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Post by gramma15 on Jan 10, 2020 19:57:47 GMT
CJ, I also have a hard time giving up on a book even when I don't like it much. I hope your new choice is one that you can enjoy.
Ginny, I'll have to look up the recipe for homemade play dough in case the younger grandchildren spend time with us once we get to Indiana. The herbs I'm planning on growing will be indoors so they won't last the summer while we're gone from there so I'll dry them before leaving and put them in jars. I'm wondering about the outdoor ones too. Sounds like thyme worked for you being outside. I haven't had much luck growing it indoors. It germinates well then a couple days later it just disappears. Basil grows really well for me and my rosemary bush is inside but it's looking bad right now and turning brown in the middle. I really don't use rosemary much for cooking but I like the plant esp that piney smell you get when brushing past it.
Yes the potholders are the ones that fold on themselves. I have the pattern from Bev's country kitchen site and it's really very easy but I have to count stitches the whole time or I lose or gain one or two so it's not all that easy for me. I don't know how a person can gain or lose stitches just doing a simple single crochet but I manage somehow. And when I look back I don't see any missed stitches nor any increases. I might just go back to my old standby...the thermel stitch but I wanted to conquer this because of my stubborness.
Sue, we got that snow during the night..about 3 inches of it I would say and it's very cold here ...high of 21 today but seeing the records during the weather forcast we're just happy it's not -27 (not counting wind chill) like it was 3 years ago here.
Did some cooking and cleaning this morning so I'm now ready to crochet which I also did before dh came up from his cave. He's in a much better mood today since we're just staying at home
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Post by choney2 on Jan 11, 2020 0:31:16 GMT
Ruth, I will be happy to send (either here or email) my time tested recipe for playdough. The stuff lasts in Tupperware for months, and even if the salt surfaces a bit its easy to knead back in. What I have always loved about it is I know exactly what goes into it (flour, water, salt, oil and cream of tartar, plus whatever food coloring you add). No odd chemicals other than food coloring. Thyme grows very well here in southern NY state- I have plants that have lasted for years. Its a ground cover of sorts, a real low grower and gets a tiny white flower . Smells great when you brush up against it. Oregano has a similar growing habit and also does well in this area. Hoping that you can get some tomatoes this summer, and fresh basil is awesome on freshly sliced tomatoes. Sage also does well outside here, but I do not cook with it all that much and just liked the plant. So my advice for the plants is to buy them- yes its a bit pricier but I think that especially in Indiana- thyme, oregano and sage should do just fine. Rosemary might too. I agree the lovely smell of a rosemary plant is quite nice. Oh, peppermint does very well, but tends to be invasive. But dried, it makes the most wonderful herbal tea, much better than anything I have tasted from twinnings or celestial seasonings. Hope you can find a good pattern for the magic potholders. I would think that all crochet .com would have a pattern for that. Good news that Dh is in a better mood today.....much more pleasant living with a happy spouse.
CJ- well you are a better woman than I am. I really doubt I would have given all that much time to a book that did not really captivate me. There are too many good books out there to waste my time on bad books. Perhaps it was an author that you like and out of respect to him/her you stuck it out. Hope your next book is one that you really enjoy reading. Yes, this weather is kooky-so hard to believe that it will be that warm. You gotta wonder when the other shoe will fall and we will get winter storms.
Got to 50 here today and they say it’s supposed to be almost 60 over the weekend.
Watched another YouTube on my machine- and despite all my efforts the problem is still there. Dh actually asked me if I wanted another machine today! Lets see if mine can be fixed....and go from there.
Dh is on the phone with his sister....I am trying to give them their space- but listening to their conversation is always a challenge for me. He keeps on sucking up to her- its always been like this- and I find it so frustrating. Ok there, I have vented.
