Need More Fiber: June 2007

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Ultimate Kitchen Gift Basket IV

What to use as the "basket", what to use to line it, what else could you put into the basket...

We are still on "Crochet Talk's Ultimate Crocheted Kitchen Gift Basket"

Crocheted Container Ideas

Casserole Cover
Pie Plate Cover
Q Hook Basket
Square & Rectangular Pan Covers - you need to browse down
Milk Glass Casserole Cover

Christmas Tote (can use as a gift bag)
Fiesta Tote
Leaping deer mesh market bag
Net Bag (bag of balls)
other bags, totes, purses, pouches etc.
more patterns

Rag Crochet Basket
Beaded Jute Basket
crocheted basket patterns

Canister Covers

Cornucopia
Thanksgiving cornucopia

Other Container Ideas

Cinnamon Dough Basket
Coiled Fabric Basket
Baker's Clay Bread Basket
Colorful Spirals Coiled Baskets
Country Coiled Rag Basket

Colander
Bread basket
Tray
Mixing bowl
Canister
Cookie jar
Collector tin

Basket Liner Ideas

Edged Basket Cloth
Crocheted Doilies
Napkin
Placemat
Kitchen Towel

Other Neat Stuff

Candle and Soap Making at about.com
Flavored Oils & Vinegars
Gel Air Freshener
Homemade soaps

Gifts in a Jar
Gift in a jar

Kitchen Mix Gifts - with free recipes, ideas for mixes and gifts in a jar and free printables, like toppers, wrappers, tags and labels.

Recipe Cards, Shopping Lists & Gift Tags to print
HP's Recipe Cards (Search with "recipe cards")
Alenka's Free Printables, for example recipe cards, candy wrappers, lunch box notes, envelopes for tea bags, coffee and hot chocolate, labels, popcorn wrappers etc.
Canning Printables
Sheryl's Originals Recipe Cards
Kay's Kreations Recipe Cards and other printables
Grandma George's Candy Wrappers, Recipe Cards and Canning Labels
Recipe Cards, Shopping Lists, Gift Tags & To Do Lists
Gift-Giving Tags
Teabags
Recipe-Cards, Kitchen Gift Tags, Shopping Lists, Kitchen Gift Bags and Boxes, Kitchen Labels
Printable Note Papers, Lists, Recipe Cards and Labels
,

Ultimate Kitchen Gift Basket III

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Pineapples, stars and hearts...

This is "Mom's Pineapple Basket" from Crochet Memories

Pineapple in the title has nothing to do with the fruit, and all to do with this particular crochet pattern. It is very popular and impressive pattern, and rather easy, I think. Anyway, it is one third of the second theme at Crochet Talk's Ultimate Crocheted Kitchen Gift Basket

The idea is to crochet one item a week and thus create a nice gift basket in a month without much work. All you need to do is to pick a theme and crochet :-)

*** The pattern is at freepatterns.com. All the patterns there are free FOR MEMBERS - but it doesn't cost anything. You just need to register...

Hearts, Stars & Pineapples

Week 1 - Potholders

Valentine Potholder
Textured Heart Potholder
Heart Potholder
Country Love Potholder
4th of July Potholder - stars and stripes
star potholder - round PDF
Round star flower potholder
star potholder
heart with a bow potholder
Ruffled heart potholder

Week 2 - Hotpads and Fridgies

Textured Heart Hotpad
Star Hotpad
Star Hotpad

Pineapple Butterfly Fridgie
Double Hearts Fridgie
Stars fridgies
Pineapple Swan Fridgie

Heart Hotpad

Week 3 - Dishcloths and Scrubbies

Textured Heart Dishcloth
Star Dishcloth
Star Dishcloth
Janelle's Star Dishcloth
Reversible Star Dishcloth
Country Heart Coaster
Heart Baby Washcloth
Heart Scrubbie
Heart Dishcloth
Round Heart Dishcloth
Fans and Pineapples dishcloth
Panda Pineapple Square - fit for a thread dishcloth

Week 4 - Towels, Toweltoppers & Aprons - Coasters

Christmas star towel topper
Textured heart towel topper

Quick Pineapple Coaster
Pineapple coaster
Pineapple Star coasters and doily
Valentine Coaster
Encircled Heart Coaster
Filet Heart Coaster
Frilly Heart Coaster
Heart Coaster
Heart Coaster
Heart Coaster
Encircled Heart Coaster
pineapple lunch set - "centerpiece, place doilies, bread and butter plate doilies, and glass doilies"
Country Star Coaster
Star coasters

