Finished Kindle Love and a Sneaky Peek

I decided it might be a good idea to finish one project before starting another. This idea didn't go exactly as planned because I still started another project bofore this one was officially finished but I finished something which was really the goal all along anyway!

This kindle cover is NOTHING like what I'd imagined when I first started crocheting it. At first I envisioned a field of little flowers and then an owl perched on a felt branch. But along came the sewing machine and more ideas and projects to start so I finished it off with three little flowers and few leaves.

The button is the from the set I bought to use on my Something With Sleeves (sigh, I wish I were that size again).

This is some strange Japanese fabric I bought for the wedding. It was going to be the lining for my purse but I ended up winning one in a blog giveaway that was ten time better than anything I could have made, How I magaged to hang onto the button and the fabric, I'll never know. I'm not sure what's up with the US BABY but it's kind of funny. I totally cheated, too, and didn't line the button hole. That would have taken way too much time!

Here's a sneaky peak at the project I started while finishing this one:

Sorry about the L-O-U-S-Y photos but I wanted to take pictures, blog, shower, eat lunch and make the filing for stuffed shells while Emmett naps which is a pretty tall order. He's pretty cute when he sleeps, though, isn't he?

This picture is from last week but he really doesn't look all the different right now. Except for maybe a bit of sauce here or there because I didn't do a great job of wiping him down after he had mini pizzas for lunch. Sometimes the dreaded pacifier goes back in the mouth before I'm finished cleaning him up. I love those pouty lips!

And I'll add this pic, too, because I love it so much. I found this shirt whilst going through some of the boxes Matt brought down. I'd totally forgotten about it. We bought this around the time we got married (ah, how I miss Target) only because it had a hippo on the front and I collect hippos. Who knew our first really would be a boy and the tee would be just the right size to wear on our (few and far between) hot days?

And I'm off - still need to shower and eat lunch! Hope you're having a great week!

Return of the Racetrack Rug

It took nine months but I finally sewed a felt back to Emmett's racetrack rug. And he's actually using it! This kid loves anything with wheels. His favorite thing to do is play with cars on the windowsill that looks onto the street in front of our house. It doesnt matter how big the vehicle is, he tries to get it up there. New Hot Wheels/Matchbox cars also get a run on the sill the moment he walks in the door (which is often because I'm a sucker for buying 99p cars that make him so happy).

I backed it with black felt and want to do something to make that side something to play with as usual so I'm thinking about making it a parking lot. That seems kind of boring, though, so I'm still thinking about it.

In other craft news, I got a sewing machine for my birthday! I haven't sewn with a machine since I moved here so I'm really excited. Emmett helped me open it and it took him awhile to stop trying to play with it. It was something in a box so it had to be his! Granted, the box was not as colorful as the boxes his toys come in. I'm looking forward to making him some fun things with it, though. I really can't wait to make him his first superhero cape! Sure, it's a few years off but I'm still excited.

I also bought a 12 x 12 shadow box and some balsa wood strips to make a little shadow box for my Lego Minifigures as the collection has gotten a bit out of hand. I've even ordered some from the Lego website and am so excited for the new series that comes out next month. It's a sickness. I have about a half dozed duplicates from the current series and can't decide if I just want to keep them since Emmett might actually get to play with them some time or sell them to feed my habit.

So far I've made one little square of basic Tunisian stitch crochet. It's really neat, a little more engaging than regular crochet and makes such an interesting pattern but I haven't moved to the next stitch yet. I am so good at starting things but Suck at finishing. Emmett's dino hasn't been touched in over a month, the Kindle cover I was so excited about is in a basket, all but forgotten....terrible.

Coming Soon

I got bit by the tunisian crochet bug. SInce I'm trying to be a thrifty gal these days, I checked one of our many charity shops and found a hook for 50p! Can't wait to give it a try! I'm working on a Kindle case right now using basic single crochets but that might all change since tunisian is supposed to be a bit more cushiony....

