Valentine Round up 2023

I love making handmade gifts for friends and family (and I hope they like receiving them too!). I think that there is nothing more special than a gift in which someone puts effort, time and thought into, especially when you can just click a few buttons and have a gift sent to someone that you never even physically saw or touched.  

Valentine's day is next week, so I thought I would round up a few patterns that can completed quickly (meaning this weekend!!) and yet are beautiful.  As a bonus, all of them are free (other than materials).

2023 Mother Culture Reading list

I am slowly working on getting back to blogging.  Honestly, I don't know what that is going to look like or what direction this blog is going to take - crafts, recipes, devotionals, home school....

I do know that in 2023 I plan to focus on completing things that help me to grow.  So I took my cue from Charlotte Mason, an educator from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who advocated for mother's to continue their own education.  It is so easy as a home school, stay at home mother to get wrapped up in serving our families and neglecting our own need for mental growth.  Charlotte Mason recognized this and not only worked to create a philosophy of education for children, but she also created a mother's education course.

In this course she created a reading list and exams that  would assist mothers in confirming their Christian faith, the knowledge of caring for their children's mental and physical health, better understanding the principles of education and how to implement them with their own children, and in the area of studying the natural world around them.  You can access much of her original course selections here.  

In the spirit of her course, I created my own list of readings for this year that I want to share with you.  

I selected 3 books from each of the four categories, giving me a goal of reading at least 1 book a month.  Some are shorter (around 200 pages) while others are longer (over 600 pages!!).  Many have been on my To Be Read pile for some time.  My hope is that by creating this list and sharing it I will be motivated to finish them.  

If you want to see what I am reading, you can download a copy of my list here and let me know if there are any additional books you would recommend!

Mother Culture Monday

Charlotte Mason was always an advocate for learning, and not just for her students.  For twenty-three years she offered the Mother's Education Course (MEC) via mail to those who wished to continue learning and growing.  This course included selections from four broad categories: Divinity, Physiology and Health, Mental and Moral Science & Education, and Nature Lore and Science.  This wasn't casual reading either.  Those in the course were required to read about 100 pages a week and to pass exams on the material to continue!

 Sound like a lot?  Maybe, but not when you break it down.  The average person takes about 2 hours to read 100 pages.  So that is about 15 minutes of reading a day, give or take.  So less time than it takes to watch a sitcom on TV, or cook a meal, or even to nurse a cup of coffee.  Surely we can commit to 15 minutes a day to expand our own minds and continue growing.

Following Charlotte Mason's guidelines, I have created my own reading list for 2023.  Several of the books on this reading list were recommended by fellow Charlotte Mason families, others were chosen due to my personal interests.  I have compiled them into a PDF that you can download and read along with me.  

Sound like it is still a bit too much?  Next week I will share another idea for a reading plan to help you continue to grow in your own education so be sure to subscribe to the blog so you won't miss it!

Click above to view and download the 2023 Education Reading list

 

Last Minute Gift Idea

It may be the beginning of December, but I wanted to share a quick and easy gift idea with you.  This is great for that person who has everything, for the person you just don't know what to buy for, a last minute gift, a white elephant gift, etc.  And it was born from desperation....

I HATE giving gift cards as gifts.  They just really feel impersonal to me.  It feels like I am saying, "Hey, I don't know you well enough or care enough to find a gift that gift that just screams your name to me so I got you a gift card instead."  As a gift, gift cards are right above cash on my worst gifts list.  

That being said, there are times that I just can't get away from them.  Want to give a spa day to your BFF?  You are going to need a gift card.  Want to give your tech loving guy a gift but you just don't know the difference between RAM and Rom?  Better get a gift card instead.  Sending gifts to someone and the cost of shipping has you down?  Send a gift card instead.  And this fun way to present the card won't cost that much more to ship!

Simply print out the image on photo paper, write a note in the grey box, and attach you gift card over it.  Place in a photo frame and you are done!

 

You can download the free PDF here.  Do you have any great last minute gift ideas?  I would love for you to share them in the comments.  Merry Christmas!

 

Friday Features - May 15

I have no idea where this week has gone!  It feels like one day it was Monday and the littles and I did our school lessons and the next thing I knew it was Friday.... We did take yesterday off to enjoy the first day of no rain in quite a while by exploring a new (to us) hiking trail.  I ambitiously thought we might be able to complete the almost 8 mile loop with a two year old.  While he did really well, we made it about 2 miles in and I knew we weren't going to make it.

