A change of pace

My cat, Madi

Normally, I would have started my next project right away but with the seasons changing I have found myself wanting to sit by the fire place and read as many books as I can get my hands on! This past week I have been reading Emma by Jane Austen out loud to my cat, Madi, because I get an enjoyment watching her sit in front of me and cock her head sideways at me. I told my husband that she is dreaming of Mr. Knightley and I have no doubt that she has decided that she prefers the high society. 

She is making my life very interesting! :) 

My Broadway Sweater

This is my broadway sweater!!

It is so soft and cuddly!! 

I can hardly wait to wear it.

The sleeves are a little bit longer then I had hoped but 

all in all I think this turned out good! 

Now to figure out what I am going to work on next...

Capelet Heaven and another Sneak Peak

I found the perfect buttons for my Blackberry Basketweave Capelet! I just have to share it with you!!

Also, here is a sneak peak of the other sweater I am currently working on...

I hope it turns out as great as the basketweave capelet did! :)

My Blackberry Basketweave Capelet

 

This sweater has been my favorite since 2009 but I never was able to follow the pattern. 

I was in the middle of another sweater (that I am still currently working on) and decided I wanted to try

to make this basketweave sweater as well. 

I have had so much fun and can hardly wait to wear it!! 

Tomorrow I need to go buy some cute buttons.

What do you think!?!?!

 

I will post another picture of me wearing it as soon as I add the buttons.

I am so ready for winter!!! :)

(the first picture came from the Crochet Today magazine)

Sneak Peak

I know it has been a while since my last post but I am still here and well! I have been working on two BIG projects that are taking some time to complete. As soon as I am finished I will share them with you. Until then... here is a sneak peak of one of my projects that I have been wanting to make for over a year!!

Until then, enjoy a crafty moment.

My first knitted projects

My sister-in-law is due July 1st and this weekend I made a cocoon for her. I can not wait to hold Zoey in this cozy baby wrap!!! It came out bigger then I thought but hopefully it will be just right. If it doesn't fit I will be okay... It gave me time to practice my newly learned knitting skills.

I also wanted to give you an updated picture of my zigzag scarf. This has been a fun project! I can hardly wait to be finished so that I can see what it looks like on.

That is all for now but I am looking forward to seeing what else comes off of my knitting needles this year!

Movin' on up...

 On my knitting needles -

 I am so excited to report that knitting (so far) is not as hard as I first thought it was!! If only I had books and youtube when I first tried to learn nine years ago. (wow!! NINE years... I feel so old. Time sure does fly!!!)

So.. 

this week I practiced the knit and pearl stitch.  I could bore you with a ton of details but in a nut shell... I am just practicing and hoping that this is the beginning of a new addiction. However, I will provide more details and pictures as I get better and have something to show off.




On my crochet hook -

When I finished my sidewalk shawl I mentioned to George, my husband, that I wasn't sure what I wanted to make next. He reminded me of how badly he would love a blanket. I pulled out some blue yarn and started a pattern that I have wanted to try for a while. 

 

 The pattern says that the finished blanket will be 52" x 52". George has asked me to make it a little bit bigger then that so that he can wrap up in it and get cozy. I haven't determined how much bigger I am going to make it yet but I am sure it won't be hard to do.

And so much more -

Today I ran into Hobby Lobby to get more yarn for George's blanket and I ran into the jewelry section. I picked up some sample booklets on making your own jewelry and there are some cute ideas! I don't know how good I would be at making jewelry but I may just try my hand at it. I may just become a jack of all trades. :) Who knows... I may start making my own cards too. Watch out world... Here I come.

Try something crafty this week!! You won't regret it.

Gettin' Knitty - Gritty Wit Dit...

Before I learned to crochet I had a friend teach me to knit. I found it very frustrating because I didn't have anyone to teach me how to do anything more then make a scarf. Since that day I have learned to crochet and I love all the possibilities that come from my hook. I enjoy every single crafty minute! However, the past year I have seen so many patterns that I would LOVE to make if only I knew how to knit. I dreamed of all the possibilities that would come if I not only knew how to crochet but also how to knit! 

So... if I can teach myself how to crochet from a book...

Surely... I can teach myself how to knit from a book...

Right?! 

Yesterday, I started the process of not only refreshing my mind on the knit and pearl stitches

but learning new things that will help me become an excellent knitter.

Lesson one -

Remembering how to cast on...

Refreshing on the knit stitch...

and remembering how to cast off...

 Knitted Swatch

 Lesson two... 

Learning how to change colors...

