Little Peanut Hat

I've held off from posting this project for a while, because I wanted to make sure it was first seen by the people it was intended for, and not some random blog visitor (of course, you are all precious in my eyes...did not mean to disregard you that way).  It was a special gift for a very special someone.

I love knitting baby hats- not because they're smaller, and therefore a quicker knit...they certainly aren't!  (Do you know how hard it can be to figure out the proper gauge to make a hat small enough to fit an itty bitty head?  It ain't easy.)  Rather, it's the simple fact that this little piece of warmth is going to keep a little person nice and cozy at their first moments in the great wide world.  After visiting my friends Joe and Kristine, and holding their beautiful new addition to their lives, with his tiny yawns and his tiny hands curling over his dad's finger, I was more than thrilled to offer a small, handmade gift that will hopefully be of use during his brief newborn stage of life.

Congratulations, Joe and Kristine!



materials:
100% baby alpaca grande, Plymouth Yarn
100% pure new wool, Tahki Yarns Montana

xo  j

DIY Tools of the Trade

As knitters, we are constantly pining for the ability to, one day, live a self-sustainable life.  We imagine huge afghan throws covering our bed; our kitchen drawers filled with handmade dish cloths and homemade foodstuffs filling our refrigerator with the basic ingredients growing in our backyard.  The clothes on our backs are hand sewn with care.  Some of us even imagine going as far as gaining carpentry skills (me with a table saw, perhaps?) and constructing our own furniture- heck!  our own houses! Built with our bare hands, blood, sweat and tears.  Can you imagine one woman doing all of this?  Well, if you can't, you shouldn't be reading this blog!  (Seriously.)

However, if you find yourself in pursuit of self-sustainability, there are some tools out there to help get you on your merry way.  I let out a (very small) squeal when I came upon this article via DesignSponge.  There are 20 gadgets in all, which doesn't make for too large of a list- maybe attainable by the end of this year?  Maybe next?  It depends on your budget, but I'd say that some of these are quite inexpensive and well worth the investment.





One of my most recent (and long-running) DIY projects has been an old computer desk.   It's mid-transformation at this point, so you'll have to use your imagination until I can give you the finished product.  However, I will say that any of the above tools would make this project 10X easier.  Nonetheless, it's satisfying to recreate a piece of furniture on your own...or anything, for that matter!

I guess this is a call out to women everywhere- don't be nervous about getting your hands dirty!  There are plenty of projects around the house that we are more than capable of completing.  We're not just designed to knit and crochet...



(Anthropologie knobs...because you gotta give your refurbished furniture a little extra swag.  Stay tuned for the finished piece, sooner rather than later hopefully.)

xo  j

{top two photos, courtesy of My Life Scoop}

persistence mitts

FINALLY... these fingerless mitts are done. For me, these gave a brand new meaning to the whole "if-at-first-you-don't-succeed" adage. I can't even COUNT how many times I tried to finish them: at first, I started using Paula McKeever's Cafe au Lait mitts pattern (with the crosshatch lace stitch, found here), but the wool I was using just kept sliding off my DPNs... over and over and over and OVER again. Each time, I found myself unraveling the entire project in a fit of knitting rage. (I'm sure many of you have experienced this at least once, yes?) After an estimated 15 attempts (and about two weeks of precious craft time), I finally switched to a simpler pattern with my trusted Sugar 'n Cream - in a pretty, almost spearmint-y color - and that made all the difference.



I ended up casting on 30 stitches onto three size 7 DPNs, knitting 4.5 inches of k1, p1 ribbing, keeping the main section (with thumb gusset) in plain stockinette stitch, and finishing off with more ribbing. (The ribbing at the top serves a practical purpose too - it stays a bit looser than stockinette stitch, so your fingers are free for cozy tasks like reading or sipping a cup of coffee.)

A great video tutorial for creating a thumb gusset can be found here. (It comes in parts - watch them all!)

<3 N

We're Auctioning Off a Slouchy Hat for Robbie T!

To all of our loyal followers, I have a very important announcement! We are participating in a facebook auction for Robbie Tesmond (click to read his story!)

We would love your support in this effort to raise money in the hopes of providing little Robbie with a new lease on life.  We're auctioning off a Baby Alpaca Slouchy Hat.  The bidding started at $5.00, and it is currently at $7.00.

The bidding is taking place at the facebook link provided above (oh, and HERE)! Please make a bid and help Robbie live to see many more birthdays to come :)

BIDDING ENDS ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16TH!!



xo j

Springtime Washcloths

I loved making these washcloths- sweet and simple designs, made with Sugar N' Cream 100% cotton yarn.  I was especially pleased with the haphazard pattern that emerged from the speckled colors in the yarn and the not-so-symmetric square of each washcloth.  Sometimes it's best to let the yarn do it's own thing.



*A little "behind the scenes" secret?  That coffee pot is my grandfather's....brought all the way over from Italy.  Pretty snazzy, huh?

xo j