Sunday, November 15, 2009

I am the world's worst blogger!

So, I've been completely and absolutely buried in school work since the beginning of the semester in September. I haven't had much time to knit, or blog, or work on my shop (yet somehow, I've managed to increase my yarn stash...oops!). Since my midterms and presentations are over, I've had a little time to relax (well, until finals), so I thought I'd just do a small update on some of my projects!

These are some socks I'm knitting for my boyfriend. They were supposed to be birthday presents for him, but since his birthday was the 11th, and I didn't even start them until yesterday, they're going to end up as birthday/Christmas presents. They're my first project on size 1 needles, and it's going frustratingly slow :\


This tam is my first colorwork project. The section you can see turned out okay, but it started going all wonky towards the top. I made it (and a few other tams) for a private swap on Craftster. The colors in the picture are pretty true to the real thing. I'm thinking about using the leftover blue and black yarn to make an argyle/diamond patterned scarf with some fringe!


I LOOOOOVE this yarn! I had it for a long time before it finally told me what it wanted to be! It's Malabrigo, which is my favorite yarn ever (so soft and squishy!). I just love the way the colors pooled together; it looks like it's tie-dye (even though it looks kind of washed out in the picture)! It's a beret for myself (since I haven't actually made anything for myself in awhile) and I'm going to add a pom-pom (erm...after I figure out how to make them).
Last, but not least, this is my Woodland Scarf. It's based off of a lace stitch, and the color/pattern remind me of a meandering path through the woods. I hope to put the pattern for it on this blog soon! The picture doesn't really show the color well. It's a chocolate-y brown with pretty gold specks in it. I spread it out for the picture, but I still have to block it (among the 293857293857 things on my to-do list!)
I've also managed to add a few yarns to my stash in the past couple of months. Unfortunately, one of my LYS has gone out of business, but they had a really good closing sale, so I bought tons of yarns. Yesterday I picked up a few more for some project's from Ysolda's Whimsical Little Knits 2, which I bought for myself for a birthday present! I'm going to start with Veyla and Damson!

Well, ta for now, I'm about to go knit my little heart out!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Hats hats hats!

Hello there! In preparation for the fall (and because I've been trying to plow through my yarn stash) I've gone absolutely nuts for hats. I particularly enjoy making ones with ribbons in them. I think the combination of the fuzzy, soft yarn, and the shiny, smooth ribbon makes for one adorable, awesome hat! I've really enjoyed using different types of yarns, and seeing how they come together to form a hat. For variagated yarns, I love seeing how the colors pool together, and with plain colored yarn, I enjoy the look of plain old cables or knit stitches! I made these hats pretty simple because I wanted to add ribbons to them, so I didn't want them to be too busy! Plus, the hats are GREAT stash busters! They all took just about a skein each...and I've actually got 2 more hats on needles right now.

So, without further ado, here are a preview of my hats! I'm so glad I finally have something to list in my shop. it's been a long time since I've created anything I thought was worth putting in there! The last hat is already listed, which you can check out if you click on my banner to the right! The other hats I will list over the next few days!





Friday, August 14, 2009

Delightful Dinos

So, I am a self professed dinosaur lover. I don't know what it is about them, but I absolutely love em! I think they're cute (okay, well some recreations are cute, I'm sure the real things were terrifying!). I've been seeing a bunch of dinosaur stuff popping up lately, to my delight, so I decided to share a few of my favorite dinosaur items with you!

This is an image from chetart. I love the colors in the image, and despite the fact that the dinosaur looks scary, I would still totally pop a quarter in and ride him (although as an adult, I'd probably break a children's ride!). Check out all of his other images. They're a mix of funny and awesome with some great colors.

Isn't this just the cutest miniature you've ever seen? He's a dinosaur named Basil, from the seller Blossom Hill. Unfortunately for us, he sold awhile ago, but if you love him as much as I do, maybe the seller could recreate a similar one if you say please!

This dinosaur is all kinds of awesome. You can't tell from the picture, but he's about the size of a Hershey kiss. He's a build-your-own tiny triceratops from kfarrell. Check out her shop for some other equally awesome build-your-own dinos!
And last, but certainly not least, this is Mulch the Mint Green Dinosaur, from talkproof. I think he looks absolutely squeezable, and I know he's just dying to go to a good, dino loving home! Check out talkproof's shop for some other adorable plushies (I'm personally in love with the hippos, too cute!).

Alright folks, that's all for now! Have a great Friday and happy trails!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Annnnd I'm back!

