Recycling = Fun!

My hubby travels for work a lot. Which means that often he's gone and we miss him terribly but it also means that we end up with odd things in the house from his trips. He recently went to South Africa to attend the Climate Change talks in Durban. South African airlines apparently give everyone a little pouch with a pair of socks, a toothbrush and an eye mask in it.  He handed them to me and asked me if I wanted them. Now I cannot sleep with anything on my face and who is going to wear a pair of bright orange socks? Anaiah however was fascinated my the eye mask so my crafty mind got working and I knew I had to make her a fun mask! 

Because of the brown and orange colors and Anaiah's recent love of owls I decided to make an owl.  Mine it fairly simple but I think it turned out really cute. I love to recycle and re-purpose things that would otherwise end up in the trash! I also love crafts that are fun but don't cost much or in this case anything! So next time you or your near and dear ones fly ask them to had over their eye masks to you so that you can make a mask for a kid to enjoy!  I'm working on a sock puppet made from the bright orange socks which I hope to show you soon too.

Not the best shot.. sorry.. she didn't feel like posing!

I can write up a tutorial if anyone wants one! Let me know.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Deck the halls..

Hi all. I have not been posting much because I've been in full on Christmas prep. and taking time to enjoy the special moments! The tree is up and there are a few goodies in the freezer to be enjoyed at Christmas! Packages have been sent and even one received. Some things are finished and others are still on the to-do list but I am enjoying this season!  I may not be posting very much for the rest of the month. I hope each of you is enjoying this holiday season to the fullest!

I have good news and bad news.

The good news: I finished the hooded scarf today. So happy to be finished with it and be able to move on the other projects! It took me some serious thinking to figure out how I wanted to make the hood part of the scarf. Since it was not going to be a surprise and since my SIL also knows how to knit I asked her how she would like it. In the end I simply added increases in the shape of a V in the back and then decreases to mirror the increases to shape the back of the hood. I grafted the sides together using a 3 needle purl bind off which turned out fairly tidy. I did have to modify the hood a little because it had a little point on the hood and I know my SIL will not like the elf like hood look. 

Not the best picture.. but it was hard to take a better one of myself wearing the hood so I got the wiggly Anaiah to help me.

The bad news: The cardigan I had started for Anaiah is turning out WAY too big! I think I'm going to frog it and start over. :( I hate to have wasted so much time but if I make something she cannot wear it's an ever bigger waste of time. I don't mind it being a little big but this one has about 6 inches of extra space in the chest and that simply won't do.  Fingers crossed that I get it right the second try!

Wednesday Works in Progress

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us on the calender- but hopefully not in our hearts - I can get on with making things for Christmas!  Every year I have great ambition to make lots of new ornaments for the tree and gifts for everyone including the neighbors not to mention all the baking and when I don't get everything done I usually feel disappointed in myself and a little bummed out. So this year I am hoping to learn from it and give myself the freedom to make as much or as little as I want without feeling bad. Yes, there is still a long list but I've promised myself that it's ok if it doesn't all get done.  I just want to enjoy the Christmas season this year rather than getting totally bogged down in the to-do lists! So here is what I am working on:

Felt bird ornaments. I actually started these last year and they have been waiting to get finished. I wish I had a thimble as this is craft felt and it's really stiff making it tough on my fingertips to embroider. I do think they will be worth the effort though! :)  I do think I'll use the sewing machine on the outer edges.

On my needles this week:

Another simple double crochet scarf for my brother Erick.

A hooded scarf for my sister in law. I am making up the pattern as I go..

hope it turns out ok!

A red cardigan for my daughter Anaiah Grace. She looks great in red.

The actual color of the yarn I am using  is a rich crimson red.

Hope you had a wonderful week last week!

Giving Thanks.

