Q: This liniment is a basic one that you can use for any type of herbs. You can choose herbs such as peppermint, oregano, cayenne, ginger, lavender, eucalyptus, myrrh, or chamomile, all based on what properties you want. You can choose fresh or dried plants.  For instance, if you want to increase circulation to a certain area, you could use black pepper, cayenne pepper, rosemary, or ginger. Increasing circulation can help with healing and pain. Many people have had good luck with cottonwood or aspen as a way to decrease pain and help with swelling. To make the best use of these trees, you need to harvest the buds of leaves in the spring while the buds still feel resinous (sticky) to the touch. However, if you want to harvest at another time of year, you can use the bark instead. Just keep in mind that some people are allergic to cottonwood. Make sure that you are not allergic to cottonwood if you plan to use it. If you choose fresh herbs or plants, you may need to wash them off first, depending on what they are. For instance, you may want to wash off ginger root, but you wouldn't want to wash the resin off of the cotton wood buds. If you're using fresh plants, you need to chop them up first. They don't have to be very finely chopped. Just give them a rough chop so that their essence is more easily extracted. Try to get the pieces smaller than 1 inch at the least. Choose a jar that creates a tight seal. Place the plants in the jar. Once you've added the plants, pour in enough rubbing alcohol, vodka, or witch hazel extract to cover the plants. You don't want part of the plant sticking out. Once you've combined the ingredients, you need to let them steep. You can wait just a month, but 6 weeks is probably better. Though it needs to steep, you need to help the process along by shaking the mixture up. Once a day is sufficient, but you can do it more often if you wish. Once the time is up, you need to strain out the herbs. Pick a clean, dark jar with a tight-fitting lid. Place a clean piece of cheesecloth or muslin over the jar. Pour the mixture through it, leaving the herbs in the fabric.  At this point, you can add a small amount of menthol crystals. How much you add is up to you, but start with a very small amount, just a small pinch. You can always add more.  You can also add a few drops of essential oil at this point if you wish. Add a label that includes everything you put in the liniment. Also, make sure you add "for external use only." The liniment will keep a long time due to the alcohol. Gently rub a small amount on your skin as you need to do so. Let it dry on your skin.
A: Choose your herbs. Wash the plants or herbs if needed. Chop fresh plants. Pour into a clean jar. Cover the herbs with alcohol. Leave it steep for a month or more. Shake it up. Strain the mixture. Label the bottle. Apply to the skin.

Q: To create a more durable rug, you will need to work with two skeins of yarn at the same time. Treat the two strands as one as you make your stitches. Use an adjustable knot called a slip knot. Make 21 chain stitches to provide your rug with a foundation. Work 40 single crochets into this foundational chain.  Make your first single crochet into the second chain stitch away from your hook after you complete the foundational chain. Single crochet 20 times down one side of the chain. Single crochet another 20 times down the other side of the chain. Make the second round by working another single crochet into each of the 40 stitches completed in the previous round.  Increase twice at both the starting and finishing ends of your first round. To make one increase, chain stitch once. To make two increases, simply chain stitch twice. The third round will essentially be the same as the second. Work another series of single crochets into the all of the stitches of the previous round, including the increases, until you travel around the entire perimeter of the piece. For this round, you need to increase three times at both ends. To increase three times, make three chain stitches. For rounds four, five, six, seven, and eight, single crochet once into each of the stitches from the previous row, including the increases.  Increase at both ends for each round. Continue adding an extra increase for each round.  Round four gets four increases. Round five gets five increases. Round six gets six increases. Round seven gets seven increases. Round eight gets eight increases.   Note that if the rug begins to seem too loose or floppy, you can reduce the number of increases you use at the ends of each round. Change colors before making the ninth round. After you do, make another five rounds using the same pattern: single crochet once into each stitch of the previous round.  Continue adding increases at the ends of each round.  Round nine gets nine increases. Round 10 gets 10 increases. Round 11 gets 11 increases. Round 12 gets 12 increases. Round 13 gets 13 increases.   Note that if the rug begins to seem too loose or floppy, you can reduce the number of increases you use at the ends of each round. To change the color, cut the yarn you are currently working with, leaving a tail 3 inches (7.6 cm) long. Slip this end through the back of the next stitch, turn the rug around halfway, and begin single stitching your next round with the new color. Tie the next color onto the crochet hook using a slipknot. When you reach the tail from your previous color after working your way around, weave it into the new color as you make your next stitches. Change colors a third time after finishing round 13. Afterward, make another five rounds by single crocheting into each stitch of the previous rounds, including the increases.  Continue adding increases at the ends of each round.  Round 14 gets 14 increases. Round 15 gets 15 increases. Round 16 gets 16 increases. Round 17 gets 17 increases. Round 18 gets 18 increases.   Note that if the rug begins to seem too loose or floppy, you can reduce the number of increases you use at the ends of each round. Switch your yarn color one final time. Make another six rounds using the same method of single crocheting once into each stitch of the previous rounds.  Continue adding increases at the ends of each round.  Round 19 gets 19 increases. Round 20 gets 20 increases. Round 21 gets 21 increases. Round 22 gets 22 increases. Round 23 gets 23 increases. Round 24 gets 24 increases.   Note that if the rug begins to seem too loose or floppy, you can reduce the number of increases you use at the ends of each round. e last row. Even out the edge by making a slip stitch into each stitch of the final round. Cut the yarn so that a 3 inch (7.6 cm) tail hangs off the edge of the rug. With a loop still on your hook, grab this tail and pull it through the loop, tightening the loop over it. This will create a knot and tie off your project. Use a darning needle to weave the remaining end into the underside of the rug to hide it.
A:
Use two strands of yarn. Tie the two pieces of yarn onto the hook. Chain stitch and single crochet your first round. Single crochet the second round and increase. Single crochet the third round and increase. Repeat this pattern for five more rounds. Change colors before continuing. Change colors after another five rounds. Change colors before completing the final six rounds.  over the last row. Tie off the end.