Thursday, June 25, 2009

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Maybe some of you have notice the name change of the blog. I felt bad having retail clerk up there, because I haven't been one for nigh on a year now. I also wanted a place to showcase whatever crocheting I've been up to. I wanted a place where folks who were curious about crocheting could learn and make cute stuff. From now on, amidst updates when I have time for them, I'll be posting some current projects I'm working on and instructions on how to make them.


Here's the first one. It's the first pattern I adapted and made on my own. It's for flowers to adorn whatever. The first application I used them in was on a hat. The hat is a variation on a pattern from this lovely lady. It's the basic crown pattern, and once you make the increasing rows as desired, you just do rows of double crochet until the hat is long enough to reach or go just past your ears. That's up to you.

Laurie's 5 petal flowers:

Abbreviations I'll be using, extended:

sl st= slip stitch
sc= single crochet
dc= double crochet
hdc= half double crochet
ch= chain
rnd= round

The beauty of this little guys is you can use whatever size hook you want, with whatever colors and types of yarn you like.

1. Ch 4. sl st to form ring.
2. (rnd 1) ch 1 (counts as first sc), sc in ring. (ch 2, 2 sc, ch2) around until you have 5 ch 2 spaces. Sl st to the ch 1.
3. Sl st to ch 2 space. ch 2 (counts as hdc). 9 dc in same ch 2 space. hdc. (hdc, 9 dc, hdc) in next ch 2 space and in each ch 2 space around. Sl st to top of beginning ch 2.

Cut the yarn, weave in the ends and you've got a flower. You can make them in varying hook sizes. I would try and put 2 sizes between small, medium, and biggest flower. It makes the nested flowers look a little less cluttered. You can sew them on to hats, scarves, blankets, etc.

Make these and post pictures! Comment with any questions and happy crocheting.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Just look at this!!!

This stuff is insane!

http://www.edithzimmerman.com/blog/

clickity click. She does amazing work!

That mantis is my favorite.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Movin on Up

On sunday we looked at some condos. We narrowly missed seeing Steve's Dad, and found a place where we would feel comfortable raising Dex and maybe another one.

It is across the sidewalk from the place my family moved to when they first moved out to the suburbs. (Julie, Clay, and June will be most familar with this one.)

Let me give you a bit of an example because housing prices vary across the good Ol' US. We were looking at 2 bedroom condos that were 75K to 150K. Granted, the 150K ones were completely refurbished in the last 2 years due to a fire. They were purdy. Anyways, they were 2 levels, and 2 bathrooms, usually 1.5 bathrooms.

The place we're going to try and get has 2 floors, 3 bedrooms, kitchen full of appliances, A BASEMENT!, and 1.5 bathrooms. It's 81,900. The outside of the building looks like a jungle threw up everywhere because the guy who owns the townhomes you can rent thinks planting a million trees will make things look nicer. I choose to think it looks like I'm living in some ruined overgrown ancient city.

What I liked is no one gave me the stink eye, we wouldn't have to worry about running into Steve's Dad, and all the people and kids we saw were saying hi and being polite. Another big plus is I have a little bit of yard just big enough for some flowers and veggies. :D

I really, really hope we get this place.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Shameless promotion part three:

There is this wonderful site that will kill lots of time. Go there, and you get results like these!


This is the original picture I chose.

Afro Carribean me.

Anime Me.This is the "mucha" filter. I'm assuming it's some awesome painter's style.


AHHH! Old me!

Why does "drunk" me look so much like Lily Allen?

This is the "Boticelli" me from another picture I chose.

I never realized how much I look like my brother. Yikes. ("masculine" filter)

And here are some of Steve just for good measure!
This would be "El Greco" Steve.

And Old Steve! He looks like the kind of guy who'd teach you how to fish, when in reality he will be of the "Gran Torino-Get-The-Hell-Of-My-Lawn!!!" type.

I fully expect you all to go there. I don't plan on updating this blog with much substance anymore, if you want something worthwile to look at, go check out the pictures of my kid.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Shameless promotion part two:


Visit SWAP MAMAS


Edit: it's hard to type while holding a baby. :(

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Shameless promotions

1. If you are a parent, go HERE. Tell 'em Laurie sent ya. It's such a brilliant idea. I flirt with hating the person who came up with it. It's just so brilliant.

2. if you are in my neck of the woods (northlake) come to my impending garage sale! Buy my old junk. It's going to the very worthy cause of getting me and mine a place of our own.

3. Anyone need a photographer? Working with Mario a couple weekends ago got me interested in the biz again. I'd like to photograph things and not just get paid in food.

Monday, June 1, 2009

el oh el.

This

made me laugh. I figured I'd share it with anyone still reading this ol bloggy.

In other news, I really thought I was out of high school. I wish people would come to me. If I was the source of something, ask. My email isn't too hard to find.

Also, in case any of you didn't know, if it's anonymous that means it HAS to be me. ESPECIALLY if it's from the North. You know, I'm the only one up here Julie may POSSIBLY talk to. It's not like she had friends here before she moved to GA. It's not like she has family here.

I think I might just take credit for all anonymous stuff if the credit is getting thrown at me. There's some good quotes and poems I've written it seems.