Here are a few things that have helped me give my xmas gifts this year!
Crocheting:
It gets chilly everywhere and everyone needs scarves and other warm items. This year I made a scarf for my gentleman caller and a pair of fingerless gloves for my friend Ross.
Sub-zero Men's scarf (pattern and name courtesy of my friend Mary)
Supplies:
2 skeins of soft yarn in main color (I like Vanna's Choice by Lion Brand) I chose a deep navy blue
1 skein of the same yarn in a contrasting color, I chose a charcoal gray
Size I crochet hook
Now, the trick to making men's accessories is keeping them simple and in a tight knit. This scarf is all single crochet, easy peasy! Start by making a chain as long as you want your scarf, mine was 300 chains long, with your base color.
Row 1: Single crochet into the second loop on the hook and in every chain across. Chain 1.
Row 2: Single crochet into the second loop on the hook and in every chain across. At the last loop do not pull your yarn through the last two loops. At this point, take your second yarn and leaving a 1 in. tail pull it through the last two loops of the 2nd row. Chain one (with the 2nd color.)
Row 3: Clip your first color so it also has a 1 inch tail. Hold the tails again your second row and single crochet into the 2nd loop from the hook, around the tails. This sounds complicated, but this is how you change colors and keep them from falling apart. The new crochet holds the tails in tightly. Continue to crochet in every loop.
Row 4: Chain 1. Single crochet into the second loop on the hook and in every chain across. Change colors again
Continue this pattern until the scarf is as thick as you want it. Add fringe by cutting 6 in. strips of yarn and tying them to either end.
Fingerless gloves
Supplies:
Same as above, 2 colors of your favorite soft yarn, 1 skein each
Size I crochet hook
Darning needle
These get tricky depending on the size of the man's hand. Luckily I have some rockin' students who let me measure this on their hands. I chained 40 + 1 (for turning) and then single crocheted into the second chain from the hook with my base color (I used charcoal gray.) Continue until you have about 20 rows, using your second color, add one more row to finish it off (I used navy blue.) Now, you should have a large rectangle. Fold it in half vertically. Thread your darning needle with your primary color and start sewing along the edge from the top of the glove (the 2nd color should be on top.) Only sew about 1 in. Now, skip an inch (leave it open...I just wove my thread into one side of the glove so I didn't have to knot and re thread.) Once you leave the 1 in. gap, sew the edge shut all the way to the bottom. Ta da! The gap is the space for the thumb and the glove should come across his knuckles. Perfect for use with an Iphone!
Food:
I always make my dad food for his birthday and Christmas. He loves my peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and additionally loves my cashew bark. These are really simple.
Cashew Bark
Supplies:
Melting chocolate (I buy this at candy shops, probably about a pound)
Cashews
Baking sheet
Microwave safe bowl
Spoon
Parchment paper
Pour your chocolate into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 20-30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until completely melted. Lay your parchment paper on a baking sheet. Arrange cashews in small circular shapes (lay as flat as possible, don't make mounds.) about 2 inches apart.
Spoon teaspoons of chocolate over the cashews. These should look like cookies, the chocolate will cover the cashews and melt around the shapes. make them about 3 inches big. Pop these in the fridge until they are nice and hard. Peel them off the parchment (best stuff ever...no clean up!) and put them into a box lined with tissue paper. You can also make these with other nuts (almonds, pecans, peanuts) if that's what the man in your life prefers!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups flour
1 bag of chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350. Cream the butter and peanut butter together. Add the sugars and mix well. Stir in the eggs, vanilla, salt and baking soda. Stir well. Add the flour 1 cup at a time. Mix thoroughly. Stir in your chocolate chips.
Drop by teaspoon fulls on a baking sheet (line with parchment paper for easy clean up!) And bake for 8-10 min.
Once done, slide onto a cooling rack. Package these up nice and pretty for a fabulous treat!
Other crafts:
Lego Belt
I found this online, I think I might make it for my brother next year. So cute! See the caption below for the blog link. Craft-O-Maniac is such a great blog!
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| http://craftomaniac.blogspot.com/2011/03/lego-belts.html |
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