Clan MacLean Hunting Tartan Purse

Download JPG: MacLean Hunting Tartan Pattern Chart

Download PDF: MacLean Hunting Tartan Pattern Chart

Image is a color chart for the tartan. I will update photos as soon as I am finished making the purse.

Using worsted-weight yarn and a size N crochet hook, this square will be approximately 36 x 36 inches. Fold in half from bottom to top and seam the sides.

Crochet a strap the length and width that you are comfortable with and attach to opposite sides of the bag. Alternatively, since this is going to be a wide bag, you can just sew the two top corners of the purse body together.

Hold two strands of yarn together during the entire project.

The “x” indicates which two colors are to be held together (green “x” in black square means hold green and black together, etc). Places without an “x” indicate that two strands of the same color will be held together.

This chart is the 82-stitch repeat.

1 square = 1 stitch – using two strands of worsted-weight and a size N crochet hook making (US) single crochet stitches, there are nine stitches in a 4-inch swatch.

Repeat the chart as often as is necessary for your project. If you wish to make your project bigger but with fewer squares, just change the number of stitches per square – do this equally throughout the pattern.

Size / gauge depends on yarn / hook / needles used.

Crocheters: Please adjust the pattern to reflect your turning chains.

I would love to see photos of your projects!

There is a serious lack of patterns for this tartan on the internet;so please feel free to share this pattern!

Kitchen Update!

The walls are now yellow and the cabinets have their first coat of white. We plan on doing a second coat today. Since it isn’t finished, I haven’t any photos for you. But, hopefully in the next few days I shall.

Three Day Weekend!

So, my new boss told me that Monday (here in the US it’s President’s Day) is not a holiday where we are forced to take off. He allows everyone to make their own decision about whether or not they want to take that day off (without pay, of course). I guess it’s the same with the 4th of July, too.

I was debating whether or not I should take the day… Well, my niece suggested that we get the kitchen painted this weekend and that clinched it! I’m taking the day off and we’re painting! Yay!

I am so grateful that I have a job that pays well. I could afford to go buy two gallons of paint – one white and one yellow. Paint is purchased and we are going to re-prime tomorrow and then paint on Monday! Very exciting!!!

Watch this space for a yellow-and-white kitchen reveal within the next few days!

Pneumonia… Ugh…

So, we decided that indeed, Tanker does have pneumonia. He’s been on Penicillin-G for about a week now. He’s doing much better! He’s even feisty-er than he was before and enjoys playing with The Hound.

However, now Ray has had a few little coughing and sneezing episodes… We are keeping a particularly close eye on him, since he’s already had pneumonia once and we don’t want him to get as sick as he was last time.

I can only imagine how much more of a jerk Frank will become, if Ray does get really sick again… *sigh*

In other news… Our cat, Spot, is still hanging on. He is absolutely nothing but skin and bones and fur, but he’s still kickin’. The Force is strong with that one.

My new job is going very well. I received my first full paycheck yesterday; what a relief it was to be able to pay the bills that are due in full AND put some in savings (which had been completely exhausted) AND have some money leftover! I am so thankful!

The cooties that were floating around the household finally got me. Since Thursday afternoon, I’ve been a snot factory and had a sore throat and slight fever. I’m so glad that it’s Saturday! I slept in a little and can rest up. I do, however, need to do laundry at some point.

I see that I failed to mention my first attempt at making an herbal healing salve. You have my sincere apologies for this neglect…

I found this recipe for “Healing Boo Boo Salve“. I’ve been wanting to make something with comfrey and calendula, for quite some time. About a month ago, I finally went for it! The only difference between the recipe and my version is that I used comfrey ROOT and doubled the recipe.

My infusion process was a little different, because I was using the comfrey root; it needed to cook longer. I’d say I cooked the comfrey for a total of about 6-8 hours over a period of three days. And then I let it sit for about a week before straining. Due to the lengthy cooking process, it ended up scorching, but that didn’t seem to affect the end result. I have decided that I will invest in a small Crock-Pot for the purposes of cooking herbs.

Speaking of the end result… This stuff is great! It has been used – to good effect – on sweetie’s carpal tunnel pain, on razor burn, on cuts, bumps and bruises, and on a fractured leg! I bought a journal (for medicinal purposes) and wrote down the recipe and have been documenting the uses and results. I will devote a few pages for each recipe/uses/results.

The fracture was the one that I was really looking at. I know comfrey has a reputation for knitting bones (which is why I used the root – it’s stronger) and my friend tells me that her leg is doing much better (applying the salve once per day). The pain is much reduced and that’s what I was going for! However, she has been advised to use the salve twice a day, for best results. The only way I could be more pleased would be if we had a series of X-Rays to document the healing of the fracture. Ah well.

What’s in a Name?

So, the baby finally got his name…

We debated over Moose and Duke. We considered funny names like Godzilla – or rather – its Japanese pronunciation. We thought about Abercrombie and Chauncey.

Finally, last night, sweetie blurted out “Tank”. I liked it immediately.

The only possible problem with this name is that it rhymes closely with Frank. I suggested that his official name be Tank, but that we call him “Tanker”.

I like it.

Pieces of Eight

Yesterday, we adopted a cute little Nigerian Dwarf wether. He is five-months old and cute as can be!

He is so dang tiny! The Hound is nearly as tall as the tiny goat. I haven’t picked him up, so I’m not sure how much he weighs; but it can’t be much.

The children said that he was sneezing green snot, after we got him home. I didn’t see any snot, but I did see him sneeze. This morning, his nose seems clear and dry. We’ll keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t have a cold or get pneumonia. He is eating and drinking just fine, and when I checked on him after getting up this morning, he was laying under the manger (on top of the fallen hay) chewing his cud. He seems to be as active as he should be. So, I’m not too worried.

He doesn’t have a name… You might be able to see the tag on his collar. He is number 8. I’m kind of partial to the name Moose, myself… Any ideas?

 

Get a Job!

I have been out of work since September. I’ve put in over 100 resumes and/or applications and have had several interviews, but no luck… Until now!

Today was my first day at my new job. I am the new Marketing Director for a local resort-town property management company. Let me tell you, I am pleased as punch!

Decent money, nice title and my own (tiny) office! I couldn’t be happier!