Hanging Towels and Hot Pads

A lot has happened since a last posted. I am now a stay at home Nana the best job in the world! I have also started selling my crafts and such on esty. I am always making something, my hands never seem to stop. Even if I am watching a movie or my granddaughter Marley I always seem to be knitting or crocheting something. But what to do with all these things that I keep making hence the etsy shop!
The first they that I listed on my shop are my hanging towel and hot pads. I have been making the hanging towels for years, and have giving them out as gifts to family and friends. The hot pads came about when I went to a quilt show and saw a lady demonstrating how they are made, and just new that I had to make some for myself. I also found a link on pinterest if you are interested in making some for yourself. If not you could always find them in my shop!

Marleys Suprise Jacket

I just finished knitting Marley this jacket. The pattern is called Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann.
Its called a surprise jacket because it is knitted in a single piece and then you sew the top of the sleeves together and surprise you have a jacket. It wasn't that hard of a knit once I figured out the concept of the pattern. I added a hood and I knitted an attached I-cord around the jacket and sleeves.

I like that it is knitted in one piece, which I found very fascinating. How does someone think of something like that. You knit, make a turn, knit some more , make another turn and knit some more. Know wonder Elizabeth Zimmermann is one of the best knitters of all time.
As you can see Marley will be out growing this jacket soon. I was hoping that it would be bigger, but when there is really know way of knowing what size I was knitting I was just hoping that it would last her all winter.

I bought the pattern a School House Press and the yarn that I used was Caron Simply Soft.

Downton Abby Cowl

 

I originally bought this yarn for the Downton Abby Mystery KAL that was being hosted by Jimmy Beans Wool, but decided to knit the Sierra Sunset Cowl instead.
Because of this KAL I decided to watch Downton Abby for the first time and I got hooked on the show and watched season 1 and 2 in one weekend. I have yet to watch season 3, but I already know what happens and I am waiting for the reruns or for it to show up again on demand.
When Jimmy's first introduced the Downton Abby Mystery KAL I was intrigued, because I have done other mystery knit a longs before and I have enjoyed them. So I bought my yarn, but because I had to many projects going on I didn't get to start it on time.
By the time I was ready the mystery wasn't a mystery anymore, we were going to be knitting fingerless gloves. Well I wasn't sure that I would wear them so I waited to find another pattern for the yarn.
I found out that another knitter wasn't sure if she would wear the gloves also, so she decided to knit the Sierra Sunset Cowl. What a great idea, I already had the pattern saved in my library on Raverly, I was just looking for the right yarn to use. What a perfect match!
I love the color-way of this yarn I think it fits perfect with the colors of Downton Abby and I believe that this cowl matches perfectly and also the leather button I found to match!

The neat thing about this cowl it that it fastens in the back with three buttons.

I also love the easy lace pattern at the edge of the cowl.

Now all I have to do is wait for the weather to get colder so that I can enjoy wearing it and all the compliments I am sure to receive!

Here is the link to the pattern incase you missed it in my post Sierra Sunset Cowl.

Better Late Then Never

I had a very busy Labor Day weekend, I was able to finish a lot of projects that I started, some from years ago and some I just never got around to doing or kind of just forgot about them.
 I was going through some of the boxes in my sewing/craft/multi-purpose room and I came across a few things.
I embroidered this pillow when I was 18 years old, my that was along time ago. Richard and I used it for years in our home, but it got dirty and I didn't know how to clean it so I unstuffed it and washed it and never got around to re-stuffing it until now. I had been planning on changing the ruffle also but decided to just keep it the way I first designed it, why change it now when this was how I wanted it all those years ago!

I made this cross stitch sometime in my 20's but I could never find a frame. But the other day I found one at Michael's on clearance for $4.99 and can you believe it, it fit!

I was planning on making this valance for my garden window 5 years ago, and I when I came across it in my material box I sat down and got to work. And what a difference in how it makes my kitchen look!

And yes I did finish the sock boots that I told you about in my last post! They were a very easy knit, most of the work was already done for me I just had to knit the ankle parts and sew them together to the foot!

I also got around to sewing the buttons on my Iced Sweater that I knitted a couple of months ago. I wanted a big baggy comfortable sweater to wear with everything and that is just what I got!

