Cricket in a Biscuit

Okay, so it's really more of a floppy, wonky clutch, and I helped, but…  Pillow cases sewn on Ladies' Day We got a really nice variety with each person choosing their own fabric. …it is still a bag a kid can make then use to carry their treasures. All you need is a fat quarter, but let's start at the beginning. In October, my aunt hosted, Ladies' Sewing Day. Everybody brought fabric, and, those of us who had them, brought our sewing machines. We spent the day making pillow cases for the pediatric unit at a local hospital. It was a great time, and ever since, Laney has been begging and begging for a "kid sewing machine." Weeks later, it was about time to start Christmas shopping. As I was wandering through Wal*Mart, I saw a kid sewing machine! It's a little chintzy and recommended for age six and up, but it's a kid sewing machine! I had decided I wasn't going to buy any toys for Christmas this year, because I wanted to give the ki...

This is a chart I've been meaning to get to for a while. The Christmas before last, I was making a whole bunch of Christmas ornament gift toppers . I wanted each to be unique, so some of the miniature sweaters were adorned with duplicate stitch in traditional knit motifs. I hit a snag with the tree. A row of perfect triangle trees is cute. A single triangle tree is not so cute. A chart for a small tree is not hard to find. One which is not symmetrical is. Enter the sketch pad. My goal was a scraggly tree, which was small, but was still recognizable as a tree. This is the result. As a matter of personal preference, I think this looks best when the chart is turned upside down and is used on a piece being worked from the top. That way, the top of the tree comes to a nice point.

Before my mom taught me to knit, crochet and sew, that knowledge was passed to her. My Grandma Hansen was a tough lady. The kind who wouldn't tolerate rude behavior or disrespect from anyone old enough to control the tone of their voice. She could still a child squirming through church with an outstretched hand. She was also the kind who, with a wink and a smile, would slide an M&M across the table to a kid to shy to ask for one, then elicit a whispered, "Thank you," with a gentle, but expectant, "You're welcome." Grandma Hansen in 2005. Grandma was also a crafter. She gifted many crochet dolls to her grand-daughters. One Christmas, each grand-kid was given a pillow case. Mine, a black and white panda print with lace on the cuff, is still in circulation. Another year it was a pajama set, wrapped and topped with a little crochet animal. My brother's gift topper was accidentally sent out with the wrapping paper, and she made him another. It sh...

There is a yarn in my stash which has been begging to be woven since it was spun in July. It is a " wolf yarn " created using a bouclé draw, which is a technique I'd been wanting to try since reading about it in Judith MacKenzie's, Intentional Spinner . The fiber batt wasn't screaming to be made into anything else, so wolf yarn it became. It's one of those crazy textured yarns. A kind I've never enjoyed working with. Sure, it looks fun… until you screw up and need to rip it back. That's where weaving comes in. It shows off the yarn without the interlocking, fuzzed-together impossible-to-detangle loops, which would be part and parcel of trying to knit or crochet with it. Problem is, no loom. Darren said he would like for me to buy one (I'm leaning toward this one ), but with his impending knee surgery, it seems the height of fiscal irresponsibility. So, for the last few weeks, I've been scouring my brain — and the internet — trying to c...

My favorite columnist, Mark Steyn , has a bit of advice proffered when speaking to classes of aspiring writers. He tells them, in addition to becoming writers, they should aspire to do something else as well. What doesn't really matter, as long as they do something. It's been a while since I've read the column, but the gist is, it's a more fulfilling and useful life when one is capable of actually doing something beyond thinking about how to write about things being done. I would agree, capability is a wonderful thing. I've been surrounded by capable people my entire life. Need something built? The boards are in the shed; nails or screws? Need to replace a faulty light switch? I know a guy. Need something turned on a lathe? I know a guy — or three. Have a craving for handcrafted candy? Well, there is a secret family recipe for that. Just stand at the stove for a few hours, stirring to soft-ball stage. Being surrounded by so many people better at everything can b...