Thursday, January 31, 2008
2nd Afghan in Progress
I just gathered up all the blocks from the east side of the mountains and shipped them to the west side to Val's house. She has enough blocks to put the afghan together that we're going to send to Uncle Monte. So we'll look forward, Val, to seeing a picture of your progress!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Blocks from New Mexico!
Hi everyone! I wanted to share a photo of the blocks Aunt Lucy and Aunt Alice made and sent for Uncle Monte's afghan. Cute, huh! Alice's are on the left, they are knitted and accompanied by a note that says, "Fred's Better Half." Alice's crocheted blocks are on the right, accompanied by a note that says "Chuck's Bitter Half." ;) They are such a kick in the pants!
Thank you, Alice and Lucy, for the blocks!!
Thank you, Alice and Lucy, for the blocks!!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Vanna's Choice Sale- Michael's
Hi everybody! Just wanted to let you know that Vanna's Choice is on sale January 20-26th at Michael's for $2.00 a skein (that's $1 off)- that's the lowest I've seen it go, so now is a great time to stock up for our next two afghans- for Uncles Fred and Chuck!
We'll be making Fred and Chuck's afghans the same way as Monte's, so refer below to the Project #2 guidelines for the instructions. Lots of 10 inch squares!
Vanna's Choice is also great yarn for washable baby knit or crochet items, if you have any plans in the back of your mind for gifts for our little Cricketeers who are on their way or other little peoples.
Want to browse through free knit or crochet patterns? The Lion Brand Website has a huge database of great free patterns. You'll have to create a log-in with them, but it is worth it. Also, try out Knitting Pattern Central or Crochet Pattern Central- more patterns than you could ever use.
We'll be making Fred and Chuck's afghans the same way as Monte's, so refer below to the Project #2 guidelines for the instructions. Lots of 10 inch squares!
Vanna's Choice is also great yarn for washable baby knit or crochet items, if you have any plans in the back of your mind for gifts for our little Cricketeers who are on their way or other little peoples.
Want to browse through free knit or crochet patterns? The Lion Brand Website has a huge database of great free patterns. You'll have to create a log-in with them, but it is worth it. Also, try out Knitting Pattern Central or Crochet Pattern Central- more patterns than you could ever use.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
GREAT IDEA!
Hello, All!
Wahoo!! Welcome Aunt Lucy & Aunt Alice!! So much fun, this is. I think the raffle is an awesome notion. Dacia has a friend who is the grand-daughter of the owner of Knit Wits, here in Boise. I think I shall gather those of us who have interest to go have some lessons this Spring. I'm feeling awfully left out of the afghan-making. Sniff sniff. I am a bit overloaded right now, so it will have to wait just a bit longer for me. I hope Grandma Knit Wit will have some suggestions for people with difficult hands, because I would really love to be contributing squares instead of just a bunch of "way to go" words!
Wahoo!! Welcome Aunt Lucy & Aunt Alice!! So much fun, this is. I think the raffle is an awesome notion. Dacia has a friend who is the grand-daughter of the owner of Knit Wits, here in Boise. I think I shall gather those of us who have interest to go have some lessons this Spring. I'm feeling awfully left out of the afghan-making. Sniff sniff. I am a bit overloaded right now, so it will have to wait just a bit longer for me. I hope Grandma Knit Wit will have some suggestions for people with difficult hands, because I would really love to be contributing squares instead of just a bunch of "way to go" words!
A call from New Mexico!
Guess what? Aunt Lucy just called me, and she is sending 4 blocks that she and Aunt Alice made, for Uncle Monte's afghan. Isn't that exciting? Yay!!! Thank you Lucy and Alice!! It was so fun talking to her on the phone.
I think that may mean that we have enough blocks to start assembling Monte's afghan. I'll post pics of Lucy and Alice's blocks and then put them in the mail with mine over to you, Polly, as soon as I get them. Get your black yarn ready!
For you knitters and crocheters, don't put down your needles or hook- we are going to continue making blocks for afghans for Uncles Chuck and Fred with the same specifications, Vanna's Choice yarn in 10 inch blocks. Whose should we do first, Chuck's or Fred's?
Lucy also had a neat idea, I thought, for a future project. We are so numerous that we can't really make a quilt or afghan for everyone, but she thought that having everyone contribute to a quilt and then have a family raffle to raffle it off (all proceeds going to Cricket's Club for future projects) would be neat. I thought that was a cool idea. What do you guys think?
