Monthly Archives: March 2011

March 31, 2011 · 4:36 pm

Welcome!

I’m so excited to have made it into Whip Up this week! If this is your first visit over here, welcome!! Feel free to take a look around and say “hello!” And if you’re already a regular reader here but not familiar with Whip Up, I highly recommend you take a peek over there. It’s my favorite go-to site for news and ideas in the crafting world.

Just a quick sneak peek today at what I call The Drag Around Family Blanket. I’ll have a simple tutorial coming up for it next week sometime. If you have some basic sewing skills and have been wanting to try your hand at a bigger but very doable project, this one is for you!

More important, I’m very, very remiss to not have mentioned this earlier, since it’s a project organized by one of my best friends. Annik over at Mini Mushrooms has organized Log Cabins for Japan. Make a log cabin block or two (or ten!) and mail them in by next week. She has a great tutorial up if you’ve never made one before. I know what I’ll be sewing this weekend!

3 Comments

Filed under friends, giving, Quilting, sewing

Tagged as Log Cabins for Japan, postaweek2011, Whip Up

March 26, 2011 · 7:00 am

Puddle Season

Don’t you know a toddler who needs a new hat?

A nice cotton hat that is just enough to keep the ears warm?

Something bright and Springy to keep you focused on those tulips which are sure to be popping out at soon as the last piles of snow melt? (Yes, we still have some big piles!)

Something for jumping in puddles? Something you could go grab just two skeins for and cast on right now?

Go for it. All you need are two skeins of Mission Falls Cotton and a child to wear it.

I just put the pattern up: Springtime Sprouts. No test knitting or tech knitting done here, no sir! This is pattern writing at it’s finest: at my parents’ dining room table while trying to keep three little boys somewhat in tow. But hey, I even made a chart!! So please, give it a whirl and tell me what you think. Any mistakes? Something not quite clear? A different yarn that worked well?

And if you’re for some reason not on Ravelry, leave a comment with your e-mail address and I will send you the PDF.

Hope you enjoy!

5 Comments

Filed under hats, kids, knitting, pattern

Tagged as hat, pattern, postaweek2011, Springtime Sprouts

March 25, 2011 · 1:41 pm

A little something extra….

I love dresses. I want to sew a ton of dresses, but have no time to actually do it, it seems. So my closet is lacking. And to buy some? Well, I never seem to find any that live up to what I’m wishing for.

Then I received an e-mail last week from Shabby Apple. Would my readers like a coupon? I visited the site and thought, oh yes, would they ever.

These are the dresses… beautiful, practical, vintage styling…gorgeous. I could wear these on a date night, I could wear them to the store. So, a little gift for you this weekend. Enter the coupon code knittymama10off by April 30th to receive 10% off your order. Enjoy!!

5 Comments

Filed under shopping, stuff to love

March 21, 2011 · 9:24 am

Look who’s FIVE!!

My Knittykid……

(Modeling his new Balaclava that he had to have even though it is technically Spring. Because we’re all about spies here these days.)

He’s all sweetness and gentleness with the most generous heart I’ve ever seen in such a little kid. The quiet, thoughtful one,who still has his very loud moments, of course! My little artist who loves to draw, who has also developed a remote control car obsession lately (so guess what he’ll be opening later today?). My snuggler, who still needs to have at least one arm wrapped around me when he falls asleep. He amazes me every single day!

Happy birthday Knittykid!!

4 Comments

Filed under family, finished objects, hats

March 14, 2011 · 9:47 pm

An End in Sight

Today brought the sunshine here in Minnesota, and as much as I loved the cold, crispy 20F walk to the bus stop this morning, it was nice to enjoy the sunny, warm and very melty walk to the bus stop this afternoon. The end of winter is in sight, and although it is one of my favorite seasons all this snow in the city means it’s a pain to get around. I’m tired of climbing mountains and trying to squeeze small people into the min-van in between piles of snow. I’m also ready to be done with the “where is my mitten??!!! (shriek loudly, repeat, repeat, repeat) saga we seem to go through with at least one boy a day. I’m also ready to be done fighting with Spinner about the fact that yes, you do need to wear a coat outside when it is below freezing, and then even a little above freezing. So and end to winter? Yes, I think I’m ready for it.

I’m also ready for the end of this:

This beautiful, 100% alpaca pile of stockinette and ribbing is destined to be Jared Flood’s Redhook. Did I even mention I cast on for this? Probably not. I think I started it in October? I know I started it at a visit to my parents. Either way, it’s been long enough. But add a button band and I’m DONE.

This item is more painful. Destined to be Xeriscope in Madelinetosh DK, color Mare. Except I do not pay attention to details, apparently, and think that 225 yards is the same as 250. So my scarf is a foot from being done, I am out of yarn, and not a skein of Mare is to be found. And I’m not even sure I want to spend another $20 anyway. Plus it’s not as drapey as I’d like; I think I should go up a needle size. So I might need to frog this one and begin over with a different yarn. Sigh. And another sigh.

You would do……?

8 Comments

Filed under knitting, scarf, sweaters, WIP

March 9, 2011 · 11:00 pm

Pretty Easy

1/2 yard single gauze (I used Nani Iro. You might find some if you dig around on Etsy. Double gauze would work as well.)

1/2 yard silk or silk poly blend.

Cut each in half across the grain, selvage to selvage (so you have two long pieces).

Trim so they are even (mine were about 8.5 inches wide)

Sew each set together (at the ends) so you end up with two very long pieces.

Trim to 72 inches.

Sew right sides together, leaving one end open.

Turn right side out.

Iron.

Top stitch around the edges.

Admire.

3 Comments

Filed under scarf, sewing, tutorial

Tagged as gauze, Nani Iro, postaweek2011, scarf

March 2, 2011 · 10:05 pm

2.5 pounds

That’s what I plan to shed over the next 2.5 months….in fiber of course!

I realized this weekend that my spinning wheel has been sitting sad and lonely in the corner for months now, and it was time to remedy that. Also, it’s only 2.5 months until Shepherd’s Harvest. If I want to be able to allow myself my one big shopping spree a year, I need to clear house a bit.

This weeks effort is a merino silk blend. I’m spinning worsted style, inch-worming it with a forward draw. Absolutely no spin let into the drafting triangle, which is something I haven’t done in awhile. My spinning plan these next couple of months is to really try a bit of everything.

The best part of spinning this weekend? When Spinner and Knittykid both sat down to watch me spin, and Knittykid said in a confused voice, “Why do you have to DO that?”

4 Comments

Filed under handspun, spinning, stash

Tagged as postaweek2011