ASE Keepin' Creative

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: KNITTING A SLOUCHY HAT

2019-10-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

I made these two hats for a dear friend for her sister who was undergoing chemo. I'm afraid I don't remember exactly where I got the basic crochet beanie pattern (I may have even made that one up as I went), but the knit slouchy hat is from a pattern called Felicity by Wanett Clyde and is the very first pattern at the top of the page at https://knitology.wordpress.com/patterns/. I do so love how this hat turned out and wish I'd gotten a pic of how it looked on a person.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: KNITTING A HAT FOR MY BROTHER

2019-10-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Terrible quality picture, but great pattern!

I just made a basic 3x2 ribbed beanie, but wasn’t sure how I was going to do the decreases and then I came across Stephanie’s “Boyfriend Hat” at

http://stephanieknits.blogspot.com/2007/03/keeping-boyfriends-ears-warm-since-2006.html
...PERFECT!

My brother loved his new hat!

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: KNITTING CABLES: IRISH HIKING SCARF

2019-10-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

What a GREAT pattern!
I knit this one up for a friend the year after I first learned to knit. My only other experience with knitting a scarf was pure agony! I had made one for my son in straight garter stitch and it felt like it took 10 years to complete! Because of that I had sworn off scarves forever! ...and then I saw this scarf and knew that it was a labor of love I would gladly take on. I'm so glad that I did! It had enough going on to keep it from becoming monotonous, in fact it was a pure joy to knit!

I used The Irish Hiking Scarf pattern by Adrian Bizilia of Hello Yarn can be found at

http://www.helloyarn.com/knitting-patterns/free-downloads/.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: CUTEST LITTLE CROCHET OWL HAT

2019-09-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

I made this for my granddaughter Katie when she was born and it was my son's favorite hat of hers. At almost 4 years old, she has definitely long outgrown the newborn size I mad, though she still to this day plays with it and stretches it on so she can wear it! My son still tells me how much he loves it and that it's time I made her a new one!

I used Sarah Zimmerman's newborn size Owl Hat pattern found on her blog Repeat Crafter Me found here: http://repeatcrafterm.wpengine.com/2012/04/crochet-owl-hat-pattern.html. This pattern was very easy to follow and I absolutely loved the finished product.

As you can see, I didn’t us the pattern instructions for the eyes, rather created my own inspired by another image I saw when looking for owl hats.

Sarah has since updated the pattern to include sizes 3 month to adult too! You can find the pattern for those sizes here: http://www.repeatcrafterme.com/2012/09/crochet-owl-hat-pattern-in-newborn.html.

Knitting: A Sock Monkey Hat

2019-09-03T15:21:00.001-05:00

I do so enjoy knitting and crocheting for others! Recently my friend Jaime asked me to make a couple of hats for her. She had very specific requests, so not only did I get to knit, I was also challenged (in a good way) and had to get out of my comfort zone, do some problem solving, a new-to-me technique and a technique that I hadn't done in years nor on a project of this size, and I learned a lot!

The first hat Jaime wanted was a Sock Monkey hat. The Sock Monkey that was the color inspiration for the hat she wanted was the gray, white and yellow striped Sock Monkey in this free tutorial at the Craft Passion website at
https://www.craftpassion.com/how-to-sew-sock-monkey/2/
How cute is this little guy!?!?

Jaime didn't want an actual sock monkey face on the hat, she wanted the sock monkey "feel" to the hat. I showed her a couple of examples and she really liked the one of the Simple Sock Monkey Knitting Beanie Pattern by Morthunder I showed her from Morthunder's Etsy shop at
https://www.etsy.com/listing/647076723/simple-sock-monkey-knitting-beanie?ref=user_profile&pro=1

...but without the fluffy ball, so I used that as my inspiration and visual guide (I was afraid the pattern wouldn't work up to the size needed, so I didn't actually go with this pattern. I'll explain more about the sizing needed below). She did want the little "v's" in the body, which required Fair Isle knitting...the technique that I mentioned I hadn't done in years nor on a project of this size.

