Featuring Studio Cherie and a Strange Visit to the Art Museum

Whew!  This past weekend was busy!  Friday night my company had an event at the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see a VanGogh exhibit.  The art was beautiful as you would expect.  What you wouldn't expect was what was going on in the atrium of the museum!  The Art Museum was anything but quiet.  There was a concert going on.  A loud cover band, people seated at tables for dinner, alcohol being served, the works!  The best part was the lead singer of the band.  A tall hairy man in a strapless hot pink gown, a blond wig and jewels dripping from his ears, throat and fingers singing beautifully and running around entertaining everyone.  It was the highlight of the evening and NOT what you would expect at a Museum of Art.  After that, the rest of the weekend seemed dull.  Saturday was a birthday party all day and Sunday was dinner at the in-laws.

So anyway....I'd like to introduce my featured store for today!  Studio Cherie is a sewing store on Etsy.  Cherie designs bags of all shapes and sizes and sells not only the bags, but the patterns, too!

For example, this weekender bag

This is a great combination of colors.  Bright and fun!

And these clutches are great.  They're beautiful as a bridesmaid gift or for the bride herself!

And I love this Kindle Fire cover.  This is a pattern to make your own cover.  Not only do you get the pattern, but you also receive a wooden block that is the shape of a Kindle to help you create the perfect case!  Not only that, when you purchase the pattern, you receive the rights to resell any cases that you make!  I love it.



All of the bags in Cherie's shop and all beautifully shaped and all seem very well made.  They make me want to break out my sewing machine!!

Anyway...

Happy Monday!

Finished Baby Blankets and a New Scarf!

Happy Tuesday morning!  The rain is gone, the sun is shining and I have some new finished items!

There are two new blankets listed in my shop!  I had posted about these last week.  I finished the purple blanket last Thursday and listed both this morning!

So they're both done...

And I finished this scarf!  This was fun to make and really easy!

I just need to cut the end of the yarn and sew it in, and it will be ready to wear!  The yarn is soft and it has sequins through it to add a little sparkle!  I really like how this one came out.  I love the big ruffle!  Here's a close-up.

I just have to figure out what to wear it with....

I'm still working on the super secret project!  It should be done soon, but I still can't post what it is until after the first weekend in May!

Turquoise Etsy Treasury as a Monday Feature

Happy Monday!  How was your weekend?  It was a rainy one, here!  But that's ok...we needed it.  I had planned on working on the garden, but that didn't happen.  I'm still deciding on what I want to plant.  I usually get a Roma tomato plant, cucumbers, beans and peppers.  The peppers in the past really haven't been worth the effort.  I've only gotten two or three peppers from each plant and only at the very end of the season.  I was thinking of putting the peppers in the upside down planter this year.  That would give me more room for something else in the garden.  We'll see!

Today's feature is not one store, but many!  I put together a collection on Etsy of all turquoise colored items and the collection is beautiful if I do say so myself!  Here are a few examples

I love this gorgeous necklace.  I'm seriously thinking of buying this for myself.

I love that leaf detail on the side and how it loops around the chain, but it still hangs freely.

I also love this yarn bowl.

I think yarn bowls are so cool.  They are works of art themselves, but they're also functional!  You place the ball of yarn in the bowl and the yarn feeds thru a hole in the bowl.  So the yarn is free to roll around and unravel, but it still stays put and doesn't get tangled!  This one is beutiful, too.

And this little bird is just so darn cute.  That's all I have to say.

Yay!  This color makes me happy.  :)

Mirabell Free Knit Tee Pattern for Free Pattern Friday!

It's another Free Pattern Friday!  Today's free pattern comes from DROPS Designs.  I love these designs.  There are so many that I find that I want to make and they keep coming out with new ones!  They create patterns for babies, adults, your home and even your pets!

I thought now that we are getting into warmer weather (it was 90 degrees in Pennsylvania on Monday!), I would give you a lightweight knit for warmer months.

This is a great knit tee!  It has a nice scoop neck, cap sleeves and is slightly fitted!  This is a little pattern named Mirabell.  :)

This would be so cute with a pair of capri pants and sandles.  If it's knit in a nice cotton, it would be perfect for a hot summer day!  I love the shape of the sweater and the little bit of lace detail around the neck is just enough to add a nice touch.

Love it!

I'm still working on the super secret project.  I hope to get more of it completed this weekend.  It has to be completed by May 5.  I'm pretty sure that I will be done way before that, though.  But....you will just have to wait until after May 5 for the reveal!!

Secret Project Yarn Revealed!

Here's just a quick post.  Not a whole lot of crafting content right now.  I've started working on a super secret project that will be revealed in a few weeks.  But here's a hint.

The green looks a little lighter in the picture than it actually is...  I love these colors together.  I wasn't sure how I would like them, but now that I'm working on them together, I love it!  The green combines really well with the two blues.  Once this super secret project is done, I may have to use these same colors again for a blanket either to sell or for my little man or both!  Yay!!!

Happy Wednesday!

Featured store - Lucky Sheep Knitter Bags

It's Monday again!  The weekend always goes so fast.  This one wasn't as crazy as Easter weekend, but it was still busy.  It was my niece's third birthday.  Happy birthday, Bella!

So it's Monday, and it's time for a new featured store.  Today's featured store is Lucky Sheep Knitter Bags.  I heart these bags.  I don't just heart them, I drool over them.  There are bags in all shapes and sizes and all are designed for the knitter.  There are big bags for your sweater and afghan projects and small bags for your socks.  There are needle bags and yarn bags and tote bags galore!  Each bag has a ton of compartments, too, to keep everything organized.  Not only that, but each bag is handmade from natural linen in great patterns (my favorite is the sheep, of course).

Take this bag for example...

