FM 11/3/08

Some of you may remember me posting about my great nephew, Payton, the little boy who slid down the slide that was covered in acid. He is getting another skin graft this week, so please send good thoughts his way. Thanks a lot.
If you're a fan of art dolls, this one by Bonnie Prokopowicz is featured in the Winter 2009 "Art Doll Quarterly" magazine. I'm not sure if the word "cute" is used to describe art dolls, but it is a cutie.
http://www.prokopowicz.org/dolls/crochet/happy/happy.htm

Not a pattern, just a thought / inspiration here.....
http://thesmallobject.com/stenopad/wordpress/?p=1046

For those of you who follow Noreen Crone-Findllay's blog, she is no longer at "Hankering for Yarn". She is now at www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Crafty Corral is having a contest on the website - the deadline is quick (November 14, 2008). You have to make certain items for charity. Check out the drawing at:
http://craftycorral.blogspot.com/

Now for the free patterns:
once again, Teresa has come thru - here's a beautiful potholder pattern using the "magic square" technique. She is amazing.
http://crochet-mania.blogspot.com/2008/10/crochet-magic-heart-potholder.html

another one from Teresa
http://crochet-mania.blogspot.com/2008/10/crochet-thread-angel.html


I've seen a few flakes of snow, so it's probably time to crochet this - an ice scraper mitten
http://doyourworsted.blogspot.com/2007/01/ice-scraper-mitten.html


This pattern is the reason my sons are happy the internet wasn't accessible to me when they were kids - otherwise, they'd be wearing hats like this:
http://www.piece-by-piece.net/Crochet/baby_hat.htm

I have a lot of those clear plastic cds left over from my beloved's projects. This is pretty cool way to use them - a Christmas wreath cd hotpad/trivet
http://www.crochetmemories.com/archive/december13.html


_Enjoy_

Payton & the sentencing

I know this isn't about crocheting, but hey, it's my blog and I have written about this more than once. It's about my great-nephew, Payton Potochney and the sentencing that the juveniles received for causing chemical burns to Payton by putting acid on an elementary school playground slide.
Here's the info:
http://ragingbull.quote.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=SIRI&read=162939

summer doldrums

Oh, I have been crocheting a bit, but not a lot. I finished a scarf for "Survivors Offer Support" , it's more for "show", it's a Lion Brand pattern, I think it's called "Potato Chip Scarf".

http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/50370.html?noImages=

I've also been making preemie hats, but that's my usual thing.
A classical pops station on Sirius Radio did a "Christmas in July" special on July 25.

http://www.sirius.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Sirius/CachedPage&c=Page&cid=1018209032790

I was thinking "Christmas! You got to be kidding!" But for crocheters (and other crafters) you do have to think about it early. Okay, so I thought about it;) I have no hints or tips to help anybody figure out what to make for Christmas (or any other holiday, for that matter), so if you got any thoughts, just send them on in. Here's a site that offers some free Christmas crochet patterns:
http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/christmas.php


Payton update:
He is coming along well. The 98 Rock trip raised a nice amount of money for him and there is a motorcycle ride for his benefit tomorrow. Unfortunately, we did receive some unsettling news - the teens that committed the crime are now going to be charged as juveniles.
http://wjz.com/local/local_story_206121240.html

your old VHS tapes

I bet you're thinking "Gee, what am I going to do with that VHS of 'Pretty Woman' ? I've seen it _way_ too many times, but it seems wasteful just to toss it. If there only was a way to recycle it...."
well, ponder that problem no longer. There's a site that shows you how to take apart a VHS tape to harvest the tape within. And from this bountiful harvest, you can make yourself (or anyone else) a cool little purse:
http://www.craftbits.com/viewProject.do?projectID=1816

Think how happy you would be, carrying a crocheted video to your next movie outing or to work. I haven't tried this yet, but I'm curious. It could be difficult to work with, being sort of slippery, but I am going to give it a shot. After all, you could say some major Oscar winners had a part in making your new purse - and you'd be right;)

_enjoy_

Payton Update:
Tomorrow Payton and his family are going to Busch Gardens courtesy of WIYY, 98 Rock. The family is very happy and excited to go. My sister (Payton's grandmother) said she will be quite happy to push the stroller for Payton's younger brother, John Charles. It sounds as if a good time will be had by all.



