needlework + seedlings

more yo-yos

2012-02-21T02:53:00.004-05:00

In the post-traumatic stress of the hectic weeks behind me, I had a wonderful time working with an incredible group of girls on a magazine project, where we conceived of a magazine and overall brand, and, after five weeks, presented a twelve-page sample, business strategy, etc.

What made this crazy creative process super-fun was that our magazine was about craft culture. To swagify ourselves and our audience at the final panel, we made more yoyos!

The cover for our magazine is below. Though this blog is still about handicraft, you may see me sneaking in some InDesign work now and again!

manly-man man mittens

2012-02-21T02:36:00.003-05:00

After the mittens I made for Lauren J, I was on a bit of a post-mitten adrenaline kick. A friend of mine in Vancouver asked that I make him mittens as well, and after not seeing any patterns for fliptops I liked, I adapted Ysolda Teague's Snapdragon pattern for man hands. Obviously, olive green alpaca and dope steampunk buttons were called for.

These pattern notes are not great: I wrote them down haphazardly as I knit. If you're having trouble, feel free to send a note my way!

Man Cubed Mittens

Needs
5 US size 6 dpns
Berrocco Ultra Alpaca Yarn, one skein (or any worsted yarn of your choice)
Tapestry Needle
Waste yarn.
Two buttons.
Stitch Markers (if desired)

Mitt (make 2)
CO 44 sts (I do the one handed cast-on over two needles to make it nice and stretchy!), join in a round.
K2, P2 for 20 rows.
K another 16 rows(ish, for the length of the thumb to the wrist)
Next row, m1, k to end.
Next row, k even.
Next row, m1, k1, m1, k to end.
Next row, k even.
Rep last two rows, making 1 at the beginning and end of the newly made stitches (stitch marker might help with this) and then knitting even, until you have 11 new stitches.
Transfer these stitches to waste yarn, CO 2 sts, and then continue knitting.
K 3 rows, and do a double-decrease of your choice to lose the two extra stitches that you cast on. You should be back to 44 stitches.
K 4 more rows.
K2, P2 for 8 rows, then bind off in rib.

Topper
From the two CO stitches you made after holding the thumb stitches with waste yarn, count 20 sts across.
For right mitten, insert tapestry needle threaded with yarn before the first CO st and pull through to the inside.
For left mitten, insert tapestry needle threaded with yarn after the 20th st and pull through to the inside.
For both mittens, using the point of a dpn, insert from the front to the back in the centre of the rightmost st, catch the yarn around the needle, and pull to the front. (This will take a couple of tries, but makes the topper's join practically invisible when worn over the fingers).
After joining the 20 sts in this manner, CO 24 more sts (you might have to do this purlwise, backwards, but it will turn out the same.)
K2, p2 for 7 rows.
K 11 rows.
Rearrange stitches across four needles so that they all have the same number of sts, if not like this already. You should be starting at the rightmost side of the joined edge of the topper.
SSK, knit to last two stitches of needle 2, K2tog. SSK, knit to last two stitches of needle 4, K2tog.
Knit next row even.
Repeat last two rows until 24 sts remain, then decrease every row.
When 4 sts remain, cut yarn, thread through four live sts, and pull tight.
Pick up three sts near the top, complete a 16 row icord, and kitchener stitch it together on the other side.

Thumb
Put held thumb sts back on needles, and pick up three more (the two cast on sts, plus another.)
Knit around, decreasing twice. 12 sts remain.
Knit 16 rows or until thumb is as long as your own thumb.
K2tog around, 6 sts.
K2tog again, 3 sts.
Cut yarn and thread through three live sts, pull tight.

Sew buttons where your icord loop hits the wrist, and enjoy!