Extras - can be done at any time

Pineapple Placemat
Hearts Placemat
Heart Garland***
Pineapple bookmark I
Ribbon and Pineapples bookmark
Pineapple bookmark II
Pineapple bookmark III
pineapple lunch set - "centerpiece, place doilies, bread and butter plate doilies, and glass doilies"
Twin pineapple heart sachets
heart milk bottle glove
Heart Baby Bib (Heart can be used also as dishcloth or hotpad)
Pineapple soap saver (or sachet)
Heart pin, swag or fridgie
Pineapple tea cosy***
lone star jar stoppers*** (Crochet | Home Décor | Decorations and knicknacks)
Heart Rag Crochet Place Mats*** (Crochet | Home Décor | Table Toppers & Centerpieces)

More pineapples; doilies etc.
More hearts; bookmarks, fridgies etc.
More stars; doilies etc.

Crochet Talk's Ultimate Crocheted Kitchen Gift Basket

I love the "Crochet Talk's Ultimate Crocheted Kitchen Gift Basket" - it's so beautifully organized and someone has really worked a lot to put everything in neat little boxes :-) The only problem is that it was created 2000 and now is 2007... a LOT happens in 7 years.

So - here's the updated version of it.

The idea is to crochet one item a week and thus create a nice gift basket in a month without much work. All you need to do is to pick a theme and crochet :-)

*** The pattern is at freepatterns.com. All the patterns there are free FOR MEMBERS - but it doesn't cost anything. You just need to register...

Theme: Apples and Other Fruits & Veggies

Week 1 - Potholders

Apple Potholder
Banana Bunch Potholder
Watermelon Potholder
Strawberry Potholder - the site is a little aggravating, and the pattern is on a word document, no pictures
Cherry Potholders*** (Crochet | Home Décor | Potholders & Hot Pads)
Cucumber & Corn Panhandlers
Dimensional Pumpkin Potholder
Watermelon Potholder
Strawberry Pocket Potholder
Strawberry Pocket Potholder
Perky Pumpkin Potholder
Grape Potholder
apple handle cover (pocket potholder)
melon handle cover (pocket potholder)
carrot handle cover
corn on the cob handle cover
cucumber handle cover

Week 2 - Hotpads and Fridgies

Grape bottlecap Trivet
grape bottle cap trivet - three sizes
Apple Hot Pad
Tomato Hotpad
Watermelon “Slice of Summer CD hotpad”
Pineapple Hotpad
Hot Pepper Hot Pad*** (Crochet | Home Décor | Potholders & Hot Pads)

Ornamental Corn Fridgie
Watermelon Magnet*** (Crochet | Home Décor | Kitchen Accessories)
Green Apple Fridgie
Apple Fridgie I
Apple Fridgie II
Banana Fridgie
Bunch of Carrots Fridgie
Carrot Fridgie
Ear of Corn Fridgie
Watermelon Wedge Fridgie
Strawberry Fridgie
Strawberry Applique (suitable for fridgie - PDF file!)
Pineapple Fridge Magnet
Lettuce Magnets
Grape Fridgie
Fruit Fridgies - lemon, orange and strawberry

Week 3 - Dishcloths and Scrubbies

Apple Scrubber

Week 4 - Towels, Toweltoppers & Aprons - Coasters

You can use any simple pattern for towel, toweltopper and apron; just add a button that fits the theme, or use fridgies as appliques.

towels and toppers at Martha's
towels and toppers at Crochet Pattern Central
Pumpkin Towel Ring

Apron
Apron
Basic Apron
Crocheted Apron
Daisy Apron (just replace the daisy with a suitable figure)

Apple Coaster I
Apple Coaster II
Watermelon Coaster
Pumpkin Coaster
Watermelon Set
Pineapple Coaster

Extras - can be done at any time

Amanda's Apple Placemat
Apple Placemat & Napkin Ring
Apple Placemat
Apple Filet Mat
Watermelon Set - coaster, napkin ring and can holder
Watermelon Place Mat Set*** (Crochet | Home Décor | Kitchen Accessories)
Delicious Dining*** - Apple placemats, hotpads etc. (Crochet | Home Décor | Potholders & Hot Pads)

