~ It's Blogday ~

I'm thinking that my Mondays will now be Blogdays.  Every Monday Blogday I will highlight a blog that I like to follow.  I enjoy reading these blogs and I hope you will too.  :)

Todays feature is:

 http://heather-thegoodlife.blogspot.com/

Heather is "a homemaker, housewife and mother finding joy and happiness in the everyday."  Her crochet work is beautiful - you will want her afghans.  And she has even designed some free patterns for you.  I hope you enjoy her blog as much as I do.  :)  

~ Happy Memorial Day ~

Enjoy your day and remember. 

~ I've made a candle ~

I bought this oversized mug from the thrift store for .90 cents along with a large candle for .60 cents.  The candle had nicks and dings in it - not very pretty.  So I placed the candle in the mug and then placed the mug in a large pot with some water.  I also put a toothpick under 1 side of the mug so it wouldn't bounce around.  I turned the burner on #4 setting (on my stove #6 setting is medium, so a little before medium) and waited for the candle to melt.  When it was almost done melting, I took the mug out of the water and let it set up a little.  The wick is still in the little clump not melted - I moved that to the middle.  I then took one of my spoons and whipped up the wax to make a choppy surface.  Ta dah - a 'new' candle.  :)

~ new board...~

...is up for 'The Crochet Way'.  Come on over and add your link - and thank you for participating.  :)

~ still...~

...having problems leaving comments.  I can't even leave responses on my own blog posts.  Jeesh.  I was able to leave a comment on Bev's blog - One Yarn After Another - though.  Strange.

*  To Shell - Little Orphan Skein = glad you like the yarn.  Enjoy playing with it.  :)

*  Kat - Hookin it With Mr. Lick Lick = I like the purse - kind of reminds me of an orange.  :)

*  Madeleine - Yarn Madness - another nice dishcloth.  A run through the washing machine will be good when you need to clean all your cloths.  :)

*  Happy In Red = pretty squares.  :)

*  Sharon - Sharon's Eclectic Retreat = nothing special for me this weekend - just being home.  Enjoy your weekend.  :) 

~ baby blankie #13 ~

Here's another 'ripples and shells' baby blankie.  This one was crocheted with RHSS 'melonberry' and a J hook.  The measurements are 26" x 34".

I am re-working the pattern for this - it just doesn't want to lay right.  Which is strange because I didn't have this problem with the first one I crocheted.  I've started another one last night - hopefully I'll get it right this time. 

Also in this picture is my little patio garden for this summer.  Cucumber plants in the green and white planters on the left, and a tomato plant in the white planter on the right.  I know I've started a little late but that's ok - it'll work.  :)

~ flower coaster set & stupid blogger ~

A set of six - probably for our campground trailer.  :)

~~~~~

Stupid blogger.  I've been trying to leave comments on some blogs, but blogger keeps asking me to sign in - over and over and over and over.  Grrrrrr.  Whatever is going on - I hope they straighten it out soon.

Check out these ladies blogs:

* The Good Life - beautiful as always Heather.

* Crochet with Cris - nice dishcloths and your shawl is pretty.

* Yarn Madness - I like this dishcloth - pretty colors.

* Made in K-town - your squares are really pretty - the colors work very well together.   

* Seedstitch13 - Merri - there must be problems everywhere.  Hopefully not too much longer before it's all worked out.

* In The Loop - cute little doily.  Nice under a candy dish or a candle. 

* ...yarn round hook... - the little doilies are nice - nice spring-y colors.

* Sharon's Eclectic Retreat - enjoy your trip Sharon.  I like your dishcloth - they're a great take-along project. 

~ new board...~

...is up for "The Crochet Way" .  Come on over and add your link.

Shell from Little Orphan Skein was the winner of our giveaway - congrats Shell.  Maybe we'll have another one soon - so keep checking in.  :)

~ a few things ~

*  On my hooks:
     - 'ripples and shells' baby blankie
     - 'grannyin' around' baby blankie
     - 'round in circles' blanket
     - a scrappy round ripple
     - flower coasters

