I came across this just now and thought it looked interesting.
Basically, you water down acrylic paint, use it to thoroughly tint your trim (such as lace), let it dry, then "set" the paint in the dryer (on high). I wouldn't have thought it'd be washer safe-- or permanent-- but supposedly it is. (I guess it makes sense that it would be, considering that spills of acrylic paint dried on clothing are usually there to stay.) Could be a fun way to get just the right shade of lace. . .
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Knitting Vs. Crochet
I've crocheted about 15 simple granny squares (not counting three or so "practice runs" in scrap yarn). I think I've got the simple granny down pat. I'm not saying they're perfect, but they're good enough in my own estimation. Once I've finished my current project, I'll look into using different colors for different rounds. (Since the yarn I'm using now is variegated, I haven't bothered with that, so far.) I'm also planning to try a couple different types of granny square/motifs.
While working that basic pattern over and over again, I gradually have come to the point that I don't have to think so much about what I'm doing. I can listen to music or TV, or just let myself daydream.
Sometimes my thoughts have wandered to the public opinion of crochet versus knitting. I don't know much about knitting, and I know only a little more about crochet-- but even I know that knitting is currently "hipper" than crochet. For whatever reason, the re-popularization of crochet hasn't been quite as strong and widespread as that of knitting.
Personally, I've always felt more of an interest in crochet-- maybe because I remember seeing my mother crochet (rarely-- it wasn't one of her biggest hobbies). I give most of the credit to the nostalgic, retro appeal of the granny square and similar motifs. That's still just about the limit of my crochet ambition. I'm not interested in having to check gauge-- or in following elaborate patterns (esp. those that would require me to keep count, which is something I loathe)-- or in making clothing. I just want to make a few accessory-type items, from time to time. (Maybe someday I'll look into doily-making. For now, I think that's too finicky for my abilities. Fortunately I'm not one of those poor souls who can't bear to have a little "fussiness" around the house, so doilies are welcome in our home. (g))
Anyway, as a relative new-comer to the "fray", I've been interested in reading the various arguments for each craft. One argument against crochet seems to be that it uses more yarn than knitting. While this is true, it's apparently been blown out of proportion. Some have said (and even printed!) that crochet uses three times as much yarn as knitting. The truth of the matter seems to be much less dramatic-- crochet uses about 1/3 more yarn than knitting. (Either someone's out to scare people away from crochet or they got confused and only remembered that the proportion had something to do with "3". . . )
I was interested to find that someone actually wrote a blog entry on the subject. Five different stitches were put to the test: single crochet, double crochet, knitted stockinette stitch, knitted garter stitch, and plain tunisian crochet. Skipping all the other details (which you can find at the link above), the results were as follows: Knitted stockinette stitch was the clear winner (if by "winning" one means using the least amount of yarn to make a specified size swatch of fabric). Double crochet came in second place. Single crochet and knitted garter stitch were almost exactly equal-- third place in economy. Tunisian crochet came in last place.
Interesting. . .
Well, enough rambling on this subject. . .
Hope your Saturday's off to a great start! :o)
While working that basic pattern over and over again, I gradually have come to the point that I don't have to think so much about what I'm doing. I can listen to music or TV, or just let myself daydream.
Sometimes my thoughts have wandered to the public opinion of crochet versus knitting. I don't know much about knitting, and I know only a little more about crochet-- but even I know that knitting is currently "hipper" than crochet. For whatever reason, the re-popularization of crochet hasn't been quite as strong and widespread as that of knitting.
Personally, I've always felt more of an interest in crochet-- maybe because I remember seeing my mother crochet (rarely-- it wasn't one of her biggest hobbies). I give most of the credit to the nostalgic, retro appeal of the granny square and similar motifs. That's still just about the limit of my crochet ambition. I'm not interested in having to check gauge-- or in following elaborate patterns (esp. those that would require me to keep count, which is something I loathe)-- or in making clothing. I just want to make a few accessory-type items, from time to time. (Maybe someday I'll look into doily-making. For now, I think that's too finicky for my abilities. Fortunately I'm not one of those poor souls who can't bear to have a little "fussiness" around the house, so doilies are welcome in our home. (g))
Anyway, as a relative new-comer to the "fray", I've been interested in reading the various arguments for each craft. One argument against crochet seems to be that it uses more yarn than knitting. While this is true, it's apparently been blown out of proportion. Some have said (and even printed!) that crochet uses three times as much yarn as knitting. The truth of the matter seems to be much less dramatic-- crochet uses about 1/3 more yarn than knitting. (Either someone's out to scare people away from crochet or they got confused and only remembered that the proportion had something to do with "3". . . )
I was interested to find that someone actually wrote a blog entry on the subject. Five different stitches were put to the test: single crochet, double crochet, knitted stockinette stitch, knitted garter stitch, and plain tunisian crochet. Skipping all the other details (which you can find at the link above), the results were as follows: Knitted stockinette stitch was the clear winner (if by "winning" one means using the least amount of yarn to make a specified size swatch of fabric). Double crochet came in second place. Single crochet and knitted garter stitch were almost exactly equal-- third place in economy. Tunisian crochet came in last place.
