Lacy Choker For Easter or Bridesmaid

 

Here's a pattern for anyone who has a bit of experience with crochet thread to make someone special for Easter or to make and give to her bridesmaids as a nice gift.  Of course it can be made in any color, with or without beads.  The pattern includes bead placement.   If desired, a larger glass tear drop bead would be pretty in place of the crocheted flower that the photo shows.

See where I screwed up on the right?  I didn't follow my own pattern!  And I'm too lazy to fix it so (derrr) I started another choker for two reasons - to test pattern, and to have one to sell (hopefully).  I'll post photos of the new on here asap.

Lacy Beaded Choker 
(For Easter or bridesmaids, etc)

Pattern is free and can be distributed at will by using the link to this page only, and of course you may do anything you like with the project you create using this pattern.

Materials:

•  size 10 crochet thread, in color of your choice
• steel crochet hook, size 7
• 30 small pearl beads or small glass beads that thread fits inside, (you'll be using less than thirty beads but stringing a few extra is always a good idea just in case)
• Jewelry clasp ,
• or hook & eye from your sewing notions,
• or  1/4" or 1/8" ribbon long enough to tie in a bow with a little left over

Abbreviations:
ch = chain stitch
sl st = slip stitch
sc = single crochet
dc = double crochet
sk = skip
rem = remaining
beg = beginning

Special stitches:  (Updated 3/31/14 to better explain beaded stitches)

bead ch = For a beaded chain stitch: begin to make your chain stitch. Before you pull the thread through the loop to complete the chain, slide a bead up to the hook and then complete your stitch.






If your beads appear on the wrong side of your work, no worries, just pop them through the stitch to the other side.

 (For future reference:)
For a beaded single crochet it's pretty much the same except you slide the bead up during the process of the yarn over and then you complete the stitch as normal.
For a beaded double crochet, you would slide the bead up in the last movement of the stitch (unless otherwise indicated) which places the bead at the top of the dc. (Same goes for a triple crochet and so on)
 (End of update, thank  you Barb for asking a great question)

picot = ch 3, sl st in third ch from hook


Beaded Lace Choker / Necklace For Easter

(If you need this to be longer for a larger neck, you may add ch to beg in sets of five - for instance, if you need the choker to be one inch longer, add five ch to the starting chains)



Before starting work, string 30 small pearl beads onto size 10 crochet thread, color of your choice.  I used Aunt Lydia's orchid pink (photo doesn't do the colors justice, sorry) and for the blues and greens variegated I used Aunt Lydia's color Ocean.
Work loosely as to give the choker some elasticity for snug fit.

After stringing beads, ch 98 plus 4 (total 102 ch)  The last four ch count as the first dc plus one ch

Row 1:  dc in fifth ch from hook,  *1 bead ch, sk 1 ch, dc in next ch, ch 1, sk 1 ch, dc in next ch; repeat from * across
until 2 ch rem then ch 1, dc in last ch.  ch 1, turn.

Row 2:  sc in first dc, ch 3, sc in next dc, sc in ch 1 space, sc in next dc, ch 3, *sc in next dc, sc in next ch 1 space, sc in next dc, ch 3, sc in next dc; repeat from * across to end then fasten off, weave in ends.

Flower:
make bead ch, ch 1  (2 ch total including beaded ch)
sc around bead in first ch 6 times, join with sl st to beg sc   (6 sc around)
ch 1, (sc, dc, sc, sl st) all in first sc
(sl st, sc, dc, sc, sl st) all in next sc and in rem sc around  (6 petals made)
do not fasten off

Atach Flower, Make "Stem"
ch 2, bead ch, ch 2, bead ch
attach to middle of choker between two ch 3 spaces from row 2 (use sl st to attach)
sl st once more to one side of the last bead ch you made
ch 3, sl st in bead ch nearest flower (on "stem")
ch 3, sl st in first ch made following last stitch of flower
on back of work, sl st to opposite side of flower to finish 'stem' side
ch 3, sl st in bead ch, ch 3, sl st in last bead ch st; fasten off, weave in ends

Finishing touches
Attach with sl st to one side of "stem" to main choker  between the two ch 3 loops of row 2
ch 3, sl st into the first bead ch of "stem", ch 3 sl st into next bead ch of "stem"
sl st in back of work to other side, sl st into bead ch (closet to flower) ch 3, sl st into next bead ch (closest to choker)
ch 3, sl st into base of "stem"

sl st one side or the other into the middle st between two ch 3 loops to the side of the stem piece (see photo)
ch 6, sl st into base of stem at row 2,
sl st behind work to other side of stem piece, ch 6, sl st into st between next ch 3 loops on other side of stem piece.

