My baby turned 4, today. Wahooo! You may remember how he was born on the sidewalk. I will never NOT plug that birth story on his birthday.

He’s such a sweetie and thanked me profusely every single time I told him “happy birthday!” He was so happy and that made me happy. These two [Read More...]]]>

My baby turned 4, today. Wahooo! You may remember how he was born on the sidewalk. I will never NOT plug that birth story on his birthday.

He’s such a sweetie and thanked me profusely every single time I told him “happy birthday!” He was so happy and that made me happy. These two weeks are full of birthdays–him, his brother (6/2), his Poppie, his uncle–so we had a tiny little birthday par-tay at grandma’s house, on Saturday night. Today, we took it easy, and in early June we’ll have a double-fun-super-awesome-birthday-spectacular for both boys.

Here are some of my favorite photos from Andrew’s third year.

I hope you enjoyed this little retrospective of photos. I must admit–I’m going to be a little bummed when my favorite photo subject goes to school in August. Sigh.

I’m sorry if you just died from the cute. I wanted to blog about the newest member of our family/newest reason I take an allergy pill everyday. This is Luna. Her mom, who we named Pearl, started showing up on our patio last year. At first, we just kind of kept an eye on [Read More...]]]>

I’m sorry if you just died from the cute. I wanted to blog about the newest member of our family/newest reason I take an allergy pill everyday. This is Luna. Her mom, who we named Pearl, started showing up on our patio last year. At first, we just kind of kept an eye on her and when she didn’t leave, we started feeding her. She was (is!) the sweetest cat we know. She would hang out under our patio table/chairs and would come out whenever we did. She’d plop down and demand belly rubs by laying on our feet.

Fast forward a few months and she’s STILL there. We notice she’s getting bigger around her midsection and that’s when we realize she’s preggers. D’oh. We feed her throughout her pregnancy and decide we’ll let nature take its course with her. She really enjoys being outdoors and we didn’t want to try and bring her in and scare her.

The week before Easter, she looked BAD. Her swollen belly made her frame look so frail and tiny and then she stopped eating altogether! We were pretty worried, but it was Easter weekend, so we did our business. On Sunday, we step out to feed her and she bounces on to the patio looking like her old self. KITTENS! She had her kittens Easter Sunday (or maybe Saturday night?). She disappears after eating, but before we leave for our Easter zoo trip, we scope out of the backyard and find her nestled in a big patch of grass with 5 little kittens fighting for their time to nurse. She looks like a natural, so we let her be.

That evening, we notice two things. ONE: She has an abscess on her face. It looks horrible! TWO: one of the kittens is off to the side. We inspect it and it isn’t breathing or moving. Sigh. We help her move her nest to a plastic box we lined with a towel. It was out of the tall grass and we hoped it would help her protect her babies more easily. We saw a few other strays come in to the yard and she would stand her ground. So much for letting nature take its course, huh? That first week, we check on her daily and every other day another kitten would be off to the side. Fearing she’d lose all her kittens, we make the decision to take her to the veterinarian.

After draining the abscess, he tells us we should keep her inside and apply some peroxide on her face daily. He tells us it was probably a build up of white blood cells (to fight the infection) in her milk that caused her babies to die. We bring her in and keep an eye on her and the ONE remaining kitten.

It only took about 2 days for her to adjust to being inside. She got WAY more belly rubs and petting and brushing, so she was perfectly fine hanging around the house. The vet tested her for FeLV (negative) and she also didn’t have any fleas, so we felt comfortable with her around.

About 4.5 weeks later, we’re a household with 3 cats. My allergies SUCK, but I deal. I take a tiny non-drowsy OTC pill everyday to help.

Luna at 3 weeks…


…at exactly 4 weeks.


…at exactly 1 month.

TODAY! (5.5weeks)

She is the cutest thing I’ve ever held. To be completely honest, any living thing you can carry in your hand has always freaked me out. ANY bugs, worms, snakes, rats, hamsters, birds, etc….just no. I felt a little panicky picking this thing up the first few times I did, but then…then, I just melted I guess. Who wouldn’t?! She’s frick-frackin’ adorable. I lovelovelove the random stray white hairs on her black coat. It’s like she’s a little old lady cat.

Did you know that last Friday was Tumbleweeds’ birthday? Well, it was! I didn’t get a chance to get online to wish them a happy birthday, but I’m here now to share a few shots I got of my boys on Mother’s Day. It was a beautifully sunny day. Nathan wore Jason’s glasses for [Read More...]]]>

Did you know that last Friday was Tumbleweeds’ birthday? Well, it was! I didn’t get a chance to get online to wish them a happy birthday, but I’m here now to share a few shots I got of my boys on Mother’s Day. It was a beautifully sunny day. Nathan wore Jason’s glasses for most of it. He’s getting his own pair for his birthday. I had to hide them after they came in the mail, because if I stared at them everyday I would FOR SURE not be able to resist giving handing them over. Less than 3 weeks til he turns 7! The little one turns FOUR (4!) this Sunday. Let’s not talk about it.

