teaser for spring...

today is a bit of a tease... i'm all ready to be in march.... and i have to wait one more day. lol. but it's all good.

Source: ruffledblog.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

today i'm stuck down memory lane. i was very lucky to grow up on a hobby farm. and right now with spring just around the corner, flowers beginning to bloom (out here, yes.. they are)... i'm feeling even more nostalgic.

Source: beautiful-portals.tumblr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

we didn't do any farm work really. we had the big vegetable garden though, and a huge laundry line, even a split-rail fence. (love that).... and a lot of space. i miss it very much...

Source: ittybittyblog.canalblog.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

i was one of those kids who learned to drive on a tractor. we really only used our tractor to mow the fields... (where we'd have our huge bonfires).
we also only heated by wood. so chopping wood, and stacking it were big jobs. at one point i even knew what kind of tree the logs would be from just at a glance, and a decent idea of how they would burn. and my mom would always have a cinnamon, or orange type potporri bubbling on the woodstove...

Source: plowhearth.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

i even remember one year our family decided to try to make our own apple cider. we rented a very old cider press and it was freezing out! it was october.. but i'm sure it started snowing. we had to pound the apples into the press (which was so loud as it ran by generator) one by one, strain the pulp, boil the jugs,oh goodness what a memory! haha. we made so much apple cider! of course, we must have complained a lot because every year after that we just bought the apples and sent them off to a cider-press to have them made. ha. then we'd have warm, cinnamon-y apple cider all year long. and we'd sip it by the woodstove, while our feet and hands would thaw out.

Source: Uploaded by user via Rebecca on Pinterest

i've been living in cities now for over a decade... but i really feel like i'm a country girl at heart. and you know, one day..... i know i'll have my dream home out in the country. it won't be fancy or anything. but we'll have space. it will be quiet. i'll have my laundry line... and my vegetable garden. i've asked for a sheep... but so far i'm not getting very far with that. ha.
i can still smell the sheets when they would come off the line... really, you sleep much better when you're wrapped in bedsheets that have been dried outside, in the sweet smelling air.

Source: google.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

this definitely puts me in the mood for spring.  i'll even request a sunroom, where my gals can come and sew to their hearts content. and we'll knit by the fire.
...one day... and until then, i'll be plotting my balcony garden, and trying to air dry clothes as much as i can in the small space i do have... as for the woodstove well we'll just have to get camping :) xo

are you getting excited for spring? do you have any memories that you hope to one day relive? what things are you most looking forward to for the spring? i'd love to hear about it! come chat. ... i'll pretend to put another log on the fire.... and we'll sip our coffee. xo

cable buzz

i really should be more awake right now. i'm already half way through my second cup of coffee... but i still feel very sleepy ;) but i have an excellent reason. here's why. i finally started watching "downton abbey" last night. my friends really weren't kidding when they warned me that i couldn't watch just one episode. ha. i only watched two...(i did get a bunch of knitting done during that time too... so it's all good!) .... but then i had to read more of the "hunger games". i have to hurry up and finish that series... so that brought me to almost "too late to be up"... ;)    ...que more coffee...

Source: tumblr.com via Bonnie on Pinterest

and then my little guy had a nightmare, and so i let him sleep with me last night. always when the hubs has to go away for work (for several days at a time), things go a little off of our normal schedule. and i tend to let a couple of things slide. so last night i let him sleep with me. and man, for  a little guy, he can sure be a bed hog! ha! i was kicked most of the night. hahahaha. oh well. at least he's refreshed and ready to tackle the day with luster! (awesome)

Source: nataliedee.com via Micci on Pinterest

lol i love that pic!

aaand so i thought i'd just start out the day with something i really like... and i thought i'd share it with you... right now, it's cables... sooo gorgeous, and fluffy, and intricate, i just like them...
here's a few of my faves:

