Behind starburst eyes

Mar 9

Crocheted Bandana Pattern

by starbursteyes

Some days I want more than just a quick ponytail, but I’m running behind and just need to look somewhat put together. I created this pattern for those exact days! It looks super cute when it’s done, and whips up quite fast.

Materials:
1 skein of yarn (5oz) I used Red Heart’s Medium Weight Rainbow Striped Yarn
1 5mm hook

The link below will take you to the exact yarn I used for this project:
https://amzn.to/3cJjdRh

Short Forms:
Ch = Chain
Sc = Single Stitch
st = Stitch
1st = First

Instructions:
Row 1: Ch 3
Row 2: Ch 1 2Sc in ea st
Row 3: Turn, Ch 2 2 Sc in 1st st, 1 Sc in next st, 2 Sc in last st
Row 4: Ch 2 2 Sc in 1st st, 1 Sc in next 3 st, 2 Sc in last st
Row 5: Ch 2 2 Sc in 1st st, 1 Sc in next 5 st, 2 Sc in last st
Row 6: Ch 2 2 Sc in 1st st, 1 Sc in next 7 st, 2 Sc in last st
Row 7: Ch 2 2 Sc in 1st st, 1 Sc in next 9 st, 2 Sc in last st
Row 8: Ch 2 2 Sc in 1st st, 1 Sc in next 11 st, 2 Sc in last st
Row 9: Ch 2 2 Sc in 1st st, 1 Sc in next 13 st, 2 Sc in last st
Row 10: Ch 2 2 Sc in 1st st, 1 Sc in next 15 st, 2 Sc in last st
Row 11: Ch 2 2 Sc in 1st st, 1 Sc in next 17 st, 2 Sc in last st
Row 12: Ch 2 2 Sc in 1st st, 1 Sc in next 19 st, 2 Sc in last st
Row 13: Ch 2 2 Sc in 1st st, 1 Sc in next 21 st, 2 Sc in last st
Row 14: Ch 2 2 Sc in 1st st, 1 Sc in next 23 st, 2 Sc in last st
Row 15: Ch 2 2 Sc in 1st st, 1 Sc in next 25 st, 2 Sc in last st
Row 16: Ch 2 2 Sc in 1st st, 1 Sc in next 27 st, 2 Sc in last st
Row 17: Ch 2 2 Sc in 1st st, 1 Sc in next 29 st, 2 Sc in last st
Row 18: Ch 2 2 Sc in 1st st, 1 Sc in next 31 st, 2 Sc in last st
Row 19: Ch 2 2 Sc in 1st st, 1 Sc in next 33 st, 2 Sc in last st
Row 20: Ch 2 2 Sc in 1st st, 1 Sc in next 35 st, 2 Sc in last st
Row 21: Ch 2 2 Sc in 1st st, 1 Sc in next 37 st, 2 Sc in last st
Row 22: Ch 2 2 Sc in 1st st, 1 Sc in next 39 st, 2 Sc in last st
Row 23: Ch 2 1 Sc in 43 st
Row 24: Ch 2 1 Sc in 43 st
Row 25: Ch 2 1 Sc in 43 st
Row 26:Ch 2 1 Sc in 43 st
Do not cut or tie off

Ties:
Row 1: Turn the finished body and from the top edge 4 SC onto the side
Row 2: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 3: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 4: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 5: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 6: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 7: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 8: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 9: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 10: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 11: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 12: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 13: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 14: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 15: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 16: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 17: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 18: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 19: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 20: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 21: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 22: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 23: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 24: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Cut and Tie off end.

Second Tie:
Row 1: Slip knot, 4 Sc starting from top edge of triangle
Row 2: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 3: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 4: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 5: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 6: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 7: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 8: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 9: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 10: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 11: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 12: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 13: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 14: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 15: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 16: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 17: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 18: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 19: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 20: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 21: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 22: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 23: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Row 24: Ch 2 1 Sc in ea st
Cut and Tie off end.

Creations

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Jul 11

Creating an Outdoor Oasis

by starbursteyes

This time of year there are countless web pages, magazines, pinterest boards, and flyers all showcasing how to transform your backyard into the perfect outdoor oasis for your family. I admit I “may” have gotten caught up in all the loveliness I saw and decided to take the plunge.

First came re-organizing the kids toys, but with no real storage area their bikes were a big issue. So the crows nest/deck area we had got altered first. B took the siding off of it, and added a door which I promptly painted with chalkboard paint from Lowes and poof plenty of room to store all the kids bikes, and any yard equipment we have. (Mind you the poof comes after we pulled everything the previous tenants/owners had stored under there, and by stored I really mean old building supplies and some garbage that was uber gross)

The deck stairs and railings were sanded (and will be re-stained but haven’t been just yet) Then a gate was installed to ensure the wee ones wouldn’t get up to where the barbecue was on the deck. A table for prep work and for cooked foods, a mini fridge for cold drinks and freezies, some outdoor carpet squares were laid down, and a car seat was re-purposed into a comfortable seat for relaxing on while waiting for the various foods to cook.

