mni stripes

A few months ago I made this mini striped cardigan for S. It's the perfect project for using those leftover yarns, and the result is just too cute.

(S. wearing it at 5 months old)




Then last week I finally finished another version of this pattern, made as a gift for baby cousin F, who was born last May.



We had to make sure it would fit him this next winter, so here's S. modelling it too ... I think the size will be ok :)



Pattern: Little coffee bean cardigan, by Elizabeth Smith
Yarn: Sock yarn in various colors (used double)
Needles: 4.5 mm
Size: pink version: 6 months, blue version: 12 months

matching outfits

Last weekend S. was sick with gastroenteritis - which she later passed on to us, so this was not a fun week - and for obvious reasons we had to stay home. While she napped I decided to do something crafty for a change, since it's been too long since I used my sewing machine. She was in desperate need of some pants so I sewed these two in less than an hour. I didn't have a pattern, just traced one from a pair that she usually wears. And then because I had bought her a few plain t-shirts the day before I decided to turn them into matching outfits...

baby hoodie

no, it's not a mirage .. I actually made something recently which is quite an achievement. A couple of weeks ago it was warm enough that I thought S. was in need of a lighter jacket. I've been meaning to make the Baby-in-the-hood jacket from Anna Maria Horner's Handmade Beginnings book for a while now, and so this last weekend I decided to finally take out my sewing machine again.

I made the 6-9 months size which is a bit large on her now so I'm hoping it lasts until summer. The pattern is quite easy and I think I spent a total of 3 or 4 hours on it, and it turned out so nice I might just make another one next fall.

Here's the back:



Also it's reversible:



And some modelled shots .. S. was entranced by the fabric, so I think she won't mind wearing this for quite some time.

a set of softies

Hello there :) A new set of softies that were actually made as Christmas gifts, and although two of them are already in their new homes, I only remembered to post about them till I came across the photos again during the weekend.

I had forgotten how I love to make these softies, and it was nice to have the time to make them leisurely for a change.



(I've named them after their intended recipients, so from left to right: #42 Diogo, #43 Natalia and #44 Catarina)

shop update

A little break from the Iceland travel posts to let you know that new bookcovers and small notebook sleeves are available in the shop now.

I also added quite a few wrap around bookcovers, and these will probably be the last available in this model. In the future I'll be offering jacket bookcovers only, since in my opinion they're more practical anyway. In the meantime, I'm thinking about new projects and ideas, so I'm hoping to show you new stuff soon.

almost ready

Can you believe I didn't have enough bookcovers for myself ? I make so many, but rarely keep them. So I hastily made this one during last weekend, along with a matching pouch for my sunglasses. Arthur and George will be keeping me company during tonight's flight.

feira de junho

mais algumas capas e sleeves, para a feira do próximo sábado (já sabem que não estarei lá, mas encontram estas peças na banca da Winkiemoon)

Para a feira

Algumas capas e sleeves que irão estar disponíveis na feira de Artesanato Urbano do Parque da Cidade, no Porto, já neste sábado dia 17 de Maio (não vou estar lá, mas procurem na banca da minha amiga Winkiemoon)

Mais informações sobre a feira aqui

the burda dress

Last week's dress was finally finished, so here it is... It's a very simple design but I love it. I've come to the conclusion that I love this kind of pleated dresses, I just do. Remember this red dress from last summer ? It's one of my favorites, and although it's not clear from the photos it's also pleated at the waist.



The pattern is of the cover dress from Burda Tendances nr. 94 (Oct 07). There are actually a few variations on this pattern inside the magazine, my favorite being this one.I followed it precisely except I made it sleeveless. I did cut out the sleeves, but decided not to put them on just at the end (I did save the pieces, in case I change my mind later on). I used a very soft and somewhat thick jersey fabric, which I think also helped the perfect fit of this immensely.



I can now start thinking about some summer patterns for these fabrics. Last night I've borrowed a bunch of pattern magazines from my friend I. (the macaroons tasted as delicious as they look, by the way) so I think I know what will be keeping me busy this next weekend (that and start working on a new batch of bookcovers, which for those who have been asking will be the next shop update).

shop update

A couple of new fairytale pocket bags are available at the shop now, plus the first of the new pocket bags for the spring season (in linen)







I love these new bags, but Maggie doesn't seem too impressed by them ...





(thanks for all the nice comments about the Tilted Duster yesterday, they made my day. It is such a great pattern and I'm quite glad I inspired a few of you to make your own :)

wip

I finished knitting the remaining sleeve of my Tilted Duster last night, which is blocking as we speak, and I'm now ready to seam the sleeves. I have a feeling I'm going to need an extra dose of patience to do this, it's going to be my first attempt at seaming a set-in sleeve and I'm terribly afraid it's going to come out all wonky. I usually use mattress stitch for seaming my handknits, which works so well on side seams, but for sleeve caps I have no idea.

In the meantime I also finished the Scoop Neck Vest I had started in the beginning of winter, so I'll try to take some photos during the weekend.

And thank you all for the nice comments about my skirt on the last post. It really got me motivated to finish the dress I mentioned so I'm going to try and work on that soon. I got it out last night and it's now hanging on the studio so I won't forget. I've basted it so I could try it on and it fits perfectly, but as you can see, it's got a lot of pleats, which is probably the reason why I keep postponing to seam it.



On the other hand, here are some fabrics I purchased lately which I hope to turn into summer dresses. Now I just have to find the right patterns for them. Speaking of which, I got the latest Boden catalogue this week and I fell in love with yet another of their dresses, but none of the colors are right for me (and I'm not the biggest fan of polka dots anyway). Has anyone seen a pattern similar to this one anywhere ? If you have, please let me know, I think this would look really good in some linen I have in stash.

This weekend promises to be a relaxing one. There's a concert to attend, which A. is really excited about since it's one of his all time favorite bands, but apart from that I hope I can fit in a lot of crafting time and finish some orders, and maybe a couple of other things for a shop update next week (probably some bags). Have a great weekend :)

organising my circulars

Remember I once said I didn't have a good solution for storing my circular knitting needles ? Well, a few weeks ago my needle bag (a small necessaire where I would throw in all my circulars and other assorted needles) was such a tangled mess I couldn't find anything inside. And when I did, it was hell to untangle the needles I wanted. So I decided something had to be done. I went online and researched several needlecase designs, and I really liked this one by the wonderful people at purlbee, but unfortunately I couldn't find a suitable binder (although I'm still looking for one, and will eventually make that). So I opted for making a larger pocket version of the normal needlecase, and it actually doesn't work so bad. I can store all my circulars inside it (and I own quite a few) and quickly find the one I'm looking for, which was what I needed. And now I'm off to enjoy the weekend, which promises to be a sunny one for a change !

shop update

The first batch of notebook sleeves flew out of the shop so quickly I decided to make another one. There are more available here now





and here's a custom order, a taller version for the bigger moleskines and suitable for A5 notebooks as well