JCasa *handmade

a few good things

her sense of style

her sense of humor

their bond

daddy's influence on proper supergirl flying moves

other good (and great) things ::
all the neighborly love these past few weeks, my space being featured on modish, and my work featured on sewmamasew twice in the past week, and a few new + very exciting opportunities (and that's all i'll say about that).

also loving this scarf, all things tortillagirl, la fuji mama's nutella cookies, stefanie japel making t-shirt yarn, lucy and her gorgeous new design, gretelie's oh so pretty wool wristwarmers, wisecraft's brilliant removable quilt design wall, and halloween candy.  oh yes, let's share a piece with mama, please.

what's making you happy on this gorgeous first day of november?  xoxo

a knitting bag

after lugging my knitting in basically any old tote i could get my hands on whilst running out the door, or more frequently alongside all the kid stuff in my moop bag, i decided i needed + deserved a dedicated knitting bag.  so i turned to my Granny pattern because A) i know it by heart, meaning little to no thinking is involved; and B) i've made what seems like a bazillion of them over the years and have always been thrilled with the results.

there were a few slight modifications to lengthen + widen the base, plus i added an extra skein of the main color to create the generous size i was after.  then there was the improvised yardage of kureyon during the BO, woopsie.  and what do you know, in a few days i had knit + felted myself a new knitting bag.

i love that i can fit an entire project in there, along with the other necessary bits that are always anywhere except where i need them to be - i can just grab it and go.  even if going is only into the next room.  xoxo

tidy

i couldn't help myself, everything looked so pretty.

reframing and arranging favorite prints, photos, textiles and ceramics. and placing much needed tools at my fingertips.

a new configuration of inspiration boards in the form of ikea cutting boards + a shimandsons pinstrip.  inspired by rachel to use something non-traditional.

removing completed projects from my bulletin board, in turn creating space for what is yet to come.  me thinks cleaning out a creative space is a good thing.

:

i have a few things to wrap up this month - that quilt up there tops the list - so i'll be popping in and out with photos of our days along the way. and of course, a good recipe or two. and maybe a craft project here and there. and some very cool news. wait a minute, how is that stepping back from blogging for a short while?
enjoy your days!  xoxo

*with a twist

Neighborly is a simple vest sized for a child, intended to keep them warm at their core while not overheating them during all the running about that kiddos do.  but you know that already...

this variation - Neighborly *with a twist - is complemented by cables wrapping around the wide banded boatneck collar which appear to connect to more cables coiling down the front.  the shaping on this version is narrower than the original and would work well for a boy or girl.  click here to view some notes comparing the two.

Neighborly *with a twist will fit a child 4-6 years old when knit as written using 2 skeins of Peace Fleece Worsted (details are in my Ravelry notebook - JChandmade).  that said, you could easily resize it accordingly by knitting it in a heavier/lighter weight yarn using larger/smaller needles.  and like many of you, i'd kinda like one for myself - so that's probably not too far off in the future, ahem.

the pattern is available as a free PDF - just click here to download.  and as with the original, please consider being neighborly and make one to donate to your favorite charity.  how ever you make it, i hope you and the little ones in your world enjoy Neighborly! xoxo.

happiness is...

xoxo

found

what are those blobs running toward the house?

while looking through the closet for something cozy yesterday afternoon, i came upon two rather large sweaters i knit a while back.  as in i cannot remember exactly when, but i am guessing over 15 years ago when my 20-something self embraced the whole oversized sweater + leggings thing.  now, not so much - it's a cute look, but i now recognize that on me, those sweaters have me looking more like the woman who hid a dozen children under her petticoat.

i am beyond pleased that both sweaters are in excellent condition and am thrilled to have found them.  more than likely, i had tucked them away to pass down to my own children someday far off in the future.  but i rather think they would do more good by passing them on right now to keep someone else warm this winter - and so, into the bag they go for Easter Seals pickup next week, along with the results of our toy purge this afternoon.  i quite like the idea of tucking these gems in there and a happy thrifter may come upon them and gasp.  

as for my kiddos, i am thrilled to have been witness to them scampering around the backyard in these sweaters - so very happy to have this memory in my mind's eye as well as photos for posterity.  there is plenty of mamamade knitting (and sewing) being done for them right now, and i highly doubt they'll hold this one against me in a few decades.  if mama raises them right, not only will they understand the concept of sharing good things, but they will also gasp when they come upon hidden thrifting treasures as well.  xoxo

le sigh

just when i had deluded myself into believing things were going so well, i got my wits about me and did the right thing.

