An Afternoon In History

Civil War history has interested me, but especially after my brother and I started researching our ancestors. It turns out that we have ancestors on both sides!

I live in a region of the country (the mountains of east Tennessee) that is rich in both Revolutionary and Civil War History. On July 20, 2014 I went to a Civil War living history event at the Wheatlands Plantation in Sevierville, TN with some friends. We had a great time! The plantation was established in 1791 by the Chandler family who lived on the land until the 1970s. The house currently on the site was built in 1825. The present owners are restoring the house and grounds while giving tours and hosting events such as the one we attended.

The group of re-enactors was small so they didn't stage a battle. They instead showed a skirmish between Confederate soldiers trying to steal chickens, the women left at home when their men went to war, and a Union detachment pledging to protect and get the chickens back. It may sound comical but that happened often, I'm sure, with either side perpetrating the thievery.

A very interesting part was the presentation given by the "Doctor" in his medical tent. Some of the instruments don't differ a lot from those used today - thankfully medical practices have improved.

At the end of the skirmish the two leaders each gave talks about the units that they were portraying, explaining about the gear the soldiers carried, the hardships faced, and what a re-enactor needs to take part in a living history event.

President and Mrs. Lincoln were on hand as was General Lee (who was very happy to pose for pictures with the audience).

That will teach me to go dressed for comfort and not publicity!

It was a very enjoyable day. I congratulate the owners of Wheatlands Plantation and all of the Civil War re-enactors for a job well done!

Knitting With
Beads

Want to spice up your knitting and
try something a little different? Add beads! You can make jewelry,
Christmas ornaments or add pizzazz to your clothing.

There are three major ways to add beads to your knitting without
sewing them on a completed knit.

The first way is to thread the beads onto the
yarn. It is time consuming and means the yarn must go through the
hole in the beads. For jewelry and items with several beads added to
the same row, this is a good method to use. The stitch size
(controlled by the needle size) needs to be roughly the same as the
bead size.

1. String the beads in the order needed for your design (or randomly if you want). Push the beads away from the end of the yarn.



2. Cast on the correct number of stitches and work to the point where the first bead is needed.

3. On the knit side of stockinette stitch insert the right needle into the back of the next stitch. Pull the bead down to the needle and pop it through the next stitch so that it sits on the front of the work. Knit into the back of the stitch.

4. On the purl side of stockinette stitch push the bead through to the front side of the stitch and purl it as normal. Knit into the back of the beaded stitches on the next row.

The second way is to use a crochet hook to pull a stitch through a bead. The hook has to be small enough to go through the hole. This method allows you to put a bead right where you want it which is an advantage if you are knitting a design using different colors of beads.

1. Knit to the point where the bead is needed.



2. Place the bead on the crochet hook.

3. Slide the stitch off the left needle onto the hook. Pull the stitch through the bead.

4. Put the stitch on the right needle, holding the yarn at the back. Purl the stitch as normal on the next row.

The third way is to string the beads on a small thread and hold it along with your larger yarn as you knit your project. In this way you can add seed beads to a design. Thread that is clear or matches your yarn keeps the extra strand from showing. Carry the beads along the back of the work as you would a second color of yarn, catching the thread every inch or so to avoid long floats. When you reach a point where a bead is needed, swing the thread and one bead to the front between the needles. Knit the next stitch. Move the thread to the back and knit the next stitch.

Enjoy making different designs with beads in your knits! It's not
as hard as you might think.

A milestone has occurred! I made my first video tutorial today! It's is very basic jewelry techniques.  It is called "Beginning Jewelry - A Bracelet and Earrings Set" .  I've uploaded it to YouTube. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaDBjfwIjgE
I hope you like it! Watch for more in the future!

Hello, It's Been A While!

Okay, it's been a while since I've posted. I can't believe that time has flown by as fast as it has. I've been busy at the shop and getting designs ready for publication. The next thing on the list is a complete revamp of the store's website. It will be easier to for everyone to shop and for me to update.

I have the Spring / Summer 2012 Newsletter on the website ready for viewing. I'm excited about starting a Beyond The Basics crochet group this summer. It's for anyone who knows the basics and wants to learn more. Check out the newsletter here.

Leave a post telling what projects you are working on this summer. I'm always interested.

Happy Crafting!

Ava

Easy Crochet Hat Pattern

Here's the easy crochet hat pattern that I promised in the newsletter. This pattern is included in my book "You Too ...Can Learn To Crochet!" You can buy the entire book on the store's website www.terrisyarnsandcrafts.com, at the store, or on Amazon or other websites that sell books.

Let's see how many hats we can collect for charity this year. As I said in the newsletter, bring in one hat between now and December 1, 2011 and receive 10% off any purchase that day.

Crocheted Hat With Turned Up Brim

Crochet an easy hat for those cold winter days!

Materials Needed:

85(110, 150) yards of worsted weight acrylic for a one color hat

If you want to do the brim in a different color, allow 40(50,62) yards for the brim and 45(60, 88) yards for the rest of the hat.

