Life of the Party

One of the coolest things about tweeting about local and crafty businesses is that local and crafty people follow me. Which can be really cool when it comes to finding new local crafty businesses.

I have been coveting My Friend London's yarn ever since I clicked through to her Etsy Store.

I have this secret passion for hand spun. I just never think I knit anything good enough for it.

However, after finally meeting her in person, and seeing the awesome bright colors in person, at Craftstravaganza, I could no longer resist. I bought some "Life of the Party" and it managed to make it in to a hat less than two weeks later.

I may have been a wee bit inspired by Shepherd's Harvest Festival as well.

It is lovely yarn, and it knit up quick on 10.5 needles. I love it so much I may bring it to the very chilly Twins game today.

I think I am over my fear of hand spun. Too bad I'm on a craft diet while we do the new budget. I want to have my craft room in the basement before I get any more. However, I will stalk her Etsy store in the meantime.

PS. Not all of her yarn is as schitzo as what I got. I just like bright shiny colors. Also, why yes I am a giant dork when taking pictures of myself showing new things.

Queen of the Weekend

This weekend, after much hype and high expectations, M had her first sleep over. It was at Grandpa & Nana's, down in Red Wing, and while not that far away, it did require close to five hours of total driving for A & I. We're hoping that the success of it (and it was a wild success) means that maybe the in-laws can meet us half way next time. We're also hoping that they will keep her for longer at some point, perhaps in August.

Before we made it out of town, she was asking to go back, asking when she could go again, and falling asleep. Apparently no nap, late to bed, early to get up and lots of excitement (including an unexpected visit from the cousins) can really wear a girl out.

We made good use of the time alone to do fun stuff like go out to dinner at Solera (a 5th anniversary treat using a gift card given to us for our wedding). We also watched a movie and were generally boring (I have a cold and did not want to get anyone else sick, so we were really really boring). Best part however was sleeping in.

I also made good use of the time in the car to finally knit up a pattern I got from Knit Picks awhile back.



I tried to get M to pose nicely for a picture of it, but she was too strung out from a lack of sleep that we could barely understand what she was saying, let alone get her to follow directions. Fortunately the bear follows directions quite well.

One sort of worked out, but required a lot of blurring to make it blog acceptable. I think I may modify it slightly for her giant noggin and knit in a warmer yarn (the pattern calls for cotton) and make a really fun winter headband. For now I'm working one up in pink so there are at least two to play with when the cousins come for her birthday.

A Crafting Agenda

I finally feel better. I should be crafting, working on holiday gifts before I wait until the last minute and just end up buying the damn doll carrier from Pottery Barn, but I'm not.

Instead I'm browsing Etsy and dreaming about what I would do if I had unlimited funds.

How about I lay out my holiday craft agenda instead of actually doing it. Making a list and planning counts as progress, right?

Doll Carriers for the preschoolers - I had planned on making buying one for M, but then my SIL brought up that her daughter might like one. Well, that just made it a challenge. I have yet to find a pattern for anything I really like online, so I went out and bought enough fabric to experiment with a few designs. They are all sitting in a bag on my kitchen table waiting for me to get it together.

Quilt for M - Not that she doesn't have a million blankets, but I had to take away the blue one my mom brought for her. It had been mine when I was little, made by my grandma Lila. It had a few naptime potty accidents and had to get washed, and is falling apart way to fast to risk that. I know it should get used, but maybe when we master this potty thing completely. Like when she's 12. So, I got cool fabric to make her a new quilt, just need to spend some time at Crafty Planet pinning it so I can tie it. If I have enough time, maybe I'll hand quilt it.

Knit Blanket for the youngest niece - This may turn in to a birthday present. Not sure if I'll get it done in time.

Sock Monkey for the youngest niece - Have got to finish this one. M and oldest niece already have them. A and his brother both got sock monkeys from their grandmother. I loved the idea enough to make them for the first two kids, now the littlest one needs one of her own.

Doll Clothes - This is for M and the oldest nice. Found this awesome idea at Dollar Store Crafts (amazing craft blog). Love that I can get some use out of M's old baby clothes.

It may not seem like much, but I am a wicked good procrastinator.

Knitted Together

It is no secret that I treasure the things my grandmother's made for me, and if it wasn't for some seriously poor fashion choices on my part, I'd still have things I made with my mother. It just took me some time to appreciate how cool all of those handmade things were.

I know my window with M is small. It will only be so long before all she really wants is a gift card to Limited Too and a Hannah Montana CD (though really I swear we are working on her having better musical taste). I want to make sure I make as many things for her as I can while she still thinks I'm cool.

While on vacation I picked up some fun (and machine washable) yarn in bright colors. Fortunately she loves it.

She tells everyone that asks her about it that I made it. She wears it at daycare, long after I've left for work. She always wants to know where it is. She was incredibly excited when I started using the rest of the yarn to knit a hat for one of her teachers. A parting gift for how much they've done for my M. She couldn't keep it a secret, so now they all know they'll be getting hats from me.

She's also started asking for the quilt I made before I got pregnant. My first quilt in a gender neutral set of sushi fabrics. She calls it her food quilt and when she's feeling bad she wants me to tuck her in with it.

Now, when her two'ness can be so much for me to handle, when I feel my fuse shortening every time she uses tears to get what she wants (she's so good at it too), I just remember that there will be a time when all I'm good for is the keys to the car and some money for gas.

Sweaters big and small

Ok, so April asked about knitting and since I have been tackling something I never thought I would, I thought I would share. However, if you are my SIL and want a surprise, stop reading.

I have a new niece due in three or so weeks, so I thought I would tackle another baby sweater. I made her big sister a quilt, but that seemed a little aggressive with my own toddler to deal with. This is my second truly successful sweater. The first was for a coworker. I figured if I brought it in half made to her shower I would have to finish it. It worked, and it was easier than I thought. I only wish I had been brave enough to make some for M when she was little.


One for the new baby, and one for her sister's baby doll. Except that one I think will be too small, so I made another. That one fits M's baby doll (slightly smaller than her cousins). I used the Knitting Pure & Simple free sweater pattern with some slight modifications for the buttons. For the little one, I took the same basic pattern and halved one of the larger sizes. I've liked her free pattern enough to actually purchase some other ones, including a couple in M's size. I may be crazy, she's bigger than 6 months.


The knitting is hard on my wrists, and my cyst isn't getting smaller, but the therapy of it all has been worth it. Just see the happy customer above.

The days are getting longer, right?

Sorry for the delay in being here, I've been busy dealing with a toddler who is getting her teeth (two year molars) and having another growth spurt (Yay, 3T pants?), and finding an old love again in knitting. I used to be a knitting machine, but I haven't felt like I've had the time. However, it is winter, and I find that there is therapy in knitting. Something I need since there is so little sun this time of year. It helps me focus (and keeps me from drowning my sorrows in chocolate).

I've also been working on my usual winter cleaning and organizing spree. It is my version of cabin fever. It helps accommodate any new things we received for the holidays, and feel like there is something fresh in our lives when everything outside is dead.

We've already taken care of getting M's new toys in her room. We anticipated that a little and added more storage to the basement to clean out things she had outgrown. The next project is my bookcase in the office.

So, next weekend I think I will be off to Ikea, after I survive this week. M may have an ear infection, pink eye, or just a really bad cold and those darn teeth. Drat!