There Be Dragons!

There is a stitch that has become really popular in the crochet community lately. It has a few names; alligator stitch, crocodile stitch, dragon stitch ... I happen to like Dragon Scales, so that's what I call it. It looks like rows of scales kind of like reptile skin. There are a number of tutorials and video's out there on how to do them. I like this one on YouTube from The Crochet Crowd best. And since there are SO many tutorials, I'm not going to bother with a pattern; I'm just going to show off.
I got some really pretty cotton yarn shot through with a silver thread (not sure if it's the real deal or not) from my most awesome sister, Margaret Sutherland. And I just knew I wanted to use it for something wonderful; something ... different.
But of course this is me and we know how much I love bags, purses and kits.
So what did I make?
You guessed it; a purse.
And here you're going to get a glimpse in to how my excuse for a brain works. I saw - actually SAW - as I was considering the yarn one afternoon. And I thought to myself "Self, you can't do that! It's not possible!" But I knew that the bottom section was possible, so I began with a pretty simple SC bottom.
When I got the bottom/sides as deep as I wanted them I spent days literally sweating over what to do next with this pretty, sparkly albeit shallow-ish basic sack.
And then I thought "Oh, what the hell! Try the dragon stitch thingies. If you have to you can fiddle with a stitch or two, or rip it back and start over. So I forged ahead with a timorous heart and more than a little trepidation.

SC bottom and sides with Dragon Scale rows.

And this is how it came out. You could have knocked me over with a feather. It's nice. I mean really nice! The photos really don't do it justice, because you can't quite see the glittering from the silver thread. I just sat there for the best part of a day admiring it. I'm pretty sure Steve thought I'd lost my mind.
Then the question came up, "What do I do the strap in?" If you could see my Google+ it would look as if I decided on it pretty quickly. In fact I didn't even post my conundrum for a couple of days. That may not seem like much to you, but it's a huge span of time for a bi-polar Gemini; trust me, it is so. But post it I finally did, and my go-to-girl Angela Gallant gave me the inspiration to do it in more Dragon Scale, like this! I chose to work it in two parts, up from both sides, and then carefully join them in the middle. This has turned out really well! And, when I get the chance, I'll add the phenomenally-simple pattern for doing it. Seriously, you'll be gobsmacked.
And this is how it turned out.

 I'll grant you it needs to be lined and have some nature of closure added, Perhaps a bit of rigid something could be secured at the bottom to give it more defined form ... or not. I'm not really so good with bits' of sewing like this, mind you. I can sew an entire medieval gown and accoutrements, but I have problems lining a bag...typical. Maybe if I am very lucky I can find a friend to do it for me...Any takers?

Chicken (or almost anything else) Paprikash on the cheap

You'll notice that there are no photos with this recipe. Well that's because it's so damn good that I don't think of taking a picture before I dig in. I'll try to remember to do so next time. Or the time after. Or maybe the time after that...
This is really yummy, and yes, it is done on a shoestring or less budget. It uses things that are in my cupboards because I've gotten them, most of the time, from the food bank (with the exception of the meat and sour cream). A lot of my recipes are like that if you haven't noticed. And that is because some of the time we have to use the food bank.

Ingredients

• 6-8 chicken thighs, skinned
• 1 can concentrated tomato soup
• 3-4 generous tablespoons sour cream
• 1/4 of an onion chopped to taste
• 3+ cloves of minced garlic (or put it through a press)
• about a tablespoon of paprika
• a scant teaspoon of chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons olive (or other) oil, or butter, if available

Equipment

• a large, deep cast-iron skillet
• skillet lid or something to act as one
• a medium bowl
• a good sharp knife
• a garlic press
• a mixing spoon (I actually use a serving spoon most of the time)
• a frying spatula (such as used to flip eggs & etc.)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven on to 350ºF.
2. Warm skillet to medium on stovetop and add oil, spreading thoroughly.
3. Place chicken pieces in to skillet and brown gently. Add onions and garlic and cook until they are softened and translucent.
4. Remove skillet to the oven. Bake chicken for approximately 20 minutes.
5. In the meantime, combine soup, sour cream and spices in the bowl and stir well. Set aside in fridge.
6. When 20 minutes is up, pour the soup/sour cream mixture over meat & onions. Be sure all the meat pieces are coated. Put the lid on the skillet and return to oven.
7. Bake a further 40 minutes at least. Prepare side dish while waiting.
8. Check largest piece of meat for doneness. (Continue cooking for 10 minutes if necessary.)
9. Remove from oven. Serve hot.

