at the end of this row...

FO: Immie Tee, #1 & #2

2012-02-14T11:32:00.000-06:00

I can't remember where I first saw this pattern, but I fell in love with it. And I had just the yarn in my stash to make one - this amazing hand dyed sage green that would look fantastic on my youngest. So I took measurements, did a swatch, and cast on. I made it all the way through the sweater, thinking that it would fit - certainly wouldn't be too small - and that I had made the right choice on the yarn/color combination.

But I made a mistake at the outset. I didn't trust myself. Instead of making the size that most closely matched my daughter's measurements, I made the size that most closely matched her age. Surely at 10 mos., she should be wearing 12 mos. clothing, right? [Since all my kids mostly wear gently used/thrifted clothes I have not found sizing labels to be very reliable. There are times when my 4 yo is wearing size 6 pants, and my baby is wearing 2T onesies.] And since I didn't go with the rational choice, which would have been to knit the sweater that would actually fit her, I wound up with a gorgeous sweater tee, perfectly matching the pattern measurements for 12 mos., but way too big for her little body. She is a petite one, this last daughter of mine, and at 10 months she has an 18" chest, and more closely matches the 3-6 mos. size of the pattern.

So what did that mean for me after casting off and blocking this most lovely of sweaters? Only that I had to make a second one of course!

I pulled some more yarn from the stash - a lovely reddish-pink left over from the Norwegian cap I knit late last year. And the 3-6 mos. size tee fits her perfectly, with the green one waiting in the wings.

FO: 32,850 stitches

2012-02-04T10:07:00.000-06:00

73 rows @ 450 stitches/row = 32,850 stitches.

73 rows @ 35 minutes/row = 42.58 hours.

finished size (post-blocking): 4.5 ft. W x 6.5 ft. L of loveliness.

1 fabulous pattern + 3 skeins of colorful sock yarn + 1 dedicated knitter = 1 amazing scarf.

I am so happy that I finally picked this project up and finished it. I did grind through those last long rows, however. It is good that I am a product knitter - and thus really, really, really wanted this scarf in my knitters wardrobe - or I never would have finished it.

Some people have written that it is a nice mindless stitch pattern, but damn. This took forever to knit. And it was boring. I find some plain knitting to be relaxing, yet this scarf just felt tedious near the end.

But now it's done and it won't haunt the bottom of my knitting basket anymore - it is free, out in the world, and just where it's supposed to be. Around my neck, worn with quiet pride for all those 32,850 stitches.

FO: Kids socks (again)

2012-01-30T14:21:00.000-06:00

Another pair of plain vanilla kids socks. Using the same yarn as the other pair from this fall, just a different colorway, and for a different daughter.

But check out that heel - that's new for me. I am a faithful K1, sl1* kind of heel flap gal, but I switched it up for this little pair of socks. And I like the result. Enough interest to make them unique, but still long-wearing (I hope).

When I picked up these socks to finish them I was in a knitting funk. And nothing was bringing me out of it. I thought to sew something - just to do something different. But nah. I felt the weight of a few unfinished projects I have laying about. And was feeling guilty for not having the desire to finish them. So I just picked up a project and forced myself to move forward. When I picked up these socks they were complete within an hour. Only an hour. Why had I waited so long to finish?

And finishing them spurred me on, and got me excited about finishing my linen-stitch scarf (another long-sitting project, but one that will most certainly take more than an hour to complete) and the starting of two new projects.

The next day I jogged down to my LYS to pick up needles for the Immie Tee, which is half-way knit as I type. I'm doing it in the sage green sock yarn from Sun Valley Fiber Farm that I picked up at the WI Sheep and Wool Festival that I attended this fall.

I also ordered some Spud & Chloe yarn to make a sweater for myself. Yes, stop the presses. I wrote a sweater. For myself. I am beyond excited about this prospect and can't wait to share more about the planning, swatching and knitting progress. I picked out another pattern by Heidi Kirrmaier (my first project here), Vitamin D. What an aptly named project to carry me through the last dark weeks of winter, and welcome in the spring sunshine.

Yarn (and book) love

2012-01-17T11:16:00.000-06:00

Looks like someone loves yarn almost as much as I do. I had better move that basket up higher for the foreseeable future or else I'll be in trouble.

On a different note, our family was at the public library in Skokie, IL over the weekend and I spied this amazing playhouse, constructed from old books. Now, I have been known to create shelves using horizontally stacked books, but a fully free-standing playhouse?! Now that is cool.

As I had all the kids with me I didn't get a chance to get too close and look at the construction. It is quite possible that there are supports bars running though the books, but maybe it is also constructed by gluing the books together? And if you want your mind blown, just google "new uses for old books" and check out the images. My goodness.

FO: Socks and Oven Mitt

2012-01-11T09:21:00.000-06:00

pomatomus socks (free knitty.com pattern by cookie a.)

The kids are finally back at school this week. And I have to admit that this year I wasn't ready for them to go. I miss them already. They were in school up to the 23rd, so the holidays were quickly, and furiously upon us. There was constant celebrating, eating, travelling, and present-opening for a week straight. Then the new year.

Then the quiet. The reading. The game-playing. The sleeping in! The lazy breakfasts. The laughter. The hugs and kisses. The park visits and walks in the woods. [The WI weather has been creepily mild, more like Thanksgiving than mid-winter.]

And suddenly we became a family again. I was Mom - not the morning John McEnroe-ish referee throwing backpacks, sack lunches and gym shoes across the living room. My daughters were my sweet babies - not whining procrastinators who sprang from the earth to spill my coffee and draw on the checkbook. My husband was my partner - not the blur moving out the door to catch the bus, nor an e-mail address I send mid-day planning e-mails to.

And I miss us - us as a family. I am glad that we are going into this new year together - all of us holding these fantastic memories, collectively. I hope that they can sustain us through the chaos that will unfold as these first weeks back descend.

My first two knitting projects of the new year are off the needles however. I put the finishing touches on my pair of pomatomus socks. And I am so happy with how they turned out. The look like chain mail - like silver pillars of strength on my feet.

And my very own oven mitt (pattern here) came off the needles and was felted on New Year's Eve. It took about 2 days to dry completely, so I didn't actually use it until after the new year. I love this mitt, however. It is very thick and works great with my style of baking and cooking. I rarely go above 450 degrees F, and this mitt has worked great so far. I did felt it quite a bit. You'll see from the photo that it is considerably smaller than the standard mitts sold at stores, but I like that it is more fitted to my hand. There's no bulk to get in the way.

out of the frying pan (oven mitt pattern by amy e. anderson)

Knitting Year-in-Review

2012-01-09T08:39:00.000-06:00

A Sampling of Projects from 2011

As the new year is now upon us, I thought it time to take a moment and collect my thoughts about my knitting over the past year. If I had to sum up my knitting over the past 12 months in one word it would be: prolific. I have been knitting a lot. And constantly. And I am very, very happy about that.

My 28+ projects have been mostly small - baby knits, kid knits, hats, toys, ornaments, etc. Projects that were quick. But they all involved lots and lots of color. Each project made me very happy. Especially the ones that went to the most enthusiastic recipients, my kids!

I still have some unfinished projects hanging out in my basket. They include the linen stitch scarf and silk mittens, and a pair of almost done pair of kids socks.
Interestingly, my stash has grown just a little over the past year too. I knit up many yarns that I purchased and have only a special few that are sitting, waiting for the perfect project.

So I am ending last year feeling really good about my craft - not overwhelmed by too many yarns, or too many pattern ideas. I am holding steady with the quantity and quality of my knits; entering the new year happy and content.

There is, however, a new opportunity on the horizon. Twelve organically raised sheep will join our extended family (my SIL's family to be exact), and that means a lot of fleece will be available to me in the not-too-distant future. So it looks like I may begin a new journey with wool - something with hand spinning.

I have been researching/reading how to wash, clean, card and spin fleece into yarn. I have been looking at local woolen mills and their minimums for processing fleece(s). I have invited myself to the home of an accomplished hand spinner for a lesson or two. This is going to be fun.

So, no big knitting resolutions here - just moving on one stitch at a time. [And a little elf brought some qiviut/merino yarn for my to try out this year too!]

Dispatch from the Workshop, Part 5 (Hand Sewing)

2011-12-31T10:35:00.000-06:00

Dragon Gloves, 2011

And our Dispatch(es) from the Workshop(s) series comes to a close with a final hand sewing project.

I have been encouraging the girls to give each other gifts each year and with my help we had another successful sister-to-sister giving season (the baby didn't give anything this year). One girl picked out dog ornaments, another picked out Scooby Doo paint-it-yourself magnet craft kits. And my last daughter wanted to make something for her sisters. [As an aside, each gift the girls picked out cost $1 or less - whether it was b/c the items were on clearance, or were made with materials I had at home already.]

We have lots and lots of old issues of Family Fun Magazine floating around the house. They are perfect to flip through on a rainy afternoon to find a new game or activity to pass the time. And it was in the pages of that magazine that she found the idea for Dragon Gloves. I picked up the gloves at the store, and she picked out the felt colors from my stash. I did the making (tracing, cutting and sewing) when she was in bed one night the week before Christmas. I had visions of us sitting down together to sew them, but with school in session right until the Friday before the holiday it didn't work out that way. But her project did get finished and she was so proud to give the gloves to her sisters.

If you are interested in your own pair of dragon gloves (for yourself, or the kids in your life) you can find the pattern here. It's a great project to match up, and still wear, those single gloves floating around the bottom of the mitten basket!

Dispatch from the Workshop, Part 4 (Knitting)

2011-12-29T10:34:00.001-06:00

Oven Mitt detail

I only knit two gifts this year - one was for my mother-in-law and the other was a commission for the son of a friend.

For my mother-in-law I worked up an oven mitt, using the free pattern, Out of the Frying Pan, by Susan Anderson. The bright blue worsted weight wool yarn made a fantastically dense fabric that was still surprisingly easy to embroider. You can see the amazing shrinking properties of wool in the before-and-after-felting photos below. I did use our front-loading washing machine to felt this mitt, but neglected to check on it at 5 or 10 minute intervals. This mitt probably went about 5 minutes too long, but luckily it still fits well enough for a serviceable oven mitt.

Oven Mitt, pre-felting

Oven Mitt, post-felting

And that embroidery? Probably shouldn't have done it free-hand while bleary-eyed. It most certainly came out crooked. But when you hang the mitt from the loop it straightens out (smile). DH was kind and said that it has that 'handmade' look, but 'not in a bad way'. Ha.

I actually like this oven mitt so much that I am working on one for myself, using a bright, minty green. It doesn't actually match, well anything, in the house, but the color makes me happy in the cartoonish-winterfresh-mint-green sort of way.

This next project I am particularly happy about. A friend e-mailed me the pattern mid-December, asking if I would be able to make it for her third son by Christmas. I said of course! The pattern, circa 1940, comes from a collection of knit items from the V&A Museum. I was lucky enough to get lost in that museum two years ago and knitting this toy brought back lots of pleasant memories.

The pattern itself isn't difficult - there are 8 pieces (2 sides, an underbelly, 2 ears, 2 pieces of mane and the tail), and each is knit up in a straight forward fashion and then assembled for the final doll. But, the pattern does require an intense amount of attention as there are new stitch counts for practically each row, and there are lots of rows that aren't accounted for (you are just supposed to know to knit those rows!)

Knitting the mane required learning a new stitch - the loop stitch - which was pretty cool. I definitely see some future costume potential with a 'wig' made entirely of this stitch and some novelty yarn (fur, sparkly, etc.)

You can knit yourself your own lion if you like - there is even a companion tiger to go with it!

Dispatch from the Workshop, Part 3 (Woodworking)

2011-12-27T10:33:00.000-06:00

This year my husband set out to make our girls some special boxes. The twins each asked for a necklace from Santa, so we reasoned they would need each want a special place to keep their new treasures. These two boxes are made of walnut, and the top is birdseye maple. They close with simple hinges and are lined with red wool felt.

Our middle daughter is not yet old enough for a necklace, or jewelry box, but is old enough to want what her older sisters have. So he set out to make her a 'treasures' box. The box is constructed of birch, stained to look like walnut, and opens and closes by sliding or rotating the top. It is likewise lined with red felt.

And the baby got a new set of blocks. Unlike the classic building blocks of years past, these are natural tree blocks, made from a single birch tree that was cleared from our family's land west of town. The tree was sliced into sections and sanded. There is also a protective coat of food-safe varnish. These are extra special building blocks - the emotional connection to the wood itself is enough to make me tear up. They look amazing with all the natural detail of the bark intact and so far all the girls have had fun trying to recreate the tree, matching up the sections and building it high up into the air.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-25T11:15:00.000-06:00

Christmas, 2011

Dispatch from the Workshop, Part 2 (Kids crafts)

2011-12-24T08:54:00.000-06:00

kid-made ornaments

I can't remember where I saw this idea on-line, but I know that I got it from a fellow blogger this holiday season. With the help of some colorful fabric markers the girls and I came up with some simple, kid-friendly, and kid-made, ornaments.

I drafted some basic shapes on the chalkboard for them (fir tree, stick reindeer, snowman and Santa hat) and they used them as inspiration for their own drawings. My middle daughter decided to go her own route with one of the ornaments and drew a picture of 'vacation.' I think she misses the warm weather!

Each of the girls made three drawings on one piece of fabric, and signed their work on a second. I matched them up, sewed around being sure to place a ribbon loop for hanging, and lightly stuffed them with poly-fill. After trimming the excess fabric they looked great!

We are definitely keeping a set for our tree, but the others are destined for family.

Dispatch from the workshop, Part 1 (Sewing)

2011-12-22T15:52:00.000-06:00

Matchy-matchy mittens

Did I say something about matching mother-daughter mittens awhile back? Well that thought, originally written in jest, wouldn't leave me alone. I had dreams about them. So I dove in head first and made four pair. One for me, and one for each of my older girls. The baby is still too little to get a pair of mittens, but I have extra materials to make her a pair in a couple years. And my husband, as the father to four girls, can certainly appreciate a rainbow, but passed on having a pair of rainbow mittens for himself. Understandable.

The fabric for these is entirely upcycled clothing - a striped, cotton sweater for the mitten back, turquoise polar fleece for the palm, and black polar fleece for the lining. Two fabrics came from sweaters at the thrift store, and the third from my closet (no, not the sweater thankfully - I could never pull something that bold off!) They are not windproof, or waterproof, so will only work for winter car trips and early fall weather, but damn they turned out cute.

They came together in two days - cutting on one day and sewing/assembly on the other. Easy peasy. I plan to slip these under the tree for the girls to find Christmas morning.

As the title notes, this is the first of a few posts that I will dedicate to highlighting the ways we (my husband and I) made this a special handmade holiday for our family and friends. Stay tuned - there's woodworking, knitting, drawing and sewing coming your way!

Now, where did I put those mitten clips?

FO: Rainbow Hat (free pattern!)

2011-12-18T07:29:00.001-06:00

Rainbow Hat - inspired by the Noro Hat and the Swirl Hat

My daughter wanted a rainbow hat that was similar to my Noro hat, but with a regular (“not pointy”) top. She also wanted something in bright, vibrant rainbow colors and the only yarn I found at my LYS was fingering weight. With the help of two free patterns I came up with this sweet little hat. Perfect for a spunky girl on the go!

If you want a copy of my pattern notes look to the side bar. I also put the pattern on ravelry.

Happy Holidays - may they be cheerful and bright!

FO: Baby Things

2011-12-15T11:13:00.001-06:00

I had a niece arrive in the world a week ago today. And I knew I had to make her something. I started with this holiday vest - but it turned out too big - more of a 6-12 mos. size - so that won't work. But it is cute for the holidays and made with a great, washable wool. I'm not sure where this will ultimately wind up; into the gift pile it goes.

And upon looking through my knitting basket for inspiration I spied a bit of Manos I had left over from a hat I made myself a couple years ago.

And it was just the right amount to make my new niece a hat. This is another version of the Hospital Hat. And even though it is 100% wool (Wool Classico) it isn't scratchy in the least.

