Sunday Morning

  














We made Allergy Friendly donuts...They were free from Milk, all dairy, Nuts, Wheat, Eggs, and Soy.  They turned out really yummy so I thought I'd share!

This is my allergy friendly biscuit recipe, modified to make donuts. If there's a * beside it then it's a modification. Remove all of the modifications for yummy biscuits :)


















Here's the recipe:

Mix these Dry Ingredients in a large bowl:
2 C Oat Flour
2 C Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
2T Baking Powder
2tsp Baking Soda
1tsp Salt
*1/4C Sugar*

2/3 C Butter Flavored Crisco
After mixing dry ingredients well, drop by small bits into mixer as it goes.  (Or mix in with a fork or pastry blender)

Add: 
1 1/2 C Rice Milk - vanilla or plain
2tsp Vanilla extract

Mix until it feels like regular biscuit dough. Pull off pieces and shape into donuts. Roll donuts in powdered sugar and lay on greased baking sheet. (At this point I covered mine and kept them in the fridge overnight so I could pull them out and put them in the oven fast the next morning.) Bake at 450 for 10 minutes.

Heat 1/8 cup of water for 2 mins in the microwave. Add 1 tsp vanilla and whisk in powdered sugar until it reaches a good consistency for icing. Dip donuts in icing while they are still warm and serve :)

On a crochet note!!!  I sold a baby pod to another wonderful photographer this week! I included a hat just for kicks and he did something great with it. It was one of those elf hats that had the long braided tail on the end and he tied it in a knot!  It turned out so cute!!!  Check out the pictures!  

My Dr appointments are this week so keep me in your prayers, and as usual...Happy Hooking to all of you!

Mama Nettie

Just a little blip

Hey everyone!  I know I've been a bit out of touch. I'm dealing with a few health issues. I'm sure that we'll talk more about them later on, but for now let's just say that I've fallen into the "Mommy Trap" and haven't been taking as good of care of myself as I should have been, so my immune system is not on track.

The doctor has put me on an almost 100% Super Foods Diet! Here's a LIST if you're interested in checking it out. It's really yummy and I've had fun finding recipes. I'm sure I'll be sharing some. It's been exciting and a bit challenging combining my already complicated grocery shopping for L's food allergies with my list of Super Foods :) But I did it!!  Go Mommy!!

On a crochet note, I got an email today that included this really neat video on how to change colors without using knots at all! Check It Out! I think I'm going to start using this technique! It is super easy and actually looks faster than tying a knot! One thing that I've discovered that I'm not sure many people do unless they sell their work to people who do not crochet or knit, is that when you hide your ends, if you put a tiny drop of fray stop on the tip of the yarn and then stretch the project to pull the tip inside the stitches and hide it, the fray stop locks it in place and then, in my experience, even in the wash it doesn't come out unless you want it to. You can still pull it out of course, should you so desire, but it will not come out of it's own accord. :)

Happy Hooking,
Mama Nettie

Lovely Lace Pattern Stitch

I saw a beautiful cardigan on a lady at church on Sunday and thought, I need to try to make a stitch that is similar to that! The fabric of her cardigan was crocheted pentagons which was beautiful and definitely doable, but this is the first pattern that came to me, and I think it's really pretty and worth sharing!

I worked my swatch in Sinfonia thread with a size F hook, but it will work up beautifully in whatever thread you love...so as I always say, use what you love to make something you love for someone you love and love every stitch!

So Here Goes:

Chain multiple of 4 +1

Row 1: hdc in 3^rd ch from hook, hdc across

Row 2: ch 2, turn, hdc, ch 4, sk 3, (2 hdc in next stitch, ch 4, sk 3) across, hdc in last 2 stitches

Row 3: ch 1 turn, sc, (ch 2, sc in ch 4 space, ch 2, sk hdc, sc in hdc) across

Row 4: ch 5, turn, sk sc, 2 hdc in sc, (ch 4, sk sc, 2 hdc in sc) across, ch 2, tc in last sc

Row 5: ch1, turn, sc1, ch2, sc in hdc, (ch 2, sc in ch 4 space, ch 2, sk hdc, sc in hdc) across

Row 6: ch 2, turn, hdc in sc, (ch 4, sk sc, 2 hdc in sc) across

Repeat rows 3-6 for pattern, ending with row 5

2^nd to last row: ch 2, turn, hdc in sc, (ch 3, sk sc, 2 hdc in sc) across

Last row: ch 2, turn, (hdc in each st, 3 hdc in each ch 3 space) across

When working something that will have a border, you may opt not to do the foundation row of hdc or the finishing row of hdc. On the swatch that I made while creating this pattern I found that it helped to keep everything aligned better.

