Friday Favourites

Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. I am enjoying a glass of wine and listening to some music as I go through looking for this week's Friday favourites. It is an enjoyable time to browse to see what interesting things I can find this week. I look at it like window shopping in quarantine. The items below are all items I found today on Etsy and Indigo. I will let you know if I buy any of the items and what I think. Please let me know if you also do too. 

This cat in a basket of yarn is too cute! From PinsNSticks on Etsy.

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Eat Sleep, Knit Repeat socks by IfTheSockFitz on Etsy

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Not today cat shirt by TiptopClothingusa on Etsy. We all have these days...

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This cat pendant necklace by SilverMooseArts for cat lovers to wear it and tell the world you are a cat person. Found on Etsy. As you can probably tell I am a cat person because most of these favourites have cats involved.

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Love this sign that says "Get your knit together" by papersushi on Etsy.

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Cozy retreat Ravensburger puzzle. I adore this puzzle and was looking for the right one. I think I found my next puzzle from Indigo. I want to go into this puzzle and relax there.

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These nesting boxes are so pretty and a great way to get organized from Indigo.

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This journal that says "do what makes your soul shine" from Indigo.

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Thank you for stopping by! I hope that you liked this week's Friday favourites. I have fun putting them together and doing some shopping. There are a few of these in my carts now. 

Have a good evening,

Knitting Projects and Reading On

Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. I am happy to be getting through the week and it is Wednesday again. We are getting closer to the long weekend with civic holiday on Monday. 

I made some progress on the Waverly Weekend Cowl by Donna Brooks pattern found on Ravelry. I am loving this pattern and how it is turning out so far.

I didn't knit more of the Merry Fair Isle Ornament by Yarnspirations Design Studio on Ravelry. I will be knitting more this week to make more progress.

I finished reading Average is the new Awesome by Samantha Matt. It was a good book to remember to take care of ourselves and have expectations for ourselves, but not too high or impossible and to celebrate our successes even if they are normal. I would recommend this book if you just wanted a light read as a reminder to appreciate yourself even if you have some flaws or not exactly the weight or career you would prefer to be, but to accept and love yourself as you are.I am continuing to read The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman. I am really enjoying this book and love the main character Nina. I can relate so much to her. I look forward to reading it again soon. I lost my loan on it this morning, so I hope to get it back and finish it soon. I am also reading Everything is F*cked by Mark Manson. I have sort of put this one on hold for a bit, because I got into finishing the other books that are on loan to me from the library. I look forward to reading on. I am reading One Day in December by Josie Silver and think it is a fun read and enjoy reading about the protagonist's search for love. 

I thought I would end my post for today with a photo of the light catching my philodendron this afternoon. The photo was snapped at the end of the day right after work. I also was testing out the camera on my new phone and really liking how it is taking photos. I love being surrounded by plants even in our basement apartment, it is always nice and mood lifting to see plants and greenery.

Joining along with Frontier Dreams for Crafting On and AsKatKnits for Unraveled Wednesday.

I hope that you are having a good week too and keeping safe! It is getting a lot better here with Covid-19 and we might even be getting closer to stage 3 in Toronto now. I am looking forward to getting closer to life as normal, I know it is a long way off still and for the rest of the world. We need a vaccine for this virus before we are in the clear.

Have a great day!

Saturday Stitch - Seed Stitch Squares

Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. I had a fun week planning and writing Christmas in July posts. Today is the last day of celebrating Christmas in July. I might just have to watch a Christmas movie tonight to celebrate. Today I knitted the seed stitch squares stitch and put a twist on it for the Christmas theme. I thought these looked a lot like gift boxes, so I added some white yarn to tie them like bows on top of the gifts.I was thinking this stitch would be great for knitting a  scarf for Christmas with the bows at the bottom or all the way along the scarf if you wish. It could also make a cute detail at the bottom of the sweater.

Pattern:

Row 1 (RS): Knit

Row 2: Purl

Row 3: K4, *[P1,K1] 3 times, p1, k5; rep from *to last 11 sts, [p1,k1] 3 times, p1,k4

Row 4: P3, *[k1,p1] 4 times, k1,p3; rep from * to end.

Row 5: K4, *p1,k5; rep from * to last 5 sts, p1, k4.

Row 6: P3, *k1. p7, k1,p3; rep from * to end.

Rep the last 2 rows twice more, then row 5 again.

Row 12: As row 4

Row 13: As row 3

Row 14: Purl

Rep these 14 rows

Pattern from 750 Knitting Stitches- The Ultimate Knit Stitch Bible by Erika Knight

Thank you for visiting my blog today! I had fun knitting this stitch and it required a bit more concentration. I think that there are a lot of possibilities for this stitch on what you can make of it in your projects.

Have a good day!