I am off to finish the rest of the half-done items in my basket. Is it bad luck to leave strings hanging into the new year? If so I had better get cranking. I've a scarf, socks, mittens, hat, another pair of socks, two oven mitts, and a toy lion in the works. Looks like I have a really good year-end, round-up-the-knitting post coming!

FO: Norwegian Baby Cap

2011-12-08T11:19:00.000-06:00

sweet baby cap

I finished up this sweet little Norwegian Baby Cap last week. I intended it for my youngest, but it looks that she will outgrow this size in the near future. So another hat will need to be knit, and hopefully before the holidays come and go. This fourth little one of mine - not forgotten - but sometimes overlooked. The l-o-u-d voices, demands, wants and needs of her older sisters drown out her very, very rare cries. But her smile lights up the family. And she is finding her place among and within us - a calm presence indeed. She needs a little something this holiday season I think and a new knit hat will do just fine.

top view

tie detail

I knit up this same pattern a bit over a year ago, but just got around to making the i-cord ties, so here is a photo of that hat as well. I stopped the every-other-row decreases early on this one, making a more rounded head rather than pointy. I'm sure this one is destined for a very special little boy or girl.

sweet baby cap - v1.0

Make Do and Mend Collective: to market, to market...

2011-12-05T11:31:00.001-06:00

Make Do and Mend Collective
Photo by Ellencreates.com

Three local friends and I recently formed an art/craft collective. We are the Make Do and Mend Collective (more to come about this adventure in the months ahead!) and we had our first sale this past weekend at a local elementary school. Ten percent of our profits went to support the Parent-Teacher Organization and we were among local craftspeople of all ages. There were even quite a few students selling their art and craft projects.

I am particularly excited about this new adventure for me. I've never sold any of my knitting or sewing before and being part of this collective has removed one of the biggest hurdles for me: inventory.

Knitting takes a lot of time. A. lot. of. time. Some of us can move more quickly than others - I'm not a particularly fast knitter - but its all relative (It may take one person 40 hours to knit a sweater, but another person 45 hours). So I have always been bogged down by the notion that I needed inventory to start selling items. And the fact that I now belong to a group, whose work is along side mine in a display, means that I am able to offer single items. I don't have to worry about having two or more of each item in a variety of sizes.

For the first market I hand knit eleven raglan sleeve ornaments. I also designed and sewed 39 re-usable, reversible coffee sleeves and seven sets of reverse applique felt coasters. And I set out some choice knit items that I had in my collection that had never made it on to my kids, nor were given as gifts. And I can add to this inventory over time, at my own pace, with items that I enjoy knitting and that might even sell. I am a knitter - more than a sewist - and will focus mostly on creating knit pieces for the collective. But you may also find the occasional color pencil roll, coffee sleeve, super-hero cape, or tote bag from me. That's the beauty of the collective.

market wares

In reference to my earlier post about knitting items to sell, I still know that I am not a retail knitter. I won't ever be able to crank out multiple hats, or sweaters. But I can make unique, one-of-a-kind items and accept custom commissions. I also know that I won't make back what the items are "worth" in terms of hours spent knitting. But I will be able to make enough to cover the cost of my yarns, and entrance fees for shows, and maybe a bit extra to support other local artists. And I will be putting beautiful, hand knit items out into the world, and some pieces that will be passed from one household, one family, one generation, to another. I love that thought.

I haven't received notice of which items sold at our first market - but I did sell a hat and an ornament while I was briefly at the show. What a rush that was!

So, I head into new waters, buoyed by the strength of friends that enjoy a good swim now and again. And I hope that in return they feel my enthusiasm and happiness coming back at them, one wave (or slowly made stitch) at a time.

hand knit sweater ornaments

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T13:30:00.000-06:00

We only have one guest coming for dinner. It is going to be very low key around these parts, and for that I am thankful. There will still be homemade pumpkin pie though.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Upcycled Mittens

2011-11-18T08:11:00.001-06:00

check. this. out.

Last weekend my Mom took a fantastic mitten making class with the extremely talented and witty Mary Jo, from Five Green Acres. She showed me her mittens-in-progress and I decided on the spot that I needed a pair of my own.

I have actually been coveting the pair that Mary Jo uses in her tutorial photo. And over the past year I have casually shopped our thrift stores for a sweater that would make a similar pair. About two months ago I spied a teeny-tiny 100% wool sweater in the children's section. It used to be a women's medium, before someone accidentally ran it through the washing machine. For 30 seconds I felt bad about buying something that a child could use to keep warm, but I know that my own kids protest at wearing felted wool, saying it is too stiff and scratchy. With this in mind I snatched up that sweater, brought it home, (eventually) cut it up and paired it with some polar fleece from my stash = new mittens for me for this winter.

The sweater provided precious little yardage, so maybe I can make one more pair of adult-sized mittens. Or definitely a kids pair for one of my littles. Is it time for mother-daughter matchiness? Maybe. Or maybe I should head back to the thrift store in search of sweaters big enough to make matching pairs for the whole family!! Yes!! That's the ticket.

The pattern and tutorial are straightforward and easy to follow, even for a beginning sewist. The only tricky part is sewing the lining to the outer mitten, and like Mary Jo says, just take your time. Seriously, once you have the materials on-hand (haha) it only takes 1 or 2 evenings of actual cutting and sewing to make a whole pile of mittens. You also don't need to have felted wool to make these mittens - Mary Jo provides ideas for many different kinds of materials to use for making warm, soft, winter mittens.

What to make your own pair(s)?

Go Here!

Also if you are in the Madison, WI area check out Mary Jo's other classes too!

FO: Kids socks

2011-11-14T06:34:00.000-06:00

Basic striped socks

In the Halloween post I noted that I made two costumes. But I have four kids. And since the baby really doesn't care yet, that left one girl without a mama-made item this fall. So I set about making her a little something and that little something turned out to be a pair of stripey socks.

Relying on the basic 7 sts/inch sock pattern from Ann Budd I came up with this sweet pair of kids socks.

The yarn is a cheap-o (under $3, on sale) 230 yds. of self-striping, superwash wool/bamboo/nylon blend from a big box store. And - surprise - I have mixed feelings about it.

I know how much abuse these socks will take; I know all the places these socks will go. So typically I wouldn't scrimp on yarn. I often pay more for yarns that are locally sourced, of better quality, and/or retain an element of reuse, reduce or recycle . But ultimately I chose this yarn, for this project, specifically b/c I have to admit I don't know where these socks will go.

About two weeks ago I shooed the girls outside to play and next thing I knew 90 minutes had gone by. I went outside to search for them and found them happily playing 'picnic' with recognizable (i.e. not fully decomposed) things they had unearthed from the compost bin. They were all in their socks. And they were covered in partially-made compost.

Rather than spend more on yarn that I love/care about - and risking my full-blown mama temper in the process - I went with the "well, whatever" attitude that comes free with the purchase of this yarn.

Knitting for kids is an awkward endeavor. A rational balance between cost, labor, appreciation and use is so unattainable it's almost silly to try. They have no way of knowing what goes into the garments I make for them and often I allow for that with my calm-ish demeanor when I find their hand knit items dragged across the arboretum (holes), left out in the rain (stained), or inside the chicken coop (just plain gross).

But I knit, afterall, because I enjoy it. I want to make them quality garments that feel good to wear and will last through a couple kids. I also take seriously the idea that I vote with my dollars, and when I spend local or on artisan-made I know where my money is going.

With their regular clothes I accommodate my ideals and their needs by buying, almost exclusively, thrifted or gently-used clothing. I can always find good quality; my money is invested in our community, I pay less and recycle in the process.

But there isn't an easy parallel to knitting for kids. Less expensive (read: really cheap) commercial yarns are often lower in quality and are often from far away places; some with questionable labor practices. My money flows into vast streams of consolidated capital instead of my community, and quite frankly the yarns aren't aways enjoyable to knit. So I could spend more for these projects, on the yarns that I want/like/care about, but nobody in my family would be happy with that situation. I would be on pins and needles about the kids wearing things I made - and that would defeat the whole purpose now wouldn't it? I make them things so they wear them.

They fit with a bit of room to grow!

Maybe it comes down to the purpose of each garment - socks for four active, inquisitive, nature-loving kids should probably be made with less expensive yarns. Sweaters for said girls? Make them out of the yarns that I love, and do better at teaching them to be mindful of their special things.

Matchy, but not matchy

Daisy Banner (Girl Scouts)

2011-11-11T06:24:00.000-06:00

Daisy Troop Banner (2011) - Detail

My older girls joined a Daisy Troop (the precursor to Brownies and Girl Scouts) last year in Kindergarten. The troop needed a banner - to carry in parades, and at their ceremonies - and I knew that I could help out it doing that. And while this project isn't something I would normally blog about, when I began searching for ideas for this project I couldn't find ANYTHING in the main blogosphere to get me started; get me inspired.

In the end this banner actually took a lot of planning - I started with a list of 'elements' that I knew I needed to include, but I had little else to go on. The elements list, in no particular order:

: Include Troop number
: Lightweight - it is for 6 yo's to carry after all
: Represent each girl AND the troop as a whole
: Incorporate daisy theme
: Inexpensive
: Quick to make
: Maximize child participation in creative process
: Maintain ~~illusion~~ element of parental control (so it would get done!)
: Easy and enjoyable b/c they will need a new one next year for Brownies

Process notes: I sewed the main background (sun, field, troop number and blue sky) and then brought that with me to a meeting with the girls. I prepared daisy 'kits' for each girl and walked them through the tracing and cutting of each flower, it's petals and stem. Then we assembled (I have a new found LOVE for the hot glue gun!) each daisy and each girl got to 'plant' hers in the field. I went through and affixed each one in place and took the top home to assemble the back and sew it all together. I approached this part like a quilt, without the batting. I sewed right sides together, turned it, and top stitched all around.

Materials notes: The blue background was fashioned from an upcycled twin bed sheet. And the extra bonus is the top portion of the sheet doubles as the sleeve for the dowel to carry the banner! I purchased the green felt for the 'field' and used cheap felt sheets for each of the flowers and the sun. I found a stylized daisy to trace on the internet. The field and sun are self-designed. The backing is the bottom half of the same bed sheet. I also added a back panel with each of the girls' names. I had them sign a spare piece of background fabric using colorful sharpie pens. I don't like that they bled so much, but hey, the names are still legible.

Name panel

So here I present to you, the Daisy Banner for Troop 2980 from Madison, WI. It's a bit slouchy given I don't have the dowel purchased yet. It turned out wider than it was in my mind and we don't happen to have a 6.5 foot dowel laying around the house.

Daisy Troop Banner (2011)

As I said before, this isn't the kind of project that I would normally blog about, but I hope that in doing so I can provide inspiration for other crafty parents that unwittingly find themselves in front of 12 Daisy troops jumping (literally) to be part of the creative process.

Growing up I wasn't a girl scout (both my Mom and her Mom were girl scouts, however)...so this is all new territory for me. I have to admit I love the cookies!

FO: Eggplant + Pumpkin Hat (and a lesson learned)

2011-11-04T09:39:00.000-05:00

A neighbor of mine is a retired Reverend from a dual-language church in our community. She is also an avid knitter. Over the past couple years she has organized volunteers - herself and friends - to make and sell fruit (and cupcake) hats at our downtown farmer's market and other local stores. They have raised a lot of money for the church and its educational scholarship funds.

A week ago she invited me over to learn more about her process and methods. The hats they sell are loosely based on the Ann Norling Fruit Cap pattern, and they use - almost exclusively - inexpensive acrylic/wool blends.

She didn't try to recruit me to knit with her group. Instead she encouraged and mentored me towards making a stock of hats to sell to local stores. She was inspirational, and she made it seem so...well...doable. So I went home, pulled some yarn from my stash and did something I've never done before.

I timed myself knitting.

Relying on the pattern, I first made an eggplant hat, size 3-6 mos. I used stash yarn. It took me two sessions to complete. The first lasted 2:40. The second (with lots of kiddo interruptions) lasted 1:20. That makes this little cutie a 4-hour hat. Giving myself $10/hour, not including materials, I would have to sell this little number for $40, double what the group sells their hats for.

Second I made a pumpkin hat (modifying the pattern to my taste and adding a spiral vine), size 2-4 yrs. I used newly purchased acrylic yarn. Across 6 knitting sessions, this hat took 4:35 to complete. Including material costs, I'll let you do the math for what this one would need to sell for.

I am not telling a knitter anything that s/he doesn't likely already know. You rarely, if ever, get your labor cost back if you sell an item. And for me this timing exercise affirmed that for me.

I did think - for a fleeting moment - that I might be able to squeeze out baby hats made with inexpensive yarn and sell them for a reasonable labor-to-retail cost ratio. But that doesn't seem possible.

So I continue down the evolutionary path of my knitting, knowing that I am a personal knitter, a gift knitter and and future knitwear designer (I have two ideas incubating for original patterns).

But I am not a retail knitter.

At least not right now.

I did come out of this little experiment with two adorable hats, one of which is loved beyond words by my 4 yo. The other will go to the parents of a little baby that is expected to arrive at the end of December. They actually grow eggplants, so I think it will be an extra special gift for them.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:23:00.000-05:00

Gecko lizard, black dog, and black bat

This year I managed to sew something for one older girl and my middle girl. My other older girl wanted to be a dog, again.

Making the lizard went really well. At first I was brainstorming all sorts of ideas for attached scales, but when I pulled out the old pattern I used for the dog costumes there were directions for making a dragon/lizard too. Away I went with pre-printed polyester fabric and gold accents.

The bat wings I made from scratch. I wanted something small, sized just to her, and understated. I didn't want to make her a long cape, or a hood, or something that would get her confused as batman, the character.

Using black flannel, I traced the neckline of these capes, and then added a basic triangle (traced from a folded sheet of newspaper) with scalloped edges. I added quilted lines on the wings, but you can't really see them and they don't actually make much of a difference in wearing. I sewed one hair band at each of the wing tips so she could thread her hands through and she didn't have to grasp the fabric all the time. This way they attached (and unattached!) to her easily - and became part of her arms as she flew around.

Overall this Halloween was a success for the handmade. My youngest went as a gray kitten with a thrifted baby costume. However, she has a whole wardrobe of mama-made costumes to look forward to in the years to come.

The girls ate their fill of candy tonight and are looking forward to the candy buy-back program this weekend. In fact they already separated what they want to keep from what they want to sell back. I am amazed to report that 90% of our candy will be sold back!

Oh fall...

2011-10-13T10:09:00.000-05:00

Burberry cowl in organic cotton (colorway: almond)

I love you fall.

I love the way to make me feel about knitting.

I love the way you make my husband obsess about face cords.

I love the additional layers I get to wear.

I love the smell of slow-roasted food.

I love your gentle rains and wet leaves, even though they get tracked all the way through the house on tiny feet.

I love that you recall the birth of my middle daughter.

I love how you shed your layer of green in favor of more becoming colors.

I love the way you bring forth my instinct to prepare. And while the necessity of preparing for the barren months ahead has long-been dispensed with (thanks modernization), I love that you kindle the vestiges of this need deep within me.

I love the way you remind me that things change - life is dynamic - and that honoring the cycles in all parts of life is important.

Not-so-Noro hat at the WI River (rav link)

Baby shrug for friends' newborn daughter (rav link)

WIP: one sock done, one to go. Pomatomus by Cookie A.

WI Sheep and Wool Festival

2011-09-26T10:10:00.000-05:00

One of two vendor barns

Sun Valley Fibers booth

A couple weeks ago I attended the WI Sheep and Wool Festival. Given that I have been knitting for nine years, and living in Wisconsin for seven, it's a surprise to me that I've never attended. I was able to slip away from the family for a few hours and I loved every moment I spent shopping, asking questions and taking in all that goes into the wool/sheep/yarn/knitting industry.

My yarn purchases were restricted to local WI vendors -

400 yds of fantastic red alpaca/nylon sock yarn from Alpacas of Prairie Station, and

a sage green merino/nylon sock yarn from Sun Valley Fibers. Can you tell I'm getting ready to knit up some more socks?

I also couldn't pass these lovelies up when I came across them. They are crafted by Jennie the Potter who is located in Minneapolis, MN. This set of stitch markers could easily double as necklace charms don't you think?

And these buttons will be perfect on a toddler sweater for my youngest.

