Swedish Woven Paper Hearts - With Some Great Links

This afternoon I sat down with my son and we made these woven paper hearts.  He's doing a school project on Sweden and these popped into my head.  It seemed like good timing to mix a Swedish paper craft with Valentine's Day. 


I know I have a template for these in my house somewhere, but my quick search this morning came up dry.  So onto the internet I jumped and I found some pretty nice links if you would like to make these with your kids.  


If you are wondering about age range, my son is 12 and he made the red and purple one completely on his own.  These things always depend on the individual, but I'd say maybe 8 and up unless you just have a super handy little person in the house. 


On to the links!  Family Fun has a tutorial complete with video.  That's always nice.  Their template is cute too.  It's the green and blue one in my photo.  It creates little hearts within the big heart.  I found that this template prints better with a horizontal paper orientation.


I also stumbled upon the Daughters of Norway Nordic Paper Crafts page.  How's that for a mouthful?  As a Scandinavian, I found this whole website pretty awesome, but looking specifically for our woven hearts, they have some seriously cool templates.  The pink and purple heart I made up above came from the third link.  It's the one in the upper left hand corner on the template page.  I found out quickly that this can go from a simple craft to a challenging one very fast!  I should also note that I altered the template by cutting all of the lines up to the same height.  How you would weave it otherwise, I have no idea!


There's still time to make homemade valentines and this is a pretty fun project.  I guess I should also mention that they open up like little baskets.  You can cut a strip of paper and tape or staple it into place.  You could slip a sweet note into the basket or even a little treat.  Once again, if you look at the Family Fun page, they have a picture of one with a handle and some red stuffing.  Gee, I just realized that our hearts our sideways instead of right side up.  I guess we'll have to make some more!

Cultivated Silk Hankies ~ Back in Stock!

 
Hi,  I just wanted to swing by and let you know that I have Cultivated Silk Hankies back in stock.  I also have Tussah Silk, Cultivated Silk, Fawn Alpaca and Baby Camel.  Just check out the Undyed Fibers or the Alpaca and Rare Breeds sections of the shop.  It's so nice to have these luxurious fibers in the studio!

Hat Sizing

I've been talking about hats a lot lately, so I thought I'd share this handy hat sizing list.  Even for those of us with kids, sometimes it's hard to remember the average head circumference of a 3 year old.  


This list leaves out adults.  21"-23" or 53.5 to 58.5cm is pretty typical.  21" is usually an adult small, 22" a medium, which leaves 23" as a large hat size.  This is the kind of information that's nice to keep around when hat making is the order of the day!

*Info for this post comes from Little Lids.

Baby Girl Beanie

I made another beanie for Craft Hope last night.  This one is sized for a baby girl.  I thought it might be nice to add a scalloped trim for an extra touch.  If you are making the Spiral Beanie, and you would like to add a trim like this one, all I did was alter the last row of the brim as follows:


(sl st, skip st, 3 dc in next st, skip st) around


This gives you a cute little scalloped edge.  I also wanted to make a flower for my brim.  I was using bulky yarn, so I knew I needed a very simple and flat flower or it would overwhelm the whole hat.  Here's how I made my


Six Petal Flower

ch 2
Row 1:  6 sc in second ch from hook, join with sl st to first sc
Row 2:  ch 2, dc, ch 2, sl st into same st, *sl st into next st, ch 2, dc, ch 2, sl st into same st* around, sl st into 1st sc and finish off.  Use tail ends to sew onto hat.

I hope you enjoy these little embellishments to The Spiral Beanie Pattern!  

My Macrame Earrings by Amira Jewelry

I wore myself out writing a pattern yesterday, so today I'm having a little fun with show and tell.  A few weeks ago I made the mistake of clicking on an ad in the right margin of my Facebook profile.  Not only was I breaking one of my personal rules about ignoring such ads, but I also ended up stumbling upon a site that has become a major weakness.  That website is Fab.com and I think I'm addicted.   

Fab is like an ever changing, international bazaar of eclectic and fun stuff.  They feature items ranging from handmade to techy, from jewelry to housewares and even furniture.  I can't resist taking a daily peek at the sales and one day I just had to buy these amazing earrings by Amira Jewelry.  These are macrame, but as you can see from her website, Amira also creates canvas and assemblage jewelry.  You can find her work in her store on Etsy as well.  I'm particularly drawn to her macrame pieces.  I love the colors she chooses and the clean, yet interesting designs.  The quality of work in my earrings depicts an attention to detail that you only find when someone takes true pride in their craft. 


I know it's uncool to draw others into your addictions, so beware of me today!  I'll let you decide whether or not to explore the enticements at Fab.com.  On the other hand, I would encourage you to check out this wonderful artist, Amira Mednick.  I notice she sells her work at the Portland Saturday Market.  I love the Portland Market and it makes me wonder if I've seen her work before.  This is just the sort of thing that would typically catch my eye.  Of course the Saturday Market is huge, so I guess I could have missed Amira's jewelry.  I'm glad I've found it now!

