Jen's Popperie

These are actually the "North Iceland" Mittens from Marcia Lewandowski's Folk Mittens
I used Patons Merino Wool. I LOVE WOOL..the way it knits up, holds its shape, and works on the needles....I will probably branch out and try another brand of wool in more shades and colors, but for now, I'm happy.


These have yet to be given, but are gifts for someone....they are done using scratch art, a technique I have my 5th graders do for their own self-portraits. Its a project they absolutely love...although it is challenging, it is easier than it looks. These are the wonderful boys that I took care of this summer!

So, I've been waiting to start some projects for so long. I have a multitude of things I want to begin, but feel like I shouldn't start anything until I finish my already countless half-way things. But, there are many friends and family members with babies on the way, so I HAVE to start something cute and fun! Darn! ;) Here are some that I am toying with. Seriously, how cute are these?! They are in the inspirations/on-deck list on the side....the Presto Chango, and then the Pea Pod set. I love knitting baby clothes, because they don't have to "fit" just right, as they can grow into them, and they are quick knits! (Usually).

Also, over at "She's Foxy & Crafty", Steph has inspired me to do my first knit along. How nice and warm does this Eskimo look?
Too much to do? I think not...it's all about the multi-tasking! I think I might try out the knit picks yarn. I have yet to order yarn on line, seeing as though I actually like to touch and feel everything in the stores. But, I think it may be a good pick. Has anyone out there ordered from Knit Picks before? Let me know what you think of it...is it reasonable, and good quality? I think I have decided I like to use the natural fibers...wool is great for keeping it's shape. I'm just concerned with itchiness for babies...but don't want to spend $50 on a baby sweater...insane!

This has been my life the past month. It won't be ending until the week before Christmas, as we now have dress rehearsals every night this week, and then it's opening night of Babes in Toyland! It's been fun. I'm the chief accountant, sing, and dance lots, and am enjoying it. I will be excited to have some of my evenings back, and will hopefully be able to get together with some friends again. I know I have fallen off of the face of the earth a little bit. Sorry!
I'm also tying up the ends of many crafty Christmas presents. I'm hoping to get everything done. I've got a million WIPs, and am going to feel so good when some of them are wrapped and under the Christmas tree! We got our first taste of winter this past weekend, with 6 inches of snow! C & I also were up on the housetop the day before, stringing icicle lights...now the lights are lit, and decorations are beginning to be hung...Happy Snowy weather everyone!

So I wish I had some pictures of some finished projects, but alas....I do not. I actually HAVE been working on things, kind of in a crazy-like frenzy. I'm feeling the busy season approaching.
So, my WIP list is as follows:
throws: 65% done
1 pr. mittens: 75% done
pair for myself---not yet started
my sweater: 75% done---just the sleeves to go
new "ripple" blanket: 6% done... inspired by this lovely ripple blanket
granny square babette: (not really done at all) but inspired by many including this
large square block blanket: just the border to do
card club cards...3 sets of 6 finished.
and take a look at this awesome blanket...in the queue for months from now, seeing as though I have like 3 blankets I want to make at the present time.
And of course, there are many other unfinished projects in the crafty room as well:)

How can I already feel a crunch time for Christmas and projects? Maybe I just like to make too many things, and get too many ideas. It seems to be that way. On the adgenda, on the list in my head, I have a ton of things that I want to create and get done. Many of these things are gifts, but I also want to make a couple of things for myself.
Grandma and I had quite the night last night. We hit up the mall and the fabric store last night and picked out some fabric to make a couple of throw quilts. Here is what the pattern looks like. (photo courtesy of quiltmaker.com). I really like the randomness of it, and it looks a little more modern than some other quilt designs. So, on the list:
a couple of quilted throws...


Some marvelous mittens from this GREAT book (I would highly recommend it.) I love all of the stories and history that is included in the book, beyond all of the wonderful patterns. Anyone who is afraid of 2 toned knitting, this book is a great help! It makes it a lot easier than it looks! amazon link here.

my tree sweater (Zephyr)
paintings?
my Halloween costume...

It's been fun to have a new little kitty in the house. Even when muggles was creeping cautiously around the house the first night, as soon as I brought out the knitting, she was up in my lap, slowly pawing at the yarn. When I was cutting fabric for my Halloween costume, she was also pawing at it...and yes, sitting right on top of it. She's going to be a crafty kitty!

pattern of

I had started "Susy" last winter, and by the time I made it half way through, I tried it on (attached to the knitting needles), and it was way to big for me. Even when I made the swatch. Here is a pic of Susy taken from magknits.com:

So, I am doing what I always thought I would dread to do...I will be "frogging", tearing the stitches apart carefully, to make a new sweater. I ordered the tree jacket pattern off of the zephyr style website. They have a ton of new designs that I may try to figure out or order more of. They are really fun, unique, but classic looking designs. Hopefully I can finish it in time to wear this fall!

