Another web site with Crochet (and some knit, too)

This is a pic on Doris Chan's Ravelry page, and belongs to Webs, which is new to me. The yarn used is that which belongs to the people who run the web page, Valley Yarns.

I LOVE THE COLOR!!

This Webs page was also listed in the Doris Chan pattern page on Ravelry. I see that the patterns listed on Webs are not expensive, very cute, and some different ones at that.  

I thought we all needed another place to check out patterns! Garnstudio and NaturallyCaron are still my favorite places, though, but I need to check this out.  Might come in a close 3rd. Both Garnstudio and NaturallyCaron use their own yarn, just like this site. I do buy their yarns just to keep the sites available for free patterns.

I honestly have to say that the Drops yarns are some of the best and least expensive of the better yarns out there.  I buy it from a place in California called NordicMart. They are not only full of great yarn and prices, they are also one of the most responsive places for customer service that I have ever used. You can also buy the Drops catalogs for a song if you don't want to go to the web site all the time and print out the patterns. Mostly knit, so I stick to the web pages although have been known to purchase one or two just to see how the other half lives - and to see IF I can every make a knit pattern into a crochet pattern. 

Let me know what you think of the Cowl and the pattern.  Of course, I thought a Cowl was around the neck......what do I know. Looks like a mobius shawl to me!

Cute Way to Make a Potholder

This potholder was a gift in a swap.  I have made one or two like this, but not as large, and not as intricate a pattern.  This is a cool way to make a lovely potholder out of one of your favorite afghan squares.

 FRONT

I know that a lot of us fold our afghan squares this way when we ship them in smaller envelopes - but just imagine sewing it together this way.

 BACK

The back makes a great geometric design, and the colors are really vivid and lively! Just right to brighten up my kitchen!

Baby Afghan

A young girl I know is having her second child. The first child she had was born the day after my birthday, and I gave the young couple money to put away ... thinking it would grow to more, but NOT in this economy.

This time I decided to make an afghan for her second which I hear is supposed to be a boy.

I was making a square out of the book called "A Year of Baby Afghans, Book 4" when I remembered the reason I purchased the book for for the August afghan. It should be called "Animal Crackers" as the lower panels have lots of little animals on them...all in 3D.

This is what I have so far!

I'll add a photo of a finished afghan soon.....have to ask Sara if I can use hers! ;o)

ETA:  SARA SAID YES!!

Isn't this the cutest blankie ever!!??!!

New Booklet

The Complete Guide to THREAD CROCHET.....25 designs!!!

I do not need this, but as thread crochet was how I first learned, I thought it would be nice to get back to my roots.  Then I'd like to keep what I make rather than swap it ..... what a concept!

The Green Thing

In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bag because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."

The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. The former generation did not care enough to save our environment."

He was right, that generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, they returned their milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But they didn't have the green thing back in that customer's day.

In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.

But she was right. They didn't have the green thing in her day.

Back then, they washed the baby's diapers because they didn't have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts - wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. They shared bedrooms, too - you'd get three to five kids in one room, where they kept their clothes and their toys in one box - not all over the house in four rooms, every kid to their own room, including the baby. We slept in the large dresser drawer until our folks could afford a crib.

But that old lady is right, they didn't have the green thing back in her day.

Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house - not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn't have electric machines to do everything for you.

When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Used it for Christmas wrap, too, along with brown paper bags.

Back then, they didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she's right, they didn't have the green thing back then.

They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled their writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But they didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances.

And they didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint. 

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful the old folks were just because they didn't have the green thing back then?

But we did have the brown thing - paper bags which were recycled material that they have practically made us quit using. Funny how now, thinking back, our old brown thing was a good thing, and the new generation made us use the plastic bags with the constant breaking handles and tearing at the bottom, and now they want us to use the green thing that you must PURCHASE and it lasts 3 or 4 times!

Progress  - our most important product.

Time to get back to the brown thing.

~Author Unknown~