use 2strands sportweight
row1 c14, dc in 2nd st from hook  and all the way across
row2-7 ch2, dc across
row8 ch2 *hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc* slip st, slip st rep from*to*
make 2
single crochet or slipstitch together with contrasting color and a 5mm hook
on the top make 2c in each space to keep the round shape

Rolltop Preemie Bootess

if you are here you mostlikely followed the link on Ravelry. This is a free pattern. All I ask for in return, is that you will knit/crochet at least one pair (or a square) for LILY.  So here is the pattern you are looking for.

Material: 1x50g ball Four Seasons Gruendl Lisa
                1x set of DPNs Size 4.5mm (US size 7)
Gauge: 24sts x 32 rows = 4in stockinette stitch

Instructions:
CO 25 sts and work 8 rows st st.
Next row: knit 16 sts, turn.
Next row: purl 7 sts, turn. On 7 sts work 12 rows in st st. Break yarn.
With right side of work facing, rejoin yarn to the inside edge of the 9 sts and pick up and knit 5 sts along the side of the foot, knit across 7 sts on the needle, pick up and knit 5 sts along the other side of the foot and finally across the remaining 9 sts. (35sts total).
Work 5 rows of garter stitch.
Shaping the foot: Row 1: k2, k2tog, k11, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k11, k2tog, k2
                             Row 2 (and Row 4, Row 6): knit
                             Row 3: k2, k2tog, k9, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k9, k2tog, k2
                             Row 5: k2, k2tog, k7, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k9, k2tog, k2
                             Row 7: divide your stitches evenly on 2needles and work a
                                          3needle bind off.
Weave in ends and sew up the back. Make another one.

They knit up really really fast. I think it only took me 30 min per bootee. This pattern came to be because I want to support LILY. Please read all about that in the previous post.

UPDATE: on august 28th, they have now sent 1,292 blankets to the Syrian refugee children, that's over 32,000 squares in just 5 months!

Lily - Love In the Language of Yarn: Knit A Square For Syria

Knit A Square For Syria



Please consider making a square or two with your odds and ends. It's a great way to bust your stash. The squares will be joined to form blankets.

It is a lot of fun and immensely satisfying making blankets. It is a good way to use up scraps of wool and different effects can be achieved with colours and by using different stitches. Your gift of a handmade blanket will bring comfort and warmth to Syrian people especially children who continue to suffer from oppression and war. Your lovingly made gift will send a message of concern and hope to these refugees. Your participation is important.!

 

Knitters Please Help


Any spare wool you have can be knitted into eight inch squares and then we'll stitch them all together into a blanket. No waste and someone gets a warm and colourful, cover for their bed!

SQUARES
Can be knitted, Can be crocheted or Can be loomed

Knitting Instructions

FOR ONE 8"/20 cms SQUARE, you will need:
Yarn from a 100 gram (3.5 oz) ball of yarn or scraps of yarn
worsted weight , double knit or 8ply
Size 4mm needles 6 (USA)
A yarn sewing needle.
Cast on 32 stitches (try to make your stitches neither too loose nor too tight to help ensure uniform squares)
Row 1: knit
Row 2: knit. These two rows form the 'garter' stitch knitting pattern for your square but you use any stitch you prefer, beascreative as you like. Continue knitting until you have knitted a square
To ensure you square is 8"/20cm either use a tape measure .

Cast off
Use your yarn sewing needle to sew in all the yarn ends using a darning methodVERY IMPORTANT
Leave a one metre length of your yarn attached to your work after you have cast off. This will be used to join the squares together. but if you're changing colors work in your other tails. DO NOT TIE AND CUT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE KNOT, THAT IS GUARANTEED TO COME UNDONE. Knot if you want, but leave a tail and work in your ends.


Non Knitters can also help by donating yarn or needles.
Once you have your squares ready to send please email me at dbjones5559@hotmail.co.uk for postal address.

