It's All About the Grout

Hi Knitters,

I am amazed every time at the dramatic change a mosaic piece undergoes after it is grouted. I think it is absolutely all about the grout.
I also think that a mosaic piece can be ruined if the pieces on the surface are not properly buffed out of the grout. The grouting step and the buffing can make or break a project like this. Sloppy grout work is a big no-no. 

I spend so much time on the cleaning up the grout after it has slightly dried on the pot. I take an old hand towel and I buff and buff and buff. One of my goals is to get most all of the edges of the buttons, in this instance, to show. Also, for the buttons I wanted the thread holes to show. I still have some work to do before the buttons are showing in their best light. Buttons have a lot of ridges and whatnot. I think I may go after the button pot with a toothpick to clear away any grout from tight spaces that I can't get with my towel. When I started buffing the pot all of the buttons looked white, you couldn't see any color at all. It is coming along.
Do you see the huge difference the grout made? It looks like a completely different piece. I love the way the grout softens the look of the surface, giving it a dusty sweetness.

I haven't made a mosaic pot for a long while and although I didn't think I was missing it now I am thinking about making more. I simply think the little mosaic garden pot is fantastic. What a gift. This pot was made with a beloved mother's buttons and will be given to her beloved daughter. A pair like this I have never seen before and I am honored to make a handmade gift to share between the two of them.

I know. I'll be back soon with some knitting. I have been knitting lots and I need to share it with you. Soon.

Have a great Wednesday everyone. I hope you are clocking some knitting hours this summer. 

best, susie

First Patchwork

Hi Knitters,

I want to quickly share with you the completed patchwork project I had talked about briefly a week or so ago. Instead of a quilt I put together a tote bag, fully-lined, every piece backed with interfacing, skinny shoulder straps with two generous lined pockets inside, one divided.
The fabric is all Anna Maria Horner's fantastic Chocolate Lollipop and Drawing Room collections combined. I love both of these collections so much and had ordered fat quarters of each a long time ago. It feels so good to finally put these to use. I used brown thread and did some fun quilting lines throughout the patchwork outside. Some lines are straight and some are squiggly on purpose. I think it adds interest and it just looks cute to have the extra stitching.
I did use the advice of many of you sewers who responded to help me with my lack of knowledge. I thought it was funny how the sewers are just as bad as the knitters. There are basically as many ways to press your seams as there are sewers. This is exactly what knitting is like, preferred technique is all based on what works best for you. I ended up pressing one row of squares one way and then the next row the other way. I don't know, I just did that and it seemed to work. I need to get more work under my belt before I decide what works best for me. You know, try different things. That's how you form smart opinions, just like all of you have, through time and experience. Thanks again for chiming in.

Basically, I didn't even look at a pattern for this at all. I made the two outside pieces using 4-inch squares and continued on from there. I did squared off gussets instead of rounded. The straps are skinnier than the other bags I made and I love them this way. It really could be reversible but who wants to hide all of that fun patchwork? Not me. 

Now, I am going to start working on a small-ish patchwork quilt. We'll see what happens. I literally have no clue. I ordered a bunch of new fabric stacks from Spool. The bundles are unbelievable, a burst of color. I will share before I start washing and ironing and working.

Take care. Tuesday's almost over already. Whoooosh! And it's gone.

best, susie

13

Hi Knitters,

Thirteen is my lucky number this year. My daughter turned thirteen. She is my sweetest, juiciest peach on earth. Peachy. Every year my dear sister hosts a birthday bash for Peachy at her fantastically old lake house. Since Peachy was very little she has held a great adoration for my sister. Peachy is a shy, quiet girl. She always wanted to quietly stand by my sister and soak in her every move and word. She would want me to tell her things she was too shy to say herself but wanted my sister to know. My sister is a loving aunt and she has always understood Peachy. It is only appropriate for her to host her birthday party every year.

