simpletruths

Knitted Bean Bag

via zilalila.com

Yes please :)

One thing I want to have in my home one day is a reading corner, reading nook, even a reading window bench.

Much of this assumes that I will, at some point in my life, actually have time to read a book again. Until then I'm fine with reading Sing Along Song over, and over, and over (and OVER) again.

Also, I've ALWAYS wanted a bean bag chair. ALWAYS. It awakens some small part of me who is still 8 years old in my strawberry shortcake laden room (I'm talking sheets, blankets, pillow case, curtains, toy box, record player and PJs - complete with red bonnet - oh yea).

Anyhow - I still want a bean bag chair but I've long since gotten over the desire for the bright blue or green pleather-type balls of mush.

But this, this I could see in my house.

 

I might even let the kids sit on it too.

 

Anyhow, if anyone makes a trip out to The Neatherlands......

Crochet icord tutorial

I recently learned an easier way to make an icord with crochet. I'm seriously so excited about it that I made my first tutorial video just to share the fun! Enjoy.

 

New life, new year, new goals

This is what's been going on over here...

 

we celebrated a first Christmas

 

getting aquainted

 

checking out the outside world

 

being amazed - or maybe bored...

 

And after they all go to sleep I've been finishing these

 

I'll be back with regular posts soon.  Something new I'm going to be doing this year are occasional how-to posts.

Stay tuned!

 

 

Coziness

Just added to the shop:

 

coffee cup sweater

 

 

perfect red blossom ring

 

 

A sample of the wonderfulness yet to come:

 

 

 

So many pretty colors :)

Knitting in public

an interesting conversation starter.

Mini Crustless Quiches

In preparation for Little Mrs. arrival I've been thinking of things that can be made ahead and frozen both for me and for the boys.

These little guys are my favorite so far:

Mini Crustless Quiches - one batch with just zucchini, another with zucchini and smoked turkey.

The recipe I ended up going with is actually a mini frittatta recipie  that was less recipe and more hmmmm what's in the fridge...

One downfall to going the muffin pan route (both mini and regular) is cleaning.  There's just no easy way to clean a muffin pan.

 

I've also gotten a bunch more button scarves finished and folded, and I just finished a couple cowls - one blue and one purple that aren't pictured. I feel like, come 10pm - I do nothing but weave in ends for an hour...and I haven't even started adding the hooks onto the earring yet...

 

Organized Chaos

This may look like a mess of yarn to most people

but to me, this is progress.  Take a look at the few close ups....

This little sparkly circles are going to be the brilliant focal point of a Christmas garland

 

One yet-to-be-stiffened snowflake

 

 

earrings galore

 

 

And I didn't even get into the assorted neck warming apparatuses....apparati?   

I also have a few new designs in the works.  No pictures yet but I can say that felt is fun :) 

I think he likes it

 

A perfectly imperfect hat I recently finished for Little Mr.

 

 

The decreases are a little off, but it's soft and stretchy so he's set through the winter no matter how big his head gets :)

I did it!

I just finished my first venture into knitting with double pointed needles and I've got to say, once I got into the swing of it, it was pretty cool.  Plus then you end up with cool decreases that look like this:

 

yup - I'm a new fan.  The only downside is that I'm still much faster at crocheting hats...but crochet patterns aren't as cute and don't have rolled edges like this:

 

yea...this little girl is going to have a warm, cute little head this winter.

 
  

Double Pointed Dilemma

I've avoided them for a while but then I saw the most adorable newborn hat pattern ever on this blog.

Most of the hat is done using a 12" circular, but for the decreases you need to use dpns (Double Pointed Needles)....but I really wanted to make this hat.

so here I am

It's going - albeit slowly and the one thought I keep having is that people used to knit entire sweaters using only dpns. 

that's just crazy talk 

see...

I have been working on a few things

(those are my favorite hot tamale PJ pants) 

 

cute baby sweater (crochet) and the first few rounds of a little pink hat (knit)

Big Red Bobbi Bear

via www.purlbee.com

OK - I already know what I want to knit my little guy for Christmas.

WIPs

Here's some of what I've been doing:

This burgundy scarf is for the Orphan Foundation of America’s Red Scarf Project, that I'm participating in through craft hope. 

 

Each year over 25,000 students age out of the foster care system (having never been adopted). The Orphan Foundation is committed to helping them become tomorrow’s successful citizens. 

 

 

Then there are the bracelets (so excited for these).  These are three sets that I've recently put together.

