Off again!

Chris (the boyfriend) and I are off! Back to Michigan for the weekend to visit Chris' brand new nephew. I made a pair of baby booties for the occasion:

The pattern is one of my old favorites from this box, with a little felt embellishment.

I am almost ready to officially open my etsy shop! Let's shoot for next week, ok?

And now for the pictures

My mom, my sister - Meghan, and me at Seaworld. (Yup, the one where the trainer was killed)

My mom and my brother - Patrick - at the Magic Kingdom

Me with the puppies at Magic Kingdom

Me, Patrick, Meghan and the illusive Madigan, my niece, who is almost 3. You can just see her arm and leg.

Meghan and me at the Magic Kingdom in front of Cinderella's castle. A good "sisters" shot, eh?

Huzzah!

I'm back!

That's me, my dad and my little brother, Patrick, by Cinderella's castle at the Magic Kingdom. Although I brought my digital camera, I only ended up using 10 of my Fuji Instax photos. I'll share those with you tomorrow.

When I came back on Wednesday afternoon, the weather was absolutely terrible. I went from 80 degrees and sun in Florida to 40 degrees and rain in Chicago. However, today it is absolutely beautiful out, so I took the opportunity to take a lovely outdoor photo of my travel project:

Doesn't this little pin cushion look so spring-y in the grass? I have seen this design all over the web, and Leanda from One Loop Short has a version for sale. I must admit, however, that I did not buy it. It is simply 8 of my favorite hexagon motifs, crocheted with a 1.25mm hook and DMC Perle Cotton thread, and then joined together in a creative way. I stuffed it with some leftover white muslin, since the holes are pretty big, and I wanted it to have some weight. It was so easy to travel with, and I had half of it done after the first day of travel. On the way to Orlando, I sat next to a very friendly Southwest pilot who said "That is the smallest knitting I have ever seen!"

Ok, hopefully I'm off for a bike ride!

Celebrity Mustaches... and an announcement...

More mustaches! Each has his own distinct (celebrity) personality.

The Zorro

The Hook

The Burt

So I'm sure you are asking yourself, "How many felt mustaches does one girl need?!"

Answer: I am going to open an Etsy shop. So you will soon be able to find these lovely mustaches, for sale, at katiecanavan.etsy.com. If you go look now - don't do it - there is nothing there. Do not be too disappointed. On Thursday morning I am going on vacation (to Disney World!), but after I get back, expect a few more updates before the official shop opening!

more yarn wreath love

My holiday wreath was getting a little old. A bit out of season. It is not really a "Christmas" wreath, so I think it can last from about September to March, but it's time for a new one:

Ok, so... I like it... but I don't know if I love it. I wrapped the base using Elise's tutorial (isn't her butterfly wreath adorable?), and I really like it. That light blue color really says "romantic spring in a field with tiny bunnies" to me. I thought I wanted to use it with red... but now that I look at it, I'm kinda blah about it.

The thing is - the base sat there for a long time, waiting. So I just went ahead and put the red flowers on - but they are not permanently attached. The little centers are pins, and the red yarn is just wrapped around, it's not secured in anyway. So it can easily be changed. Maybe in a month or so I will get inspired.

What do you think?

progress

Granny square progress for the third pillow. In the background you can also see: new yarn-covered wreaths and our bunny-proof fence. Good for keeping rabbits out of the craft room.

A little tip for those who like to crochet motifs like granny squares and hexagons - I take the finished motifs with me when commuting and weave in the ends on the train. It can be an endless task, but if done on the train while listening to the new Joanna Newsom album, Have One On Me, it goes much faster.

vintage charm

Oh, heeeeyyy.... I'm just lounging around here on my fabulous couch in this fabulous new dress...

So this is what I've been up to lately. It's one of Butterick's "Retro" patterns - B6582, to be exact. Take a look at the front of this pattern:

Gorgeous! I am in love with the hair on that lady in front. That is how I imagine myself in this dress, all sultry with Lana Turner hair. If only.

This dress has been years in the making. I first picked out this pattern about 5 years ago. Then at some point I acquired the white stretch satin fabric with one of those 50% off coupons from Joanne's. I cut all the pieces out last summer, and began to sew. I got as far as the darts on the front when my sewing machine died. It's been sitting in a sad pile on my sewing table ever since.

-disregard the messy ponytail-

Overall, I like it. I do not know why I was so inclined to make this out of white stretch satin, since the dress is unlined. It would have worked much better with a thicker woven fabric. The pattern was clear, but definitely not for beginners. The fake "cross over" neckline leaves a lot to be desired, but the overall shape is pretty awesome. The fit is not perfect, but then again, I cut out the pattern pieces when I was 10lbs heavier, so I could have cut a size bigger than I wear now. Still - very Joan Holloway, and therefore very wearable.

Next up: I bought two Colette patterns from Sew Mama, Sew last year - Macaron & Parfait - and I still have not sewn them up. So stay tuned for more dresses.

pretty pillows

Ok, so I showed you the beginning of these awhile ago...

Two pillows done! Of course just as I was finishing these up, a trip to ikea provided me with another pillow to cover (for a very low price).

The octagon shape is from my very favorite crochet book, "Crochet Motif Item." Yup, it's in Japanese. The lovely thing about crochet motifs is that you can figure them out from the diagrams. I got this book from ebay - it can be kinda hard to find otherwise. It is also a very basic octagon shape that you can probably find in other books.

The square pillow is just a regular ol' granny square. It was inspired by the lovely emma lamb. She makes very beautiful cushions in classic color combinations. All her work has a nice vintage feel to it.

Much love and yarny goodness!

a new friend!

On Wednesday, Chris and I adopted a new buddy...

His name is Sir Thomas More, aka Tommy. We adopted him from the Red Door Animal Shelter, which is one of the few animal shelters in Chicago that has rabbits. He is about a year old, and loves to hide behind the couch.

I think he thinks it's his burrow. Look at that little tail! It is my favorite part of him. His coat is black with a sprinkling of white hairs. I think it makes him look distinguished, just like his namesake. He is a bit skittish at this point, especially during the day. I think the light makes him nervous. But at night, he hops around the house with free reign.

Ok, literally AS I was typing this post, he suddenly had a fit of energy and I was able to get a few better pictures of him. We also snuggled.

Look at those little white-tipped paws!

blurry, but cute.

aaanndd... I already have plans for a photo shoot involving an easter basket.

Ok, I swear the next post will involve a completed craft. I promise!

Love!

I just found this lovely little lamp over at Apartment Therapy. Isn't it adorable? It's from Lamp Gustaf and seeing as I cannot read anything on the website, I doubt it will be readily available in the States. I think I could make my own from a piece of cross stitch cloth and a cheap ikea lampshade frame, though. DIY, here I come!