Spirit Bag

My own personal Hallowe'en Treat came this year in the form of me finishing this beautiful bag. I got this pattern some time ago and just recently decided to make it in these fabrics from my stash. It was a very fun project - lots of little pieces and interesting things to do, and never too much of one thing or another - and I am in love with how it has turned out. I'm going to use it to keep my "spirit" stuff inside: my journal, my current yoga magazine, etc etc. It's a true treat.
Pattern: Evening Mist Bag by Hopscotch Quilts
Fabrics: from my stash

Neva's Vampire Cape

Neva decided early on she wanted to be a vampire for Hallowe'en this year. "Sweet," I thought to myself, "that will mean I only need to make her a cape." I found some pin-striped pants and a ruffled shirt at Value Village for her to wear underneath, and whipped up this cape for her. I kind of love it - and so does she.
Pattern: Simplicity 5927
Fabric: Hallowe'en Satin

Mummy

At some point this year I thought it would be hilarious to dress up as a mummy for Hallowe'en. The kids also thought it would be hilarious, pun-lovers that they are. So I dreamed up this costume. It's an old shirt and leggings from Value Village (I do love that place for Hallowe'en costumery) with strips of ultra-cheap knit fabric from Fabricland sewn overtop in a mummy-like arrangement. Things I love about this costume: 1. It's comfy. 2. It's supposed to look dirty and as if it's falling apart, so I didn't need to sew it perfectly or keep it pristine. 3. It is kind of hilarious, right?

Hugh's Knight Costume

So last year, I made Hugh a knight costume before we went to Medieval Times in Toronto. He didn't wear it to the event, but enjoyed wearing it for play. When he decided he wanted to be a knight this year for Hallowe'en, I thought we could just use his old costume. Then he put it on, and it became clear that he had grown. Significantly. So I whipped him up another knight costume, this time with embellishments from the knightly gear we bought at the Medieval Times show. I purposely made this one a bit bigger than needed, in the hopes that it will serve him - or possibly one of his younger brothers - for some time to come. Extra bonus: he was so intrigued by the sewing machine being out, he helped me hem the pants!
Pattern: Simplicity 5520
Fabric: Twill, Fleece, and Silver Foil Knit

Ewan's Firefighter Costume

Ewan was a firefighter last year, but in a frenzy of getting rid of clothes which are too small, I donated his costume away. (In fairness, it was too small, but I could probably have just adjusted it to make it bigger. Anyway.) So when he asked to be a firefighter again this year, I knew I had some sewing to do! I put this costume together using some pyjama patterns I had lying around and added in the touches I remembered from his previous costume, like the reflective tape. He is delighted, and as always, I'm happy to make him something he loves so much.
Patterns: New Look 6131
Fabric: Fleece

Epic Cabled Cardigan

I'm calling this an "epic" cardigan because it was five years in the making. FIVE YEARS. I started this cardigan when we still lived in our old house in Kingston. Then we moved and I had another baby and it kind of got lost in the shuffle. Then I found it again and Mom graciously agreed to take on some of the knitting of the body, so she definitely did the lion's share of this sucker. Then the pattern got weird and she brought the cardigan back to me to continue on with. And what with one thing and another, five years passed, and I only just finished this cardigan up. But I can say one thing: totally worth it. It's warm and cozy and just ideal. I love it, and a big shout-out of thanks to Mom for helping make it a reality!
Pattern: A Cardigan for Arwen by Kate Gilbert
Yarn: Patons Décor in "Rich Aubergine"

Hallowaves Socks

For the last couple of years, I've really wanted some Hallowe'en socks. (I really love Hallowe'en.) While browsing the interwebs one day, I found a yarn at Blue Moon with the perfect array of colours. (Bonus: it's called "Ghoulash." I love that.) I ordered some post-haste and was super-excited to make my Hallowe'en socks. It took me a few tries to get the pattern right - first off, it flashed and pooled way too much; then I changed the pattern and ended up with socks that were way too small. Finally I came up with this stitch pattern which worked pretty well. I wanted them to be interesting but also a bit ghosty - the waves on the socks make me feel like there's a ghost saying "oooOOOOooooOOOOOooo" and even though they're a tiny bit on the big side, I do love them. I will wear them with pride at the Hallowe'en season - or maybe even before!
Pattern: made up out of my own crazy head
Yarn: Blue Moon Fibre Arts Socks That Rock Mediumweight in "Ghoulash"

