Friday, 19 March 2010
Monday, 15 March 2010
Easter Chick to Cover a Cream Egg
Easter is coming so we had better get cracking!!
To make an Easter Chick to Cover a Cream Egg you will need...
- Small amount of yellow DK yarn
- A pair of needles UK size 3.75mm / 9 / US 5
- Small amount of stuffing for the head
- Small piece of felt for the beak (or Red Craft Foam)
- Chocolate egg, plastic or hard boiled!
Cast on 26 stitches.
- Row 1: K1, increase 1, K to the end.
- Repeat first row until you have 36 stitches on the needle (10 rows)
- Knit four rows. (14 rows)
- Row 1: K3, bring yfwd, slip next stitch, ybk, move slip stitch back to left needle. Turn
- Row 2: K3 to end
- Row 3: K2, bring yfwd, slip next stitch, ybk, move slip stitch back to left needle. Turn
- Row 4: K2 to end
- Row 5: Cast off 10 stitches, K to end
- Repeat last five row for the other side to shape tail.
- You will have 16 stitches left in the centre of your knitting.
Head:
- Rows 1-4: Knit
- Row 5: K1, K2tog, K to last three stitches, K2tog, K1.
- Rows 6-8: Same as row 5
- Rows 9-10: Knit
Using he same pattern and fluffy wool you can create really funky Easter Chicks.
Go on Knit some Easter Chicks to cover Cadburys Cream Eggs for the Kids this Easter!
Garden Habitats to Encourage Wildlife into Your Garden
Our gardens are home to a wide range of living creatures. An average garden could hold over 2,000 different species of invertebrate. Many of these are very small, so are often over-looked. With all this diversity of life it is good to know that very few creatures cause significant damage to our prized flowers, fruit and vegetables, the ones that gardeners call pests. Even better, there are many more creatures that help us control the pests.
Bees FlatsHoles for solitary bees. There are many different
species of solitary bee, all are excellent pollinators. The
female bee lays an egg on top of a mass of pollen at the
end of a hollow tube, she then seals the entrance with a
plug of mud. A long tube can hold several such cells.
Hollow stems, such as old bamboo canes, or holes
drilled into blocks of wood, make good nest sites for
solitary bees. Holes of different diameters mean many
different species can be catered for.
Hedgehog houseHedgehogs are loved by most gardeners as the eat many slugs, they also consume earthworms, beetles, spiders, caterpillars, millipedes and woodlice. Hedgehogs need a secure place to build their nests in; a wooden box under a pile of sticks and debris in a sheltered corner is ideal. Our hedgehog home has
dry leaves inside as bedding.
dry leaves inside as bedding.
Toad holeFrogs and toads eat many slugs and other garden pests. Although they need a pond to breed in, they can spend most of the year out of water. We use stone and tiles as these provide the cool damp conditions amphibians need. Newts may also take advantage of these conditions. Amphibians need a frostfree place to spend the winter; this could be in the centre of our habitat, inside the base of a dry-stone wall, under a pile of rubble or deep underground.
St Patrick's Day Kids' Crafts
By Beverly Frank
St. Patrick's day is a great day for kid's crafts. It is a wonderful day to get out the paint, glue sticks, and crafting materials to create something to celebrate the holiday. The following are three great craft ideas of kids.
Blarney Stone:
A blarney stone comes from old Irish folklore. In southwestern Ireland, there is a very famous stone called the Blarney Stone. If you kiss the stone, you are said to be given the gift of eloquence. It is a big part of Irish tradition.
So, make your own Blarney stones at home as part of your St. Patty's Day crafts. To do this you need river stones, green paint, some googly eyes, and a black paint pen.
Start by painting the rocks green. You will have to wait for a while for them to dry, so it is best to do this in advance, and have an adult do it. Then, once the rock is painted, let your kids use the googly eyes, paint pen etc. to put a face on their very own Blarney stone.
You can use glitter, fabric, feathers, etc. to add a mouth, hair, and other accessories. Just don't forget to give it a smooch so that you can be eloquent.
Heart Shamrocks:
Shamrocks are a big deal in Irish culture as they are a symbol of luck. Any craft you make with shamrocks is a fun way to celebrate the holiday. A fun one for kids is to make a heart shamrock.
You need green construction paper, yellow construction paper, black crayons or markers, glue, scissors.
To make a heart shamrock you use the green construction paper and cut out three hearts. Arrange them into a shamrock shape, and cut out a stem. Use glue to attach them to the yellow construction paper. Then using the black crayons or markers, write out your felicitations of luck, such as "luck be with you" and then use it as a gift, card, etc.
Leprechaun Luck:
Leprechauns are mythic in Ireland, and are a great part of the St. Patrick's Day tradition. There are all sorts of lore surrounding leprechauns. So, one fun craft is to create a necklace using this lore.
