Five- Events of the Week

1. Bought goldfish...and an aquarium for them. One for each babe for their achievements in potty training. Little man is all the way trained. Sissy, not all the way but just about. they are happy little fishies, and i think they will live for a while.

2. Celebrated my birthday. well, i wouldn't say celebrated, more like acknowledged. and my mom reminded me that i am one year younger than her mom was when my mom got married. thanks for making me feel ancient mom. (let's just say my grandma was really young when she had my mom :D)

3.  Dealt with two little sick monkeys...I think they were just hit with some very short, very ugly virus. Little man actually learned to throw up in the potty instead of all over his floor...unfortunately not his sissy, who threw up all over his bed and blankets.

4.  Got a root canal today. nice. i go to a sedation dentist, but opted against the sedation...i figured if i can live thru two c sections, i can definitely live thru a root canal...but barely.

5.  Decided to be a vendor in a craft show that is now only one week away...i don't have much inventory, but will try my best to get a bunch done before next Saturday.  i also got my first solicitation from someone opening a boutique who wished to carry my slippers. it was such a complement, but i had to turn the offer down because i am not sure i can keep up with demand...that's a lot of crocheting!

Any of you have a week like mine? Have one better??

And just like that....they were gone.

I had a little gift in my backyard this year. A robin built her nest in the crook of my willow tree. She patiently sat and kept her eggs warm. She squawked and screamed if we got too close, and would even send in her mate to make sure the coast was clear after we would retreat.  She braved brutal winds...so bad my tree lost some branches, and bent all the way into the neighbors yard at time...and she covered those eggs when hail was beating her little body mercilessly.

She tirelessly searched for bugs and critters to feed three little mouths once those baby birds hatched...(daddy helped too I might add) and then...like that.. they are gone.

I really thought I would get to see the babes taking their first stumbly attempts at flying...but alas, their nest lies empty. Only to serve as a reminder of that precious momma bird who despite weather and heat and cold, created three new songs this spring.

Crocheted Mitered Square Hanging Towel free pattern

Printable Version (CLICK HERE)


Crocheted Mitered Square Hanging Towel

Written by Jennifer Kaye

Skill level: easy +

Abbreviations used:

Sc –single crochet

dc-double crochet

hdc- half double crochet

Materials Needed: G hook (4.25 MM) and worsted weight cotton like Peaches & Creme

special stitch: Crossed half double crochet-  ch 2, *skip next st, hdc in next st, hdc in previously skipped st, repeat from * to end of row

Ch 11

Sc  across (10) ch 1 turn

Rows 2-30 repeat.

Row 31ch1 turn, slip stitch next 4 scs, sc, 3sc in sc, sc  ch 1 turn  and leave the remaining scs unworked

Row 32 sc in next two scs, 3sc in sc, sc in next two scs ch 1 turn

Row 33 sc in next three scs, 3 sc in sc, sc in next three scs ch 1 turn

Row 34 sc in next four scs, 3 sc in sc, sc in next four scs ch1 turn

(you should have a V forming off of the handle piece.

Rows 35-40 Continue increasing in this manner. 

When you get to Row 41 (Where you have 11 on each side of the 3scs in the center) complete row in back loops only EXCEPT the 3scs in the center.

Row 42 complete row in the  front loops only EXCEPT the 3 scs in the center.

Row 43 sc in next 13 scs, 3sc in next sc, sc in next 13 scs ch 1 turn

Row 44-50 continue increasing in this manner

Row 51 Back Loops only except the 3 scs in the center

Row 52 Front loops only except the 3 scs in the center

Row 53 sc in next 23 scs, 3 sc in next sc, sc in next 23 scs ch1 turn

Rows 54-60 continue increasing in this manner

Row 61 Back Loops only except the 3 scs in the center

Row 62 Front loops only except the 3 scs in the center

Row 63 sc in the next 33 scs, 3 sc in the next sc, sc in the next 33 scs ch1 turn

Rows 64-70 continue increasing in the same manner

(You can make the towel however long you desire by continuing the pattern onward in increments of 10, I began the finishing rows at Row 71.)

Row 71 ch2, crossed hdc across until the center point. 3hdcs, crossed hdc across remaining side ch1 turn

Row 72 SC in each sc across both sides

Fasten off.

For button loop, attach yarn to beginning chain in 3^rd loop. Chain 8 slip stitch in 5^th chain. Weave in ends. Attach medium to large button right before the dishtowel begins.

I blocked my towel by wetting it, and laying it flat and smoothing it out on another towel overnight. It measures 13 inches at its longest point (without measuring the hanging loop part)

Copyright 2010 by Jennifer Kaye of Jenster76designs. You may make items from this pattern for personal use and to sell (a link to this pattern would be appreciated in your online listings), just don't copy or sell my pattern as your own.

Crochet fun

I've been having lots of fun crocheting lately...lots of cotton crochet.

I am working on my first mile-a-minute afghan in Peaches & Creme cotton, and developing a pattern I hope to share very soon (like in the next couple days) for a crochet hanging dishtowel. Be on the lookout for a new free pattern!!

Have a lovely day!

