Pinterest

This will be brief. I wanted to make sure that all of you needlcrafters, fiber artists, hobbyists, crafters, artists, chefs, cooks, etc... out there knew about one of the BEST sites ever. Please go to Pinterest and request an invite to become a member of the site. It is very similiar in nature to Stumbleupon in concept but so much more. It is basically a big bulletin board where you can "pin" articles and websites concerning your favorite "interests" (hence Pinterest) for your own keeping as well as to share with others. You are able to pin things from any website you are viewing as well as browse other members boards on which they have pinned their own interests.

In short, it is fabulous and you NEED to check it out. Happy pinning!

Be A Blessing

I love Autumn. It is, without a doubt, my favorite time of year. The weather, the colors, the food, the idea of thankfullness for "the harvest" and being able to gather the bounty that God has blessed us with... all of it culminates into a season that I adore, and always have.

After I discovered the joys of knitting and crochet, I began to love Autumn for another reason... handmade gifts. As most crafters/fiber artists know, late summer and Fall is the season to start making handmade gifts for the Holidays. And while it can sometimes be stressful trying to complete all the projects we'd like to get done, I love the way it feels to make loving, handmade gifts for my friends and family.

Lately, it's really been on my heart to find ways to be a blessing to at least 1 person each day. Whether in a big or small way, it's so important to find a way to give something (either your time, your resources, your skills, your love, your knowledge, your shoulder, etc...) to others each day. It's been my experience that it blesses the giver just as much as the recipient.

 Crafting, especially needle crafts, is a special gift that God blesses us with. It allows us to express a very tender love that can be expressed in few other ways. Repeatedly the Word talks about how God "knit us together" in our mother's womb. That is a powerful analogy. God took the time and the love to handcraft us each, individually, with specific traits, talents, likes, dislikes, and purpose.

When we take the time to knit, crochet, needlepoint, sew, weave, cross stitch, embroider, craft (etc) handmade gifts for those we love (and even, sometimes, for those we have a hard time loving), it communicates that we took the time to hand craft a gift with specific intentions for that specific recipient. What a powerful statement of love!

So I encourage each of you to find a way to be a blessing to someone each day, especially moving into the Holiday seasons. Express how much you love your friends and family with your time and tender care in the handmade gifts you give. It will bless you as well.

A Project of Legacy

My grandmother passed away a little over 3 years ago. She was a multi-talented fiber artist. She knitted, crocheted, sewed, etc... She is the person who taught me to crochet when I was young. Over the years, I have been blessed to receive some articles she made; everything from baby dolls/baby doll clothes to pot holders and doilies. I love them all.

Recently, my grandfather passed away as well. As my dad and aunts were going through their estate, they came across a lot of different knit, crochet, and sewing supplies. As I am one of the few people in the family who crochet and sew, and, to my knowledge, the only one who knits, I was blessed to receive a lot of it. While the circumstances are not ideal, I feel very blessed to be able to continue creating gifts of love to be passed through my family and friends using the same hooks, needles, and yarn she used.

Among these items was a crocheted afghan that my grandmother had started but not been able to complete. My heart swelled when I saw this because it thrills me to be able to complete something that she started. There is plenty of yarn of the same dye lot to complete an adult sized afghan and the crochet hook she started it with was still inside the currently-being-used skein. However, there is no pattern. I am in need of help in this area. I might be able to decipher the pattern per row if I take the time to look it over well. And it very well may be a pattern she was improvising. However, I am going to post pics and, if anyone out there can identify it and has the pattern, I would greatly appreciate having it so I can complete this project. I would love to have something that my grandmother and I both worked on to pass down to my children. Thanks for taking the time to take a look and hopefully I can get this sorted out.

New Beginnings

We have moved to our new home. It's been about a month and we are ALMOST finally settled in. I started a project about a week before we closed on the new house (not the best decision I ever made) and I just finally finished it.

If you're interested in doing this bag, all the pertinent pattern info can be found on my Ravelry under Zaubertote.

There are oodles of projects that have been completed this past year and I don't have the time necessary to post them all here but they can all be seen on my Ravelry. Please come take a look!

Now that we are settled in and life is returning to normal, it is my hope that I can return to blogging on a regular basis about my fiber art antics. :) I am wanting to get busy with all sorts of Fall/Harvest projects next week. Stay tuned.

Jen

A FANTASTIC Knitting Technique Blog

I recently came across a blog that I am addicted to already! I wanted to share it with everyone. If you're a knitter, this blog is a must-read. TECHknitting is a fabulous blog with TONS of techniques, suggestions, ideas, etc all to help make your knitting easier and more professional looking. I highly recommend that you follow her blog and it give it a regular read. The skills being taught range from simple ideas to intricate and advanced techniques. It is now on my list of "go-to"'s whenever there is something new I am wanting to learn to do with my knitting or an unexpected problem arises in a project.

Ok, done plugging this complete stranger now. LOL You may resume your regularly scheduled fiber arts projects now.

Hannah's Gifts

We are getting ready to celebrated a belated Christmas with one side of my family. I am making some gifts for different people. Here are a couple of things I have made for my cousin's almost 2-year-old daughter, Hannah.

I'm hoping that she and her parents will like them. I am now going to be starting a couple of items for her brother, Daniel, who is 3 1/2 years old. More to come...

Recent Fiber Art Projects

I haven't posted much during the holidays -- mostly because I've been insanely busy. But I thought I would post a short entry recapping the projects I have finished/started the past couple of weeks. If you are interested in any of the patterns, let me know.

A scarf for my nephew, Wyatt.

A scarf for my nephew, Eli.

A scarf for my niece, Leandra.

An afghan for my dad.

       A scarf for my niece, Samantha.

