Simplify...

I just spent the weekend away from home.

My husband and I, in honor of our upcoming anniversary, took a few days and escaped to the coast, staying in a state parks cabin and hiking and strolling the beach between rain showers.  We had beautiful weather on Sunday and took a 10-mile round-trip hike from our cabin out to the end of the cape and had the joy of spotting dozens of whale spouts.

We spent the weekend in an itty bitty cabin, free of clutter and the stuff that surrounds us every day.  It had three rooms: a main living area with a futon, tiny kitchenette (complete with refrigerator and microwave), table and chairs; a sleeping area with a double-single bunk bed; and a bathroom. We took basic bedding, kitchen, bath supplies, a few books, several dvds, some yarn and knitting needles (to practice - I'm learning how to knit!), and some board games.  It was so relaxing.

And, we spent the weekend talking about what it might look like to simplify our lives.  What if we lived with less... stuff?  What if we made a conscious effort to not fill the space we live in?  What if we didn't seek a bigger house when ours started feeling full, but rather looked for ways to cut back on the stuff filling it?

So, here's my goal, a New Year's resolution, if you will: Get rid of stuff.  My plan is to start in the kitchen, with that one drawer. (You know the one - it has all the different utensils, measuring cups, spatulas, spoons, etc... you have to dig to find the tool you're looking for...)  Our local homeless ministry has a thrift store from which the proceeds go to supporting the homeless mission.  Whatever I can't give to friends, we will box up and donate there.

I am excited, overwhelmed (how can so much stuff accumulate in two years?!), and ready to make some changes.  Who's with me?

O Tannenbaum...

I love Christmas trees.  I could sit and stare at the lights on a Christmas tree for hours, mesmerized by their beauty.  As a child, I used to love sitting in the living room with the room lights off, gazing at the tree and the patterns made on the ceiling from the colored lights.

With Christmas just around the corner, I wanted to write a quick post on inexpensive ways to decorate your Christmas tree...

Here is my tree this year:

I find tree skirts to be extremely expensive.  Last year I bought a 70" diameter round red tablecloth at an after-Christmas sale for about $10.  This year, I folded the tablecloth in half and then draped it around the base of the tree.  I'm really pleased with how it looks, and if I ever decide to change it, I can use the table cloth for something else!

My mother's tree growing up had crocheted snowflake ornaments on it every year that have been in her family for a while.  I like the look, so I wanted to make some for my tree.  I found two different patterns online via Ravelry (love that site) and came up with these.

The ribbon on the tree is left over from my wedding.  The "tree topper" was a pew bow that my mom rescued after the ceremony.

My husband found a set of house numbers in a drawer when he moved to our house in years ago.  I love the shape of these numbers, so I decided to hang them on the tree, too!  Someday, when we live in a different house, we will have something to remember our first home by...

The red wooden bead garland was an after-Christmas special last year, as well.

In an effort to add more hand-made to the tree, I found an origami dove video on YouTube and made six little white doves for the tree.  They look a little bit like they could be mistaken for humming birds... hmm... The peace doves are significant at Christmas time, because we celebrate the birth of Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, the Prince of Peace.  We can rest in His peace...

I also have mini cookie cutters and real pine cones (wedding leftovers) adorning my tree... These speak to my childhood family Christmas tradition of making sugar cookies and my love for hiking and nature. :) 

Hope you find some ideas here you can use! :)  And Merry Christmas!

Cable Christmas Stocking Pattern

I absolutely love cable knits.  Sweaters, hats, mittens, anything! They look so cozy and just seem to be a hug made from yarn.  Since I don't yet know how to knit, I am stuck trying to achieve that look with a hook... Katie of Think.Courage.Strength designed a Braided Cable Hat pattern that I think is just fantastic. I have made several of these hats for various family members and love how quickly they come together.

When I was staring at my yarn basket the other day, I became inspired to use Katie's idea to make a Christmas stocking with the crochet cables look.  This is what I came up with...

