FPdc3tog Yep you heard it right

This is a short demonstration of how to make a decrease of 3 stitches that are FPdc.  It is a FPdc3tog.  This is a stitch that I am using in my latest Tapestry Crochet Hat that will be published soon.  I hope this helps you and thanks for stopping by!

Make 1 Left and Make 1 Right

The picture below shows you the end result of making two stitches by using the horizontal bar between stitches and knitting one and purling one. This will give you two stitches in a ribbing of 1 x 1 without changing your pattern.
 
The second picture is showing you a M1L or Make one left and a M1R or Make 1 Right.  You will be using the vertical bars of the stitches.

The third picture is showing you the possible outcomes of this combination.  On each side of a stitch and between two stitches.
 
Here is a small video as a demonstration. Thanks for stopping by!

Spin me Round & Round Baby

  I have had the opportunity of watching these  videos to enhance my Wheel Spinning   experience.  There are very different videos.  For the beginner spinner I will say that the  Maggie Casey and Eunny Jang DVD Set of 2 DVDs is a video beyond fantastic.  After taking a class in a local Yarn store, I can tell you that I did not get half the practice or information that I got from this video.  Maggie talks a bit soft, so you have to raise the volume, but otherwise it is a marvelous tool. The information in this set from Maggie and Eunny   will answer a lot of your questions, if not all of them, and will benefit you in a great manner. She starts from discussing the wool types, goes through the making singles, carding, woolen , worsted, rolags, parts of the wheel, maintenance of the wheel, tips and tricks with the wheel and the fleece, roving or batt.  This DVD set is the greatest class you will have without a hands on teacher, yet you can start to spin from watching the DVD.  Eunny and Maggie have a great raport and you get very involved in the playing along of this dvd. I am very glad that I purchased this dvd and will want to watch again.  It is always nice to watch this kind of dvds twice or more.  Take notes, it is a class after all.

So now we come to the one from Abby Franquemont which is a very good video , but is more for someone who already knows how to spin.  Abby will guide you through some of the steps of making yarn and gives you insights between the woolen and the worsted ways of making yarns.  You will enjoy the fact that abby makes yarn  making look very easy and makes it a lot more fun with her light hearted attitude.  Another video in which you can learn by watching her clear  demostrations.  SO if you are looking for a good video explanation for the long and short draw this video will be a great instructional video for you.  Thanks for stopping by!

The Sonata Unfolds

 Kromski Sonata Spinning Wheel Clear Finish W/Bag is  a delight to work with.   I am documenting the fact that I received  it in good conditions and unpacking it in front of you.  I am also showing you the great deals that came with it. I got my wheel from Http://CopperMoose.com and they have a wonderful , bend over backwards  customer service.  I am also showing you a bit about how little this beauty is in need of being put together.  This Kromski is foldable and very easy to transport.  There will be another video in which I will be showing you some of the fiber I got.    If you are looking for a great Traveling wheel , you will be surprised by this beauty of a wheel.  It is compact , light weight and comes assembled, very little to do when traveling with it.

Thanks for stopping by.

Emily Ocker Crochet Cast On

So I am making the Hemlock Ring Throw and it calls for the Emily Ocker Cast On, do you know what that is? Well Crafty Andy has a demostration for you. This is the perfect project as may get snow this Holiday, in San Francisco it weill be amazing. Thanks for stopping by!

Alpacas in Gilroy, Shekinah's Alpacas

The CGOA Men Who Crochet Oakland Chapter took a field trip to an Alpaca Farm in California. Shekina's Alpacas in Gilroy where we got a warm welcome by the Owner and the herd.

Some of the alpacas were very friendly and curious about us, men and women who arrived for the visit.

Others wanted to be pet and fed.

This one wanted to be fed all the time, but was graciously posing for our camera constantly.
I got some beautiful extremely soft roving. I want to make dk weight yarn or worsted, we shall see if my new spindles have the magic ingredient that I am looking for.

This yarn is like pitch black, so beautiful, I have been looking for such a yarn for some time now. I came within budget, actually 7 dollars under lol!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Spring 09 Everyone

Are you ready for the most fun ever? Alan Dart has gotten PDF Downloads on his site and will be adding more next month. I just got this Yorkie Knit Pattern PDF, a great value for $3.72 at this moment or £ 2.50, I have been able to get the link the the patterns for stuffed animals that are really to die for. I admire Alan for his accomplishment of great realism in knit patterns. Please go and visit him and get some PDF patterns HERE, you will not be disappointed, they are in knit format and he accepts PAY PAL! I think is a great deal, I have never seen patterns like his, and now they are available for download.

