cloudpuff baby sweater

More details on Ravelry.

I knit this recently for a friend's new baby girl. Not perfect, but I'm happy with it.

lunenburg trip

A month gone by and here are the remains of the day...

I sold my old house in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

Here are a few images from the trip there to clear it all out.

It was lovely, but it's time to move on!

Now for some pics.

This is not a quilt. I found it when I was house-clearing. Can you guess what it is?



That is correct. Seven year old German gourmet chocolates from a quick trip to Berlin when I was newly pregnant and very spaced out! Guess I forgot to give them away -- or eat them! The tin is pretty though -- orange. I think I kept it. I'll know when I open my boxes...


I've had this place for fifteen years, and it was special. But it's time to move on. Here it is mid-clear-out.


This primitive rocking chair went to a friend.



I love this old typewriter...but as it doesn't work, it was donated to the world at large. That's right -- left on a curb.



A favourite old lamp -lit up, it looks gorgeous. Not lit up, you can really see the plastic strips. I sold it for a few bucks to a junk store.


The best fishcakes in the world as far as I know. Magnolia's in Lunenburg. Served with rhubarb chutney....mmmmm. Addictive.



Or of course you may order fishcake and an egg.


oxox
ella

sneakers in fantasyland

...well, imagine we had a lot of disposable income...for things like these...would they take me back to grade seven?...where would they take you?...

Anna Maria Horner - Good Folks

Anna Maria Horner - Good Folks
Originally uploaded by the workroom

Look at spring, in fabric!

A Couple Raglan Sweaters in Progress...and some sweet links

This is a v-neck cardigan for my son, 6. Cotton/wool blend. Ravelled here. From the top-down sweater formula (see below). I love these colours. You?


Here is a baby sweater in progress, for a friend. It's super soft. Organic cotton.


Adapted from a brilliant Raglan Pattern Formula here. WAY easier than you might think, once you go through it and sort out what the heck the centre front stitches are doing. I'm a beginning knitter! This little baby sweater (for an impending girl) will only take one ball of some yummy "Blue Sky" cotton yarn. Ten bucks! Can't go wrong, baby.



Now.

I see that Lynne at Sugar City is now hooked on the knitting. I LOVE that. She and her sister-in-law are brilliant clothing/decor designers, so...the future bodes well for more cool knit patterns. I am like a crazed knitting-book consumer now. Dozens wait for me at the library. It's nice because unlike sewing (which I still and will always love) it is mobile. Silent. Stealthy.

:)



Okay, here's a little gift.

Links to free patterns for very COOL designs. Trust me, I've been scanning ravelry and the net for freebie patterns and there are some gorgeous, free, inspired knit projects. There are lots of places where you can find links to free patterns. These are simply curated by Ms Kelly at toast n eggs. That is, me. Totally biased.

Enjoy, for today:

crocheted flowers
5-hour baby sweater (knit)


xoxo
ella

Zoom-Zoom Library Bag

I recently made this doubled/interfaced library bag for a little boy turning 5. Love that Echino scooter fabric. I bought a few fat quarters in different colourways. Excuse the wacky variances in late winter light...

Do you have a nice bag for the library?

xo
ella

paperwhites and a new table

How decadent.
We have a new table!

Once in a long while I enter the dining area in my house and the light is so lovely, it seems to erase dirt, scratches, cheap office chairs' hideousness...and it looks quite nice. It's my favourite spot in the house. We have a lovely fellow named Thomas King (via Smash) to thank; he designed and made our table over the Christmas holidays - we didn't have a table for Christmas dinner. We were using my Ikea MDF table covered in a table-cloth.

You can see some of the grey left on the boards. I love that.

The new table is made of old barnboard coated in a thick laquer and screwed to a base of steel. We're happy with it. Plus, with the addition of these crazy thick layers of self-levelling laquer, it wipes clean perfectly, too. We went to "Smash" in Toronto to ask for advice on having a rustic table built for less than a fortune. They were so helpful and great there. I recommend it, and Thomas.





Just thought I'd share. I love seeing pictures of other bloggers' homes. I will probably never show you the rooms full of debris and chaos....but they certainly exist. Don't let this perfectly-lit sweet spot fool you. I recall I kicked the toys and laundry away into a corner. And the curtains need hemming. Bonus if you spot the pins. And you can see a sliver of red laundry bag there on the left....

xo
ella

Hello, Dolly

Having a rest.


Here is a doll I made (with help) recently, based on Emily's adorable Black Apple dolls
that many of you may have seen.

I love her.




This gal has orangey-blonde "hair" (velvet), a pale pink body, embroidered face (Emily paints hers), a recycled cashmere sweater dress, and boots made of bits of an old scarf that was accidentally felted. One night my guy actually helped me finish her and stuff her little legs. He carefully used a knitting needle to poke stuffing into limb ends.



It was a lovely night -- my man and me, crafting up a storm. A new trend? Nah. It didn't take. Manhood intact. ;}

But he had to admit later, he was pretty damn good at stuffing dolls. If he cared to do such a thing again.

Have a great day.

xo, ella