Birthday Girl

My little girl recently turned 1. That's right, where did the time go?



Aside from the whole cutting teeth thing, she had a lovely day (I think the pediatrician threw down the gauntlet at our 9mth appointment when she seemed surprised that Naomi had 0 teeth at that point... so we now have a grand total of 10! I'm thinking that's quite the mouthful in a few short months.) It's amazing when you think about how much these wee ones develop in such a short amount of time.

On a crafty note, I churned out a pile of thank you cards as baby girl made out like a bandit!



I'm learning that my dear girly is much healthier than her Mum, preferring some yummy grapes or slices of bananas over cakes anyday. (The birthday cake was not the hit I thought it would be!)



Wishing you a great day,
Sam xxx

Bits and pieces

I've been working on a few smaller projects recently. There's something satisfying about finishing a couple of items that have been hanging around the WIP pile for a good long while.

I had been working on some embroidered summer sandals and the needlepoint is now complete. I need to either send these to be finished professionally, or try my hand at it myself. I'm tempted to do the latter... once I figure out how!



Then some wristwarmers that I started in 2008. (I know, I have no idea why it took me soo long to pick these back up) I couldn't remember how I did the first one, or the needle size I used so they have a 'little miss matched' vibe to them. Which I kind of like! These were knit in 2 colourways of Noro sock yarn, alternating every couple of rows. And because I can't resist adding crochet borders to my projects, I did the same here.



Ooh yes, we have a new puppy - Bruno. He's also been keeping me busy! In addition to his basic training, I'm also trying to train him to be one of my knitwear models! If successful you should see it a bit more of him here.



But my favourite knitwear model is Naomi! Baby girl is going to 1 year old this week! Wild! Anyhoo, her hair is getting really long and she's started pulling her hair clips out. Plus last time I had her fringe cut she looked like Mo from the 3 stooges!

I wanted to try making a hairband to keep her hair out of her eyes. This seems to have done the trick and she kept it on all morning. I simply crocheted a chain with some sock yarn and then measured it around her head. Once the chain was just the right size to go round - not too loose, not too tight - I joined to make a circle and then single crochet around until it was the desired thickness.

It looks cute on its own, but I'd also made some felt flowers last night (from a Martha Stewart kit) and added one of these as a little bit of flair!



And finally I just started another baby blanket - a version of Olive's Afghan from the Knitalong book (except I'm using rowan cotton 4ply instead of the thicker alpaca yarn that's called for). It's for a baby that's due to arrive in May so that gives me a little time to crank this out. And the cotton will be nice for the warmer summer months.



Wishing you a good rest of your weekend,
Sam xxx

Staggered eyelet shrug

It's been extremely cold here. Temps below freezing. And so I decided to make Naomi a little something to help keep her warm while she's indoors... something that would allow her to move freely and continue exploring. I also wanted something that was straight forward to make and didn't require me to follow a pattern. So a make-it-up-as-I-went-along shrug was just the ticket.



I used Socks that Rock heavyweight sock yarn in Storeytime colorway, and US 6 double pointed needles.



Here's the approach I used to make this shrug for a 12mth size:

Cuff:
- Cast on 39 stitches and divide evenly over 3 needles
- Join to work in the round, and k1, p1 rib for 8 rounds (approx 1 inch). Note that because there is an odd number of stitches, your round will start on a knit stitch and end on a knit stitch

Sleeve 1:
- Decide on the pattern that you want for the shrug. You could simply do stocking stitch for example. I chose to add a little interest by adding staggered eyelets as follows:
- Round 1 and 2: Knit every stitch
- Round 3: (K2, K2tog, Yarn over)* repeat to last 3 stitches, K3
- Rounds 4, 5 and 6: Knit every stitch
- Round 7: (K2 tog, yarn over, K2)* repeat to last 3 stitches K2tog, yarn over, K1
- Round 8: Knit every stitch
- Continue with rounds 1 through 8 until sleeve is desired length (I measured against one of her other cardigan sleeves. I also write down every row so that when I work the 2nd sleeve I can make sure they'll be exactly the same length)

