Baby doll

 I knit this doll for C's 2nd birthday.  It was originally going to be a Christmas gift, but I ran very short on time.  Of course I was up late the night before her birthday finishing up.

The pattern was from Itty Bitty Toys.  I've made several things from the book and they usually turn out well.  One handy rule for these patterns is that the author suggests sewing the parts together as you go.  So instead of a pile of pieces that need to be assembled at the end, the head is sewn to the body right away.  Then the arms are added and so on - makes the whole process seem faster.

The pattern suggests using poly pellets to add weight to the body, hands, and feet.  I was worried about the small beads escaping from the hands and feet, so I used only stuffing there.  In the body I sewed pellets into a fabric bag.  They give the body a nice weight. 

I watched several of the designer's online tutorials for tips on the face embroidery and that whole step went faster than I expected.

I'm not sure what mistake I made, but I don't like how the stuffing shows in through gaps in the knitting - I wonder if that was a poor yarn or needle choice.

I think the doll is cute and huggable.  C on the other hand, isn't a fan at this point.  She pulled it out of the bag on her birthday and handed it directly to me.  She has refused to take it since then.  We've been on vacation for a week, so maybe tomorrow I'll set it out and see if she is curious.

Ravelry link with yarn, pattern, and needle details: Catie's Doll

Christmas ornaments 2011

image from familyfun.go.com

For several years the kids have been making Christmas ornaments as their gift to Grandparents and other special adults.  My oldest daughter and I picked out kits from the craft store in previous years and last year her brother was old enough to help too.

Nothing was looking right to me this year until I came across this tutorial for paper stars.

We all had fun creating these and the kids could help all along the way.  All three tore up the construction paper and put it in the blender.  I added the hot water and operated the blender.

They took turns helping me press the water out of the paper pulp, through the sieve.  Then they took turns scooping the pulp into the cookie cutter and pressing it into place.  (I was quality control and made sure the cookie cutter was filled completely.) 

I pressed out as much water as I could before they took turns with the glitter. 

We made three batches - all red, all yellow, and a couple sheets of yellow combined one sheet of red to make orange. 

The stars took much longer to dry than expected.  At least 3 hours and I flipped them over at one point.  I probably could have pressed more water out before transferring them to the pan.  We glued loops of silver ribbon for hanging.

Happy New Year!

Prosperity and happiness to you in the coming year! 

One of my favorite starts for gift and card making is to have the kids cover plain paper with paint.  In the past we've used water color, dot paint, or finger paint.  We've used this paper to cut flowers for mothers' day cards, wrap packages, and as elements of thank you cards.  I matted one of R's water color paintings with a page that J finger painted so that I have a little artwork from each on the wall.

I especially like adding this step when we're trying to incorporate work from a toddler or if we all want to be a part of a gift that is technically challenging for the kids.  We sent a flock of origami cranes to a loved one as a part of a birthday gift.  I cut the dry painted paper into squares and the kids helped me pick which squares we used and decided which side was the neck and which was the tail.

They all started with finger paint and white paper, but the finished product was so different for each.  Big blobs of color on white space for the youngest, fairly homogeneous mixed up color for the middle kid, and a little more variation how the colors worked together for the oldest.  A few birds even had little tiny finger prints captured on their wings.  

I used the video found here (Origami) to teach myself how to fold the cranes.

Christmas sewing projects

 I tried to cut back on the Christmas gift projects this year, but couldn't resist a little bit of homemade for each of my kids.  Both of these projects were created from fabric I had just sitting around.  I love shopping in my bin of leftovers.

For our 18 month old I sewed this portable doll bed.  I took the general idea from One-Yard Wonders "Baby-doll Carrier," but I modified it a bit and added a blanket.  The interior was cut from a soft and cozy changing pad cover we hadn't used in years.  She's been playing with dolls a lot lately and this will be a nice size for her.

The older kids had colds over Thanksgiving weekend and my mom gave them each a travel pack of tissues to carry around.  They were really excited about having their own Kleenex.  I thought a reusable tissue carrier would be something they'd both be happy to see. 

I found an online tutorial for boogie monsters and had to make them!  These little monsters use very little fabric and are very quick to sew.  I used a bow tutorial on the same website to make a little bow for the girly monster.  I think I'll add a key ring to one of the ear loops on each monster, so that the pouches can be attached to a bag, but it looked too much like they each had one earring.  So we'll wait for them to be unwrapped for that final touch.

Banquette

Our most recent home project was building a banquette for our kitchen table.  We don't have much extra room in the dining space of our kitchen and our new table was just a little wide for the area.  With small kids, I really felt a bench would give a lot of seating versatility and without chairs to slide out we could put the table that much closer to the wall.  I also wanted something sturdy that would not be sliding around or tipping over.



