you too can make butter!

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I made butter for the first time last week, and a few friends have jestingly accused me of being closeted Amish. Puh-leeze. I’m all about my kitchen appliances! I used a Kitchen-Aid electric stand mixer and this beautiful golden chunk of creamy heaven took about 7 minutes to make, start to finish. So easy. Just Google it, and you’ll find dozens of instructions how, either by using a stand mixer, a hand mixer, or simply shaking cream in a jar for roughly 2 years. Just kidding. Still, you’re not going to see me using that jar technique any time soon! Baked some bread to go along with it (bread machine of course) and pondered with delight on how easy it is for a modern gal to feel like a domestic goddess.

vintage pattern: simplicity 7522

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Like most DIY addicts, my fabric stash needs some thinning out. So I dug deep and found that I still had a couple yards of that delightful, navy blue floral print jersey knit that I used for my bubble top. Since it has excellent drape, I picked a dress pattern from my (mostly untouched) vintage collection — a simple number with a unique criss-cross front wrap which ties in the back, creating a perfect fit regardless of weight fluctuations!  The resulting dress is a little bit country and a bit 90s grunge and it took about 4 hours total to make. I must say that I’m very pleased with it! Perfect for a  picnic or lunch date — and it also looks great paired with a long sleeve shirt beneath and some tights for cooler weather.



my cables n’ lace kimono wrap

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I’ve been working on this little woolen “friend” of mine off and on for about two years, so imagine my delight when I finally cast off my last stitch. I used the Cables and Lace Kimono Wrap Cardigan pattern from Sweaterbabe.com (isn’t her stuff great?), but chose to leave the neckline unfinished rather than to pick up and knit the 3×3 ribbing the pattern calls for. I really love that raw, rolled over look — and it’ll show a little bit more of whatever I’ll be wearing underneath.

Shortly after beginning, I thought I’d made a horrible mistake with my choice of yarn (Knit Picks Wool of the Andes) as it created a springy fabric with chunkier cables and very ripply lace panels — as well as a stiffer drape overall. Nevertheless, I plugged away, and though it turned out quite different-looking than Sweaterbabe’s example, I do like it! It was extremely fun to knit as well, and now that I’ve cracked the code of this pattern, I’m eager to make another one with a drapier yarn, which would be more fitting for spring/summer.


hubby’s brown cardi

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After a couple years of hinting that he wanted one — and after I finally gathered the courage to make one — my husband finally has his hand-knitted cardigan! It’s my first attempt at menswear, and, as I’d never used this yarn before (Red Heart Eco Ways in Bark) and I wasn’t using a pattern, (I followed Elizabeth Zimmerman’s raglan sweater formula in Knitting Without Tears) there was a good amount of guesswork involved.

I can’t even begin to express how relieved I was that the finished product turned out to his liking. Though he thanked me profusely (as he darn well should!) he still managed to get a smart remark in: ” Lovely! Just in time for the summer!”  Men.

iPad purse & fringy triangle scarf

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I was one of the many who couldn’t resist getting a 1st-gen iPad (even though I said I’d wait for the 2nd gen, as all new gadgets are not without their kinks) but impatience got the best of me. I’ve a notion, though, that one of the main reasons I wanted one was so that I could craft accessories for it. :-p

So, I made this little purse using some unused wooden handles that have been languishing in my closet for who knows how long, and some leftover Amy Butler fabric from my stash.

I also finished this fringed triangle scarf (or mini-shawl) that I made using Moda Dea Tweedle Dee yarn in Surf & Turf. Big needles + chunky yarn = super-quick projects. And we all love those!

my first baby…cardigan

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Nope, I’m not expecting, but my sis is about to bear her first wee one, and so I thought I’d try to knit my very first article of baby clothing.

I found this cute pattern and got to work. I still haven’t gotten the hang of matching up the length of my vertical rows with my horizontal rows when picking up stitches, so my button bands/plackets are considerably shorter than they should be. Drat. Anyway, the little one should forgive me, this being my first attempt.

Lastly, my sis told me she was having a girl, and when the cardi was 90% finished, I came to discover that it was more of a hunch than a fact. Aye carumba! I told her that her baby was going to wear this pink ‘n’ purple number regardless!

tunic ‘n’ cowl

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A new house, job, car…and a crazy 1 hour and 20 minute commute to and from work! Hectic indeed. Still, I haven’t lost my will to create–and where there’s a will, there’s a way. A couple weekends ago, I was able to make this jersey knit tunic in about an hour, primarily because I didn’t finish the edges. No matter. I’m all for that carefree, unfinished look.

And just this afternoon, I knit up this easy cowl in about a couple of hours with some yarn my sister gifted me from her stash. Believe it or not, Los Angeles is in the middle of a cold/rainy spell — the type of deliciously chilly weather which makes west-coast knitters like me very giddy. Used circular needles and alternated between a few stockinette rows and a few p2 k2 ribbed rows, decreasing circumference toward the center. Didn’t bother counting rows — I just eyeballed it as I went along. Coming soon: a striped baby cardigan — my first attempt at baby wear. 🙂

retro-glam kimono robe with obi belt

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Finding myself with a few precious hours of free time, I got to work on a project that’s been brewing in my noggin for quite a while. My wardrobe is seriously lacking in the loungewear department, and I’ve always wanted something that I could throw on in the evenings and on lazy weekend mornings to make me look and feel instantly chic. Well, that’s the hope anyway! I’ve always loved the look of woven cotton yukata kimonos, so I thought that I’d do something similar with some stretchy knit fabric. I have a ton of the stuff because of an online sale a while back with prices too irresistible to pass up. I chose this orange-creme-brown print because of its ’60s feel — as I, like so many others right now, am obsessed with the Mad Men aesthetic.

I adapted this vintage caftan pattern (Butterick See & Sew line: 5836) and let the collars flop over to give my kimono a bit of a “westernized” look.

caftan

I couldn’t resist making an obi belt to complete the look.  Instant glam for the indoors!

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Too busy to blog! But not too busy for cookies.

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Still a homebody — but a very, very busy one. 😦 On top of the full-time office gig, I’m taking two classes this term; my band is regularly rehearsing, gigging and writing music; and my husband and I are currently in the midst of purchasing our first home where I will be able to have my own permanent craft room — woot woot!!! I did, though, find a way to sneak in a sewing project on the music front. I thought it would be great to use eco-friendly, recycled, handmade packaging for our debut EP — including lined zippered pouches made from the band’s old clothing. Check them out here.

I’m looking forward for the dust to settle, allowing me to get busy again with the sewing machine and knitting needles. In the meantime, here’s a recipe for yummy pistachio shortbread (from Epicurious.com) that I made for a dinner party my husband and I attended on Saturday. Super easy and delicious!

pistachio shortbread

red ‘n’ purple raglan tee

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In an attempt to use up all of my yarn stash before buying anything new, I made this four skein project with some cheapie yarn (Bernat Satin Sport), but it turned out so well that I think I’ll have to make another with some splurge yarn. It was an easy knit — no pattern was used. Just did a basic top down raglan with k1, p1 ribbed edge at neckline and sleeves, decreased around the waist for shaping, and put a wide ribbed band at the bottom. I let my limited amount of yarn dictate the color block pattern. Pics show it unblocked because I never have the patience to wait for blocking before snapping pics. 🙂