Booking Through Thursday on Friday (again)

Booking Through Thursday on Heriones

Who is your favorite female lead character? And why? (And yes, of course, you can name more than one . . . I always have trouble narrowing down these things to one name, why should I force you to?)

I love Stephanie Plum in the Plum series by Janet Evanovich. She makes me laugh and forget my troubles.

I also like Claire from the Outlander series. As far as a fictional character goes she just seems to have a good head on her shoulders. I'd like to be her when I grow up. Although, I don't want to be a doctor or live in the 18th century.

After skimming through my have read list on librarything. I recall more heroines:

Hermione Granger from Harry Potter for being both brave and smart.

Wicked Witch of the West from Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The character he created was so complex and liked how he made her 3 dimensional.

Leisel from the Book Thief for her courage and growth in the story and for rescuing books.

Cimorene from the Dealing with Dragons Series by Patricia Wrede because she a princess with some tude! If you can hangout out with dragons and NOT get scorched you have to be pretty cool.

Alanna from the Song of the Lioness Series by Tamora Pierce. I love her for being strong but compassionate.

Booking Through Thursday on Friday

All other things (like price and storage space) being equal, given a choice in a perfect world, would you rather have paperbacks in your library? Or hardcovers? And why?

I rarely purchase fiction books anymore. I use the library lots. So for a library book I prefer hard back as those tend to be in better shape than the paper backs. Although I love a good book, I enjoy audio books too.

I do purchase reference books especially if it has to do with my fiber addiction: crocheting, knitting, spinning etc. Those I like something that stays open more easily but can take some wear an tear too. So usually a heavy duty paper back. Hardback pattern books get heavy in my project bag.

Calculating Decreases in Crochet

Calculating Decreases! - I've meant to post this for a while now. I'm surprised this info is not in any crochet book I have read. Maybe I am making this harder than it needs to be but this makes sense to me. Does it to you? If not let me know and I can try to explain better.

This works for all stitches stitches: sc, dc, etc. but will make a bit more sense if you understand what a crochet decrease is. So check this out here and look for single crochet, double crochet and more decreases. This works for all patterns that use a basic stitch like single crochet, double crochet etc. but breaks down with patterns that use a combinations of sts and/or are pattern sts like a shell stitch. So that's for another tutorial.

The formula(s):

Step 1:
number of stitches – the number of decreases = the number of stitches after the decreases (This is good to know to make sure decreased enough)

Some patterns might give you the number of stitches after the decrease so you need to know the number of decreases.

Number of stitches - number of stitches after the decreases = the number of decreases

Step 2:
(Number of stitches) divided by (number of decreases) = (stitch interval) – 2(the number sts you are crocheting together to remove one sts)=(the # of stitches you make before you dec)

Or look at it this way:

(Number of stitches) divided by (number of decreases) = (stitch interval)

(stitch interval)– 2(the number sts you are crocheting together to remove one sts)=(the # of stitches you make before you dec)

Example A:
If you have 42sc and the pattern says decreases evenly by 6 stitches

Number of stitches=42
Number of decreases = 6

Step1:
42-6=36 (Number of stitches after the decreases)

Step 2:
42 Divided by 6 = 7
7-2 = 5

Stitch interval = 7

Number of stitches you make before you dec = 5

You need to do (5sc, dec) 6 times to get 36sc

Example B:

What if the decreases aren’t even?

Let’s say you have 75sc stitches and the pattern says decrease evenly by 10 stitches

Number of stitches=75
Number of decreases= 10

Step 1
75-10= 65 stitches

number of number of stitches after the decreases = 65

Step 2:

75 divided by 10 = 7 with a remainder of 5

Stitch interval = 7

Still take the 7-2 = 5

Number of stitches before the dec= 5

Since there was a reminder go to Step 3

Step 3:

Since you need 10 decreases and the pattern says evenly and you got a remainder. You will have 5 xtra stitches at the end if you only use 5 stitches before each dec. So your decreases will not be as evenly spaced as possible. So in reality you can do (6sc before each dec) 5 times and (5 sc before each dec 5) 5 times and get the total number of decreases you need.

So then you need to decide how you want to distribute the decreases. I think this really depends on what you are making and the shaping you are trying to create. As well as the stitch you are using. Most likely you want to do it in such away that the decrease do not show.

So for this one alternate the decreases (5sc, dec, 6sc, dec) 5 times should get you the stitch count wanted at the end.

Or you could do (5sc, dec) 3 times, (6sc, dec) 5 times, (5sc, dec) 2 times.

This has been edited 2/4/2008 hopefully to make more sense.

Brrr!!!!!

