An early Christmas gift, created by Marlene (my DIL’s mom-we share four grandchildren). This year she and her husband hosted Thanksgiving Weekend in Hardy, Virginia.
Know you’ve seen me on the blog more times this week than the rest of the entire year but I wanted to show you her thoughtful and creative gift. Marlene’s Cricut machine skills are amazing. She purchases and downloads an SVG file from the computer, cuts it out of different colored vinyls, centers it, then uses a special machine to press it on thoroughly. I love how she made the heart a sparkly red.
Marlene knows I enjoy knitting so this design* was perfect.
Thanks Marlene. I can’t wait to wear it.
Photographed by Erika
*About the design- It’s from an Etsy Shop specializing in SVG files- Sammo from Vicksburg, Michigan
Laura’s wreath prompted inquiry- what exactly are potholder loops?
Take a hot pot lid off without burning your hand. Good deal! Keep cool.
Stretch the cotton loop snd attach to the teeth of the metal loom.Create a pattern or random colored loops.
(you can get wool or nylon loops, too, the nylon material not so effective on hot pots!
Today Laura made this potholder by carefully planning the order of the loops
Reminiscent of watermelon by Laurs Use pencils or knitting needles to catch all the loops, remove from the loom and bind off
My daughter Laura sorted the giant bag of colorful potholder loops on the dining room table. I photographed it with the iPhone.
We’re in crafty production this week!
Maura brought them with her from Columbus for her visit to Grandma’s house.
When the potholder is all woven, I slip 4 unsharpened pencils through the loops on all sides. So much easier to finish up with a crochet hook, a loop at a time.
Taking the woven piece off the loom keeps it together instead of it trying to pop off the metal loom as you bind off.
My friend Roberta saw this colorful display in front of the Carnegie Library in Oakland and sent me these photos. I didn’t get to see them in person but I’m pretty sure I saw some blooms being created at the Knit and Crochet Festival.
Pop, is right! Although the real flowers are beginning to come up, this art installation brightens up the city.
Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh says, “Pop des Fleurs is an outdoor installation planned for the winters of 2015 and 2016, designed to bring delight and color during the dark season through handmade, pop-up flower gardens”
It’s been awhile since I’ve stitched up a sock monkey. The classic.
One for new baby grandson in Ohio and one for a friend of my sister in New York City. The pairs of socks have been in the house a long time. Once I stitched on the faces, they seem to look at me and smile.
Both Anna and Jack have set up a crew of sock monkeys, told them to smile and photographed them. This evening I placed the newly completed monkeys on the couch in my living room. And took their picture
Very cooperative!
One of the smiles needs a bit of straightening out, I see upon examining the image. Ooops.
Sock monkey duo, going in different directions, more than 500 miles apart.
Here are some old sock monkey photos from previous blogs.
Anna entertains her siblings in the kitchen
The grandkids greeted me
Anna and her giant monkey
I painted sock monkey ties
Jack with his sock monkey tie
Anna took this photo
I knit the colorful boa
I gutted a Beanie Baby for my camera lens
Jack took this photo
Sock Monkey Board Meeting
When I was a kid (c. 1958)my family lived in the city of Newark NJ. there was a Youth Consultation Service behind our house on Broad Street. At least a dozen girls lived there and each girl had a handmade sock monkey. My mom thought sock monkeys weren’t appealing but I always wanted one. Some people think they are ugly, others think they’re cute. These two have a bit of scrap flannel from the sock monkey pillowcases I stitched for the grandchildren for Christmas. Going with a theme, here. That will be another post.
I don’t think I owned one until I stitched on in 1976.
The first sock monkey I ever made was for my son Mark (39),father to the grandchildren in the photos above. He name it the Doonie Monkey and it was stuffed with old stockings. I use fiberfill now. And for some unknown reason, I never added a tail on his monkey. He resides with the grandchildren in Ohio, too.
I’ve make pink and blue and purple monkeys but my favorite is the classic.
If you would like to make a sock monkey, there’s a terrific youtube tutorial by Professor Pincushionon how to make the classic monkey. I don’t add the ears or buttons on mine.
William Penn Highway on the way to the crafts store Pat Catan’s in Murraysville.
After I bought the couple of items I needed, I had to drive and turn around and come back so I could photograph this sign. There’s a median in the middle of the road and LOTS of traffic so it was a bit of an effort but I knew I wouldn’t be this way again in the near future.
This location is near the Pennsylvania Turnpike Entrance/Exit.
The motel is old school in appearance and it would be nice to include the sign AND the motel itself but too dangerous to shoot from the highway itself so pulled into their parking lot. There was a lot of truck traffic.
Here is a slice of the motel taken out the passenger window.
I don’t know. You can sure see them coming. By the time I got the camera to my eye they were going.
Headed in a different direction.
I wonder how much the camera costs that is on the top of the car? I looked up LIDAR camera technology.
Above view is the cropped version of the photograph below.
By the way, that sky is a true blue sky which is rare in our city. They say we have just 59 sunny days a year.
Well, this was one of them. Seriously hot, too.
Millbrae Way is the name of the alley shown and it’s near the historic marker of the Billy Eckstinehome on Bryant Street. Born in 1914-Died- 1993. I just went to look up his grave and he was cremated and ashes given to a family member. There are many famous graves in Pittsburgh.
How I went from the signage at the East Exit Motel, to Google camera car to famous people buried in Pittsburgh I’m not sure so will close and post.
Maura found the potholder looms in the guest room night stand this evening. I’d rummaged around for them when I’d visit but could not find them. What a happy find tonight.
Anna and her friend got right to work. Maura needed some help. I use knitting needles or pencils through the loop ends as I approach the finish. Keep it from popping off prematurely. Then a crochet hook to bind off.
Weaving these provides major stress relief for me. Over under over under. Under over under over- The repetition.
About an hour and a half away from the city, Mountain Craft Days take place at the Somerset Historical Center grounds. This year was the 44th year for the event!
V saw it mentioned on TV and it look interesting so she suggested we go.
Clear weather and lots of interesting demonstrations – here is a sampling of what we saw- blacksmithing, log splitting, cider making, basket making, spinning, lacemaking, pewter making, wood carving, felting and knitting, weaving, soap making, food preparation and if you are into “coopering” you can even get some materials and supplies at the Center to make your barrels.
Dulcimer music wafted through the woods, the smell of wood fire. A bagpiper walking down the path and some Civil War reenactors with drums and fifes marching past the covered bridge. Bought some dried apples that were nothing but apples, very tasty and tried a Maple Walnut sundae with real maple syrup.
The Broom Maker- Lone Oak Brooms– Bob Haffly from Amberson PA
He was so nice and said I could photograph him when I asked. We watched him make a broom from start to finish and it was amazing to see. You can watch the YouTube videoof his making a broom below.
Who knew there were so many different types of brooms. Brooms for kitchen floors and brooms for concrete floors and whisk brooms and all handmade with a machine made in the late 1800’s. Seriously.
A carousel horse carver
Woman walking down the path carrying a basket
Lacemakers from Five Rivers Bobbin Lacemakers You can try your hand at it, right on site!
Blacksmith and Storytelling
White Oak Basket Making
Fried Mush Lots of wood fires burning
A bagpiper walking and playing along the path
The log cabin and the cooking demonstration were interesting.
An apiarist explained how he harvests the honey.
The loaves of bread baked in the Dutch Oven.
Glowing coals inside the log cabin called a Settler’s Cabin.
Be sure to go and watch Bob Haffly craft a broom on YouTube
Sock monkey duo, going in different directions, more than 500 miles apart.
