A Good Day

I'm so excited that I only need one more block and I can start putting it together!  Then I have to go around each block again with one round of loops to prep them for the join and border.  I'll be working on it while watching the race today.

Right now, Barnaby is cutting the tips off of the chicken wings and separating the wings from the drummets.  I hate that part because my hands are killing me by the time I'm finished, so Barnaby is kindly doing that part.  I say "kindly" but he knows he wouldn't get any of his beloved Parmesan Chicken Wings if he didn't.  They ARE pretty darn fantastic.  I've posted the recipe here at least twice, but I'll do it again if anybody wants it.  I'd just link to it, but I don't know where it is.  I can never find the post when I look for it.  That's what I get for not using labels.

I've been napping all weekend.  It feels luxurious.  I love it and so does my sleepin' buddy, Sammi.  Saying that makes me miss Little Boy. 

I've gotta go make those wings and get them in the oven now.

There's nothing like watching a race, eating chicken wings, and crocheting all afternoon!  Ahhhh.

I hope y'all are equally happy today.

Friday!

I've never been so happy to see Friday.  We just got completely caught up on work (knock on wood), and I'm relieved and ready to do nothing except exactly what I want.

I have three more of these 12-inch squares to do.  (I finished another one since I took this picture.)  I'm going to try a lacy joining technique I've never done before and I can't wait to get to it.  I haven't decided on a border yet, but it'll be something lacy too I think.

I really love these squares.  They seem to go fast, and I love the way they look.  I'll definitely be making another afghan with these in another color(s).  Not sure what colors yet or when, but it's something to do when you have an hour to kill so why not?

Don't y'all want to make one?  I'd love to see these in other colors.

Speaking of afghans, take a look at this beauty:

Isn't it gorgeous?!  It was made by Irene522 on Ravelry.com, and she totally made it up!  Some people are just so talented and have an eye for this kind of thing.  She says how she did it in her comments on her project page.  I would love to make one similar (or exactly the same!).  I just love everything about it...the colors, the patterns, the border, ALL of it.  There is just no end to all the crocheting I want to do, is there?

Seeing beautiful things like this that other people have made really motivates me.  In fact, I'm going now so I can finish my squares and get started on the joining and border.

Y'all have a fantastic weekend!

I'm Alive

...but I am in a work coma.  I have mush-brain.  When I'm not working, all I can do is sit and stare.

Absolutely Nothing

I took some pictures of some products and uploaded to my computer so I could make an entry.  When I went to actually post them, the pictures looked dumb and it felt uninspired and boring, so I deleted them.  So there.  I guess I'm just not in the mood for product reviews.

I feel like this day has lasted FOREVER.  I got up at 7:30 and began typing at 8:00 and typed straight through to 1:00-ish with a small break at 9:00 to watch the beginning of Regis & Kelly and get a coffee refill.  Then I got up from my computer and took a shower and got all clean and shiny.

Now I'm sitting here with one roller in my hair in the front.  My nose is itchy and red like I've been crocheting with Red Heart yarn, but I haven't.  I guess I have allergies today or something.  Yes, I'm really attractive.  At least I got out of my pajamas.

I'm about to go into the living room and crochet my 7th Wheel Lattice Square and catch the rest of Shepard Smith.

I have no idea why any of this would be remotely interesting, but I'm not deleting it.  Goodbye.

Yesterday & the Camino

I'll be watching the race today and doing as little as possible other than crocheting and napping.  That is until about 8:00 PM when I will be working, and I'm not at all happy about it.  Don't get me started.

We only stayed at the casino maybe an hour yesterday, and most of that time we were drinking coffee and just walking around.  We stopped at the beef jerky place on the way home and got our Jalapeno Jerky.  YUM.  It did not disappoint.  Barnaby also got a bag of chocolate covered macadamia nuts and some hot & spicy peanuts.  I wanted to get some of those pink peanut patties and some peanut brittle, but I didn't.  That place makes all kinds of candy and nuts besides the beef jerky.  It's a smorgasbord of sugar-laden, fat-ass inducing, junk food.  I'm glad it's 75 miles away.

