moments in the mommyhood - goofiness all around

here's to long weekends both in the US and in Canada and to lots of laughs, bubbles, sunshine, fun, yummy coffee, crafty goodness, wonderful friends & family.  wishing you all a wonderful long weekend.  i'm not sure if i will pop in tomorrow as it's Canada day here in my neck of the woods and it's also a holiday on monday for our fellow neighbours in the US so i may just be a naughty girl and take friday and monday off!!!!  oh my!!!  a 4 day weekend?  wowsa!  i feel so daring..lol.  i plan on getting on that darn sewing machine if it kills me and also to get some progress made on my summer sweater knit along project.  i ran into a little hoopla with too many increases in one part..must have made an oopsie even though i was being super meticulous but thanks to a good pal i managed to fix my ways and can now start going again.

alrighty, back to the dirty diapers, my 4 loads of never ending laundry, icky kitchen floor, full dishwasher, crabby/grumpy toddler, crumb covered carpet and the many other duties us mom's have. ahhhh the joys of motherhood, i'm sure you can all relate :)

what are you all up to for the long weekend?  any special projects you finished for canada day or for the 4th of july?  whatever it is you are doing i hope you all enjoy yourself and have lots and lots of fun!  chat with you all next week....or maybe sooner cause i'll prolly miss all of you.

*p.s. no babies were injured in the making of this post. daddies were there to catch them :P

summer sweater knit along - where my stitches at?

image luvinthemommyhood

ahhhhh stitches.  what would knitting be without our stitches and our friends of course :)  i know, i know we've got the basics knit and purl.  the good ol standby's but what do you use to add some pizazz to those two lovely loops?  how do you decrease and increase?  how do you add some textures?  well...they come from stitches.  we all have our faves and we all have our hates.  let's go over some of the common ones.

Source: flickr.com via Vicky on Pinterest

i'll be referring as i go throughout this post to one of my fave knitting sites for help - knittinghelp.com for good diagrams and videos for more info you can get to teach and learn stitches.  but you can also find lots of great help online on knitty.com, ravelry.com, youtube.com and many, many others.
 
increases

M1L and M1R - make 1 left and make 1 right, the cleanest of the increases but also, to some folks, the most annoying.  me especially.  i have a love/hate relationship with M1L.  i just can't seem to ever remember it when i have to do both and i mix them up horribly.  so under the guidance of my knitting group i decided to just do all the increases in my pattern i'm making as M1R.  it may not be as 100% perfect looking but it's close enough and it's way more relaxing for me to just knit now.  i'm not constantly looking down at my notes to make sure i'm doing the right one.  this increase is done by knitting the bar between the two stitches to make a new stitch.  the difference between the two is from which direction you insert your needle and from which side of your work you knit on. 

KFB -  knit through front and back. this sneaky little increase can also be called a bar increase or can be abbreviated as K1F&B.  a simple increase that is used often.  you simply knit a stitch and then instead of slipping it off the needle you knit another stitch into the back loop of it.  not too hard right?

YO - yarn over...ahhh, the good ol' standby.  this is the easiest, simplest and most basic of the increases but it also will leave you with a little hole saying hello!  so don't use this increase if you want your increases to be as unnoticeable as possible.  this is a great increase if you are using the holes as a pretty detail and it's very commonly used in lace knitting!  love!  yarn over is simply what it says it is...you yarn over.  instead of placing your needle into the next stitch to knit you simply wrap your yarn over the working needle knit wise and then continue knitting as normal.  that's it!

M1 -  there are a few versions of this but i find elizabeth zimmerman's my fave and the simplest.  it simply involves making a backwards loop on your right hand needle and when you get to that "fake stitch" on the next row  just treat it as any normal stitch.  oh, elizabeth how i love thee :)

there are other increases that can be used as well.  you can see some of them and their videos here.  i chose the ones above as they are my faves and the ones i most commonly use.

