Knit Along Announcement

I'm hosting my very first button Knit-Along.

Run on over to watch the quick YouTube video to see all the guidelines

(and feel free to subscribe while you are over there).

Pssst: There are prizes...so go have a peek!

Bringing you another time lapse video...

I often get asked how I make some of my items...especially the buttons that aren't just plain circles.  We have started making lime lapse videos that show most of the process.

This week's video features these cute little flower buttons.  

Click here to watch it.  

It's only 2 1/2 minutes, so you have time!

Making a Peony Candle Holder - Timelapse

If you've been wondering about the process of making some of my pieces, I've started a YouTube channel with time lapse videos of some of my work.  This is the latest one...up and ready to watch.

Feel free to subscribe to catch the videos as they are released.

My buttons are going to be famous...

I was watching Episode Seven of The Sweater by Kathleen Dames on You tube, and was tickled pink with her comments about my buttons.

If you haven't seen this series, it's a set of 12 videos where she walks us through knitting a sweater, step by step.  You can subscribe to the series at Kathleen's website to get the free pattern (until early March) or you can just watch the videos on You Tube.

She's using my hand made buttons on her sweater (you can get some here, in my etsy shop) and mentioned how great it is that my buttons are glazed on both sides so they are nice and smooth (that is not always the case with ceramic buttons).  So YAY!

In fact, if you watch the video, she shows how to make your buttons interchangeable on a hand knit sweater, so you can have a regular set of buttons and a "party set".  So Fun!  All.of.the.buttons!

The Espen Headband

I think it was WAY back in December, Varian Brandon of Brandon Knitting Designs did a Knit-Along on Periscope with her Espen hat/headband pattern.

Mine is officially finished!  I added the buttons this morning.  This was my plan all along, which is why I chose white flowers on a green background, but...well...I got distracted.

 It's all blocked, and ready to go for spring time (I wear a full hat all winter).

 You can find her pattern over here, my ravelry notes here,

and tiny little buttons in my etsy shop over here

Joining my friends at:

Frontier Dreams for Keep Calm Craft On

My very first adult sized sweater!

The Bloc Party by Kathleen Dames...

 This was my first attempt at a sweater for ME!

 The pattern has an integrated button band (which means the button holes are on both sides) and so the buttons I am using are interchangeable...kind of like cuff links.

 For now, they are matched to the stripe colours, but I also have a full set of plain white buttons that I can pop in when I'm looking for something a little more subdued.

I did some fun colourblocking...

...and most of the sweater is done in plain stockinette, which I love!

There will be another sweater in the future...in fact, I have already cast on!

What are you working on this week?

Tiny little things...

I've been busy making tiny little things lately...

 Stitch markers from some of the beads I made in the summer time...

 Beads that were going to be stitch markers but they're too big, so now they are for jewellery...

                             Tiny pendants that I thought would make a great Mother/Daughters set, 
                                   but that everyone tells me should be a necklace and earrings...

And my absolute favourite so far...little pinecone "pendants" that I'm totally going to use for gift tags this year.

I'm terribly neglecting my Christmas/Solstice making, but now that my last show of the year is over, I can get down to business.

Joining Nicole at Frontier Dreams for Keep Calm Craft On.

What are you making now?  Are you working on gifts?

Meet some Makers...

Today I'm sharing a list of makers put together by Ann Tudor.  Ann is a glass worker (I want to say lampwork?) and has decided that she wants to support small business and individual makers this upcoming holiday season, and has shared her list on her blog here.  I thought it would be fun to share the same list, with pictures.

I'm going to start with Ann herself.  She's on Instagram, Facebook, 

and you can shop directly from her online store 

She makes these amazing ice cube martini picks, 

but I kind of want a bowl full of the cubes to put a candle in.  Wouldn't that sparkle

Julianna Puccini is on Instagram and on etsy

and has delightful yarn that would be perfect for gift giving as it is, or for working up a special gift.

Karen Robinson is on Instagram and on etsy and has a website

and also has delicious yarny goodness for making or for gifting (hint: I want some yarn, OK?)

Jessy is on Instagram and on etsy

and has organic, artisanal skin care products.  

Allison Locicero is on instagram, has a website, with a shop

and has some beautiful patterns available for purchase (this entrelac scarf pattern is FREE)

Rhonda Bennett has an etsy shop

with tie dyed shirts and beaded jewellery

Gaye Glasspie is on instagram, Facebook, has a blog, and is on etsy

and has some delightful chunky knits.

   

Amy Crook is on Instagram, has a website, and is on etsy

    

and has "cards and art for the geeky fan".  She has a whole Sherlock section!

 Catherine Fritsch is on Instagram, and has a website with a shop 

with some sweet looking sleepwear, accessories, and lingerie.

And Anne was lovely enough to include me.

Just in case you missed it on the sidebar...here's my etsy shop, and you can also find me on Instagram and facebook.

 Feel free to link up your info in the comments if you have a shop or a small biz.

In which my local yarn store blows me away...

Yesterday, I was at my lys (local yarn store) looking for multiple colours of yarn for an upcoming project.

 I was looking for dk, and they suggested three different brands that each had their own colourways.

I chose 6 balls from one brand and had them laid out on the counter, but since I had initially walked in looking for "bright" colours, I moved over to another brand and started to try to put a set together.

The owner saw me struggling to make colour choices so she asked me if I have a favourite painting...

...and then proceeded to pull this painting up onto the monitor.

These are the yarns that were already on the counter at that point.

Clockwise from top left we have sky, clouds, grass/umbrella, shadows, flowers, and the darker portions of the sky.   Well will you just look at that!  Needless to say, I stopped looking and just bought these six.

The subconscious at work.  The funny thing is, I haven't seen the painting in months.

One finished object, one WIP

I've finished my first successful stranded knitting project and I couldn't be more thrilled.

 The pattern is Baby Snowflake by The Cozy Knitter and is absolutely lovely.

 I learned a couple new techniques...and now I want to put the delightful "latvian braid" on everything.

 And the back is just as lovely as the front.   

Note, the super bright colour!

In progress:

So many buttons.  My stockpile is quite low so I'm hustling to get a bunch finished in time for people to add to their Christmas gifts and other cold weather knits.  

Pictured, these are the same as this pendant, which I have had several requests to turn into buttons.

Won't it make an adorable large button?

Joining my friends today at:

Keep Calm Craft On over at Frontier Dreams