Easy scarf and headband }{ Knitting

Remember the scarf I mentioned back in September? I realized I never shared the finished product with you. I added some pockets at the end of the scarf in a simple way, made this headband, and added a bright flower to the headband. I quite like it and decided it was worth sharing the pattern for it.

Materials:

• Size US 13 knitting needles 
• Bulky yarn

I didn't measure the gauge because I feel like scarves are so flexible. It's really up to you to decide what feels most comfortable in terms of width and length. So follow these instructions with the caveat that length and width can and should be adjusted to fit you and your taste.

What I did:

1. Cast on 14 stitches (this is where you would adjust the width - anywhere between 10 and 18, with 10 being very, very thin)
2. Rows 1-12: knit straight through
3. Row 13: purl
4. Row 14: knit
5. Row 15: purl
6. Row 16: knit
7. Rows 17-28: purl
8. Row 29: knit
9. Row 30: purl
10. Row 31: knit
11. Row 32: purl
12. Repeat rows 1-32 until you're satisfied with the length.
13. Once it's as long as you want it, repeat it one more time (to have enough scarf for pockets). Bind off and weave loose yarn. Fold both ends on their wrong sides, just enough to form two pockets that fit your hands. Sew the sides and turn them right side out. 

I'd share a self-portrait wearing them but the Dragon doesn't let me sleep enough, or wear clothes long enough without spitting up to allow for a decent photo. Maybe soon.

How are you keeping warm this Fall? 

Painting Mini Pumpkins }{ crafting with kids

Here's an idea for an easy and fun activity during a Fall afternoon: painting some mini pumpkins.

These mini pumpkins are very inexpensive at pumpkins farms, but our grocery store also offers them as a kit that comes with some paint. Everything you need is right there in the package. If you get the pumpkins individually, acrylic paint should work fine.

Just give the kids (and adults!) some paint, brushes, sharpies or paint pens and let them come up with whatever design/pattern/faces they want. Fun for the whole family. And I also like the mini pumpkins early in the season because they don't rot as quickly as the bigger ones we carve every year.

Apologies for the wonky photos, they were taken while holding a 6 week old wiggly girl...

How do you like to decorate your pumpkins?

accessories for this fall

Finally! Can you feel the chill in the air? It's that amazing time of year when my heart starts to pitter patter in anticipation for all the good things to come in the next few months. So many crafting ideas buzzing in my head too.

But with a newborn to take care of, my time is limited, and with all our stuff still packed, my resources are limited. So, I've begun to knit something for myself.

The point is to keep crafting even at times like this to keep my creativity alive. I'm planning on a matching scarf and slouchy hat of darker colors, but I want to add some orange or mustard flower on the hat. I've been loving browns, yellows, and oranges lately. Like the items below:

List of items included in collage:

Daytrip corduroy jacket
buckle.com

Michael Antonio high heels
heels.com

Gold jewelry
anthropologie.com

Brimmed hat
anthropologie.com

Leather belt
anthropologie.com




What about you? What colors are you loving for this Fall?

Hot Chocolate and Cake Pops

Sweet November, welcome to my life.

I think I mentioned before that once it starts getting colder, I tend to gravitate towards the kitchen. This weekend was just like that, and full of sweetness too. All three of us kept orbiting around our kitchen table, and even science experiments happened over there (baking soda, food coloring, vinegar, and a baster - N. loved watching it fizzle).

I tried my first cake pops based on Bakerella's tips and recipes, and found out they are much harder then they look, and also that N. is not quite ready to help.

We also found this amazing recipe for hot chocolate. Yum! I don't think I will ever drink any other kind! Of course, I've got to share it:

• 2 2/3 cups of milk
• 6 tbs of Nutella
• pinch of cinnamon (2x)
• whipped cream

First you add 2/3 cups of milk in a saucepan and warm it up on medium. Add the Nutella and whisk it until it's well mixed. Add the rest of the milk and a pinch of cinnamon, and keep whisking until it's warm and frothy. Pour it in cups, add some whipped cream on top and another pinch of cinnamon. Enjoy! (notice the nearly empty cup on top... N. couldn't wait until I took the pictures)

What's your favorite room of the house around this time of year? Do you like to snuggle up under the blankets on a sofa, hang out in the kitchen, or somewhere else entirely?

Fall goodness

I love Fall.

Loooooooooove it.

The colors, the smells, the cooling off after a hot and muggy summer, what's not to love?And the tastes! Pumpkin pie, apple pie, butternut squash baked with brown sugar and cinnamon... Oh my.

And all the anticipation building up to the holiday season with Thanksgiving just around the corner and then Christmas/the winter solstice/Chanukah. I get giddy just thinking about all the fun we'll have.

So yeah, Autumn makes me happy.

What do you know, it's already started. We went apple picking a couple of weeks ago, and I'd like to share with you some of the results. Oh, and that jam you see there? It's caramel apple jam and it's amazing. I highly recommend it.

What does Fall feel like for you?