A Nice Long Weekend for Crafting

Unlike typical Memorial Day weekends, the weather is spectacular in Portland. It's been in the 80's all weekend. I'm not a big warm weather person, but I do love the sunshine.

Friday was a nice start, Sammy and I had an early dinner and bought a some sweets in Multnomah Village. We ate at Casa Vaca Taqueria for the first time and here are some great pictures of the fudge we purchased.

The little box has Sammy's flavors, orange cream and milk chocolate. The box that I share with the kiddos has mint chocolate, cotton candy (the pinkish-bluish one), lemon meringue, and milk chocolate. Hattie's will change the specialty flavors regularly. They have a special that if you buy 4 flavors of fudge you get two free. They do have boxes that hold six, but they're always out. Thank you for the yummy treat, Hattie's Sweet Shop. We're still enjoying the fudge.

Thank you to Sammy's parents who asked to babysit. It's amazing how little we do date nights...or how often one of us has to work late so the night is diminished.

Ok, back to crafting. I'm excited to announce that I finished one of each of the three shapes that fit beautifully to make a blanket. Here is the picture of them roughly fitting together. I'm hoping to make one to two shapes each week. I plan to keep the ducks as either white or cream, the turtles will mostly be a rust color and the fish will vary. I do intend to make four that are the burgundy color. I have a bold blue as well that I was considering. Each of the shapes is so beautiful and they each have their own texture.

The other fun crafting note is that I'm test knitting a pattern for a Raveler, Suzie Sparkles, who lives in the UK. It's a modular shawl pattern and I'm excited to see how it shapes up. The pattern is designed for self striping yarn. As some of you might know, I have had an addiction with Noro yarn. This yarn brand boasts some of the most intriguing color combinations all in one ball of yarn.

They've discontinued several of the lines that I've enjoyed, but Noro Silk Garden sock yarn is still out there. I've made some beautiful things with that yarn.

For the test knit I found a couple skeins of the same color way of Noro Taiyo Sock (a cotton based blend). Based on my calculation, I will come close to using all of the yarn. Here is  the pretty colorway I'm working with.

 

The reality is that I bought this yarn a few years ago at a discount from Little Knits. This is another great shop to fill up your yarn stash. I've learned my lesson and am not buying random bits of yarn all of the time without a project in mind...That's a once in a while thing now :). I'll be happy to share the completed project and help the designer market. Not all of us like shawls or modular knits. I'm on-board for both right now.

If you're interested in test knitting/crocheting here is the Ravelry group to check out: Free-Patter-Testers. It's fun to help others out and try new things. Be sure to read the group rules.

I'm trying to talk myself into fully drafting the patterns for my summer tops....need help with the model, photography, and patience to write the pattern. Any ideas?

Thank you all for reading. I'm super excited to share more crafty inspiration and hear about yours.

May has flown by...and I can't keep up

The good news is that I made progress on the dark blue sweater and I started the animal shapes for the afghan I want to make for my boys. Here is a picture of the turtle that fits with a fish and duck to make a beautiful tessellation.

I think it would be fun to make the other tessellating pattern I saw from the designer. It's only one shape, which might be better for my sanity ;):  Tiling Fish Pattern.

I've finished to the turtle firsts and have completed a fish (not pictured). I started the duck, but I probably won't get to it until the weekend. Hopefully, I can get a picture of all three shapes on Sunday for your viewing pleasure.

Knitpicks is having a fun sale through May 24, that if you buy 5 or more skeins of the same type of yarn, you get 20% off:  Pick Your Pack Sale. For a sweater, blanket, or another large project...this is a great opportunity. This is an unsolicited advertisement :).

Last Sunday, I found a sweater that I want to make just for me. It's knit in Shine, a KnitPicks yarn that is so soft: KnitPicks Shine Yarn. I put a link to the pattern in my last blog post. What is it with stripes and chevrons that I love so much? I'm not sure when I'll be able to sit still and start that sweater, but it's on my list. It seems like I get crafting done when I'm feeling under the weather, which was how it was this weekend.


I flaked out on all of my weekend plans. We have an unpleasant cough going around, and I had stomach issues. Maybe that's why I have some crafty items completed ;). This isn't whining, but I missed out on meeting with a friend/colleague for "grunging," a term meaning thrift shopping along with a happy hour/dinner; going to the knitting group...finally; and attending a committee meeting for my son's cub scout pack. I feel the worst about the last one. When did I become one of those parents who never shows up to stuff? Thanks to Caroline who always fills in for me. I just show up for the off times when she can't.

Wish me luck...I have some big projects that really need to get moving this week. Maybe I'll get the bug to design something again ;).

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.