YEAR IN REVIEW 2013- KNITTING PROJECTS AND OTHER NON THINGS!!!

Hey everyone.....first of all I want to say Happy New Year to everyone!  I wish you all a very healthy and happy 2014!!  I hope that this year brings you all peace, love and happiness.  And really, without those, nothing else really matters!!

It has been a busy year here as far as my fingers goes- I have knit and knit and knit.  I have shared my projects with you as well as my passion for my craft.  I only wish that I was able to share stuff around the house but alas we didn't really do anything.  Which is totally unheard of around here!  Hopefully in the new year we will be embarking on projects around the house  You see.....my main Carpenter (aka my Hubby) has been super busy with work. Which means he has had no time or energy to get anything done-which totally sucks by the way!! However, my little fingers were very buys with my little projects:

Winding Way Scarf-Ravelry

Easy Lacey Scarf-Ravelry

Simply Fuzzy Scarf-Ravelry

Fabled Scarf-Ravelry

Ziggity Zaggity Scarf-Ravelry

Thunder Shawl-Ravelry

Beach Break Cowl-Ravelry

Easy Peazy Breezy Cowl-Ravelry

Snuggerdoo Poncho-Ravlery

Lady Tamsin-Ravelry

Making Tracks Blanket-Ravelry

UniScarf

Snow Queen Infinity Cowl-Ravlery

There you have it- all the projects I designed this year.  If you were to ask me which one is my fav this year I would have to say Lady Tamsin.  I can't even tell you how much I love that scarf.  It is the perfect length, the perfect colour and the PERFECT YARN.  If you have never had the pleasure to knit with Classic Elite Fresco then you are missing out my friends.  I would have to say that it is one of my all time fav's.  It is so soft, wears well, has amazing stitch definition and has the most loveliest halo to it.  Can't say enough about it.  There is an Aran type sweater that I have been thinking of for awhile.....and when I save up enough to buy the yarn for it....then it shall be done.  I think that an aran type sweater knit in Fresco would be heavanly!!  I hope to be able to do that sometime next year- fingers crossed!!

Anyways......I hope you have enjoyed my projects from this past year.....here's to many more!!
Wishing you all much happiness and love.

Megan

LITTLE CABIN IN THE WOODS!!

Since it is the season of snow......and I am TRYING to embrace it.  I really am trying.......I came across this amazing Cabin.  I suppose if I lived in the mountains and had oodles of money it may look a little something like the following Cabin.  What I loved the most about this design is the use of natural elements throughout the build.  The interior decor isn't my taste-it is very lovely don't get me wrong.  But what struck me about the build was the types of wood used throughout.  In particular the use of tree trunks- yes tree trunks.  It is so amazing.......check it out:

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Just look at that Portico.  Besides the gorgeous lines of it......just look at those trunks!!

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They even used tree trunks inside.  How amazing is that??

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As I have stated in the past.....I am not that jazzed about winter.  I am not that fond of the cold. You would think that after 40 years I would be?  I have lived here in Canada most of my life!  But I long for the days when I can wear my flip flops and put on Capri's.  But I am trying to love the cold.....I really am!

Have a great day everyone!
Megan

FOR BABY OR FOR YOU??

When designing for baby, I think that it is easy to forget that you are DESIGNING FOR A BABY!!  We can get caught up in design and forget the function.  We see something that we love and sometimes that something would really be best for you-and I mean that literally.  What works for an adult won't neccessarily work for a baby or very young child.  As I have said many times before, when I was in school, they hammered the notion of function first.  If a room does not function for a certain purpose then it doesn't matter how pretty it is.  I think this lesson is very applicable to designing for the very young.  Not only do you have to think in terms or how will you function in the room with them, but also cleanability and safety.
What do I mean by cleanability...well....lets face it little ones make loads of messes.  And I am not just talking about the odd toy being strewn about or them dumping a bin of toys out on the floor.
Take the following two nurseries as an example when thinking of safety and ease of cleaning:

