Blessing Day - and a truly epic Blessing Gown

On Sunday March 18, 2018 Jared blessed our sweet Edythe Rose at our church.  A baby blessing is a ritual in which men who hold the Priesthood gather in a circle around a baby, and in Edythe's case, her father, pronounces her name for the records of the church, and provides a blessing for her spiritual and physical welfare. I love to see my babies, surrounded and held up by righteous men, while being blessed with a wonderful life. Edythe was surrounded by her dad, most of her uncles, her grandfathers, and a close friend.  I hope that as she grows up she knows that these strong, worthy men of God will continue to support her and that she can go any one of them if she ever needs them. 

No pictures are taken of the actual blessing, but we definitely took a few afterward.  You see, the dress she was wearing is truly epic.  It embodies 10 years of dreaming of a girl.  I started crocheting this beauty when I was pregnant with Eli, and didn't finish it until after I had Atticus.  I worked on it every time I got pregnant, and stopped once I had another boy.  While I would have been perfectly happy to have to knit up another something for another boy, it was sure nice to see it on a little girl of my own. 

 All of my lovelies.  Aren't they adorable!?

My biggest and my littlest.  Evy is lucky to have a wonderful older sister, who has shown her just how to be a good big sister, herself. She is absolutely thrilled to have a baby sister, also. 

And the boy's, who it's obvious completely adore this little nugget.

My mom and I.  I'm wearing a necklace that my Grandma Jackson (Edythe) gave me at my university graduation. It's an Egyptian cartouche with "Edythe" on it in hieroglyphs. She would love to know that she has a namesake.

And 4 generations of Jared's family, his mom and Granny. Can I say how stinking lucky I am to have married into such a family!

Okay, and just a few more of Edythe and the dress, because seriously, 10 years. 

Crocheted Camera Strap Sleeve - Pattern

I promised you two patterns soon, and this is not one of them.  Sorry.  It is, still, a pattern, but not one of the two I promised. You will have to keep waiting for those.  My friend Laura asked me to knit her a camera strap.  I didn't, I crocheted her one instead.  It's super easy, and with the chunky (washable!) yarn, it is so squishy and nice.  I want one around my neck. It is basically a knit tube that you just slide over your existing strap.  You can embellish it however you like.  I made this flower but you add some buttons, another flower, or just leave it plain. 

So, here it is.  This pattern has not been tested, so please let me know if it needs some tweaking!

Crocheted Camera Strap Sleeve

SIZE

One-Size

MATERIALS

Berroco Vintage Chunky (Bulky / 12 ply, 50% Acrylic, 40% Wool, 10% Nylon, 130 yards / 100 grams )

Crochet Hook US H/5 mm

Tapestry needle

PATTERN NOTES
dc = double crochet

sc = single crochet

DIRECTIONS

Row 1: Chain 15

Row 2: Sc in second chain from hook and sc across -14 sts
Row 3: Ch 1, (2 sc in next sc) twice, sc 10 across, (2 sc in next sc) twice - 18 sts

At this point you are going to join to crochet in the round and continue this way until the piece measures 26 inches (or the length of your camera strap.)

Round 1: Sc in the third sc from the opposite end of the piece (creates a tab, used later for a button) - 16 sts

Round 2 and beyond: alternate between sc row sections and dc row sections of varying lengths for 26 inches total, always alternating at the "back" of the camera strap (hold the strap so that the flap at the beginning is at the middle front to determine where the back would be).

Decreasing round: Once you have reached 26 inches you will need to taper the end to hold the strap snug.  To do this do two rounds of crocheting 2 stitches together at either side of the strap: 

Round 1: From the center back sc 3, sc2tog, sc 6, sc2tog, sc 3 - 14 sts 

Round 2: Sc around

Round 3: Sc 2, sc2tog, sc 4, sc2 tog, sc2.  

Break ends, pull through and weave in end.

Finishing: go back to the beginning and sew on a button under the button flap.  You will slide the sleeve over your strap from this end and use the button to secure it (the tapering at the other end will do the trick there.)

Embellish your strap as you wish with a flower, buttons, etc.

You can find the pattern page on Ravelry and upload your own projects there!

Call it what you want, baby.