By making this scarf I will be practicing the basic skills of casting on, knitting, 

adding new colors, and binding off. Hopefully knitting needles will become 

as comfortable in my hands as a crochet hook. Hopefully.

 

After I finish this scarf I will move on to refreshing and perfecting the pearl stitch. I will also learn

how to make different stitch patterns from the knit stitch and pearl stitch.

More on that later... 

My Ultimate Goal is to be able to make these two patterns:

Pretty in Pink by Josée Paquin

Soap Bubble Wrap by Connie Chang Chinchio

I am sure I have a long way to go but I have a wonderful crochet/knit group that will help me if I need them. 

I will keep you updated on my progress!

Have a great week!!

Sidewalk Shawl

I saw the pattern for this shawl when we were on our way to Memphis a few weeks ago. As soon as we got home from Memphis I started working away at it! Not only was this pattern simple but I had so much fun! The pattern called for fringe all the way around but I am not a fan of fringe. Instead, I added a cute little border. In my opinion the border adds to the shawl and makes it classy. 

 

 

Now for my favorite part!  

There are so many ways to wear a shawl!! Here are my two favorite ways...

Have the back of the shawl towards the front and wrap it around your neck .

Have the back on your side and wrap it around your neck.

 Now you are ready to style and profile. :) 

Have a great week!
 

Dreaming...

I started working on this shawl on our way to Memphis a few weeks ago because it would be a simple project and I it would give me something to add to my wardrobe. I wasn't a big fan of the project until I had it finished.  The finished project should have been 51 inches long but I ran out of yarn before I reached the desired length. I also wanted to put a small plain border on the three plain edges. After trying it on I have decided that I love the finished product and the length will do. Maybe I will get more yarn and add to it later... Maybe...

Can't wait to wear it with my sundresses

I put my shawl on my statue to show my husband and his comment was "You should display your work all over the house". I don't think I will ever be the type of person who hangs her afghans from the walls but for right now the shawl will be shown proudly on my statue. Not just because it is pretty but because it is making me dream of the day that I have my own craft room. Until that day... Welcome to

"Designs by Elysia" 

Try something crafty!!! You will be amazed at the way it will make you feel.  Have a great weekend!

Lili Girl

I am babysitting my niece, Lili, until Thursday afternoon. I knew we would have SO much fun but I did not realize I would be SO tired!! :) Oh to have as much energy as a 5 year old!!

Here are a few of my favorite moments:

Lili and I riding the carousel

Lili LOVED the water park.

Her main goal was to get as much water on me as she could.

This moment was brought to you by my husband... :)

YUMMY!!!!

The kid in George came out! He was so excited about riding the carousel with Lili.

 I hope you have as good of a week as we are having!

Zoey's Baby Blanket

 

I am finally finished with Zoey's baby blanket!! I have a few issues with the ribbon but my sister-in-law likes it so I won't complain. Her baby shower is in a week and I am very excited about giving this to her... even though it isn't a surprise. Oh well.. I have a few other goodies to add to it. ;) 

For my next work of art... :)

 

I am making a pineapple sidewalk shawl. Trust me, it will look fantastic! 

Happy Saturday to you and yours!

Lili's Chic Log Cabin Afghan

I LOVE seeing my projects I have made with the people I made them for. Today my sister-in-law sent me a picture of Lili with her afghan. I thought I would share it with you:

Isn't she the sweetest?! Happy Tuesday!!

Grannie Jackson

Yesterday, May 16th at 5:23 my husband's Grannie went to be with the Lord. We are sad but happy that she is at peace. In honor of Granny, I would like to share the chapter in Psalms that she loved so much!

Psalms 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.

Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

We love you Granny! We will miss you!

Spring Fever

Spring has proven to be a busy season for George and I but I have still had a little bit of time to crochet!

My sister-in-law is due in July and I am making this baby blanket for her. I am not quite finished with this project yet but I will keep you updated!

Linda Permann is my favorite crochet designer! She just published 24 new designs for babies and toddlers and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this treasure! It is still a work in progress but here is my Hooded Capelet:

 This is the side view.

 This is so you can see the full view. When I am finished I will sew the top of the hood together and it will look more like the first pic.

I have three more inches to go!!!

I will post more pictures when I finish both projects but I thought you would like to see what I am up to right now... :) Have a great week!

All in a days work...

I am now a stay at home wife!! 

After looking at our budget my husband and I realized that we could save more money by me staying home. I have to say I was worried about it at first but I love being home! I get to spend more time with my husband but more importantly I have helped us save money.

