Saturday, December 17, 2011

Something different for the shop

Last night I posted something a little different in my Etsy shop, a Pear Critter!

Pear Critter 1
I had made a pattern a few years back for a Pear Bird, and had made the parts for one quite a while ago. He sat as a sad Work-in-Progress (WIP) for a long time – which of course can cause silliness with the parts. I pinned them to his head, and liked the look! After sewing them on, he sat for even longer…

Pear Critter 2  Pear Critter 3

Then finally an outdoor photoshoot! Isn't he photogenic?

Pear Critter 4
I like how somehow I am holding him in the exact same position he is sitting in the indoor shot…looks like that’s where his center of balance lies!

Oh and I have been posting the cupcakes as the are listed on my Facebook Page for Rengawk’s Unusual Wedge. This month has been awesome for sending them all over the world!

As for a little blog organization – I am going to remove the widget for my Google Reader recommendations – they discontinued the program, and now promote you to Share via Google+. Some links I share there, other’s on my personal Facebook page, some on my Etsy Facebook page. I feel like I need to focus – but where do I choose? Isn’t the internet grand. :)

Friday, December 16, 2011

Arm Warmer


Arm Warmer
Originally uploaded by rengawk
Mmmm, not the best photo, but I wanted to show my project progress on Ravelry.

Why on earth didn't I think to wear it on my left arm and take the photo with my right hang for crying out loud?!

Fish pillow photo bomb!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

No. 233


No. 233
Originally uploaded by rengawk

Wow, we're up to 233 already?

[A rainbow of colors with Snow Shimmer edging over Swimming Pool Blues]

Featured today on The Cupcake Blog!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

How do you organize your eyes?


How do you organize your eyes?
Originally uploaded by rengawk
...and noses and bells and hearts? Oh my...

Case my sister was going to pitch it full of beads...I snatched it up! I dumped the plastic beads into a baggie... bet they will be useful for cupcakes and other crochet embellishments someday! :)

What happened to your CAL?!

Remember by Crochet-a-long plans? The one by Megan of Crochet Every Day – with a theme of “sweet”? And how I was all like “Oh and I’ll add in another pattern from Gleeful Things”?

Yeah. I totally made stuff, but the sharing part? Didn’t quite happen before Halloween! Eep! We went away and somehow I thought I would be all slick and post from the hotel – yeah, uum well the internet that was available was not what I expected, so the time I spent on the laptop was for a work project and I didn’t get as far along as I thought I would.

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Upon returning home, we had no power. BUT. But but but we did have the ability to use out hot water heater and stove – YAY NATURAL GAS. So warm showers by candlelight and many blankets at night. Went a few days like that, and the rest of the week has been a blur even with power back on. What the heck?

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I had started out right away after my previous post, completing one of each pattern in the same night (or two, see what happens when you don’t at least start a blog post about a project while you work on it?) The candy corn on the left is from the Lion Brand pattern, with some changes to make it have a rounded base;

Rd 15 4sc, dec, repeat;
Rd 16 3sc, dec, repeat;
Rd 17 2sc, dec, repeat;
Rd 18, dec around;
FO - Fasten off

(I like how FO to me is like FINISH OFF – which doesn’t even make any sense, except when you grew up with Mortal Kombat and somehow it also associates to the voice saying FINISH HIM, except in this case it is candy corn. FINISH HIM! *quickly pulls yarn to cinch the last row*)

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“Look at me!” “I have a crazy-but-cute smile!”

The pink candy corn uses Julie's pattern, and actually reflects my initial thoughts when looking at my yarn stash. I added 6mm safety eyes, and should have sewn on the smile before starting the decrease rows, would have been much easier.

KERN

Next up was another in a Harvest Candy Corn theme, again using the Lion Brand pattern, altered. Hard to tell in the picture, but I wanted more of a flat base, so I started color three one row sooner than pattern suggested, created base lip by crocheting in the back loop the row before the decrease…then sc 3, dec for a row, then went right to sc ,1 dec for two rows to make a flatter base. Then I realized that type of candy corn usually has orange in the center. Whoops.