Source: blog.berroco.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Source: ravelry.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Source: dressdesigndecor.blogspot.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Source: snorkaknits.blogspot.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Source: us.asos.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Source: tumblr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

yeah.. now my day has started out right ;) of course i have more faves... but i think this is enough for today, yes?
i would love to snuggle up in a cabled sweater or huge socks, and huddle around a campfire right now. so awesome! but realistically, it is february.. so i'll have to be a little more patient ;)

do you have a favourite thing to share? something that you're just "digging" lately? do you also share my pain of purposely going to bed far too late because things like "downton abbey" and the "hunger games" call to you? do share! i'm about to have my third cup of coffee now. haha. i'll make more coffee for you! xo

"star-1"

the weekend was a blast. soo fun. and crafty! our knit night was held at a pub this week. oh goodness, did we ever have fun. hahah. many laughs were had, and i'm even surprised at  the amount of knitting that did happen! we were out until the wee hours of the morning. hahaa. and then we're so hard-core.. the next day we had our modern-sewing meetup. so fun!

i bought myself a sewing machine about two and a half years ago. but i'm not a very comfortable sewer. however, i'm learning and i'm eager to learn more :)

meet... "star-1" i honestly don't have any idea where he gets these names... but owen has a special thing for stars i suppose. seriously. lol.

i have stuck with safe for this project. not a whole lot of shaping.. but i think that's what makes him so uber cute! i have some anna maria horner that i thought would be perfect for this project. it's from the folksy flannel collection. and it's oh-so-soft.

this is my little own design. and trust me, he's verrry huggable. a little pillow monster is just the right addition to a reading nook for my 4 year old. (or so i am envisioning.) i thought it would be a great idea to start collecting little projects that i could use as baby gifts or shower pressies or something.. but owen is very quick to claim them. hrmmmm.....  i kind of just went with it as i was sewing. with lots of tips from my sewing pals.. he came together pretty quickly. a little embroidering, buttons, and stuffing... and voila! he's not perfect. but that's what makes him so cute. i tried out my first invisible seam. (yes. first!)
 (and i totally had not intended for the flowers to line up. so that's why they look crooked. ha).

this is why our modern sewing group is a big thing for me! i am learning a lot, and i have very patient friends ;) it's mostly a lot of our knit night gals, plus some other fab. sewers. we get together once a month. and it's really the perfect amount of time for us to get some sewing done without any big interruptions.

i have a goal though. i want to sew a garment for me. for spring and summer... this year..... the idea of exact measurements is a little scary for me, because i just always think i'll screw it up. haha. but as with any new craft, i need to practice, and push myself. i do have a dress in mind... but i'm still thinking on it. so i'll let ya know.. eventually ;)

as i went searching for "star-1" to take a few pictures, i realized owen has himself a cute little posse of handmade stuffies....

these have all accumulated over the years.. but i have to say, i love that they are well loved and played with.
and just in case you're wondering... the projects from left to right are:
a. monster (free pattern found here on tip junkie)
b. monster pillow (my little design)
c. "collect-star" (pattern: sheldon from knitty) more pics here
d. "socktopus" (free pattern here from knitty)
e.  "muno" (pattern by michelle vess found here on ravelry)
f.  "robot" (pattern: louie the lovebot by rebecca danger)
g. "star" (pattern: crochet amigurumi rudy. from michaels.com)

i tried searching for the rudy pattern, but it seems to be no longer available. also i realize there is one more:

this is kate. pattern found here on knitty. so yes. we have quite a collection of stuffies here ;) haha...
but back to the sewing... i know i can do it... but i'm a wee bit scared....
as soon as i begin tackling the project though, i'll let ya know!

thank goodness for our modern sewing meet-ups!


how was your weekend? did you have a blast? what kind of crafting did you get up to? i'd love to hear about it! do you dabble in both sewing and yarn-y crafts? do you prefer one over the other? how do you find the balance? the coffee is on, and i'm ready to chat! xo

