Apple Jackets

I love Mollie Makes magazine, and when I saw these cute little apple jackets on the cover I really wanted to make a few. I used organic yarn and even managed to read a non-charted crochet pattern, a first for me. These are perfect for protecting apples from getting bruised, and make lunch a little cuter!

Rowan Amy Butler Belle Organic DK in Moss, Peony, & Robin's Egg
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/oct/18/make-crochet-apple-jacket
La Petite #754 shank button eyes
sock yarn embroidered mouths
3.5 mm (size E) hook

Twirly Girls

My eight year old wondered today about what ever happened to the twirly skirts I started for her and her sister back in October 2009. I was inspired to make these because of an argument they had over who owned the twirly-est skirt. I knit these skirts in a few weeks but never bothered with some simple finishing that took all of five minutes.

What actually happened is that the girls picked out the yarn, asked often when they would be finished, and then when I asked them to try them on to check the elastic sizing they were spectacularly uninterested in their skirts, so I chucked them in the closet and forgot about them.

I went down a needle size, and I think I knit some extra rows to lengthen the skirt for my six year old, but forgot to do the same for my eight year old, so hers is actually smaller. Ooops.

I also forgot to do the yarnovers for the eye cord tie on the second skirt, but then I decided to go with elastic instead. Since I had the holes on the first skirt for the ties, I instead sewed a decorative ribbon bow to cover the elastic that showed through.



Of course my eight year old insisted on a bow too, but with really long ties.



My kids actually expressed dismay that the pattern includes yarnover holes at the color changes, but since they always insist on pants under their skirts it's really not much of an issue.

Here they demonstrate the twirl action:





Barefoot Knits Twirly Skirt
Ravelry link
Link to free pattern PDF

Sometimes I Hear Voices. In My Pants.

I have been trying to do the whole carry on thing, but I'm finding it hard to function in life. Some moments are fine and sometimes I am such a train wreck. I am trusting that this will get easier with time, and yet I am not ready for things to be fine, because it sucks to lose someone special.

Anyway, here's some stuff I made a while back. Late at night, because there's not a lot of free time otherwise.

A deer stuffed animal from a Japanese crafting book.



It's a little splay-legged, but I'm not sure how I would fix this and not sure if I really mind it.

And a pair of Portabellopixie Ruffle Pants (with single ruffle.) The pattern was pretty straightforward with attractive instructions. I found the pattern pretty detailed and sometimes not detailed enough for my liking, but not at all complicated.





Both of these were made as presents for my seven-year-old on her birthday.

And my five-year-old always comes up with the best lines for co-opting as blog post titles.

The Smell Is Seared In My Brain

4-year old, 1:30am: "My Back Hurts!!!"
translation: "I am about to throw up all over both of us!"

4-year old, 2am: "Daddy, can I play Wii?"
translation: "I feel better, but instead of going back to my bed I must be sure that you don't get any real sleep tonight."