An extra special thank you goes out to my dear friend Sarah for taking my convoluted gibberish and simplifying it into a much easier pattern!

As always, I can't wait to hear from you! Comment or message me if you have questions.

Happy Hooking,
Mama Nettie

Check out the latest blog I'm following! I found her because she found me!!!! Click on the picture below!

The Winner

And the winner of the May drawing is.....[Insert drum-roll here]......The Swiss Army Wife! I'm sure you're all completely astounded, as she was the only one who entered! So, this month you'll know that it's probably going to be an easy win so enter quickly if the drawing is for something that you like!

So here's what's going on in my crochet world. I made a pattern that I decided to sell. I hardly ever crochet from a pattern and rarely write down the patterns that I make up as I go....until recently, and you've all seen what's come of that! But for the first time ever, I made something and thought, "I might actually pay a couple of dollars for that pattern" so I listed it for sale and it's really taking off! It does help that little B loves to ham it up for pictures!

Click to Visit My Etsy Store!

So Cute!!!  I know I'm biased, but really....look at those dimples!

Because I've enjoyed this so much and gotten such an excellent turn out from it, I am currently working on several other patterns and projects, but I don't want to spoil it! There's more fun to come next week!

Happy Hooking,

Mama Nettie

I Got A Leibster Award!!

I got a Leibster Award!

A HUGE Thank You! to Sarah from Engineered Crochet for nominating me!

Blogging has been one of the most enjoyable pastimes that I've discovered in the last 30 years! It's a beautiful way to share your life with old friends and new friends alike, and it is a lovely avenue for sharing a craft or interest! The 5 blogs that I've nominated are ones that I think really capture that. They are great at sharing and lovely to read! 

Here are my 5:

1: Crochet Lounge
2: Andromeda's Fiber Studios
3: Unravel Me Designs
4: Ambassador Crochet
5: Apricot Corner

Here's how you CLAIM your Leibster Award:

1. Post about your win on your blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who presented you with the award.
3. Copy and paste the award button to your blog.
4. Present the Liebster Award to 5 blogs that have fewer than 200 followers that you think deserve to be recognized.
5. Let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

Playing Catch Up!

Well, we are still under the weather, but in a different fashion. The pink eye has finally left us but we have come down with a nasty cold, so, sadly, we are still under quarantine. I've been so sick, and then with sick kiddos to care for it's been quite challenging. I just haven't been up to doing anything by the time I get to sit down in the evenings. 

Today, I just decided that life has to go on, sick or not we have to get moving a little more. So, here's the first post of several to update everyone on all that's happened since the last time I really posted. 

*****The Dance Recital*****

It was so wonderful! B danced her little tush off! She was a little diva and loved every moment of it. By the time we left she was asking when she would get to go on stage and do that again! It was SO GREAT!

B after Rehearsal

E after Rehearsal

L after Rehearsal

B and E enjoying the fountain after Rehearsal

L being "Captain America" on the other side of the fountain!

My beautiful girl after the Recital!

Walking with PaPa (My Daddy) after Recital

What a wonderful Mother's Day Weekend! I got to see my mom, even though she didn't get to stay for Sunday. It was great to see her and get to hug her neck! I got a great surprise and one of my best friends came into town for B's recital and came over to hang out for a while afterward!

Thank you to all of you who came to support our little dancer! She was so proud to perform for you all!

Quarantine....

with 3 toddlers is the pits! My crew has pink eye this week so we are trapped at home. I am exhausted! John doesn't have any sick time left until the end of June so I'm the only one who can touch the children at all, and they are VERY NEEDY!!

