the season of crazy knitting has begun.....

you'd think i would have learned from my mistakes... at least a little quicker than i have.. but every year, i get soo stressed out with christmas gifts because i leave it until like.. november. and i make myself send hand made gifts to everyone. most of my family lives several provinces away, so that means having to mail out gifts only a few weeks after deciding to make them... eeks! so this year this year is going to be different!... i hope!

Source: lastejeymaneje.blogspot.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

though i'm not really making plans quite yet to start my christmas gifts (sorry fam.. i bet i got you all excited there).. plans are in the works! i'm planning on selling at a christmas market this year. as it's the first market experience for me, i'm excited! so i've decided to be smart about this... (as much as i can be.haha) at this market, i believe i need to show the board members what i want to sell by october! as it's practically august... it's time to get knitting.
so i started up a list of what i would like to sell, and guess what? the lovely jane richmond is a-okaying things i knit from her patterns! woot woot!!!  i love her patterns, and i'm so excited to be immersing myself in them this summer :)
there will be a few others, but i've picked out a lot of jane's stuff ;) cause well, i can't help it! eeks!!!!

Source: knit2together.tumblr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

along with market planning, there are many many baby gifts to be working on. ... one of which i can show you soon! as well as etsy orders. (yay for them!) and my classes. i love it!

i always knew i would never ever escape wool. i don't want to! so i'm in the right business i suppose ;)

it's a long weekend this weekend, and the weather is fine! so happy that my projects are portable :)

what are you up to this weekend? fitting in any knitting time in with camping? are you also one of the knitters who are stepping into crazy knitting season a little early too? i'd love to hear what you're working on! please share! have a lovely weekend!

matchy matchy!

you guys remember this little cutie, right?

Source: flickr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

i still think about her a lot.... but she might be a little bit lonely, being the only creative lamp (that is if i owned her) in my home.... well i found this little gal a friend ;) this is just in my pretend world of owning such creative objects, mind you. .... what? what's wrong with pretending? and finding friends for my coveted goods? wh-aaat?!

Source: flickr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

so pretty! yes they would make great friends!! don't you think so? so i really want, no... i need these lamps in my home....  i can't focus on much else this moment... so it's what i'm telling you about today :)

how is your day going so far? finding any amazing must haves? didn't i say it was chrsitmas in july? what wonderful pressies these would make! do you love these little lamps as much as i do?

christmas in july!

well sort of ;) i've been filling a few orders! here is the most adorable set of pixie hats! ugh. too cute!
the pattern is from the talented designer behind 4asong.

i've made the toddler size for both, and instead of a braided cord at the end, pompoms were put in.
how cute!

these make great photo props, as well! i'm sure these tots will be lookin' uber cute sportin' these toppers come winter.

the yarn chosen for this project is paton's canadiana in colours pale teal, dark teal, crantini, and coral rose. so super sweet. !!

but do you realize what this means? i have nothing on my needles now!!! ***gasp! *** i need to cast on for a project quick! but what should it be? any ideas?

also, it looks like we are most likely getting a new floor. it would be exciting, except we only just installed our floor about a year ago. our silly old dishwasher started to leak and water was coming up through the flooring.
insurance will cover it, so it's all good, it's just more inconvenient than anything, ya know? but i suppose it is christmas if we're getting a new floor soon, and a new dishwasher!

have you started any christmas knitting yet? are you a fan of toques? how far in advance to you start your home made gifts for christmas? on a completely different note, any fave brands of dishwashers out there? i could use some tips! coffee's on, come chat!

unlimited coffee supply please....

it's an overcast day today, and a little bit cool. i love these days usually for knitted related reasons... they're cozy, snuggly days, yes? movies, popcorn, cuddles with the littles.... playdough, knitting, big pillows, and blankets... mmmmMMMmmm... but my 3 year old has other plans. haha. rest mommy? no no no, let's play!

 i don't know where he gets his energy from... (i think i remember hearing my parents talk like that about me when i was little)... but i'd sure like to bottle some up and have some for myself...

his fave indoor game though... is his army camp. it was just me and my two sisters growing up, so boy toys are a little newer for me. there is surprisingly a lot of planning involved in the whole setting up of it all :)

many an hour have been spent on these little guys. and now that he's got a homemade map from daddy... there are many many more hours to be had...

goodness has he ever been impressed with this map! he loves it so. oftentimes, he keeps these guys on opposite teams, but there are times when they fight some big scary robot together.  but with all of the time it takes in setting up the battle, it sure doesn't take him long to destroy ... er ... have the battle.. :)
...the aftermath :)

oh i want to play i really do! but first i need coffee. lots and lots... and lots of coffee.

