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I finally have a moment where I am alone, awake and calm. I have recently seen advise to really be sure what we bloggers are putting on our sites so I am trying to be wise. This stuff takes on a life of its' own even when its just a listing of crafts I have made. There is really no change in my lifestyle when the seasons change,I am either trying to keep the house warm or cool. Realisticly I am the home keeper,yes I meant home keeper. It is my place/job to keep all the systems on go or modify accordingly. Summer time I try to hang laundry, I still use the dryer for tossing/ironing just not for hours at a time. Winter I try to keep the house warmish by having a fire going. Now some will say"Kathy you hate being hot,so why heat your house in the winter?" Because of other people namely grankids. Although the last 2 are heat sinks and will likely like it cool. However not cold. I like the family coming over!

Craft wise I do work on smaller projects during the summer. Hats, smaller scarves, modular items and things that don't need to drape into my lap. I also do a great deal of mending especially for the grankids. A1 wanted me to fix this guy and in secounds he was good as new. Instant gratification!



 In the winter the growing afghan or baby blanket is a great way to layer your warm clothes. Even in heated places I can usually find a cool spot to work on a project.  The blanket and babe above will be another post in detail but ain't he cute?

The one thing I really want to learn is how to make socks. I don't have much sock weight yarn and I seem to have a mental block about it, but with tutorials online I will learn!!! Not that I wear socks...I am a flip flop kinda girl,but they are so pretty and small. Maybe I wll sell or gift them ...we will see. 

Link ups

I really like the link up parties that I have been following. I bop around til I see one that appeals and then leisurely wander thru the posts. I can do this all day but who has that kind of time? I usually find a promising party then leave it open on the computer and when I am eating, or need a break from housework, I check out the ideas there. Some I have seen or done before, some are really original. Some I would do, many others are interesting but not my thing. It is crafting vicariously thru others. I am still learning the computer side of it and below is "the get to know you" survey from Sassy Sites.Check her out too. Now this is my kind of party!

Sassy Sites!: "HeLLo FRieNd" ParTy!

Sassy Sites!: "HeLLo FRieNd" ParTy!: "Why did you decide to start blogging?
I have knowledge that can help people. I am always offering my info and help so I thought why not offer it on a blog.
When you aren't blogging, what are you doing?
Running errands, crafting, playing with the grankids and taking care of the home.
What is your blog about?
My crafting adventures and information on being a mom from pregnancy to empty nest.
When do you find the time to blog?
I have to make time, but once a week or so I just gotta write!
Why do you love blogging?
I need to spout off and this gives me opportunity and it helps me to think about what I am sharing.Read it over, edit, spellcheck etc. It is a dicipline in knowing what I want to share.
What is your favorite post so far that you've written?
"I'm new, I don't yet have a favorite. Come share your commets and we will grow together.

Knit and crochet

I am a knitter and a crocheter(sp?). I learned at 13 to crochet and made granny squares for about a year before I even realized that each colored square was a unit and would need to be assembled. I guess I enjoyed the process more than the final result. Since then, I have come to enjoy the completion of a project but alas; I live in Florida. I am also a person who feels hot all the time. So I don't wear many knit or crochet items. That's why I enjoy baby blankets. There is always a baby coming soon and they all use blankets or hats. This organgie blanket was 45x45 inches. I know it looks rectangular but it is indeed square. This was gifted to Ms Marybeth in 2010. It is knitted in a basketweave pattern in acrylic yarn. I didn't have enough of each color so I used all three.

 
 This crochet square is a receiving blanket size made for Tristyn who was born last December 2010.It is crochet in acrylic and is a sport weight yarn. It was a custom design by his father and I was surprised to find this color way common in baby item packaging. This essentially a granny square with picot trim. I loved how it draped when I washed and dried it. I always try them before I give laundering instructions. I would hate to have them get hard or find out that the colors run after giving it to the baby.

Social networking

I have been reading and studying about social networking and plugins. Oh' boy what a can of worms! There is so much I want to understand and do. Learning html was not one of those things. I have really avoided many activities for that very reason. In fact the reason I am using Blogger is due to its ease of use. But like my teen aged self, I want to do what the other kids are doing. I stalk follow many blogs and I want to function in the same features I have come to expect. I want the Facebook button. Do you know what a pain it is? You have to add code to the body of your post-every time- requiring you to write in html. Yeah ,not ready for that. So, I maybe ;clumsy please forgive and I will try to learn how to use this blog -to my standards at least.

More finished items

Lets see, what photos do we have today? This is a very soft and light baby blanket in acylic. It was gifted to Alonah earlier this month. The bottom edge was wavy. I went to redo it but I had already woven in the end and couldn't find it. So it waves on. It is a simple basket weave and I worked on it most while waiting with Virginia as she labored with Emme.

It is white with light purple and pink. I really want more of this yarn.I think its sport wieght.

These are Abby's birthday gift. She was using Nathaniels newborn diapers for stuffed animals and those cost money honey, soooo Yaya made her some cloth toy diapers. Super cute, really easy. Well that's it for today, now that I know how to post photos I will do so more often.

RED ANTS !!

Hi ya’ll, Have you been surrounded by red ants? We are!! They are in my house! Now before you judge my housekeeping skills I’d like to point out that I am not less clean in the summer and I do not have this problem in the fall or winter. Probably cooler temps but I have heard it’s the humidity and drought. The point is that I have to deal with them. I hate poison, and I really do not want it in my kitchen. So what’s an ant hating girl to do? Rubbing alcohol. That’s right. I put it in a spray bottle and douse them good. It takes longer to kill them (a minute or so) but it is 100% effective. The down side is it does not prevent them returning. I study the trail and use the ant spray in that spot only. I use drastically less of the ant spray and it foils them for a while. This year has been especially bad with them in the dirty laundry and the clean. There is no rhyme or reason to the places I find them. Here again the alcohol shines. It is safe on fabrics and carpets. Safe around animals and kids and it evaporates leaving no residue. You don’t need to wash the area after it dries because rubbing alcohol is a cleaning agent! Just wipe away the dried and withered ant carcusses, MUWHAHAHHAHH (sorry, I really hate them). Please beware using it around open flames though!!


I also use it after a bite as it helps to ease the itch and dry up the bite site. It is helpful on mosquito and yellow fly bites too. For bites I also use Hand sanitizers or gelled alcohol or even liquid hand soap for the same reasons. I hope this helps some one and if you have any strategies in this war speak up. I need all the help I can get!