Susie Knits

Meg in her hat

2010-03-15T15:20:00.001-05:00

Hi Everybody!

I had to share this great pic of Meg Barker in her hat. Isn't she gorgeous? What fun to see her in one of my hats! She is a published and famous scrapbooker, afterall. :)

Samson

2010-02-18T07:24:00.002-06:00

This is Samson. My last post had his big sister, Olivia. Isn't he sweet? Look at that perfect skin. I used different brands of yarn for this hat. The weight of the yarns are similar so I didn't need to to a gauge (I'm not the gauge type). I like using different brands for the same project...it's a surprise when the project is complete. Thanks pics Jenny!

Olivia

2010-02-08T16:33:00.002-06:00

This is Olivia in her winter hat. I've been using fabric buttons this season. I love them! I found some that are much easier to attach so my fingers don't get raw...a big bonus. I'm not the thimble type. :)

Blue Sky

2010-02-06T09:38:00.002-06:00

Hi there! I, along with many, many knitters am completely in love with Blue Sky and all they offer. Kathy, at Shepherd's Choice, has the best selection of their yarns. I love to go in and just feel all the different weights and marvel at their colors. I think Blue Sky is the yarn company that truly "gets" color and executes well. I made these hats for a client that had a couple baby showers to attend. The two colors together have been popular this season.

Emma!

2010-01-31T11:42:00.002-06:00

This is Emma debuting my Urban Beret. The hat she is wearing is a small woman's size. Emma is 3...it's a bit big for her in the back, but I think still wearable. I like how my hats can be worn by Mom and daughter. If your house is anything like mine the hat is the last to go on and is usually grabbed at the last, hurried second. It's worth it not to have to find a specific hat and just grab whatever is within arms reach.

Those scratches on Emma's face were, no doubt, from she and her big bro wrestling. :) Her Mom and I spent a lot of "crunch time" before Christmas getting all our craft projects done. Emma and Fin were good sports, playing and keeping themselves busy.

Silly Boys...

2009-12-09T19:07:00.003-06:00

I had to share this pic of our family photo shoot this year. Fin was being a tiger. Apparently this is the facial expression of a tiger in between roaring during a photo session. We were laughing so hard. I'm sure by this time next year he will have grown out of pretending to be a tiger, so it makes this picture even more special. Today, our neighbor, Bella came over to get some help with her knitting. Right when she sat down Fin was at it. I tried to explain roaring at her means he likes her. He was crawling on all fours like he does...she had the most puzzled look on her face. Priceless.

Mandy took our pictures, of course. :)

Brand New

2009-11-23T19:47:00.002-06:00

I know I've said this before...when I see brand new human beings wearing something I made it makes me melt. What a compliment! Can you even stand how perfect these two sisters are? They are identical...and even get to have 2 older brothers. Thanks to Momma, Bethany, for sharing the picture!

Karsen's 8th Birthday

2009-10-23T11:54:00.002-05:00

This is Karsen. She was lucky enough to go to Mary Poppins on her 8th Birthday. I smile every time I see this picture! It's fun for me to see one of my hats part of her big day. She looks perfect in that color, doesn't she? Her flower is the new jersey type I've been doing. I love how the less it matches the better it looks. A red or brown button would work great too.
What a lucky girl.

It's really me!

2009-10-13T21:20:00.001-05:00

Hi! Wow, it's been too long. So much has been going on. My poor blog has been neglected. First, I wanted to let you know that I've been getting reports that my susieknits@comcast.net e-mail is not working properly. You can e-mail me @ smacu2@aol.com instead.

I have been working away on many, many hat orders. Thank you for keeping my hands and mind busy! It's been crazy & fun.

Soon, I will have all sorts of hats and flower pins for sale at Mandy Birdwell's studio. You are welcome to purchase my things there. I am also doing at-home parties now. If you are interested in hosting a party send me an e-mail at smacu2@aol.com. Turn around time for all orders is 4 weeks.

I am also participating in a gift boutique in Edina on November 12th from 5-9 p.m. There will be only hand-made items for sale. Come get your holiday shopping done and see all the amazing things local women create!

November 12th, 5-9 p.m.
Centennial Lakes Centrum Bldg.
7499 France Ave. S.
Edina, MN

OK. Enough housekeeping. On to the fun stuff.

Gavin, our oldest, has been begging to be an actor. It's unclear if he even grasps what that means. However, he wore me down. I put together some of Mandy's photos and today we were off to an agency I'm familiar with in downtown Mpls. The owner of the agency seemed to like him right away. She asked him if he would want to be in a TV commercial. He said, "Well, I'd rather be in a movie." Then, she went on to explain to me she thought Gavin could be very busy and wanted to know if I was up for all the driving around the city. Before I could answer Gavin piped in, "Will I get my own office?" I just about died laughing. You could hear my Mother-in-law snickering outside the door. What a silly boy! Love it.... Here's some of the Mandy pics we shared. Of course they LOVED her work!

Some great new Mandy photos....

2009-09-10T16:45:00.003-05:00

Does God make cuter kids?!??! I love how blond they are. That's very foreign in our house.

Jayden's wearing one of the fabric flower pins I did the other day. It's from an old shirt of mine that I shrunk. I was playing on my sewing machine and came up with a pattern. It took a couple tries to get it just right.
This hat and flower was made from some scraps I had lying around. I bought the fabric 50% off at Mill End. I wish I would have bought the whole bolt!
I love how Mandy thought to put all these colors together. It's a gift she has. She's not only a photographer but a stylist as well.

