Author: admin

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Springtime!

Life seems a huge blur right now as we finish up the school work. I am spending great huge amounts of time with my right foot up on a chair, foot stool, or couch. I seem to have torn some tendons or something along that line.  It is a huge frustration to me. I seem to make plans only to have them changed mid-stream.

I recently opened the new shop ChocolatesBabyShop which is keeping me busy crocheting. I love crocheting little baby hats as they are just so cute and it is fun to think of the sweet little babies that will get to wear them.

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We seem to be sitting on the the thresh hold of so many  different experiences in the next two – three weeks. Our oldest daughter comes home from college. Our youngest son gets ready to graduate. Then we spend the summer preparing them both for the journey back to college and we will be left with one little bird still in the nest.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/101448416/she-sat-on-a-creative-nest-8-x-8-small

This is a wonderful time and I am so looking forward to all of the exciting changes that are happening. I will continue to rest my foot and hope to see you soon!

What is happening at your house this spring?

Talk to you later,

Karen

 

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Chocolate’s Baby Shop

Introducing Chocolate’s Baby shop! You can find it here: www.chocolatesbabyshop.etsy.com I started it to put all the baby items in since I had so many. Now I am adding these super cute baby hats and blankets to the shop in the week ahead.

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I also have some cute baby bibs and will be adding some taggies and possibly some baby shoes as well.

Talk to you later,

Karen

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Monday’s News

It appears that my plans can change in 5 minutes or the length of time it takes the Dr. to say you may have torn your tendon. So, I am no longer looking forward to sewing for the comic con as I was thinking of doing. I can always do the comic con later. The good news is that I will get a lot of time sitting with my foot up which is always good for the crocheted items in the shop! I have been working on some little things but I will surprise you with them next week.

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My family cleaned the flower beds out for me this past week. They worked hard as the beds had been neglected over the past year.

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Here you can see the rose bush and the sage that grow by the front door. We need to put some weed blocker down and then cover it in mulch in an effort to cut down on the grass growing back. I had a lovely package yesterday that was exciting and cheerful at the same time. I received these beautiful yarns in the mail from my friend Rose. Rose does lots of fancy knitting and these are (probably) a small part of her destash. They are all shades of brown and orange and I can hardly wait to get started on them. I have some ideas and they are percolating while I work on some other little things.

2014-04-16 12.51.32Talk to you later,

Karen

 

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100 items in 100 days!

Looking back at this challenge. I would say that it has helped me think outside the box. I had to get out of my comfort zone in my sewing and forced me to finish some mending projects. I finished a bunch of things in a short period of time.  I forced myself to use what I had on hand to fill my shop. It was good for me as it pushed me to create new and different things. It was an incredibly freeing experience to

Here they all are!

See you later,

Karen

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Challenge Blanket and instructions!

Here it is in all of its glory, the challenge blanket and the instructions! I started this in the 100 items in 100 days challenge  and I meant for it to be the very last entry but I just couldn’t wait to get this finished.Challenge Blanket and instructions!

I love granny square blankets, but this one is great too! It has one thing going for it that the Granny Square blankets don’t. Can you guess what it is?Challenge Blanket and instructions!

It has no holes! That is right, absolutely no holes for the air to get through. So, if you want to crochet a blanket for a non-Granny Square lover this is the one to use!   I used DK weight yarn for this blanket as it was what I had on hand and a G sized hook.Challenge Blanket and instructions! Challenge Blanket and instructions! Challenge Blanket and instructions!

This is a super simple pattern and I am going to share it with you right now! If you need a more complete pattern, I am pretty sure that there is already one on Ravelry.com.

Chain the length you want the blanket to be as a multiple of four. Half double crochet in each chain across.

2nd row.

chain five, skip the first two half double crochets and half  double crochet in the third, half double crochet in the fourth chain two and skip the next two half doubles, half double in the next two and continue in this pattern across the blanket.

3rd row.

Chain two and turn. You will have a funny loopy thing there at the start. Double crochet down into the 2nd row into the first half double that you skipped and then double crochet again into the second half double that you skipped in the row previously.
Chain two and continue in this pattern across the blanket.

This is the basic pattern if you have any problems just let me know.

The last row in the blanket you double crochet into the spaces and half double into the tops of the double crochets of the previous row.

To finish it out I simply crocheted a simple grey  border around all the edges of the blanket with two chains in each corner stitch.

Let me know if you make one! I would love to see it.

Talk to you later,

Karen

P.S. This one is for sale in the ChocolateDogStudio.etsy.com shop!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/186196415/hand-crochet-blanket-afghan-multicolor

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Finally completely done! 100 items in 100 days

This is the final post of 100 items in 100 days!

I finally caught up with myself and I finished these items for the 100 items in 100 days.

Finally completely done! 100 items in 100 days

Lavender and rice pocket warmers or relaxation hearts, or hot or cold pads. These are pretty much for whatever you need them to be. They are filled with rice and lavender buds. You could also put the in the dryer for freshly scented clothes.Finally completely done! 100 items in 100 days

I finally finished up these non paper paper towels. I have had them cut out for ages and they just needed to be sewn.

So there you go the last two items that I needed to post to really be officially finished.

