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Tunisian Crochet
> Tunisian gauge
Re: Tunisian gauge
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Latest reply: May 24, 2014 at 12:00:20 AM
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Look at that smile! (Photo guaranteed unretouched)
Member since:
Jul 1, 2009
Posts: 4584
Stitchboard Admin
message #76
Re: Tunisian gauge
October 27, 2013 at 8:29:27 PM
Sherry,
Woo hoo, you got it...
loving
that idea...let's get our gifts done and convert the knit dishcloth patterns to TKS!
Aha, so your avocation has pretty much become your vocation! Can't love that idea enough!
Do you think the alternating TKS/TPS elasticity is comparable to knitted ribbing? If so...I may do that with the crop top...I think I mentioned that stupid top several messages ago. I'm in the completely boring process of marking every 1/4" on the hem. (Couldn't find the pens that will fade in time or with washing, so I'm marking the side that won't be seen with a regular ink pen...I figure it
should
wash out, and if not, nobody will see it anyway.) I thought pulling the yarn through that tight stitiching would be bad...that's
nothing
compared to marking every 1/4". I decided on that because that seems to be about my gauge in TKS, about 4 sts per inch, give or take. Still have to ensure I can pull the hook through, though, and that may
not
work, in which case it will mean making bigger loops (hmm, or just using a smaller hook for loop pulling, duh!). I'm using a backstitch, rather than a buttonhole stitch, because I don't want lacy loops from the bottom of the hem to the TKS part, which would expose skin to cold.
Then I'd envision starting in the middle back (or one side) and chaining a section for the TKS/TPS if it's elastic enough to use instead oif knitted ribbing...I'll just work vertically instead of horizontally for that, catching the bottom of the TKS section all around the shirt.
Wow, detergent companies used to give away free towels? I never knew that. If my mother did get free towels, she never said anything, though by the time I was doing my own laundry, they weren't giving away towels.
Unfortunately, companies are always looking to cut corners...I guarantee nobody would give away towels today.
I guess the dollar stores are good for something, huh?! Hand towels! Can't say I've seen any bath towels there.
You're right, no place is perfect. I think the humidity there is the part that would really bother me. Both AZ and NV are a lot less humid, though as a comedian once pointed out, an oven is an oven!
Seriously, though, better the heat with less humidity, because it does feel less miserable...one of the things I hate about being up north is getting the humidity...the hot, hot summers where all you can do is
sweat
.
I probably couldn't take your heat.
Awww, thank you for the warming thoughts!
Ugh, the winters chill me right to the bone.
And you're right about snow shoveling, too...it's the absolute worst. Matter of fact, the most heinous and offensive four letter word in my book is...
SNOW
!
Melanie (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=
~~~~~
I'm a beading, knitting and crochet addict. If that means I'm admitting I have a problem, then I admit to nothing. Please refrain from helping me.
Member since:
Jul 3, 2013
Posts: 575
BetwixtTheStitch
message #77
Re: Tunisian gauge
October 28, 2013 at 9:08:31 AM (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #1)
Melanie,
I"m envisioning what your talking about doing with the sweatshirt, and I think it should work quite well.
I think that will be cute.
I seem to get between 4 and 5 stitches per inch in. TKS as well, depending on hook size, so now we have a baseline to work from.
What knitting needle size would you use to get the same?
When I worked in the hospital, I used hairspray to get ink out of my white lab coats.
Rubbing alcohol might work, too.
I don't think it gets any hotter here than an Iowa summer, although we do have a few more days a year of 100 degree temps. and it certainly doesn't get as hot as Az.
Humidity is worse than desert areas, yes. But not as bad as living near the Miss. river in summer.
In the winters up there, I used to think I would never be warm again
, and they last for sooooo long.
Here, I've been able to get fresh veggies from my garden in December!
The worst year since I've been here, we got our first freeze on Thanksgiving, but then it popped back up into the 80's.
Snow is pretty to look at, for a day, if you don't have to go out. Other than that, I'm with you on it.
