What one might find in their garage...

1 yikes bikes eyelash yarn caterpillar crocheted scarf and 3 fanny packs.

Bitter Break Up

My sister and I have been cleaning out the garage and moving out of my dad's house and into our apartment. In conversations with Luke and Val I have come to realise this situation has all the hallmarks of a bitter breakup. (The kind where you still try to be friends after?)

Funny Friday- Mark Party Crasher

Mark Party Crasher. That's all it said on the back. I have two gueses though since this crasher knew about my special interest in things that come in every color. Guess one: My Uncle Mark (who I hear reads my blog and doesn't comment) Guess Two: My new Brother-in-Law Mark who I dont think reads my blog but knows about my infatuation. So Mark Party Crasher....if you're reading this take credit where credit taking is due! These are funny!

What are you knitting now?

Thats what Charlotte and Levi asked me on Monday at Monday Night Football dinner! Can I just say it warmed my heart that they knew I was knitting!!!
It also warmed my heart to see these pictures of the two of them in the hats their Grandma (find her blog here) bought for them!

 Levi with his bulky dino hat and Charlotte with her hat made to match her American Girl Doll's Hat!

Here's Charlotte's doll's hat.

Hootin' Roarin' Good Time

over at Two Adults and One Brown Baby (and her now big brother!) Two hats went to live with these cute kids:

 Ezra

and Iris!

Though I was informed by K in the most classic K wording that: "The picture of Iris should come with the caveat, though, regarding her fairly pissy looking face and that is that it was near bedtime when I shoved the precious owl on her melon. : )"

Now you know why I'm one of her loyal readers. I kid you not every time I read that I chuckle.

Happy hat wearing and thanks for sending pictures!

Serendipity at Starbucks

Last Saturday I went to knit with my cousins Tanya and Kim at Starbucks. I started a baby hat since I seem to know tons of people having babies these days. I made a newborn version of the hat but the whole time we were not quite sure if it would actually fit a child. They get big so fast its hard to imagine their heads actually being that small.

It was just our luck though that a family came in with their new baby boy. We asked if we could just sort of look compare the hat to the babies head and explained our dilemma. They told us they had wished they had a small enough hat when he was born because all that fit him were the hospital hats. Done deal! If the hat's gonna fit,

I can make another!

Just enough yarn! Aren't they fun!

The hat pattern is called Serendipity and can be found on Ravelry.

Try Not To Cry

I used to love me a good chick flick. A cry fest if you will. I vividly remember going to see A Walk to Remember with my friends multiple times. This was partially because of Shane West, and partially because the scene where his character can't help but cry could guarantee a handful of tears.
However, I have, in the last two years or so, come to dislike crying in a strong way. Not because I never feel like I could use a nice unloading session. I get that feeling on a regular basis.
I avoid crying because when I cry, my nose gets stuffy. When my nose gets stuffy the sinus pressure transfers to my ears and they start to hurt bad. And then my head feels like its going to explode. Then I have to get control just to make the pressure in my head go away and it takes me 2 hours to be feeling at all like I can even speak in a non congested voice. It's physically a lot of work. There's not really a relief of emotion.

This may in fact be part of why I seem to be avoiding issues, why sometimes I disappear or seem to zone from a conversation. Must avoid a catalyst.

Funny Friday- Debbie

Debbie is and has been one of my honorary moms. From being the camp nurse pulling out splinters (and storing our candy) to telling us TMI as she drove us to school shes been there for longer than I can remember! Extra info: Debbie is Emilie's mom and has ALSO been to Forks, WA for the Twilight tour. Jealous x 2!!!

Vesty Shrug

Some of you may remember this shrug that I made for my sister:

It was a hit with knitters are the quilting retreat! After speaking with Joanna Popiel of Colorado Springs she agreed that I could post the pattern and put it in Ravelry so that her name could be famously associated with this great pattern!

Sooooo....(drum roll please!) here it is!!!

