Magnolia Square, not a Waterlily

The square was found.. thanks to some smart folks from CrochetPartners.

The pattern is at Crochet Musings If that link doesn't work, try this one.

Here's my version of it.




I think it might look better done in a yarn with more "body" to it (stiffer). I made this out of caron simply soft in soft pink, off white and dark sage.

Many thanks to all who searched for the pattern.

WaterLily Square

I actually don't know the name of this square, but it does look like a WaterLily to me.






Someone showed the picture on Crochetville, and since then I've been searching for a pattern. No luck so far, but the search has been fun.

I think I can noodle out the pattern for the petals (the middle ones look like a sc, dc, tr, dc, sc shell, not so sure about the outer petals) and the green square shouldn't be to hard to approximate.

It's the pink ball in the center that I'm not sure about. And wouldn't it need to be stuffed with something to keep it from flattening out?

P.S. Could it also be a Lotus Blossom?

Walmart dissing Sewers/Crafters?

Good article here about Walmarts decision to close it's fabrics/crafts areas and what we can do about it.


sewing.about.com/b/a/256500.htm

P.S. The online petition is probably worthless. I suggest snailmail for best effect.

Another Hearts & Diamond throw

I'll probably give this to ProjectLinus for a teen, unless some other good use comes up for it. A little too femine for my ds and dd has enough blankets at the moment. And I did this pattern for all 4 sisters & sis in law a while back.

Did this to bust stash. Using 4 skeins of Red Heart kids in color Jade (sure looks turquoise to me) and 3 skeins of RH super saver Amethyst. Had to buy 1 skein of RH Turqua to finish out the heart sections (couldnt' find RH Kids).. I was short only 1 oz!! GRRRrrrr

One of my favorite quick (and free) patterns. Thinking of doing one in RWB for ProjectLinus for their memorial day drive.

Spyware sends Teacher to Jail

I recently learned about the case of Julie Amero, the subsitute teacher in Connecticut who is possibly facing 40 years (yes.. 4 0 ...) for having pornographic popups come up on a computer while in a classroom.

She's a SUBSTITUE.. the computer wasn't hers. The regular teacher isn't being questioned. There wasn't current blocking software being used.. The IT director isn't being questioned.

This is a travesty of justice, another case of zero-tolerance gone wrong.

I could reiterate the entire case, but so many others have said it better than me, so I will just give some links to some well thought out blogs and news articles on this.

http://www.geeknewscentral.com/archives/006784.html

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-rgreen0130.artjan30,0,4371427.column?coll=hc-utility-local

http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/learning.now/2007/02/more_details_emerge_in_the_jul.html

http://www.alternet.org/rights/46925/ (~~some comments on this site have profanity..)

http://sunbeltblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/computerworld-julie-amero-is-guilty.html

http://www.norwichbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070124/NEWS01/701240317

http://preview.tinyurl.com/255wq2 (~~ new york times article)

http://windowssecrets.com/comp/070222/ (~~ need to scroll down to "popups" article)

http://www.securityfocus.com/columnists/434 (~~excellent, but very long at 7 pages)

http://julieamer.blogspot.com/ (~~ blog by Julie's husband)

Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni

Can you transmit flu over the web?

Monday I was reading my friend Y2KSurvivors Blog about him not having PeterPanSalmonella and then his kids come down with the flu.. and he loses his couch and tv priviledges to the princess. I was feeling a little sorry for him, but not terribly.

Karma has visited my household for my uncaring. My ds now has the flubug. I have not lost my easy chair (yet) but have lost control of the TV. Next year I WILL get my flu shot.

Still trying to figure out how the flu jumped from OK to TX so fast. His kids were sick Monday.. mine started feeling bad Monday afternoon.

More weirdness....