Okay, so I've been on a bit of hiatus from blogging lately, mostly because I simply haven't had time. But I'm going to try to blog more, since I will have more stuff going on!

I've been hat crazy lately. I've made like 4 hats in the past 2 weeks. I'm hoping to photograph them and take pictures after I move to my new apartment. I've come up with a relatively easy pattern that I can use for some slouchy berets, and it will fit a bunch of different patterns and stitches. And I'm super excited because I've started my first wearable knitted item! I'm knitting Ysolda Teague's Cloud Bolero, and the pattern is causing me all sorts of trouble, but I guess I can't complain since the pattern is free and relatively easy! I really love her designs. They're all so romantic and dreamy. I saw a version of the bolero that someone else made, and I knew I had the PERFECT yarn for it. I had bought it last winter at a yarn store in Cleveland. It was thick and think and had the same colors as a peacock. I didn't know what to do with it until I saw the bolero! It's a perfect match :] I just can't wait til winter until I can wear all of my new knitted items.

I've also started my Christmas knitting, since I have a TON to do this year! I've finished an easy striped scarf for my boyfriend's sister. It's pink and black and made from Lamb's Pride yarn. I just have to add the fringes to it. I'm doing another striped scarf for his other sister, same yarn, same pattern, except in yellow and blue. They're going to be really cute, and I hope his sisters like them! I have yet to start the scarves for his 2 brothers (one in Steeler's colors, and one in his fraternity colors), and my stepmom's purple lace scarf (still need to find a pattern for that one). I have no idea what to make for my mom, dad, or 2 brothers. I think I'm going to attempt a zip up sweater for my boyfriend, but that'll probably end in rage and tears. He's worth all the frustration though, and I really need to expand my knitting repertoire!

And finally, I have stayed ALMOST true to my yarn diet! I haven't bought ANY yarn for myself, but I have bought yarn for the Christmas knitting I'm doing. I was so, SO tempted when I went into my LYS, but I managed not to buy everything in sight! I'm trying to use up my stash, which is why I've been making hats; easy, and don't take up much yarn!

Alright folks, that's it for now. I'm off to watch True Blood and do French homework!

Peace and bacon grease!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Bonjour from sick land!


I have been sick for the past week or so. It has not been fun! But today it was raining cats and dogs so I decided it would be a good day for a blog update! I'm absolutely terrible at updating, grr. Well actually, it had stopped raining for a bit, but now has continued again!

I've been taking French for about 3 days now, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I don't grasp it as well as I did Spanish and Italian. To me, a lot of French words sound exactly the same. I can't figure out what they are until I read or see them to know how they're spelled. Only about half the letters in a French word get pronounced, and this has made it difficult! It doesn't help that I'm a very visual learner, so learning any kind of new language based solely on sound is really hard for me! But, having a cold has certainly helped me pronounce the nasally "un bon vin blanc" or "a good white wine!" I love hearing the professor speak French, but when I try and talk it doesn't sound nearly as pretty. Well it does when I'm alone practicing, but I seem to get stage fright in class because EVERYONE in my class has already had some French! Well uh, what are you doing in Elementary French 1! I keep wanting to pronounce things in the Italian way also. In Italian, every letter gets pronounced; in French, it seems like you just drop off half of the letters. Haha, oh well. I've done well on quizzes so far (we have one every day, ick!) but we have our first exam on Friday! I've labeled everything in my room in French! There are little sticky notes attached to all my things and clothing, telling me what they are in French. Eh, it sounds silly, but it certainly helps me!

Lately I've become enamored with thrift shopping. I go through little spurts where I'll want everything BRAND NEW, or I'll go through little bouts where I just love sifting through all the thrifty goodness at the thrift store! I've been to ours twice so far, and managed to pick up some old sheets, which are going to be refashioned into a quilt, some popsicle moulds, and some shirts! I'm now on the search for things for my apartment for the fall: cups, mugs, plates, etc. Ooh, and also things for my room, like a cute little lamp, light, pillows, shelves, anything!

So that brings me to trading! I've been trading a bit lately, and I think I maaay be addicted, haha! I joined a trading street team, but I thought I would mention it on my blog too! I have a box full of fabric that I'm trying to trade away. I just don't sew as much anymore. So if you're interested (you can take a look at my shop too if something there interests you!) send me a convo at the shop address. I'm interested in trading for vintage home items, hand made soap, and photographs/art/prints right now!

Alright everyone, that's bonsoir for now! The rain certainly has kicked up in the last couple of minutes, and I've got to get back to conugating verbs!

Monday, June 1, 2009

Hola!

