Eye Candy Friday....

Hey everyone! I've been MIA all week! Busy busy. I will fill you in on how I spent my time soon I promise!! I have LOTS of cool stuff to show you.... soon!!

But... I can't just yet - so today you will have to be satisfied with some eye candy :)

Here are some flowers that are just coming into their prime in my garden.

I call this one "Broken"....



My Glaminis are blooming!!


Gorgeous Hydrangeas (my neighor's actually!)



And a big bright red lilly



Have a great weekend!

Swatch

I have started many lace shawls... probably 4 or 5 actually.... how many have I finished? Zero...

None...

Nada...

Zilch...

I still have high hopes of finishing at least one lace shawl in my lifetime. I don't know what my problem is... Maybe I get bored or I get frustrated that it takes SO LONG to knit... But - I think I may be a glutton for punishment - because look!



It's more lace! A swatch actually - for the Mystery Stole 3 knitalong that is ready to start soon.

I love this yarn - It was a gift and I'm not sure what kind it is. I bought some of the new Addi Lace needles and let me tell ya - they are awesome!! I'm knitting this with size 6 circs. I tend to knit tightly so I opted for a larger needle. I also love the big 'ole YO holes too :)




I ignored the suggestion of using white or black for this mystery stole and cast on with this gorgeous cranberry color. I'm hoping that loving the yarn and being a part of a knitalong this time may help me stick with it and actually finish a lace shawl this time!

Here's to hoping!


In lieu of knitting - Jolene and Sarah came over on Wednesday for a sewing night. Sarah finished a baby quilt, Jolene designed and made herself an apron and I just made another bag. I have such talented friends!!



In case you're wondering Java Man (thanks for the idea Bonnie!) did not sew - he just stole our snacks!!

Flowers!

Flowers are popping up everywhere - including my latest purse! Last week I finished this bag using a gorgeous fabric from Heather Bailey's Freshcuts line. I adore her fabrics and have used them for several other sewing projects in the past.

Here's the latest!








Speaking of flowers - my Glaminis are starting to bloom!!




I love this time of year!

Exploring the Dark Side

As you may have noticed - I have indeed decided to try some crochet. I know I know... What about the knitting! I'm still knitting!! See? One finished Monkey sock!



I used Socks that Rock Mediumweight in the Metamorphosis colorway. I got this at Stitches East last year. I still need to knit the second one - but it may be a while. I seems to be having SSS on my last THREE socks!! I will get around to it eventually though. I do love the colors - even if they may not be the best for this pattern....





But - back to the Crochet - I found this cool site:
Crochetme.com

It has some free crochet patterns - including crocheted socks! Some of the articles are interesting too. Give it a read!

They also a link to a crocheted yoda and princess leia! How can you beat that!

I finished a square for my Larger than life bag from Interweave crochet.
I am using Tahki Donegal Tweed. I am not yet sure if all the blocks will be the same or not. I may even add a forth color.






I really enjoyed crocheting this and I have learned that reading crochet instructions is hard! Too many sk, sc, and dc's! I prefer the charts - I am a visual learner - so that is no big surprise to me. I always prefer reading knitting charts too rather than reading the directions.

I also really like one of the other patterns in the Spring 07 Interweave Crochet issue (the same one that has the Larger than Life bag.)

I love this beach comber tunic from interweave crochet.




The top is knit and the bottom is crochet. I think it's a great combo - the best of both worlds!!

One more crochet reference - I also purchased this cute pattern from Roxycraft. It's a crocheted turtle!! I love turtles... so I had to get him.




There are lots of other cute patterns on her site too - go check them out!

Eye Candy Friday....

Happy Friday everyone! I wanted share the latest blooms from my garden...

I just love the colors:






Also - I have officially gone over to the dark side... I was crocheting!
I decided I needed that Larger than Life bag from Interweave Crochet.



I started making just the centers - and soon I will add more colors.

Sorry for the dark photo - but here's the first layer of color - a beautiful aubergine.



Here are the other colors I am going to pare with it... a light tan, a green and a dark brown. All are Tahki Donegal Tweed.





To get some crochet practise before I really start the hard part of the sqaures - I crocheted a bowl and then felted it - to hide all my mistakes!

More Sewing

There has been much sewing going on in the Javajem household lately. (I blame Sarah mostly!)

She came over last Thursday and we spent the evening doing the most unappealing part of the sewing process... the cutting...

Here are 4 "future" purses - all cut out and ready to go.





Later that week - I managed to sew two of them. I made this cute little number for my mother in law's birthday.





