Crochet: Back to School!

By Lisa Gutierrez on 08/28/2015

kindle-black-brown-edition2

Hey! I seem to have abandoned you, all summer. I share a lot on Instagram and Facebook, if you miss me. I wanted to pop in and share two back-to-school projects I just finished up for my boys.

kindle-black-brown-edition

My oldest son got a Kindle for his birthday and he can take it to school, so I made a little cover for it. You might remember my first kindle cover from my tutorial on working crochet on to leather. He likes black and more black, so I used up some leftover Sheepaca from my Wool and the Gang Project, way back in February. It’s the perfect shade of gray that looks “cool” but not just straight up black. I paired it with a piece of vinyl I had in my stash (big hoooray for the remnants bins at Jo-Ann) and finished it off with a wooden button. He liked it!

earbudcovers

Next up, I covered my youngest son’s earbuds. I find this helps immensely with tangles! This was going to be the start of an actual tutorial, but it’s so easy, I didn’t think it would be necessary. You simply single crochet around the wire of your earbuds. That’s it! No special stitches or anything like that. I would get about 4 little skeins of DMC embroidery floss in your choice of color(s). I used a 2mm steel hook.

earbudcovers2

I would have a photo of the completed set, but I’m just not that coordinated. Actually, I completely forgot! I whipped this up the day before school started and put them directly into his backpack.

bros-firstday

Nathan is finishing up his second week of fifth grade (that’s middle school here!) and Andrew is finishing up his first week of second grade. Can you tell how each of them feel about it? Nathan LOVES his new school and Andrew wants to drop out (ha!). I feel like they should be having the opposite opinions. Big sigh. Nathan was an easy student, but Andrew has been a tough cookie. He likes to read, but strongly dislikes writing. He’s a lefty (his brother is, too!), so it’s really hard for me to help him get things neat. We go through a lot of erasers around here.

Are your kids back in school? Did you knit or crochet any special projects for them or their teachers?

Pin It
8 comments - (Comments are closed) | Category: crochet, I am Mommy, photos

the Rudolphs

By Lisa Gutierrez on 12/14/2009

365.348: the RudolphsOn Saturday evening, Nathan I put together two dozen candy-cane Rudolphs. I remember my mom making these when I was little, so I thought it’d be a cute little party favor for his class.

His teacher bought stockings and asked for stocking stuffers, so I bought some stickers, pencils, erasers, and we put these together. I think I might buy some individually-wrapped fruit leather, as well. Other parents will be contributing as well, so these kids are going to get a stocking stuffed with goodies a whole week before Christmas!

I’m so excited about his first school party! Being in the AM class at his school means this is going to be a breakfast party. He goes in at 7:50 and I’ll be joining him a little after. Party ends at 9:25 (early dismissal)!

It will also be the last day of his first semester of school. I’m so proud of him! He got a report card a few weeks ago and he had met all of the goals that the district (school? teacher? someone?) set for pre-kindergarteners. He knows his ABC’s (what they look like, and the sounds they make), many different shapes & colors, can count, and is “very nice and extremely helpful” amongst other awesome things. So, while he is the one person in the world who knows how to push the exact buttons to make me spontaneously combust in sheer rage, he also makes me laugh the hardest and my heart beat the fastest. School has been a wonderful step in his life. He’s made friends and is starting to become more and more independent. I can’t believe he turns FIVE in 6 short months! That’s half a decade, man! I should start planning a big birthday party. It’s not too early, is it?

Anywho, these candy cane reindeer are supremely easy to make. I didn’t take any photos during the process, but here are some pithy directions, including a materials list.

Materials:
candy canes
pipe cleaners
jiggly eyes
pom poms
little bells
glue

Directions:
1. Thread bells onto pipe cleaner and shift to center. Twist pipe cleaner once, to secure bell in center.
2. Attach to candy cane at the top of the arch and twist a few times to secure.
3. Wrap antlers around a pencil or knitting needle to make a coil. Remove pencil and shape antlers.
4. Attach pom pom noses and eyes and let dry.
5. there is no 5. you are DONE.

super easy, no? Nathan helped by attaching all the bells and pulling them to the centers (I had already bent all the pipe cleaners in half). He also would pull out the knitting needle after I coiled the antlers.

rudolph candy cane [3]rudolph candy cane [4]
4 comments - (Comments are closed) | Category: 365, crafts, I am Mommy, photos