"collect-star" aka "star-collect"

i'm so happy to discover that it's friday already! who would have thought the week would fly by so quickly! this marks week one for the hubs to be gone to sea. he'll come home on the weekends, so that helps break it up. we have 3 more to go.  but we've been keeping ourselves very busy. the knitting front has been good! very good.... 
in fact, i'd like you to meet "collect-star" ...or "star-collect" depending on what my 4 year old feels like calling him...

owen was a little jealous that mommy was getting such beautiful yarn and was making a special project for herself. not to mention he just had to say good bye to the cutest little sheep ever.... (you'll have to scroll down a couple of pics to see it)
he very politely and very firmly requested a project for him. heehee.. what a cute little guy. so of course, i obliged.

i love that he's already getting fuzzy with cuddles, play, and snuggles...i honestly have no idea where he comes up with the names.. but "star" being in the name seems to be special to him. a long time ago, i crocheted him a cute little toy... whom he promptly named "star".

i think he might have been 2? strange...
nevertheless... i love him! he was a really fun project!
the deets?

the pattern is "sheldon" by ruth homrighaus.
you may have seen it around, as it's been around since 2006... and i think i've had this in my que since then. i even had the pattern printed out a few years back....
i used 3.5mm needles, and just scrap yarn from my stash. the green and blue i think are vanna's choice, and the orange i think is patons... but i can't remember if it's decor or classic wool... don't quote me on it though ;)

honestly, i had delayed in knitting this up, because i thought it was going to be a lot more difficult than it was.
for a toy, i think this pattern was very straight-forward. no guess work. and i learned a few new techniques! (always a bonus). i expected him to be much smaller (i don't know why) but i think he's the perfect size. and certainly helped to eat up some stash yarn.
i most certainly want to make more.
i used buttons instead of safety eyes, as they are near impossible to find here. if i were to knit this for a newborn though, i'd probably just embroider the eyes.

and the best part? i just discovered that sheldon likes to play dress-up, and there are patterns available to make dress-up shells of a lion, sheep, bumblebee or a bat!  how awesome is that! so far i'm just sticking with the turtle shell though, because i looove it. hee hee

as for the colour choices? that would be all owen. he really does have an eye for colour i think! and he felt like such a helper. picking the colours (and having every say on that ) as well as stuffing the legs.
already "collect-star" is loved to bits. there was much consideration made when i asked to borrow him for photographs. hahah.
the best toys are the ones that are always played with. for sure.

it looks to be a very wet day today. and this mama is super excited to have her hubby home... as well as going out to knit night! the girls and i decided to bring it to a pub this week. i'm sure it will be a blast! and so that means a boys night tomorrow night. owen and i will be creating a sign saying "boys night! no girls allowed" covered with dump trucks and spiderman stickers. can you tell he's super excited to have his daddy home? bbq chips and the wii are also requested for that night.... and i'm totally fine with that, so long as i get to be with my girls, and knit!  we're also going to be meeting up the following day for the modern-sewing meet-up! and i have still yet to find a pattern to sew. help!
there will be much knitting, and cuddling, and crafting this weekend for me that's for sure!


how about you? what do you have planned for this weekend? here's wishing you a weekend full of laughter, friends, crafting, and cozy cups of tea. i'd love to hear what you're up to! come chat! xo

i've chosen a colour!

choosing colours are always overwhelming for me. i don't know why that is.. but i do know that i totally appreciate all of your input on the colour for my new georgia cardigan.

Source: magpiepatterns.com via Lisa on Pinterest

i am so excited to cast this one on!
in my last post about it, i was choosing between cayenne and ginger. and then i discovered that i also could use oxblood. as there was enough yardage of that one too..

so then i put out a shout out for help on the facebook page as well.. and what do you know, there was a definite favourite....
and so, without further ado... the winning colour is...

i don't usually knit in brighter colours. but with sweet georgia yarn at my fingertips, and her colour selection.. how could i not!?
i had a very wonderful helper while trying my hand at the swift and ball winder. owen really thought it was the bees knees...  yes. wouldn't you know, i always wind my skeins by hand...