NOTE: I would like to extend my thanks to Sarah Stanfield at Ysolda Teague, who kindly looked over this adaptation and sanctioned its posting on this blog.

bubbles times infinity

2012-01-02T18:33:00.003-05:00

I had two balls of Rowan big wool lying around that were a gift - watching the thermometer drop was more than enough incentive to knit up this quick, chunky cowl - Alyssa Heath's Blue Bramble Cowl. At the last minute, I twisted one end before the graft bind off and made it an infinity loop cowl.

So easy to wear, so enjoyable, and the bubble stitch looks great! Not bad for three nights of knitting!

LJ's christmas mittens

2012-01-02T18:05:00.003-05:00

When I first moved to Vancouver, one of my closest friends, and nameshare, Lauren, followed soon after for a visit. We did a bunch of touristy things together and really had a blast. Here's a picture of us in Whistler-Blackcomb, in an inukshuk.

When I drew her name for Secret Santa, I knew she deserved nothing short of handmade beauty, and sought to make Ysolda Teague's Snapdragon Fliptops. She, like me, loves purple, so I picked up a beautiful plum colour from Berocco's Ultra Alpaca.

My favourite part, though - even more than the gorgeous pattern and colour? The buttons, which I picked up from a button-only store in Gastown; the aptly named Button Button.

It was not easy giving these babies away, but no one deserved them more.*

*I know this sounds like a very roundabout way of saying that I gifted mittens to myself. I assure you, reader, that my friend's name is also Lauren. I also assure you that this has stemmed multiple in-jokes that perhaps only we find funny, especially the notorious, "Hello Lauren J, it's Lauren P calling" answering machine message. It doesn't look so funny written down. I suppose you just have to be there.

Obligatory jumping photo.

apologies

2011-12-28T21:37:00.002-05:00

Hello, all!

I apologize for my long absence - since my last post, I have moved to the beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, and have been back to Toronto, besides!

I have been crafting, but have neglected to post anything. I am going to try and post all of my knit goods and back date them for your viewing pleasures before I head back to Vancity, where surely my wonderful but busy Masters of Publishing program will suck my life away again.

Cheers, and I hope your Christmases/Chanukahs/Eids/Kwanzaas/Festivuses were excellent, and that your New Year will be too!

a hat for dad (that didn't come from a beer box!)

2011-12-06T22:16:00.002-05:00

This year, I decided to give my Dad something handknit for Christmas - he's practically impossible to buy for. Still on a Noro kick from making my chevron mittens, I went for Brooklyn Tweed's Turn a Square hat - a pattern I've always admired.

With good reason - the hat knits up quick and is a pretty safe way to introduce some colour into your knitting (and your overly sartorially cautious aka obtuse giftee AKA my dad). I used a dark brown base colour in dependable Cascade 220 and a blue-red-green-grey Noro Silk Garden.

fish in a pond

2011-11-18T22:00:00.000-05:00

With one brief, glorious reprieve in the form of my Noro chevron mittens, these socks took nearly all of my first semester's knitting time in Vancouver.

Cookie A's Pomatomus pattern is lovely and unique and interesting, but Jesus. Twisted rib all through on teeny tiny needles was like ripping teeth out. Now that they're finished, however, I like 'em! I think I have some form of PTSD, where I can't remember how frustrating it is to knit an inch every hour-twohours of work. The end result, these little waves in the beautiful Misti alpaca, was worth it (I guess).

To ease my post-sock pain, I made this little pinch pouch - the pattern is super-easy, quick, and now I won't lose my earrings!

chevron mittens

2011-10-27T21:41:00.004-04:00

When the first strains of cool weather hit Vancouver air, I realized with horror that I'd left my handknit mittens in a pink milk crate at my parents' house. Given that I'd sworn never to wear storebought mittens again, I ran out to a west coast knitting store to stock up on something to knit up some new ones, quick.

Enter three bags full, a beautiful wool store close to my new apartment. I bought Noro Kureyon (also a first for me) and set to work.

