Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
It's go time.
I'm sitting at my sister's house, waiting to become an aunt for the second time, while my nephew sleeps soundly upstairs.
Of course, I just jinxed myself and as soon as I typed that he started mumbling. Hopefully this will pass.
Clearly, this is very exciting for me. I lived in Chicago when Lucas was born and I feel like he's finally getting to know who I am and feel a little more comfortable with me, after 2 1/2 years of seeing him every couple of months for maybe a day.
The only problem with this? My dear niece or nephew was not due to arrive for about 10 more days. And Aunt Kirsten just started his or her blanket two days ago.
I've gotten about this far:
And I likely won't get too much farther tonight. My new goal -- by mid-June this baby will have his or her very own La Femme Monkita blanket, matching the colors in the nursery -- something Lucas never got because I hadn't yet learned how to knit. (Though he did get a big ol' blanket for his first birthday).
The good news? I was able to move on to this blanket because the blanket I was hired to make for Joy and Mike (and baby Lila due in a matter of days) is finished! Thanks to a very, very long road trip to North Carolina last weekend, I was able to finish the blanket about two hours before we arrived back in Detroit on Sunday night.
This was what I did for 3 days:
You can see the finished blanket in my Etsy shop.
I better get to knitting this blanket!
Love,
The Ill-Prepared Aunt
Of course, I just jinxed myself and as soon as I typed that he started mumbling. Hopefully this will pass.
Clearly, this is very exciting for me. I lived in Chicago when Lucas was born and I feel like he's finally getting to know who I am and feel a little more comfortable with me, after 2 1/2 years of seeing him every couple of months for maybe a day.
The only problem with this? My dear niece or nephew was not due to arrive for about 10 more days. And Aunt Kirsten just started his or her blanket two days ago.
I've gotten about this far:
And I likely won't get too much farther tonight. My new goal -- by mid-June this baby will have his or her very own La Femme Monkita blanket, matching the colors in the nursery -- something Lucas never got because I hadn't yet learned how to knit. (Though he did get a big ol' blanket for his first birthday).
The good news? I was able to move on to this blanket because the blanket I was hired to make for Joy and Mike (and baby Lila due in a matter of days) is finished! Thanks to a very, very long road trip to North Carolina last weekend, I was able to finish the blanket about two hours before we arrived back in Detroit on Sunday night.
This was what I did for 3 days:
You can see the finished blanket in my Etsy shop.
I better get to knitting this blanket!
Love,
The Ill-Prepared Aunt
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Say Yes! to Michigan strikes again!
Another Michigan Etsian, CurvyQ, has included my "Say Yes! to Michigan" scarf in her treasury, "Art to Choke Hearts," on Etsy until about noon Thursday.
Check it out HERE.
As always, you can check out the Michigan scarf and all of my other knitted goods and hand dyed yarn in the La Femme Monkita Etsy shop.
CurvyQ has some pretty rad stuff in her shop, too. You can check it out here.
I also reached 100 hearts on Etsy. A small feat, I suppose, but I'm still excited about it!
Kirsten
Check it out HERE.
As always, you can check out the Michigan scarf and all of my other knitted goods and hand dyed yarn in the La Femme Monkita Etsy shop.
CurvyQ has some pretty rad stuff in her shop, too. You can check it out here.
I also reached 100 hearts on Etsy. A small feat, I suppose, but I'm still excited about it!
Kirsten
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Cotton candy blanket.
So, it's been about two months since my friend Joy in Texas sent me the paint samples from the bedroom of her soon-to-be delivered baby girl, a first in her family of boys.
Her husband Mike, a friend of Dan's from college, bought her a scarf of mine for Christmas (yes, they wear scarves in Texas, though only for a brief period of time and during temperatures we call "spring").
Through this purchase, Joy an I have become cyber friends and she came through on her promise to send me paint samples from the nursery. I looked at a few area yarn shops, largely defeated. My goal was to find affordable, washable yarn in her colors, or close to it. With such colors as hot pink, melon orange and baby teal blue, I wondered
if I might have to dye some superwash yarn myself.
Once I finally had the money in hand ready to purchase, I had a feeling Have You Any Wool? in Berkley, Mich., not far from my home, would have what I was looking for -- even though I got the OK from Joy to get hand washable yarn.
I believe I was at the store for approximately 7 minutes, which anyone who likes yarn stores or has been to one with me knows is an accomplishment. It's like going into a record store with a music geek: you can't understand it, and you can't help, so don't try.
Immediately upon entering someone -- another customer I think -- heard my plea, saw my paint sample card and handed me a beautiful blended wool -- at about $30 a skein and a bit bulky I decided to keep looking despite the fact that the colors were perfect.
Then, an employee led me to an area of cotton blends. My ears perked up, as its washable. This is where I struck gold. Affordable, washable yarn. Ho-ly crap.
