Tag: Chocolatedogstudio

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Family Identity

Do you have a family identity? It used to be a popular thing to talk about. It is a pretty basic concept. What does your family stand for? What does it mean to be a _____________ (put your last name in the blank)? When our kids were small it was pretty simple:

Stewart’s take care of each other.

and

Stewart’s tell the truth.

(I had to work pretty hard on that one.)

Stewart’s wash their hands and use their manners.

(another one we had to work hard on.)

Then it became more difficult as time went on and the kids got older.

It became things like:

Stewart’s do hard things, they don’t give up!

Stewart’s do not leave projects to the last minute before they are due!

Those are also incredibly hard to teach and I am still working on learning them myself. Though, I think the last one was more of a self preservation teaching than a family identity or motto.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/192862925/vintage-1970sbe-prepared-embroidered

 

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/181484340/do-what-you-can-11×14-print-of-theodore

I have been thinking about this family identity thing because our home school group has suggested that we come up with a home school mission statement for this year. Public schools, private schools, colleges and universities do this all the time with slogans and mottos. I have been thinking about it. We are close to the end of our homeschooling years and I don’t think that choosing “I can’t wait to be finished” is a good choice for our home school mission statement. I really don’t want our sweet youngest child to think back that Mom couldn’t wait to be done with teaching her. That is NOT a good end to a season of life. I know that there is something more challenging and uplifting that I could use if I think long enough.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/151666214/educating-the-mind-without-educating-the

I think family identities, mission statements and mottos are good things. They serve as guidelines. They can help you keep on track and remind you of why you do what you do and who you are. I’m still thinking about ours for the year, if I figure it out I will get back to you.

Talk to you later,

Karen

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Cleaning!

I gave myself a stern talking to; this week. I am spending the day cleaning up my studio and doing some paperwork for the business. It has been ages/months maybe even years since I last sat down and really worked in here. I have been gifted with a bunch of fabric from friends and family. Some I will use or did use in the 100 items in 100 days Challenge but some I won’t use, ever!

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Isn’t it awful!

I am making progress. I can see the top of the cutting table. I have decided to give the yards of felt in strange colors, like lime green and black to charity. I have no idea what I would use it for as I am not that fond of working with felt. I could make thousands of brooches and Christmas ornaments with the huge amount of felt that I am not giving keeping. I am getting rid of items that I made five years ago that didn’t sell. Like these pincushions. I have 10+ pincushions and if you know of someone that needs or wants one. I will ship it to them for the cost of the shipping! Just send me a message or leave a comment and I will get in touch with you.

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Hubs is getting some organizing items for me from Wal-mart. I am super excited.

Talk to you later,

Karen

 

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Copper and Cream blanket

Ta dah! I am so glad to be able to show this beautiful crochet blanket to you. It is a lovely copper and cream combination. This time of year when the weather is so hot I always think of the cooler weather of Fall. I can’t wait for the back to school sales and the beautiful new Autumn colors.

The pattern is my own design. The blanket was approved by all the men in my house from my husband to the boys (24 and 19 years old). The deemed it properly masculine, properly soft and just perfect. I wasn’t sure I was going to get it away from them to be able to list it in the Studio shop. Copper and Cream blanket

Even the border was guy approved. Just the right finish to the edging. I left off the picot scallops that were to top the border. It just didn’t seem to need it.Copper and Cream blanket

This blanket is longer than I usually make. Copper and Cream blanketAnyway, it is finished and I hope to put the pattern in the shop as well. It was one of those lovely “let’s see what happens if I do this” paths and it turned out quite nice. You can find the blanket in the studio shop here!

See you later,

Karen

 

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Ridged Baby Ripple

I finished the ridged baby ripple quite some time ago. I hated to show it off until I had written the pattern. Here it is: a wonderful soft cottony baby blanket.

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The blanket is 18″ x 24″. A perfect size to cover baby in their carseat.