To build the banquette we purchased 3 finished hickory cabinets. Two 30" x 15" for the long side and one 36" x 15" for the short side.

We used a glued pine board (16" wide) for the bench.  After cutting the two pieces we glued them together and added a block under the seam to give it some extra support.  We rounded the edges a bit when sanding and then gave it a couple coats of stain and three coats of polyurethane.

To bring up the seating height we made a riser out of 1"x2" pine and finished it to match the rest of the banquette.








The cabinets are attached the the wall and at this point the bench is just sitting on the top.  We might attach it if it wobbles too much.












Our goal was to have the bench in place for J's birthday party last weekend.  We were able to comfortably seat 3 adults and 2 kids in the space where only 3 chairs would have fit.  Plus the table was close enough to the wall that the chairs on the other side could be fully pulled back from the table.




Normally we don't have a leaf in the table and its length matches the banquette.  But for parties we can put in both leaves, use all the chairs, and seat quite a few people!

November!

Calendar of the Month Club

It's so refreshing to see this vibrant November calendar on my desk.  At times, early November seems like the dreary weeks between the crisp colors of Fall and the excitement of the holiday season.  It's as if the little bird were shouting, "November!"

I've started brainstorming holiday gift ideas.  Hopefully I can keep it in check.  Yesterday I came home from the yarn store with a big bag of treasures and I can't wait to dive in.

Handmade handed down

Last week I organized my youngest daughter's dresser.  I pulled out all the 12 month clothes and replaced them with the 18 month hand me downs.  In the bin was the first Baby Surprise Jacket that I knit.  That was my big transition from knowing how to knit to being a person who knit things.  That yarn worked so well with the pattern and now C's been wearing it a few times a week.

I also found space in storage for the clothes my older kids outgrew over the summer.  My son was helping me sort and was very excited to find the doll carrier I had originally made for R.  He doesn't often play with dolls, but occasionally he'll stroll one around or want to have one to play with if that is what the girls are doing.

It's great to see both of these handmade treasures getting a little more use.

October!

Fall is here!

Calendar of the Month!

Dance bag!

 My daughter just started dance classes on Tuesday at a studio in our town.  I was thinking about how our week would go, what we'd need to have ready each day, and made a note that we'd have to find a bag to bring her tap and ballet shoes to class.

I was going to throw them in a tote bag we have, but then started thinking about how it would be nice if there were room for her street clothes to fit while she was in class.  And parents don't stick around during class, so I wanted something she'd notice as her own so that she'd find her stuff.  Of course, as I thought about how she's a first grader now, doing stuff on her own, I wanted it to be cute and have room to grow.  It didn't take long for me to pull down my Sew What! Bags book!

I used the City Satchel pattern and the measurements listed in the book.  The whole bag was made from fabric scraps.  The dark blue fabric is heavy and cut from a curtain we had used in an apartment a few years ago.  The dragonfly material was scavenged from an apron I'd been meaning to finish for about 4 years.  The pocket on the flap was really the apron pocket!  The lining of the bag was cut from a twin sheet my mom gave me for sewing projects.  I did purchase a zipper and some fusible interfacing.

I like having this bag book as a reference on my shelf and have used in in quite a few projects now.  It gives me just enough guidance to quickly create the bag I need, but it also gives a lot of room for creative touches. 

I spent a really long time figuring out this water bottle pocket with elastic. Too long, probably, but I did not want to let it go.

I created the bag with an adult length shoulder strap, but then tacked it down to size.  I hope she enjoys the bag enough that in a few years I can lengthen and re-tack as needed.

The bag pattern suggested pockets on the back of the bag and on the bag front under the flap.  I put a row of 3 pockets on the inside instead.  I also added a zipper pocket inside for any really important things.  Making little interior zipper pockets is a small bit of sewing magic.  (I used two links for guidance, zipper1 and zipper2.)

I am always excited to use this dot fabric.  The dots are spaced in rows that are an inch apart.  Cutting and sewing is a breeze when you can just pick a row of dots to follow! 

September!

Calendar of the Month Club!

It's September!  

The weather was beautiful this weekend, a little cooler, with just a bit of Fall in the air.  

We are shifting gears from the go,go,go of summer to the fresh start of cooler weather and a new school year.  

I have thrown away my summer RV and now have this shadow box that reminds me of scrap-booking, crafts, and the fun of projects!

