The 3 Sisters

Mr. Jones has three nieces age 12, almost 2, and almost 1. I wanted to make them complementary knitted gifts, with touches of color in each that would correlate with each other. I love relationships between the colors people wear, and thought it would be great if, when they played with each other, they coordinated in a really subtle way.

For 12 year-old Chloe, I made Endpaper Mittens (from this free pattern). When I work at the wool shoppe, all the 12 year-olds girls request fingerless mittens from their knitter moms. You never know with 12 year-olds, but I'm hoping these will be cool enough to make it out of the house!

For almost 2 year-old Poppy, I used the extra Liberty fabric from a dress I'm making for myself (will I ever finish that dress?) to make a simple elastic waist skirt that I sewed from a vintage children's pattern (McCalls 5793). The Cable Yoke Sweater is a design of my colleague Claire, from her new book. I might have to adapt these patterns to adult sizes. I love them so much, I would wear the whole outfit.

Finally, for almost 1 year-old Summer, I made a fair isle yoke sweater. It's the same one I made before, though this time I charted my own fair isle hearts. I'm really happy with how it came out.

I can't wait to give these gifts to three lovely English ladies at Christmastime. I hope wearing them brings the girls even closer!

Penny and Calvin: "It's Raining, It's Pouring"

It's been raining a lot, and Penny and Calvin have a hole in their roof:

What I've been doing...

A lot of Christmas kniting! And some work at the yarn shop, and the animation studio.

The best part of the knitting is thinking about the recipients as I'm making their gifts. It really makes giving a lot more special.

November Giveaway: Mr. Furly Apron!

This month's giveaway is a Mr. Furly apron, handmade by me!

Made of fabric designed by me and printed through Spoonflower and backed in white cotton, the apron features extra long ties, a deep utility pocket, and Mr. Furly in many of his brilliant disguises. It's just what you need to cook a great Thanksgiving dinner or Sunday Roast. I like it so much I just might make another one for myself.

To enter this contest, please leave a comment in this post. I'll pick the winner a few days before Thanksgiving, and send the apron to the winner! Good luck!

Halloween Revisited

At the request of some friends, and at the risk of offending some of you, I'm posting some photos of me and Mr. Jones last Halloween. We went as the Irwin Family. Halloween is about celebrating the dead, right?

I went as Terri Irwin, trying to save Bindi from a croc attack.

Mr. Jones was Steve, attacked by a stingray.

We found matching shirts at the thrift shop for $5., which kicked off the whole idea.

Mr. Jones picked out the perfect Mom jeans for me at the Goodwill, and the best thing anyone said to me all night was, "Holly, you are SO BRAVE TO WEAR THOSE JEANS". That, and lots of comments on how I had the perfect hair. Long live The Irwins!

Transatlantic Halloween

I think I mentioned that I'm not celebrating Halloween this year. I don't have any English parties to go to, and frankly it's not that fun over here. So instead, I offered to make a costume for my favorite 2 year-old (ish) New Yorker. Inspired by her madly curly hair, her mom and I decided she should be a certain orphan.

I finished the costume here in London on Monday, and Fedexed it on Tuesday. Her mom bought the shoes and socks yesterday, and she's all ready to go for tomorrow! Getting this photo today was incredibly rewarding, and even more fun than making my usual Halloween outfit, a laborious process that usually begins around August.

Happy Halloween everyone! I hope, whereever you are, you can enjoy it as much as I have already. Even if you're not dressing up!

Broccoli Cheese Quichelettes

I've been working on my quiche recipe, adapting it to a smaller variety I call quichelettes. They're quick to make, quicker to eat, and you probably have all the ingredients in your fridge right now. I made them for brunch one Sunday, and they were a nice change from omlettes and toast, though they have all the same ingredients.
Here's a recipe; it makes 6:

3 eggs

1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup cheese, grated
1/2 cup onion, diced
12 sheets of filo pastry (bought from grocery store)
1 cup lowfat milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 muffin tin
1/2 stick of butter, plus more for greasing

1. Preheat oven to 325F.

2. Combine onion and broccoli in a bowl and set aside.
3. Melt butter and leave to cool slightly.
4. Grate cheese and set aside.
5. Combine milk, eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmet. Beat well, and set aside.
6. Grease muffin tin well. Place 2 sheets of filo pastry in each muffin holder, with edges flapping over the side.
5. Fill parcels with broccoli/onion mixture, then grated cheese, distributing evenly.

