Crave This: Spring Cleaning

It's been a while (too long, I think) since the last time I did one of these, but that does mean that this edition of Crave This! is bursting at the seams with pretty spring goodness, ready to inspire. This is my favorite season. This is the part of the year that wakes me up, gets me going, gets me dreaming.


Early spring to me is muted, romantic. Subtlety with the occasional burst of color. Neutrals, earth tones, and pastels. Light layers of froth, or dressy basics. Regardless of what the year's trends dictate, that's what I end up craving.


With that said, let me really show you what's been on my mind...


1-The knits ♥

Project page here.

Project page here.

Project page here.

Project page here.

Project page here.

2-The crochet ♥

Project page here.

Project page here.

Project page here.



Project page here.

3-The patterns ♥

Pattern here.
Photo from here.



Pattern here.



Pattern here.
Photo from here.



Pattern here.



Pattern from here. 

3-The DIY ♥

Tutorial here.

Tutorial here.

Tutorial here

4-The inspiration ♥

A Common Thread blog.
Easy shop here.



T Does Wool blog.

Online fashion mag Antler.

With the wedding right around the corner, blogging has--unfortunately--been low on my priority list. But I'm not gone for good, I promise. There'll be more knitty love here soon.

♥

Crave This! February

This month, Crave This is making its appearance a little early, full of a special handful of things that are pretty in pink to put you in the romantic mood! It is that day today, after all. I was never that into that sort of thing until I started dating my future hubby, who's a true romantic at heart. So this year we're really doing it up--complete with blueberry waffles topped with whipped cream and real maple syrup. Mmm. 


This day really belongs to you, the readers, though! You guys (each and every one of you) are what makes keeping up a blog really fun and rewarding! 

Happy Valentine's Day, friends!

1-Little knitted surprises

So adorable--I keep picturing them hidden all over a room. Pattern here.

Lovely little hat design from Pickles of Norway--there's even coordinating mitts.

I think this scarf would look so darling thrown over a black dress and little cardi, right before you waltz out the door on your way to a fabulous restaurant.

Mittens for holding hands. Too perfect, too cute.

Or socks, for tiptoeing around in while cooking up a breakfast in bed.

And what's breakfast in bed without some cozied-up morning coffee?




2-Seeing Red...

Retro vintage necklace from here.

Super sweet coasters, for the most festive among us.

The print on this fabulous red scarf lists collective nouns of different types of animals, such as a "crash of rhinos"! Awww. Everything else in her store is darling, too.

It's hard not to love such sweetness. The vintage-style balloons on this are what really grab my attention.

Breakfast is the most romantic meal of the day. It really just is. These darling bowls just prove it.

And again, awww. I have a soft spot for artisan jewelry.

3-Things to Send the Old-Fashioned Way

1st of three sassy & sappy tutorials for V-day from Alisa Burke!

The 2nd is created from junk mail--although you'd never guess as much.

And this one keeps things traditional!




There you have it! As usual, everything in this post belongs to the very talented people who created them, and you should check out their sites & blogs if you see anything you're really craving! Now go show yourself and the people around you some extra love. ♥

Crave This! November

It's the 15th of the month, and that means another Crave This! photo/link round-up of everything really gorgeous I've spotted on the internet in the past thirty-one days! Just like last time, all photos and work belong to the original creators, and you should click through to their sites if you like what you see! With that in mind, here's this month's dose of inspiration:

1-Read This!

Someday they're probably going to take over the world, but for now they're just the focus of the cutest tiny coloring book on Etsy. 

If you get inspired to do some sketching yourself, another find from Etsy might just be the ticket. These stunning little notebooks come in sets of three--isn't that lovely?

And now, couches can have captions. Or their own Scrabble tournaments. I'm such a geek for saying this, but I find these pretty adorable.

Be wary of this one--once you get a good look at the blog Park & Cube you won't be able to stop. It's much, much worse than porn.

2-Wear It Like This!

One of my favorite things is when people take something they love and turn it into a particularly beautiful & relevant form of activism. The Uniform Project is a seriously cool example.

All of the items in yarnovermovement's Etsy shop are fairly simple knits, but the sassy, smart attitude of the styling and photos makes me want to buy them all anyway.

I spotted this bag on Craftster, and was incredulous enough to doublecheck to make sure that it actually was handmade! If you feel the need to attempt one yourself, the tutorial is here.

3-Knit This!

Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed recently introduced his own line of gorgeous yarn, made in the USA from American wool. This probably isn't the first you've heard of Shelter, but I just have to rave a little more about what eye candy it is. Give me a Christmas stocking full of it and I'll be thrilled.

