Goodbye 2018!

This has been one wild and crazy year. There have been some high notes and some tough times. I'm looking forward to having this year behind me, and I'm hoping to have a big positive impact in 2019.

What do I want to knit/crochet? I have about 32 items queued for 2019. I'll be lucky complete half, but it's nice to revisit the list. Here are some of my favorites (and the images are from the designers or publishers):

• Finish Tabular by Maja Moller (completed front and most of the back already :) this is from last year's winter Pom Pom Quarterly)

• Nightshift by Andrea Mowry

• Here We Gnome Again by Sarah Schira

• G'Night Cap by Sarah Schira

• Read Between the Lines by Tammy Canavan-Soldaat (So excited to use a couple of cakes of Whirl from my Christmas presents) - Also, there is a crochet version as well :)

• Layered Waves by Rachele Carmona

There will be new patterns that will pop up to distract me from the list, but I'm excited to have a more focused year on my crafts. Also, due to my pattern/yarn addiction, this will be the year in which I don't purchase anything new...or, at least that's a hope.

I've been swatching. What do you think of these little crochet swatches/starts?

We survived and enjoyed the Christmas holiday. Here are my sons and a sweet little nephew of the cousin crew.

Here is our favorite present, little miss Molly who joined us in October. She is our family's gift.

I finished my Marled Mania Cardigan for Gilly, my sister-in-law, just in time. she was kind enough to let me get a picture of it. You can also see her dog and my nine year old in the background.

Lastly, I found a designer that I wanted to post about. I found her patterns this weekend and just in time for her to slow down on designing:  Leethal Knits, I adore her hat patterns, and each one comes with so many ideas and options. When I get one or two done, I'll post them. An indie-dyer was knitting one this designer's hats, Holm, to showcase her yarn, and I was so excited that I had to find the pattern. Lee Meredith, the designer of the pattern, is a Portlander, and she has over 170 patterns available. She now is focusing her time working for KnitPicks, which is awesome as well.

Happy crafting and have a great start to 2019!

Merry Christmas for 2018!

I hope you're all ready for any Christmas or holiday celebrating in store for you. This post will be a bit shorter than intended due to some last minute knitting and some sick kids (hopefully, it's not my turn to get sick next). On my little jog yesterday I had thought of several things to share. I need to remember to jog regularly for ideas :). Sadly, scratching the surface is as far as I'll get.

Here is a great image of my boys from seeing Santa this year. We've tried to dress up and do other things in the past. I like this image and I'm hopeful both boys will be happy with what will be under the tree.

My Christmas crafting was much smaller this year. I'm working on the last item for my sister-in-law today and tomorrow. I'm hoping to have a Marled Mania Cardigan with that reaches the hip (not the full duster length. I wrapped up the sleeves yesterday and now have lots of ends to hide. My goal is to get about 40 more rows and each row takes 10 - 11 minutes to knit. Wish me luck!!!

I'm excited that Hipster hats for my brother-in-law and nephew are complete along with the cute Sugar Skull Amigurumi for my mother-in-law. Some years I'll have a gift for each of my kids and my father-in-law. I do want to knit some emergency mittens for my husband at some point.

My last yarn purchase for a long time was from Potion Yarns. I'm so excited to play with the different bases and colors.

My carry everywhere project has been a swatch with Yarn Over New York's Times Square sock yarn. Having it in my purse and dragging it around has shown how well the yarn should hold up and I'm very pleased. I'm not anticipating much pilling and for a garment, I should be able to get some decent wear out of it. I want more skeins of the Navy Storm colorway, it's lovely.

Once I'm past Christmas, I can make a solid list of projects I hope complete next year and I'm also hoping to design four knitworthy/crochetworthy patterns. What are you planning to make in 2019?

Whether you celebrate Christmas, the season, or everyday, I wish you happy times and happy holidays. Have a great week.

Planning to Have Four Awesome Designs in 2019!!!

When do you get your creative ideas? Do they just magically appear or do you have to search for inspiration?

When I'm stressed with my day to day job, I suddenly will get a random knitting or crochet design to pop in my head. Having a notepad handy is critical. At the same time, I have to step back and realize there is no time to swatch or get my ideas in a concrete form. Christmas is a looming deadline as well. I've made progress this week on the Christmas projects, but not as much as I had hoped. I made an investment in an expanded version of the design class that I signed up for a few months ago. After this week, I'm hoping to make time 30 minutes a day for designing.

