Knitting Dragonflies

DIY’s I want to make…

2012-01-22T09:58:00.002-06:00

Spring is coming, soon, really! But until then, lets try some new crafts. A few I like are below…
Spoon ring tutorial from ThroughTheFrontDoor. Remember these? I don’t have any left, take off to a Goodwill, or Salvation Army store, or hit some yard sales and your all ready.

And check out this video for an amazing fork bracelet with stones! Thanks Mr. YoBeano!

.
From AgirlandaglueGun, make some cute flower for your hair, or bag! Or make a whole bunch of them!

Try making this BillyCardi from NoBigDill, she has so many fun ideas!

And another fun bracelet from VanessaChristenson, a jersey knit bracelet! This teaches finger knitting! A great project for adults and children!

Get crafty!!

Simplifying and cleaning…homemade cleaning products

2012-01-15T20:46:00.002-06:00

I started with homemade deodorant! post here, I’ve made more, I’m so crazy about it. Now I’m in the middle of cleaning my house and trying to simplify and de-clutter.
In the process I started experimenting with homemade cleaning products.
Supplies I used: Tea Tree Oil, Baking soda, Vinegar, Lemons, Oil of Clove, and Lavender Oil. Just Google any of the essential oils and you will find an incredible list of uses for them. Oh and a couple of squirt bottles, I reused old ones. You can find them for about a dollar if you need to get some, try the dollar store!
I did try the homemade laundry detergent and returned to using Tide, it didn’t clean as well as I had hoped and was a bit icky http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/04/09/making-your-own-laundry-detergent-a-detailed-visual-guide/
If anyone out there has a good one, let me know!
Want to start super simple with just one bottle of all purpose cleaner? Try watching this! Really just one bottle, give it try. I have totally given up on the plug in smelly things, or any air fresheners.

EASY Homemade cleaning products

I’ll list the ones I’m using and the ones I’ll be trying soon. I’ll rate them on price/effectiveness/and versatility.
-Baking soda and vinegar- Love this! Super cheap, easy to make, very effective, and replaces so many cleaning supplies. I keep a spray bottle with straight vinegar in it, and my box of baking soda. Sprinkle your soda and spray with vinegar, it fizzes and take you sponge or rag, and you are a cleaning machine. Takes away any smell. Cleans as well as comet. Want to use it on vertical surfaces? No problem, sprinkle some baking soda on a sponge, take another sponge and spray it thoroughly with vinegar, now put the baking soda sponge on your surface (like a shower wall) and then the vinegar one on top of it. When you press they combine and it starts fizzing away. No harm to surfaces, and it is excellent for soap scum! Good for everything from ovens to showers, sinks and endless areas. I even add a few drops of Tea Tree oil to it for the bottom of my shower, as a natural Tea tree oil is a natural antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-infection oil. It is effective against nail fungus, ringworm, athlete's foot, dandruff, acne and many types of infestations including lice, mites and scabies.
-Tea Tree Oil,
Ok now I wasn’t too crazy about the scent at first, now I’m addicted to it. Cost, the cheapest I found was at Wal-Mart, 2 oz. for around $6.00. That will last you a very long time.
1. All Purpose Cleaner: Add (?start with a few, you can always add more) drops of tea tree oil to 2 Tbs. of vinegar. Put solution in a 12 ounce spray bottle, then fill bottle with warn distilled or purified water. Shake and use.
2. Dishwashers: Add (?) drops of tea tree oil to dishwasher dispenser, then fill with dishwashing soap.
3. Humidifier: Add (?) drops of tea tree oil to the humidifier. This will clean. disinfect and refresh the air.
4. Vaporizer: Add (?) drops of tea tree oil to a cup of water; leave in room to help alleviate stuffiness, allergies, headaches and flu symptoms. Or heat a pot of water and drop 3-5 drops of tea tree oil, after removing pot from burner.
5. Washing Machine: To Kill Germs. Add (?) drops of tea tree oil to each load of laundry. This will disinfect and leave laundry smelling clean and fresh.
-Lavender Oil
. I like to take 1 Tablespoon of this into a 16 oz. spray bottle, fill with water. This is great cleaner! I couldn’t believe it. Smells great and cuts grease, I use this on my facets, and they end up gleaming. Kitchen counters, and fridge. Great smell! One little bottle cost me approx. $9,00, and will make many bottles of spray.
Also a good room deodorizer! Place a small amount on a cotton ball and wipe on a light bulb. Now you room smells divine!
-Oil of cloves (this does appear to have some safety issues) but smells heavenly, please read warning below, if in doubt, I would not use this.
-
As with all essential oils, you must heed the safety warnings before use. Clove oil can irritate the skin and mucous membranes (especially in its pure form) so always take precautions when using it in your house such as wearing rubber gloves. Pregnant women should not use it as it is a uterine stimulant. Also do not use if you are taking any blood-thinning medications. Keep it away from children, and if swallowed or an allergic reaction occurs, seek immediate medical attention.
Put about one tablespoon of this in a spray bottle and fill with water. Oil of cloves is a natural mold spore killer.Great for the shower, and basement. Lightly mist it over the fabric, and you can store away umbrellas etc. for months without the worry of mold taking over by the following summer. it will also kill flies and ants.
• For moldy surfaces that don’t like water (like leather shoes etc.), add a 1/4 teaspoon of oil of cloves to 16 oz. baby oil, give it a good shake and wipe a few drops of it over the shoes using a soft cloth. The mold will lift off straight away and won’t come back.
I have heard that Tea Tree oil used in the same manner works also, although I have not tried it.
This smells great, I put some on a cotton ball, then I take tin foil and fold into a small cup shape, pour about 1/4 cup baking soda in it then put the clove cotton ball on top. I place on of these in each room, well out of reach of any animals or children. No more plug ins for me, The smell is great, I found I like to place it on the top of my door frame.
Lemon juice, if you dislike the smell of vinegar, this can be substituted. Lemon juice can bleach fabric.

