A big welcome to the "newbies" ! Thank you for joining "A Crochet pattern A Week!" I hope you enjoy the patterns and maybe learn something new.....from something old.For those of you who just found my blog, and are not members of "A Crochet Pattern of the week," and would like to join a great group of women and men come check us out at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/acrochetpatternaweekplace/
Table of Contents:
Yarn pattern
Cotton pattern
Trivia
Motivational thoughts
A Short Funny
Kids Corner (Kids craft, Kids link of the week, Kids Freebie, Kids A Short Funny)
CraftGift Idea
Link of the month
Hints & tips
Freebie
Yarn Pattern:
Noah's Ark Afghan 45"x61"
The instructions begin in this issue and will conclude in May's issue (#18)
Cotton Pattern:
Make a frilly basket, and fill it full of Easter treasts.
Triva:
How Old is Crochet?
It seems shepherds were the first to crochet by using bits of wool shed by the sheep to make a "thread" (or yarn). Twigs and small branches were fashioned into "hooks" so they could make things to keep themselves warm while out in the fields. Could crochet be well over 2000 years old?
Motivational thoughts
Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by what you bring to life.
John Homer Miller
A Short Funny
Older Than Dirt Quiz
How many do you remember?
Head lights dimmer switches on the floor.
Ignition switches on the dashboard.
Heaters mounted on the inside of the fire wall.
Real ice boxes.
Pant leg clips for bicycles without chain guards.
Soldering irons you heat on a gas burner.
Using hand signals for cars without turn signals.
Older Than Dirt Quiz: Count all the ones that you remember not the ones you were told about Ratings at the bottom.
1. Blackjack chewing gum
2. Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water
3. Candy cigarettes
4. Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles
5. Coffee shops or diners with tableside juke boxes
6. Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers
7. Party lines
8. Newsreels before the movie
9. P.F. Flyers
10. Butch wax
11. Telephone numbers with a word prefix (OLive-6933)12. Peashooters
13. Howdy Doody
14. 45 RPM records
15. S&H Green Stamps
16 Hi-fi's
17 Metal ice trays with lever
18. Mimeograph paper
19 Blue flashbulb
20. Packard
21. Roller skate keys
22. Cork popguns
23. Drive-ins
24. Studebakers
25. Wash tub wringers
If you remembered 0-5 = You're still youngIf you remembered 6-10 = You are getting olderIf you remembered 11-15 = Don't tell your age,If you remembered 16-25 = You're older than dirt!
Kids Corner:
Craft:
Homemade Bird Feeder
What you'll need:-
Pine Cones - Peanut Butter-Bread crumbs, nuts, or bird food-Butter knife-Ribbon or yarn-Scissors
Take pine cones or sticks and rub peanut butter all over them. Then take any bread crumbs, nuts or both and roll out the pine cone through the mix of bread and nuts and hang from a tree by a ribbon. Children love to watch the differnt color of birds flock to eat :)
Kids link of the week:
Handipoints
Earn purple “Bonus Points” for doing your chores, studying, and staying healthy.
Handipoints features a virtual world for kids and a chore chart system for families. Parents create printable online playing charts and kids earn points by checking off their tasks.
The more chores they do, the more points they earn. Kids can redeem their points for games, movies and clothes for their CoolCat kitty avatars in HandiLand. This is an online world where they can also talk to and play with other kids.
Kids can also redeem their points for real life rewards to keep them motivated. Parents can use this system to set up allowance programs and more online.
Unlike other children’s sites, Handipoints is a practical chore solution for families married to a fun and motivational virtual world for kids.
http://www.handipoints.com/
Kids Freebie:
The Eagle Books are a series of four books that are brought to life by wise animal ,and learning from their elders about health and diabetes prevention. characters Mr. Eagle and Miss Rabbit -and a clever trickster, Coyote,who engage Rain That Dances and his young friendsin the joy of physical activity, eating healthy foods
The Eagle Books were authored by Georgia Perez of Nambe Pueblo,and illustrated by Patrick Rolo, Bad River Band of Ojibwe,and Lisa A. Fifield, Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin,Black Bear Clan.
The first book, “Through The Eyes of The Eagle”introduces the characters of Mr. Eagle and Rain That Dances, the American Indian boy he befriends.Mr. Eagle reminds the young boy of the healthy ways of his ancestors.
In “Knees Lifted High,” the second book,Rain That Dances introduces Thunder Cloud, his best friend, to Mr. Eagle who encourages the boys to be physically active every day.
The third book, “A Plateful of Color,”introduces Miss Rabbit and the boys’ friends, Little Hummingbird and Simon.Miss Rabbit teaches the value of eating a variety of colorful and healthy foods.
“Tricky Treats,” the final book in the series,introduces the character of Coyote, a trickster, and encourages childrennot to be tricked by coyote when choosing foods to eat.
