Another Mothers' Day

I hope all the moms out there feel appreciated. This weekend was a bit tougher than planned, but I've survived :). Now if only I could feel rested tomorrow....so exhausted.

Progress was made on the Isla Cardigan that I posted about last week. I finished the back and have started the right front. The color is dark blue with a turquoise undertone that shows up well in natural light. I added the turquoise for the edging. I might use snaps for the closure. Some cute buttons would be nice too.

For fun, I tried starting a mosaic crochet pattern. I was excited to see how easy it was. For this block, I used a Size E hook with fingering weight yarn (a deep purple and a pale buttery yellow). Check out this pattern, it's free, and so far it's been easy to follow:  Southwester Mosaic Cross Throw. I've barely started, but it's really fun. I wish I were using thicker yarn, but for trying it out, I'm very pleased.

Ethan was home sick for a few days. While I did my best to work, I ended up taking a bit of PTO. He had a cold and had horrible mood near nap time. When I took a little break, I found a few awesome patterns. As a treat, I bought one...eek! Here is a picture link from the designer. I'm hoping to knit an animal each week. Each animal is over 100 rows. Instead of using fingering weight yarn, I'm using sport weight yarn and size 6 needles. We'll see how far I get. I've only done 9 rows, but I'm very hopeful. I was good and did a gauge swatch. I wanted to make something interesting for my kiddos. Let me know what you think:  On the Shore. Below is another Raveler's beautiful version.

Ok, one last pattern that I'm excited about. It's a KnitPicks pattern from a few years ago. I saw a picture in a recent KnitPicks catalog. Darn, my love of chevrons and stripes Turnstone Pullover. I also love the yarn they used for the sample...Shine. It's so soft, and I'm planning to use it for the blanket above because it's so soft and washable.  I started a fish...so excited!

Hope you all have a great week.

How are we already a week into May :)

It's been a busy wild week. I tried to take some time off on Monday and then again on Wednesday from work, but nothing quite goes to plan. I'm happy to say that I'm picking up more clients and I seem to be busy in the office. At the same time, I'm trying to let myself take a break. Apparently, I'm not finding a balance.

We had a family birthday, and I saw how big the baby nephew has gotten. The little guy is over six months old now.

Since I'm not frantically trying to design a pattern or two, I cracked open a library knitting book I checked out last weekend. It's Cirilia Rose's: Magpies, Homebodies, and Nomads. It has some lovely patterns and notes. A pattern that I noticed on Ravelry a few years ago led me to check out the book:  Isla Cardigan. I like the vintage charm of it, and we'll see how it knits up. I'm putting a turquoise edge at the bottom and then a very dark blue for the body. We'll see if I have enough yarn. I was thinking of putting the turquoise where the shoulder joins are just to draw attention to them. I'm not sure what I'll do about the buttons. I'm sure there is something lovely out there that will work. Since we plan to return to the library next weekend. I'm in a hurry to make progress. I might renew it if possible :). There are other lovely patterns in the book as well.

Cirilia has designed many popular patterns. Here is another one of my favorites:  Harpa. I found her work through my early love of Stephen West's designs. I could also see myself making some of her designs from Berroco's Vintage and Vintage Chunky book from 2010:  Berroco #302. She is so adorable that she often models here designs as well.

I was also eyeing my 20th-anniversary Interweave Knits magazine. I remember having breakfast with a work colleague last year and showing her the various things I wanted to knit from it. Although I don't have the best yarn for the project, I was contemplating making this fabulous cardigan from the magazine:  Kathe Cardigan. I think the closest yarn weight and the necessary amount my only color option is yellow. Not the best fit, but the project could be fun to knit. I could also play with the gauge to use something else.

I like the idea of me checking out library books in part to give myself deadlines and make me focus on one project at a time. We'll see how long I can stick with it.

My seven-year-old had a blast picking out books last week, and we're going to try to go every other week. I like the library we found near the Markham Elementary School. It feels like there are more kid books and it has more character. The kid graphic novel section was bigger than the other library that is a tad closer.

Ok, I didn't get as much work done today as I had hoped...eek! Hope you all have a great week.

Knitting for Fun

I started drafting a post during the week with the starts to the summer top patterns. After some soul searching, I'm going to slow down on the pattern design. If I make up something that I like, I'll post the pattern recipe with ideas on sizing, but otherwise, do not want to focus on that piece right now.

Work and family make it difficult to really try to focus and create detailed patterns. I need my yarn play time along with fulfilling the multitude of other duties. To help with the costs of things, I might put ads on the blog, but we'll see. I need more content to do so.

For the first time in months, I saw many of my knitting buddies. I'm so very thankful for them. Shar's baby shower was yesterday, and I'm so thrilled for her. A little baby girl is coming soon, and a whole crew of people was at her beautiful home to celebrate. Shar, I'm sure I missed telling you, but you look great. Your home is so lovely, and your friends and family are wonderful. This isn't just a bunch of fluff or flattery...it's the truth :). Parenting is one of those incredible blessings and having a great community can help so much too. Thank you to the friends Cathy, Sara, and Margaret who help set up.