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I hope the Spring of 2009 brings us lots of fun. I can feel the change in the air, the economy will turn around very unexpectedly, but not really. A lot of cash has been infused and I believe consumer confidence is back. Those people at AIG I say "Never cheat a Klingon unless you're sure you can get away with it." rule of acquisition #192. I just can't believe that you think you deserve a bonus after what has happened. We shall leave it at that, in the meantime there is yarn to dye for!I like this picture it shows the movement in yarn, is funky. So what I am doing with the yarn, well if you are interested in purchasing a specif skein let me know, but otherwise I am planning to make hats and maybe some scarves, The sock yarn is definitely for socks and there is no limit to the fun I am having. As I am learning about colors , I am learning about fibers and the chemistry of dyeing. Cotton is more difficult to dye than wool, but synthetics like acrylic, that's something left for the manufacturing process. Show and tell will continue as I am more and more involve into dyeing. I ordered some samples from the Knit Picks bare yarns and let's see if I can apply what I have learned so far about dyeing yarn. It can be fun if you take all the precautions needed to protect yourself from the chemicals. Well I hope you enjoy the video and thanks for stopping by.

Happy 2009

The Holidays for me last until the 6 th of January. As a kid we would go on the 5th of January and get a shoe box and fill it up with grass cuttings and set a bowl of water and the shoe box under the bed, next day the Three Kings have left us gifts under the bed. They came while we were asleep in the middle of the night. The camels ate the grass and had some water. Sometimes it seems so pagan and maybe it is, an offering to the Gods of Kobol! I just think itis fun for the kids to do!
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I embraced the new year with lots of positive things happening. Before I forget, in the video I show you some of my Christmas gifts. Christmas was very nice and full of surprises as always. I have been a bit lazy in my blogging and there has not been much to blog about. Sometimes we do make this blogging connection with the world and I come into your life and you wonder what's up with this guy?
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Some health issues have been resolving which is always good to hear. So the new year starts with healing and feelings of abundance and gratitude for everything we have, and for the Universe being able to fulfill all our dreams and desires.
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I have been setting up my New Computer which is where I am blogging from, twice as much memory which is great for videos and pictures, lots of disc space, and a good Flat Screen so that I am able to see once again lol! I got a nice Dell Vostro 420, with free upgrades and free shipping, what else can you ask?
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So I will be sharing more with you later this month as I get the ball rolling as they say with some of my works in progress which I have been working on for a very long time lol. Have a wonderful 2009 and thanks for stopping by!

Crocheting In Public Duboce Park

So what is Crafty Andy Up To?

WIP, Blue Garter Stitch Wrap, Bloggiversary

It has been almost 3 years since I started blogging in this fantastic media. Scott Hooper turn me into blogging and taught in the little time we spent together as friends a lot about blogging and syndication of blogs. You will be amazed at my ability to copy and paste and edit the many things I post on this blog. I have enjoyed my blogging, sometimes I have gone very personal, sometimes I have gone very angry, but always sincere and frank. I have learned in my almost 50 (fifty) years of existence that no one is perfect, yet they are. Life is as good as you make it and blogging changed my life. I know people from all over the world and have visited some of you in my travellings. I am here to learn and to teach and to have as much fun as I can. Happiness is as close as laughter and I do a lot of laughing. Blogger has come a long way baby!

What do I get from Crocheting and knitting? I derive pleasure from my creative self expression, to put into fabric what is inside you is fantastic. I am extremely creative and always on the lookout for new things to do and challenge myself. Sometimes I enjoy doing things over in new ways just to see how it will look. I have made a commitment to myself to try to buy renewable yarn, meaning coming from wool, cotton, silk, bamboo, you get the idea, at least 50 percent of the yarn has to be renewable resource and by the Gods of Kobol, they need to be made in the U.S.A. if possible. I don't mind stimulating the foreign economies, but mine comes first.

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So on this bloggiversary , I want to tell you that I choose to be happy and to have fun, that is what I will do until the end of my days on this planet as a physical being. If Life allows me to I am hoping to keep on aging gracefully, eating well, having the right mindset and being happy. Being happy is a serious business, but takes little effort, laugh, smile and change yourself, life will follow. Look for silver linings on dark clouds, don't look for the dark cloud inside a silver lining. Thanks for stopping by!

Baby Surprised Jacket Blocked

Just a Video sharing with you the Baby Surprise Jacket in Cotton, being blocked. At this time I am still working on other projects and on the hat that will make it company. In my opinion this is one of the most fun projects I have ever made in a knitting pattern. This pattern comes alive from an amorphous piece of cloth to a Baby Surprise Jacket.

 Thanks for stopping by!

Barcelona In Pictures

I was able to create a Little movie with the pictures that we took in Barcelona. It is about 16 minutes in length, so grab some tea or coffee and enjoy! I hope this encourages you to learn more about Barcelona and it's Culture. My ancestors, part of them anyway, come from this area of Spain. Barcino is the old name of Barcelona during Roman Times. So I would say that Barcinos is the name of the people from Barcino aka Barcelona.

This city captivated me in ways that I can not express I wish it does the same to you. I would love to reside there one day! This video is made to share with you, my Internet friends. Thanks for Stopping by!

Hogwart's Felted Knitting Case

Here you will see the knitted Felted Case. I am also testing Blogger's Video Uploading. So far it is working great. This is done with a home picture camera, so it is not the best of pictures, but it is meant for fun and to share. They say A movie is worth a thousand words and then I don't have to write lol! Thanks for stopping by!