more yellow

Things are finally settling down after being crazy hectic for about 2 weeks. Did I mention that I am in college now? No, well I am. And for 2 weeks now I have been working on my finals, plus keeping up with family activities, and running the house as smoothly as possible. Very stressful and a lot of hard work. Which meant no knitting after the babes went to bed. But now that finals are over (got an A on both finals which means that I am still rockin’ my 4.0GPA thank you very much!) I can return to my regular scheduled programming.

Before my finals hit, I started a new project. A pair of socks for myself. I knew I would not get both socks completed before finals but if I could complete just one would have me satisfied.

(notice the slight change in gauge from knitting in the round and working in rows for the short row heel)

So here it is, my one lonely sock waiting for it’s buddy to be completed. In due time it’s buddy will be completed. The pattern is Daisy Socks and can be found here. All details, mods, etc will come after I finish it’s buddy. BEWARE! though that the pattern has errors, very easy to fix and figure out!

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On a side note:
I have been browsing the internet and finding all sorts of cute projects to make. So while my bookmark folder is filling up, I thought I would pass these along (in case you haven’t already seen them and your bookmark folder can fill up). All links open in a new window.

*Little Boxy Pouch Tutorial – I’ll have to adjust the measurements a bit to make it the size I want (K.’s zippy pouch broke at school and I had to give her mine that I keep my knitting stuff in, so now I am back to a ziplock baggy until I can make this. I am thinking one for each of us)

*Patchwork Star – So adorable and would look great hanging on the tree, for decoration, or adorned to a gift.

*Kid’s drawings come to life – I am seriously going to make these with the girls!!! How adorable!

*Hoot! – I do not need to give an explanation to how stinkin’ cute this is. I think mama deserves some as well!

*Knitted Mini Christmas Stockings – again, how cute!

*Oscar Elephant Pillow – this one is not a tutorial but links to her Etsy shop where you can buy him. He was just to stinkin’ cute not to put on the list.

*Faux Vintage Quilt Fun – the possibilities are endless

some winter warmth

Seems rather silly doesn’t it, the start of one season and I am already talking about another. I like to plan ahead I guess.

Don’t think my little hiatus meant I was not crafting. Oh no! A lot of winter knitting has been keeping me busy. Not really sure if I have mentioned it here before but, I am self-taught at everything (even my parenting).

Back in 2006, I taught myself how to crochet, and then while browsing for crochet patterns; I kept stumbling across knitting patterns. Getting frustrated that all these appealing knit patterns kept making their way to my saved folder on the computer; I bought some needles and learned how to knit at a Stitch n Bitch group in early 2007.

One would think that crocheting would be the one I’d scamper to when I have the urge to make something, but knitting is in my heart. Crocheting still has its appeal to me, but I cannot oppose to the sound of the aluminum clicking between my fingers.

So earlier this summer, I was leafing through the ever addicting Ravelry and came across some fresh ideas to start my winter knitting. After all, I need to start early to keep my family warm during our cold Ohio winters.

Pattern: Mountain Nights Toque (link opens in a new window)
Source: BohoKnits (have a look around her blog, she has a lot of amazing…FREE!…patterns)
Yarn: 1.25 skeins of Knit Picks Swish Worsted in Wisteria
Needles: Size 6 and size 7
Mods: Lots of mods. This pattern called for bulky weight yarn and add in the fact that I making it for a child size noggin. CO 88 sts on size 6 needles, knit for 3″ then switched to size 7, knit for 6.5″ from cast on before starting decreases. Fits L. perfectly (love when I do mods and they come out right the first time!!)

Pattern: Girls Cap Sleeved Spring Shirt (or as L. calls it “The Perfectly Purple Playground Top”)
Source: Soulful Hues Etsy Shop (the pattern use to be free when only one size was available, that was when I downloaded it)
Yarn: 1.5 skeins of Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton in Orchid
Needles: Size 6 for ribbing, switched to size 8 for body
Mods: None really, followed JCHandmade mods for the sleeves (Ravelry Link)

Pattern: Thorpe
Source: Through the Loops
Yarn: 1.2 skeins of RYC Alpaca Soft in Old Rose (looove this yarn! So soft and knits up beautifully!!!) and 0.5 skein of Knit Picks Crayon in Kingfisher (Eh! Not crazy about that yarn)
Needles: Size 9
Mods: The only mod was I knit for 5.5″ from top before starting garter stitch brim. And added a funky pompom!!
Overall, this hat is my favorite handknit item I have ever made!! I have never made a pompom before (I found a tutorial video on how to make pompoms but can’t remember the link right now). It is beautiful and it fits K. perfectly (and I don’t mean size wise, I mean it fits her fun and funky personality).

