Easy Fabric Bracelets

I'm finally getting back into blogging again, and what better way to do it than with an easy tutorial for fabric bracelets.

This little pattern can be made to any size.  This fits my wrist nicely, while I have made some to hold Scrunchies.  I love Scrunchies!!!!  At the end, I will tell you how to make a strap to hold all the scrunchies you can make.

Items needed:

Scraps of Fabric

scissors

thread

sewing machine

Wonder Clips/ Binder Clips/ pins (your choice)

Kam Snaps or fasteners of your choice.

To start off with, grab some material.  Just about anything laying around will do.  I used part of an old sheet to make this green one.  Now, before you get to cutting, you need to measure your wrist.  Mine came in just shy of 8 inches.  It's best for the math (I heard those groans!!) that you keep the numbers rounded to 1/2 inch.  Now, where mine measured 8 inches, I needed to add 2 inches to that for a total of 10 inches.  Pretty easy, now wasn't it.  Now, back to the material chosen, you will need to measure a strip on it your wrist measurement + 2 to get the length.  The width will stay the same at 3 inches. Need a visual?  Here you go: 

Next thing you want to do is press it in half.  I just finger pressed it here, but you could use the iron and ironing board if you want to:

Nicely pressed and about ready for the next steps. But while this next step can be skipped, I would advise against it.  You need to turn the short ends down about 1/2 inch.  This will give your bracelet a nice, finished edge:

 

These next two pictures show the next step, but I had forgotten to turn down the edges.  Trust me, you want to do that turning down first before doing these next steps. 

At this point, since you already have them open to fold the ends down, now you need to fold the long sides in to meet in the middle.  They don't have to completely meet, just come close.  And those cute little clips in the picture are called Wonder Clips By Clover.  I can't imagine using anything else now.  But in the past I have used binder clips and regular pins (still do in fact on some things).  When you get the edges folded to the center, then fold the whole thing in half again on the long edge.  Most quilters will agree that this is how bias binding is made:

 Make sure you pin/clip the open edge or all that folding will spring apart.

Now, time to go to the machine and let it do it's magic.  I sewed this with about a 1/8th seem allowance.  I say about because I didn't measure it, just kept the stitching close to the edge all the way around:

And when I meant around, that includes those folded ends.  Just pivot on the corners like this:

Here it is, all stitched up!!!  Sorry for the background change, was having lighting problems at the point.

And a close-up of the stitched end:

But what is the point of all this hard work if you can't attach it to your wrist?  I've never been great at making button holes, but if you can, WONDERFUL!!! Go for it.  My personal preference is Kam Snaps.  They go on easy, very washable, and come in an array of colors.  I first seen them recommended for cloth diapers, but they are sooooo versatile in anything.

 The Kam Snaps website has tutorials for how to attach them, but if you use them on this project, one thing you need to remember; You need to place them on opposite sides to lie flat.  Here I have one side installed, and starting on the other.

Now both snaps are on.  Can you see what I mean about having them on opposite sides?

And Tada !!!!!!  You now have a bracelet to match your outfit!!  One thing I should note, the white bracelet on the left, if you noticed, doesn't have the nice, finished end that the green one does.  It was the first one I made, and I just cut the length to fit my wrist.  I actually prefer the finished end of the left one now.

Now, at the beginning of this tutorial, I said that you can make these almost any length.  Here is my scrunchie holder.  All I did was do the strap just like I did for the bracelet, but made it bout 3x as long as the bracelet (the length is totally up to you).  Then attached snaps at both ends, but made sure they were on the same side to make a loop.  Snapped it around a hanger, and I can keep the scrunchies off the floor and clean for when I need one.

I hope you enjoyed this simple little tutorial.  Just remember to let your imagination run wild with color choices.  If you make your own clothes, then just make sure you have enough material left to make a bracelet.  If you want to make a scrunchie to match, may I suggest you go to my favorite tutorial for scrunchies on Instructables.

Wow~~

I will say this now, I almost forgot about this blog.

Lately, I've been getting into quilting, and neglecting my knitting and crocheting badly.

But for those that are still following me, be on the lookout for some sewing patterns from me.

For now, my list of sewing to do:

Bionic Gear Bag with Needle parking lot
Fountain drink cup covers
Stuffed toy balls for the animals.

Off to work on this list!!!!

Sorry Folks

I'm sorry to have to do this, but I have to moderate all the comments that come through here.  Lately I've been bombarded with spam comments, and I'm getting tired of coming back and having to delete them.  I love the comments, and almost all are welcome, but I'm just not happy with the robo comments about seeing other websites.

In other news, I've been busy trying to get a business started, and working on a doll house for a friend's granddaughter.  Maybe later I will post pics of the doll house when it's done for all to see.

TTFN everyone.

Revisiting Keurig and Homemade Soda

I thought I would come back and revisit what I wrote about the Keurig Coffee machine and making homemade soda.  Some discoveries recently made me feel like I need to shout out to the world about what I have found out.  And I think I'm going to start off with the homemade soda first.

I just recently gotten (like yesterday) a keg and a picnic tap to make 5 gallons of carbonated water so that the kids and I can make our own choice of flavors for soda.  Spent most of the day setting it up and carbing the water.  My son made the first soda this morning and it turned out better than when we were using the 2 liter bottles and the Carbonator Cap. We are still working on how much syrup it will take for a glass of soda, and I need to get a better pump system for the syrup so we can measure it better, but the results, so far, exceed what I had hoped for.

