Some Knitting

During my first trimester just the thought of knitting made me feel queasy. I'm glad that's over with. Needles and yarn are quickly regaining their appeal. I knit these balls for Sophia, and, of course, now Levi wants some. They knit up quickly, so I should be able to manage.

I still haven't finished Levi's sweater. I'm a tad aggravated by knitting the sleeves on double points. They turn out fine, but I just don't enjoy extended dpn knitting. It's tiring on my hands....am I alone in that? The sleeves are knit from the bottom up, and I'm almost certain they get large enough (fairly quickly) for an itty bitty pair of circulars which means a trip to the knitting store is in order. Also, it's a little daunting to do cables with two children crawling all over me, so I need an easy project for when the kids are awake...one more reason to head to the store. :)

Now to decide what I want that easy project to be. Obviously, it needs to be something for the new baby. Stephan was traumatized by having to pull clothes over Sophia's head, so he has requested (more than once) that all of the new baby's clothes open in the front. That does narrow the choices down a bit. Here are a few of the list-toppers...

                                                    Source: ravelry.com via Madeline on Pinterest

                                                     Source: ravelry.com via Madeline on Pinterest

                                                Source: ravelry.com via Madeline on Pinterest

I'm leaning toward the top cardigan. Although, the other two are tugging hard. It'll likely be a last minute decision as I'm standing in front of all the lovely rows of yarn. Which one would you pick? Have you run across any adorable baby knitting (or crocheting or sewing) patterns lately?

Making

This sweater has been in the works for a few weeks. It's Levi's Gramps Cardigan...

It's my first go at cables, and I can't believe I was actually scared of them. Not so very terrifying after all. However, there are times (like when my children are bouncing off the walls) that I need a super easy project to turn to, so I cast on for the hat that Stephan has been asking for lately. (What he really wants is a Fair Isle hat. Ha! He's going to have to wait until our children are grown for that one. Maybe I'll manage a Fake Isle hat before then.) We went to The Knit Studio where he picked out the yarn and the pattern.

I measured his head, and I even did a gauge swatch. I knitted away for a couple of days, and voila. A hat......a hat that was way too big. What is up with my math skills? Sigh. I unraveled it, and cast on again. Then I set it aside because really I was a tinge aggravated. It didn't help that my failure coincided with Sophia teething and thus not sleeping much. I was in need of some immediate gratification knitting therapy, so I went with a cup cozy....

It was fast, easy, and patternless which made it oddly even more gratifying. Now maybe I can get to work on that hat again.

In between knitting I've started making Levi's Halloween costume....

In case the pile doesn't give it away, he's going to be either a dinosaur or a dragon. I'm thinking I'll make the wings detachable so that he can change his mind all last minutey. I've actually finished the spikes going up the hood, but I just haven't managed a photo yet. He's pretty particular this year. He wants eyes, teeth, and claws that "go like this not like this." Ahem. I think I'll have to teach the boy to sew soon if he's going to be so picky.

On The Craft Front

Lately I've tried to shift my focus to practical crafting. It's been hard to stick with, but there's a pretty long list that I've put off in lieu of more fun stuff. The soakers were the start of that list. I swear, though, that there is no end to the number of soakers one needs....especially if you take into account that they require a couple of days of drying time when you wash them....and, ahem, a certain very kind husband of mine might have an uncanny knack for shrinking them. Sigh. I've knitted soakers for Sophia until I'm about tired of them. But, I keep trudging along. I should probably try some new patterns out before I get bored to tears. At least the finished products look cute on her bum.

Then there are the curtains for the kitchen, living, and dining rooms. We've been making do with broken blinds and shades since we moved in. Something needed to be done about that, so curtain making is currently on the front burner. Does anyone else find curtains to be simply maddening? They aren't exactly complicated, but I still thoroughly dislike them. Thankfully, my mom is tackling that project with me. However, it's possible that she hates curtain making more than I do. It's also possible that we end up chatting about our mutual dislike a little more than we end up sewing.