I did start swatching today with yarns I'm hoping to use. What do you think of these indie dyed yarns? The colors aren't intended to be coordinated, but I find they look very pretty together.

Here are the shops in case you want to take a look:

Navy Storm from Yarn Over New York
The Drones Club (Minty teal-like green) from Potion Yarns
Orchids from Enchanted Forest Fiber

I'm starting with stocking knit squares knitted flat. All three yarns are fingering weight and I'm hoping to make some lovely garments that can be warn close to the skin. I started with some mood boards and stitch libraries. With some sketches and this prep work, I'm super excited to get the full ideas down and make them repeatable.

I've started drafting some marketing materials about my design aesthetic and my intentions of making designing more than just a hobby.

After wrapping up this post, I'll keep working on my sister-in-law's sweater. I was able to get one sleeve mostly done and I'm hoping that after a few hours tonight and tomorrow that I'll feel good about the last of the present making.

I'm hoping to hop onto a crochet along with Cypress Textiles to help support her recent book :). I guess I need to finish the current knit along I'm doing first...patience :).

Happy crafting and happy holidays.

Have a great week!

Holiday Crafting Progress and Using Dark Yarn...spooky!

Progress...The Christmas crafting continues. I was able to get a Hipster beanie knitted up for my brother-in-law. The ends need to be hidden. My mother-in-law's Sugar Skull figure is done (as of last night). I'd love to add the rosettes and leaves to the top, but I'm worried about time. What do you think of this cutie? It was fun to make, but putting the final parts together was not quite as fun. I wish the last parts were sewn instead of crocheted. Check out Spin a Yarn Crochet's blog post for the free pattern.

How do you feel about knitting or crocheting with dark yarn? Three of my Christmas gift projects are in either a midnight blue or black. When I'm using a simple pattern of stocking knit and don't need to look at it...the dark colors aren't a problem. If there are cables or even crochet, it's harder to see the stitches. At least that's how I feel. Neutral colors are so wearable, and I wear black all the time.

Last week, I discussed that I bought a couple of skeins of Blackbird from Yarn Over New York. These skeins are a nice solid black. I hope to incorporate them in a sweater design. While dealing with a cold this weekend, I've tried to brainstorm what I'd like to do with design collection for 2019. What's amusing is that I'm thinking how to incorporate rainbows. How that fits into a neutral as black is that I want to make things that are very wearable.  Rainbows can be tricky in highly wearable garments from a practical standpoint. I think I can do it.

I was inspired by a Flax Light sweater that had a lovely muted rainbow in the yoke and I think that more color in garments always better. When I wear a LBD, I'm always trying to add color with accessories.

Here is Tin Can Knit's image of the lovely sweater inspiration:

As I'm feeling under the weather, I'm keeping this post shorter. Please leave a comment or shoot me a note :).

Happy crafting!

Pattern Releases and Holiday Crafting Madness

After another busy week I have lots of fun ideas to share. A couple of patterns I've tested were released and holiday crafting is in full swing.

Before hopping into releases I wanted to talk about Cyber Monday. Did you do any yarn or pattern shopping this week for all of the sales? I have to confess that I partook and here is what I found. Some of the designers below are part of the Indie Designer GAL.

I ordered four skeins of yarn from Yarn Over New York. She had a 20% off sale and I had been eyeing these colorways for months. Andrea Mowrey had a day that if you purchased patterns that the profits would go to the fire victims in California, so I purchase that I had contemplated sometime. Several other designers have had sales, so I've partaken here and there. Here is list. Most of the sales have ended, but you might enjoy the inspiration:

Yarn Over New York (I've included some of Jessie's images of the colorways for your enjoyment)

Queen Bee Yarn

Blackbird

Traffic Cone

Andrea Mowrey (Drea Renee Designs)
The Shift
The Throwback
Nightshift

Carina Spenser Designs
Orla's Vine
Calliope Cowlette

Jessie Ksanznack Designs (Yarn Over New York)
Baburuti Hat

Sarah Schira
Here We Gnome Again
G'night Cap

The first pattern release I wanted to share is  the W.A.L.K. Hat by Becca Hulme was released this week. It's a great simple, squishy hat. I made a couple of hats using the recommended striping scheme. It's a quick stash buster with a lovely wide range of sizes. The inspiration comes from having to spell "walk" to not have your puppy triggered to excitement.

