It has been a while since I last posted; life has kept us very busy from struggling with health issues as I have been for the past week (some unknown illness with increasing symptoms that tha VA can’t seem to figure out, almost 2 years of sickness and frustration) to getting back into a homeschooling routine, taking care of the house and farm (always trying to learn more about homesteading, self-sufficiency and rabbit ranching), and then their was the County Fair which kept us really busy this year; you can read about that experience (and see all of our entries) HERE at www.4dfarmandrabbitry.wordpress.com.
Aside from that I have been occupied with filling orders and making new items for Handmade & Homespun itself. After placing an ad in Top of the Rock’s most recent program, I was contacted by a local boutique to do some custom crochet designs for the equestrian set of all things.
***TANGENT: My friend Peggy from www.porkchoptuesday.wordpress.com is a member of TOTR, a Choral group from Little Rock.***
***PLUG: If you are in the North Little Rock Area on Thursday,October 11th, visit the “Harmony Bazaar” at McCain Mall, 3929 McCain Blvd. North Little Rock, AR 72116, hosted by Top of the Rock Chorus. Shop 10 specialty vendors from 5:00-8:00 p.m. Special performance by Top of the Rock Chorus. No admission fee. All welcome. Located on the street level of McCain Mall in the food court area. Happy shopping!***
While I know a bit about various livestock and farm animals, and have learned a great deal about rabbits over the past year as we began to breed them, horses are not an animal I am very knowledgeable about. Admittedly their size and my lack of knowledge make me a tad bit frightened of them but crocheted horses don’t have the same effect.
Along with a herd of horses I have also crocheted a herd of rabbits (yes, they are called the same thing). Lonoke’s mascot is the Jackrabbit; with homecoming at the end of this week I was asked to crochet some Jackrabbit pins for an alumness to give as gifts to her classmates (if only I could get our 4D Bunnies to multiply as quickly as I can crochet these little guys; we have learned that rabbits don’t really procreate like, well, rabbits). And then for fun I recently crocheted several animal hats. I guess I have crocheted a veritable yarn menagerie. Check out my zoo below.
“And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good”. Genesis 1:25
I must begin with Praise and Thanksgiving; it seems that we are getting a reprieve from the heat and that is a HUGE blessing especially since it takes some stress off of our rabbit herd which in turn means we are less stressed. In regards to this matter I also have to thank my dear, sweet, beloved husband for scrimping and saving his handyman earnings to purchase a new window unit; one of ours conked out last week; we were having to endure mid 80′s in the house for about seven days. We are now in the low 70′s! I love my guy; what a hard worker and good provider.
Now that it is so much cooler in the house everyone feels like being more productive and creative. MacKenzie decided to do some alterations on clothing; he is much more fashion conscious than any other member of the family as many teenage boys are. Since his physic has elongated and thinned out (favoring Charley) he desires a more tailored look to his wardrobe. I am not a seamstress by any stretch of the imagination and being practacle as I am I don’t personally desire that my clothes fit just so, therefore he has had to learn to modify his own attire.
I taught the boys basic sewing skills when they were younger and MacKenzie has really started putting them to use to achieve the style that he wants. Last night he asked how to shorten jeans “without making them look like mom had fixed your pants”. I remembered THIS Pinterest pin; he went to the site, followed the directions and is now very pleased with his “new” jeans especially after distressing them.
I am proud of his effort, his resourcefulness, and his frugality. What other teenage boy do you know that tailors his own clothes? This actually isn’t even the most impressive thing he has sewn, he has made several “Frontier’s Man” shirts similar to THIS one from Jas. Townsend & Son Inc.; he uses them when he goes hunting. Sorry no pics, he has grown out of all of them and has since given them away.
Not only has Mac been sewing but he and Charley have been working on making buttons from shotgun shell brass; MacKenzie read about it in Hunting Gear You Can Make by John Weiss published by Outdoor Life.
I thought this was ingenious. I brain-stormed and told them they could also make rings, earrings, pendants, and cuff links; we’ll see what they end up doing. This will be one of their submissions to the fair, ir will be their recycled contribution.
Joel is also working on a fair entry; he is crocheting a pair of fingerless, ribbed gloves to use during hunting season this year. My lefty, who has managed to learn to crochet as a righty (because I am not adept enough to teach left-handed crochet) has very even stitches and does a fabulous job at my prefered handicraft.
