Read Along: Week Four - Christmas

 Since week 4 (and thus chapter 4) is about Christmas, waddaya say we do a Christmas in June/July? We can take it a couple weeks, since there is soooo much in this chapter, plus it would give those of us who make gifts
ahead of time a chance to begin Christmas gifts to set aside for later.

1) Make mittens for your family for Christmas. There are several free patterns available here Ravelry
 or elsewhere on the net. They can be knitted, crocheted, or sewn.
 Make a matching muffler/scarf/neckwarmer to go with the mittens.

3) Summer is a great time to teach boys to whittle and carve. Pa (Charles Ingalls) carved the
famous bracket for Ma’s china shepherdess and gave it to her in this chapter. Perhaps this is
where the dads come in to do the whittling/carving lessons?

4) Sew a needle book. There are several adorable patterns/ideas online .  If you have finished your sewing basket, and if it is to be a gift, a needle book would be the perfect accessory to put inside it, complete with a set of needles!!
And what would make a better companion to a needle case than a thimble case?(and here) Simply
knit/crochet/sew a tiny drawstring bag that is big enough for a thimble. Even a miniature doily
pattern would suffice–or look up amulet bags. Just add a drawstring and voila! a thimble case. To add it to your sewing basket, sew a button to the underside of the lid and wrap the loop end of the drawstring
around the button a couple times.

5) Make mittens, scarf, and hat for your rag doll. Also, be sure to include some nice wool
stockings, as well! Perhaps even a nice felt coat to wear over her best dress or his best suit.

by Tracey 4610