~~~~~

I can't wait to be here again:

     - this is me sitting on the porch of our trailer at the campground a couple of summers ago - this is my crocheting corner:

This is our trailer:

~~~~~

While waiting for J's bus yesterday I witnessed a car accident.  A lady (who was obviously not paying attention) ran into the back of another lady who was waiting to make a turn onto the side street where I was.  What a horrendous crash.  Both cars (in my opinion) were totalled.  The amazing thing is that neither lady was hurt - just shook up.

~~~~~

My husband and I bought a KitchenAid Classic mixer - cool machine.

~~~~~

Within the next 3 weeks, I will be losing my job.  They want me to start making phone calls again and with me watching the grandkids I won't be able to do that.  But it's ok - when school starts back up after the summer I'll find another job.  :)

~ baby blankie #12 ~

I finished this little blankie last night.  I crocheted it with all RHSS yarns and a 'J' hook.  It measures 25" x 33 1/2".   

I used my 'Ripples and Shells' pattern and I think I've found a problem with it.  I believe I need to add a ch-1 between the ripples and the shells.  It kind of pulls a little.  I started another blankie last night and I will be adding the ch-1 to see if it's better.  I'll let ya'll know and change the pattern later.  :)

**The ch-1 is working good so far.  I have corrected the pattern.**

~ flower coaster ~

Materials:

- 4-ply ww acrylic
   - yellow
   -pink
- J hook

Size:  approximately 4 1/2" across

Notes:

- ch 2 at beginning of Rnds 1 & 2 do not count as a st
- I crochet tight so you may want to adjust the size of your crochet hook

Directions:

Rnd 1:  With yellow, ch 3, 12 dc in 3rd ch from hook.  Join with a sl st to 1st dc.  (12 dc)

Rnd 2:  Ch 2, 2 dc in same st.  2 dc in each dc around.  Join as before.  End off.  (24 dc)

Rnd 3 (front petals):  Join pink with a sc to any dc, ch 3, skip next dc.  *Sc in next dc, ch 3, skip next dc.  Repeat from * around.  Join with a sl st to 1st sc.

Rnd 4 (front petals):  Sl st into ch-3 space, (ch 1, sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc) in same ch-3 space.  (Sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc) in each ch-space around.  Join as before.  End off.

Rnd 3 (back petals):  Holding front petals toward you, join pink with a sc in any skipped sc, ch 4.  *Sc in next skipped sc, ch 4.  Repeat from * around.  Join with a sl st to 1st sc.

Rnd 4 (back petals):  Sl st into ch-4 space, (ch 1, sc, hdc, 2 dc, hdc, sc) in same ch-4 space.  (Sc, hdc, 2 dc, hdc, sc) in each ch-4 space around.  Join as before.  End off.

***Debi Y's version***

~ new board... ~

...for 'The Crochet Way' is up for this week.  There's a giveaway too - pop on over - add your crochet link and you'll be entered to win.  Good luck.  :) 

~ grannyin' around ~

My new motif for the next baby blankie.  :)

~ SIBOL squares ~

I recently sent Ms. Sue (of SIBOL) a few squares - here's the link to the post on her SIBOL blog.

So far, Ms. Sue has assembled around 65 lapghans to donate to nursing homes in honor of her Grandmother.  She does amazing work.  :) 

~ new prizes ~

**I had this posted yesterday, but it disappeared**

I recently won a giveaway from the lovely Lia - her blog is called 'Lia's handwerkblog'.  She sent a little doily that I will use in my dining room, and  I also received a pink beaded crocheted necklace (that I will wear to work) and a ball of blue thread.  I don't know what project I will use the thread for but I'm sure I'll find something.  Lia must know that my favorite colors are pink and blue.  :)