At the time, I'd just finished the first of two Pomatomous socks, and was suffering serious laceweight + twisted rib + second sock syndrome pains. The speed with which these mittens practically appeared to me, as if in a dream, as if I hadn't been knitting them at all, was wonderful. Elizabeth Zimmermann, your mitred mittens are genius.

The colours of the Noro I chose blended together to look a little like mildew, which gives me some strange pleasure. Also, I love that the mittens don't match, they just go. I will definitely make this pattern again.

le calze scale mobile

2011-07-26T21:58:00.004-04:00

...AKA escalator socks.

Those socks, those frigging socks that I have been promising photos of forever - they're done. I can't wait to give them to my nonno! I used Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine in this gorgeous navy with hot fuchsia fibres wound in (I hope Nonno doesn't notice - but I think it will make him discreetly super-hip). I also love how squishy and stretchy the pattern is.

Check out that texture!

Also, I thought I'd leave you all with an update on one of my gifted crafts. My "haters gonna hate" pillow, which has become a conversation piece over at my recipients' apartment, has finally served its purpose. Check out their dinner guest, passed out, at 10pm.

Judge him if you must. But, as the pillow says...

guest at the demure muse

2011-07-22T09:53:00.003-04:00

Hi all!

The lovely and talented Katrina of the demure muse has kindly offered me some post space for today.

Head on over and read some delicious (tested) summer recipes, plus food porn.

[Link!]

fascinating

2011-07-21T16:28:00.002-04:00

Hello lovelies!

I am sweltering here in this Toronto heat and looking forward to my move westward more and more. I am still slaving away at those socks for my Nonno (about 85% done now, I'd say) and have still not yet taken a picture of them! There will be one when they're all done, promise.

Today, I took a break from knitting, and a super-break from accounting (blegh!) to make up some fascinators with my mom! Our materials cost about $12 at dollarrama, and with a little glue and swear words, I think we actually managed to make up some mighty fancy headpieces.

A butterfly one, made and modelled by my mom.

A rose-and-feather one - made by me! I look sad, but I'm actually melting.

Also, this isn't technically a craft, but I thought I'd share my most amazing vintage score to date. I just left my old job at a costume place, but not before helping them move locations. They were getting rid of bagfuls of costumes, and I snagged this magnificent hat for $2. It's real beaver fur, so maybe I'm the new Hitler, but I can deal.

I wore it for two minutes for the photo and then threw it off and drank a glass of water. That's summer for you!

pies and pillows

2011-05-22T16:50:00.004-04:00

Hi all! It sure has been a long time!

I have been very busy with work and terrible, terrible television shows, but I thought I'd share some things that have been keeping me busy over these past few months. I'll say from the outset now that this post was supposed to be titled "pies, pillows and progress," but that would involve me taking pictures of all of my neglected knitting projects and it's too sunshiny outside to be "staging" my knitting. I promise pictures are on the way.

Disclaimers aside; look at this pie I made!

I used smitten kitchen's pie crust and a recipe (which I have now lost) for the lemon meringue. Though the pie was delicious, I don't miss the recipe - the boiling cornstarch and sugar spat all over the kitchen and myself. Not cool. Nevertheless, I walked around the house with my chest puffed out, chuffed to bits with my pie-making abilities.

I also took a break from knitting a pair of socks for my Nonno (I promise, those pictures are coming!) to embroider a pillowcase for my boyfriend and his roommates, some of the coolest people around. They let me stay in their lovely downtown apartment whenever I have raging suburbanitis (and any other time besides). One of them loves this saying, and what better than to do it up in American Typewriter with a French-knot fill?

My spacing is a little effed up, but I think the overall effect is really cute. The letters feel really curly, even though they look sharp from a distance.

The 'g' is my favourite. French-knot fills take a long time, but for a special gift, it's worth it!

selbusokker

2011-01-17T22:12:00.003-05:00

Some progress on my Norweigan stockings! Selbu is truly a knitter's mecca.

brother's chocolate cupcakes

2011-01-05T22:32:00.003-05:00

It is my brother and Nonno's Birthdays today - they are exactly 60 years apart. Given they both love chocolate, and I am a sister to one of them, nothing could have been more appropriate than ming's "Sis' Chocolate Cupcakes."