After posting about my squid purse yesterday.. today I scan the news.. and a fisherman off New Zealand somehow captured a Colossal Squid. A Colossal Squid is BIGGER than a giant squid. According to the news articles I read, a Giant Squid is just like our friends that we turn into Calamari, only bigger. Colossals are different.. they're shorter and stockier.

They said that they think the Colossal that they found is a male, but that it's difficult to sex a squid (!!! Now that is a job I do not want !!!). As large as this male (?) squid is.. they say females of these species tend to be larger. Wow.

One article talked about making Calamari out of the Colossal. "I can assure you that this is going to draw phenomenal interest. It is truly amazing," added Dr. O`Shea, “if calamari rings were made from the squid they would be the size of tractor tires”.

I have to remember to send the article to my dd. hahahha evil me.

I'm frightened.. if I crochet and post another animal.. what will be the repercussions?

I shall test and see if I hold such powers over the plant world....

Here's my latest work in progress:








I'm using simply soft in autumn red, soft pink, rose violet, dark sage and off white. Rubine red would probably have been better.. but i'm using what is locally easy for me to find. Making this for fun..

It's an old pattern, and the yarn recommended is no longer made, but the Caron is working up just fine.

Ok, now if I read about a Colossal Rose bush found, or maybe a bunch of people crocheting an Afghanus Giganticus.. I'll be more than frightened.. I'll start trying to figure out how to use my powers to make the world a better place. (Put a little love in your heart...oh no.. I'm gonna have that song stuck in my head. Well, it's better than "Lonesome Polecat" from 7B47B "A man can't sleep, when he sleeps with sheep")

Calamari

Man, I love seafood. Shrimp, Fish, Oysters, Clams, Scallops, Crabs. I even like Calamari (I'm getting hungry typing this post).

After posting about the fish post (and getting a comment from Lady Linoleum!! wow.. she's my hero, I can't believe I got a comment from her.. I'm so not worthy) I remembered about the Squid Purse I made a couple of years ago to torment DD.

(as always, both pics clickable to see larger)





front



back



There's a story behind this. Sometime before I made the above, my son and husband were snacking on some calamari. My daughter comes walking in the kitchen and says.."oh.. Onion Rings.. may I have some?" My husband and son both being of devilish nature, did NOT tell her what she was eating until all 3 had finished the snack. Daughter dear still has not forgiven the boys for playing this trick on her. She's not allergic to seafood or anything.. just doesn't like the idea of eating squid.

So when I found the pattern over at C'ville, I had to make it for her. I should add eyes (not blood shot ones ala LL, but googly) right now the poor thing is sight impaired. This baby is mine. Not going anywhere (except maybe out on the town with me) and of course, dd doesn't like it.

I forgot to add anything to show how big it is.. but a candybar sized cell phone would fit with plenty of room for some other odds and end.

Fish Food

Ya'll might remember me posting about a fish purse not too long ago.






I was planning on sending it to my great-niece via my sister. Well, I did send it last Monday and finally remembered to email my sister about it today to see if it arrived and if K liked it.

Here's her reply:

Well, I didn’t even show it to her. I liked it too much to show it to her!!!!! I figured I could use it a few times before I let her use it. She has so many pretty things, princess stuff……..dresses with veils and scarfs, purses, jewelry, shoes, ribbons for her hair……………..

I couldn’t help it! Too cute!! Maybe I’ll let her have it next year! I know I’m a terrible “granny” but ………it’s just too cute to pass up.

I’ll probably break down and offer it to her in a few weeks…………

For K*** and myself, thank you for the fish purse. Just too cute…you should do one in Nemo colors.

They say having kids around keeps a person young at heart…………it may be true.


P.S. I even tried it on as a hat! It’s cute that way too.

I thought her comments were very funny (and flattering) and wanted to share with ya'll. I wish I had a picture of the fish hat. I'll ask her for one and post it if she will allow.

Pink Camoflauge

Where does one wear pink camo to hide? Maybe the beach in Hawaii with all the impatients that bloom there?

