Santa Set

I finished this Santa set up for our Cyber Monday stocking over at Serenity Tree. If it doesn't sell soon I may move it into my Etsy shop or my other congo - Made By Military Wives.

Kimono features black "belt" for outer ties and i-cord ties inside to reduce bulk. White garter stitch trim gives it a fuzzy Santa look. Chest circumference: 20", Sleeve: 7"

Longies also feature garter stitch trim, a gansey gusset, and short rows in the bum to accomodate cloth diapers. Rise and Hips: 15.5", Inseam: 9"

Santa hat also sports garter stitch trim and comes with your choice of pom pom or tassel on top. Circumference: 15"

Booties are 4" from heel to toe, include a black twisted cord drawstring tie around the ankle (not pictured), and are 6" high from heel to cuff.

The white trim is 85% wool and 15% mohair, the rest of the yarns are 100% wool, and as always the longies come lanolized and ready to wear.

Merry Christmas!

"Astro"

Meet my new friend, "Astro".

It's kind of bright and fun. Black, orange, blue, and bright (and I mean bright) green.

It's stocking today on Serenity Tree along with a matching long sleeved t-shirt. The shirt is 18mos Circo brand, my kids have a couple of these shirts and I like them.

I had a hard time photographing the colors, the green really didn't want to show up. I also had a hard time getting the colors to set like I wanted. It was pretty frustrating and my hands are tinted bluish-black. One of the skeins I think looks a little more washed out, but I've listed them as "seconds" so hopefully that can make up for my mishap. It's dyed on Sweet Grass Wool 3-ply, which is 4oz and 153yd per skein.

Website Update and New Congo!

Sorry for another boring post, I have to take some pictures of the sweater I just finished and the longies I'm working on. BUT, I have exciting news... I updated my website! It's still being worked on, tweaked here and there, and I plan on adding sidebar navigation but I just have to figure it out first. I'm doing it myself and all the coding can get overwhelming. But it has pictures and is looking okay, if you ask me!

Also I have joined a new congo on HyenaCart, Made By Military Wives. We stock the 1st and 15th, so my first stocking is tomorrow! Come and check it out, there are lots of talented ladies on there!

Happy Birthday Serenity Tree!

October 6 is our anniversary stocking over at Serenity Tree. I can't believe it has been a year already, but it has. We have lots of things planned, there *may* be some FFS lotteries (not sure yet), and we're having a couple collaborations, a mama one and a baby one - most stores are pitching in. It should be fun! So stop over October 6!

New Yarns

Here are two new yarns I dyed up for tomorrow's stocking:

Meet "Eve"

It is similar to the "Sunset" colorway, but without the blue. The base yarn is 70% Merino, 30% Mohair and is dyed with professional quality acid dyes. Colors are dark pink, orange, salmon, light pink, and white. It reskeined beautifully and I hope it finds a new home.

And the second, was a bit of a nemesis to me. Meet "Scrappy"

Like any child, scrappy was a bit of a nuisance, but worth the effort when all is said and done. I split this 4oz hank into 9 relatively equal sections and dyed them separately. "Scrappy Pants" are all the rage these days, but with them come lots and lots of ends to weave in. This skein takes the weaving out of scrappy pants.

I did repeat colorways, so if you split the ball in half you'd have two identical balls, the outside ends being the same. I figured this way you could knit both legs at once starting from each end of the ball and have them end up pretty close. So sections 1 and 9 are the same, 2 and 8, 3 and 7, 4 and 6, and then 5 is different. It was a lot of work to come up with colorways that would be different but flow a little, reusing colors here and there to create autonomy, and keeping it fairly gender neutral. It's kind of a bright, fun skein. I hope to see it knit up.

Camping

We are having a camping theme this month over at Serenity Tree. Here are the two yarns I dyed up this week, both on 3.5oz Uruguayan 1-ply merino. It was a fun yarn to work with, being so soft. The dye seemed to take a little more richly on the merino vs the peruvian highland wool I've been using.

