No Knit Yarn Scarf

Have some extra yarn lying around but not enough to knit something?  Perhaps you want to make something unique and original for a gift or to keep for yourself?  If so, try out this super easy no knit yarn scarf.  I work part time at Joann's and I always find fun little crafting projects I want to try.  This particular one seemed really easy to do so I decided to give it a whirl.  If you can sew a straight stitch on your sewing machine, you can do this project.  The scarf I made I gave to my friend for her birthday and she absolutely loved it.  There's just something special about handmade gifts.  The project instructions at joann.com are pretty straightfoward, but I did end up adjusting some of the steps after a little trial and error.  You can find the Joann directions here. 

  What you'll need:

-- Assorted yarns of different thickness and textures

-- 1 package Sulky Super Solvy water-soluable stabilizer

-- Sulky KK2000 adhesive (or any other brand of temporary adhesive_

-- Coordinating thread

-- Scissors and a sewing machine


You want to choose yarns that vary in thickness and texture.  The thicker wool yarns add body and stability to your scarf, but it's the textured yarns that will give it a little bit of flair.  Fun Fur, Angel Hair and Cello type yarns add texture and depth to the scarf.  Whatever color you choose to make, be sure you have enough yarn so that it is the predominate color.  I made my scarf purple, but used a few strands of black and grey as accent pieces.  Once you've got your yarn picked out, it's time to create!                                         

Step 1:  Cut your yarn pieces about 70" long.  The Joann directions say to cut your pieces 62", but I found that was too short for the scarf I wanted to make.  If you cut your pieces long, you can always go back and trim the ends when you're finished.  I think I cut my pieces about 72" and trimmed the ends afterwards.  For the scarf I made, I think I cut about 50 pieces from the yarn I selected.  Once you have your yarn cut, arrange the pieces to your liking.  You want to make sure a lot of the same pieces of yarn are not bunched together in one section.  The yarn will be wrapped up in a sense, so perfect order isn't necessary as long as you don't have one section of your scarf all the same (if that makes sense).

Step 2:  Cut the Solvy into five 5 by 12 pieces.  Joann says five 5 by 10" pieces, but I thought that wasn't long enough to wrap around my scarf.  If the Solvy isn't long enough, it won't cover the yarn and you'll have a hard time sewing it together.  So, I cut my pieces 12" long to make sure I had enough room to wrap around my yarn.  Once you have your Solvy cut, spray the Solvy with your temporary adhesive.  Be liberal with your adhesive!  You want the Solvy to really stick to the yarn otherwise it will be a hassle to sew.  Don't be afraid to really cover the Solvy with your adhesive!

















Step 3:  Wrap your Solvy pieces around the yarn to create five flat Solvy covered areas.  You want to try and evenly space out the Solvy pieces about 5 to 6 inches apart.  It doesn't have to be exact, but you want to be sure you have spaced out the Solvy enough so that when you're ready to sew, there are even gaps of non-Solvy covered areas inbetween the Solvy pieces.  When you have your yarn all wrapped up, the width of your scarf should be anywhere from 5-7 inches. 

Step 4:  Sew the Solvy pieces back and forth about 1/4" to 1/2" apart.  This doesn't have to be perfect either!  You just want to be sure you've sewed together all the pieces of yarn in all five sections so that the yarn won't come loose when you're finished. 

Your Solvy covered pieces should look something like this when you've finished sewing.   Trim off the extra thread if desired. 

Step 5:  Dissolve the Solvy in water.  You can do this several different ways.  You can submerse the whole dang scarf to dissolve the stabilizer, or you can submerse just the Solvy covered areas in a bowl (which is what I did), or you can stick the Solvy areas under running water (which takes longer).  I tried to just submerse the Solvy areas because I didn't want my whole scarf to get wet.  Some of the yarn I choose didn't look as good after it got wet, so I tried to be careful and just get the Solvy areas wet.  It's up to you which way you want to dissolve the stabilizer.





Step 6:  Lay your scarf flat to dry.  It should take about a day to complety dry out.  Trim the fringe pieces to even the ends up.  (I wish the finised product pictures turned out better, because I think the scarf actually looks better than this in person.)  Once it's dry, enjoy your new scarf! 

I am well aware that I am not super-crafty, but this was easy for me to make and so I think it would be easy for anyone to make.  It took me about 2 hours to complete this project, cutting the yarn pieces took the longest, but after that the steps were very easy and quick.  I made this scarf for a friend and she loved it.  I think one of these days I will make one for myself, too! 

Friday Book Report: County Line by Bill Cameron

Written by Bill Cameron and published by F+W Media, Inc. in 2011, County Line is a riveting tale about secrets, loss, greed, and redemption. 