The sample hats were done in Patons Canadiana (100% acrylic, 201 yards per skein)

size I crochet hook (or size needed for gauge)

scissors

yarn needle

Skill Level:

Sizes: toddler(child, adult) measuring 14”(17”, 22”) head circumference

Gauge: 11 dc or 6 rows = 4”

Abbreviations:

ch: chain

sc: single crochet

st: stitch

dc: double crochet

dec: decrease

Special Stitch Instructions:

decrease (dcdec): (Wrap the yarn over the hook. Insert the hook in the next stitch and pull up a loop. Wrap the yarn over the hook and pull through two loops on the hook.) 2 times. Wrap the yarn over the hook and pull through all loops on the hook.

Instructions:

Note: The beginning chain counts as the first stitch of the round. When working in rounds, join the last stitch of the round with the second chain of the beginning chain with a slip stitch.

Instructions written for the toddler size with child and adult sizes in ( ). If only one number is given, it is for all sizes.

Brim:

Ch 11(13, 13), turn.

Row 1: 1sc in the second chain and in each chain across, turn – 10(12, 12) st.

Row 2: Ch1, 1sc in the back loop of each st across, turn.

Repeat row 2 until a total of 36(48, 60) rows have been done. Hint: Count the ridges: each ridge is equal to 2 rows.

Lay your piece flat with the beginning tail on the bottom left hand side. Fold the brim with the short edges together. Slip stitch the edges together by inserting the hook through one stitch from each edge. Do not cut the yarn. The rest of the hat will now be worked in rounds. If you want to change colors, cut the yarn from the brim and add the new color.

Crown of Hat:

Round 1: Hold the brim with the last stitch from the join facing up. Ch1. working from right to left, 1sc in each row around the edge of the brim. Join the last stitch to the first chain at the beginning of the round – 36(48, 60) stitches.

Round 2: Ch2, 1dc in each st around, join.

Rounds 3 – 6: Repeat row 2.

Round 7: Ch2, 1dc in the next stitch, (dcdec, 1dc in each of the next 4 stitches) 5(7, 9) times, dcdec, 1dc in each of the next 2 stitches, join – 30(40, 50) stitches.

Round 8: Ch2, 1dc in the next stitch, (dcdec, 1dc in each of the next 3 stitches) 5(7, 9) times, dcdec, 1dc in the next stitch, join – 24(32, 40) stitches.

Round 9: Ch2, (dcdec, 1dc in each of the next 2 stitches) 5(7, 9) times, dcdec, 1dc in the next stitch, join – 18(24, 30) stitches.

Round 10: Ch2, dcdec 8(11, 14)times, skip the last stitch – 9(12, 15) stitches.

Round 11: Ch2, dcdec 4(5, 7) times, 1dc in the next stitch 0(1, 0) times, join – 5(7, 8) stitches.

Cut the yarn and pull the end the last loop. Run the end through the last round and pull the center of the hat tight. Fasten the yarn on the wrong side. Weave in any ends.

Turn the brim to the outside of the hat.

©2010 Ava Lynne Green

927 Dolly Parton Parkway, Sevierville, TN 37862

new magazine issue

I've published a new magazine / booklet with Magcloud. The magazine is called "Stitcher's World". This issue is an introduction to tunisian crochet. It's available at Terri's Yarns and Crafts or by clicking on the button below. I hope you like it!

Stitcher's World Issue 1: Tunisian Crochet

Finished Project

I've finished my project for the Westcott Brand Designer Display at Craft and Hobby Association in Chicago next month. Hope you like it!

It's a necklace with an interchangeable rose focal point. The roses not on the necklace are "docked" on an organizer that you can use for pencils, makeup brushes, or anything that fits. Of course, it's all done with Duck® Brand Duct Tape, Velcro fasteners, and Westcott Brand titanium non-stick tools. I added cardboard tubes, jewelry findings, a wooden nickel, satin rattail cord, and pieces of a cardboard box.

All of the products were great to work with. The duct tape sheet were fantastic for covering large areas. I also cut it into strips with the Westcott titanium trimmer. There was no residue left on the trimmer, scissors, or knife. Just a good clean cut. I used the trimmer for the corrugated cardboard. It took 2 passes through to complete the cut because of the thickness, but it was still easier than using scissors. Velcro is always great for holding things together.

I had a lot of fun working with the products. I have several more ideas floating around in my head for some other things to do. Watch for more later!

My Rose Necklace

As promised, here's a picture of something made from The Duck Brand® Duct Tape, Velcro® Brand Fasteners, and Westcott Brand cutting tools. I made a rose. It's attached to a starburst backing with Velcro that hangs on a cord. I'm wearing it as a necklace in one photo. The second photo shows it against a white background.

I'm having fun working with the supplies. The Westcott Brand tools are great. The scissors are cutting the duct tape with no problem. I've use the cutter for the duct tape sheets. Again, no stickiness and a great result.

I have several ideas for the duct tape samples. I didn't know it came in zebra stripes and camouflage. Too cool!

Off to work some more! Hope you enjoy the pictures!