Adorable Pin Cushion

The other day I made myself a pin cushion out of a frame, so it can sit out on my desk. You could also make one to hang on the wall, which was my original idea. I found an adorable frame at my work that I could not resist and soon made my way over to the fabric.

First, I removed the glass from the frame. Using it as a guide, I cut a piece of fabric approximately 1/2" larger on all sides of the glass. I glued this fabric to the inside of my frame (hot glue works). 

Then, I filled it with stuffing and closed the back. I'm in love. (That spool of thread it looks so cute with is actually a container)

I have plenty of fabric left... I wonder what I will do with it next.

The End.

Scalloped Dishcloth or Potholder

This is a very simple, yet very cute project. I designed them when I wanted to use up some leftover yarn, and have been making them ever since. They are quick to make, which makes them great gifts.

Yarn: Sugar N' Cream (100% cotton, worsted weight) in two colors

Needles: Size 8 knitting needles, for dishcloth
Size 7 knitting needles, for potholder
A Size "G" 4.0 crochet hook, for border

Note: Potholder is made holding two strands of main color together throughout body, with a smaller needle. One solid ball of Sugar N' Cream (120 yards) will make one potholder and one dishcloth, or three dishcloths.

Cast on 26

Knit until length matches width (appx. 7") bind off. Weave in ends.

Scalloped Edge:

Row 1: With crochet hook, join contrast color in a corner. ch 2 (counts as one sc), sc 24 across first side, (sc 3 in corner, sc 25 across next side) repeat two times, sc 3 in corner, sc 25 across last side, making last sc in corner, ch 6, sl st in 2nd ch.


Row 2: *(sk 1 sc, 5 dc in next sc, sk 1 sc, sc in next sc) repeat 5  times, sk 1 sc, 7 sc in corner* repeat to end, 10 sc in ch 6 space, sl st in next dc. Fasten off and weave in ends. Block lightly for best results.

Abbreviations: ch= chain, sc= single crochet, dc= double crochet, sl st= slip stitch, sk= skip

The End.

Fort Bragg

Shortly after going to Napa, my bf and I decided to head to the coast. Although upon our arrival we discovered the North Coast Brewery is now closed on Mondays and Tuesdays (the two days we were there) while the food + drink we had there last year had been burned into our thoughts, we still had quite a good time. Anyways, being by the ocean was relaxing, and I got to work on my stole.

We went to the beach close to sunset and it was quite beautiful.

The rocks and pebbles around Glass Beach were neat. 

We popped back down to Mendocino for a bit, where I bought some cool rocks and took pictures of my Oscilloscope Shawl. I just love the jagged coastline of the headlands.

The Atrium is where we stayed, which is an adorable B&B with a garden. I would definitely recommend staying here or at The John Dougherty House in Mendocino Village, where we stayed last year.

And I love the cute socks I bought at Tangents in Fort Bragg:

Sewing supplies, sheep, hearts, flowers, cherries, and mugs of beer for the boy.

We also went crab hunting in the tide pools at MacKerricher State Park. We just wanted to see them, not harass them, but I don't think they liked it when the rock they were hiding under disappeared.

Most importantly, I think trips like these bring Kevin and I closer together.

The End.

I heart Napa

Yesterday was my sister's birthday. As a celebration, we went on the Napa Wine Train. The vegetarian food was fantastic and the wine tasting was a lot of fun. The local shops were so adorable, that I'm already aching to go back soon for a shopping trip. We had some time when we got there to hit up the local yarn shop, Yarns on First. This shop is, by far, my favorite yarn shop I have been to. The yarns are organized by color which is visually stimulating and got my creative juices flowing. The yarn shelves are shallow, which shows off the yarn and it's texture. It's brilliant, really!

Also, the owner was very friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. She has awesome taste, too. I liked every yarn in the store, and every color. The samples and patterns were all gorgeous and modern. This shop is a must see for any yarn lover. I signed up for their newsletter as I will be glad to see more inspirations and project ideas in days to come. And I will be going back soon.

The End.

The search is over!!!

I have been looking for these for the longest time and no one has had them. Thank you Safeway!

No, I am not overly excited about this. I use them to store my yarn. These are 2.5 gallon bags and are big enough to fit the yarn needed for a sweater or another larger project. 

These bags help preserve my yarn while keeping them tidy and easy to organize. I put small projects in my nine cube organizer in case I want to grab a new project. It is great to put yarn in a basket without them all tangling together.

It also keeps the yarn safe from kitties.

The End.

I want to go to the coast...

The ocean always seems so peaceful and calming.

 The coast is the perfect place to reflect and take a break from life. I always come home to the sierra foothills feeling refreshed. I just started this shawl, from one of my new favorite books, as a knit along with Ashley and Katie. I am using Pagewood Farm's Denali in Teal.

It is a very beautiful book, and I find myself wanting to jump into the pictures. The top picture is from my trip to Mendocino last year. The song "Never Let Me Go" by Florence and The Machine always makes me want to visit the ocean, as well.

The End.

I Love New Shoes

On Monday, Ashley and I went to downtown Sacramento. There we went to Shoki Ramen House where we dined on delicious noodles, then walked to the nearby yarn shop [Rumpelstiltskin]. On the way home we decided to stop by the Arden Fair Mall to buy some yummy tea. I also bought the most adorable shoes: I love them! The watch is new too.

It was one of the most enjoyable days I've had in awhile... It was a wonderful adventure. I also found this great polka-dot headband that compliments these cuties I bought while visiting family in Michigan:

We must do outings like this more often.

The End.

Yesterday was fantastic!

First thing in the morning I made soap for the first time. I would like to make this a regular activity of mine. I found a cool blog that has some great soap making projects as well as other inspirations: Offbeat and Inspired. This is what my soap looks like [for now]

I also made some delicious tea, which led me to the conclusion that 

starting the off with a good cup of tea makes the day so much more enjoyable.

Later that day, I finally set up the yarn organizer I had sitting around for several months. 

I am becoming very excited about getting my craft room together!

I also decided to paint the clothespins on my wall organizer pink, and it is much cuter now. 

This took a long time and killed my proactive buzz =P

The End.