I snatched it up. It's not exact -- certainly not the pink, but I think it's pretty darn close. It's a little better looking in person than it looks in the picture to the right. I'm hoping Joy and Mike will approve.
I started knitting the blanket about a week ago and I'm about a quarter of the way through. Unfortunately, it's been a particularly hectic week, so I'm not as far as I would like, but I'm getting there...
I'm hoping to complete it in the next week or so and be working on my sister's by the time Daniel and I hit the road for a wedding in North Carolina on the 22nd.
In the meantime, I managed to sell my green apple coffee cozy to my good friend Jay over at
Jennifer Joy Creative and I decided to really quickly finish of a cozy I finished knitting a couple of weeks ago with a bronze snap and get it posted to my
Etsy shop.
It's a lot like the one I made Daniel, only there's only one snap. I want one like this for myself, but I have a hard time taking the time to make myself something. I guess I'm not very good at advertising my products! Maybe that's something I'll finally get around to after baby blanket season...
That's the latest. Better get back to the blanket!
Her husband Mike, a friend of Dan's from college, bought her a scarf of mine for Christmas (yes, they wear scarves in Texas, though only for a brief period of time and during temperatures we call "spring").
Through this purchase, Joy an I have become cyber friends and she came through on her promise to send me paint samples from the nursery. I looked at a few area yarn shops, largely defeated. My goal was to find affordable, washable yarn in her colors, or close to it. With such colors as hot pink, melon orange and baby teal blue, I wondered
if I might have to dye some superwash yarn myself.
Once I finally had the money in hand ready to purchase, I had a feeling Have You Any Wool? in Berkley, Mich., not far from my home, would have what I was looking for -- even though I got the OK from Joy to get hand washable yarn.
I believe I was at the store for approximately 7 minutes, which anyone who likes yarn stores or has been to one with me knows is an accomplishment. It's like going into a record store with a music geek: you can't understand it, and you can't help, so don't try.
Immediately upon entering someone -- another customer I think -- heard my plea, saw my paint sample card and handed me a beautiful blended wool -- at about $30 a skein and a bit bulky I decided to keep looking despite the fact that the colors were perfect.
Then, an employee led me to an area of cotton blends. My ears perked up, as its washable. This is where I struck gold. Affordable, washable yarn. Ho-ly crap.
I snatched it up. It's not exact -- certainly not the pink, but I think it's pretty darn close. It's a little better looking in person than it looks in the picture to the right. I'm hoping Joy and Mike will approve.
I started knitting the blanket about a week ago and I'm about a quarter of the way through. Unfortunately, it's been a particularly hectic week, so I'm not as far as I would like, but I'm getting there...
I'm hoping to complete it in the next week or so and be working on my sister's by the time Daniel and I hit the road for a wedding in North Carolina on the 22nd.
In the meantime, I managed to sell my green apple coffee cozy to my good friend Jay over at
Jennifer Joy Creative and I decided to really quickly finish of a cozy I finished knitting a couple of weeks ago with a bronze snap and get it posted to my
Etsy shop.
It's a lot like the one I made Daniel, only there's only one snap. I want one like this for myself, but I have a hard time taking the time to make myself something. I guess I'm not very good at advertising my products! Maybe that's something I'll finally get around to after baby blanket season...
That's the latest. Better get back to the blanket!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Our cozy little muse.
The cozies all started with LFM friend Natasha, who has left the fair Midwest to kick it in L.A. Before I could manage to make her, her very own complimentary coffee cozy, she managed to buy one!
And now, I've got proof that she's actually using it! Most people think they're purely for protecting your hands from the scalding hot coffee baristas everywhere serve each day. But Natasha's not those people (not always, anyway).
Natasha's a smart lady, and she knows how to keep her Bud cold when she's outside whooping it up at yet another music festival. Check it out! (Though due to her I-will-not-drop-this-delicious-Budweiser death grip, visibility is limited....).
Thanks, Prada!
And now, I've got proof that she's actually using it! Most people think they're purely for protecting your hands from the scalding hot coffee baristas everywhere serve each day. But Natasha's not those people (not always, anyway).
Natasha's a smart lady, and she knows how to keep her Bud cold when she's outside whooping it up at yet another music festival. Check it out! (Though due to her I-will-not-drop-this-delicious-Budweiser death grip, visibility is limited....).
Thanks, Prada!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Continuing to blow my mind.
It's no surprise, but I've long been a fan of the work of my friends. They each are talented and seem to create these amazing things, whether it's a piece of clothing, original wrapping paper, or an amazing salad.
One of them is Jay. If you read my blogs ever, you've likely read her name. She's the friend who taught me how to knit and helped me set up my very own Etsy shop. Quite frankly, she's responsible for opening a whole new world to me and has helped me embrace my inner hippie, something I still only reluctantly admit.
But, I'm not here to talk about me. I'm here to talk about Jay, and all of the wonderful things she makes.