Hello everyone! Just a super quick update, I don't really have much time today. Oh homework and school, you're ruining my life!

I am now offering hand spun yarns in my shop! Along the side of this post so you can see a few of my favorites, but don't forget to check out my store to see all of them! I particularly love (and am proud of) the one directly to the left, called Super Fun Yarn Explosion. It's spun from 5 different mini batts. I'm pretty proud because it's my first yarn spun from a batt. I have another beautiful, green batt waiting for me in my 'To Spin' box, but I simply haven't had time to draft it all out :(

So, I have an uncanny ability to kill all living plants around me. I don't do it on purpose, but I can't seem to keep any plant alive :( My poor, potted herbs. I was gone over the weekend, and I thought they'd be able to make it. I watered them right before I left, but they were pretty dry when I got back on Sunday.

So I watered them as soon as I could, but um, now there's some kind of white residue on the outside of my terra cotta pots. And there was a teeny bit of mold growing on the bottom of my pepper plant's pot (say that 5 times fast!). I figured that the white residue on my other pots was the same kind of mold or spore and was seeping through the terra cotta. Questions: will this kill my herbs/plants? Are they okay? How do I get rid of it?! Any help you guys can offer is much appreciated!

I'm also in the middle of an experiment with my plants. I'm document the stages of their growth. Out of the 13 plants on my windowsill (I have a large windowsill!), I've picked 4 plants to take pictures of as they grow. I'm fascinated by the way the plants change and their leaves get bigger and they get taller and bear fruit, etc. So I've taken pictures of these 4 plants every single day to show their growth. Towards the end of the summer/beginning of fall, I'm going to take all of the pictures and put them into a slide show in iMovie and the fastforward it, so you can see an entire summer of growth in a mere 5 minutes! It's going to be really cool, I'm sure :]
Any way, that's about all the time I have for now. I need to get busy reading my cultural ecology book, reading an online article, cleaning my room, finding a job, and rolling change! Oh, and a nap. I definitely need one of those!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

In an attempt to be healthier


I have bought a bicycle! And fruit! Yaaaay! I hardly ever eat fruit, but I'm planning on changing that! I had a nanner for breakfast today (nanners=bananas) and I'll have another tomorrow for breakfast! I plan on using my bike to ride to the local farmer's market on Saturdays when that starts up (ooh, this weekend, I think). That's the exact bicycle I bought (pictured) though mine has a few dents on the fenders. I think brand new it's $170 (yeesh!) but I found someone selling theirs on Craigslist (my new favoritest thing ever) for $130, but I offered $110, and they accepted! They were very nice and let me come try it out first. I'm very short and it's pretty difficult finding ANYTHING that fits me, let alone a bicycle. So the nice guy let me ride it around the parking lot for a bit and adjusted the seat for me (it's on the lowest setting right now). Then he helped me get it into my car and everything. How awesome!

I took the bike out for a ride for the first time yesterday and I was not expecting to hurt so much! I haven't ridden a bike in yeeears (probably since I was 14, and I'm 21 now :\ ). But I want to be healthier and I want to use my car less. Everything in town (I live on campus in a college town right now) is pretty close by, so there's not really a point in using the car, but walking is too far and boring! So voila, bicycle! But yeah, my legs started to hurt after about 20 minutes, and my butt got kind of numb. I have to go to the post office today, so I'll try it out again. I'm determined to ride my bike for a bit every day until my legs get stronger!

Speaking of the post office, we have a winner for the giveaway! I know, I know, signing up for the giveaway ended a WEEK ago, but I've been extremely busy moving from dorm to dorm and with finals and family stuffs (excuses, excuses, I know!). And the winner of my lovely hand spun yarn is...drum roll please...

Rosalie of UglyBaby! Yaaay! I hope she really enjoys her new yarn. Also, her stuff is really cute, so make sure to check out her shop!

Well that's all for today folks! My boyfriend left his phone charger in my car while moving, so I've got to head for the post office and send it home to him ASAP! Have a great weekend! I'll be spending mine at a fiber festival in Wooster, Ohio!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

GIVE AWAY! WOOOO!





Alright guys, in celebration of 100 views of this blog (though I have a sneaking suspicion that most of those views are mine :\ ) I'm giving away this ball of yarn that was hand spun by me! It was my 3rd or 4th try at spinning, and I'm really proud of this yarn! It's made from merino wool, and is approximately 51 yards long. It's a pretty even yarn, though it is a little thick and thin in some places! The colors remind me of a sunrise, including pinks, oranges, and magentas :]

You have one week before I pick the winner of the giveaway! All you have to do to participate in the giveaway is to comment on THIS blog post (I won't count comments on other blog posts) before next Thursday, May 14, 2009. Make sure you include a link to your Etsy shop or an e-mail or somewhere I can reach you. I will then put all the names/emails/Etsy shops into a hat and draw out the winner!

