New Little Skully Hat

I'm lucky enough to be welcoming lots of other people's babies (OPB) in the future, so I'll be knitting up quite a few little baby items as gifts. I used the Stitch N Bitch pattern for the umbilical cord hat for this one, and a chart from another Stitch N Bitch book for the little yellow skull. I've never knit in color (is that called intarsia??) before, so I had to watch a YouTube video to figure it out.

I love knitting for babies because it's usually so quick. I have such a short attention span! And, I think I also worry that I'll spend a bunch of time knitting a sweater only to have it turn out badly. I just don't have that time to waste, you know? I've got American Idol to watch, after all!

Baby Doll Bed in Progress

I've been a busy beaver lately. Cookies? Check. Knitting? Check. Gift wrapping? Check! Sewing? Check check!


Here's a sneak peek of what's in progress for my little peanuts baby bed. Now let's hope I can get it done in the next four days! So far I have the mattress cover, pillow and pillowcase done. And I'm getting closer on the quilt. My only problem is I can't remember how to do a quilt binding. I think I've only done it once or twice...any tips??

Only 5 More Weeks...? OMG!

I heard today that there's only five weeks until Christmas. I think someone is using new math. It can't really be that close, can it? Well, whatever. I'm already in the spirit, anyway, so other than the fact that I have a lot of craft projects to fit in that window, I'm okay with it.

I hit Michael's this weekend for some supplies for Tiny Pumpkin's Christmas gift (more to come on that later) and ran into these awesome sparkly doo-dads on 40% off sale. Don't they spruce up this deer planter nicely? Can't wait to find a home for this...after Thanksgiving at least.

Got Sock Yarn? Make Doll Mittens!

I posted a while back that I'd be making some doll clothes for my nieces who are totally into their American Girl dolls. Well, let the fun begin. I'm using up sock yarn like a madwoman using this pattern for mittens. I've got tons of sock yarn to use up, so maybe next I'll move to the tiny socks. Wheee! Already crafting for Christmas. Maybe this means I'll actually finish what I hope to...?

Knit Tee Goodness

A sweater with short sleeves seems like an oxymoron, doesn't it? I mean, your body and shoulders are nice and snuggly, but what about your poor elbows? Your wrists? Well, I've discovered the joy of the knit t-shirt. And amazingly, discovered that I can complete a knitting project that takes more than one or two sittings. Eureka! I have an attention span, after all. My first sweater project was unfortunately completed before my friends from Yarnivores (my knitting gang) helped me figure out checking my gauge.

I knit this little wonder in anticipation of being without a massive 8-months-pregnant belly *someday* in the future. And whadda ya know, someday came! Of course the belly is not as flat as it was, say, 12 months ago, but it's darn fine to me. It's just one of those things moms deal with. Not that I've ever met a mom who isn't kind of bugged by it, but whatever. Babies are worth it.

After I spent agonizing months knitting this thing, wondering "Will I ever finish this?" I found another great short sleeve sweater that I want, the Leaf Tee Shirt (below). Go figure. Now I'll have not one but two short sleeve sweaters. Who knows, maybe I'll next knit myself a bikini, or some sunglasses. I'll have a whole summer wardrobe of knits. But really, I love the short sleeve sweater and I think it's perfect for Fall. I think you should knit one right away. Because they'd also be great for Spring, and someday maybe 9 months from now or so, Spring will come, too. Here are some other great options for the knit tee:

St. James Sweater (what I knit)
Leaf Tee Shirt
Embroidered Cap Sleeve Top
Drops Top
Wright Drape Top
Tempting
Wren
Siesta
Mangyle

American Girl

My grandma Betty got me into American Girl dolls. I was never a doll kind of girl, but she loved dolls and had one that looked like each of her daughters and granddaughters. My likeness is named Lindsey, the first ever American Girl doll of the year from 2001. My grandma passed away about five years ago and I keep little Lindsey at my house now. She's got curly brown hair just like me. I think American Girl originally started in Middleton, Wisconsin, which isn't far from where I grew up.

Now my little nieces love the dolls and they each have one. So my mom and I decided to treat them to a trip to the "big city" of Chicago to American Girl Place for a little shopping and tea. It was a blast. Of course the weather in the windy city was, well, windy, but other than that we had a great time.