A Girly Care Package

I recently read on Facebook that the neice of a girl I went to high school with had come down with a case of E. Coli that had her in the hospital with all kinds of complications. She's been in for weeks and even "celebrated" her fourth birthday there. I haven't seen this classmate since our five year reunion and our twentieth is in a couple of weeks (a fact I just cannot believe) but something about this little girl really got to me. I couldn't stop thinking about her and decided to put together a little care package to cheer her up.

I have to admit, I'm going to have a hard time putting this kitty an the package and shipping her off to the states. I love her.  She's supposed to be a bunny (the pattern, Boxy Skirt Bunny can be found for free here) but when I finished her body at knit group on Sunday it was decided she might make a better cat. She's also supposed to have arms but I think, in this case, minimal is cute.

I tried lots of flowers but decided that minimal was best here as well. I thought the flower should go high because she's basically wearing a skirt and no top but once I sewed it on I thought it looked a bit odd but it's grown on me. I think I'll have to make another just like her for myself.

And this is totally a silly thing to post but it really goes to show that some times a little flair can make something pretty out of something plain. I wanted to send a little notebook since I was including a few little sticker packs and was pleased when I found this plain brown one with blank pages. A little flower and her name and - viola! - cuteness!

I got kind of excited about buying girly things so I'm also sending a bracelet and necklace from Claire's (why it surprised me initially that they were here too, I have no idea) and some fairy temporary tattoos. Hopefully they'll let her put them on in the hospital. Although, really, I'm hoping she'll be home by the time this package arrives.

I'm also pleased to share that Emmett made a craft on his own for the very first time the other day. He picked out a pipe cleaner (oddly, he chose black) from our box of crafty stuff and started sticking sparkly circle stickers on it, applauding himself after each sticker because EVERYTHING gets applause in our house (because he's a totaly ham, I even taught him to bow when I say "thank you, thank you"). I totally count that as a craft - especially since he wrapped it around the back of his neck like a sort-of necklace when he was finished. Pretty good for a twenty one month old!

While He Sleeps

I think While She Naps is one of the most clever blog names in all of Crafty Blogland. It's so true and I'm sure some momma would have scooped it up if Abby hadn't gotten to it first.

Emmett's longer, more predictable naps have become a wonderful, much needed bit of me time to read or crochet (or do dishes although he's gotten much better about letting me get on with housework while he plays with his Hot Wheels on the sitting room windowsill). I'm still working on a knitted dinosaur for him but recently I've been choosing small crochet projects that I can just about complete while he naps (see? brilliant!).

Sorry about the super busy background. It's been absolutely pouring here for over 24 hours which means no outdoor photos and it's all I had on hand!

I finished all but a couple of the paws on this little pup (a Lion Brand free pattern: Ravlink) during a nap the other day. The bit of brown on the tip of one paw was an added design element due to the fact that I used up every bit of that oatmeal color. Now I think it's my favorite part of the pup.

And then, that night, I decided he needed a little basket for his own naps.

Emmett has cuddled him a couple of times. He's become a bit of a dog freak and wants to pet every one that we run into. Then he cries when they or he have to go away. This doesn't look much like the dogs he loves, though, so I'm keeping it for myself, I think. Can you guess what I named him?

Nap!

Instant Gratification Dinosaur

At (the much needed) knit group on Sunday, I got lots of progress done on the dinosaur I'm knitting for Emmett but it still needs a tail and all four legs and I felt the need for some instant gratification so out came the hook.

I found this dinky dino in the new patterns on Ravelry and it's designedby Ana Paula Rimoli (Ravlink). I've always gotten a kick out of her creations but I don't think I've ever crocheted one. This guy certainly calmed my need for instant gratification as I was able to make him up in a day with a little cooperation from Emmett. Most of the time, I'm pretty much hands on, ready to wrestle and play whenever he likes but yesterday I needed him to be a little more independent. And, thankfully, for the most part, he was.

Sadly, Emmett really has no interest in the finished product. I wonder if it's because he saw me "playing" with it all day or if it's, more likely, that he's really just not interested. He does have a few favorite stuffed animals, though, so I have hope that one day one of the ones I make for him will join that group!