I think that may mean that we have enough blocks to start assembling Monte's afghan. I'll post pics of Lucy and Alice's blocks and then put them in the mail with mine over to you, Polly, as soon as I get them. Get your black yarn ready!
For you knitters and crocheters, don't put down your needles or hook- we are going to continue making blocks for afghans for Uncles Chuck and Fred with the same specifications, Vanna's Choice yarn in 10 inch blocks. Whose should we do first, Chuck's or Fred's?
Lucy also had a neat idea, I thought, for a future project. We are so numerous that we can't really make a quilt or afghan for everyone, but she thought that having everyone contribute to a quilt and then have a family raffle to raffle it off (all proceeds going to Cricket's Club for future projects) would be neat. I thought that was a cool idea. What do you guys think?
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Blocks Update!
Hi everyone! I wanted to post some pics of the blocks I have done so far. The first is the block I've made so far for Alan's quilt- it's a Native American Warrior shield. The next two pics show how I traced the picture onto the fabric- I taped the printed out picture under the block onto a glass cutting board, then held it in my lap over a lamp (which is actually a scented wax warmer!). Remember to leave 1/4 inch margin on all sides of your blocks when coloring, because that will disappear when they are sewn together!
The next pic is the blocks I have done for Uncle Monty's afghan. The two on the top right are knitted, the rest are crocheted. I love knitting more than crochet, but crocheting is definitely faster! The Granny square block was really fun.
The Tuxedo below is Moo, my official Cricket's Club Yarn Discipliner. She makes sure that all the yarn knows its proper place, which is in her claws, under her paws, or under her sleeping belly. Here she's taking a test nap on a shawl I was knitting, and looking decidedly displeased at being disturbed by the Flashy Box. Sophie, the Tabby, prefers to not work as hard as the Moo, but she loves the Flashy Box, and takes her job as Cricket's Club Glamour Shots Model very, very seriously.
Post pics of your blocks here (or e-mail me pictures and I'll post them for you), and let me know if you have any questions!
-Val
The next pic is the blocks I have done for Uncle Monty's afghan. The two on the top right are knitted, the rest are crocheted. I love knitting more than crochet, but crocheting is definitely faster! The Granny square block was really fun.
The Tuxedo below is Moo, my official Cricket's Club Yarn Discipliner. She makes sure that all the yarn knows its proper place, which is in her claws, under her paws, or under her sleeping belly. Here she's taking a test nap on a shawl I was knitting, and looking decidedly displeased at being disturbed by the Flashy Box. Sophie, the Tabby, prefers to not work as hard as the Moo, but she loves the Flashy Box, and takes her job as Cricket's Club Glamour Shots Model very, very seriously.
Post pics of your blocks here (or e-mail me pictures and I'll post them for you), and let me know if you have any questions!
-Val
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Mother Bear Project
For the crocheters, I now have the crochet pattern for the bears. Send me an e-mail if you want me to send a copy. I finished my 1st knitted bear. Not a great job, but at least I stuck with it to the end! I'll try and remember to take a picture of it and post it here. Val you should post the picture you have of the bears you did. I have another one in progress, but pretty much have put it aside while I work on these afghan squares.
Regarding Donations.
Hi everyone!
I have been asked by a fellow Cricketeer what the process is for donating to the club to help out with expenses, and realize that it’s time to do a little organizing in that area.
Here’s what I have in mind. Cricket’s Club, to me, is an open invitation to everyone in the family to participate and enjoy, without obligations or expectations- I want the fund to reflect that structure and goodwill. A primary goal is to distribute the work among many people so that with each doing a little, something big and beautiful can be made by all. This can be applied to the expenses too- lots of people giving a little makes it happen and keeps anyone from being overburdened.
There are some who would like to participate but don’t have the time, or are enthusiastic about what we’re doing but not really interested in doing the actual crafting themselves. Donations of materials or funds to buy them would be a wonderful alternative way to support what Cricket’s Club is doing- and would be very gratefully received. I have really, really appreciated the generous donations of not just time and work, but materials that CC has received already.
If you are going to be participating in a project, a primary way to donate is to simply purchase the items you’ll need, but that’s not always feasible and certainly not required. Please don’t let that stop you from participating! Contact me, and we will happily get materials to you.