 

We work with reputable, experienced relief agencies to securely transport and distribute our hand-knit and crocheted blankets for this progect we are working with IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation. You can also find us at https://www.facebook.com/LilyLoveInTheLanguageOfYarn

How many Slaves work for you?

this is a very interesting question and the March2012 issue from Redbook will help you find the answers aswell as show you what we can all do about it. Here are my fav's:

1. Find out how many slaves work for you by answering 11 questions at slaveryfootprint.org. You'll discover how much slavery plays a part in producing the things you buy, from the mica that gives certain eyeshadows their shimmer to the cotton in some T-shirts — some raw materials are mined or picked by children as young as 6. "By understanding just how big the problem is, we can start demanding that companies are accountable for who's mining their products and working in their factories," says Amy Nyquist, a 37-year-old mom of two who helped create the tool.

2. Educate a freed child slave in East India for one year. All it takes is giving up a $3 latte once a week for 52 weeks and pledging it to the charity Mercy 29's Lattes for Legacies program (mercy29.org/lattesforlegacies.html). Since 2009, the group has negotiated the release of 380 children from India's quarries, where they worked 12-hour days extracting slate and marble.

3. Scan the barcodes of your favorite products using the Free2Work smartphone app to find out which companies are working to eliminate forced labor from their supply chains. Not For Sale, the nonprofit behind the app, has graded more than 300 brands, which include jewelry, electronics, and even chocolate.

4. Give whatever you can to Save the Children (savethechildren.org/donate ), a nonprofit that helps vulnerable kids in more than 120 countries. In 2010 alone, the group trained nearly 17,000 children in El Salvador to protect themselves from traffickers; in Indonesia, they rescued 10,000 kids from dangerous working conditions.


Read more: Stop Child Labor - Solutions For Child Labor - Redbook

101 things to do with toilet paper rolls

...ok ok maybe not quite a 101 :-) I was trying to find an idea for over-the-door-storage for toilet paper. I live in a small space (with a tiny bathroom) an constanly tripping over it makes me crazy. Believe it or not I could not find anything but I came across a lot of ideas on what to do with the empties.

I am sure this idea is something you are all familiar with.

And here is a new idea.

Tried and true

New and improved

 

Seed Starter Pots

Napkin rings

Looks expensive, hm?

My favourite!

Why didn't I think of that?

Vanilla Syrup& Sugar

Today I made homemade vanilla syrup to go in my coffee or over dessert. I was lucky and got my hands on some inexpensive vanilla beans a few days ago. So tomorrow I will make a jar of vanilla sugar as well.

Here is the recipe I used:

1 1/2 cups tap water
3 cups white sugar
4 vanilla beans, scraped
1 shot brown rum (or spiced)


Mix the vanilla with the rum and add 1 cup sugar. Let sit for about 30 min. Stir. Add the other ingredients and bring to boil. (I am impatient, so I do this on high heat, watching like a hawk.) Constantly stirring till sugar is dissolved. Turn down heat and simmer for 3 min. I poured mine in an empty Asbach bottle that holds 0,7l and it was a perfect fit. (Actually you will get a little extra. Hm, maybe a 1l bottle would be better....) I also included the beans and will let this sit for a while to get a more intense flavor.

This makes deliciously thick and rich syrup. It even works on waffles and pancakes....

ps after a tip from another blogger, I ordered more beans on Ebay. I got lucky, they are good quality and seem fresh.

pps dont worry about the rum. I will boil away but helps the flavor

After the Challenge

I finished my 30 days. Well, I actually did 40days, since this is the traditional time to fast (some people call it lent, I think).

So, how did it go?
Well, let me tell you, honestly, I got out off it what I wanted. I put more thought into my eating habits in generall aswell as my shopping. I will buy 1 bar of organic, fairtrade dark chocolate than 4 bars of milkchocolate milka bars. And you know what the most surprising fact is? I eat less. Instead of mowing threw said bar of chocolate, I am satisfied with a few pieces.

