Fall has arrived

After 3 straight days of 80 degree weather last week here in Minnesota, it appears that Fall has decided to make an appearance--and stay.  This week we are in the 60's and 40's in the morning at the bus stop.  Yep, that's Fall.

Usually I adore the Fall season.
Sleeping with the windows open.
Not needing the A/C or the furnace.
My birthday is less than 2 weeks away.
The cooler weather makes me happy.
The kids get creative and excited about Halloween costumes.
More firepit evenings.

This year it is going to be difficult.
Selling a house is not fun.
And when it doesn't sell in the time frame you would like it is even more less fun.

All my Fall decorations are in the back of the POD sitting in my driveway.



Somewhere WAY, WAY, WAY back there.
I'm pretty sure the Fall bins are up against the back wall of the POD.
That means about 6 layers back--top to bottom.
And unfortunately PODs don't come with both a front and a back door.

So the only decorations I have are these 2 ceramic pumpkins.




I only have these because when we went to visit my parents in August my mom decided to clean out her Fall and Winter bins and she was getting rid of these two.  I figured I could use them somewhere.

I actually looked at the thrift store today to see if I could find something inexpensive to decorate with.  I really don't want to buy new stuff, because I have stuff.  Not a lot, but I have stuff.

So maybe I'll go take a walk and find some fun weeds to cut and put in a container.
That might work.

Stay tuned for Christmas...if our house still hasn't sold by then it will be even more interesting.  The Christmas bins are right next to the Fall bins.

Dandelion Jeans

When talking about "jeans" for daughter #3 we use that word loosely.  She will NOT wear store bought jeans--zip up the front, scratchy on the waist, unable to move, too much bulk in crotch region kind of jeans. That is her description of why she doesn't like them.  She will however wear denim pants that I make for her--i.e. loose fitting, elastic waist, and no butt pocket.

Recently she informed me that she didn't have any long pants for school.  Yeah, it has been a rough couple months around here.   I had bought her shorts for gym class--first year of middle school and all, but they were a bit big in the waist.  I knew that I wouldn't be able to buy her pants that were long enough but skinny enough to fit her body.  So I pulled a couple pieces of denim and chambray that I could find and cut out 4 pairs of pants.  I then tried to make them all a little bit different from each other so that people wouldn't think she was wearing the same pair of pants over and over and over and over again.

On the dark denim I asked her if I could do a little embroidery design.
She agreed.
I only did it on one leg because I didn't think I could duplicate it well enough on the second leg.  And really I was just winging it on the design and idea.  Maybe if I had a white washable fabric marker/pencil I could outline it and do it but she was fine with just one leg fancied up.






Details:

• Thrifted fabric--about $3 for 3 yds. or more.  I got 2 pairs of pants out of the dark denim and 2 pants and a skirt out of the chambray piece.
• McCalls 5135 and lengthened the pants a bunch.  The pattern is out of print.
• Used heavy thread (I think quilting thread) for the dandelion detailing.  I had practiced with regular thread and didn't think it stood out enough.

Double Knotted Lattice Cabled Scarf

I made this scarf for one of my nieces for college.
This is the last one for the 3 that just graduated this year.



She is currently attending BYU-Idaho, where it gets awfully chilly.
Last week I happened to see that they already had had their first FREEZE advisory for the overnight.




Details:

• Pattern found here.
• 2 skeins Red Heart Soft in Navy. (The color is a little off in the pictures she sent me.)

Original Picture source here.

Another cable scarf

I made this scarf for my niece who is a freshman at the University of Nebraksa--go Huskers!!! ( our mom and youngest brother are hardcore Husker fans)

She needed some cold weather team spirit gear.
This ought to fill the bill.

Cast on 46 w/ size 8 needles

Row 1: K1, p1, k1, k12, p2, k12, p2, k12,  k1, p1, k1

Row 2: K1, p1, k1, p12, k2, p12, k2, p12, k1, p1, k1
Row 3: repeat row 1
Row 4: repeat row 2
Row 5: K1, p1, k1,  k4, C8B, p2, k4 C8B, p2, k4, C8B, k1, p1, k1
Row 6: repeat row 2

Row 7: repeat row 1

Row 8: repeat row 2

Row 9: repeat row 1

Row 10: repeat row 2
Row 11: K1, p1, k1, C8F, k4, p2, C8F, k4, p2, C8F, k4, k1, p1, k1

Row 12: repeat row 2

Continue repeating rows 1-12 until desired length and then cast off.



Details:

• Original pattern inspiration here.  I modified it some--adding a side border as well as lengthened out the distance between cables.
• 2 skeins Red Heart Soft in Wine (I prefer a blue/red over an orange/red most of the time).  And my niece has similar coloring to my #2 daughter here)
• Finished dimensions:  oops!! forgot to take them before I packaged it up to send.  About 6 inches wide and probably close to 70 inches as you can wrap it around your neck once.

Londinium Scarf

I had thoughts of giving this scarf away as a gift, until I was into it awhile.
This pattern is rather intense and I decided someone else may not appreciate the effort it took to make it.  So the girls and I will share it.

It ended up being quite thick and cozy.






Details:

• Pattern from Smariek Knits--Londinium Scarf.  If you like intense amounts of cables this site has lots of free patterns.
• I eliminated 1 column of cables from the original pattern as I wasn't sure I wanted it that wide and I also wasn't sure I could make it as long as I wanted with only 2 skeins if I kept the original width.
• 2 skeins Red Heart Soft in Turquoise.
• Finished dimensions 5 inches by 74 inches.

Boyfriend Scarf Version #2

I've made this pattern once before, earlier in the year.  Then daughter #2 decided she'd like one and so this is hers.  I've had it done for awhile, just didn't get around to taking pics, and then it was Summer, and then we got going selling our house.  The list goes on.