Anyways.. Bernat makes this camoflauge yarn..and one of the variations available is Pink. It's really pretty (and durn hard to find.. it sells out as soon as stores get it in).

I managed to find 1 skein at a local store, and then as I was walking down an aisle with totally different stuff on it, non-yarn related.. I found a 2nd skein. Yahoo for lazy folks (Too lazy to take 12 steps to put it back where it belonged..so I found it) !!

I made DD in college a scarf out of it for Valentines. Mailed it last monday (the 12th) but she didn't check her postal box till the 16th (turkey). She says it's been really cold so the scarf was most welcome. She liked the chocolates too!

Here's a picture:




clickable

There's not really a pattern, but I could write it up if there's enough of a demand. In reality it's just the Crosshatch Stitch done lengthwise. Clover Softtouch Hook, size G, slightly more than 1 skein used.

After lots of compliments and questions, I decided to try to write the pattern. And I made another blog for patterns, as I have a couple more I need to get out of my head and onto paper.

SimplySoft Quick Blankets

I'm getting ready to make a delivery to Project Linus, so I'm getting pictures posted of things I've had made for quite a while.

I'm not super speedy at crochet.. just am really bad (or good?) at procrastinating at making pictures of my work.

Material: Caron Simply Soft Quick





Please click to enlarge

The top one I made first by the pattern provided by Caron on the label of the yarn. They are Tunisian squares, made on a regular (non-tunisian) P hook. It was a tight fit, but as the squares aren't really large, I managed to squeak by. I will probably have to enlarge this one (which will mean frogging the border) and adding more squares. It's a bit on the small side for Project Linus purposes, but I will take it to our coordinator first and see what she says.

The second one is made of the same yarn, same pattern, but a size N Tunisian hook. I just made more of them and joined with black. I realized after I made it how 70's looking it is!!

Fish Purse

Here's a funny fish purse I made back before Christmas.. just for the heck of it.

Shown with mouth closed and then open (drawstring closure).









Please click for more detail

I made this out of some RedHeart that Michaels was clearancing out at 50 cents a skein.. they only had 1 of purple and 1 of green left... what a bargain eh?

Sending it off to my great-niece in Florida care of her Granny (my sister). Hope the little girl will enjoy it.

Oh.. the pattern is available on Crochetville.

Tunisian Baby Blanket

Here's a blanket made with some Joanns Classic Sensation Yarn. Comes in huge 11oz skeins. Very soft and fuzzy.. fun to work with, but a bit difficult to frog.

The stitch is from "Harmony Guide, 220 More Crochet Stitches" that I got free, courtesy of Walmart messing up two of my orders around christmas (see this post). No name to the stitch, but I tried to follow the directions for VI.26

If you have that book, you can see it does NOT look the same (the one in the book has a lattice look). I wonder if what I came up with is in a book or has a name?




please click to see larger

The yarn label says to handwash.. but I ran it through the handwash cycle of my machine and tumbled it on low.. and it came out just fine.

Afghan Along

I've started another afghan (somebody shoot me!!)...

I started Feb. 1st.. here's my progress so far.






Using various colors of Jiffy and Caress.

I've gotten this far by crocheting while my son and I watched the mini-series SHOGUN on dvd. One disk a night. We finished it last night.. now I have to find something else to crochet to, preferrably long and interesting.

Today I will be working on another project.. as it is Super Bowl Sunday and I despise football.

Red Scarves for Orphans

I finally got them all in the mail...and now to pictures. All pictures are clickable if you want to see them in more detail.
















Some are regular crochet and some are Tunisian.. all are 100% acrylic and most are machine washable (important consideration for college kids).

My goal was to get 20 done. I made 21 (somehow I missed getting a photo of the last one). Next years goal is to make 20 AND to get them in the mail before January 31st!!! LOL

Here's the site for those who aren't familiar with this charity.
http://www.orphan.org/carepackages_main.xhtml