how is your week going? are you full of energy or are you needing what seems like an entire pot of coffee to get you started today?  i'd love to chat! today the coffee is unlimited.

meal planning by the ocean...sort of

i wanted to have my meal plan completely set up for you this week, but it seemed that going to the beach was much more fun :) the summer weather finally kicked in here, so we had to enjoy it.

it really was a beautiful day! owen just likes wearing sweaters. he's cool that way. there's just something about the sound of the waves rolling in. it was so relaxing! and so very nice to get some little family time in.

 of course i got some knitting done, and i'll show it to you later this week. i promise ;)
but back to the meal planning... i did get it mostly figured out, so i'll share it with ya, though we seemed to have forgotten some ingredients during the grocery trip, so one or two of these meals may not be what we actually make... i'll let you guess which ones might not make the cut this week..

it's a tad blurry, i apologize. my little man was insistent that i take a picture of his army man balancing on top of a tank. i got a little sidetracked :)

so i'm off to bake some bread today, as well as some rolls so we can make our own little garlic cheezy buns to go with spaghetti tonight. yummmm. i get my recipe for the rolls from more with less. it is one of my go-to cookbooks, and has been for years.

this is no new cookbook, that's for sure. it's stood the test of time. when i lived in germany, i leafed through these pages every day, and i was never disappointed. if you get a chance, you should take a peek at it!

did you have a good weekend? how is your week looking so far? are you off to an organized start? what is on your family's menu this week? grab a coffee and let's chat menu options! there can never be too many ideas to share.

desires....

i don't really know what it is, but i always seem to wish for all things retro. am i alone on this one?

Source: triciawilson.tumblr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

in style, and in knitting too... well not really always in knitting... i like the fit better now in most garments than they used to be... you know what i'm talking about... no more armpits of your sweaters lining up with your belly button.. no, i like them tighter than that. the arms i mean... :)

Source: flickr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

i don't know, i just seem to be drawn to colours that make me think of days gone by... i'm sure the styles i'm thinking of and longing for are styles my mom used to wear... i was too young to really revel in those styles...

Source: designspongeonline.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

don't get me wrong... there are a lot of great new styles out there! and i like them a lot too! and i'll be knitting them, i promise!
but there's something about cuddling up to an old granny square or ripple blanket with an aged copy of your fav book... isn't there?

Source: rebelwings.tumblr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

well whatever it is, i like it. it makes me feel warm and fuzzy.... and i totally wish i had some of the things that my parents had on their walls, to decorate my place....

Source: bleubirdvintage.typepad.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

haha... but don't tell the hubs. we might not see eye to eye on that one :) just looking at these colours makes me want to craft. so here's hoping i get up to that this weekend!

what about you? are you a fan of the '70's? does it make you want to craft by a bonfire, sipping wine out of a little pottery mug? leave me a note and let's chat! you never know, you could be inspired! wishing you a groovy weekend!

remember when?

 ....summers were full of play, swimming, fishing, dancing, crafting, marshmallow roasting, and bbq'ing...
i have extremely fond memories of summer, growing up. we were so fortunate to have a family cottage on the rideau.

it's still in the family, my uncle and his family now have it... so it's nice to know that we can still see the cottage sometime.

our family has a history of nicknames... for everything from our cottages, windermere and bo-peep to the granny goat's path that takes you up past the 20 foot, 30 foot, and 40 foot cliffs and past murderer's gulch to charlie, marley and moe... and the far cabin... where my great aunt used to write. (don't worry... as far as i know, no-one was actually murdered.)

 even the treehouse has a name... tree-tops! and you can't forget to have your turn on the flimsy-whimsy! (a trapeze that swings out over the water.. which is when you let go)

the cottages are both undergoing a lot of changes right now, in modernizing and saftey-ing.. actually, some things have been taken down. but it's still a very cherished place to me, and will always be. it still looks beautiful, and the work that's been going on has been incredible!  (from what i can tell of the pictures)

one fond memory i have is of crafting with my cousin. we spent many an hour making knotted bracelets. do you remember those? so colourful, and fun! and definitely summer-y. not too long ago, i found a link on how to make them, and it brought back a woosh of memories, and that i just had to make some this year. it's a great tutorial, and i think you should definitely make some too!

