Getting Cozy: The Best Blankets

I hope you're enjoying our series! It's been a bit challenging to blog more, but I'm finding that I love it!

Cuddling up under a blanket is one of my favourite thing. In my living room, I have at least 3-4 blankets ready to be thrown on when it gets a bit chilly or when you're cuddling and reading books. They are also great for adding more texture to your decorating style.

There are so many great blankets out there to buy or make so I've rounded up a few of my favourites:

from Target

Who doesn't love a good plaid blanket? I'm half tempted to go out and get one of them. My favourite is the red and grey one. Love!

from Ikea

As all of you are probably familiar, I'm a sucker for a good knit. It's a nice big one with lots of room for more than one person to cuddle under. I also love that it's a neutral. It will go with anything!

from Pottery Barn

This one is a little pricy for me but I just love it. It would go well for the summer yet be warm enough in the winter. I also love that pillow that they've got there. :)

from The Purl Bee

If you want to try your hand at knitting a blanket for your home, you could always try this super easy pattern from the Purl Bee. They also sell kits for these blankets. The whole thing can be shipped right to your front door!

from It's Our Pinteresting Life

If you're wanting to try crochet, why not try this tutorial for a baby blanket? The nice part is that you can pick your size and colours. Completely customized!

from iCandy Handmade

I've never tried making a quilt but if I ever do, this will be the tutorial I use. It seems so easy! Do any quilters out there have some good tips for me? I'd like to try this in a few years when my life is less crazy!

Remember to join our giveaway. All the instructions are here! 

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Getting Cozy: Comfy Cowls

 Welcome to day 1 of our 31 Days of Getting Cozy! I get to start off our series today with something that's very near to my heart! Ha, I just couldn't resist that extremely corny joke. Ok, I'm done now. 

 Nothing says "cozy autumn" like a cowl. It can instantly dress up your outfit and take you from a simple t-shirt and jeans to looking put together. Add a pair of drop earrings and suddenly you look like you got some time to yourself that morning instead of just being a referee for your kids.

I put together a few of my favourite patterns for you to try. If you don't knit or crochet, I put together a few sewing ones as well :) And if you don't do any of those, check out all the beautiful ones on Etsy!

1) Large Button Cowl 2) The Fluted Cowl
3) The Heidi Cowl 4) The Barbara Cowl

1) Woven Cowl  2) Bandana Cowl
3) A Grey Loop Cowl  4) Grey Lace Cowl

1) Cotton and Curls  2) Winter Warmer Cowl
3) Lightweight Infinity Scarf 4) Easy Sew Infinity Scarf

Another option is to take an existing scarf and turn it into an infinity scarf like Heidi did here.

Now let's go show the world that we can be stylish along with the rest of them.. or at least cozy :)

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{To read the introduction to the series, click here}

The Heidi Cowl - A Tutorial

It's September! The season of leaves turning colour, pumpkin spice lattes, apples, and cozy cowls. 

Cowls are my favourite thing to make. They don't take very long, only use a couple skeins of yarn, and you can usually finish them in one night. I have tons and tons of patterns for cowls but I decided to make up my own the other night. Something quick and easy.. and of course fast!

Introducing the Heidi Cowl. Yes, I named it after my sister because she called dibs on it first! It's long enough to double up, but not too long so that it hangs down to your pants. 

If you're new to crochet, don't worry, this is the cowl for you! 

You'll need:

Two skeins of bulky yarn (I used Bernat Roving in Bark)

6.5mm crochet hook

A basic understanding of crochet terms

Glossary:

sc - single crochet

dc - double crochet

ch - chain

sl - slip stitch

sk - skip

Chain 82. Being careful not to twist, join with a sl to the beginning chain. 

Round 1: Ch 1. Sc in the same chain. Sc in every ch and sl in the ch 1. 

Round 2: Ch 3. Sk 1 ch and dc in the next ch. *Ch 1, sk 1, dc in the next ch. Ch 1.* Repeat around, join with a sl in ch 3. 

Round 3: Repeat round 1. 