Obviously, we had a pretty fun game of hide-and-seeks going on. Jason wins best hiding spot…every time. The boys win least creative, as they kept going back to the same place!

I hope everyone had a beautiful weekend! Mine was pretty darn nice.

Mother’s Day is this Sunday! I’m going to plant a rose bush (or 3) for my mom, but every year I also get the grandmas a photo book (standard 8″x11″ from Snapfish) filled with photos of their grandsons. Because who do moms love more than their own kids? Their GRANDKIDS. It’s true.

Anyway, I’ve [Read More...]]]>

Mother’s Day is this Sunday! I’m going to plant a rose bush (or 3) for my mom, but every year I also get the grandmas a photo book (standard 8″x11″ from Snapfish) filled with photos of their grandsons. Because who do moms love more than their own kids? Their GRANDKIDS. It’s true.

Anyway, I’ve had the books for a few days and I’ve been trying to think of how to wrap them. I’ve done wrapping paper, decorated kraft paper, and even scrap fabric in the past. This year, I went with vintage silk scarves. I had two sizes. One was a big 36″x36″ square and the other (this one!) was a bit smaller, at 21″x21″. Here’s how I wrapped it:

1. Place the book face down on the scarf with the edges of the book facing the corners of the scarf. Tie a knot with the 2 corners on the short side of the book.
2. Flip the whole thing over and a tie a knot with the adjacent corners. This is the “front.” Optionally, you can tuck in the little flaps on the back knot. If your scarf is little, like mine, you’ll be able to see some of the book poking through, like this. I rather like the texturing coming through from the linen book cover.

Finish it off with a pretty tag. I wrote out the word mom on a piece of cardstock, poked holes with my embroidery needle, then used two strands of floss to trace my letters. It took 10 minutes tops!

Are you doing anything special for your mom or mom-like figure in your life this weekend?

Cordi was always an after-thought pattern of Lace Love. It was more like a bonus. Since Mother’s Day is this weekend, I thought it would be a nice to time to share the pattern with everyone. They’re lovely little brooches that you can make to adorn gifts or cards.

There are two mistakes [Read More...]]]>

Cordi was always an after-thought pattern of Lace Love. It was more like a bonus. Since Mother’s Day is this weekend, I thought it would be a nice to time to share the pattern with everyone. They’re lovely little brooches that you can make to adorn gifts or cards.

There are two mistakes in the original pattern, but I’ve changed them, so this should be smooth sailing!

You need: approximately 8 yards of crochet thread (I use DMC Perle Cotton 8), 1.75mm crochet hook, and a needle to weave in your ends.

Finished size is approximately 2” in diameter. The piece should be about 0.75” after round 2.

Special Stitches:
Beg-POP (beginning popcorn): Ch 3, work 3 DC into the same stitch. Drop the loop from your hook and insert it from front to back into the top
of the beg Ch-3. Grab the dropped loop with your hook and pull it through the stitch to complete.

POP (popcorn): Work 4 DC into the same stitch. Drop the loop from your hook and insert it from front to back into the first DC of the group. Grab the dropped loop with your hook and pull it through the stitch to complete.

PATTERN (US terminology)
Ch 5, slst to first ch to make ring.

Round 1: Ch 1, 8 SC into ring, slst to first sc. (8 SC)

Round 2: Beg-POP into first SC, Ch 3, *POP into next st, Ch 3; Rep from * around. Slst into top of Beg-POP. (8 POP + 8 ch-3 sp)

Round 3: Ch 1, SC into first ch-3 sp, Ch 3, SC into same sp, *SC into next ch-3 sp, Ch 3, SC into same sp; rep from * around, slst into first SC.

Round 4: Slst into first ch-3 sp, ch 4, DC in same sp, [Ch 1, DC, in same sp] 3 times, *DC in next sp, [Ch 1, DC in same sp] 4 times; Repeat from * around, slst into third ch of beg ch-4.

Round 5: Ch 1, SC in first ch-1 sp, [Ch 3, SC in next ch-3 sp] 3 times, *SC in next ch-3 sp, [Ch 3, SC in next ch-3 sp] 3 times; Rep from * around, slst into first sc.

Fasten off. Weave in ends and attach pin in center back.

Enjoy!

If you make any, be sure to add them to the Ravelry page!

If you can’t crochet, but would still like a doily brooch, see my shop!