Lessons I learned for Fair Isle knitting:

Keep the loops on your right needle spaced out, not scrunched up at the end of your needle. This allows the floating yarn to not be too tight, which would cause puckering. Be sure to take this into consideration when you work up your gauge swatch! I had to go down a few needle sizes just as a result of knitting this way.
When you change colors, don't work the next stitch tightly. Also be mindful not to pull too tightly when you go from the end of one round to the first stitch of the next.
I found my knitting was smoother if I didn't catch/trap floats between stitches. (Please note that I was working a stitch in the floating yarn every six stitches. I don't think I would allow my floating yarn to go much, if any, longer than that without catching/trapping it.)

Jaime has big, beautiful hair, and her hats need to be big enough to fit over her hair, so we agreed a slouch hat would be just the thing and the mission was on!

The hat that I thought would be a perfect base for Jaime's hats was in the "Knit Celebrity Slouchy Beanies for the Family" digital pattern book by Lisa Gentry. I purchased it from the Leisure Arts website at
https://www.leisurearts.com/knit-celebrity-slouchy-beanies-for-the-family-1.html

I used the "Easy-Going" hat pattern. To get the sizing I needed, I followed the directions for the Large/X-Large size and also went up one needle size above what it took to get the gauge specified just to make sure that it was big enough.

The increase round required some math and careful thought, as the pattern just instructs you to increase x-amount of stitches evenly spaced. For the Large/X-Large size, here's how I increased:

(*K3, M1, K2, M1 *8 times, K3, M1, K3) x1
(*K2, M1, K3, M1 *8 times, K3, M1, K3) x1

I also found the cutest little Sock Monkey buttons at Hobby Lobby and knew that adding one to this hat would be the perfect finishing touch. Jaime agreed! She was so happy with how the hat turned out! I was even able to get her to let me take a couple of pics with her wearing it and she gave me permission to use them to show of my work. I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful model, both inside and out!

I'll be sure to share how I do with Jaime's second hat request soon!

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: KNITTING PICOT CUFF SOCKS

2019-08-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

This pair of socks were first thing I ever made myself! I didn't follow a patter, I just made a basic cuff down sock with a picot cuff and 3x1 rib.
I used size US 1 (2.25 mm) needles and sock yarn.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: CROCHET OWL BABY COCOON SET

2019-08-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

A dear friend I've known since jr. high / middle school saw a pic of this on the internet and asked me if I could make something like it for her. Not wanting (or having the time) to recreate the wheel if I didn't have to, I set out searching, hoping find the pattern used for the pic she'd shown me. Lo and behold, I did!! Yay! This one is a pay-for pattern and I found it at a pattern shop called ShiFio. You can find this and many other beautiful patterns, for both knitting and crochet, at
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShiFio.

The results are super-sweet and the pattern is easy to follow and very easy to work up. My friend wanted it to use as a photo prop, so she chose these colors so that it would be fairly gender neutral. Personally, I would love to make it again in brighter or lighter colors.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: CORNER HEARTS CROCHET SQUARE

2019-08-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Looking back, I've crocheted several adorable squares, this one is among the top! So far, all of my squares were made for groups where all of the members of the group would send in squares and those squares would be put together to make a blanket to bless someone who needed the comfort of it. However, I have never made a blanket from squares myself. I do believe I need to change that.

This Cornered Hearts Square was designed by Elizabeth Ham and the pattern can be found at
https://www.freewebs.com/bethintx/corneredheartssquare.htm.
Such sweet results! Will happily make again...maybe even for my own blanket next time!

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: KNITTING A CIRCLE CLOTH

2019-08-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

I originally worked this cloth up as part of a Knit Along with a Monthly Dishcloth group on Yahoo Groups back in 2009 (10 years ago!). I love the texture and depth of this pattern by Hakucho at
https://hakucho.blogspot.com/2008/09/circle-cloth-pattern.html.

For neater edges, it's recommended to slip the first stitch of every row.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: A CROCHET GRANNY MANDALA

2019-08-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

What a sweet and easy pattern designed by Alice from Crochet with Raymond!
I love the beautiful simplicity of the Granny Mandala.
Could be worked up in a day or a couple of evenings. Took me a few days just because I didn’t get to sit down with it again for a few days after I started it.
You can find the pattern to crochet one yourself at https://crochethealingandraymond.wordpress.com/2010/11/11/revisiting-the-granny-mandala/.

