super quick update

Nothing too exciting going on here this week.  Just wanted  to quickly share my current project.  I started this a couple (?) weeks ago.  I have to say it's so stinkin cute so far!  I added the stripes just for fun.  Not sure if I'm going to make the kangaroo yet or alter it into a bunny.  Dunno yet.

Hey, hope you all have a great week!

berry lovely

It's no secret that I love berries!  Love them. I totally scored a bunch of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries after our potluck at the office Friday.  The gal that brought them didn't want them so I took the leftovers home :) Blackberries, in particular, make me happy.  When I was growing up my Mom, brother and I would walk along the Sacramento River in Dunsmuir, CA and during the summer we'd pick warm sun-ripened blackberries and eat them as we went.  The smell, the sun, the warmth.....carefree summer!  And when I find a sweet blackberry it takes me right there.

It's been awhile since I made any amigurumi, I've been so caught up with knitting that crochet has been sidelined.  But when I started that garland project I started wanting to crochet again.  I found a super cute little doll on instagram but haven't been able to find a pattern for it, but! I did find a similar one that is equally cute!  Lalylala Kira is the pattern I bought.  I picked out this magenta acrylic from my stash.  I just love this color!   

Yesterday was a fun mail day that I had been waiting for!  So, in case you didn't know, my first name is Colima.  Growing up personalized pencils or keychains or whatever were really popular.  Um, yeah.  Try finding Colima on anything.........unless you're in Colima, Mexico you're just not going to find anything!  So I was scrolling through my instagram feed and saw that a lady is making these personalized cups as gifts and the gears in my head clicked on!  I messaged her and asked if I could buy one and she said yes!!!!  I got to pick what I wanted it to say and the color and the lid design.  And I LOVE!!!! IT!  

Yesterday I intended, fully, to sort through fabric for the yard sale coming up.  Fully intended.  Aaaaand then I got distracted but my fabric!  Hahahahhahhahha I guess that's the point, right?  So I started with, I'll just try one little block.  Well then you've got to have 2 to see the contrast.  And then I started to get excited.  And when that happens you just gotta roll with it.  

And this is the end result of yesterday's sewing frenzy.  I really like it!!  I found this tutorial for a quilt called, the Arrow Tail quilt and I liked the aesthetic.  I did not download the template she provides, I just made my own with my 60 degree triangle ruler.  It came together very easily.  I am thinking I will use the pink polka dot fabric as backing and maybe the dark grey as binding?  We shall see.

Currently I'm listening to Tilly Trout's most recent podcast.  She's telling us about her recent trip to France, and it's just lovely!  She's very descriptive and just delightful in general.

So, I hope you all have a wonderful week!  I'm going to continue with the crochet for a bit :)

garland

I had one of those moments yesterday (Saturday) that I just suddenly had to make something!  Like stop whatever you're doing and make it kind of thing.  I picked out some bright prints that mesh well together and then made a little template, and then stitched up these little flags for a banner.  Then! felt like I needed a crochet border.  I found a clever tutorial online from a google search where she did a back stitch along the edge and then used that as an anchor to crochet onto the fabric.  I actually almost just left the back stitching because even just that is cute.

This was my first idea of yarn, buuuuuuuuut it's like so thin that I had a hard time keeping hold of it and also would have to crochet a million stitches so I abandoned it for a thicker yarn.  Which, apparently I'm a little Goldilocks about it because it's just too thick.  In lieu of buying more yarn (!) I'm dealing with it.  Next time though.

Here is what I ended up with, I do like the way it looks.  It's very cheery, yes?

Today I sat in the back yard and Rocky napped next to me.  It's a ruff life.  Seriously though.

 And!  made these delicious kabobs for dinner.  O.M.G. so good.  I marinated the chicken in a mesquite mix that is a little bit spicy and a lotta bit yummy :)

In other news, book news.  I finished the last book in the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare called Clockwork Princess.  I had been listening to the series on CD while sewing, knitting and stitching.  I really liked it.  It was kind of like a prequel to the Mortal Instrument series by the same author that I had started but the next book wasn't available at the library.  So it's set in the 1800's England, it's fantasy that includes otherworldly creatures, warlocks, magic.  I don't want to give too much of the story away but I will say that there is a love triangle situation and then ending was pretty satisfying.  I still cried a ton but really the author worked everyone's story out.  