When George and I first got married I didn't work for six months. I wanted to be the perfect new wife with my house cleaning skills and cooking skills. I tried cooking fancy meals and some worked and some meals ... well, lets just say they ended up in the trash. After having one to many meals end up in the trash I let George start cooking and I cleaned the dishes. I love his cooking! I became very spoiled very quickly. Now I am cooking again and I am very pleased at how well I am doing! I actually enjoy planning the meals and cooking.

George and I started using coupons last year but because both of us worked full time we didn't have the time it took to be successful. Now that I am at home I have taken the coupon book and I am trying to save us tons of money and get us tons of free stuff! So far I have done very well! On my last trip to the store my out of pocket cost was $80.00 and I saved $46.00! I am hoping to save more and spend less as time go by. This past Saturday we attended a coupon class and the first part was about the grocery store and we knew almost everything that they taught but it gave us great pointers in organization. The second part was about using coupons at drug stores. I do not need to go to the grocery store this week but I do have a list of a few things that I am going to CVS and Wal-greens for that will end up being free after coupons and store bucks! I can hardly wait!

You would think that I would have tons of crochet time now that I am a house wife but I haven't. Part of that is because I spend a lot of time getting stuff around the house done but I am hoping to eventually have more time to be crafty. I am currently working on a baby blanket for my sister in law who is having a little girl in July. It is going to be a cute blanket! I am also wanting to make other things like a scrap book and home made cards. I have looked at cards that people have made and they are so cute! George thinks it sounds silly to want to make cards but when he sees some of the cards that I have seen he will change his mind. I also look at Martha Stewart's website and see crafts that they post and I would like to try a few of her crafts... but time is the problem. One of these days... :)

That is about all that I have been up to. Now that I am at home more often I will try to be a better blogger.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Pinwheel

A few weeks ago George and I were walking around a local antique store and I saw this beautiful crocheted pinwheel blanket. I don't know how old it really was but it looked like it would have been a special heirloom. I wish I had a picture of it to show you!!

When I got home I searched everywhere for a pattern that was similar to the blanket I saw at the antique store. I finally found one! Here is a picture of my first circle...

It looks really neat when you start sewing the circles together! I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Lili's Chic Log Cabin Afghan

As you know, I have been trying to make a blanket for everyone in my family. I am so excited to say that I am finished with Lili's Chic Log Cabin Afghan! Lili's room is pink, purple and a light lime green. I can hardly wait to see how this blanket looks in her room.

When I started the log cabin pattern I was worried that it would be to hard for me but it turned out to be simple! The stitching gives the blanket a cool texture and I love how the colors turned out together. My husband says that this is the best blanket I have ever made... but he says that every time I finish a blanket. :) Gotta love him!!

My next project is for Lili's little sister! I just found out that my sister-in-law will be having a little girl this coming summer. Her name will be Zoey Rose. We have her blanket planned and it is going to be elegant and beautiful! I can't wait to see God's little creation wrapped in her blanket.

Should be...

Right now I should be...

Cleaning the house...

Give my dog a bath...

Going through our books and deciding which ones we are going to
take to the used booked store...

Making a list of things that need to be done tomorrow...

Getting ready for bed...

Instead...

I am finishing projects that I have been working on for a while. It never fails that what I need to be doing and what I should be doing get put on the back burner for projects that grab my attention.

So... Here you go! Let me know what you think... I love hearing your opinion.

This is the 100% Alpaca Wool that George gave me for my birthday.

I LOVE the way the scarf turned out! The length is exactly what I was hoping for, it is light weight, and it is extremely soft!!!




This is the Calm Cowl. I love it! I have used sport weight yarn a few times before but I never realized how elegant it could make scarfs and cowls. My next scarf project will be made with sport weight yarn. More on that later...

Now to do the things I should be doing... Have a great weekend!

The effect snow has one me...

Because I live in the south, I am not used to getting a lot of snow during the winter. When we do get snow the little girl comes out in me and I get so giddy!! This week we have had eight inches of snow and all I can think about is wanting to make scarfs and cowls. Maybe the next time it snows I will be prepared with a ton of cute accessories to keep me warm.

The need to make scarfs started with my snowy day cowl:




Today I started the calm cowl:

I am really enjoying crocheting with lighter weight yarn! It makes this cowl look very elegant! I can't wait until this is finished. I know I will be wearing it all the time!

I also am working on Lili's Chic Log Cabin and my birthday scarf:


I have my hands full! It is a good thing that I am off on Monday! :)

What do you want to do the most when it is cold and snowy out side?