As for the Keurig, we are still in love with it.  I know I suggested to get the My K-Cup that Keurig makes for these machines, but been having problems with it.  One of my biggest issues is that we have to pretty much take the machine apart to use it.  I'm going to put mine away for emergencies.  Solofil works wonders, but you need to have 2-3 on hand as constant use clogged it up and it had to be soaked in bleach to clean it. In my stumbling around on the internet, I ran across this site My-Cap.  If you don't want to follow the link, these are reusable caps and cups that you can get.  I ordered the sample pack and couldn't be more happier.  They are just like the ones you can buy in the store, only you can fill them with what you want.  We keep coffee in 3 of them, and the rest have tea bags just sitting in them. Much easier to use when half-asleep than trying to fill a Solofil or one of the others. They did sell a template for folding your own filters, but after looking at the site, it looks like they don't offer that anymore.  We are still working on it here, but if you buy the 4 cup sized basket filters, you can shove one in the reusable cups, trim the top off and try that.  But the first one we tried, it overflowed the cup, so need to work on that one some more.   It's nice to be able to reuse these over and over again and not have to worry about running to the store to get more cups for the machine.

Sorry for my rambling, but when I get excited about something, I need to shout it out to the world.  At least I'm trying to do my part with these 2 products/ideas so that my family won't add too much to the plastic waste heading to the landfills.

Keurig Coffee Machine

Well, here it is, a new year.  With all that has happened in the past year with losing a sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and my oldest brother, I need something new to redirect my life.  There have been some good things in my life happen this year already, but are so personal, I can't relate to them on here.  Here's to hoping 2013 will be the year we can turn our family and life around.

One of the things that did happen was a small, helpful bonus of money.  Since they came out, I've kept my eye on the Keurig Single Serve Coffee maker.  With this bonus money, the kids and I decided to go ahead and get one.  It was love at first cup!!!!  My boy loves coffee, my girl loves cocoa, and I'm a confirmed tea drinker.  I did used to love coffee too, but over the past few years, coffee has given me terrible heartburn.  Before getting this machine, coffee was going to waste in the pot, and all day long there was impatience with waiting for the kettle to whistle saying the water was hot enough to make tea and cocoa.  The link above actually shows the model we did buy.  But I do want to share some hints for everyone that would be helpful if you think this is a waste of money.

First hint:  get either the My K-Cup, Ekobrew, or Solofill Cup Filter. I have both the My K-Cup and Solofill and like them both.  Don't know much about the Ekobrew filter, but from other sites I've read, it works the same as Solofill.  With any of these three, you can fill them with your own coffee and save a bunch of money by using MJB or Folgers ground coffee.  You can even get small samples of coffee and try different flavors without wasting an entire pot if you don't like the coffee.  The whole reason I suggest it is that those K-cups you buy in the store that are pre-made is expensive.  We bought some when we bought the machine and I was in shock that it cost $22 for 36 of those cups.  I could spend that much buying a pound can of coffee and 4 boxes of teabags and still have change left over.  Here's a little bit of math for you-- 36 K-cups or 600 cups of tea and coffee (round figure, since I don't know how many cups of coffee could be made from a one pound can).  I think you can see where I'm going with it.

Hint #2:  and this is the big one.  Being a tea drinker, I was searching the web to find out if anyone was able to use tea in this machine.  Several people say just run it for the hot water and drop a teabag in the cup.  I actually used both the My K-Cup and the Solofill with Red Rose Tea bags, pulling the string off and stuffing them in the filters of those 2 cups.  The tea comes out tasting like it's sat and brewed for 10 minutes on the counter.  The beauty of it is that I didn't have to wait that time for the kettle to heat-- or the 10 minutes for the bag to sit in the cup to brew.  About 90 seconds (if that, I don't time it) I have a hot cup of tea, throw some sugar in it and I'm back to doing whatever I was doing.

We also have been successful with filling a Cup of Noodles cup with this machine.  So that's makes it a win-win-win for this family.  Everyone is happy with being able to choose what they want to drink and when.  With winter in full swing here, we need all the hot drinks we can handle right now.

Homemade Soda-- I'm in heaven!!!!!!

OK, as I sit here tonight, I keep looking into the kitchen and marvel at the new toy this family just got today. What is it, you ask? It's a soda maker. Now I know most people look at that and think that we got the Soda Stream. Well, you couldn't be farther from the truth. I went with this soda system from Keg Connection. It consists of a CO2 bottle, something close to a welding/air pump guage, a hose with a connector on the end and a little gadget called the Carbonator. But before I go on and explain this system, I would like to give you all a background story on the reason we switched from Coke to this system.

As I sit here, I'm comtemplating about getting the LapBand put in. I try to eat right, and do what I can, but my weight has ballooned out of control. There were no diets that were working, and now I'm sitting at over 300 lbs. I've been told I need to cut out sodas, chocolate, anything that would have sugar in it. Someone would have to shoot me if I totally cut them out of my life. Then I sat back and realized, some of the weight problems began when they started bringing out convience foods and putting that high fruitcose corn syrup in sodas. That was around the start of the 80's when the microwave also came out. Before that, food was almost always cooked from scratch, and soda was still made from sugar. Maybe my family needs to take a trip back in time. Or maybe I can bring those days to the present.

So, now we are back to the soda maker. I did look at the Soda Stream, and just couldn't justify the cost of it when the CO2 canisters cost $15 for a tiny bottle. There are conversion kits out there, but they cost just as much as the machine does, so I started looking for alternatives. For what I would have payed for a Soda Stream and at least one extra CO2 bottle that might not last, I got the above setup, including extra bottle. These bottles hold 20oz of CO2 and I can get them refilled for only $4 each. Well, there's some savings, $4 vs $30 for the Soda Stream. You do the math. Another bonus-- I can mix the soda in some old 2 liter bottles, or 20oz bottles, where with the Soda Stream, I would be stuck with their 1 liter bottles.

