Aunt May Dishcloth

Every day I have thought I would get this pattern posted, and every day life pulls in the opposite direction.  It has been a month since I said I would share the pattern 'soon'...

In that month there has been lots of weeding, planting, hen keeping, biking, walking, and outdoor living going on as we enjoy one of the nicest Springs in many years.

And it's that time of year that some dish cloth knitting is about all the craftiness I manage to squeeze in.

This pattern is simply ribbing and garter stitch with a 12 row repeat and a crocheted border {if desired}.

If you make any, please let me know what you think,

especially if you find any mistakes :)

Aunt May Dishcloth

from homespun living

My great Aunt May lived in a farmhouse in the country. A favorite memory from my visits is of the old-fashioned hand-operated water pump perched next to her kitchen sink, which she was still using in the 1960’s to get water from the well every day. This dishcloth is named in memory of her.



Yarn: Lion Brand Nature’s Choice Organic Cotton in desired colors

Needles: Size 7 US {4.5mm}; crochet hook size H {5.0mm}

edited 3.21.12  I have corrected a major error in how I wrote this pattern, many thanks to those who have brought it to my attention.  Please let me know if you have any problems with these instructions...I promise that from now on, I will ask for someone to test knit a pattern before publishing...thanks much,  Deb
edited 6.9.10  Finished cloth measures about 8 inches square.

Notes: Pattern calls for slipping the first stitch and purling the last stitch of every
row ~ this makes for a very neat selvedge edge, which I learned thanks to
an Elizabeth Zimmerman book. I slipped the first stitch purlwise, holding the working
yarn to the back.

Tip: By casting on and binding off with a needle a couple sizes larger, it will be
much easier to insert your crochet needle into those stitches for the crocheted edging.

Begin: CO 37 stitches

Row 1: Slip 1, {K1, P1} x 2, * K7, P1, K1, P1 – repeat from * 2 more times, end with K1, P1.

Row 2: Slip 1, * {P1, K1} x 2, P1, K5 – repeat from * 2 more times, end with {P1, K1} x 2, P2.

Row 3: Slip 1, {K1, P1} x 2, * K7, P1, K1, P1 – repeat from * 2 more  times, end with K1, P1.

Row 4: Slip 1, * {P1, K1} x 2, P1, K5 – repeat from * 2 more times, end with {P1, K1} x 2, P2.

Row 5: Slip 1, {K1, P1} x 2, * K7, P1, K1, P1 – repeat from * 2 more times, end with K1, P1.

Row 6: Slip 1, * {P1, K1} x 2, P1, K5 – repeat from * 2 more times, end with {P1, K1} x 2, P2.

Row 7 : Slip 1, * K5, {P1, K1} x 2, P1 – repeat from * 2 more times, end with K5, P1.

Row 8: Slip 1, K6, * P1, K1, P1, K7 – repeat from * 1 more time, end with P1, K1, P1, K6, P1.

Row 9: Slip 1, * K5, {P1, K1} x 2, P1 – repeat from * 2 more times, end with K5, P1.

Row 10: Slip 1, K6, * P1, K1, P1, K7 – repeat from * 1 more time, end with P1, K1, P1, K6, P1.

Row 11: Slip 1, * K5, {P1, K1} x 2, P1 – repeat from * 2 more times, end with K5, P1.

Row 12: Slip 1, K6, * P1, K1, P1, K7 – repeat from * 1 more time, end with P1, K1, P1, K6, P1.

Work these 12 rows a total of 4 times. Bind off on last row, in pattern.

For optional crocheted edging:

Using crochet hook size H {5 mm}, join yarn to dishcloth and work 25 single crochet stitches along each side of dishcloth—this includes 2 single crochet stitches in each corner. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Credit:  Ribbing and garter stitch pattern is from The Complete Book of Knitting by Barbara Abbey; Viking Press, c. 1971.

