Crochet Christmas Star

Just sat down this morning and wanted to crochet another ornament but wanted something different. I started wanting a poinsettia flower. I tried a few things, frogged a bit and came up with this star that would look pretty in any window or on any tree or as a coaster.

Materials:

Scraps of Worsted weight yarn - I used a red Christmas yarn with a silver thread in it
G crochet hook. A smaller hook will make a smaller star, a larger hook will make a larger star for a potholder
The G hook makes it about 4 1/2 inches across.

Ch 6, join to form a ring.
Round 1: Ch 4, 19 tc in ring, join in top of ch 4.

Round 2: Ch 1, sc in joining, skip 1 st, *5 dc in next st, skip next st, sc in next st, skip next st* repeat around ending with a sl st in top of 1st sc.

Round 3: Sl st in next st, ch 1, sc in same st, hdc in next st, (2 dc, 1 tc, 2 dc) in next st, hdc in next st, sc in next st, skip 1 st (located between points), *sc in next st, hdc in next st, (2 dc, 1 tc, 2 dc) in next st, hdc in next st, sc in next st, skip 1 st (located between points), repeat around for a total of 5 points.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Simple Ball Ornaments in Knit and Crochet

These ball ornaments are very simple but can be snazzier up by using the pretty Christmas yarns or adding some lace or dried flowers. Fixed the knitted ball as it refered to repeating rows 2 and 3 but is repeat rows 1 and 2.

Crocheted Ornament

Materials:
Worsted weight Christmas yarn
Small amount of polyester fiber-fil
E crochet hook

Chain 22 leaving a 12" tail, sc in 2nd chain from hook and in each ch across. Turn.
Row 2 - 21: ch 1, sc in each stitch across.
Fasten off leaving another 12" tail.

Use this tail to sew side seam and gather bottom. Fasten off and weave in end. Turn piece inside out (seam inside).

Lightly stuff ball and gather top with other tail. Use remaining tail after top is gathered to crochet a loop for hanging.



Knit Ornament

Materials:
Worsted weight Christmas yarn
Small amount polyester fiber-fil
Size 5 or 6 knitting needles
Small crochet hook or yarn needle

Cast on 21 sts and turn.
Row 1: Knit across. Turn.
Row 2: Purl across, Turn.
Repeat rows 1 and 2 for a total of 17 rows. Do not bind off.
Cut your yarn leaving a 12 - 16" tail.

Using the crochet hook or yarn needle weave the tail through the stitches on the needle and pull tight. Then sew the seam along the side making sure to have the knit side facing itself.

Turn right side out and lightly stuff with fiber-fil.

Gather top and sew tight. Now use crochet hook and remaining tail to crochet a loop for hanging and fasten off. Weave in end.

Sparkling Snowflake

This is a simple yet pretty snowflake that can be used as an ornament, package tie or even a coaster. I love the Christmas yarns so used that for this snowflake.

Materials:
Worsted Weight Yarn. I used the white with a silver thread.
G crochet hook

Notes:
dc cluster - Keeping last loop of each dc on hook, 2 dc in space or
stitch indicated; yarn over and draw through all 3 loops on hook.

Ch 4; join to form a ring.
Rnd 1: (right side) Ch 2 dc in ring; ch 3; * dc cluster in ring; ch 3; repeat from * 4 more times; ch 3; join in first dc.

Rnd 2: Ch 2, dc in same space as joining; in dc just made work a picot (ch 3, slip stitch in top of dc)3 times; * ch 3, sc in next ch 3 space, ch 3, dc cluster in next dc cluster; in dc cluster just made work (ch 3, sc) 3 times; repeat from * 4 more times; ch 3, sc in next ch 3 space, ch 3; join in first dc.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Steven's Comfy Toes 2007 Donations so far

Yahoo! I totalled the donations we have received for this year so far. Drum roll please x x x x x x x x x x x:
130 pair of slippers/socks/booties
44 hats
19 pair of mittens/gloves
5 scarves
4 hat/bootee sets

I have a few pair of mittens almost finished. I also have several hats on my needles and hooks that are almost finished. Might get some scarves started as we only have 5 so far. Scarves are nice to put with the hats.