Now, just because I'm sewing practical doesn't mean I have to dream practical, so here are a few sewing pretties that have been in my thoughts lately:

                                                   Source: flickr.com via Madeline on Pinterest

                                      Source: pamgarrison.typepad.com via Madeline on Pinterest

                                              Source: blogcatalog.com via Madeline on Pinterest

Got any good crafts up your sleeves or any inspiration I should know about? :-)

Weekend Loves

Photo taken by me over Easter Weekend.

A few fun links for your Sunday...

: : This dresser redo (actually the whole picture) makes me want to start over on Sophia's room.

: : I want Stephan to build this pergola for us someday. Ambitious? Nah. ;)

: : This pillowcase dress is just adorable.

: : Oh. my. Sophia is going to need a pair of these wings someday. Don't you think?

: : I'm about halfway through knitting these soakers. So far this pattern looks like a winner. And, I just bought some pretty wool yarn...maybe for these (I adore the book these are in!) Of course, these look cute too...ruffles!!

: : And, to top it all off, here's a really good post on happiness.


Happy Sunday, y'all!

Weekend Loves

A few favorites...

: : This birth story. Now I want to read her book.

: : This deliciously, soft yarn is currently on my needles. I want more of it...a sweater maybe...for me? It's that soft, y'all...really.

: : If you're a tinge bored, this is fun.

: : And, this is just wonderful....bored or not.

Hope y'all had a beautiful weekend!

: :

Another One Down

Sophia's shrug is finished! One day there will be photos of her in it, but since she's sleeping the rabbit will just have to do.

P.S. This is the rabbit that needs a dress.

One Stack Down

Yesterday, during one of those moments when the stars aligned (i.e. baby napped while Levi entertained himself), I tackled the pile of socks waiting to be transformed into baby leg warmers.

I feel better already.

That's one less pile. 

And, since no matter how many foods I drop, the eczema on one of Sophia's legs never seems to fully heal, these are likely to be worn well into summer. They make excellent scratch guards.

The List

So, I went through the stacks. {At least, I think I found them all. Am I the only one who tucks projects away in every nook and cranny?} In all honesty, some things just aren't worth finishing. Those will either be tucked back into the stash or sent to Goodwill where, maybe, just maybe, some crafty gal (or guy) will know exactly what to do with them. As for the rest of it, here it goes....

Sewing:
X~ Sophia's baptism dress and accessories....kind of top priority around here since I've finally gotten around to scheduling her baptism in May.
~ Curtains for Sophia's room...that project has been sitting around for months. Does anyone else hate sewing curtains? Why are 4 hems that daunting?
X~ Recover red chair cushions...the current covering is popping open, and the fabric for the job is just sitting around waiting for me...has been for 2 years now.
~ Pillows for the living room.
~ Sophia's quilt...well, we know how quilts go around here.
X~ Legging's for Sophia...there's a whole pile of knee high socks waiting next to the sewing machine.
~ Dress for Sophia's bunny

Crocheting:
~ There's a largish pile of miscellaneous stuff needing it's ends tucked in.
X Diaper cover...a cute pink one that's halfway done.
~ Scarves...there's more than one...they seem to be ongoing around here.
~ Pillow cover for Sophia's room....it matches a runner that I finished forever ago and forgot to blog about.

Knitting:
X A hat for Sophia
X~ A shrug for Sophia.
X~ A sweater for Sophia....I'm really finished knitting the shrug and sweater. I'm down to the tucking in of loose ends and stitching up of sleeves...There's a chance she might be grown before I finish.
~ I'm fairly certain there's more, I just can't find them right now...same goes for the crocheting category.