I'm still on the search for syrups for it. I did make a decent root beer that rivals A & W and Hires Root Beers. For those that want the recipe, all I did was mix 1 cup each of sugar and water on the stove until it boils and all the sugar disolve, then mix in one teaspoon of McCormick Root Beer extract. Let cool and then put 1/8 of a cup (2 tablespoons or 1 ounce) in a cup and add ice and the carbonated water. Stir gently and enjoy. I'm also working on an “energy drink”. But we are planning on ordering the syrup concentrate and some 32oz bottles with pumps (like what you see at those sno cone shops) so we can meter out the syrup. We also tried the cola from Soda stream, even though we had to make 2 liters worth of it. It wasn't bad, tasted like Coke even though the syrup smelled like crap.

When we get more ideas about syrups, will come back and post them. One thing for everyone to remember if you get either system; Don't expect to carbonate your water/beverage to bubble like the commercial sodas do. But the taste so far competes with the commercial sodas.

Going Green???

I've sat here for the past few nights and really thought about what "Going Green" really means. I mean, everyone is into saving the planet, use less packaging, blah blah blah, but if you really think about it, most of that is what our grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on had been doing for generations. Don't get me wrong, I like some of the new convenience things out there, like the Swiffer Sweeper and Clorox Ready Mop. But I'm wondering if we are getting the wrong picture when we say we are "going green".

In an earlier post, I made mention that I was starting a soap-making adventure. I've completely given up on bar soaps, mainly because I don't like using the bars. I really prefer liquid soap. I found a wonderful book, Making Liquid Soaps by Catherine Failor. Her instructions could have been more clear, but in a nutshell, it's well written. Using her recipes, I've made 100% Liquid Castile soap, and one of the shampoos. I will say this about the shampoo; it did not thicken on me, and the one time I did use it as a shampoo, it left a greasy, waxy lump on the back of my head. I'm not sure what I did wrong, if my hair went into shock from using pure soap, or it's the residue from the store bought shampoos, but won't try it again on my hair until I figure it out. But it does turn into a very nice body wash. Both of my kids love it.

And that doesn't stop there. The Liquid Castile is now being used in many recipes I found on the net from a degreaser spray to window cleaner and will be using it in my ready mop. If you start on the Edentia Farms youtube page, this gal will show you how to make liquid laundry soap and even has a link to the amounts she uses. A little deeper search will also find her recipe for dish soap. I have made the laundry soap, and will be trying it later on this weekend, but the dish soap is to die for!!!!! I was getting grease and other gunk off of pans that I didn't think would ever come off, so I will believe her claim that it will get Sharpie Marker off of almost anything.
* Just wanted to come back and say that I did try the laundry soap this weekend, and throughout the week and we love it as much as the dish soap. Had to wash blankets and pillows over the weekend, and my daughter is complaining now that her blankets and pillows are so bright she can't sleep w/o sunglasses. One of the pillows is one she made and it's brighter now than when she made it. Those two recipes are keepers in our household!!!!

But back to the "going green" thing. We are starting to view this as if it was good enough to do for our ancestors to keep clean, then why shouldn't we do the same thing?? If making soap was just using wood ash from the fire filtered with water, then combined with grease, no one would have to worry about running out of soap ever again. Though I try to take the easier road with this. Instead of trying to filter wood ash, I buy my KOH (Potassium Hydroxide) online. Some of the recipes (see the dish soap) call for organic oils, I just use what I can buy cheaply at WalMart or Winco. Borax is my choice for a neutralizer and thickener rather than anything else out there because it's cheaper and has a two-in-one punch. Our ancestors used what they had at hand to make their soaps, then why shouldn't I do the same thing?? I'm just going about it in a little bit of a lazy way. I just can't bring myself to rend the grease from what I'm cooking to make soap out of. EEEEWWWWW!!!!!

Give it a try, you might just like the results that come out of making your own soap. It sure surprised us with our savings, as well as how clean everything gets. Watch the videos that youtube has, so you can get an idea how it's suppose to look and act when making. Try doing the bars first, like I did, then expand onto the liquid soaps. It does help, and get a copy of Failor's book. I treat mine like a bible. Though I will say one thing, you don't need a double boiler system, the crock pot does even better. Plus, you don't have to worry about making sure there is enough water in a double boiler to keep it going.

And if you are wondering about those savings, for around $20 I was able to get the KOH, oils, borax, and distilled water. Out of it all, I've made approximately 2 gallons of Castile soap, 1 gallon each of the body wash (just can't call it shampoo), laundry soap, and dish soap. You tell me, can you get all that for around $20 and have it last for about 4 months?? 5 gallons of soap. I think our ancestors were on to something there.

Another "Green" Experiment

Lately, I've been playing with going green, or going natural with everything in the house. Finally got the guts up to try to make my own soap bars. The first 2 were a bust, so started looking into other soap ideas. Finally tried making my own liquid soap.

The first one I tried to make was for a liquid castile soap. I tried to make it the old fashioned way with 100% olive oil. It turned out great!!! I'm starting to use it for most of my cleaning, and I am pleased with the results. Still have to tweak the window cleaner recipe, but found several others on the net for this "liquid gold".