To do this print out the following poem:
I keep three wishes handy,
In case I chance to meet
Any day a Leprechaun
Coming down the street.
Then create a shamrock, and write one wish on each leaf of the shamrock. Punch a hole in the top. Glue the poem to the side the wishes are not on, and string yarn through it to create a wish necklace. This can be worn during the day, to provide you with your green so that you do not get pinched, and is a fun way to grab hold of some Irish tradition.
St. Patrick's day is a great day for kid's crafts. It is a wonderful day to get out the paint, glue sticks, and crafting materials to create something to celebrate the holiday. The following are three great craft ideas of kids.
Blarney Stone:
A blarney stone comes from old Irish folklore. In southwestern Ireland, there is a very famous stone called the Blarney Stone. If you kiss the stone, you are said to be given the gift of eloquence. It is a big part of Irish tradition.
So, make your own Blarney stones at home as part of your St. Patty's Day crafts. To do this you need river stones, green paint, some googly eyes, and a black paint pen.
Start by painting the rocks green. You will have to wait for a while for them to dry, so it is best to do this in advance, and have an adult do it. Then, once the rock is painted, let your kids use the googly eyes, paint pen etc. to put a face on their very own Blarney stone.
You can use glitter, fabric, feathers, etc. to add a mouth, hair, and other accessories. Just don't forget to give it a smooch so that you can be eloquent.
Heart Shamrocks:
Shamrocks are a big deal in Irish culture as they are a symbol of luck. Any craft you make with shamrocks is a fun way to celebrate the holiday. A fun one for kids is to make a heart shamrock.
You need green construction paper, yellow construction paper, black crayons or markers, glue, scissors.
To make a heart shamrock you use the green construction paper and cut out three hearts. Arrange them into a shamrock shape, and cut out a stem. Use glue to attach them to the yellow construction paper. Then using the black crayons or markers, write out your felicitations of luck, such as "luck be with you" and then use it as a gift, card, etc.
Leprechaun Luck:
Leprechauns are mythic in Ireland, and are a great part of the St. Patrick's Day tradition. There are all sorts of lore surrounding leprechauns. So, one fun craft is to create a necklace using this lore.
To do this print out the following poem:
I keep three wishes handy,
In case I chance to meet
Any day a Leprechaun
Coming down the street.
Then create a shamrock, and write one wish on each leaf of the shamrock. Punch a hole in the top. Glue the poem to the side the wishes are not on, and string yarn through it to create a wish necklace. This can be worn during the day, to provide you with your green so that you do not get pinched, and is a fun way to grab hold of some Irish tradition.
For more kids crafts, visit http://www.makeplaydough.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Beverly_Frank |
Knitted Cupcake Egg Cosy - Knitting Pattern
By Louise FoppoliThe kids seem to love lifting an egg cosy to find a hard-boiled egg underneath. I used a fluffy "sugar wisp" wool in the cream and brown cosy and my daughter refers to it as "the wild one".This is just a fun little knitting exercise that only takes minutes to make.
Abbreviations:
St(s) = stitches
K = knit
P = purl
Inc = increase knit (or purl) twice into stitch
K2tog (or p2tog) = work next two sts together
You will need:
Scraps of wool in two colours (for base and cake)for cupcake and red if you wish to add a cherry on top!
4mm knitting needles
Beads (if desired)
Cast on 24 stitches with 4mm needles in base colour.
Row 1-6: *K1, P1*, repeat from * to *.
Change to cake colour.
Row 7-16: Continue in stocking stitch.
Row 17: *K1, K2 tog* until end (16 sts)
Row 18: Purl
Row 19: K2 together until end (8 sts)
Break yarn and thread through remaining stitches pulling tightly.
Sew up side of cosy and attach cherry on top. Decorate with beads if desired.
Cherry Cast on 6 stitches. Knit six rows stocking stitch.
Cast off.
Sew running stitch around outside edges and gather tightly.
This pattern uses leftover scraps of wool and is fun to make. You can make a set of egg cosies with the same colour combination or you can make a different one for each member of the family. The children usually love choosing their colours and their beads. We now have a collection of egg cosies and the children choose according to their moods on the day. Makes for a fun breakfast!
Louise F is a busy Mum and a webmaster of a website featuring cupcake recipes and crafts. You can find more recipes and craft ideas at http://www.all-about-cupcakes.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Louise_Foppoli |
Make a Mothers Day Teapot for Mum on Mothering Sunday
If you love tea, you will love this beautiful hand painted Mothers Day Teapot craft idea. An unremarkable plain white teapot is decorated with hand painted love hearts to transform it into a very pretty looking teapot - Ideal for Mothers Day.