Stats:

Fabric - Freshcuts
Pattern - Amy Butler In Town bag

I just love this fabric!







Then (getting up at 6am on Saturday to make sure it was done...) I finished this bag for my friend Coleen.

She has a thing for chickens you see.



Stats:

Fabric - Outside fabric from Sarah's stash - inside from Joann's
Pattern - Amy Butler In Town bag


I couldn't resist using this fabric for her again. I had previously made her a mini wallet with this chicken fabric.





And of course when I saw these buttons at Joann's - I HAD to get them!




There definitely must be something going on at the Javajem house - because look!!

Who's that sewing?



Why, it's Mr Javajem himself!




He got the sewing bug too! He has this little creature - a "Fast" - that came with his car (A Volkswagon GTI). Yes - he's just as obsessed with cars as we are with knitting - so of course he wanted to make a plush version of his fast.

Just so you can see what the fast looks like - here it is posing with a pincusion...




I will most definitely keep you posted on the progress of the "plush fast".

Mr Javajem is using a pattern for a basketball and doing quite well having never sewn before! (other than the required home-ec classes in high school).

You may also have noticed that I am no longer calling my husband Hubbo... he didn't like that name. I sincerely doubt he will like Mr Javajem either - so I must come up with a new knickname for him... Car guy? V-dub guy? Sewing guy? Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated!

And by the way... I though I'd only have a yarn stash in my house... but...

Check out my ever expanding fabric stash!!

My...whatever...

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Breaking News!! (and a new knitty)

The new Knitty is out! Go look!!

My favorites are two of the sock patterns:

Sweetpea

and Coupling -

I just love the description of "coupling" too...

"A 2006 poll commissioned by McGregor Socks revealed an interesting tidbit: East Coast Canadians are more likely than anyone else in the country to leave our socks on while, um, coupling."
I'll definitely be making these.

Aside from the socks...
I also like Unmentionables - cute - but I dont think I would wear it!

and
Wisp is so soft and luscious looking.

Zodiac is cute too and there are lots of friends with little ones coming that I could make this for.

Chapeau Marnier also caught my eye. I'm not normally a hat person - but this is so cute!

And oh yeah....the breaking news is actually that I bought a wheel....
The Majacraft Suzie Pro!!


Woot!!!

The Mannings

I went to the Mannings this weekend with Sarah, Coleen,Amie, Jolene and Cheryl. We had the best time!

We caravaned up to PA on Saturday morning after a yummy Panera breakfast. When we arrived - the festival was already in full swing.



There were stands with alpacas and llamas and sheep waiting to be sheared.

Aren't the alpacas cute! They were making a cute sound that was a cross between a baa and a moo.



Once we got over oogling the HUGE amounts of yarn in the shop



I headed over the spinning room. There were many many wheels there and of course - I tried them all.

Here's Amie spinning on one of my favorites - The Kromski Symphony.



No - I didn't come with a wheel. I thought about it.... but I think I still like the Majacraft that I tried at Nicol's better.

In another room - there were looms. Big looms, and small looms, everywhere!




In the loom rooms - there were also several other demostrations going on. One stand had all kinds of needle felting techniques. I thought this idea of using a cookie cutter to determine the shape was brillant.



Outside they had several stands set up demonstrating dying and spinning and this one on spinning flax into Gold! (Well - gold colored yarn...)

This guy is demonstrating how the flax is combed before the spinning process can begin.



After a yummy lunch at a local diner - and a stop at Rita's for a gelati - we headed home.

On the way home I made everyone stop at this Homestead. (Well I was driving - so no one had a choice!)

They had this amazing water wheel that actually worked!




There was a wedding going on - so I didn't stray far from the car - but I did spy a blacksmith working.



It was a great day!

In Town Bag

To continue my weekend update - I went over to Sarah's house for a bit of sewing Saturday night.

I was able to give her some birthday goodies and she gave me the cutest box bag! I told her she wasn't supposed to give other people gifts on her birthday - but she wouldn't listen.

She knows I'm a sucker for Amy Butler fabrics - so she made the bag from several different ones.
I love it!




I just love the cute little dragonfly charm :)



Speaking of Amy Butler - I also brought over a pattern I got for the In Town bags. We both made the 'Smart Handbag' from Amy Butler's In Town bag line.





Inside I added lots of pockets for my stuff.



I also made yet another box bag from some fabric I got in Vegas. (what do you think Nic?)



I'll leave you with a cool photo of a lady out for a walk on one of my black eyed susans...