I've also tried my hand at homemade dishwasher powder. Figured out what I was doing wrong. (Yes, I will share the recipe after the story) When I first tried it, it was borax and baking soda. Left an awful powder residue on my dishes. Then found one recipe that said to use Kool-aide packets with the recipe. Same story. Then came Kosher Salt. Didn't help. Finally, after some more research, and a screw-up on my part for the chemical to make the liquid soap, I finally came up with the following recipe:

1/4 cup borax
1/4 cup Washing soda
2 tablespoons Kosher Salt
3 tablespoons Citric Acid
Small Amount of Rice *

I don't know what it is with this area, but using the washing soda instead of baking soda really helped. I tried the Citric Acid mixed with my regular dishwasher powder, and suddenly had glasses that were clear, not cloudy. These were the same glasses that I tried the other experiments on, they clouded up and I just couldn't get rid of them. This does make a small batch, in fact, I'm keeping it in a pint-sized mason jar. When I use it, I use about 1 tablespoon in each cup, and my dishes haven't looked better. I also use white vinegar in the rinse compartment.
* Side Note: After making this, it went into a rock-hard mass that I had to scrape out of the jar. I went back to look at other recipes that others have made, and they were having the same problems. One person added about a teaspoon of regular white rice and the clumping problem disappeared. I haven't tried this myself since my rice supply got bugs in it, but will try it again soon with the rice and see if that helps.

At the rate I'm going, I'll be able to clean out all of those old chemical cleaners the ads say we just can't live without. Between what I'm finding to make with regular cleaners, and my steamer, we should be free of those store cleaners in next to no time!!!

Cloth Menstral Pads

Ok, ok, ok, don't yell, way too much has happened for me to keep up with this blog. But I'm going to try harder.

One thing that this post will be about is saving money. Sort of. I lost my job last year just after Christmas ( and i won't go into that story) and started having a hard time getting some of the "necessities of life" for my family. My daughter has been menstrating for over a year by this time, and with buying pads becoming harder and harder to do, we finally researched cloth pads. After making a bunch, both of us give it an enthusiastic 2 thumbs up. I will supply the pattern I've been using, but we found that there are no leaking, less odors, and less waste than we had with the commercial pads.

In the research we did, I came upon a pattern similar to this, but we changed it some for our use. If you own the orginal pattern, let me know so I can give credit where credit is due.

Now, on to the pattern---( I'm sorry I don't have pics to post with this, my internet connection has problems with loading pics)

You will need:
Package of washcloths (usually the 18 count washcloths from WalMart work well)
Flannel--I used a couple of yards worth for myself and my daughter, and thinking of needing some more
Sewing thread
Serger works the best, but you can also use a sewing machine with a zigzag setting for most of the work.
Snaps (press-on would be the best-- will explain more later)


First thing, open those washcloths you just bought and toss them in the washer with the flannel and wash on the hottest water setting you can. You need to pre-shrink them before anything is done, or they will shrink on you afterwards, and that is something you don't want to have happen. It might not hurt to iron them afterwards, that was a step I didn't worry about since no one will see them when they are used, unless they are doing laundry for you.

After that- you will want to lay out a washcloth on top of the flannel and either just cut, or draw around the cloth to get a square of flannel the same size as the washcloth. Or you can do the cheaters way, which is what I did. I layed out the washcloth on top of the flannel, and then serged around the washcloth, letting the serger cut away the extra flannel as I went. You should be able to do the same thing with a sewing maching, just cut the flannel after zigzagging around the washcloth.

Once done, you will have your pad completely made, just fold it into thirds and stick it where it belongs. It's best if you have somewhat of snug-fitting undies to wear them with. If you prefer the tabs, then here we go with that:

Take some extra flannel, cut two strips about 2" to 3" wide by 3" long. Fold each in half longways and sew up one end and the side. Turn right side out and finger press flat. Grab your snaps and follow the directions on the package for the press-together snaps and place a female snap on one tab and a male snap on the other. Now grab a pad, and fold it into thirds. Use a straight pin to mark where those folds are, or a marker that will wash out to mark those fold lines. Open the pad back up and place the tabs about halfway down, lining up the fold line with the open end of the tabs (it helps to keep the tabs snapped together at this point so you can make sure they line up at the same point). Give yourself about 1/8th to 1/4" room to catch the tabs in the sewing and then sew a straight line down that fold.
You can do this with regular buttons and buttonholes (that is something I never learned how to do right, plus I think it would feel uncomfortable between the legs), sew on snaps, hook and loop tape or other types of fasteners, but just remember when you choose the fastener, think about how much you are going to be snapping them on and off. This is why we chose to stop when the squares were sewn together.

That's all there is to making these. We don't use the tabs, and I haven't even made the fold lines. Since I started using these, my cycles have been lighter, so I don't need as heavy a pad like I did using the commercial ones. At first, my daughter was going to balk at using them, saying she didn't like the feel of flannel on her skin. She has since started using them and fell in love, since they don't itch like using a regular washcloth did against the tender skin ( and we both have done that in a pinch). They open flat when washing, so they take no time at all in drying.

And speaking of washing, this is how we care for them. Use, throw in hamper afterwards, wash with regular clothes. Every once in a while, I will throw them in the washer and just let them soak in cold water for an hour or two, but never had a problem with staining with them. There are some out there that keep a bucket of water by the toilet just to drop them into, change the water every day during use, then wash at the end. With two big labs, that wouldn't last long around here, but they do leave the hamper alone. After drying, I just fold them up into the pad shape and store in a bag by the toilet, so they are ready for the next time or person. Just remember to keep the fabric softener use to a minimum so they will keep absorbing like they should. I rarely use it myself, so don't have much to worry about it around here.