Chicken Sewing Kit

http://www.susaglenndesigns.com/The_Flying_Chicken_Kit_p/57.htm

Chicken Pincushion

Funky Chicken Pin Cushions

I haven’t mentioned it for a while, but the hunt for the perfect pin cushion continues… to go to the birds…

Web-Goddess gives a nice clear set of free illustrated instructions for sewing up a set of funky chicken pincushions, and they do have a certain appeal.
A traditional take on the same basic idea has the chicken made up of log cabin quilt squares. You can find a free pattern for the log cabin chicken pincushion at Quilting Works, or get it ready-made by lanningslee on Etsy.
Either way… a great project to use up scraps of fabric… and, hey! a perfect “impulse item” to make for a fund-raiser bazaar or craft sale.
Funky Chicken pin cushions

 

Doreen Speckmann's Norwegian Chicken Pincushion Pattern

General Information

This cute and fairly easy pattern includes: complete instructions for paper piecing log cabins and making chickens, ultrasuede for two beaks and combs, beads for eyes, and three log cabin paper foundations. They make great gifts for all your quilting friends. You can enlarge and reduce the log cabin foundation to make chickens of all sizes. One store created a chicken ornament by reducing the pattern. 
Doreen Speckmann

You should have:

• 2 identical log cabin blocks, 4" x 4" (3 1/2" x 3 1/2" finished)
• 1 square 2" x 2" of your light fabric
• 1 square 3" x 3" of your dark fabric
• 1 felt "comb"
• 1 felt "beak
• Rice & Stuffing
•  

Instructions: 

1. Lay down one log cabin block, right side up, as illustrated with the dark half of the block to the left.
2. Place the felt beak as shown, with the tip of the beak pointing toward the inside of the block, about 3/8" down from the top edge of the block.
3. Place the felt comb as shown, with the scalloped edge pointing toward the inside of the block, about 3/8" in from the right edge of the block. The comb will overlap the beak and help hold it in place.
4. Place the second log cabin block on top of the first, right sides together, as shown - Matching light to light and dark to dark. Pin around the edges in a few places to hold everything in place.
5. Check to make sure your log cabin blocks are right sides together, and that you have the dark half of the top block exactly on top of the dark half of the other block.
6. Sew a 1/4" seam around 3 sides of the log cabin blocks, as shown. Make your stitches small so the dry-rice filling won't come out. At the bottom right corner, curve the seam in as shown.
7. Turn
8. With black embroidery floss, make French knot eyes. It's okay to stitch straight back and forth between the eyes to fasten the thread; the head area won't be stuffed.
9. Finger press under 1/4" all around the opening. TIP: you can get a good crease if you run your thumbnail along the fold.
10. Holding under the 1/4" seam allowance, match the center "back" seam of the chicken to the center of the "belly" seam. Look at the sample chicken; that should help you see what it should look like. Pin.
11. Press your light and dark squares as if you were making prairie points: fold in half diagonally, wrong sides together, and then fold in half again and press. All the raw edges should now be on one edge.
12. Lay the smaller light prairie point on the larger dark prairie point, matching raw edges.
13. Remove the pin from the chicken. Tuck the prairie point "tail" into the seam. Look at it from the top and the underside to make sure the tail is in the center of the seam. Re-pin
14. Starting at one edge, sew the opening closed as far as the center. Leave half the seam open from the center to the other edge.
15. Using a funnel, pour dry rice into the chicken. Fill it about 3/4 full, not completely full.

Finish sewing the seam.

Copyright © 2002 - QuiltingWorks.com - All rights reserved 

Quilting Works

The Junky Chicken

Children's craft ideas

South African crafted chicken ornament [link]
These are what probably inspired Ryan Frank: “recycled, fair trade plastic bag chicken figurine is handcrafted by disadvantaged crafters in the townships near Cape Town, South Africa.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Make a chicken from plastic grocery bags

Plastic Bag Chicken made by designer Kathleen George.

Re-purpose those plastic shopping bags to make this barnyard chicken.

There are two parts to this craft – building the body from foam shapes, and then adding the “feathers”. While this isn’t a fast, ten-minute craft, it’s very do-able, so don’t let the length of the instruction scare you!

To make a Plastic Bag Chicken, you will need:

• STYROFOAM Brand Foam: one each 5” and 3” eggs; one 4” ball; two 2-1/2” balls
• Plastic shopping bags: 4-5 white and one orange or red
• Wood dowel: two 4” x 3/16” pieces
• Acrylic craft paint: brown and green
• Chenille stem in tan
• Quilt pins, two with black heads
• Thick, white craft glue
• Low-temperature glue gun
• Tools needed: Serrated knife; old candle or bar of soap; indelible marker; wooden skewer or thin knitting needle; scissors

To make a Plastic Bag Chicken: 

Make the body:

