Daughter's Crocheted Poncho Completed

                Completing a crocheted poncho for my princess proved to be more difficult than I planned.  After looking through many patterns, I decided on one that is similar to a pattern on Lionbrand’s website.  I would give the website link to the pattern I used, but I found it on Pinterest, and when I tried to click on the link to go to the site, it said the page had been permanently removed.  Here is the pattern from Lionbrand that is similar: Lion Brand Yarn Seashell Poncho

The pattern I was following is supposed to be for 2-3 years of age.  After I had crocheted a few rows, I was looking at the head opening, and thought to myself ‘I wonder if that will go over her head?’ and for some reason instead of stopping right then and checking…I forgot and crocheted right on.  I was only a couple of rows from being finished when that thought popped in my head again.  Ran to see if it would fit…and no, it didn’t.  What a bummer.  Doesn’t it make you sad to see all that work go to waste as you pull out each stitch?  Lesson learned though:  Even though a pattern says it will fit your child’s age, always check BEFORE you’re almost done.  :)  So, for attempt #2, I increased the chain by 4 or 5 stitches, and it worked.  Another note, I did not do the edging, nor the collar around the neck.  It was just my preference to leave it off.  

Red is my favorite color, and I thought adding some red to the charcoal poncho would be a fun and dramatic look.  I almost did a red border on it, but decided a flower would be great.  I wanted a large flower and had a hard time finding one that pleased me.  I ended up using a pattern from pages 93-94 in the book Crochet Bouquet, by Suzann Thompson.  If you are looking for flower patterns, this book is a terrific resource!  There are so many wonderful flowers to choose from—from elaborate to simple; there are tons to choose for any project.  The pattern I used is for a Sweetheart Rose.  The one thing I didn’t like about this pattern:  The book does not suggest what size hook to use…only that you should use “appropriate size hook to achieve a firm gauge with selected yarn.”  I think it is helpful to give an idea of where to start hook-wise so you can make an educated guess up or down depending on whether you typically crochet more tight or loose.  It suggests a medium weight (4) yarn, and says the finished rose will be about 4” in diameter.  I believe mine is probably bigger than that.  I knew I wanted it to be huge, so I used a size N hook.  

It ended up being as big as my hand:

Opinions vary on whether you should use thread or yarn to sew crochet flowers on your work, but I felt since it was such a large flower, yarn might work best so that’s the route I went.  In addition, I was afraid thread might pull through the flower and/or poncho.  I am SO happy with the finished project: 

I cannot wait for her to wear it!  I also made a hat to match her poncho.  I want to add a bow to it before I share photos, but look forward to showing them together.  Any dramatic color combinations you enjoy?  Want to see more of the crochet projects I love?  Follow me on Pinterest: Infinitely More Than I Think on Pinterest
Know a little girl who would look darling in this poncho or a color combination of your choice?  Use the Contact Me page to reach me and order your very own!

Christmas Tree 2013

My little family has moved twice since February of this year.  I’ve learned a few things in those experiences:

1. Our “stuff” multiplied exponentially after we had kids.
2. We have WAY too much “stuff.”
3. I have stellar spatial reasoning skills and can pack a box like a sardine can with way more than you might think would fit. :)
4. You should always pack a suitcase of what you and your family will need immediately—changes of clothes, toiletries, and night-time essentials for your kiddos (we have special books and snuggly toys for bedtime).  I also packed a special box of things I would need for my job, or my hubby would need for school, since he is a fulltime college student.
5. Always…always label what is in your boxes.  If you don’t it will come back to bite you in the rear—learned this during move #2 of this year.
6. I hate the task of going through everything I (and my family) own and deciding what stay and what goes.
7. I hate moving…period.

Before these past two moves, we had lived in our home since 2005, so other than the home I grew up in as a child, the almost 8 years we spent in our first house as a married couple is the longest I’ve lived in one place.  You accumulate a lot of stuff when you live in the same place.  Once we had children, it’s as if it doubled.  Where does all this stuff come from?  We were in need of a major purge of the things we owned before the first move, however, it just brought it to light, and what an overwhelming experience that was. 