Link

Another freebie

I know Annie's Attic does a free crochet pattern a day
http://www.anniesattic.com/free_pattern_day/index.html
and there's some very cool patterns there. The other day Annie's Attic featured a pattern by one of my friends, Angel Rhett - and that was very cool. (I've crocheted for Angel before)...

but here's another one:

Click here: Free Crochet Pattern of the Day from The Daily Crocheter


so now you have at least _2_ free patterns to check out a day:) That's always a good thing.

And since we're on the subject of free patterns, I particularly like Lion Brand Yarns website.
here's their link:http://www.lionbrand.com/content-crochetPatternIndex.html
They have some great free patterns. I have to tell you that when I buy Lion Brand Yarns, I not only search for the dye lot number, but also I check out the patterns. I have been known to buy a skein of yarn I wasn't that interested in (color wise) because of the pattern on the sleeve. Stupid, I know, but if you ever searched for their sock pattern or the famous "tiny teddy", you know what I mean.

Speaking of Lion Brand Yarns, Jo-ann Fabrics is having a yarn sale at their stores. I purchased a few skeins of "Mystery" because this was the first time I remember seeing it and it was on sale to boot. As the clerk rang up the sale, she stated that Jo-ann's wouldn't be carrying that particular color anymore. I don't know if some colors are being phased out, but I thought "good grief, they are discontinuing yarn before I even have a chance to try it out". How can that even be possible? Are I just slow to catch on to the new yarn? Or do the companies get rid of yarn a lot quicker than they once did?

By the way, I don't get any kickback from any company I mentioned. I'd take it in supplies;)

Payton update:
He is recovering from the broken arm nicely. Hopefully, he will soon be able to enjoy his new playground in his back yard.

Crochet in?

Apparently there was a bit of a ruckus at the TNNA (The National Needlearts Association) summer trade show. The crocheters decided to make some noise and have a "crochet-in". Nope, I wasn't there, but I read all about it at this link:

Click here: DesigningVashti: TNNA Report #1: Crocheters Unite!

You may recognize M's Braha's name as she is a very popular designer (and rightly so) and she also is running a '70's crochet book read-along. Check out her site if you want to see more.

Payton update:
As you know, the healing from the chemical burns will take a very long time. His family decided to build Payton and his brother John Charles a playground in the backyard. Seems reasonable, after all they could enjoy it whenever they wanted to. Payton fell off and broke his arm. The doctors don't expect any complications from it and will re-evaluate it in a week to see if the arm still needs a splint. I know "boys will be boys" but this is just ridiculous.

Croq, "The Trash Issue"

In the mail today, I received the May 2007, issue 9 of "Croq". I had ordered it, so that's not a big surprise to me. I took a quick glance at it before fixing supper and what I seen _did_ surprise me.
On page 5, there's a picture of the two bees I made for my great-nephews. Now, I knew I sent the photos, but I didn't expect to see them so quickly (it wasn't that long ago when I emailed them).
My short email is under the picture.
The current issue has another great amigurumi pattern by Tamie Snow of Roxycraft.com
This pattern is of MoMo the octopus. I think I will make 2 of them in contrasting colors for my greatnephews, but I'll embroider the eyes instead of using buttons.
If you're interested in getting a copy of "Croq" (the current or the back issues) , here's the website:
www.CROQzine.com
Check it out, there's an article about making your plastic bags into "yarn", tax pointers for the indie business owner as well as a lot of other cool projects. I can tell you one project I probably won't try and that's the soap making project. Way back, many years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth;) I was in high school and took physical science. One of the labs was making a bar of soap. My teammates and I created the most potent soap_ever_. It ate through the aluminum foil holder and into the desk. We followed the directions and used the proper proportions. The teacher said she had never seen that happen before. (And it didn't happen to my other classmates, either). So I think that might be a project better left undone by me.


Payton update:
He is slowly getting used to being home, he's started the physical therapy on an outpatient basis. He seems okay, but it's a long road to recovery.

