Caryl's Kerchief

This might be the only knitting pattern that I've paid for so far. It can be found on ravelry.com and is pronounced "Carl's". Took me about a year to get around to it.  It was a booger til I was nearly finished. So I eagerly began a second one to see if it's easier.

On my second one, I'm using a lifeline after each 12 rows of the pattern.  Not only because I need the lifeline, just in case, but it also helps me remember how many times I've repeated the pattern.

I also find it helpful to mark that center stitch EVERY odd stitch instead of every few rows.

Deborah Norville brand

I blocked according to pattern instructions.

Connie ended up with this one at the CWF Christmas party

Jerri made this one for me this winter -- Feb, 2014

Indoor Snowball Fight Kit

Little Ava Campbell got to play with their snowball kit on her first winter!

I saw this on Pinterest and have seen them in a store or 2.  For about $10-$20 per kit.  I decided it'd be easy enough to make. For about $3 per kit.

1) $3 skein of white yarn -- cheaper if you can find it at a resale shop.  To make the pom-poms, wrap it around fingers or piece of cardboard about 80-100 times. 

2)  slip off cardboard carefully and tie a double knot in the middle.  Then clip the loops all the way around.

3) hot glue thrift store (99 cents) ribbon around the brim of a plastic snowman hat (25 cents at thrift store).
Write what it is with a paint pen.  It'd be cute to make up a little poem for instructions. (paint pen $2 on sale)

4) there ya go. I'll wrap them up basket wrap from Dollar Tree and a bow.  Maybe a pom-pom bow.

I told David the "snowballs" prob won't last 30 seconds.  He said, let me look at them.  Before I knew it he was pounding me with snowballs and we had quite the snowball fight for a couple of minutes. Rocky wasn't sure what to think.  :)  They do last longer than 30 seconds.

Acorn Heads

Sherryl showed us this cute craft at the potluck in Oct.  What a fun idea and looks simple!  Many times acorn "caps" can be found with 2 or 3 hooked together on the ground.  Or they could be glued together.

The guy who made these smoothed the bottom of the stick so it'd stand up straight.  And the eyes are painted on very simply.

Ninja Turtles

Not my craft!  But I thought I'd post it because someday I may try it or something similar.

Justin and Brooke made these Halloween costumes with A and A this year.  What a wonderful family activity and the costumes turned out great!

Sock Critters

book that Gala recommended

My creative Branson friend, Gala, inspired me when she taught us to do sock monkeys ( a post of its own ). I purchased the $20 book above on Amazon for 97 cents.  It is full of fun ideas.

Before leaving Branson, I put together some sock animal "kits" so that when I decide to sit down and do some, they'll be ready.

I made these in the first week we were in Wichita

 I followed ideas in the book, but sometimes they became something else as I was working on them.

our 6 yr old, Andrew,  picked this critter to keep - he calls it a porpoise named Rafael

with small ankle Christmas socks, I make the fish, owl, and pig

June Milner posted this Pinterest idea on fb

 these are super easy because rubber bands are used instead of stitching.

I created a few:  for Andrew, Asher, and Marlee Kay

Andrew with Olaf and Asher with Olaf 2.... and Grandpa

11-7-13:  Funny story: David and Justin played golf today.  David gave Justin the sock animals the boys had picked out to deliver to them.  According to Justin and Brooke, the boys were more excited about the sock animals arriving home than their Dad.  I'm sure that's not so, but kinda fun to think they were looking forward to getting them.

Asher with the first sock monkey I made - he named it Donatello

Sleeping with Donatello -- D is in a stuffed animal sleeping bag I made for them last year

Rafael is sleeping next to Andrew

Great Dane, Avery, found Donatello the next day while the boys were at school. I think I can hear the monkey screaming, tho he seems to be in one piece. Isn't he?

For the Goff kiddos below:

James' owl and on the other side............

James' red-nosed reindeer

Manning's fish and Miller's Christmas hog

Ethan's green man

Marlee Kay's snowman and Macie's monkey

Baby Ava Campbell's "duck with an ugly Christmas sweater" critter

Marlee Kay and Snowy

Miller

Macie

James

Ethan and Fish

Manning and Fishy

December 2013:  Bill and Pam's grandkids got sock critters for Christmas from me. I attached a little note to each one saying what the critter was and asked them to name theirs.

Shirlene and Vickey are going to town on their sock critters

gettin our craft with Connie, Dawn, Darlene, Shirlene, and Vickey

Mr Ken built us a nice, toasty fire for craft time

Ryan tended to our fire and then pretended to craft with us

Finished products -- and one nearly finished product (Connie's)

January 2014:  We made sock critters in crafts today at JCRV.  We had a lotta fun trying to decide what some of the critters were before the finished product!