Which is where donations come in:
What to donate:
Here is a rough accounting of what our expenses are:
Where to send donations: To Mary in Selah. I am making my Mom the treasurer, because she has lots of room to store supplies, and she is centrally located for gathering to work on projects. So please send all donations to her in Selah- contact her or me for her address if you don’t have it handy. She’s officially opening the “Cricket Club Fund” today, in fact, with a book of stamps.
Please contact Val with any questions about current needs or what to donate. Again, any donations are greatly appreciated- Thank you!!
I have been asked by a fellow Cricketeer what the process is for donating to the club to help out with expenses, and realize that it’s time to do a little organizing in that area.
Here’s what I have in mind. Cricket’s Club, to me, is an open invitation to everyone in the family to participate and enjoy, without obligations or expectations- I want the fund to reflect that structure and goodwill. A primary goal is to distribute the work among many people so that with each doing a little, something big and beautiful can be made by all. This can be applied to the expenses too- lots of people giving a little makes it happen and keeps anyone from being overburdened.
There are some who would like to participate but don’t have the time, or are enthusiastic about what we’re doing but not really interested in doing the actual crafting themselves. Donations of materials or funds to buy them would be a wonderful alternative way to support what Cricket’s Club is doing- and would be very gratefully received. I have really, really appreciated the generous donations of not just time and work, but materials that CC has received already.
If you are going to be participating in a project, a primary way to donate is to simply purchase the items you’ll need, but that’s not always feasible and certainly not required. Please don’t let that stop you from participating! Contact me, and we will happily get materials to you.
Which is where donations come in:
What to donate:
- Materials for projects. Take a look at the blog instructions for current projects to see exactly what we are using (for example, a purchase coming up for us is red and blue fabric for Alan's quilt), or send stuff for future projects. A list below details what we have been using with good results so far. We go through a lot of yarn! Please keep in mind- materials need not be new! Do you have a yarn stash somewhere that’s been sitting on a garage shelf for 10 years? Any soft 100% acrylic or other machine washable yarn, in worsted or bulky weight, would be awesome- color doesn’t matter, we like variety. Fabric that you probably won’t use? Supplies from past craft projects that you won’t be using again but that you think would make a neat project for us to do? Send it on over!
- Gift Cards to Joann’s or Michael’s. These can be used to buy most things we need- a great idea!
- Postage. Stamps are great, we can use them to not only mail materials out, but include self-addressed stamped envelopes to make it easier for stuff to be mailed back to us. And final projects that need to be mailed out will be a bit bulky and heavy.
- Money. This will be used to buy the things you see listed here. Mary in Selah will be the treasurer with her mad bookkeeping skills. Whatever amount of money floats your boat is simply lovely- you can see below most individual materials are inexpensive, but they do add up a bit to complete the final item, primarily yarn and fabric. A few dollars will help with postage, $10 will buy 3-4 skeins of yarn, an entire project costs approximately $60-70 to complete. Make checks payable to Mary or Valerie, please, as CC doesn’t have a bank account. Does anyone have a “piggy” bank in the shape of a cricket? ;)
Here is a rough accounting of what our expenses are:
- Yarn example: Vanna’s Choice yarn, $3.00 a skein (Approx. 16-20 skeins for one afghan)
- Knitting Needles: $7.00 a pair
- Crochet Hooks: $5.00 each
- Fabric: $7.00 a yard (approx 8 yards per quilt for backing, sashing and blocks, not counting the muslin blocks which we already have)
- Quilt Batting: $10 a package, 5 yards/1 pkg per quilt
- Crayola Crayons: $2.50 a small box
- Fabric Markers: $2.50
- Freezer paper: $4.00 a box (1-2 per quilt)
- Fabric treatment for photo blocks: $15 a bottle (enough for a couple quilts).
- Postage for mailing materials back and forth, and finished works to recipients
- Packaging materials (envelopes to mail quilt or afghan squares, larger packaging to mail finished projects)
- Gift wrapping materials
Where to send donations: To Mary in Selah. I am making my Mom the treasurer, because she has lots of room to store supplies, and she is centrally located for gathering to work on projects. So please send all donations to her in Selah- contact her or me for her address if you don’t have it handy. She’s officially opening the “Cricket Club Fund” today, in fact, with a book of stamps.
Please contact Val with any questions about current needs or what to donate. Again, any donations are greatly appreciated- Thank you!!