Apple Bookmark
Strawberry Bookmark - the site is a little aggravating, and the pattern is on a word document, no pictures
Carrot Bookmark
Ear of Corn Bookmark
Watermelon Bookmark
Apple Bookmark*** (Crochet | Home Décor | Book Accessories)

Apple Sachet
Apple Tote
Strawberry Pouch
Strawberry 'Jamma Bag
Mini-Apple Pomander

Stuffed Apples
Bushel of Apples - small, stuffed apples
Hanging Chili Peppers
Tomato, stuffed
Small Onion and Turnip
Carrots and Chili Peppers
Carrot
Easter Crochet Carrot
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Delicious Strawberries - with and without chocolate
Stuffed Pumpkin
Pumpkins
Pears
Grapes

Apple String Holder
Apple Bag Holder
Bunch of Grapes doily - PDF file
Grape Shade Pull
Grapes Canister Covers
Lemon Grove Kitchen Set; rug, stool cover and pot holder
Watermelon Rug

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Yule Stocking and Stocking Stuffers...

Well... it's only 6 months left... That's basically... nothing! :-D

I found the most beautiful stocking I have ever seen... This is "red flowers" from Lucuma, fair trade shop, trading products from Peru. (They make absolutely wonderful other things as well, so do visit the site :-))

I am planning on producing stockings for my whole family, that's 18 people, of whom 6 are under 18. And - being me - I have GRAND plans.

I was trying to find ideas of with what to fill the stockings then, and... I think it's really difficult - this is not a Finnish tradition.

First there must be something good to eat, snacks, candy, chocolate - something like that. I think a candy cane sticking out of the sock looks really nice. And here in Sweden we have candy "wands" in "every flavor". Those will be really nice. But some of my family are on a low-carb diets, and I would like to give them something else, something they REALLY can enjoy, with good conscience... I think I'll use a lot of nuts ;-)
(Then there's the thing with coal... we have candy that looks just like coal. ;-) I love it :-D)

I love the little dolls or animals sticking out of the stocking... I think it's "necessary" - to give the stocking the "right look".
Then I'd like to have some greenery, a spruce spray or something like that.
And a little Yule ornament, to create the "right look". It would also be nice to start a tradition of Yule ornaments.

There's an old tradition that tells to put into the stocking something that pleases all senses - something for sight, something to smell, taste, feel and hear...

It would also be nice to have something funny.

And a game, or puzzle... They have really nice tins filled with everything possible now-a-days... like the "casino in a tin"... Amazing what they invent :-D

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Flowers and butterflies

You know the Korean site with a lot of images, 163.c0m? (or Chinese, or something... I can't read the oriental signs *blush*)

I have had all my bookmarks vanished... gone. Each and everyone. :´(
I had a lot of bookmarks about how to tie the long hair into interesting coiffures, and... now I have nothing... I feel very sad, disappointed, robbed and a little empty. :´(

So - I'll put on the links in my blog. Some of the links. I can't find the links I had... and it took days to collect them... but - it's just to start from the beginning. Anyway, here's some crocheted flowers and butterflies.

Butterflies http://photo.163.com/photos/galka2005/15166778/
Fashion flowers to crochet http://photo.163.com/photos/lk_cai/59610188/
more flowers http://photo.163.com/photos/lk_cai/12308959/

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

June - July

The theme for July in Color*iffic Swap*o*rama is polkadots.

June's theme for Month of Softies is "Story Time"

May theme for Whiplash was miniature quilt

Tie One On made pockets on their aprons during May and June

June-July pincushion theme is "Summertime"

It looks like there's a summer vacation in swaps and kals, not many new have been announced.

But Six Sox have a very beautiful "Victorian Lace Sock"

BTW, you know how much I waited for Sockapalooooza? :-> It started in April, and I missed it :->
What ever :-(

I've been a bad, bad girl...

I haven't updated my blog for... two months?

So - now I'm going to give you something I hope was worth waiting :-)

These are pictures from a magazine article talking about lace found in second hand stores, yard sales and flee markets.

First a crocheted tablecloth that can also be used as a light afghan.

Some pretty doilies and a suggestion on how to use them:

Objets Nomades
Originally uploaded by eclectic gipsyland

A couple of lace bands and how to use them - the first is a tablecloth, curtain or light afghan made of bands and the other is two runners made of bands.