Author: Dora

A case for my lovely new iPad

Dora Sewing Projects Leave a comment

So I bought an iPad this weekend…since the iPad 3 is just coming out, I got a great deal on the iPad 2. Even though it’s the previous version, I think this is the most technologically up to date I have ever been, with my iphone 4s and now iPad. Trust me, I was the one still walking around with a flip phone during the blackberry and iPhone 1&2 days. But I love it, so of course I had to make a case for my new toy.

I started out using this tutorial but it came out way too tight…so I got out the seam reaper and started over, doing it my own way. Here is the end result!

Valentine’s Day in New Hampshire

Dora New England, Travel Leave a comment

Splurged on a Valentine’s Day this year with a trip to New Hampshire.  I found a killer deal for the Mountain View Grand a few months ago on Groupon, and Valentine’s Day weekend just happened to be one of the few weekends available during ski season that didn’t have a blackout date, so off to New Hampshire we went!

The hotel was absolutely amazing.  It’s a historic hotel nestled right in the middle of New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

Loved this little nook at the end of our hallway…

We also stopped at the outlets and EMS in North Conway, skied 2 days at Cannon, and visited the New England Ski Museum, which was a pleasant surprise.  We didn’t even know New England had a Ski Museum, but stumbled upon it on our way over to the tram at Cannon.

And now for the knitting section of this post…it turns out the Mountain View Grand has a knitting history.  Apparently a group of women from Whitefield, NH lead by one of the owners of the MVG used to knit mittens and other winter accessories that were sold in the gift shop and through R.H. Stearns Co., a former Boston department store.  What’s even better is the skier pattern featured on some of their mittens.  Really wish I could get my hands on this pattern.  But for now, here are a few pictures from the display case in the MVG lobby.

My First Sewing Machine

Dora Baby Gifts, Home Decor, Sewing Projects 1 Comment

This has been a week of firsts…my first week rounding at St. Francis, my first week back in lab at CAIRD since my fellowship, first time getting my car stuck in the snow this season, and the list goes on. So it seems fitting to finally jump back into blogging again with my first post of the year being about my FIRST SEWING MACHINE!  Needless to say I’m thrilled.  Enough of the firsts and onto the good stuff, pictures!

My lovely new machine, it’s been very easy to learn.

And now for a few of my first projects…of course I would need a dust cover for the machine.  Plus I found this really great remnant at JoAnn’s that goes very well with the craft room decor.  The pattern was a Simplicity Project Runway pattern that just so happened to be on sale for a $1.

New throw pillow for the coach, with a removable cover so I can wash it! No pattern, just made this one up as I went.  It was also a remnant found at JoAnn’s, I thought the print was very fitting for our cozy little lakeside condo.

Handmade swaddling blankets for my dearest friend Krista who is expecting their first in May!  One side is white flannel and the printed side is cotton.  I borrowed this idea from Martha Stewart and embellished it a bit.

And now for my current project, I am making my first quilt!  I am making the Easy Four Patch quilt from a book I bought at JoAnn’s back when I was in college and using some fat quarters bought for another project that never got completed.  Already have the top pieced together and need to get quilting.  I’m think I will likely end up tieing it, as I’ve already got my eye on another pattern and Denyse Schmidt’s new Aunt Edna fabric!  Maybe I’ll actually try to learn machine quilting for the next one.

A Long Overdue Blog Post & Highlights from the Baby Boom!

Dora Baby Gifts, Knitting Projects Leave a comment
While it has been almost 4 months since my last post, life has not been uneventful…I finished my fellowship program in July, traveled home to Illinois for a few days, started my new job teaching at a new school of pharmacy, we moved to East Hampton Labor Day weekend, we’ve taken several trips (to the Adirondacks, Vermont, & Ohio), and I’ve already created and taught an entire class this semester.  Despite all of the chaos, I haven’t stopped knitting…those sticks still tend to come out of the bag on occasion after a hectic day.  There has also been quite the baby boom this year among our close friends.  I have been bound and determined to hand knit each of these little guys and girls something warm and cozy. Enjoy!
I’ve also recently started my first adult size sweater (for myself, thought that would be best in case it doesn’t come out well).  Stay tuned for pictures…
Little Boy Blue Blanket for Tommy in Ohio
Made with Jo Ann’s Sensations Sublime – while it wasn’t the appropriate weight, the color of this yarn was exactly what I was looking for.  I ended up using a much smaller needle (size 3) as this yarn was a sport weight yarn rather than worsted as called for in the original pattern.  Took much longer to knit, but was totally worth it, the texture of the tighter knit turned out beautiful.
Pattern:  Diagonal Comfort Blanket
Cotton Hats & Cardigan for Willow in Connecticut
Made with Lion Brand Cotton-Ease (the multicolored hat is Cotton-Ease knit with a strand of left over Deborah Norville sock yarn from my stash)
Patterns:  Eloise Eyelet Cardi, Hat is a pattern that I came up with on my own and will hopefully get published one of these days.  Gift tag is scrap fabric sewn to a piece of hand made paper, then trimmed with pinking shears. 
Baby Blanket for Wright in South Carolina
Made with Lion Brand Baby Soft & Microspun
Pattern:  Blue Lagoon Blanket