i clearly would be forever knitting up this cardi if that were the case. hahah. with a preschooler (and hyper one at that) and a kitty.. these babies would never get wound!

knitting with sweet georgia yarn is such a treat for me! especially a sweater's worth! this will be by far my most luxurious cardi. i've definitely worked hard for it... and i'm using up some gift certificates. all of my sample knitting is a huge help towards this purchase.
and really, i can't think of a better pattern to knit this to. weee!

and now i've got my little preschooler wondering why i'm not working on his project right now. a new stuffie for him...which i'll probably be able to show you very soon!!!! and so i need to get a knittin'. and a swatchin'! (when he's not looking). haha.

what kind of things do you have on the go? any fave crafting going on? what yarn would be a big treat for your hands to work with? anything you're coveting? i'd love to hear about it! come chat... coffee's on, and piping hot. xo

winners! and a little baa :)

i bet you've been waiting on pins and needles... haven't you? we've got winners for our "warm up to winter" kal! wahooo! but you'll have to head on over to luvinthemommyhood to see if you're one of them! and the prizes? oh my! they're pretty wicked awesome.

Source: community.thenest.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

i've really had so much fun with this kal. and in watching all of you lovely ladies knit up a storm! i love how many things some of you knit! amazing! truly inspirational! honestly, i can't wait for the next kal! soo soo exciting!

and don't you worry.. we'll be letting you know soon enough ;)
in the meantime.. i have a little friend here who's pretty shy about it.. but wanted to say hi.

hee hee... i'm going to be an auntie again... and we had to send these off quick as a wink, so my sister would have them for the newborn photo shoot. we're excited! we don't know if we'll have a niece or nephew.. but he/she will rock the little sac and hat. haha. obvs i'll show better pics once they're done;) and of course the little lamb just had to go along for the ride.  ;)

the pattern is "lamb" by susan b. anderson. and this is the third time i've knit this up! honestly, it's such a sweet little pattern. you do need to be comfortable with dpns.. but toys, or "stuffies" as we call them are a great way to use up scrap yarn. susan has a lot of toy patterns published. she certainly has a knack for them, and they're all adorable! i totally recommend her patterns.  owen was sad to see lamb go... and promptly picked out a pattern he wants me to knit up for him. i cast on last night, and hopefully most of his stuffie will be done today!
also, toys are a great way to break up the bigger projects on the needles :)

what's been on your needles these days? any little projects you like to tackle in between the bigger ones? what are your faves? it's super windy and rainy out today, so there's a lot of knittin' going on. come and chat! i'd love your company. xo

persistence pays off... right?

i know that many of us already know this.. but  the best things sometimes take the hardest work. working  really hard for something produces incredible results...

Source: qu114.info via Kristen on Pinterest

most of the time....  and i am reminded of it today, when i stumbled upon a friend's blog... flutterflutter.
i've been feeling a little bit frustrated.. because i'm having a hard time achieving the right picture. i very honestly would much rather cast on for another project then set down my needles to snap some groovy pictures. that being said.. i really want gorgeous pictures of my work. i do work hard on the knitting, and crochet.. baking bread.. all of that good stuff... so i should work just as hard to show it to you in the way i want it to be seen.

Source: laurawinslowphotography.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

i have a lot of respect for photographers! it's hard! finding the right lighting, the right angles... the perfect setting to capture texture, or expression...   i find it very difficult, anyways... but i'll keep working at it.... because i don't want to just show you any photo of my work, i want you to see what i see.. and why i love the process soo much..... and  i promise to have something to show you soon. :)

but in the meantime.. i'd love to show you a video that i saw on rosa's blog today.  rosa, the force behind flutterflutter has some very inspiring posts, and you should check her out. today's is no exception. and i just have to share this video.... and with my background in music, i just love it that much more!
what helps you to keep on going. to get what you know you can achieve if you just keep working hard...? i'd really love to hear about it! xo

breathe deep

...i think it's safe to say that we're all really anticipating spring. don't you think so?