Someone ordered a mustard doily blanket and I thought it would be a nice time to show you the packaging for Glory. It may vary from order to order, but you get the idea. :)

(bow-tie style!)

Doily blanket folded up (as best as I can–it’s hard to fold a circle!), tied with a [Read More...]]]>

Someone ordered a mustard doily blanket and I thought it would be a nice time to show you the packaging for Glory. It may vary from order to order, but you get the idea. :)

(bow-tie style!)

Doily blanket folded up (as best as I can–it’s hard to fold a circle!), tied with a piece of my favorite vintage fabric, placed in a tissue-lined kraft box you can re-purpose for photos & whathaveyou. A postcard and my business card are taped to the back of the top. I decorate the outside a bit, put it in a poly-bag for waterproof-ness, wrap it with postal paper, and send it off to you. I personally love getting pretty packages in the mail. I hope you do, too. ♥ ♥ ♥

I have a few ready-to-ship doily blankets in the shop. If you would like a custom order, please send me an email (lisa@goodknits.com).

I got a custom request for a teal Glory. This is actually the same color I used for the Willow I made for my husband’s grandmother. She’s a crocheter so I knew she would appreciate the work it takes to make a doily. She loved it and I [Read More...]]]> (see what I did there? :))

I got a custom request for a teal Glory. This is actually the same color I used for the Willow I made for my husband’s grandmother. She’s a crocheter so I knew she would appreciate the work it takes to make a doily. She loved it and I hope the person who receives this teal Glory loves this one just as well.

I have a few Glory blankets available in the shop, right now. If you would like to request a custom color, send me an email (lisa@goodknits.com) and I will do my darndest to find the perfect color for you. If you crochet and want to make your own, see the pattern details HERE.

I have had a crush on the wooden cross-stitch pendants for a long time, but seeing Danielle’s projects, two weeks ago, pushed me over the edge. I bought a pendant. ONE. Because I was unaware of how much I would love this tiny project! I racked my brain for ideas–my initial, “mom,” a bunny, [Read More...]]]>

I have had a crush on the wooden cross-stitch pendants for a long time, but seeing Danielle’s projects, two weeks ago, pushed me over the edge. I bought a pendant. ONE. Because I was unaware of how much I would love this tiny project! I racked my brain for ideas–my initial, “mom,” a bunny, etc. Finally, a lightbulb went off and I ran to my bookshelf and pulled out some vintage needlepoint books. It was tough finding something small. I had a lot of beautiful fonts but they were all too big.

I finally came across this book with nothing but floral charts. There’s a whole page with these small flowers. I chose the one I liked most and transferred it to some graph paper, then drew the template of the pendant around it. I had to sacrifice a bit of the edges, but I don’t mind. I am in loooooove!

I am kicking myself for not buying more pendants. I bought them from the same place Danielle did–The Workroom. I am going to buy some more soon. I think they’d be beautiful key chains for Mother’s Day! Psssst! I already bought the floss for my next. Shades of coral for the flower and mint for the background. I can’t wait!

What do you think? Tiny projects are awesome, no? I started this yesterday and finished it this morning. I would have finished sooner if I hadn’t accidentally cut my working thread at one point. Pfffft!

Happy Friday, folks! I am super excited today because my home should have air conditioning by the end of the weekend. HOLY EXPENSIVE PURCHASE! We need it, though. We’ve been fine the past 3 months without it because it was winter, but did I tell you about the time we were without it for [Read More...]]]>

Happy Friday, folks! I am super excited today because my home should have air conditioning by the end of the weekend. HOLY EXPENSIVE PURCHASE! We need it, though. We’ve been fine the past 3 months without it because it was winter, but did I tell you about the time we were without it for 3 months IN THE SUMMER? Yeah, that happened when we first moved in. It felt like we didn’t even move in until we got it fixed because we camped out in the living room with a window unit the entire time. It was horrible! 100-degree [coastal] Texas summers are pretty darn bad. And if THIS is Spring, I can only imagine the heat we’ll be experiencing this summer.

ANYWAY! I am finally updating the shop for Spring. Huurah! I started with doily pins. I have 8 different colors available right now. Some classics and some brights. They will all look positively fantastic on your Easter dresses.

I’ll be adding brand new doily blankets (new pattern coming soon!!) in some beautiful colors, like HOT pink and persimmon, this weekend or early next. They’re seriously amazing. I want to live in a box full of doily blankets.

Have a good weekend!

Though I favor cold weather (ESPECIALLY when our air conditioner has been out), my camera and I are happy for the return of Spring. All the color, all the flowers, letting my kids sit in a pool all day, [trying to] garden etc, etc, etc. Tomorrow Spring will officially be here. [Read More...]]]> So many blooms!

