Animal Tamer

In my weeks off I decided to do a crochet tutorial. My first ever, so here goes...

Let your child's inner animal come out. I have 6 kiddos and they love to pretend to be all sorts of animals. I saw a pattern for horse reins, and thought what a great idea. I made one up and it is ok, but I thought I could simplify the pattern to be faster to work up and maybe be a little more durable!

So here is my Animal Tamer....

you will need:

small amount worsted weight yarn in 2 contrasting colors

G hook

scissors

needle for sewing in ends

*see the end of post for pictures of cross over and dec.

Body:

with MC

Chain 31

row 1 sc in second chain from hook and across, ch2 turn

row 2-4 dc across, ch2 turn

row 5 (cross over design) dc in next 6 dcs, *skip next open st, dc in st, dc back into skipped st*, repeat from * to * 8 times (should have 9 cross overs), dc in next 7 st, ch 2 turn

row 6-7 dc across, ch2 turn

row 8-9 dc dec. over first two sts, dc across decreasing in the last two sts, ch2 turn

over head loop

add in your coordinating color

hold both colors of yarn throughout the end

Ch 40

attach to the other top corner with a sc


sc back across the top (using both yarns)

continue sc down the side to the bottom

Reins

Ch 250 then attach to the other bottom corner
sc back up the other side

finish off

sew in ends with the needle.

There you have it!

cross over stitch:

skip one stitch and dc in the next stitch then cross back and dc in the skipped stitch

skip the next open stitch and dc in the next ... continue the pattern

finished stitch

dc dec stitch (double crochet decrease)

YO and insert in next st pick up yarn and pull through

pick up next stitch, pick up yarns and pull through

you should now have 4 loops on your hook.

pick up yarn and pull through 3 loops

pick up yarn and pull through last 2 loops


There you have it!

Let me know what you think, I would love to hear from you!

If you make one and wanna send me a picture I will welcome that too!

another giveaway i am hoping to win! :)

here is a link to it!

http://jaimiecollette-logansmommy.blogspot.com/2009/07/tiny-wiggles-giveaway.html

here are the deatails as posted on her blog:

Tiny Wiggles is an amazing shop specializing in all things bath related for baby! Hooded towels, facecloths, and my favorite the wash mitts! Little Jumping Beans has teamed with Tiny Wiggles to do a great giveaway for all you readers.

Jamie is a great buddy of mine, so you should follow her blog and give the giveaway a try! :)

good luck and happy blogging!

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exna6myhrf

"Sew your Nifty Nappy" Kits

I have decided to do the diaper kits. They will be this:

Nifty Nappy Pattern: $10
this will be a PDF file with lots of photos!

"Sew your Nifty Nappy" Kit without aplix: $12
Organic Version: $14
outer: cute cotton knit or flannel
absorbent: Organic Hemp Fleece
inner: micro fleece
layin insert: 1 each of Organic Hemp Fleece and Organic Bamboo Velour
elastic cut to length

"Sew your Nifty Nappy" Kit with aplix: $14
Organic version: $16
outer: cute cotton knit or flannel
absorbent: Organic Hemp Fleece
inner: micro fleece
layin insert: 1 each of Organic Hemp Fleece and Organic Bamboo Velour
elastic cut to length
aplix cut to length

Kit with aplix and a Nifty Nappy: $30
Organic version: $34
Nifty Nappy pattern
"Sew your Nifty Nappy" kit
a finished diaper, which can make following a pattern and tutorial lots easier. :)

**I will also offer a discount for multiple kits. I will give the same as my diapers for every 5 you buy you get $10 off.

These will be easily done with just a sewing machine that has a straight and zigzag stitch.
I will also show how to finish with a serger.
Ther perfect project for a beginner sewer!

There you have it.
So now my time I am taking off sewing diaper will be spent getting a tutorial ready. :)
I will start selling them the beginning of August.
I am excited about this new adventure though.

TIME!!!

I am trying to figure out how to get my time all lined out. I feel that I am doing my sewing all the time and everything has to take a back burner to it. That isn't what I want though.
My family is really important to me. I want to be able to spend time with the kids not get all ornery cause I stayed up late with diapers or something isn't working like I need it to.
I also have many other hobbies that I feel like I haven't had time for. I want to be able to quilt with my friends, do some scrapbooking, or not feel guilty when I am sitting down doing a little crocheting that isn't a soaker.

How do you ladies all do it? I don't want to just give up, but I don't feel that I have my priorities right and I am not ok with that.
Any ideas?

One of the ideas I have had is to sell a "Sew your own diaper" kit. I would cut out all the fabrics and the elastics and such and then I would have a tutorial video on my webpage to help them out.

What do you think of that idea?

I am also having issues with the whole lead testing and labeling things. That is a major thorn in my side.

Ahhhh.... sorry I just had to vent my feelings somewhere. Any suggestions or advice would be welcomed!

New blog...

...what do you think? Do you like it?
I just wanna get more followers any suggestions?

I was tagged! Ahhhh!

Well really it is not that bad. I am supposed to write 10 things about me and then tag 10 people. so here goes I guess.

1. I grew up in Utah
2. All I ever wanted to be when I grew up was a mom. I am so lucky to have a wonderful, supportive hubby that lets me stay home and do that.
3. I really love Skittles! They are probably my fave candy
4. I love to watch Matlock while my kids take a nap.
5. I don't like PB & J's.
6. I have more fabric than one person should have and I live in a little 3 bedroom with my hubby and 6 kids!
7. My dad came from a family of 15 kids. I have a huge family! I even know all my cousins. there are 87 of us grandkids.
8. I have 17 chickens.
9. I have lived in 4 states, but I have lived in 16 different houses in my life.
10. If you have read my blog or visited my etsy shop you will already know, but I am obsessed with Cloth Diapering and I am deterring my baby from potty training cause then I can't use my CD's anymore!

So now on to the tagging others huh?
These ladies all have etsy shops or some sort of shop. Feel free to visit them!

http://breasmommy.blogspot.com

http://fashionableetsy.blogspot.com/

http://thechrysanthemom.blogspot.com/

http://2livelovecreate.blogspot.com/

http://blissfulbloomspaper.blogspot.com/

http://morganashdown.blogspot.com/

http://lazydazefarm.blogspot.com/

http://ourcozynest.blogspot.com/

http://ktmotif.blogspot.com/

http://thedressupdrawer.blogspot.com/

there you have it! Thanks to Cuter than a button creations for inviting me to do it! :)