by The Happy WAHM
24/365Challenge: Buying house slippers for our kids have become a problem lately. So the idea of making crocheted slippers came to mind.
We had two scheduled power interruptions in our area, so I was able to plan what I would do during my downtime from work. I was working on our daughter’s hooded cowl, but I’ve been stressing over her house slippers that are again due for replacement. Sometimes I think metal slippers should be invented just for her, to make them last longer. But then I thought maybe something that really hugs the skin would be better.
So I thought of crocheted slippers.
Problem is, I’m still not good at making rounds. So the hours that I could not do any office work due to the power interruption were spent experimenting on crocheting in rounds. The one beanie I tried to make before was a disaster. And so were my glass covers. They are okay to look at, but I know that I’ve been doing something wrong in making the rounds.
After hours of experimenting, and yards of wasted yarn, I finally figured it out. Good thing I have lots of yarns from Sugar Free. 🙂
So here’s how I did it…
I made a magic ring, then made 8 SCs on the ring. Slip stitch to the first SC then Ch 1 to go to the second round.
For the second round, I made the first increase. That’s SC on the first stitch, then 2SC on the next stitch and repeat until the end of the round. Slip stitch to the first SC on the round, then Ch 1 to go up the third round.
For the third round, I made the second increase. That’s SC in the first stitch, SC on the second stitch, then 2SC on the third stitch. Repeat until end of round, then slip stitch, Ch 1 to go up the next round.
I kept on increasing until the sixth round. By the end of the sixth round, I had 32 stitches on the round. After that, I made 16 rounds with 32 stitches. Then I fastened off.
Then I marked the center of the project with stitch markers, and estimated where I should attach the yarn to work on the sides. I left the middle 8 stitches free. Then went on to work on 18 rows, before I connected the ends.
And here’s my finished DIY crocheted slippers!
You are welcome to make your own out of the process I shared, or you can just order from me. 🙂
Do you have questions, comments or feedback about this post?
Please leave me a message, or post them, at my Facebook Page.
Or you can be my writing challenge partner.
Send me a topic that you want me to talk about.
by The Happy WAHM
Like, seriously?
Yup!
Seriously.
And I have proof.
I’m officially a Bloggys 2015 nominee.
My excitement is worthy of a blog post, of course!
To other seasoned bloggers, or to those who have been nominated before, this may be nothing, but I feel like a million bucks for this nomination. This means that there are people who are reading my blog, and there is at least one person who believes in my contribution to the blogging community. That what I share is important. And that what I say makes sense. I assure you, it’s not my mother. Internet is not her thing. And it’s not my husband either. He’s not into blogs.
He’s into me. Ha! 🙂
I remember posting on my Facebook page sometime ago, that if what I share online will inspire even just one person, then I have lived my purpose. This Bloggys 2015 nomination is an affirmation that I’m doing something right. I still have no idea who nominated me. And please don’t tell the judges, but before I received the email informing me of my nomination, I had no idea what Bloggys is.
The email said the nominations will go on until the 30th of September. And after that, I will be informed if I made it to the voting stage. I’m not sure what that means. I think I will need to be nominated a certain number of times? If that is the case, will you do that for me? If you have 10 seconds to spare, then I hope you will nominate me some more. 🙂
Oh, I see fellow WAHMs in the list, so I encourage you to nominate them, too. There is no limit. 🙂
And that’s all for now. I’m still blessedly up to my eyeballs with work and some projects on the side, that’s why I have not been actively blogging lately. Plus, I’m really trying to get my crochet hob-biz get off the ground. But once I get back my writing groove, I will be blogging more often.
Do you have questions, comments or feedback about this post?
Please leave me a message, or post them, at my Facebook Page.
by The Happy WAHM
Ta-da!
Excuse the oversharing, but I just can’t stop myself. So happy with my DIY yarn bag!
As you should know by now, I’m a crochet addict. Wherever I go, I just have to have my bag of hook and yarn. There are even days that I just start a new project when what’s on my hook cannot be taken anywhere, like when I’m working on a light-colored material that I don’t want to get exposed to smoke and dust outside, or when the project I’m working on is already heavy that I can no longer work on it without a lap table.
Lately I’ve been pretty frustrated with my yarn cakes coz they get deformed when I bring them in my bag. I have three re-usable shopping bags that I use to put my crochet-projects-to-go. No, I don’t bring all three at one go. I just choose the project to bring whenever, and yes, I always have at least three projects going on at any given time.
I’ve been dreaming of a yarn drum, the kind that has been sitting in my Amazon wish list. But I have abandoned the idea of ordering from Amazon, unless, of course, I can have it delivered from Amazon to a relative who’s about to come home for a vacation. I just can’t risk the stress of ordering online and worry about customs and all.
