The Husband Scarf

This scarf comes from a free Ravelry pattern. I was having a hard time finding a good pattern that was, well, manly. It seems like all of the nice patterns are a tad feminine. This pattern was kind of difficult to start, but once I got used to the pattern of counting everything just fell into place.

I used Sublime Yarn, Organic Merino Wool DK in a light gray, purchased at the Yarn Barn in Burke, VA. I cannot tell you how divinely soft this scarf is. But expensive. At $13 each ball, this is the most I have ever spent on yarn. But at $40, I'd have spent a lot more buying a merino scarf, so there is that.

Modeled by me. Even after blocking, this pattern gives a short scarf. I used 3 balls of yarn for this guy, if I ever make it again in the future I'll use 4.

Easter centerpiece: flowers from the garden

With the exception of the Easter lily in the middle, all flowers were cut from the front garden bed.

I think this is a ranunculus? But it doesn't really look like one and the ones I planted were white?

I have no idea what this is, but I can tell you with certainty that I did not buy any yellow bulbs.

Misty Glenn daffodil and pink jewel late tulip. At least these were right. There's a Salome daffodil and a star flower in the background.

Baby Burp Cloths

Another sewing machine project. These burp cloths are two-sided, with quilting cotton on one side and super soft flannel on the other. I got 1/4 yard of most quilting fabrics, and picked up a couple fat quarters to round out the selection. I got baby blue and light pink flannel, a yard each. A 1/4 of fabric gave me two burp cloths of each fabric.

Simply cut 18" of each cloth, sew together inside out leaving a hole for turning, trim the edges, flip right side out, and topstitch, making sure to sew closed the turning hole.

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Kitchen nursery and more bulbs

The kitchen nursery has sprouted. My husband can't wait to get this off of the countertop! I'm growing the following from seed:

• nasturtium (Target)


• marigold (Target)


• cucumber (Home Depot, all seeds are saved from last year)


• various herbs (Home Depot, Target and Bountiful Gardens)


• poblano peppers (Bountiful Gardens)


• jalepeno peppers (Bountiful Gardens)


• tomatillo (Bountiful Gardens)


• beefsteak tomatoes (American Meadows, free with the purchase of bulbs from last fall)

Greenhouse light and seed starting mat are from Amazon.com. The seeds are living in plastic nursery containers I've saved containers saved and thouroughly washed from yogurt and pudding. I also used Pringles single-serve containers and chopped off plastic water bottles, but those aren't pictured. Now for the bulbs a-blooming in my front bed! I am so very happy with all that planning and work done last fall. There's been a consistent bloom, it's beautiful and smells wonderful! Carnegie Hyacinth

More Joan of Arc Crocuses. These are dying quickly though.

For Baby: Carseat Cover

It gets pretty cold around these parts, and I know that spring is here, but it's still pretty chilly and rainy. Throwing a blanket over the carseat wasn't cutting it - more than half the time the blanket blew away in the wind. So I picked up some flannel on sale from G Street and followed this tutorial from A Wednesday Afternoon. I used two coordinating pink polka dot flannel fabrics.

Straps made out of ribbon with velcro.

Happy baby!