Wool @ Home - Living Room

We are now living through the coldest month of the year. The days are still too short for my liking, and the temperatures steadily below freezing. To combat the seasonal blues that generally accompanies this time of the year for me, I always make sure that I’m cozy and warm, that a comfy blanket and a knitting project are always within reach. My living room is also dotted with nods to my love of wool.

Reading time, whether it is for me or with the kids is best spent under a great big wool blanket.

Listening to music with a nice glass of wine, after the kids are in bed, is best spent in a comfortable arm-chair right by my knitting basket.

And the occasional nap-time spent on the couch is all the more comfortable if you have a sheep-y pillow to snuggle into.

They are subtle hints to be sure, but for those who know me well… impossible to miss!

For previous instalments of Wool @ Home see here and here

Wool @ Home - Dining Room

My quest to include, or add a nod to my love of wool and knitting to every room of the house continues. I recently talked about my project to use up leftover yarn by adding a pom-pom garland to my daughter’s room. It’s still a crowd-pleaser, and my son asked for one as well, albeit in his favorite hockey team’s colors. I will of course  oblige. 

His interest in my knitting and wool-related stuff is really contained to his appreciation of this garland, I do not believe I will make him into a knitter, and I am ok with that. I may have another chance with my daughter. Her favourite animal? 

Sheep! I know, you can congratulate me on a job well done, thank you. But to be honest, this was all her, I did not consciously influence her. Maybe it’s because they are all white and fluffy, maybe it’s because “BAAA” is easy to pronounce, in any case, sheep it’s where it’s at with her! And I am loving every minute of it. 

This has prompted my decision to also knit her a sheep toy, and I have my eye on this pattern, but that’s a topic for another post.

Today I would like to present you with our dining room decoration that includes, in a very prominent place, my sheep calendar. When I first glimpsed the preview on Ashley’s blog ,“Woolful” I was hooked. I missed her first shop update, but thankfully was able to snatch a copy when she restocked. It is beautifully illustrated by Emily Fratson with watercolor drawings of different breeds of sheep and dye plants. 

It watches over us as we have dinner, cook and do homework. Sienna loves pointing at it and yelling “BAAAA”, and her excitement when the picture changes every month is adorable.

I am really  enjoying the is process of adding little touches of wool related goodness to our home. Cannot wait to show you what else I've got.

Wool @ Home - The Nursery

I thought it would be a fun exercise to share on the blog just how present wool and my love of this fibre is in my life. In my home to be more precise. 

I am planning on taking you from room to room and share with you how I have "decorated" with wooly goodness. I am calling it "Wool @ Home".

As a knitter, and a compulsive one at that, wool and yarn are always on my mind. But not just on my mind, at my fingertips as well.

One's home should feel comfortable and safe, and personally, to feel comfortable and safe, I surround myself with some of my favourite things. A nice book, a cup of tea, a pretty notebook, chocolate, a glass of wine, and of course, knitting. That's me in a nutshell. Follow the trail of yarn bits and chocolate foil, and you will find me, no fail.

As any self-respecting knitter can attest, wool and yarn are an investment. I have a rather small stash, and I am working on changing that, I promise you, so I find it important to make every yard count. I also tend to overbuy when purchasing yarn for a project, so there are always leftovers. So I am often faced with the question of what to do with those. 

I realized that these leftover bits of yarn are perfect for pom-poms. A fun, colourful pom-pom garland for my daughters room. 

Bonus? It is a good project to do with bored 8 year olds in need of a break from playing video-games. My son thought it was hilarious that the pom-poms needed a haircut after being finished.

A Love of Travel

I love travelling. I was lucky. As a child I would accompany my grandmother on her yearly visit to her sister in Germany. This was a huge deal at the time, as Romanians were not free to travel across the border. My first trip with her was at the age of 3, and I looked forward to our vacations every summer. I still remember the thrill of boarding a plane, knowing that only a few hours later we would touch down in another place, experience a whole new reality, different smells, different routines, different customs. I think that these trips are at the root of my “wanderlust”, and I will be eternally grateful to my Oma for opening my eyes to the joys of travel.

I want to do the same for my children, I want them to experience the world and all it has to offer, to learn about , become immersed in other places, places that will broaden their horizons and teach them about life. My oldest has been  to a few places with us already, but I noticed that, of course, at this young age, his memories fade, he forgets about his trips. That made me wonder about what the best way would be to help him hang on to these memories.

Sightseeing is not always easy with children, they have little to no patience for exploring a museum, walk the streets of a new city but I found a way around that. What works for us is pretending that we are on a treasure hunt. We give Aidan a map and tell him he needs to help us find a specific location. It gives him the sense that he is in control of our explorations, and what child does not love that? I find it helps him cement those memories more, as he was not just a follower, but a leader.....Or maybe he's just getting older...that is of course entirely possible, but I like to think I have come across a genius idea here!

