WIP Wednesday 5/11: Bye Bye Bye

(grr....blogger erased all my pictures from my post on Wednesday.  How frustrating!  Maybe I'll fix it later - otherwise check out pics on the side of my blog for corresponding WIPs.)

Wow, does that take you back or what? Maybe not for some of you but the title seemed appropriate. :)
I had my blog posts all written out for the beginning of the week…and then never had a chance to post them. So I’m going to mash two posts together – what was meant to be yesterday’s post, and WIP Wednesday.

So getting down to business, aside from an incident with Squishy yesterday morning, my morning sickness seems to have gone to the wayside completely. I’ve discovered that my gag reflex is still super duper sensitive compared to usual, but none of the crummy nausea at night that had me glued to the couch doing nothing. I still get really tired, but I don’t feel quite as useless anymore, which is a terrific feeling!

This weekend I finished up the last of the knits for the cupcake swap. All I had left was the cherry on the pincushion. Silly, really, that it took me so long to finish. This may be my last swap for awhile. I have a lot of things I want to get done and with not feeling well this last round, taking on a swap may have been stretching myself a bit far. I know I can’t keep my fingers out of them forever, but taking a break right now might be the best timing while I work to feel more like myself.

I cast on a new project this weekend. It’s the Ruffled Cloche from 60 Quick Baby Knits. I got this book as a gift from a friend and I love it. There are so many cute projects, cover-to-cover. Everything from baby booties to hats and blankets and sweaters and even a sheep pillow. I would say this book holds something for everyone. It’s time’s like these I think a video podcast is necessary because I can’t show you all the photos without a lot of effort. So that’s my two cents about the book! :)

The cloche is for a friend, well, for her baby. There’s just a tiny bit left to complete, and when I originally wrote yesterday’s post, I wasn’t sure it would still be a WIP today. I just need to finish up the bow, attach it to the hat and block. Squishy took it for a test-drive last night. It fits his head, but it had to stretch. I hope it’s not insanely huge! (My gauge was good, for once I checked!) He seems to think all hats knit are his. I had to make a trade to get it back. He got a snack, I got a hat. J So that should finish up very soon. The hat is made from Cascade 220 Superwash in Winter White, Berroco Vintage in Dark Denim and Knit Picks Andean Silk in Sangria. I’m waffling on how I feel about the colors. I like the blue and purple/fuschia together, but it seems a bit stark against the white. But I find it impossible to knit pastely baby knits. I think babies need some oomph in their wardrobe so this is it. Knit in size 6-12 months. Because that’s the only size given in the pattern. :(

I’ve mentioned that I’m knitting some things for my sister’s friend. I actually cast-on for the frog paci clip last week…and finished…the head and a couple limbs. Yep, that’s all. Did you know that even small parts can take forever to knit?! I know, I’m making excuses, but really…those little arms and legs and hands and feet take me forever and when I only knit for 15 minutes at a time….you get the idea…

My other WIP is a dpn case for a Ravelry friend of mine. I’ve been meaning to finish this design for a long time and her order has finally kicked me into gear. If all goes according to plan, this case should work for both dpns and crochet hooks. Hooray!

Okay, the post is getting long. Sorry about that. That’s what happens when I mash things together. Just a couple more things and I’m done.

The other book I really want to knit from is Vintage Knits for Modern Babies. So many beautiful projects that are right up my alley. There’s a capelet at the end of the book that melts my heart. I may not wear them, but a little girl certainly would look sweet in it. J

In other news, Mr. Man called some bug people yesterday to see about spraying our house. The woman said it sounds like we have carpenter ants…YUCK! So in some way or another, we’ll be getting the house sprayed. I really don’t like bugs, especially when they’re in my house!

So, what’s on YOUR plate this week?

WIP Wednesday 5/4 (A Day Late)

I’m trying to decide if this week has gone quickly or slowly.  Right now, it’s feeling very slow.  I am going to admit right away that I have been terribly unmotivated since I shared my WIPs last week. 

I finished the Cupcake Hat, started the pincushion and….yep, that’s as far as I got.  In fact, the Cupcake Pincushion is nearly complete.  All that’s left is the cherry on top.  And it’s been sitting like that since Saturday I believe.  :/  Who knew that something so simple could hold me up?  And it’s not because I think it will be hard or that I can’t do it.  I’ve just been unmotivated (which is another way of saying LAZY, I think). 

I still need to knit the froggy clip for my sister’s friend.  I thought I would have it done by the end of the week last week and I haven’t even started.  Good thing the baby won’t arrive for a while. 

