Snoopy

(Update: Snoopy now has a little friend. Check out my version of Woodstock!)

My Grandpa has always loved the Peanuts comic strip. I remember him reading them to us when we were little and his smile and chuckle that are so dear to me. I get sad that I live so far away from him and don't get to see him often. This year for Christmas I made up this Snoopy and his pattern... with the smile that it would put on Grandpa's face in mind. And, of course, I knit my Snoopy a little bitty red scarf and sent him off to Grandpa.

Snoopy is also now for sale at my store.

I hope you enjoy him as well and the free pattern!

Snoopy

I used white, and a little black, worsted weight yarn and an H crochet hook.

Head
Row 1: 5sc in loop, tighten loop
Row 2: 2sc in each (10 total)
Row 3: *sc, 2sc* Repeat around (15 total)
Row 4-7: sc even
Row 8: sc, sc, 3sc, sc, 3sc, sc even rest of row (19 total)
Row 9: *sc, sc, 2sc* Repeat between *s 3 times, then sc even rest of
row (22 total)
Row 10: sc even next 17, sc2tog, sc even rest of row (21)
Row 11: sc even next 16, 2sc, sc, 2sc, sc even rest of row (23)
Row 12: *sc2tog, sc, sc* repeat 5 times, sc2tog, sc (17)
Stuff
Row 13: *sc2tog, sc* repeat 5 times, sc
Row 14: sc2tog 7 times
Finish off, sew up

Ear (make with black yarn)
Row 1: 5sc in loop, tighten loop
Row 2: 2sc, sc, sc, 2sc, sc (7)
Row 3: sc even (7)
Row 4: sc2tog, sc, sc2tog, sc, sc (5)
Row 5: sc2tog, sc, sc, sc, sc, sl st to round off
Flatten and sew on

Nose (make with black yarn)
3 sc in a loop, tighten loop, flatten nose a bit into an oblong shape,
sew in place

Body
Row 1: 6sc in loop, tighten loop
Row 2: 2sc in each (12 total)
Row 3: *sc, 2sc* Repeat around (18 total)
Row 4-6: sc even
Row 7: *sc, sc, sc, sc. sc2tog* Repeat around (15 total)
Row 8: *sc, sc, sc, sc2tog* Repeat around (12 total)
Row 9: *sc, sc, sc2tog* Repeat around (9 total)
Stuff with beans in the bottom and then stuffing
Row 10: *sc, sc2tog* Repeat around (6 total)
Row 11: *sc, sc2tog* Repeat around, sl st to round off (4 total)
Finish stuffing and sew onto head

Arm
Row 1: 8 sc in a loop, tighten loop
Row 2: sc even around
Row 3: sc2tog, sc, sc, sc2tog, sc2tog (5 total)
Row 4-6: sc even, sl st last stitch of row 6 to round off

Leg
Row 1: 6sc in a loop, tighten loop
Row 2: 3sc, sc, sc, 3sc, sc, sc, sl st (10 total)
Row 3: sc blo even around
Row 4: sc2tog, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc, sc2tog, sc (6 total)
Stuff foot lightly with beans
Row 5-7: sc even, sl st last stitch of row 7 to round off
Finish stuffing leg with beans... lightly

Tail
Row 1: 3sc in a loop, tighten loop
Row 2-4: sc even, sl st last stitch of row 4 to round off
(It is hard to crochet in the round with just 3sc... you could easily
join yarn with a sl st to where you want the tail to be, ch 4, sl st
in 2nd ch from hook, sc, sc, sl st back to body)

Spot (with black yarn)
6 sc in a loop, tighten loop, sl st in 1st sc

Sew spot on and sew black details.

(Update: Pattern for Snoopy's scarf is now blogged as well! Enjoy!)

Flower Clips and Bands

Me, my scissors, crochet hook, and glue gun attacked some felt, ribbon, and yarn and came up with these.... It was such free form creating and so fast that it was very fun! And my little girls and little nieces got some sweet flower clips and head bands for Christmas this year.

