beautiful day

So far today has been a beautiful day... I just returned from a fun trip to the craft store where I stocked up on yarn (!) and other supplies. I also stopped at the health food store to pick some healthy foods for the weekend. I hope to accomplish quite a bit of crocheting over the next two days.

Here are a couple of photos of a piece that I finished this week and has already been sold - yay! I was very happy to ship it off to its new home yesterday.

Happy Friday!

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*welcome to my studio*

Welcome to my little studio tour!

My studio has taken over the living room area of my apartment and I love combining my work space with my living space. I can squeeze in time to work on projects throughout the day during even the busiest of times. And having my supplies and projects out where I can see them helps me keep track of what needs to be done, what is almost done, and what is not even close to being done! Of course, the trade off is that I have to keep everything neat, tidy, and cat-proof!

My long work table is right up against the room's front windows so I can take advantage of the natural light for photographs and sewing. The windows are really old and have about a hundred coats of paint on them, which I think is charming, and I get a great breeze in that spot. Please ignore the air conditioning unit that the landlord has bolted to the window sill : )

In front of my work table is the *best* spot for knitting and crocheting because that's where my red lounger is located! I love to sit there and listen to NPR or watch a movie while I work. I can also grab a pattern book from the stacks of books in front of the fire place if I need to.

I also spend a lot of time at my computer desk editing photos, reading blogs, and googling random things that pop into my head. I'm still on the look out for a great rug to put under the desk & chair to protect the wood floor... for now I've layered two small rugs that I had on hand as a quick fix.

Another pride-and-joy piece of furniture (besides the lounger) is my tweedy gray couch. It is really comfortable and another great spot to sit and do some knitting. (Both it and the lounger were great finds from Copenhagen.) The cats also love this couch!

Thanks for taking a look at my work space! I hope you enjoyed the tour : )

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afternoon walk

There is a wonderful old cemetery near my apartment and I cut through it sometimes when I'm out walking around. I snapped a few photos of the beautiful carvings from the 1800s while passing through this week...

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{coming soon}

I'm working on a little studio tour to post later this week!

A little peek into my everyday...

...I've also started reading a new book called "Charlotte Bronte's Thunder" (thanks for the recommendation, Poppy!) that is very interesting and either total genius or totally insane. I have only just started reading, so I don't know which it is yet! If you love the Bronte's you should definitely check out the link and read the description of this book. All I can say is that after reading the first 31 pages I am extremely interested to see where the author goes with her ideas!

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letting nature inspire your creative work

I just finished this beautiful new soft sculpture and it has made me think about how nature can be such a powerful place to find inspiration. Sometimes it directly inspires me with its shapes and patterns, sometimes I'm indirectly influenced by just enjoying some time outside and clearing my head... it makes space for new ideas.

You don't have to look far to find amazing works of art where plants, animals, weather, and landscapes play a part in the composition (I really love the landscapes of the Hudson River School and the site specific art of Andy Goldsworthy). And the wonderful thing is that you don't have to be a big time artist to let nature inspire your creative process! We can all spend time enjoying the natural world and letting it inform our work.

Here are my top 5 tips for getting inspired by nature!

1. Start spending time outside with your camera or sketchbook. This is a great way to keep track of interesting objects, beautiful colors, or design elements that you might want to use in your work in the future.

2. Let yourself spend plenty of time observing, with no pressure to come up with ideas. Just looking and paying attention is so important - you may be struck with an idea like a lightening bolt, or you may walk away with a few impressions that need time to stew. Let your ideas evolve naturally and take as much time as you need.

3. Notice patterns, textures, and shapes. Sometimes you can really zoom in on the texture of a giant tree, the ripples in a pond, or the color pattern on a stone. These are great times to pull out your camera or sketchbook and record what you see!

4. Try different perspectives. Not feeling inspired where you're sitting? Try getting low to the ground for an ant's-eye view. Or try looking straight up into the trees while laying on your back. There are endless ways to change your perspective and it may help you notice something new.

5. Notice changes in light and season. Have you ever seen Monet's series of paintings of the Rouen Cathedral? He painted the same structure over and over throughout different seasons and times of day - it's an amazing set of paintings and a great technique that we can use, too!

Do you have any tips for letting nature inspire your creative work? I'd love to hear them!

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{meow}

happy friday!

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This is what I'm in the mood to wear today...

Autumn Outfit Inspiration by cornflowerbluestudio

This is the type of outfit I'm really in the mood for today! Cozy & casual... it's still so warm in Tuscaloosa, though! Definitely not feeling like autumn yet!

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work * in * progress

I have been working on a beautiful new custom piece for the shop this week... the yarns are so gorgeous and soft! It's really exciting to work with such amazing yarn (and all of it is vegan!).

This piece is going to be much larger than the ones I usually make so that's an adventure, too! I think I'm going to have to start including some large pieces in the shop whenever I can.

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swirling in the ether...

1. Untitled, 2. globos, 3. mantelpiece, 4. Pincushion Cathedral Window Handsewn,

5. 6 :: 365, 6. Everything's Rosey in the Everyday is a Holiday studio! :), 7. small change,

8. candy colours, 9. Untitled, 10. Doily Dainty Winter Scarf, 11. Kelly Scarf Tutorial,

12. Whit's Knits: Chevron Baby Blanket

Here are a few things I've been admiring this week:

an amazing collection of "school supplies"

a bright pink house

this wolf necklace

a raw foods blog full of delicious recipes

Happy Friday!

