Just Around The Corner

Remember how I said I was passing time waiting to go to my LYS by trying out a new pattern idea I had? Well, I finished knitting that idea and I rather like them, so I thought I'd go ahead and share it with you!

There may be snow on the ground right now, but spring is just around the corner!

Presenting Just Around The Corner, quick to knit ankle socks that have a sweet symmetrical design featuring a delicate mock cable and floral pattern along the side of the foot. I think they are a perfect project to work on while you plan your garden, look through seed catalogs and wait for spring that hopefully is just around the corner!

Delicate mock cables and a floral design run down the sides.

The rest is straight stockinette making these little socks an instant gratification kind of project!

You can go ahead and grab a copy of the pattern that my amazing friend, Jeniffer, has done up in a pretty PDF by clicking here

It's All Knitting All The Time

I have a new habit. It may well be an addiction.

It all started when I had my surgery and I took to crawling into bed after the boys went to bed to sit and knit. Then I started listening to audiobooks while sitting in bed knitting. Now I'm addicted. It's relaxing, it's peaceful and after a few hours of knitting all I have to do is turn the light off and go to sleep (plus it's a whole lot warmer in that part of the house compared to the living room). Win win. So I've got a whole lot of knitting done over the last few weeks!

First on the list is my Lingonberry Shawlette. I raided my stash for some Koigu Painter's Palette that I bought back in about 2006. It's been tucked away forever not sure what it wanted to be. I think it's pretty happy with what it's become! I know I am. This is the first triangular shawl of this sort that I've made. I am sure it won't be the last. In fact I've already been scoping out other patterns for my sock yarns that are too pretty to be hidden by shoes!

A new pretty for me!

After Lingonberry was finished I shifted gears. I had ordered some tweedy yarn from Elann to make (BF)G a sweater. I was planning it as a surprise for next Christmas and thought I'd get a head start. Turns out I suck at surprising him. He's been getting lots of wear out of it! I'm especially proud of Guston because it's the first time I've really taken care to swatch and block properly. It's amazing what a difference it makes. But the rest of you knitterly people already know this don't you? I swear though, I've turned over a new leaf. I really, really love this sweater on (BF)G!

Look at the fit!

Close up of the cable pattern

Moving right along... I'd initially started Guston as a knit along with the Knitting for Boys group on Ravelry, but since I finished within two weeks of starting what was to be a year long KAL I figured in for a penny in for a pound and jumped into their monthly KAL for February, casting on for a Greyson pullover for Baby Boy. I LOVE this pattern. I used some beautifully soft Punta Merino Perfection that was in my stash and bought a skein of Berroco Vintage for the contrast. He's two. Washability and softness were of utmost importance for choosing his yarn. He really likes his new sweater! (Not the greatest pictures - this is what you get taking pics on an old iPhone on a gray, cloudy morning in a somewhat dark room - but you get the idea)

Modeling Greyson

Lounging about

I learned a new technique for casting off the neckline that was amazing both in it's simplicity and result. If you need a stretchy cast off for any reason I urge you to try out Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off. Cat Bordhi has a great YouTube video demonstrating it! Go take a look. It will change your knitting life.

Little Toddler Man has sweater envy. I've promised to knit him Hotshot by the same designer as Greyson. Actually, what I rashly promised was to knit him, Baby Boy and their Waldorf dolls all their own Hotshots. Clearly I'm insane. I haven't started yet because I need to pop into my LYS in the city for yarn and I haven't been to the city in a few weeks. Sunday looks like it'll be the day. Every time LTM sees me pull out my knitting bag he asks hopefully, "Is that for my sweater???" and is crestfallen when I tell him not yet. Soon little man. Soon.

So while I wait I keep knitting.

My friend Jen deployed at the end of November. A group of us from our mama's group decided to do a little KAL with her while she's overseas and my sock pattern Follow the Leader was chosen. I started them, but then put them aside to do my Christmas knitting, then picked them up again in the new year, didn't look at my notes and completely messed them up. Rather embarrassing to admit I messed up my own pattern, possibly more embarrassing to admit in a fit worthy of a two year old's tantrum I ripped them right back to the beginning, rewound the wool and tossed the ball back in my closet. Not my finest moment...

