creative jewish mom

A Chunky Crocheted Sunflower Granny Square Baby Blanket

I crocheted this sunflower granny square baby blanket about 5 months ago and just now had a moment to share it with you! Truthfully I did not love the results as I was winging it and made the mistake of using a crochet hook that was really too small for the chunky yarn weight. This resulted in the medallions being more tightly packed than the white areas so the blanket has stiff circles and not so stiff borders, which is quite strange, but the recipients didn't really notice and loved it just the same. Lesson learned on my part, namely don't crochet all the medallions and then the border, do an entire sample of a finished square first. And so it goes! A crocheted sunflower granny square is also called a large sunburst or starburst granny square, while a starburst granny square has only 3 rows, instead of 4 in the center medallion. So do check out my starburst granny square pattern as well! Okay, lets take a closer look at this blanket, shall we?

How To Crochet An Afikomen Bag For Your Passover Table?

With Passover coming is just a little over 2 weeks, I have remembered that the felt afikomen bag I made years ago is no longer usable, and for the past few years we've simply used a nice towel of some kind, yikes! So this year I realized that I could crochet a bag to use as an afikomen bag and the place to look for inspiration (since no one else seems to have crocheted an afikomen bag and written about it online) would be patterns for crocheted clutches! I've created a folder on Pinterest called Crocheted Clutches, filled with lots of inspiration, including all the photos here, and yes indeed, there are so many patterns out there that I'm having a hard time deciding on which direction to choose! For some reason the zig-zagging lines appeal to me as they remind me of the pyramids, as does the idea of a triangular flap with a tassel, then again the round flap is nice as well. Hmmm, I'll have to choose one and make it very soon, so stay tuned for the results! In the mean time, think about crocheting yourself a new afikomen bag, or make one to give as a gift? Ah yes, and I've taken a look at standard sizes for afikomen bags, which range on the small side from 7"x9.5" to 8"x11". And of course the opening for the bag could be on the long side or the short side, though on the long side seems more practical, especially if you are using hand matza.

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, and my little corner of the internet where I doing my best to encourage others to add joy to like with creativity. And I think we may have a first with the intro photo, which only shows two features, because truly they are just so wonderful and needed to be shown in all their glory, and so it goes! Cold winter has returned to Northern Israel, so not packing up anything winter just yet, but we are getting a serious start on Passover cleaning as the holiday is coming in exactly three weeks, with the Passover seder happening back to back following Shabbat, which is a challenge, but so it goes! Tomorrow my daughter is spending the day with me to tackle my studio, yikes and wish up luck on that, though truly it is mostly about tossing things or packing up and storing them......so hard especially now that I have around 25 grade school aged boy students with whom I only use recyclables, so gotta have quite the collection on hand. You know like oatmeal cans, cardboard tubes, plastic bottles, corks, cardboard boxes and more. Can't wait for that dedicated art center that I'm dreaming of so I can have all these items in bins, and not in my personal space......maybe just maybe this year? In the mean time a little mess is no reason to forego creativity, so lets take a look at the features from last week's party!

Migrating Cranes Overhead In Northern Israel!

Yes indeed dear readers, it is that time of year once again, when we delight in seeing migrating cranes overhead! (Truthfully it is almost impossible to distinguish between cranes and storks, but the overwhelming majority are cranes, even though in Hebrew everyone calls them Storks, and so it goes!) Our location in Northern Israel is about a 40 minute drive to the Hula Valley, and the Hula lake, where cranes can stop for a rest and they are generally fed as well. I wonder if the cranes changed their course last year, or were even aware of the war, which certainly meant no visitors or very few to the Hula Valley?  I'll admit I did hear a few booms this morning, as things are happening within Syria, but of course it is nothing like the state of war that we experienced in the Fall, when the birds would have been migrating to Africa. Now they are on their way back to the Netherlands and that region, so very interesting!