So get posting, and good luck!

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Busy busy bee!


Oh my goodness. Isn't that just one of the most beautiful yarns you've ever seen? I think it's gorgeous, and it's seriously making me regret my yarn diet. I just want to touch this yarn so much. I LOVE the colors. I'm a big fan of bright colors, and this just makes my head spin with happiness (hah, spin!). You should all check out this shop: SpunRightRound. I noticed earlier today that they had hearted my shop on Etsy, so I checked them out (as I do with all the shops that heart me) and I fell in loooove. Not only is their name awesome (you spin me right round baby, right round, like a record baby, right round round round!) but the colors in their shop are AMAZING and all of the batts, rovings, and yarns are drool worthy. Please check them out if you have a spare minute or two!

Sigh. My yarn-it, however, is not going so hot. I finished my Celery Hat. Another failure! I wanted a loose beret kind of thing, but ended up with this huuuuge hat/bag/floppy mess thing. It's pretty funny. I'll be posting pictures of it ASAP. I've been hung up so much on school lately, so I haven't had much time to knit or come up with new project ideas for my stash. It's the end of semester (even though I'll be going right into summer semester) and I've been frustrated with some of my classes this semester. I have a huge project due on Monday and have had to change my direction with it several times. Ugh. I'm just so ready for all these classes to be over. I'll be so happy to have some leisurely classes during summer (although I'm not really sure Calculus can count as leisurely). The only thing I'm not looking forward to during the summer is being jobless. I REALLY need a job, but no one around is hiring. I'm just looking for part-time work. Anyone in the Cleveland area want to hire a great employee/personal assistant/hard working student for the summer!?

I have finally received all the batts I ordered a few weeks ago, and they're gorgeous. I can't stop looking at and feeling them. Ooh, and one of the sellers threw in a little extra bling. Yay! :] I gotta say, one of my favorite things about buying from Etsy is when sellers add a little personal touch to your purchase. Whether it's throwing in a little freebie or simply writing a thank-you note (which is what I've done so far), it's just lovely and totally makes my day, and also makes me more inclined to buy from them again! But seriously, it's my goal this weekend to spin a little bit of yarn. I have several batts, and then I ordered about 8 ounces of plain, undyed merino wool because I'm going to spin it and then try dyeing it! I've never dyed anything before so this should be *interesting*! Haha, I'm sure it will turn out great, I have high hopes!

Let me just so, I am SO grateful it's Thursday! My favorite day of the week! I have Bones, the Office, and 30 Rock. Plus the bf doesn't work tonight and I get to hang out with him, AND tomorrow is Friday. We're going to see the new Wolverine movie for my friend's birthday, and then out to the bars for a quick drink for my other friend's birthday! And then my roommate is going home on Sunday so I get the room to myself for a whole day :] It's gearing up to be a great weekend!

I've been craving a doughnut for about 2 weeks now, and I'm FINALLY going out to get one now! So have a fun and safe Thursday night everyone!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Hat Failure #1



So, this is my failure of a Jade Hat (named for the color, not a design). It may be really difficult to see (what with my horrible picture taking skills and all) but the hat is actually resting upon my head. I have to yank it really hard for it fit on my head. If someone has a 10-12 year old, and think it might fit them (I really have no idea what age child it would fit) they are welcome to have it. Oh, and I just noticed that the color of the hat totally matches my eyes. That makes it so much worse that it doesn't fit :(


Okay, I think that when most people go on a diet of any sort, there is at least one time early on where they falter. And folks, I have faltered. Hard. I'm not sure if it counts because it's not *technically* yarn, but I have been buying up batts like it's going out of style. Somewhere along my yarn-it I must have decided that since I couldn't buy yarn, it must be okay to MAKE it. Hmm, I must have been sleeping or something when I came up with that because I don't really remember thinking that. But somehow, I justified buying several different batts from several different shops. I have gone on a batt buying binge. And what am I going to end up with when I'm done spinning it? More YARN. Sigh.


One of my other goals of my yarn-it is to spin all the rovings I already have (though I bought more, what the heck!). So here are the two yarns I spun last week. I'm really proud of the first one. It doesn't have a name yet, but it's merino wool and 51 yards long. It's the most even yarn I've spun, though it's still a bit thick and thin in some places. I must've psyched myself out for the second one because I thought spinning the first one was sooo easy, and this one didn't come out as well. It's still pretty even, but has a lot more thick places than the first. Also nameless and merino wool, this one is 42 yards. They are the longest yarns I've spun!