I like to cut one in half and place in the fridge Run one through the garbage disposal! When cleaning with lemons always rinse with warm soapy water and dry with a clean cloth afterwards. One of the very few things you can’t clean with lemon juice is anything that is brass plated as the juice will damage the item
More Lemon info here!! and here!
Below are some links to more ideas for less toxic cleaning:
http://nourishedmagazine.com.au/blog/articles/clean-and-green-natural-cleaning-formulas
http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm

I want to try:

Homemade Furniture cleaner: Two parts olive oil or cooking oil mixed with 1 part lemon juice makes for an excellent furniture polish!

Concentrated cleaner, this looks like the super concentrated cleaner I have bought before: Take a jar and fill with citrus peels (lemon, orange, grapefruit), fill to the top with vinegar and let sit for a few weeks, then use the infused vinegar to clean, dilute this mixture in a spray bottle with water, (how much I’m not sure)

Enjoy!

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T18:38:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T21:58:00.001-06:00

Happy Holidays!!

Homemade Deodorant, and it works….

2011-12-20T08:55:00.001-06:00

This probably comes under the TMI clause, but I’ve had to rotate deodorants since I’ve begun using them. I usually have at least 3 in the rotation, due to what I like to call “fire pits”. For me this is a extreme rash, bumps and sometimes hive like condition, while using deodorants.

I’ve used about everything on the market, even stopped shaving my pits, (which I couldn’t stand and really didn’t help).

I had a really bad flare up recently, and twice now I’ve come up with big lumps. So I thought, OK, off to the blogosphere to see what others have come up with.

My first success is the Crystal Rock,

The link above will bring you to the website and the “Crystal Story” . This is made from natural mineral salt, and works well. It comes in a roll on also, and lasts for an amazingly long time. Irritation free, and pit happy this is a great product. The only issue I have with this, is that is is a deodorant, not an antiperspirant. so while I love this product, I was still using something else for those days, when it is hot out, or I knew I was going to be in a meeting, etc.. and didn’t want to worry about any possible, pit stains, or well you get the idea….

While investigating how to make deodorant online I’ve discovered many variations on a basic formula:

1. Even if you are a stinkless angel, it’s my opinion that we all deserve a little protection on one of the parts of our bodies that is almost always folded over onto itself. You’re bound to build up a little moisture there in the course of the day, so a bit of deodorant keeps it clean and dry.

2. Good homemade deodorant has three essential elements: an absorber, a moisturizer, and a disinfectant. A fourth optional element is scent. You can use:

* absorber: baking soda, cornstarch, arrowroot powder

* moisturizer: coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, liquid Vitamin E

* disinfectant: coconut oil, tea tree oil, honey, grapefruit seed extract

* scent: pretty much any essential oil that you love

Did you notice that coconut oil is in two of those lists? Yup. That’s why it’s a main ingredient in my deodorant. I use a fairly large ratio of coconut oil to baking soda because my skin is sensitive to the dryness caused by the baking soda, and too high a ratio gives me a rash. Tinker with it until you find the ratio that’s right for you. By the way, coconut oil will liquefy at around 85 degrees, so if your house is not a steady temperature you might consider keeping it in your fridge. (Who doesn’t like to stand half-naked in front of the fridge first thing in the morning?) Our house is usually kept at a steady 68 degrees so our deodorant solidifies just fine.

So armed with this info, I decided to try a small batch, the recipe I chose is from LittleHouseInTheSuburbs, Quick Stick Deodorant.

What I used: (mostly due to the fact I had these ingredients on hand)

-coconut oil, tea tree oil, baking soda, cornstarch

I didn’t have a used stick deodorant container, so I used a paper towel roll, cut to the size I needed, and plastic wrap to line it with.

This amount is good for one small stick. Travel size. Time to make, approx. 10 min or less.

Take 3-4 T of coconut oil, add 2 T baking soda, and 2 T of cornstarch, and from 10 to 20 drops of tea tree oil, (this is quite aromatic, so I just used 10 drops, but don’t worry, the smell only lasts for approx. 15 min)

Add all to a bowl. I found it was super easy if I then microwaved it for 10-15 sec. then just let sit and stir some, it will now totally liquefy.

Now you can take your container, I used a paper towel roll, I found the TP rolls were thinner. Cut it to around 2 inches or so, take plastic wrap and tear off a large piece, (we can cut this down later) push the plastic wrap into the roll and you are ready to pour your “deodorant” in.

Now just take the wrap and gather it up and twist it on top, I put my tube in the refrigerator to set up. When hard, you have a “push up” stick deodorant.

I have been using mine for a week now, and have really happy pits, and totally fresh feeling. I’ll let you know when it gets warmer, but for now this is a keeper. I will say if you don’t care for the tea tree oil smell (this is suppose to help with odor also, being mildly antibacterial) Leave that out and use another essential oil, I think cedar would be nice for men, here is a link to some essential oils.

I have made a second batch. same as the first, but I added some rosehips oil to it, (in addition to the tea tree oil), I have also read that you can add a tablespoon of baby powder to it.

