crochet 40,000 knit 1

These are but a few of the soakers, hats, scarves, and coasters I have crocheted in the past 3 weeks, and beside it is my first attempt at knitting. Me and the Big Dude have decided to cloth diaper this new baby and wool soakers are the way to go if you want to avoid the dreaded plastic panties. Crocheting is so easy, especially after you try knitting for a few minutes, with crochet you can watch TV and do a small project like a hat or scarf while watching CSI Las Vegas (the only good one). Knitting, at least for me takes concentration and careful review of the pattern. This has not deterred me thought, I already have another one on the needles now.

Here are the crochet and knit soakers side by side, don't look to close at the knit one, flaws just add character right. The crochet is made of fisherman's wool I got at joanns, and the knit is made from Lion brand merino wool also from joanns. I do find the ribbing to be the hardest part as of right now, but am getting a little better at fixing my screw ups as I go along.

Well I am off to start my toy swap project, I think I settled on a doll design I like, and am trying to keep all the other ideas at bay.

proud to be an american

In celebration of Inauguration Day, an election time project is in order. The past year has been thick with anticipation of the outcome of the election. I desperately needed a place to put my anger at times, and when I saw the cutest bumper sticker I knew I had my outlet. Quickly running home and designing this little pillow, then sitting down and pocking the defenseless pillow over and over till I found relief. This is what I ended up with, plus a place to put my weary head after days of watching 24 hr. news.  Now go watch this most momentous occasion! I am going to go hunker down on the couch and snuggle with my pillow.

and then I lost my mind

Tomarrow is Little Dudes birthday party with all his friends, and I must confess I have never been so worried over a party in all my life.  We love having parties and the planning and the decorating, but this is different.  This is all his friends and I don't know any of them and people now a days don't rsvp anymore, except of course me.  I woke up at 4 in the morning last night worried over if anyone would show up, I mean I have it's getting out of hand, my worrying that is.

So today I needed to put together goodie bags and decided I needed a stamp with LD's face on it to stamp on the bags.  I have no idea why I just felt it needed to be done.

1.  Here is the pic I chose all cropped up nice. Then I ran the photocopy filter in Photoshop on it.

2.  After printing it the size I wanted I drew over it with a pencil.

3. I took the paper and layed it on the carving medium and rubbed the back of the paper, the pencil lead comes right off onto the rubber.

* Carving medium here I did get mine at Micheals though so check there first if you have one close buy.

4. I carved around the lines, leaving the lines high and the negative space I carved away.  The carving tools I have are a set of 6 I picked up for 5 bucks at Sam Flax, they rock!

5. Here he is all ready to go on the bags, I am going to use the red as I am putting it on paper bags and want it to stand out.

In Kitchen News

I am going to GNO (girls night out) tonight, I signed up for dessert, yum!  I am making the almond cake that Angry Chicken raved about.  I did make this a few weeks ago and it rocked except for I lost my bundt cake pan and used two load pans instead and I opened the oven.  This made for sunken cakes, and while still good, not presentable.  I went out and got me one of those new fangles silicon pans, the blue thing in the pic, and will have to let you know how it comes out.  It is in the oven now with 5 min to go, fingers crossed.

on the desk

Working on small birds this morning while little dude was at school, the Oz theme is really ramping up and I can't wait to build a little basket for my bird.

I am also starting to think of ideas for the big toy swap, info found here, I got my partner assignment today and officially feel like I can think of something any minute now.  Yep still waiting........ any minute now it will hit me like a bolt of lightning.

In other news JoAnns is having a huge sale 40-50% off of all sorts of sewing things.  I finally got a pinking blade for my rotary cutter and a small pair of sissors.  Also I can't leave a craft store without buying yarn, a bit of a problem I admit, but it was 5 for $10 and it is the 100% cotton you can make wash cloths and scrubbies out of which I have been wanting to do forever.  I plan on crocheting them up while I watch the tivo machine later tonight.

today

Me and the husband ventured over to our little dudes school today to take part in his school birthday celebration.  First of all we send him to a very liberal school, a place you would not expect to find in our southern Camelot, so no happy bday singing and definitely no sugar.  The teacher light a candle to represent the sun and LD carried a globe, he walked around the ellipse marked on the floor four times to represent each year he had been on the earth as we told stories about him at each age.  It was exciting and simple and I think the kids really enjoy the whole thing, Saturday the children who celebrate bdays are coming to the indoor playground to run around like wild mohicans and gorge themselves on pizza and cake, good times.

The pic is of the ornaments I made for Ld's two teachers for the holiday.  Little linen birds with gingham ribbon, I wanted to make something not overtly Christmas just encase there was a religious conflict I did not for see.