Summer fun at The Getty

( In the Family Room. Em-5, Dom-6, Vin-3, Ro-3)

Gathering sunscreen, snacks, camera, water & wee ones... do I have everything and everyone?
Picking up NaNa & PaPa fuel the excitement!
Where's the tram? Oooh, there's the tram, everyone pick a seat by the window!
Hello cars on the 405 freeway below... we see you as we climb climb climb in the tram to the tippity top. We're here! We're here!!! Where are we again Mommy?!
Down the winding walkway, following the babbling water to the Central Garden-- we find every color, count petals on flowers, ooh and ahh the hummingbird. Turning around, you can see where we've come from... the hills!! The grassy hills! Let's go roll down the garden hills!
Sculpture viewing? Check! Photography viewing? Check!! Impatience leads us to the Family Room where we can be loud and silly and hands-on.
Much time passes... we've made masks, recreated tube sculptures, read in a French bed room (the bed is the whole room!), recreated manuscripts and finally begun to slow down.
Back outside, we break for snacking and water garden viewing. A bit of a rest before the trip back down the tram.
A great day! A long day for the Mommies... boys nodding off as we wave goodbye.

My First Free Pattern!

X Marks the Washcloth

Designed by: Heather Schott (CelticMommy on Ravelry. Pattern Link)
http://celticmommy.blogspot.com/

I designed this washcloth/kitchen scrubbie to use in my home for chores that require a little elbow grease. After many many washings, the cloths have held up beautifully and still have the texture I need to get pesky fingerprints off of my windows.

I offer it here, free for personal use only-- please do not sell products using my pattern. Thank you!
MATERIALS NEEDED: Makes one 10" square cloth

• About 80 yards of cotton yarn. (Blue washcloth was made with Lily Sugar'n Cream. Brown one was made with Lion Brand Cotton Ease.)
• Crochet hook ONE SIZE SMALLER than recommended by your yarn to achieve tight "X"s -OR- size hook recommended for a more flexible washcloth.
• Needle to weave in ends.

Gauge is not important.
SPECIAL STITCH: X STITCH
(xst) Yarn over, skipping 1st stitch, dc in next stitch. Yarn over, go behind dc just made and dc in skipped stitch. See photo below.

PATTERN: (An odd number plus 2)

• Chain 37
• ROW 1: In 2nd chain from hook, sc across (35 sc), ch 2, turn
• ROW 2: In 2nd st, begin xst, repeat for 17 sets of xst, dc in last st, ch 1, turn
• ROW 3: SC across (35 sc), ch 2, turn
• *Repeat Rows 2 and 3* 11 times or until cloth is square, ending with row 3 and ch 1
• FINAL ROW: ss across, fasten off and weave in ends

(For a rectangular cloth similar to a kitchen towel, repeat rows 2&3 9 more times)
That's it! Easy peasy once you get the xst down! If you make this washcloth/scrubbie, I would appreciate a link back to the pattern either here on the blog or on Ravelry so others can use it as well.

Comments/Questions/Errors? Please leave me a comment below.

Thanks and Happy Crocheting!

Crocheting and the Coming Week

So... I've got half an arms-length list of projects I would like to complete for the upcoming holidays... and by upcoming, I mean December! Hats, Scarves, Sweaters, Afghans, Washcloths, etc... Of course, I had to stick something quick and cute in there for myself.

Enter the traveling Bi-Valves cowl. I found this pretty (and free) pattern by Jonquil Mom via Ravelry. It takes about 3/4 of a skein of yarn and just a few hours of time. My version shown just above is made with Malabrigo Worsted in Lettuce. Living in the hot hot hot land known as Los Angeles, I will not be able to wear this super-soft cowl as much as I would like, but still... a gal needs to take care of herself as well as her family, right?

This week plans to be pretty busy now that Ro is over his virus and raring to go. A trip to The Getty with NaNa followed by Family Cultural Earth Day this coming weekend. And, I am excited to say that the "X marks the washcloth" pattern should be up and available this week as well!

I hope everyone else is having a wonderful summer!