DIY Heavy-Duty Fleece Rope Dog Toy

This Friday, August 26th, is National Dog Day. Since my dog demands my attention and takes up all my free time, I thought I would make a post for a rope toy that I made for him.

These ropes are easy and inexpensive to make. They also are very strong and will withstand lots of abuse from even large dogs!

There are lots of steps to this, but don't worry, it is not difficult and it gets easier once you get started.

Needed Supplies: 

Fleece fabric remnants

Scissors

Step 1: Cut the fabric.

Cut 4 strips of fleece between 3" and 4" wide. I cut mine at 4" because my dog is large. If you are making a toy for a small dog, you may want to cut the strips a little thinner.

Fleece stretches in one direction. Cut the fabric so it stretches the length of the strips, not the width.

I used 2 different colors, but you could use all the same color or 4 different colors. I suggest using at least 2 different colors for the first time that you make this. It just makes it easier to see what you are doing. 

You can cut your strips as long as you want for your dog. I suggest cutting the strips the full length of the fabric. As you knot it, the length is going to get shorter. When you get to the desired length, you can stop and trim off the excess.

The cuts do not have to be perfect. I just eyeballed it. You can see that my cuts were pretty jagged and the strips were not exactly the same width through the entire length. I promise that your dog is not going to complain.

Pile the strips on top of each other.

Make a knot at the top. I left about 3" for the fringe.

Step 2: Lay the strips out so 1 strip goes straight out to each side and 2 strips go down the middle. It will kind of look like a person with the knot for the head. I labeled the strips A, B, C, and D to make the explanation easier.

Step 3: Take strip A and cross it over B and C. It should be parallel to strip D.

Step 4: Take strip C and fold it up and over strips A and D.

Step 5: Take strip D and fold it over both the inside and outside parts of strip C.

Step 6: Put the end of strip D under strip B.

Step 7: Put the end of strip D over strip A.

Step 8: Pull all your strips tight. Pull A and D right and left and pull B and C down and up. It doesn't have to be super tight, but tight enough that it isn't going to come loose when your dog is playing with it. It is better to be too tight than too loose.

Your knot will look like a little box. You will notice that the strips are in a different order. D will go to the left, A goes to the right, C goes up and B goes down.

Now, things get a little easier!

Step 9: Fold strip B up over strip D. Fold strip C down over strip A.

Step 10: Fold Strip D over B and through the loop at the top of C. Fold Strip A over C and through the loop at the bottom of B.

Step 11: Pull all your strips tight. Pull A and D left and right and pull B and C up and down. You will now have another box. You will notice that the strips are again in a different order. A goes to the left, D will go to the right, B goes up and C goes down.

Step 12: Fold strip B down over strip A. Fold strip C up over strip D.

Step 13: Fold Strip D over C and through the loop at the top of B. Fold Strip A over B and through the loop at the bottom of C.

Step 14: Pull all your strips tight. Pull A and D left and right and pull B and C down and up.

Strip D will now go to the left, A goes to the right, C goes up and B goes down.

Step 15: Repeat steps 9 through 14. Your rope will begin looking like this.

Step 16: Continue to repeat these steps until the rope is as long as you want for your dog. Make a knot at the end.

Step 17: Trim the ends so all strips are even. If you would like the trim to look a little more full, make a few cuts into each strip. I made my cuts about 1 1/2 inches down.

 Step 18: Go play with your dog!

These ropes are easy to make, inexpensive, and are very strong. They hold up to abuse and tug of war by even large dogs.

These are also great for teething puppies. Just soak it in water, put it in a zip-loc bag, and let it freeze. Then, give it to your puppy to chew on. The cold will help soothe the puppy's gums.

When the rope is dirty, you can throw it right into the washing machine and dryer. The ropes may get stretched out a bit. If you throw it in the dryer, it will shrink back.

These ropes would also make a great donation to your local animal shelter or rescue group.

Now, go have fun with your dog!

Crochet Valentine’s Day Treat Bags

I volunteer as a Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentor at the local elementary school once a week. I wanted to put together a little something for the kids for Valentine's day. 

These little bags are quick and easy to make and they use only a small amount of yarn. I am filling mine with candy, but these would also be great for small toys, stickers, erasers, etc.

Size:

The finished bag is 3 ½” wide and is 4 ½” high. You can easily adjust the size of your bag by changing the hook size, using a different weight of yarn, or increasing the length of the foundation chain.

Needed Materials:

Crochet Hook Size H

Worsted Weight Yarn Main Color – 20 g (bag)

Worsted Weight Yarn Coordinating Color – 5 g (drawstrings and heart)

Tapestry Needle

Gauge: 

4 1/2 sc = 1”

The gauge is not really important for this. I crochet tightly, but this gauge made a 3 ½” x 4 ½” bag.

Bag:

Using the Main Color, Ch 16

2 sc in 2^nd ch from the hook, sc in 13 ch, 2 sc in the last ch. Do not turn. Working on the opposite side of the foundation ch, sc in next 13 ch, join. (30 st) You may want to place a marker on the last sc to help you remember where the round begins.