The thick chocolate frosting just begged for a fresh strawberry.

Ming Cupcakes: 6/33

merry craftsmas/crafty new year

2011-01-01T22:15:00.006-05:00

With the holiday season officially ended (until my brother's Birthday in two days, anyways), I thought I'd take a second to brag about what a spoiled brat I was this Christmas.

So, so, so excited to get into these gifts in a big way in 2011:

Embroidered Effects, by Jenny Hart. Martina of wollstoneCRAFT gave this book a shining recommendation for its fresh patterns and easy instructions, and I can't wait to get started on some embroidery projects ( like making this illustration into a pillow).

My cousin's girlfriend Laura - of headband fame - gave me a gift certificate to my local yarn store, Mary's Yarns, which I am too thrilled to use. It justifies my ever-growing stash without the added reach-and-grabs into my bank account.

And below, probably one of my all-time favourite Christmas gifts (next to N64, natch): an addi bamboo interchangeable needle set. The packaging is beyond gorgeous and sleek, and the inside is lined with leaf-printed silk. The red card is signed by the person who packed them. This present has solidified my already fervent belief in German engineering.

I already have them slated for a new project: once my Selbu stockings are finished, I will make my first-ever sweater! Exciting times - I will keep you posted!

Until then, best of luck in the new Year, and thank you for reading!

'fraga' headband

2010-12-25T13:27:00.005-05:00

At the festa, my cousin Michael's wonderful girlfriend, Laura, mentioned to me that Prada had made a TON of knitwear for their fall/winter 2011 line. Enter this headband.

So, for her Christmas gift, I set about making something vaguely similar. My hairdresser, after I had once commented on his Prada shoes, told me proudly that they were "Fraga," which must mean "Knockoff Prada" in Colombian. Though I'd seen other patterns on the internet, I set about designing my own. Et voila, a fraga headband pattern for you and yours to enjoy, gratis.

This is a quick and dirty cabled headband, done with a provisional cast-on so that you can graft together the ends for an almost-seamless join. I heavily referenced (i.e. theifed) the cable pattern from Tangled by emmybear knits, and just added trims up the sides. A quick enough pattern to whip up in a mini-movie marathon, the perfect thing for a cold winter weekend.

Fraga Headband

NOTE: Why my patterns are shit - I don't use gauge for anything that isn't a sweater - so here's my advice, knit tight or go down a couple of needle sizes.

Materials:

- Much less than one skein of Misti Alpaca Chunky, or any similar bulky yarn
- Size 10.5 US dpns (at least 3)
- Crochet Hook
- Waste yarn for cast-on
- Tapestry needle

Cable pattern:
*Errata added March 19th, 2011.

All odd rows: sl 1, p 1, k 2, p to last 4 sts, k 2, p 2.
Rows 2 + 6: sl 1, k 1, p 2, k to last 4 sts, p 2, k 2.
Row 4: sl 1, k 1, p 2, sl 4 sts onto cable needle, hold to front, k 4, k sts off cable needle, k4, p 2, k 2.
Row 8: sl 1, k 1, p 2, k 4, sl 4 sts onto cable needle, hold to back, k 4, k sts off cable needle, p2, k2.

Instructions:

1. Using crochet provisional cast on and your waste yarn, CO 20 sts.*

2. Follow 8 rows of cable pattern until desired length is reached, ending with row 8. (To determine if the length is correct, try circling it around your/your recipient's head, above the nape of your neck and over your ears. When you have to stretch about an inch to go around the back of your head and about two inches to go over your ears, you're done).

