We've been marking BB's heights on the wall for a while now. And since Mui Mui was able to stand on her own, we started marking her heights too. I ordered a growth chart online last year, but then it never arrived. Luckily, I got my money back, but the point was that I still wanted a decent looking growth chart that we can add to our home to keep track of the kids' growth.


I've stumbled upon some gorgeous DIY growth charts on Pinterest and decided to make an attempt at creating one myself. I initially saw these bronze coloured metal numbers from Daiso that I thought I was going to use on my growth chart, but by the time I wanted to buy them, they had sold out. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like a product they even stock anymore because it's been MONTHS and I have yet to see them in stores again.

I crochet a lot of things, I don't know why I didn't think to crochet the numbers! I found these free patterns for crochet numbers from Moogly, and they were the perfect size. The final product turned out so much cuter than I had envisioned!


Last year, 12 days before Christmas I posted a photo on Instagram of the number "12" using crocheted numbers. Yes, I started this project *that* long ago. I just haven't been able to take photos of it until now.

Want to make your own Crocheted Growth Chart? Keep reading!

Materials

• Burlap Table Runner (at least 210 cm or 7 feet in length, mine is 15cm wide)
• Yarn
• 4.0 mm Crochet Hook
• Tapestry Needle
• Wooden Dowels
• Jute String
• Safety Pins
• Washi Tape

1) Crochet Your Numbers

I used worsted weight yarn to crochet the numbers on my growth chart. You can get the pattern for these numbers from the Moogly blog. You will only need the numbers 1 to 6. Unless your family is really tall and you expect your child to grow beyond 7 feet.

2) Iron Your Burlap

My burlap banner did not lie flat and it made the measurements a little off when I hung it on the wall. I'll admit that I didn't clue in to do this step until after I sewed on the numbers. So I'll advise doing this step early on!

3) Mark the Measurements

Use a measuring tape and a permanent marker, mark your measurements in inches along the side of your burlap.

4) Trim, Sew and Saw

6) Numbers

7) Hang Up Your Growth Chart

If your burlap is like mine, it's probably kind of wavy when you hang it up. While the ironing helped a little, it didn't completely solve this problem, making the measurements a bit off. Instead of using a push pin or nailing the of the growth chart to the wall, I used another two hooks to pull down on the wooden dowels so it will stay in place and straighten out the growth chart.

8) Mark your heights

Here comes the fun part! I used some safety pins and washi tape to mark the heights. I'm sure my husband is glad that I'm finally putting my collection of washi tape to good use.


This project should take no more time than an afternoon (as long as your kids are not hanging off you). I hope you will have fun making your own Crocheted Growth Chart! I love that these growth charts are so portable. They would make great presents for baby showers and/or first birthdays. I have one for BB right now but will be making a second one for Mui Mui soon.

They grow up so fast!

Did you make your own Crocheted Growth Chart? I'd love to see it! Please share it with me on Instagram and/or use the #onceuponacheerio hashtag.






This is an original tutorial written by Juli Anne of Once Upon a Cheerio. Please do not claim this tutorial as your own. If you wish to share this tutorial, you may link to this blog post but please do not reprint it on your site. You may keep a copy for your own personal use but please DO NOT sell the tutorial or distribute it. 

You may sell products made from this tutorial, but please clearly credit the design to me, Juli Anne of Once Upon a Cheerio and provide a link to my blog www.OnceUponaCheerio.com. Permission is NOT granted for mass production or factory manufacturing of any kind. Thank you for understanding!

Well, here we go again! It's the beginning of another school year!

By the way, Aren't these cute?! These crocheted plush pencils were made with Bernat Blanket Yarn using the free pattern designed by Sarah of Repeat Crafter Me! The pencils were quick and easy to work up and they are absolutely adorable!

Apparently, back-to-school teacher gifts are a thing now?! Lucky my kids are only in daycare so I don't have to worry about that yet. I actually gifted the first one I made to my supervisor/charge nurse when she retired last year in September. I joked that with a pencil this big, it won't ever go missing again!

These pencils are so adorable, BB often pretends to draw on the wall with them. And from the looks of it, it seems like Mui Mui has taken a liking to them too! She loves putting it against her cheek because it's so soft. I just realized that I rarely share Mui Mui's photos on the blog, but I promise you that she's real! This photo was from when she was 9 months old (before she knew how to walk). She's 14 months now and she's a wild child! I can't believe now fast time flies. I am exhausted most days trying to keep her from jumping off the couch and breaking her neck.




Instead of stuffing the crocheted pencils with just poly-fil, I decided to use a pool noodle to fill the pencil shaft so that it would keep its shape. This was great because the pool noodle has been sitting in my house for the last year. I thought I was going to use it to make a Christmas wreath, but it never happened. And guess what? The pool noodle was a perfect size!



All you need to do is stuff the pool noodle into the pencil and then cut it at the length you want it. Then to finish it off, you just need a little bit of poly-fil for the sharpened end of the pencil!

I'm going to be working on the crayons next with whatever colour of Bernat Blanket Yarn I can find...

You can find the free pattern for Sarah's crochet plush pencils here on her blog!

