Technique Thursday ~ Saltines

Well I am about a week late with this post but here it is as I promised...Saltines.

Well, not exactly! The Saltines I was talking about are not edible, they are crocheted. And here is a picture of a few that I made. You can also see a YO-YO in there. A stray, you may call it.

So now that you know what they are, how do you make them and what can you make with them once you have made a bunch. Well what they are is just the first two rounds of a granny square. Or if you wish, just the first round of a granny square. I think two rounds make it more of the same size as a real Saltine.

And what you can make with them is just as unlimited as your imagination. Here are a few samples and links of where I got the pictures from. Just click on the centered word to go to the link.

Shawls


Afghans


You can make scarves, Rugs, Vests, or use them as borders of other items, or you can can make
Quilts

Take a look at all the wonderful crocheted quilt patterns that are free at Happy Yellow House.

Have fun! They are a great way to use up scraps and go really fast but the only drawback is that there are a lot of tails to weave in. What will you make?


A Better Christmas - Written on 12/21/2001

Today I would like to tell you about the best Christmas I had as a child. We were living on Mill Street, I was about eleven at the time, and this was the home we lived in by the railroad tracks. I loved that home for many reasons. I loved to listen to the train whistle as they would roar by and cause our house to vibrate. There was a potbelly stove in the living room and I always enjoyed seeing dad fill it up with blocks of coal wrapped in brown paper. He would stoke the flames and we would sit in a huddle around it to keep warm. This is the home where I had Shep our female dog that we thought was a boy when we named her. She had pups in this home. I have many many good memories from times we lived in this home.

It was one of the happier times of my life. Not that we were rolling in dough but times were a bit better then, dad was working in construction and there was plenty of work. He would come home all dirty and grimy from his labors and mom always kept a change of clean clothes for him on the back porch which was enclosed and he would change before he came in to take a shower. We would sit down to dinner and there was always a lot of conversation at the table. I also remember that at this period of time I was interested in art. I loved to draw and had made a pencil portrait of my dad. I remember sharing that with him at the table one evening and how proud he seemed to be at my efforts.

This particular Christmas there was a huge pine tree adorned with all the glitter and sparkle that an eye could behold. Mom had made a Santa and Sleigh out of cardboard for the front yard. It was great, she covered it in foil paper and beads and it stood up and there were even reindeer made of cardboard. Mom was very talented and could make anything out of scrap. There was the smell of baking when I got home from school and even some samples on the table for us to enjoy now. Mom called them her boo boo's. But they were delicious and disappeared in a hurry. All boo boo's should be as good.

Of course there was the same excitement at eleven that there was when I as seven. I still believed in Santa and still do believe in the spirit of Santa to this day.(This is not true today). My dreams were to own a typewriter of my own that year. I wanted one so bad to help me with my schoolwork and to try and make those pictures from letters. I had first seen them at school on display. Someone had created them with their typewriter and boy did I want to give that form of art a whirl.

Christmas morning came, there were many gifts this year. It was the year we gave my dad a guitar. He wanted to learn to play; he had a beautiful singing voice. There was a portable radio for me. A transistor they called them then. It was yellow and had a handle. Oh, I was really pleased with that, there were ice skates too and warm gloves and scarf and hat. There were some new clothes too. It was a grand Christmas but there was no typewriter under the tree. Oh, well maybe next year I thought; I was happy with what I had received.

Next we attacked our stockings and they were full of candy and fruit and there was one special item in mine. It was a small wire typewriter with a wee bottle of perfume in the top tied with a small pink bow. Mom and dad said,

"See you did get your typewriter after all." Well, yeah! Sort of, but not exactly the kind I had in mind. I know my disappointment must have shown on my face as I said, "Yes, I guess I did." I continued to look into my stocking and then started to pick up my things and put them away for the big clean up of paper and ribbons. I took my things to my room and my bothers did the same. I had received many gifts that year and had a hard time selecting what new outfit I would wear that day. I made my decision and walked out of my room and started to clean up the papers.

After some of the papers were picked up I noticed another gift under the tree. I said someone didnít open all his or her presents. Dad said with a twinkle in his eye, "Whose name is on it?" I looked. It was my name. I could not believe I had missed one. And yes, they had placed it there while I was dressing and you guessed it! It was my typewriter. I was so happy I started to cry. Mom said, "No tears on Christmas." I ran and gave them both a humongous hug and kiss and thanked them. The rest of the day's leisure was spent in typing needless to say. It was a wonderful Christmas! And I have had many more happy Christmas' throughout my life.

(As I reread this story today, I cried again. Tears of happy I guess.)

Ghost, OUT!