Crafting into February

Wow . . .was it me or did January just fly by?  I just can't believe it.  We had our tax kick off yesterday and I counted the days. . .74 left until the end of tax season.  Seems like a lot but when you in the mounting piles of work . .it goes by way way too quickly!  

I have been running a lot these days to release the stress and give myself an hour to clear my head.  Training for CBHM (Covered Bridge Half Marathon) again this year.  I really enjoyed it last year.  Its no terribly hard (well it is still 13.1 miles) but challenging and the course is just beautiful.  Compared to the Maple Leaf Half in Manchester I think the difficulty is lower.  Manchester has some enormous hills and the one in the Maple Leaf feels like it will NEVER end.  I am still planning on running that one again this year too.  That hill has not seen the last of me!  I made it up last year without stopping but it killed my steam on the last leg of the race so this year I am training harder and will practice that hill a few more times before the race.  I will succeed!  

I am shooting for a third this year as well.  My third will be the CHAD half in NH.  I had planned on running it last year but the Maple Leaf took my knee out for a few weeks.  Right during my perfect fall running weather too! grrrrr.    

So with the crazy hours, running, and Brooke . . .hasn't been a whole lot of crafting time.  Just a bit here and there when I can.  I did get to finish one project, start a new one, and I am almost done with a belated Christmas/Birthday gift (oops. . .ya just my Dad. . .he doesn't care).

The completed project - is the Shelter Infinity scarf.  This is a free pattern on Ravelry.  Used three hanks of Malabrigo that I purchased at Green Mountain Fibers in Rutland.  Not a difficult pattern.  It has some cables throughout in a 4 or 5 row repeat.  I did wear it to work during that ridiculous cold spell we had and it did a great job in keeping my neck warm which is half the battle for me in my drafty office.

The newly started knitting project is a pair of socks!  Been a long time since i've knitted socks!  I remember the days when that was all I knit and my friends and I would take trips around the state looking for different sock yarn.  

This is a Plymouth yarn called Diversity (93% acrylic and 7% polyester).  Now I am not a big acrylic fan . . or polyester either . . .just sounds gross . .but I actually like this.  Its stretchy and squishy soft.  I think in the end they will be a nice tight fit without being uncomfortable and will not become all slouchy like some hand knit socks do.  I think they might just hold their own throughout the day.  Time will tell.  

The pattern is completely made up. . .just co 56 stitches evenly and knitted a k2 p2 ribbing for an 1 1/2 inches and then continued with a baby cable every 4th row.  

I am also close to finishing a fleece Packers blanket for my dad.  His Christmas/Birthday gift which is a little late.  Good thing he doesn't mind.  I think it will be worth the wait . . .this puppy is WARM!  9 x 9 inch squares double layered and sewn into strips and then together.  The only thing that was a challenge was the point where 8 layers of fleece come together.  Now I switched to a denim needle on my Bernina and I used my walking foot too.  Still skipped and left big stitches in those spots so I am having to hand sew over those areas.  Ugh. . .was suppose to be quicker than this but oh well.  Its going to look great and will be well worth the extra effort.

And tomorrow Brooke and I are headed to Sesame Street live in Albany.  I don't know who will be more excited . . .me or her.  I know I am going crazy because I want to tell her but I am making myself wait until tomorrow morning.  A test for when I take her to Disney (this is way in the future but I really need practice at this!!!).  Very excited for a mommy-daughter day with lots of photos!

Shelter Infinity Scarf

A long busy week this week.  Feeling very exhausted today.  I  spent most of the week out of town for work.  

And I will say that if you have to spend the week on the road . . . there is no better way to spend the week in a hotel room than dragging your sewing machine with you.  Now you get some funny looks as you drag your sewing machine and laptop while dressed in your high heels to the elevator . . .but hey. . .you have to do what you have to do.  

I got almost 1/2 of the fleece quilt completed for my father for his belated birthday/christmas gift so it was worth the confused looks.

I am also currently knitting the Shelter Infinity Scarf (pattern can be found on Ravelry).

This pattern is very enjoyable to knit.  It is not too easy and not too difficult either.  I chose a variegated malabrigo worsted weight yarn.  Soft and warm but also a little fuzzy and pills very easily.  I love the yarn but it does drive me a little crazy that it pills so easy.

This scarf is an infinity scarf so it will be joined together in the end.  It is knit straight and in once piece, not in the round.  These photos are also taken without any blocking so the pattern should really define itself once I block it.  Can't wait to wear it.  I think it will look great with my black peacoat.

One for you . . .and one for me

As I come off from the holiday gift making season I feel the need to be a little selfish. . . but not completely.  I just can't resist those big blue eyes and the words "you make me one mama?"  

 Lucky for me, the hat I made Brooke last week only took one skein of Rowan Big Wool from my stash.   However, there was only two and the last one looked completely lost without the other.  So I used it to whip up a matching pink scarf. 

They really should be together.  Some things are just meant to be right?

Brooke seems to think so.  She was so warm and cozy that she feel asleep in her sled while going down the rail trail with my husband.  I guess this yarn really did have a purpose.

 And finally a little selfishness for me.  One yard of a rayon print made into an infinity scarf.  Quick and easy selfish project that you can put together in an hour.

I love it.  Looks great with my black J Jill dress and black boots.  A nice addition to my office attire.  The time frame is great for this project as well since I only have one day a week off right now.  Tax season is here once again.  Oh how quickly it comes . . .kind of like the holidays. . .fun and exciting but stressful and exhausting.  But in the end. . .you can't wait until next year.  Yep, that is sick and twisted!

A Pink Snowboarding Hat

Someone has really taking a liking to snowboarding this past week.  Lucky for her our childcare includes a few expert snowboarders with connections to a Vermont ski area.  