When Toy Story first came out, I remember my favourite character was Woody, but I think it was mostly because I felt sorry for him and how Andy put him aside when Buzz Lightyear came along. As more Toy Story movies came out, I began to like Buzz Lightyear more and has now become one of my favourite Disney characters.

Back in elementary school, we had a Christmas concert, and my brother's class was to be the Toy Shop in the play. When my mom asked my brother what he wanted to be, he said he wanted to be Buzz Lightyear. So, my mom and I decided to create a Buzz Lightyear costume for him out of cardboard. Even to this day, it is still one of the most amazing DIY costumes that we've ever made. The parts were movable - the wings even expand out! If I ever find that costume or photographs of it, I will be sure to share it.

Buzz Lightyear remains to be one of our favourite Disney characters. My brother has this Buzz Lightyear hoodie that he got from Disneyland a few years ago and wears it quite often. So for his birthday a few years ago, I decided to crochet him a bunny wearing a Buzz Lightyear hoodie. This has become one of my favourite creations, so after giving him my very first Buzz Lightyear bunny, I decided to make one for myself too.

Materials

Pattern

• Head

Using White yarn...
Round 1: Magic Ring with a base of 6 sts (6 sts)
Round 2: sc inc in each st around (12 sts)
Round 3: [sc, sc inc] x 6 times (18 sts)
Round 4: [2 sc, sc inc] x 6 times (24 sts)
Round 5: [3 sc, sc inc] x 6 times (30 sts)
Round 6: [4 sc, sc inc] x 6 times (36 sts)
Round 7: [5 sc, sc inc] x 6 times (42 sts)
Round 8-14: sc in each st around (42 sts)
Round 15: [5 sc, sc dec] x  6 times (36 sts)
Round 16: [4 sc, sc dec] x 6 times (30 sts)
Round 17: [3 sc, sc dec] x 6 times (24 sts)
Round 18: [2 sc, sc dec] x 6 times (18 sts)
Round 19: [sc, sc dec] x 6 times (12 sts)
*** Fasten off and leave a tail to sew onto the hood

• Ears (x 2)

Using White yarn...
Round 1: Magic Ring with a base of 5 sts (5 sts)
Round 2: sc inc in each st around (10 sts)
Round 3: [sc, sc inc] x 5 times (15 sts)
Round 4-5: sc in each st around (15 sts)
Round 6: [3 sc, sc dec] x 3 times (12 sts)
Round 7: sc in each st around (12 sts)
Round 8: [2 sc, sc dec] x 3 times (9 sts)
Round 9: sc in each st around (9 sts)
Round 10: [sc, sc dec] x 3 times (6 sts)

• Body

Using White yarn...
Round 1: Magic Ring with a base of 6 sts (6 sts)
Round 2: sc inc in each st around (12 sts)
Round 3: [sc, sc inc] x 6 times (18 sts)
Round 4: [2 sc, sc inc] x 6 times (24 sts)
Change to Green...

• Arms (x 2)

• Legs (x 2)

• Tail 

I wish I could have shared this post earlier, but I actually created this for my friend who is getting married later this month and I wanted to keep it as a surprise until I gave it to her at her bridal shower. I wanted to create something for her that she could use on her wedding day, but given that the wedding was taking place in the middle of July, it's likely not going to be cold enough that she would need a shawl/wrap/shrug, etc.

She has this beautiful strapless wedding dress with a sweetheart neckline and I doubt that she would want to cover that up. But I figured that she could use something to keep her warm when the night is over and still look beautiful.

When designing this piece, I wanted to make sure that it's simple yet elegant enough for a wedding. I also wanted it to be suitable for the summer if she decides to use it on her special day but versatile enough that she would be able to use down the road if she doesn't get to use it for her wedding. Lots of ideas floating around, you see.

The Midsummer 3-Way Infinity Scarf is a bit longer than what you would normally make for an infinity scarf. A standard infinity scarf is about 60 inches long, but this scarf almost 75 inches long (before you sew the ends together). There's a reason for this as it makes the piece a lot more versatile. Let me show you the ways to wear it:

#1) As a Wrap/Shawl

#2) As an Infinity Scarf (wrapped 2 times)

and #3) As a Cowl (wrapped 3 times)

Seriously though, do you love it? Or do you love it? There really is no other answer. This 3-way infinity is so versatile, and it's likely the easiest pattern I've ever created. A beginner who is just learning how to crochet (and have learned how to do a double crochet) can make this! What are you waiting for? Let's begin!

