Yarn Crafts for Health and Easy Baby Blanket Crochet Projects

Happy Saturday!

Anyone else in Missouri today may wonder why I'm sitting inside blogging when the high today is 71ºF, in February. My answer to you, dear, hypothetical Missourian readers, is that it is still morning, and the thermometer has not yet broken 60ºF, also known as the temperature at which I will willingly spend my leisure time out of doors. For lo, I am a wimp. But I am enjoying the morning sunshine in my living room, watching Hobbit flopping around like a goofball in a nice warm patch on the carpet.

I wasn't fast enough to get a pic of him rolling around. He's embarrassed that he got caught being adorable.

Putting aside for the moment the existential dread stemming from the knowledge that such a gloriously warm day in February is likely the result of global warming, I'm really excited that I get to spend some time outside today. But first, I want to talk about crocheting.

Did you know that yarn crafts are good for your health? This blog post from the New York Times, The Health Benefits of Knitting, quotes doctors and researchers studying the mental and physical perks of crocheting and knitting. It's an interesting read.

I learned to crochet when I was little, but I took it back up more seriously in the last year or so as a way to keep myself from biting my nails. Here are the benefits, health-related and otherwise, that I've noticed:

1. It keeps my hands busy, so I'm not picking or biting my nails, and I'm also not mindlessly snacking. Snacking's great, but if I'm not paying attention while I eat, I'm not enjoying it anyway!
2. The repetitive motion helps reduce my anxiety and calms me down after a stressful day. Yarn is cheaper than a therapist!*
3. I'm big into giving gifts, and giving someone a gift I made by hand makes it more meaningful, and this strengthens my friendships.
4. I save money on winter accessories. Like, for real. This hat takes me less than two hours to make (I'm pretty slow), and it's less than $5 worth of yarn. Also, it's super cute.
5. If I'm going to watch six episodes of The West Wing in a row, at least I'll have something to show for it afterwards.

*Please don't actually use yarn as a substitute for professional counseling. I was kidding.

The list goes on, but you get the picture. It's a simple, inexpensive hobby that boasts big returns, and it keeps my millennial layabout tendencies in check.

So, I'd like to share with you some of the projects I worked on last year. The thing about being twenty-five is, my friends are starting to reproduce. So are my siblings. Fine by me, as 1) It keeps the baby-making pressure off me and my hubby, and 2) I'm at that stage of life where I really love babies, as long as I can hand them back to their parents after we've hung out for a bit. Joe and I are still a few years out in terms of offspring. Anyway, I've been making a lot of baby blankets lately.

As I said before, I've only gotten back into crocheting regularly in past year or two, so these blankets were all beginner level projects. I basically just single crocheted forever and ever amen for the body of each blanket, then I did a simple border and an embellishment on each. Pictures and details below!

Blanket One: Airplane Appliqué Blanket with Blanket Stitch Border

This one was for my nephew, who was born last spring. My brother's father-in-law is a private pilot, and he gave my brother lessons while my brother was getting his own pilot's license. The family is pretty into planes, is what I'm saying. So I made a blanket using worsted weight yarn in single stitch, and then I used This pattern, a $2 download on Ravelry.com, to make an airplane. Definitely worth the $2. I then finished it up with a blanket stitch border in blue, which is super easy and very cute. Here's the finished product.

Sorry for the poor picture quality, by the way. I took all these photos before I knew I'd be sharing them!

Blanket Two: Flower Appliqué Blanket with Scallop Stitch Border

This one was for the daughter of some friends of mine from church. They decorated their nursery in navy and cream with coral accents, so I used the same colors in the blanket. The weekend I made the flowers, I was feeling equal parts lazy and over-confident, so I decided to try making them without a pattern. They came out a bit less defined than I liked, but I kept them. This was my first foray into the scallop stitch for a border, and I used the fantastic book Crocheting School: A Complete Course to learn it. 