Friday Favourites - Christmas in July

Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. Welcome to the Christmas edition of my Friday favourites! I was really looking forward to this post when thinking of this Christmas in July week. I saw some really fun items for Christmas to get this year to spread the holiday cheer.


This shirt from Amazon is really cute. It says "I run on coffee and Christmas cheer". It looks like it would be comfortable and reviews say it fits well.

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This pin of Dwight from the office from Etsy is so funny. I love watching the Office, are you a fan? 

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I love this rustic sign that says Merry Christmas from Hoekstradecor on Etsy. 

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This book looks amazing and the illustrations are beautiful Found on Amazon. I love children's Christmas books they are so sweet and the photos are usually very nice to look at as well. 

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This cross stitch kit ornament from OutlawStitching on Etsy is nice and a fun project. I think cross stitching would be fun I have never tried.

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Another one that is funny from OutlawStitching that says "Resting Grinch face" also on Etsy.

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This Christmas tree pin by carolyndraws on Etsy it really cute. As you can probably tell by now, really like pins.

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These cute snowman stitch markers by MlynJedrow on Etsy. They also have some with stockings and mittens.

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These Christmas themed sock blockers are pretty cute too. I would really like some of these. By MlynJedrow on Etsy.

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This "the year of the lockdown" ornament would be fun to hang on the tree. Let's hope this is done by Christmas! Ornament from Catsicreative on Etsy.

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I hope you enjoyed my Friday favourite picks for today Christmas in July edition. It was so much fun looking through all the cute Christmas things on Amazon and Etsy. It makes me even more excited for Christmas!

Have a good day!

Christmas in July - Knitting Project Ideas for Christmas

Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. Today I am sharing some fun projects to knit up for Christmas as gifts or for yourself to enjoy. I like knitting Christmas items, they always bring me such joy and get me thinking of the fun we will be having during the Christmas season. I hope you like the list of items and find something that interests you. 

Wine bottle topper and scarf Pattern found on Ravelry.

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This Santa Hat is so cute and it would be fun to knit a bunch of these for the family. Pattern by Adina Logsdon from Ravelry.

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These socks are very nice and simple and have a festive design. Pattern by Ruta Sab found on Ravelry.

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This slouchy hat is so cute. Pattern on Ravelry by Siobhan Brown.

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Santa stocking pattern by Bernat Design Studio on Ravelry.

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This knitted gift card holder is a fun way to give gift cards. Pattern by Kara Gunza on Ravelry.

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Christmas coaster by Lily/ Sugar n' Cream pattern on Ravelry.

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Little gingerbread man and woman. So cute! Pattern by Esther Braithwaite on Ravelry. 

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Christmas gnomes! I haven't knitted one, but they are so cute and I want to this year. Pattern by creative neats on Ravelry for these leg dangling gnomes.

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Adorable Christmas tree pattern by Amanda Berry on Raverly 

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Such a cute ornament idea, this cup of cocoa by Michele Wilcox. Pattern on Ravelry.

 

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I hope that you enjoyed this list and maybe there is something you would like to knit for Christmas. I really enjoyed looking around tonight for some ideas for Christmas knitting projects. I could have posted even more there are so many ideas. Let me know your favourites in the comments below. Christmas knits are just the cutest things to knit aren't they? Thank you for stopping by and keep safe! 

Have a great day!

Christmas in July - Knitting and Reading Updates

Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. I have made some progress on the Merry Fair Isle ornament, pattern by Patons found on Ravelry. I am just starting to knit the Christmas trees in the pattern. I can't wait to knit the trees fully. I love these patterns for ornaments they are really fun and quick to knit up in time for Christmas. 

I have also been knitting the Waverly Weekend Cowl, pattern by Donna Brooks found on Ravelry. I really love how it is turning out.

I have been continuing to read One Day in December by Josie Silver. It is so cute so far and the main character has spotted a man she likes and is trying to find him I am looking forward to seeing when she finds him. I won't give anything away. I am almost done reading Average is the New Awesome by Samantha Matt. I like what she is saying about social media and not getting too hung up on our social media lives and working too hard to make our living look more interesting on our social media platforms. I am guilty with this and comparing myself to others. I am loving The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman and keeping up with her adventures and discovery of her family. Everything is F*cked by Mark Manson is so interesting and I love his outlook on things and look forward to reading on. I have a lot of books on the go right now, but I enjoy each one for a different reason and am working on finishing them all.

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I have been enjoying this week of Christmas in July and writing blog posts involving Christmas themes. I have some plans for the next few days to share gift ideas,Christmas Friday favourites, and will share how I will be celebrating on Saturday the 25th and making it a special day. 

Joining along with Frontier Dreams for Crafting On and As Kat Knits for Unraveled Wednesday

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you have a good day.