Summer Cardigan

I am delighted with this summery cardigan. I knit it out of some leftover yarn from a previous project and am very happy with the results. It was a fun and relatively quick knit. If I were to do it again (which I may well), I would make some modifications, but I'm happy enough with it like this that I'm going to enjoy it as is. I suspect it will get lots of use at work over the next few weeks, since the air conditioning (if it's on) makes things very, very chilly indoors.
Pattern: Metro by Connie Chang Chinchio
Yarn: Patons Katrina in "Ice"

Star Wars Mittens

Our friend Jason is turning 40 this year. He's a Star Wars Geek of epic proportions, so to celebrate this milestone I decided to make him a pair of mittens. Ravelry (source of all things knitting) came through with the fairisle patterns for the characters, and I used a mitten pattern I've used before. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out, though I'm nervous they might be a bit big. However, it's an easy fix to make them a bit smaller. My own little geek self came out while making these; I decided to put the "good guy" (R2-D2) on the right hand mitten, and the "bad guy" (stormtrooper) on the left. (Fun fact: "sinister" is actually from the Latin for "left hand [sinestra].") Happy Birthday, Shark! May the force continue to be with you.
Pattern: Modified Cigar with Fairisle Star Wars Patterns
Yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers

Gerbera Socks

For Solstice 2010, Jeffy bought me sock yarn. (Always a good gift. I feel about sock yarn the way my mom feels about vegetables: you can never have too much.) This was one of the skeins he got for me. It's called "Champagne" yarn because it has tiny bits of silver woven through it, which gives it sparkle and oomph. The colour is called "Gerbera" which I think is perfect, since that's exactly what it looks like: summery and flowery and bright and happy. Anyway, I started these socks in early 2011 and only just finished them up now. They sat in hibernation for a while but I rediscovered them a few months ago and realized they were perfect sock knitting - enough of a pattern to keep me interested, but not so complicated that I couldn't work on them while watching TV. So I carted them around for a while (to gymnastics, while waiting for the kids at school, etc) and lo and behold: here they are, done and posing happily near our petunias overlooking the lake.
It took me a while to find the right pattern for these, because I wanted something which would make them look beaded without having the discomfort of actual beads on the socks. I couldn't find what I wanted in the many patterns already in existence, so I made up my own. Yes indeedy-do, these are entirely out of my own head, and after a few false starts I managed to figure out a way to get what I wanted from the yarn all by myself. I am delighted with how they turned out. They're fun and comfortable and warm and gorgeous. Thanks, Sweetie, for giving me the sort of gift that keeps on giving!
Yarn: Unwind Yarns "Champagne Fingering" yarn in Gerbera
Pattern: out of my head, but I'm happy to share if interested

Fingerless Lace Gloves for Neva

For her birthday this year, Neva requested fingerless gloves. Since I had recently signed her up for Ravelry, I had her go online and choose the kind of gloves she would like. As you might guess, she had specific ideas about what she wanted: lace, long, and white. I managed to whip these babies up in under two weeks, and after she unwrapped them this morning she put them on right away and is wearing them to school today. It's always satisfying to knit something for someone and have them love it.
Pattern: Lace-Back Fingerless Gloves
Yarn: Sublime Yarns Baby Cashmere Merino Silk DK in White

Fancy-Pants Shirt

A creation I made to wear to my Dad's 70th birthday party. It was cool enough outside that I really never took off my sweater, so it was a hidden gem. I'm delighted with it, though. I came up with the embellishment idea on my own, and used a basic bias top pattern for the garment itself. I hope to get more use out of it this summer!
Pattern: Burda 7509
Fabric: some kind of sheer polyester I found on the clearance table at Fabricland

