Growing up in Southern California then working in Hollywood, made having friends who went to temple almost as common as those who went to mass. When I moved to Austin however, I was surprised not only by the fact that there were so few Jewish people but also, by the lack of awareness about holidays like Hanukkah. I was thrilled years ago though when my youngest son came home from a Mother’s Day Out program with a paint stirrer Menorah that he’d made in class. He loved it and the tiny dreidel he received on the same day (both thanks to a fellow student’s mother) so much! I thought it was such a cool (yet really inexpensive) way to teach children about a tradition that may not be their own or if it is, then to celebrate it even further.
This week on I Love to Create, I revive that pre-school project–my version of course, with a little added, razzle dazzle.
Here’s how you and your kidlets can make a Hardware Store Menorah this Hanukkah season!
Materials
Wooden Paint Stirrer
11 Nuts (Sized to fit candles)
9 Candles (I just used the cheapie, birthday type.)
Before 2nd coat dries, cover top of stirrer with glitter. Once dried, shake excess glitter off.
Adhere nuts to stirrer with Tacky Glue so that there’s a center pyramid stack with 4 individuals on each side. Let dry.
Insert candles in each of the nuts. If necessary, add a dab of Tacky Glue to the bottom of all candles EXCEPT for the center one; that one’s used for lighting.
The Basics of Practicing the Festival of Lights
Each of the 8 side candles represents a day of Hanukkah; the center candle is called, the “Shamos”. After sunset of each night of Hanukkah, use the Shamos to light the candles (lighting an additional one as each day passes.)
This year Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 11th. To read more about the symbolism and traditions surrounding the Menorah, check out this website.
The March YarnYAY! Box crochet project is 𝘍𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘵, a crochet, boomerang shawlette. The shape is more commonly seen in knitted pieces, but I love it because if you want the piece to be larger, you just keep working it in the established pattern.
𝘍𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘵 is worked with a sweet, as-to-go edging and optional, appliquéd, chain-florets. I designed it to be worn as shown here, scarf-style, but with the option to go full-shawl. You do you!
𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗼𝘆𝗮 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗼 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 — 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗝𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿 — 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗬𝗔𝗬! 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗕𝗼𝘅 (𝘁𝗮𝗽, 𝗴𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗶𝗼, 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗬𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗬𝗔𝗬.𝗰𝗼𝗺)
MODEL FUN FACT:
The gorgeous human modeling this shawlette, Kat Roberts, was the main featured young woman (swipe to see) in the infamous 1992, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dog video “Nothing But a G Thang”. That video didn’t age well, but man, she sure did! 🤩
#yarnyay #crochetersofinstagram...
We are so excited that our friend and YarnYAY! Design Manager, @juliamadill's Overprint Bag design was published in the Spring '23 issue of @pompommag !
We love the graphic look, and environmentally conscious purpose of this crochet tote so much, that we've put together two colorful, Montoya Merino Light kits to celebrate!
Go to the YarnYAY! shop link in my @vickiehowell bio to learn more AND get a 20% off discount for the digital issue of the magazine.
Oh, and keep your eyes open for a crochet-along, coming on 3/29!
𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮 𝗦𝘁. 𝗣𝗮𝗱𝗱𝘆'𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆!🍀
The YarnYAY! 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘉𝘰𝘹'𝘴 featured shade of 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘺𝘢 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘰 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 (Desert Jasper), feels right at home with this holiday, so 𝘄𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗮 𝗯𝗼𝘅 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀! See below for details.
Side note (that likely no one by me will care about): Giving away hanks on St Patrick's Day, of my Montoya Merino yarn feels appropriate as my dad used to always say that my brother and I were Spirish (Spanish + Irish). Thank you for listening.
HOW TO ENTER TO WIN:
👉🏼Follow @vickiehowell and #yarnyay
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👉🏼Comment on 3 of my posts with this emoji: 🍀
*𝘜𝘚 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺. 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘹 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 (𝘴𝘵𝘺𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘥) 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘋𝘔. 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝟹/𝟸𝟶/𝟶𝟹 𝘢𝘵 𝟷𝟷:𝟻𝟿𝘱𝘮𝘊𝘛....
Very butch 😉
What a great little menorah craft! Thanks for remembering us Jewish folk!
Hi, 44 candles are needed, starting with 2 the first night and increasing by one each night until 9 on the 8th night. thanks for the project.
Simply fabulous and super clever! Love it.
Cheers,
Madge