Matilda Jane Clothing and Susie Knits

2009-09-09T15:42:00.006-05:00

Hi Everyone! I hope you had a good first day of school with all your kids!

We are having an open house at Mandy Birdwell's new Northeast Mpls. Studio this Sunday, September 13 from 3-7 p.m. Come join us if you can! Kids are welcome, of course.

Matilda Jane Clothing will be on hand as well as my hats. It's a great excuse to make your way to Northeast Mpls. to check out Crafty Planet too, if you haven't already.

If you can't make it and still want to place an order or be part of Mandy's special offer contact Beckie at ralilly@hotmail.com or call her at 651-605-5944.

Thomas

2009-08-25T22:37:00.003-05:00

This is Thomas brand new! Thanks Momma Leah for the cute pic.

I'm am off to the lake tomorrow with the boys. My hubby has a very busy stint at the State Fair coming up. After many years experience with this time of year we get out of town...out of the way. Hopefully A will be able to come home to a nice, clean, quiet house. A beer and some channel changing will gear him up for his next shift. I've gotten so nice in my old age. :)

All sorts of stuff.

2009-08-19T11:26:00.004-05:00

Here's our dog, Chloe, in all her glory. She sits by my Mom's garden at the lake and waits for the chipmunks to make an appearance. Almost 13 and she's still kickin' it.
I've been noticing a lot of purples, pinks, and oranges together lately. I love it! This will be one of the flowers I offer this season. I found a glue I really like that helps the fabric stay firm. It gives the flower pin a little more integrity...always a good thing.
This is my new favorite craft tool! I found this bobbin holder at Gruber's in St. Cloud. I wish I would have picked up a couple more. I carry it around with me when I'm sewing and knitting. It's compact and perfect for on the go. I keep it with all my knitting tools now. Whomever created this BobbinSaver is a GENIUS!
I've been doing some sketching this summer. I like the idea of combining knitting with sewing. After being inspired by Matilda Jane Clothing, I thought it would be fun to create a layered ruffled hat with all sorts of different fabrics. I came up with this sketch...as you can see I never got to the colored pencils part! Life interrupted my process. :) My sketch book has peanut butter smudges, coffee spills and spots of watermelon juice on it. There's evidence of what I was eating and drinking on each page. :)

Some very cute kids!

2009-08-17T17:12:00.003-05:00

This is Brekka. Her Mom told me she's been using this hat all summer. Didn't mean for her to have to do that! :) Glad she got good use out of it though....
This is Peyton and Kinsley. Their Mom makes great earrings, so we traded. It was like a shopping spree. I rarely buy jewelry these days...it seems to be an expense I forgo. I had so much fun looking through her creations and picking out the ones I wanted to take home. Thanks Kate!

This and that...

2009-08-15T22:04:00.002-05:00

This is Graham the other day. We were going into the YMCA and I couldn't resist snapping a photo of him. I had an outfit laid out for him (the same shirt with the shorts that go with it). He wanted to wear his soccer shorts instead. I gently (ok, maybe not that gently) told him the brown shorts work better with the shirt. He yelled, "YOU ARE NOT THE BOSS OF MY SHIRT!!!"
This is Fin the other day. We have been going to the doctor a lot lately and so Fin's nap usually suffers. I've started leaving blankets in my car and this one came in handy. He slept the whole time.

Can't believe it's already August...

2009-08-03T16:49:00.003-05:00

Keenan! He was born Tuesday. Isn't he sweet?!? Look at how crisp and clean that onesie is! They never stayed like that for long in my house.
Mandy's latest...love these. She just gets better and better.

Feeling a bit of "technology overload"...

2009-07-16T09:31:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone! I'm letting technology stress me out a bit. Doing my website, Ravelry, Twitter, my Blog, Facebook, texting...I've gotten out of control. I'm in the in-between generation where we didn't grow up with computers, but are adjusting quite nicely. It's not natural for me to constantly be figuring out how to do this and how to do that on the computer, Blackberry, T.V., ...blaa, blaa, blaa. I do it because it gets me to where I want to go. Except I'm still sitting here in my P.J.'s and really haven't gone anywhere today.

These little guys know how to live! I'm going to take some pointers from them and turn everything off today. Join me?

Happy Travels

2009-07-01T09:06:00.000-05:00

The gardener and his tree from seed. He started it on a school field trip this spring. We decided to take a pic of it every spring. I love how he's hugging it. That's him to a tee. Oh, and sorry about the messy kitchen. That's me to a tee.

I was cleaning out my computer the other day and came across this pic of him when he was 2. Oh my goodness...it all happens too fast. Love that curly hair...

I will be on vacation until Monday, July 6th. Have a happy and safe 4th of July!

Gus

2009-06-30T14:12:00.000-05:00

Hello sweet, beautiful, fresh, baby boy! You are too cute for words.

Rebeckah's Hat

2009-06-28T14:01:00.000-05:00

This is Rebeckah. Her Friend, Rachel, ordered this hat for her for her birthday. I made 2 flower pins so she can mix and match depending on what she's wearing. This style hat is great for Moms since it's loose enough not to flatten our neatly done hair. :)

Thanks for the great picture, Rachel! She's the perfect model. :)

Friends

2009-06-24T08:14:00.000-05:00

Then...
...and now.

