needlework

Crocheted Mason Jar Holder

Materials:

Yarn (Patons Grace, light weight size 3)

Hook Size: 3.75mm (small)   4.00mm (medium)   4.25mm (large)

Beads for a decorative detail – optional

Abbreviations:

ch= chain      st= stitch      sc = single crochet      dc= double crochet       sl st = slip stitch      sk= skip

Pattern:

Chain 4

Round 1: work 12 dc in the fourth chain from the hook, sl st to connect round (12)

Round 2: ch 3, 2 dc in each st, sl st to connect round (24)

Round 3: ch 3, 2 dc in each st, sl st to connect round (48)

Round 4: sc in the first dc, ch 5, sk 3 st , 1sc, *repeat to the end of round, sl st to connect

Round 5: (the shells are worked between the loops) ch 3, 4 dc in the same stitch,* sc in the middle

                 of the 5 st loop, 5dc in the sc between the next set of loops, * repeat until the end  

                 of the round has been reached, sl st to join

Round 6: sl st to the middle of the first shell, * ch 5, sc in the next shell, *repeat to the end of

                 round, sl st to connect

Round 7: (the shells are worked on the loops) *[1sc, 5dc, 1sc] all on same loop, *repeat to the end 

                 of round

Round 8: sl st to the middle of the first shell, * ch 5, sc in the next shell, *repeat to the end of

                round, sl st to connect

Round 9: (the shells are worked on the loops) *[1sc, 5dc, 1sc] all on same loop, *repeat to the end

                 of round

Round 10: : sl st to the middle of the first shell, * ch 5, sc in the next shell, *repeat to the end of

                    round, sl st to connect

Round 11: repeat round 10 until you have reached desired height

 

-          Once desired height met, make a chain off of the last stitch of about 80st, [if you want to add beads to the sides, cut the yarn from the skein leaving a long tail, remove hook and slide your beads on] attach your chain to the other side of your mason jar holder. (So your jar does not hang crooked, make sure hanging chain is evenly connected on the other side. The easiest way to do this is to place the mason jar holder with hanging chain on the side, fold flat and connect on opposite side.

 

Finally place a candle inside and enjoy

Footnote: This pattern can be easily altered to continue with the shell pattern all the way up, just do the lace like netting, or stagger the pattern with random shells placed among the lace like netting.

Have fun with it and be creative.

 

 

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 Sew Simple Burp Clothes

Materials:

Dish Towel

Duck Cloth / Canvas Fabric

Bias Tape

Cotton Batting

Instructions:

1) make a template that measures 10 1/2 inches x 20 inches 

(I like to use a paper grocery bag to make my templates)

2) round the edges 

(I fold my template in half and then in half again so all edges are cut the same and at one time)

3) Trace and Cut the template onto the dish towel, duck cloth, and cotton batting using a fabric marker

4) sew the duck cloth and the cotton batting together along the raw edges with the right side of the duck cloth facing up

5) now sew the duck cloth / cotton batting to the dish towel along the raw edges with both right sides facing out 

6) sew a line across the burp cloth at 6 inches and 14 inches. This will help stabilize the cotton batting.

7) sew the bias tape around the edges

8) Done 

Also keep in mind, if you don't have a little one at your home, this burp cloth makes a wonderful and functional baby shower gift.

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A Quick and Easy Accessory

For those of you who personal know me, you are more than aware I am no fashion expert. I am actually a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl. However tonight I had an event to attend at my daughter's school that required me to dress up. I own very few "nice" clothes and of coarse I waited until last minute to try to find something to wear. Since I am fashion challenged, anytime I need to dress up, I always look to my black pieces of clothing. I started with a black knit top and black slacks. It was okay, but I thought it looked at little unfinished. Well since I have no fashion sense, the crafter in me went into over drive. My first idea was a ribbon. I found a cream colored ribbon and added it as a belt. I thought it was a nice start, but it still needed something more. I went through a glass jar where I keep my leftover crocheted items. I found the beige crocheted flower. I tied it to the ribbon. Both of my girls approved, so we headed out the door with 12 minutes to spare. My neighbors were outside when we were leaving. They too gave a thumbs up.  This was an easy & inexpensive way for me to dress up an outfit. And even though I threw together my belt with some items I already had on hand,  it is still super easy and fast to make on the fly.

Directions for Crochet Flower:

Foundation ring- ch8 and join with sl st to form a ring

Round 1: ch6 (count as 1 dc, ch3), [1dc into ring, ch3] 7 times, join with sl st

Round 2: *[1sc, ch2, 3dc, ch2, 1sc] all into the same space, ch3; rep from * 7 times, do not join

Round 3: *ch5, working behind petals, skip the petal and join with 1sc into the 3ch loop beside the petal;  rep from * to the end, do not join

Round 4: *[1sc, ch2, 5dc, ch2, 1sc] all into the same space, ch5; rep from* to end, do not join

Round 5: *ch7, working behind petals, skip the petal and join with 1sc in the the 5ch loop beside the petal; rep from * to end, do not join

Round 6: *[1sc, ch2, 7dc, ch2, 1sc] into the same space, ch 7; rep from * to end, do not join

Round 7:  working behind the petals, join yarn

Now you have your flower complete

If given time to plan ahead, the ideas of how you can decorate and accessorize with the crochet flower are endless.

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 Pin Cushion and Thread Storage

If you have an old mason jar, before you recycle it consider upcycling it. I have turned this old jar of jam into a pin cushion and storage jar by simply painting the lid and adding a little batting and scrap fabric. The whole project was complete in a matter of minutes.

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Broomstick Lace How to Courtesy of blog.LionBrand.com

Broomstick lace has a beautiful, open look that really shows off the character and texture of your yarn. Dating back to the 1800s, this technique creates large loops of yarn that gently twist to the left, giving the finished project especially elegant drape. For a long time I was intimidated by broomstick lace, so I wanted to share how easy it is to create this beautiful, reversible fabric!
Ready to get started? You’ll need:

• Yarn for your project: Choose a yarn you want to show off. I chose Martha Stewart Crafts Extra Soft Wool Blend because I love the twist and soft luster.
• Crochet hook: Use whatever hook you feel works best with your yarn. I used a US K10.5/6.5mm hook for larger, more open stitches.
• Large knitting needle (or actual broomstick, if you dare!): You can use any large needle for this project; the larger your needle, the larger your loops will be. I used a needle from a pair of ‘Speed Stix’ (US 50/25mm). When making broomstick lace, this tool is often called the “pin.”

1. First, make a chain. For this sample I wanted to make repeats of 5, so I chained 15 stitches for 3 repeats. Draw the final chain up over the knitting needle.
2. Crochet back into the chain, drawing up a loop in each stitch and pulling it up over the knitting needle.
3. Repeat until you have drawn up a loop through every stitch in your chain and transferred them onto the knitting needle. This step creates the large loops of yarn you will see in the finished lace.
4. Slide your hook through the first group of loops (for this example that’s 5 loops per repeat) and pull them off the needle. At this point, if it is easier for you to manage, you can remove the large needle from your work altogether.
5. Yarn over and pull through the group of large loops on your hook. Work one single crochet for every loop in the group on your hook (I worked 5 single crochet into the group of 5 loops). Continue this process until all the loops have been crocheted into. Note: make sure to check how many loops you have in each group to avoid accidental increases or decreases.
6. This completes your first row of broomstick lace! You can now draw loops up through each of the single crochet stitches you made in step 5, and continue to repeat steps 1-5 till your project reaches the desired length.