6. Pour eggy milky mixture over other ingredients, distributing evenly.
7. Fold over filo to encapsulate parcels, and brush each one with melted butter.
8. Bake in 325 degree oven for 40ish minutes, or until the pastry is golden on top.
9. Pop quichelettes out of muffin tin, serve, and enjoy!

The Real Vintage Knitting Book

This is my new favorite knitting book. I got it for £3 at a local vintage shop and it has SO MANY patterns in it. Sweaters for adults, jackets and shorts for children, tons of accessories. It's amazing. I can't find a year on it. I'm thinking 1940s?

I loved this onesy in the corner, as I'm a sucker for any pattern with buttons at the shoulders. The best part of the book is that the patterns are called "recipes", and the needle recommendations are old English sizes. Good thing I know the difference from working in a knitting shop!

Here it is, made up, in cotton I got from the John Lewis sale. I think the entire project cost about £4, and I'm so please with it. The recipe was perfect!

P.S. This is the last week to enter this month's giveaway. I'll be choosing a winner on Saturday, and posting a November's contest next week. Good luck!

Calendar Girl

Hi! I'm excited to be included in this calendar. It's called "Sewing Calendar 2010: More than 100 new sewing projects with detailed instructions" by Accord Publishing. My ice cream cone pattern is on July 19th.

I thought it might be the kind of calendar that you often find at those strange book clearance stores in American strip malls. You know the kind? Instead, it's designed really nicely, includes pattern pieces, and lists websites from each project, so I can find many more crafters in the new year. I'm so happy to be published among them!

It's also highly endorsed by half-blind poodles, who are very crafty in their own right.

Fair Isle 2: Oh My Goodness, It's Finished

This is my most ambitious kniting project to date. It's the Bessie (girls) Sweater, and it literally took me months.

I took a fair isle class. I was feeling confident. I made my own charted colors, I changed the pattern so I could knit it in the round, and I started. And it all became very difficult. I think I unraveled 1 in every 6 rows I knitted. Maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind? In the end, I learned a lot, but I'm not sure (with the knitting and the blocking and the finishing) that the proportions are at all correct.

I guess I'll have to wait for the recipient's mom to send me a photo of the special girl in this sweater. Tiny sleaves, a big body, a gaping neck, it's all very possible. And yet, now as I write this, I'm thinking of my next fair isle project, this time for myself! It's amazing how the burn of a creative project wears right off with new inspiration...

Let's Have a Giveaway!

I'd like to have a giveaway here once a month. How does that sound? Sometimes it'll be something I've made, sometimes it'll be from my own collection of things. To kick it off, I'm lessening my vintage craft book collection by one, and giving away "The Complete Book of Sewing" from 1972, by Larry Eisinger.

It's a great book: part instructional, part conversational. Chapters include "Making Curtains", "It's Best to Baste" and "Know Your Stitches". My favorite chapter is called "Teaching Your Daughters To Sew", and reads "Our daughters live in a machine age and want streamlined speed. To them, samplers and and long-drawn-out routines vanished with the horse and buggy." Too true!

Not only are there amazingly fashionable pictures, but there's great instructional drawings, teaching different hems, how to install zippers and sleaves, etc.

You can win this book by leaving a comment on this blog post. I'll use a random number generator to pick a winner by the end of October, and post the next giveaway at the beginning of November!

This contest is now closed.
The random number generator has chosen Gram as the winner of the craft book. Congrats! Email me your name and address, and I'll be happy to send it along.

Prince Hat: Free Pattern!

Now you can make a hat to wear to your next Prince concert (and you should definitely go to one at some point in your life). This hat takes intermediate knitting skills, including knitting in the round, double pointed knitting, Intarsia and chart-reading skills.

