Adventures in Kid Blankets

Welcome back, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! 

 

I made two blankets recently, and I am pretty happy with how they turned out. Normally, I would say that there are more than enough blanket makers to make the world go 'round, but these were inspired by the idea of play. Large enough to wrap around a little one, these blankets are still small enough for a little one to handle by themselves.

This beautiful variation of mermaid colors is a play blanket for my friend's toddler girl. I took a variegated pink yarn (without the green and purple) as a border for a bit of color contrast. It should be about the right size to lay on, lay under, or wrap her toys as she sees fit.  I hope she enjoys this colorful creation.

For my friend's little boy, I knit up this fuzzy-yarn blue blanket. The nice thing about novelty yarn is that it is usually very forgiving because of its thick nature. Even though I knit this blanket in a basic garter stitch all the way through it's hard to tell. Even so, I believe it turned out super cozy (even I had a hard time putting this one down)!

As far as design goes, knitting creates a different texture than crochet, so I selected the more smooth texture of knitting in hopes that the blankets will be more pleasant for my friend's kids to hold. Overall, I think both blankets turned out nicely.

 

I hope you enjoyed these little projects!

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

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Adventures in Cotton Cloths

In keeping with the crochet streak, cotton cloths! 

 

I decided to focus on cotton cloths when I dug out my boxes of cotton yarn. This set is the Handicrafters yarn by Bernat. I found a variety of colors, mostly variegated, that I liked and worked with a soap maker in Washington state (yes, we lived there for about 4 years). Between my soap maker friend and myself, we came up with a cute display. I bought her soaps wholesale and she bought my cotton cloths wholesale and we set up our displays in multiple places, though that was years ago now. If you'd like to see more pictures from then, feel free to check out my Facebook page (linked below). 

This round of cotton cloths started with a revisit to some dish cloth patterns I had found years ago and eventually settled into my comfortable favorite pattern I have lovingly referred to as "the Double Stitch," named so for the amount of double crochet stitches used to create the pattern. While I enjoy trying patterns I haven't really used before, sometimes it's better to stick with a tried-and-true, easy to memorize pattern. These patterns are out of a dish cloth pattern book I picked up at one of the stores I shop. (It could have been Walmart, Hobby Lobby, or another store with a yarn section. I don't remember exactly where I found it, but the front cover has red and white dish cloths on it. Also, the patterns are labeled "Dishcloth #_".)

Above and below: a sampling of the first cotton cloths I made this time around, one with scale and one without. The cotton cloths are all about the size of a standard wash cloth or slightly larger.

Above: This "Christmas Ripple" is on the smaller side of the cotton cloths and would be a lovely addition to a Christmas themed kitchen or bath (but only choose one!).

Above: "Watermelon Juice" is one of the larger sizes, along with the purple and white options. I found the stitch texture on these to be an eye teaser. Aside from playing tricks on your eyes, textured cotton cloths tend to be better for scrubbing and exfoliating the face.

Above: "Blueberry Ripple" is just a touch larger than the "Christmas Ripple." The additional border and corners adds about half an inch to the length and width. Also, the corners make for easy hanging so you're not limited to drawer storage. Plus, the blue, purple, and green combo is fun and could count for wall art.

Above: "Watermelon Ripple" is an echo of "Watermelon Juice" and "Christmas Ripple." I think I ran out of the Watermelon yarn, so I finished out the dimensions with white yarn. This cloth is actually pretty cute in person.

Above: "Lemon Lime Double Stitch" is one of the cloths I made using my favorite pattern. My favorite part about this pattern is being able to easily remember the pattern for a highly textured cloth. The variegated color adds to the enjoyment, helping to prevent boredom in the process.

Above: "Starburst Double Stitch" cotton cloth.

Below: "Blueberry Double Stitch" cotton cloth.

 

These two "Double Stitch" cloths include a shell stitch border, making them about 3/4 inch wider and longer than the "Lemon Lime Double Stitch" cloth. 

Above and below: "Grape Accent" Cotton Cloths. The final color design of this group is a simple alternating color pattern with reaching fingers creating color texture as well as tactile texture. The simple color design makes this pattern an elegant accent to any modern kitchen.

I hope you enjoyed reading about this set of cotton cloths as much as I enjoyed making them.

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

If you would like more information, feel free to connect with me at one of the mediums below:

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Adventures in Hats (Featuring Mani the Manniquin)

Mani the Maniquin has made his return! Mani was gifted to me by a cosmetologist friend when we lived in Washington state. At the time, I was making school pride warmth sets which included a hat, a scarf, and a pair of fingerless mitts. Mani came in quite handy as I displayed these sets as well as other hats of different designs. If you go back on my Facebook page (link at the bottom) you can find more pictures of Mani modeling.

This particular hat was also a stash-buster project. I had this yarn left from another project and felt it was about right for a hat. The only thing left to decide was what design to use. After digging out my inspiration and patterns box, I found my favorite hat pattern book, In All Caps by The Crochet Dude. (I used several of the patterns from that book with different color combinations for the school pride warmth sets. It's also a great book for beginners.)

