Colorful Wool and prepped for teaching kids to wet felt!

By:
On:
In: Blog, Craft Projects, Homeschool, Kids Crafts
With: 0 Comments

I mentioned in my blog post Lately, that my son and I have been spending two days a week at a fun school for homeschoolers. I spend some of my time there teaching the kids various fun crafts and recently someone wanted to learn how to felt beads. We had a massive amount of wool donated so I took in some soap and taught them what to do.  Setting Up First I just pulled all sorts of wool out of our bin and made a big colorful pile. Once your hands get soapy it’s hard to get fresh wool without making a mess so IRead More →

Vintage Needlepoint in Progress - from a Kit

By:
On:
In: Blog, Craft Chatter
With: 0 Comments

November completely disappeared around me. It was here and now it’s almost gone. Like the autumn version of a hummingbird. I went to my parents house early in the month for their big annual camp out. Nothing much to report there, except I got a box full of new to me old magazines (you’ll see those popping up here sometime) and one needlepoint (shown below) but it did really effect my month in general. I was getting ready to go, then came home just in time to shop for Thanksgiving, and then cook for Thanksgiving, and then here we are, month almost over.  Besides theRead More →

Crochet Hot Mat made from a 1964 pattern- My Workbasket

By:
On:
In: Craft Projects
With: 4 Comments

You guys, what happened to November?!?!?!?!!? Seriously. I know it’s December (omg!) but I DID do a project from the November issue and never got a chance to show you. I actually made this a few months ago, which makes it that much worse that I’m showing it to you late. The November issue featured this Hot Mat set that I thought was just SO fun, funky, and adorable, and I got straight to making them. Well, I got straight to trying to make them. Slight problem though, I could NOT get it to work. So I sent the pattern to my mom and askedRead More →

An honest review of the Knook from Leisure Arts. Can you really knit with a crochet hook? -- My Workbasket

By:
On:
In: Craft Chatter, Craft Projects, Reviews
With: 4 Comments

I’ve mentioned several times that I’ve been trying the Knook from Leisure Arts. I was provided a The Knook Value Pack and Cozy Knits with the Knook book, for free at my request. I’ve been working with it for awhile. I think I got my items at the end of September or the beginning of October. I’ve used them multiple times a week since. I’ve been working hard to really bring the best, most thorough Knook review that I can. Here’s the rub: The hooks in this particular kit are plastic, and not the most impressive quality of plastic, BUT it is an amazing valueRead More →

Step by step video tutorial for this fun Tunisian crochet stitch. -- My Workbasket

By:
On:
In: Craft Projects, Crochet-a-long, Tutorials
With: 6 Comments

You guys, this is our last block!!! This last video is super late and I apologize. I mentioned that I was going away, and I think I even mentioned that I was having trouble while I was away getting it uploaded and shared with you. That continued to be a problem, and my trip out of town was also extended. While I was visiting we first decided to stay just one extra day for fun. Then my Mom’s car was put in the shop and I decided to stay to help out. Then it takes a full day of travel (8 hours at least) to getRead More →

With step by step video tutorial for this great stitch! My Workbasket

By:
On:
In: Craft Projects, Crochet-a-long, Tutorials
With: 0 Comments

It’s that time again! The next tutorial video! It’s the Tunisian Crochet Honeycomb stitch. I had some issues with uploading so I wasn’t able to share this before I went out of town, so I’m sorry it’s late. Next week’s video will also be late because something is wrong with it. No idea what but I can’t seem to share it or upload it. I may have to even rerecord the whole thing after I get back home. This stitch is beautifully textured and surprisingly easy. The rest of the CAL can be found here.  I can’t believe that our CAL is coming to an end!Read More →

The magazine issue of the month, November 1964. I'll be making some projects and trying some recipes. Plus posting funny ads! My Workbasket

