One of my upcoming patterns, the Peony Pillow, calls for chain stitch embroidery. Here’s the how-to. Look for the pillow pattern when I’m done with the embroidery!
Almost done with the embroidery & the pattern is already knit and TESTED.
So far this holiday season the ratio of gifts I’ve bought for me to the gifts I’ve bought for them is about 2:1. This week, I swear, I’ll start buying for everyone else.
Here’s your chance to buy a little somthin’ somthin’ for you . . . all my cones are half-off at my online retail store and shipping is free through Dec. 22. One 2,200 yard cone is $47.50. Think of the felted bags you could make!
This is the same 100% wool, worsted weight yarn that I use for all my projects. High quality, imported from Peru. On cones, I have 15 colors left. I’m still selling yarn in 65-yard and 220-yard balls. I’m rolling them out by hand, and they’ll arrive unlabeled, just so’s ya know. The small balls don’t look nearly as cute as they used to when I had my crazy huge rolling machine.
Cassie Lee didn't forget Kendal, even though she's "old" now.
Callum gives the thumbs up ... his tooth fairy doll, Benjamin, did a good job bringing him the George Washingtons.
Both my kids lost teeth this week. I didn’t even ask Kendal if she wanted me to dig out her toothfairy doll. She is in 6th grade, after all. She goes to dances with boys. No way she would be caught dead with a doll, right? Well, turns out I was wrong. That night before bed, she subtly asked me if I might know where “Cassie Lee” was. I hunted her down and gave her to Kendal. Later, I found the doll on her pillow, holding this note and her tooth:
The toothfairy doll with Kendal's tooth and the note she wrote.
The next day, Callum lost a tooth, too. He’s just eight, but since he’s a boy who really believes he has the moves like Jagger, I thought there was no way he’d want me to rummage Benjamin out of his box in the garage. Wrong again. In fact, Callum wrote Benjamin a two page report on how things have been going since the last time they “talked.” I’m pretty sure it was just a ploy for money, but it was cute all the same.
When I designed the dolls, I thought we’d get maybe one, maybe two uses out of them. Nuh-uh. Turns out, they’ve acquired lives of their own and they hold a dearer place in my children’s hearts than I ever knew. How great is that? It doesn’t go that way every time with the hand-knit gifts, does it?
Ready for battle (or at least for candy-collecting).
The skulls came from the Dollar Store. The mitt is a cut-off sock wrapped in leather.
The final touch was a "flying" dragon on a leash.
The last of the three Halloween costume projects: Astrid’s wooly boots. I used my Big Snugs pattern to knit and felt the boots. Tomorrow, I’ll add a shearling top and suede bottoms so Kendal can wear them outside. For the exterior, I used a 100% worsted weight wool in a nutmeg color and a soft latte-colored alpaca for the inside. Believe it or not, these are a size SMALL, for US women’s size 5 – 7.5. I knew they would shrink to the correct size, but it is always a little heart-stopping when you see how HUGE they are before shrinking.
Kendal in her unfelted boots, hoping they'll be ready in time for Halloween.
Victory! (And with a couple days to spare.)
I got an email from my editor at Knitting Today asking if I’d like to create knitted pet toys to feature in holiday issue of the magazine. Can you imagine a more fun assignment? I got my knit on and in just two days kicked out the little cuties below. The patterns are on the website and in the magazine.
I designed a pair of slippers an cable bag for the Fall issue of Knitting Today. I just learned they are posted as free patterns on the Knitting Today website. Sweet!
The slippers have an internal tie that make them fit snugly against the top of the foot when they are worn.
You followed me as I daringly submerged this design in the washing machine. I wasn’t at all sure how my 35 hours of knitting would turn out. Well, I was thrilled with the result, and I guess my editors were, too, because here is my design, right on the cover!
That's My Design! Right There! On The Cover!
Not how I would have styled it, but O well.
I like it a lot better as a cushion. I wouldn't really want to tote my wallet and keys around in this thing.
My latest design; pattern will be available online mid-summer.
I have to admit, I feel bad for the tease of the rose tote posts from last month. If you didn’t read them….check them out. I still don’t have the final photo of the tote and the Knitting Today issue featuring it doesn’t come out ’til fall. In the meantime…I worked up a similar project for my new Pick Up Sticks line, being released at TNNA June 11-15. I adapted the rose tote into a peony-inspired pillow. And for this one, you WILL get both before and after shots 
Check back throughout June for sneak peeks of the new line. All five designs will be available on my website for sale as PDF downloads starting in mid-July.
The Dali Rose Tote felted perfectly. I was so shocked, I forgot to document it. After the bag dried, I popped it in the mail and sent it off to my editor without even thinking about photographing it. Where was my head? I’ll post when the story comes out in Knitting Today.
