Is there anything cuter than sock puppets? Probably, but Miyako Kanamori has taken the heart-melting factor up a notch with her book Sock and Glove: Creating Charming Softy Friends from Cast-Off Socks and Gloves. I am continuing with my life-changing tidying among other things, and as much as I love this book, I've had it since 2007 when it first came out and I've looked at it twice, if that. The photography, the projects, the sweet story-telling element of it -- they all make me smile, ... Read more
Monday Outfit: Hooded Knit Cardi + Sew Sweet Giveaway [CLOSED]
Good morning, friends! I thoroughly enjoyed the long weekend, and I'm feeling rejuvenated. We ended up at a Chinese restaurant on turkey day after all, and I believe this will have to be our annual tradition because it was so stress-free. I don't mind cooking, but the clean-up is a sore spot for me, so not having to while away time sudsing up dishes was a huge bonus. We also went to see the movie Big Hero 6, and it's an all-ages pleaser (and yes, I cried -- it was very touching)! To add spice to ... Read more
Happy Friday + Giveaway! [CLOSED]
Here in Washington, grocery stores and many retail stores charge five cents per bag if you don't bring your own to carry out your produce or miscellaneous household items. A pragmatic and environmentally sound move, but I'm constantly forgetting to bring my handy nylon eco bags because they're always filled with library books. Between the accumulating nickel charges and overdue library fines, I'm sure I'm frittering away enough money to feed a small country. I've been thinking that I need to ... Read more
Fall Cleaning Giveaway: Part 3 [CLOSED]
This is such a great book. A great, great book. And the two patterns that immediately drew me in were first, the dress on the left: And next, the giant bow top: Herein lies the problem. I am simply not a giant bow kind of gal and quite frankly, I think I can self-draft that other dress. And as I looked through the book carefully, I realized that none of the clothes really felt right for me. I was drawn to the photography, and there must have been a part of me that wanted to be more ... Read more
Fall Cleaning Giveaway Part 2 [CLOSED]
I haven't even closed the other giveaway yet, and here I am, back with another one. Just as I had to relinquish all thoughts of engaging in extracurricular embroidery, I've had to break down and allow myself to admit that crochet (and knitting in general) is just not my thang. I bought this book back in 2007 when it first came out. In case you were wondering, "kyuuto" is the way "cute" is pronounced in Japanese. And you know that Japanese crafts are all about the cute. I mean, look at ... Read more