TARDIS Knit Dishcloth Pattern

At the risk of exposing my inner nerd, todays Make it Monday project is the Dr. Who blue Police Box better known as the TARDIS ( Time And Relative Dimension In Space ). For those of you who do not know what that is... I'm sorry (you can go on Netflix and find out). For those of you Who do...this one's for you! (Couldn't resist the pun.)

I first watched the Doctor with my father when I was younger. It was the 4th Doctor back then for those of you who are fans. I wasn't really into it at that time though. It was just a way to hang out with my dad. That and watching football games. As all series do, it eventually ended in 1989. Of course I had ceased watching it long before that.

In 2005, they resurrected the show and my siblings became avid fans soon followed by my mother. I resisted! All that I could remember were those corny 70's shows and had no interest in watching. My two youngest kids, Layne and Eric Jr., were exposed to the show after spending the night at Grandma's last year. They were hooked but I still wasn't interested. After a conversation with my Mom, I agreed to watch an episode as she totally loved it. What could it hurt, right?

Well, after just that one episode, I was hooked! I love The Doctor now! My boys and I watch it together on Family Night. My husband Eric and my three oldest kids don't watch though. They haven't got the bug yet but the boys have gotten my mother-in-law to watch with them. It really is a fun family show.

I always have to be doing something while I watch TV though. I like to feel that I'm accomplishing something while sitting there loosing brain cells. I knit, crochet, do needle work... whatever is handy. I have been into making washcloths lately so I decided to incorporate some of The Doctor into my crafting.

There are several patterns on Ravelry.com for Dr. Who themed cloths but I decided to create my own. If you can do a knit and purl stich then you can do this. I tried to keep it simple. (This pattern is my own original work and is for personal use only. It may not be reproduced for sale without my written permission.)


TARDIS knit Dishcloth

Materials: Medium weight cotton yarn & size 7 knitting needles.

Gauge: Don't worry about it! This is a dishcloth.

CO 37

Rows 1-4      K1, P1 across (seed stich)
Row 5           (K1, P1)2, K29, (K1, P1)2
Row 6           (K1, P1)2, P29, (K1, P1)2
Row 7           Repeat Row 5
Row 8           Repeat Row 6
Row 9           (K1, P1)2, K3, P23, K3, (P1, K1)2
Row 10         (K1, P1)2, P3, K23, P3, (P1, K1)2
Row 11         (K1, P1)2, K29, (P1, k1)2
Row 12         (K1, p1)2, P4, K1, P2, K5, P2, K1, P2, K5, P2, K1, P4, (P1, k1)2
Row 13         (k1, P1)2, K4, P1, K2, P5, K1, P1, K2, P5, K2, P1, K4, (P1, K1)2
Row 14         Repeat Row 12
Row 15         Repeat Row 13
Row 16         Repeat Row 12
Row 17         (K1, P1)2, K2, P1, K9, P1, K9, P1, K4, (P1, K1)2
Rows 18-29  Repeat Rows 12-17
Row 30         (K1, P1)2, P4, K1, P3, K1, P1, K1, P3, K1, P3, K1, P1, K1, P3, K1, P4, (P1, K1)2
Row 31         (K1, P1)2, K4, P1, K3, P1, K1, P1, K3, P1, K3, P1, K1, P1, K3, P1, K4, (P1, K1)2
Row 32         (K1, P1)2, P4, K1, P2, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P2, K1, P2, K1, P2, K1, P2, K1, P2, K1, P4, (P1, K1)2

