Antics | Love Is All You Knit

May 31 2013

Antics, baby knits, Dogs, Family, knitting, shawls/wraps, Texas, travel

Insta-May

I can’t believe that May is over and its almost officially summer. That whole ‘time flies’ quote rings true once again. Looking over these Instagrams, it’s pretty clear that May was chock full of my most favorite things- knitting, music, cocktails, doggie snuggles, a little bit of nature, time with great friends and time with my wonderful, wonderful Joey. I’m looking forward to June, to the relaxed pace that ensues as the days start to sizzle and we are reminded that it’s okay to stop working so hard and just go have some fun- cause its SUMMERTIME!

May 22 2013

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Antics, CRAFT!, Other Crafty Things

Ladies’ Domestic Arts Society: DIY Porcelain Mugs

I have quite a few crafty lady-friends and we’ve always talked about getting together and just making stuff- one of us would show the others how to make jewelry, another would teach us all how to sew, another would show us how to bake awesome deserts, and so on and so on. And so we formed the Ladies’ Domestic Arts Society, a monthly meetup with the sole purpose of making crafty things together. Recently, we gathered at my home and decorated coffee mugs with porcelain pens while catching up on each others’ lives and sipping mimosas. It was a really fabulous time and I’m already looking forward to our next meetup.

Tagged coffee mugs, decorated mugs, diy, mugs, porcelain pens

May 05 2013

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Antics, Other Crafty Things, wool, Yarn

Creative Reuse: Yarn-Wrapped Jars

I’ve collected quite a few of these glass jars over the years, thinking they were too useful to just toss into the recycle bin. I use them for drinking glasses, loose change catch-alls, bud vases and of course, storage for my double pointed knitting needles. I decided to snazz these up a bit with a little leftover yarn. It’s super quick and easy- I just taped the beginning of the yarn towards the top of the jar and then used small dot of super glue to secure at the bottom end. Hooray for reusing instead of tossing and hooray for sprucing things up with wool!

Tagged dpn storage, knitting, knitting needles, mason jars, wool, yarn

Apr 30 2013

Insta April

This April, Joey and I were up to our usual escapades and getting out to enjoy the pretty spring weather a little more. I bought some pretty yarn for a new knitting project, enjoyed some wine on a Friday afternoon at work, and spent some good times with good friends at our favorite bar. We spent a weekend at the Ranch and met my parents’ sweet new cow dog, Camo, and had a fabulously fun time at a Louisiana-style crawfish boil with the band. My friend Felicia and I did a woodsy photoshoot for my new knitting pattern and we came across a snake while trying to get a good shot. I started up my new knitting project while sitting at Redwood Studios and listening to some really great violin being recorded for one of Joey’s new projects. We have had plenty of new bunny sightings in our back yard and one time Henry even sat next to me, the two of us spying on them together. Joey invented a delicious new apple flavored New York Whiskey cocktail for the bar that I named The Big Apple Sour, and I got to listen to a sneak preview of the new Midlake album that is coming out later this year. I marveled at the prettiness of brown speckled eggs in my new egg tray, and had an epic fail when I attempted to bake my own pizza dough. Joey bought me a pretty gardenia plant to cheer me up after the pizza incident, and we spent many an afternoon on the tennis courts having a blast and enjoying each other’s company. And as always, love was all around us.

Tagged cooking, crawfish, dogs, knitting, pizza, tennis, wine, yarn

Apr 24 2013

Whiskey and Wool

I am working on a sort-of secret knitting project right now; a gift for someone I love. I realized yesterday that my deadline for finishing this gift is closer than I thought, so I’ve taken to working on it anywhere and everywhere. Last night I even worked on it at the bar during happy hour. A classic cocktail in one hand and my knitting in the other- it wasn’t a bad way to spend the evening!

Tagged cocktails, knitting, whiskey, wool, yarn

Apr 01 2013

Insta-March

March was a busy and music-filled month. We kicked things off with the 35 Denton music festival, where Redwood Studios played host to tons of bands over the course of three days, and the next weekend we went to the SXSW music festival in Austin, where Joey played a showcase with Israel Nash. We were introduced to Laura and Israel’s brand new baby and spent a couple of great nights around a giant fire pit while the guys made some great new music. I went to a fabulous ladies’ champagne and tea party, and knitted a new wooly hat while I was sick in bed with bronchitis for a couple of days. We also saw the first signs of spring with budding trees, blue skies and an Easter celebration, where I tested out my crafty cooking skills by dyeing Easter eggs and baking bread. Next up: I’m looking forward to April’s nice weather, Joey’s birthday and getting back into some knitting!

