Have you considered doing this?

Years ago when my children were in elementary school, plastic canvas was enjoying a huge amount of popularity.  Does anyone else remember that?  Sadly I had boys who didn't really like anything made with that substance.  They were much more into match box cars and trucks and other modes of transportation.  Plastic canvas cars and trucks were more of a decorative than functional toy.  

I did find a leisure arts booklet for a plastic canvas circular Santa workshop.  I really wanted to make it .  However I couldn't justify the time it would take when I had things to do and make that my sons would like, want and use.  Things like hats, mittens and gloves and camping and digging in the dirt.

I was going to make this for younger son but he'd want to play with it and that would be bad.

Now that we have a next generation, the youngest wants a Christmas village.  I'm not sure if it was her hangry mood, her inability to express she didn't feel well or she really does want a Christmas village.  If she does, it's being made from recyclable materials and she can play with it.

I might crochet her a gingerbread house for next year.......

An Update and a pattern

So much has happened in my corner of the world. 

Early April saw me teaching during a festival of the arts to 8th grade students.  I may have said about this event previously.  The students were a joy.  I will be looking forward to this next year.

April also saw my older son and daughter in law home for a visit over Easter.  They got to relax and we got to spend time together as a family, something that happens too infrequently.  Looking for ideas for their next visit has been fun in the few free minutes I have.

No sooner did they leave to go back home than my younger son moved home again and brought his daughter.  Good thing he did it at the time he did as he was on the verge of being hospitalized with strep.  Round the clock rest, antibiotics, and care were the order of the day.  Having a baby in the house again has been a joy, good for a waistline, and just plain fun.  Ok the floors could stand a mopping more often, but that is a small price to pay.

We've had quite a few trials and tribulations with my mother in law recently.  As an aging woman, who is too stubborn  for her own good, she brings some of her issues on herself but most are just results of aging.  She is exceptionally lucky that she didn't break anything during her falls.  Some of the issues we (as a family) have been able to rectify.  Others will take some retraining.

My church's festival was in early June.  Due to an elderly congregation, there are few to do the heavy lifting of the festival.  There's more than one type of heavy lifting.  We have a rehabilitation facility we can call for the literal heavy lifting.  The heavy lifting of chairing the various festival parts is just falling by the wayside.  Those who have done it for decades are mostly unable any longer.  But for all that, this year's festival was a success.  The other churches had good weather so I have high hopes they also had successful festivals.

Recently (ok 3 or 4 years ago), we found a muzzle loading faire.  This is designed for those who do reenactments of the 1700s to mid 1800s.  Some of the people build their own weapon.  Some of the people make their own clothes and all the other accoutrements of the era.  As this is a destination type event, some of the ladies decided to do a ladies in waiting group.  Here the ladies and children learn the crafts of day to day living.  Things like weaving, spinning, open fire cooking, and more esoteric like needlepoint and tatting and ice cream making without a churn are the order of the day.  This year I taught foundation piecing and straw weaving.  Always a fun activity.  The straw weaving is like inkle loom weaving except larger scale and designed for kids.

Immediately after this was my knitting guild's retreat for summer.  Sadly I didn't get to attend.  My family experienced a loss.  My husband's uncle died.  It was not totally unexpected but still a devastation.  Thankfully the retreat could go on without me.

Finally, I have figured out early what to do for my grandchildren for Christmas.  This is a struggle most years.  Each child will get a hand knit blanket.  I was helped along by a good sale at my local Joann's.  The sale was on Bernat Blanket yarn.  That will help with the time element and the fact that I have 5 beautiful grandbabies (ok some are in elementary school).  Each one will be different and individualized.  The first one is center out.  I'm on the 2nd ball.  I have a gauge of 1.5 sts per inch and 2.5 rows per inch.

The basic pattern for a simple square blanket.

size 13 circular needles.

Cast on 8 stitches with a magic circle.

K 1 rd, pm after every 2nd st.  Make the first corner where you start the round different.
Kfb around.
K1 rd.
* Kfb, k2, kfb, sl m.  Rep from *
**K 1 rd.
*Kfb, to last st before marker, kfb, sl m.  Rep from *.