How can we order the Eagle Books?
http://www.aokcorral.com/projects/how2apr2005.htm
One of the most beloved of Easter traditions is that of giving the Easter basket. Typically left for children by their parents or the “Easter Bunny,” a basket may have any number of sweet candy treats or small surprises inside. However, you don’t have to have kids to enjoy this custom. Incorporate an Easter basket exchange in your women’s group, or decorate Easter baskets for charity.
This year, make your Easter basket a work of art! Go beyond the pink plastic basket filled with green cellophane grass (although I will always have fond memories of green cellophane grass…) Here are some ideas that will make your baskets unique and a delight to all who receive them.
1. Find suitable baskets at the craft store, discount store, or flea market. They do not have to be of uniform shape or size (unless you are doing this for multiple children who will argue over who has the biggest basket.)
2. Choose two different pretty grosgrain or satin ribbons in a size that will fit your basket, and weave them in a simple stripe or crisscross pattern into the outside of the basket. Finish with a bow!
3. Think of the recipient’s favorite hobby or sport and incorporate that into the design—if you wanted to go all out, you could even use acrylic craft paint to turn some wooden eggs into soccer balls, basketballs, or footballs.
4. For a more grown-up look, use specialty dried grass for “stuffing,” and make a corsage of silk flowers and ribbon to festoon the handle of the basket. Add some potpourri for a special touch, and fill the basket with gourmet treats.
5. Wrap the entire basket in pink, blue, or yellow tulle and tie with a contrasting satin bow. Tulle is an inexpensive fabric and adds an interesting texture.
6. Basket ideas for kids: A children’s book of the resurrection story, candies in unusual and interesting shapes, small plush bunnies, chicks, or ducks, inexpensive play jewelry, rubber balls, baseball cards…anything that you might put in a Christmas stocking could go in an Easter basket.
7. Basket ideas for grown-ups: fine chocolates, pretty painted eggs, golf balls, pantyhose that comes in an egg, travel games, pocket devotionals
8. Add the fun and mess of confetti eggs! In some areas, these are available in stores; however, they are easy to make at home. See my article “Easter Party Ideas For Kids” for instructions.
9. Leave a note from the Easter Bunny inviting the recipient to a special Easter egg hunt; for adults, this could be a special Easter brunch.
You see, with an open mind and creative spirit, you can make your Easter basket exchange exciting and fun for all. The one thing you shouldn’t forget, for recipients big and small: A chocolate bunny! For many, Easter morning doesn’t begin until those juicy chocolate ears have been bitten right off. Whatever your tradition, have a joyous Easter!
Hints & Tips
Quick and Easy Spring Cleaning
Spring cleaning is a "must", so it is always nice to have afew short cuts to get the cleaning done a little faster inorder to get back to the sewing room!Take an old terrycloth towel that is no longer being used andcut a strip the length of the towel and 2 1/2 inches wide.Sew the strip with 1/4" seams and turn right side out. Thisstrip easily slides onto a yardstick, which can be used toslide under the refrigerator, washer and dryer for quickcleaning. The strip can then be thrown into the washer toclean and save for the next time.
That same old towel can be cut into the shape of your dustmop, then add about 4 inches all around. Turn under a hemand run elastic through it. Slip the terry cloth "cover"over the dust mop and use that for getting the spider websfrom the corners in the garage, or reaching areas that arehard to get to. And, as before, when finished, throw thecover into the washer to clean for the next time.
When doing a thorough house cleaning, it is easier to do onejob throughout the house, such as cleaning the fans in everyroom at the same time. Next you might dust and polish thefurniture throughout the house, etc. By taking care of thecleaning "item by item", the only cleaning supplies neededare those for that particular job, rather than loadingyourself down with all the cleaning supplies in the houseand dragging them from room to room.
Freebie
Free or discount medicine programs
PPA [Partnership for Presciption Assistance]
The Partnership for Prescription Assistance brings together America's pharmaceutical companies, doctors, other health care providers, patient advocacy organizations and community groups to help qualifying patients who lack prescription coverage get the medicines they need through the public or private program that's right for them. Many will get them free or nearly free. Its mission is to increase awareness of patient assistance programs and boost enrollment of those who are eligible. Through this site, the Partnership for Prescription Assistance offers a single point of access to more than 475 public and private patient assistance programs, including more than 180 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies. To access the Partnership for Prescription Assistance by phone, you can call toll-free, 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669). https://www.pparx.org/Intro.php
RX Assist
The Web's most current and comprehensive directory of Patient Assistance Programs Patient assistance programs are run by pharmaceutical companies to provide free medications to people who cannot afford to buy their medicine. RxAssist offers a comprehensive database of these patient assistance programs, as well as practical tools, news, and articles so that health care professionals and patients can find the information they need. All in one place.
Free RX of America
Free Rx Of America is a Patient Advocate Service that is dedicated to assisting the Millions of Americans who are potentially qualified to receive their prescriptions drugs Free Of Charge. http://www.freerxofamerica.com/
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Ya'll come back ya hear.