I'M ALMOST OUT OF RECTANGLES

Third and final week of THE RECTANGLE TUTORIAL and all the marvelous things that can be made by simply knitting up or crocheting up a simple rectangle. I'm sure there are many, many more that I haven't thought of. I would love for you to add the things you thought of that can be fashioned with a rectangle.

Today, we'll talk about shrugs and fingerless gloves. Both are created from a simple rectangle.

For the shrug I crocheted a rectangle 40" long. (Don't forget to always make a foundation chain for crochet and a "cast-on" row for knitting by using a larger hook/needle than the one you'll use to make the body of the item. The reason for this is that most times this beginning row of your work ends up being too tight and your garment looks squeezed and tight at the bottom. If you use a larger implement, this will not happen.

Therefore, a 40-42" first row.* Knit/crochet for 15-16". You should now have a rectangle that measures approximately 40" by 16". Fold this rectangle in half width-wise. Now you have a rectangle with measurements of 40" by 8". Sew each side of the open end of your rectangle together for 8" (for sleeves). In the middle of your rectangle you'll have a large opening. This is where you'll make a ruffled collar. When your rectangle is unfolded and opened up, you will see 2 sleeves on either side and the large opening for your head and shoulders and the bottom back, which I leave unadorned. Voila ♥ a beautiful shrug/bolero.

note: I used a double crochet stitch for this bolero - I made a chain 1 between each DC - I wanted it to have an "airy", mesh look.

Figure #1 is a representation of the rectangle you'll create for your shrug. Figure #2 is the same rectangle, folded in half with the stitches to create a tube sleeve on either open end of the folded rectangle. The open space in between the sleeves is for the neck and shoulders. On one side of this space, I made a ruffle of contrasting color. I left the other side of the open space plain to form the bottom back of the shrug.

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Final item: a pair of those trendy fingerless gloves. Knit or crochet a 5" by 7" rectangle. Sew the 5" sides together, leaving an opening for the thumb. (I always use my own hand when doing this). First, I sew up the part below the thumb - the part closest to the fingers. Then I begin to sew from the wrist down to the thumb opening. This is when I use my own hand to determine how large that opening should be. On both sides of this opening, be sure to go over your seams to guarantee  there's no gaps in the seam when your hand is inserted in the glove. You can crochet a ruffle around the wrist of the glove or crochet shells, making the edge look scalloped, or leave it plain.

                                     

         The black gloves are longer than 5". You can make them any length you like.

I made these gloves using a single crochet stitch so that I would achieve a close knit to keep those winter chills out. Trimmed one pair with a ruffle in a contrasting yarn and left the other plain.


*check your yarn label to see how many stitches per inch with what size needle/hook. Do the math and you'll know how many stitches you'll need to get a certain length chain/row.

Happy stitching.

Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might...........Ecclesiastes 9:10

My little hands have been busy sewing, knitting and crocheting and I want to show you some of the results of my labor. It's been a "labor of love" making things for people I love and it delights me to bless them in this way.

One of my many nieces is getting married in August. She's (as they say) getting married on a shoestring. She's a graduate student doing medical research in Vancouver, BC. Her fiancee is also a grad student. They will return to their studies after they're wed.

Because I'm a collector of vintage lace and love re-purposing it into something that's very "today", I wanted to make her wedding related gifts. I made a wedding garter and a little wristlet, both from vintage lace.

I made the garter from a strip of hand crocheted lace. These pieces of lace were once use to embellish bed linens, and other household linens. The Victorians even embellished undergarments with hand made lace. Many times these strips were made by little girls who were learning the skill of crochet in order to fill up their "hope chests" for their own "way in the future" weddings.

The most interesting thing about this lace is: it did not wear out. The sheets or pillowcases, towels or petticoats that the lace embellished, wore out. But the frugal Victorian housewife separated the lace from the worn out piece. They then saved the lace to embellish something else. Oftentimes, this is where I step in and discover it at a household sale, estate sale, garage sale, op shop or somewhere else.

The wristlet evolved from a rectangular doily that was used to line a bread dish. It has the word "BREAD" crocheted right in the middle of the piece. I folded it into an envelope purse shape, lined it with silk and added a crushed ribbon wrist strap - so the bride's hands would be free to hug people.

I think it's so cool to have heirlooms as part of a wedding day. You know how the old saying goes : "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, a sixpence in your shoe...."

Taken from THE KNOT wedding website
 Something old represents continuity; something new offers optimism for the future; something borrowed symbolizes borrowed happiness; something blue stands for purity, love, and fidelity; and a sixpence in your shoe is a wish for good fortune and prosperity............................

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Another project that I've been working on is making little trinkets to go into what is called a "swag bag" - a special gift bag for the first 100 visitors to visit my friend, Angel's. upcoming craft show. I am making tiny Christmas wreathes to pin onto your lapel, or to use as a giftwrap embellishment or even a tree trimmer. The swag bag will be chock full of the cutest ever little tchotchkes.

If you can get to Chambersburg, PA on November 2nd and do your Christmas shopping at this show, yours will be the best gifts ever.

https://www.facebook.com/IHeartHandmadeMarketplace?directed_target_id=0

Recycling - Upcycling - Reusing - Repurposing

My castteam-mate, NaNa, from NaNa Things blogged this week about how anxious she is for springtime so she can go "hunting" without coats, boots, gloves, etc. Where she's free to dig, dig, dig in relative freedom. Here's her blog.

http://www.musingsofavintagejunkie.blogspot.com/2013/02/anxious-for-hunt.html

I even have a special purse I bring along with me when I go on this type of outing. It's a tiny little thing, flat, cross body. It fits my license, a couple dollars, a credit card, even a pen and tiny notebook - plus has a clip for my keys. It doesn't dangle behind me like my big black purse, whacking everything in a 3 foot radius. It stays right up close to my body.

The "hunting" of which I speak is:  hunting for good, sale-able vintage wares. NaNa sells hers in her vintage etsy shop.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/NanNasThings

I generally re-purpose estate sale finds..

We've both been to the same Volunteers of America shop in the past few days. Read about what she bought, on her blog.

I bought a men's dress shirt. I wanted to re-purpose it into the back part of a pillow cover. The buttons on the shirt make a convenient slot to slide the pillow in and out for laundering purposes.The front of this pillow is also an up-cycled textile. This one was rescued at an estate sale, where often times one will find all the household linens spread out on a bed in one of the bedrooms. When I come upon a scene like this and there's all kinds of crochet work, embroidery, and lace, I almost begin swooning, I am so overcome. I am tossing linen into my reusable bag with wild abandon.

Once home with my haul, it all gets examined to determine how to launder it. I love hanging it out of doors to dry. Another reason why we want winter to be over and done with.

The front of my pillow cover is one end of what was once called a dresser scarf. Both ends of this glorious piece of linen were embroidered with a colorful bowl of flowers. Many artful stitches were used in it's execution. I so respect the skill of these embroiderers, crocheters, and needle-workers of old and am sad that their labors of love are often are so unappreciated - I just have to rescue them before they languish  in a landfill.

Since the original articles are no longer in fashion, I re-design them into something that is in fashion. And, voila !! The treasured heirloom has a new life.