This little band above was one of my favorites. I cut out a white circle slightly larger than I wanted the flower to be, then I cut it into a swirl shape. I overlapped the edges of the swirl and glued the edges lightly with my glue gun. I glued a bead to the center, a leaf shape to the back and glued the flower to the knot of the skinny elastic and backed it with another little white circle.

These hair clips are easy to find and when they have felt or ribbed ribbon glued on them they stay in even the finest baby hair very nicely.

With this flower I cut out petal shapes and hand stitched them together in the center of the flower, covered that with a little felt circle and glued it to a clip... again backing it with felt.

 Layering and sewing on details like bitty sparkly seed beads and buttons was fun too!

And I used up some adorable yarn that I only had little bits of. This flower was super quick and easy to crochet.

Of course I did think about the risk of using buttons and beads with the little baby projects but it's a good idea to only use the bands and clips when you are keeping a close eye on your baby anyway... and use lots of that glue or sew securely!

If you're in the mood for a post Christmas instant gratification project, here's a good one. :)

Merry day after Christmas!

Merry Randomness

This time of year I wish I could crochet as fast as this lady can knit. No, really. I've been applying some of her tips to crochet, since she knits with the continental method, and am impressed so far. So, if you are crocheting presents and wish they'd go faster... or just want to be amazed at how very fast a person can knit take a look at the video.

How I've applied it:

1. Make sure I'm relaxed.
2. I've been holding my yarn like she does, at the tip of my left index finger instead of further back on my index finger. Then my finger is right at the fabric and hook and can help feel the next space for the hook to go in and can help get the yarn over the hook. After my hand muscles got used to it, it's been a lot less strain on that finger.
3. I studied my crochet hook and hand movements and eliminated any unnecessary movements. For example, I found I was pulling back at the end of each stitch to which really wasn't needed. So now I go straight into the next stitch more smoothly.

And I've been working on not looking when I crochet. I've been reading while crocheting. Makes me happy.

Only 7 more Christmas presents to make... and only 6 days left. :) But hey I'm pretty happy because I think I've made about 35 presents already. Really. Crazy. Yes. But many were small  and thoughtful and I'm happy with them.

And my gorgeous vintage sewing machine kinda started to electrocute me a little when I use it. Very sad as I had to sew a lot of those presents. I had to use my old machine for some. I looked at all the wiring and couldn't find anything wrong so ordered all new electrical components. The one downside of these machines being all metal is that they conduct electricity so well! I expect to have it fixed soon though.

Drew wanted to deck out our house this year. She was very inspired by one neighbor that goes all out on the inflatable lawn things and the lights. We let the kids decorate a yummy house instead. I think this is what she'd have our house look like though... I love gingerbread houses. I can't wait to eat it. But for now it's so adorable that I'm resisting. I know that when I begin to eat it I will shortly thereafter have to throw it out. Because I will not want to eat the whole thing... which is what will happen if I allow it to stay. Oh and no judging on the house... or the want of the eating of the house. The kids decorated it... mostly.

See the Christmas tree in the back window? Don't ask me what everything else it.

This last week my mom was in town and THE toy that was a big hit at our early Christmas was this. It's a crochet frisbee type disc. It's awesome for throwing indoors because it doesn't break things. It throws so easily and so well that we were all much impressed. Not only that, it's fair trade so if you buy one you are helping give business to a company that fairly employs women in impoverished countries. So, in case you DON'T want to have the stress of figuring out how to crochet as fast as that lady above knits... just buy one and you have something awesome and handmade to give to that group of people that is so hard to make things for... men. :)

That's it for today...

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Scones

When I'm not occupied with the kids, crocheting, sewing, knitting, etc. sometimes I'm baking and cooking. It's been a few weeks since I baked anything except our usual bread. So I thought I'd try something new. And I'll share my recipe finding approach. When I'm inspired to cook or bake something new this is what I do...

1. Search for it at www.allrecipes.com. No, I am in no way affiliated with them! But they have lots of recipes with lots of feedback on them... which brings me to step 2.

2. Choose the recipe with THE most, and the most positive, reviews... Usually I'm also looking for one that has ingredients I have/want to use.