Second, the Red Cliff Mittens from Alison O'Mahoney of Kniterations were released. These are beautiful two toned mittens that I love. The colorwork patter in interesting and the thumb colowork is clever. You definitely need to pay attention in the set up and keep track of rows. I tested the children's size and I loved the results. What do you think of the deep teal and buttery yellow?

What I'm Making (now) - After all the busy times of testing and shopping I'm frantically making Christmas...here are the items I'm working on:

Hipster - Hat for my brother-in-law (farthest along...likely to complete)
Marled Mania Cardigan - for my sister-in-law (will start working on sleeves and will cast of edge based on timing.
Sugar Skull Amigurumi - stuffed animal for my mother-in-law (front panel completed)
Elton's Newsies Hat - my father-in-law (and nephew...time willing) - (received idea yesterday...need to begin)
Kahurangi Cowl - for a current KAL (started on Saturday)

There are so many awesome patterns and things I want to work on...but maybe five projects at once should  be enough. I hope that if you have any holiday craft projects that you're done well in advance of your gifting holiday.

Happy crafting and have a great week!

Happy Thanksgiving

Here in the States, it's Thanksgiving week. I like to think of this as the time of year for sitting back and sharing time with family. Reflecting on what you're grateful for is critical for me to do everyday.

It will sound cliche, but I'm so very thankful for my family. This has been a tough year for so many reasons, but having the opportunity to share time with family has been such a blessing. Thankfully, a a wedding (not a funeral) was the catalyst in seeing my dad's side of the family.

Holidays lead to time with my in-laws. Here is an image of my mother-in-law's bread turkey as an appetizer. I tried to find the instructions and recipe online to add a link, but to no avail. Cathy made this look so easy.

This is the lovely Molly. Our most recent addition to the family. I like to joke that she's the only daughter I'm ever going to get. We are so happy that we can share our home with her.

I've been frantically knitting hats, mittens, and other gifts. The last few weeks of the year fly by quickly. My Scheepjes Folk Bookazine arrived and I'm trying to get through my other projects first. The temptation to start making any of the projects in the Bookazine is killing me. I'm thinking about the Farrah Scarf for my new staff in San Diego. I'm planning to use a cotton blend so that it can be useful through most of the year.

I have a confession. I've never owned any Scheepjes yarn. I asked some family who wanted to have a present under the tree for me for a few balls. If I get a couple balls of Whirl, I hope to make one of the Read Between the Lines shawls. There is a knit version and a crochet version. The illusion knitting is so beautiful with the gradual color changing  yarn. Don't you agree?

Also, I need to start making seat covers for our dining room chairs. I had started some basic patterns about a year ago that I was adapting for seat covers. Sadly, cream color cushions don't mesh well with having kids...and messy grown ups. With the lovely patterns in the Art of Crochet Blankets book, I can experiment with the patterns and beautify my dining room. When I want a little break, I'll work up a motif and post the results.

Lastly, there has been a lot of Lego fever at my home. Buying some used sets on eBay and a few from the local store, my younger son will have a very Lego birthday and Christmas. Shopping for the nine year old is tricky. We're planning to get him some camping gear for scouts. I'm making gifts this year...not buying very much. I really want to make stuffies for both my boys, but time is limited. Maybe I can plan for next year.

Have a great week and happy crafting!!! See you in December.

November...how is it over halfway gone?

Last week's post wasn't very personal, and I know some of you readers are family and friends that want to see what I'm up to. It's been a busy week between work and home. I spoke at a panel this morning, so work continues into the weekend.

My NaNoWriMo progress...I've made it to over 26,000 words. After making it past the halfway point, my motivation has lessened. I'm hoping to try to catch back up this week. We'll see how it goes.

WIPs - I'm almost done with my first quadrant on Andrea Mowry's Rose Cardigan. This is my selfish knitting project. Generally, you knit this sweater with hand painted yarn, so the colors fade together. I'm liking the more noticeable fade with the solid colors. Starting with the beautiful burgundy and going a faded orange is not for everyone.

I've made progress the Marled Mania Cardigan for my sister-in-law. I'll post a pic when I'm a bit farther along.

I finally found the pattern I want to use to make my mother-in-law's gift. I haven't openly told her about this blog, so I think I can get away with showing. You might recall that she loves Halloween and Day of the Dead. I found the cutest crocheted skeleton stuffy and I want to make it and stuff it with some lavender scent. Check out Spinayarn's blog that has this creepily adorable free pattern.