And figure this: We were spending about $8 a month on commercial pads ( and that is going with store name brand). Haven't used them in over 8 months now-- so we have saved over $50 so far. Now if you think my math is off, some of that money went to water and electricity use to keep them washed. My daughter is very enviromentally concious about what waste we throw away. She is happy about the less plastic we are throwing in the trash now.

Going Green

Though it's been a while, I decided to take a little time to talk about going green. I know everyone is doing it, but does anyone realize that by going green is basically the same as what our grandparents and great-grandparents were doing all the time?

The ReadyMop pads and cleaning solution I posted before is just one step in combining the old with the new. It also saves me alot of money since I don't buy the solution or pads anymore. The solution only costs me about $1 to make by the gallon and I use it more than just on the floor.

I keep looking around the internet for different ways to replace what I use with cost effective alternatives. I'm still currently for an alternative for the dishwasher, since the baking soda/borax mix that is currently out there just doesn't get the dishes clean enough for me. The best I have been able to come up with is a mix of the soda/borax with GV dishwasher powder. When I looked over the box, it has both of those ingrediants in it, but also emzynes that help remove the food. So I've been using that for my mix.

My newest love is the laundry soap recipe I found. It came from the Duggers' website (18 and counting, or is 19 and counting now?). Their recipe for the powdered laundry soap works wonders here, but I ended up making a few changes to it.

For one, I use Ivory Soap bars. And the best way to shred it is to open the bars up enough to let them dry out for a week (or longer) first, then use a cheese grater to grate them. Then I mix it all in a clean Ice Cream bucket and use a 1/8c coffee scoop per load. It hasn't built up on the clothes and they smell nice and clean when it's done. I actually had enough to fill a one gallon ice cream bucket using 4 bars of soap. And it cost less than $10 to get that much. Plus I still have some of the borax and washing soda left over for other things.

As I find more out there, I will post where I find them and what I think about how they work.

Kitty's Barefoot Sandals

Ok, I had to take a break from working on the sweater, especially as I have a lot going on in the family at the moment. Tonight, my thoughts turned to summer and warmer weather, so I started pulling out some patterns for Barefoot sandals. Well, the pattens I do have either take special elastic thread, or creating long ties that end up hurting the back of my ankle when I put my feet up. So after some thought and a little experiment, I came up with this pattern:


Kitty's barefoot sandal

Sz 10 Crochet thread-- Your choice of color, one ball will make too many for a sane person to keep track of
4 4mm beads in coordinating colors (or whatever beads you want, but it must be at least the 4mm size- though you may go bigger) 6mm or larger, only need 2
US 7 crochet hook

This was made to fit my big, sz 10 feet, but my daughter loves them as is for her sz 7, so adjust as needed for size of foot you are making them for.


Pattern:
Ch 25, join in to 1st chain to form ring
Ch 1, sc around chain until completely covered, sl st into 1st sc.
Ch 1, sc in 1st 3 sc of ring, turn
Ch 1 (does not count as starting sc) sc in each sc. Repeat this row until 37 rows completed, or until it will fit comfortably (w/o stretching) from second toe to ankle.
Next row: Ch1, put bead on hook, sc in first sc around bead to secure it. Sc in next sc, put bead on hook and sc in last sc. (If you feel better about it, you may string the beads on the thread before hand and just do a beaded crochet stitch, the choice is yours)
Optional—if you used a larger bead, then sc, add bead, sc.
Now Create a chain that will around the ankle and just touch the bead(s) on the other side, plus 15 chains.
Sc in 15th chain from hook, sc in each ch until back to the bead(s). Finish off and weave in ends.
When I made mine, I wove the beginning tail into the ring when I covered it, and used the end tail to go back through the beads a few more times to make sure the beads were secure.

To wear: Slip covered chain over toe, then wrap ankle strap around ankle and slip other loop over beads. Enjoy your new "sandals" this summer.





I've been the type of person that really don't like wearing shoes, though as I get older, I find I can't handle the hot pavement during the summer. My father always called me an Okie for not wanting to wear shoes all the time. So this is my answer to those that can't stand seeing me w/o shoes, while I get to relax with no shoes on.

Lion Brand Casual Comfort Pullover

ok, I'm taking a break from writing patterns to finally work on a sweater. I asked Lion Brand if I can post some of the changes I've made to their sweater, especially since I cannot wear wool, and they have given me permission for this. I will update this with a picture when I'm done, as well as give you an amount of yarn I used for it. The orginal pattern can be found here, Casual Comfort Pullover. I'm making mine in the 1X-2X size,

So far, here are the changes I've made to the pattern:
Use Red Heart Super saver yarn, 5oz balls in Grey Heather-- So far, I've used 6 balls and still have some yardage to go, and I'm just finished the placing of the sleeves on the holders.

Where the pattern calls for using 2 strands of yarn held together, hold 4 strands.

Now, at the time I started this, Lion brand hadn't posted the corrections about using double pointed needles, and the cast on at the top of the body was too small to use with my 19 needles, so I started with the neck. So cast on 54 stitches, join w/o twisting and knit 5 rows.
Next row: Decrease 10 stitches evenly around.
Knit 5 rows.
Next row: Decrease 8 stitches evenly around.
Knit 5 rows.
Now this will put you at the top of the body with 36 sts on the needles. Knit the Set Up Round as written in the pattern.

From here, you will follow the pattern as written, except where it has you knitting into one strand for the increase, knit into 2 strands.

I also used 2 other circular needles for stitch holders, kind of "tying" them together after moving the stitches onto them.

