Out of Hibernation

Like many of you, I have been hibernating, thus the long absence.



My knitting mojo returned during the winter, and I whipped up these adorable mocassins for an old friend's new little girl. Aren't they darling? They're by Whit Van Ness for The Purl Bee.



I started and finished the Dijon Sweater by our friends at Fairmount Fibers. It's with Manos del Uruguay, which is the yarn that Fairmount Fibers distributes, which is handmade in Uruguay on a women's collective. Gorgeous yarn, great cause...it's a win for all.



Over a brunch with my knitting gals, we decided I needed to redo the top. I'm glad I did it, so that the end result is much nicer, and the inside looks just as pretty as the outside. Before you think I became too classy, please note that I posed wearing this unfinished sweater flashing my armpit holes.



I'm so proud of myself for this sweater. It's my third one, but it actually fits very well and looks better than I anticipated. Not too shabby for this lady.



I also wanted to share the gorgeous crocheted afghan my dear friend recently Clara made us for our wedding. She picked colors that were in our wedding, and it's such a special gift. Thank you Clara! You will be receiving a heartfelt, severely overdue letter!



Happy March!

Necklace Holder...Finally

I have been meaning to make a simple necklace holder for about 5 years. Just something simple, a piece of nice wood with hooks, and something in the back to mount it.

How funny that when I did finally got around to making this, it only took about 2 hours.

I found a gorgeous piece of wood that was 12 x 18", sanded it with our orbital sander (one of our favorite wedding gifts!), beveled the edges, drilled the holes, varnished it, and Mike hung it up for me one day while rearranging all the artwork in the house.



I would have painted it, but there were 3 different colored lines in the wood that were so pretty, almost greenish gold, that I kept it plain. I'm becoming more of a neutral gal lately, or as my crazy color twin and I like to joke, our tastes are maturing!



Sweet and easy if you have a few minutes and some patience. I highly recommend measuring twice to get the alignment correct on your hooks. It made a difference, and I'm glad I was not lazy this time.



P.S. Enjoy the cast of my teeth. That's what you get when you are sweet to the nice dude at the orthodontist!

Ink Quilt + Piles of Books

A baby girl was born to a lovely lady who loves matching colors. She's a sweetheart, so I sent her a drawing showing a "matchy-matchy" girly quilt with her little one's stats.



Really, what is faster than making a quilt? Drawing and painting one. Plus, you can make up whatever fabric patterns you wish!



I've been enjoying the extra sunlight, and our reading nook in my studio. His and her book piles are quickly growing. Most of my current pile were borrowed from the library, so I'm trying to finish. Especially The Hakawati novel that is due soon, which resulted in my reading it on the treadmill today!



I also blocked and called it quits on my Frankenblanket. Finito. It's huge, stretched out, ugly / fun, and I'm done working on it, and about out of yarn. Now onto the few crafty projects Mike and I are tackling for our July wedding. More to come once we start!



Ah, and thank goodness for the time change. The older I get, the more closely my mood is tied to light after work. Exercise helps bust it, as do these gorgeous views from our apartment each night.



Hope you're all well! xo, M

Pink + Purple Endless Knitting

My fingers have been itching to knit something mindless, without having to deal with a pattern or much gauge. I saw Jenny Gordy's adorable hat and scarf set on Wiksten-Made, and was inspired to make my own continuous scarf.



It was the perfect excuse to use a gorgeous skein of Socks that Rock. from Kate that I somehow managed to keep during an intense holiday yarn steal and exchange at Rosie's last year. I wanted to something with it, but didn't have the right inspiration. The 2 x 2 rib helps to break up the pools of color, and I like the zig zag effect.



Quick, easy and fun to wear. Wow, I've finally finished a project this year!

Silk Kerchief Finito!

Look what I finished last week! My Silk Kerchief. I knit until I reached the purple in the skein, then felt that I was done.