I’ll included some links to recipes below. I’d love to know if you try this and what you think.

http://www.crunchybetty.com/not-a-secret-homemade-deodorant, I love crunchy betty, she has http://frugalgranola.com/2011/05/natural-homemade-deodorant/loads of great info.http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/08/27/effective-homemade-deodorant-my-baby-steps-story/ She has used this for a length of time, and reports how it held up.http://asonomagarden.wordpress.com/2009/07/28/how-to-make-homemade-deodorant-i-love-it/ this blog also has other homemade toiletries, lotion, hand cream, and lip balm.

Take care, and back to knitting….

Easy Laptop Bag Pattern (crochet)

2011-12-11T10:16:00.001-06:00

I have been waiting on some yarn to be shipped to finish my sweater. In the meantime I didn’t want to start another big project. It all started with one laptop bag for a girlfriend, and turned into a bag marathon. I discovered that this pattern is good, not only for laptops, but a knitting bag, papers for work, magazines and books, and I’m thinking of making it smaller for a cute lunch bag and/or clutch.

I’ll include the pattern for anyone that needs a fast, and fun bag.

Bag is made holding two strands of yarn throughout, I use worsted weight. I’ve tried everything from acrylic to wool and cotton.

Great for stash busting, make a striped bag!

Single crochet, this tight stitch, allowing for a sturdy bag.

If using cotton yarn, it makes the bag very sturdy.

I go around the handle opening with slip stitch, and/or a sewn backstitch around each stitch, this makes a decorative handle that is very sturdy, and doesn’t stretch too much.

Also think about lining your bag, I haven’t lined any of mine, but I’ll included rough directions, think about adding pockets, to organize your things inside.

Crochet Laptop Bag
(easy)
This is a good project for scraps

Stitches used: slip stitch, chain stitch, single crochet, (optional sewn backstitch), click on stitch to see tutorials, thanks to thecrochetside, and knitwitch, and needlerific on YouTube for the great tutorial videos!

Yarn: Worsted weight, may be anything from wool to acrylic, two strands held together
Stitch: chain, and single crochet

Hook: size J

Measure your Laptop or magazine, book etc...size that you want it to be, this bag can also be made smaller for a kindle, ipad, small clutch, lunch bag, and of course knitting bag.

Consider using two different colors, one solid and one variegated, or transitioning colors in stripes. I like to keep one color and change one, this gives an interesting progression of stripes.

With two strands held together chain until your chain is the length of the desired bag, now add two more chain stitches (this will be to turn, or your first sc stitch on the next row).

bottom of bag started (photo)

Bottom of bag:
row1: sc in the 3rd chain stitch from hook, sc in this stitch 2x, sc all along your chain, until you get to the last 3 stitches, now sc x2, sc, sc x2, the last stitch will push you around the end of the chain, now you will pick up your stitches along the other side of your chain.
other side: sc, sc x2, sc all along your chain until you get to the last 2 stitches, now sc x2 and sc, now you should be back to the beginning of row 1
row2: sc x2, sc, sc x2, sc, sc x2, sc all along the flat part of the row, now find the center stitch of each end, place a marker there.
You will continue knitting the bottom of the bag, 3 stitches before each stitch marked sc x2, sc, sc x2, sc, sc x2, continue until the bottom of the bag is as big as you desire, I usually make it several rounds.

Starting the sides, this is crochet in the round (photo)

Sides of bag:
Sc, all around until your bag is tall enough to add the hand holds. (Or your laptop height measurement)

Handles:
To figure where to place your handles lay your bag out, mark your end stitches, and count the number of stitches on each side, or total of stitches divided by two, sides should have even number (if it isn’t don’t worry, one stitch won’t be noticed)
Take your number of side stitches, you want your handle to be 10 stitches long, so subtract 10 stitches, and now divide by 2.
Example: My bag is a total of 64 stitches, 64/2=32 per side, now I’ll take the 32-10=22, this is the number of stiches per side minus the handle stitches, 22/2=11.
Handle: using the example numbers above, we will sc along 11 stitches from our side marker. Now chain 10 stitches (this is our handle), now count 11 stitches from the other marker and this is where we will sc 11 stitches to the side, now sc 11 stitches on the other side, chain 10 stitches, and sc 11 more stitches. The handle is created.
Continue sc in each stitch around for about 3 or 4 more rows, until you like how your handle feels.
Break yarn and weave in.
Now attach your yarn to an inside stitch on your handle, and slip stitch all around, this is to reinforce the handle and make it resistant to stretching. Break yarn and weave ends in.
Ta da, now insert your Laptop or magazines and your ready to go....

Want to line your bag?

Lining the Bag:

Figure out how much fabric you need, measure the height of your finished bag, mine is 12 inches, now add about 4 inches for hems etc.… this comes to about 16 inches. (this is how much fabric you need, half a yard is 18, so I usually get that, this will be enough fabric for added pockets, if you want them.

Fold the lining fabric in half and lay it flat on the table. Lay the bag on top of the fabric and trace around the bag onto the fabric.

Cut out any square that you want for your pockets, allow for a hem on each one, all around, or to make it super easy make your pocket twice the size and sew it together, right sides facing each other. turn, and you have a fully lined, sturdy pocket. Pin these down in the location you want them, and sew around all sides but the top. I usually stitch around twice for good measure.

Pin the two sides of the fabric together around the tracing, allowing about 1/2 inch for the seam.

Sew the fabric together along the traced lines, leaving one side open.

Insert the fabric lining into the bag so that the seams of the lining are unseen. Fold the top edge of the lining down between the bag and the lining and pin in place. Sew around the edge to secure the lining in place. I would sew mine in directly below the handle hole.

Have fun!

Things I’d like to make….

2011-12-04T10:56:00.001-06:00

I’ll start with a lovely long draw spinning video from Ruth Macgregor! The music gets me into the mood also.

