Guest Post // Yarn Lamp Shade Restyle from Love, Elycia

Hello there!

I'm elycia from the blog ♥elycia and today I'm here visiting One Sheepish Girl while my friend Meredith is off enjoying herself in Europe. Can I just say that I am super jealous of Meredith's trip and wish that I had figured out how to smuggle myself into her luggage? Ok, now that that is out of the way let's get down to business. Meredith is always sharing so many adorable yarn projects that I thought I would show you something else to do with yarn...restyle a lampshade! 

This project was inspired by a vintage lamp that I spotted one day while I was getting my browse on. It is a super simple project that requires only a lamp shade (duh), yarn (double duh), scissors and not much explanation. I used four colours of yarn in a random pattern but you could use just one or even multiple colours but arranged in a colour blocked pattern.

To start wrapping your yarn, secure it on the inside of your lampshade with a few knots. Here are a few in progress shots to show you what my shade looked like as I added more colours. 

Once you have completely covered your shade, stick it on the lamp base of your choice, put a ceramic kitty beside it (optional) and enjoy!

I hope you fellow yarn lovers enjoyed this idea! Let me know if you try it out yourself!

Congratulations on your graduation Meredith and I know that you are enjoying your well deserved vacation!

♥elycia


*Thank you so much for sharing this project Elycia! I have a lampshade waiting for me at home that will soon be covered with yarn. ;)

Guest Post // DIY Lavender Doily Heat Pack from House of Humble

Hi! My name is Katie and I blog over at House of Humble. I love reclaiming things and making cute stuff out of thrifted or discarded items, so today I thought I would share a super simple DIY for lavender heat packs, using a vintage bed sheet, an old doily and rice from your pantry. These are perfect for cuddling up with when you've got a sore tummy or frosty toes, and the soothing lavender scent can aid in relaxation and peaceful sleep. Lovely!

To make your own heat pack you'll need some fabric (I used a vintage sheet for the back and a spotty print for the front), a doily, uncooked rice, dried lavender, some pinking shears, a plate and pencil for tracing, and a sewing machine or needle and thread.

1. Use your plate and pencil to trace two circles on the wrong side of your fabric/s.
2. Cut the circles out using pinking shears (this will stop them fraying).
3. Use your sewing machine or needle and thread to sew your doily onto one fabric circle.
4. Place your fabric circles back to back and sew them together, leaving a gap big enough to fill the joined circles with rice and lavender.
5. Pour in your rice and lavender. I used 3 parts rice to 1 part lavender and filled my pack about 3/4 full.
6. Sew up the hole and you're done! 

To use your heat pack simply warm it up in the microwave. I microwaved mine for 5 mintues and it was still cool enough to touch, but warm enough to keep me toasty for about an hour. Heat time will depend on the size of your heat pack and the power of your microwave.

Thanks for letting me share this little project with you. I hope you all have a truly wonderful day!

*Thank you so much for sharing this DIY with us Katie! I could definitely use a soothing heat pack after walking all over London and Paris. :)

Strawberry & Rosemary Scones

To get in the mood for my first, official, afternoon tea in London, complete with scones and clotted cream, I had to make a batch of my favorite scones before we left. I have used this recipe for strawberry and rosemary scones for years now and it has always been very popular. When I first heard Giada describing the recipe on her Food Network show I was like...woah now...rosemary in a scone? I wasn't exactly hip to cool savory/sweet combinations like that so it sounded a little questionable. Thankfully I didn't let my initial rosemary related concerns stop me from baking up a batch.

These scones are one of my favorite things to make. Friends specifically request a batch for different occasions. The scones I ate in London are far superior to anything I could ever make in my own kitchen...but at least I have a good recipe to come home to when I am thousands of miles away from the sweet treats in English tea shops.

The past few days spent in London has made me addicted to tea time! I highly recommend these scones if you want to give them a try for your own afternoon tea. Let me know how it goes if you do! :-)

The Blush List - Bonjour, Paris!

Knitting // I love this photo of the cutest little sheep wrapped in yarn taken by a Paris photographer. 

Crochet // Isabelle Kessedjian's crochet creations are simply too amazing for words. This Paris fiber artist is such an inspiration! Check out her incredible work. 

Local Artist // French artisan Caroline Gomez's online shop is filled creations like cloud-shaped cutting boards to aprons with bright accents. 

Style // Cuillère à Absinthe, a French photography student, is one of my favorite style bloggers. I love the quirky outfits she puts together. I mean...her sweater collection is pretty awesome. Look at that tea set necklace! 

Art // Hopefully my few semesters of French will at least allow me to order "un croissant" in a sidewalk café. I should study this Cakes with Giants print though...just in case. 