Now I will add here that the orginal pattern calls for the sleeves to be sewn to the body after they were made, you know, where you picked up the stitches for the sleeves and started knitting them. I'm planning on picking up a few extra stitches here so I can elimate the need to sew that hole closed. I'm also planning on making them longer. As I get to that step, I will let you know what I did and how many stitches I added, as well as the length.

I'm hoping this will help others that have the same problem I have with wool, and give you another way to make this lovely sweater.

Hip-Wading Socks

Ok, here are my future son-in-law's socks that he declared would work well when he wore his hip-waders. I had one problem with making them, and they extended about 2" beyond his foot. So I corrected the pattern so no one else would have this problem. I will have a picture soon of what these socks look like. (see bottom of post for an update on this pattern.)

Hip-wader Socks

SIZE
One Size fits Most
MATERIALS
Red Heart Super Saver
1 Skein each of Royal Blue (MC) and White (CC) or colors of your choice
Size 13 set of double-pointed needles (dpns)(might be handy to have 5 dpns on hand for the heel work)
Stitch markers (optional-- I never used them in making these socks)
Tapestry needle
STITCH EXPLANATION
ssk (slip, slip, knit) Slip next 2 sts as if to knit, one at a time, to right needle; insert left
needle into fronts of these 2 sts and k them tog.
SOCKS
With MC and dpns, using 2 strands held tog, cast on 24 sts; divide sts evenly on 3 dpns (or 8 sts per needle). Join, taking care not to twist sts. Place marker or piece of yarn at beg of rnd (or use the end of yarn from casting on to mark the beginning). Work in (k 1, p 1) rib for 5 rnds. Then knit straight for 18 rounds.
Heel flap (work back and forth)
Turn to WS, Drop MC (do not cut it) and Attach CC, p 12 sts; turn to RS and k 12 sts. (Note Instep sts not being worked can be kept on one dpn.) Rep last 2 rows 3 more times. Turn to WS and p 12 sts.
Heel turning:
Turn to (RS) 6, k2tog, k 1. Turn.
(WS) P 2, p2tog, p 1. Turn.
K 3, k2tog, k 1.
Turn.
P 4, p2tog, p 1. Turn.
K 5, k2tog. Turn. (WS) P 5, p2tog. Turn.
K 6 heel sts. Cut CC and attach MC at this point.
Return now to working in the round, arranging stitches as follows: With dpn #1, pick up
and k 10 sts up side of heel flap; with dpn #2, k 12 instep sts; with dpn #3, pick up and k 10 sts along side of heel flap; k across 3 sts of dpn #1 --38 sts.
Heel gusset
Dec rnd Place marker, on dpn #1, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k 1; on dpn #2, k across instep sts; on dpn #3, k 1, ssk, k to end of needle. Rep this dec rnd 2 times. K 1 rnd. Rep dec rnd. Rep these last 2 rnds 3 more times (7 dec rnds and 24 sts rem). K every rnd even until Sock is about 2" from desired length to toe measured from bottom of heel flap, ending by working sts on dpn #1 and place marker.
TOE
Cut MC. Join CC. K 1 rnd.
Toe dec rnd: K 1, ssk, k to last 3 sts on dpn #2, k2tog, k 1; on dpn #3, k 1, ssk, k to end; on dpn #1, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k 1. K 2 rnds even. Rep dec rnd. K 2 rnd(s) even.
Rep dec rnd. K 1 rnd even. Rep dec rnd. 10 sts left on 2 needles.
Cut CC, leaving 10" tail. Thread tapestry needle with tail and do the kitchener stitch. Weave in ends. Make second Sock same. (It might be easier to count the stitches from the last dec on the gusset to where you start the toe, it will make the socks even if you do that.)

Just a small note about this pattern. When I made the first pair for my son-in-law, we used a foot measurement of 12" when his actual foot measured 10". So I did correct it for everyone else. He has since bought me more yarn to make him more socks for his waders, and also so he can keep his feet warm on these cold Idaho nights.

Long time-- No See

Yes, I know, it's been a while since I've done anything here. My biggest achievements have been that a daughter that I have to give up for adoption finally made her way back home!! I've spent a lot of time with her, and helping her adapt to the area as much as I can. She has adapted so well, that she found the love of her life in a friend of mine. Now before anyone thinks something is wrong, this friend is only 2 years older than my daughter, and I actually made friends with him and his parents before my daughter entered the picture.

I'm doing another post for a pair of socks that I made for him. Never thought he would have received this gift so well, but he likes them in spite of the mistakes I made in them.

So, now on to the pattern.

Sorry

If anyone is reading this and hoping that I will post more patterns, I'm sorry. I've had some family emergencies going on in the past few months, from my dad passing away to non-stop problems with my ex. I'm still working on my knitting and crocheting, just not as much as I would like to do.

Currently on the needles: Another bag that is done entirely out of thread, dishcloth done in thread, and slippers (or dorm boots) for me and the kids.

On those dorm boots: I'm using the pattern for the Lopi Boots but made some changes to it. Like the needle size and the yarn used. I'm allergic to wool. Very allergic. Plus I don't have enough circular needles to do what the pattern called for. So using the basic pattern, I divided it up onto 4 double point needles from Lion Brand. The following picture is of my daughter's finished boots and what it looks like in progress with my son's boots.

Yes, it's a slight trick to knitting on double point needles like this in the beginning, but it's worth the results when they are done. If anyone wants to try to do this pattern the way I did, I used size 7 for my daughter's boots, size 8 for my son's and probably will use the 8's for my own boots as well. Just not sure yet. These were also made slightly larger than they probably should have been, but then there is enough room to wear socks if you want. Oh, before I forget, the yarn is Red Heart Super Saver worsted weight yarn.

