Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Itchy Wool in June
It's a true sign of an overboard knitter that she is willing to pile stacks of wool on her sweaty lap in the middle of June. Even more proof of her devotion: wearing the itchy wool shrug on a 95 degree day.
Pattern: Top Down Shrug
By: Anne Lecrivain-Cozzoli of Moonlight Stitches
size: 40-42
Yarn: New Zealand Wool Pak (formerly known as Baabajoes Wool Pak), blue
needles: size 13
The needles were too big for this yarn. The fabric is loose and lacks backbone. I think I'll reknit it with size 11 and knit the next size up. As it is, I just needed to finish knitting this quickly so I could wear it as a sample and offer it as a pattern choice for my first intermediate knitting class. The students chose between this shrug, a baby cardigan and a simple, but lovely shawl. All choices feature top-down construction. This shrug pattern is perfect for the class because it is offered in several sizes, and it gives instructions for three sleeve lengths.
Father's Day was an inspiring event around here. The big boy loves sewing pillows (thank you very much Montessori school), and he decided that his dad needed a new pillow with a pocket for keeping his guitar picks. The pocket came from the rear of an adorable pair of corduroys worn by both he and his brother. I was so attached to these trousers that I patched the knees twice for each boy and I was clinging to them for a memory quilt project that I'll probably never get around to making. Seriously, picture low-rise corduroy Levi's on a 2 year old!
Father's Day was an inspiring event around here. The big boy loves sewing pillows (thank you very much Montessori school), and he decided that his dad needed a new pillow with a pocket for keeping his guitar picks. The pocket came from the rear of an adorable pair of corduroys worn by both he and his brother. I was so attached to these trousers that I patched the knees twice for each boy and I was clinging to them for a memory quilt project that I'll probably never get around to making. Seriously, picture low-rise corduroy Levi's on a 2 year old!
Labels: crafty kiddos, sweaters for me
¶ 10:42 AM 4 comments
Friday, June 06, 2008
Snow Globes in June
Should the Man of Steel be encased in a plastic vitamin bottle and then showered with glitter? He seems so helpless.
After a very long quiet spell, I'm resurfacing to share a few irresistible things. The first, of course are the snow globes we made today. This was entirely the inspiration of my nearly six-year old. The Indian warrior and Superman figurines look really dazzling inside their new homes.
Another recent creative surge led me to a thrilling shopping visit to Purl Soho for fabric and the results are making me very happy. Check out the before and after:
The happiness is mingled with anxiety, as these chairs often snuggle up to the naked butt of a potty-training two year old. They are coated with three layers of scotch gard. Also, when the little guy is eating at the table, he gets to sit on this oilcloth-covered chair (as in: Guess what?! You are the luckiest member of the WHOLE family! You get to sit on the shiny, flowered chair!):
The knitting is constant lately. I can't mention all of it here, but here's a little something I've been adoring between big projects:
Bombyx Silk from La Lana. Dyed with lavender flowers.
More soon. I promise!
Should the Man of Steel be encased in a plastic vitamin bottle and then showered with glitter? He seems so helpless.
After a very long quiet spell, I'm resurfacing to share a few irresistible things. The first, of course are the snow globes we made today. This was entirely the inspiration of my nearly six-year old. The Indian warrior and Superman figurines look really dazzling inside their new homes.
Another recent creative surge led me to a thrilling shopping visit to Purl Soho for fabric and the results are making me very happy. Check out the before and after:
The happiness is mingled with anxiety, as these chairs often snuggle up to the naked butt of a potty-training two year old. They are coated with three layers of scotch gard. Also, when the little guy is eating at the table, he gets to sit on this oilcloth-covered chair (as in: Guess what?! You are the luckiest member of the WHOLE family! You get to sit on the shiny, flowered chair!):
The knitting is constant lately. I can't mention all of it here, but here's a little something I've been adoring between big projects:
Bombyx Silk from La Lana. Dyed with lavender flowers.
More soon. I promise!
Labels: crafty kiddos, dream swatch head wrap, home sweet home
¶ 2:53 PM 4 comments
Saturday, January 19, 2008
gifts for little girls we love
My little friend Sydney turned five years old today. Sydney is bold, beautiful, full of ideas and enthusiasm and she loves to offer my (very shy and unwilling) son ample hugs and kisses.
Sydney LOVES the color red (which illustrates her very good taste). To help her celebrate I made her this little handbag. The fabric for the body and lining came from the beautiful little fabric store in Taos. Someday, I'll use more of it to make napkins. The straps were made from some gorgeous golden yellow fabric that I bought in Paris years ago.
"See mommy, I'm thinking about Edie."
For Christmas, he wanted to make her gift himself. We began a friendship bracelet, but it quickly became clear that I would be driven insane by all the mind-numbing knots and hopelessly tangled embroidery floss. I didn't want his memory of the project to be of me losing my mind and destroying the tangled, beloved friendship bracelet in a fit of rage.
Instead we turned to the trusty potholder loom, for which he showed a particular affinity when he was four. He wanted to make potholders for everyone he knew. I remembered seeing a great feature in a Martha Stewart magazine years ago, in which she used her potholder loom with yarn to make sweet little squarish objects. We watched a great tutorial video by Noreen Crone-Findlay, here to learn how to warp our loom and weave. Don't you love the internet?
And the boy was off! It does my heart so much good to see him finding satisfaction in things he can do with his hands. I helped with some of the stitching around the little purse, but it was entirely woven by him and he was very proud. The lovely yarn he chose from my stash, was some of Scout's superwash worsted in the color Orchids.
Wonderful things can happen when a boy loves a girl.
Sydney
My little friend Sydney turned five years old today. Sydney is bold, beautiful, full of ideas and enthusiasm and she loves to offer my (very shy and unwilling) son ample hugs and kisses.
Sydney LOVES the color red (which illustrates her very good taste). To help her celebrate I made her this little handbag. The fabric for the body and lining came from the beautiful little fabric store in Taos. Someday, I'll use more of it to make napkins. The straps were made from some gorgeous golden yellow fabric that I bought in Paris years ago.
Edie
My big boy is in love with a little girl named Edie. Today he drew a picture of himself with a thought bubble above the drawing of his head and inside the thought bubble was Edie.
"See mommy, I'm thinking about Edie."
For Christmas, he wanted to make her gift himself. We began a friendship bracelet, but it quickly became clear that I would be driven insane by all the mind-numbing knots and hopelessly tangled embroidery floss. I didn't want his memory of the project to be of me losing my mind and destroying the tangled, beloved friendship bracelet in a fit of rage.
Instead we turned to the trusty potholder loom, for which he showed a particular affinity when he was four. He wanted to make potholders for everyone he knew. I remembered seeing a great feature in a Martha Stewart magazine years ago, in which she used her potholder loom with yarn to make sweet little squarish objects. We watched a great tutorial video by Noreen Crone-Findlay, here to learn how to warp our loom and weave. Don't you love the internet?
And the boy was off! It does my heart so much good to see him finding satisfaction in things he can do with his hands. I helped with some of the stitching around the little purse, but it was entirely woven by him and he was very proud. The lovely yarn he chose from my stash, was some of Scout's superwash worsted in the color Orchids.
Wonderful things can happen when a boy loves a girl.
Labels: crafty kiddos, sewing
¶ 8:35 PM 5 comments