I took the yarn out last week, cast on and had them almost finished in time for G to come home to visit last weekend. She asked eagerly, "Are those for me?!?" I said an emphatic "NO!" intending to keep them all for myself, but by the time I was grafting the toe I decided perhaps if I gave them to her I wouldn't lose any of my other hand knit socks. She's a shameless sock thief. You have to watch your hand knits carefully around her...

She graciously accepted my offering and I've not noticed any other pairs missing so it worked out well for me.

I'll admit I do like that G appreciates hand knits so much ;)

I've still got a few more days to wait until I can get the yarn for the Hotshots so yesterday I grabbed a ball of sock yarn out of my stash and cast on a new pattern I've been thinking about. It's another pair of ankle socks, we'll see how it goes. I'll have to keep you posted.

Maybe one of these days I'm going to have to put the needles down, turn off the audiobook and spend some evenings with my sewing machine. I've got three baby gifts cut out and ready to be sewn. I really should get on them before the babies they're meant for are graduating high school.

So that's what I've been up to lately. How about you? Are you busy crafting your winter evenings away?

The Sweater of Doom Is Done!!!!!!

Once upon a time, long ago and far away (it was in the late 90s) I bought a pattern book full of gorgeous Lopi sweaters. The first pattern particularly caught my eye. It was a beautiful, cozy hooded pullover (and no steeking involved - huge bonus points for that!!) But it never got knit. I could never seem to justify the purchase of so many balls of yarn when I purchased the book. I was a single mom trying to raise three kids on a telemarketer's salary of $6.00/hour. Extras for me just weren't to be had. Then over the years I sort of forgot about it. It was still there in the back of my mind, but it was definitely on the back burner for "some day".

Then a few years ago my good friend Kristy lost her beautiful mama suddenly. She and her brothers rounded up the knitters they knew and told us to please come over take what we wanted from their Mom's amazing stash of yarn. Their Mom was a prolific knitter and a lovely person. I was honored to have the yarns that she had chosen with such obvious care. I suddenly found myself with a windfall of Lopi yarn and that pattern book that had been quietly whispering my name for over a decade began shouting at me and I decided to cast on in June... Of 2010.

The sweater was fraught with disaster. I cast on in the wrong colour, I made mistakes, read charts wrong, had a reaction to the yarn at one point just to mention a few of it's trials and tribulations. Here is an excerpt from my project page on Ravelry dated May of 2011:

"This sweater is going to be the end of me!! I started working on it again this week and was almost done. Then the dogs got my pattern and ate the part I need. Now what the heck am I supposed to do. Oh. And size wise. It would have fit me better if I was oh… you know… about 5’2” instead of 5’6” and while we’re at it lets just say I’m about 30 lbs to heavy for it too. ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

This was all that remained of my pattern

At that point the blasted thing got shoved in the closet. I had no idea what to do with it. No one else had it listed on Ravelry at the time (there's one other now) so I was stuck.

Then a little while back a thread popped up from a poster on Ravelry wondering how to replace her pattern that her dog had eaten. Someone suggested contacting the company or designer. D'uh. How had this not occurred to me. I sent off a quick email to Istex one morning explaining my doggy tail of woe and within minutes had an email back with a PDF of the pattern! Really. How did this easy solution never occur to me??? I was so happy that I was going to finally get this wooly monkey off my back.

Not so fast... This, after all, did not earn the name the sweater of doom for no reason. There I was, blithely zipping along through the knitting of the hood when I stopped to admire my handiwork, ready to give myself a congratulatory pat on the back. I looked. I cocked my head to the side, I squinted, I peered, I closed my eyes and opened them again, willing it not to be true. Alas. It was right there plain as day. I'd started the bloody thing two incredibly noticeable stitches off center. Rip, rip, rip. Seven or eight inches back I went.

I'm thrilled to say it's done now. Its been done for a few weeks actually, but I've not thought to write about it until now because, well, I'm still a little bitter towards what should have been such an incredibly easy pattern so thoroughly kicking my knitterly behind. Also it took forever and a blooming day to weave in the six bajillion ends.

Finally finished on a blustery cold winter day 2 1/2 years after first starting

G, who is considerably smaller than me has claimed it happily as her own and the pattern book has been stashed on my bookshelf (possibly never to see the light of day again - did I mention I'm a touch bitter?)

