C2C Corner Bookmark

It does take much to pull us away from blogging for a bit. But I have been busy busy with the crocheting and writing patterns. The first one I wrote is for a bookmark using the popular corner-to-corner stitch.C2C Corner Bookmark Isn't it just simply lovely?

I also included options to add ribbon and/or beads :)

This pattern can be found with my other patterns at Samatha Overcashier's Ravelry Store

Happy Crocheting!!!

To Do List:

C2C Rug 50%

C2C Granny Baby Blanket 5%

Tablecloth 0%

What's Up?

So, a big leap from where I have been, I have decided to move from the crocheter to the pattern writer/tester. Coming up will be some exciting posts, from patterns of others I have tested to a few of my own.

I know some of you have been asking for my patterns for years and they have been tucked away in this head of mine for far too long. The first pattern I plan to write is for the Fingerless Gloves.

It takes some time to write out notes, count, count and, count some more, then edit, test and, edit again, and finally publish. But I should have this one available next week.

Wish me luck!

In the meantime, I will be adding those tried and true patterns with links. There are some amazing patterns out there.... See Ya Soon!

Simple Supper Casserole

For lack of a better name, and I really did try to think of one, I call this the Simple Supper Casserole. It's so easy and de-li-cious!!!

 You will need: 

1 lb ground beef

 3 medium potatoes

1 small onion

1 small green bell pepper

1 can Cream of Mushroom

1 can milk, use soup can to measure

1 cup grated cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400*. Brown ground beef and chop vegetables. In a casserole dish, layer on this order, 1/2 potatoes. 1/2 ground beef, 1/2 onion and 1/2 bell pepper. Repeat with remaining beef and vegetables.  You can sprinkle with salt and pepper now if desired.

Now, mix  the can cream of mushroom with equal amount of milk (I use the soup can to measure milk). Pour the mixture over meat and vegetables.

Bake in preheated 400* oven for 50 minutes. Top with cheese and bake an additional 10 minutes. For a total of 1 hour.

That's it, it comes out this wonderfully delicious moist goodness. Serve with a salad or other fresh veggie. YUM!!!

Enjoy!!!

Simple Dry Rub

     I don't know about you, but when I find a really good blend, that tastes good on just about anything, I want a never-ending supply. Fill my cupboard! I can't take all the credit, on this one though. It was a cook at a local festival in California that revealed to us his secret for making the best mouthwatering grilled chicken I ever put in my mouth. It's surprisingly simple too.

                                                           That is all there is to it!

     It does make a lot, but if you try it once, most likely you will find use for it again and again. Of course I like it on chicken, but it is also great on any other meat and try sprinkling some on vegetables, too. Potato wedges, YUM! Want a little more flavor on your steak? No problem, separate a cup of the dry rub and add 1/4 of a cup instant coffee. No Kidding! It is de-li-cious!

      So, there ya have it. Our little secret for grilling the best meat in the neighborhood.      Enjoy!.....Samatha

4 Reasons Why I Can't Get Anything Done

I haven’t really been just sitting over here doing nothing, I promise. I have been crocheting and experimenting with some healthy recipes, I just haven’t had time to write anything down. So, I thought I would share with you the 4 reasons why I haven’t had time to post anything this past couple of months.  

 

Madison C., June

 Blake &Brianna G., July

Marcellus R., Sept.

All these little bundles of joy have arrived this summer and I am now a grandmother of a baker's dozen. Anyway, I think my children should take a break from reproduction for a while, at least a year or two. I need to get busy on other crafts, not to mention all the Christmas gifts I need to make now. Anymore and I will have to start asking for donations, 'grandma's funds', lol. 

Anyway, I plan to start posting some crochet patterns for little things soon, and a recipe for, Country Supper, a casserole I made last night. It was delicious and look forward to sharing it with you guys :)

Don't forget to like my Facebook page, Simply Samatha, to  get more updates and enter monthly giveaways :)

Thread Crocheted Baby Booties

The last week has been quite the busy week after I found and purchased this pattern for beaded christening shoes on Etsy. Keep in mind that I am still working on one more blanket for a soon-to-be-here grandbaby. But, anyway, I spent the better part of 2 days just working out the pattern and adjusting it to fit my gauge, haha.

 I say my gauge because, as hard as I try, I seem to only have one size. Even if I change the hook, the width may change a little but the height remains the same. I think this is because I am left-handed, crochet from left to right, and from the back instead of the front. Confused yet? Maybe someday I'll post of video of how I crochet. :)

Anyway, I have learned to adjust patterns to my gauge instead of fussing with several hooks and redoing a gauge piece over and over again. Back to my story, I adjusted the gauge and opted to replace the flower with beads worked in.

So, this is the product of all that, what I call the experimental phase.