I used the edging from Lucy’s Granny Stripe blanket. Her how-to is found at https://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2010/07/the-granny-stripe-tadah.html.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: KNITTING ANOTHER CANDY STRIPER CLOTH

2019-07-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

This was my second cloth using this pattern by Katherine Vaughan of Knit With KT found at
http://knitwithkt.blogspot.com/2008/02/candy-striper-cloth.html. This pattern is very easy to memorize and I love the fabric it makes.

I definitely feel that I should've put some sort of border around it to smooth up the edges.

If you're interested in seeing the first one I made, it can be found at
https://aseknc.blogspot.com/2013/05/hello-friends-as-usual-ive-been-staying.html.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: SUCH A SWEET CROCHET FLOWER

2019-07-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

I just love this flower!
I think because it is so full and fluffy.
To create it, I used the flower part of the pattern from Olena's Crafts' Free Crochet Pattern Baby Toddler Child Headband with Flower found at http://olenascrafts.blogspot.com/2014/01/project-in-progress-free-crochet.html.

I ended up sewing it to a metal barrette clip and clipped it onto a store-bought stretchy headband, that way it could be removed and used elsewhere as well.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: PETITE PINEAPPLE DOILY CROCHET

2019-07-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Before I get to today's pattern, I wanted to give you a little update...

I'm afraid my little corner of the web has accumulated some webs of a different kind....cobwebs! It has been a couple of years since I've posted anything, and even then I wasn't posting with any regularity. My goal has never been to be a super blogger or make a business out of my blog. I simply share. Even the small amount of patterns I designed, I thought to sell a few of them, but then just decided that I just wanted to share. Since going back to work full time, coupled with a multiplying family (SIX grandbabies now!!!), I have sorely neglected sharing with my creative community. I reckon it's time to sweep out the cobwebs and make this space welcoming again! This means taking the time to update all of the images that Photobucket has watermarked trying to force me to pay for their service (not happening) and starting to post with some sort of regularity. I have been going through the projects that I have done over the years and thought that it might be a good idea to share the ones that I haven't shared previously, and maybe revisit the ones that I have shared. I'm going to do so in a series called "Flashback Friday." Now, my life has not calmed down one iota, so there may be times that there's not a lot of jibber jabber with these posts, "Just the facts ma'am," but with the fiber community growing so big and so rapidly, with new patterns galore coming out daily, I thought it would be nice to see (or re-see) some patterns that have been out of the limelight for a while. Let us not forget the oldies but goodies! I want give homage to the amazing creators that pour their heart into sharing with us! I do hope that I will be able to design some new ones myself here and there, but in the meantime, I'd like to just grab a cup of coffee or tea and sit for a few minutes with you and just share. For those of you who still get my blog updates (and, unbelievably, according to my stats, there are still a few!) thank you for sticking around and not giving up on me. You sure know how to make a girl feel loved!

Now, on to the pattern share....

The Petite Pineapple Doily pattern by Priscilla Hewitt found here: http://priscillascrochet.net/freepatterns.html#doilies was the first pineapple doily I ever crocheted (see white doily above, made in 2011) and I couldn't have chosen a better first one! The pattern was very easy to follow and I love the results! So much so, I made it again (see below)!

Prior to this, I had been so intimidated by these for some reason. This petite version was just small enough to ease the overwhelming feelings I felt when I would look at the intricate looking pieces, and allow me to feel comfortable enough to try my hand at it....kind of like just dipping your toes in water because your apprehensive about how cold it will be!

CROCHET BUNNY CUPCAKE AMIGURUMI

2019-07-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

For these little dears I followed the pattern Lil' Bunny Cupcake by Rachel from Little Yarn Friends

found here: https://littleyarnfriends.com/post/20661140774/crochet-pattern-lil-bunny-cupcake

How sweet are they?

TEAPOT CROCHET BOOKMARK

2019-07-05T08:15:00.002-05:00

I used the Teapot Bookmark Pattern by Sue Steinberg found here:
http://scrapsfrommyneedle.blogspot.com/2009/05/teapot-bookmark-pattern.html

LITTLE CROCHET BUNNY

2019-07-03T22:42:00.002-05:00

Pattern used: Rapid Rabbits by Brigitte Read
https://littlegreen.typepad.com/romansock/2010/01/tea-cup-bunnies-or-rapid-rabits.html

My Notes:
Overall, this was more of a recipe than a complete pattern. The pattern is for the head and body. Ears are mentioned, but no pattern for them and the tail is left up to you.