This is a free pattern on http://www.petitepurls.com/winter10/winter2010_p_jack.html, you can make the balloon and Jack Frost, or I’m planning on just Jack himself to hang on my tree!

I found a top down knitted, Shapley Boyfriends Cardigan on Knitty by Stefanie Japel, I’m off to look at my stash, I think I have 5 skeins of Cascade 220 in an odd green color that would be perfect for this. Well, I’d have to tweak the gauge, perhaps….

I’m interested in this self intersecting basket weave stitch, it is a free ravely download, check out how it looks.

It looks like everyone is knitting the GapTastic Cowl, free download on Ravelry!

May your knitting needles fly as fast as dragonflies…

Fate Of My Iced Sweater..and developing a laptop/IPad bag pattern (sneak peak)

2011-11-28T11:26:00.001-06:00

Is there anyone out there that knits a sweater pattern without drama? Ha, all frustration aside, gauge problems, pattern tweaking etc.…[pattern here] I powered through all of my knitting drama with this pattern, well it did have extended “resting” times, but my biggest hurtle was, (see above photo) this is all of the yarn I have, see little bitty ball at the bottom! 11 skeins later and the arms of the sweater are just to my elbows. I dithered around for a bit, I had spent more money on this yarn than I had planned, and not made it into the pattern I had bought it for (of course *snort*).

But I ultimately decided that I do in fact, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how this is turning out, (it is super bulky thick and thin yarn) and is very warm and soft and squishy, I originally thought, when I realized that I would not have enough yardage to complete it, that I would make it into a vest. Having a raglan sleeve posed a problem with that idea. So I decided to knit as far as my yarn would allow me to. Knitting from the last ball, a row on this sleeve and then a row on the other sleeve. I finally came to the conclusion that I wasn’t going to be happy with the sweater with some substitute yarn that kinda, maybe matches.

So I’m all in and embarked on a quest to find two more balls of my discontinued yarn. I searched Ravelry with no luck and then did find some in several misc. online yarn shops, at almost double the price I paid! Could it be I’m not the only one looking to complete a project? On Knitters Review forum, (gotta love those ladies!, and men, sorry), they directed me towards a shop on EBay, which did in fact have 4 skeins of my much sought after yarn. Colinette Point Five Cardinal, Yay. At a reasonable price and shipping also, so I put them in my cart and promptly bought them! Since my yarn seller is in the Netherlands, now I’m just waiting on it to arrive!

In the meantime, I really didn’t want to start another sweater, I have enough yarn for 3 sweaters and one coat. I hope we are having a chilly winter! I decided to knit some stash up and began creating a Laptop bag for some friends and family.

Sneak peak here, pattern to follow, if anyone is interested! OK, don’t judge the yarn, I believe the colorway is called Drunk In Mexicali, I’m using my stash up, LOL

Until then, here are some laptop, IPad patterns that I did find, but weren’t what I was looking for:

Knitted and felted:

Laptop sleeve, very cute! This pattern is from slumberland, I would like to make this one!

Nice felted laptop cover here from RebekahMartin.

I like this felted laptop snggie pattern from EunnyJang Knits

LindsayDayton, has a felted laptop pattern that would be good for stash bustin!

Other:

I love this tutorial from MyPoppet, a sewn scrappy IPad cover from wool scraps! So Cute!

TipNut has a list of laptop patterns, that included knitted and sewn, very nice!

Tipnut also has a great list of IPad/Kindle covers! Thanks TipNut!!!

May your knitting needles fly as fast as dragonflies…

Have a Knittin Thanksgivin

2011-11-24T08:46:00.001-06:00

Cooking has started here, and I’m looking through the ads and going to get some knitting done. In the process of making some laptop bags (pattern to follow) for presents. Easy and fast.

For anyone following the Iced Sweater slog-a-long, I’ve knitted all of the yarn up that I have which was 11 balls, I love the sweater (really a coat, LOL, made from super bulky yarn), and hunted down someone online who had some more of the discontinued yarn (she is in the Netherlands, *grin*, god bless her), and I ordered two balls up. Hoping to have them by the end of December so I can finish and wear it. So close!! I decided that a substitute yarn to finish the sleeves wasn’t’ going to make me happy, so I should just go all in and got on a crusade to find the yarn to finish it with!

Happy holidays!

Where is my sewing machine?

2011-11-19T22:07:00.001-06:00

In my “moving like a sloth” period I was looking for a tutorial for a fleece poncho with a hood, maybe sewing something will make me feel like I’m accomplishing something *snort*. I found lots of ideas but then came upon this site that I had to share. I swear you will find something you need, even if you don’t, it is rather addicting looking through the links.

Sewing Stuff, free online sewing patterns, but don’t let the title mislead you, it is a super compilation of links. In the process I found more good blogs to follow, and some interesting ideas. (she has knitting and crochet, quilts, etc.… links also)

From Halloween costumers and underwear to moccasins and hair scrunchies to lawn mower covers and mermaid dolls. Need a portfolio cover or interested in recycling? Charity sewing? Going to a Renaissance Fair? There is a section for you. Keep looking, don’t stop at the top, the more you look, the more you have to look.

I love the portfolio cover, I was just going to buy something similar from thirty one, this one is better!

ThirtyOne organizer (left) Amy Butler small and large right (link to free pdf)

Need a casserole cover? Perfect time of the year for this! Hey in the Midwest everyone needs one of these…because food is the perfect thing to bring in any situation! http://elisabeth-dixiedoodles.blogspot.com/2008/04/cozy-toter-casserole-dish-carrier.html Thanks DixieDoodles!

