Merino YOU! (And the winner is.....)

First, I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you.  Thank you to all of you that entered this, my first Sew, Mama, Sew giveaway.  Participating in the giveaway and making new connections with all of you has been an amazing experience.  Thank you all for your comments and thank you for following the Seedling blog or for "liking" Seedling Clothing on Facebook.   Your support and interest are absolutely invaluable to me!

At exactly 4 pm New Zealand time, I used the random.org (by the way, such a cool site) random number generator, which produced the number 84.    I counted backward three times (a task that feels particularly difficult at this moment -- I think the ol' mama brain needs more frequent workouts....) and came up with the winner:  Vintage Queen Nina of Mannheim, Germany!!  Congratulations, Nina!  I'm so excited to package up your scarf and send it off across the world.  If you could email your details to seedlingclothing@gmail.com, I would be much obliged!  I'll send your parcel first thing Monday morning.

Again, thank you, everyone for entering my first giveaway.  To celebrate all of you and for reaching the milestone of 100 fans on Facebook and over 75 followers on the blog, I'll be hosting another giveaway, beginning later tonight!  I'll post details a bit later once the wee ones are tucked up in bed.

~ Jen

Merino YOU! (Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway)

I'm very excited to be participating in my first Sew, Mama, Sew giveaway!  I will be gifting this gorgeous charcoal-gray fine-knit merino scarf to one lucky reader.  I have yet to do the edging, as my entry was a bit last-minute, but I definitely will do so before sending.  (Ed. note - - I have just done the edging and it looks fantastic!  I am so pleased to be giving this beautiful scarf away.....)  The scarf is wonderfully soft and the perfect length for both warmth and style.  The dimensions are approximately 10 in x 80 in (25cm x 200 cm.)

So, here are the parameters:

- I will certainly ship internationally, everyone welcome!
- To enter, all you need do is become a fan on Facebook or become a follower of the Seedling blog and leave a comment here afterward.  If you're already a fan / follower, that's great!   You may leave a comment here as well. 
- I will draw the winner randomly after the giveaway has ended.  I will post the result here on the blog, and on Facebook.  For good measure, you may also want to leave your email address.
- The giveaway will continue until the 20th of May North American time (the 21st New Zealand time) -- simply leave your comment before then.
- Your scarf will be on it's way to you by May 24th!

Good luck!

Merino Me (Part Two)

Remember all that merino I stumbled upon?  I've been waiting and planning, trying to decide how best to use it.  I began with a very simple project first -- edging a small off-cut for a scarf.  It's actually perfect -- warm and soft, stretchy enough to tuck into itself easily.  I've loved wearing this as the weather has cooled. 

Next -- and this felt like a big jump -- I really wanted to make a tunic/dress.  This was certainly a lot more complicated, but I warmed up with this top, and did the same basic style.  Again, no pattern, but I'm feeling happy with the results.  Ideally, I would have loved more length -- maybe just past the knee?  But this was the size of the material I had, so, alas....  Ah well, you only live once.  May as well show a little leg from time to time.

I don't have many opportunities to wear a dress like this with my current lifestyle (which demands that whatever I wear be both easy to clean and easy to play in....) but it just so happens that my husband and I have an oh-so-rare date night planned for this Saturday.  I may actually feel like a grown-up!

As for the rest of the merino?  Well, I'm saving most of it for now.  But, I'm planning on participating in the Sew, Mama, Sew giveaway starting, oh....tomorrow!  I'll be giving away a gorgeous charcoal-gray merino scarf, made from the same material as this dress.  Stay tuned!

Merino Me

While the rest of the world waits for the early signs of spring, in New Zealand we're seeing the first hints of autumn.   The light has shifted, the cool morning air smells like woodsmoke, and today I pulled a sweater down from the top of my closet for an early walk into town.

On the odd weekend, I tuck $10.00 into my pocket and head down to the flea market.  This morning I stumbled upon one of our local merino shops clearing out fabric and samples.   I picked up five swaths  -- each a different color and knit, but several meters of merino each -- all for five dollars.  Total.

I don't think you can tell from this photo, but it's a lot of fabric.  And just gorgeous.  Holy mother of merino!  This was a fabulous flea find.

Even though the days still feel warm and summery, I can tell that the indoor part of the year is approaching -- I'm excited to have some warm and cozy projects on the horizon.