Sherry
Look at that smile! (Photo guaranteed unretouched)
Member since:
Jul 1, 2009
Posts: 4584
Stitchboard Admin
message #78
Re: Tunisian gauge
October 28, 2013 at 10:38:32 PM (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #2)
Sherry,
Thanks!
I hope I'm going in the right direction with the sweatshirt, because it's wasted, anyway, until I can do something with it, so it
really
helps to hear your feedback.
I could turn it into yarn (LOL, swarn?), but there's not that much of it and why waste what could be a good top if it's got a bottom part again?
I can't remember what my gauge is with that particular (acrylic) yarn and knitting needles, but as a guess, likely a 6-ish. I'm a loose knitter, unfortunately.
Ooh, hairspray for ink removal...have to remember that...thank you!
I won't have to use it on this, since the markings are going on the underside, but I've had trouble with ink stains before and had no idea of what to use on them. I had a pen explode not too long ago...ugh, ink all over!
Ugh, it's those over 100 degree days that keep me away from TX! Winters, of course, would be a totally different story. Though my dear friend livles in a city near Austin, and she's always telling me that the winters are almost as bad as the summers. I think their cold is very dry...or is that wet...can't remember, but she said it chills you right to the bone. No thanks!
Near the Miss. River in the summer must be awful.
Speaking of the summer and hot, humid places, I have a very dear friend who lives in Mississippi. It's sweltering there in the summer. I can't even picture how horrible it is. But then people there drink hot tea in the summer without a second thought...
huh
?!
Yuck, Iowa winters undoubtedly last a
very
long time. Reminds me of Minnesota...I was there one winter. They'd just had a night where the wind chill had been -50...can you
imagine
?! Hmm, come to think of it, it may have gone as low as -75 degrees...I don't remember, but it was sooooooooooooooo cold. Nice people there, but
man
, too cold in the winter!
Wow, fresh veggies in December...that must be
wonderful
! It's not something we could do here, of course. I told my husband that when we move, I want to have a container garden in the house with fresh veggies. I've been reading about doing that...all kinds of books about how to grow veggies and herbs in containers inside.
I especially love the idea of growing exactly what I want, without having to worry about the weather!
So when do you normally get your first freeze...December?
Do you remember how your veggies fared after that early freeze? Were you able to salvage most of them, I hope?
We've had ours already, IIRC...less than a week ago. All I know is I'm so cold most of the time...except when I have hot flashes, groan. No happy medium.
Yeah, that's it...if you've got nowhere to go, it's nice to sit back and enjoy the snow...but the high price after is going out to shovel it.
Ugh, the
worst
! Now, my Mississippi friend said they want to move (on purpose, LOL!) to a place where there's snow. I can and can't understand...I know it's because they suffer with the horribly humid summers...but at the same time...snow is just
so
miserable! I guess it depends on your perspective, huh?!
Melanie (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=
~~~~~
I'm a beading, knitting and crochet addict. If that means I'm admitting I have a problem, then I admit to nothing. Please refrain from helping me.
Member since:
Jul 3, 2013
Posts: 575
BetwixtTheStitch
message #79
Re: Tunisian gauge
October 29, 2013 at 8:55:56 AM (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #3)
Melanie,
Haha, you might get enough "swarn" to make a trivet
.
The trick with ink is don't use anything else first, or you'll "set" the stain. Pen explosion spots may or may not come out, unfortunately.
Yes, Iowa is right below Minnesota. If you've never experienced it, you just can't imagine that the wind chill can be that bad.
Fortunately, most of my garden was ready for harvest anyway, I spent the day before picking everything for storage and still had fresh tomatoes in Jan.
We have two "classes" of freeze, a light freeze drops to or slightly below 32 for only a few hours. Cole crops survive that quite well, onions and garlic do well in it too.
The "average" for a light freeze is early Nov. I think, but the reality is that it rarely comes so early.
A "hard" freeze drops well below 32 degrees.
The first few years I was here, it didn't freeze til Feb.!
Then we had a few hard winters where it came in Nov., but the thing is, that it doesn't stay long. We get some much warmer days in between where you can go out in jeans and tee shirt.
