Sun goes down and says goodnight

As the younger of the two children in my family, I fulfilled the "baby" role well. I was happy to be doted upon and catered to by all around me. Still am, truth be told. I know my husband and friends will attest to that :)

I know that I often asked for a younger sibling, though.  My middle school BFF was the oldest of eight and her house was the most awesome place to visit.  There was always something crazy going on and something to do. Little did I realize that while I craved the hustle and bustle of her home, she craved the calm and quiet of my home (and the cable tv)!

I never did get the younger sibling. I did however get a younger "God-sister". That's not really a relation, I know, but it was in our family. Following their college years, my parents remained good friends with another couple - "Uncle" Marius and "Aunt" Mimi. When they had a daughter (and later a son), they named my parents as Godparents and my sister and I joyfully decided to become God-sisters to sweet Noelle. This lovely lady was married a few years ago and, just this past May, welcomed her first child.

I knew she was expecting when I trolled the booths at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show earlier this year. While browsing the novelty fat quarters at one booth, I saw a stunning black/ white/ red butterfly print and was smitten. It would be the perfect baby gift print! Almost immediately, I wanted to create a small "whole cloth" quilt that could be used during the first few months when the baby's eyes are learning to focus. I picked a backing fabric from my stash (thanks Mama for all those black and white prints, by the way) and made bias tape from that same fabric. Here's the post of the free motion quilting extravaganza. Everyone should try it that way!  I left long bias tape ties at the top of the quilt so that it could be attached to the vehicle seat or to the side of a crib or playpen.

The full gift package!  Quilt, crochet bunny, family favorite book!

I'm running low on tags, so I hope sweet Charlotte knows she's special enough to receive one.

Just a quick word about the bunny.  I have great affection for bunny toys.  I've made them many ways and many times. This particular one is from the Lion Brand Yarns company and the pattern's on Ravelry (here).  I used Martha Stewart yarn from Michael's for washing and durability purposes.  It also has a delightful sheen.

I've been trying to get much better about wrapping gifts.  I spend hours on the gift itself sometimes, then just hobble together the wrapping.  My usual go-to wrapping paper is just newsprint sheets bought by the huge box at the shipping store.  The kids paint or color designs and we call it good.  This time, I used a favorite lullaby to decorate the paper.  These are the lyrics to Dreamland by Mary Chapin Carpenter.  It's a standard bedtime favorite in our home.  Irish Jig will request it and suddenly the noise from bedrooms across the hallway lessens as other, bigger, small people listen in.

Congratulations Mike and Noelle!  She's beautiful.

With an instant radical change of perception

I'll just keep this week about handmades. I posted about the little girl jumper and now here's a little crochet project.

This bunting started as a pillow front.  Last year, I saw this pillow project with the interesting crochet motif over at Wisecraft and knew I wanted to try it.  I started the motifs, alternating the color patterns and thinking the entire time that I really didn't want to join them.  I liked the motif part but not the joining part - I knew it would be time intensive and I am really an instant gratification kinda gal.  After having this poor, sad, little stack sitting on a shelf for over a year, I decided to just change directions.  Okay, so it's not instant (it took a year) and it's not radical (it's just yarn), but this UB40 song has great lyrics.

The bunting idea came from my Pinterest board of crochet projects to try.  I realized I'd pinned several crochet buntings but had never followed through with the creation part.  [Side note:  I've noticed that most of my pins don't make it to the creation step.  That's why I don't invite you to follow me there.]

Anyway, I had just enough motifs to make a bunting to span the desk area between the girls' closets.  Their room has been a work in progress for about a year if you include the painting, closet overhauls, and bed refinishing.  The desk alcove has wonderful built in shelves that we use to house Baptismal candles, special gifts, glue higher than the reach of a three year old, the baby doll bed set made by Papa, and a whole overflowing village of Littlest Pet Shop junk treasures.  

The yarn used for these motifs is the same yarn used for the sweet mobile I made Irish Jig.  It hangs across the room in front of the windows.  I blogged about this previously, should you want details.

