Moving on up...to the craft room!

So...when did it become November?  This year feels as if it has been flying by!  The scariest part is that I haven't even started my holiday knitting yet!!  Hopefully I will get to it, if not, then I'll have to just be ok with store bought gifts!


In other news, I'm super excited to say that I now have a craft room!  No longer is my yarn in my bedroom/closet, sewing machine in the dining room, and other craft stuff all over!  It now has a room of its very own!  Just over 3 weeks ago I "upgraded" my space and went through the glorious process of moving.  After a few trips to Ikea and unpacking multiple boxes, we are finally settling in, which is such a wonderful feeling.  The craft room is almost done--it still needs some straightening up and some artwork, but most things are put away :).

I went through so many ideas of what I wanted the room to look like.  Pinterest is a glorious thing :).  I ended up getting two more 9-cube cubicals from Closet Maid, a 5x5 expedit bookcase from Ikea, and two tables (one tall one and one with sides that you can put up and down).  I had planned everything out on graph paper--even cut out little versions of the furniture!  However, when we got home from Ikea and built the Expedit and tables, it did not seem as if the arrangement was going to work!  Thankfully after much rearranging we found something that made me happy and optimized the space in the room!

Here's my "wall of yarn"--I highly recommend these Closet Maid "cubicals" for yarn storage.  They are reasonably priced, sturdy, and simple to put together!  I love the bins that you can get for them too.  Almost all of my yarn is stored here...almost.

On the other side of the room is the Expedit bookcase.  I love this thing, but it definitely takes some muscle to get it together!  I originally wanted to fill this with yarn, but my books started taking over.  In fact, I had to move all of my school books, well most of them, to bookcases in the living room and dining room!  I still want to get some drawers for this unit, but I haven't found the ones I want.

I love the talk, skinny table that you see here.  It's a good height to cut fabric and work on while standing (the legs are adjustable yay!) and it works perfectly with the stools that I already had!  I guess that's the "computer station."

This portion is still a work in progress and definitely messy.  That table is where the sewing machine is going to live.  I have a nice bright light that will be perfect as I'm working on projects!  I also got a 2x2 expedit bookcase that's holding my ginormous printer!

So far I'm LOVING this room!  I can't wait until it is finished!  Unfortunately, it wasn't one of the "priority" areas to unpack, which is why it still isn't done 3 weeks later.  Soon it will be! (and then I'll post some "ta da!" photos!)

Until then! Happy crafting!

New REVIEWS page!

I've just added a new page for reviews from my customers.  I'd also love to add reviews from people who have used my free patterns!

If you'd like to leave a review (and I would love it if you did) please leave a comment on my "Craftini Marini Customer Reviews" page!

In case you're confused by "Craftini Marini" let me explain.  That's the name of my craft business!  You can find me on Facebook and on Etsy!  People have always liked to rhyme my name with things...and one day someone said to me "Jessica, you're such a Craftini!" and that's how Craftini Marini was born.

I promise to have lots of updates of my latest yarny endeavors! <3 br="">

Columbia cup cozies

So, as you all know, I successfully defended my dissertation and received my PhD this past semester.  It is sort of customary to give a gift to your advisor and dissertation committee as a thank you for taking the time to read your dissertation, provide a thorough examination of your ideas and work, and give you constructive feedback on your research.  I decided to give each member of my committee, my advisor included, a coffee cup cozy and a gift certificate.  I use a wonderfully simple pattern for the cozies.  Columbia colors are light blue and white, so I made the base of the cozy light blue and added a duplicate stitch "C" in white.  I was really pleased with how they came out and my committee loved them.

Tunisian crochet potholders

In February I stumbled upon a fantastic pattern for potholders.  The pattern is free on Ravelry and can be found here.  I've been playing a bit with Tunisian crochet, but never really made anything with it.  Just sort of played around trying to learn the stitches.  These potholders were a great way to practice Tunisian simple stitch (TSS).  The only downside is that the pattern doesn't tell you how to do TSS, so I had to do some googling to get the instructions down pat.

However, the finished product is amazing!  It is thick and double sided.  You construct a rectangle and then fold it over and add the border through both pieces--so cool!  It really is good for handing hot lids and handles while cooking.  If you're looking to try Tunisian crochet I suggest starting here (and with some YouTube)..the result is great!