Skin Kadash is a retired cop just coming back from an extended vacation to learn that the woman he pines for has mysteriously disappeared; there’s a dead man in her apartment bathtub, and he’s got a shadowy stalker that’s stolen his wallet and attacked him.  Searching for answers, Skin heads to San Francisco and teams up with Ruby Jane’s ex to find her.  When they confront her disgruntled brother James; he provides cryptic clues but no answers, and suddenly James is the victim of a hit and run.  Now Skin and Peter (Ruby’s ex) head to Ohio where Ruby Jane grew up to find answers to her whereabouts, but instead they dredge up the past and all the haunting secrets Ruby Jane has tried so desperately to leave behind.

When I read this book, I had no idea there were previous “Skin Kadash” novels already in publication.  This is supposed to be a stand-alone book, but it never felt that way to me.  At certain times throughout, Cameron flashes back to previous happenings in previous novels, but never elaborates on what really happened.  That left me; as a new reader of Skin Kadash feeling confused and disregarded.  For me, the characters were summed up, never fully developed in this book and I never had any understanding of why they are who they are, and what brought them together.  Any summaries provided by Cameron were fleeting and insubstantial, which in turn made me not really care too much about the characters.  The only character that Cameron really developed was Ruby Jane.  We got a clear and concise picture of her troubled life growing up in an abusive home in rural Ohio.  In high school Ruby turns to basketball as an outlet for her abusive home life.  She’s a rising star on the team and with that come complicated friendships and harsh competition.  We understood how she became the person she is today and all the trials and tribulations she went through to get there.  Cameron does a good job illustrating the life Ruby Jane left behind, and the flashes back to Ruby’s past make for excellent (if somewhat dark and haunted) reading.

I will give credit for the ride Cameron takes us on.  Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, he goes out of his way to throw you a curveball that you never saw coming.  Multiple secondary characters play small roles and get you thinking perhaps they have a larger role in all of this, but the twists keep coming in this tale.  After reading the book, I think Cameron spent too much time introducing characters that play no real part, if only to keep you guessing when he could have done a better job of developing the structure of his main characters.   This book travels from present to past and back again, and throughout Cameron weaves a dark tale that is as gripping as it is disturbing.  While ultimately the plot is bleak and depressing, there is the underlying theme that belonging and bonding with someone who cares is essential to all of us.

This book isn’t for the faint at heart.  There’s harsh language to go along with murder, abuse and many other adult situations.  It’s dark.  It’s upsetting at times.  But in the end there is a sense of justice and a conclusion that may not be rewarding, but fitting nonetheless.  These types of books aren’t my normal cup of tea, and for that I can only grade it on the basis that I never felt truly connected to the characters.  I give this book a C because of the lack of character depth, which is too bad because the actual mystery is a good one, but in the end I didn’t feel connected enough with the characters to really care what happens to them. 

Project Basement: Entertainment Room

This shot was taken on Super Bowl Sunday on my new
sectional with the tv all hooked up.

I love this room.  I love that our bigscreen isn't taking up so much space in the living room upstairs, and I love that it finally has it's own home in it's own room.  This room was originally just an extra storage room, with no windows and the electrical box, but Dan created this media room instead.  He wired the room for speakers and all of our components for the tv to make it feel like a real media room.  With the insulation and the soundproof door, we can really crank up the tv and watch movies or games and feel like we are really there.

Media Room Before

Media Room During

Media Room with old paint color

Media Room with final paint color

I had originally painted this room the same color as the rest of the basement, but the week before carpet came in I decided to be bold and try a new color for this room.  I think the blue/grey/purpleish color really sets off the woodwork and darkens the room just enough to give it that movie theatre feel.  I'm happy I decided to change colors.  I think it sets this room apart from the others and makes it stand out on it's own.

 The weekend of the Super Bowl, we shopped for a sectional for this room.  I love the one we picked out.  It's not sleek or sexy, but it fits our lifestyle just right.  It's big and comfy and perfect for chilling out and watching a movie or a football game.  I was tickled that we got it all set up and the tv moved downstairs just in time for the Super Bowl.  I'm a big fan that the couch takes up the entire back wall, and that we were able to maximize seating with the space that we had.  I'm looking forward to hosting Super Bowl (or any other type of big game) parties in the future, since we now have lots of room for lots of guests to watch!

As with the rest of the basement, there are still some small things to finish up in this room but it's essentially done and liveable.  We've already put the room to use watching television in the evenings and just relaxing on the comfy new sectional.  The next step for this room would be to finish hooking up all the other tv components, purchasing an ottoman and decorating it somehow. 