Row 1: Sc in each sc around. Continue to sc until the bag measures 4” tall or about ½” less than your desired end height.

Drawstring Row: Sl st to join, ch 1, (sc in next sc, ch 2, skip 2 sc) around, join. (10 - ch 2 spaces)

Final Row: Ch 1, (sc in each sc, 2 sc in each ch 2 space) around, join, fasten off.

Drawstring (Make 2):

Using the Coordinating Color, make a chain until it is about 16” long. Fasten off.

Heart:

Using the Coordinating Color, Ch 3

Row 1: (2 dc, 1 hdc) in the 3^rd ch from the hook. Turn. (4 st)

Row 2: Ch 3. 1 dc in each of the (2 dc, 1 hdc), 2 dc into the top of the ch 3. Turn. (6 st)

Row 3: Ch 2. 1 dc in 1^st st, 2dc in next st, sl st in next st, 2 dc in next st, (1dc, 1hdc) in next st, sl st into the top of the ch 3 of row 2.

Fasten off leaving a long tail.

Finishing:

Starting at one side of the bag, weave a drawstring through the ch 2 spaces. Starting at the other side of the bag, weave the other drawstring through the ch 2 spaces. Knot the ends of the drawstrings.

Sew the heart onto the bag using the long tail.

Weave in all ends.

Abbreviations:

Ch = Chain
Dc = Double Crochet
Hdc = Half Double Crochet
Sc = Single Crochet
Sc2tog = Single Crochet Two Together
To make it easier to print, you can download a pdf of the pattern.

Have a happy Valentine's Day! 

Knit Operation Gratitude Scarf

The company that I work for encourages the employees to volunteer. Every month or so, a group of knitters and crocheters choose an organization to make items for. Last month, we made item for Operation Gratitude.

Operation Gratitude sends care packages to Veterans, Wounded Warriors, First Responders, and U.S. Service Members that are deployed overseas. They accept many different types of donations, including hand-made scarves and hats.

I decided to make a textured diagonal scarf. This pattern is very simple, yet looks nice. Operation Gratitude accepts any pattern, as long as it is 5"-6" wide and about 48" long. They also prefer subtle colors.

If you would like to learn more about Operation Gratitude or how you can help, be sure to check out the website operationgratitude.com. If you are interested in making a knit or crocheted item, be sure to check out their specific requirements.

If you want to see more of my other knitting and crocheting projects, check out my Ravelry project page.

DIY Wooden Snowmen

Christmas is just over a week away. If you are still looking for ideas for a quick gift to make, these wooden snowmen may be the perfect thing!

I am a Big Sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. My 12 year old Little Sister wanted to make gifts for her family. She loves woodworking and wanted to build something for everyone. She has a large family, so the project needed to be fairly simple. We needed to be able to get multiple done in a short period of time. She decided to make wooden snowmen.

I am sure you have seen wooden snowmen all over the place, but here is our take on how to "build" a snowman.

Needed Materials:
Wood for the body
Wood for the hats (optional)
Paint
Wood Glue
Sander or sanding block
Craft Supplies

Step 1: Cut your wood.

You can make your snowmen any size that you want.

• Bodies - We used 2"x3"s, 2"x4"s, and 2"x6"s cut at different lengths for the bodies.
• Brim - We used 1"x3"s cut slightly longer than the width of the body for the brim of the hat. For example, if you are using a 2"x3" for the body, the actual width of the body is 2 1/2". If you want a 1/2" overhang on each side for the brim, cut your 1"x3" at 3 1/2".
• Hat Top - We used 1"x2"s cut at the same width of the body for the top of the hat. If you are using a 2"x3" for the body, cut your 1"x2" at 2 1/2" to match the width of the body.

Step 2: Fill in any holes with wood putty, if necessary. Sand the boards. Check out this awesome new random orbital sander we won from a giveaway over on Home Repair Tutor. Using that worked so much better than using the sanding blocks!

Step 3: Paint your boards

Step 4: Using wood glue, attach your hat rim and top to your snowmen.

Step 5: Decorate your snowmen. We used paint, ribbon, yarn, buttons, pipe cleaners, and pom poms. You can use whatever craft supplies that you have on hand.

These snowmen are easy to make and can be decorated any way that you want. My Little Sister made these to represent everyone in her family and they are very personalized based on each person. I think her family is going to love them!

This is a good project for kids to do. Just provide them with the pieces already sanded and painted white and a variety of craft supplies. Then let their creative sides show! They would make a great gift for kids to give their family members, teachers, family friends, or neighbors. This would also make a great classroom project.

Building a Kid-Sized Adirondack Chair for Charity

A co-worker of mine is putting together a benefit for her friend's sick child. As part of the benefit, they are going to auction off some items. She had asked for any kind of donation for the auction.

Since this is a benefit for a child, I wanted it to be something kid-orientated. I also wanted something that was gender neutral, so I decided to build this cute Adirondack chair.

