Dinosaur!

My first knitted FO of 2014.  This year is already off to a good start knitting-wise.  This is the Steggie pattern from Knitty.com.  I didn't like the super baggy fit and the Boy is rather on the thin side so I opted for the smallest size but lengthened the sleeves and the body by an inch.  I do wish I'd lengthened the body by a couple more inches, though.  

My goal with this sweater was just to use up some age old acrylic in my stash (bought for baby sweaters when the Boy actually was a baby!)  I stumbled across this pattern searching Ravelry and knew it had to be. As you may recall, the boy loves dinosaurs.  I did manage to use up almost all of the dark blue and the turquoise, but had to buy the variegated for the spikes (doh!).  Two steps forward, one step back.

He was pretty enamored with it the night I finished it (and the entire time I was knitting it) but since that night it's sat pretty much unloved.  Of course, he hasn't wanted to keep his clothes on for most of that time, so apparently we're regressing to that phase.  Oh good, just what we need in the middle of winter.  A preschooler who lives in his socks and undies.

At least he kept it on long enough for me to snap some photos.  The original motivation, now that I think of it, was to knit the boy a sweater upon which to sew these car buttons.  He's been going through my big button collection to pull these out and play with and I decided it was probably time to actually use them.  Big plastic car buttons are only cute up to a certain age, after all.  

He really seemed to like it when I took these pictures, so hopefully I'll get him to wear it (and pants) again.  I would like to see this sweater gets lots of love before it's retired to the hand-me-down pile.  And of course, don't forget the Sewing for Small People Sewalong hosted by Leah over at Struggle Sews a Straight Seam.  I plan on doing a round up post about the time things wrap up in May to see what all I've managed for the small people over the course of four months.  And if you don't follow Struggle Sews a Straight Seam check it out, Leah's hilarious!

Evil Rag Quilt of Death

Why won't this pic stop being green?  Idk.  I wanted to make the boy a blanket for Christmas and I was inspired by this tutorial to make a rag quilt.  In case you haven't made one "Rag Quilt" is code for helllll.

A regular quilt would've been a helluva lot easier.  And next time that's what I'll do.  Towards the end my machine kept jamming.  I won't lie it almost didn't make it.

I used some of his old receiving blankets for the backside of the quilt which makes it a little extra special =)

I also bought some special Dr. Seuss and cars fabrics.  I also pieced some squares because why not?

Now that it's all said and done the blanket is well loved by everyone so that makes it worth it...  I guess.

it's not a purse it's a man bag!

let me start by saying pinterest totally completes my internet experience.  that being said i hate people who compile other people's ideas on their blog in those "200000 things you should know" or "40 toys to make for kids"  screw you.  seriously.  come up with your own ideas.  that being said i found one of those pins and repinned it because it had a car toy carrier shown.  i never have been able to refind that thing but here's my own drastically different interpretation anyway.

it folds up into a little bag with handles and button closures.  of course the fabric has race cars 

when it's opened up there is a pouch for cars, a zippered pouch for other necessary travel items (like small dinosaurs, ninjas, etc) and there's a race track all the way around.  I used the same fabric to make extra pieces that fit under the zipper pouch so you can extend the road (cuz like who just drives around in a circle amiright?)

here's where the cars go.  there are only 4 separate slots but they'll fit his big cars (the cars movie cars)

here is the zipper pouch.  holy craft don't even ask how i made that thing.  i intend to learn how to make a proper one sometime soon but this thing is serviceable if not pretty

so there you have it.  construction process?  man you don't even want to know.  did i mention i've never made a bag of any sort before?  let's just say i used all or part of 3 fat quarters, an old dark colored shirt, some scraps of white knit, and a bit of heavy duty interfacing.  that's not all, there's some other stuff in there, but you get the idea.