Pollyfoofoo

LuLuBell

2012-01-29T12:22:00.000-05:00

I needed to make a little something special for a birthday friend. Who couldn't do with a little fairy godmother? From Kajsa Wikman's adorable "Scandinavian Stitches" book, I found this darling pattern. I had no tulle for the wings, no tiny beads for the eyes, and no polyfill stuffing, but one of the most challenging things about homecrafting is making do with what is on hand. I'm not the most resourceful person, but found some scrap organza that worked fine for the wings, I did a simple stitch for the eyes, and used some scrap wool/pillow stuffing to fill her up. I tossed in some dried lavender for good measure.

There is something particularly "spiritual" -for lack of a better word - about making dolls. I've made a few, and it's not only that they come to life as you are piecing them together, their little characters materializing before you as you go, but if you listen closely to them, they'll tell you if they want a bow in their hair or a flower. They'll tell you if they want flowers on their leggings or stripes instead. They'll tell you if they would like to hold something in their hands or be free. Most of all, they'll tell you whether or not they want a little heart stitched on their butt.

LuLuBell and I have become fast friends, but her home is somewhere else, and she'll be very happy there.

Finished Jovie Hat

2012-01-16T22:28:00.003-05:00

Phew! That took a bit of doing but it was worth it. So many lovely cables. I want to use these honeycombs in other projects.

WIP Update Jovie Hat

2012-01-08T19:36:00.001-05:00

After 6 inches of K1P1, I'm into the cables. After the first set, I realized that one of the 6-stitch cables goes right to left and the other goes left to right. I'm not sure if this was intentional with the pattern, but I'd like for the cables to be symmetrical (the honeycomb cables on the hat are symmetrical), so I'm going to frog back and change one so it matches the other, and keep them that way for the rest of the hat.

Frogging back to fix a cable mixup like this is a bit frightening. If you run into something like this, Yarnharlot has this spectacular tutorial on how to fix them.

Honeycomb cables:

6 stitch cable leaning R/L

The other 6 stitch cable leaning L/R

Wish me luck!

WIP Jovie's Slouchie Hat from the move "Elf"

2012-01-05T11:49:00.001-05:00

Getting a skein ready to make Jovie (from the movie Elf) hat. A very kind person by the name of Megan Ortmann replicated the pattern from the film and posted it on Ravelry for free here. Isn't that sweet?

Lots of cables and my first pompom-to-be (and what an impressive pompom it is!)

Wish me luck!

Mason Dixon Washcloth/Dishcloth

2011-12-27T15:10:00.000-05:00

From "Mason Dixon Knitting", by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne. These two ladies are so funny, and their books are full of lovely patterns and inspirations.

I had a skein of Lily's Sugar n' Cream cotton worsted, so I took an idea from their book - the washcloth - and inserted a locally, homemade soap in it, tied up with ribbon. A tidy little parcel gift.

Right side:

Wrong side:

Insert soap and ribbon:

Tidy tidy!

peace

2011-12-25T00:01:00.002-05:00

Did another Tiny Owl Knits Cowl

2011-12-22T13:58:00.000-05:00

Like my needles? Yes those are corks on the ends. I needed size 7 for gauge and I didn't have any straights, so I pulled out my DPN's and corked them. I had tried using the DPN's straight up but the cowl is wide enough that it kept falling off the ends. Thankfully the corks did the trick!

I'm guessing needle point holders would work the same way - ? But I don't have any.

In progress...

Another lovely skein of Manos del Uruguay....

Bobbles!

Finished.

Hot water bottle cover

2011-12-22T11:04:00.000-05:00

Oh how I love Misti Alpaca Chunky! So soft and squishy and warm. "Buttery soft" is how Yarnmarket describes it. If you've never sunk your hands into a skein of Misti Alpaca Chunky, you're really missing out on something good. Perfect for a hot water bottle cover for my neighbor.

I had some in my stash. I'm not sure how much I used but it was more than one skein. Maybe about 1 1/2 skeins.

I found the free patten here. Very easy. I knitted an i-cord (nice how-to video here on youtube) for the tie instead of a crocheted chain.

