Warm and Snuggly Just In Time

It's a really good thing that I was in such a hurry to start knitting when my yummy alpaca arrived. The hubs and I had the chance to get away to Charlottesville for a long weekend. And with a winter storm warning and lows in the 30's my snuggly new cowl got a lot of use.

And as much as I detest having my picture taken, I did promise to share my finished product. So focus on the scarf, ok? I mean...not only is the yarn amazing, but those buttons! And the scenery isn't bad either:)

I, of course, don't have pics, but this cowl can be worn in several different ways. Buttoning just the top button, for example, turns it into a capelet. Leaving just the bottom button undone results in a cute little slit that looks great over the shoulder of a turtleneck. Or if it's 35 degrees outside, go ahead and button it all the way up and hunker down:)

Knitting Notes: In all honesty, I have no idea how many stitches, or rows, or what needles I used or anything like that (remember I reknit the thing 5 times!)...but here's the gist of it:) And I'll pretend that the "pattern" is intentionally vague so that you can apply it to any yarn you may choose to use!

After a lot of trial and error on the gauge, I settled on really large needles so the stitches were super loose. This seemed to show off the super-chunky yarn best. Then I cast on enough stitches so that the piece measured about 16 inches wide. From there I worked in garter stitch until it was long enough to wrap around my neck and overlap, as Belle says, "just a smidge" without having to be stretched. At that point I STRUGGLED with the buttonholes. I tried a few different methods and just couldn't seem to get the spacing right. I finally settled on a basic eyelet buttonhole and put in 4 buttonholes. To finish up I added another three rows of garter stitch plus the bind off to reinforce the buttonholes. Then I took the finished product to the local fabric shop to pick out buttons that would fit through the holes, but be pretty snug so they wouldn't slip out while I was wearing it. Ginorma-buttons fit the bill:)

Intentionally vague enough??? :)

Purpose - Spreading Love

If you've visited my blog recently, you might recall that I have been searching for a higher purpose for my crafting/sewing/knitting/cooking/etc/etc/etc. Just a means of using the gifts I've been given to touch others. So, periodically you'll see some links, tutorials, challenges etc. that will hopefully inspire you to do the same.

And this one's a breeze!

I love to cook! Love it! And, no, that isn't sarcasm. I really and truly enjoy it...ok, maybe not with a needy two year old hanging on my leg and a VERY talkative four year old providing endless commentary, but anyway...

Cooking is one of my ways of spreading love. Whether just to my immediate little family of four, or to a neighbor in need. It's one of my favorites ways to give to others.

And my secret to easy, affordable, and delicious treats...BISQUICK! I've found several easy-peasy recipes using the baking mix in various creations. This yummy apple cake recipe takes very few ingredients, very little time, and no baking experience whatsoever. Go ahead, sniff the screen, you know you want to:)

Then, when you are finished drooling, click the link and go make one for someone you love...or better yet, make one WITH someone you love! Then let me know with whom you shared your apple cake...have a great week!

Halloween Memories

Because Halloween 2011 is already just a memory. And I know that, in what seems like only moments, Halloween 2025 will be only a memory. We had a slew of 1-4 year olds running through our house this morning, and the squeals and giggles were priceless. Some of my favorite moments from this day and how I wish I could live it all over again...

And as a gift to my readers who also happen to feel that time is slipping through their hands faster than they really appreciate...I discovered an amazing new-to-me blog while browsing Pinterest (yes - I'm on there and one of these days I'll figure out how to do the whole Pinterest button on blog thing, but that will have to wait until another day). After reading several posts about photographing Halloween, I just knew that this was a must follow. So, if you're looking to preserve some of your memories, head over and visit Katie Evans Photography. And for your future photography tip needs, I've added a link to her blog on my sidebar.

She happens to be running a contest right now, and while my photography is amateur at best, it seems to be getting better every day, so I'll be sending my memories as entries...you should join in on the fun too! Directions for how to submit your entries can be found on the blog. And just a note - I've included the tips that inspired each shot just for your info:)

UPDATE: You can vote for my pics by liking them on Pinterest. They're the ones from belle-n-bee.blogspot.com (obviously:).

