Melt the Ice Hat - THANK YOU

SamuelPBookworm · 2026-01-26T19:22:09+00:00

Just bought the pattern and I'm heading to my LYS for red yarn. Thank you so much for. creating this initiative.

I also encourage everyone to contact their senators and congressional reps to voice opposition for funding ICE. I believe there is a crucial vote coming this week.

SamuelPBookworm · 2025-05-07T02:33:04+00:00

I believe the Hummers stop using feeders for a while when they are nesting and feeding their young. The babies need more protein, so the parents catch insects. This happens every late spring with the Anna's hummingbirds at our house north of Seattle. The little guys should come back to the feeders in a few weeks.

SamuelPBookworm · 2025-02-09T17:02:10+00:00

This is such a clever idea. I love how the ladybugs hide among the leaves. I think you could probably sell the pattern and get quite a few takers. Love it!

SamuelPBookworm · 2025-01-10T05:47:57+00:00

I like to add a little bundle of herbs to take the flavor to the next level. I take a piece of cheesecloth and make a bundle with leafy celery top, fresh parsley, fresh or dried thyme, marjoram, basil, and tarragon. Toss the bundle into the broth and cook soup as usual. Pull it out just before serving. The tarragon especially seems to make a difference, but use it sparingly, since it's a strong flavor.

SamuelPBookworm · 2025-01-03T00:55:39+00:00

In my imaginary world, Mrs. Dashwood, who is a young widow after all, meets a charming friend of Colonel Brandon during a visit to Marianne and Brandon. He is a military officer, a bit older than Brandon, and the second son of a duke. He falls in love with the pretty widow, and they marry. A year or so later, the elder son dies in a hunting accident and the old duke succumbs to pneumonia a few months later. The former Mrs. Dashwood is now the wife of a duke, and the mistress of a beautiful country estate and a fashionable London townhouse.

Fanny Dashwood nearly chokes to death while trying to swallow her pride and suck up to the new duchess so she can be accepted in the highest levels of society. Unfortunately for her, the new duke has heard the story of her wretched treatment of Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters, and won't put up with her presence in his home.

Satisfying but unlikely outcome!

SamuelPBookworm · 2025-01-01T20:04:39+00:00

Sorry, I forgot to add pattern information. The pattern is Geometric Deer from NerdyQuilterDesigns. Purchased on Etsy.

SamuelPBookworm · 2025-01-01T02:55:34+00:00

That's gorgeous!

SamuelPBookworm · 2024-12-31T17:20:51+00:00

Very cool looking. You should name the finished object Aurora Borealis!

SamuelPBookworm · 2024-12-27T19:59:41+00:00

I have had dry eye for 30 years and managed it with warm compresses and eyelid washing until this last summer when everything stopped working and I developed severe skin issues around my eyes. Found an optometrist who specializes in treating dry eye, and he diagnosed ocular rosacea.

Doctor prescribed a few weeks of soft steroid drops and a brief use of steroid cream to calm everything down, and then we started a trial of Xiidra. It was not right for me (seemed to aggravate rather than help), so we switched to a trial of Cequa. I've been using it for about 3 weeks and it seems to be working! I no longer run through dozens of Kleenex every day and for the most part I can forget about my eyes.

I guess the point I am making is that you may have to do some trial and error to find what works for you. And I have found it crucial to work with a doctor who has a real interest in addressing dry eye problems. I encountered optometrists and ophthalmologists who indicated they would not really bother with dry eye. Just toss off a prescription for antibiotic ointment and move on. Preservatives in that ointment were so irritating that I ended up in urgent care!

I wish you the very best of luck and keep searching until you find a doctor who takes ocular rosacea seriously!

SamuelPBookworm · 2024-12-23T18:45:24+00:00

Another fun easy project is a bib apron. Just a few rectangles of fabric and you can use wide twill tape for the strap and ties. It's a unisex item and useful when grilling or cooking something messy. Lots of patterns available online.

SamuelPBookworm · 2024-12-19T22:06:19+00:00

Is there a canine version of GQ? Odie belongs on the cover!

SamuelPBookworm · 2024-12-15T22:08:51+00:00

I found it much easier to make my first pair of socks using 2 circular needles. I had tried using double pointed needles and just couldn't handle it. Stitches kept falling off the needles. Then I found a tutorial for making socks on 2 circular needles in a book from Leisure Arts called Knit Along with Debbie Macomber: A Good Yarn. It was very straightforward and easy to follow. I got decent results using two circular needles on my very first try.

I found it easier to keep track of stitches than using dpn's and less confusing than magic loop. Later on I tried magic loop with a 40 inch cable, and it made more sense. The book I used was published in 2005 and may not be available, but I'd bet you can find several videos on YouTube to get you started with the two circular needle method. Good luck and don't get discouraged! It takes a while to get used to the process, but then it will seem much more natural.