Painting the chairs that had dulled over time from being outside, re-arranging them so we could have a sitting area for story-time.

Next came moving plants, levelling the ground where they were to ensure the pallets would properly lay flat. Then sanding all of the pallets, placing 6 of them 3 high beside each other for a big couch, complete with 2 slightly smaller pallets on one side so I could create a stair for Miss. G to use.

Sewing the pillowcases that would be used to cover the couch cushions we’d been gifted, as well as the massage table I’d removed the legs from and put in front of the other pallets on top of a single pallet, putting up the canopy and curtains I’d made for the back and sides.

And after all that it now looks like this:

CAM01211 Backyard Oasis

Creations Secret Garden

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Nov 26

Special needs pillows

by starbursteyes

My niece requires an adorable butterfly shaped pillow. Her current one has seen better days (it IS used every day after all!) But good luck trying to find one in stores or online that doesn’t cost a fortune! After over an hour of searching online the cheapest I could find was $40, BUT I had to live in the states for them to ship it to me. The cheapest one that would be shipped to Canada was $107.47. So off to Fabricland I went 🙂 Below is my first one finished (I plan to make a few for her as Christmas gifts) Image

The bottom where the wings do not touch is meant to be approximately as wide as the person’s neck, (slightly wider so it’s not restrictive, but still close to their neck so it can be as supportive as possible)

To make: Half a yard of your favorite material, Hypoallergenic stuffing and some thread.

Draw 2 butterflies on the wrong side of your fabric, keeping in mind that the wings should be larger than the person’s head. (If you can’t draw a butterfly, find one online print it and enlarge it until you have the right size to trace)

Make sure you keep the butterfly’s head almost level with the wings to help support the person’s head.

Cut out your butterflies, place together wrong side out, sew almost completely together. Leave yourself the width of your hand so you can turn it right side out and stuff it.

Turn right side out and stuff. Then carefully fold the open seams inwards so it doesn’t fray on you and sew together.

Finish by sewing the lines of the body, as they help to keep the stuffing in place which keeps this pillow functional after it’s been washed!

That’s it my dear readers, and now you know how to make this lovely and unique gift which is great for sleep apnea, facial dystonia, and correct head positioning for someone that has difficultly doing so for themselves.

Creations

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Jul 1

Baking with Besan Flour Part 1: Cookies

by starbursteyes

So dear readers in an effort to stick to the gluten-free foods I have tried to make gluten-free cookies. I’ve read about Besan flour and how it can be used as a straight equal substitute for wheat flour, so I took my favorite cookie recipe and substituted the wheat flour for Besan flour. WOW!!! They are delicious!!!
The full recipe is:
cappuccino Chocolate Chip Cookies:
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups of Besan flour
1 1/2 cups of dark brown sugar
1 cup of Chocolate Chips
1 cup of Butter
2 Eggs
1 tsp of Salt
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup of cappuccino powder
3-4 cappuccino flavored candy canes
2 tbsp. of coffee

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F
Cream butter and sugar together in a blender
Add eggs, cappuccino mix, coffee, candy canes, salt, and baking powder together and mix the blender (this crushes up the candy canes)
Sift Besan flour into a separate bowl.
Pour liquid mixture and chocolate chips into flour and mix by hand with a large wooden spoon.
Drop SMALL spoonfuls onto a buttered cookie tray and bake for 7 min or until golden edges appear.

The cookies WILL spread quite wide on the tray as they cook, and will not rise super high. They tend to be fairly thin height wise, but the taste, OH MY!!! SOOOO GOOD 😀 And of course completely gluten-free!!!

Creations Mommyhood: Fake it till you make it

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Jun 13

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a kid on a leash!

by starbursteyes

imagesCA0TBJHUWell tonight I finished modifying N’s little blue backpack into a harness style backpack complete with a “tether strap” as it’s called when one is selling it apparently. (I looked online but figured why pay that much money for one when I’ve got everything here to convert a regular toddler sized backpack instead) In reality it’s a leash and it’s attached to my child via the backpack. I have fought doing this for a while, and each time we went out I would faithfully ensure I had the stroller and he was buckled in. Once in a while I’d walk holding his hand, but with his aversion to touch so often holding hands is NOT something he’s in to doing, and letting him just roam and hoping I can catch him when he darts out onto the street in less time than it takes for a car to hit him is NOT something I’m cool with. In fact it terrifies me, and while I KNOW I’ll get the inevitable backlash for “treating my child like an animal” (trust me I had this reaction with C, and I hated it. I hated that no one could see I JUST wanted to keep him safe.) And I know I’m going to upset people with doing it with N.