ch 3, sl st into middle of ch 6 just made, ch 3, sl st into end of ch 6 just made (closest to stem) ch 3, sl st into second  bead ch of stem (closest to flower)
sl st behind work to other side, ch 3, sl st into base of ch 6 on same side, ch 3, sl st into middle of ch 6, ch 3, sl st into base of ch 6 (farthest from stem)

Fasten off, weave in ends.  If you want you can use the ends from row 1 (beginning) and row 2 (end fasten off) as a tie to close at nape of neck.  Or you can attach a hook and eye (sewing notions) or a jewelry clasp and ring on either end of choker.


If you have comments or questions, please write them in Comments below.  Thank you, have fun!  This took about an hour for me to make, with interruptions.  I am the only tester for this pattern so please let me know if you find errors.  Thank you!  Happy Easter!

copyright 2010 anitalite ;-)_

Funny Thing About Deafness

My mother (photo below), for whom I am a caregiver, doesn't hear much anymore.  At least we don't think she hears much.  She has a hearing loss that conventional hearing aids don't really help all that much.  I think our neighbors hear more of me yelling things to her than she does.  They probably know all my intimate secrets and Mom still doesn't have a clue.  Having any type of private conversation with her is impossible unless I write it down for her to read which is time consuming and, as Mom always told me, "Don't put anything in writing!".  (heavy sigh)

Well, you can see I have trouble communicating all day, poor Mom.  I know when she can't hear what I said, she gets a particular look on her face as if to tell me, "I have no idea what is going on, what you said, or how to respond to what you said, I'm confused and scared."  At least that is my interpretation of the look I get whenever I try to talk to Mom. 

In the midst of my frustration, headache,  and painful throat  that is raw from straining so Mom could hear me, a dear friend sent me the following funny in my email.  It originates from the site mickeysFunnies.com * where you'll find a whole slew of funnies just like this one:
(Thank you Pops)

Start the funny now!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A man feared his wife wasn't hearing as well as she used to and he thought she might need a hearing aid. Not quite sure how to approach her about it, he called the family doctor to discuss the problem. The doctor told him there was a simple, informal test he could perform to give the doctor a better idea about her hearing loss.

"Here's what you do," said the doctor, "Stand about 40 feet away from her and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response."

That evening his wife was in the kitchen cooking dinner and he was in the den. He says to himself, "I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens."

Then in a normal tone he asks, "Honey, what's for dinner?" No response.

So he moves closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his wife and repeats, "Honey, what's for dinner?" Still no response.

Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his wife and asks, "Honey, what's for dinner?" Again he gets no response.

So, he walks up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet away. "Honey, what's for dinner?" Again, no response.

So he walks right up behind her.

"Honey, what's for dinner?"

"RALPH, FOR THE FIFTH TIME, CHICKEN!"

=======================================

 This one's for you, Mom!

* Mickey says you may redistribute this funny at will, and to please share the link to mickeysFunnies.com as you do.

Hey Mom!  Did you eat your dinner before you got into all that chocolate????  

(Ignores me with a  blank stare as if she didn't hear me... hmmmm...)

I Have Hope Once More

Something you may not know about me is my daily struggle with mental illness.   I am diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder which is like being bipolar and schizophrenic at the same time.  You can read a bit more about my personal experience with it here on my associated content profile.  (Coming soon, waiting to be published). 

What it boils down to is this:  I've been very depressed (or the opposite, way too happy) and hearing voices, experiencing paranoia and bizarre thinking for many, many years.  Over thirty years, actually, and it's getting worse.  I am to the point where I feel there is no hope to get better and now that I'm going through menopause, it seems useless (to me, anyway).  I can't even help my kids through their troubles because I don't know how to get out of my own.  Daily suicidal ideations are not uncommon for me. 

Tonight, on PBS (Public Broadcasting) I saw a Dr Daniel Amen who wrote a book called "Change Your Brain" and "The Magnificent Mind".  Listening to this doctor has given me hope that I could find no where else.  My regular doctors have told me a gate has been opened that may never be closed, referring to my psychiatric symptoms.  In other words, all the medication in the world isn't going to make the voices go away or make me feel better.  Medication does help somewhat but the symptoms are bad enough that my quality of life is at an all time low.  Going into the hospital for intensive treatment used to help but no longer gives me the rest and help I need to feel better for a while.  Going to the hospital used to make me feel better but as soon as I was released and back into my home environment, everything would get bad again.  All the symptoms would resurface and before I knew it I was ready to check myself into the psych unit again for relief. 