Hi to Meg, Sue and Phyl. Ginny
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Post by gramma15 on Jan 11, 2020 1:48:05 GMT
Ginny, I would love to have that recipe if you could post or mail it. It should keep very well then for when my younger grandchildren come over. Thank you. Yes I would think that if those things grow well in southern NY they should do well in Indiana. I'm definitely going to buy some plants and try it. My ds and ddil have mentioned growing herbs so I'm sure I can find out from them where to get some good ones or maybe I can just take some of their plants to start mine...I'll have to read up on how to propagate them. Yes I never use sage in cooking but my dear friend in Arkansas used to grow it and gave me some to plant at my house but it didn't really grow and at the time I didn't really care since I didn't use it anyway. I never used to use thyme either but after I somehow got seeds for it and when the little plants first came up and I used a coupld stems of it before they all died off it was delicious on chicken. Rosemary I definitely bought a plant after I read up on how to grow it from seeds...way too much time and work. I use a lot of basil and have a lot left from drying that which i grew. I didn't plant any last year because I had a hard time finding seeds and already had a lot anyway. The fresh sure tastes better than dried. I don't use much oregano either but I might grow some just for the look of the plant. I've never used mint in cooking but I may have to try growing some to make tea with. I've heard that it kind of takes over your whole yard if you don't keep it under control. Ina Garten on the Barefoot Contessa was explaining her herb garden on her program one day and said she keeps it in a pot rather than in the ground to keep it under control...well I'm sure it's her gardener actually doing the work. I bet the fresh peppermint will make much better tea than you get with teabags or dried leaves Ok I'm giving up again on those "magic" potholders. It's not the pattern which is very simple,it's me. Every couple rows I was having to tear the row out and do it over because of losing stitches. It's time consuming. The first one last night came out great but this second one took the rest of the evening and all day today and came out as a rectangle instead of a square which is, of course, still usable but not like its supposed to be. Yes I just saw on the news that some places in the east are going to get temps into the 70's and I don't mean the southern cities that normally have nice warm weather even in winter. I'm beginning to rethink this travelling back and forth Ok back to crochet. I'm going to do a couple of those little hanging baskets then go back to my thermal stitch potholders. I also finally got a decent size space cleared on my dining room table so when it gets warm enough again I might be able to make my table runners Good night everyone. I'll check back to see if anyone posts later
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Post by choney2 on Jan 11, 2020 12:23:14 GMT
Good morning! Will post this here, as you never know who is lurking and might be interested in the recipe.
Rainy Day Play clay 1 cup flour 1/2 cup salt 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 cup water 1 teaspoon cooking oil Food color
Mix all ingredients and store over low heat until thickens and clings to a spoon. The mixture should form a ball as you stir.
Remove the mixture and place on a smooth dry surface to cool
Knead until it is smooth and pliable
Store in an airtight container. The clay will stay soft for months if always returned to an airtight container after play.
This last batch I split into half to make 2 colors.... The kids LOVE it and you should see their faces when they see that they can make playdo!
DD is coming over for today so this might be my crafting for the day. We shall see..... Ginny
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Post by snowsaint on Jan 11, 2020 14:18:04 GMT
Yesterday I returned to the oculoplastic surgeon for a final check up. I wasn't there very long, but I wasn't prepared to hear him say "biopsy." I don't like anyone or anything near my eyes and have never wanted to try contacts, always opting for glasses! A very minor procedure on the inside of my eyelid but not what I had in mind for the day when I woke up yesterday.
Today I think I will stay at home!
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Post by choney2 on Jan 11, 2020 15:50:35 GMT
So sorry about that Sue. Think they biopsy everything these days...and I hope that its benign. Enjoy your day Ginny
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Post by cj59 on Jan 11, 2020 22:47:08 GMT
Hello Crafters Sue - Sorry you had to have that biopsy, hope the results are good. Ginny - I bet the grandkids enjoyed using that play dough. Ruth - Hope you enjoyed working on the new crochet projects. Phyl and Meg - Hope you are getting some crafting done. It was 70s degrees here today, such strange weather. We might have thunderstorms overnight though. I was doing things around the house today, but no crafting. I did start a new book last night and I'm enjoying it much more than the last one. The one that was so slow to read was written by an author who I've enjoyed many books from. But I didn't realized until after I'd ordered on my Kindle that it came out 15 years ago. I really hate it when the re-release these books and don't make it clear it's not a new book. I never would have got if I'd known it was from so many years ago. I guess her writing style has changed over the years. Take care everyone!
