Burlap Flowers and Table Tops

My mom came to visit a couple months ago while Chris was gone. I found this link on Pinterest with a tutorial on how to make a burlap flower arrangement.

It's just too cute! My arrangement is just a bit different than the one she made.

I wrapped an old vase in yarn. It was easy until I got to the little dip in the shape. That was a pain to wrap! I ended up using hot glue and letting it dry to give the yarn something to "stick" to. The next vase I use will hopefully be cylindrical and less of a chore to wrap, if I decide to go that route again.

You can find all of the flower tutorials at the link I posted at the top of this entry. They're all just too cute!

The little button flowers are my favorite.

I bought one stick of flowering monkey grass (I think that's what it is!) at Hobby Lobby.  I don't think Pete liked it much.

I made two colors of roses: red and tan burlap.

I think things turned out pretty well. I'd also like to point out that the dishes in that picture are clean, and the pantry door doesn't latch because the house has settled and Pete can nose the door open... it's on the to-do list!

While my mom was here, we also hung some things up and decorated the cabinets in the kitchen.

(This space heater is pretty handy in the winter!)

Not bad, eh?

The hydrangea vase is actually supposed to be a cookie jar. I found it at Pier 1. It didn't have a lid, so it was half off! I wanted to use it as a vase anyway, so it was my lucky day!

We just got a new Ashley Furniture Homestore in town, and I think I might have found our new dining room table! The one we have right now is great for two people, but it gets crowded when our parents visit. It gets crowded even when only my cousin Amanda visits!

I just really want it in the craft room as my craft table. Full disclosure. ;)

After the dining room table, all we need is an entertainment center and the living area will be complete! Then we just have to add the crown molding to the craft room, paint the bedroom and re-finish the dresser and night stand, and maybe add some wallpaper in Chris's office as a border. That's not too much! Then we've got our vegetable garden this year, and I want to put in a patio and a butterfly garden... and we still have a few pictures left to hang. And I said I was going to try to be done with that by New Year's Day... oops!

***
Note: This post originally appeared on the blog when it was still "Honest Stitches."
I wanted to re-post it since I really enjoyed making the burlap flowers.

Also, we finally have our new dining room table.

Guess what the centerpiece is!

Second Chances are for Suckers!

This is Pete

During a daily play session

He is a Miniature Schnauzer.

He is almost two years old.

He has completed Advanced obedience training, and he was on his way to becoming a Canine Good Citizen.

But wait, there's more!

About a year ago, I arrived home for lunch one day to find a disaster area in our apartment living room.

Pete ate about half of one of my knitting books, tore the cover off of another along with several pages (the chart key!), chewed the corners off of yet another knitting book, and ripped the novel Chris was currently reading to shreds.

We have since replaced those books, but Pete started spending his time alone in his kennel.

Some friends said Pete must have been bored to become so destructive, but that dog has more "interactive" thinky-get-the-treat toys and chew bones than he needs. We also walked him (and still do!) consistently.

I killed Santa.

He was simply being destructive.

I chewed up my blanket. Now I'm stuck...

Fast-forward to today (well, this past Tuesday), and I felt like we could try leaving Pete in the house again. Alone.

All of the doors to the rooms with things Pete might destroy were closed.

This sweet face wouldn't do a thing!

Bathrooms? Check. No toilet paper roll ripping for Petey!

Laundry room? Check! No sock destruction for him, either!

Craft room? Definitely! Pete tried to sneak paintbrushes out of the room right under my nose once.

Well, I was gone about 1 1/2 hours Tuesday afternoon, and he didn't destroy anything. Yippee!

Wednesday morning, I gave him a treat, shut the doors to the tempting rooms, and went to work. When I came home for lunch, I found no damage! I was pleasantly surprised. He changed! He changed!

Aaaaand today.

Today when I went home for lunch I found shredded paper, a destroyed bracelet, a shredded sock, pillows everywhere, and tissues.

I am fairly sure the paper was either a knitting pattern or a printed order confirmation I left on the coffee table. My dog was on the coffee table.

We've had some issues with our house settling and our doors no longer latching, and I would bet that is how Pete got into the craft room to get to the bracelet. Which my mother gave me, by the way!

Totally destroyed!

Well, the flowers might be salvageable. They were applique, so I might be able to stitch them to another item.

The sock was Chris's, and I'm pretty sure Pete shredded another one (or three) while we still lived in our apartment, so I can only hope that those were a matching set... I believe it was left out under the loveseat, so I can blame Chris for that one, at least! (Haha!)

He didn't chew on the pillows, but he must have been playing "the floor is lava" with the couch and loveseat.

And the tissues? The only tissues I have are in boxes on the end tables. My dog was climbing on my end tables.

Slightly guilty-looking dog

As soon as I opened the door to the laundry room to get the Swiffer, Pete darted in and grabbed one of my socks!

What has gotten into my dog?!

I don't destroy things...

Well, he is back to spending his alone time in his kennel. I let him out when I go home for lunch, and we play frisbee after I get home. Luckily for Pete, I only work 5 hours a day right now.

I would leave him outside with some water and some shade, but he has already dug up my marigolds!

Mud!

I guess some dogs just can't be alone!

This is what I think about that!

And here I was thinking about adopting another puppy.


*****
This is Thursday's post. I guess I hit "save" instead of "publish." Whoops! 

I hope you got a laugh out of Pete and his antics. He really isn't a bad dog, he's just spoiled!

Christmas Crafting (Already?!)

I like to think I am a prepared person. So prepared, in fact, that I am already working on my hand-made Christmas gifts.

I know!

It's May!

I am just so awesome.

You know, that special kind of amazing that puts off projects by working on other projects that eventually need to be done, but not as soon as the first projects...