I love this room and hopefully you enjoy looking at the pictures as much as I enjoy using my new media room!

Friday Book Report: The Journey Home by Michael Baron

Published in 2010 by The Story Plant, The Journey Home tells a moving story of three characters desperately searching for their way home. 

Joseph wakes up in an unfamiliar home with unfamiliar people staring at him.  He doesn’t remember how he got to this strange place, in fact he doesn’t remember much of anything except his name and that he’s certain he has a wife he must return to.  The strangers are friendly and offer him a meal and a bed and the next morning Joseph decides to set out searching for home.  He runs into a teenager named Will who decides to help Joseph find his wife.  Will drives them in their car while trying to help prompt Joseph to remember who he is and where his wife is.  Joseph still can’t remember anything, the visions he has of his wife are his only guide towards home.

Antoinette has spent the last five years in an assisted living facility after her husband’s death.  Lately, she’s become more of a recluse and confines herself to her room instead of socializing with the other residents.  Despite her son’s attempts to get her out of the room and into the world, she spends most of her time on a journey in her head, remembering and reliving the past when she was young and married and happy.  In those visions in her mind she feels truly home. 

Antoinette’s son Warren has possibly had the worst year of his life.  His marriage is over, he just lost his job and has trouble finding anything new, and his mother who was once hale and hearty has started to decline.  He spends most his days with his mother and her lack of clarity and lucidity is both frustrating and frightening to him.  Some of his best memories of his childhood have to do with the delicious meals Antoinette created, and so Warren takes on the task of recreating those recipes in an attempt to reconnect with his mom.  He finds the challenge of cooking for his mother surprisingly rewarding, and he notices that the only time he feels his mom is with him anymore is when she is helping him prepare the meals.

This is a very heartwarming, sentimental story.  It’s oftentimes predictable and I knew what was really going on before the end, but I still found I wanted to continue reading about it.  The author probably wasn’t so much concerned with the reader figuring out what’s really going on; instead he focused on the writing and telling a tale about finding your way home that’s both moving and reflective.  It’s a story of love, of family, and the link that binds us to one another no matter the circumstances.  Warren is trying to bond with his mother, despite his attempts failing most the time; he still wants that connection with her.  Antoinette wants to bond with her dead husband again and feels the only time she can is when she is lying in bed.  Joseph is searching for the home he lost with only brief visions or memories guiding his way.  How they all connect to one another may not be a surprise, but it is deeply profound and heartwarming.  It’s a fast read, but the writing is beautiful and the story is told eloquently.  The glimpses of the past in Antoinette’s head give us a sense of just how deep a love Antoinette and her husband had.  Baron ties all of his characters together very well, when you think the strangers at the beginning are unnecessary, he suddenly reveals why they are where they are at that point in the story.  It’s very well written.  I’d grade this book a B because of the writing and the story.  Baron doesn’t clutter his book with a lot of fluff, and it seems every word is significant to the story.  It’s predictable, but even that can’t bring the grade down.  Fans of Nicholas Sparks would probably enjoy this book as well.  I may not read it again, but it was a touching story full of love and hope and the possibility of finally coming home.

Project Basement: Living Room

Project Basement has been going on for years, since we first bought the house really.  And finally (Finally!) it's to the point where it's liveable down there.  I have to give my husband major props for all his hard work down there, the only things we paid someone else to do were the sheetrock and the carpet.  Everything else Dan did by himself, and I helped out where I could.  It's amazing to see the transformation, and even more so to look back through the pictures and see how it took shape. 

 Family Room Before

Family Room During

Family Room After

As with all projects, there are certain aspects I wish we could've done differently, the family room needed more lighting and I wish I told my husband to put tile in front of the bar not just inside it, but oh well.  Overall I am very pleased with how it turned out and I can't wait until we finish all the little things and really get to livin' down there!

After

Before

Fireplace Before

Fireplace After

These are pictures of the family room and some of the bar area down there.  One of the areas I was really impressed with is the fireplace.  Dan tiled and built the mantle by himself.  The woodork he was able to display is amazing!  Later I will post more on all the other rooms we've worked on when I've got more time.  I hope you enjoy see all the hard work that's gone into this project.  It's taken several years, and it's so rewarding to actually see your hard work turn into something wondeful. 

So, that's the family room.  Next time I'll update on the Entertainment room and the bedroom I think.  I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Friday Book Report: Gap Creek by Robert Morgan

Published in 2000 by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill; written by Robert Morgan, Gap Creek tells the story of a hard working woman during the late 19^th Century and the beginning of the new millennium. 