Monday, January 7, 2008
YAY!!!!!
WE LOVE YOU, GRAMMA JUNE!!!
Thank you, Mom and Pol, for the wonderful pictures!!! You guys are GREAT!! Pol, I love the cute black ruffly edging on it, it turned out beautiful! She looks really happy. :) I love how big and warm it is, and colorful and interesting to look at. It was so fun to make!
Thank you, Mom and Pol, for the wonderful pictures!!! You guys are GREAT!! Pol, I love the cute black ruffly edging on it, it turned out beautiful! She looks really happy. :) I love how big and warm it is, and colorful and interesting to look at. It was so fun to make!
Saturday, January 5, 2008
1st Crickets Club Recipient!
Mom was completely surprised! She loves it! The last picture is the back side, but actually it looks pretty good too!
Woo-hoo!
Everyone, THANK YOU for your requests for blocks, I am so glad everyone is so interested! You guys all ROCK.
I'll be making a pile of prepped blocks this weekend, and mailing out on Monday, so look for your blocks in the mail next week.
Mom, I'll coordinate the mailings with you, and I may direct some requesters in your direction to get blocks from you.
That USU Football Helmet looks Gorgeous!!! Good Job! Alan will LOVE it!!
Here is a link to Utah State University's page of logos and wordmarks:
http://www.usu.edu/prm/wordmarks.cfm
USU colors are Navy Blue and White, although they use a lot of grey as well. "Big Blue", the blue bull, is our mascot, and we are called the "Aggies."
I'll be making a pile of prepped blocks this weekend, and mailing out on Monday, so look for your blocks in the mail next week.
Mom, I'll coordinate the mailings with you, and I may direct some requesters in your direction to get blocks from you.
That USU Football Helmet looks Gorgeous!!! Good Job! Alan will LOVE it!!
Here is a link to Utah State University's page of logos and wordmarks:
http://www.usu.edu/prm/wordmarks.cfm
USU colors are Navy Blue and White, although they use a lot of grey as well. "Big Blue", the blue bull, is our mascot, and we are called the "Aggies."
Friday, January 4, 2008
I've started the coloring blocks!
Here's some pictures of what I've done so far. I prepared 22 freezer paper-backed 8 1/2" muslin squares. Let me tell you that freezer paperREALLY sticks! The light box is so handy! The Micron pigma pen worked fantastic! I now need to find out what color the helmet is supposed to be, then I'll color it with regular crayons.
WE'LL MAIL YOU QUILT BLOCKS TO COLOR!
Hi everyone! I want to make participating in Alan's quilt as quick and easy as possible for everyone. Mom and I both have lots of muslin and freezer paper, so we are going to just make up a bunch of 8.5" square freezer-backed blocks, all ready to be colored and written on, to send out so you and your families can just write and color on them.
All you need to have on hand are Crayola color crayons and, if you want, a black permanent fabric marker (you'll find these in fabric shops). If you want to transfer a coloring book image to the block, you can just tape the block over the image on a sunny window and trace it, or I used a glass cutting board in my lap with a lamp shining underneath and it worked great.
You and your families can just decorate them and send them back to me- Mom and I will do the ironing and finishing of them.
So, if you would like some blocks to decorate, please write/call/e-mail me soon with a ballpark number of how many you think your family would like to do, and your mailing address (I have some of your addresses, but not all), and I will send you the blocks and instructions!
All you need to have on hand are Crayola color crayons and, if you want, a black permanent fabric marker (you'll find these in fabric shops). If you want to transfer a coloring book image to the block, you can just tape the block over the image on a sunny window and trace it, or I used a glass cutting board in my lap with a lamp shining underneath and it worked great.
You and your families can just decorate them and send them back to me- Mom and I will do the ironing and finishing of them.
So, if you would like some blocks to decorate, please write/call/e-mail me soon with a ballpark number of how many you think your family would like to do, and your mailing address (I have some of your addresses, but not all), and I will send you the blocks and instructions!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Some Help Finding Coloring Pages
... hi there. I found these:
http://www.plimoth.org/
...you can click on the "kids" tab and get to all kinds of cool stuff, including some simple coloring pages. There is some neat info in the adults section, as well. I really enjoy this site.
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/coloring-pages/native-americans/index.html
...these are some simple native american coloring pages.
http://www.freeprintablecoloringpages.net/
...this is a TREASURE TROVE of coloring pages.