I think I'm going to give away that first yarn in a giveaway for this blog. I'd love to know if people were interested in winning it, so drop me a comment. That's all for me today, so I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Yarn-it, Day 3


Okay, so I didn't blog yesterday. I was going through horrible yarn withdrawal. Headaches, the shakes, irritation, you name it!

Today will be a real test of my yarn-it. I have to go to the *bum bum BUUUUM* craft store, where I will surely be tempted to load up my basket with all kinds of yarns and knitting needles. Now that I think about it, I DO need some new needles. NO. Nothing new related to knitting. This is my vow. Sigh, all I need to get is some ribbon and a foam paint brush. But we'll see :\

So I finished my Jade Hat. It was the first ever hat I made without a definite pattern. I kind of just made it up as I went along, especially the crown decreases. Buuut, I didn't realize the hat would scrunch up so much when I decreased it, so it ended up much too short. Instead of looking like a beanie like I wanted, it looks and fits more like a yarmulke, which would be fantastic if I was a Jewish man (although the yarn is a wool/acrylic blend, and isn't it unkosher to mix different types of fabric like that? I could just be making it up though. Any hoo...). Pictures of the ridiculous looking hat soon to come!

I have, however, started a new hat, this one also pattern free! I'm making it with cotton yarn and with big eyelets, because I don't know about you guys, but I have bad hair regardless of the season, so this hat will be meant for summer. And the yarn is a yummy celery color (dangit, now I want some celery and peanut butter!). I've already had to unravel this hat twice now, so it looks like it might end up like the Jade hat :\ BUT I am using yarn that was already in my stash for it! So yaaaay, 1 yarn down, 298356792356 more yarns to go!

I got my third sale on Etsy a few days ago! Yaaaay! In celebration I'm going to be doing a giveaway soon. I started spinning yarn a few weeks ago, and I finally spun a yarn that is decently even and I managed to get more than 20 yards on the spindle! So pictures of that yarn soon, and details of the giveaway!


And lastly, I love that picture at the top. I may not be able to new yarn right now, but I can always haz new lolcats!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Yarn-it, Day 1

Today is the first day of my yarn diet (or my yarn-it as I call it). As suspected, I have a huge itch to go out and buy hordes and hordes of yarn. Sigh :(

I went through my stash this morning and packed it into three categories: yarns I have ideas for, yarns that I bought because they were pretty but have noooo idea what to do with them, and wtf why did I ever buy these yarns.

My biggest problem is that I buy some really nice, expensive yarns, and then I am TERRIFIED to use them! I'm afraid that something will go horribly wrong with my wip, or I'll end up not loving the fo, and then I've wasted $18.

But I can't help it.

I go into a yarn store and I'm just in heaven. All the bright colors exploding at me from every angle, not even knowing where to look first. I run my fingers along all the aisles, individually feeling every single yarn that catches my eye. Then I make sure no one is watching me, and I rub it on my face to make sure the yarn feels nice. And every time I pick up a yarn, it's a struggle to put it down. I know that I can't put EVERY single skein I pick up into my basket, but oh so want to. I go through about 50 questions to myself before I decide whether to buy the yarn or not. Do I need this yarn? What will I do with it? Does it go with any other yarn I already have? Don't I own another colorway that looks exactly like this? Where will I put it? Should I start using my roommate's bed to store yarn on? But overall there's one question that trumps every other question I have: do I WANT this yarn? And the answer is always YES. I want the yarn. Sigh. About 1/4 of the time, the yarn ends up in my basket, then I bring it home, and it ends up in my stash, unused, but certainly not unloved.

So today is the first day of me trying to use all those lovely yarns that at the time, I decided I had to have or I would explode. They've all sunk to the bottom of my baskets, waiting and wishing to become something beautiful. Now's their time!

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Time to bust some stash!


First of all let me say, this is not actually my stash. I found it when I was googling early. But I really hope that one day I have a HUGE room in my house dedicated just to yarn!

But seriously, my room is starting to look a bit like this, and when I live in a tiny dorm room, there's only so much space to shove yarn. I have it packed into my closet, my drawers, my desk, under my bed, and even in my book bag (because god knows I don't actually use it for books!). I have yarn flowing out from every where.