And now the maps that he's used to guide us, are a treasure in themselves. So I thought I'd incorporate them into his room's decor. I came across this tutorial for folding origami hearts, and tried it with the maps. Once framed and properly labelled, they are the focal point of his room, and he proudly shows them off.

Be careful what you wish for

Seven years ago, when I found out that I was pregnant with a boy, I felt a bit of panic. I grew up surrounded by girls, in a family where we had only a couple of boy cousins. I wondered, would I know what to do with a boy? How to play with him? How to relate to him and find common ground?

He is now six years old, and I have come a long way. Cars, trains, sports, hockey, I've learned about them all, alongside my son. True, I am still amazed at the level of energy, and I still have a hard time understanding how play-fighting is fun, but I can honestly say that I no longer have those worries about forming a bond. We are close, very close.

So you would think that I would have felt relief finding out that I was having a girl this time around, right? WRONG! Girls are complex and sensitive, and I started thinking of the importance of teaching them self-respect, and giving them confidence, showing them how to stand up for themselves. 

Of course these are all true for boys as well, but for whatever reason they never came to mind when I had Aidan.

And then I started worrying that I am already subjecting my children to a double-standard, when they are only this young. You can tell, I am sure that I have been driving myself mad!

In speaking to other moms though, I have come to realize that I am maybe over thinking the situation. The most important thing is to lead by example, pay attention, and also let their personality develop, as a lot depends on that as well.

So I have made the conscious decision to trust my motherly instincts and believe that I will know the right thing to do. The power of positive thinking, right? 

As if to reinforce this idea, a few weeks ago, I came across and advertisement for Dove, that to me, said it all. I decided to recreate it as a poster in Sienna's room.

It's quite a simple message, but I love it! If anyone else is interested in having it, click here for the JPEG version, and here for the PDF.


 

Celebrating with friends

Is there anything more revitalizing then spending some quality time with your girlfriends? I think not!  Sometimes it's just what the doctor ordered. 

I had been toying with the idea of organizing a cookie exchange party for a while now, to be honest, probably for 2 years.So about a month ago, I decided that there is no better way to beat that January blah then organizing a fun afternoon, where friends can meet, chat, have a few glasses of bubbly, and sample an assortment of lovingly home-made cookies.

To my relief everyone was on board. Or maybe they just indulged me because it was my birthday. Nevertheless, I hosted everyone yesterday. 

It was a lot of fun preparing for this event. I had a Pinterest Board set up to gather all of my ideas and poured over recipes and pictures. I decided to make a light lunch of Quinoa salad, Spanish chorizo, with avocado-chickpea mash on baguette, and an onion tart. I figured that would leave room for dessert. 

To accompany the cookies, I  had coffee, cappuccinos and home-made hot chocolate. It was delicious if I do say so myself, you have to try and make this hot chocolate!  We started off healthy with Oatmeal Raisin cookies (with walnuts and chocolate chips thrown in for good measure), then delighted in biscotti (great with coffee or hot chocolate), magic squares (a first for me, and oh so yummy), a Romanian cookie similar to rum balls that I adored as a child (still do), chocolate chip cheesecake cookies (my son's absolute favorite) and last but not least deliciously nutty cookies called Nutcrackers. 

It was a great afternoon! I feel lucky to have such sweet (pun intended) friends! 

Embracing the cold

Winter is just around the corner. The temperatures have slowly been dropping, we've graduated from fall jackets to winter ones, our scarves and mitts have been getting quite some wear.

My main concern in the winter is comfort. I turn to things, activities and traditions that bring my comfort. One of my favorite ways to relax (if and when that happens) is with a hot drink. I always make sure that my cupboard is stocked with all kinds of tea, coffee and cocoa. I am ecstatic that the red cups are back at Starbucks, and that I can indulge in a Caramel Brûlée. Another tasty treat is the London Fog Latte from Second Cup. And this one, I have managed to re-create at home.

For those of you that wish to try, here's how.

1TBSP Earl Gray from David's Tea
1 Cup Vanilla flavored Soy milk
1TSP honey.

Let the tea steep in the hot milk for about 5 minutes (you can use more or let it steep longer depending on how intense a flavor you are looking for). Add the honey and froth some milk to top off the drink, and voila, delicious, homemade London Fog Latte. I like to believe that this is less calorie intensive then the original.

And you know what makes this moment perfect? A tasty macaroon and the knowledge that you can work on your most recent knit project for (hopefully) a blissful, uninterrupted 30 minutes while your little one naps.