FO: 7th Anniversary Monogram

2011-09-18T10:44:00.002-05:00

The traditional gift for the seventh wedding anniversary is linen or wool. I was thrilled to learn this, but quickly remembered our anniversary gifts are about the two of us: about togetherness and our union, not about each of us individuals. So I modified my dream of crates and crates of yarn to something more symbolic and attainable.

I temporarily entertained a couple of other fantasies: a fairly-traded, hand-woven, wool rug, or matching Aran sweaters (that I would knit myself), but quickly let both of these go too. The first one for cost, and the second one for time. Instead I settled on something for our home, something that incorporated our name, and something that wouldn't take me six months to complete.

Per the suggestion of a good friend, I modified the wedding monogram pattern from A Rainbow of Stitches to include just one initial, in this case an "O" for our shared last name. It is a counted cross-stitch design, stitched with white embroidery thread on natural, undyed linen. And I am so very happy with the end result.

I am not sure how I want to display this. The book showed the final piece unframed, but pulled over canvas stretchers. I may go with a traditional frame - with so many little people about I would worry too much about the spills and splatters that could happen, not to mention the, ahem, dust factor.

So far I have only located one other blogger that has completed this project. You can see her work here.

FO: Tiny Tea Leaves

2011-09-15T13:27:00.001-05:00

This sweet little cardigan is for my 3 yo (she'll be 4 in a couple weeks), but can you believe that I had to knit the size 6 to match her measurements? She is a lot taller than her sisters were at her age. With luck she'll be able to wear this for two seasons, and have the arms shift from full-length to three-quarter.

I have had the yarn in my stash for quite awhile. And I had a lot of it, just under 1000 yds. But I could never settle in an idea for myself so I am happy to have used a bunch of it for a kids cardigan. The pattern was very easy to follow and I love the final look. The arms are nicely tailored and the button closure is adorable.

This pattern also comes in adult sizes, and knit up in a dk weight would be gorgeous. I used worsted wool for my daughter, but I think that would be too bulky or too warm for an adult.

The colors in the photos aren't quite right - it is more bright then you see here. The last picture with the button is most true to color.

FO: Two Hats for Fall

2011-09-12T09:45:00.005-05:00

Fall is in the air. It's back up into the high 80's today, but we had a few days of chilly weather come our way. Another round of lettuce and spinach have been planted, the kids are back into the routine of school and the baby is predictably napping. If I weren't fearful of jinxing it all, I'd would say life is hitting nice rhythm.

Over the past few weeks I've finished up two hats. The first is the hat pictured above. I had been coveting the the pattern for a few years already. It's the Noro Hat (free pattern) and I am so happy that I finally knit it. I'm not terribly thrilled with the final hat - it's a bit too bulky at the top for my taste, and let's face it Noro yarn is scratchy - but those colors! And the hat could be tailored with some modifications to the decrease rounds. And I love it enough that I've cast on for a second one with Cascade Eco Duo, a luscious blend of alpaca and wool in gray hues.

The second hat is Ride the Wave by Amy Anderson, a local knitwear designer. This hat was a store sample and I knew immediately I needed one myself. I love the patterning; those sharp angles set off by bright colors. The written pattern was easy too. There was a nice chart to follow, but the simple words, "every row is a repeat of four or two" was a the most helpful of all. Can you believe that counts of two and four make this gorgeous thing? Nature, in all her numerical wisdom, is an aesthetic genius.

The brim of the hat is too wide for me, so I just seamed it under and now it flares out just a bit, but I think, in a flattering way. I may also block the hat to see if I can squeeze a bit more ease out of it. If I were to re-knit this hat I'd go for a simple ribbed brim, using a smaller size needle.

Also, taking photos of yourself, wearing hats, in the bathroom mirror is a strange experience.

Yarn Binge

2011-08-31T17:25:00.005-05:00

Alisha Goes Around - Colorway: Pavement - 400 yds.

Over the past few weeks I quelled my "when are they going back to SCHOOL?!?!" moments of frustruation with yarn. Lots of it. I picked up what you see here, plus a bit more. I have at least two projects planned. There are three FO's to share too - once we work out the bus/sack lunch/preschool/new teachers/upcoming holiday weekend kinks.

Local Handspun - 95 yds. Blue Face leicester Wool

Noro Kureyon - 2 skeins

Vacation Postcard

2011-08-15T10:42:00.004-05:00

We're on vacation until school starts in a few short weeks. See you soon!

Lazy Summer Days

2011-07-29T12:13:00.004-05:00

We finally got a few. This is on the needles.

FO: Budgie II

2011-07-25T11:02:00.003-05:00

A good friend of mine is going to have her third boy any day now. She is positively glowing and excited for his arrival. When we were both pregnant there was speculation on whether I was going to have a boy and she was going to have a girl (she has two boys, I had three girls). She said to me, "I have as much of a chance of getting a girl as you do getting a boy!" And she was right. I had another girl, and she has another boy on the way.

A bit after that comment was shared I sat down and started this sweater. It was going to be for either me or her, but I picked the colors with her brood in mind. Overall I am thrilled with the sweater, but that damn zipper. You can never find them in the length you need them (see the waviness from it being a tad too long?), and then sewing it in so the stripes line up?! Well, that required some work...and re-work and re-work. But in the end it turned out and hopefully will be durable enough to outlast, or at least keep pace with, this special little boy. I can't wait to meet him!

The pattern is the Budgie sweater and I loved making it a second time. The sweater goes really fast and the shaping is easy to manage. The zipper makes for a durable, versatile, and CUTE garment, but it is tricky to sew them in with the stripes. I highly recommend ordering a custom length zipper if the sweater measurements don't match up to pre-made ones you find in a store. You'll be happier with the result in the end, trust me. If I make another of these I will definitely go that route.

The yarn is a Lion Brand Wool-ease from the stash. A great super wash yarn that is easy to knit with!

I'm also think it is time to get some tags to sew into my gift knits. Any ideas on where to get some? And what I should put on mine? I think that "at the end of this row..." is too long. Maybe just "row..."? Or my name? What do you think?

FO: In Three's

2011-07-13T16:57:00.004-05:00

It took awhile for me to sew on the buttons, but this was one quick knit! I am I-N L-O-V-E with the short-sleeve cardigan. Minimal finishing since it was knit from the top down, and it was so nice not to do arms for a change. I have a hard time pushing through the second arm - almost as much difficulty with finishing a second sock - but this project took that issue right off the plate. And no-arms makes such a versatile garment in the end. A nice layering piece that I am finding is just right for my older girls. The realize they need to cover up in the cooler months, but a full sweater can be too much for girls that insist undershirts are proper Wisconsin winter wear. This will be perfect when paired with a long-sleeve shirt (or nice with short-sleeves in the spring/fall).

And I couldn't be happier with the yarn in the end. I don't mean that I actually like the colors - what I mean is that I am thrilled it didn't pool or otherwise make funky patterns on the fabric. It's also 100% superwash wool (fist-bump to all you other knitting mama's out there) to boot.

The pattern is fantastic too. It's simple to follow and the sizing seems to be spot-on. The increases seem to match my girls shoulders perfectly. The cardigan flows nicely outward, but not too dramatic or drapey. I made the 5T size for width, but added an extra inch in the length for longevity of wear.

I think there's enough character here that one can proudly wear this mama-made sweater.

The Great Frame-Up

2011-07-05T15:47:00.003-05:00

Over the three-day weekend DH and I did a quick project together.

I have been searching for a way to organize my earrings for some time. I thought I would go ahead and purchase an earring tree - until I realized that I have some earrings that would work on a tree, and some that need different way to hang. So I began to search Etsy for another way to organize and display them. I happened across a simple display idea - chicken wire in a frame - and thought we had all the supplies on hand to make one up myself. It turns out we did.

I started with a thrifted frame - the one I used didn't even have a back (yeah, it was from a "free" box) which worked to my benefit for this project.

First I had my husband cut a piece of chicken wire (left over from building our own coop!) to fit inside the frame, where the glass would normally be.

Second, I cut a piece of form core to fit in the back of the frame. Third, I covered it with fabric, secured the fabric with masking tape, and slipped it into place. Lastly, I added some more tape to keep the foam core affixed to the back of the frame. The idea is to have a bit of space between the chicken wire and backing, and this frame, lacking it's proper backing, worked very well for that purpose.

There is a little metal piece on the back to hang the frame on the wall, but I have it just leaned up against the wall for now. I also chose a backing with fabric for mine, but you could also stick with just the frame and chicken wire. Your wall - presuming you like the paint color - would make a nice backing too.

And after 20 minutes of working together I have a new place to keep my special earrings!

FO: Camilla Babe

2011-06-23T09:24:00.004-05:00

This sweater is so adorable, squishy, and cuddly. I can't wait for my youngest to grow into it. It will be awhile; I chose the 6 mos. size but this sweater turned out huge, more like at 2T! It is knit up with a locally-sourced, handpainted, mill-spun wool yarn. I haven't blocked it as I don't think it really needs it. But I can't wait for those holes to open up, especially when stretched across a lovely baby belly!

The pattern was great, and easy to memorize. My only complaints are the underarms - they were difficult to seam after being stretched to accomodate adding the arms while knitting up from the bottom. I have knit a few raglan sweaters before, but always from the top down. This was the first time it was reversed for me. And while it still turned out - and garter stitch can be very forgiving and stretchy - I wish there had been a better way to accomplish this for a neater finish.

After finishing the baby sweater I moved on to another project for my older girls. This is the 'In Threes' cardigan, knit up in a Cascade Superwash Paint. The yarn was chosen by one of my older girls and I think it will suit each of them well. There is another vest (Milo) in the works for them, but I broke my circular awhile back and it's awaiting a surgery date with super glue.

Summer Days

2011-06-15T08:23:00.004-05:00

I wish I could call this post Lazy Summer Days, for that is what I though we'd embark upon as June rolled around. But this month has been anything but lazy, and sadly, anything but summer. There have been kindergarten graduations, family and friends in town, lots of birthday parties and picnics, a home energy audit, babies to nurse and hold, and a new summer job for me. It has been busy my friends.

And then there is the Wisconsin weather - crazy to say the least. There have been a few beautiful days sprinkled in there, but mostly it has been at the extremes. Today feels more like fall than summer, and I find myself - still in my pajamas - cuddling up with my littlest in her sling for a bit of knitting time.

As I look at my calendar it does seem that things will slow down a bit over the next few weeks - or at least we might find our way towards a new summer rhythm. The newborn sleepiness has worn off, which makes it appealing to try to 'go all day long' and wear out the older kids. But I need to remember that summer is supposed to be about lazy days too - days that seem endless, but are full with the ordinary of the everyday.

I am knitting, but only here and there. Currently on the needles is Camilla Babe.

Twirly peace in under 14 days

2011-05-31T14:07:00.005-05:00

I made a twirly peace skirt in under 14 days! By necessity the project was split into manageable chunks of time. And I kept my expectations low regarding how much I could finish on any given day - the nursing and baby wearing is keeping my body occupied most of the time right now - but I kept at it.

Day 1: open the pattern package and read it.
Day 2: cut out the pattern
Day 3: cut as many pieces of the skirt as I could
Days 4-6: same as above
Day 7: thread sewing machine
Day 8: iron and sew as much of skirt as I could
Days 9-11: same as above
Day 12: finish skirt
Day 13: photo shoot

Unfortunately I mis-read the pattern, or more likely forgot what the pattern said, and sewed with 1/4" seam allowances rather than 1/2". So even after leaving off an entire panel it is a smidge too wide, and it's definitely too long. Sadly I placed the skirt in the 'next summer's clothes' box in the closet.

But, I'm sure it won't stay there. My 5 yo girls wear all manner of too big, too small, and just right but out of season clothes all the time. In fact, I'm certain they seek out these 'forbidden' clothes on purpose and revel in my reaction when they stumble down the stairs with pants that are 3 inches too long or toddler sized t-shirts stretched so tight they can't get them off again. So really I don't know why I bothered putting it away at all. Before I realize it one of them will be out the door with it on.

Goldenrod

2011-05-21T12:21:00.002-05:00

This is amazing yarn. I love working with it. I just finished transforming it from the skein into a 1 yo sized cardigan vest. The color changes are subtle, the yarn is thick and warm and it will make a great layering piece next spring (or this summer if it doesn't warm up around these parts).

The yarn was a gift and the label simply stated, "4 ozs. 100% wool. Goldenrod." I wonder if it is dyed with goldenrod plants? I know that you can't see the yarns true beauty in this photo. You'll have to trust me on this one.

And oh the knitting fates are tempting me these days too! I've got this, and this (needs rav sign-in) and this pattern on my mind. Have any of you knit these yet?

p.s. For someone the considers herself 'crafty' I have the lamest collection of buttons. The ones pictured here are only placed for effect. I need to get myself a decent stash going. There's a Trash & Treasure sale at the local church today...maybe I'll stop over to see what can be found?

Re-Cap: kcwc

2011-05-18T10:16:00.003-05:00

In my last moments of kcwc I managed to squeak out this skirt. I picked it up at a clothing swap (free!) knowing full well it didn't fit me, but it held promise as a skirt that could be re-fitted for the younger set. I cut out the zipper from the back, resewed it together, and then shortened the skirt by 4 inches from the top. With an elastic casing waistband the project came together rather quickly on Saturday morning.

I had grand hopes of making a skirt from this pattern, but it will have to wait for another day (solid pink and peace fabric). Here are my leftovers, staring at me longingly after a good week of sewing. They will get their day to shine soon. Not sure what will become of the blue floral - maybe outdoor dining napkins for the summer?

I gained back a bit of sewing mojo this past week. I look forward to keeping it up, and the fact I got Scandinavian Stitches at the library yesterday will help! I am going to take some time to plan out a few special projects for the fall challenge, I think that I am ready for something a bit more complicated (oliver + s, Leila & Ben, and Carefree Clothes for Girls are some possibilities...) The challenge also added a new filter to my brain for when I go to the thrift store/garage sales - if something is too small for me, could it be re-fitted for my girls?

Mid-week report: kcwc

2011-05-13T13:59:00.006-05:00

As we approached the middle of the week I accomplished two more items for my younger girls. First up is a pair of baby leggings. They are really the simplest of projects; I'm embarrassed that I didn't make other pairs for my older girls when they were itty-bitty. It will be a few months before the baby is big enough for these, but they should be perfect for covering her delicate knees in the fall and following spring.

I've seen project tutorials for these around the blogosphere for awhile, but I didn't rely on any particular one for these. My directions were: Take a pair of unused thrifted women's knee high socks, cut the feet off, and hem the bottom edges. Done and done.

The second project is a pair of cropped pants for my 3.5 yo. I tried making something like this earlier in the week with some scrap cotton that I had in my stash. I failed miserably. First I took a pair of jersey cotton pants that fit her tush perfectly and did what many others have done: traced, cut and sew. But they did not turn out at all. They were too small (narrow) and had no give at all. So I decided to put those pants, unfinished, aside and instead sought out advice from an expert.

Heather Ross came to my rescue. I pulled my copy of Weekend Sewing off the shelf and found the pattern for the Huck Finn pants. I followed the pattern for the 2T, but added an extra 3.5 inches to the length of the pants. And what do you know? They fit her!

The material is from an upcycled linen skirt that I had set aside, and to punch them up (c'mon, what little girl is excited about brown pants?) I added a faux knee patch featuring her favorite character: Scooby Doo. We don't normally go for commercial characters or name brands, but Scooby just makes her, so...well, happy. Thankfully she l-o-v-e-s these pants. And they look darn cute on her too.

Last on the sewing list for this week are two skirts. One twirly, one upcycled.

Baby Knitting

2011-05-12T11:25:00.000-05:00

"What to knit for the baby?" Is a question that has me perplexed these days. What do you knit for a baby that was born during the craziest spat of weather we've had in a long time? She needed winter clothes when we brought her home, and just yesterday the temps climbed into the upper 80's. And all of this is complicated by the very real fact that babies grow so fast!

I settled on a little shrug. It's something that can be layered for cooler weather, or worn over a onesie on the warmer days. I pulled out some left over cotton yarn from the stash and knit one up using the Confection pattern, by Tonya Wagner (free). The smallest size took just under one skein. I didn't follow the pattern exactly, as my little one has long arms. I also lost track of how many stitches I was picking up for the ribbed hem, but it turned out great anyway. Knitting for babies is so forgiving.