So, does it save me money?
Honestly, I dont think so. Regular milk is 51cents for 1/4 gallon, soymilk at least 99cents for 1/4 gallon. Organic is twice as expensive as regular, no matter what you buy.
So, do I feel better?
Not to be gross but I feel so much better about my digestion, I can't even tell you. Less bloated and much lighter, even though I did not loose any weight. At least not from the challenge. I did spent have the challenge dealing with a liver infection. Let me tell you, that was not fun at all!

So, did I stick with it?
Once again, I will be honest. No, I slipped every once in a while. Yes, i felt bad about it but I also realized a few important things. I want to do this to enrich my life and make a difference. How can I make a difference, if I am constantly preoccupied and stressed out about every thing I eat. For me personally, it takes the fun out of eating and life is way to short for that. I love to cook and I have to do it on a very, very small budget. So, I cut corners and make exeptions. Every day I try my best and that has to be enough. So, if there is cheese on my pizza or yoghurt sauce on my kebap, I will eat it and I will ENJOY myself.
So, will I stick with it?
Yes, I will make as many changes as I can handle and afford. Yes, I know I can see all of you hard core vegans roll your eyes. Money is more than printed paper and I can't save the planet on a empty stomach, neither can you. I also learned to listen to my body and its needs. After being sick for so long and living off of tea, soup and salt pretzels, I realized that if my body wants an egg I will eat an egg because in the end there is a reason we have cravings.
I will leave you with some words of wisdom, I found very comforting:

If we give our best every day, God will take care of the rest.

Just because I dont eat fish doesn't mean I can't have fun....

for a complete fish-free sushi treasury click here

30 day challenge

So yesterday was Ash Wednesday and even though I am not a religious person, I always try to fast for 40 days. Well, I use the word "fast" in its most liberal way possible. I will give up one thing completely and try to educate myself on the topic.

This year I will try to go Vegan. I will be honest, my family is not too excited about it. I think they are afraid, I might hide all their meat. But no fear: PETA is here to save the day! They offer a 30 free trial, which includes daily support and info, right in your mailbox, as well as a calendar. For all of you that don't speak German, you can pledge here.

If going Vegan is too big of a step for you, try this: a vegetarian starter kit.

I also went shopping and was super excited to find things at the regular grocery store without having to spend an arm and a leg. Don't be fooled I am doing this on a tight, very tight budget. And I also have one missing: to make the best vegan brownies/cupcakes/cinnamon rolls you can think of.

It took me twice as long to finish my trip, since I had to read every single label. A lot of companies here will offer vegan products but don't carry the label to keep their products affordable (nice thought, right?). So I noticed everybody else just put stuff in their cart without paying much attention, and then there was I.....Later on this day we had a conversation about milk and cartons. We realized they don't put pictures of missing children on the back of soy milk cartons. I wonder why. Since people that buy regular milk are to 99% unlikely to read the back since they know what's inside. BUT people that HAVE to know what's in their carton will read the back, hence see the pictures.

What do you think?

some days I am so tired I am way past giving a sh**

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …

 

enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own,
even if she never wants to or needs to…
something perfect to wear if the employer,
or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour…

 

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..

 

a youth she’s content to leave behind….
a past juicy enough that she’s looking forward to
retelling it in her old age….
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra…
one friend who always makes her laugh… and one who lets her cry…

 

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …….

 

a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family…
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems,
and a recipe for a meal,
that will make her guests feel honored…

 

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..

 

a feeling of control over her destiny…..
how to fall in love without losing herself..

 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

 

how to quit a job,
break up with a lover,
and confront a friend without;
ruining the friendship….

 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW….

 

when to try harder… and WHEN TO WALK AWAY…

 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

 

that she can’t change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
that her childhood may not have been perfect…but it’s over…

 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

 

what she would and wouldn’t do for love or more…..
how to live alone… even if she doesn’t like it…

 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. .

 

whom she can trust,
whom she can’t,
and why she shouldn’t take it personally…

 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

 

where to go…
be it to her best friend’s kitchen table..
or a charming Inn in the woods…
when her soul needs soothing…

 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

 

What she can and can’t accomplish in a day…
a month…and a year…