Or have you desperately wanted you DH to cover that motorcycle in your family room that he has been working on? No joke, where else would he want to take it apart? Well there is a pattern for that also, and lots of other covers for mowers etc..

I found an amazing number of things that would be great gifts, and just handy stuff in general. In these green, on a budget, trying to simplify times, I think this has something for everyone.

There is a help section and if you don’t see something you are looking for a section to post that! If you are wondering who made this? A woman named Mary, you can see a little about her here.

Have Fun!! I never made that poncho that lead me to Mary’s site, but I have lots other ideas now.

The Mamas & The Papas: California Dreamin'

2011-11-17T20:31:00.001-06:00

This makes me smile, time to get knitting...

I Slipped Through The Cracks….

2011-11-16T10:31:00.002-06:00

Photo from Mark Lorch
I’m beginning to feel alive once more. While I was viewing myself as being chronically lazy and unmotivated, there was a reason for this.
While visiting my surgeon (I had my thyroid removed recently) he discovers I’m not taking any Synthroid. and says, “well you look ok”. I wasn’t sure what this was suppose to mean, but I have been doing a lot of sitting, and sleeping, and forgetting what I was going to do, no hot flashes, in fact I’ve been wearing sweaters, and it’s 50 out.. I’ve become really good at sleeping with newspaper, (and waking up with newsprint on my face), sleeping with my knitting, (those needles are pointy), and well you get the picture. On the bright side, I can’t remember what I was going to do or say, and discovered it is less stressful if I can’t remember what I was worrying about. Ha

Cut to some fast blood work, and a prescription, it has only been about 4 days, and I’ve begun to feel more alive. I’ve not started to knit yet, but I’m thinking about it. Hoping to get something done besides working, sleeping, and repeat…
Meanwhile, I’ve gotten my hair totally chopped off. It is as short as my husbands. It will grow in with my “real” color, silvers and all. I think I’m pretty much white in the front but still salt and pepper in the back, I’ll be able to tell more when I get some length on it. I was “blonde” for so long before my henna years, I forgot that my hair was a brownish color. *grin*
Thanks to all that answered my plea for help with dry skin! The best things I’ve found so far!!
I love the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, and try Vegetable Glycerin Oil, I’m totally in love with the Savannah Bee Company, as well as Provon skin moisturizer, I wash my hands so much at work and they will not let us use anything that doesn’t have antibacterial properties, *grimace*
So until I do start knitting I’ll leave you with some more creative links:
-How about some tiny polaroid magnets from Ambrosia Creative!
-Easy Peasy Fingerless Mitts from JCasa handmade, with an afterthought thumb, super easy and fast! You might want to add her Easy Peasy Cowl to go with it.
-KillerBDesigns has a tutorial on sliding door for some privacy in your home, check it out! I love this.
-I keep seeing these. Take something old and make it new again. RecycledLovelies shows us how to make a slash sleeve tee.

Keep knitting

Easy, Fast Tutorials for A Rainy Day…

2011-11-15T13:32:00.002-06:00

Raining here today and cold.
I’ve not been very productive at home, so I’m looking for some quick, good looking items to make. I searched these out on YouTube.

Make Your Own Hand & Arm Warmers: EASY & CHEAP!, this tutorial is from twxitbetwxit, (etsy shop here, in case you just want to buy a pair. Fun and fast, I think kids can do this project also.

How to make a dog hoodie, this takes some sewing skill, but it is so cute. From IMadeThisForYou blog, this tutorial lets us make a sweet dog hoodie for any dog. Take a look at her blog for more ideas.

DIY - From a shirt to a cardigan,

thanks to http://viviantranx3.tumblr.com/ take a knit crew shirt and turn it into a surprisingly stylish cardigan.

How to : Make a simple wrap, cardigan, from TheCreativeBoutique, this would be nice over a variety of clothes this fall/winter. She also has more fast tutorials on her blog link.

Have Fun!!

Knitting patterns I like…..(all free)

2011-11-12T18:12:00.001-06:00

I’m in full blown sweater knitting mode!! Guess I’m ready for winter! *grin*.

I’ve been browsing around, and as usual, love to find free knitting patterns online. There are so many great ones! Enjoy, and please send me some of your favorite ones!

I’ll include a link to the free pattern, and a ravelry link so you can see other versions and read reviews of them.

Happy Winter! (almost)

-Sonnett from Knitty fall of 03. My girlfriend is knitting this, it is a side knitted pattern, I especially like it, due to the fact that it is written so you can use any yarn and calculate your own pattern. [rav link below]

-Paulie cardi from Grasfleckin http://owlsisters.blogspot.com/2011/05/free-paulie-for-you.html

this is knitted top down, from reading the comments on Ravelry, it looks like a good knit, well written pattern, I love the simplicity of it and the stripes to add interest.

[rav link below]

See photo here, just published Oct. 2011, I predict this will end up in many knitters, to knit lists!

-Recipe for a Rustic Jacket from Mona C. NicLeoid (free download but In keeping with the spirit of the design, if you like the pattern please consider making a small donation to a local organization that cares for forests, woodland or similar natural areas. see ravelry link)

Gotta love a pattern with this much flexibility! Knit it your own way! A Cabled, hooded, cardigan knitted bottom up in the round, and it is shaped, the waist is a waist, and the hood won’t look like a pointy one. (I love in the round knitting!) This is in my queue for sure!

Enjoy your knitting….

DIY’s I like….

2011-11-08T06:52:00.001-06:00

This is so cute, little mushrooms to add to your plants! This is a great idea for gifts, especially since fall and shorter days are here. Add a little brightness and whimsy where it is least expected!