Food // I think I found a new favorite food blog. Carnets Parisiennes and her too-good-to-be-true recipes and food photography takes my breath away. I am fascinated by these adorable cloud macarons. Don't you wish clouds were actually made of macarons? I'm going to ignore the scientific impossibilities of that dream and believe that one day macarons will pour sweet, sugary rain from the sky. ;)


I've focused a lot on my excitement about visitng London, but I am equally excited about walking the streets of Paris. This Blush List is dedicated to all things "Paris" as I get ready for my first-time, French adventures later this week. We will only be visiting the city of lights for a short time so I need to make sure I complete all of my Paris goals....

- Eat a (real) croissant.
- Eat a (real) macaron.
- Eat a...ok I need to do things other than eating.
- See the Eiffel Tower.
- Tour the Louvre.
- Walk up and down the Champs-Élysées.
- Visit Shakespeare & Company.
- Roam around Rue Cler...and so much more!

Oh I can't wait to see it all. I wish I was brave enough so I could run around like Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face.

I have a giveaway winner to announce too! I can't upload the screen shot of the random number generator, but The winner is Debby, comment #117! I will email you about your prize soon! Also, even though I'm on vacation, I still have room for large and medium June sponsors! Please email me if you are interested or if you have questions!

What did you do this weekend? I hope you have a wonderful week too! Is it weird to say I miss you and that I feel so far away even though I haven't met most of you? Probably...haha. ;)

Guest Post // London Haberdashery Yarns with Art Equals Happy

Hello One Sheepish Girl readers! I'm Kim from Art Equals Happy, but you might know me as Meredith's penpal. :] I live in London and I'm super excited about her coming to visit and see this amazing city. One of the things I love about London is that there is something for everyone here, it's incredibly diverse and a quick bus or tube ride away can take you to a whole other 'world' (so-to-speak).

Near Bethnal Green tube station, there is a little yarn shop tucked away that prides itself on being a little different than your average haberdashery called Prick Your Finger. I did some work experience for them last year, and we photographed tons of their 100% British Wool in fun ways. I thought you might enjoy seeing some UK yarns.

Thanks for letting me share, I hope you're having a good day,


Love, Kim Smith.

*Thanks so much for sharing this lovely shop with us Kim! I hope we are able to stop in for a visit this week! :)

Guest Post // Cherry Chocolate Scone Recipe from Carosello

Hi Sheepish Readers!!


I'm Erin from Carosello and I'm here today to share an easy recipe for Cherry Chocolate Chunk Scones, perfect for your afternoon tea. 


Here's how to make this delicious and easy recipe:

Ingredients:

3 cups of flour

1/3 cup of sugar

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of cold cubed butter

3/4 cup of heavy cream

1 egg

2/3 cup of dried cherries

1/2 plus 2 tablespoons of mini-chocolate chips (I used semi sweet)

Place your dry ingredients in a food processor and blend. Slowly add your cubed butter pulsing your food process after each addition until mixture is soft and crumbly. In a separate bowl place your egg and heavy cream and mix with a fork.  Add all the the ingredients from your bowl except enough to use as an egg wash on your scones into the mixture in your food processor. Add your cherries and chocolate and pulse until well mixed.  

On your counter or on parchment paper scoop a small mound of flower and place a large round mound of scone dough to the center. Press your dough out until it forms a circle about 3/4 - 1 inch thick. Cut into 6ths or 8ths and place on a well greased pan (or covered in parchment paper).  Use a basting brush to add your egg wash to the tops of your scones before baking. Bake at 350 degrees for about 14 minutes if you make small scones or 25-28 if you make larger scones. I use three mounds of dough to make smaller scones making about 24 scones total. 

I glazed my scones with a simple powdered sugar and splash of milk glaze after they had cooled. 

You can easily change the flavors and additions by using the basic scone dough and adding your favorite additions.  Here's a recipe for cranberry orange scones that I made swapping out the cherries and chocolate with cranberries, orange zest and added a white chocolate glaze.  Easy peasy. Thanks for having me Meredith. 

Love, 

   Erin 

*Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us Erin! I wish I could have you and a batch of these scones shipped over here for afternoon tea. ;) I can't wait to give this yummy recipe a try! - Meredith

London Here I Come! - What's in my travel bag?

I can't believe it...I'm on my way! This trip has been a long time coming. I have spent months and months dreaming about the sights, sounds, and tastes of London and Paris. In just a few hours, I will finally get to experience it all for myself! I am so thankful to have the opportunity to travel and experience a new-to-me part of the world. This is definitely the best graduation present a girl could dream of! Today I will be on the longest airplane flight of my life to London. So, I packed the essentials and some boredom-busters in my travel bag to keep me occupied during the 9 hours in the air. This type of "What's in my bag?" post has kind of become a travel tradition. :)

- A cozy sweater. I found this oversized, grandpa-like sweater on sale a few days ago and broke my, "Don't buy knits in the summertime, Meredith!" rule for the sake of a chilly airplane and the cooler, European temperatures. I can't wait to wear sweaters again!
- A journal for travel memories and doodles
- A book, Paris My Sweet
- My passport & wallet
- My sunglasses & new knit case! I made this knit heart sunglasses case last weekend and I am so happy with how it turned out! I will definitely list some in my Etsy shop when I come home. :)
- My Fisheye, Diana, and Instax cameras, to keep them safe for lots of picture taking!
- My iPhone
- Last but not least, gum, lip balm and other essentials

Of course, I'm also going to pack something to knit. I might work on some more glasses cases since it is easily transportable.

