Fashionista in the making...

Yesterday I got a small glimpse into the future and how fun it is going to be having girls that are into fashion and fabrics, color, etc. I'm currently knitting up (and QUICK!!) Summerlin for the girls and before I CO for Madi's, I asked her about the color for hers. Good thing I did b/c she had definite opinions about green. I showed her the greens against the fabric of the skirt and she said, "Mommy, that green is yucky-if I were making it, I do it in a lime color instead." I almost fell down!!! She was so right!!! So, I promptly dug into my stash and found the only lime (so I thought-today found some cotton-ease, but whatever) that I had-Berroco's Ultra Silk ?!? Well, she loved it and loved the feel of the yarn so Ultra silk is what she's getting. I'm very lucky that she's so light on her clothes and so is her little sis, who gets all of the hand-me-downs!! They look brand-new most of the time....

All of this made me think how fun it's going to be when Madi learns to knit and makes things for herself-if, of course, she is interested. She has an interest now so I'm hoping it only grows....with my yarn station downstairs, piles of fabric and a sewing machine that is constantly humming, how can she resist the urge?? It will be fun for sure!!

Pics to come of the finished Summerlins...

Absent-minded....

Ok-it's raining here in NEPA, so you know what that means!! I'm updating my blog!! Been awhile, no???

I have been pretty busy knitting and sewing a few things to sell at a store out here and of course, since the weather is better, we've been outside a lot! But today will be catch up on some long-waiting computer stuff and updates on projects, ideas for future projects, etc.

My husband graciously helped me complete my latest and greatest project!!-a dress form!! We followed the directions from Wendy Bernard's Custom Knits
and it came out GREAT!!! My other dress form is around a size 2-4, so atleast now, when I'm making sweaters/tops, I have something a bit more true-to-size...photos to come this afternoon!

I also managed to re-design a bucket hat that my daughter had that was way too big for her (the brim was HUGE) and didn't gave straps! Again, b/c of hubby's great design with my craft station, it's just so easy now to pop downstairs and sew! The sewing machine beckons me, all hooked up and ready with just a switch of the light. I added ties to keep it on her head when we go boating and cut/frayed the brim so it suits her much more....will do so for my other daughter's hat as well....these hats will do until I make the Better Bucket Hat (pattern on Ravelry) for them and me.

I also have been cranking out necklaces based on Annie Modesitt's pattern from her book, "Twist and Loop." I can't believe I didn't blog about this class yet???
In a nutshell, her class was terrific as is she!! She is so funny and down-to-earth. Very inspiring designer and really made everyone comfortable and at ease with what she was teaching. I made quite the first impression on her as I drove the WRONG WAY down a one way street to Mountain Knits and Pearls in East Stroudsburg. She signed my book, "I'm so glad that I didn't see you get killed in East Stroudsburg." We laughed and joked the whole time. I would love to see her again. I brought with me "Romantic Knits" and purchased from her, "Twist and Loop" and her memoir,

GREAT book!!! If you can, get a hold of this book! I love it b/c it lets the reader get a glimpse of the knitwear designer's life-all the travel, juggling around schedules, designs, etc, but it also is so personal-very intimate details of what Annie is going through with her husband's illness of Multiple Myeloma. I admit to not having the first clue as to what that illness was and at first, I didn't want to read the book, fearing that it would be sad, but she writes in such a funny, frank manner that I can't put this book down!! Wish I could have her over for tea and knitting!! -what a great personality...

So, what's on tap besides the hats and finishing up of other projects? Those darn sumerlin dresses for the girls and Coachella (pattern on Ravelry) for me. And of course, some more jewelry making...

And must do this dress again for a friend! What a great pattern!!

Vintage Earrings Tutorial and GIVEAWAY!!!!

Vintage Earrings Tutorial and GIVEAWAY!!!!

I love these earrings!!! So chic!!

