Beads and Mermaids

I've found a new obsession with beaded knitting. As if knitting wasn't magic enough, add some sparkly beads in and *swish and flick*! pure magic. I have a few different knitting projects going at the moment, one is a super squishy cardigan which is too hard to show right now because it's in the process of getting pockets and it's a rather jumbled mess of different colored yarns and needles. Another project is top secret because it's going to be a new pattern, hopefully soon!

But what I can show you...I am working on a shawl from The Unofficial Harry Potter Knits called Mermaid's Song. It is so pretty! I'm loving it. I'm using mint pearl beads for the beaded parts. It's really fun! And beads...obsessed.

There are so many patterns in this magazine I can't wait to make! I already have yarn for Ginny's Cardigan and Hermione's Time-Turner Mitts! Must knit faster!!

♥Anna

Once Upon a Time Knitting Pattern Reference List

Once Upon a Time is one of my favorite TV shows and I'm in love with all the beautiful knitted accessories and sweaters the characters wear. I decided to start a reference list here for knitting patterns inspired by the show! I will add to it over time as I find more patterns.

Mary Margaret/Snow White

Mary Margaret's Lace Tam by Mary Craver

Fir Forest Lace Hat by Franna Pitt

Mary Margaret's Hourglass Cable Hat by Jenny Moore

"Once Upon a Time" - Inspired Dreamy Beret by Leslie Dalton

Mary Margaret by Jennifer Thomassian

The Queen is Dead by Niki Wiley

Mary Margaret Brioche Pullover by Wee Sandy

XL Mary Margaret Brioche Pullover by Wee Sandy

Parfait by Carol Sunday

Emma Swan

Once There Was a Baby Blanket by Caitlin ffrench (this is the original design by the person who knit the actual blanket for the show!)

"Once Upon a Time" - Inspired Baby Blanket by Kassy Allen

Emma's Brown Pom-Pom Hat by Elizabeth Anne

Emma by Jennifer Thomassian

Pathways by Erica Harbin

Fruit of the Poisonous Tree Cabled Hat by Carolyn Small

Ruby/ Red Riding Hood

Ruby's Hat from Once Upon a Time by Alexandria Burek

"Once Upon a Time" - Inspired Ruby Beret by Leslie Dalton

The Willow Nest Photo Shoot

I have been super busy the past couple months, working on winter stuff for my shop and I was able to do a fun photo shoot with a friend while she was here with some of my items! (so much easier then taking pictures of things on myself!) We had a lot of fun going to the park, drinking Starbucks  and eating pumpkin bread. I think we need to live in the same town and make this a regular habit! ;)

{cozy cowl in robins egg blue}

{ella knitted leg warmers in wheat}

{wanderer fingerless gloves in charcoal} 

 {cozy cowl in pewter grey}

I hope you're staying cozy!
♥ Anna

Hermione Knits

My husband and I just finished watching all the Harry Potter movies and like the obsessive knitter I am, the things that stood out most were things like sweaters, scarfs and gloves. 

One such sweater is this lovely one Hermione wears in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 while they are camping out in the woods.

It has a lovely fair isle design around the yoke, and it's the loveliest shades of grey. (Grey is one of my favorite colors to knit with!)

There is a pattern on Ravelry that can be found here for a sweater like Hermione's. So lovely. :)

 I also ran across a pattern for her fingerless mittens which can be found here. There are several patterns on Ravelry for her mittens, but I thought these looked the most slouchy, like hers.

Does this ever happen to you when you watch movies?
♥ Anna Kristine

Project: The Holiday Fireside Sweater

I've always loved this sweater Cameron Diaz wears in the movie The Holiday and for my birthday my friend bought me the Fireside Sweater pattern based on this sweater!

 I love the look of this sweater....it's so cozy and has so many cables!

My husband ordered yarn for me to make it (his birthday present to me) so here it is so far:

 Don't look too close...I've already made a couple mistakes with cables overlapping the wrong way in a couple places. But I can't bring myself to rip it out and start over. It's not that noticeable to me to maybe no one else will notice either? And it is my first sweater...so it will have some imperfections I'm sure.

Can't wait to finish this and snuggle up and wear it! Hopefully I can finish it before the weather turns warm!
Off to knit I go...
Keep warm!
~Anna Kristine

Christmas

I've been enjoying the holiday, doing some knitting, watching movies, and playing games with my husband. I got him Dominion for Christmas with the Seaside extension so we have been having fun with that. 

And guess what he got me? Well just look here...

That's right...The COMPLETE Robin Hood series, North and South and Little Dorrit. Gosh, I feel so spoiled. Does he know me well or what? Now I can give the librarians a rest from putting these on hold all the time. :)
I think there may be some costume studies in the near future! :)
I also pulled all my costume fabrics out the other day to do some costume planning...I ended up getting overwhelmed! I don't know where to start! But one of my New Year's resolutions is to use as much of my fabric stash (that is already intended for something) as I can so here is a start.

Well, I must be off to bed. How were your holidays? Do you have any New Year's resolutions, sewing or otherwise?
~Anna

Bella's Mittens

I finished my Bella mittens this evening! :) I don't know if there's anything quite so satisfying as binding off a knitting project. What has seemed like a never ending project suddenly seems like I only started it yesterday and I have to catch myself before I get too ambitious and cast on another pair. The pattern was easy enough, but the cross stitch palms are time consuming and can get tiring after awhile. I will try to take better pictures tomorrow in the daylight.

But for now...I must go to sleep...

Elizbethtown...

...is what I like to call this hat because it reminds me of the red hat Kirsten Dunst wears in the movie Elizabethtown. :)

Sorry about the poor photo quality...and the little gold safety pin is holding onto a stitch I dropped somewhere. What can I say...I'm not perfect! ;)

This was my first time knitting a hat so I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out even though I did drop a stitch (or two or three). It's a little snug for my big head though...so somebody may end up getting it in their Christmas stocking this year. ;) I love knitting...

Things I hope to try...

With no sewing machine working it's been all about knitting lately. I really want to try to make a sweater this winter...but I'm a little intimidated by the thought. But I think I can maybe do it...
I also think it would be fun to try to make some socks. They intimidate me too.

I've been making fingerless gloves like mad. I got a little tired of them so I took a break last night and started on a Christmas present. But you can't see that until after Christmas. ;)

I'm getting excited about making things to wear this winter. Don't you just love warm things?

Mittens so far..

Almost there...:)

Inkheart and Knitting

I can't stop watching Inkheart. I'm watching it for the third time in three days right now, it inspires me. I love the clothes, the sets, the actors...it's my cup of tea. :)
But I've been getting a ways on my Bella Swan mittens while I'm watching it! I'm almost half done with the second mitten! However, I'm babysitting a friend's kittens and they sure do make knitting a challenge what with keeping them from running off with a mitten or a ball of yarn, not to mention climbing curtains and drinking out of my glass. ;)

I'd post a picture of my progress but I don't have my camera with me at the moment. But my how good progress feels!

Pictures soon, I promise!

the day has come...

I've officially designed my first knitting pattern for fingerless mittens...

I'm so very pleased with it. It took a number of tries and figuring but I finally got it basically written down. I'm going to work on making it easier to understand and then I might sell it as a PDF in my shop if I can figure out how to do that. But for now I'm just having fun making them. Pretty soon I might try some variations with cables and such.

*sigh*....I love knitting. :)