Yesterday was a really slow day on the work front, so I had time to put some order in our clothes cabinet. I found the excess canvas cloth from my DIY curtain and decided to try piecing them together and see if I can make a bag out of it.
My first attempt did not go very well. I started to piece together a bag that has four sides and a bottom. I had a hard time keeping them aligned. I was never any good in geometry. So I discarded the idea, and decided to just make it really simple. I sewed on together two pieces of rectangular cloth to create a big rectangular piece. I took my yarn tray, measured the area, and made that the size of the circumference of the bag. I sewed on together the two short ends just enough for the tray to pass through. Then I sewed one end close to create the bottom part. I positioned the tray inside, and folded the two corners to make a flat bottom, same size as the bottom of the tray.
The Pockets
There is another piece of cloth left, so I embroidered it a bit to use it as outside pocket, and also to hide the part where I have pieced together the two rectangles. I attached it all around the bag, so it’s like a big continuous outside pocket.
I made the two ends to overlap, which created a narrow pocket for the hooks. Please note that they are peeking out, only to show where the hook pocket is, but the hooks should actually be below the lip of the pocket to avoid any danger of them falling out. I just put a piece of scrap yarn inside so you can see. 🙂
The Strap
For the strap, I was going to piece together three layers of cloth to create a really thick strap, but husband vetoed the idea. He said it’s not going to be sturdy. Then I remembered the shoulder strap of my daughter’s old school bag. I have an instant shoulder strap!
I sewed on three buttons on the side, just to embellish it a bit. The plan is for my daughter to create a cross-stitched patch for me to put on the front pocket. Let’s see what she’ll come up with. 🙂
For now, I just feel awesome with my little accomplishment, and who knows, it might hit the Crafted Crafts shop, too!
Do you have questions, comments or feedback about this post?
Please leave me a message, or post them, at my Facebook Page.
by The Happy WAHM
Uhmm… That does not sound quite right, but each word is true, when taken on its own.
Exactly one year after our traumatic experience with Glenda, another trauma hit us as a family in the wee hours this morning. We have been burglarized, and at about the same exact time when the onslaught of Glenda was at its peak.
The night before last, we have been nursing our son. He had an acute onset of allergy, and because we were afraid that it might spread internally, we were at the ready to rush him to the ER, with a letter from our pedia on what to give him so hospital staff need not wait. Thankfully, he responded to oral meds so well that yesterday passed without any problem. So last night, husband and I agreed that we should have an early night. He went to bed ahead of me, and I just had to wait for our daughter to finish what she was doing on her laptop before I turned in, as well.
I don’t usually leave my cellphone on my desk. I always put both my phones in my bag, and take the bag with me to the bedroom. But last night, I was going to bed earlier than usual, so it did not finish charging, and I decided to just leave it on my desk, to continue charging in the morning.
At 4:00am, I was awakened by my husband. “Marge, napasok tayo.”
I was totally awake in a flash, reached for my glasses, ready to go out of the room.
But husband stopped me. “Stay here. Baka nasa loob pa.” He already had the arnis sticks in his hands. Our firstborn behind him. He went upstairs to check, while I got the pepper spray from my bag and followed him, leaving our firstborn with the younger ones.
We made an initial inventory of what might have been taken. His laptop on my desk, our daughter’s laptop on the floor beside my desk, my S3 phone, my watches. I immediately logged in to change passwords on my social media accounts, while the girls check for items that may be missing. I remembered the binoculars on top of the piano. It’s not there anymore. Then our middlechild said the DS and her Nokia cellphone are gone, too. She left the DS charging beside her Ate’s laptop, and her cellphone was just on top of the book she was reading. Then I remembered seeing our daughter’s camera on top of the printer, and it’s not there. We later found it in the girls’s bedroom, thankfully. My husband found the door open, while the stopper on the screen door was set. I believe they were also planning to take out the TV and the desktops, but our daughter’s alarm went off, causing them to leave in a hurry.
I already knew my bag was not taken, so we had to check for the other laptop and the other camera. They’re where they should be. No drawers were opened. That was an indication that the burglars didn’t have a long time inside. The portable organ is where it should be. The TV, the two desktops and the printer are untouched. My sewing and embroidery machine are still here. My yarns! Oh, thank goodness! They’re untouched. My hooks! They’re on my desk still.
And while writing this, I just remembered that I removed my ring before going to bed, and left it on my desk. Now gone. I should remember to add this item to the police report, as I didn’t remember this while the police were here.
