Love these Crochet Rings, Free Pattern

Check out these great Crocheted Ring Patterns I found over at
 
CLICK HERE to go to the Free Pattern

Wedding Roses all crocheted and ARMY Afghan reposted on my website

Well with all this rain (24 days of rain out of the last 30) I haven't been able to get the garden finished planting yet, but I did get all those Damn Wedding Roses crocheted for my nephew's wedding. Which is this Saturday, but boy did I cut that one close, they went in the mail today. I don't know what I was thinking when I designed that pattern.
I did get My ARMY Afghan pattern re-posted to my website. It's kind of an abbreviated pattern, enough to crochet the afghan, but I still have to re-post a more detailed pattern this fall when I get more time. Right now, if this rain ever stops, I have to much to around here on the homestead and in the garden. Add all that with a sick grandchild, my Master Gardner class on Wednesday, my granddaughter graduating kindergarten on Thursday and a family reunion on Saturday and I think I have mush brain syndrome.

Make Your Own Checkerboard Buttons

I get a newsletter from knitting daily.com. Even though I don't knit I find lots of usefull things to use with my crochet. I think this tutorial for homemade Checkerboard Buttons that was in todays newsletter is just darling.

Cut four 1 1/2" (3.8-cm) and six 1⁄2" (1.3-cm) circles out of cardboard. Cut a 6-yard (5.5-m) length of yarn and thread it on a tapestry needle. Beginning at center of wrong side of form, wrap yarn around cardboard circle from top to bottom two times, then again from side to side two times (Step 1).

Turn form over and rotate it 45 degrees so that previous wraps form an X. Working from top to bottom, wrap yarn around form from side to side 10 times for large buttons (Step 2) and 8 times for small buttons, covering the cardboard between diagonal lines of X.

Working right to left, wrap yarn 10 times for large buttons and 8 times for small buttons around form from top to bottom, using needle to weave yarn over upper half of horizontal threads and under remaining threads a total of 5 times for large buttons and 4 times for small buttons, then under top group of threads and over bottom group an equal number of times (Step 3).

As much as I want Spring, I can't stop finding Christmas

I can just see the Christmas presents under the tree all wrapped up in these fantastic quilted boxes. And these Journal Covers will make the best presents with a fancy ink pen. Quilting Arts is offering this FREE eBook with these patterns and more.

Click here to go to the download.

Hop on the Bus, Gus Free Crochet Pattern

I'm finding so many great free patterns at Crochetme, I guess i'll just have to start my Christmas crocheting now. This school bus scarf will be too cute on my grandson.
Click here for the free pattern this is a new link to this pattern the old link stopped working.

Crocheted Swirling Bag Video

Crocheted Swirling Bag

As soon as I saw this crocheted bag from pattern from PBS' Knitting Daily TV I knew it was a gotta crochet pattern'
Click here for the Free Pattern

Startled Hubby and Those Swedish Hats

OK, so I'm not the only women who startled her husband during the Olympics by blurting out "those hats are crocheted☻ I have to have the pattern!" Did a quick search on the Internet and found some really intense investigations into those hats. Alas the feats a crocheter will go to solve a crochet mystery, Kim Werker at Crochet Me even emailed the Swedish Olympic Committee and received an email from Eva Christensson (The designer)herself. Seems the publicists at the Swedish Olympic Committee passed my email inquiry on to her, and she was kind enough to reply in English directly to her.

Read all about her escapades in her two posts here.

OK I know, I can't read Swedish either. But vixypix was kind enough to translate the pattern into English and posted the PDF file here.

The Dog-Food Bag Project

I've made these before from feed bags and bird seed bags. When I saw this tutorial at

I thought it was one I had to share.

Click here to go to Directions.

Free Crochet Patterns for Snuggling

I've been looking at these free Patterns from Red Heart

And can see my next Christmas crocheting projects.

Everyone Can Snuggle - Link to PDF Free Pattern Click Here

Crochet Snuggle Up Throw, Adult and Child Patterns - Link to PDF Free Pattern Click Here

Tiles Granny Afghan - Link to PDF Free Pattern Click Here

Recycled Crochet Hook Holders

I found this great HOW TO at She states "Living Green and Recycling can be fun and creative. Customize your favorite hooks for comfort and be environmentally conscious at the same time."

