Christmas Stockings

I recently started knitting my baby a stocking for Christmas. I didn't have to look hard, I found an excellent pattern in Alison Isaacs book Holiday Knits. You can see my progress above. I knit after the baby eats as he dozes on my lap, and it works out pretty well. I am excited that this will be the only gift he gets from us for Christmas, as I know he will be completely and ridiculously spoiled by his other admirers.

I love having the stockings on our mantle at Christmas, and I always start getting excited for that season around this time of year when there's just the slightest hint of coolness in the air. The stockings I made for Mr. Pumpkin and I made out of a couple of old wool sweaters I got at the thrift store. I cut out the stocking shapes and sewed them together with contrasting yarn. Pretty simple, but cute. The baby's is going to be much cuter, though.

Anyway, if you're inspired to make a stocking or two, here are a bunch of cool patterns I found hunting around on the internet. There are about a million patterns out there, but I tried to keep the list to the ones I found the cutest. Enjoy!

Knit Stockings:
Striped Stocking
Boot Shaped Stocking
Knit Stocking with Baubles
Fisherman Stocking
1945 Stocking
Christmas Tree Sock Stocking
Felted Stocking
Mini Stocking
Berroco's "John", Felted Sean and Colleen Stockings

Crochet Stockings:
Basic Crochet Pattern
Granny Square Stocking
Hilarious Owl Wizard Stocking
John Deere Stocking

Sewn Stockings:
High-heeled Boot Stocking by flamgirlant on Craftster.
Melissa's DIY Felt Stocking
Quilted Stocking with Embroidered Names by folara on Craftster.
Necktie Stocking by gwensmom on Craftster.
Applique Stocking by Boffcat on Craftster.

Martha Stewart Stockings:
Sweater Stocking
Quilted stocking
Handkerchief stocking.

Stockings For the Furry Family Members:
Dog Paw Stocking

Not Such a Lazy Sunday

Sunday my sister and neices came to town and we were so productive! They made the baby his first baby food -- applesauce and cooked carrots -- and we froze the lot of it for when he's ready. We also made caramel apples and pretzels. AND, to top it all off I made chili. Wow, I need a day off! The caramel apples were good, but I sure wish I could find a better caramel variety than the Kraft (crap) they sell at the store. And I really hate unwrapping all those darn caramels.

Double Happiness

Today baby Pumpkin and I walked to the Salvation Army and picked up four things for about four bucks -- two for each of us. Of course he slept through most of it, tightly nustled against me in the Baby Bjorn, but I like to think he'll dig his new duds as much as I do. I also got a chance to try out the pacifier "catcher" that looks like a doggie that his aunt Seri got him. Works like a charm -- no pacifiers on the floor of the thrift store. Bonanza!

Thinking about Thanksgiving

With the onset of the cooler weather, I inevitably start thinking about Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because we always host it, and we always get an amazing assortment of family, friends and those six-degrees-of-separation types who come along with the former. I love to prepare the old favorites and try new dishes; my husband loves his rotisserie grilled whole turkey. And of course, everyone brings food, so I get to try lots of other people's favorites, too.

I have recently been reading this book to get inspiration. I tried the recipe for Rustic Apple Almond Tart (pictured) and it was one of the best desserts I've made in a long time. We picked the apples on a trip to Eplegaarden near Madison. Paired with some vanilla bean ice cream, this was such a hit.

I'm hoping to try some of the other recipes, like the Herbed Buttermilk Buscuits and the Acorn squash stuffed with wild rice, cranberries, walnuts and hickory-baked tofu. We'll see how the planning goes; after all, I've still got two full months to get the menu together.

With the rest of my apples, I'm going to try this recipe for applesauce. Maybe if the baby takes a nap tomorrow I can give it a whirl and post my results (if I don't eat them!).

St. Paul Craft Mafia Goes Kitchen Crazy

If you have some time and are a local, go check out the show at the Textile Center on University Ave. -- you can see my felt cake and lots more kitsh-en stuff!

Added-- here are some : much better photos

Cutie Cake

My favorite crafty gals, the St. Paul Craft Mafia invited me to participate in a little gallery stint over at the Textile Center at the end of August. The theme is going to be "kitchen" and so I decided my favorite part about the kitchen, the sweets, would be my inspiration. I think it turned out pretty cute.

I'm BACK!

After a miserably failed attempt at a sweater, I've been "off knitting" for almost a year. I had mistakenly thought that my ability to knit a baby sweater meant I could tackle one for an adult, and I was wrong. My attention span and attention to detail are just not there.

