be mine

Valentine's Day is a week away, and I've been having fun with it this year. Henry has a Valentine party at preschool next week, and each child is required to bring a card for everyone in the class. Instead of purchasing a box of cards, we made multi-colored heart-shaped crayons for everyone. I hot glued them to foam cards, and voila! Cutest Valentines ever!

The supplies:

Peeling the wrappers off is tedious. Why do kids think it's fun?

Finished:

We had so much fun, and Henry can't wait to give them to his friends. :)

bamboo spins

Just having some fun with a new scarf that will hit the shop soon. My first knitting experience with bamboo, and I love the way it moves.

featured

So happy to see Henry in a treasury this morning. <3

diff'rent stitches for diff'rent ...

. . . I couldn't think of a word that rhymed with that title without sounding offensive. But I wanted to document the introduction of a new stitch to my knitting repertoire. I stumbled upon this tutorial for the Herringbone Knit Stitch about a month ago, and I've been dying to do it ever since. After catching up on orders, I finally had time to try it out. The second scarf pictured was created with a friend in mind, and is already in the shop. The first scarf will be popping up in a listing soon, but until then, be sure to check out these pictures:

henry's painting

Last week I decided that Henry needed to create a large painting for an empty frame that had been leaning against the wall for months, so I bought some 20x24 canvas boards and mixed colors with watered-down acrylic paints for him. Art circle is his favorite time at preschool, and his crayons and paint markers are always out on the table in his room. When I told him he could make a big painting that we would frame for the apartment, he was incredibly excited.

The painting took a few days and was so much fun to make. I tried giving him advice (which he didn't want or really need, apparently), but the painting was all done by him. I think it's amazing, and now it lives at the top of our stairs right when you walk in the door. Check it out:

mbg for kids

I just crocheted these mini versions of my Unisex Crochet Cowl for Henry to model. He wears them well, but boy is he difficult to photograph when all he wants to do is run around and play. Expect these cute scarves to hit the shop over the next few days.

inspiration overload

Even though we are staying cozy in our apartment, and I'm enjoying the warm scents of vanilla and cappuccino from our new espresso maker, this time of year - particularly the month of January - is never easy for me. I think that's why I have already started daydreaming about the warmer months and trips to the coast.

I have tons of winter yarn that I'd love to move through before the weather gets warmer, but I keep finding myself in that restlessly inspired state, where all I want to do is move on to the new ideas that I have before finishing up the old ones. The pictures below are just a few things that are floating around in my brain these days. I'd love to find a way to translate this antique shell print into knitting, and I can picture cover ups similar to these from Victoria's Secret adapted to knits with very fine yarn on the machine. Last but not least, I am dying to knit a pouf like the one pictured, from Property. I already have the yarn for one in my possession, and it is promised to my mom as soon as it is complete.





I can't wait to put this inspiration to good use ...

happy new year

Banks took me out dancing last night, and it was the best NYE I've ever had. I'm so happy to have him in my life and Henry's, and I'm looking forward to our wonderful future as a family.

2011 was a wonderful year, filled with success and happy moments. I'm excited to see what 2012 has in store, and to share it with the people I love. <3

christmas 2011

Christmas was wonderful this year. Even though I was incredibly busy with nearly 50 hour work weeks and Etsy orders, I still had time to bake with Henry and get the apartment ready for the big day. It was so much fun to decorate the new apartment for the holidays, and I had my first full-sized tree. Of course, the best part of Christmas was sharing the season with family, and watching Henry's excitement build over the weeks leading up to Christmas day. He actually understood the concept of Santa Claus this year and he was so excited to see what was under the tree. I was just as excited for him to see his presents (especially the awesome Melissa & Doug wooden castle), and I actually woke up before he did that day. I made him close his eyes and walk through the living room to the kitchen, where we made monkey bread together and waited for the coffee to brew before settling in to open presents. Check out the pictures below. :)

Last but not least, my favorite present from Banks: interchangeable circular needles from Knit Picks!

we are abel

Throughout the rest of the holiday season, I will be donating a portion of the proceeds from each sale of my Wool Cozy Cowl to the We are Abel Foundation. They approached me about it a few weeks ago, and I was so moved by their story that I said yes without hesitation. Please read a bit of their information below, and visit the site to donate.

Abel is a little boy, injured at birth and now living with Cerebral Palsy. There are many amazing treatments, therapies and new technologies that make a world of difference to him. All money donated goes towards helping Abel and other children affected by Cerebral Palsy and Birth Trauma to have a full and healthy life.

We are Abel
Cerebral Palsy & Birth Trauma Foundation
www.weareabel.org
www.facebook.com/weareabel

moss-stitch snood

I am so happy to have this new style in the shop. It feels like forever since I added a new design, mostly because I'm too busy filling orders for the old ones. I'm definitely not complaining, but it sure is nice to work a new pattern every now and then. The scarf pictured above was knitted with gorgeous and incredibly luxurious Peruvian wool from Wool and the Gang. About two months ago, I discovered that I am able to purchase their yarn through my job, at an amazingly good price. So exciting! I hope to bring more of their wool to the shop soon.

featured: etsy seller handbook

Great Product Photos from Etsy Inc. on Vimeo.

Two days ago, my Wool Cozy Cowl was featured in this post on the Etsy blog as an example of great photography. If you watch the video above, you'll see that I pop up for a second. My Wool Cozy Cowl was also grouped with a bunch of other wonderful items at the bottom of the post. So exciting!

revisited

Over the weekend, Banks and I finally managed to get into a building that I have been itching to photograph/explore for years. While we were there, we took the opportunity to capture some new photos for items that I have been offering in the shop for a year or more now. These items have all done well in the past, but I like to freshen up my listings every now and then. I can't get enough of the peeling paint and gorgeous light in this place, so we will definitely be going back as I have new items to photograph. A few of my favorites from the weekend are posted above. Look for more later this week!

lookin' sharp

My five year old Canon Rebel XT finally bit the dust a few weeks ago, after months of struggling. Life without a functioning DSLR wasn't working for me, so I finally went out and bought a new one. The pictures are gorgeous and incredibly sharp, even in low-light situations (the picture above was taken in a gloomy abandoned school kitchen). As an added bonus, it makes full HD video, so I will once again have the ability to capture Henry on the move. I'm in love!

henry's room

For the first time, Henry has his very own room. I haven't had much time for decorating the new place, but I did make sure that Henry's trees went up right away. He loves his room and proudly shows it to everyone that comes to visit. Best of all, he actually sleeps in his own bed (most of the time), and is perfectly content spending time playing and drawing in his room by himself. Love it!