The first clue was when the girls asked to stop and play on the beach by the lake.  The next clue was when the two year old needed a diaper change and I realized we didn't have the necessary supplies. (Yes, he is still in diapers - don't judge.  This little guy has a lot going on and in the grand scheme of things still being in diapers is not the end of the world for us.) And then he told us he was "all done".... of course we were a mile and a half from the car at that point. 

I have a hiking carrier for him that he loved last spring, summer and fall.  This was the first long hike of the year, so I brought it along figuring he wouldn't make it the whole way on his own two feet.  Only now he hates it.  Like full blown crying hates it.  So here we were, 1.5 miles from the car with a kid with a poo diaper, too tired to walk, but hating his carrier.  My 11 year old and I traded off carrying him in our arms until it started to thunder and rain!  At that point I didn't want either of us slipping on the clay trail when he shifted in our arms. So he went in the backpack and cried while we all got rained on.  Not our best moments.  Fortunately, it was a short (like 5 minutes total) rain and once it stopped he was content to remain in the carrier. 

Even with all that, the kids begged to go back another day.  And all of us felt so much better after finally getting out of the house and going somewhere.  Here are a few of our observations from the hike:

All that time outdoors made me want to spruce up my indoor plants.  I tend to recycle pots over and over and over.  After a while they begin to look.....well, let's just say, "less than pretty".  So this week I am sharing some adorable knit and crochet for plant pots.

I love this knit cable pot cover.  I just envision the slender leaves of my spider plant dangling over the edges...  You can find the free pattern in the April 2014 issue of Knit Today.  What?  You don't have that hanging out on your bookshelf?  Neither do I!  Archive.org, however, has the digital copy available online here.  And you can flip through the entire magazine for some bonus free patterns.  I just love the pattern for Mrs. Badger in this edition.

Bethany over at Whistle and Ivy created this adorable little pot for air plants.  I bet you can even adjust it to fit one of those Oui jars and put a small succulent in it.  She offers four different sizes and since they are small you can easily use up some of those teeny balls of yarn left over from other projects.  Find the pattern here.

And you totally can't talk pot covers or plant hangers without macrame!  I can't help but think of growing up and the plastic-y macrame yarn light cover that hung from the ceiling in our dining room.  Still, macrame and plants just seem to go together.  These plant hangers only use 2 knots, making it great for a beginner project.  You can find the step by step directions here.

Do you have a favorite way to spruce up old flower pots?  I would love it if you would share them with me in the comments.  Until next week...

What I am up to...

It has been a busy crafting week.  I finished up an order for this adorable baby Elvis costume:

and a Peanut the Pup.

 

I also worked on this crochet mask cover for my daughter to wear at work.  This is not a CDC approved mask.  Rather it is a cute cover to wear over paper masks to extend their life. It can also be worn as a reminder to NOT touch your face.  These do not filter germs, but they may reduce large droplets from escaping when coughing or sneezing.

When she wore hers, one of her friends ordered this cat version.

Unfortunately all this hook work has caused my wrist, which was injured in a car accident a few years ago, to act up again. Looks like I am going to have to put myself in a crochet time out. 

The good news is that the weather is warming up here and I can start to transplant my seedlings to the garden.  Sunflowers were planted today.  The echinacea will probably go in tomorrow. My Lemon Balm, peppermint, sage and thyme have already popped up and are looking great.  Only one of my yarrow plants are making a comeback; I may have to order or forage some more of that.  The chamomile seedlings are doing great and should be ready to transplant in a few weeks. 

I am working to restock my Etsy shop. I have a few crown ideas floating around in my head, a cuddle cat, a few birds in nests, maybe a doll or two.  What would you like to see in the shop?

Friday Features - May 8

I was saddened to read today that the local pool, a popular gathering place for many families with children and teens, has decided not to open this season at all.  It was disappointing given that my state is currently in the process of reopening.  We have one of the lowest number of Covid-19 infections in the country (only 5 states are lower than we are), and yet three weeks before pool season is to open, they have already made the decision to close for the season.

I am sure they put quite a bit of thought into the decision.  Taking in to account the probable decline in attendance, the cost of staffing and maintaining the pool, the difficulty of finding lifeguards when they may be struggling to get certified due to social distancing, not to mention the increased sanitation protocols that may be required.  I doubt the decision was made lightly.  But it is disheartening that while many of us are being cautiously optimistic that we may return to a more normal life in the near future, we are seeing that the new normal may be very different than what we hope for.  Only time will tell. And whichever side of the Covid-19 situation you may be on, I am sure we can all agree that the eventual goal is to find our way back to a life in which our children can play with their friends, we can grab a cup of coffee with our pals face to face, and we can all return to work. 