Hmmmm. The curse continues... Those sleeves are a bit short aren't they?

My girl does love her hand knits though!

Knitting disasters like this can really shake a crafty gal's confidence, but just like falling off a horse (which I've come close to doing but thankfully never actually have because that sounds like it could really hurt...) you just need to get back in the saddle again. I have and I have had some wonderfully happy results in the last few weeks. It feels good. I'll have to tell you about them another day though. I think Little Toddler Man and Baby Boy may be dismantling the furniture or re-wiring the house right now. They are just far too quiet to be up to anything good. Must dash and investigate!

Have Wet Bag Will Travel

A wet bag is a great idea. When Baby Boy was in cloth diapers I kept intending to make some to have on hand, but I kept forgetting (no idea why, just did) so there were a few times when I was stuffing a wet diaper in my my bag hoping no nastiness would leak out during the rest of outing. Other times plastic bags sufficed, but I think I would have liked a wet bag. Now that both LTM and Baby Boy are potty trained I should still should have at least one or two for those rare accidents when we're out and about. It'd also be handy for wet swimsuits!

When I set about making a gift for a cloth diapering mama friend of mine's new baby I started with the obvious choice. I made her little munchkin one of my one size pocket diapers. I hummed and hawed as to what to send with it. Finally settling on a Snappy Wipe To Go - an awesome little PUL outer washcloth designed by my friend Christine. (These little cloths are great. Took me all of about 15 minutes the other morning to make one for the boys' lunch bag before we headed into the city for the day. Go check it out. I highly recommend it!)

Then I thought why not make it a whole "diaper change to go" package and include a wet bag. There's loads of tutorials online, but I decided to do my own version, mostly because I didn't feel like spending all my precious crafty time searching google for exactly what I wanted.

O/S Pocket Diaper, Snappy Wipe to Go (pardon it's wrinkles my iron died mid project) and wet bag

So here it is! Grab your supplies, and get sewing! It'll whip up in no time! I'll give you two versions for the hanging loop. The first one will have snaps, the second one will be a plain loop. I'll also show you two different bottoms for your bag! Hey! And guess what. Because I'm doing two variations after I'm done today's tutorial I'll finally have a wet bag for my very own! Wheee!

WET BAG SUPPLY LIST

Ballpoint needle
Polyester thread
Sewing machine
Polyresin snaps / snap pliers (optional)
Iron - low setting, no steam
1 zipper (at least 23" length - longer is ok, you can trim it down to fit)
1 piece main colour PUL cut to measure 13 1/2" tall x 10" wide
1 piece main colour PUL cut to measure 7 1/2" tall x 10" wide
1 piece contrast PUL cut to measure 6 1/2" tall x 10" wide
2 pieces contrast PUL cut to measure 2 1/2" tall x 4 1/2" wide (version A snapped loop only)
1 piece contrast PUL cut to measure 2 1/2" tall x 8" wide (version B non-snapping loop only)

NOTES:

1) Just a quick note about dimensions of the front pieces. This is a great stash buster project so feel free to make your contrast piece narrower if you'd like to suit your fabric. (Remember, a narrower contrast would also change the placement of the zipper closer to the top of the bag.) Just simply adjust the bottom main portion to accommodate the smaller contrast. Your contrast and main pieces need to equal the height of your longer back piece. Have fun and get creative!

2) Pins and PUL are not friends. Pins will leave holes that can lead to leaking. If you feel you need to use pins go ahead, just keep them within the seam allowance!

3) Some PUL can be "sticky". If you find this to be a problem you can try a few tricks. Try dusting your PUL with baby powder, using a layer of tissue paper (just tear it off when you're finished), or use a Teflon foot if you have one (I've never done any of these although it was close with my elephant PUL. Fortunately the green wasn't sticky so I just flipped everything over and sewed with that side facing up and everything went fine!)

You should have a collection of pieces that look something like this!

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1 Version A - Preparing the Snap Loop

Fold one 2 1/2" end to the wrong side of fabric by 1/4" then fold 1/2" in down each long side of loop piece to meet in the centre. Next fold entire strip in half so that you have a long, narrow strip. Carefully press using an iron, on a low setting with no steam. Edge stitch down each long side. Repeat for second loop piece. Apply snaps to finished end according to manufacture's instructions so that the caps face the outside and the socket and snap face inside(the ends that have raw edges will be sewn into the side seam of your wet bag so no need to finish them). Snap the two strips together, align the raw edges and baste together if desired. Set aside.