Recently I decided that I wanted to have a hand knit hat to put on baby G when he's born, so I whipped up two umbilical cord hats. This sock monkey-inspired one will be going with us to the hospital, although I bet it's way too big for his tiny little noggin. Guess we'll find out!

I'm really glad to be "back" on knitting. Can't wait to knit some more easy, small projects!!

Mr. Gnome Pants

I made these cute little gnome pants from some scrap fabric I had laying around. Don't look too closely, there are a TON of mistakes (okay, you don't even have to look close to see them, but oh well)! Thanks to Rebecca of Hazel and Melvin's Room, they have the most awesome gnome buttons! I like how the buttons kind of lay to one side. It's unintentional but quirky.

More in Baby's Room

Probably the most frequent question I get asked these days, right after "Are you ready?" and "Can I feel your belly?" is "what's new in the nursery?" Here's what's new! I made the Umbilical Cord hat out of the Debbie Stoller Stitch N Bitch book (as seen here modeled by Mr. Turtle) and my uber-talented friend Nancy droppped off the shower gift she reupholstered for me -- this gorgeous rocker! It's getting so cute in here I can hardly stand it!!

My New Favorite Recipe

What's better than something made with rhubarb in early summer? Not much! I usually do rhubarb crisp, but this year I branched out and tried the Rhubarb Tart recipe on Epicurious. It was out of this world delicious and even kept for a few days (unlike rhubarb crisp which is really only good the day you make it). Give it a shot, I think you will be pleased!

Big Bad Blue Organizer

Whipped up another do-dad for baby's room, although this could easily work in any of our closets for assorted odds and ends. It was so easy to make!

Look What We Made!

I got the best of gifts in the mail yesterday -- something hand made!! My super crafty friend Jen (who is also a master baker and my inspiration to read lots of books) made me this great bathrobe from the Amy Butler In Stitches book! It's so cute and even fits over my big, pregnant belly!

The cropped jammy pants are my creation. I tried to make them really stretchy in the waist using some really nice, thin elastic, but I'm finding that they are kind of falling down. Oh, well...guess I can just open them up and tighten things up a bit!

Tonight I also made my favorite peanut butter cookies, but I added bittersweet chocolate chips. Here's the *super easy* recipe:

1 C butter
1 C peanut butter (I prefer chunky/extra chunky)
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t salt
1 t soda
1 t vanilla
2 C flour

Cream butters. Add sugars and mix well. Add remaining ingredients. Add extra flour if needed. Spoon onto cookie sheet and press down with floured spoon.

A Tough Day at the Office

I have a coworker who is expecting her second boy any day now. Tomorrow I'm heading over to a conference room where she works for a little baby shower gathering among her closest coworkers. I figured what more appropriate way to wish her and her new baby well than with a Tiesie, or what I like to call "Business Casual for Baby."

I whipped these up with a stash of vintage ties I found at an estate sale. I thought they turned out pretty cute. In fact, they aren't all going to make it to the shower tomorrow...

Crafty Baby!

Planning a baby's room is much more difficult than I thought it would be. I have to set him up in a room that has all wood paneling and cork floors, so pretty much a solid pallette of yes, brown. I also didn't want to create the standard pastel crib/changing table/rocker glider/Pooh bear set up that I usually see in pictures. I toyed with the idea of a rock vs. country room with an acoustic guitar on the wall...then I thought of a "toy" room decorated with old tin toys. I still haven't really settled on any type of theme, but have started crafting things nonetheless. So far the main centerpiece will be a large circus print and circus photos that were my grandmas. I like the idea of grandma Betty looking over our little guy while he sleeps. And what kid doesn't love the circus?!

Baby's First Friends and Crib Bumper:


Baby's Rock N' Roll Quilt:

Maybe I'll Try Embroidery Again...

I was so excited today, upon reading my newsletter from Crafty Planet, I discovered that the mastermind behind my cute Pumpkin Girl logo has launched a new Sublime Stitching Pattern! Yes, friends, now you can stitch yourself a cute Kurt Halsey angel, birdie, or other what-not!

I also have to give credit to my good pal Brad, who designed the logo, too, and convinced Kurt to help. Whatta guy.

Anyway, back to embroidery. I once tried Sublime Stitching's Tattoo Pattern and I really liked it. My only problem was deciding what I could embroider stuff on. Only so many pillowcases and dish towels in my house... What do you embroider on?

Okay, off to spend a whopping $3 at Crafty Planet for a new Kurt Halsey embroidery pattern...too adorable.

Ahhh...Refreshing, Relaxing, Retreating to Red Wing...

It's been a really long time since I had "girl time" or even just time to goof around and do my own thing. Well, this weekend I had the chance to spend three long, relaxing days with 10 other girls at a giant Victorian house in Red Wing, MN crafting, chatting, sleeping, doing yoga and eating great food. What more can a girl ask for?