In truth you can serve this hot or cold. It's just really dang good! As to the side dish, the traditional thing to have is egg noodles and a very onion-y salad. I've served it over rice, mashed potatoes, even rotini. I have yet to find something it isn't good on. Also, I've used ground beef for this, and even porkchops, though I like to slice them thinly before I cook them. If you use one of these remember that your meat will be completely cooked before you put it in the oven, so you'll skip the initial twenty minute cooking time, put the sauce straight on and bake as usual.

Now remember this is the cheap recipe. The good recipe is actually not that different. You simply replace the soup with 2 cups of tomato juice. I imagine that a large can of tomato sauce would be fine, as well.

I served this for my sister recently. She loved it! I'm not sure it did much for her blood pressure though. I imagine with all that sour cream it probably wouldn't be. I'm hoping she'll comment on this so that I have a glowing testimonial. :D

Happy eating!

Free-crochet Thermal Cuff

Free-crochet Thermal Cuff

A friend of mine, Rowean, wanted to make one of these after seeing mine on Facebook. I said I'd give her the pattern as soon as I found my notes.
Problem...
It's kind of hard to give the exact pattern for this thermal cup cuff. I must admit to not really keeping any notes, which I'm sure isn't going to impress anyone over much. Sorry about that.  Here they are as best I can remember them.

Equipment/Supplies

Yarn: Worsted weight, wool & acrylic blend.
Length: Part of the end of a skein (really not very mush at all).
Hook: 3 mm steel hook
Tapestry needle
Scissors
An empty paper coffee cup (medium size) to check measurements on ... repeatedly!

Terms

Ch/ch = chain stitch
Hd/hd = half-double crochet stitch
Sl/sl = slip stitch
St/st = stitch

Rough Pattern

Ch 30, slip in first ch to form a round.

1. Ch 2 (tightly), 1 hd in each stitch around, sl in top of ch-2 to join.
2. Ch 2, hd 1/4 of the way around, hd twice in same stitch, 1 hd in each stitch to roughly 3/4 of the way around, 2 hd in one stitch, 1 hd in each stitch to end, sl in ch-2 to join.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until desired length is achieved. Increase by making 2 hd in a stitch as necessary.Weave ends in. I'n willing to bet that there are dozens, if not hundreds, of ways to personalize this; lace, embroidery or those little metal charms come to mind.

I think I'll leave mine as is since they are so easy to make. If I had to grade this for difficulty I'd put it as a late beginner project. It also works up in maybe a couple of hours, so you can pick it up and put it down and still get it done.
Happy Hooking! :D

Beginning to Say Goodbye

   I think it's time to start talking about the end; My end specifically. Let me explain a little. I've had a battle with poor health most of my life. I've caught every flu or cold that comes down the pike. I also am very prone to sudden-onset infections. In 2006 I was diagnosed with severe COPD as well as fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Lately every day is a struggle to do anything. Forcing myself to do any tasks at all just to stay limber simply doesn't work, though it does exacerbate the pain and forced breathing quite badly. I am tired all the time. I could go in to a long, drawn out description, however if you take this utterly literally it is completely accurate.

   There are, of course, a thousand things that could be said about this. I wont enumerate them all. But I will talk about a few. I'll probably end up talking about more than I intend right now, 'cause that's just me. I'm not sure if I'll just keep updating this post, or write new ones on this topic. I do know one thing...this is part of my saying goodbye.

Being Scared

   I'm a little scared after all. I somehow thought that I wouldn't be. I thought that being pagan would, I don't know, buy me Get Out Of Fear Free card, I guess. Silly girl. In the end we're all just people, and we react however it is that we react. And reacting is all that we can do, really.