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Now what? GIANT CANDY CORN. Julie’s pattern with double strands of yarn, moved the color changes up one row for both colors. 12mm safety eyes. Then left him on the floor and cried about my candy corn being lonely on the floor. Hopefully you laugh, because I took like 12 pictures of the scene, trying to look like some far away scary sneaky thing since the whole ‘candy-on-the-floor’ thing wasn’t being conveyed in the photos. Candy Corn with Jaws music, slowly creeping across the room. That would make an awesome animated GIF. No? Then do what I did and call someone in to make them laugh.

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I tried to be all artistic and create a little diorama of the ones that matched (poor pinky corn looked out of place) but I think now it just looks like a haphazard picture. Oh and when I realized the Harvest Corn was the wrong color, I also realized the Pink Corn was color-silly, and I should have made the bottom red for Valentine Corn. Doh!

So TADAAAAaaa I wrote a post – which is something I really want to do more often. I have been reading lately about managing one’s time and reviewing where your time goes and so on, and while I have myself down to one game on Facebook, I think that is a real time sucker for me. OH BUT WAIT I did make a Facebook Page for my Etsy shop, so that's something positive to do with my Facebook time.
Thanks for the reminder to write this post Megan! See I literally got right on it! At least one thing I wanted to do this past week got done, now back to cleaning. Hooray for electricity! :)

Monday, October 24, 2011

no. 197 - 199

no. 197 - 199
The newest to be listed on Etsy!
197 - My frosting top is made with a deep mix of colors look like shades of berries, and my cake base is a mint green.
198 - My frosting top is made with a mix of a light mint with streams of purple, while, and yellow, with lighter edging, and a bright yellow cake base.
199 - My frosting top is made with a mix of cream and a shimmery raspberry, with that same pink edging, and my cake base is a chocolate brown. Instead on a cherry, I sport a raspberry as my topper in the same shade as the pink as my frosting, just without the sparklies.



Sunday, October 23, 2011

Sharpies


Sharpies
Originally uploaded by rengawk
Found a use for the coffee decanter I've been saving for years that no plant would ever fit in...I told the other half to not let me buy any more Sharpies.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Sweet Crochet Along

Hooray for my next Crochet-a-long! This is another CAL hosted by Megan of Crochet Every Day – with a theme of “sweet”!

I am going lazy and using my stock yarn shelf photo, focusing on the pinks…

yarn shelf

I plan to make pink candy corn! Cute idea, right? Maybe purple too ;)

Now I didn’t take a new photo (wow this one is almost a year old!) because my yarn shelf is looking a little sad – but it is okay, it means I am using the yarn! I bought a yarn ball winder on eBay (because I am wayyyyy too cheap to spend what retailers are asking) and I hope to have it here next week. Why? I want pretty little yarn cakes! It will sound silly if you are not a crafty person, but when the above skeins start to get about half-way used up, they get flat, sad, and potentially turn into one giant know. Plus it is hard to take one of those blobs from the shelf nicely, and returning it? No way.

Looking at my Flickr pics of the shelf, maybe tying on some variegated yarns will be nice too? I may also incorporate some of Julie’s pattern for a more 3d amigurumi style, check out her pattern here!

Next time? Planning to share the sweet results, and share a pic of my lovely prize from Megan for joining in last time, an adorable handmade coffee cozy!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

no. 192 - 196


no. 192 - 196
Originally uploaded by rengawk
192 - My frosting top is made with a rainbow of colors (orange, yellow, mint, medium blue, purple) with magenta edging, and my base is a crisp white with a touch of shimmery iridescent thread (Snow Shimmer)!

193 - My frosting top is made with a mint green colored yarn with shimmery white edging (Snow Shimmer), and my cake base is a light pink. I also sport a tiny pink-colored heart button sewn on with pink thread.