Of all the photos I took at the cathedral today, this is my favorite:

I was just looking at my blog and the sidebars are SO out of date! The blurb about me says that I'm recently married...we just celebrated our third anniversary. The book list link is for 2010. Good Omens is on my Bedside Table and I (sadly) abandoned that ages ago (but should give it a try again if I can find it). It all needs a serious update. I have an idea for a new blog header, too. I had been contemplating switching to a free blog since I blog so infrequently but - too late! My auto-renewal came and went without me noticing so it's time to get my money's worth.

Lapghan for Granny Rose

Yikes, I can't believe a whole month has nearly passed since my last post. And what makes it even sadder is that I was only able to cross a couple of goals for March on the list I made in that last post.

I haven't done much crafting this month but I did make a lapghan for Emmett's great-granny who turns 90 this week. I've never actually finished a blanket. Started lots, sure, but never finished one. It felt pretty good. Now I'm really itching to make a large one for us.

This, though, is what takes up all of my time.

Hes seventeen months old now and I have no idea where all that time has gone. One this same day last year we were in New Orleans for my brother's wedding and Emmett had just learned to roll over. Now he's unstoppable. He's becoming more independent, too, and I'm thankful for that. Just don't get too independent, little bub - it's going by so fast.

 

More Catching Up: Emmett's Racetrack Rug

Okay, it's not really finished. I still need to sew a back on it but I have to admit that may never, ever happen. I'd like to think that it would...maybe by his next birthday.

Let's see, I started this in June, in Ohio, at knit night and finished it in September. Considering that it's about ten trillion single crochets, I think that's pretty good!

I also made him a little car from this Steve the Car pattern.

I made a couple of changes: I left off the eyes and the buttons for hubcaps and made the wheels a little larger. It's actually pretty cute for a car.

I gave it to him for his first birthday and wasn't suprised when he had no interest in it at all. I left it laid out in his play area, though, after I took these photos and after he woke from his nap he went right over to it and started driving the car around the track! I wasn't fast enough to get a picture but as much as this kid already loves cars, I think there will be lots of other opportunities.
 
Ravlink: Racetrack Rug

A Christmas Catch Up

Christmas was a bit strange this year. We waited until a few days before Christmas to put up the tree and when we did, it was just a four foot one with a few favorite ornaments because I just couldn't trust Emmett with a full sized tree full of bright, grabbable goodies. And it wasn't until Christmas was over that I realized we didn't take one photo. Not one. Video, yes, but no photos of Emmett's Real First Christmas. Sigh.

I made him a stocking this year. A colorful, scrappy one using this pattern.

I had so much fun going through my stash and making up a ball of random bits and bobs. I wish now that I'd taken a photo of the ball before I used it all up - it was very pretty.

Unfortunately by the time we finishing finding things for his stocking, it was too small! So instead he used the stocking I crocheted two years ago (which I just realized I never photographed to add to Ravelry).

I also really got into making snowflakes for the front window. They're still up, in fact. A few toward the bottom of the window didn't stick around long as standing on his little blue stepstool in front of the window is one of Emmett's favorite things to do. 

I was finding it really hard to get a photo of the ones that are left. For one, the window is dirty. Two, the view outside isn't the prettiest: a street. And three, every photo I took had a blurry car in it. Then I happened to notice the sun shining through and the crazy shadows it created. Not a great representation on the snowflakes but a much better/interesting photo!

I kept meaning to make more but never got around to it. I did create a favorite, though, that didn't go in the window at all as I didn't want to destroy it. If I ever get around to mounting and framing it, I'll take a photo. For now it's folded up and stashed away from little hands.

Yikes, it's now one in the morning! I should really get to bed as Emmett will be ready to get up long before I will!

 

 

Bears and Books

So much to catch up on!

Back in the fall, after I finished Emmett's enormous race track rug (another post for another day), I decided it was time to make something for myself and I wanted a bear. Although I think he kind of looks like a sad alien rather than a bear, I do love him. He crocheted up in no time since he's made from double crochets and I might eventually make another one for Emmett in shades of blue or purple. Right now the only stuffed animal he has any interest in is a hand me down otter that came from his cousins so there's no hurry. Ironic, considering Emmett the Otter is probably one of the more famous Emmetts (but <i>not</i> the reason we picked the name).

