By Lisa Gutierrez on 08/28/2015 
Hey! I seem to have abandoned you, all summer. I share a lot on Instagram and Facebook, if you miss me. I wanted to pop in and share two back-to-school projects I just finished up for my boys.
My oldest son got a Kindle for his birthday and he can take it to school, so I made a little cover for it. You might remember my first kindle cover from my tutorial on working crochet on to leather. He likes black and more black, so I used up some leftover Sheepaca from my Wool and the Gang Project, way back in February. It’s the perfect shade of gray that looks “cool” but not just straight up black. I paired it with a piece of vinyl I had in my stash (big hoooray for the remnants bins at Jo-Ann) and finished it off with a wooden button. He liked it!
Next up, I covered my youngest son’s earbuds. I find this helps immensely with tangles! This was going to be the start of an actual tutorial, but it’s so easy, I didn’t think it would be necessary. You simply single crochet around the wire of your earbuds. That’s it! No special stitches or anything like that. I would get about 4 little skeins of DMC embroidery floss in your choice of color(s). I used a 2mm steel hook.
I would have a photo of the completed set, but I’m just not that coordinated. Actually, I completely forgot! I whipped this up the day before school started and put them directly into his backpack.
Nathan is finishing up his second week of fifth grade (that’s middle school here!) and Andrew is finishing up his first week of second grade. Can you tell how each of them feel about it? Nathan LOVES his new school and Andrew wants to drop out (ha!). I feel like they should be having the opposite opinions. Big sigh. Nathan was an easy student, but Andrew has been a tough cookie. He likes to read, but strongly dislikes writing. He’s a lefty (his brother is, too!), so it’s really hard for me to help him get things neat. We go through a lot of erasers around here.
Are your kids back in school? Did you knit or crochet any special projects for them or their teachers?
Pin It
By Lisa Gutierrez on 03/21/2015 
It’s been raining all morning, so I’m spending my Saturday hiding out from my kiddos (daddy is around, so they aren’t being neglected–video game day!) and crocheting. Easter is in two weeks, so I’m working on some eggs. Not quite as big as the lamb I shared earlier this week, but still pretty darn cute.
While I am between eggs, I wanted to share some photos of this yarn I treated myself to, for my birthday. I actually bought it a week before my birthday, but it didn’t arrive until a week after. I had already forgotten about it, so I was SO happy to open it up. It helps that these blues are GORGEOUS.
Two skeins of Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in “cousteau” for a project that has yet to be determined. I may even try to design something brand new!
One skein of Madelinetosh Prairie in “baltic,” a shade of blue so bright and lovely. I really want a lace project for the summer and can’t wait to whip something up.
The day before my little package of yarn arrived, my cousin gave me my first Jamberry manicure!
I ordered the “Stitched Away” design and REALLY wish I had bought some extras, as this design is now discontinued! It’s so Spring-y and the tiny stitches are incredibly cute. Tell me, have you tried nail wraps? Do you like them?! I’ve had mine for about a week and I’m finally used to them! Granted, I’m very new to this “don’t bite your nails” thing, after habitually doing so pretty much my entire life.
Pin It
By Lisa Gutierrez on 09/26/2014 
Scents available: grapefruit, eucalyptus, natural, lavender.
When I bring out my wool hats and cowls for the fall and winter seasons, I usually just shake off any dust (and, God forbid, any bugs) and move along. When asked if I wanted to review Eucalan, a no rinse wash perfect for delicate items, I got pretty excited. Read my thoughts below and find out how to win some Eucalan for yourself!
I understand woollies don’t need to be washed after every wear, or even every season for that matter. I usually store my pieces in a plastic box in the closet, but sometimes one gets lost behind the couch or stuck under a bed for a few months. I was fairly intrigued by this product because my normal method of washing includes a wash AND rinse cycle. Agitating the fibers too much can lead to felting and that’s a big no no!
Washing with Eucalan was a total breeze! You put some water in a basin or large bowl, squeeze in the Eucalan, mix it up a bit with your hand, then soak the item. I put a few hats in this bowl, making sure they were all of the same color family, since it was the first time some got washed and I wasn’t sure of their colorfastness. Once the item is in the water, you squeeze it a bit to make sure the Eucalan soap gets into the fibers.
According to Eucalan, the best scents for our wool are eucalyptus and lavender. They are natural moth and flea inhibitors, so washing after the cold season is over, before you put the garments away, is probably a better idea. I decided to do it before because, like I said, hats end up under beds and in the couch more often than not around this house. I’m thinking I will purchase a bottle to re-wash everything at the end of winter.
After the items have soaked for at least 15 minutes, you simply pull them out, squeezing out excess water, and set them on a towel. I like to lay them flat, roll ’em up, and squeeze even more water out. Then, I lay them all on a fresh towel to completely dry under a ceiling fan.
