Gemstones and Pearls Scarf Free Pattern

I posted this pattern for sale a couple of years ago, but due to life being life, I am no longer selling things on etsy. I have decided to post the pattern here.

This beautiful scarf is a perfect colorful complement to a gray rainy day. It is lightweight and the pearl colored lace section is a nice contrast to the gemstone colors of the yarn in the main part of the scarf. It is sure to bring a smile to the wearer’s face because, honestly, who doesn’t love a few pearls and gemstones hanging around their neck?

Materials: 

• 2 skeins/330m fine (2) weight yarn (pictured: Deborah Norville Serenity Garden in Gems)  
• ½ skein/105m super fine (1) weight yarn (pictured: Deborah Norville Serenity Sock Weight in Soft White)  
• I hook  
• Yarn needle
  
  Notes:  This scarf can be made in a variety of colors and yarn types. These particular yarns were chosen for the colors (and honestly, for the fact that they were already in my stash). Gauge is not terribly important and the scarf can be changed to match your desired dimensions. You will, however, want to have a strong color contrast between the yarn of the main body of the scarf and the yarn of the lace section.
  
   This scarf is worked in two sections. The first section is a simple double crochet rectangle. The second section, which will be worked into the beginning ch of the first section, is done in a pretty lace stitch. The two ends will then be joined together to create an infinity scarf. The scarf will measure 11” x 60” before the ends are joined.  

Directions

Scarf

Ch 43 (or multiple of 10 + 3 if you want it narrower or wider)

Row 1: dc in 4th chain from hook (counts as 2 dc), dc in each ch across (41), ch 3, turn

Row 2: dc in each stitch across (41), ch 3, turn

Row 3 - 90: repeat row 2, at the end of row 90 fasten off and weave in ends. This section of the scarf should measure about 11” x 45” when not stretched.

Lace Section

Row 91: with the right side facing, attach second yarn to the beginning chain, sc in the first 2 chain stitches, ch 3, skip 2 chain stitches, *sc in the next 3 chain stitches, ch 3, skip 2 chain stitches, repeat from * ending with a sc in each of the last 2 chain stitches, ch 1, turn

Row 92: skip first sc, sc in next stitch, 1 sc in ch 3 space, * ch 3, skip 1 sc, 1 dc in the next stitch, ch 3, skip 1 sc, sc in ch 3 space, sc in next 3 stitches, sc in ch 3 space, repeat from * ending with sc in the last ch 3 space, sc in the next stitch, sc in the turning ch, ch 1, turn

Row 93: skip first sc, sc in the next stitch, *ch 3, skip 1 sc, sc in ch 3 space, sc in dc, sc in ch 3 space, ch 3, skip 1 sc, sc in the next 3 stitches, repeat from * ending with sc in the last stitch, sc in the turning ch 1, ch 6, turn

Row 94: skip first 2 sc, *sc in ch 3 space, sc in the next 3 stitches, sc in the ch 3 space, ch 3, skip 1 sc, dc in the next stitch, ch 3, skip 1 sc, repeat from * ending with a dc in the turning ch 1, ch 1, turn

Row 95: skip first dc, *sc in the ch 3 space, ch 3, skip 1 sc, sc in the next 3 stitches, ch 3, skip 1 sc, sc in the ch 3 space, sc in the dc, repeat from * ending with sc in the ch 6 space, sc in the 3rd ch of the ch 6, ch 1, turn

Row 96 - 147: Repeat row 92-95 (there will be 14 repeats of the pattern at the end of row 147)

Row 148: work 41 sc along the top edge (sc in each stitch and work 2 sc into each ch 3 space) to give you a solid place to sew or slip stitch the two ends of the scarf together. The lace section should be about 12” long before it is blocked (15” after). It will be narrower than the double crochet section at about 9”.

Finishing 
Block the scarf, if desired. The double crochet section doesn’t really need blocking in the particular yarn used here, but I strongly recommend steam blocking the lace section to open up the stitches. Simply pin the section to a heat safe surface (like an ironing board) and use an iron set to steam just above the crochet work. Do not touch the iron to the yarn! Once cooled, sew or slip stitch the two ends together, being careful not to twist the scarf.

LEEP Procedure Cross Stitch Pattern

A few years ago, I had a cervical cancer prevention procedure called a L.E.E.P. I'll spare you all the details, but it did it's job and I've been clear from abnormal cells since. My friend is having one done next week, and she texted me all freaked out about it, without knowing that I had previously had one. I was able to explain the procedure to her (so she could stop reading message boards at 2am - which is never a good plan), and help her feel a little better.