Interesting. . .
Well, enough rambling on this subject. . .
Hope your Saturday's off to a great start! :o)
Friday, June 27, 2008
Mad Lib-ish Meme
Sometimes it seems all I do is meme! ;o)
Yep, here's another 'un!
This time I spotted it here: One for Sorrow, One for Mirth.
There are lots of "instructions" for this one. I'm going to list those first, then put my "answer" at the end. (This one could be fun for kids, but you'd want to change some-- eh, most of the options, first...)
Instructions:
Before beginning, pick a friend, any friend,
and then choose the correct answer, and fill it in the blanks in the message at the bottom.
Enjoy.
1. What's the color of your shirt?
Blue - Our romance is over
Red - Our affair is over
White – I’m joining the Convent
Black - I dislike your eyelashes
Green - Our socks don't match
Grey - You're a pervert
Yellow - I'm selling myself for candy
Pink - Your nostrils are insulting
Brown - The mafia wants you
No shirt - You're mean
Other - I'm in love with your cat
2. Which is your birth month?
January - That night you picked your nose
February - Last year when you peed your pants
March - When your dwarf bit me
April - When I tripped on peanut butter
May - When I threw up in your sock drawer
June - When you put cuffs on me
July – When you smacked my ass
August - When I saw the purple monkey
September - When we skinny dipped in the bathtub
October - When I quoted Forest Gump
November - When your dog humped my leg
December - When I finally changed my underwear
3. Which food do you prefer?
Tacos - In your apartment
Lasagna- In your car
Pasta - Outside of your office
Hamburgers - Under the bus
Salad – As you were eating Kraft Dinner
Chicken - In your closet
Kebab - With Jean Chrétien
Fish - In a clown suit
Sandwiches - At the Elton John concert
Pizza - At the mental hospital
Hot dog - Under a street light
Annat- With George Bush and Stephen Harper
4. What's the color of your socks?
Yellow - Hit on
Red - Insult
Black - Ignore
Blue - Knock out
Purple - Pour syrup on
White - Carve your initials into
Grey - Pull the clothes off
Brown - Put whipped cream on
Orange - Castrate
Pink - Pull the pants off of
Barefoot - Sit on
Other - Drive over
5. What's the color of your underwear?
Black - My boyfriend
White - My father
Grey – The Catholic Priest
Brown – Your ‘My Little Pony’ collection
Purple - My corned beef hash
Red – My knee caps
Blue - My salt-beef bucket
Yellow - My illegitimate child in Ghana
Orange - My Blink 182 cd
Pink – The Montreal Canadian’s goalie
None – My prized statue of Michael Jackson in the nude
Other - The elephant in the corner
6. What do you prefer to watch on TV?
Scrubs; Man
O.C.; Emotional
One Tree Hill; Open
Heroes; Frostbitten
Lost; High
House; Sly
Simpsons; Cowardly
The news; Scarred
Idol; Masochistic
Family Guy; Senile
Top Model; Middle-class
Annat; Ashamed
7. Your mood right now?
Happy - How awful you are
Sad - How boring you are
Bored - That Santa doesn't exist
Angry - That your smell makes me vomit
Depressed – That we’re related
Excited - That I may pee my pants
Nervous - The middle-east is planning their revenge on you
Worried - That your Ford sucks
Apathetic - That you need a sex-change
Ashamed - That I'm allergic to your earlobes
Cuddly - That I get turned on by garbage men
Silly - That there is no solution to you being a dumbass
Other - That your driving sucks
8. What's the color of your walls in your bedroom?
White - Your toe ring
Yellow - Your love letters to me
Red - Your Elton John poster
Black - Your pet rock
Blue - The couch cushions
Green - The pictures from Vegas
Orange - Your false teeth
Brown - Your nose hair clippers
Grey - Our matching snoopy underwear