It's Thanksgiving once again! The day we stop and pause to think about and give thanks for all the blessing God has given us. I love this day; not just the wonderful meal that comes with it.. although it is loved too.. but really counting my blessings. Naming them one by one. In all honesty it's been a really hard few weeks in our home. I have felt overwhelmed, under appreciated and lonely often. Anaiah, who I love dearly, has tested my boundaries more and more each day. Sleep has not been coming easily and my to-do list seems to be constantly interrupted by things beyond my control like power cuts and appliance break downs.  I need Thanksgiving this year. I need to stop and remember all the good things I have been given because I know they will far outnumber the difficulties. I know that God is good and that He delights is giving us good things. So here is a start to my list of things I am thankful for this year..

I am thankful for:
my daughter's good health and happy smile.
my husband's job that allows me to stay home with my girl.
my friends even if they are few and far away they are always near to my heart.
that I am almost finished making my Christmas gifts.
that the pants I made for Anaiah last night fit her!
for the time we got to spend as a family last Sunday.
my tiny toaster oven that is baking rolls for dinner tonight as I write this.
that my SIL was able to catch the earlier flight back from her meeting in Hyderabad today so that she will be home for dinner.
The list goes on...

What are you Thankful for today?

Finished this week!

I've been so busy these last few days finishing knitting projects and sewing projects and starting a few new ones.  I think I've nearly finished all the Christmas gifts that I will be sending back to MN this year.  I don't think I have ever been so ambitious when it comes to making gifts before. Everyone is getting a hat or a scarf or two. I hope they all like/appreciate them!  Today I found the perfect gift box for Lief, the pale green skinny scarf I made for my mother.  She is so lief! I really know she is going to love it!

I've also finished the fall table runner in time for Thanksgiving on Thursday! 

And last night I stayed up late sewing up this little bag. It's for my secret swap partner. I really hope she likes it. The pattern is called the Buttercup bag - by Made by Rae. It's an adorable little bag and I think I'll have to sew up a few more including one for myself really soon. The project in the bag is a new one I've started this week.

Finished things this week. It was a great week!



The cold front.

It's officially feeling more like winter in Delhi. The stores are starting to sell 'woollens' and I've spotted a few people wearing sweaters at night. It's about time! One thing I miss a lot while living here is the changing of seasons. I feel like the one season follows the next in an almost instant relay. I miss the slow changing of leaves and the crisp fall air that leads into the snow filled winters in MN. I love autumn and sadly have not had the pleasure of experiencing one for quite some time. Where are all those lovely fall colors? SO to make me feel a little better I've started working on a fall themed wall hanging/table runner. Not sure yet which it will be as I am letting it form as I go. Here is what have so far:

 I also made some slippers/booties for Anaiah this week. They are a different style to the ones I usually make for her but they are comfy. There is a great tutorial for them here in case you want to make some for your kiddo (or yourself). I, however just winged it as it's a fairly simple pattern. Anaiah is in a phase lately where she does not like to wear anything on her feet. Everything gets taken off including socks so I don't have a modelled shot.  These are made from some old jeans of mine, some red fleece scraps and non-slip material on the soles.

Are you doing anything special to decorate for the season?

Wednesday works in progress.

I've been busy knitting too over the last few weeks. I've mentioned before but I am a really slow knitter so these Christmas gifts are truly a labor of love. I hope the recipients like them.

I'm knitting a skinny scarf for my mother. She requested a long scarf that was just a few inches wide that she could wear indoors during the day to keep the draft off her neck. She does not want to look weird wearing a scarf inside but she is sensitive to getting a stiff neck. I really hope this fits the bill for her. The pattern is called Liesel. I am only making 1 line of leaves instead of the 2.  The yarn is a blend of wool and acrylic, Knit Shine by Wendy (India). It's wonderfully soft and light. The color is not as bright as the 1st picture but not as dull as the second, it's a lovely pale green.