3. Carefully slip one of your dpns back into the provisional loops made by your crochet cast on.

4. Making sure you have the same number of stitches on each needle, break yarn.

5. Use kitchener stitch and your tapestry needle to graft together the two ends of your headband.

6. You're done! Fashion out! (And block lightly, if desired).

*When using crochet cast on, you actually add up with one less stitch than you cast on. To get around it, I cast on one extra (21 sts) and then k 2 tog on my first row. Easy peasy!

domenica

2010-12-25T13:27:00.000-05:00

My Nonna is extremely particular - I suppose she's been doing what she's been doing for long enough to know what she likes and what she doesn't. What she does like are big, loose-fitting socks (or calze). Enter the Sunday Swing pattern from knitty, an Italian-friendly redubbing ("domenica" is Sunday), and about a month of knitting, and her Christmas present is ready for gifting.

I reversed the pattern on the second sock so that the eyelets sort of chevron in, as pictured. As usual, the second sock flew by.

victorian ornaments

2010-12-25T10:21:00.000-05:00

This year my brother and I decided to put together stockings for my parents - they always do such neat ones for us. I made ornaments at my old workplace as part of their stocking gifts.

I've always loved victorian silhouette portraits - to think that, before photography, the only way to remember how someone looked was through the contours of one's face!

Also, the only silhouettes I found for children wore hats - I wonder if I've tapped into a strain of silhouette etiquette that has yet to be discussed. So my brother and I's ornaments are wearing hats, my parents are not. I used Garamond (of course) for the initialling on the back.

yoyo's a go-go

2010-12-20T22:55:00.004-05:00

Every year I have a Secret Santa gift exchange with some of my oldest friends, from elementary school. I feel lucky to still know them all, and on top of that, I felt lucky to draw Jane, my super-cool crafty friend who I knew would appreciate a handmade gift.

While I felt guilty that, as her knitting teacher, I did not buy her anything knitty - I tried to make up for it with a handmade yoyo necklace.

Now, my friend Martina has been making these for years, and hers are of superior quality and style (you can see them at her blog, here). Nevertheless, I gave it a shot, making a five-yoyo cluster to be worn as a pendant.

If you yourself would like to make a yoyo, hit up Heather Bailey's pretty instructions.

nutella, butter, cream, sugar, or cardic arrest in a paper liner

2010-11-29T19:28:00.004-05:00

I used ming's Sour Cream Chocolate with Nutella frosting. My brother ate one and then wordlessly gave me a hug.

Ming cupcakes: 5/33.

Temporary Hiatus

2010-11-22T19:04:00.002-05:00

Hello lovely people,

I will be on a small hiatus until Christmastime - not because I have stopped crafting but because my upcoming crafting/baking will be surprises! Expect December 26th to be a deluge of gifts already given.

Until then, take a look at a seedcake made for a (successful) Lord of the Rings marathon - I had to replace more than half of the milk (which I didn't have) with Irish Cream (which I did). Also, my mom has been hiding this pretty cake stand from me for too long.

a taste of the old country*

2010-10-31T09:54:00.005-04:00

I've wanted to be Luigi for Hallowe'en forever - and this year I buckled down and made it happen. After begging my much more easygoing friend, Fariya, to be "Fario," I got to work on a pair of Mario and Luigi hats to be ready in time for her friend's Friday night kegger.

I used this pattern, buggerloo, but omitted the brims in the interest of time and the hat still fitting my massive head. Given that I only worked about four or five evenings on them, I can't believe they finished so quickly. However, I've spent an entire summer in flat knitting hell and a liberating two weeks of in-the-round really got me out of my funk.

The Mario hat is with Fariya now, but I still have Laurweegi with my, posing with a Nintendo controller. Every so often I go through the ritual of hyperventilating in order to get my NES operational, and it's always worth it. Now that you can download most of the original games onto the Wii, I may have to invest in one.

Fariya and I at the Hallowe'en party. I put a retro filter on this photo - children of the 80s, unite!