Julie Harmon is a hard-worker.  Growing up in Appalachia near the turn of the 20^th Century, many chores that would be considered “man’s work” are thrust upon Julie at her families homestead.  She watches her baby brother die in her arms, she stays up with her father while he battles and eventually succumbs to lung sickness.  She chops wood, tends the cornfields and helps slaughter hogs.  Through it all she keeps on working, working so hard she’s unable to stop.  After her father’s death, she meets and falls in love with Hank Richards, and at seventeen she marries and begins her new life in Gap Creek, a small town where her husband finds work as a mason. 

Julie and Hank soon discover that calamity is everywhere, and even in the small town of Gap Creek, they cannot elude fires and floods, lawyers and conmen and drunks and peddlers who come calling in hopes to prey upon the young and newly married couple.  Their strength and resolve is tested repeatedly, and they must find a way to lean on each other, their faith, and the generosity of others to survive the harsh winter and their first year of marriage.

Reading Gap Creek was almost like experiencing one of Julie’s many chores throughout the book.  It was often hard work to get through, and in sections it’s so depressing and full of misfortune you're almost expecting something even worse to happen a few sentences later.  Morgan does a good job of depicting life on an electricity-free farm at the turn of the century, but I felt he could have done better in developing his main characters.  The story is written from Julie’s point of view, but I felt I probably could’ve better connected to the characters if Morgan had written in the third person.  We only really saw what Julie felt, and in turn I think that underdeveloped the relationship between her and Hank.  There is very little dialogue between the two, and we never really get an accurate description of how much they love each other, despite all the struggles and hardships they go through.  Instead, we get page upon page of detailed description of wood-cutting and hog butchering.  I can appreciate that the hard work that Julie has to do is part of her character, and that it makes her stronger but I don’t think we needed to know exactly how to butcher a hog.  I wanted to know more about what the characters thought and felt with each other, and how they were able to grow closer as a married couple. 

The bright spot in this book comes from the character of Preacher Gibbs and Julie’s rededication to her faith.  Morgan paints a brilliant picture of how a young woman like Julie can accept the harshness of her life and have a new covenant with the Spirit at the same time.  Where many would turn away from their faith after all the hardships Julie goes through, Julie finds peace and welcomes her relationship with the Lord.  I was impressed that Morgan was able to depict just how much faith can mean to someone when they really need it most.  I wasn’t expecting this book to be a faith inspired novel, but it was surprisingly pleasing to see that if someone like Julie with all the misfortune and bad luck that has plagued her can still turn to her faith, then so can we. 

It’s hard to rate this book.  It was so depressing and melancholy at times, I felt like reading this drained me.  But then again, there are parts that are revitalizing and uplifting despite all the wrong that happens.  The ending was a little bit of a letdown to me, it just sort of ended without any real clear-cut conclusion or finality to the story of Hank and Julie.  Perhaps an epilogue revealing what their future held would’ve helped the ending.  I’d probably give this book a grade of C+, if only because of the monotonous chore descriptions and all the misfortune with no real breaks for the couple.  It’s not a happy ending sort of book, but it’s not a sad ending either.  It’s just kind of so-so.  I don’t know that I’d read it again, but I don’t think I’ll be able to forget it either. 

Books...who knew they were so cool?

I heart books.  I used to hate reading, and tried to skip reading as much as I could when it was required in school.  If only my high school and college teachers could see me now.  I've read a little bit here and there, one of the first books I really remember reading just for "fun" was White Oleander by Janet Fitch, and I read it before the movie came out thank you very much.  I enjoyed that book and thought to myself, "hey, this reading thing isn't so bad."  So, I tried some other books recommended by friends and found those were okay, too.  Last year I asked my husband if I could get a Nook for Christmas, and he just couldn't help but asking, "are you really going to use it?"  Oh the nerve of the man.  Since last Christmas, I have read more books than I ever had in my other 32 years combined.  Seriously.  I read so much now, sometimes I find it hard to stop reading and do real things...like you know, housewifey stuff, or playing with my son. 
Anyway, I will read anything, the first book I read on my Nook was Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, which I absolutely loved.  After that, I was hooked on Nook.  I'll read romance books, mystery books, faith inspired books, historical fiction books, science fiction books, really anything that I think looks interesting to me.  Some books I've read are so good I read them more than once, some books aren't so great but I finish them anyway because I just have to. 
So, I thought since I've started this new blog thing, I'd do a book report of sorts of the books I've read and post my reviews here.  I'll even do the books that didn't appeal to me, because let's face it; everyone's tastes are unique.  And if anyone is interested, they can read my review and decide if a certain book I've read sounds like something interesting to them.  I will try to post my first official book report on Friday and hopefully it will be a weekly thing!