Also featured: my hideous living room couch! Feast your eyes!

The border looks nearly black here, but it's really a nice, deep navy.

Blanket Three: Hot Air Balloon Embroidered Blanket with Basic Border

This one was my favorite to make, partly because it was the easiest, and partly because I really loved combining crocheting and cross stitch embroidery in one project! This blanket was for the son of another couple of friends from our church. They didn't have any color or design preferences, so I did my own thing. I free-handed this one, and the squareness of the single crochet stitch made it easy to cross stitch using a yarn needle. I started with cross stitching the white stripe of the balloon, made symmetrical red stripes on either side, and then I used a smaller yarn to cross stitch the basket, finishing off the ropes with a chain stitch. If you don't know how to embroider, I kid you not, you can learn in one afternoon with a trip to the craft store and a couple of YouTube videos.

I have got to find a better place to photograph my projects. A futon? Really Anna?

So, there are the baby blankets that I made in 2015! Three more of my friends are pregnant already. I'll share what I'm working on for one of them in my next post. I've finally strayed from the single stitch blanket body to a pretty moss stitch. If you'd like an actual pattern for any of these blankets, leave a comment and I'll learn how to write patterns.

And would you look at that. In the time it's taken me to type up and edit this post, the temperature has risen from 54ºF to 67ºF. I'm going for a bike ride! Catch ya later!

I'm Back!

Greetings, web dwellers!

It’s been quite some time since I posted in this blog, and I’ll be straight with you: that’s because it started as a project for a college publishing class, and I am human, ergo I dropped it the less than two months after the class ended. I’ve since become a high school English teacher, and while my students write something every day in my class, I spend my days writing nothing more substantial than email. And every time I assign an essay, every time I ask my students to put their creative hats on and craft a story, poem, or persuasive article, I miss doing those same things myself.

I’ve decided it’s time to start writing again. Even if I’m inconsistent with my blogging, and even if nary a soul reads it, I know it will soothe my stagnated, shriveled writer’s soul. And besides, I’ve always regretted letting such a sweet blog title go to waste.

So here we are. I don’t know what I will write about from week to week, but hopefully over time something will begin to solidify. I still love tea, but I don’t think I can sustain a regular blog that focuses exclusively on that blessed beverage. I’ve mostly become set in my ways on that front, mostly drinking Twining’s and Bigelow and whatever’s on sale at the grocery store. Also, I long ago abandoned my Google Alerts for “tea” because I was inundated with articles about the Tea Party. And while I have plenty to say on that subject, I’m going to try to keep things positive here.

So, dear reader, in true English teacher form, I believe it’s time for a brainstorming session. Here are some ideas I’ve come up with for blog posts. In the future, if I can force myself to stick with this, you can expect to see posts about…

• Tea - I know, I know, I’ve already talked about this. But it’s best to start from familiar ground, no?

• Teaching - This is my third year of teaching and I work in a low-income district. I have SO MUCH still to learn, but I'd like to share my experiences!

• Travel - I don’t do a lot of it, but I do have a family trip to Paris coming up in June, so there’s that! I speak French and I love French culture, so that will show up from time to time on here as well. 

• Crafts - crochet, embroidery, sewing, and general crafts of the Pinterest variety. 

• Wellness and Fitness - I am currently in the worst physical shape of my life, and I’m working towards exercising out of self-love. I’m dipping my toe into cycling and yoga, and I’m also trying out mindfulness meditation to combat anxiety.

• Book Reviews – That English teacher life.

• Food – I like it a lot. I’ll probably share recipes.

• Feminism – Prepare yourself for some rants.

• Faith – I've always been a Christian, but I have some complicated feelings on the subject. Let's see where that goes.

I guess that’s a long enough list. I’m sure other things will come up as well. Cats, for instance. Yep, get ready for some posts about cats. But for now, I think it's time wrap this up. If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! I hope you come back to read more!

