CRUSHES || FABRIC & YARN

lolli socks mcn in colorway pink lemonade
i am smitten.  in love.  crushing galore on this skein of yarn or what is now a lovely yarn cake!  it's from the lovely melissa of sweet fiber yarns and is lolli socks mcn in colorway pink lemonade and i swear it should be called shannon in a yarn...lol.  it's bright, fun, cheerful and has some of my fave colors of the moment in it! i can't help but smile when i look at it and someday soon it will become my very first pair of socks! wahoo! i haven't made socks yet, they've always slightly intimidated me up to this point, but i feel like this year is the year for me to take those bad boys down and what better yarn to use than one i am so in love with!

silk cashmere aran in colorway hippolyta
i got to meet melissa of sweet fiber yarns in person when jane and i were on the ISLAND book tour and she is just the sweetest thing!  and her yarn - well, it's to die for! seriously!  it's amazing! if you can get your hands on some scoop it up! i also received a lovely gift from her of 2 skeins of her stunning silk cashmere aran in colorway hippolyta! i am a lucky lady! thank you again so much melissa! big hugs!

melissa's skeins can hold their own right next to madelinetosh so if you are a tosh addict you will not be disappointed by sweet fiber.  trust me on that.  gorgeous!  i was lucky enough to get some of her adorable stitch markers as well that come in the cutest bottle evah! i squeal whenever i look at them!


i also finally found a skein of yarn to match my bright coral colored winter jacket so i could make some rathtrevor mitts.  i love the colors in this yarn and the new rastita by malabrigo is so lovely to work and knit with!  i saw many a pair of rastita rathtrevor mitts on our tour and couldn't resist knitting up a pair for myself in this slightly felted super soft yarn!

malabrigo rastita in colorway piedras
and i can't forget about the fabric! oh......i've been on a mad crush lately with some fabrics!

 
 

i'm working on my next fat quarter gang project for art gallery fabrics using one of my fave peeps line - "color me retro" by the adorable jeni baker of in color order! i love that it matches all my pyrex!!! you rock jeni!  i can't wait to sew with this!

i also ordered from one of my fave online shops (& our sponsor) fabricworm some of sarah watts new line "timber and leaf " and stocked up on my robert kaufman yarn dyed essex linen in denim and flax as well.  i can never have enough of these. they are truly a staple in my fabric arsenal.

i've been drooling over my fat quarter bundle of sarah watson's debut line "luxe in bloom" it's so gorgeous and so pretty!  this is going to be a quilt for me for sure! it's stunning and such a soothing and lovely palette! i am such a huge fan of sarah's work and can't wait for he new line coming out as well "indian summer".


and coming soon is a new tutorial of mine featuring some of  pat bravo's new line - carnaby street! so bright, colorful and filled with prints that are stylish and happy!  i will definitely be using this line in all sorts of fun projects! pat always does such a great job creating lines that are so interchangeable and exciting!


so what are you guys crushing on? any new fabric lines or yarns you just got or are saving up to get?  i'm eagerly awaiting tsuru by rashida coleman hale for cloud 9 fabrics. i am buying the whole darn line. i luuuuurv it!  grab a coffee and let's share our crushes! it's a great way to find new fabrics and yarns to spoil ourselves with! have a wonderful crush filled weekend <3

downton abbey knit along || starring you!

wispy cardigan made by mamatronic
today is the day! it's time to show off all of your hard work from our downton abbey knit along m'dears! i am absolutely amazed by the talent of this group of ladies! so many lovely knits! my queue and faves grew in epic proportions this kal! i feel a strong urge to make a lot of hats and shawls! asap! this is one of my favorite posts to write when we do our knit alongs.  i love going through all of the FO pics in our ravelry group and seeing just what was accomplished during the kal. it feels wonderful to know we all knit these TOGETHER.  it may not have been in person but we still did it together.  i love that.

the best part is that we all did them while watching one of our favorite shows - downton abbey.  i think it's safe to say we all love it and it just made this kal that much more fun to have downton gossip to dish which spurred many other wonderful and very special conversations in our ravelry group.  new friendships were made and existing ones were made stronger.  a lot of new techniques were learned and a few of us recovered from our boo boos (myself included) and we all managed to come out of it with brand new lovelies to show off.

to say i luv you all is an understatement.  the wonderful and caring group of ladies in our rav group have such a special place in my heart. i look forward to going on there everyday and chatting and seeing what you are all up to and doing this post is my little way of saying thank you! thank you for being you, for being brave, for being strong, for staying up late with me, for loving downton as much as i do, for loving knitting as much as i do and for being such a welcoming group of gals. i also have lots of AWESOME prizes to give away next week too! so now....enough of my gushing...here's your hard work ladies! 

||  STARRING YOU - PROJECTS FINISHED DURING THE DOWNTON ABBEY KAL  ||

1. magrathea 2. frederick & anne scarf  - both made by this handmade life
1. rustling leaves beret made by kpbailey 2. caroline made by kcmomof2 3. nola cloche made by northernheather 4. sideways grande cloche made by expecting sam 5. escargot made by sewsable 6. lucy hat made by mootastic1 7. regina made by rashooray 8. brattleboro hat made by jenny makes stuff  9. copenhagen hat made by 9crafty11


downton cowl made by kpbailey
1. imogen cowl made by schatzi knits 2. cladonia made by svenna 3. cladonia made by culabrat
1. regina made by ummashin 2. downton cowl made by carambole 3. rustling leaves beret made by girl like the sea
ethereal made by mrscattel
1. stripe study shawl made by rncurlysue 2. artemis cowl made by jannamaria 3. downton cowl made by juniper grace 4. faraway so close made by mootastic1 5. pretty triangle scarf made by corrinemb 6. drop stitch cowl made by jackiemcmahan
downton girl made by celtic cast on
1. shallows made by jpknitknot 2.gramps made by expecting sam 3. fishtail wristwarmers made by emsmomma 4. quill made by kirstyl 
regina made by pajfrun
1. wintered wheat mitts made by avasmom2007 2. ringwood gloves made by quiteamuzing 3. peacock eye fingerless mitts made by avasmom2007 4. regina made by lilpixie124 5. waiting for winter mittens made by knitterlydesigns 6. wintered wheat mitts made by nidhikansal 7. crochet lace fingerless mitts made by therapsdia 8. knitted neck scarf made by sewknittystar 9. socks made by minervas 10.. victorian cabled wristlets made by lauranh
1. downton cowl made by  2. downton cowl made by urbanizer
1. doily made by cnuland 2. a little something made by kcmomof2 3. stockholm scarf made by mudpunch 4. downton cowl made by trishaclap 5. downton cowl made by ackirebecci
grace lace beret made by arika
congrats ladies! did you get your project finished?  what was your fave part of the knit along?  do you have a fave episode so far of downton abbey?