I also forgot to include that Alan loves anything Wild West and Old West and, naturally, Law Enforcement. Much to my dismay, he also loves to watch TV and MOVIES. OK ... that should be enough big ideas to get everyone thinking.
http://www.plimoth.org/
...you can click on the "kids" tab and get to all kinds of cool stuff, including some simple coloring pages. There is some neat info in the adults section, as well. I really enjoy this site.
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/coloring-pages/native-americans/index.html
...these are some simple native american coloring pages.
http://www.freeprintablecoloringpages.net/
...this is a TREASURE TROVE of coloring pages.
I also forgot to include that Alan loves anything Wild West and Old West and, naturally, Law Enforcement. Much to my dismay, he also loves to watch TV and MOVIES. OK ... that should be enough big ideas to get everyone thinking.
A FEW OF ALAN'S FAVORITE THINGS ...
ALAN RUSSELL GERGEN, born January 7, 1956All right, everyone! I have been really sick the past two days ... so, I'm just catching up with emails and such, but still not doing so hot. I have somewhat collected my thoughts. Here are some things about Alan and what he likes that you may never have known. Alan has ancestors who are from the Wampanoag Nation ... the First Thanksgiving Indians! This is, perhaps, his first association with loving to prepare and share food!!
The Indian Tribe that
- Met the Pilgrims in 1620 . . .
- Fed the Pilgrims and kept them alive in the bitter winter cold . . .
- Met Roger Williams with the words "What Cheer Netop" (Providence 1636) . . .
- Fought and died for the colonies in 1777 . . .
- Fought and died for the United States in 1812 . . .
is still among you today. They are the Wampanoags: The First Thanksgiving Tribe.
http://www.wampanoagtribe.net/Pages/index
http://www.seaconkewampanoag.com/home.html
http://chappaquiddick-wampanoag.org/
http://www.ipl.org/div/natam/bin/browse.pl/B990 (a link giving details of a children's book by Medicine Story, a Wampanoag Indian, which tells the many stories of the beginning of the world.)
The language this nation speaks is Massasoit, and often people refer to them as Massasoit Indians, but they are, in fact, Wampanoags. You may know them by one of their more famous peoples: Squanto. Many films have been made about Squanto's stories.
Now, the second reference to Alan's love of food and history has to do with survival ... he is also directly descended from The Donner Party. He always says, "I'll never starve as long as I'm surrounded by a few good friends and family members!" teehee.
Alan loves all Native American history, lore, music, and artistry. He is currently collecting all of his regalia to begin dancing again. He used to attend and dance in PowWows. He also loves all things to do with Mountain Men and their history ... their hunting, traveling, and trading. We have begun collecting Hudson Bay trading blankets. In come the dutch ovens, with the mountain men, I think. In addition, he loves all things Colonial Americana. All these things, naturally, combining to bring us our America that we so enjoy today -- and the America he is currently defending. I don't think it is a secret that Alan loves cooking. I think his type of cooking could be best described as rustic gourmet. It is delicious, and we all miss it. He also loves anything and everything to do with guns and armory. Alan's favorite animals would be the redtail hawk, racoon & moose. His favorite colors are green and orange, but don't let this limit you! He loves ALL colors. He also loves mountains & rivers and he used to be an avid white water rafter. The Gergens come from LUXEMBOURG, a small European country that is often mistaken for a French or German city. http://www.visitluxembourg.com/ I understand it is stunningly gorgeous and I look forward to visiting someday. Alan is a very driven individual who grew up participating in a multitude of clubs and sports. He ended up on a full ride football scholarship at Utah State University (Val & Chad's alma mater) and then went on to be an assistant football coach at UNLV. He left coaching, as it took too much time away from family. And chose, LAW ENFORCEMENT, which also takes a lot of time from family. Hmmmm. Anyway ... he LOVES his current profession.
I am SO EXCITED about this quilt. I hope that we can beautifully and artistically bring all of these elements together "painted through fabric" in a wonderful picture of his loves and interests in one piece that will knock his socks off. He has NO IDEA, and I want to keep it that way. These kinds of things are SO IMPORTANT to him. Gifts of the heart mean more to him than all the tunnels of gold Hussein has hidden in Iraq.
I am thinking if we can tie all the squares together with deep navy and a deep country red, it will look rather patriotic with the off-white muslin that will be the backdrop for our collected artistry. He will love it and treasure it. Call or write me if you have any questions regarding Alan that will help you in your endeavors to create a square. I love you all!
