Crocheted Draft Stoppers

I used the pattern from this website http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/90693AD.html?noImages=&r=1

I changed it up a bit. I have a ton of old plastic pellets from making bean bags years ago I put some on then in plastic bags. I then sewed material around them (I suck at sewing its a very good thing they are not seen lol) I made two of these per draft stopper however to do it again I would do three per draft stopper. I put some stuffing in and then one of the "bean bags" more stuffing and then a "bean bag" more stuffing and then did the last bit of the pattern to close up the end. its fairly easy and hook me about 6 hours total time per draft stopper. I used just one color I did not do the stripping. I didn't want to have loose beads or anything small is it as there are small children and animals around them and the last thing I would ever want is them to get into the pellets. I have included pictures at the bottom.

Lion Brand® Vanna's Choice® GAUGE: Exact gauge is not essential to this project. STITCH EXPLANATION: sc2tog (sc 2 together) Insert hook into st and draw up a loop. Insert hook into next st and draw up a loop. Yarn over and draw through all 3 loops on hook – 1 st decreased. NOTES: Work in continuous rnds; do not join or turn unless otherwise instructed.

DRAFT STOPPER With A, ch 2. Rnd 1: Work 6 sc in first ch. Place marker in first st for beginning of rnd; move marker up as each rnd is completed. Rnd 2: Work 2 sc in each st around – 12 sts. Rnd 3: *2 sc in next st, sc in next st, rep from * around – 18 sts. Rnd 4: *2 sc in next st, sc in each of next 2 sts, rep from * around – 24 sts. Rnd 5: *2 sc in next st, sc in each of next 3 sts, rep from * around – 30 sts. Rnd 6: *2 sc in next st, sc in each of next 4 sts, rep from * around – 36 sts. Rnd 7: Working through back loops only, sc in each st around. Continue to work in rnds of sc over 36 sts, changing color to work stripes as follows: With B, work 4 rnds. With C, work 3 rnds. With D, work 4 rnds. With E, work 3 rnds. With F, work 4 rnds. With G, work 3 rnds. With A, work 4 rnds. Continue in this way, in sc over 36 sts, working 3 rnds and 4 rnds alternately with each color in alphabetical order until piece measures about 31 in. (79 cm) long. Stuff the tube, alternating small amounts of stuffing with pellets. Next Rnd: With next color in and working through back loops only, *sc2tog, sc in each of next 4 sts, rep from * around – 30 sts. Next Rnd: *Sc2tog, sc in each of next 3 sts, rep from * around – 24 sts. Next Rnd: *Sc2tog, sc in each of next 2 sts, rep from * around – 18 sts. Next Rnd: *Sc2tog, sc in the next st, rep from * around – 12 sts. Next Rnd: *Sc2tog, rep from * around – 6 sts. Fasten off. FINISHING Weave in ends.

Heart Broken

Today we got the said news that a friend of mine lost her daughter. She delivered on Tuesday; however her daughter is now an Angel. She is a wonderful, strong mother to her son. I wish there was some way I could take away the pain I know she is feeling. The ach, the missing, the unwhole feeling, the numbness. The just plan broken. I know that there is a  great difference between our situations but the pain is the same. Since I have heard the news today I have been crying a lot it brings back a lot of feelings that I thought I had buried, that I didn't think I would feel again. I want to reach out to her, to talk with her, to let her know I understand that if she needs to talk, to cry or just to sit with someone who understands the pain and what she is going through that I am here. Yet I have no idea how to do that without becoming emotional myself. I would never wish pain such as what she is going through on anyone ever. I know they are strong and that there is light in the tunnel. My thoughts, prays, and myself are here for her and her family. Her daughter is in a place of great peace.

I like this Poem and sometimes it helps

Sometimes, when the sun goes down,
It seems it will never rise again…
but it will!
Sometimes, when you feel alone,
It seems your heart will break in two…
but it won’t.
And sometimes, it seems
It’s hardly worthwhile carrying on…
But it is.
For sometimes, when the sun goes down,
It seems it will never rise again,
But it does

Frank Brown

What a start to STUDY WEEK!!!