It's a nice size bag that will hold a larger project.  It's 14x8.5x4 and would easily hold a few balls of yarn plus a lighter weight sweater project.  I love the drawstring for easy accessability.

Or there's this bag...

This is a BIG bag for those big projects.  This bag is 18.5x12.5x6.  As I said.  It's BIG!

And of course I love this...

Perfect for organizing knitting needles and crochet hooks.  It unfolds and everything fits inside!

These bags are so fun and I'm sure any knitter or crocheter would love to get one of these!

Well...Happy Monday!

Free Pattern Friday - Crochet Baby Blanket

Today's free pattern for Free Pattern Friday is a Speed Hook Baby Blanket from Lion Brand Yarns.  You may have to join the website to view the pattern, but I've never had a problem with them.  You can opt out of the emails if you would like.  There are so many free patterns on their website that I have already used or saved as a favorite that joining was a no brainer for me!

This blanket is just so darn easy, but it looks great!  It's made with a giant crochet hook (and I mean giant.  It's the width of a Magic Marker, maybe bigger) and three strands of yarn held together.  It crochets up fast and is so cozy when it's done!  The blanket in the picture is made with a cotton blend yarn, but this could be made with any type of yarn.  You could even use three different types of yarn held together to create a completely different look!

What's great about this type of pattern is that you could easily make it any size that you wanted.  You just have to change the number of chains that you start with to make it wider or add rows to make it longer.  I'm thinking that I'll have to make a few of these to build up my inventory.  With using three strands of yarn at a time, there are infinate color combinations that could be used.  Just changing one color would completely change the look of a blanket.  I'm excited to try it!  I'll have to make them and post the pictures.  Are there any color combos that you'd like to see?

Happy Friday!!!

A few new knit baby blankets!

So...what have I been creating lately?  I've been on a blanket kick lately.  I had to make so many scarves this winter that I'm tired of them!  Now don't get me wrong, I love making scarves for orders that have come in, but it's always the same pattern.  So I've had a little time lately to create something different.

First, I finished this blanket.  I absolutely love this yarn.  It's so fuzzy and soft.  When it's knit up, it feels just like a soft fleece blanket.  I was going to list this on my website, but I think that this one is going to be saved for an upcoming baby shower.  I'll just have to make another one to put up for sale.  I don't think that I could ever get tired of using this yarn, though.  It's just so comfy!

Here's a close up.  Even this doesn't show how soft and cozy this blanket is.

The one that I'm knitting now is almost finished.  Just a few more rows to go.

I love how this is turning out.  The stripes add a nice change to the basic pattern and I love how the variegated yarn looks in the ripples.  It's turning out to be a nice size, too.  It would be a great blanket that a little one could use even thru the toddler years!  Here is a close up.

I might have to make more stiped blankets with this pattern.  Maybe blue and brown or pink and brown or shades of gray.  Any ideas?

Happy Tuesday!

Easter and featuring Wallaby Bag Co

There was a good time had by all on Easter this year.  Little man looked adorable in his sweater vest.

Lots of family and good food.  It was a good day.  But...the weekend was very busy, and there was no knitting to speak of.

So...today would be a good day to spotlight an Etsy shop.

Today I'll look at one of my favorites.  This is Wallaby Bag Co.  They make covers for IPads, IPods and Kindles.  I love the fabric that they find to make all of their bags.  For example, this one.

I love this!  Now, I have not yet bought one of these cases.  Notice I say yet.  I can't wait to get my hands on one.  They look really well made and look like they protect your electronics really well.

And there's this one.  This fabric is great!  This is a case that is so unique I know that I would always be asked where I got it.

There's also this one.  I've been looking for a case for my Kindle for a while, now, and I think this may be it...

It's padded, scotch-guarded, made to order AND it's CHEAPER than what I would buy in the store!  Love it.

Please let me know if you have bought from them or if I have inspired you to buy from them in the future.

Now...on to something else.

Happy Monday!

Free Pattern Friday with a Simple Shrug

Free pattern Friday!  Why Friday?  It's as good a day as any!  Plus, if you're looking for a project to start over the weekend, maybe this will help!

Today's free pattern is the Simple Shrug from Knit 1 LA. 

I have this saved in my favorites on Ravelry because I can't wait for a time to make it for myself! This would be great now that we're heading into Spring and Summer (even though the Winter really wasn't all that Wintery). It's just that little something to add for a cool evening on the beach or a walk on a shaded walking trail.  Plus, it's a large knit, so it should be easy to finish fast and who doesn't love instant gratification!

If you do knit this, let me know how it goes!  And, when I knit mine, I'll certainly post pictures!!!

Happy knitting and have a great weekend!!!

New and great things to come!

Wow! It's been a while since I posted last and a lot has changed! The baby is nine and a half months old, I have a new job and a new outlook on life! There are great things to come! What great things, do you ask? Well......

Free patterns! Free, you say? Yes, free. I'd like to start putting up some of my older designs for everyone to share!

Plus, I always seem to be coming up with new ideas for designs, but when it comes time to actually start a new project, I forget what my idea was! Here, I can type my ideas so that I have them in the future, but my readers can also submit their thoughts on my ideas. No stealing!

Maybe once a week, I'd like to review another handmade shop online. Maybe review isn't the right word. Spotlight is more like it. I'll spotlight a shop that I have found where the products are beautiful or unique or that I just plain like it.

Along with submitting my own free patterns, I'd also like to spotlight (I love that word now!) other free patterns that can be found on the web. These may be patterns that I have used in the past or patterns that I want to use in the future or patterns that I may never make that are just darn cool.

Great things!!!

Any ideas that you would like to share with me? Any shops that you would like me to feature? Any patterns that you would like to submit? Let me know!!!!

I can't wait to start this new adventure!

Happy crafting!!