Dollveralls and Longies Stocked to the Shop

Dollveralls, a pattern designed by Korin Bourdo

Knit using a color from “Little Trunks Knits”  called Yacht Club.

Sized for a 10-12 inch waldorf doll. Matching cap completes the outfit.

Listed and ready to pop in the mail

Longies have nearly sold out of the shop this winter.

I hadn’t realize just how low till I received an e mail asking if I still stocked them!

This is a medium to large pair I’d had in the works…a mid weight merino that will be a nice weight to transition into spring.

Rather than longies, I think at this point in the season I’ll be focusing on shorties for summer.  I’ve a few pair in the works along with a few soakers and skirts. 

More doll clothes to be listed in the shop within the next few days. 
Stay warm out there

Katie

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A Sugar Plum Holiday Sale

Since I missed Black Friday I decided to run a holiday sale so, here it is!

Shop wide sale @Katidids Knits. Use coupon code 2013Giftgiving now through the new year for 20% off your purchase! This sale applies to in stock items only and excludes special orders.

Uploads for today

More Sugar Plum Dresses accented with buttons from Corina of Ayarina’s Button shop

These dresses will fit a variety of dolls

Check the listings for accurate sizing

Rainbow longies for smaller dolls

they have a 3 inch inseam and are 6.5 inches from waist to hem

And a fun lime green sweater for the 12-18 inch doll. 

Button color may be changed upon request

5 orders shipped today & 4 customs are on the dry rack…they would also be in the mail if I’d remembered to open the heat vent!

Tomorrow we are due for a good snow dump which means… I’ll be inside knitting and have a latte close at hand

Katie

 

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Sugar Plum Waldorf dresses finally listed

I’ve had these dresses nearly ready for over a month.

They have been in the design works since early summer but, special orders and my sewing machine took all my spare time.

With Christmas and Black Friday shopping on the way I decided I needed to make them a priority!I

This first dress is washable…I fell in love with the colors & thought most little girls would as well.  The 2 accent buttons are from Corina of Ayarina’s Button shop on Etsy

This single skein of gradient wool has sat in my wool basket for months waiting to decide what it wanted to be. In the middle of knitting the first dress, it nearly jumped up and down shouting at me.  I love how it turned out with the shades of lavender to purple flowing down the dress

A few other items listed

A bright skirt to match nearly any top or sweater

A sweet skirt and sweater set

And rainbow longies for a smaller doll, (which will be listed this afternoon.)

3 or 4 sweater in bright colors will also be listed once I sew buttons on…and that will happen if I can put down the next Sugar Plum dress!

And yes!  I will have store wide Black Friday sale!!

Info to follow tomorrow here and on Facebook!

Are you ready for Thanksgiving?

Have a wonderful day!

Katie

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This & That

OOPS! Posted here rather than my personal blog!

Ah…., Monday.  Oops I mean Tuesday!  Reality kicks back in. We had such a fun weekend with family. You know how it is, weddings and funerals are the only time you have the chance to see some family due to time, distance & commitments.  A few of my husbands cousins were in from Ohio and PA.  We had 2 days together, talking, eating and laughing as they relived childhood memories & we created new.

But real life kicks back in…

The boys helped me clear over half of the underbrush in the back where I will place the compost bins…hot and stick it was about 86 with super high humidity…we stopped before we melted and cooled off with popsicles. 

The wild blackberries are ripening.  Mr. Fix-It has been donning long sleeves, jeans & boots every few evenings and picking what he can. He’s gone out 2 evenings and harvested a bit over 2 gallons

This was last nights haul….he said they are just starting to ripen & we’ll both need large buckets when they fully ripen.  I believe this batch will be blackberry jam.

Mike and Jessie brought us a few of their berries as a thank you when they picked up the boys &

 

thrilled Mr. Fix-It with a cobbler.

Since the oven was already on, I used some fresh picked zucchini and made a few loaves of

Chocolate zucchini bread. It weighs a ton but is soooo good! 