Round 4: Repeat round 2.

Round 5 - 7: Repeat round 1.

Round 8: Repeat round 2.

Round 9 - 11: Repeat round 1.

Round 12: Repeat round 2.

Round 13 - 15: Repeat round 1.

Round 16: Repeat round 2.

Round 17: Repeat round 1. 

Round 18: Repeat round 2.

Round 19: Repeat round 1. 

Weave in the ends.

Congrats, you're done! Now you can pair it with your favourite chambray shirt, dark skinnies, and tall leather boots.. maybe I should've kept it for myself?  

If you have any questions or find any mistakes in the pattern, just let me know!

The Middle of Summer

I'm sorry our posts have been a little sporadic around here. Heidi was off on a family vacation (hopefully we'll get to see a few pictures from that!), and I'm still adjusting to having three little ones which means that when I have fifteen minutes to spare, it's usually to clean or fold laundry or all of those other things that I'm really not a fan of.

Life is certainly not boring around our house. This year we opted to finish the deck on the back of the house instead of going on vacation and my hubby has been working on that all summer. Now I understand why people hire contractors for this. It's a long process to get it done and get it inspected. I can't even help him since one of us has to be inside watching the kids and well.. Seth is a lot handier than I am so that's an obvious choice.

My two older munchkins are slowly adjusting to having a baby around the house although it was a little bit iffy about whether or not they liked him, but the verdict is in. We can keep him.

Which is a very good thing, cause how can you resist those little baby rolls and that sweet little smile?

I haven't gotten much done as for DIY, but I did manage to finish this blanket before Troy was born. I got both the inspiration for the colours and the tutorial from Three Beans in a Pod. This lady is crazy talented and extremely generous to offer this tutorial for free!

Since these are the colours that the nursery are going to be, it fits right in. I used mostly scrap yarn that I had in my stash so the brands are all over the place from Lion Brand to Caron Simply Soft. If you'd like the exact colours, I'm sure I have them written down somewhere.

This final picture is all three of my blankets that I've made for my kids. I love how the blankets suit my kids. Bella's is crazy and uses a whole bunch of colours, Sienna's is more lacy but still uses bright colours, and Troy's is definitely a boy's blanket.

Have you had any good projects lately? We'd love to hear what you've been up to lately!

Navy Stripes Galore

Since it's still -10 around these parts, I'm still in the mood to knit and crochet. Usually around May, I get out of it and start doing more sewing instead but it's too stinkin' cold. I did see a robin today though.. maybe spring will come!

I haven't finished any other big or small renovations on my house lately. The most I've been trying to do is get my kids to sleep, stay on top of the dishes, and maybe finish a few presents I've been working on.

This is my latest project:

Baby blankets are the easiest thing in the world to knit or crochet and because they're so small, they don't take much time and are perfect for my short attention span.

I decided to keep it simple and make the whole thing in navy and cream and I love how it turned out. I used a stitch called the woven stitch. It's perfect if you're just learning how to crochet because it only uses a single crochet and a chain stitch.

If you want to make one of your own follow these directions here. They're pretty easy to follow!

Any good plans for the weekend? I'm hoping to catch up on a bit of sleep, see my hubby for a bit, get together with some friends for some fun and hopefully get out to enjoy some sun!

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Baby Blanket Groove

This week I've been back into my crocheting groove. If there is such a thing. I have a few presents for friends that I've been trying to whip up.

I started working on this blanket on Monday night and I'm about halfway done. Since I couldn't decide on just one colour that I loved, I decided to use three different kinds of purple yarn with a white band joining them all. Since the blanket is for a little girl, I made the blanket with a lace pattern.

Girly, yet warm enough to cuddle up with! I'll pair it with a few other things and be all set to go. The only problem I'm having is whether or not I should add a white trim around the whole blanket.

White trim or no? I can never decide those things...