We have been up through the night with children terrified because their eyes won't open...even though we've talked it over that their eyes may seal shut in the night and not to worry we can wash them with a cloth. Then we have those moments of "Just hold me, Mommy" that are so precious and sweet....followed by "That's my Mommy! Get away from her!" and a fist fight!

Anyway, Long story short, Mommy is about ready to take a vacation, and she may very well do just that as soon as this round of antibiotics is done! I can't tell you how many times I've called out "Please don't vanquish your brother! You will want to play with him tomorrow!" 

All you fellow crochet people and lovely mom's out there please say a prayer for me today! We have 5 more days to go because this started on Saturday and we couldn't see the Dr until Monday afternoon. :(  So next Monday will end our very long quarantine.

 

Family Day...

So it's been one of those weeks where I have so much going on that by the time I sit down at the end of the day I am...and I know...this even sounds foreign to me...but I promise it's true...I am actually too tired to even crochet!!  I don't know what to do with myself.

I haven't made a blog post on Love in the Stitches in well over a week, I'm worried you guys are going to think I forgot you. I promise I didn't......I did forget my name once...and my children's names several times, but you guys...never! LOL

All joking aside this is what my weekend holds. Let's start with the beginning...L sat in something that he's allergic to and has a rash on his tush. I can't seem to get it to go away so I took his itchy little bottom to the Dr today for some special cream. Also, little B is coughing up a lung and has a sore throat, so she needed to see the Dr as well. So, we went to the Dr this morning first thing. On the way home, we stopped to pick up Kristin and run by the grocery store because I needed a few things for the birthday party that I am hostessing for one of my best friends tonight. The children decided to have a melt down on the way to the store which always results in them not having the privilege of going in, so Kris went in and then I went in after she was done.

After dropping off her groceries we had to make one more stop for a Birthday gift and then take her home. On the way home I needed to run through the drive through at the drug store and pick up L's cream and B's medicine so I went to CVS, but the line was so long in the drive through that I just unloaded the brood and went in....L proceeded to throw a tantrum in the floor of the store because I wouldn't open his candy right then. (keep in mind that he is 2 and it's nearly 1:30 at the time and he's hungry and tired...he is usually a really well behaved child) but still, we don't reward tantrums so his candy treat was placed back on the shelf and the others got candy while he did not. Now that WAS an uproar. Anyway, we were gone from the house from 8:45 this morning until 2:30 and now I'm trying to get these kiddos down for nap. The biggest are out for the count, but little L is too tired to sleep I think.

So...tonight we have a birthday party, and in the morning at 8:30 is B's dress rehearsal for her first dance recital! Then tomorrow afternoon at 4:15 we have to be there for the actual recital which starts at 5, and somewhere in the middle of it all my parents are coming in. The recital will probably end around 7 and Mom and Dad will have to head back home,  then Mother's Day is Sunday and we have company coming Sunday night and then Monday is my friend David's birthday so company again.....I'm so exhausted thinking about it that I'm having trouble making my feet move to get started. And crochet???  Well, I've started a pillow for David's couch for the 4th time, and I'm also working on another purse pattern. Another friend of mine asked me to design a shoulder bag for her, so there are things in the works, they just aren't anywhere close to done so today, no crochet pictures, just WELCOME TO MY FAMILY.

Beautiful Boutique Bow Holder

 Hey guys! I've been wanting to put up this pattern for a while and I thought it would be the perfect time. It's time for the May Giveaway and we are giving away 2 of these Beautiful Boutique Bow Holders!! Each comes complete with 3 sets of 3 inch Handmade Boutique Ponytail Bows!

This pattern is extremely versatile and very adaptable! Kristin uses one exactly like the one in this pattern for her little K-Bug and my little B uses one that is adapted to be just a little bit larger.  This one will hold up to 17 bows.   

Anyway, here's the pattern: 

Note: I prefer 100% Cotton for this. It holds up best.

It's important to use a small hook for this, it needs to be tight or the weight of the bows will make it sag and twist. We want it to stay sturdy so I use a G hook.