I believe they turned out quite well and since I have made 2 more pair. The pattern is dead on perfect and easy to remember after doing a couple of pair. So many people are uploading patterns these days and many patterns I have bought online lately have come with some obvious flaws, so frustrating, and it almost broke me from making any more purchases, but I'm really glad I tried again.

I will definitely be going back to this seller. She has a gorgeous pattern for holiday shoes. ;)

Now, all fingers crossed that I can get the blanket done before grandbaby #14 arrives. :)

Giveaway!

In the mood for GIVING. I just opened a Facebook page “Simply Samatha” and finished my first couple Simply Swag Scarves and absolutely love them!

 They are light, comfortable, hangs well, and just the right size for cool summer nights. With a 36 inch circumference, you can wear it as a swag, like the photo below, or double it up for a cozy neck warmer this fall. 

 I enjoy it so much that I’m willing to give one away to a lucky winner. So… please ENTER below! Tell your friends, because a chance to win a GREAT scarf is too good not to SHARE.

This Giveaway is open internationally. The entry period ends August 1, 2014, at 12:00pm Eastern time. Each entry is a chance to win. The more you enter, the more chances you get! Simply Samatha will ship the scarf directly to the winner at no expense.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Disclaimer: I try to provide an easy way to enter;however, sometimes a device (phones, tablets, computers, etc) might not load the rafflecopter entry form. Please try refreshing the form, waiting a few minutes or entering from a different device. Simply Samatha and all associated are not responsible for loss of entry due to computer/device or internet related problems, acts of nature, or any other reason.

Baby Blankets

     My apologies, for not posting most often. Not only am I having grand-babies left and right, I'm recovering from a 4 year disability. Yes, recovering! What started as pain in my feet, was diagnosed as arthritis. Arthritis medicine caused high blood pressure. High blood pressure medicine caused tripping, which ended with a broken leg. Numerous trips to specialist, x-rays and MRI's of both feet, braces and crutches, and physical therapy caused more pain and suffering until one day it was suggested that I may be put in a wheelchair. I couldn't do it, I had to find a solution. Desperately searching for relieve, my husband literally stood behind me supporting my weight as I limped in to see a chiropractor 3 months ago who diagnosed me with a dislocated pelvic bone.
     It was such a relief to finally have a diagnoses and be on the road towards recovery but I still had the problem of the tremendous weight gain I had experienced over the last 4 years. Luckily, my chiropractor is in a clinic where his wife also has an office and she is a physician of weight loss. Bonus for me because I can treatment from both in one trip. It has been 2 months since I signed up with her program and I have lost just over 20 pounds.
     Today, I still have a long way to go but I am getting my life back, finally. I spend a lot of time exercising and meal planning and it doesn't leave a lot of time for what I love to do, share things I make with my friends. So, with that said, I am going to share the baby blankets that I have made so far and ask for a bit more patients as I complete this recovery journey. BTW, I now have 13 grand-babies, including a set of twins. Still waiting for #14 due in September. :)

This one I made for #12, it is just a granny square surrounded with 134 flowers from a pattern in Around the Corner Crochet Border by Edie Eckman.

These I made for the twins of course, in the corner-to-corner crochet pattern. I couldn't help but add a strip of yarn from the other blanket on each, because of the connection of twins. And, I think I like taking pictures almost as much as I like crocheting :)

Anyway, I'll get back more often as my schedule is starting to ease up. Besides, I have several other projects that I am beginning or about to finish up. So, see ya again soon! :)

Babies in Abundance

This year must be grandbaby year. Despite having 9 already, I continue to get phone calls letting us know to be expecting another, or in one case 2. Yes, one is a set of twins :)

So, anyway, my hook will be working overtime this year as the first is expected in June and more to come soon after.

Luckily, my Aunt Jo introduced me to a new book and as soon as I seen it, I knew I had to have it.

Folks, if you are looking for an excellent book of borders, I would highly recommend this one. You can find it in several location, but I got mine from Amazon here.No, I don't get any bonus for reviews, but I crochet a LOT and when I find a good book, I must share my excitement.

So, together with the other books in my crafting library...

... I am sure to come up with some interesting baby blankets over the next few months.

Just a hint... the first baby blanket will be GIRL colors :)

Looking forward to all the exciting things to come..... Happy Hooking!

Slow Week

A full week of coughs and sneezes around this house so not much time for anything, partly colds and partly allergies, but I did get some things accomplished. Proud to say my weekly quix results were 95 and 100 in Accounting and Economics, respectfully. And, I am only 4 rows away from the halfway point on this corner-to-corner throw.

Now I will be changing the rows a bit. There will be more blue than green on the other half. I cannot wait until I get to the other corner so this thing will go faster. More so, I cannot wait to see it finished :)

Best wishes to everyone! Until next time....Keep well!

