vertical bars.

Push the yarn to the front (keep on hook), yo, push through the next vertical bar until the second to last stitch.

Insert the hook into the chain and pull up a loop (increase).

Work your last stitch (Border)…insert the hook through two loops, yo and pull through.

yo and pull through one loop.

Yo and pull through two loops, continue to the end of the row. (28 loops on hook)

ROW2
Push yarn to front (keep on hook), push through the and second and third  vertical bars, yarn over and pull through two loops (decrease).

Insert the hook under the next vertical bar, yo, pull through until the second-to-last stitch (the last stitch of the row that we are working will always be the increase of the previous row) - 28 loops on hook.

Insert the hook into the chain and pull up a loop (increase).

Work your last stitch (Border)…insert the hook through two loops, yo, over and pull through.

yo and pull through one loop.

Yo and pull through two loops, continue to the end of the row.

 The last stitch of the row you are working on (26th loop) will always be the increase of the previous row. (I have a hard time finding the increase of the previous row so I am going to insert a marker here).


Repeat this step two more times (four rows with the Tunisian purl stitch). Start Row3 and Row4 by inserting the hook through the second and third vertical bars.

Work three rows with the Tunisian simple stitch (keep decreasing at the beginning of the row and increasing at the end of the row).

TUNISIAN SIMPLE STITCH:

Insert the hook under the first three vertical bars, yo,  pull through two loops (decrease).

Insert the hook under the next vertical bar, yo, pull through until the second-to-last stitch.

Insert the hook into the chain and pull up a loop (increase).

Work your last stitch (Border)…insert the hook through two loops, yo, over and pull through.

Repeat this step two more times  (Start Row2 and Row3 by inserting the hook through the second and third vertical bars).


(You create a border with the increases. The last stitch of the row you are working (26th loop) on will always be the increase of the previous row, place a marker here.)

Repeat seven rows--four with the purl and three with the simple stitch Tunisian stitch--until you will reach the circumference of the beanie (the circumference for a zero to three month is for a baby boy).

Next step is to bind off with simple Tunisian stitch-- the length is about 33 centimeters, the width is about 12 centimeters.

Insert hook through the second vertical bar, yo and pull up two loops,  insert hook in next stitch, yo, pull up two loops, until the end of the row. When you finish the bind off, cut a long yarn.

Next is the mattress stitch to sew the parts together and to create an invisible line

Insert the hook into the first stitch (side with cut yarn).

Go out into the second stitch.

Go on into the other side, insert the hook into the first stitch.

Go out into the second stitch.

Insert the hook on the other side where you got out and get out into the next and the same thing on the other side.

Continue like this until the end—from time to time pull strand of yarn to close it (put a marker into this stitch to be sure where you have to work you stitch).

Don't cut the yarn because we want to close the beanie on the upper part.

Insert the hook into the stitch and then into the next and then into the next and then into the next and so on back and forth until you have the beanie ready to work the border.

To work the border you will need the Tunisian crochet with the cable (if you don't have it with the cable don't worry--you can work the border with a normal crochet hook and crochet three or four round of single crochet).
Place a marker in the last stitch. Work the first row as a round.

Make a slip knot with yarn on ball.

Insert the hook into the first stitch (next to the sewing line).

Loop into each stitch, pull up a loop. Go on all around.

When you are about at the half way mark, pull stitches to the end.

Repeat--Make a slip knot with yarn on ball.

Insert the hook into the first stitch, place marker here, loop into each stitch, pull up a loop. Go on all around.

Place hook in stitch with marker and pull up loop.

Pull stitches to the end.

 Remove marker and work the stitches as round.

YO, pull through one loop.

YO, pull through two loops

Go on three or four rows and sew the parts together and attach the pom-pom (can find tutorials for pom-pom on Internet).

My progress to date: