Quilt Ball Christmas Ornaments

Creating and making quilt ball ornaments is one of my favorite past times. The possiblities for creating new ornaments is endless. I love to make Sparkling Christmas Ornaments like the one pictured. (Just listed it on ebay at: http://www.darlsprairiecreations.com). I like to go back and forth between the glitzy ones and then the more country themed ones that go well with my own country western style decor are fun to create also. Adding little touches of greenery, rusty stars or sparkly beads to the top really adds a nice festive touch to these ornaments.
These ornaments are a great way to use up those little bits of quilt fabric that you have left over from other projects. Of course, it can get addictive and then you find yourself just adding more fabrics to your stash.

Friendship Quilt To Remember

A friend of our family whom my mother had taught to quilt several years ago asked Mom if she would participate in a friendship quilt that she is making. She also invited me to put my name on it. She is making the quilt and provided a block for each of us to sign and embroider our name on. It got my mom to thinking about friendship quilts and she pulled out a quilt that her mother had made. My mother is 92 and she thinks this quilt was made when she was in grade school which would make it probably in the 1920's.

I had never seen this quilt before (it always amazes me when she pulls these things out that she's had hidden away for many years!) Anyway, she doesn't really remember the quilt being made, but her mother's, grandmother's, sister's and Mom's own name are all on the quilt and also many other women never heard of by me. She proceeded to point at each name and tell me exactly where that woman lived from their farm and a little bit about each lady.




I wonder as I practice my embroidery stitches (I'm a little rusty) for the current quilt if this women's kids or grandkids will look at it some day and remember some of the people who's signatures are forever saved on her quilt. I think it is a really neat idea and maybe someday (when the quilting genes that I surely possess kick in) I will make something like this for my kids and grandkids.

Time to Start Fall and Winter Projects

Summer is winding down and in some ways I'm glad. I love spring and summer, but with gardening and horse shows, having the grandkids out, etc., I pretty much have to put my craft projects on hold. There just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done!
Well, I'm starting to think about what projects I want to work on first. I guess I do have a few that I need to finish up! The holidays are just around the corner and I've got to get the knitted Christmas stockings done. I'm wanting to finish up some more of the fingerless gloves, too. I think they'll make nice little winter gifts. I'm always on the look out for some soft, fine yarns to do those with.
My neice got married this summer and I'd like to make her a great afghan. Something fluffy and loose made on great big knitting needles . I've picked out a couple of possible patterns at Knitting Pattern Central.
My youngest grandson has outgrown his baby afghan and I probably ought to be thinking of something more suitable for a little boy.
That pretty much fills up my knitting time, but I'll need to get some more quilted ball ornaments done before the holiday season gets here. I'm on the lookout for some great holiday quilt fabrics to make those out of. This angel cat was a popular ornament.
Looks like I won't have much time to be bored through the winter months. That's ok - I love to create pretty things and keep my hands busy during those long evenings of TV watching with my husband.

Knitting with Alpaca Yarn

We have an alpaca farm right across the road from us. These fascinating creatures are fun to watch and something really different for our neck of the woods. My horses just can't figure out whether to be afraid of them or not!

I've been doing a little research on alpaca yarn and I think I'm going to have to give it a try in my knitting. I'm allergic to pure wool, so I usually stay away from that, but I'm finding out that Alpaca's largest advantage is that, unlike wool, it is hypo-allergenic. That means that people who are allergic to wool will not have a problems with alpaca wool.

Another great thing about alpaca yarn is that it is a hollow core fiber which will keep you warmer than wool when you need to be warm, but breathes when you need to be cool. It is also smoother than wool so will not have the itch factor that wool has.

The down side is that alpaca does not have as much elasticity as wool so therefore when items made with it are stretched they will not go back to their original shape. Don't let this scare you though, because alpaca has a beautiful drape.

There are also a few things you can do to avoid having a problem with it:

1. Use a blended yarn (about 70% alpaca and 30% wool.

2. Choose small projects that don't necessarily need to hold shape.

3. Knit or crochet tighter.

4. Twist stitches to keep the "memory" in your project.

One other tip for knitting with alpaca is to use wooden knitting needles as it can be very slippery to work with.