I've lived in both dry and humid climates, and I don't see much difference in the cold .
For me, it's more about how far the temps drop, and how long it lasts.
We don't get "feet" of snow, don't think I've seen an inch more than once in the last 11 years.
We are still in the high 70's, low 80's for day time highs, and 60's for lows. I'm still running the air conditioner in the evening to cool it off enough to sleep.
Sending warm thoughts to you.
I can't work in the yard like I used to, for now, so I'm thinking of trying a container or two indoors as well. Home grown tomatoes are the thing I miss the most, have been thinking of setting up a grow light and a fan to see how I fare with a tomato plant first.
Yesterday I experimented with the corner to corner pattern on a dishcloth and added a picot edging. I really like the look of this one too
.
Sherry
Look at that smile! (Photo guaranteed unretouched)
Member since:
Jul 1, 2009
Posts: 4584
Stitchboard Admin
message #80
Re: Tunisian gauge
October 29, 2013 at 11:24:02 PM (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #4)
Sherry,
Yeah, enough "swarn" to make a trivet...and not much else!
I'm going to keep on with the tedium of stitching every 1/4". The stitching isn't fun, because I'm not making holes in the fabric, but am using the needle to get
between
the fabric's "stitches," so it won't have a chance of unraveling, but the worst part is making those stupid 1/4" marks.
Man, I wish I'd been able to consult with you back when I had the pen explosion problem!
I'm so glad the freeze hadn't affected your veggies! Had you harvested because of the forecast or...?
Your winters sound
so
much better than ours. Thankfully, we're not as bad as Iowa or Minnesota, but it still gets into the deep freeze...and stays there.
I remember one time, when we'd been in a deep freeze for
weeks
...and there went an
ant
, marching across my desk. I said, "Where did
you
come from...don't you know we've been in a deep freeze for weeks?!" No, he didn't answer...I'm guessing he must have found a nice spot in some insulation, near a heat vent. Lucky us, huh?!
At least it was only one, so I'm guessing he was a loner...didn't see another one for months! (Thankfully, ants for us are generally rare at any time, which makes the deep freeze ant even
more
unusual.)
I'm definitely jealous of the times you haven't had a freeze until Feb! And I wouldn't mind moderate temps in Nov after a freeze.
I've only lived in climates where there's been bitter, bitter cold in the winter...dry or not, I don't know, I just know it's terrible.
Running the air conditioner...wow! That's unthinkable here at this point in time!
Awww, thank you for the warm thoughts!
Oooh, please let me know how the indoor growing goes! I personally love the idea of growing things
in
the house, rather than outside. Hubby is the gardener, not me...LOL, I prefer the eating part.
It would be so much nicer to pick things right inside where it's warm...no weeding, no weather worries...too hot...too cold...not at all!
I know when we used to have veggies growing, we'd have a bad crop if it got too hot or too cold out. Or if we'd have as little as a nuisance flood.
That's why we finally gave up on growing things.
LOL, you must have read my mind! Corner to corner was something I was thinking about! So what did you do...start small and then increase on each side or...? Seriously, I've been thinking about that, after looking at some corner to corner knitted dishcloth patterns. They look so cool!
BTW, I don't think I mentioned the fate of kitty's costume...well, she hated it.
As soon as hubby put it on her, she became a sad little lump in his lap, to the point where we didn't want to leave it on her a second longer than necessary. Someone else mentioned that her little one acts all "weighed down," as if the costume is heavy to walk in (!), and I bet if we'd put her on the floor, she would have walked as if she were carrying a pile of bricks. Sigh. Anyway, hubby
immediately
pulled the costume off of her, didn't take as much as
one
pic of her, because she was so sad looking. Didn't have the heart to keep torturing her, as I'm sure she felt we were doing.
At least the hat will be just a quick try-on, not
quite
as bad as the costume. Well, maybe just her head will drag on the floor.
Melanie (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=
~~~~~
I'm a beading, knitting and crochet addict. If that means I'm admitting I have a problem, then I admit to nothing. Please refrain from helping me.