It really is the perfect item for weather like this. Not cold enough for a full sweater, but not warm enough for her to be out in short sleeves. And it is just plain adorable, don't you think?

Progress report: kcwc

2011-05-11T11:02:00.005-05:00

skirts for older girls

chicken skirt

In my first progress report for kcwc I am happy to show you three skirts. They were accomplished in about 3 hours, including shopping for, and laundering, the fabric, and sewing time. I worked from the lazy days skirt pattern, generously offered up free by Oliver + S. I have made this skirt quite a few times before, but why mess with something good, right? Especially if I only have a precious few hours - I need results, and fast! [There was also a first (botched) attempt at some pants for my 3yo You'll hear more about that later this week.]

My girls are very happy today, wearing their new duds. I carefully picked out fabric for each of them: dogs (doing yoga no less) for my dog-lover, flowers for my care-free spirit, and chickens for my ever-present helper and budding chicken farmer. Each of these skirts was made from newly purchased materials, but the rest of the projects I am working on for the week are from up-cycled clothes or other fabric from my stash.

By the end of the photo shoot with my 3yo the chickens had become quite interested in what we were doing next to their coop (that's Sandra looking on, with Betty on the stoop). Little do they know that her skirt was made in their honor!

curious chickens

Kids Clothes Week Challenge (kcwc)

2011-05-08T10:26:00.007-05:00

I'm jumping back into post-birth blogging with this challenge. Head on over and join in if you are so inclined. My grand plans include a set of six skirts - two for each older girl for this summer. I'll report back with my progress. This is my first time participating in this week-long challenge and I'm pretty excited. I'm tackling something familiar and easy, with hopes that next year I might be able to branch out into something new and different (garment sewing is decidedly not my comfort zone).

I also have some recent knitting adventures to share. More soon!

Fourth Daughter

2011-04-15T13:15:00.002-05:00

Our fourth daughter arrived earlier in the week. Please excuse my absence from this space while I dress her up in handmade woolens (we're having a cold spat here) and cover her with kisses.

Quick and Dirty

2011-04-04T11:29:00.001-05:00

Or at least that is how it felt to get this quilt done. I am starting to go a bit nuts with waiting on this baby and needed to do something to distract myself; something to get my mind off every twitch, twinge, contraction and ache. I decided cleaning up the sewing space was in order and that's when I (again) unearthed this quilt-in-progress. It is actually the first quilt top I ever pieced, before I understood anything about cutting, sewing, quilting, fabric or the like. In fact, I think that this top has been pieced and folded up for just under 6 years. So I pulled it out, spread it out and did the best I could to sandwich it with a back, and pin it, while being 40 wks. pregnant.

It didn't turn out great. The quilting is haphazard, wonky, imprecise and pulled and puckered in all the wrong places. But the quilt is done. I also tried out a fully machine-sewn binding (fantastic tutorial here) this time around. I love it and will definitely use the technique again!

And in the end I don't really mind the way it looks. The monochromatic purple, while arguably overwhelming, is soothing to me for some reason. I like the squares, the rows and rows of shifting color and pattern. The quilt has been washed and was quickly appropriated by my youngest for her use. In fact, she accompanied me the whole time I quilted it, giving me positive feedback now and again, "that looks GREAT mama!" she would say to me from time to time. Underneath her sassy exterior, and often-times challenging modus operandi, she can be my biggest cheerleader.

Maybe there is something in this last bit of pregnant frenzy that is teaching me about what life will be like with four little ones. It won't always be perfect, the way I planned, or seamless, but it will be full of fun, and full of unexpected pleasures in unforeseen places.

Big Sister Cardigan

2011-04-01T11:16:00.005-05:00

I finished up her cardigan about a week ago. She has worn it almost every day - only taken it off once to be washed. I think that it is the perfect sweater for her. Easy to pull on and off - and the red is just so 'her.' The best part? Whenever she sees it around the house she runs over and gives it a kiss. It is that precious to her, and hence, all the more to me.

The pattern is sweet peasy (rav link), a child's version of an adult sweater pattern that is also available by Heidi Kirrmaier. I loved the pattern, but did switch things up for construction and made this a seamless top-down knit; also knit the arms in the round. The cotton linen blend washed wonderfully, but it did shrink a bit in length (these photos are pre-washing). I still think it will look cute for many months to come.

WIP Thursday

2011-03-17T15:48:00.005-05:00

I have three different projects on the needles at the moment. Two are for me and one is for my youngest daughter. They are keeping me busy and happy and each offers a different knitting experience. I like it like this.

Typically I am a end-product knitter. And one of these projects fits that bill. The other two are process pieces and I am enjoying learning about how I react to them - and when I turn to work on them, or not.

Here is a photo of the cardigan for daughter #3. This is the product piece, and I can't wait to see her wearing it. She is 3 years old, going on 5, and she takes every opportunity to show you as much. Physically she is taller than her sisters were at her age and thus I am making her a size 5 cardigan. It will be big, but she'll get a couple years of wear out of it.

I really enjoy connecting with her through this project. In the beginning I picked out three patterns I was interested in knitting, left them at her chair at breakfast time, and let her pick out the one she wanted. Then we turned to the magic of the internet and picked out some yarn (Knitpicks CotLin) that would suit the pattern. She got to pick the color - a striking red. I am about half-way done with the piece and hope to finish it off shortly. It needs 3/4-length sleeves and some finishing details. We've already begun calling it her big sister sweater.

This next project - arguably soon to be out of season - is very much a process piece. I am knitting up some mittens with silk (inspiration here). I've never done anything quite like this and love, love, love it. It is very organic, very raw and very rustic.

The silk comes in a hankie (or roughly 11-inch square) that is as thin as a cobweb. Termed mawatas, these hankies are made from the the cocoons of silkworms (DO NOT FOLLOW THIS LINK IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH ABOUT BUGS/WORMS). The cocoons are degummed, flattened, layered and then dyed, if one desires. Mine were dyed by the very talented folks at Blue Moon Fiber Arts.

For this project I am using the silk as is, no spinning or processing. I simply stretch out the sticky hankie, split it in one place and ply the end of one to the end of another. Then start knitting. Voila!

The width of the 'yarn' is all over the place, but that is one of things that I love about the project. The variation adds so much character. But stretching each hankie as I needed it caused me to stop too frequently, so instead I stretch about 10 hankies at one sitting and then wind them onto a spent paper towel holder. This allows me to work the yarn much faster and with fewer interruptions.

This last piece has been going for some time now (see here), but has been temporarily abandoned while I work on the two above. This scarf will take forever to finish - it is knit from three balls of sock yarn. Each ball gives you roughly two small socks so this scarf is the equivalant of knitting 6 socks. But the beauty! The colors! The new-to-me stitch pattern! It will be a happy spring scarf if I gather the energy to finish it. It would also make for a stunning fall accessory don't you think?

Baby Sweater

2011-02-28T10:21:00.006-06:00

I am really excited to knit for this new baby. The trouble is that s/he will be born in the next few weeks. Not the ideal season to begin wrapping a newborn in woolens - spring is right around the corner, no? And since we don't know if the babe is a 'he' or a 'she', I am shying away from knitting anything bigger, knowing there will be time to knit fall/winter items later in the summer.

However, a nice set of coincidences headed my way over the last week and I was able to knit up this little newborn-ish size sweater out of a lovely un-dyed organic cotton. Kristen Kapur - the famous knitwear desinger from Through the Loops - was having a blog-based de-stash sale and I was able to purchase some lovely skeins of organic cotton by Blue Sky Alpacas at a deep discount. I love this yarn! It knit up very quickly and is super soft. I also love that it is undyed and organic - perfect for a little baby sweater.

I found the buttons on a special trip to the yarn store with one of my older girls - she loves dogs (look here for one of her dog-themed holiday gifts) and my LYS has a life-sized stuffed animal dalmation in the store that she can snuggle up with while I browse. Arn't these buttons just the greatest? I was hoping to find something unique, like little fish, but a little fish in a fishbowl with air bubbles? Oh my. That exceeded every hope I had!

So this may be the end of the baby knitting for a little while, and truth be told I should really get on making a light sweater for my youngest daughter. As she transitions into 'big sister' she is going to need some extra attention and snuggles. She is very independent, and at 3 yo she is a full year older than her sisters were when she arrived in our family. I am so grateful for the independence, but she is also old enough to sense the change that is happening; and young enough still to cling to being the baby when she feels she is not getting what she needs. I think a little tunic like this (the last sweater in the post) would be cute - and I'll let her pick out the yarn color(s) as an added treat.

Bring-me-home hat for baby

2011-02-21T11:02:00.004-06:00

In between attending demonstrations and rallies at our state capitol (you can look here and here for why my family, and 60,000 other WI residents, are protesting) I wanted/needed to knit a little something for the baby. This little hospital hat was what I came up with. It also helped me slow down and put my feet up - something that I need to be doing as I enter these last weeks of pregnancy.

During my stash challenge year I knit a lot of baby items: sweaters, blankets, hats, etc. But nothing with this particular little peanut in mind. This the first hat that I made for our newest little one. It is sized to be the hat that we bring s/he home from the hospital in. In fact it is so small, and just the right size, that I bet it will only fit for about a week or so.

It is knit up in Misti Alpaca - an super-soft and cuddly fiber and the hand-painted colors are just gorgeous.

Valentines Hearts

2011-02-11T08:33:00.004-06:00

In honor of Valentine's Day my youngest and I put together a small decoration for the dining room, the place we gather everyday as a family. I free-cut the hearts while she chose the contrasting fabrics, their placement and the order I sewed it together.

This is quite possibly the first heart-themed craft I have ever completed and while I am not totally sold or inspired to do something like it again it did fulfill February's Rumpelstiltskin Challenge: Red. We are not big into this 'Hallmark holiday,' but having these little hearts in the heart of our home is a nice reminder of how much love passes through here everyday.

Random

2011-02-04T09:10:00.005-06:00

Natural Beauty

: when we pay our heating bills it bothers me that we don't have insulated windows. but when the ice forms inside the house on mornings like this one i don't mind as much.

Homemade Chicken Stock

: i've never made chicken stock from scratch before. i have been getting by on bouillon cubes and the the canned/boxed stuff on occasion. i gave it a whirl last week and am so happy that i did. our batch is fully organic, sodium free and frozen for easy use in 1/2 c. portions. i poured the cooled stock in muffin tins, left them in the freezer overnight, and then let them thaw just enough to pop them out the next morning. they are stored in a freezer bag for future use. now i have 12 cups of stock on hand and ready to go. i love it. and will do it again and again and again.

Sandwich Wraps and Snack Bags

: this past week i made a two more sets of re-usable snack bags and coordinating sandwich wraps. they are used daily around here. i especially love seeing them full and lined up in the mornings for the family. not pictured are a set for me, and a new extra set which is handy for when one of the girls forgets her lunchbox at school. you can never be too prepared can you? and i'll take any excuse to sew more.

: it was my 34th birthday this week. it was also my husband's 34th birthday. we are celebrating early next week with a mini-getaway. i hope to do lots of knitting. i know i will do lots of swimming and sleeping - 32 weeks has found me slowing down a bit, and more sleepy than usual. my birthday present to myself was a new fiber adventure. after seeing these mittens i thought i would give it a try. i may also purchase yarn to make a FLS. it is february after all isn't it?

Table Runner

2011-01-26T10:14:00.000-06:00

This past weekend I was able to finish off a project that I've been thinking about for a couple months. I have been itching to make a reversible table runner but didn't quite know how to go about it.

A couple weeks ago I grabbed some fabric and started cutting squares, mixing and matching colors and patterns until I was happy with what I came up with. I quilted it with diagonal lines which I think work pretty well here. I washed it when I was done with it which gave it a crinkly look, and which makes it look a bit like a blanket, but I still think it works as an everyday runner for the dining room table.

I also tapped into a friends Rumpelstiltskin challenge which provided me the encouragement to really dive into the lovely fabrics that have been sitting on my shelf for awhile. I don't know what project I was waiting for to use them with - the perfect pillow, skirt or blanket pattern - but I also realized the keeping those fabrics tucked away upstairs meant that I didn't get to gaze on them daily as I do now. I much prefer it this way. Part of the Rumpelstiltskin challenge for me over this year will be to really use what I have; take full advantage of the affordances that are tucked away in my fabric stash. Get out the good stuff and use it, dammit.

You can join in on the challenge too. Head on over and check it out. No hard and fast rules, just lots of encouragement and inspiration.

Table Runner - front

Table Runner - back

On a Whim

2011-01-22T17:29:00.006-06:00

One of my older daughters and I were bumming around town today. On a whim we stopped into the Glitter Workshop, a local business that features beautiful art/crafts from local folks. And there was a hand stamped jewelry workshop in session. I poked my head back into the classroom and was instantly taken with the idea of making something. It was fate.

Mindy Kuen, the woman running the workshop, had some amazing custom pieces set out as examples; they were inspirational. Combine that with my intermittent ogling of Lisa Leonard designs and I had a pretty clear idea of where I wanted my piece to go.

Mindy set out materials for key chains, pendants or bracelets, walked each of us through the process, provided many pointers and hints, and allowed all of us access to her stamp collections. Very cool. You can also find her blog here.

I am so happy with how this piece turned out. There is nothing like the satisfaction of making something yourself, stretching yourself in new directions - stamping is a decidedly non-fiber art form - and experiencing something new with someone you love. True, my daughter did spend most of her time in the awesome art/play room at the store, but still.

I hope that all of you find yourselves in unexpected places, and able to take advantage of unanticipated joys this weekend too. (Hmmm...can you tell that the sentimental phase of this pregnancy is taking hold?)

I can't let Christmas go this year

2011-01-14T17:36:00.001-06:00

For whatever reason we are still celebrating the winter holidays here at home. A friend recently introduced me to this book and let me tell you I am smitten! And I have re-connected with the inner cross stitcher in me! Check here for a previous post about cross stitch.

This little Santa number is almost finished, but there are three reindeer in front of him and his sleigh. I haven't decided what I will do with the finished piece (frame vs. pillow-type decoration), but I am really liking the red/white contrast. And stitching on nice linen, while potentially expensive, makes a big difference in the look and feel of the final project.

The Rainbow of Stitches is an amazing book - tons of delicately modern and timeless motifs to work from. Many are charted cross-stitch patterns, but there are also a lot of basic embroidery designs that would be manageable even for the beginner. The project photos and ideas are elegant and inspiring. I decided to add this book to my personal library. Since its not a knitting book, that should give you an idea of how good I think this book is (smile).

Keep your eye out for a few more small projects from this book over the next year for the girls. I've had requests for an ice cream cone, a dog and a train. Maybe I will even tackle a sampler. The inner cross stitch maven has awaken indeed!

ps. I did a tremendous amount a cross-stitch as a child. Mostly on that really large-count cotton cross stitch cloth. My mom introduced me to the craft and I have made many a project over the years. I would be tempted to tell you that I swore off it in high school (how could cross-stitch possibly have made me cool?) but I recently uncovered this as-of-yet-unfinished beauty dated 1995. That was my senior year. Hah. With this lying around I find it difficult to deny that I knew (dated?) DMC as a teenager.

First Yarn Purchase!

2011-01-10T17:22:00.002-06:00

I took the plunge and made my first yarn purchase of the year. I have to say it was a little difficult, a little indulgent, and very exciting. I have been eyeing the Linen Stitch scarf pattern from Churchmouse Yarns for a couple months and went ahead with a purchase to make it happen. I had a skein of Louet Gems on hand, the purple-ish yarn, and paired it with two new skeins of Koigu Painter's Palette, the orange and green yarns.

One lesson moving forward with my knitting is to not get ahead of myself with my purchases. Sure there will be times that certain projects will jump ahead in my queue out of necessity (holidays, births, etc.), but I can't let those projects trump plans for a project that I am excited about knitting; especially one that I purchased new yarn to make. Maintaining fidelity to my stashed and purchased yarns is certainly goal-in-process, but one that was made concrete for me over my last year of knitting adventures.

