merry christmas!

we are happy that it's christmas!

i hope you have a very merry christmas.
(til He appeared, and the soul felt its worth)

christmas week

we are on vacation at home in minnesota! we drove all the way, through rain, fog, ice and snow. it took a long long time, but we finally made it.  and now it's time for christmas fun.

such as eating lots of christmas treats,

fig's first time in the christmas snow,

working on homemade christmas presents,

and doing christmasy crafts with my sister and cousin.

happy christmas week!

-l

tiny winter scenes

 little winter scenes! they are so easy and cute. and this year i made some teeny tiny ones. 

i used small tumbler and shot glasses from the thrift store, (or no glass at all), little toys, felt, fluff, yarn, and pipe cleaners wound around my finger to make the trees. put them all together with hot glue, and bam. little christmas scene that i wish i was small enough to live in.
-l

phones want to be cozy too

i made this hedgehog cozy last week so my phone will keep warm.
i've been working on lots of little things like this cozy, and christmasy crafts. and i got a cookie press that i'm excited to try on some spritz cookies.  so i will be taking lots of pictures this week i'm sure. and watching lots of christmas movies! last night it was the santa clause and the shop around the corner, which i think i will watch again today. i love the feather snow and tinselly decorations in black and white. and rudy of course. he's my fave.
-l

december

happy december!

kentucky thanksgiving

happy thanksgiving! our week in kentucky was very relaxing. i love being with my family, and the puppies loved eachother.(mostly) fig got nipped at a few times because she's overly obsessive with juniper, but they mostly played and played.

besties.

the beginning of the week was really warm, and we went into lexington to look around.

on thanksgiving we made apple star and pumpkin pies! and our first time at cooking thanksgiving dinner turned out really well too, the hardest part was making sure everything was done and hot at the same time. mike made his green bean casserole, isaiah put tons of butter in the potatoes, and we congratulated ourselves and each other a lot. because we deserved it.

on the last day it was really chilly out, and we went for a walk around the farm.

stacia's famous mittens!

thankful,

-l

this week

this week was fig's 1st birthday!  she got a bone and a harness that she thinks she can't even move in for some reason, so we have to bring it back.

i started learning tunisian crochet,which is sort of half knitting half crocheting. and made some book cozies for my sister and mom.

and we got some ceramic travel mugs, because we are getting all ready to drive to kentucky tomorrow for kentucky thanksgiving 2010! i can't wait to see my sister and brother in law and for the puppies to meet again. and we are all going to cook together, and play some music, and watch some movies. and eat lots of pie.

-l

greens

pretty homemade cake stand diy. i really like this idea! now i need to make lots of cupcakes to put on it.

pretty green shoes i found at the thrift store! i like when that happens.

-l

bow cozy

i think bows are in my brain now.

first hot tea of the fall!

i also made chili for tonight, and i'm planning to watch some shows, eat, and wear my leopard.print.snuggie.

-l

bow headband tutorial

my first tutorial!

it's getting chilly, and i thought a headband would be nice to keep my ears warm this winter.

and it has a bow, so that's even better!

it was pretty simple to make, and i like it so much, i thought i would share. it would be a nice afternoon project for a novembery day.

(note: this pattern is intended for personal use only, thank you!)

made in three pieces. the headband, bow, and middle. all worked in single crochet.

supplies:

worsted weight yarn (i used caron simply soft in peach)

5.5 mm crochet hook (or size to fit gauge: 10 sc = 3 inches; 13 rows = 3 inches )

scissors

three buttons

bigger needle (for weaving in yarn ends)

smaller needle (for sewing buttons)

thread or yarn (for sewing buttons,depending on button size used)

stitches used:

chain (ch)

single crochet (sc)

slip stitch (sl st)

finished size: 22 inches long, 4 inches wide

headband:

first make 71 chains          (note: i crochet fairly loosely, so if 71 chains is not long enough to fit around your head, just make as you need here)

row 1: sc into 2rd ch from the hook,

sc in each ch across (70 sc).

row 2: ch 1, and turn,

sc into first sc from previous row, and in each across. (70 sc)

rows 3-17: repeat row 2, 15 more times. (or until desired width) fasten off.

headband will measure 22 inches long, and 4 inches wide.

(don't worry if it's not quite the length, it stretches once you wear it)

bow:

(note: bow is worked back and forth in joined rows, not in the round.

so at the end of each row, you will join the last sc to the first sc with a sl st, and then turn around and go back the way you came for the next row)

make 30 chains, and connect to first chain with a slip stitch to form a circle.

row 1: ch 1, turn and sc into each chain around (30 sc),

slip stitch into 1st sc to join.

row 2: ch 1, turn, and sc into slip stich just made, and in next 29 scs from previous row. (30 scs) and sl st to 1st sc to join.

repeat row 2, 7 times. (or to desired size) fasten off.

the middle:

make 4 chains.

row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, and each ch across. (3 sc)

row 2: ch 1, turn, and sc in each sc from previous row. (3 sc)

rows 3-10: repeat row 2, 8 more times.

bow will measure 4 inches long and 3 inches wide. and the middle will measure 4 inches long and 1/2 inch wide.

assembly:
lay headband out, and place bow and the middle on top. (more to one side)

tighten the middle around both the bow and headband until it connects in the back,

and sew tightly in the back with the bigger needle. (put a few stitches through the headband and bow, so it doesn't slide around)

sew the buttons on one end of the headband. if your buttons are smaller, use thread and the smaller needle. otherwise use yarn and weave in the ends.

(now you can button to the opposite end of the headband using the spaces between the scs as button holes, wherever it fits you best)

weave in all the yarn ends.

be cozy!

-l