Member since:
Jul 3, 2013
Posts: 575
BetwixtTheStitch
message #81
Re: Tunisian gauge
October 30, 2013 at 8:10:54 AM (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #5)
Melanie,
Yes I was harvesting because of the forcast. Great thing about harvesting green tomatoes, if it has a whitish star on the blossom end, it will continue to ripen after picking, if kept at room temp.
So we were able to eat them as they ripened indoors, (I like them a bit green). and the one's that won't ripen can be made into other delicious things.
The summer heat is the biggest threat to growing edibles here, but if I can keep them limping along through summer, they come back and reward me with a wonderful fall harvest.
We have ants year round, but I have a deal with them, they stay out of the house and I leave them be. Except fire ants, I will try to destroy fire ants. Only thing I'll use pesticides on is fire ants.
I'm so sorry kitty was distressed by the costume, not worth upsetting her for a picture.
The corner to corner I was using is the same as the one I've used for afghans, with dc.
You ch 3, dc 3 in 3rd ch from hook
ch 3 turn, dc 3 in first dc, sc in ch sp of previous row, ch 3, 3 dc in same ch sp............and so on.
So each row is increased by 3 dc, until you're ready to turn the corner and start dec.
I'm trying it out in my own kitchen to see if cotton yarn stretches out creating "holes" in the cloth.
The pattern works up quickly, so I like it for that, as well as liking the look of it.
It did get me thinking of other ways to do corner to corner. Like possibly TKS, maybe inc. one at each end of the row. Still have to try that
.
Weather update, forcast for Halloween has been changed and we are now expecting temps in the 80's.
Texas is the only place where it's true when they say "if you don't like the weather, wait a minute, it will change".
Sherry
Look at that smile! (Photo guaranteed unretouched)
Member since:
Jul 1, 2009
Posts: 4584
Stitchboard Admin
message #82
Re: Tunisian gauge
October 30, 2013 at 7:26:49 PM (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #6)
Sherry,
It's good that you watch the forecast...definitely not worth leaving good veggies to chance! And I'm so happy you were able to salvage the green ones and even ripen them to your preferred ripeness!
Do you have to water the plants a lot in the summer? Shade them, somehow? I know that in years we've grown tomatoes when it was very, very hot, they didn't like that heat and we had a pretty anemic output.
LOL, same deal here with the ants.
That was the odd thing, too...because as I said, we rarely get them. It mostly seems to depend on what kind of weather we've had. A lot of rain that messes up our insulation gives ants a way to get in. Without that, we usually don't seem to have ants. And then when we get them, we put out the "slurm," as we call it, they disappear and don't return for a long time. So seeing that one in the winter in the deep freeze was mind-boggling!
I don't envy you with the fire ants...ugh, they sound miserable!
That's what we thought...don't torture the kitty for the sake of a pic, as cute as she looked in her little costume.
Oh, I see, corner to corner dc...love it!
For some reason, I was picturing corner to corner TKS...that makes me want to try it, too!
I can't imagine temps in the 80s for Halloween! Last I'd heard, they were talking 60s here, though maybe raining, too. Well, we don't get a lot of people around, and some years, none at all. I'd kind of rather they don't come around, as the kitty sometimes has meltdowns when someone unknown is at
her
house (we're lucky she lets us live here!), and hubby is the one who likes giving out the candy, but
I'm
usually the lucky one who gets to answer the door, sigh.
LOL, our weather is seasonal...two, to be exact...winter...and construction.
Melanie (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=
~~~~~
I'm a beading, knitting and crochet addict. If that means I'm admitting I have a problem, then I admit to nothing. Please refrain from helping me.
Member since:
Jul 3, 2013
Posts: 575
BetwixtTheStitch
message #83
Re: Tunisian gauge
October 31, 2013 at 9:03:47 AM (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #7)
Melanie,
I did the corner to corner in TKS, and I'm not sure about it yet, need to experiment more I think.
First thing is that the beg. corner is really wonky but maybe can be covered with an edging and might get better after doing more.