Some may call it an obsession, but I call it a healthy hobby.  I have been knitting like mad lately.  Mad, I tell you.  I've had several custom orders, a few test knits to do, never mind the list of things I want to make for my own little bump within.  I don't have pictures of them all, but to prove my time is well spent, here's a few of the projects I've been working on:

 Okay, can you believe how cute this one is?!?!  I love it!  I may make about a hundred of them. The pattern is called ZoZo Pixie Cables, and I'm in love.  What a great way to bust some stash, and a perfect baby gift to boot.  For those wanting to make it, I would suggest using a size or two smaller needle for the first CC band, because it splays a little.  Still, very cute!

The pattern is called Morpheus, and it's so cute.  I've done two of the designer's patterns, and love them.  However, I've found they run pretty small, so if in doubt, size up.  Also, on this one, I only did the mesh pattern on the front of the sweater, not the back, as the pattern instructs.  I love the colours.

This little Pinafore is one I've made before, and a great stash buster.  The pattern is only for 0-3 months, but I just size it up by using a bigger hook and thicker yarn.  Isn't Marigold a sweetheart.  She melts me.

These two are possibly the easiest headband pattern out there. A great way to use the end of a skein after a project.  The purple flower is this one, and the yellow flower is this one.

And this little shrug is so beautiful.  The yarn is a silk blend, and when the lace is stretched out it is just gorgeous.  My intention, if I have a boy, is to give away all the girl things I've knit, but I might have to hold onto this one for future children.  Love.

So, if you wonder why I'm mum, it's because I've been knitting.  All. Day. Long.  If you're on Ravelry, check out my other FOs here.

And, for those here looking at patterns, I've got two (or three) great ones coming in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

Buy My 'Papes, Sir - Newsboy Hat

I love to knit and crochet.  Okay, maybe my love borders on obsession, which borders on total neglect of my children and husband for hours at a time while I sit, yarn in hand... but whatevs.

On my favourite pattern site, Ravelry, there are over 220 000 patterns available.  Of those 220 000 there are 73 000 patterns that specify that they are for the female gender, be it baby girls, child aged girls or grown women.  Never mind the thousands of clothing items for dolls.  There are only 8 000 that specify that they are for boys.  Okay, forget the math. The point is there are an infinite amount of patterns out there for girls, and a limited amount for boys.  And I get it.  Sweaters, dresses, darling hats with larger-than-your-baby's-head flowers on them tend to be way more exciting than plain toques (Canadian for beanies.)  But, I like to dress up my boys, and I like to make things for them. So, in my attempt to do just that, Silas got a new hat!

No, it isn't meant to be on sideways, but when a 20 month old dresses himself...

 

Call me lazy, but the quickest way to knit and crochet is to use thick yarn and big stitches.  So these hats are designed to be quick and easy.  Made with bulky yarn (or two strands of worsted weight yarn, even better because you can bust up your stash like mad making these) they only take an hour to make.  That's my idea of a great project.   So, whip out your crochet hooks and crochet up one of these for your own little one, or for the next baby shower you go to.  Put that bag of yarn from your grandma to work!

Here's the pattern for the Buy My 'Papes, Sir Newsboy Hat. (Just click on the link, and it will take you there.)  If you do make one, I'd love to see pictures, or upload them to Ravelry.  Let me know if you have any problem getting the PDF and I will make sure to get it to you.

 

Oh Bed! Oh Bed! Delicious Bed!

You know those people in the world that you can't help but love?  Well, my sister-in-law Renee and her daughter Rhiannon are two of those kinds of people. We love them!

This week Rhiannon turned FIVE, and today was her birthday. Because we love her so much, and because she deserves to be spoiled more than most five-year-olds, and because I don't have a little girl to make girly things for, Rhiannon got the spoils of my crafty labours this month.

Working late into the night last night to get it finished, this is what we brought to her party (and when I say "we" I actually mean "I", due to the pox and all):

Could you please all fall over right now with awe?!?!  Seriously, I MADE that!!!  I don't believe it myself, I promise.  But, I have proof:

Okay, that's not proof at all, it's just a picture of me holding wood while Jared's dad is doing stuff and then a finished product, but let me assure you that I did, in fact, with a little help from my father-in-law, make this bed from scratch.  And it only cost me $17 (and two finger tips, which I sanded off on the belt sander.)