The Apron

I love food. I love experimenting with different tastes, recipes and spices. One of the first blogs I ever followed regularly was not a knitting blog, but a food blog, La Tartine Gourmande. So there's always something simmering in my kitchen. As in many homes it's the centre around which life unfolds.

Since we moved into out new house 4 months ago, I have been busy thinking of decorating (see my Pinterest board) and making our house into a home. I like to be surrounded by things that have a meaning, items I've picked up during my vacations, a memento from my childhood, family photos. And lately also hand-made items, a felted bowl, a knitted pillow-cover and now.....an apron. I know you may think...really? An apron? Why should I be impressed by an apron? But you do not understand, for someone that had to film the sewing instructions she got, this is a big deal!

I am proud to present my second sewing project!

As always, my go-to blog for ideas is The Purl Bee. The Tutorials are the best. I am starting to get the hand of this, though I have to admit that the stripes on the fabric were a life-saver!

I also followed the suggestions of some of my blog followers and purchased the Lotta Jansdotter "Simple Sewing" book and I cannot wait to tackle some of those projects!

How about you? Any great food blogs you care to recommend??

The brief appearance of Betsy (White)

In my crafty adventures I've repeatedly come across really interesting and cute DIY's that require you to know how to use a sewing machine. Learning this skill has been on my list of resolutions for a couple of years now.
I am happy to be able to say that I have finally taken my first steps into the sewing world.

An acquaintance was kind enough to give me and old sewing machine, a family heirloom really. It was and old "white" machine from the 60's, very "Mad Men", she is pink!. As soon as I saw her, I decided to name her Betsy (White). As I mentioned, I know nothing of sewing, so I took her to Sonia, my sister's sister-in-law, who's a sewing machine guru (she used to give sewing lessons). Her verdict? Betsy's motor is in great shape, she is however missing some essential pieces, which make her in essence, unusable!

Imagine my disappointment! My dear sister however, came to the rescue and let me borrow her own (largely unused) sewing machine for an extended period of time.

A three hour session, during which I filmed (thank you IPod), and took copious notes, has made me feel confident enough to attempt making a place mat. Here's a glimpse of it, and the somewhat wonky details, but please keep in mind that this is the first thing I have ever sewn.

And I am also missing some basic tools, such as a rotary cutter, properly sharpened scissors, a cutting mat and even a ruler. I had no idea that cutting straight is such a difficult thing to accomplish.

My source of inspiration was this post from Design Sponge, it's incredibly well explained.

And because I was on a roll, I also "whipped up" this little beauty, inspired by a tutorial I found on the "Purl Bee".

And I will be honest, this one isn't perfect either, without realizing I closed the drawstring channel on one side, so it's an absolute pain to close, but hey, that's easily fixed.

Now that I am armed with a sewing machine and have been bitten by the sewing bug, any suggestions on what to try next? Any book suggestions? Any supplies I absolutely have to get?

Looking good

I cannot believe it's been weeks since my last post! Three, to be exact. Where has the time gone? We're in February?

I do have a good reason though. Last summer I mentioned that I was trying hard to make some changes in my life. And I am finally seeing results. Our house sold, and we are moving! I am surrounded by boxes, lists, and well...dust. The new house is also ready, and I have to admit that my knitting obsession has been pushed aside a bit by my decorating obsession. I have to warn you, this year, you may see quite a few decor-related posts. But that's OK, right? Gotta shake things up a bit.

And because I want to keep things interesting, I took another fairly significant decision. This year, I will be participating in a craft fair! I don't have a lot of other details for now, but what I can tell you is that it's the Montreal POP Puces Market. I visited it this winter, and it's such a wonderful event. Local artists showcasing and selling their work. I felt really inspired, and encouraged. Also reading about Rebecca's experience over at nook, made me think that I'd probably have a blast!

So I've been experimenting with patterns and sketching out ideas. I had never tried a felting project before, and since 2012 seems to be a year of new adventures, I dove right in. Inspired by a woven basket that one of my good friends brought me back from the Philippines, I knitted and felted this little catch-all. It now proudly sits on my night-table, and I find it really practical. So I am thinking I will whip up a few for the market, and Etsy shop. I've already tried different sizes and also stripes, but the simple one, like this, I like best.

Now, what do you guys think of using safety pins to pin the basket into shape? I find it cute, a more "masculine" touch, but I am toying with the idea of trying beads or buttons.

In closing, I promise to not take another extended break...it feels strange and I do miss everyone that visits...

Easter Recap

I hope your Easter celebration was merry, filled with happy moments and good food.

I thought for today’s post I would share how I prepared for my family’s Easter. I find that with each passing year I am more and more inclined to include hand-made gifts and decorations in our holiday celebrations. There are so many inspiring ideas out there, so many great tutorials that I have to at least try.