My own little sweetie isn't quite big enough for dolls yet, but I was really tempted to get a little Bitty Twin for her. But, I think I got swept up in the moment so I just decided to try to be rational (does a three-month-old really need a doll?) and came home empty handed. Even though I wasn't a doll person as a kid, I couldn't help but be impressed by the quality, detail and historical accuracy of these doll's accessories and the stories they tell about their lives.

I really did get caught up in the excitement about these dolls, so I went searching for knitting patterns for making American Girl clothes and accessories. I found quite a few really cute ones. I mean, how long can it possibly take to knit mittens for someone who's only 18 inches tall? I figure I can crank a few of these out for Christmas no problem. And that's just my kind of project!

I'm listing links here to the patterns I thought were the nicest. This list ranges from outfits to hats to socks and mittens to underpants. Have fun!

Summer Fun Ensemble
Empire Waist Dress
Cardigan and Pullover Sweaters
Boxy Cardigan
Faux Fur Coat and Hat
Tiny Socks
Mary Jane shoes
Fancy Panties
Mittens

People in my Neighborhood: Jennifer Ladd

I recently discovered another awesome crafy lady in my neighborhood -- Jennifer Ladd. She's got a shop full of the most beautiful bags and purses you've ever seen, often made from original fabrics that you can't just pick up at the local JoAnn's (which, as an aside, I have decided to avoid at all costs).

Not to mention her own adorableness, look at how cute she is with her sweet little daughter! Well, it's almost too much to take, I know.

This week I asked her a few questions about herself and her life here in Wisconsin. I also read an article she wrote for Esty about Milwaukee Esty artists and felt glad all over again that I've moved here. My interview with her follows...

You're so crafty! Tell me a little about yourself.
I have been crafty all my life. It probably all started when I was a baby and spent my days watching my grandma sew in her basement (she has her own company making and tailoring clothes). I picked up a needle and thread very early, and I haven't put it down since! While sewing is probably my favorite craft, I love to try out any other craft I can. I love to work with glass (glass fusing and glass blowing whenever I can get access to the facilities, stained glass, glass beads). I paint. I make jewelry. I embroider. I make baskets. I work with metal. In college, I even spent quite a bit of time woodworking (although my pink tools received lots of snickers from the men in the shop). I'm always searching for some new outlet to help me create.

What inspires you? What other artists/crafters do you admire?
I am inspired by beautiful color combinations. My brain just feels happy when I see beautiful colors together. I admire artists who are either very good at what they do (locally: RosyBird, Papavier) or very good at what I CAN'T do (locally: UrbanTurn, Kilsook). And I admire anyone who can knit ... I have tried and tried, but can't seem to get the hang of it, so anyone who does is my idol!

So you're a mom of one, and soon to be two. What kinds of crafts do you do with your daughter, or look forward to doing as she gets older?
She is a crafty little girl, too, so we are always digging into our overflowing art closet and working on some kind of project together. She's only 3, so we are still a bit limited, but most afternoons you will find us either painting, stamping, drawing, cutting, folding origami, or stringing jewelry. AS she gets older, of course, I am looking forward to sewing with her (and luckily, she has already expressed an interest! Yay!).

What are some of your favorite local shops?
Since I do have my daughter and another baby on the way (hopefully soon!), I spend most of my time in kid stores / toy shops - I like Sprout, the Learning Shop, Winkie's in Whitefish Bay, and Downtown Toy Store in Kenosha. If I ever want to do some window shopping for myself, I will always head to the Third Ward ... Anthropologie and Broadway Paper always provide some great eye-candy!

What's a perfect Milwaukee/Wisconsin day to you?
I love Milwaukee in the summer - there's always something to do (and the weather is FINALLY perfect)! My perfect day would be a picnic at the zoo with my daughter (followed by a nice walk through the zoo, a train ride, and even feeding the goats (to make my daughter extra happy!). On the way home, of course, we'd stop at Kopp's for Turtle Sundae custard. Maybe some shopping in the Third Ward. Dinner at Coquette's Cafe. And then an evening at South Shore park. Perfection!

Celebrating the 4th of July

photo from marthastewart.com

We're strangers in a strange land, so we haven't had anyone other than family or neighbors over to visit our new house. So we're particularly excited to have a couple of friends over today to celebrate Independence Day by eating a ton of food and hopping in the kiddie pool. Did I mention the sparklers? Good fun for the under-2 set. I have been too preoccupied to do much by way of July 4th crafting, but I did scope out some cute ideas if you need them, like these great pom pom centerpieces from Martha Stewart. I probably love them because I'm just generally a sucker for anything in a mason jar. Flowers, drinks, whatever. I just love them.