I did my inc. and dec. at beg. and end of each row and while the inc. are fine, on the dec., the beg. and end of the row look quite different.
Not going to tear that out, will still work fine in my kitchen. But next time I'll try doing inc. & dec. on 2nd st from end.
I didn't shade the plants, as edibles need a lot of sunlight. We are on year round watering restrictions due to severe drought, so I had a drip line installed that would allow me to water just the plants. Then once a week I could water them deeply.
Tomatoes won"t produce much once temps get over 90, so it's just keeping them healthy til the weather cools.
Melons OTOH love the heat, watermelon in particular is a heat loving plant. Best one's I've ever tasted are Black Diamonds grown in Tx.
Kitty probably just doesn't want you to know that she likes having you around, after all, it's a lot of work to train her humans .
We don't get many trick or treaters either, which is fine by me these days. I'll just make a "harvest time" feast for my family and meditate a bit on the old ways.
Sherry
Look at that smile! (Photo guaranteed unretouched)
Member since:
Jul 1, 2009
Posts: 4584
Stitchboard Admin
message #84
Re: Tunisian gauge
October 31, 2013 at 8:15:39 PM (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #8)
Sherry,
I can imagine the corner to corner TKS
would
be wonky...sigh, the edges of TKS always cause me so much consternation.
I'm sure any solution would be inelegant at best...sigh, for such a wonderful stitch, the edges are the worst!
Oooh, I wonder if your increases and decreases not placed on the edge itself will be a better solution? Can't wait to hear about that!
True, veggies & such do need a lot of sunlight...it's the heat they don't care for. I'm so glad (and jealous) that you can grow melons...I love watermelon, and my top fave is cantaloupe. Sigh, we once tried growing cantaloupe here...only one plant took, and that plant grew and grew...but before I could pick it, some kids came through and destroyed it. I was
so
angry. As you undoubtedly know, the grocery store stuff usually is nowhere near the quality of fresh-grown, as it's picked before the peak of ripeness so it will (in theory) be ripe when it gets to the stores, and it wasn't like I could replace this poor little cantaloupe that gave its all but got destroyed through no fault of its own.
I've never heard of black diamond watermelons...they sound delish! Probably don't get as much as the seeds here, never mind the starter plants, since this isn't a very big growing climate, despite some hot, hot summers.
We had the same problem with the tomatoes, that they just sat in the heat, looking miserable and wilty.
It sure
is
a lot of work for kitties to train their humans...I think our value might be sorely lacking to her if she didn't need us for opening those cans.
Luckily, we redeem ourselves with that particular talent!
LOL! We had a handful of kids that were with one family (two, three or four at most, I'm guessing...hubby took care of them), that was it. The light is off and I don't expect anyone to come around (hopefully everyone knows the rule about that!). Of course, we've already sampled the leftovers...
Melanie (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=
~~~~~
I'm a beading, knitting and crochet addict. If that means I'm admitting I have a problem, then I admit to nothing. Please refrain from helping me.
Member since:
Jul 3, 2013
Posts: 575
BetwixtTheStitch
message #85
Re: Tunisian gauge
November 1, 2013 at 9:27:54 AM (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #9)
Melanie,
Ok, doing the inc. and dec. one stitch in is a solution, and it looks pretty good, creates a stitch pattern around the edge.
The turning corners don't come out right.
I didn't notice it so much on the first one until my son used it and thought he did something to it, oops.
Not giving up on it yet though, I've got other ideas.
My idea for overcoming the problem with the starting corner is to make a loop so that it could be hung on a hook if desired, won't know how that works til I try it.
I also found a use for the TSS, if it's done with a variegated yarn it looks a lot like the old rag rugs, except in colors you actually like. Now I'm wondering if putting a coat of fabric paint on the back would make it non slip.
Talking about cantaloupe reminds me of the year they volunteered in my bean patch
.
I compost everything I can to feed the soil and it seems the seeds were still just fine so I ended up with a huge bunch of cantaloupe vines. Very few beans that year, but oh the melons we enjoyed. You could smell them even before they ripened, and they were oh so sweet.
