Archive for December, 2010
The Sterling – A Tunisian Crochet Cap for Him
I have been playing around with a new design lately – a hat for my husband made with some alpaca yarn that I picked up from the Maryland Alpaca and Fleece Festival. It is a pretty simple concept and I am hoping that it will serve as a basic tutorial for TSS (tunisian simple stitch), TKS (tunisian knit stitch), TPS (tunisian purl stitch) and ribbing. The biggest “selling point,” though, for this pattern was my attempt at making a hat using a traditional tunisian crochet hook rather than a double-ended hook or one with a flexible cord. I am hoping it turns out as planned….and, before Christmas, since this is my husband’s present.
I will keep posting my progress - it all comes down to the final moment when I close this baby up. I imagine that I will be holding my breath the entire time too! But, if (when!) all goes well, I will share the pattern here.
Happy Stitching!
First Snow of the Season…..
It was a light one, but the roads are a mess today. It sure did not help that school was closed early and we had to turn back around and pick up the kids shortly after dropping them off!
I do love the snow, though – especially after we are all safe and snug together inside. It is like mandatory family time and a nice respite from the normal hustle and bustle. I had to cancel all of our appointments for today and I am looking forward to a quiet evening at home with no place to go! My hook should be happy……
I Love This Sweater!!!
I woke up this morning with my daughters’ dance teacher on my mind. Her husband deploys to Afghanistan today and she is pregnant with their first child. I know how hard this can be and my thoughts and prayers are with her today. Well, for me praying for someone equals crocheting for someone. So, I immediately wanted to start a layette set for the baby. I know she will be so surprised and thrilled to receive it. I am always crocheting during her classes while I wait for my girls to finish.
So, the quest for the perfect gender-neutral sweater began (thank you Ravelry!)….I have some yummy yarn in my stash that has been dying to be worked into a cute baby gift for years. I ran across this sweater made in Tunisian crochet and immediately fell, head-over-heels, in love.
Courtesy of "One Yarn After Another"
Beverly Matheson did a phenomenal job designing this one – it’s perfect and I can’t wait to start. Baby is due in June but I would like to surprise her soon. I’d like to crank out a matching hat too! 
A REAL Christmas Story…..
The true meaning of Christmas often gets lost in the hustle and bustle of the season. Interestingly, a fellow shopper and I were talking about this very issue at Michaels Arts and Crafts store after a women (who happened to be my neighbor!) cut in line in front of us. Instead of making a big scene, the fellow shopper and I both smiled at each other and began to talk about Christmas. I remarked that I would rather folks not give gifts at all if it means that the true meaning of Christ’s birth is lost in the process.
One year, I am going to get myself in gear and make everyone’s gift. That would be a true testament of my love for them. Most of all, I will be sure to think of Robert E. Jones, a Utah prisoner, when I do it too. He is my inspiration for the week and a true example of the meaning of Christmas – love, redemption and hope.
Jones recently made 540 (yes 540!) crocheted hats with pom-poms on top for the students of Oquirrh Hills Elementary School, the majority of which are poor and rarely receive such gifts. Jones is serving a prison sentence for murdering a man nearly 30 years ago. Each year, he picks a project to complete in honor of his victim, Kim Chapman. Jones paid for all of the yarn himself (he makes $0.40/hour in prison) and spent many long nights crocheting each hat in time for a special Christmas assembly at the school where each child received a hat. Believe it or not, his grandmother taught him to crochet at age 6.
I can only imagine what profound impact this small gift could have on each one of their lives - “Someone out there loves me. Someone made a big mistake with their life and is choosing to make it right by doing good.”
Courtesy of Paul Fraughton @ The Salt Lake Tribune
The sheer joy on their little faces brings to my mind the joy of the Savior’s birth. Because of Him, Jones and I are forgiven. Because of Christ’s love, redemption is possible. There is HOPE for everyone; and that is the message I wish was prominently displayed during every tv commercial and on every sale flyer that comes my way.
Can we take back Christmas one loving deed at a time? Let’s get out our hooks and needles and give it a try!