Well, the day was picture perfect. I did some of the above. I swear I saw a dinosaur in those fluffy clouds.
The day ended with a view to remember. Gorgeous.
And in between Peachy opened gifts. She may be thirteen but she is still sporting skinned knees like a little kid. Love that.
She played with cousins galore. Aren't those awesome steps to the lake? My sister got a new shed that you can see at the top of the steps, it's not quite done. It may not seem like a big deal but living on a lake without a garage and four kids, a shed becomes a big deal.
Our little cousin fished while wearing his super-cool Star Wars swimsuit. Heaven.
Bathing beauties had silly fun by the shore.
Peachy and her best buddy lounged lakeside.
Swimming at dusk was magical.
Boys, boys, boys.

Peachy is delicious and I am proud of the teenager she has become.Have a good Monday, Knitters. I am in recovery mode from a hectic holiday weekend as I am sure many of you are as well. You would not believe the state of my house: total, gross, wreck.

best, susie

p.s. I am making a button-fillled mosaic pot for a special someone. I was going to add some other little items on the pot but the buttons overwhelmed me with joy so I am sticking to it, pure and simple. Grout is coming later today. I will share my finished button pot when I am done. Do you remember the mosaic fruit I made ages ago?

Watermelon Washcloth Pattern!

Hi Knitters,

Today I am offering you a big, juicy slice of a watermelon (washcloth). Watch the seeds. Here are some things you might like to know if you are interested in knitting a slice or two for yourself:

Yarn: Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille (100% combed cotton; 98 yards/50 grams), 1 skein each in Bougainvillea #1219, Bleached  1058, Fern #2342 and Christmas #0517 and Black #9598 (optional for seeds)

Note: Any worsted weight cotton will work! Also, if you just wanted to use pink and green and no seeds you will only need two colors.

Needles: US size 6 or size to obtain gauge

Finished measurements: 9 inches wide by 6 inches tall

Gauge: 4 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch

Skills:

cast on 

knit

ssk

k2tog

slip stitch

chain

single crochet

As you can see, this one is a beginner level pattern! If you don't want to crochet the edging, you could easily pick up and knit one row of each color for the edging and then bind off and repeat in all three colors.
And because today is my 20th wedding anniversary, I am putting up the Watermelon Washcloth on sale for awhile. It is available for purchase, for now, at $3.00! This will be for a short while only.

Also, if you place an order through July 13th at the sale price, you will automatically be entered in a drawing to win 4 skeins of Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille in the watermelon colors! That is a good deal!! It is so beautiful and squishy, you will love it.

To order the Watermelon Washcloth Pattern click here! The pattern will always be available on my sidebar in My Pattern Shop. It's the perfect summer treat.

Remember that I personally send out all orders through email with an attached pdf of the pattern. Please be patient if there is a slight delay.

Have a good Wednesday, Knitters.

best, susie

p.s. Please hop over and help yourselves to my new free pattern on Spud & Chloë for a cute little frog named, Ribbit! Let me know how it goes: )

What's Mine is Yours

Hi Knitters,

First off I have a quick story about my second son who is 15 years old. He has always been a firm believer of what's mine is yours. He also believes what's yours is mine. Mi casa es su casa y su casa es mi casa. Meaning, he will give you the shirt off his back with no thought at all but if your shirt is lying around he'll help himself to that as well. He just assumes that he can wear, eat, loan out, give, share, take, enjoy anything he sees just because he sees it. He is generous to the core which is great but he thinks everyone is the same way.

He will wear things that he finds around our house and he doesn't care at all if it is his or if it is on the feminine side of things. He couldn't find his flip flops so he started wearing my daughter's flip flops that looked, well, girly. Of course they broke, he has huge man feet. He also took over a pair of my daughter's Ugg boots, which his cousins then call MUggs (Uggs for men=MUggs)). He found a pink Adidas sack, like those back packs with the drawstring, and wore that for a couple of years. He found this pink bag on a path near our house and I kept thinking the owner was going to see him using her back pack. 

