Knitting Christmas Gifts

It's the Season for Knitting

It’s fall and, as usual, my thoughts are turning to yarn. It’s chilly at night and I’m now wearing a jean jacket sometimes – soon it will be time to wear those wool hats and scarves I made last year and go back to my knitting circle. And, it’s not too early to think about starting some projects for Christmas gifts.

Join a Knitting Group!

A great way to get you started on projects is to join a local knitting group this fall! These groups are great if you are a beginner or seasoned knitter. If you get started now, you'll have plenty of time to make wonderful hand-made gifts for the holidays. I recommend finding a knitting group that has an experience knitter whose job is to help people conquer their knitting projects. Knitting is now so fashionable and popular, all cities and many smaller towns, have knitting supply stores with classes and knitting groups.

There’s something comforting and nourishing about sitting in a circle of knitters, especially when it’s cold and there’s snow and ice on the sidewalk. Of course you can be happy knitting in any weather, but I’m a seasonal knitter. It’s primal—working with your hands in a group of mostly women who are talking knitting—what project are you working on, what size are your needles, what kind of yarn is that, and can you help me with this? It’ fun to see the amazing talent some knitters have and the beautiful and complex things they make. For centuries, women have sat together knitting and doing crafts, making beautiful and practical things. It’s good for our souls.

read more: Knitting Christmas Gifts - http://hubpages.com/hub/Knitting-Christmas-Gifts

Best Natural Cleaning Products

The Importance of using non toxic cleaning products

The environment is under assault—there’s global warming, toxic chemicals in our air and water, landfills, stripped mines, pesticides in the farmland, just to name of few of our Mother Earth’s challenges. Natural household cleaners are a safe alternative to chemical cleaners for a clean, greener home, and "green cleaning" is a more pleasant experience than cleaning with toxic products.

Cleaning products typically contain dangerous toxic irritants and dyes. Some even contain solvents. Household bleach is a corrosive irritant and many multi-purpose cleaners contain a cocktail of chemicals, including ones which are thought to act on the central nervous system. Many people have developed allergies and environmental illness as a result of over-exposure to the toxins in the environment, and that includes exposure to dangerous chemicals in cleaning products.

more...Best Natural Cleaning Products
http://hubpages.com/hub/Best-Natural-Cleaning-Products

Collage and Mixed Media tips - Getting Started!

Hey there! As you know, I love collage and mixed media! Here are some quick and easy tips it took me some time to figure out. I had to research and dig a bit to learn these basics, but they make a huge difference for me!

Having the right tools and materials makes all the difference! If you are working in mixed media and want the freedom to use lots of layers, fabric, found objects, and more, make sure your supports are strong - I recommend going to the hardware store and having them cut a plywood board into desired sizes. This is cheaper than buying from art stores!

Always prepare your surface carefully by sanding the rough edges and using gesso. Gesso comes in white, black, and even clear. I love using white gesso because the light shines through when adding transparent paints!

Start layering your board with colors that entice you. I use Golden acrylic paint in a variety of transparent colors and combine with the opaque colors for contrast. Put down high quality images from magazines, computer images, etc. with matte medium.

First, brush the side you are placing on the board and adhere it firmly using a brayer. Then go over the image with more matte medium to prepare it for adding paint. Use the brayer and your fingers often to make certain your images are flat and will not buckle!

Next, you can blend the edges of your images with Titan buff. Continue layering paint and images as you create a pleasing design! You can correct mistakes by painting Titan Buff over them and starting over.
Experiment with garage sale finds, jewelry, papers, and favorite found objects to create dimension and interest - just go for it!

I am having a ball writing for Hubpages!

Products and Tips for Aging Naturally

Can you go the distance without plastic surgery?

People are terrified of change and aging is full of it. We lose our youthful beauty—it’s a given that aging produces changes even in the most fabulous looking and fit people on the planet. And of course, no one gets out of here alive, and if illness or accidents fail to take us out, the decline called aging will

http://hubpages.com/hub/Products-and-Tips-for-Aging-Naturally

Heated up Rhetoric Stirs up the Reptiles

Heated up Rhetoric Stirs up the Reptiles
Since Obama has taken office, the Right wing propaganda machine is doing what totalitarian regimes, fascists, institutions, and churches, and bosses have done throughout human history—motivate the masses by stimulating the Reptilian brain. They manufacture false threats to activate people’s deepest fears, and then use these people as pawns to do their dirty work. Once they get the crowds foaming at the mouth and calling for blood, they distance themselves just enough to claim innocence and insist they are only listening to the will of the people. If the targets of their hate are assassinated or denigrated, they refuse to take responsibility for stoking the fires. They claim status as the only real patriots, Americans, Christians, or whatever the case may be, and marginalize all who don’t serve their agenda to gain more power, control, and money. While the men behind the curtain may be smarter than the pawns, they are driven by their own Reptilian instincts to control the masses of the misinformed and vulnerable, while aligning themselves with other reptiles with the same agendas.

To read my entire article: http://hubpages.com/hub/Right-Wing-Extremists-and-the-Reptilian-Brain

Sweetpea

This is my friend's adorable cockatiel who is a free roaming indoor bird that dances to music, plays with toys, sits on your shoulder while you rub his neck, has several bird houses both inside and a lovely cage on the porch, and is an all around great family member! I was surprised to learn that these birds can be are very social and have so much personality! Sweetpea even takes showers with his owner.