Dr. Amen says there are things I can do to improve the functioning of my brain and one of the things that hit me was retraining (refurbishing) my basal ganglia which affects fear and anxiety in people.  Years ago I had a stroke and guess where it was?  My basal ganglia!  I try to remember if I had the fear and anxiety I have now, before my stroke but I can't remember.  (My memory is one of the things the stroke affected badly).

If I can retrain my brain and do things to help my brain be more healthy, maybe my symptoms will get better.  I don't expect them to go away completely but I can give it a good shot. 

Dr. Amen's website is here
You can find his books on Amazon, he's written many, all of them are not listed here.  If you want to see all the books this wonderful Doctor wrote, do a search in the Amazon search box (located on this page) and type in Dr. Daniel Amen.
DAYTOPThree Addicts and Their Cure 

Caretaking Notes: A Few Things I Learned While Taking Care Of Mom

I have been running myself ragged taking care of people and have run myself into the ground.
Take a lesson from me, don't do this to yourself.  It takes a long time to recover from all the care giving if you don't take care of yourself first and foremost.   They say,  "You can't take care of someone else if you don't take care of yourself first" and how true it is!

Here's a few things I've learned in the past four years of being Mom's caretaker.

1. I ought to stop trying to get Mom's approval.  In my mind I'll never get it but if I sit back and think about it, I do have it now.  Otherwise I wouldn't be the one Mom wants to take care of her.  In her own weird way she has finally given me her approval and I should try to be comfortable with it.  
2. Being grateful for the time I am able to spend with Mom is another thing I need to keep in the forefront of my mind instead of thinking of all the things I could be doing if I weren't "stuck" here.  I am deeply blessed to be able to be here for Mom, I wouldn't have it any other way.  Anything else out there in the world can wait - Mom's needs are most important now that she is becoming more and more dependent upon me.  
3. If I stop and do my best to put myself in Mom's shoes, or should I say, In Mom's slippers , ha. I have a better attitude and get less frustrated when she doesn't answer me, or takes a long time to answer my questions about meals and such.  She is very hard of hearing and when I think of what it must be like to have people get frustrated and a bit angry because of her hearing trouble, my heart softens and the frustration and impatience melts away.  It makes me want to hug her and hold her - except Mom and I don't really do that - so I bake a batch of brownies instead to let her know how much I am thinking of her and love her.  I know how that sounds - the association of food and love - but no one here is having weight problems because of that so no Jenny Craig referrals please.  (grin)
4. Mom just wants my company, whether she can hear me or not, whether we have anything to say to each other or not.  She simply wants me to be here with her.  I don't have to stand on my head to entertain her or tell her wonderful stories about my life outside the house (thank God!  Because I have no life outside the house!  ha)  Mom wants me to watch Oprah with her every afternoon at three, and then Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune every evening.  It's really not much to ask anyone is it?  (There's something about becoming convalescent that makes one enjoy Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune so much, when one has never watched them before.  I think it's a rule of old age or something, I don't know.)  I don't think Mom can even hear what anyone is saying on the television.  Still she sits there with her delicate hands folded in her lap with a slight smile on her face and her eyes riveted to the t.v. screen as if she's not missing a thing.  
5. Mom won't tell me when she has pain so I need to ask her everyday, at least once or twice a day to be sure she's comfortable.  This woman has an incredibly high tolerance for pain and one little aspirin is all it takes to get rid of whatever is giving her trouble.   The trouble lies in that the one little aspirin knocks her out - well, puts her to sleep so she usually asks me if I want her to go to sleep when I give her one for pain.  I tell her, "No Mom, this is for your back pain" and she says, "Oh, I thought you wanted me to go to sleep" and I can hear the words she doesn't say, "to get me out of your way".  Mom, you're never "in my way, you've not yet been a burden to me, you've never made anything difficult for me"  I think to myself.  (Why can't my Mom and I talk out loud to each other like this?
6. I want to tell Mom I love her - with words coming out of my mouth, not just by showing her.  This, along with the hugging, is something my mother and I have never been very comfortable with.  I think I can count on one hand the times she's told me she loved me in those very words.  Don't get me wrong, I know she loves me, she has shown me the greatest love a parent could show their child.  We have a weird "love word" blockage from something in our past maybe.  I just want to be able to say it to her so she can hear it and believe it before she dies.  She's done so much for me all my life and I want her to know now that I am doing for her I do love her more than ever.  It's going to have to come out without me thinking about it though.  I almost said it but stopped myself and there was this big long silent moment following my words "I looo...v." a very awkward moment, indeed.  I didn't know what to do, I just stood there with my mouth open and suddenly, thank God the phone rang and broke my silent panic.  I'm not even sure she heard what I was about to say, I kind of stuttered it out and never finished it.  That's not the way I want Mom to her me tell her that I love her.  Not at all.  This is  something I need to make happen before she dies.  I wouldn't be able to live with myself if she died not hearing those words from me.  My heart would break for her.
7. I need to get some support and encouragement from other family caregivers.  There are a lot of books out there to buy and browse through that are very good in educating caregivers but there's nothing like simple talking to others who know what I'm going through.  My second quest would be to find a support group for caregivers in my town or on the internet.  (First quest being me telling Mom I love her)