I especially like how the colors stacked and created a diagonal stripe. Also, the white border is a fun finishing touch I added to tie into the pom pom (because I didn't have enough yarn to make a full pom pom without adding something... oops!). Overall, it turned out much nicer than I expected.

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

If you would like more information, feel free to connect with me at one of the mediums below:

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Adventures in Crochet Bags

Hello, again! This month's post is scrap-busting bags. I made these for my son's toys: a set of puzzle mats and stacking blocks. They were originally in the same plastic zip bag, but that did not work for our space, so I changed it. 

 

Originally, I had used these yarn colors for school pride warmth sets in Washington state. I made matching hats, scarves, and fingerless mitts for one of the local high schools where we lived. Since we have moved from that area I don't really need these colors specifically. Personally, I think they made great color options.

 

The first bag I made was the green, gold, and silver spiral bag on the right. I really enjoyed playing with this pattern, even though it did not turn out quite how I was expecting. (The top is rippled and it's supposed to be flat, but that's the nature of experimenting. The next one will be better.)

Second up was the blue and green bag. I had used a similar concept to make library bags for my niece and nephew. This variation has a top flap (the experimental part) as well as a shoulder strap instead of handles. In the top flap I alternated single crochet stitches and attempted to make a mini-checkered pattern. I think it turned out pretty good overall.

 

 

 

Top: the bags as completed.

Bottom: the bags with a sample of their contents. (The rooster does come apart and is a puzzle.)

I hope you enjoyed these bags and found them to be an inspiration. I enjoyed making them. 

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

If you would like more information, feel free to connect with me at one of the mediums below:

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Adventures in Bowl Hot Pads

You may have noticed by now that I dabble in all sorts of fiber arts, from crocheting and knitting to sewing and quilting. This time around I am highlighting a simple quilting-type project: Bowl Hot Pads. 

In short, these bowl-shaped hot pads are made of 100% cotton and are safe for microwaveable use. Simply place your food to be microwaved into your bowl, place the bowl into the Bowl Hot Pad, set the entire ensemble in the microwave, microwave as directed (or as necessary for food safety), then remove the entire ensemble from the microwave. Ta-da! (It is always a good idea to watch what you're microwaving to make sure the contents of your bowl do not overflow.) They are also easy care and can be washed with similar items in your regular laundry. 

Instead of saying something about each pair of bowls in the pictures below, suffice it to say that these are very popular among my family and friends. Any time I make them I end up making a lot of them. This batch includes 17 individual Bowl Hot Pads, 8 pairs and 1 spare. (Haha!)

Typically I find fabrics I like for these in the "small samples" section of the fabric department or quilting store. I always use 100% cotton fabric, batting, and thread so they don't melt in the microwave, and the typical size of a fabric selection is 18x21 inches... just enough for 2 squares of the same fabric pattern. Additionally, I prefer to mix and match fabric designs (a solid with a print is the most straight forward) and make them in pairs. I have also found that I prefer the simple elegance of a top stitch over the more involved decorative stitching. It simply looks better.

At some point I intend to make similar products for instant soup bowls and other specific shape and size items. Stay tuned for those when they come about!

 

I hope you enjoyed this post!

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

If you would like more information, feel free to connect with me at one of the mediums below:

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Advenrures in Cup Cozies

This month's highlight is cup cozies. That's right, little bands of material that stand between you and your hot (or cold) drinks. While the designs presented this time are simple, this is not the first time I have made cup cozies.  Several years ago I made a variety of crocheted cup cozies in multiple themes. One group was general fall themed, one group was Halloween themed, and another group was Christmas themed. Most of those had applique designs on them, but this time I decided to keep it simple. I like simple. 

Prompted by a friend's admission of using paper towels taped around their hot coffee mugs, I asked why they didn't have cup cozies. They didn't know why, they just didn't... so, I declared my intention to remedy their problem.  

As you can see here (above and below), these lovely, solid-colored cup cozies fit your standard coffee mug (sans handle) and fold or roll up for easy storage. Toss one in your purse (ladies) or favorite hiding spot in your car (gentlemen) and you're good to go for out and about coffee splurges.

 

Additionally, these cup cozies are easy care, meaning they can be tossed in with your regular laundry, removing any excuse for a dirty cozy... and as with any product, if it can be washed before use, it should be washed before use.

I hope you enjoyed this month's blog post.  Stay tuned for other great variations of cup cozies and more! 

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

If you would like more information, feel free to connect with me at one of the mediums below:

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Adventures in Reconstructing Crochet

I finally worked with a set of yarn I received from my husband's family when his grandfather passed away.  This yarn was given to me along with a variety of knitting needles and crochet hooks.  Unfortunately, it was a long time before I was able to really get to the project, but, once I did, it was interesting to figure out.

