Dare to Risk All

Good morning, Good afternoon, Good evening. Wherever you are and whatever time it is, please take a few minutes to join me in welcoming Joyce Holmes to my site today to talk about her recent release, DARE TO RISK ALL.

Can a forever kind of girl and a for-the-moment kind of guy take a risk on love?

Can a forever kind of girl and a for-the-moment kind of guy take a risk on love?

Tessa Caldwell’s carefully structured world is thrown into chaos when the handsome stranger she had an uncharacteristic fling with reappears in her life. Ben not only gets the promotion she thought was hers, but is also intent on resuming their physical relationship. Although Tessa’s rational mind insists on a professional association, both her heart and her traitorous body have other ideas. Can her sensible nature possibly win against such temptation?

Memories of the petite blonde with large, blue eyes have haunted Ben Dunham for months. When he transfers to her branch, he anticipates picking up where they left off. Reality doesn’t match memory when the cool and collected lady wants no part of him. If he intends to pursue Tessa, he has to earn her trust. The problem is, Ben carries a dark and dangerous secret. How does he get Tessa to trust him when he can’t trust himself?

EXCERPT FROM DARE TO RISK ALL:

Ben crossed the room to the computer table. From where she sat, Tessa caught a whiff of a sensuous blend of spice and citrus as he passed her desk. She swallowed. Hard.

“I take it this was Ed Hardy’s computer and now it’s for my use?” he asked after a moment.

“I guess,” Tessa agreed. Needing to concentrate on something other than how sexy Ben smelled, she dug in her drawer for her appointment book to see what she had on her schedule for the day. Morris wanted her to clean up any outstanding work by the end of the week, leaving her free to focus on new accounts with Ben.

Ben walked over to her desk, folded both arms across his chest and gazed down at her. “Ya know, this polite stranger thing is getting pretty old.” When she looked up, he braced his arms on the edge of the desk and leaned in. “Are we talking to one another or what?”

Tessa dropped the book and flattened into her chair. That now familiar breathless feeling constricted her throat. His stance, his closeness, gave her an exhilarated, restless sensation. Her body reacted to the message she read in his eyes, little jolts of desire mingling with spurts of resentment. She felt ashamed of the treacherous way her body responded to him and if she read his smug expression correctly, he knew exactly what effect he had on her.

No matter what or how she actually felt, her pride demanded that she prove this impertinent man wrong.

Joyce Holmes

Joyce Holmes lives with her husband and very small dog in the beautiful Okanagan region of British Columbia. An empty-nest mom, she treasures family time, especially with her two precious little grandsons. Hiking, biking, boating and photography are pursuits she enjoys when she’s not dreaming up stories in her head or planning her next great adventure.

For more information on Joyce or her book DARE TO RISK ALL, check out the following…
Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Joyce-M.-Holmes/e/B008H5HTV8/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1402703325&sr=8-1

Goodreads page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6431862.Joyce_M_Holmes

Blog: http://JoyceHolmes.wordpress.com

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/Joyce.M.Holmes

Buy links:
Wild Rose Press
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Pattern for Case for Circular Knitting Needles

Although this blog exists because of my writing, I’ve been known to post stories and photos about The Daughter, volleyball, and my crafts….among other things. Today’s blog is something new and different for me, I’m posting a pattern for a circular knitting needle case.

Case for Circular Knitting Needles

Case for Circular Knitting Needles


Case for Circular Knitting Needles - rolled up and cat approved

Case for Circular Knitting Needles – rolled up and cat approved

Why? Well, I’ve been wanting a case to organize my circular needles, and one of my craft magazines recently showed one on sale. When I went to the website, the case was sold out, and thus began the search.

After witnessing the price of these cases at other on-line stores, I then began looking for free patterns. (Because, I don’t already have enough crafts on the go.) For once, a search of the internet came up lacking.

I went to the craft closet and found some material hiding in one of the many boxes. As I began to plan out the case, I decide I would write it all down and take photos, so that the next person searching for “Free Pattern for Case for Circular Knitting Needles” would actually find something they could use.

So if you are interested, the pattern and photos are below. After seeing how easy this was, I’ve also decided to alter the pattern and make cases for my crochet and other needles, and I’ll post photos and pattern changes for them in the near future.

