The Journey Ahead....

 

It snowed here. It is something that usually happens during the winter months with regularity. Last winter was a rather strange as we didn't have any significant snowstorms until March. The kids at school were super excited for the snowstorm, as our winter break has been rather wet and gloomy, without any sunny days. The snow blanketed nature looks gorgeous, and everything seems to slow down. I really love those days, when we can enjoy the snow, and then have a cup of hot cocoa and freshly baked cookies. The days like these also call for a new knitting project to start. I started on a snuggly pillow for a friend. What are you going to make? Something warm for yourself or something fun, like a flat squirrel bookmark or a bunch of snowballs? 

Pictured in this blog post are, Snowballs, my first ever published pattern by a third party in 2012, the Bramble Cowl, a one skein of yarn cowl with simple yet gorgeous pattern, and Squirt, the squirrel bookmark. All patterns are available on Ravelry, Lovecraft, and some on Payhip. Links on the side bar or in the List of my published patterns.

I am making plans for this year new knitting patterns and I already have started to make sketches for my new fun mystery knit-a-long. Stay connected on the various social media, or sign up for my newsletter:

Stanascrittersetc

Thank you for visiting and reading. 

Dandelion Honey

 

These jars are filled with sweet syrup made from dandelion flowers. I remember it as a special treat my mom and grandmother used to make when I was growing up. First time I made it by myself was in the spring of 2020. See the blog post here. Since then, I have continued making the syrup each year in the spring, when the dandelions are in bloom. 

This year I have posted a picture of my dandelions and violet flowers collection and once again I have received request for the recipe. I have included the recipe in my e-book Baba Yaga's House. But if you are not interested in knitting, you may not want to buy an entire e-book filled with knitting patterns and some extras, therefore I have decided to write the recipe here.

This recipe goes back to my childhood. We would gather dandelion flowers and made what we called honey, but it’s rather a syrup. This is a spring time activity, and I would highly recommend leaving plenty of blooms for the bees and other pollinating insects when collecting the dandelion flowers. 

Ingredients:
Dandelion flowers (400)
2 liters (0.5 gallon) water
1.8 kg (4 pounds) sugar
Lemon juice (from one lemon)
Orange slices (optional)

Directions:
Step 1: Collect the dandelion flowers.
Step 2: Wash the flowers. Add them to a large pot with the water. Add the lemon juice and sliced orange.
Step 3: Bring to a boil, let it simmer for 15 minutes. 
Step 4: Cover the pot with the lid. Let it sit overnight in the pot. 
Step 5: Strain the liquid through a cheese cloth or a strainer. 
Step 6:  Add the strained liquid to a pot, add the sugar and bring to a boil.
Step 7: Lower the temperature and let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally. The longer you let the liquid simmer the thicker the dandelion honey will be.  
Step 8: Sterilize small glass containers, then pour the dandelion honey inside. Cover. Let it cool to room temperature. 
Step 9: Keep in the refrigerator, and use it as a sweetener for teas, lemonades, etc.  

Thank you for visiting and enjoy! 

Spring....

 

Since my last blog post I have been busy. I am still in the midst of deadline knitting for various third parties and although some patterns were already published, some are still waiting for publishing, and several are still work in progress. I know everything will eventually get done and finished, but there are moments when I feel rather overwhelmed. It is not just the knitting projects, but also our garden and the work that goes into it each spring. This is also the time of year to make the Dandelion Honey. 

See my blog post about it here: Spring WIP

Over the period of February and March I worked on several knitting patterns for Knitpicks IDP Showcase. See the group photo of the finished pillows bellow.

The patterns are all available on Knitpicks website: My patterns on Knitpicks website. and hopefully soon will be available on Ravelry, Payhip and Lovecraft websites. 

My One fish, two fish, three fish pattern was featured in an email by Knitpicks about toy patterns. If you have received the email and look at other toy patterns available, they have included nine other toy knitting patterns of mine. 

I hope that your spring is peaceful and filled with joy and moments of peace and calmness. We all need that in these turbulent times. Stay safe and healthy and thank you for visiting and reading. 

Dreams...