Armed with these facts, I'm ready to give alpaca a try on some projects in the very near future. I'll let you know how they turn out.

Knitted Christmas Stockings

OK, so I know it seems a little early to be talking about Christmas Stockings, but I found this pattern last year right before Christmas, which, of course, was too late to get more than one done. I decided that since my family needs new Christmas Stockings, I would start making them in January and, hopefully, have them all done by Christmas. I need about 8 and so far I've got 2 done.

This pattern came from http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/. If you've never checked out that site, it is a great resource for lots & lots of free knitting patterns. I've used quite a few of them for various projects.

This pattern makes a stocking about 10" long. Of course, for my family that's not nearly big enough so I've adapted the pattern by using larger needles and casting on more stitches. It's really pretty easy to do and you can experiment a little to get the size you want. I made a few just as the pattern goes and they made nice gift holders for small gifts, like a bottle of lotion or perfume, or candy. They would be cute Christmas decorations, also, and can be made using any combination of colors and yarns. You can use your imagination and decorate and embellish them in any way you like.

The smaller one in the picture is made according to the pattern and I used a fuzzy white yarn for the top. The larger one is made using a bulky burgundy yarn and off white fuzzy yarn. Have fun and I hope you can come up with lots of uses for these little stockings.

Pattern:

One 50 gr. balll worsted weight yarn and size US 9 (5.5mm) needles. Gauge: 8 stitches and 10 rows to 2 inches - but of course that's not essential depending on the size you want.

Cast on 34 sts.

Knit 6 rows (you could use a 2x2 ribbing also).

Starting with a right side row, work 30 rows in SS.

Starting of short rows:

Next row: K24, turn,

Next row: P15, turn,

Continue in SS working one extra stitch on every row (before your turn) until all the stitches have been worked - [i.e. K16 turn, P17 turn, etc.] ending on a knit row.

Purl one row on the 34 sts. Then you can start the next stocking stitch part on the right side. The number of rows is not that essential and can be changed if so desired.

Knit 12 rows straight in Stockinette Stitch.

Shape toe:

Next row: *K1, K2tog, repeat from*to last st. K1

Next row: P2, *P2tog, repeat from*to end of row.

Next row: K2tog to end. (6sts)******

Next row: P2tog to end (3 sts)

Note:******at this stage the yarn could be cut and drawn through the 6 sts to make a 'stubbier' toe.

Cut yarn and draw through remaining sts and fasten off.

Sew seam.

Turn over garter st. cuff.

Make a cord for hanging and fasten to top of cuff.

Hang on doorknob, fill with favours for guests to enjoy.

Buying Yarn Online

Have you noticed the wide variety of yarns that are available online? There are a lot of online stores and popular shopping websites, which offer a wide variety of yarn, of all colors, types as well as from all companies.

There are shopping sites which offer many products and there are specific yarn websites which sell only yarn and other related items. These sites offer a lot options to their customers. You can choose which brand of yarn you want to purchase, the color of yarn, the size, as well as the quantity.

There are other advantages of buying yarn online. You can find yarn from many different companies and you can obtain even rare kinds of yarn, from the comfort of your own home. You don't have the hassle of traveling long distances for a particular kind of yarn.

You also can compare the prices of yarn from different websites and buy yarn from the site or online store which you feel is offers the best deal.

Many websites also offer links to other sites and online stores which sell other kinds of yarn and other related items.

The price of yarn bought online is not a lot higher than yarn bought from actual shops. You will pay a slightly higher price for shipping costs. With the price of gasoline that is probably a good deal!

Another advantage is that the yarn is delivered to you usually within 72 hours of purchase. This time frame may differ depending on where you live.

There is a downside to buying yarn online, however. You will miss the experience of feeling the product, seeing it and touching it. If you like to see how the yarn feels, you will not be able to experience that.

Since I live in a rural area and don't have access to a lot of special yarn stores, the convenience of buying yarn online far outweighs the disadvantages. I don't know about you, but even if the yarn doesn't work for the project I intended, I can usually find something else to knit it into.

www.topknittingsource.com has a great selection of all types of yarns at very affordable prices.