Aside from all of that, as I said in point #7, I hate moving.  Each…and…every…part.  I hate having to deal with what you’re giving away or selling;  I hate boxing things up, and taking them out, and trying to decide where they are going to “live” in the new place.  More than anything, I despise the chaotic feeling I have, not being able to find exactly what I need, when I need it, and having to spend extra time searching for stuff after a move.  It’s the displaced feeling I get that unnerves me, and not being surrounding by the things I need to function.  I know, I know, first-world problems. 

During our first move this year, our children were 3 and 16 months old, and they would literally come behind me after I had filled a box, and take it all out.  It was two steps forward and five steps back.  Unpacking with small children is quite the same—you can’t accomplish much at once.  Perhaps this is just me.  Back to the first move:

We moved in a whirlwind and just moved the things in our home, and were not able to deal with our storage unit in that town.  We moved 2+ hours away and thought we would be able to move everything out of the unit soon.  So, when we arrived at the first new place, being totally overwhelmed by the number of boxes in our home, I was looking for anything that did not “have to” be with us.  We had move from a house to a duplex, and although it was a fairly large place, it was still quite smaller than our house so again, I knew something had to go.  Therefore during one of our trips back to the original house to get more stuff out, I told my husband to load up all of our Christmas decorations and we would put them in storage since we didn’t “have to” have them right now.  All the while thinking we would not still be dealing with a storage unit come December.

Fast-forward to present day and a second move later:  Still haven’t been able to clear out our storage unit, and our Christmas decorations are still 100 miles away.   Only problem now is I need them…and don’t have the money to make the trip to go get them.  As December was approaching and I came to this realization I was heartbroken.  This is the first Christmas we have had since the two moves.  We are in a house now, and I was so looking forward to decorating this place from top to bottom.  It was hard for me when I realized that would not happen.  However, I am humbled that God cares about the little details of our lives.  I remembered last week that when we first moved to this house in August, one of my sisters asked me if I wanted an extra Christmas tree that her mother-in-law was giving away.  In my head, I was thinking ‘yes—I’ll put one up stairs and one downstairs,’ however, as it turns out, this one will be our only tree this year, and I am oh so grateful.  Christmas is about Jesus, pure and simple, but it just doesn’t feel like Christmas to me until our tree is up. 

I purchased some shatterproof ornaments and we decorated it on the 13^th.  My children were enamored with the process.  There were lots of “ooo’s and ahh’s” when they saw the lights and had the chance to put on ornaments.  My children are now 2 and 4, and so there were a few chaotic moments...but what sweet memories.  My little man helped Daddy get the tree out of the box and danced around to the Christmas music playing; the princess dumped all the ornaments out on the floor at least twice (notice I mentioned I bought shatterproof lol).  She also kept stacking ornaments on the tree branches before I had a chance to put hooks in them…then once they were on the tree she wanted to take them off and do it again. 

It is by far the most simple and barely decorated tree I’ve ever had.  It does make me a little sad that our special ornaments (such as the one we have from the year we got married—or the kid’s first ornaments) are not on there, but again, I am so blessed that God knows everything.  I am blessed that in August, He knew I would not have access to my Christmas decorations in December, and that He provided what I needed.  I am blessed that He cares about my little heart, and the happiness it brings me to sit in our living room that is lit only by our tree.  It will be a Christmas different from any other…being in a new place for the first time since 2005…but I’m thankful for the simple reminder that Christmas is not “things” and that in most every situation, it is what you make of it.  I can be upset about things not being exactly the way I would like them to be, or I can choose to see how it worked out better than I could have imagined.  What has made this Christmas season special for you?

Lunch Improvisation

As a stay-at-home-mom who home-schools two little ones, and who works from home, I have a lot to accomplish (as do all mother’s, whether you stay at home or work outside the home).  Some people look at me funny when I mention that as a Worship Leader, I work from home, but being a Worship Leader/Music Minister is much more than picking out a few songs to sing on Sundays.  Many people understand that (mostly musical people), many people don’t.  A lot of prayer, thought, and preparation goes into each week—not just for me personally but for my praise team and instrumentalists.  I could go on about that, but I’ll stop since that is not the focus of this post.  Back to having a lot to do:

What a joy it is for me to do all that I mentioned above, but on a day when I’m not feeling 100% physically—finding motivation to do anything is rough some times.  My neck has been bothering me today (perhaps I slept on it wrong) and I've had a migraine.  Tough today especially because we are still experiencing very low temperatures and wintry weather so we've been confined to the house other than last night’s attendance of our Children’s Choir Christmas program (which little man sang in).  Being cooped up in the house these last few weeks is beginning to show in my children.  They long to be outside running in the sun, and I with them.  We are greatly missing our long play sessions on the beautiful property on which we live.  I guess in an effort to make up for that they've been trying to run throughout the house which makes a lot of noise on hardwood floors.  So I shared all of that to say it has been an unfortunate day for me to have a migraine.