I'm also working on a shawlette/scarf for my little brother's girlfriend. They are both fans of the TV show Bones and she is actually studying to be a forensic anthropologist so when I saw a pattern name Saroyan (after one of the characters on that show) I thought it was a perfect gift for her. I really hope she likes it.  I'm also using Knit Shine yarn for this project but held double. The color is again somewhere between these 2 pictures. (wish my camera could capture it better.) I'm about half way finished with it. It's not a quick project for me.. if I was a faster knitter it probably would be. I like how it's turning out.

Are you working on any Christmas gifts?

Muddy Waters

I love love love finishing projects! Don't you? It's a wonderful feeling when you bind off that last stitch. This scarf/shawlette was my 'on the go' project this month. Great for picking up whenever, crocheting a few stitches, getting interrupted by a toddler, and picking back up again without losing track of what you were doing! It's a lovely simple pattern called "Sweet Eleanor Scarf" by Quince Tart.  I like how it turned out and have called it muddy waters because the Yaguchi yarn I used has lovely blue and brown plies and they reminded me of a pond.. in a good way.

Anaiah loved twirling about and having me catch her up in this scarf. I did however have to hold her arm to get her to stop spinning long enough to snap a picture. She's such a silly sweet little girl and she is growing up way to fast.

Hope everyone who celebrated Diwali this week had a great time and enjoyed all the lights!

Labels.

I've been wanting some labels to sew into the clothing I make for some time now. My budget however still does not allow me to get custom labels made, hopefully someday! I bought some cute 'mother' ones while in the US late time and I have been saving them so only the pieces I love best get a label. It really does feel special to sew these in. Here are the ones I do have: However I have less than a dozen of these.

So you can imagine how excited I was when I saw that there was a chance to win some on the blog Crafterhours. It's a really fun blog!
Even if I do not win it was really fun to dream about my ideal label, having 'my own label' etc..


There will be 2 publics' choice winners and 2 judges' choice. The publics' choice is based on a vote on Facebook. There are some great labels in the bunch!
Check it out.





Hope you've all have a great day!
We enjoyed a walk around the neighborhood to see the "doggies". :)

KCWC - Day Seven

Well, on the 7th day I rested! At least from sewing. I have run out of sewing steam. Time to pick up some knitting needles again! I have a list of yarny projects I am hoping to finish in time for Christmas so I better get going on those!

Hope you've had a great weekend and a relaxed Sunday!

KCWC - Day Six

I finished the dress! Today as I was sewing it up I realized that I that I had made a big mistake when cutting out the pattern pieces. I completely forgot to cut the back in 2 pieces so that I would have extra allowance for the button placket.. OOPS.  I had to get a little creative to insert a button placket but hey it works! I wish I had better pictures of the cute green piping that I added because it really adds to the look of the dress. I'm happy it's done and it fits nicely! I'm slowly getting over my fear of sleeves!

Getting photos was tricky again. She really just wanted to run around. I think this is one of the best shots I managed to click. This dress should be great for colder weather because it's made of nice thick cotton. :)

Hope you are all having a great weekend!



KCWC - Day Five

It's been a long day and it's only about 9.50pm right now.  Anaiah seems to be coming down with something because she didn't wake up from her afternoon nap. She was feeling a little warm today too. No fever just a slight elevation. I'm also trying to get rid of a headache and some body aches. I hope we are not about to really get sick.

I did get a little sewing done today but I feel like it's been a comedy of errors with this latest dress. It's not like I have not made half a dozen or so similar dresses before so I'm going to blame the mistakes on my headache. Whoopsy.. Hopefully I can wing it and make it work! I was hoping to finish but I don't think I have the energy left today. Here is a sneak peek:

The super cute foxy print. I love the little squirrels too!

Have a happy Friday!

KCWC - Day Four

Do you ever wake up in the middle on the night with an idea for a sewing project? Or do you have trouble falling asleep sometimes because the ideas keep flowing and do not allow you to rest? I do. Some days I wish there were more quiet hours in the day and more energy to go with them so that I could sew up all the ideas in my head.  Oh, and less power cuts would help too!