Tagged 35denton, cooking, dogs, eggs, knitting, march, music, spring, sxsw

Mar 31 2013

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Antics, Cooking, Other Crafty Things

Made by Hand: No Knead Bread

I baked a loaf of artisan bread this weekend using the no-knead bread recipe by Jim Lahey, via NY Times and my new enameled cast iron dutch oven that was a gift from my sister and mom. It smelled amazing while baking and it turned out pretty good, but not perfect. The recipe calls for the dough be left to rise on a flour-coated cotton towel for the last two hours before baking, and then you overturn the loaf into the dutch oven, freeing it from the towel. When I did this move, the loaf was still a little sticky and suck to my towel, mis-shaping it a little and creating a big mess out of my kitchen towel. I think maybe I needed a little more flour in that step, but I’ll certainly look forward to trying this recipe again next weekend.

Mar 30 2013

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Antics, Cooking, Other Crafty Things

Naturally Dyed Eggs For Easter

I made a few more naturally dyed eggs for Easter this year using the same method I used last year. For the purple eggs, I used blueberries and for the orangey-brown I used onion skins and a little added paprika.

Tagged craft, diy, dye, easter, eggs, natural

Mar 28 2013

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Antics, bunnies, wool

Bunny Love: A Wool Story

I’ve shared stories before about the cottontail rabbits that live in the area near our house. Joey and I are constantly seeing bunnies in our yard or in our neighbors’ yards, and we get such a kick out of all the bunny sightings. Earlier this week Henry, our disinterested rabbit dog/lazy basset hound was sniffing around out back and he snuffled upon a bunny nest!

About five or so teensy babies were cuddled together in a little burrow covered with dried leaves and grasses and bits of bunny fluff. It has still been pretty cold in our area the past few nights and my heart was melting thinking about these tiny little buns in their nest, when I came up with an idea. I remembered reading (and thoroughly enjoying) the Yarn Harlot’s stories about the wool-thieving squirrel that kept running off with bits of her freshly washed fleece any time she would leave it outside to dry in the sunshine. I thought that if a squirrel appreciated the warmth and comfort wool could provide, that perhaps this mama bun might appreciate a little wool on these chilly nights as well. After scouring my yarn cabinet for a colorful bit of wool roving, I quietly and carefully left it sitting near the nest. All day yesterday while at work I was thinking about the baby bunnies and wondering if mama bun would appreciate the little wooly gift I left for her. As soon as I got home, I snuck a peek:

The wool had been appreciatively snuggled down, insulating the entrance to the bunny burrow. I lifted a leaf that was laying on top and got a glimpse of warm snuggly baby buns and my heart melted again. Fellow wool-lovers, we’re on to something.

Tagged bunny, rabbit, spring, texas, wool, yarn

Mar 20 2013

2 Comments

Antics, Hats, knitting, Yarn

Hofsós Hat

If you haven’t seen Stephen West’s latest KAL collection, Westy’s Besties, you should probably drop what you’re doing and go take a peek. I’ll wait.

Gorgeous, right? Well, it would kind of have to be when its a collaboration of Stephen West designs, Brooklyn Tweed Yarns, Cirilia Rose styling and Jared Flood photography all set to the amazing backdrop that is Iceland.

The pattern I fell in love with the most is the Hofsós Hat, which has really interesting construction and amazing textures. It is knit using three different colors of yarn, with two strands of alternating colors held together throughout. While I didn’t have any LOFT on hand, I did have three shades of Palette in my stash that are similar to the ones used in the pattern, so I went ahead and cast on using those.

The pattern was so addictive because each time I finished a section I couldn’t wait to start the next one and would just keep on going. It even rekindled my love for seed stitch, which is a stitch pattern I love for its look, but hate for its tediousness while knitting. Using two shades of yarn just amplified the textural aspect that I love so much that my mind is now whirling, wondering how I can put this to use in other ways.

As soon as I cast off Joey tried it on and then I tried it on. And even though I made it for Joey, I told him we’d just have to share this one.