194 - My frosting top is made with a deep purple with a purple, pink, and blues mix (BonBonPrint) for my edging, and my cake base is a bright magenta (Shocking Pink). I also sport a cute little magenta heart button sewn on with black thread.

195 - My frosting top is made with a dark orange, and my cake base is a warm brown. I have three heathered-green tendrils than hang down from my top. along with a 4" loop so I can hang out and pretend to be a pumpkin! I also have a cute silver-toned leaf charm purchased from the wonderful seller Nichole de Briun.

196 - I am a little special, and am not currently available for sale! I'm sure we will share when I am and where ;)

Sunday, August 21, 2011

no. 186 - 190


no. 186 - 190
Originally uploaded by rengawk
The latest cupcakes in the Etsy shop!

186 - My frosting top is made with a mix of a blues, purples, and pinks (BonBon Print), and my base is a crisp white with a touch of shimmery iridescent thread (Snow Shimmer)!

187 - My frosting top is made with a few different shades of pink (magenta, pink chenille, light pink) with edging of crisp white with a touch of shimmery iridescent thread (Snow Shimmer), and my base is a mint green!

188 - My frosting top is made with a shiny pink (Caron Simply Soft) yarn mixed with a yarn of rainbow pastels, with edging of that same rainbow and a shiny frilly white, and my base is a light pink!

189 - My frosting top is made with a shiny red yarn mixed with a shiny white, and my and my base is a crisp white with a touch of shimmery iridescent thread (Snow Shimmer)! Do I look read for the holidays?

190 - My frosting top is made with a grey heather yarn, and my cake base is a bright pink. I have a sweet little embellishment of pink buttons sewn to my top with a glass bead for some extra pizazz!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Two works in progress


Two works in progress
Originally uploaded by rengawk
Trying to get into using Ravelry again for my crochet projects. While I find it easier to post my pictures and add notes on Flickr, I really enjoy browsing through what people have created on Ravelry! If I enjoy it so much, then why not contribute so more people can find inspiration?

Sunday, August 7, 2011

no. 181-185


no. 181-185
Originally uploaded by rengawk
181 - I was made just for a giveaway on Gleeful Things! My top is made with BonBon Print, edging a dark sparkly blue, and a base of tan.

182 - My frosting top is made with a dark chocolate brown yarn, and my base is a yarn that is a mix of pinks, browns, and creams. Just to let you know, my creator only has a teeny bit of this yarn left, so I may be the last of my little group to be able to feature it!

183 - My frosting top is made with one of my creator's favorite yarns (called Swimming Pool Blues), and my base is a bright white with a bit of shimmery sparkle!

184 - My frosting top is made with one of my creator's favorite yarns (BonBon Print by Red Heart) and contains a variety of blues and pinks. My base is a simple tan, but my top is accented with a cute little puffy heart, isn't it adorable? Oh who am I kidding, I think I'm adorable!

185 - My frosting top is made with a mix of a shiny pink yarn and a mix of browns and white called Chocolate Ombre, and my base is a bright white with a bit of shimmery sparkle!

Saturday, July 30, 2011

no. 176 - 180


no. 176 - 180
Originally uploaded by rengawk
176: My frosting top is made with a mix of a medium blue and a rainbow of pastels, with white edging. My care base is made with another medium blue that has a bit of a teal-tint to it named Little Boy Blue. Blue and blue wouldn't be very helpful to say would it?

177: My frosting top is made with a variegated yarn called Primary, so I can say that I AM SUPER UNIQUE. Okay okay we all can say that, but even if I end up re-made, no one will have the precise same color pattern as me. How cool is that? I have a cake base made with a light tan, and a cute hand-cut and sewn embellishment of golden felt.

178: My frosting top is made of Candy Print, a fun mix of pinks and blues, and my cake base is a lovely magenta called Shocking Pink that matches the darkest pink in my top...wonder why the camera hates this great colored yarn? IT IS BECAUSE I AM THAT AWESOME! I even tried to look online to give you an great reference but my color is too shockingly awesome to be captured well by anyone. HA. Not really but everything was a big complicated link, and I hate complicated.