Ridged Baby Ripple Ridged Baby RippleYou can find the pattern on etsy, craftsy and the blanket for sale on Etsy as well.

What are you working on and how are you doing this week?

See you later,

Karen

 

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Monet at the Philbrook

We took some time this week to go to the Monet exhibit at the Philbrook art museum in Tulsa.

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It is a lovely museum with lovely grounds and gardens. It was a bit too warm to wander around the grounds on this visit. We  did get to see the Monet exhibit.

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We were not allowed to take photos in the exhibit so the only photo I have of any Monet work is this one from the front entrance. His artwork is lovely and I really enjoyed how he worked with light. We also saw some Native American Pottery.

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The pots on the bottom are easily 3-4 feet tall.

I hope that if you live in the are you will take the opportunity and go see the beautiful paintings by Monet. FYI kids 17 and under are free!

Talk to you later,

Karen

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Tutorial: Crocheting edging to a Polo shirt

I had some polo shirts that I loved wearing. Polo shirts are knit shirts like a tennis or golf shirt with vents on the side seams and a knit collar. Almost as comfortable as t-shirts they are a summer wardrobe staple for me.  I wore them every week but then they shrank in the length. They became uncomfortably short. They were too short to tuck in and too short to wear outside my jeans. While I was out on a date with hubs last night, I had a brilliant idea. What about adding crochet edging to the the bottom of the shirts. If it is crocheted in place and not sewn on then it would look as though it was always there. The shirts were headed to Goodwill since they were too short, what would it cost me to try?

Instructions:

So I whipped out my ruler and made 1/4 inch dots with a pencil along the hem on the wrong side of the shirt.

crochet edging

I then tried several different methods of putting a blanket stitch along the bottom of the shirt.

1st row

The preferred method (for me) was to use the smallest double pointed steel knitting needle to poke a hole from the wrong side to the right side. You could also use a dull needle point needle. Then I crocheted along the bottom edge of the shirt. I ended up only chaining twice between each stitch because three chains made it scalloped, like this.

crochet edging

2nd row

When I reached the end of the shirt at the side seam. I chained twice and turned. This row was simply two single crochets in each blanket stitch.

3rd Row

The third row was double crochet in the top of each single crochet. Chain four and turn.

crochet edging

In the photo above you can see the starting row of blanket stitch, the row of single crochet and then the third row of double crochet.

crochet edging

4th row

Double crochet in the third double crochet from the edge. (You are skipping one double crochet across). Then chain 1, double crochet in the second double crochet across. It creates a grid across the bottom of the shirt. You will repeat this row 2 more times. On the last row chain four and turn.

So you will have three rows of the grid and then the edging. I really didn’t want a frilly edging so I opted for a light scalloped picot border.

The fifth row sets the foundation for the scallops and picots.

5th row

skip one double crochet and single crochet to the next double all the way across.

6th row

6th row single crochet 2 times into the first scallop foundation. Singel crochet again and chain three, single crochet to the same place and then sc 1 more time. There should be six single crochets. The two stitches in the middle will have the picot added to the top. It should look like this.

crochet edging

 

Weave in all of your ends and you should have successfully added about two inches to the bottom of your polo top. Then repeat this to the front hem of your shirt. Wash the whole thing and hang it to dry. You can shape the crochet lace while it dries and it should reduce ironing. I wouldn’t put it in the dryer as the lace might shrink. Here is mine drying. It will still need a light ironing.

crochet edging,

Yay, I am so  happy. I can’t wait to wear it. I have two more polo shirts to fix.I’m off to watch some more netflix and off to fix my knit shirts.

