Crochet wreath tutorial

Ok, so this isn't quilted, but I'm all-around crafty! I haven't made one of these in years, but they're so easy and quick that when I found my yarn I had to make one (I also needed a good excuse to open up the gallon of apple cider in the fridge)

My grandmother taught me to make these a looooong time ago during one of my many sick days in elementary school. They are easy enough a sick first grader can make them!

You will need:

plastic ring from a jug of milk or cider
Crochet hook size G
green worsted weight yarn
about 12" red ribbon
scissors
basic crochet skills.

 Start by making your first loop, then single crochet through the plastic ring. See the picture? The ring functions like a chain of stitches would if you were going to crochet in the round. I hold the tail of my yarn against the ring so it gets covered up and hidden as I go around the loop...

 Like this! Make sure you squish the stitches together a bit so they're a little crowded. Slip stitch to join the first and last stitches.

 Chain 2 and then single crochet around again...

 Ending up with this! Slip stitch again, and then finish it off and tuck in the yarn end.

 Now, take the ribbon, fold it in half, and tie a knot about 1" from the loop, then push the ends through from back to front through two slots next to each other like this. Tie these ends into a pretty little bow, trim even if necessary, and ta-da!

A cute wreath! Hang it as an ornament, or use less ribbon and omit the bow and you can attach the wreath to a pin back or a magnet.  Wasn't that easy?

Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Merry Christmas!

Crazy? Maybe.

I've been very busy today- As soon as my lovely husband left for work, I headed out to JoAnn's by myself for the first time since we moved here 18 days ago! I had a set list, and I am pleased to say I stuck to it, but I also enjoyed a good hour in that store getting to know this particular one. It has the biggest selection of calicos and quilting cottons!!!! I just wanted to walk up and down the aisles... there's also a huge selection of Kona cotton, including several colors I could never find back up north, like chartreuse, and pretty greys, a delicate pinks... I'm very happy that this store is close enough, but not too close!

Once I got home, I finished framing all of Benny's shirts, so now they just need to be put together. I got fleece for the backing of his quilt- he's very tactile-selective, and by that I mean extremely picky about how things feel. I'm sure everyone knows that one person who cuts out itchy tags, or wouldn't wear jeans growing up because they were scratchy, or even won't eat any food with lumps (It either needs to be whole, or pureed). Well, that's my big brother. So I opted to try a new technique of not using batting at all and backing the quilt with fleece. In my head, this will work out perfectly and the quilt will also end up being warm but not too warm. We'll see what actually happens!

Tim made me open a present early since I gave him his quilt early- actually two. A pair of Gingher pinking shears, and the Straight No Chaser CD-- both of which I am so excited to have!!!

 I made these, and then used the new shears with glee.... Tim actually asked why I was giggling as I sat near the tree and trimmed them, and then hung them up. I have now made six new ornaments this year-- a selvedge stocking, a scrappy heart, a ribbon candy,  the house ornament, and these two trees. There will probably be more. :)

As for being crazy, after I got home today, I washed all of the towels, our sheets, and a load of clothes... then I washed the dogs (which then meant I had to shower.... you know how that goes!), and the crockpot, and swiffered the floors, and unpacked one of the lingering boxes, and remade our bed, and just now ate the last slice of Dutch apple pie. I MAKE A DANG GOOD PIE! I could have eaten the whole thing by myself, but thankfully Tim helped, and shared some with a coworker.

Look how proud this little monster is. Prudence the wonder dog, no longer the smelly dog!

Another reason I might be crazy- I agreed to make another present for Tim for Christmas! He wants an oversized lunch box. Silly me, I said OK. So, once I finish Ben's quilt and bind Val's quilt, I'll make Tim a lunch box.

If this post feels all over the place tonight, I apologize- things are hectic! I'm kicking myself a little for not being done with those last two quilts. This is the latest I've gone in years when it comes to being done with Christmas. Usually, I'm done by Thanksgiving so all I have to make during December is fudge!

Good night, everyone. 7 days until Christmas, 5 days until I need to have those two quilts done, and about half an hour before I fall asleep in front of the tv.

For future reference...

 I am an incredibly slow hand-piecer. At least when it comes to English paper piecing... I had never tried it, but this little hexagon caddy from Penny's Hands called for it, so I decided to try. SEVEN HOURS later, I had finally finished this little bugger! I was determined to finish it all the way yesterday, though. I knew if I stopped in frustration it would become a UFO and probably never get finished because of how slowly I had been stitching! I think part of the slowness was because I was using a teensy whipstitch, another part was named Prudence, and another part named Matt Lauer. Plus the three of us (Well, Prudence and I) were watching movies all day. Dan in Real Life, Uptown Girls, and  The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe were all on tv at various times yesterday. :)

 See? She watches more tv than some people I know!!!

Before I went to bed, I made an ornament I've been dreaming up to symbolize our First Home and first Christmas together (despite being the second Christmas married-- Tim was deployed last year). Isn't it cute? A wonky house ornament!!!

I made these coasters last week. Too cute! I strip pieced them together, then used my Go to cut wonky squares- It helped me to get 4 out of the strip without having to do the math to make sure I wouldn't get just 3.5! And, I must say, it was incredibly quick... I hope I get more dies for Christmas so I can play some more!

Today's agenda:
Get espresso machine? Perhaps!
Then, I MUST work on Benny's T Shirt quilt, or my brother won't get his present this year!!!