Christmas Tree Candle

I've been meaning to make these for most of this year ..... just been mulling around in my head how to make it look, in real life, the way it does in my head.  This past Saturday, I finally grabbed some yarn and my dpn's and sat down to create the Christmas Tree Candle & it worked - it looks just like I had envisioned it would.  Soooooooo, without further ado - I share my pattern with all of you and really hope that you like it (oh, this pattern has not been test knit, so, if you have any questions about it just ask & I'll try my best to help you out with it).  ˚Ü˚

Christmas Tree Candle

Materials:
     - 4.0 mm dpn
     - medium weight yarn (I used Red Heart Soft Touch for the candle and Bernat Glow in The Dark yarn for the flame)
     - clothes pin
     - darning needle

Instructions for the candle:

- Cast on 15 stitches, join in the round (being careful not to twist the stitches) and knit each round for 19 rounds.
- *knit 2 tog, knit 3; repeat from * around (12 stitches)
- knit 2 together around (6 stitches)
- knit 2 together around (3 stitches), break yarn
****At this point, I take the tail and weave it through the 3 stitches that are on the needles and then pull it down the center top of the candle so it is on the inside of the tube for the candle, making sure to keep those 3 stitches on the needles because you'll need them to make the flame with.

Instructions for the flame:

- with the yarn for the flame, knit in the front and back of each of the stitches on the dpn's (6 stitches)
- knit 1 round plain (6 stitches)
- knit in the front and back of each stitch around (12 stitches)
- knit 1 round plain (12 stitches)
- knit 2 together around (6 stitches)
- knit 2 together around (3 stitches), removing each dpn as you go until all 3 stitches are left on 1 dpn.
- cut yarn, leaving 4 - 5" long tail (probably overkill on how long the tail should be, but I don't like having too short of a tail when I'm doing the finishing work on a project), thread darning needle with tail.  Insert darning needle in stitch furthest from stitch with the tail.  Slip the stitch from the dpn onto the darning needle, repeat with the other 2 stitches on the dpn.  Pull the darning needle and tail through all 3 stitches, pull tight, tie a knit (making sure that it is as close to the tip of the flame as you can get).  Now, take the darning needle (with the tail yarn still threaded in it) and put it down the tip of the flame, through the bottom of the flame into the candle so that the tail from the flame yarn is on the inside of the tube for the candle.  Remove the darning needle, trim the tail (from both the candle yarn and the flame yarn) & insert the clothes pin (handle will be closest to the flame).  Place candle on tree by squeezing the sides of the candle to open the clothes pin, place on tree branch and let go of candle.

Pliable Ice Pack

Pliable Ice Pack

By:

Becky Kibblewhite

4.5 mm knitting needles

Bernat Handicraft 100% Cotton yarn (approx. 35g)

darning needle

1/4 cup water

1/8 cup rubbing alcohol

ziploc freezer bag - medium size

Using your favourite cast on method, cast on 32 stitches.

Knit in stockinette stitch until piece is 5" long (end on a purl row).

Purl 1 row.

Switch to garter stitch and work until entire piece (from cast on edge) is 10" long.

Cast off (bind off).  Fold piece in half and seam around edges to close.

Mix water and rubbing alcohol together and soak the knit piece in the water mixture.  Once it is fully saturated, take it out of the liquid & squeeze it a bit to get the excess water mixture out of the ice pack (you don't want it dripping wet).  Place the ice pack in the ziploc freezer bag and close the bag up (squeezing out the air as you are zipping it closed).  Toss it in the freezer for a few hours, or until you need to use it (but a minimum of a few hours, though).

NOTE:  I keep mine in the bag all the time .... it keeps it clean and the ice pack doesn't dry out when it's kept in the bag.