you can follow along with all things downton abbey knit along here:
 


||  DOWNTON KAL SPONSORS  ||



FAMILY DAY || NEW HOLIDAY


it's a holiday where i live today - a new one called family day! such a great idea! so i'll see all you lovelies tomorrow because today i'm hanging with the cuties above and my hubs.  hope you all had a great weekend!

BUY NOW  ||  READ MORE
p.s. today is the last day to grab the sew fab e-pattern bundle before the sale is over :)

moments in the mommyhood || leaping is good for the soul


luvinthemommyhood
luvinthemommyhood
luvinthemommyhood

a little bit of leaping is good for the soul.  really.  trust me...i've noticed lately that i seem to keep leaping and jumping in all of the recent pics my hubs or anyone takes of me.  i think it's funny and also a sign of my personality. i don't enjoy being photographed so i think it is also my way of relaxing when i have to pose for a bit of time and am feeling uncomfortable.  i feel a strong urge to just let loose and then wham! i'm leaping.  it feels good though.  i highly recommend you try it...haha.  just throw a little leap in there next time you need to loosen up or have some fun.

my girlies are growing up so fast and have been keeping this momma more than busy and also challenged.  my oldest is as strong as ever and tests me at every turn but we're surviving and will hopefully make it through this phase.  if any of you have tips on dealing with a "strong willled child" i'd love to hear them.  harper is just a doll.  the kid can get away with anything i tell you.  she just smiles at me a tad and i melt like butter on a hot pan.  i'm going to pay for it later...lol.  in the meantime i've just taken to well......leaping :)  blows the stress right off....lmao.

so whatdoyasay? you want to leap with me? c'mon...i know you wanna....

wishing you all a leaping, jumping, frolicking, laughing and overall good time kinda weekend! what are your weekend plans?  what did you make this week? any projects you want to share? come chat with me!


read more about the SEW FAB e-PATTERN SALE here or buy it now here.

p.s. don't forget to enter our sew fab e-pattern giveaway and also to buy this wonderful deal! 80% off!  $24.95 for 18 patterns!!! wowsa!  there's only a few more days left of this awesome deal so scoop now while you can! 

downton abbey knit along || confessions

Pattern: Nola Cloche by Hilary Smith Callis  Yarn: Supernova in colorway Pewter by Luna Grey Fiber Arts
i love my new hat.  i love that it's so different from my norm.  i am usually always sporting something of a slouch variety and hardly wear fitted hats anymore.  when i do i remember why i love them as well.  this hat makes me feel a tad fancy. like i should sashay around my house as if i really did live at downton, sipping from a cuppa tea, eating biscuits whilst knitting, and discussing the goings on of the servants in the house.  can't you see it?  you're all there with me too.  we're all dolled up in our prettiest frocks, the room is filled with fanciful goodies, doilies and lace and we are having the largest knit night downton has ever seen!  could you imagine? they totally need to do an episode with a big knitting party!  now that would be drama! lol!


speaking of drama true to shannon style i have a confession to make.  you ready for it?  i. made. an. oopsie.  a big one at that.  i realized right at the end of making my hat that i had actually been following the size instructions for a chunky yarn not my worsted weight. oh my.  helloooo...shannon...do you need glasses?  more sleep? more coffee?  who knows...but i can't believe i missed it.  duh.  the nola cloche is written for 2 yarn weights and i'm not sure how i got so mixed up but i did. i hate ripping things out though so instead of redoing the whole hat (ouch!) i kept going.  i tried that bad boy on and i like it. it's not perfect but it's mine and well, that's the nature of handmade right? 


i really enjoyed this pattern and i also really loved working with luna grey fiber arts yarn and have a few more lovely skeins to play with. i can't wait to dig in! both the yarn and the pattern made for a fun project even though i made an oopsies.  such is life thought right?  remember this big fat oopsie of mine? oh ya....that's a good'er right there.  moral of the story - pay better attention to the directions, get more sleep and drink more coffee ;)

luna grey fiber arts
how's your project coming along? since y'all are having so much fun i'm giving you till next week to finish up! get those lovely photos up in our ravelry group so i can show you all off next week on the blog! that's right! it's time for starring you!  i can't wait to show off all of your hard work on here. so many lovely pictures and projects!  kudos to all of you fab ladies for joining in!

you can follow along with all things downton abbey knit along here:
 


||  DOWNTON KAL SPONSORS  ||


p.s. don't forget about our sew fab e-pattern bundle sale! don't miss this awesome deal!

SEW FAB E-PATTERN SALE & GIVEAWAY!!

So excited ladies! Today is the day!!! The Sew Fab e-Pattern Sale starts today!  Woot woot!  I'm thrilled to be part of this awesome bundle of fabulous sewing patterns all just waiting to be made up by you!  There's clothing for your wee ones (boys & girls) and for you too!  Accessories, bags, toys, and even suitcases!  I don't even know which one I would make first! 

I'm a huge fan of all of the talented ladies involved and we hope that you will all love this fun bundle as much as we do.  When I got approached to join in I thought it was such a great idea!  I'm always on a budget and have a long list of patterns I want to make but can't afford to buy.  This is an awesome way to get a huge chunk of your faves all in one shot!  $24.95 is usually what you would pay for about 3 patterns never mind 18!!! Such a great deal! And they are all fabulous!  Trust me on that one! I've made a few and I would buy the bundle just for those alone.
You will find my Commuter Cowl pattern in the bundle and this is one of my fave times of the year to wear it! Try mixing up your different weights of fabrics for different seasons!  It's a quick 30-45 minute sew that's fun and also makes a really great gift!