Rep from ** until you reach the size desired or you run out of yarn.  Bind off loosely.

Weave in ends.  Sew fast with a needle and thread if you are using the same yarn as I am.  The ends will worm through with use.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!!  Many celebrate some form of this holiday.

a Year of Stitches Week 52

Well, we made it to the end of the year.  Here is our last post in 2017 for a year of stitches.  Let's use these.  There should be something fabulous to meet your fancy here.  Enjoy these.  They offer a variety of looks.  The traditional winter and Christmas specific motifs and then things that can stand the test of time for the whole year.  Done in heavier yarns, there are afghans and pillows.  Done in finer yarns, sweaters or accessories.

This is only a quarter of the pattern.  Mirror image in each direction to form the whole.  This would be stunning worked in silver or gold thread in filet crochet or as a pillow.  For the pillow, sew the pocket for the stuffing in line with the points where the two scallops meet.

Update on Christmas

I have changed my mind yet again. I know that's nothing new. 

For quite some time I had been planning to make 2 granny square jumpers (American not British) for my granddaughters.  They are 6.  Probably the ruffled skirts would not be appreciated by them.   I have chosen instead circle vests.  We've all probably seen them on ravelry.

My younger son is living with and talking about marrying a young woman. She has 2 children previously.  So I'm thinking of them and what might be appropriate for them.  One of the children is 4 and the other is less than a year.   They are boys.

Then there is my daughter in law.  I thought of a clapoti.  I thought of finishing one of the several things I started for her.  None of them are close to finished.

Finally there's the mystery young woman.   Because of the long hours she works, we don't get to see her and the kids to get to know them.  I know basic sizes and favorite colors for her.  I was wondering about a comodo possibility. 

I also considered something for each son.  A number of years ago, I knit a fair isle pattern raglan sweater for one son.   The other son has me completely baffled.  Maybe a knit tie?  Better still a knitted bowtie!  Now to find a kit from Franklin Habit for this.......

Pictures will come after Christmas for obvious reasons.  With a lot of luck, I will have pictures of all recipients wearing AND enjoying their creations.

Christmas 2016

I'm starting my gift knitting early.  OK, very early.  However, I have an idea that I think will work wonderfully.  On ravelry there is an advent calendar scarf pattern for knitting.  Actually there are about 10 from different designers, but I'm doing the German site's series of 5.  I'm using Paton's Lace in natural, plum ice, turquoise with repeats of the plum and turquoise.  I'm not adding beads.  I will be doing a thin version.  The finished dimensions as written are 50 cm (20 inches.  I did the conversion.) by 200 cm (78 inches).  Since these will be fairly quick to knit in the thin versions and are broken down into 24 small bites, I hope to get them done by the end of January, February at the latest.

I also received high compliments on some granny square slippers I made for my sister's boyfriend.  Those will be repeated and expanded for the recipients.  A few adjustments to hook size and I will have dialed in a perfect size I hope.  I used this pattern with doubled Red Heart Super Saver yarn and an I hook.  I will go down a hook size.  These should wash and wear like iron, but still be soft and comfy on the foot.

The scarves posted on ravelry in the finished projects tab are breathtakingly beautiful.  I might adopt a similar idea for either an afghan along or a lace class series.  There are many lace patterns out there that really have a lot to teach and look fabulous.

I have also decided that lace cardigans for my granddaughters will happen next year.  I will make them over-sized for more wear-ability.  The lace will not be the very holey kind, more of eyelet outlines of some of their favorite animals.  I will post pictures of all progress once we get some sun.  I need to do this outside.  My lighting inside is poor for pictures but great for general seeing.

For now, I must get my laundry done after finally kicking the flu.  Holidays and illness are not fun when combined.  Add every Godzilla movie made and killer klowns from outer space and I had to get better for self preservation.  Yarn shopping in my stash will be fun.  I know I have something that will work.

Summer Knitting and crocheting, aka Getting Ready for the Holidays

Summer knitting and crocheting

Once the flip flops and beach apparel have been created, it’s still too hot to knit or crochet large items.   It's also probably too hot to think too hard for patterns.  Quick and simple to complete projects are great.  Now is the time to think of what you might want to gift to co workers for the upcoming holidays.  Now is the time to think of what you might want to craft for your decorations.

