Creating Smiles Day 1: Sweet LemoNAYde

Ok, let’s kick off this week full of WONDERFUL and AMAZING guest post from some awesome blogs!


First off, I must mention that these bloggers have worked really hard on their guest posts writing them and getting pictures, so please respect them and support them by commenting on their guest post that they spent time writing! Show the comment love! Also, be a buddy and check out their organization if you are interested.


SO NOW! With out further ado, I give you Nay, from Sweet LemoNAYde!!!

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Thanks for letting me be here, Hannah!

I'm Naomi, a teen, from Sweet Lemonayde! I have a small blog full of sewing tutorials and more! Come stop by if you have the chance!

When Hannah told me about her project, I thought about it a lot. Of course, I instantly thought of winter (you know, since it's the summer and all...) and how some people need warmer clothes. My project today is for children and adults in need. I found a website where kids and adults are in need of hats, scarves, gloves, blankets, etc. called Knit With Love. So, I'm sending a care package full of warm goodies to their organization. 

The first thing I made was a hat. Knit with super bulky yarn, it works up quickly and is a great beginner project. I used US 15 knitting needles, super bulky yarn (i used Loops and Threads Charisma from Michaels, which is the cheap cousin of Lion Brand Thick n Quick), scissors, and a darning needle.

Cast on 38 stitches.

Work in Stockinette stitch:

Row 1: Knit all stitches.

Row 2: Purl all stitches.

Repeat these two rows until it measures 9 inches. Now knit 2 together across the row to decrease. You should now have 19 stitches, or somewhere around there.

Now, cut the yarn, leaving a long tail to seam up the hat. 

Thread the yarn onto the darning needle, pull the yarn through the stitches, and pull tight, closing up the hat. Now seam up the side of the hat. Ta-da! A new warm hat! This took me only about 2 hours, so it's a super easy project.

Or, if you're a sewer, I also made a fleece hat. I always wonder why they are so complicated, with, like, 4 different pieces. So this is my 2 piece hat! Plus fleece doesn't fray and it's nice, soft, warm, and comfy.

Take a hat that fits (i used the blue hat that i just knitted) and trace around it on your fleece, leaving a 1/2" seam allowance. Leave about 3" on the bottom for your brim. You should now have 2 very long dome shapes.

Mark 3" up from the bottom on both sides. 

Sew the 2 domes together, leaving the 3" on the bottom open on both sides. 

Turn right side out. You should now have two 3" flaps on both sides, like this.

Now sew the last 3" closed. You can see that the top is right side out and you can't see the seam, while the bottom 3" have visible seams.

Fold the brim up. You can leave it like this, or you can stitch the brim down with some decorative embroidery. A warm, cozy fleece hat.

I love this hat; it reminds me of a cloche. You can also sew on a flower (made of t-shirt material from this tutorial)...

Ack! I love it (not that I'm bias, or anything)! So vintage!

This is an old book, called On Cherry Street (it's older than I am.... though that doesn't actually say much, considering my age. it's also older than my mom, so...). Anyone know it? I think my grandma or mom gave it to me, and I used to read it when I was little. It's one of those 'Dick and Jane' books. You know, the kind that repeat everything and add exclamation points. Like, "Mother wants apples and eggs. Let's go get apples and eggs. Let's run!" says Betty. "Okay!" says Susan. "Let's run!" However,  I liked it a lot when I was little.

In order from top to bottom: a chocolate-vanilla-raspberry-mocha earwarmer, a raspberry beret (anyone know that song? of course you do) with a pink brim (it's more for a baby than a kid, the brim's too small for my big head), the fleece cloche hat, the cobalt blue knitted hat, and a green and brown earflap cap with a pom pom.

Now seal it up and ship it out! Thank you Hannah for having me on for Creating Smiles Week!

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And thank YOU Naomi for a wonderful guest post! :) Comeback tomorrow for another guest post!