snood pattern (rough)

rnd1: ch 5, sl st into first chain to create a ring

rnd2: ch 3 (counts as first  dc) dc 5 times into the ring, sl st into third chain from beginning of round (6 st)

rnd3: ch 3, do 2 dc into each st (12 st) sl st into third chain at beg of round

rnd4: ch 3, *do 2 dc into next st, one dc into following st* rpt* around, sl st into 3rd chain at beg of round (18 st)

rnd5: ch 3, *2 dc into next st, one into next st, one into next st* rpt* around, sl st into chain at beg of round (24 st)

rnd6: *ch 5, sc into next st* rpt* around

rnd7: *sc into loop created, ch 5, sc into next loop* rpt* around

rnd8: *sc into loop created, ch5, sc into same loop, ch 5, sc into next loop*

rnd9+: rpt round 7 until desired length

final rnd: sc into all loops. sl st into first sc. bind off.

weave ribbon through final loops.

if you need to add more to the diameter of the snood, work rnd 8 multiple times until it is big enough around to sit comfortably on your head.

For Sale/Barter/Trade

I'm cleaning out my project room. This means that I have items that I am going to get rid of. Here's a list of what I have to offer.

Books:

• Learn to Knit     Author: unknown     Editor: unknown     Publisher: Leisure Arts     Copyright: 2011    This is a fair book for beginning knitters. It has step by step directions for 10 easy projects. Gives directions for left handed knitters as well as right handed. My rating: 6/10  Asking: $4.00
• The Complete Encyclopedia of Crafts Vol 2    Author: unknown    Editor: unknown                  Publisher: Columbia House   Copyright: 1975        Filled with craft ideas. I don't have the other volumes of this set. I haven't used it for anything, but it runs the gamut from wood working to embroidery to basket weaving.   My rating: 4/10  Asking: $4.00
• The Prayer Shawl Ministry Vol 2     Author: --    Editor: Susan White Sullivan, et al.                        Publisher: Leisure Arts     Copyright: 2008     Filled with really good shawl patterns that are accessible to pretty much any skill level.  My rating: 7/10    Asking: $4.00
• Gothic Gargoyles   Author: Bill Yenne  Publisher: Barnes & Noble Books    Copyright: 2000             A beautiful photo book of gothic gargoyles from around the world. Has minor wear and tear. My rating: 7/10  Asking: $5.00
• Baltimore: Then and Now     Author: Alexander D. Mitchell   Publisher: Thunder Bay Press    Copyright: 2001     A lovely photo book comparing images of the city of Baltimore, Maryland (USA) (as of the time of publication) to past images. In very good condition. Missing the dust jacket. My rating 7/10   Asking: $5.00
• The Secret of the Shadow    Author: Debbie Ford      Publisher: Harper Collins     Copyright: 2002    A pleasant read with some novel concepts on how to work with one's shadow aspects. In good condition. Missing dust jacket. My rating: 6/10    Asking: $7.00

Knifty Knitter set - includes 4 round looms, one long loom, and a bloom loom. also includes picks, project book, 1 ball acrylic (baby fingering weight) and 2 balls wool (sport weight) yarn.  Asking: $30.00

Claimed

I had a clean...

I had a clean kitchen ...   then I had to cook something.
I had clean laundry ....     then I had to get dressed.
I had a clean living room ....    then the kids got home from school.
I had a clean mind ....   then Beloved grinned at me.


I am pretty sure I could add to the list but I need to go clean something now.

New hat!

I'm going to blog a bit about the costuming I do for my LARP characters. I have one that is a madwoman. She has a few quirks. One of them is that she dresses in men's clothes. I'm not talking about just jeans and a sweater (though it is an option). I have a black suit that looks much like Beloved's. I'm planning on wearing that suit, a button down shirt, a tie (borrowed from Beloved), my leather long coat, and a hat.

Last month, I didn't have the suit. I was just doing the jeans and man's sweater. I had my leather long coat and my leather cowboy hat. As I was out grocery shopping last weekend, I snagged a plastic, velour covered top hat. My plan is to wear it next session with the suit and everything. I'm not going to be making it to January's session for the game, but that's ok. It gives me the time to get everything I need together.

If I can manage it, I'm going to borrow Beloved's tie tack and cufflinks. If not, that's ok. I'll still find away to make it work.

