Zoodle re-creating her sleep with the Crochet Blanket
We here at Turtle And Zoodle Make Stuff are all about trying new things. As I’ve told you before, there are no experts here. This crochet afghan is living proof of that!
I’d always wanted to learn to crochet. It looked so intricate, so flexible, and so beautiful! Even better, crochet provided an opportunity to make a lot of blankets quickly, and my primary purpose for learning yarn arts was to make blankets.
I come from places where the weather is usually pretty cold. I have a thing about blankets. You could almost call it an obsession.
Anyway, when Zoodle and I started this website up I bit the bullet, got a Craftsy membership, and signed up for their beginning crochet classes. Zoodle didn’t find the classes as useful as I did. That’s okay, she doesn’t learn that way.
I ordered a kit online, so I would have a project to do that would force me to learn specific skills. I knew my first project would be… er, amateurish. I accepted that, and I dove in. I was ready to learn, and I was excited.
I can see every flaw in this blanket. I can see every loose thread. I can see where I dropped stitches. I can see where I added stitches. My afghan has an hourglass waist, and I’m pretty sure that wasn’t in the design specs.
I was laughing at the afghan one evening, because it really was pretty bad, and the Zoodle heard me. She was incensed. She’d fallen in love with the soft yarn (Bernat Blanket) and insisted she wanted the finished product, flaws and all.
The night I finished, I crept into her room while she slept and put it
Grayscale afghan, folded
over her. She was delighted. She carries it around the house now, Linus-style. She’s not usually without it. I can still see every flaw in this blanket, and I have plenty more of that yarn so I can make another one and do it right this time.
But if you need encouragement after your first crochet project, there’s nothing quite like having your daughter wrap herself up in it and declare it her favorite thing in the whole wide world.
I got the pattern and yarn through Craftsy, but you can also find the original pattern here. You can also buy the yarn through the same site, or buy it at Michaels.
It’s been a little while since we’ve posted, and I apologize for that. Between day job deadlines, birthdays, and the holidays, some things had to take a back seat. The blog was one of them. Zoodle and I were still making crafts, I just didn’t have time to write up posts. One of the crafts we made was this one: simple, fun cat toys to enjoy with your furry family members.
This is one that Zoodle came up with all by herself. She came up to me one night and told me she wanted to blog, and she wanted to make cat toys as her blog post. She’d already convinced her dad to cut down the dowels, all we had to do was make the rest happen. I couldn’t really say no at that point, could I?
Well, I probably could have, but I’d have felt like a huge jerk.
You don’t need much for this simple craft. The materials list is simple:
2 wooden dowels
Trim, of varying lengths
A hot glue gun
Scissors
Cut your trim to different lengths. You can make it all the same length, too, if you really want. I don’t think the cats care all that much.
Collect your bunches of trim into a bunch and tie a good, solid knot at the end.
Use the hot glue gun to attach the trim to one end of the dowel.
Let it dry.
Go run and frolic with your cat. As an alternative, you can use these as odd magic wands for imaginative play with your child.
As you can see in the video, the whole project was developed from start to finish by the Zoodle, who was seven at the time. It’s definitely a kid-friendly project. As always, you know your child and their limitations best.
Not too long ago, my day job was absolutely killing me. I had a big deadline, I was desperately behind, and I had no child care at all. I needed to find some way of keeping the Zoodle entertained while I worked. Fortunately for me, I had one already on hand: a no-sew blanket kit I bought for her years ago.
I bought the no-sew blanket kit for her when she was still a toddler. I wanted Zoodle to develop some more fine motor skills, and this seemed like a good way to do it. I was profoundly wrong, of course. The activity was not age-appropriate for my child at that time.
Now Zoodle is older. She resisted at first, wanting something more appropriate for two people. Once she got into the task, though, she loved it. She sat there quietly and worked on that blanket for a couple of hours. I got to finish a chapter in my project.
Her no-sew blanket is now her favorite piece of bedding. She insists on sleeping with that blanket first, every night. She’s proud of her hard work, and she’s warmer to boot.
Here’s what you’ll need:
1 new-sew blanket kit (We got ours at Jo-Ann’s five or so years ago)
OR
2 equal-sized pieces of fleece fabric
1 pair of scissors. Rotary cutters and a matt are fine, but not necessary
Time
Cut the ends of your fabric into roughly equal lengths of fringe. You don’t have to be precise. My advice is to cut them together. (A grown-up should do this, if kids are involved.)
Tie the fringe pieces together, knotting each piece of fabric to the other.
Cover yourself and go to sleep, content with a job well done.
It really is that easy. As with everything, you know your kids best. The Zoodle is not able to handle big-people fabric cutting scissors. Your child might. Safety first!
Pinecones: Nature’s ornaments (source: colormesunny on pixabay)
It’s time for the winter holidays, and one of the most fun parts of the winter holidays (for me, anyway) is crafts. I loved the crafts we made in Girl Scouts as a little girl, and I love them now. These pinecone ornaments are an easy, fun, creative craft the whole family can enjoy.
When it comes to holiday decor, everyone has their own tastes and they’re all equally valid. Some people, whose faith is deeply important to them, like to incorporate a lot of religious imagery. Some people like a lot of bright colors and intense light shows. Our occasional cameraman, and my Spouse, is one of those people.
Personally, I like decor that emulates nature. I like natural or natural-look trees. I like piney boughs as garlands, and natural-looking wreaths on houses. Christmas is just one of many transitional holidays, a celebration taking place at or near the Solstice, and I find comfort in as many reminders of nature as I can get at such times.