This is NOT a criticism! Just a statement of fact and something to know as you go to work the pattern. I am very appreciative that Brigitte from Roman Sock shared this with us. She is such a talented person and I love her work! I also love this little bunny!

Here’s what I did:

EARS: After stuffing and sewing head together…

Ear 1

Row 1: attached yarn in 1st st of w/sc then sc in next 4 sts, ch 1, turn (5 sts)

Row 2-4: sc across

Row 5: sctog, sc across (4 sts)

Row 6: sc across

Row 7: sctog, sc across (3 sts)

Ear 2

Same as Ear 1, but attach yarn in 5th st before other end of head seam.

TAIL:

I used the smallest Clover brand pom-pom maker (pink one).

Hot Off the Hook: Coffee Mug Cozy

2017-04-27T23:10:00.003-05:00

Just finished and wanted to share...

The free pattern is Picot Drops Mug Cozyby Rebeckah Ferger.

I didn’t have sport/fine (2) weight yarn called for in the pattern, so I used the DK/light (3) yarn that I had on hand and went down a hook size from the recommended G to an F and it turned out nicely.

Also, Row 4 was a bit confusing in pattern/writing, but thankfully there was a video and once I was able to see it visually it was easy-peasy! Extremely quick to work up. I’d say it took less than 30 minutes.

One of the things I really like about this cozy vs. others I've seen is that there are loops on each end that wrap around the handle of the mug....no having to find just the right buttons and then fiddling with getting them sewn on. I love it!

♥♥♥

Crochet Minnie Mouse Set

2017-01-03T00:30:00.001-06:00

One of my very best friends since childhood is about to be a 1st time Grandma! Such an exciting time for her! When she sent me a pic of a Minnie Mouse set and asked if I could make it, I couldn't wait to get started! I have seen some pretty cute patterns for Minnie Mouse already, so I didn't feel the need to reinvent the wheel and decided to support a fellow fiber artist by purchasing a pattern. The pattern that really seemed to fit the bill of what I was looking for was the Crochet Minnie Mouse Set by Stephanie Padilla.

What a super-sweet pattern! I got tickled every time I looked at it because it really did turn out so cute! I added a ruffle border around the legs of the diaper cover, because Minnie Mouse has ruffles! Also, for the hat I ended each round by joining to the 1st stitch of the round, and started the next round with a ch 1, then began the first stitch of the round in the same stitch as the ending join of the previous round throughout.

This could have easily been made in an evening or two if you had time to just sit down and work on it. My home is usually filled with my adult kiddos and my grandbabies, along with a flurry of activity so it took me almost two weeks, but that was totally not the pattern's fault.

What do you think? Pretty cute, huh?

RHETT'S KNITTED CHEVRON BABY BLANKET

2016-11-08T12:49:00.001-06:00

I made this Chevron Baby Blanket for my precious new grandson. Didn't it turn out beautifully??? And how handsome is the little guy modeling it for his Gramma?

In all the years I've been knitting, this is the first time I've completed a knit blanket. I love this pattern! It is very easy to memorize and perfect for relaxation/meditative knitting. I thought it was going to be out of proportion (too long for the width) but once blocked it was perfect! I used acrylic yarn, so I had to steam block...another first for me, and I am so happy with how it turned out! Just do a Google search for "how to steam blocking acrylic yarn" for plenty of posts and videos to help you along if you decide to give steam blocking a try!

Chevron Baby Blanket Pattern by Espace Tricot found on their website here (scroll down to find pattern):
https://espacetricot.wordpress.com/free-patterns/

♥♥♥

FREE PATTERN: Owl Camera Lens Buddy

2015-10-20T18:34:00.000-05:00

Hi there!

A friend of mine asked me to make her an owl camera lens buddy for her new photography business, so I worked this little guy up. He would also be great on the end of a baby bottle, I think. It's only a simple little pattern, but I thought I'd share it in hopes that it would help someone out. I wrote it down as I went along, but have not made a second one to test it out so please, if you find any errors or have any questions, let me know.