I'm going to start on the cute gift for my mother-in-law tomorrow. I've agreed to a couple of text knits. A hat and a pair of mittens. I'm planning to make the items as presents for family and I'm excited to work on the beautiful patterns. One of them is "secret." I'm not sure how much time I'll have to make the things I wanted to for my own kids for Christmas.

The Art of Crochet Blankets arrived this week and I'm planning to use design concepts to make some awesome decorations for my little dining room. I want to use different patterns to make cushion covers for the chairs and I want something pretty to decorate my table top. I can't wait to show you what I pull together. After the holidays will be my true start date. So much crafting to do in so little time!

My boys are going to my nephew's 2nd birthday party tomorrow. I can't believe how quickly time flies. James is so adorable! He has the same blond hair that my Jeffrey had at his age. Then, cub scouts stuff, conferences, and Thanksgiving...what a week! I do love two paid days off from work and family time.

I'm not sure where the time has gone, but I'm happy to have 2018 all wrapped up.

One last thing, if you'd like to see some fun WIPs and yarn on YouTube, check out episodes 36 and 37 from PotionYarns.

Have a great week and happy crafting.

November Releases!!!

I hope your November is off to a great start. Work and home are busy. My nephew turns two years old very soon. I haven't had as much time for crafting this week, which is why I've been so drawn to some big pattern releases. I always think you buy more when you don't have time. I wanted to post about my top three pattern collection releases that I'm super excited about. All the images below are from the publishers, not my own images. My goal is to entice you into finding some craft-spiration. The advertisements in between posts and on the sidebar, might pay me something at some point, but note of the embedded links in my posts themselves are for profit.

Yarn Book 6 - Folk (Knit and Crochet Patterns) - Released November 2

I had been following Sheepjes for some time now. They have great CALs (crochet alongs). I hadn't ordered any of their pattern collections because it looked like I'd have to order internationally. Rachele Carmona has a beautiful pattern in the book and had posted about it on her blog. I was entranced with every pattern in the collection and pre-ordered it from the Knotty House in Canada. It released on November 2, but I won't get it until November 21 based on the current estimate. I guess there is a strike with the Canadian Post. Good things are worth the wait...but I'm impatient. I need to be working hon holiday gifts anyway. There is a US based online shop that sells Sheepjes...the yarn is so tempting. Check out Sheepjes for a give away that ends very shortly.

The Art of Crochet Blankets (all crochet) - Release Date November 13

Rachel has also been posting a lot about this book release. The patterns are now listed on Ravelry, if you want to see pictures of the 18 patterns. I'm eyeing so many of them. To start on of the patterns in this book or the Yarn Book? So hard to choose. I've pre-ordered the book, so I'm likely to get it by Thursday or Friday. Check out Rachele's blog for giveaways that began on November 9, 2018 that will end upon the release date. I'm hoping for some free yarn.

Winter of the Fibre Muse Quarterly (all knit) - Release Date November 20

I've had the fun of seeing Frenchie's next batch of designs for her next quarterly come together. Here is a link to the lookbook. There a four lovely patterns for three accessories and a sweater. Each design has one of the four fibre muses in mind. I'm considered a mystic, but there are aspects of dreamer, giver, and seeker in me as well. If you like the designs, I recommend pre-ordering the book to get a discounted price. The KAL (knit along) will start on November 26 and run into January.

Happy crafting and have a great week!!!

After a Wedding and Halloween...two weeks later...

I'm sorry to have missed you last week. My cousin had a beautiful wedding day and we were traveling on Sunday. I hardly ever get to see my extended family so it was a big treat.

Here is a great image of my dad, his older brother and my two cousins playing Parcheesi. This was quite the epic game.

You would think that I'd have so much time to craft, but I only stuck to one large project the majority of the time. I was working on the Marled Mania Cardigan. With the markers in place, it's a mostly mindless knit, which was perfect for the flights, the frequent waiting around, and relaxing at night. Some of the smaller projects that I've been doing needed a chart or if I forgot what row of lace I was on...disaster! I'm having fun bringing in different colors to the cardigan. I hope to make one for myself after the holiday season is over.

We had a new addition to our family this week. Meet Molly.