Christmas in July - Getting Organized

Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well.  Today I will be talking about getting organized for the holidays. Around December there is so much going on, and we are running around trying to get everything done. It would be nice to have gifts already purchased or planned, a clean home, and a plan for meals and gatherings in place already before December. I also want to improve my ornament storing solutions and still don't have proper ornament bins. I am hoping this year once I can go out shopping again, I can pick up a few ornament bins. 

I was watching a YouTube Vlogger, Milk and Honey Life's Christmas in July video from last year and she mentions the  FlyLady's Holiday control Journal that she follows each year to get prepared for the holidays. So I took a look at this journal and printed out the pages and now have my own copy in a binder ready for the holidays. I like having a system in place and it will help to keep me on track with gift buying and organizing. FlyLady says to sign up for reminder emails the third week in October to get organized. So I am glad I started early, so I can sign up for emails when that time comes to receive email reminders on what I should be working on.

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I also want to plan out my Christmas gifts ahead of time this year. I will be sharing a post later this week with some gift ideas to knit for loved ones and I hope to get some inspiration while I am looking. Having these ideas in place as early as  July gives me time to plan and get the yarn and start knitting so I have time to knit everyone gifts. I definitely have the time this year being in quarantine to knit more, so with a little planning ahead it will be possible.

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Christmas and the holidays are a busy time of the year and it really helps keep relaxed and enjoying the season to feel more prepared. I am excited to work through this journal and to put more organization measures in place before the holidays and see how it helps. I think as time goes on and we start hosting Christmas dinners, it will get more busy, so putting these steps and preparations in place now will help me in the future. Have you done any of Flylady's steps in the past? did they work for you?

Have a good day!

Christmas in July - Knitted Summer Snowman Ornament

Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. Yesterday I started the posts for Christmas in July and I am also posting some photos and stories on Instagram. I watched a Christmas Hallmark movie called Candy Cane Lane last night before dinner and it was so cute and I loved seeing all the Christmas decor and lots of poinsettias. I also enjoyed some banana bread hot out of the oven, when it is most delicious. I used the Oh She Glows vegan banana bread recipe that is my new go-to. I added chocolate chips as well, it is so tasty. 

I decided to dig out my little tree from storage today and decorate it with some summery ornaments. I am also going to be working on knitting some more cute little Summery ornaments soon to share with you and decorate the tree. It might be a new tradition to bring out the Summer Christmas tree.  I knitted a small summer snowman for the tree today for fun. He is wearing sunglasses for the summer instead of a winter hat and scarf since it is too hot now to wear those things in July. See below for the pattern I made up today.

Pattern:

For body:

cast on 3 stitches

Row 1: k1,kfb,k1 (4 sts)

Row 2: k1,kfb,k2(5 sts)

Row 3: k1,kfb,k3(6 sts)

Row 4: k1,kfb,k4(7 sts)

Row 5-9  - Knit and K2tog once every row to decrease to original number of stitches then bind off.

For head:

Cast on 3 stitches

Row 1: k1,kfb (3 sts)

Row 2: k1,kfb,k1(4 sts)

Row 3: k1,kfb,k2(5 sts)

Row 4-6  - Knit and K2tog once every row to decrease to original number of stitches then bind off.

Other additions:

Sew both pieces together using yarn from cast on to sew together. 

Carrot nose: cast on 1 stitch and knit 3 stitches, bind off and sew together

Sunglasses: use black yarn and sew the yarn in the shape of sunglasses on the face of the snowman

Buttons: using black yarn weave in and out from behind the snowman and then fasten.

Optional Santa hat: You can knit a Santa hat like the one on the snowman below to add something extra to the snowman. I might do that sometime this week it looks cute.

I first started hearing about Christmas in July when out shopping and saw sales on in July. I never really knew why people would celebrate Christmas in July before. It might seem odd I am posting about Christmas in July. The reason for Christmas in July is because countries in the southern hemisphere like Australia choose to celebrate in July because it is most cold then and fun to celebrate the season when it feels most like Christmas. They also celebrate in December like we do as well. Sometimes there are also celebrations in June because of the stretch of two months of no holidays. It is interesting when I first read about the reason for the July celebrations and find it fun to also participate like people in the southern hemisphere do. I think it is so special also right now during this pandemic, it adds a bit of fun to this time to post Christmas posts and do some celebrating.

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So far this week has been fun, and if you love Christmas it is a fun new tradition maybe to start with your family and put your own twist on it. If you love Christmas movies, watch your favourites and drink hot chocolate or bake some Christmas treats. It is all in fun and there are no rules to how you put a Summery twist on this special holiday. There are also so many summery festive snack ideas on Pinterest. I am thinking of doing more special things on July 25th to celebrate Christmas in July stay tuned!

Have a great day!