Warning: You may or may not be getting a pair of these for Christmas

      After a few trial and error prototypes I decided on a one-size-fits-all pattern for my fingerless gloves. In case I forget how to make them, or if you want to know my process, here is my pattern.

Cast on 32 stitches.

K2, P2 until the end of the row

Continue until you have approx 1” of ribbing

Knit one row

Purl one row

Increase 1, knit the rest of the row

Increase 1, purl the rest of the row

Knit one row

Purl one row

Increase 1, knit the rest of the row

Increase 1, purl the rest of the row (you should now have 36 stitches)

Knit one row

Purl one row

K16, place stitch marker (m), increase 1, K4, increase 1, place stitch marker (m), K16

Purl one row

Repeat the above two steps until there are 12 total stitches between the markers, ending on a purl row.

K16, bind off 12, K16

Purl row -> at gap crisscross the bookending stitches over each other before purling.

Increase 1, rib row

Increase 1, rib row

Continue until you reach desired length

Bind off loosely. Leave a long tail with which to stitch the edges together.

Stitch the seam along the side of the glove and cut off the excess. Turn right side out.

Done!

Family Vacation 2017 Part 4: San Fransisco

     We started on the road to San Fransisco and arrived at our destination a little before supper. After being reunited with the family members we would be staying with we set out on a short walk to stretch our legs. For supper we had tacos. After supper we enjoyed catching up with our relatives.
    

     The next morning began with crepes for breakfast and a trip to the farmer's market - a new experience for me! We picked up lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and some other items to supplement our meals.

 

     After we returned and ate an early lunch we headed out on a sightseeing trip to Filoli, a grand estate and with fine gardens turned into a museum. Filoli was built in the early 1900's and had two owners before it was open to the public. The gardens were impressive and the estate as a whole was elegant.

     Sunday morning we went to church. It was good to worship together in the body of believers, even so far away from home. After lunch we drove to a nearby park to play laser tag. In the evening we roasted s'mores over their new fire pit.

     Memorial Day morning we woke up early to go to the tide pools. It was cold, but we bundled up. The tide was out, leaving pools of water containing creatures like sea urchins, anemones, and crabs.

    

Family Vacation 2017 Part 3: Yosemite

     The park has become busier in previous years, so after breakfast we left the house to ensure we got a parking spot. After securing our parking we set out on a hike for Bridal Veil Falls. The river was especially high from increased snow melt and the mist from the falls was refreshing. After viewing the falls we decided to take a bit of a longer hike back to our car to closer view El Capitan. In total, the roundtrip was about 5 miles.

     For lunch we had a picnic in the shade under some pine trees, which was very relaxing. After lunch a second impromptu hike was decided upon to catch a glimpse of Yosemite Falls from afar. This one was about two miles. Supper that night was very delicious spaghetti.

     Our second day in Yosemite started out at Glacier Point. We got a different view of the park and even saw some snow!

     For lunch we hiked up Sentinel Dome where we shared our picnic with a stupendous 360 degree view! The park was starting to fill up with visitors, so after slipping and sliding down the snow banks we decided to head back to home base and rest for a bit before embarking on more locally sourced adventures.

     This included walking down to see the swollen river, exploring an old train engine and eating pizza for supper. The next morning we slept in and relaxed. Then we left the Yosemite Valley area and headed south.

Family Vacation 2017 Part 2: Las Vegas + more traveling

     Before leaving the Grand Canyon we stopped by the Geology Museum and had one last look at the rim. Then it was off to Las Vegas to visit family! We ate lunch in Williams at Rod's Steakhouse. That was fun because it was a establishment that has been visited by previous generations of my mom's family in the past.

     After that Mom very much enjoyed driving on historic Route 66. We arrived in Las Vegas in the late afternoon and dropped off our stuff at my uncle's house. He then took us to Red Rock National Park where we got to stretch our legs and see more of God's glorious creation!

    After spending the night in Las Vegas we hit the road again. This time our goal was Yosemite National Park! On the way there we stopped to see more relatives, which was a blessing because we hadn't seen them in a while. We arrived at our destination just in time for supper with my aunt and uncle. The next morning we planned to explore the park.