Anna

The Irish Cuppa

Just found this article from the Irish Times. The Irish are now officially the number one tea drinkers worldwide - according to the article, Irish people drink 6-7 cups a day, which amounts to 7lbs of dry tea leaves annually. No wonder I felt so at home there! The article also discusses the recent increase in drinking tea for health benefits. Check it out here: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2012/0626/1224318714080.html

The City of Lights and the Emerald Isle!

Photo by Maggie Bohn 

 

Hey friends - I'm back!
I am ashamed to say I abandoned my post for a few weeks. The my internet connection was rather dodgy in both Paris and Ireland, so I never got around to posting. Then I got back and settled into a state of Battlestar Galactica-fueled lethargy until, well, yesterday I suppose (fun fact - they drink a lot of tea on that show!). Anyway, I hope you can all forgive me for my laziness! Now, to recount my European adventures:


Paris was, of course, beautiful. We had three busy days full of sightseeing, family time, and wedding stuff, and not much time for tea. We stayed at Le Grand Hôtel des Balcons, a beautiful hotel in the Latin Quarter, owned by family friends. The rehearsal dinner took place at Le Train Bleu, an ornately decorated restaurant in the Gare de Lyon, a famous train station in the heart of Paris. The ceremony itself was in L'Église de la Madeleine, a church originally built as a temple for Napoleon's glory. It was such a big deal that there were tourists in there during the ceremony, watching my cousin Erin and her husband Lee exchange their vows! After the ceremony all the guests were given a private bus tour of the city, and then we went to Hôtel de Crillon for the reception. That place is chock-full of history. Benjamin Franklin signed an agreement with the French there recognizing the Declaration of Independence. The cocktail hour took place in the salon where Marie Antoinette supposedly had her music lessons. Overall, a pretty over-the-top experience. I recommend Googling some pictures of those places. They were all amazing!


I mostly stuck to coffee while in Paris, to fight the jet lag. But I got a couple opportunities to enjoy some tea in the short time we were there. One morning, my family climbed the steep hill of Montmartre to see Sacré Ceour, one of the most beautiful churches in the world. When some of us went inside, we were promptly asked to leave - My sister Erin and I for our bare shoulders, my brother Drew and his wife Ann for showing their knees. Outside, we found my mom and other sisters, Maggie and Claire, who were all dressed appropriately. They went inside and the rest of us headed to a nearby café, where I ordered a cup of tea. It wasn't anything special, just some Assam black. And it cost me €5 - that's close to $7! I was a bit disappointed, but it was worth the experience. Ann took a picture of me, which I'll be adding to this post asap. 


On my last morning in Paris, I undertook a walking tour which one of my wonderful professors wrote. He gave me a copy of his as-yet unpublished manuscript, which visits some of the favorite haunts of the Lost Generation of American writers in Paris. I didn't have time to finish it, but I did have a lovely cup of Darjeeling tea at the Café du Dôme (now simply, "Le Dôme"), which in the 20s was a hub of American literary hobnobbing. Here's a picture of my table. This was the most peaceful part of my stay in Paris:

Later that day, we flew Aer Lingus into Dublin, and then drove three hours to the splendid little town of Kinsale, Ireland. On our first walk into the town, I spotted the Perryville Tea Room, and I instantly knew I'd be spending a lot of time there. Maggie and I went in the next morning, and quickly dubbed it our "Happy Place." The front of the store is a shabby chic gift shop, and the tea room in back is quiet, calm, and full of soft greys and blues - the perfect escape from a little too much family bonding time. We ended up going there four times in the five days we stayed in Kinsale, and we ordered the same thing every time: Perryville Breakfast Blend black tea, and a slice of coffee cake to share. We brought Claire along twice, but we made her promise to honor the rules of our Happy Place: speak quietly and take your time with the cake - we want to stretch this out as long as possible! Here are some pictures: 

Sorry for the cruddy quality - I'm not a very good photog!