Owl Camera Lens Buddy
©Anita Shore Elmore
http://aseknc.blogspot.com/
aseknc@gmail.com
♥

You may not sell or claim this pattern as your own.
You may, however, share the pattern freely and sell any items you make using this pattern, all that I ask is that you give me credit as the designer with the info above.
Thank you for respecting my copyright.
Please enjoy!
♥

MATERIALS

Hooks: US G and D

Yarn: DK weight (in two complimenting colors – called color 1 and color 2 throughout pattern (+) a small amount of white and black)

Ponytail holder / hair tie

ABBREVIATIONS

ch chain

sts stitches

sl st slip stitch

sc single crochet

hdc half double crochet

dc double crochet

tc triple crochet

inc increase

dc2tog double chain 2 together

sp space

fo finish off

NOTES

Beginning ch 1 / ch 2 does NOT count as first st in each round.

Start each round in same stitch as joining sl st from previous round.

When finishing off eyes, leave long tail for sewing.

BODY/HEAD

Using US G hook & holding 2 strands of yarn together:

Round 1: using color 1 attach yarn to ponytail holder with a sl st, ch 2, dc 38 around ponytail holder, join to top of first dc. (38 sts)

Round 2: ch 2, (dc 3, dc inc)x3, dc2tog, *dc, tc, ch 2, tc, dc *in next st, dc2tog x4, *dc, tc, ch 2, tc, dc *in next st, dc2tog, (dc 3, dc inc)x3, join switching to color 2. (44 sts + 2 ch 2 sp)

Round 3: ch 2, (hdc 4, hdc inc)x3, hdc 3, *hdc 1, ch 2, hdc 1 *in ch 2 sp, hdc 8, *hdc 1, ch 2, hdc 1 *in ch 2 sp, hdc 3, (hdc 4, hdc inc)x3, fo.

EYES(make 2)

Using US D hook & only a single strand of yarn:

Round 1: using black yarn, ch 2, sc 6 in first ch, join switching to color 1 (6 sts)

Round 2: ch 1, (sc 2) across, join switching to white (12 sts)

Round 3: ch 1, (hdc 1, hdc inc) around, fo.

Sew to body/head as seen in pic.

EARS

For each ear:

Cut 2 strands of each body color (+) 2 strands of white (or other complimentary color) approximately 4” long.

Holding these 6 strands together, fold in half. Push resulting loop in one of the ch 2 sp, going from front to back, enough to pull ends back through loop. Pull snugly to secure and trim ends to desired length.

BEAK
Using yellow yarn, embroider beak as seen in pic.

Enjoy!

♥♥♥

Morning Coffee, Knitting and an Introduction

2015-10-11T11:48:00.002-05:00

Good Morning!

My, how time flies! A great big "Thank You" to those who have kept in touch with me through your comments (which, just so you know, I work hard to always answer as quickly as I can!), those who still follow along here at my blog (even though I don't post as much as I once did) and also to those who have come on over to my Facebook page and followed me there! For those of you who didn't know yet, I have indeed started a Facebook page to share all things creative...a companion for my blog, if you will. I am able to post a little more frequently there, so I'd love it if you would click through and "Like" and "Follow" me there!

It is a beautiful crisp Autumn morning here in Tennessee. As I was sitting here in my big, comfy chair, drinking my yummy coffee, in my Autumn mug no less...

...and looking out my window at the beautiful red and gold leaves blowing in the soft breeze as they mingle with what remains of the green leaves of the warm seasons, sneaking in a few rows of knitting on a baby blanket I am making...

...I was thinking of you and thought it was high time that I peeked in to say "Hi."

Don't you just love the feel of the yarn running through your fingers as you knit and/or crochet? ...and getting lost in the rhythm of working the yarn with your needles and/or hook. Man, it just doesn't get much better than that!

That is, except for holding your brand new granddaughter! May I introduce you to the newest member of the family, Little Miss Audrey!

I am so in love with her!

Well friends, I thank you for allowing me to share with you. I hope that you have an amazing and blessed Sunday!

♥♥♥

O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good; How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who takes refuge in Him.

Psalm 34:8 (AMP)

I'm Going To Be a Grandma!

2015-04-10T19:15:00.000-05:00

Back in January I learned that my youngest son is making me a grandma, but they were keeping it under wraps for a bit, and I couldn't share. They are now sharing with everyone so I get to share now too....Grandbaby #1 is due September 16!

But wait, what is this...?