Vesty Shrug (in the round)
5 skeins Donegal Chunky Tweed

#11 – 32” circular needle

Cast on 240 sts (place ring marker at beginning of row and at stitch 120)

*K2, P2* in round for 8”



Decrease Row: *K2tog, P2tog* for 1 row (120 stitches)

*K1, P1* for 1 row



{Put 60 sts on stitch holder or waste yarn}



Working on half of stitches – (60) *K1, P1* for 16” - (from cast on edge = 24”)



Bind Off

Bring stitches in alignment (i.e. 60 stitches from stitch holder(s) and 60 stitches from circular needle)



Using a 3 needle bind off
Bind off 60sts

Secure tightly


If you are tall or want a longer back, add ‘inches’ (i.e. 2”, 3” etc) when “Working on Half stitches” (i.e. instead of 16” increase to 18” [or more])

If you need more ‘inches’ around body, increase circular inches (i.e. instead of 8” increase to 10” [or more])

Truly, it's as simple as that! Once again many thanks to JoAnna Popiel for sharing her wonderful pattern!

Funny Friday- Amanda

Amanda (Right) is the final member in Luke's IBC group to be posted and is certanly not the least! Melanie and Amanda were roomates 2 (maybe 3) out of their four years in college and were one of our favorite "couples" to go to dinner with! They converse like they've grown up together and are each other's halves. Amanda continues to impress as she played on the U of I Womens Golf Team and speaks Japanese! She is using her Japanese skills in Japan as I type to teach English for a year.

Where's Wanda

Our (Val's first then mine) friend Laura invited me to go look for a hat a socks for her Halloween costume. She had made plans to be Wanda, Waldo's Girlfriend. In my experience scoping out knit items in chain stores I knew that there wouldn't be too many striped items, let alone red and white stripes. She said she'd just wear a red or white beanie, and being the authenticator in this whole deal I just couldn't have that.

I also couldn't resist the challenge.

2 skeins of bulky yarn later (one red and one white) and I had this bad boy ready to go to San Francisco with her this morning.

Where's Wanda?

On another note, at lunch today with my friend who shall remain unnamed to avoid bashing, I started showing her pictures of my latest Etsy projects. She was going through the pictures and in a disbelieving voice says: "These are good Jess." Tsch. Ye of little faith.

On that note, check out my Etsy shop HERE!

Open for Business

My Etsy store is.



Do come and check it out!

I've been hemming and hawing about pricing quite a bit.  I personally wouldn't take waltzing out and buying a hat more than $20 lightly. However, I use high quality yarns with natural fibres (see here for a few reasons I'm drawn to them other than how enjoyable they are to knit) and I spend quite a bit of time making sure the item is a quality item, made to withstand being passed down to friends and family alike. If I was charging an hourly wage, these hats would be hundred dollar hats, but it brings me great joy to share them with you and I have tried to set prices that will cover costs and a bit of time. Thank you for checking out my wares, and for supporting me in my craft!

Last Sneak Peak

before I open my Etsy store! I should have it open tomorrow!

Niche to Knit

Cami and I discovered our favorite place to knit in Colorado Springs!

It's in Old Colorado City just down the street from our (Luke and my) apartment.

 The walls are lined with herbs, seasonings, and teas. My personal favorite is a Caramel Vanilla tea, sweetened with honey and poured over ice.

 I love how the owner disguised architectural flaws as bird hideaways!

 These little "birds" they're fake, that's why they need quotes, overlook things from the loft area.

 Here's Cami in the sitting area/loft! Its the coziest place to just hide away, watch the traffic below, sip your tea and sit in the friendly germ chairs and knit.

Funny Friday- Melanie

Melanie (left) was also in Luke's business college group for two years and has become a fast friend to both of us. From the first time I met her and she offered the use of  her shower knowing I was staying at Luke's 4 boy apartment at which the bathroom was...less than stellar, I knew she was a kindred spirit. Melanie and her roomate (business partner as well) Amanda joined us for many family style dinners and breakfast's in Luke and Marks apartment in the second year. Making for some of the best company. I'm thinking she must also be a California girl at heart because this summer she landed an internship in San Jose *and is looking to find a full time position in the area.

*written in August to be published in October. There may be an update coming.