All right, that also proves nothing except that I'm really good at putting bandaids on, but I didn't want to gross anyone out with my lack of finger nails. Just trust me on this one people, it was gross.

Anyway, the moral of the story is that Rhiannon is amazing and I hope that her fifth birthday was awesome, and that her next trip around the sun is even more incredible than the last.  And the other moral is that I made that bed.  I did.

The plans for the bed came from Ana White and were awesome.  I'm never going to buy another piece of furniture again, I'm just going to make it all.

Embracing my Inner Grandma

I know my endless knitting projects may not impress as much as I think they do, but the boys have been sick and so we've spent a lot of time sitting around, and so I've spent a lot of time knitting and crocheting. It's been quite lovely... except for the whole, being sick thing.

Anyway, like it or not, here's what I've been working on:


Let's start with this one.  A terrible picture, but a hat that actually fits a big person, instead of a little one!  And cables to boot.  The designer calls it Unoriginal, but I've never knit anything quite like it.  It's super cute (and if anyone has a birthday coming up....)

And then I moved back into the little person realm with this piggie bonnet.  Wish I had a newborn to try it on. I made the pattern up myself, including the pigs ears, which I spent far too long on. 

Then I made two of these, trying to make them the right size for a four year old. This one's called the Divine Hat, and it is just about that.

Oh, and then I made this one. It turned out way smaller than I planned, but it's pretty cute regardless.  I added three dangling pom-poms to the top, and it's even better now. 

Then there was this one, which I think necessitates a big brown and pink flower.

And I just finished this.  I'm not terribly fond of the colours, but it was a quick, easy knit, so I might just do it again smaller, with different yarn. As is expected, my favourite are the braids. I like earflaps and braids.  Here's a link to the pattern.

 And then, my absolute favourite so far.  I knit this one out of a ball of cheap variegated acrylic yarn that did not look good crocheted.  It turned out so ridiculously darling that I may have to go out and buy some more yarn and made a whole slough of them!   The pattern, Capucine, is really easy to follow, even for a beginner knitter, and I knit it up in one evening.  You can't beat that! In the tassels I added some of the extra dark purple from the Divine hat, and I think it makes it all the more wonderful. Maybe not the most practical of baby hats, but I love it none the less.

So there you have it.  I'll admit, I'm a total grandma, but I love it! And like I said, any birthdays coming up...

Eli's Chunk Hat

Every time my needles or hooks come out Eli asks when I will knit him a hat.  Poor boy, I make him try on all the hats I make, mostly for girls, and he never gets to keep any of them.  So, tonight I made him a hat of his own.  My favourite part is just the tiny bit of a point at the top.  Eli is getting to be too big for a full on gnome hat, but I sneaked in just a hint of cuteness into this otherwise very "boy" hat! The reason that Eli looks like he's just gotten in a school yard fight is because it's really late, but I really wanted to try the hat on him, so when he whimpered in bed a few minutes ago, instead of quickly getting him back to sleep I made him wake up and model it for me.  Even in his exhaustion he said, "I love it Mommy, especially that it's brown." I love him!

This pattern is ridiculously simple, but I find it nice to follow one, even so.  It could be made even simpler by just switching to a smaller hook and dcing the last few rows even.  But, I added a modified version of Rheatheylia's crocheted ribbing to tighten up the bottom.With a beautiful chunky yarn, this can be completed in just an hour or so. 

Eli's Chunk Hat

SIZE

Child

MATERIALS

Lang Yarns Maxi Tosca (55% Wool, 45% Acrylic; 100 yards per 50g ball) in colour 3989

Crochet Hook US J/6 mm

Tapestry needle

GAUGE

12 sts = 4"; 7 rounds = 4" in dc rounds. 

Use any size hook to obtain the gauge.