He has come home from school with a couple of sweatshirts and winter hats, usually found on a sidewalk outside of the school. He takes and shares all of his brother's clothes. They don't really differentiate their wardrobe at all. It is funny and strange at the same time. Every clothing item is swapped between the two of them. Share, share. His brother did get a little mad when he took over a new North Face fleece that was a gift. A few arguments ensued over this one ending with me making him take off his brother's new fleece and finding another. This usually happened when they were running late for school in the morning.

He has found various towels at the pool lost and found and then all of a sudden I am washing other people's towels in my laundry, which is all I need. I try to return all of these towels to the pool when I notice they don't belong to us. Honestly, I have trouble keeping track. Sorry to any neighbors reading this, I am trying. He is so good-natured about this, it is not done with any bad intention. He is just fun and goofy. He still wears a little hoodie towel that my mom sewed him with his name appliqued on when he was maybe preschool age at best. He doesn't think for one minute that he may be too old to wear a baby towel around. 

Added later: I forgot to add that the other things he always helps himself to are other family members' bikes. He will take any bike he can get his hands on in the garage and ride off. Then when that person goes to get on their bike it is gone. He has a bike that was a hand me down and he doesn't like it much so he prefers to ride everyone else's bikes. It is always a battle to make sure he doesn't take his brother's or sister's bikes in the morning for swim team. He took my bike this morning then called me to tell me it had a flat tire on the way home. Too much. 

He loves having friends over in big and small groups. He opens up the kitchen like it's a restaurant, which I love. It is fun having all of those big kids eating their hearts out like it's their own home. They help themselves digging in the cupboards and fridge. It makes me feel good that he is such a giver but I get concerned that he assumes everyone is like that. They aren't. He may help himself to something someday and it may not go over well. 

I hope he can continue to think that the world is his oyster and your oyster, too. That's a good way to live.

Now on to some other sharing. Kristin Nicholas was sharing her brand new sock yarn at TNNA a couple of weeks ago. I had no idea she was creating a new sock yarn line so what a fun surprise. It was all very hush-hush. The yarn is called, Best Foot Forward and you can read all about it here. The colors are fantastic and similar to her other yarn line, Julia. The label has Kristin's painting on it and her signature. I especially like how the label shows the different colorways knit up. That is always helpful. I can't wait to knit up this new sock yarn fresh off the presses. I'll share once I get going on a project. I really love this colorway with the purple, blue, black and green. Can't wait to dig in.

Kristin has also just announced a new opportunity for knitters to come to her farm to learn and knit right beside her while enjoying her home. Her home looks beyond dreamy in the photos. What a treat and if I lived any closer I'd be signing up right away. What a treat Kristin is offering in holding workshops and opening her home to interested knitters. She has a designated site about the classes here. Even if you can't attend the retreat you should hop over to see the photos of her farm and home. Spectacular.

Another new thing I want to share is a fabulous new website called Petite Purls. It is a new site featuring adorable free patterns for babies and kids. The first online issue just came out and the patterns are top-notch. They are taking submissions for the fall issue and here are the guidelines if you are interested in submitting. It's all cute and well-done so be sure to take the time to check out this new offering. 

Thanks for the star washcloth love. This juicy treat of a washcloth is up next. I just have to find time to write up the pattern over the next few days. Watermelon is always a favorite of mine. The colors are simply fresh and perfect. Stay tuned.

A couple of last goings on, The Collector had a birthday bash last night with friends to celebrate her 10th birthday. I think we had about 15 kids in all. All day she and her sister filled water balloons for the party. They had buckets and buckets filled to the brim with water balloons. My kids have always loved water balloons. They like different shapes like the long skinny balloons or the squiggly balloons or the huge balloons that fill up your whole lap when filled with water. They pretend the big balloons are babies and carry them around in their arms until they burst and they are soaked. It's funny. We had pizza and watermelon and huge cupcakes with ice cream. Then came water balloon time and lastly we headed up to the pool for a night swim. It was fun. Ten years has gone fast.

I have been gathering up and collecting lots of knitterly stuff lately. Stuff I want to share with you. I need to clear out a bit. I think I'll be having a few giveaways in the near future with loads of cool stuff. Keep your eye out for this.