After a lot more than the 1 daily hour that is suppose to be given to sewing during this Kid's Clothing Week Challenge, I made this:

 I LOVE it!  I'm calling it the Leafy Vine Top.

 I only had about half a yard of this corduroy. I had been intending to make a skirt or pair of pants from this fabric but then the ideas started coming as I tried to sleep last night. It took more than an hour to draft this pattern up so that I could make it with the limited fabric I had. I used nearly every last scrap! If I had had more fabric the sleeve bottoms would have been puffier! But I'm just happy I got full sleeves out of it in the first place! It took several re-drafts, some edits and VERY careful pattern tracing but I did it! :)  I used fabric from my stash for the facings. (Fabric my mom had sent me when Anaiah was born to match her Winnie the Pooh mobile. I was suppose to make a cover for the mobile stand. Glad I didn't get around to it.) I also used 4 buttons I had bought on a whim from the bottom of a jar of odd buttons in a little shop. Yes, 2 have a brown centers and 2 have green, but I say it works! I love buttons! Finding the perfect buttons from the oddballs in your button jar = being in button heaven! They also only cost me about 20 cents bringing the grand total cost for this top to about $2.50. Happy.

The Oreo is a bribe! It's the only way I was able to get these shots! 

Here are some modeled shots of the fall for flowers dress. The bunny helped me out this time!

Isn't she cute!

Happy Sewing!

KCWC - Day Three

Yay! Another finished dress. My model was getting her beauty sleep while I took these pictures so you'll have to wait for action shots.  I discovered that I do not actually enjoy making bias tape seams... it got a little fiddly and slowed me down in some places. This dress I am calling the "Fall for flowers dress". 

We are once again having massive power cuts.. I guess it's time to start drafting a few patterns for later then. I am praying that whatever is going on with the power supply to Delhi gets sorted out soon. It's no fun to sit in the dark! In case you are wondering how I am able to type this during a power cut - well, we do have an inverter that the computer is hooked up to for some reason. No TVs, no radio, no power in the kitchen but hey I can still surf the web! (provided the power cut does not last for hours and hours.)

May your power never go out and your sewing machine always run smoothly!

Happy Wednesday!

KCWC - Day Two

I was hoping to have lots of great things to show you today but it just didn't materialize. There were several long power cuts here which left me unable to use my sewing machine very much today. I did work on things for the requisite hour for the challenge, actually I think I spent about 2-3 hours between drawing up my idea, selecting the fabric, drafting the pattern pieces, and cutting them out. So hopefully I'll get it done tomorrow.

Here is a sneak peek of the fabric:

I also spent some time today at the mall. I had to go and return some imported Goldfish crackers I had bought because Anaiah was so excited about the 'fishies' when she saw them in the store. I get excited when she actually wants to eat something! It's been a struggle to get food into her for months. So after paying WAY too much for crackers and getting home she was begging for them. I opened the package only to be greeted by a weird smell, so I tasted one.. BIG MISTAKE. I never could have imagined how bad, bad crackers could taste! After checking the packaging over and over I still don't know why they were so bad. They are not suppose to "expire" till next year. I had even checked that prior to buying them in the store. Thankfully, 1. Anaiah didn't have to experience the 'joy' of these goldfish crackers because it might have made her food aversion worse. 2. The guys at the store, though they took FOREVER, refunded my money without giving me any problems. I did however dare one of them to try one. He declined to do so.

Going to the mall is something Anaiah really loves because they have a playground there. That may not seem so special to many of you but here in Delhi having a nice playground to go to is rare. There are not many safe and nice playground and this one even has a free ball pit. She really loves it. Even if we are on the other end of the mall she knows the way to the playground. The only trick is getting her to come out when it's time to go.

Hope you are enjoying your day like a kid at a playground!

Kids Clothing Week Challenge!

It started today! 