We went to dinner at an Italian restaurant near our house at 4:30 in the afternoon because we are 85 years old, and then we stopped and picked up a few groceries before coming home.  I got a book in the mail that I had ordered and read all but the last 20 pages or so before turning out the light at a little after 1:30 AM.

I've read two books lately by people who have taken the Camino el Santiago el Compostela pilgrimage in Spain.  I read Shirley MacLaine's book back in 2001 about her pilgrimage there but had forgotten about it.  I just happened to stumble upon another one while browsing around Amazon and decided to order it.  It was just okay, but I ordered two more the night I finished that one, hungry for more.  The last one has yet to arrive but should be here Monday or Tuesday.

I'd love to do something adventurous like that, but I've pretty much ruled this one out as just too arduous.  Not that I'm looking for a walk in the park (okay, maybe I am), but the more I read about it, the more I just think it's not for me.  Maybe it would have been 20 years ago when I was younger and had a stronger body.  Oh, how I wish I'd gone to Spain as a pilgrim for one month instead of to Boise, Idaho for six back then!  But that's a whole nuther story I like to pretend never happened.  It's still interesting to read about other people's experiences while on that month-long trek on the Camino el Santiago el Compostela and their spiritual journey along the way.  And it's fun to say that big long name too.

You can find these books on Amazon by doing a search in books for “Camino el Santiago.”  Here are the three books I've read and the one I'm about to start:

 

I’ve read all of Shirley’s books and enjoyed them, but she got downright weird and stupid towards the end of this one.  I’m pretty sure she made up this part for some reason.  I’m all for reading about weird stuff and even believing some of it, but this was just dumb.  I read it when it first came out in the Spring of 2001.

 

I didn’t really relate to most of this girl’s story.  She’s too much younger than I am.  I wanted details that she didn’t give.  I read this book last week.

This is the best one so far.  She was my age when she went to Spain six years ago.  (Close enough…she had just turned 50 and I’m 49.)  I’m currently reading this one and will finish today.

I’m waiting for this one to arrive this week.  A man wrote this one.  Might be interesting to hear a man’s point of view this time.

***********************************

I may do some product reviews this week.  There are a few things I’ve tried recently that I can share my opinion on.

Right now, I’m off to the race.  Bye.

You can thank me because I just wrote a really long pathetic post that was full of self-loathing and self-destructive thinking, but I deleted it instead of posting.  You don't need that.

On another note, I am about to smash this laptop with a sledge hammer.  Something is wrong with the keyboard and it won't keep up with my typing and keeps freezing and losing words, etc.  GAH.  It also keeps shutting down Internet Explorer for no reason.  Yes, I do believe a sledge hammer is in order.

*************************************************

I'm still crocheting the 12-inch squares.  I'm nearly finished with my sixth of twelve.  Yipee.

Barnaby just emailed me and asked if I wanted to go get some Beef Jerky on Saturday.  That is code for, "Do you want to go to Choctaw Casino on Saturday?"  The beef jerky place is on the way, and we always stop there and get some on the way home.  They have the best Jalapeno Beef Jerky I've ever tasted.  Okay, it's the only Jalapeno Beef Jerky I've ever tasted, but it's good!

Y'all have a good weekend.  Bye.

She's a Super-Freak

I got this from Melisa's Blog today.  I'm too busy to write any thoughts of my own today!

Tell 6 things about yourself that your readers don’t know.

1. I’m a freak about using my left turn signal. I think if I use it too much or when it’s not necessary it will burn out. If I’m stopped at a red light turning left, I won’t turn it on until the light turns green. The right one I don’t care about.

2. I don’t like watching the Olympics – Summer or Winter. (The shame!)

3. I change my underwear several times a day.

4. I hate to see men’s feet. They gross me out. Sandals on men are just wrong!

5. My last name is my husband’s middle name, not his last name. (Yes, even on my driver’s license and all other official documents.) He doesn’t use his last name either.

6. Two of my husbands had last names of water fowl – Duck and Swan.

The instructions didn't say that these had to make sense or be explained!  It also didn't say they had to be weird things, but since I had six weird things, that's what I used.