And then there are a few obligatory projects I need to get started that are small and require very little thought and absolutely no new yarn or needles and yet here I sit, just vaguely remembering they exist.  So I’m feeling behind.  I am behind. 

As far as sewing goes, I’m plugging away on Etsy orders.  I’ve almost got them all complete, just a handful more and then I’m backing off from custom orders for awhile.  I will still sew cases and list them in my shop but they will be purely, premade cases that are ready to ship.  Less obligations to keep track of that way.  And it gives me more time for personal sewing. 

The good news in all of this is that Friday marks Week 13, which means I’ll be entering the second trimester for my pregnancy.  I can feel where my uterus has grown and stretched, and I must say that it’s nice to finally have some concrete confirmation that yes, I am still pregnant.  It’s hard the first few weeks when you can’t feel any changes other than strange food aversion, cravings and nausea!  I imagine the bump will make it’s appearance sooner than with Squishy, but we shall see.  I need to do some clothes shopping soon because clothes are starting to get uncomfortable or not fitting quite right. 

So, that’s a glimpse into my week – what’s happening in yours?

Sewing Swap

With all the swap posts I've had lately, I thought I'd space them out a little bit and wait awhile before I posted the final swap package I have to share with you.

Like the last swap post, this is a package I put together for my partner.  My partner was Becky (gathersnomoss).  I've been the recipient of Becky's generosity, so I wanted to make sure she loved her package just as much.

First of all, I had a really hard time deciding what kind of fabric to send Becky.  She had given me a list of her favorite Moda designers, but I was having trouble finding fabric I liked, and that I thought she would like.  I finally ended up finding some Moda charm packs.  I first found the fabrics on fatquarters.com and another fabric store online, but they were either backordered, or out of stock of the prints that I was really drawn to.  Etsy to the rescue!! I found someone who was selling the charm packs and had one of each of the packs I was wanting to purchase.  What a lucky find!

Becky had said she like American Jane, Sandy Gervais, Me & My Sister and Fig Tree.  I found Giddy by Sandy Gervais, Punctuation by American Jane, and threw in Origins by basicgrey (I really love the basicgrey fabrics).  I think she enjoyed these! :)

The fabric was actually the last part of the package I purchased.  In the meantime, I collected other goodies and sewed a couple items.

The first sewn item was for Becky herself.  The pattern is called Sew Convenient from Pretty Little Presents and is a needle/pin/thread holder for the on-the-go sewer.  The holder folds up sort of like the old-school fortune tellers we made as kids in grade school.  The pattern called for a velcro closure, but I did a button instead because I thought it would hold better.

The inside has a piece of felt that's sewn down where you can place your needles and pins to keep them safe and secure.  There's enough room once the holder is closed to still be able to fit some embroidery floss tucked into the middle.  I imagine this as a great carrier when doing something like hand-sewing the binding on a quilt.  You have a few necessary tools at your side while working on your project. :)

The second sewn item was a ladybug rattle.  The pattern is from Little Stitches for Little Ones by Amy Butler.  I wanted to do a butterfly as well, but ran out of time.  I used pink and white fabric, with an accenting pink flannel fabric.  I thought the flannel is neat because as the baby gets older, she can feel the difference in textures.  (I forgot to mention that Becky is expecting a little girl, which is why I made a pink ladybug rattle...) :)

The toy could easily just be stuffed with fiberfil with the rattle left out, but I had a bell on hand, so I thought I should use it. :) I hope she enjoys playing with it!

I didn't have much other stuff by way of notions, although I did include a roll-up tape measure.  I always need more of these and am always looking for one.  There was also an Iowa magnet, because I like to include something from my state in each swap.

Not to leave anyone out, I included a "Guess Who?" Elmo book for Becky's son.  She had mentioned that he loves Elmo (as does Squishy).  I was in Target and found the book.  Squishy was so excited.  He wouldn't let go of the book, so I bought two. One for Squishy, one for Becky's little man. :)

And finally, no package is complete without a few sweets.  Becky had mentioned enjoying the caramel Cadbury eggs, so I included some of them, as well as chocolate peeps and chocolate Easter eggs.

This swap was a nice change from the knitting swaps.  Because there was a dollar limit, the majority of the package was put together rather quickly.  There was a lot more I could have included, but I really tried to stick to that limit since I knew others felt it was important for everyone to have the same swap experience. :)

Sewing the projects and picking the fabrics were my favorite parts.  I've been doing so much sewing for my Etsy shop that I haven't had much time to sit and explore new patterns or personal sewing.  I sewed all weekend long and felt so refreshed by doing something new.  It's encouraged me to pick a couple new projects I'd like to complete over the next month.