Miscellaneous:
~ Yarn wreath...I finished one awhile back but have another one in the works.
~ Matching game for Levi

And, then there's the ongoing stuff:
~ Like the pile of wool sweaters waiting to be turned into soakers (as needed)
~ And, the pile of old shirts, etc waiting to be turned into diapers (as needed)

I'm not even counting all of the half done house projects. That would just be a little much don't you think? 

So, has anyone noticed the amount of crafty goodness headed Sophia's way. Yeah, I think my little man is getting jiped. That's reason enough to start a new project, buuuuuut I'm holding back.....sticking to my guns.....for now.

Becoming a Finisher

Pin cushion ladies inherited from my grandmother.

I'm setting a new goal for myself. One that I'm not even sure I can keep, so I probably shouldn't announce it to the universe. But, hey, what have I got to lose? Right? . . . . Ready for it? . . . .

 

I'm not going to start any new craft projects until I've finished the stacks of them already piled up waiting for me. 

I can already see problems with this, but I'm plowing forward anyway. Seriously, y'all, I have STACKS of unfinished endeavors. It's getting ridiculous. Something ought to be done, and it turns out that I'm the only one who can do it. Deep breath. 

I am leaving myself one teeny tiny loophole. If I finish all of the projects in one category (knitting, crocheting, sewing) then I can start a new project in that category. And, yes, I did indeed just put knitting and crocheting in two different categories. I know my limitations. Yarn calls out to me. I'm weak. What can I say?  

Any guesses on how long I'll last? 

One More Thing To Check Off The To Do List

I finished it....FINALLY...Levi's baby quilt is done. Maybe, since he's only three, it won't be too late for him to think it's always been around...you know kind of like baby quilts are supposed to be.

It is admittedly wompy and so very far from perfect, but I'm learning to accept these things and keep moving. After all, it is my very first largish quilt, so I should probably give myself a little grace.

Wonder how long it will take me to finish Fi's quilt. Hmmm....you'll just have to stick around to see.

A Pair Of Wings

We'll just ignore that unintentional break in posting...m'kay? Moving right along. Thanks to never ending sniffles and such, movies have regrettably become a daily thing around here...working on that...she says as her son watches Toy Story 3 for the umpteenth billion time all because she caved over the whining...good mommy move.  I know.
Levi is now officially obsessed with the Toy Story movies.  Yesterday, he woke up and was Buzz Lightyear nearly the whole day. During the few hours when he wasn't Buzz, he was an elephant.  I could just squeeze him sometimes.

"Mama, I'm Buzz." 

"Call me Buzz."

"To infinity and beyond!"

"Mama, I can fly....but not inside."

So, while comforting a teething Sophia (until 1:30 in the morning), I did the clearly logical thing to do. I made Levi a pair of Buzz wings.

He's worn them all morning. The whole pretend thing is pretty darn cute.  I've been looking forward to it for awhile now (3 years to be more exact).   

Three year olds can be quite a handful at times, but they are at least easily impressed.  The crazy perfectionist in me would like to take the wings off of him and finish the bits that show from the front. And, also, I was going from memory on the color placement....probably should of looked a little more closely.  But, really, he doesn't care, so why do I?

These were scrapped together from things I had lying about the house.  Core board (cardboard would work just as well), markers, and scraps of blanket binding for the straps.  Other than the nutty desire to chunk them and start over, I think they turned out pretty well. 

A Scrappy Garland

My weekend was spent trying to figure out decorations for a 7 ft tall tree with the not a whole lot of stuff that I have from previous years of decorating much teenier trees.  The garland had me stumped, and to be honest I was having a hard time committing to one enough to actually make it or (Gasp!) buy it.  We were on the verge of having a paper chain or some such other disposableness when it dawned on me that I have a huge bucket-o-scraps and some less than loved yarn to work with.  So, off to the scrap bucket with me...

It should now be obvious to y'all that I am a pack rat of the worst sort.  I mean do you see the tiny bits of fabric that I just can't part with?  Because, you know, I really might need them some day...like yesterday!  So, I dove in and chopped up anything that wasn't already small enough.  If your kids are hanging around they would have fun with this part too...