The glaze-like icing on that coffee cake was delicious.

Just enjoying a cuppa.

It was at this tea room that Maggie and I discovered how scrumptious it is to put milk and sugar in our tea. I've been doing it a lot since I got back. It makes tea feel like dessert - dessert you can have with breakfast!

On our last visit, I discovered that the Perryville tea room also has an apiary, and sells Parryville honey! I bought a jar and brought it home. I'm saving it for when I get back to school - something to sweeten the start of my senior year!

I had tea at every café we went to, and even at a couple of pubs throughout the rest of our stay. Cream and sugar are brought out with it, just like with coffee. Long story short, Ireland trumps France when it comes to tea. At least in my experience. But of course, this trip wasn't about tea. It was a chance to see some of the most beautiful places in the world, and to connect with people - family and friends, old and new. The tea just made it better!

Green Tea and Great Adventures!

So, I definitely stretched beyond the limits of my promised "two-to-three day break" after finals week. I suppose I underestimated the amount of time it would take me to recover from such a busy semester! But here I am again.


I just wanted to share with you all a cool article I found about the health benefits of green tea. Recent studies have shown that not only does it lower cancer risks, it also combats a host of other diseases! You go, green tea!


Here's the link to the article: http://www.wellnesstimes.com/articles/can-green-tea-reduce-cancer-risk


I've been drinking mostly black tea and Darjeeling (always a fave) this week because I haven't yet unpacked all my tea things after returning home. I should probably get on that today.


I'd also like to announce that in two days, I'll be heading across the pond to La Ville Lumière - the City of Lights - Paris! My cousin is getting married there, and we'll be spending three days there for the festivities. After that, my parents, sisters and I will spend a week in Ireland! How about that? I'll be sniffing out the best Irish teas and letting you know all about it! My goal is to find some more Connemara Irish Afternoon Tea, which my lovely friend Emma brought me from her study abroad experience in Ireland last summer. Which reminds me - Emma's got a really fun travel blog that you should check out! She's hopping around some wonderful places in Europe with my other friend - her freshman roommate - Herolinda. Check it out at http://bluejaysineurope.blogspot.com/


That's all for now! My next post will be from the Emerald Isle!!!

Pictured: Kinsale, where my family will be staying. I plan on sitting in one of those chairs and sipping a cup of tea. Probably followed by a Guinness or two in the evening. Source

Part II: The Herbals

Quick sidenote: Before starting this post, I decided to google "The Herbals" to make sure I wasn't stealing the name from some stoner band. Instead, I found the trailer for a goofy, low-budget, crazy looking Scottish movie called "Attack of the Herbals." That's the the link in case you're curious, but if you're not a fan of very fake-looking severed limbs, this flick isn't for you. Can't say you weren't warned.

That huge digression aside, let's move on to herbal teas. Since you can make tea out of almost anything simply by brewing it in hot water (which, incidentally, is a key plot point in "Attack of the Herbals"), this list has the potential to go on forever. For sanity's sake (again, "Attack of the Herbals"), I'll stick to the most popular types of herbal tea.

Rooibos: This rusty red tea comes from a bush in southern Africa. See my post Sniffles and Sneezes? for the health benefits this tea is packing. Delicious when flavored or on its own. Rooibos is the better-known cousin of Honeybush, another yummy tea grown in Africa.

Yerba Maté: This is the staple drink of the people of Argentina and several other South American nations. Also known simply as Maté, this drink contains high levels of caffeine, along with natural chemicals to prevent the jitters you might get with coffee. For this reason, coffee-lovers tend to flock to this tea.

Echinacea: This is a "feel-better-fast" tea that is known to shorten flu and cold duration. I drink Celestial Seasonings Echinacea Wellness Tea whenever my throat isn't in the best shape for a choir concert or other event where I'll have to use my voice a lot - as a future teacher, I can foresee a long and happy friendship with me and Echinacea.