However, the weather here is now turning cooler and so I thought I'd post these scarves I've made.


Daughter #1 doing the modeling.






This is a super easy cable pattern.  Great for beginning cablers I think.

Details:

• Pattern found online here or in the book "Chic Knits" by Phuong My Ly, pg. 59.
• 2 skeins Red Heart Soft in Tangerine.
• Finished dimensions 7 inches by 76 inches.

Rambling Cable Design Scarf

This may be my favorite cable knit pattern of all time.
Why?
Because you don't have to think, count, or keep track of anything.
You just place a cable wherever you feel like it, whenever you want.
Beautiful.
The whole time I was working on this scarf I kept thinking that this is a great pattern to learn how to make cables, because really you just make them when you feel like and you're not going to screw up any pattern or design.


Picture source here

Make them as big or as little as you like and as often as you'd like.

My oldest daughter is a little random herself.
So this design was right up her alley.
It was a toss up between this design and this pattern.

My version for my daughter.




Details:

• Pattern here or here.
• I added more edge border on mine---5 stitch seed stitch on each side of the cable rows.  Cast on accordingly.
• 2 skeins Red Heart Soft yarn in Teal
• Size 9 circular needles.
• Finished dimensions 6 1/2 inches by 76 inches.

Double Cable Scarf

My oldest daughter and her BFF are heading to BYU-Idaho in January.
It is located in Rexburg, ID--nicknamed "Iceburg".
No kidding!

I went there myself back in the day and there was snow on the ground from October to April---straight.
No melting and 6 ft. drifts near my apartment.
Even though they are both Minnesota girls and used to cold weather they are going to need some warm gear.


Source here

I made this scarf for BFF as her going to college present.
She LOVES purple and this color is just gorgeous!





Details:

• Finished dimensions 7 inches by 72 inches.
• Pattern from Vogue Knitting on the Go: Cables, pg, 26-29.  
• 2 skeins Red Heart Soft in Grape
• Amazingly I didn't make any changes to the pattern.  I did, however, rewrite the abbreviations somewhat so I could read it easier.  That is the one thing about cables, it seems there are a number of abbreviations that can be used for the same stitch.  i.e. 4-st RC is the same as CB2

Friday Finds

A couple weeks ago I had my #2 daughter with me and we stopped at the thrift store to browse around. This is NOT one of her favorite things to do.  But she will go with me from time to time.

I go enough that I have my "routine" of where I look and which aisles, etc.

First up is furniture.
On this particular day we saw this beautiful desk with some fabulous scrolling and cabriole legs and even a cute bench to go with.
Just no price tag.
That always scares me.
I figured they would probably mark it at $50 or $100 because it was in really nice shape.

We walked around and checked out the rest of my spots and then came back and there was the desk still sitting there.  I made her stand by the desk while I found someone.

I asked one of the workers if they knew how much it was and when they couldn't find a price tag either they called someone else over, who left to go get a price.

Lo and behold I about died when he slapped on the tag and it was $29.99!!!!

What!!!
That meant it was only going to be $22.50 because it was 25% off day.

We bought it and while I was waiting for someone to write up the slip a different worker came to ask if we were getting it because someone else had been asking about it.

Yes, we are buying it.
Daughter #2 decided she should have it for her new room in the new house that we still don't have yet.
I agreed she could have it.



Isn't it cool?!
No broken drawers.
No missing scroll work.







Great feet.
And a bench to go with.



That cushion will be super easy to change out. We'll have to be on the hunt for a fun piece of fabric.

We are thinking of leaving the top of the desk dark wood and then painting the rest a cream color and distressing it a bit.

There's my one big happy find for this week.
I am trying to do other things besides accumulate things.
I better get back to my sewing machine.
Enjoy your weekend.

Dolman Sleeve T-shirt

As you can tell by my lack of postings, I have been "distracted" by other things.
It is called "trying to sell your house."
I so hope I never have to do it again or at least anytime soon.
Our house still hasn't sold even with lots of showings.
Oh well, I feel like we've done just about everything we can, including paying for a new furnace and A/C which was NOT on the list of things to do in order to sell the house.

I have the new house picked out STILL and it is waiting....and waiting....and waiting.
Those owners want to get rid of their house and know we want it.
Happily they are trying to work with us.
We just need to sell this one!!!!!!!
I'm tired of dealing with selling.
I even ran away with the kids for a week right before school started and went to NE. to visit my parents because I just couldn't deal with showings and keeping the house clean A.L.L. the time and then nothing happening.

School started this week and I am THRILLED!!  Sorry kids, I do love you all, but you need to go away for a time period and then come back.  We'll probably all like each other better then.

I got back into my sewing game here over the last week or two.
Sewing is so helpful for me.
Gets the creative juices going and I can actually see something to completion that doesn't need to be "done" again later: i.e.laundry or dishes, or cleaning the house top to bottom because we have a showing later.

Everyone needed new shirts for school, well at least the girls did.
The boys told me they were fine, but I may have to do some for them too.
In the meantime, we found this easy dolman sleeve pattern and we like it.

Dolman sleeves are where the sleeve and front or back of the shirt are all one continuous piece.







It has a little bit of a high/low hemline.


Close-up of the neckline with a single topstitch.

Details:

• Simplicity 1463--View A  (my girls are eyeballing view C with the contrasting sleeves and back yoke)
• Recycled navy knit sheet from the thrift store
• Lengthened 3 inches
• Also lengthened the sleeves a good 4 inches.

Here is my version.

Short sleeves with no sleeve band.

T-shirt with almost absolutely no stretch whatever, hence the no sleeve band choice.

Also lengthened about 3 inches.