 

I took this picture sometime last year as the sun was setting in and the light was just perfect. When I look at this image it evokes a dreamy world of endless possibilities. It also reminds me of my last year e-book project Baba Yaga's House a whimsical collection of knitting patterns, recipes, and images. 

This month knit-a-long is all about small and fun projects that can be knit up quick and used as a small whimsical decoration for Halloween, like this broomstick:

...or maybe an eyeball or two, or a whole jar of them, or an eyeball coaster:

Patterns links:

Baba Yaga's House

Broomstick

Deadline Morning Coaster

Eyeballs

My plan was to sent out my first newsletter last month, but the computer decided to stop working and took a long spa vacation at the hands of a computer specialist. After the unplanned break things are getting back to normal and hopefully the first newsletter will go out sometime this month. Don't forget to sign up for it here on my website:

Stana's Critters Etc 

Thank you for visiting and reading.

Spring WIP and Memento Hat II

 An update on the Memento Hat: See at the end of this blog post. Including the links to where to purchase the pattern. 

The test knitting for this Memento Hat is almost finished and I enjoy seeing the pictures of the test knitters finished hats. I also have the pattern back from the TE and I will be looking over the suggestions and making the corrections based on the feedback. Bellow is a picture of my dog with an older version of the same hat, knit in worsted weight cotton yarn. 

I plan on finishing the edits and have the pattern published by the end of this month. But sometimes things do not work according to plans. For example, last weekend I really thought that I will look the edits over during this week.

But, our garden still needs to be tended and cared for, the plants need to be planted and seeds seeded and the time left after the work was done I have used to lounge in the hammock wearing the Memento Hat. I guess, as I age I have realized that there is always another day to sit in front of computer screen but perhaps there might not be another day when the weather is warm, the sun is shining and I have an hour to just exist and be present and enjoy the peace and quiet of simply being alive.

The pattern is now available on Payhip: Link here: Memento Hat

You can purchase the pattern in my Ravelry store: My designer page

Soon the pattern will be added to Lovecraft: link will be added here when available 

Or you can purchase the pattern by clicking on this button:

Thank you for reading and stay well.

Spring WIP and Memento Hat

 

This is a picture of my last year Dandelion Honey. Each jar was filled with a sweet syrup and a whole lot of memories. I wrote about it in this blog post: Work in progress. Every time I have used the Dandelion Honey I recalled the memories from my childhood and the time when I was making it. I have included the recipe in my e-book Baba Yaga's House. 

This spring as I watch the flowers bloom I though about making the Dandelion Honey again. And so instead of sitting in front of the computer and finally typing up the knitting patterns for Bernie's doll and few other projects I went to collect the Dandelions and spent my weekend making the sweet syrup that will flavor our teas, or lemonades for the next few months. This year I added another project to try: A syrup made from Violet flowers. I have collected the flowers on my friend's lawn and I made sure that there were plenty of flowers left behind for the pollinators to feed on.

I started this yesterday, and as I am typing up this blog post I just finished pouring the Dandelion Honey into jars that will be stored in the fridge until it's all used. In the picture bellow you can see this year Dandelion Honey and the syrup made from Violet flowers. 

After a few weeks of knitting samples and writing pattern that will be published by a third party later this year I started to work on a new project. Few weeks ago I have been accepted into an Influencer program at Knitpicks - We Crochet. I have received a box filled with yarn and few other things. You can see the box in the picture bellow.

I had a project on my mind that I was going to do with the Memento yarn. But I decided to create a different hat, one that can be worn during the summer days. I named it Memento Hat. Pictured is the large size and I have used less then a skein of Memento yarn in Moonshadow colorway. Over the next week or so (life permitting) I will type up the knitting pattern and post the test call in my group on Ravelry. After the pattern goes through the hands of technical editor and is fully test knitted I will publish the pattern. If everything works out it will be just in time for the summer. 

A rough cost for this project:

A skein of yarn: Memento $9.99

Knitting pattern: Memento Hat $4.99 (I have to pay the TE)

Your time to knit this hat: ???? ( I knitted the hat in few hours over this past week)

The perfect hat for all your memorable summer adventures: Priceless 

Thank you for visiting.