Thanks to my Kindle, I've been doing quite a bit of reading, too. Not much to shout about but I did read Stephen King's latest <i>11.23.63</i> and loved it. Like some of my other favorite King novels (specifically <i>Misery</i>), the scary isn't supernatural or anything else that goes bump in the night. I actually read a real, paper book recently, too - bought because it was only £2.99 if you bought the Times and we were doing that already. It's <i>The Sisters Brothers</i> by Patrick DeWitt - also excellent! It got a bit wacky toward the end but the rest of it so good it's easy to shrug that off. One of the reviews used the words "If Cormac McCarthy had a sense of humor" and I think that's about right.

What are you reading these days? Has anyone read <i>A Discovery of Witches</i> by Deborah Harkness? The reviews are good but the sample chapter I read didn't make me rush to read it. I preordered <i>Legend</i> by Marie Lu as it's already gotten good reviews from the states and is supposed to be a bit like <i>The Hunger Games</i>. Anyone heard or it or read it?

Ravelry link for bear pattern: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/happyberry-bear-dotty-in-christmas-colours">Happybeary Bear</a>

Vroooom!

I've actually been doing a bit of crocheting recently. It's simple and mindless but that's what I need since it gets picked up and put down several times a day.

It's a racetrack rug (Ravelry Link) for Emmett's first birthday. I'm pretty damned proud of myself because I had the feeling when I started it that there was no way I could stick with it. Five thousand plus single crochets later and I'm halfway through the road with only the one row of loopy grass and two green rows to go after that! 

I'm also going to crochet a couple of cars to go with it using the Steve the Car (Ravelry Link) pattern, minus the buttons for eyes and hubcaps. I think he'll be old enough to play with it at one year old. If not, it'll keep!

I started it at knit group during my very last minute trip to Ohio last month. Last minute as in "bought a ticket on Thursday, left on Friday". It was expensive and stupid but things were bad and I needed to go. Travelling alone with Emmett wasn't as hard as I expected it to be but I can say I will never, ever fly through O'Hare again. That was a nightmare. NIGHT. MARE.

Unfortunately, I managed to leave without downloading Dad's photos and I used his camera for the most part since I didn't travel with the laptop and couldn't download from my camera to his laptop without buying an SD card reader. I did end up with photos from our trip to the Columbus Zoo, though.

This kid loves to eat and he really enjoyed his first Dippin Dots experience!

This is my favorite part of going to the zoo - feeding the lorikeets.

He really enjoyed playing on a blanket in Granny and Paw Paw's backyard. He can't go five minutes without climbing into Mommy's lap when I'm around but since I was inside, he played on his own for over an hour!

I miss the sleeveless weather. Here it's the end of July and most days I'm in jeans and a jacket. I know it's in the nineties in Ohio and that's not ideal but I'd gladly trade temperatures for a least a day or two.

We took Emmett to the beach at the end of last month...in sweatershirts and long pants. He loved it, though.

The Ohio trip did help with the depression and homesickness...for a bit. England and I are having a hard time learning to love one another. I'm trying, though. Each day is a little battle - thank goodness for my blue-eyed men.

I'll end this ridiculously long, Emmett photo filled update with a bit of book. My friend Delly sent me a link to this article about the Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones books. I watched the first couple of episiodes of the series based on the first book but even though I really enjoyed it, I couldn't keep up. Babies do that. I wasn't sure I would really enjoy the books, though - I was afraid thay might be...too sci-fi fantasy to put it simply. When I read the words "historical fiction" in the article, though, I was sold and walked into town immediately to buy it. I'm a mere (the first book is over 700 pages, after all) two hundred pages in and already look forward to picking it up every time I have to put it down. I find the characters a little unweildy and have to consult the appendix every once in awhile but I'm really enjoying it and am thinking about taking advantage of Waterstones 3 for 2 sale to get the next three in the series....

A Little Something Made for Me

I can't help but laugh when Matt takes pictures of me and the bump. Snap, snap, snap - he missed his calling and really should have been a member of the paparazzi. 

This is the exact same location as my last bump shoot but we didn't go out with photos of my 36 week and 3 day old bump and my new "baby's going to be here soon!" haircut in mind.  No, the scarf is actually the star of these photos.

