Good Tidings to You...

...where ever you are. Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Better late than never.

Although there was not one hand knit gift given, I still enjoyed Christmas. I did receive the Arwen Keyhole Scarf in a beautiful blue color from my good friend Cindy. It is my new favorite scarf.

I found this mistletoe hairpin tutorial from Matsutake. This is my kind of project - quick and sweet. It is made with wool felt and beads, and you never have to look for mistletoe, because it is always right there above you - actually attached to your head. Perfect really.

One of my New Years resolutions is to spend more time here. I've really missed this place.

I wish you peace and joy in the New Year!

xox

Mary

P.S. Here is the vintage clip art link.

Shock and Awe

You think I am going to talk about the Tiger Woods incident? No, I'm talking about something far more shocking than that little ditty. I'm talking about someone knitting the Anthropologie Inspired Wrap. Then what is the awe you say. It is that two people have finished knitting the Wrap, and both came out fantastic.

I'm so excited, because when I pressed the publish button on that pattern, the little voice in my head started in. You know the little voice I'm talking about? The one that tells you to put down that piece of chocolate cake, or tells you that you probably shouldn't have another glass of wine. The little voice that basically takes the fun out of everything. Yes, that voice. It caused me to worry that the pattern would be difficult to understand, or that I should have had someone test knit it. Basically I worried that people would be disappointed, and if there is one thing I hate to do, it is disappoint.

Christianne from Drop Stitch Knitter made the Anthro Inspired Wrap with Cascade 220 Wool and left off the buttons. I love how it came out! The color is great for fall.

Rosemary in Time knit the wrap with a tweed yarn, and also left off the buttons, and I adore how it came out too!



Thank you both so much. You really made my day, because I have the rare opportunity to tell the little voice - I. told. you. so.
:-)

Bonjour, mes amis!

Hello, my friends!

I'm settled into my new digs, and have even had a chance to knit a little. I present to you my new hat.

Pattern: Champs-Élysées Beret
By: Linda Wilgus, Popknits Issue Fall/Winter 2009
Yarn: Classic Elite Yarns Ariosa, 2 Skeins, Sangria
Needle: US 10 circular

I leave you with my favorite multilingual quote :-)

"Beer me dos Long Island ice teas, s'il vous plait."

Andy Bernard, The Office, Season 4, Business Trip

P.S. Still looking for a photographer :)

Shine a little light ...

This lampshade project was featured in the book Thriftychic by Liz Bauwens and Alexandra Campbell. It is a great way to use a button collection. I thought I had a lot of buttons, but this lampshade took over 300 buttons. It is composed of mostly vintage buttons, but I ended up buying a few new ones too.



I really do like the uniqueness of this lampshade.

You can buy lampshade frames on-line at the Lamp Shade Shop. I used a lamp shade that I had and just removed the existing fabric.



There are several other projects in this book that I plan on doing including a painted display cabinet.

Happy weekend!

The Eye of the Storm

It feels like I am in the eye of the storm right now. We have been through the most difficult part of the storm, putting our house on the market, keeping it clean for showings, offers, counter offers, counter to the counter offers, inspections, repairs, contingencies, appraisal, and now the calm before the big move at the end of the month. which is when the tail of the storm will come whipping through, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to post. Let you know that I'm still here. Please forgive me for I haven't been able to keep up with comments on your blogs, but I am enjoying reading them whenever I get a chance. What is most disturbing to me is I have not picked up the knitting needles in several weeks. Soon, soon things will be back to normal, or what I call normal.



I did have a chance to knit Damson a few weeks back. Ysolda Teague's latest shawl pattern. She is so clever. I love how the edge looks like crochet, but it is all knit stitches.



Damson by Ysolda Teague
String Theory Yarn - T.O.E. 100% superwash merino wool, 385 yds/sk
Color - Dark Star
US size 6 needles
Mods on Ravelry

WANTED: Photographer, one who is committed to taking creative close up shots, will tell me when I should fix my shirt, knows how to use photoshop, and doesn't sigh when asked to work. Do you know anyone?

Hello!

I'm sure I must have mentioned the blog Pretty Ditty before. Jamie blogs with a wonderful sense of humor and has so many great ideas. She writes fantasticly helpful tutorials. Oh, and Jamie is a wife, mother, pattern writter and shop owner too! I don't know how she does it all, but I'm glad she does!

This is my grown up version of her Hello Pin she made for her daughter's first day of school. You can find the templates and instructions here. They are fun to make. I made this one while watching a baseball game. It's that fast and easy.

Thanks for sharing your creativity with us, Jamie!

Anthropologie Inspired Wrap

Anthropologie Abundant Wrap

I was recently perusing the Anthropologie website just for fun, and came across this wrap. I thought it would be great for fall. As I looked more closely, it seemed like easy enough construction to make. I played around a little with some yarn and came up with my design, inspired by the original.

Anthropologie Inspired Wrap
Yarn: Cascade 220, (100% Peruvian Highland Wool, 220 yds/sk), 3 skeins
Needles: US 8, 14" straight needles and US 8, 20" circular needle
Tapestry Needle
12, 1-1/4" buttons




The pattern is in pdf format on my side bar, if you'd like to make one!