Pumpkin Hats

My grandkids, kids and close friends are never without hats. I so enjoy whipping up a hat. Sometimes kids out grow them or maybe need one they did not have before. Scout wanted a pumpkin hat. She has never had one and since she seems to love Halloween, and that is putting it mildly, I said I would make her one. Then Jo said her old one from when she was three was too small. Well yeah I guess so. So this week I made up two hats. I just used my standard roll brim pattern. We did them a little different this time. I wanted to use triangle black buttons but we could not find them anywhere, even the internet. So we decided to use felt for the eyes and nose and rickrack for the mouth. I used Liquid Stitch to glue them on and then did a little thread stitch in the corners as reinforcement.

Scout, my little Halloween Queen.

 

Funny

 

My Jo

 

Ears covered and fits over the ponytail. Very important.

 

Jo wanted to be silly in her new hat. I said give me the good pix first and then you can be crazy. Here is the result.

 

She cracks me up!

 

I mean really, these kids crack me up.

 

Now it is time to finish Allison's Skull and Crossbones hat for her Halloween costume. Then we move on to Snowmen hats.

New Table

About two years ago I sold my kitchen table in a garage sale. It was old and unsteady. I had put down a new floor and did not want scratches on the floor. I found a table I liked but needed to wait to purchase so I have not had a table since then. Of course in that length of time I have moved twice after living in the same house for 34 years. Fast forward to the present I still had no table but a card table. I finally said I guess I need a table sometime soon. Lo and behold last Saturday I get a call from Allison about what style I really want. Late in the afternoon there was a loud knock on the front door. When I opened it there sat a table and chairs. Strong son-in-law TJ carried it in the house.

 

Perfect.

 

I had wanted a new set but with all the "stuff" that has gone on in the last year and a half that was going to be impossible. Allison and Caitlin told me I was crazy that there were great deals on Craig's List. I think Allison found this one in less than 24 hours. I loved it.

 

 

I cleaned the table and chairs with Old English. While I was doing this I remembered I had a large doily that JE and I had found last spring. My grandma had made it years ago. After I put it on the table I decided it needed something else. 

 

 

I had a vase that I love. Joseph sent it to me full of pink tulips while he was in Iraq. Flowers do die so I had an idea. What is a great thing for a knitter to have close by? Knitting needles. I went to my needle stash and pulled out a bunch that are second and third sizes. Don't judge, you never know when you might need five pairs of size10's or 8's. Plus you do not have to remember to water them and they don't die.

 

 

I love it.

 

So now when the grandgirls come to play and stay to eat, which of course is most of the time, we have a more steady table and chairs. Now we can do our crafts (or as Scout says craps) on a steady surface. Thanks Alli for finding this table. It is exactly like I wanted and you saved me enough money that I can use that savings for more yarn which I will add to the stash in the buffet behind the table.

 

 

Blake's Hat

The infusionist at our doctor's office had a baby four months ago. I had made her some little newborn hats for baby Blake. The other day I was thinking that someday it is going to get cooler and that boy might need another hat. I whipped up this little one for him. It is a 6 month size. The yarn is I Love This Yarn #510 Blue Camo Stripe.

 

 

Decorating

Halloween is Scout's favorite time of the year. She must have thought my house was too un-holiday-ish. She decorated my windows. Hope she is as excited to help me decorate when Christmas comes.

 

 

 

 

 

Yummy

It was a long day today with two doctor appointments. What for supper? I had some leftover chicken that I wanted to use but I was tired of using soups to make casseroles. Then I thought hmm, rice would be good. I also had some Rotel tomatoes. Voila, I called it Mexican Chicken and Rice.

 

I did not think to take a picture before we ate it. After all it was just one of those dishes you throw together without a plan. As the rice was cooking I boned the chicken and warmed it a little. When the rice was done I stirred in the Rotel tomatoes  and then dumped in the chicken and stirred it all together. Then I poured it all in a Pyrex dish. I baked it 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Then I took it out and covered it with some grated Cheddar cheese. I was going to use Monterrey Jack cheese but it was all gone. This was seriously a dish made out of whatever I happened to think to use. I put it back in the oven for 5 minutes for the cheese to melt. It was very yummy and I will make it again.

 

New Yarn

 

Another yarn for the Daisy Afghan.

Caron Simply Soft #9605 Mango.

Thimbles

I really do not like to sew. There are many crafty things I do like but sewing really stresses me. Contrast that to the fact that I have quite a thimble collection. I cannot remember my first collected thimble nor can I remember when I actually started collecting. I have a quite a few I have purchased but I have even more that my traveling children have given me. Since the move I just have not been able to get things in order and I really do not want a lot of things hanging on the walls but finally I needed the thimbles hung up. My little thimble holder was made for me one Christmas by my father-in-law.

 

There are still a few openings left. Since this was handmade not all the holes are the same size and I have to work around to find the spot that fits each thimble. I have many thimbles from the United States but also from the world travels of my children. Thimbles come in all shapes and sizes and I have a few that are too tall for the holder. Those sit on the buffet next to the ones hung on the wall. 

