W.I.P. Wednesday: Letting the Pattern Juices Flow

This week has turned out to be a tad busier than originally anticipated, but I at least wanted to pop in on this lovely W.I.P. Wednesday. It's been a while! I'm currently in the process of revamping my shop, and part of that involves working out many of the fun, new pattern ideas that have been on my mind for a while. Here's a quick preview of my two newest designs!



For the longest time, I've had a very particular picture of just the type of hat I want to sell for little boys. I finally put my thoughts to work and came up with a design that I'm over the moon about! Isn't this Newsboy Hat darling?!? Not quite as darling as the baby girl modeling it, but ya know... it competes.

This next design came from my own desire to cover up my feet without sweltering in the summer heat. I absolutely hate walking barefoot in the kitchen, and (not to sound straight out of the 50's) this is ironically where I spend much of my time. So I sat down with a measuring tape, breathable cotton-blend yarn and my poor old feet to work up some Summer slipper magic! This picture was taken on my phone--so not the best quality--and I've since added a dainty little button-loop closure for a nice, secure fit. 

I know less is more, but I'm also thinking a little yellow bow might be the perfect last touch on the back of the heel...

What are you all working on in these dog days of Summer? If you're perhaps planning ahead for hat season then consider visiting my shop to take a peek at the recently updated Big Bow Beanie Pattern... I know. What a shameful plug. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, though! 

Patterns I'm Loving

(Drooling over, actually.)

I'm not one of those people who buys patterns willy-nilly. In fact, I usually go through a whole guilt-ridden cycle of debate before finally deciding to purchase one. Why, you ask? Money is tight, especially as we have a goal to start house-hunting next summer, and it's difficult for me to justify spending money to make money. 

Or, if it's something for the girls, spending money so that I can drool over how cute they are while wearing my hobby.

However, I took a little hiatus from the world of crochet and now find myself with a major itch that needs to be scratched, and only some fun new patterns will make it right.

What are some of the patterns I'm eyeing, you ask? Well thanks for asking! Let me show you! 

Cashwool Leg Warmers

Luxury Leg Warmers

Mustard Bow Dress

Chevron Boots

Halter Ruffle Dress

Floppy Sun Hat

These are all totally worth the money... right?

Okay. You convinced me.

Do You Want to Learn How to Crochet?

I can't tell you how many comments I've received where people have asked me to post a tutorial on something... and how many times I FORGET to ever write them back, let alone create the tutorial they asked for! 

Bad blogger. Guilty as charged. 

We're getting the hang of two kiddos around here, and the desire to crochet is coming back into full swing (almost). Being that hat season will be here before we know it, I thought that now would be the perfect time to ask all of you one question:

What crochet technique would you like to learn?

Is it the V-Stitch, as seen in these lovely Newborn Crowns?

Is it how to crochet in the round and create a fun hat like the Big Bow Beanie?

Does the crossed stitch confuse you?

Or is it time for a new-and-improved version of the Bobble Stitch Tutorial?

Maybe you have no clue how to crochet but have always wanted to learn. A beginner's crochet-along might be in order! Whatever it is you want to see, leave a comment and tell me. I may have a terrible track record of replying to everyone these days, but I promise that (at least for this very post) I will respond to every one of you!

Let's have some crochet fun this summer, ya'll!

For Those Who Asked...

... here is a link to the adorable hat that sweet C is modeling!

Vintage Mia Earflap Hat

I also made a big, ruffly flower to go with it but later decided that this hat is a stand-alone beauty. I'm learning that, in some cases, less is definitely more.

Now go make some gorgeous hats, my friends! Happy crocheting!

The Newest Little Model

It was a long interview process, but her smile and charm eventually won us over.

Oh, who am I kidding. This girl had the job from the moment we laid eyes on her!

I mean, just look at that laugh...

... that style...

... that gummy grin!

Not all of us, however, were quite so impressed.

 Don't worry, Emma. You'll always be our first.

And what a beautiful first you are.

Blanket-Wrapped Diaper Cake

I haven't crochet a thing since Chloe was born, but I did get to have some fun making a few things for my sis-in-law's baby shower (Katie and Adam are expecting their first baby girl in July)!

One of the items I wanted to try my hand at was a diaper cake, and with the help of Pinterest, I was able to do it up a little differently. 

Instead of each tier being built of rolled up diapers, I folded and pinned a receiving blanket into a a circle for each tier and stuffed the diapers inside.

Add some fun, colorful ribbon and a cute stuffed animal at the top, and you have yourself one adorable and unique diaper cake!

The great thing about this gift is how it performed double duty as a centerpiece for the gift table. I had some fun hiding sweet little trinkets for baby Penelope inside--pacis, mittens, hair bows, rattles--whatever your heart desires!

For a more complete tutorial on how to make this diaper cake, check out this link (and leave her some love)!

Blogging FAIL

How have I let two months go by since my last Chloe update? Truly, I've just been soaking in every moment with my two precious girls (while trying not to pull my hair out some days), and blogging has felt like more of a chore than something I've wanted to sit and do.

My bad!

I'm sure the next few months are going to look a lot like this, with weeks of multiple posts and weeks of absolutely nothing, but that's okay. You all love me anyway!

Our family and friends on Facebook know all too well how many many pictures I post--it's impossible for me to ever pick just one. However, since there's a lot to catch up on, I promise to try and keep the photo flood to a minimum. 

Oh, who am I kidding. I'm going to bombard you with adorable pictures!

Here we go... !

1 Month

5 Weeks

6 Weeks

7 Weeks

2 Months

9 Weeks

10 Weeks

11 Weeks

{Oh, the tiny but powerful hair-pulling grip of a baby...}

I promise to write more very soon, but these pictures at least get everyone caught up on the growing cuteness and absolute joy that fills our hearts and home each day. I'll leave you with my two favorite family pictures to date, taken on Mother's Day after Chloe's baby dedication. I wake up every morning in awe of how perfectly God has knit our family together. Praise Him for these blessings, the loves of my life!