Handwarmer

...as beautifully modeled by my husband. Recipes vary (some use corn because the rice can get humid), but be sure to use %100 wool or cashmere (natural fire retardants) and don't microwave for more than one minute at a time.

• 2 pieces of 100% wool or cashmere scraps, sewn together, leaving a small opening to fill


• a mixture of 1/3 cup of rice, the contents of 2 peppermint tea bags, 1 tsp salt

Actually most smelly teas will work fine, I just like peppermint. Pour mixture into the wool/cashmere pouch, sew the pouch shut, and you are ready to microwave.

Macrame Scarf

My husband calls these my macrame scarves. They are actually based on Martha Stewart's "no knit scarves" I just added an extra two bunches to make them thicker because it's cold here. Unfortunately this means you need longer strands to start with, but it's worth it. These scarves actually look great and are very functional because they are light weight you can loop it through itself as you tie it around your neck, so it will stay on. Also if you get wool yarn, not only is it very warm, it will slightly felt in the wash- so any bumps or loose knots will even out perfectly. Below I have provided a drawing with instructions for my version of the scarf (click the picture for a larger view) . For this project you will need:

• a ball of thick wool yarn (will yield around 2 medium length scarves)
• 3 safety pins
• a heavy pillow
• 20 minutes