Cinnamon Walnut Brittle

It's no secret that I have a huge sweet tooth. 

I was craving chocolate, but somehow I ended up making Cinnamon Walnut Brittle. It's from Taste of Home. 

I'm sorry the picture isn't very cute. Chris and I were digging in by the time I remembered I would need a photo for a post. 

Seedlings

It's almost time to launch our garden!

We had a really late freeze last year (I think it was May, or almost May), so I'm being really careful this year!

The green beans have really taken off!

My seed starter is filled with various herbs, flowers, and green beans.

We're going to buy some peppers and tomatoes to transplant this weekend. I have to check the weather again, but I think we're in the clear for hard freezes. We may have a few frosts left, but I have some tarps to protect the seedlings once they're in our raised beds.

More Malabrigo Rasta!

I stopped by my LYS yesterday morning to pick up some more Malabrigo Rasta yarn. Knitting with it is addicting! 

colorways- left to right: Zarzamora, Archangel, Oxido

I like the variegated colorways more than other single color or ombre-esque options.


I'm still experimenting with different beanie toppers. This one happened almost accidentally. I ran out of yellow yarn about 5 rows earlier than expected!

Chris says it looks like a gourd. It's kind of funky. I don't know that I'll make any more like it, but this one does have a bit of whimsy to it. 

Vintage Suitcases

Today, I finally did something I have wanted to do for a long time. I went antiquing! (Vintaging? Haha) Of course, Danielle came with me! It was such great fun. 

I have been looking at vintage suitcases and trunks online for a long time. I want to use the suitcases and trunks to store, tote, and display my handmade items at craft shows.

Take a look at today's haul! 

(The second from the bottom was actually my grandpa's and is not a part of today's loot, but it sure does look great in that stack!)

Stack O'Suitcase

Here's another pic, top lid closed:

It's time for some close-ups! Let's start at the top.

The smallest suitcase needs a bit of work. 

The handle is a leather strap, and it is flaking a bit. 

The top left corner liner is no longer attached anymore, but I got the thing for $12, so I'm not complaining! 

Next is the green case, which is actually an old briefcase. 

The top part holds an accordion file folder. 

Third is the medium-sized brown suitcase. 

I really like the latches on this suitcase. The interior lining of this one is a little saggy, but it's in pretty good shape and nothing I can't fix. I might leave it alone after giving it a wipe down. I don't really mind that it sags since the top will probably have a sign safety-pinned to it advertising prices. 

Next is my grandpa's suitcase!

This one is my favorite. It's metal, and it's been well used. I like to think well-loved. My mom told me my grandpa used to use it when he went up north to do the wheat harvest.  [Or maybe it was when he worked on the railroad? Or both.] OK, I've been informed it wasn't the railroad, it was a shipping company- Mistletoe Express! Maybe that's why I kept thinking it was a railroad. I never knew my grandpa since he died before I was born, but I like to imagine the trips he took using this suitcase.

Finally, let's have a look at my new striped suitcase.

This one is metal, too. I decided on it because it reminded me of my grandpa's. It has a nifty divided interior, so I'll be able to display plain hats on one side and embellishments on the other. Maybe I'll let people mix-and-match and sew on the embellishment while they wait. Who knows?

There were lots of other great vintage finds at the place we visited today. There were tons of vendors and booths, and the prices for almost everything were very reasonable. The trading post was only 40 minutes away, so I know where to check if I need more vintage items!

FO Post: Striped Tester 2

I experimented with single row stripes in my 20 Round Beanie this past Friday. I liked the look just fine, but I thought stripes every two rows might look better. 

Well it does, and here it is!

Two-row stripes

I ran out of purple, so I chose pink and lime green. Pink and green are two of my favorite colors, so I can't be sure how my color bias affected my decisions. 

I also used a slip-stitch technique for the color change this time that did not travel around the hat. I like that technique infinitely better. It's simpler, but it doesn't really work for single row stripes. 

If you look down the middle of the picture, you can see the slip stitches at the color changes. Only one "v" stitch will appear in each color instead of two. 

Slip stitch color change

My 20 Round Beanie is extremely simple in design, so stripes really set it off!  

Have a look at a side-by-side comparison of the two row stripes and the single row stripes. 

Left: two row stripes    Right: single row stripes

I am going to give the travelling color change technique and single row stripes another try, but I think the two row stripes are here to stay!

I'm also going to try some i-cord embellishments, perhaps a top-knot of sorts, on the next few hats I knit.

I'm working on finalizing inventory for what I will sell in my (so far nameless) Etsy store. Be prepared to see the basic 20 Round Beanie along with the two row striped beanie. Although, I do hope they'll have cuter names, soon....