Row 33         Repeat Row 31
Row 34         Repeat Row 30
Row 35         (K1, P2)2, K4, P1, K2, P5, K2, P1, K2, P5, K2, P1, K4, (P1, K1)2
Row 36         (K1, P1)2, P4, K1, P9, K1, P9, K1, P4, (P1, K1)2
Row 37         (K1, P1)2, K4, P1, K9, P1, K9, P1, K4. (P1, K1)2
Row 38         (K1, P1)2, P4, K1, P2, K15, P2, K1, P4, (P1, K1)2
Row 39         (K1, P1)2, K4, P1, K2, P15, K2, P1, K4, (P1, K1)2
Row 40         Repeat Row 38
Row 41         (K1, P1)2, K4, P1, K19, P1, K4, (P1, K1)2
Row 42         (K1, P1)2, P4, K1, P19, K1, P4, (P1, K1)2
Row 43         (K1, P1)2, K4, P21, K4, (P1, K1)2
Row 44         (K1, P1)2, P4. K21, P4, (P1, K1)2
Row 45         (K1, P1)2, K6, P17, K6, (P1, K1)2
Row 46         (K1, P1)2, P6, K17, P6, (P1, K1)2
Row 47         (K1, P1)2, K8, P13, K8, (P1, K1)2
Row 48         (K1, P1)2, P8, K13, P8, (P1,K1)2
Row 49         (K1, P2)2, K13, P3, K13, (P1, K1)2
Row 50         (K1, P1)2, P13, K3, P13, (P1, K1)2
Row 51         Repeat Row 49
Row 52         Repeat Row 6
Row 53         Repeat Row 5
Row 54         Repeat Row 6
Row 55         Repeat Row 5
Rows 56-59  Repeat Rows 1-4

Bind off.


Well, there you have it. My version of the TARDIS. I think that I will be creating other Dr. Who themed patterns so that I can have a whole set. How cool would that be!? Ok, ok... yes I'm a nerd. If you catch an error in the pattern, let me know. Those of you who love the Doctor as much as I do, enjoy!

Have a great Monday!

Tina:)         

Good Friday

Today is a day, at least for me, of reflection. It absolutely amazes me at how much God loves us. We are none of us worthy. It is humbling to think that Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, was willing to take on the sin of the world. To pay a price that He did not owe for a debt we could not pay. He was beaten, suffered and died all because He loves us and wants us to be able to be forgiven and dwell with God.

If you don't know Him, I pray that you would. I have so much love in my heart and such joy in my life because I do know him. He is an ever constant companion. He is strong when I am weak. He comforts me when I'm sad. He laughs with me when I am happy. He prays for me always. He is my best friend!

Know today, just how very much Jesus loves you! Accept Him and love Him back and I promise that your life will never be the same. He will be with you always!

Have a blessed Good Friday!
Your sister in Christ,
Tina:)

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

 

 

With Easter fast approaching, my interest in naturally dyed eggs has been renewed. In keeping with my goal of a more homemade and chemical free lifestyle, I felt this would be something to look into. Of course, if you have access to eggs from an Araucana chicken (sometimes called Easter Egg Chickens) there is no need to dye them as they are a variety of beautiful colors all on their own.

Now I know that Easter eggs are not really a Christian theme for the holiday but none the less, I know that it is something that many folks like to do. They are so pretty after all. So, I have searched the web looking for natural dyes that you could make with ingredients which you could find at your local grocery store. Here is what I found. 

At Chemistry on About.com I found some excellent info on how to dye naturally. They even suggest to boil your eggs in the dye instead of soaking them after boiling which I thought would be a great time saver. Listed in their color chart are several different options for each color. I think that this is my favorite link for common ingredient colors.

Big Sis Lil Sis, as you can see put a beautiful spin on hand dyed eggs. She offers a tutorial on how to achieve absolutely amazing designs and colors on her eggs. I am in absolute awe of these. This will definitely be on my list of things to try. These are quite simply amazing!

For a no mess way to dye using Mason Jars eHow has an article written by 17apart that is eggcellent (ok, I couldn't resist). I use mason jars for so many things, now I have a new one. I will using this method with my various dyes.


 Last but not least,  Tried and Tasty  has a wonderful "how to" with tons of fantastic photos. Lots of recipes for various colored dyes. Great site!

