Welcome to back to Craft Schooling Sunday! After a little break for the month of December and some additional weeks in January, it's great to be back. Looking forward to catching up with all of the wonderful regular contributors from around the world and hopefully meeting some new ones too! Feel free to link to several projects to bring us up to date on what you've been up to, and looking forward to another crafty year together.
It is not too soon to be thinking about Purim dear readers, and especially since it has just recently come to my attention that in the month of January, when all the December holiday decorations are marked down to almost nothing, one can find some great things for Purim!
And so, for those of you who live in the United States, or just about anywhere other than Israel, raid your local craft supply store, in my case it was a Michaels, for some colorful and glittery stuff that's perfect for Purim. Some of the things here in the photo were around 30 cents each, and I bought some smaller things that were marked down to as little as 11cents! So run, don't walk and get yourself a head start on Purim, I'm certainly happy that I did!
Yes, this is snow in the background, so I'll let you in on a little secret, I was in New York for the last two weeks, which is where I purchased and photographed these little gems. Great to be back and now after a two week blogging/crafting break, it's on to Tu B'Shevat and Purim crafting! See ya around.
Crocheting a rib stitch won't get you ribbing exactly like a knit rib, but it is possible to come close. Or, if you're looking for a way to add some texture to say a basic scarf or cowl or even a little baby blanket, then I'd recommend making a double crochet rib that looks like my example here. Plus the edges have a sort of chevron look to them and actually look much nicer that the edges would of a piece that was just made with rows of double crochet.
The oh so simple secret to this? Double crochet in the back loop only of every row, and after turning at the end of each row, chain 3, but do not count this as a stitch. It's that simple!
This watercolor still-life painting birthday card was made by my daughter a few weeks ago, and I can't wait to frame it! I grew up making birthday cards, so I'm passing along the tradition to my kids, and have finally realized that if I want them to make traditional cards that open, then well I need to give them a blank card. Not difficult really, and together with some watercolor paints and a pencil, well the resulting works of art can certainly be sweet.
With all the scrapbooking and paper supplies out there today which enable one to make cards that look store bought, it's time to get back to basics and encourage the creativity that comes with basic drawing and painting. As you can see if you've been following this blog, I've been trying to do that a bit more in our home, and with great results, so do join us as we continue draw and paint our way through the year, you'll be so glad you did.
We enjoyed drawing with oil pastels on black paper so very much, that we just had to do it again. This time we all had a great time drawing city scapes with the idea of totally covering the paper with the exception of the black paper peeking through as windows and doors.
Now, with many projects it's a great idea to sit down yourself with your kids to get them interested, so that's just what I did. Though I must say, my drawing on the lower right hand corner looks way to perfect and controlled compared to their works of art, sigh. And even my not so craft inclined son did a drawing too! My six year old loved this project so much he did around four separate drawings! There's just something irresistable about pastels on black paper and a subject matter that young kids can master is that much more exciting for some.
You'll Need: Black paper, preferably card stock weight, oil pastels and pencil
How To:
Start by drawing a line across the paper to separate the street from the buildings. If you'd like to make a set of drawings that will look amazing hung together horizontally, draw the horizontal line in exactly the same place so that the drawings will match up as one large street scene. Draw the outline of the buildings as well as any details with a regular pencil. Then get to work filling in the shapes with the oil pastels, layering colors and defining areas with strokes where needed. Encourage your kids to try and produce artful imperfect drawings! I had to tell them over and over that their drawings were so much nicer than mine, which is indeed the truth though they didn't quite believe me.
I'd love to mount all of our drawings on a long piece of cardboard and hang this somewhere, of course taping them together would be great too. A whole room with a line of these drawings hung around the perimeter would be stunning, go for it!
A few weeks ago I introduced you to our latest spoon puppet craft, and now I'm at long last getting around to telling you how we made our sweet little spoon puppet theater. I did this project with a group of about 70 girls, so I can attest to the fact that it's a great project for a range of ages, and an alotment of at least 1 1/2 hours. Many of the younger girls, say ages four and five could make the puppets on their own, but did understandably need quite a bit of help with the theater. From the looks on their faces, all of the girls were really happy to go home with such a complete project!