ANNOUNCING PROJECT THREE!
Here's a project for those of you who don't knit or crochet to get started on!
A quilt for Alan in Iraq! Let's send a quilt around the world to literally wrap our favorite guy in our love and support. Besides, he says its cold there and their hot weather desert gear ain't keeping him very warm!
We will be decorating squares of muslin with fabric markers and crayons, as well as printed photographs. The final quilt will use red and white fabrics for a patriotic red, white and blue theme.
I've "delegated" it to Juneanne to figure out the photo blocks, so we'll get more info to you about them a little later, but here's what you need to get started decorating your crayon muslin blocks:
SUPPLY LIST:
0. Get your digital camera out and take pics of you and your family doing this so we can see each other doing it "together!" :)
1. Prewash your muslin, and don't use any fabric softener or dryer sheets, because they'll leave gunk on the fabric.
2. Cut the muslin into 8 1/2 inch squares.
3. Iron the squares onto the freezer paper for stability. (You can do this before cutting into 8 1/2 inch squares if you want).
4. Go crazy with decorating with the pen and crayons! Press hard with the crayons, the darker the better. REMEMBER: Don't take your design to the edge of the block, leave about 1/2 inch border on all sides, because the seam allowance will be cutting into the block edges 1/4 inch.
5. Now set the color and absorb the extra wax. Put several layers of paper towel down on your ironing board, to protect it. Put the colored fabric face up, cover it with a couple paper towels. With iron on medium, press it with the iron to absorb the excess wax. Change paper towels until you don't see any more wax coming up.
6. If you don't think its dark enough, color and press again.
7. Let it cool, and remove the freezer paper from the back. Press the back with paper towels like you did the front, to set it and remove extra wax.
For your block decorating, have the theme be family love and support for Alan, and that we are proud of him for his sacrifice and serving our country. Have everyone in your family participate- itty bitty people scribbles are precious, right on up to adults writing messages or signing their names (or scribbling too! I know I'm getting my crayons out!). Have fun, be creative! Go with a patriotic theme if you want to, or just do whatever you want to to send your love and thoughts to Alan in Iraq.
Here are two websites that describe the crayon blocks that you might find helpful:
http://www.quiltbus.com/crayon.htm
http://www.thepatternco.com/crayon.html
That's it! I'll post a bit later and tell you who to send the blocks to, we haven't finalized yet who is going to assemble the quilt. Call/e-mail/post here with questions. Happy scribbling!
A quilt for Alan in Iraq! Let's send a quilt around the world to literally wrap our favorite guy in our love and support. Besides, he says its cold there and their hot weather desert gear ain't keeping him very warm!
We will be decorating squares of muslin with fabric markers and crayons, as well as printed photographs. The final quilt will use red and white fabrics for a patriotic red, white and blue theme.
I've "delegated" it to Juneanne to figure out the photo blocks, so we'll get more info to you about them a little later, but here's what you need to get started decorating your crayon muslin blocks:
SUPPLY LIST:
- 100% Cotton Muslin. Be sure on the 100% cotton part. Mom and I have lots we can send if you like, let us know.
- Crayola brand regular crayons. (we don't need special fabric crayons as long as the muslin is 100% cotton). NOT washable crayons!
- Freezer Paper. This will stabilize the fabric while you decorate it.
- Permanent Black fabric marker. This is optional, but will be handy for drawing designs to color, writing messages, etc. Don't use Sharpies, Peg says they look gross after time passes- get one specifically for fabric (look at fabric stores), and make sure its permanent. One web site says "micron pigma" brand, available at Michael's and art supply stores, works well (here's a picture of them).
- Iron and ironing board.
- Paper towels.
- Optional: light box and color book pages. This is to trace pictures onto the fabric. Or try taping the freezer-backed fabric over the page onto a sunny window. You can look online and find good color-book images to print off too (for this quilt patriotic ones like flags or other Americana stuff would look good. Or other things Alan likes- Ideas, Juneanne?) Or skip that altogether, and free-style it, draw your own pictures, and outline them with the black pen for more definition if you want.