Source: flickr.com via luvinthemommyhood on Pinterest

decreases

K2tog & K2togtbl - knit two together (right slanting) and knit two together through back loop (left slanting) are 2 of the most popular decreases.  their ease of use is one of the reasons they are so very popular.  this stitch simply involves inserting your needle into 2 stitches instead of 1 and knitting them together thus decreasing 1 stitch.  easy right?  the k2togbl is the same basic idea of k2tog but instead of inserting your needle as you normally would to knit you insert your needle through the back loops and then knit. (these can both also be done purl wise)

SSK - slip, slip, knit slipped stitches together is another popular left slanting way to decrease.  this one happens to be my fave.  not sure why i just like it.  there's something a bit fun about slipping stitches to the next needle that makes me feel a bit daring..haha. this decrease is a bit self explanatory but just in case i'll send you here to learn how.

SK2P -  slip one knit two together pass slipped stitch over is one of my fave double decreases and i find it lots of fun to do.  again, it's one of those stitches that's very daring in a weird way.  i have a thing for anything out of the ordinary when it comes to knitting.  i like to break up the flow of just straight knitting sometimes :) 

again there other ways of decreasing and to see some more common ones and their videos click here.

Source: flickr.com via luvinthemommyhood on Pinterest

putting it together

stockinette stitch (aka stocking stitch) - knit one row, purl the next.  a little mix of this and a little mix of that :)

garter stitch - knit every row.  can't get easier than this!

seed stitch (aka moss stitch) - Row 1: knit 1, purl 1.  Row 2: purl 1, knit 1.  then you just repeat those 2 rows.  i like it :)

ribbing - a commonly used technique that draws the fabric in and gives a fun texture and definition.  this is used a ton on cuffs and edges of garments.  it's most commonly done by doing the following: Row 1: knit 2, purl 2. Row 2: purl 2, knit 2.  again repeating these 2 rows.  the number of the stitches can be used in any denomination you would like to achieve the look you want.  so for instance you could do a combo of k3 p2 or k3, p3. 

Source: flickr.com via luvinthemommyhood on Pinterest

decorative stitches 

cable knitting - this is my absolute fave! i love it!  i get a kick out of cable knitting.  it's like a fun surprise just waiting to happen when you're knitting.  there is something so exciting about doing the cable knit row that i just can't wait for the next one.  cable knitting is simply crossing one group of stitches over another in a particular direction or denomination.  you use a nifty little notion called a cable needle you slip a few stitches on it and either hold them to the front or back of your knitting while you keep going along to the next stitches and then the fun part is you bring the stitches on your cable needle back out and let them join the party by knitting from your cable needle.  this allows your stitches to be twisted (cabled) and raised above the rest of your knitting.  it sounds way more complicated than it is and it's very addictive for those of you looking for a bit more of a challenge then a basic knit / purl sweater.  here's a great explanation of cable knitting that will give you a better idea of what i'm rambling on about..lol.

you can find some more decorative stitches like bobbles and such at the bottom of this link.

Source: flickr.com via luvinthemommyhood on Pinterest

so...you feeling inspired?  did you learn a new stitch?  do you have a fave that you love?  which stitch do you love to hate?  how's your KAL going?  let's talk knitting ladies!

*all conversations about the KAL can be found in our luvinthemommyhood ravelry group thread here.  you can find all the previous KAL posts here.  it's never too late to join in!  you can also friend me on ravlery.com under luvinthemommyhood.

a big thank you to all our summer sweater knit along sponsors!!!

the lovely elisa is offering all luvinthemommyhood readers 20% off in her gorgeous shop!! use code LTMH2011 at the checkout of her etsy shop.

*french press knits  *never not knitting  *jane richmond  *knitterella  *hilary smith callis  *magpie patterns  *fanciful belongings  *plum project studio  *nook  *marie madeline studio  *aesthetic nest  
*passionate design

lovely clusters - the pretty blog

are you looking for a blog to get lost in with soothing images, pretty lovelies and beautiful handmade goodies galore?  well let me just say that when i'm having one of "those days" and i feel the need for some soothing and relaxing eye candy i pop over to lovely clusters.  rachel's blog and shop is filled with the most gorgeous pictures, mood boards, color inspirations and dreamy images.  i love to get lost there.

one of my favorite parts of lovely clusters is the ability to search for pretty things based on your color preference.  i mean hello....i can search under teal & turquoise!  love it! and then voila! lots of pretty things to buy in my fave colors!

don't get me wrong, i'm a pinterest addict - proud of it too, but before pinterest came along and even now it's here i still visit lovely clusters.

rachel even has catalogs now!  lovely free emags filled with lots of inspiration.  you can find the spring/summer and fall/winter issues here.

