Silly Glasses!!!

My family is often difficult to wake up in the morning, so a few weeks ago I woke up early and made these to wake them up with. I used some old 3D glasses that we had and some yarn scraps. Everyone woke up laughing, it was a great morning     

The nose was crocheted and the mustache and booger were knitted.

'Little Buddy' Hat

Fall is my favorite time of year! Fall is also the busiest time of year for my family, which means less time for yarn, Facebook, and blogging. I did, however, manage to get this little project done, Yayyy! I made this little hat for a dog, appropriately named Gilligan. I can't wait to get some pictures of the hat on him to share! He is the cutest little dog, truly the best 'little buddy' ever!:)

knitted owl hat

I just finish this gift for a friend, who just had a baby girl! I decide to make her an infant sized owl hat.  I have seen so many really adorable owl hats and patterns lately and wanted to design one of my own.  This hat was made with mostly Knit Picks Yarns and Vanna's Glamour, to add a little sparkle and make it girly.  The checkered portion, 'feathers', were made using the stranded knitting technique, alternating the colors in a 2 x 2 ribbed pattern.

I love adding details to my knit projects with embroidery and crochet.  On this hat I added a single crochet border around the edge of the top of this hat.  The eyes/beak were crocheted and the fur was attached with crochet as well.  And, after completing the hat I decided that it would look better if there were dark brown 'feathers' between the eyes, contrasting the white fur.  To add the brown feathers after the hat was complete, I embroidered them on with chain stitches, which looks very similar to stockinette stitch.  And, lastly, I made a simple garter stitch bow and sewed it on.

I was pretty happy with my little owl hat and my friend said she loved it!  The thing I love most about being able to Knit and Crochet is that  I can make personalized, one of a kind gifts.  I love to surprise my friends and family with something made just for them :)  

So Many Projects, So Little Time

If I could pick one super power, it would be to freeze time so that I can catch up on all my projects!  I haven't been blogging lately because I have been busy knitting and crocheting!  I have so many projects on my needles and hooks! I finished my granny square scarf that I mentioned in my last blog entry.  I am really happy with how it came out.  The colors matched my skirt beautifully and the black SC border gives it a sort of stained glass look, which I really like.

Granny Square Scarf, made with Vanna's Choice yarn.

Granny squares can be quite addicting.   I find that I have so much fun coming up with different color patterns that I can get a little carried away.  I also have an abundance of scrap yarns left over from past projects, so I decided to start this One piece Granny Square Blanket.

One Piece Granny Square Blanket.  I am still working on it, about 1/3 of the way done.  Made with some left over Red Heart and Caron one pound Yarn.

Then after I started my Blanket, I decided to put it aside for a minute and start a pair of Cable knit fingerless gloves for an upcoming class I am giving.

Cable knit fingerless glove.  I finished knitting it, now I just have to sew the seam.  

After I started my gloves, I learned that I was going to get to meet our friends new baby at the end of this month, so I thought I should set aside this project and get to work on a gift.  I decided to design an infant sized owl hat for her little one.  I can't wait to get to the eyes!

this is the beginning of an infant sized owl hat I am making for my friends new baby.  I am using Knit Picks shine worsted and simply cotton for it.  the body is going to be knitted and the eyes, beak, and ears will be crocheted.  I am also incorporating Vanna's Glamour for a little sparkle.  I am using stranded knitting for a multi-color motif.

I now have these three WIPs, on top of the sweater that started a few blog posts ago.  Then I thought fruit cozies would make a great gift for my daughters teachers...  I may have a problem, I can't seem to stop starting new projects!  The good news is, I have plenty to do!  But now I need to finish some of them, beginning with the owl hat, since that has the earliest deadline :)  

Not your Granny's Squares :)

What have I been making?  Granny Squares!  I am going to be teaching a class on Granny Squares in September, so I have been making some class project samples.  I love making Granny Squares, because they are easier than you might think, they work up quickly, and you can make just about anything with them. Of course there is the obvious Granny Square project, a blanket/throw; but you can also sew them together to make sweaters, scarves, market bags, pillow cases, hats, and the list goes on.  The projects for my class will be a market bag and/or a scarf.  Once you understand the basic principles of making a Granny Square, you can easily customize them to fit your needs.  The other great thing about Granny Squares is that they are small and make for the perfect project to carry with you.  

I am making these squares using Vanna's Choice yarn.  I plan to sew them together to make a scarf, which will be a sample for my class.

I chose the colors that I did, so that I could also use my scarf as an accessory to go with this skirt :)  I think I  might join the squares using rows of single crochet and black yarn, in order to match the skirt colors.

Bunny Hat and Piano, life is good!

I just had to share this picture!  So, I come around the corner and there is my youngest daughter, Simone, playing the piano in her jammies and her bunny hat, that I made for her last winter! It made me laugh, so I had to share this! I am a big fan of Bob's Burgers and it reminded me of the little girl on there that is always wearing bunny ears :P
My daughters are such a huge source of motivation and inspiration for me.  They remind me of what it was like to be a kid.  They are so free, energetic, and genuine in all that they do.  My girls help me to tap into those aspects of myself, that sometimes get lost when I am busy being a grown up.  I am so grateful to have them as a constant reminder of what is truly important in life, of the good things in life; I cherish these little moments and never want to forget them.  

As a parent, my goal is to teach my children all that I can in order to help them be successful in life, but, quite often, I am finding that they are the ones that teach me.  They have helped me to grow and become a better person, providing me with a fresh and new perspective.  Because everything is still so new to them, they often question the absurdities in life, that we adults just accept.   I expect them to listen to what I have to tell them, but I think that is reciprocal; I make it a point to really listen to what they have to say too.  They remind me that it is the little things, the journey, and not the end goal that is your life.  I love them more than any words could ever express, and when they are old enough to understand, I plan to thank them for all that they have done for me.  

Here's what I have been Knitting and Crocheting lately!

Over the last few weeks I have been busy preparing class samples and making a display to promote my classes.  A few of the things on my display were things I already had, such as the children's hats and the Sashay scarves.  I was in Michaels yesterday promoting my classes and I brought Mini-Me to work with me!  I had fun meeting and chatting with some very nice people and I got some of them to take my business card and calendar.  All in all, I consider it to be a successful day!