To make us feel as if we had back a little of the summer days we've been longing for and to give this Momma a break, I broke a household rule today.  We normally do not allow the kids to have food or drinks in the living room (unless it’s a spill proof cup) because let’s face it—I have enough food to clean up off the floor in the kitchen/dining room where we cook and eat without adding another room to it.  However, today for lunch we had an indoor picnic in the living room.  I laid out a blanket, brought out their Mickey Mouse tray, and even let them watch T.V. while they ate.  That alone made me the coolest Mom in the world in their eyes.  To make lunch I busted out the handy sandwich maker again.  Some days my 4-year-old little man doesn't want anything I offer him—barely eats, and then there are days like today when he is a bottomless pit that I struggle to fill.  He ate all of his grilled cheese and then told me he was still hungry so I decided to use the sandwich maker for a treat.  I used white bread, spread with peanut butter and then threw in a FEW mini M & M’s, and split the sandwich between little man and the princess.  Once they bit into the sandwiches far enough that they could see the colorful M & M’s peeking out, they were thrilled.  Again, this new concoction made me possibly the coolest Mom ever to them.  Then to balance out our peanut butter-M & M treat, I peeled several Cutie oranges.  The few months Cuties are in season are a big deal in my household.  My kids LOVE them.  They would devour a 5 lb bag in a blink if I let them.  I even have to hide them, or they will beg for them.  Guess it is a good problem to have.  :)

Little man has told me several times since we finished with our picnic, how much he enjoyed it.  It was a huge hit, and I think I won major mom points.  So I guess the moral of the story today is, when I stop being rigid with myself, and how I think I should do things…God whispers to my heart that it’s okay to bend a few household rules to make memories with my children and let them do something fun like an indoor picnic.  It definitely made lunch more interesting and it gave me quiet children, which was most helpful for my migraine.  What are some ways you get creative in the wintertime?

Infinity Scarf Complete

I wanted to share photos of my completed scarf.  Did I mention that I am in love with this yarn?  I used Red Heart With Love yarn, color: Plum Jam.  It is so soft, and the colors are beautiful.  Lovely purple and pink shades swirl in this pattern.  I love variegated yarn for projects like this!  It creates something so unique.  Here are my results:

As for the pattern I found it here: Artfully Simple Infinity Scarf

It is a wonderful pattern for a beginning crocheter and is super fun for any skill level.  It calls for 280 yds of yarn, which you can see from the example they give, makes for a much fuller cowl, because I had much less.  The skein of yarn I used began with less, because I had to use a little of it to finish another project.  However, as I already mentioned, I adore this color scheme and I wanted to use it and see what it would do in this pattern.  Even though it is not quite as full, I am still very, very pleased with the results.  Regrettably, I do not own a dress form, so I can’t show you right now what mine looks like doubled, but it works well in my opinion.  In this photo, I opened it up to show you what the “mesh” looks like:

The website where I found the pattern shows several different ways to wear it, one of which includes a tie and button.  I do want to make this as well, although I’m sure I will probably have to adjust the pattern slightly, as mine is not as bulky.  This was a success to me, and I am so thrilled with the results that I’m planning to get my hands on all the variegated yarn I can, so that I can begin creating other unique pieces.  I look forward to sharing those results too!

Still a few details to finish on my daughter’s poncho before I can share completed photos.  I want to add a flower to it, and I’m still searching for the perfect pattern.  

You can also follow me on Pinterest here: Infinitely More Than I Think on Pinterest

Blessings!

Winter Weather Is Here

We've had a few cold days here and there, but thus far our winter had been mild.  Until yesterday that is!  Temperatures in the teens and 20's arrived and have stayed, along with ice, snow, and more ice.  Yikes!  High for today is going to be an "amazing" 28 degrees, with more wintry weather on the way, I believe.