These two have always been buds. They really don't have much in common, but they seem to have a really cute connection with one another. Graham still says they are going to get married and live next door to each other. :)

Some more...

2009-06-23T16:18:00.000-05:00

Some more Mandy shots...

2009-06-22T19:30:00.000-05:00

These pics will never get old! Check out Mandy's blog for the entire video to music.

Have you seen these?

2009-06-19T09:15:00.000-05:00

My new favorite furniture...wow! I love seeing how others express themselves. Amazing! Check them out at: squint limited.

Coming out of the fog...

2009-06-18T12:49:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone! I'm playing catch-up after a back injury. Thank you to all my friends and family who have saved me, yet again! I am always very grateful for the people in my life that are generous and kind. It's hard for me to ask for help. It's been such a growing experience for me to accept help (love) from others. Thanks to all for helping me deal with this ongoing ailment. I am grateful that I have grown enough to appreciate my life and all the wonderful people in it. :)

Mandy and I went up stairs for a moment, came down and saw this. Chase was sitting in the sun. Soon all the kids and dog congregated around him. How cute!
Saw this on my counter this morning. Fin took a bite and decided he didn't want it.
Here's Brody on his first car ride. Welcome to our world, sweet boy.

A dream come true...

2009-06-16T12:58:00.000-05:00

What a dream to have my hats part of this photo shoot. Everything was perfect. The clothes, the kids, the day, and of course the photographer. Mandy is a true artist. I love watching her get all her props ready. It's amazing how she finds things at rummage sales, antique stores, on-line...pretty much anywhere. Then she puts them together perfectly. That is a gift in itself! Thanks Miss Mandy for having my hats be a part of that great day.
This is KK. She's so independent and sassy. Can you tell? Those eyes!!! She is going to be something amazing when she goes up...definitely in a leadership role of some kind. I love watching her personality unfold.
Here's Preslee. She is so sweet. She's almost 3 and my 2 year old is much larger than she! She is the tiniest little thing...adorable. See the chair she's on? That's one of Mandy's finds.

I am working on my website currently. As a result, I am not taking any new orders until August 24th. If you have already placed an order, I will fulfill it. My hope is that my website makes it easier to order and to contact me. Thank you all for your support. What a compliment it is to have people wear what I make! Thank you.

Stay tuned....

Sneak Peek...Mandy's latest

2009-06-10T08:51:00.000-05:00

Mandy posted this sneak peek of Gav from her recent Urban session. This is his signature sweet look. Can't believe he's so big. In a blink of an eye he went from 3 1/2 lbs. to this amazing young person who woke up last night at 10:30 p.m. for another sandwich. :) They grow too fast, don't they?

Silk Flower Hat

2009-06-03T12:39:00.000-05:00

It's great to see a picture of this hat again! I haven't seen it photographed in a while. It reminds me how much I love it. The flower would be cute on a headband too.

I'm back!

2009-05-27T09:04:00.000-05:00

Hi Everybody! It's been so long I almost forgot my blogger password. I've been enjoying life, slacking on taking pics of my new hats, working on my website (I'm hoping it's done by fall), and getting to know every baseball field in our area. I didn't mentally prepare myself for baseball season...2 boys in baseball = 4 nights a week. I love it so I don't mind, but it cuts in to my knitting time! I'm the Mom on the sidelines cheering and knitting. Gavin scolded me last night for complimenting the other teams' players on their nice hits. Opps.

Fin's latest handy work. Who's the rookie (me) who bought cheap markers for Easter baskets??? Turns out there was a reason they were in the dollar bin.

Here's Fin watching TV. The minute he woke up he wanted these googles on. He can barely see out of them but he insisted. Meals were particularly challenging.
Here's where I chose to dry my dyed wool. The birds were very hesitant to come to the feeders when the wet yarn arrived. This came to be because a friend asked me to make her a royal blue hat. It was tough to find that color so I decided to dye my own. I used my big soup pot, put it on my stove top and 30 minutes later had great hand dyed yarn. Fun! I've been dragging my feet to try it. I always thought of it like a "gateway drug". If I dye my own yarn then I'll want to learn to spin the wool. Then that would lead to wanting my own alpaca farm. I would like to stay married so I'm going to use all my will power and stick to dying yarn on my stove top. :)

I was having coffee in my kitchen with some friends...peeked down off the deck and saw this. This is my Mom to a tee. Isn't she great?!?!

Some new pics...

2009-04-30T05:39:00.001-05:00

Chase! I woke up this morning to these cute pictures in my e-mail inbox from Mandy.

This hat is being auctioned off at Christ Lutheran's May Fest Friday night. I found this button in my stash. Not sure how old it is, but I think it pulls it all together. I just made the Amy Butler Halter Top out of this fabric as well. It turned out really cute and is very simple! Crafty Planet has made me very busy lately. It's my dream store...fabulous fabrics and yarn!

Chase in Organic Cotton

2009-04-24T08:48:00.000-05:00

I'm trying out some new yarns for fall. This one is organic cotton. It's luscious and indulgent (is that too much?). I love the way it feels when I'm knitting with it. It's silky without feeling....synthetically silky. The true test will be how it holds up. Organics tend to be a bit more delicate so I want to see how this yarn behaves. Isn't Chase the perfect ginny pig? He is such a calm soul. He seems to like brunettes (smart already). When I'm talking he sits and smiles and flirts with me. It's so distracting that I can't finish what I'm saying. I just surrender and coo with him. Babies, like the ones I know, make it hard not to want another.....

