Granny-licious!

I love doilies - and as soon as I saw the crocheted bowl from Crochet Adorned I knew I had to make it!

After soaking in the hot starch solution (2c sugar: 1c water) it's now draped over a bowl and drying for the next 4-5 days . . . come back next week for the finished product!

Twin Hats

My parents came to visit a few weeks ago and during the weekend activities it became clear that my dad needed a knit hat.  While my parents were watching the Vikings in person, I grabbed my leftover yarn and got started on another Turn a Square, finishing this quick knit before the end of the evening.

Guys in their "matching hats"

Another (blurry) pic to prove they really did like their hats

(even if it was a little creepy that they matched!)

This is love . . .

My husband's love for his jeans . .  .

And my love for him (otherwise I would never have spent the 4+ hours repairing these jeans - the ones sitting on my craft table are worse yet!)

As you can see - thread color is key.  Will was in desperate need to get his "lucky jeans" fixed in time for a plant trial so I used what I had laying around.  It's really better to take the jeans to the store and match thread to the faded and blue parts of the jeans.  Below are the 2 techniques I have tried:

• Use a zig-zag stitch that has the stitch length shortened to just above a satin stitch and sew down and back over the tear (using the forward/reverse button on your machine).  I use a piece of scrap denim on the inside of the pant leg as a "reverse patch".  It adds some structural integrity back to a worn knee.
• Use the darning foot (with the feed dogs down) and a zig-zag stitch.  This method is much faster, although it took me a little while to get consistent results (it's kind of like free-motion quilting).  You also need a piece of scrap denim for this method.  I would also recommend buying more thread than you think you'll need.  For Will's jeans alone I've gone through 4 spools of thread!  

If you start fixing jeans (or other pants) beware - it's an in demand skill.  I've had jeans shipped to me from my sister, Dad, and even interoffice mail from co-workers!   (People really love their jeans!)

Would you like S'more??

Recipe:  Inspired by the Graham Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting from Martha Stewart Cupcakes (unfortunately the recipe is not available online)
Modifications:  I used a Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix for the cupcakes.  The recipe originally calls for homemade graham flour based cupcakes but who has the time or $$$ to look for graham flour from a specialty store??  (Even though I *heart* Martha she is so impractical at times) The original cupcake is then suppose to be topped with a ganache and homemade marshmallow frosting.  I omitted the ganache (I think Triple Chocolate Fudge is enough), but I did make the homemade marshmallow frosting.  It's basically a gelatin based marshmallow recipe (make sure to add 1+ tsp of vanilla) that you QUICKLY pipe onto the cupcake before it starts to set-up (easier said than done).  It's a pretty messy process, but totally worth it.  After applying the frosting I stuck in a graham cracker stick and used my trusty kitchen blow torch for the browning.

 "Free-form" Cupcake
I'm not sure which one I prefer

Caution:  If you ever use the blow torch on a cupcake - turn the flame WAY low and use a sweeping motion from the top of the cupcake - not at a horizontal angle - or you will catch the cupcake liner on fire.  I'm not kidding here . . .

Snowman Quilt

Yet another Christmas present I have yet to blog about.  I made this quilt for my mom, she loves to cuddle on the couch with a quilt and she's crazy about snowmen.  When I saw a sample of this quilt hanging in the 4 Seasons Quilt Shop I knew I had to make it.  Luckily I was able to get the last spot on the waiting list for the "quilt kit".

All the flannel fabric I needed (except backing) was included in the kit along with the original pattern.  I thought buying the kit might make the quilt assembly/design a little easier and faster, but I was wrong.  There were very limited directions concerning how to coordinate colors with the scrap yardage included so I had to wing it. In addition, all of the snowmen faces and accessories had to be appliqued onto the quilt top.  I decided to ignore the directions for freezer paper applique and just wing it - needle turning all of the pieces by hand.  I used a lightweight bamboo/organic cotton batting, but with all of the flannel fabric the quilt surprisingly heavy.  For machine quilting, I stippled and free motion quilted similar to the shop sampler.

All in all I love the finished quilt (and Mom did too!).  I added black buttons for the eyes and backed the quilt in the light brown polka dot you see in hat brim.  It's about 48x60" - the perfect size for a lap quilt.

New Year's Resolutions

I did pretty good with my 2009 Crafting Resolutions, learning to crochet and quilt were definite highlights of last year.  So, now it's time to unveil my 2010 Resolutions (crafting and otherwise . . .)

1. Learn how to make clothing patterns and fit them to my body with the help of this book and some new supplies (coming soon!)
2. Blog twice a week
   
3. Wear lipstick/gloss everyday - it's amazing how something so small can totally change your attitude and mood!
4. Finally knit a sweater for ME!
   
5. Enjoy the small stuff
6. Read the Book Club book - just don't go for the gossip and wine
7. Join a sewing community (not sure how I'm going to do this one, I'm looking for a local club that has similar interests/age as me, but I may just join an online sew-along)
8. Try out pebble quilting (isn't this gorgeous?  you should check out her blog)

On top of these resolutions, Will and I have recently started a theme for each year:

• 2007- Year of Responsibility (Will finishes a PhD,  finds a job, and we buy a new house, incidentally I had been living the Year of Responsibility since 2002)
• 2008 - Year of Fiscal Responsibility (now that we're DINKs - we need a plan!)
  