What You Need/Materials

• 6.0mm crochet hook
• 5.5mm crochet hook (read my notes)
• worsted weight yarn
• satin ribbon
• stitch markers
• yarn needle

Stitches

• ch - chain
• dc - double crochet
• st - stitch

Notes

• Gauge: 14 dc x 9 rows = 10cm x 10cm (4" x 4")
• 188 cm (~74") in length before tying the ends together with a ribbon.
• The finished scarf is about 19cm (7.5") wide. If you want it wider, you will have to do more rows.
• I found that when I was working row 3, my stitches were flaring out a bit, so I decided to use a smaller hook (5.5mm) for the rows that only contain double crochets and no chains (odd rows) and continued using 6.0mm for the others. 
• When working the rows with alternating double crochet and chains, I put my stitch into the chain space.
• Sizing:
• Measure yourself by placing the measuring tape at the tip of the shoulder and wrap it all the way around you like a shawl until it meets back at the same shoulder. The tape should skin the top of your shoulders closely, it almost slips off. This is the widest circumference of your shoulders.
• Multiply this number by 2
• 3.5 sts = 1" 
• Example:
• Shoulders measure 40"
• 40" x 2 = 80" (this is how long your scarf needs to be)
• Foundation chain = 80" x (3.5sts) + 2 sts (for turning) = 282 sts 
• This is all assuming that you are basing it on the same gauge as stated above

Pattern

ch 261
Row 1: dc into the third loop from the hook and in each st across (259 sts)
Row 2: ch 2, turn, dc into the first st, [ch 1, skip 1 st, dc into the next st] x 129 times (259 sts)
Row 3: ch 2, turn, dc in each st across (259 sts)
Even Rows: Repeat row 2.
Odd Rows: Repeat row 3.

I worked a total of 17 rows, but you can repeat it until you feel that it's wide enough.

Adding the Ribbon Detail

Isn't this the easiest thing you've ever made?

Did you make your own Midsummer 3-Way Infinity Scarf? I'd love to see it! Please share it with me on Instagram and/or use the #onceuponacheerio hashtag.






This is an original pattern written by Juli Anne of Once Upon a Cheerio. Please do not claim this pattern as your own. If you wish to share this pattern, you may link to this blog post but please do not reprint it on your site. You may keep a copy for your own personal use but please DO NOT sell the pattern or distribute it. 

You may sell products made from this pattern, but please clearly credit the design to me, Juli Anne of Once Upon a Cheerio and provide a link to my blog www.OnceUponaCheerio.com. Permission is NOT granted for mass production or factory manufacturing of any kind. Thank you for understanding!

Well, this week marks the last week of my maternity leave. And tomorrow, I go back to work full time. As I type this, I am just thinking about everything that has happened over this last year and a half.


I left work early last year because I was actually put on medical leave prior to my one year of maternity leave (I live in Canada, yo). Not many people know, but I was suffering from peripartum depression. This is when depression happens during pregnancy before the baby is born.

I was just as ill and fatigued as my first pregnancy, but not only that, I had a toddler to take care of at home on my days off. I was getting extremely burnt out. There are some mornings where I am just crawling on the floor having difficulty trying to feed my toddler her lunch. I had anxiety about everything. Going to work, being at home, what I can and cannot eat, what it might taste like coming back up, etc. I was constantly crying and having a hard time dealing with my own emotions. I kept having this impulsive thought about running away to a place where nobody can find me just so I could get away.

Things got a little better after I sought professional help. I remembered that I was in a state of euphoria after my first was born, and I was hoping that it might just happen again. Then it would solve all of this depression problems. I was wrong.

After Mui Mui was born, the postpartum depression hit me even harder. BB was having a hard time dealing with her new sibling. They couldn't even be in the same room together. Mui Mui was often crying (as expected from newborns) but her cries were extremely loud and ear piercing and I can see why BB doesn't like that. I was having difficulty dealing with the whole situation, and again the anxiety took over me.

About 2 months postpartum things were just starting to settle down. BB and Mui Mui can finally be in the same room and we were finally able to have dinner together as a family. Then, we got the news that my mom's cancer had metastasized to her brain. It just felt like, as soon as one part of my life was finally getting better, another problem arises. At this point, my mom had already been living with this cancer for more than 3.5 years. She always managed to pull through somehow and we were just hoping that she would this time around too.

Because her cancer had spread to her brain, she was not allowed to drive anymore. So instead of my mom and my grandma coming to my home to help me with the two kids every morning, I had to bring the kids to them. I was extremely exhausted from hauling two babies back and forth, and taking care and worrying about my mom. But I was determined to do so because I wanted my mom to be able to see her grandchildren as often as she could.

My mom became weaker and sicker during her last months of life. And at the beginning of January, she left us. Never in my entire life would I have imagined planning my mom's funeral during my maternity leave. This has to be as painful as a maternity leave could get.

Tomorrow when I go back to work, I will be starting a new job as an oncology nurse. I actually got the news about the job offer about 12 hours before my mom passed away. I told my mom and she was very happy for me. Some people may think that this is a self-destructive move. And sometimes, I wonder that as well. But I also wondered if this is my calling and that I'm meant to be there for a reason.

I'm actually quite happy and excited to go back to work. There's really only so much baby talk you can do in a day. Some days, I can't wait until Hanson gets back home from work to "rescue me" from the two kids. Living with depression within the last year felt like it stole a lot of my time and moments to enjoy Mui Mui as a newborn and a baby. She started walking at 10 months and things became very busy, very quickly. I can't wait for this maternity leave to be over and start fresh. I am looking forward to this next chapter.

Just as an FYI, this blog may be a bit quiet for the next few weeks as I desperately try to find time to study for an exam that I have to take before September and adjust to my new job.

Thank you so much for reading and supporting my blog by visiting. It means more than you know!