Kobey Jean

2009-04-21T09:01:00.000-05:00

This little girl you may recognize from Mandy's blog. Her Momma got a hat too, but it always seems a bit harder for the Moms to send pics of themselves. :) Thanks for the pic Lindsey!

Cole

2009-04-20T19:01:00.000-05:00

This is our nephew, Cole. He is such a little man! We had a birthday party last night and he slept and cooed and ate and slept. Such a good baby. I made this hat for him when he was born. Can't believe it already fits him. It's 100% cotton so it's a great for spring...and machine washable...gotta love it.

It's been too long...

2009-04-20T18:40:00.000-05:00

It's been too long. The warm weather has given us all a new life. It's great to see neighbors again and feel the warm sun. The kids have had tons of fresh air...we love the side effect of them sleeping through the night! :)

Here are some pics from Easter happenings.

Mandy and Jayden stopped by after their trip home from ND. Mandy made the headband she's wearing. Crazy cute....
My Mom made chicks years ago for her Easter table. Each year as our family grew she made more.
She made some bunnies this year too!

My very talented nieces made this cake. I thought Fin was going to hyperventilate when he saw it. The ears are made out of that fruit leather. It was a BIG hit!

My new card

2009-04-20T18:34:00.000-05:00

Mandy made my new card for me (and my new blog header!). I just love it. She used some digital scrap booking elements in Photoshop. I'm a pretty lucky girl, huh?

Eloise and Esther

2009-04-07T13:29:00.000-05:00

I love getting pictures like this! Eloise and Esther are the luckiest girls because their Momma, Tracy, is a Trunk keeper for Matilda Jane Clothing. What a dream! I bought the cutest skirt for myself when Mandy had a Matilda Jane show at her house. Now I just need it to get a little warmer and then I can wear it...

Hats in action...

2009-04-06T18:50:00.000-05:00

I have been searching for these photos! They were in the abyss of my computer and I found them today. Couldn't remember what I named them, where I put them...hate that.

These are Amy's girls. They live in Ohio so I bet by now they have buds on the trees and some green grass. Can't wait for those days here....

The donut lover turns 5....

2009-04-02T18:57:00.000-05:00

Graham insisted on skipping a cake and having donuts instead. He and my Mom made these together. He was very proud. Can't believe how quickly 5 years goes by...

Some new ones

2009-04-02T18:51:00.000-05:00

Brekka

2009-04-02T14:55:00.000-05:00

Here's a pic Mandy took of Brekka in her hat. She is gorgeous, isn't she?

My laundry room....

2009-03-23T19:54:00.000-05:00

I walked down the hall and saw this...the boys playing in the HUGE heap of laundry I let pile up. Why, oh why do I do this to myself? I think it's important to get pictures like this...it's real life. Messy. Fun.

The cutest mushrooms I've ever seen...

2009-03-20T10:40:00.000-05:00

Aren't these the cutest mushrooms? Sharon, who is in our Knitting Club, made this as a birthday present for my Mom. She is amazing. Can you tell she's a Master Gardener? I love the turtle and lady bug too. The bark and such is from her yard. Kathryn Ivy designed the patterns (her site is great!) and they are featured on The Purl Bee. Gotta love that blog.

Go Gophers!

2009-03-19T18:11:00.000-05:00

I had a request for a U of MN hat recently. I wanted to do something besides maroon and gold so I chose gray. I found the patch on Ebay.

All the boys in my house are watching the Gophers play Texas right now. Anthony just snuck in my craft room to offer me a beer and popcorn. How great is that?!? I love how they are bonding over U of MN basketball. Really, it's a great continuation of our story since that's where we met the first night I set foot on the campus. I held back from being even more cheesy just then. :)

A Mess...

2009-03-19T18:03:00.000-05:00

My Mom and Stepdad are back from MX so my Mom came up for a minute today. She didn't latch the gate behind her (we thought Fin was pretty much past the that stage). She saw it first and told me to bring my camera. I saw he and the basketball first. Then the mess came into focus....
My Mom takes such good care of her plants. The one the basketball hit was a gift from me years and years ago. We picked this spot since it's out of the way. :/

Bunnies!

2009-03-11T12:42:00.000-05:00

With the weather we are having it's hard to believe Easter is coming up. The wind is brutal...it even hurts to take a breath out there. My parents are flying home tonight from Mexico after 2 months away. Nothing like below zero temps to shake you back into reality.

Last year Mandy took the pics of the babies. I had to post them again since they are right up there with my favorites.

I'm shipping out the hat on the stand tomorrow. I love Etsy! It's such a great outlet for homemade items. I like browsing all the handmade clothing. It would be great to see one of the budding designers on Project Runway someday. Check out one of my favorite Etsy designers.

In a groove

2009-03-10T12:28:00.000-05:00

New ones to share...

2009-03-09T11:45:00.000-05:00

Boy Hat
Newborn baby girl hat
Newborn baby boy hat

Brekka snoozin'

2009-03-08T16:56:00.000-05:00

I had to share another of Brekka. Her Daddy snapped this photo and sent it to me. I love those wrinkles on her back! They're so smooshy when they're new...priceless.