Sharing is always good on both ends. 

Monday is here.

best, susie

p.s. Did you see the sneak peek for my next free pattern on the S & C blog? 

Star Washcloth Pattern

Hi Knitters,

Well, here it is! I am excited to bring you this summer washcloth pattern today. Here is some information you may like to now about the Star Washcloth pattern:

Yarn: Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille 1 skein each in Lacquer Red #9784, Bleach #1058 and Carib Blue #406

*note* Any worsted weight cotton will work great for this pattern!

Needles: US size 6, set of 4 double-pointed needles and 16-inch circular needles or size to obtain gauge

Materials:

stitch markers (5)

yarn needle

size H crochet hook (optional)

scissors

Gauge: 4 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch

Finished measurement: 9 inches from point to point

I want you to see the yarn I have used for these washcloths. I have completed the two stars and I have a lot of yarn leftover. I think I could get two stars out of each color and still have enough for the contrasting crochet edging. 

It was fun to figure out how to construct a star shape. I began with the center and knew that I had to have five edges for the star points to grow out of. Of course that means I needed to figure out how to make a pentagon. When I cast on I needed a number that would be divisible by 5. I thought of the center of the star as the top of a hat that would have 5 lines of decreases going toward the center. It took me 2 tries to get it right because the first center I made was too small. Washcloth should be bigger than your hand for comfortable use. Anyway, I thought you may be interested in how I worked out the pattern. The points are picked up on each of the five sides and worked in garter stitch.

I think the Stars would make a fantastic gifts for moms and dads, babies, children, grandparents, friends, hostess gifts for 4th of July parties, etc. The Star Washcloth would be cute in pastel colors or bright colors, not just red, white and blue. The star is a great shape for boys and girls.
I put my hand on to give you a size reference. Here are the skills you need to complete the Star Washcloth:

cast on

knit stitch

knitting in the round 

ssk

k2tog

picking up stitches

optional crochet: single crochet, slip stitch

The Star Washcloth Pattern is now available in my Pattern Shop for $3.50. The Pattern Shop is always at the top of my sidebar on the blog.

Click here to order.

best, susie

Shine

Hi Knitters,

This morning I knit up this fun and fast Star Washcloth. It measures about 9 inches from point to point.
I am planning on whipping this pattern into shape today and having it up by the weekend so you can get some Stars made before the 4th of July. They would also be cute in pastels and brights of any sort, not just a patriotic twist. I want to make a couple more using the white and blue as the star color and the others for trim. Out of 3 balls of Cotton Chenille you could get at least 3 and probably a few more Star Washcloths.

I have another summer design poised to go after the Star. That will be next up and very soon.
Chris in Grand Rapids sent me this lovely shot of her Butterfly Washcloth made in Tahki Cotton Classic. She loves it because it is so soft and elegant in this yarn. It is a gift for her butterfly-loving sister.

I thought that you might enjoy this summery treat from Chris.

I'll be back quick with the fun Star pattern.

best, susie

Sew, Sew and Sew

Hi Knitters,

First things first, Rachel, of Twist Your Stitches, is having a fantastic giveaway that involves luscious Blue Sky Alpacas Yarn, a Blue Sky pattern for a hat and mitten set, a Blue Sky Pretty Cheap bag (sweet muslin drawstring bags printed with a bird), handmade soap, and a children's book that involves sheep. This giveaway is only going on one more day! Quick, all you have to do is leave a comment and you have a good shot at winning these fantastic prizes. Enter here!

Okay, when you are piecing squares together (photo above), like for quilting I guess, what do you do with the seams on the back? Do you press them open? Do you trim and lay them flat in the same direction? I have no idea what the correct way is. Please let me know if you get a chance:)

Thank you for the bobbin help! With all of your help I actually figured it out and it was exciting. I jumped up and down and clapped and my kids thought I was so silly. Wow, I not only got comments, I got emails and emails and I even had an offer from a former sewing instructor in town to pop on over to help. I couldn't believe the willingness to offer help. Thank you. Touching. 