Talk to you later,

Karen

Here is the previous post on this challenge: http://www.chocolatedogstudio.com/2014/04/01/april-fools/

and the post before that: http://www.chocolatedogstudio.com/2014/02/05/progress/

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Another Sneak Peek

This is a 100 items in 100 days project. It is definitely all from my stash of yarns, which sadly to say aren’t getting that much smaller. I love this crochet blanket as it has no holes in it like a granny square blanket. The colors are bright and cheerful. The size is perfect and it will be for sale in the www.ChocolateDogStudio.etsy.com shop.

I am trying to decide whether to write the pattern or not. It would have huge pages of color striping in the instructions. What do you think? Should I write the pattern or not?IMG_3728 IMG_3719 IMG_3715 IMG_3712 IMG_3721

Talk to you later,

Karen

 

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To do List 4/6 – 4/12

 

  1. Scrapbook page for Home school yearbook.
  2. Baby photo of Sr. for yearbook
  3. Meal with son and daughter in law
  4. Plan meals for week
  5. Mail sr photos out to family
  6. Get Commencement invites out
  7. Create shopping list
  8. Clean bedroom
  9. Clean out front flower bed and plant irises in back yard
  10. Work on organizing files (pick one drawer to work on)
  11. Finish pattern for baby blanket
  12. Create  last 10  items for the 100 day challenge!  About three items left….
  13. Complete Calendar planning for shop and home for rest of year.
  14. Plan vacation times and fabric shopping trip
  15. Exercise four times this week
  16. Plan quiet times for re-energizing
  17. Date night with Hubs. 

Wow that is a bunch to do! No wonder that I never got the whole list done. I  still have time to get some of it finished. We will see how I do. What are your goals and how much do you have left on your to do list?

See you later,

Karen

 

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Are You a Yarn Addict?

I’m here to talk to you about a  very serious topic that your mother has probably not spoken to you about. It can affect every facet of your life. It can be life threatening, well, it can if you sit on a needle. It can and does separate you from loved ones. It can be overwhelming and reduce you to tears. I am talking about Yarn Addiction.

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How to know if you have a yarn addiction.

  1. There is yarn in more than one room of your house.
  2. You often carry yarn with you when you leave the house.
  3. You read blogs like http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/, web sites like Ravelry.com and Pinterest knitting or crochet pages.
  4. You receive shipments of yarn in the mail. 2014-01-06 15.19.10
  5. Any trip out of the house usually involves stopping at a place where they sell yarn or supplies for your yarn addiction.
  6. You give your children the eye when you are counting at vital points in “The Project” and then you count loudly so they can know when to approach you.
  7. You spend time dreaming about the next project or when you can start on the next project.2013-10-24 13.59.59
  8. You are considering opening an online shop to sell what you knit or crochet because your family already has an over-abundance of what ever it is you make.
  9. You know to wait to order because your favorite yarn goes on sale about every six weeks.
  10. You always get the free shipping discount when you place an order because you always meet the minimum order amount. IMG_1295
  11. When you see a cute crochet or knit top you automatically click over to the yarn store to see what it would cost to make your own.
  12. You never buy socks from the store as you always knit your own.
  13. You know what WIP or PIGS or UFO’s are.
  14. You are experienced in Frogging.
  15. When you fly you have appropriate needles or hooks for the airlines so you can continue to work on your project.
  16. Your family is used to seeing you with yarn lint on your clothes.
  17. You never sit as close to your husband as you did because yarn is in the way.
  18. On vacation you like to stop and check out that cute yarn shop right over there!
  19. When travelling by car for longer than 30 minutes you pack a project bag so you can work while someone else drives.
  20. You tend to pack more yarn than clothes for a trip.IMG_0914

If you answered yes to more than 15 of these questions, you are indeed a yarn Addict and have the bug most desperately and there is not much hope for a full recovery. You do not wish to recover at all and are most happy with the current situation.

If you answered yes to 10-15, there is a slight chance for recovery. Especially if assisted by carpal tunnel surgery which will keep you from knitting or crocheting for 6-10 weeks, but even then you will probably be planning what you are going to make when you get out of the cast.

If you answered yes to 5-10, the chance for recovery is more possible but still remote.

If you answered yes to less than five. RUN as fast as you can to a yarn store and get enough yarn for an army. After all, this addiction is useful! I mean you make lovely gifts for those that can’t make them themselves.

 

Talk to you later,

Karen

Yes, I can answer yes to all of the above except #12, I have only knit socks once and they were very holey. I also have not flown since the airlines have changed their rules. So I am very much a yarn addict.

 

 

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OKCMOA again!

We also saw a wonderful exhibit of recycled items called Come on down by Lisa Hoke.

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This collage art was about 30 feet long and the colors covered all the colors in packaging that you see on your grocery store shelves. There was a video at the beginning that talked about how she created this art work.  She worked in 2 or 3 foot sections to make it easier to work with. You could watch a time elapse of her putting the collage on the walls of the museum.

It is awesome incredible artwork full of life and color. She has friend and family save their recyclables for her. It is a great example of creating with what you have on hand.

http://www.okcmoa.com/see/exhibitions/come-on-down-by-lisa-hoke/

You can see a panoramic photo of the installation on her website as well as her other collage work here: http://www.lisahoke.com/pages/newInstallations/74.html

talk to you later,

Karen