Grand Ideas in Quilting

It's about time that I started thinking about a quilt to make for an upcoming wedding. In my head it looks like the drawing below - which is also my makeshift pattern. Wish me luck - I may need all of the next six months!

Cute Little Baby Hat!

I made this hat for one my coworkers who is having a baby. I used a "squares" pattern, basically a rib (k2, p2) that switches every few rows. I used some spectacular soft baby yarn that Tam lent me, and away I went. For once, the decrease didn't look all strange, so it was actually well shaped. And, of course, all baby hats need a pom-pom! :)

Hat! (no way!)

So it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that I made a hat (or that it's red), seeing as winter has arrived. It will be a surprise that I finally switched it up and used a new type of pattern (click here to see!), one from knitty.com (a great site I just found last week that is full of FREE patterns).

The pattern was actually pretty easy to follow, but I had to add about fifteen extra rows in the middle to make it long enough, I think the yarn I was using was not as thick as the original pattern. (But of course, I'm too lazy to check the gauge, so it's pretty much all my fault there!). The pom-poms were my own addition, mostly just because they are fun.

In the picture above, it looks like an alien head, but that only makes it cooler! Below is a side view of it on my head - it's a perfect hat for when you have a really cute ponytail going on and don't want to screw it up, but it's so cold out that you need to have your ears covered. Yes, I realize that a headband could do the same job, but headbands don't come with pom-poms now do they?

Flag time!

It's been a long time since I've crafted for someone else, and I always forget how I get a little neurotic about perfection when it's not just for me. So, needless to say, I might have had a few freak-outs about how some things on Tim's flag were a little rough going.

The picture is a little far away, so luckily you can't see how the stitching around the head didn't line up right at the end and got a little bunchy. Also, the silver stars look pretty cool, but the fabric was such a pain to work with! It pretty much shredded any time that I tried to sew it, so I had to iron it onto some interfacing to give it some structure. That worked well, which was good because my next stop was going to be a silver sharpie!

So far the flag has survived one pretty good rainstorm, so I'm pretty satisfied! Plus, it's way more interesting than Tim's neighbor's flags!

Skully bracelet!

I so haven't posted anything in ages! I've been crafting up a bunch of jewelry to take to a craft show in November, but I also managed to make myself a sweet cross-stitched skull bracelet to wear while I sell my wares! (ooh, that was fun to type!)

I got my skull inspiration from skulladay.com! he is awesome!

Fiona in her dress!

Well, it's a little big, but she tried it on during her little fashion show. Here's a squirmy picture. :)

Suit!

I've started my suit! No pictures yet though. I'm making both pants and a skirt, along with a jacket. I got a great deal on some charchol grey fabric with a white pintstripe. I've already cut everything out, with the exception of the lining and interfacing - hopefully I can get that done soon. There are so many pieces that just marking all of them took me over an hour! I hope that I haven't gotten in over my head with this one - it really needs to look good. I'll have to start blouse and SHOE shopping soon. :) Hopefully pictures will come soon. I'm going to start the skirt first (easiest, I hope!). Wish me luck!!!

Fiona's Dress is Done!!!

Here are the pictures of Fiona's number one birthday dress! I messed up and cut out the wrong dress out of the flowered frabric, but I think that it came out cute anyways. It is so little house on the prarie! The bloomers are just too funny as well!

A Dress for Fiona!

Yesterday I bought all of the things I need to make this adorable little dress for baby Fiona! I'm so excited! The underdress is going to be a dusty green color, and the pinafore is a light blue background with pink and blue flowers, and green leaves. I'm going to make the hat with the flowered fabric as well. It's going to be so cute!

Pretty earrings, and an awesome deal!

First - I made some pretty sweet earrings this morning, mostly because I've been procrastinating on working on my proposal. (why do you think I'm blogging this right now????) Anyways, they're kinda fancy, so I'm not sure when I would wear them, but here they are!


Second - I went shopping last night and got what might be the most awesome deal ever! (well, at least for me, I know that I can't compete with mom!) I got the dress below from Ann Taylor - not even the Loft! Isnt' it so super cute? There's little white beads all along the edge of the ribbons, and these little flat bows in the front. It was originally $170, and I got it for $30!!!!! That's over 80% off! Whoo hoo, go me! Now, will someone invite me someplace fancy, PLEASE!!!!

Hats for the Homeless

Tam and I are making hats for the homeless. I am going to give mine to a women's shelter downtown. So far I have made 8 hats, with one more almost done - some of them are so cool - I especially like the red and gray one - it reminds me of a who from Dr. Seuss. Once I have ten done I am going to give them away, so really there is only one more to make - now I just need to get some new yarn, since I am almost out (which explains why the green hat with blue stripes I am making now is going to be all blue at the top - no more green yarn!).


The basic hat pattern:
with circular or straight needles, US size 10
Chunky weight yarn
CO 76 sts
K2P2 rib for about 1 1/2 inches
Knit in stockinette stitch until piece measures 41/2 - 5 inches total
Begin decrease - decrease in knit rows
1) K8, K2tog* repeat from star to end of row
2) work as normal
3) same as 1
4) same as 2
5) K6, K2tog* repeat from star to end of row
6) same as 2
7) same as 5
8) K4, K2 tog* repeat from star to end of row
9) same as 2
10) same as 8
11) same as 2
To finish: cut yarn, leaving a decent tail. Using a yarn needle, thread the yarn through the stitches remaining on the needles. For circular work, draw top together and tie off. For straight work, draw top together and sew up the seam. Wear your hat!