 

This is the One Skein Scarf from Debbie Stoller's Happy Hooker book. Last week I started on a cowl in a pretty blue but, even though I'm only about ten or fifteen rows from binding off, I'm really not happy with the first two inches and am thinking about frogging it.  I really wanted a scarf and bought three skeins of this Rowan Pure Aran Wool at John
Lewis the other day, determined to knit a nice, long, thick scarf for
myself.  I started a couple and wasn't really happy with them but then I found this one and, though it's not what I had in mind, I like it and it was a satisfying little project.  Now I can get back to our little acorn's coming home cardigan since I found my notes the other day, thank goodness.

I remember attempting this scarf when I first bought Happy Hooker which must have been right after I learned to crochet and an attempt was all I made.  It seemed so difficult and I think I gave up pretty quickly.  Thank goodness for experience.  Now I'm thinking these might make good Christmas gifts - quick, cute and inexpensive. 

This button was one of the fun little birthday presents I found on my breakfast tray the morning of my birthday.  I know that's a crocheted scarf next to an I <3 Knitting button but I like the picture.  

 

Matt brought this home for me today and I can't wait to crack it open tonight.  Normally I would want the audiobook version but when we looked into it last night (after he looked for it at the Waterstone's in Oxford and found that it was already sold out) we found out that it's only three hours long and there are three other narrators.  If it were just him reading the stories I wouldn't have minded but since it's not, I'll just hear him read it in my head!

Froggy Friday

You've heard of WIP Wednesday and FO Friday, right?  Yeah, well, Froggy Friday is the usually unseen and less popular fourth cousin

First off, the one you might have already guessed...remember this little crochet sweater that I asked your opinion on a couple of weeks ago?  It's fate has been decided.

 

There were lots of fantastic suggestions and I thank you for each and every one.  I really contemplated finishing it and putting it aside so that I'd have a gift for a someone having a girl.  I even got momentarily excited because Ginny had just had a baby girl but by the time it was cool enough for her to wear it, it definitely wouldn't fit.  That thing was tiny. 

Then, as I was searching for buttons for my latest Pebble Vest, I found these...

 

Sorry for the lousy photos - it's incredibly overcast and rainy today

I did a little research and they could possibly be French buttons from as early as WWI or WWII but one site also said they're also still being made.  These, obviously, aren't new but I can't really imagine they're from the early 1900's. They either came from a tin that Mom bought for me in an antique shop or a giant tub that my granny found at a garage sale so who knows?

Then I thought about Chris' suggestion of adding buttons and patches to the original crocheted sweater to give it a military feel.  So, as strange as it may seem to use buttons that could potentially be from WWI on a baby sweater...I might use buttons that could potentially be from WWI on a baby sweater.  Maybe.  I could have added them all the way down the crocheted sweater but I still wasn't happy with the crocheted look so I frogged it.  Done and done.

And I'm not even going to think twice about the fact that a Pebble Vest takes exactly seven buttons!  :)

And then there's the Easy Baby Cardigan.  My original idea was to add crocheted loops and buttons after it was finished but I liked that idea less and less with every monotonous stockinette row.  When I got about an inch away from starting on the garter stitch bottom band I decided it's big enough for him to wear more than once or twice which warranted frogging it back and adding button holes.  So, in a matter of minutes, this...

...became this!

Ack! 

I had another reason for frogging it - not a great reason but a second reason none the less.  There was a medium sized pool of purple on the back (you can kind of see in the first photo) that bothered me a little bit and now I can fix that, too.  

All is not lost - I do have a finished project!  Granted, that finished project is a third Pebble...

I'm not really footloose and fancy free when it comes to color (even though that's my word for 2010) .  I'm not good at matching things at all.  That said, the buttons are all the same...just different, muted colors.  I also picked out several shades of orange buttons that looked good but I forced myself to put them back because I was leaning toward all the same shade rather than mixing them up.  These buttons are better than brown buttons on a brown sweater but they're still safe.  Thankfully, I still have a few months to work on that color thing....