You all ready to hear more about the Sew Fab e-Pattern Sale? Yay!


Today is the 1st day of the 1st ever Sew Fab e-Pattern Bundle Sale and giveaway, sponsored by The Southern Institute and Fat Quarter Shop!


Over the past eight weeks a lot of behind the scenes work has taken place to bring you this amazing bundle of ePatterns from several of the top pattern designers and bloggers in the sewing and blogging world. The result is a bundle of 18 PDF sewing patterns that you don't want to miss.For one week only, ten pattern designers have come together to bring you 18 of their best PDF patterns, valued together at over $139.00, for the incredible price of $24.95! That's over 80% off of the combined retail value! Plus you can enter to win a dream of a giveaway valued at $390 from some really great shops!

For less than $25.00 you will have a library of resources that you can use over and over again. The designers that have joined this sale are experts in their craft. They have been sewing for a very long time and are well known in blog land and elsewhere. Each designer has contributed one or two of their favorite patterns to create a bundle that is sure to please! Whether you are sewing for your own family or making gifts for others, these are patterns that you will love to use.

If you've never sewn with a PDF pattern before, let me tell you how great it is! After downloading your pattern instructions and your pattern, you will print out the pattern itself, creating pattern tiles, if you will. Simply tape the tiles together to create the full pattern! At that point you can cut out the size that you need and pin the paper pattern directly to your fabric or you can trace the pattern size that you need onto sewing paper or tissue paper and cut it out, saving the paper pattern for later when you need to sew another size. PDF patterns are so convenient because you can print them out as many times as you need!


Now let me tell you a little bit about the giveaway! The Sew Fab Giveaway is amazing! One lucky winner will win a bunch of amazing prizes from Craftsy, Fat Quarter Shop, fabricworm, Jennifer's Jewels Custom Labels on Etsy, Green Bee Patterns, author Deborah Moebes, Mee a Bee, Gussy Sews, I'm Feeling Crafty, and Ball and Chain on Etsy. See the end of the post for giveaway details. This giveaway is not to be missed!

I know you're dying to know "What is included in the pattern bundle?"

18 well-loved ePatterns from 10 well-known designers are instantly accessible to you by PDF download upon purchase of the Sew Fab e-Pattern Bundle. Here are the patterns that you will receive (click on the links below to see more details):






The Sew Fab e-Pattern Bundle is only available for one week and will never be available again! You can purchase the bundle from February 4th at 8 a.m. EST through February 11th at 8 a.m. EST and there will be no late sales offered. Due to the nature of the sale there will be no refunds offered.

You don't want to miss this unique opportunity to purchase a ready made collection of 18 PDF sewing patterns from 10 of the best designers out there!

And now for The Sew Fab Giveaway!

You are not going to believe the prizes included in this giveaway! Can't buy the bundle? It's okay... purchase is not required to enter. Take a look at what you have the chance to win:
A Sewing Themed Box of Goodies from Pick Your Plum ||  Fabulous Wristlet from Gussy Sews (not necessarily the one pictured)  ||  The latest release, Stitch Savvy, by Deborah Moebes  ||  Sterling Silver Sewing Machine necklace from Ball and Chain on Etsy  ||  $50 Gift Certificate to Fat Quarter Shop  ||  $50 Gift Certificate to fabricworm  ||  A free online class from Craftsy.com  ||  The Scoop Tote Pattern from Green Bee Patterns  ||  60 Custom Tags from Jennifer's Jewels  ||  Red Riding Hood Little Girl's Satchel from Mee a Bee  ||  Handmade Sewing Machine Cover from I'm Feeling Crafty

YES, ONE WINNER WILL WIN ALL OF THOSE GOODIES!!!

There are lots of chances to win and no purchase required to enter the giveaway. Just use the Rafflecopter widget and enter to win this amazing prize package that will inspire you in your sewing as well as keep you stocked with fabric for many projects to come!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sew Much Inspiration right at your finger tips...
only $24.95!

Graphic design by Andrea Panell for Sew Fab E-Pattern logo.

ISLAND Book Tour Awesomeness!


if i could post one picture to sum up jane and i's mini book tour this past weekend for ISLAND this would be it.  ahhhh the joys of being overtired but also having awesome fun that makes it worth every minute.  it also rocks to get to share such wonderful and special moments with one of your closest friends. jane - thanks for being the best partner in crime evah and one of my most fave people on the planet. i love ya to bits and bits! now on to the juicy stuff...


this is what happens when you get a group of knitters together at an event.....


it starts all friendly and professional and then bam! turns into this!  muahaha!  oh darn...we just don't look as gorgeous and effortless as you do caitlin french ;p


we had such a fabulous and wonderful time on our journey. the pics above and the collage below were taking by the lovely and talented photographer and designer herself sylvia mcfadden.  you can find her on her blog here, ravelry here and on flickr as well. thanks for taking these pics sylvia! we had such a great evening with all of you at baaad anna's in vancouver.  thank you anna for hosting us and making it such a special night.  you did such a fabulous job and we luv your shop. we can't wait to visit again!

i thought it would be fun to just do a post highlighting some special moments from our book tour.  jane will be doing a post as well so watch for that and she'll be showing you the shops and writing more about what we did and where we were.  trust me that there's a lot more pics! lol! so in the meantime here's some shots that were some of my personal faves.

the lovely amanda and fiona from knit social (and knit city) - we wished you ladies lived on the island! we want more time to hang with you!!!  urban yarns hosted us on our first stop friday night and it was a fab evening with wine, sushi and more.  we got to see some great friends and stayed up just a tad too late having lots of fun.  thanks for having us urban yarns!  we love stopping in to see you ladies!
we had such a blast at 88 stitches - we got so spoiled by melissa of one of  our fave yarns - sweet fiber and her mom sue who owns 88 stitches and all the fab ladies who worked there.  it was a such wonderful way to spend our afternoon. thank you for your kindness and generosity.


