Oh My... How Pinteresting: 08/02/2012

I have decided to sign up for the Pin it and Do it Challenge this month.  I decided to to this when I made a pinboard of completed pins and realized I've only done two pins... one in October of 2011 and one this past July.  Sheesh!  Hopefully this will compel me to actually do something.  I signing up for the second level, Pinterested which is to complete 4-7 pins in the month of August.  I've shared some of the things I want to to here and here, but here are a few more things catching my eye:

Veggies make me puke right now, but I think I could eat this!

Homemade baby wipes

Washcloth patterns... this is quick way to use up yarn!

I'm thinking this would be great in my room or in the living room

Atticus's burp cloths were used to death.  I need to make a bunch before baby #3 arrives

Whelp.  I think I have enough on my plate for now.  Time to actually get my butt in gear and make stuff.

Join in with the fun!

Oh My...How Pinteresting!

I've tried to figure out this Pinterest craze for nearly a year.  After a couple days of pregnancy lethargy and reading apathy I figured I'd give it another whirl (the whole third times a charm thing).  I get it.  I completely get it.

I thought I'd share a few pins that have caught my eye recently. Instead of linking you guys to the actually pins, I've gone to the original source of the pin in order to give credit to the artists and creators and not just the "pinners."

Crocheted mug cozy

I love this simple pattern and it will really help me practice my French Knots.

A super easy baby blanket.  Since baby #3 and Atticus will be sharing a room I plan on making two coordinating blankets of different sizes. 

I love this idea.  I'm forever passing up vintage embroidered linens because of stains.  Now I have a reason to buy them anyways, salvage the good parts, and make a quilt.  Genius!

I'm not gonna lie.  I *HATE* summertime.  I found this recipe for pumpkin biscotti and I cannot wait to make it as a companion to my pumpkin spice lattes.  Oh, Autumn, I long for thee!

That's it for now.  Maybe I'll actually do a post like this again.  If you'd like to follow me on Pinterest click the button!

 

Photo Friday: The Knitting Knerds Edition

Thursday night:  knitting and a mocha with friends!

Making Monday

I need to embrace the fact that I'm really horrible with remembering to take enough pictures for my blog posts.  You'll have to content yourselves with a poor phone photo of a finished dishcloth sans the dreaded "weaving in the ends". 

It is a little wonky on that >>> side, but whatevs.  There are many more things in the works: 

• Our raised bed has been built and filled with good soil.  Which by the way, wheeling a wonky wheelbarrow filled with dirt down a steep hill is an AWESOME workout for the triceps and thighs. 
• Peas, carrots, onions, spinach and lettuce are in the ground!  Sweet potatoes will go in next week.
• Thyme is planted next to the oregano and rosemary in the front yard.
• I'm crocheting throw pillow covers for our sofa.  Hope to finish the first by the end of the week (I'm forever the optimist).
• Speaking of yarn, Michael's was having a sale and I bought 10 skeins of cotton yarn for dishcloths.  I usually keep some cotton and needles in my bag for work meetings and such.  It is easy to transport and pick up and keeps me from getting restless in long meetings.  I keep a stash on hand for gift baskets for teachers and family members.  I need to whip-up a stack of receiving blankets or bibs or hats because so many people I know are having bebes.  
• I'm still working on the same blasted embroidery piece.  I don't think I'll ever finish it.  GROAN.  When and if I do finish it will rock.

Next update I swear I'll have more pictures.... if I remember.

Thursday Threads: Finishing some WIPS and other plans

This week I plan on finishing two projects I'm nearly done with.  The first is an embroidery project I started ages ago.  I'm embellishing flowers on a thrifted pillowcase.  Then there will be some sarcasm and either couching or felt letters applies.  I cannot wait to finish it.

The second project is Hope's cowl.  I'm really sick of this thing by now.  There is actually a funny story behind this.  I crocheted myself a cowl and Hope balked at it.  Then she opened one of her tweenage celeb magazines and *SHOCK* Selena Gomez was wearing a cowl.  Now Hope wants one!  She asked for lots of colors and to make it long so she can make it "super loopy."  You're super loopy, Hope.  Harty Har Har.

Now, one to February projects.  My yarn project will be from this lovely book:

And I'm planning on making this:

I also plan to carry a skein of cotton yarn and some knitting needles to whip-up dish clothes.  My new favorite gift for teachers/family/friends has been baskets with a dishcloth, baked goods, and tea or coffee.  Folks seem to like them and I like being able to give folks something homemade.  I have plenty of cotton to keep me going:

Finally, lots of embroidery and sewing will be going on this month in the form of Valentines!  Atticus's toddler class sent home a Valentine day list (you know the list of names).  I feel silly sending scraps of paper to a bunch of under twos -- the paper valentines will be quickly destroyed and/or eaten -- and I don't want to send sugary junk.  So I've decided to make the kiddos these:

The pattern is from Belle and Burger.  I won't put buttons on as they are a choking hazard, but they will have wee stitched eyes and smiles and then the kiddos name on the back.  The pillows are small and there are less than eight kids in the class.  I should be able to whip-up these in a weekend.

I have a few other V-day stitchy plans, but they are secret and cannot be shared yet.