179: My frosting top is made of two types of shiny white yarns, and my base is made with a great mix of deep colors look like shades of berries! Like red grapes; the lovely wine-color that they produce when crushed, or the amazing hues that blackberries will leave on your finger tips when freshly picked.

180: My frosting top is made with a medium gray yarn, and my base is a bright hot pink! I even have a cute button embellishment that almost looks like a flower!

Friday, July 8, 2011

Foods I want to make

aka ‘Potential Recipe Roundup’!

Food, I think I love you.

Yes I do really like food, and cooking, and making something AWESOME…but…

But I need practice.

You see there are times when it is easier to go out and get what I want from someone else’s hands – eating establishment, pre-made, frozen. I also have to contend with the understanding that my tastes do not always have the prefect alignment with my other half, which can leave me frustrated, and with too many servings!

Regardless, I keep getting my head full of ideas of recipes I want to try….and maybe having them in little posts will be easier than printing them and losing them in a folder in the kitchen.

Baked Potato Potato Salad

Make Your Own Ice Cream Cones

Homemade Ricotta

Coconut Cream Cheese Cookies

World’s Easiest Chocolate Pudding

YUM.

Friday, July 1, 2011

I seem to have lost my month…

July already? Where did June go?!

I’ve decided Devil Dogs taste better frozen. Is it that my tastes have changes over the years, or the products have gotten cheaper? I bet YES is the answer to that one – but somehow freezing them doesn’t produce a rock to gnaw on, but something that takes a little longer to eat, and is less sweet.

I bought more yarn! What a shock, but I was being really good about it for a while. I had gotten a skein of Red Heart Shimmer in Snow the other month and while a fine (4-ply but thin) yarn, I love the iridescent thread in it. Last night I picked up skeins of the Shimmer line in Hot Pink, Royal, Purple, and Snow. I also picked up something new that I haven’t seen for a reasonable price before;  Caron Simply Soft Paints in Oceana. No plans for it, but I love Simply Soft, and this is all my favorite colors rolled into one happy soft yarn.

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Now, what about that CAL?

Glad you asked! (I know you didn’t but I did so there) I took some photos earlier in the week and didn’t like them, so here are my retakes for the Patriotic Crochet Along!

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Rather than a set of matching stars, I made a few different styles. My favorites turned out to be the darker shades in what I consider to be “Craft Store Americana”  - in that the Ben Franklin Crafts I used to work at would have HUGE sections of decorating stuff that was supposed to look like it was useful. For instance there were pre-weathered muffin tins that were for decoration only, and stated such all over the pan. Who wants a cast-iron looking pan they can’t use? I know I know, I’m just not the target for full-scale home decorating stuff, especially that gets changed by the season.

Even though the deep red-centered star was the first one I made, I purposely tried other color combinations because hey, what’s the point of a CAL if you don’t try something new? I had a ball of Peaches & Cream in red & white combo that I had gotten for the holidays for a candy-cane themed cupcake, and used it as the second round’s color – this star I had to get used to, as I liked the center round to be more prominent, and in this one it blended so well with the second round’s red. But now that I am blathering about it I see that I do like it much more than I started.

The two brightly colored stars stick out don’t they? I wanted to see in person what using what the pattern’s photo used, and the one with the tan center turned out to be too strange. I tried to add an outer round of white to make it large enough to be able to be sewn around a CD, but it looked tacky and like I made a boring hexagon-shaped crochet thing. I ripped off the extra row and then took the last group shot.

Making two and sewing them together? Just too thick, but would be adorable as a ornament – you would even cut some cardboard and sneak it inside to keep it stiff if you were thinking of a mobile… hey wait, would that be cute, a mobile of these in solid colors? How about in the Red Heart Shimmer yarns I just got? See, always thinking around here.

