Kids Knit

I will be teaching a knitting class for children this summer at a summer camp. I was searching for books that would give clear instructions as well as some fun EASY projects for the children to complete. I think I have found the perfect book. It is called Kids Knit by Sarah Bradberry.

The book begins with a sections on "What is Knitting" and "Tools you need". It goes into detail on choosing the right needles for your yarn, as well as describing the different types of yarn and how to read the yarn label. I found it to be well written, a 9 or 10 year old would not have difficulty understanding, but yet it is not condescending to someone much older....hey I even learned a few things, and I am much older than 10! ;-0

The rest of the books deals with technique and projects. Each technique section has clear illustrations as well as step by step written directions. It is then followed by a project that uses that particular technique. For example, after learning to knit, the project is a simple dishcloth. The next lesson is reading a pattern and overcasting, so the headband project uses the knit stitch and overcasting.

The project variety (20 different ones) is much better than I have seen in other knitting books for children. From a simple cat toy, to hair accessories, gift items and bags there is a project for everyone.

I am looking forward to using this book with children. Speedy B is going to make the cat toy for our friend that keeps the boys on "date night".

Kids Knit

https://atmyhearth.blogspot.com/2007/01/kids-knit.html

Scrapbook Retreat Pictures

It was a wonderful weekend! There was time for relaxation, laughter and plenty of hobby time! I went to Hobby Hill House in North Central Texas. It would not be a bad drive from Oklahoma City and it was approximately an hour from the DFW metroplex. The food was delicious, accomodations were wonderful...good beds, clean bathrooms and plenty of workspace.

I had plenty of time to work on this sock that I have since decided to frog. The yarn is just TOO scratchy.


I also finished my January KAL from the Dishcloth Monthly group. I am pleased with how it turned out, though I won't use Cotton-Tots for anymore dishcloths. I am seeing an Amish Star, similar to a quilt block.
I have now finished 1 and 1/2 skeins of the baby blanket (out of 6). It is getting a little monotonous to knit. So I am glad I have other projects to break it up with.
Oh yeah, it was a scrapbook retreat! I was able to complete 32 pages for the heritage album I am doing with all the old family pictures. I am just almost finished with it, probably another couple of evenings and it will be done!

Scrapbook Retreat Pictures

https://atmyhearth.blogspot.com/2007/01/scrapbook-retreat-pictures.html

Scrapbook Retreat

I am off for a weekend just for myself. Mrs. M and I are headed to a bed and breakfast with other nutty scrapbooking women for fun and frolic!

I am taking knitting, The Woman in White and more pictures than any 50 women should have.

Have a wonderful weekend. I will post pictures on Monday!

Scrapbook Retreat

https://atmyhearth.blogspot.com/2007/01/scrapbook-retreat.html

Thursday Thirteen #8

Thirteen Things I hope to compete in 2007 1. Finish Marie's baby blanket by the end of February...knitting in fingering weight, feather and fan design. You can see a picture of what I have completed here. 2. Make curtains for my bathroom. I have the fabric (have had it for 6 months!) just haven't sat down and done them. 3. Paint the shed that RacerDad built. The weather is either too cold or too rainy or if it is pretty, I don't have the time! 4. Paint Cowodie and Smoda's bedroom....they are wanting a cowboy room in blue and tan. 5. Make curtains for C and S's bedroom. Here again I have the fabric (red bandana) just need to sit down and do it. 6. Learn to use the digitizing software we bought to go with the Designer I sewing machine. My sweet RacerDad is the one who loves to sew and is fascinated by the embroidery function, but I am the one that NEEDS (his word) to learn the software so I can explain it to him. Now why can't it be the other way around??? 7. Make curtains for the guest room, also some coordinating pillows for the bed. Can you guess...fabric is purchased, just need to do it! 8. Sell quilting books, quilting magazines, cookbooks and Precious Moments on Ebay. These are things from my mother that I have gone through, kept what I wanted, gone through again and it is time. These things fill the guest room closet until you can't walk in, they also fill some of the shelves in my closet and I am in major declutter mode! 9. Paint Speedy B's room....his choice is a baseball room (what, he likes baseball???). He wants it the exact same shade as his bedroom at the old house. The only problem, that color was an "oops" paint from Home Depot. 10. Of course after I paint Speedy B's room what do I need to do? Make curtains! Do I have the fabric? Do you need to ask???? Lovely antique baseball print, just begging to be curtains. 11. Stay current with the classic novels being read with the blog group Knit the Classics. In January we are reading The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. I enjoy his work, I read The Moonstone several years ago, but it took longer than a month. 12. Complete the heritage scrapbook album I have begun. I have a chest of drawers that my mother had moved from my grandmother's home when Gram died. Two of the drawers were jammed full of pictures....great-grandparents, great-great-grandparents, misc. aunts, uncles, cousins. Do I know who all these people are? Unfortunately, no. I have gone through and made piles of the ones I know, by close examination I was able to determine quite a few. But with no family left that I can ask, I have thrown away a lot as well. A friend asked me how I could throw away pictures, my thought is should I keep them just because my mother and grandmother did? If I don't have a clue of the identity and don't have anyone to ask what are the boys going to do with the pictures? So I threw them away. This weekend I am going on a scrapbook retreat, hopefully I will finish this project. 13. Keep up with my knit alongs. When I go back over this list, it looks a little daunting...but hey I have 348 days. Right??