If you want to play along and put your six things on your blog, please do so and leave me a comment so I can check it out.

I was completely blank when it came to title this entry, so I left it blank.  Y'all don't need a title every time, do you?

I finished two more squares while watching the big dog show the last two nights.  It's starting to go a little faster now.  I'm not making mistakes and having to rip out rounds like I was at the beginning.  This square is really fun to do.  I like doing the last three rounds the best, but the others are fun too.

I am in love with the Linen ILTY.  I just love the color of it, and it's so soft.  The dark brown is Red Heart because Hobby Lobby was out of the dark brown in their brand, dang it.  My nose itches every time  I edge these.  I'm sewing the whole thing together and making the border with it too.  I haven't decided what border I'm doing yet.  I'll find something fun that I've never done before.  The border is my favorite part.

Okay, dinner is about to burn if I don't pay attention. (Leftovers)  I started a crock pot full of beans and ham bones this morning, but they aren't done yet.  We needed to eat up the Taco Soup leftovers anyway.  We'll have beans & ham with cornbread tomorrow.  They're usually better when left overnight anyway.

See ya.

Westminster

Are you watching the Westminster Dog Show?  Tonight is the last night.  They are splitting it up between two channels again this year, which is really annoying.  But you can see the first hour on the USA channel and the last two hours on CNBC.

So far we have four group winners that will be in the finals:

Hound Group:  Whippet
Toy Group:  Poodle
Non-Sporting Group:  French Bulldog
Herding Group:  Puli

Tonight is the judging for the Sporting, Working, and Terrier Groups.  Then, of course, the final judging for Best in Show.  I can hardly wait!

How To...

Lesson #1

Okay, here's your lesson on retrieving information from a website if you are getting an error message.  (The blind leading the blind!  Ha-ha.)

I'm using Dayna's crochet patterns as the example, but this should work with anything.  Keep in mind, Hubby thinks there may be a limited amount of time that this works before whatever you're looking for goes away permanently, but he's not sure what that time period is.

I was looking at pictures of Dayna's squares in the designer section of Ravelry yesterday, but whenever I clicked on any of the pattern links, I got an error message.  When that happens, if you'll put whatever it is you're looking for into Google and do a search and you can get it to come up on the Google Search Results page, you can retrieve it.  You need to be as specific as you can.

For example, I put "Dayna's Crochet Wheel Lattice" into the search box and hit enter.  This is what came up on the Search Results:

Dayna's Crochet - Free Patterns - Feb 14
Wheel Lattice. 12 inch square (with 7" and 8" options), easy and light. Materials: I hook. Worsted weight yarn ... Dayna Audirsch, July 14, 2004 ...
dayna.tdgservices.com/ShowPattern.aspx?PatternID=58 - Cached -

If you click the link to go to the page, you'll still get the error message.  BUT...Do you see that word "Cached" at the very end?  If you click on that, OMG!, it will come up!  (Click on it on the Search Results page, Silly, not above.)

It's MAGIC!  There it is in plain English, but I had no idea!

You'll need to put in "Dayna's Crochet" and then the exact pattern name you want, and you'll have to do it separately for each one you want.  You must find the exact page that you want on the Search Results Page.  Ravelry.com has pictures of all the squares and their names.  When you get into Ravelry, just do a search under "Designers" for "Dayna" and they will come up.  (For those of you who don't know, you have to be a member of Ravelry to get inside and see all the goodies.  That can take several days after you apply for membership on their home page.)

I hope I explained all that correctly.  If not, or if you need additional info, just let me know in the comments.

************************************

Lesson #2

The Smarty Pants Dance




Class dismissed.

Monday Crochet Pattern & Cake Recipe

Hello my Sweetie Pies.  There's good stuff today in this here entry, I'll tell you fo sho.  Get those printers warmed-up and ready.

I will tell you in another entry later how to retrieve all of Dayna's patterns even though you get an error message when you follow any of her links!  It's a secret that my super-smart hubby taught me and I will teach you.  Shhh!  Don't tell anybody.  But just remember who loves ya.  (You will feel so sneaky and like you're doing something bad, but at the same time, you'll be really pleased with yourself and doing the Smarty-Pants Dance once you learn this bit of computer genius.  I'll also show you what the Smarty-Pants Dance is!  Stay tuned.)