Today's post title from UB40's Instant Radical Change in Perception

My pretty little snowflake

As of yesterday, Spring is officially here. And today, there are snowflakes falling.

What??

Last time I checked, Virginia was considered a Southern State. Hello! Someone forgot to tell the snow that little fact. It's cold, breezy, gray, and we have snow flurries. Of course, there aren't enough flurries to stick and make a beautiful wonderland for playing. There are just enough to make you (ok, me) want to bundle up in front of a fire with popcorn and a really good movie. I might even share the couch with a loved one (or five).

I am still wearing these and Irish Jig is wearing this:

A Rapunzel hat that appeared unexpectedly in the mail - just for her!  You know how much a package with your very own name on it can cause joyful dancing and shrieking?  Apparently, 3 year olds feel that way, too :)  Created by wonderful Aunt Karen (of the quilting fame), the long yellow braids are topped by a pink crown.  Irish Jig loves it and usually wears it with her princess costume dresses.  Today, she's sporting it simply for added warmth.

Thanks so much Karen for the work and the gift of happiness you've sent this way.  This, of course, reminds me that a certain young woman in your home will be 12 next week.  I could use a few suggestions - wink, wink!

Everybody clap your hands

Today I want to share the wonderfully warm gloves I've been wearing this winter. I had intended to show them much earlier in the season, but just kept bumping this topic for others. I am finally showing them today because it's mid-March and I am freezing today! The weather is still cold and, with constant rain, just miserable. I've been wearing my wonderful fingerless gloves all day while working around the house.

I found the pattern on Ralvelry and really liked the cuff creation method. It's alternating front and back post half double crochet stitches. This forms a cuff look with a very sturdy base. I didn't make the little thumb portion and I regret it. Maybe on the next pair because there will definitely another pair in a yarn I bought at Purl Soho. This one is colorful and I like it, but I admit to it being a lesser brand. I had never made an item to wear (that needed a good fit) and I didn't want to experiment with really good, pricey yarn.

I kept busy on the train ride to New York City last fall working on these and listening to books. Our public library has a fabulous selection of PlayAway books, which is awesome since I don't own an E-reader.

These gloves fit wonderfully even though one is slightly looser than the other. That's what I get for crocheting on the midnight train!

Surprise, surprise

Don't you love a good surprise? I know I do! Yesterday evening, our doorbell rang while we were prepping dinner. (And by "we" I mean Mr. Neoclassic. I was in the kitchen keeping him company.) When I opened the front door, I found a plastic bag of yarn skeins. When I looked out to the driveway, I spied a good friend wrestling another bag of skeins from the passenger seat of her car. In response to my befuddled expression, she explained:

"I emailed you but then just headed over. I didn't want you to say no. I purged my yarn stash and this is all yours to play with. Or to give away. Or to craft with. Your choice."

Oh, and when I say plastic bag, I don't mean store sized. I mean giant lawn and leaf bag sized:

Sandi explained that when she shops for her project yarns, she does so at the second hand shops where the skeins are bundled together and priced per bagged grouping. Usually, there's no rhyme or reason to the yarn groupings and she'll purchase three weird skeins to get the one really nice wool or certain color/ texture she's aiming for. Thus, the gigantic stash of skeins.

While Mr. Neoclassic continued dinner preps and we chatted with Sandi over a beer (surely that's proper payment for yarn, right?), the girls had a ball (ha ha) creating spiderwebs of yarn throughout the downstairs. They've claimed some of the more fuzzy yarns for crafting purposes. Zydeco even found a dark gray one to use on a crochet scarf he started months ago. Some of the cotton ones will become dish cloths and washcloths. Most of the fuzzy types will go into the Girl Scout art supply bin. Some will be offered to some of my local fiber loving friends, as well as a delightful retiree I see at the YMCA each week. Ms. Fran made a sweet afghan for Jazz's dolls last summer and is always happy to chat with us as we enter the Y. She crochets endlessly while waiting on the bus and sells her blankets and hats to supplement her income.