I offer the following ideas.  All are small and won’t make you much hotter.

1.       Decorations for a specific holiday or year round appeal.

          a.      Crochet wreaths

          b.      Snowflakes

          c.      Holly leaves, knit or crochet

          d.      Nativity figures

          e.      Mini mittens, hats, sweaters, socks

          f.       Ice skates
               g.      Easter Eggs
          h.      Butterflies
          I.       Acorns
          j.        Pinecones
          k.       Autumn leaves
          l.        flowers

2.       Amigurumi Christmas animals and people

3.       Hats mittens, cowls, mitts, socks

4.       mug rugs, mug hugs (keeps a  hot cup hot longer or cold drinks cold longer, depending.  The rug will also keep the sweat from running down to stain the tables or the heat from leaving a mark.)

All of the above ideas are available in knit or crochet ideas.  Patterns are available all over the internet.  Search for the item, either knit or crochet and free pattern.  You will be amazed at what you find.

I wrote this before the summer was much of a thought.  Summer was a hope at the end of the winter that never seemed to want to end.  At I type this update, today's high temperature was 80.  Yesterday it didn't make it above 74.  This is the end of June.  For the past 30 years or so, it gets HOT, as in 90+, and is very dry at this time of year.  So far we have had a very wet late spring and early summer.  I'm not minding the larger projects yet.  But be assured, these ideas will be needed soon.  I think.

Just a quick flower posting

I have patterns for all the ornaments for the ornament classes with one exception.  The flower.  I can't devote much time to it for another week.  But I do think about it in odd little moments when carnival thoughts allow it in.

I have the basics worked out.  I'm just having trouble with finding an increase that works like I want.  I even asked my husband one morning at breakfast what he thought of using yarn overs.  Before you all yell that he won't understand, this is one he does.  He knows this makes a hole.  He didn't like it.  I did a petal in it anyway to see what it would look like.  Jury is still out on my thoughts.  I might pull out "The Principles of Knitting" to see what I can find there that is along my thoughts for increases.

For the crochet ornament class, there will be a stocking, bird, butterfly, popcorn garland with and without cranberries and a stocking.  For the knit ornament class I have planned for a stocking, a sweater, a hat, a bell and this flower.  Some patterns will have size variants or variations to make it look different but still the same.

Pictures will come in 2 weeks.  Next week is the carnival and I have a ton of details to finish for my jobs.  These are all last minute things that can't be done ahead of time.  Then comes the carnival and a day of rest.  Two Mondays from now will be clean up day and then I'm back in teaching mode again.

Have a safe July.

Tunisian Christmas Stocking Pattern Pt. 2

I have not forgotten.  I had misplaced the pattern on my computer.  By now your stocking leg should be about 11 inches long.  It's now time to work the heel.  You should have chosen if it's a one color or two color heel like the leg portion, one color chosen from the stocking colors or a completely different color.  For my sample, I have chosen to take one of the colors from the two I picked for my heel.

Heel:  Work in only one color if stocking is 2 color.  If you choose to do the heels and toes in other colors, now is the time to change.

Work the heel flap first across 30 sts.  Work flat Tunisian on these sts for 2 inches.

Heel Turn:  Working on left half of sts (15), draw up a loop,* sk 1 vertical bar, pull up loops in next 2. Rep from * across.  Work back across the vertical bars.  Rep these two steps until there are 4 vertical bars.  Fasten off.  Join yarn on the right hand side of the heel flap.  Repeat as for left half and join the halves by pulling a loop through the vertical bar of the left half, then wrap and pull through 2.  Once there are 4 vertical bars on both sides, it is time to start back around again.  Now is the time to cut color c if you changed the heel color from the rest of the stocking.

I finally have it....

And what is IT???  My mother's-in-law Christmas Hooded Scarf present.  You had the pattern.  Find the pattern here.   Now have the pictures.  

I was recently at my mother's-in-law house and actually remembered to ask her for a picture of her with her hooded scarf.   She loaned it to me instead.  She has worn it many times she says and it kept her warm and dry.  It looks great, letting me know the yarn (Loops & Threads Cozy Wool) holds up well in use.