I made an orange one for myself (not pictured) and these two for my mom.  They were her Valentine's Day gift, so I cross stitched a little heart on each of them.  (That might be one of my favorite things about TSS--it's perfect for cross stitching on!)

Yoga mat bags

If you don't know this about me already, you need to know that I love yoga.  Everything about yoga--the message, the spirit, the teachings, the poses, and the way that it is part of everything in life.  My love of yoga ties with my love for yarn (now that's saying something, isn't it?).  As you know Matt just completed his yoga teacher training and he has been teaching me a lot about yoga and its foundations.  He specifically has been teaching me about Raja yoga and its 8 limbs.  I have been trying to abide by the yamas (the first limb that represents the social code) and the niyamas (the second limb that have to do with the 'self').  One of the yamas is Aparigraha which says that one should not hoard things and should be non possessive.  I do have a problem with this sometimes (evidenced by my growing yarn stash).  So I have been trying to work on this in various ways.  I've been gathering items to donate, trying to get rid of items that are unnecessary to me, and also trying to destash when possible.  I am definitely not an expert on the yamas or how to live by them, but I am trying my best.

So what does this all have to do with knitting and crocheting?  Well, I have been making yoga mat bags with my stash.  I am planning on "selling" them at my yoga studio very soon.  The yoga studio has a boutique and it would be a perfect place to sell these items.  So far I have made 4 different bags and have at least one more planned before I'm going to bring them to the studio.  I've used a bag for my yoga mat that I knit back in 2011 and I'm ALWAYS getting complemented about it.  I really like it--it is machine washable and dry-able and is perfect for quickly stashing a sweaty yoga mat.  However, there were things that I could improve on--the strap was too long and the drawstring tie would come untied or be a bit of a pain to tie.  So I improved on these things with the new bags I made.

Here are the first two I've made for the studio.  The purple one is crocheted out of cotton in a ripple pattern.  You can see how they feature a shorter strap and a drawstring that cinches closed when you pick up the bag.  That's my favorite part :).  The second one is knit out of acrylic and also features the same shorter strap and cinching drawstring!

I have two others--one that looks like a tree and a blue lacy one that I developed the pattern for.  I'll post those in another entry when I get some decent photos of them.  I'll also be posting the pattern for my lacy mat bag--so keep an eye on my blog for that :).

So this happened yesterday...

...my latest Knit Picks order arrived!!  I definitely use yarn as a way to relieve myself of stress. (Hey it's better than many addictions!)  Last week I had a couple of stressful days at work and definitely took refuge in the Knit Picks summer sale and a gift card I had :)

Here are the knitty-gritty details and planned projects!

-14 skeins of Wool of the Andes Sport in Mai Tai Heather for my Humboldt Raglan
-14 skeins of Wool of the Andes Sport in Marina for a Larch Cardigan
-Curio in Ash and Bluebell for who knows what (it’s super soft btw)
-6 skeins of Comfy Fingering in Lilac Mist for an Elvira All Grown Up
-9 skeins of Wool of the Andes Worsted in Claret Heather for a Washington Square Vest
-two balls of Galileo in Nebula for something (can’t remember what I planned to use it for…perhaps a cowl)
-and finally 3 skeins of Felici in the colorways High Tide, Aquarium, and Fizz (I’m thinking of using all of my Felici to make some sort of blanket…perhaps a Babette-esque blanket).

Welcome new stash! You're already very loved!!!

Baby Mermaid

Let's rewind to the beginning of the year.  One of my close friends was pregnant with her second child (I believe she was due in March).  She already had a boy back in 2009 and this time she was having a little girl!  I know she was super excited for dresses and other girly things!  I had crafted a few things for her son--a little puppy, a blanket, and some bibs--you can see the post here.  So, I obviously wanted to make various things for her daughter too!

I've been trying to be on a destash mission--which has worked some what, but I must admit that I've also purchased yarn...tisk tisk tisk, Jessica.  However, back at the beginning of the year I was TOTALLY on the "cold sheep" "use only from stash" bandwagon!  I've also been trying to use patterns that I already own, rather than finding something new or buying a new one.

So with that in mind, I found the cutest pattern from a Crochet Today! magazine to make for my friend's daughter!  The pattern is called "Mermaid Cocoon" and is from the July/August 2012 issue of Crochet Today!  I totally fell in love with this pattern when I first saw it.