Then I cut a length of yarn.  (Keep the length manageable.  You can always make multiples.)  I plopped down my first scrap and started stitching.  If you're interested in the more exacts...the widest zig-zag setting was used to ensure that I caught my yarn.  I placed the scraps at random along the yarn leaving gaps in between and made sure to keep my yarn heading towards the center of my sewing foot.  I also back stitched a few times on the first and last scrap to secure.

This was seriously easy peasy lemon squeezy kind of stuff.

And I love the results.

As I was stitching these I played with overlapping scraps which produces a fun layered look.  And, if you've got metallic thread lying around, that would make a pretty addition.  However, I just used white thread and was super pleased.

If all goes as planned today, we'll be sipping hot chocolate, listening to Christmas carols, and decorating the tree!  Can't wait! 

Does your family have any favorite Christmas tunes? 

Weekend Loves

: : First, read this.  Smacksy posted it to her Sunday links this morning, and it's so worth reading.

: :  If you're into holiday crafting or even if you just like to look at pretty things click here and explore.  Seriously.  You will not regret it.  Promise.

: :  I want, want, want this pattern.  And speaking of wants, did you know they make chalk cloth?  I have a million uses for this stuff running through my head.

: :  Yes, please.

: :  These snowflakes are on my December list.  I guarantee that I will be more excited about these than Levi.

: : Since we haven't yet made it to December, you might be interested in a few Thanksgivingish things.  Like this super cute take on the classic handprint turkey.  Or this shirt.  I'm making Levi one...except in boy colors.  He's already expressing wardrobe opinions, so this may be my last chance ever to get him into a mama made turkey shirt.  Why that seems important, I have no idea.  But, it does.

: : Looking for a ridiculously over the top holiday dessert?  Here you go.  Kinda makes you go "ewww", huh?

: : I've realized that I never knit anything for myself anymore...unless dishcloths count.  Unbelievably, I almost never even bookmark patterns for myself.  I'm making steps to correct this...especially since happening across this pretty hat and this beautiful cardigan.  Now if I could just find a little more time...and some better knitting skills.

: :  Of course, what I'm more likely to do in my spare time is make munchkin things...like this and these.

What's on your holiday crafting/buying/wish list?

A Baby Gal Quilt Update

I finished piecing together the top of the baby girl quilt!  However, since time is running away rather speedily these days, I've decided to set it aside for now.  There are more pressing crafty matters to attend to....oh, yeah, and some other non-crafty stuff as well.  I figure since Levi's baby quilt is still minus a binding, then maybe it's not so necessary to  have both a boy and a girl quilt finished upon baby's arrival.  It also dawned on me that if I did start quilting this one and out came a boy, it (the quilt not the baby) would likely sit unfinished on a shelf with safety pins in it for the next couple of years waiting for me to get pregnant again.  Sounds like a recipe for rust spots.  So, there it is....neatly packaged with coordinating backing/binding fabric, batting, and thread....waiting to see what's in store.  Will it be a boy or a girl?  Any guesses?

Yes, I Know I'm A Little Crazy...

What I'm currently working on...

Yes, that would be the beginnings of a baby quilt.  No, this is not an indication that we have any clue what's cookin' in that tummy-o-mine.  Instead....only because I'm apparently getting overly nesty...I've got two baby quilts on the agenda.  One for a girl.  One for a boy.  Now, I just have to find some good boy fabric.  Believe me, I've been a huntin' with no success....yet.

This one is actually made of vintage sheets found here.  Gotta love Etsy.

Crayon Stars

We made a single solitary star crayon. . . .

Levi decided it was pretty cool to draw on. . .note "on" not "with". . . .

So we made a few more. . . .

And a lovely mess to go with them. . . .

Two cracked in half as we were removing them, but we still ended up with a nice stack. . . .