Entry 1: Moving beyond the traditional pose

Entry 2: Capturing the details

Entry 3: Getting behind them

Hold tight to those memories in whatever way you can! Happy Halloween:)

A Little Something Cozy

A little birdie told me that it is supposed to be cold and rainy in the southeast this weekend. And that's music to my ears. There is nothing like a morning mist and nip in the air to get the blood flowing...and nothing like a warm sweater and a pair of comfy boots to warm the soul!

A while back I fell in love with this ball of alpaca from SpinUp Yarns. Ever since our visit to the Alpacas of Niagra farm last winter, I've had a bit of a soft spot for alpaca yarn. And gray is my go-to color in the colder months. I marked it as a favorite and proceeded to "visit" it every single day for weeks, sometimes several times a day. And finally, in a moment of weakness, I clicked, "Commit to Buy." And then the waiting began.

When the package finally arrived, I tore into and fell in love all over again. I cannot possibly describe how soft and squishy this hank of alpaca yumminess felt.

And since it was probably not acceptable to carry it around everywhere with me like a grown-up lovey, I began knitting immediately. I actually knit and reknit the same 20 or so rows 5 times, just so I could extend the experience a bit. The finished product is absolutely divine...truly! Maybe one of these days I can get someone to snap a pic while I'm snuggled in the cuddly depths of my new favorite accessory...

Because sometimes, you need a little something cozy to brighten your day!

Our Autumn Fairy Village

Belle picked out our pumpkin this year...a tremendously large, bumpy, WHITE pumpkin! When it came time to carve it, a plain old jack-o-lantern face just wouldn't do. This pumpkin called for something really special...a Fairy House!

Belle gathered a bucket full of natural items (twigs, acorns, leaves, pine needles, etc.)

We put our three heads (Mommy, Daddy, and Belle - poor Bee always sleeps through the all the fun) and came up with this amazing fairy village. Daddy was in charge of architecture. Mommy was in charge or architectural detail...and Belle was in charge of all things fanciful. Did you notice the flowerpots in the windows??? All Belle!!!

We were hoping that the warm glow and special creature comfort details we added (a pile of firewood, a soft moss door mat....) would attract some autumn fairies.

This morning we found this small bundle on the front porch next to the fairy village. Tied to the top was a tiny scroll with even tinier hand-writing. It was a thank you note for Belle from the Autumn Fairies: Scarlet, Maize, and Goldenrod.

And they made her this very special doll so she would know what they look like. They said they can only stay a few days, but we are hoping to exchange gifts with them again before they leave:)

Farewell October...

Until next year!

As close to Paris as I can get...

I'd love to see France one day, but in all honesty it's not really at the top of my list. Venice, Scotland, and Alaska all easily trump the Eiffel Tower. And with all the great places that are geographically a whole lot closer, this is probably as close as I will ever get to Paris.

A sweet little Parisian blouse.

I've been rereading this series at Oliver & S and tried to use their principles as inspiration for this top.

The fabrics are definitely understated and proud members of the supporting cast. I definitely mixed collections, the prints are tonal, and there are no juvenile prints to be found. And I think the back looks a bit sophisticated...maybe???

I'm not one to create skirts with hundreds of loud, bright, bold prints all mixed together. I don't often make use of juvenile prints...especially for Belle. And I hope that you see the child first in the clothes that I make. BUT, I can't say that I have mastered the minimalistic art of Oliver & S. This is definitely a new look for me!

But clearly, Belle wears it joyfully...and you definitely notice HER! How could you not? She's the loudest thing in a 10 mile radius:)

What do you all think??? Do you love the understated, un-juvenile fabric choices? Or should I go back to bright florals and more kid-friendly prints?

mmmm...PIE!

We took a trip to the local pumpkin patch and brought home this gourd-geous gourd! Of course, I forgot to take a pic of it before we baked it:( And I forgot the variety name:( So, I'm no help whatsoever:( But ask the farmers at your local stand which of their pumpkins will make the best pie...that's what I did.