so go get inspired or how about some shopping...go treat yourself to something handmade and pretty from the one of the many gorgeous shops featured on lovely clusters.  

after drooling over all of the good stuff rachel puts together over on lovely clusters i knew when doing my research for the luvinthemommyhood blog redesign the other month that she was the girl for the job.  who else better than to help give you guys your "brain latte" than rachel.  yep, that's right, she's a graphic designer as well.  you can find her shop here on ironwood design studio.  i don't want to embarrass her too much but I do have to say that rachel - you are ahhhhhmmmmazing!  i love the blog and you seriously rock!  thank you for doing such a wonderful job and for putting up with all my crazy ideas. giant hugs and thank you, thank you, thank you!

you are sure to find something you love over on lovely clusters:

* blog  *shop  *facebook  *pinterest  *twitter  *catalogs

are you on pinterest?  are you a fan of lovely clusters?  do you sell on lovely clusters?  where do you go for inspiration online?  you can follow me on pinterest here :)

feeling inspired by...

the orchid my baby sis got me for my birthday...

Source: None via MorgenStern on Pinterest

creative stillness...

Source: flickr.com via Mochi on Pinterest

quiet time...

Source: sarahjanestudios.com via Amy on Pinterest

being able to find time to sketch again...

Source: flickr.com via Vicky on Pinterest

snuggles...

Source: havealittlefaithinme.tumblr.com via Jasmine on Pinterest

lace...

Source: dottieangel.blogspot.com via Ginny on Pinterest

and friends :)

Source: sayingimages.com via Samantha on Pinterest

things may be a bit quiet off and on around here this week.  the hubs is still sick, i'm a bit under the weather with my ol'pal (endometriosis), the baby has decided that 4am is her new wake time and it's been hectic around here.  i still haven't been able to use the new sewing machine yet and it's killing me..lol.  i hope to post everyday this week but if i'm a no show one day you know where i am :)

i hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are feeling inspired too.  in fact i'd love to know what's inspiring you this week.  leave me a comment below or even better, why not post about what's inspiring you too and then link to it below so we can all see. happy creating!

weekend wishes

to make some yummy soup that's gluten free (& dairy free)...

Source: tarteletteblog.com via luvinthemommyhood on Pinterest

to find some more shelving for my kitchen...

Source: flickr.com via luvinthemommyhood on Pinterest

to put this stool in my living room...

Source: flickr.com via luvinthemommyhood on Pinterest

to save my hanging baskets that seem to have decided they don't like me...

Source: 3.bp.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

that you can all relate to this...

Source: imgfave.com via luvinthemommyhood on Pinterest

to find & relish in some quiet time...

Source: rememberwhenwefirstmet.tumblr.com via Saskia on Pinterest

and to finish reading the juicy novel i'm in the middle of.

image via

the hubs is going to be at school all weekend so this mama is going to be in need of a break come monday...eeek!  i tell you this turning another year older made me sooooo sleepy this week.  i'm exhausted.  i think the excitement of buying Poppy the Pfaff wore me out!  then to stare at her all wrapped up all week and not have the time to open and sew with her has seriously been keeping me up at night.  i know, weird right?  but seriously, i'm dying to just spend a whole day, uninterrupted, to just sew and get to know her.  a girl can dream right?

i'll also be working on a few new tutorials, my summer sweater knit along project - you guys are doing awesome by the way, sorry for the lack of knitting posts this week there will be some more knitting love next week, and also some gluten free cooking.  i'm on a hunt to stock my pantry and try my hand at some yummy gluten free baking and cooking cause i am STARVING!

i hope you all have a wonderful weekend filled with yummy food, sleep, coffee, laughs, cuddles and crafty goodness!

what are your plans this weekend?  any crafting?  did you make anything fun this week?  do you have a great gluten free resource/recipe to share?

sewing 911 - the new baby is home

most of you know that i've been in the market for a loooooong time for my new baby..aka...the sewing machine.  i've saved all my little pennies and got spoiled by my lovely family for my bday and was finally, finally able to go pick up my machine of choice.   isn't she pretty???  that's her in her box..lol.  so cute and just waiting to be opened up & coddled at home..... 

