Simply beautiful, inviting, and nurturing, this playmat offers lots of opportunity for play. Lily ponds are so serene, and also so full of life! Our playmat is designed with many little hiding homes where the pond dwellers can live- in the pond banks, in the water, under the lily pads, and in the lily flower itself!

Gear

A family camping trip can be a great summer time experience. Time shared in the natural world. Time for being together, slowing down and building up memories. Camping trips are a favorite with our family. We have been camping for about four years of the last ten, with all our camping trips put together, and here are a few things that make these trips all the more comfortable!

note-correction!   Utensil/Tool roll

"From each of the two fabrics, cut a rectangle 12 inches x 36 inches. "

should read 28 inches x 36 inches

I apologize for any inconvenience this error may cause.

This special blanket spans generations, from the inspirations of my grandmothers fair isle designs, to the recipient- her newest great grandson!  The blanket  also spans the globe, with family members knitting squares in New Zealand, Canada, Vietnam and Scotland. Grandmother, Aunts, Uncles, and cousins of the new baby all picked up stitches to convey their best wishes. This article describes the process and shares some of the knit squares patterns, perfect for creating your own family treasure.

The premise of the Knit Square doll is simple-If you can knit squares, you can make this soft doll.  This doll was designed using the same size of squares made for our blanket- to be made on its own, or as a gift for the siblings of a new baby receiving the blanket. The challenge was to create a doll using only squares, perfect for the beginning knitter.  These dolls would also be a wonderful, creative use of knitted gauge swatches, or small leftover balls of yarn.

Dye your own wool yarn with children, with easy to follow instructions and safe dyes. This project is truly magical and comes with instructions on how to make rubber boots socks from your own hand-painted yarn.

"Children love the dyeing process- watching the creamy wool take on a vibrancy of their own making as they squish the dye colors around on their wool.  Children have a great sense of accomplishment and pride in wearing socks or hats or mittens they have had a part in making themselves."

Living Crafts/Fall 2009-Papier Mache Puppets

"These puppets are a fantastic project to make, for and with our children. Whether we make up our own characters and stories, or create a puppet based an existing favouite character, the puppet making will be a memorable occasion, as will the many times they are brought out and to life!"

Living Crafts/Summer 2009-Nuno Felted Bag

All the tips and techniques you need to create a beautiful wool bag, using traditional felt making with a laminated cotton layer to strengthen and hold the shape. Perfect for going to library, the market, or stashing your works in progress!

Living Crafts/Summer 2009-Wool Play Reins

Learn how to make a child’s horse reins and harness, for pretend horse play. This heirloom project will guarantee your loved ones many hours of summer play. You can choose to knit-felt it yourself, or just recycle an old sweater for this special project.

Living Crafts/Spring 2009-Weaving with Children

  "In the Tao of craft, weaving is our breath- in and out, back and forth, inhalation and exhalation. Weaving brings together the physical activity of our hands, with our thoughts in the planning of our project, our emotions in our color and materials choices, and the spiritual, in the act of creation.  We can all benefit from the rhythmic quality of weaving that influences our own breathing patterns, slowing us down and bringing us into closer relation with our work."

 This Craft School feature article will bring you joy just reading about weaving, and the outcome is outstanding! All you need is … love, yarn and cardboard. Make your own loom, with your children. 

Living Crafts/Spring 2009- Weaving a Treasure Purse: Free Pattern

Treasure purses are a favorite weaving project in our house. They are just the right size to hold coins and the small trinkets and treasures that children love! A great project to learn the basics of weaving, while making something both practical and beautiful. 

Living Crafts/Winter 2008- Peace Dove-Wool Felt bird Ornaments

Learn how to make a cardinal, peace dove, or robin with this simple pattern. You can use these birds as ornaments on your holiday greens, or make garlands with several birds. This project is perfect for grade school children and parents to do together, and requires little felt, and basic sewing skills.

Living Crafts/Fall 2008- Wool Resource Directory & Painting with Wool



In this article we introduce you to farms that produce wool roving,
while providing you with a comprehensive directory of wool suppliers
in U.S. and Canada.
In addition, you’ll learn the art of painting with wool, an introduction
to wool craft, chock-full of potential for those who want to explore
the creative process more deeply.


Living Crafts/Summer 2008- Summer Fairy Scarf

 











A swirl of silk is all you need to transform your day or evening,
and this scarf has the perfect mix of feminine elegance and whimsy.
 This nuno felted scarf is super easy to make and requires very
little investment of time and money. It makes a perfect gift for
a special occasion, for yourself, and other important women in your life.



Living Crafts/Summer 2008- A Party to Dye For

What better time than summer to get together with other
moms and kids and create a fun dye party. This article is rich
with ideas and beautiful photos,
as well as great list of resources for natural dyeing.



Living Crafts/Spring 2008- A Sweater for a Year

Living Crafts/Winter 2007/2008- Felted Farm Playmat

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