Becky, I had a wonderful time putting this together for you and I hope you enjoy it all! :)

Friday Favorites 4/29: Sweaters

Happy Friday, Readers!

This week I'm going to share with you some of my recent favorite sweaters.  Sweaters are a funny thing for me.  There are a lot in my Favorites, and I've admired many a sweater made by friends, but I've never been convinced I have the skill to complete a sweater for myself.  So all those lovely patterns are there for me to look at, but I've never considered taking the dive.

This might be the year that all changes!  Lately I've been more and more intrigued by the idea of a loose-fitting cardigan of sorts that I could wear while pregnant.  Right now I'm leaning towards a cardigan that doesn't button closed, but I could easily change that by adding a button at the end, right?   And then, hopefully, the sweater will be useful after little baby has arrived.

So here are my most recent favorites that are potential sweaters for knitting!

Doric

by Cecily Glavik MacDonald

All Photos by Tunney Wool Company

This seems like a fairly simple, straight-forward design to me.  I think I was initially drawn to it because of the color shown, but really, my favorite detail is in the collar.  I love how the designer added tabs on each side to button down the collar.  I think it's worth taking a look at.  And while you're checking out this pattern, be sure to check out Cecily's other designs - she's got some beautiful patterns!

Creature Comforts Cardi

by Madelinetosh

Photos by WoolTherapy

This cardi appeals to me because of the detail on the back.  The leaves climbing up the center back give it some interest, as well as a break from the ever-monotonous stockinette stitch.   While looking through the projects of other knitters, I see that the length seems pretty varied.  I would most likely knit it a little longer (if I could figure out how) because I hate it when sweaters are just a little too short.  The only thing I'm not sure about on this sweater is because it is loose, it is quite baggy under the arms and around to the front.  But it's still on my list of sweaters to consider. 

Farmers Market Cardiagan

by Connie Chang Chinchio

Photos by simplebeans

I have to admit that seeing this project for the first time on a pregnant woman was what drew me in.  Since I troll my "friends activity" page every day, when someone else favorited this project, so did I.  The cabled collar that goes around the neck, down the front and then turns into pockets on each side is lovely.  There were several versions that had a single button or hook to close it just a bit, which I thought was a great idea.  This cardigan looks like something I could wear to work, but would also be really comfy lounging at home on the couch. 

I hope you enjoyed a look into my favorites this week.  I'll keep you updated on whether or not I have the nerve to take the plunge!

Happy Crafting!

WIP Wednesday 4/27

Things have finally started to move along on the crafty front.  I'm no longer experiencing constant nausea and my energy levels are up, which means more time to knit, sew, or do whatever.  Now, I'm not back to full-speed-ahead, and knitting for short spans of time seems to be the way to go, but it's good to know I'm leaving that stage of pregnancy!

What have I been knitting you ask?  Well, you saw the Frog Hat last week.  It's finished now, and you'll be seeing it soon.  I've also finished one of two binky clips.  The last will be done by the end of the week. 

So this week, it's a bit of a fresh start of my WIPs.  At the beginning of the year, I worked really hard to plow through some of my UFOs.  I got a lot done, but I'm not done yet.  I need to pick up the Bathrobe again, but I don't have time at the moment.  I'll get back to it. 

This week I started the cupcake hat from the Cupcake Baby Set.  This is for the Cupcake Swap.  I imagine it will go fairly quickly.  I'm really excited about the yarn I'm choosing to use.  I hope the recipient likes it.  I'm doing a little modifying to make the colors work, but I think it'll be okay.  I wish I could share more details, but I really don't want to spoil any surprises.  So you'll have to settle for what I have finished thus far (any guesses on the yarn?):

I will also be knitting the Cupcake Pincushion, but that probably won't get started until next week.  At that time, I'll also cast on for a project I've been dying to knit for a long time.  It's the Baby Pears Blanket Buddy by Julie L. Anderson.  I think this little guy is adorable and will be so sweet when finished.  :)  

I also have to mention that we've been talking a lot about working with polymer clay in the Itty Bitty Forums as of late and I have a feeling that this weekend I'll be pulling out my stash to make a few goodies...  Curious yet? :) 

So, that's what's on the needles this week! Happy Crafting!

You're Going to Think All I Do Is Swap!

Now that I'm catching up on what I've been up to, I realize most of my latest posts all relate to swaps.  I bet some of you are thinking, geez, does she ever do anything else?  Well, yes...but these have really been the most exciting things for me lately.  :)

So today I share with you what I sent in the Itty Bitty Easter Swap.  My swap recipient was Susan Anderson of the Itty Bitty line.  You've all heard me talk and rave about her patterns and such.  I was so excited to receive Susan's name in the swap, I knew I had to make it special.