I didn't completely sew up the bottom seam in case her bottle has that little tab at the bottom like mine does. The bottom seam was done in overcast stitch on the right side. I had a little trouble with keeping the beginning and the end consistent. One corner is kinda rounded, the other kinda pointy. It bothers me but I couldn't seem to re-shape it. I suppose blocking would do the trick, but I really don't have the time. I seriously doubt anyone will notice except me.

It is SO SOFT! I wish i could show you in squish-o-vision.

I've only got a few more things to make for the holiday, and I'm running on schedule. This Christmas has been the biggest handmade Christmas ever for me, and I'm really feeling pretty good about it. Go handmade!

One fulled pot rest coming right up!

2011-12-19T13:49:00.003-05:00

Another Christmas gift to chalk off my list!

I wanted to make a nice fulled (we often misuse the term and say "felted") pot rest/pot holder for my dad.

I knitted garter stitch one 12 x 12 square of Manos del Uruguay (gorgeous!!!!!) wool yarn. Color: Eclipse. Size 10 1/2 needles. 40 stitches across and kept going until 12" long. I didn't use up an entire skein. I'm guessing I used 3/4 of it.

After washing 3 times in a pillowcase (hot water with soap, side-loading washer) along with tennis balls and my regular laundry, all the stitches were closed up tight, all the woolen fibers nice and locked together. Aaaaahhh, I LERVE wool! The final dimensions were 9" wide by 8 1/2" long.

Here is the remainder of the ball along with the post-fulled pot rest. See how lovely the colors blended together? Very painterly. The yarn is heavy worsted weight, but you can see that is is thicker in some parts, thinner in others. I do like that, but of course, once you full it, you don't see that difference anymore.

I'm blocking it because I'd rather it be a bit more symmetrical. I do like the 'organic' look, but for this gift, I'd rather it be more squared off.

(Look at those pins! I'm a messy blocker. But it gets the job done!)

Who's paw is that?

I love how cats talk with their ears.

Tiny Owl Knits Bedknobs and Broomsticks Cowl

2011-12-18T10:24:00.001-05:00

Not sure if you know of TINY OWL KNITS but if you don't, I highly suggest you check her out. She's got the loveliest patterns and is oh-so-sweet.

Here is my rendition of her "Bedknobs and Broomsticks Cowl"

It is knitted flat, and joined when finishing. This is how it looked before I joined the seams - with the mattress stitch, which was new to me and a really tidy way of joining:

This is how it looked when I finished it. Also, this is why I don't take pictures after dark. My camera STINKS!! Please ignore the overexposure and look at the lovely pattern:

I love the microbobbles! They're so bobbly! I like how the pattern alternates between bars and bobbles.

Made with one skein of Jiffy by Lion Brand, color: El Paso. Acrylic- very warm and good for those who find wool uncomfortable on the skin.

A very nice gift and a very fun project to knit. :)

Mom's Christmas Gift

2011-12-12T16:06:00.003-05:00

I finished the cable scarf a couple weeks ago, but it got set aside for some well-needed blocking. I've actually never had to block anything before, so I was dragging my feet. I had to buy some stainless steel pins first, too. Well a couple days ago I soaked the scarf gently in warm water, rolled it up several times in a towel, and then pinned it out onto a mattress. I would not go through all this extra stuff if I didn't need to ("finishing" items is not my favorite part), but the cabling had scrunched the scarf up so much into itself, that the beauty of the cables were hidden. I wish I took a photo to show you the "before", but I forgot.

Anyways, I unpinned it this morning and it looks really good. Here is the "after":

The blocking made a world of a difference. It has a professional look now, and a beautiful drape. I have grown very fond of cables, and look forward to more cabled projects. Indeed, it is not as complicated as I had imagined it would be.

You have to be careful who you knit for.

2011-12-03T11:55:00.002-05:00

That's the thought I've come up with after much ruminating this morning after a knitting/giving/donating fiasco that left me feeling very hurt and unappreciated.

Perhaps other knitters, crocheters, etc., that may come across this post can tell me how they deal with this sort of thing. I take knitting very seriously when I am crafting a gift for someone. I put a lot into it, as I believe one should. It's like cooking a wonderful meal for company - it's personal, it's a little piece of yourself, a caring and giving sort of thing.

