Easter Hunt, 2017

Easter weekend - phew! We are still recovering. Easter egg hunts, brunches, neighborhood events, birthday parties, and soccer matches. There was a lot going on, and Mr. Jones was recovering from a terrible stomach flu. Still, the weather was great, we saw good friends, the girls had a blast, and Lulu tolerated the rabbit. She told us beforehand that she only liked "smaller rabbits" and when I tried to put her down next to him she wailed, "Nooooo". So we all got a photo with the Easter Bunny! Then we had donuts and got our arms painted, and went home for a nap, with enough chocolate for coming weeks. I think we ate sweets the entire day. Maybe that's what Easter is for.

PS. Penny's sweater pattern is "Pompom Rabbit", Ravelry link here. Lulu's sweater pattern is called "Sweet William", Ravelry link here. Lulu is wearing a Geranium Dress and Penny is wearing a skirt (no pattern used) in a fabric called "Garden Delights" by Gray Sky Studios.
PPS. Last year's trip to this Easter Egg Hunt is here.

Things Made Recently

Whew! It's been an interesting week, hasn't it? I feel like this country has really been through something. It feels kind of like a road trip, where at the end you are so spent you have trouble mustering up any energy for your actual vacation. Though this isn't really a vacation, it's life, I get it.  It's just that the joy and  continued optimism I was feeling seems compromised. I find myself trying to give pep talks to those around me (as well as myself) but I'm been at a loss. Maybe it'll come in time. I still believe that we have more in common than what divides us, and I hate to feel so divided.  In the meantime, we keep creating. The things in our hands are what we have control of most, right?

I made Lulu some party hats, from a kit I've had for quite a while: Alicia Paulson's Prettiest Party Hats. They were an absolute joy to make. They taught me new techniques with simple wool blend felt, and now I'm completely inspired to make more things, not only from her patterns, but from felt. I had some of it left over in the kit, so used it to make flowers on her birthday jumper (made from Simplicity 1075, vintage and in reprint). This jumper is destined to be worn only once, being wool and worn by a girl who embraces mess, but I've stopped caring. I relish it, in fact. That's what special occasions are for and you're only age 3 once ;)

I made Penny a fancy dress from Vogue 9042, in fabric from Rifle Paper Company, lined with a peachy pink linen. The sweater pattern is Lottie (Ravelry link), made with a bulky yarn in size 2 instead of 4, so it would all work out to gauge.

I made a Toasty Blanket from a free pattern that I altered greatly. I made it exactly to the pattern, but had lots of yarn left over, so ripped it out, started again with 40 something stitches, and improvised the rest. It's a lap or baby blanket. I haven't yet decided its recipient. I've ceased working at a yarn company, so my crafting budget is very limited, though I was pretty pleased with this yarn I picked up on a whim, at Joann. All of the details are on my Ravelry page for this project, if you'd like to see.

Finally, I made Lulu a winter coat from Pendleton Wool I bought a while ago at the outlet here in Portland. I used Vogue 9219, but when it was time to put on the collar, I just didn't want to cover up the yoke pattern. So I drafted a hood for it, and it worked out great. I also used magnetic snaps for the closure. The jury (being a jury of one person, age almost 3) is out on how that will work, but I'm very anxious for the result.

I hope you've spent some time doing things you love this week. I hope it brings you as much respite as crafting brings to me.

Recently Made: Warm and Fuzzy

Recently I've made some things with a bulky weight alpaca nylon yarn called "Wonderfluff", with which I'm having a love affair. The projects were super quick and the results were super rewarding. They certainly made for some warm and fuzzy projects. 

Perhaps my greatest accomplishment was this bear trophy head from the book Animal Heads: Trophy Heads to Crochet. The crochet charts were bonkers and the written instructions were even crazier. It was by far the most difficult thing I've ever crocheted, but I love him. He hangs in our bedroom, in the eve of our wooden roof, with pride. I'm tempted to do another animal from the book, but I just don't know if I have the guts (or the yarn) to complete it.

I've been making lots of these little vests lately. It's the perfect weekend project, so quick to complete with great details, too. I love the finished edges, the pompoms or buttonhole. I'm stock piling them for upcoming birthdays of kids I know. I think they're a great Fall layer. The pattern is Lil Shepherd by Julie Partie, and my Ravelry link is HERE.

Finally, I knitted myself a sweater! Though, this is not me wearing my sweater, of course. My friend Hannah generously modeled it for me. The pattern is "Walking on the Moon" by Heidi Kirrimaier (Ravelry link HERE) and I completed it in two weeks, on size 15 needles. It was a revelation. Who can beat bulky yarn for a quick fix? A large gauge sweater is the way to go, I've learned. Done and done.

Lately, I've been back to the sewing machine, though what I have left of this bulky weight yarn is still calling my name (as is my long to-do list of so many uncrafty related things). Boo!

P.S. I've finally decided to get a little social. I've joined Instagram! I'm @hollyunfurled. Come over and say hi. I'd love hear from you!

Gifting

I've given a few handmade gifts, lately. Last week was one of Penny's teachers' last days before her maternity leave. She's been the sweetest, and I wanted to give her something for her upcoming baby Raven (isn't that a great name?). I made her an Annie Baby Blanket in yarn that self stripes. There was still a million ends to weave in, but I didn't mind. 

 

The colors reminded me of sunshine, so I made a Baby Surprise Jacket to match the blanket. I still love the idea of giving a "set" to a new mom. There are so many great sets in vintage pattern books I own, and I liked doing one knit item and one crochet piece.

