prepping beachy yarn excursions


blog [blawg, blog]
noun

  1. a Web site containing the writer's or group of writers' own experiences, observations, opinions, etc., and often having images and links to other Web sites.
  2. that which I continually neglect day after day, week after week
(And also, do people really spell "Web site" that way anymore?)

I've got nothing.  Okay, not entirely true.  It's not like I haven't been working on things.  Most of them are custom orders for products you've already seen about a bajillion times.  Other things are smaller projects that I haven't had a chance to photograph because either I'm really really busy or really really lazy - I haven't decided.  And finally, some projects are super top secret because they're gifts.

10,000 meter challenge = fail.  I surrender.

BUT...

I'm going to beach next week for our annual roasting session - I mean - vacation.  I plan on taking a project or two with me for those occasional downtimes when we're locked in our hotel room enjoying some newly acquired Dogfish Head.  It might not be the best idea to indulge in craft beer while working an intricate lace pattern, but you only live once.

And let's not forget that yarn shop I found on the boardwalk last year.  If I managed to spend $100 on yarn when I could barely stand from sun poisoning, well then, my bank account is in for treat.

I'm sure I'll have photos to post once I'm back that include - God willing - a yarn haul.  What should my theme be this year?  Last year, I went for some mohair lace yarn that matched ocean-y beach colors.  I'm thinking this year's theme should be... "insane hoarder"?

I mean, look at this mess:



That's my craft room.  Do I really need more?

Yes.

So with that said, I shall see you all on upon my return :)  Hope you have a great Memorial Day Weekend and are surviving this whacky heat wave.

officially the worst blogger ever

I think the title says it all.

Why?  Because I barely blogged last month.  I think I had one entry throughout all of April.  Dry your eyes, though, because I'm updating now :)

With what, I'm not sure.  I joined a 10,000 meter challenge on Facebook where we have to knit or crochet 10,000 meters by the end of June.  You know how much I've done?  68 yards.  Pathetic.  Luckily, I have a few custom orders coming in that will help with that number, but my motivation is lacking.

I blame it on the weather.  And also the fact I just invested in a Nikon D5200 that's been keeping me entertained.  Exhibit A:


Yes, that's my puppy and yes, he's wearing a bow tie.  We've been having fun being outside taking fun pictures together, just experimenting with my camera's features.  I only had to take 42 photos to get this frontal shot of him.

I also can't tell if I'm suffering from allergies or a wee bit of a cold.  I've felt disgusting all week and haven't wanted to indulge in crafts, so there's been a lot of reading and watching the first three seasons of "Arrested Development" in preparation for Season Four on Netflix.  Exciting, I know.

But I did get a huge box of yarn yesterday, so I plan on taking some artsy photos and updating with a haul in the coming days.

I hope you've all had a great month since my last post and are enjoying the beautiful weather that May has brought with it.  Summer is right around the corner and I, for one, am looking forward to what that will mean for my life.

finished: crochet easter bunny for mom

Remember when I posted awhile back asking you to guess what I was making?

Well here it is: a little guy that I was making as an Easter present for my mom:


Project Description: I posed this pattern on my Facebook page a few weeks ago and mother oh-so-subtly hinted that she'd love it if I could make one for Easter.  So I did!  I chose the colors that most appear in my parents' house and then added sparkle - of course - with the green accent color.

This was the first time I had ever used safety eyes.  Here's the thing: I always wondered why safety eyes were fine on toys given to children.  I thought they'd just be easy to tear out and chew on and I guess it's still possible.  But my fingers almost fell off trying to get the stupid things in.  I love how they look, though, and wouldn't have done it any other way.

PS: I got that amazingly pink feather wreath for 40% off at Michaels.  Totally worth the investment.