I've had a busy week and maybe I'm over-sensitive right now because I'm very tired. This is what happened: I stopped by my library last week, to return some knitting books. The librarian excitedly suggested I knit something for the silent auction, and she gestured to a table that had some items on it. Crafts, made by locals. "When's the deadline?" I asked. She said Saturday (which is today).

So, this very busy week of mine was spent doing everything I had to do, and then working on knitting a pair of fingerless gloves. Fortunately I already had the pattern and the yarn from my stash. I could not start working on it until mid-week, and then had to frog it because I made a big error. Suffice it to say, I was up til the wee hours last night (this morning, really). I really wanted to do this. I went to bed late, got up after 4 hours, and this morning - the day of the auction - I finished the work. I was weaving in ends an hour before the library opened.

But I made it in time! I wanted to meet the challenge and be part of this effort to raise funds for the local library, to have my work share the table with other local people's work, to have people take a gander at what I made and say "Hmmm. Maybe I'll bid on that. I kinda like it."

So I package it up pretty with a care tag, and off I go. It was 15 minutes til opening time but I wanted to get there early so they'd have plenty of time to do whatever little arrangement needs to be done. This is a small town, mind you, not the Guggenheim, so I don't need to tell you that my jaw dropped when the librarian (a different one from the one earlier in the week) told me "Aw, you're too late."

"But I just finished them this morning!" I was too tired to be angry. I was just plain confused.

"It looks pretty, too." She said, casting a sideways glance, "There's no more room though. The table is filled." I was trying to form a sentence, but she was already into her work, checking in some books. I mumbled, "Maybe next year-", but my words didn't match my feelings, and she wasn't listening to me anyways. I felt thoroughly dismissed and rejected.

My thoughts were falling apart due to lack of sleep and working with a tricky pattern, and suddenly I felt so hurt that I could not think at all and just had to get out of there. I did a quick look at the table - surely there could be a space somewhere on there to set a pair of gloves - ? There was a lot of stuff, but room could be made, I mean, c'mon! Some items were even draped over the chairbacks around the table. Besides the fact that I was told I had until Saturday to donate-? But I was too hurt to argue, and if she didn't want these lovelies, then she could go fffffffffly a kite!

The pattern is from "Alterknits", made with Manos (so love love) hand-dyed wool yarn. They are rather plain on top in the stockinette stitch, but the eyelet pattern underneath forms holes to draw lovely, girly ribbon through. Which reminds me, I went out of my way to get ribbon for this project! Grrr.

First Cable Project

2011-11-12T14:28:00.001-05:00

I'm working on a scarf for Christmas. I saw the pattern on the pbs show "Knit and Crochet Now!" You can find the free pattern from season 1 (you have to register on their website, so sorry but I can't just give you a direct link to the pattern.) It's from show #105 "Cables Made Easy". This is the knitted cable scarf. They also have a pattern for a crocheted cable scarf.

Cables are easier than I had anticipated! I'm really enjoying making this. Once I'm done, I'm hoping to start making up some simple patterns of my own for more cable-y projects, like cowls and wrist warmers, etc.

(2 balls Moda Dea yarn. Color Raspberry)

My first gusset!!

2010-12-24T13:21:00.000-05:00

Well I have completed my first gusset ever! Woo hoo! I had been avoiding glove patterns that had thumbs because I was intimidated by them, but i found a free pattern for manos silk blend yarn, so I gave it a try. It's beautiful yarn. The gusset felt a bit awkward with the M1L and M1R, but I referred to some helpful youtube videos to help me along (it's always easier once you see someone else doing it. written instructions are often confusing), and it all worked out.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Finished Fingerless Gloves

2010-12-06T18:32:00.001-05:00

Here they are. One more Christmas gift complete! I think I've mentioned it before, but it is the "voodoo wrist warmer" from Knitty.com, and a very pleasant project.

I have had trouble in the past with having tight binding off. (I also tend to do a tight cast on, but doing the cable cast on seems to help with that.) I found the following method as a good alternative which leaves a very nice raised edge and is very elastic. It is also described as being a good bind off if you are going to be stitching at seams.

See the nice stitch this bind off makes.