When I find support groups for family caregivers on the internet I'll post them in the sidebar.  There's a lady who has been caring for her husband who had a stroke for ten years that I just "met" online.  She has a blog that is very well written, informative, moving, and just plain nice.  Her site can be found here  

Some caregiver books are featured below:

Mini Thread Crocheted Easter Bonnets; Pattern

I almost broke my toe and was basically bed-ridden for a couple days until I could walk on it again so, out of sheer boredom, I started making these.  They're cute and I suppose they would fit a doll (Barbie for the ones made with size 10 thread) of some sort.  They fit eggs too, and since my daughter is too old to play with dolls, I dressed up a few Easter eggs with them.

The purple and blue bonnets are made with size 7 hook and size 10 crochet thread, pattern is below.  They can be used for regular sized eggs or Barbie-sized dolls.

The orange and green bonnets are made with size 7 hook and size 3 crochet thread; they can be used for larger eggs (if you're into dressing your eggs when your toe is busted) I wrote the changes I made using size 3 thread under pattern for size 10 thread.

C

Pattern for Mini Bonnets using size 7 hook and crochet thread size 10:



Round 1:
ch 7.  In first ch, (tr, ch 2) 9 times (beg chs count as 1 tr and 2 ch)  Join w/ sl st to beg 5th ch. Total 10 tr counting beg ch 5


Round 2:
 (ch 4, sc in tr) 9 times.  ch 4, sl st in base of first ch 4 to join.

Round 3:
sl st into first ch 4 loop.
ch 3, (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc all in same loop, ch 2
(dc in next loop, ch 2, 3 dc in next loop, ch 2) around,
sl st to top of beg ch 3 to join.


Round 4:
ch 3, (dc in next two dc, ch 2, (dc in next dc, ch 2, dc in next 3 dc, ch 2) around and dc in last dc, ch 2, sl st to top of beg ch 3.

Round 5:
 working in back loop only: sc in each st around inc 6 sc evenly (about every six or seven st), sl st to beg sc to join

Round 6:
ch 1,  *(sc, dc, sc) all in next sc, sl st in next sc ; repeat from * around. (total 22 each clusters and sl st)

Round 7:
working in back loop only: sl st to first dc, ch 1, sc in same dc, *ch 3, 2 sc in next dc - repeat from * around and sl st into starting sl st

Round 8:
sl st to inside first loop; (sc, ch 3, sc) all in same loop, ch 3, *sc, ch 3, sc all in next loop; repeat from * around. 

Fasten off, weave in ends.
Decorate bonnets with satin roses, tiny flowers, ribbons or beads. 
(For the blue bonnet I strung beads on before I started it and added the beads to the single dc in round 4.)

If you want to use size 3 crochet thread, make the bonnet the same with the following changes:

Mini Bonnet Pattern Changes for size 3 crochet thread:

(Uses size 7 hook)

Round 1
Omit 2 sets of stitches (total 8 tr instead of 10)

Round 2
Repeat stitch set 7 times, (instead of 9)


Round 3
stitch set will total 4 instead of 5


Round 4
work as in pattern for size 10 (there'll be 1 less set of stitches)

Round 5
inc 4 sc evenly around (instead of inc 6 sc)

Round 6
 work the same way, there'll be less stitch groups than in pattern for size 10 thread

Round 7
work same as in pattern for size 10 thread

Round 8 optional
omit round 8 if you want, it may make the brim too wide unless you want it to be wider.