with her new mama.  i'm going to love her a lot and i'm hoping we're going to get along reeeaaalll great.  oh and yes, i am that dork who poses with an inanimate object in a public place...haha, i couldn't help myself guys.  before i tell you all about her i wanted to share a little happy dance with ya...yes, i do that too and i didn't think it fair to try to capture my excitement without showing it to you in full shantastic style!!!  so here's my shanny happy dance!!!

ok, so before you all laugh at me and think i'm off my rocker i'll tell you a bit about my new baby.  she's a pfaff ambition 1.0.  this machine was just released recently by pfaff.  there is the 1.0 and the 1.5 in the ambition series.  i received a press release and some info on this new line from pfaff's publicity department and let me just say as soon as that puppy popped up in my inbox i knew it was the one for me.  i kept researching other machines but i knew my heart was already set on it.  the only thing that wasn't working for me was the price.  i had set a strict budget for myself (being thrifty and all) and was trying to find a way to swing the 1.0.

then the day before my birthday i got an email from victoria's best sewing machine dealer - sawyer's sewing center, with a new sale on and low and behold there was my pfaff just smiling at me on the cover!  needless to say i went in and brought her home the next day.  it was fate if you ask me.

i knew if i could get my hands on a pfaff at a price that i could afford i was going for it.  i haven't heard one bad thing about the brand during all my posts and fb/twitter mentions.  overall consensus - you all love pfaff.  the pfaff ambition 1.0 also fit all my sewing needs.  i work through a lot of layers a fair amount, i quilt (and modern quilting was very important to me), and i sew everyday - i needed a workhorse with a lot of room, space, strength and an engine that could!  the built in walking foot on this puppy had me sold at hello!  never mind all the perks she has as well.  she met everything on my list and more.  when i got home and saw in the stitches that come with the machine that there were 2 different houses that look like my watermark i just about died.  it was meant to be.  now when i quilt i can stitch my little house and name on it....my eyes are tearing up as i type this..haha...that is how attached i am to it already and i haven't even used it yet.

here were the things i went in to the sewing store on my must haves list:

- drop in bobbin  - one step buttonhole (a rarity for pfaff but mine had it!)  - automatic needle threader  - auto tension  - a whole whack of cool stitch patterns (overlocks important)  - free arm  - lots of feet  - adjustable stitch length & width  - large plate  - built in walking foot  - adjustable needle positions (left to right)  - stop/start button

and these were the things on my wish list:

- drop feed for free motion sewing  - heavy metal frame for no movement while sewing  - push button stitch selection  - mirror stitch   - automatic needle down for free motion quilting

the pfaff ambition 1.0 had everything on my list except for the automatic thread cutter but it had a built in walking foot which trumped the cutter if you ask me!  here's all the perks and bells and whistles of the new pfaff line!  check out the video..isn't she so cool..lol.  pfaff created the ambition line to allow sewers access to all the pfaff technology (pfaff® idt™ (integrated dual feed) feature) at a more affordable price range.  can we say awesome!  with it's large, hi-res touch screen with built in alphabet and 136 stitches, 200mm sewing space and more i was excited!

and guess what, when i went in to sawyer's sewing centre i brought with me a big ol list of all the above info like a complete dork.  yes, i made a fool of myself.  i don't think i have been that nervous to make a purchase in a very, very long time.  i felt like i was going to throw up before i went in i was so nervous..haha.  i felt bad that the poor salesgirl (jaime) had to try to understand me when i was so obviously not able to articulate myself properly.  if i remember correctly i literally ran in like a crazy person.  inside i was like a little girl on xmas morning dying to run around the store screaming with joy!  loooooossser...haha.  oh well.  we're not all cool and suave are we? i'm sure not.  i'm a clumsy goof who felt like she had won the lottery when really she was just buying a sewing machine :P

Sewing Machine Checklist

(this is for personal use only)

so to help you be just a tad cooler than i was when i went in i put together a cute little sewing machine checklist that you can slip in your purse when you go machine shopping for your new baby.  i even drew ya a little sewing machine on there to keep your eye on the prize..lol.  i'm a list addict.  i write and make lists all day and am obsessed with those magnetic ones you can buy at micheal's for a $1.50.  i stock up whenever i get my hands on them so i thought it was about time i made my own custom list!  so here ya go!  click on the box on the bottom bar of the preview above to download your free copy and she's all yours! (here's the direct link in case the preview isn't working)