Halloween came and went so quickly. My boys were happy to dress up and I think I have a picture of me in my little costume. We didn't coordinate this year and I'd be surprised if you could guess who my older son was dressed as. Can you guess who I am?

Ethan is dash. My sister-in-law was Anna to coordinate with her son's Olaf costume from the movie Frozen. It was super cute. My brother-in-law's costume didn't turn out so he seemed comfortable in the non-costume. If only I had a picture of them.

I've started NaNoWriMo...just keep typing...just keep typing. My current goal is 2,000 words per day to give me some wiggle room. Friday night, day 2, was the first night I couldn't meet the goal, but I've been feverishly working on the writing this weekend. I'm hoping to catch back up and have 8,000 words before Monday. I was thinking of some pattern designs that could go with the book...if only time was allowed for such ambition!

Exciting news! The Colorblock Slippers pattern from Kelly White that I tested last month is live. Check it out. It's a great pattern for holiday giving and you can whip up a pair in a weekend. The size range is great, from toddler to men's. Even if you're not looking for a slipper pattern currently, please give it a heart.

Lastly, I wanted to take a moment to remember my grandfather, Harold. His birthday was on November 1. He passed away a few years ago, but I still miss him. My mother-in-law was planning to do a Day of the Dead celebration. The first person I thought of who I wanted to remember and ask to come visit me was my grandfather. Earlier I had been thinking about him at my cousin's wedding. Knowing that he was with us, but wishing he could have been there in person crossed my mind several times. He had been very sick and was in a lot of pain when he passed, so there is some consolation in the fact that he free from the suffering. Ultimately, I feel so blessed to have been able to share time with as much of my family as possible last weekend.

Happy crafting! Have a great week.

A Big Week

After surviving the tax deadline on Monday and catching up on personal matters, I've been crafting and cleaning so much this week.

The Colorblock Slipper test was a big focus this week. They are drying today and I'm hoping to get the pictures later today. Kelly White has a nice quick and clever design for a set of slippers with sizes for the kids to grown ups. It's not difficult to customize the sizing as well.  Here are some images before blocking commenced. I'll post when the pattern is available.

I'm trying to catch up on the day of the dead mittens: Till Death. I'm about halfway through the third clue on my first mitten and I'm hoping to start the second one soon. Now that I have a better grasp of what the picture looks like, I'm tempted to them again with more strategic colors. I like the subtle hues, but I can imagine them other colors. I love that you make the mittens the exact same way. There is no left or right mitten differences :). I chose the fun cuff instead of the challenging version. I can't wait to see one completed!!!

My other key focus right now is making hats for my nephew James. He turns 2 in about a month. I shared a picture last week of a hat I really like and now I've found another that I want to pick up and make. It's Powder from Kniterations. Allison's pattern is a lovely textured fisherman's rib based hat (it's on sale through October 22, 2018). I'm using smaller yarn and smaller needles...so I added a few stitches too many to offset. The next one I knit will fit better. However, I love to have a final version to size up or down. I'm doubling some Knitpicks Mighty Stitch worsted. It's a washable, mostly acrylic blend (the touch of wool is nice).

My pick up and set down project is the Marled Mania Cardigan that I posted about last week. I'm simply doing the ribbed collar when I need a simple mindless project. Maybe that will be what I bring on the plane...or maybe some simple hats.

Very briefly I brought up the Ubuntu CAL last week. I'm planning to get started this week...about halfway through the CAL. The images are so beautiful. The meaning and background of the the word or philosophy of Ubuntu is complex and interesting. For now I'm following the meaning "humanity towards others." I'm Kicking it off this week should be fun. It's not the best traveling pattern, since they recommend that you do the rows in an assembly line fashion. Bringing 6 separate skeins isn't impossible, but switching back and forth on a flight isn't the easiest.

We're gearing up for the big family wedding next weekend. I'm so excited to see my dad's side of the family. My cousin is getting married and I can't wait to see all the details come together. Sharing these special days is such a gift.

Lastly, are you considering NaNoWriMo? November is national novel writing month and I try to participate each year. I have yet to make it to 50,000 words, but I do keep trying. I have some ideas, so I'll work on an outline. Superpowers, mystery, and knit/crochet...how can I go wrong? I'll try to start with 2,000 words per day to make up for the difficult days. Work is generally pretty busy through the end of the year for me.

Have a great week and happy crafting.

How are we halfway through October?