I took inspiration from Whitney's 70s ski hat, and included a soft alpaca lining, so you won't have any wool itch on your forehead when wearing it.


You can download my free pattern BY CLICKING HERE. I warn you that the pattern gets a bit loose toward the end, requesting that you try the hat on and customize it to the height you would like. Charts and instructions are all included.

I hope you'll make one and wear it, even if you don't go to a Prince show (like Ingrid, Mr. Jones, and me, circa 2003). The funny thing about this photo is that when we got to Madison Sq. Garden we didn't see one other person dressed up. Ah well, it never stopped up before, and certainly hasn't since!

A House for My Beloved

When I came back from Bristol, my sewing machine was in a corner of the apartment getting dusty. I couldn't really place blame; I was gone for 5 weeks and I wouldn't expect it to retain valuable space on our few tables. But it bothered me that it was collecting dust, seemingly unloved. So last week I took 2 days to make a sewing machine cover for my Bernina, which I purchased used, without any kind of case.

I had no pattern, just used a familiar theme, took some basic measurements, and used scraps I have here at home. The best thing about it is that it's reversible, so if I get sick of the house, a lovely sewing-themed print lies beneath.

Now my machine sits proudly on my craft shelf, warm and dust free in its new home. Hoorah!

Party Cardigan

I've finished my first cable knitting project! I don't know what took me so long to learn cables. I thought they were much harder than they are, but now I can't wait to do more (why is knitting so addictive?).

This is the Jackie Cable Cardigan from the baby book (again!) The sweater is quickly going into Christmas storage, for one of my newborn friends. My plan this year is to have the biggest handmade Christmas EVER, making as many things as I can. And living in a country without Halloween or Thanksgiving, I'm not afraid to start early.

Even though many of my friends now read this blog, I'm going to post handmade things they might receive for Christmas here anyway. I run the risk of hearing "I got the cardigan? I wanted the twin set!", but if all goes to plan, I'll be done making the gifts so early they'll forget all about the posts by December 25th. C'mon, a girl can dream.

Home Base

I've been enjoying some nice time at home, apart from nursing my first cold of the season.

Mr. Furly, my lifelong companion in illness, however, is gone again. He left me in Bristol, impressed by city's maritime past, assuring me his travels would be brief and perfectly legal (unlike his past adventures). I expect he might read this, and hear my calls of beckoning: "HOME TIME!"

Dragon Scale Keyhole Scarf: Free Pattern!

Now you can make a cozy scarf for the colder weather. Made of worsted/aran weight yarn, it knits up quickly, and all you need to know is how to knit, purl, cast on and bind off. It makes a great last-minute gift, too!

The "keyhole" element is a slit you make down the center of the scarf, so you can tuck one side into the other and secure the scarf around your neck. Download my original pattern by cliking HERE, send me a photo when you're done, and enjoy!

Maggie and Mildred: Now Online!

As its film festival tour slows to an end, I've decided to put my film "Maggie and Mildred" online, for all to see. As many of you know, it's the story of the friendship between two special girls, made by hand stitchery and computer trickery.

"Maggie and Mildred" can now be seen here. I hope you enjoy it, will leave a comment here or there, and recommend it to your friends.

Hat for a Prince

It's Mr. Jones' big birthday, and I finished these two small projects I had been knitting furiously in the last couple of weeks. Being a megafan of the small purple man, I knitted him a Symbol Hat, with a complementary scarf.

I'm calling them "Hat for a Prince" and "The Dragon Scarf", which looks and feels like the scales of a dragon. They're both simple patterns you can make in a couple short days. I'll be posting the patterns in upcoming days. Happy Birthday, Mr. Jones!

Shrunk

I'm tired, and looking a bit frazzled these days. I know this blog has been a bit sparse on the crafts, but it's not for lack of working on projects whilst in Bristol.

I'm looking forward to a return to London, and will post my hard work, along with a pattern or two for your Autumn crafting pleasure in coming weeks. Gypsy, why have you shrunken me?