Source: heathersthompson.typepad.com via Mary on Pinterest

it's been  a strange winter for me. and i'm more than ready to breathe fresh spring air, and to start looking for florals. :)

Source: dosfamily.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

heck, just to reach for a handknit, instead of a jacket... now that will be awesome!
i always thought that the fall was my ultimate favourite time of year... but now i'm not so sure. i loove the fall, definitely... but i'm loving the springtime more and more... hey, winter and summer aren't so bad either... buuut.. yeah, let's not talk winter today, ok?

spring is super great for being inspired for things to grow and being outside and stuff... but what about those woolens? i mean they can't be just for winter.. can they? i say no! ...clearly!

Source: google.nl via Rebecca on Pinterest

 do you remember this?

i crocheted this baby up last year for a class at the cloth castle. the pattern is based on the summer garden granny square by attic24. and you can read more about it here if you'd like to.

 and ummmm did you see this cotton cowl?

Source: purlbee.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

yah. pretty cute. this is the striped cotton cowl, from the purlbee.. and i think it's fairly awesome.

so you see? lots of very exciting things to look forward to this spring! and i'm totally planning on getting my hands dirty with some balcony gardening... as soon as i figure out what i'm doing ;)

 how about you? are you looking forward to spring? what big plans do you have for the change of seasons? what's in your que? i'm all ears, and ready to plan with you! xo

ridiculously happy

Source: theswellsideofthepillow.tumblr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

i am one happy girl today! honestly... not much can top this...

Source: molliemakes.themakingspot.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

i can not tell you how excited i am to tell you this! i , along with shannon from luvinthemommyhood have a page in the 11th issue of mollie makes magazine!!!  it wasn't too long ago now, when shannon got the email that molly makes wanted to use her photo in their newest edition of the mag.

you remember this tutorial, right? this is from when i was invited to be a part of versus. and i designed the jardain coaster pattern just for the occasion. and thanks to shannon's incredible photography skills... this pic has been scooped up!! for a full page!!! yippeee shannon!

when i started this little blog, i didn't know what to expect... well i did know not to expect things to come quickly. but i certainly started this blog with dreams in mind. you all know how much i love crafting... i just really think it's part of who we are. that we as humans need to craft. from woodworking, to gardening, farming to bread-baking, and knitting... and the list goes on...
so how awesome is it that this amazing crafting magazine wants to chat about  one of my tutorials! wahoooo!

the insert says

 "When Rebecca of inanook.blogspot fame was invited by Shannon Cook to share her crochet love on the Versus blog (versusmag.blogspot.com), she revealed how to make these super spiralled Jardain coasters with pretty petals. All you need is a little bit of yarn and a little bit of time and a whole set will be yours! Find out more about Shannon and her inspirations at luvinthemommyhood.com"

this is big people! and it puts the biggest smile on my face. want to know more? mollie makes is an inspirational crafting magazine, also dubbed as "the making spot"  that is based in the UK. this particular issue hit shops in the UK on thursday. and i gotta tell you, i've got to get my hands on a copy!

this sweet magazine is only coming up to it's first birthday! and really it's such a beautiful collection!
make sure to head on over to mollie makes and have a big peek! they have a facebook page too.
if you want to get your hands on a hard copy in

Canada

Coles, Chapters

USA

Barnes & Noble, JoAnns

i know you can also get digital copies as well, and their site has all of the info. 

i can't tell you how excited i am about this. it makes me so happy :) i'm so pleased everyone has had such a wonderful response to the jardain coasters! what an inspiration from you and encouragement, to try my hand at some more crochet goodies for you! xo

a big thank you to mollie makes for making this girl ridiculously excited , my face will hurt from smiling, almost as much as on my wedding day! and to you :) for loving to create! xoxoxox

sweater obsessed

i have to say..i 'm noticing a lot of sweater love in the world of pinterest lately. that's probably because i follow a lot of knitting boards... but that being said.. there's still a lot of sweater love going around... have you noticed that too?
a little while back, i fell  in love with this sweater.... i'm sure you remember, because i only couldn't stop talking about it...
but i've held restraint.. and haven't bought the yarn for it... yet. next group order though. i totally am...
and then i've been thinking so so much about this sweater lately...