0. Get your digital camera out and take pics of you and your family doing this so we can see each other doing it "together!" :)
1. Prewash your muslin, and don't use any fabric softener or dryer sheets, because they'll leave gunk on the fabric.
2. Cut the muslin into 8 1/2 inch squares.
3. Iron the squares onto the freezer paper for stability. (You can do this before cutting into 8 1/2 inch squares if you want).
4. Go crazy with decorating with the pen and crayons! Press hard with the crayons, the darker the better. REMEMBER: Don't take your design to the edge of the block, leave about 1/2 inch border on all sides, because the seam allowance will be cutting into the block edges 1/4 inch.
5. Now set the color and absorb the extra wax. Put several layers of paper towel down on your ironing board, to protect it. Put the colored fabric face up, cover it with a couple paper towels. With iron on medium, press it with the iron to absorb the excess wax. Change paper towels until you don't see any more wax coming up.
6. If you don't think its dark enough, color and press again.
7. Let it cool, and remove the freezer paper from the back. Press the back with paper towels like you did the front, to set it and remove extra wax.
For your block decorating, have the theme be family love and support for Alan, and that we are proud of him for his sacrifice and serving our country. Have everyone in your family participate- itty bitty people scribbles are precious, right on up to adults writing messages or signing their names (or scribbling too! I know I'm getting my crayons out!). Have fun, be creative! Go with a patriotic theme if you want to, or just do whatever you want to to send your love and thoughts to Alan in Iraq.
Here are two websites that describe the crayon blocks that you might find helpful:
http://www.quiltbus.com/crayon.htm
http://www.thepatternco.com/crayon.html
That's it! I'll post a bit later and tell you who to send the blocks to, we haven't finalized yet who is going to assemble the quilt. Call/e-mail/post here with questions. Happy scribbling!
ANNOUNCING PROJECT TWO!
Happy New Year, Cricketeers!!
As you can see, our first project, Grandma June's Afghan, is nearly finished- Woo-hoo!!! Mom and Pol, get me pics! You guys can plan a little party to give it to her, be sure to wrap it up all pretty, and take lots of photos so we can all see, whether she looks at the camera or not!. I'll work on a little photo/scrapbook about us making it to mail to her as well.
Now that that first project is almost in the bag, let's get some more started!!
PROJECT TWO:
Pol had a lovely idea- in honor of Cricket, let's make projects for all of Cricket's kids. So for our second afghan, we are going to be making it for a certain Uncle down in Oregon whose name starts with a M. Here are the specifications:
YARN:
Lion Brand Vanna's Choice only. (http://cache.lionbrand.com/yarns/vannasChoice.html) After our first afghan which experimented with any acrylic we could get our hands on, this acrylic yarn by our favorite Wheel of Fortune Diva came out on top. It is inexpensive (about $3.00 a skein), widely available (at all Michael's, Joanns, and almost any store that carries Lion brand yarns), come in beautiful colors that look good together, is strong and soft, and doesn't split when you work with it. You'll get about two blocks out of each skein. Plus- come on, Vanna's still a real looker, and her mug is on every skein! AND proceeds from the sale of this yarn go to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. You can't ask for more from an inexpensive acrylic yarn!
Colors: Any of the solid colors of the Vanna line except for pinks and purples, because this is for a man, and we want it to be manly. I promise the colors look better in person than the site I linked to above. Solid color yarns only please for this afghan, the size and shape of the blocks we're making cause the variegated yarns in Vanna's line to look... well, strange. Mom tried one, and the colors kind of clumped together, she thought it looked like the Eifel Tower.
NEEDLES/HOOKS: Straight needles size US 7 (4.5 mm) or 8 (5.o mm). You can use circular needles of these sizes and just knit back and forth on them as if they were straights too. Crochet hook size G (4.o mm) or H (5.o mm).
BLOCK SIZE: DIFFERENT THAN PROJECT ONE! In order for the crocheters to be able to make Granny Squares, we are changing to square blocks (instead of 7x9 rectangles like the first project). Make your blocks for this project 10 inches by 10 inches. These will be a bit bigger than the other blocks, so we'll need fewer of them (only 30), and the crocheters will be able to have more fun with patterns.
Knitters: Cast on 40 stitches to get 10 inches (or as close to 40 as your chosen pattern allows). Keep knitting until you get to 10 inches long, then bind off.
Crocheters: Chain 43 (or as close to that as your pattern allows), crochet until it is 10 inches long, then stop. OR make a granny square that is 10 inches on all sides.