*Except not really.

creativ-ly yours

2010-10-31T09:35:00.005-04:00

Last weekend my friend Nathalie and myself made our second annual trip to the MetroCon to the Creativ Festival, which only pops up in my head as "knitting fair" and thus sounds much lamer to the average person than intended. That said, the place is rife with septigenarians and the general besweatshirted.

We still always have a great time, often to the chagrin of the elderly around us. While they debated the pros and cons of Pfaff (a real brand of sewing machine, though we've reclaimed the word as an obscenity, as in "Let's get some pfaffing lunch"), we took pictures with the taxidermied animals - and one live alpaca, Ollie - that were stationed around the place.

There I am with a Muskox, whose Qiuvit wool is actually ridiculously soft and insulating. The price for one ball, which could maybe make one sock, was $79.50. I sadly passed.

Nathalie with Ollie the alpaca. Last year we couldn't pet him, but he was in a much better mood this time around.

Us with a wolf - you can see the nose.

As usual, I spent way more than I should have on things that I thought I would have around for a long time before usig them. This, however, wasn't as true as I thought. I bought two balls of cheap red wool to knit up a Mario hat for a friend's Hallowe'en costume, and it was gone before I could take a photo of it (imagine yarn, that's red).

The rest I can't wait to get started on!

Last year I bought some fat quarters from a great little fabric vendor, mad about patchwork. I actively sought them out again this year, and was not disappointed. I love the mustard with the trees!!

I've been dying to try sashiko embroidery ever since I saw this post on the purl bee, but haven't been able to find the materials anyplace. A little sewing notions vendor with a huge lineup had a great deal on sashiko floss, and they stocked the needles as well. Still trying to decide what to do with it, but I love the colours they had.

Last but not least, some sock yarn, which I balled without thinking. The brand is "MissBabs Handdyed yarns and fibres" from Tennessee - it's 2-ply 100% merino and I think it'll make up some mighty lovely Christmas socks for my Nonna.

happy canadian/southern/italian thanksgiving

2010-10-11T21:43:00.010-04:00

What a weekend.

Thrilled to finally assist in making this year's bird (an astonishing twenty-five pounds), I woke up bright and early Saturday morning to stuff, truss, and do whatever else it is you have to do. Our family dressing is what I live for - onions, butter, celery, apples, pears, bread, and spices.
The turkey went in just a little after noon and I went off to enjoy a lazy midday, when disaster struck. Remember how I was off raving about my oven last week? We're barely on speaking terms now. The heating element decided to crap out right in the middle of turkey time. Ruination.

Long story short, after coaxing my parents down from two seperate conniption fits, I sought out a "cook your turkey on the barbecue" tutorial on the interwebs - one hopefully minus thousands of conjunctions (especially y'all or ain't). We ended up finding one that worked and, thank the Lord, Thanksgiving was saved (to be honest, it was delicious).

As I'm the one taking this photo, you can't see me giving this oven the finger it deserves.

Sunday night was my family's Italian thanksgiving spectacular. Open bar, five courses, dancing. Though I've tried explaining this tradition in the past, it might be easier if I just show you.

Miguele nella signora from Lauren P on Vimeo.

This is my cousin, Michael, dancing a fine tarantella in a 10 (maybe 11) foot lady costume. We call her la signora, and she's supposed to represent Santa Maria della Salette. This, to be honest, is nothing. In Italy, they attach firecrackers to the suit and then burn the entire thing down. Probably not acceptable in Woodbridge's finer banquet halls.

Monday called for much more traditional fare - turkey two-point-oh. I couldn't resist cooking up some ming tasties to accompany the pumpkin pie. I used - what else - recipe #15, Pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese icing and candied ginger. A little leftover yarn and some handmade nametags, and poof, instant placecards.

I hope everyone's thanksgiving was bawllin' (read: no oven meltdowns). I will be posting halloween costume haps these coming weeks - I have a lot of work to do!!

