Tag: DIY

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Crochet Projects

I am working on several different crochet projects this month. I have three in progress; a custom granny square and two new stripe afghans. There are also 3-4 projects in what I call the incubator.

The incubator is a blending of several things; a secret pinterest board of ideas, yarn in yarntopia, and visual ideas that persist in running through my mind over and over again. Sometimes the ideas make it to the sketchbook or a yarn order.

The flower blanket you have been seeing updates on through Instagram. It is just a huge project. I feel like I am eating an elephant, one little bite at a time. I know it will be completed soon but it feels like climbing up a mountain on a slippery ice. It just keeps dragging on and on with no end in sight. I really wish I was at the joining stage. Truthfully, I’m not. I was just setting them out to verify how many squares I really needed. Crochet Projects; ChocolateDogStudio, Granny square flowers

 

I have been continuing to read the books on my list. I have been completing the exercises as I go and I think I am making progress. Breaking Busy has been reminding me to not overcommit to activities. Frankly, it has been hard as my life is in a shift of priorities. It appears that we are shifting from parenting to coaching to support staff, and from being friends with parents to keeping an eye on things for them a little bit more. Mom calls it the sandwich generation. I know she is right as sometimes I feel pretty squashed.Today, I am tired, deeply exhausted that tends to go with the fibromyalgia has set in. The weekend was full of family, fun and plain hard work. The results are amazing and today’s exhaustion is worth it.

The weather is gloomy and chilly today, which makes me want to snuggle under a blanket with a cup of coffee. I just need a  day of quiet, crochet and dinner in the crock pot. So, I am off to get dinner started so I can sit and crochet the rest of the day guilt free. The laundry is going so I feel pretty productive even if I am not working very hard.

Talk to you later,

Karen

 

 

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The Planked Ceiling

Here we are painting the planked ceiling in the kitchen! What a job planking the ceiling has turned out to be. ”

Plank the ceiling”! we said

“Great idea”

“How hard can it be?

You know when you have there three sentences in one paragraph combined with home improvement that you just really need to take a step back and slow way down. This has turned out to be a huge, massive project. I am sure that everyone else (family and friends) are now nodding their heads thinking “I told you so!”  We started the week before Christmas and we are almost to the point where we are ready to add trim!  Here are some photos of the project as we have had different check points in the project. Understand that we are not huge DIY’s. we are just ordinary people with average skills.

The Planked Ceiling, ChocolateDogStudio DIY

It started with changing out the lights in the kitchen. We changed from fluorescent to LED lights and have truly had a huge savings in our electric bill.

The Planked Ceiling, ChocolateDogStudio DIY

Starting the planking. At this point we are halfway through and we really like how it looks.

The Planked Ceiling, ChocolateDogStudio DIY

Looking in toward the kitchen. It looks nice and clean.

The Planked Ceiling, ChocolateDogStudio DIY

Starting the paint job.

Today we are finishing the paint job and then all that will be left is the trim. Which we will paint before we apply it.

The Planked Ceiling, ChocolateDogStudio DIY

It is waiting on the second coat but it looks really nice. I can’t wait for it to be finished. We have had massive help from our sons and then our daughter’s friend also helped tremendously. It has been a great bonding experience but it is one that we are ready to enjoy and not work on or think about!

Talk to you later,

Karen

 

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Tutorial: How to make a rectangular Granny Square blanket.

I have had people asking how to make a rectangular Granny Square blanket. Tutorial: How to make a rectangular Granny Square blanket.

You can see in the photo above that the extra rows were added in blue.  I crocheted my Granny square as a square for 15 rows. I then crocheted back and forth on one end and added three more rows. I continued on around the square to the opposite end and crocheted 5 extra rows. It is important to add odd rows so that you are ending on the opposite side that you started the short rows.

Tutorial: How to make a rectangular Granny Square blanket.

Keep your crocheting continuing in the same direction that you started. Re

I hope that you aren’t thoroughly confused, if you are please leave a comment and I will see if I can write up a pattern instead of just showing you all of the photos.

 

Thanks,

Karen