April Showers

Technically, we're having June showers at the moment. Temperatures in the mid-50's in June is not so great, BUT it means I can keep wearing scarfs. Like this. This is the April Showers scarf from the Purl Bee. It's an easy pattern to memorize and knits up pretty fast. I made it with some leftover sock yarn, but I think it'd be really lovely in some kind of airy, diaphanous mohair concoction.

Cardigan Redux

I had this sweater kicking around that was pilled and unwearable, so that meant time to get out the scissors. Is it still pilled, yes, but now it's a cardigan with rick rack and beads and embroidery, so that kind of downgrades the issue of the sweater's condition. And the buttons are just for show, mostly because I was lazy and also because I realized I never actually button my cardigans.

Look On The Sunny Side

One microwaved egg, some toasted ciabatta, scallions, salt and pepper -- a real tasty breakfast.

Redness

Again, nothing real fancy, but it does the trick when it comes to staying cozy. I made this scarf over Christmas, while curled up on the couch with the flu. Size 13 needles, Lion Brand Thick and Quick Yarn, cast on maybe 10 stitches and just knit. It's mindless, yet satisfying. It's also deliciously warm and feels a bit like wearing a blanket around your neck.

Striped Stripes

I have no good excuse for not blogging other than between work, life and occasionally needing to sleep, it just went by the wayside. But it's winter and pleasantly still and I just finished a pair of socks. So away we go again! The yarn I used for these is nothing fancy -- sock yarn from Joann's, (here) but I like how they knit up and they're nice and toasty. THAT comes in real handy with twenty million feet of snow on the ground.

Break Thru

Early morning walks are doing a lot to help me keep my sanity in the midst of a crazy work schedule lately. Embroidery, glasses of wine and stacks of books are helping also.

I'm not one to mess with photos much, but I found a polaroid tutorial online. And the rest is history, you know?

Patterns

There is a bumper crop of blackberries outside. Unbelievable. There's always been a few stray berries here and there, but never this many. I'm torn whether to a) bake or b) consume immediately. Decisions!

And then there's the vintage knitting pattern book I bought last week. It's Bernat, The School and College Look. Very chic. I would have liked to have gone to a school this stylish. I have a soft spot for the hoodies too.

Summer-y

I've been slacking at blogging.

Commenting.

And crafting.

Sorry. But that's what Summer is for, right? A little bit of sliding and easing of rules. It's about staying up too late watching Gregory Peck movies. And spending time with visiting family. And messy ice cream cones. Messy ice cream cones is a definite.

Back on track though -- Whipup has had some great posts lately about wardrobe refashioning. Armed with two worn out t-shirts, I was going to try this rosette number (link), but it didn't quite work. Instead I decided to kind of use this Brassy Apple tutorial as a starting point and ruffled my way to a new shirt.

Take that 100 degree temperatures!

And I snagged the most awesome of vintage knitting books for the grand total of $1.50 yesterday. I'll scan a few photos from it because it is really delightful.

Everything in Its Place

I finished this needlebook for my sister last week; whoops, sorry sis this won't be much of a surprise if you're reading. I was really craving working on something small and fiddly and this did the trick.

There's scrap cardboard in there to stiffen. The inside and exterior are felt that I had on hand. I'm thinking of making one of these for myself. They seem really handy.

And there are wildflowers growing up through the porch; that's a couple feet high! I love summer. Everything overrun and exuberant. What's not to like about that?

Gather and Pleat

Elastic Thread is AMAZING!

I'd spotted some shirred fabric at the store the other week, but the price was a bit off-putting. Internets to the rescue! A little googling and after reading through some tutorials (link here), I was up for the challenge of trying to do my own shirred dress.

The fabric is an old bed sheet. What I really love about it is that the border of roses looks completely intentional and not like, well, a bed sheet. I was initially nervous about the elastic thread jamming up, but the stuff works like a dream. The only thing I learned with the test piece I did was that you REALLY have to mark your lines well, otherwise it's a pain.

So now I am hooked. I think it'll be an easy way to churn out a Summer wardrobe on the cheap.