The news of the pool, though, did get my fingers itching to create something for those summer gatherings, whether it be a day by the pool, a picnic in the park, or a visit to a farmer's market.  So today's Friday Feature is bags galore!  Something to pack your stuff in and bring it wherever you may go.  So without further ado......

First up is this adorable foldaway mesh bag from Fei at I Heart Gantsilyo.  I have to be honest, I had to look up what gantsilyo was.  It is Filipino for crochet!  Anyways, I love that the mesh is tight enough that small items aren't going to slip through, but it is open enough to not be super bulky.  I also love that it rolls up and secures closed.  That means I can toss it in the back of my car to keep for those spur of the moment Aldi trips.  (For those of you unfamiliar with Aldi, it is a discount grocery store that does not provide free bags.  You either bring your own to pack your groceries in, or you purchase bags from them.)  You can find this pattern here.

I really like the texture on this one, and it is sized to be a great oversized purse, or diaper bag, or whatever you decide to use it for.  And Kat over at Krazy Kabbage includes directions on how to line it too!  You crochet the bottom first and then work the sides perpendicular to the bottom, attaching to the bottom at the end of the rows.   Find this pattern here.

And since I don't want to leave the knitters out, since I am sure you are hungering for some summer bag fun too, here is the Thistle Market bag from Alexandra Tavel of Two of Wands.  This pattern can be easily adjusted smaller or larger.

All the patterns above are offered free of charge.  If you choose to make one, be sure to thank the pattern designer for sharing and let them know I sent you.  Have a great weekend!

Foxglove and Friends

It looks like things might be opening up again soon around here.  We are still in phase 1 of the reopening after the Covid-19 pandemic, but I can't help but be excited at the prospect of visiting the park again with the kids.  One good thing that has come of being at home all of the time is teaching the kids some new skills.  My 11 year old has crocheted borders on 4 fleece blankets to donate to God's Tiny Angels, a local organization that collects and distributes newborn and preemie items all over the country. 

She also loom knits, but I really want to teach her how to knit without a loom.  Fortunately a few years back I stumbled upon Foxglove and Friends.  This is a great story curriculum that teaches knitting in a fun, storybook kind of way.  It was created by fellow homeschool mama, Grace Young in 2017.  She graciously offers the year long program as a free download on her site Foxglove and Friends.  I love that it begins with making your very own set of knitting needles!  What a great way to help them to own the craft.  It walks you through how to make a hat, foxglove finger puppet, finch finger puppet, scenery to play with, blanket, and bag to store it all in. 

The program is broken into sections with an adorable narrative story to go with each part.  Directions are clear and easy to follow-not only the pattern directions but the directions for mom to implement the curriculum too!  We are waiting for it to stop raining here so we can find a set of relatively straight sticks for each of the girls to begin their journey.

 It will be my first time trying to teach knitting.  Both of my adult girls learned to crochet. To be honest, for years knitting intimidated me.  I dropped stitches frequently when I was young and was never taught how to pick them back up, so my frustration with the craft grew with every project I had to rip back until I finally just quit.  It wasn't until many years later that I picked up my needles again.  Have you ever taught young children the craft of knit or crochet?  Any pointers you want to share?  I would love to hear them!

Friday Features

Hooray for Friday! Or at least I THINK it is Friday. Who knows anymore as one day bleeds into the next.... So to break up the monotony I thought I would share some cute Covid patterns from around the web with you.  I do realize that this is a serious virus and that many people have been affected by it.  I am in no way attempting to minimize the virus.  But I do think that finding something to smile about helps lift the spirits, and who couldn't use a bit of that?  So here we go...

Toilet Paper roll from Next Stitch

Remember when you could walk in any store and find toilet paper?  Anymore I almost want to shoot streamers in the air when my local stores have any on the shelf.  If you aren't there within an hour of the store opening you are pretty much out of luck.  Mimi over at Next Stitch decided to commemorate this tp shortage with a cute amigurumi roll so that you never have to be without. Find the complete pattern for free here, or visit her Etsy shop for an ad free PDF version.

Joyce Overheul over at The Flying Dutchman Crochet Designs created this adorable little virus to "encourage people to stay home". Her pattern is available for free on her website here.

Then there is this quick adult size crochet mask.  The site says that the "team designed this mask following the CDC's recommendation that homemade masks can be used to effectively help stop the spread of COVID-19."  It is lined, although it does not appear to have a pocket for additional filter material.  That is easily remedied by only stitching the lining to the crochet portion at the top and bottom, leaving the sides open to slide the filter material in.  You can find this pattern here. You will need to download it from the site by selecting the download button, but it is a free download.

And the last thing I want to leave you with is the cute video that Matthew West created, Quarantine Life:

Stay safe!

