Finding Jenn Project - crocheted PICC cover pattern

I heard about the Finding Jenn project on a decorating blog. CF has no cure at the moment.
Jenn's project was to have people knit PICC covers. Crochet covers work too and let those who only crochet participate in the project.
So i came up with this simple crochet pattern for a PICC cover in two sizes, adult and child. These need to be stretchy and not too big, as people with CF tend to not be too large.

Here's the first one i did. I used some acrylic - this one is child size and as you can see is basically a tube.



Here are pictures of Kent modeling the adult size. I'm so fat his arm is smaller than mine :)








CROCHETED PICC COVER Pattern


Child size

Hook 3.5 mm / US E or 4 / UK or canada 9

Gauge : 4 stitches per inch approximately

Chain 30 plus one for turning.
Starting in the second chain from the hook, single crochet into each loop.
Chain 1, turn. Single crochet into the back loop of each stitch.
Repeat until you have a piece that unstretched is 6 inches long.
Note to beginning crocheters - sometimes it pays to count the stitches as you go so you don’t lose any and end up with a triangle :)

Cut yarn leaving about a 10 inch tail. Sew closed lengthways carefully, being sure to not make bumps. Weave in ends.

Adult size:

Chain 36 plus 1 for turning. Make as child size except make the piece 8 to 9 inches long unstretched.

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The one Kent's modelling is made from stretchy sock yarn. Very washable and comes in all kinds of colours. It would be a great use of any leftover sock yarn really.

RAKness :)

Yesterday while i was bunched up in my chair with my old afghan blankie feeling sorry for myself with this cold, the postman came and wahlaa i had a great parcel from Sue. A random act of kindness parcel :) Its so funny that the multiverse knows how un random random can be :) ( btw has anyone else ever wondered what would happen if Terry Prachett met the Dr?)



Here are some pictures of the loveliness. Extra points if you spy the great cookie cutter and mix she sent us before Christmas - why yes that IS a DAleK!!! Kent was thrilled and hasnt used it yet. Instead he keeps it in the living room to show people lol. We love our DW around here.

Anyhow the dogs were going crazy as Kent brought the parcel in, jumping at it and sniffing it all over. It's like they knew there was something in it for them. The new toy got instant approval. It's in Lola's mouth here but Ed and Rose have had their turns too


Personally i am crazy about that wool - it's destined to be fingerless mitts for me by the end of the day :) Love it! There's something missing in the pictures - a malteser bunny - Kent looks sort of guilty :P. Actually we shared it.



I'm going to put the cat toy and treats into the box again, fill the box with other things and forward it as a rak to someone. It's like seeding the next rak :)

Ok back to drinking cold season tea and getting better. And knitting those mitts :)

Thank you Sue!!

Saturday colds and valentines

Yesterday Kent and i walked all over downtown and picked up some great stuff including some new essential oil ( mmm eucalyptus ) for me. We bought a new wok in China town and went into Opus and bought some great japanese paper and some 6' x 6' canvases. I have plans for art making. We stopped in at Naughty by Nature where i got served a lovely cup of coffee by Ryan. By the time we got home i was feel pretty crappy i'm afraid. Woke up this morning with a full blown running nose sneezing chesty cough.
Most of the day has been spent snoozing or reading Free Range Knitter which Kent got me for Valentine's ( edited her Wikepedia page to add it. Hope i did it right!) I also got a lovely rose and a great mushy card and am about to eat lobster and steak. Oh wait, first appies of bacon wrapped scallops! I'm spoiled! Notice however, that he did not buy me chocolates which would've really been overkill on the calories today :)
I feel bad that i didnt get him anything but usually we just have a nice dinner. He felt like doing more this year -you can see there're a lot of reasons why i love this guy!

badabing badaboom

So a quick post cuz i'm very busy but I've lost 19 lbs now and Kent's lost 30! We went back to sparkpeople which is very helpful. Plus that elliptical :) A month ago i couldn't walk for 10 minutes without being very sore and now i can walk a half hour quickly! The knee still hurts but its so much better. I'm so happy we decided to get more organized about our lives.
Knitting continues, i'm babysitting some plus my regular job is hopping. Hopefully i'll find some kind of blogging mojo soon

Goodbye 15 pounds

Yes believe it or not that's what i've lost this month :) . Happy happy!