Washcloth Crazy; An Entire Slew Of The Dang Things by Anitalite

I don't know what's come over me or when it all started.  I never gave a thought to crocheting anything but doilies until I joined Ravelry and Crochet me.  Well, doilies and collars.  Okay, and scarves.  I forgot about the scarf phase I went through.

Thanks to the internet I've discovered a whole world of crocheting.  Pattern browsing, bookmarking, and downloading inspired me and motivated me to branch out from my cocoon of doilies (and collars and scarves, don't forget).  I found it fun and actually kind of creative to make jewelry and dishcloths or washcloths from cotton thread and yarn.

There are so many new and wonderful colors to choose from, the possibilities of making dish washing more pleasurable and washing one's face feel feminine with a lacy cloth instead of the stained, grimy things my boyfriend used for rags while working on his lawnmower.   I just purchased five kitchen towels - all look alikes - all very feminine looking, hoping my boyfriend would not want to use them for his macho, hard core work in the garage and yard.  Yea, R-I-G-H-T! 

So... I made these and will make kitchen towels I think, as soon as I restock my Lily's Sugar (or Peaches) and Cream cotton crochet yarn....  Take a looksie at the fun I had:

This is the latest washcloth.  I like to put a flower in the middle of these so we can use that part for a bit more scrubbing action if we want.

Side view,







Top view

Okay, Next please!

(This is one of my favorites)

I can't decide if this is pink or purple or some other pinky-purple color I don't know the name of yet.  The flowers and pattern of this reminded me of sweet peas.

Here's that pinky-purplish color again.  I like how I made the center of this one, it makes a great scrubber and the lacy part is soft and gentle washing and still gets the job done.

This one reminds me of that cute as a button flower that grows everywhere, impatients.  Again, a nice little scrubber flower in the middle, lace for gentle washing.  The outside ruffle is just for looks, lol.







And now for something  completely different...

Zebra guts??  The Lily's color is "licorice" but I think it looks more like zebra guts.  My daughter loves zebra stripe and this washcloth was an experiment to see how Lily's Ombre would turn out with this stitch.  Yep.  Zebra guts. ha.

And finally, for now, yet another experiment in zebra,

Looks like this zebra got drunk and then threw up.  I tried a tiny chevron stitch and well, you can see how that turned out.  (where did I go wrong???)  ha.  Both the zebra cloths still function as well as the others, they're just a bit much to face in the morning for an A.M. face wash.


That's all for now!

Caregiving Notes: Mom's Birthday Today

What do you get an eighty-four year old woman who has absolutely everything (and then some) for her birthday?

You make stuff, that's what.  Anything homemade is the best bet and makes Mom the happiest.  You get the most kudos, the most tears, the most bragging rights cuz you brought tears to Mom's eyes.  With a homemade gift for this Mom anyway, you can't go wrong.

So what did I make Mom for her birthday?  A lousy dried out, frosted-but-not-decorated chocolate cake.  You'd think that just because it was chocolate it would have been a hit with Mom.  Not this cake.  I screwed up and baked it too long in our new oven.

  This cake (from a mix that probably had an expired date on it, now that I think about it) was the worst.  It was dry and found a way to stick to the roof of our mouths like peanut butter.  I know it doesn't make sense but what do you expect from the Cake From Hell?

The frosting was good but there was not enough frosting on the face of the earth that could have made this cake palatable.   To put it plainly, it stunk.  It stunk real bad.  Mom didn't try to finish her piece of chocolate concrete (I couldn't blame her, could you?)   She didn't even say something polite and forgiving.  She just said,

"Isn't there any ICE CREAM we can have for my birthday?" 

ACK!  That question still rings in my head, making me dizzy because there's another screw up by yours truly...

Of course, the one job I had been assigned to for Mom's birthday I screwed up, double.  First the cake and now this.
When I went to the store last night, I got everything BUT ice cream.  I did think about it when I first got to the store and decided to get it "last" so it wouldn't melt while did the rest of the shopping (gotta give me some credit for thinking like that, right?)

By the time I was finished browsing and grabbing all the buy-one-get-one free items, my cart was almost overflowing and ice cream was not on my mind.  All I could think was "I did great!  Look at all the great deals I got!  Ohhh!  I wonder how much I saved!"  ugh.   I saved $43.79, according to the checker. 
Yea, saved forty bucks and ruined my Mom's birthday party, all in one shopping trip. 

