Can Stilts!

DMP read about making can stilts in Family Fun magazine and started saving cans. This week, he and the girls made their very own can stilts. EJ got pretty good with walking around in them, but Birdy mostly uses hers as a necklace.

I'm a Happy Hooker

If you come to my house after the girls go to bed (or on Sunday afternoons) you'll find me here, in my chair, working on my latest "project". Yep, I've become a happy hooker, or, as DMP prefers to call it, a crochet-ist. Whatever.

I decided to teach myself to crochet last January after we decided that this year we were going to do "homemade" Christmas. Plus, I knew I had two neices coming and I wanted to make something for them. Actually, I started out teaching myself to knit, but I'm a little impatient and it felt like it was taking too long :).

After my first "practice" project (a scarf that is still missing it's tassels), my first "big" project was a blanket for baby Amelia. I think it turned out really well. It was also my first experience "winging it"- or doing something not written in the pattern. I added the shell/scallop border because it didn't look "finished" to me. Here she is modeling it with Grandma-

Cynj nicely told me that while they've gotten crocheted blankets in the past, they don't use them. I actually appreciate that since it takes FOREVER to crochet a blanket and if it isn't going to be used, what's the point? Plus, I don't want to be the crazy aunt that makes things out of yarn that everyone hates :) Yet.

Anyway, I decided to try my hand at hemstitching a border on a couple of flannel blankets I made (I made one for Amelia, too, but didn't get a picture before I sent it to her). This was fun, and very different from working with the bigger yarn.

Here is baby Jane modelling the "cupcake" blanket. I'm a big fan of this edge- it is different than the typical "shell" border and can be more "masculine" I used this one for a blanket I made my boss for his new son (that I should get a picture of before I give it, huh?).

Lest you think I'm leaving my own kiddos out, I made a blanket for Birdy for her 2nd birthday. After weeks (literally) of work, she wanted nothing to do with it. It has only been recently that she decided it is cool enough to join the set of 4 (!) blankets that must be used to tuck her in at night. It is cute though, and super-soft!

EJ is also getting a blanket for her birthday coming up- that's the one Chester is helping me make in the first picture.

So, So Inspired...

Through the roundabout way of the internets, I found a link to the CraftHope project:
http://crafthope.com/

According to their website, this project is:

Craft Hope is a faith-based, love inspired project designed to share
handmade crafts with those less fortunate. It is our hope to combine our
love for crafting and desire to help others into a project to make a
difference around the world.

So far it looks like they've made pillowcase dresses, dolls, blankets, hats and booties for children in Nicaragua, India, and Mexico. It is a way to mobilize crafty (or not so crafty) people into creating items that can provide hope and comfort for kids and people who need it.

Lately I've been "into" making things and I'm so inspired by this site and the concept- I can't wait to get involved and see if I can get others involved too. Now I'm off to figure out how to make a Sock Monkey for their latest project (deadline Sept 18). They are making and delivering sock monkey's to kids at a preschool burn camp.