Snot Induced Idleness Leads to Super Creativity Powers (sorta)

I've been home ill with a sinus infection since Wednesday.  I finally went to the doctor on Thursday and I didn't go into work Friday and I'm out today.  You should know that I am the worst sick patient ever.  I love being busy; I hate seeing the house a mess and lying in a heap of blankets for days and staring at the ceiling or television is a literal hell.  During my snot-induced loafing I thought about why I hate being leisurely while ill.  It comes down to two things:  

1. I am going to die:  As in, Life is only here for a bit and we are quickly hurdling towards demise.  Therefore I should spend my time doing worthwhile things in order to eek the most I can out of my wee slice of time on Earth.  Of course, "doing worthwhile things" translates into making lists, buying books, and knitting most of the time.  I'm an Existentialist with embroidery patterns and cookie recipes. 
2. I have Mom Guilt:  When Sam -- who is hardly ever ill -- is sick or the kiddos aren't feeling well I send them all to bed, make pots of tea and stockpots of homemade soup, and dispense as many cuddles as tolerated.  When I am sick, I feel like I'm slacking on my "mom-duties".  I don't want to clean, or go to the grocery store, or -- the most guilt-inducing of all -- play with the kids.  Then when Sam is at work and the kiddos are at school (like right now) I feel like I should "do" something.  Laundry? Re-organizing the freezer?  Dusting?  On Friday, I decided to heave myself out of bed and tidy the house.  I spent 20 minutes loading the dishwasher, folding clothes, and making beds.  Then I had a huge coughing fit, felt utterly drained, and slept for another hour.  In other words, it is okay for Sam and this kiddos to be ill and rest, but I feel like the ultimate slacker-mom when I am ill and rest.  

My Not-So-Inner Feminist and my Inner-Reasonable-Person (she is buried deep) surfaced on Friday after I overdid it and decided to Take It Easy.  I finished the last 400 pages of Our Mutual Friend.  I did a little bit of embroidery.  I watched Downton Abbey.  I napped extensively.  I let Sam handle dinner, and Atticus's bath, and playing with the kids.  In fact, Sam took Atticus to the doctor (he has a little ear infection, but we caught it early on) morning and I stayed home and played Bejeweled on my phone.  

By Saturday night I was going insane.  I had to do something.  So I knifed and buried my Inner-Reasonable-Person and decided to organize my Craft Lair.  You can see the awfulness of my Craft Lair here.  Atticus helped.  He had great fun putting skeins of yarn in a laundry basket and then dragging them out again.  I diagnosed the problem with my craft lair.  I didn't have places to put things.  Well, I have places, but none of them good when there is a curious toddler afoot.  I let Atticus get into things as long as they aren't dangerous or impossibly messy to clean.  Therefore yarn and embroidery hoops are forever scattered around the house.  I needed a place out of the grasp of Atticus the Future Fiber Artist.... hummmmm......

Bingo....

Diaper boxes on top of the Craft Lair dresser!

Well, that worked, but was completely unattractive.  Then Creativity slapped me silly and I had an idea.

1 Diaper box + rolls of faux wood-paneling (rescued from the library trash) + thrifted pillowcases =  ATTRACTIVE YARN STORAGE.

I whipped these up in the space of 10 minutes and had all my yarn tidied away neatly.  I spent the rest of the evening working for 10 minutes and then resting for 50 minutes.  I got it done and when Sam came home from the tattoo shop sometime after-midnight the Craft Lair was a-sparkling.

Ohhhh.... ahhhhh....

They aren't perfect, but they look a heck of a lot better than undecorated diaper boxes.

Organization for the win!

A place for everything!

Accomplishing this really raised my spirits and it really didn't take too long or too much effort once I had a place for all my supplies.  Huzzah!

Making Me Crazy: a Plea to Crafters, Bakers, Stitchers, and Yarn Wranglers

Yes, the cat bed is on top of the craft table.

My beautiful craft area has become a veritable nightmare and the place where we put everything we don't want Atticus to chew on.  I am overwhelmed by the mess and all the projects.  I don't know where to start (or maybe it is when to stop!).  I have quit Pintrest temporarily because I am collecting more ideas and then doing nothing with them. 

My goal this week is to organize this wreck.  Then I am going to figure out February projects.  I think I need to limit myself to one project in each area a month.  I feel like a list may be in order. 

My question to all the creative types out there: how the hellfire do you organize /manage your projects?  Is this some sort of odd OCD?  Please help! 

A Craft Lair!!!

Nothing gets this mama out of a funk more than a glorious weekend with the family.  We had a shitty yard sale that only yielded $37.  So Sam and I blew the money on Thai food and a trip to Michael's for finger paints for the kids and oil pastels for Sam.  I've played outside with Atticus (Hope is visiting her Nana), tidied the house, watched a few good movies, and accomplished this......

When we originally began renting this house in May 2010, I had plans for a basement craft lair.  That just wasn't practical.  I'm usually multi-tasking while I knit, crochet, embroider, and craft (baking and minding babies mostly) and sequestering myself downstairs wasn't practical.  Now the stuff is upstairs in the sunroom so there will be plenty of light and I'm near the kitchen and in prime view of all the kiddos.  This is only the beginning of this organization project and I'll be sure to post more pictures as I work on it.  Beau approves.  He hops up on the craft table to flee from grubby baby hands. 

Photo Friday: The Bake and Make Edition

An embroidered birthday hankie for a friend...








Blueberry Oatmeal Pecan Cookies...




A basketweave dish cloth. Most of it is knitted and then I did a crochet thingamajig border...

Cheery Cherry Muffins...


Basketweave Cloth...


I'm in a makerish mood.  I have plans to bake more Cherry Muffins, something new with blueberries, and a chocolate plum cake.  I'm also knitting more dish cloths for all the marrying/newlymoved/birthdaying folks I know.  I've also started a project for a stitch-along, but I couldn't take pictures because the camera batteries are dead.  Oh yes, and I think I'm starting a low-key knitting group at the coffee shop.  Oh yeah!  And crafts, I have plans to make somethings with Hope and a few felt owls.

I hope you all are out there making something.  It is so satisfying and peaceful!