3. Read the top 1-3 comments. In these comments I always learn if there's something a bit off in the recipe or some awesome tip to make it better or a more healthy substitution that works well. In spicy recipes I always learn how to tone it down... if it's bland how to up the flavor... or if it's ok to decrease the amount of butter/sugar...

By this time I've always formulated my version of the "best" recipe. This trick has served me very very well over the years and I hope you try it too and let me know what you think! And here's my Peppermint Chocolate Chip Scone recipe mostly developed with this method.

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Scones

2 cups flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 pinch salt
4 Tbsp softened butter
1 cup chocolate chips (or less)
3 Tbsp white sugar
1/2 cup milk plus a little more for glazing
Crushed candy canes (about 5) about 1/2 cup crushed (or less)

Preheat oven to 425° F
1. Sift flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together.
2. Cut in butter until resembles coarse bread crumbs.
3. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Stir in sugar and 1/2 cup of milk. Should be like a soft dough now.
5. Turn out to a floured surface and knead lightly. Shape into a circle about an inch thick and cut into 8ths.
I have also divided it into half and made 2 small circles and cut them into halves making mini-scones...
6. Put on greased cookie sheet about an inch apart. Brush with milk and sprinkle with crushed peppermint
7. Bake at 425° F fpr 10 minutes

These are best the day they are made. The peppermint kinda liquefied the next day and soaked into the scone. Still good but a little sticky and not faintly crunchy like day 1. SO good! :) If you're looking for crazy holiday perfection... have them with some hot cocoa!

A Lit'l Bit O' Christmas

This year... we're growing a family Christmas tree! We got the smallest potted evergreen tree we could find and the kids are excited to watch it grow and take care of it. This is part of our more simple holiday season this year and I LOVE it! It will have some lights and a star and some more ornaments soon but I still like it as is for now. In the years to come it will be fun to watch it grow and bring it in yearly (if we do not kill it.)

These last two years we have had quite the Christmas tree experiences! Two years ago we got a tree from a place by the roadside and later it filled our house with the worst fake pine smell ever. I was nauseated and it greatly impeded holiday baking. Blech!

One year ago we got this incredible tree from the mountain. It was beautiful but the trip to get there was memorable in a negative way. Due to ice and snow up to my mid-thigh, we had to use tire chains... and if we went over 20mph they flailed against our wheel well with such incredible noisiness that we thought for sure we were all going to die or something. The 1 hour trip turned into about a 4 hour trip... one way. While we will go to the mountains again for sure... for the snow if nothing else... our bitty Christmas tree is just my speed this year. :)

Thrifty Crafty Gifty

Last year about this time I was crafting madly. I stayed up till late Christmas Eve still putting finishing touches on gifts! I must have had "go big or go home" stuck in my head... though that was on a budget so it meant lots of making. I loved it. But this year there's a different tune in my head. It's something a bit more simplistic... minimalist. Of course that doesn't stop me from crafting and crafting a lot. It's always my joy to make and give! But of course you'll have to wait to see this year's surprises.

Here's some stuff I crafted for Christmas presents last year if you're looking for somethings to make for the people you love. There's still time! :)

1. Jingle Turtle- Crochet turtle with a jingle bell in it.
2. Crochet bird- Sweet quick crochet project that's great for a baby!
3. Sweater Dress made from an adult sweater- Still one of my favorite re-use creations!
4. Crochet Sitty Kitty- Sweet and very cute little kitty.
5. Homemade birdseed ornaments- Feed the birds and decorate your tree with these adorable ornaments!
6. Line a basket- this was for a sewing kit for my little girl but could be used for so many projects!
7. Droid! Always a great present for your Android phone loving friend!
8. Hat, scarf, and mitten set- no tutorial but I'll plug ravelry.com :) You can find tons of free patterns there!
9. Fingerless gloves- Several free crochet patterns
-Diamond and Dashes Fingerless Gloves
-Twist Fingerless Gloves
-Ripple Lace Fingerless Gloves
10. Bean bags and pillows! A very fun sewing project!
11. Birds- link to a free template to make these birds. A quick handsewing project- great one for a beginner! My 6 year old sewed some of these!