A starfish cloth for me.

A hat for my mom.

I completed all of these except the starfish cloth in about 2 weeks! It was a hurricane of needles and hooks in my house! I had a good time doing them but I am glad that they are finished now. I love making things for people but I hate feeling like I have a deadline for my knitting and crochet. :) It's not over quite yet. I have one more family Christmas celebration at the end of January as well as 2 birthdays in January that I want to finish some gifts for. But at least I have a month this time! :) I'll post those as they are complete as well. Best wishes in the New Year!

Michaela's Scarf

Michaela’s Scarf

I designed this scarf for my daughter, Michaela. She picked the yarn. It is super simple and super fast to do. Hers is shorter in length. She is 4 years old. Obviously, it can be done to any desired length.

Yarn Used: Red Heart Super Saver Classic - Bonbon Print – 1 Skein

Hook Used: (US) Size H

Chain 24.

Row 1: dc in 2^nd chain from hook. dc in each chain across. ch 2. Turn. (24 dc)

Row 2-End: dc in each dc across. dc in 2^nd loop of ch 2. Ch 2. Turn. (Continue to desired length.

End: dc in each dc across. dc in 2^nd loop of ch 2. Fasten off. Weave in ends.

Add fringe if desired using your fringe method of choice. If you need ideas or instruction on adding fringe, you can find it here.

Slipstream Scarf

Slipstream Scarf

I designed this scarf based on a stitch I first learned making this afghan. The pattern doesn’t really differ from the pattern for the square made for the afghan, with a couple of exceptions. Try to weave in as many color change ends as you go as possible. Otherwise, you will be weaving in a lot of ends during your finishing.

Dc3(4,7)tog: (Yo and draw up a loop in next st, yo and draw through 2 loops) 3(4,7 times), yo and draw through all 4(5,8) loops on hook.

Yarn used:

(A) Red Heart Shimmer – Lime

(B)  Omega Tamm Stella – Turquesa

Hook: (US) Size I

With A, ch 37.

Row 1 (WS): Sc in second ch from hook, sc in next ch, (skip next 3 chs, 7 dc in next ch [shell made], skip next 3 chs, sc in next 3 chs) 3 times, skip next 3 chs, 4 dc in last ch (half shell made). Change to B, fasten off A, turn – 3 shells; 1 half shell.

Row 2 (RS): With B, ch 1, sc in first 2 dc, (ch 3, dc7tog worked across next 7 sts, ch 3, sc in next 3 dc) 3 times, ch 3, dc4tog worked across last 4 sts, turn.

Row 3: Ch 3 (counts as a dc), 3 dc in first st, (skip next ch-3 sp, sc in next 3 sc, skip next ch-3 sp, 7 dc in next st) 3 times, skip next ch-3 sp, sc in last 2 sc. Change to A, fasten off B, turn.

Row 4: With C, ch 3, skip first st, dc3tog in next 3 sts, (ch 3, sc in next 3 dc, ch 3, dc7tog in next 7 sts) 3 times, ch 3, sc in next dc, sc in third ch of turn ch-3, turn.

Row 5: Ch 1, sc in first 2 sc, (skip next ch-3 sp, 7 dc in next st, skip next ch-3 sp, sc in next 3 sc) 3 times, skip next ch-3 sp, 4 dc in third ch of turn ch-3. Change to B, fasten off A, turn.

Rows 6-116: Rep rows 2-5 twenty-seven times, then repeat rows 2-4. Fasten off. Weave in ends.

Ribbed Knitted Scarf

Ribbed Knitted Scarf

I have used this pattern many times for different scarves. You can vary the number of stitches you cast on to vary the width of the scarf. I have also not included a specific number of rows since different people prefer different length scarves. Also, take into consideration the height of the person you are making the scarf for when determining the length.

Cast On 45 stitches via long-tail cast-on method.

Row 1 – K3, P3 all the way across.

Row 2-End – Repeat Row 1 until scarf has reached desired length.

Bind off and weave in ends.

*Note: I claim no copyright to this pattern as it is, obviously, a very simple and straight-forward basic knit pattern.

the best thing ever

who knew kling-on's knitted?!

New Project

I started a new project this week. It is my father's Christmas gift. It's an afghan (crocheted). I got the pattern from the Lion Brand free pattern data base (I LOVE them!) So far, so good. It's coming along rather quickly. I am in hopes that he will like it. He requested a small throw that I made for myself and my mother earlier this year but, after making it twice, I really didn't want to make it again. Also, it did not match the room he wants to put it in (though he aparently can not see that) and this one that I am making will. :) I love my daddy so I am sure he will love it. I will post pics and updates as I move forward. This is the tiny bit I got started a day or so ago. I have more done now but I haven't taken new pics yet.

The other colors involved are burgundy and chocolate brown. I think it will be really nice once it all comes together. Let's hope so! 

Ravelry

I wanted to post a quick link to my Ravelry profile. http://www.ravelry.com/people/pipermaru81 For those of you not familiar with Ravelry, it is a social networking site, similar to Facebook, but it is a community comprised completely of fiber art enthusiasts. It has lots of features to post your projects, look through other members projects, get ideas, share inspiration, track your fiber art supplies, etc. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fiber art enthusiast of any kind! Come be my "friend" on Ravelry!! http://www.ravelry.com/people/pipermaru81

Child Of Mine

Every time I look at your face

All I see is love.

Love for you, love for your daddy,

love that brought your life to breath.

Your smile is amazing;

It is full of my smile.

Your eyes shine so bright;

they are full of your father.

Everything about you makes me whole.

I hear your small voice

and if fills my heart with a smile.

You are so amazing.

God has blessed me.

You are my blessing.

I love you.

© Jen Woodson, 2006