Missing People

   I already miss people. I miss my kids. I miss my sisters. I miss my husband, Steve. I miss my friends. Some times I go on Skype with one of them and the longing to be in the same room with them is so intense! Yes, I can see and hear them in real time, but I can't hug them or touch their hands. Still, it's more than my ancestors had and for that I am grateful.

Regrets

   I have kind of a mixed bag here. There are things I would have done differently. Clearly, if you know me at all, you know that this is true. But there are not too many things I regret enough to go back and change. Most of them fall under the category of things that lead to other things that I don't regret, so if I hadn't known X person I would never have met Z person. That kind of thing. I have come to understand that regrets for what might have been are pointless. It was whatever it was and all we do when we worry over it is make ourselves miserable.

   In closing, I would like to say very clearly that nobody has to come racing to my side to say goodbye in person. I know that some of you can't, or cannot bear to. That's fine. I don't want you to strip your bank account or your happiness just to exchange ten words with me. I love you! Why would I want that for you? Those of you who wish to visit are very welcome. And there is no tearing rush. It isn't time Right Now! But, in fairness, it won't be long, either. I doubt that the summer will see me here...

   Now watch, I'll live another 20 years, and have to put up with all of you teasing me about this blog. I guess there could be worse things.

The Jayne Toque & Mothers Love

The cunning hat

I have been working on a hat that has become iconic to the science fiction show Firefly; if you haven't seen it I recommend you do. Now this hat is supposed to look like the photo to the right.

The not so cunning reproduction

Unfortunately it looks like this. Now there are a number of reasons for this. I used a different weight of yarn, plus I changed from orange to yellow too soon, plus...plus-plus-plus.
The real reason is that I rushed.
I know not to rush. Rushing is the death or disfigurement of many a needlework project. It's as bad as, or worse than, starting something and then forgetting about it for 10 years ... yeah, I've done that.
You end up with parts the are uneven, sides or ends that curl, or tails that can unpredictably (well, maybe not THAT unpredictably) pull loose and pretty quickly you have a tangle of yarn rather than a hat. That has not happened and I pray it does not.
I guess I rushed because it's for my son. I haven't had the chance to make anything for my son for - oh, a long time indeed! So when he said he wanted a Jayne hat I was all over it. It was bad enough that I'd promised to make other things first. So when it finally came to being able to knit this, I couldn't do it quick enough. So, here's the deal: I'm going to give it to him, and offer to make another one closer to the "original". Regardless, I believe he knows I love him, and I guess in the end, that's the point.

!UPDATE!

Well, as you can see he just loves his hat. I cannot believe he wears it in public! See that face? Thar face is why I made it. That face is why I went through DOZENS of patterns on line, and finally knitted by the seat of my pants, to get it done. Completely worth it.

Remembrance Day and Remembering

As I sit here gently weeping for all the service men and women around the world who have given and risked their lives for freedom and safety, I also think of those who gave more.
Yes, more.
I would like to remember those who gave their health, their minds. I want to remember the individuals who came home maimed almost past recognition, crippled (and I hate to use that word, but it is applicable) for the rest of their days and/or traumatized so deeply that every day is torment.

LAUREN

I met Lauren (not her real name) when I was in my 20's. I was having a rare afternoon away from my children, enjoying a solitary (and quiet) coffee in a little diner not far from the P.N.E. in Vancouver. Alone in a corner sat an elderly lady. She smiled at me and we exchanged a few comments. After a while I joined her, not wanting to continue calling across the restaurant possibly disturbing others. That's when I got a clear look at her face. My shock was obvious from my expression, and Lauren began to tell me her story.
During the Korean War, Lauren had been a nurse in an medical unit near the front. She related several incidents and told me about many of her more memorable patients. One evening there was a bombing run. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time; some fuel exploded and she was burned over about 70% of her body. She was certain that a guardian angel was watching over her, as she had no internal burns at all; hence she survived. She underwent treatment in Asia and was returned home after several weeks.
The burns to her face, torso and arms were so severe parents didn't recognize her. They visited her a few times in the Veterans Hospital and then stopped coming. They never spoke to her again. None of her family did. She never married, nor had children. Lauren gave us all her future working to heal our wounded.