My Easter gift from my oldest son was the news that he is making me a grandma as well! Grandbaby #2 is due November 25...two grandbabies in one year!

I am one happy Grandma-to-be!

♥♥♥

Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the glory of children is their parents.
Proverbs 17:6 CEB

French Stripe Dishcloth

2015-03-10T21:35:00.001-05:00

Last Wednesday we got MORE ice and snow but, thankfully, not as much as the previous two ice storms. It was enough to keep UPS and the mail from running out here, but no more damage to our home, or the area, and the power never went out...YaY! And now we are finally getting a relief from the winter weather! Double YaY!

I was sick this weekend, so I was forced to stay home. It's funny how you can get inspiration from even the yuckiest of things. I was feeling restless and decided to draw. I call this "Feeling a Little Green" because, well, I was feeling a little green. ;0)

I finished another dishcloth and was finally able to get it soaked in vinegar water to set the red and got a pic of it to share.

The pattern is French Stripe Dishcloth by Megan Delorme
found on Ravelry here.

This was a very simple pattern, and just perfect to do when riding in the car or watching a movie/show. I changed the striping up just a bit because I was afraid that I was going to run out of red if I didn't use more of the other colors than what she did in the original pattern. I really like how it turned out. :)

Right now I am working on creating a new pattern to share with you. I just finished the first run of it. I have a few tweaks to make and then I will work it up again and post it here. Keep a lookout!

In the meantime, stay safe and warm and be blessed!

♥♥♥

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
Ephesians 1:7

Links from this post:
http://www.ravelry.com/designers/megan-delorme
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/french-stripe-dishcloth

Ice Storm No. 2 and Just a Bit of Doodling

2015-02-27T08:18:00.001-06:00

With ice from the previous storm was still on the trees, ice storm number two rolled in last Friday night through Saturday morning, showing us absolutely no mercy. In addition to the weight of the ice from both storms, we were simultaneously hit with a massive windstorm. These two things coupled together caused more destruction than I have ever seen in my entire life! Here is a slideshow of some pics that I took from my back and front porches Saturday morning as the storm was happening:

And here is a description of the slides:

Slide 1: The view from my back porch.
Slide 2: As I am standing on my back porch in awe of the destruction, I hear a “snap, crackle and crunch” and all of a sudden I saw one of the trees behind hubby’s shop break in have and fall to the ground! This was about the scaredest I can remember feeling. It was like being in a war zone, not knowing where the next hit would be from, or how close to you it would be.
Slide 3: From my front porch….you can see my internet wire running across my yard in the middle of the pic.
Slide 4: The weight of the ice alone was too much for the trees to bear. Here you can see how the limbs of the big tree in front of our house is bending over as if it were a Weeping Willow tree….I assure you, it is not. If you look to the right side of the pic, you will see that the limbs and branches are laying on my house.
Slide 5: Here is a better view of how the limbs and branches of our front tree is laying on the roof of our home
Slide 6: If you look at the top of the largest trees here, you will see that the limbs at the top are bent over. What you can’t see clearly, is that they are actually broke and hanging by just a big of bark and that they are ready to come plummeting to the ground.
Slide 7: When I took the first pic, only the branch closest to the house was there. I no sooner took that pic when the second one (closest to the vehicle) broke off, hit my suburban, bounced off and landed beside it (right in front of me)!
Slide 8: This is a piece of one of the branches from the big tree in the back yard. Notice it is laying on the floor inside of my house….
Slide 9: This is how the hunk of branch (from the previous image) made it’s grand entry into our house. It perfectly pierced through our roof, the insulation and then finally our ceiling in one fail swooft! It sounded like it took out the whole end of the house, but thankfully, this was all the damage that was done to the house through this whole ordeal, but it just about scared the life out of me, that’s for sure!

The views from my porches show such a small part of the destruction of this storm. If you'd like to get a better view of what the storm did in our area, please visit the following pages:

With related deaths reaching 22 (as of Saturday, 02-21-2015), Tennessee's state of emergency went from a level 3 to a level 2 (where 1 is the worst conditions). Our power went out around 3:30am Saturday morning and our home was only one of about 38,000 without power in our area, according to VEC (our local energy cooperative). As of last night, that number has been reduced to 7,500 still without power, including us.

