More Crochet from Shauna Richardson

Artist Shauna Richardson has completed one lion of her trio of huge crocheted lions slated for unveiling at the opening of the 2012 Olympics in Great Britain.

East Midlands from Artists Taking the Lead on Vimeo.



PPS: to last post

I forgot to add I toted all that wood with supervision

and 3 eggs in my pocket

Wood Box filled thanks to IRT: Deadliest Roads

I learned a lot from watching IRT: Deadliest Roads Himalayas. They taught me how to fill my wood box. Usually I just fill my laundry basket with 5 stick of wood and carry inside the house. But since Hubby can no longer help and #1 son is working most of the time, I figured I had to come up with a better method.

I used to just load up the trusty Rhino then back it up to the back porch landing and unload it into the house. But since that #x***XX## thief absconded with my beloved Rhino I am now reduced to this, the beloved wheel barrow. Isn't he cute ☻

Next I had to figure how to get up the back porch steps, Thats where IRT: Deadliest Roads comes in. Watching them load those truck by walking up a 2x4 ramp lite the lightbulb for me.

Wala, 5 wheelbarrow trips up the ramps and around 3 hairpin curves inside the house ends up with one very full woodbox. I can now load my wood all by myself! Which is a good thing since #1 son is moving in with his girlfriend on New Years.

Do you know this Thanksgiving song?

Happy Thanksgiving

Every Thanksgiving I can remember my Grandmother and my Mother sang this Thanksgiving song. Mom says it's probably from the 1800 or 1900's. We have no idea where this song came from, who sung it or how my grandmother came by it. I've done many Internet searches trying to find the title, who sung it or any snippet of info about it and come up empty every search. My Grandma's long passed and I would love to know any info about this song for my mother. If you know anything please email me at pacycrochetsatsbcglobaldotnet.

♫

I just took a peak in the pantry,

And spied on the lower shelf.

A long row of pies,

That would be a surprise.

To the mince, pie prince, himself.

♫

And up on the next shelf above them,

Were cakes so round and white.

And ready to roast,

Big enough for a host.

Was the turkey a wonderful site.

♫

On the floor were nuts in a basket,

A jar full of cookies too.

And up very high,

I could certainly spy,

The fruits and the candies too.

♫

My grandma is here and my Grandpa,

My cousins and Auntie Mae.

What is it about?

Can you not find it out?

For tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day.

♫

Homemade soap update

Click on this for link to the soap recipe

I wanted to do an update on the soap I made, but I ended up really surprising my husband in the making of this post. First off let me say that I love this soap. We've been using it for a couple of weeks now and my skin has never been softer. Most surprising to me is how wonderful this soap is as a shampoo bar. It lathers up like an expensive shampoo and my hair is so soft that I no longer need to use conditioner. That picture on the right is me showing how wonderful it lathers. Though I do have a note of warning to anyone who wants to make this soap and blog about it. If you get the bright idea to jump out of the shower while your shampooing your hair so you can take a picture to show how lovely your homemade soap lathers be warned that you just might have to explain to your hubby when he walks in why your standing in the bathroom, dripping wet with a soapy head holding a camera. His eyebrows raised a little when I said I needed a picture to post on the Internet ☻ 

The Urban Conversion Visits an Urban Farm - Preview

Just a Funny

I got this from one of my email friends and thought it was a funny thing to share☻


WAYS TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE "ESTROGEN ISSUES"

• Everyone around you has an attitude problem.

• You're adding chocolate chips to your cheese omelet.
• The dryer has shrunk every last pair of your jeans.
• Your husband is suddenly agreeing to everything you say.
• You're using your cellular phone to dial up every bumper sticker that says: "How's my driving-call 1-800-
• Everyone's head looks like an invitation to batting practice.
• Everyone seems to have just landed here from "outer space."
• You're sure that everyone is scheming to drive you crazy.

• The ibuprofen bottle is empty and you bought it yesterday.