i so wish we could just hop in the car and head over to the cottage, but we live too far away for that right now. maybe another year... i can however still enjoy some of my wonderful memories, and even re-live them! so i did :)

and goodness was it ever fun! now i just have to make more. i want a wrist-full ;) and i know it will bring be back....

do you have very fond memories of summering when you were young? any must make crafts that help to re-live the younger days? let's all grab some embroidery thread and get bracelet making this summer!  what are your fav colours to use?

love for the magic (loop method)

we're always learning. always trying new techniques, and no matter how long you've been knitting, or crafting, or creating... there's always a new surprise in store for us. ...right?


well for me it's the magic loop method!

when jane richmond came out with her legwarmer pattern on luvinthemommyhood's online mag called versus i was uber excited.

not just because it's legwarmers, but it called for the magic loop method, and i had never actually done that before! jane has a great tutorial on the method here. so check it out!

and make many, many pairs of legwarmers. you'll always find a use for them. :)

Source: livethemma.ikea.se via Rebecca on Pinterest

 i wasen't ever really afraid of this method before, but because i hadn't learned how to do it before, i just stuck with my dpns.  well no longer! if i can get away with the magic loop method, i'm doing that instead!

pattern: legwarmers by jane richmond
yarn: cascade yarns soft spun
needle: 5.0mm/us8

check out my ravelry page to see my other comments on this project!

 oi. i'm hooked.. pun totally intended.

have you tried the magic loop method before? what are some of the techniques you'd love to learn to help enhance your knitting skills? are you a legwarmer fan like i am? leave me a comment, i'm in the mood to chat, and i love your company :)

a sunny disposition served with caramel

i know it's tuesday and all, but i am really excited! i have so been looking forward to this post! thanks to shannon from luvinthemommyhood in more ways than one, i can show you the fruits of my labour!
as you already know, my KAL is finished. yes. i'm a crazed knitter.... obsessive really, no big deal. ;) wanna see?

before i go all lovey-crazy-smothery-you know what i mean...... here are the details of the sweater
pattern: caramel by isabell kraemer
needle: 3.75mm/us5
yarn: sirdar country style dk.

first off. this is a wonderful sweater, and a very straightforward pattern. it was so very easy to follow, and made for extremely relaxing knitting! so thank you isabell! you rock!

the sweater is knit from the top down, and the only seaming is in the underarms. my kind of knitting!
the sleeve shaping was a little different than what i had knit before, and i rather like the effect!

 i love the simplicity of the cardi, and the detail is just enough. i am a sucker for stripes, so i was called to this pattern already, but the solid colour just below the elbow?  love.

you like it too, don't you?

the drape is great, it's comfortable, it's warm, it's perfect!

i honestly had no issues with this pattern. it was a joy to knit, very easy to understand. bonus... i want to wear it always! 

oh.my... i really love this sweater! i bet you do too... it's sooo soft, and just as the pattern says, it's a blanket style cardi. it's a squishy love hug. 

 

 a ridiculously huge thank-you to shannon for taking these pics! you are ah-mazing! not only did she make me look gorge in my frumpy mama hair, while i was battling a cold, but she did it with a sleeping babe snuggled into her! seriously! luckily the older kiddlets were easily distracted with hot chocolate and marshmallows. (yeah... it's been that kind of summer here)
but also, she's the host for the KAL! so if you're feeling like joining in, please do! just click on the pic below for the deets.

it's going on until sept 1st.so you've got plenty of time! also, i'm one of the lucky ones who is sponsoring the KAL. can't wait to be helping out in donating some prizes ;)

have you ever taken part in a knit-a-long before? ever thought of trying? now is the time! those of you who are in the KAL, how is your progress coming along? i'd really, honestly love to hear about it! post links to your pics here so we can all see! i love getting comments from you, and i'm always in the mood to chat. ...honestly, ask the hubs ;)

planning ahead...with cinnamon buns.

i really have the best of intentions. but it's hard to be motivated to stay as organized as i'd like to be.
as you know, i'm a stay at home mama, who does her best to stick to a grocery budget. i've been so very fortunate to be able to be home with my little, but it does mean some serious organization and planning to keep costs low. it's not all that easy, is it?
one way to keep your grocery bill really low though is to have a meal plan. it takes a little effort to decide what dinner will be each night, but once that's done the dreaded "what's for dinner" never has to happen! bliss!!!

 this week, i've tried to keep it simple. only a couple of the days require some extra work. and luckily, i made pizza last week, so we have an extra dough in the freezer. easy peasy. i'm hoping that this week, owen will be happy to try everything on the menu for the week. usually i have to do a little magic trick to get him to eat what we're having... or i just serve it to him a little differently. pizzas are easy, but pasta.. he's pretty picky about the sauce... meh. he's 3, there's only so much i can expect.. right?