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Post by choney2 on Jan 11, 2020 23:04:19 GMT
Glad that book is so much better CJ! Think I have done the same thing, read a book by an author I really liked but struggled through it because I have enjoyed his/her books in the past. Yes some authors do change their style over time and its not always an improvement.
Got a nice walk in with Dd this afternoon in the 65 degree weather. Hard to believe it’s January
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Post by gramma15 on Jan 12, 2020 0:10:09 GMT
ONe of the authors I like wrote a book which was a novella and not in her series. I read it. It was the most stupid book I've ever read. I have no idea what possessed her to write something like that
Sue so sorry to hear that the doctor wants you to have a biopsy. JUst the word makes us worry. I'll be praying that it turns out well.
My dh never ceases to amaze me. I was sitting here a little while ago finishing up one of the hanging bags and he wanted to know what I was making. I told him and he thought it was a great idea and mentioned the various places I could put them and what I coulld put in them. I'm going to make a bunch in different sizes but for the rest of the day I think I'll make something else. I do have my yarn packed to take with me for the triangle scarf/shawls I'll be making for next Christmas. I'm going to use various patterns that I collected for them.
I did see that Pittsburgh was supposed to have temps in the 70's today and that your areas, Ginny and CJ, were also going to be unseasonably warm. That is not so here. It is very cold. In Indiana where we're going it's warm too. Makes me wish we were already there.
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Post by choney2 on Jan 12, 2020 1:06:00 GMT
Well that is something to look forward to Ruth, more moderate temperatures in winter. I do love your Dh for being so encouraging of your crocheting!!! Sounds like you are getting ready for the transition if you already have yarn put aside for next years Christmas gifts. Wow you are so organized. And yes, Sue, will be praying that the biopsy is negative. But I think they do biopsy everything these days just to be safe.
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Post by gramma15 on Jan 12, 2020 3:22:24 GMT
Yes they have to be very cautious these days because of risk of lawsuits so biopsies are a very common things. Ginny, no I'm really not organized at all. I just know that I'm going to forget things so I decided I'd better start getting things together while I'm thinking of them because my memory is not good.Thank you for thinking I'm organized though. I do appreciate the thought Earlier like I mentioned I finished the first hanging bag and decided to work on something else so I finished one of the twisted earwarmers that I had partially done and made the first glove of a pair of fingerless goves to go with it. They're made with Red Heart Metallic in aran color. Someone devised an alternate method of making the twist and it makes a much nicer looking earwarmer. I really don't care for them myself but they are said to be very popular. Now I'm going to eat dinner since it's 8pm then maybe do the other glove or read...not sure yet.
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Post by megk31 on Jan 12, 2020 3:54:41 GMT
Hello Due, Ruth, Phyl and Ginny.
Hope you are all well. I have been browsing through your posts to try and catch up. pity I am not in the market for a sewing machine, lots of good information. I haven't used my machine for years so I should give it away.
I have been staying home a lot and I should get out more. I did go to knit wits yesterday and I do enjoy visiting with everyone. On Monday I will go out to lunch. I have been knitting caps and checking through my yarn. I was surprised to see how many skeins of yarn that I had forgotten about. So I will have to get busy and think about how I will use them.
Sue, I am sorry that you need a biopsy near your eyes. I get injections in my eyes every few weeks and though it sounds awful it isn't. They prepare my eyes with different drops and they numb my eyes and I don't feel a thing. So I am sure they will prepare your eyes in much the same way.