Supplies

• Size I or 5.5mm crochet hook
• About 300 yards of medium worsted weight yarn (almost 1 skein). I used Red Heart Super Saver in Ranch Red and Medium Thyme.
• A length of ribbon for hanging your stocking
• Scissors

Abbreviations

• st - stitch
• ch - chain stitch
• slst - slip stitch
• dc - double crochet
• fpdc - front post double crochet
• bpdc - back post double crochet
• dc6tog - double crochet 6 together
• dc2tog - double crochet 2 together
• dc3tog - double crochet 3 together

To Begin: ch 50, join with slst to 1st chain

Round 1: ch 2 (counts as dc, but not always in this pattern), dc in each ch around, join with slst to top of ch 2

Round 2: ch 2, bpdc in same st (ch2 of previous row), dc in next st, *bpdc in next st, dc in next st,* repeat * * around, join with slst to top of first bpdc

Rounds 3-5: ch 2, bpdc in same st (bpdc of previous row), *dc in dc, bpdc in bpdc,* repeat * * around, join with slst to top of ch 2

Rounds 6-9: ch 2, (counts as first dc), dc in each st around, join with slst to top of ch 2

Round 10: ch 2, fpdc in st below, skip first st, fpdc in next st, fpdc in skipped st, fpdc in next open st (should look like IXI), dc in next st, *fpdc in next st, skip first st, fpdc in next st, fpdc in skipped st, fpdc in next open st (IXI), dc in next st,* repeat * * around, join with slst to top of first fpdc - makes 10 cables or IXI pattern repeats

Round 11: ch 2, fpdc in st below, fpdc in next three fpdc, dc in next dc, *fpdc in next 4 fpdc, dc in next dc (should look like IIII),* repeat * * around, join with slst to top of first fpdc

Rounds 12-29: repeat rounds 10 and 11

Round 30: (beginning to form the heel) ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), dc in next 23 sts, turn (24 sts)

Round 31: ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), dc2tog across the row, dc in top of ch 3, turn (13 sts)

Round 32: ch 3 (counts as 1st dc, dc2tog, dc2tog, dc3tog, dc2tog, dc2tog, dc in top of ch 3, turn (7 sts)

Round 33: ch 3, dc6tog, turn

Round 34: (joining back up with rest of stocking) ch 2, work 8 dc across edge of heel rows 31-33, dc3tog across the edge of row 30 with the last leg of the st in the corner where the heel and stocking meet, dc in next dc, *fpdc in next fpdc, skip first fpdc, fpdc in next fpdc, fpdc in skipped st, fpdc in next open fpdc (IXI), dc in next dc,* repeat * * 4 more times (5 total), dc3tog across round 30 with the first leg of the st in the corner where the heel and stocking meet, work 8 dc across edge of rows 31-33, join with slst to top of ch 2

Round 35: ch 2, fpdc in next 4 dc, dc in next dc, fpdc in next 4 sts, dc in next dc, *fpdc in next 4 fpdc, dc in next dc (should look like IIII),* repeat * * 4 more times (5 total), fpdc in next 4 dc, dc in next dc, fpdc in next 4 dc, join with slst to top of ch 2

Round 36: ch 2, *fpdc in next fpdc, skip first fpdc, fpdc in next fpdc, fpdc in skipped st, fpdc in next open fpdc (IXI), dc in next dc,* repeat * * around (9 times total), join with slst to top of ch 2

Round 37: ch 2, *fpdc in next 4 fpdc, dc in next dc (should look like IIII),* repeat * * around (9 times total), join with slst to top of ch 2

Round 38-45: repeat rounds 36-37 (end on 37)

Round 46: ch 2 (counts as first dc), dc in each st around, join with slst to top of ch 2

Round 47: ch 2 (counts as first dc), dc2tog, *dc in next st, dc2tog,* repeat * * around, join with slst to top of ch 2

Round 48: ch 2, dc in next st, *dc2tog,* repeat * * around, join with slst to top of 1st dc

Round 49: ch 2, dc in next st, *dc2tog,* repeat * * around, join with slst to top of 1st dc

To finish: Tie off. Cut the end, leaving a long tail. Use the tail to cinch the toe closed. Pull the tail inside and tie off again, weaving in the ends.

Fold down the cuff. Make a pouf and attach it to the back edge of the cuff, if you wish.

Loop a ribbon through the stitches to hang your stocking. 

Hang your cute stocking on the mantel and wait eagerly for December 25th! :)

Note: If you get stumped on any of the stitches, feel free to ask. Or, just type the name of the stitch into YouTube, and watch a few video tutorials! You can learn how to do anything! :)


Cable Christmas Stocking by Emily Bittel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.