We used scented pinecones, because that’s what I could get and because the cinnamon scent is kind of awesome. Okay, that’s not natural. It does have a calming, cheerful effect and can help keep bugs away.
You can use pinecones you gather yourself for this fun craft. The only issue is that you risk bringing undesirables like mold spores and bugs into your home. You can prepare your foraged pinecones for craft use following instructions like the ones on this blog; I have not made the attempt. Don’t leave your oven unattended, however; you don’t want to risk a fire.
To make the pinecone ornaments, you will need:
Pinecones
Twine
A hot glue gun
Glue sticks (we used glitter glue, because why wouldn’t you?)
Paint (Again, we used glitter paint, because we could. I don’t think watercolors would stand out against the dark pinecones, but a good thick paint should do okay.)
Paintbrushes
Ribbons, trim, other accessories (we used some of the trim and ribbon we got in our Michaels Grab Bag!)
Make a generous loop with your twine and attach it to the top of your pinecone.
Glue the loop into position with hot glue. An adult should do this part, or at least supervise!
Decorate the pinecones as you see fit. You can use glitter, or paint, or you can glue on other decorations. Get creative!
Let the glue dry and move on to the next pinecone.
Zoodle and I went to Michael’s the other day, looking to pick up a few things for a project. We got those things, but we spotted something as we got close to the checkout counter: a grab bag.
Now I’ll be the first to admit that I’m pretty easily distracted by bright shiny objects. I like adventure, and surprises. If you tell me “here’s this thing, we have no idea what’s inside it,” chances are I’m going to be all over it.
Plus, the grab bag was only four dollars! For four dollars we got a big mystery bag, full of plenty of excitement for one rainy night.
I was curious to find out if our grab bag would be worth the four dollars we’d paid for it. I don’t mind telling you, it was worth every penny. Watch the video below to see just what we got in our grab bag:
You can see that we found plenty of fun goodies in our grab bag. And since the original price tags were left on our items, it wasn’t hard to see we more than got our money’s worth.
We have the space to store all of our extra craft projects for a rainy day. If you don’t, you might want to pass on the grab bag. If you’re looking for a little bit of inspiration, or you’re looking for some fun stuff to have on hand for times when you just can’t get outdoors, the grab bags are a fantastic bargain. I will caution that they’re not appropriate for very small children, but older kids can use them at will.
Last Sunday, I had a problem. I’d spent a lot of time sitting around, and I needed to move my body. Zoodle wanted to work on our blog. I found a project we could work on together, a cute craft that required a lot of sticks. We probably could have found them in the yard, but I took us for a short hike in the Blue Hills instead.
The Blue Hills holds a ton of hiking trails, suitable for folks of all abilities. I used to take my dog, Yogi, there when he was a young pup. The section to which I brought Zoodle is smaller, and *almost* impossible to get lost in. It’s also not too steep or dangerous for little legs and feet.
Light on a trail
Zoodle isn’t the biggest fan of walking, so I figured she’d hate it. I was wrong. We didn’t get more than five minutes down the trail before the beauty of the park sucked her in.
Zoodle saw a ton of things she fell in love with. She demanded I take pictures of the way the light hit the trail, or of pretty rock formations. The proximity of the park to the city struck her with awe.
She did have a job to do. Zoodle found a ton of sticks to collect for
Collecting sticks
our project. I dropped the ball when it came to stick collection. All I gave her to carry them with was a plastic shopping bag, which ripped. She got frustrated as the sticks tore through the plastic, but she soon gave sticks to dogs we encountered on the trail.
When I was a little kid, I loved to go out hiking in the woods with my dad. It was special time, just for us, and it meant everything to me. I still remember some of those outings and the sense of wonder that came with it. Watching that same joy and thrill come over Zoodle’s face was the greatest joy imaginable.
We’ll do the project for which we needed the sticks sometime in the next couple of weeks. It might work out, and it might not. The memory of that hike will last forever, and that’s what’s important to us.
Handmade gifts are a fantastic way to make the holidays more personal and exciting for everyone on your list. They can be a fun way to involve your kids in holiday preparations, too, and to introduce them to the spirit of giving. This project – decorating ceramic mugs – is an easy and fun way to make a handmade gift your relatives will treasure for years to come.
Zoodle and I have done this before, although she doesn’t remember it She was probably about two years old, or maybe as much as three, and she colored on some big white platters with Sharpies. Our families were delighted with the gifts, but we ran into one problem: The decorations faded quickly, within a couple of years.
I did a little research and I found out that using regular Sharpies had been the problem. Oil-based Sharpies are meant for use on glass, ceramic, and other surfaces. Once set with a little time in the oven, the ink will last much longer. I still wouldn’t run it through the dishwasher, though!
Clear your workspace and draw your designs on your tableware of choice. Some people like song lyrics, others like abstract art. Do whatever feels good to you/your kids.
Put your finished project on a baking sheet.
Put the baking sheet, with your project(s) on it, into a cold
Preheat the oven to 350*F. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Let your art cool in the oven. This keeps the art from shattering in the cold air of your kitchen!
Wrap and give as gifts.
This project can be done with children who are old enough to refrain from flinging the ceramics and who won’t immediately put the Sharpies in their mouths. You know your child best. Zoodle was able to do this, with close supervision, at two. I know plenty of kids who would have trouble with both of those prerequisites at four. Be honest about your child’s abilities, and remember – this is about having fun with your kids, not putting more pressure on yourself in an already stressful time of year!
(please note: I’m not entirely sure how I managed to get the video into this post. If the video suddenly stops working, follow this link to our YouTube channel.)