I have to say I can't really handle love stories.  I mean, I can and I can't.  I feeeeel like romance stories set up huge expectations that just don't happen in real life.  Well. At least to me they don't.  And, we all know as a widow I really miss my love and wish I still had it.  ugggggg. so that was part of what made me cry at the end of that story.  But!  good story and characters and all that.

And, I popped into the library today and they had the rest of the books on CD in the other series so I snapped them up :)

Hey, have a fantab week!

a little rusty with the crochet skills

I have a FO (finished object) to share and it's actually crochet!  First off, let me just say that I tried a new coffee blend today!  It's Starbuck's holiday blend for 2014.  I'm so used to drinking french roast by now that I'm not sure if I like it?  But, you know, add enough sugar cookie creamer and it tastes just fine!

So, I don't remember how long ago - not long though - like 2-3 weeks ago, Jan asked if I would make a pair of boot cuffs for her to give to her daughter for Christmas.  I think at the time I was still working on the grey Jul hat, so I said it would have to wait but I would start at the beginning of December to make sure I'd get them done in time.  And dang if December didn't just sneak right up! ha.  Yesterday I realized I'd better get busy if I was going to be serious about this project.  I snooped around Ravelry for free patterns and found a couple.  

Now, me being me I would want something with a little frill or ruffle.  I came across this pattern called Scalloped Boot Cuff and I thought it was cute!  It is a crochet pattern, very easy and quick!  So, I'm not the fastest crocheter ever so I had read other projects that people had made and they were like "finished in an hour!" "two cuffs made during a movie!" and that sort of thing.  Yeah.  Let's see, I watched a 2+ hour podcast and then 2 movies last night and 2 podcasts this morning and finished.   To be fair, I did have to rip back a couple times because my stitch count would either diminish or multiply in spots.  Teee Heee.  Knitting makes more sense to me than crochet, what can I say?

But!  the finished product is cute!  So, I stuck one of them on my paper towel roll so you could see it in "action".  I plan on making a pair in off white/cream, this is my test knit - but I think these would look cute peeking out the top of some boots.   I also bought a cream color yarn that has a bit of sparkle that I might make for myself :)

Update on other knitting projects: I am about to start the heel on my Dumbledore Hermione socks.  I was getting nervous that I might be developing second sock syndrome, but this week felt the urge to pick them back up!  After that is done I am feeling like I want to knit another little animal - maybe a Bakery Bear or Gelatto Giraffe, which are both patterns by Kay Jones who is one half of the Bakery Bears podcast, which I love.  Before I start that though, I feel I should finish up the sweater I started for my little fox - it is winter after all I don't want him to get cold!

Ummm.  So, that's pretty much it here.  It's 48 degrees out and foggy and gloomy so I will no doubt spend the rest of the day either knitting or maybe sewing?  What are you up to???

takin' it easy

First off, Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there, especially mine :) Hopefully everyone is having a pleasant day. As for me, I've been fairly lazy today. Yesterday was a scrapbooking crop that I went to for most of the day, it was nice. We are trying out a new space and it was really great and the best part - FREE! So, the price is definitely right. This morning I got up pretty late and while the coffee was brewing my eye landed on my crochet basket that contains the granny squares that I started like last year. I dragged it out from behind the end table and started it up again. Once the coffee was done the boys and I moved outside because it is bee-you-tee-ful out! Turns out I really only needed one more granny square to finish up a pillow top. Sweet. I joined them all together and then added a couple border rounds. Perfect. Rocky and I had to move to the shade because of our fair complexions :) So, the pics are a little shadowed but you get the idea. It's rhubarb season here and I've got a bag full in the fridge. I bought some strawberries and depending on my energy level I may make a batch of jam this afternoon!

monsters!

And so, without further ado....here was what I made last weekend:

MONSTERS! Aren't they fun??? I made the blue one first, that was my prototype. For the pattern I just sketched out a shape on some tissue paper, and then cut out the fabric.  I was going to give it to Brayden, Kristin's son, for his first birthday. But, when I stuffed the feet the stitching showed through too much and I was thinking that would be a precursor to the stitches fraying out and coming undone. So, I made another one and gave him the green one. He seemed to really like it! He gave it a kiss, which was totally cute! The party was fun, it was nice to see Kristin's family again and meet her some new people. Brayden ate his cake like a champ, that was funny to watch :)
Yesterday I also finished another quilted pillowcase. I had seen a house style pillow at Joann's when they had their 4th of July decorations still, but was way too cheap to spend $20 on a pillow that I could make myself! So, here's what I came up with.

