A bunch of years ago, I brought along a holiday craft to my mom’s on Thanksgiving Day, and a new tradition was born. I had no idea how much my family would enjoy a bit of crafting, but they really got into it, and had lots of fun with it! Year after year, we […]
crafts
I was totally looking forward to attending the Stitches East Knitting Expo at the Connecticut Convention Center last Saturday, and I was thrilled to be there! Aisle after aisle of vendors with booths chock full of yarns, patterns, books and hand-knit samples. The hottest, trendiest hand-knitted garment? Hands down, the shawl. Almost every vendor offered […]
Scott and Khalil welcomed dear little Norah into their lives in July, and her sweet face and tiny newborn body inspired me to knit this little cardigan sweater. I found the pattern in Knitting Just for Baby (Precious baby set) and the yarn is called Baby Alpaca D.K. Paint from Plymouth yarn. Variegated yarns are […]
Today is Big A’s Birthday! It’s always been hard to come up with a present for my mother. I learned early that you don’t buy her things she “needs.” I remember one year when I was pretty young, my Dad took us shopping for her birthday and he bought her luggage. I told him — […]
I was rifling through my enormous stash of cotton fabrics recently and I wondered, “what am I going to do with all this” and “how did this stash get so big”? (okay…you know as well as I do how it got that big.) But, now what? As there were many colors, prints and coordinates to […]
06
Apr
Apr
I knitted this pretty blanket for dear baby Annabel Maeve, the newest little member of our growing family! The pattern is called “Cascading Colors Baby Blankie“, and the instructions and materials list can be found on the Lion Brand website. It knits up very quickly because you hold two yarns together and use size 17 […]
This past summer, I took advantage of a “Today’s Special” at HSN and purchased the Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter. They offered it as a bundle which included the cutting machine and several accompanying cartridges. I will admit that when it arrived, I looked at it with a bit of wonder and confusion. Why did I […]
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I share this Irish knit baby blanket. Some things I make, and give away…some things I make, and just put away. This has become one of those little treasures that I choose to hold on to until…whenever…(I’ll say no more 🙂 When little a worked at an upscale Manhattan […]
I passed a milestone last week. I turned 30. Most people are horrified when this happens, but, having felt more like a grandmother than a twenty-something for the last decade, I’m really excited. I know, I know — age is just a number. But, as a math geek, numbers are one of the things I put […]
Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting (or knitting) tiny stuffed animals and dolls. Along with Tawashi, it is a craft that is wildly popular with yarn crafters. Books on the subject and free internet patterns abound (a great resource is the Lion Brand website). A crochet hook, scraps of yarn and a little bit […]
Some might call me a “Fiber Snob.” OK, I might call me a “Fiber Snob,” but that’s only because I’m the only person I know who would call anyone that… And, to an extent, I am. I always check the fiber content on a garment I’m buying, and no matter how cute, I will likely […]
21
Jan
Jan
Just what is tawashi?? The Japanese translation is “a traditional scrubbing brush to wash off the dirt”, and it’s also the latest craze among knitters and crocheters. Made of acrylic yarn, these little scrubbies are said to be eco-friendly because they are reusable and require use of little or no soap. The patterns seen here […]
02
Jan
Jan
I went to a baby shower today! The daughter of a very special friend is expecting her first child in February and, keeping true to the trend, the expectant parents are choosing to be surprised. Wonderful, really. Unless, like me, you like to knit baby sweaters in pink or blue…so, white it is. Debbie Bliss […]
14
Dec
Dec
I had tons of fun at the booth Kait and I shared at Artists & Fleas yesterday! When the lights stayed on, our display and our stuff looked pretty great. When they went out… well, we were in the back corner, so you couldn’t see anything… Kait’s Dad took some pro pics, but here are […]
The underpants gnomes have it right. Phase one: collect underpants. Phase three: profit. They never say it, but I’m pretty sure Phase 2 involves a lot of trial and error and wasted denim. Phase 2 also involves lots of sub-phases. And as I move from the design sub-phase to the production sub-phase, I’m sharing a […]