Preparing the snapped loop

Two halves of snapped loop ready to go

Step 1 Version B - Preparing the Plain Loop

Fold 1/2" in down each long side of loop piece to meet in the centre. Next fold entire strip in half so that you have a long, narrow strip. Carefully press using an iron, on a low setting with no steam. Edge stitch down each long side. Fold strip in half so that raw edges on the narrow end line up. Baste if desired and set aside.

Plain loop ready to go

Step 2 - Preparing the Bag Front

In this step you will insert the zipper. This is likely the trickiest part of making your wet bag!

If you need to cut down a larger zipper, simply stitch and backstitch across the zipper tape at the measurement you require, then trim excess leaving a slight surplus. (Note : this works for light nylon or plastic zippers. I wouldn't try with heavy plastic or metals zippers. You will break your needle. Trust me on this.)

Place the right side of the zipper tape face down so that the edge of the tape aligns with the edge of the shorter main colour PUL piece. Stitch carefully close to the zipper teeth using a zipper foot on your machine. Flip zipper tape and seam allowance of PUL to the inside. Lightly press - remember to use a low setting and no steam if using your iron - or finger press, then topstitch. Repeat process for the contrast PUL piece. Baste down the sides of the PUL where the zipper ends. Your front piece is now complete. (*just another quick note - it really doesn't matter which side your zipper opens from. I inadvertently did one of each, but I think if you're planning on hanging your bag on a hook, the opening would be better on the opposite side from the loop like in the elephant bag)

Attaching the zipper

Edgestitch on the right side

This is what it should look like

Next baste your prepared loop so that the raw edges align with the long edge of your newly finished front approximately 1 1/2" from top of contrast portion of front, right sides together, with the loop pointing towards the centre of the front piece. Baste.

Basting the loop onto the front piece

Step 3 - Assembly of the Bag

Open zipper partially. (This is so you can turn your bag right side out - you do not want to forget this step. It will lead to frustration and the need for your stitch ripper)

Place prepared front and remaining PUL piece right sides together. Stitch around all four sides using a 1/2" seam allowance. Reach into the bag through the open zipper and flip your bag right side out. You're done! Wasn't that easy?

Stitch around the entire outside of the bag but make sure you've left the zipper partially open before you start

Handy dandy wet bag all finished

Variation

If you want to get fancy on the bottom of your bag let's do something with those corners to create a flat bottom! With your bag still inside out, pinch the corner together, lining up the seam allowances, to form a triangle. Measure 1 1/2" from the edge and draw a line across from side to side. Stitch along the line and trim excess. Repeat for other corner. Now turn your bag right side out. You're finished!

Pinch the corners together and mark 1 1/2" from edge then draw a line from side to side forming a triangle

Stitch along the line and trim excess

Voila! Finished!

Now, quick! Go stash it in the diaper bag or your purse so that you don't get stuck at Kindermusik class gingerly stuffing a very wet, slightly dirty diaper into your purse while you hope nothing leaks onto your wallet, keys or gum. Or maybe those sorts of things only happen to me...

Recovery

I hope everyone has had a good start to 2013! I rang in the New Year with surgery on the 2nd, which sounds like it wouldn't be a good thing, but I am choosing to look at the silver lining view of it. I was put on the list for a laparoscopy/hysteroscopy (because of endometriosis) back in the summer. So it's good to finally have it done. Hopefully it helps! Also positive is this time I healed up in about half the time it took me to feel human again after the last time I had it done in 2008. Yahoo!!! Yet another positive? I have taken some time while I was healing to put my feet up when I got tired and do some knitting. I got oodles of crafting done in the first few days afterwards! Can't feel badly about that!

So onto the crafting!