Here's "Sunset":

It's a beautiful blend of pink, salmon, orange, and blue.

I just think it's beautiful and hope I get to see it knit up.

The other is "Sticks -n- Stones", it has sold already but is wonderful to look at anyway.

I mailed it today to Canada, so it's really out of here. I'm really pleased with the colors though.

And lastly, my "Woodland Pixie" shorties with a leafy ruffle.

They're 6 mos size, and really cute. Overall I'm pretty proud of the stocking. I do need to get some more yarns and bath products featured in my Etsy shop, but Serenity Tree is taking July off, so that might be a good time to focus over that way. So far most of my Etsy store is just things that haven't sold in a month on Serenity Tree.

Well, stay tuned! I'm sure the dyeing bug will hit me again in a couple days. Plus I still need to post the pattern for that blanket, don't I?!

Spring is here, time for a "Royal Rainbow"

Here's "Royal Rainbow". I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.

I wasn't sure whether I should continue with the rainbow or add the black in. I added black.

The colors are so rich and bright. I love it. It'll be listed on Tuesday.

Just Diapers

I have been waiting to post until I could take some good photos of my newest excitement around here. Maybe tomorrow.

Instead I'll just put up some diapers I have finished. I'll be listing them for Tuesday's stocking. I just think diapers are so stinkin cute! I also have one in a froggy print that I finished up today.

Apparently I only have the elephant one in the computer. I'll get more on. Here's an "old" one, one I sewed up several months ago:

Oh, and other news, I'm currently actually writing up the Tweets pattern. I hope to have it tested in a week or so and then have it available. I haven't decided whether I should offer it free or charge yet. I just can't get over how cute they are...

Introduce... "Retro"

This one was kind of fun. I used a new dyeing technique that I "made up" (which isn't to say other people don't dye yarn in pickle jars) and dyed this skein of yarn.

I am listing it tomorrow for our stocking at Serenity Tree. It is a semisolid yellow overdyed with blue and green. It reminded me of tie-dyeing, hence it's name, "Retro".

I will list this, "Engine 3", and probably a shirt I haven't made yet (which reminds me, I have to go throw those in the dryer, drat!). I'm going to save my diapers for the next stocking. A friend ordered 2 of 5 different prints, so I'm making 3 of each to have one to spare. I'll post pictures later, and leave you today with a swatch of Retro.

Book Feature

We are stocking specially this month, on March 2nd instead of the 3rd and we are doing a book theme. A lot of the ladies' listings are related somehow to a children's book. It should be fun. I admit, I don't have nearly as much together as I had hoped I would, but sick kids and lifechanging decisions will do that for you. :) I've been preoccupied.

HOWEVER, I do have this little guy all ready to go, he's been ready for a couple weeks and I don't think I've featured him yet. He's my little Rainbow Fish, knit out of some rainbow colored wool I dyed last summer. He has irish knot eyes that were knit right on so they won't fall off and pose a choking hazard... AND it rattles! It turned out smaller than the last fish I knit, I used smaller needles and like the result better. So... here you go!

Funk

I'm in a bit of a funk right now. I have a few projects I need to get done but I just don't have any desire to work on them. Plus I need to come up with some new ideas for the March stocking (book theme), but I'm coming up empty. Well, nearly empty.

I did whip out a felted purse for a friend of mine in a few days. Easy fast knitting. I'll post a picture when I get them uploaded. It was some kind of magic pulling it out of the washing machine, seeing it all small. I had checked on it a couple times before, but still. Knowing it was done was exciting.

We have some life changing decisions to make here in the next week or so, so pardon me if I'm a bit on the sloth-ish side. I think I am just being overwhelmed and therefore having a creativity block. I'll still take any creative pants suggestions. I think I'm just going to use the leftover yarn from the felted bag to make a pair of stripey longies for the second pair. Argh, I never posted pics of the first! Well I'll have to get on that when I get home...