Purple - Your old New Kids on the Block blanket
Pink - The cut toenails
Other - Your car
9. The first letter of your first name?
A/B - Your photo with the moustache drawn on it
C/D - The oil tank from your car
E/F - Your neighbour’s dog
G/H - My virginity
I/J - The results of that blood-sample
K/L - Your left ear
M/N - Your suicide note
O/P - My common sense
- Q/R - Your mom
S/T - Your collection of butterflies
U/V - Your criminal record
W/X – Your glass eye
Y/Z - Your credit cards
10. The last letter in your last name?
- A/B - Told my psychiatrist about the bruises
C/D - Never will forget that night
E/F - Always wanted to break your legs
G/H – Hate your cooking
I/J – Mocked you behind your back constantly
K/L - Will tell the authorities that you did not steal that whale in the back yard
M/N - gave my confession today about the moose poaching
O/P - Was interviewed about the car you stole
Q/R - Always will remember the pep talks
S/T - Get sick when I think of your feet
U/V - Will try to forget that you broke my heart
W/X - Haven’t showered in a month
Y/Z – Am better off without you
11. What do you prefer to drink?
Water- Our friendship is ruined
Beer – you should stop picking your nose
Soft drink – I’m off to lead a new life as a lemur
Soda – I will haunt you when I’m incarnated as an Eskimo
Milk - ...the apartment building may be on fire
Wine – Thanks for the Cocaine
Cider – I have a passionate interest for mice
Juice – I love Oprah Winfrey
Mineral water – You should get that embarrassing rash checked
Hot chocolate – Your Cucumber-fetishism is weird
Whisky - You ruined my attempts at another world war
-Other – I'm scratching my ass as you read this
12. To which country would you prefer to go on a vacation?
Thailand – Warm tingly sensations
Italy -- Ciao, baby
USA - Greetings to your frog Leonard
England - Good luck in jail
Spain - Go drown yourself
China – You make me sick
Germany – Please don’t hurt me
Japan - Go milk a cow
Greece - Your everlasting enemy
Australia - Best of luck on the sex-change
Egypt – Kiss my ass
France – With tears of sadness
Now, FILL IT IN ..
Dearest (Friend's Name) ,
I don't really know how to tell you this, but ___1___. I think I realized it ___2___ ___3___ and I saw you ___4___ ___5___. I'm sure you're ___6___ enough to understand ___7___.
I'm returning ___8___ to you, but I'll be keeping ___9___ as a memento.
You should probably also know that I ___10___ and ___11___.
___12___,
(Your Name)
Ok, and here's my "answer":
Dearest Donald,
I don't really know how to tell you this, but your nostrils are insulting. I think I realized it last year when you peed your pants at the mental hospital and I saw you sit on the elephant in the corner. I'm sure you're high enough to understand how awful you are.
I'm returning the pictures from Vegas to you, but I'll be keeping your suicide note as a memento.
You should probably also know that I will tell the authorities that you did not steal that whale in the back yard and I’m off to lead a new life as a lemur.
Good luck in jail,
Michael
Hee hee. (g)
I may have to "re-do" the "options" and basic framework, sometime-- make my own version of this. . . It's a nice change from the usual Mad Lib. . .
Yep, here's another 'un!
This time I spotted it here: One for Sorrow, One for Mirth.
There are lots of "instructions" for this one. I'm going to list those first, then put my "answer" at the end. (This one could be fun for kids, but you'd want to change some-- eh, most of the options, first...)
Instructions:
Before beginning, pick a friend, any friend,
and then choose the correct answer, and fill it in the blanks in the message at the bottom.
Enjoy.