Back:
- Instead of working in the round, now you want to work back and forth as if you were knitting a scarf
- Implication for the eyelet pattern is that for rows 2, 4 and 6 you will need to purl every stitch
- Continue in pattern until back is desired size

Sleeve 2:
- Return to knitting in the round, as described in sleeve 1
- And finish with 8 rows of K1, P1 rib
- Cast off off in rib pattern

Edging:
- I picked up stitches around the opening for the back (picking up 2 stitches for every 3 rows worked) and worked 8 rows in K1, P1 rib.
- Cast off in rib pattern
- Weave in ends

And that my friends is it!



It has turned out to be super practical - great for when she's busily active, but also perfect at night if it's a little chillier (since all her sleep sacks are without arms and the t-shirt material pjs don't seem sufficient in my mind.)

Hope you are keeping warm.
Sam

Valentines Cards

This weekend I whipped out a batch of Valentines cards for my family back home. I figure it's a nice way to send a recent photo of Naomi, as well as my love. (And who doesn't like to get something nice in the mail every now and then?)



As usual, my supplies are from "stampin up" - card stock, heart patterned paper, heart stamp, ribbon, frilly border punch. I think they turned out nice, although if I were to re-do I would have done these portrait, not landscape, so that I could make the picture of Naomi larger. And maybe use the sepia version of the picture instead of full colour. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say.



(FYI, I use Picnik to work on my photos - it's a great, free, web tool that enables you to make various edits to your photos. I've also been using it to put a 'brag book' together for my Mum, using some of the collage style layouts they have available. Hmm, thinking of which, maybe I should share some of this in a future blog post?).

In addition to the Naomi Valentines, I normally get together with a couple of girlfriends each month to stamp. Here are the cards that were produced this month. (Sadly I wasn't there this time as Naomi had the bug-du-jour from daycare, but my girlies made these cards for me :) I especially like the one that uses a chocolate heart as decoration.



I can hardly believe that Valentines day is just around the corner. This means my baby girl will be turning one very soon. And might not be considered a baby for much longer and she tries and tries to stand and walk... that's right my baby girl is becoming a toddler.

Wishing you a happy rest of your weekend,
Sam

This year's annual batch of felted slippers

These felted slippers probably aren't the prettiest things, but they are soo warm and comfy that they have become a must-own item for most of my family. And since they are loved soo much, they pretty much get worn out each year. This is a good thing in my mind... much prefer that my hand knits be well loved and consequently well worn vs sitting unused/rarely used in a closet or wardrobe.

So this year I've churned out another batch:
First request was from my brother for some in our local football teams colours - the Tangerine Army. And I'd heard that his wife needed an updated pair too.



My Mum is probably the #1 fan of these slippers so I made another pair for her:
(I think Naomi is inspecting the workmanship of these since they are for Grandma!)




Joe is a huge fan too. To the degree that he gets a little disappointed when he has to throw an old pair away. So he's been looking into ways to make them last a little longer by putting a protective coat on the bottom (similar to that used on the underside of some non slip rugs). I'll let you know how that pans out...

(Love Bella to bits, but she's nowhere near as cooperative a model as Buster used to be)

And one of my good friends had a birthday and I know she likes these.



Finally I also like to have a new pair each year. I normally use scraps of yarn for my version and used up a bunch of leftover tapestry/needlepoint yarns again this year:



Our newest family member has taken quite a liking to these. But given his fondness of chewing, this is the first and last time he'll be allowed to be this close to them :o)))

Besides he's found a much comfier place to lay down and rest - right on top of poor Bella!

