Homemade Felt Christmas Ornaments

As if Christmas weren't stressful enough [to the point that I'm just now recovered enough to post something Christmas related], here is evidence of some little felt ornaments I made as party favors for a "Simple Gifts"-themed gift exchange:

They're just rectangles of craft felt blanket-stitched together with two cotton balls inside to make them puffy. I "wrapped" each of them in square tin boxes in a bed of that red and green crinkly paper-straw stuff for the guests.

Too bad I decided that, yes, I really needed to embroider "'Tis a gift to be simple" on each little ornament, like I had time for that sort of thing, which (evidently) I did. Somehow. Crafting obviously falls somewhere on my list of priorities slightly under screaming child (or does it?) and eating handfuls of chocolate-covered raisins.

Bean's Baby Blanket

I made this blanket for my first son during my first pregnancy. I'm not huge into baby blues and pastels, maybe because I reject those colors when it comes to my own wardrobe. Earth tones and jewel tones are more friendly to me, and figured my boy would have a similar complexion. I liked the earthiness of these colors--the mustard yellow especially.

I've never used 100% cotton yarn before and I'm happy with it--it's very soft and it washes well, but man, it takes a long time to air dry because it's so absorbent. I washed it on a delicate cycle with the blanket in a mesh bag to keep it from stretching. Laid it flat to dry fearing the dryer would destroy it.

Even though this cotton is pretty washer-friendly, a polyester might be more durable in the long run and keep it's shape better--but it definitely wouldn't be as soft and warm. I'm pleased with the cotton overall. There's something pleasant and warm and natural about cotton.

I was also excited because I wasn't sure if the blanket would be wide enough or too long. But, incredibly, when I ran out of yarn and tied the project off, I was amazed to find that that it's the exact dimensions of a standard crib. Crazy!

So happy knitting season! It's cold out there.

Vogue Baby Mittens

I can say these are Vogue baby mittens because I learned how to make them from my handy dandy Vogue Knitting on the Go! Beginner Basics book.

Two reasons these mittens were a big step for me in my knitting career:

1) This is the smallest yarn I've ever attempted knitting with--Patons Kroy Socks super fine for 3.25mm needles (does that mean anything to anyone?). I guess you can't tell how big the yarn and needles are from the picture, but they're tiny!

2) Even though I've been knitting since I was 8, making blankets and scarves and hats, I've never used a pattern. I like doing my own thing and have rejected patterns most of my life (in more than one way)--maybe that's why piecing quilts is so tedious to me. I didn't even know how to read a knitting pattern until looking it up in this little Vogue knitting book, which is the most clear and helpful knitting book I've ever referenced. Highly recommend.

However, I did adjust all the numbers in this pattern because I used finer yarn and smaller needles to make the mittens 0-3 months size instead of 6 months.

3) My whole life I've just knit knit knit in the garter stitch. I actually used a stockinette stitch for the mittens with ribbing around the cuffs after practicing pearling while making a blanket. Progress! After 16 years of knitting, I have finally learned something new. Revolutionary, isn't it?

Because this yarn is so freakin' small, I thought these would take forever, but then I realized, the mittens themselves are also very small. They didn't take as long as I thought, so I proceeded to make several pairs that were never worn because baby's don't like wearing mittens. Who knew?

The Family Tree Cross Stitch

I really got into cross stitching this year. This is my first cross stitch, a family tree I made as a wedding gift. (It looks kind of lame with the names blotched out, I know. Dang privacy.) I got this family tree cross stitch kit from 123Stitch.

I really like Janlynn patterns and kits a little better than Dimensions, I think. I love the traditional hand-designed look of this specific pattern rather than a computer-generated pattern based on a photograph or painting. This pattern is so classic, like a centuries-old family tree sampler.

My one tip for cross stitching? Following the pattern, pick a color and stitch an area only stitching half the X (one stitch, /) over an area. Then you can set the pattern aside and go back, filling in the other half of the Xs (\) without pouring over the pattern and counting. It makes things go much faster!

The Pomegranate Clock

Hours of antioxidants.

Fast forward, or rewind--whichever you choose, to Chrismas 2009 when I happened to draw the same brother in law in the family Christmas gift drawing. Well, how do you top ear paintings?

This time I asked him for an object or any old "thing" he liked or that represented him well. He chose the wonderful POMEGRANATE. I love a good fashion fruit, and the pomegranate fit the bill. Like, check out this pomegranate painting by Ilse Kleyn. What a classy fruit. My father-in-law imagines that in heaven people just sit around eating pomegranate seeds that have already been shelled by angels.

There are fashion fruits and there are fashion vegetables, like the artichoke. I mean, if Pottery Barn can convince you to buy dead artichokes in a box for $24.50, you know there are people out there who are genuinely passionate about artichokes.

In true Mistledoe fashion, I stayed up on Christmas eve finishing this project. These Walnut Hollow clock kits and clock parts are so easy to assemble and make great gift ideas.

Other ideas for clock decorating:

• cover face with fun fabric
• modge podge it with photos/magazine clippings/newspaper articles
• paint a face on it
• spraypaint it a solid color
• cover it with vintage wallpaper or wallpaper scraps
• dip it in chocolate and eat it

Paintings: The Christmas Ears

When it comes to giving Christmas gifts, I'm usually at a total loss. Like I said in my last post, I'm not a huge fan of spending a lot of money on holidays. I also think the most meaningful gifts are those we make, the ones we put our heart and time into.

For the family Christmas drawing each year, I try to make something, unless I'm pregnant and working full time and exhausted, which happened last year. Sorry, world. Here's 2008's gift to my brother-in-law: a pair of ears.

Acrylic on Canvas

He's tone deaf, so I thought this was especially appropriate.