Gregory B.

Gregory was the uncle of an acquaintance. Somehow we got talking about people in our families who had seen war duty. In WWII he was in some kind of reconnaissance plane when it was shot down. His back was broken and his left arm and both legs shattered. He lay alone in the debris of his flight, among the bodies of his comrades for two days. Eventually he was found by an allied patrol and rushed to an aid station and from there to a medical unit. He underwent three amputations. He had to recover for quite a while before he was stable enough to even be transferred to England for further treatment. But knowledge of spinal injury was not then what it is today. He spent the last fifteen years of his life in traction in a veterans hospital and died of massive organ failure. He gave his health that we might be healthy.

Lesley Cross

This tale is very personal: This is my dad. My father went to England at the onset of WWII to join the RAF. After training eh became a  reconnaissance photographer, and flew in the tail section of a Lancaster in The Golden Triangle, which is a part of South-East Asia. I know that he did many highly classified things because to this day his records are sealed, even to family members. I do know that these things mentally scarred him for life.
I wish I had known him before mental torment took him when I was 6. Occasionally, though, I got glimpses of his inner struggles. I remember my dad as a drinker. His drinking was so common that I really didn't know it was abnormal. I'm told, though I cannot verify, that he didn't used to drink that much...that it kind of crept up on him as time went by. What I saw was that if he happened to talk about his war service he drank a LOT more! It was like he had to drive the memories away: now we know he was self-medicating. I saw it in his eyes. I saw it in the quiet private tears he shed when he thought nobody was looking. Eventually he medicated himself to death. He gave up his sanity, to return the world to a sane state.

Please remember these selfless souls, the scarred and disabled and demented. Think of the ones who, in the end, gave up so much more.

Christmas Stocking tree decoration

'Tis The Season!

Or almost anyway. These are the little tree decorations that I've made quite often in the past. Usually I put a miniature candy cane in each one and then give decoration and candy away to some one who needs a seasonal pick-me-up. They're also a great use for those 1/5th skeins you have left over at the end of nearly every project, plus any odds and ends you have kicking around like ribbon, for instance. They take me about 20 minutes to half an hour if my arthritis isn't too bad.

Abbreviations Used In This Pattern

• Ch = chain
• S = single stitch
• Sl = slip stitch
• Sts = stitches
• Tog/tog = together

Chain 21.

Row 1: S in 2nd Ch from hook and S across, Ch 1 and turn.
Row 2 & 3: S twice in first S of previous row, S across, S twice in last S. Ch 1 and turn.
Row 4: S across, Ch 1 and turn.
Row 5 & 6: S first 2 S tog, S across to last 2 Sts, S 2 tog, Ch 1 and turn.
Row 7: Sl in the next 4 stitches, Ch 1 and S in each of next 11 Sts, Ch 1 and turn.
Row 8 - 28:S across, Ch 1 and turn.
Row 29: S across, fold stocking in half lengthwise, so that it is in an L shape, Sl "front" and "back" together as often as needed to close the stocking down the front around the toe and across the bottom, Sl once and cut off a 6 inch tale. (Alternatively to this row, you can finish at the end of Row 28, cut a very long tail and sew the stocking up using the long tail.) Weave in the beginning end, and turn right-side out. Attach a loop of ribbon, cord or yarn to the back top of the stocking and you're finished!

You can get away with as little as the yarn (left over of Cascade 220), a crochet hook (Aero 5.0 mm) and a pair of scissors for this project. I like to use a tapestry needle (John James, size 13) to run the ribbon through.

It will look kind of like and inverted T. Fold it to finish at roughly the point where my hook is pictured, toes together.

This shows the finished stocking, before adding ribbon. As you can see, they are only about 3 1/2 inches high ... just big enough to take a mini candy-cane.

I've made these in the past with quite small lengths of yarn of various colours in stripes. I've also used variegated yarns, which is rather fanciful. They're fun to make and are a good project for younger beginners, since they work up so quickly and will be on display for all to see and admire.

This pattern is free to take and use and share. All I ask is that, if you are able, you make a donation to a food bank or children's gift charity.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Blessed Yule & Happy Holidays.