The Shtick I Do

Cold weather is fast approaching here in my neck of the woods and while the days are still hitting the 70's and 80's, the nights are dipping down into the 50's. Break out the sweatshirts and ear warmers. Grab a scarf and some gloves for the football game and don't forget the thermos of hot chocolate and that cozy crochet afghan! Autumn is almost here. I made a few of these headband/ear warmers last year and I've already had orders for more this season. This is one I made to try out a covering for the elastic hairband used in the back. I like using the elastic hairbands in this sort of project because it allows the finished piece to be worn by more people. Sometimes it can be hard to fit the head of a person you've never met and this little addition allows for greater flexibility with the finished piece. Finished headband/ear warmer with a blue sewn-on flower and coordinating blue trim. Finished piece without trim or embellishment. An ear war...

While I appreciate the challenge I've been given, here are my thoughts on it: The Ice Bucket Challenge has definitely overtaken Facebook and other social media sites. The antics of everyday people and celebrities willing to dump ice cold water over their heads in an effort to help raise money for ALS research has raised over $22 million. I have laughed at some of them ( Patrick Stewart , Kermit the Frog , Dwayne " The Rock" Johnson ) and I have cringed at others but I commend them all. I think it's a fantastic way to raise the awareness of a disease that's had to ride in the backseat of drug companies and the FDA while other diseases such as breast cancer, diabetes and even erectile dysfunction have taken the lime light. ( Seriously, how many commercials do I have to watch? ) I'm all for donating to a worthy cause. I give to the American Cancer Society for my two sisters that have fought cancer. I donate to the American Diabetes Association becaus...

Anyone remember this beanie that I made last year? It's alright if you don't. That's not the point of this post =D I finally got an on-going issue with Ravelry resolved and this pattern is now available as a FREE PDF download! Follow THIS  link and look to the RIGHT you'll see a box that says "ravelry downloads free ". Click on the word " download " that follows the green arrow and it's yours! I own this pattern in its entirety and you DO NOT have permission to reproduce this pattern in whole or in part on any website, blog or internet or written avenue. You DO NOT have permission to print this pattern for resale or free distribution  in whole or in part in any format.  My permission is granted ONLY for SELLING of and PERSONAL USE  of the COMPLETED WORKS from this pattern. I f you sell the completed item online,  include a link to this blog  post . 

So, I had the opportunity to visit a Michael's store on Monday. As I was perusing the aisles I happened upon some fantastic yarns! Sadly I was on a strict budget and could only get a couple of things. As I was frowning and scowling at all the opportunities I had to pass, I saw some clearance yarns on one of the end-caps. It's called Caron United® and it was on sale for $.99 a skein! That's right in my budget guidelines! I chose two colors (Orchid and Aran) and on my way home I started working it into a solid granny square. What self-respecting "crochetaholic" doesn't travel with hook and scissors, right? My husband just shakes his head. I thought a lapghan would be a perfect project for this yarn. It's well constructed and soft enough to use immediately. I can only imagine that it's going to get softer as it travels through a wash cycle. Here are a few pictures of my squares so far and a link to a solid granny square tutorial!  Solid Granny ...

Been to the yarn store lately? Seen all that funky looking yarn that's just too cool to pass up, so you pick it up, play with it, put it back down, pick it up again and then it somehow magically ends up in your shopping cart? (We call those "buggys" in my neck of the woods) Well, I've done that exact same thing. Several times actually. As has my mother, who then sends said funky yarn to me and tells me that I can come up with something to make out of it. *insert confused face here* My lovely daughter Kat is here for a visit from Kentucky and we were discussing fiber flubs just like this and just what the heck we can do with them. So here's our list of what you can do with that irresistible yarn that jumped into your cart when no one was looking. ==============================   Image from The Left Side of Crochet Crochet Thread :   Bookmarks are great for those of us that still love books made of paper PLUS it's a great starter...

Who buys a car they don't like? No one! We go through the trouble of making sure the gas mileage is something we can afford, we check on front wheel drive verses rear wheel drive, we even make sure there are little pockets for our stuff, enough cup holders for the family, a glove box big enough to hold the instruction book plus a hairbrush plus a cable hookup so you can play your iPod through the radio plus a ton of napkins from assorted drive thru windows. Wait .... you don't have a ton of napkins in your glove box? I've had a metric crap-ton of them since I've had kids. The point is, no matter how much we look and shop and measure all the different car up against each other, there are things we'd like to add. I've got a list of some of the top items found in random searches! 1. Car Blanket by Lion Brand **knit pattern knit pattern knit pattern** This is especially helpful to have in the car if you live in an area where it gets below freezing. ...