Sweet Reader

As an editor, I basically read all day.  A hefty percentage of that reading is not always particularly fun or interesting to me personally, so I always have a stack of books and magazines at the ready to read for pleasure when I can.  That's why this mini-quilt in the book Pretty Little Mini Quilts caught my eye.



Some projects turn into a personal challenge, and this is definitely one of those.  The book had instructions but no pattern, so I struggled to try and make my version resemble the one in the book.  (Who would have thought something no bigger than 8x10 inches could cause so much frustration!)  In the end, I think I like mine better, especially the book cover and sliver of pages peeking out along the top edge.  I'm considering hanging it in my work cube to remind me that there's fun reading in my future.

Super Scarves

 

Football fan or not, if you live in Indianapolis as I do, you can't help but be aware that the city is hosting Super Bowl XLVI in 2012. Soon after the City of Indianapolis won its bid to host the big game, I heard about the Super Scarves program. The goal is to outfit over 8,000 volunteers and hospitality employees with hand-knit or crochet scarves in Colts blue & white. The current count is up to 8,432 scarves! I told my mom about the project and she thought it would be a fun break from all the sock knitting she does for orphanages. And after she finished her scarf, I decided I might as well make one too, not only because I've called Indy "home" for 9 years now but also because she had plenty of blue and white yarn left over (score for me!).



My mom made up her own cable pattern -- I think it looks a little like an ocean wave running down the center. It took a lot of steam blocking to get this one to lay flat, but I think it looks fab.



And here's my scarf, made with a free pattern called Hash Marks from Verdigris Knits, a fellow knitter and pattern designer in Indianapolis. She dove right into the Super Scarves project and has posted numerous free patterns using two colors of yarn in really interesting ways. I was afraid I'd have to settle for a boring two-color stripe -- I'm so happy I found something much more interesting.

More Kanoko Baby Pants

I recently gave this set of Kanoko baby pants and matching floursack hat to an expectant friend. I think I'm getting pretty good at these pants, after knitting them in blue and purple. There's a rosy pink pair on my knitting needles right now.



The hat is so easy that I've already made three or four in different colors and sizes. It's a quick and easy project to use up some of the leftover cotton blend yarn from the pants. What I like most about the hat (other than the little ears) is that it's knit in the round and closed up with a 3-needle bind-off, which means no need to sew up a seam and you get a really clean finished look. The pattern is from Baby Beanies by Amanda Keeys.

Houndstooth Crib Sheet in Grey & White

My friend is expecting Baby #2 later this month, and lucky for her my repertoire of handmade baby gifts has grown since Baby #1. The baby's room is grey & yellow, and when I saw this grey & white houndstooth fabric I just had to try my hand at a crib sheet for the little one.



My mom and my aunt vouched for this tutorial, so I dove in. With a few modifications (added width and a cleaner approach to the casing for the elastic) and phone calls to my mom for help, I ended up with a very cool houndstooth crib sheet. Here it is in a tidy little package ready for gifting.

Crochet Critters

Lest you think Jen and I are the only crafty ones in our family, our sister Emily has a few tricks up her sleeve as well. Emily's craft method of choice is crochet, and she created this hippo and alligator using the patterns in Easy Crochet Critters courtesy of Vanna White (yes, that Vanna -- is there any other?).


I love the purple hippo, with his beady little eyes and nostrils.



And there's something about the alligator's stubby little legs that makes him a little less menacing.

Memory Game

What wonderfulness could be hiding in this adorable zippered pouch, you ask?



How about a handmade Memory Game made with wool felt and fun fabric scraps!





I used a tutorial from The Purl Bee, and my mom and I put together two sets of 15 matches each when I spent a week visiting her in Tennessee recently. This set features lots of pink and flowers and is for my nieces. (The pouch is my first successful zipper installation; I used a tutorial from Flossie Teacakes and increased the finished size to 10 inches square.) We made a second set with puppies, monkeys, plaids, and even some Halloween bats for my friend Anne's two little boys. I think John likes it. :)

Greys in the City

My work often requires me to travel and usually I don't have a minute between meetings. However on this last trip I had a couple of hours before dinner and I took advantage of them to check out NYC through my blog lens. It's amazing what I miss...as my feet ache...because I packed the wrong shoes (again). Sometimes I just miss the cool greys of NYC because I get caught up finding a cab or leaving for the airport. I find the detail of the city and hidden gems dazzling. While many may see the beauty in the skyline, I'll admire the nooks and crannies!