Is it not the cutest kerchief ever? I see you nodding your heads. But you'll have to make your own! This one's mine.



I remember two years ago when I hated triangular shawls. That seems like a lifetime ago.

Purple Cables

We had a cold spell in February. After the tenth time walking to work freezing my head off in a thinly knit hat (Rowan Felted Tweed), I attempted to rectify this situation.

This purple chunky yarn was meant to be a purse a long time ago. One of those cute baguette clutches with huge cables and some type of velvet/sequin/tulle/extranneous embellishment that yours truly would have rigged up. It had been sitting in my sewing basket 85% completed for about four years now. I pulled it out (which was harder than it sounds, since I hadn't yet learned to seam correctly, and had knotted the bejesus out of it...) and whipped up this slouchy hat for myself.

Ahhhh. Warmth. Cozy. And huge!

I think I love it. (Wink wink)

In non-knitting news, I read The Soloist yesterday. I visited the Philadelphia Free Library to pick up books and kill time since I misplaced my housekeys (hopefully inside!) and had to wait for Mike to get home. The Soloist happens to be the book that they've selected for One Book, One Philadelphia this year. I had been meaning to read it, but had an extra incentive since the author is visiting next Wednesday for a discussion and concert with the Black Pearl Orchestra. The book was quick and the true story touched my heart. I found myself finishing it in one sitting (instead of finishing my taxes I might add...) It also reminded me how lucky I am.

If anyone wants to go to to the concert and discussion next week, just let me know!

One more...

One more. I can't get enough of these hats.



This one is off to a friend's mom in Atlanta.



Turqoise stretchy cotton (Rowan Calmer) for a sassy lady.

I cinched the top because it was just looking like something made for a Conehead.

Hope you're all staying warm on this chilly Monday! (here at least)

Stitched With Love

There are some problems you can't fix. Not yourself anyway. You have to sit back, understand that you cannot possibly understand how someone may feel, and only offer thoughts and prayers. It's humbling, not knowing how to help a loved one, but just trying your best to do the right thing. I think we've all been there, and will inevitably be there often over our lives.

In this case, when I felt like I couldn't do anything, I did know at least I could knit something. And stitch as much love and healing thoughts as possible. Just so that someone knows that they're loved by an extra person out there. Every bit helps.

The nice things about hats, is that they're small enough that you can afford to splurge on the quality yarns. I wanted something that was extremely soft, squishy, warm and gorgeous. A color that would also bring out someone's pretty blue eyes. The Fiber Company's Road to China yarn certainly fit the bill. It's a blend of baby alpaca, cashmere, soya fiber, camel and yak. The colors are nearly irridescent, with a lovely depth to them. It doesn't hurt that the lovely gals who distribute the yarn are also local friends.

I made a Pi Topper Cap for another friend last year, and she loved it. She said it was extremely comfortable, and looked good on as well. The pattern is quick and easy, so I made one more.

I had to make a hang tag, which is probably my favorite part about homemade gifts.

The button tab (sewn on, no button hole needed) really accents this cap nicely. I love the final result. It's adorable, cozy, and super soft. I hope my friend will think of it as a big hug.

Retirement: Lace Ribbon Scarfs

Third time is a charm with this pattern. I enjoyed it all three times, and recommend it to anyone, but I am done! I'm sending this to Mike's mom tomorrow morning.

The color is more true here than in the finished result.

Here's a detail of the stitches.

And this baby got much bigger after some wool wash and gentle blocking. The perfect size for a lovely lady. I couldn't ask for a better family to become a part of someday.

I think that this finished project deserves a sweet treat. Don't you think?

P.S. That is half of my caramelized french toast with bananas, cream cheese and vanillabean syrup from Sabrina's. Half.

Sonny's Birthday Banner

As promised, pure saccharine. First, my notes, measurements and sketches. (The scraps were actually glued on later, I couldn't help myself.)