And away we go...

Changes I made to this pattern:  Used a size J hook and added a final round of dc in each stitch around with 3dc in center hdc in corners of previous round.  Mine came out closer to 14 inches with these changes.

(The afghan pictured in my previous post was done using a J hook and had at least two extra rounds of dc added at the end.)

*A picture of this square is pictured in my previous post.

Wheel Lattice Square

12-inch square (with 7" and 8" options)

I hook
Worsted weight yarn

*For 7 inch option, use G hook and work thru round 7.
*For 8 inch option, use G Hook and work thru round 8.

Ch 4, join to form a loop

Round 1: Ch 1 (sc, ch 5) 8 times in loop, join to 1st sc.

Round 2: Sl st in next loop, ch 3, 2dc in same loop, 3 dc in each loop around, join to 3rd ch of beg ch 3.

Round 3: Ch 1, sc in same st as joining, ch 5, skip next dc, (sc in next dc, ch 5, skip next dc) around, join to 1st sc. (12 loops)

Round 4: Sl st in next loop, ch 3, 2dc in same loop, ch 1, (3dc, ch 1) in each loop around, join to 3rd ch of beg ch 3.

Round 5: Sl st in next dc, (ch 4, 2 trc, ch 3, 3 trc) in same dc, [*ch 1, skip next 2 dc, 3dc in next dc, ch 1, skip next 2 dc, 3 dc in next dc, ch 1, skip next 2 dc *, (3trc, ch 3, 3trc) in next dc] 3 times and * to * once more, join to 4th ch of beg ch 4.

Round 6: Sl st to corner, ch 1 [(sc, ch 5, sc) in corner, ch 5, sc in next ch 1 sp across] 4 times, join to 1st sc.

Round 7: Sl st in corner loop, (ch 3, 2 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in corner, [*ch 1, (3 dc in next loop, ch 1) in each loop across,* (3dc, ch 3, 3dc) in corner] 3 times and * to * once more, join to 3rd ch of beg ch 3.

Round 8: Sl st to corner, (ch 3, 2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in corner, [*dc in each dc and ch 1 across*, (3dc, ch 2, 3dc) in corner] 3 times and * to * once more, join to 3rd ch of beg ch 3.

Round 9: Sl st to corner, ch 1 [(sc, ch 5, sc) in corner, ch 3, (skip next dc, sc in next dc, ch 3) across] 4 times, join to 1st sc.

Round 10: Sl st to corner, ch 1 [(sc, ch 5, sc) in corner loop, ch 3, (sc in next loop, ch 3) across] 4 times, join to 1st sc.

Round 11: Repeat round 10.

Note: Round 12 can be done with sc or dc depending on the size square you want.

Round 12: Sl st in corner loop, ch 2, 4 hdc in corner, [*2 hdc in each loop across*, 5 hdc in corner] 3 times and * to * once more, join to 2nd ch of beg ch 2. Finish off and weave away!

© Dayna Audirsch, July 14, 2004

*********************************

 
I cannot even begin to tell you how good this Chocolate-Coke Cake is.
 
Changes I made to the recipe:
 
I turned the temperature down a bit to 335 degrees F because I used a coated non-stick pan.  I always do this because the edges of my cakes seem to get over-done and dry if I don't.  I had to cook it longer because of the lower temp -- 40 minutes total.
 
I added about 1/2 cup of marshmallows too.  The marshmallows will rise to the top of the batter after you pour it in your cake pan, and you'll need to spread them out evenly.  Then I added enough marshmallows to fill in the gaps where there were no marshmallows and just dunked them under the batter with my spoon.  I hope that makes sense.  I'm sure you can skip this and it'll be fine. 
 
Also, if you make your icing too far ahead of time and it sets up (like mine did) and is not pourable, stick it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes on high and it will become soft and more liquid again so you can pour it over your hot cake.  Or, you can just not start making the icing until the cake is 5-10 minutes from being done.
 