More holiday handmade

The rest of the photos are now downloaded and I'll start with the good news about the scarves - everything came out in the wash! I was over the moon happy and the scarves went off to the ladies at daycare today. Yay! (Better late than never I say ;) I used a little ribbon on the packaging and these super cute sheepy gift tags that Terrie had made (she made bundles of these for all our knitty girls this summer and gifted them to us at knit camp). I think this was the icing on the cake, thanks Terrie :)



First Thermis - I've been wanting to make this one for a while, and it is a great gift knit as it is fairly quick to whip out. Think I might be making one for myself to keep warm now that the cooler weather has come by. I used RYC Cashsoft Aran, and made no mods to the pattern. It turned out nice - not too flopsy, but still retaining the softness of the yarn despite the density of the knitted fabric.


(Oooh nice crows feet, and don't even ask about the hair ;o)))

And second is the ruffle scarf, a fave of mine - I think this might be the 4th version of this that I've made now. Another great knit that's pretty quick if you are looking for a last minute gift or relatively instant knitty gratification. Again, used the RYC Cashsoft Aran.


(OK, maybe smiling is more flattering, despite the crows feet!)

In addition to the scarves, I've also put together some thank you cards for all the lovely gifties Joe, Naomi and I were lucky to receive this year. These were fun to make, and I'm pleased with how they turned out. If you are a stampin up stamper: Colours are tangerine tango and baja breeze, and I added some chalk to the petals and leaves to add some shading, and a little glitter spritz on the petals.



On the topic of stamping goodies, check out the gorgeous hand stamped gift from my friend Cheryl -- it's a big ole batch of the most decadent chocolate cookies that I've ever tasted. What an awesome idea - she wrapped the jar with pretty Christmas paper, handstamped the labels and added her secret recipe on the inside of the tag. Love this super thoughtful gift!



And last but not least I'll leave you with the felted animals that the super talented Jessica made. Note that this is her first 'attempt' at needle felting - yes, she truly is a natural at everything she tries her hand at.





Hope you also enjoyed some handmade lovelies, and crafting, over the holidays.
Love,
Sam xxx

Handmade Holidays

First, thanks for all the kind words about Buster. He was such a good boy, and so very loved. I think it's poor Bella who is having the hardest time because her lifelong pal is no longer here. But she's getting loved on and I'm happy to be at home with her over the holidays to love up on her and spoil her lots.

Now onto craftiness... This year I was able to make a few things for Christmas:
There's the advent calendar that I made at the beginning of the month - a cute addition to our Christmas decorations this year. It was a great little kit from Stampin Up.



Then there's the handstamped Christmas cards featuring the santa suit picture of Naomi. I figured since most of my friends and family back in the UK rarely get to see her that they'd enjoy a picture card. And these were super simple to put together with a bit of patterned paper and ribbon.



And I really got some mileage out of the pic because I also used it as a gift tag on decorated boxes of chocs that I gave to all the lovely people who take such very good care of Naomi at daycare.



I also handknit a couple of cream scarves for a couple of ladies at daycare who've been looking after Naomi since she got there. I chose cream because I figured a neutral like that works with most people's taste. In the process of knitting the scarves Naomi got involved - she enjoyed playing with the yarn:



...and grasping at the project when I wasn't knitting on it:



Although the full on lesson seemed to bore her to sleep ;o)



One of the highlights this Christmas is that Jessica, Naomi's older sister, came to visit. It was great to spend good quality time with her. She's such a talented soul too - seems to excel at everything she puts her hand to. We made some pretty cookies and packaged them up for the neighbours. That was a fun project, and the end result was soo very Martha Stewart! (Or so we thought :o)))



More to come as I get pictures uploaded. Hope you are having a lovely Christmas and I wish you the very best for 2011.

Buster

My big boy Buster passed away yesterday. It was sudden, and unexpected, and I miss him soo very much.


We were lucky to find Buster at the local humane society about 10 years ago. He was a couple of months old at the time and when I laid my eyes on him it was love at first sight... I wanted him to be part of our family.

He was my first 'baby' and the very best companion. Yes I know, I'm a crazy dog lady! But if you have a pet you probably know what I mean - they have a way of working their way into the centre of your life, and your heart.