In this vein, I am happy that I pulled one skein from my stash and matched it with two more new purchases. The me from 2009 would have purchased three new skeins (maybe even 4 if I couldn't make up my mind), and then worked the project, letting the perfectly suitable, lovely, and fantastic purple skein rest awhile longer in my stash. When would the old me ever have used that purple? I'm not sure. Hopefully the me of 2011 is more conscious and more creative.

I am very excited to cast on for this project - I think the scarf is going to be fantastic. It also uses a stitch that is new to me, the linen stitch. What a lovely fabric it produces!

Stash Challenge 2010 Debrief

2011-01-06T06:01:00.002-06:00

My stash challenge has come to a close, and what a year it has been. Time for a de-brief.

Let's quickly review were I was when I started.
When I started my challenge I was fresh of a new year's resolution made by myself and DH to work from our respective stashes for a year. This past year has found us making choices to cut back on our spending - both out of desire and necessity - and looking for all the ways that we can re-use, re-purpose, up-cycle and reduce. One obvious place to look critically was our creative interests. I am happy to say that we both took the resolution seriously. With one vacation-related exception I went over 365 days without spending cash on new yarn. He did the same and didn't purchase any new wood. We both spent a modest amount on supplies (needles, saw blades, etc.) but the raw materials we worked with we found, traded, were gifted, or had already.

I started 2010 with over 52 skeins of yarn, spread out to over 10,000 yards.

During 2010 I increased my stash by 11 skeins. 1 skein was purchased while I was on vacation in Arizona (it's llama down!), 4 were purchased with gift money or a gift card, and 6 were given to me as gifts, or were trades.

Here's what I made.
Over twelve months I worked diligently from my stash. I resisted the (many) impulses to purchase new yarns for myself, and new yarns for gift projects; just by counting up what I had I knew I had enough yarn to work from for quite some time. [This truly was step one. I counted and photographed everything I had and entered it into a spreadsheet, noting brand, fiber and yardage. This made it all real to me.]

The challenges then were twofold:
1) Finding suitable patterns for the yarns I had on hand; and
2) Making the projects interesting to me, apart from the joy of a new purchase.

During 2010 I knit from over 28 skeins of yarn, equaling over 5,000 yards of yarn.

My projects ranged from the big (a sweater for DH) to the small (acorn decorations) and everything in between. Here's a quick list:

1 sweater, men's large
5 baby/toddler sweaters
3 baby vests
3 pair adult socks
7 kids/baby hats
1 adult hat
1 baby blanket
8 mini sweater ornaments
a stash of acorns (felted)

And four projects still in the works: a pair of socks, a baby hat, a child's vest and an adult vest.

Here's what I am staring 2011 with.
At the close of the year I still have approximately 35 skeins of yarn in my stash. That may seem like a lot, but 10 are for the vest for myself, and I have earmarked another 16 for specific projects. The others I will be looking to de-stash, trade or otherwise use up in a worthy fashion.

If I maintain fidelity to my plan I will have cut my stash from 52 skeins (63 skeins if you count what I added during 2010) to a mere 16 skeins.

Lessons learned.
I had a lot of realizations over my year, and many I shared along my journey. But here is a quick summary of a few that are still with me as I move forward with my knitting.

1) I don't have to buy new yarn to enjoy knitting; but lets be honest...it may enhance the pleasure I get from starting a new project.

2) There are lots of alternatives to purchasing new yarn outright. These include holding on to gift money for a special 'yarn fund,' finding friends that are open to trading yarns, trading or selling yarns via websites (ravelry, ebay, etc.). And while I haven't had any personal luck at the thrift stores I have friends that have found and purchased Alice Starmore and Rowan yarns at deep discounts. That's enough encouragement for me to keep looking every time I stop in!

3) My tastes and preferences in yarns have changed since I started knitting. I am more discerning now and less likely to search out cheap sources for cheap yarns. While there certainly is a place for frugality in knitting (especially when knitting for non-fiber-minded friends and kids) if I am going to make a project for myself I am going to save up for the specific kind of yarn that I want to use, rather than find a less expensive substitute. This has the added benefit of supporting local businesses too. While I do practice on-line shopping, finding the right yarn at my local store is a good thing for my community and our local economy.

4) I have a more finely tuned sense of which fibers work for which types of projects. When I started the year I would have been just as likely to use a silk blend as a wool blend for any given project. I didn't understand the properties (physical and economic) of specific fibers or their adaptability for different purposes. After a year of research, reading, critical reflection and exploration (mostly on ravelry and at the library) I can easily tell when I would want to use alpaca for a project, or a superwash wool with nylon.

5) Left-over sock yarns rock. These turned out to be the most adapable yarns around and I have really dug into my left overs to make some pretty cool, colorful and unique items. These include my zig zag pram blanket, my sweater garland and the Norwegian baby cap. I used to wonder what would ever become of my many, many sock yarn left overs. Now I know they can be used for all kinds of things.

6) Just because I had one skein of something didn't mean I had to knit a one skein project. This may seem like a 'duh' comment to many of you, but I have a hard time pairing yarns that were not purchased together for the explicit purpose of knitting up one project. Without this last year I never would have taken out all my yarn, looked at it, and looked at it, and looked at it again, and matched up different yarns and fibers for completely new projects. A good example is the Budgie baby sweater.

7) And lastly, just because yarn is on sale doesn't mean that I should buy it. I know that I will do this again in the future - a good deal is a good deal afterall - but I am much more likely to see a project and buy yarn accordingly, rather than see yarn and then find a project to match. I have realized that for me it doesn't make much sense to buy yarn with only a vague idea of how it will be used. I love yarn, fiber, color and texture and would love to live in a house surrounded by skeins and skeins of yarn. It would be like a museum dedicated to fibers. But I have a husband, kids, demands, challenges, other interests (sewing, cooking, etc.) and a pocketbook. For these reasons I need to keep my yarn purchases in check, and manageable.

At the close of my personal stash challenge I can say that I am proud of myself. I did it, I am happy with all my projects, and I learned a tremendous about about knittng, fiber and myself. Did I shake the desire to buy new yarns? No way. In fact, I have a pattern and new yarns already picked out for purchase. But I am starting a new year with a fresh perspective. I can practice restraint and my craft and creativity won't suffer. In many ways I'm better off when I think twice about my purchases.

Year-end knitting

2011-01-03T17:00:00.006-06:00

My knitting this year was directed by my stash. I gave over creative control to my yarn collection and continually worked to find synergy between patterns I liked, and the yarn I had on hand. There will be more details about my year in a coming post, but for now I'd like to show off the last three projects from 2010.

These little ornaments were a natural follow-up to my sweater garland. One is going to a yarn-loving friend, and the other to a neighbor that I organized a cookie exchange with.

In November I picked up my copy of the Milo vest pattern and was pleased to see that it gave directions for a vest up to size 6. I quickly cast on with some Tivoli blizzard (resplendent in the pinks, purples and maroons my girls love) and hope to have this for them to wear sometime in the next few months. Progress was stalled by the aforementioned dissertation, pregnancy-induced tiredness, and holiday projects.

The last project of 2010 is likewise unfinished, but is quickly coming together. (I could have saved myself some time and gone up to a size 3 or 4 needle, but as it stands it will be finished with size 2 needles). This is a likeable hat - I love the shaping and the stripes looks pretty good together. It is definitely a hat for a baby boy - is my subconscious telling me something? We decided to wait on finding out the sex of the baby so this one may be for our family, or it will go to a lucky friend in the future. I cast on for this hat on December 30th.

There are two more projects wallowing in the bottom of my knitting basket from 2010. The kimono socks, by Judy Summer, while beautiful, just aren't calling to me at the moment. They are tucked away for another day and will hopefully re-surface at some point (either as finished socks, or frogged yarn for another pattern). The Kaze (translation: wind) vest is likewise just not calling to me. Maybe this would be a good post-childbirth project for myself? Or, if we have a boy, maybe the yarn will be transformed into a future wonderful wallaby.

(An Abbreviated) Handmade Holiday

2010-12-24T10:37:00.004-06:00

I didn't do a lot of handmade this year. Mostly I will blame it on finishing my dissertation, which kept me busy and focused until commencement last week. But I've also been placing a lot of energy into growing a baby! We are expecting our fourth child at the very beginning of April.

I am feeling great - this pregnancy feels easier than the last - but staying up into the wee-hours of the night crafting is not really in the cards for me these days. However, now that I am done with school and work, and as rested as I'm going to get, I am ready to go!

In the past few days I completed the socks and created a nice partially-handmade gift for my SIL. I was also able to pull together a little gift for each of my girls.

Starting with the socks:

I am very happy to report that my quick fix job really worked. I completed the pair with about 5 yds. of yarn to spare. That's cutting it close! But they look really cool. The photo doesn't do the colorwork justice - and I like that they are matchy without matching. I even finished them with 4 days to go before Christmas. That's a good feeling.

I am also giving my SIL my favorite book on writing, a to-go coffee sleeve (thanks Erin for the great tutorial!) and two gift certificates to local businesses: one coffee shop and one pet store. [There was a second coffee sleeve with a GC for a local coffee room that went to a special kindergarten teacher, but that was gifted before a photo could be had.]

And now for the gifts for the girls! I recently borrowed the Wee Wonderfuls book from the library and fell is love with many of the projects. I knew I didn't have time to complete any of the projects before the book was returned, but a few of the ideas stayed with me; begging to be made for my girls. Using photocopies of three patterns I ploughed ahead with a doggie necklace, a mermaid and a Gretel doll, and finished all of them inside of three evenings.

First, a doggie necklace for my dog-loving daughter:

This project is perfect for her. She is obsessed with dogs right now. She has checked out every book at the library on dogs, told Santa she wants a 'box of puppies' for Christmas, and is counting the days until our family gets a dog (not for a few years, mind you). The handiwork was a bit tedious - this little doggie is small - but I am very happy with the result.

Second, a mermaid for my excitable girly-girl:

What can I say about this mermaid? It's perfect. It's got golden brown hair like my daughter, she's got some bling in her flowing locks, which my daughter loves, and she is just overall a lovely doll. The pattern was fantastic - I really like how the doll is assembled. However, my free-quilting skills are not quite up to par (there is some embellishment on the hair and fins). I probably should have practiced some of the decorative stitches first, but this doll will do just fine.

And lastly, a Gretel-inspired doll for my little redhead:

This doll really stole my heart in the book. Gretel is paired with Hansel (who even has a feather in his cap) - can't you just imagine a pair of them together?! I took the idea of Gretel and modified her a bit to suit my 3 year old. She definitely prefers stuffed animals to dolls, and I'm hoping that she will take to the puppet feel of this special doll. Oh, and my painting skills? They leave something to be desired. But it works, it's handmade - and it's made with love. There's no better present than that. As for my pattern notes, I skipped placing the pipe cleaners for the arms and I also whip stitched the felt backing to the front template.

Holiday Knitting (a.k.a. why I should weigh my yarn, or knit socks from the toe-up)

2010-12-15T17:29:00.004-06:00

I am knitting a pair of bright, self-striping socks for my SIL for Christmas. We have a big-ish family and draw names for gift giving. This year I was lucky to get DH's younger sister. She is fresh out of college, just moved to our town, is writing a novel, has a steady job at a bookstore and has just entered adulthood. What a cool stage of life to be in! (Ok, maybe that is just my mid-30's, kid-raising mind rambling some BS. I think I also remember that stage of life being plenty full of longing, uncertainty and confusion too.) Regardless, I think that she'll like the socks. I think they are suited for a 20-something.

The thing that I didn't account for before starting the socks was her foot size. She wears a shoe that is 3 sizes larger than mine and I didn't make any changes to my pattern to accommodate. Yikes. And how many days until Christmas again?

There are a couple of things that I could have done to make this error easier to deal with, before I even started knitting. First, I could have split my skein into two balls and weighed them, thus ensuring that I had equal amounts for yarn to work with for each sock. I would have very quickly realized I was running low on yarn on the first sock before finishing it and could have made changes then. Secondly, I could have knit these socks from the toe-up. This makes adjusting the leg length much easier technically speaking. Since you are assured of having the proper foot length you just knit the leg until you run out of yarn.

But instead I am doing some magical knitting wizardry.

The leg of the finished sock on the left was WAY TOO tall if my yarn was going to accommodate the length of the foot. I realized this when I got half-way down the leg of the second sock and started running out of yarn.

So I had to do some emergency sock surgery to steal yarn from the finished sock for the unfinished one. This caused me to stop for 2 days and really think about the most efficient way to go about this. Here are my steps:

First, I snipped a stitch just below the ribbed cuff and unraveled the leg a couple inches. Then I unraveled the cuff and wound the yarn into a mini-ball. [You can't unravel a ribbed cuff from the top-down. It just doesn't work.]

Secondly, I re-knit the cuff on the finished sock, going up the leg this time, and bound off.

This allowed me to take 3 inches off the leg of the first sock - theoretically freeing up 3 inches of yarn for the foot of the second sock.

It's not the most elegant of solutions, but it works and it got me back on the road to finishing the socks on-time. [The cuffs on the socks won't match exactly since one has a cast-on edge for the cuff, and the other has a cast-off edge, but I don't think she'll notice.] I also debated on just ordering more sock yarn in the same colorway, but given my stash challenge I diligently encouraged myself to find a different solution.

Here was my stopping point last night. The returns are still out, but I am feeling pretty confident that I have enough yarn to finish off the second sock, albeit with a much shorter leg length.

Once the socks are done I will take pictures in the daylight. The colors remind me of a winter sunrise in WI - how the pinks and oranges in the sky above blend into the white and gray of the snow below.

Putting my feet up

2010-12-01T09:35:00.004-06:00

After the morning rush I decided to put my feet up. I made myself a cup of tea, read the newspaper, and watched the first flurry of the Wisconsin Winter descend outside my window.

To do this for myself was an actual decision that I had to consciously make. Normally I sit down in front of my computer, and let the (sometimes crippling) guilt of all that remains un-read, un-written, and un-finished wash over me. But not today, not this morning.

If you'll notice, my toes were warm inside my freshly finished socks. A nice treat for myself. I grafted the toe for the second sock on the morning after I successfully defended my dissertation. I did that on Monday evening. So you see, there isn't too much more to write at the moment. And all of the articles that I never read? Well, that's water under the bridge as far as graduate school goes.

I still have more revisions to make before depositing my dissertation - and since I plan to publish portions of it, this thing isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Some days I love it. Some days I am sick of it. But the best part is that it got me to where I am today, this morning. In my favorite chair, emboldened with a great sense of accomplishment.

The loftiest goal for today is to bake banana bread. I plan to spend my free time snuggling with the kiddos, and looking through my stash for a celebratory cast-on. What to make?

The socks are the finished TTL Mystery Sock '10 in madelinetosh sock (colorway: amber trinket). I did have enough yarn to finish both socks...and there's a bit left over too. Maybe I'll add another sweater to my winter door decoration?

And picking up my conversation from the last post, today was the first day that we put up our advent calendar. Hurrah for handmade holiday traditions! The girls don't exactly remember it from last year, but are very excited to participate this year and already have the rotation (who goes first, second, etc.) for picking socks worked out.

Tiny Sweaters

2010-11-17T08:58:00.004-06:00

During a recent trip to JoAnn's I got a pang of guilt about not really decorating for the holidays. I mean our house isn't bare during various festivities, but I certainly don't decorate to the extent that I could - especially with wide-eyed, wonder-filled kids on my heels.

I usually look at all the stuff they wedge in the front of the store about 6 weeks before every holiday - and offer for 70% off - and think to myself a couple of things. First, some of it is just too plain ugly or cheap-looking to bring home. Second, I realize that if I gave just a bit of effort I could likely make many similar things at home. Or third, if I did purchase x, y or z, I am certain that my kids would destroy it; appropriately seeing the commercialism of it all and treating the purchases like toys instead of future family heirlooms.

So I pass it all by and another holiday comes and goes and I still really don't have anything to decorate the house with. I haven't gotten to a point where I can purchase things from art fairs - although that is a hope for the future. And while I pick up things here and there from thrift stores, I haven't had much luck in making my finds match - or coordinate - with the feel and look of our home.

