Slouchy and sweet

Little hats for little dears.

This blog post did a total number on me -- and got me thinking about making kiddo hats. 

I settled on this pattern because there's a bit of slouch. Without overstating it, slouchy hats on adorable children make me happy to be alive. These ocean-coloured hats are destined for two little sisters who love the beach.

The details: 

Pale Blue hat - Tosh DK (Windowpane), Dark blue hat Madtosh Vintage (Ocean)

Needles: 4mm and 4.5mm

Mitten pattern: Stars and Stripes mittens (but without stars or stripes)

I heart ... New pretties

:: Some new felted stones, ready for some stitching

:: Eleanor & Park -- This audiobook nearly destroyed me. Good and sweet and sad and funny.

:: Went to the Creativ Fest on Friday after work. Loved seeing all of the amazing samples and swatches. And also, so lovely to meet new friends.

:: Holy mose, these potholders are so pretty.

:: Obsessed with this fabric.

Have a good week friends! 

The three-year socks

I started these socks three years ago (gulp) when I was on vacation. I cast them aside because one of the wooden needles I was using was a bit scraggly and every time I came around to that needle I would get frustrated when it caught on the yarn (of course, it didn't occur to me to swap out the offensive needle until a year had passed). I had various other doubts about these socks (too dense, not dense enough, why did i do the heel flap so shallow, the ribbing section is too short and on and on). Also, wasn't loving the pooling. All this whining and fretting for a plain ole pair of vanilla socks -- but you guys get it right? I knew you would :)

The details: 

Yarn - Socks that Rock Silkie (from Sock Summit #1)

Needles: 2.5 and also 2.75 when I had my doubts

Pattern: Plain ole basic sock

Yum

Nothing like a fresh pile of woolies! I zipped these up to thank the people in Nova Scotia who went the extra mile to show us a good time. I bought the red skein of Rowan at The Loop Craft Cafe and started the pair on a break in the public garden. When I came home I used up some oddballs of this and that to round out the lot. If you're looking for a quick and easy project (Christmas is coming peeps!), I love this crochet pattern.

Happy weekend - we're almost there!

For Viv

Hello friends :)

I have a couple fun things to show today. I made these wee things for my friend Viv who recently celebrated a birthday. In the top pic are some felted stones. I think they might look sweet on a windowsill or in a pretty bowl or used as paperweights. I used some river rocks I picked up from the dollar store and wrapped them in roving -- this tutorial lays out the process perfectly. After they were felted and left to dry for a few days, I stitched on the flowers using embroidery floss. Look at Lil Fish Studios AMAZING stones for wowowowow inspiration.

The second pic is a scarf, also for Viv, who chose the wool herself. (She has impeccable taste).  The yarn is Fleece Artist and has deep rich shades of turquoise and gold and purple. 

Happy birthday dearest Viv :)

Nova Scotia

Ah Nova Scotia. You won me over completely. On my one day off, you put on the very best show :)

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends!

Back next week with some crafty show and tell.

I heart....

:: Brown paper packages tied up with string. If you need a little stitchy happiness, go take a peek at Warp & Weft.

:: This London fabric is rad. And so is the person who will be receiving this. Happy birthday M!

:: I got my Bookhou calendar for next year :)

:: Chicken pot pie made with puffed pastry. So good. (But no peas, I don't heart peas)

:: Washi tape monogram notecards.

:: This crocheted flower clutch is beautiful.

Off to Halifax next week for work. Won't have much free time but hit me with your recommendations if you have any :)

Mountain Moss Shawl

This project kept me occupied on my road trip to Chicago. It's a fairly simple pattern, and well, you know what sometimes happens with simple patterns -- you get cocky. After all, who needs to keep track of rows? Me, I need to keep track of rows, that's who. There was a whole lot of muttering to myself and ripping back with this one. The thing is, after I finished, I kind of wanted to start a second one. 