So my friends, it is time. I am going to take part in the most dreaded of all words...DIET. Yes, I am going on a yarn diet. I vow to not buy any more yarn until I've used at LEAST half of my stash. I can't afford to keep buying bags and bags of yarn. I need to seriously stash bust. So now I'm asking you guys: what are some great stash busting ideas you have? I'll use my yarn for anything! I have a huge variety, and tons of colors. I was thinking of making some scarves, but I get soooo bored of plain garter stitch scarves after awhile, yanno?! Maybe a blanket? I don't know!

So gimme your ideas everyone!
Cheers,
Erin

Monday, April 13, 2009

Mixtape Monday Pt. 3!



First of all I'd like to say that I am TERRIBLE about keeping up with this blog! It's hard to find the time to update in between classes and homework and exams and creating, yanno! Sorry for the loooong time between posts!

So without further ado, it is Mixtape Monday! WOOOO! In case your download is out of order, here is the proper order the playlist should be in:

Mixtape Monday Pt. 3
1. My Guitar - Radish
2. Popular Mechanics for Lovers - Beulah
3. She'll Hang the Baskets - Cake
4. Move Your Feet - Junior Senior
5. LDN - Lily Allen
6. Days Like These - The Cat Empire
7. Holiday - Weezer
8. Jailer - Asa
9. Domino - Van Morrison
10. One Love - Bob Marley

You can upload the playlist here.

I was hoping this mixtape would capture the mood of my vacation last weekend. The bf and I went to Washington DC for the annual cherry blossom festival, and they were BEAUTIFUL! It was an amazing trip. We went to the Natural History Museum and the American History Museum. We had dinner at Wok and Roll in Chinatown (which I later found out is the building where the Lincoln assassination was planned) and we sat at the sushi bar and got some free delicious salads there :] Here is a picture of the lovely bf and I in front of some of the cherry trees:


We also went to the Japanese street festival on Saturday. It was so fun and cool. I've never seen so many people in one place. It was pretty difficult to get to one of the merchandise booths because it was sooo overcrowded with people, but we didn't really mind. I also got this orange soda drink think called Ramune, and it was the most difficult thing to open! It had a marble in it's opening that you had to push down to open. Sheesh, I couldn't open it! Thank goodness the boy could! Over all it was an amazing weekend, and it was the first trip I'd ever taken with a boyfriend! We had a great time and want to go back next year (granted we have the money to do so!)


On another note, you may want to know about the scantily clad girl at the top of my blog post! She's a character from my boyfriend's favorite videogame, Final Fantasy 10, and her name is Rikku (although I think that picture is actually from the game's sequel, FF10-2) and the first time I saw this character I was immediately drawn to her beautiful scarf. I've never dyed anything so I thought this might be a good project! It's going to be a little difficult to get the shaded coloring, but I don't mind a challenge! So if anyone has any tips or tricks for dyeing, they'd be much appreciated. I only have about 10 inches of the scarf knitted so far, so it might be awhile before I actually get to dye it (I'm using 100% cotton yarn, if that makes a difference in dyeing).

Since the last time I posted, I made 2 sales on Etsy, and I was so SO happy! What a great feeling, amirite?! I sold a scarf and a pair of armwarmers. I'm so proud of myself, and I hope their new owners love the items just as much as I loved making them!

I hope everyone had a fantastic Easter and have a safe rest of the week!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

New Books!


Ahh, spring time always makes me want to sit outside underneath an apple tree and read til my eyes fall out. Unfortunately, I don't have an apple tree :( But I do have a tree house! So today I went to my nearest book store and bought three books: one on Norse Mythology, an epic Norse saga/tale, and a book on dying languages.

So I plan to spend my entire spring break (coming up soon, thank god) geeking out with my new books and knitting. And don't you guys just adore the smell of new books? It's one of my favorites :]

On another equally geeky note, I finished my first swap on Craftster! It was really fun and enjoyable, so of course I signed up for another one right away. This one is all about science and the people who love the different sciences! Being an archaeology major, I dig (ugh, sorry for that pun) archaeology, geology, geography, chemistry, and all that other fun stuff! I'm so excited for this swap; I'm practically swimming in ideas already!

I listed another pair of glovelies in my shop. They're quickly becoming my favorite thing to knit. They're an easy way to show off some really lovely yarn, and they knit up quickly and are oh so practical, so check em out!

Also, everyone please enjoy the Viking Kitty at the top. HE DEMANDS YOU TO! Haha, I thought he was cute :]

Monday, March 16, 2009

Mixtape Monday Pt. 2!


