by Sarah

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday.
So I am having a contest...

Leave me a comment telling me your favorite birthday memory, or a birthday tradition that you have and I will send one lucky winner something handmade my me during the month of June. 

I have LOTS of happy birthday memories...cause I have a great family, and wonderful friends that all help me celebrate in various ways.  My favorite birthday tradition is one I started more than a few years back...I send my mom flowers to thank her for having me.  The accompanying card usually expresses my gratitude.  This years read: "Happy Birthday to Me.  I Love You!"  and the flowers were Tiger Lilies in a square vase.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  I will be off camping, so the contest winner will be announced on Monday.

Whats more fun for a birthday then a trip down memory lane.  Here is a crazy picture of me and my two sisters in my parents' bed...I was about 10 (Sarah, Nean, Jen):

Happy Birthday Jake!

Today is my friend Jake's Birthday!  Originally, Nean and I decided to knit him one sock each, so he would have a whole pair.  Nean picked out some great yarn from my stash, and we did up a pair in no time:

Then I got a brainstorm...
Jake is a super talented musician, and plays often in and around Providence.
One of my favorite of Jake's original songs is called "Watching Killer Robots Eat Your Head".
(Go to Jake's music website and you can hear a demo version of this super-fun song.)
So I thought it only appropriate (and fun) if I also sewed Jake a Robot Tote Bag for his birthday:

The main bag fabric and handles are canvas I got at Joann Fabric, but the Robot fabric is a Japanese Linen I ordered on etsy...it shipped all the way from Taiwan. (And I have to say I was a little nervous it wouldn't get here in time to actually be gifted to Jake on his birthday.)  I am really pleased with the way the bag came out, as I used my own pattern to put it together.  It did come out a tad larger than I was originally thinking, but all the better to carry stuff around with.  Although it is only a medium weight canvas on the outside and a linen on the inside, it is still pretty stiff (ALMOST standing up on its own), due to the fact that I used interfacing with both the outside AND the lining layers.  I hope Jake likes it as much as I do.  I am thinking of making one for myself...without the robots of course.  This one is an original.

Fun Weekend...

I got a lot of chores AND a lot of crafting done this weekend...
Yesterday was an awesome day spent spinning and knitting in the sun at Sandi's farm...
As usual, no pictures, however...look at what I accomplished this weekend:

Spun up an awesome artyarn batt gifted to me by Mia:

Started on some singles from Nean's Birthday Batt:

I think this could be my new cobblestone yolk!

Spun up some thinner coopworth to finish the bottom of my topdown raglan:

Baked some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies:

Made some progress on my Peas&Carrots Sweater:

Knit a Felted Hedge Hog Body. (These guys look really sad before felting):

Started a plain sock out of some supersoft alpaca yarn:

Purchased a cool skein of Smoosh Toes from dkKnits:

And saving the best for last, received the gift of some AMAZING handdyed laceweight yarn from Sandi for my birthday:

The fiber from this yarn came from Sandi's very own sheep.  I feel honored to receive it, and look forward to making it into something beautiful!

Congratulations Graduate!!

My sister walked in her graduation yesterday! She actually graduated in December, and it was so crazy around here, I was remiss in shouting out how proud of her I am!!  She finished her associates degree in Business while working full time and juggling a million other things...WITH HIGHEST HONORS and won a departmental award.  I am INCREDIBLY PROUD!!  As usual, I was remiss in taking photos at the event.  On the other hand, it was really hot, and the tent was kind of dark, so they wouldnt have been the greatest pics anyway. 

Instead, I present you with a couple of pictures I think she will really enjoy.  Her newest baby, modeling her graduation cap for her.  Since Shamus is one excitable puppy, these pictures are truly a testament to his desire for beggin' strips!

Congratulations Graduate!!

Secret crafting...

Secret crafting (and gardening) is really fun, because I always know my friends are going to love the surprise.  It doesn't make for very good blogging though.  I had the chance to give my friend some early garden-y bday presents.  So here is the first of my secret gardening revealed:

Then Nean revealed some of her secret crafting to me:

That's my secret birthday batt she carded.  She gifted it to me early and I LOVE IT!!!!  The first picture is an awesome representation of the color blend.  Twelve ounces of pure spinning JOY!!

Still to come: more crafted b-day presents, and the kitchen swap loot I made for Rhonda of Cute Bling Things (after she gets her package of course).

More weekend accomplishments...

Last weekend I had a few major accomplishments...

I installed a new ceiling fan in my bedroom all by myself.  It has been up 4 whole days, and its working great!

I also planted some lawn in my front yard.

It is JUST starting to sprout:

And, when I went out to take lawn pictures, I noticed the pear tree is already getting some new growth:

Yeah for warm spring weather!

Sleeves!

I finished 1.5 sleeves for the Peas&Carrots Sweater!  (Please look at the sleeves, not me, as I just noticed it is not a particularly flattering photo.)  I made the first sleeve on Saturday, and a little more than half of the second one on Sunday.  I am hoping to finish them tonight.

It is great that I could get a picture of the sleeves, since I forgot to take any at the RI Wool and Fiber Festival this weekend.  Festival goers seemed happy, and for most of the day, it was bright and sunny.  Overall...lots of fun!!

Have time for a little vote?

Our friend Lori, in Philadelphia, has been nominated for Best Party Entertainer in Nickelodeon's 2nd Annual Parent's Pick Award.  If you guys have time, please go to this website and vote for her. She is awesome!  AND, if you live in or around Philly, PLEASE catch one of her shows with your kids.  You will enjoy it as much as they do!

EDITED TO ADD: Lori is "MISS SCHERLING"
Please still vote!

Crafter make better gift receivers...

Here is a picture of a gorgeous baby-girl  wearing the new sweater I made her.
Why do crafters make better gift receivers?
Her momma shoved her into the sweater upon receipt, promptly took a photo, and sent it to me!
THANKS MOMMA!

And as a bonus, she sent me a picture of the same adorable baby playing on a quilt I made her before she was born:

Isn't she adorable?
Thanks for the pics Shari!!
I totally love that you guys are enjoying the gifts. 

Note to all people with babies.  Crafters are vain, we LOVE to know our gifts are being used.  It usually promotes future crafty gifts.

And then there were 4...

Last night mostly consisted of me building a fourth 6footx3foot raised garden bed.
I decided I needed it because I wanted a bed for tomatoes, a bed for zucchini and cukes, and a bed for peas/spinach and later beans/spinach.  The fourth bed, is of course, the asparagus.

Building the bed was super-easy, it took about 20 minutes, including getting out the drill.  Trucking most of the dirt from the pile in my front yard by wheel barrel was a bit more time consuming.  In the end, it is made, soil mixed with organic fertilizers and peet, and the cucumbers are planted.

Still to come this summer...actually putting riverstones around the raised beds to make it more of a landscaping feature...and planting grass.

I'm also knitting a bit, but the Peas&Carrots Sweater looks exactly the same as it did yesterday, so no picture.