So, now that I have the all of this info I am off to town to get my ingredients to make beautiful and natural egg dyes. I don't think that I will stop at eggs though. I think that I will be using these dyes for a lot of different projects as well. You could color fabric, fleece, homemade paper, stain wood and so many other things. I think that you could use these natural dyes on anything which would absorb them. I think that I have found a new hobby.

In closing, a reminder.... Easter is not about colored eggs, bunnies and baby chicks. It is about our redemption and salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. That is the reason for this season.

God Bless!
Tina:)

Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

One of my kids favorite treats is on the agenda today for Make it Monday, Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars. My children packed these in their lunch when they were in school and I even sent these to my son Joshua when he was stationed in Afghanistan with the Marine Corps. He told me that he had to start stashing them when I sent them so that his buddies wouldn't eat them all. They are always a hit!

It is a simple and pretty quick treat to whip up. The boys came rushing to the kitchen to see what I was baking this morning once that yummy smell wafted upstairs. It was hard to get them to wait until they cooled to have one!

Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
(Makes 24 Bars)

Ingredients:
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1/3 wheat germ
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9 inch pan. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, peanut butter, corn syrup, butter and vanilla: blend well.
 

Stir in remaining ingredients.

Press mixture evenly in prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely.

Cut into bars.

Optional Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup sunflowers nuts
1/2 cup raisins
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
You can substitute carob chips if desired

I like to wrap them in waxed paper before I put them in the cookie jar to keep them from sticking together as they are chewy and gooey (Yum). It also makes them easier to grab and go when packing snacks or lunches. Not that they last all that long!

As you can see they are really easy to make and trust me, everyone will love them. You can add just about anything (or everything) in these to suit your own personal taste. Make it your own!

Enjoy!
Tina:)

Expert Gardener Electric Trimmer / Edger Product Review

Spring has finally come (most days) so I am finally getting a chance to cleaned up around the homestead. Since the property had been vacant for well over a year when we moved in, there is a lot of work to do outside before we can even think about planting the garden, putting up a clothes line, installing and repairing fencing, erecting outbuildings and of course... animals!

We have given a lot of stuff to the kids as they moved out to help them get started. One of those things was our weed eater. It was a very nice gas powered model which I only used once or twice. Reason being that it was on the heavy side and really made for a 6' tall man. Too long and awkward for me to handle comfortably. So, I needed a new one to tackle our property.

My main criteria for the new trimmer were pretty simple.
    *Electric instead of gas (I didn't want to mess with mixing it)
    *Light weight
    *Won't break the bank (I am on a budget after all)

I started online, looking at the various stores in my area to find out who had what, how they rated and how much they cost. There are dozens out there and you can pay a pretty penny for some of them. I found one at Walmart that looked promising so I headed to town to get it.

I purchased the Expert Gardener 13" 4-Amp String Trimmer (Affiliate Link). You can have it shipped and then pick it up at your local Walmart for free. Best of all, it is only $28.97! Right up my alley.

I have to admit that I was a little nervous about buying such an inexpensive tool. After all, you get what you pay for... right? So, I took it home and crossed my fingers. Here are the specs...

    *4 Amp Motor
    *13 in. Cutting Path
    *2 yr. Warranty
    *The shaft rotates for edging.
    *Has an auto feed head.
    *Fold out edge guide.
    *Adjustable height
    *Weighs 5.2 lbs.
    *Uses .065 in. line

The trimmer comes in 3 pieces which are very easy to assemble. It's really a no brainer. Only tool that you will need for assembly is a screw driver for one screw. It also comes with extensive instructions (not just pictures) which is nice for a newbie like me.

After I put it together of course I had to try it out! I was really excited to use my new toy! So, the first project that I decided to tackle was the backyard between the house and the pasture. This is what I was up against.