It's colder than a witches tit outside. How cold is that? COLD! I'm a big baby and don't want to get dressed, don't want to have a snow ball fight with the kids. So I didn't. I might take a shower later since I will brave the cold tomorrow to shop for some yarn. I can never have enough yarn even though I have too much yarn already.

Someday I'll come back and blog again. I have some New Years resolutions I want to share. I want to share more about things I did last year. I really did do stuff although it didn't feel like it.

One cool thing I'm doing this year. I'm taking Belly Dance with another mom from my homeschool group. I'm learning how to shake my bodacious booty. Go me!

Sunday Book Review: Garlic and Sapphires

If you love food and need a book to listen to then Garlic and Shapphires is the book for you written by Ruth Reichl and read by Bernadette Dune. The books chronicles Ruth Reichl's life in New York City as the food critic for the New York Times. The narrator even reads the recipes and I never thought listening to recipes as a good thing but this was.

Ruth Reichl enlists the help an old friend of her mothers to disguise herself to eat in New York City's finest restaurants undetected. Her first incarnation is her own mother. She goes through many more and you get to travel along with her visiting fancy and not so fancy restaurants. The book includes recipes so if they sound good to you check out the book. I did and made the Spaghetti Carbonara, very yum.

WIP Wednesday

I need to get centered here. I have too many projects on the hooks and needles. At that same time I'm itching to start some new projects. It has to do with current project angst or it could also be finished project remorse, when I finished my daughters mittens. When I finish a project I feel elated and sad at the same time. I could go and work on my wips but there is something so much more exciting about starting something new.

I digress and need not digress as I have much to do.

So here's the list:

Crochet:

• I started some fingerless gloves for myself last night using some Paton's SWS leftovers in my stash.
• A thread book mark I can't find the pattern to finish so I may just need to wing it.
• A thread skull motif that my son could sew to a bag or shirt or something. Only the ends need to be woven in. I hate weaving in ends.
• A thread ornament just the last round needs doing.
• The Delightful Doily in Simply Delightful by Patricia Kristoffersen. I started few weeks ago just because. It's a bit fussy though because I'm using #20 thread and a size 9 hook and I'm not used to working that small.
• A granny babyghan for one of my nieces who is pregnant.
• Another Suzanne Sweater from Cool Crochet by Melissa Leapman for dear daughter. I'm almost to the shaping on the fronts and back then plan to start on the sleeves.
• Autumn Lace Pullover for me.
• A pair of socks I frogged the cuff so I cna re-do it and it will fit better.
• A totoro hat, I need to redo the ears they are to skinny.
  

Knit:

• I just frogged the toes of my second pair of knit socks that was too short so I can make them longer and wear them.
• The Big Sack Sweater from the Stitch-N-Bitch Hand Book. I'm to the shaping of the shoulders of the back and want to cast for the front, there will be cables involved.

What do I want to do instead?

• Start on another baby blanket so I can test a baby blanket I designed. I want make a bib to match so I would work on that too.
• Go buy some lace yarn and start my first lace knit project.
• Dye the yarn I spun and make something with it.
• My son would like that I start him a hoodie and I'd like that too.
• Spin some more yarn. I did dome some this weekend. So maybe that's another wip.
• I've seen some really cute holiday patterns for ornaments and decorations that I've wanted to do too. I haven't made any crocheted snowflakes this winter, very sad.

This is just my fiber lists of to do. This doesn't count what's left to do for the holidays and the laundry that needs doing and the dishes that need washing. If you are curious you can see what I got done on my list yesterday, the things I finished are in bold.

Today there are errands and and errands to do. I better get to work. Nah, I think I'll have a cup of tea first.

Just 15 minutes

Today, I could share about the mittens I knit for the kids but I don't want to take the 15 minutes it would take to take the picture of the ones I finished yesterday for dear daughter. So I went looking though my drafts on blogger to dig out some content so I would have something to share with you today.

I found this draft about 15 minutes that I apparently didn't want to take 15 minutes to write up. This strategy is used by the Fly Lady to help keep your house cleaner and more organized and it really does work. The trick is you "have to" do 15 minutes and a few of them during the day.

I forget to use this strategy to get things done around the house. Instead I look at the dishes strewn on the counter and groan and think this will take forever. When I remember to set the timer and wash dishes for 15 minutes I find that most of the dishes have been done and I even wiped the counters down.

So go for it. Set that timer.

My list of things to do today:

Fold Laundry and put swayaway
Gifts for Hubby
Dishes as always
Sort bins and baskets from general pick up yesterday
Dust in the Family Room
wipe down tables
Vacuum in play room
Filing (done)
make grocery list for winter solstice
take photo of Jade's finished mittens
work on fingerless gloves for me and jade's sweater