Special Stitches:  

Picot = ch 2, slip stitch in 1st ch  

Fptc = Front post treble crochet

Ch 12

R1: hdc in 3rd ch from hk and across 

R2-3: ch 2, turn, hdc in each st across

R4: ch 2, turn, hdc in next st, fptc 2 rows below, hdc in next 5 sts, fptc 2 rows below, hdc in last 2 sts

R5-7: ch 2, turn, hdc in each st across

R8: ch2, turn, hdc in next 4 sts, fptc 2 rows below, hdc in last 5 sts

R9-11: ch 2, turn, hdc in each st across

R12-20: Repeat rows 4-11

R21-28: Repeat rows 4-11

R29-36: Repeat rows 4-11

R37-44: Repeat rows 4-11

R45: Repeat row 4

R46: ch2, turn, hdc in each st across.

TRIM-

Rnd 1: Chain 5, dc in same st (corner), going across top, sk 1 st, dc in next st, ch 2 dc in same st, sk 2 sts, dc in next st, ch 2, dc in same st, sk 1 st, dc in corner st, ch 2, dc in same corner st, (now starting down the side) Continue to skip about the distance of 2 sts, *dc, ch2, dc, in same st,  sk 2* repeat from * down the side, when you get to the corners the sts will be a bit close together, but it will help with the corners anyway. When you get back to original ch5, sl st into 3rd ch. 

Rnd 2 of Trim

Rnd 2: sl st into large chain space(do not turn) ch 3(1st dc)3 dc, picot, 4 dc in same corner space, *1 dc in next chain sp, 2dc, picot, 2 dc, in next ch sp* Repeat around besides corners. In corner chain spaces: 4 dc, picot, 4 dc. 

Corner

Time for the May Drawing!!!!

Time for what I know you've all been waiting for!  I know that we are all busy people. We have lives that we fill in various ways, and I cannot tell you how honored I feel that you take time out of yours to visit my blogs! I hope that they are helpful and fun! I love blogging and I love crafting!

My plan is to do a giveaway in a drawing each month. I want to get to know you! So here's this months "little catch" #1, you can't win unless you are a blog member! So follow Mama Nettie's Crochet!  #2, post a comment on this post. Tell me a little about you.(Are you a first generation crocheter or has it been passed down? Why do you love crochet? Does it add something to your life?)Maybe even link us to your own site showing something that you've made!

So, Be a blog member/follower old or new, and post a comment and you are entered to win this darling bow holder! Also, as an added bonus, these handmade bows come with it!!  3 Sets of Pigtail Bows! The drawing will be held on May 15th!

This is Navy with White Polka Dots

Ever since B was very small she's loved being dressed up and looking all girly and sweet, so one of my best friends, Kristin, has hand made her bows. Kristin is so talented and takes a lot of pride in her work. B is nearly 5 years old now and I have had some of her bows for nearly 3 years. They are beautiful and durable!

Even if you don't have a little girl of your own, this would make an amazing gift! Not only are the bows Mama Nettie tested and Approved, but the bow holder is the same design that Kristin and I both use for our girls!

ENTER TO WIN A SECOND TIME!!  CLICK HERE

Tips on the Classy Clutch

When putting the Classy Clutch to the test, there was one thing that became blaringly obvious quite quickly. I don't like the way that it hangs open and comes open so easily when it has something in it unless it is sewn together in a very specific way, so here's the way to do it. Fold up the side flaps and sew them on all edges. EVEN THE TOP.

Welcome to my kitchen counter top! :)

Once this is done it leaves only the front open under the flap and is much easier to use.  I LOVE IT! I love it just for me, but mostly I love it to use for my kiddos! Mom's, this just became my top must have! Especially for allergy mom's like me!!




L cannot be left anywhere, even Sunday School class, without an epi pen. Also, they often feed the kiddos snacks in Children's Church which can be an issue as you might imagine. I know I've written about it briefly in the past, but L's allergies include ALL Nuts, Milk, Egg, and Wheat.

So, in this classy little clutch (which fits beautifully in my purse I might add) I can put a diaper, a snack, and an epi pen! It is easy to hand to the teacher all in one beautiful little bundle!