TIP: Make a plastic or cardboard template that is 1o inches square to quickly and easily measure your squares, keep it in your knit/crochet bag with your yarn and stuff.
CROCHETERS: When you go to get your yarn, think about picking up this book: Vanna's Choice Color It Beautiful Afghans. I've seen it in most places Vanna's yarn is sold. It has patterns inside for many beautiful 10 inch square crochet blocks using the exact yarn we're using- it may make your job easier and more fun!
KNITTERS: You can use all the same patterns as before, just cast on about 40 stitches and keep going an inch longer. Tired of the same old patterns? Go pick up a "stitchionary," (knitting stitch dictionary) like this one by Leisure Arts I see at Michael's and Joann's, or treat yourself to a nicer one with better pictures like the Harmony Guides from the yarn store or online. If you are really getting into knitting and like to experiment, it is a good investment.
Call, e-mail, or post here with questions!
As you can see, our first project, Grandma June's Afghan, is nearly finished- Woo-hoo!!! Mom and Pol, get me pics! You guys can plan a little party to give it to her, be sure to wrap it up all pretty, and take lots of photos so we can all see, whether she looks at the camera or not!. I'll work on a little photo/scrapbook about us making it to mail to her as well.
Now that that first project is almost in the bag, let's get some more started!!
PROJECT TWO:
Pol had a lovely idea- in honor of Cricket, let's make projects for all of Cricket's kids. So for our second afghan, we are going to be making it for a certain Uncle down in Oregon whose name starts with a M. Here are the specifications:
YARN:
Lion Brand Vanna's Choice only. (http://cache.lionbrand.com/yarns/vannasChoice.html) After our first afghan which experimented with any acrylic we could get our hands on, this acrylic yarn by our favorite Wheel of Fortune Diva came out on top. It is inexpensive (about $3.00 a skein), widely available (at all Michael's, Joanns, and almost any store that carries Lion brand yarns), come in beautiful colors that look good together, is strong and soft, and doesn't split when you work with it. You'll get about two blocks out of each skein. Plus- come on, Vanna's still a real looker, and her mug is on every skein! AND proceeds from the sale of this yarn go to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. You can't ask for more from an inexpensive acrylic yarn!
Colors: Any of the solid colors of the Vanna line except for pinks and purples, because this is for a man, and we want it to be manly. I promise the colors look better in person than the site I linked to above. Solid color yarns only please for this afghan, the size and shape of the blocks we're making cause the variegated yarns in Vanna's line to look... well, strange. Mom tried one, and the colors kind of clumped together, she thought it looked like the Eifel Tower.
NEEDLES/HOOKS: Straight needles size US 7 (4.5 mm) or 8 (5.o mm). You can use circular needles of these sizes and just knit back and forth on them as if they were straights too. Crochet hook size G (4.o mm) or H (5.o mm).
BLOCK SIZE: DIFFERENT THAN PROJECT ONE! In order for the crocheters to be able to make Granny Squares, we are changing to square blocks (instead of 7x9 rectangles like the first project). Make your blocks for this project 10 inches by 10 inches. These will be a bit bigger than the other blocks, so we'll need fewer of them (only 30), and the crocheters will be able to have more fun with patterns.
Knitters: Cast on 40 stitches to get 10 inches (or as close to 40 as your chosen pattern allows). Keep knitting until you get to 10 inches long, then bind off.
Crocheters: Chain 43 (or as close to that as your pattern allows), crochet until it is 10 inches long, then stop. OR make a granny square that is 10 inches on all sides.
TIP: Make a plastic or cardboard template that is 1o inches square to quickly and easily measure your squares, keep it in your knit/crochet bag with your yarn and stuff.
CROCHETERS: When you go to get your yarn, think about picking up this book: Vanna's Choice Color It Beautiful Afghans. I've seen it in most places Vanna's yarn is sold. It has patterns inside for many beautiful 10 inch square crochet blocks using the exact yarn we're using- it may make your job easier and more fun!
KNITTERS: You can use all the same patterns as before, just cast on about 40 stitches and keep going an inch longer. Tired of the same old patterns? Go pick up a "stitchionary," (knitting stitch dictionary) like this one by Leisure Arts I see at Michael's and Joann's, or treat yourself to a nicer one with better pictures like the Harmony Guides from the yarn store or online. If you are really getting into knitting and like to experiment, it is a good investment.
Call, e-mail, or post here with questions!
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