Green beans are calling my name to be harvested this morning.  Since it’s already 78 degrees and they are calling for high 90s I’m heading out to get that done.  Jessie is popping in to help me can some this morning/afternoon.  I have a feeling I’m going to regret not being out at first light!

Have you harvested much this year?

Katie

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Staying Inside Sewing

is my plan for the day.

Yesterday was a surprising 71 degrees and I was out running errands in my shirt sleeves.  Today it’s 38 and getting colder.  Balmy weather for you up north with chattering teeth becoming buried in snow I know. I think I would rather have a sustained cold than this roller coaster weather.  So I’m hibernating inside with a bit of sewing

My project this morning, working on a quilt.

The blocks are all cut to size, ready and waiting for me to cut & add the upper & lower borders.  How I’ll actually place the blocks I’m not sure.  I had a great design in mind and accidently trimmed a bunch of blocks 3/4 of an inch to short.  The adage “measure twice cut once” comes to mind!

I think quilting is a bit like life. It may not always turn out as you planned but by using what you have it’s still good!

What are you working on today?

Katie

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Sometimes the beauty

Is in the simplicity. 

Such is the design of this kerchief

 Age of Steam & Brass

combined with a color way from Lunabud Knits

Designed to be worn as a kerchief or a backwards shawl with the length draped in the front.  The ends are long enough to wrap around the neck comfortably. 

A kerchief to wear in the *v* of your jacket to keep your chest warm & leave on as an fun accessory…..

I think I need to make one for me!

Katie

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Playing Un-supervised in Fabric Stores

I’ve been having fun making a bunch of these little dresses

and some sweet little skirts. 

Only a few have made it to the Katidids Etsy shop & Little Trunks Knits . 

Last night I decided I needed some color inspiration & to feed the fabric addiction fabric stash.

So, soon to be skirts and dreses…

For some reason I just can’t pass owls or birdies!

It’s been a fun way to blend my 2 favorite activities, sewing and knitting. I think the garden clean up may have to wait for an afternoon or 3 longer!

Katie

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A few finished knits

I’m seeing fall coming to our neck of the woods, it’s fall or drought dying trees.

So I’ve been pulling out the fall colors…

Small longies & cap.

Both are knit from patterns of Dakine Knits

The hat is “Be Peaceful” from the “Be” Series

Another pair of longies,(Blissful Knits-Pegasus)

this time with a Pixie Hat to coordinate

And a test knit “Gilead Sweater” another great design by Emily Barbee  a wonderful up and coming knit designer.  She has a fun collection of patterns listed in Ravelry.

It’s been done for 2 weeks waiting on buttons to be sewn on. 

I’m thinking it needs a pair of green longies to coordinate

& embellished with the sweater color

 

Lot’s of other projects going on, I’ll have more up in the next day or so.

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids Knits,stocking,longies,test knitting customs Dakine Knits

 

Weeds & Seeds with the Compost Boy

Yeah~ That’s right the weeds lost this round.  I spent about an hour weeding yesterday morning with the little man helper ‘compost boy’.  He was ready & willing for the first 10 minutes then the novelty wore off…so to take his mind off the work we started singing silly songs, country songs & patriotic songs.  Which lead to a few political discussions (yes, he’s 9).  We/he planted 3 more rows of green beans we chatted about seeds & how precious good seeds are.

 

I explained the differences between GMO, heirloom & organic.  Which in turn led to questions like “Why would people be dumb enough to buy junk GMO seeds!?”

Leave it to a 9 year old to not sugar coat a question! 

We chatted about organic gardening, using no poisons to kill the weeds we were pulling…”poison! We want to eat this stuff why would we put poison on it”!

We talked about taking care of the soil like we do our bodies.  We work & play using up energy, and need to eat good healthy food to keep our body working properly.

As we mulched the existing bean plants and newly planted rows with fresh rabbit poo,

 

we discussed how the plants “eat” the soils vitamins and minerals, so it’s important to feed the soil & give it snacks by adding things like the rabbit poo & compost to keep it fresh and strong like he is.

