Tiny Topper

My little pink knitting project is now finished!

Originally my intention was to make this for me, but it ended up being a tad small.  So lucky Ellie received this as a Valentine's Day gift!  I love this hat pattern - it can be sized for children or adults & is nothing more than a simple rib stitch. 

I like the pattern so much, I am making one for myself, as well as one for my husband as a birthday gift. He got to pick what color & he requested chartreuse & grey.  Upon some clarification, he actually wanted bright yellow & dark grey (I guess in the fishing world they call neon yellow "chartreuse", not to be confused with the common yellow/green "chartreuse").  So after scratching my head a bit, I was able to find this hand dyed yarn from Another Crafty Girl:

This is definitely more manly than what I normally keep in my stash.

So, now I just have to swatch - which I wish I could just avoid altogether :)  I'm also going to swatch in the round this time - I don't think Jon will want a miniature version like my pink hat ;)  Note to self - no more flat swatches for knitting in the round!!

Before I go, since most of them got snatched up, I have added some new Color Wheel bundles to my shop, as well as a few brand new patterns I'm destashing.  I know I'm not going to get around to sewing any clothes anytime soon, so they need a new home :)  Also, I will have some new fabrics in the shop sometime this week. 

PS For those who are interested, the Family Ribbed Hats pattern I used can be found in Joelle Hoverson's great book, More Last Minute Knitted Gifts. Enjoy!

Pink Stitches

A glimpse of what I'm working on right now:

I know you are probably wondering - knitting???  Yup!

Remember how I was whining about not being able to crochet?  Well, on the wonderful advice of one of my lovely followers, I checked out the lessons on Craftsy.  If you have always wanted to learn a crafty skill, I can't recommend their classes enough!  In a matter of hours I was able to crochet with the best of them.  OK, well maybe not THE best, but well enough that I could get my hands & mind around the techniques.  Little Elle was the recipient of my first project:

So sweet, but she isn't fond of wearing it - so mama has borrowed it for now ;)  In case you are curious, this is the Isla pattern by the talented Chanelle Jones.  Ellie's is made with Blue Sky Alpacas Bulky in Polar Bear.  It's so soft & snuggly!

Sooooo, you are asking - what does this have to do with knitting??  Well, I taught myself to knit years ago, but just really didn't keep at it.  But after learning how to crochet, I became inspired to take up my knitting again.  Browsing all the patterns on Ravelry was like bait to a fish :)  However, I only knew how to knit english style, & seriously wanted to learn continental.  So I took the leap & have been teaching myself continental. BTW, I have put a link to my Ravelry page under the blog archives in the right margin.  I would love to friend you guys!

I am still rusty & slow at it, but after discovering the joys of Norwegian Purl (great video instruction), I am getting somewhere.  The cool thing about Norwegian Purl is that the yarn is held in the back, not front, like a conventional purl. So, you don't have to change your yarn position if you are working a combination of knit & purls (like the ribbing of the hat I'm currently knitting).  If you are working stockinette, you may have to fiddle with your tension to get your stitches even, but it's worth it!  Give it a try, you may find it a useful tool for your knitting techniques!

Happy knitting & sewing everyone!

Make Mine Rainbow

Here's a little something to brighten your winter's day:



I was inspired today, so I dug into my vintage sheet stash & made up some cheerful bundles for the shop!  These are made from fat eighth cuts & are perfect for all those little patchwork projects.

Each bundle is unique & features 8 different colorful prints.  I call them "Color Wheel Bundles", inspired by the many rainbow themed bundles you can find on the shelves at Purl Soho.  It's a great way to sample some of the brightest prints in my collection!  Feeling inspired? You can purchase a bundle here.

Cyber Monday Sale!

Hi all!  I know it's been a long while since I last posted, but I wanted to let you know I am having a sale ithis weekend in my shop.  Use coupon code THANKFUL20 to receive 20% off your order!  As an added bonus, orders over $10 before shipping will also receive a free mini scrap pack - no coupon needed!

Happy Thanksgiving & enjoy the start of the holiday season!

Summer Sale at the Studio!

A quick note to let you know that I am having a SUMMER SALE! 

