Versailles

Hey y'all.

I asked my mom if she might like a hand-knit special something this year and she selected the Versailles tank (You can't argue with something that doesn't have sleeves). I used a Fleece Artist tank kit from my stash (oh how long it lingered there!) and was off to the races. 

I knit the back and front at the same time but not in the round. (If you are like me and have avoided doing it this way because you're easily distracted Webs has offered up this good tip!).

A few mods:
I did two rounds of crochet at the bottom to stop it from rolling (if I were to do it again, I might just swap in garter stitch instead.)
I sewed up the space between the buttons to prevent gaping holes. That neck plunges pretty low and the buttons are ornamental.

:)

And just because for no reason at all -- my friend KW sent me this link and it made me happy. Love that little girl!

I heart ... new socks!

:: Ah new socks. I love em. They're super soft and the gentle green, blue and purple stripes are so pretty. (Yarn: Manos del Uruguay Allegria, Pattern: ye olde tried and true basic sock.)

:: Thank you all for your sweet comments on my new shirt adventure :)

:: The Loop blog recently announced they are selling Sophie Digard scarves. I saw these beauties in a department store when I was in London and they are so delicate and gorgeous. I especially love the Cotillion scarf and the Melancholia scarf.

:: Oh. these. sweet. little. faces.

:: On blogger, there's a little section where you can see how people came to your site and the search terms they used. Recently, someone who typed in "regret cutting bangs" found their way here, likely because of this post. It made me giggle. Sorry, no hair advice here. Just mostly crafty stuff. But I feel your pain, regret bang cutter, whoever you may be :)

I made a SHIRT!

Hey! I made this shirt! I'm kinda gobsmacked for the following reasons:

 #1 - It looks so pretty - It may be unbecoming to be all, hey, look at me I MADE SOMETHING PRETTY! But in this case, I'm just going to be bold. I love it. Especially because I had major fears it would be a Gordon Gartrell homage. 

#2. It fits! 

#3. My friend Johanna and I did it in a day, thanks to her mom's expert steering and infinite patience. To be honest, this pattern is a bit beyond my skill level. If I had tried to do it on my own, things would've ended differently. (Gartrell differently, if you get my drift.)

The details:

Pattern - The Wiksten Tova

Fabric - Comma dot slate, Zen Chic from Greenwood Quiltery

Size - Medium (Not much ease here. It's a snug medium)

Belatedly...

My friend Carla bought two skeins of beautiful bamboo at the Knitters' Frolic and I offered to weave it into a scarf for her (several. years. ago. And she never once said to me, "Hey chump, where's my scarf!" because she's a nice person.)

Ah well, worth the wait I hope. Weaving with bamboo is WOWEEE super delightful and the fibres fluffed up nicely after I gave it a long Eucalan bath. Can't wait to see it on you dear C.

I heart ... ah summer

:: I made a little order from Warp & Weft that included the Merchant and Mills pins pictured above. Summertime making is the best, isn't it? Just slow and easy, no deadlines, a glass of iced tea and a bowl of strawberries nearby. When my little order arrived it came wrapped in a brown paper package tied up with string - you cannot imagine how much I loved this detail.

:: Also new crafty books to seek out including Zakka Handmades and Stitch Zakka

:: I want to try these no-bake recipes: peanut butter & pretzel bars and Reese's bars

:: And these summer salads: roasted summer corn salad, crunchy summer salad, and summer salad with grapefruit, avocado and bacon (grapefruit! genius!)

:: This movie, The Kings of Summer, looks really good

:: This technically isn't summer but wow, stunning stunning stunning timelapse of Ho Chi Minh City

Lovely Lynn

Last week my dear friend Lynn surprised me with this Birdie sling (stuffed with crazy good goodies) and this amazing scarf (which I plan on wearing all summer long).

True true treasures. The scarf (not sure of the pattern) is the prettiest shade of raspberry and drapes so beautifully. And the bag is stitched perfection (I mean seriously, check out the pic of the yellow pockets! A true work of art.)

I hope you all have a friend like lovely Lynn, all sweet sunshine, endless enthusiasm, super smart, super funny and always always ever inspiring. Thank you thank you thank you dear Lynn -- so overwhelmed :)