Candy Canes & Treats!

I made a few of these sweet ornaments for friends and family this Christmas. This fit the bill of quick and easy with an adorable and big impact. All it took was some denim, felt, and embroidery floss and I had myself a candy cane!

I love how simple they are! But don't you love them? You could do so many cute shapes - tree, wreath, snowman.... love them! 

I also made some of this awesome (and WAY easy) snack mix for me to give as thank you gifts for my preceptors at work. I'm all done orienting at my new nursing job!

Lastly, my hubby and I only exchanged stockings so I decided to make some of his favorite treats - chocolate covered pretzels. I wasn't going for most beautiful snack of the year, but I think they'll do the trick. Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! 

three years in the making: christmas stockings

Three years ago, the first Christmas we lived together, I bought the pattern for these stockings. I tried to make us some that year, attempting to model them after the ones my mom made us growing up. I failed miserably - got VERY frustrated and gave up. The following year, we got married and just after the holidays moved to Missouri so there was little time for crafting. Then there was last year. I had a few weeks off of school and I thought there would be NO problem knocking out a few stockings. I was so wrong. A little being came into our life and TOTALLY took it over. I did have time to get fabric, thread, and I cut out a few pieces, but no sewing was undertaken. THIS was going to be the year. No excuses. And, remarkably, they got done! 

Not without a fair bit of strife, but done. The pattern has a cuff that was just straight, but I wanted ours to be scalloped like the ones my mom had made. I'm not much of a seamstress so I struggled to make my own pattern piece and get everything to match up. I made Grant's first so it suffered a bit more, requiring complete redoing and embroidery of the cuff. But after that the other two whipped up pretty quick. They are, by no means, perfect, but perfect is overrated, right?

Can you imagine how excited I was to find CHRISTMAS PUPPY fabric for Olive's??? Totally made my day. Grant and I picked it out together. He thought her stocking should be smaller, but how would I get all her toys and treats from the doggie bakery in there? Big it is!

I embroidered our names on them, leaving the other side blank so that if/when we have babies we can decide if we want to put Mama/Papa on ours. My parents' stockings always said Mom/Dad so I kind of feel like its weird if the parents' say their names. Is that just me??

So the 'better' side is actually them hanging the other way, but since, in theory, they will be used for longer after we have kids we are using the crappier side for now. I'm SUCH a freak for thinking that all through, huh??

Tassel Hat

I made this quick little hat for little one a friend is having super soon! We are so excited to get to send this off to help celebrate the little one's arrival.

The pattern is out of this book, which I love and have been hoarding from the library for 2 months. It has so many cute, quick baby hats!

details:

pattern - chocqua
yarn - lion brand cotton-ease in seaspray
size - newborn (0-6 months)
...also detailed on my ravelry page

Autumn for Winter

Umm I LOVE this hat! It was super quick to knit and is really warm and I am loving the green. Grant can't get enough of it either - apparently he likes a girl in a slouchy hat - who knew?!

I knit the bigger size and I'm thinking I should have knit it a bit smaller, but I will be making lots more of these so there is room for changes. I also think I will increase the length slightly next time for a little extra slouchyness!

Don't I look happy freezing my ass off for these pictures?? My hubby is so great and indulges me in all my blogging photo shoots. He takes tons so I can pick my favs.

OH and I didn't mention that the other plus of this pattern is that it is mostly seed stitch which is my ALL TIME FAVORITE because the texture is so amazing. Yay! I love this hat!

details:

pattern - autumn by Jane Richmond (love all her stuff)
yarn - lion brand wool-ease quick 'n thick in grass
size - large
...also detailed on my ravelry page

its done! its done!

I apologize for how washed out these pics are...I finally got photoshop, but I don't know how to use it and the picasa editing thing wasn't helping so I just left them as is. Anyway... I finally finished it! Can you believe that? I've been working on it on and off for SEVEN months, but all 36,799 stitches of it are done, ends weaved in, buttons chosen and sewn on and its even been worn a few times!

At first I wasn't sure if I was lovin' it, but its growing on me. I'm learning to be easier on myself when things don't turn out perfect and just be proud that I made it. That is really what counts, but sometimes I let the Type A in there convince me it should be better, perfect. So stupid, but something I constantly struggle with. What is important is that each time I knit something imperfect I'm training that voice to be quieter and calmer AND my knitting is improving so that things will turn out with less imperfection and more skill. 

Can you tell how awkward it was for me to take these pictures?? I'm a bit of a freak! I will have to keep you updated on whether it gets much wear - I feel weird when I wear it like people will know its handmade...which isn't a bad thing I just feel weird about it. 

PS...remember when this yarn was supposed to be something else way over a year ago??

details:

pattern - garter yoke cardi
yarn - lion brand cotton-ease in terra cotta
size - small
...also detailed on my ravelry page

Lainey's Shower

HELLOO! I know its been forever and a day - life has been WAY crazy and it is all explained in more detail here. But I'm back with at least one little craft-ish update. Remember Lainey's little shower gift? Well here are the pics from the rest of the shower. We kept it pretty simple, but I liked how it turned out! 

Dollar store cocktail glasses and italian soda in shades of red quenched our thirst. 

favors - mini anti-bacterial smellies from Bath & Body Works and the little cups were for the kids that came. 