making mods to an already simple pattern isn't as simple as it may seem.  sometimes my mind works in 3 dimensions, and other times not so much.  even as i was binding off last night at soccer practice, i knew it was too good to be true.  and too wide.  and too short.  but i was so intoxicated by the being-doneness and did it anyway.  but eventually, sometime around the elimination round of top chef, i came to and frogged it all the way back to the armhole BOs.  le sigh, indeed.

and then this morning, before anyone was awake, i decided to get a few rows going on the front again, this time with no increases.  but it seems someone hadn't yet had enough coffee and forgot to work the cable into the mix.  yep, had to frog the vertical cable back about 4 rows and am now in the process of reworking it.  there are now two dpns, two straights, a cable needle plus one circ all working their mischief magic right now.  le sigh, again.

silver lining?  of course - you know me, there has to be a silver lining in there somewhere other than my failsafe "lesson learned".  the good part is that this wool - peace fleece worsted - is the wooliest of wools, so whether you have to rip back a few stitches or a few dozen rows, the live stitches just stand there at attention waiting for you to slip them back onto a needle and jump back into things.  xoxo

a neighborly giveaway!

thank you thank you for the warm reception you've given Neighborly - not only to the pattern, but more importantly for embracing the spirit of doing something neighborly as was my intention.  i love reading your emails/comments here and on ravelry and look forward to seeing where this leg of our journey leads us.

as a token of my appreciation for all the luminosity the craft-blog community has brought into my world these past 4+ years, i am giving away a chocolate brown Neighborly Kit:

yep, i popped into my lys and picked up everything you need to make your very own Neighborly - one skein each of Noro Kureyon and Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted in the most delicious colors i could find.  seriously, how amazing are those browns and blues.

TO WIN this wooly bundle, just leave a comment on this post.  comments will be closed and a winner will be announced by 10am eastern - Monday, October 5, 2009.
enjoy your weekend!

::  edited to add - the winner is LARISSA!

i love it! do we get to chose whether we knit this neighborly or the cable version? decisions, decisions. 02 October 2009 at 10:33 PM

congratulations larissa - email me your address as soon as you can and i'll have the wooly goodness in the mail to you straight away. and thank you to everyone for participating! xoxo

being neighborly

we are blessed on so many levels, and i have been wanting to find a way to use the success of my pattern writing thing to help others.  i thought about selling a pattern and donating the proceeds to a charity, but then it becomes about money and the charity i choose and my shop... and that is so not what i am about.  what i've come up with is doing something i love, that then enables others to do something they love, that ultimately helps others.
say hello to Neighborly ::

Neighborly is a simple vest sized for a child, intended to keep them warm at their core while not overheating them during all the running about that kiddos do. interest is created by the wide boatneck collar knit in a contrasting yarn which is further accented by a large button. stitches are picked up around the collar’s edge and the piece is knit in the round from the top-down — there is no seaming whatsoever and only a bit of additional stitching at the hemline and weaving in the ends. this is a satisfying quick knit that is perfect for layering throughout the seasons.

the pattern is a free PDF download - just click here.  in return, i ask that you think about being Neighborly with it - here are a few ideas:

• if you would have been willing to spend a couple bucks for this pattern, use them to make a donation to the charity of your choice.  there's a lot happening in the world these days and everyone from the international red cross to your local foodbank would appreciate any penny you have to give!
• if you do not have a penny to spare, use your stash yarn to make one and then donate it to a local charity - having a new + handmade sweater will mean the world to someone in need!
• knit one, making modifications to the pattern - then post the mods on ravelry and share your creativity, continuing this cycle of giving for the sake of giving.
• link to this post from your own site with images of your finished pieces and your story, so that you may inspire others to be Neighborly as well!

what ever you do - and how ever you do it - i want you to enjoy this pattern as much as i have enjoyed creating it.  and please post images of your finished pieces to the flickr group so that you can inspire others!  xoxo

hello, Fall.

oh, Autumn.  you are my favorite and my best.  singing songs about the colors turning at every corner, telling tales and endless giggles under piles of quilts, falling in love with puzzles again and again, the baking for baking's sake, and the wool.

i hope you are finding special ways to welcome the turn of the season into your world.  xoxo