My Cup of Tea

(Special thanks to sister-in-law, Tania, for the coffee percolator/tea kettle :)

     Life can get so erratic with our weekly schedules that we forget to take moments for ourselves to relax, reflect, reevaluate and rejuvenate.  Yesterday, for example, the phone calls started at 7:30a.m. and they did not stop until after noon. This is the time that I would normally be studying for an assignment due the next day but, before I knew it, the morning was gone and I had accomplished nothing at all. You folks have to know what I’m talking about, I cannot be the only to have hectic day. Can I?

     Well, anyway, one of my many favorite moments and set aside just for ME, is teatime. And I definitely needed one after that. You can find a substantial amount of information online about the health benefits of tea, so I will not go into that. I will just tell you there are many different types of tea and not everyone enjoys the same type. So, take the time to experiment and find a tea or combination that you enjoy. 

     There is no telling what type of tea I’ll have until it’s time and, then, there is no recipe. I throw in whatever tea I’m ‘feeling’ and let it steep. Yesterday it was Celestial Tension Tamer Herbal Tea. Today it’s a blend of Chinese Restaurant Tea and Celestial Sleepy Time. If, by slim chance, I’m not in the mood for hot tea, a cold combination that I really enjoy is Lipton and Sleepy Time. I can hear you asking, Sleepy Time in the afternoon? Yes, blended of course, it is relaxing without the sleepy. And, I love the slight minty flavor it adds to cold tea. Don’t be afraid to mix it up.

     Not your cup of tea? Try plain hot water. An older and much wiser woman, which I occasionally have lunch with, enjoys a cup of hot water after lunch. She explained that it helps with digestion and her family has been drinking hot water for generations. Not the hot water type? You could flavor it with anything, citrus, herbs, or vegetables, but then, wouldn’t it be tea again?

     I enjoy my tea in my cozy chair, no tv, no phone, no book, no anything, just me and my tea. It give me just a few minutes to relax, reflect on what has already be done that morning, reevaluate what needs to get done the rest of the day. Sometimes it seems to not last long enough, but when my cup is empty I feel rejuvenated and I’m ready to tackle the rest of day.

     Then, when all is said and done at the end of the day, I’ll get my water heating on the stove top again and enjoy the process all over again.

So, what else is left to say, except… brew up a cup of the good stuff for yourself ~and enjoy.

1 Work in Progress, 3 More in Prepareness

I have been desperately looking for a good pattern for a man's gift and I think I finally found it. It's hard to find a pattern that would both look "manly" and I would enjoy doing. The 3  For Him patterns that I did find were plain and solid in color... blah. When I came across this Corner to Corner pattern, I thought "It's Perfect"!

                  So, it's coming right along....

              And.... I can't wait to finish it.

Most of all, my husband is going to love it And, all of the men in my family may get a similar scarf for Christmas :)

Anyway, It's not bad to be prepared for future projects, right? I hope not, because I really plan ahead.  We all know the local stores never carry enough of one color for any project we are ready to do so this solves waiting, weeks sometimes, for them to restock. 

Besides the current project, I always keep 3 in preparing stage. As I can find the yarn, I purchase it and put it in one of the future project boxes. That way, by the time I'm done with one project, I have all the material for another.

The two on the left are for the Cathedral Rose and the one on the right is for a Six Pointed Star. Just imagine it. I can not wait to get started on them.

Until Then...Happy Hooking!

Where to start?... The Wedding Ring Quilt

I've decided to share my handiwork as much as I can. Some things I made without a pattern long before I even knew how to read one, so I could not tell you, hide nor hair, how I made it. But please bear with me as I share with you some of the things I've done in the past and some that I am presently working on.

This first post is the one I'm most proud of. I finished this Wedding Ring Quilt in just over three weeks. It is a Red Heart pattern that you can find available for free HERE.

I adjusted the pattern to make it a queen size, but I finished it while visiting family in another state and the only bed available for a quick photo was a full size.

As you can see from my various photos this is pieced together but once I got the hang of it, it went together quite quickly.

For the colors I used Buff, Cafe Latte, Light Periwinkle, and Mirage, all Red Yarn yarn. If your tempted to make one of these and not sure about the colors, find a multi-color that you like on the Red Heart site and it will suggest colors that go well with it. Some may only give you one or two options but it is a great place to start.

I believe I have written down somewhere the number of skeins that I used but it is currently hiding, so when I come across it, I will have to come back and edit. It was a lot of yarn from what i can remember off the top of my head. I believe something like 11 skeins of the multi color after I made size adjustment, but it was worth it.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy and if you are interested in working this up but you think it's too difficult, I say go for it. It is not nearly as difficult as what it may seem.

Until Next Time... Happy Hooking!