I wish I had done the house all in the same fabric instead of doing the stripes on the one side. There was a pattern in a book that I borrowed from the library that used all different colors for each so I went with the pattern. And I've decided once and for all that I am not going to join that quilt a long, the Farmer's Wife one and here's why - each of the finished squares from the book are like 6" which is the size of the little house square of this pillow. And I can say for sure that me no rikey!
What else is in the works is a little granny square action:


I haven't totally decided if I am going to make another pillow covering....or a rug. I saw a crocheted granny square pillow cover somewhere online and thought it looked really cute. I'm getting a little faster at making these, which is a good thing!
I also had an epiphany Friday night. So, I've been watching this video series at church called The Truth Project.   It's been really amazing, eye opening.  Basically it is a study of the "worldview" vs. the "biblical" view on various topics.  I'm not going to get very in depth with the meaning, if you have more questions there's a link which explains way better than I could.  Anyways, Friday's video was about "labor" and what is God's view of labor?  One of the things that the teacher said was the God is the creator and he made us to create.  That can take on so many different meanings!  He said that God has given us our abilities, the things we're good at and those are gifts.  Okay, so I know that I'm rambling, and I do have a point, for real.  The thing is, and this was my epiphany - I've always viewed gifts, spiritual gifts, as something really serious, businesslike  if you will.  And, I've struggled for years to figure out what in the world are my gifts???  It may seem obvious, but I didn't get it before - sewing, knitting, crocheting.....those are my gifts!  Now, I just need to figure out a way to make stuff for God's glory!  Can I get a halleluia? LOL  I'm kidding, but I feel very uplifted just knowing that what I can do, what I've always done, make things - that's somehow part of God's plan for my life, and not just because I enjoy doing it (which I do, very much) but because maybe somehow I can do good with it.

crocheted happiness

So yesterday was a wash!  I felt so awful all day, and still was determined to do something productive, but it  didn't turn out well.  I made one quilt square.  hmphf.  Friday was a different story, though!  The other day whilst browsing blogs, I came across one that mentioned "jars with jackets" and was intrigued.  I clicked on the link et voila!  And, as so often happens - it crossed my mind that, hey!  I could make that!  You see, I like to put ground cinnamon in my coffee grounds as it's brewing and have used a little recycled jar to hold the cinnamon next to the coffee.  It's not the cutest set up, but it's been useful.  But now, check it out!

What do you think?  I love it!  I used an amigurumi pattern from one of my books and just added some stripes.  It whipped up pretty quick, I started making it at the beginning of "How to Train Your Dragon" and by the end of the movie it was donezo.  It makes me happy :)

So, I forgot to mention that when Jan and I got together last weekend, she had a little gift for me!  She said she found this fabric at Walmart in the clearance section and picked it up for me.  I LOVE it!  There is one yard of each of the prints.  I am going to save the stripey one for a quilt binding.....if I can even wait that long.  I keep wanting to cut into it and then have to remind myself I'm saving it.  So, we'll see. 

In other news, it's snowing right now!  Snowing.  So, if you are somewhere warm and sunny - savor it :)

weekend update.

This will be sort of a short post today, I'm not feeling so fab.  A little nauseous and eewy.  But, I wanted to share what I've been working on lately. 
I finally conquered granny squares!  I'm glad I did because it's supposed to be the easiest thing to make crochet-wise and I wasn't quite getting it!  Bah.  I figured out my problem was that I hold the yarn too tightly.  I've mostly crocheted amigurumi dolls, and you want the stitches to be tight for those so that when you stuff them then the stuffing doesn't show through.  I relaxed my hands a bunch and voila!  I had signed up for a granny square swap on Swap-Bot.  It was a sender's choice for colors, my inspiration was an ad from a magazine for jewelry.  The different rings and earrings had peridot (green) and blue topaz together, and amethyst (purple) and rhodolite (dark pink) together.  I LOVE the combinations of gemstones so I thought it might translate well for granny squares :)