Of course, most aren't labeled with brand or fiber content.  And so the fun begins. As I sort by color, I'll be testing for content. I found some good guidelines here and here. Zydeco will be close at hand, I am sure, since flames and burning will be involved. He's got a future in pyrotechnics - we just hope he keeps it legal :)

Sandi - thanks so much for thinking of me and gifting me your stash.  I am not sure Mr. Neoclassic feels the same level of thankfulness since he'll now have the stash taking up space in the storage room. But it makes me happy and that makes him happy - right?

What surprises are you thankful for today?

Song title from Tree63

My magnificent obsession

Irish Jig's hair is a dichotomy of adorable and maintenance. The curls, when in Shirley Temple mode, are quite fetching and garner many a compliment from the general public. The reality of getting her mop of unruly curls into that mode is borderline hurtful to all involved. There's saturating, moisturizing, gentle (I try!) combing, and little fuzzy knots that don't play along.

As a result, I tend to only force the hair maintenance routine for special occasions (i.e. NOT  for hanging out with Mama all day). She detests barrettes and pony elastics because they pull her hair. But a head band? She's all for the head band. To that end, my lastest obsession is making headbands.

Pattern taken from free posting on a site I can't find anymore

My first incarnation was a simple double crochet band with chain ties at each end, as shown above. While it works, the tying process causes more knots in the fine hair at the back of her head and I found that the tie didn't stay tight enough over the course of the day. I was contemplating various revisions when I used this headband on Jazz's hair last week:

Batik headband from Ten Thousand Villages

The proverbial light bulb illuminated in my mind and I got to work. A strip of patterned crochet with simple elastic bands attaching the ends = a fabulous head band that stays tight and fit all day. I can adjust the length of elastic to accommodate the stretch intrinsic to the type of yarn.

V-Stitch pattern from MyMerryMessyLife, Shell pattern my own creation

Making these becomes a little obsessive

Of course, a plain headband is somewhat boring. I found a little bling in the remains of the baby barrettes, the button box, and my yarn scraps stash.

Flower and leaves pattern from Attic24

Someone likes to flaunt all her bling at once.  She's also not all that concerned with color coordination, as evidenced by the pink/ red/ purple/ orange ensemble shown below.

Today's post title from Stephen Curtis Chapman's "Magnificent Obsession"

'Tis a gift to be simple

You might have noticed the picture below lurking over there on the right side of the blog during recent weeks. My goal is to use the "What's Going On" section to document some of my many works in progress. Some of these works actually get finished, while others? Well, they get shelved for various reasons.  Let's just keep this positive, shall we :)

Soft, squishy non-bowling bunnies

The bunnies pictured are not my own design. They are a twist on a fabulous idea of Ellen's from The Long Thread. Please take the time to browse her awesome tutorials. Then come back here. That part's important!

I saw her bowling bunnies (through an Etsy post, actually) and loved them because I really like bunny toys. However, I wanted something more tactile and baby friendly. The first bunny I made from the pattern used fleece rather than canvas. The fleece was soft, baby snuggle friendly and washable. That washable part is a huge factor for me when considering baby toys. I then made a few in corduroy, like the ones in the picture, and was really happy with the outcome. A bold color, like the purple or green, paired with a fun cotton novelty print for the ears makes a super baby toy.

The neck and ears make great handles for little chubby hands, and the corduroy yields a tactile experience for exploring little fingers. Irish Jig can attest to the wonderful feel of bumpy corduroy on teething gums.

I tend to make these guys in groups and stockpile them for gift giving. The following picture is a small gift basket of goodies for a friend's newest arrival, a baby girl. I also added a few crochet wash cloths and some baby toiletries. The pattern for the wash cloths is from Little Crochet. I've made several of Linda's projects, including this mobile and  this tee shirt.

Surprise bunny for a sweet friend

What have you been crafting lately? What do you stockpile for baby gifts?

