We Built It!

Because of the snow and slow business I get the whole week off work, how lucky am I? So Johnny and I took the time to reorganize our living room to make room for my new desk! Elara's room is next. She gets the love seat!
Here is the whole desk, there is a bar just above it and that is going to have some fabric and other what-nots storage. But I don't have that yet. I have already filled the little drawer unit with fabric, knitting needles, my glue gun and other assorted sundries!

Here are some closeups of the things on my desk, the wires are from my sewing machine

This beautiful pottery was a wedding gift from Cassie's parents. I'm going to use them on my desk till we get a kitchen of our own so I can see them everyday. The bowl I'm using as a kind of catch all. The large "utensil holder" I'm going to use as a scrap and thread catcher for when I'm sewing.

There is also an awesome lamp that I didn't get a really good picture of, but you can see the stand in the last picture. It is a long lamp that can move around and shine light at any point I need it on the whole desk. So cool! Johnny picked a beautiful desk, it is a great size and I can't wait to really break it in!

My Mom's Christmas Gift!

I made my Mom a garbage bag for her car. I Kinda made up my own pattern for it after seeing a few online. She needed a bigger one than most of the patterns I was seeing because she drives all over Utah for her job so she eats meals in her car and snacks and all sorts of random garbage happens.

It is about 15 inches wide by maybe 14 inches tall by 1.5 inches at the bottom. I used a HUGE zip-tie for the bonning at the top to hold it open, and some large gross-grain ribbon and velcro for the strap. I also used the same ribbon for the decoration on the front and added a few buttons.


It is made with a cotton fabric on the outside and lined it with a windbreaker like material that she can wipe down really easily, and it is machine washable. She loved it and I have had requests for 3 more like it for other people!

Christmas Morning!

This is Elara on Christmas morning!The first thing she did was eat the rest of Santa's cookie.

She was an explosion of Pink, Ruffles and Necklaces!

It was so adorable.

She got a little tea set that sings and talks. Of course she loved it!

I got the best gift ever this year, Johnny got me a "Craft Workstation"! It is the Mikael Desk,

The Mikael Drawer set,

And then He thought of putting little hooks on each side of the desk to hang my project bags from. Isn't he a thinker!

He also is putting a little lamp on the wall above the desk and he bought a power strip for it and everything! He is going to go build it all for me this week and then I will have a place for my sewing machine to live and to keep all my craft stuffs. I'm really so excited!

Johnny got a lot of stuff he really liked to, a D&D Book, a new electric shaver, a new robe, and all his favorite snacks. He also got the new Mario game for the Wii, and matching jammies. We all got exactly what we wanted! It was such a great Christmas!

Finally Another Post About Knitting!

I wanted to post about this bad when I was making it, but it was for my Christmas Swap partner in Denmark, Ditte. I didn't want to take the chance that she would see this and ruin the surprise! This is my market bag!

I designed it myself a few years ago when I couldn't find a pattern for a market bag I liked. All of the patterns I found seemed to have a solid bottom that wouldn't stretch out like the rest of the bag would. So I made up my own.
The bottom is the center motif from a granny square I found online. Here is the Ravelry link to it.I just did to the second color change. I usually do those in one color but thought I would change it up a bit this time.

Then the body of the bag is a Lovers Knot done a little small so it wouldn't make to big of holes. The foundation stitch is joined at every point and the space between the points of the flower. I just did that till I thought it was done.

Then the top band is 1sc in each Knot and then 3ch all the way around. The second round is just sc all around. (I cheated and did 1sc in the sc and 3sc in space made by the 3ch.) The handle is sc, dc on one row and then dc, sc on the next so the sc is in the dc and vice versa.
This bag will hold more than you want to carry, and it really is perfect for the farmer's market.

My Granny and I both LOVE this bag. And my friend Cassie has been trying to get me to make her one for about 2 years now. I really should get around to that. She would like it.

I know that was kinda wordy, but I haven't really figured out how to write a real pattern yet. I'm trying though! A LYS wanted to buy that pattern but I couldn't figure out how to write it and then they shut down. I should figure it out and try to sell it to someone else. Hmmmmm

Our First Christmas Tree!

I think that I'm required to make every post title end in an exclamation point. Hmmmm.

Anyway, on to the good stuff. Johnny, Elara and I put up our first Christmas Tree as a family tonight! We got a little fake tree in a pot thing, and put it up on a table with the theory that Elara won't be able to wreak havoc on the tree. Let's see how long that lasts.This is actually the first tree that Johnny and I have had in all the years we have been dating/married. It is a big step for us really. I haven't made any decorations for us yet, I never seemed to consider us when I was making all those decorations for other people... isn't that how it always is.

This is Elara's decoration for this year. There is a string at the bottom that you can pull to make it wave it's little penguin arms up and down.


And this is the one that her Nana, Johnny's mom, got her this year.


These are her 2 from last year. I couldn't decide on just one so she got 2, she is going to be really spoiled.




And of course the tree topper! I got to pick it out!


And one last "Artistic" shot.


Christmas makes me happy!

Elara Totally NEEDS this!

I found this here, and I totally think Elara needs one!

 
It is a Baby Rasha Love Tent!!!! (Sorry, long story about an old room mate. It has spawned a bathroom design, and now a baby nook. What next!)


I could totally figure out how to make the frame, I have used pvc pipe to make things before. And now that I have a sewing machine the curtains and things would be no problem at all!


The only problem is that we live with my in-laws and I'm not sure how they would feel about something like this in their basement... Maybe I'll just have to make it and then find out what they think.