Pattern: Mountain Moss Shawl

Yarn: Swan's Island fingering

Needles: 4 mm

I heart...bunting bunting bunting (and knitting)

:: My friend Johanna made me this bunting. Isn't it awesome? So modern and pretty. I'm still contemplating the very perfect spot for it. Thanks J :) And so to celebrate all things bunting, here's some extreme cuteness. 

:: Washi tape cake bunting tutorial

:: Bunting stamp

:: Sweet bunting stationary

:: Brecon Becons bunting (oy yoy yoy - it looks so beautiful)

:: Birdly bunting silhouette

:: Mavis crocheted bunting

:: Sweet bunting sweater

:: And finally, this isn't bunting related, but I LOVE this book trailer for knitted slippers. If you haven't seen it yet, I promise you will be absolutely charmed.

Embossed leaves!!! Crafting library KAL

Ok, getting my act together and finally joining the Stitched Together Crafting Library Knitalong (KAL).

In this KAL, knitters choose and knit pattern from their own library. When I heard about this KAL I thought it was a genius idea -- I am so guilty of being wooed by pdf downloads and the latest trends on ravelry and I often forget about the beautiful patterns sitting right there on my bookshelf.

So I went down a serious rabbit hole, looking at my books for a loong time. I finally settled on the Embossed Leaves sock pattern from Interweave's Favorite Socks book.

I found a perfect skein of Oceanwind Knits yarn in my stash and now just have to cast on (the very best part, yes?).

Happy day KW

A tote and a squishy scarf for my pal KW in her signature colour (she makes grey look great :) Happy birthday dear friend!)

The scarf is Madelinetosh Pashmina that I've kept (hoarded) in my stash for a few years and the fabric is Storybook Lane floral meadow. Madtosh Pashmina weaves up into something beautifully bouncy and light. Two skeins makes for a nice wide scarf good for wrapping around and around again. 

Hope you all have a perfect September weekend :)

i heart ... chicago

hi again!

Took a road trip to Chicago to eat some deep dish, visit a craft fair, and most importantly celebrate a friend's birthday.

I mostly forgot my camera in the hotel and snapped only about seven pics. But - I did see some cool things:

:: These dear, dear cards by Genevieve Santos

:: Morse code necklaces

:: The perfect hair ties (they really are amazing -- hairbands typically give me a headache, all the while slowly sliding down my massive head. These ones really stay in place and aren't too tight)

:: Chicago style popcorn. Ooof.

:: These felted sweeties were adorable.

:: These cards by a fellow Torontonian.

Some weaving to show y'all tomorrow :)

Cuddle up

Two lovely ladies at the office are having babies. I heard their exciting news months ago and had plans to make something special, a little cardigan or some wee pants or booties. But time got the best of me and so I went to my old standby of sewing some receiving blankets. One is an elephant and giraffe themed flannel that I picked up at the Creativ Fest last fall (who's excited for this year? Me!) and the other is a seersucker-flannel combo (my friend Deb's genius idea - this makes for a really lightweight cool blanket). 

Bricker socks

I worked up one of these socks while travelling and it was so very nice. I made a few mistakes but the pattern and yarn together worked to hide these (when you are on vacation, it is against the law to wear your perfectionist pants). 

Details: 

Yarn - Rowan Fine Art, Raven colourway. That little bit of mohair make these socks feel so very soft.

Pattern: Bricker (These socks are the anti-slouch -- they snug the leg quite nicely)

Needles: 2.75mm

I heart...

Iceland 2010

:: I was sorting through some old pics and came across this one from 2010. I remember the exact moment when I took this, thinking "Sheep and a rainbow in Iceland. I am so lucky to be here."

:: Yarn ball push pins

:: My sandwich mysteriously disappeared from the fridge this week and then reappeared the next day. Or I was blind during my (furious) 20 minutes of searching. Or the office fridge is in fact a magic fridge and its best trick is the disappearing and reappearing sandwich illusion. In any case, I need a lunch bag. This bento tote might do the trick.