i was very happy with the service given to me at sawyer's sewing centre and my machine came with as many free lessons as i need to feel comfortable sewing on my new baby.  jamie was super patient with me, put up with my giddy blathering and helped me to rationalize my purchase and do a comparison between the pfaff and a very tempting janome at the same price.  if you live anywhere on vancouver island and need an awesome dealer to purchase your next sewing machine from i highly recommend checking out sawyer's.  they've been around forever, they deal and repair all the top brands and no matter who i asked about purchasing a machine in town they all told me without a doubt to go to sawyer's.  you guys also said that when purchasing a new machine the best place to purchase was from your local dealer.  you had all received great customer service, lessons and assistance from knowledgeable staff.  i'm so happy i listened...you guys are so wise :)

image luvinthemommyhood

i've been busy reading and rereading my manual and drooling over my new baby but i have yet to use her.  i think i am going to wait for my lesson or for at least a quiet time in my house to play with it uninterrupted.  not sure which will come first as the hubs is busy every weekend for a few weekends now and i don't want the kidlets with me when i go in so until then....i'll be dreaming.  i also wanted to send out a big thank you to all of my lovely readers who emailed, messaged, commented, tweeted etc on their fave sewing brands and for your tips and wisdom.  i honestly don't think i could have made any kind of decision without all of your help...so thank you and to my awesome sponsors of luvinthemommyhood - you guys rock and without your support this machine would not be in my living room!  and to my family who spoiled me for my bday - love you guys!  i can't wait to sew with her!

are you in the market for a new machine?  check out my other posts on sewing machine shopping:

*sewing 911 - how the heck to choose & buy a sewing machine
*sewing 911 - what's your machine of choice?

have you recently bought a new machine? what did you get and why?  i'd love to hear about it! let's chat sewing ladies!

avocado smoothies...i could no longer resist thee

we interrupt this regularly scheduled sewing/knitting post with some yumminess that i just couldn't resist sharing.  i've been seeing tempting avocado smoothies popping up here and there lately and i could no longer resist trying one.  i heart a delish avocado and any new way to eat one is good in my book.

i don't know about you guys but i love the simplicity of avocados.  the clean taste, the smoothness and who can resist the color!  love those greens!  wouldn't these tones make a great quilt?  ok...i digress.  i see sewing in everything...even food!

in our house we love a fresh smoothie.  they're quick, easy and can use a whole whack of ingredients in the fridge.  plus it's a great way to disguise veggies/fruits your kidlets may not be into eating.  so since i've been mad craving this avocado smoothie since spotting it on the addictive blog "cakies" a while ago and then spotting it on my pal katy's blog "no big dill" i finally decided i just can't resist.  bonus was that our recent yarn guest buffy (of passionate design) also just made one and since i know she has great food taste, it was just that extra push i needed to try it out! so i'm jumping on the bandwagon and trying out that darn avocado smoothie!

the ingredients couldn't be simpler.  (*please note: if you want to know the measurements and full ingredients click here for the recipe i used on cakies.)

add some water and some milk (in my case soy milk).....some ice.....some sugar or honey ...and, of course....

some avocado!  add it all into your blender...

mix that bad boy up....

pour all that yummy green goodness into your glass...

mmmmm.....

take a sip...good?  yep.  thought you'd like it.  now...feed it to the munchkins...

two thumbs up....well until the 4 year old found out what was in it.  it's a little hard to hide an avocado from her when she's watching me make the smoothie...oops...silly mama...next time i'll be a bit more discreet.  but i do have to say they both loved it and i will be making more of these in the future.  i think i'll be playing around and adding a few more ingredients for some fun mixtures.  i know that when katy and buffy made their's they added the bubbles (not sure of the actual name) from bubble tea (those gooey, chewy bits that float around) but i'm not a big fan of those so omitted them from our taste test.

all in all i say give this a try.  as long as you like avocados i'm sure you're gonna dig it.  so go on...i dare ya :P  stay tuned this week for when i debut our "new baby"!  sorry to take so long but with issues with blogger uploading pics today and me celebrating my bday i've been a bad, lazy blogger...haha.  you guys forgive me right?

have you tried avocado smoothies before?  what have you been craving that's a bit off the beaten path?  who else is with me on the green color palette???  do you have a fave avocado smoothie recipe you want to share?  let's chat smoothies ladies!