Gifts – Organizing Threads

October 1, 2015

California Crochet

After finishing Mina’s afghan I had a request to make Kwazii for Volker. Kwazii is a former pirate in the show The Octonauts. I bought a pattern from Etsy and started. But I didn’t get it finished before leaving for California. I dutifully packed all the necessary parts into my carry-on luggage, intending to work on it on the plane.

First thing I discovered – I’d brought the wrong crochet hook! I have previously travelled with my case of crochet hooks, but I also almost lost them in security at the airport, or it felt like I almost lost them. Some of my hooks came from my Grandma Roth and I do not want to lose them, so I don’t take them anymore. So no crocheting on the plane.

Trina did not have a 4mm hook, so I had to buy a new hook. In the US Amazon is really amazing; I decided to buy a set of hooks, 2mm – 6mm, for less than $10 with the exchange! a really good deal.

Once I had the right hook, it didn’t take me long to finish Kwazii. I redid his whiskers as I didn’t like the first set. Volker was pleased. Mina wanted a toy too. So I crocheted another character from a pattern book that Trina had purchased. This is Tweak: Then Trina decided to try crocheting a toy while I was there to help. She chose a Vegimal, Tunip (also from the Octonauts), to start. She caught on quickly and decided to make more. Volker is quite in love with the Vegimals. It’s hard to hang onto all your friends and climb around on the playground equipment too!

Mina also wanted a Vegimal, so I made one with a different yarn and smaller hookThis is the size difference, my Codish and Trina’s Tunip:And here are my two favourite children

How I do love them!

September 11, 2014September 11, 2014

Barbie

Mina has been asking for a Barbie doll lately and her mother has been resisting. Mina has many dolls already!

Gramma has a box of Barbies at her house. They are mostly dolls I bought very cheaply at Value Village back in the days when I was running a community centre. One evening, while on FaceTime I showed them to Mina. Of course, she wants them!

In order to stay as close as possible to her mother’s good side, I decided to give one doll to Mina, Skipper – this doll was her favourite when I showed them to her. Her Uncle Simon and Auntie Chrissie will be carrying it to California for her birthday.

I did a little research online and found that this model was created in 1967. She is in pretty good shape for such an old girl, wouldn’t you say?

http://barbielistholland.wordpress.com/2013/11/21/1964-2014-skipper-roberts-50-years/

Another special doll in my box is the one I bought myself. My parents didn’t have money for buying toys so I saved hard and finally had the $3.50 or so that she cost back in about 1967 or 8. I believe she is a “vintage standard” model – http://www.fashion-doll-guide.com/Vintage-Standard-Barbie-Doll.html.

Here is Barbie wearing the crocheted dress I made for her a number of years ago:

February 12, 2014

Winter Projects

Only the second week of February but it feels like it has been a long winter. It certainly has been a cold one! I’m so glad to see the days getting longer; spring will come.

I seem to be better at starting projects than finishing them lately:

I’ve started another Owl phone cosy, hoping to make a tutorial. I really have a hard time writing down what I’m doing.
My mother’s room at the Long Term Care Home is not big enough for us to personalize it with any of her furniture. She has a crocheted afghan on her bed that I made many years ago, but her space still looks institutional. I hit upon an idea: When Grandma Roth died (1981) Mama gave me some quilt patches that she (Grandma) had pieced. Mom and Grandma had given me a single bed quilt they had made after I got married; I used it ‘to death.’ These patches are in the same pattern. There are 23 of them, not quite enough for a single bed. The piecing is certainly not professional, but some of the fabrics I recognize and that is kind of cool.At any rate, I hope to finish piecing this quilt for my mother’s bed. The women of First Mennonite Church gave me some advice on how to do it, and the women of Bloomingdale Mennonite Church have offered to quilt it for me. Thank you all!
Trina recently sent me a link she thought I’d be interested in. I was! http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/quilt-inspired-square-and-pillow Tara Murray of Alaska is a very talented designer – check out her website http://mamachee.com/ I think this quilt-inspired pillow is a fantastic way to use up bits of coloured yarn! I have 7 squares made:
And speaking of quilts – one more project that I started many years ago, and I really need to finish, is my daughter’s wall-hanging. When Trina first went to school for fashion design I took pieces of fabric from clothing I or she had made plus pictures of her wearing those articles and pieced a small quilt:

(click on the picture for a larger version)

I really need to get my act together and finish these items while I still want to stay cosy and warm inside!

December 25, 2013December 25, 2013

A Christmas Owl

Some months ago my delightful niece, Lexi, sent me this picture wondering if I could make one of these little phone pockets that she could give her mom for Christmas.

Of course I was happy to take up the challenge.

A Google search revealed several gorgeous pictures of owls (click on the picture to enlarge it, click again to close the image):

Inspired by these photos I created this cell phone cozy (of course, I didn’t dare post this before today):

For the body and wings I used a bit of leftover variegated wool from a previous project and a 3mm hook and an alternating dc/sc pattern. The eyes and beak are done with #8 perle cotton. I didn’t use a pattern, just invented as I went. I had to make it somewhat generic as I’m not even sure what model of phone Cheryl has. I used my iPod Touch (first generation) as a model.

Trina suggested I make a pattern and tutorial for this little guy. Perhaps I shall, someday.

December 7, 2013December 12, 2013

Love Letters

When I was young my mother had a wooden box in the top drawer of her dresser that contained letters she and my father wrote to each other before they were married. I would sometimes sneak a peak at these letters. It showed me an aspect of my parents I didn’t ever see otherwise. These letters also greatly influenced the kind of man I wanted in my life – someone with whom I could share the love of God.

Volker and I also wrote letters to each other, before and after our marriage. I too keep them in a wooden box, along with some other special letters and things.

The two soft magnets were part of a valentine card I made for Volker that said,
“Pumpkins are orange,
zucchinis are green,
You’re the best husband
I’ve ever seen.”

The pink sugar cupid was on a cookie he bought for me.

The little shoes are slippers I made for my baby boy.

The child’s drawing is from a card that Trina made for me when she was six, “because I wanted to show you that I love you.”

My treasures!

When Mom moved to into long term care the wooden box was still in that drawer, but it was now empty and the lid was off. It was looking it’s age. I took it home.

Because it had so influenced me, I want to pass that on somehow. My own kids are grown and married, so, I thought, I’d like to pass this on to my granddaughter. We have a lot of fun with mail because we live so far apart. I want her to treasure the really important things in life, the less tangible — the love we give and receive.

I asked my brother, Myron, who besides being a wonderful photographer, is really good in the refinishing department. Last night he brought Mom’s wooden box back to me. Isn’t it beautiful! Definitely a treasure box now!

As Mina is only four years old I will wait awhile before I give her this box, but in the meantime I will put a few treasure into it for her.