Yarn Used: I used four yarns to complete this pattern:
Pattern Used:  Easy Crochet Bunny - A Green Dragonfly Tutorial

Life Updates:
  • My world is a little crazy.  My mom was admitted to the hospital unexpectedly last week, so I've been trying to help out as much as possible.
  • I'm leaving for San Francisco on Friday, so I'm trying to take care of stuff around the house and need to do a crap ton of shopping in preparation.
  • Easter was really nice, even though my mom couldn't be there physically.  I got lots of candy - how could you go wrong?
That's it for today?  I'm hoping to update at least once more before traveling to Frisco - I'm excited!  It should be a great time and productive because it's work-related.  I'm planning out my travel knitting projects as we speak for optimum efficiency :)

Hopefully nobody tricked you yesterday!

my craftsy class wish list

If you follow my Facebook page regularly, you'll know that I'm obsessed with Craftsy classes.  I've purchased a few and, due to time constraints over the past couple months, haven't been able to fully indulge.

But last summer, I was able to work my way through most of a spinning class.  I didn't have much luck and I blame it on the fibers I was using.  Still, I had fun and plan to master the art of spinning my own yarn.

There are still tons of classes I'd like to take, including the smaller workshops.  Below is my wish list.  If you've taken any of these classes, let me know what you thought of them.  I need to prioritize, so I'd really appreciate the feedback :)

Craftsy

My Craftsy Wish List:
  1. Amigurumi: Design Your Monster -Learn pattern design by doodling a monster and bringing it to life. Combine body shapes and parts to create wild crocheted creatures.
  2. The Seamless Artemesia Sweater - Worked from the top down, the Seamless Artemisia Sweater features set-in sleeves, knit-in pockets and lace details. 
  3. Handknit Garment Design - Shirley Paden, author of Knitwear Design Workshop, brings her concepts to Craftsy! Learn her comprehensive yet simple process for beautiful fabric and knitwear.
Make sure to check out all of the other great Craftsy Classes by clicking here.  If you're not into the fiber arts (which - I can't imagine you'd be on this blog if you weren't!) or if you have other hobbies, there are classes like pizza making, sewing (beginners and advanced), baking, paper crafting, and more.

Have you checked out Craftsy yet?  What have been your favorite classes?  What projects have you made?  Let me know in comments - I'd love to hear what you have to say.

custom order: custom mommy/child pilot hats

I'm going to try something a little bit different for my project posts in the hopes that I'll be able to update more (and communicate clearly instead of babbling like I usually do :P).  So let me know what you think!




Project Description: These hats are a custom mother/child order for my etsy shop.  My customer, Tamera, requested pilot hats in both baby and adult sizes; over course, I was more than happy to oblige!

I hadn't made a pilot hat before, and the pattern I found needed severe tweaking for both worsted weight yarn and an adult head circumference.  I spent the better part of an evening figuring out the math and making swatches until it just worked!  I'm pleased with myself - it was actually quite easy and I'll be able to adjust the hat for a variety of sizes now.  Made-to-order pilot hats, anyone?

Yarn Used: I used three yarns to accomplish this fun zig-zag look:
Pattern Used:  Baby Pilot Hat Modified by Gerda Porter


Life Updates:
  • Fritzy ate a foil candy wrapper the other day, so Hubby and I kept a less-than-entertaining vigil for the next 24 hours to make sure he was okay.
  • I've started getting into baking doggy cookies, which I love because I've always enjoyed baking, but never kept up because I didn't want to eat everything myself - so now I can just make my dog fat!  (Not really).
  • I can't believe Easter is this coming weekend considering we still keep getting snowed on
  • I'm traveling to San Francisco in just over a week for a marketing conference/a little girl time at some delicious wineries.  I'm trying to figure out which project to take on the plane with me and might leave it up to a vote by my loyal readers :)
That's it!  Let me know if this format works for you guys.  I feel like it's more organized, so my thoughts are put together a little bit better than normal.  Also, you can skim to the areas you actually want to read.

Hope you're all having a great week and have a lot of spring projects to work on!