Black Diamond is an heirloom variety that's largish, but more round than long, and a dark green. It's very red inside, and very sweet.
Melons don't like to be transplanted, so it's best to start them from seed.
When I first moved here everyone told me I couldn't grow a good watermelon, they just wouldn't get big enough. But I knew the best I'd ever tasted had been grown in Tx.
As it turned out, they had been growing Sugar Baby, which is a miniature of the Black Diamond, because it was widely available.
My grandpa had always bought Black Diamonds, so I found a place to order the seeds, and was able to grow them
Yes I have that screw loose too, I love to challenge myself.
It was quiet here last night, not even one. Oh yeah, the leftovers, think I'd rather give it away.
Granddaughter had to dress up for work, and she came by to have dinner with us since her hubby isn't home from Hawaii yet.
We're hoping his transfer will have him home in a couple of weeks, though.
Sherry
Look at that smile! (Photo guaranteed unretouched)
Member since:
Jul 1, 2009
Posts: 4584
Stitchboard Admin
message #86
Re: Tunisian gauge
November 1, 2013 at 9:16:25 PM (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #10)
Sherry,
I'm so glad increasing/decreasing one stitch in solves the problem!
That's the one thing I really hate about TKS, those edges...they cause me no end of stress.
Glad you've found a way to avoid that!
I hope the loop works for the turning corner. Are they tending to sit a bit wonky?
TSS done with a variegated yarn for a rug sounds perfect! Would you make a traditional rectangle, or perhaps mix it up shapewise?
I don't know about fabric paint...I would suggest a rubber backing, which is painted on and shouldn't be terribly expensive. I've seen it a few times over the years, though never really needed it.
I would guess fabric paint would just dry and not do much of anything.
I do wonder if that horrid-smelling rubber cement would do the same as rubber backing...it may even be the same product! If it is, ugh, I hope they found a way to neutralize that smell.
Soooooooooooooo jealous of your cantaloupe crop you had that year! LOL, truthfully, I'd take cantaloupe over beans
any
day.
We've had some strange veggie adventures...LOL, because I'm definitely not right in the head.
The one year I picked out blue potatoes, lemon cucumbers, banana peppers and I forget what else. The only thing that really turned out, though, was the lemon cucumber crop. Oh, man, those turned out so well we were giving them away...couldn't eat them all!
They didn't look like lemons...not really sure what they looked like. We gave some to the neighbors and they put one on the table and then asked their kids, "What do you think this is?" They never guessed it. I do remember one guess was, "A candle." LOL, they didn't look like anything known to man, but they sure were delish!
Oh, I seem to recall that we grew purple beans...they boiled up looking like regular green beans when cooked...but I prefer them raw, even though they're
way
too fibrous for me. Love to nosh on them, though.
Mmmm, those Black Diamond watermelons sound
yummy
! If we could grow them here, I would. Sadly, they're probably too big even for an indoor container garden.
Is the climate too warm for the Sugar Babies? They sell the seeds for those here...I've always wanted to grow them, so am hoping either that will work for an indoor container garden, or maybe hubby will grow them outside. I'm pretty sure those are okay for our climate. I wouldn't actually think to grow them in a place like TX, knowing they're okay for crappy climates like ours!
It's nice to have a challenge here and there, to keep the old brain humming. It's also much more fun to try something new than to do same old, same old, even if the only result is failure...at least it's fun while trying!
I hope your granddaughter's hubby gets back soon! Is he in the military?
Did your granddaughter end up showing up for dinner dressed up? I hope it wasn't an uncomfortable costume.
Melanie (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=
~~~~~
I'm a beading, knitting and crochet addict. If that means I'm admitting I have a problem, then I admit to nothing. Please refrain from helping me.
Member since:
Jul 3, 2013
Posts: 575
BetwixtTheStitch
message #87
Re: Tunisian gauge
November 2, 2013 at 9:37:57 AM (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #11)
Melanie,
My wonky corners were because I temporarily forgot to compensate for the fact that my TKS is not square
. I just needed to add some rows that were not inc. or dec. and those corners came out fine.