I have actually had the opportunity to get some crocheting done which hasn’t happened in several weeks; I was able to complete two items recently. The first item was a whimsical baby beanie suggested by my dear, sweet friend Peggy of Pork Chop Tuesday; she always has the cutest ideas whether it be for food, decorations, clothing, etc.
Sundae Beanie
The second item was a traditional Irish crochet wedding choker. I have always been intimidated by Irish crochet but really needn’t have been as it is made up of standard crochet stitches. I think it was the thread crochet that was the biggest concern. I typically crochet in the guerrilla fashion, you know like guerilla (rebels) get in, make a big scene and get out quickly. I haven’t tended toward more intricate, lengthy projects but the older I get the more patience I seem to have for such. I really enjoyed this project and was pleased with the finished item.
Not having to constantly tend to the rabbits because of the cooler temperatures also gave us the opportunity to get away for a few hours both Saturday and Sunday of this past weekend. Saturday we went fishing and Sunday morning was squirrel hunting. We all slept in Saturday morning because everyone really needed the rest. Once we had some coffee and were finally up and around we grabbed the poles and headed out to fish.
Irish Crochet Wedding Choker
After a moderately harrowing ride (we let the 14-year-old drive) we finally made it to our fishin’ hole and within 15 minutes of arriving at the lake each one of the guys had hooked something; Mac a Grass Bass, Joel a Tree Trout, Charley a Limb Brim. There were lots of hazards out there.
While the men folk fished I hooked a bit differently as I sat in the shade of my pop up canopy and crocheted. For years I had been saying I was going to make this Pinwheel Candy Garland but never got around to it so I decided to try it on our outing. Of course I changed the pattern considerably, not wanting to weave in the 8 ends that would remain if crocheted per the Lionbrand Pattern; my adaptation leaves only 2 ends. One day I’ll get around to writing out my version, well… maybe.
Sunday was squirrel hunting for the boys, they have been begging Charley to take them for weeks. The men off hunting meant more crocheting time for me. It also meant squirrel and dumplings for dinner; you can find that recipe HERE at our sister blog.
After the game and the guys were cleaned, and the soup was put on it was worship time; not only do we homeschool and have a home business but we are currently home-churching as well.
I am also busy attempting to promote our home based businesses, both the Farm & Rabbitry and Handmade & Homespun, our handicrafts business. In regards to promoting both we are having a GIVEAWAY, Click HERE for information on how to enter.
As you can see, we have an array of interests, a real mish-mash of hobbies that make for a hodge podge of handicrafts.
“You have an abundance of workmen: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and all kinds of craftsmen without number, skilled in working gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Arise and work! The Lord be with you!” 1 Chronicles 22:15-16
Before we get caught up in handicrafts for fair and craft show season we are going to have a GIVEAWAY.
Who doesn't like to win free stuff? Especially a unique, handcrafted, gift item?
The prize for this giveaway is this one of a kind, crocheted, rabbit scarf.
Though definitely unnecessary during this summer heatwave, this quaint garment will keep you cozy and warm once old man winter starts to bluster.
As I’ve said many times before I am not capable nor am I interested in reinventing the wheel, l will augment it to fit my needs and I may even spruce it up from time to time and that is what I have done with the traditional Granny Star to serve as the Mug Rugs (coasters) to the Mug Hugs (coffee cup cozies) I made as thank you gifts for one of our national Senators and another for our district Congressman.
The Granny Star is a simple motif once you get the hand of it. There are numerous patterns and tutorials to be found on the web that one can use to learn to crochet them like THIS one from The Royal Sisters; their tutorial is succinct and articulate, easy to follow and the pictures are excellent. I use this as the basis when I crochet a granny square but I make alterations to the pattern to suit me.
First I like to use the Adjustable Ring as opposed to the traditional chain and join ring; I prefer there to be no hole in the center of my stars.
Other than the adjustable ring I follow the first two rounds of the Royal Sister’s pattern.
My third round differs as follows:
R3 ch: 1 and sc in the space between the last 3 dc cluster of R2 and the first 3 dc cluster of R2, *hdc, 2 dc, trbl, Adjacent Treble, trbl, 2 dc, hdc all in ch 3 space, sc in the next spece between 3 dc clusters from R2, repeat from *4 times replacing the last sc with a slip stitch to the first sc of the round.
*NOTE: The Adjacent Stitch (I used Treble) from Whole Lot of Craft’s Chromium Star Blanket (one of my favorite patterns) makes the round a bit less gappy and helps to make the points a bit more pointy; you could opt for another trbl here if you want.
