My challenge for 2010

I spent the day working towards a challenge that I’ve set for myself for 2010. I am calling it Living from Scratch. By the end of 2010, I want us to be eating entirely from home cooked from scratch. I do a lot of cooking from scratch now, but I want to be entirely from scratch by the end of 2010. No more grab a quick cake mix, or a frozen pizza, no gravy mixes or store-bought chicken stock. Out goes the frozen French fries, and the pine nut hummus. I can make that hummus with my new recipe, but I’ll have to start soaking my dried chickpeas the night before. Because I’ll be buying no more cans of chickpeas from the store. And those whole wheat crackers I like to dip into that yummy hummus, Found a recipe for them. My granddaughter always love to come to grandmas and have some Cheez-It’s®, well I found a Cheddar cheese Cracker recipe that should be a great substitute.


But it’s not just going to be cooking from scratch. I plan on living from scratch too. Hey I ran my own sewing and alteration business while I was in Nursing School. If I can sew wedding dresses, I can go back to sewing most of my own clothes. Last years garden is doubling in size. I ordered my heirloom seeds for the 2010 garden a couple of days ago from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds . Last year’s three types of heirloom tomato seeds have morphed into 80% of the garden being heirloom, so I can save the seeds for the gardens after that.

If I can do it from scratch, I’m gonna do it. If I can’t, then I want to be like the Amish and sit back and ponder on the importance of this item in my life, how owning it will benefit us or will it be a distraction from how we want to live. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not planning on shunning modern life, I still listen to my Ipod, use my washing machine and dryer, I just like to hang my clothes outside in the warmer months to dry in the sun, but in the winter or on a rainy day I sure plan on using my electric dryer.

So this is my challenge for 2010. If you want to join me, please do.
 

Chef, Nurse, Paper Boy, Mom Ornaments

I saw these adorable ornaments at Fave Crafts, and just had to pass on this link. They look like a quick last minute craft to make.

The Chef's apron and toque top this saucepan-toting gourmet. Dressed in a white nurse's cap and carrying a thermometer, the nurse ornament makes a great gift. Extra, extra, read all about this ornament for your favorite paper boy (or girl!). Celebrate motherhood with keepsake ornament; "mom" carries a swaddled baby. Everyone treasures the thought behind homemade ornaments. In an afternoon, you can make several of these little cuties for friends and special helpers in your life.

For pattern, click here.

For instructions click here.

Free Kids Hat Patterns to Crochet

Check out these free crochet patterns for these kid hats at Talking Crochet.

Click here to go to the Free Patterns

Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen

Read by Marian Brown

A Chapter from

The Trimmed Lamp : and other Stories of the Four Million
by O. Henry (1862-1910)

The Trimmed Lamp follows The Four Million and provides another series of short stories that take place in New York City in the early years of the 20th century and are representative of the surprise endings that popularized O. Henry’s work. They also capture his use of coincidence or chance to create humor in the story. O Henry wrote about ordinary people in everyday circumstances. He is quoted as once saying, “There are stories in everything. I’ve got some of my best yarns from park benches, lampposts and newspaper stands.”

Listen to the complete book at Librivox

Forever on Thanksgiving Day, The heart will find the pathway home - Wilbur D. Nesbit

Edible Thanksgiving Favors

Create some festive favors and place cards for your Thanksgiving dinner table that are quick, easy and fun to make. These edible items will be the talk of your table!

Click here for the recipes

Check out this great giveaway

Adventures in Self Reliance has a great giveaway for a FoodSaver GameSaver Deluxe. I've entered you should too. Pop on over to Shelf Reliance and tell them Pacy sent you.

Turkey Wobbler

With some felt, wiggly eyes and a bundle of other materials you can make this adorable turkey wobbler. Have him sit in the middle of the table during Thanksgiving or bring it as a little gift for the holiday.

Crochet Scarecrows

Check out this great free crochet pattern over at FAVECRAFTS.

Christmas Stocking Loom Knitting Tutorial

Christmas Stocking Loom Knitting Tutorial
by mikeyssmail

How To - Basic Loom Knitting Stitches

Knitting:
How To - Basic Loom Knitting Stitches

Check Out my New Free Pattern

I just uploaded a new pattern of mine to my website.
It's a Mohawk Toddler Hat done on a Knifty Knitter Loom. Please check it out and let me know what ya think.

