Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am grateful for family, friends and work. grateful that  I walk through my fears of blogging and selling everyday. I am grateful for my two year old because he gives me courage when I want to quit writing or designing. He and my husband have given me what I hope everyone will one day receive: Peace and Joy.


Enjoy!



Express yourself with handmade!
Nnenna Pastor is a crochet designer and instructor. Other places to visit Neki Naturals are http://neki.etsy.com and join Neki Naturals on facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/NekiNaturals

Featured in Today's Treasury

One of the main things that makes me happy is appreciation of art. One of our product is featured in today's BeadyEyedMonster Etsy Treasury.

Wohoo! Enjoy all the flavors of Pink Elephant today.

ETSY PinkElephant Treasury

Express yourself with handmade! Nnenna Pastor is a crochet designer and instructor. Other places to visit Neki Naturals are http://neki.etsy.com and join Neki Naturals on facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/NekiNaturals

4 Common Problems for Square and Hexagon Crochet Motifs

Some people struggle with square and hexagon motifs. I have a blog post on how to crochet a

hexagon motif .

Some of the problems include:

1.     Chains - One may forget tend to double crochet at the beginning of each round instead of ch 3. This may cause the pattern to look lopsided. Check the stitches at the end of each round to ensure the right stitches are used.

2.     Not enough chains to make chain space. Sometimes, one forgets to add the chain spaces needed between double crochets such as ch 2 or ch 3.  This will create an extra tight and cluttered motif. Ensure that the chain spaces needed to create corner spaces are made. If not, unravel and redo.

3.     Switching Colors – Tendency is for beginners to knot the two colors together instead of weaving in the old color and joining the new color with a slip stitch. Learning techniques of fastening off and weaving in ends will make the work look cleaner and neat. 

4. Another problem is leaving to weave in ends till the work is complete. I discourage this method as it creates additional work and creates bulk on the work. Fasten off and weave in ends before starting the next row or round.

Do you have a Crocheting Style?

It seems our normal way of living affects out work behavior. Since I have taken crochet designing seriously, I have seen some of my good and bad habits manifest themselves in my work.

For example:
Impatience : I tend to be impatient in most of the things that I do.  I am working very hard on patience especially when I am working on a crochet project. I tend to want o create quick, crochet it quickly an showcase it quickly. In order to create it quickly, I will crochet my design and not write it down. This means that I will either have to try to write down the directions from the finished project or crochet another one and write it down. This sometimes leads to unnecessary stress and I have to spend house calming myself down.

Goals: I am goal oriented person so as long I write it down. I try to get it accomplished. It is really the only way I function well. If not, I procrastinate a lot and delay starting or finishing a project.  This also works well for my family projects too like laundry, cleaning, etc. My organizer is so fulls of goals that I requested an early birthday gift from my husband- A new calendar. I have all these iPhone apps for organizing but I rather write it down with a pen. Go figure.

What about you? How does your habit help or drag down your crocheting projects? Share your thoughts and comments.

Enjoy!

Also, I am driven by goals so e

Cucumbers for the complexion

There are so many uses of cucumbers. My son loves his cucumbers so much that he dips them in whip cream! As an average female, I am learning so much of the value of cucumbers for skin care and a complexion humidifier.

Try this recipe from Harriet Ayer for a complexion beautifier.

Ingredients:
1 cucumber

Directions:
Peel the cucumber, cut in thick slices and apply to the face. Allowing the liquid to dry of its own accord. This will make the skin soft.

Try it for 14 days and let me know your results.

Enjoy!

Everyday Homemade Soapy Solutions

My husband loves to read the newspapers and a few weeks ago, he read and cut out an article that everyday people talked about some of their homemade soapy solutions.  I loved it so much that I am sharing it .

• When rinsing out a shampoo bottle or dish soap bottle, use cold water not hot. The hot water keeps making bubbles and the cold water cuts the soap residue away.
• Use isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel or napkin to remove gum stuck inside the clothes dryer and for removing sticker residue from ceramic,glass, metal, and plastic surfaces. It's quick, easy and economical.
• Use  some of your shower cap to put over the side view mirrors in the winter to keep off snow and ice. It saves you time when you have to clean off the car.
• If you have an issue with ants, put some vinegar in a spray bottle and before you retire for the night, lightly spray all over the kitchen counter and around the waste basket or wherever ants appear. Vinegar acts like a repellent! 

Enjoy!

Last Show of the Season -Finish Strong

I had mentioned a few weeks ago that I scheduled myself into a tight schedule but I am committing and
dedicating myself to finish strongly. So this Sunday is my last craft show till Spring 2011. It will be in Livingston NJ starting at 11 a.m in the morning. I am hoping for a cool weather, no rain , no snow.
I will showcase mostly hats for women, men, boys and girls. I wish I had more time to crochet more designs but time is running out so I will showcase the best of the season.

After this show is the Holiday season so I am excited to crocheting my designs and my friends' crazy ideas that they want to give as gifts. My shop is full of new items at http://neki.etsy.com and I am hoping to add some more this month.  Do you have an idea you will like to crochet or have someone crochet for you this holiday season? Please share!

Enjoy

How To Crochet Spiral Crochet Motifs

How to Crochet Spiral Crochet Motifs

Directions:

1.     Work a foundation chain and slip stitch into the first chain to form a ring

2.     If using a double crochet, chain 3 then work one double crochet into each chain stitch around

3.     At the end of the round, continue to work in rounds without slip stitch to join rounds. You will need a marker at the end of each round to keep track of the rounds completed.

Enjoy!

5 Quick Crocheting Tips for A Cleaner Finished Project

• If your beginning chain is a tighter tension than the gauge for the body, use a larger hook size to crochet the beginning chain.

• Use a spilt ring marker in the top of the turning chain so you do not miss the final stitch of the row. It makes so much easier and less headache. Also, it is easier to crochet and watch TV at the same time!

• As an option, when working in half double crochet, try making your first stitch in the first stitch of the row and do not use the turning chain which is ways to overlook in the half double crochet

• For neater long stitches, keep the loops close together and hold them with your finger around the hook until you have worked them off. In addition, hold your work at the bas of the stitch with the middle finger and thumb of your tension hand so that it will not stretch the fabric. Move your fingers up after each or every other stitch.

• If you are a beginning crocheter, count across as you finish each row to make sure you are maintaining the correct number of stitches. Do not be afraid to unravel and start over.

Enjoy!