Last but not least is a granny square afghan I have been working on. Eleven squares down, many more to go. There are so many stunning granny square afghans out there. Not just in the blogging world mind you, but at thrift stores and flea markets as well. Temptation has struck me every time I think of purchasing such a handmade item. But with some stains, some overpriced, and knowing that more than a few of them are made out of scratchy acrylic, I decided that making one for our living room would be the best way to go.

I love granny square afghans, I love all the color that goes into them, and I love how each block is different, and yet they all go together in the end. The pattern is not really anything big. Just a basic granny square block that could be found for free anywhere I am sure. I have the book “99 Granny Squares to Crochet” and in there is a basic granny square pattern. Only that pattern required you to make some chain loops every other round. Seemed rather pointless to do that extra work, not to mention use up that extra yarn. So, I will take my granny square afghan day by day and square by square. Hoping that by the end of this year, my family and I will have a little handmade goodness to wrap ourselves up in when watching movies or reading books. After all, here in Ohio, winter may last until April or May. 

The start of Summer sewing

Aw yes, Summer is not too far off around our neck of the woods.  Skirts, popsicles, ice cream, swimming, lightening bugs, crickets, and on and on and on. 

As I had said, the girls and I had decided to let our hair grow out.  Which means that all those flyaways and loose strands of hair will be bothersome in those humid months.  Via Threadbanger I came across Leethal’s blog (love her two-color a-line t skirt tutorial, need to talk James into giving me a few of his shirts) when she did the skirt round up, and also found a tutorial to make a headband from an old tshirt.  Right so, enough with the freakin’ links and get on with it already!

(sorry I can’t balance a camera and take pics of the back of my noggin at the same time, but you get the idea)

I also made one for K. but she wore hers to school today, and I’m going to make some more of these as they are super comfy, easy to wear, and both of the girls love them!

And there will be more Summer sewing as soon as I can get the nerve up to cut into this fabric.

Oh I can’t do it just yet, still in that petting stage.  The one in the photo directly above is going to be a skirt, it just screams skirt to me!

Hope everyone has a very blessed weekend!!!

rainy day play

When the rain is pouring down, I have this thing about not letting my children outside, they don’t get my reasoning, but maybe you do.  So to distract them from that urge to go and splash in puddles and avoid getting struck by lightening, I turn to my #1 thing and that is kids crafts.  We love to paint mostly and hey, who cares if you get paint on the floor, it can all be scrubbed up.  But I didn’t want to do our usual painting (as L. seemed to have used up all of hers from the last time we painted).  I remembered that I saw this puff paint recipe on One Crafty Mumma’s blog.

We didn’t have a nice thick sheet of cardboard, so I had to improvise and grab cereal boxes out of the recycling bin (after all, that’s what it’s there for right).

L.’s favorite part of the whole ordeal was watching the paint puff up in the microwave.

Seriously, how cool is that!?  She said that they did theirs in the microwave for 30 seconds and ours only took 20 seconds, so if you do this, I would recommend starting out at 15 or 20 seconds and see if it’s all the way dry.  It all depends on the power of your microwave though.  Anyways, it was a lot of fun and the girls really enjoyed doing it.  And as far as the recipe, it’ll still work if you add a smidge to much water (as we found out).

 

beginner’s luck

Remember my  little pouch I had made for that swap I’m in.  Well, lets call that “100% beginner’s luck!”.  I was shocked and amazed at how well that pouch came out and felt 100% completely confident to go through and make myself one.

Something went terribly wrong in the process of sewing in the zipper.  It actually doesn’t really look that bad (or at least that’s what I keep telling myself) but it’s not as perfect as my first one.

I do love it though and right now I’m using it in my purse (do you know how annoying it is to find dimes in your gum packet?)  But to redeem myself and make myself feel warm and tingly again, I made some tissue cozies using a tutorial I found on Craftster (can’t find the pattern now, no matter how many times I’ve searched, nor did I bookmark it – bad girl!  tutorial found via Craftster)

(the pouch don’t look that bad, it don’t look that bad, it don’t look that bad!)

And since the tissue cozy took me all of a matter of 10 min. to make – from cutting to finishing – I decided to make each girl one as well as my Mom.

 

The start of something wonderful

There are a few projects that I would like to work on this year that involve short rows.  Before, in the past, short rows have been my kryptonite.  In my defense though, I have tried to do short rows before (here, and not to mention the times I’ve tried just for practice) and it just came out looking like a mess.  You could see my wraps on the knit side, half the time I couldn’t see them on the purl side, and it was just overall a mess.

Last night (after everyone went to bed, that’s usually when I get things done) I Googled “how to do short rows” and was amazed by the amount of knitters that took the time to explain (in detail) how to do short rows.  CosmicPluto(love her blog) has a tutorial, misocrafty another, and so on.  They were all great tutorials, but my problem is that sometimes I have trouble learning things by pictures.  So, I remembered that I had found a video tutorial on YouTube by the infamous Cat Bordhi (part 1 part 2) (on a side note, I love how she explains things!).