It was nice to have a moment to catch up with friends who I miss so much. I heard many things that I needed to hear even if I wasn't ready for all of it. Life is so very hectic and overwhelming. I'm hopeful that the tough things that some of you are dealing with will pass. You're all much tougher than I am, so you'll be fine :). Hearing about new jobs, homes, and crafting fills me with joy. If anyone is interested in a weekend or maybe Friday brunch in Multnomah Village...I'll be there :).

I wanted to share a few cute things that happened today (Sunday). I told my seven-year-old that we would start checking out other Multnomah County Libraries and parks. We visited both this afternoon. Jeffy picked out five books, and I picked out four. He likes graphic novels, and thankfully the kid section at this library was bigger than the last one. I found a couple of knitting/crochet books for fun, a picture book for Ethan, and a book to read Jeffrey. On the way out we saw the used books for sale. I spent $2 to get two cute books. In my defense, Jeffy told me to get both.

The Knitted Dinosaurs book was an easy sale. The Knit Your Own Boyfriend was a bit funnier. I saw it and laughed, then Jeffy read the little subtitle and thought it was so funny, "Creat the Man You've Been Yarning For." We decided we couldn't live without it. There are some very cute jokes inside and 15 different patterns for knitted boyfriends. As you might be aware, I'm married...but it could be fun to knit myself a few backups ;). I think I'm interested in the Astronaut pattern. If I successfully knit one, my blog will be the first to know. There are many other fun things I'd like to test out for now.

Of the books that I checked out I chose Crobots, which provides patterns for cute crocheted robots. Sunny, I believe this was on your list of wanted books in the past. Jeffy decided that both he and his little brother need a Babybot, so I'm hopeful that I can make a couple before I have to return the book. It should be fun. When I'm done with the Crobots, Jeffy indicated that we'll need to make dinosaurs from the book I purchased. He is partial to the Stegosaurus.

Ok, after our library shenanigans we ran over to the nearby park. I chased Jeffy around as he requested and we attempted one of his war games in the field next to the playground. We found a little area where there were a bunch of rocks. I'm not sure what kind of ceremonial dance Jeffy is doing near or around the rocks, but he had fun.

We then wandered to a garage sale and found some highly discounted Playmobil toys. I left and had only spent about $10...dangerous :). This reminds me that I need to get more done related to the book that I fell in love with Let's Go Camping. The designs are meant to fit Playmobil characters. The book is so fun, and I started the camper and made a bunch of tents. I struggled with the tent structure, but plan to make progress. Maybe I'll have some nice sets ready for Christmas (like I had hoped for last year).

Thank you to those who have read this far. It's time for me to get a few more things done at home and head to bed. Please click the blue "Follow" button on the upper right-hand side of the blog if you'd like to get updates.

Happy crafting and living.

Some real crafting time...

The deadline has passed, and now I've had some time to craft and most importantly relax. On Friday I was able to escape to the Oregon Coast for a quick trip. Friday was one of those rare beautiful days in April. I was in Newport, and it was wonderful. Besides a 45 minute walk and a dinner with some of my hubby's colleagues, I got to relax and craft. Here's the view from my lovely balcony:

I've completed the front half of both the knit and crochet of the spring top idea. I'm hoping to have the size I created charted shortly for crochet. The leafy green color is so beautiful.  Here are some photos from Friday:

I'm hoping to have at least one complete garment and draft patterns by next weekend with a few sizes. Are you interested in testing?

One other special treat this weekend was that I finally opened the box for a sewing machine that I ordered ages ago. I had my seven-year-old son watch as I tried to figure out how to the bobbin and thread the needle. Not much time was spent sewing, but the machine is still functioning after the first run. It was a great success to me. I have a cute little book with some great early ideas. The only issue I have with starting is that I don't have an ironing board. I have an iron, but not a place that I'd like to actually use the iron. Here's the scene of my hour of sewing today and figuring out the machine -

My seven-year-old wanted to see a bunch of the embroidery stitches, so I was happy to oblige. That's what you see on the red fabric. I was excited by a knitting magazine that I bought which had a couple of sewing patterns last fall. The red was meant to be the lining of a cute little clutch. The clutch appeared to be more complicated than I had originally thought, so there is some lovely fabric in a holding pattern.

My goal with sewing is to be able to mend clothing. To learn, I'll try my hand at making a few things. I still remember things my mom made for me growing up. She has always been a great sewer. She made me the best baby blue princess dress. This was not like one of the cheap princess dresses from the store. I wish I had a picture of it. Based on my many attempts to learn to sew, her skill was not passed down to me. I'll keep trying :).

Almost to the finish line...