Here’s the thing though, I can’t NOT do it. Well I’m sure I can in fact, but my heart is pounding from the moment we walk down our front steps. I’m sweaty and nervous as I carefully grip his wrist/forearm (he won’t hold hands at all) I’m watching every direction, frantically looking all around us and trying to watch him at the same time. All the while I’m still holding onto him for dear life. I try to get to our destination as quickly as I possibly can get him to go, and frequently ask him if he wants me to carry him. Why because he doesn’t understand danger, and that makes me terrified. He runs towards moving cars because he’s so fascinated with cars in general. And trying to just say “No” or “Stop” does NOT work with him. especially since he’s often overloaded auditory wise and covers his ears, but doesn’t ever stop moving.

Now, tonight we went on a little walk with his new modified backpack. I held his forearm while he was walking down the stairs and then I let him just walk. He got to choose where we went because I was just enjoying watching him finally have the opportunity to discover his neighbourhood at his own pace. We stood at one point and watched a cricket and I told him about how the cricket makes music. He loves his backpack, and insisted we put cheese in it for our walk 🙂 He’s not upset by it, even when he tried to dart towards the street and it stopped him (he didn’t fall or anything, he just couldn’t go any further than a few feet from me) he just looked back at me and then pointed at the cars speeding past and smiled saying “brooms!” which is of course his word for cars. So yes I loved the peacefulness with which we were able to just “be” together, in each other’s space, experiencing an evening walk together, marveling at all the things that I would have forced him to miss in my haste to get him somewhere safe prior to his new backpack.

Alright dear readers, I’ve taken a deep breath, let me have it.

Autism; second verse same as the first Creations

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Apr 29

Workshop!

by starbursteyes

Informing the VillageInforming the Village:
A how to workshop on educating others about your child’s diagnosis

Offered By: Lindsey Asperger’s Autism Support
Presented By: Dawn-Marie Potter

They say it takes a village to raise a child, but how do you make sure the whole village that is involved in your child’s life is on the same page as you about how best to do that? How do you make sure they understand the vital things you know about your child so they too can have fulfilling interactions with them in ways that truly benefit your child? The answer, you teach them about your child. You show them what it means to be “John” or “Jane” Show them what helps your child, what hinders their growth, and how to help them to thrive no matter how your child is feeling at the time. Help them to understand who your child truly is, which is more than just a label, but a whole complete being that is capable of amazing things should they just be given the chance to shine.

You want to make sure every adult that will be partaking in your child’s life understands them. During the workshop we will explore multiple ways of informing and educating others about your child, their diagnosis and what exactly that means for them specifically. From brochure making, to one-on-one confernces, to cookie making (yes cookie making, there will be samples of that one for everyone attending to see how fun and yummy that method is 😉 there are so many different ways to open up and inform others. Come discover some of them with us!   

Workshop Details:
Date: May 21st 2013 Time: 7pm
Location: Upstairs meeting room of Loblaw’s located at 400 Kent Street, Lindsey

For more information on how to attend this exciting workshop please contact the LAAS:
Email: Donna: donna.thomson@sympatico.ca

or myself at dawnmusepotter@gmail.com

Autism; second verse same as the first Creations Lambert: Proud to be a lion amonst sheep ;-) Mommyhood: Fake it till you make it

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Apr 22

“Our Story” Brochure

by starbursteyes

This is the tri-fold brochure that I created about my boys for various organizations to use at their events to promote Autism Awareness. 😀

Corbin and Nolans Story Tri fold brochure-page-001

 

Corbin and Nolans Story Tri fold brochure-page-002

Organizations that currently use this brochure:

Rockin’ & Ridin’ for Autism

Autism Canada

Autism; second verse same as the first Creations Lambert: Proud to be a lion amonst sheep ;-) Mommyhood: Fake it till you make it

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Mar 12

Scraps of beauty part 2

by starbursteyes

Well I found more scraps that were just begging to be turned into another purse. 🙂

This one was inspired by a friend of mine, simply because I can completely see her carrying this one around while on some fantastic dig, mining all sorts of lovely gems out of the earth, popping them in this over-sized shoulder bag to be brought home with her.

Image

Once again I’ve done embroidery on the shoulder strap, this time a pattern that reminds me of wheat st.

Image

I also added a pocket to the back for smallish items such as a cell phone, it’s got the same sun as the front has on it.

 

Creations

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