Examples using empty pens, highlighters and permanent markers.

She has a great PDF file of the tutorial that you can download

Click here to go to the Recycled Crochet Hook Holders Tutorial by LadyWillow Designs©

Free EBook ~ Seven Quilted Bag Patterns:

Found these free patterns at Quilting Arts, they say "You can never have too many bags, and here is your opportunity to add seven quilted bags to your collection! Patricia (Pokey) Bolton, Editor-In-Chief of Quilting Arts Magazine® has put together this wonderful free gift for anyone who loves the art of handmade quilting (and beautiful quilted bags)!

Whether you choose to make all of them, or have a special favorite you can't get enough of, Seven Quilted Bag Patterns: Handmade Quilt Bags from Quilting Arts is sure to be the pattern book you turn to again and again. Best of all, it's absolutely FREE!"

Click here to go to the ebook

Free Pattern - Duct Tape Crafts: Make a Duct Tape Bag

I saw this free pattern over at








It looks like an interesting purse project to make. Hey I've crocheted purses out of plastic bags so why not make a purse with Duct Tape?

Here's what they say about the free project and the book it comes from: Not to be confused with origami — the ancient Japanese art of paper-folding to create delicate, fragile items for the moment — ductigami employs ordinary off-the-shelf duct tape in the creation of functional folded objects that are built to suffer the rigors of modern life. Once you master the art of the tape, you will be able to construct some of the world’s most unique items of function and fashion. And part of their beauty is that if they ever wear out, they can be repaired quickly with more duct tape.

I am sure that you have enough knowledge and imagination to create a purse out of a solid sheet of tape, but here is a twist. We are going to do advanced ductigami: the weave. (Doesn’t work for hair, if anyone asks.)

And remember: A number of companies sell different colors of duct tape, so you’re not limited to just classic gray.

Click here to go to the free pattern

Why cloth diapers?

My Parents are on their 50th anniversary vacation, driving thru the Southern states. While they're gone my daughter has been painting their kitchen, dining room and bedrooms. I've been babysitting the #1GS. While we've been playing, I've been pondering the genius of cloth diapers. Wish they had diapers like these when my kids were in them. When DGS was born I made him some infant diapers. I found lots of free patterns on the Internet. Here's some links.




How to Sew a Fitted Cloth diaper (on the cheap!)

Free Cloth Diaper Patterns

DiaperPattern

Once he grew out of the cute newborn diapers I made out of bluejeans and polka dots I began pricing the Waterproof PUL Fabric Since our fabric stores do not carry this I found that buying it online was a pretty hefty price.

We stopped by

and fell in love with the bumGenius 3.0 One-Size Cloth Diapers. These diapers grow all the way to potty training. The website states that they "easily fit most babies from 7 pounds up to 35 pounds. One diaper for multiple children simplifies laundry and the diaper drawer. No more sorting by size or having to carry multiple diapers when going out. Three snap-downs on the front of the diaper (patent pending) adjust the rise as your baby grows. For newborns, fold down the insert stopper for an extra-small rise."

The price on new ones is a pretty hefty $17.95 Which is pretty worth it considering that you would not be buying diapers again after your initial investment. But then we found their used diaper drawer. First of all just seeing these used diapers makes you realize how will made they are, they still looked brand new, actually after using the used diapers for a year now, they still look brand new. And the prices of the used diapers are usually less that half price. They often run specials for the used diapers on their website. Click on their logo to check them out.

I don't work for Cotton Babies, even though it kinda sounds like it. Their diapers are just what we found that works for us, Grin. I will say that my DGS has had only 2 diaper rashes in his life, and both of those were when he was really sick and had diarrhea from antibiotics. My daughter lives on her disability income and not having to buy diapers has meant she can buy other things she needs for herself and her kids. And as a nurse I feel that cloth diapers are healthier for our babies. From A Tale of Two Diapers, "the OSHA "Material Safety Data Sheet on Superabsorbent Polymer" states, preexisting skin or breathing disorders may become aggravated through prolonged exposure. A study in the September 1999 issue of Archives of Environmental Health found that laboratory mice exposed to various brands of throwaway diapers suffered eye, nose, and throat irritation, including bronchoconstriction similar to that resulting from an asthma attack. The lead author of the study advised asthmatic mothers to avoid exposure to the chemicals found in most throwaway diapers.

