Cupcakes, birds, hats, kitties, snow and even more snow!

Ahhhh....time for some updates!

Nova Scotia has not seen this much snow in years. It seems like we've been dumped on by snow at least once a week. By the time we recover from one Nor'ester, it seems like another one is just around the corner!

The upside to all of the snow? Sledding! Although I went once about two years ago, it ended in a disaster. My first run down the hill resulted in me crashing, using my face as a brake and suffering a concussion. This time was a success though - no injuries and fun was had by everyone. And we went at night, which is fantastic for two reasons -

1. No small children. I always fear I'm going to run one of them over. Plus, they always show me up by never falling off their sled and they can go further than I can. They are tiny, little jerks I tell you!
2. Halifax is really pretty at night


Next update - my family has gotten larger! Don't get too excited though - I just got a new cat. My friend Angel found a tiny, malnourished cat outside of her apartment building a few weeks ago and I took her in as my own. Her name is Vega Bond! Although she's pretty cute and likes to snuggle a whole lot, she's finding it hard to adjust to The Captain and Weeze but she's getting there. And she likes to shred toilet paper...all the time. Hopefully she'll grow out of this.


Now for a few craft updates! I've made a few things recently but am behind on what I was to complete. I've started a lot of projects, but as per usual, am having a hard time completing them. I need to buckle down and get to to work.

First up, I made a pretty simple striped hat with a flower. The pattern for the flower can be found in one of the Stitch 'N Bitch books, The Happy Hooker.


I also whipped up a cute little amigurumi bird sometime last week. I found the pattern for a set of Love Birds on the Lion Brand website and made one but never got around to making the second. Click here to find the pattern but you will need to be logged into their site.


Tomorrow I am heading to a potluck at a friend's place and I decided to make cupcakes. It's been awhile since I made them, mostly because when I do bake them, I can't eat just one - I eat like five. And oddly enough, when you're trying to lose weight, eating 5 cupcakes doesn't help! I made up a batch of cookies and cream cupcakes with and vanilla bourbon buttercream frosting. They turned out pretty friggin' awesome. Can anyone say "Nom nom nom"? Oh wait, I can! Nom NOM NOOOOM!


 **** Come visit my new site at www.thecraftinista.com ****

Out with 2010, in with 2011!

I keep vowing to update more often, then I'm pretty good at it for a few days or a few weeks and then I go back to forgetting to update on a consistent basis! I make no promises that this won't happen in the future, it's just how I roll.

So 2010 is over. And with a new year, you get a new start! I really do plan on looking for a new job as I currently am in hate with the one I have. The only upside to my current job is that I'm usually home by 3:30pm at the latest which gives me lots of time to myself at home which means plenty of time to craft. I also sold the most commissioned pieces this year as well! Hopefully this trend continues into the new year.

I knit my fist hat back in December as a Christmas present for my sister's boyfriend. It was the most simplest of knit hat pattern that are knit on straight needles. Cast on 84 stitches, do a 2 x 2 rib knit until the fabric is 6 inches long and then start to decrease until crown. Easy? Yes. It felt pretty good as up until then, the only thing I had knit was a couple of scarves. So I posted a picture of the knit hat and a friend asked if I could do one similar to it but with a brim. I thought, sure, why not! So I figured it out on my own.





Rib knit hat with brim

Cast on 84 sts
Row 1: (K2, P2) across
Repeat this row until the piece measures 8.5 inches from the beginning
Next Row: (K2, P2, K2 tog, P2, K2, P2 tog) across the row
Next Row: K the K sts and P the P sts
Next Row: K the K sts and P the P sts
Next Row: (K1, P2, K2 tog, P1, K2, P2 tog) across the row
Next Row: K the K sts and P the P sts
Next Row: K the K sts and P the P sts
Next Row: K1, P2 tog (K1, P1, K2 tog, P1, K1, P2 tog) to the last stitch. P1
Next Row: K the K sts and P the P sts
Next Row: K the K sts and P the P sts
Next Row: (K1, K2 tog) across
Next Row: (K2 tog) across
Next Row: (K2 tog) across

To finish the hat, cut the yarn, leaving a long tail to use as thread to sew up the seam along the back. Put the yarn on a needle and thread through the remaining loops on the knitting needle and pull shut. With the hat inside out, sew the seam up the back.

Now cut a piece of plastic in the shape of a brim. I actually had a hat in the house that had a brim about the same size of what I wanted so I just traced it. With the hat inside out, fold the bottom brim up about 2.5 inches and place plastic brim inside of fold. Using a thread and needle, sew up the edge of the hat. To sew the brim in place, I used my sewing machine to do a tight stitch along the edge of it. Tada! Completed hat.
 **** Come visit my new site at www.thecraftinista.com ****

Hats, hats and more hats.

I love making hats, I really do. They are quick and easy and there are a million different ways that you can personalise each one.

Recently my friend Kate, whom I knew back in Calgary, was in town with her kids on their move from Vancouver to London, England. The last time I had seen her, her son Sebastian was only a few weeks old and his little sister Rigby was years from being born. While they were visiting, Sebastian and I discovered that we share a love of dinosaurs and the colour pink. Any 5 year old boy that loves both is cool in my books. Rigby spent most of the time visiting, trying to find the cats, who seemed to have hidden from sight as soon as they realised tiny humans were in the house.

I decided to make both of them hats based on our short, but enjoyable visit!

First up, Seb's pink and black dino hat...





This is only the second time I've attempted to line a hat with fleece and I gotta say, this time it turned out waaaaay better than the first. The first time, the lining was just too small and didn't shape the head properly. So this one is pretty much a success in my books!

Rigby's kitty hat....





Try and find the thread that I used to sew the purple fleece into the ears, I dare you!



One problem that I've encountered making hats for children. I have no idea how big their heads actually are. When I'm making a hat for a friend, I can just try it on for myself and if it fits, I assume it'll fit theirs. Oddly enough, children's heads aren't as big as mine though, so I'm always a little unsure of the fit!



I've also completed two other hats (including my first knit hat ever!) but unfortunately I have not gotten around to taking a photo of either yet. I'll try and post a picture of at least one them in the coming days. Until then, I bid you farewell.
 **** Come visit my new site at www.thecraftinista.com ****

Hat Craze!

So I made two more hats. I wouldn't be surprised if I made more this week. They work up quickly and I get a great sense of accomplishment when they are done.

Now off to work!

I'm on a hat craze!

3 hats in just over 24 hours. My fingers are numb!

Yes, there are dinosaurs in my bathtub. No, there are not any children living here. I just like dinosaurs.

Please ignore the time I am posting this. My sleeping patterns are screeeeewed.

So I started a hat without a pattern and just sorta went for it. I had to take it apart a few times because it was waaaaay too big. I'm getting more comfortable with making up my own patterns as I go. It feels great! Next time I do it, I'll do the beak a little different though. It sits too close to the eyes and can be quite distracting.

Also went out and saw Pirate Radio with my friend Chris tonight despite the fact that I am fighting another head cold. I've almost forgotten what it feels like to be able to breath out of your face! Oh yeah, the movie......I liked it quite a bit. It was cute and I saw like at least a dozen crocheted items in it! Viva la crochet! Plus, it had Nick Frost in it and I heart him. I also tend to like movies that have something directly to do with music which this obviously did. And speaking of music, Chris also burned me a disc with a bunch of music for me to discover. Yay! I love new music day!

Sigh ......

So I made a hat for my boyfriend's son. And then my boyfriend dumped me. Awesome. The hat is cute anyway so I've decided to share it regardless. My plan was to get better pictures but it's too late now! Oh, and it's fully lined in the red fleece that you see on top.