My giveaway prizes came all the way from Italy - just like my maternal Great-Grandma - she's from Palermo, Sicily.  :)

~ baby blankie #11 ~

This is baby blankie' #11.  I followed dottie angel's directions to crochet this 'ordinarily extraordinary' blankie.  All yarns used are from my stash - nothing new purchased.  The border is just 1 round of sc followed by 2 rounds of sc, ch 3.  :)

~ new board...~

...is up for 'The Crochet Way'.  Pop on over and include your crochet work.  :) 

~ more gems ~

I crafted these little gems today.  They measure about 3/4" - I bought the clear gems at the Dollar Tree. 

Like the larger gems - I printed out pictures of my projects from my blog to use.  You can see some african flowers, a scrappy round ripple and a large scrappy granny.  My favorites are the ones that look like Easter eggs - the picture I used for those is my blog header.  :)

~ a pretty flower ~

Esther from  Happy in Red posted a pretty flower pattern on her blog last night - her very 1st pattern - and I just thought that it was the cutest.  I crocheted one and took it to work today to use as a coaster. 

Thanks Happy in Red for the pattern.  :)

~ glass gems ~

When I saw 'this post' this morning, it reminded me of a favorite craft I used to do around about 4 or 5 years ago.  I used to sell sets of these glass gems on Ebay along with my crochet hooks, but of course, it didn't go too well.  

I printed out pictures of my crochet projects that I have posted on my blog and crafted these glass gems.  These gems are the larger ones - they measure around 1" to 1 1/4" and I bought them at the Dollar Tree.  The rectangle gem is a microscope slide.  Now all I have to do is get some heavy duty magnets.  I'm thinking I might take a few to work to attach to my file cabinets.  

This craft is a quick and easy craft to do.  It's fun too.  :)

~ granny bottle cozy ~

Materials:
- 4-ply worsted weight acrylic or cotton
- I hook

Size:  fits small 8 oz. bottle

Notes:
- ch 2 at beginning of Rnds 1 & 2 do not count as a stitch
- I crochet tight, so you may want to adjust the size of your crochet hook

Directions:

Rnd 1:  Ch 3, work 12 dc in 3rd ch from hook.  Join with a sl st to 1st dc.  (12 dc)

Rnd 2:  Ch 2, 2 dc in each dc around.  Join with a sl st to back loop of 1st dc.  (24 dc)

Rnd 3:  Working this rnd in back loops only, ch 3, 2 dc in same back loop as joining, skip next 2 dc, ch 1.  *3 dc in next back loop, ch 1, skip next 2 dc.  Repeat from * around.  Join with a sl st to top of beginning ch 3.

Rnds 4 - 8:  Sl st over to ch-1 space.  Ch 3, 2 dc in same space, ch 1.  *3 dc in next ch-1 space, ch 1.  Repeat from * around.  Join with a sl st to top of beginning ch 3.

Rnd 9:  Ch 1, sc joining st and next dc together.  Sc in next 14 dc's and ch-1 spaces, sc next 2 dc together, sc in next 14 dc's and ch-1 spaces.  Join with a sl st to 1st sc.  End off.

~~For large 16.9 oz. bottle:

Rnds 1 - 3:  Repeat Rnds 1 - 3 of small size.

Rnds 4 - 14:  Repeat Rnd 4 of small size.

Rnd 15:  Repeat Rnd 9 of small size.

***Debi Y's pattern***

~ who's heard of... ~

...Fruit of the Loom yarn?  I've been crocheting for around 29 years and I've never heard of it.  On my last trip to the thrift store I bought a few small bags of yarn and this skein was included in one of the bags.  It's a 4 ounce skein of 100% acrylic.  There is a price tag on it and the price is $1.36 - the store name is Dart.  The feel is like Red Heart - I'm hoping that it will soften in the dryer (like Red Heart does) after I crochet a couple of squares with it.  :)

~ new board...~

...is up on 'The Crochet Way'.  C'mon over and show off what you've created.  :)