Time Out for Tree Balls

This time of year, I love walking through a near-by neighborhood full of "tree balls". I'm not sure if this idea originated here, but it is a really big tradition here now. I couldn't hold the camera still enough for really good pictures, but I hope you can get the idea. All these lights are balls, mostly 24 inch diameter or so hanging in trees. Some of these streets have hundreds, if not thousands, of them. Besides the beauty, I love the sheer dedication of these people. They had to MAKE all of these since the commercially available ones are way too small.

I think this blog http://www.lightedchristmasballs.blogspot.com/ belongs to the family that started the tradition. They have lots better pictures and some interesting reading, including instructions on making and hanging the balls.

Here is a site with another version of the instructions: http://mm.news-record.com/legacy/indepth/08/tree_balls/











...AND BELOVED NEIGHBORHOOD TACKY


Before there were tree balls, there was Mr. True and his little tiny house with a bazillion lights on it, just around the corner from where I live. Cars used to line up to drive by, like they clog the tree ball streets now. Mr. True was known as the "Santa of Chapman Street", and dressed as Santa and gave candy to all the children who came by. Mr. True passed away a few years ago, but his sons keep up the lighting tradition, though the Nativity scene and the rooftop sleigh seem to be missing this year.

Motifs 18 to 24 -- Snowflakes

You would think from this blog lately that there hasn't been much tatting going on. Actually, I have been hard at work making ornaments to give the girls at work. This is a group of Jane Eborall's Sequin Snowflakes. All those messy strings are the hanging loops sticking in all directions. I personally prefer the second, heavily beaded version off the pattern, but I needed the simpler version to get it done in time. Jane has so many great tips for adding beads as you go, which allows for maximum creativity with minimum premeditation, which is great for working at home. For this project, I strung all the beads ahead of time, so I could slip a couple shuttles in my pocket and I was all set to tat on the bus, during my coffee break, and any spare moment.





This one is Mike Meloy's snowflake. This is a quite nice one round snowflake - it works up fairly quickly, but has plenty of visual interest. In size 20 thread, it fits the bangle bracelets. Maybe a good idea for next year's giveaway.

If anyone thinks showing this many motifs all at once is a thinly veiled attempt to cover up the fact I missed my year's deadline for the challenge, all I can say is "Shhh!" Just one more...

Meet Danny

Remember my post about the package from Ireland? Pamela hastened to tell me that it wasn't a wait-till-Christmas-Day type package. Luckily, the post was running ahead of schedule, so there was still plenty of oxygen left, and tragedy was averted.

This is Danny, one of Pamela's magic creations. I wish you could see all the details and the tiny stitches. And there was a skein of Rainbow Bright too. I am so lucky.

Danny has been exploring his new digs, with much head-shaking at the dust and clutter. Here he is, climbing in the closet shelves. Is he looking for a storage place for his thread, or hoping to add to his own stash? I think I had better keep an eye on him.

Time Out For Crochet--Polar Bear

I enjoy lurking at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amigurumi. Today's post is a thank you and Merry Christmas for those nice folks there (and anyone else who crochets).

Polar Bear
Copyright 2008, Martha Ess, revised 12/10/2011
You may make copies for yourself and a few friends, you may make, give, or sell the item, but you may not reprint or repost the pattern elsewhere without permission.

Materials: worsted weight yarn, white and small amount black, fiberfill, size G hook. (optional red yarn and white pom-pom for trim)

Size: 5 1/2” long, 3 ½” high

Body: Do not join at ends of rounds, work continuously, marking ends of rounds. The eyes are French knots, easiest to work a little while after the ears have been made. Stuff with fiberfill as the opening grows smaller.