No edible cake, and no ice cream either.   Will Mom ever forgive me?  Probably not.  Not, at least until I give her the box of See's candy I just picked up in the next town.  Heh, heh!  She'll forget about everything when she sinks her teeth into a dark chocolate raspberry truffle and it begins to melt on her tongue and the flavor that is beat by none swirls around in her mouth, making her go "MMMMMMMM!"  
She'll get that glazed look in her eyes that tells me she's in chocolate-Heaven, and smile till the morsel in her mouth tries to sneak out one corner while she smiles.  She'll slurp up that bit of chocolate escaping and jam another in her mouth, watching to make sure no one else sticks their "grubby paws" in her See's.  

Thank God for See's candy.  This isn't the first trouble it's gotten me out of and I'm sure it won't be the last!

Flowers N Lace Crocheted Earrings; Pattern by Anitalite ;-)_

I was making a doily from a book I ordered and received today, and put it down suddenly so I could make these earrings.  They kind of popped into my head, I believe the doily did it to me this time.   Thanks Patricia for the inspiration motivation.  I'll never be the designer that Patricia is, I don't consider myself a designer at all, just out to have fun and "hook"...  

Materials:

1 partial ball white size 10 crochet thread
1 partial ball rose (or any other color) size 10 crochet thread (color 2)
1 steel crochet hook, size 7
1 pair hoop earrings 1.5" diameter
3 small white beads for middle of flowers (optional)
   or
1 yarn needle for making french knot <--- click for tutorial on youtube.com - for flower centers (optional)

Row 1:

Attach white with sl st, keeping hoop inside stitches, 6   (sc, ch 3) 5 times, 6 sc, sl st,   ch 3, turn.

Row 2:

sk 1 sc, sc in next, (ch 3, sk 1 sc, sc in next) two times; (ch 3, sc in top of ch 3 loop) 5 times, (sc in next sc, ch 3, sk 1 sc, sc in next sc) 3 times, sl st to hoop

Row 3:

sc in first ch 3 loop, sl st to 5th ch 3 loop; (ch 3, sc in next loop) 3 times; ch 3 sl st in next loop and to end of row.
ch 1, tyrn.

Row 4:

sl st to middle of first ch 3 loop, (ch 3, sc in next loop) twice, ch 3, sl st in next loop, sl st to end; fasten off, weave in ends.

Row 5:

Attach color 2 to first loop of row 3 with sl st.   (ch 4, sl st in 1st ch of ch 4 four times, join all four picots with sl st in same sc)- one quad picot flower made.  ch 3, sc in middle ch 3 loop, ch 3 sc in last loop, make quad picot flower., sl st once more inside same loop.  fasten off, weave in ends.

Row 6:

attach white (main color) to ch 3 loop of last row with sc.  sc in middle sc (between two color 2 loops) and sc in next ch 3 loop, ch 1, turn

Row 7:

sl st in first sc, (hdc, dc, hdc) in middle sc, sl st in last sc.


Row 8:


sl st into first hdc st, make picot (ch 4, sl st in same st) ch 3 sc in dc, ch 3, sl st in next hdc, make picot, sl st in ch 3 loop (color 2) of row 5 (to anchor picot and end row) fasten off, weave in ends.

Middle flower:


attach color 2 (rose) to both posts of dc from row 7.  (ch 4, sl st in first ch, sl st tog in both posts of same dc) 4 times, sl st once more into same dc.  fasten off.

Row 9:
with front side of work facing,
attach main color (white) directly to hoop, just right of first stitch of first row.  sl st in next three stitches, ch 3, sk 1 st, sl st in next.  ch 3, skip 1 st, sl st in next st.  working behind flowers, sc in next loop, ch 1, sc in next space right of first color 2 flower, ch 1, sc in next space to left of same flower, ch 1, sc into closest available space on same row, behind middle cluster (hdc, dc, hdc cluster), ch 1, sc into next available space of same row behind st cluster, ch 1, sc into space just before 2nd color 2 flower, ch 1, sc into space just after same flower (both of the last two sc will be inside the ch 3 loop of  row 5 (color 2) and will be covering the color 2 st so it will show white instead of color 2 (rose).   ch 3, (you should now be where the sl st started (or ended) from row 4 - sl st in first sl st, (ch 3, skip 1 st, sl st in next)  3 times, sl st hoop inside sl st at end and finish off.

Add small beads or french knots into middle of all three color 2 (rose) picots, if desired.