The Echinacea Flower. Source

Chamomile: An herb long known for its medicinal qualities, as a tea chamomile is best known for helping you fall asleep. It counteracts stress hormones, which in turn can combat stress reactions like eye twitching and acid reflux. And it definitely helps you calm down before bed after a crazy day - which is good news for busy, sleep-starved college students!



Mint: A yummy brew of mint leaves, which is soothing when hot or refreshing when iced. On a side note, mint tends to relax the LES muscle, so if you're having a bout of acid reflux, stick to chamomile instead of mint.

Iced mint tea. Source

Chrysanthemum: Not quite so popular in America, chrysanthemum tea is widely used elsewhere in the world. An exchange student from China who lived across the hall from me last year made some for me. I liked it, but I don't recommend it for people who are new to tea. It's an acquired taste.


Sage: The biggest benefit I've heard of for sage tea is it's ability to naturally cut down on excessive sweating. Though it doesn't have the loveliest taste, I've seen it work wonders for pubescent teenagers' self-confidence. Don't steep it for more than the directed amount of time - after too long brewing, sage can become toxic.


There you go! I know there are dozens of other popular herbal teas, but those are the ones I find most relevant. I hope you get a chance to try some!  I'll be taking a two-to-three day break from the blog for finals week, but tune back in later in the week for a new post!

Anna's Semi-comprehensive Tea Glossary: Part I

I said this post would be "tomorrow," and if we're going on the college student's definition of "day", then as long as I'm still awake, it's still Sunday. All this to say, it's time for that tea guide I was talking about!

Today I'll give you an overview of the "true" teas, or teas made from camellia sinensis, the tea plant. And tomorrow (which in college-speak means "when it's light out again or after I've slept for five hours"), I'll get into the "herbal" teas - those made from other plants.

Let's get started!

Black tea: This is what you would typically think of as a basic tea. It goes through more processing than all other teas, including a stage of fermentation (aka oxidation). It's the strongest type of tea made from camellia, and contains the most caffeine. Works well as a breakfast tea, but I really enjoy it at any time of the day. Iced tea is usually made from black tea. My favorite black tea is Darjeeling, which is grown in the foothills of the Himalayas, and has a golden color and a smooth taste.

Tea leaves being fermented. Source

Green tea: This tea has a slightly more delicate flavor than black tea. It does not undergo fermentation, and is steamed or fried after picking and sorting. It also has less caffeine than black tea. It contains the powerful antioxidant HGCG. I adore it flavored with jasmine (Teavana's Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls has been a longtime favorite of mine).

Oolong: This delicate and delicious tea is oxidized (fermented) for a shorter period of time than black tea, giving the leaves a color ranging from green to almost black, depending on the length of oxidation. Oolong has a nice sweet flavor. Fun fact: A long time ago, Chinese monks used to train monkeys to pick tea for them! This is where the title "monkey-picked oolong" comes from, though the tradition is no longer practiced. The oolong teas from Teavana are very pricey. I would recommend Twinings, but you should always shop around for the best tea at the best price!

White Tea: White tea is made from young leaves of the tea plant, when tiny white hairs are still visible on the as-yet unopened buds. It goes through the least amount of processing and also contains the least amount of caffeine of any of the camellia teas. It is rich in antioxidants as well. I like this tea plain, since the flavor is so simple and lovely (my boyfriend claims it doesn't taste much different from water; I say he needs to cultivate his taste buds). It's great in the afternoon or evening when you just want to relax. The Republic of Tea has some great loose white tea available. I've had some good luck with white tea at World Market. Definitely check that store out if there's one near you!

This is a fine white tea known as Silver Needle, only harvested two weeks out of the year. Source

Those are the basic categories for camellia sinensis! Tune in tomorrow for some delicious herbal teas, including rooibos, maté, and chamomile!

Special thanks to www.tealaden.com, where I did a bit of fact-checking on this post!