1. What's the color of your shirt?
Blue - Our romance is over
Red - Our affair is over
White – I’m joining the Convent
Black - I dislike your eyelashes
Green - Our socks don't match
Grey - You're a pervert
Yellow - I'm selling myself for candy
Pink - Your nostrils are insulting
Brown - The mafia wants you
No shirt - You're mean
Other - I'm in love with your cat
2. Which is your birth month?
January - That night you picked your nose
February - Last year when you peed your pants
March - When your dwarf bit me
April - When I tripped on peanut butter
May - When I threw up in your sock drawer
June - When you put cuffs on me
July – When you smacked my ass
August - When I saw the purple monkey
September - When we skinny dipped in the bathtub
October - When I quoted Forest Gump
November - When your dog humped my leg
December - When I finally changed my underwear
3. Which food do you prefer?
Tacos - In your apartment
Lasagna- In your car
Pasta - Outside of your office
Hamburgers - Under the bus
Salad – As you were eating Kraft Dinner
Chicken - In your closet
Kebab - With Jean Chrétien
Fish - In a clown suit
Sandwiches - At the Elton John concert
Pizza - At the mental hospital
Hot dog - Under a street light
Annat- With George Bush and Stephen Harper
4. What's the color of your socks?
Yellow - Hit on
Red - Insult
Black - Ignore
Blue - Knock out
Purple - Pour syrup on
White - Carve your initials into
Grey - Pull the clothes off
Brown - Put whipped cream on
Orange - Castrate
Pink - Pull the pants off of
Barefoot - Sit on
Other - Drive over
5. What's the color of your underwear?
Black - My boyfriend
White - My father
Grey – The Catholic Priest
Brown – Your ‘My Little Pony’ collection
Purple - My corned beef hash
Red – My knee caps
Blue - My salt-beef bucket
Yellow - My illegitimate child in Ghana
Orange - My Blink 182 cd
Pink – The Montreal Canadian’s goalie
None – My prized statue of Michael Jackson in the nude
Other - The elephant in the corner
6. What do you prefer to watch on TV?
Scrubs; Man
O.C.; Emotional
One Tree Hill; Open
Heroes; Frostbitten
Lost; High
House; Sly
Simpsons; Cowardly
The news; Scarred
Idol; Masochistic
Family Guy; Senile
Top Model; Middle-class
Annat; Ashamed
7. Your mood right now?
Happy - How awful you are
Sad - How boring you are
Bored - That Santa doesn't exist
Angry - That your smell makes me vomit
Depressed – That we’re related
Excited - That I may pee my pants
Nervous - The middle-east is planning their revenge on you
Worried - That your Ford sucks
Apathetic - That you need a sex-change
Ashamed - That I'm allergic to your earlobes
Cuddly - That I get turned on by garbage men
Silly - That there is no solution to you being a dumbass
Other - That your driving sucks
8. What's the color of your walls in your bedroom?
White - Your toe ring
Yellow - Your love letters to me
Red - Your Elton John poster
Black - Your pet rock
Blue - The couch cushions
Green - The pictures from Vegas
Orange - Your false teeth
Brown - Your nose hair clippers
Grey - Our matching snoopy underwear
Purple - Your old New Kids on the Block blanket
Pink - The cut toenails
Other - Your car
9. The first letter of your first name?
A/B - Your photo with the moustache drawn on it
C/D - The oil tank from your car
E/F - Your neighbour’s dog
G/H - My virginity
I/J - The results of that blood-sample
K/L - Your left ear
M/N - Your suicide note
O/P - My common sense
- Q/R - Your mom
S/T - Your collection of butterflies
U/V - Your criminal record
W/X – Your glass eye
Y/Z - Your credit cards
10. The last letter in your last name?
- A/B - Told my psychiatrist about the bruises
C/D - Never will forget that night
E/F - Always wanted to break your legs
G/H – Hate your cooking
I/J – Mocked you behind your back constantly
K/L - Will tell the authorities that you did not steal that whale in the back yard
M/N - gave my confession today about the moose poaching
O/P - Was interviewed about the car you stole
Q/R - Always will remember the pep talks
S/T - Get sick when I think of your feet
U/V - Will try to forget that you broke my heart
W/X - Haven’t showered in a month
Y/Z – Am better off without you
11. What do you prefer to drink?
Water- Our friendship is ruined
Beer – you should stop picking your nose
Soft drink – I’m off to lead a new life as a lemur
Soda – I will haunt you when I’m incarnated as an Eskimo
Milk - ...the apartment building may be on fire
Wine – Thanks for the Cocaine
Cider – I have a passionate interest for mice
Juice – I love Oprah Winfrey
Mineral water – You should get that embarrassing rash checked
Hot chocolate – Your Cucumber-fetishism is weird
Whisky - You ruined my attempts at another world war
-Other – I'm scratching my ass as you read this
12. To which country would you prefer to go on a vacation?
Thailand – Warm tingly sensations
Italy -- Ciao, baby
USA - Greetings to your frog Leonard
England - Good luck in jail
Spain - Go drown yourself
China – You make me sick
Germany – Please don’t hurt me
Japan - Go milk a cow
Greece - Your everlasting enemy
Australia - Best of luck on the sex-change
Egypt – Kiss my ass
France – With tears of sadness
Now, FILL IT IN ..
Dearest (Friend's Name) ,
I don't really know how to tell you this, but ___1___. I think I realized it ___2___ ___3___ and I saw you ___4___ ___5___. I'm sure you're ___6___ enough to understand ___7___.
I'm returning ___8___ to you, but I'll be keeping ___9___ as a memento.
You should probably also know that I ___10___ and ___11___.