When I designed it, I had in mind to style it as a deep hood that slouched down the back a la "The Chronicles of Narnia" movies.  My mother-in-law wears it pulled front and folded back the front edge for a framed look.  The scarf part could be worn long and have hands in pockets.  The scarf part could be worn wrapped around the neck and if stretched a bit, hands will still make it comfortably into the pockets.  The pockets are also convenient for keys and a little cash for a shopping adventure or tissues for those cold walks in the snow.  Lucky for her we don't get deep snow and this is a fun activity complete with hot chocolate/coffee/tea/mulled wine afterwards.  This post was written mostly before and during the Christmas holidays.  I'm editing it to add the pictures and fill in a few gaps I have found at the end of February.  Our current weather service count is 50 inches more or less of snow since the first week of January.  It has not all fallen at the same time, but it didn't melt before more fell.  Yes, my mother in law has had her scarf back before all this fell.

The pictures are with my daughter in law modeling.  She shows both the flipped back brim and the deeper look.  I also have a black and white photo that shows the details better than the red.  Sadly, I'm not sure what the setting on the camera was that got this for me.  I would learn more if I took more pictures, I guess.

Works in progress and nurturing new knitters

At a recent Christmas party, I had the great joy of helping a grand niece learn to use her knitting machine.  It's an updated version of one I received when I was about her age. Hers has more capabilities than mine did. My only complaint is it came with eyelash yarn.  This young lady let me know what I knew but didn't voice. This yarn in not easy for a beginner to learn with.  My solution? To give her yarn that I know I won't be using for whatever reason.  My problem? I could not find it anywhere. I just knew it was in certain storage containers. It took me three weeks and a nasty bout of stomach flu to find it. It was exactly where I put it. I had consolidated most of my stash in the way that makes sense to me.

Unfortunately the finding of stash coincided with some really cold (definitely Arctic) weather and our heat was lost. The air intake and exhaust were blocked by ice. No way was I going to pack yarn in 30* temps in my basement.  Now we have heat back and a new problem. But I can pack the yarn in relative warmth.   She will be getting a nice big box of assorted yarns and colors.

My new issue? We had a leak that is threatening our bedroom ceiling. My task is to clean out all the things I can so we can move the furniture out to replace the ceiling.  I'm finding projects I forgot about, projects I started and put aside, projects for classes, charity afghans for warm up America.

I decided to make two lists.  One of each UFO and who it is for, when it was started, when it is needed by.  The other list is who is on the gift list and three ideas for each.  Where I can I will be matching up these two lists.  So far I have almost twenty UFO s.

I also have an opportunity to put each project in its own bag. This will make it easier to grab something on my way out the door or as I sit down and relax.  When the list is finished, I will post it.  This might be better for holding me accountable and get things finished.

Christmas in July day 25

Today there are exactly 5 months until Christmas, 4 months until Thanksgiving and just over 3 months until Halloween.

For Halloween, I sit out with the neighbors and hand out candy to the little goblins and witches who come calling.  Every year there seem to be less and less though.  When my children were little, we got a little more into the spirit with decorating.  They did things with construction paper in school that got hung on walls and windows when brought home.  We did tissue ghosts.  (Wad up 3 tissues, place in the center of a 4th.  Gather the tissue around the wad.  Use a twistie tie from a loaf of bread that is white to tie the neck and make a hanging loop for fishing line/invisible thread to hang by)  I did things like mystery foot prints for them to follow.  A treat was usually at the other end.  Some years I tried to make them treat bags.  Others they were given them at school as part of the effort to make everyone have their treats X-rayed for potential issues.  treat bags

For November, like most parents, I focused on parent teacher conferences and a week or more of having the kids home.  I also did most of the big dinner cooking once they were older.  I was one to want all the table linens to be cloth and hopefully handmade by me, (napkin rings were nice.  I did them in plastic canvas, crochet and beads on wire.) the many components of the dinner to be raised by our family (excluding the turkey since we lived in an urban area) or at least made by us from scratch.  No supermarket pies or boxed stuffing mixes, please.  I have relaxed a good deal since then.  I still want to set a nice table, but I focus even more on the people around it.  As the kids have grown and moved out and parents started to not be around, I have cut down on the number of dishes made.  No longer do I need 5 vegetables, candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing and 4 or more kinds of pie.  There just aren't that many people to eat that much.  We still play board games and card games after eating.  We also discuss where the various Christmas parties will be and when.  