Another button hat...

2009-03-07T17:41:00.000-06:00

Here's another idea for a hat that was triggered by Mandy's sweater sleeve. I like how simple it is.

Emme

2009-03-04T14:16:00.000-06:00

This is Emme. Her Momma just sent me these pictures. Look at those cheeks! How adorable...

Some New Ones

2009-03-04T13:52:00.000-06:00

Caden

2009-02-28T10:49:00.000-06:00

This is Caden. He is brand new too! His daddy took this photo while they were in the hospital and sent it to me. As if this new family isn't busy enough, they move into their newly built house on Monday. Congrats Lisa and Ryan! He's a lucky little guy to have you.

Brekka Jo

2009-02-27T08:40:00.000-06:00

This is Brekka. She was born yesterday! Jodi, her Momma, is a friend of mine. I saw her just hours before she went in to the hospital. Brekka is their 4th! Jodi made Brekka's blanket. She makes the blanket then customizes it with her great sewing machine that I drool over.

I hand knit the flower on her hat with the softest wool I have ever found. I bought it from Shepherd's Choice. It's one of my favorite places to escape to. Kathy turned her red barn into a knit shop and it's so peaceful and full of charm. She has only the most luxurious, indulgent yarns. It's a knitter's dream. Oh! And she lets my kids help her get eggs from her chicken coop when we go. :)

Inspiration

2009-02-24T19:09:00.000-06:00

We went out with the Birdwell's recently. I noticed Mandy's cute cuff on her sweater. A bunch of ideas for a new hat popped into my head. She was nice enough to let me take a picture of her arm in a crowded restaurant. :)

This is what I came up with. For all of you knitters, I did seed stitch on a straight needle. Then after that piece was finished I picked up stitches in the round to create the crown part of the hat. The buttons went on last. As you can see, the seed stitch piece will be a bit shorter next time to lessen the overlap. Jayden was gracious enough to model it for me (and Mandy to take the pic, of course).

More Mandy Pictures

2009-02-23T15:26:00.000-06:00

Another pic of Chase in his striped hat
This hat was felted after I knit it. It's the same ear flap hat pattern I use. It fit me before it was felted! Look at that look he has. He's just started cooing and chatting. Those little looks and sounds never get old...

Sometimes I think it's odd how I love knitting so much. Sweaters bug me so I don't make those for myself. I'm not cool enough for leg warmers...on a rare day I remember to grab mittens and a hat. It's really the thought of others wearing the things I knit that makes me happy. So, when Mandy sends me these pictures I'm over the moon. :) Thanks, M!

Oh my Goodness.....Chase Richard

2009-02-19T13:40:00.000-06:00

Have you ever seen a cuter face?!??! That expression is so adorable...so new and sweet.

It's astonishing to me how Mandy's pictures are such a stark contrast to mine (note my pic of the exact same hat below). :) I squealed in the Walmart parking lot when I saw this pic on my phone.

I'm back!

2009-02-18T11:12:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone! It feels good to be back in the blogging world. I have had a sick kid again...ugh! When he's awake he wants me all to himself which, as all of you know, makes life a bit more challenging. I have been able to knit when he passes out at night...thank goodness! I don't know what I would do without knitting to calm my mind.
This is Chase's new hat. I have all of this great yarn left over so thought this was a perfect way to use it up! If you recognize the style you must be a fan of Susan B. Anderson's Itty Bitty Hats.
This is a newborn hat a friend of mine ordered. She has a new niece coming soon. She and her husband have 3 boys too so we're instantly bonded. :)
This is Lisa's hat. We met via scrap camp. Now I just need to figure out where I put her e-mail address so I can mail it off to her. :)
This hat is for Emily's little girl. It's a hit! I have since had 2 more orders for it.

Today

2009-02-12T20:00:00.000-06:00

Graham has been such a good sport while we've been at home since Fin's sick. He's great at playing with the hundreds of stuffed animals we have around our house. These two are his current favorites.

This is Fin at Urgent Care tonight. It was the only time he's let me set him down all day. A few of the other patients wished they had on his PJ's. :)

Kendall

2009-02-11T07:49:00.000-06:00

This is Kendall. Judging by this pic (and others) I'd say Kendall's pretty fun to hang out with, don't you think? She always has this adventurous look in her eye...I'm sure she keeps her Momma on her toes. :) And those jeans...so cute. I love the star patch.

Olivia

2009-02-10T08:51:00.000-06:00

This is Olivia. Her Mom, Jen, and I grew up together. Olivia has a great black dress coat that this hat goes with. I used a variety of batiks (my favorite) for her flower. The fabric holds up great and is easy to work with.

Jen is one of the reasons I love Facebook. We are both busy with our kids and lives in general so it's nice to log on and see what she's up to. I have great memories of us hanging out being silly together. Thanks for the pic, Jen!

a new creation...

2009-02-09T16:18:00.000-06:00

Recently I had a request for a hat that was on Mandy 's blog. I had never seen the hat before so it was fun to look at the picture and come up with my version. I really like how it turned out. I hope you like it Shannon!

Brynn and Tenley

2009-02-09T12:21:00.000-06:00

Here's Brynn in her hat. Can you believe that beautiful hair? She is the most friendly, fun little girl too.
Here's Tenley and Daddy playing in the snow. Under that hat Tenley is getting curls just like her sister. :) Thanks for the pics Kristen!