And we also got dumped on this week which has been great since she loves the snow and she finally gets to use the snowsuit that I purchased last year when it just wouldn't snow.  Could she be any happier? 

So on my agenda this week was knitting up a warm snowboarding hat with ear flaps to keep those cute ears snugly warm.  I did happen to have two skeins of Rowan big wool in my stash that I was not sure what to do with.   So I set out to find a pattern I could tweak to my liking.  Rowan big wool is a bulky weight yarn and I did find the "Teo Hat" on ravelry which is a free pattern.  I used that as a guide to start out the ear flaps and cast on the brim of the hat (except I added 4 additional stitches to the brim just to give me enough room). 

When I got to the point of decreasing (which I kept trying on her head until it looked right to me) I k2tog every 4 stitches, then knit two rounds, then k2tog every 3 stitches, knit one round, k2tog every two stitches, knit one round, then k2tog around until I had 6 stitches to close.  I then cut 9 long strips of yarn (1 for each ear flap and one for the top) and used a darning needle to feed them through half way so I ended up with 6 strands that I could use to braid and knot at the end.  Don't forget to trim the ends.  

She loved it!!!. . .took me one evening to pull together.  It also only took one skein so the other I can use for a scarf.  Next on the list!

Happy New Year . . .welcome 2013

Happy New Year!

Nothing like starting the new year with a completed project.  Quick and easy.  I cut out two 10 x 10 inch squares of two different fabrics along with two 2 x 3 inch pieces for the hangers and six 10 x 10 inch squares of cotton batting for the filling.  I sandwiched them all together and sewed almost all the way around leaving a 3 inch opening to turn the fabric.  After turning around I pressed and sewed up the opening and then quilted two 1/2 inch borders around the edge.  A great gift for my gram.  Can't wait to make some for myself.  

And what does 2013 bring . . . hopefully clothes for me!  

Time to tip things back in balance after the holidays

This Christmas was a special one.   The first year that Brooke really understood what was really happening and the first year she was truly animated about it.  We watched Christmas movies, sang Christmas songs and I actually enjoyed wrapping Christmas presents this year (that's a first ever!).

Christmas card photos were such a blast this year since you could actually get her to pose without feeding her food and snapping shots at the same time, just hoping that you got something in the process.

The owlet sweater I made her was perfect for our Christmas card photos.  She looked so great with her little brown boots and her red and white striped leggings.  Not sure if it gets any cuter than this?  But I say this every year and some how we seem to pull off another great card the following year.   Just glad I have a cute subject to photograph.  This photo card was designed using the Stampin Up MDS software.  This was the first time I have made a digital card or even played with the software.  It was fun, but a little sad. . I do love the paper and stamp cards . ..I just did not have the time with all I had taken on with making gifts this year.

Still, I would highly recommend the software.  It is just like working with paper and stamps. .without the paper and stamps.  They have all the paper, stamps, eyelets, punches, etc that they offer in the catalog all at your fingertips.  And rather than the preset cards they have online, I can design my way!

How could you not love that face!

Now on another note. . .finding balance again.  I love the idea of making all my gifts, it really does truly make me happy. . .but not getting it all done timely makes me feel awful.  Starting earlier in the year in my game plan for next year.  I made so many things that I didn't have time to photograph before gifting them away.  Bummer :(

My felted carrots looked good enough to eat so I did good on the felted food front.  

I made my first bucket hat (free pattern by Oliver + S) came out great.  I even made one as a gift.  But I didn't get a photo of this before gifting away.  I think I will make more as gifts and Brooke will need a few more for the summer.  The pattern is fairly easy and it has a really nice professional look to it.

And Brooke's expression on Christmas morning after I had been at the sewing machine for hours on end proved completely worth it.  

She said "Thank you Mama for all the presents.  Mama you are so proud of me." 

I am proud of you Sweet Pea. . .my cup runneth over :)

Christmas gifts weeks 5 & 6 . . .

The past two weeks have just been incredibly SUPER busy.  Between trying to get all these pajama sets done (and photograph them), my office Christmas party, the Christmas card photo shoot for our Christmas cards, and then the normal work routine and raising a 2 1/2 year old . . .just crazy.

I will say that I am enjoying the thought of Christmas so much more since I decided to make my gifts this year rather than buying them.  There is just something so much more organic about making your own gifts that really represent the spirit of the holiday giving season.  I find that even though its stressful to get them all done, the act of personalizing each gift is so much more rewarding.  I hope that my daughter will always enjoy them.

When I got to this set of pajama pants I decided to go with a different cuff.  I decided to use the technique that I used from the lady bird pink dress so that you get more of the cuff pattern.  You do lose a slight bit of the length on the pants but maybe a 1/4 inch I think.  I like the look much better!  I actually have many more pairs finished.  I just haven't had time to put them in front of the camera.  I am hoping to today.

I also finished the owlet sweater for Brooke to wear in our Christmas card photos (will post photos later).  I love this pattern (Katie Davies - you can find on revelry) but this time I knit it in a bulky weight adjusting the pattern size to get the size I wanted based on the gage.  So I knit the baby size in a bulky and got a 2T.  The yarn is Cascade Lana Grande in a off white.  I also chose to knit a two by two rib for the neck to make it a turtle neck sweater rather than a straight neck.  Gives it that warm cozy winter feeling I think.

Red buttons for the Christmas season.  

So excited about this sweater!  The photos came out amazing and were so much fun this year.  Keeps getting better every year.  

The one thing I did have to give up this year is making my own paper cards.  There is just not enough time and something has to give.  So this year I used the MDS from Stampin Up to design my own digital card.  Its a digital card . . .but at least it is my own design.  I like it and will post later.  I am now eagerly awaiting for them to arrive in the mail so I can mail them out.