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free knitting pattern :: mini knot brooch

Here is a quick little knitting project I came up with this week (and I don't think I've ever made a knit brooch before!). It's really easy and very fast to make so you can whip one up to wear to work or give as a gift in no time!

Here are the basics to knitting a Mini Knot Brooch: You will need a small amount of light fingering weight yarn and a set of US 2/ 2.75 mm knitting needles. The yarn I used here is Araucania Lonco Multy color 4001, but you can use any fingering weight yarn that you have on hand. Sock yarn would be great for this project.

Cast on 15 stitches. Work in garter stitch (knit every row) for 7 rows. Switch to stockinette stitch (k1 row, p1 row, repeat) and work until your knitting measures about 5 inches/12 cm from cast on. Knit 7 more rows. Bind off.

You now have a long rectangle with garter stitch on the ends and a stockinette stitch in center that will tend to roll in from the edges. Tie the rectangle in a knot, with the knot positioned in the center.

You can add a nice pin back to the back of the knot or, if you don't have one around, you can just use a small safety pin like I did! These would also be really cute on a headband or little hair clip!

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Autumn Wish List

Autumn Wish List by cornflowerbluestudio

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shop update!

I just updated my shop with new knit and crochet accessories! Most of them have a vintage vibe and all are fun ways to get your closet ready for autumn!

a vintage style knit collar...

... a bow headband in autumnal orange...

... a tiny bow headband in mustard yellow...

.

... a retro turban headband...

...another knit collar in sage green....

...and a few more things thrown in, too! Yay!

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in which I need three of these...

I need three of these... one for each of my beloved cats!

What am I talking about?

Custom pet sculptures made out of clay!

These sweet little pet portraits are from LeAnimale on Etsy...

So cute!

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{excitement}

Hello! Things are busy and exciting around here because I am finishing up a new line of autumn and winter knit accessories for the shop this week! I'll have them finished, photographed, and ready to go by the end of the week (if not before). Can't wait!

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(because crochet is awesome)

I finished two new crochet pieces this week!

One soft sculpture in deep teal...

... and one in orange Manos del Uruguay yarn...

Here are few more *amazing* crochet projects I found this week:

awesome crochet mushrooms!

a HUGE granny square : )

black, white, and shades of gray

tiny!!!

Happy Friday!

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mathilde

This is Mathilde... she has purple hair.

I think she wants to be Marie Antoinette : )

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free knitting pattern :: three and half ways to knit a bow

Remember when I shared my pattern for crocheting a bow? Well, now I have created a knit version... or rather 3 1/2 knit versions! They are very simple and easy to make, so any knitter can do this project.

Each bow is made by knitting a rectangle and tying some yarn around the middle. The fun part is choosing which type of stitch you want to use. I used US 8/5.0mm knitting needles and Aran 10ply yarn for these bows.

Bow #1 is made using seed stitch. Here is the pattern:

Cast on 15 stitches.

Row 1: *knit 1 stitch, purl 1 stitch; repeat from * to the end of the row.

Row 2: *purl 1 stitch, knit 1 stitch; repeat from * to the end of the row.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 for a total of 12 rows.

Bind off and weave in your loose ends.

Wrap a length of yarn around the center of the rectangle and trim the ends. Voila!

Simple, right?

For bow #2 I used stockinette stitch with garter stitch along the short edges.

Cast on 15 stitches.

Row 1: knit all stitches

Row 2: knit 2 stitches, purl 11 stitches, knit 2 stitches

Repeat rows 1 and 2 a total of 14 times.

Bind off.

For bow #3 I used plain garter stitch.

Cast on 15 stitches.

Knit 16 rows.

Bind off.

For the tiny bow #3 1/2 I knit in garter stitch and then turned it sideways.

Cast on 5 stitches.

Knit until your work measures 2 1/2 inches long.

Bind off.

Happy Knitting!

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knitting pattern :: equinox wrist warmers

equinox : the time when the sun crosses the plane of the earth's equator, making night and day of approximately equal length all over the earth. (September 23 is the autumnal equinox this year.)

I have been looking forward to the arrival of autumnal weather this year as a break from the heat & humidity that has been hanging over Alabama all summer... and this morning I woke up to clouds, rain, and cool weather! It's the perfect day to unveil my new knitting pattern, named for the autumnal equinox that will occur later this month.

There are some great ides for celebrating the changing season at Rhythm of the Home (I especially love this girls shawl inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder) and here is a great recipe for acorn squash that I will be using as the season progresses.

Oh, and I can't wait to wear fall outfits like this and this!

I designed these wrist warmers as an accessory to bring your wardrobe into fall or add an extra layer of warmth later this winter. They are knit with sock yarn (I used Panda Soy sock yarn in the color called "Fudge Brownie") so they are sleek enough to layer with your shirts and sweaters without adding too much bulk, and the lace pattern is so pretty peeking out from under your sleeves! Sock yarn also has a little stretch for a great fit.

The pattern can be knit it three sizes and uses fairly simple stitches. It's available in my Etsy shop and on Ravelry, too!

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why hello there...

...I have been quite busy finishing this project...

...and now it it is done!

(I used the awesome Sprout organic cotton in two colors of green)

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cats! (and their new condo)

I found an amazing deal on a very nice cat condo last week and it arrived yesterday! The cats love it, especially Chloe. If you have been wanting a new condo for your cats but can't imagine spending a few hundred bucks (so expensive!) I recommend that you check out this link... I have been keeping my out for online deals for awhile and this is the best one I've found!

I do love to spoil my cats : )

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