Then I started with the jokes...

"We'll be LEEP buddies! We should have shirts made!"
"It's like a facelift for your cervix! No more wrinkles!"
"You should focus on videotaping [your husband] cause you know he's gonna pass out!"

After all, what are friends for?

Next week, while she's having the procedure, I'm going to drop off a little care package at her house and it will include this little cross stitch that hopefully will make her smile

Want to make your own for a friend, your doctor, or even yourself? Use the chart below. (Note: I don't keep track of my embroidering threads very well, so I have no idea which exact colors I used. Also, a few of the lines - like the # - are worked between the holes of the aida fabric.)

Happy Stitching!

Life Lately

We officially started our summer break Monday afternoon. Our first stop (we literally left Elijah's school and went there) was the airport to drop off my husband for another business trip to China - the 5th one since May 2016. Not my favorite, but at least this one is only for a week.

We made it through Elijah's first year of school relatively unscathed. I ended up being hired by the school district to help out in his class for the last 3 months of the year. It was a little entertaining filling out the application though. So, I'm applying to be a kindergarten classroom assistant and they ask about degrees. I have a Masters of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MATESOL). Then they ask about your current title. Officially, although I don't agree with it because I don't have a Ph.D., my title at work is Professor. That's probably the most overqualified I've ever felt for a job I was applying for. But let me tell you, the degree and the title don't make working with kindergarteners any easier. There is a special place in Heaven reserved for people who do this for a living.

On the creative front, I've picked up a new hobby - hand lettering + drawing flowers (see image above). I've been using a couple of books to learn, and I highly recommend them. Hand Lettering 101 by Sarah Snyder at ChalkFullofLove, Botanical Line Drawing by Peggy Dean from ThePigeonLetters, and How to Draw Modern Florals by Alli Koch from AlliKDesigns. Today, I should be getting a package that includes an embossing kit, so we'll see how that works out...I have a feeling I will be Embossing. All. The. Things. for a while. :)

I haven't done a whole lot with yarn since the beginning of the year. My husband and I currently have a competition going on to see who can last the longest without buying guitar pedals (him) and yarn (me). We've made it almost 6 months, but it's getting irritating because I keep trying to make a blanket for my new little nephew who is due to arrive in August, but I keep running out of yarn before I'm able to finish. I think I just need to move on to a scrappy yarn blanket instead of a set color pattern, or break into the yarn stash I had saved for a bigger project.

Other than that, we've just been trying to get into the habit of getting out of the house in the morning and get 3 miles of walking in before the heat of the day (which, since it's June in the PNW hasn't really arrived just yet, although today is looking promising). Speaking of which, I need to hustle and get my kid out the door now.

I hope you all have had a fantastic start to your summer!

Stitch People Portraits

About a year ago, as a birthday gift to myself, I bought the Do It Yourself Stitch People Pattern Design Book because I wanted to make little stitch people portraits for each year my husband and I had been together (almost 8 years married + wedding) as an 8th anniversary gift. I planned to frame all the little portraits and hang them on the wall. Here's what I ended up with:

Well, I realized I would now have to make one every year until the end of time, so I bought another frame and got to work...

I have so much fun designing these little portraits that I made one for my step-sister and her husband for Christmas...

One for my coworker's birthday...although apparently, I forgot to take a picture of the finished piece.

And recently, I've been working on some wedding/birthday/new baby gifts...

 (the black canvas was a little different, but I like how the white stands out)

   

I just bought the Christmas pattern book and am going to try to get a head start on a picture for our Christmas cards, and maybe some personalized tags/ornaments for Christmas. Shh...I know it's April, but these things take time to make :)

So, if you're looking for some easy, although a little time consuming, super cute gifts, I highly recommend this book. Happy Stitching!

I Hate Weather Forecasts!

I don't know about where you live, but here in the Pacific Northwest, our weather is unpredictable enough that our weather forecasts are almost always wrong. With all the different mountain ranges, and large bodies of water, it's hard to accurately predict what various weather systems will do.

For example, late last year, they were predicting a huge wind storm. At the last second, the system moved 50 miles off of the predicted course, and most of the area was left with a couple of big gusts that knocked over lawn chairs. Not the huge wind event with widespread power outages that they were predicting. It did give us this meme, which makes me laugh...so there's that...

Then came the snow predictions. I think they've gotten maybe (maybe!) one of them right so far this year. They keep showing up on my phone, and then nothing happens! It's so irritating!