E-book Baba Yaga's House

 

"On the way into the forest Hansel crumbled the bread in his pocket and stopped as often as he could to throw the crumbs on the ground." 

                                                Brother Grimms' Fairytales  (Hansel and Gretel) 

    The idea for Baba Yaga’s house started many years ago when I baked a gingerbread house. I baked one only once because I realized that it is quite a messy process. However, I always wanted to knit a ginger bread house after that baking adventure.  Last year, when I finally decided to knit the house. I made a sketch and realized that it looked rather like another famous house from a fairy tale of my childhood. What I ended up producing was a rough sketch of Baba Yaga’s house with the chicken legs.  

    The house itself was rather plain and needed accessories and characters to fill the world of the fairy tale. There are endless characters and inspirations to be found in the world of fairy tales; this e-book is just a little slice of the fantastical world fairy tales are. As a bonus I have included a few recipes and ideas I have tried out while working on the knitting patterns and the creation of this e-book. You can purchase each pattern individually or as the e-book.

The list of knitting patterns included:

Apron 
Baba Yaga
Baba Yaga's House
Broomstick
Cat Pin Cushion
Fox Pin Cushion
Frances, the Fox
Frog Bag
Love Potion Garland
Rockefeller, the Owl Ornament
Winter Trees
Witch's Hat

The extra recipes:
Dandelion Honey Syrup
Lavender Syrup
Calendula Cream
Chalk Label Decoration
Lemon or Lime Cubes
Linzer Cookies

You can purchase the entire e-book on Ravelry: Baba Yaga's House

on Payhip: Baba Yaga's House

and on Lovecraft: Baba Yaga's House

    The picture bellow was taken in a castle Pernstejn that has been used to film many fairytales' movies. Visit to the castle has been on my list for years. I managed to see the castle during my last trip to see my mom, family, and friends. The photo makes me think of all that is possible if we follow our dreams and imaginations. My journey into the world of fairytales started a long time ago and hopefully will continue for some time. There is so much more to explore. 

The beginning...

Thank you for visiting, and for reading. 

Rockefeller the Owl Ornament

 "He was so tremendously frightened by the sight of the owl sitting in a corner..."

                                                    Brother Grimms' Fairytales (The Owl)

Rockefeller is seventh knitting pattern in the fairy tale inspired series.  The sample pictured bellow was made last year, and the sample pictured above was made last month. A friend of mine named the owl Rockefeller after the tiny owl that was discovered on a Christmas tree at Rockefeller center in New York City. 

You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry, Payhip, or Lovecraft or by clicking on this button, which takes you to Ravelry website:

 

There are three more patterns to add to the collection and then the entire e-book will be available. 

You can have a sneak preview here on Ravelry:

Baba Yaga's House e-book

Thank you for visiting.

Apron

 "Gretel opened and shook out her apron..."

                                                         Brothers Grimm's Fairytales (Hansel and Gretel)

Apron is sixth knitting pattern in the fairytale inspired collection of knitting patterns. Just in time for baking season, to dress up any of your dolls or toys while they are helping in the kitchen. This apron fits dolls from 9” and up. The apron will also fit smaller size dolls as well. The Apron is 5” (13 cm) wide and 5.5” (14 cm) tall.

Suggested yarn: Worsted weight:
You will need less than 50 yards /46 meters of MC and 15 yards / 14 meters of CC.
The Apron is knit flat, with I-cord edge and string. The pocket is knit separately and sewn on.

Bellow is picture of my two models: Baba Yaga and Frances.

 

You can purchase this pattern on Ravelry, Payhip, Lovecraft or by clicking on this button which will take you to Ravelry website:

The previous posts that are connected to the fairytale series and patterns are:

The beginning

Winter trees

Frances

Cat Pin Cushion

Witch's Hat

Frog Bag

Broomstick

The middle part of a journey

Fox Pin Cushion

Thank you for visiting, and come back for the next adventure on this fairytales inspired journey.

Fox Pin Cushion

 "Well, I'm going to help you," said the fox.

                                            Brothers Grimm's fairytales  (The Fox and the Horse)

Fox Pin Cushion if the fifth pattern in the fairytale inspired series of knitting patterns published over the three months of October, November and December of 2020.  The entire e-book will be available in December. In the meantime you can follow the little breadcrumbs of previous posts, knitting patterns and  pictures. 