Rainbow dress

I had purchased some dark blue DK yarn when I was pregnant and thought I'd make something for the baby once I knew if we were having a boy or girl.  For months and months I did not get to it, but always had a cute diaper cover/skirt in mind once we she was born.  I also was planning to knit a lacy dress for the baby's first birthday.

Eventually I started looking though patterns, but the skirts just weren't clicking.  I was going to put the blue yarn toward the birthday dress, but its style was not very practical for a toddler on the go.  Eventually, I found this adorable dress pattern and it met all of my criteria!  I didn't want a solid dark blue dress, so I picked out some rainbow yarn and a lighter blue shade as well.

I cast on back in April or May, but life got in the way and I just had a light blue collar for the longest time.  Baby's birthday came and went and so this dress fell farther down my priority list.  It became my car knitting project and it is a good thing we had lots of road trips planned this summer.  I knit all the way to the East Coat and back.  Then I knit to the Grandparents' houses and to Colorado too.

But, now it is finished and looks twirly cute on her.  I followed the pattern for the 1-2T size, except for a few modifications.  I used ribbing at the waist instead of the drawstring.  I shortened the sleeves and used the ruffle edge instead of ribbing there.  I used a simple texture stitch on the front of the top.  (K3,P1 for one row, then 3 rows of stockinette, then a row of K1, *P1, K3*, then 3 more rows of stockinette... repeat...)

 (summer dress on Ravelry)

However, once I got going, the dark blue yarn just didn't fit in....  maybe a little hat for when the weather gets cold?

August

I wasn't ready to give up my July RV (and I wasn't a big fan of August's robot surfer) so I just added a surf board to my camper.


Curiosity Calendar of the Month

Aravis

Several months ago I won a new pattern from French Press Knits.  I've tried a couple of Melynda's patterns before and really liked the results.  The Aravis is an infinity cowl with a built in hood that used 1 skein of Malabrigo worsted.  I've been wanting to try Malabrigo for ages!

I really liked the feel of the yarn and its slight color variation.  I had not tried short rows before and enjoyed figuring that out while making the hood.  The whole project was quick and easy on size 10.5 needles. (Ravelry link: Burgundy Aravis)

This was my end result and it took me a while to figure out how to even put it on!

But it is soft and warm!  I'm not sure if I am a cowl person - I don't wear scarves often and am not sure I'd like it close to my neck like that.  Plus, my plan was to make this as a gift - I just need to figure out who I'm giving it to!

The hood is a cute touch!  And I think it would add just a bit of extra warmth on a cool day.

Artisan Bread in Five

image from http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/

I've been meaning to write up a post about Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day for months.  But, really, using the methods in this book it is quicker to make fresh bread for supper than it is to find 10 minutes to type my thoughts.

Some friends of mine raved about this book for months before I tried it.  I assumed there was some catch and I know how to make traditional homemade bread.  If I wanted fresh bread couldn't I just make it? 

I ended up buying the book and some start-up supplies for my husband for his birthday.  I quickly caught on - of course I know how to make fresh bread - but with a busy schedule I never got around to doing it.

The concept is simple - mix up a big batch of dough and then use it to make 4 (or more if you multiply the recipe) loaves of bread over the next two weeks. On baking day just pull out the appropriate amount of dough, let it rise (40 minutes for the basic loaf) and bake (30 minutes for a small loaf.)

Ready to bake!

I love that I can use literally a minute here and a minute there to have fresh bread at supper and that beautiful fresh baked bread smell all afternoon.

Yum!

We also appreciate the huge variety of dough recipes and baking techniques.  We started with just the basic white bread and a free form loaf.  Our favorite now is called European Peasant Bread and has some whole wheat and rye flours.  We've also tried the Broa (Portuguese corn bread) and while it is good, it wasn't "corny" enough to have a huge taste difference.

Pita Bread

We have tried several baking techniques, all with the same dough.  The kids gobble up homemade pita bread and we also like the stove-top cooked Naan.  Neither of these methods require rising time and they are very fast cooking - great for last minute baking!  The dough makes a great homemade pizza or cheesy bread and the book has a delicious sausage Stromboli recipe.  We tried a modification of the pork bun recipe in the book and found it a great way to use up leftover roast.

image from http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/

The authors have a 2nd book filled with whole grain recipes, doughs with veggies added, and gluten free dough.  I'm planning to order it soon.  I did try the whole wheat main recipe from that book and we do like the flavor.  I attempted to make sandwich bread using that dough.  While it was the best homemade sandwich bread I've made, we didn't eat it fast enough.

There are a lot more varieties and recipes that I'd like to try from both books.  It's great to make a big batch of dough on Sunday and then just go to it during the week for a quick pita for lunch or for a guaranteed favorite with supper. 