To make the Mothers Day teapot you will need...
A plain white teapot, you can buy these cheaply at The Range and Asda,
A fuchsia Marabu porcelain paint pen and a silver one too, you will find these at Hobbycraft.
To make the Mothers Day teapot you will need...
A plain white teapot, you can buy these cheaply at The Range and Asda,
A fuchsia Marabu porcelain paint pen and a silver one too, you will find these at Hobbycraft.
You will also need a pencil and a ruler.
Start off by giving the teapot a good wash to remove and grease or dirt. Dry the teapot on a clean tea towel.
Now with the pencil and ruler, mark out some guide lines on the teapot. I know its a bit tricky because its not a flat surface, but do the best you can. It does look nicer if your writing is straight.
Start off by giving the teapot a good wash to remove and grease or dirt. Dry the teapot on a clean tea towel.
Now with the pencil and ruler, mark out some guide lines on the teapot. I know its a bit tricky because its not a flat surface, but do the best you can. It does look nicer if your writing is straight.
Next in pencil, write in the guide lines 'Happy Mothers Day'. You will probably need to write 'Day' below on another line. If you go wrong, rub it out with a damp peice of kitchen paper. When you are happy that all the text is central you can begine with the porcelain paint pens.
Before use, shake the Marabu porcelain paint pen well with the cap closed. Press onto the tip repeatedly until the ink is visible in it (do not continue once the ink appears in the tip as this may overload it).
If the nib does get a bit too full, draw on some scrap paper to reduce the surplus paint.
Before use, shake the Marabu porcelain paint pen well with the cap closed. Press onto the tip repeatedly until the ink is visible in it (do not continue once the ink appears in the tip as this may overload it).
If the nib does get a bit too full, draw on some scrap paper to reduce the surplus paint.
With the silver pen, go over the pencil text that you wrote. Then leave the teapot to one side to let the paint dry.
The paint does stay wet for a while and if you smudge it, it des spoil the look of the teapot.
Next either freehand or make yourself a little cardboard heart template, cover the teapot and lip in love hearts. The love hearts can be all sizes and they can go in any direction.
You can avoid smudging the paint by only doing a couple of hearts on one side, and then allowing them to dry for half an hour and then drawing some more. Build up in this way until the teapot is covered.
If you do smudge the paint - not to worry. Have a soapy damp cloth ready to scrub off your mistake. Make sure that this space dries properly before you try to paint on it again.
Once you are happy with your teapot, allow the paint to dry for 4 hours before baking the teapot in a preheated oven temperature for 170 degrees Celsius, 325 degrees Fahrenheit or gas mark 3. Bake the teapot for 30 minutes to fix the paint.
After baking, turn off the heat and open the oven door and allow the teapot to cool down before you remove it from the oven.
The Marabu-Porcelain Painter is dishwasher-safe after baking in the oven.
Friday, 12 March 2010
Juggling Cats
I call these “Juggling Cats” because they are just the right size to do that. However, if you are not into juggling, add catnip to the stuffing and give it to your cat to juggle. Or, add a cord and hang them to make people smile. Make them into ornaments, a keychain, a zipper pull...
You need:
Lily Sugar and Cream in colors of your choice.
“G” crochet hook
Polyfiber stuffing
Optional craft eyes (6 mm)
Yarn needle
Body:
Using white yarn color for face:
Make magic ring*, ch 1
Round 1: sc 6 into a magic ring, pull tight.
Round 2: sc 2 into each sc around (12 sc)
Change to yarn color for body:
Round 3: (sc 1 into next sc, then sc 2 into next), around (18 sc)
Round 4: (sc 1 into next 2 sc, then sc 2 into next) around (24 sc)
Rounds 5 to 9: sc around (24 sc)
If you are using plastic safety eyes, place them now.
Round 10: (sc 1 into next 2 sc, sc2tog) around (18)
Round 11 (sc 1 into next sc, sc2tog) around (12 sc)
Stuff with polyfiber.
Round 12: (sc2tog) around (6 sc)
Join with sl st to next st. Fasten off, pull tight to close and hide yarn end.
Ear - (make 2):
Make magic ring, ch 1
Round 1: 4 sc in magic ring (4 st)
Round 2: (sc 1 into next sc, sc 2 into next sc) twice (6 st)
Round 3: (sc 1 into next sc, sc 2 into next sc) three times (9 st)
Join with sl st to next st. Fasten off, leaving long end of yarn.
Tail
Ch 12
2 Sc into 2nd ch from hook, 2 sc into each ch until end
Fasten off, leaving long end of yarn.
Assembly:
Sew ears on top of face. Sew tail on back of body. Embroider some whiskers…and play!
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