Although our home is still without power, I have so much appreciation and respect for our area linemen who have been working so hard to restore power to our area. There has not been once that I have been out and about over this week that I have not seen guys re-lining and putting up new poles...even when more snow came in Wednesday night. The crews from our phone/internet provider, Ben Lomand, were out first thing Saturday morning also, helping the electric crews as well as working on our phone/internet lines. The way these guys have pulled together is nothing short of amazing! Our phones and internet went down about an hour after our electricity did on Saturday morning, but Ben Lomand had us back online before Monday afternoon. WoW!

While there are so many still without power, and most of us with a lot of work ahead of us as we work to get our homes repaired, our land cleaned up and our lives back to something that resembles "normal," please keep our area and those affected by this storm in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you!

Keep warm, stay safe and have a blessed day!

♥♥♥

He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.'
Job 37:6

Links in this post:
https://www.facebook.com/volunteerenergycoop?ref=hl
https://www.facebook.com/BenLomandConnect
https://www.facebook.com/crossvillenewsfirst
http://www.wsmv.com/story/28167389/tennessee-elevated-to-level-ii-state-of-emergency
http://www.tnema.org/ema/current/index.html
https://www.facebook.com/volunteerenergycoop/posts/522652474541609
https://www.facebook.com/volunteerenergycoop/posts/525043347635855

Ice Storms and Crochet

2015-02-17T14:00:00.002-06:00

Yep, you read that title right. We've had ourselves an ice storm and Tennessee has declared a state of emergency. It started Sunday evening and we woke up yesterday to ice-covered everything...including the road in front of our house being a solid sheet of ice. There have been countless wrecks, trees down all over the place and the majority of the area has been out of electricity for various amounts of time...and still out in some places.

Here is a slideshow of pics from my front and back porches as well as a few from hubby's trek out earlier today....

Of course, this is perfect "curl up with some yarn and needles/hook" weather and it would be just plain wrong for me to not take advantage of it! I have three different projects going now and just finished blocking these sweeties...

The pattern is Be My Valentine Dishcloth by Lily / Sugar 'n Cream can be found directly from the Yarnspirations website here.

Yarn Used: Lily Sugar 'n Cream in Red, White and Robin's Egg
Hook Size: US H

This was a sweet little pattern and was very easy to follow. Just to note, the bobbles on Round 4 don't puff out, at least not for me. For the pic I actually had to push them out from behind and pinch them up so that they would be visible. Otherwise, they just pretty much lay flat. Regardless, I really love how they turned out...especially in these beautiful, bright colors!

I was a bit concerned about the red bleeding and ruining my pretty cloths, as well as anything else that might be in the wash with them, so I did myself a little Google search to see if I could find some tips. The general census is to soak the item(s) in a vinegar water bath to set the colors, drain and pat the excess water out (don't wring it out or you'll mess up the fabric) and then block as usual. I have done all of the above and, while I haven't washed them yet, there is not a pink/red spot on the white of the cloth, nor the white towel that I blocked them on, so it looks very promising! I'll let you know if there is an epic fail after washing.

Not only did my search results lead me to what appears to be a great tip, I also found a really great blog in the process! Hands Occupied by Heidi is, in her own words, "a blog primarily focused on knitting and crochet patterns & tutorials, yarn craft project ideas, and inspiration. Whether it’s a first time knitting project or how to knit your a sweater from start to finish, Hands Occupied is here to help you make it, knit it & own it." In my words, it is a beautifully laid out site with a wealth of information and inspiration! Heidi's posts are easy to read and her personality shines through with a spunky, girl-next-door tone that makes you want to get to know her as she sparks a desire to be creative. If you haven't already stumbled upon this gem yourself, I highly recommend you check Hands Occupied out!

Now, I'm off to work on a gift I've started for one of my nieces.
Stay safe and warm and I'll talk to you soon!

♥♥♥

“Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!… He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes. He casts forth His ice as fragments, Who can stand before His cold? He sends forth His word and melts them He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow.”

Psalm 147:12-18

Links from this post:
http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2015/02/16/tennessee-declares-state-emergency-roads-deteriorate/23534741/
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/be-my-valentine-dishcloth
http://www.yarnspirations.com/patterns/be-my-valentine-dishcloth.html
http://www.handsoccupied.com/
http://www.handsoccupied.com/about/