We used this method and this star mold.  It was easy peasy.   And, once Levi caught on that stars were coming out of it, he was all over this one.

Wedding Updates and Munchkin Attire

So far almost everything about this wedding has been ridiculously easy breezy.  Lots of wonderful people have volunteered to help out doing everything from taking pictures to lending serving pieces to helping set up.  My dress and shoes were found in record time.  Even the blood tests went smoothly...if you know me you know this is a miracle.  It's so rare for someone to find a vein in my arm without extraordinary amounts of pain and often digging.....seriously, people, blood work is something I dread like nothing else.  But this time it was quick and painless.

So, things have been falling together with little to no effort....except for the invitations and the flower girls' dresses.   Oh. my.  The invitations deserve their own blog posts, but I'll keep it short.  Thanks to a very wonderful family friend they got done.  Now, I just have to mail them!  I know, I'm a tad behind on that one.
The dresses!!  Who knew it could be so difficult to find little girl dresses?  Maybe I just don't know where to look, but the selection was so terribly slim.  And, EVERYTHING was sleeveless...in January!!!  Do little girls not need sleeves in the middle of winter?  I did finally piece together two outfits. (I should probably break in here to explain that there is a pair of sisters who are very close to my heart.  I couldn't pick just one.)  Anyway, with a little sweater shopping, which was oddly also difficult in JANUARY, mixed with a little craftiness I finally came up with something that I like. 

Dress 1:  This is for the oldest sister.  This dress is not as gold and shiny as it looks in the photo.  It's actually a very pale champagne.  I didn't have to do anything with this one except find a sweater.  I so wish I had taken pics while the girls were actually in their dresses!  They were so darn cute. 

Dress 2:  This is the dress that required the most work.  I couldn't find matching dresses or even dresses in the same color family.  I couldn't even find less dressy dresses. This shopping experience left me hoping that I have all boys because I obviously can't shop for girls.  Anyway, this was the original dress...in purple...so not the wedding color...

To minimize the purple impact, I added a blue sash.

And, of course, a sweater.  I am still kind of shocked by how difficult it was to find sweaters this time of year.

The sweater was embroidered with two of these...

I covered them up with two of these felt appliques with button centers...

And for those of you who are wondering what Levi (the ring bearer) will be wearing...

And, yes, he will be wearing pants with this...blue slacks to be exact.  I know something a little nicer would have matched the flower girls a tad better, but getting him into something nicer would have sent my head spinning...not to mention his.

So, three munchkins in the wedding party should equal to totally upstaging me.  I can't wait!

Will I Ever Stop Counting?

Levi is gone for his third night away with his dad.  I wonder when I'll lose count or when I'll just stop keeping up with it.  He seems to be quickly adjusting to the new arrangement, and he even seems happy with it.  Which is surprising considering his initial reaction to spending the night.

I've been wanting to make something special for Levi to take with him on these overnight visitations.  I thought about making a regular old softie, but he has plenty of those.  Then I thought I should make him a star because, oh, my, he is crazy about stars.  But then I remember a project for a family heart in Amanda Soule's lovely book Handmade Home.  So, now he has a stuffed heart...with a star...and a pocket....

It's made from a thrifted red cashmere sweater, a scrap of white cotton, and some scraps of felt. 

Amanda suggests putting little notes inside the pocket for traveling family members.  However, Levi is a bit young for that.  Instead I put a favorite photo of the two of us (with an "I love you, little bear" written on the back of it).  Other things I'll be stuffing in the pocket during these pre-reading days:
~Tiny softies (maybe a little star or a small bird)
~Mama made drawings
~A tape or voice recorder of me reading a story or just saying "I love you"
~Maybe even a little, tiny bit of candy every so often

Any other ideas?

Wedding Crafting...Maybe

I've been experimenting with some wedding craft ideas.  I'm not sure where all of it's going, but I thought I'd give y'all a little sneak peak. 

What kind of crafty endeavors are y'all up to?