Becoming Soak Worthy


I instantly fell in love with this dress when I saw the ad in a knitting magazine over a year ago. After some master sleuthing, I was able to find the source of this adorable pattern. Of course, now they have it posted on their site (I'm sure they were being bombarded for answers from the knitting community), but back when I was looking I had to lurk around the forums on Ravelry to get an answer.

The pattern is the Clara Dress by Karin Vestergaard Mathiesen. It's an Isager pattern, and if you'd like to nab a copy, you can buy it as a kit with yarn here.

Since we are starting to look ahead at summer months, I decided this would be a great time to work on getting some patterns for baby knits released. Now that the booties are out, I have plans for some baby sweaters.

This is where the Clara dress comes in(and a few other select baby knits). I've wanted to make this little beauty for quite some time. Now it's officially considered 'research' and I can enjoy knitting away!

There is nothing more satisfying than seeing a beautiful little knit come together... especially when you can finish the project in under a week! The dress is well on it's way and just needs to be finished up. Pictures are on their way!

Announcing 3-in-1 Felted Baby Booties Pattern


I can't tell you how excited I am that this cute little pattern is finally ready for launch! After months of working and reworking, weeks of testers and more changes, I finally have my 3-in-1 Felted Baby Booties pattern up on Ravelry, Etsy, and here in my sidebar!

Here's the info:

A perfect gift for the special little ones in your life, these felted booties will make a perfect heirloom to hold on to for years to come. Guaranteed to be the show stopper at your next baby shower. Great alone or with the French Press Felted Slippers as a "Mommy & Me" gift!

The pattern comes with two sizes (0-6 months, 6-12 months) and three styles (mary jane, t-strap, and unisex). Pattern involves increasing, decreasing, and knit stitches and is appropriate for an advanced beginner.

Materials needed:

Under 70 yards of worsted weight, feltable yarn

Size US 11(8 metric) needles

Darning Needle

Stitch Holder

Pillow Case for felting

Velcro

Waste yarn

Needle and thread


If you have any questions, ask away! I will be answering questions posted here and on the French Press Knits Group forums on Ravelry.

To Penny

Thanks for all the wonderful comments on my new workspace. I too am very excited about it, especially the big table. I love reading what everyone has to say, and by all means- please make your own. I want people to copy it, that's why I put up the details (almost forgot... I should add that the hardware is from Target)!

Among the comments yesterday was one from Penny who wrote, "Tell me about your ball winder???" So, this post is for Penny (whoever you are...I hope you come back to read this!)- I would love to tell you about my Strauch Ball Winder.

This is actually pretty long overdue. I purchased the ball winder for myself as a Christmas present (oops... how did that happen?!). After reading many thread posts on Ravelry and researching different options on the web, I decided on the Strauch.
I knew I wanted something a little more substantial, and wood winders always looked nice and sturdy (not to mention the fact that they match most umbrella swifts). Although I was very impressed by Nancy's Knit Knacks, I preferred something with a smaller price tag.

When I purchased my Strauch, I actually found it on ebay, from Yarn Bazaar. Since it has arrived, I have been nothing but impressed. Every winder comes with a mini skein on it, so you know it has passed inspection and is up to Strauch standards:



So far I have wound many skeins, from bulky to lace weight, 50g to 250g, and I have never had issues. In fact, when I first got my winder, I would race home from work just to wind 'one more ball' (sad, but true).


Unfortunately, this does mean my chair is out of a job...

But that's ok...


because I have cakes to go around!

DIY IKEA Work Table


It's a far stretch from a "big reveal", but I just couldn't wait to share my new work table with you. A couple weeks ago I posted about a project table that I fell in love with. Thanks to the help of Ikea, I was able to create my own project table. The best part? It is bigger, cheaper, and (I believe) more functional then the original I fell in love with. With this I present my customized IKEA workspace:
Isn't she a beaut'? I've already spent a good amount of time just daydreaming of all the work that will be accomplished in this area. I can't wait to fill those drawers and get started.


Although the table wasn't the cheapest option I looked at, I do think it will be more functional than all the others I saw. Here's the breakdown:

My total for the piece came in around $700


This still may be a little out of price ranges for a simple craft table, and after spending a good amount on time on the IKEA website, I believe this concept can also be made for less. One thing I was really set on was drawer space, but let's face it, drawers cost money. Ikea has many other options that can be used as the base of a table like this. Here is another breakdown:

2 Smadal Bookcases: $70 x 2= $140
Here, you are looking at a cost of under $350

Unfortunately, only the Numerar countertop comes in this wide of a piece, but there may be yet another option. If you wanted more a a square table, you could purchase 2 slabs of Lagan counter top (still butcher's block, slightly thinner than Numerar) at $39 each. This would produce a square table (about 50" x50") and would come in at about $220.
For me, I am more than happy with how my custom piece turned out. Plenty of drawer space, a large work area, and a permanent home for these guys:

That's right- no more clearing the kitchen counter whenever I need to wind a ball of yarn!
As for the rest of the basement, it's still a work in progress(you may have noticed the painter's tape in the top picture... trim seems to never end). It also seems the more we do, the more the list grows. I thought it should be the other way around.
In the meantime, I have put myself on a knitting ban. No more knitting until I have a place for everything. I did sneak in a project a couple weeks ago that hasn't been posted, more on that later.

New Pattern and Free Yarn

Now that I have your attention...

This week, I am hosting a giveaway on YarnOnTheHouse.blogspot.com. The giveaway will feature 3 lucky winners who will receive my new 3-in-1 Felted Baby Bootie pattern along with yarn in their choice of color.

The new pattern features 3 felted bootie designs- Mary Jane, T-Strap, and Unisex Booties- all guaranteed to be the next baby shower show-stopper!

By now you may be asking, "Where can I find the pattern for these adorable little booties?". That's the fun part... it's not quite finished, but now I have a deadline. The contest runs all week, and ends Sunday (4/25/10). Winners will be announced Monday, which is when the pattern should (... hopefully... better) be released. Looks like I have some work to do!

In the meantime, stop by Yarn On the House for your chance to win.