Five-Things I want accomplished soon

1. To join a gym. I think I have narrowed it down to one that is close enough to my house, has childcare, and has a price tag I can live with. Hooray. I am one of those people that if I pay for something, I will. get. my. money's worth!! I want to be healthy and feel younger...and one day, when we take the kids to a giant amusement park in another state...I want to ride all the rides with them!!

2. To finish our backyard. It has come A LONG WAY. from literally hundreds of tumbleweeds and goatheads...to smooth dirt. However, we have a giant pile of yard trash and debris in the middle of the yard, which I have slowly, but surely been bagging for the hubs to take to the dump.  We want to put some grass in front of our patio, a play area for the kids, and a garden.

3. To shampoo our carpet in the entire house.  Potty training is messy. I mean seriously, almost deterring to the whole concept of parent hood.  (Forget the crying newborn and changing diaper stages to promote abstinence...have a couple of enamored teens try to potty train two toddlers at the same time...I can almost guarantee there would be some serious cross-legged action occurring.)  Just when you think they've got it, there is yet another mess to clean. So soon. I want clean carpet again. deep down clean.

4. To be able to park our cars inside the garage.  Every year that I taught school, I accumulated a ton of "stuff."  Every year, we had to move out of our classroom for the summer, and then bring it back in the fall to set up again. (not sure why?) but eventually, I was renting a storage unit for it...and when I quit back in 2006...well, it all went into my garage. I am a keeper. I keep things. forever. So over the course of the last couple years, I have been really trying to either throw away, garage sale, or incorporate some of my stuff out of the garage. I really want it all dealt with this summer, and then reorganize our whole garage so that we can park inside.

5. A garden. My husband has found a nursery about 45 miles or so from us that has 100% non GMO, organic seeds and seedlings.  I mean seriously, you can't even grow your own garden without GMOs nowadays. (don't get me started) So anyhoots, we are going to make the trek next weekend to pick out seeds and such for our salsa garden plus some zucchini and yellow squash, and a few other things I can't remember right now. Oh it makes my heart squeal to know that we will be eating fresh, beautiful garden veggies all summer, and hopefully longer if I can keep up with freezing excess.


So. Here is my assignment. What are some of your short term goals?  Blog them, or write them down, send me the link, or tell me about them, and once a month for the next three months, we will revisit them and see how we are doing on accomplishing our goals!

Until next time!

Handmade

I love that the blogs I follow really have useful and creative ideas that are simple enough for a busy momma like me to accomplish.  For Mother's Day, I made my mom and my mother in law each tea cup bird feeders. I learned how here .

It was a lot of fun searching for just the right tea cups and saucers...and even though they don't match perfectly, I ended up finding some that worked well with each other...very shabby chic!:)  I know my mom was very excited to get hers pounded into the ground and start feeding her birdies.  She told my Grandma about it and she is going to let my avid bird watching auntie know about it so she can make some too.

Here are my two projects:

If I Only Was The Fellow

From The Best Loved Poems of the American People c. 1936




If I Only Was the Fellow


While Walking down a crowded
City street the other day,
I heard a little urchin
To a comrade turn and say,


"Say, Chimmey, lemme tell youse,
I'd be happy as a clam
If I only was the feller dat 
Me mudder t'inks I am.


"She t'inks I am a wonder,
An' she knows her little lad
Could never mix wit' nuttin'
Dat was ugly, mean or bad.
Oh, lot o' times I sit and t'ink
How nice, 'twould be, gee whizl
I a feller was de feller
Dat his mudder t'inks he is."


My friends, be yours a life of toil
Or undiluted joy,
You can learn a wholesome lesson
From that small, untutored boy.
Don't aim to be an earthly dait,
With eyes fixed on a star:
Just try to be the fellow that
Your mother thinks you are.
                                       Will S. Adkin




Happy Mother's Day to my Momma and my Mother in law...and to all my mommy friends who read this and all you Moms who stop by today. Hope your day is blessed with hugs, kisses, and appreciation for who you are and all you do.

Parking Lot Sale

Went to a parking lot sale for Fiesta Yarns/Ironstone Yarns...and lucky lucky me!!! I totally upped my stash.

$90 for $465 worth of yummy yummy delish yarn!!

Spring...Squirrel?

My kids love Curious George...they love the squirrel friend, Jumpy Squirrel.

So two days ago, we were eating lunch and the kids say, "Momma, it's Jumpy" and lo and behold...guess who's scampering along the wall.

Now living where I do, this is NOT a usual occurrence. I have never seen a squirrel in my neck of the desert...and quite frankly, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if a coyote ate him for lunch shortly after this pic was taken. :)

been in a funk

don't know if it has been the weather or what, but I just haven't felt like doing much. including blogging.

today i wanted to show you a hat i plan on putting in the shop very soon. i am working on lotsa colors and will have them posted on Monday.

i also want to work out my pattern for my dainty frilly sunhat that was listed in my shop last year. i think i am just intimidated by the sizing...so i may just make it in a toddler size, and then whoever wants to modify it can. i also may need some pattern testers for it, so if you are interested, let me know. here is a picture to remind you what it looks like: