Big Plans, Little Time

There are so many things I need to do right now! I go through the list in my head, adding things as I think of them, and suddenly it becomes an endless book. A List of Infinite Tasks. I get overwhelmed just thinking about it. There are all these things I want to accomplish in my short time on this planet, and, yes, I am referring to my crafty things. One thing I have been itching to do is quilting. Well I can almost check that off my list! Check this baby out!

This is a play mat to put on the floor for my little nephew. He's just learning to roll and his tummy time mat is too small and slippery for him to get that fat little body turned around. He should have a much easier time on this fun jungle theme quilt! I still have to bind off the edges. Is that the right term? Bind off? My brain goes to knitting terminology right away. It doesn't know any better. Anyway, I can't wait to see that baby wiggle around on this!

I am forever working on this little man's sweater. I swear I'm almost done! It just needs a collar and to be seamed up. He will have it before winter is through! Next comes a hat for him. That will be a fast knit. And after that another baby blanket. He loves being wrapped up and cuddled and is currently favoring his great Nana's knit blanket. My mother requests another to be made. The yarn is already in my possession.

So away I stitch!

Rip Rip Rip.......

The new year has begun and I'm feeling inspired.  Let's get motivated here, people!!!  A fresh start!  WEBS has started a nice feature on their blog called 31 Days to get Organized and I'm ready to follow step by step.  God knows I need the help!  2012 has proved to be fruitless.  I feel like I haven't churned out enough projects and I think my terrible organization skills are to blame.
The first day of this organizational challenge is all about listing the good and the bad; what works for you and what needs improvement.  The things that work for me are my designated craft corner in my apartment, my filing system for my patterns, my inspiration bulletin board, easy access to my desk and printer, and I am a wonderful list maker!  I also organize my yarn in wonderfully large boxes and keep them stored on shelves from IKEA.  And now for the bad.  I have trouble finishing projects.  I'm sure a lot of us crafters have this problem (please tell me I'm not alone!), whether it's getting bored with something or just having the itch to start something fresh.  That leads me to my other problem.  I have too many projects going at one time.  I get distracted easily so having too many things going makes me overwhelmed.  Once I lose interest in a project I might as well frog it because I can never get back that rhythm.  That's also my problem with blogging.  I need to dedicate time working on this or I'll go missing for 3 months again!  Sticking to a schedule has always been a challenge for me in all parts of my life.
The second day of this challenge is going through your WIPs and deciding to keep or frog!  This is a scary task!  The time and emotions that go into making each project can really mess with your head sometimes.  I spent a lot of time on what I thought would be my first completed sweater only to realize today that the fit is all wrong.  In my heart I felt this coming.  This is my third sweater attempt gone wrong.  As sad as it makes me to tear this apart, I know it must be done.  Rip, rip rip........  Now as for my other projects, I have a baby sweater, two embroideries, a summer baby quilt, a baby bib, and a baby hoodie to embellish.  That's enough projects going!  No more!  As far as knitting goes, I think one project is all I can handle at a time.  Sewing projects will probably be handled one at a time as well.  Embroidery seems to be a little easier to pick up randomly.
The third day is an extension on the WIPs. They give great tips on how to handle all those projects and still stay organized.  I really suggest everyone reads those posts.  It is truly valuable information that can help you out!
Day four is about storing your WIPs.  I have my knitting and embroidery in separate project bags.  The sewing projects are just hanging out together but it seems to be ok.  All the filled project bags and sewing are stored in a big blue basin atop a shelf.  This seems to be working for me.  When I'm feeling crafty, down comes the bin.  Then I can decide what type of crafty I'm feeling.  Somedays I feel like knitting, other days can be sewing.  What ever strikes my fancy that day!  I love that all my craftiness seems to be needle related!
If you want to know what day five is then I suggest you click on over to WEBS blog!  Even if you think you have your organizing skills down I think it's a good idea to check out a different take on it.  Maybe you'll find something that could work better than what your doing!  And, gosh darn it, you deserve the best.
Can I just add I totally treated myself to an iPad mini with my Christmas gift cards.  Surprisingly that little device makes me want to blog and get organized!  It also makes me spend ridiculous amounts of money on electronics that I can live with out, but oh well!  It's so damn cute!
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and a spectacular New Year.  Here's to a brighter year!

Baby Monkey!

Ok.  It's a little late but my new little nephew is finally here!!  He's become quite the little star around here getting lots of attention.  I'm not just saying this because he's blood, but he is soooooooo freakin' adorable!!!!!!!!  He's a good little guy and we're over the moon about him.  I could gush about him for hours but I might make you nauseas.  

So, moving on to the crafty side of life, embroidered baby monkey onesie is complete!  I had such a sense of urgency to finish it 2 weeks ago so I busted out those last stitches.  It's a good thing I did because my sister went into labor that night.

See, I gave him smaller eyes.  Those big pupils were a little scary so the downsize was necessary.  I didn't want to scare the baby!  There were so many strings and lumps and bumps on the inside, I was nervous it might irritate sensitive baby skin so I covered it up.  I cut out a patch from a soft white cotton t-shirt and stitched around the little monkey body.  I did that after I took these photos but you probably wouldn't have noticed those little white stitches anyway.

I'm really happy I ventured off into embroidery.  It's so enjoyable to me.  It's an easy way to add personal flare to a piece of clothing.  Satin stitch can be a pain but I love the way it looks.  It's basically coloring with string!  How cool is that?!

Now, I know I promised pictures of my beautiful completed sweater, but I have some bad news for you.  After I bound off the shoulders and added the rib around the neck I tried it on.  And it fell off.  Really.  It fell off my shoulders  and down to my waist.  My boat neck was an epic fail.  So naturally I cried.  After wiping my tears, I stuffed it back in the bag and refused to look at it.  Yesterday I was brave and ripped out the ribbing and binding.  It's not a total loss.  Just a couple more rows to go and then the bind off.  I'm still undecided on the sleeves.  The pattern has short sleeves that fall off the shoulder.  I was thinking about picking up those stitches and making long sleeves.  Lets get that neckline right first.

Nothing else is on the needles at this point but I feel a baby sweater is near.  When Webs was having a sale I stocked up on Cascade 220 Superwash.  It's time for that yarn to see the light of day.  Wish me knitting luck on my boat neck.  I'm going to need it.

All About Baby

These past few weeks have been dedicated to baby crafting!  It's all about baby! My little nephew should be here any day so I've been frantically stitching away at projects.  This Brooklyn Tweed Shale Baby Blanket took quite a bit of time to complete but it was totally worth it.

It's actually quite big.  It should be perfect when his crib is converted into a toddler bed.  I highly recommend this pattern.  It's beautiful and classic and very easy to stitch up.  The repeats are so easy to remember (and this is coming from someone with a TERRIBLE memory!), so it's perfect for some mindless TV knitting, but there is just enough difficulty to keep it from getting boring.

The scalloped edge and lace detail is pretty but not girly.  I think it is boy or girl appropriate.  This would look good in any color and is beautiful enough to keep and pass down in the family.

I did a couple of fast baby projects as well.  You can't get much easier than decorating a store bought onesie.  I decided to make him some formal attire.  I bought a stack of fun fat quarters from A.C. Moore and picked out a cute red square with little blue asterisks to use as a neck tie and bow tie.

I've been on a huge Doctor Who kick so I snuck in some #11 humor.  My sister might not get the reference but it'll give me a nice chuckle every time I see him decked out in his Who gear.  Besides, bow ties are cool.

I started on the last 3 month sized onesie.  I had this little monkey I drew for my sister's baby shower but never used it.  I thought this would be the perfect way to display it.

Since taking these photos, I've decided to make the eyes tiny so the next photo shot will be a little different.  Hopefully this will be finished before he grows out of it!!  I have 6 month sized onesies sitting around waiting to get embellished but those can sit on the back burner for now.  A bib has been sitting idle for awhile waiting for some trim and velcro as well.  An Auntie's job is never done!

Next post I hope to showcase my very first finished sweater!  It's not actually finished right now but it's soooooo close.  I'm looking forward to Autumn just so I can wear it.  I'm looking forward to Autumn for thousands of reasons but that one is running through my head right now.  It's my favorite season for sure.

Happy crafting!

Baby Bam!

I just wanted to share one of the cute little onesies I embellished for my sister's baby.  

It's an old school batman inspired patch I made from felt and embroidery floss.  It was surprisingly fast to whip this up.  The most time consuming thing was the black piped edging.  It was the first time I've used this kind of finishing stitch.  I think it's called couching.  You take two or more strands of floss and lay them on top of the material.  Then with another strand of floss, stitch those strands in place around the design.

I'm a little nervous how it's going to wash up so I took pictures before.  It should be washed soon.  If the results are good then I'll start on making more fun patches.

Making baby stuff really is a lot of fun.  Everything is just so darn cute and little.  Little also means less time to make which is always a good thing!

Happy crafting!

Weekend Whirl Wind

What!?  Time is on fast forward!  This entire month flew by so quickly.  My sister's baby is almost done baking.  Only 7 more weeks left!  Or maybe less if he decides to come early.  We had an insane weekend of her wedding and her baby shower that left me with very little time to work on my knitting, crafting and blogging.  

 The wedding turned out beautiful.  My other sister made the dress and it came out perfect.  I'm not much of a seamstress but I'm sure it's not easy making a maternity dress that can fit that ever growing belly.

Me and my sisters.

My duty was gluing ribbon on to the headband to match her pink sash.  Yeah, it took a whopping 5 minutes.  But I also had to style her hair so at least I did something!  I'm a hairstylist so it was expected.

headband shot!

 

hair shot!

My second duty was the bouquet.  I picked out the three colored flowers and arranged them.  I have no clue what kind of flowers they were but they were beautiful and held up amazingly.  They're still looking good and it's 4 days later!  My other sister tied the pink ribbon around so I can't take credit for that.  

the bouquet

My third duty was centerpieces.  I was searching on Pinterest for the prefect centerpieces and I found this great idea.  Painted mason jars in different shades of pink.  EASY!  I was looking forward to sloshing all that pink paint in the glass jars but my mom got to it first.  They came out lovely and it was really a fast process.  The only regret was that we used a water based paint instead of an oil base.  After a few ours with a couple inches of water for the flowers, the paint started to break up a little.  It wasn't too noticeable but lesson learned.  We used cheap filler babies breath for the larger mason jars and big puffs of hydrangeas for the smaller jars.  

Painted mason jar centerpieces.

Of course the fourth duty was the most important one!  I had the honor of marrying them!  That's right! I got ordained online and registered with the city so it's completely legit.  I actually offered to do it more as a joke but my sister seemed to like the idea more than I expected.  I couldn't say no!  I searched online for ideas for the ceremony and we put together a heart felt ceremony that included readings by my other sister and the groom's sister.  When I actually had to get up there and start the ceremony I was shaking like a leaf!  I was very close to passing out because of my nerves!  That would have been terrible.  Memorable, but terrible!  Luckily no one noticed but the happy couple.  I'm definitely relieved that it's done with and will not be officiating at anymore weddings!

The baby shower was the next day but we were so busy hosting the party that I forgot to take pictures!  Our guests should be sending those soon so I'm really looking forward to those shots.  Especially our poopy game!  We played Guess That Poop!  You take a few diapers and melt chocolate bars in them and your guests have to guess what candy bar is in each diaper.  It was definitely disgusting but a ton of fun.  Hopefully I can share those photos with you soon!!  This weekend turned out great because we all chipped in our time and craftiness.  Even the grooms family joined in!  I have to show off those adorable monkey centerpieces for the shower!

Now it's back to crafting.  I'm so very close to finishing the baby blanket and I'm half way through my sweater.  I'll share more on those soon along with a few other projects I'm working on.  

Happy crafting!!

Lazy Days

Seriously?  What happened?  I kind of fell off the face of the Earth there.  Well, I have once again returned to Earth and I'm ready to get back into the string of things.  I thought today would be a great day to lounge about and blog considering I'm feeling under the weather.

Now, just so you know, I haven't been sitting on my butt this whole hiatus!  I've been busy.  Don't believe me?  Then check these babies out!

Look at that fit!  Snug as a bug.  I got a little antsy to finish them by the time I turned the heel so I decided to make them ankle socks.  I had plenty of yarn left but my laziness got the better of me.  All in all, this was an easy knit.  I definitely will be knitting more socks in my future.

I wish I could have gotten a better shot of the cables but the variated colors are a little distracting.  They wash up well which makes me extremely happy!  I was very concerned about machine washing and drying them but they held up well.  Anytime I wash my hand knits I get nervous, whether hand washing or machine.  I try to follow the washing instructions as best I can but there is always a feeling of impending doom.  All those hours of work can be completely unraveled with one little snag or shrunken into oblivion with the tiniest bit of agitation.  I'm going to get an ulcer with all this washing!!