An easy fun DIY from PrettyHandyGirl, thanks! Suitable for kids also.

I like these basic boy pants from MyGrowingHome, great tutorial, but I think it could be used for any size person. I’m going to try a pair for myself. Super comfy, and nice to lounge around the house in, I’ll just need some fun fabric, maybe even some corduroy!

From kimboscrafts AGirlAndAGlueGun a simple tutorial on how to make a bedskirt from a sheet! It looks nice and hey make a couple and change your bedroom look up. This is on my list of things to do.

ThanksIMadeIt has a very good looking wrap bracelet made out of a zipper who won’t like this tutorial? It looks cool, I would never think this was a zipper!

As always look further into these blogs for more great tutorials! Thanks everyone for sharing your creativity!

A Little Get Away

2011-11-02T18:47:00.001-05:00

We got away to one of our favorite spots in Gatlinburg, TN. We had beautiful weather, and did some hiking.

And I got some knitting done also.

Happy Fall, knit something to keep you warm!

Dry Skin

2011-10-19T09:04:00.004-05:00

Since my thyroid surgery, my skin has been as dry as a pop corn fart. (now I don’t know how dry that is, but it is a saying from my husbands family, which makes me think way too much about farts and dry vs.: wet)
Someone suggested cleansing oils. Then I found info on making my own.

I did find out this info on cleansing oils, and a great deal of info here on the cleansing oil method, and various recipes for all types of skin. Also some good info on acne.org, on cleasning oil, how to make various recipes, recipes for toners, masks, lots of good info on how to proceed.http://www.acne.org/messageboard/OIL-CLEANSING-METHOD-Hi-t141871.html

From SimpleMom I found good info on making my own facial cleansing oil, and how to use it. I’m going to give it a go.

Since I’ve written this, I’m 3 days into using the cleansing oil method. I consider my skin dry, but still having breakouts (OK mother nature, come on…?). I choose to use castor oil 3/4 and jojoba oil 1/4 to begin with (just because I’m somewhat oil phobic) My skin feels great, and looks better than it has in a long time. I will continue this and let you know my progress.
OK, it is about 10 days into my facial cleansing oil trial, and I’m like a infomercial, I’m trying to convert people at work and elsewhere, LOL. My skin is looking great! The price is right, and now I’m investigating other uses, I found the “Castor Oil Challenge” on Hairlista.com, hummmmm….checking this out….I have been oil phobic most of my life, due to complexion problems, I thought I always had to avoid oil. Now I’m finding that mineral oil is a large molecule and the oil that clogs pours. Most other oils are not.

Lots of castor oil use info here..http://skinverse.com/castor-oils-many-uses-for-beautiful-skin-and-hair.html.

I work in a hospital and found that castor oil is good to use to heal bed soars. I found lots of into on its uses (not internal, ick) http://stevehamlin.blogspot.com/2008/07/castor-oil-topical-use.html, also more info from livestrong http://www.livestrong.com/article/27338-external-uses-castor-oil/ I have also come across reports of using castor oil to get rid of warts (OK sometimes I get suspicious when it cures everything…)http://www.ehow.com/how_2309213_cure-warts-castor-oil.html, worth a try if you have them?
Anyone had good/bad experience with castor oil? Leave a comment, I would love to hear any info you have.

I’m also searching for a good hand cream. I’m using some almond hand cream now from Sally’s. It isn’t cold out yet. I have problems with my hands cracking in the winter so I’m trying to head off that problem. I found a easy recipe for making hand cream from a sonomagarden, and she includes a label to download. This might be a good idea for gifts for the holidays. Anyone have any recommendations on a good hand cream?
Thanks for any info and help….
Keep knitting…..

Almost Done

2011-10-15T21:11:00.001-05:00

I did quite a bit of knitting on vacation. The drive there, I was trapped in the car with
“the sweater”, so I had no choice but to knit. That was my strategy and it worked, but after 6 solid hours of knitting I was still on the collar! Well really the shawl collar which includes short rows and the front. Due to my yarn shortage I had taken the bottom and sleeves and put them on waste yarn. My strategy was to finish the front/collar, and then see how much I had, if I had enough, finish the bottom.

I made my husband stop at a gas station and take photos so I could tell what it looked like, I was trying to tell what it looked like in the front seat of a small car. *grin*

No not there yet! I was surprised at how much knitting it took to get it long enough, basically I just knitted on the collar/front, until I was sick of it, and called it done.

I then knitted a bit on the bottom, and then put a k2, p2 ribbing on it.

Still knitting on the bottom ribbing here. After I was happy enough with the length I actually had a bit more left so I put one ball on each sleeve and started knitting the sleeves at the same time to see how long I could get them!

Not sure how long they will become, I’m hoping to get them to 3/4 length sleeve or just below the elbows, I don’t think I have enough for full sleeves, I sure would love it if I did! More on this soon.

The pattern: Iced from Knitty'

The yarn: Colinette Point Five, a thick and thin spun yarn, 100% Extra Chunky Wool, In Cardinal color way (discontinued) *snort*

New Juicer

2011-10-09T10:43:00.000-05:00

I got a new Juicer for my birthday!

I’ve been trying to buy one, but my DH kept telling me “no”, which I thought was odd, but it didn’t “click” that my Bday was coming up.

So I was totally surprised when I opened it up! A Jack LaLanne PowerJuicer. I am impressed with this juicer. It is advertised as “whisper quite” and it actually is very quite. It extracts a large amount of juice, the pulp is quite dry when it is done. The mouth is large, and while I don’t recommend putting an entire apple into it without cutting it at least in two, it could be done, and I haven’t gotten anything stuck yet.