First up I finished a pair of fingerless gloves. I used the Cafe au Lait pattern - I've used it before and quite enjoyed it. Knit in ruby red Cascade 220 sport they went quite quickly (if you don't count having to restart because Baby Boy decided "I helping you knit Mommy" and pulled everything off the needles. Argh)

Ruby Red Gloves

Next I knit a Master Charles Ear Flap Hat, which again is a repeat pattern for me. I used Patons Classic then washed it to block it in order to smooth out the lumps and bumps of the decreases. Unfortunately Patons Classic has a nasty tendency to grow. A lot. I thought all hope was lost. But in my absent mindedness, I tossed the offending disaster on top of the dryer. Then accidentally tossed it in with a load of laundry. When I found it, it was lightly felted and now once again is a good fit for a lady's average sized noggin. Whoo hoo!

LTM makes a much better model than me!

Then I moved along to using up a skein of Briggs & Little Heritage in the Seafoam that has been languishing in my stash for about five years. I whipped up a Fisher Cable Hat. I really loved this quick knit. And by quick I mean really quick! I was done in a day!

I'se the B'y

My very favourite knitting project though is a pair of socks. I can not say enough good things about the Kalajoki pattern. Knit on 2.75mm needles using sport weight yarn (I used Briggs & Little Sport in Mulberry - such a pretty colour that's also been in my stash about five years!) with a pattern that has you doing something slightly different every row for the 33 row repeat it goes by quite fast. Even the dreaded second sock syndrome isn't a risk because the second sock, being a mirror image of the first, is different again. Add to that a really nifty "anatomical" toe and you've got the makings of instant gratification. These socks took all of five days to finish. Best of all, I finished them last Friday night as a blizzard howled outside. Perfect timing!

Cozy, cozy socks!

Once I was feeling better I thought I'd do some sewing. I had a few gifts I needed to make and after seeing how much Little Toddler Man and Baby Boy loved the one I made for their cousin at Christmas time, I decided to make some Waldorf inspired little flannel babies. I'm addicted to making these wee dolls. I love how each one comes out just a bit different. I'm even getting quite proficient with the felting needle, only stabbing myself a few times - not a bad feat especially since none of my injuries required bandaids this time!

A basket of little flannel friends!

So as you can see I've been keeping out of trouble, resting up and now that I'm all healed up it's time to get back to the more mundane things in life like washing floors, laundry and dishes!

A Round Up Of Christmas Crafting - The Sewing

Since I showed you the knitting portion of my holiday crafting yesterday, I thought today I would do a round up of the sewing!

I took leave of my senses sometime in early October and decided I just had to sew each of the little nieces pjs and matching doll pjs. Now, if I'd acted on this notion right away I would've been in good shape come Christmas time. However one thing led to another which led to another, which led me to not even buying fabric until December. Now, I've had to come to accept the fact that sewing when Baby Boy and Little Toddler Man are awake is just not a wise idea. There are just far too many interesting things for toddlers to do down in the basement, none of which include playing with the toys that reside in my sewing area. It's hard to sew and keep toddlers out of trouble at the same time. Unfortunately, once the toddlers went to bed I was so tired that I often followed close behind them into the Land of Nod, which was equally as detrimental to progress. Eventually, the week before Christmas I was able to start. (BF)G's first day of holidays I woke up, said good morning and hightailed it downstairs by 7am to start sewing. I was like a woman possessed. Sanity was left in shreds, but progress was made and by 10:30pm, December 23rd, all gift sewing was DONE!

Flannel Nightgown 1

Flannel Nightgown 2

I used a vintage nightgown pattern and modified a remake of a vintage Simplicity
Pattern for two of the nieces' nightgowns and matching doll nightgowns. I think the girls were happy despite the fact both nightgowns turned out much bigger than intended. Both little girls donned their nighties shortly after opening them on Christmas eve and proceeded to wear them the rest of the evening. It really made all the last minute sewing frenzy worth it!

Flannel PJs 1

Flannel PJs 2

Waldorf Style Pocket Doll

I used a new pattern for the other two little nieces pjs - its the same pattern I used back in the fall for the Two Year Old Birthday Swap present. It's a fun little pattern. The only thing I modified was to do a button with an elastic loop rather than buttonholes. The pjs for dolly were modified slightly from the remade vintage Simplicity Pattern to match and the Waldorf Style Pocket Doll was from a tutorial on the Bamboletta website. I hear from my sister that my niece loved her monkey pjs so much she just finally got her out of them yesterday to go out. Glad to hear they were so well received. The little two year old niece who got the doll with her jammies seemed pretty pleased with her "baby" on Christmas eve, giving it lots of love when she opened it.