I'm happy to say that the tax deadline will be here in just a couple of days. I'm not done, but I'm close :). There hasn't been much time to craft. I've written down many ideas, and I'm looking forward to sharing and receiving feedback.

I think I've solidified my idea for the comparable crochet pattern to the current draft knit pattern that I'm working through of a spring/summer top. I'm hoping a few of you will be willing to test knit/crochet some items. For my local knitting/crochet friends, I'd be happy to help provide yarn for a test if I have enough. Yarn is expensive... On that note, I wanted to highlight something that made me smile at Knitpicks, they have grab bags of yarn in their current clearance Sale Yarn Grab Bag. It's so tempting...

Have you ever bought a grab bag of anything? Maybe this is a strange idea, but I loved it growing up. The mystery and potential for something unexpected. I would get them from Claire's and places that sold nail polish. Since I love yarn so much, would I be disappointed? If I weren't broke, I'd totally buy one or two grab bags from KnitPicks...so tempting :). Unless you're trying not to buy yarn check out the clearance sale at KnitPicks.

One of my goals is to get patterns and ideas out there with the hope to make a little money. I'll be grateful to merely cover the cost of my crafting exploits. I also have what is probably a misguided hope of actually earning some money to support my family. As my local folks know, my hubby and I have had some significant hiccups in our twenties (like many of us). Living in Portland isn't cheap, and I've been looking at homes on Zillow. Often I eye 3 bed and 2 bath condos around our area in SW Portland (costing $250k or less). Paying normal living expenses and what we can of our debt, there isn't room for a downpayment. Instead of this being a downer, I want to show you some local dream homes of mine. They aren't the fanciest, but I'd be so happy to even be able to rent any of them.

The funky old feel of this one really makes me smile. Some updates would be great, but I'm not picky:  Lancaster Rd

This one is so fun and funky and an ADU to rent to cover costs would be great: Taylors Ferry Rd

Move in ready and super convenient location: Beautiful Interior

Wish me luck this week. I'm hopeful to make a lot of progress on my crafting and most importantly on my work.

Wishing I had more time to knit/crochet...

I'm in the heart of the worst time of year for me to craft. I'm posting earlier because I plan to head to the office and get more work done this afternoon and evening.

I've made a little more progress on the knit version of my summer cropped layering top. I think I knit 10 more rows this week...not really worth an updated photo, but I'm hoping I'll get the front portion done this week. That might be a bit ambitious.

There have been some beautiful new patterns on Ravelry. Although this isn't a new pattern, I think I've decided this would be a great first birthday present for my nephew: ATAT Walker Pattern. It's so cute :). I might have to make one for my brother-in-law, his dad, as well. My hubby thinks I should make this for his brother Crochet Alien instead. This merely pokes fun at his unwillingness to see the Alien movies. My hubby feels the same way...maybe they both need creepy cute Aliens.

I'm interested in having a mystery crochet along and knit along later this year. I've heard complaints from friends that the mystery projects are primarily shawls. How about a cowl, wall hanging, or shrug? What would be fun to you? I plan to have these in my designs and would be happy to launch one or two via a mystery :).

Have a great week. Wish me luck surviving tax season.

It's April! Here are some new additions to the blog

Hi fellow crafty folks,

I've added a few handy links to the blog. The first is for my local knitting group Tigo. It was originally named for Tigard and Lake Oswego, which are towns in the western part of the Portland Metro area. At the time I made it I lived in Tigard and worked in Lake Oswego. The group has morphed and changed over time. A couple of my friends have done a great job managing it while my life has been too busy. My crafting buddies are the best. Please check out our next Meetup and see if you have time to join us. I'm hoping I get to attend more frequently after busy season.

The next link is for the local knitting guild. It's the Tigard Knitting Guild. The Portland Guild disbanded several years ago. I'm not officially a member, but I have always had great experiences knitting with the people in this group. If you ever want to meet them outside of a guild meeting. They meet at the Gabriel Park location of the Laughing Planet restaurant (http://laughingplanetcafe.com/locations/) on Wednesdays from about 6:30ish to 8:00ish. They generally fill up the tables in the back of the restaurant.

I also posted links to some great yarn shops where I love to purchase too much yarn!!! On that subject, I ordered some yarn to help me design several patterns for fall over the next few months. Here's a picture of my purchase...

I'm very excited to start putting my ideas to yarn.

Also, here's my progress on my summer design to get people interested in my pattern design. You might notice that I haven't had much time to knit or crochet, but this is a good start :)

Lastly, I was looking at Ravelry and some wonderful patterns for breezy summer tops that I'm so excited about. I've been a long time fan of Norah Gaughan. Her new e-book looks fabulous. Of all the patterns in this book, I've decided Arris is my favorite (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/arris-2). Check it out.

Please click the Follow link on the right-hand column of my web page to keep in touch. I love comments :). Have a great week!