Handcrafted Warmth!

Hands To Work, Hearts To God

I have a long time friend who is quite a crafter….extremely talented. She and I were visiting the other day and she said, “When I travel, I always take a project with me to while away the time in airports and on planes. Knitting yarn can be just delicious to touch, and the colors very saturated.”

“I pray when I knit. I don't know why. Many years ago, I was making a pair of socks for myself, and just about the time they were finished, a friend lost her mother. The socks, soft, comforting, found their way into a gift basket for her, and she would later tell me how much they meant to her at that time.

God has a plan for us, doesn't he? And uses us in ways we would never consider. And so it began with the knitting, making something with no recipient in mind, praying for a need I did not yet know, or understand, and when the socks, or scarf, or mittens or afghan was done, someone would come to mind and the item would be packaged off to whoever God had planned for it all along.”~E.T.

A sweet and thoughtful gift....I received this idea in one of my crafting emails! Lovely to share with all of my talented knitting friends!

A Coffee Cup Cozy

Finished Measurements:
3.25 inches/8 cm wide, 9 inches/23 cm around unstretched; will stretch easily to fit the largest take-out coffee cup.


Materials:
• 1 ball Sirdar Eco Wool DK (100% undyed virgin wool, 100m/50gm ball; color 201—grey)
o Designer’s Tip: If you can’t find this yarn, any worsted weight wool like Cascade 220, or Paton’s Classic Merino will work nicely!
• 4mm (US #6) straight needles—wood, bamboo or plastic needles are easiest
• Cable needle
• Yarn needle


Gauge:
22 stitches and 28 rows across 4 inches/10cm in stockinette stitch on 4mm needles.


Method:
Cast on 20 sts.
Row 1 [RS]: K4, p2, k8, p2, k4.
Rows 2, 4, 6, 8 [WS]: K6, p8, k6.
Row 3 [RS]: K4, p2, k8, p2, k4.
Row 5 [RS]: K4, p2, C8R*, p2, k4.
Row 7 [RS]: K4, p2, k8, p2, k4.


*C8R: Slip next 4 sts to cable needle and hold in back; k4, then k4 from cable needle.


Repeat the last 8 rows until piece measures 9 inches long, ending after a Row 1.
Bind off, leaving a 12 inch tail to use for seaming.


Finishing:
Wash the piece.
With RS facing, seam using the invisible horizontal seaming method as given below, using the tail left over from the cast-off.


How To Work the Invisible Horizontal Seam
If you look closely at your knitting, you’ll see that at the bottom of each knit stitch – each V – you’ll see a point. You’ll use these for seaming.


Fold the coffee cozy in half along the short side, with right sides facing you, and line up the cast-on and bind off edges. The cast-off tail should be on your right if you’re right-handed; on your left if you’re left-handed. Thread your darning needle with your cast-off tail.


Starting with the cast-on edge (that is, the edge that doesn’t have the tail attached to it), run the darning needle under the point of the V of the first stitch, right at the edge.


Next, run under the corresponding V on the other side, right up by the cast-off edge. And then back across the other side, going in where you came out, and under the next V....And so forth. When seaming purl stitches, the v is still there, it’s just hiding a little bit. Stretch the fabric out to see the V's. Pull snug as you work. When you get to the end, weave in your ends.

A Perfect Hand-Crafted Gift along with a little Caramel Latte Recipe


Hot Caramel Latte
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping
4 teaspoons instant coffee, divided
1 cup very hot water, divided

Microwave evaporated milk and ice cream topping in small, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on high for 2 minutes or until very hot. Carefully pour mixture into blender; cover. Blend on high for 1 minute or until very frothy on top. Put 2 teaspoons coffee granules into each 12-ounce coffee mug. Add 1/2 cup hot water to each mug; stir.

Gently pour milk mixture into each mug, spooning foam on top! Oh Heavenly!