Knit Owl Plush Toys

These little owls were made with two different patterns from Lion Brand Yarn.

I made these owls out of miscellaneous Red Heart Super Saver yarns, so you don't need to invest in the expensive yarns listed in the patterns.

The body was made using the pattern at: Free Knitting Pattern L20059 Striped Owl Lion Brand Yarn Company
The wings were made from this pattern:Free Knitting Pattern 80765AD Wise Owl Toy Lion Brand Yarn Company

I opted not to use the stripes on most of them because there are so many color changes and that means either a lot of strings or carrying the yarn up the side of the work, which too complicated for the extra effort.

I also chose to use pastels with gray beaks and pupils for a softer look.

Enjoy!

Mary Jane Slippers

 

Pattern for these Mary Jane Slippers found at: http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/L10468.html?noImages=0

Little Lion Sock Critter

I used Red Heart Super Saver yarn in Carrot and Cornmeal, with a small amount of gray for the face.

The pattern can be found at: Free Knitting Pattern 90696AD Little Lion Sock Critter Lion Brand Yarn Company

Spring Wreath

Spring Wreath Supplies:

• Straw Wreath
• Cardboard
• Spring flowers
• A long strip of burlap
• Yarn in a coordinating color

Spring Wreath Instructions:

1. Wrap the strip of burlap around the straw wreath, hot gluing along the way. Completely cover the straw wreath. Tip: Leave the plastic wrap on the straw wreath and just glue the burlap directly to the plastic. It keeps the straw from shedding all over your work area.
2. Detach the spring flowers from their stems. I saved some of the leaves as a backdrop for the flowers.
3. Hot glue the flowers to one side of the frame, placing them close together and keeping them on the top of the wreath without wrapping around too far.
4. Cut a letter out of the cardboard, or even cut out enough letters to spell "spring" or "home."
5. Cover the back of the letter with glue and wrap the yarn around the letter, securing it with the glue. I used Tacky Glue and used clothespins to hold it in place while it dried.
6. Attach the letter to the other side of the wreath with hot glue.
7. To hang, you can use a wreath hook or you can tie the yarn into a loop at the top of the wreath.

Simple Knit Bows

Simple Knit Bows

• Cast on 16 Stitches with a worsted weight yarn on Size 8 needles.
• Work until piece is the shape of a square.
• Knit2 together across entire row. You now have 8 stitches on your needle.
• Knit 3 Rows
• Knit in front and back of every stitch. You now have 16 stitches again.
• Knit until the bow is symmetrical.
• Bind off.
• Take about 2.5 feet of yarn and weave yarn through center of the bow (in the decreased rows)
• Tie in a double knot at the back of the bow. You should have two tails of yarn approximately the same size on either side of the knot.
• Wrap the excess yarn around the middle and then double knot again.
• Attach to a headband or attach a hair clip to the back.

My First Dollar and a Creative Way to Display It!

I just made my first dollar from writing. It was an article on bathroom organization that will appear in the Spring 2014 issue of Make It Organized Magazine. Because this is my first paying gig as a writer, I decided that it needed some pomp and circumstance. I decided to frame my first dollar.

Since I didn't want it to take up too much room, I bought a small 3x3 inch frame. I used the directions listed below to make my first dollar more decorative and mounted it on a page of text that I recycled form a book that was falling apart. This could also be a good way to give a gift, or frame someone else's first dollar. Or, replace the dollar bill with a piece of patterned paper for instant art. Enjoy!


Directions on Folding a Dollar Bill Heart

Simple Heart Crochet Pattern

 

 Size J Hook

Worsted Weight Yarn

Ch5, join with slip stitch in first chain to form ring

 

Ch 3 (counts as 1^st dc), 2dc in ring, ch2, *3dc, ch2* 3 times, join with a slip stitch in top of first ch 3

 

Ch3, dc in next 2dc from previous row

2dc, Ch2, 2dc in corner

*3dc across dc from previous row

2dc, Ch2, 2dc in corner* Repeat 3 more times

Join with a slip stitch in top of first ch3

 

Slip stitch to next corner

11 tc in 4^th dc from corner (4^th dc should be the center of that side)

Slip stitch in next corner

11 tc in 4^th dc from corner

Fasten off.

 

String a bunch onto ribbon for a Valentine's Day garland, or tuck them into your cards to give your Valentine a memento that they can look at all year round!