With Black yarn
Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic circle (or ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook) (6 sc)
Change to White yarn
Rnd 2: [2 sc in sc, sc in next sc] 3 times (9 sc)
Rnd 3: [2 sc in sc, sc in next 2 sc] 3 times (12 sc)
Rnd 4: [2 sc in sc, sc in next 3 sc] 3 times (15 sc)
Rnd 5: sc in each sc (15 sc)
Rnd 6: 2 sc in sc, sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc, 4 dc in front loop of next sc (ear made), sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc, 4 dc in front loop of next sc, sc in next 2 sc (16 sc and 2 ears)
Rnd 7: sc in each sc and sc in unused back loops behind the ears (18 sc)
Rnd 8: [2 sc in sc, sc in next 5 sc] 3 times (21 sc)
Rnd 9: sc in each sc (21 sc)
Rnd 10: [2 sc in sc, sc in next 6 sc] 3 times (24 sc)
Rnd 11: sc in each sc (24 sc)
Rnd 12: [2 sc in sc, sc in next 7 sc] 3 times (27 sc)
Rnd 13: sc in each sc (27 sc)
Rnd 14: [2 sc in sc, sc in next 8 sc] 3 times (30 sc)
Rnd 15: sc in each sc (30 sc)
Rnd 16: [2 sc in sc, sc in next 9 sc] 3 times (33 sc)
Rnd 17: sc in each sc (33 sc)
Rnd 18: [2 sc in sc, sc in next 10 sc] 3 times (36 sc)
Rnd 19: sc in each sc (36 sc)
Rnd 20: [2 sc in sc, sc in next 11 sc] 3 times (39 sc)
Rnd 21: sc in each sc (39 sc)
Rnd 22: [2 sc in sc, sc in next 12 sc] 3 times (42 sc).
Rnd 23: sc in each sc (42 sc)
Rnd 24: [decrease, sc in next 5 sc] 6 times (36 sc)
Rnd 25: [decrease, sc in next 4 sc] 6 times (30 sc)
Rnd 26: [decrease, sc in next 3 sc] 6 times (24 sc)
Rnd 27: [decrease, sc in next 2 sc] 6 times (18 sc)
Rnd 28: [decrease, sc in next sc] 6 times (12 sc)
Rnd 29: decrease 6 times, sl st in 1st stitch and end off, leaving a few inches of thread. Sew closed.

Front legs: with White yarn(make 2)
Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic circle (or ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook) (6 sc)
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc (12 sc)
Rnd 3: [2 sc in sc, sc in next sc] 6 times (18 sc)
Rnd 4: sc in next 4 sc, ch 8. (Hold the leg so that you are in position to work into the beginning of the round, with the right side still facing you. The chain 8 forms a loop which begins the bottom part of the leg.)
Rnd 5: sc in the 4 sc of Rnd 4 and in each ch (12 sc)
Rnd 6 - 7: sc in each sc for 2 rounds (12 sc)
Rnd 8: working in back loops, decrease 6 times, sl st in 1st stitch and end off, leaving a few inches of thread. Sew closed.


Beginning of Round 5 of Front Leg


Completed Front Leg. The large round upper sections of the legs are sewn to the body to form shoulders and hips.

Rear legs: with White yarn(make 2)
Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic circle (or ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook) (6 sc)
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc (12 sc)
Rnd 3: [2 sc in sc, sc in next sc] 6 times (18 sc)
Rnd 4: [2 sc in sc, sc in next 2 sc] 6 times (24 sc)
Rnd 5: sc in next 6 sc, ch 12 (Hold the leg so that you are in position to work into the beginning of the round, with the right side still facing you. The chain 12 forms a loop which begins the bottom part of the leg.)

Rnd 6: sc in the 6 sc of Rnd 5 and in each ch (18 sc)
Rnd 7: sc in each sc (18 sc)
Rnd 8: working in back loops, [decrease, sc in next sc] 6 times (12 sc)
Rnd 9: decrease 6 times, sl st in 1st stitch and end off, leaving a few inches of thread. Sew closed

Tail: with White yarn
Row 1: Ch 3, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next ch, ch 1, turn
Row 2: Sc in each sc, ch 1, turn
Row 3: Decrease, ch 1, turn
Row 4: sc in sc. End off.

Sew legs to body using whip stitch and stuffing lightly as you go. It is easiest to sew the upper flat parts first. Sew tail to behind.



More views to aid placing pieces:







Optional accessories: (If making for toy for small child, omit accessories, or sew on securely.)

Scarf:
With Red yarn
Row 1: Ch 4, dc in 3rd ch from hook, dc in next ch, turn
Row 2-22: Ch 3, dc in next 2 dc. End off. Make fringe with white yarn.



Hat:
With Red yarn
Row 1: Ch 12, sl st to 1st ch
Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in each ch, sl st to top of Ch 3 (12 dc)
Row 3: Ch 3, [decrease, dc in next dc] 3 times, decrease, sl st to top of Ch 3 (8 dc)
Row 4: Ch 3, dc in dc, decrease, dc in next 2 dc, decrease, sl st to top of Ch 3 (6 dc)
Row 5: Ch 3, decrease, dc in dc, decrease, sl st to top of Ch 3, end off.
With White yarn, turn over, work in unused loops of Row 1 chains:
Ch 3, dc in same ch, [dc in next ch, 2 dc in next ch] 5 times, dc in next ch, sl st to top of Ch 3, end off. Fold white row upward. Sew white pom-pom to point of hat.

Thankful for Gifts, Part 4

A surprise has arrived all the way from County Cork, Ireland. Oooooh, what can it be?

Pamela has also enclosed a pretty card bearing one of her Tumbling Snowflakes, worked in her own Rainbow Bright hand dyed thread. This thread is just as gorgeous in person as you would expect it to be from the many pictures of it I have seen.

A special thank you to Pamela.