By:
On:
In: Issue Overview
With: 0 Comments

I noticed this issue has no sign of an address label! Perhaps it was picked up at a newsstand for 15 cents. If you drove to the newsstand you may have paid 30 cents a gallon for gas. I have to say I’m very glad that magazines and gas have NOT followed a similar ratio over the years! Imagine how much our gas would be right now! Pretty much every year has important events, 1964 was no different. The Civil Rights Act of 1964. Beatlemania was sweeping the nation, and those boys from Liverpool had people singing about holding hands. People were listening to a LOTRead More →

A website for vintage crafts, vintage find, vintage fun, crafts, tutorials, chatter and more! My Workbasket

By:
On:
In: Chatter, Craft Chatter
With: 6 Comments

I am so behind on this page and my projects for this page. It’s awful. I promise you I’m around, I’m alive, and I’m working. For the last week? Two weeks? Three weeks? I don’t even know anymore, I have not been to sleep before 2 am. I am SO tired ya’ll. Yesterday I spent the entire day on the couch, looking at old craft magazines and trying to take a nap. I was so tired my legs hurt. No nap was to be had. Then I fell asleep watching a movie with my son at 9:30 and my body finally had the nap itRead More →

By:
On:
In: Issue Wrap Up
With: 0 Comments

If you’re actually reading these posts in order, no you are not going crazy, yes I did do the November Review and the December Intro backwards. If you’re not reading them in order, and have no idea what I’m talking about,  sure I did it the right way, why would you think otherwise? November flew past and I admit I did not get nearly as much done from the 1962 issue as I’d hoped. I create a page in my planner for each issue with a list and check boxes of projects I want to do, and there are many, many, unchecked boxes. I didRead More →

By:
On:
In: Craft Projects
With: 0 Comments

I had a lot of projects from the November 1962 issue going, but also had a crazy month and didn’t finish many. One of the things I haven’t finished yet is The Poor Man’s Doily. I have no idea why it’s called that, but it looked so unique I really wanted to make it.  It does have a unique construction, at least unique to me who hasn’t done tons of doilies. Here’s what I have so far: It’s not done, or blocked yet, I already really like it. In the next day or two I’ll be introducing the December issue I’ll be using, but you’llRead More →

This curly "Teen Hat" gives you a ponytail of colorful curls! -- My Workbasket

By:
On:
In: Craft Projects
With: 4 Comments

As soon as I saw the “teen” hat in this November 1962 issue I knew I had to make it! At the time I had a haircut that never would allow it, but now that I’ve made a few, and cut my hair, I think I may make another one for myself! First I tried it, grabbed a random hook of a standard worsted variety, but the hat came out quite large! It was baggy on my large head so I knew it would never fit a child. I had a friend lined up to model it for me and didn’t want to disappoint herRead More →

By:
On:
In: Craft Projects
With: 0 Comments

I’ve known how to tat for several years now, but I confess that while I enjoy it I’m not very good at it. Usually I just do a simple trim and then when I make an unfixable  mistake I know the trim has reached the length it was meant to be. I do love to have a simple trim on the shuttle than I can even shove in my pocket or in my bag and just work on if I have idle hands. You couldn’t exactly carry this trim in your pocket, be ause it also has a ball of thread, but the narrow trimRead More →

By:
On:
In: Recipes
With: 0 Comments

My husband and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary back in October, and I remember making hot chicken salad years ago as a newlywed in our apartment. The November 1962 issue featured the same recipe using turkey, so I knew I needed to make it again.  Admittedly it isn’t much to look at. The picture in the magazine looks very boring and in person it isn’t much better.  I left out the green peppers, because I don’t like them in this style of recipe. And, in the spirit of leftovers, instead of grating up fresh cheese I sliced layers of leftover cheeseball and laid themRead More →

By:
On:
In: Recipes
With: 0 Comments

The November 1962 issue I’m currently working on has a ton of recipes (17 if my memory serves) but they’re mostly for Thanksgiving or Turkey leftovers. I don’t have turkey leftovers yet obviously, but there was a spiced apple recipe and I decided to try it. My family loves apples. I usually buy 2 bushels every fall to get us through the winter. They love to seem them baked or stewed on the dinner table, or as a dessert.  The magazine suggests it as a garnish for the turkey platter and I figured I’d do a test run. The clove and warmth of it couldRead More →