Owl Fingerless Mitts knit pattern

60 yards worsted weight yarn ( approximately )

8 US dpns or circulars needles

Gauge 4 sts. by 6 rows to 1 inch

cable needle

sewing needle and matching thread

4 small buttons

 on ravelry

7 owl beanie pattern colored up

 Been getting orders for different color owl hats... thought I'd share how the pattern looks colored up.. all are done with Simply Soft yarn

pattern on ravelry

You Tube tips .. Cabling without a cable needle

I love You Tube.. around here we have learned tips on knitting, crochet, beading, cooking, raising our flock, feeding our flock, fixing the cars.. it is a very useful site.. I will be posting a few videos I have found useful in my yarn and bead works here.. under the label You Tube and tips... please give them a thumbs up and consider subscribing to their page :D

 

 Cabling without a cable needle...

been trying it out with my  7 owl beanie knit pattern

 

 

 

You tube crochet tips

I have found these two tips very helpful.. the first a very easy way to keep long chains from getting twisted before joining in the round... the second, no ends to weave in join for adding yarn or color changes...

7 owl beanie knit pattern

As long time owl fan myself, when a friend asked me to design a hat that had owls in a beanie style I had to give it a go... I made one for them, a few others for sell at market.. had it all typed out but didn't get the yardage.. made another .. sold as soon as it hit the table.. that is when I recalled I still needed my gauge...

I had made them using different yarns, all claiming to be the same weight but you know how that goes...

So I started over... got my gauge and yardage for the yarn it's made in now lol..

hope you enjoy the pattern

on Ravelry

Pattern sale

With the holidays just around the corner I have decided to have a pattern sale...


Here are the links to my pattern store... I do have many free patterns that are only on my blog... type in free pattern in search bar ( upper left corner ) or click on link listed under "My Patterns" heading along right side of blog ...



on Ravelry

How to peel fresh eggs

We get asked often how to hard boil fresh eggs so they can be easily peeled ( so posting again ) ... after trying many ... many ... and a few more ways the only sure fire way we have come up with is so easy...

 

add your eggs to cool water, bring to boil.. cook for the hardness you want .. ( I add a touch of salt.. keeps the eggs from spilling out if one should crack while cooking )

 

For Large eggs:

• Soft-cooked yolk 4 to 5 minutes
• Medium-cooked yolk 6 minutes
• Hard-cooked yolk 17 minutes

For Medium eggs:

• Soft-cooked yolk 3 minutes
• Medium-cooked yolk 5 minutes
• Hard-cooked yolk 12 minutes

while boiling get a bowl/sink of ice cold water ready.. here in the desert ice melts too fast and cold tap water doesn't happen except in the dead of winter.. so I freeze water bottles and place in a sink full of water...

 

move the eggs straight from the boiling water to the ice water.. LEAVE until cooled off

then peel

 

These eggs are right out of the coop.. not even hours old

 

Jewelry post number 1

I have been making jewelry to sell for a number of years now.. while I have put patterns/charts out of my some of my seed bead designs I have never posted about my other items.. So.... I will be doing these with lots of photos to make it as clear as possible ..


Note: any of my earring designs you make, you are free to sell... if you share online a link back to my pattern would be great :D


The first item will be earrings


you will need .. beading thread and needle, 42 black seed beads size 11/0 ( 21 for each earring ), 2 earring hooks, two o rings, and 2 drop beads ( with hole going through the center )

take thread through the bead going downward, add 3 seed beads go back up though the main bead again

add 18 seed beads and the o ring, tie off

run thread though out once again, tie off weave in ends.. place on earring hook

repeat for second earring

quick and easy.. enjoy

Free football seed bead chart

Materials needed

2 earring hooks

fine beading thread and needle

all seed beads are size 11/0

NOTE

this pattern assumes knowledge of straight stitch beading techniques

52 brown

9 white

add ear hook to loop.. Check ends of ear hook ( if you didn't make your own ) for sharpness, a bit of smoothing maybe needed.

pattern by Barbra Szabrowicz

items made from this pattern may be sold

Jumbo Pharaoh quail

 

We got Quail :D at 3 weeks of age they are already half way to laying eggs.. been reading different reports on how many eggs they lay.. lowest number is 200 they did add "or more" though lol.. most others are saying around 300

 

 

keeping in mind the eggs are pretty small but so cute lol

 

 

We started out just buying eggs and ended up getting 8 half grown birds :D ... A bit stronger tasting, very quick to cook up  lol  we even got a double yoke one

looking forward to getting our own eggs soon.. only two weeks to go ..