May Charity

Since my April charity focused on people who are far away, for May I'd like to focus a little closer to home. I will be donating to a local homeless shelter...I'll have to make some calls and make sure they want what I have to give! This month's project will be socks. Why socks?
1. I really like knitting socks. It makes me feel really smart. People who know how to knit socks will know why.
2. Everyone needs socks!
3. I have lots of sock yarn in my stash.
4. Socks are cute and fun. For example:
Adorable, right?
After stumbling around a bit (I think I frogged three sock attempts before settling on a pattern that would work for me and the yarn I wanted to use...and then I contemplated how funny the word "frog" is) I found this pattern on ravelry.Happy Knitting!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

My mom, all fancied up for my wedding!

 In honor of Mother's Day, of course I had to do some crafting. I made a few of these... (tutorial here) So cute, and so easy!

Tiny covered notebooks

 One of these... (tutorial  here) because my mom has a pocketbook full of cards...

Loyalty card holder

 And some of these! (tutorial here) My mom has a blackberry, but she is notoriously bad about leaving it places. I thought maybe if she could attach it to her keys, she might be able to keep track of it :)

Cute little pouch

 Finally, for my mom and grandmas, some sugar scrub. I have to admit, I was skeptical about this concept at first, but this stuff is AWESOME. Even my hubby loves it, because he comes home with gross rough hands and likes to smooth it all away! Tutorial here.

Sugar Scrub

To all the moms out there - Happy Mother's Day! Hope you have been having a relaxing day!

T-Shirt Quilt: Part 2

I actually finished this ages ago, but didn't get around to taking photos because it was on our bed!

I made this using Maiden Jane's T-Shirt Quilt Pattern, which I highly recommend. I tried figuring it out on my own the first time I made one, but her way was much easier :) This one showcases some of my hubby's old t-shirts - mostly from high school.This one is my favorite...

Isn't she cute? And on the back...

smaller squares from old PJ pants with cute patterns.

In other news, my dear friend Carole Ann at Connect the Dots Crafts featured little old ME today as her "Creative Friend". I'm flattered! Check it out here.  Thanks Carole Ann!

A nice package of warm knitted lovelies, all ready to send off!

Hats and squares!

Hooray for hats!

These will be going to Knit-A-Square, where they will be donated to AIDS orphans in Africa. The squares will be sewn together to make nice warm blankets.

Honeycomb practice

Twigs

Vacation Time!

This week is school vacation week. Honestly, I'm not sure I would have survived without it.

Vacation time means I've been able to put in some good crafting time...finishing up a few projects from the WIP pile, and, of course, starting some new ones :)
For my cousin and her husband, who will be welcoming their first little one in a few weeks - a changing pad! Tutorial here. I read all the way through the tutorial...including the part where she said she put the velcro on wrong and had to redo it...and then I did the exact same thing!
A nice little package for welcoming a little girl, don't you think?And, thinking waaaaaaaaay into the future...some progress on my quilted advent calendar. Appliqueing all those numbers is a HUGE pain! At the rate I'm going, I'll have it done in time for Christmas 2015 or so.

And, because I don't seem to be able to stop making these...

They've been a huge hit with my friends' kids!

As if he wasn't already cute enough...

So, recently I stumbled upon this post. Adorable, right?
Only problem is, I don't have any small children to test this pattern on.

So...

It was hard to get him to sit still for a photo, but doesn't he look cute?

Or maybe just angry.

Anyway, the tutorial was incredibly easy to follow. I just adjusted the band size for a cat instead of a kid.

Here's what it looks like without the cat. Easy and adorable!


Yes, I'm aware of how ridiculous this is. And I don't care.

Happy (Early) Easter!

Some little Easter surprises for some cute little boys I know...
Aren't they cute?

EDIT: I've been told by the mother of the adorable little boys who received these bunnies that the bags are as much fun as the bunnies - apparently the older one likes filling up his bag and carrying it around, and occasionally using it to whack his brother :)

I've also been experimenting with different knitting stitches in making the 8x8" squares to send to my March/April charity. I've learned some new stitches along the way.

Basic garter stitch (for when you need something absolutely brainless...)


Basket stitch...
Herringbone Twill...

And a linen stitch. This one is really solid when it knits up, and I think it will be really warm. Definitely took a little more focus than the other ones...you can see I switched right and wrong sides halfway through by accident...
Two more days until vacation!!!