PHASE INTO PHALL (er…. FALL)

The air is suddenly crisp and cool. Fall (my least favorite time of year) may well be upon us and it’s still August! Tho’ I’m not a fan of Fall as cold winter soon follows, I do like the colors of fall and the transitional garments that often ease me into the heavier garments of the dreaded winter.

Here are a few patterns I’ve run across lately that will work up fairly quickly, will flatter most, and will fit into many of our wardrobes.

First is this freebie from Caron:

cowl vest 0809

http://www.caron.com/projects/ss/cowl_vest.html

For those of us with no necks, the cowl can be eliminated and a crew neck collar will appear.

Angela Lavonne Best led a Crochet-A-Long recently using a pattern she designed called a ‘Shawligan’. This is a perfect ‘into Fall’ transitional garment. Ronnie Titus made it in a lovely variegated yarn in a gray/black/white colorway.

http://lavonneknotjustknits.com/blog/

From the front, the Shawligan looks like a long garment, but the shortened back makes it easier for sitting at the office desk, sliding into the front seat of the car, and keeping the shoulders warm in Fall wind. As you can tell on Lavonne’s site, it’s also a very flexible garment that can be ‘wrapped’ in a variety of ways. The pattern is a free download on Ravelry.com. Just sign in and search for ’shawligan’ and you’ll find it. Thanks, Lavonne!

And, when you’re around the house or office and just need a little ’something’ on your shoulders, here’s a lovely ‘just enough’ shawl that will look great topping any outfit:

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/80877AD.html

Make this in any fall color, especially a muted ombre, and you’ll have a topper that people will want to steal right off your back!

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Learning about Hanukkah is important for people of all faiths as a reminder that December isn’t just about Christmas and that their are many other important holidays that happen during this time. Hanukkah unit studies can give you ideas for incorporating the holiday into your holiday studies that happen in December, or to use at home for learning about people of different faiths.

Homeschool Superfreak has a lot of basic ideas for how to build a Hanukkah unit study, as well as FAQs about what Hanukkah is and why it is celebrated. This list is a good stargint point but doesn’t include all the details you’ll need. For example it says you can play the dreidel game but doesn’t explain how to do that or why it’s important. (If you need that information, this post from Mama Smiles is a good source.)

Teachers Pay Teachers has lots of great lesson plans and activities if you’re willing to pay a little bit to get some good content. Two I really like are this Hanukkah PowerPoint presentation from Shelia Melton, which provides a good overview of traditions, food and the history of Hanukkah; and a virtual field trip to Jerusalem from MagiCore, which includes lots of videos showing the city and activities like playing dreidel, drawing a menorah and making latkes. It’s a Google Drive folder and also includes writing activities and more for kids in second to fifth grade.

Kids Activities Blog has some simple printables with facts about Hanukkah and things kids can color in like a Star of David, sufganiyots (jelly doughnuts) and a menorah. These are great for learning the basics.

Homeschool Giveaways has a printable ebook about Hanukkah complete with questions kids can answer after they read. This would be a good one for older kids with good reading comprehension.

NurtureStore’s Hanukkah unit study includes a printable mini book, tons of crafts, as well as math and writing activities. I love the dominoes game that’s part of the unit.

And check out our previous posts for more Hanukkah crafts and learning activities!

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