butternut squash soup

A perfectly fall soup for these shorter days -- butternut squash with apple.

I know, apple? I thought the same thing. But trust Elise of Simply Recipes. It's delicious!

egg & bluebird

It's an egg...

...no, it's a bird!

I absolutely love this wee reversible toy. And my new book has four more to make -- and there's a freebie on ravelry for a fifth. Oh man, I'm going to collect the whole set. Err, for the baby, of course.

This one knit up pretty fast because there aren't a lot of pieces. Some of the others look like they'll be more fiddly.

Here, in the light of late night knitting, are all the pieces ready to be seamed together...

Now, should I make the frog/turtle or elephant/lion next??

for tobias

The garter stitch wrap top from Simple Knits for Cherished Babies.

reusable bags

Since I made those kitchen towels, I've been re-examining all of my disposable habits in the kitchen. I was feeling guilty over the plastic bags by the sink. I mean, even though we wash and reuse plastic bags around here, they eventually and inevitably get thrown into the landfill.

But now we have muslin produce bags and snack bags to use instead.

produce bags: A simple bag. Nothing fancy. The seams are a mess. But who's looking? Major bonus: I no longer have to fight to open (the wrong side of) those darn thin plastic bags with my hands full of apples.

snack baggies: Again, nothing too terribly fancy, but they have a nifty flap. I used angry chicken's funny video tutorial.

roasted cauliflower

I think we can all agree that cauliflower is not a photogenic vegetable. But trust me, when it's roasted with a bit of lemon juice and garlic, then topped with parmesan cheese, it shines. Head over to simply recipes for the deets.

t-shirt jumper

Cute stripes + long-sleeve onesie + leggings = fall uniform

The warhol dress is a great pattern for refashioning a big t-shirt into a wee jumper. My only modification was the plain neckline (the original has a bow.)

But oh how I struggled and fiddled with that *$%# knit fabric. It was a scene from the high seas, I'm telling you. The mouth of a sailor at the sewing machine.

I am really happy with the way it all turned out though, and we'll get lots of use out of it. After all, it's part of her new uniform.

crazy knitting

Back when I first learned to knit, oh ten years ago, I inadvertently converted how I was taught to knit into a method of always knitting through the back of the loop. The day after my friend taught me how to knit, I remember practicing in front of her -- "I never showed you to knit like that," she said. But because my final products never seemed too different than those made properly (knitting through the front of the stitch) I never paid too much attention to the fact that I knit wrong. Until now.

Just look at this vest.

I mean, it's cute and all, but the original doesn't have a band across the chest. The original doesn't have slanted stitches.

So, with my latest project I'm in retraining. It's a very verbal process: through the front, the front, the front, through the front, not the back. But it's looking good -- and oh so straight! -- so I'll try to keep it up.

Toddler t-shirt vest (free pattern)

truckin' around

Heading out and about? Here are a few sewing projects that'll go the distance...

hipslinger (otherwise known as a fanny pack!)

mini pinch purse

pillowcase shopping bag

shoulder bag

reversible & roomy bag

collapsible strawberry tote

simple snack baggies

mini boxy pouch