Origami Baby Mobile

Yesterday I blogged about origami. Such a fun thing! And here is one of my favorite origami creations... the mobile for my sweet baby girl. Now, I have one thing about baby mobiles... I think that all too often the maker was catering to the parents instead of the baby. So, whenever I'm looking for a mobile to get I look at it from beneath and frequently it's a reject. What baby wants to stare at animal bottoms or bellies or the a 2D paper punch out from beneath? Why does the parent, looking at the mobile from the side, get to see the cute animal faces and shapes? These questions keep me up at night. KIDDING! Still... This mobile passes my test well. It kinda looks like a bunch of butterflies in flight swirling down. I love how the butterflies are so light that they rustle and move with a breeze too! 

If you want to make an origami mobile here's how I did it... It's SUPER easy and simple and quick! I just took tons of pics for the visual oriented among us. All you need is paper, ribbon or twine or string, and a hoop (mine came from an old lampshade!)

Origami Baby Mobile

Make some origami! I made 6 butterflies but you could do 5. You could make flowers, birds, dinosaurs for a boy, any number of things! The blog I wrote yesterday (click on the link above) has some links to great origami websites.

I used the bottom of an old paper lampshade for my ring. You could use the inside of an embroidery hoop or any other ring shaped object you wanted. My hoop is not perfectly circular but measures 8 1/2 inches diameter at the widest and 7 inches at the narrowest.

 
I cut the lower hoop off and left about and inch or so of paper.

Then I rolled the extra paper around the hoop...

And glued down the edge of the paper.

See, it looks nice now.

You can use ribbon, twine, or string. I used ribbon and cut 3 lengths of it... each 5 feet long. I held these together and folded them in half to find the middle.

I tied the middle into this knot... for my loop to hang the mobile by.

Then I laid the knot in the middle of the hoop and arranged the ribbons evenly around.

I left just a little slack in one ribbon and tied it to the edge. It turned out to be 5 inches long.

I tied the opposite ribbon onto the opposite side with 5 inches between knots.

Then I arranged the others and tied them. They had to be slightly less than 5 inches since I'm working with an oval. If you have a circle you can measure them all the same length. Or eyeball it if you're that kind of person... *smile*

You are basically done. Fold your origami creatures and attach them at whatever height you want on each ribbon trimming any excess ribbon. I used tape but if I hadn't been in a rush I probably would have glued them in place and clamped them with clothespins until they dried.

 

Origami

We fell in love with Origami this summer. I'm not yet used to summers so hot that I don't want to go outside... for months. Summer used to mean a huge relief from the winter cold and windows open and kids playing outside. With kids pent up inside almost all day from the heat, origami provided hours of fun. And this winter, on the rainy days, we're still at it.

We borrowed origami books from the library then found some great origami websites. There are very easy things to make and extremely hard ones! But this site makes them all seem easy as it gives step by step animated instructions so you don't have to learn any terms like "valley fold", "mountain fold" and "inside reverse fold." But if you ARE up for a challenge, you can learn all those terms, and make something like the ballerina I made for Drew. It took... forever... and I think I told her about 12 times that I couldn't do it. But I did figure it out and it was fun. Paper folding is an inexpensive hobby with many applications. The figures make great party favors, you can make banners from origami letters, jumping frog toys, decorate your little girl's room with flowers that won't wilt... the possibilities are endless. They might end up on our Christmas tree this year.

For more about origami, there's a documentary about the art and mathematics of origami called "Between the Folds" that is just incredible. My 7 year old was fascinated... as was I.

jumping frog

butterfly

Origami paper can be a little expensive, especially if you go through it like we do and if you like the paper with cute patterns. Instead of getting origami paper I got a huge amount of scrap-booking paper on sale with a coupon. I've been cutting the 12x12 inch papers into 4 pieces each and they are just the right size for origami. They are slightly thicker but I haven't had any trouble with them yet and think that makes the finished product more sturdy.

To cut them quickly, easily... 1. Fold your paper in fourths 2. Unfold second fold and cut along the crease (a paper cutter is best) 3. Unfold again, and cut each half along the remaining crease. 4. Done!

Drew's favorite origami website: http://www.origami-fun.com

And tomorrow... I'll show you another of my favorite origami projects!