And I finish off with a fourth round.
R4: ch 1 sc in the slip, sc in the next 4 stitches, *sc, dc, sc all in the augmented trbl, sc in each of the next 9 stitches, repeat from *4 times, sc, dc, sc all in the last augmented trbl, sc in final 4 stichs, jn with slp to 1st sc of round.
All of this makes a star that has defined angles and points without the need for blocking; I like coasters that can be thrown in the laundry and come out of the dryer usable and pattern pretty much ensures that happens. When making this motif to use as the Mug Rug to my Mug Hug I use a G hook and worsted weight cotton.
Of course, as with other motifs there is a plethora of things you can do with granny stars; use as a coaster, an applique, add a ribbon and a hanger and you have an ornament, string several together for a starry bunting, use thinner yarn or thread to make smaller stars for magnets, or to embellish hair ties, add some jewelry findings and you have a pair of earrings. The possibilities are endless. So have fun and be creative.
I planned to make this bunting as a way to use the star that I crocheted in order to write down the instructions for the way I make granny stars; since I was in between projects I thought it would be fun because these stars are just so much fun to make. This is a great stash busting project. I used a G hook and worsted weight yarn.
“And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars“. Genesis 1:16
If you are a crocheter then you know of this wonderful, invaluable web resource called Crochet Pattern Central, it is a sort of online library of free crochet patterns; there are patterns for almost anything you can imagine. I used CPC almost exclusively when I first learned to crochet, almost 9 years ago (coincidentally that would be how long CPC has been around, see info below). I have since used it repeatedly for inspiration.
The site Mistress, Rachel Geller, describes CPC as a “labor of love”.
From the site “… Crochet Pattern Central–an often updated online directory featuring precisely 18,430 links to free crochet patterns and tutorials. Choose from 90+ categories, including clothing, afghans, doilies, baby items, bags and totes, potholders, toys, stuffed animals (including amigurumi), and so much more” .
“… Crochet Pattern Central has had over ten million unique visitors and a mention in a 2005 issue of the widely popular Interweave Press Crochet magazine since its debut in December 2003.”
I was long ago counted as one of the over “10 million unique users” and as of this past Saturday I am counted among the ranks of the “18, 430 links to free patterns”, having submitted my, Mug Hug (Coffee Cup Cozy), pattern (the very first pattern I have ever written out to share with someone else) to CPC.
HERE is the link to the CPC ‘s Cozies page, where the link to my pattern can be found, titled Oh My Stars! Mug Hug & Rug, same as my blog post. The rug (coaster) part of the pattern isn’t there yet because I have not taken the time to write it out; as I said in the original blog post, writing crochet patterns is tedious, you must give meticulous instructions so that the person using the pattern can fashion the item they are expecting. If you miss explaining even one stitch you can confuse the pattern and exasperate the crafter which is why I have been reluctant to write and share a pattern until now; this is also the reason I have not yet written the rug pattern. I do hope to get to it soon.
Admittedly, neither the coaster or the cozy are masterful design creations. I wasn’t trying to make a piece of art or even reinvent the wheel, I was simply hoping to provide other crocheters with a straight forward pattern to make this practacle set, offering some of the techniques I have learned which have enabled me to make the thing exactly as I wanted it to look and needed it to function for me. In that vein, I hope this pattern will be helpful to others.
All of that said, I am THRILLED, TICKLED PINK, ELATED even, to see my pattern on CPC! Many thanks to Rachel for her efforts in providing us crocheters (knitters, check out Knitting Pattern Central) with this enormous selection of patterns as well as including my pattern therein; which, for this old farm gal, is really big time.
Happy Hooking to y’all and God Bless!!!
“The Lord bless you and keep you;the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace”. Numbers 6:24-26
While I thoroughly enjoy crafting and would love it if I could do so a great deal more frequently than I do, other endeavors and, well, life in general preclude me from so doing.
After having taken the time to write my first ever, complete crochet pattern, and compose an accompanying BLOG POST a few days ago, I had to turn my attentions to focus elsewhere on our homestead. The second heat wave to hit us here in Arkansas this summer has kept us busy tending to the rabbits numerous times a day in an attempt to keep them cool.