Family Vacation 2017 Part 1: Meteor Crater and the Grand Canyon

     This was our first full-blown vacation as a family in two years. It started out an early Friday morning. We left the house at 7:30 in the morning and started driving. Of course there was the obligatory stop at McDonalds, but this day was all business - driving business. So with a serious mission to make some miles we set out on the road. For supper that night we ate at a Denny's and stayed in a hotel just outside Arizona.

     Saturday morning we crossed the border into Arizona and made a point to stop and see Meteor Crater. Long before human record a meteor from outer space crashed into what is now the state of Arizona. The meteor mostly disintegrated upon impact, but it left a giant crater a mile wide that is boasted as the best preserved meteor crater on earth today.

     After being tourists for a while we ate lunch and headed on to the Grand Canyon. And boy was it grand! Before this trip I don't think I fully understood the true scale of its size! The air was very clear and the views were spectacular.

     For supper that night we ate at the Bright Angel Lodge. Early the next morning we hit the trial - the hiking trail! We made it to Cedar Ridge on the South Kaibab trail before heading back up. The going up the trail was more difficult than when we were going down. It was also more crowded. Once we cleared the rim we had lunch and then rested in our room for an hour before venturing out on the shuttle bus system to see more of the rim. Mom especially enjoyed the view from Pima Point.

   

Canvas Bag Tutorial: Part 3 - Assembling the Bag

     This is the third and final part of this tutorial. Here are the links to parts one and two.

     Now we are ready to start assembling the bag.

     If you haven't made the first seam on the side panels and the body of the bag, do so now. Also do this for the lining, and remember to iron your seams! Next sew the pockets where you want them. I positioned my outside pocket so it would sit just above the fold for the bottom of the bag.

     Next, continue to sew the rest of the bag and lining together. Warning: This part is a bit awkward because you are no longer working on a 2D object. Also, the corners can be a bit tricky. The nice thing is, they are all at the bottom of the bag, so no one should notice if you mess up a bit! I would encourage you to press your seams as you go.

     Now it's time for fit the bag and lining together! Place the lining inside the bag with the right side of the fabric facing in and together (see picture for reference). Make sure your seams are lined up and pin the two pieces in place before sewing them together. Also, leave a gap so that you can turn your bag right-side out.

     This is the fun part! Working carefully, turn your bag right-side out!

     Next, push the lining back inside the bag and pin the edge in place, especially the gap. Topstitch around the whole thing to help it lay flat and to close up your last seam.

     As you can see, I did two layers of top-stitching.

     Now it's time for the straps! Remember the reinforcement strip we made all the way back in Part II? It's time to use it! This method of attaching the straps works, but it is a little awkward as you are trying to sew through 5 layers of canvas at any given time. Basically, I sandwiched the straps between the reinforcement strip and the bag and stitched around the outline of the strip. For added reinforcement I did a box stitch around the base of the straps, where they attached to the bag.

     Congratulations! You're done! Enjoy your new bag. :)

Canvas Bag Tutorial: Part 2 - Straps and Pockets

    Not ready for this step yet? Here's last week's post about the pattern pieces, so you can catch up!

     We are ready to sew!

     To start off, I pinned all of the pockets together with the wrong side facing out. For the outside pocket one layer is of canvas and the other is of cotton (originally I had two outside pockets, but one got set aside). You can also pin the two side panels to the top edges of the body and sew those together, but we will be covering assembling the body in the next part.

Originally I had two outside pockets.

     Then, I sewed my pockets, leaving a gap a few inches wide so that I could turn the pockets right side out. I also sewed my side panels onto the main body of my bag and lining. Next, I got out my iron to iron my seams and flatten out my pockets after turning them out.

     While I had the iron going I made the straps and reinforcement strip! For the straps I folded the fabric in half hotdog-wise and ironed it so that it made a crease down the middle.

     Then I folded each edge into the middle, ironing them down to keep them in place. Next, I folded the strip in half, along my original fold. That way the rough edges were safely tucked away inside! Finally I pinned the strip in place so I could topstitch it. I repeated this process with the other strap and the reinforcement strip.

     Finally, it was time to topstitch everything!

Tip of the day: Topstitch EVERYTHING!