Catching Up, Let's Do This!

Hello to all my lovely readers out there in the vastness of the internet! It has been nearly a month since my last post. But life has got a little bit hectic, as it often does to the best of us. During this time of solitude I've found some absolutely gorgeous knit and crochet patterns that beg to be shared!

Firstly there's the joy that can be discovered in crocheting some African flower motifs! They are lovely and looked a little daunting at my first glance, so they stayed on the crafty list of things that will probably never be accomplished, for the longest time! But no more fear! I'm working on expanding my online store to include traditional items other than hats and scarves. Things like baby blankets and throws for those chilly fall days, and these are just perfect for making bigger projects like that. These little flowers work up pretty fast and are so basic! There's a plethora of projects that use these little beauties too! So if you're not into making throws or baby blankets, don't fret! You can make a purse, beach bag, stuffed animals, pillows... And the list goes on! And because they are quickly made, they are perfect for that confidence boosting daily project, or whenever time permits!

Here are some of the ones I've started:

African Flower Motifs

This one made a great basket liner for my nightstand!

The next pattern is the perfect knit project for you to make so you can have it in your wardrobe this fall! It's a free ravelry download, so do yourself a favor and follow this link HERE!!!! to find this pattern! Gorgeous right? I was immediately drawn to it after watching a Lord of the Rings marathon one weekend! I was badly craving something elvish looking for the next project. I kept thinking about what an elf would wear when the weather started to cool, obviously something with leaves that embodied nature. I used some of my stash yarn in a lovely shade of cocoa! (Although in the picture it looks more red in tint). I'm quite pleased with the result!

Leaving Cowl, WIP

The pattern is easy enough to follow with a 12 row repeat, and two choices of edging.  Trust me, this is the perfect scarf! Make one in your favorite color! Make one for your bestie! Make one for the donation box! Just make one! You won't regret it!

Like any good Janite,  I've been spending the summer rereading through my favorite Jane Austen novels and that pretty much determined that I had to buy a few issues of the interweave publication "Jane Austen Knits!"  I lucked out and got two issues for around $5! Phenomenal sales are the way to go! There are some gorgeous designs within the pages. I've already made the sweetheart bag from the fall 2012 issue. Technically it was supposed to be a small riticule, or drawstring handbag, but I used larger needles and worsted weight yarn because that's what I had, and the result was a stunning bag large enough to store embroidery, sewing and knitting supplies in. I went to the yard goods section of walmart and bought a few remnants of fabric to sew in the bag as a lining so needles wouldn't poke through the work. I hand stitched the whole thing, and that makes me very proud. If you know me at all, you are aware that I live by the sewing machine! Yes I make my own clothes at times, but I never NEVER handstitch anything!  I surprise gifted the bag to my mom, who does plastic canvas and cross stitch and is always in need of more storage on the go! It was perfect for her! She had a fit over the color and the entire concept, she said that the color work reminded her of antique wallpaper!

Sweetheart Bag

Kentish Toque, WIP
Featured with Netherfield Hall Mitts!

Now I've moved on to the Kentish Toque! I loved doing the rosehip stitch for the base of the hat, it worked up rather quickly and has a lovely basket weave type texture! Now all that's left is to put the finishing touches; Mexican sage, chrysanthemums, cabbage roses and petite leaves are all adding up to make this a gorgeous project! It isn't quite done, but I couldn't resist trying it on for shape and tweeting it to my followers!

Of course what kind of a literature enthusiast would I be if I didn't tell you what my current read is?! In celebration of World Elephant day, I have started reading "Water For Elephants" by Sarah Gruen! I also found a lovely little elephant charm bracelet at Goodwill, unfortunately it was stretched out too far for my wrist. So I re-purposed it into a simple necklace by taking one of the charms off and sliding it onto a chain. I quite like it and have been wearing it all week as my go-to necklace!

Happy World Elephant Day!
 August 19th! Mark your calendars for net year!

What's on your project stash this week? I'd love to see all the creativity! Just share a link to your blog post in the comment section and I'll check it out! Have a wonderful Saturday, and always happy crafting!

XOXO