made with love and yarn
I’ve been a neglectful blogger, and 4 new patterns have come out since we last spoke! I’ve been busy trying to balance my time between this work that I need to do, and enjoying some time with my 4 and 6 year old daughters, as…
When your handknit loving 3-year-old asks you to knit her a sweater, how can you say no? My daughter V spotted some dark blue Berroco Remix in my tiny stash and requested a “blue sweater with a little bit of buttons”, so I thought it’d…
Comment #13, Jennifer was the winner!
We’re always looking to make small changes to become more environmentally friendly around here. Things like metal straws, reusable snack bags, and adding a curbside compost service are just some of the small changes we’ve made.
This year, I’m ditching soaps and shampoos in all those plastic bottles, and switching to bar soaps and shampoos instead. I’m going to dip my toe in soapmaking this summer and trying to scavenge as many supplies as possible from my local Buy Nothing group (you should check to see if there’s 1 in your area, as we use it to pass along things we no longer need, too). I’m planning to knit myself some reusable swiffer covers this month (you can find both knit and crochet versions on Ravelry). We’re also trying to buy more bulk items, so we can refill jars instead of throwing out more plastic bags. Basically, my husband and I want to create less trash, and rely less on plastic this year.
Last year we started using some beeswax food wrap instead of plastic wrap, and though I had fun making some from my fabric scraps with just beeswax, they didn’t cling to bowls the way I wanted them to, so we used them mainly for sandwiches. Leave it to my crafty local mama-friend Michelle, who perfected the art of the beeswax wrap, by adding tree resin and Jojoba oil. I was able to keep my Quiche covered in the fridge without the wrap coming loose! Perfection!
She’s turned her wraps into a lovely new online shop, and as fellow mother who runs a crafty business, I am so excited for her! Michelle was sweet enough to share a few (in my favorite print, Farmer’s Market) with me. Instead of keeping them all to myself, I’m giving a medium Z Wrap (perfect for taking your sandwich to work or school) away to one lucky commenter (I’ll ship anywhere in the world). Share a small change you’ve made, or would like to make, in the comments. I’ll choose a winner using a random number generator on Sunday, January 21st! Good luck!
Ever have one of those skeins of yarn that is just so beautiful, that you agonize over what to make with it? This yarn, Fibre Co Cumbria, is a lovely 90% wool, 10% mohair, and my absolute favorite shade of yellow that goes perfectly with…
I’ve released another new hat pattern! Good Tidings is another adult-sized colorwork hat knit in 2 colors of Malabrigo Rios. You can take 50% off this pattern, and any other in my Ravelry store, by using the code NEW at checkout. This code will work…
My newest knitting pattern is up on Ravelry and it’s 50% off until December 4th. Winter Blooms uses 2 colors of beautiful Malabrigo Rios, using under 1/2 a skein of each before the pom pom. I used the blue pom pom maker from this set to make my giant pom. (disclaimer: I use amazon affiliate links to help cover the monthly cost of my website, but only link to items I have actually used and would recommend. Thanks for understanding!) 
Finally, a baby version of my Little Hiker’s Cardigan is available today! It, and all of the patterns in my Ravelry store is 42% off for the rest of March for my birthday sale! No code required. Eligible patterns can be found here. Much like…
We love reusable beeswax food wraps around here. They’re the perfect plastic-free way to tote your pb & j to work, preschool, or playgroups. And, it turns out, it’s pretty easy to make a simple beeswax-only version, too. To make your own, you’ll need: -an…
(because someone always asks about the boots, they are Keens)
My little family of 4 has been passing around a cold this week, and we’ve been glued to the couch and our hot water bottles. I’ve been all about the instant-gratification knitting, and WEBS’ Valley Yarns Superwash Super Bulky is a new favorite, knitting up at 2.5 stitches an inch. Even this mama, with almost no free time, was able to whip up 2 hats in just a few days. I finished them with huge fluffy poms, which I used to be terrible at making, thanks to these great pom pom makers that I read about on another blog.
These patterns, along with all accessory patterns in my Ravelry store, are 35% off until Christmas, no code needed.
Peaks hat on Ravelry.
Summit hat on Ravelry
Interweave has just published a lovely new collection of hats in The Knitted Hat Book, and my pattern for the Scoop Brimmed Hat is included in the collection! I wanted to design a hat that worked for transitional weather too, so I chose an allover…