we headed over to baaad anna's saturday night for a fun event that anna had set up.  with island decor, candles and lovely refreshments and homemade goodies we were in heaven.  we definitely had a great time and were sad the event had to end.  so much fun!
we then jumped on the ferry sunday morning to head on over to gibsons, bc to unwind knit & fibre lounge!  what a pretty city and kim and her lovely staff made us feel at home.  we had lots of laughs, yummy tea and a great time showing off jane's lovely patterns.  i wish we had more time to explore it was so gorgeous over there and if you are ever in gibsons be sure to check out kim's lovely shop. thanks for having us kim!


i of course couldn't resist posting a shot of my instagram feed from the trip.  i have to rely on free wifi on my ipad so there isn't a lot but they all have special little memories attached to them.  overall we had a fabulous time, got spoiled, had a lot of laughs, tried to be as organized as possible (which is exhausting..lol), set up and took down our little "shop" 4 times (phew!), shopped (2 stores in 2 hours..we need help...lol), paid a HUGE price for parking (ouch! $16.75 for 2 hours!!! it still hurts), forgot to pay parking (hahaha, we really are Islanders now Jane, who charges for parking after 6pm right? LOL!), took 4 ferries (cheered really loudly when we made the last one home), ate delicious food, ate some not so good food, slept in a gorgeous home (thank you to jane's aunt!), enjoyed the quiet, stayed up way too late at night giggling, knit, drank coffee and overall had a special little journey filled with wonderful people who were all so kind to us both.

image source - 88 stitches
so from us to all of you - thank you so very much for making this book what it has become and for showing us both so much love and support for jane's collection.  it means so very much to both of us and we can't wait to see you all again! thanks so much to every single person who came out to see us and showed off their ISLAND lovelies! big hugs and lots of luvs!!!! xoxoxo!!!

FILM PETIT || FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF


if you were to ask me what one of my fave movies of all time is "ferris bueller's day off" would be on the list.  i'm going to be 36 and i was raised on these kind of cult classics.  in fact i used to think, ok i still do think, sloane peterson was the bee's knees. i wanted to be just like her.  she was the embodiment of style, class, grace, beauty and was just plain cool.  i dreamed about that outfit but never felt brave enough to wear it.  so when kristin and jessica asked me to join in for this round of film petit and that the flick was ferris bueller's day off i did a bit of a squeal and a happy dance.  i've been dreaming of that white coat ever since and i'm so excited to show you my version of sloane.


i was really inspired by the idea of taking sloane into 2013 and also to make her outfit kid friendly.  i knew first off that my daughter would not wear leather or faux leather so i decided to go with a nice, soft fleece so that i could still fringe to my hearts content without finishing all those strands.  i also knew that i wanted her to stay true to my aesthetic and also be something that my daughter would actually wear.


when i finished drafting the jacket and started making my sloane version i swear i have never had so much fun working on a sewing project in my whole life.  i was laughing my head off and boy did it take all i had not to share the pics to all of you.  the icing on the cake was when my daughter got her hands on it. she looooves it.  she was posing her little heart out and just begging to wear it to school.  oh my....now that would be interesting.  i say bring on the fringe...but not everyone may agree with me on that one :)


my daughter asked me about the story behind the outfit and i gave her the 5 yr old version but in doing so i could hear myself talking about sloane with the same glorified eyes i had when i was a teenager.  she was beautiful, confident, and well....sloane.  i told her about the scene i wanted to capture - that sloane was waiting for her boyfriend, whom she loved, named ferris to come pick her up.  i told her she had hair just like hers and she was about to have a very exciting day off from school with ferris and her friend cameron and that ferris wanted to marry her.

i told her they were about to go on an adventure.  my little girl sparked up with a new found energy even though it was freezing cold, raining and a wind storm.  what a little model hard at work...lol.  she has now aptly named her new ensemble the sloane outfit.  i think it suits her.  i hope she holds onto the spirit of sloane and grows to be every bit of a confident and lovely woman that sloanes' character was.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- pattern used is the "banyan shorts" from figgy's patterns.
- mods made: faux fly with no zipper insertion.
- random suiting fabric from a store i will not list because i detest shopping there and went out of desperation.
- suiting has a bit of stretch to it which makes these super comfy but a bit of a pain to sew.  my daughter has lots of issues with clothing and comfort so i kept these a tad on the baggy side to keep her from feeling uncomfortable.  i made a size 4.

- pattern used is self drafted.  i love this little coat and drafted it on my own and guess what...if you like it as much as i do i may just do a sloane coat tutorial...hehe.  i want one in my own size.
- fabric is a soft white fleece from the same store i will not mention...lol.
- the sloane jacket is cropped and features a fun fringed back that dips down to a point, no closures, front fringe on each front panel and an asymmetrical fringe in the middle of the under sleeve. i chose not to go all the way to the armpit or the cuff simply for my own taste. i really liked how it looked not covering the whole arm and so did my daughter.  the jacket also has a lovely little gather on the top of each sleeve cap.  my version of the infamous shoulder pad. love it!

 - pattern used is the "banyan tunic" from figgy's patterns.
- fabric is a weird stretch blend. the lady at the store that i will not mention couldn't find out what it was nor could she the other fabrics i purchased there for this post...lol. it's soft though and has a lovely light grey blue color.
- i made the size 4 for the tunic but had to take up the length quite a bit to allow the shorts to still show.  my daughter asked me for 3 more of this top and loves it.

i also self drafted a pair of black leggings from an existing pair of pants my daughter had.  it was too cold to make her go bare legged and i thought the black tights went perfectly with her black boots.  i decided not to do the white boots as i knew there was no way in heck i would ever buy my kid white boots...lol.  talk about ruined in one day!

click here to hear the tunes!
i really enjoyed sewing both patterns from figgy's and would definitely recommend them and make them again. sooooo...whatdoyasay? want to dance with us? i think i hear "danke schoen" playing in the distance....oh ya....i do.....danke schoen, darling, danke schoen.................

go get your ferris groove on! embrace your inner sloane peterson and don that fringe jacket and strut your stuff ladies!  and while you're at it make sure you also pop on over to see kristin's adorable cameron (so cute!) and also jessica's awesome ferris (love it!).  i want to say a big thank you to these uber talented ladies for letting me join in on their fun and have a gosh darn good time sewing for my girlie.  luv you ladies <3


thanks for joining us for another film petit!  and make sure you add your pics to the film petit flickr group!

downton abbey knit along || time to block!