Hey everyone, welcome to Mixtape Monday Pt. 2! I hope you enjoy today's playlist! Again, the songs don't show up in order, so here is how the track listing is supposed to be:

1. Life Is (Super) Sweet - Cara Beth Satalino
2. Sweet Pea - Amos Lee
3. Young Folks - Dawn Landes
4. The Boys Are Too Refined - The Hush Sound
5. You Don't Know Me - Ben Folds ft. Regina Spektor
6. Los Angeles, I'm Yours - The Decemberists
7. Wildwood Flower - Reese Witherspoon
8. The Charging Sky - Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins
9. Valerie - Amy Winehouse
10. Love Me Like the World is Ending - Ben Lee

I'm in love with this week's play list, so if you download it (which I hope you all do!) drop me a message and let me know what you think! You can download it here.

Also, yesterday I made my first ever sale on Etsy! I'm so excited and can't wait to send it out (have to wait til I can get to the post office)!

So far this week is off to an amazing start. I aced a chem quiz, had mac and cheese and a corn dog for lunch, and finished my work super early in my computer class. I had an amazing Monday (which usually doesn't EVER happen) so hopefully the rest of the week follows suit!



The photo at the top of this post was taken by mkendall. Isn't it just dreamy? I love it! Check out some of her work at her Etsy shop by clicking the link, she has fantastic stuff!

Friday, March 13, 2009

People, who need people


are definitely NOT the luckiest people. I know, I know, I should love my fellow man, but sometimes they just make is SO difficult. My New Year's Resolution was to be nicer and judge less, and I've honestly been trying, but it's just so hard.

I'm taking some particularly difficult classes this semester, and the one I'm having the most difficulty with is Chemistry. Needless to say, I spend a ton of time in the study lounge. The other night, I was up to my eyeballs in chemistry calculations, getting ready to pull my hair out, when two girls walked into the study lounge. They were chatting to each other, which was the first distraction. I ignored them and went back to my limiting reagents problems. Then the one girl starts eating an apple, and the other starts with crackers. If you guys didn't know, those are probably the most loud, obnoxious foods you could eat while someone else is studying. Awesome.

Both girls proceed to set up laptops (while still managing to make a ton of noise). At this point I'm getting extremely anxious because I can't concentrate on my homework. Then, this is what REALLY gets me: both girls get on their PHONES. Okay, I can understand snacking in the study lounge, you need nutrients to concentrate! And I get setting up laptops, you might need them to do special online homework, but seriously phones?! Maybe I just don't understand how a person could be so rude, especially when others expect it to be quiet in the STUDY lounge.

So the one girl is on the phone to IT, because she can't get onto the wireless network. All while talking to the IT guy, she's making snarky comments to her friend, who is also on her phone (with her boyfriend, I assume). This girl then proceeds to have a very loud, very violent argument with her boyfriend, claim that she hates him so much, and just wants to hit him next time she sees him. Neato.

My absolute favorite part though, is that when each girl was done with their phone calls (by this time I was just glaring at them unashamedly), they just packed up their laptops and LEFT. So, no actual studying, no reading, just yelling on their phones, munching loudly, and annoying the piss out of me. Absolutely charming.

I'm sorry, I'm trying so hard to be a nicer person, but people like this just make me want to be a hermit forever. :\


On a much happier note, I landed a treasury! You can see the picture at the top (sorry it's so blurry, I'm so bad with cropping pictures, transferring them to photobucket, resizing them, etc). It's called "Who Can Take The Sunrise - and sprinkle it with dew?" The treasury is full of items that are inspired by Willy Wonka! Here's another picture for you (including my alternatives):
Again, sorry the picture is so small and blurry, but if you are interested in any of the items, just drop me a comment and I can tell you who the seller is! I was so excited to land a treasury, and had a ton of fun picking out all the items! Now I'm addicted, and can't wait to make another treasury (I've already picked out a theme, and yet again, it's based on a movie!)


So, I hope you guys all have a fantastic weekend (better than mine at least, more studying for Chemistry :\ )! Remember to check out my previous post and to download my Mixtape Monday playlist, because there will be a new one this Monday! See ya! <3

Monday, March 9, 2009

Mixtape Monday!


Hey guys, and welcome to Mixtape Monday! I'm gonna try this new thing where I post a mixtape/playlist every Monday! I think it's a fun idea. You might find something new, you might not. Oh well, I love all the music I post, and I hope you do too! Also, I really think I need a better layout for my blog, so I'm taking suggestions for that too!