So, last Saturday, while I was finishing these squares up, Jan called to see if I'd want to troll around with her.  We went to a few yard sales - ones my Mom would call a "dog sale" - and one of them had this little gem:

Seriously, I was running across the lawn to grab it up!  It was marked $5 (which I thought was a great price) but I am super cheap frugal so I asked if she'd take $4 and she did!  Eeeek!  So excited!  It's out in the craft house.  I'm planning to make new clothes for my old dolls and get furniture and carpet for that bottom floor and set up house!
This is the quilt I'm currently working on:

I'm going to make more pine tree squares and then sash all the star, geese and pine tree blocks to match the size of the deer/bear paw blocks and then sew it all together.  I'm liking the way it's coming together.  Bonus is Hubs likes it too!  Well, that's not really fair because he likes everything I've made so far - but this is really his style, hunting and fishing.
I finished up the new Beverly Lewis book, The Thorn today.  It was pretty good, it's the first book of a trilogy and I'm wondering if I can figure out how it might go in the other books.  I noticed that her style in this book was just a teensy bit clipped compared to some of her others.  I still really liked it, just not quite as much as her previous ones.

purple binding finish

And so, the quilt is finito! For the binding I got super lucky that I had this purple floral in my stash. It's from a few years ago, leftover scraps from a scrub top that I made! I had just enough scraps to eke out the binding, phew! and good thing too because my purple fabrics were just all wrong...not enough of this, that one was too light, blah blah. You know how it is :)
So, I haven't been able to stop thinking about this rug since I first saw it!!!!  I've been thinking maybe, just maybe I'll have to learn how to make granny squares and make my own.  I have lots of bright colors in my stash and it would be fun to have a colorful rug under my sewing machine!
Another thing I was thinking this morning about is that I don't think I read quite enough.  I've got stacks of books that I just haven't had any interest in reading.  But also don't want to get rid of them till I've read em.  So I thought maybe I need to make myself read them and that way I can get rid of them in Jan's yard sale this Summer (if she has one).

June the model

I think I mentioned that my Mom sent June this adorable neckerchief??? Well, here she is modeling it, she loves it! Here's an up close of the fabric, I love it!

And, then June was pretty much done with showing off her new duds!

So, I participated in a swap on Swap-Bot that was an amigurumi swap. We were to make any kind of ami and send it to our partner with a list of their "favorites". This is what I sent out, I hope my partner likes it!

Here's a close up of her little face! I think she turned out cute.

Here's what I received:

I totally squealed when I opened the box! This bear is stinkin' cute!!!! I haven't named her yet, it needs to be something earthy but cute. I love the little poof on the top of her head! And the little card with her favorites is so creative! Love.
So, last Friday I think? I made this wreath for the front door. It was so easy to make! I am totally digging wrapping wreaths in yarn and then decorating them, pretty much like the last 3 wreaths I've made that way. It's kind of a pain in the rumpus to wrap the wreath, your arm starts to get tired. But, the finished look I love.
So, here's what I'm wondering - do you ever have so many ideas in your head that you can't even stand it???  That's kind of what I've been feeling of late.  I have like 3 quilt ideas and a bunch of wreaths and table runners and and and and.  I'm so glad it's the weekend and I can work on some of them!

Oh, yeah!  This past Wednesday night I went to a concert, actually here in town!  10th Avenue North, Addison Road, and Matt Maher played in town.  It was a great concert and super fun!  We bought our tickets, all us bible study ladies like 3 months ago to get the group discount and we had the whole front row!!  I was totally cracking up the whole time because like maybe 4 rows back was this group of teenage girls who were screaming and going crazy when 10th Ave N was on stage, and I was thinking how much they would have just loved to be front row!  The message from all the bands was great, so real and applicable and funny too.  The lead singer of Addison Road was so stinkin cute!  She was wearing a cute dress with boots, I think it's great when ppl can pull that look off!  She also has a blog which I've added to my link list because I just loved reading it.  Her husband is the guitarist in the band and they have a little girl who they take out on the road with them, and her blog posts are just so honest!  All of the bands were fab, and our little town is lucky that they came to sing to us!