1. Wax the serrated knife with an old candle or a bar of soap; this will make the cutting easier. Cut a thin slice from one side of the 5” egg, toward the wide end, so that the egg will sit flat with the narrow end tilted up slightly. Cut a small slice from the top of the wide end for the neck. Cut a small slice from the 2-1/2” ball, which will be the head. Twist together the neck and cut side of the ball till they fit snugly and then glue together.
2. Cut the remaining 2-½” ball in half. Glue one half on to the top of the tail end (narrow end) of the chicken. Just below the half ball, slice off the narrow end of the egg at an angle, shaping the tail.
3. Cut a small slice from each side of the egg body for the wings. Cut the 3” egg in half lengthwise; these will be the wings. Twist together the cut side of each wing against the cut side on the body, till they fit snugly. Glue wings to body.
4. Draw a line down the center of the chicken, from the head to the tail, and continue the line all the way around the chicken. This will help you keep track as you add the feathers.
5. Paint the wood dowels brown and let dry. These are the chicken legs. Insert and glue the legs into the center bottom of the chicken, and position the body so that the chicken’s head points down slightly.
6. Cut the 4” ball in half, and put aside one half for a future use. Insert the legs into the half ball, but don’t glue them in place. Paint the half ball green and let dry.
Add the feathers:

There are two parts to this plastic bag craft: make the body from foam shapes; then dress it up with feathers made from plastic shopping bags.

1. Cut about 50, 1” squares from the white plastic bags, avoiding any printing. It’s o.k. if the plastic is wrinkled. You’ll want to save the smoothest portions of the bag for the tail feathers (Step #4).
2. Here’s how to add your feathers: place a dot of white craft glue on the chicken, and center a plastic square on top. Push the plastic square about ¼” deep into the body using a wooden skewer or thin knitting needle; twist the skewer slightly to remove it. To point your feathers in a certain direction, hold your skewer at an angle when inserting the plastic squares. As you add your feathers, it will look more realistic if you angle them this way:

• On the front or chest, the feathers angle down
• On the sides, the feathers point towards the tail
• Wing feathers point up and back
• On the back of the chicken, the feathers point straight up

3. Once an area is covered, trim the tips of the plastic “feathers” to smooth out uneven feathers and to develop the shape of the chicken. You’ll trim closest around the head and neck. If you an, keep the scissors flat as you trim. The line you drew around the chicken will help you you’re your bearings, so leave it uncovered as long as you can. Fill in with more feathers as needed.
4. Next, work on the tail. Cut 26 – 30, 2” x 4-1/2” rectangles; and eight, 3” x 6” rectangles from the smoothest areas of the white shopping bags. Fold each rectangle in half lengthwise, and trim one end to a point. These don’t need to be perfect!
5. Insert a row of four, 4” feathers at the center back of the tail, just where the half ball meets the body. Add a row of three, 6” feathers just above the first. Continue this way as you cover the ball, alternating rows of 4” and 6” feathers. Add a more feathers, if needed. Fill in the area under the tail and on the sides with 2 ½” squares; trim to create a smooth transition between sections.
Finish the wings:
1. Cut 10 – 15, 3” x 2” rectangles. Fold in half lengthwise and cut the tips into points. Insert a row of six or more feathers just above the small feathers at the bottom of the wing, pointing them back towards the tail. Above this, add a row of 3 – 4 feathers, followed by a row of 1 – 2 feathers at the top.
2. Cut two, 6” x 6” feathers for the front of the wings. Fold the bottom of the feather several times, forming pleats, and cut the tips into points. Insert it at the front of the wing, angled toward the tail. Push it deep into the body so the feather flares. Trim and add feathers as needed.
3. Insert a 1-1/2” plastic square behind each leg. Trim.
Finish your chicken:

Use your orange or red bag for the comb, wattle and beak; and straight pins with black heads for the eyes.

1. Cut out a comb and wattle from the orange or red plastic bag. Poke in the comb along the mid line at the top of the head. Cut out a 1” square for the beak, fold into quarters, and attach to the front of the head. Add the wattle just below the beak.
2. Push in quilt pins for the eyes.
3. Glue the legs into the base. Cut chenille stem into eight, 1” pieces. Fold over ¼” on each piece, forming claw. Glue three stems in front of each leg, and one at the back.

Crafts 'n Things Blog

If you’re interested in more ways to recycle your plastic shopping bags, be sure to sign up for the Crafts ‘n things newsletter. This springtime wreath is made from plastic bags and will be featured in the March 22 newsletter (and, the newsletter is free!).

Sign up for the Crafts 'n things newsletter for the March 22nd tutorial to make this springtime Plastic Bag Wreath.

I confess that I keep a stash of different colored plastic shopping bags for projects like this, how about you? What crafts have you made from plastic shopping bags, or other repurposed materials? Share!
Happy crafting!