One Seam Baby Slippers

 One Seam Baby Slippers
by:
Becky Kibblewhite

 Materials:
    4mm crochet hook
    4mm knitting needles
    darning needle
    worsted weight yarn
    2 buttons

Instructions (RIGHT SLIPPER):
- With crochet hook, chain 40, remove hook and insert knitting needle in loop that the crochet hook was just in.  Pick up/knit 6 stitches from the bumps on the back of the chain strip (you should have 7 loops on the knitting needle),

skip 3 chains/bumps and insert needle into the 4th chain/bump (this creates the button hole).  Continue picking up/knitting stitches across.  (37sts)

 - Slip 1st stitch of each row and knit each row for 10 rows.  Bind off 15 stitches, knit to end of row, turn work. (22sts)
- Bind off 15 stitches, *knit across remaining 6 stitches and pick up 1 stitch from the Bind Off edge of the first 15 stitches you bound off (see photo below), turn work. (8sts)

- Knit 2 stitches together then knit across remaining 6 stitches.  (7 stitches on needle)  Repeat from * across for 28 rows or until there are no more stitches to pick up on the Bind Off edges (this is attaching the sides of the slipper to the sole (or bottom) or the slipper).

Here is how the bottom of the slipper should be looking, as your work is progressing:

 - Last row:  knit 2 stitches together and then bind off all stitches on this row.

 - Fold over side without buttonhole and then fold the buttonhole side over top of that.

- Seam through all 3 layers to close toe.

For LEFT SLIPPER:  chain 40, use knitting needle & pick up/knit stitches till there are 10 stitches left to be picked up/knit, skip 3 stitches and continue picking up/knitting stitches on last 7 chain/bumps.  Continue in same manner as for RIGHT SLIPPER.

Sew buttons in place and put on your favourite baby feet.  ˚Ü˚

Potholder Mitt

Years ago, my Mom made me a sewn potholder that had a pocket on one side - the pocket was there so that I could insert my hand & use the potholder as an oven mitt.  Recently I noticed that these were becoming very worn, so, I decided to knit some up, and here is the pattern that I came up with.  ˚Ü˚

Potholder Mitt

Pattern by:
Becky Kibblewhite

 

Materials:

- approximately 144 grams Bernat Handicraft Cotton
- 4.5 mm needles
- darning needle
- row markers (2)
- stitch holder
- 4.5 mm crochet hook

NOTE:  for safety reasons do not use an acrylic yarn as the Potholder Mitt could melt ... use only 100% cotton.

Pot Holder Instructions:

- Holding 2 strands of yarn together, cast on 30 stitches
Rows 1 - 3:  knit every row for 3 rows

Row 4:  knit 3 stitches (place marker), knit in front and back of rest of stitches until you come to the last 3 stitches, (place marker) knit 3 stitches (54 stitches)

Row 5:  k3, slip marker, *k1, yarn in front (as if to purl), slip 1 (as if to purl), yarn in back (as if to knit)*; repeat between *'s across to marker (stitch before marker should be a slip 1), slip marker, k3

NOTE:  as you are working Row 5, put a piece of waste yarn through the 24 stitches that you knit (as you are knitting them) ….. these stitches are not removed from the needles, they are merely holding the waste yarn to make it easier to see where you will get the 24 stitches for the mitt portion of the pattern.  You will continue working all the stitches between the markers (48 stitches) for the entire double knit portion of the pattern (some will be knit & some will be slipped).
See photos:

The knit stitch has been made, in this photo and the darning needle has been inserted in the knit stitch …. you can see the waste yarn that has been put through each knit stitch:

Row 6:  k3, slip marker, *k1, yarn in front (as if to purl), slip 1 (as if to purl), yarn in back (as if to knit)*; repeat between *'s across to marker (stitch before marker should be a slip 1), slip marker, k3

Continue to work Row 6 until piece measure 9.5" from cast on edge.

This next picture shows how the work is progressing on the side with the waste yarn …. waste yarn stays in place as the work continues:

Here is a picture of the opposite side of the potholder, you can't see the waste yarn on this side of the double-knit portion of the potholder:

Next Row:  knit 3, slip marker, knit 2 stitches together across (between markers), slip marker, knit 3 (30 stitches)
- Knit 3 rows
- Bind off ….. when 1 stitch is left on your needle, switch to crochet hook and crochet a chain of 15.  Cut yarn and pull through last chain, now, attach the last chain close to the first chain and weave in ends (this creates a loop to hang your Potholder Mitt from).

Mitt Instructions:

In this next photo it shows one of the 24 stitches that will be picked up (the stitches that are waiting on the waste yarn):

- With single strand of yarn pick up the 24 stitches where the waste yarn is, working from left side of potholder to right side to pick up the stitches, leave a long tail (this will be for seaming one side of the mitt down).