(Geez, Pammy Sue.  Why don't you just write your own recipe already instead of confusing everybody!)
 
Disclaimer:  Y'all do whatever you want.  I'm just a little OCD and have to micro-manage everything.  Don't be hatin' me.  I do it with love and good intentions. 
 
Chocolate Coca-Cola Cake


1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1/3 cup cocoa
1 cup cola soft drink (8 oz.)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk (or milk with a little vinegar stirred in)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until butter melts. Remove from heat.

Combine flour, sugar, and baking soda in a large bowl; stir in butter mixture. Add eggs, and stir until blended. Stir in buttermilk, vanilla, and marshmallows.

Pour into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking pan. Bake at 350º for 25 to 30 minutes or until a pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; spread Chocolate Coca-Cola Icing over warm cake.

Chocolate Coca-Cola Icing

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa
1/3 cup cola soft drink
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until butter melts. Remove from heat; stir in powdered sugar, vanilla, and pecans. Spoon immediately over warm cake.

Lots of Pics

Wheel Lattice Square

Approx. 14 inches

I'll post the pattern if anyone wants it because the site it was posted on is down indefinitely.

I'm making at least 12 of these, all the same color scheme.

Hobby Lobby ILTY in Linen

Red Heart in Coffee

E-Zee V-Zee Granny Square

12 inches exactly

I decided I didn't like this one so I won't be using it.  As I said previously, I'll be using all Wheel Lattice Squares.  This is nice, but not as nice as the previous one for what I'm doing.

This is an afghan made in all Wheel Lattice Squares like I'm going to make.  This was my inspiration.  This afghan was made by "craftybutterfly" and you can find it on Ravelry.com.

Yes, my Wooleater is still around but on hold.  So what?

I swear I'll finish it!

I can't help it if I get distracted just a tad.

This is a small piece of the Chocolate Coca-Cola Cake I made on Friday.

It is SO GOOD!  And my ass is SO BIG!

And finally, a few more snow pictures from this past week...

So pretty...

The BBQ grill packed with snow.

Snow build-up on the back fence.

**************************

We're still watching the Daytona 500.  It's running late because of delays due to damage on the track.  Still waiting for "THE BIG ONE."

I love NASCAR, and I'm so glad the season has finally started!

Coffee Bean Goddess

I hate to be a downer, but I want to tell y'all that I just learned that one of my oldest blog friends passed away January 31st.  I say "friend," but I think I only wrote to her once, and that was a very long time ago.  But y'all know how you feel when you follow someone's blog.  You start to feel like you're good friends, even though you may have never even corresponded. She was one of the very first blogs I followed almost daily.  I think it was way back in '98 or '99 maybe?  I don't really remember.  She switched host locations on the Web so her archives only go back to 2007.

She hadn't posted since December 31st.  I kept going there to check for a new entry, but she never had a new post up.  So this morning I decided to see if anyone had said anything about her absence in her comments on her last post.  Sure enough, her brother had gotten on her blog and posted in the comments that she had passed away in her sleep on January 31st.

THE COFFEE BEAN GODDESS, Dee, was an entertaining blogger for sure.  I always enjoyed her writing.  She will be missed by many. 

I had printed out her last recipe in her next-to-last post.  I hadn't made it yet, but I will be sure to make it now in her honor.  She always shared great recipes, and I still use her Sourdough Starter recipe.

Anyway, I just wanted to post an entry for her.  Goodbye, Dee.

Have You EVER?

No, I never!

I am still stunned at what I see outside my windows this morning.

Look at my beloved Rosemary!

Do you think she'll live?

More pictures to come...

Record-Breaking Snowfall in N. Texas

Published : Friday, 12 Feb 2010, 5:50 AM CST

DALLAS - Feb. 11, 2010 will go down in in the record books as the snowiest day in Dallas-Fort Worth history.


The official 24-hour snowfall total at DFW Airport was 11.2 inches by midnight, but the snow kept falling. By 4 a.m. Friday, there were 12.5 inches of snow on the ground at the airport.


Other areas saw more: 14.2 inches in Haslet, and 11.8 inches in Weatherford, according to the National Weather Service.

Wee!