Link

crocheted butterflies

You're probably familiar with Noreen Crone-Findlay's lovely crochet work (there's a great book, "Creative Crocheted Dolls: 50 Whimisical Designs") . She also does spool knitting (she has a blog about it -http://www.lionbrand.com/lbyarnblog7/)
and loom weaving, among her many other talents. She did a beautiful ccrocheted butterfly wrap in "Knit 1" magazine last year. I'm not a knitter, but I did buy the magazine for that shawl pattern. Currently, M's Crone-Findlay is preparing for her daughter's wedding and creating beautiful crocheted butterflies in silk thread for her daughter's wedding gown. I subscribe to M's Crone-Findlay's blog "Hankering for Yarn" and I am alway delighted by what she creates. I was thinking last night I want to put some butterflies on a pair of capris I have - just to make them a little different I'd been kicking the idea around, thinking would I really embroider these capris before the end of summer. M's Crone-Findlay's blog entry for today showed up, along with her beautiful crocheted butterfly instructions. I'd encourage any of you who are interested in various crochetings to check out her blog. It is terrific. And no, I do not get a kickback or any sort of payment from M's Crone-Findlay. (I would take it, though)
Here's the website: http://www.hankeringforyarn.com

Payton update:
Payton is home and quite happy to be home (and so is his family). He has to returnon an outpatient basis for physical therapy and monitoring, but hopefully he wil have a good and less stressful summer. He's also happy to see his little brother.
A local radio station (WIYY, 98Rock, Baltimore, MD) is sponsoring a trip to Busch Gardens as a benefit for Payton. Here's the website if you live in the area and would like to go on this bus trip:
http://www.98online.com/mickey-amelia.asp

Now for your next cook-out;)

This blog is really a fun blog. The person crochets the item, than writes a little story about it. But what she has is a free pattern for (are you ready - drum roll, please) a crocheted hot dog. How cool is that? The pattern is clear and precises and looks really cute.
I also like the watermelon slice purse (and the story). She doesn't have a pattern for it (I asked) but it should be easy to figure out.
So if you're wondering what to do for your next cook-out, check this link out:
http://bittersweetblog.wordpress.com/tag/crochet/

I wonder how it would look with mustard and relish on it;)

Payton update:
Payton will be leaving Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital on June 6, 2007. He still faces a long time of rehab. Poor kid has to wear Jobst stockings for 23 out of 24 hours a day. But we're quite happy he's going to be out of the hospital and be home. Thanks for all the support and kindness

hot crochet

Okay, I know that term probably has been used to death in connection with this particular link, but it works.
You may (or may not) be familiar with Bjork, an Icelandic singer. She was originally with the Sugarcubes, she did a song for the opening of the 2004 Summer Olympics ("Oceania") and Madonna sings one of her songs "Bedtime Story" on Madonna's cd "Bedtime Stories". If you don't know her music, this may trigger your memory as to who she is - she is the performer that wore the "swan dress" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bjork#The_swan_dress

Anyway, she has a new cd out ("Volta") and the "alternative cover" (for Poland and Latin America) is this little number
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Voltalatino.png

A crocheted outfit that has flames coming off of it! How hot is _that_? I have no idea whether she made it herself or purchased it, but it's definitely a different look for crochet. I don't know why it is the alternative cover just for Poland and Latin America, perhaps it has a deeper meaning for those folks? Check it out for yourself.

Payton Update:
It looks as if Payton will be coming home on Wednesday, June 6. He still has a cery long way to go with the rehab, but I know Payton will be happy to be back home.

"Crochet Fantasy" and not a happy camper

As most of you know already, "Crochet Fantasy" stopped publication last year. There was never any official word from Fiber Circle Publishing, the parent company, but publication stopped all the same. Since I re-upped my subscription prior to the shutdown, I am currently trying to get a refund of my subscription. I thought other people may also want to try to get refunds for their subscriptions, so I have enclosed the information here. I'd advise you to make a copy, front and back, of your check for proof of payment.

Here's the info
Fiber Circle Publishing
P. O. Box 552
200 McKinney Street
Farmersville, TX 75442

Here's the website one of their current magazines have:
http://www.inknitters.com/contact.htm


Payton Update:
http://wjz.com/topstories/local_story_145210421.html

Yes, he spent his third birthday at the hospital. But he might be going home shortly. He is healing fairly well.

Fruit flies like a banana;)

time flies like an arrow;)

Sorry for not keeping up, had a few ugly weeks at work* than the hustle & bustle of my two sons moving out and I'm just amazed at how fast time goes by. At any rate, I realized I had promised 2 charity squares for somebody & didn't do it yet. I better get myself together & do it.

as for the Payton update:
http://www.abc2news.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=47ea40c8-d7ed-44e3-ad0b-4b5e055e62ea

The trial of the two 16 year olds was supposed to be today but it got postponed. I don't know why. I think they are trying to get another venue for the trial, originally the lawyers had made some noise about the juveniles not being able to get a fair trial in Baltimore County.