Pattern: Nola Cloche by Hilary Smith Callis  Yarn: Supernova in colorway Pewter by Luna Grey Fiber Arts
guess who's done their hat for the downton abbey knit along??? me! me! me!  i'm soooo excited!  i finished this bad boy up yesterday afternoon.  it really is a super fast knit but i've been distracted by other projects lately so i tried to spread the knitting love around throughout the last few weeks.  it fits like a dream and the yarn was so lovely to work with.  of course after modeling the hat i had to pop her in the bath for a lovely long soak and a cup of tea for me.
one of my fave rinses to use currently is eucalan.  i like the lavender scent.  i am also a fan of soak and cannot wait to try our sponsor quince and co's new lanolin soap! it sounds heavenly! it's on my "to try" list this year.  i've got a thing for always trying out new rinses for my knits.  what's your current fave? 

you all know how important i think blocking is.  it's a pain - yes...it sort of goes hand in hand with swatching.  they are both necessary evils.  they are kind of boring and we all are too excited to want to do them most of the time but i promise you that if you block (if appropriate for your project) the outcome is soooo worth it.  trust me on that one.  if you'd like to know a bit more about blocking here are two great post from my lovely friend rebecca of "nook":

- blocking from summer sweater knig along 2012
- blocking party from summer sweater knit along 2011 


i cannot wait to wear that brim! i'm mostly a slouch hat kinda gal so i'm looking forward to branching out a bit into the cloche style. should be fun!  i'm watching it dry as we speak and am crossing my fingers it's on my head by late this afternoon :)  i only wished i had been able to indulge in a nice soak myself last night with some tea and downton abbey.  i would have cried more than my tub could hold bath water though. i know a lot of you ladies have been commiserating in the ravelry group and i'm right there with ya. only issue for me is that i have seen the whole season and i'm still crying.  so if i chat too much about it i'll give it all away.  just be reminded to buy stock in kleenex. you're gonna need it.

oh and in case you're wondering what that lovely tea print fabric is under my hat it's from the lovely bari j and it's called "tea delights jam" from splendor 1920 for art gallery fabrics. i luuuurve it!  you may remember i used some of it in a different colorway in my christmas tree skirt this december.
how's your project coming along? are you almost done? remember to add your finished project pics to our "FO" thread in the ravelry group so i can show off your lovely finished projects in our "starring you" post soon!  i can't wait to see them! there are some gorgeous ones in there already and a lot of you are on your 2nd projects for the kal! go ladies go!

so grab your tea and come sip and chat with me. i want to hear about what YOU thought about this past weekends episode and how your project is doing.

you can follow along with all things downton abbey knit along here:
 


||  DOWNTON KAL SPONSORS  ||

Sew Fab e-Pattern Bundle Sale - Coming Soon!!!

Coming next week!
From February 4th- February 11th...
the first ever....


For one week only, ten pattern designers will be joining together to combine 18 of their best PDF sewing patterns (valued together at over $139.00) and selling them to you for the incredible price of $24.95! That's over 80% off of the combined retail value!

That wasn't a typo! For less than $25.00 you will have the chance to purchase a library of resources to get you started on several great projects that you can sew over and over again. The designers that are joining this sale are experts at their craft. They have been sewing for a very long time and are well known in blog land as well as in children's and women's sewing pattern design circles. Each designer has contributed one or two of their favorite sewing patterns to create a bundle that is sure to please! Whether you are sewing for your own family or making gifts for others, these are patterns that you will love to use.

Figgy's Patterns, Go To Patterns, peek-a-boo pattern shop, Seamingly Smitten, One Girl Circus, Sew Much Ado, luvinthemommyhood, Gingercake, Sew Fearless, Me Sew Crazy... this is the lineup! But you have to wait until Monday to find out exactly which sewing patterns are included in the pattern bundle. I can tell you that you won't be disappointed!

We are offering an affiliate program for this amazing sale too! If you think your blog readers, Facebook friends, or Twitter pals would be interested in buying this bundle of sewing patterns, why not sign up as an affiliate? As a Sew Fab Sale affiliate you can sell the pattern bundle on your blog and earn 40% of all of your sales! Contact Jenny at thesoutherninstitute @ gmail.com for details.

Oh! And there will be a giveaway! The Sew Fab Giveaway is amazing! One lucky winner will win a bunch of amazing prizes from some of your favorite companies and online shops! I can't wait to reveal the giveaway package next week!

Don't miss the Sew Fab e-Pattern Bundle Sale
starting Monday, February 4th!
Sponsored by
The Southern Institute and Fat Quarter Shop


We'll see you there!

The Sew Fab e-Pattern Bundle is only available from 8 am EST February 4th through 8 am EST February 11th. Due to the nature of the sale there will be no late sales or refunds.

Flashback Friday over on Sew Much Ado!


i'm thrilled to be over on "sew much ado" today for flashback friday!!! fun!!!!  i was so excited when abby asked me to join in! i'm a fan of this series when she first ran it and was happy to see her doing it again!  so pop on by sew much ado and check out my flashback friday post where you can see how i got from this.......

men's dress shirt sleeves to pants tutorial by luvinthemommyhood
to this.... 

emerson tunic dress tutorial from luvinthemommyhood
i'm still chuckling and boy oh boy was it fun to go back to those days and see what the heck i was thinking....so hilarious! i hope you enjoy the post! wishing you all a wonderful weekend and thank you so very much for having me abby!

what would your flashback friday post be about?  what project did you first sew? who or what inspired you to start a new craft or to take up sewing?  i'd love to hear about your flashback fridays!!!

ISLAND MINI BOOK TOUR!!

jane and i will be packing up our samples and hitting the road for a mini book tour this weekend for ISLAND!!!  woot woot!  we're heading over to vancouver and to lovely gibsons, bc! 


here are the stops on our mini tour :
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, January 25th from 7 pm - 9 pm
4437 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC
. . . 


Saturday, January 26th from 1 pm - 3 pm
#602-21183 88th Avenue, Langley, BC

. . . 