Today i went off by myself ( please don't die of shock that i a) actually went out and 2) went by myself ). Kent was watching american football and i'm just not interested in it really. I went down to Chinatown, which is still all decorated since it was just Chinese New Year and the parade was today. It's the Year of the Ox - my body type! lol Well maybe my stubborn personality anyhow.

I went to Knotty by Nature . Have i mentioned how much i love that store? Great customer service and you can touch things all day. I had to stop myself from hiding under a table so i could sleep with the wool :) . I bought some local fleece that i want to spin into laceweight or possible a little heavier. I also bought some ashford dyes to dye the yarn once i've made it. Got some more 16" knitpicks circs as well, as i have misplaced some of my sock needles. Well obviously they're with some unfinished socks somewhere i guess. I came home and Kent made me a lovely cup of chai tea and is now cooking chicken for dinner. And sweet potatoes :). Not that he'll eat them of course. He's a limited vegie lover but he's trying. I'm sure it's the result of being afraid of trying new things as a kid since he ended up being allergic to things.

The camera needs a checkup again. Kent brought it back from Kamloops at christmas only to find all the pictures he'd taken gone. It's so annoying.

I've promised to put up my Work Sock Recipe soon so i'm working on the pattern. It's simple and makes great socks that last a long time. The are also re-footable.

I've been debating wedding vrs travel. Is that strange? Of course we can get married whenever we like or wherever but travel..it's been so long since i've been anywhere. Kent was talking to a friend yesterday who lives in Germany and has a little guesthouse and we've been invited. It took all my strength to not take our money and run!

Speaking of money - last week we had our bank account robbed. Luckily we only had $120 in that account. I'd accepted an email money transfer and immediately afterward the total amount in the account was taken out. Our bank ( nameless but has an eastern province name ) is "investigating' and 'may' give back the money. Seriously - the whole process is supposed to be insured! So we're changing banks.

Dinner is calling, tea has been drunk ( drinked? drunken?) and my spinning wheel calls :)

Loving winter

Well so far this winter no depression !Very refreshing.
There's been a change on the fitness front too - Kent bought Guitar Hero World Tour and it turns out i can drum lol. It burns about 200 calories an hour but the important thing is we're having a ball :)
We made a trip down to Knotty by Nature on Monday where Kent bought me the book he couldn't find - Nancy Bush's Knitted Lace of Estonia. He was so happy to find it for me... he's so sweet. The store is absolutely amazing! Beautiful fibre. I bought some a new knitpicks circular and a couple of new bamboo needles that have the plastic 'string' ends on them. They're my fav for straights.It was terrific to see Marilyn there too.
I've gone back to Sparkpeople and have lost 7 lbs in the past ten days. I also got an elliptical and it turns out thats the best machine for me. I've had no knee pain at all and my stride has lengthened back out. It's amazing how much less pain i have walking already! At first i felt like such a klutz using it but after a couple of days i got the rythym of it. Starting out i could only do 3 or 4 minutes at a time but now at 10 days or so i'm at 10 minutes a day :) Yaaayyy!!! I couldn't be more thrilled.
We're working on the wedding plans as well and sticking to a budget with help from this great website and the Martha Stewart site as well. There's a good planner there.
It's been all play and busy-ness here but i'm hoping to start on a lace project today. From the new book of course :)

Dog Treat Warning -"Real Ham Bone"

I saw this on a blog i'm subscribed to and thought it important enough to pass on.
Please read here:
bermuda bluez: Real Hambone Warning

This dog treat is available at Walmart.

I'm off to make dog biscuits for my crazy pups