PATTERN NOTES
dc = double crochet

sc = single crochet

fpdc = front post double crochet

bpdc = back post double crochet

DIRECTIONS

Round 1: Using an adjustable ring, draw up 2 ch; 8 dc into loop; join with a slip st in first dc - 8 sts

Round 2: Ch 2, 2 dc in same st as joining, 2 dc in each dc in round; slip st in first dc - 16 sts
Round 3: Ch 2, dc in same st as joining, 2 dc in next dc, [dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc] around; join - 24 sts
Round 4: Ch 2, dc in same st as joining, dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc [dc in next 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc] around; join - 32 sts
Round 5: Ch 2, dc in same st as joining, dc in next 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc  [dc in next 3 dc, 2 dc in next dc] around; join - 40 sts

Round 6: Ch 2, dc in same st as joining, dc in next 3 dc, 2 dc in next dc  [dc in next 4 dc, 2 dc in next dc] around; join - 48 sts

Round 7: Ch 2, dc in same st as joining, dc in next 4 dc, 2 dc in next dc  [dc in next 5 dc, 2 dc in next dc] around; join - 56 sts

Round 8-11 - Ch 2, dc in same st as joining, dc around; join - 56 sts

Switch to Size 5.0 mm

Round 12- Ch 1, sc in same st as joining, sc around; join - 56 sts

Round 13 - Ch 2, dc in same st as joing, dc around; join - 56 sts

Round 14-15 - Ch 2, fpdc in first dc, bpdc in next dc, repeat around; join. Fasten off  - 56 sts

Weave in all ends.

Check my project out on Ravelry, or the pattern page here. 

Chunky Monkey Bonnet

One thing I love about crafting: the connection it gives me with Grandmas all over the world. I have yet to meet one I cannot impress with my admiration of their handicrafts.  I once had a wonderful old woman tell me that she never looked at patterns when she knit and crocheted because she could just sit down and figure it out herself.  At that point I didn't understand. I couldn't comprehend what years of knits and purls could add up to.  There was no way I would ever be able to just sit down and come up with anything other than a badly formed washcloth!

Yet, just a few years after really embracing my inner grandma, I am beginning to see her point.  I specialize in hats, often made for small humans, and I've made most of the patterns I've seen and like.  So, my inner artist (and sometimes even my deeply hidden inner mathematician) and I've begun to really enjoy the fine art of pattern making.  If I only had more money, I would probably spend a lot more time doing it.  Unfortunately, after I've knit or crocheted an entire project, even if it isn't quite right, I have a hard time justifying pulling it out and starting all over again, or buying a new skein just to get it right.

One pattern I haven't been able to find is a cute crocheted bonnet.  There are so many cute knit ones, but I wanted one I could whip up super quickly with chunky yarn that was still darling.  I also wanted to try a new stitch, so I added the "Roll Stitch" which I found in an ancient crochet book.  While not perfect, I think the result is pretty darn cute:

Chunky Monkey Easter Bonnet

SIZE

Toddler

MATERIALS

Fleece Artist Big Merino (100% Merino; 136 yards per 125g ball)

Crochet Hook US J/6 mm

Tapestry needle

GAUGE

11 sts = 4"; 7 rows = 4" in dc  

Use any size hook to obtain the gauge.

You can use any yarn and hook you choose, just adjust the number of stitches to make the appropriate size bonnet

PATTERN NOTES
dc = double crochet

sc = single crochet

roll = roll stitch: yarn over 10 times, place hook into stitch and draw a loop through.  Yarn over and pull loop through all loops on hook.  Chain 1 to secure.

DIRECTIONS

Chain 45 leaving a long end for seaming.

Row 1: Double crochet in 3^rd chain from hook and in each chain across - 43 dc

Row 2: Chain 2 (counts as dc here and throughout), turn; dc in each stitch across

Row 3-11: Repeat Row 2

Next row: Chain 3; roll stitch in every other stitch across (see pattern notes)

Last row: Chain 1; sc in 1^st stitch and in each st across. DO NOT fasten off

Fold bonnet in half, and using the end from the initial chain, seam up the base chain. Fasten off.

To make ties: Picking up working yarn, chain 30 (away from the bonnet).  Sc in 2^nd chain from hook and in each chain across (back towards bonnet).  Sc evenly across the bottom of the bonnet. Chain 30 once you get to the opposite side of bonnet.  Sc in 2^nd chain from hook and in each chain across.  Fasten off once you reach the bonnet again and weave in all ends.