Saturday, January 26th from 7 pm - 9 pm
2667 E. Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC

. . . 

Sunday, January 27th from 1 pm - 4 pm
8-1161 Sunshine Coast Highway, Gibsons, BC

Event Page on Facebook

. . .

...if you are local to the Lower Mainland or the Sunshine Coast, come on out and see us at one of these stops! we can't wait to say hi & for you all to see the lovely knitted items from the book in person!  be sure to come up and say hello and if you are a ravelry friend let us know both your rav id name and your real name!  it's funny how many people we know only by ravid's! funny but true!

we're looking forward to the tour and hope you all are too!  see you this weekend!  

p.s. if you can't make it out you can also follow along with us on instagram.  follow jane at "janerichmond"  and myself at "luvinthemommyhood" we'll be using the hashtag #islandtour.

Downton Abbey Knit Along - Kitchener & Colorways

hats, hats and more hats! there sure have been a ton of hats being made in our downton abbey knit along right now. very gorgeous ones at that.  i adore hats and wear them all year round.  i detest cold weather but love when it's cool enough for me to start wearing hard core knitwear on my head all year round.  i think i wear a hat at least once a day during this season.  sure helps me out for kindergarten drop off in the am - saves me time having to do my hair :P

kitchener stitch tutorial from the purl bee
i'm working away on my nola cloche for my kal project and got to a part that requires using the kitchener stitch - a grafting technique that yields an invisible seaming result.  i like doing the kitchener stich and find it very soothing for some reason and oddly fun.  i do know that the way of doing the kitchener stitch is one of those techniques that is tricky to memorize. it has a repeat pattern to it but you have to do it in just the right order.

as i was working on my kitchener stitch and watching my fave video to remind me how to do it on knittinghelp.com i thought wouldn't it be fab to have a handy little cheat sheet of this that I could throw in my knitting bag?  and then instead of just pondering it i actually made one. i then had to share it with all of you too.  now we can all remember "knit, purl, purl, knit" - KPPK.


i've also been busy drooling away at the projects that are being worked on and also the ones that are finished.  the one thing i noticed that i thought was really neat was the color palettes most of you had chosen.  i took a snippet of color from each image shared in our ravelry group and voila - a lovely array of what we feel are downtesque colorways :)  i think they are purdy and i also thought it was fun to see them all grouped together.  where did yours fall in?


i feel so lucky to get to knit with such a wonderful and caring group of women.  it's been so much fun and boy oh boy are sunday nights and monday mornings a fun time to jump in the convo. so many chats happening, friendships being made and old ones getting stronger, people learning new skills and just overall discussion on downton abbey itself -  i love it!  don't miss out on the discussion. you can find our ravelry group here.

how's your project going? are you enjoying the kal? how do you remember the kitchener stitch? let's sip some tea and chat all things knitting! i'd love to hear from you!

you can follow along with all things downton abbey knit along here:


 ||  DOWNTON KAL SPONSORS  ||

secret projects & new addictions


i've been working away on a fun and exciting project the last few weeks!  i'm getting to play with some fun fabrics that i haven't yet sewn with!  suiting and fleece! i can't show you the fleece yet because it's a surprise!  eeeek!  i also got to make some sewing patterns that i have been dying to try out for my kiddo!  i always enjoy sewing someone else's patterns after spending a lot of time designing and making my own.  one of the items you will see when these are done will be mine but other than that....it's all just fun sewing for me!  i also got to whip out some stretch sewing and you guys know how much i looooove sewing with knits!  needless to say i've been having a great time getting some much needed sewing time in.


i've also developed a crush lately on pleats and darts to hang out with my addiction to topstitching.  i can't stop adding them to projects and i have found myself drawn to clothing with special details lately.  i love the texture and shape that they add to garments.  swoon! along with working on my secret project i've also been madly working away on my "stripe study" shawl in my spare time.  i've got a ton of other knitting projects and designs on the go but i am sooooo in LOVE with this shawl that i am having a hard time putting it down. i can't wait to wear it!  short rows = fun!!!!! plus the madelinetosh yarn is just heavenly! don't you just love that red? i can't get enough of it!!!

pattern:  stripe study by veera valimaki  yarn: madelinetosh merino light in colorway tern and torchere
hopefully i will be able to show you all what the sewing project is that i'm working on next week!  i can't wait!!!!  anyone have any guesses?? lol.

what have you been working on?  what type of fabric have you been wanting to try? any new fabric and sewing details that you've been drawn to or are dying to work on?  have you started on any new projects that you're excited about?  i can't wait to hear about it :)

moments in the mommyhood - how long till bedtime?


i feel like it's been forever since i had pics of the girls to post.  the weather here has not been in my favor alongside the time of year.  with my oldest being in kindergarten now it sure makes it tricky to get good shots of her after school.  it gets dark and really cold fast.  i found myself going through withdrawal of their cute little faces on here and scheduled in a quick little 5 min photoshoot after school yesterday.  they had so much fun posing for the camera and i found myself amazed at how big they had grown when i edited the pics.

 

i know i see them everyday but stepping back and looking at the photos really cemented how old mackenzie looks and how big harper is getting. i mean where has my baby gone? can you believe harper is going to be 3 in may???!!! seriously! i get misty eyed just thinking about it.  they are both definitely keeping this momma busy.  my oldest loves to challenge me on more than a daily basis and i tell you the grey hairs are coming in.  but she loves school and going to full time kindergarten has been great for her.  only problem was i figured she would come home with a tad less energy but instead she comes home even more pumped up.  i can't figure this out...lol...and it's exhausting.  she wears me out..haha.  the two of them together makes me sometimes feel like i can't get a focused thought through my head.  it never sinks in how crazy it gets around here some days until they are asleep and my brain goes...."yesssssss....finally....what took you so long?".  it's like stepping into a hot bath.  i just soak and revel in the silence.  boy do i love that silence.......