Love 4: Bristol, England

I've been spending some work time in Bristol, in the Southwest of England. It's been so nice, I thought I'd share some photos.

In Bristol, even the grafitti is color coordinated!

The bridges go between parts of the city and National Trust land, for biking and hiking.

It's very hilly, with beautiful houses that overlook views of the Avon river and the English countryside.

And friends you love greet you in the lobby. Can you guess where I've been working?

Mattey and Me

My best friend Mattey and I have a hobby. We like to get some outfits together and go to a Superstore photo studio to get our photos taken. At first the employees always tell us to smile, but once they understand that we're not there to get a nice photo necessarily, they usually get into the fun. It always ends with Mattey and me crying with laughter, purchasing the largest photo package, and anxiously anticipating the prints.

I'm starting to get the hankering to do another photo soon, as it's been a few years now since this last one. Any suggestions on the outfits?

Playing Catsup

I made this animation in one weekend, for a Heinz Ketchup contest. I wasn't even a finalist, but I almost got kicked out of the local Portland baseball field for taking rogue photographs.

Everybody wins!

Feeding Time

Penny and Calvin like lunchtime. Isn't it the best part of any Monday?

Abbey Twin Set

I've always wanted to make a baby's twin set. They're so classic and formal, and I love them in old photographs, especially on boys. I'm stowing this one for a Christmas present, for one of the many new babies I've met this year.


The pattern is from that baby book I'm so in love with, made with (Rowan 4ply soft) yarn I got in the Liberty sale this year. I splurged on a few colors, so stay for that ambitious project I was telling you about in the last post.


I'm calling my creation the "Abbey Twin Set", after a teeny tiny cat I used to look after in South London. Abbey meowed all day and all night. Needless to say, this pattern was a lot less trouble.

Back to Life

I'm sorry it's been so long! I've been feeling better, and working a lot. I also celebrated my 34th birthday, complete with a homemade gift and dinner from my unhusband, a visit from my sister and her beau, and a phone call from my long lost best friend. Lately, I've been spending the work week in another English city, working for a company I've always wanted to work for. Since I'm away from my sewing machine, I'm knitting the most ambitious project I've attempted to date. I promise to share it all with you soon!

In the meantime, my good friends have been busy as well. Some announcements, with illustrations from my vintage card collection:


Willow Wells-Lamont was born on August 9th, 2009, and will hopefully soon be wearing this and these!


Summer Watkins is the newest (and 3rd) niece of Mr. Jones. I'll be visiting her next weekend! She is also the recipient of these.



Enna Rae Davis was born on August 5th. I can't wait to see how she grows up, since her mom has such an interesting perspective on things. She'll be getting this and these in the mail soon, and I hope she enjoys them.

Welcome to the world, girls!

Thinking Back

I'm really enjoying this photo project by Jason Powell, bringing the past to life:


I might be slow to blog these days, folks. My beloved grandmother passed away a few days ago, and creativity (not to mention productivity) seems a bit harder to find. As many of you know she was my biggest crafting and personal inspiration, having taught me to sew as early as I can remember remembering. There's lots of remembering going on these tough days...but I'll be back soon.

Love 4 Craft Shoppes in London

Would you like to know my favorite fabric and craft stores here in London? They're different from American craft stores because they're much more expensive, with generally much higher quality goods. When you buy a meter of fabric or a skein of wool in one, it will come taped in tissue, and make you feel like you've bought something really special. Here's where I buy my specialty supplies:

Kleins sells trimmings, buttons, elastics, and other haberdashery. When I paid with my debit card once, the nice employee said, "This is your shoppe, Ms. Klein!" Yes, please!

Beautiful fabric, vintage french clothes pins, and old English knitting needles. What else could you want in a cloth house?

Loop sells very posh yarns. Every other weekend, I will be there selling them to you!

The 3rd Floor is Mecca to any fan of Liberty fabrics. Besides that, it's the most beautiful department store in the whole world. Come and visit, and enjoy these great places!

Abracadabra Cupcakes

What can you do with your leftover Easter Peeps? Abracadabra cupcakes!