The 2012 Ornament Project ~ February

The Circle of Hearts

Materials:
your choice of yarn and an appropriately sized hook, scissors, and 5 stitch markers

Leave a 10" tail
Rows 1-5 are worked in the round


ch 2
Row 1:  work 6 sc in 2nd st from hook.  Place marker in front loop of first sc
Rows 2-5:  working in the round and in back loops only, sc around, place marker in front loop of first sc in each row

do not finish off 


Your work should look like a tube with the tail end coming up through the middle.  (you can use your hook to bring the beginning tail up through your tube)  The hearts (we'll make one half at a time) are worked in the unworked front loops from Rows 1-5 in a vertical fashion.  The first half will be worked from top (Row 5) to bottom (Row 1) in the stitches you have marked.  The second half of that heart will be worked from bottom to top in the unworked stitches directly to the left of the first half.  Please use the pictures as your guide.  I have marked the loops in which we will be placing our stitches with a dot.

Beginning Hearts

First Half - sc in front loop of 1st sc from Row 5 (remove marker), (dc, 5 tr) in same st, dc in front loop of 1st sc from Row 4 (inserting hook from bottom to top as in picture below), hdc in front loop of 1st sc from Row 3,  sc in front loop of 1st sc from Row 2,  sl st in front loop of 1st sc from Row1

Second Half - working in unworked front loops directly to the left of first half and from bottom to top (see picture below) sl st in front loop of 2nd sc from Row1, sc in front loop of 2nd sc from Row 2, hdc in front loop of 2nd sc from Row3, dc in front loop of 2nd sc from Row 4, (5 tr, dc, sc) in front loop of 2nd sc from Row 5

Repeat First Half and Second Half respectively two more times.  Each time you will be working in the unworked front loops directly to the left of the last half.  Your completed Circle of Hearts will have 6 heart halves.  

Finishing

After completing your 6th heart half, you should be at the top of your ornament.  Sl st in front loop of 1st sc of Row  5 and finish off leaving 8".  Use your hook to draw this ending tail piece through the middle of the tube as in the picture below.  Tie the beginning and ending tails together using an overhand knot making sure to allow 2 to 3 inches for hanging.

Your Circle of Hearts ornament is now complete!  I hope the instructions are easy to follow.  This one was a little tricky to write.  Please don't hesitate to ask questions in the "comments" below if you need me to clarify anything.  Until next time...

(If you need a stitch guide or help with the abbreviations, Crochet 'N' More is a great place to find all of the basics.)

Handspun Tunis

Here's my Tunis all spun into just over 100 yards of light weight yarn.  This isn't exactly an example of my best spinning or plying for that matter.  I was kind of playing around with my new wheel and I also wasn't trying very hard.  Sometimes, it's fun to just spin while watching tv or hanging out.

If I had been a bit more serious and committed to turning this fiber into a nice skein, I think it would have helped to run it through my carder.  This Tunis really did have a shorter staple and the length was a little inconsistent.  In retrospect, it would have been nice to blend it with another fiber.

Now I feel like I'm picking on this Tunis, but I don't mean to.  While this yarn might be a little on the rustic side, I think it will be very pretty made into ornaments.  Rustic and homey is what I'm going for with my 2012 Ornament Project, so I think this yarn will be perfect.  I think it would be interesting to find some Tunis with a longer staple just to compare the two. 

My Ashford Joy DT ~ The Resolution

I've been sharing my experience with my new Ashford Joy DT, so now I'm back to share how my issues have been resolved.  I wrote to Ashford just to let them know about the troubles I was having.  I was hoping that maybe I could spare someone else a similar experience.  


They wrote me back very promptly and suggested I take pliers and bend the connecting piece of metal (A).  From the beginning, I knew that this piece of metal was a big part of the problem, but it's a very hard metal.  I had even tried to pull on it with my hands, but it didn't budge.  I was worried that the force I would need to use to bend it might put too much stress on the wheel.  I didn't want a piece of wood to split or to compromise where the metal is soldered together.  As it turned out, pliers were not very useful.  In the end, my husband just pulled on it while trying to brace where the piece is joined to the other treadle.  I winced as the wheel shuddered under the force, but my husband managed to bend the piece of metal enough to keep the two legs from knocking into each other.  


Having made that adjustment, I was able to reattach the right leg to its treadle as intended.  It's still a good thing that I shaved a little wood from the right treadle (B).  Even with everything put together correctly, the left treadle leg would have brushed against the right treadle.  I think the hole in the left treadle should have been drilled just a little to the left.  It's amazing how narrow the margins for error are on what is essentially a simple machine.  


