some homemade gift ideas

 

 

Perhaps, if you're like me, you still have some gift making on your to~do list.  I've gathered some of my tutorials from the archives for projects that are fairly quick...just in case you are looking for some ideas.

 

What is better than a snowy afternoon spent crafting by the fire while listening to some Christmas music?

 

 

 



special dish towel
 

 

 

 



potholder/hotpad ~ part I

 
 

potholder/hotpad ~ part II

 

 

mug cozy

vintage planner/journal ~ part I
part II
 

silver spoon plant marker

petite French farmhouse dishcloth

homespun cabled boot cuffs

baby fan dishcloth

stockinette cable boot cuffs

waffle knit dishcloth

It's a snowy, cold day here and I'm glad to have plenty
to keep me busy inside.  Besides gift making, I have only just
started my cookie baking {biscotti today and shortbread}, and there is still decorating to be done, and the tree to be chosen this weekend.

And, we haven't given up hope on completing the farmhouse table for Christmas.  We found some great planks at an Amish shop and hope they'll be ready this week.

Hope you're enjoying your Advent.

 

 

thank you & a free boot cuff pattern

First, thank you everyone for last posts encouraging and helpful comments!
 
I have decided to go ahead and offer the leather bag in question for sale at a discount {great idea Katy!}...a little camouflage detail is in the works {thanks to Nancy's helpful advice}, and I think it will work out well.

Secondly, I hope it's not too late in the season to offer up a boot cuff pattern...I know here in the Northeast we are still enjoying some snow and our warm woolies will not be packed away for a bit.  I knit these boot cuffs for myself awhile back using a stitch pattern from Barbara Abbeys's The Complete Book of Knitting, and have wanted to share the pattern with you.
Best wishes, and please let me know if you have any problem with my instructions.


Stockinette Cable Boot Cuffs

 

from

homespun living

SIZE

To fit most, up to a calf circumference of 16 inches.
{A larger circumference can be achieved by casting on additional stitches in multiples of 6.}

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Circumference of boot cuff, unstretched:  approximately 12 inches
Length of boot cuff:  approximately 8 inches

MATERIALS

Chunky weight yarn; approximately 150 yards
US #9/5.5 mm straight needles ~ or size to obtain gauge
US #10.5/6.5 mm straight needles ~ or size to obtain gauge
Cable needle
Tapestry needle

GAUGE

16 sts /20 rows = 4 inches in stockinette

PATTERN NOTES

Boot cuffs are a great looking, stylish addition to your wardrobe.  They knit up quickly, making them perfect for gift giving as well.  I have knit them with straight needles, but the pattern could be easily converted to circular knitting by omitting the selvage stitch at the beginning and end of each row and adjusting the knit and purl stitches accordingly.

DIRECTIONS

With US 9 needles, loosely cast on 50 stitches.  Work in 2 x 2 rib as follows:

Rows 1 (WS):  Purl 1,*knit 2, purl 2; repeat from * to last stitch, purl 1.

Rows 2 (RS):    Knit 1, *knit 2, purl 2; repeat from * to last stitch, knit 1.

Repeat this 2-row pattern until work measures 2.5 inches.

Switch to US 10.5 needles.  Begin stockinette cable pattern as follows:

Rows 1, 3, 5, and 7 (WS):  Purl all stitches.

Rows 2 and 6 (RS):  Knit all stitches.

Row 4 (RS): Knit 1, *knit 2, slip the next 2 stitches from LH needle to cable needle and hold in back, knit 2, knit 2 from cable needle; repeat from * to last stitch, knit 1.

Row 8 (RS):  Knit 1, *slip next 2 stitches from LH needle to cable needle and hold in front, knit the next 2 stitches, knit 2 from cable needle, knit 2; repeat from * to last stitch, knit 1.

Repeat this 8 row cable pattern three times.

Switch to US 9 needles and work in 2 x 2 rib as follows:

Rows 1 (WS):  Purl 1,*knit 2, purl 2; repeat from * to last stitch, purl 1.

Rows 2 (RS):    Knit 1, *knit 2, purl 2; repeat from * to last stitch, knit 1.   

Repeat this 2-row pattern until you have 1.25 inches ribbing.

Bind off.  Sew seam using mattress stitch and weave in ends.

Repeat for the second boot cuff.

*Stockinette cable stitch pattern from The Complete Book of Knitting by Barbara Abbey.

 **This pattern is intended for personal use only**--Thank you so much, Deb.

the baby fan dishcloth

One of my resolutions for the New Year is to get some

practical household items made...dishcloths,

swiffer socks, bath mitts, washcloths...maybe

even a tea cosy if I get that far.   

My goal is one item a week,

though that may be wishful thinking...we'll

see how it goes.

Some of my dishcloths are looking a bit ratty,

so I started there.

