Whenever I start a new knitting project, I head to Wool & Grace to check out their selection of gorgeous wool. I’m like a kid in a candy shop and have to focus! So many colors, so many textures, so many patterns, so many things to create! I wanted to knit this cardigan for a friend and pulled out the pattern, but needed to see if a color felt right for her. The Blue Lagoon Tweed hit the mark. I have 1 1/2 skeins left and may knit a second sweater–this one for me.
New pre-school year = new batch of DIY play dough.
The kids love its’ texture and elasticity, and so do I. (Is that a surprise, coming from a potter?) Sure, name-brand, non-toxic Play-Doh can be purchased, but I find the substance I make handles better and doesn’t dry out as quickly.
The easy recipe from The Best Ideas for Kids is made with only a few ingredients: flour, cream of tartar, salt, vegetable oil, and water. This year, I added yellow food coloring and vanilla flavor.
Whenever the kids play with play dough–and I mean, every single time, all year long–this is the conversation:
Another Adult: “What will happen if they eat it?”
Me: “Don’t worry, it’s non-toxic.”
Another Adult: “Seriously, will the kids get sick?”
Me: “We could make cookies out of this stuff!”
Hon, do you think this year I should make a sign that says “Add eggs and bake!“?
Gather ingredients.Stir ingredients in pot over medium pot.Knead Play Dough
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 cup salt
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup water
food coloring
Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and cream of tartar. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, add food coloring to the water. Then add the colored water and vegetable oil to a large pot. Mix together.
Add the dry ingredients to your pot and mix.
Cook over low to medium heat until the dough starts to form and becomes drier, stirring often.
Once the mixture starts to form a body and looks fully cooked, take it off the heat. (Tip: Spoon it onto a plate or surface to cool.) Let the dough cool first before touching.
Once cool, knead the dough for 5 minutes to make the dough soft. If your dough is not soft, continue kneading for another 5 minutes. If you find it is still too dry add a little bit more oil and knead in.
First wrap your playdough in saran wrap then store in an air-tight container. You’ll notice that playdough will go hard if left out – so the less air that can get to the playdough when storing, the longer it will last!
How Do I Make Playdough Soft Again?
If your playdough dries out and turns out to be a little dry after making it, try adding in a little more oil first. You can knead the oil in with your hands. You can also knead in a little bit of water.
This week at preschool, the theme is Senses. What better way for young children to engage with touch than playing with Play Dough? I’d never actually made Play Dough before, but it was easy! I added cinnamon to the recipe on The Best Ideas for Kids. We’re going to smell “spicy.” Fun!
Gather ingredients.Stir ingredients in pot over medium pot.Knead Play Dough
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 cup salt
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup water
food coloring
Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and cream of tartar. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, add food coloring to the water. Then add the colored water and vegetable oil to a large pot. Mix together.
Add the dry ingredients to your pot and mix.
Cook over low to medium heat until the dough starts to form and becomes drier, stirring often.
Once the mixture starts to form a body and looks fully cooked, take it off the heat. (Tip: Spoon it onto a plate or surface to cool.) Let the dough cool first before touching.
Once cool, knead the dough for 5 minutes to make the dough soft. If your dough is not soft, continue kneading for another 5 minutes. If you find it is still too dry add a little bit more oil and knead in.
First wrap your playdough in saran wrap then store in an air-tight container. You’ll notice that playdough will go hard if left out – so the less air that can get to the playdough when storing, the longer it will last!
How Do I Make Playdough Soft Again?
If your playdough dries out and turns out to be a little dry after making it, try adding in a little more oil first. You can knead the oil in with your hands. You can also knead in a little bit of water.
Shaving cream/glue snowmen made by a Three’s class.
SNOW FUN!
Creating snowmen or other snowy scenes using a shaving cream/glue combo is snow fun because it engages several senses. The kids smell the shaving cream, listen to the can, feel the texture, and see the color. What ratio of shaving cream to glue to use? According to KiwiCo Corner, “Mix one part shaving cream with one part glue. The mixture ends up thick and goopy–and dries up puffy, like snow!” The “snow paint” can be applied with paintbrushes, sponges, spoons or hands. (Two year-olds like to use their hands. LOL!)
As recommended by a Three’s teacher, I outlined snowmen, glopped “snow paint” onto the snowmen sections, and handed out spoons. Each child picked buttons and a construction paper hat, scarf, eyes, and carrot nose. Fun!
Next multi-media and textured project: Winter scenes of green, felt trees on black construction paper, snow made with both silver glitter and Q-tips dotted white paint. Winter spirit!
Lucy and I at Wyoming Presbyterian Church’s Pumpkin Patch.
It may seem obvious to say pumpkin carving is an easy and fun kids activity, but if you teach preschool (ahem, my wonderful new job), you might think pumpkins, knives, and carving don’t mix with ten super wiggly, touch-everything, curious two year-olds! What does work? Carving open a pumpkin and letting them feel and scoop out what’s inside.
Eight children reached right in, touching and exploring. (“Mushy, gushy!”) The textures were new to them–which showed on their faces–but they dug out the wet, stringy pulp and seeds anyway. Fun!
Two kids wanted nothing to do with this strange mess and backed away from the pumpkin. Funny!