 

 

I am still not sure about the placement of the buttons I might move them up a little. Hopefully it won't take me years to do it!

 

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My Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief

When I first saw this scarf on Pinterest I knew that I just had to knit it, and then to find out that the pattern was free on Raverly it just made my day. The name of the pattern is The Age of Brass an Steam Kerchief, by Orange Flower.
Finding the yarn was another matter. You see I wanted the same color yarn that this person knittimo used that made me fall and love with it in the first place, Madelinetosh Composition Book Gray.
My favorite yarn shop Jimmy Bean didn't have it in stock. So I googled it and I found it at Webs.
Remember I saw this and I just had to knit it! So I bought the yarn and the beads copied the pattern and then I let it sit and wait with all the other patterns and yarn that I just had to have. Oh the life of a knitter! If you are one then you know what I mean!
Well I finally got around to knitting it and I am so glad that I did. I followed the pattern as written except I add an extra repeat of the stockinette and garter/eyelet sections. I also added beads like knittimo on every other k2tog.

I just love it and I cant wait for the weather to get warmer so that I can wear it before one of my daughters steals it from me!
The next thing I am going to knit is these boot socks.

 I found this kit on the clearance rack at Hobby Lobby and yes that is the price that I paid $3.25.

Not a bad price if I do say so myself!

My Knitted Acorn

I know it is a strange thing to knit; and yes it does take up space. But I think it is super cute, and I just love it. My knitted acorn!

I saw this on Pinterest! That has now become one of my favorite sayings. Will that is exactly where I saw this acorn and I just knew I had to make.

I showed Brandy the pin (that is a way of saying saved it on Pinterest) and I asked if she could find me a bowl at her job. She works at a store called Home Goods, and if you have never been to one you need to go.

Will she found a bowl the very next day, yes she only found one? She really wanted to find two bowls because now she also wanted to make one also.

She told me that she was going to knit herself a Scrat so that he could steal my acorn from me. If you don’t know who Scrat is then you need to watch Ice Age.

Will I am happy to say that my acorn is safe because Brandy has found herself a bowl also.
Here is the site that I found the acorn on Tried & True. I rewrote the pattern a little. But all the credit goes to her. I had to change the number of rows to knit the make my acorn long enough. You might have to do the same because of the bowl size and the weight of yarn that you use.

Knitted Acorn

Worsted weight yarn

Size 9 double pointed needles
Small wooden bowl (small hole drilled in center)
Stuffing

Cast on 45 sts on 3 dpn, join to knit in a round

Knit 28 rows
Begin decrease rounds:
Row 29: K3, K2tog, repeat
Row 30: Knit
Row 31: K2, K2tog repeat
Row 32: knit
Row 33: k1, K2tog repeat
Row 34: K2tog repeat

Break yarn and run needle through loops on needles and pull tight to close after stuffing the body of the acorn.

 Acorn stem

Make I-cord
I made a 6 stitch I-cord about 5 inches long. You can find knitting help all over the web I like the ones on youtube.
Pull stem through hole in bowl and glue the acorn body to the inside of bowl.

My New Sewing Chair

This is my new sewing chair. And I think it pretty cute!

 I use to have my sewing machine in my dining room; because that was the only place I had room for it. But after the girls moved out I was able to take over one of their rooms.  But that left me without a chair. I was using a folding chair but that doesn’t wasn’t working out to well.

So I found this chair at a garage sale for $3. What a deal! And I decide to reupholster it. How hard could that be?

First you need to take the chair apart.

Take out all the staples holding the old fabric on, saving all the pieces.

Then using all the pieces as a template cut out all your new pieces with the new fabric.

I chose to add a new padding and batting to make the chair more comfortable. Cut the padding a little bigger the seat; that way it will fold over the seat.

Then using a staple gun; stable the corners first, pulling tight, and then the sides.

Trim off the excess and then stable on the new bottom cover.  

Repeat with the back of the chair.

The back is actually two pieces. I did the front part just like I did the bottom seat part. The only thing different that I did was that I used brads to nail the two pieces back together.
My staple gun also uses brads how cool is that.

And now I have a beautiful new chair to enjoy!