:: knitting

I've just been knitting....drinking tea & coffee....and knitting some more.

Here's a little knitting inspiration for you & me.

Image Sources can be found on my PINTEREST board here.

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

Pin It

:: knit & crochet flowers

Working on some knit & crochet flowers for a project.

Hope you've had a wonderful weekend.

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

Pin It

:: best of Etsy...knits

It's that time of year again for my favorite winter sport....K N I T T I N G.

Time to start breaking out the crochet hooks & knitting needles.

So here's a little knitty inspiration to motivate {me} and hopefully you.

For those of you who aren't into the yarn arts, but love them all the same

this goodness is for you too....minus the tired hands & carpal tunnel.

First up....

is the lovely long cable cardigan with buttons by Jessie.

Jessie has been creating and selling her own knitwear designs since 2007.

Jessie lives in Redmond, Washington with her husband Tom & her kitty Fallon.

Go have a look at more great knits in her etsy shop, isn't her banner so cute { love owls } 

Second up...

is the wonderfully colored and textured Medusa Infinity Scarf 

made by the lovely Dana Valente at Nina Ramone {named after her fur baby}.

Dana is a self taught knitter who cannot read knit or crochet patterns.

{I'd say she's doing pretty darn good on her own wouldn't you}

She's a knitter/crocheter by day and a roller derby diva by night...

her moniker.....Dresta Kill.....don't you just love it.

To take a peek at more of her great work, just click on her banner below.

Third up...

is the beautiful basket weave Painted Desert Wrap by Leah

of Hey Freddie on Etsy. Leah hails from Columbus Ohio.

Her favorite knitting materials are wool, alpaca & mohair.

I love Leah's work, and I'm sure you will too.

Visit her at her etsy shop below.

 Fourth up...

The stunning Linen and Lace Halter Top by Efia 

of Efia Fair. Efia is a very talented girl, she loves to draw, sew, paint,

dance, photograph, knit and crochet, and she is also an actress.

I love Efia's romantic style, and I'm sure you will too.

Go have a peek at more of her fabulous knits below...

Fifth up...

Is this adorable Lollipop Prom Dress by Nihan

at Nihan Altuntas. Nihan lives in Istanbul and her work is a mix of modern and 

Anatolian culture. Nihan has been crafting since she was old enough to pick up a crayon.

All of Nihan's pieces are available for customization according to client taste,

{ that just makes her lovely work even better} so go have a peek below.

Last but not least by any means... 

Is the Giant Pouf by Cara of  Mary Marie Knits,

her shop is named for her Grandmother who passed on to her a tradition 

of being creative and thrifty {love that}. Cara is a writer by trade, 

but she has a passion for knitting and creating goods for the home.

I don't know about you, but I need one of these knit poufs, they are just too fun.

So go on have a peek at more of her creative & useful knits...just click below.

So, what do you think of my Best of Etsy...Knits roundup?

What's your favorite?

Aren't these ladies super talented?

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend where you are,

it's rainy and gloomy here again....perfect weather for knitting.

Off I Go.

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

Pin It

:: kitty kozi

Look at this cute & comfy kitty....looks just like my Cheeto.

I've been scouring the web, looking for free patterns to knit or crochet a bed for my cats.

This one is by far my favorite of the ones I found, so I thought I would share it with you also.

This pattern was created by Wendy of wendy knits...adventures with sticks & string.

These photos are of her readers kitties enjoying the beds their owners knit using Wendy's pattern.

Aren't they all just precious. I think my kitties will love these beds too, so I'm adding this to my knit list.

One of the main reasons I need a bed like this is to give my cat Fifi

a place to lounge besides all over every piece of my front porch furniture.

It's so covered with Fifi fur that I can't even go out and enjoy it.

I hope it will work, because now that the weather is starting to cool

I'm really looking forward to doing more relaxing there.

Anyhoo, now you know why I need to make one of these beds.

Maybe you too need a cute and comfy bed for your little furry friend.

What if you don't knit, or crochet, but still want one of these adorable beds.

Well, for you there is a shop on etsy called  Modern Cat

and they sell this lovely crocheted cat bed below....just click on the image

and you are ready to provide your sweet furkin a new sleep experience.

So there you have it....this is what is on my mind today.

Now I just have to find the time to sit down and get started.

Hopefully soon, since knitting weather is definitely on it's way

Are you a knitter or crocheter?

Are you making a list for your winter knitting?

I just love this time of year.

Wish me luck.

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

Pin It

{ a rosey ring }

I'm always trying to think of new ideas and ways to use my knits,

and while I was knitting a rose brooch for a customer 

I had the idea that a rosey ring would be quite cute too.

So, I scrounged through my yarn stash looking for some tiny lace weight yarn.

Needless to say, I don't have a whole lot, but I did manage to find a ball of this turquoise color.

Not exactly what you think of when you think of roses, but it's still fun & I do them in all colors.

