a new strolling bag...

After making all of those little project bags, I decided to make a carry all for my daily walks with the kids. I'm branching out! I wanted it to hold my wallet, some tissues, wipes, snacks, water, library books...the kind of stuff we always need while out and about and at the park.

I decided to do this on a Sunday afternoon while Asa was out for a long bike ride. I did a "google" for a pattern for a tote bag. I decided on one with two handles, a snap closure and some pleats. You can find the pattern here if you'd like to give it a go. This particular pattern had some directions to add a pocket. But, I improvised and made up my own pocket, sewing a doubled over piece of fabric with some bias tape from the outer material to create the top of the pocket, onto the lining of the bag.

I headed to the fabric store to pick up some materials and came home and got down to sewing. It took about 2 hours, from start to finish and I came up with this!

my new stroller bag...

bright yellow lining to help me spot things inside...

a pocket to hold my phone and maybe some sunscreen...

The bag is working out great. I only used a light interfacing inside so its flexible/floppy enough to be mangled into the bottom stow away compartment of the stroller. The magnetic snap keeps things from falling out while on the go. And its a bright sunny print which makes me happy to carry it!  I also made a small pleated coin purse to throw in there too- but I have to admit I haven't used that once because I don't really want to start keeping two wallets...one is enough to manage.

handmade flannel receiving blanket

On Friday night I wanted to work on something quick for the evening. Sometimes when I have an "epic" project or two going, I like to put them aside to make something that I can start and finish in one day or evening. I have three long term projects going on right now...none of them getting very close to completion.

Enter my list of craft links (projects I love and want to revisit and attempt). I found one quick project that I happened to have all of the materials (with a substitution or two) to attempt.  If you haven't spent any time on The Purl Bee site, you need to head over there right now and see the beautiful tutorials and patterns they provide- for FREE! (I'll wait right here for you...) I can spend a whole hours clicking through all of their patterns in sewing, crocheting and knitting.

Here's what I made, using this pattern for inspiration!

I got a piece out my flannel bundle, ironed it, squared it, and pressed the fabric to hem it all the way around. I had some really nice merino wool on hand, but it was too thick to do the crochet border. Instead, I did a blanket stitch all the way around.  This project took less than two hours, start to finish. I now have a nice receiving blanket on hand, for any future baby girl birth. (which is seeming unlikely since all of the expecting mothers in my life that have found out the sex are having boys...there's still one unknown out there- perhaps this one will be the girl). If you can sew a "straight line" and do a blanket stitch, this project is for you.  And here's a blanket stitch tutorial that seems very useful (no lame music- just text and photos.)

All you need to do it is some yarn and some flannel. You could even recycle some old flannel sheets to make a set of receiving blankets for the little bit in your life!

cozy coffee & tea...

I love my days off. I have three of them in a row each week. Friday is my Saturday... It's a day I can get chores done, appointments done, and I can usually set aside some time to relax with my knitting or crocheting.  On this "Friday acting like a Saturday" I decided to take a break from my holiday knitting and my long term epic projects. I wanted to make something today that I could start, finish and use all in the same day.  And I found the perfect project when Asa made a pot of delicious hot Thai Tea and commented on how fast he needed to drink it in order to enjoy it hot.  We needed a Plunger Pot Cozy and we needed it FAST!

cozy Thai tea

I looked online and was able to find several free patterns for a plunger pot cozy. After checking out several, I found one that I could modify to accommodate the supplies I had on hand.  I changed the number of stitches in the existing pattern because I decided to knit mine with two strands of yarn to make it thicker, hoping it will keep our tea and coffee warmer, longer.  Because I used two strands of yarn, I also used much bigger needles for the project, meaning I had to reduce the number of stitches. I kept the basic idea of three buttons to secure the cozy in place on the pot.

buttons hold this cozy on the pot

picking up stitches...

Here's a super cute sweater vest that I made for my nephew, Jonah. He is always dressed in layers, but I know that he spends a lot of time on the move so I decided to make this little cutie so he'd have full range of movement in his arms.

The pattern is a free Ravelry download, called the Lola Vest.  I'm going to rename it The Frankie, in honor of a former student of mine who wore a sweater vest every single day that I ever had him in class for 3 whole school years.  This was the first knitting project where I had to pick up stitches on edges.  I was very careful to make the stitches evenly spaced and I think it actually came out rather well.  It was an added challenge to make the V neck actually look like a V.  Mine doesn't totally look like the photo, but it did come out pretty cute! 

I tried it on Jonah today and it fits him pretty well right now, so I'm going to give it to him early, instead of waiting until Christmas! My next vest will be a cable knit one...since I was able to teach myself the cable stitch this weekend.

off the hook...

Things have been pretty busy over here! I have been making more and more of those owl hats and it seems that many of my old friends and some new friends too are putting in their orders!

One of my cousins ordered a hat to go with her little girl's first birthday theme, "One's a hoot!"  She wanted it in very bright colors and I was able to gather all of the yarn in Hot Pink, Hot Orange, Hot Blue and Black to make the hats match the costume perfectly. Since she "bought" the yarn, I made up 3 hats to use up all of her yarn.  Here's a photo of two of the hats I made:

one's a hoot, two's cuter!

 I posted this same photo on Facebook and the orders are pouring in!  I've made a total of ten owls now and have just gotten another order.  All of this positive feedback has got me thinking about starting to sell these little babies on Etsy! I've been tweaking the free original pattern to fit bigger heads.  My sister, Michelle is also sporting one of these cuties on the kindergarten playground where she works.

It might take a while to make up a few items to post for sale...in the mean time I'm thinking of store names.  So far, "Stitch a Roux" is in the lead.  The name comes from the fact that both of my grandmothers (Memere Leroux and Memere Trudeau) were cracker jack crocheters and Memere Leroux was also a fantastic knitter.  Memere Trudeau used to make this dessert treat called Scotcharoos for every single get together my family ever had.  I figured this name would honor both of my memeres.

cloudy skies...sun dress...

Despite the lack of sunny skies, I finished that little sundress I had posted about last week.  It might be the cutest little sundress that I ever did make (and the only one). I had found the free pattern while shopping for yarn a few weeks ago. I love how it came out. I love the bright colors (and not a pink among them). I love the little button. I love how it took exactly how much yarn it said it would!  It is supposed to fit 18 months-2 years...and that's not gonna happen, but I happen to know one or two little girls that it will fit!

pretty sundress

shells and loops

I plan to buy a little shirt and some leggings to go with it, so it can be a winter time gift!  I might use the little scraps of yarn left over to make some crochet flowers for hair clips too!