When we first became friends, she had the hippie market cornered. You name it. Patchwork -- the whole nine yards. Those pieces were and are quality, perfectly-constructed works of art. But I'm happy to see the ways her clothing, color schemes and endless ideas have evolved over the years.
She screenprints using all kinds of images, including those of her backyard leaves and ferns and the bamboo that grows in her front yard. She also comes up with the most amazing appliques.
I'm not here to try to get her sales because, frankly, she's often juggling two or three custom orders in addition to posting everything from skirts and dresses to purses and bags on her Website Jennifer Joy Creative and/or her Etsy shop of the same name.
I don't think I have to say much, as the images speak will speak for themselves. I have been sporting one of her cowl neck shirts and her sturdy, amazing, screen-printed bag hasn't left my side since its arrival three weeks ago.
She has this amazing ability to put something together in a way that seems effortless but continues to amaze me.
And, when she tires of her basement sewing sweatshop, she takes her spinning wheel and a pile of bamboo (or other) fiber that she has dyed outside in the sun and spins for a while, coming up with the most amazing yarns.
Do I hope you'll buy something of hers? Of course. You should. They're adorable, quality, handmade art that can specifically be tailored to fit your body.
But really, I just wanted to show off my friend's amazing stuff.
Some of her skirts:
Some of her bags and coin purses:
And let us not forget her handspun, hand dyed yarn:
So, if you feel like it you should kill two birds with one stone -- buy yourself an amazing one-of-a-kind piece and support the business of a stay at home mama. You won't be sorry.
One of them is Jay. If you read my blogs ever, you've likely read her name. She's the friend who taught me how to knit and helped me set up my very own Etsy shop. Quite frankly, she's responsible for opening a whole new world to me and has helped me embrace my inner hippie, something I still only reluctantly admit.
But, I'm not here to talk about me. I'm here to talk about Jay, and all of the wonderful things she makes.
When we first became friends, she had the hippie market cornered. You name it. Patchwork -- the whole nine yards. Those pieces were and are quality, perfectly-constructed works of art. But I'm happy to see the ways her clothing, color schemes and endless ideas have evolved over the years.
She screenprints using all kinds of images, including those of her backyard leaves and ferns and the bamboo that grows in her front yard. She also comes up with the most amazing appliques.
I'm not here to try to get her sales because, frankly, she's often juggling two or three custom orders in addition to posting everything from skirts and dresses to purses and bags on her Website Jennifer Joy Creative and/or her Etsy shop of the same name.
I don't think I have to say much, as the images speak will speak for themselves. I have been sporting one of her cowl neck shirts and her sturdy, amazing, screen-printed bag hasn't left my side since its arrival three weeks ago.
She has this amazing ability to put something together in a way that seems effortless but continues to amaze me.
And, when she tires of her basement sewing sweatshop, she takes her spinning wheel and a pile of bamboo (or other) fiber that she has dyed outside in the sun and spins for a while, coming up with the most amazing yarns.
Do I hope you'll buy something of hers? Of course. You should. They're adorable, quality, handmade art that can specifically be tailored to fit your body.
But really, I just wanted to show off my friend's amazing stuff.
Some of her skirts:
Some of her bags and coin purses:
And let us not forget her handspun, hand dyed yarn:
So, if you feel like it you should kill two birds with one stone -- buy yourself an amazing one-of-a-kind piece and support the business of a stay at home mama. You won't be sorry.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
I'm back!
It's been a long few weeks of no knitting and it's good to be back!
Though I STILL haven't finished Cousin Ryan's custom dyed and knitted Irish colors scarf, I decided I had to make a least a couple of small things for my Etsy shop.
In the week before I moved I sold 2 or 3 of my cozies, so I decided to replenish them. That, and they're relatively quick projects, so I would get that instant gratification I needed after too long of a break from knitting.
I'm happy with what I came up with:
After I FINALLY get my first paycheck this week, I'll set off in search of the perfect yarn for a custom blanket for my friend Joy, who requested one weeks and weeks ago. Fortunately, Baby Lili isn't due to arrive until June so I have a little time.
Just wanted to post something because I finally have something to post. Expect more soon!
Though I STILL haven't finished Cousin Ryan's custom dyed and knitted Irish colors scarf, I decided I had to make a least a couple of small things for my Etsy shop.
In the week before I moved I sold 2 or 3 of my cozies, so I decided to replenish them. That, and they're relatively quick projects, so I would get that instant gratification I needed after too long of a break from knitting.
I'm happy with what I came up with:
After I FINALLY get my first paycheck this week, I'll set off in search of the perfect yarn for a custom blanket for my friend Joy, who requested one weeks and weeks ago. Fortunately, Baby Lili isn't due to arrive until June so I have a little time.
Just wanted to post something because I finally have something to post. Expect more soon!
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