Trish from Crafty Planet put together the instructions to make these adorable slippers from Craft Zine and I had so much fun making mine (although I wasn't paying attention and had to rip them apart about 4 times). I varied the pattern slightly, in that I didn't turn the soles once I sewed them together, and I lined the entire inside, not just the sole. My favorite part is the fabric-covered buttons, which I've never used before.

I'm back now, and back to reality. At least the weather is warming up, and the No Coast Craft-o-rama '07 plans are beginning to formulate. It feels good!

Send Your Love

I just don't relate to people who hate Valentines Day. I love it!!!

When I was little I remember my dad leaving me a little teddy bear one Valentines Day morning. And I loved sorting out the boxed Smurf's valentines, carefully deciding who of my classmates should be the recipient of each based on the cheesy little sayings.

I think Valentines Day is the perfect excuse to tell your loved ones that you're thinking about them. Send them a kiss, a hug, a letter in the mail. It's all about the love, baby.

P.S. If anyone has any ideas what to give my husband, send me a note.

Catch Us at Urban Earth Co-op

Since you've been cooped up indoors all winter, we thought you could use an excuse to get to the garden store. We will be set up with Urban Earth Co-op at their PaperWorks show Feb. 3 starting at 10 AM. We'll have our usual paper wares and some cute new valentines for your sweeties.

Hope to see you there, breathing in the flowers!!

http://www.urbanearthcoop.org/

No Coast Craft-o-rama: Big Success!

It was a long weekend in Pumpkin Land! Friday afternoon we trekked over to Midtown Global Market to await the delivery of lots of rented tables for the big event. Willa and I waited in relative calm, just knowing that the storm was about to begin. We've been planning for this all year, and it's a little surreal knowing that people are on their way from Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinios and the far reaches of Minnesota to be part of the festivities.

We were really glad we arrived early to set up tables, and we also got the help of friendly Joel and the Americorps volunteers who arranged lights and moved things around for us.

Around 4 everyone started to arrive for the pre-sale. At that point I got really nervous, because we still hadn't put up all the tables, some spots still looked really dark, and I hadn't placed the signs on each table so the vendors would know where they were situated. Much less, we hadn't unloaded our car or started to worry about setting up our own table yet! But, never fear, Ellen, Trish, Chrissy and various Midtown employees helped get everything in great shape before invited guests arrived.

The pre-sale was very relaxing and I'm glad we had the "dry run" to work out kinks. Most of the vendors were able to leave their stuff on their tables until morning, which made the start of Saturday very un-chaotic (thank goodness!). We sold quite a bit and met some nice shop owners, as well as Arwen from Craft, who was kind enough to blog about us.

Saturday I woke up at 4:15 AM, wide awake and ready to go. Unfortunately, that lead to a very tired Pumpkin Girl for all of Saturday. But, I toughed it out and put on a happy face, until about 5 when I just wanted to sleep, or cry, or both. The day was amazing, with over 8,000 people attending (we expected 5,000). I ate lots of good food, including Huevos con Chorizo, egg rolls, and garlic chicken. I saw lots of friends (thanks for coming Carrie, Brittany, Eric, Becky, Jen, Andy, Meggan, Caitlyn, and everyone who couldn't find me but stopped by). The Roe Family Singers rocked for about four hours and I was sad when they stopped, but I also enjoyed the hip hop step group (of cute young girls) The Sandburg Steppers.

I only bought two things. One, a great necklace from Small Motor Designs and another unmentionable gift for a good friend who couldn't make it.

Mostly, this day was about friendship, family, and crafting your heart out. I have to give MAJOR shout outs to my girls who plan this event with me. I know each and every one of them working long hours and did lots of things they didn't want to or have time to, just to make this so successful. They deserve a big raise (ha! well, a raise from $0 isn't hard to do)! Also, big props to my mom Granny's Closet, who I heard many people say had come early just to get to her table early (she nearly sold out of everything).

Thanks everyone who came and supported the fun, sweet, brilliant designers and craftspeople at No Coast Craft-o-rama 2006. Thanks for supporting me!

More happy holiday stuff!

I've just been crafting up a storm over here. No Coast Craft-o-rama Returns; No Coast Craft-o-rama Part II; Second Annual No Coast Craft-o-rama...well, you get the picture. I'm eating it, sleeping it, breathing it right now.

In other news, you can come visit me November 15th at the Linden Hills Home Store (across from the Linden Hills Co-op, in Linden Hills) for a little "Meet the Artist Night" type deal -- there will be free food and wine and other artists, too.

Well, back to crafting!