Ear Saver pattern

Like the rest of the country I have been quarantined, 36 days and counting here, and trying to stay busy.  Homeschooling of the littles has continued, despite our state public schools now being canceled for the remaining portion of the year.  The house still needs cleaned and the yard still needs work.  One good thing to come of this is that I have picked up my hook and begun to work on some projects again in between sewing masks for our local hospitals and working up some ear savers.

I have also reopened up my Etsy shop.  Recently I made a few of these cute little Peanut the Pups to donate to our American Heritage Girls troop.  Theywill be added to the HUGS bags we make and donate to local foster organizations.  My 2 year old son absolutely loves them and carries them all over the house.  I may have to make him one of his own once things open back up and these actually make it to our AHG group!  You can find Peanut in my Etsy shop if you want one of your own.  Here are a few pics:

 

Most of what I have been working on, though, are these little ear savers to be worn with the masks that so many are wearing to protect themselves from the Covid-19 virus.  Prolonged use of the masks is causing their ears to become sore.  This little device allows you to hook the ear loops of the mask over the buttons behind your head, thus relieving the pressure on the sensitive skin behind your ears.  They are super quick and simple to work up.  Here is how I make mine....

You will need:

Cotton worsted weight yarn, or yarn of your choice.  

3.75 mm hook (size F)

yarn needle
2 buttons

chain 15 stitches.  Work dc in 3rd stitch from hook and each stitch across to last stitch.  In last stitch work 3 dc.  Turn your work and dc in each stitch on the opposite side.  Your last stitch should be in the same chain as the beginning stitch.  join to top of chain. Weave in ends.  Sew button to each end. 

See?  Super simple!  Stay safe!

Doing the Twist for Hat not Hate

I was going through a few of my Facebook creating groups recently and stumbled across someone sharing one of their works in progress, a beautiful blue hat with the hastag #HatNotHate.  That of course sparked my interest so I went investigating...

Last year Lion Brand yarn began a new project to raise awareness of bullying, Hat not Hate.  They chose to do so by collecting handmade hats and using those as a way to reach children in schools during national anti-bullying month in October.  The hats open a door to discuss the topic and give children a visual reminder of what they have learned.

Although I homeschool my children, my now adult children did attend public school and had at times been on the receiving end of bullying.  In addition there are so many families in the homeschool community as a result of school bullying.  It's a good cause and a great project.  After all, a hat is a small project that can be as simple or complex as you desire, making it a good project for both beginners and experienced crafters.

So I decided to create a new pattern just for the movement, the Mock Twist.  You can find it below, or visit Ravelry for an ad free PDF copy with adjustments for various sizes..  If you chose to make a hat, please consider donating to the #HatnotHate project.  You can find more information at  hatnothate.org.

You will need:
4.5 mm (US 7) double pointed needles
4.5 mm (US7) circular needles
worsted weight yarn that yields the correct gauge (sample project knit with Red Heart Super Saver in Soft Navy)
yarn needle


Stitches used:
k = knit stitch
p = purl stitch
LT = left twist: skip next stitch on left needle, knit in the back loop of the second stitch, leaving the stitch on the needle.  Then bring the right needle to the front of the left needle and knit into the skipped stitch.  Lastly, pull both loops off of the left needle
LTdec = left twist decrease: skip the next stitch on the left needle,  knit in the back loop of the second and third stitch together to decrease leaving the single new stitch on the needle.  Then bring the right needle to the front of the left needle and knit into the skipped stitch.  Lastly pull both loops of the left needle.

Gauge swatch - measures 3 inches by 3 inches once completed using pattern below

Guage pattern:

cast on 16 stitches
R1  and all wrong side rounds:  k3, p5, k2, p5, k3
R2 : p3, LT, k3, p2, LT, k3, p3
R4 : p3, k1, LT, k2, p2, k1, LT, k2, p3
R6 : p3, k2, LT, k1, p2, k2, LT, k1, p3
R8 : p3, k3, LT, p2, k3, LT, p3

repeat row 1-8.  Take off needles and measure for gauge.

