My New Bathmat

I couldn't resist the soft, chunky Deborah Norville yarn I found in a sale bin at Joann's.  The muted lavender, blue, and white shades of the yarn billed as "puppy dog tails" were simply impossible to pass up.  This is a washable acrylic yarn, so I started to crochet a potholder.  Then I decided it was too warm, soft, and alluring to be somebody's potholder.  I would make a small bathmat that would fit my small bathroom.

The 20" x 12" bathmat took one and a half balls of yarn; you would need two full balls for people with large feet.  It does not slip when you step out on it, and it feels like clouds under your feet!  It stores easily, hanging to dry out on the shower curtain rail.  

To make this, I chained 60 using a US 16 crochet hook.  Then I worked it using simple single crochet.  For things like bath mats, you really don't need anything fancy.  What you want is a soft, chunky yarn that feels good.  Stepping out of the tub onto a soft cloud makes you feel good, too!

 

Not Your Usual Cotton Yarn

That's not your usual yarn ball, either - one reason I picked it up in passing at Michael's.  This is Martha Stewart's 65% cotton 35% hemp yarn.  HEMP?!   Yes, the non-cannabis variety of hemp has been used by mankind for many things for 6,000 years.  The most notorious use, of course, is hanging rope.  Yet, according to Hemp Basics, LLC (web address below), hemp fiber is stronger and softer than cotton, lasts twice as long, and won't mildew.

http://hempbasics.com/shop/cms-display/hemp-information.html

Martha Stewart Crafts (with Lion Brand Yarn) has this claim for the product:  "This versatile, natural blend - soft, absorbent, and machine washable - is a smart choice for garments, knit or crochet, baby blankets, and even household projects like washcloths, place mats, and dish towels.  It works up nicely on the loom."

I'm enjoying experimenting with this slightly more expensive yarn.  As you can see in the picture, the yarn twists of itself, making it interesting to work.  I had heard of fibers being twisted together to form yarn, but this is the first time I ever got to feel it.  The yarn is slightly thicker than regular cotton and has a different feel.  As you can see, it works up well in a simple seed stitch.  I'm looking forward to trying out its wear qualities.

A number of sources for hemp yarn are available on the web.  Martha Stewart's blend appears about the cheapest of the lot.  I think it well worth trying out, especially for long wear household products.   

Dido & Aeneas as Cats

This painting is on the lid of a hinged wooden box I've just painted for the silent auction at Jackson Day, the Tennessee Democratic Party's fundraiser.  I enjoy donating to silent auctions; it helps a cause and is a great visibility tool.

I paint wood and paper mache boxes because people are more likely to buy an object that is useful as well as ornamental.  If nothing else, they're great gifts for the person who's got everything!  I have used paper mache boxes to make an ordinary but useful wedding gift special.  The box is both wrapping and part of the gift.  Wooden boxes can be used for almost anything.  When you have a sturdy, hinged box, you can even paint a picture on the inside of the lid.  I have always enjoyed the surprise of opening a box and finding another picture, and my customers seem to enjoy it as well.

On this 8" x 6" x 5" box, I had 6 paintable surfaces.  I can't stand blank space!  I painted four scenes of classical antiquity and two 1920s furnishings advertisements,  Variety and color make for an amusing piece. 

A Hand-painted Needle Case

I was fascinated when I found these needle cases on the CreateForLess website.  They are manufactured by Collins, a firm noted for producing things to make your sewing box neater.  I have 12 of these painted in my typical fashion at www.peaypatch.com.

These tiny, handmade wooden bottles don't look like much; they're so small you can hold two in your hand comfortably.  I decided to test how well they actually work, so I went to my sewing case and got some needles.  I managed to get 38 mixed sewing and embroidery needles in this little container.  They were quite secure when I put the lid on.  You couldn't use these items for yarn or darning needles, but for sewing and embroidery they could make your life a lot easier.

I paint the items I sell, but you can get the plain ones at CreateForLess in a package that urges you to decorate them for your own friends.  These things are not only whimsical but helpful. 

Hollywood in Winter

Yes, this cat's name is Hollywood, and this is where you will find him every day during cold weather.  He enjoys his warmth and is convinced that this spot on the bed is his. Other cats can curl up on top of the cover; he gets under.

Hollywood came into my life around 2005, when as an eight-ounce kitten he wandered into my son's basement.  Of course, my son immediately zipped the little kitten into his jacket and brought him to me.  I took him for a check-up the next day, screaming all the way as only kittens can scream.  He proved to be healthy and also knew how to lap, so the vet showed me how to make kitten soup by watering down canned food.  So I kept him in my bedroom away from my adult cats, and he decided I was his mommy.  He would  even drink my tea.

I had him neutered as soon as possible, not only for the obvious reasons, but because he was an attack kitten.  Obviously, he was from a family that had been feral for generations.  He settled down and slowly began to learn how to mingle with my other cats.  (Mother cats actually teach their kittens life skills and whack them when they get out of hand.)

Hollywood is a one person cat.  He is intensely jealous of my son, who had saved him, and only tolerates other people.  Whatever I'm doing, Hollywood is close by, and he can be a pain in the neck when I'm knitting or crocheting.  But he's loving company and cuddles close in the winter. I enjoy him immensely.

Crocheted Acrylic Yarn Potholder

Acrylic and acrylic-blend yarns are extremely attractive and generally a little cheaper per pound than cotton yarn.  Most of them will machine wash, though you have to check each yarn band for specific instructions.  They can't, however, be expected to work as dish cloths or dish towels.  What they are great for  that you can make easily is potholders.

I made this potholder using instructions from  the video below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biGbmVULdNw

These instructional videos are a real life saver for a beginner like me.  I was amazed at how many you can find on YouTube.  By all means take advantage of this marvelous resource.

I did, however, make some practical modifications.  Holding two separate strands of yarn under a hook is frustrating and time consuming; I spent a lot of time taking out and redoing bad stitches.  Then I bought myself a US 16 crochet hook.  That  made the job easy.  I also chained 30 stitches instead of 20 as suggested in the video.  My own personal measure for a potholder (or anything else useful) is that it has to be bigger than my hand and handle naturally.

For this potholder, I used one variegated yarn and one black yarn I had bought on sale.  If you use the chunky yarns, you can make a useful potholder from only one yarn.  The principle criterion here is that the hand be protected from burns.

These are easy and make great gifts.

 

Judge Dee Paper Mache Gift Canister

These little 3" x 3" paper mache canisters actually sell at street festivals.  They can make an ordinary gift - like wrapped candies - special and add color to a desktop or room.  I enjoy painting each canister on a theme of some sort - in this case, Robert van Gulik's Judge Dee novels.  He did marvelous Chinese-style illustrations - note the aggressive warrior cat in the middle of the cylinder.  The lids, of course, are excellent for detailed close-ups.

Paper mache actually has a reasonably good life span if you don't let it get wet.  You or your friends could enjoy these whimsies for years.  The canister was gessoed and then painted with interior latex before I began to draw.  (I had a lot of interior latex wall paint left from remodeling.)  The figures are painted with long-lasting acrylics.

This is a good size of inexpensive object to begin your own painting experience.  I personally like to put colorful figures on every available space, but your vision might be something altogether different.

At Peaypatch you will find several of these canisters available, as well as some of the supplies to begin your own painting.