Florida White Juniors
You can read about our rabbitry and various other aspects of our farm (the other things we do besides crafting ) at
www.4dfarmandrabbitry.wordpress.com
where we chronicle our life as southern, suburban homesteaders, homeschoolers, and rabbitiers attempting to live each day, in every way to the glory of the Lord.
Handmade & Homespun comes under the umbrella of 4D Farm and Rabbitry as it is part of our homesteading/self-sufficiency endeavor. H&H is a way to use more of our gifts and talents to be productive and independent as well as try to supplement our income. As a SAHM and Home-Educator I obviously earn no salary (though as such I am paid in dividends far more precious than money) and living on only one income, plus the burden of paying for our school resources while still obligated to pay taxes for the public school system we don’t use, can definitely be challenging, especially in this economy. But I digress.
So, in order that we are a burden on no one, we attempt to sell our wares, barter and trade when possible and raise, grow, and make the majority of what we need right here at home. Of course doing so makes for an extremely busy day and often leaves little time for leisurely pursuits, and even though crafting is part of our business, it often takes a back seat to more time sensitive and pressing issues; like the care of rabbits and the education of boys.
KTHV – Weather for 7/27/12
It seems that the Good Lord is offering us a reprieve from the heat today (it is in the high 80s as opposed to the low 100s-HALLELUJAH!!!) which means the rabbits will require far less attention, that and the facts that I have: 1) a huge crock pot of pinto beans cooking, 2) cornmeal soaking for cornbread , 3) hardworking boys that did their chores without grumbling, complaining, or bickering, means that I have a relatively free afternoon which I hope to utilize on a craft project I have been waiting to try. With that as my goal I will bide you Adieu and will hope to have a crafty blog post to share in the very near future.
“… and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody”. 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
My Handsome Hubby With A Cup of Joe
Though I have been crocheting for approximately 9 years, I have never shared with anyone, a pattern that I have written. I have created a large number of patterns but they are usually as Mozart said of his score when Emanuel Schikaneder asked where it was, “Here. It’s all right here in my noodle. The rest is just scribbling. Bibbling and scribbling, scribbling and bibbling” (Amadeus). Some times I jot down a note in a sort of short hand that only I understand because writing out full patterns is actually very tedious; you must be meticulous in your directions so that others can turn out the exact item they are expecting. I might make an annotation such as ”shape appropriately”, I know exactly what this means but attempting to convey that in a written form to someone else means I will have to write at least a paragraph worth of instructions as well as provide photos. Anyway, I decided I would sit down and write a simple pattern for an easy, functional project but before I share I am going to tell a story; so grab a cup of coffee, sit back and put your feet up while I regal you with my tale.
I have always been better at communicating serious matters in written form rather than verbally (well, except when it comes to crochet patterns) and though God has definitely had me to be more bold and extroverted over the past few years (that’s a story all in itself) I still write more eloquently than I speak (sort of a Moses complex, reference Exodus 4). Over the years I have used the power of the pen or more aptly the command of the keyboard (Command – KeyBoard, that’s punny) to voice my opinions in the political arena, after all the United States as a Democratic Republic is a government by the people for the people so we need to make our opinions/concerns known to those who represent us.
Most of the time I receive a pat answer, via e-mail, thanking me for my input and assuring me that said official is working to do what they feel is right for the constituency in regard to said matter. Well, I have been pleasantly surprised this year as I have received numerous return e-mails actually addressed to me specifically, answering direct questions that deal with very specific concerns. Further, I have received an actual letter from a Senator and a Congressman AND to top it all off I was called by a junior staffer from said Senator’s DC office wherein I was asked for more details about a specific matter I had repeatedly contacted the Senator about. I was pretty amazed by all of that. For once I really felt as if I was seeing politicians do the job for which they were elected and since both men have upheld what they assured me they would do (what I know is the morally and constitutionally right thing(s) to do) I thought I should say thank you to them for their efforts.
As an avid crocheter I could do nothing less than fashion them something out of yarn but what was I going to make? Of course it had to be red, white, and blue I mean you can’t pass up that cliché. I figured it should be something practacle and so I made these:
Everyone drinks a hot beverage out of a mug at some point (coffee, tea, cocoa, etc.) so I figured I couldn’t go wrong with the Mug Hug & Rug/Coffee Cup Cozy & Coaster. Once completed I enclosed the gifts with my correspondence thanking each gentleman for their efforts on behalf of the people and assuring them of my continued support and prayers. I hope they enjoy these tokens of my esteem and I hope to enjoy a country where the legislation that each of these men is working on/voting for comes to pass. Regardless, God is sovereign, I am His and all will work to His Glory.