These are the first pair of Norwegian mittens I have knit. Chris' mom gave me a Folk mitten knitting book last year for Christmas. I absolutely love the book and all of the different patterns. Here is the first finished product from the book. These are the "Selbu" mittens. I think they are very similar to what my great grandma Margit knit for all of us. They involve the famous Norwegian star. I used Patons classic wool, worsted weight. Size 2 DPNs. I have decided that I really like the feel and look of wool to work with. I'll definitely be using it again. It holds its shape very well...it may be hard for me to go back to using anything else...if only I could find some cotton yarn that I liked so much. Acrylic and other yarns just seem to stretch and loose their shape so easily. I can't see that happening here. Now we'll see about another pair. I didn't know if I would like to do mittens or not, being you have to make a set. I really despised doing socks....won't do those again...I think I could get into the mitten thing! Maybe it was just more fun following a multi-colored pattern.

Last week we got back from a wonderful trip to Holden Village in the Cascades in Washington state. Here I am trying out a process called batik for the first time. I'll later post a finished product photo....it's still packed away. It was fun to use melted wax and draw with it on fabric, and then dye the fabric in between.
Here is part of my mom's batik...it will be perfect on the table for a Thanksgiving or fall dinner.

All of us wanted to try out the clay whistles. They were fun, but tricky to make. Here is Chris concentrating on getting the reed to line up so it would make a sound. His turned out as the best working whistle.

Weaving, weaving, weaving. Here is mom....

And dad made a Gopher-colored wall hanging...
And, I made a couple of table runners...

Holden is a wonderful place to relax, hike, or do many amazing artsy things...it's a place that is like home to me.

I will try to keep my craftiness on my popperie.blogspot.com blog...but we now have a blog to keep you posted on our other life stuff...the day to day tidbits and big events...if interested, check out:
www.thepoppfamily.blogspot.com

We now not only have rabbits (which have eaten all of my begonias once again), but butterflies galore in the back yard. I went out and picked raspberries last night, and while I was doing it, butterflies kept landing on my shoulders. One even landed on my hand!

No knitting posts for right now...we have been busy with home improvement projects.
The time has come to get new flooring....this was the old flooring that we started to say goodbye to a couple of weeks ago. We had this lovely shade of cream carpet everywhere in our house. We determined that "someday" when we start a family, we really don't want cream/white carpet under our kitchen table. So we opted for some laminate wood flooring...Brian, Chris, and I spent a good part of a week putting it in, cutting, painting, etc. Our house isn't so much 1973 as it was...there are still parts...but this is a good start. How fun to have new flooring!

Is that a giraffe skin? or faux rocks?
And, we put the floating laminate right over this kitchen floor. We have been living in a it of chaos with our furniture scattered all over the house in different rooms. But, will post the new pics as soon as it is all put together! The carpet is being put in as we speak, and I am so excited to be barefoot on our new flooring, and carpet!

We had one peony that opened up on Saturday morning, and now the entire bush of them have opened and flowered, leaving a wonderful spring scent in the air!

I know this is a little late in posting, but on Mother's Day weekend, the entire Johnson Family, cousins, aunt and uncle included, took Grandma Edith to the Twins game. It is one of her favorite thing to do. Here she is sporting her Hunter autographed jersey, thanks to Uncle D. A great time was had by all!

On Mother's Day, we visited Grandma Ruth and she shared with me a book on spinning. My Great Grandma did much spinning of her own on this, her pictured spinning wheel. I will probably try to figure some of this out this summer. It will probably take some time, and some figuring. I just got a bag of wool that my great-grandma Margit used to have, and the carding combs. I'm excited to try it out. It's kind of a special thing to be able to try, especially with the history of knitting in our family!

Here was our fun "Polish Horseshoes" or whatever they are called...they were a hit!

Even Grandma Ruth gave it a try!

And.....we have Rhubarb! Lots of it...I have made 2 strawberry rhubarb pies and they have been fabulous. I'm excited to say I have plenty of more rhubarb for the summer and into the fall!
I've been in the midst of some knitting, sewing and crocheting projects, but have not been finishing anything due to our huge flooring project. Chris, my brother Brian, and I worked a couple of weekends ago on our new laminate flooring. We have been finishing up the baseboards and trim...once it's done I'll post the before and after photos. I can't wait to have everything in order again!

So I recently got caught up in the granny square crochet madness. I checked out the granny along websites, and got inspired. From that site I saw a cute little granny square that I needed to know how to do. So, I found the book, 200 Crochet blocks for blankets, throws and afghans, by Jan Eaton. The pattern that I am doing is the willow pattern block. I love the different colors. I'm actually trying to make my own version of the Larger than Life bag from Interweave. But not quite so big. I was attempting 2 of them for Mother's Day, but as you can see...that didn't get quite finished. Oh well.

We have ferns galore in the backyard..so many I want to dig them up. There is something about them, however, that reminds me of our house on Greenwood Drive...we must have had lots of them. Here is one of the geraniums that I got when at the local nursery. My mom and I spent some time last Saturday picking out some begonias and geraniums. Here is the hubby:)

We are having lots of showers...wedding and baby showers at both of my schools in the next couple of weeks. Here are two wedding cakes made out of bath towels for two different wedding celebrations.


Here is a onesie that I decorated with some hand embroidery and felt...a little alien robot dude...I'm not sure which one.