Shawls

We're expecting another winter storm today.  Since I haven't blogged in a few days, I thought I would put something on here today.  This is probably what I'll be doing the next few days, if our power goes out.  So today, I'll show you the basics for making a shawl for a little girl.

Start by measuring your little girl.  You want to measure her from the tip of her finger to the other tip of the finger with her arms stretched out straight up to shoulder level.  Then measure her from the nape of the neck to just below her bottom.  Take that measurement and double that length, because when the shawl is finished, it will be folded over in half.  You will want to add an extra inch for a hem.  Then make your hem 1/4 inch all the way around the material.  The best material to use is Gabardine.  It's more expensive than other materials, but it holds its shape well and is strong enough to hold the fringe.  It also looks goot too.  It usually takes anywhere from 1 to 2 yds. for a good size shawl.

Next, you might want to trace your little girls hands and cut them out of another gabardine material or any kind of material you want.  Make a pattern of the hands out of "wonder under" too and iron it to the back of the hands.  Then you will want to place them onto the material where you want them.  I placed mine like this below.

I placed three (3) sets of hands on my granddaughters shawl.

Then you might take some seedbeads, I used some clear sparkly seedbeads, size 12's and beaded an outline all the way around each hand.  This can be very time consuming, but it really looks keen when you are finished.  It took me about 3 days to do all the hands, but that's because I had to do other things too, like cook, clean house, cook, clean house and blog, and other grandmotherly things in between beading.

I don't have a keen camera right now, so you can't really see the beauty of the beadwork, but it's nice.  Then you will want to get some fringe, and take it all apart and put it in a container and you will also need a small, metal, sharp crochet needle.

I put mine in a hatbox.  Then take two strands of fringe like above and find the middle of the fringe, like above.  Then take your crochet needle and punch a hole into the hem of your shawl, like below.

Place your fringe in the hook of the needle and pull it through and loop like below.

 

Loop like above.

 

Then you will want to go all the way around the shawl, I space mine about 1/4 inch apart, or less and then after you pull your fringe all the way around the shawl, you'll want to go aback around all the way and tie loose knots on each fringe.  After that, the shawl is complete.

You might then want to trim the fringe to the desired length.

I'm sorry the photos are so blurry, I'm still trying to figure out the settings on my camera.  I do have a photo below of TinyBit with another shawl on, to show you how they look when wearing.

Below are the little girls and boys with Teacher, parading in for the Headstart Graduation Pow-Wow last spring.

 

 

 

Time for dancin.

Hope everone stays warm and safe during this winter blast.

Crazy Week

We've had a hectic week so far....so many things to do everday, Aye!  TinyBit had to have a ultrasound yesterday, we got up real early and headed to the hospital and when we got there, they said her appt. was for today,  but they went ahead and took her then and did the test and then we headed for McD's for breakfast.  I just love their coffees.  Sometimes at nite I dream about them.  I can taste em in my sleep!  Anyways we got coffee and sausage biscuits and hashbrowns. 

My daughter is a recovering alcoholic and just got out of rehab last week.  She was there for a long time and I'm so proud of her because she chose to go there  by herself.  She wanted to go and she got herself in.  She's had so many problems like so many young native mothers and I prayed and prayed for her for many years and I asked many friends and family members to pray too.  Finally I prayed to St. Rita (the saint of miracles), and I prayed a Novena along with my Rosary everyday.  Finally 3 days after I prayed to St. Rita, she wanted to come home and she said she was ready to change her life for the better.  She really wanted to do something for once and she started right off with a positive attitude and a personality change.  It took her over a month to get into a rehab that had a bed for her, and she was excited to get there. 

We went to visit her the first time and I could tell she was sincere and was changing spiritually and emotionally and physically.  I could see it and feel it.  My heart was so happy.  Her daughters were so happy and proud of her too, we all were.  Shes made lots of big changes and they are all goot ones.  I'm so thankful to God and St. Rita for answering my prayers and those of my granddaughters.  Many people are still skeptical of her, but I told her, "it's early in your recovery and it will take time.  don't rush and hurry, everything will fall into place and happen when it's supposed to".....she has alot of proving to do and she's ready for it.  It just amazes me everyday when we speak of things that used to be taboo....it would cause a huge fight between us, and now...we can just talk about them, woman to woman without all the drama.  It's so goot to have her back!

We've been talking about getting the little ones named in the Spring at Meetin.  We also have to find godparents for them too, because we're having them baptized soon and the two older ones will be taking their First Communion this spring too.  I've got to get busy making shawls and things for giveaway.  For those of you who don't know what giveaway is, it's when you or your family give something of value to someone who has been a goot friend or helper to you or your family during a special time in your life.  When my granddaughters are named, they will be named by their great uncle who will name them during a Native American Church meetin.  Some folks call them Peyote Meetins.  Our family is from the East Moon.  The parents will go into meetin the evening before and then stay in there all nite and participate in the ceremonies and sing and pray all nite.  In the morning when the sun comes up, we'll bring the girls into the church and participate in the prayers and they will be given their names, (some people call them indian names) and only the family and those in close relationship with them will call them by their "indian name".  It will be a name signifying their clan and their position in birthorder.  I'll write more about that when the time comes.  I've talked more than usual and it's time for church.  Everyone have a safe, and warm evening.