Can I get and AMEN?!?
Have you finished your cup of coffee yet, because that is the end of my story and you are going to need your mug as a model for this project. Below you will find my pattern for the Mug Hug that I sent to my national representatives.
Mug Hug (Coffee Cup Cozy)
Materials:
1 Ball Worsted Weight Cotton Yarn (e.g. Sugar ‘n Cream, Peaches and Cream, Lion Cotton – naturally absorbs heat, protects hands against burns)
H Hook (I Hook optional)
1, 1″ Button
Blunt Nose needle for weaving in ends
Moss Stitch or Augmented Seed Stich Pattern: Foundation is a multiple of 2 chain stitches plus (+) 1. R1: Sc in the 2nd chain from the hook, dc in next stitch, *sc in next stitch, dc in next stitch, continue from * across row, ch 1 and turn. R2, *Sc in first st, dc in next stitch, continue from * across row. You are making an sc in the dcs and dcs in the scs of the previous row. Each row will ALWAYS begin with an sc and end with a dc.
***I like this pattern stitch a great deal as it breaks up the traditional lines that are characteristic of standard crochet stitches; it is easy, versatile and “handsome”. Makes attractive dishcloths, hats, scarves, and blankets.***
Project:
Foundation: Chain 35 loosely ***When crocheting my foundation chain I use a hook 1 size larger than the pattern calls for to help keep the starting and finishing ends the same size as the start edge tends to be tighter, thus shorter than the edge of the final row otherwise.***
*Note: When I crochet into my foundation chain I place my stitches in the back ridge of the chain, it makes the foundation edge more closely resemble the edge from the last row of the piece. For an illustration of this technique presented by www.crochetcabana.com click HERE and follow instructions for Method 2. ***If you are going to do the Optional Edging (see bottom of pattern) the standard Methods 1 or 3 will give you more room to accommodate the Reverse Single Crochet Stitch.***
R1: Sc in the 2nd chain from the hook, *dc in the next sitch, sc in the next stitch, continue from * across, ch 1 and turn (34 stitches)
R2: Crochet pattern across but do not ch and turn at the end of the 34 stitches rather chain 7
R3: Turn and sc in 2nd chain from hook, dc in next stitch, sc in the 3rd chain, dc in 4th chain, sc in 5th chain, dc in 6th chain (you are back to the main body of the project) and continue in pattern to the end of the row, chain 1 and turn (40 stitches)
R4: Repeat R1 pattern across row (40 stitches), chain 1 and turn
R5: Repeat R4
R6: Repeat pattern for 36 stitches (36th stitch should be an sc) chain 2, skip 2, sc in next stitch, dc in last stitch (button-hole made), chain 1 and turn
R7: Sc in fist stitch, dc in next stitch, 1 sc and 1 dc both in chain 2 space, continue pattern across row, chain 1 and turn
R8: Crochet pattern across row for 34 stitches (you should end on a dc), ch 1 and turn
R9: Crochet pattern across row, fasten off (*do not fasten off if you choose optional edging-see below)
Optional Edging: Reverse Single Crochet (aka: Crab/Rope Stitch) evenly around edge. *Note: to Crab Stitch around outside corners, crab in corner stitch, chain 1, crab in same corner stitch. For inside corners simple crab stitch one time in the corner. For a Reverse Single Crochet video tutorial from Kim Guzman (www.kimguzman.com) click HERE.
Finishing: Weave in ends and sew button to center of the wider of the two ends.
*Note: This fits our 11 and 1/2″ mugs beautifully but is a bit big on our 10 and 1/2″ mugs; try crocheting with a smaller hook or using fewer stitches to start with (remember the pattern is a multiple of 2 chain stitches plus 1 stitch (turning chain) so begin with 33 stitches rather than 35 for a smaller Hug.
Well, there you have it, my very first attempt at sharing my own written pattern. Leave me a comment if you try it; let me know if you need help or find errors. In the future I will share my interpretation of the classic Granny Star (Mug Rug/Coaster/Motif), which is a revision of the standard pattern that decreases skewing of the star in one direction while ensuring pointer points without blocking. I hope to blog about this soon so check back frequently to aquire the information.
*UPDATE: HERE is the link to my Granny Star Interpretation.
“For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended”. Romans 13:3