I did get on top of the game with Halloween this year. It was easy since the kids were so into it. We did some special themed napkins, lots of pumpkin crafts and made our costumes. Christmas is likewise pretty well covered - a huge tree in the living room really goes a long way!

But Thanksgiving has me stumped. I've been up in the sewing room playing with burlap, ribbon, fall-colored fabrics...all in hopes of making at least a table runner for the dinner celebration. But I haven't gotten there yet.

And, instead of making progress on anything related to the holiday that's coming up, I was side-tracked by ravelry and a vision of a cute garland of sweaters. [At least its a perfect winter decoration, right?]

My hope is to hang this garland on our front door - in lieu of a brightly painted snowman proclaiming "Merry Christmas!" - for the winter holidays. Each sweater is knit up from left over sock yarn (also used for this project), and I hung each one by a piece of gray yarn attached to a toothpick that is nestled inside the sweater. The pattern is a generous freebie you can find here. I love that they are real raglan sleeve sweaters! It was really the cable sweater the pulled me in, but I never got around to knitting one because I was into using up more of my variegated yarns.

Maybe the solution to my dilemma, errr...assuaging my guilt, is pacing myself - napkins one year, a table runner the next, a home decoration the next and so on. Maybe then I wouldn't feel so bad about not having the perfect mantle display, or table setting?

Half of a FO: TTL Mystery Sock '10

2010-10-30T17:04:00.004-05:00

Here is one of a pair; a lonely sock.

But I finished it on time, just a day after the last clue was released. I loved the rhythm of this sock and how it all came together. Quite a stunning piece of work if you ask me. And the generosity of the free pattern? Too kind.

I made the size large, and am regretting it a bit because it is a bit too big on my leg. I am also worried that I won't have enough yarn to fully complete the second sock. There are a few ravelers that have noted they ran out of yarn this year - and I have last years experience in the back of my mind too - but there is only one way to get over my fear: start knitting that second sock. Off I go!

The yarn is madelinetosh Tosh Sock in Amber Trinket. Luckily I found an on-line store with more in stock in case I do run out...I picked up the only skein at my LYS a couple weeks ago.

Acorns

2010-10-17T09:37:00.000-05:00

It's fall around here, and inspiration is everywhere.

I made these up one night last week while hanging out with friends. It was my first try at needle felting. Can't say I am a huge fan, but it sure was fun to try something new. It was very simple: I waded up the roving and punched it with the needles until it was roughly acorn-shaped. Then I snipped off one end, filled the acorn cap with glue, and stuck the wool in. Simple, colorful and festive.

While it seems like a great project to do with kids, I wouldn't advise using the felting needles (ouch!) with small children. The little ones did help me collect the acorns, and acorn tops, however. If you wanted to involve kids, maybe you could give this a try with wet felting instead? I imagine you could similarly wad up the roving, felt it in your hands with a bit of hot water, and let them dry before gluing them into the tops.

The roving is from a trip to Stitches Midwest 2009, from the Village Spinning and Weaving Shop, and I love the color assortment. I was thinking these colors would also make a lovely necklace of small wool beads - or a garland of larger ones.

WIP Wednesday

2010-10-13T12:32:00.001-05:00

I have quite a few projects on the needles at the moment! There are the TTL Mystery Socks, the Cobblestone sweater, and this precious vest. The socks are lovely, but require quite a bit of attention from me and so progress has been slow. I really hope to finish off the sweater this week - all it needs is some seaming under the arms and a nice blocking.

The project I'm most excited about at the moment? The Milo vest. I have a nephew due to arrive in the world at the end of the month and I plan to get this shipped off to his parents in the next week or two.

This is the third time I've knit up this vest and I fall in love with it more each time. It's an amazing pattern and a wonderful gift item. I'm knitting this one from Lion Brand Wool-Ease (more stash-busting!) which is great for little ones as it is machine wash and dryable. I'm making a 3-6 mos. size in hopes that he will be able to wear it during the winter months. He will be living in Georgia - certainly warmer than Wisconsin in January - but I do hope he'll get some wear out of it over a onesie.

FO: Rainbow Hats + New Yarns!

2010-10-07T10:00:00.006-05:00

twin rainbows

These last few weeks have been very busy for our family. Some combination of us has been been in the car and out of town overnight each weekend for the past four weeks. While this has wreaked havoc on our home, laundry, and sleeping we are all the better for having gotten away (or having spent time with Grandma and Grandpa). There were two weddings, a date weekend, and a bachelor party. All wonderful reasons to be away from the home. The car trips provided lots of knitting time, so when DH and I weren't trying to catch up with each other, and our life, I was able to put my needles together.

The hats above are the product of a trip to Milwaukee last weekend. The girls asked me to knit them "fall rainbow hats," just like the one that I wear. I was able to use the generously free pattern from Soulemama for a kids-size version of a hat I knit for myself a few years back (photos are pre-blocking). And while I chose a different yarn - one that is washable! - the girls are thrilled.

The photo above is of two hats, but I am currently knitting a third, with the remnants from these two, for my youngest daughter. She is patiently awaiting her hat which has been stalled momentarily while work on the dissertation resumes again full-time.

bold rainbow

tropical rainbow

The yarn for these hats was purchased at my LYS which has recently undergone a transformation. Same name, but new layout, new management, and new yarns.

I had a gift card for the old store, which closed for awhile in the summer, and I also had a full punch card. Since the yarn supply in the old store started to decline in the spring I held off on using the gift card. I didn't know the store was going to close, and I suppose I was waiting until more yarns came in. Luckily the new owner has agreed to accept gift cards that were issued from the old store, as well as provide a 20% discount for full punch cards. So I marched in and spent that gift card. With the additional percent off I was even able to buy myself some luxury hand dyed sock yarn.

I plan to cast-on the sock yarn tonight in an attempt to participate in the TTL Mystery Sock 2010. Given the gorgeous results from last year I am really excited to participate again!

The other two skeins of wool you see below are a gift from a dear friend. They are a congrats-on-finishing-your-dissertation gift; gifted in the spirit of 'now quit typing and start knitting again!' I am completely taken by the goldenrod color, and it looks so striking next to that gray. Oh the possibilities! The yarn comes from a local woman who makes her own yarn and also owns a local yarn store. I believe she also piloted a yarn share, CSA-style, this last year. What an amazing idea!

I always knew that fall would be the toughest season to survive without buying any new yarns, and I am so happy that I was able to indulge with something new in a budget-neutral way!

new sock yarn (madelinetosh)

gift yarn

FO: Budgie

2010-09-29T11:16:00.007-05:00

Budgie

About 10 days ago I turned in a final, full draft of my dissertation to my advisor. While I haven't received any formal feedback from him yet, he did assure me that I will be done this semester. It will take some time to schedule a defense date, but would I be overly optimistic to think that I could have this whole thing wrapped up by Thanksgiving? Maybe. But that won't stop me from trying. At a minimum it will be another week until I get some feedback from my advisor, and once he approves the document my committee members get at least 3 weeks to review it before we meet for my final oral defense. So...I am in the final stretch, but there is still more work to do.

Of course once I turned in that copy my body shut down and I came down with a bad head cold that I can't seem to shake. While annoying, I don't mind. It has helped me slow down, really pay attention to my immediate needs and get back into the groove of relaxing and sleeping again.

While I was putting the finishing touches on my dissertation, I knit up this adorable sweater. In my never-ending quest to find creative ways to use up my one-skein yarns I happened across this pattern. I used some left-over Cascade (from this project), and my one remaining skein of a silk-blend Manos del Uruguay. The final sweater requires a zipper, but I have yet to find the perfect one. Eight-and-a-half inches is a tricky size to locate at our local stores. I'm thinking a nice cream-color zipper would be perfect...

I love how this sweater turned out, and I literally used every last bit of the Manos - I actually ran out with about two inches of the i-cord left to go and had to finish it off with some blue scraps I had laying around. The shaping of the sweater is beautiful and the stripes are too cute - I can see one or two more of these in my future as baby gifts.

Hello!

2010-09-07T11:56:00.004-05:00

Just a quick post to say hello again. I'm not quite finished with my dissertation writing, but my analysis is complete, my results are in and I've one chapter left to write. My girls have started at their respective schools and I've got some days each week to focus again - the transition out of summer childcare to kindergarten and preschool was intense, but we made it to the other side.

It was a productive blog break too. I did some knitting, but mostly my head has been elsewhere; mostly inside SPSS and Microsoft Word. It will take me some time to get back up to speed on my crafting/knitting again. Truth be told I'm not sure that I will really jump back into things until after my final defense, but I am ready to be back in this space again: sharing, writing and a bit of show-and-tell.

And who am I kidding afterall? It's fall weather around here again and that just plain makes me wanna knit!

To get things started again here is a hat I made awhile back. In my year-long quest to work solely from my stash, I was looking for a project to use up my one ball of Malabrigo. The Star Crossed beret by Natalie Larson was perfect. You can see my project notes on ravelry, but it was portable and quick (two of my favorite qualities in a knitting project). It involves some light cable work too, which used up just a smidgen of my left over brain power. I did fiddle around with the needle sizes to make sure the hat wouldn't stretch out too much and I'm pretty happy with the final result. The color really is lovely and it will look great with my black coat this winter. I didn't block it yet, and the photo was tough to take - how do you photograph your own head?! - but I highly recommend this project as a quick fall knit for those one skein yarns you have floating around.

Dissertation Vacation

2010-07-20T10:58:00.005-05:00

[Blueberries from Appleberry Farm]

I am at the last stage of working on my dissertation.

I have my data, I have my analysis strategy and I have set up a couple uninterrupted blocks of time to write.

Postings will likely cease for awhile - I'm trying to quiet any and all distractions over the next six weeks - but I'm sure that I will still find time here and there to craft, knit and sew.

And I will let you know all about it when I'm ready to return to this space. Until then...cheers.

Baby Shower

2010-07-07T11:31:00.001-05:00

I come from a big, BIG family. So when I say that I am going to a shower for "my cousin" it could mean one of 19 first cousins (11 boys and 8 girls), many of whom are starting to get married and have kids of their own. That makes for lots of showers, both for weddings and babies. And lots of shower gifts to give. Tonight is a baby shower for one of my younger girl cousins. Well...I'm the oldest girl in the group so they are all younger.

For the past few baby showers I decided to make gifts - something little, special, and practical for the new parents. Last week, with my own not-so-little-baby underfoot, I made this taggie blanket.

Each of my girls loved tags. Of all sorts, mostly the ones on stuffed animals, but the twins were also strangely drawn to drooling over shoe laces. I'm not kidding - laces were hypnotic. Place a shoe in front of them and they were entranced for at least 30 minutes. Give them a shoe lace and they were happy for 45.

[I've always felt a little strange about the fact that my kids played with shoe laces for so many months during their early development. So aside from the obvious safety (choking!) issue, I couldn't ever bring myself to create a 'shoelacie' plaything.]

But, it wasn't until my youngest arrived that I realized the utility of a plaything made entirely of tags. And now I will pass along that seasoned-parent wisdom to my younger cousin. It's a bit wonky - as sewing with a toddler ensures - but it's fun and funky. And most of all its covered in tags.

I started with one 14"x14" square of flannel, and one of polar fleece. I basted the ribbons (raw edges facing out) on two sides of the flannel and then sewed the right sides of the fabric squares together, leaving a gap for turning. Once it was turned, I topstitched all around: to close the gap, for added tag security, and to keep the fabric from shifting around too much.

I'm pretty happy with the result. The plaything is small enough to tuck into a car seat or stroller without being cumbersome, but just big enough to cuddle with and provide entertainment/comfort.

I'm also going to gift one or two of the fabulous bibs from Melissa, but I can't decide which one(s) just yet. They are all so cool it's impossible to choose!

4th of July

2010-07-04T09:26:00.004-05:00

[4th of July no sew tutu]

Not sure I like it, but I made it.

2010-07-03T08:41:00.000-05:00

It was a small experiment - well, that's a generous word for it I suppose. I had pent up energy, and the kids were running wild, and instead of taking them to the park (like I should have) I told them to play downstairs while I hid in my space upstairs cutting, threading and sewing.

The result is probably an accurate reflection of my excited and rushed process. No measuring, no sketching beforehand. And the fact that I wasn't settled or quiet or peaceful when making this shines through to me. I don't know if I like it. But I made it. And it will hang around somewhere. If only as a reminder that I can still be myself, even in the middle of the sometimes-tornado that raising kids creates.

I like the graduation in color from ground, to grass, to horizon to sky. I like the silver thread I used to quilt the design. The background fabric is soft and has a beautiful weight to it and the backing is a light grey - I even added a hanging pocket. But when I put it all together and hang it on the wall it just doesn't quite work. Can't put my finger on why. I'm not sure I like it. But I made it.

Curtain

2010-06-28T14:21:00.006-05:00

We recently gave our bathroom a makeover. It was installed when an addition was added to the house in the 1940's and basically hadn't been touched since. It is a small space; suitable for a sink and toilet, and barely one standing adult. It was entirely functional and useful so we didn't touch it, aside from a good cleaning, when we moved in. But when the toilet started leaking a couple weeks ago (no doubt spurred by my little ones' obsession with flushing banana peels) we thought it would be a good time to do a little updating.

We had hoped to upgrade to a water-efficient toilet, but wouldn't you know that historic charm and green technology don't always go hand-in-hand. So we kept the old one, and the old matching sink, and made cosmetic updates instead. New tile flooring, fixtures, a curtain and some artwork all made for a much cheerier space.

I sewed the curtain with fabric from the stash. I originally purchased the fabric last November in hopes of sewing some special Thanksgiving napkins, but never got around to it. Instead of keeping that project on my 'to make' list, I crossed it off and cut into the fabric for a curtain. Just a basic pocket curtain, no lining. But damn did it feel good to sew something again!

I also framed a Nikki McClure print for the wall. I know it's probably not appropriate art for a bathroom, but it makes me smile every time I look at it. And considering how much time I spend in that bathroom with my three little ones (washing hands and faces, hanging swimsuits, cleaning up) that can't be a bad thing, right?

Seasonal Change

2010-06-24T10:02:00.006-05:00

Photo of sunset at Buckhorn State Park,

taken on a camping trip last weekend.

It arrived later this year than years past, but my attention is shifting again.

[This year I knit through putting in our garden, which is growing beautifully thanks to a professional thinning and weeding by my brother in law!]

Not sure where it is all headed yet, but I need a break from the knitting needles. I'm in the mood for fabric and thread. And more reading.

FO: EZ's baby surprise jacket v2 - worsted weight

2010-06-19T10:56:00.004-05:00

Here is v2 of Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket. This version is knit in worsted weight yarns and made a much larger jacket than the previous one. I estimate this to be a 2T/3T, as it is just a smidge too small for my 4T-wearing 2.5 y.o. (she sure is taller than her sisters were at her age).

And what a great left-overs project! Much like my zig zag pram blanket, I rounded up misc. balls of worsted weight yarns and cast on for a colorful adventure. I kept my palate in the blue zone, sticking mostly to green, blue and purple yarns. But I took a little hint from my adventures in quilting and threw in one accent color. I used up a bit of a kettle-dyed manos del uruguay yarn - a yarn that was from one of the first hats I ever knit. I am so glad I did - it breaks up the colors just enough to give it some life.

The striping pattern is entirely random - I didn't follow a pattern or sequence. I'm on the hunt for buttons too, but it will have to wait until I have a recipient in mind.

It is quite likely that these balls of yarn would never have seen the light of day again, were it not for my stash challenge. They would have languished in the back of a crate somewhere and unearthed at some point in the distant future. Each ball was too small to do anything with on it's own, each 100% wool, and with new projects (and new yarns) constantly on the horizon I just never would have been interested in being creative with my left-overs. It just wasn't in my knitting nature.

But, designing and knitting this sweater was sort of like what I do when I am faced with a cupboard that is seemingly bare, and there are a mere 30 minutes until dinner. I make do. I get creative. And I fall in love the result. This is a can of tomatoes, with sliced brats, a head of broccoli, garlic, and chickpeas, all poured over pasta, kind of sweater.

The other thing that is cool about this sweater is the construction. You actually knit the whole thing in one semi-flat piece. Then with some strategic folding and seaming along the arms it magically turns into a sweater. Genius I tell you. Genius.