 

 

I love this little collection and appreciate that people think of me when traveling and bring me a new thimble.

Yarn Weath

I firmly believe that you can never have too much yarn or too many books. Even though I had to do some "letting go" with some of my books because of the move last year I kept the most important, or sentimental, or unread, or autographed by Yarn Harlot. Yarn is a different story. Yarn does go away. Sometimes the stash is bigger than others but most of it seems to move on to new homes in a new form. Last year Allison made me a yarn wreath. She collected different yarns balled them up and made me a wreath. I loved it. Since the move I could not find a place for it to live. I have hunted for the right "hanger" to use to put it up and could not find what I wanted. Today I said enough. I had some nails and a hammer and up it went right by the front door. I love it.

 

 

Every house needs yarn that never leaves.

 

Happy United States Constitution Day

 

Today is the 225th anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution. I remember in 6th grade we had a Civics class to study the Constitution. I remember spending about six weeks on a study that included everything about the Constitution. To this day I can still recite the Preamble to the Constitution. We had to write it or say it for a grade. Funny the things that stay with us.

 

Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

 

In these turbulent we should never take anything for granted.

 

 

So Tired

Today Allison, Scout and I went to several craft (or as Scout says crap) stores. She loves doing her "craps". This always cracks me up. I picked up another Caron Simply Soft  in Passion #0012 for the Daisy Afghan. Jo had asked for a scarf and we saw some Red Heart yarn called Team Spirit. I got the red/grey #0988. It is supposed to stripe so this will be great in her school colors. It is Red Heart, not one of my favorite yarns, but it feels softer than some I have come across.

Caron Simply Soft #0012 Passion

I love this color.

 

Team Spirit by Red Heart #0988

I got this at Joann's.

 

After we had gone to several stores we headed to Wal-Mart. By the time we got to the check out Scout was "a little tired".

 

 

I glanced over after we put all the groceries on the checkout belt and there was Scout resting on a bunch of pillow pets. This girl cracks me up. It was a fun day.

 

Car Blankie

Scout was using Jo's Glow in the Dark car blankie in the car the other day. Yeah it was 104 degrees here yesterday but they like the little things. I had some Glow in the Dark Yarn left from a few years ago and I decided she needed her own "glow" blankie. Since I have been in a crochet mood I decided I would crochet it. These little blankies are so great for kids. I have made car blankies for all the grandkids. It gives them something soft to cuddle with on long car trips or a trip to the grocery store.

 

Scout loved it! I had some green and white and just chained 51 and used double crochet. Then I crocheted till I got to a point and changed color. I did find out that it was going to be a little too big if the colors were even so I did 10 rows of the first green and then 8 rows of the white and then 8 more rows of green. I always make car blankies 12"x12".  Notice the huge crochet hook. She wants me to teach her how to use yarn. We gotta try that soon.

 

Perfect.

 

I used Bernat Glow in the Dark yarn in Green Glow #22215 and Glow Worm White #22005. I have not seen this yarn in a couple of years so perhaps not everyone liked it as much as we did. If you "charge" it up in the light it glows so cool in a dark room. I would love to find some in Christmas colors.              Look at that smile.

 

More Daisies

Three new colors have been added to the daisy afghan. These may not be the last. There are a couple of others that I think might look nice in this patchwork granny square afghan.

 

All are Caron Simply Soft.

Chocolate #9750

Berry Blue #9609

Autumn Red #9730

 

 

This afghan is so full of color. I am amazed that the bright colors blend so well with the dark ones. I will again mention I love putting the squares together as I go. It has redeemed the idea of making lots of squares and having to put them together. I already have an idea for another afghan.

Hmmm....

 

What is this going to be?

 

Got Smart

After posting the back of the Daisy Afghan with all it's little tag strings I decided I had to take care of them. First I hid strings on about nine squares. Then being tired of all those strings already I made a few more new squares. Fortunately at that particular moment my brain had a pocket of clearness and I said, "Well, duh, you gotta hide those strings before you make another square." Amazing how the brain works. So I made about ten squares hiding the strings as I went. Why did I not do this before? I think it is because my brain is simply on overload and I am actually lucky I can even remember how to make a granny square. After a few squares I decided that the back of the afghan was bugging the heck out of me and I would dread having to hide tags when all was done. So I said I am going to do all of them now. That is what I did. Yesterday I said no squares till the tags are finished.

 

Tada! The wrong side. No strings!

 

This is also the wrong side. I was just so proud I had to show it.

 

Here is the size of the afghan this morning and all those pesky yarn tags are hidden. Yeah!!

So this morning I was able to start some more daisy centers and I hid the strings as I crocheted. Why did I not think of this before? Now each daisy is ready to have it's square added. Can you tell I am a little excited. Plus this crocheting the afghan together as you go is one of the most wonderful things ever. I love it.