And as if things aren't crazy enough, Payton's dad, Rich, had to go into the hospital for emergency surgery. He's okay, but obviously since Payton's at a pediatric hospital, Rich is in another hospital.


* Bad work weeks make my right wrist quite tender, therefore, I don't crochet.



Link

amigurami bunny film

This was posted in another group and I just wanted to share it with it. It's cute and it's cool. And you may think you recognize the song, despite the fact it's sung in Japanese. You may know it if you are familiar with John Sebastian's work. The song is "Magical Connection" and it's on one of his older albums (or cds, I guess). It's a neat blending of the artist's crocheting and film making.
_enjoy_

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLu9aN35eRk


I don't get a kickback from any of the particpants, but that bunny sure is cute.



Payton update:
He's still having some difficulty but they are hoping he will be out in time for his birthday (the 26th).

Mary Maxim contest

In case you were thinking about entering the Mary Maxim contest, you only have a few days left to fill out the entry form. I keep thinking about it but just realized how close the entry date is. I'm thinking of a Christmas decoration type of thing. The afghans are due in approximately _1_ month, (nope, no kickbacks for me but I'd take them;))
here's the link
http://www.marymaxim.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/general_10001_10054_-1_afghanContest?jspStoreDir=MaryMaxim&mpe_id=10052&catalogId=10054&evtype=CpgnClick&intv_id=10002&langId=-1&storeId=10001&ddkey=ClickInfo


For the Payton update:
Physical therapy is going a little slower than anticipated for Payton. They are reteaching him to crawl and it's causing some pain in his right leg. Apparently the right leg was more damaged by the acid than the left - I don't know if it's because the way the liquid was on the sliding board or the puddle. We were hoping he'd be out this week, in time for Mother's Day, but right now it doesn't look like it's going to happen. If we had thought about it a bit more, we would have realized the recovery time wouldn't be that quick.

Sheep and Wool!

Today was my day to go to the Sheep & Wool Festival and I had a great time. I was surprised at a few things. I didn't see the woman spinning the yarn off the angora bunny. I'm not sure if she hadn't set up yet or what. I didn't see as many angora bunnies as they usually have, but I'm not quite sure why that was.
We got there relatively early (about 9:30am) and it was already _packed_. That was surprising. Some of the booths were so packed I couldn't even get in to see what yarn they were selling. Yeah, I don't believe it either, but it's true. One booth was packed with a long line waiting to get in to look at what appeared to be lovely sock yarn. The yarn to buy the sock yarn was even _longer_. I have to admit, I chickened out and didn't go in. Oh, I _tried_ but no way was I going to get in there. oh well.
They increased the number of porta-potties (an important consideration) and added several more ATMs to the festival. I stupidly forgot to get some cash prior to going, so my beloved Craig got cash out for me. There were more boothes for more vendors. It seemed they cut down on where the fleeces were or maybe they just put it in a different barn.
I particularly liked the 2007 logo. Some years, it just doesn't cut it for me, but this year was pretty cool. I didn't even think about standing in line for that - that line was _way_ too long.
I got some yarn (not a lot, I'm not sure why) a book and some cards. Oh yeah, and I bought some sheep trim, it looks like it's from the 70s;) I intend to put that on a pair of my jeans. Poor Craig had to pry the stickpin out of the trim - it had rusted in there.
Of course, I'm thinking "hey, I should have gotten this or that" and also "what about that vendor - the one with the clay pins?" but I'm not going back tomorrow. I know that I should buy whatever it is I see because there's a good chance it won't be there if I decide to go back for it. After all, there is a limited supply of the items.
I wore my "all your yarn are belong to me" t-shirt (shameless plug for my Cafe' Press store) and got lots of good feedback from it. All in all, a great day. Each year, I think "hey, I should rent a room closer to the Howard County Fairgrounds" but I realize that would give me less money to spend on yarn;) Plus they are probably booked years in advance. Maybe I could sleep on somebody's front lawn on that stretch of road;)

now on to the Payton update:

Payton was moved to Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital last night. His skin grafts took "100%" and he is completely healed (physically). He will be in Mount Washington Pediatric for about a week of intensive physical therapy. He walked a few steps today, but they mostly worked on having him crawl (I guess to get used to using those muscles). They are now expecting him to be out of Mt. Washington in about a week, The physical therapy will continue after he goes back home, but for now, things look good.