Martha, in all her crafty wisdom, also has a cute project if you've got some patriotic colored ribbon around. Basically you shape it int0 a little star, glue it on a sucker stick and voila, instant cute cupcake topper or drink stick. Or, string them up and you have a neat little banner to hang in your backyard.

Most years, I also have spare tomato cages laying around, but this year all hands are on deck for our awesome garden, so I'd have to go buy one for this project. It's a really cute paper tomato cage lanterns with stars that would light up the backyard so cute for your outdoor party.

I wish I could say I whipped up a fab little BBQ party this year, but alas I did not. I whipped up Roseanne Cash's Potato Salad (which is the closest substitute I've found for my mom's recipe, for which there is no recipe) and some beer cheese dip and some chocolate cupcakes. I did go buy some little flag toothpicks to stick in the cupcakes, so at least they'll be a little festive.

Tomorrow I think we might have another wee Pumpkin first -- fireworks!

What's going on at your place this weekend?

New Product: Recycled Clothesline Organic Tees

Finally, I started making something for girls! It started with the Big Sis Tee, and now I'm on to these cute clothesline tees made on my new, colorful, organic cotton baby onesies. I use repurposed fabrics to make the little clothes that hang on the line, too, so these are do-gooder shirts, for reals.

I was inspired to make these by my own shoes. Yes, my shoes. You see, years ago I bought a pair of Camper Twins shoes that have a clothesline. They were on super-duper sale and I've worn them to death ever since. In fact, I dread the day I have to replace them because I'm sure they will either not be on sale, or I won't be able to track them down. So maybe my new onesies are my way of immortalizing these shoes.

I also love the clothesline image because I love to hang our clothes out to dry. Did you know that some states are moving to BAN them? Check out Laundry List and this article in Time Magazine for information if you're pro-line drying like I am, or just want to know what all the fuss is about. I don't have a clothesline at my new house, so I guess I'll have to find out if they've been banned or if I can put one in. If I do, I just know these little onesies will look so darn cute hung on it!

He's Crafty

My hubby is not the most crafty person I've ever known. In fact, he's usually downright uncrafty. Maybe the most crafty he's ever gotten is to take a permanent marker to one of wee Pumpkin's onesies and write some silly thing on it. He doesn't really build stuff, either. So that's why I was so incredibly shocked and amazed when I learned that he had set to work busily crafting this little step stool for our little guy's new bathroom!

This wood was just laying around out in our garage, and somehow he just put his mind to assembling it into the worlds cutest little stool. And he got wee one to bust out his tempera finger-painting skills to decorate it. He clear-coated the whole thing, put some felt on the bottom and it's good to go. And the wee Pumpkin is EXTREMELY proud of the stool he painted, too. So now what am I going to do with three crafty types in this house? It could be ugly, folks. PIpe cleaner wars. Doily knit-athons!

I'm actually ecstatic that hubby has a new handy hobby. Now how can I keep the interest up? Any ideas are welcome!

Toddler Indoor Activities

In winter, I vacillate between being so eager for spring I can hardly stand it and reveling in all the indoor fun I’m “forced” to succumb to, like baking, making and reinventing my surroundings. This winter is a little different, having just moved, but essentially it’s the same. The most different part, really, is that whereas last year our little one was just learning to walk and hardly spoke any words at all, this year he is a fully formed person who wants to play, explore, learn and chatter from one end of the house to the other. Coming up with activities that we all enjoy is a formidable task. And learning how to break the activity into very small chunks so as to keep the attention of a toddler, a must!

Since many of my friends are also “trapped” indoors with toddlers this winter, I decided to compile a little repository of fun indoor activities to do with a toddler in the winter, or really whenever inclement weather keeps you inside the house. These are just things that appealed to me personally – but by all means there are many more ideas out there. I just happen to gravitate toward creative or crafty projects or things to do in the kitchen.

I’d love to hear what others are doing to maintain their sanity this season. Aside from indoor play gyms and the like, what are you doing with your shorties right now?

Teach your kids to make pasta

Making butter with kids

Make your own lollipops

Making Pine Cone Bird Feeders

Making Homemade Finger Paint

Cork Race Game

5 Instruments to Make with Kids