Mr. Bottle Bones

Click here for instructions

Keeping the Surprise in Slipper Giving

With my family and friends, the minute I ask someone if I can measure their feet they know they will be getting crocheted slippers for a present. And to tell the truth I really don't want to touch some of my guys smelly feet. Here's some conversion charts to help keep the surprise. ☻

U.S. Men's Shoe Size to Inches
Size 6 = 9.31 inches
Size 6½ = 9.5 inches
Size 7 = 9.69 inches
Size 7½ = 9.81 inches
Size 8 = 10 inches
Size 8½ = 10.19 inches
Size 9 = 10.31 inches
Size 9½ = 10.5 inches
Size 10 = 10.69 inches
Size 10½ = 10.81 inches
Size 11 = 11 inches
Size 11½ = 11.19 inches
Size 12 = 11.31 inches
Size 12½ = 11.5 inches
Size 13 = 11.69 inches
Size 13½ = 11.81 inches
Size 14 = 12 inches
Size 14½ = 12.19 inches
Size 15 = 12.31 inches
Click here for the Men's International Shoe Size Conversion Chart


U.S. Women's Shoe Size to Inches
Size 5 = 8 11⁄16 inches
Size 5½ = 8 13⁄16 inches
Size 6 = 9 inches
Size 6½ = 9 3⁄16 inches
Size 7 = 9 5⁄16 inches
Size 7½ = 9 ½ inches
Size 8 = 9 11⁄16 inches
Size 8½ = 9 13⁄16 inches
Size 9 = 10 inches
Size 9½ = 10 3⁄16 inches
Size 10 = 10 5⁄16 inches
Size 10½ = 10 ½ inches
Size 11 = 10 11⁄16 inches
Size 11½ = 10 13⁄16 inches
Size 12 = 11 inches
Click here for a Women's International Shoe Size Conversion Chart

Test your Flu IQ

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Crocheting Snowflakes

Photo of Light-as-a-feather snowflakes

I was born in Missouri though I grew up in many different states. I can remember my Grandma visiting and sitting in evenings, crocheting my mother Snowflakes for our Christmas tree. At Christmas our tree was and is decorated with all the lovely ornaments and at the end of each branch their graces a freshly starched crocheted snowflake. Some sprinkled with an incandescent fine pearl dust, so the snowflake glistens in the Christmas lights.

Here’s some links to free online snowflake patterns to crochet.

Aunt Lore's Snowflake

Charlie Brown's Tree Ornament

Crochet snowflake

Six point Snowflake

Southern Snowflake:

Snowflake 1

Snowflake Ornament

Light-as-a-feather snowflakes

Irish Rose Snowflake

Northern Snowflake

Pretty Snowflake Ornament

Snowflake #1

Another Snowflake: # 1

Snowflakes

Crochet Lacy Snowflakes

INDEPENDANCE DAYS CHALLENGE, WEEK 10

1. Plant something –
*Enriching garden for the Spring
* Started with harvesting Llama poo and adding to the garden
2. Harvest something –
* Chives
3. Preserve something –
* Chives,
* Green peppers
4. Reduce waste –
* Recycling cans, using cloth napkins and handkerchiefs, using homemade laundry soap, saving old jeans to reupholster a chair with.
5. Preparation and Storage –
* Continuing my water storage.
6. Build Community Food Systems –
* Continuing to shop at a locally owned grocery store instead of the large corporate store and local fruit stand.
7. Eat the Food –
* Spaghetti Sauce
8. Learn something –
* Continuing to take the Preserving food at home online self study course offered thru the National Center for Home Food Preservation and the University of Georgia, Need to get off my butt and finish this.
* Reading about raising Llamas
9. Simple Living –
* DH and I attended an evening of celebrating Grandparent’s Day with DGD at her school. We had such a great time that she was mad the next morning because we couldn’t go to school with her for the whole day ☻
* Celebrated DH’s birthday with a dinner of his favorites.
* Enjoying an ice-cream with DGD
* Reconnecting with family and friends out of town
* Reading
* Taking care of and enjoying our animals.
10. To Do –
* Finish sewing DGD school clothes
* Working on Christmas gifts