I am so ready for this vacation. I have several amazing guest posts lined up for you this week along with a few of my own. Get ready for some fun recipes and projects to try! I will do my best to tweet and Instagram travel photos when I can.

Eek! Ok then...London here I come!

Giveaway // Win a Journal & Memory-Making E-Course!

This giveaway could not come at a better time! On the eve of my vacation, that will be filled with so many memories, journal entries, and souvenir odds and ends like restaurant napkins and paper scraps, I am so excited to offer you two wonderful prizes perfect for recording your own memories. Mary from Dispatches from LA is offering a pass to her Remains of the Day E-Course. This course shows you how to take the bits and bobs of everyday life and turn them into lasting memories. Shirley from The Orange Windmill is also offering one of her handbound leather journals. Now you can learn about a cool way to remember your travels or daily life and also have a cool journal to document it all!

Here is how you can enter to win: (This giveaway is open to international readers!)

Mandatory Entries:

- Visit the Remains of the Day E-Course page and take a look around. Come back here and leave a comment letting me know what you hope to journal about. Please include your email address in this comment. Any comments without an email address will not be considered for winning.

- Visit The Orange Windmill and check out the other journals in her shop. Come back here and leave a comment telling me your favorite item from her shop. Please include your email address. 

Bonus Entries: (Leave a separate comment for each entry.)

1.) Follow The Orange Windmill (@shirleyljmartin) on Twitter

2.) Tweet about the giveaway! Please copy and paste this tweet: "Make memories by entering the Remains of the Day e-course and @shirleyljmartin journal giveaway on @sheepishknit blog! http://onesheepishgirl.blogspot.com/2012/05/giveaway-win-journal-memory-making-e.html"

3.) Like The Orange Windmill on Facebook and post the link to this giveaway on your page. Please tag The Orange Windmill in your link.

4.) Share this giveaway on your blog or tumblr. Please include the link to your post in the comments.

There are a total of six ways to enter this giveaway. Don't forget to include your email address!

That's it! This giveaway will end on May 25 and I will announce the winner over the weekend. 

I can't wait to fill my own travel journal with memories over the next few days too! :-)

Sponsor One Sheepish Girl in June!

Too much color? Never...right? I'm just sticking with yesterday's neon theme. ;)

Well, May certainly flew by, didn't it? I made it through graduation and lived to tell the tale! Three cheers for that! ;-) Thank you so much for supporting me this month! I honestly wasn't sure if I would make it.

I would love to have you as a sponsor in June! The large, medium, and small ad sizes are available for purchase. You can find my sponsor rates here and please feel free to email me at sheepishknitcrochet(at)gmail(dot)com if you have any questions.

Happy Monday! Today is packing day...I hope I remember everything!

I also have a great giveaway coming later today, perfect for recording travel memories! ;)

The Blush List - Neon Lights

Knitting // Pretty neon-tipped mittens from The Purl Bee. 

Knitting & Crochet // I've had my eye on these beautiful knit collars for some time now. I love the pop of color from the neon crochet border. You can find the Ravelry pattern here. 

Etsy // I love Faith's new color block hair bows in her Etsy shop, Ordinary Mommy. The mix of neons and neutrals is just so eye-catching! 

Style // Speaking of eye-catching...I am a big fan of bright soles on neutral shoes. I love this hot pink pair of brogues from Topshop. 

Art // This neon yellow ampersand from Ampersand Design Studio is just so simple and fun!

Food // I'm not sure if this is exactly neon...but the bright pink hibiscus butter and poppyseed shortbread from Sprinkle Bakes is certainly a colorful combination!


My mom and I did some pre-vacation shopping this week for things like travel size toothpaste and good walking shoes. I spotted a pair of similar neon oxfords like the ones above, but they didn't come in my size...and probably weren't the best walking shoes. Haha. So I've had neon on the brain. I really love the neutral and neon combination. It is really inspiring me to create something fun with yarn.

We are getting close to the big travel day. Does anyone else feel like the days leading up to a big vacation are some of the most stressful days ever? Maybe it's just me and my "worry wart" mentality. I have lots of blog writing, packing, and projects to finish before it is finally vacation time. I guess I should get back to it! I hope you are all having a lovely Sunday.

Did you do anything fun this weekend? Finish any big projects?