.....for a while...and then i miss them and i sneak into their rooms to give them that one last bedtime kiss.  it's so hilarious to me that when they are driving me to the brink of insanity (and believe me they do on more than one occasion) that when i finally get them to go to sleep after an hour or so i miss them. anyone else have this issue?  sometimes it makes me feel guilty for wanting them to go to bed so badly that i get one of those cases of "am i a good enough mom" bouts that we all get...or at least i hope we all do and i'm not the only lone bird analyzing my parenting skills....and desperate need for silence.  speaking of silence....how long is it till bedtime??  ;P

wishing you all a wonderful weekend filled with kiddo craziness but also lots of quiet mommy time.  does your wee one come home from school even more energized than when they left in the morning?  do you long for bedtime some days and if so do you sometimes get the same mom guilts i do? let's chat!  i've got some yummy lattes here with your name on it! pull up a seat and stick around for a while :)

downton abbey knit along - twists & techniques!

Pattern: Nola Cloche by Hilary Smith Callis  Yarn: Supernova in colorway Pewter by Luna Grey Fiber Arts
i'm having so much fun with my downton abbey knit along project!  just like sewing i love a project with interesting construction or finishing details. it get's me excited and i race through the project to get to the fun part!  the nola cloche doesn't disappoint.  hilary is a friend of mine and one of our kal sponsors and i really enjoy how she designs her projects.  this hat is a fun example.  the brim is knit flat and then seamed together while the rest of the hat is knit in the round! me likie!!!  i know it sounds a tad silly but i just loved how she designed the twist which is my fave part of the hat.  i love details like that and i also love cables so it was a win win for me.


i know a lot of our kal members are trying out new things and there are a lot of hats being made with interesting techniques.  there are also a lot of lace work and cables happening so i thought i would use today's post to link up some of our handy resources so if you happen to get stuck or are still deciding on your project but needed a bit more helpful info before you jumped in i hope these help you out!  please remember we also have a very active ravelry group that is always more than willing to help knitters out and to answer any questions. so don't be shy - join the fun!

||  PICKING UP STITCHES  ||
i am just about ready to pick up stitches (not one of my fave things to do) and here's a great knit along post from one of my besties jane richmond.

- picking up stitches (summer sweater knit along 2012)
- picking up the stitches (summer sweater knit along)

||  LACE KNITTING AND KNITTED LACE  ||
i adore lace and knitting it.  i also like to get others to not be so frightened or overwhelmed by lace knitting and knitted lace.  here's a post i did with a fun rundown on the ins and outs of lace.

- la la la loving the lace (tops, tanks & tees knit along 2012)

||  SEAMING  ||
who loves seaming? not me...lol. so we had one of our group moderators kelly of celtic cast on to come and show us all her tricks for seaming.

- seaming video tutorials (summer sweater knit along 2012)


how is your project coming along?  are you doing a project with fun techniques or construction involved?  is there a topic you'd like to see covered in this knit along? come chat! coffee's on!

you can follow along with all things downton abbey knit along here:
 

i'm so excited for this kal and i am so happy you are all knitting along with me! please show your love for all of our amazing sponsors who make our knit alongs possible!

Washi Tunic for Me!


i've been busy knitting but i've also been sewing.  i couldn't resist whipping up another washi after making my dress.  this time i decided to do a tunic.  i originally was going for rae's version with sleeves and maybe a peter pan collar but the universe was against me.  never try cutting out your clothing pattern pieces when you have kids running wild around you.  after some silly mistakes (some that weren't even mine) i ended up running out of fabric and didn't have enough left to do the sleeves or collar. i also omitted the pockets...lol.  but even though the end result wasn't what i had originally visioned i love it no less. i've been wearing it non stop and cannot rave enough about this awesome pattern.


i used one of my fave prints from last year "afro fusion dusk" from indie by pat bravo for art gallery fabrics.  it's soft and has a lovely drape.  i couldn't resist adding the same vintage mustard bias for my armholes and neckline that i did for my original washi dress. i did a plain rounded neckline that i finished with the mustard bias and some double top stitching for fun which i also repeated on the hemline. i also decided to add a casing with elastic for the back this time instead of doing the shirring.  you can find a tutorial on how to do this on rae's blog here.  i didn't line mine though. i simply made a casing and topstitched it down in position and fed the elastic through. when i sewed my side seams down it closed the ends of the casing.  it's super fast, easy and i love the result.  i recommend it if you don't feel comfortable sewing shirring or your machine acts up with it.  mine has suddenly realized it hates shirring. no idea why...lol.


i hope to show you some pics soon of me actually wearing the tunic but with our dreary, grey, and rainy weather here the timing just always seems to be off for the hubs to take pics of me and it's just too dark in my condo to take shots of myself.  hopefully i'll be able to show you all soon.  in the meantime i put it on sally, my lovely dress form.  she's not my size...not even close...haha...but i love her anyways.  i use her for hanging things on and she likes to travel and do markets/craft shows with us all :)  she's on loan to me from a friend and she's come in very handy.  one day i will buy myself one that is my size though...lol.  when i put this on her i died laughing.  seriously.  it really made me realize how big "my girls" were when you see it hanging off of a dress form that is the size i'd like to be.  oh my....so close ups it is :) i'm sure you get the idea though :)


i've really been enjoying sewing my own clothing and hope to do a lot more this year.  one of my new year's resolutions has been to sew my own pair of pants.  anyone have a great pattern recommendation?  i'm fed up with buying pants that just dont' fit right and make me look bigger than i am so i'd love to make some fit just for my body.

have you made your own pants before?  what is your favorite pattern to use? do you have any tips for me? let's chat sewing my friends!

||  FABRICS USED  ||
- afro fusion dusk from indie by pat bravo for art gallery fabrics purchased from fabricworm
- vintage mustard colored pre-made bias tape for armholes.

||  PATTERN USED  ||
- washi dress by rae hoekstra (made by rae)
- size made: XL
- full bust adjustment: none
- length: mid thigh
- helpful link: sewing women's clothing post from rae (great for tips on sizing and muslins)

PATTERN || HANNAH HAT PATTERN RELEASE

To say I love this hat is an understatement.  Since the night I whipped the Hannah Hat up it's been on my head non-stop.  Made from the scrumptious and lovely malabrigo rasta this hat is warm, cozy and sooooo soft and chunky! It's a dream to knit and wear. Living in a coastal city we are always getting wind storms and this hat keeps my ears and head warm while still being cute and stylish.


hannahhat.jpg

This yarn has a special spot in my heart.  Gifted to me last xmas from my dear friend Hannah (ummashin) the color is one of my faves.  I fell so in love with this yarn that I have held on to it for a full year until i found the perfect project for it.  So to say a lovely thank you to one of the most lovely people i have met online i have named this hat for hannah.  I hope she likes it as much as I do.


hannahhat.jpg

Quick and easy hannah knits up in one night.  a few hours and bam - you've got yourself a lovely new accessory.  Knit on a US12/9mm it works up fast and it's simple to customize to your desired slouch/length.  and helloo....that pom pom just melts my heart.  Love it.  Pom poms and I have had a love/hate relationship because I can never seem to make a good one but I have broken my curse (I like to use my pal jane richmond's pom pom tutorial). 