Lies, all lies! We had one little flurry, and nothing stayed on the ground.

Last night, there was another winter weather advisory, and they were predicting about 1-2" of snow to fall in the area overnight. So, at 10pm yesterday, I got a call from my son's school that they were going to preemptively delay school two hours. Sweet.

This morning - no snow! No ice! Nothing! So, I'm chilling at home with my kid for two hours because of rain...awesome.

Silver lining: I'm still in my pjs, drinking tea, and writing to you all, instead of rushing around trying to get my kid out the door, but still - I want some snow!

So, weather people, I know you're trying your best to get the forecast right, and you'd rather be overly cautious, than not cautious enough, but please, stop getting our hopes up! :)

4 Reasons Why I Like When My Husband Goes on Business Trips

Out of the last 4 months, my husband has been in China for work for about a month. He took a two week trip in early May (after he convinced his boss that he could not leave the country on my birthday, so he left the day after), and he is currently finishing up another two week trip right now (he'll be home in two days). I hate when he's gone. I mean, sure, I miss him, but with Skype we probably end up talking almost as much as we do when he's home, so it's not really that. Mostly, I hate being a single parent. Military families and single parents - you have my undying respect.
I seriously wonder if my son will survive each of these trips. He does, of course, as I would never harm my son, but I did get smart and shipped him off to Grandma's for one night each week this time, so I could take a break from the little tyrant who is acting out because he misses his dad.

This morning, while enjoying my kid-free time, I was doing some chores around the house and started thinking about the things I like while my husband is gone.

1. Because I only ever use the smaller silverware, I never have to sort it when I do the dishes. If there's a fork, it's a little fork. If there's a spoon, it's a teaspoon. No comparing sizes. Also, because I usually only drink water, I have one or two glasses that I constantly use, so there are very little glasses to put away.

2. When I go to do the laundry, there's never a forgotten load already in the machine. Of course, my son's laundry is still in the dryer from yesterday, but it won't be an unpleasant surprise that it's there.

3. Making the bed consists of pulling the covers back where they belong and putting the pillows back in their correct places. I hate his pillows (they're big and heavy and wake me up whenever they touch me at night), so I take great enjoyment of throwing them off the bed at night.

4. Containers always make it into the garbage. For some reason, my husband has a mental block about throwing containers (bottles, milk cartons, etc.) into the garbage. He sits them on the counter next to the garbage instead and it drives me crazy!

But really, that's about it. Sure, it's nice to have a break from those little pet peeves, but in the grand scheme of things, I would rather sort silverware, do extra laundry, remake the bed every morning, and throw containers away myself in order to have my husband home.

We're in the home stretch, and next time I might be serious in my threat to make my husband quit if they try to send him to China again.

Hello Spring Break!

Today is the start of my Spring Break. The weather here in the Pacific Northwest has welcomed this day with sun, rain, wind, and hail. "In like a lion" is no joke this year, especially after yesterday's wind storm!

I spent the mid-morning clearing out my work binder and prepping for next quarter. I spent the afternoon crushing academic dreams, aka, giving a final exam and calculating grades. I spent the last half hour deciding on some Spring Break goals.

Normally during Spring Break, I do a big deep clean of the house. There are a few real cleaning things I want to accomplish - deep cleaning bathrooms and cleaning the carpets are high on the list - but this year I have a different kind of big clean I want to do.

My brain feels overstuffed and overwhelmed with creative ideas. I plan on taking these next two weeks to help clear out the clutter up in my noggin.

I started last week by cleaning out my Pinterest board. I only had one board - Stuff to Make - which I keep secret. I went through and deleted the pins I knew I was never going to get around to or my interest in had faded. Then I made a new secret board - Stuff I've Done - and cleared out all the pins I've already used. Let me tell you, this has really helped me let go of a lot of creative clutter in my brain.

This week, I want to focus on finishing projects that I've already bought the supplies for but never got around to doing. These include creating a new, shorter strap for my new leather bag, sewing a bow scarf out of Dollar Store knit scarves, finishing a crochet hat I started over the weekend, and working up some crochet items with the bulky yarn that has been taking up way too much space in my yarn storage area. I also want to work through my pins that simply involve printing something out (paper gem templates, cute coloring pages, etc.) and moving those to my new board.

Next week, I'll work on those ideas that I still need to buy supplies for, and maybe some bigger projects I need to do while Elijah is in school.

I'm looking forward to cleaning out my brain much more than cleaning out my bathrooms...

What's cluttering up your brain?