Since I’ve had half my thyroid removed, I’m trying to include more high nutrient items into our diet. More on that later…

I put a bag into the pulp bin and the cleanup is very easy. I just rinse it off under the tap. It comes with a brush to clean the blade and filter. It is fast and easy to make juice. If you have never had fresh juice, it is amazing.

I don’t use juice recipes, I just buy and add veggies together. I always use an apple to sweeten the juice. Mainly adding carrots, and apples, then adding celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers etc.… to add different flavors. If you do need some juicer recipes there are plenty available online.

I’ve never used the pulp before, but I decided to try some of the recipes for it. I’ve made these muffins twice, and they are very good. Carrot Apple Muffin juicer pulp recipe.

The pulp can be added to soil as a composting aid. I add a little to my dogs food. Wildlife loves it!

Juicer pulp ideas…http://www.thebestjuicerreviews.com/juicer-pulp-recipes.html, looks like veggie burgers, cookies, pastas, cakes, dehydrate it and make crackers, etc.… one of the most creative ideas I’ve seen is paper making. more ideas here: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5743858/uses_for_leftover_juicer_pulp.html?cat=7

As if they need any encouragement!

Cool DIY’s I Want To Make…

2011-10-01T21:29:00.002-05:00

I Love this DIY at moredesignplease.com, also seen on etsy, a great sailor’s knotted bracelet.

Hex Nut Bracelet from the same blog!

Recycled Lovelies has a pretty tutorial to dress up your tees!

Behind the Seams shows us how to make an easy good looking wrap that can be worn several ways! You have to go see it to believe it! No sewing involved!

I'm not much on wreaths but The Painted Hive has a tutorial for a twig wreath that I have to make!

Now go create!!

World Music Festival

2011-09-27T18:54:00.001-05:00

We had a great long weekend in Bloomington, IN, staying with friends and going to the World Music Lotus Festival. It was good to see friends that we hadn’t seen for years, and some we had.

It is a great college town, home of IU. We enjoyed lots of great music, dancing, and a little shopping. I even managed to get in a little knitting.

Below is a sample of some of the bands and performers we enjoyed. We plan on going next year.

Enjoy!

Henna grow out….Advice on henna in general

2011-09-15T13:07:00.001-05:00

I have used Henna on my hair for about 2 years now. I has been quite a journey. I’ve had various reds, from orange to auburn. While it does make my hair feel great, I’ve had to stop for various reasons.

I’m going to list some of my hard learned henna lessons and advice. I wish I had known some of this before I started.

First some general advice on henna, especially if you have light or graying hair….I’ll also list my best info links at the end of this.

Yes seriously, before and after 100% henna…the worst moment is when I was shopping in Target and two little boys said “Mommy look at that women’s hair!”, Yes I had to leave my cart and exit the store. Needless to say I’m rather fearless with my hair now.

-If you have light hair or graying hair, I would recommend using henna in combo with buxus or indigo to tame the orange color, (mixes here, gray hair kits here) (see henna for hair explanation of how henna works on gray or light blonde hair here, and yes you will be orange) If you have brown hair, by all means go for it. My girlfriend, who traveled this road with me, has brown hair, and it was a lovely color the entire time. Her hair is now long and a beautiful shade of auburn. I struggled the entire time to achieve a believable color. If you are a women of color, go for it, you can find all kinds of info here, and it seems to relax curls. I also experienced my curly hair getting straighter.

The addition of buxus resulted in a more natural color??

henna and indigo=better

-You can be allergic to henna, not many people are. But a larger percent are allergic or like me develop an allergy with continued use to buxus and indigo. So test. You may not have a sensitivity in the beginning but develop it with continued use. I started using buxus to tame the orange of my hair, and then when I couldn’t use that anymore, switched to indigo, for a short period before I couldn’t use that any longer. See the LongHaircommunity, and the hennaforhair website for info on sensitivity.

-The recommended adding of lemon juice was harsh for us, so we used chamomile tea and got a better color. Also there is no need to apply as thick as the web site recommends, we started applying the thick as mud henna mix, but soon realized that we could get the same color at a very diluted mix. Henna is a very strong dye, and if you start dilute, you can always build up. Getting it out, well that is another matter. Repeated applications can turn you into the burgundy family if you have brown hair. (see lightening below)

-Henna mixes do no fade, well the indigo and buxus does, but not the henna. So my grow out line, due to my light hair, was very obvious, this lead me to apply every two weeks. Ugh.

-Henna does have a strong smell, and while it didn’t bother me, it does some, you can make it smell a little better by the addition of cloves and cinnamon.

-Buy a good quality henna, a BAQ or body art quality henna is the best, with no added chemicals. Test strand, please……there is a big henna community online, use the forums on hennaforhair, and longhaircommunity for advice and help.

Pros: great conditioning for your hair, beautiful color if you have hair in the brown family or darker.

Cons: messy (can stain your bathtub or shower, clean after using), hair color is experimental, especially if you have light hair, or gray hair or lighter

Can be a pro or con: Henna is permanent, it becomes impregnated into your strand of hair, bonding with your hair color. Don’t do this if you think you will change your hair color in several months. It is safest to let the color grow out.

Two years of henna left me with a yearning to go natural. I started having reactions and hair fall out, I haven’t grown out my real color in years. I wasn’t even sure what color it was until I started using henna and saw my grown out line skunk stripe, due to the high contrast (I had always kept it in the blonde family before) left me with the shock that I was mostly white headed.

- Below is my advice on growing henna out or lightening it, or if you have entered into the burgundy family, (with repeated applications). With any method please be careful, test strand, and monitor your progress.

