Knitting: Awesome Stop-Motion Video

{ via Brooklyn Tweed }

This video popped up in my Facebook News Feed this morning and it is both awesome and really sweet! Enjoy your Sunday, lovelies!

Working on: Mitt Knits (way late)

I am sad to admit it but there are two gifts from the holidays that I still have not finished knitting. The above is a tan pair of manly mitts for my boyfriend's best friend. Roy went on and on about how quickly I whipped up a pair for him in a matter of hours, yet I can't seem to get anywhere with this pair. And below is a pair of fingerless fair isle gloves I designed for my best friend Scott, also still unfinished. I've been working my fingers off to get them finished!

Knitting: New + Easier Yarn Poms

Source: eskimimiknits.com via Tara on Pinterest

Here is a MUCH easier way to do your yarn poms rather than the circle template technique - I wish I'd have figured this out ages ago! Happy pom'ing!

Gifting + Receiving

This year I had a LOT of knitting to do for the holidays. It's a gift I love giving to people. I enjoy picking out the patterns, the yarn, and finally seeing the face of the receiver when they open what I've made for them.

Here's some of the presents I made for friends and family this year.











Of the gifts I received, the best one was the Kodak Brownie Starflex that Roy gave me! I adore it! The flash bulbs are rare, but I can still put film in it for daytime pictures. I've been practicing some TTV (through the viewfinder) Photography with it. I haven't made a "contraption" yet to block out extra light, but I am having a total blast with it!

Knitting: Craft Fair

{ via Google }

This weekend I got an email from one of the ladies in my knit group and she invited me to get a table at the Burlington Craft Fair. I was so excited! It was very sweet of her to think of me, especially since I barely remember mentioning that I was prepping knits for sale, but unfortunately I don't even have the spare funds for a one-day table rental fee ($75) nor enough merchandise to be ready for this Saturday! She had hoped I would bring my spinning wheel and do a demonstration, so I might be heading down there on Saturday to do that.

Working on: Knits, T-Day, and Ukes!

I've been a busy, busy little bee. Last week I updated the logo for my shop, preparing for my re-open in January! It's all been very exciting - planning and making new products and giving the shop a new focus, and creating an updated identity for the shop! These little seed stitch infinity scarves have been flying off my needles. I've got a bunch ready to be sold in divine colors, but this one is mine and I finished it last night. See more of it on flickr.



We've been in full-on Thanksgiving mode in my house. This weekend we procured most of our groceries, just need to get a few more things for dessert. I am in charge of stuffing, biscuits, and some dessert. We've got 17 people coming for dinner! What are you doing to prepare for your holiday festivities?



And finally, I am again testing my Jackette of All Trades skills and have decided to act on my dream of learning to play the ukelele. This beauty arrived today and I've already got some chords down!

ETA: After a coule of hours practicing chords and strumming, I can now play "Home on the Range" and "I've Been Working on the Railroad" and I am enjoying myself very much!

Knitting: Santa Pattern

{ via Lion Brand Crochet Santa }

Do you crochet? Do you want to? This great little (free) crochet pattern from Lion Brand is perfect for gift-giving. If you're knew to crochet check out Crochet help and YouTube.

Lion Brand has a great selection of free patterns for the holiday and for the everyday. Check it out!

Knitting: Cute Crochet Patterns

{ via Cornflower Blue }



{ via Craft Passion }

Aren't these two easy peasy projects cute? I think I'll add them to my list of gifts to give away for stocking stuffers. My sister loves the bow headband. Tonight is knit group night so maybe I'll get a chance to start them!

Today's been pretty busy. I made some pumpkin banana bread for my brother's 18th birthday on Friday, I worked on a project for fake snow (coming tomorrow!), and I worked on some freehand calligraphy. I've been dying to practice calligraphy after seeing all of the gorgeous examples out there on hand lettered envelopes. Stunning! So since I'm still waiting for my alphabet workbook in the mail, here's my first attempts at freehand today.

Knitting: Weekend Knitting

This weekend I finished the Anthropologie-inspired Headband and some fingerless mitts for myself. I love when I can finish my KIPs (knits in progress) over the weekend, it brings a sense of accomplishment come Sunday night. Not to mention that it takes me forever to finish my projects since I always have at least six at a time :)




The yarn for the head wrap was Bernat Roving which was heavenly to knit with! It's so cushy and warm! Next time I knit this pattern, though, I think I'll do a provisional cast on so I can join it in the round, without the buttons and I'll do a longer cable.




This was knit in a Knit Picks Wool of the Andes yarn in Mink Heather. I adore Wool of the Andes, their colors are amazing and the wool blend is super fantastico! I was knitting these for my Christmas present basket but I decided to keep these for myself for two reasons.

• I totally love this color. It looks good on me.
  
• I rarely knit anything for myself, especially at this time of the year. The rest of my knitting time is dedicated to working on some patterns I have designed, and creating gifts for showers and birthdays

Check out some more pictures of my knits on my Flickr page.

Knitting: Knit Groups

{ via Google }

I have no idea why I was so shy about joining a knit group in the four years since I've learned how to knit and crochet. I went to the first meeting of the new knit group in town and I had SO. MUCH. FUN. Literally I could have sat with those girls all night long!

Unfortunately it's only a monthly thing, so I have to wait four whole weeks until the next meeting. But I mentioned that I have a spinning wheel that I spin on and I was asked to bring it to the next meeting to do a demonstration! I'm so excited to teach them a little bit about spinning their own yarn, I even plan on bringing some wool for anyone to try if they'd like to.

The great thing is that it's all different types of skill levels that have come together for the meeting - and different crafts! Two of the ladies I made friends with were crocheting and they mentioned that they quilt. I told them I'd just started and I got to pick their brains a bit. There was also these adorable elder ladies from England and Scotland that were just the sweetest to chat with.

I can't say it enough - I HAD SO MUCH FUN!!! :D

In other, less yarn-y news my screen printing stuff came today so I'm excited to get some work done on that! I also finished my first embroidery last night, I'll show you tomorrow. It's very sweet and simple, I'm pleased with it.

So many crafts, so little time!

Quilting: I'm doin' it

I couldn't ignore the itch any longer, I had to just do it! I've got three quilts in the making! Two plaid quilts, one for my boyfriend and one for my best friend Scott. Then one for myself! Mine is on the cover of this book I bought:



I am using 30s reprint fabrics (which I am soooo obsessed with, they're all just simply gorgeous) for the quilt, specifically a jelly roll of the Breakfast at Tiffany's collection, which happens to be my favorite movie! I also will be using some of the 30s reprint fabric already in my fabric stash for the back and borders.

For the plaid quilts, I took Roy to the fabric shop over the weekend to pick out his plaid fabrics while everything was on sale. And for Scott's quilt he gave me some old cotton plaid shirts that he doesn't wear anymore to be repurposed into pieces for his quilt.

Hopefully my newfound love of the quilting craft won't make me neglect my knitting too much. Over the weekend I finished my mittens for the fall, they're based on the mittens in a Mad Men episode and I adore them!