Bags!

I have been busy knitting (well, starting and planning, and less on the finishing lately!) and then decided to sew a few bags to keep it all straight in.

Pattern: Pleated Beauty Handbag from Bend the Rules Sewing

Fabric: cotton/linen blend from Sew Mama Sew and sheep fabric from Crafty Planet

Pattern: Amy Butler's Chelsea Bag

Fabric: Summer in the City by Urban Chiks for Moda

Both bags have projects in them, and I am thinking that I need more bags! I love how the Chelsea bag comes together (sewable during a good afternoon naptime) and think that I might make another only smaller (for one of my many socks-in-progress). Our new van has a "purse hook" on the passenger side (ha!) that I want a bag a bag to fit to hold my "car sock".

New Pajamas

New pajamas for the boys ... round 1!

The bottoms are cotton prints (with puppies, of course!) and the tops are knit. I used Fold-over-elastic for the necks, and like how Thor's turned out better than Vanya's. The double-layer overlapping front on Thor's didn't need the pulling in that Vanya's scoopneck did. But good time to find that out on pajamas! Thor's has the painted on dog bone and Vanya's has a applique on it from a coordinating print.

Patterns: Shorts - Simplicity 3584 (modified pants to shorts), Thor's t-Shirt -Baby Essentials by New Conceptions Sewing Patterns , Vanya's t-shirt - "Octopus" tshirt (modified) from Ottobre Summer 3/2008

Cotton prints fabrics from JoAnn's, Light blu knit fabric from stash (Mill End, I would guess. I have a lot of it!). FOE from Sewzanne's.

Knitting Completed!

I have gotten a few projects done ... I look at my basket sometimes and decide that I just CANNOT start something new until I get something done! So that is the current goal (with newly dyed yarn drying to cast on the Apres Surf Hoodie ). It makes a difference, too, that sis will have her baby anytime now and mom is preparing to lose her hair now due to the chemo (hopefully I will get her hat done by the end of the weekend).

Sweet Baby's Hat
yarn: Paton's Grace

pattern: Norwegian Sweet Baby Hat

I am not a big fan of cotton yarn, but Grace was fine. I used less than half a skein of each color. No ties right now ... we will wait and see if baby needs them. I wish I had found this pattern when my baby was still a baby!

Cozy Capelet

Yarn: Plymough Baby Alpaca Grande

Pattern: Anthropologie-Inspired Capelet by Julia Allen

Now I want a whole sweater of this yarn! But I think a capelet will be good for over-air-conditioned buildings and chilly Minnesota evenings. Still need to find the right pin for a closure. Used every bit of 2 skeins ... finished the sleeves before the bottom so I wouldn't run out, and even then had to rip back a few rows so I had enough to cast off. This yarn was a scarf for my sister, but I think she would rather borrow a capelet then wear a scarf :)

D's New Socks

Yarn: Austermann Step

Pattern: simple ribbed sock, done in 3x1 ribbing

(I use the book Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd)

Love love LOVE this yarn! It was great to work with, and now I am jealous that D gets them rather than me! But there are so many other colors to choose from (and I do have other yummy yarn for me). He won't wear them until fall, probaby, but it is nice to get another pair done.

Diaper Case

In an effort to keep my bag more organized (purse/diaper bag), and not have to pull out diapers every time I need to pay for something, I made a case just big enough for wipes and a diaper for each kid. Even though we primarily cloth diaper Thor, I carry a disposable for when we need a change on the go. The outside is laminated cotton, so slides nicely in and out when I need it. And it is easy to find!

My Blog

Now that we are settling into life here, I have some time to make a few things and have creative fun again. And since I no longer work at the yarn store (sigh), I am having fun sewing again (yay!). As sporadic as it will be, I want document the things I do other than clean, cook, and chase the munchkins around. After all, I can only play trucks for so long!