Make your own scalloped bunting!

All Bunting & Patchwork Pillow Kits, Pick Your Own Bundles & Vintage Handmades are 20% off! Use coupon code SUMMER20 at checkout for your discount!

Spring Cleaning

I must admit, since having a baby I haven't found much time for sitting at my sewing machine!  So no updates on current projects - my granny squares quilt still is partially assembled & waiting for more blocks :)  So instead of quilt pictures I am substituting a cute baby pic instead:

Couture Baby!

Ellie in her tutu & fascinator for her baby dedication at church.  I was a tomboy growing up, so I am enjoying having a closet of frilly clothes to dress her in!  She seems to enjoy it too :)

I also set aside a bit of time to spring clean my studio.  I love to sort through my fabric stash (aka my fabric hoard) & managed to weed out a few selections that I no longer need.  After all, if I can free up some space, that leaves more room for new fabric!  So, if you are looking to add some Heather Ross fabric to your stash, you may want to check out my shop.  I have a few ends left of my West Hill stash for sale at a fair price.

Of course, if I have outgoing fabric, it`s likely that I am going to have some incoming:

New Japanese Fabrics!

A sweet selection of Atsuko Matsuyama`s 30`s Collection prints!  Oh how I love her prints - just look at those cute pink fawns!!  The florals on the left have a wonderful linen texture which is my absolute favorite.  It gives them a truly vintage feel.  In a way, I am glad that I didn`t get my granny squares quilt blocks finished, because now I can include some of these prints into the mix.  So adorable & making me feel motivated to get in front of my sewing machine!

Special Delivery

No, not fabric - something so much sweeter :)

Already smiling for the camera!

Introducing Elle Grace Bondy!!  Little Ellie arrived right on time, on my due date of February 28, weighing a petite 6 lbs 7 ounces.  She is the spitting image of her dad for sure!

Not one to overshare my personal life on my blog, I decided to keep this juicy secret for the whole 9 months.  Who wants to hear all the complaining of a cranky pregnant woman anyway? 

So if I seem a little absentee these days, please know it's because I have my hands full of this little bundle of love :)

Go Granny Go

Granny squares seem to be quite the trend in blogland right now.  I am fascinated by the endless variations in patterns & colors, candy for the eye!

Source: Flickr

I wish I had learned to crochet when I was younger.  I have been rather unsuccessful in trying to learn as an adult.  I have looked at many instruction books, but still find myself perplexed beyond the basic chain stitch.  This is so frustrating for me, as I have always been a natural with anything crafty. If I see something, I can usually figure out how it's done without too much effort.  Not so with crochet!

Maybe I need to have lessons, that way I can visualize things better.  It's pretty difficult to capture all the twists & turns of hook & yarn on a flat illustration. Then there is the stubborn part of me that really wants to crack the crochet code on my own & have the bragging right to be self taught.  It's pretty silly isn't it?  Think of how much time I have wasted, when I could be taught already & churning out my own lovely creations!

So instead of staring at my sad, little neglected crochet box, I have been working on a fabric version of the granny square.  This cute granny square tutorial by Jolene, is the perfect project for us crochet challenged types.  It's a very simple block, you just need the patience (or one of those cool Go cutters) to make lots of 2.5" squares.  Perfect for scrap busting!

Untrimmed & in candy colors of pink, red & aqua!

I decided to dive into my "reserved" stash for this quilt.  It has all my favorite pink, aqua & red prints that I have been saving & just staring at.  Why is it that we can find it so difficult to cut into our beloved fabric stash?  I mean honestly, don't we get more enjoyment by creating with it & using the item instead of hoarding it away?  After reflecting on this, I have decided that I am going to use my fabric, even if it's the highly coveted bits that are no longer in print & notoriously expensive to buy.  Ohhh, I feel like such a rebel ;)  Seriously, it's just fabric.  Using it frees up some space, for you guessed it - new favorite fabric!

My challenge to you is to start using your stash instead of staring at it.  Seriously.  I know you all have that little pile of hoard somewhere in your sewing room :)  And yes, to all the crochet geniuses out there, maybe you can share some nuggets of advice for this stubborn stitcher!