Steven's Comfy Toes has been going since 1999. The first few years we only donated to the Head Start Program. We then realized that there are children in need that are not in the Head Start Program so we branched out into the community and gave ourselves a name. If you go to my website you can read the story of the name and my younger brother, whom this charity in named after. We collect these donations year round and give them out in December, just when it begins to get cold here. It's sad to see a child waiting at a bus stop with just a coat on and no hat or mittens, or to know that a child has a cold because they have no slippers to keep their feet warm when it gets cold at home. If you or your group wants to know more or wants to help here is the URL for our website:

http://www.geocities.com/lindaslists/steve4nscomfytoes.htm

Christmas Yarn

I was in an organizing/cleaning mood today and went through several rooms. In the room my grandkids call the toy room I found 2 bags of yarn, opened them and there was my Christmas Yarn from last year. Some of it used to belong to my daughter-in-law before she passed away last year. Look at this festive yarn. There are some with gold threads and some with silver threads. Some are red, some are green, some are red and green. Some are an off white. One is black with a silver thread that looks like new years. The circle is a piece Aurora made so I don't have a pattern to make more. I am so happy to find this yarn. Now to knit and crochet away. YAHOO!!!!
I'm going to try making some knitted ornaments. I plan on knitting them in the round with double pointed needles but they can also be done with singles going back and forth. I plan on knitting a rectangle (if using single pointed needles) or a wide tube with double pointed. Then gather the bottom, stuff and gather the top. If they look pretty enough I might make a bunch. I can even get some gathered lace and put on the top for a ruffle and put a small tassel on the bottom. Hmmmm.......
Just for reference I will be using size 6 needles. When I have a few done I will post a few pics.

If anyone knows the pattern for the poinsettia circle shown in the photo I would be incredibly happy if you can point the way.

Just waiting

I have a dr appt (bone cracker for my neck) in about 2 hours and decided to get on and post. Saw this and had to give my list since I love Movies:


The Inevitable Movies Meme
My turn!
AFI's top 100 movies.
Bold the ones you have seen.
Strike out the ones you couldn't finish.
* the ones you have seen more than once.
1. Citizen Kane (1941)
2. The Godfather *
3. Casablanca (1942)
4. Raging Bull (1980)
5. Singin’ in the Rain (1952) *
6. Gone with the Wind (1939) *
7. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
8. Schindler’s List (1993)*
9. Vertigo (1958)*
10. The Wizard of Oz (1939) *
11. City Lights (1931)
12. The Searchers (1956)
13. Star Wars (1977) *
14. Psycho (1960) *
15. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
16. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)*
17. The Graduate (1967)
18. The General (1927)
19. On the Waterfront (1954)
20. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) * - My favorite film. I watch it year round.
21. Chinatown (1974)
22. Some Like It Hot (1959)
23. The Grapes of Wrath (1940) *
24. E.T. The Extraterrestrial (1982)* Now my grandkids watch it.
25. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
26. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
27. High Noon (1952)
28. All About Eve (1950)
29. Double Indemnity (1944)
30. Apocalypse Now (1979) *
31. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
32. The Godfather Part II (1974)*
33. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
34. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)*
35. Annie Hall (1977)
36. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
37. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
38. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
39. Dr. Strangelove (1964)*
40. The Sound of Music (1965) *
41. King Kong (1933)*
42. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)*
43. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
44. The Philadelphia Story (1940)*
45. Shane (1953)
46. It Happened One Night (1934)
47.A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
48. Rear Window (1954)*
49. Intolerance (1916)
50. Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)*
51. West Side Story (1961)
52. Taxi Driver (1976)
53. Deer Hunter, The (1978)
54. M*A*S*H (1970)*
55. North by Northwest (1959)
56. Jaws (1975) *
57. Rocky (1976)*
58. The Gold Rush (1925)
59. Nashville (1975)
60. Duck Soup (1933)
61. Sullivan’s Travels (1941)
62. American Graffiti (1973)
63. Cabaret (1972)
64. Network (1976)
65. The African Queen (1951)
66. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) *
67. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
68. Unforgiven (1992)
69. Tootsie (1982)*
70. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
71. Saving Private Ryan (1998)*
72. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) *
73. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)*
74. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) *
75. In the Heat of the Night (1967)
76. Forrest Gump (1994)*
77. All the President’s Men (1976)
78. Modern Times (1936)
79. The Wild Bunch (1969)
80. The Apartment (1960)
81. Spartacus (1960)*
82. Sunrise (1927)
83. Titanic (1997) *
84. Easy Rider (1969)
85. A Night at the Opera (1935)
86. Platoon (1986)
87. 12 Angry Men (1957)
88. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
89. The Sixth Sense (1999)* – Love his stuff
90. Swing Time (1936)
91. Sophie’s Choice (1982)
92. Goodfellas (1990)
93. The French Connection (1971)
94. Pulp Fiction (1994)
95. The Last Picture Show (1971)
96. Do the Right Thing (1989)
97. Blade Runner (1982)*
98. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
99. Toy Story (1995)*
100. Ben-Hur (1959)*