Barter Marketplace - Round 2

2010-06-17T07:17:00.006-05:00

Here are the items I have available for barter. If you see something you like e-mail me. Thanks!

Vintage Coin Quilt
The one I make for you will be similar to the one in the photo, but smaller and with different vintage fabrics, depending on what I have in my stash. It is designed as a doll quilt, or wall art. I will include hanging pockets upon request.

Roomy Tote Bag
Fabric/color to be determined.

Homemade Strawberry or Tart Cherry Jam
Made with strawberries from a local farm, or cherries from the tree in our backyard. Jam will be ready after 4th of July and will be shelf stable for 12 mos.

Handknit Headband
One size. Limited selection of colors available. Button closure.

Handknit Earflap Hat
Newborn size only. The red is no longer available, limited selection of other colors.

Marketplace barter received!

2010-06-16T11:03:00.003-05:00

Look at what arrived in the mail for me last week!! It was a package full of goodies from my barter buddy over at This is Marzipan. In exchange for an earflap hat, she made me a lovely pair of felt baby booties. She also generously included a few other goodies: tea, thrifted yarn, a sachet. And just look at her embroidery! It's perfect in every way. Thank you so much!

Speaking of hand embroidery, I also scored an amazing strawberry tablecloth at a trash-and-treasure sale at our local church. It looks perfect on the backyard table - where we eat breakfast, lunch and dinner every chance we get in the summer months.

- - - - - - - - -
If you are interested in participating in a barter check here. I'll be posting my next round of items tomorrow.

In Awe

2010-06-12T17:29:00.008-05:00

I am writing this in awe of the amazing comments I received on my last post. What I thought were some general statements - random thoughts I needed to write down because they were present in my mind on that morning - turned out to resonate with so many of you. I appreciate all the support, encouragement, resources and additional thoughts you posted. It is a great conversation, one that I hope we can continue over time.

Almost immediately I went to the nytimes website and downloaded the femivore article. I read it with a fervor that I haven't read anything in a long time. Then I e-mailed it. To my husband. And I started talking about it. With everyone (well, every adult that is) I sat down with for more than 5 minutes. While being appropriately critical, the article also identified a growing movement - among women, mothers, feminists - that is supported by a unique and broad spectrum of people. I fancy that I am on that spectrum somewhere.

And I agree with all of you about choice. I also agree that in exercising choice I have to be careful to not trip over the trope of privilege.

Lastly, there is a statement about consumerism in all of this musing - I think Mary Frances pointed it out most succinctly. I started to feel this tension, as it relates to my knitting, around the beginning of the year. Maybe it was the constant shopping: for food, for the holidays, for three growing girls (and the serious lack of garage sales in Wisconsin in January), or maybe it was simply a recognition of all that I already have. But the decision to not buy yarn for a year has been a small exercise in acknowledging my own self-indulgent conspicuous consumption. The very act of buying, or not, is a part of this for me too.

Now, don't get me wrong. I shop the non-union grocery stores, I sporadically feed my kids non-organic frozen pizza and cheetos, and you will find me mindlessly pushing my cart through the aisles at Target. But we also have a CSA, thrive off our local thrift stores, and I often bake my own bread. So I think that each purchase has to be balanced between necessity, desire and value - whether that be struck in favor of what is the least stressful, the most enjoyable, the most community-focused, or the most economical is up to each of us. Again we return to choice.

I will return to knitting shortly, but wanted to write this post in appreciation of your comments and consideration. At the very least I'm really, really happy to know I am not alone in my thoughts. The photo is of my youngest daughters hand, stained red from picking strawberries yesterday. I imagine it is also my hand outstretched as a welcome to all of you.

The olden days, hand-me-downs, and some thoughts

2010-06-07T21:46:00.009-05:00

This past weekend DH and I took a long day away. We did a similar trip last summer too - maybe this will be a tradition for us? This year we hit the road and went west, toward the (say it with me...) M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i River.

We made many stops along the way, but our destination was Stonefield, a historic site dedicated to re-creating the agricultural life that dominated southwestern Wisconsin a century and a quarter ago. We mostly explored the rural farming village, wandering in and out of the blacksmith shop, the carpenter/undertaker shop, and the general store. Then, a small shop caught my fancy - the millinery. I loved stepping inside and seeing the fashion of yesteryear. Animal ethics aside, what I wouldn't give to wear a hat with a big feather sticking out the top!! And just check out those hat pins too. I loved looking at all the supplies in the shop, along with the homesteading staples found at the general store. For info. on the history of Clark's Mile End check here.

The following day a neighbor brought over a big box of hand-me-down clothes and inside was a lovely treasure - a hand knit sweater. I promptly asked my neighbor about the sweater, certain that it was in the box by mistake and she would surely want it back. But no, it was actually a hand-me-down to her from a friend and she said her friend didn't even recall where she picked it up.

The individual that made this sweater knew it would be worn by an active child and created it accordingly. The fit is snug, but not restrictive. The yarn is a washable wool. The buttons are securely fastened. Whoever made this also knew a thing or three about sweater construction - the seams and button bands are lovingly perfect. The design details and color are nice too; especially on my purple-loving girls.

Amazing that it should come to us on a cool, breezy summer day - the sweater was immediately worn and loved.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Some slightly incoherent, dis-jointed, and not necessarily on-point thoughts:

I could wax and wane here about the history of art, the history of craft, the handmade and homesteading. However, I think that in even considering these ideas, and sharing photos, I am saying a lot about what I value from the past and what those actions/ideas/lessons hold for us in the current day.

I don't knit clothes for my family because I have to; because my husband will get frostbite if he doesn't have decent wool stockings. I do it because it brings me joy and a sense of fulfillment. The same holds true in our home for woodworking, gardening, sewing and preserving. So why do we do it? Because the process of doing...making, making do, mending, creating...ties us to the physical process, and resulting tangible goods, from our predecessors. When we make it brings forth their art, which so often doubled as a necessity, and places it centrally in our lives.

Do I live a less 'authentic' life then they did? I think you could make the case that is true. I don't always wear/eat/use the things I create, which means I have time to make things I don't necessarily need. I do these things - the things they needed to do to survive - as a hobby and artistic expression. But that doesn't mean that I honor or enjoy them any less. Indeed, our life is the fuller because of it.

I remember sitting at our dinner table when I was a teenager and my Dad saying things like, "This broccoli [or insert any number of other vegetables here] is from our garden!" I rolled my eyes, smiled awkwardly, totally embarrassed by my Dad's happiness. What I didn't know! How foolish I was! Much to his dismay, I am sure, I am repeating his phrase at our own dinner table now.

Admittedly my contributions are small in comparison but I still can say, "This salad mix is from our garden" and it fills me with a similar sense of joy (pride?). I hope our girls will be spared my teenage ignorance. I hope they will come to value the handmade and handgrown that surrounds them. I hope they will understand that our society didn't spring out of nothing, fully formed, fully wired. That we are who we are because of those that came, struggled, persevered, and created, before us.

And lest I forget to mention it, much of what I enjoy, specifically knitting, has traditionally been termed 'women's work.' The kind of work that for generations has been considered oppressive and isolating, either due to the shear physical labor, or by the hidden and subjugated nature of it, by my academic colleagues.

And as a feminist scholar how to I reconcile the apparent contradiction in what I study and what I enjoy doing? I know there is a new movement underfoot, you can look here, here and here, and I think I am a part of it. But my scholarship and my craft don't intersect on paper or in my pocketbook; I don't write about my craft, nor do I profit from it. But I do both. I write about gender diversity, equity and inclusion, and I knit.

Melissa has also written about feminism and aprons. You can read her thoughts here.

Spring Reading

2010-05-27T10:05:00.006-05:00

The library has been very good to me lately. Just look at this pile of books, begging for hours of reading! And while my time has been divided between gardening, knitting and writing I have managed 20 minutes here and there to browse and dream. I am also one of those people that can't go to sleep without 30 minutes of reading beforehand so that is usually when I crack one of these open. Not in the photo is Wally Lamb's recent book - and that's because I've been reading it every spare moment I get.

With gardening I am trying to channel my energy into urban homesteading, edible landscaping and preserving. The vegetable garden is mostly in, the perennial beds are bursting with blooms and plans are in the works for a poulet chalet (ala The Backyard Homestead, which was a gift from my MIL). The herb garden is lovely, our fruits are flowering, and our CSA share will start arriving soon.

This is the second full summer in our house and we are slowly getting things to a place that we like. This spring we established a raised bed for the vegetable/kitchen garden, created a compost pile for yard waste (the one for food waste is too small for both) and installed a rain barrel. But, we have a huge overgrown bush-like thing growing in our front yard. It completely covers one half the house, so I'm not sure what we'll put in its place. It also hides a severely cracked window well, so we need something that will provide a screen for that, but I want something with more character than the nameless-overgrown-green mess that is currently there. Maybe arbor vitae? Boxwood? Containers with vegetables? This is the puzzle for this summer.

As for knitting, I can only take so much row after row after row of grey yarn (even though it is for my husband). So I've branched out and started two more projects. The fist is a pair of socks from Knitted Socks East and West, recommended to me by Melissa. The second is a colorful stash-busting baby surprise jacket. This one is will be made from worsted weight yarns, a combination or different colors to use odd balls I have hanging around. The pattern for the bsj is so easy to knit and lends itself really well to mixing and matching all sorts of different yarns. I wasn't expecting to knit another one of these again so soon, but it sure is fun.

I also recently accepted a part-time research position on campus that will help ease the final stages of my dissertation research and writing. My days will be more structured this summer, but hopefully that will also mean lots and lots of progress towards my degree.

FO: EZ's baby surprise jacket

2010-05-22T11:33:00.000-05:00

I finished my first baby surprise jacket. It lived up to all the hype. It was a great knit - perfect for travelling, easy to accomplish with a bit of help, and the finishing details were easy to complete. It took less than one skein of sock yarn. My only concern is that this jacket seems to run a bit narrow. All my kids were about as round as they were tall during the months when I expect a jacket this size to fit a babe, but oh well. I think this makes a delightful shower or newborn gift. I also wonder about making the arms longer...would that make the body wider? I might try to experiment with this technique the next time I knit it up. I could also try to thicker worsted weight yarn to get a bigger garment.

Not sure which baby or baby-to-be this is destined for, either. Those buttons haven't been attached, I only placed them for the photo. Maybe bright green or purple buttons would look good?

This is my second EZ knit for this year (first one here). Maybe I will try her mitered mittens next? There's a pair here and lots of pairs here to whet your EZ appetite.

Sweater for my husband

2010-05-15T08:25:00.003-05:00

Early on in my knitting I made a mistake, one that is common to many newbie knitters. I tried to knit an adult sweater as my second project. Ever.

During my first project, the requisite first-knitting-project-ever-scarf, I figured out the knit stitch, the purl stitch and achieved a reasonably even gauge. So I thought I was ready to move on to something bigger, and better. I had a faux confidence that outmatched my true abilities.

With my boyfriend in tow, I went to The Yarn Co. on Manhattan's upper west side, and in one afternoon spent more money on yarn and a pattern book than I had on food for the entire month. We went home, a few days later he flew back to Wisconsin and I was left in my apartment in NYC with a bag full of yarn (which, aside from my laptop, was the most expensive thing in my apartment), a pattern, and my needles. I dutifully cast on and tried to knit up the sweater.

The pattern was perfect for a beginner but in hindsight I didn't have the skills to finish that sweater. I didn't know anything about yarn and it's many personalities. I didn't know what blocking was, how to seam a garment, why shaping was important, how to bind off stitches, nor did I understand the supreme importance of achieving gauge. Those skills came piecemeal over the following years. And once our wedding plans were underway, and my move back to WI began, the un-finished sweater and yarn were packed up and put away. It went with us to our housing co-op, it went with us to Paris, it was with us during various home renovations. It hid in a plastic bag in a box in our bedroom closet as our family grew from two people to five.

Every now and again my husband would let a sarcastic comment slip. Usually something about my amazing knitting, but where was his sweater? Yes, he told me, the one I started in 2003. Yes, he assured me, the one that was sitting in a bag in a box in a closet. Yes, the one he was certain wouldn't fit him anymore, even if I did manage to finish it. And I started to feel really bad about it. That feeling prompted me to alternate: between pretending the project didn't exist anymore, and really wanting to drag it out and just finish it.

When I started my stash challenge I re-discovered the really nice yarn I bought oh-so-long-ago, the yarn that was destined to be his sweater. For not knowing anything about knitting at the time I picked out super nice sweater yarn! And I couldn't bring myself to re-use the skeins for a different project (every time I looked at it I saw him staring back at me) and so I decided to just start again. I decided to knit a new sweater for my husband.

I toured ravelry for a time and happened upon designs by Jared Flood, of
Brooklyn Tweed. They are incredible - one of the best designers of knitwear, especially mens' knitwear, around these days. So I unfurled one skein, wound it up into a ball, and cast on for cobblestone. My husband really likes the pattern, and there are a handful of other sweaters knit up in this particular yarn so I have an idea of what the end product will look like. It will suit him and his personality quite well.

I'm about 8 inches up from the waist and the project is moving along. I know I will run into difficulty when I hit the sleeves, but it won't be insurmountable. I now know things about gauge, shaping, binding off, casting on, and knitting in the round. That's not to say I always get them right, but I have the skills and the confidence to move on with a sweater in a way I didn't before. I know that I can finish this sweater.

I wish that I could speak of this sweater as a metaphor for larger lessons in life - but none are coming to mind at the moment. I know that I've always been the kind of person to bite of more that I can chew. But I muddle through and usually wind up with something to show for my efforts. And maybe this sweater is showing me that while I still tend to reach beyond, I am catching up with myself. Through life with my husband, our children and graduate school, I've learned patience; I've become a more patient person than I thought I could ever be. I've learned that there is time to accomplish dreams, but there are skills to be mastered along the way. And I've learned that if I slow down, just a little, I will enjoy the scenery more, and our destination is much the sweeter for having taken our time getting there.

This piece will be for him; for my husband. It has been a long wait my dear, I know. But I think you'll find it was worth the wait.

FO's: Barter Marketplace and Silent Auction

2010-05-11T13:53:00.006-05:00

Two quick projects are finished - what a sense of accomplishment! I get a great feeling from finishing larger projects, but quick, little things make you feel like a rockin' knitter.

The first is a cute, cute, cute blue earflap hat that went to Mary Frances (of This is Marzipan) as part of the Barter Marketplace. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - this is a great idea and if you are interested in participating get in touch with Melissa. Not only is it really fun for me to knit for others, but the exchanges among all of us have been very touching. Both of the women I've exchanged with live hundreds of miles from me, yet we each found a way to use the internet (and US postal service) to bridge our distance, share with one another and support each other in our craft.

This hat is knit in cotton and is machine wash and dryable (pattern found here). I also added a few extra rows on the back side of the hat to provide a bit of extra coverage along the neck.

The second is another milo vest (first one here) I knit up for our girls' preschool silent auction. The event is this Friday and I'm happy to report that the vest already has one bidder (and it's not even my husband). So exciting! This is the same machine washable wool/cotton blend yarn I used in a previous project. I added the cable detail for this one and like the way it dresses it up. I also really like the way this garment takes shape - it's knit from the top down and the arms magically appear with a few bound off stitches.

Breaking the rules

2010-05-06T12:20:00.001-05:00

"We're on vacation. It's a souvenir."
"I've been soooo good so far."
"All profits go to llama rescue efforts."
"I'm supporting small-scale, local businesses."

These were at least four of my thoughts when I was standing in front of the cash register.

In January I set a goal for myself: no new yarn purchases for 12 months. I should have seen my own downfall on the horizon after trading and selling for new yarns in March.

Rationalize it any-number-of-ways-to-Sunday, I fell off the wagon and bought myself some yarn.

We were out west on vacation last month and made a quick stop at a Flagstaff yarn store that carried locally-raised, hand-spun llama and llama/wool blend yarns from Azimuth Ranch. I picked up one skein (I didn't completely lose my senses) of this amazing local llama down/wool blend. Not sure what this yarn is destined to be, but I've added it to the stash and will enjoy looking at it for awhile.