I made these from a cupcake, a cookie, a Peep, and a Mikado for the magic wand. The cupcakes and the cookies are homemade, though I'm sure you could use store bought if you can cut out the center of the cookie carefully. Great for a magical-themed birthday party!

Vintage Lollipop Molds

I hosted a baby shower! It was fun, and it gave me a chance to bake again, and to use my vintage kitchenwares. I found these lollipop molds at a Portland Goodwill and decided just to melt some high quality chocolate, pour it in them, sprinkle some nuts on the back, and wrap them up.
Love for baby:


Because they're British:


In honor of the baby girl, due in a couple of weeks:


Wrapped up on the party table:

There's a few more molds, but I'm going to have to use them on other occassions. I'd like to try to make hard lollipops in various flavors, and the old box came with a recipe. Since I can only make one at a time, though, I might make them as toppers for gifts. Sweet!

Baby's First Jeans

I'm still making things for babies! It's not my fault; the people around me won't stop having them. I present to you "Baby's First Jeans", by me:

I did two varieties, one with buttons, the other with snaps.

They're in denim, of course, with linen linings, though I think printed cotton interiors would be even cuter. Or what about flannel, like those turn-ups I used to wear when I was a kid?

I'm toying with the idea of faux front pockets, that V-back yolk, or a fake fly-front. What about my own custom-label pocket, with my signature? OK, a bit over the top... I think these two pairs have enough details to start.

If there's interest, I might make some for my shop, or maybe a craft fair. I haven't done one of those in a while!

Homemade Socks for Sunny Days

I made these socks while on my trip to Chicago. I had to beg the security guard in Heathrow to let me take my needles on an 8 hour flight and, in the end, my sad little face won her over.

I'm a sock fanatic . I will rarely sleep without any, and even at the beach I'm known to have a pair to slip on when a breeze comes by, or for after swimming. I also think unique socks, handmade or not, are one of the best gifts you can get. It's such a treat to go in a drawer and pull out an exciting pair, is it not?

I knit these for an upcoming birthday. I was just going to try them on to show them off, but now they might become mine after all.

Stars and Stripes

This was my outfit for the 4th of July. It's a homemade pleated skirt from a vintage pattern (made of ticking), with an H&M shirt, and vintage shoes.

Do you like the man standing in the street, asking himself why there is a girl looking ecstatic on a pole? Anyway, I worked yesterday, and wondered if anyone would 'get' the outfit. I did get some "Happy Independence Day" wishes, but only, I believe, after they heard my accent first. I'm still taking that as a wardrobe success.

My Famous Hands

Now that the campaign has gone live, I can show you my famous hands! I made an ad for EDF energy recently, where I sewed a Union Jack flag beneath the camera, then manipulated the speed to make this advertisement that appears before internet videos in the UK:

I also developed a font (3 whole alphabets!) of stitched lettering. It's the same font that appears at the end of the video spelling "Team Green Britain", but will be used in further elements of the campaign.

I've never developed a font before, and I got really into the attention to detail you need with graphic design work. Go, Team!

Chi-town 2009

We had a great time in Chicago. The wedding we went to see was beautiful, and I can't wait to show you pictures! However, I'm sticking to my policy of asking permission to show them, and the couple is off on their honeymoon, so stay tuned. We got lots of sightseeing done. I've been to Chicago many times, and I still find it stunning.




Mr. Furly especially enjoyed it, as we all know beavers love a good lake.

In other news, I've just changed the settings on my blog so that you don't need an ID to comment. I had no idea I had it set so that not everyone could. So please leave your comments freely. I'm thinking of celebrating this change with a little contest to win a little item handmade by me. What do you think?

The King of Hearts

It's been a sad couple of days around the house. As many of you know, my partner is a Superfan, and I'm happy to report that he's coping pretty well, overall.


This fuzzy heart with MJ pins all over it was given to him by the lovely Paloma of Portland. I forget where she said she acquired it, but she gave it to Mr. Jones after seeing our video and deciding she just couldn't put it up on eBay. It's very cherished, especially these days.