The Scrubby Sponge

Ok, decided to add another crochet pattern. This one whipped up very quickly, like in 2 hours for me. Please, don't hesitate to let me know if there is any errors in this pattern.

Scrubby Sponge

2 balls Size 10 crochet thread (I used bedspread cotton)
Size B hook
Kitchen sponge

Holding 2 threads together, Chain 23

DC in 5th chain from hook. *ch1, sk 1 ch, DC in next chain, repeat from * to last stitch. (DC, ch 1) 3 times in last chain. Now start working on the other side, doing the ch1,sk 1 DC pattern, using the same stitch from when you went across the row. End with 2 (DC-ch1) in the end hole (the beginning 4 chain). Do not join, but start to work in continuous rounds using the DC-ch1 pattern in the holes made from the first round.

When you get it as tall as the sponge, stop with DC at one corner, then do ch1, HDC in next stitch, then *(ch1, HDC) 2 times in the next hole, and around again until you reach the hole just after the HDC. CH1, sc in next space, slip stitch in next space. Cut thread and weave in ends.

Now take the thread you have been using, and chain 40. Cut off and leave the tails (or if you prefer, weave the tails back in). Find about center of the top, and using the hook, pull chain through, do a simple tie and you’re on your way to scrubbing!!

I’m sure that if you want to, you can sc the top shut, but I prefer to be able to change the sponge out when it becomes too gross to be used anymore (and that includes running it through the dishwasher several times), or if the sponge is totally worn out and falling apart. I just don’t like to throw away my handiwork like that.

Chocolate Hobo Bag

Here is my favorite Pattern, the Chocolate Hobo bag. Hope you have as much fun as I did making it.

Chocolate Hobo Bag

One lb cone Peaches-n-Cream worsted weight Cotton, Chocolate or whatever color you choose. (If doing the stripes, then have a contrasting color yarn handy, but make sure it is cotton yarn as well)

Size 8 double pointed needles (must have 5 in the package)
Size 8 Circular Needles (I can’t remember the length at this time)
Size G crochet hook (optional)
Button of choice (optional)
Yarn Needle for sewing
Ring markers.

Using double pointed needles, leaving about a foot length of yarn, cast on 8 stitches and divide between 4 needles. Join, being careful not to twist them.

Rnd 1: Increase in each stitch knitting
Rnd 2: knit one, increase one around
Rnd 3: knit 2, increase one around
Rnd 4: knit 3, increase one around
Rnd 5: knit 4, increase one around
Rnd 6: knit 5, increase one around
Rnd 7: knit 6, increase one around
Rnd 8: knit 7, increase one around
Rnd 9: knit 8, increase one around
Rnd 10: knit 9, increase one around. During this round, it might be helpful if you put stitch markers right after your increase. Also, remember to mark the beginning of the round at this point.
Next rnd: knit
Next rnd: knit until one stitch before marker, increase.
Repeat these last 2 rounds until you have a total of 144 stitches, switching to the circular needles when necessary.
Next rnd: Knit straight until desired length. If desired, add stripes in the body of the bag.. Mine was 5 rnds of white separated by 10 rnds of Chocolate, then another 5 rnds of white. Then worked with chocolate again.
Next rnd: knit 36, bind off 36, knit 36, bind off 36.

Now we will be working in rows, forming the handles.
Knit first row
Purl next row
*Knit 1, knit 2 tog, knit across until last 3 stitches, knit 2 tog, knit one
Purl next row. Repeat from * until there are only 16 stitches left. Use Stockingette stitch (knit one row, purl one row) until half of desired length of handle.

Repeat for the other 36 sts. Sew handles together and sew bottom hole of bag closed. Crochet around all edges.

Optional: Crochet a chain loop when you finish the edges. Sew a button of choice on the side opposite the chain.

ReadyMop Pads and solutions

I'm going to add to my many craft talents here as well. I sew, do beadwork, and even play with polimer clay (I know that's not spelled right, so give me a break, it's 4am here).The following is an eco-friendly version of the ReadyMop Pads and solution.

I thought I would share my pattern and the recipe I found for my Clorox Ready Mop with the world. I don't know much about the Swiffer Mop, though from what I heard, there is a way to get the cap off of the bottle and you can refill with this solution.

I'm starting off with the pads I made for my ready mop. I did 9 of these in a single afternoon, so it's not that hard to do.

This first picture shows both the front and back of 2 of the pads.

This one is a close-up of the netting I put on the front.

The materials I used were a package of white wash cloths from Wal-Mart. You know, the ones that they have 2 for $5 (the cheap ones). I'm sure you can use those Microfiber cloths that are out there, but since I'm on a tight budget, I haven't tried that yet

An old thick (in this case, an ugly pink) towel, but even another folded washcloth should work here.

And last, but not least, Nylon Netting. You can get the netting at any fabric store.

Now while I designed these using the Ready Mop pads, I'm going to put in measurements so you don't have the frustration (sometimes it's better if you have one of the disposable pads close by for reference).

For as many pads as your going to make, you need to cut rectangles out of the old towel and netting 4 inches wide by 11 (?) inches long. The length does depend on how big the washcloth is. Placement of these 2 on the main cloth is in the middle 1/3rd. My washcloths measure about 11 3/4 inches, so from one side I measured in 3 1/2 inches. I know it doesn't sound right, but it does work out. I laid the pink towel on one side, then holding it, turned the whole thing over and laid the netting on the other side. (sometimes it helps to have a clean disposable pad on hand to check the placement) Grab the sewing machine and I zig-zagged around the netting. When that was done, double check to make sure you caught the towel on the other side. That's it!! The reason why I used the pink towel was so I can make sure that the pink side is always against the head so I can use the netting as a type of scrubber. And it helps the kids to make sure the cloth is put on the right way. I ran a test between the 2, disposable pad vs. this home-made one. Honestly, the homemade one held more liquid and cleaned the floor better than the disposable one. The only thing I don't know is if this pattern could be adapted to the Swiffer Mop.