  

  
 

And the coasters are coming along very nicely :)

Knitting - round and round and up and down

 

 

Then there's the button dilemma 

not quite

 

...I just don't know

Reduce, reuse, recycle - shop update

The letter of the day is 'T' 

as in T-shirts

First I experimented with my own shirts - mostly inexpensive tanks from forever 21 that I'd long since grown tired of.  In my trials, errors and quests for answers I stumbled upon several tutorials for "recycled T-shirt necklaces"

They were all fine, variations on a similar theme; the cutting of T shirts, the stretching of material, the tying of knots, the wrapping and tucking and, eventually, the wearing.  All well and good.  But I was interested in making something a bit more polished.  Keeping with the simplicity of similar T shirt strand-necklaces, but giving it a little oomph ... and I hated the knots, and the tucking - all so very UNpolished.  

So I tinkered, and tried a few things, then I started scouring thrift stores for T shirts that were well taken care of - no faded, threadbare shirts that looked like they had been used to dry the Volvo after the car wash. 

This is  what I came up with:

 

and this

 

and, if you're really going to accessorize, then you've got to have a bracelet, right?

 

The first one - the forest green necklace, sold the morning after I posted it to etsy :)

I'll be making more as the weeks pass, I think they work both as necklaces and even a fun take on the infinity scarf if you get a thick enough bunch together.  So far I've just been doing solid colors but I'm already envisioning fun, spring-time color combinations.... 

quick shop update - 

I'm Sold out!

 
 
I'm all sold out of the ribbed neckwarmers for the time being.  That's right! You've got to be quick :)

More are in the works - let me know if you have any color suggestions or requests.  Also, anyone have good ideas about where to find cool vintage buttons?  I'm always looking to beef up my stash.
 
   

Rainy day thoughts

Having a bit of a panic attack of sorts.  The kind I know is silly and will pass shortly but, in the moment, quite urgent. 

I hope I’m a good mom.  I mean really, that’s a lot of pressure – much of it self afflicted. 

I also want to garden, and sew, and knit and crochet and cook and dance and play and teach and love and be loved and I, of course, feel like it ALL needs to be done right now. 

Oh, there’s just so much doing to be done. 

Almost every night, after the little one has been put to bed, and dinner has been eaten– you'll find me standing in the dining room, staring at the dishes in the kitchen, or the stuff I still haven't organized on the table, or the unfinished scarf/pair of earrings/hat….just staring. 

I know that I can only pick one before my mind becomes completely useless, but I'm steadily working through scenarios in my head where all three can be completed, if not simultaneously, then at least in rapid succession.
At some point, when my mind starts racing faster than I can realistically keep up, I hear this calm voice of reason “Julia, come sit down.”  And that’s really all I need most nights, to cuddle on the couch with my husband, a skein of yarn, a glass of wine and Top Chef from the previous night (what did I do before DVR?).
 
I know, I know I try to do too much. And then the thought of everything I want to do paralyzes me - until nothing gets done. 

This fall my mantra is ‘pick one thing’ 

 For now, the yard will have to wait.  I'm content just enjoying the walnuts and oranges - but come springtime it's on!

That one thing is etsy/artfire.  I hope to have a few pieces (earrings, button scarves, and knitted cowls) up on etsy and possibly artfire by the end of this month. Yea I know,  3 weeks isn’t a lot of time, but I've thought it out.

• I’ve been sitting on several pairs of half finished earrings for about a month
• I’d planned on doing a small local sales event of sorts on that day, but it fell through
• If I work on a little each day then it's plenty of time
• I’m not trying to stock my shop like I’m Macy’s; a few, well made items is all I’d like to start with.

But assuming someone actually wants to buy something – I’m looking for nice, inexpensive, packaging ideas…anyone?

Taking knitting to a new level

I can't even begin to express the awesomeness of these pictures

 

 

"PHAT KNITS is a series of giant threads used to create, knitted or not, interior products "

http://baukeknottnerus.nl/#anch0

May WIPs

  

oh - it may not look like much now - but just you wait it'll look like a slightly different version of this one:

 

see that loosy, goosy stitching on the right side? That's what happens when you cast on unevenly and occasionally too loosely. Clearly that part will be the back of the beret.

 

ooo - and this is going to be a market bag with it's own little pocket it can be tucked into.

Progress and improvements

Knitting is very much unlike crocheting, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. Being new to knit, I have realized that I need to pay much more attention to gauge - the cowl I thought I was making has turned out to be a hat for my 8 month old son - oops. 

Of course being proficient (albeit at a beginner level) with knitting has old added to my list of projects I want to complete. 

 

Here's how far I've gotten in a month

 

Orange buttoned neck warmer*  finished

Spring scarves (3)*

Buttoned neck warmers

Funky, chunky cowl  infant hat?

Adult brimmed beanies  *

Kids brimmed beanie *

Baby bonnet didn't' turn out how I wanted, boo

Toddler shell beanie* finished, adorable

Slippers/house shoes  WIP

Green stripped scarf finished

Flower Headbands finished one, more to come

Market bags

slouchy beret

wrist warmers

bell sleeved dance shrug

bun cover finished

knit cowl - attempt #2 WIP

4 infant shell beanies finished