It's Not Easy, Being Green

I based this on the flower garland I made a few weeks back. The only thing I did different was to sew beads on a few of the petals. Sort of tough to see in the photos, but they're there if you squint!

Spaghetti

Warm weather food: whole wheat spaghetti, tomato, onion, parsley, capers, olive oil, salt and pepper, served cold. So good. So good in fact, I ate too much.

Better Late Than Never

It's finished! I started this cardigan in February and it's now, what, June? But since it's a cotton blend and I seem to be always cold, it's all good. To recap, the pattern I used is this vintage one (link here). For adjustments I reduced the back width by 10 stitches and subtracted five stitches from both the front left and front right. I also made the arm width slightly smaller, but should have made the armholes about a half inch lower/longer. All in all though, it's a fun knit. I like the button band facing and the ribbed yoke gives a nice shape.

Strawberries at the beginning of June. While I love them, it just seems way, way too early for this sort of thing. However, I have to admit I am enjoying them on top of cereal. Fingers crossed it's a bumper crop and I can get enough for muffins or scones or something slightly substantial.

The Shape of Things

I was cutting out some triangles for bunting yesterday and stopped to play with the shapes a bit. I'm usually so focused on the end "result" of a project I forget to enjoy the process. So, consider this process enjoyment.

Life Goes On

Things I've been loving

Homemade Yoghurt: I tried JCasa's homemade yoghurt recipe. I love it. No, correction, I LOVE IT. I was nervous with the first batch. In this hyper-pristine world, anything that includes leaving a dairy product out for hours is enough to strike terror into this 21st century girl's heart. But guess what? Not only will it not kill you, it is delicious, economical and being made weekly in this here household. I've tried it with a few different toppings. So far I'm really enjoying honey and berries.

Early Morning Walks:

Clear my head. Get me going. Involves lots of bug swatting, but it's amazing what some fresh air does for your disposition before jumping into a busy work day.

New Sewing Projects:

While I don't have the guts to try out the Challenge of the Utmost Kind (yet), I am trying to work hard to incorporate handmade into my wardrobe more. Right now I'm working on a top that is part knitting/part sewing. It's taken a bit to get the two to mesh, but it's finally starting to come together. This is unlike the cardigan that didn't fit (due to me casting on too few stitches for the left front) AND THAT HAD TO BE FROGGED. That, is another story.

Take Heart

I like dandelions. I'm sure the neighbors don't, but I do.

Flowery

What to do with a small amount of leftover sock yarn? Make a flower garland! This was a fun, slightly mindless (in a good way) project. Lately I've found Stiff Drinks and Movies are not a good combination when crafting. Working on something repetitive and simple is the solution to the problem.

It's a bit off, but hung up over the window it's really cheery. My mom mentioned it would make a fun necklace and I think she's on to something. I'm going to have another go at this with some cotton thread and see what I can whip up.

Drama

Rain, sun, hail, and wind, all in the span of two hours. It was a dramatic weather day, to say the least. I ran out to snap a picture as the front moved on, in love with the contrast between the grey sky and the budding trees.

Violets

I had no idea violets were edible until I read this post on Resurrection Fern (link). Since then, I've been looking at the backyard in a whole new light.

In a similar vein, I watched Food Inc. the other night. It's really had me pondering what I consume and trying to think of ways that I can adjust my own eating patterns. I'm thinking there will be much planting of seeds in a few weeks.

But back to the cupcakes -- the batter and recipe are from an old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It's nothing fancy, but tasty and perfect for the weekend.

Pieces

The thrifting stars aligned last week and this is what resulted: a vintage quilt top for $15. It was tucked at the back of the store, one of about a dozen in a pile.

What amazes me is that the entire thing has been hand pieced -- no signs of any sewing machine stitching. The combination of fabrics is really fascinating too. There's the typical small, demure floral prints, but they sit next to bold '50's geometric patterns. There's a few squares that I'd suspect are from some worn men's shirts.

I'm planning to back the quilt; hopefully I can make a run for batting this weekend, although my first inclination is to stay put. Seasonal allergies, bah.