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First of all I am not ripping apart a design for the sake of it.  I wanted to present a couple of examples of both good and not so good design when thinking of these two issues.
The two rooms above look so amazing from a design point of view.  They look modern and right away they have you.  They are graphic, young and oh so fun. I picked them to compare them with each other in terms of the two issues I wanted to talk about.
In the first one it really catches the eye.  It is so different. So glamourous.  After you get past that you start to see a couple of things...at least I did.  First of all....and I don't know if it has been secured...is the black lamp in the corner.  I don't know if it is just for the picture or if it is actually part of the room.  If it is part of the room I would hope that it is sturdy, can take climbing and is somehow bolted down. Having had 2 young ones myself all I can see is a little one pulling themselves up to try to stand with the help of that lamp.  Would it topple over?  Make sure that any lighting in the room is away from little hands where they cannot reach them.  Same can be said of cords.  Don't get me wrong- I am all for something different but when designing for a child you have to think safety first. In the second pic they have a great pendant light- no little fingers will get at that one!
The second issue I have with the first pic is all the little chatchkee's that are on tables.  After a little one tries to grab them one too many times-they will be gone.  I speak from experience.  And it didn't even happen in their own room.  When my youngest was 18 months he broke a nautilus shell that I had on a sofa table- totally my fault.  It was a magnet for him, he wanted it.  I kept putting it back and telling him NO-well that was all the red flag he needed......one swipe later and I now have a nautilus shell with a chip and a hole in it. Little people are curious and they WILL explore.  Yes they need to be told not too touch-but guess what- THEY ARE LITTLE PEOPLE.  TheY touch, they test and they test!  If it is too precious or too expensive-PUT IT AWAY FOR AWHILE!!  Just some advise from someone who has been there.  As you can see in the 2nd pic there isn't anything too precious laying around for them to get their hands on...smart move!

Some may argue that the crib in the first one may be too much.  First of all I think it looks amazing- Lucite is always a great modern touch.  There is just something about Lucite.  But you have to remember IT WILL SCRATCH!!  Again, they are little.  They will bang stuff on a crib, bang stuff into it and they will bite it!! BITE IT YOU SAY??  Absolutely!!  You talk to any parent who has had a little one and they will tell you how beat up a crib can get.  Especially the top front part.  My little guys loved to rest their teeth there and gnaw. Not  to mention bang a toy or two there.  I am not saying the Lucite crib isn't a good idea-I am just saying that it will take a beating and I hope you are prepared to then look at a $3000.00 dollar crib with scratches and dents on it.  At least you know it was well loved!
As for flooring for a nursery or a kids room....to me the shorter the pile the better- why you ask?  Well when you have a long pile as in the top pic it can be hard to clean....very hard to clean.  I will let you in on a little secret........That rug may get pooped on, urinated on or even vomited on.  Yuck you say!  Am I being too graphic??  NOPE JUST REALITSTIC!!   Any accident can and WILL happen.  Personally I would NEVER put a rug with a very long pile near a nursery or a crib for that very same reason-EVER.  It WILL at some point have to be cleaned-even if those things never happen.  It can be a very costly process- just some food for thought.  If you look at the second example it is such a great example of what you can do in such a room to add colour, texture and design.  Not only is it pretty to look at but it will cost you much less upfront and on the back end.  Carpet tiles are inexpensive, easy to clean and IF  you have to replace one- you can do just that.  They are so easy to replace.  Plus I think you can be so creative with them-just like they have been in the above pic. Also...think of little toys when they get a little older.  All I could think of with that rug is....what a great place for Lego to hide!!  Or if you have a girl...what a great place for Polly Pockets to hide.  Trust me, my feet have endured some lovely Lego attacks!
The same can be said for the Yak Balnket/Throw in terms of cleaning as in the 1st pic.  Anytime you have a Blanket for a baby, how that little blanket will be cleaned should be the first thought that runs through your head.  A baby blanket takes a ton of abuse-make sure it can be easily cleaned!!  And on that same issue-make sure that any fabrics used in a nursery is either washable, can be cleaned easily or isn't too precious....just saying.

So after reading this you may think I am completely ripping the first nursery apart- I am and I am not.  I am not being mean spirited at all....I just want to point out some realities.  Remember who you are desiging for. Really think about the space in terms of the little people.  Yes you will spend an incredible amount of time in their too, however, ultimately that space is for THEM!!  If you want a precious room......build it for yourself not a little one- they are the precious ones, leave the precious stuff for an adult space!!