I really had fun making the doll. I bought a needle felting needle last time I was at my LYS and thought I'd give the needle felting method a whirl for making the head. It was amazing! It makes such a nice firm, cohesive inner core for the head, and the puncture wounds I gave myself during my learning curve have all healed now so I can look fondly on this method and say without hesitation that all Waldorf style heads made by me in the future will be aided by a needle felting needle (and perhaps some protective gear for my hands...). I suspect I will be making more of these little pocket dolls in the future. I have several baby gifts needing to be made (the baby boom continues all around me it would seem) and both Baby Boy and LTM were quite enamored with it as well. I have to give kudos to (BF)G on the suggestion of the ribbon bow. It took the doll from being Plain Jane ordinary to super cute I think! He comes up with some pretty good suggestions. It's why I keep him around. Or at least partly why anyways. ;)

Superman PJ Pants

I dragged N with me the day I went shopping for flannel and while there he saw the superman print and hinted broadly that he'd like a pair of pjs out of it. So, my next trip to the fabric store included a couple of metres just for him! He was happily wearing them when he left on Christmas morning to go back to the city so I'm going to say they were a success. (although clearly he missed lesson #552 when growing up. Pjs are for at home. Not out and about! Even if a bajillion teenagers and far too many adults would disagree with me...)

Inside view of make up roll

Outside view of make up roll

G, as I mentioned yesterday, makes gift making and giving so easy! I saw a tutorial online for a makeup roll and had found the perfect fabric for it. To top it off make up brushes were on her wish list. What better way to make a nice little gift?! And really, what says glamour better than 1940s Paris? I modified the tutorial ever so slightly doing a plush binding along the top of the pocket and an elastic wrap around closure using a satin finished narrow FOE (fold over elastic).

Sleep Mask and Flax Heat Pad

Using the same "glamourous" fabrics I made a flax heat pad and sleep mask for my 17 year old niece who often muses on Facebook that she wishes she had a weekend to just relax. I wanted to put together a "relaxation in a box" gift for her. I used a tutorial from Sew4Home for the sleep mask.

Earbud Cases

Last but not least, J had complained to me a while ago that he was always getting his headphones tangled in his pocket so I thought I'd make some funky cases for him and N to store their earbuds in. Unfortunately due to trying to sew with toddlers afoot, they're not as perfectly round as I would have liked them. Apparently, when sewing a circle it's a good idea to look at the seam you are stitching rather than continuing to sew whilst repeatedly craning your head over your shoulder to ensure two toddlers hell bent on mischief are actually still in the room with you. Lessons learned.

So, that brings us to the end of the madness that was gift making for Christmas 2012! I think if I'm going to plan on such a large selection of handmade gifts for next Christmas I had better start in January. I won't of course (start that is), but I should.

A Round Up of Christmas Crafting - The Knitting

So now that the gifts have been given I can finally show you what I've been up to for the last few months. Today I'm going to show you the knitting!

Moulin Rouge Mitts

These mitts were destined to be for G as soon as I spied them in my pattern search results on Ravelry. I love my Lilac Mittens I knit for myself last year from Hedda Knits, so when I saw the Moulin Rouge I had to knit them! I used St. Denis Boreale for the mitts.

Inishmore Cap

Next up was the Inishmore Cap for N. This pattern was a complete joy to knit! I loved every step of the process! The pattern features some really unique construction and is incredibly well written. I used an unlabeled worsted (similar to Briggs and Little's regal) for it. I was really pleased with the final outcome too!

Cambridge Socks

I love knitting socks for (BF)G. He's always so appreciative. I had the smoke gray Durasport in my stash already so when I found the Cambridge Socks pattern I figured they'd be a great match. Knitting in secret took a lot longer than anticipated. At one point I stooped to actually being a bit glad when he'd say he was just heading outside for a smoke. I did a whole heel flap one Sunday during his "smoke breaks" alone.