Ginny, the play dough sounds great unfortunately I don't have any little ones here anymore. For years I always had a houseful. Devin is into his X box night and day. I think he would play 24x7 if we would let him.
Phyl, keeping busy as usual. I need some of your energy.
Ruth, I have never had a herb garden and I think it is something I would like to try. I remember we used to grow chives when I lived in N.I. and my grandfather thought they were weeds and he got rid of them His eye sight was very poor.
cj, I hope you find some good books that you don't have to struggle with to get through. I had a few like that over the holidays and I just lost interest in them. I think the problem was me not the books, anyway I didn't finish them. There are too many good books waiting to be read why waste my time on something I am not enjoying.
Now I am off to watch tv and work on my cap which I started yesterday. I hope you are all staying warm.
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Post by choney2 on Jan 12, 2020 12:47:14 GMT
Good morning all, Meg, glad you checked in with us last night! Caps are great ways to use up yarn and are not too bulky to take to places like Knitwits. Ruth is in some hat challenge of sorts, I think that they post a new hat pattern every month or week and you are supposed to work up that pattern for the time period. Perhaps a project like that would be good for you. There used to be a program called ‘warm up America” where the knitter or crochetter worked from their stash and made knitted or crochetted squares (all the same size) The finished squares were dropped off at a craft store- and then assembled into afghans for charity. Another way to use up yarn- and not have a massive project. I am always tempted to make a temperature afghan...perhaps someday. Anyway, good to see you. And most kids do spend way too much time on their XBox- they somehow play with each other using the internet they connect their games with their friends. I would rather socialize in person myself. Hope you have nice weather for your lunch on Monday.
Ruth, well you always sound organized to me! I just give you a ton of credit getting projects lined up in advance and an idea of what you want to accomplish when you are in your “summer home”. Or will this be your “winter home”? Guess winter home makes more sense. If it were me, I would print out or at least leave a note with the yarn intended for shawls for the DGD’s.....reminding me and my forgetful mind why I packed it. Gonna have to actually check out what these earwarmers look like. You are making so many of them, I am curious.
Got a text last night that Dd#2 and DSIL are joining me for church this am. That is nice.. Guess Dh and I will watch some football this afternoon and hopefully try to get a walk in. Its still very warm (60’s). Not January weather for sure.
Hard to believe that tomorrow is Monday again.
Take care all Ginny
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Post by megk31 on Jan 12, 2020 19:51:17 GMT
Good morning everyone, It is cold here this morning but I am not going anywhere. My next door neighbor has his house up for sale and they are having a open house today. So I am sure we will have some traffic and people parking.
Ginny, I remember Warm UP America. Michaels had a box people could put their donations in. There was another program like that for the troops. It was very popular and they were able to send afghans to the troops in the military hospitals. That program ended a few years ago. Tomorrow I will go to lunch at the Olive Garden which is across the street from Hobby Lobby so if I have time I will stop there. I want to make an afghan for Devin and even though I have lots of yarn I don't have anything suitable for a boy.
Ruth, I take it that you are moving. That is a big undertaking. When will you move?
I need to go and get dressed. I will try and check back later. Have a great day.
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Post by gramma15 on Jan 12, 2020 22:15:31 GMT
Meg, it's so good to see you again. Well we're not quite moving yet. We bougt a place that we're going to spend a few months at each year but come back here for the summer. We're not too fond of hot, humid climate. Here it gets hot of course but like where you are it's a dry heat. In two or three years though we'll move there completely. It's close to our son where if we need help we can get it. Yes I think making caps is a great thing to do for using your yarn. I have the same problem when I decide to make something for a specific person...never have the right yarn or the project. The organization you're thinking of was called HAP where they provided afgans for military and veterans in military hospitals. I once put an afgan together for them. I'm pretty sure that Warm Up America is still a functioning organization. I still donate my hats to the Caps for Kids group.My 13 year old grandson is always on his game system too every time I see him.How's Janet doing?
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