I was awakened at 4:00am, we reached the police station at 4:20. I had to prioritize on changing passwords before leaving the house. I gave my initial statement at the station, while husband called the network to have my SIM blocked. The police followed us home, took pictures at the scene and made the report.
It’s afternoon, and we have just arrived from the city. We had to take Jude for a follow up with his doctor, and dropped by the bank to file a report, and the Sun Shop, to get a SIM replacement. We also dropped by Handyman to pick up some alarms, and follow up on our order of a CCTV set. Our guy there, Rommel, promised to call us the moment the units arrived. We’ve been waiting for availability for two months. Oh, well…
While we were at the city, our welder, Ramil, repaired the window grills, which the burglars managed to open. Don’t ask me. I still can’t believe they can do that. But God may have other plans.
Oh yes, God. While the sun was coming up, my mother muttered, “Panginoon, bakit naman nangyayari ito?”
And I immediately shushed her. No, don’t ever question God. Don’t ever lose faith. Let’s see the good in all this. Just as I was grateful for His protection when Glenda happened, I am again truly grateful that not one of my kids were harmed. Their bedroom door was open when my husband saw it. The girls always keep it closed, and the open door tells us that the burglar was there. He/They tried to go in there. But nothing was stolen from their bedroom. Our firstborn’s wallet was in plain sight, as was her cellphone. But they were not taken. Why?
So we tried to recreate what could have happened. However softly we try to open the girls’ door, it gives out a creak at around four inches of being opened. And my husband saw it open just that wide. So the burglar must not have been inside their room, although he/they tried to.
That alone was reason enough to be grateful.
On our drive to and from the city, husband and I counted our blessings. Too many to enumerate, but suffice it to say that we have agreed on seeing the good side of this new experience. We have seen our security flaws, we have been spared from physical harm, those taken were things we can do without, except of course for the data and photos, so yes, I am grateful. WE are grateful.
My husband is a light sleeper. He wakes up at the slightest sound. But last night, he did not stir. I believe God put him in deep slumber so he would not wake up. Had he been awakened by the burglars, someone would definitely have been hurt.
And to lessen the heartache over the items we lost, I crocheted.
Photo on the left was the last photo I took with my S3, and the one on the right was taken just now, before I hit publish. It’s a beanie I’m making for the children of Buscalan. A couple of weeks ago, I made a commitment to participate in a project called Beanies for Buscalan, Kalinga. I’ve never made a beanie before, but fellow crocheters sent me the text pattern, and I think I’m getting it. I hope I can make more than one. This is my first beanie. And definitely not going to be my last.
As for what happened in the wee hours today, I still get goosebumps when I think of the coincidence. Realization hit me just this afternoon. When I decided to blog about the experience, and I remembered the post from last year. Is this just a coincidence? Or is there a message here somewhere?
Maybe the burglars will try to sell the items that we lost, and maybe one of the buyers will stumble on this post, and maybe decide to return them to us? God only knows. I’m praying. Husband told me, don’t hope for the impossible. Not gonna happen. But I’m Mrs. Positivity. I’m praying. And maybe God will touch someone’s heart today. I’m not going to say, we’re okay about losing those things because we actually need them. At least, the laptops and the phone. Just those. All the rest, they can keep. We are freelancers, and those items are our main tools. We need those to survive. And my daughter needs her laptop and the projects she has in there. So if you are reading this, pray with me, please? Thank you!
Do you have questions, comments or feedback about this post?
Please leave me a message, or post them, at my Facebook Page.
by The Happy WAHM
It’s a cookies ‘n cream kind of day today. It’s my birthday! So today, I’m blogging, after being delinquent – again – for the past weeks. Among the many goals I have set out for myself, blogging regularly has always been, and I believe will always be, the one that I fail to accomplish.
But I’m okay with it. I mean, blogging is just one of the many therapeutic activities that I have set out to do. I blog because I love to write. I blog because I have something to share. So on days that I don’t feel like writing, or have nothing to share, I don’t force myself to blog just to keep the page updated.
But today is sharing day. I have posted this on my Facebook page, and I’m going to share it with you here today.
My me-time goal has come to fruition in the form of a hob-biz. Or a self-supporting hobby, where I try to sell the items that I make, just so I can have a steady supply of materials to work with without taking away from the family budget.
I launched Crafted Crafts on June 10, to coincide with my son’s birthday. And I’m sharing it here on mine.
It’s nothing fancy. I built the site from scratch, and I’m slowly putting in content as I finish my projects. I talked about how the site came to being, as well as my plans for it, in the About page. And on my third month of crocheting, I’m starting to be more adventurous with colors and materials. I never thought there’d be too much math in crafting, and it’s something of a challenge, but I’m learning.
