Fall Harvest Lap Throw

Happy Autumn Equinox!

I am into fall colors these days, most specifically, the rusts, oranges and greens.  The trees are just starting to lose their leaves, so I'm finding lots of inspiration every time I walk outside.

In the spirit of fall, I designed a lovely little lap throw, perfect for mornings when there is a bit of chill in the air.  The throw is constructed with 6 by 6 inch squares, crocheted using a large hook and bulky yarn.  Rather than buy yarn, I used some that I had in my stash.  You could do the same, or buy yarn if that suits you.

The Supplies
Bulky weight yarn
15mm crochet hook
Tapestry needle

Notes:
You will be making 9 squares, with each square being approximately 6" x 6".

The Pattern
Chain 9
Row 1:  Single crochet in second chain from hook and in each chain across.  Chain 1, turn.
Row 2:  Single crochet in first stitch.  *Slip stitch in the next stitch, half double crochet in the next    stitch.*  Repeat from * to * to the last stitch in the row.  Single crochet in the last stitch.  Chain 1, turn.
Row 3:  Repeat Row 2.  Continue until your squares measure about 6" x 6".
Fasten off and weave in ends.
Connect the squares together using single crochet stitch, and then connect the strips together in the same manner.

I made mine with 9 squares, but you could always expand on this and make yours bigger.

Here are a few photos.  You can see the finished throw in the sidebar to the right on my blog page.

One square

A few more squares

Enjoy the season!

With joy for the fall colors,

Marsha

Batik, Batik, Batik

Hello to all!

What is batik, exactly?  

According to The Batik Guild, "The word batik originates from the Javanese tik and means "to dot". To make a batik, selected areas of the cloth are blocked out by brushing or drawing hot wax over them, and the cloth is then dyed. The parts covered in wax resist the dye and remain the original color.   And since one question, leads to another...

Where is Java, you ask?  Well, Java is a volcano-dotted island that's at the geographic and economic center of Indonesia.  

I was first introduced to batik in high school, but that particular lesson is all but a foggy memory.  Luckily, I stumbled upon a three hour batik class in Old Forge, New York this past summer.  

Here I am, with the instructor, getting ready to dye my design.

Here is my waxed design, prior to dying.

And here is my finished fabric!

 
I decided to gather together some batik equipment and give it a try at home.  I found a heating unit at the local thrift shop, a metal pan in with my children's play kitchen set, and an old aluminum bucket in the garage.  I filled some upcycled baby bottles with RIT dye, found a piece of muslin in my fabric stash, melted some paraffin wax and had some fun! 

Supplies

Wax on

Dye on

More dye on

Time to de-wax

Wax off

Finished fabric

Batik tends to be a time consuming process, but I think the results are well worth the effort.  The hardest part is gathering all the supplies and then setting aside the time to do it.  I'll be doing more batik soon.  I find it to be a relaxing and rewarding craft.

Until next time,

Marsha 

Knitting Finger Puppets for a Cause

Hello to my blog readers, old and new!


Recently, I stumbled upon a Facebook post calling for knitters and crocheters to make finger puppets for children in Canada.  I looked into it further and decided to lend a helping hand to this worthy cause.

The puppets go to Nova Scotia's children's hospital, IWK Centre, to children who are undergoing medical procedures or blood work.  The hospital says it gives away over 1,000 puppets a month to patients and their families, which are hand-knitted by volunteer groups and individuals. 

Click this link for more details, including free patterns and information on where to send puppets, should you decide to participate:


http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/nova-scotia/iwk-finger-puppet-knitting-donations-1.3750252

Here are some photographs of the finger puppets I made:

 

Backside

   

Front, ready to be stitched up

 

 

Hair added, and now time for a haircut!

I enjoyed making these little finger puppets very much, but it took more time to complete each one than I had imagined.  I did finish three, and I am going to send them off in the mail to Canada next week.

Here is my trio of finger puppets. Ta da!

Thanks for reading!

See you soon,

Marsha