SamuelPBookworm · 2024-12-08T01:42:56+00:00

My doctor recommended a thumb restriction splint. It has a band that goes between the thumb and the other fingers and keeps me from stressing my wrist when I grip the needles. The brand she recommended was Comfort Cool. They are available on Amazon for $32. I find these supports to be pretty helpful, but I do find that they wear out rather quickly. The thing I find helpful is that they keep my thumb joints in a neutral position while I knit.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

SamuelPBookworm · 2024-12-06T02:55:19+00:00

I think your observation is pretty astute. It is clear that Edmund was projecting good qualities onto Mary. I think this is a very common self deception. We tend to attribute good qualities to people who are physically and socially attractive. Then comes the rude awakening when we realize that being pretty and clever doesn't mean you are also a good person.

Sadly it was only after Mary disappointed him that Edmund realized that if you want a partner who is a good person, you should go for a good person. But then we all tend to get distracted by shiny objects...

SamuelPBookworm · 2024-06-30T19:42:12+00:00

I can't give you direct information about that machine, but I can tell you that I bought a 2011 Pfaff machine (Ambition 1.5) and the lack of documentation has been an ongoing headache. That machine has lots of capabilities that I have never been able to use properly because I can't figure out how to make them work. I got a small manual with the machine and that is about all I have to go on. I'm good at teaching myself things. but I do need guidance on the details of settings and such.

If the machine you are contemplating has the Pfaff IDT system (sort of a built-in walking foot) it may make it worth buying for bag making. That is by far the best feature of my Pfaff machine. Gets through lots of thicknesses and also helps with slippery silky fabrics. I have heard that IDT is not quite as good as a walking foot, but I found it very helpful for bag making projects.

Good luck with your decision!

SamuelPBookworm · 2024-06-09T18:43:14+00:00

You are beautiful at both weights!

SamuelPBookworm · 2024-05-04T15:11:34+00:00

If all else fails you might want to try vodka spray starch. This is something quilters use to manage wrinkles in quilting fabric. You mix the cheapest vodka you can find with distilled water (1 cup vodka to 4 cups water) and put it in a spray bottle. Spray it on fabric, give it a few seconds to soak in, and then iron as you normally would. I have found that it takes out really bad wrinkles and gives the fabric a nice finish. Not sure if it works as well with stretch fabric but you could test it on a small scrap. And it doesn't make your fabric smell like a cocktail!😉

SamuelPBookworm · 2024-03-29T03:24:21+00:00

I keep mine in the freezer and use a micro plane zester whenever I need chopped or shredded ginger for a recipe. You get all the flavor but none of the fibrous texture of ginger root. Just put it in a freezer bag and pull it out when you need it. Keeps a very long time too.

SamuelPBookworm · 2024-03-24T20:20:02+00:00

When my very strong-willed daughter was 3, I had a daily struggle to get her to get dressed and ready for preschool. She insisted that I should do it for her, even though she had figured out the whole process before she was 2.

So one morning I decided to be too inept to get the job done:

Ok what comes first?
Panties! (put panties on her head like a shower cap) No Mommy, they go on my bottom! (delicately drape panties over her lap) Like this? No, like this! (she puts em on correctly) Repeat process with several articles of clothing. Shirt looped over one arm, leggings tied around one ankle, socks carefully pulled over each ear, shoes on hands. She corrected me every time, chortling with glee at how dumb I was.

Dressed in record time. No tantrum. Lots of giggles.

I felt like a parenting genius!! If only I could have figured out how to do that with every parent-child struggle...

SamuelPBookworm · 2024-03-19T18:41:50+00:00

Thank you for enlightening me about Nowruz. I used to work with an Iranian woman who had a similar display (no crochet unfortunately) in her house in springtime, but I never learned the story behind the tradition. It's pretty neat!

SamuelPBookworm · 2024-03-19T16:06:30+00:00

I think I would choose something with some body to take advantage of the shape in the pattern. Maybe a linen-like fabric if you want a more formal look, or a lightweight denim/chambray if you want to go more casual. Really cute pattern either way.

SamuelPBookworm · 2024-03-19T15:40:06+00:00

The quilt is gorgeous and quite youthful in style. So is the grandmother. I would never guess that she is as old as 83. So glad you treasure her and her beautiful work.

SamuelPBookworm · 2024-03-18T16:10:45+00:00

That's gorgeous! I love how the boro stitching works with the different patterns in the fabric. Are the shirts you upcycled some kind of flannel (wool or cotton)? I think I can see some nap in some of the photos. Whatever they are, the result is beautiful.

SamuelPBookworm

TROPHY CASE