It always feels like September and October fly by so quickly. We celebrated birthdays today and I happily gave the doilies and cowl/vest I made for my lovely mother-in-law and sister-in-law. They appreciate the handmade gifts...I hope I can keep coming up with ideas they'll like.

I had a very craft focused weekend, since I needed a break from the hustle of the office. Kelly White a very talented designer out of the bay area is running a test knit that just kicked off for some slippers. After starting them last night, I'm almost done with the pair sized for kids (sizes 1-3). They're chunky cute slippers. Once I get the two sizes completed for the test, I'm hoping to make a pair for me. I'm happy because each of the sizes I'm testing will fit each of my kids.

Usually, I fall into a routine of starting too many projects after a work deadline. It's not surprising that I have started a bunch of projects this weekend. Instead of working on the MKAL from Stephen West, I started his Marled Mania Cardigan. It's a simple top down, open cardigan. I have high hopes of making two by Christmas. One for my sister-in-law and the other for me. I'm starting with red for the first one and planning to use lots of pinks, reds, and other light colors. For me I'd like do do something with greens, blues, and speckles.

I want to make some lovely matching hats for my nephew and his parents. I want to use the same color for the body and then have pom poms in their favorite colors. Here is an image from Interweave so you can see the lovely design Lassen Peak Hat:

Now I just have to figure out how size it down to fit my nephew and how to size it up to fit my brother-in-law.

On the crochet side of things, have you seen the amazing Unbutu CAL from Scheepjes? I really want to make this and I've been following the wonderful pictures on Facebook.  It has a lovely shape and beautiful motifs. Once I make more progress on the slippers and the hats I discussed in this blog. I plan to get moving on that project.

I'm keeping it short this week. Happy crafting and have a great week.

Halloween Fun!!!

My household has been bit by the Halloween bug. We're reading spooky stories, listening to the Anything Ghost Podcast, getting costumes ready, and I'm partaking in some lovely Halloween themed crafts. On my own time I listen to the No Sleep Podcast and the Horror on Relic Radio.

Here are the are the Halloween doilies designed by Marsha Glassner that I've completed for my mother-in-law. The crochet is done and I plan to hide the ends and block them tonight. I can't wait to deliver them Tuesday night.

Of course, there is the annual KnitPicks Halloween Sale. So many lovely orange, purple, gray, and black yarns to choose from. I'm abstaining this year in the hopes of saving a bit of money (at least I'm trying to).

This week I found a great MKAL for a pair of Day of the Dead themed mitts: Till Death MKAL. The beautiful ones made in the MKAL last year made me want to partake in the mystery this year. I'm planning to do the less challenging version to keep the knit fun and quick...especially since I'm working on two more KALs currently along with a birthday present for my sister-in-law. I'm hoping to work on the cuffs a little tomorrow just to play. I still have yarn to wind to prep for the mitts.

I started the Nurtured KAL and I chose the deep teal instead of the yellow. I have another idea for the yellow. The teal is such a nice blend of wool and alpaca. The pattern is very quick to memorize and I'm thinking this will be a great plane flight project to have in the basket on the way to St. Louis.

Stephen West's Texture Time started late on Thursday my time. I cast on and tried a bit of the brioche technique last night. I'm only about 5 rows in. Brioche is an interestingly slow process. I'm debating if I'll switch to the non-brioche version before getting too far. I'll share pictures once I've had a chance to make more progress.

With a work deadline, I'm not getting as much done in the evenings, but I keep plugging along whenever possible. Sadly, I had forgotten my knitting to bring during my son's appointment on Friday. Forty minutes to knit seems like such a luxury right now.

I hope you all have a great week! Happy crafting!

Hello Fall and Holiday Crafting!

I love this time of year. Fall is my favorite season followed closely by spring. The seasons of transition are so marvelous. As a kid, I loved raking the leaves into a pile and playing until I had to put the leaves into the special giant paper bag. Growing up in the Midwest usually meant the leaves were dry. Here in Portland the rainy weather can limit the fun quickly. Slippery, squishy, wet leaves do not make for the same fun and the build up of leaves in the storm drains can lead to some short term flooding. For kids the flooding can be fun, but for the rest of us there is more concern than joy.