When I started to work on this project in November 2019 I started with the idea of a gingerbread house. But there are so many of knitting patterns for gingerbread house, so I added a little twist. What if the ginger bread house is not an actual gingerbread house but rather another famous house from fairytales. And so the journey started with a sketch and drawings and looking through my yarn stash for yarn to use up. In some ways this entire e-book is filled with great stash busting knitting projects. 

 This fox pin cushion uses yarn I had left from a knitting pattern  Fox Pillow, which was originally published on Lovecraft website, earlier this year. 

You can purchase this Fox Pin Cushion patterns on Ravelry, Lovecraft (see the link on the right side of the full web version if you are on mobile phone), or Payhip. Or use the buy button bellow which will take you to the Ravelry:

The crumbs left behind to follow the journey into the fairytales world:

The Beginning

Winter trees

Frances

Cat Pin Cushion

Witch's hat

Frog Bag

Broomstick

The middle part of a journey

Thank you for visiting and be safe until the next time.....

 

The middle part of a journey....

 

Today is a very important election day in the USA. The outcome of this election day will affect me and everyone else on this planet in some way or another. I am trying to be optimistic and believe in goodness, human decency, truth, and kindness, but our human history is convincing me otherwise. I have to admit I am scared of what will happen. Watching the news as stores are boarding up their windows in anticipation of violence and riots is rather depressing. The pandemic that we have been living through for the past several months is raging and seems unstoppable. I cannot help but think of my family and their experiences throughout their lives. My grandmother was one of approximately twelve millions of people who were forced labor during the World War II. She has survived and met my grandfather during that time. My mother had lived through the military occupation of our country and watched the army stay for 21 years while trying to raise her family. I guess my life has been rather easier in comparison. At the time when they were young they lived through forced labor and occupation, while I lived through the fall of Berlin Wall and Velvet Revolution. I have experienced the optimism and euphoria of freedom after the cold war. It kinds of make me wonder what my child will experience and I truly hope that there is a bright future for all of us. 

In some way today reminds me of the middle part of a fairytale. The time of tryout and testing, the time when the hero or heroine has to do the required task to reach the goal and overcome the villain. Unlike fairytales when we know the outcome, when we know that the good prevails and the villains are punished, in the real world we are not guaranteed that outcome. We might not have the happy forever fairytale ending. But we sure must try and hope for the best. 

On my part I will continue the journey and hope. 

As for my fairytale inspired knitting journey, you can see the little bread crumbs I left behind and follow...

The beginning

Winter Trees

Frances

Cat Pin Cushion

Witch's Hat

Frog Bag

Broomstick

Baking

And I am off to bake and knit to occupy my mind and hands until next time...

Frog Bag

 The frog said to her in a very friendly way, "If you need anything, just come to me, and I'll lend you a helping hand." 

                                                                    Brothers Grimm's  fairytales  (The Lion and the Frog)

Frog bag is a fourth pattern in the collection of fairytales inspired knitting patterns. This funky, and simple bag will keep your things all together. The hook allows you to hang it anywhere, or by adding a button you can turn this frog bag into a small clutch to keep all important things in one place. 

The knitting pattern is available to purchase on Ravelry  Lovecraft, and Payhip. Or you can buy it by clicking on this button, which takes you to Ravelry purchase:

The beginning of this adventurous journey, and the previous patterns in the fairytales series are:

Broomstick

Cat Pin Cushion

Witch's Hat

Thank you for visiting.

Witch's Hat

 "Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairytales again."

                                                                    C. S. Lewis

Every witch needs a good hat. The knitting pattern for this witch's hat is available to purchase on Lovecraft and Ravelry, and on Payhip. Links to all are on the side of my blog home page.

You can also purchase the pattern by clicking on this button, it will direct you to Ravelry.

This is a third pattern in the series of whimsical patterns inspired by fairytales.  

From the beginning...

Broomstick

Cat Pin Cushion

A whole e-book will be available by the end of this year. Here you can see a sneak preview from the photoshoot for the e-book. 

Thank you for visiting.