Zelda Gloves for Jeffy

Jeffy got The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword this past November, and playing it has been a family affair. By that I mean that all 3 of the oldest kids wanted to watch him play every moment of the game, so if someone was missing, the game didn't get played. Which meant it took him longer than it might have otherwise. Which also meant he was playing it during prime gift-giving season (winter holidays and his birthday). Since he knows I like to knit him things, he asked if I could make him a pair of Zelda gloves. They had to be "just like on the game" (see lower image). Luckily, I already knew of (and had made) a pattern for fingerless gloves which he liked and which fit him, so I just made up my own chart for the Tri-Force symbol (those are the 3 golden triangles on the back of the hand) and adapted the glove pattern appropriately. Recently he had just worn un-darn-able holes in a pair of socks I had made him a couple of years ago, but I was loathe to throw them out since the leg parts were still good. Lo and behold: these gloves required a long, grey cuff. I just cut the feet off of the old socks and repurposed the leg section of the socks into the cuff part of the gloves. (This also made the knitting go much faster, since half of it was already done.) The fact that he's been wearing them since I gave them to him suggests to me that they pass the test.
Pattern: Cigar by Kerri Cadd (adapted)
Yarn: Cuff - Dream in Color Classy in "Cocoa Kiss"; Hands - Cascade 220; Tri-Force Detail - Diamond Luxury Pilar

Magic of Britain Socks

I started these socks mumblemumble months ago with the intention of knitting them while I was on my trip to England with Rachel. I wanted something that would encompass the different qualities of the UK - the myths, the nature, the ancient symbolism. I found this yarn in my stash, and it had the colours of earth and sky and stone and water, and then I found this intarsia pattern called "Celtic Spiral" which pretty much sealed the deal. In my head, I was going to do all kinds of knitting while over there; the reality was that I didn't do quite as much as I had thought. I did work on these socks on our Stonehenge Day, though the only photo evidence of that is when we were at Old Sarum. These are awesome socks; they go perfectly with jeans; the yarn is not overpowering yet still interesting; and the celtic spiral detail adds a certain magic (even if it does make them a little tight getting on and off). I love them.
Yarn: Araucanio Ranco Multy, with spiral in Patons Kroy Socks 4-Ply in "Gentry Grey"
Pattern: Celtic Spiral Socks by Catherine Devine (modified)

Holiday Quilt

For the second year in a row, Nancy gave me a "Quilt Retreat Weekend" for my birthday. We did this last year and had a great time, and I think (and hope) it has become an annual event. This year I decided to make a Holiday Quilt to grace our wall as we host our families and friends for various celebrations this December. I found the Santa blocks some time ago and built the quilt around them. The one along the bottom row says "'Twas the week before Christmas and there in the woods/St Nick was knitting as fast as he could./St Nick would give them all stockings full of good cheer/For the animals had all been so kind that year." I could hardly resist building a quilt around a motif of St Nick madly knitting socks the week before Christmas! (Not that I can relate.) I had no pattern for this quilt - just kind of made it up as I went along. I've realized that quilting can be a very organic process for me as long as I trust what's happening and am prepared to have a few roadblocks along the way. The other key for me is that the quilt needs to have meaning. I chose blocks that I felt reflected the meaning of the season. The top left corner has a little image of animals with the saying "The spirit of giving shall warm thy heart" and the banner across the top reads "Joy to all great and small." The large-ish red and cream block on the left is called Hearth and Home which seemed appropriate for the season, and the text in the middle reads "Peace on Earth." There's a Five-Pointed Guiding Star in the middle and another Santa block with the words "Starry Night" above the animals. The bottom row features a block which, to me, looks like stockings over a fireplace beside the Knitting Santa block. Beside that is a holly motif in the centre of a Log Cabin block, and beside that is a Tree Everlasting. There were definitely some moments where I wondered how it was going to turn out, but the great thing about creating this sort of thing at the quilt retreat is that there is lots of expertise around to help out when needed. It all came together in the end, and I got the bulk of it done at the retreat itself (it's always amazing to me how much a person can get done when you don't have to worry about anything else) and just finished quilting it at home. It's a very festive addition to our home over this holiday season, and I hope the wishes for love and gratitude and peace spill out of the quilt into our home, and beyond - to the whole world.