If you mailed a card to Johns Hopkins, don't worry, they will forward it to his house. Thanks for your support in all this mess.

*hugs*

Link

Merging Magazines, part 2

For those of you who subscribe to both "Hooked on Crochet" and "Annie's Favorite Crochet", here's the answer from an email from the customer service. She answered very quickly.

Thank you for your email. When we combine Annie's Favorite Crochet and Hooked on Crochet, we will honor any current subscription that you have with each magazine. For example if you have in your current subscription to Annie's Favorite Crochet 5 issues left and in Hooked on Crochet you have 7 issues, when we combined the two into Annie's Hooked on Crochet you will have 12 issues remaining in your subscription.

Please let us know if we may be of futher assistance to you.

so in case you were wondering....

Payton update:
The Johns Hopkins team said that Payton's skin grafts are 100% healed. According to my sister, the skin looks "raw" but the nurse assured her that the skin grafts took and he is healed. They have started physical therapy (just walking a little bit) and it's tough for him, but he's doing it. He still has the feeding tube in, but he is eating more because they have decreased his pain medication. Now he gets it when he needs it. Next week they will be transferring him to Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital, where Payton will have more physical therapy. It looks like he will stay a week (or so) there and be released to home. He will still have physical therapy but it will be on an outpatient basis.
A very huge "thank you" to the Johns Hopkins Pediatric Hospital and their staff. Without their skilled and compassionate care, Payton's story could have had a very different ending.

Link

Freeform Crochet

I found this while looking at some other sites. I could have used it a few weeks ago when we were having the rain & sleet & such, but it's still cool to see anytime. I can't say I have done much in the way of freefrom, but it does intrigue me.
so check it out:

Click here: 2007 International Freeform Crochet Exhibits

_enjoy_

Payton update: no new news

why it's good to go to a sheep & wool festival;)

You may have heard of this story. It might even be a big joke for all I know, but I'm sharing it with you because I think you might need a laugh.

http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=376854


Payton update:

Resting comfortably, he's getting a little upset that he can't see his younger brother or play. Unfortunately, until he can walk again, he can't see his younger brother (he's not quite a year old) due to all sorts of precautions they must take so the kids in that area don't get infections.

ripple pattern

I crocheted a _lot_ of ripple stitch afghans in the '70s with those lovely '70s colors;) You know, the avocado green and harvest gold stuff, the yarn in the ripple stitch kit. I recently bought a wool one at a thrift shop, intending to felt it and maybe make a bag or a hook holder with it. But crochet felts differently than knit. A knitted article will felt so you can't see the individual stitches. The felted crochet afgan still shows distinct stitches.

But this isn't really about my experiments in the washer. I found a great blog, where the blogger made a bright ripple and it looks _great_. None of that going crazy because you can't really tell the difference between the 3 shades of light blue. (Am I the only one who has done that - switched the lighter shades proper place and not realize it until 12 rows or so?).

here's the spot:

Click here: yarnstorm: on the crest of a wave

and here's the Payton update
He had the third surgery yesterday. They bumped it up a day because his foot was swelling. They had to remove the dressing to look at the foot, so they decided to go ahead with the fourth skin graft. He is doing okay and healing well. Thanks for all the letters of support for me and my family. Payton still has a long way to go, but it looks like it's going well.

me, a winner?

I was quite pleasantly surprised when I read my mail tonight. I always read Dee's blog (sometimes several at once, trying to catchup)

CrochetingWithDee.com ~ Cheering for the Art of Crochet
Subject: And So She's Back ...

If you click this link, you will see that I was the guest blogger that won the hat from Dee. *wow* I'm so excited. It looks like a pretty sweet hat in the picture.

Payton update:
He is scheduled to have a fourth surgery on Wednesday. he is healing well. The doctors think the upcoming surgery may be the last. He'll have to have rehab to learn how to walk again. Payton's not happy with nurses now, but that's to be expected. But it also means myolder sibs will have to change out of their scrubs before they visit him....
if you'd like to send a card to Payton, here's the address:

Payton Potochney
c/o Johns Hopkins Hospital
600 North Wolfe Street
Baltimore, MD 21287

thanks!