Bingo Bango!

Finally it all clicked, I was seeing the wrap stitches, working back and forth, and after just a bit, I GOT IT!!!!!  It is no longer my krytonite, but the start of a new friendship.

The top photo is the side where I had to do the wraps on the purl side, didn’t come out to bad, alot better than before (trust me, it was a mess).  Bottom picture is my short row on the knit side, pretty good if you ask me.

Now I can feel a little more confident working on a project that involves short rows.

making

my way through the Christmas crafting list.  I have a few projects completed and crossed off the list.  Still have a few to begin and a few to finish up. 

 

Mom’s scarf is off the needles, done, blocked, and ready for gift giving.  The pattern is Baby’s Feather & Fan scarf (via Ravelry) and made using two skeins of Knit Picks Comfy in Flamingo on size 8 needles.  So soft, so beautiful, and has beautiful drape.  Now I’m anxious to give it to her.

In other Christmas crafting news, I came across an awesome handmade ornament list from Threadbanger.  (Seriously, check it out, so many awesome handmade ornaments over there including the cutest little birdie ornament).  I love making ornaments because, as least to me, a Christmas tree is a lot like my home, and I like to fill it with my favorite things.  Also, they make great last minute gifts, or even a pretty gift topper.

On the list was the cutest origami wreath ornament via Domesticali.  I’m not one to get into working with paper (I blame it on all those years I worked as the filing clerk in a doctor’s office and got numerous paper cuts), but these things were to cute not to make.  I’m making them not only for our tree, but also for all of K.’s teachers (including her music teacher).  The paper I used for these were from old books I’ve kept with the intentions of “doing something cool with them”.  Luckily, my Mom gave me all my old piano books so that was easy for K.’s music teacher, then I went through and ripped out the pages from the Forever Crochet book in this post here and used that for my material.  Best part about this project, cost me no $$$ and came out super cute!  Just need to thread though some embroidery floss and they’ll be done. 

Men at Work

Yes, I haven’t had hardly any time lately to work on my crafting “to-do” list.  Which in a way is bad considering the things I want to make for the girls for Christmas.

James at work.  Photo taken by one of his fellow workers using James’ cell phone.  This picture is actually a pretty sane one he sent me.  Usually I get ones of him 200+ feet in the air on a steel beam.

James works construction as an electrician but has recently passed his welding test and is now one of the few electrician/welders on his job.  So to help him out, I’ve been making him welding hats.  Which are a must for all welders.  Well, he came home the other day and had said that a few guys had asked where he got his welding hat from and asked if I could make them some.  Hence the lack of posting, knitting, sewing, and thrifting (did I mention we are down to one car right now?).  But it’s fun making hats and I have been browsing around the net looking for hat patterns for the girls and I.  See how one thing snowballs into other things.

James hat outer.  I used Alexander Henry Baddana fabric.  I looooove Alexander Henry’s fabric.

The lining fabric.  Also by Alexander Henry.  I’m not to fond of the skulls but it is a nice hat if I do say so myself.

These are just a few of the other ones I’ve made.  I think total I’ve made about 20 of these welding hats.

Other links of interest:
*McHats Etsy shop – she sells not only handmade hats, but hat patterns as well (and in kids sizes YAY!)
*Piper and Paisley Etsy shop – no hat patterns for sale, but they are beautiful!
*Cute Hat Pattern – No directions, but it seems pretty easy to figure out.
*Scoodie – Awesome for kids so you don’t have to keep track of a hat plus a scarf.

A little fun

First up are The Long Thread’s Make it Mondays.  Alot of really cute projects going on over there.  The skirts I will definetly have to make for the girls.  As well as the headbands for them and I.

Also, being that my little pillow was so much fun to make, it inspired me to try my hand at a log cabin pillow.  I found this pattern/tutorial via Dacia Ray.  Also, searching around on Flickr, there are alot of cute log cabin pillows.

Just a few tutorials

With Spring here and Summer right around the corner, I’ve really been in the mood to make the girls and I some new clothes. So, doing a little searchy this morning and I found a few nice tutorials.

~Two Hour Dress/Tunic~ via Lula Louise
~Easy Pleated Skirt Tutorial~ via Lula Louise
~Reversible Wrap Dress~ via What Did She Do Today?
~Wrap Skirt Tutorial~ via What Did She Do Today?
~Tiered Skirt Tutorial (so cute!)~ via Kuky Ideas
~Patchwork Circle Skirt~ via Just Tutes
~Peasant Blouse~ via Just Tutes
~Another Wrap Skirt Tutorial~ via Home Grown
~Reconstructed T Shirt~ via CinDC