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Monday, January 31, 2011

New Books = Love

I've been searching (and, by searching, I mean lazily browsing) for some good knitting pattern books. Quite by accident I came across these Barbara G. Walker's Treasury of Knitting Patterns books on ebay and- by some stroke of luck- was able to 'win' them both for the price of what one costs on Amazon.

The first Treasury book is an absolute gem. I found it to be easy to follow (and I'm a relative newb to knitting... a knitting knewb) and the stitches within are the same pay-to-purchase-patterns that I've lusted after on Ravelry. Honestly, I feel any additional stitch pattern books would be superfluous now that I have these in my library.


As a bonus, I think they look quite nice on my bookshelf ;-)

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Craft Resolutions List

One per month... should be do-able.

1. Finish this shawl
2. Finish Lily's baby blanket
3. Finish a crochet motif baby blanket
4. Make knit boots
5. Design and make a slew of felt crowns (birthday gifts) for the birthdays this year
6. Design and make an advent calendar
7. Learn to wash, card, spin and dye fleece, roving, yarn
8. Make something (tea wallet, bag, whatever) with reverse applique
9. Design and post at least one knitting or crochet pattern
10. Design and make Nora a new, smaller, softer baby doll
11. Make fabric houses/carry-alongs
12. Make a real quilt square

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Love this idea- craft resolutions!

I was milling around (as usual) and came across this post. I love the idea of a new year's craft resolution list. I'm going to work on mine this week; the top of the list will be finishing this shawl.


I love that, unblocked, the yarn makes it look like moss.

On another note, but related, I've been researching carding and spinning my own fiber (wool, alpaca, angora, etc) and I came across this give-away on The Fiber Cooperative Blog. Perhaps I should add hand dying as #2 on my craft resolution list...

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Chip off the old block

Some time ago Nora fell and chipped her front tooth (while engaging in a very public oration regarding the absence of food in her belly). Just recently we've been able to obtain photographic evidence:




I wonder if she wants dip with that chip?

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Three Thursday Things

Thursday is my favorite (English) name for a day of the week. I like the "th-" sound in most every applicable word and the "rs" part of Thursday sounds like a "z" (and "z" is my favorite sound).

What's your favorite sound?


Three Thursday Things

1. I was milling around and came across this blog (which everyone in the world knows exists but me) Juniper Moon Farm. I've already sent the link to Mr. Z with the subject line: "Things to get me for my birthday" (I'm referring to the farm stay, the fiber share, or any of the amazingly lovely yarn).

2. I'm a fan of owls (as, I find, most people are unless they've experienced a traumatic owl-attack in childhood) and I love this owl needlebook. Recently I've been obsessed with making tea wallets and would like to cough*steal*cough reproduce this design in the form of a tea wallet.

3. Yarn Swift!! Mr. Z built me a yarn swift for Christmas and I love it. I'll have to find the link to the tutorial but, the design is simple and folds up very small; it works beautifully.


My son (Jonah) loves to work the ball winder (Jonah added the blocks to the top of the wooden pegs for no reason apparent to me, but he claimed they were very necessary).

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

I'M GOING TO SAW!!!

It's a happy day in the house that is my head. I received my confirmation today that I'll be going to SAW for the Spring 2011 session. I believe I was lucky enough to get into all of my first choices.

This is happiness alert level 11, people!! Commeasurable with threat level purple!

I'm going to make something for the occasion- a bag? a shawl? flip flops? bolero? cheese curds? ...probably not cheese curds.

More updates to come when my head comes down from the clouds.