Crafting is Good For You....

If you are a crafter like me, you know how satisfying your crafting is. Why is crafting so satisfying and how does it benefit you? I think there are several reasons that we love to craft and they are all beneficial to our well being.

First, when we craft, we transform something insignificant into something great. We take a skein of yarn and knit it into a scarf. We take random pieces of fabric and put them together into a beautiful quilt or wall hanging. Flour, sugar, oatmeal and chocolate chips turn into delicious chocolate chip cookies.

Part of the joy in crafting comes from knowing you made it. You are not just a passive consumer, you are a creator. When you wear that beautiful sweater or give someone a batch of homemade cookies you feel a sense of pride and accomplishment in being able to say "I made it!".

Doing it yourself is also very relaxing. In fact, recent studies have shown that brain chemistry during knitting is similar to when doing yoga or meditating. I'm not surprised, I think the repetitive process of knitting very soothing. And when I cook, I find a kind of quiet enjoyment in the chopping, kneading, mixing, stirring.

Actually I think my desire to craft is pure selfishness. I just love to make gifts for my friends and I like the fact that every time I craft something I am not buying it, but mostly I create because it makes me feel good. The great thing about the time we live in now is that crafting is a choice and not a necessity. We don't have to make our own clothes or knit our own sweaters, we can do it just because we enjoy doing it.

If you have never tried crafting, or don't think you have any creative talent, you might be surprised at the satisfaction you will get from doing it yourself. There are many types of crafts to try your hand at and you many not necessarily like all of them. Try taking some classes and experimenting with some different types of things until you find one that gives you a sense of satisfaction.

So Many Quilt Blocks, So Little Time

There really are no limits on the types and style of quilt blocks to choose from and the variation of ways to put them together. I have posted some examples that might give you some ideas to start with and create your own quilt.





The example to the left is a quilt using all flower motif quilt blocks. Notice the wide array and types of flowers represented. You could just pick one particular block and make a whole quilt with that theme. My personal favorite is the iris block in the lower right hand corner. I can think of some really pretty variations using different colors of iris that would make a really beautiful quilt.








The motifs in this quilt are considered country. Notice the hearts, cat and pinwheels. These blocks also could be used in any combination and would make some really outstanding quilts.







This is an American Quilt, not only because of the striking red, blue and white blocks, but the many variations of stars and stripes. Again, just using one block or repeating two or three blocks would make this a great quilt to celebrate our country!









Mini quilts are a great way to try out some patterns, or just be creative and make a nice wall hanging, a baby quilt, or a nice lap quilt. These are made using variations of the blocks in the previous quilts.







The pictures and templates for these quilts are from a Better Homes and Gardens book entitled "101 Full Size Quilt Blocks and Borders."

Great Fabric Selections

I have found a new "favorite" place to shop for fabrics. Ebay has a huge selection of any kind of fabric you might be looking for. There are many shops and individuals who carry a large selection of designer, quilting, knits, flannels and many more types of fabrics. I often look for themes, such as holidays or animals and I have always found what I am looking for. You can purchase the fabric as quilt squares, fat quarters or by the yard.

That's not to say that I don't still enjoy going to fabric stores and wandering up and down the aisles of fabric. I enjoy the smell of the fabric and being able to feel the weights and textures of different fabrics.

Well, between the great selections at Ebay and the sensual delights of fabric stores, I seem to have acquired a huge stash of fabric. I remember wondering why my mother had so many boxes of fabric and why she carefully kept every little piece and seemed to always enjoy going through them looking for just the right selections for her current quilt project or finding pieces for me to sew up doll clothes or some project that I wanted to work on.

Yesterday, my granddaughter spent the day with me and she always wants to do some sort of craft project while she's here. We soon found ourselves going through my drawers, boxes and totes of fabric looking for just the right colors for her pillow project. I think I realized then, that I have become my mother!! The love of fabric must be in the blood, because I could see that Haley was enjoying going through all that fabric just like I used to and then she said, "Boy Grandma, you have a lot of fabric!"

At least now I know that it won't all go to waste! And when I visit my mother, who is 92 and still quilting, I still enjoy looking through her fabric stash!