Mixtape Monday: Mix 1
1. Manifest Destiny - Guster
2. The Dog Song - Nellie McKay
3. Mr. Pitiful - Matt Costa
4. Meet You In My Dreams - Building Rome
5. The General Specific - Band of Horses
6. Hold Heart - Emiliana Torrini
7. Dream - Priscilla Ahn
8. Time. It Will Not Erase Me - Lost in the Trees
9. Syrup and Honey - Duffy
10. Absolutely Cuckoo - The Magnetic Fields
11. The Only One - Ready Made FC featuring Yael Naim
12. Breakdown - Handsome Boy Modeling School featuring Jack Johnson

You can download the playlist here. I don't think the list downloads in order though, so you'll have to manually put them in order. Sorry! Also, the picture at the top of this post is from Lauren Alexander. Her work is beautiful, and this picture is so cute! It totally embodies what I'm feeling today (the hope that spring will be here soon!), so go check out her work!

Happy Monday, and I hope you enjoy the music!

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Hooked!

I am absolutely hooked, and no not on crocheting which is what I usually think of when I hear the word hook (but I am going to try that out sometime soon, too! I feel like I should really learn to crochet!). Nope, I am HOOKED on spinning! A few weeks ago I ordered a drop spindle and some roving, and I loved using it! I didn't take any pictures while I was spinning (I was too busy dropping the spindle and trying to unkink the yarn I was making!), but here are a few pictures from my process (sorry, I was having trouble putting the images into the post, so you'll just have to click the hyperlink!):


http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa95/shortern2/DSCN0748.jpg

This is my roving after I split it a few times and predrafted it. After I took this picture I ended up splitting it one more time because I felt like it was too thick. After I spun it, I still thought it came out too thickly, but everyone tells me that's how most first time yarns turn out!

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa95/shortern2/DSCN0753.jpg
Here is my yarn after it was spun when I spun it around the chair to tie it off in sections and get the yardage. I didn't even think to take pictures while I was spinning because I was too busy trying to figure the darn stuff out!

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa95/shortern2/DSCN0757.jpg
This is my yarn while I was setting the twist. I think I may have tied it into too many sections, because I actually ended up with tiny kinks in the places where I tied it with the other yarn. Also, some of the blue dye ran while it was in the warm water; does anyone know how to stop this from happening? Or is it just bound to happen when it's pre-dyed? I'd really love to try spinning some plain white colored yarn and then dyeing it, but that's another blog post!

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa95/shortern2/DSCN0759.jpg
After setting the twist, I hung the yarn up to dry, and I read that you're supposed to put a weight on the bottom so that all the twists and kinks work themselves out, and the only thing I could find to put at the bottom was a stapler! I think this was my favorite part of the process because I could finally see my final product, and I was just so proud of myself for creating YARN :] I hung it on my closet door so that everyone who walked into my room could see it right away. And I shoved it into all my friends faces and was like "LOOK, I MADE YARN!!!!" Needless to say, I was pretty excited.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa95/shortern2/DSCN0762.jpg

Here's the final yarn after I wound it into a ball-thingie! This photo doesn't really show off the color well, but the lighting in my room is horrible :\ There's about 20 yards of yarn in that ball; I couldn't seem to fit any more yarn onto my drop spindle, and I'm not sure how others get more than 20 yards! Perhaps when I end up making thinner, more consistent yarn I'll be able to make more than 20 yards! I made another, nearly identical ball of yarn, but I didn't take any pictures of it.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa95/shortern2/DSCN0761.jpg
Another view of my final product. I'm so proud of myself :] Overall I have about 40 yards of this yarn, but I'm not really sure what to do with it. It's really thick and thin, so I'm not sure it's practical for anything. I might just knit it up into a square or rectangle and frame it or something so I can always remember that first yarn I was able to spin!


So that was my first foray into spinning, and I'm absolutely sure it will not be my last! I've just had difficulty finding time to spin in the past few weeks because I've been absolutely loaded with homework :( Another orange-y rose-ish colored roving came with my drop spindle, so I want to spin that up soon, plus I still have a few pieces of roving left over from the blue roving. I also ordered two more rovings from a shop on Etsy, but I haven't gotten them in the mail yet :(

On the knitting front, even though I currently have all those projects listed in the right hand column on needles, I started two more projects instead of working one on of those :\ I'm pretty sure I'm not happy unless my projects table looks like complete chaos!

Ah well, off to knit and spin right now! Have a great day!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

New Blog!

Hey guys, thanks so much for stopping by my blog! I just started it, as you can tell! I hope to be adding much more soon, so please check back often for updates.

To visit my Etsy store, check out this link: www.blacksquirrelknits.etsy.com
I hope you find something there that you love as much as I do!