Crisis Avoided

Remember this sweater, and how I told you to make the adult version? Well, I took my own advice and made it myself! I don't really like many pullover sweaters these days, so I made it into a cardigan.


I had to adjust to the scale of things, since I've been knitting baby clothes for what's seemed like forever. When I finally tried my sweater on when finished, the neck was off my shoulders, as the cardiganization (!) of the pattern had made it too big. So I consulted my knitting guru Linda at the shop, and she told me exactly what to do. It worked perfectly, and now I have a sweater I love!


This is my first knitted adult garment in about 10 years. I'll definitely be returning to smaller projects for a break, but am planning my next sweater in the back of my mind.

Probably something just as out of season as this one.

Swiss Hedgehogs at Play

I didn't make it to Germany. It's a real shame. Germany will be there, I keep telling myself, and I will go soon. Since I couldn't send you a postcard from Germany, I've dug up these postcards I picked up in Switzerland a few years ago (click to enlarge):



I'd love to know more about them, if anyone out there does. Are they from any type of animation?

Update! Anna tells me they're German, called Mecki, and that there's a trailer right here. It's amazing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrOe_UvL-rU&feature=related

We're off to Chicago at the end of this week. I've been working on a freelance job I can't wait to show you when I get back, and a long-term knitting project that is one conversation away from getting totally unraveled. You may all be getting hats with the results! I'll keep you posted.

Unfurled Originals: Pictorial Legwarmers!

Whales, umbrellas, and cowboy boots are motifs I remember from my 80s childhood. After taking a fair isle knitting class, I wanted to design my own pattern, and after making a film on graph paper charts, it came quite easily.

You can knit your own pair of pictorial legwarmers by downloading my original pattern. You'll need to know basic knitting and stranding techniques, but these knit up quickly and easily, and will see you through many walks about town. Enjoy!

P.S. I know it's Summer. I am, however, still in black tights and, as usual, freezing.

Love 4: My Stuff!

Many of you know I was more than reluctant to move to Portland, Oregon way back in March 2007. In the end, I did it to try something completely new and make a certain boy happy. Besides the project on which I worked being one I'm really proud of and having met amazingly lovely people, I was truly overwhelmed by the thrift store scenario.

You know I love thrift stores, and I didn't think it got better than the suburbs of Chicago, but Portland was a new level. And I was constantly at it. For a person who moved there in 1 suitcase, I came out with a crate. I'm still loving the stuff I collected, and I'll wait for you to visit me to see the full extent. Here are 4 of my favorites.

1. Vintage Craft Books. I collected them before, and I continue to collect them. They're so full of ideas, and the photography is just amazing. At some point I'll have to show you my favorite pages. This is a great blog I've been following of a fellow connoisseur. I've arranged my books in a rainbow, the same way the thrift stores arrange clothing. As if you go in there saying "I desperately need something purple to wear." Well, maybe you do!


2. Vintage Sewing Patterns. And for $.99! There is a 10 year-old who will one day don this Halloween costume handmade by me. It could be your child. You should be so lucky.


3. Framed Pinecone Owl. This was $2.99 and has a sticker on the back that says "Handcrafted by Wanda and Doyle Eaves, Salem, Oregon". I love your work! I love that you got stickers printed, and that maybe your art didn't sell, so you gave it to charity. Or could one of your customers have tired of this gem?! Not possible.

I waited for these cannisters to go on sale at the thrift shop, only because I had no room for them and knew I didn't need them. They still contain nothing, as I always forget what I put in them, and never find it again. But click on them, I beg you. They're AMAZING and I just love owning them. They're 1970s Sears, which you can tell from this blog post was something very special, indeed. Oh, to be old enough in the 1970s to shop for myself! Then again, I who needs time travel? There's always Portland, Oregon.

Christmas in June

Friends, it's happened...our belongings are here!! It finally feels like we've moved back to London. And best of all, everything seems to be intact.

Want to know what's in these boxes? I'll take a few pictures of my favorite West Coast treasures and share them next week. For now, however, we (the mister, the beaver, and I - is that our sitcom title?) are off to Germany. Auf Wiedersehen!