Fresh baked bread!

And I finally finished sewing these kitchen towels!

Birthday gift: snack bags!

This weekend we'll be at a birthday party for two little boys who are the same age as D...

we haven't done too many playdates with them, so I'm not sure of their personal wishlists... I decided to make them some of D's current favorite mama-made item: SNACK BAGS!

But snack bags look so little... so D and I and the Bean made a trip to Momen (of course), and bought some yummy boy fabric. not super matchy matchy, but hopefully close enough that either they will immediately choose one or the other based on personalities, or at least they won't fight over who gets the ____ one....

we made smallish bags that can hold a lunch, or just hold a bunch of toys....

inside each bag can be found 3 snack bags...

a small robot-print (top), a large car-print (bottom left), and a large robot print (bottom right).

the thing D loves about them is their snap-ability, so all of them have measuring-tape-closures....

I'm in love! (luckily, at the fabric store, D specified that HE wanted some too, so we got enough fabric to make some for ourselves!)

A new yellow bird puppet

My son starts preschool next month, and in the course of conversing with his soon-to-be-teacher at one of the summer playdates, it came out that the classroom puppet needs replacing...

the 1st year students are called yellow birds (the 2nd years are called red birds, and this naming of classrooms seems to go back to the beginning of the preschool, 50-ish years ago)

so, I borrowed the rather despondant puppet, some tracing paper, fleece (for practicing), and some new, lush, faux fur in a VERY bright primary yellow. (I couldn't find red faux fur, so the red puppet is going to be a very soft minkee)

see how closely I matched the color:

before cutting into my rather expensive faux fur, I decided to test the pattern and construction with a trial run in (mustard) yellow fleece (with a scrap of swimsuit for the inside beak, and button eyes)...

not too shabby, if I do say so myself....

(the pocket on the back of the puppet holds nametags for the kiddos)

Wedding Coasters

One of my besties from high school is getting married on Saturday.... We haven't been awesome about hanging out regularly, even though we live in roughly the same city... Anyway, I didn't have the time/design input to make her a big gift, so I'm doing the unusual (for me) buying of gifts... (I'd forgotten about registries...)... anyway, on their wedding website, the adorable couple said:

But do not be afraid ye who venture now

to get us some wedding-type stuff!

Yea, for there is plenty more we need so as not to be filthy, hungry, uncouth people (or at least not any more than the standard musician)

We're also registered at the great and powerful Macy's!

Please visit the registry section for some creative, and not-so-creative but necessary ideas.,

Or yes, your grandmother's old Christmas coasters will also be acceptable.

My Grandmother has no old Xmas coasters, so far as I know, but I decided it was too good an opportunity to pass up, considering I have plenty of white and green yarn...

I only made 4, as more would take this beyond a joke into an uncomfortable place.... it's 930 at night, so no natural light, but the dark color is a very xmas-y green... I couldn't find any red! boo.

anyway, hopefully they'll be laughed at, and the registry gift will be appreciated...

Socks!

Just started knitting some socks for xmas pressies... Size 1 needles, yikes! So tiny! We're at the Page Museum today (the La Brea Tar Pits), with my FIL, so I'm making him do kidlet duty while I sit in the shade, knitting and listening to a street musician. Other than the strong smell of tar, it's pretty perfect!

My knitting holder.

Killian is "helping" me knit tonight. Purring is always helpful... I also have a purring black headrest. Thanks Kieran!

Why they call it frogging...

... When you unravel a knit, you are frogging it. (I miss having access to the OED, I'd love to know the origin of the phrase)...
I've made good progress on these fair isle BUTTerfly pants, but I'm going to start unravelling/frogging now. I put in a whole extra inch of blank space below the waist ribbing, and a border on top, and that's just added WAY too much length. My tiny bean could pull these up to her armpits if I keep going!Hence: ribbit, ribbit/rip it, rip it. I will frog.

isn't the butterfly pretty though?!?!?!?

that's the front, with a basic but pleasing diagonal pattern...

here's the inside of the diagonal front...

and the inside of the butterfly. I LOVE the inside... it looks so pretty!

Look what I found at the library.

I'm a big spender. These 2 gems cost a whole dollar and a quarter.

My First Fair Isle

C liked the idea of just one big butterfly (BUTTerfly?)...

and used his photoshop skills to lay a light image over some graph paper made to the gauge of my knitting...
so above is the chart of my big butterfly.

And here's what I've got so far:

(BACK: that's the center decorative heart and the tops of the wings of the butterfly on each side)

(FRONT: just mirrored diagonal lines.... so far, at least. I might decide to make them diamond shaped, but I really like the simplicity of the diagonals to contrast with the lacy butterfly)

(the INSIDE!) I'm super psyched about how cool the inside looks.

I totally lost track of time tonight while working on this/listening to Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell on my phone.... so fun!

I watched the videos on Knitting Help to learn how to actually DO 2 colors, and The Complete Guide to Needlework (I LOOOOOVE this book, and have taught myself how to do everything from here).

Plotting and planning....

looking at colors...

drawing out charts of orderly butterflies...

...and scattered butterflies...

and musing about colors (and comfort), some more.... (with "help" from Killy, who knocks off colors he dislikes)

More pants for the bean.

She's a puffy clouds and bright sun kind of girl.

Here's the front of her new pants...

And a close up of the back.... (that's Kieran's paw, not a mistake in my knitting)

here's the whole back. I used Cascade 220 wool for all but the yellow, which is cascade 220 baby alpaca.

It's SOOOO soft.

See! Kieran approves!

Look what Christopher won!!!

C is ridiculously talented at making things. His documentary "Bloody Thursday" won an Emmy tonight. Best ever.