Crochet Baby Headbands, Flowers, & Butterflies

I love quick little projects. That is a big reason why I was too lazy to learn how to read knitting patterns :) I also loved the idea of scrap booking, but it never held my attention long enough to make something worth keeping. In Art class I loved to make silhouettes and outlines on cool backgrounds because it meant I didn't have to spend too much time on detail. I have started so many different crafts, but I never work on them long enough to really make them worth it. I usually end up with a couple failed projects, a couple so-so projects, and a few worth keeping.

After 3 quick little crochet projects in the garbage (sad, but true), I have finally made something worth saving :) I have devoted way too many hours in the past 2 days to learning how to make baby headbands, flowers, and butterflies! Anybody expecting a little girl sometime soon?? I would love to see my little projects on a sweet baby girl :)

I found the pattern for the headband from this blog. It is very simple and quick! Plus they stretch so they can be used for longer!

The butterfly tutorial is here. It is so simple and so cute! 

I LOVE this rose! It gives the perfect amount of depth for such an easy make :) 

The pretty posie is the same pattern I posted the other day.

 This flower is also pretty simple, and I like the two layers without having to sew two flowers together.

 So that is what I have been up to lately! I have a lot more projects to attempt. Anybody interested in purchasing any headbands? I'm not sure my work is really worth selling, but I am sure we could work out a deal ;)

P.S. Sorry about blowing up everybody's Pinterest feeds..I just can't resist the beautiful pictures!

Curiosity Meets Crochet

I never thought the day would come... I have said from day one of my knitting journey that I was a knitter. However, it seems all of the yarn projects I like are crochet! I am a little sad, yet extremely excited that I have officially crossed over into the crochet territory! My curiosity of this simple art got the better of me!! I have always said that I learned to knit first, and that I would just stick with it. Those of you who read Knitting Keeps Me From Unraveling know that I am way too stubborn to learn how to read patterns... (for knitting that is!) I was curious to do something crafty with what I already have.... yarn and crochet hooks :) After a few hours of reading/watching tutorials from Anneliese with Aesthetic Nest, and an evening of practice with a lot of swatches... I have learned how to crochet :) I have a lot of time and practice ahead of me, but I have successfully completed my first knit posie from her tutorials. I am proud to say I have read AND FOLLOWED the pattern start to finish! I am excited to see what else might come from this new craft :)

There are a few reasons why I am willing to admit I like crochet...
1. It is much lighter on the hands and wrists (needles with a ton of stitches are heavy!)
2. There are so many ways to add to your projects (borders, ear flaps, lengthen with a few extra rows, etc.)
3. Flowers are way too tough on knitting needles (and my eyes!)
4. What you see is what you get with crochet! (knitting doesn't exactly take shape until the end :/)
5. The "tail" of your original chain stays that way! (I have ripped out and recast-on so many times for knitting!)
6. I already had crochet hooks to weave in knitting projects anyways, so I may as well use them for what they are for!




UPDATE!!!!!
I made my first slouchy beanie ever :)
It is tween girl size, but I had to show it off!
Special thanks to Gleeful Things for the pattern! I used size I hook and a really light weight yarn to make it a little smaller (...and that is just what i had on hand :)

DIY: Spring has Sprung!

So we are living in the bottom apartment of a ladies house. It is ours, but she has a door that comes into our place. It stays locked...unless she has a reason to come down :/ It's kinda weird, but we have just learned to deal with it. It's only 4 months right!? Anyways, she uses it for family parties, so it is all decorated. For that I am grateful, but it is her style. Ever since we moved her, I have slowly been hanging up a few things here and there, but it has NEVER felt like home to us. I kept telling myself it is just temporary, don't think about, etc. Well the flowers started blooming, the trees are turning colors, and it is beautiful outside! Plus, my mom finally booked her plane ticket to come visit!!!! So, I got a little decor hungry :) I have so much time on my hands, I have so badly been wanting to craft! However, we have a tiny car and a lot of stuff! It seemed silly to expand our belongings and risk having to either throw things away or pay to ship them home. That is until I gave in :) I just couldn't help it! I want my house to look like I live there when my mom comes, and who doesn't need a little spring fever floating around in their house right?? So I made a quick little diy and found some awesome pictures at... drum roll.... the dollar store! It was a pretty sweet find :) SO here is my step-by-step project, and the little bit of decor I just couldn't live without :)

So I had two DIY project ideas from Pinterest that I have been really wanting to make!

 I decided to combine the two ideas and use the first layout, but steal the season/holiday idea from the second one!







I bought my supplies from Goodwill, the Dollar Store, Lowes and Walmart.

$0.48 dowel rod - Lowes          

$3.00 3 gift boxes - Goodwill (also available at the Dollar           Store) Pinterest suggested shoe box lids!

$1.00 ribbon - the Dollar Store (also available at           

          Walmart)

$1.50 3 paints - Walmart

$1.97 paintbrushes - Walmart

$0.98 sponge brushes - Walmart

$2.00 tissue paper - the Dollar store

$10.93 total .... but really the paints, paintbrushes, ribbon and leftover tissue paper are worth more than half of that!

(I ended up not using the cute butterfly & flower, but they were only $0.58/ea. at Walmart)

I would paint the box and quickly set it on the tissue paper while it was still wet. (I could have used modge podge or glue, but I wanted the paint to show through the tissue paper a little)

Once I had all of the painting/tissue paper wrapping done... I painted the dowel rod. The paint dried really fast, so I held it vertical to paint & dry.

Next I painted on all of the letters. I just free handed it by doing a thin line as a guide and then painting in the edges. It is not perfect! (I won't let anyone get close enough to inspect ;)

Cut 6 strips of ribbon (they don't have to be exact lengths) ....