Also Non-Allergy Mom's, it would be super convenient to put just a diaper a tiny pack of wipes, and a snack.  I think I'll make one that doesn't have the ornate front on it to use for L on a regular basis, since this one is not very boyish. Maybe I'll make one that is brown and cream and blue or something like that. I'll post a picture if I do.

I'd love to know if any of you have tried the clutch. Share your thoughts!!

Happy Hooking,
Mama Nettie

Classy Clutch

Let's make a pretty clutch handbag! Grab a pretty mercerized cotton and follow along! This project will help you master 2 new techniques and leave you with a great new accessory for yourself or someone you love!!

My personal favorite mercerized cotton is Sinfonia. It comes in a variety of gorgeous solids and several variegated threads and can be found at Hobby Lobby. Don't forget to take your coupon! When working with Sinfonia, I prefer to use hook size E. (For a variation: use a large hook that leaves big holes and line your clutch with a nice fabric!) OR, add a strap!! This pattern is very versatile!

To start, chain whatever width you want your clutch to be. I am chaining 39 because it looks just about large enough to hold a checkbook/wallet.

R1: HDC in 3rd ch from hk and in each st across. (38 hdc across, counting first skipped ch2 as 1 hdc)
R2-14: Ch2, turn, HDC across

When you reach the end of R14 CH 19

R15: HDC in 3rd ch from hk and in each ch across and each st across when you come to the end AbInc(Abrupt Increase) 18 times. (click on the link to familiarize yourself with this technique if you're not a regular follower of Love in the Stitches or just haven't had an opportunity to try AbInc out yet!)

R16-19: ch2, turn, HDC in each st across

R20: sl st in 19 sts, bringing you back down the "arm" of the pattern to the body. Ch 2(first hdc), HDC in next 37 sts.

R21-36: Ch 2, Turn, HDC  across (This makes up the back and the top of the clutch)

For Simple but Elegant: continue to repeat R21 until you finish R44

R45: ch1, turn, follow shell stitch pattern across the edge ending with sc. tie off and hide ends
sew together.

For a Little Something More: Follow these directions for a Cabled Front

R37: Ch 2, Turn, HDC in next 15 sts, fptc around 4th, 5th, and 6th sts from hk 2 rows below, fptc around 3each of the 3 skipped sts 2 rows below. HDC in last 16 sts.

R38: ch 2, Turn, HDC across

R 39: Ch 2, Turn, HDC in next 14 sts, fptc around next 3 fptc, HDC in next 2 sts, fptc around next 3 fptc, HDC in next 15 sts.

R40: Repeat row 38

R41: Ch 2, Turn, HDC in next 13 sts, fptc around next 4 fptc, HDC in next 4 sts, fptc around next 4 fptc, HDC in next 14 sts.

R42: Repeat Row 38

R43: Repeat Row 39

R44: Repeat Row 38

R45 - 52: Repeat Rows 37-44

R53: Repeat Row 37

R54: (scalloped edge) ch1, turn, sc in first st, follow shell stitch pattern across the edge ending with sc. tie off and hide ends. Sew together.

Watch for our drawing! I will post pictures of the May giveaway next week!! Everyone who is a follower of the blog and posts a comment to the Giveaway post will be entered to win!

Click HERE for some Tips on the Classy Clutch.

As always,
Happy Hooking!
Mama Nettie

Well, the nails in the

board in the backyard found my baby boys foot...or rather his foot found them on Monday. My poor little E Bug was stuck so badly that I had to pull him free. Thank heaven he is up to date on his tetanus shots. We still made a fast trip to the doctor and got him seen about.

Have you ever had one of those days where you remain totally calm on the outside, but on the inside your flipping out???...yeah...that was totally Monday for me. Of course E picked 12:30 to step on the board, so the Dr's office was closed for lunch. I got him cleaned up and bathed he and L and got all of the kiddos ready to go with full knowledge that we'd be either going to the Dr or to the ER as soon as I spoke to the nurse, but when she called me back she said that they were booked up for the afternoon and I should, and get this all you other mom's, I should go to the ER and then IF they decided that he needed a tetanus shot I could call back and schedule an appointment for the following day with his dr's office.