As we were finishing up & gathering our tools I was feeing pretty good about the work done.  Thrilled with our conversation & all the questions he’d had knowing more than just green bean seeds were planted… till he got this look on his face…you know, the light bulb moment?

“Oh….so that’s what the compost is for~”  *Palm to face*  As ‘compost boy’ He understood the basic process of composting but I didn’t realize he until then he hadn’t understand what it was for! 

He’d not been at the house when we used it.  He thought it was just a way of getting rid of garbage!!

As we sat on the patio later taking a break,  he bit in to a fresh peach and said ‘you know what’s nice about being a boy and not a plant in the garden?' My snack is healthy & doesn’t smell like rabbit poo’

Katie

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A couple of “nearly’s”

Nearly done that is.

A couple of Mama Updates

An Arabella Top and bloomers…Top needs trim on the straps, I cord ties and embellishing.

I took a break from working on the top and started the bloomers.  I’m about 2 inches from the gusset.  The plan is to have them done by Wednesday…..that’s the plan anyway.

Another custom  nearly done….Dakine longies modified into convertible longies. This pair is waiting for a trip to the store for buttons (tomorrow)…and the ends to be woven in.

Again the plan is to have them ready Wednesday mailing.

There have been many many e mails back and forth with plans for other customs that should be finalized in the next day or 2.  When I know every thing is set I’ll update the customs list in the order those garments were finalized. 

The Katidids Etsy shop is getting pretty sparse but I do have a few items waiting to be listed.  The next sunny day will be one for photos.

Until then, I’ll be knitting!

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids Knits,Arabella Top,SMSS Bloomers,Dakine Knits Longies,Custom Knits,Knitting,customs

A Few Things to “Finish”

As I’ve said before “finishing”, the weaving of ends and sewing on buttons drives me batty.  No idea why, it’s like the home run stretch and stopping right before you cross the finish line!  I’d been keeping up and weaving in ends as I went, I even was sewing buttons on before a garment was done…but I am a back slider.  I have a pile of items to finish.  Buttons, weaving in ends and a bit of embellishing is all that is needed.

Today is finishing day…..

a sneak peek for a YYMN Mama.This outfit will be done today

& This shrug will be woven, embellished and buttoned!

If I can keep myself from casting on with this!

Wish me luck!

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids Knits,Custom Knits,YYMN,finishing,knitting,WIP"S

Vivienne, On the Needles Now

Vivienne

by Helen Rose

from NEED

I’ve had a few ask for this top and am making my own “test” of the pattern prior to using a customers wool.  I adore this in a semi solid but knew I didn’t have enough so I’m using a kettle dyed colorway from Little Monkey Stitch n Spin called “Sunset”

I’ve 2 more inches till I start the lace patterning & so far I’m loving the pattern.

I’ve found it to be very well written and the one question I had for the designer was answered quickly…..and ended up I was reading things in to the pattern. I should have this done tomorrow and plan to make bloomers to coordinate

And listed yesterday to the Katidids Etsy Shop 

Another Seed Stitch Cowl

The reds, greys & black are nice gender neutral colors

Super soft and squishy, it easily slides over your head & has plenty of length to tuck around the neck line of a coat.  Reds, greys and black nice gender neutral colors.

Also on the needles, are the longies for a Waldorf doll. I’ve frogged them twice but think I have the pattern down now & will finish them today.

Snow last night and it’s chilly today….I’m staying inside and knitting

Got your wool on?

Katie

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“All Around The Town” Longies Listed Today

Primary colors of red, blues, greens and orange, a unisex mix of color that will match a multitude of tops or shirts.  A nice sturdy “springy” merino that will wear well.

On the needles now, well actually they are drying….Capri’s.  Yes, It’s barely winter and I’m thinking of spring already.  Pictures will be up tomorrow once they are dry

I popped into my local yarn store this weekend and they’d just unpacked a shipment of Noro.

