Yarn Along With Her

Once again, Small Things is featuring a Yarn Along so we can all show what we're knitting and reading. I've been obsessed with fun and chunky knits lately, so I'm currently working on this chunky lace cowl in a great raspberry color.

My neighbor brought over a birthday gift for me and I love it! I've had so much fun with cookbooks lately, and this one is no exception. Based on their blog of the same name Our Best Bites is a collection of easy foods with an emphasis on healthful ideas for a family meal together. Something I've been pretty passionate about lately.

What are you knitting and reading right now?

Blues Traveler

After waxing poetic about the beautiful shade of blue I was planning to paint my room for several months, I figured it was time to actually slap some paint up on the wall. It wasn't until my brother-in-law was visiting my house for the first time over Fourth of July, and politely commented on my 'decoration' in my bedroom that I had some serious motivation to get 'er done. Paint swatches are about as decorative as Tyvek wrap. Read: They're not.

I've been reading Young House Love and Our Humble A{Bowe}d a lot. A lot. YHL has some great video tutorials, one of them being on the art of cutting in. It was very helpful for the areas around the windows, and I still need to go back (probably isn't going to happen) and fill in the tiny gap in some places where the edger couldnt get quite close enough to the molding. But, the result is great, and I love the color just as much as I'd hoped I would.

Due to the amazing amount of natural light we get in our house, the color looks very different at each phase of the day. When I was done painting at 11pm, I started having second thoughts because it looked very masculine and almost a mallard green. With the wood trim, I had the sinking feeling I'd feel like I was in a billiards room instead of feeling reminiscent of tropical waters. Never fear, the morning sun shone in the morning and all was well. I still have to arrange photos and find a cool decorative accent for the bed wall. I'm also thinking of plug-in sconces for the bedside, instead of the teeny, tiny lamps (that I love, but are looking off-scale).

It was also a great opportunity to re-evaluate what's in the room. The only furniture I brought back in was our dresser, nightstands and bed. I figure the less flat surfaces we have, the less opportunity for clutter. I'm on the hunt for a great chair to serve as a knitting and reading nook, but it would be ideal if it were comfy enough to nurse in when the time comes again.

I love this wall sculpture for above the bed, but it would definitely be a splurge, so I need to decide if I lurve it, and not just like it.

So here we go; boring in beige to awesome in aqua in one evening. 

The dreaded cutting in!

When we get our king bed, the red skirt will be gone but for now it works, picking up the red in the curtains.

Love the fun pop of color in the nightstands. Oops! Forgot to put our pillows back on :)

Above the dresser will be a gallery wall of ocean vacations, surfing and some prints I've picked up along the way; all in crisp white frames.

When we get our bed, this is the bedding I'm getting (in natural or white), along with a simple white or natural fitted bedskirt.

...and plug in sconces like this with a lighter, or white shade

Any suggestions for the bedroom decor are welcome, so please leave a comment!

All Buttoned Up

I'm having fun with these chunky knit projects! Not only are they fairly instant gratification, taking just one evening to finish, but they're also super sassy and fun. And selling really well! My latest hat sold almost the moment I listed it on etsy, and I was requested to have the picture listed on ravelry as one of the featured photos for the pattern.

Want one of your own? You can purchase one on my etsy shop, and you get to choose from a neutral button, or one of the fun colors pictured.

She's No Slouch!

I am more than a little bit obsessed with poking around ravelry and looking for new patterns to add to my queue. I have several friends with babies due this winter, so a lot of my time has been spent looking for a special blanket or sweater that would be something different. It'll be awhile before I make another Serenity or Tree of Life, especially since I have four babies to create for in as many months. I needed a little break from tiny knits, so I busted out a stashed skein of Lion Brand Hometown USA to make this fun hat , designed by Midnight Knitter, that I've been eyeing for some time. I pretty much never knit with acrylic anymore, but this one isn't bad at all, and the fun color makes up for a lot.

Every once in awhile I stumble upon a pattern and it just screams someone's name. I have a friend from high school who I've reconnected with via Facebook, and she's still just as sassy and stylish as she was in high school. I remember this grey beret she had that I borrowed once, for what is now reflected upon as an embarrassingly long time, but that's just one of many things in high school I look back on with a cringe, so we'll move on.

Photo from pattern page c. Missa Hills/Midnight Knitter. I have to admit that part of my love for this pattern is the delicious yellow coffee mug she's holding, and her meticulously painted nails. Pretty soon I'll start taking the time to stage photos for my creations...allegedly.

Now that I know I love the pattern, I'll try it in a chunky wool or cashmere to see if I can get it to drape a little more softly, but for now, it's made in acrylic so it's ease of care will hopefully increase it's number of wears. In reading through other people's comments on their project pages there were a lot of complaints about this hat design, in that the band was incredibly tight and there was not enough slouch. It's not a rasta hat, and it's meant to be worn back on your head instead of down around your ears, so that may be where the problems were. I think the biggest thing is that some people weren't using a super bulky yarn; I made it according to pattern and it fit my noggin with ease, and will also be able to be worn beanie style if you want to pull it down further. I did one more repeat of the 2 round pattern so it has a touch more flop, but that's the only change I made.

With a simple k2, yo, ssk on one round followed by a round of yo, ssk, k2, this chunky slouch cap is a fun look. It's also something that now that I have the basic recipe (number of stitches for the band, height of the body, I can change the stitch pattern in the body to make it my own. For now, look for this cap on SallyHP Knits' etsy shop!

I ran my first 5k in almost two years this weekend and it was great! Click over to My Sole Sister to read all about it.