Baby Bolero in the Nick of Time

I actually have had a chance to sit and crochet!  The motivator was a birthday party for a sweet little one-year old :-).  I decided to make the bolero in Sue Whiting's Easy to Crochet Cute Clothes For Kids. Amazon's got the book at a great price, please see my affiliated link below.

Here's the finished product!

 

There are some really nice projects in her book, and, after reading a few times, the instructions made sense :-). I've got another baby party coming up, so let's see what else I come up with!

Trying the Lucet

I've been seeing a lot of posts lately on Facebook about the Lucet.  According to Wikipedia, the lucet is a tool, usually made of wood or bone, that is used to create cords or braiding.  It is thought to date back to the Viking and Medieval periods.  The cording made with a lucet tends to come out square looking, and it's very strong with a slight spring to it.  I especially liked finding out that, since the cord is made with a series of loop-like knots, it won't unravel if cut.  Another plus -- the cording can be created without pre-measuring the thread or yarn.

So, while on Amazon doing some other shopping, I searched for the lucet and found this lovely one made by Lacis of Berkeley, CA.

The Amazon seller actually was The Woolery in Frankfort, KY, but beware of looking at the site, you're going to want to order a lot of stuff!  I love that we can order anything from anywhere in the country, or the world for that matter, and have it magically appear on our doorsteps.

Then off to YouTube to look for some instructional videos (the lucet did come with written instructions, which weren't bad but as they say a picture/video is worth...).  The first one I watched is by Evelyn Skae.  She just repeats the movements over and over with lovely background music.  I did have to pause, rewind and play a number of times, but I was able to make a basic cord pretty quickly.  The Stitch Diva's YouTube channel also has a number of lucet videos on it.  I didn't get a chance to really watch any of them, but did add them to my "watch later" list.

Well, now that I have my new toy and some idea of what to do with it, hopefully I will be posting some lucet cord pictures and videos of my own soon!

Snowtastrophy!

Or Snowmaggedon, or Snowpocalyps -- pick your preferred name, but any way you look at it, we've had A LOT of snow.  It definitely is different from the storm in December; this one is much denser, icier, just more, more, more.  Went walking around a bit, and it's getting colder too, which is definitely not going to help the icy parts.  But, it is all very beautiful...

It's been a good crochet day, Mom's Vest now has a back to it and one side.  I'm hoping to get the other side done tonight, then it's time for her to try it on again. 

I've also been doing a little bit of online shopping.  I have to chuckle when I think about how hesitant I was to shop at Amazon when they first got started, I mean, seriously, they were collecting information about me, how shocking.  Now, heck, I let them keep my credit card numbers on file so I can one-click order!  Besides a couple of new crochet books and some Pyrex glass containers (I'm really try to eliminate using plastic as much as possible), the really exciting purchase I made was a USB microphone that's supposed to be appropriate for podcasting -- I think I am going to take the plunge!

Today's Thought:  Food Rule # 26 - Drink the Spinach Water.  Mr. Pollan explains that the water in which fresh vegetables are cooked is rich in vitamins and other vegetable compounds, so you should keep that water to use in making soups and sauces.  So, I kept the water in which I cooked a bunch of beets and actually drank it straight!  I have to say, maybe it's psychological to an extent, but I always feel better after taking a swig or two of the beet water ;-)

Amazon Affiliates

Mmmm, ok, so Amazon and Blogger are now in partnership.  I had set up an Amazon Affiliates account a while back so that, when I recommend crochet pattern books, etc., I could provide an easy link for you (and frankly get a cut!), but now, they've made it so easy to do, so I guess I'd better give it a try!

Actually, I am in the process of reading this great little guide to starting a crafts business, but the advice Meg Ilasco  gives is great for anyone just trying to get organized and motivated to explore new things in their lives.  The author interviews a number of people who now run successful design and craft businesses, and she sprinkles in her own wisdom and tips throughout.  For example, I really appreciated her debunking of "Craft Mythology," such as "All the great ideas have already been done and someone else can do it better than I ever could."

Anyway, check it out if you would like, but stay tuned for crochet book recommendations.

And, DeAnn, if you're reading this (and I know you are!), I will show you how to set it up, it's so cool!  I love techie talk :-)