Hugh's Knightly Costume

It seems kind of crazy to be making another costume so soon after Hallowe'en, but when Hugh and I decided to go to Medieval Times on our weekend away in early December, it only seemed right that he have a knight costume to wear. A few years ago Aunty Rachel had given Hugh a set of pyjamas which look like a knight's costume, and these were dearly loved and often worn. As Hugh grew, however, they had to be retired to the hand-me-down box (I know Rory will enjoy them in a year or two) so there were no knight costumes on hand. I found this pattern and whipped this fancy shirt up in no time, since Hugh was threatening to pull out the too-small pyjamas and wear them. Hugh loved the shirt and requested a matching shield, so we faked our way through that one. And now we're all set for our knightly adventure!
Pattern: Simplicity 5520
Fabric: cotton, fleece and shiny knit ends

Apron

It has recently become clear to me that the use of an apron while baking is going to really help me appear less slovenly and may also reduce the amount of laundry I do. I like this "girlier" apron pattern - not too frou-frou, but still feminine. I used some cotton I had bought at the Goderich quilt shop this summer just a few weeks before the tornado went through, and used a complimentary fabric I found at Fabricland for the flounce. Since the holiday baking season is fast approaching, I expect it will get lots of use, and I plan to feel fabulous while wearing it.
Pattern: Butterick 5125
Fabric: cottons from Quilters by the Square and Fabricland

Hallowe'en Costumes: Hugh's Dragon

Hugh's was the most challenging this year. I took both Neva and Hugh to Fabricland to choose the fabric for their costumes waaaay back in September, and despite there being a plethora of snake-y and dragon-y type fabric, Hugh chose this gold lamé. I wasn't really sure how it would go; he chose the red lamé for the wings and the spikes as well, so at least the gold was going to be "cut" with something else, and he did consent to the grey scaly fabric for the tummy and claws. I stitched the gold fabric onto some leftover fleece from last year's costume to create both depth and warmth. I faked my way through the claws, making something up as I went along and adding big, black, fake nails, and they look awesome. The wings had several incarnations, from a store-bought pair which I altered but which still looked too "fairy-like" to these flowy-er, pointier ones. But the mask is really my chef-d'oeuvre. It's an old baseball cap covered in casting material and sculpted to look like a dragon's head. We spray-painted it gold and painted the details on, and it was a grand success. I think overall Hugh was a bit disappointed that the dragon ensemble wasn't scarier, but it's hard to be scary in gold lamé. The puffy tail didn't help things, either. But the mask and the claws really helped ramp up the "grrrrr!" factor. I knew things had turned out well when one of Hugh's little classmates complimented me on my work at the Hallowe'en dance. "I really like Hugh's dragon mask," he said. "I like how you made it." Also: last night as we watched The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, we noticed that the White Witch wears a headpiece remarkably similar to Hugh's dragon head in the final battle scene, and if that's not scary, I don't know what is.
Pattern: McCall's 2335
Fabric: gold and red lamé for body, tail and wings; grey faux-skin knit for tummy and claws

Hallowe'en Costumes: Rory's Pikachu

Rory was adamant about being Pikachu this Hallowe'en. There were no "official" patterns to be found, so I used a generic Hallowe'en kid-suit pattern which I had on hand and added details to make it Pikachu-esque. The internet was helpful in showing how other costumes had been made and worn. I even had the yellow fleece on hand from a failed attempt to make myself a bee costume several years ago. (I knew that stash would come in handy one day!) I really love tailoring this sort of thing, and I'm super-pleased with how it turned out. So is Rory.
Pattern: McCall's 6185
Fabric: fleece, embellished with felt details for face and tail

Hallowe'en Costumes: Neva's Ghost

Straightforward and easy. Neva knew what she wanted to be, chose the fabric in a flash, and we had this sucker completed before October even began. It barely required a pattern, but I do always like having someone else's plan for where to cut etc. I used a pattern for the hood and dress, and just cut a circle for the poncho. She is delighted.
Pattern: McCall's 6421
Fabric: white crepe for dress; black embossed illusion net for poncho; embossed organza for hood