The birds above a' singin' you a chorus

I am still very much enamored with the book Little Crochet. I've worked several projects from the book and the directions are clear, correct (I hate having to find the errata on-line) and totally adorable. As I painted the girls' room and planned what art work to hang, I envisioned a mobile dangling from the ceiling. Both girls are really older than mobile age, but I liked the idea of something sweet to focus on as they dropped into slumber. And, really, it's all about what I want!


This is the Birdie Mobile project from the book. It's exactly what I envisioned and works so beautifully in the space. I used the Martha Stewart cotton/ acrylic blend because I liked the sheen and knew it wouldn't pill over time.
Both girls are thrilled, so it's a total win-win!

I've also been trying my hand at crocheting with embroidery floss. The Tiny Tee Appliques project includes patterns for flowers, simple circles, and a rocket ship. While working with the floss is uber-tedious, the result is adorable. I made a tee similar to the one below for a friend's little girl and decided it's the best toddler girl gift ever! Easy to personalize with favorite colors and can be paired with a simple summer skirt (my favorite is the Lazy Days).


Well, this one's for Irish Jig. I tend to create lots of sweet gifts, then forget to dress my own children. Finally, one for her in her current favorite purple (although she calls it pink).

And here's what she did while I finished tacking the last flower on her little shirt:

What I didn't photograph was what she did while I was taking the shot of the completed tee.....dump the entire bottle of glue on the table and finger paint with it!

Get on your feet

I have a little tutorial for y'all today.  But first, a story.  Have y'all noticed I like to tell stories?  My parents, especially my father, are fabulous story tellers.  Whether on the phone or when we're together, there is laughter from the retelling of seemingly unexciting daily occurrences.  I like to think we are raising our own children to appreciate the power of a well told story.  Classic Rock and Zydeco have already shown prowess in this area, so we are 50% successful.

When Irish Jig transitioned from the sweet family cradle in our room to her shared room with Jazz, I started dreaming of ways to decorate their room.  Two years have gone by, sadly, and I just recently painted their walls.  I have mentioned my battle with procrastination before and it's still alive and kicking.  While their room is not quite finished, I want to share the sweet little bedside rugs I've made.  These are simple little circles to provide a cozy spot for those sweet feet in the mornings.



I've been slowly working my way through the fabulous Little Crochet book by Linda Permann, making sweet gifts for my own baby and for friends.  She has a great pattern for a felted play rug.  It was just the type of rug I wanted, but I really wanted to use recycled or upcycled materials.  Then I remembered the stack of outgrown tee shirts waiting for either thrifting or project use.  Cutting the strips was easy enough with my rotary blade and mat, but connecting all those strips seemed monumental.  Until I figured out this method.  I don't claim it as an "original" idea as it's the conglomeration of several web searches.  It works for me, though, and hopefully for you.

Step 1: With the tee smoothed flat onto your cutting mat, slice one side from bottom hem to sleeve, cutting off the side seam.  Then proceed to cut strips, starting at the bottom and working your way up toward the neck.  I use a strip width about 3/4" to 1".  Once you hit the sleeves, be creative and get as many shorter strips as you can.  (No picture of this step because you can handle it on your own, I promise)

Step 2: Take two strips (I am using two different colors in my example) and lay the ends next to each other, but in opposite directions.


Step 3: Lay one end atop the other, overlapping about 1".


Step 4: Fold this little overlapped section in half and make a small clip with the scissors.  This will make a slit in each layer of the overlapped ends.

Fold overlapped section in half

Make a small slit at fold

Overlapped section with small slits

Step 5: Thread the free end of the top strip up through the little slits you just made.  Make sure to thread the free end through the hole from the direction opposite it's layer - in the following picture, the green is on top, so the free green end is threaded from the bottom.  Are you with me?


Step 6: Pull through until the ends make a little bow tie pasta shape.


How's that for easy and fast?  I connected several shirts worth of strips while watching Harry Potter with the boys.  I like that the little rugs have colors that coordinate with the girls' room and with each other, but aren't matchy matchy. 


I have leftover strips, too, so there's a sweet feet rug in my own future!