 “Just look and drool” I thought…. & I was OK till I touched it…petted it.  OK fondled it.

I bought it.  Like I really need more wool!

So, Noro longies are on the needles.  Progress photo’s up tomorrow.

Stay warm out there!

Katie

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Buttercup Cables Hat & longies on the needles

Buttercup Cables Hat

Everyday Cables Baby Hat

A free pattern by Lisa Story

from Handmade and Homemade Blog

Quick and accurate. Start to finish only took 2 about hours

It was a bit awkward leaning into the van for a photo but, doesn’t she look just thrilled!

She is just shy of a month old & the hat looks like it will last all winter.

On the needles now are longies for stocking in the Katidids Etsy shop.  This is a hand dyed of mine I call “All Around the Town”  It was inspired by Hayden & Isaiah’s hot wheel cars that you’ll find in beds, pockets and under cushions when you visit my house.

Off to knit or clean I can’t quite decide…..but I’m sure you know which will win!

Stay warm out there!

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,Katidids Knits,Etsy,longies,cables,knitting

Starting the New Year right with a free pattern “Sweet & Simple”

It’s been so unseasonably warm here I haven’t worked on many cold weather knits for the family.  Yesterday it started snowing and we realized Miss Evie needed a hat. With 3 little ones, Erika prefers something easy care as in, throw it in the washer and dryer.  So we chose Premier Yarns Serenity Chunky Weight in what else but “Candy Pink”

Sweet & Simple- Evie’s Hat

Materials Needed:

Needles size 6 for the brim

10 for the body

1 stitch marker

95-100 yds. of chunky yarn

With smaller needles CO 62, place marker and join in the round
Knit 4 rounds of 1X1 ribbing
Switch to larger needles & knit till (at least 6.5 inches from brim ) about 3 yards remain & kitchner the top closed

Grab a deck of cards and wrap about 20 times, make a tassel & attach to hat.

Be creative, grab your scraps and stripe it, add pom-pom’s or braids

Toddler to youth sizing

Brim at rest measures 14 stretches to fit my 21inch noggin

If you use the pattern, I’d love to see what you make !

Please link back here or Katidids on Ravelry

 

Stay warm out there!

Katie

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A Bit Of Marathon Knitting Before The Years End

 

The “Plan” is to have my needles clear before years end & I think I may make it!

In the past few days….

Another Dakine Knits “Aloha Skirty” with striped leggings.  A YYMN

Technorati Tags: Katidids Knits,Little Trunks Knits,Dakine Knits,Aloha Skirty,Custom Knits,YYMN,Tallulah Dress,Longies

custom now blocked and ready to ship.

Using Lollytree Yarn in the colorway “June Bug”.  This is the “A” line skirty with the butterfly stitch hem, stripped legs in coordinating pink and blue.

Yet another “Aloha Skirty” with a chocolate soaker.  For this one I used gaia in the colorway “Emily” from Jenny of “Little Trunks Knits”

and longies finished last night, blocked and ready to list

Micsknitz Aran BFL in the colorway “Talia”…..so soft and squishy! 

 

Which leaves me with 3 projects still on the needles…

The Tallulah Dress. This was my car knitting, this poor dress has been on the needles since mid September.  We have numerous train rails in the county and I’m always getting caught for 10-15 minutes at one or another…..no matter which way I go when I leave my house.  Rather than just sit and think about what I could be doing…. I’ve been working on this dress. 

I brought it in tonight to finish it.  Tonight I finished the last 4 inches of the skirt and started the sleeves.  I’d originally thought to make the sleeves long but knit with Gaia it has such a nice drape & weight it will work well through summer too.

The pattern is “Tallulah Dress” by Suzanne William’s of “La Petite Krott”.  It’s very well written and easy to follow.  The colorway is another from Jenny of “Little Trunks Knits” called “Foxtrot”

Which leaves me with 2 left on the needles which are in the finishing stages….  Whew! 

Now to get everything listed to the Etsy Shop.

Stay warm out there!

Katie