crochet fun

Can I please tell you that I went to spin class tonight after taking like over a week off, and it felt so GOOD! I can tell the difference in my body with the weight loss as I'm spinning, I know that sounds funny, but good stuff.
And so I had a fun package waiting for me in the mailbox, which I love! I participated in a crocheted matroyska doll swap on Swap-bot. It was pretty fun, I like to crochet amigurumis so it was easy and fun to embellish the doll. So, here's what I sent out:
It took awhile to embroider all the felt flowers on her, and I put buttons in the middle of each flower. I am thinking now that I should have added some ribbon around her neck. I was on the fence about it while I was embellishing and I had the cutest embroidered ribbon, oh well. I couldn't just send a lonely doll so I added the hot chocolate and book marker :)
And this is what I received today! Isn't she cute? This one turned out a little bigger than mine, could be the yarn used?
As soon as I opened the package I put her right in the kitchen with my other amis! She came all the way from Finland :)

wlw and retreat update

Okay, so last weekend the retreat was totally awesome!!! It was so, so good to spend some time just hanging out and scrappin' with Jan and the other ladies. There were these two ladies that had driven from a small town that's like 2 hours away and they were totally hilarious, and mixed with Jan's humour I was laughing all weekend. As predicted, though, I did gain weight! I think mostly because scrapbooking is so sedentary. I did also take my crochet project that I was working on, and finished it up Sunday night when I could not get to sleep. All weekend we were staying up until like 2 in the morning, and unfortunately I am still stuck in the staying up waaay to late cycle! So, these pics I took on the drive back of the brilliant contrast the Fall foliage! So much more beautiful in person, but you get the idea.

So, this little bear was inspired by Ana Paula Rimoli's blog and I have her book "Amigurumi World" which has the pattern for the basic bear. I saw her post where she had made her little bear a little Halloween costume and was like: I have to make one! But, as I think I've mentioned before I am cheap and so therefore did not want to pay for a pattern or ready made costume since I figured I could figure one out! Hers is admittedly way more professional looking. He just cracks me up! I've been keeping him on my desk at work to cheer me up :) I'm planning other little outfits for each season. I know, dorky!

In other news, I joined Swap-Bot. I was thinking I might enjoy swapping some more, and stumbled upon it. I'm glad I did, I've joined 3 swaps so far. I am going to do a Christmas card swap, a scrapbooking swap and a vintage sheet fat quarter swap. I had really wanted to join Jennifer's vintage sheet swap but at the time did not have enough variety to swap! I've gotten a little more stashed so I feel comfortable enough to participate.

bunny

What happened to summer??? This week it has pretty much disappeared! Last week it was above 90 all week, this week it has dropped 30 degrees over night! Right now it is overcast and chilly, only like 65 degrees out! Yesterday it rained on and off all day. Pretty much, as long as it doesn't start snowing I'll be okay.

Here is one finished project. I don't know what happened last weekend, I was lazy all weekend and so this is all I finished. Isn't her face silly??? I haven't pinned down a name yet. She is sitting in my kitchen on the bottom shelf that is next to the stove. She makes me smile when I see her sitting there :)

productive weekend

Here is a recent thrift find, I think it's a full sized sheet? The package is a kit to make a pincushion in the shape of a rocking chair. I think my Mom had one growing up. It should be fun to put together.

Here are some finished projects. The first is a soap holder, I used a skein of cotton yarn from my stash. I'm putting together a little package for my Grandma and thought she might like this.

Next is a little mat that I made to go under June's food and water dishes. I had the green fabric in my stash, have been holding onto it forever. I originally bought it years ago and made placemats and still had some extra. I made it reversible, the pink is out of the leftover vintage sheet. As soon as I started moving her food and water around to put the mat under it, she felt she needed to check things out :) Silly girl.

Next is just a bag to put bags in with elastic around the bottom. I've always wanted one, but never took the time to make one. Also another fabric from my stash that I've held onto for years.

sSo, I embellished this hand towel to go in the bathroom in the craft cottage. I had to make my dolls some Summer outfits :) Marisol is in the green. And Vanessa in the blue and white dress. I found the hats at thrift stores.

June was hanging out with me while I was sewing in the craft house, which as you can see is exhausting! Gotta love her!