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Thursday, October 18, 2012

Backstitching!!!

For those of you that don't Cross-stitch backstitching is usually what happens when your project is all done and your doing the outlining to make parts of your project POP!

Well, I have completed all of the stitching and have started on the backstitching! I have decided that is one of the steps I don't like doing. Not sure why that is I could easily pass off this step but everything I've done that includes it makes it look awesome! 

So I guess I will just have to power through it and get it done. My goal is to be able to send Patrick's stocking to my mom so she will sew it up. (I'm not very successful on that part) I'm on track at this point  because I gave myself until the 1st of November. I'm ahead at this point. Yeah me!!!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Catching Up...

So when we moved to Texas we got Direct TV instead of cable (We saved money seriously). 

Well we got the DVR combo. So I have set recordings got to have my favorites right? Well, I started DVRing The Chew
ABC daily at 11:00-12:00. 

Well, let me just its changed my life. LOL We've actually made
a few of the recipes. 

Daphne Oz's Bacon Pancakes with Bourbon Sauce
Mario Batali's Black bean and egg breakfast Tacos 

So we spent the past 4 day weekend catching up. So I'm only 11 episodes behind. 

Seriously funny, there have been some episodes I've laughed so hard that I've ended up in tears.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Projects: New and Old

Old Projects:

Patrick's stocking:

So in our family we have a tradition on having cross-stitched stockings. Sad to say Abbie and Jb got theirs last year (yes if you know us that means they have been in the family for 8 and 9 years).
Progress before we packed up.
Patrick is going to get his a head of the curve only 4 years in the family. Needless to say it's coming along quickly. That is if I stick with it. We've had company and so I had to stick it up for a few.  
After unpacking.














Patrick's Blanket: Completed

So after I finished Abbie's blanket Patrick asked for one too. Well, I was tired of double knitting (seriously too hot in Texas to do that) so I went online and found videos to teach granny squares. 
Red heart yarn is what I had on hand so I went with that.
Patrick decided that he want four colors instead of three so he picked out the green. They turned out super pretty too. I love that I did it this way so when he needs it bigger all I have to do is pick another color and add a row and column.

My supplies: scissors, crochet hook H/8, needle to weave in ends.

Two of the four different squares.
So I decided to make a 9 square square. Each had 4 solid granny squares and 5 variegated square. So like in the picture Yellow - center, white - middle and Blue - outside. I rotated each color to be in the center, middle, and out side.

One completed square

My piles of completed squares.
So to make it easier to put together I crocheted a final border in black.

I goofed up. 
So the columns are suppose to be green, blue, yellow, white. Each row would have a solid square. Well when I was sewing them together I goofed and put the white-white and yellow-yellow on the same line.

Here's three rows complete
I took out the goofed up work and worked them in right so now you can see how it progressed to up the blanket.

Completed four rows. 
So once I completed it, I held it up to Patrick. Well lets just say I will probably be making some more rows in the future. But that's all good. I won't have as many to make. 

Super Slouch Hat: Completed

I don't have a picture of my hat completed. I got the pattern from here Super Slouch Hat Pattern
 (I hope the link works I've never done it before)

I decided that cooler weather was headed our way and since I have been going to water aerobics and loving it I needed a hat that would cover my wet hair. I love this hat. I would add one thing that helped me was a knitting maker. I slipped it on the beginning row every time I moved up.

Mermaid Tears Purse: Work in Progress

I don't have a picture of this work either. I came across Michael Sellick (I subscribe to Bernat's emails) He does videos on different stitches and what not and I had some yarn I hadn't figured out what to do with yet. Here's the link to the videos: Mermaid Tears Purse 

I'm using Berroco Pure Pima in Frost and Dutch Blue I did purchase my yarn from Royal Yarns but they no longer have the frost. 

I chained extra I wanted it a little wider and I'm using two colors. I really will get a picture up here. 

Pot Holders: Work in Progress

So I don't know what happen to all our pot holders (we may have thrown them out because they were falling a part) but at the moment we have three. Not so good when they get dirty or what not. 

Well as I was crocheting up the hat I notice that it would work up as a great pot holder. So I purchased two balls of Peaches & Creme color: 02600. It's a bright variegated yarn. (I love bright colors)

The next one I'm going to work up in a square. If I like that, I may start making them up for christmas presents or to sell at the yard sale we are having with some friends.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Laundry, laundry, laundry....

I don't know what it is about laundry but it is one of the one things besides (cleaning bathrooms) I dislike doing. Well, I don't mind do the washing and drying, its the folding and putting away I have a hard time following through with. I had four baskets to fold and put away. Yep have been stubbing my toes on them all week.

I also try to get the laundry done during the week, so that frees the weekends up with the family. This weekend is a four day, who knew Columbus day was a federal holiday. So the hubs has friday and monday off. Or would if he didn't have chapel duty friday night and sunday am. So, I'm on laundry duty today. Hopefully I will follow through and get them all put away.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Volcano Cake!

So this year I asked Patrick what kind of cake would he like for his birthday?
He excitedly said: "A VOLCANO CAKE!!!" 

I was thinking of doing one for him before he even said it. He has this fascination with Volcanoes. Whenever we go to Barnes & Noble or any store that has books we head to the book section (cheaper and education that getting toys for the kids). He loves the easy reader National Geographic books. 
I do not know how many times I've read The Volcano book but Patrick can tell you all about magma, lava, magma chambers and vents. I love it because he is learning science at such a young age.

So I started planning his Volcano cake. I bought rice crispies to make a base and then had the thought I wouldn't be able to store it in my refrigerator. So I didn't use them as a base.

I went with a chocolate (his pick) box cake. Used our bunt pan. And made up a couple batches of frosting from the Wilton Cake decorating class I took back in May.

Cake out of the pan.
I wasn't worried about it being pretty. I was going to be covering with frosting.

First batch of frosting. 
I used black and brown gel dye to get the right color for the lava rock.

The rock.
I wasn't sure how much darker I want so I stopped here. It turned out really well.

Rock portion down.
I had got this far before Swim aerobics. Have I told you I work better under pressure? 

The finish product. 
I didn't get pictures of just the lava before the candles. I used orange and red gel to get the lava color I liked. I decided to make it look like the lava flowed down to spell out happy birthday Patrick. 

Lava Flows and the Vent
The back side of the cake.


The lava!

Happy Birthday Patrick!
One happy boy with his Volcano Cake.