First Annual I-91 Shop Hop

Dora New England Leave a comment

Participated in the first annual I-91 Shop Hop this past weekend, which was a tour of 11 local yarn shops all along I-91 between Putney, VT and New Haven, CT.  My friend, and fellow knitter, Catharine came down from Albany to make the road trip with me.  We had a great time catching up, scouting out some new shops, and finding some great deals on yarn!

A few of our favorites…
1.  WEBS in Northampton, MA.  My new favorite yarn store, it’s HUGE!!  We spent 2 hours there, and they have lots of interesting classes.  I will likely be making the trip back up there very soon.  I was so overwhelmed that I forgot to take a picture 😦
2.  The Green Mountain Spinnery in Putney, VT.  A totally green spinnery operation…and they gave us a tour and let us jump in their wool room.
3.  Basketville in Putney, VT.  You can’t drive up I-91 into VT without stopping at Basketville.  Stocked up on some great wine and picked up a few baskets.
Looking forward to next year already!!

The Fruit of my Labor

Dora New England Leave a comment
Despite waking up to the sound of a transformer explosion and no power, it was an absolutely gorgeous morning…and with it being Strawberry season, it was a perfect morning for berry picking!  So as Burkett got ready to head in to work for the day, his mom and I made plans for berry picking.  In past years, I’ve always gone to Rose’s Berry Farm down in South Glastonbury.  It’s a very nice operation, complete with well manicured berry patches, a hay wagon ride to deliver you directly to your row, and picnic tables on the deck overlooking the farm for a pancake breakfast topped with berries.  However, on weekends like these, the place tends to be pretty crowded with families.  This year Burkett’s mom suggested going to Cavanna’s, which she frequents annually.  It was definitely a bit more rustic and perhaps off the beaten path from the typical Glastonbury orchards and farms, but the prices were great, the crowds were nonexistent, and the experience was very relaxed and enjoyable.   In fact, it reminded me of picking strawberries back in Quincy at Mill Creek Farm in its early years. 
I also stopped at several other orchards and farms in South Glastonbury on the way out and picked up some wonderful handmade soap from Belltown Orchards.  It’s made at Wind-Gait Farm, also in South Glastonbury, which is a hobby farm that raises Angora Goats for making goat milk soap and mohair yarns.  They had a rather wide selection of soap scents and I finally settled on Garden Mint.  It smells divine.  The rosemary and lavender fragrances were also very nice.  More importantly, they produce three different styles of yarn, all spun and hand-dyed at the farm in a selection of vibrant colors.  I will definitely be going back for yarn once I conjure up a few new project ideas.  I absolutely love the idea of making this year’s round of knitted Christmas gifts with locally produced yarn!
All in all, it was a nice morning and we both went home with a tray each of perfectly ripe strawberries.   I plan to enjoy a bowl of mine this afternoon poolside.
Stay tuned, I’m planning on updating my Ravelry page this afternoon.

A Midwesterner turned New Englander?

Dora Uncategorized Leave a comment

I’m not sure if that transformation is entirely possible, but we’ll see how things unfold…

I am a Midwesterner and an avid crafter, living in New England by way of Central Illinois, Ohio, and South Carolina…with a brief stint in Alaska. However, after living in Connecticut for 2 years on what was supposed to be a temporary basis, I’ve decided to stay for a few simple reasons:

  • I found a really sweet job that is rewarding and gives me the flexibility and autonomy that I need to be able to enjoy coming to work most days of the week for the next, oh…30+ years.
  • I love winter and the great outdoors.
  • Despite my initial, preconceived notions, I’ve really come to enjoy living in New England (except for the traffic and taxes).

As a result, this blog is dedicated to sharing my love and passion for knitting and sewing. However, I promise you will also get a taste of my experiences living, eating, and drinking all that is New England. You will also likely get a flavor of my numerous other hobbies, including but not limited to: hiking, backpacking, biking, skiing, gardening, cooking, decorating, reading, and beer. Enjoy!