So sweet...

2009-02-08T13:56:00.000-06:00

I was in the kitchen and saw this...these are the moments that make all the work worth while. The pillow they are leaning on was my first attempt at free hand quilting. I love that it's become a staple in our house. We are big on pillows and blankets around here.

Courtney's

2009-02-08T13:09:00.000-06:00

This hat is perfect for a day like today. It's still hat weather, but feels like spring to all of us used to below zero temps. I hope you like it Court. :)

a day in the life of a 2 year old...

2009-02-06T09:32:00.000-06:00

After I post Fin crawls up and looks at the new pictures. He sits and talks to the screen in his gibberish.
Lately Fin insists on wearing his brother's undies. He strips down and I find him up in their room with 2 or 3 pair on at a time. He's so proud when he gets both his legs in just right.
Baking Soda baths have been frequent around here lately. They seem to work well for sore bottoms. I just like seeing him in there...so cute.

Some new ones...

2009-02-05T13:32:00.000-06:00

I am in love with these fabrics by Moda. I bought them in a charm pack so picking colors was easy! I love how the flower adds so much...otherwise it would just be another black hat.
Here is Noah's newborn hat. I hope to get my hands on a picture to share of him in it. I know slates and greys are very "in" right now and they just seemed so "boy" to me without being too traditional. From what I hear his parents are very cool people so his first hat needed to be cutting edge. :)
This is one of Tenley's new hats. Sorry about the blurry pic. This fabric is Amy Butler. I use it a lot but love how every flower turns out different since there are so many colors in the print.
This is Brynn's new ribbon hat. She looks so cute in it. She has long curly blonde hair...can't wait to get a pic and show you! Have a great day...finally some sun and warmer temps for us in MN!

Welcome to the world, Dillon!

2009-02-04T13:58:00.001-06:00

Just hours old :)
Here's Dillion with his Daddy-o. I love the hospital pictures. The time is such a blur it's great to have it documented.
Here he is with his both his parents! Auntie Mandy went to see all of them yesterday and snapped these pics. Clearly Meg is one of those girlies that shows no evidence of JUST having a baby... isn't she gorgous?! Looking at Drew and Meg, I'm pretty sure Dillon will do well in the looks department! Congrats...I hope you get to hibernate and have lots of snuggley naps with that little guy in the next few months.

Megan, a very talented scrapper, has a blog. Check it out. If you scrap you'll be seeing her work in Creative Keepsakes (if you haven't already).

a brand new baby boy...

2009-02-03T12:50:00.000-06:00

Oh my goodness...look at this brand new human being! Wow is God good or what?!?!? This is Hunter. His Momma has a very dear friend named Kurstin. She had me make a hat and bootie set for him. It was all packed and ready to go in the hospital bag for a long time...he was 2 weeks late!

stripes

2009-02-03T12:38:00.000-06:00

Jake was kind enough to model this hat for me. I love how chunky and squishy it is. I like it with brown too. So boy! Thanks Jake!

Some New Things

2009-02-02T14:03:00.000-06:00

Ginny
Jayden

I'm changing some things around on my blog...thanks for bearing with me. I'm not computer savvy in the least, but having fun and feeling proud when I make progress. I'm hoping to make it a bit easier for you to design and order your hat(s). I'm also working on having my patterns available to whomever would like them. :)

Here are a couple recent pictures to share. Thanks to Mandy for taking them. Hop over to her site to see some recent scrapbook pages she did at craft weekend. They call it "hybrid scrapping" (traditional and digital combined). I am in awe of scrappers. Mandy's sister, Megan, just recently got published. A very talented family indeed!

Still no model for the ribbon hat. I think I will need to tweak the pattern a bit. I may have Fin put it on after his nap to check it out. I'm sure he'll negotiate a sucker out of the deal.

A New Ribbon Hat

2009-02-01T08:18:00.000-06:00

I've been into ribbons lately. I've noticed kids like the "craziness" of them on hats...with this project I think I took it to the next level. :) It'll be interesting to see if this hat will be cute on or a bust....I'll find a model today and let you know!

Those little moments...

2009-01-28T07:48:00.000-06:00

We have been sick, sick in our house. I was the last one standing, but feeling that I was going to get it. I made lunch, shut all the doors (so Fin wouldn't cause disasters), and walked up the stairs to tell the boys they were in charge. When I walked into the room I saw this. The boys were playing "Moles" with the silly glasses Santa had brought them. Priceless! Isn't it amazing what kids will imagine? It was Gav's birthday when the sickness started so we STILL have not left the house to celebrate. He's been such a good sport about it. When I was sick and could barely lift my head, I smiled thinking of this moment.

A few new pics of little ones

2009-01-27T18:19:00.000-06:00

Payton
Ellis

The Girls

2009-01-27T11:41:00.000-06:00

Mandy took these pics of the girls in their hats yesterday. I'm the luckiest girl in the world to get pics like this all the time! Thanks Mandy!

WOW that went fast....