After all of this tweaking, not to mention a lot of silicone spray to remove all of the squeaks, my Joy is now running like a well oiled machine.  I'm a little traumatized by everything I had to do to get this brand new wheel running smoothly.  I haven't experience a lot of joy with my Joy yet, but hopefully that will change.  I think I just need to spin a few skeins of fun yarn to get over my mixed feelings. 

Tunis Fleece

Last week was party week here at my house.  My youngest turned 12 and we threw a little block party to celebrate.  As a result, I didn't have any time to play with my new Tunis fleece from Tri-Ply Fibers.  Today I plan to rectify that!


Tunis is interesting because it is not only a rare breed, but also the only true red breed of sheep.  They are born red or reddish brown and even though this color fades with maturity, their wool retains a red undertone.  I guess you could call it the sheep equivalent of a strawberry blond. 


The first Tunis came to America in 1799 as a gift from the ruler of Tunisia.  They became popular both for their meat and for their fleece.  George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had flocks of Tunis sheep.  Tunis are still popular today with more flocks on the east coast than out here in the west.  From my reading, they seem rather low maintenance to raise.  They thrive well even on unexceptional pasture land and they often produce twin lambs.  I've tried to select some of the highlights, but there is quite a lot of information on Tunis.  It's well worth a Google!


From a spinner's perspective, I like the feel.  This fleece ranges from 24-30 microns.  I would say that mine is on the high end of that, but it still has a softness to it.  I think it would be ideal for a warm pair of mittens or a nice winter beanie.  In most of the articles I've read, they have given Tunis a staple length of 4 to 6 inches.  Mine, raised in Queen Creek, AZ, has a significantly shorter staple.  I don't find this surprising.  It would be downright cruel in this climate to allow sheep to suffer under 6" of wool. 


I kind of like working with a shorter staple length and this wool has a very nice crimp.  I know it will draft easily and handle well.  So that's just a little bit about Tunis.  I have 2oz which I'll divide in half and then make into a 2ply yarn.  I'll probably spin a sport or DK weight so I can get some yardage out of my ounces.  I'm thinking that I'll devote my finished yarn to my 2012 Ornament Project since I'm making all of my ornaments in ecru.  Having said that, I feel compelled to add that I can tell this fleece would take dye like a dream.  It's very porous I think would achieve deep colors with little effort.  Perhaps I'll dye the next batch.

Flower Power Pinned Brim Hat ~ A New Design!

My inspiration for this hat was threefold.  First and foremost, Craft Hope's Project 16: The Littlest Warriors energized my creative juices.  There's no better feeling than creating with a purpose and supporting kids through their cancer treatments is very motivating.  As a mom, my heart really goes out to those families and how difficult it must be. My inspiration for the style came from my love of 20's fashion with a little 70's flower power thrown in the mix.  I also kept in mind that this hat would be worn by a girl who will be spending time in bed or on the couch recuperating.


As you can see, the back of the hat turns up like a traditional beanie.  The brim is soft and flexible, so even if one is laying on their side, it will feel comfortable. The more angled shape of the crown, gives this hat some stylish flare while still keeping it cozy and practical.

I have a couple busy days ahead, and then I hope to get this pattern written down.  I have a little niece that I think would look adorable in this hat, so I think I have to make one more.  I also have another design rolling around in my head.  This one will be keeping for the boys.  If I can manage to make what I see in my mind, I think it will be fun and a little funky! 

Decorating the Tree

It was a strange feeling to hand my son a few ornaments and ask him to trim the tree.  After all, it is January and I don't usually have a tree in my studio!  

Since I started the 2012 Ornament Project, I figured I may as well keep my 6' pine from Terry's Village in my studio.  That way, as I design a new ornament each month, I can go ahead and see how they look.


Each time I create a new design, I tend to make a handful of them.  Sometimes I play around with the sizing and other times I just get caught up in the process and can't resist making several.  By December, I should have a fully decorated tree.  I think it will be a fun, ongoing project!


PS ~ You can find the free crochet patterns for my ornaments on the Crochet Patterns Page.  This one is called The Flower Wheel.

The Spiral Beanie ~ Youth to Adult Sizes ~ Free Crochet Pattern

Materials:
Crochet Hook Size J
Yarn - two colors of worsted weight yarn - Sample made with Patons Classic Wool, color Paprika [4] and Sensations Angel Hair, color 4729 [5]
Scissors, large eye needle, stitch marker (optional)

Note 1: yarn (A) will be the color with which you begin your beanie.  In this case it is the Paprika (orange).  The brim can be worked in either color.
Note 2: This pattern is worked in the round.