Whatever

Today its 9 degrees outside and the sun is out and its snowing ever so gently.  With the sun falling on the snowflakes outside, it looks like we're inside a snowglobe...Aye!  I've been researching about "How to start a garden" on the internet for the last several days.  I've gathered lots of information and made hundreds of notes.   I've been talking about it with hubby and he thinks I'm gettin out of hand.  We have a really big yard, the only drawback is that we also have several giant pecan trees, mulberry trees, pink dogwood, elm, chinese elm and redbud trees too.  Therefore I don't have alot of sunshine once the trees start to bloom.  Our pecan trees are pretty old, I'd say at least 150 yrs. old.  I wonder how people find out how old their trees are without killing them?  I would like to know exactly how old they are.  We have one tree that puts out perfect nuts and one that puts out deformed nuts.  I guess the nuts are okay to eat, but even the squirrels don't get the deformed ones.

I've been reading some of the other blogs, that people read all the time....those blogs have several hundreds if not thousands of followers.  I don't know how they come up with so much to talk about.  I think maybe I'm boring or something, because I don't think I'll be posting everyday like the other bloggers do..some even post several times a day. 

Do people really want to know all that personal information.  Sometimes you can just get too much info.  I'm a visual person, so when someone is talking or writing, I visualize it in my head.  Sometimes, I just don't want to know.  If I don't post on here for a couple of days, it's just because i don't have anything to say.  I guess I don't have to worry about it anyways, because I don't think I'm getting any followers anyways.  Oh well.............

0 degrees outside

TinyBits 5th birthday last summer was an outdoor event.  We set up the tables outside and everyone sat under the pecans trees and Poppa charcoaled hotdogs and we had all the fixins and cake and icecream.  I remember the flies were everywhere and it was so hot.  We were all sweating and sticky.  Yuck.  But today with the temps at 0 degrees, I sure miss those days.

Planning the garden today.  Helps me feel warm.

Snow Again

The blizzard of 09, Christmas Eve, TinyBit wanted to make a snowangel.  Poppa wanted to get some pictures of the snow coming down, so they both went out for just a few seconds.  Why is it that kids never get really cold in the snow?  Or is it just because I'm old, my old bones just can't take it anymore?  When I was a kid, I don't really remember being, hot or cold or uncomfortable in any season.  We loved to make snowmen and have snowball fights with our cousins.

We also got to make snow icecream!  and eat icicles, yuck!  they weren't all that tasty, but we licked them anyways.  Nowadays, I wouldn't eat snow icecream if I had too.  And for sure no icicles.  Who knows whats in the air up there anymore.

But the snow falling quietly on a Christmas Eve night is one of the finer things in life.  I'm sure TinyBit or the other grandkids will never forget it.

This evening we're expecting another snow storm.  I'm hoping it won't be as bad as the last one.  I don't mind the snow at all, it's the ice I don't like.  Too dangerous.

Tonite, as the snow is falling, I'm going to be planning my new garden for this year.  I've never had my own garden before, so this year, we're gonna make it a family project and plant a garden and tend to it daily.  Poppa and me are gonna turn our tiny cellar into a root cellar.  I'm gonna draw up plans for shelves with baskets for potatoes, onions and apples and shelves for canned foods.  I may be getting too ambitious, but I want to make pickled okra, pickled beets, dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, jams and jellies, canned tomatoes and I don't know what else yet.  It's a work in progress.  I'll be posting about it in the near future.  It's something my grandkids need to learn, with the cost of groceries nowadays, we've gotta do something.  Might as well go back to the old ways.  My daughter wants to live in a teepee in the backyard.   I've been doing some research on it and it might be a good idea.  Our ancestors long time ago,lived in em, so why not?  It might be keen.  I often thought that if somethin happened to my hubby and I lost my home, I might be livin in a teepee myself someday.  Aye!  They really look keen though, and I wouldn't have an "O" though, that's the only thing that keeps me from seriously thinkin about it.  Stay safe and warm everybody.

What Time Is It?

TinyBit is 5.  For the last couple of weeks, she always ask,

"What time is it?" 

I always ask why do you want to know?  are you going somewhere?

"Where you goin Gramma?  Can I go with you?"

I don't go anywhere, but she always wants to go too.

I think I'll get her a watch.

Ndn Grammas Are Keen!

The girls like to come over and be entertained when they're here. Being alot older than they are, its hard to keep up with them and yet I don't like to say no. My girls are really keen. They all go to Osage Language every week and have for a couple of years now. They each won 1st Place in their own categories at the Language Fair last Spring. Way to go! Anyways, the Language Dept. always takes the students that keep up goot grades and goot attendance on an Emersion trip to Colorado Springs every summer. They wanted to raise spending money for their trip this past summer, so of course they want Gramma to help.

Help usually means Gramma does everything and they get the money. Aye! So of course Ihave to help. We got some lemonade and cookies and cupcakes and had a lemonade stand on the corner, in Grammas front yard. As soon as they got set up, the customers started coming. The girls did really goot. They split the money for their trip.

I've been trying to get the girls clothes made for them to dance, its been a long process. I've still got a lot of things to make, I'll be busy. I finally found someone to make the belts for them. I tried to make the moccasins, and they were hard to make. My hands are too old to do that kinda work. These girls better get busy learning how to do that kinda thing. We'll be busy mak'n stuff, so check back often to see what's going on.