If you're wanting a pattern, just let me know :)

Lacy Winter Hat

I haven't been in a house renovation mood lately because I've been travelling back and forth quite a bit to see my husband who's working out of town. I hate starting big projects and just having them sit there making more of a mess. Sewing and crocheting or knitting allows me to be creative without all the fuss!  (although my sewing machine is making a mess on my kitchen table right now...)

Clothing stores are the best inspiration for me. I love to look at something and then be able to recreate it with my own twist. This is what I did with Bella's hat for winter.

I was walking through H&M which is one of my favourite stores and I saw the cutest little beret with lace detail and a cute little bow on it. They were selling it for $20 which is a little much for me if you figure how much the yarn actually costs to make it.

I couldn't find a pattern for a beret that I like so I used this pattern here. I love how it turned out and thankfully she loves it too. She's such a fashionista that sometimes I just don't know if she'll love it or hate it. And yes... she's only two.

I just have to pick a colour of yarn for Sienna's hat now.

For the Love of Autumn

I love autumn. I love the crisp cool air, the apples picked right off the tree, and the leaves which turn such beautiful colours of red, orange and yellow. Don't get me wrong, I love summer too, but by the time September 1st rolls around, I'm definitely ready for this new season.

After making this sweater for my mom, I was inspired to make a little something for myself. Something that would still be cool enough to wear at the beginning of fall but would work in the middle of our winter as well.

I decided to knit the Abalone sweater for myself and within one week, I was done! It was so nice to knit it up quickly and the yarn was just so soft and squishy to knit with. When I wear this sweater, I want to grab an apple and a good book and go outside and read. It's just that kind of a sweater!

The pattern was pretty easy to understand and I learned a few new techniques along the way like the Kitchner stitch.

You can also customize the pattern based on the size of needles you use, the type of yarn and whatever size you are.

I've started rooting through my closet to find some other outfits that would work well with this sweater. Maybe a skinny belt? Or skinny jeans with ballet flats? Advice please!

What do you think of my newest sweater? 

Summer Lace Wrap Cardigan

Over the weekend, I finally finished my cardigan. I think this was the happiest I've ever been to finish a project. I started the project on June 30th and finally got around to taking some pictures today. I really wanted to show the finished project yesterday but it was too rainy and dark to take pictures.

I tried a few new things with this project including raglan style sleeves and blocking. I've always avoided any knitting projects with either of them and so I've been limited on what I could make.

I started making this project for myself but halfway through, I decided it would be a great present for my mom for her birthday.

My gorgeous Mom

The most difficult part of the pattern was figuring out the lace front. Once I had finished a complete row, I got the pattern down and it was smooth sailing.

The best part is that she loves it and looks wonderful in it!

If you're looking for a great database of free knitting and crocheting projects, check out Ravelry where I found this one!

Have you tried any projects lately that made you learn something new? Share with us!

Quick & Easy Baby Blanket Tutorial

There is nothing better than snuggling a new baby into a knit blanket. They're just so cute all cuddled up into the squishy soft yarn. They're one of my favourite presents to give new parents. I love the homemade presents that I received for my little girls and I hope the presents I give are loved and well used as well. I love to try new patterns but sometimes I just want something simple and fast. If you're just trying to learn how to crochet, this might be a good project for you to start on. It only uses one stitch and the blanket goes pretty fast. This one baby-sized blanket only took me about 4 hours to finish, and that's pretty good for a blanket!

To make your own blanket, you'll need to learn how to chain and how to do a double crochet. Here are two really great tutorials on how to do them. (Chain stitch & Double Crochet)

To begin grab a 6.5 hook and chain 81. In the third chain from the hook double crochet. Double crochet in every chain in the row. When you're done, chain three and turn your work. Double crochet in the same stitch  and then double crochet in every stitch down the row.  Continue this same pattern until you're satisfied with the length of your blanket.

Once you get a nice rhythm going, it won't take you long at all! You can use different yarns to make a stripe pattern or keep with one colour like I did here. I think I'm addicted to make these and will probably make a few more before the end of the week for another little baby that will be here soon. (Hint, she hasn't blogged in a while!)

Have a great Thursday everyone!

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