I am excited to put down my knitting needles and crochet hooks this week and pick up some fabric and some scissors! I went fabric shopping this last weekend and bought some fun corduroy prints that will hopefully become some fall/winter clothes for Anaiah.  I don't know how much will get done in one week but I love the idea of focusing at least an hour each day on making clothing for her. I also recently bought this book for myself, Metric Pattern Cutting For Children's Wear And Babywear by Winifred Aldrich.

  

It's far from the most exciting looking book about sewing but I really think it will help me while drafting pattens.  It contains lots of great measurement charts and pattern shapes. Some of it is really basic but I don't mind that. It's has already helped me to finish my first KCWC item!

Anaiah's Pumpkin Patch Overalls! AKA Dungarees to some..



They are not perfect but I'm still pretty happy with them. They fit her that way I hoped they would.. not too baggy but not too tight either. The little belt I made might need to have the button moved to fit her more snugly.

She loves the pockets! In order to get her to sit still I had to offer up a crocheted 'fishy' for her to play with. It was going to be part of a mobile for a baby but it's so dirty now that I think she can keep it. She loves amigurumi too! :) In case you wondered she was pointing at an airplane.

Hopefully there will be more to share this week! Have a happy Monday!

 

Johanna

Dino Bumps

I love it when something gets finished.  This was an impromptu project. I picked up the yarn on a whim and only bought one hank (about 55 grams).  Then all of a sudden,while I started to lose interest in the idea of going through my sewing stuff to tidy up a bit, I decided to make a hat with it. I've always thought the Anupriya hat was really cute so without really reading much I chained it up in the child size. Happily going along I realized that it was looking really big. So big that I would probably be able to wear it myself and so big that I might easily run out of the yarn before being able to finish it. So I frogged it and modified it and started again. You see in my enthusiasm I had not really read about the gauge or what kind of yarn they were actually using. The yarn I used was much heavier as was the hook. So I took out a few segments to make it smaller. I really just guessed but it worked out ok.  I also changed the way the bobbles swirl a little and made the ear flap smaller, added a tiny visor extension too. I have about a yard left. sigh of relieve! 

I think it turned out really cute. I've called it Dino Bumps because my daughter is into a song about dinosaurs this week and it kinda in a weird way reminded me of them. Maybe it's the colors. ;)

In case you feel like listening to the silly song too. It's actually kinda educational!

Memories. Some old, some new.

It's been a nice Monday. A productive Monday. The kind of Monday that doesn't make me feel like it's a Monday. :) (The best kind of Monday.)

I made muffins! These simple muffins always take me back to being a little kid. You see I use to make them for my mom on special occasions like mother's day. So every time I stir up this mix I go back in time to when I was maybe 8 or 9 and I was making these with my brother Erick really early in the morning so that we could serve them to mom and dad in while they were still in bed. We use to put a teaspoon of jam in them. So simple and yummy!

Today I made them with some candied mango and pineapple plus a few raisins tossed it.

These candied mango and pineapple bits are new to the local market and once I saw them I knew they would be perfect for muffins! I'm so glad that more and more products are making their way into the everyday Indian market.

Anaiah was all excited when they came out of the oven. She pointed and said cake, cake! I told her she needed to wait till they cooled down. Every few minutes she would go up the the table and ask cake? cake?

Once she finally got to eat one she enjoy the first few bites but then hit a little piece of mango and that was the end of it. She does not like mango! Good to know!

I will be enjoying them as a snack and probably have some for breakfast tomorrow. They are not too sweet and taste great cut open with a little butter! They sure bring back memories! I hope that I can teach Anaiah how to make them when she is a little older, sans mango then of course!

I'll share the recipe if anyone wants it..

Another silly moment:
Today while reading an ABC book, we came to the I for ice cream cone.

Anaiah proceeded to lick the picture of the ice cream cone. I laughed and laughed and so she licked it over again. "Is that tasty Anaiah?"  - "It's yummy!" She cracks me up sometimes!

Happy Monday!