green | Crafting Mommy of Three

So, I am a huge geek that still loves everything from my childhood. That could be why my girls watch My Little Pony (even though I like the way they used to look better), Care Bears and Smurfs. But that is not were my geeky side ends, that is why I started working on my newest project. Peanut (my oldest) already knows all over her colors and shapes but Mushy (my littlest) doesn’t know them yet. So, I wanted to make them something new to play with that will challenge both of them…. FELT TETRIS! It can help Mushy learn her colors and shapes while Peanut works on her puzzle skills (which she happens to LOVE).

First I started with a bunch of felt. I picked black for the general shape of the game. I kept it the regular size that the felt sheets come in. I then picked a couple of fun bright colors to make the shapes in. There are five shapes so I picked the colors Yellow, Green, Red, Blue & Orange.

Once you have all of the colors picked out it’s time to start measuring for the different pieces. To make it easier for me to figure out, I used a 1 inch square to build the five different shapes. I cut them out of paper first so that I could have a good pattern before making the shapes out of the felt.

I wasn’t sure how many of each shape I should cut out of the felt but I thought that 8 pieces for each of the colors/shapes would be a good amount to give both kids a choice of what to use. You can always cut more if you feel you need more.

After I had everything all cut out I set up the boards on the table and let the girls try it out… I have to say it was a success! Peanut just loves to work with the shapes and fit them all together. She even figure out how to use the shapes to cover the whole board without any of them sticking off the edge! I love how the felt sticks to itself and also separates when it’s time to take apart and start over.

The girls both give this project a thumbs up!

Robin

This beautiful pattern that I tested is called the Shelly Chevy Cowl. Sew Much Love Patterns did an awesome job writing it out so that even the newest crocheter can read it and follow along with out any issues! She explains each step in detail and as always has a great abbreviation key at the end of the pattern.
Yes, this pattern uses the shell stitch but don’t you worry if you don’t know how to do one. It’s basically just clusters of double crochet. She calls for a worsted weight yarn and a J10 (6mm) hook, but I am sure that this pattern can easily be whipped up using a different thickness of yarn and a different hook.
I personally feel that this pattern is one that can be used for a long time and for many projects. I don’t think cowls will ever really go out of style. Use a solid yarn or a variegated one to make more colorful. Or maybe you can add some kind of embellishment like a flower, button or bow on it to give it that special touch. The options for this pattern are endless!

I did mine using three different colors, even though the pattern does not call for it. I used Vickie Howell’s Sheep[ish] yarn in Lime[ish], Plum[ish] and Hot Pink[ish].