How to Knit or Crochet Ruffle Scarf tips and tricks

How to Knit or Crochet Ruffle Scarf tips and tricks

Ok, so just sharing a little info about making the ruffle scarfs that are so popular this time of year...when you crochet the scarf, depending on which crochet method you use, you will get a spiral scarf or you will get a scarf that has sort of a spine with ruffles falling to one side...the "real" crochet method gives you the spiral ruffle, the "no-crochet" crochet method gives you the spine. Please message me if you have any questions. Have a beautiful day!

Here are 2 video tutorials on how to make the ruffle scarf. One is for knitting and the other has 2 different ways to crochet.

 

How to crochet Red Heart Ruffle Scarf 2 different ways video tutorial instructions:

 

 

How to knit Red Heart Sashay Ruffle Scarf video tutorial instructions:

 

 

Free Crochet Rose Flower pattern instructions

Crochet Rose Flower Pattern Instructions

Here is one of my favorite crochet rose flower patterns. It is super quick and easy! You can make it in a variety of colors and add it to a hat you make or a hat that you buy. Or, you can even wear it in your hair as an accessory all by itself.

Once you complete your flower, you can either sew or glue felt on the bottom and sew or glue an alligator style hair clip to the felt to make it removable from the hat or wear in your hair. Or you can sew it to a hat so that it is permanent.


I will be posting a variation of this flower soon, please check back!


Here are a few of my youtube videos that may be helpful if you are a beginner to learn how to do the simple stiches required for this project.


Basic chain foundation stitch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDBE1ORZ4Wg


Single crochet stitch for beginners:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q71XypWx2Rs


Double crochet stitch for beginners:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xTUXMLBmPI

Pattern:

CH.......Chain
SC........Single crochet
HDC....Half double crochet
DC.......Double crochet

Row 1: Leave an 18 inch tail or so and begin by creating a chain of 60, turn.
Row 2: Skip the first 2 CH and DC into the 3rd CH and each all the way to the end, turn.
Row 3: SC in the same space (first CH space where you turn, see photo), 5 DC in the 2nd CH space, * 1 SC in the next CH space, 5 DC in the next CH space *, repeat from * to * all the way to end of row. Leave an 18 inch inch tail to tie off later.

Here are photos to go along with the above instructions for beginners:

Row 1: Leave an 18 inch tail or so and begin by creating a chain of 60, turn.
Row 2: Skip the first 2 CH and DC into the 3rd CH and each all the way to the end, turn.


Row 3: SC in the same space (first CH space where you turn ~ where the silver crochet hook is pointing in photo below), 5 DC in the 2nd CH space (where the blue crochet hook is pointing in the photo below), * 1 SC in the next CH space, 5 DC in the next CH space *, repeat from * to * to end of row. Leave an 18 inch tail to tie off later.

 
 

This is what it will look like once you have completed the 3rd row:

Now you will begin to form your flower. Notice the front and the back of the row. The front of the row is the left photo, showing the edging. The photo on the right shows the back, you can see the edging does not show. Make sure the front is facing up when you start to wrap your flower.  

With the top facing you, and the long 18 inch tail of yarn in your yarn needle (the tail closest to the end you begin wrapping, you can wrap from either end depending if you are right/left handed), begin wrapping your flower as shown in the photo a little at a time. Turn your flower to the side as shown below and every 1/2 inch or so, place a stitch through a couple layers of flower to secure it as you wrap it as shown.

 

 

This is what the bottom of your flower will look like as you keep wrapping and sewing. When you get to the last petal, tuck it a little toward center when you stitch it (shown in photo on the right), otherwise is sticks out kind of strange from the edge when you look at it from the top.



 



Now you can use the needle in the other long yarn tail to secure that edge down, too. Stitch the second yarn tail close to the first one so you can tie them off in a knot together securely as shown in the next few photos. (In the first photo, I'm pointing to the second yarn tail to begin using).