Thanksgiving weekend is also the weekend (4 days of help from kids and husband) I decorate for Christmas.  There was only one year in all our marriage I didn't get decorating done.  Now I'm more lax about this too.  I still pull most of the stuff out and do most of what I did do, but it's more spread out.  I also make sure to have my cookie list made up, but like everything else, that has shrunk.  Not having an oven that works right now has helped with the lightening of this load.  Since we moved 12 years ago, I started putting up snowflakes.  See here and here for those posts.

By mid December, we try to have the gifts we wanted to buy all purchased.  I work to make sure the gifts that needed making are done.  Like some many women though, I have a lot of late nights finishing things.  I have been known to weave ends on the way to a party and jam things into a gift bag.  I have also been known to give only one sock when I don't have the recipient handy to measure and need to make sure it will fit.  This is easier with immediate family than extended.

This year the gift I'm giving me is the gift of me.  I don't have to be perfect.  The Pope, Martha Stewart, President (insert your own imagined tough critc) won't be visiting.  Yes, I want to make it nice for people, but being nice is more important that being stressed to the breaking point.

Christmas in July day 24

Today is about nativities.  I know not everyone puts one up.  I know further that mothers and grandmothers who put up very old or very fragile ones don't want little hands touching and breaking.

Here are a couple of links to ones that can be handled and not broken.  They can also be easily washed when they become soiled.  Make sure to put them into a lingerie bag to prevent snags.

Nativity #1  This is crochet.  This pattern is from Red Heart.  

knitted-nativity-scene  You have to be a member (free to sign up) to access this pattern.

knit nativity #2  This uses Panda Disco yarn.  This yarn is not available in US that I have found, it's Austrailian.  An equivalent would be Caron International Simply Soft.  The Panda Disco is a sport/DK weight.  This pattern is worked at a gauge of 26 sts and 36 rows to 4 inches.  

For any of these you want a fairly firm fabric so the fiber fil doesn't show through.  Once you have the figures made, you can embellish as you wish.  That's half the fun.

Christmas in July day 21

Today is about the sports enthusiast.  Gifts could include anything from previous posts done in someone's favorite team colors, camoflage for the hunter/fisherman.  In the past I have found a lot of difficulty in getting free patterns of the licensed logos.  For that matter, I have found difficulty in getting paid patterning for licensed logos.  If you are really determined, though, you can use graph paper and draw it out yourself.  For crochet, use single crochet and graph paper found anywhere that is square.  For knitting, you need specialized paper that is wider than tall to mimic the nature of the stitch.

Here is a link to some

https://www.google.com/search?q=knitting+graph+paper&rlz=1C2OPRB_enUS512US520&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=RcW3UYD7GLe14AP1xIGIDQ&sqi=2&ved=0CDUQsAQ&biw=1325&bih=837

Christmas in July day 15

Yesterday was such a big topic, it needed two days.  Today will touch on those pieces that sit around for decorative purposes, kind of like the animated things seen in malls and store windows.  Unless you have skills to animate these, they are still lives.  I don't possess those skills.

Angels  tree top angel angels of all kinds 

Santas  Santa-gnome-ornaments  a bunch of jolly old elves

This can also be a skirt for your tree, Christmas stockings, gift bags.  The list goes on and on.  In addition to links online, I know Leisure Arts puts out a lot of pattern books for holiday knit and crochet patterns.  I find them at thrift shops, yard sales, in stores.  Sometimes all that is needed is an update of the colors because the item is back in fashion.