talk to you later,

Karen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The New Square

I have been really lacking in creativity in my crochet lately. I have done tons of sewing and I have enjoyed it but I have been spending time with family and not much time with the hook in the evenings. I haven’t been pleased with the projects I have been doing and that seems to breed procrastination and lots of thinking. What I was working on wasn’t pretty or bright or even colorful. It did have plenty of colors in it but I think the background color wasn’t/isn’t working. So, I am not even going to show it to you until I improve it with a new background color. I did get a crochet hook out and start some long stringy things but they also lacked life.So, those also fell by the wayside. This did start this weekend and I am pretty driven to complete it. I am happy and at peace by this one little square. Now to figure out what I did and how to make tons of multiples. Yes it is a granny square, and it makes me very happy. 2014-06-21 10.47.56 I am off to crochet a bunch more. See you later, Karen

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Neon Crochet Afghan Pattern

I just broke through a pattern writing slump and finished up the pattern for the Neon Crochet Afghan blanket. I first showed this blanket to you in February.

Neon Crochet Afghan Pattern Neon Crochet Afghan Pattern Neon Crochet Afghan Pattern Neon Crochet Afghan Pattern The black was rather difficult to photograph at different parts so I did those parts (for the pattern) in the pink and orange yarn instead. I hope it turns out well. I have it listed on Etsy and Craftsy if you are interested. This is another beginner level pattern, half double crochet and double crochet are the only stitches used. You do need to be comfortable in changing colors and counting stitches. The blanket is  45″ x 60″.

See you later,

Karen

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Cleaning up

You know how you start to look for an important piece of paper and it isn’t to be found, ANYWHERE. I have had that problem three times in the last four months. I have been been putting off working on our files since we moved to Iowa. There is so much that we just dumped in a drawer or cabinet when we moved back. I have been letting things like filing and organizing slide around here. I am an artist/packrat type person, my husband is the Engineer/keep it we might need it one day person, and together we have children that are a wonderful combination of our two personalities. We have been drowning in clutter. I would really like to say that I had planned organizing today several weeks ago and as it came up on my planner I got right to work. HA! Really, I am procrastinating doing something else.

Here is the before photo. I hate to share it but we are real people around here.

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Umm, the toilet paper is for noses and dog ears.

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This is the top of the dining table and my drafting table height desk, which I love but I had given to hubs to use when we moved back in. We have a spare door that belongs on the laundry room door but doesn’t work when you actually have a washer and dryer in the laundry room. So, it has been stored in the house in another room and was just waiting for this use. 2014-06-13 13.55.50

Here is the door on top of the filing cabinets, which are full of paper, which is the reason I started this anyway. The other reason I started this was to do this with our common everyday papers.

http://www.abowlfulloflemons.net/2012/09/home-organization-101-week-4-office.html

Isn’t it beautiful! I love how organized she is. So, I set out to do something along the same lines without running to the store. I have set a challenge for myself for the year to do as much as I can without buying new organizing things. I love her color coordinated notebooks, and it would look so much more put together but, I have a busy, busy life, and I won’t get it all together and keep it together long enough to do this.

2014-06-13 12.37.12This is my take on her organization method. I also added a front piece on each binder because, and there are two of us using these, and it would help to have directions. The perfectionist in me wants to rip that label out that is cut crooked and fix it. I am NOT going to obsess about this. IF this system works then I might revamp it later and pretty it up.

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Here are some after photos of my desk and his desk. I am working on the files on his desk, so it is more cluttered than mine. I also wasn’t sure where he wanted his white board hung.2014-06-13 13.55.50

The green and red box is for paper to shred, which should open up some room in the file drawers. My Mom sent me this great link about which papers to keep and which to shred.

http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Money/Personal-Finance/Managing-Household-Records.shtml

To keep it all real, here is the photo of the table that I am still decluttering. Why does organizing always make things look worse before it looks better?

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I am excited to have a landing pad for my laptop. I am determined to spend less time on the screen and more time with my family. So, I am going to try to treat my laptop as a desktop. We are also washing the dog beds and dogs. We did sweep and mopped thoroughly. The floor had been in bad condition since it had been raining, and the dogs have had access to this room only.

Talk to you later,

Karen