Row 1:  knit

Row 2:  purl

Row 3: k2, p2 across

Repeat Row 3 until mitt is 9" long

- with RS of work facing you, bind off loosely in pattern.  Leave a long tail to seam side of mitt down.  Once seaming is completed, weave in any ends that you need to & enjoy your new potholder mitt.

Super Easy Christmas Toque

Yesterday we had our Homeschool Christmas party, we had soooooooo much fun ..... we exchanged gifts, played games, the kids were taken on a sled ride (a calf sled pulled behind a quad - not really sure who enjoys those more .... the kids or the Dad that drives the quad, lol).

Anyway, I had decided a while ago (before the party was planned), that I wanted to make a friend of mine a mitten and scarf set - the mittens I made were the double thick ones that I've been making lately, and the scarf was going to be woven on my Tia Rigid Heddle loom (this loom has definitely been worth the $3 I spent for it ˚Ü˚).  Three days before the Homeschool Christmas party, I decided that this set needed a toque to go with it - I couldn't find a pattern for a really easy/quick toque, soooooooooo, I came up with my own pattern (which I'm sharing here ˚Ü˚) ...... my friend gave me a beautiful ceramic mug (it has blues, purples and a bit of cream colouring all over it) and a jar of Peppermint Flavoured Mocha drink mix - which I'm enjoying, right now, as I'm sharing this blog entry, lol.  ˚Ü˚

Super Easy Christmas Toque

Materials needed:

• worsted weight yarn
• 4.5 mm circular needle (minimum 40" long for magic loop)
• darning needle

Directions:

• with white, cast on 100 sts, divide these stitches for magic loop, so, 50 on each side.
• mark the beginning of the round, and work a K2, P2 rib for 3" (being careful not to twist your stitches when your knitting in the round).
• when the 3" of ribbing are completed, change to blue yarn and knit in the round until piece measure 8" long (this is measured from the cast on edge to the stitches that are on your needles).
• begin decreases as follows:
• *knit 8, knit 2 together - repeat from *, (you should end each decrease round on a knit 2 together)
• knit 90 stitches
• *knit 7, knit 2 together - repeat from *
• knit 80 stitches
• *knit 6, knit 2 together - repeat from *
• knit 70
• *knit 5, knit 2 together - repeat from *
• knit 60
• *knit 4, knit 2 together - repeat from *
• knit 50
• *knit 3, knit 2 together - repeat from *
• knit 40
• *knit 2, knit 2 together - repeat from *
• knit 30
• *knit 1, knit 2 together - repeat from *
• knit 20
• *knit 2 together - repeat from *
• knit 10
• cut yarn, leaving a 10" tail for weaving in, take darning needle (thread it with the yarn you cut) and run it through the 10 stitches remaining on your needles, pull tight to close the hole.  Run your needle through those same 10 stitches, again (this really secures those stitches).  Now, push the needle through the center, where the hole was (you're taking your needle from the outside (public side) of the toque to the inside (non public side) of the toque).  Finish off as usual (meaning, weave in the rest of the tail - I like to weave in a lot of the tail, so, if it starts to come apart, I have yarn to work with in order to fix it).
• Make sure to weave in any ends from the cast on edge and where you switched yarn from ribbing to stockinette stitch.
• Last step ..... make a pom pom, using the same colour of yarn that was used for the ribbing and attach to the top of the toque.

Here's a picture of the whole set that I made for my friend - she absolutely loved it:

Tea Spout Drip Catcher

The other day, I was visiting a friend - she offered me a cup of tea and when she went to pour the tea, her teapot dripped tea from the spout (creating a small puddle on the table) ..... she ended up wrapping a piece of paper towel around the spout to catch the drips.  This got me thinking and when I got home that afternoon, I got out my needles and some cotton yarn ..... this is the result of that encounter.  ˚Ü˚

Tea Spout Drip Catcher

Materials:

4.5 mm (US 7) needles
Bernat Handicraft Cotton

Directions:
1 - Cast on 16 stitches
2 - Knit in stockinette stitch for 6 rows
3 - knit 2, purl 2 for 4 rows
4 - Knit in stockinette stitch for 6 rows
5 - Bind off loosely, leaving a tail for seaming the edge closed
6 - Weave in all loose ends, make sure ends are rolled and place on your teapot spout.