Pattern:

CO 105 stitches, join to form a loop being careful not to twist your stitches.  Place stitch marker to mark start of each round

R1 (and all wrong side rounds): *k5, p2   repeat from * to end

R2: * LT, k3, p2  repeat from * to end

R4: *k1, LT, k2, p2  repeat from * to end

R6: *k2, LT, k1, p2  repeat from * to end

R8: *k3, LT, p2  repeat from * to end


repeat R1-8 for a total of 5 repeats or until piece measures 6 1/2 inches



decreases:

R1: *k5, p2  repeat from * to end

R2: *LTdec, k2, p2  repeat from * to end ( 90 stitches)

R3: * k4, p2 repeat from * to end

R4: * k1, LT, k2, p2  repeat from * to end

R5: *k4, p2  repeat from * to end

R6: * k2, LT, p2tog  repeat from * to end ( 75 stitches)

R7: *k4, p1  repeat from * to end

R8: *LTdec, k1, p1  repeat from * to end ( 60 stitches)

R9: *k3, p1  repeat from * to end

R10: *LTdec, p1  repeat from * to end (45 stitches)

R11: *k2, p1  repeat from * to end

R12: *k2tbl, p1 repeat from * to end (30 stitches)

R13: p2tog, *k1, p1 repeat from * around to last 2 stitches, k2tbl (28 stitches)

R14: *p1, LTdec  repeat from * around (21 stitches)

R15: *p1, k2  repeat from * around

R16: *p1, k2tbl  repeat from * around (14 stitches)

R17: k2tog around (7 stitches)

cut yarn and use a needle to thread end through stitches on needle.  pull tight and weave in ends.

Gearing up for Easter

Yes, I realize that Easter is almost two months away.  But I also plan to bring back my 40 in 40 challenge this year so if I don't start in Easter extras now then they might not get done at all.  So I wanted to share with you a few of the cute things I have discovered in case you wanted to get a jump start too.  And if you don't know what my 40 in 40 challenge is, no worries.  I have a post coming soon on that one. 😉

First up is a collection of adorable critters made to cover plastic easter eggs and let you still open them, or you can just make them as adorable amigirumis.  I was drawn to this adorable froggy from Amigurumi to Go.

 Frogs are a special thing between my hubby and I, so this one will be his Easter surprise.  Sharon Ojala, the creator at Amigurumi to Go, didn't stop with a frog.  She also has a sock monkey, an "old lady" who can swallow flies (the same flies our little froggy has, and yes she share the pattern for those as well!), an adorable little bear, and of course an Easter bunny.

And then there is this delightful set of crochet bags for the egg hunt from Left in Knots.

Can't you just picture your little one filling it full of colorful eggs?  I bet you could even use some white plarn to whip these up to make a great recycled project.

And last but not least, a little gift you can hook up for your friends, a quick lace cross bookmark. Here is one I made back in 2013.  The pattern is from Maggie Weldon and is available free here. 

Do you do any handmade projects for Easter?  I would love for you to share them with me on my Facebook page here.


Until next time,

Love is in the air.....

I can't believe it has been almost TWO YEARS since I have posted.  22 months almost to the day.  It has been a crazy couple of years.  My family grew....and shrank.  WE welcomed a new baby to the house in July of 2017, an adorable little man.  And helped our 19 year old move out and begin her new life.  Now we are down to three kids in the house, ages 10, 3 and 18 months.  Still going strong with homeschooling, although it has been interesting trying to keep the littles entertained while I do lessons with our 10 year old but we manage.

All that to say that time to craft has been limited. I have had a few projects going like this Tardis scarf I made for my son's birthday. 

And this year I joined a CAL(crochet a long)  over at The Unraveled Mitten cuz my yarn stash is a bit overwhelming and it is past time to downsize.

So I am trying to make a comeback and devote some time each week to the blog again.  I totally miss sharing what I am doing.  And honestly I hope that if I have the accountability of blogging it will help me to set aside more time to pull out the hook and needles.  I tend to forget how much it relaxes me and with the chaos of littles in the house again I could use some relaxation!

Since it is Valentine's week I thought I would share some adorable Valentine inspired patterns with you.  Maybe I will even get to one or two of them!

First up is this awesome pattern that would make a super cute baby blanket or market bag.  The site just gives the basic pattern but you could easily adjust it for whatever finished project your heart desires.  Find it at My Picot. 

And what little girl doesn't need an adorable set of heart hair bows for Valentine's day?  How about these from Rebel Skein?  Find the pattern here.

This would be an adorable and quick little tuck in for a child's (or husband's) lunch.  Calls for size 3 fashion crochet thread, but you can get by with size 10 thread held double or perhaps a lace or sports weight yarn.  Find the pattern on Ravelry here.

And I LOVE these framed knit hearts.  Another quick project that looks oh, so great once done.  Find it on Ravelry here.

 I especially love the way Frankie Brown embellished hers.

And finally this cabled heart pattern would make a cute dishcloth or scarf.  You could even turn it into an amazing afghan.  Find this one over on Studio Knits here, and it even includes a video tutorial!.

  Hopefully these will give you something to do this week for someone you love. 

Until next time,