Of course if you didn’t see the above photos are linked to Flickr, where you can see them in more detail if you would like! What project is next?       

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

What?

If you toast a marshmallow, and save it for later, does it still taste as awesome?

How to Make Toasted Campfire S’more Pops!

The above link prompted such a question. Pre-cooked marshmallow? Does it being room temperature ruin the effect of a s’more*? Would you be sad if I skipped the apostrophe? Smore smore smore. No, it looks like I can’t type if I skip it.

Besides there anything better than a fire-toasted marshmallow peep?

Oh, you didn’t know? I like peeps.

To eat, and in idea/imagery. That explains why the above link goes to their merchandising site, and not their candy site. You know how people like cows, but not real cows? It’s kinda like that, but I like real peeps too. Maybe not the sugar free ones though, because I don’t like sugar substitutes, but I would like to buy them just to use them as photo props because THEY ARE GIANT AND PEEPS and are single formed so they have no holes from ripping then apart.

I heard the Just Born factory tour in Easton…wait I went to give you a link and don’t they do factory tours anymore? I mean I thought it was like Chocolate World at Hershey where it has nothing to do with the actual factory floor but has a cute ride and crap…what the heck? I know Hershey’s added a bunch of little-one centered activities too, wait, I know, I’m thinking the wrong factory, I was talking about Crayola!

How many years later and I still freakin’ love this clip from Sesame Street, from the music to the colors to the smell of a box of crayons.

Getting’ old. That’s gonna be a new blog tag. Warning, this video smells like crayons. The good ones too.

 
 
 

*Oh I think I'd eat anything that was s’more themed, regardless of temperature.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Deep Thoughts

Crap, can’t remember, was that from SNL?

So why is my deodorant made in Mexico? Oh well I had an argument about that but then when I went to type it I was like…”Oh, well, why not?”

I made these again (almond), and they still taste burnt. I guess I should try it next time in a pan like the recipe says, rather than a pot…hey I can’t be the only one who doesn’t want teeny tiny candy splatters everywhere! Wait, I looked at the original post and those don’t have skins, and both times my nuts had skins. Maybe that is what is burning. My nuts. Crap here comes the link. Thanks Vince. (and crap there were too many to choose from)

Still Thirsty.

Am I blogging? Like a normal blogger? With updates that aren’t months apart? I blame Regretsy. *waves and hollers* HI MY NEW FRIENDS!

Yes my blog readership has doubled. I blame Jackie. But if I typed Jackie-O, everyone else reading would assume I meant something totally different. And my blame I meant YAY.

I think this updates was inspired by The Blogess. She makes things awesome though, so it is all good.

WHY IS THERE NO FOOD IN FRONT OF ME. Well shit that one is my own fault, I forgot to do something other than take the lid off and leave it on the counter.

That was the hungry voice.

This was supposed to be left open and filled in throughout the day, but it kept flowing, so we’re going to go with it.

I feel simultaneously smart and idiotic. NO no, in this moment I mean, different than that feeling throughout the day. I just found that what blogger calls tags, LiveWriter calls Categories and THERE IS A BAR RIGHT IN THS FRAME for me to edit them. Fail in paying attention.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Water makes me thirsty

Water is making me thirsty.
I am trying to jam a much as I can down my throat in order to feel better – because I AM SICK AND TIRED OF FEELING SICK AND TIRED.
And I was inspired by this post from Crunchy Betty:

Slip It In For Beautiful Skin: Drink Water When You Wake Up

So today is my second day of guzzling extra water, and I am freaking thirsty. Also I had tuna melts for lunch/dinner and water doesn’t fix the after taste. Not that I haven’t been trying to cut my sugar-drink consumption (other half switched to diet and I would rather drink city chlorinated water from the tap than that) anyway, but this has been water only. I may have to mix up some gatorade though, as just rambling about it is making me even more thirsty and I just had a big glass of water.
Yup, blogging about water. I will say it makes you thankful you can have such a thing to complain about, and such an outlet to do so it! So there’s something positive… yup one of those grumpy days around here. 