I've used fabric paint to add detail to my crochet toys, and it seems to be a lot like that rubber backing stuff, but maybe a bit stiffer. I've not tried the painted on rubber backing either, but the backing on store bought throw rugs comes off in the washer.
I really would like to be able to throw them in the wash.
I'm eventually going to try this idea, going to use RH Super Saver. That way if it is a failure, I haven't spent much on it.
I think acrylic should work fine for a rug.
Going to start with a plain rectangle for experimental purposes and then go from there depending on how it turns out.
Sugar Baby will do well in any climate you can grow cucumbers in, they are all in the same family.
Though I wouldn't recommend indoor containers for them, they need insects to pollinate or they won't produce.
The big box stores that sell those seeds don't really know or care about stocking for local climates. Every store in the chain gets the same ones at the same time of year.
Here, you can't find seeds of any kind until late March at the earliest. Yet some seeds should be started indoors in Jan. because of our early spring.
Hubby and I like beans and they can be stored forever when dried. I just used some of the ones we buy in a bag from the grocery store.
I've seen the purple variety, I've just not tried them or the blue potatoes.
Did red potatoes one year and learned that fire ants like potatoes too
.
Granddaughter's hubby works for a well known restaurant chain and transferred with his manager. However, the high cost of living and her pregnancy didn't quite work together.
She was dressed up
, as Little Red Riding Hood. Very cute, and didn't accent her baby bump.
Sherry
Look at that smile! (Photo guaranteed unretouched)
Member since:
Jul 1, 2009
Posts: 4584
Stitchboard Admin
message #88
Re: Tunisian gauge
November 2, 2013 at 9:23:49 PM (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #12)
Sherry,
I'm glad you found a way to compensate for the wonky corners!
Well, it's all trial and error, isn't it...which can be fun or harrowing, depending!
Hmm, I didn't know the fabric paint was a lot like the backing! You know, something you could try...make a very small item and put a couple of dots of fabric paint on the bottom, so you can see how well it holds up. This way, you don't have to make an entire rug to see if it works.
(LOL, and dolls need rugs, too!
)
Do they use paint-on backing on the rugs in the stores? I haven't looked closely to see what they use, but you're right, whatever it is doesn't usually stay. There's another project I'd like to do...a bath mat. The ones in the stores are
so
expensive, and they don't last through too many washings.
I think RH acrylic is perfect for trying out a rug or other item.
Thanks for letting me know about the pollination issue for the Sugar Babies!
LOL, I would have been sitting there, scratching my head, saying, "Now, why aren't these growing?"
Wow, you
do
get seeds late for your growing season!
That's crazy. I think we get ours about June, maybe earlier...hard to remember, since we haven't bought lately.
How do you dry beans...green beans or...? Do you have a dehydrator?
Ugh, I don't envy you the fire ants. I forget what happened to our blue potatoes...just didn't sprout, in all likelihood.
Hawaii is
way
expensive.
I can see why...everyone wants to go there!
So are they going to be near you when her hubby transfers back, I hope?
Little Red Riding Hood...no way! My friend dressed as that one year, and her "mini-me" doll outfit is in the photo albums somewhere here. I bought her a doll, and then my doll modeled the ouitfit very nicely after I made it.
I know for a while, at least, she was bringing the doll to doll shows. LOL, except the doll I bought for her was holding a tiny toy giraffe, not a basket, because my friend loves giraffes, and that was why I'd bought her that particular doll! Then I happened upon a hooded cape and it just screamed "Little Red Riding Hood," in light of her costume.
Melanie (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=
~~~~~
I'm a beading, knitting and crochet addict. If that means I'm admitting I have a problem, then I admit to nothing. Please refrain from helping me.
Member since:
Jul 3, 2013
Posts: 575
BetwixtTheStitch
message #89
Re: Tunisian gauge
November 3, 2013 at 8:08:45 AM (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #13)
Melanie,
I've done the dots of paint already.