 

 



Your crochet rose flower is now complete and ready to attach to whatever you desire. Or, you can glue or sew a piece of felt to the bottom (in a matching color of course, similar to the top left photo in the cluster below) and then either glue or sew an alligator hair clip so it is removable from your hat, or you can wear it in your hair, or attach to another item.

Quick Easy Delicious Veggie Quiche Recipe

Quick Easy Delicious Veggie Quiche Recipe

I have been craving quiche lately, for like the last few weeks, for some reason. So, I finally decided to take the time to actually make one. I am not sure why I didn't already. A crust-less quiche is really easy to make and hardly takes any time at all. And, if you love quiche like I do, it is worth the little time it takes. And, it can be pretty healthy depending on what you choose to put in it, and you have breakfast or lunch for days if you make one big enough for leftovers!

I just threw some items together that I had available in the kitchen and yummy for my tummy! So, the following recipe is for a small quiche, but it can easily be doubled. The one I made fits approximately an 8 inch square or a small rectangle like the one in the photos. I prefer glass pans, but you can also use metal. If you choose to use a non-stick baking pan, you may want to just watch the time as the time below is for glass baking dishes.

Quick Easy Delicious Veggie Quiche Recipe:

6 eggs
1/4 green pepper, chopped up into small pieces
1/4 med. onion, chopped up into small pieces
2/3 cup frozen spinach, thawed
2/3 cup mayonnaise
real butter (enough to sauté peppers and onions)
salt and pepper to taste if preferred or add after cooking
1 cup fresh shredded Cracker Barrel cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sauté the chopped peppers and onions in the butter in a medium pan. Set aside.

Thaw the frozen spinach under hot water for only a minute or so. Squeeze out excess water and set aside.

Use electric beater to mix eggs and mayonnaise about 30 seconds 'til thick, fluffy and fully mixed.

Add peppers, onions and spinach and mix in with a fork. Mix in the freshly shredded/grated cheese.

Pour into a buttered 8 inch glass pan (or similar size).

Bake @ 350 degrees for about 23-25 minutes for 8 inch glass baking dish, should be slightly browned and just pulling away from sides of pan. Top will be a little shiny, but not wet. And, will be firm not jiggly when removing from oven.

Let cool a few minutes to set before serving.

Alterations:
You can change or add veggies. If you add ingredients, make sure it still fits in the size pan recommended.

Would You Work for 50% Less Pay Today?

If you walked into work today, and your boss came up to you and said, " Hey (insert your name here), "Would you work for 50% less pay today? I want you to put all your heart and soul into your job today, and I just don't really feel like paying you for it though. I know you've studied for years, you are a master at what you do, you've perfected your work, it's amazing and unique, but........", what would be your response? I am sure most of you are thinking, "Yeah, right! I was going to ask YOU for a raise!" and laugh or punch someone in the nose.


In both fields that I choose to call "work" to generate & create money for my family, I have been asked to give large discounts or even give my goods/services/time away for free, repeatedly. (I now know I am drawing this experience to myself.)


Well, as an artisan, I would like to officially ask everyone in the world, to stop expecting artistic people who make a living off of their talents (natural talents or otherwise), that we would give away our work for free. This includes all artists, such as artists that paint, draw, sculpt, crochet, paper artists, handmade jewelry makers, people who sew, musicians, photographers, any kind of artist or creator, oh, and people who work in the healing arts as well, like energy healers/quantum healers as well.

