Learn about the poor and help to feed them, too

There are a few web sites that I've come across lately that I feel are highly worth mentioning:

http://www.3rdworldfarmer.com/ is a free simulation game in which you farm animals and/or crops that are subject to drought, theft, and other situations that can leave your family forced to find outside work or with no food, medicine, or a chance of having an education. A mere glimpse of what living in the "Third World" is like.

www.freerice.com is a site where you can play to increase your word power and also, for each correct answer, you earn rice to be given to the poor by advertisers to the site.

Canadian Association of Food Banks. Hunger is also a problem in your area. Next time you go shopping, please remember to buy a few extra items to give to the food bank on your way out of the store. :-)

Busy, busy

I have been busy lately (as the title suggests).

I'm currently working on a picture cloth of a Christmas Ornament from Harvest Moon Designs in Bernat's red Holiday Sparkle. I have mixed feelings about the yarn; although it is looking nice, it is difficult to work with because the metal thread separates easily from the yarn. To me, it is the same as the difficulty faced with cross-stitching with metallic thread.

I have finished Rachel van Schie's knitting freebie, "Quilted Hearts Dishcloth". I love how it looks in Ivory:

Since my last post I have also since knitted up a skull and crossbones design based on the simple chart from http://www.toysaregoodfood.com/. I did mine in just one colour (black) using just knit and purl stitches. It has proven a challenge to photograph, so I will post a pic when I'm satisfied with the results of my camera. It is a very small cloth - something like 3" x 5 1/2" - and cute, if you could say that about skull and crossbones...!

I also went nuts yesterday and have created a few more designs. I would like to cross-stitch and knit them up myself before posting them as freebies, but we'll see. Stay tuned.

More slipper photos; "love cloth" freebie

I finally got the batteries working in my camera!

These are the other two pairs of Two Needle Slippers that I knit:







Here is my latest knitted cloth:


I love it! This is called the "Love Cloth" and is another freebie from Rachel van Schie. (Thanks, Rachel!) This was done in Bernat Handicrafter "Hot Pink," although the colour shows as slightly lighter in the photo.

Why old ladies knit

Yesterday I pulled out my cross-stitch after taking a long hiatus from it because I was having carpal (LOL, not "carpool") problems and I was also learning to knit.

Lately things just seem to be getting smaller all around me. A cross-stitch chart that I've used before now seems miniscule in its detail! I've noticed that of late the scores of hockey games are impossible for me to see. I thought that maybe it's just that our TV is getting "old" and is incapable of getting HD. DH has also noticed the small-score phenomenon, and we are constantly asking each other if it's just us. Come on, we both wear glasses but I am still a few years away from turning forty!

Until I can make my way to make an enlargement of the cross-stitch pattern I will do as the old ladies do - knit. There is rarely a chart to follow, and my eyes can take their much-needed rest to focus on making out the hockey score.

I have pictures to post of my latest knitting, but those new-fangled rechargeable batteries for my camera have thrown me for a loop again.

Slippers galore!

Okay, it's been 3 weeks since I last posted. But - I DO have an excuse!

I found this free pattern for slippers and have been feverishly knitting away (along with reading for my book club - A Lesson Before Dying is very good!). It is a very simple pattern, and good for beginners because it only uses a pair of straight needles. Oh, and it did take me much more than the 1 hour that they suggested to knit each slipper - I did get faster, but nowhere near 1 hour!

Here's the second pair:

Is it just me, or do my feet look fat?! LOL! Maybe it was a little too close up? :-)

Does THIS look better?

So far I've knitted two pairs, and am finishing up my third pair. Okay, I'll be moving on to something a little different for the next little while...