Trading Talents

Lately I haven't been knitting much for the store but I have been working on some trades like a crazy girl. I've been looking around on DiaperSwappers for people who are in search of knits of some sort. So, I have knit a cat sweater:

The cat and owner seem to like it. I will say, I tried it on my mom's chihuahua twice and my own cat once. Max was less than excited about her clothing debut and had more than a few things to say about it. She hissed and clawed and I made my husband take it off her.

I also knit this hat to trade for some wetbags, which I am more than excited about. I am going to parade my new wetbags around in leiu of my plastic grocery bags.

And I traded this little guy:

for some things from Lil Outlaws. I haven't used any of it yet, but it smells great!

And lastly I *finally* finished this sling for a friend of mine (and I have one listed in the store). I bought the blue fabric something like 2 years ago to make a sling and realized I needed something on the other side because of the embroidery. I have looked and looked and didn't know what to use. Then a friend said the colors they were going with for things were teal/turquoise and brown and I had an epiphany. I think it was worth the wait, it really is pretty!

Other than that I have a few things in the pipeline, I'm going to get working on getting Tweets, Slither, and Intertwined written up. I also have another couple trades, 2 pairs of longies I'm sure I'll be showcasing here, and some slipper socks. I'm getting a Mei Tai and knitting bag out of those. I will say, this trading stuff is fun!

Oh, keep an eye out too, we're stocking a day early in March for Dr. Seuss' birthday and another reading thing. It'll be fun, we're all offerring some items having to do with some of our favorite children's books. Stay tuned!

Finally Ready... I Think.

We are having a big stocking at Serenity Tree tomorrow for "Cyber Monday". We will be having random listings all day and are having a bit of a "Treasure Hunt" as well. It should be fun.

Anyway, my husband was working on the addition this weekend and installed a door so he had to move the phone line and we didn't have internet for a few days. It was fine, except for this big stocking tomorrow. So I have spent the last couple hours working, but I think I'm finally ready. I have a bunch of stuff up, and a couple I wish I would've had time to finish. But I figure I can use those for the next stocking in 2 weeks.

Included in my "not quite done" list are my Tweets. I will have to get some pictures uploaded tomorrow. I made a cardinal and it even has the crest on it's head. When I showed my husband he even said it was cute, which is saying a lot since I never get a reaction out of him on the things I make. So I'm pleased. I have to put the beak on the yellow bird as well so they're maybe not ready yet, but I was really hoping to get them listed tomorrow. Ah well.

Oh, but I did get my Midnight Sky Longies finished, they turned out really great, I'm really pleased.

I was also hoping to have a goldfish done, but that isn't going to happen either. I got a good part of the tail done and then decided to rip out and do it a little differently. So hopefully I should have a good start on the next stocking. If only my washcloths were done... :) Just 11 to go, minus any my sister completed for me. I *heart* my sister.

New Stocking!

So Serenity Tree stocked again today. I was all wigged out because the pants I'm working on aren't done yet. They're gonna be cute - I'll post a picture when I get a good picture of the leg. It's cute. Anyway, our theme was stocking stuffers with Christmas coming up and I had NO idea what to stock. I didn't have time to knit anything... so I decided to sew. And here's what I came up with:




2 Treasure bags and a doll sling. I also have listed a bath bag and semi-custom longies in Peace Fleece "Ancient Fern". I'm super happy with how the "Cowboy" Treasure Satchel came out. I am a little uncertain if the bag should be a little shorter, and initially I thought the handle should've been longer. However, it fits ds perfectly over his head and is the perfect height for him to sling about and get into. It's roomy but not huge, I will say it could lose an inch or two in height, but other than that... perfecto! And my kid wants to keep it, that's a good sign. :) I have it priced at $15 so we'll see if it sells. I have a feeling my kids are going to end up with a bunch of unsold items. I have a feeling that's where the "Denim" longies are going... dd needs some pants in a BIG way! So hop on over to my store and pick up some cute stuff for your kids!