So there you have it, my humble opinion on desiging spaces for Little Ones.
Have a great day everyone.
Megan

CHRISTMAS INSPIRATION

I don't know about the rest of you out there....but we got a boat load of snow this past weekend here in Burlington, On.  I think we got over 30cm.  To be quite honest......it looks so lovely out there today....all that white, all that bright blue of the sky.  This past weekend we were at a curling bonspiel in a city about 50km away.  To say that it was an interesting drive there would be an understatement.  Here in my neck of the woods we aren't ususally inundated with Lake Effect Snow.  But of course Murphy had to rear his ugly head and dump a whole load of snow on us just when we had to travel.  It was a slightly white knuckle drive for part of the way.  For those of you out there familiar with driving in such conditions I know you sympathize,  And for those of you fortunate to have never driven such a hair raising, stomach twisting drive.....count yourselves lucky!  It was a long weekend....VERY LONG, LONG WEEKEND.  The boys played in a bonspiel (curling) with kids much older and way more experienced than they were.  They fought hard and played their hearts out and still it wasn't enough.  That's how it goes sometimes and it is a very hard lesson to learn at 13-heck it's a hard lesson to learn at any age.  Hopefully with a little time they will come to realize how friggin' amazing they truly are and the fact that they hung in there, didn't give up and didn't get completely blown out of the water..... well I hope they will get how good they are and how good they could be.
Anyways.....as I sit here looking out the back window at the lovely snow......30 odd cm of it!  The blue of the sky....it makes me think of the coming holidays.....and the type of idealic house that somehow looks all the more special this time of year.
I wanted to share such a house since it is so lovely and fits that bill:

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Isn't it lovely??  Do you think there might by something like this for me under the tree come Christmas morning.....Oh a girl could wish!
What I love about this house is the use of the red accent.  To me it is used to perfection- just enough.  I love all the natural elements.  I love the contrasts of light and dark wood.
To see more just click on the link below the pics....you won't be dissappointed!

Have a great day everyone.
Megan

COLOUR

A burst of colour on such a dull gray day.............

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As some of you may know I am DEFINITELY a summer person.  So on these very gray November/December days it is so nice to have a shot of colour to brighten things up a bit!!  Plus gotta love that Bright Yellow Tolix Chair.

Have a great day everyone!
Megan

UNI SCARF PATTERN

Hey everyone......hope all is well in everyone's Universe!  Happy Thanksgiving to our American friends!  I have a new pattern up for grabs.  It is, in my opinion, a great scarf that would be an awesome gift for that special guy or girl.  It can be a tricky thing designing something that is unisex and have universal appeal.
As you all know I LOVE Cables.  I just love designing them, I love knitting them and I love looking at them. There is just something about them.  They have such movement and texture.
It can be bought here at Ravelry

So without further ado...here is the new pattern:

I know that there is many of you out there that are intimidated by cables-  but don't be. They are not as difficult as you think.  You just have to give it a go.  The thing with this pattern is that it looks so complicated but it's not.  There are many rows of just plain knitting and purling.  So you aren't cabling every row.  Which is so nice for the newer knitter.  Yet the pattern is such that seasoned knitters will enjoy it too-at least I hope so!  The pattern is a 20 Row repeat, however, it is very easily memorized after a repeat or 2- really it is!!
The size of it is a healthy 7.5"x70".  Which is a great length for a scarf.

The yarn I used here is Diamond Yarn Galway Highland Heathers.  I used 3 Skeins to knit the scarf. Well more like 2 and 2/3rds .  Each skien is 200m in length. It is a true blue wool.  The kind of Highland wool you think of when one thinks of a "wooly" scarf.  As you know I love knitting with wool.  I love the feel of it as I knit.  I really liked this yarn to knit with.  It has such a great strength and character to it.  It also has great stitch definition which is key when knitting cables.  You wouldn't want to knit a great cabled piece and then not be able to see the beauty of the cables.  I see that happen so many times.....You really need to choose a yarn like above or one with great stitch definition.  If you are unsure- ask at your local Yarn Store- that is what they are there for.  You are putting so much effort into a piece-you want it to turn out just as you envisioned-Right??

Anyways....hope you like the new scarf.  I really loved designing and knitting it.
Have a great day everyone.
Megan

NO WAY, NO HOW!!