We cut it into fourths and scooped out all the stringy stuff and seeds. We separated the seeds and bagged some for planting next year and some for roasting. The pumpkin hunks went into a 350 degree oven until they were ultra-smooshy. I think ours were in the oven close to 2 hours...we had a BIG pumpkin!



When it came out we scooped the pulp, and boy was there a lot of it!

So last night, I dug out my grandma's pumpkin pie recipe. Remember my rather sketchy soup recipes...well, you're about to see where I get it:)

A little fresh whipped cream and YUMMY!

Grandma's Pumpkin Pie Recipe:

2 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

1 can pumpkin (when using fresh, eyeball it - put about 1 can worth of pulp in)

1 small can evaporated milk

pumpkin pie spice (I asked, "How much?"...she said, "enough.") - I went with a generous sprinkling approx. 1-2T

pie shell

Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour into shell. Bake at 375 degrees. I asked, "How long?" She said, "Till it's done." I think it takes about an hour...but have I ever timed it? NOPE! You'll know it's finished when it is firmly set. Cool before serving. Serve with whipped cream. And that pic above...that was my first scoop of whipped cream. I FIRMLY believe that you should have a 1:1 ratio of cream to pie, but that's just me:)

Orange and Black Wrap Dress

Remember this? Here's the more sophisticated, grown-up THREE YEAR OLD version:)

Made with a simple wrap dress pattern, but let me warn you...wrap dresses and pinafores are made such that when turned the entire body of the garment must pass through that tiny, narrow, little shoulder seam. Decorator weight fabric does NOT make this easy! But well worth it in the end:)

A Sweet Treat

Belle and I made this delicious candy corn trail mix with part of a bag of candy corn that she quite literally STOLE from her Neeny (my MIL).

The Recipe: All quantities are to be determined by the eating parties. We kept the sweets to a minimum and loaded up on the cereal...no sugared up kiddos allowed around here.

Ingredients:

crispix cereal, pretzels, peanuts, dried cranberries, golden raisins, marshmallows, and CANDY CORN (orange and black m&m's would also be quite yummy now that I think of it!)

Directions: Stir:)

Making Do Monday - TREASURE PANTS

AKA - Lots of Pockets Pants, Pocket Pants, Mountain Pants, Who Needs a Bag? Pants, and my personal favorite Acorn Pants (because that's what Belle always fills her pockets with:).

I used this pattern from here. It's unisex and couldn't be easier to put together...it's only TWO pieces! But, you could use any comfortable pants pattern that you have.




For the pockets, I used every pocket tutorial, design and/or pattern I could think of and went a little crazy. There are 8 pockets on the finished pants. I originally cut out 12, but 2 covered too much of the flower print, and 2 others seemed to be too far away from little hands to really be of much use.

And why is this a Making Do Monday project? Well, for me...it's because everything I used came from my stash. You might not have a yard of luscious, soft, velvety, baby-wale corduroy in your stash, but you can find it here. Mine is "Lipstick," but there are tons to choose from. The pockets are definitely stash raiders! Find some random scraps and start cutting:)

I even had to "make do" with my elastic! I didn't have any 1/2" elastic and really wanted these pants finished in time for Belle to wear to the mountains, so I stitched two long pieces of 1/4" elastic together...I do NOT recommend that you make do quite this much, but I was desperate!

Plenty of space to stuff with acorns, flowers, leaves, rocks etc.

Maybe I should have made the elastic tighter so the treasures don't pull the pants right off the kid!

Soup's On!

Nothing says fall like the return of the soup pot to its cozy home on my stovetop! Here are two of my favorite soup "recipes." You'll quickly discover that I don't actually follow recipes, refuse to measure, and never replicate the same pot of soup in exactly the same way...EVER! But, I think you will easily be able to recreate these much loved pots of yummy deliciousness:) Just trust your gut and season till it tastes good!