TOP TEN THINGS ONLY WOMEN UNDERSTAND


10. Cats facial expressions.

9. The need for the same style of shoes in different colors.

8. Why bean sprouts aren't just weeds.

7. Fat clothes.

6. Taking a car trip without trying to beat your best time.

5. The difference between beige, ecru, cream, offwhite, and eggshell.

4. Cutting your bangs to make them grow.

3. Eyelash curlers.

2. The inaccuracy of every bathroom scale ever made.

AND, the Number One thing only women understand:

OTHER WOMEN

More Free Crochet Patterns

Has a new ebook out 5 Free Crochet Patterns for Beautiful Handmade Gifts.  I see some more Christmas Crocheting in my future ☻

CLICK HERE TO GO TO PATTERN

Bailing my Goat out of Jail

Well the men are deer hunting, and I've been laying about lounging like a queen. At least I was until I went to feed the animals this morning and found out that Jerry was AWOL. Long story short, Goat missing, lots of searching, no luck, went down to the police station to fill out a Missing persons Goat report, only to find out that the police had apprehended him 3 blocks over in the act of committing property damage (eating someones tree). The suspect was then arrested and sentenced to hard labor, we then paid bail and took him home.

Don't Forget to change those clocks



Free EBook - 9 Thanksgiving Decorations to Make

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. When I was a child, every Thanksgiving, while watching the parades, I made a potato turkey to grace our holiday table. Mom would help draw his head for me to color and cut out. I would then lay my hand flat on the paper and trace it so I could color and cut out his tail. Cut a diagonal slit on one end of the potato to stick in his head and a horizontal slit on the top of the other end to stick in his tail. Add four tooth picks for the legs and wala you have a turkey to grace your table. This tradition has passed on from my Mom, to me, then my children and grandchildren.  So I guess my love for Thanksgiving crafts is hereditary.

I just downloaded a free ebook from Favecrafts with 9 Thanksgiving crafts to make. I can see some new traditions starting now. Click on the link below if you want to check it out.

CLICK HERE

 





Trick or Treat

My Granddaughter and I made these Bit of Honey candies for us to eat on Halloween.

We had so much fun and they taste so good.

1 cup honey
1 cup chunky peanut butter

2 cups dry powdered milk

Melt honey and peanut butter together in microwave. Add dry
powdered milk and knead well. Roll out on wax paper. Cut in strips
and roll into pillows. Wrap in wax paper to store.

Foundation Row No Chain Crochet Technique

I've been using this technique for over a year now. It wasn't until I saw this in a Crochet Me email newsletter that I realized that I have never shared my favorite way to work the foundation row of a crochet project. Instead of crocheting your long chain then working your first row of stitches on that chain, with this technique you work the foundation chain and the first row's stitch in one step.

To work a foundation single crochet, begin with a slipknot on hook, chain 2 (Figure 1),

insert hook in 2nd chain from the hook, pull up a loop, yarn over, draw through 1 loop (this loop is the next "chain," Figure 2),

yarn over and draw through 2 loops (this is the single crochet)—you now have 1 sc with its own ch st (shaded) at the bottom (Figure 3)—,

*insert hook under the 2 loops of the "ch" stitch (shaded) of the last st and pull up a loop, yarn over and draw through 1 loop, yarn over and draw through 2 loops;

repeat from * for as many foundation single crochets as you need (Figure 5).

I use this technique with any crochet stitch (such as; sc, hdc, dc, etc.) I just adjust the beginning chains (Figure 1) for the length of the stitch I'm using. If I'm doing a double crochet stitch I would chain 3, or for a triple crochet stitch I would chain 4.
I find that I so like this technique better that starting with a chain stitch. To me it looks more professional and I always have perfect tension thru out my piece.

PLEASE NOTE!

All the diagrams in this post and the directions in italics are from

my Crochetme newsletter on August 26, 2010

I could not find a link to a post on their website to send you to view

their directions.

http://www.crochetme.com/

 

A Day in Pictures

Got Eggs?

Smile ☻ 

I Hate Dogs!

I ♥ Sorghum

Finely coming out of my fug

I looked it up, fug describes my mood lately -  A heavy, stale atmosphere - yep, that describes me these past few weeks. I have gotten some things accomplished.  