___12___,
(Your Name)
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
Ok, and here's my "answer":
Dearest Donald,
I don't really know how to tell you this, but your nostrils are insulting. I think I realized it last year when you peed your pants at the mental hospital and I saw you sit on the elephant in the corner. I'm sure you're high enough to understand how awful you are.
I'm returning the pictures from Vegas to you, but I'll be keeping your suicide note as a memento.
You should probably also know that I will tell the authorities that you did not steal that whale in the back yard and I’m off to lead a new life as a lemur.
Good luck in jail,
Michael
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
Hee hee. (g)
I may have to "re-do" the "options" and basic framework, sometime-- make my own version of this. . . It's a nice change from the usual Mad Lib. . .
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Photo Mosaic Meme
Seen on Rachel's website.
Instructions:
Photo credits:
1. Michael in the morning light, 2. Shakey's Pizza, 3. Spring @ Eden_Z13512, 4. Mallorca 2007 -- Waiting for summer (Part 2), 5. T R A G E D Y, 6. Offering to the Gods (who must be crazy!), 7. G´day.., 8. HAPPY BIRTHDAY (found at a thrift store), 9. Mom at the enlarger, 1949, 10. Andalusia Landscapes 2, 11. Shadow Dance, 12. peace, hope, love magnets
Instructions:
* Answer each of the questions below.
* Surf over to Flickr (set up an account if you don’t have one — it's quick and easy) and type your answers (one at a time) into the search bar.
* From the choice of pictures shown only on the front page, click on the one that moves you.
* Once the page with your picture opens, copy the URL.
* Surf over to the Mosaic Maker, set up your mosaic, and paste your URLs.
* Click “Create!”
Here are the questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you attend?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. What is your favorite drink?
7. Where would you go on your dream vacation?
8. What is your favorite dessert?
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. Choose one word to describe you.
12. Your Flickr name?
Photo credits:
1. Michael in the morning light, 2. Shakey's Pizza, 3. Spring @ Eden_Z13512, 4. Mallorca 2007 -- Waiting for summer (Part 2), 5. T R A G E D Y, 6. Offering to the Gods (who must be crazy!), 7. G´day.., 8. HAPPY BIRTHDAY (found at a thrift store), 9. Mom at the enlarger, 1949, 10. Andalusia Landscapes 2, 11. Shadow Dance, 12. peace, hope, love magnets
Chit-Chat
Donald's taking tomorrow off, so this is another "Friday" for us. :o) (He's taking a day here and there, this summer, to use up a reserve of off-time that would otherwise expire soon.)
** ** **
** ** **
** ** **
Tuesday evening, right before going to bed, I measured a hot dog pendant (sounds weird, I know (g)) so I could send all the information to the person who ordered it. Yesterday, when I woke in the morning, pretty much my first thought was, "I made a mistake when I measured that hot dog!" I checked, and I was right; just as I "knew" when I woke, I'd been off by a quarter of an inch.
I've always heard that when you sleep-- or just leave something for a while and return to it later-- you allow your brain time to work things out. Things like this have happened to me before, of course-- suddenly understanding how to do a math problem, for instance-- or waking up and realizing that I'd used the wrong spelling or even the wrong word in something I'd been writing-- but it's always a strange sensation.
These brains of ours are mysterious things!
I've always heard that when you sleep-- or just leave something for a while and return to it later-- you allow your brain time to work things out. Things like this have happened to me before, of course-- suddenly understanding how to do a math problem, for instance-- or waking up and realizing that I'd used the wrong spelling or even the wrong word in something I'd been writing-- but it's always a strange sensation.
These brains of ours are mysterious things!
** ** **
Still need to do something about those ground wasps. . . Maybe over the weekend.
** ** **
Molly has some weird little scabby things on her back. I'm not sure what they are. You don't see them so much as feel them when you pet her in that one spot. It's hard to get a good look at them, because she doesn't want to sit still when you start focusing on the area you really need to see. They're also difficult to see because they're kind of "under" her hair-- or her hair's growing through them. Since her hair is all still there, I don't think they're regular scabs. Maybe some type of skin problem-- excessive dandruff or even psoriasis. . .
(sigh) Even researching doggy maladies online depresses and worries me! I know better than to use the Internet to research my own aches, pains, and other physical complaints. Now I know I shouldn't research Molly's issues, either! (g) I'll just keep an eye on it for the time being. She is a cocker spaniel, after all, and I think they tend to have skin problems.
(sigh) Even researching doggy maladies online depresses and worries me! I know better than to use the Internet to research my own aches, pains, and other physical complaints. Now I know I shouldn't research Molly's issues, either! (g) I'll just keep an eye on it for the time being. She is a cocker spaniel, after all, and I think they tend to have skin problems.
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