INDEPENDANCE DAYS CHALLENGE, WEEK 8 AND 9

1. Plant something – Potted the garden chives and moved them into the kitchen for the cold months.
2. Harvest something –Green Peppers. Tomatoes, Potatoes.
3. Preserve something – 1 case of quart jars filled with spaghetti sauce
4. Reduce waste – Recycling cans, using cloth napkins and handkerchiefs, using homemade laundry soap, saving old jeans to reupholster a chair with.
5. Preparation and Storage – Nothing this time.
6. Build Community Food Systems – Began my water storage.
7. Eat the Food – Spaghetti Sauce
8. Learn something –
* Continuing to take the Preserving food at home online self study course offered thru the National Center for Home Food Preservation and the University of Georgia,
* Reading about raising Llamas
9. Simple Living –
* Spent the day at the Zoo with DD, DGD and DSG. DD packed a lovely lunch and we used the aluminum Pepsi bottles with cork stoppers to carry our drinks from home. We had a lovely day and the only money we spent was for the gas to drive to the Zoo.
* Celebrated DGS’s first birthday and then the next week we celebrated my mother’s birthday with a great dinner and a family game of Monopoly.
* Yesterday and today we tore down the garden for the year.
* Continued making Christmas gifts. Sewing DGD school clothes
* Finished reading The Sword of the Lady by S. M. Stirling, Received 2 more books thru The Paperpack Swap to add to my reading list.
10. To Do –
* Finish sewing DGD school clothes
* freeze remainder of green peppers.

A Funny Crochet Video

Monster Truck Commercial Parody: Crochet Festival - watch more funny videos

Crochet - Were moving up in the world

When I tell someone I crochet, I usually get the "Oh, isn't that quaint" look.

The Dictionary's definition of quaint is:
quaint (kwnt) KEY ADJECTIVE: quaint·er , quaint·est
1. Charmingly odd, especially in an old-fashioned way: "Sarah Orne Jewett . . . was dismissed by one critic as merely a New England old maid who wrote quaint, plot less sketches of late 19th-century coastal Maine" (James McManus).
2. Unfamiliar or unusual in character; strange: quaint dialect words. See Synonyms at strange.
3. Cleverly made; artful.

Tell the truth now. The average person's definition of crochet equates to charmingly odd, especially in an old-fashioned way. Hey knitting has maintained a healthy respect in the world. Even moved up a couple of notches on the ladder. There are knitting shows on TV and lots and lots of magazines for the knitter to find a great pattern in. The crochet magazines selection seems to have decreased on my stores shelf, usually I'm lucky to find 1 crochet magazine. On the talk show circuit I heard lots of famous people state that they knit, Vanna White is the only famous person that I know of who crochets.

Crochet has been undergoing a great metamorphosis thru the ages. Wikipedia states that "Beginning in the 1800s in Britain, America and France, crochet began to be used as a less costly substitute for other forms of lace. During the Great Irish Famine (1845-1849) , Ursuline nuns taught local women and children to thread crochet. It was shipped all across Europe and America and purchased for its beauty and also for the charitable help it provided for the Irish population. The craft remained primarily a homemaker's art until the late 1960s and early 1970s, when the new generation picked up on crochet and popularized granny squares. Although crochet underwent a subsequent decline in popularity, the early 21st century has seen a revival of interest in handcrafts and DIY, as well as great strides in improvement of the quality and varieties of yarn. There are many more new pattern books with modern patterns being printed, and most yarn stores now offer crochet lessons in addition to the traditional knitting lessons."

This brings us up to Crochets most recent metamorphosis, hyperbolic geometry! Did you know that Crochet patterns have an underlying mathematical structure and have been used to illustrate shapes in hyperbolic geometry that are difficult to reproduce using other media or are difficult to understand when viewed two-dimensionally.

Were moving on up to the big time, hehehe. Who would of thunk it, I've been illustrating hyperbolic geometry and I failed pre-algebra. Now I think I'll go crochet a coral reef...