 

The original project had one fatal flaw that made it impractical... the ends were cut short and not tied in.  Some of the ends were already unraveling.  Most people who pick up crocheting and knitting do not know that the ends of the yarn should be left at least 3 inches long and woven into the product to keep it from unraveling, a process called darning.  Since I learned to crochet from my mom and great-grandmother who also did not know what to do with the ends, I didn't learn this until I was an adult.  Now there are plenty of resources that teach this product-saving technique.

While the original project looked like it was intended to be a lap blanket or afghan, there was simply not enough yarn to make a sufficiently sized blanket.  Also, the yarn is old enough that it would be difficult to match the shades, so I could not justify buying more yarn to make a larger blanket.  Even so, I attempted to remain true to the color pattern while still making a practical item from what was available; the following bag is what resulted.  Double-crochet stitches were used in the original project, so I kept the double-crochet for looks as well as the color scheme.  Overall, I am pleased with this one and hope the original crocheter would be pleased as well.

Above and below are opposite sides of the bag.  Since it was worked "in-the-round" it looks exactly the same on both sides, even down to the places where it curves and twists naturally. 

I hope you enjoyed the results of this reconstruction.  It was an honor and pleasure to work with this project.

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

If you would like more information, feel free to connect with me at one of the mediums below:

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Adventures in Sea Turtles

These little gems were a request from a while back.  A friend decided to redo her bathroom with a nautical theme and requested small sea turtles to add to the decorations.  It took me a while to get to them because I originally thought to make them out of crochet thread and that box is hard to get to right now.  So, the other day I was working on another project and realized that the color I was using would be a great color for sea turtles.  Subsequently I made these four... just to see.

As you can tell (below), they came out just big enough to sit comfortably in the palm of my hand... which is about the size my friend requested.  Also a plus, they work up rather quickly.  In total, I made 20 little sea turtles... which I forgot to take a picture of before I sent them to their new home. 

 

Either way, I think they came out super cute and I hope my friend likes them.  =-)

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

If you would like more information, feel free to connect with me at one of the mediums below:

TabisCreatingAdventures@gmail.com

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Adventures in Baby Quilts

Greetings and welcome!  This month's post is about a baby quilt.  I appreciate any excuse to practice free motion quilting and had a great opportunity to make a simple baby quilt for a friend.  I'm pleased with the way it came together and I hope the family enjoys the blanket, too.

Top: I tried a new suggestion from a social media group... safety pins instead of straight pins to hold the pieces together.  Turns out, it works quite well!  I ended up with fewer pin pricks while quilting, which is always a plus!  The other thing I tried is a fabric pencil to sketch out the free motion design... I was able to keep up with where I was going!  Double win!

Bottom: The "thirds rule" worked well for this quilt.  It kind of has a "sky-land-ocean" feel to me.  Also, I think it worked well to have the thread blend in with the fabric.

Overall, I think this one is a success.  Stay tuned for more Adventures!

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

If you would like more information, feel free to connect with me at one of the mediums below:

TabisCreatingAdventures@gmail.com

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Adventures in Drawstring Bags (Again!)

 

 

It's no secret that we like dice and table top role playing games. Here are the newest additions to our dice collection (as of this month) and our newest drawstring bag (the owl pattern at the top left) that I made the other day.  The other drawstring bags I had made as part of a collection for friends and family for their dice that did not come with their own bags. 

I really enjoy playing games with family and friends and I also really enjoy making useful and pretty things.  Needless to say, there are plans in the works for a variety of other drawstring bags and useful things coming up in the future. 

I hope you enjoy these little updates! 

 

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

If you would like more information, feel free to connect with me at one of the mediums below:

TabisCreatingAdventures@gmail.com

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tenacious141b (Instagram)

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Adventures in Painting

Welcome back!  

 

I am trying to write more blog posts, but I haven't made anything new in a while.  I do, however, have something I have not shared yet!  

This is one of the first canvas paintings I have tried.  I was inspired to try this after I watched a few videos of other people making pretty flowers with stroke painting.  Overall, I think it turned out well, but it definitely takes practice to do anything artistic. 

And below is a picture for perspective with a standard light switch.  We have moved it a time or two, but it is still up in our living room. 

 One last thing: be sure to support your local artists, artisans, and businesses any way you can!

 

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

If you would like more information, feel free to connect with me at one of the mediums below:

TabisCreatingAdventures@gmail.com

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Adventures in Socks

 

 

These lovely socks are a recent completion.  My  husband and I found the yarn at a local yarn store in Washington state many moons ago.  I selected the yarn based on the blue color, not realizing that there was a beautiful purple-pink variation hidden inside.  As an added bonus, the pattern on the socks shows up surprisingly well.  This pattern is definitely a repeatable offense. 

 

I used about half the yarn from the two skeins, so that leaves opportunity for the same colors in another project. Now all I have to do is figure out what I want to do with the rest.  

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

If you would like more information, feel free to connect with me at one of the mediums below:

TabisCreatingAdventures@gmail.com

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tenacious141b (Instagram)

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