little buds

I have been knitting this cozy sweater over the past few weeks. It is for S and the yarn is Drops Lima- a combination of alpaca and wool. I know I knit for her a lot but, I just can't help it....there are so many cute girls patterns. I like the little swing shape of this one. I let her choose the color which is a nice color for her though if it was my choice I would have chosen a grey or grey-green likely.

Now that we are here in Winter my mind already skips ahead to spring (I know, a long way off) so knitting a sweater named Little Buds seems just right.

truly madly deeply

Truly Madly Deeply is the name of this shade of the ever so lovely Madelinetosh Dk. I fell in love with Nadia's version and have been really into knitting hats lately. This was made as a Winter Solstice present.

I knew it would be a pleasure to knit since it has really nice construction and is a bit different then usual so it was finished very quickly.

This is child size for my four year old but, it also is available for a doll, newborn and toddler.


I hope to check in next week but, if not wishing you all Happy Holidays!

winterwoods ABC x-stitch sampler

All finished and framed. Now to find the perfect place for it. This cross stitch really was a lot of fun.

peter pan

Another project I made from Frolic-blog back in October was the tiered Peter Pan collar also by Hetterson. I used two Liberty fabrics for this one. I have also used this tutorial for both my daughter and I. She really loves wearing this and I think the fact we have matching ones doesn't hurt.

Here she is wearing hers over the weekend.

If you are looking for a quick sewing project for yourself or to make as a gift I like both of these very much.

speckled hat

I made myself a speckled hat designed by Hetterson found on Frolic-blog.
I used Malabrigo yarn - the color is called Sealing Wax & a little leftover white merino that I had on hand. I do love Quince and Co. and would highly recommend it for this project. I will knit this again soon maybe in a navy.

nani iro quilt

A lap size quilt in cotton gauze hand quilted in matching threads just finished.I love the deep saturation of the colors on the front. All Nani Iro fabrics.

agnes

My latest finished piece is this pullover knit from a pattern called Agnes by Melissa LaBarre. This was knit fairly quickly over the past week in spurts. I've had the yarn for two years and it was meant for another project but, I was never sure about how much I would wear the sweater and since I just wasn't feeling the chunky knit cable cardigan pattern I finally decided I needed to put this yarn to use with a different design.

I tend to like a more simple stockinette when using a heavy yarn in a sweater so this pattern was perfect. I liked the cute pockets that are a part of the design but for me I didn't think they would look great. I didn't want to add any bulk to the waist/hip area. I also increased a little after the underarms because I was afraid it would be too tight in the bust which turned out fine.

The end result:
I like the fit a lot and will definitely wear it. The yarn which is Plymouth Yarn Baby Alpaca Grande was really nice to work with and soft too.

advent calendar

I always wanted to make an advent calendar for the kids but, just never made the time for it and when I saw this kit I knew it would be the one. I love the little drawers and the limitation of putting something tiny in each box. I love tiny! It could be a note stating a fun activity for the day, a piece of chocolate or a little toy that they find each day. So far, it has been toys and chocolate.

This kit is fun to put together. It requires some sanding and then you have to assemble each box with glue. You then need to collage, paint or glitter the front of each one and attach the numbers. I like that the inside is free to decorate in different ways. I have been playing with a few designs but, I am pretty happy with this for now.

The kit is made by Kaisercraft.
Thanks to Amy who found this kit and inspired me.

a rainbow

I knitted up another Fjord and Snöflinga for a few of my friends as holiday gifts recently. Knitting and handwork is the soothing kind of work my soul needs even more right now during this season.

I am half way done with a sweater for me that I hope to finish this week. I am using the pattern Agnes but modifying it a bit.

I've always considered Sunday to be the start of a new week and after yoga class which ended with tears yesterday I am hoping to hold less stress inside. I made a felt ball garland in the evening hours yesterday.

I really needed a rainbow.

a cranberry girl dress

A cranberry girl dress from the much loved book Peter in Blueberry Land.
I have been wanting to make this for a long time and she has been asking for one for a few years so I am happy I finally can cross this off the list.

I didn't use a pattern or follow any sort of directions which worked out fine. I purposely made it a bit longer for growing room. I decided to put a zipper in the back from the halfway point of the bodice up and I used white muslin and lightweight cotton in red for the dress. The bonnet I made a few years back. I know she will enjoy playing dress up with it. She was quite excited to put it on.