Source: ravelry.com via Heather on Pinterest

 it's georgia. by jane richmond. and i want to knit it soo bad. in sweet georgia yarn too. and i just might... the cloth castle has a selection of tough love sock that i'm oohing and aaahhing over. and i'm down to two colours. i could use your help :)

i got these pics from the sweet georgia website...  (incase you're wondering). and the one on the left is cayenne... this is the colour that jane is wearing in her pic. but then i'm also loving ginger.
what do you think?
of course, i'm also in love with audrey. and i'm torn, because i want to knit them all up.
and i just need more time in my day to sit and knit.
tell me, i'm not the only one with this predicament. ok?

maybe it's the damp weather that's got me itching to knit sweaters like it's nobody's business, i don't know... but i'm clearly obsessed today. so while i think and ponder, and get advice from you... i'll work on my classic raglan pullover... in this yarn..

hrmmm maybe i have a yellow and orange thing going on? perhaps i should think of a different colour? honestly though, choosing colours has always been overwhelming for me... help!

alright. i'll make more coffee for you... as well as popcorn. because, that's the kind of day we are going to have. xo

warm up to winter kal time!

i have to be honest with you, i'm a little sad that the "warm up to winter" kal is coming to a close! that went by fast! you have been sooo productive! and so inspiring! i know both shannon and i have looooved seeing how chatty and wonderful you've all been throughout this kal! wahoo!!! well done!
i have to say i'm pretty pleased that i knit 2 pairs of mitts! (and that's like 4 things, when you really think about it). yes i did say that right... two pairs!
you remember these, right?

 but in case you didn't.. this is "red is best" by one of my besties, jane richmond. i've honestly been wearing them every day since i've bound off for these babies. they are so warm, and well perfect! haha. i really love them!
well when my hubby saw them, he liked them... a lot...  so of course, i had to knit him a pair as well!  and of course, jane has written a pattern perfect for men too!
wanna see?

these are "quick mittens for men" and let me tell you, they are uber quick! they literally take no time at all. my hubs has kind of smaller hands. (it's cute!) so i downsized the needle to a 5.0mm... but i had to compensate for that by knitting more rounds in the flip top part of the mitten... it worked out perfectly...as you can see ;)

he loves them! and i do too! they fit him just like a ... mitten.. haha. honestly though! he's done the whole "shake" test to make sure it doesn't fly off his hand in case he were to spontaneously jazz hands it up somewhere... (i guess you never know).... and they stayed on.  and now we can go out in style! xo

i knit these in the patons shetland chunky. and it's gotta be one of the squishiest yarns i've worked with! love it. and there are still lots of leftovers. these really are the perfect mitts. and if you're looking for a last minute gift for any day... well look no further! honestly, keep these babies in mind.

oh and just because he's the cutest little thing ever...

 we love this guy to bits. honestly.

but hang on.. did you know we've got prizes for you lovelies?!? to find out what they are, you have to head on over to luvinthemommyhood. she's got all of the deets there. make sure you check it out, because prizes are always awesome. and be sure you enter! you have until sunday, febuary 19th. midnight pacific time to enter.. so there is still time!

warm up to winter knit along sign up

shannon and i have really enjoyed hosting this kal! you are all so very inspiring, and just plain awesome! i mean, you did see shannon's post on all of your gorgeous work, right? ah.mazing! the next kal will be here before you know it! but we've got a pressie planned for you first. how excited are you now?

already i'm seriously looking forward to the next kal. for realz. i got a new coffee maker, and it brews some mighty fine coffee... i'm not just sayin' that though. it's true. and i've got a pot here, so come on. grab your knitting, your comfy  slippers, and let's get chatting! what do you think the next kal will be about? xo