Because Elara Totally NEEDS one!

P.S. It needs one of these in it too.

Christmas!

It is finally Christmas Season!

I'm so excited, I put up some lights today, the colorful kind. I did them all around the living room and a ton along the bar. I got out the very few Christmas decorations we have. A nutcracker and a few ornaments. We still need to get a tree.
I also did some left over wedding decorations and some IKEA paper lanterns hanging above our bed! It looks so neat! I love decorating. I just am not very good at it. I wrapped some red ribbon around the lanterns to give them a more Christmasy look. There is a bow in the one over my side of the bed and no bow on Johnny's side. I hope Johnny likes it!



I'm also planning on making a few things this year. I'm not really sure what but Johnny and I liked these, and they look kinda baby safe-ish.

I found the instructions for them here.

Johnny also wants me to make a stocking for Elara. I had a pink brocade stocking when I was a little girl. I think she may need some thing like that. Definitely.

Every year I make christmas ornaments to put on our gifts instead of bows. I'm thinking this year it should be something Johnny can help me with. I'm thinking of doing little string globes with glitter all over them. Basicly you take string and dip it in glue. Then you wrap it around a ballon that you have sprayed with Pam and cover it all in glitter. Like this.

We will need to try one and see how it turns out. Johnny is excited to help me. At least he says he is...

Knitting overload! Now with added Sewng!

I have been doing a whole lot of knitting lately, and I have also sewed a few little bags. And I have only bought 4 balls of yarn! Yay me! (they were for Johnny's scarf and he picked out a pattern that needed a bulky yarn and I only  had worsted weight. So really it is Johnny's fault.)
Here is the scarf for Johnny. It is the Seaman's Scarf (hee hee) from Knitpicks. I'm using Patons Shetland Chunky in Black... Johnny doesn't like colors.It is an acrylic wool blend and really soft. But the cable pattern is kinda different and threw me for a loop at first.

I also made the Star Crossed Slouchy Beret. I made it as a Christmas present for my brother's girlfriend. I hope she likes Orange... I used Red Heart Soft that I bought to make a baby blanket about 600 years ago and never made. Oops. I learned how to knit in the round o this one! It used to be so intimidating for years!! I used the Magic Loop method and it was so easy! I love knitting in the round now!

I still need to block it, but I only have square plates...I'm going to have to figure something out.

Then I made the 4th scarf/shawl for my Granny. I have made her 3 different scarves over the years, all lovely lace scarves out of really delicate pure wool fingering yarns. But the moment they are done one of the cats attacks the crap out of them and I have to start over! This time I did the Sunday Market Shawl but made some modifications.
 I cast on 32 stitches and did knit 4 YO so that I could add a simple cable. I used a sturdier yarn, Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Mariner Blue. I love the way it turned out and I hope my Granny will like it.

This is my project bag!

 It is the first thing, other than the Halloween costumes, that I have sewed that I use. I used this pattern. I did add one large pocket on one side that will hold a pattern folded in quarters, a small pair of scissors and a crochet hook to help with my cables. I don't know where all my real cable needles went.

After that I made up my own pattern for a crochet hook holder. It turned out kinda wonky but it des exectly what I need it to! I love that blue fabric and the ribbon.

I think that maybe I should just blog about all this stuff as I do it. then I wouldn't have to do massive posts like this.

Elara's First Hair Cut!

Last weekend we all went out and got our hair cut. It was Elara's first one. We went to Cookie Cutters and they did a fantastic job! They play a little movie and have them sit in fun chairs. Elara got a pink convertible and watched The Wiggles, she loves that show. The girls there are really patient and work fast. They also taught us how to do this!

Halloween Totally Rocks! Beep Beep!

I LOVE Halloween!

I just thought that I needed to make that very clear. I love to make my husband, daughter and my costumes every year. (This year I did cheat, I bought Elara's from Etsy. I started sewing about a month ago and didn't think I could do all 3. But next year...) Elara was the love child of Dr. Girlfrind and The Monarch from Venture Brother. I guess it would just be child now since they are married and really the thought of them having a child is really scary, but she was adorable!!

Every Love Child needs a light saber!

She really did keep the hat on most of the time!

Johnny and I were robots. To be more specific Johnny was Bender from futurama and I was his fluzy Party Bot companion.

Oh hell ya! He totally had a working door that he kept a beer, his flask and a wallet in all night! I use one of thos pop up laundry hampers as the base and made a cover for it. then I made the door and used really huge zip ties around the edge to give it some structure and the compartment was a large slit pocket. Johnny made his mask out of cardboard and paint and he wore a grey track suit underneath.

My Boobs are falling out!

For my costume I used a corset and tutu thing I already had. I made a shrug and tube thing for the top and the bought silver leggings. I bought the wig and my make up was all eye shadow. I did learn a lot about sewing while making these...Mostly that I know nothing about sewing! The silver stuff was so hard to work with and it kept getting puled down into my machine! I need to figure out jersey! I was going to make some cool fingerless gloves and shoe cover things with awesome giant ruffles things on them. Beacuse I could. But really I could't. I tried, I cried, I gave up and wore my red chucks with stars all over them.  Robots wear Chucks right?

For my Boobs I used some metal bowls from IKEA. So I had IKEA nipples. People kept putting magnets on me and I got really cold outside. I also had robot buttons. I used those little rubber furniure bumpers that I painted with fingernail polish. My favorite little Halloween emergency paint! I have used it on earrings and shoes too. Really awesome stuff!

So that was our costumes!

Johnny and I even won the

Unofficial Official Spyder's Halloween Costume Contest!

Woot!