So, whenever the weather is like this, and I'm holed up in my home (after asking the hubby to make the all important milk and bread run before this weather came in), there are two things I overwhelmingly have the urge to do:  

1.  Make a huge pot of soup
2. Crochet until I can't crochet anymore

To address my first desire I am making a simple, comforting pot of Potato Soup today.  There are many wonderful potato soup recipes out there--and there are days when I'm feeling like lots of extras in my potato soup.  However, there are days like today when I'm confined to the house and all I have on hand is the small list of ingredients I need to make this soup, and it does the trick in a pinch.  Here is what you'll need:

Casey's Simple Potato Soup:

5-6 small whole Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 stalks of celery, diced
1 small onion, diced (opt)
3-4 cups whole milk (more or less to achieve your desired thickness)
1/2 stick butter
1 Tbsp flour
1-2 cloves minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Add any or all of these delicious toppings, or whatever else your heart desires:
Bacon bits, or chopped and cooked bacon
Cheese
Chives
Sour cream

Directions:
Clean and peel potatoes, cut into pieces; chop celery. Place both in salted, boiling water; cook in medium rolling boil until potatoes are tender when pierced with fork (not falling apart). Drain and mush with potato masher, leaving small chunks for texture if desired.  Return to stock pot or transfer to slow-cooker. In separate bowl, mix milk, onion, flour, water, garlic and butter.  Add to potatoes and celery.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to boil uncovered in stock pot, or bring to simmer in 5-6 quart slow-cooker.  If in stock pot on stove, bring to boil, then reduce to LOW heat and simmer until thickened. Simmer in slow-cooker approximately 3 to 4 hrs on HIGH, or 6 to 7 hrs on LOW. Serve with your favorite toppings.

For my second urge, I am finishing up a few crochet projects.  A poncho for my daughter, and a cowl that I will probably keep for myself.  I'm using a variegated yarn for the cowl and I'm very pleased with the results so far.  I look forward to sharing pics of both when they're done!

9th Wedding Anniversary

Yesterday my husband and I celebrated 9 years of marriage!  What a road it has been.  We've had wonderful highs, and terrible lows.  It hasn't always been easy, but I'm thankful that in our hard times, we've chosen to be stretched instead of broken, and that we hopefully stand stronger because of it.  We were engaged just three months after we started dating, and we were married one year and one day after we got engaged.  So, it occurred to me that now, we have been together a decade.  Feels weird to say that.  That thought made me wonder what percentage of marriages last 10 years...even though we have another year to go for that.  I found this article from Web MD interesting.  It discusses some of the factors in marriage, such as education, whether your parents were married, etc.:  Which Marriages Last 10 Years

I also found it interesting that some of the articles I found said that divorce rates drop after the 10-year mark.  I wonder what it is about that first decade that is so difficult?  For those of you who have been married for at least 10-years...what year was most difficult in your marriage?  Your first year?  Did you have the "7-year-itch?"  There were a few different stress points in our marriage so far, but for me, I would have to say our first year together was probably the roughest.  Merging two lives, two different opinions of how to do things, and living away from both of our families for the first time (2+hours from mine, 1.5 hours from his) was probably the most difficult.

With yesterday being the mid point in our week, that means we had Wednesday evening activities at church.  Since my Wednesday's include prep for church that evening I was looking for something quick to feed the kiddos for lunch.  That is usually a good time for me to bring out my sandwich maker.  Do you have one of these?  Ours was given to us a wedding gift--think it was $10 at the time, but it is still kicking, and oh...the many, many sandwiches it has made.  :)  If you do not have one I highly recommend it.  They now range in price depending on how fancy you want to get but the most basic was around $15.  You throw in some bread...whatever filling you desire and let it do the work.  In about 3 minutes you have lunch.  You can also forget the bread and fill it with pancake or cake batter to make up yummy treats.  Yesterday I had American cheese, and some left over chives I put into the sandwiches, and my kids devoured them.  I don't know what it is about those little triangle-shaped pockets of cheese that takes an ordinary grilled cheese and makes it something my kids are much more interested in, but I'm glad they're that enthusiastic about them.  Here is what they looked like before I separated the triangles: 

What are some of your go-to quick lunches?