You'll Need:
How To:
Enjoy this great winter craft that really could keep your kids busy and creative for hours. And if that concept seems more like a dream than reality, then I'd just like to add a few words of encouragement and suggest that while getting your kids to enjoy crafts for hours on end may not happen over night, it can happen with just a little bit of effort and encouragement and patience on your part as well as of course un plugging from any electronic distractions (with the exception of music) that may possibly be inhibiting the creative play in your home. You can do it!
Crocheted ear warmers are quick to make and look great. A fun winter accessory that you can whip up as a great gift or make a bunch for the family. And of course, topped with a giant crocheted flower, your crocheted ear warmer is just irresistible!
How To:
Start by making the basic ear warmer shape as seen in the photo below. For approximate measurements I followed the advice here, and for the basic pattern I followed the directions here. Note: unlike the pattern I've linked to, I finished the project by crocheting a row of slip stitches all around the ear warmer to give it a more finished look.
And then, crochet yourself a fun flower, like my giant crocheted flower with a button center. Sew on a large button, weave in any ends, attach the flower and that's it!
As with any crochet project in which your hook and yarn aren't exactly the same as those indicated in the pattern, follow the guide for overall measurements, and better yet, measure it on yourself or your child to make sure the fit is right. Enjoy!
My first introduction to mofleta, the very distant Moroccan cousin of say a flour tortilla, was at a Chanukah gathering quite a few years ago, at the home of some Israeli Moroccan friends. I watched with great interest as the mother prepared the dough and baked the mofleta in a frying pan. Her actions were deliberate and methodical— she prepared the dough with a beautiful rhythm developed over years of preparing that very same dish. I had the strong sense that we were re-living history here in her kitchen, and given the anticipation of her grown children, it was clear that indeed something very important was taking place. What was important about mofleta and why it was important really didn't seem at all relevant. The fact was, that the preparation and serving of this family favorite brought the generations together that night of Chanukah, in a home filled with warmth and love and laughter, and light.
Since that Chanukah night many years ago, I've learned that if you happen to mention mofleta to a Moroccan, the response will very likely be something like ahhhh, mofleta, my Savta's mofleta is the best! Mofleta is made from dough very similar to pita dough, with just a touch more oil, and it is cooked in a frying pan like a large pancake. Good mofleta must be made from very thin dough, and is quite tasty when eaten with butter and honey. (Symbolizing abundance, sweetness, and happiness, and also Israel, the land of Milk and Honey.) While mofleta is eaten during the year, in some families every Rosh Chodesh, in others as a Chanukah treat, it is universally enjoyed amongst Moroccans as the first bread after Passover, as part of the mimouna celebration, when it is believed to be a source of blessings for the coming year.
Looking back I now realize that my friend's excitement over a fairly basic food which they had eaten countless times, was of course much deeper than their desire to eat something delicious. Their excitement was about their desire to feel their mother's love, and to connect to the meaningful tradition of generations before them who also gathered together to eat mofleta. Generations I might add who lived beautifully full lives in Morrocco, and were overtly thankful for the goodness that was bestowed upon them. It may very well be, that one of the reasons that Moroccans are so enthusiatic about their cuisine is that it connects them to a time when life was quite simply good!
For recipe and complete instructions continue reading below.
Ingredients:Note: The mofleta made today is generally made with white flour, but it's quite likely that the original version was made with something more similar to whole wheat pastry flour, so I'm going to be a renegade and suggest you try that, or some combination of white and whole wheat, which is what I did. Use some delicious, (try organic for superior taste) whole wheat flour, and the resulting mofletas will be in my opinion so much heartier and quite distant from a white flour tortilla. If you'd prefer to make mofleta exactly as it's being made now, in most homes, so use white flour. Your choice.
Directions:
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in about 1 cup of warm water and set aside. In a large bowl or mixer combine the remaining ingredients. If using a mixer add the flour to the water, and vice versa if mixing by hand. Add half the flour and the salt, mix thoroughly, and then add the yeast mixture, making sure that it has started to bubble. Once a ball of dough has been formed, kneed for roughly ten minutes. Dough should be firm such that it is easily removed from the bowl without sticking to the sides.