That would be me with crafting. (I knew that whole "only one project at a time" thing wouldn't last.)

I made a set of Felt Owl Christmas ornaments, and I am 1/3 finished with the second set. I got a little sidetracked by working on a sleeve/case for my Chromebook (which is a wonderful little machine, by the way).

And then I got sidetracked from the Chromebook sleeve by Square V of the Patchwork Blanket.

I'm still working on the other baby blanket, too, four rows at a time.

I planned on knitting another Patchwork Blanket square this afternoon, but a Christmas gift idea hit me:

Mugs! Mug cozies! Drink mix! "Single-serve" brownies/goody mix packaged in a cup!

So, I found this on Ravelry.

(The pattern is a Ravelry Download, so you'll have to create a free account to read it, but the pictures should show up just fine.)

I haven't knitted many things with cables, but I really enjoyed this pattern. And it used up some of my scrap yarn!

I took about an hour to knit, I think. I wasn't really keeping track of the time.

If you're on our Christmas list, maybe you'll find yourself with a little mug set.

Who knows? Maybe I'll come up with more ways to procrastinate, I mean, more crafting ideas between now and Christmas.

I have a little bit of time.

Not My Day

Today. 

Was not.

My day.

Tomorrow had better include

some chocolate.

Textured Rib Baby Beanie Test Pattern

I've been working on the Patchwork Blanket by Sandi Prosser from the 60 Quick Baby Knits book.

I really, really like the pattern for Block V. Prosser calls it a "textured rib."

I apologize for the cruddy picture. It is difficult to take a nice picture of anything in this peach-colored yarn.

I'm working on modifying this pattern a bit and using it as another Click for Babies beanie pattern.

I normally prefer knitting things flat and seaming them, but I may try doing this in the round soon.

**This beanie pattern has not yet been test knit by anyone other than myself. Please try it and let me know if/when/where you encounter problems.

Textured Rib Baby Beanie 

Using size 8 or 9 straights, CO 66 using long-tail CO.

Knit in K1P1 ribbing for ~1 inch.

Textured Ribbing:

Row 1: Knit all
Row 2:  K2, (P1, K3) to end of row
Row 3: Knit all
Row 4: P1, (K3, P1) to last stitch, K1.

Continue in textured pattern until work measures about 4-5 inches.

Decrease:
Row 1: (K2, K2 tog) to last 2, K2.
Row 2:  K1, (P1, K3) repeat to last stitch, P1.
Row 3: (K1, K2 tog) to last 2, K2.
Row 4: (K2, P1) to last stitch, K1.

Row 5: K2 tog to end of row.

Row 6: K2 tog to last stitch, K1.

Thread yarn through remaining stitches and seam the hat using the invisible mattress stitch. 

Add embellishments or modify as needed!

Click for Babies - Happy Mother's Day! - Lacy Baby Beanie Pattern

Happy Mother's Day, knitting, crocheting, and non-yarn-loving mothers alike!

If you are like me and love quick, cute baby knits but have no children of your own to foist them upon, Click for Babies might be your answer!

Last year I found Click for Babies while looking for an organization that needed baby knits. (I was out of reproducing cousins but still wanted to make baby things.)

Click for Babies is in many states, and they distribute baby beanies to new parents.

The only drawback is, well, the baby beanies have to be purple. Now, I don't have any problem with all of you purple lovers out there, but let's just say purple is not my favorite color. I had enough of the color purple growing up, and I think I could go the rest of my life without it and be completely happy without it. 

But! The beanies are purple for a reason. They're purple to remind new parents about this thing called "The Period of Purple Crying." PURPLE is an acronym so parents remember not to shake their new bundle of smells when it cries and they can't figure it out. (Seriously, check out their website for more info. I think it's a great program.)

Last year two other ladies and myself sent in over 20 beanies! At one point I was pretty tired of making variations of the same pattern for what seems like forever, but then I remembered that I would have purple yarn left if I stopped knitting! (That was motivation, people, but I still have purple left. At least I don't have to buy more for this year!)

Here is my own version of a Click for Babies pattern, partially inspired by the market bag on purlbee (click here to see it). 

Lacy Baby Beanie

Size 10.5 and 15 straight needles

Worsted Weight Yarn in Purple

CO 51 (or 61 for a larger baby) onto Size 10.5 straights

Knit in K1P1 ribbing for 1 inch

Switch to Size 15 straights.

Row 1: Purl

Row 2: K1, *(YO, K2Tog) to end

Row 3: Purl

Row 4: *(SSK, YO) to last stitch, K1

Continue in this pattern for 3 1/2 inches. 

To Decrease:

Row 1: *(P1, P2Tog) across

Row 2: K1, *(YO, K2Tog) to end

Row 3: P2Tog  across

Row 4: *(SSK, YO) to last stitch, K1

Row 5: P2Tog across

Cut yarn, leaving a long tail for finishing. Using a tapestry needle, thread yarn through the final stitches on the needle and pull them together. Sew the back of the beanie up through the lace pattern by sewing through the purl rows and then use the invisible mattress stitch to join the rows of ribbing.

Notes:

The lacy pattern is rather large on size 15 needles, so you can continue using size 10.5 needles if you like.  I think it will still do a great job of keeping baby's head warm.

If you knit a few extra inches of the lace pattern, you can tighten the yarn a bit as you sew up the beanie and make a "slouchy" beanie.

If you have any pattern corrections or notice any errors, please let me know in the comments!

I forgot to take pictures of the lacy beanie I made last year before I sent them to our state's Click for Babies collection site. I will another one up and post pictures soon!

So, what do you say? Click with me?

***

Note: Parts of this post, including the pattern, were originally posted under the old blog, Honest Stitches.