There go most of my plans for study week :(....Saturday I Sawed my finger well opening the pizza sauce not such a big deal. Sunday I am running down the stairs to ask Richard something before he gets into the shower. I get my big stuck in my PJ pants and "superman" down the rest of the stairs and end head first into the bathroom room. My foot hurts, my elbows are skinned and sore and so are both my knees I have a very large bruise on my right knee today :S. My toe and inside of my foot turns purple and swells I can't bend my toe at all so I take some Ibuprofen and keep it up. Today when I get up I can bend my toe but it bends the other way and that little bone on the side of your foot that round one is huge. So Richard said I had to get it looked at so off to the hospital we go. After waiting 2 hours and X-rays I get to see the doctor he comes over and says "I don't see any breaks on the X-ray let me see both feet" so I show him both feet Richard said his eyes got huge and the doc said hang on ill be right back so he goes and he comes and says "X-rays show there is no break" so I said okay so whats wrong with it and what can I do. The doc says "You bruised the bone, tore the liniment, and hurt the soft muscle tissue I'm going to give you an anti-inflammatory/pain killer combo as well as a pain killer" He leaves and comes back sits down and says "no matter how I look at that X-ray I can not see a break but it looks very painful" I said yeah then he starts to make the hand movement in the way my toe is going lol and says "and it doesn't look right I am going to have the radiologist look at the X-rays tomorrow" I said okay how long am I am going to be like this he said he can't say for sure because its not a bone break it has to heal on its own time frame :S. So I drop the script off at shoppers and go to my sisters for dinner. We stop to pick it up after dinner and its 1000MG Naproxen twice a day and 30MG of T3 4 times day Richard says I'm gonna be on cloud nine lol I don't much care about cloud nine just as long as it don't hurt anymore. I am also not allowed to drive or operate heavy machinery Richard said that's okay they don't let people who do flying supermen down the stairs operate heavy machinery lol. So no complete organization of the house this as I am supposed to stay off it as much as possible well at least I got my kitchen cupboards sorted :S

Owens Valentines Day!!!

At Owens day care they had to dress in pink or red. His "mom" went out and bought him a pink polo shirt (I didn't even have to ask and she told me yes it is a boys shirt lol) to wear with his skinny jeans I bet he looked so cute :). All the daycare women thought he was the cutest one there and "real men wear pink". I thought it was so awesome. If I get pictures of it I will post one on here. With the bad weather coming there will be no visit this weekend I am a little disappointed, but I understand I wouldn't drive out in whats said to be coming either. I can wait to see my not so little man I miss him so much I don't know if its because of the family day tomorrow or what, but I miss him a great deal.

Picture to come if I get one!!!

Got pictures lol the daycare ladies put his hair in a pony tail

STUDY WEEK IS HERE WOOT!!!!

I am so excited its finally study week feels like we have been in school forever. This week is going to be super busy so much to do. Between getting our house back to the way its supposed to look and getting 6 school projects finished for when we go back to school and I would like to get ahead in my notes for my classes there will be no time to relax, but at least I will with any luck be ahead of the game when we go back.

They changed college March break to the week of Family Day which I don't mind it is sooner then march; however, for parents that are in school its going to make the kids March break harder as they will need to find care, camp or something for their little ones.

I am hoping to also have a visit with Owen this week, but that all depends if they are coming into Sarnia seeing as our car needs a new barring for the drivers side and I am not willing to take it out on the highway the way it is. I can't wait until we can get the new SUV that we want. I have regretted getting a 2 door car since the day we got it.

