Yay!

I got second place in the Celebrate Color contest's Yarn category!

Super excited!

I've added a couple new women's hats to the shop, simple and wearable, with just enough interest:

The Hannah and the Sarah...hee hee.

Hannah Beret

Sarah Hat

Also, Shannon of Luvinthemommyhood's new pattern, Mallory, is sweet and simple, and I just had to make one as soon as I saw it! 

Noelle loves her squishy new cowl:

Celebrate Color - Granny Stripe Sweater

Granny squares had quite a presence in my childhood. Our house was positively covered in them; throw rugs on the floor, couch coverings and bed coverings. 

My grandma was the one who churned out these things in her sleep, it seemed, and she is the reason I learned and love to knit and crochet. She was like my second mother. Especially around the holidays and when I look at my children I wish she was here to share it all together with us. When we go home to my parents' house the rugs are still there on the floor and throws are still on some of the couches. It's a small but very warm reminder of her love and care for me and my family.

I wanted to create a colorful, granny inspired sweater for Noelle but it turned out to fit Ellie much better. It's top down, seamless, with a granny stripe bottom and buttons in the back. I used Wool-ease and I love the vintagey feel of the colors.

This is also my entry for Celebrate Color.

"I saw it in the win-duh..."

and I couldn't resist it.

That's how I felt about the Jane Richmond Shannon pattern. It's such a clever, simple, quick knit. I didn't have the right materials but I knitted up a version in red alpaca and I love the scaled down version anyway. Looped three times makes a perfect fit on my neck, and indoors looped twice looks very "sheek". 

My future's so bright, I gotta wear shades!

Two Little Elves

I made this hat for myself but it turned out way too small, so I bequeathed it upon my little elf:

Of course another little elf wanted to join the party.

happy little elves.

reminded me of another pair of mischevious little elves...

It's officially November, which means it's time to get crackin' on Christmas presents. I actually have a plan, which means there's a greater chance that all the presents will actually get done. Yay for handmade goodies!

Bloomin' Coffee

When Ellie finally crashed after waking up for the second time at 4 a.m., I couldn't get back to sleep. My head was so full of so many new ideas for things I wanted to create. My problem is always I have so many ideas that I can't settle and nothing actually ever gets made.

After fumbling around in the dark and, after several failed attempts, making a cup of coffee (forgot to pour the water in, then forgot to turn on the darn machine) I dug my heels in and made something I actually needed to make: coffee cozies. My sister in law (well, my sister-in-law's sister) asked me to make her a cozy, and I figured it was the perfect opportunity to practice magic loop. It's like a cuff for coffee in 2x2 rib. 

Here's what I made:

I will be adding these to the shop as soon as I can get a few more knit up.
Here's a picture of the girls in the Halloween garb...

May the Force be with you. hee. hee. 



Keeping Warm

Ellie had her first experience with snow on Saturday:

The snow can be quite a bother especially in the middle of winter when we have to dig out our cars and shovel ourselves out of our houses. But watching N and E watching the snow, it was a moment for me, for sure.

I am a freak and I LOVE the cold. Especially when I have an army of cozy accessories for me and my mini-mes...Oh, yes I did:

I made the Gap-tastic Cowl using double-stranded DK merino Style yarn from Knit-Picks. It is so soft but also sturdy. I think to wear something that you made yourself also adds an emotional element to clothes that is really indescribable. I just call it "happy".  Happy in Gray cowl.

So, of course mini-mes need to stay warm too. She wanted a pink one so I made a seed-stitch cowl using Bernat Roving. It is feathery soft and light and the color is bright and happy. I know I choose the same colors over and over, but if it ain't broke...



Cozy Cosy Hat

While digging through my stash during cowl craziness I came across a ball of yarn just big enough to make a hat for the little little. I call it "cozy cosy" because is doubly cozy and I've been seeing it spelled both ways while Ravelry-hopping for things to knit and crochet for the season.

This is a make-as-you-go, stashbuster hat. I kind of like it enough that I might put some in the shop. Noelle had a lot of say in it...she picked the yarn for the flower. She didn't mind at all that the hat went to Ellie, probably because she has a gazillion hats that still fit her from last year.

I'm also going to enter this in the Celebrate Color contest. Here are a few pics of my little munchkin (try to ignore the orange cheeto dust from the photo shoot "bribe") sporting her new toque.

Celebrate Color Entry

So my favorite cowl from the KAL was the Cardiff Cowl in purple, and I decided to enter it in the Celebrate Color contest. I'm a little late to the party! Here are the pics again, sorry for the repeat show but the rules specify a new blog post needs to be written for each entry.

For more information about Celebrate Color, go to the Stitched in Color blog. Prepare to be inspired! Color and autumnal lovelieness abound.

Cowl Crazy

The plan was to make three, I made four. I'm excited about knitting again and love what I made, but I'm ready to move on. Next project: knitted vests for the girls! It's getting chilly out and I don't want the kids to get sick again, esp. before their first trick-or-treating excursion!

Bandana Cowl

I also wanted to make the brioche-stitch cowl from Purl Soho but $80 worth of yarn...nuff said. I started practicing the stitch and ended up making this cowl with stash yarn:

Admittedly went a little bananas with the cowl KAL, but it was super fun (I know it's not over yet, but I'm finished...for now). I learned a lot!

Three-Hour Cowl...E's new accessory

Made the three-hour cowl, tried it on and didn't love it on me, but a certain little meddler was yapping at my feet when I was snapping pictures and an impromptu photo shoot yielded a new purpose for the cowl...

I'm going to make this again using a heavier yummy yarn and less cast-on stitches and we'll see how it turns out. Cheerio!

One down, two to go

Cardiff Cowl is finished. It has a new home because I wore it to playdate and my friend loved it so I gave it to her. I did snap a few pics before I went to the playdate. I love this pattern, the product looks more intricate than the simple process. Definitely will make more.

I think I will go with a thinner yarn next time, but work it for the same length for a snugger fit.



Cardiff Cowl

The Cardiff Cowl turned out to be ridiculously simple so it's halfway done. Here's a sneak peek:

I look a little menacing. I'm a nice person I swear.

KAL in the round

The Carefree Cowl KAL is the perfect project for me to start knitting again with. It's actually DOABLE, except that I think I want to make three. Mostly because I'm a brat and I don't want to choose, and circulars (once you're past the cast-on) are pretty darn convenient to tote around.

 

Cardiff Cowl in Caron Simply Soft (destash)

Three-Hour Cowl in Swish Dove Heather

Dolores Park Cowl in City Tweed Jacquard

Yes, the Cardiff Cowl is a crochet one, but a) that's allowed, b) it's like, super pretty and c) I need something to do while I wait for my Knitpicks interchangeables to arrive. Hee hee.

It's fun with a deadline, so I'll be posting here and there to keep myself accountable.