Stitches: You will be using the following stitches - chain stitch (ch), slip stitch (sl st), single crochet (sc) and changing colors. (∆) will symbolize changing colors throughout. I will use this symbol when you come to the last stitch of a color. You will start the stitch in the same color, but on the last yarn over, you will replace your yarn with the other color and pull up your loop. *Repeat instructions between asterisks* the number of times indicated.  Crochet 'N' More has a useful stitch guide.

Beginning at the Crown:

Begin with color (A). The center of the crown should not have a hole in the middle so we'll begin with a magic ring also known as a magic circle.  Wrap the tail end of your yarn, clockwise, from back to front around the index and middle fingers of the hand with which you hold your yarn. There should be 2 loops of yarn around your fingers. Insert your hook under the front loop and hook the back loop. Draw it under the front loop. Yarn over and pull through the loop on your hook. Pull the tail of your yarn to tighten the circle, but not all the way.

Sizing - Work the following rows until the diameter is the correct width for your desired hat size.  Remember, circumference = 3.14 x diameter.  For a 21 inch hat, the diameter should be approximately 6.5 inches.  If you want a 22 inch hat, then stop when your crown has a diameter (width) of 7 inches.  For a 23 inch hat, the diameter should be approximately 7.5 inches.  I'm rounding these numbers, so if you want to do the math, just divide the desired size of your finished hat by 3.14 (π).  For my sample hat, which is made to fit a 22" head, I worked Rows 1-12.  When your diameter has reached the desired width, move on to the Body or Length of the Beanie.

Row 1: (A) work 4 sc in the circle, sc in the circle (∆ B), sc in the circle (equals 6 sts) Pull the tail end of the yarn to close the beginning circle the rest of the way.
Row 2: 2 sc in next 3 sts, sc in next st, sc in same st (∆ A), 2 sc in next 2 sts. (equals 12 sts)
Row 3: *1 sc in next st, 2 sc in next st* 3 times, sc in next st (∆ B), 2 sc in next st, *1 sc in next st, 2 sc in next st* 2 times (equals 18 sts)
Row 4: *sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st* 2 times, sc in next 2 sts, sc in next st (∆ A), sc in same st, *sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st* 3 times. (equals 24 sts)
Row 5: *sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st* 2 times, sc in next st, sc in next st (∆ B), sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st* 3 times (equals 30 sts)
Row 6: *sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st* 2 times, sc in next st (∆ A), sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st* 3 times. (equals 36 sts)
Row 7: *sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st* 1 time, sc in next 5 sts, sc in next st (∆ B), sc in same st, *sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st* 4 times. (equals 42 sts)
Row 8: *sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in next st* 1 time, sc in next 4 sts, sc in next st (∆ A), sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in next st* 4 times. (equals 48 sts)
Row 9: *sc in next 7 sts, 2 sc in next st* 1 time, sc in next 3 sts, sc in next st (∆ B), sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next 7 sts, 2 sc in next st* 4 times. (equals 54 sts)
Row 10: sc in next 11 sts, sc in next st (∆ A), sc in next 42 sts. (equals 54 sts)
Row 11: *sc in next 8 sts, 2 sc in next st* 1 time, sc in next st, sc in next st (∆ B), sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next 8 sts, 2 sc in next st* 4 times. (equals 60 sts)
Row 12: *sc in next 9 sts, 2 sc in next st* 1 time, sc in next st, sc in next st (∆ A), sc in next 8 sts, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next 9 sts, 2 sc in next st* 4 times. (equals 66 sts)
Row 13: sc in next 10 sts, sc in next st, sc in same st (∆ B), * 1 time, sc in next st, sc in next st (∆ A), *sc in next 10 sts, 2 sc in next st* 5 times. (equals 72 sts)
 
 Body or Length of Beanie

sc in each st around. ∆ colors in second to last st of each opposing color row. For instance, if you begin crocheting in color (B). The sts you are working into are color (A). When there are only two color (A) sts left, sc in next st (∆ A) and then continue working around in (A). Follow the pattern in this way until you reach your desired length minus 1 inch for the brim.  (I recommend 7.75 to 8 inches from the top of the crown.) Sample has a total of 29 rows before the brim.


Decide which color you would like to use for the brim.  On the  last row of the body, you should change to this color. The remainder of the hat will be worked in the brim color, so the other yarn can be finished off leaving enough length to weave in the loose end.
 
Brim

(use stitch marker if desired)
Rows 1-4: sc in each st around.
Row 5: sc to last st, sl st in last st, ch 1 turn.
Row 6: Skip first st (the sl st from previous row), sc around, sc in ch 1 space.
Rows 7-13: sc in each st around.

Finishing
Sl st into next st, finish off. Fold up last 7 rows to form brim. Weave in all loose ends.

To add a scalloped trim and a flower to the brim, please visit this related post:  Baby Girl Beanie