I continually put off making mittens for some reason, but this pair might change my mind. (Plus, I bet they'd look fabulous knit up in Shelter!)

I'm not normally a fan of stripes like the ones on Briana Arlene's scarf, but anything fun that gathers and drapes is fine by me. Scrunch it up tight for extra warmth when the snowstorm hits, then let it out loose when sitting around the bonfire with hot cocoa? Perfect.

And the detail in this lace patterned hat is what makes me proud to be a knitter. You really cannot buy anything that pretty, you just can't.

4-Try This!

This tutorial from cutoutandkeep.net is a great example of upcycling. If I end up having a handmade(ish) wedding, these will be making an appearance as centerpieces or placecards!

Another great use for old magazines or paper from the same site, because it never hurts to make everyday stuff a work of art--even if its just envelopes.

Stonesoup is all about cooking simply, while still creating amazing & original meals. Jules Clancy shares lots of recipes like this one for free on her blog, as well as a self-published e-cookbook. Delicious!

And with that, this month's edition of Crave This! comes to a close.

Enjoy the rest of November, and happy cravings!

If you know of something that deserves a mention in December's Crave This!, do a good deed and leave a comment with a linky! Self-promotion is allowed but not encouraged, and it's up to me to decide what ends up in my posts! This is a chance for us to support others like us in the crafty community through sharing, so keep that in mind and remember to spread the love!

Crave This!

The first of monthly photo & link round-ups!

With all that's been going on lately, I decided it was time to share a little bit of what is out there to inspire both myself and you to be creative and go after what we're craving! *Plus, it's a great chance to point out some cool folks who deserve extra attention! Recipes, photography, knitting... It's all here. Are you ready?

1-FOs that make me drool

To start off the fun, Presents' Octopus Hat. I have to say, this girl is one of my favorite designers, and this piece makes me want to learn to needlefelt. Her designs are completely worth a look, and she blogs here.

I love seeing stuff that really modifies an original pattern in a way that blows your mind, like this adaptation of Owls by Chiko. I would wear this version every single day, forever.

Erngrn's Goth Cowl made me do a little bit of a double take because of how she blended knit and crochet together so well. It reminds me of Stephen West, if Stephen West used crochet in his designs.

Mmmhm. I don't have words, I just don't. And all of her projects are this stunning. All of them.

2-Stuff I really need to knit

Starting off this section, something cute to keep your neck warm, by newbie designer (you go, girl!) Dagny Kristinsdottir. She blogs here.

I want this in every unrealistic color combo possible, please. Lindsay Koehler thought this one up, along with a few other cute accessory patterns.

I loved the Mrs Darcy cardi, and I was disappointed when it stopped being available before I had a chance to knit it. This cardigan published by Classic Elite made me feel a bit better. It's sweetly classy, and looks cozy to boot, no?

MITTENS! Colorwork scares me, but these are too adorably geeky not to queue. Plus, I really, really need mittens. Check out more from the designer here.

3-Things that DO taste better than thin feels

Donuts are the ultimate indulgence, especially with a nice cup of coffee. These colorful gems are from The Dainty Squid. The original recipe is vegan, but should be easy to adapt if you're into dairy.

This is true southern goodness in the form of chocolate, and something my great-grandma made for my mum when she was a kid. It's great with buttered biscuits or fruit.

Single-serving chicken pot pies? If that's not a marvelous thing to crave on a chilly day, I don't know what is.

4-The pretty, the quirky

This petticoat from Alisa Burke's crafty, smart blog! Don't be intimidated if you can't sew--it's super simple! I know now why I've been hoarding fabric scraps for so long. I just knew they were good for something.

I love everything Lee Meredith does, and these are no exception. Also check her out on Ravelry and her photography site!

A little sneak peek at the book Hyperactivitypography from Christine Clemmensen's blog. 196 pages of cute nerdiness. Admit it. You want a copy.

Finally, if you're feeling a little blue, what better to put a smile--and some hair--on your face than a 'stache on a stick from Maro Designs' Etsy shop? It'll also come in handy if you need to do some clever spy work.

Just a little side note, while I was browsing through cool stuff today, I saw a LOT of fashion models on style blogs that looked like oversized ten year-olds. Complete with knobby knees and barely-there chests. So, I'm ending October's Crave This! with a shout-out to those of us currently going against the grain. Balanced eating is beautiful, and we should all embrace the variety of bodies we were made with!

Happy cravings!

*Please note that all photos and work belong to their original creators, and I have done my utmost to link back to them as much as possible! If you like something you see, go check out the original. Seriously, the people behind all these goodies are crazy, cool, and inspiring. Show them some love.