I wanted to finish a project I started out last Monday, to keep on my personal goal of one complete project a week, but other duties got in the way, so I’m sharing a work-in-progress instead.
I’m making a scarf for an elementary classmate. Her favorite colors are red and black. I started the project two weeks ago with materials I have on hand, which are mostly soft acrylic, and about a third into it, she messaged me that she’s allergic to materials that are not cotton. So I had to scramble for red and black cotton yarns and leave what I have done so far to finish later. While waiting for the red and black cotton I ordered online, I decided to try the pattern that I’ve set out for her on the light cashmere materials that I have in my stash. I’m naming my designs after people who get the first finished product of the design. Like my Rosanne Two-Toned Infinity Scarf. So the stitch combinations that I’m working on for my classmate will be called the Eliza Striped Scarf. But seeing what I was working on yesterday, my middlechild commented: “Wow! Looks delicious, Mommy! Cookies ‘n Cream!”
So here’s my Cookies ‘n Cream work-in-progress scarf.
I have to agree with my daughter. It does look delicious. And it’s so smooth and soft and stretchy. I have not decided yet if I’m going to finish it off with fringes, or if I’m going to make it an infinity scarf, too. I’m keeping my options open for the person who will buy it from me. 🙂 It’s 60 inches long and I’ll finish it off at a little over 5 inches wide. The measurements for the cotton version of this will be a little different, as the cotton yarn I’ll be using is size 4 medium worsted weight, while this Cookies ‘n Cream is size 3 light, but I’ll try to keep it really close. Bigger hook, less stitches.
Please visit my craft site. You might want to support my small biz on the side to help send my daughter to college. Ha ha! Place your Christmas gift orders early! And thank you for dropping by today.
Do you have questions, comments or feedback about this post?
Please leave me a message, or post them, at my Facebook Page.
by The Happy WAHM
Been meaning to share my DIY hobby corner since the day we had it set up, but have not had the time to take photos of what’s actually in my kits, until this morning.
I like working with my hands. Since I was little, I’ve been sewing by hand. Daughter of a seamstress, of course I know how to sew. But never really liked using the sewing machine. It intimidates me. And besides, our Home Economics and Practical Arts teachers required us to sew by hand, simply because public schools didn’t have sewing machines then.
Then my mother-in-law gifted me with a Singer sewing and embroidery machine. Since then, I’ve been wanting to really use it regularly, but the limited space in our home had me keep the machine in its box, only taking it out when I have a project to do, like sewing new curtains for Christmas, or making little items for give-aways.
So when, finally, I settled in my new home office, I decided that I’d put up a hobby corner, too. I just want to have all my things in one place, you know. I want my hobbies to be within my reach, that when I start to feel tired of the humdrum of my work, I can just reach for a needle and sew.
I asked for the husband’s help in setting it up, of course. I had a small table made for the sewing machine. Then we installed braces on the wall for the open shelves. Hubby’s pretty handy with the electric drill. Got the braces from Wilcon Home Depot.
We bought a piece of marine plywood from the construction supply store and had them sanded. The original plan was to have them stained after sanding, then cover with varnish for a shiny finish. But I changed my mind when I realized that it would take longer to complete the project because we would have to wait a long time for the smell of varnish to dissipate.
I already have self-adhesive laminating sheets which I used to line my office table drawers, so I thought, maybe we could use it to cover the wood planks.
Husband took care of the measurements, and I took care of putting on the laminate.
We bought some covered trays that I saw from SM Hypermart and started putting all my hobby stuff in them.
I have a growing stash of yarns for my new-found passion, crocheting, which was introduced to me by my daughter.
But I will never forget my jewelry-making hobby, which I started back when I was still in corporate. I used to accept bulk orders from OFWs, who sell the stuff to their bosses. I also remember making the bracelets and necklaces for the secondary sponsors in my brother’s wedding.
The materials I used ranged from semi-precious stones, to German stones, to polymer clays.
I still have some Swarovski crystals left, which I’m keeping for my daughters.
So this is how my hobby corner looks like now. I just have to turn my office swivel chair, and I can be sewing, or darning, or crocheting, in no time! The only items not in here are the cross-stitch materials that I have already handed over to my middlechild.
I’m sure I’ll have lots of crochet projects to make, thanks to Mrs P. Cuyugan of Mrs C’s Sugarcoated Life, who gave my daughter (not me, mind you!) five amazing pattern magazines. Take a peek at what’s inside and be excited with me!
Do you have questions, comments or feedback about this post?
Please leave me a message, or post them, at my Facebook Page.
