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granny square scarf from yarn scraps

granny scarf

Too many of my projects are in progress. I really needed to finish something, so I did what any crazy crafter would do. I started something new.

Last week I grabbed some scrap yarn from my bin of miscellaneous ends and started making squares. I used up almost every bit of these colors with about one yard of white and a few inches of pink left over.

I don’t know what I’m going to do with a kid-sized scarf at the beginning of spring. It was 80 degrees today! My daughter tried it on, but hasn’t asked for it. Maybe I’ll tuck it away and see if she changes her mind in the Fall.

pattern: the motif is from Red Heart’s Copenhagen pillow designed by Yvonne Eijkenduijn of Yvestown. I added an extra round to make the squares bigger — basically repeating round three with a chain between the double crochet clusters.

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trying to love spring cleaning

dusty deck furniture

Sometimes getting ready for the warm weather feels like a lot of work. Today I mowed the lawn, which is a new thing for me. I’m more of a inside chore girl, but I really like hanging out with my husband after work and so does my daughter. If I can mow the lawn during the day, that frees up evening and weekend hours for more family time.

I also tried to clear off some of the “prairie dust” from the furniture on the deck. It’s been so unseasonably warm that my daughter has been running through the sprinkler in the afternoons. There’s literally no place to sit that isn’t covered by a gritty layer of this muck. I’m not sure why it settles just on our deck. Maybe the direction of the wind? I battle it all summer long, but let it go during the winter months. I’m sure it’s a mix of great things like ragweed and grass pollen with a little bit of dirt thrown in for good measure.

Now I have a little spot to sit and knit while my daughter runs around outside. There’s still a lot more to be done, but until I know Spring is really here for good (we’ve gotten snow in April before) that’s all I’m doing.

Have you started spring cleaning yet?

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rainy days and mondays

Last Monday I planned to take a lot of crafty pictures for the blog. It was the first day after spring break and I was excited to get down to work. Within minutes of dropping my daughter off at school it got very, very, very dark. I couldn’t believe it! Huge storm clouds were rolling in. I was so bummed.

Then I thought: I can still take pictures, just not what I had originally planned. I stayed close to home because I was worried the sky would open up at any minute. I pushed myself discover something new within the familiar sights of the front yard.

Mother Nature didn’t give me a lot of time, but I got a few good shots before heading back inside. I love that little nest!

stormy pictures

stormy pictures

stormy pictures

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the cutest coffee pot ever

bialetti moka express

What is it about coffee?

There are so many things that I love about it: the rich aroma of a new bag of beans, freshly ground and percolating in the pot; the special rituals of my favorite mug and the perfect amount of milk (no thank you on the sugar); and how it pries even the sleepiest eyes open.

A few weeks ago our cappuccino machine died. The pump just stopped working. We had dug it out of the closet to replace our coffee maker, which had been turning itself on during the day for no reason (and with no water inside!). Both have served us well for at least 10 years, maybe even longer, so we really couldn’t complain.

However, the thought of replacing either one of them was overwhelming. My husband started researching online and I switched to green tea.

A few weeks later I saw this pot at a friend’s house. I was smitten with its design and simplicity — just three parts, no on/off switch and no pump. Could less really be more?

Oh, I am so in love with this little guy! I also bought a foaming wand for milk. The cappuccinos just might be the best I’ve ever tasted.

Apparently Italians have been using this to make espresso for over 75 years. L’omino con i baffi has a fascinating history. If you have a thing for product design and branding, it’s worth a read.

for the curious: I purchased the 6 cup Moka Express and Aerolatte foaming wand (links go to amazon.com). Note! 6 cups = 6 two-ounce espresso cups, not 6 eight-ounce cups. It’s a tiny little thing.

This is not a product endorsement or paid review. The Bialetti and Aerolatte folks have no idea who I am. I just love a good cup of cappuccino.

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crochet flower hair ties

crochet flower hair ties

These are way overdue. I promised them to my daughter a long time ago. I even put the hair ties on my desk to remind myself to make them. I found them last week when I cleaned my office. Whoops.

I had made her pink and blue ones, but she needed red and white. Why? Husker colors, of course. She’ll be happy to see these when she gets home from school today.

The pattern is the Five Petal Pointy Flower from Crochet Adorned. Yarn is from my thrifted stash of cotton.

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spring break

This week was Spring Break and all productivity was tossed out the window. The weather was beautiful, so I guess if you had to toss something outside, at least it was warm and sunny.

Most of our days were spent hanging out with good friends for park dates, thrifting dates and lunch dates. My daughter and I even had a movie date. (The Lorax — it was ok. She would have preferred more screen time for the little orange guy.)

  • I spent a lot of time with yarn, most of it trying to knit something teeny tiny with sock yarn. I eventually gave up — too much concentration for a brain with spring fever.
  • I wound all of the sweater yarn into hanks, soaked, de-kinked, and rewound into yarn cakes. It’s all ready for a new swatch.

wound yarn

  • I found some new yarn for a project after my swatch didn’t felt and wound those hanks into yarn cakes, also. My swift has been getting a good workout.
  • I cleaned my office. Is there anything more wonderful than a clean work space? My desk is clear. My sewing table is uncluttered. The piles of abandoned yarn from past projects have been put safely back in plastic tubs.

Wow. After reading all that, it seems like I was pretty darn productive after all. I just need to get something back on the needles. Now that my sewing table is clear, maybe I’ll dust off my machine, too.

What have you been up to this week?

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the cost of thrifting

When I think about going to the thrift store with my daughter, I’m always reminded of the phrase “the cost of doing business.” The more stores you visit and the longer you stay at each, the higher the cost of thrifting.

Sometimes you can get away with a book or small toy. Other times you come home with an electric guitar. Today we came home with all three. I can’t complain, though. After watching my daughter play with her uncle’s guitar a few months ago, I didn’t think twice when she asked if she could have this:

bella guitar

It’s mostly black and silver with just a hint of pink. It’s not covered in Disney characters or princesses. It doesn’t play Hannah Montana or Justin Bieber. It was only $4. It was, in a word, perfect.

I came home with a cool wooden crochet hook and a set of presser feet that sadly do not fit my sewing machine. I also found some cute dresses for my daughter to wear next summer.

None of that compares to what she scored, though. The guitar, a cat book and plastic Easter eggs = the cost of thrifting.

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projects in waiting

cars shirt before

I can’t believe a week has gone by since my last post. I don’t have much to show for it. A lot of projects are stalled for one thing or another.

  • The Cars shirt was a thrifty find. My daughter’s fabric bag for her matchbox cars is too small. When I saw this on the rack, I thought it would make a cute basket or tote for her ever-growing collection. I just need to get started.
  • This sweater was unraveled and ready to knit, but the swatch turned out lumpy. I have to straighten the kinks out of the yarn before I begin.
  • I’m still trying to swatch for another wooly project.
  • I have a whole slew of sewing ideas that are just bouncing around in my head.
  • I have been working on a little project that I hope to have ready next week. Fingers crossed.
  • I’m knitting a sock, which deserves it’s own post and picture.

What is everyone else working on these days? Share a link to your blog in the comments!