I was pretty lucky that I had both mint green and teal yarn in my stash!  I just reversed the colors of the tail--making the teal the main color and the mint the accent.  I also had white and purple!  They are all simply soft yarns, so you can just imagine how soft and snugly this outfit is before washing and how much softer it will get!

I added little white buttons to it rather than colored ones.  I spent an awfully long time standing in the button aisle of Jo-ann's picking out the 'perfect' buttons :).

The construction of the garment is so interesting!  It is all made in one piece without seaming.  You start with the bodice, then work the arms, and then the tail portion.  It was so quick and only took me four days to make!  I'm so pleased with it and can't wait to see pictures of little Keira in it!

Baby Pinafore

I've been really into making items for babies lately.  I think that I've been drawn to small projects that I can work on during my lunch break.  I also have been loving projects that finish quickly, use up bits of yarn, and are simply "totally adorable."

Recently I finished making a sweet little pinafore.  I used some yarn that my mom got me from Jo-ann's.  It's called "Breeze Self Patterning" by Jo-ann's Sensations.  It has nice long color changes that created a pretty rainbow look to this dress.  

This dress seems very easy to customize to make larger sizes.  In fact, I saw a pattern for larger sizes on Etsy and Bernat also has a free pattern for child-size dresses.  They all look like the same dress, but in different sizes.  Honestly, just change your initial chain length and it should be pretty easy to customize.  I think that you would add or subtract multiples of 4 to get larger or smaller sizes.

Some people on Ravelry have added a decoration to the front of the dress, but I left mine plain since the yarn is sort of busy.  I'll definitely be making this pattern again!  It could definitely be made in a few hours.  Great last minute baby gift!

Om hand warmers

Matt (my best friend) just finished his 200-hour yoga teacher training at the beginning of June.  So, being the crafty friend I am, decided to make him a yoga-themed gift.  Using my knowledge of his love for hand warmers and all things Om-related I set off to make him the perfect gift.  And...the Om hand warmers were born!

He absolutely loved them and can't wait for it to get a bit cooler to wear them.  (I'm also hoping to do a photo shoot with him to get some swanky yoga-riffic photos!)

Since he loved them so much, I really wanted to share the love and share my pattern and Om chart with you!  So without further ado, here is the recipe for my Om hand warmers!  Enjoy!

As always, feel free to sell items you make from my patterns, but please do not claim this pattern as your own, post any parts of it or the whole thing in other locations, or sell the pattern. :)

Gauge: roughly 7 rows = 1 inch; 7 stitches = 1 inch on size 7 needles.  The Om chart is 20 stitches by 17 rows and this measured 3 inches (stitches) by 2.5 inches (rows).
Needles: US size 7 and US size 9 or size need to obtain gauge
Yarn: Aran or Worsted weight

You can use any yarn and needle combination that you like.  If you use thinner yarn, increase the cast on stitches by 2 until you have enough to fit nicely around your palm, above your thumb.  These mitts are meant to be fitted to the hand--so if you'd like them looser, increase your cast on.

This hasn't be tested by others, so please let me know if you find any errors!

Mitt Instructions


Cast on 34 on 9s.
Switch to size 7s on the first round of knitting.
Join in the round, place marker for the beginning of the round.
Rounds 1-12: K1P1 ribbing
Rounds 13-24: Knit

This should get you to up to the base of your thumb or slightly higher.  You'll now begin to work back and forth in rounds.  DO NOT JOIN the next 13 rows.  You're creating the thumb opening.




Rows 25-37: Alternate a knit row and a purl row, continuing in stockinette stitch but in rows, ending with a knit row.  You can slip the first stitch of each row to create a nice edge if you'd like.

In more detail:
Rows 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, and 37: Knit
Rows 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, and 36: Purl

[This section leave the hole for your thumb.  If you have a smaller or larger thumb (or different row gauge) adjust the number of rows--adjust by increments of 2 rows.]

After Row 37 join to the beginning of the round and start knitting again in rounds.




Rounds 38-47: Knit (this is 10 rounds in stockinette stitch)
Rounds 48-51: K1P1 ribbing


BO in pattern using size 9 needles, or stretchy bind-off of your choosing.

