Some Knitting

I made some baby wash cloths for Laurel last week using Lion Brand Nature's Choice Organic Cotton yarn. One skein made four wash cloths with about two yards left over. I used the Grandma's Favorite Dish Cloth pattern repeating row two until I had thirty stitches on the needle. Throw in some Burt's Bees Baby Bee Shampoo and Wash, and you have a green baby gift! I hope you like it, Laurel!
Now I've got to go work on a little something I'm making for the kiddos. It includes some embroidery

A New Era Begins

For the first time on Friday, BOTH of my children went to school. My mom was here, so I had a fun day with her.

We spent some time sewing, and I finally made a pillow for which I had done the embroidery months ago. I think my aversion to the sewing machine may be waning ... a little bit.

We went out to lunch, and then we went to one of our favorite shops. I picked up a few things including some vintage buttons.

With the potential for so much more crafting time, I've really been inspired in recent days, and I anticipate much more frequent blogging in the future!

Thank you, Mom, for all of your encouragement and inspiration! I love you!

Forty

I am forty years old today. It is surreal. I clearly remember my mom turning forty when I was in college. I will be forty when my youngest child goes to Kindergarten. I'm not the least bit depressed. I wouldn't go back to twenty for all of the money in the world!

Rippling Along

Well, I finished another project I've been working on for months. As I was finishing it up in the car this weekend, my husband even said that he would be glad when it was done!

This is my first round ripple, which I made for my cousins baby...born in October! Thankfully, it's way too big for a newborn, and she should be able to use it for many years to come. I used Bernat Softee Chunky and a L hook. The pattern can be found here. Raveled here.

I am raring to go on my next ripple project, but it is somewhat hush hush as the recipient has been known to read this blog from time to time. ;-) I usually always have a crochet project going for watching videos and riding in the car, but I'm going to have to work on this next one at other times as well so that I can finish it in a more timely fashion!

Also, in crochet news, I'm in the midst of teaching a beginning crochet class. The class is small, and my students are doing very well. So far, over the past few years, I've taught more than twenty people to crochet. It's not a very lucrative gig, but I enjoy teaching and perpetuating the craft. I'll try to do a post on my classes...some time.

Edited to add: By the way, we did celebrate Valentine's Day this year! A few photos are here.

Embroidered Art: Walk

This past weekend, I finally completed a project I have had in progress for several months, and since there has been some interest expressed in how I did it, I wanted to share the process here.

First of all, inspiration: The design was inspired by Isaiah 30:21—Your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it, " whenever you turn to the right or to the left. There are also numerous other verses that encourage walking with God that come to mind, but this is the verse that prompted the project. I decided to make it as a belated birthday gift for some like-minded loved ones who I know will appreciate it.

Next, the drawing: While I am working on improving my drawing skills, I was not confident enough in my own abilities to draw the sandals without some help. I took a photo of my Birkenstocks, and I rendered the photo in my photo editing software to produce an outline. I then traced the outline onto tracing paper using a transfer pencil and ironed the design onto my chosen fabric. The word, "Walk," and my intials were written freehand with a water-soluable marker.

Materials: The fabric I used is a linen/cotton blend that I purchased at the local discount store. It was okay, but I'm still searching for my perfect linen or linen-blend fabric for embroidery. The stitching* was done in dark brown DMC size 5 perle cotton, my thread of choice. I like the thickness and texture as well as not having to separate threads as you do with stranded cotton.

Mounting/Framing: I purchased an inexpensive art canvas at the discount store for mounting the project. I sprayed the canvas with Elmer's Craft Bond following the instructions for a temporary bond, and then placed the embroidered fabric on top smoothing it as best I could. I flipped the canvas over and folded the excess fabric over, then glued, taped, and stapled it on the back of the wooden frame.

I am very pleased with the finished project, and I hope the recipeints will be too. I had considered making a pillow, but I'll do whatever I can to avoid the sewing machine!

* I used size 8 black perle cotton for my intials.

Tagged

I was tagged by Doda, to post the fourth photo in the fourth folder on my PC. I told her I would have to fudge a bit due to the way I have my photos organized, so here's what I have to offer...

This little bird was made from a felted, thrifted sweater by my friend, Elizabeth, who owns a wonderful store, AND she is in the process of setting up her Etsy shop, Greenhill Handmade. I bought this bird for my cousin's new baby girl whose nursery is decorated in brown and pink. While I'm at it, here's another one of Elizabeth's birds...

This one was purchased for my son for Christmas. Aren't they wonderful?!

If you would like to play along, consider yourself tagged. Post the fourth photo in the fourth folder on you computer, and tag four friends, or take the easy way out like I did.

Welcome February!

I am so glad January is over! I had two colds and a sinus infection, and apart from the brief cleaning out frenzy that commenced as I was recovering from cold #1, the month was not very productive. Two bright spots last week were in the from of packages from France! I received these goodies from Sonia...

And this Etsy order from Anna arrived the same day!

Thank you, ladies, for brightening a dreary week!

I've been crocheting some, and I made a birthday gift for a friend from an embroidery project completed several months ago. I started a knitting project and promptly frogged it when I realized I was being too optimistic as to what I could accomplish feeling as I did. Last week, I picked up a book that I put aside a while back, and now I find it hard to put down. Finally, this is the season for Masterpiece Classic, so it wasn't a dreary month altogether. However, I am hoping for more crafting in February, which should mean more posting as well.

The Gentle Arts

Last night, I finished reading The Gentle Art of Domesticity by Jane Brocket. It's been my bedtime reading for several weeks now, and I loved it. I feel like Jane is something of a more erudite and sophisticated English alter ego. She knits, crochets, quilts, does embroidery, and bakes.

The book is interesting and beautiful, and while I have read some reviews that accuse Jane of intellectual snobbery, I think she's being authentic. She is who she is, and all of her experiences have clearly shaped her domestic life and interests. I'm looking forward to trying most of the recipes, and I have already been inspired by Jane's love of tulips...

Yes, I Still Knit...

... and the formula for easing back into it after recovering from a seemingly never ending project is:

• Malabrigo Chunky
• Size 13 circular needles
• Super simple pattern
  

My completed Dolores Park Cowl...

My Handyman

My handyman helped fix my broken heart, AND he's handy with a pencil and rule!

Handyman

by James Taylor

Hey girls, gather round
Listen to what I'm putting down
Hey baby, I'm your handy man

I'm not the kind to use a pencil or rule
I'm handy with love and I'm no fool
I fix broken hearts, I know that I truly can

If your broken heart should need repair
Then I am the man to see
I whisper sweet things, you tell all your friends
They'll come runnin to me

Here is the main thing that I want to say
I'm busy 24 hours a day
I fix broken hearts, I know that I truly can

Come, come, come, come, come
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Come, come, come, come, come
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Theyll come runnin to me

That's me
I'm your handy man

If you're not familiar with the song, you can listen here.