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Patriotic Crochet Along

CAL = Crochet Along, in case you didn’t know. :)
I got this idea from my fellow blogger Jenn of Jenn Likes Yarn…it is a Patriotic-themed CAL! Thanks Jenn!
So Megan of Crochet Every Day is hosting a Crochet Along for starry coasters in which “The goal of this little crochet along is to complete a set of four coasters by July 4, 2011” being broken up into an intro post, and a post showing off your creativity!
Welcome to my intro post! I’ve never done a CAL on my blog, but today installed Live Writer (Sound familiar? A few posts down I was quite excited stating the same thing…but this time we are broadcasting from a more permanent machine) and can share in the crochet fun!   IMG_2913
My colors are based on the classic US flag colors of red white and blue, and include Red Heart Super Saver, Vanna’s Choice, and some stash yarns. My first idea is to use the dark red, heathered white, and navy (which is super soft!) for a country look, and then use the brighter colors on another star and see which I like more. I also may try the dark colors with a beige in place of white just for something different, but I didn’t think of it when I took the photo! Oops, I even have a red and white cotton yarn that completely skipped my mind – I may sneak that in too!
Now I will admit, between taking the picture and sitting down to type, I did make one already, and they stitch up quite quickly! I may make them double-sided, or add a row and use my “CROCHET OVER TRASH CDs” obsession as of late to make a different type of coaster than the flower pattern I have been using. (hint hint to me, that needs a post of its own).
Oh and welcome Summer! I am not a fan of being warm but this weekend for Father’s Day I took a drive to see my dad and got burned on my driving arm for trying to be frugal and not run the air and enjoy the breeze. Luckily I gave it enough care that it seems to have healed into a tan that may even not peel! 
So the plan is to be back showing my finished stars, but first, I’m going over to Crochet Every Day to post my link. Do you crochet? You should join!      

Bored Swiffer

(wow this was written a few months ago, so but Swiffer photos taken today)