I know some of you are not impressed,

but lookie what we got in Dallas today...

These pics were taken about 4 hours ago and it's been snowing non-stop ever since.  Last I heard the snowfall total was at 6.2 inches.  The old record for snowfall in a day was 1.4 inches.  That's a big jump there.

More coaster hearts.  So pretty.

I made this square today during a break from work.

Want the pattern for it?

Well, okay...

Flower Square

Pattern Link:  Yvestown

Go see her pretty blanket made from this pattern.

I used worsted weight acrylic yarn and a G hook.

Color one, round one - ch 4 - sl st in first ch (you now have a wee circle) - ch 3 (this is your first dc) - 11 dc in the circle (having a total of 12 dc's) - sl st in third chain of the first dc to join - cut.


Color two, round two - ch 3 between first and last dc of first round (this is your first dc), 1 dc in same space - 2 dc between each dc of first round - sl st in third chain of first dc to join - cut.


Color three, round three - ch 3 between first and last dc of second round (this is your first dc), 2 dc in same space - 3 dc between each dc group of second round - sl st in third chain of first dc to join - cut.

Now you have a 3-round circle.  Here's how to make your circle a square:


Attached desired color of yarn between your first and last dc of the circle and Ch 3 (this is your first dc), 2 dc in same space, ch 1, 3 dc between each 3dc group of previous round, making 3dc, ch 3, 3dc in same space for each corner.  Sl st in third chain of first dc to join - cut.

Nuttin' Honey

I just had to post and get that terrible title from yesterday out of here.

I've been busy with work and computer problems all day today.  There's nothing to post about anway.  There's no crocheting going on over here other than a few more of those hearts for my sister.  When I do get time, it'll be for the Wooleater.  I'm anxious to get more of him done.

We may get snow tomorrow.  I know a lot of you have gottten a lot and are sick of it, but it would be welcomed here.

That's it....BORING...Snoozeville here.

Ass-Crack of Dawn

I got up very early this morning (6:00 AM is early for me these days), and stepping on no less than three dog toys with my bare feet, stumbled into the kitchen. I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror that is sometimes kept on the bar, propped up on the wall. I looked like a deranged rooster with my “bangs” sticking straight up and slightly to the right side of my head. (Thank you for those hot flashes I had during the night, Mother Nature, you old bitch.)

Then I scared myself half to death when I turned on the garbage disposal instead of the light over the sink. Don’t you hate when you do that? At least I was slightly more awake after that.

I poured myself a glass of iced coffee with half Starbucks Vanilla Latte in the can and half Starbucks Espresso Roast coffee I had made yesterday and refrigerated. I knew this was going to be a more-than-one- pot-of-iced-coffee day, so I made another full pot and set it off of the burner to cool. I grabbed my coffee and my daily banana and moved into my office and turned the computer on.

Barnaby soon comes into my office smelling fresh and clean like the Zest soap he loves to use. I turn my cheek up to him and he kisses me goodbye, smiling and saying, “I hope you plan on taking a shower today and fixing that hair. Love you. Bye.”

How sweet. I may have just grunted, or I may have said an unintelligible, “Love you too,” but I don’t remember which.

I drank my coffee and ate my banana as I read email and obsessively cleaned out my inbox and deleted everything from my junk mail folder, as I do every morning. By the time I’m finished with that, I’ve finished ¾ of my coffee and eaten my banana and I’m starting to wake up and feel more human.

It’s 7:23 now and time to get to work. Have a good one.

Crochet Hearts Pattern

I'm reposting this picture so you can see and print the different edgings if you want to.  Some of these hearts are from a different pattern, but the edging patterns are all listed at the bottom of this post.  The red hearts pictured in yesterday's post were made using this pattern.

By request, here is the little heart pattern.  This is the best-looking heart pattern I have found.  At least the best-looking ones for coasters.  The edgings make all the difference in how they look.  It was a free flyer from Caron that Carol R. sent me from Delaware so I suppose it's okay to post it here.