Why I think my kindle is living from scratch

For Christmas this year, my only wish was for a Kindle and the loves of my life (my husband and parents) went in on it together and bought me one. Considering the $259.00 price tag, this is one of my most frugal items I own. OK, I can hear you scoffing from here, just hear me out.
First let me tell you about my Kindle.
Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines
Lightweight: At 10.2 ounces, lighter than a typical paperback
Books in Under 60 Seconds: Get books delivered wireless in less than 60 seconds; no PC required.
3G Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle; no annual contracts, no monthly fees, and no hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots
Global Coverage: Enjoy 3G wireless coverage at home or abroad in over 100 countries. See details. Check wireless coverage map.
Paper-Like Display: Reads like real paper without glare, even in bright sunlight
Carry Your Library: Holds up to 1,500 books
Longer Battery Life: Now read for up to 1 week on a single charge with wireless on, a significant improvement from the previous battery life of 4 days
Built-In PDF Reader: Your Kindle can now display PDF documents natively. Native PDF support allows you to carry and read all of your personal and professional documents on the go.
Read-to-Me: With the experimental Text-to-Speech feature, Kindle can read newspapers, magazines, blogs, and books out loud to you, unless the book's rights holder made the feature unavailable
Free Book Samples: Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy
Large Selection: Over 400,000 books, including 101 of 112 New York Times® Best Sellers, plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines, and blogs. For non-U.S. customers, content availability and pricing will vary. Check your country.
Low Book Prices: New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases are $9.99, unless marked otherwise. When traveling abroad, you can download books wirelessly from the Kindle Store or your Archived Items. U.S. customers will be charged a fee of $1.99 for international downloads.
That was all the technical details from the Amazon website.
Now let me tell you what I do with it.
1. I read a lot of free books I find on the Internet. Books ranging from the classics, to how to-informational, and books and short stories posted on websites and blogs by the authors. Now I can download the stories and pdf's and transfer them to my Kindle so I can read them anywhere and not be tied to my computer.
2. When I find a recipe I'd like to try or a free pattern to crochet I can download it and put it on my Kindle. Now I don't have to print it thus saying my paper and the expensive ink cartridges on my printer.
3. I live in a small town where the only book seller is the Walmart. I find that my taste in books is not often what the majority of the public wants to buy, or at least what Walmart thinks we should read. When I'm eagerly waiting for a new release odds are Walmart is not going to carry it. So that leaves me the option of driving 50 miles to a bookstore or buying it off the Internet and paying for shipping. Also I have found that most books I read I don't necessary want to own a hard copy of. As I'm trying to live simply I am trying to keep only my most beloved books in my library. Take the new book Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol . I really wanted to read his new book. It came out before I had my Kindle. The Library had a 5 month waiting list to read it so I bought it from Walmart. I paid something like $18.00 for it on the day it was released. I could of got it from Kindle for $9.60 and even better than that downloaded the first chapter for free and found out that the book was very disappointing and saved my money altogether. Now when I want to read a book I can get it thru my Kindle saving the trees and ink that would go into printing it. If it's one I want to add to my library then I can put it on my wish list at paperbookswap.com (they swap hardbound books also) and get it for free.
4. I even put my presentation for my CPR classes on it. Now when I teach a class I can use this instead of juggling all my notes. I can even load up my grocery and shopping lists on it and since I can add notes right on my Kindle I can keep a price list and update it while I'm shopping.
So this is why I'm in love ♥ with my Kindle, and not to lazy to turn the page as my family jokes.

Crocheted Dust Mitt

A free dust mitt crochet pattern I found at http://cappers.grit.com/Crafts/Crocheted-Dust-Mitt-is-Stylish.aspx