Goodbye April

I find myself saying 'where did the time go?!' all too often lately...

And it's with that sentiment in mind that I bid a fond farewell to April.

It was a good month. If slightly cold. And wet.

A good amount got finished, craft-wise. Less than I'd like, but more than I honestly expected.  So I'm counting this past month as a crafty win! (woohoo!) 

And I'm crossing my fingers that May is sunnier and just as productive! A nice full shop - and finished Mother's Day gifts - would make me quite happy. Those are my goals for the month ahead :)

What goals and plans do you have - crafty or otherwise - for the month of May??

Back to the Ripple

I love to experiment. New patterns, new yarns, new techniques. It's exciting to see new ideas take form, isn't it?

But I find that after a particularly busy spurt, I crave the comfort of a few old patterns. Nothing fancy or ground breaking or out of the ordinary...just a common pattern with stitches I know well.

Which brings me back to a comfy ripple.

After creating so many little bunnies in such a short span of time, my fingers have been itching to tackle a bigger project. Big, cushy, blanket stitches as opposed to tight, tiny amigurumi ones.

And with a touch of luck, a custom order came in for just such a blanket.

So, there are about a million ripple/chevron patterns out there. Most free. But I've always had this love/hate thing going on with those patterns.  I either love one and can't find it's pattern (Let me tell you, I'm absolutely horrible at figuring out the pattern where there isn't one - my brain is simply not wired for pattern-speak!) or I find one that I sorta like, but isn't quite right.

I eventually found Tara Murray's 'Be Unique' Chevron Pattern and well, it's my favorite.  That and Lucy's Neat Ripple Pattern over at Attic24 (which is totally free, by the way, and has an amazing picture tutorial, if you need the extra help). I switch between the two...but lately, I've been drawn to Tara's.

With a few skeins of the prettiest lavender yarn EVER and white, I kicked back with my familiar pattern. And it was nice. It was also quick!

There's nothing more satisfying than a finished blanket. I love it :)

And one finished blanket inspired me to tackle another custom ripple. This time in bright, summer colors.  I love when someone asks me to make a blanket in colors I'm not normally inclined to put together...

It's coming along. I've had a busy few days with the littles. Doctor's appointments and a touch of hay fever...and a few sleepless nights, thanks to my littlest who seems to be nocturnal these days. So yeah, I've been slow.

But it is coming along...  And I'm savoring every familiar stitch.

Keeping It Simple

I'm feeling a bit like Alice down the rabbit hole lately.

Maybe it's the change in weather. Or the Easter holiday. Or the crazy amount of orders I've been finishing lately - yes, actually finishing!

Whatever it is, I've been a little out of it and not quite myself.

So I'll cut my mindless chatter down a bit today and keep it simple.  Want to see a couple of the goodies that have been heading out to new homes??

And bunnies. I don't have any pictures of the bunnies that have gone out in the past week. Partly because I've shared so many pictures of them already...and partly because I was busy finishing up the latest orders.  A grand total of 15 bunnies made it to new homes last week...right in time for Easter. I hope everyone loved them! Because, honestly, I think that particular pattern is going into a brief retirement until next spring...

And finally, my current WIP.  It came in as a custom order, but I'm so disappointed that I didn't put this simple combination together and up in the shop before now. I just love it! A lavender and white ripple/chevron. Timeless, lovely and suuuuuuuper soft and squishy! Now to get it finished.

Thanks for stopping by!

Baking Bread on a Pretty Spring Day

You know how you go out shopping - it could be to a thrift store or the supermarket, whatever - and you have one particular thing that you need, but you end up leaving with everything BUT that one thing? Well, that's sorta the story of my life.

I needed old wooden hangers.

Which is how I ended up at the local antique shop, buying bread pans.

Makes sense, right?

I never did find any hangers, but I did stumble upon a little booth with some neat kitchen gadgets. And on the very bottom shelf, hidden in the corner, were these gems...

 Cute, right?

I'm a sucker for bread tins.

I'm also pretty darn fond of bread.

Have you ever made bread? I'll admit, I hadn't until recently.

I mean, I've made the dessert-for-breakfast kind. Banana nut, apple cinnamon, cinnamon swirl....yum. But I've never attempted legit bread. There's something about yeast and kneading and waiting hours for bread to rise that intimidates me.

But then I ran into THIS recipe. English Muffin Bread. OH.MY.GOSH.  Easy as can be and absolutely delish when toasted.  And the best part? Both of my picky kids AND my super picky husband love it.  It helps that it's way cheaper (and probably just a bit healthier) than store bought...

So, yeah. I make bread.  And I'm feeling pretty darn accomplished, too ;)

And yes, I'm still chipping away at this great big pile of custom orders... What's on my hook now? A giraffe! This is probably one of my favorite patterns EVER. I made up a few for gifts last year, and it's really nice to be able to whip one up now. In traditional colors, too, might I add.

Now, I'm not sure what's up with the lighting today, but I assure you, those little horns are a rich, coffee brown.  I've been told twice now that the picture makes them look gray-ish. Not the case!

I'm working with a gorgeous golden yellow, cream and that beautiful brown.  I think my last giraffe was purple with pastel spots, so this is definitely a change! I can't wait to see how he turns out...

Monday Morning Makes: Playing Catch Up

When I allow myself a moment or two to daydream, I wrap myself in new projects. A super sweet kitty plush that I'm dying to try. A few floral motifs that would make amazing summer throws for the back of my poor, neglected sofa. A beach/market bag that I'm itching - yes, actually itching - to get on a hook. Spring has brought with it a wealth of new ideas and crafty possibilities!

When I snap back to reality, though, I'm still swimming in bunnies.

You guys really like those bunnies, don't you?

This past week has been spent on custom work. Lots of orders! Most for bunnies. But also a giraffe, an owl and a kid-sized ripple in a dreamy shade of lavender and white. I've been a busy gal.

Which is awesome, as well as unexpected.  When I opened my little shop a month or so back, I kind of figured it would be a mini museum of projects. Pretty pictures for me to look at and justification for my yarn habit...

But that little shop has taken on a life of its own and I'm thrilled to be as busy as I am!

This is why I've been a bit quieter than usual, as I'm working hard to stay caught up.

...and it may explain why I'm very light on pictures this week. (More next week, for sure!)

But, you see, I have a basket full of bunnies needing arms and legs...

So off I go!

Happy Monday!