Little Yarn Hearts

(I used a size G hook and the ones I did in worsted weight acrylic yarn looked the best, in my opinion.)
Chain 3.
Row 1: Sc in second ch from hook and in next ch, turn—2 sc.
Row 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in first sc, sc in next sc, turn—3 sc.
Row 3: Ch 1, 2 sc in first sc, sc in next sc, 2 sc in last sc, turn—5 sc.
Row 4: Ch 1, 2 sc in first sc, sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in last sc, turn—7 sc.
Row 5: Sk first sc, 5 dc in next sc (shell made), sk next sc, slip st in next sc, sk next sc, 5 dc in next sc, sk last sc, slip st in beginning ch, turn—2 shells.
Work now proceeds in rounds.
Round 6: Ch 2 (does not count as a st), 2 dc in next 3 dc, sc in next dc, slip st in next dc, sk next slip st, slip st in next dc, sc in next dc, 2 dc in next 3 dc; working in ends of rows, work 6 dc evenly spaced along side of heart; working along opposite side of foundation ch, 3 dc in space between 2 sc at base of heart; working in ends of rows, work 6 dc evenly spaced up side of heart; join with slip st in top of beginning ch—27 dc, 2 sc, and 2 slip sts.
Round 7: Ch 2, 2 dc in next 6 dc, sc in next sc, slip st between next 2 slip sts, sc in next sc, 2 dc in next 6 dc, dc in next 7 dc, 3 dc in next dc (point), dc in next 7 dc; join with slip st in top of beginning ch—41 dc, 2 sc, and 1 slip st. Fasten off.
Edge with your choice of the following:
Edging 1 (Pictured in pink on the larger heart at the bottom above)
Join contrasting yarn with slip st in slip st at center of top of heart.
Round 1: Ch 4, sk next st, *slip st in next st, ch 4, sk next st; repeat from * around; join with slip st in first slip st.
Edging 2 (Pictured in red on the top heart above)
Join contrasting yarn with slip st in slip st at center of top of heart.
Round 1: Sk next st, 5 dc in next st, sk next st, *slip st in next st, sk next st, 5 dc in next st, sk next st; repeat from * around; join with slip st in first slip st.
Edging 3 (Not pictured)
Join contrasting yarn with a slip st in sl st at center of top of heart.  Sc in each stitch around; join with a slp st in first sl st.
Edging 4 (Pictured in pink on the second heart above)
Join contrasting yarn with slip st in slip st at center of top of heart. Sc in each st around, slip st to first sc to join; turn.
Picot Round: Ch 1, sc in same st as joining and in next 2 sts, *ch 4, slip st in 3rd ch from hook – picot made, sc in next 2 sts; repeat from * around; slip st to first st to join; turn.

Barf

I had a good start to the day today.  I woke up all spry and ready to get some work done.  I made these hearts and then some work popped in the email so I stopped and flew through the first half of that very quickly.

And then I made a fatal mistake.  I ate lunch.  Or should I say I ate too much lunch (leftover chicken enchilada casserole) and then followed it up by eating brownies with a fork straight out of the pan while standing at the counter.  I don't know how many I ate while standing there in a stupor, but something jarred me awake and I threw them in the sink and flooded the pan with hot water.

Oh, man, was I sick.  I whined and groaned and rolled around all nauseous and full of regret.  I guess I finally started feeling a little better because I fell asleep and woke up feeling better.  But I still don't think I'm eating dinner or anything else today. 

Good Lord.  I'm a grown woman.  You'd think I'd have more sense.

Make Up Your Mind

As you can see, I've been kind of schizo with my crocheting this weekend.  I can't figure out what I want to do.  Nothing satisfies me.  So I've been doing a little of this and a little of that.

I thought I had struck my fancy when I started looking at Flickr pictures of hexagaon projects last night.  (There's a link to it in my left-hand sidebar down towards the bottom if you have a hankering to look.)

I even bought a hexagon pincushion pattern on Ravelry.com that I thought I wanted to make.  Maybe I still will make it, but not now.  The moment passed and so did my hexagon love.

I'm finicky, that's what I am.

So I spent a couple of hours dreaming of hexagon color schemes and even crocheted a few.  Then I promptly ripped them all out because they weren't perfect and I didn't like them.  Why can't mine look perfect like other people's that I see online?  How do they do that?