Oh, finishing my socks aren't enough for you?  Aren't you hard to please.  Ok then.  One more for you.

Thats right!  I blocked this sucker real good.  Well, good enough anyway.  I probably could have done a little bit more stretching but honestly, I was scared!  I thought i was going to pop a stitch for sure!  Once it was all pinned in place I realized I had nothing to worry about and I could've pushed it a little farther but I was also running out of room on my floor.

I'm so happy with this shawl.  Brooklyn Tweed has a fan for life.  I've been wearing it so much that I feel a little guilty for ignoring all my others scarves and shawls.  I know for a lot of people lace knitting seems daunting but I absolutely love it.  It can be frustrating and challenging but it's always worth it in the end when you hold it up and marvel at what you've accomplished.  I can only imagine how one would feel if it was there own pattern!  I'm not ready for that yet.  I'm just starting to understand the different constructions.

Ok, that's not all I did but I don't have the photos to back it up.  More to come on my sister's baby blanket and a new sweater I started!

Oh and just to put this out there, I got my learners permit.  That's right.  I'm just a few steps from operating a large metal driving machine.  Be afraid.......  Be vey afraid.

Noble Lion.

It's done!  It's finished!

Finally!!  I've finished my lion embroidery!  Considering how many projects I have going at once, I'm surprised it actually got done.  This was my first t-shirt embroidery.  I was really nervous how it was going to stitch up on such stretchy material but I was really careful of my tension.

Now that Mr. Lion is done, what's to stitch now?  Well, now comes the baby projects!  My sister's little belly has popped big time!  That little baby is growing fast!  August doesn't seem that far away with all this nice weather we've been having on the East Coast.  I bought a bunch of baby acrylic yarn a while back but never made anything with it.  So what can I do to eat up this big stash?  Blanket!!!  I cast on Brooklyn Tweed's Shale Baby Blanket  right away.  It's a shame that I'm knitting it with plain ole acrylic. I hope it still shows off the beautiful details of this blanket.  But I know my sister.  She is the Queen of Shrink!  At least I won't have to worry about her shrinking this blanket into a tiny little square.  

Did I mention my new needles that I'm using?  No?  Well!  I treated myself to Knit Picks Options Interchangeable Nickel Plated Circular Knitting Needle Set!  And it really is a treat.  They knit like budda!  And who doesn't love the price?  I also got blocking wires and blocking mats from Knit Picks as well.  My McGyver wires didn't turn out so well after all and I've been sitting on my unblocked Rock Island Shawl for months.  My shawl is currently taking a bath as I type waiting to be stretched and pulled.  

Oh, my socks.  Right....   Still not done.  But i'm sooooooo close!  So close that I didn't even bother taking a progress shot.  Heels are turned and a few inches in to the ankle.  I tried them on already just to double check the fit.  They are awesome!  Having a small foot, I've never had adult socks fit me so perfectly.  (I actually discovered that socks in the boys section fit perfect too!)  

So expect to see that gorgeous shawl next time.  I hope I block it correctly.  I'm such a bad blocker (and swatcher!).  

Meet Andy

Hello!  I want to tell you about my new friend, Andy.  A friend of mine introduced us during Christmas and we've become quite close.  I like his little red suspenders.  More importantly, I like how he uses my yarn!   Let me show you!

Here's Andy in his Sunday best!  Actually it's his everyday best.  He has a limited wardrobe.  He seems to like my little clear red crochet hook.  I think red is his favorite color!

This is the acrylic worsted weight yarn he is about to transform into............

THIS!!!  Hunky Chunky Bulky yarn!  And I mean BULKY!  What do I do with this now, you ask?

I'm going to use these ginormous size US 50 needles to knit something fun!

TEAM WORK!!!  

So I'm going to knit a big ol' cowl with this new Hunky Chunky.  Transforming this worsted weight is definitely time consuming but it's sooooo easy!  Great to do in front of the TV.  I knit up about 10 rows to see what it would look like and I love it!  I tore it out before my camera could catch it but once I'm done with Andy it should only take a short time to complete the finished product.  This is a great way to get rid of that cheap acrylic yarn.

So, do you have an Andy in your life?  He's a cheery little chap.  Everyone should have one!  At least to keep on your desk to brighten your day!

Roar!!