Chicken Noodle Soup:

In a large stock pot, saute onion, garlic, carrots, and celery seasoned with S&P. Add previously cooked chicken whacked into bite-size pieces (I usually use leftovers from roasted chicken, but you can easily grill up a breast to use if you'd like). Saute briefly. Add low-sodium chicken broth/stock and water. Season with dried thyme, minced rosemary, a bay leaf and more S&P if you desire. Bring to a rapid boil. Add wide egg noodles. Simmer 15 minutes.

Beef and Barley Soup (my fave!):

Cut stew beef chunks into bite-size pieces. Season with S&P. Heat a tiny bit of olive oil in a large stock pot, add beef and sear on all sides. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and saute until soft. Add a couple of good glugs of balsamic vinegar and worcestershire sauce. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add a carton of low-sodium beef broth, a large can of tomato puree, and a can of water. Season with a bay leaf, minced rosemary, a sprinkling of Splenda (or sugar), and more S&P if you desire. Bring to a boil. Stir in approx. 1 cup of pearl barley (NOT THE QUICK COOKING KIND!). Simmer 30-45 minutes, stirring regularly. Once the barley starts to release starch, the soup will thicken (YUM!), but it will also start to stick to the bottom of the pan and burn, so be sure you stir every few minutes.

MMMMMmmmmmm.....

Making Do Monday - FREE PATTERN - Cozy Hat

I make hats...it's good for my marriage!

???

Yep, that's right. It's better than counseling, because it prevents us from needing couseling.

???

Ok - maybe I should explain.

I'm a control freak. Especially when it comes to driving. My husband is a terrific driver. He's safe; he's responsible; he's reliable; he's aware...you know, all those things you are supposed to be when you are behind the wheel. HOWEVER, the rest of the world...not so much! It seems that lane lines have become optional, speed limits are mere suggestions, and common courtesy is out-dated. Glance in any window on the interstate and you can pretty much guarantee that the driver is talking on the phone, texting, or checking their email. I think my life is shortened by one year every time I am on a highway!

So how does this relate to hats???

I make them. In the car. While my husband drives.

I can happily crochet, still carry on a conversation, and never have the opportunity to glance up and see the swerving vehicles, drifting tractor trailers, and teeny-tiny little lanes through the construction zones. I used to try to read, but every time I wanted to talk to my husband I looked up...not good! I tried just talking about really riveting things, but then I could still see everything that is going on...not good! I've occassionally tried to sew, but bumps result in finger pricks, then my eyes wander, and well...you get the picture.

Then one day I brought some yarn along on a trip, and before I knew it we were there. I hadn't gasped, gripped the mercy bar, or hissed, "They're stopping!" at my husband even one time. He was smiling; I was smiling; We were happy! It was a minor miracle!

So now...I make hats.

And in honor of the month of October and the return of cool weather I'm sharing my SUPER-SIMPLE Cozy Hat pattern. This pattern is easily adjustable from newborn to adult. You will need basic crochet knowledge, but I mean BASIC. And if you've never crocheted, but still want a hat...let me know. I have LOTS of them. One for every ride I've taken in the last 6 months:) Did I mention that we recently purchased some land in the mountains??? It's only going to get WORSE!

And how, might you ask, is this a Making Do Monday project? Well, each one of these takes about half a skein of yarn (even less for the newborn hat), so it's a great way to use up bits and pieces of yarn that are left over from other projects.

Cozy Hat Pattern:

You will need - 1 skein of medium weight yarn (a 4 or 5 weight will work), crochet hook (H)

Size - Pattern is written for an adult. Stitch count changes are in parentheses for 0-6 months, 6-12 months, and 2-6 years respectively.

Row 1: Chain 24(13, 16, 21).

Row 2: Skip chain stitch and single crochet in BACK LOOPS of each stitch, 23 (12, 15, 20) stitches in all. Chain 1.

Rows 3+: Repeat Row 2 until piece measures approximately 20 (13, 15, 18) inches (. BE SURE TO STITCH AN EVEN NUMBER OF ROWS!