I've never knit a ripple pattern, so in the

interest of learning something new

I dug out my copy of 

The Complete Book of Knitting First edition by Abbey, Barbara published by The Viking Press Hardcover

and came up with this,

the baby fan dishcloth... 

If you would like to make one,

my instructions are below.

My disclaimer::my notes are not

always the greatest,

so if you notice any errors,

please let me know ~ thanks!!

Baby Fan Dishcloth

SIZE

Approximately 7.5 inches x 8 inches

MATERIALS

Worsted weight cotton yarn

US #7/4.5 mm straight needles ~ or size to obtain gauge

Tapestry needle for weaving in ends

GAUGE

Not critical—my gauge was about 4.5 sts per inch

PATTERN NOTES

This pattern is a tiny version of the Feather and Fan stitch.  So many stripe possibilities and a great way to use up small amounts of cotton yarn; or go ahead and make it in a solid color if you don’t want to have to weave in all those ends—either way you will end up with a very pretty dishcloth that is simple to make.

DIRECTIONS

With US 7 needles, cast on 35 stitches. 

Follow this stitch pattern:

Row 1 (RS):  Knit 1, knit 2 tog twice; *(yo, knit 1) 3 times, yo, (knit 2 tog) 4 times—repeat from * twice; (yo, knit 1) 3 times, yo, (knit 2 tog) 2 times, knit 1.  

Row 2 (WS):    Knit all stitches.

Row 3 (RS):     Knit all stitches.

Row 4 (WS):    Purl all stitches.

Starting with Row 1, work these 4 rows 13 times, or as many times as desired.

Bind off and weave in loose ends.

Thank you so much, 

Deb.

a free boot cuff pattern just for You

 

 

 

To thank you all for coming by throughout the year

with kind and encouraging comments,

here is a pattern I made for some knitted

boot cuffs.

I wore them today to church with a skirt, leggings,

and boots,

and they kept me quite cozy despite the cold weather.

 

 

 

homespun cabled boot cuffs

 

SIZE

To fit most, up to a calf circumference of 16 inches.

 

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Circumference of boot cuff, unstretched:  approximately 12 inches

Length of boot cuff:  approximately 8 inches

 

MATERIALS

Bulky weight yarn; approximately 150 yards

US #11/8.0 mm straight needles
US #10/6.0 mm straight needles
cable needle
tapestry needle
 

GAUGE

12 sts /16 rows = 4 inches

PATTERN NOTES

Boot cuffs are a great looking, stylish addition to your wardrobe.  They knit up quickly, making them perfect for gift giving as well.  I have knit them with straight needles, but the pattern could be easily converted to circular knitting by omitting the selvedge stitch at the beginning and end of each row and adjusting the knit and purl stitches accordingly.

 

DIRECTIONS

With US 10 needles, loosely cast on 38 stitches.  Work in 2 x 2 rib as follows:

Rows 1 and 3 (WS):  Purl 1,*knit 2, purl 2; repeat from * to last stitch, purl 1.

Rows 2 and 4 (RS):    Knit 1, *knit 2, purl 2; repeat from * to last stitch, knit 1.

 

Switch to US 11 needles.  Begin cable pattern as follows:

Rows 1, 3, 5, and 7 (WS):  Purl 1, *knit 3, purl 9; repeat from * to last stitch, purl 1.

Rows 2 and 6 (RS):  Knit 1, *knit 9, purl 3; repeat from * to last stitch, knit 1.

Row 4 (RS): Knit 1, *slip next 3 stitches to cable needle and hold in front, knit 3, knit 3 from cable needle, knit 3, purl 3; repeat from * to last stitch, knit 1.

Row 8 (RS):  Knit 1, *knit 3, slip next 3 stitches to cable needle and hold in back, knit 3, knit 3 from cable needle, purl 3; repeat from * to last stitch, knit 1.

Repeat this 8 row cable pattern three times.

 

Switch to US 10 needles and work in 2 x 2 rib as follows:

Rows 1 and 3 (WS):  Purl 1,*knit 2, purl 2; repeat from * to last stitch, purl 1.

Rows 2 and 4 (RS):    Knit 1, *knit 2, purl 2; repeat from * to last stitch, knit 1.   

 

Bind off in pattern.  Sew seam using mattress stitch and weave in ends.

 

**This pattern is specifically for personal use only**--Thank you so much, Deb.

 

flea market table makeover

As promised, here is my other painting project--a small flea market table

that I picked up for $5 two years ago, here.

It was a lovely vintage looking green,

but now that the floors are painted a sage green

the table had to change.