As you can see I didn’t strike any. I have the compulsion to finish any movie I begin. Who knows, it might get better and I would miss it. Then it may not come back on again for another yea. I can tend to kick myself in the pants for a VERY LONG TIME! Besides, movies make great knitting background sounds.

New Me!

This will be me by Christmas!!



Now to get the body to go with the clothes.

Almost half way there!

Well I weighed in yesterday and I am down to 232 pounds. Can't get enough vegetables, water, and exercise. I love vegetable soup but it can be a challenge to cook for one or two. I was using the 3 sweating with the oldies tapes (Richard Simmons) but wore #3 out. Had to splice it back together which is just not the same so I started using a set of DVD's and weights called "The Firm". The Billy Blanks group that does Tae Bo does these. They are fun already and my granddaughter loves to just sit and watch them. (She relates everyone to a character in the Bratz movie).

I am in a size 20 now which is a big change from a size 28.

Well this bears fan is happy today. We won the first pre-season game yesterday. These games are more like watching a group of boys playing football during PE. If they win OK, if they lose OK. It was nice to see them win, even if it doesn't count.

I have finally finished and felted my knitted potholder, crocheted potholder, and crocheted Christmas stocking. They turned out great. Now to get the pattern typed up and the final pics taken. I did remember to take a before picture too so you can see the before measurements compared to the after.

I have a pattern for a felted bowler and a beautiful variegated/ombre hand dyed yarn to use. Can't wait to get started.

Weight Changes for the better

On my birthday this year (March 17, 2007) I weighed myself and saw that I was 285 pounds and needed to jump from my current pant size (26) to the next (28). That along with a photo I took of myself that showed a big body and a tiny head looked like a bad mirror reflection at a carnival side show. I then decided that changes HAD to be made. I started by changing my eatting habits and only eatting until I began to feel full and not beyond that. Eatting was something I was very good at. I started eatting more protien and less carbs (pasta and bread). This helped me to jump start the change, but was hard to sustain. I then decided to join Weight Watcher's online and exercise.
My exercise started to be 2 laps around the parking lot at work each day M - F. Then it changed to walking 3 miles every lunch hour which took the entire lunch hour and had to be changed when I ended up with blood blisters on my feet one day. Probably too much for my feet with this weight on them. I tried Tae Bo but the instructor was a little too fast for me at this stage. I ended up breaking out my set of old Richard Simmon's Sweating to the Oldies tapes 1 - 3. I now workout with them 1 hour every morning M-F and mow the lawn for one of the weekend days (big yard). I might go back to walking after it cools down and I have lost a little more weight.

My eatting had changed. With weight watchers I can eat a variety of foods and see where I stand for the day or even the week. I log in my weight every Saturday morning and can check my progress.

I weighed in yesterday and now weigh 243 pounds and falling. I have gone down 1 pant size to a 24 and have bought a few pair of jeans for when I reach size 22 as my 24's are beginning to feel too confortable-LOL. I have lost inches everywhere too. Two areas I am trying to focus on right now are my abs as I feel that I have an apron there with the hang. I also am working on my triceps to reduce the drag with my set of Grandma wings (grandkids named them). The crunches and curls are helping though.

As I continue on this voyage I will post my results, set backs and challenges. I might even post a few recipes. Now on to mow the lawn ~=o}

Graduation

Boy, go away from your blog for 6 months and everything changes. I had to reset everything to post. Guess I'd better be more regular. I wonder if corectol would help-LOL. I graduated with my BSBA degree on 7-7-07 in HOT phoenix Arizona. 120 degrees helps you to make me appreciate our 90 degree weather. I now have 6 months to decide if I want to continue to my MSBA degree since it will only take about a year to complete with the classes I have already taken. Maybe I want to have Doctor in front of my name too??? You never know. I'll post some of my pics after they have been developed. Graduation took place in the University of Phoenix Stadium where the Super Bowl will be played next year(2008) with the Bears winning!!!! Boy is it big.