Repeat for the second mitt.

Adding the Om on the front of the mitts
Us the following chart to duplicate stitch the Om on the front of the mitt.  Remember that you'll need at least 20 stitches by 17 rows to complete the chart.  Try the mitt on first before stitching.  I found it worked nicely to have the side of the Om closest to the thumb opening begin about 2 or 3 stitches inside.

I'd love to see your finished hand warmers!

Presenting Dr. Jessica

So remember that time when I used to update my blog somewhat regularly and then I just sort of...stopped?  Well that is soon to be a thing of the past!  I'm back!! AND...guess what?!?!  I got my PhD!  I'm officially a Dr!

Last Sunday (5/19) was my PhD Convocation and then last Wednesday (5/22) was the university Commencement and then my hooding ceremony.  I am elated that I was able to achieve my dream of earning my PhD.  I just wanted to share a few pictures from last week's festivities. 

My mom, Sean (bf), Matt (best friend), Uncle Dan, and Aunt Cathy accompanied me last Wednesday to Commencement and hooding.  I know that they were so very proud of me--maybe as proud or prouder than I was!

Here I am leaving the hooding ceremony.  If you have never been to a hooding ceremony it is the time that we are officially presented our doctoral hoods that show the color of our degree (royal blue for me indicating PhD) as well as our school colors on the inside (although you can't see it in the picture, the inside of my hood is light blue and white for Columbia).  Technically we aren't supposed to wear our hoods before being hooded, but we all did--call us rebels!  Commencement took place prior to hooding and it just felt good to wear the hood to Commencement!

I actually have a funny story about the hood I received.  We had the choice of either buying or renting both the hood and the gown for graduation.  We all had to buy the tam.  Well, after pricing out the outfit I decided that it would be best to rent the gown (it was over $600 to own) and buy the hood as a memento.  If I was to buy the entire thing it would cost about $1,000 which is a bit too much for me right now for something I might not wear again.  Anywho, back to my hood story.  I had the bookstore ship my regalia to my house since I'm very rarely at school any longer.  (Side note: I got a job much closer to home so I no longer have to go to the city every day!)  So when my regalia arrived I was so excited to try it on!  When I put the hood on I realized that it was red and royal blue inside, but didn't think more of it.  When I got to school on Sunday for my Convocation my mom and I decided to visit the bookstore to purchase a few items.  The bookstore has PhD gowns on display and I realized that the inside of the hood was school colors--Columbia blue and white.  I checked with the bookstore staff and the assured me that as long as the velvet part of my hood was royal blue, the hood was correct.  When I asked about the red inside the bookstore staff, Convocation staff, and even a Dean did not have an answer.  So after my Convocation I was sure that I was sent the wrong hood in the mail--EVERYONE else had Columbia colors on the inside of their hood.  Luckily the bookstore lent me a rental for the other ceremonies!  At least my mom was able to spot me easily at Convocation!!

Ok, back to pictures.  Here are a bunch of people from the Human Development department.  HUD (as we call it) houses my program as well as other psychology programs.  We were waiting to go into the hooding ceremony--notice that no one is wearing the hood :).  I think someone commented that without the hood we look like a chef choir.  Haha!

Here I am post Commencement posing with the "Columbia University--Congratulations to the Class of 2013" banner!  I think I have a similar one from when I graduated in 2008 with one of my masters degrees.

Here I am with Sean and My mom after my Commencement.  If you look to the left of the picture ALLL the way in the background you'll see a "sea of blue"--that's where I was sitting for the ceremony!  Needless to say it was tricky to get to my family afterwards to take some photos!  Luckily we got some nice ones :).  There were over 30,000 people said to be at this years graduation.

Here I am with Uncle Dan (who is also my godfather) and Aunt Cathy!  I know they had such a nice time at the ceremony.  I'm so glad they came!

I do like that we got Low Library (which isn't a library) in the background of these photos.  I do love the campus!  Here I am with Matt and my mom.  :)

And last, but certainly not least is a photo with my advisor.  Dr. Johnson was a wonderful mentor for my dissertation and I'm very proud to have been able to work with him!

So that is it for now.  Definitely expect some project posts coming soon!  I've done a bit of knitting and crocheting during my blogging hiatus and would love to share the projects with you!  Until then, happy yarn time! :)