Rattle Pattern

I love making these rattles for baby showers -- so quick and simple! And cute!

G Hook
Worsted weight yarn
Ch 15, join with a sl st in first ch you made -- this forms a circle.
Round 1: 2 sc in each st around (30 stitches total)
Round 2: (2 sc, sc) around (45 total)
Round 3: (2 sc, sc, sc) around
Round 4-8: Sc in each
Round 9: (Dec, sc, sc) around
Round 10: (Dec, sc) around
Round 11: Dec around

Line the holes up and stitch them together, stuffing the middle with fiberfill as you go, until closed into a donut shape.
Top with any shape you like! I love to make the flower you can find HERE, then make it a rattle by doing the following:

Ch 2
Round 1: Sc 7 in the first ch
Round 2: 2 sc in each
Round 3: Sc each
Then tie a jingle bell to the inside of the circle (or any kind of rattle), and sew it onto the flower.

See? Easy, right?! I've also made one with a ball or a dog head for little boys.  Get creative :)

(oh, and if you like the hat in the picture, it's on Ravelry HERE; and the headband is a very simple one -- like the one HERE)

Homemade Teething Biscuits!

Simple, yummy teething biscuits you can make at home!

I've got a chewer at my house.  He chews on anything and everything that comes within reach. So I whipped up some teething biscuits for him (to give my fingers/hair/chin a rest!)
Want to make some yourself? Here's what you need:
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C wheat flour
1/2 C maple syrup
4 T apple sauce (OR peanut butter. OR fruit puree. OR whatever you want!)

Mix all the ingredients together (it'll be crumbly), then knead the dough a few times until it all sticks together.  Then roll it out on a floured surface, and cut with a biscuit cutter, a donut cutter, or two different-sized heart cutters like I did :)

Bake at 200° F for 35 mins, or until slightly golden brown.
Let cool, then hand one over to your little chewer! (or dunk one in milk and eat it yourself! hehe!)
These are very dense -- they're meant to be! Perfect for teething.  Please supervise your little one while they're eating! :)

These will stay good in a air-tight container for about 2 weeks.  Or freeze them, and they'll stay good forever! Well, a long time, anyway ;)

Curling Yarn Hair

Here's an easy way to curl yarn to make curly hair for dolls!

All you need is yarn, a metal knitting needle, and an oven.

(I've only used acrylic yarn for this, so I'm not sure if it would work would other yarns.)

FIRST, wind your yarn tightly around the knitting needle.

Next, put your needle(s) on a baking sheet, into the oven for 10 minutes at 200 degrees F

 Then, simply unwind the curly goodness!

 Voila! Curly hair!  If you only have one or two needles, it'll take you a while to get a good-sized pile like this, but it's so simple, it's almost no work for you.

Now all you have to do is sew it onto a cute doll you made! So cute!

Teething Knots

These teething knots make great baby gifts.  They work up quickly, and are super simple to make.  I made mine out of organic cotton, since they're meant for babies to chew on, but you could make them out of anything you have on hand.

Basically, you just work in rows until the cloth is however long you want it +2-- be sure to figure in the knot -- it will make it shorter. 

Here's an example of what I did:
Single Knot (green)
H (5.00) hook
Worsted weight yarn
1) Ch 30, turn
2) DC in 3rd ch from your hook, and in each ch across
3) Turn, ch 2, dc in each dc across. 
Repeat row 3 until you reach the desired length (mine is repeated twice, for a total of 5 rows)
Tie a tight knot in one end.
Get the knot damp, then throw it in the freezer for a few minutes
Give to baby and let him chomp away!

Double Knot (pink)
1) Ch 37, turn
2) DC in 3rd ch from hook, and in each ch across
3) Turn, ch 2, dc in each dc across
Repeat row 3 until desired length (mine is repeated once, for a total of 4 rows)
Tie a tight knot in either end
Get the knot damp, then throw it in the freezer for a few minutes