Blueberry Pie Refashioned Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Blueberry Pie Refashioned Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Grosgrain: Vintage Earrings Tutorial and GIVEAWAY!!!!

Grosgrain: Vintage Earrings Tutorial and GIVEAWAY!!!!

Great Grandma's communion purse...

So, here it is. While I was reorganizing my basement (in what seemed like a never-ending task) I came across this little purse that brought back childhood memories for me and again, made me wish I had learned the needlearts crafts from my family memories instead of fumbling along like I did and still am. This adorable little purse was made for me by my non-english speaking Great Grandmother (she was straight from Sicily). She barely spoke when I saw her, only really said my name, "Christina," when I saw her but there was something about her that I found calming. She was a real matriarch and unfortunately, with her death, died the idea of matriarch in our family. She crocheted this little purse for me for my 1st Holy Communion and at the time, I knew it was really special, b/c she had made it, but also b/c she was really old when she did (I wonder how old she really was at the time, but as a kid, I remember her being "really old.") It is adorable with a little rosette sewn in the center, and it is lined in white cotton. I remember when I got it, my mother telling me that it was really special and that I had to take extra good care of it. I'm shocked that I still have it and very thankful that I do, b/c unfortunately, I had and still have a HUGE tendency to be absent-minded and lose things. Thank goodness, this little purse was spared of my faults.
When I look at this purse, it makes me think back to that day of communion-I was so excited to wear my little veil and fancy dress and my mom was going to curl my hair like some lady named Farah Fawcett, and I was going to have tissues and a dollar in my purse for church. I also think about how my great-grandma knew how to both knit and crochet and what skills she had and how all of my older aunts and my grandma could knit/crochet ANYTHING and I never thought to ask them to teach me. I so wish I had...
Someday, I'm going to teach my daughters how to knit/crochet and someday they are going to thank me for that-not that I need that. But hopefully, they will grow to love creating things with sticks and string as much as their mommy does. Someday too-in the next few years, my daughters will use this cute little purse for their Holy Communions and they will know to "take extra special care of it" b/c their great, great grandma made it for them.

Yep-new post, b/c it's raining outside!!

So....in the world of yarn, what have I been up to?
I've been crocheting up a storm!! Finished off another pair of booties and I've twerked so many patterns here and there, I'm thinking that I should probably just write out what I've been doing so that I can do it again. I also have been printing out a billion-I want-this-now patterns, including a few that I purchased from Etsy. Among them are these:

1. Petit Chou yet another cute bootie pattern-this one is knit
2. Stitch Diva Studios-to make the Evening bag with my one skein of Lousa Harding's sari ribbon yarn...and some grecian headbands for the girls...
3. Oma House Slippers-really hoping this pattern is a good one so that I can make some cute slippers for all of the girls in my life! Also bought her Pleated bag pattern and completed it-it is TERRIFIC!! I will definitely make more for gifts and am hoping to make a larger one for my mom's birthday....
4. Shetland Shorty-b/c this little wrap is so cute for summer-I want one in many colors!! Can be found on knitty.com summer o8
5. Coachella-I made one of these last summer and am hoping to make one again using Louisa Harding's Fauve yarn-I've got a bag of it sitting here staring at me. I've had that darn bag almost a year-needs to be used soon....

Now-I know, I already have projects on tap like the girls summerlin dresses (cast on but didn't go that far yet-I got distracted) and the clapotis (yawn for right now) but I have knitting ADD for sure-just ask my husband...he gets me...

What I have noticed is the pull of the crochet hook lately....I feel like crocheting more than knitting (GASP) I really NEVER thought that could or would happen to me but it is.....Crochet is just so fun and summer friendly I believe, b/c of it's airy-ness in the stitches and the fact that it really is so much faster! Where knitting tends not to really show off cottons to the best of its abilities, crochet does-those tight little single crochet stitches are addictive!! So, right now, I am experiencing the push and pull of knitting vs. crochet.....we'll see which needlecraft reigns soon enough!!