Summer's Splendor

Summer so far has given us quite a bit of splendor...Great berries, beautiful blossoms in my garden, wonderful treats from a needle book swap and a week at the beach with family.

 

 

Some good stuff so far this summer!

 The berries have been great this season and I made this Strawberry Rhubarb and Sweet Dumplings with the last of them some weeks ago. All I did was take 2 cups of flour, 2 tsp.baking powder 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp.cinnamon mixed it with some milk to make a thick batter and dolloped it onto the the fruits which were dressed with some sugar and lemon juice. I took it to knitting night and they loved it.

The Needle book swap... My needle book recipient got a book with her initials cross stitched on it and made with some civil war scrap and along with it some goodies from Maison Sajou. Then I received this awesome goodies from Tanya from Tanya Quilts in CO. She made me this awesome embroidered project bag along with goodies that included chocolate which I ate upon arrival! Amy from Amy Made That hosted it. It was great fun and I love meeting new blog friends. My garden...the Morning Glories and Sunflowers are here and they are beautiful. My Anise plants are keeping the bees so very busy lately( I so wish I could find where they are taking all that nectar and get my hands on that honey!) and the Day Lilies have come and gone. The vegetable garden is making a real push now as well. The garden is in a lull now waiting for the later summer blooms to make their debut. Cape May NJ...we spent a week with my Husbands family, close to 30 of us! It was so nice to spend extended time with those who we don't see often. I haven't been to Cape May since my oldest were toddlers. It was so nice to see that some of my favorite stores were still there. My favorite being the Scandinavian gifts shop. Years ago I decorated my house with items from there and are still adorning my home. Unfortunately they wouldn't let me take photos in the store. Such charming stuff. Maybe I will photograph what I bought next post. They have a website www.swedethings.com. Then a trip to Winterwood an amazing Christmas store. So sweet my handsome boys at Sunset Beach where we searched for Cape May Diamonds while watching the sunset.  They are little quartz stones that when you polish them and they resemble diamonds. It was a beautiful evening. We had unseasonably mild weather at the beach it almost felt like September. We saw dolphins everyday in the ocean and took a haunted house trolley tour of all the Victorian homes that are supposedly filled with spirits. It was just great to sit in the trolley on a breezy eve and get a great look at all the beautiful Inns.

I have some new projects going and am looking forward to showing you. So how did you like the tutorial?

I hope your summer is sharing some its splendor with you as well. 

Be Well,

Ming

Crocheted Baby Moccasin Tutorial

It's finally here...I hope you enjoy this pattern it is fun, quick and easy! I am not the best pattern writer (or  typist or math mathematician..heehee...I think it may be my first published!)  I so often just do these off the of my head! So please any questions do not hesitate to email me for help. Enjoy!!
**UPDATE** I used a size E crochet hook and Rowan Purelife Revive 

Baby Moccasin

(For Newborn to 3 months) 

Chain 16 plus 2 more (counts as part of the first dc for next row) for a total of 18 chains

Row 1: dc in 4 th chain from the hook (Skipped chains serve as first dc). dc and in each ch space for a total of 16 dc total.

Row 2: Ch 3 4 dc around previous double crochet post (this makes the heel) dc in the next 13 dc from previous row across

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Now 5 dc around the next dc post (this is the dc post from the previous row, which was the first ch 3 which served as the first dc of row 1.

Dc around in next 13 …stitches slip stitch in first dc. . 36 dc total.

Row 3.  Ch 3 serves as first dc. Dc around slip stitch in top of first dc ..36 dc total

Row 4.   Repeat Row 3 …then ch 3 and the end to set up for next row.

Row 5. Fold booty in half divide stitches place marker …(should be 18 stitches on each side then divided into 9 ) . Go back to Ch 3 and Dc to marker Ch 2. Dc across into the opposite stitch with the marker. Dc around to initial Ch 3 Slip stitch to join.

 

Row 6. Ch 2. Sc into every other stitch (the Ch 2 from previous row serves as stitches here.)All the way to the beginning Ch. 2 slip st to join.

Row 7 (we are closing the top of the foot here.) Ch 2.  Sc in every other stitch around slip stitch to first ch 2 . Fasten off leaving a 4 inch tail. Thread a tapestry or Chibbi needle weave in ends. Pinch the center of to add a little dimension.

 

Row 8. Insert the hook into the space between the instep and first dc of second half of body. Pull up a working loop with the working yarn Ch 1

 

Now 5 Dc in first Dc and then Dc around in each stitch until last Dc and then 5 Dc in last Dc

 

 

Row 9. Ch 2 Sc in each stitch around until last stitch fasten off.

 

Let me know what you think of the pattern...If you want a bigger size just add more stitches in increments of two.

 I would love to see pictures of your finished Mocs!

Be well,

Ming