This pattern has not been tested, please record any errors corrections in comments below or you can email corrections to me here  thank you and have fun!

copyright 2010 anitalite ;-)_

Beaded Crown Crochet Earrings

I had so much fun making the first pair of earrings (free pattern for Lacy Earrings by Anitalite here) I couldn't wait to come up with another, different pair of earrings.

  

  

Materials:

1 partial ball variegated size 10 crochet thread

1 pair 1" diameter hoop earrings (silvertone)

steel crochet hook size 7

60 clear glass beads  60 gm, 12/0 (or any size you prefer as these were pretty time consuming to string on this thread)

 

Special Instructions :

1. String beads onto crochet thread before begining work.
2. Keep stitch tension evenly tight so that beads stay in place and don't travel.
3. This pattern is not tested, use at your own risk.  =)
4. The word "bead" preceding any stitch means to add a bead to the first yo of that stitch.
5. Special stitches listed below
6. Photos of sc onto hoop are here towards bottom of page if you need a bit of help.

Special Stitches:

Bead Picot  3 bead ch, sl st in first bead ch
Bead Triple Picot  3 bead picot in a row, sl st to very first bead ch of first picot (makes three picots together)



Row 1:    After stringing beads onto thread, attach thread to hoop with sc, 19 sc onto hoop (keep stitches tight)
ch1, turn (20 sc)

Row 2:  (working in front loop only of sc row): skip 4 sc, bead dc in 5th sc, ch 1, *bead dc, ch 1.  Repeat from * across until four sc remaining from row 1. ch 2 more, sl st to last st on row 1.  (11 bead dc)

Row 3:   ch 3, turn.   sc in first ch 3 loop, *ch 3, skip dc, sc in ch 1, .  Repeat from * until there are 7 ch 3 loops. ch 3, sc in ch 3 loop from row 1; ch 3,  turn.

Row 4:   bead sc in first ch 3 loop,  * ch 3, 3 bead dc in next loop, ch 3, bead sc in next loop.  Repeat from * one more time, ch 3, 3 bead dc in next loop, ch 1, bead sc in last.  ch 3, turn.

Row 5:    sc in ch 3 loop, ch 1,  skip first dc, sc in next dc.  *ch 3, sc in top of next ch 3 loop; repeat from * once.  ch 1, bead triple picot; ch 1, sc in next ch 3 loop, ch 3, sc in next ch 3 loop,  ch 3 sc in middle dc of beaded dc cluster, ch 1, sc in ch 3 loop, ch 1, sc in last ch 3 loop.  Ch 3, turn.

Row 6:   skip 1st ch 3 loop, bead sc in sc, ch 3 bead tr in next loop, bead picot, ch 3, bead sc in next loop.
ch 2, bead ch, ch 2, bead ch, ch 2, bead picot, ch 2, bead ch, ch 2, bead ch, ch 2.
skip triple picot, bead sc in next ch 3 loop.
ch 5, bead tr in next ch 3 loop, bead picot, sl st in top of same bead tr.
ch 5, bead sc in next ch 3 loop, ch 3, fasten off and weave in ends.

For sec0nd earring, be sure to hold hoop in hand the opposite way the first one was held to make sure the beading will be on the correct side.  If there are any beads (in ch st or picot) that are on the wrong side, just poke them through to the other side.  That worked for me.

I'm really not sure this pattern is 100 % bullet proof so if you come across any errors please let me know in the comment section below.

Thank you and have a good time.  These earrings were fun to make - the pattern was not.  lol.  Hopefully I  didn't screw it up too much.

copyright 2010 anitalite ;-)_

Caregiver Notes: Things Better Left Unsaid

"I speak what's on my mind cuz it hurts too much to bite my tongue"

 

Mom has a way of making me smile when she's doing her darndest to be snide.  She can say things to make you hurt or make you laugh, it just depends on the sharpness of the stick she pokes you with, her way with words.
Genetics doesn't play into my way with words, I definitely learned the business of snide from my Mom.  I was adopted and have no true blood relation to her so my matery of saying hurtful things without batting an eye is all learned... From Mom.

Mom can also be truly sweet and usually is these days.  My self esteem has been through hell and back and barely survives day to day, if at all.  Mom knows this which can be to my advantage and disadvantage.  Allowed to be the ruler of my well-being and the state of existence of my self esteem,  Mom can make me or break me.  Build me up or tear me down.  I am always seeking her approval - which I'll probably never get.  There's this, though:

Since she has become so dependant upon me for almsot everything, she has sweetened up quite a bit.  I guess I would too in her position.  I've taken care of some highly dependent yet very mean elderly so I know the pendulum can swing either way. 