Good News About Knitting

I read somewhere that knitting may keep our minds sharper than people who don't do something to engage their brains as they age. A study of long-lived nuns found that precise activities like knitting and writing helped the women stay sharp in their old age, and that one nun was still knitting mittens and having involved conversations at age 104.

That sounds encouraging to me. As much yarn as I have stashed and all the knitting patterns that I have collected and saved - for when I have time - I should be able to stay on top of things for a good long time.

Actually, for me, knitting is a way to relax and refresh. Doing something repetitive actually soothes the mind. There's just something satisfying about the clicking of the knitting needles and watching your project grow.

Some of my favorite projects have been making baby afghans and my current project is to making wrist warmers or fingerless gloves. I work a lot in offices on computers and my hands get cold. Fingerless gloves really help to keep them warm.

A really simple pattern is to cast on 36 stitches with Size 5 knitting needles. Work knit2,purl2 ribbing for about 2". Switch to stockinette stitch (knit 1 row, purl 1 row) for 3" to 4" (measure from your wrist to just the beginning of your fingers. Switch back to knit2,purl2 ribbing for about 1/2". Cast off. Fold the rectangle into a tube with the ribbing at each end. Using a tapestry needle sew the 2" ribbing together, leave about 1" to 2" space for thumb unsewn and then sew the rest of the way through the 1/2" ribbing. Work in the ends and you have a simple fingerless glove. My hands are small so if you want them a little bigger, just cast on more stitches - just remember the number of stitches needs to be divisible by 4.

Recycled Broken China Angels

I live in the country and I love to take long walks. I found an old, old dumpsite nearby and I love to find ways to recycle some of the things I find there. There are so many pretty pieces of broken china, it seems such a shame to just leave them there. So....I came up with the angels. I sand off all the edges using a grinder and drill a hole. Then cut wings out of old metal (recycled, too, of course) and wire it all together with craft wire. It's a fun and rewarding project and they make great little gifts, too!

No Sew Quilting

I have set up a slide show of some of the quilted ornaments that I make. These ornaments require no sewing and are really fun to make. I started just making Christmas Ornaments, but with so many fabrics to choose from, it's hard to stay with just one holiday! These ornaments are made using a 3" styrofoam ball and lots and lots of straight pins.

Cut your fabric into approximately 2 1/2" squares. It depends on how many layers and colors you're going to use, but for one side you need 5 squares for the center and then 8 squares for each layer going out. Double that number since you have to work both sides of the ball.

You start by pinning one piece of fabric flat on the ball. For the first round, you pick up each piece of fabric and insert the pin into the middle going from the back of the fabric to the right side. Fold the fabric piece in half (wrong side together) so that the pin is sticking out half way along the fold. place the pin into the center of the flat piece of fabric already attached to the ball and then keeping the fabric folded bring each side down on either side of the pin to form a point where the pin is. Put four pins along the bottom to hold the piece in place. Put the pin of the next piece right next to the first and fold it down at a 90 degree angle. After you've placed two more pieces you have your center row finished.

For the next round you'll need 8 pieces. Determine how far back from the center point you want that round and place the first four pins in between where the center row pieces are laying. Then place the next four in the spaces between so that they are staggered and those four pieces overlap the first four pieces of the second round.

You can make 2 more rounds with contrasting fabric to finish the first side. Follow the same procedure for the opposite side of the ball, making sure you get your center rounds as close to exact opposite as you can.

Where your two sides meet around the middle, you'll want to trim any excess off and then using hot glue put a straight piece of fabric (edges folded under) all the way around the ball to cover the raw edges.

Top with ribbon bow and hanger and you've made a quilted ball without sewing a stitch!

These ornaments are especially popular for Christmas Ornaments, but can be used as decoration or bowl fillers for just about any holiday or season.

Why "Crafty Maniac"?

Well, I started this blog because God gave me a surplus of creative energy. I'm just not happy unless I'm try to create something! I will cover a lot of topics, because if you can name a craft, I've probably tried my hand at it. Sometimes good, sometimes bad! My current favorite projects right now are gourd birdhouses and quilted ball ornaments. I plan to discuss the quilted ornaments in my post tomorrow.