Blue Leaf Headband

G makes gift giving so easy! One of her requests was a knit headband. I used some super soft recycled wool held double to knit up the Blue Leaf Headband to include in her stocking. I could have probably finished it in one sitting, but I was knitting it in bed late one night. When I set my knitting down on the bed to check my pattern (BF)G rolled over on it and continued snoring. I had to wait for him to roll over again to unearth it. Sleeping on 6mm needles without noticing! That is a talent not many would possess - perhaps only the very overworked and overtired. I quickly finished up the next morning though and happily checked it off the to do list.

Marsan Watchcap

J requested a Marsan Watchcap after seeing his brothers' caps sitting on the counter when he was home. He asked for blue or black and I had some Briggs and Little Regal in navy blue sitting tucked away in my stash. Perfect! Marsan really is my go to men's hat pattern. I've knit it five times now!

Hobby Horses

Last but not least is the Hobby Horses. Knit from various worsted wool mostly in my stash, they came together pretty well. Unfortunately I ran out of time to finish them. I was stuffing heads, adding sticks and stitching on d-rings for the bridle at about 1:30am Christmas morning. I realized I hadn't bought enough d-rings, and didn't have the energy to finish up the manes or do proper bridles. So I left them as is. The little boys were thrilled with them as is and they've logged tons of playtime already. They've been donkeys and reindeer mostly and on the very odd occasion horses too. Whatever they are, they've been fun, so finished or not, I guess that's really what counts in the end! The pattern is from the book Knitted Gifts by Ann Budd.

So that's the knitting part of my holiday craftiness. I'll have to show you the sewing another day!

Help! I'm Buried Under Holiday Crafting!

It's been ages since I did a crafty post. Mostly because I've been too busy crafting to do much of anything else. You see, I had this notion that I'd really like to do more handmade gifts for Christmas this year. Now, while that may be a noble and worthwhile goal, it also takes some dedication, organization and NO procrastination if one is to actually succeed in such an endeavor. Or at least succeed with a shred of sanity left in tact. I'm a little lacking in item number one and two and have a huge abundance of item number three, so it's been a challenge. I feel as though I am somewhat buried under the number of items still left on my list. Ah, but what would the holiday season be without a mad panic dash to the gifting finish line?

I can't tell you what all I've been up to in that department. Hush, hush! All in due time. I promise. But I can show the few things that I've tossed in the crafting mix as I've been madly working on gifts.

First off! In big news, possibly only to those living under this roof, Baby Boy decided about a month ago to potty train himself. Seriously. I should let him out for hire to teach parents how to potty train their stubborn toddler. He did a remarkable job of it all on his own. I'm still not sure how. All I know is one day I was asking if he'd like to try the potty and it was, "No thanks. I fine" and suddenly he vanished from sight the next day and when I found him he was happily sitting on the potty saying quite proudly, "I peed!" Blow me over with a feather and grab the training pants! Took him one week and he was out of diapers during the day. Now a month later he's getting up in the night to go pee. Amazing.

Anyways, I'm sure as I mentioned, this is probably really only exciting to us, so moving right along. Training pants! He needed a few more pairs I figured. And since I don't get to sew diapers anymore I thought I'd might as well sew trainers!

Here's a couple so heavily modified there's not a whole lot left to the original "Tinkle Time Trainers"!

Patriotic Pants!

A nod to his Scottish ancestry

Who doesn't like cowboys?

My very favourite is the oh so patriotic Maple Leaf one. Although it really does remind me of a 1970s Speedo, I think it's pretty cute. And Baby Boy's pudgy little belly suits it much better than say a 60 year old man with a beer belly.

The other thing I have made other than gifts lately is a "Dear Santa" mug rug. I had seen one on Pinterest that I thought quite adorable and got the starting off point from that. I then incorporated my other favourite mug rug pattern for the diagonals. I'm not terribly good at embroidery so I kept it fairly simple and since I couldn't find a white background print fabric I liked, I used white Kona cotton and stamped it with acrylic paint mixed with fabric medium to make it washable. Little Toddler Man has his letter to Santa waiting already in the pocket. The milk and cookies will have to wait though much to his dismay.

Santa's very own mug rug!

So that's a quick "drive by" hello from me while I wait for the iron to heat up! Happy crafting and Happy Holidays to all celebrating in this festive season! I'll be back after Christmas to show you all the rest of the things that have been keeping me up late at night with a Christmas Craft Round Up!