Cyclamen Re-Blooms Yet Again In Northern Israel

The sweet cyclamen plant I've had for a good five years is blooming once again! While last year's bloom was truly spectacular, I'll take this one as well, as it wasn't looking great a few months ago, when there were only a few straggly leaves! So my faithful plant pulled it off once again, which means I will nurse him throughout the year to show my appreciation. I have another cyclamen that is scale ridden and not looking great, and I think it is time to toss that one, as I already have enough plants in the rehabilitation ward, mostly orchids, but enough is enough? So friends, be patient with any pots of cyclamens you may have as they will reward you, truly! Check out my post last year about how to get a cyclamen to rebloom and while I didn't really follow my own advice, you might want to!

Fun DIY Hamentashen Gift Tag For Purim

It is true, Purim was over on Sunday night, but posting this for next year! And what a Purim it was for those of us in Israel, as it was called Purim "mishulash" meaning triangle, as Purim was celebrated on Friday everywhere except Jerusalem, then there was a festive Shabbos, and then Purim was celebrated in Jerusalem in Sunday, what a celebration is was. Three of my kids celebrated Purim twice, and honestly I couldn't conceive of such a thing after working so hard to prepare for Purim back to back with Shabbos, including guests, and of course lots of crafting and nice mishloach manot (food gifts) for the neighbors. One of my big successes this year was making triangular shaped rolls, which I gifted together with salads in triangular containers, on top of a paper plate folded like a triangle, and topped with this triangular gift tag! I was quite happy with the outcome even if I didn't quite give as many gifts as I would have liked, there just was not time. That means that I have plenty of these hamentashen gift tags left to use next year, not to mention a huge collection of cardboard hamentashen in all sizes that didn't quite make the cut with the decor, so into a box they go until next year!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday and Purim Sameach to all those in Jerusalem! Phew, I made it to the other side of Purim and then Shabbos, with guests and tons of crafting and cooking galore and triangular shaped rolls to boot. While my husband and I will not be celebrating Purim in Jerusalem tonight/tomorrow, three of my kids will be doing just that, so you can add something festive to your Sunday as well! With Purim under our belt, now we have just one month to prepare for Passover, so tomorrow I am tackling my studio, wish me luck with that! In the mean time, enjoy the features, and thanks for stopping by!

How to Stay Out of Trouble on Vacation

Above: On the beach in Pacifica, CA

Traveling to new destinations is an exciting experience filled with the promise of adventure, culture, and relaxation. But beyond the thrill of exploring, some travelers find themselves in unexpected and avoidable trouble. A simple misstep or a lack of awareness can lead to challenges that disrupt your getaway.

But don't worry! Most vacation mishaps can be easily avoided with a bit of foresight. Knowing what to watch out for can make all the difference in keeping your trip smooth and enjoyable.

So, are you ready to travel smarter? Let's explore the best ways to avoid trouble and enjoy every moment of your vacation.

Triangular Spelt Rolls For Purim Or Anytime!

Yippee, the idea of making triangular rolls not only worked the results are truly fabulous, phew! My theme for shaloch manot (mishloach manot, gifts of food) this year is the triangle, so all the food I'm gifting is triangular, including these rolls, which are 50% whole spelt and %50 white spelt, and delicious. It is true, shaping the triangular rolls does take twice the time as my regular single knot rolls, but the effort was well worth it, and the results were so great I made another 2 kilo batch late last night. With the Purim seuda on Friday, you still might like to give this a try, so go for it! Will try to upload photos but having technical issues, and with guests arriving gotta run! Purim Sameach!

Rolls are made by rolling out small circles, mini pita sized, and folding in three sides so they overlap. That is it! Yes mine rose and filled the whole tray and I had to separate them after baking, but that works too.

A Plate Of Cardboard Hamentashen Door Decor For Purim!

Purim is coming and this year, while I have not had time to photograph it all just yet, I had a bad cold and ended up crafting up a literal storm of cardboard hamentashen and much more. I upcycled a previous door decoration for the pidyon haben we made a few months back, by replacing the words and gluing on a pile of cardboard hamentashen. I have to say, I just love it! And friends now, together with the million other things that need to get done today, I need to hang all the giant and small cardboard hamentashen I've made, and use them to make gift tags as well, so gotta run and have an amazing Purim, wherever in the world you are, and whichever day you celebrate!