I just wanted to drop a note here to remember him. I loved him soo very much.

If you too have a loved pet at home, give them a scratch on the head from me. In the meantime I'll be hanging out, and loving on, my girls. And fondly remembering the good times with my big boy. I miss you dearly Buster xxx.

Holiday hats

Goodness it has been a while since I posted anything out here. Here's a little post to share some of the quickie projects I've been working on.

There's a Santa Hat for Naomi.


(Yep, piccie has been used on the Christmas cards this year)

Joe and I both have a handknit santa hat and so it seemed only right that Naomi get one too. You should see the looks we get when we are out and about together! ;o)

Hat pattern is from handknit holidays book, and the yarn is the blue sky alpaca that the pattern calls for. I love this yarn. I think thats what really makes the hat. Well, I guess the model isn't too shabby either! ;o)))

(This is a picture of her trying to escape... you should see how many shots it took to get to the first picture... and how heavily I cropped and edited it to make it work for the cards. Baby girl is mobile!)
And then there's a little elf hat.
Naomi received a gorgeous winter coat off her great Grandma and I wanted to make a hat that went well with it. I do love the meathead hat pattern from knitalong book and figured this would work with a mother's schedule: big needles + big yarn = fast knit. I had some of the lovely bright pink Red Rocks yarn from a cardi I made (think the pattern was shalom?) and that complemented the colours in the new coat nicely. It wasn't quite the right weight of yarn for the pattern and so I used 3 strands held together. Unfortunately it wasn't the quick knit I was hoping for -- this hat has actually been knit and re-knit about 3 times. It didn't seem to be quite deep enough for baby girl's head. I even tried to stretch it:
In the end I couldn't bear the thought of reknitting yet again what was supposed to be a churn-it-out-in-one-evening project and so decided to just add some ear flaps instead. Oh and the big flower came off one of the baby dresses she had that no longer fits... and since she'd actually worn through the dress (yes, I loved it) it wasn't any good for donating either. Ooh and Daddy has one of these hats too... a 'manly' version... but goofy nonetheless. Must get a modelled shot ;o)

Now I'm trying to whip up a couple of Thermis cowls for the lovely ladies at daycare... I'm new to this whole gifts for teachers thing so I hope this isn't going to seem lame? The ladies are always making kind comments on Naomi's handknits, and Thermis seems like a good versatile, go with most styles and tastes pattern? Can you tell that I'm second guessing myself at this point. Ah well enough twitter, I need to get to the needles... tick tock tick tock time is flying by....

Barn Raising

Whew! This took some knitting. (And some seaming.) But it was well worth the effort. Barn raising is complete!



Aside from loving how it turned out, I know I'll always treasure this project because it kept me good company throughout my pregnancy and the first few months of my baby girl's life. And on top of this it also includes squares from some of my knitty friends.



Hmm what else to say? It's a really straight forward pattern and the perfect take along project to have stashed in your handbag at all times.



I thoroughly enjoyed laying out the squares - arranging and rearranging until I found a layout that I loved. As you can probably tell I worked diaginally from one corner to the other, moving through the colours of the rainbow.





I also spent some time toying with how to seam it up and decided to make the ridges visible on the right side, as the pattern suggests. I love how this looks. Adds to the rustic feel.




Coincidentally EZ has a very similar blanket in one of her books where she does not cast off each square - choosing to put it on scrap yarn until the end when she kitchener stitches/grafts all the squares together. Can you imagine? I have a hard time kitchenering (!) the toe of a sock... a whole blanket? You'd certainly be an expert by the time you are done!



But enough of my waffle! Last note - I added a border (of course I did - I can't seem to help myself when it comes to blankets). It's a simple crochet border. Nothing fancy. But I do think it ties it altogether nicely.

And that my friends is it. Hope you have a happy Halloween tomorrow. I can't wait to dress the little miss up and parade her round a couple of lovely neighbours before cosying up inside with bowls full of candy to see what trick or treaters swing by.