So again, the requirements here were a yarn kit with all you need to make some sort of Easter-related pattern that Susan had designed, to include bunnies, chicks, chocolate, and something made by us.

The chocolate was the easy part.  I sent Susan A LOT of candy.  Luckily, she said it was all well-received and her family enjoyed the tasty treats. :)

The next part became a little more difficult.  I knew I could find some kind of chick or bunny-related item, but how to incorporate all those elements?  And the really hard part (okay, not so much hard, as just needing a work-around) was the kit.  I first thought about sending Susan a kit with yarn and such for a pattern that was NOT her own.  She already has all her patterns and has knitted all the items.  Something new would be fun.  But Susan was adamant in the forums that she didn't need any yarn and certainly didn't need a kit.  So what next?  Read on and you'll find out!

A lot of swappers fill out a questionnaire to help the gifter find things that their giftee would like.  Susan made it just as easy because I could go back through her blog and find things she'd highlighted at different times.  Patterns she liked or wanted to try, yarns she oogled, roving she admired, etc.

So this was what she ended up with:

First off - all the chocolate: Cadbury Mini Eggs and Easter M&Ms, chocolate covered peeps, and Lindt chocolates in the shape of sheep, chicks, rabbits and carrots.  There were also Reeses chocolate bunnies and Cadbury eggs, orange jelly beans.  I made little baskets for her kids at home, which also included egg-shaped erasers for the girls.  There may have been more, but I can't remember...

I included Easter cookie cutters (chick, bunny & flower), along with Easter sprinkles.  And an egg-shaped dish to eat all the goodies from! :)

I saw on Susan's website she had been wanting to knit An Unoriginal Hat by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, so hoping she wouldn't mind, I went ahead and knit one for her, out of Malabrigo Rasta.  (She had also mentioned wanting to try this yarn).  I loved the Rasta and would really like to use it for another project. It was soft and squishy and will make for a great winter hat!  The colorway here was Indecieta.   It used almost a full skein of yarn, which just a little leftover to use just in case you need a fix here or there.

I enjoyed knitting the hat, but had to put it in time-out for awhile because after restarting it 3 times, I just wasn't getting anywhere.  The pattern is simple and I should have been able to follow it, but I couldn't.  I kept making mistakes.  So for a time it hid in it's project bag until I was ready to tackle it with fresh eyes!

I also sent Susan some lovely roving (because roving isn't yet yarn so she couldn't argue) from Maine Woods Yarn and Fiber in Hyacinth.  I could have squished this all day!

There were also colored pencils, Easter kitchen towels and a little notions/tools bag with little bunnies all over.  (I indulged and got myself a bag or two like this as well, with birds on them.)

So this is how the package was mailed out.  I sent a follow-up package with the remainder of the goodies because 1) I was spacey and forgot some of the items and 2) I hadn't finished knitting the 2nd item yet!  I also sent a set of 5 stitch markers I made using yellow & clear beads, which should be light and spring-esque, as well as an Iowa magnet that didn't make it in the first box.

The last item of the package was a little knit chick.  The pattern was Gordan, Jamie & Hugh Chickens by Janice Anderson.  I thought Susan would enjoy this quirky little chick.  He was a really quick knit.  There were lots of little pieces, but they were fast because it was all chaining with a crochet hook.  Squishy took him for a test run and he now has one leg longer than the other, but that just makes him special! I felt like this chick satisfied the "chick" requirement for the swap.  He was made from Cascade Fixation in red, purple, cream and yellow.

So Susan - enjoy all the goodies! I certainly enjoyed putting it all together for you!! :)

Friday Favorites 4/22: Babies!

Because I haven't been spending a lot of time online, I don't have a lot of knitting favorites to share with you this week.  Yes, my list of favorites on Ravelry is miles and miles long, but I haven't gone through them lately to pick anything out.

So today I'll just share with you a different sort of favorite. :)  

The reason I haven't been online much and haven't been posting much lately is because I really don't have that much energy or motivation to get things done.  And THAT'S because Mr. Man and I are going to have another baby and Squishy's going to be a big brother!! :)  Family and a lot of friends already know the news, but I thought it was about time to share it here.  This week will mark just 11 weeks, so just in the first trimester. 

I've had a lot of exhaustion and nausea, which sort of incapacitates me when I want to get busy crafting.  I look forward to the second trimester when that will be alleviated just a little.  

My due date is 11/11, so we'll have a Fall baby.  The perfect time for fresh-knit baby hats!

So that's my favorite of the week (okay, and the month and probably the next several months!) :)  

Happy Friday!