Please Help Me Decide Whether This Sweater Lives or Dies

Tonight, rather than casting on a new pattern, I thought maybe I
should work on one of the two sweaters that have been in hibernation
for a little while.  I picked this one - which needed edging and both (long)
sleeves - merely because it was conveniently located in a basket on the
other side of the room.  :)

I started crocheting this little sweater after I knew I was pregnant (this statement is not as strange as it sounds - somewhere upstairs is a baby sweater I knitted last summer that still needs buttons) but before we knew it was a girl or a boy.  Once I got to the edging I stopped working on it, thinking that if we were to have a girl I would perhaps edge it in another color and add a crocheted flower and if we were going to have a boy...well, I didn't know what I would do to it if we were having a boy.

And now we're having a boy. 

Knowing that I didn't have anything in the same weight (fingering) or in a complimentary color I went ahead and crocheted the edging and two rows of one sleeve...and then I started thinking about frogging it.  My reasons are as follows:

• As much as I love the color and know that green is, without a doubt, masculine, I still think it looks a bit feminine.  I think it's the fact that it's crocheted.  


• It's tiny.  I already knitted two tiny sweaters.  He's only going to be tiny for so long.


• It's so plain and I have no idea how to spice it up other than with buttons and, while buttons are great, they can only do so much.  

Matt likes it but, honestly, the man is so wonderful he'd say that about anything and really mean it.  His suggestion was to put it aside for a little while and think about it which is great but it's been aside and I've been thinking about it (or not) for at least a couple of months now.  So I decided to take a picture of it and ask your opinion.  Should I bother with it at all or just frog it (and not use the yarn to make another Pebble Sweater Vest, I swear)?  Or, since it looks like it's only going to take one skein of the four I have, should I just ago ahead and finish the last eighteen rows, slap on three wooden buttons and maybe actually never actually put it on the kid?  Or, better yet, does anyone have any embellishment ideas? 

Thoughts, suggestions and opinions are very, very welcome! 

Thanks in advance!

Finished Bowls and Beanies

A lot can happen in 24 hours.  Matt's upstairs putting the second coat on the tree.  He deemed painting it "overrated" and suggested, instead of helping him, that I go in tomorrow with a small, not so fumy pot of paint and put on the final touches.  That's okay by me - I'll gladly use the time to add a few projects to Ravelry and write up a post!

I had to bring the outdoors in this afternoon to photograph my little Turtle Bowl since we ended up not going out after all. 

I'm not really sure what we'll put in this little bowl but it'll look really cute on his chest of drawers.  You're actually supposed to double the yarn but I didn't want it to turnout ginormous (and I don't follow directions very well) so I only used a single strand.  The bowl is a bit flimsy so I think I'm going to line it with a little felt.

I know I've already mentioned the Baby Beanies book a million times but it is so freaking cute!  My plan is to knit all of the hats in it that are suitable for a boy over the next couple of years (or, at this rate, months).  I started with the Bedtime Stocking Cap.

We went a little crazy with a line of baby clothes (onesie, hoodie, sweatpants and a blanket) that we found on sale at Target that featured helicopters in these colors so I figured they were perfect for a stripey hat.

And this is my second hat from the book - the Chocqua. 

I knitted both of these in the 0-6 month size but I feel like I should have made this one a little taller.  It's cute, regardless, and makes me wish I had some Thin Mints...or Junior Mints.  Mmm, Junior Mints....

I can't help but think these beanies would be SO much cuter if we had a little noggin to model them but even if our little acorn were already here, he still wouldn't be posing for any blog photos.  When I posted that first scan photo we decided that that would probably be the last photo of the baby that I would post.  That rule might temporarily be broken when the baby first arrives but after that it will probably just be glimpses of chubby baby fingers and baby toes.  I think there's just something a little...scary isn't the word I'm looking for but it's close...about putting photos of our little one out there on the world wide web.  But do note that I used the word "probably" twice.  :)

I can't wait to to take the tape off the wall in the morning and see what our tree looks like.  After the tree is finished, Matt just (easy for me to say) needs to paint the trim and the ceiling and we can start moving in furniture and hanging pictures (that all need frames - yet another thing to add to the list of things to do)!  My future is also FULL of leaf making....