I'll give you an example or two:

I was in a craft show last year, a couple women passed by my station, and one woman commented to her friend about the price of one of my handmade items with a puff as they walked away. I was not having a yard sale in my front yard getting rid of old junk. It was a handmade (by me) lacey crochet washcloth, that I think I priced for somewhere between $4-$6. Please let me explain as an artist, that I bought this particular small skein of yarn which may have cost $2-$3 or so with or without a sale, then it took me probably 1 1/2 - 2 hours to complete and finish it. So, in the end, if you think about it, I just made $2 per hour, at most. Well, wait, that doesn't include the time to shop for the yarn and the gas and wear & tear on my vehicle and in this case the cost of the booth, set up, business cards, advertising, etc...well, you get the picture. Or, the time it took for me to perfect my craft (many years, but we don't need to give away my age here, haha) so that my items don't look cheap ( I like high quality, beautiful handmade goods) and the fact that I like to create my own patterns, and not just copy a pattern out of a book. That way my clients get something beautiful and unique and high quality.

Another example:

I am also an energy healer. I am a certified practitioner of Thought Field Therapy (TFT), and, I am a certified Access Consciousness BARS practitioner and Energetic Facelift/Body Lift aka: Life Lift/Love Lift practitioner. I found TFT 8-9 years ago or so, and began my deep study of energy healing methods and natural healing, and quantum physics as it relates to physical/emotional/spiritual healing along with many other sources to not only help myself but those around me live in more peace and facilitate emotional & physical healing in a different way. I was and still am a sponge to the information surrounding this amazing field of possibility! And, let me tell you, it works! Not only in your head (sorry naysayers), but quantum physics and science back it all up! I may not have gone to an expensive college and paid many thousands of dollars, however, I can guarantee I have studied things that are taught in college and some things that are left out! And, I have paid to take the classes, tests & get certified to practice certain methods and help others and used them in my own life to facilitate change and healing emotionally and physically.


Now, in these energy healing/quantum healing/consciousness healing fields that I have chosen to use, they have been around for many, many years (TFT over 30 years and Access Consciousness over 20 years ago, and Matrix Energetics almost 30 years) and they have had thousands upon thousands of people all around the globe who have benefited from them (emotional healing & physical healing even when standard practices did little or nothing in some cases. And, in some cases even instant change or healing of emotional turmoil that took many years and many, many thousands of dollars of standard therapy little or no results, or even instantaneous or very quick physical healing when nothing else seemed to work.) I remember reading of a case of a woman who had an infection for almost a year, that would not go away, and when she used one of the methods mentioned above, she saw a change within a day, and the infection cleared up in about a week...hmmmm..coincidence? Maybe, maybe not. There are hundreds or more cases I could share that I have read about in case studies and a few that I have been part of with joy!


So, then I find that in the field of alternative healing specifically, people expect that you will just give it away. Now, I am really not sure, it might be the fact that they think that a person in that field is a pushover because they operate from a place of love and compassion or something, or that the healer themselves is afraid to command a certain fee, I see that many people in the energy healing field and creative arts field, barely charge anything, (trying to make a living for their family and doing a great service to the world) and then, I find a few scattered here and there, that actually charge a rate that shows that what they have to offer is of great value and that they also value themselves and their time. When receiving these types of healing, in most cases there are many more shifts and changes than just the ones you are expecting. For example, your knee may be in pain and you go to an energy healer, after your session, you find that your relationship with your mother suddenly heals miraculously and you have a lot more ease, space and peace in your life. Or, you no longer have another issue in your body going on, or an infinite number of things in your life change with ease and beauty. These types of "miracles" are more common than not in the field of energy healing.

My personal opinion, is that it should cost no less than $100 per hour for a certified energy healers' time. I'm not talking about the quacks at the traveling fair (although some aren't).

I am not meaning for this post to be negative by any means, I am hoping to bring awareness to the fact that just because it is not store bought, mass produced or done by a person in the medical field, and may be something outside of the box, outside of your box, does not mean that it is of less value. In my experience, it is of tremendous value, and normally the artist or healer, it is their life passion, or one of their few life passions and joys that propels them in the field. And, in most cases, they spend many years perfecting their art or study and continue to study it and morph it into something greater and more magnificent!

I encourage you to go out and show appreciation to a local artisan by choosing to do business with them and maybe even creating a lasting business relationship!

Sending Love and Light out to all!