Bored Swiffer?!
Yes well you would be bored too if you had to languish in the laundry room for a few years.
Anthropomorphizing the Swiffer isn't working for me though, how about you?
So I had a crochet project in mind for a while now, probably when this post (ohhh, fancy new window opening link!) first was linked from Craft last year. I kept thinking I would make one; then got too lazy to bother. I even browsed Etsy multiple times for a handmade Swiffer cover, but never made a purchase. You know the old I CAN DO IT MYSELF kept getting in the way. Plus I’m cheap when it comes to something made with yarn where there is HOW MUCH YARN around here.
yarn shelfyarn shelf
Yeah, that is only the pretty-packaged-looking skeins on a shelf too. The shelf below has a container with the smaller amounts hand wound – you know how unruly a skein gets after it is about half-way gone – as well as another container full of novelty yarns that I am such a sucker to get for a good deal.
ANYWAY – I’m not sure why, but insomnia crocheting hit me last night as a good idea. I decided that if I made a cover already, then maybe I would stop bitching about the floors being dusty, and I could figure out if making a cover was dumb as heck when I could fight with cutting socks apart and make a reusable cover that way. Crochet seemed like a much better idea, PLUS I loved the colors the pattern used. Yes, that is indeed comparable to liking a car based on color alone. OH PRETTY I WANT TO TRY. 
I decided to use stash yarn seeing as the point was to not spend money to help me achieve my objectives; try the pattern, decide if a handmade cover was a good idea, clean the floors better than my current routine. I chose a cotton yarn with the hopes that it would wash well, as well as hold up while being used wet. Now whether there is basis behind cotton being better for those needs or not, I will admit coming to that conclusion based on the fact that knit/crochet dishcloths were traditionally made of cotton yarn (kitchen cotton anyone?)  than something to mop the floors should be as well! 
From the start I should have read the post more thoroughly before plowing ahead. The link above goes to the site I used for this project, but which I have discovered was not the version I had seen printed previously. DOH. This single-page instruction style would have helped me much better as I had trouble getting the separate pages of the other site to load – which I have no patience for, we have FiOS!
I picked a cotton yarn that I didn’t think I would use for another project (because you know, that whole WHAT IF of a yarn stash!) Whatever right? I think I picked the one that has been here the longest and wasn’t the neat candy-cane color that I used a WHOPPING TIME OF ONCE for a custom project. (See what I mean about the considerations of what should be a simple task?) This skein turned out to be Peaches & Cream (because Sugar ‘n Cream was too cool for Walmart at one point, but not currently? Whatever) in Lilac Ombre, which turns out that spell check thinks is not a word even though I am reading it right off the label I retrieved from the trash. Ombre. Ombre. Ombre.
After some late night crocheting of the main portion (too tired and too cheap to consider the two-tone effect that made the original so appealing to me) and some time during a Law & Order disk from Netflix, I finished the center section. On to the part in the round, I made faces and fretted about stitch count and corners – you know, enough that I just fudged it and started decreasing at the corners as I saw fit. Had I read the pattern better from either source, I’d have realized THAT WAS THE POINT. I also should have gone with my first choice of a G-hook rather than the H since for some reason my stitches were pretty loose, as opposed to my norm with making plush. Oops. Also when a pattern mentions measuring to something you are trying to cover? You should do that front the start, because I would have noticed my chain being too open. As it was my oversight, I may need to add another row of decreases, which is simple following the pattern’s, well pattern in the same manner.
When it came time to try the cover on, it was a bit too loose. Better than too snug to fit? I tried it out anyway, with the loops side out (which I imagine would have been fine with a chain of three per loop if you are trying to conserve yarn, wait, why are you using it it make a mop cover??) It did a great job in the kitchen, seeing as our vacuum is like UUM NO I HATE YOU AND WILL SPIT THIS BACK AT YOU when it comes to bare floors. Now for the real test – the bathroom. We seem to have a dust problem in the bathrooms. Like the toilet area is a dust magnet. The toilet is not a place I want to be on my hands and knees trying to get at DUST. So it lingers. To a point that it bugs me. This silly cotton cover got it all, even what was stuck the the molding! (I tried typing moulding, and spellcheck hates it – so I looked it up – turns out molding is appropriate as the US spelling, even thought to me it looks like the process of mold growing, ick.)
IMG_2914Next step was to wash it, maybe see if it shrunk down to a better fit? Maybe because it had been near the toilet? Maybe because it was really gross? Lets just leave it as part of the testing process shall we? Washed nicely without shrinkage, became even softer (you know, in case you have nice floors and not rental linoleum) and still fit the Swiffer.
The whole project gets a thumbs up for being useful, free of cost, eco-friendly (no more mop pads in the trash, or the containers they come in), and money savings (no need to even consider looking to get more of the replacement pads), as well as being a good gift idea. Especially if you have four-pawed family members who don’t help with household chores, which I am confident we will someday. (Sorry it is dirty on the loopy-side, it gets used often!)
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Sunday, March 20, 2011

Live Writer?!

A test post, using Windows Live Writer software. I think it is a good first step, because this software will allow me to take down my thoughts a wee bit better. Sorry Blogger, but I hate your online posting interface. It makes me scream and pull at my hair and otherwise not blog over something as silly as wanting WYSIWYG!
Now, on to getting pictures to work…
IMG_2031 (Large)
Oh, wow it won’t take my Flickr links, but it will upload the images? Where pray tell are you saving them little program?

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Steps

So the intent is to share, right?

Then why do I find it so hard to do so? I keep finding ideas, wishing I would take a moment to jot them down.

What is stopping me?

Is it frustration with creating posts?

That gives me an idea... how about for every hurdle I find, I take a step to the solution. Right now, that means setting up and testing a blogging software. Let's try it!