Knitting Sandwich

cross stitching mania

a couple weeks ago lily expressed some interest in learning to cross stitch.  she had a very specific design in mind: a bear and a bunny with bff on top.  

i gave her a piece of graph paper and she drew out her design and then we worked together to turn it into a cross stitch pattern.

she finished it a week or so ago at knitnight!

(thanks to my friend lisa for the pictures!)

after success with her own pattern on the plastic grid she graduated to someone else's pattern on 14 count aida cloth!

this sweet mermaid pattern came from dance needle shop on etsy.

i didn't want to be left out of the fun, so i'm working on an adorable folk art squirrel pattern, also from dance needle.

it's been ages since i did counted cross stitch!  it's really fun to get back into it, there are so many cute patterns on etsy right now, i have my eye on this one for my next project.

-melissa

snuggle the french press

a few weeks ago my coffee pot declared war on me.  after a couple mornings of ruined coffee i decided to not fight back, but to march myself straight to the store (after first stopping at the coffee shop for a cup of non-ruined coffee) and bought a french press.

take that coffee pot.  set.  game.  match.

now i own a french press and i love it.  as with everything i love i felt the undeniable urge of a knitter to make it handknits to demonstrate my adoration.

my plan was to make a simple garter stitch snuggler that closed with buttons.  then the other day i was rummaging around my grandma's sewing box and i found some very lovely, very sparkly, vintage buttons.  i think we have lily to thank for the fact that my very first thought was - "oooh! i'll put these on the snuggler!"

then i got to thinking that those fancy buttons might need a little zazz to go with them and decided to embroider a few loopsies on my simple garter stitch rectangle.

i ended up with a sweet little snuggler and just the right amount of "fancy zazz" for my new beloved french press.

-melissa

squares of joy - may edition

the may square for my square-a-month blanket for bundles of joy is finished:

this month's yarn was leftovers from the mitered crosses blanket i made for my sister's family to celebrate their new home.  the yarn is bernat's mosaic and i love that this oh-so-fun colorway will continue to bring love and snuggles to people allover the midwest!

four down - five to go!

-melissa

i love me a rainy saturday..

it's dark and grey and pouring rain outside.

perfect day for snuggling up on the couch with a cup of coffee, some knitting, and watching a good long movie.  

not such a perfect day for taking photoshoots of finished skirts or afghan squares or anything but falling rain for that matter.

so pardon me while i excuse myself for a snugly grey rainy day on the couch!

-melissa

366?52? Long overdue update -February edition

I cannot believe it has been almost five months since I told you about my 366?52? photo project. The year is flying by. I am going to have to work through next February if I'm going to fudge 366 but I'm still going strong on the 52 part of the project. I have at least one picture a week so far.

Here are some highlights from February.

From the back pew

Out and about

Playing with light

-Lindsey

the old gal's still got a little snap left in her...

i finally got around to sewing the elastic into the waistband of lily's skirt.  i found this elastic in my grandma's sewing basket.  i have no idea how old it is, but given that it cost 29 cents i'm guessing it's seen a few years.

but luckily, as i said in the title, the old gal's still got a little snap left in her - so into the waistband she went!

-melissa

ps - you know what this means... finished skirt photoshoot coming soon!  

yarn along 05.23.12

joining up with ginny at small things for the weekly yarn along:

it's lily bookclub week again!  yay!  this month her choice was ramona and her mother by beverly cleary and my choice was oddfellow's orphanage by emily winfield martin of black apple fame.

the ramona books are some of my absolute favorites from my childhood and i don't think there are words for how happy it makes me to watch lily devouring them for the first time.  it simply warms my heart.

i am a huge fan of ms. emily winfield martin's art, so when she announced she was publishing a children's book based on her oddfellow's orphanage series of paintings i immediately pre-ordered myself a copy.  the book did not disappoint - it is charming and sweet and magical and absolutely perfect!  

i have to share one more photo because it is so completely charming:

and knitting?   well it's been a whirlwind couple of weeks but i've been managing to squeeze in some time to knit here and there.  i'm working on my may square for my square-a-month blanket for bundles of joy.  i should be able to finish it up today (although i've been saying that for the past three days!  sometimes life just gets in the way of knitting!)

hope you're all having a wonderful week!  what are you reading right now?

-melissa

the goods

lily's shopping haul:

my shopping haul:

now we both need to get those spindles a-spinning!

-melissa

I Spy a Rainbow

Ever since I saw the I Spy quilt Melina made I've wanted to make one for Sabrina. Further inspiration came from Melissa and Claire's rainbow blankets.

I've had so much fun hunting down patterned fabrics of in all the colors of the rainbow. I used red pepper quilts' no bind method again.

It works so well when you actually follow the instructions.

Not too bad for quilt #2.

I especially love the fabrics on the back.

We started some geography lessons - mostly where Daddy was born and where Claire lives.

I love playing I spy with Sabrina, especially since she always asks for more things to look for.

-Lindsey

zen circle - completed

i also finished up my zen circle baby blanket for bundles of joy this weekend.

it's just lucy of attic24's flat circle tutorial zen-crocheted out to a 40" diameter and then trimmed with one round of sc and one round of picot edging.

can't you just picture a sweet little baby rolling around on the blanket?

i can.  and it has totally made my day.  yay!!

-melissa