The Shtick I Do

Yep, that says " cro-cycling ". What is that, you ask? Well I'm going to tell you. It's a term I've come to use when I recycle with crochet . You see what I did there, right? Combined two words and came up with a new one! I'm just that awesome . . . just kidding . . . only God is awesome. This is how I used that seemingly inconsequential plastic ring that hangs around the neck of a plastic bottle after it's opened. I made some fabulous earrings with them, and now I have the kids not only saving the soda tabs , but this small plastic ring as well.  This is the finished product: I love the hanging part in the center. You could make them seasonal by using bats for Halloween, hearts for Valentine's Day or even those little jingle bells for Christmas! This is one of the simplest projects you can do and it takes a minimal amount of time (provided you know the basics of crochet and can open a jump ring). Let's get right to it, shall we...

Now why would I name this post such a thing? How dare I suggest that we crocheters not know how to follow directions?!? Get real! Most of us pick up a hook and a skein of yarn and we're good to go. We can look at a hat or a scarf and basically tell what stitches have been used and proceed from there to make one very similar for ourselves . But when it comes to a "kit" project we usually take a few liberties with the directions. I've found, through trail and error, that the kit is usually right. So here's what I do when it comes to a project such as this one: Take a moment to make sure the kit itself hasn't been tampered with. If you see signs that the kit you received appears to have been opened, you may be missing important items needed for the completion of the project. Now compare the items in the kit to the necessary list of "what you'll need". Some kits come complete with everything you need, while others will only supply ...

Fiber art has been around for hundreds to thousands of years . Until as recently as 50 years ago learning to crochet or knit was a right of passage for many young women, and fewer men, taught by mothers and grandmothers to future generations. I've read and heard stories of knitting needles and crochet hooks that have been handed down through generations. Today you can pick up a kit, everything included, and learn to make simple projects like pillow covers or scarfs. Books are readily available for purchase or download or even from the public library if you only want to borrow one. Magazines are dedicated to fiber arts and can be delivered to your door monthly for what's typically a low cost subscription fee. It looks like the foreseeable future is in the App Store. Have you seen what's available? I have an iPod Touch (which I love by the way) and I have several apps and podcasts that I've recently stumbled upon. I know, I have this blog and one would think that if ...

I posted earlier about something I'm working on, something that will most likely be an ongoing project for me.  I'm almost finished with my first batch of caps. Originally I was going to make 10 caps, then after talking to the cancer treatment center I decided on 20, which would be 10% of their daily patient load.  (They see over 200 patients a day) When we went to get some Ziploc-type bags, the box had 25 bags in it. *sigh*  So my count went to 25 caps. Right now I'm sitting at 22 and counting. As you can see in the pictures, each cap has a card with washing and care instructions included. My daughter named all the caps; names like Tutti Frutti and Autumn Leaves. I like it and I hope the recipients will like it as well.  And for that extra bit of hope the cards are from my church, something to let the recipients know that we are thinking about them, praying for them and loving them unconditionally. If more people would reach out in love instead of...