I crocheted a baby blanket, hat and booties for my new Great Nephew.

I'm also crocheting the School Bus Winter scarves for my granddaughter to give as Christmas presents to her bus driver and teachers.  3 done with 3 more to go. Maybe someone can explain to me why a first grader has 5 teachers. I've only put the wheels on 1 scarf so far. I've been thinking that they are a little to childish for adults to wear. Maybe I should just get some really big buttons and attach them for the wheels. Hubby thinks I shouldn't spend anymore money on them He says "It's a school bus, crocheted wheels can't make it look any cornier then it already looks"

I finely fixed my dryer. If you ever want to fix one of your appliances you should really check out this website. Its a wealth of free instructions that even I could follow. ☻

Click here to visit

Of course my car, that hasn't given me a spot of trouble in years decided to die while my daughter was driving it. So now I have to get a new battery, starter and alternator for it. I wonder if Appliance Aid has instructions for that, well on second thought, maybe I should have my son fix it.

I got the Garden cleaned out and tilled in with lots of Llama and Goat poop. Now I just have to get the garlic planted and it's done for the year.

I also made my first batch of soap, yep the real deal from lye, I used the tutorial from Rhonda's blog Down to Earth and the recipe from here. When the tutorial said "Once the soap is in the mould, cover it with a towel so it cools down slowly." I had a little help with that part.  

When I look back, it seems like I got more done during my fug then I thought, even though these past few weeks my brain has seemed so heavy and stale. My husbands appointment today lifted that mood for good though. The endocrinologist said that cyst on his thyroid is definitely not cancer and no surgery. He probably has Vitamin D Deficiency, Anemia and Hypothyroidism. More lab work was done today then after she gets the results of the new levels, she'll prescribe the meds.  

Sometimes it sucks to be my son.

 He goes on a date &gets a phone call that his Sis's dog bit someone and has to leave to help. then this AM goes to cabin to cut a couple cords of wood. Comes home & splits it, finally gets in to the shower only to here Mom scream help I accidently let the goat & Llama out and their heading for the road. Well at least the chickens were in the coop ☻

For the love of Fall, halfway up, and down...... that hill!

I may have been born in Missouri but I grew up in South Florida. The scuba diving was great there, but when you get down to the brass tacks, Florida just does not participate in Fall or hills either. But when I turned 17, I went off to the CIA (Not that CIA, the Colorado Institute of Art in Denver). There I was initiated in the lovely experience of learning to drive a 3speed Vega, (guess I’m showing my advanced age now) Anyhoo, back to the Vega - There I was initiated in the lovely experience of learning to drive a 3 speed Vega up gargantuan hills in downtown Denver traffic. My previous experience with driving up a hill in stop and go traffic revolved around sitting in a vehicle halfway up a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway waiting for a boat to pass under the bridge. Not to mention that the vehicle was a Datsun (Here I go showing my age again) with a automatic transmission.

  But back to the gargantuan hill and the Vega (are you confused yet?) The two things that I remember most of that experience were, the Chinese fire drills that we had every morning, when stopped at the red light halfway up that hill. I would inevitably pop the clutch and be to petrified to restart the car and get it up the hill without hitting the car in back of me. I will say this, Come on people I had Florida plates, you should have realized no hills and stopped at least 25 car lengths behind me so I could get up that hill ☻.


The second thing I remember about that hill and the reason I’m writing this post. Is the day I drove down that hill and fell in love with Autumn. I’m not kidding, the exact moment I fell in love with fall was a crisp sunny afternoon with a hint of wood smoke in the air. I was driving down a tree lined Denver street in a Vega. The traffic stopped, a slight puff of wind sent these gorgeous red and yellow leaves floating across my windshield. And it hit me, I took a deep breath in, looked at the beauty around me and promptly popped the clutch and hit the car in front of me. But I was Hooked on Fall from then on.

I love this time of year. We’ve had our first fire in the woodstove, the top of my maple tree is beginning to redden, And this weekend were expecting our first frost. Happy Autumn