Making pom poms with rasta is actually fun! I love the added touch of fun the pom pom adds to this hat. I also love the coziness the 2x2 rib that goes to mid crown adds to keep your ears warm.  That extra bit of depth just feels so right on the part of my head that gets the coldest while waiting for school pick up. 

Best part is hannah only takes (1) skein of malabrigo rasta! Plus the pattern is only $1.99!!! That's it - time to treat yourself! Just remember that if you alter the pattern or choose to NOT unravel your gauge swatch you will need another skein to be able to finish the hat and the pom pom.  I seriously used every last inch of my skein. There were no leftovers..not even one centimeter..lol. 


hannahhat.jpg

THE HANNAH HAT PATTERN FEATURES:


:: clear and easy to understand step by step instructions

:: bright & colorful photography

:: 2 page color PDF pattern

::  a great knitting experience

The Hannah Hat Pattern is available for purchase at the following:

  1. ravelry
  2. Etsy
  3. Very Shannon Shop

If you make a hannah please let me know and share your pics! I love to see the projects you guys make. Feel free to add any pics to our flickr groupand also our ravelry group.

I hope you enjoy hannah as much as I do!  It's a great beginner pattern to practice knitting in the round and making pom poms :)  Happy knitting from my home to yours!  

p.s. To all you sewers...don't worry, I promise there will be sewing goodies coming soon too!  

ISLAND Book Launch Party


party time this weekend!!!  if you're on vancouver island or feel like popping over from the mainland this weekend  make sure to stop by "knotty by nature" on saturday from 6-9pm for our ISLAND Book Launch Party!!!! woot woot!!!!!  jane and i are so excited to get a chance to celebrate ISLAND and to share all the lovelies from the book with you. 

we would LOVE for you to come help us celebrate ISLAND! join us for food and drink, view all of the samples in our trunk show, pick up a book or have your copy signed and come mingle with photographer Nicholas Kupiak, model Kylee Shaw, Jane Richmond and I, and all of our knitting friends!

we thank you all so very much for all the awesome support you have all shown us and we can't wait to see some of you in person! we're very excited!

to find out more information about the event and to rsvp please check out our event facebook page:


WHAT:  ISLAND Book Launch Party
WHEN: Saturday, January 12, 2013 from 6:00-9:00pm
WHERE: Knotty by Nature, 1704 Lillian Road, Victoria, British Columbia
 

have a great weekend and happy knitting and sewing my friends!  i'll see you on monday with a new free pattern!!! 

p.s.  the newest season of Project Run & Play launched today so make sure to pop over and vote for your fave!  

downton abbey kal - my project & tea!

Pattern: Nola Cloche by Hilary Smith Callis  Yarn: Supernova in colorway Pewter by Luna Grey Fiber Arts
it's here! our very first official downton abbey knit along post! woot woot!  i was so excited on sunday night knowing everyone was watching the season 3 premiere! our ravelry group was on fire!!!  i couldn't believe how many convos i had to read to catch up! love it!  there's something so comforting knowing we were all curled up with our tea and knitting together while watching downton abbey.  does my heart good.


i swatched my pattern choice on sunday night.  want to know which one i chose?  the nola cloche by my gorgeous friend hilary smith callis of "the yarniad".  hilary is such a sweetheart and when i saw the nola cloche pop up in my facebook feed a few months ago i knew i was making it for the downton kal.  i've always wanted a cloche and this one was a happy place for me.  two different yarn weight options - chunky, or worsted, and you can wear the hat a few ways too!  bonus is there is even a nola cloche for kids now!  hehe! can you just see me and both my girls wearing them! adorable!

the nola cloche by hilary smith callis
my yarn choice? yum!!! i'm using some gorgeous and lovely yarn from one our fab sponsors luna grey fiber arts!  she's got tons of modern and fresh yarns and her colors are just to die for!  i'm so excited to wear this yarn! it knits up so nice and i'm very happy with it!  the yarn weight is worsted and it is called supernova. it's a 100% merino in the colorway pewter.  jackie from luna grey fiber arts recently dyed a nice bundle of lovely yarns for me that i'll be showing you in a few weeks so stay tuned. they are so pretty!


now i couldn't have watched downton abbey without some tea.  i started thinking it would be fun to share our favorite tea of choice at the moment.  i'm currently obsessed and i mean obsessed with the david's tea and the flavor - cocomint cream.  delicious.  i drink at least 1 cup a day and have to monitor myself as it's a holiday flavor and when it's gone in the shops it's gone :(  wahhhhh!  i think i need to buy another tin to get me by :)  you can find all the david's teas online on their website.  so delish!  i cannot rave about this company enough.  it definitely is one of my fave new things to do in our city and it doesn't help that all of my pals and i are equally as addicted :)  yarn and tea....ahhhh the lovely little things in life :)


you can follow along with all things downton abbey knit along here:
 

i'm so excited for this kal and so happy you are all knitting along with me!  i'm so excited to show you all of our fabulous and oh so amazing sponsors for this kal! are you ready to see who they are? yay!!!!!!!!!!!! fo'reals...the prizes are drool worthy! you seriously do not want to miss this!  can you hear me squealing!!!!!!!!!!!! 


now get sippin' and get knittin'!  which project did you cast on for? what yarn are you using? is anyone else making the nola cloche? what's your fave tea of the moment? any thoughts on the new episode of downton? let's chat <3