Lexie Barnes' Sew What! Bags is my new favorite book. Lexie does a fantastic job with this straightforward instructional book. What I love about it is that basically it is a template for a wide variety of bag patterns. It is done incredibly well, like all Storey book are. Even a complete beginner, like me, can pick this up and make beautiful bags. Lexie includes drawstring bags, reversible totes, messenger bags, wristlets, tissue and eyeglass holders, a backpack, an artist's roll, and a child's tiny tote and more. There is a great array of choices and the lay out is crystal clear. There is a helpful newbie, instructional section at the beginning which I have read through at least several times. I have learned so much from Lexie's book. I highly recommend it.

Here's the other point about this book. If you are interested in knitting your bags, you could totally use this book as, again, a template for your knitting. The pieces for each bag are clearly illustrated with the measurements. All you would have to do is knit your pieces to the measurements and stitch up and you could have all of these great bag patterns in knitted form. I think this is a perfect translation.
Here is my first reversible tote. I have a couple of stacks of Anna Maria Horner's Chocolate Lollipop and Drawing Room fat quarters. I am piecing together some tote bags for my girls and me using up these fabric pieces and scraps.
I did a bunch of applique work, which is so fun. I just kind of scribbled around with the straight stitch, which I am calling the "scribble stitch" because I think it looks like a little kid just scribbled around the pieces. I love the messy stitching.
Every side is different because I am using scraps and small pieces. My girls love the fact that every way you turn the bag you see something new.

Now, I added rounded gussets to the bottom corners, which are not in the original pattern. I like my bags to stand up on their own. I learned this gusset from my first bag, the Birdie Sling by Amy Butler. I had a lot of people email to ask where to get the Birdie Sling pattern so there is the link. I bought all of my Amy Butler fabric and patterns here. Those are some really nice and helpful sewing ladies in this shop. They have been incredibly helpful. But see with those gussets? I am already transferring my limited bag of tricks around.
My seams are a little uneven but I don't mind a bit and I doubt that I ever will. It is just a pure fun creative release for me and there is no need for perfection in my book. These bags are completely reversible with nice pockets included. Plus they are the perfect size.
I've already carried this bag around a bit and have received many compliments and then I always proudly think in my head, "I made it." I can't really believe it myself.
This one is the Collector's bag. She selected all of the fabric pieces and cut out all of her applique pieces on her own. Her name is on one side, she cut out the letters, and she cut out some hearts for the other side.
She absolutely loves it. She requested shorter handles. No problem.
This is my other daughter's bag. Again, it is reversible.
This time I cut out strips and stitched them together to form the fabric. They are all different widths and many are a little uneven and I didn't even really measure. This is more my kind of sewing.
Anna Maria's fabric is beautiful and fun. Her color sense is spot on. This bag turned out a bit smaller.
Happy little sewer! That's me. I feel pretty good about being able to sew a few simple things. I don't know how much time I will really have to sew in the upcoming months. I have a lot of things on my plate but boy, is it fun. I want to keep it up for sure. At this point I am not that interested in sewing garments. I like bags and funny little objects. Maybe some fabric toys are in line. I love it that you can just cut and you have your fabric instantly. With knitting you are creating your fabric stitch by stitch. However, much of the construction is the same. 

Knitting and sewing are alike and different at the same time, right?

Anyway, go and enter that giveaway today! 

Thanks for indulging me on my new sewing adventures, they will be few and far between. I actually finished writing a pattern yesterday that has been haunting me for awhile. 

Did you see that I posted the tiny crochet flower pattern on the other blog? Remember I stitched them to my chartreuse cardi? Look here if you want this simple pattern.