• 2009 - Year of Being a Better Person (ask Will how this one went)
• 2010 - Year of Organization 

What are your resolutions this year??

Will's Europe Hat (a little late)

It's a good thing we live in MN (and we NEED hats) because I finished this one a little past it's deadline.  This was definitely a keep-me-on-my-toes knit, but still fun.  The texture is so unique, it's a great men's hat pattern (and trust me, there aren't that many great ones out there!).

Pattern:  Koolhaas by Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed
Yarn:  Lana Grossa Bingo Color 206
Modifications:  None - but  I did depend on the comments and tips on Ravelry concerning this project.  The pattern was pretty sparce so it helped that some people wrote out the cable chart.  I have knit 2 of Jared's hats this past year (Turn a Square was the other one) and I'm happy to say I will be attempting a third soon (Will likes hats as much as I do!)

Saturday Night Dinner

Recipe: Barley Risotto with Beans & Greens from Smitten Kitchen
Modifications:

• 2 onions
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1.5 c barley
• 1 c white wine
  
• ~6 c broth
• 15 oz can navy beans
  
• 1 c parmesan cheese
• 5 c arugla 

This was an absolutely delicious, stick-to-your ribs dinner.  Perfect for the sub-zero weather, I'm so excited to eat leftovers tomorrow!

Your eyes are not deceiving you, I finally decided to commit to a blog redesign - what do you think?

Grandma's Quilt

My Grandmother has a collection of quilt tops that were HAND PIECED by my great-grandmother and other various women in my family. She bought this particular quilt top for $15 from her mother-in-law sometime in the 1960's. My mom was able to get me the quilt top so I could finish it as a Christmas gift.

Given the age of fabric there was some yellow and brown staining on the quilt top. I tried to use Retro Clean to brighten it up, but that kind of backfired. Although it worked great on some embroidered hankies I had, the Retro Clean caused all of the brown fabric in the quilt to bleed out. After extensive soaking and washing, most of the damage was mitigated - but I'd be lying if I said I didn't shed a few tears over the fear of ruining a family heirloom.

Machine quilting was another challenge. The quilt top was not square and even though I tried, I had to tuck and fold the fabric to get it to lie flat. There were also several holes in the fabric, so after much consultation with the ladies of Generational Viewpoints, I used a layer of 110" muslin between the batting and quilt top and then tacked down the edges of torn fabric (see photo above).

All in all I was really happy with outcome and I think my Grandma was too.

My Hats of Europe

Happy New Year!!!

As many of you know, Will and I took a 2 week vacation to Europe over Christmas. We visited Paris, Strasbourg, Bruges, and Amsterdam. Since it was going to be cold (and we were going to spend the majority of our time outside exploring the cities) I decided to knit a hat for each city. Unfortunately Christmas crafting got in the way, so I only completed 3 of the 4 planned hats.

First up - City of Lights Hat

Pattern: Side Slip Cloche from the book Boutique Knits (one of my all time favs)
Yarn: Piccadilly from Needful Yarns in Pastel Mix colorway
Comments/Modifications:
I followed the pattern exactly and got a hat that I absolutely love. It's hard to see from the photo but there is a metallic thread that is woven through the yarn that makes this hat sparkle. I wore it all throughout Paris in snow, rain, and sun and it was just perfect. Small enough it easily fit in a jacket pocket but warm enough to ward out snow and rain and keep my hair dry. I've worn this around Minneapolis since we got back and one lady stopped me to ask where I bought it! I am tempted to make 1 more in a darker color . . .

Next: Strasbourg "Capital de Noel"

Pattern: Tillie from "Matilda and Tillie Pattern" by MK Carroll (size M)
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed (2 skeins)
Comments/Modifications:
I lengthened the crown length a little so that it ended at the top of my ears as the pattern suggested. I also chose to knit the hemmed edge (which is very hard to see in the photo). Sewing the band and crown together to make the cloche style hat was a little tedious. I also decided to hand felted it a little to blur the stitches and shrink it a bit as the pattern suggested. Finally it had to be blocked over a large container of Clorox Wipes! The flower is made of felt from a Heather Bailey pattern I modified. I added the vintage glass button (from 195o's West Germany) for fun. This isn't a hat you wear in a strong breeze (it doesn't fit tightly against your head) but its fashion definitely makes up for any function it lacks. I think the sizing is a little generous - to make it again I would go down a size.

Finally: Bruges & Amsterdam

Pattern: Sideways Grande Cloche also from Boutique Knits

Yarn: Plymouth Yarns Baby Alpaca Grande (2 skeins from my stash)
Comments/Modifications:
I wanted something modern, monotone, and architectural for these two cities - and that is exactly what I got with this hat. My gauge was really off, so I had to downsize all 4 needle sizes called for (I used a 9, 8, 7, and 6). I also changed the hat construction slightly. After knitting the sides flat, I picked up and joined in the round to finish the crown. It was much faster than purling for stockinette and cut down the seam sewing quite a bit. This is by far the warmest and thickest hat I had on our trip - which came in handy for the howling, rainy winds in Bruges.

What about Will you ask? He had his own hat I knit last year (Turn a Square) but he did ask me to knit a new one for our trip. Time got the better of me and I was not able to finish it before or during the trip. It's sitting on the coffee table now and I'm hoping to get it done soon since it's -10oF outside!

If you're interested in seeing more pics from our trip check out my flickr site.