Thursday Thirteen #8

https://atmyhearth.blogspot.com/2007/01/thursday-thirteen-8.html

On the Needles - January

I can finally say that I am feeling like a knitter. I have three projects in progress at the same time and I am actually working on all of them. I have had more than one project in the works before, but to be completely honest once I put a project down it went into never-never land. I would then pull it out years later and think...hmmmm...wonder what this was? I am definitely enjoying my rekindled hobby, it is so satisfying to finish a project. Here is what I have going right now...

This is the January KAL from the yahoo group Easy Socks. It is a cable pattern from a worsted weight yarn. I do love the quick way that the worsted weight knits up. But I believe I have already become a yarn snob! This particular yarn is Lion Brand Wool and it is so rough after using Socks That Rock. I am not sure what it will feel like as a sock. I am going to muddle on through with it. I have found knitting cables to be quite fun. Who knows what will be next, can anyone say Aran??

This is my January KAL with the Monthly Dishcloth group. I am using Bernat Cotton-Tots, not too sure if I like it for the pattern. It seems to be nubby rather than smooth, making the pattern kind of fade into itself. It is extremely soft and I think it would make a good facecloth.
Finally, I am working on a baby blanket for a friend. I offered to make a baby blanket (read machine sewn) for her and embroider the baby's name on it. She thought it would be special to have a handknit baby blanket. Oh well, just call me a sucker. This is very soft and going quicker than I expected. But I fear that February will be upon me rather quickly. The pattern is feather and fan and I am using a fingering weight yarn.

On the Needles - January

https://atmyhearth.blogspot.com/2007/01/on-needles-january.html

Gingerbread House

I bought one of the prepackaged gingerbread house kits for the boys to decorate. They anxiously awaited the day when we would have time to complete the project.

Smoda and Cowodie are ready to go. I have to say, I loved this kit. The assembly was so much easier than kits we have done in the past. There were troughs in the white tray that held the pieces as they dried. It was great.

Speedy B was not real happy to have to share the house with his brothers. He thought that each should have their own to complete, or at the very least he should be in charge because he is the oldest. He did not like having to get his brothers opinions. Can you tell????

Completed house. Looks rather festive doesn't it? I thought they did a great job.

Gingerbread House

https://atmyhearth.blogspot.com/2006/12/gingerbread-house.html

3D Snowflakes - Christmas Craft

When cruising blogs yesterday I came across a really neat Christms craft at Lolly's. I have always made snowflakes, the traditional....fold and cut and hope you don't cut one of the "arms" off. The 3D look really peaked my interest, so today we followed the tutorial and made these snowflakes.


The instructions called for 6 square pieces of paper any size from 4" to 10". My sample that I made was from an 8 1/2" square, while it was beautiful it was a bit much to handle and I knew it would be cumbersome for the boys. I cut their squares 5" for the ones in the window and we all thought that was the perfect size.
Cowodie and Speedy B enjoyed the craft. I had already cut the squares for them. It took approximately 20 minutes for them to each construct one snowflake. Though they enjoyed making the snowflakes, they were done after one. It was too much of a process for the 5 year old, he passed on the activity after a few minutes.

The look is very pretty and different from the ones we have made for years. I will plan on doing them again next year. Let me know if you give them a try!

3D Snowflakes - Christmas Craft

https://atmyhearth.blogspot.com/2006/12/3d-snowflakes-christmas-craft.html