Not a pretty site I know. I was super impressed with the way the trimmer performed though. I has good power with no hesitation. I love that it has adjustable height which means it will be comfortable for both my hubby and myself. The auto feeder worked great as well. Absolutely no complaints.  Here is the after.

Pretty impressive, huh! I still has some daylight left to burn, so I moved on to the front. I Had the same type of woody weeds there too. Here's how it turned out.

That was all I had time for on Friday. I was starting to feel some pain at this point anyway. After all, I was not very physically active through the winter (I admit it). Eric Jr. made dinner for me (the sweetie) and I headed for a nice soak in the tub!

Saturday I didn't want to get out of bed! Boy was I sore. But, no pain no gain right? I popped a couple Aleve and off I went for round 2. It was supposed to start raining in the afternoon so I just figured that I would work on the side yard and pasture until it did. (It never did rain!)

Before...

After...

I did way more than I really planned on doing. I just kept telling myself to keep going until it rained. As I said, it never did. All together I probably cleared an acre of land. It is a beautiful site though. This is supposed to be a product review though... so let me get back to that.

As you can see, I pushed this little machine pretty hard! Although it is really designed for your average suburban yard (pretty green grass) it is capable of much more! It never once quit on me. At one point, I had to use a total of 8 long extension cords to reach out into the pasture. It never lost a bit of power.

I would totally recommend this trimmer / edger to anyone! It is easy to assemble, use, is a work horse and you sure can't beat the price! Overall, a great little machine.

Well, after a hot showers to get off the grime, my comfy jammies and a hot cup of tea I was off to bed! A little sore today but I am super pleased with the result. I sat on the front porch this morning with my coffee just to look out at it. I am super blessed to live here. I love my life!

Have a great day of rest!
Tina:)

Free Book

This book is free from Amazon right now. I just downloaded it to my kindle app. I love it when I can get books for FREE! Check it out!



Happy Monday!
Tina:)

He Has Risen!

Easter is only two weeks away. So, in honor of our Lord Jesus Christ, this Make it Monday project is an Easter centerpiece. It depicts the  three crosses to remind us of His crucifixion and death which paid the price for our sin as well as the empty tomb which proved his resurrection, conquering sin and death. I found this idea on Pinterest. I was unable to locate the original source. Whoever you are... thank you for the inspiration!

This is a simple project that the kids can help you with. My youngest son Layne helped me out. You will obviously need to do this in advance of Easter Sunday in order for your grass to grow. (I really should have made mine sooner.) You can substitute moss or groundcover plants from your local nursery if you wish to do this as an Easter project.

This is the photo which inspired my project.

Our scene is similar to this although I had to improvise on some of my materials. Here's the list of what we used.

1 plastic oil pan (couldn't find a terracotta base large enough)
1 small plastic pot
Dirt from the yard (Free!)
Small stones + 1 large rock for the tombstone (also from the yard)
Several small twigs
Raffia
Grass seed

This is all that I purchased. Everything else was found around the house. All together it only cost me about $5.00 at Walmart.

 



Layne filled our pan with dirt from the yard. 

 

 

 

We buried out pot sideways in the dirt making our tomb mound. Found the perfect flat rock for the tombstone out in the field along with smaller stones for our path. (No shortage of rocks on the property here!)

 

 

We needed sticks for our crosses so we went across the field to hunt for some since we don't have any trees yet on our property. Farmer Fred has a wooded spot in his field where we found lots of twigs. Thanks Fred!

 

Next we added our grass seed. I moistened the soil first with a spray bottle and then spritzed it again after seeding to water it.

To make our crosses we cut our twigs to length and tied them together with some natural raffia that I had on hand. I think that it turned out really great! Hopefully the grass will sprout before Easter but, even if it doesn't, it is still a wonderful reminder of what this season is all about.

"But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where he lay.""                  Matthew 28:5-6

Enjoy making your own resurrection scene and have a great day!
God Bless!
Tina:)