I stole this idea from my friend, Lindsey, but I loved how they turned out. You just get the plain wood frames from the craft store and use ribbon, stickers, and scrapbook paper to class them up. I also painted them first so you couldn't see the wood color. We did the whole shower in her wedding colors ... red white and black. 

cute, huh?? I love the banner - we used Lainey's sister's cricut which was so exciting! Also love the pom poms - we had those all over. 

Me and the blushing bride - what a fun afternoon! 

SMS

I have a quick and important announcement! I adore Ryan and his blog Pacing the Panic Room - he speaks from the heart and his pictures are amazing. His son, The Littlest Buddy, has a condition called Smith Magenis Syndrome that we need to learn more about. Hence, the new charity album to benefit the study and research of SMS! You can listen to the tracks in the widget and buy the album from iTunes which is linked to above! Please help if you can!

bridal shower gift

A very close friend is getting married in just three weeks! I am so happy for her and wanted to get her the perfect shower gift. I followed Homemade by Jill's example and got a little something from the registry and made the rest.

I know Lainey likes to use cloth napkins so I made her a set of four and included my favorite bread recipes to use with the loaf pan from Crate and Barrel.

The recipe cards were made using picnik and this tutorial. You can print them out as 4x6 pictures if you want...

Gettin' There

i'm still working on my garter cardigan... just have the sleeves to go, but i HATE double pointed needles so its taking me forever!

baby baby baby

i went to a baby shower last weekend so i whipped up a little coordinating set a la homemade by jill.

i just made a few burp cloths, appliqued the onesie, knit my fav baby hat, and made a little brag book. these brag books are my new favorite craft. they are kind of like oragami made into a little book.

here it is all opened up...you can see it folded up in the first picture. its kind of confusing to see how it works just in pictures, but you basically fold paper so that it folds all up nice and neat. then you can decorate your book and give it away so someone can add pictures!

this is the back side... see the covers on the ends?? if you all are interested it could probably put a tutorial together someday. its not my own idea...my mom learned about it from a friend and taught me... but i think i can still show you, right??

Craft Room Progress

Although not much crafting has been getting done... SOME progress has been made on the room it all goes down in! Its also our guest room... what do you think??

This is my new fav thrifty find! It was $10 or something... it was kind of scratched up and off white with black legs, but my parents got it all spiffed up to match my room! I HEART IT!

I don't know if it is a real Eames, but I LOVE it anyway! Maybe I will have to get the rocking chair someday to match.

Father's Day Fun

It has been a ridiculously long time since I've been over here - life has been insane the past few months! Just three more weeks of school and life should be a little more bearable. In the midst of it all I saw this project on Oh Happy Day (one of my favs) and had to do it.

There are three dads between the two of us and I always struggle to decide what to send as a gift, but this was so easy with such a cute impact I went for it. Two of three made it to Portland in one piece, but all were happily received - my step-dad even sent a hero themed thank you note!

one

i made another freezer paper shirt! this one was for the aforementioned birthday boy. i went simple with a J, for jude, on the front and 'one', because he turned one year old, on the back!

seriously, how can we all not want a cricut... oh! and apparently they can cut fabric too... applique anyone??

monster stuffie

This little man's birthday was last week so we made the trek to SoDak to help him celebrate. A little handmade stuffie was in order for the birthday boy. cute, huh?? i found the pattern a long time ago and have been waiting to use it.

i am not even joking that this took me maybe 45 minutes to complete. do you see that i struggled to zig zag stitch around the eyes?? i decided it was ok because it is a monster and they are supposed to be crazy!

love the little heart!

probably the only time in my life that i could literally feel my heart swell - nothing better than something you made getting love. happy birthday sweet boy!

freezer paper + cricut = LOVE

i've been wanting to try freezer paper stenciling for a long time, but never got motivated. THEN my friend, lindsey, and i were discussing how she could embellish some hoodies for a bridal party - i told her to try freezer paper stencils, but she had a good point... so hard to cut out letters to make 6 hoodies. THEN it hit me... she could use her cricut to cut the freezer paper...GENIUS!



we weren't positive it would work, but it worked beautifully! do ya'll know what a cricut is?? they are amazing and i want one...they cut stuff - letters in tons of fonts, any shape/thing imaginable.

anyway...when we were in Oregon a few weeks ago i wanted to give it a try and decided that the Schwake kids needed some t's to celebrate siblinghood.

sorry these pics suck... the light was horrible and i was too lazy to do anything about it, but you get the idea right?? don't you feel like you need a cricut so you can embellish everything imaginable??

this is the whole ensemble that i sent Alisha... i love handmade stuff!

eyelet cardi

remember this little teaser?? well here is the finished product! i have a friend that makes really cute babies. she is about to have #2, so i thought her daughter might like a little something to commemorate becoming a big sister! this is the biggest thing i've ever knit and i am pretty happy with how it turned out.

i definitely still have a long way to go on knitting with a consistent tension, but i am definitely getting better!

this is the first garment i've made that required extensive seaming... OMG that takes forever! i didn't mind it too much, except for the armpits - those are tricky! the first one i did (on the left in the above picture) didn't turn out too good, but i think i figured out the right technique on the other side.

i love the eyelet yoke and seed stitch border... i just wish my eyelets were a little more consistent...

i heart this button... it is a vintage one i picked up a long time ago and i think it worked perfectly on this little sweater

come back tomorrow and i'll share what i sent along with the cardi...

details:

pattern - eyelet yoke cardi free on ravelry!
yarn - lion brand cotton-ease (my favorite!) in seaspray
size - 3 year
...also detailed on my ravelry page