I wanted to do something special for everyone coming over. Last year I had baked sugar cookies and gave everyone their own tin, so this year, when I saw this idea, I knew it was the perfect thing. I mean a pie baked in a jar? How perfectly cute is that? As I am a collector at heart I had enough jars gathered to bake a pie for everyone. The pies were super-easy to prepare and if I do say so myself delicious! I think everyone who sampled it agrees.

For the wrapping I followed a tutorial found on Creature Comforts (a great resource), that shows you how to make your own greeting cards with wasi tape, but I made tags instead of cards. I loved how they came out, and it’s such a great idea that I think I may just make my own Christmas cards too (it’s all about planning ahead, right?).

As for the Easter eggs, I had promised myself I was going to use natural dyes, first because I am trying to make our household as “green” as possible, and second it was Earth day after all. I followed this tutorial and the results were great.

I am constantly wishing for more time, and if next year I have it, I want to try the egg-o-gram, it’s adorable!

That’s it for me, on to more knitting!

Flowerpots need sleeves too

So I don't have any words of wisdom, no particular insights, no funny story for you today. I'm still waiting for spring but it seems I still have a long wait ahead.

I am planning to plant some flowers on our patio, to buy a new umbrella and coloeful pillows. I have this image of warm and sunny afternoons spent there, enjoying a glass of lemonade, my needles clicking away. That's not too much to ask, is it?

In the meantime, inspired yet again by Debbie Bliss' "The Knitter's Year", I made these three flowerpot sleeves. They just looked cute

Trying to phtograph this FO, I was wrapped in my parka, with my gloves and hat on, hoping the set-up would not get blown away by the -20C wind.

So really, under these weather-conditions, flowerpots DO need sleeves!

An early start to spring cleaning

I’ve been seriously knitting for a few years now, and I’ve of course accumulated a lot of yarn scraps. My knitting gear is stashed all over the house ( I dream of my own little corner one day), and it’s getting harder and harder to find what I need, or keep track of what I have. What better solution than a knitted one?

In Joelle Hoverson’s “More last-minute knitted gifts” I saw this super-simple pattern for a basket that is perfect for my needs. It took almost no time to whip it up, and I was impatient to finish it. So impatient that even though I did not have the correct size circular needles to finish the edge, I used a pair that was slightly too long, resulting in an edge that is not as tight as I’d like it to be. The finished basket, though not perfect, is very practical, so I immediately started working on one twice the size.

I’m going to have to make a few more of these baskets because there are numerous uses for them.

Happy Valentine's Day

I had this idea of knitting adorable little hearts in preparation for Valentine’s Day. I even thought it would be cute for A. to take them to daycare for his little girlfriends (yes, plural, not girlfriend, but girlfriends). But after about an hour of trying to knit 6 stitches with 4 needles and dropping them, retrying, twisting the whole thing, retrying, dropping the needles again, having a glass of wine, starting from scratch only to lose a needle again, I decided that baking is the way to go!

Maybe next year I will give it another try knitting hearts. I ended up finding some patterns that look promising. After all, it is important to know when to quit, right?

Since I am a food network addict, and a compulsive list-maker, I have a collection of recipes I am planning to try. It was not at all hard to narrow it down to a red-velvet cupcake recipe by Chuck Hughes, star of the show “Chuck’s Day off”.

Armed with new confidence and with the support of my 3-year old assistant baker I got to work.

The recipe is very simple, and it took us no time to make the batter. We watched with anticipation as the cupcakes began to rise.  Because I had naively ignored the instruction of only filling the cupcake mold half-way, my first batch, I must confess, looks more like a muffin than a cupcake, but thank heavens the taste did not suffer. I ended up redeeming myself with the second batch.

One cupcake had to cool off immediately in front of the open window so that my impatient son could sample it right away, and the verdict was in…..delicious!!!!

With some high-calorie frosting and red-colored sugar, here is the end-result.

In the end I think that A.’s girlfriends will probably prefer these Valentine’s Day gifts anyway.

A little touch of sunshine

I needed a quick, "sunny", project to focus on in order to forget about all the snow outside. This pattern I found on the "Purl bee" website seemed like the right challenge. It features a basic lace pattern, called "climbing trellis lace", which I had never tried before. It took a few tries, but with a little help from the internet it's worked out. I ended up learning three new basic techniques, the lace pattern, i-cord and the kitchener stitch.
I'm really pleased with the result. This is a great, practical little tote-bag. I can see it being used for groceries, as a beach-bag, to hold books, yarns, toys, really anything, it's very versatile.It also has a bit of a European flair I find, and I love that.

So now all I am missing is a ticket to the Bahamas so I can throw a bikini, a book, sunscreen and a hat into this bag and relax on a beach .....and forget about winter.