Speaking of crochet, I made a gigantic donut for a friend's 40th birthday from a pattern in this book. It took so much yarn, but not as much time as I was expecting! It sure took a lot of fiber fill though, wow. Bags and bags and bags of it, bought with as many coupons as I could muster, at the craft store.

 

The size is ridiculous, and the girls pretended it was a pool float one day before we went swimming the day before we wrapped it up.

 

They were sad to see it go, which made me think I should make another - an orange one with bright pink icing, a chocolate one with light pink icing? Maybe someday, or maybe not :).

Bunnies and Bananas

I've made some things for the girls. There are bunny sweaters - an intarsia one with a pompom tail, and a fair isle one also in tonal yarn, as well as a crochet banana split to celebrate the start of summer.

 

 

 

 

 

For kids that have never seen a real banana split, they are very attached to this creation. It put them in a sugar coma! It resides on Penny's toddler bed, which is supposed to be Lulu's toddler bed, but that's another story. Mr. Jones commented that "the color of the banana is a bit too mustard yellow". Ya think? Because remember that usually banana splits aren't made with the bananas in their peels! I mean, usually, right? Haha. Anyway, I have plans for us to go for a banana split, as a family. I think it'll be a hoot.

PS. The Neapolitan Ice Cream Blanket is my own crochet pattern. I hope to write it up for you, soon!

Among the Tulips

The day after Penny's birthday party, we headed out of town to Tulipfest! I had been wanting to go for many years, but never thought the girls were of any age to get much out of it. This year, they loved it more than I could have imagined! Penny is in a real phase of appreciating flowers, so her mind was blown (as was mine). There were also swings, bounce houses, and other attractions to keep us entertained.

I asked Penny which color she liked the most. This is her broad gesture while she shouted, "All the colors!"

Who wouldn't love to ride these fields on a giant pink tractor?

My camera stayed focused on the tulips, but I still love this photo:

Don't worry, we only pick flowers off the ground, and out of the tent that sold cut stems :).

Penny's dress is homemade, though I didn't get a photo of it on its own before she wanted to wear it. It's a Carousel Dress, color blocked in a print I had only one yard of, and the solid color I used for her butterfly birthday dress. How I love this pattern. I'm dreaming of all the ways I can make more versions using only my scrap bag, like patchwork quilts my girls can wear all summer long. Lulu's sweater is the one I made for Easter.

Good Eggs, 2016

We had a very special Easter weekend. On Saturday. we went to an epic public egg hunt that felt more like a sporting event than a holiday occasion. The girls loved it. They got their arms painted by girl scouts, met the Easter Bunny, gathered chocolate eggs, petted baby animals, and saw their best friends. There was joy, and of course some tears. The weather was absolutely gorgeous.



On Sunday, the rain returned. We had a outdoor brunch in the neighborhood with an egg hut for the kids, who weren't deterred by the weather. Holidays have been so much fun, lately. Seeing what the girls can do, what they understand, what sparks their imagination and what brings them joy, brings us constant happiness. I must laugh at least 50 times a day. Hope your Easter weekend was just as joyful.

PS. Their handmade outfits are described in the last post.
PPS. Easter 2015 and Easter 2014, and Easter 2012 (when she fit in the basket she carried this year!)

To Meet The Bunny

Easter is coming early this year! I've been making some outfits the girls can wear to meet The Bunny.

For Lulu, a Bubble Dress made from Nani Iron En Garden double gauze in color Michi. Soft as can be, I'd like to live in a dress just like it. The sweater pattern is Springtime in Hollis (Ravelry link) made in a superwash merino wool, with a grosgrain ribbon and 3 button closure.  The shoes make me swoon, too. I got them for a song when a children's store in town decided to no longer carry shoes. It's hard when it feels like little people get all the good stuff :).

For Penny, I made an epic color-change sweater from a Drops Pattern (Ravelry link) and multicolored yarn in the discontinued colorway, Buttermint. It took me months to knit on size 2 needles in fingering weight yarn, and luckily the only 2 skeins that I had were enough, and the fit seems ok.

I also bought them each a used Golden Book from Powells, though I'm sure there will be no lack of chocolate, both on their faces and on their clothes. If past years are an indication, it should be an Easter full of treats.

Monkeys in the Garden

On and overcast afternoon, Penny and Lulu dressed as sock monkeys and went on a playdate to their friend's house. I've been noticing that these past weeks, even though it continues to rain almost constantly, the girls have a renewed interest in the outdoors. Penny loves to move logs around, pick up sticks and rocks, pick flowers (off the ground, we tell her) and "build" new things. Lulu loves to roll in the mud. Seriously! Just get in there and lay on her belly and dig with cupped hands, like she's burrowing underground. On this day, they built a "fairy house" in their buddy's back yard, and had a good cheer for themselves once it was complete.

This is what a fairy house looks like, in case you didn't know:

I made their sweaters. All the details are here. Lulu's pants are also handmade, from Moda's Sock Monkey fabric. They are Quick Change Trousers from this book. I've made them so many times before, and they are always so great, and the reversible element is perfect for the mud.

Speaking of fairies and all things mystical, here's a story: At preschool they have "Circle Time", where they sing, report the weather, assign jobs, etc. These days, the teachers have been asking some questions, and taking answers from various kids. Yesterday, the question was, "How does water get into the clouds?" and this was Penny's answer:

"People collect waterfalls, and then they fly up to the sky. They lay down and die and the water spills out of the clouds. It rains and rains, and then there's a beautiful rainbow".

Isn't that spectacular? We haven't really addressed the issue of death yet, so I'm intrigued that it came up. I love how she's considered gravity in it. I love how vivid and visual it is. I wish I could pause life, and create an animation of it.