I then found one of the tiniest pairs of needles I own, this vintage pair of size 1's.

Then I cast on my stitches and started knitting the tiniest thing I think I've knit to date.

   

It was a little bit of a challenge, because this yarn is a little too fuzzy for this project, 

and those needles are just so small.  I admire all the ladies out there who knit socks with tiny needles.

Maybe one day, I'll tackle something a little bit larger with the baby needles.

For now, though, I'm happy with the way this turned out.

It's a little larger than I would like for it to be, but again I was just playing around with the yarn on hand.

I would like to give some crochet thread a try, and maybe even a smaller needle.

I have some lovely vintage tortoiseshell needles from Australia, and they are believe it or not tinier.

I simply sewed on an adjustable ring base, and there you have it a cute little accessory.

I'll have to get busy making some of these little cuties up for the farmer's market this fall,

I'm sure there are some little girl's and maybe big ones too who would think these very fun.

Lots of ideas popping up in my head for ways to use these little roses.

Thanks for stopping by,

and as always, thank you so much for the sweet comments.

I love nothing more than to read each and every one that comes in, they make my day.

Now, back to knitting for me.

:: peace & love ::

Carrie

Pin It

{ peaceful heart alpacas }

Thanks to everyone for the sweet birthday wishes.

I had a great time on my 37th birthday,

though 37 did a little number on me like no other birthday has.

I was feeling a little like my best years were behind me there for a little while.

Thanks to a wonderful husband, the sweetest sister in the world, and some great friends

I was able to get over it and realize that no matter if I gain a few pounds, wrinkles and gray hairs,


there are still many great years ahead of me, and lots of new adventures to enjoy.

You guys be sure to remind me of those things when 38 rolls around,

because I'm not sure getting older will get any easier.

So on to another subject.

Over the Memorial Day weekend on our trip to the mountains

we made a quick visit to a little alpaca farm just around the corner from my parents cabin.

This was just a cute little mountain home where the owners and their daughter who is a 

fiber spinner decided they would raise their own alpacas for their amazingly soft fiber.

What started out as just a few alpacas grew into a group of 18 males & 18 females.


Here below, are the mother's and babies in a separate pasture.

Here are the alpaca boys coming down the hill to greet us visitors.


We just missed them with their full coats, as they had recently been sheared.


They were so cute with their furry legs and heads and skinny necks and bare bodies.


After visiting the resident fiber providers we went inside to see some of the finished products.


Inside was a small room where they sold imported items all made of alpaca.


There was also a spinning room where they teach classes and show off some of the items made on site.

I've always wanted to learn how to spin my own yarn,


so I may just have to go up another weekend and take one of their classes.


They also teach classes on rug making, dyeing, felting, and weaving on a triangle loom.


The family was super sweet, and I ended up walking away with a skein of yarn


that I'm working into a hat right now, and it's truly the most luxurious fiber I've ever worked with.


I can't wait to finish it, I know it will be a winter favorite, especially in the mountains.


You can check them out here at { Peaceful Heart Alpacas }





Hope you all are having a lovely week.


Tomorrow is my children's last day of school,


so I've been trying to cram as much { shopping }


as possible into my last free days.


Hence my absence from blogdom.



*peace & love*

Carrie

Pin It

{ weekending }

There's absolutely nothing better than a lazy Saturday. They don't come around often, especially with kids, and all of their activities, but when they do, they are something to be cherished. Is there anything better than a warm cozy fire, a stack of library books, a cup of coffee, and some knitting. I really don't think so.

Lucky me, this has been my Saturday. I got to sleep in this morning thanks to sweet Papa, who is always so good to me. He knows what a cat I am. He's the early bird, so he always takes on morning duty in our house. {how did I get so lucky?}. Did I mention Papa is awesome. These are the days when I feel like a true Queen, hanging out in my chambers like Anne Boleyn {but with a good loving husband}. {speaking of Anne Boleyn, I can't wait for the Tudors new season....anyone else a fan?}

Well, it's dinner time now, so it's off to see what kind of evening we are going to have.

I hope you have had a lovely Saturday also, and a lovely Valentine weekend.

Don't forget you still have time to sign up for my Valentines Giveaway.

*peace & love*

Carrie

Pin It

{ temptation }

Oh what a blustery day we are having today. I originally thought I'd get out and do a little thrifting today, but with 50 mile an hour wind gusts, and temps in the teens...I think I'll stay in. The house is clean, and my knitting is calling my name...along with my warm and snuggly bed. I've noticed that since I've started this blog, my sleep schedule is quite out of balance. I have become addicted to my computer, and I can often be found twittering around until very late at night...too late for an old lady like me. I'm losing my beauty sleep, and believe me it shows. So, can I resist the urge to go jump back in between those lovely white flannel sheets for just an hour more?

Come on coffee kick in, my needles need me...

Have a Wonderful Wednesday!

*peace & love* Carrie

Pin It

{ stitch n' bitch }

Pin It