 Recently I've been noticing a leaning towards Mom requesting  a lot of attention, kind of like a small child would.  She thinks up reasons to get me to do something for her.  If she says something like, "I was going to get my other walker (the one with the seat where she keeps her knitting bag) but it's all the way in the bedroom and the cat is waiting at the door for me"  I know that's a huge hint for me to fetch the walker for her because she doesn't want to make the effort to get it herself.   I get the walker for her, of course, and think to myself, "She's just checking to see if I'll get it or make her do it and then she'd have a good reason to be mad at me for being so cruel to her and have something to talk to her hair dresser about!"  Better left unsaid.  So I get it and say "Here ya go, Mom"  and she says nothing, as if I should have gotten it without her having to say anything about it.  Under my breath I say "you're welcome' and she coughs - that "I heard that!" cough which makes me wonder just how hard of hearing she really is.

If she says something like "I might as well go to bed, there's nothing on t.v." I try to ignore it or tell her "why don't you see what's on another channel?" but not "we only have 228 + channels on the cable to choose from, surely you'll find something if you just click that button on that big-ass remote sitting right in front of you". ..  Better left unsaid.  Of course, there would be an excuse for not following my advice to channel surf, like this one I've heard too many times: "That thing is too big, I don't know how to use it".


Okay Mom.  I love you.  You took care of me all my life and now I have the opportunity to show you how much I love you (since no one in this family ever actually says the "L" word).  Thing is, sometimes I think you take advantage of my willingness to be your caregiver and you have me doing trivial silly things that either a. don't matter much to anyone, b. definitely won't make you feel better, c. can wait unitl I'm done taking my shower or done getting dressed, or d. are made up in your head to get me to hussle about the house for you  (I am thinking "d" is usually the answer but when I stop and think about it, I make myself remember her condition.

Mom can't do for herself like she used to and sometimes I forget this.  I remember that small things really DO matter to Mom, it's all she has in life anymore, besides her family.  Something like her fingernails being too long for her to dig in her ear comfortably is going to be a lot more irritating when the only thing she really has to do all day is sit around and think about her fingernails being too long.

On the otherhand, she won't complain, really.  I know this sounds contradictory to what I just said but she won't tell me her feet hurt when she walks and even when she's sitting until she's been in pain for two weeks.   I tell her, "Mom, why didn't you tell me when they first started bothering you so we could do something about it??"  She says nothing, which is very frustrating.  The last thing I want is for this woman to be in pain like that.

It drives me nuts but I love my job and wouldn't have anyone else taking my place.  I admit it's not all bad, it's not all good, and sometimes I truly hate my job - it's difficult that our roles are blending and now I'm merging into a mother role and she a childlike role in this household.  I hate it when I think about this being a temporary job, it's not going to last forever, my patient is not going to be here forever and that's partly why I'm here.  I hate knowing someday I won't have my mother to take care of.   (Better left unsaid)

To Self, better said than not:
Try to stay in the moment, enjoy the little things, smile a lot, and go to the garage and have a smoke when it all gets to be a bit too much.  Never let her see you cry, keep your temper in check, and count your blessings - Mom is still here with you, that in itself is a huge blessing you need to stay grateful for.

WIP, Free Vintage Pattern Link, Purple Butterfly Doily

Here's one of the items I'm working on for my eshop.  The vintage pattern is free and can be found here:  Delicate Butterfly Doily.  by Anne Haliday 

I did my best to adjust my son's digital camera so you could see the deep dark purple of this thread but still the picture  doesn't do the depth of color much justice.

This pattern is for someone who has some experience crocheting, there are a few parts that could be confusing and it is easy to get disoriented if there is any distraction that draws your attention from your work.  Marking the pattern as you go along would be very helpful, of course.  Me?  I'm too lazy to print the pattern out from the 'puter so I spend a lot of time backtracking my work to find my place in the instructions.  Dumb, huh?  Oh well, at least I don't have to get up, walk across the house, plug in the 'puter and press a button!  That would really take a lot out of me.  Straining my already tired eyes trying to figure out what is what and which is which and where is where is SO much better!  (yea, R-I-G-H-T!)  That's what I get for being a lazy butt.

Preliminary photos, showing the body, lower left wing, and partial upper left wing.  I would like to make the next one work out so the wings are outlined in black and there are more colors in the wings but for the first one, this'll do.