Source: flickr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

but i do have a recipe to share that will make your kids happy (well if they're the cinnamon bun type of kid)... and you happy, 'cause there's no yeast, and no waiting for the dough to rise!
i have made these buns on christmas morning, they are that easy, and quick! the recipe is from the archives.. totally. it's one that my hubby and his twin sister used to make when they were littles.
and since it's been colder than normal for our summer.. seriously, the trees are already starting to change colours.. and also since i've organized myself in the kitchen so well, let's have a treat. this warm cinnamon-y goodness-of-a-bun-recipe will be good to your week.

2 cups flour
2 tbsp. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cold butter or margarine
1 cup milk

mix dry ingredients together. cut in butter until crumbly.
make a well and pour milk in. stir to make a soft dough.
turn onto slightly floured counter and knead 8 to 10 times. roll into a rectangle about 1/2" thick and 12" long.

your dough is done! now for the topping...
spread with butter. (about 1/3 cup)
mix and sprinkle onto your rectangle:
1 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins (optional)

i know it seems like a lot of sugar... but it's goood. really it is. if it's just too much, don't add all that sugar. no biggie.
roll lenthwise and cut into 12 slices. place cut side down into a greased muffin tin... or you could place them on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.. i've decided that i like the outcome more this way.
bake 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

see? easy peasy. you may glaze with icing after if you want.. we didn't. i put the raisins in because owen
l.o.v.e.s them! so he get's the raisins that the hubs picks out. haha roles reversed.

how is your week looking so far? are you a meal planner? what are the favourite meals in your family? would you be interested in a weekly meal plan share? (i'd show you my plan for the week every monday) leave a comment, i'd love to hear from you!

kinfolk is here!

about two weeks ago, i posted about kinfolk. well their magazine is now out! today is the day! it's sooo pretty!!

Source: kinfolkmag.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

it's definitely a fair sized mag though. 172 pages. but i find it to be something that's just nice to leaf through. the pictures are incredible, and the ideas behind entertainment and food are on par with how i feel, so i kind of connect to it.

Source: kinfolkmag.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

it's chalked full of ideas, reminders, mini articles, fab photos, and recipes! there are even several videos linked to it. my fave is for a recipe for ribboned asparagus salad. i mean, can you say yum?

ribboned asparagus salad from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.

i soo want to make it!
this is really such a beautiful magazine. i love it! and i just couldn't help but want to share it with you.

Source: kinfolkmag.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

please go, check it out. you can view the magazine completely online or even order a copy in print!
the team behind kinfolk have really done an incredible job. i love the pictures and videos of being in the canoe. it takes me back to my childhood summers of cottaging on the rideau river. (i know, lucky me!)

i really hope you take a peek at the magazine, and be sure to let them know how much you love it. i bet it would make them happy :)

here's wishing you a lovely weekend, full of summer ideas, and a chance to relax. are you going to be trying any new recipes this weekend? what are your plans over the next couple of days? i'd sure love to hear from you! leave me a comment and let's chat!

such a tease!

today is a rainy day. and i love love those days. they're cozy, and they smell nice, and they're slower paced. yep. love 'em. they're also excellent knitting days. don't you think so? i've always got lots on the go here, knitting wise, but i've been making great progress!

i'm still waiting on a proper photo shoot day, so today i'm just gonna tease you ;) this is an order i'm working on... it still needs buttons, and a label... it's one of 2 bsj's. (baby surprise jackets) by elizabeth zimmerman.  and as we all know, i'm a huge fan of her patterns.

i am loving these colours. very retro. i almost don't want to sell it. ;) but i suppose i could just make another. which i most undoubtedly will.  and then there's this:

yep! it's caramel! but this is all you get to see for now! i know. i'm a horrible tease. ;)

it's wonderful! it's cozy, soft, and really like a blanket wrapping me up in a hug. perfect attire for days like today ;)

Source: weheartit.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

 oh come on... you know there will be some great pics for you to see soon ;) honestly, i really want you to love it as much as i do! so don't be too frustrated with me being such a tease...

Source: etsy.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

do you like rainy days as much as i do? does it make you want to get your knit on? for those of you in the KAL how has your progress been coming along? i can't wait to hear about it! leave me a note, or better yet post a link to your progress! that way we can all share!