Use a hole punch (or have your husband use his knife ;) and thread it through.

Use command hooks to hang your dowel rod...

And voila! Spring has sprung!

This literally took me 45 minutes start to finish! It is not perfect by any means, but it sure was fun to get crafty :) Plus it brightens up my life just a little bit more! :)

Here are my other awesome decor items... not so girly... a little more "homey"!

I put these up in our kitchen! 

These are hanging above our bed :)

Our bathroom....

this should have been in there too, but the hanger is on the wrong side!!!

All I could think of when I realized was the "You had one job!" memes that have been going around Facebook...

You had one job!

Here are a few other decorations I already had...

I bought this frame after Breanne & Jesse
gave us their wedding pictures :)

Gary & Raylene gave us this for
Christmas this year!

Josh gave me this for Valentine's Day.
It is one of our engagement pictures :)

I found this beautiful hand carved
cross in Guatemala

Now it feels just a bit more like home :)

Knitting Keeps Me From Unraveling

My mom has always told me I have an old soul. When I was younger that was one thing that made me feel like I had something to grasp on to. I remember this being one of my very first obsessions (that I remember anyways). I always preferred to be around adults. I am the youngest of "my group" of cousins on both sides of the family. I was either getting teased for being the baby, or I could sit and watch all of the adults talk. I found the adults much more fascinating! Some call it eavesdropping… I like to call it free entertainment!

Touring Yellowstone
with Grandpa Ron & Ash

One of my favorite memories of my Grandpa Ron was when he came to visit after my Grandma died. I don't remember seeing them very often when I was growing up because they lived in North Dakota. My dad's parents died when he was in high school, so I never knew them either. I liked the idea of grandparents, but I never really understood what all of the mesmerization was about. For me it was just the people I had to call on Christmas and say thank you too. Looking back I wish my heart was as advanced as my mind so I could have appreciated every moment I had with them. 

Anyways back to the original story… my grandpa came out to West to visit. I don't remember why, but I guess it was a big deal. (I am sure my memory is wrong, but this is how I remember it.) When we had company my bed was the designated guest bed. (Eww who would want to sleep in Jesse's bed aka a boy's bed!) So naturally my place was on the floor next to my mom's side of their bed. (ugh!) Well this particular visit from Grandpa I remember convincing my mom that I was old enough to sleep out on the couch this time. I promised I would go to sleep right away even though the adults were still sitting there visiting. This is where I get back to grasping onto the idea that I should have an old soul… I was so mesmerized by listening to my grandpa talk. I kept opening my eyes to look at him even though I really was tired. I don't remember how the rest of that visit went or even that night, but one way or another my grandpa stuck up for me and told my mom to let me stay there :) At that moment I finally understood what grandparents were all about. So this was what everyone else felt when they talked about their grandparents. That is a long introduction to this post, but the whole purpose of this blog is to remember the little things, appreciate life for all it is worth, and to grasp on to every little detail we can :)

From that memory forward I did all I could to hold onto the idea my mom had placed in my heart.    

~ I have an old soul ~    

I always strive for things beyond my age. I look for the story in everyones eyes. I open my heart to every one else's concerns. This is who I am. It wasn't always a good thing, and I still have to stop myself from growing up too fast all too often. That is why I married my best friend. We are opposites in so many ways, and I truly feel that Josh has saved my youth. Without him I have no idea where I would be today. I am sure I would have found gray hair and sun spots by now :)

Ok back on track again! My old soul mantra has led me to grasp the joys of knitting!

My current yarn supply!
Just the stuff in NC of course!

I am far too impatient to follow a pattern, but there is something so satisfying about making something out of yarn. I take skeins of varying colors. Wrap it around my sacred needles. Sit in pure joy and peace for the duration of that particular project. Do my share of complaining of boredom. Then suddenly I bind off, weave in the ends, and bask in the joy I have for my creation. Ok I know that got a little spiritual, but remember, I have been finishing a new book nearly every other day for the past 2 months! Words are flowing through my head in sentences of perfect construction and detail. But really that is how I feel about this "ancient" craft. I am glad to know it is making a comeback! I feel less and less weird every time I am knitting in public. 

My knitting bag containing
my current project -
this goes with me everywhere :) 

I actually ask Josh permission for when I can and cannot knit in public. (Not in a controlling sort of way…in a please help me stay sane sort of way :)

As I type this post I am enjoying a wonderful cup of tea in my new favorite mug! Thank you post Christmas sales at JoAnn's! $1.99 yes please! Hence the post title :) I would like to share a few of my projects that I have completed lately. As stated earlier I have no patience to follow patterns. I think about what I want to make, I look up patterns, read through a few of them, and then I just wing it! I know my fellow knitters are cringing at this very thought!! Call me crazy, but the stress of learning proper technique totally takes the fun out of it for me! I am a perfectionist after all :) If I don't know how to be perfect there is no need to worry about perfection right? Maybe that is just what I tell myself :)  I am sure I will eventually find the desire to make something so beautiful I can't wing it, and I will bite the bullet. For now I will keep enjoying the peace it brings me!

Gary's camo blanket

Crib size blanket, hat & booties
Recipient…yet to be determined

One of my favorites!
Blanket, booties, beanie (with & bow),
& diaper cover (also with a bow!)
Recipient… yet to be determined!

Josh's 49ers blanket
This is the one item I have
knit that I actually get to use :)

My Mom's "car blanket"
You can't tell, but it is super soft!

….(Insert whispered voice here)… Friends and Family, please continue to humor me and accept the gifts I make you. I spend way too many hours on my creations to feel even the slightest guilt for giving them away. Do as you like with them, just know they are truly made from the heart!