Later in the week, my co-teacher managed to make use of time when the kids were sitting still. She carved shapes into a face. What a great way to learn!
At home, we carved pumpkins, also. It was a first for my daughter’s boyfriend from California. Hands on all around!
Cowl Within a Cowl, Slip Stitch Honeycomb Pattern. Stay warm in Florence!
Another way to wear this scarf.
Sample + Sale = Inspiration!
My knitting store displayed a Cowl Within a Cowl and I was itching to knit something with the rich garnet and grey yarn I’d found marked down. I thought my college-aged daughters would love these interlocking infinity scarves.
Above, “Liquid Copper” (aka Baby A of the triplets) and, below, “Curly Girl” (aka Baby C) model their scarves, knit with the same yarn but made up of different stitches. There’s nothing like a deadline to complete a project. I finished Curly Girl’s scarf right before the new semester at Pratt Institute started. Liquid Copper is in Florence for this semester (lucky girl!). I finished her scarf a couple of days before she left. Whew!
Happy knitting, hon!
Cowl Within a Cowl, Seed Stitch Pattern. Stay warm in Brooklyn!
Cowl Within a Cowl, Honeycomb Pattern (as worn by Liquid Copper)
Finished Measurements
22 inches in length by 12 inches wide
Yarn
2 skeins of 100% Superwash Merino wool, approximately 200 yards each
Needles
1 US size 8 (5 mm) 26″ circular needle
Gauge
5 sts = 1 inch (10 cm) in honeycomb pattern
Notions
–stitch markers to mark beginning of round (I used stitch markers to keep track of overall sts)
–1 yarn needle for weaving in ends
Slip Stitch Honeycomb Pattern:
Note: When working rounds 2 and 4, slip as if to purl and keep yarn in front.
Round 1: Knit.
Round 2: *Purl 1, Slip 1 wyif” repeat across round.
Round 3: Knit.
Round 4: *Slip 1 wyif, Purl 1* repeat across round.
Directions:
Cast on 110 stitches. Being careful not to twist, place marker and join for working in the round. Knit 4 rounds.
Repeat the 4 rounds of Slip Stitch Honeycomb Pattern until work measures approximately 11,” making sure you have enough yarn for the following: Knit 3 rounds and bind off loosely.
Second Cowl:
Cast on 110 stitches as for first cowl, looping needle through first cowl. Join, being careful not to twist stitches. Follow pattern for first cowl.
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Cowl Within a Cowl, Seed Stitch Pattern (as worn by Curly Girl)
Same yarn, needle and notions as above.
Finished Measurements
24 inches in length by 8 1/2 inches wide, gauge is not important
First Cowl Directions
Cast on 101 stitches and join, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Row 1: *K 1, P1* Repeat from * — * to end of round.
Row 2: *P1, K1*, Repeat from * — * to end of round.
These 2 rows form the pattern. Continue until desired length. Bind off loosely in patterm.
Second Cowl:
Cast on 101 stitches as for first cowl, looping needle through first cowl. Join, being careful not to twist the stitches. Follow pattern for first cowl.
Hon, have you ever heard me say I was born in the wrong century? If this was the 19th century (hmm, my house was built in 1882), then my interest in knitting and needlepoint (and a little sewing) wouldn’t seem so old-fashioned. When one of my college daughters needlepoints at school, her friends call her “Bubbe.” But, if I think about the–ahem–common thread that ties these interests together, it’s really quite modern. I love to create something out of nothing. Which relates to my passion for writing. See? It all ties together!
A new baby + restless hands + scrumptiously soft yarn = a baby blanket where every stitch radiates love.
I love yarn shops! Vivid colors and scrumptious textures call out from the bins and shelves. (“Pick me, pick me!”). I might walk in with a project in mind, or I might let the yarn decide what it wants to be. I give it creative license!
Gorgeous Ella Rae Lace Merino Chunky blue/aqua and purple/berry variegated yarn caught my eye this fall. I had recently finished a Potato Chip Scarf (so called because it’s ruffled) for me and wanted to knit another with chunkier yarn. One teen daughter got a Potato Chip scarf and one got an Infinity scarf.
Potato Chip Scarf knit with chunky merino wool.
Potato Chip Scarf knit with finer wool, strands doubled.
Infinity Scarf knit with chunky merino wool.
Infinity Scarf knit with chunky merino wool.
Petit Point pillow that may have caused me to need reading glasses!
I also, finally, finished a petit point canvas and had it made into a pillow. Petit point is comprised of smaller stitches than needlepoint. The stitches were so small, I needed a magnifying light to see what I was doing!
I found this easy Potato Chip scarf pattern on Ravelry.
Potato Chip Scarf Pattern:
Yarn weight: Aran/ 10 ply (8 wpi)
Needle size: US 8 (5.0 mm)
Yardage: 300-310 yards (274 – 283 m)
Cast on 20 stitches.
Row 1: knit 8, turn, knit back to beginning.
Row 2: knit 6, turn, knit back to beginning.
Row 3: Knit 4, turn, knit back to beginning.
Knit across all 20 stitches.
Repeat these rows until desired length is reaches. Bind off.
Naomi M. Gruer 