Exciting things are happening in my embroidery world!!  I took a hiatus with the needle and thread for awhile but I'm back in the game again!  I drew this lion months ago with intentions of stitching it on a t-shirt.  Time passed and I almost forgot about this guy.  I stumbled on him when I was skimming my sketch book and the embroidery bug bit me.  

I'm usually terrible having multiple projects going at one time but those socks are taking forever and I needed a break.  I traced this noble lion on to a black Target t-shirt using the handy dandy white Transfer Paper from Sublime Stitching.  I really do love this site.  Great supplies and lots of inspiration.

I was nervous stitching on a stretchy t-shirt but it's going well so far.  It's such a big design and only an outline so I decided not to reinforce it with a stabilizer.  I hope that doesn't turn out to be a dumb decision. I make a lot of those.  It's because I'm impatient.  I'm a terrible swatcher as well!

What's sketched on the shirt is only part of the design.  The rest of his long beard with be added when this portion is fully stitched.  I just hope I can match it up correctly.

He's turning out rather handsome if I do say so myself.  The stitching is going by fast.  I'm excited to wear this already!  This will be the first thing that I've embroidered that is wearable.

I haven't forgotten about the socks.  They are almost ready for turning heels!  I was tempted to buy more sock yarn at A.C. Moore but I restrained myself.  I did however buy size US 50 needles!  I'll let you know why next time.  Think BIG!

Where Has The Time Gone

Is it really February already? Where has this winter gone? After a crazy winter last year, I made sure I was prepared for the same this time around. A new down coat, wool boot liners, heavy wool glove/mittens.......

 Oh! I haven't mention my glove/mittens?  Well, I really thought I might have lost them.  They went missing for almost 2 weeks.  This would have been the second pair that was lost.  The first pair I lost was 2 years ago. I must have had them in my lap in the car and when I got out, they fell to there doom. Alone. In the street. Being trampled on by passing cars and pedestrians. No one to appreciate the half glove accessibility or the pull-over warmth of the mitten top. It's a sad way to go.

Now, as for this new pair, they were wedged in between two boxes.  I'm soooooo happy they decided to show themselves!  I finished them the beginning of January. They're made from a thick black hand spun wool nylon blend. I knit them super tight so a limited amount of cold winter air could get through and freeze my digits.

Now, how about those boot liners? I wish I could say I've gotten a lot of use out of them but there's been no snow! And I want snow! Let me make that very clear. I LOVE snow!! I wore the liners only once and it was totally unnecessary. Maybe we'll have a snowy season in 2013.

They were really easy to knit up.  I used Lions Brand Fisherman's Wool.  I must admit, the increases are extremely messy. I wanted these liners done fast so I inserted increases randomly whenever I felt necessary. They don't line up at all. Oh well! No one is going to see it inside the boot anyway!

What's sitting on my needles now, you ask? SOCKS!! Yes! I've finally bit the bullet and cast on socks. I'm using Patons Stretch Socks yarn in Licorice. The pattern is Mock Cable Socks from Socks From The Toe Up by Wendy D. Johnson. So far it's knitting up easily but taking forever! In all honesty, I haven't had much time to work on them lately.

Now some great news!! I'm going to be an Aunt in August! My sister's belly is getting nice and fat. For Christmas I knit her up a pair of white baby booties. I wasn't thrilled with the result. They were a little too big in my opinion but you never know; maybe the baby will have basketball player size feet? I don't have a picture of them but I'll be making more once we find out what she's having. It's too early to see still and the wait is torture!! Once she picks out a theme for the room I'll be able to knit up appropriate toys and blankets. Hopefully I'll be able to fit in a few projects for myself before then.

Now a question for you. Are you a dishcloth knitter? I have a surplus of cotton dying to be used and that seems like a great stash buster project. What I'm wandering is when do you use these little clothes? Washing the dishes? Are they as efficient as a sponge? Or are they strictly for drying dishes? So many questions in my little wrinkly brain!

And has anyone tried punch embroidery? A coworker gave me a generous amount of supplies. I looked at some videos on YouTube and it looks interesting. Just what I need! Another craft to get in to!

A Sad Passing

Sadly, our beloved family dog, Samantha, has passed on, surrounded by her family, this past Friday morning.  She was just shy of her fifteenth birthday.  There is a void in the house with out her.  She will be missed greatly by our family.  I would love to write more about her but it's just too sad.  She was a great dog with a huge personality.  I am so glad for the time that we had with her.