Though I favor cold weather (ESPECIALLY when our air conditioner has been out), my camera and I are happy for the return of Spring. All the color, all the flowers, letting my kids sit in a pool all day, [trying to] garden etc, etc, etc. Tomorrow Spring will officially be here. And our a/c will most likely be fixed (replaced!) by the end of the weekend. Say a little prayer or wish a little wish for it.

The question I receive the most in regards to my Mary Jane Slippers pattern is about the magic loop beginning. I typically respond with some links to photo/video tutorials on how to make it. I don’t usually get into the why. That’s what this post is.

Before I begin, the photo-tutorial I link to [Read More...]]]>

The question I receive the most in regards to my Mary Jane Slippers pattern is about the magic loop beginning. I typically respond with some links to photo/video tutorials on how to make it. I don’t usually get into the why. That’s what this post is.

Before I begin, the photo-tutorial I link to is this one at Crochet Me. The video I link to is this one on youtube that shows the magic adjustable ring for single, half double, and double crochet. The double crochet starts around 2:35, but the whole video is pretty informative.

The questions I want to discuss are: What is the difference? Why/how do you choose which to begin your round project?

Above is 8 DC worked in the round. The project on the left was started with a regular chain circle (ch 5) and the one on the right was started with the magic loop. The differences are subtle, but they do effect the look of your final product.

The regular chain circle generally leaves a small hole in the center. You can crochet your first round over your tail yarn to cinch it closed shut. With the magic loop, you start crocheting over the tail no matter what and so you always cinch the hole shut and it stays shut

I use the chain circle when I’m making blankets or hats. Specifically, when I’m crocheting a granny square blanket or any other crochet lace pattern. The reason I choose to do so is because I usually start those projects with a first round of 12 or even 20 double crochet stitches. That’s a lot of stitches! They’re going to need room and so a chain 5, 6, or 8, is needed.

I use the magic adjustable loop when I’m making slippers or amigurumi or any other project that needs to be closed or starts with a smaller number of stitches in the first round. The slippers pattern calls for only 8 DC and most amigurumi patterns start with only 6 SC.

In conclusion– they both have their place. I suggest learning and becoming completely familiar with both methods! Doing so will help you understand which one to use for the specific projects you want to complete.

Any questions or other input is greatly appreciated! Leave a comment or email me- lisa@goodknits.com

I am so glad it’s Friday. Last weekend was a busy one, so I didn’t get to sleep in at all. I look forward to sleeping in! My boys like to wake up early, but on Saturdays, my littlest can get some extra zzzz’s with daddy and my oldest likes to sneak downstairs and [Read More...]]]>

I am so glad it’s Friday. Last weekend was a busy one, so I didn’t get to sleep in at all. I look forward to sleeping in! My boys like to wake up early, but on Saturdays, my littlest can get some extra zzzz’s with daddy and my oldest likes to sneak downstairs and watch cartoons or play with the tablet. I anticipate a lazy weekend and that’s quite alright with me.

Check out some other beautiful black & white photos on I Heart Faces.

Happy Leap Day, folks! I’m happy to announce that I have completed the Month of Craft Photos. I’m super proud I was able to stick to it and more or less follow all the daily prompts. You can see my blog posts using this link or you can browse my Flickr set here.

Thank [Read More...]]]>

Happy Leap Day, folks! I’m happy to announce that I have completed the Month of Craft Photos. I’m super proud I was able to stick to it and more or less follow all the daily prompts. You can see my blog posts using this link or you can browse my Flickr set here.

Thank you all so much for your motivation and enthusiasm with my photo posts!

Enjoy 20% off in the shop using coupon code LEAPDAY. I already marked down some of the remaining Dory shawlettes, so they’ll be at a super price! Offer ends tonight at midnight (unless I forget to take down the code;).

Pattern: My go-to ripple blanket pattern Yarn: Bernat Softee Baby in “Flannel” AND Loops & Threads Snuggly Wuggly in “Mint” and “Cool Baby” // both found at Michaels Hook: 5mm (US H)

My beginning chain was 146 and it took about a week to complete. For some reason I didn’t carry my yarn up [Read More...]]]>

Pattern: My go-to ripple blanket pattern
Yarn: Bernat Softee Baby in “Flannel” AND Loops & Threads Snuggly Wuggly in “Mint” and “Cool Baby” // both found at Michaels
Hook: 5mm (US H)

My beginning chain was 146 and it took about a week to complete. For some reason I didn’t carry my yarn up the side, so I had something like 34 ends to weave in when I was done. Grumble.

I’m kind of in love with the soft contrast of the aqua and mint. I’m usually all for BRIGHT & BOLD colors for baby blankets, but this….this pleases me.