:: Speaking of lunchbags, this embroidered sweetie would be really cute for a little one.

:: I got some new earbuds (ones that actually fit into my ears.... ahem, Apple), and they are fantastic. Now I think they need a nice little pouch.

:: This roasted corn and yellow tomato soup looks delicious.

:: I offered to knit my friend C a hat for Christmas and I sent her a few links. She selected this lovely one from Wiksten. Can't wait to cast on.

:: To my friends in Canada and the U.S., Happy Labour Day :)

Tiny flowers

I have so many little projects on the go so I started one more (the more the merrier). This little keychain stitched up in no time -- less than an hour maybe? I think I shall use it as a zipper pull for one of my knitting pouches...it's too delicate and pretty for my clunky, chunky car keys. Thanks J!

i heart...

Ok, last vacation pic and talk for a while, I promise. Some nifty things I liked while away:

:: After we checked into the hotel, I started reading the guide about the amenities which boasted about their tarn. "THIS HOTEL HAS A TARN?", I said all impressed. Then I googled tarn. It's a small mountain lake. And isn't it pretty? Little bleating sheep just over the fence and a deer that barked and ran away.

:: Our hotel also had a nifty dvd collection so I watched two films. One was Where Angels Fear to Tread which was great (I really like early Helena Bonham Carter) and the other was Whistle Down the Wind. The synopsis for Whistle Down the Wind on the box isn't great but it's a truly lovely film. And the little kids in it are seriously cute. Someone appears to have loaded up the entire film on YouTube.

:: Herdy's new tea towels -- for knitters especially.

:: Speaking of knitting, I took my new Rowan sock yarn to knit with on the plane. Heaven!

:: This cover song was played in a lot of commercials and also in restaurants in Scotland. Takes me right back to 1986 (although it's a little more wistful than the original brassy version). Apparently this version was released came out two years ago... good gravy, I'm outta the loop.

:: Flapjacks! But not pancakes.. they're like super delicious oat wedges. Here's a Jamie Oliver recipe that I'm keen to try. Anyone know what makes a good substitute for Golden Syrup?

:: Oh lordy, this is good shortbread.

:: The Grey Earl, a Glasgow artist, has some really sweet cards. I like "Yer ma wee pal".

:: I wish I had not held back and bought this Personaliteas tea towel.

:: Beatrix Potter left pretty specific instructions about what she wanted on display in her Hilltop Farm home. In one corner of a bedroom was a tapestry in progress, still in the frame. I loved this.

:: These Old Town Yarns at K1Yarns are very very nice indeed.

:: If I had an iphone, I would buy this case.

:: Did y'all know that Missoni has a hotel? True story. And outside the hotel in Edinburgh is a doorman decked out in a rad Missoni kilt.

What have you found lately that you've loved?

Scotland the brave!

Well let me tell you, Scotland was a wee bit of awesome. 

I hadn't realized the Fringe Fest had started (bad research on my part) and so we ended up lugging our suitcases through massive crowds of performers and tourists along the Royal Mile. I have to say, it is truly magical to see crowds of young people roaming the empty street early in the morning, singing pop songs in harmony. Also equally wonderful: cheeky magicians juggling with axes, actors being actorly, crowds cheering for clowns (honestly, I have never seen such clown appreciation before in my life), awestruck toddlers with their jaws hanging open watching a puppet brought to life, and bagpipes everywhere (ahhhh, so amazing). A once in a lifetime experience.

And then, holy moses, the Tattoo! What a total treat! Performers from South Korea, Mexico, Mongolia and New Zealand joined the Scottish military bands and dancers. Wowowowow. I have to admit, I have always watched events like the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies mostly so I can mock the proceedings. But there's something about being in a crowd that totally whips you up and I was almost teary afterwards, humming Scotland the brave on loop.

Loved Edinburgh. The men in kilts. The smoked salmon sandwiches on oatmeal bread. The grand castle. The narrow streets. The cold North Sea air. The woven tartan scarves. I'd go back in a heartbeat.