Tried it on a pair of slippers this past year to give them a little "grip".
The "puffy" paint works well. I use 2 coats, the first one is thinned a tiny bit with water and soaks into the yarn a little better. The second one adheres to the first really well and spreads easily. Of course I let it dry completely between coats.
When I use the same technique for eyes, it gives them some depth.
I don't know what they use as backing on those store bought one's, but I've had the same issue with bath mats. Not only are they expensive, and fall apart, but they also leave that stuff all over the inside of the washer.
Agh! It occurs to me that even doing the 2 coats with white school glue would probably work better than that stuff.
But at least with the fabric paint, it was designed to be run through the washer and dryer.
Beans are easy to dry, since it's what they want to do (any bean). They want to grow to maturity, and dry in the pod. So if you shell them and spread them out in a shallow pan, they will dry out.
Yes they are going to be near, at least for a while. She was lucky enough to find a house nearby with a very loving and generous landlord who's also willing to feed them if need be
, so they will have a chance to get back on their feet.
She looked amazing in that costume. Now I'd love to figure out a hood for the red sweater I'm making, will have to find a pattern for that.
That doll sounds sooo cute! And why not a giraffe? Picnic baskets are just so passe'.
You never mentioned how kitty did with the hat? Did she absolutely hate that too?
Sherry
Look at that smile! (Photo guaranteed unretouched)
Member since:
Jul 1, 2009
Posts: 4584
Stitchboard Admin
message #90
Re: Tunisian gauge
November 3, 2013 at 10:14:22 PM (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #14)
Sherry,
I'm so glad to hear the fabric paint works! What a great find...and once again, you're a genius!
I would tend to use that, then, in dots regularly spaced along the bottom of a rug. (It's too bad they don't sell the fabric paint in huge containers, but because it would be too expensive to paint all over the bottom of a rug, I would definitely use dots instead.)
That's also an ingenious solution for the eyes. I use beads...but I don't make stuffed toys for children, so I don't have to worry about eyes being bitten off and becoming a choking hazard.
Though I'm thinking of using the mini patterns from the Kindle freebie the other day (mini menagerie, I think it was called...I hope you got it while it was still free? Not sure if it is today, sigh), and making a small toy for the kitty. I'd love to see her curled up, holding a stuffed animal!
Of course, beads definitely wouldn't work for eyes...it would have to be fabric paint, because I don't like embroidering eyes on...they always turn out too wonky.
One side will be lower or higher, or one eye will be wider and one will be narrower. It's just easier to use beads...but of course, not with a cat.
Big
time choking hazard!
I'd be afraid the white school glue would wash off...but you're right, just about
anything
is better than what they use on the store mats.
They almost deteriorate when you just
look
at them!
So you just leave beans out at room temperature to dry...is that it?
Would it work for green beans? I would
love
dried green beans! Or would they have to be dried in a dehydrator to make them into good snacks?
Awww, that's so sweet that your granddaughter will be nearby! I'm sure you won't let them starve, either.
Is this a baby or adult sweater? Thankfully, there are so many free patterns available for things like that! I usually try Garnstudio and Lion Brand.
LOL, I probably would have made a tiny beaded picnic basket if I'd thought of it...or some kind of basket (LOL, what kind of basket did LRRH carry?)...but I really didn't think of it. I also had left the doll in the package so she could take it out, and sent the cape with the pics, so she could see what it was (I figured she'd know, but in case, I included pics!). Since the giraffe was held in the doll's arms with those clear bands, I think she said she left them on, so it was a good thing the doll had a cape, that the giraffe didn't have to be removed!
Argh, I
still
haven't finished the candy corn cap!
I had so many days when I had bad headaches, so I haven't worked as much on it.
I'll still finish it, even late...who says you have to wait for Halloween to dress your pets, right?
I suspect her little head will be dragging on the floor, in protest of wearing the cap, though.
Melanie (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=
~~~~~
I'm a beading, knitting and crochet addict. If that means I'm admitting I have a problem, then I admit to nothing. Please refrain from helping me.
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