Well my house is calling to be reorganized here we go lol

Owen update

I got a Valentines Day card in the mail with about 15 photos in it of Owen. Hes getting so big he is already up to the counter tops in the kitchen its crazy if he keeps growing like this he is going to be taller than me at five lol. Hes talking more but he seems to be slower at talking than most kids his age; however, he is dressing, undressing and refuses to bed fed he has to feed himself, so I guess hes making up for the talking part :). He is getting 5 teeth all at once right now looks so painful poor thing. He is stubborn as a mule, when he has set his mind to it, its happening no matter what anyone has to say about it. He is built like a little hulk has shoulders like a football player or a hockey goalie. His blue eyes get me every time I look at the photos. Can't for our next visit which will be the end of Feb. start of March I miss him so much. There is not a moment that goes by that I don't think about him and what they are doing. The picture of a picture just doesn't do him justice I am going to make a digital copy of them this week for my mom and sister so I will update this one with a better image of it. The leafs Jersey that he is wearing is one I got him for Christmas it is for 24 months old and it fits him like a glove not to long or big anywhere lol and hes only 15 months old. Its crazy how big he is :).

No ambition

I am in the second term of my course and I love school and I am doing great in all my courses; however, I seem to be lacking the same drive and ambition that I had last term. Getting outta bed to go to school I seem to be dreading. Since I have been in school my house is lacking the cleanings I did to it everyday, I don't cook everyday. Since I have been in school the rest of what I think are important to get done seem to get left to the wayside well school, homework and studying take its place on the top of the importance list. I miss my extremely clean house, my closets that where all organized, my laundry that was folded and hung with all corners matching (Richard cant seem to do that lol). When I am off of school for the weekend I have so much studying and homework to get done I just have no drive to do the house stuff as well. We eat far to much take out (mostly subway) then ever before because I am so tired from everything else I just don't feel like cooking. I know I am venting or ranting, and Richard does help around the house and I love that he does but I feel that it's my "job" not his, I know very 1950 thinking but that's just the way I am. I can not wait until reading week so I can do a huge clean on our home and get things at least semi back to normal until summer break. I am so torn between loving school and hating my only tidied house. At this point I guess I just have to suck it up until reading week and deal with the fact my floors don't get washed everyday and my bath towels are in the same pile as the hand towels (lol Richard can't seem to understand the difference :) ). I love my life and everything about it and I am happy I just wish I had enough energy to get everything done to my standards.

February Needy Crochet

I made my quota for the need for February and its only February 3. :) 

This time I used a different pattern for the hats I used http://www.headhuggers.org/patterns/cpatt03.htm I found it very easy to use however I did change it a little to make it my own not much though I just added a stitch or two to close up the gaps that seemed to form at the start of each row.


I used a different scarf pattern as well I used http://cobblerscabin.wordpress.com/happy-hookin/draft-dodger-scarf-free-pattern/ I really like this pattern its easy and it leaves very tight and nice stitching. 


The baby hats this time I did a little different I incorporated stitches from the scarf pattern to make the hats. 

Pattern: I used 4.5, 5.5, 6.0 crochet hooks I use different hooks for each hat to obtain different sizes. 


Start: CH 3 slip stitch to join.

• Row 1)   12 single crochet inside the ring join to start with slip stitch and CH 1. (you might want to mark the starting stitch)
• Row 2)   2 single crochet in each stitch join and CH 1
• Row 3)   *1 single crochet in the next stitch, 2 single crochet in the following stitch* repeat from star to star until round is finished. join and CH 1
• Row 4)    *1 single crochet in each of the next two stitches, 2 single crochet in the following stitch* repeat from star to star until round is finished. Join and CH 1
• Repeat Row 4 if you want a hat for a larger head or use a larger crochet hook.
• Row 5)   Single crochet in each stitch until round is finished join CH 1
• Row 6)   *Single crochet in next stitch, double crochet in next stitch* repeat from star to star until round is finished join and CH 1
• Row 7)    *Double crochet in next stitch, single crochet in next stitch* repeat from star to star until round is finished join and CH 1
• Repeat rows 6-7 (I did 2 more rows of each ) until you reach you desired length
• Repeat row 5  5 times. 

Tracy donated yarn to my "cause" one of the baby hats I made was with some of that yarn. I will be keep track of how many items are made with the yarn donated and once all the yarn is gone I will post that total. I am very great-full to the donation of yarn it allows me to create these items a little cost to me. 


So far I have made 36 items for the needy I hope that it will make some difference. I still have a long way to go before October gets here so lots of time to make more!!!!