a hippie with a minivan

Needle Felting…

I had heard and seen what could be done with needle felting but never really saw the interest. I don’t know why but I think I just didn’t really give it much thought. (and yes, Joanna… you had even mentioned it in a comment a few weeks ago 😉 )

Well, On Dec 15th, I went to the Xmas party at “Le Milieu“, that little artistic café/workspace that I had talked about in a previous post. I met up with a few friends and made some new friends and at a table this amazing woman named Pandora was giving a little workshop on Needle Felting. My friend Gen said that she was going to go try so I went over with her but didn’t have any intentions of doing it… until I saw it being done… then I wanted to do it.

What ended up happening was sitting down talking and sharing and needle felting for the next couple hours and what I cam home with was this little guy… and a new addiction.

(doesn’t he have attitude!)

A few days later, I ordered my first kit of supplies. I ordered it from the Canadian store Maplerose, which is not only Canadian, and in BC but in Nelson! where I was raised and where we plan to be moving once we can sell this house (and by a big coincidence, where Pandora, the girl who was giving the workshop also lived at the same time as me when we were kids, and even went to the same school as me!!)

So, I got a set of beginner needles, wool batting, an assortment of merino roving colours, a few pipe cleaners and a foam to work on.

and I finally received my order today.

I started with a ball at first…

then decided that ball would be a head,

then made ears,

then made a body with a pipe cleaner core and what I ended up with is this little guy..

Isn’t he adorable?! I still want to work on him but Willa keeps on insisting that he lives in her dollhouse.

I can’t wait to do more!!

Happy Solstice!

What a beautiful view from my kitchen window this morning… and a great way to start winter.

YULE

So the shortest day came
and the year died
And everywhere down the centuries
of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
to drive the dark away.

They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
to keep the year alive.
And when the new year’s sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, reveling.

Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing behind us — listen!
All the long echoes sing the same delight,
This shortest day.
As promise wakens in the sleeping land;
They carol, feast, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends, and hope for peace.
And so do we, here, now,
This year, and every year.

–Susan Cooper

Holiday pictures…

WordPress is making it easier and easier to add pictures to posts and I use the Galleries on my Photography blog so I decided to try it here also…

Here are the holiday pictures I took two days ago to put in the yearly photo book we make for family. I set up lights in my living room as it was a grey and miserable day and had a quick photo shoot.

You can see each picture larger and even comment on individual photos as well as on the post as usual.

Hope this works for everyone!

Listen to your baby…

Cat Ears and Tail… (Crochet Pattern)

Wilhelmina is often a cat… or a horse.. but mostly a cat and can spend hours being one.

Now that I am crocheting, I thought it would be a great way to make her some ears and a tail.

I looked for some patterns but I couldn’t find anything that looked like what I wanted so I decided to make it up as a went along.

I am going to do my best to write this out because as I said, I made it up as I went along and I am still not 100% sure how to write one yet and am doing this from memory, but I will try my best. Hopefully at least it will be a starting point.

The tail was quite easy. ( I used worsted weight yarn and a 5mm hook)

Round 1 : Make a magic circle (or chain 3 and join with a sl st) chain one, and then HDC (half double crochet) six stitches into the circle and join with first stich. (6 hdc)
Round 2 :chain 2, 2hdc in each hdc and sl st in starting stich (12 hdc)
Round 3 : chain 1, hdc in each sc and do not join or turn but continue going around and around until you reach the desired length. (I made it about 19 inches)
When you are the length you wish, with the working stitch completely to one side, squeeze the circle together and sc across the top so that is closes the tail. chain one, turn.
HDC the next 4 rows and TO leaving a long tail (you will use it to sew the tail on the belt)

The belt…

Chain as many stitches to achieve the desired length for the waist plus another inch or two for where the button-hole will overlap, chain 2 and hdc into the second chain from hook.
Row 1: HDC across the whole row, chain 2, turn
Row 2: HDC in 2nd stitch, sl st through next two stitches this will create the button-hole) HDC until you reach the end, chain 2 and turn.
Row 3: HDC in 2nd stich, HDC until you reach the stich before the 2 sl st in the previous row. 2 HDC in that stitch, skip the 2 sl st and then HDC in the next stich and to the end. chain 1, turn.
row 4: SC in the next 6 stiches and then join to the 3rd row with a sl st (this is reinforce the top of the button-hole without widening the whole belt… though you can HDC and go to the end if you want and have a wider belt)

Sew a button onto one side of the belt and then sew the tail into the middle of the belt.

Now the ears…

The headband was actually a knitting mishap where I messed up half way through and did the opposite that I was supposed to. Instead of unravelling it, I made it into a headband. It is about 4 inches wide and tapers at the ends where they meet and is K, P for half and just P on the other.
You can use the same instructions for the belt to make the headband though, minus the button-hole it you don’t want it… just chain the length you want it to be and then crochet the rows in sc or hdc until you get the desired width.

For the ears themselves… (make 2 in the inner ear colour and 2 in the outer ear colour)

Round 1: Make a magic circle or chain 3 and sl st to join. SC 6 in circle, tighten the circle (where the magic circle comes in handy)
Round 2: [SC, chain 2, SC] in same stitch, SC in next, [SC, chain 2, SC], SC in next st, [SC, chain 2, SC], SC in last stitch. Join with sl st to first st. chain 1.
Round 3: SC in same stitch, SC in next stitch, chain 2, (should be above the last chain 2) SC in next 3 st, chain 2, SC in next 3 st, chain 2, SC in next st and join to first st and TO. ( I then tied both loose yarns together in the back of the ear and cut the ends off)

Place the inner ear and the outer ear together and SC around the whole outside to join the two together and make the outlining ear. TO leaving a long tail.

Sew the ears where you want them to be on the headband.

Isn’t she adorable?

Writing the pattern out was actually easier than I would have thought, but I might have made some mistakes so don’t hesitate to point them out if you see them 🙂

note: please do not sell items that are made from this pattern unless you buy the License, and if you do make something please give due credit and send people back to this page. Thank you!

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Not everyone can crochet or has the time to do so, so if you want to make these items and sell them, you may purchase a license to do so.

-One Limited Commercial License = One pattern / tutorial

One License must be purchased for each person who makes or sells the tutorial / pattern (so if two people are making them for an etsy shop of craft fair, both must buy the license)

I still retain copyright on the tutorial / pattern itself.

Lastly, when selling or listing the item, design credit must be given to A hippie with a Minivan with a link to this site or pattern.

Also, if you wish you may send me the link to your shop so that I can send people to you!

By purchasing the license, you agree with the terms

Thank you! and happy sewing!