One thing I wanted to do for my kids but never seemed to find the time for was an Advent Calendar.  Advent Calendars might not have gotten done, but we did have an Advent Wreath each year, complete with handmade candles.  (I could never find the 3 purple and 1 rose colored candles over Thanksgiving and never thought to look earlier in the year)

Each year, I have a collection of Santas I put on top of my refrigerator on one side and a collection of snowmen on the other.  These are small collections.  However, one of the snowmen is a knit creation with a knit scarf and wearing a stocking hat.  I will post a pattern and picture of him closer to the holidays.  My Santa that is hand made is a crochet creation made by someone in my dad's side of the family.Since most of these relatives are no longer with us, I can't ask.  Again I will post a pattern and a picture.  One year I gave my husband's grandmother a crocheted moue for Christmas.  His name is Christ Mouse and was a Leisure Arts pattern.  After she passed, the mouse came back to me.  My mother in law wanted a similar one but sadly my pattern had flown the coop by that time.  Christ Mouse now lives with her.  I will see if I can get a picture of him to post.

As you might be able to tell, Christmas and it's traditions are a big part of our family life.  I might just be getting out of one of the traditions though.  The annual Cookie baking frenzy.  My oven controls are shot and I don't intend to fix them anytime soon.  With just a husband and me, we can use a toaster oven.  I'm not crazy enough to bake cookies in one of those.

Christmas in July day 14

Ornaments.  This covers so many things  I know I am covering this on 2 days.

Today's ornaments will be the smaller things you hang on your trees or use as gift tags.  There are literally thousands upon thousands of patterns out there.  Let your imagination soar.  These are just a few to get you started.

There are snowflakes, do them in thread for a delicate look, do them in yarn and have a more robust look.  See these posts for more ideas with these http://wendyteaches-mrsscubafish.blogspot.com/2012/07/more-about-snowflakes.html and http://wendyteaches-mrsscubafish.blogspot.com/2012/07/idea-for-christmas-crocheting.html 

There are full on ornaments like we all think of.as well as more novel approaches to ornaments and for something different you can use something like these.  You can do a simple ball but change it up with novelty yarns.

And finally a popcorn garland that I can no longer find on the internet where I initially found it.

I use Red Heart Super Saver in aran because to me that looks like my popcorn.  You can add red beads if you want the popcorn and cranberry look or leave it plain.  I did mine plain.

Popcorn Garland

Red Heart Super Savor, 8 oz in color Aran
Size I hook

Ch 5, work 5 dc in 5th ch from hook.  Remove hook from last loop, insert in top of ch 3 and then back into the loop and pull through.  (popcorn made)

* Ch 8, (5 dc in 5th ch from hook, remove hook from last loop, insert in top of ch 3 and then back into the loop and pull through).

Rep from * until your garland is as long as you want.  Gauge for this project doesn't matter.  If you use the whole skein for this you will have around 75 ft of garland.  My knitting guild made these for a bazaar one year and we measured.  If you add the red beads, put them in the second chain of the 3 chains between the popcorns.

This is fast and easy (unless you do the whole skein) and can be kept from year to year unlike the edible version.  It also doesn't draw bugs or mice.

Christmas in July day 13

Headbands continue to have a following.  I will admit to using these on occasion.  The reasons why people wear these instead of hats are many and varied.  There are some who wear them with hats as well.

Here are some quick and easy patterns

Ribbed headband

Fair Isle headband plus matching mittens

crocheted Headband

and finally  cold weather cables

Some of these sites require registration.  All are free.  Sign in to access your preferred pattern.

Christmas in July day 12

E-readers are a big thing again this year.  Will you be giving one?  Do you know someone who is going to get one?

How about giving a felted sleeve for it?  For felting, you will work at a larger gauge than usual and use larger needles or hooks for the patterns.  Paton's Classic Wool is great for this type of project.  It will felt.  Synthetics won't felt and neither will superwash wool.  Plant fibers also don't felt.

http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/cases_caddies.php  This link has a bunch of electronic case patterns to felt.

Christmas in July day 11

Boots are a fun fashion for Christmas for every one.  Boots are also a must have for those in snowy climes.  Dress up those boots with cuffs.

warm-ribbed-boot-cuffs  There are knit and crochet versions of this pattern available.

ruffled boot toppers

Christmas in July day 10

Tote bags are incredibly useful all year round.  For holiday time, create them in holiday colors.

trendy-tote-bag

ruffled tote

every day tote