Last Row: Fold hat right sides together and match up end rows. Skip chain stitch and single crochet in each pair of stitches (pass hook through loops of both ends of piece with each stitch). 23 (13, 15, 18) stitches.

Tie off. Clip yarn leaving long tail (25+" long).

Weave tail around circumference of hat. Pull tightly to gather top of hat. Tie off and clip strings. Turn hat right side out and fold up edge if desired.

DONE!

Scary Skull Skirt

A while back I made a mountain of skirts for Belle. I had the worst trouble keeping this one secret! Luv it, luv it, luv it:)

Find the how-to details here Basic Skirt Tutorial.

Halloween Crayons - An Oldie But a Goodie

I have a thing about old crayons...I don't like them. Once the papers get soiled, the tips are worn flat, and pieces start to break off, I just can't use them. Wasteful...I know, but I have come up with a three-part solution:

1. Ignore - just choose not to see the broken, dirty, used up crayons in the box...use all the ones that still look pretty.

2. Retire - Once they can no longer be ignored, hide them away. I keep a bag of old crayons in the bottom drawer of our art supply cabinet. They just hang out waiting for their chance to be reclaimed, given a face lift, made new again.

3. Recreate - Turn those old dirty stubs into fabulous, new, designer crayons.


I bought this mold at our local craft store. It was about $10, but we will be able to use it for baking as well as crafting, so it was worth the splurge. You could probably get these in the after holiday sales if you're smarter than me, but I couldn't wait that long:)

Belle and I spent a rainy afternoon peeling and breaking those old crayons. We sorted them by colors and dropped them into the mold. I wasn't so sure about the blue cat, but she insisted and she was right...non-traditional, but pretty fantastic!

Pop the pan into the oven on 200 degrees. Be sure to turn on your oven light so your little one/s can watch them ooze! Pull them out when they are 99% melted. If you let them become totally liquidy then the pigment and wax will separate some and you will end up with a colorless wax layer on the back of each crayon. I let ours go too long, we have colorless wax, it's not a big deal except that only the front side of the crayon colors well, so it can be a little frustrating for small hands. Oh well!

This project has been around a while...nothing new here, but cute and fun none the less! Enjoy:)

IT'S OCTOBER!!!!

I love fall and the month of October in particular!

I'm a jeans and boots kind of gal, so those first cool nights of fall make me giddy. I'm the one pulling out sweaters when it's still 80+ degrees, because fall just isn't long enough in the South. And the PUMPKINS!!! Need I say more? I mean, what's not to love about a chubby, orange, gourd with a lop-sided grin and crooked eyes! Come on, you know the mere thought of it is making you smile:)

So in honor of my favorite month of the year, I'm going to be sharing as many fall-themed projects, recipes, and inspirations as possible. I'd love to tell you that I will have something new for you every day, but let's be realistic...have you met my children??? Anyway, I'll do my best and have a ton of fun along the way.

Have any great fall projects of your own??? Link them to this post...I'm always looking for new ideas!

KCWC - Project #3

Wait! What happened to Project #2???

No you haven't missed anything, but a second Pintuck Sweatshirt in a lovely shade of orchid just didn't seem worthy of its own post, no matter how sweet the fabric color. So, we've moved on...

Remember those stacks of colorful squares that opened KCWC for me??? Well, here they are!

This was a total experiment! There are so many things here that I've never tried before.

1. Quilt as you go: I joined up with other quilters over here alamodefabric.blogspot.com for the second round of Quilt As You Go Challenge. Never have I ever, but it looked like fun. And since we have absolutely NO need for yet another quilt in this house I really wanted to do something that would be more practical.

2. Quilted Clothing: When I started quilting in the 80's, quilted clothing was not so lovely:) And for the last 20+ years it has left a bad taste in my mouth. But since Belle prefers to wear skirts every single day, I figured I had better start figuring out some warmer versions.