Just Food Stuff

I finally got around to making the White Chicken Enchilada Slow-Cooker Casserole yesterday.  (Dang, that's a long name for a recipe.)  It turned out really well.  We both liked it a lot.  I was kind of surprised because I usually don't like casserole done in the crockpot.  I'll make it again and would definitely recommend it.  It's exactly like the chicken enchilada recipe I use a lot only you layer the ingredients instead of rolling them up.

I also made THESE BROWNIES, but I used only one cup of flour as a lot of reviewers suggested.  Yum.  They turned out great as well.  I baked them closer to 30 minutes than 20 because they weren't done.

I tried several times to crochet on my Wooleater yesterday, but I only managed to get maybe a fourth of a round done because I kept getting interrupted and distracted.  I'll try again this afternoon.  Looks like the sun is coming out, so maybe the dogs will go outside and play instead of demanding my attention.  Brats.

Y'all have a great Friday afternoon and weekend!

Pink

Here I am again.

I meant to talk about this on Monday, but I forgot.  Imagine that...me forgetting something.

Anywho, I was reminded of it when I went to read Kate's blog entry today and she had Pink's song playing.

Did y'all see her performance on the Grammy's live on Sunday?  OMG.  I cried.  I cried because I so easily cry when I experience emotion of any kind.  It was so beautiful and fantastic and sad and thrilling and stunning and, and, and...

I don't know if it'll be as great just watching on YouTube, but I still cried when I watched it again, probably because I was remembering how it felt when I watched it Sunday.

She's good.  And all those lip-syncing bitches who say they can't sing live and dance at the same time should be ashamed (Britney Spears)!

I Want It

I REALLY want this badly.  And look!  Free shipping right now!

However, I am quite certain that as soon as I get one they will come out with a bigger (and by bigger I mean smaller) and better one, and the one I have will become obsolete and I won't be able to buy books for it anymore, and that would totally piss me off.

I'm also fairly certain that Eli would steal it and eat it for lunch within two days of its arrival, and that would totally piss me off too.  That damn Eli needs all of his teeth removed.

But really, is there anything that doesn't totally piss me off?  Hee.

I haven't done any research at all on it, but I hear that "books" are much cheaper in this form.

But if anybody out there has one they don't use and would like to get some of their money back, I would consider buying it from you.  Leave me a comment and your email address.  I will not publish it.  And I will not pay even close to full price, so don't even try that shit.

Was that too harsh?

********************************

Oooo, look!  A bigger and better one already!

Oh man, I REALLY want it.

Mmm...I Love Coconut

I'm busy and don't know if I'll get around to making a "real" entry or not today.  So as not to neglect my dear friends, here's a little somethin-somethin for ya.

This recipe doesn't make very much, but it can easily be doubled if you need to.

Chewy Coconut Cookies


1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut or more

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually blend in the flour mixture, then mix in the coconut. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly toasted. Cool on wire racks.

77 Years Old...Wow!

I love you!

XOXOXO

I don't have an email address for you.

Message to Erika:  I tried to leave you a comment but was unable to.  You might  want to go into your Settings tab and make sure you have comments enabled the way you want it.  Then again, it might be MY problem, but I'm on my main computer and normally have no problems leaving comments unless I'm on my laptop.  I was able to leave comments on other blogs today with no problems.

Better Hearts

These are much better.

Thank you, Carol R., for the pattern you sent me today!  I made two of the hearts from that pattern and used all of the edging patterns.

Hearts

I'm trying to find a heart pattern I like to use as a coaster.  It's for a gift.

I don't like any of these at all.  It's amazing to me that nobody can make a crocheted heart that looks very good.  They all look messy or downright weird.  I made a couple of others last night too, but one was too small, and the other looked even messier than all of these so I ripped it out. 

I'll probably just end up going with the plain sc one at the top-left of this picture from Bella Dia's blog.  Maybe I can add a white frilly border of some kind and make it look better.  I'll work on that.

There's nothing happening around here today.  I've got a little work to do this morning and laundry to do this afternoon.  Fun-fun.