Place ball of dough in a large plastic bag, remove air from the bag and tie bag at the top, leaving room for the expansion of the dough. Set aside in a warm spot until dough has doubled in bulk. This may take around 1 1/2 hours. (If you're really in a hurry, an hour is probably sufficient since in any case, we're making flat bread, right?
Break off egg-sized pieces of dough and roll between your palms to form a small ball. Set on the counter to rest as you continue to make balls from the remaining dough. Let balls rest for roughly ten minutes or just a bit more. With a rolling pin, roll out individual balls of dough as thinly as possible. To produce a circular piece of dough, start by rolling out the ball, and then lifting up the dough and rotating it say 9o degrees such that by rolling in a few directions the result will be round as opposed to oblong. I found that working on an un-floured counter worked for me, but if your dough is too sticky to work with, coat the work surface with some flour. Once you've rolled out your dough as thinly as possibly, try pulling and stretching it with your hands to make it as thin as possible. If a few holes form from the dough tearing, not to worry, that's just fine.
Note: I do believe that the traditional way of forming the mofleta is not with a rolling pin, but rather with one's hands. The first time I witnessed mofleta being made, the dough was stretched over the back of a round stainless steel tray, but this is a technique that one needs to witness first hand, and one that I have yet to master.
Heat a large frying pan with just a bit of oil, and carefully lift your round of dough into the pan. Cook on one side for about 2 minutes, or until lightly browned, and flip over and cook on the other side for about 1 minute. Traditionally, as one pancake is done, a new one is either slipped under it, or preferably placed on top of the cooked one, and then flipped over together with the previously cooked mofleta providing stability. In this way a stack of say up to 20 mofletas can be made and kept warm in the pan at the same time, which is preferable since once cooled the mofletas tend to harden and are not as delicious.
If preparing a stack seems too difficult (it's really not, give it a try!) keep the mofletas soft by wrapping in a towel and placing in a plastic bag. If necessary reheat in the oven wrapped in foil.
Serve with butter and honey and a nice hot glass of Moroccan mint tea. Accompany with sliced oranges doused with just a bit of rose water and cinnaomon, fresh fruit of any kind, an array of dried fruits and nuts, and some delicious Moroccan cookies from your local bakery. No Moroccan cookies nearby? Substitute with any Middle Eastern dessert like baklava, or even French style pasteries. Enjoy!
Ever heard of ruffles yarn? Not to worry, I hadn't either until I came across this interesting skein in my local yarn store, and just couldn't resist! Knitting with "ruffles" takes a bit of practice but certainly could be a great detail for a cuff or collar. And a reader contributed a great idea on one craft schooling Sunday, which was to use this yarn to create crewel like effects by sewing down the middle of the yarn. Will try to find the link to that post shortly, and also should mention that I used some ruffles yarn for crocheting an outer layer of petals on a very large chunky flower. So, while I don't think I'll be knitting with ruffles yarn, I will definitely be using it in my crafting adventures!
I just love my chunky knit rope potholder. Or is it a chunky knit rope trivet? Either way, this is one craft I'm going to do again as I think it would make a super great gift, for the right person that is! And with all the crocheting going on around here lately, I have to say, knitting this pot holder was really refreshing.
And yes, while this pot holder is made with garter stitch, you can also knit one row purl one row for the traditional knit fabric, as you can see on my previous post knitting with rope. But I have to tell you, this version here not only has much more rustic appeal, you don't have to worry about the end stitches looking really uneven and the finished piece has a much nicer feeling. In the previous version I did a special edge stitch to help the situation, but it still looks a little funny, so experiment yourself, or take my word for it and go with the garter stitch!
You'll Need:
A pot holder is a great project to practice knitting with rope, but I'm quite sure there are many more projects that could be great, like knit rope bags, knit rope bath mats or rugs, knit rope stool covers, and anything else you can dream of! Enjoy and let me know how it goes. I think this would be a great gift with a batch of homemade muffins or a hearty loaf of bread, don't you?