The sun is coming up and my kids will be up in a few minutes for that early, early swim team call. Have a great Wednesday, Knitters.

best, susie

Last Sunday

Hi Knitters,

Sunday was a day of memories from start to finish. The Collector turned ten years old. My husband celebrated seventeen years of being a father. No words can express my gratitude for being a part of their lives....

best, susie

Sew, Sew

Hi Knitters,

I've caught a sewing bug and The Collector has joined me. She had some fleece she had picked out quite awhile ago. We made up a pattern from scratch on paper and pinned it on the fleece and cut it out. We did the same for the handles.
Next, she hand stitched the entire thing together with a needle and thread. She did a great job with this project. She has so many projects going at all times. The stripey gourd snake is lingering on my front stoop. I have asked her about it several times but she isn't interested in finishing the stripes right now. Hopefully it will come back to her soon.
Next up, The Collector is holding my first finished sewing project since home economics class in 7th grade, where I made a laundry bag. I made Amy Butler's Birdie Sling using Amy's fabrics as well. My sister came over and taught me how to use my sewing machine. I am doing pretty well with it and I have made a few more things since this bag. I finished the Birdie Sling in one day. I became obsessed with finishing it. I have done some hems and tailored the bodice of a dress to fit me, that was an experience. I made up my own way as I went along. I am sure it is completely wrong but now the dress fits and it looks fine. What's wrong in that?
The bag on the left is mine and the bag on the right is my sister's version. We flip-flopped fabrics and I actually bought her fabrics for the bag as a birthday gift for her. The only problem is that her daughter has taken over her bag completely and I don't think she has used it once. She doesn't mind a bit.
Well, now here is my problem and I know there is an easy solution. I can put a bobbin in my machine when it is empty and then I can load on the matching yarn and it all works fine. I can thread my machine, too, which is a great accomplishment for me. What I can't do is put in a bobbin with thread already on it and then get the thread to come up and work. I can't get it to catch. I called my sister yesterday and she told me over the phone how to do it. I still can't get it to work. Maybe tomorrow I'll figure it out. She may have to come over and show me. I really have no idea what I am doing, it is all pure chance when something goes right.
The lining is the best, it is called Happy Dots. The Birdie Sling has fantastic pockets inside. Great pattern, clear instructions, it even includes pleats on the outside. I learned a ton by making this bag as first round try. Fun, fun!
Okay, you will never guess what this outfit is. Check out the metallic detail on the fabric. There is so much going on here.
My sister dug this one out of storage for me to look at. (See that half finished stripey snake on the table?) Let me tell you about this. When my slightly older sister was in middle school she took a sewing class. This was in the mid-1970's. There was a Singer store at the mall where she took her class. Being the over-achiever that she still is today, she selected this full ensemble as her summer project, full-on high waisted pants, groovy hat and slick jacket with a zipper. I bet my mom just about died at her choice. I am sure the other kids didn't pick anything as complicated. 

I remember her (and my talented seamstress mom) working on this project very hard that summer. In the end it was a work of perfection from head to toe. I mean, wow, just look at that. (If you haven't noticed, my sister was and is a tiny little thing being that the Collector is quite a bit younger than my sister when she wore the outfit). 

At the end of the summer there was a style show in the middle of the mall, complete with a stage, an emcee and music. My mom and I went to watch my sister strut her stuff. She wore some platform sandals to top it all off. The hat was worn slightly tipped to the side. I was really proud of my sister, bursting really. If only I could be that beautiful and cool as her, that's never happened. They actually had judges who selected the winner of the sewing class, isn't that weird to make a sewing class a competition? My sister won first place! She got a little box of jewelry as the prize. I thought she was the coolest thing ever. 

The rest of my family, dad and brothers, were meeting my grandparents at the Wisconsin Dells for a few days and they were already there. We went late to join them because of the fashion show. I remember all of this vividly and it was about 30 years ago. That's so funny because sometimes I feel like I can't remember yesterday.

Anyway, this sewing tale had a happy ending to say the least. My first project had a happy ending, too. Sewing is pretty fun and fast, it's a good change of pace. I am getting a kick out of it for sure.

Tomorrow I'll be back to the knitting as usual, pattern writing to be specific. I am getting a back-log of patterns that need to be written up and it doesn't feel very good. Uneasy.

Good night. I'll be back soon.

best, susie