My nephew Sonny turned one today! My best friend (his mama) fully admitted that she went Momzilla, which is hilarious because she's not like that at all. They rented a moon bounce, are having it at a park, with catered Cuban food and a friend who is bringing her own ponies. I'm allowed to make fun of her about this for years to come, and thought a party like that needed a special birthday banner!

I picked up these Heather Ross fabrics, this Sunday.



Cut, cut, cut. Ironed, ironed, ironed. Sewed, sewed, sewed.

And voila!



Remember that it is winter and the lighting is dreadful, but you can get the jist. I shipped these babies out on Tuesday and Brooke already received it and loves it!


I did "Happy Birthday" as one banner and did "Sonny" separately, so she can hang that one up year round if she wants. I placed banners with a star between the words to break it up.

I wish I could be there to celebrate, but will be home in Florida to see them soon. Because, I love moon bounces. Oh, but I really love Sonny so much more.

Happy First Birthday, kiddo!

Completed: Landscape Scarf

The Landscape Scarf is completed. What an adorable and fun project. The larger shawl isn't particularly my style, but this small triangular version would be perfect for anyone.

To re-cap, I started with three Koigu mill ends, which was equal to about 1-1/2 skeins.



I used a Russian join to join the yarn together from the different skeins. I recommend using this type of join, especially if the yarn is slippery and will not felt together easily, such as silk or super wash wools. It creates a seamless thread of yarn, and eliminates the need to weave in lots of ends. I wanted to switch pretty often, and this join worked perfectly.

The only change I made in the pattern was to add a picot to every row, instead of every other row.



I gave it a little bath, and blocked it out slightly to shape the top edge better.



I then took gratuitous shots of my new scarf next to cupcakes with matching sprinkles. This was a complete coincidence though, the cupcakes were because Mike's nephew was visiting.



My scarf's maiden voyage was at the Bastille Day Festival at the Eastern State Penitentiary. I put it on briefly to show the girls and pose for a group photo with Madame de Farge.



A quick note on my awkward pose; my hand is stuck in the air because it's covered in Tastykake frosting from the "let them eat cake" festivities. Yes, those are Tastykakes being shoveled off of the roof and pummeling the crowd. Glorious.

Lace Ribbon Scarf

I nearly choked myself at knitting circle last Wednesday, while stretching my unfinished lace ribbon scarf around my neck trying to convince the girls that I was done. By the time my dinner arrived, the girls said that I could cast-off.



My impatience was not because I don't love this pattern. I truly do. I would recommend this for an easy or beginner's lace project. It's easy to memorize, and knits up quickly. This was my second one in a row, so I feel that I got a bit burned out at the end.

I'm happy with the finished result. The cobalt teal (makes it sound less seafoamy-eighties and is a legitimate paint color) is one of my favorite colors. Plus, the superwash merino laceweight created a diaphanous material after blocking.

Next, I'll cast on for my Landscape Scarf again, which I ripped out due to a couple of mistakes. I barely mind starting over, the Koigu yarn is so springy and the picots so enchanting. Otherwise, I may take my summer knitting hiatus and work on my studying!

Finished Project: City Shawl

My love affair with triangular shawls has officially begun. Using my Tilli Tomas yarn, I knitted the City Shawl by Stephanie Japel in mere hours. This is a super easy and versatile pattern that could work in any yarn, and looks fabulous. I predict many more in my future.



I was almost disappointed to finish knitting with this insanely squishy, beaded yarn.



Who knew a triangle could turn into a quick change artist? Oh yeah. Magda. It doesn't have to be worn like "Addie on the Prairie", as demonstrated here.



It can be worn backwards with the tails in the back.



Wrapped up like a kerchief, "Magda Style". (I promise, this will be my last reference to Miss Magda. A description using her name is essential here!)



Or even thrown over your body with the point across one of your shoulders.



I am a changed woman. From now on I will scoff at stoles and wraps! (wink)