I purchased our bins, dough scraper, and pizza peel from Amazon.  We don't use a baking stone.  You can learn a whole lot more about this on the authors' website: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.  (I wasn't compensated for this post, I just think this is an awesome idea for busy people who enjoy things that taste good!)

March!

calendarofthemonth

Only slightly better than a ruined hat...

I finished R's new hat and she was very happy.  But then I had this half-ruined hat sitting around.  I was kind of frustrated with myself still so I threw it in the wash again to see if it would felt more.  Then I kind of shaped it like a bowl and left it until I could figure out a plan.

Liz suggested in previous comments that someday the baby could wear the first hat and my husband found my half-felted bowl and wondered if I was trying to make a top hat.

And really, doesn't every single baby need a top hat?  It looks more like a bowler on her...

Redo!

I threw R's birthday hat in the washer with a full load of clothes.  I had forgotten that it was mostly wool and that I should hand wash it.  It partially felted in the wash - the diameter stretched out a bit and it got quite a bit shorter - more than an inch and a half. 

The old hat is on the bottom in the photo.  The new hat is on top and is already taller than the ruined hat!  R was disappointed, but luckily I still had quite a bit of the yarn left and I'm happy that I can make it right with just a few nights work.  I was tempted to change the pattern, colors, or style a bit, but in the end am just trying to make the same hat again. 

Handmade gifts - part 2

My list of gifts I wanted to knit just kept growing and growing this year.  I was trimming it continually, yet adding new things at the same time. 

I will include the Ravelry link for each of my projects.  If you are curious about yarn type, needle sizes, and other details you can find that information there. 

I had such a great time knitting this flap hat for J. (Free Ravelry pattern: Cozy Canuck Chullo)  I had not tried Fair Isle before and now I can't wait to try it again.  The first hat I made was too small, so I made another in a larger size and we gave the smaller hat to a baby friend.  (Ravelry: flap hat)

 R really likes the yarn I used to make her Wallaby and had requested matching mittens.  I held the yarn double and put a little heart on each.  I thought they might not keep her hands warm enough, but she has worn them outside a few times and they passed the test.  (Ravelry: mitts)

 I also knit these cute butterflies (free pattern) and attached them to ponytail holders for R.  I used the same yarn as in her Kina sweater (shown in the photo above.) (Ravelry: butterflies)

I wanted to make C a little baby sweater.  This pattern is called Little Boy Blue.  It's cozy and warm, but I don't like how much the collar and bottom edge roll.  I had intended to put I-cord along the bottom, but at this point probably won't.  I also knit her that squishy ball toy.  I had planned for a whole group of them, but ran out of time. I am almost finished with a second, slightly larger ball. (Ravelry: sweater, ball)

I decided to make R's teacher and student teacher each a scarf. The goal was to make both over our Thanksgiving vacation and I was successful.  I really like both of these patterns for quick gifts.

For the student teacher I knit a Breckenridge cowl.  This yarn was in my stash and worked well with the pattern - the cables show up much better in person. The dragonfly buttons were a last minute find and really went well with the yarn. (Ravelry: cowl)

And here is the Super-Fast, Ultra-Cozy scarf for R's teacher.  This is another free pattern and I know it is a popular pattern for gifts because it is so quick to knit.  I used Lion's Brand Homespun for this one and it turned out to be such a soft, squishy, warm scarf.  The pattern worked well with the unique texture of the yarn.  (Ravelry: SFUC scarf)

I found some gorgeous, soft alpaca yarn and wanted to make a scarf and hat for my mom. I think that this yarn was one of my favorites to knit with.  Each stitch was a new color and it felt very luxurious and dense.  The Diagonal Rib pattern (free) gave it a little texture.  I carefully immersed it in water before blocking it and it became much more open and limp.  I would have made it longer if I had known and I'm disappointed by how the pattern is no longer as striking.  It was still a cozy scarf, even with the negative surprises.  (Ravelry: alpaca scarf) 

I went with the free Snappy Hat pattern for a matching hat and it was off to a nice start.  Sadly, I ran out of yarn with 7 rows to go!  I need to find a new plan for this yarn, but I just adored the hat it was becoming. These photos also show how bulky the scarf would have looked before washing.  I have no idea what this yarn will become, but I need to find a good use for it!   (Ravelry: sad hat)

My latest project was for a new baby friend of ours who was born in early January.  It is the same free pattern I used for C's Welcome Home hat and booties.  I used the same supersoft yarn, but this time I knit it to the pattern specified size.  Baby gifts are so fun to knit!  (Ravelry: booties, baby hat)