One thing I did notice is that there is some extra cloth on each side when you put it on the mop. I'm hoping that soon I can afford a serger and see about removing this extra edge for a neater appearance.

At this time, I have forgotten where I found this cleaner. But, IMHO, it works just as good as the cleaner you buy in the stores.

All Purpose Spray Cleaner (Clorox mop liquid)

1 pint rubbing alcohol

1 tbsp dishwashing detergent

1 tbsp household ammonia

1 tbsp vinegar

1 gallon Water (this is optional, as you can use a clean Milk Jug Container and tap water)

If using bought water, pour some out into a pitcher and hang on to it, or if using a an old milk jug, then fill it about half full. Using a funnel, put all ingredients in the jug, top off with reserved water (or tap water) and shake gently. Pour into a spray bottle (or mop bottle) and start cleaning.

This solution works very well with the Ready Mop, plus I keep some in a spray bottle for the counters and mirrors. So far, I havn't found anything that it won't clean. Even tried it on some nasty spots in my carpet, and it did wonders.

A friend doesn't have the ReadyMop system, so she uses it in a spray bottle with rags on her Swiffer and it does a wonderful job as well.

Soft and Simple Scarf

Soft and Simple Scarf

2 skeins worsted weight yarn. We picked out Red Heart Super Saver yarn for ours. My daughter is modeling hers in the colors of pale yellow and pale green. The one in progress is pale yellow and red (don't ask, that's what my son wanted)
Size 50 Lion Brand Knitting needles (known as Speed Stix)
Crochet hook or yarn needle.

To begin, take the 2 skeins and split them in half. If you want, you can buy 4 skeins for a more wild color combo, but this is the most economical way of doing it. The scarf is knitted using 4 strands of yarn held together.

Cast on 10 stitches.

Now knit every row for 106 rows. Bind off and weave in ends.

I don't count on a guage (just never figured it out) and I don't have anything long enough to measure it with. But this length is enough for my daughter to wrap it around her head and face to keep warm on these cold Idaho mornings as she is walking to the bus stop. I didn't block this either, since I know that kids will stretch them out quite a bit.

If you are a tight knitter, this will force you to be loose on the stitches.

Bottle Holder

Here it is, my first post. I'm mostly using this blog as a place to hold some of my patterns. And I'm kicking it off with one that I redesigned.

*Note: If I'm redesigning a pattern, I will try to post a link to the originial pattern so you can choose if you would like to make my design or you can make the orginal.

The first pattern here is a drink holder. I found this Hydrate pattern and like the looks of it. Well, sort of. My version will hold a 20oz bottle. Mine usually holds a Coca Cola bottle, since that's my drink of preference. The following is the complete pattern that I rewrote:

2 balls Size 10 crochet thread (usually use the same color for both balls, but the choice is up to you)
US size D crochet hook
Base:
Rnd 1: ch 2, 8 sc in 2nd ch from hook. Join w/ sl st to 1st sc. (8 sc)
Rnd 2: ch 1, 2 sc in ea st around. Join w/ sl st to 1st sc. (16 sc)
Rnd 3: ch 1, sc in 1st st, 2 sc in next st; *sc in next st, 2 sc in next st;* repeat from * to * around. Join w/ sl st to 1st sc. (24 sc)
Rnd 4: ch 1, sc in the first 2 sc, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st,* repeat from * to * around. Join w/ sl st to 1st sc. (32 sc)
Rnd 5: ch 1, sc in the first 3 sc, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st,* repeat from * to * around. Join w/ sl st to 1st sc. (40 sc)
Rnd 6: ch 1, sc in the first 4 sc, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st,* repeat from * to * around. Join w/ sl st to 1st sc. (48 sc)
Rnd 7: ch 1, sc in the first 5 sc, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st,* repeat from * to * around. Join w/ sl st to 1st sc. (56 sc)
Side:
Rnd 8: *ch 4, skip 2 sc, sc in next sc from previous row. Do not join, but work in a continuous spiral from this point.
Rnds 9-22: * Ch 4, sc in top of Ch 4 from previous rnd. Repeat from *
Rnd 23: ch 3, sc in top of ch 4 from previous round. When you reach the first ch3, sl st in the hole, ch 1
Rnds 24-28: Rnd 24 only: *3sc in the ch 3 space, sc in sc. Repeat from * around, sl st in first sc. Ch 1 and sc in each sc around. Note: do not count the ch 1 as a sc, and always work a sc in the same stitch as the join.
Strap:
Row 1: ch 1, sc in next 6 sc. Turn
Row 2: ch 1, sc in each sc across
Rows 3-80: Repeat Row 2. Finish off. (If you would like a longer strap, just keep repeating Row 2 until the strap is the desired length.) Sl st to the opposite side of beginning 6sc. If desired. sc around top of opening and around handle.

Enjoy your bottle holder whether you’re at work, or out playing. I made this to hang on the carts that I use at work to keep a bottle handy. For some reason I kept losing my bottles when I had to sit them down.

Feel free to let me know if there are any errors in this pattern and I will try to post a pic of the bottle cover later, when my camera starts to behave itself.