Hey Everyone....just a quick posting today.....just had to put my opinion out there about the following:

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Now let me start by saying I AM NOT A FASHION EXPERT!  I do pride myself on knowing about colour, fabrics and design in general.  However, where on God's green earth is it ever OK to wear Sweatpants and Heels??  I mean come on......  Don't get me wrong,  I am all for personal expression.  If putting on heels with a pair of sweats floats YOUR boat-then fine.  However, I think I speak for a lot of people and I may be a traditional kinda gal.....but under NO circumstances would I EVER wear this.  I think the majority of people would agree with me on this one.  I really think the outfit on the left is totally cute- would defiinitely wear that one.....the one on the Right NO WAY!!  Personally I think they totally missed the boat with that one.
I get it......they are trying to be different, trying to mix it up a little....but really??  Really??  First of all they don't even fit the model properly.  Secondly, if you buy them too tight- Yikes-would look horrible.  If you buy them too loose they would totally bag at the butt!.  Not a nice look for anyone, especially if you were to wear it with a jacket as shown....baggy butt and great jacket do not mix!!
Do yourself a favour.....get an awesome fitting pair of slim pants and pair it with that jacket.....it will look way better.  And when did everything have to be "Skinny" anyways??  Again, don't get me wrong....I like a skinny fit...but on Sweats!!!  Come On!!  Enough already.
OK...enough of my rant for the day......The more I look at it the more I really like the outfit on the left-super cute!! May have to look into a couple of pieces for myself.
Thanks for letting me rant....Ahhhh....feel better now....time to get on with my day!!

Have an awesome day everyone.
Megan

SNOW QUEEN INFINITY COWL

Hey Everyone....I have been hard at work knitting....and knitting.....I have a new cowl pattern:
Snow Queen Infinity Cowl:

I just love her......so snuggy.....yet so stylish!!  And if you haven't noticed I loves me some cables.  I have always loved cables.  They add so much dimension to a project.  I wish I could express how much I love them.  I love how they cross and twist-they are just awesome........  And don't be intimidated by cables.  They are not as hard as they look.  Really!!  Once you understand the lingo and aren't afraid of moving stitches then it is easy.  It certainly slows things down a little as compared to straight knitting, but it is so worth it in the end.  And if you can master cabling without a cable needle- well it just makes it feel all the more awesome.  I will have to go into more depth about cabling without a cable needle another time- it is so amazing!!
I wanted to make a simply cabled infinity cowl in a creamy colour.  I think everyone should have at least one of these puppies in their wardrobe.  It goes with everything.  I think it is the kind of cowl that can look great with a more relaxed rugged look or dressed up with a great wool coat.  Plus the added bonus is that this cowl could certainly be unisex.  By choosing the correct yarn it would look great on any guy too!  Just remember to use yarn with great stitch definition.  A varigated or multi coloured yarn would not suit this as well as a yarn that is simple.  The star of the show is the cables afterall.  I think that is half the battle with knitting....choosing the correct yarn for the project.  I cannot tell you how many times I have seen a particular project and thought- if only they had chosen a different yarn.  I know it is personal and all....however, if you are going to spend all that time creating it and spending some money-isn't it better to pick the best yarn for that project?
I used the Martha Stewart Extra Soft Wool again....I love this yarn.  It has the most lovely subtle sheen.  It is so soft and is a great price point(especially if you have a coupon).  I think that this cowl would look great knit in some other yarns as well....perhaps Cascade 220, Valley Yarns Northampton, Classic Elite Yarns Liberty, Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran For a more drapier look try Valley Yarns Goshen.   The possibilites are endless........just chose a yarn that is smooth and has one colour for the best definition.
You can purchase the pattern in my Raverly store here.  And as always if you have any questions or comments you can always drop me a line.

Have a great day everyone.
Megan

AWESOME BUNGALOW-CRAFTSMAN!

Hey Everyone....I came across this amazing build that I JUST HAD TO SHARE.  Let me just say that I want to move in....or at least....build one like it....I hope you enjoy:

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I truly love this home.  I can't make up my mind what I love most-all of it I guess!!  And that "play house" out back- Sigh!!
This amazing build is by Great Neighbourhood Homes.  Isn't it stunning?  Lovely??  So liveable?  I LOVE IT!!

I know I haven't been around much as of late......I have been struggling a bit as far as the blog goes.  Feeling like I have been having a bit of writers block and all that.  I truly love sharing my passion with you all.  I just haven't been feeling myself lately.  Hopefully all will be back to normal soon.

Thanks for stopping by........and sharing in a little Craftsman love!!

Have a great day everyone.
Megan