Houdini's and Afterthoughts

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Just the thumb left to do on Joansie's Mittens. I again traded off between two projects yesterday and got to the Kitchener stitch on both of them. This is the waste yarn for the afterthought thumb.The next step on the Houdini Socks is to pick up the sts, clip the yarn, frog to get to live sts, and then begin the leg. Here's a pick right before the clipping. With the next sock, I'll take a picture of the clipped yarn being frogged back. I have to finish the other half of the cuff. I'm using EZ's Sewn Cast Off as I think it's the stretchiest one there is. It insures the cuff won't get too tight and keep the sock from being worn.I decided to use the "toe" as the heel on these socks. This is the Magic Cast on Toe I did last week. It's not quite as attractive as the regular mitered toe, so it was chosen for the heel. Another benefit of Houdini Socks!

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Keeping the "We" in "Yes, We Can!"

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Handspun newspaper yarn. Two stars of ingenuity and two ?? for what can you do with it? On the other hand, this soda bottle purse would make a great carrier for a ball of yarn. Maybe a hold cut in the top the feed the yarn out of? Info on plastic bottle waste.

Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall....Ommmmmmmm....

Things being given away... Like this $100 gift card to Amazon.com

Warm Toes and Fingers

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The first of Joansie's Mittens are done! Second mitten dutifully cast on and the cuff is just about finished. You'll have to forgive all the detail shots, but I'm so lovin' this camera! Not so long ago I mentioned how the photos of other knitters always made me feel like I need to cast on one more thing. Pictures of nice even stitches just inspired me.These are the kind of photos I was discussing. Nice detail shots.The slippers are finished! And crochet looks nice up close and personal, too.Pattern: Ribbed Slippers
H Crochet Hook
Red Heart Super Saver yarn
Modifications: Switched from FPDC to BPDC for the cuff.
Quick, easy pattern that produces a sturdy, warm slipper.

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Keeping the "We" in "Yes, We Can!"

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Everything you wanted to know about freezing food but were afraid to ask...
Single Guy Money is giving away a $100 Target Gift Card.

Sweater & Mitten

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The Baby Sweater is basically done.
I need to buy some gross grain ribbon and snaps for closures and that's that! It's a new born size and I thought I'd overdye it, but it kinda looks cute as a jacket. It's based on a pattern in Family Circle's Easy Knits for Kids.Joansie asked me make a mitten....something she's trying out. I alternated working on the sweater and the mitten yesterday and got past the afterthought thumb and almost to the point of beginning the decreases.What a way cool scarf! Imagine in it one of the Noro Colorways.

I sometimes feel guilty about the amount of yarn I have. Much of it is acrylic I've been gifted with for my charity knitting. And I have several, maybe ten, skeins of sock yarn. I refrain from buying more until I get this knitted up. (And I really do want some of the new Crystal Palace Mini Mochi!) I have difficulty understanding this kind of shopping, "What was worse is that all the yarn I found [eleven skeins] was sock yarn. Assuming I knit socks out of every skein of sock yarn I currently own (even the skeins I bought to make non-sock projects) I have 54 pairs of socks waiting to be made. Considering the fact that I seem to knit socks at a rate of maybe 10 per year…well you can see I sure as hell don’t need more sock yarn since I could knit socks for the next 5 years and still have some in stash." Lesson to be learned:

• Just because one sees a skein of yarn, one doesn't have to buy it.

• There will be more just as beautiful, if not more beautiful skeins of yarn left in the world to purchase once the skein one has at home is knitted up.

Crochet The President! And more good stuff!Knitting Graffiti.Knitting on the Campaign Trail!

We got a new camera! I ran across a good deal on this one at Amazon. It's a refurbished Cannon Powershot E1. I have a new toy to learn how to use today!

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Keeping the "We" in "Yes, We Can!"

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Drastic Frugality. When there is more month than money.

Five simple steps to decluttering.

Frugal Cooking Tips.

When will excessive spending by big corporates become politically incorrect?

Tire inflation. Republicans may think President Obama naive, but if it works....

Home made cleaning products. Good for your budget, good for the earth, good for your health. "According to a study at Virginia Tech, spraying hydrogen peroxide and vinegar right after one another is just as effective at killing germs as lung-irritating, stream-polluting chlorine bleach."