3. Machine Quilting: I'm a purist! Quilts are pieced by hand, quilted by hand, and bound by hand. Now don't get me wrong, I have occassionally pieced on the machine when I was working on a time-sensitive project....but QUILT on the machine...NEVER! But since this isn't actually a quilt, I don't feel as much guilt about breaking with tradition here.

So how'd I do it???

1. Quilt as you go blocks: I created a stack of blocks using the method described here http://sewtakeahike.typepad.com/sewtakeahike/my-patterns-and-tutorials.html

2. Then I stitched them all together to form the main panel of the skirt.

3. Quilt it - The skirt was already round, so this was a bit trickier, but still not too bad.

4. Bind the bottom edge - just like you bind a quilt.

5. Create a waistband - I made the wasitband separately then stitched it on...afterwards, I wished that I had done the extra seam allowance math to put in a French seam...then the skirt would have been totally reversible, but alas, I didn't, so I couldn't, so it isn't.

DONE!

Definitely NOT a project I would ever undertake again, but fun and interesting and worth the effort ONCE:) Will I ever "quilt as I go" again??? Probably! It's a great technique for small projects or a speedy method for large projects, as long as I can get past the machine-made aspect of the whole thing:)

Two days of KCWC still to come...lots of ideas, lots of new fabric choices, not enough hours in the day:) Wish me luck!

KCWC - Project #1

I started the Kids' Clothing Week Challenge with a doosy of a project. After my first night's hour of work, I had...well...a stack of colorful squares:( More on that later...

So for day 2 I decided to tackle something that could actually be finished in an hour.

A while back I purchased several patterns from heidiandfinn.etsy.com including this pintuck sweater pattern http://www.etsy.com/listing/56948458/pintuck-sweater-tunic-pattern-and. I have been collecting fleece sweatshirt material ever since, but had yet to manage to even get one cut out. So for KCWC Day 2 I pulled it all out and decided to make a winter top for Belle (we're headed to Niagra in November, so warm clothes are much more crucial to us than normal at this time of year).

Let me say that I LOVE Heidi and Finn patterns. They are typically fairly simple for someone with basic sewing knowledge, but the results have that little something extra that makes them stand out in your child's wardrobe. And this pattern definitely lived up to my expectations and then some:)

In just under and hour I was able to put this cutey together...and plan for about a gazillion more!!!

Oh, and hopefully I'll actually get that first project finished this week too:)

Making Do Monday - Fisher Boy "Shorts"

I seriously love No Big Dill...like major blog crush! So when I saw this tutorial that Katy created, I just had to try it out...that night:)

http://www.maryjanesandgaloshes.com/2010/08/making-your-own-patterns-with-no-big.html

In honor of my goal to "make do" as much as possible, I raided the stash. This Red Letter Day fabric has been hanging around for months. I've used bits and pieces for small projects, but still had some serious yardage left...it's perfect for that summer to fall transition, don't you think???

Now you must know, I sew at night. That means that all fitting is done through estimation and sometimes comparison to other articles of clothing, but NEVER to the actual child who will wear the item. For these, I pulled out my favorite pants pattern...size 1 year. Bee is only a few days away from being 1, so that seemed to make sense. Then I shortened the pattern by about 6 inches to get a capri length (and lose the extra hem allowance, since I didn't need any for these "shorts."

Well you can see that apparently we grow 'em really short around here, but they're still super cute PANTS...and she'll be able to wear them for at least a year:)

During Breakfast

My girls are SLOW eaters! So slow, that I actually use meal times to sew. We all sit down together for breakfast and lunch, but when I am finished I can usually bet on at least another 15 minutes before they are. So...I sew:)


During breakfast this morning, I whipped up these cuties.



I cut them out last night, using this pattern from Made by Rae http://www.made-by-rae.com/2010/08/big-butt-baby-pants-sewing-pattern.html. I also went ahead and pressed in the creases in the hem bands etc. They came together in about 20 minutes while the girls munched their eggs and fruit.


Love the fabric??? I got it from my fave online fabric shop, Above All Fabric. Click the button on the right to visit Melanie and check out her great selection.