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I started with a piece of material 45” wide by 55” long. (Weird size? Maybe, but remember everything I used is from the craft closet. As such, I started with a piece of old material that I originally bought for quilting.) I trimmed those ugly white edges off and cut the piece in half lengthwise, so my working piece is 21.5” wide by 55” long.

In addition to material, you need:
1 package (2.75m) double fold bias tape
1 package (2.75m) extra wide double fold bias tape
Interfacing 14” x 21”
Thread, pins and chalk (if you’ve got chalk, otherwise pins will do)

Using pins or chalk, mark 4” from the bottom. Mark at 4” intervals, eight more times, ending at 36 inches. Now put a final mark at 38”.
With wrong sides together, iron at the 4” markings.
With wrong sides together, iron at the 16” markings.
With wrong sides together, iron at the 24” markings.
With wrong sides together, iron at the 38” markings.

Cut three 4” x 21” and one 2” x 21” strips of interfacing, and iron behind the following sections:
Section 1 (marks 0 – 4”)
Section 4 (marks 12”-16”)
Section 7 (marks 24” –28”)
Section 10 (marks 36”-38”)

Pattern Sketch

Pattern Sketch

Sew double fold bias tape along the 4”, 16” and 28” inch ironed folds.

Bring the 4” ironed fold up to the 12” mark, and pin (the 8” mark becomes an inside fold)
Bring the 16” ironed fold up to the 24” mark, and pin (the 20” mark becomes an inside fold)
Bring the 28” ironed fold up to the 36” mark, and pin (the 32” mark becomes an inside fold
Fold over at the 38” mark (wrong sides together)
Your folded work should look something like this:

Ironed folds, attached bias tape, and now pinned folds to other marks

Ironed folds, attached bias tape, and now pinned folds to other marks

Trim or fold in the bottom edges so they are even

On the inside/pocket side, mark off the size of your pockets, two inches from top to the bottom of the case.
I decided to have five pockets roughly 4 inches each.
Note 1: The 2 on the right should be slightly bigger. In my case 4”, 4”, 4”, 4.5” and 4.5” since the “roll” begins on the left
Note 2: I first thought of having 4 pockets on the bottom row for bigger needles, and five on the top and middle rows for smaller needles BUT…all pockets must be of the same size, or your case will not roll up.

Sew along the chalk lines – again, from the top of the first pocket, to the bottom of your case.

Now sew double fold extra wide bias tape around the entire case. (I found it easier to base-stitch into place first.)

Sew remaining double wide bias tape (the thinner one, used on the fold) closed…you will use this as a tie.

With outside facing up, attach tie to case on outside of case, 6” from the bottom and 4”from the left edge.

Outter bias tape & tags added

Outter bias tape & tags added

I went on to add tags to my pockets so I could identify the size & length of my needles…some of my bigger needles had no packages. (Again, my tags were done with scraps I found sitting in my craft closet.) For the rest, I simply put the cases in the pockets with the needles. (I considered ironing patches on the outside of each pocket and then writing on the patch with fabric pen, but decided not to. For now. )

If you have any questions about the pattern, just leave it in the comments. (Be sure to check pack for an answer, or leave me an email at which to reply.)

A PAIN IN THE A..

I have such a pain in my arm. (What were you thinking?)

It started off with limited use in my right shoulder…I’ve had to change how I put on my bra and reach for things in the cupboard. Because of my “frozen shoulder” (as it has been diagnosed), my elbow is now causing me pain. While it might have to do with the fact that my fiftieth birthday is slowly creeping up on me, I am also my own worst enemy. I’m on the computer all day, with mouse in hand, doing my day job. My hobbies after work…knitting, quilting, cross-stitch and more computer usage with my writing.

Take a break, you say. Yeah, I know. But any of you out there that are crafters know that is much easier said then done. Just look at the pretty things I finished in the last couple of weeks.

Lap quilt for a friend's upcoming 50th birthday

A lap quilt

A shorter version of a scarf previously made. This went to one of The Daughter's friends for their 18th birthday

A shorter version of a scarf previously made. This went to one of The Daughter’s friends for their 18th birthday

And a brightly coloured baby blanket

And a brightly coloured baby blanket although I don’t know anyone having a baby

I am trying to balance this with some reading.

Just stating book #2 of The Outlander series.

Just stating book #2 of The Outlander series.

How’s that for balance?