It seemed the perfect project to try some DIY chalk paint ~ so here's what I did:

1. first I scraped away any flaking paint and coated the table base with some primer...I probably didn't need to since I was using chalk paint, but the primer was handy
2. I mixed up my chalk paint using an 8 oz sample container of Behr Premium Plus Ultra in Sparrow to which I added 2 tablespoons of NOW brand calcium carbonate powder  {I mixed the powder with a tiny bit of water first, so there would be no lumps, then I stirred it into the paint}
3. I only applied one coat, and it covered well
4. I sanded lightly to distress it a little
5. then I rubbed on some clear wax, buffed, and followed with a darker Walnut shade of wax to age it a bit

It turned out just as I hoped, and I was able to stay within my frugal budget.

Those little sample paint pots go a long way--there is still plenty left for several

more small projects.

And, as I don't have much invested, I won't feel so bad if I decide to change the color in a year

or two  :)

~

Hope you're having a great week everyone.  

I hope you'll please try to stop back tomorrow

for information on a special giveaway!!

Deb

making a silver spoon plant marker

Making a Silver Spoon Plant Marker

Materials:

1 old silver spoon--I just found several at the flea market for $1 a piece
a hammer
a rag
metal stamp set
an extra fine permanent ink marker--black ink

Instructions:

1. Wrap the rounded end of the spoon with a rag and place it on something solid, ie. workbench, butcher block, cement sidewalk, etc.
2. Pound it with your hammer until nice and flat.
3. With the metal alphabet stamps and hammer, add your plant name or a little saying.
4. With the marker, go over the letters to make them stand out.

Put your wonderfully special plant marker in the pot or garden, and don't worry if the lettering is a bit wonky {like mine}...Deb

petite French farmhouse dishcloth pattern no.1

Susan is a new knitter and

 asked for a pattern for the dishcloths

pictured in my last post,

so I've typed up one for the double stripe

for those who are interested.

Since I love French striped linens, 

and since it's a smallish size,

I've named it the ... 

petite French farmhouse dishcloth

pattern no.1

Finished Size:

Approximately 6 1/2 inches square

Materials:

cotton worsted weight yarn {I used Lion Brand}

in main color & stripe color

Needles:

Size 4.5mm/US 7

crochet hook about same size

tapestry needle

Gauge:

Approximately 18 sts and 26 rows = 4 inches

Note:  If you are a new knitter and unsure as to how to start a new color yarn, here are a few tutorials that I hope will help:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpDC0Tq3pkw&feature=related, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckzi_bhg2UE&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo_yXLRiqb4&feature=related

Directions:

Cast on 30 stitches with main color.

Row 1 & 2: knit

Row 3: knit

Row 4: knit 2, purl to last two stitches, knit 2

Rows 5 - 18:  Repeat rows 3 & 4 seven more times

Row 19: knit

Row 20: {with stripe color} knit 2, purl to last two stitches, knit 2

Row 21: {with main color} knit

Row 22: {with main color} knit 2, purl to last two stitches, knit 2

Row 23: {with stripe color} knit

Row 24: {with main color} knit 2, purl to last two stitches, knit 2

Rows 25 - 40:  Repeat rows 3 & 4 eight more times

Row 41 - 42:  knit

Bind off, leaving a 6 - 8 inch tail to crochet the loop, if desired.  With your crochet hook, chain 12 sts, then secure to dishcloth {with a slip stitch} to form a loop.  Weave in all ends.

~Deb

ironing/folding table recover

Remember my ironing/folding table?

Well, after 5 years the floral fabric

was not looking so nice--some brown stains, from

the ironing I guess?--and so I decided

yesterday to recover it.

I gathered my tools and some of my favorite fabric,

blue striped ticking which I always try

to keep on hand...

I used pliers to remove the staples holding on

the old fabric;

the three layers of old wool blanket

underneath were holding up fine...

After trimming the ticking fabric to fit,

I stapled it on under the lip of the table top...

And here it is,

all finished...

...and looking fresh and clean again.

Now I suppose I have to finish

that pile of ironing which I have been

putting off for some reason...

Deb

vintage planner/journal tutorial ~ part II

So, let's finish up...if you missed part I of

the tutorial, you can find it here.

~

7.  The eyelets are now in and decorative

paper, if desired, is glued to the inside covers.

Next, I cut the spine of the book down

the center and pulled off the brown paper...

{the eyelets shown are only 1-piece; the ones

I've been buying now are two piece like a grommet}

~

8.  I then trimmed the book spine fabric to

about 1/4"...

9.  I applied some Craft Bond acid free rubber cement

to that 1/4" section and pressed it around

the edge to the inside of the cover.

I set some waxed paper on top

and used some old irons to weight it down...

10.  Now you're ready to put in the book rings...

...and have some fun adding pages.

Next up, I'll show you some of the planners

and journals I've been making,

with some ideas for the insides.

And, you might want to check out the last post's

comments to find out what some clever

ladies have planned for their vintage books.

~

Deb