Well, I don't know about you guys, and I'm not sure how your ER's work, but I am an extremely busy woman. I blog, I crochet, I keep my house and 2 other houses on the side, I take in laundry, and I care for my 3 beautiful children, one of which has severe, life threatening food allergies...so it's complicated and time consuming. I don't just have time to sit for 2-3 hours in the ER and then drive across town again the following day and sit in the Dr's office for an hour. So, as you can imagine, I was a little frustrated with that suggestion. I was very calm and sweet and I said, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be contentious and I trust the nurse and will do what she thinks is best, but can you ask her why she wants me to go and sit in the ER with all of my children today and then come back into your office tomorrow?"  Suddenly, and quite conveniently for me, there was a cancellation and we were able to get E in to see the Dr and start a round of antibiotics.

While we were at the dr's office L peed through his clothes (He does that in one pee!!) and guess, just guess what I was completely out of in the diaper bag!!!!!! I'm that mom. That crazy wierdo mom that carries a huge diaper bag and has everything from neosporin to a change of socks for my potty training kiddos and a baggie to put the wet things in. It was so foreign to me to be without a diaper that I nearly fell to the floor in tears.  You should have seen the dr's face. She could tell that I was having a completely off day. I just looked at her and said "I guess everyone has to have their off days once in a while." and she nodded and brought me a diaper.

So, to make a long story only slightly longer, Monday poured over onto Tuesday a tiny bit, but by 4:30pm things were finally normalizing again. On a crochet note, I got the drawing prize mailed out and I crocheted a short sleeved summer cardigan for B. I used this pattern which I've used before and love! I made a couple of variations to it to make it fit B, and I made a flower for the lapel, and didn't it turn out darling?!!

Tell me about your off days...let me know I'm not alone!  I'd love your comments. Also, don't forget to click the link and check out this pattern. It is the easiest and most fun cardigan I've made, and one of the only ones I've made more than once in 28 years of crochet! (Yes I am counting all the way back to the moment that my Mama started teaching me to chain stitch and if you don't then you should! I think it's when the love for crochet was embedded into my soul!)

I was watching...

my babies play together today. B is getting ready for her first really big dance recital and as the oldest in the family she has taken it upon herself to teach the steps to her younger siblings. I am listening to them giggle and laugh and run and tumble into one another in the living room floor. When I turned to watch for a little while B is doing her "professional" (for a 4 year old) dance moves while E stands next to her in an over sized t-shirt and underpants that are on inside out and backwards, and does his best to copy her movements, and then there's my little L quite literally running circles around them both and singing "go L, go L" at the top of his lungs(always so proud of his accomplishments).

Suddenly tears sting my eyes and my heart is overflowing down my face as I am taken back 20 years to my own childhood. I remember my brother's first Tae-Kwon-Do demonstration. I remember how proud and excited he was and how he loved teaching us each step and technique in his routine. I remember how much love I felt for my brother and sister during the time that we were learning and playing together like that. It was so beautiful to look at my children and see that love between them.



B noticed that I was taking pictures and said "hang on mommy. Ok, now!" and set down her bubbles and struck a pose! L is looking at her like "you are crazy..you know that, right?"



So, for now dance is to them what Tae-Kwon-Do was to us. I wonder what their camper will be! We had an old camper. The kind that was built to slide onto/into the bed of a pickup. It was tiny, but it was ours! We spent hours out there playing. I was the little mama even then. I would clean and make curtains and pretend to make dinner...out of chips and sandwiches that I brought from the house, while Brandon and Crystal would play games. I was the banker in Monopoly. I didn't even play most of the time, but I loved to be the banker!

There are days when it is really difficult to have babies so close together. I know my mother felt the same way. But I look at them and how well they communicate with eachother the majority of the time, and how much they learn from one another, and I wouldn't change it for the world. There are so many priceless moments every day, so many moments that take me back and remind me of my precious family, and so many moments that make the future look so bright and beautiful!

What do your kiddos do that takes you back? I'd love your comments.
Mama Nettie