In admitting my transgression I am reminded of this quote, "There is much to be said for failure. It is much more interesting than success."

FO: baby/toddler cardigan

2010-05-02T11:31:00.000-05:00

I can finally post about this little beauty! I knit it up in February, but since it was a gift for an expectant friend I couldn't reveal it until after the baby shower. The lovely (free!) pattern is Boheme, by Allegra Wermuth. You can find it on her blog, fiddlesticknitting.

I love this garment because it is so versatile. It will go from dress length, to tunic to sweater over the span of a few years. I knit it up with a washable, 100% merino wool, which will hopefully provide for years of carefree wearing.

It seems that with many of my projects I learn something new - and this one was no exception. I went to one of my LYS to pick out some special buttons and while I was there the saleswoman gave me some great advice for sewing in buttons. She suggested sewing a cheap-o plastic button on the backside of the garment, to anchor the facing buttons. You can see a photo of what I did below. I placed the nice button where I wanted it, sewed through it, through my fabric, and then through the plastic button. After going back the other direction I repeated this process until I felt the buttons were secure. Hopefully they won't fall off now. This is a brilliant technique that I plan to use again, especially for infant and toddler knitting. And with my growing stash of buttons there's no shortage of cheap plastic ones around here (smile).

WIP's Wednesday

2010-04-28T12:33:00.000-05:00

I have three projects on the needles. This is the most projects I've had going at one time in a long time.

First up, the Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise Jacket. I started this on our trip out west. It is a fantastic travel project: small, light, short directions and no need to change colors or cut yarn (unless you want to). No hurry to finish this one up. There seems to be a lot of interest in EZ's patterns this year - they seem to be everywhere I look.

Second, an earflap hat. This is my second barter for the marketplace. The earflaps are done and next is connecting, and creating, the main hat. I hope to have this one off in the mail to Mama-pan shortly!

Third, my contribution to the annual silent auction at our daycare/preschool. It is my second milo vest and I love this pattern even more this time around. I'm giving the cable detail a whirl and it's coming along nicely. I hope to have this one done by early next week.

It must be the spring weather that bribed me into all of these new projects: the promise of newness, the belief that anything is possible and all will be a success if given enough water and sunshine. I must have been under the same spell when I started planting the garden last week. As quickly as I put things in the ground my eager and earnest kids took them back out. At least they know not to unravel my knitting by now (a lesson that took 2+ years to teach, no less).

Barter for bibs

2010-04-27T11:13:00.007-05:00

Just before my trip I received a fantastic package in the mail. It was my first barter from Tigerlily Tinkering Barter Marketplace. Inside was a true treasure: seven bibs made from the most fantastic, modern, hip and sweet fabrics.

The bibs are expertly sewn,

with amazing button details,

and kid-friendly, super soft, flannel backing.

Thanks Melissa!

I really like the barter marketplace idea. Create something small (or big) for someone else and in exchange you can pick out something that you admire from another craftsperson. So simple and fulfilling.

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Lastly, thank you all so much for your words or kindness, support and joy on my last post. It means a lot to me.

FO: Very colorful art

2010-04-24T11:54:00.007-05:00

The pram blanket is done and I feel great. It really was the perfect project to help me heal and move forward again. And just looking at all that color makes me so happy!

Details on the pattern can be found here. It was a good stash-busting project, but I still have enough left-over sock yarn to make at least two more of these. I'm on the lookout for more left-over-sock-yarn projects...maybe striped spring/fall hats for the kids?

I was talking with my husband about this blanket and realized that this is more than a knitted blanket to me - it is a piece of art. Most things I knit are gifts, or items for my family and personal enjoyment. They are fun, lively, look great and (hopefully) wear well.

But this project was something different. It wasn't simply a knitting project, or a vehicle for meditative practice. It was and is artistic expression. I wanted to understand why I feel so different about this project: Is it the use of so much color? Is it the discordance in the colors themselves? Or is this project infused with an intensity of emotion in a way that my other projects typically aren't? I tend to think it's the latter.

Art, while arguably undefinable, is certainly charged with emotion. And I share with all of you that while simple in form and function, this is the most charged piece I've ever knit.

The needles pointed west

2010-04-19T23:14:00.004-05:00

I'll be back in this space again soon.

I've been knitting, but I also went here.

FO: Men's Vest

2010-04-10T22:02:00.001-05:00

I finished it!

And it fits him perfectly. It looks great; I'm so happy. The zipper was a bit more challenging than expected, but it's done. I machine sewed it to the vest and then hand sewed the ends with extra care. [The zipper came from Zippersource, a great place to order custom zippers!] For more info. on the project you can check ravelry or here.

The pattern is from an Australian knitting publication - which I borrowed from a friend - and the yarn is an undyed, locally-spun worsted weight wool. I learned a new cast-on technique and how to machine sew in a zipper. Overall a great project, but the challenge to finish was tough. It took under 750 yds. of yarn to knit, which made it an budget-friendly project too, but the zipper was an added expense.

If I were to knit the pattern again I would do an applied i-cord around the armholes as the Italian cast-off is difficult to manage and, I think, unnecessary there. The i-cord would give a nice finished look and match the detailing on either side of the zipper. I would also probably shave a few centimeters off the length of the neck/collar. It's pretty long.

Sweaters

2010-04-05T08:52:00.004-05:00

They picked out their own outfits yesterday morning. Dresses and sweaters. My jaw dropped when they all came downstairs, each wearing the sweater I'd knit especially for them. It was too sweet not to take a photo and share. Links to the red and purple sweaters here and here, and the blue here. I'm happy to report that after multiple adventures, washings and general wear-and-tear they are holding up well (the kids, and the sweaters!)

FO: Baby vest

2010-04-03T13:42:00.001-05:00

Another baby gift crossed off the list. I think I've almost got them all done. This little cutie is Milo by tikki. The pattern is fantastic: clearly written, lots of size variations and 5 different cable details to choose from. I decided to skip the cable detail for this one as the color is so vibrant. I feared the detail would be lost. The next vest I knit up will be in a solid color and I'll definitely add the cable. It really gives the vest a polished look.

I used a worsted weight wool for this one and think it's sized for 9-18 mos. I'm not good at estimating yardage, but I think it took about 150 yds. of yarn. As always details can be found on ravelry.

Stash enhancement w/o a yarn budget

2010-03-29T10:34:00.001-05:00

So, I'm three (almost four!) months into my personal stash challenge and I found two opportunities to get some new yarn without spending any new money.

First, I sold a skein of discontinued Rowan yarn on ravelry and was able to put that money towards a new skien of locally spun and handpainted yarn. I found 340 yds. of this lovely blue 3-ply light worsted weight yarn at a local lambing event. I can't wait to match it to a fun project.

Second, I had an opportunity to do some trading with a fellow knitter. I picked out three yarns from my stash that I thought she would enjoy and she picked out out a couple skeins for me along with a request that if I need something in the future to be sure to ask her. One skein was a great all-purpose washable cotton in a bright, light blue. The other is this lovely grey cotton/wool tweed sock yarn with flecks of peach and blue. Not sure if I'll actually use it for socks - it would make a great baby vest, sweater or hat - but I'm happy to have it in my collection. She had even knit up a gauge swatch so I could see how the fabric will look.

Lastly, here's a photo of one of the baby lambs we saw during our morning at the farm. It's spring around these parts!

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Lastly, thanks to all for your kind words and thoughts. As the blanket grows I'm starting to feel better. The sun it out today and it's going to be summer-like warm this week. Monday morning is looking pretty good from here.

In need of some color comfort

2010-03-25T13:13:00.004-05:00

Our family received some very sad news early this week. I won't go into details - I try to keep this blog mostly about my craft - but it sent me in search of some comfort. I happened upon this zig zag pram blanket project/pattern in ravelry awhile back and was drawn to it now, while searching for something to help me through this tough time.

A simple project; the same stitches and pattern over and over again. A focused project; searching for, sorting and loving my left-over sock yarn. A bright project; something to remind me that the sun always rises. A colorful project; I can change colors to suit my mood. A meditative project; to help me process, reflect and heal.

The bonus is that this is a fantastic stash busting project! I think this would also make a fun scarf, or lap blanket in worsted weight yarn. Either could easily be done by increasing or decreasing the number of pattern repeats and/or needle size. I also happened upon another great stash-busting project for 100% wool worsted weight left overs: oven mitts [look on the last page of the book preview]. I'm sure you'll see one of two of these from me before the year is out.

The aliens have landed!

2010-03-23T09:18:00.007-05:00

Awhile back Melissa and I arranged a barter through her fabulous marketplace. She asked for a crayon roll for her son's birthday. Here's what I sent off in the mail last week.

It was much smaller than the pencil rolls I have worked on, so it took some tinkering to get the dimensions just right, but I think it turned out really well. The only hitch was that I intended to make one sized for the large-size triangle crayons. But when I tested them out they didn't behave well in a roll and were awkward to carry around. I had more success when I downsized to the regular-sized triangular crayons. I hope it loves it.

My favorite part is the exterior fabric. The aliens look so fun and friendly!

FO: EZ baby sweater on two needles

2010-03-15T10:32:00.006-05:00

What a darling sweater. I've been hearing about this Elizabeth Zimmerman sweater for some time. In my mind it resides up on a pedastal with her other popular patterns: the baby surpirse jacket, the tomten and her EPS system for perfectly-fitting swaters.

This was my first attempt at a EZ pattern and I really liked it. The directions are short and spare. The whole sweater pattern is sketched out in just two paragraphs. What I loved is that it let my knitting skills shine. I read the pattern and understood exactly how the whole thing was going to go together. I had all the necessary skills to knit this up. It was sort of like a mini knitting quiz. And I passed.

My only complaint about this little sweater stems from my own (mis-)caluculations and worries about fit. I had read some comments on ravelry that the arms seemed to run a bit narrow, so I decided to compensate for this by going up a needle size for the body and arms of the sweater. This did result in a roomier sweater, but unfortunately the sleeves are bell-shaped. It still looks cute, almost like the sweater was designed that way, but when I knit it again - and I will! - I will stick to one needle size for the whole garment.

The other modification was that I omitted the gull lace pattern that is supposed to be on the body and arms of the sweater. Since I'm not sure if this little one is going to a yet-to-be born boy or girl I thought this would be a nice compromise. I love the look and color and think it will suit either nicely. The buttons are hand-carved coconut and sewn on with matching thread.

The yarn is a warm and cuddly alpaca that I received from a swap last year. And believe it or not I knit up this sweater with about 10 inches of yarn to spare. I have to say that I am loving my stash-busting efforts. It is a bit more work. Ok, it's a lot more work. I used to see a pattern I loved and wander (run) down to my LYS and get what I needed to knit up my project. Now I am resolved to working from what I have. I need to consider my fiber, yardage and color first - then hunt down patterns that will work with what I've got. I've been doing pretty well so far and have another three projects lined up based on yarn I already have. I may just make it through this year without any new yarn purchases afterall!!

Tigerlily Tinkering Barter Marketplace

2010-03-07T19:18:00.005-06:00

Melissa over at Tigerlily Tinkering has set up a cool barter marketplace on her blog. I'm going to jump in and join. Here are the items I have available for barter:

Earflap hat (sized newborn up to 2 year old, assorted colors)

Colored pencil/crayon roll (colors can be customized)

Handknit shawl (in the colorway shown in the photo).

Baby bonnet (size 9-18 mos., assorted colors)

If you are interested join up! And if you'd like to barter, drop me a line: bethmocallaghan@gmail.com

Sneak Peak

2010-03-01T13:03:00.004-06:00

A sneak peak of what I've been working on. Another baby gift - but this one is for someone that reads this blog so I can't show much of it here. She's also on ravelry so I can't divulge any details just yet.

I've also hit a strange stumbling block with the vest. I'm scared to sew in the zipper. There, I said it. I am scared. I've read more than I care to repeat about sewing in zippers for knitted garments, and I should just sit down and start doing it. But something is holding me back. My fear of failure? My fear of ruining something so beautiful? Maybe it's that I love the yarn and I don't want to let it go...once that zipper is in it's gotta be sent to it's rightful owner.

Maybe now that I've written it down - confessed if you will - I can go in the other room, pick it up and start dealing with my zipper issues.

Holiday Gift Monday: The post that was

2010-02-08T17:54:00.003-06:00

This post was supposed to be the final one in the series. But, that was before some left-over birthday cheesecake, a sinus infection and the kids conspired against me.

This last gift is still unfinished and I had been using this posting date as my deadline. Obviously, I blew it out of the water. I don't say this with shame, knitting something beautiful (and big) takes a long time. I know that. It's just that I planned to be done with the vest by today and it didn't work out. Maybe I should blame those adorable baby hats from the last post? So, I will delay photos and more discussion until it is done and you can see it in all it's blocked, and finished glory. It's going to be beautiful.

More Earflap Hats

2010-02-04T12:55:00.004-06:00

Here's two more off the needles. They are so easy and quick to make! One is in a beautiful sage green and the other is a nice chocolate brown with a purple/blue argyle pattern. They are both sized for 9-18 mo. old babes. The sage green hat is 100% wool, and the argyle hat is a combination of wool and acrylic, so it can be washed and dryed in the machine without worry. Not sure who the recipients of these hats will be yet.

The argyle hat was my first return to color knitting since I finished my mittens. It went well, so it seems that I've got the hang of two- and three-color knitting in worsted weight yarns. Now it might be time to tackle some in fingering weight. One thing I can't figure out is how to keep my colors from twisting all around each other. I don't mind on small projects like this, but if I were to ever tackle a larger project I'd definitely want to get it under control. Any advice from other knitters out there? Do bobbins work?

My neighbor brought her newborn by for a quick visit last week. The newborn-sized red hat fits her perfectly!

Holiday Gift Monday: These are for me!

2010-02-01T09:23:00.003-06:00

This lovely stack of books were given to me by various family members for the holidays. I'm enjoying lots of time with each of them over my morning coffee.

I had gotten the Sara Foster cookbook and the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving from the library this past fall and loved them. I'm so happy to have them as part of my own library. The other three books are new to me, but they are astounding. I can't wait to give some of the Eco Crafts a try and the knitting book is a lovely reference with some great patterns and designs. The gardening book, The Earth Knows My Name, is an incredible essay on gardening and immigration.

We are coming to the end of the holiday gift series, only one more handmade gift to share next week. I definately cut back on my handmade/homemade gifts this year, and, I admit I was less stressed in the end. This year, in many ways, our home was literally a gift; hosting our whole family under one roof for two special nights.

In addition to what I crafted, I also purchased one gift on etsy (a holiday Sesame Street themed polar fleece blanket), gave one gift of fabric from the local fabric shop (two yards of Amy Butler) and gave away lots and lots of homemade yum (cherry jam, biscotti and homemade apple pie filling). And, as an alternative to homemade, I tried my best to purchase store-bought gifts locally. With only four gifts (2 books and 2 gift cards) coming from big box stores I definately fulfilled my 3/50 goal for December.

ps. Happy 33rd Birthday to me!

FO: TTL Mystery Sock KAL '09

2010-01-29T11:48:00.002-06:00

I finished these lovely socks early one morning last week. They were supposed to be done last year; they were part of the '09 Mystery Sock Knitalong (blogged here), hosted by Through the Loops. But life and the holidays got in the way. In the end they turned out great in two ways, and not so great in one other.

I ran out of the yarn while knitting these and had to bring in a third skein. The colors match perfectly [great!]. But they were different yarns. The two skeins I started with - purchased on sale last year - were six-ply. I knew this would mean a pretty thick sock, but hey, they were on sale.

The third skein I found from a seller on ravelry was a 4-ply, which I didn't realize until I received it in the mail. It is more like a standard sock yarn, and it's definitely thinner than the two skeins I started with. So the socks are thick up to the toes and then thin out [not so great]. Not sure how this will wear, but I think it will be fine. And really it's the kind of thing that only a knitter would notice.

The yarn, obviously, shows off the stitch pattern really well [great!]. It is so clear, and beautiful. There is no missing the artistry and genius in the pattern for this pair of socks. If you want to knit your own pair you can find the pattern here.

Only nine more months to go until the next Mystery Sock Knitalong [great!].