-Gently lighten you hair with Sheer Blonde and Go Blonder by John Frieda products, this is gradual, so you can stop if your getting a result you don’t like. Some people have recommended Sun In, but I would be on alert for brassiness. Remember the purple shampoo’s? These are great to counteract it. Clairol and other companies carry them. (this was the advice of my beautician, she recommended growing it out, if I wanted she would do a test strip to try and bleach it out and foil in some colors to help blend it, that might be in my future, like next week, LOL)

-I didn’t try it, but I also found info on lightening hair with 20 or 30 volume developer and conditioner (half and half) I would leave this on and monitor it. Also found info on another method: buy a bottle of low volume peroxide, like a 10 but no more than a 20. You mix equal parts volume and shampoo and add two ounces of water and shampoo it into your hair. I left it on for 10-20 minutes, checking the color as you don't want it to turn brassy or orange and then rinsed it out and shampooed again, followed by a deep conditioner. It did lighten a few shades and was not brassy at all. You could probably do this in sections as a highlighter of sorts.

-Natural methods of lightening I have found include lemon juice, honey, and yogurt. These are gentle and repeated applications are necessary.

-squeeze a lemon onto your hair, distribute, add some conditioner, and go work in your yard in the sun.

-as above but use SunIn or place peroxide (from the brown bottle) in a spray bottle, both of the lemon methods may dry out hair, and conditioner will help.

-I just saw a product at my local natural food store, called Antica Herbavita Chamomile Hair lightener. It's made in Italy and is distributed by Bioforce USA . You can find it at a number of places.

-You can brew some chamomile tea, put it in a spray bottle, spray it on your hair and sit in the sun. It works as a gradual lightener,my girlfriends hair is medium brown. I imagine mixing some lemon juice with it and doing the honey rinses might be the best way to lighten your hair faster.

-Honey. honey rinses will gradually lighten your hair. Put about a tablespoon into a cup and add water (warm or cold) to dissolve the honey. After shampooing and conditioning as a last step do the rinse. I leave it in, others rinse it out. Not only will it lighten your hair but it'll give you great shine since the honey acts as a humectant.

Hair Crazy site with Henna removal info

I also found a YouTube video with several recipes for removal

I also found a thread on the LongHairCommunity on Honey lightening

More info on honey lightening from the beauty bottle

-You can use Color OOps a color remover (one of them, there are several) for chemically colored hair, I would recommend a professional for this. I did read several accounts of henna users that tried this, some did have success, it did take some out, it may remove in a blochy way,I have read accounts of it being harsh and others that say it is not. One women had it done professionally, after an entire day and over 100.00$ later she was still not happy with the result. So be careful if you go this route.

-There are many wonderful conditioners out there, deep conditioners, 3 minute ones (I love these), and argan oil, so no need to have your hair look fried.

After a big chop, I’m letting my hair grow to it’s natural color. My beautician says I’m 75% white. We will see.

May we all have white hair as beautiful as Emmylou

Long Hair Community thread on Henna

Long hair community article on henna

HennaforHair, do download the free e book!

Good henna overview

Good luck with any of your henna experiences!

Wouldn't You Like To Be Knitting Here....

2011-09-14T10:45:00.001-05:00

Landscape (Italy), originally uploaded by RayDS.

Wouldn't You Like to Be Knitting Here.....
Landscape (Italy) by RayDS
See his other photos on flickr

Improvising a pattern..

2011-09-10T11:08:00.001-05:00

The Iced sweater that has stopped me in my tracks is now enjoying some attention. I’m almost out of yarn, and even though this yarn is discontinued, of course, I found some on eBay. But don’t really want to put more money into this sweater. (subject to change… ha)

I’ve decided, after looking at many magazines after my surgery, that the fall trend is showing many vests. I decide to put my sleeves on hold and the bottom also, and start on the collar. I only have 3.5 skeins of yarn left (85 yards apiece) so if I can get the collar done, maybe I can then decide if I need to finish the sweater properly. Or…..just turn it into a vest. Would I wear a bulky vest? Not really sure I care at this point, I just need to get some momentum on this project.

Until then I’m going to leave you with some great pattern links I’ve found….

http://us.knitsmc.com/files/patterns/freepattern_select_1762_en.pdf , this is a knitted shrug pattern, looks simple with a dolman sleeve, super easy pattern with a classic look.

From Cascade yarn.com, (see their other free knitting patterns) a light and airy cardigan with a flowing front, knit with Kid Seta. I love this…pattern by Marelie Hurter

Check out Webs.com for their list of free knitting patterns by yarn type.

Yarn market.com has a selection of free knitting patterns to choose from.

More links to come soon…..it’s fall, cast on something…

Enjoy! Keep knitting…

Beaded Wrap Bracelet Tutorials

2011-09-05T07:07:00.001-05:00

I love the look of those cute wrap bracelets. Make as many as you want, Layer them, make singles to start with and them multi wrap ones. I have been looking at several Fall fashion mags and they seem to be everywhere.

Like all crafty people I started looking at the price and construction, and decided to dig around online and find some how to’s. Now we can pick out exactly what colors and beads that we want and with a little time…….

Instead of buying one, it is easy to make one. I found a few tutorials.

Here are a few written and video tutorial links:

I think my favorite is from DanniAndChels, she shows how using a clipboard and office supply clips.

SewPetiteGal gives us good instructions

From How to Make Jewelry.com easy instructions

I like this video from MakeBracelets blog (Tracy uses linen cord instead of leather)

Auntie’s Beads has a video on YouTube using leather cord and a knot instead of a button for a closure

Have fun and get stylin…