The plans I used for this chair can be found in Ana White's book The Handbuilt Home. Because of that, I'm not going to give you the exact details about this build. I'm sure that there is some type of copyright that I would be violating if I gave you all the details. I highly recommend buying this book if you don't already have it. Ana White makes building so easy! She does have a bunch of free plans for Adirondack chairs on her website, but the book plan is slightly different.

Here are the steps I took to make the chair.

Step 1: Cut your wood to the measurements in the book.

Step 2: Attach the armrest support to the front and back legs. For all of these steps, I like to glue it first and then screw the pieces together. You have to make two of these side pieces. Remember, the set should not be identical, but the pieces should mirror each other. The supports should face the inside of the chair.

 Step 3: Attach the armrests to each side.

Step 4: Attach the stringers. These should also face the inside of the chair.

Step 5: Attach the front apron.

Step 6: Attach the seat boards. The ends of these will rest on the side stringers.

Step 7: Lay out the back pieces. Make sure to evenly space the boards. Attach the back supports.

Step 8: Attach the back to the chair.

Step 9: Fill any holes with putty, sand everything, and paint or stain to your liking.

I, actually, put another coat of paint on the chair after I took the top picture, but I forgot to take a picture of it completed. I did take this picture. This is my three-year old niece giving it a try before I gave it to my co-worker to auction off.

Hopefully, the benefit is a success and some little boy or girl will enjoy it!

Knitting Newborn and Preemie Hats for Charity

My current workplace encourages the employees to volunteer. As part of this effort, there is a group of knitters and crocheters that select charities and create items for them. I am part of this group. We have made items for veterans, orphans, animal shelters, etc. This month, we are making hats for newborns with Down's Syndrome.

I have made many hats over the years and I have a very simple pattern that I use as my go-to pattern whenever I make a charity hat for a baby. It also works if you are in a pinch and need a quick baby gift. This pattern is not fancy, but it does the trick.  It knits up fast and it does not use much yarn. If you happen to need a quick hat for a baby, these hats are perfect.

If I have patterned yarn on hand, I prefer to use that. The patterned yarn makes it look a little fancier without any additional work. I made a couple of these this weekend. The pink jacquard is the preemie size and the print is the newborn size.

Here's the pattern! Here is the printable PDF version of this pattern.

I've made this hat both knitting in the round with double pointed needles and also knitting on straight needles, so I included both options. In my opinion, the hats that are knit in the round look slightly nicer, but not everyone is comfortable knitting with double pointed needles.

The preemie size is written first, followed by the newborn size in parenthesis. If there is only one directive listed, the instructions are the same for both sizes.

Materials:
Any sport-weight Yarn (less than 20 grams per hat)

Size 3 (3.25mm) Double Pointed Needles or Size 3 (3.25mm) Straight Needles
Tapestry Needle

Gauge:
6.5 stiches = 1 inch
The yarn you choose will determine the gauge, as not all sport-weight yarn is exactly the same. Gauge is not super important, as babies have heads of all different sizes.

Finished Size:
11(12) Inch Diameter


Pattern for Knitting in the Round
Cast on 72(78)
Divide the stitches between three DPN and join
Rounds 1-6 (K2, P2) around for 2x2 ribbing ((K3,P3) around for 3x3 ribbing)
Rounds 7-31 K around
Round 32 (K4, K2Tog) around 60(65) st
Round 33 K around
Round 34 (K3, K2 Tog) around 48(52) st
Round 35 K around
Round 36 (K2, K2 Tog) around 36(39) st
Round 37 K around
Round 38 (K1, K2 Tog) around 24(26) st
Round 39 K around
Round 40 (K2 Tog) around 12(13) st
Round 41 K around

Cut the end of the yarn. Thread the yarn end through the remaining stiches. Pull the yarn through to the inside of the hat and pull it tight. You may or may not choose to place a knot at the inside of the top of the hat to ensure it stays tight. Weave in the ends on the inside of the hat.

Pattern for Knitting on Straight Needles
Cast on 72(78)
Rows 1-6 (K2, P2) across for 2x2 ribbing ((K3,P3) across for 3x3 ribbing)
Rows 7-32 work in stockinette st (K odd rows and P even rows)
Row 33 (K4, K2Tog) across 60(65) st
Row 34 P across
Row 34 (K3, K2 Tog) across 48(52) st
Row 36 P across
Row 36 (K2, K2 Tog) across 36(39) st
Row 38 P across
Row 38 (K1, K2 Tog) across 24(26) st
Row 40 P across
Row 40 (K2 Tog) across 12(13) st
Row 42 P across

Cut the end of the yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread the yarn end through the remaining stiches. Pull the yarn through to the inside of the hat and pull it tight. You may or may not choose to place a knot at the inside of the top of the hat to ensure it stays tight. Sewing on the inside of the hat, use the tail to make the back seam of the hat. Weave in the ends on the inside of the hat.

Abbreviations:
DPN = Double Pointed Needles
K = Knit
Mm = Millimeters
P = Purl
St = Stiches
Tog = Together

If you want to see some of my other knitting and crocheting projects, be sure to check out my Ravelry Projects page.