Here's my new hat! If I can manage it, I'll locate a real hat in this style at a second hand shop or something in a size smaller. Either way, this is going to be part of my rotation for this character. I also have my velvet fedora as an option. Who knows, maybe I'll manage to find some other awesome hats for dirt cheap. This thing only cost one buck.

2013 Blanket Project: Week 1

It will be interesting if I wind up with twelve blankets on the basis of the size of these squares. They are each 8 in long. So, this may add up quickly. I am still going to make one square each day, however. If I wind up with twelve blankets, I honestly have no idea what I am going to do with them.

Here are week one's squares:

Novel update!

Word Count: 35,474     Total Words Added Thus Far:  5,418     Total Needed for Goal:  64,526

I have a new character. His name is Fish-eye. He is a low level brute but he is going to serve as my eyes into how Askemb's men function. Fish-eye may not last long. I haven't decided it yet. Right now, I'm just trying to get back into the story.

First Novel of the Year!

I have picked up an unfinished manuscript and started work on finishing it up.

My starting word count is 30,056. My current word count is 33,054. My goal is 100 K by the end of the month. Wish me luck everyone.

Work, work, work!

So far today, I have put away all the kids clothes. I have made good strides on my crochet projects. I have gotten a fair amount of my paperwork stuff finished. I also have done a good amount of planning for my next children's manuscript. All I really have left to do on that front is start writing.

I feel like I could have done more, but each of these things took their own amount of time. I need to focus on quality of work versus quantity of it. From the quality angle, I have done very well today. And it is just now lunch time.

Educational listening.

I'm sitting here working on my crochet squares for today. As I do so, I am listening to TED talks. So far, I have learned about the importance of vultures in the ecosystem. I have listened to an inspiring story about a paraplegic regaining her ability to walk and acquiring her pilot's license (three times over). I have also listened to an interesting discussion on the value of fear.

I believe this is going to be my new 'thing'. As I work on my crochet squares, I am going to listen to something educational and learn something. An unofficial goal for myself is to learn something new every day. I think this will be an excellent way to meet that goal. It has made for a truly enjoyable morning.

So far, I have one square finished. I hope to finish the second soon. The work goes by faster when I am listening to something interesting. I changed my plan for the second square. I am just going to do half double crochet for the whole square. I believe I am going to make some very basic squares before I do anything complicated. This way I have a logical progression to my crochet squares.

Happy New Year!

Dear Readers,

I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year! I am going to do something a little bit trite here and list my resolutions for the year. I will be revisiting this post and crossing things off as I complete them. It is my hope that I will have all of these things accomplished this time next year and a new list of twelve items. In no particular order of importance, here is my list of twelve resolutions for 2013!

1. Use up all of my stashed wool yarn.
2. Re-teach myself Spanish.
3. Exercise 15 minutes a day.
4. Write daily in my journal.
5. Write according to schedule on my projects.
6. Submit two manuscripts to publishers by July.
7. Finish my fantasy manuscript.
8. Crochet one square a day.
9. Spin a mile of thread.
10. Donate to charity.
11. Stick with the FlyLady method of organization.
12. Fix my sewing machine.

I'm making a singificant amount of progress on goal number one. My scrapghan is coming out nicely. I plan on sending it off to Njordsheart soon. Here is what I have done so far. It is using all handspun yarns. Some of mine is included but most of this is from a random grab bag that my MIL gave me a while back.

My crochet square for today hasn't been made. I am going to make a very basic 8 inch granny square tomorrow. I am thinking about making an 8 inch square in basketweave stitch for my square for tomorrow as well. My goal with the crochet squares is to make enough to sew into a blanket by the end of the year.

Over the last week, I have been busy using up my acrylic stash. I made three lap scrapghans and a shawl. I'm not sure what to do with them. They are pictured below.

My youngest claimed the stripy one. I don't know what I'm going to do with the other two. Beloved tossed out the possibility of my selling them on etsy. I'm also considering sending one of them off to one of the women I correspond with as part of the Secret Sisters thing that we do.

I expect that as I progress forward in making squares for this eventual blanket, I am going to have a tidy pile of scraps to make into something else. I am putting up my current project and such for the night, however. It has been a long day today. Running around after children tends to wear a body out.

I hope that everybody stays toasty warm this frigid night. Everyone who is some place warm, think happy thoughts for those of us who are cold. May the gods bless you all with good fortune and health this year.