2009-01-25T14:17:00.000-06:00

I'm back from my amazingly relaxing weekend. We came home a day early since it was Gavin's 7th birthday yesterday. The poor guy threw up all day and finally was done at around midnight last night. At bedtime, I put him up in his bunk bed thinking he was on the mend. Wow, was that a BIG mistake. He threw up all over the walls, blinds, Graham, every piece of bedding in the room and the floor. I walked in to check out the damage and got a piece of pickle stuck between my toes...YUCK!!! He felt so bad. He kept saying, "I'm sorry about the mess, Mommy". I told him this is what my Mommy did for me and he'll do it for his kids some day. He's such a sweet boy, even when he's sick.

Here's some evidence that I actually set down my lemon drop martini and crafted this weekend. :)

This is an Amy Butler pattern. The inside is the tan linen and it's reversible. I found the fabric at Hancock 40% off. I love it!
Here's the wallet to match. I love it when handbags have a matching wallet. It's such a nice touch.
This is another Amy Butler set. I love it! It's reversible too. It will most likely be my new knitting bag. It stands on it's own so I don't have to worry about dumping my stuff on the ground.
I finally finished the binding on this quilt. I ran it right up to my log bed and slept with it while we were there. I brought it home and put it in our family room (where I always intended it would go) and Anthony said, "Honey, seriously though...this isn't a Country Kitchen...." Anyone who has quilted a blanket knows that after all the work that went into it I could have drop kicked him across the room. I'm saying that lovingly, of course.

Weekend Get-away

2009-01-22T09:22:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone! I'm off to my craft weekend. I'll be checking e-mail when I return on Saturday. Have a great couple of days!

-Susie

Some Family Pics

2009-01-21T11:27:00.000-06:00

I keep forgetting to share some of the pics Mandy took of us in the fall. I love all of them for different reasons. The one of our whole family makes me laugh because Graham is chewing on my necklace....someone is always yanking on my jewelry or trying to put it in their mouth.

Each pic will help me remember what our life is like right now. I'm so glad since I seem to forget every stage of life the second I'm out of it.

Hunter!

2009-01-19T15:52:00.000-06:00

This is Hunter. He was born yesterday and was 12 days overdue! His Mom was induced and it took her 2 days to have him. She's such a trooper! This is the hat that Kurstin had me make for him. Seeing that hospital blanket brings back memories....

New Green Hat

2009-01-19T15:36:00.000-06:00

Here's a new green hat that's off to Stillwater tomorrow. I hope I get to see a picture because the little girl that it's going to has red hair and brown eyes. I thought this color would be great for her. The fabrics are Amy Butler...I really like the hues of blue for her hair and eyes too. My job is so fun. :)

Have I mentioned my husband is silly?

2009-01-18T21:26:00.000-06:00

Anthony just came gallivanting down the stairs looking for me in this....

Remember these little guys?

2009-01-18T21:21:00.000-06:00

Here they are fresh a little over a year ago....
and now!
Their Momma and I chose colors that would go well with their winter coats. They ended up working for their 1 year pics too. Thanks Jill!

Hats, Hats, Hats

2009-01-18T21:14:00.000-06:00

Jill's new hat

This pic makes this hat look a bit yellow-y but it's actually a beautiful cream. It's alpaca...my favorite!

More to share...

2009-01-18T21:02:00.000-06:00

We had Gavin's birthday party today. I almost wasn't invited since I'm female. He reassured me that I could come since I'm not a girl...I'm a Mom. He's been into posing very animated for all pics lately. I have a series from today but this is my favorite.
This is my friend, Cassie. She's a fabulous knitter, always taking on amazingly difficult projects. I made her these mittens years ago and she wore them today to our lunch outing. Can't you just tell she's one of the greats?

Remember earlier when I told you.....

2009-01-18T20:45:00.000-06:00

Remember my earlier post today when I told you Fin likes to color on himself? Well, here's proof! Mandy snapped this shot at her house the other day. The layers and layers of marker were so soaked into his skin I wasn't sure it was ever going to come out. Oh, and the spot by his eye was tricky to remove too. :)
Oh how I love this shot....
This is so Fin! Food in the corners of his mouth, the slightest sly smile and messy hair. And there's just something so great about a 2 year old in overalls, isn't there?

2009-01-18T08:58:00.000-06:00

Here's Fin in the tub the other day. Gotta love the camera feature on the cell phone! He gets a hold of markers and colors on himself (and friends) so we do a lot of baths lately. He turned 2 yesterday. Happy Birthday Buddy! Can't believe how fast it all goes....
Here's a new pink hat I finished this week. It's on it's way to Duluth.

Organic Cotton Boy Hat

2009-01-14T22:39:00.000-06:00

I am in total and complete LOVE with this hat. It's made from organic cotton and feels so smooth and silky. The colors are my favorite for boys right now. It's hard to find that apple green so vibrant without being synthetic. This hat is going all the way to Baton Rouge. Thank you Misty!

Tenley!

2009-01-14T19:48:00.000-06:00

Here is Tenley in her new hat. The scarf was made by her Grandma and she had some yarn left over. We thought we'd try and get a hat out of it and it worked! I love the variance in color of the yarn. It adds great texture and makes for a fun knit! Her flower is made from flannels. It's nice to use since there's enough bulk so the flower stays put.

I hope you are all staying warm!

Anthony's Sweater

2009-01-11T12:26:00.000-06:00

Here's Anthony's sweater I started a loooong time ago. My Mom helped me finish it up. She crochets her sweater pieces together. Since I'm inept at crocheting, she agreed to do it for me.