Ming cupcakes: 4/33

to reap autumnal rewards

2010-10-04T21:17:00.003-04:00

Being Italian-Canadian has left me blessed. In values and culture, sure - but especially in food. My dutiful Nonni grow three out of four seasons in the year, and work overtime to make sure that enough sauce and pears are jarred when winter hits. This fall has been no exception: bushels of pears, zucchini, the final few tomatoes, and apples.

Now, my grandparents don't really eat apples. My Nonno avoids hard-skinned fruits because he thinks they all need to be peeled. As a result, much of their harvest was handed down to us. After my mom and I made a blitz of apple crisps (ein apfelkreig) they largely sat neglected on our countertop.

Until today. Not forgetting my promise to get through ming's list, I settled on the appropriate Cupcake #10 - apple cinnamon cupcakes with caramel frosting. Given that I don't regularly stock heavy cream, I opted instead for a simple cinnamon buttercream (recipe below). I also replaced the sugar with brown sugar, because apples and brown sugar should be together all the time.

Apples going rotty. What a horrible, ungrateful anonna I am.

I swear this gloop of a batter looked more delicious in person.

Can I use this space to jot down a quick ode to my stove? Look at the glass. It is an original, 1950s, yellow-enamelled GE Frigidaire. The light on the inside sources from a huge globe bulb. It's beautiful.

Out the oven!

Normally I take out my piping bag to frost, but I thought the rustic-ness of the recipe called for spreading with a knife. I couldn't resist giving them all a little cowlick, though!

Simple Cinnamon Buttercream

Blend half a stick of butter, one teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Add 2 and 1/4 cups of icing sugar, blend (frosting will be dry and crumbly). Add 3 tbsp milk, blend until fluffy.

Ming cupcakes: 3/33

C is for Cupcake, it's good enough for me!

2010-09-19T19:55:00.014-04:00

Last week, I spent a lovely Wednesday afternoon in my friend Tarika(of The Baker's Apprentice)'s kitchen, concocting deliciously adorable cookie monster cupcakes. I have been on a bit of a cupcake binge this summer, drooling over Ming's 33 incredible recipes and attempting the red velvets for Canada Day festivities. Boringly, I've stuck to star-tip swirls for décor - though Tarika sent me a picture of these cookie monster wonders and I've been trying to figure out how to make it work ever since.

So after an afternoon of birre, dog-wuvvin', panic-attacks on my behalf and effortless baking nonchalance on T's, these were our accomplishments. (Cupcakes were recipe #30).

(I really love this picture of us staring into the oven like impatient little kids.)

I think I'm going to try and bake my way through Ming's list. Watch this space.

first-ever* embroidery - herringbone handkerchief

2010-09-13T10:03:00.000-04:00

I cut the fabric for this project ages ago, and then promptly forgot all about it in a haze of my first and largest love, knitting. But it's finally done. There is something so yesteryear about a herringbone handkerchief, though I'm not yet sure if I'm ever going to use it for it's intended function. And yes, this is a handkerchief, not a neckerchief, English-language KGB. It is tiny in size and would only fit the neck of a garden gnome or Duggar baby (or let's face it, both).

* This does not count my abortive eight-year-old attempt to cross-stitch a cat on a purple sweatshirt.

sweet, sweet freedom

2010-09-13T09:50:00.000-04:00

I just recently left my job at a ceramics studio. Do I have a new one lined up? Absolutely not. However, I had painted these bowls and they were ready for pickup on my very last day. I'll pretend that they were a goodbye gift. From myself.

The outside was inspired by these totally gorgeous photos of an abandoned power plant. The inside is basically a rip of a liberty of london tana lawn fabric with the colours changed. Learning to sew, thus justifying the purchase of those incredible prints, is on the horizon. On the bottom are the closing lyrics of E. Sharpe's "Home," because who doesn't love that song.

welcome.benvenuto.willkommen

2010-09-11T23:21:00.000-04:00

Here I will make things with my hands and then share them with you.