I must say, the scents are wonderful! They aren’t overpowering like a perfume, but are more…crisp and clean! I was so, so happy. I am not a fan of cleaning products scented with lavender, so I didn’t have high hopes, but it definitely smells more herb-y (I love lavender flowers!) and like an essential oil rather than a fragrance.
Eucalan also features lanolin in its formula, so the wool fibers soften and plump up oh so gloriously. I anticipate no itchy necks or ears this fall! You can also use Eucalan on other delicates like lingerie. Read more about their products on Eucalan.com.
Visit Eucalan on Facebook and read the Eucalan Blog for tips on washing your most treasured items!
Enter the Eucalan Giveaway
Eucalan is graciously providing a Gift Pack to one lucky reader! Leave a comment below telling me how (if) you wash your woollies or just say hello. Submit your entries via the Rafflecopter widget below. You have 5 chances to win! You may need to view the giveaway in a browser. Winner will be displayed next Friday.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only. Sorry to my other international readers!
Disclosure: I was sent a sample pack of Eucalan’s products to review on the blog. All opinions and photos are my own.
Pin It
By Lisa Gutierrez on 07/18/2014 
Hello, friends! Long time no see, hm? I’m sorry about my summer absence. My boys take up a lot of my day time and I just have not been able to plan any posts. I’m here today with something good, though–my very first yarn review!
I was sent a skein of Llama Sparkle from Red Barn Yarn. It is a hand-painted worsted weight yarn that is 95% baby llama and 5% stellina, so it is soft as butter with a little sparkle. To be honest, I don’t usually purchase yarns with shiny stuff spun into them, so this was a treat. What really made my day, though, was the color. It was a little tough to capture the perfect shade, but you can see some of the variation below:
Beautiful, huh? The sparkle is very subtle, but it gives the perfect amount of shine. You can see the other yarn bases and colors available from Red Barn Yarn on their website. You can also find a list of their stockists. If you can’t find a retailer close by, you can contact them to purchase yarn directly by emailing info@redbarnyarn.com.
With just one skein, I made this gorgeous cowl! I browsed my stitch dictionary and found this one called “Mrs. Hunter’s Pattern” and it reminded me of crochet. I knew that I wouldn’t have enough yarn for a crochet project, so I really wanted to use this stitch. I love the color variation in the yarn SO MUCH! It looks pretty amazing in this pattern, too. I feel like my photos don’t do it justice, but of course I took a ton anyway.
(omg)
Like I said previously, this yarn is like butter. The baby llama is incredibly soft and bloomed beautifully after a wash. There was a little bit of color in the water after I soaked the cowl, but I didn’t notice any fading in the actual yarn.
When I got to the end of my cowl, I realized I did not like the curling at the bottom (I went straight into the pattern after casting on), so I finished it off with a knit 3, purl 1 rib and a crochet cast-off and border. The result was a scalloped edge that lays relatively flat. I then picked up stitches along my cast-on edge and did the same thing there!
Let me know if there is any interest in a full pattern write up! I can whip something up to share with you guys. I was looking at my pattern page and realized I have waaaaay more crochet patterns than knit ones! I need to remedy that.
If you are interested in learning more about Red Barn Yarn, check out their website and if you have any further questions, join the Ravelry group: Red Barn Yarn Afficianados!
What are you doing this summer? Getting any knitting or crochet done in this heat?! I was straight up sweating during these photos. IN MY AIR CONDITIONED HOME! I can’t wait until it’s cold outside and I can wear this on my walks to my kids’ school. I’m gonna be so toasty!
Disclosure: I was given a skein of free skein of yarn for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
Pin It
By Lisa Gutierrez on 04/29/2013 First– anyone want to give the new blanket pattern a whirl? I’ve made it a few times with various weights of yarn (worsted, thread, and I’m almost done with sport weight), but would love to see someone else’s take on it. It’s very much in second-draft-phase, but I’ll definitely send you the final version when it’s done. I’m really only looking for typos and inconsistencies in the directions. Email me (lisa at goodknits.com), if you’re interested! I’ll get back to you this evening or tomorrow. Thank you for the emails! I have enough testers. :)
Second– I’m thinking ahead to my summer vacation project. I have been wanting to make my youngest a cardigan for a long time. I bought the perfect cardi for him, last year, so I didn’t get that urge to make one. I don’t think it will fit that well, this autumn, so I spent some time pattern-searching, the other night. I’m really intrigued by the Lopapeysa style patterns, so when I came upon this free one, I knew it was The One. I’m going to use a lighter weight yarn (Houston autumns are just slightly-less-hot summers). Aren’t these colors beautiful?
|
Disclosure You may find affiliate links and banners throughout my blog. I earn a small commission from purchases made through these links. It helps pay for keeping this blog running! All reviews and products are items I have personally used and loved. |
