in my faves /  by jen geigley

Just a few projects that are inspiring me lately (and lovely things going into my Ravelry faves.)

 alicey's stripey sweater

makki's ARASHI scarf

Alexandra Tinsley's Bad Oyster


Vintage Crocheted Blanket by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas


Solstice Cardigan by Cecily Glowik MacDonald

Me and my knitting pals have been thinking about starting a 'summer sweater knitting club.' You know ... so we can maybe finish a whole sweater by the time fall comes around. How about you? Do you have any big summer projects going on?

timestamp /  by jen geigley

Yesterday, iVillage posted an older project I did when Lo was just a babe, back in the very beginnings of this blog. After she was born, I photographed her holding a calendar page once a month (on her birth date, the 2nd) until she was a year old to record how much she was growing and changing.
I created a calendar page in Adobe Illustrator so I could update and print it each month. (If you like this idea, the sweet girls at Rookie Moms made a page just like it that you can download and print in Word right here.)
 At the end of the year, I had all of the photos printed and I put them into an accordian-fold album.
Looking back, I have to smile. I remember getting our first 'nice' camera the year Lo was born, but I didn't know how to use it. I propped her up against an enormous black backdrop every month and she'd try to eat the calendar page, crumple it up, spit up all over the place or crawl away. She's only four years old, but she's grown up so fast. It's pretty fantastic to look back at these photos now. And to remember everything about that little baby.

square /  by jen geigley

Don't be a square, daddy-o. But do get a Square.
Have you had a chance to check these out? Last week, Square became available at Apple stores everywhere. And I had to snag one. They're only $9.95. Not even kidding you. If you're a craft fair vendor, you must get one of these little guys. (e.t.a. You can still get a free reader here if you sign up with Square.)
It's a tiny device that allows you to accept credit card payments ... anywhere. Square is compatible with with iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Android.
So yeah. Download the Square app, plug in the reader and swipe away. This is just too completely rad. And easy. And affordable. (It's about time!)

new sticks /  by jen geigley

Lately, I've been stuck on vintage knitting needles. Especially the plastic ones that come in bright colors. It all started a few months ago when I spotted my friend Melissa knitting a scarf with a pair of robin egg blue needles she had found at a thrift store. They were so pretty and I wanted some so badly.
I looked around quite a bit, and while I love using bamboo needles, I also really like knitting with plastic. (I might be in the minority here, but I like how lightweight they are. And they're not too slippery.) So I started scoping out some colorful vintage needles on the internets, and found this awesome rainbow colored set from a seller in the UK. These are all Bonette and Wimberdar, and most of them have the black button tops.
I bought the chunkier sizes since that's what I use the most. And of course the set I picked had a few needle sets in that awesome light blue color, so now I can be like my friend Melissa. I love the yellow and green, too.
I sanitized and shined them all up, and then slid them into their new home. Knitting tools should make you happy. Color has a way of doing that. And it's super cool to think about who might have used these pairs 30 years ago.

chop suey /  by jen geigley

Another finished object, another hat. This is the Sideways Grande Cloche by Laura Irwin, which has been on my to-knit list for too long.
I love how it's constructed and it fits really well, too. (At the suggestion of several people who have made this hat, I cast on only 36 stitches. That was a smart move.)
I used one skein (plus a quarter of a second skein) of Araucania Nature Wool Chunky in this cool kettle-dyed stormy dark blue/green color.
The shape of this hat reminds me of Edward Hopper's painting Chop Suey. I'm going to have to pretend I'm that girl in the blue hat with her back turned. (Lovely!)

bits of our weekend /  by jen geigley

Our weekend started off with a little family trip to our favorite skate shop, Subsect. 
Apparently, Walnut Street is where it's at. Because our pals at Subsect, Ichi Bike and the ever so lovely Domestica were hosting a most radical Gnarbecue. Barbecue, skating, plus Subsect had a Vans rep at the shop.
We got to check out all of the new Yo Gabba Gabba Vans coming out later this year, I fell in love with the Gorilla Biscuits slip-ons, and Lo had her eye on a new Hello Kitty deck. (Yup, she's got dad figured out.)
Bo caved and got the Hello Kitty, I snuck out back for a gnarbecued hot dog off the grill, and our pal Kevin covered Lo's new board with clear grip tape.
Meanwhile, we chatted with the Vans rep (we're a pretty loyal Vans family) and got hooked up with some pretty sweet gear. (I'm loving the wallet and sunglasses ... yess!)
 Now this kid is ready to shred.
Later, we headed downtown to the Pappajohn Sculpture Park to check out the newest addition, a piece called 'White Ghost,' by the Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara. She's very cool.
Then Bo and I went to Val Air to see Slipknot DJ Sid Wilson and House of Pain.
And on and off for the rest of the weekend, you could find me watching Coachella live, right here. I think you can click on video archives to see past performances (Someday, I will go.)

How was your weekend?

Reese's wannabe /  by jen geigley

  It's almost Easter, and our family has worked our way through at least one bag of those oh-so-perfect Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs. You know the ones. Today was rainy and cold, and there were no treats left in the house. Luckily, I had everything I needed to make our own Reese's 'wannabe' chocolate peanut butter eggs. (Okay, they're not egg-shaped. Circles are delicious, too.)
 You'll need some peanut butter.
And some melting chocolate.
And a few other things that you probably already have in your kitchen.
 They're easy. You should make some.

Reese's Wannabe Peanut Butter Cups/Eggs

- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 c melted butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 - 2  Tbsp milk
- 1 1/2 cups Wilton chocolate candy melts (or melting chocolate of your choice)
- toothpicks
- waxed paper

1. Mix peanut butter, powdered sugar and butter together until a soft dough forms. If it's a little bit dry or too sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk. Stir until it becomes the consistency of Play-Doh.

2. Dump the dough onto waxed paper and pat it into a large circle, about 1/2 to 2/3 inch thick. Use a small cookie cutter (we used a circle Play-Doh punch) to make small shapes out of the dough. Arrange the cut-outs onto a plate and put them in the freezer for 10 minutes.

3. Melt chocolate in a glass container for 30 seconds in the microwave. Remove, stir and heat another 30 seconds if needed. Repeat until the chocolate is runny enough for dipping. (Do not overheat!)

4. Remove peanut butter cut-outs from the freezer. Use a toothpick to skewer one of the shapes through the side of the shape (not through the top.) Dip it in the chocolate and gently shake off the excess into the bowl. Place the candy on waxed paper to harden. (If there's a spot where the peanut butter didn't get completely covered – usually where the toothpick was – just drop a little bit of chocolate on that spot with a spoon.)

So good ... so good.