S has quite the imagination and really likes to create stories, talk to her dolls and animals and draw pictures all day. I can totally see her making up her own little books soon enough. Her favorite craft is her letters which she makes daily. She draws a picture (this morning it was clown hats) and then folds it up and then makes an envelope for it all out of construction paper and delivers it to the lucky person. I love waking up to something handmade by her. It is a really nice way to start the day.

old fashioned sheep toy

This hand knit sheep toy was requested by the littlest of the house. It is a very nice cuddly sheep. I like the pattern a lot and found it through Ravelry. There are also instructions to make it into a pull toy which would be a lot of fun as well.

The boy has actually requested a hand knit sweater that says "I love Mom." Can you believe it? I asked if I made it would he wear it to school to which he replied 'No, but I will wear it on very cold winter days when I am not at school.'

iPad cover

I finished up this iPad case the other day made from directions from The Liberty Book of Home Sewing. There are so many nice projects in this book. I had the materials for this one on hand but, there are many other I would like to try someday.
It is cotton canvas, lined with Liberty and has a cotton binding. The Liberty fabric is from the lifestyle collection.


In other news,

-Colette Dinnigan released a beautiful line of ballet leotards, dresses and tutus through Target AU today. See here. I would love to get my hands on the white dress and sequin bolero but, it seems you can't buy online here and I can't find a list of the stores that carry it. Our car is in the shop this morning but, maybe I can check ours later today. The collection is really dreamy and I am dying to buy some pieces for my daughter.

-I started a cranberry girl dress for Scarlet. Amy made one and Scarlet has wanted one for a long time. We love love the book Peter in Blueberry Land which is where the idea hails from. I would like to make Matthew a 'Peter' outfit but, not sure he would love it as much as S will.

- I am almost finished with my cross stitch sampler.

- holiday knitting/making has begun. One project finished last night.

- Matthew is seven! He had a great birthday last week and we celebrated him at school and with a bowling party over the weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

liberty case

A little pouch sewn up in Liberty fabric to hold cards or phone in my purse.

snöflinga

Snöflinga(which means snowflake) hat pattern by Jenny Gordy. This time I knit it up in Brooklyn Tweed in the color Faded Quilt. I like this pattern as much as Fjord. It is simple to knit and has a great result. The bobbles are fun to make too.

I have a few more skeins of the Brooklyn Tweed to be made into two more hats for the holidays. The yarn was purchased in the city over the weekend. I had a total of 5 minutes in the store as we were in a bit of a rush after a trip to the Children's Museum of the Arts.

scalene

Scalene by Carina Spencer in Dirty Water Dyeworks, Bertha in colors, chocolate raspberry and dahlia.

This is a asymmetrically shaped scarf that is made unique through the addition of a keyhole pocket to slide one point into. I like that the designer included directions for three different weights of yarn. Mine is a sock weight yarn. The only changes I made were that I omitted a few rows at the end and opted for a solid strip rather than a second band of stripes. The original has a large band of stripes, a middle solid and then a second band of stripes. I was introduced to this pattern and wool at the Sheep and Wool Festival and this is my first project from the wool I bought there. There are a few little mistakes from when i was knitting in the blackout but, other then that I think it looks nice. I can think of lots of pretty color combinations that would be quite striking for this pattern. The yarn is pretty scrumptious too.

alphabet sampler

I am working on the alphabet sampler by Alicia Paulson. I decided to start it the day I read about her adopting a baby girl a few weeks ago. I was so happy when I read the news on Alicia's blog. Hers was one of the first I read years ago. The kit had been sitting around for a few months now so I was happy for the excuse to start something new. I forgot how fun cross stitch is. I am up to the 'teacup' now which is next to the letter 't.'

into the light

Hi!

Our power was restored after 8 days and nights yesterday. I honestly felt like I was at a luxury hotel just being at home last night. There is so much we do in the modern world that one does not even think about it being special. The worst part of it was the cold because it got pretty darn cold in the house at night.

It really does make one thankful for all the little things you take for granted- blow drying your hair which normally seems like a pain, a working cappuccino maker, a toaster, a clock, being able to see in the dark....

At night I was knitting a shawl under blankets with candles next to me and a flashlight. There will be a few minor mistakes in it due to the lack of the light but, I will leave them to remind me of this later on when I might forget to be thankful for the small things. After all, we have so much and there were and are so many much worse off.