This time of year brings my most favorite edition of Interweave Knits...drum roll, please...the Holiday Edition. I was taking a peek at the magazine stand yesterday and was so pleased to see it. Before even looking in the magazine I said to myself, "it's mine." I used it as a carrot to get a few more things done at home and for a moment my apartment looked so clean (kids were out so it lasted a few hours). Then, I sat in my cozy chair and pored over the pages. Each year the styling and focus is a bit different and editors have changed since I originally started eyeing this magazine in 2009.

The magazine is filled with accessories and the "Modern Scandinavian" knits are fabulous. There are four lovely stuffies that different folks in my family are eyeing. It brought to mind the yeti from last year's magazine and I really want to find it so that I can make that specific stuffy. After looking through my magazines I found 2009 - 2012, 2015, 2016, and now 2018. I purchased the 2014 copy via the digital version. It's possible I never bought 2013. However, where is 2017? I laugh that I can't find it. Should I buy the digital edition? I would never lose the digital edition, but I hate paying for the magazine twice. Much to ponder. Here is the Yeti for Bed (Interweave's image from Ravelry):

This is typically the kickoff to the heart of gift making season. I've finished the pumpkin doily and I'm halfway through the ghost doily for my mother-in-law. I've made a good start on Gilly's birthday present and I found a hat pattern in the holiday magazine to coordinate with it (possibly for Christmas or my nephew's birthday). I was thinking of sizing it down for their kiddo too. The pattern uses the same weight yarn and would look lovely in the muted teal I'm using. I was think the pom pom in each person's favorite color would be lovely instead of  using the same yarn.

Here is lovely double sided lace of Gilly's birthday present (spoiler alert):









I've decided that in addition to the Stephen West MKAL that I want to make a cropped sweater for myself during the Nurtured KAL. It's the most recent pattern that Andrea Mowry of Drea Renea Knits has put out and I have just enough yarn of various colors. I'm debating which one to use and how long to make the body. I have so many blue greens and teal like colors. I was thinking of a spunky yellow too.

I'm excited to get through the tax deadline and enjoy the trip to my cousin's wedding and then (of course) Halloween. With year end tax planning and the kids being busy, 2018 will end rather quickly. I'm thinking that knitting a stuffy for each kid including my nephew would be lovely. Ethan said he wanted the musk ox and french bulldog (I'm still thinking the yeti would be cooler), Jeffrey wants a raccoon, the french bulldog would be great for my nephew and my mother-in-law. There is a sweater I started for my sister-in-law that I hope to finish too (the back is getting close to completion). I should probably get back to knitting/crocheting!

We had a great group last week at Tigo Knitting. I'm expecting a very light crew today. My younger son will be joining me, so we'll see how long I can last.

Happy crafting and hope you all enjoy the first days of October.

Speed Crafting :)

For almost two months I worked on the lovely Midnight Maths Shawl. This test ended up being more daunting than I had expected. The pattern is written well and I was able to keep up until the very end. This is Fiery Phoenix's design. Not only does Babs design beautiful patterns, but she also like to help you to learn the skills too. Here are some pictures of the finished shawl.

I'm not sure when it will be released. It was very fun to knit and she created both written and charted instructions. Lace and charts are such a wonderful thing for my accountant style brain.

Now that the test is over I'm jumping into birthday projects for my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Both of their birthdays are in October. Next is my cousin's wedding at the end of October...then my nephew's birthday, my younger son...then Christmas! This has been quite the year. I crocheted a lovely doily for my mother-in-law and I'm working on a little something for Gilly (my sister-in-law). I posted a little while ago about the awesome Halloween themed doilies. A couple of Dias de los Muertos doilies would be wonderful...and a Frankenstein for my mother-in-law too. I won't have time for all of that but having ideas can be useful down the road.

In all of the fun holiday knitting/crocheting I'm excited for Stephen West's next mystery along. It begins on October 5 and should be quite intriguing:  Texture Time. Although I don't always share Stephen's aesthetic, I love to follow his work. The designs, photos, and fun are beautiful. I always feel like Stephen puts art, not simply knitting into the world. MKALs are not for everyone and you sometimes get partway through it and realize it's not for you. The adventure is really the best part. Here is my initial idea for colors.

I'd be using a heavy fingering weight yarn, closer to a dk weight. The colors remind me of sunset.

There is also a KAL that I only have one more week to complete. I'm not through my first Angel's Flight sock, but I'm making good progress. The colors are so fun...why not try to finish them in time? Check out Jessie's designs.

Have a great week and happy crafting.