This picture is pretty much Anthony to a tee. Thank goodness he has a sense of humor considering all we've been through in our 10 years married. :)

Some new ones

2009-01-06T08:51:00.000-06:00

I made this flower from batiks I found at Mill End. I seem to be making a habit of going there. If only I would remember to bring my scissors so they can sharpen them. I mixed a dark pink matte fabric with a textured lighter pink that has touches of white and a softer orange. I love how it turned out. Batiks are a dream to work with.
This hat was ordered for a baptismal gift. This yarn has a natural stretch. I made the hat warm enough for our winter days but with a spring feel so she can wear it longer. Thanks Lisa! I hope they liked it.
This hat is for Tenley. Her Grandma made her a scarf out if this yarn and had some left over. I was able to use the left over yarn for her hat. I can't wait to see it on her. It's the most soft wool I've worked with! It's not itchy at all. I love it. I've noticed the yarn shops don't have it much anymore but you can find it at The Yarn Market. It's called Rowan Tapestry. I used a size 7 needle. It's a smooth knit!

Pancake Pajama Party

2009-01-02T15:24:00.001-06:00

Here's Griffin. If you look close enough you'll see all the food on his shirt. :) I'm always amazed how Mandy can catch his eyes looking so blue.

This is one of the first pics we have of Gav smiling showing his new front teeth.

We had a pancake breakfast at Mandy and Rich's for New Year's morning. All the kids were still in their PJ's from Hanna Andersson. We found them at the Mall of America 1/2 off regular price. It was such a good deal they all got a pair. We're so lucky to have such great friends and neighbors. We packed the kids up and went in our PJ's.

Jake's Hat

2009-01-02T09:07:00.000-06:00

Mandy took these pictures over the holiday. Aren't they great?!
I combined a few patterns to come up with it. Her kids are great for my prototypes so I can see how they hold up. :) Thanks for the pics Miss Mandy!

Scrap Hat for Lynnerd

2009-01-01T20:48:00.000-06:00

Here's how I currently store my scraps of yarn. I separate them by fiber or gauge usually. I always have good intentions of making something with them someday.
My sister, Lynn, mentioned she thought the bins of scraps were pretty with all the different colors so I decided to use them for her hat. She's a big stripes lover so it worked out perfect. I was really excited for her to open it. When she did, she loved it so much she wore it all Christmas Eve.

Christmas

2008-12-29T18:27:00.000-06:00

This is my sister, Ann. She's the one that would sneak into my room when I was a baby to rock me to sleep. My Mom would say, "You're spoiling that child"! Everyone needs an Ann in their life. I made this scarf for her after she swooned over the yarn one day. I had such a good time making it for her.
This is Yemi. You may remember seeing her in previous posts. She has a innate sense of style. The bird she's wearing on her head is one of my Grandma's Christmas ornaments from years ago. I think it completes her outfit perfectly!

I had a busy Sunday...

2008-12-22T10:32:00.000-06:00

This hat is for my friend, Sue. She's been patiently waiting FOREVER for her hat.
This is a hat from a friend I reconnected with on Facebook. She's a pink lover with an Ivory coat this season. I thought the cream button was just right to tie it all together.
I loooove this hat. It looks a bit dull in this picture (I sure hope my hubby has caught all my hints for a new camera for Christmas). Can't believe I found a button the same color.

New Hat

2008-12-21T10:17:00.000-06:00

Here's a new hat that was delivered with a matching scarf yesterday. Anthony actually delivered it for me. I knew I could rope him in eventually!

This hat reminds me of a ski resort. I think of a super chic California woman wearing it. I have this idea in my head of how people in warm climates dress when they are visiting cold climates. Super stylish, fresh, and their hair never gets all static-y like mine does. They wear amazing boots (not Sorells) and never slip. Maybe it's because I've always lived in Minnesota that I have these silly images in my head or maybe it's just because I'm a nerd. :)

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-20T10:51:00.000-06:00

Hi Everybody! Happy snow day. Here's my turkey soup out on the deck getting snowed on. I like to make a lot of soup at a time. When there's no room in my freezer this works nicely. :)

Chase

2008-12-18T17:44:00.000-06:00

Here are some more shots of Chase. Mandy took these. Can you tell? :) Aren't they just precious?!?! Check out her blog to see more amazing shots from their first moments with their new little guy.

There's that big sister look again....love it. This is Jayden with her newest brother.

Olivia and Reed

2008-12-18T08:10:00.000-06:00

These two cutie-pies are Olivia and Reed. I can't get over how much they look like their parents. I had a lot of fun making these hats. Maybe because they were a surprise. :) Olivia's flower is made from Moda fabrics I found at Fat Quarter Quilting. I really love how it turned out.

Quinn and Cooper in New York City

2008-12-16T17:28:00.000-06:00

Come on! How adorable...look at Quinn with her "coffee" in New York City! Quinn and Graham were on the same soccer team this fall. She's a rock star player...such a natural. Cooper and Gav have a long history of wrestling whenever they see each other. Thanks for the pic Sonya!

Tara's kids

2008-12-11T17:57:00.000-06:00

Here's a picture of Tara's little sweethearts. I love how big sisters are truly, deeply in love with their babies. Tara and I met at Knitting Club. It's one of my favorite things...chat, knit and see what everyone else is working on. You really can't beat hanging out with a bunch of fiber enthusiasts. :)