To bind off:

K2tog through the back of the stitches. You will now have one stitch on the right needle. Slip it back onto the left needle and K2tog with the next stitch, into the back of the stitches as before. Continue this way until just one stitch remains, then break the yarn and thread the end through the loop and pull up firmly.

Get yerself to Craftland!

2010-12-04T12:55:00.001-05:00

If you're in the Providence, RI area, I suggest you check out the 9th annual craft show at Craftland. One of my friends and I visited two nights ago and found many lovely handmade items to be had! We got there when things were fairly quiet, then it got swamped! It was nice seeing such a huge turnout. They had everything there from prints to textiles to ceramics and more. So many goodies!

The blurriness! My camera sucks.

I need Santa to bring me a new camera this year.

Free Owl Calendars at MY OWL BARN

2010-12-01T22:25:00.003-05:00

Check out the adorable owl art at Shivani's blog My Owl Barn !! You get to design your PDF calendar the way you like it. IT'S FREE! Pass it on.

Falling Leaves Scarf Project: Finished!

2010-12-01T11:53:00.002-05:00

Whew! Never before have i cussed so much while knitting. This yarn, though undeniably beautiful, is light as air and very hard for me to manage. I don't think I'll be rushing to make another lace item, that's for sure.

But I have to say, I learned A LOT from knitting this scarf. Now I can do YO's and K2tog's and PSSO's in my sleep. Repetition is key in learning, and I think these stitches are in my memory banks forever now. And at first I could not understand the pattern - that is, I couldn't read it and understand what would result. At some point, after all the repetition, I understood what was happening. It was really neat.

Falling Leaves Scarf

It sure is beautiful, if I do say so meself. The color of this yarn is stunning, and it is so squishy and poofy and fun to touch. Even better, that's one less thing I have to buy for Christmas! My mom is gonna love it.

See the leaves falling? Ahhn.

Mr. Biddles hard at work

Falling Leaves Scarf

2010-11-01T14:28:00.002-04:00

One of my first projects for Christmas - a scarf for my mom. I saw this photo/pattern and just knew I had to try it. It's so beautiful!! It's from Judith Durant's Luxury Yarn One-Skein Wonders. Not only am I determined to make homemade gifts for the holiday, but also to be frugal while doing so. This pattern uses a yarn that is priced around $12 per skein, which would be costly if I were to use a scarf pattern that required 3 or 4. So, here will be a scarf made from beautiful fibers (mohair and silk) and is still affordable.

photo of the example in Judith Durant's book

Hopefully mine will look like this one from the photo in the book, but in cornflower blue (Douceur et Soie is the yarn name). My mother is blond with blue eyes and this blue is close to her eye color. I think it will be very pretty on her.

I've never worked lacey stuff before, and I'm finding it very frustrating working this yarn which is as light as air. I'm not a very graceful person, so working such fine yarn makes me feel like I've got big meaty hands and that I'm knitting with logs instead of needles. I switched from my lovely but long Brittany needles to my short DP's for easier maneuverability. The scarf is narrow enough to stay on the DP's fine.

Another project I'm working on is felting a couple of wool sweaters I bought on the cheap from Salvation Army and sewing at least one pair of gauntlets out of them. I think I will take the scrap leftover and toss together a blankie of some type for biddles because he just loves napping on my pile of felted sweaters!

An Improvement

2010-10-31T16:29:00.000-04:00

There was something missing on the latest gauntlets, so I did some picot edging today around the cuffs.

A little bit of edging goes a long way - so pretty! It also helps prevent that curling at the corners that you get with crochet.

Hello little ladybug!

Patternless Crocheted Gauntlets

2010-10-28T14:31:00.002-04:00

I just winged it with some lovely wool yarn on these gauntlets. I had made a scarf, then frogged it, then wondered if I could whip up gauntlets without a pattern. It took some doing, but for the most part were easy. I combined single and double crochet and sometimes crocheted into the back or the front of the stitches for some additional texture. I left the hand part loose and therefore the tips curl a bit. (They look uneven in the photos but these are symmetrical for the most part.) These can be folded back upon the wrists, or the "v" can be placed anywhere around the wrist. I'm very pleased! They're super warm and one of a kind.

I like being brainless while crafting. There are some wonderful patterns that I want to try, but there is something so therapeutic about just knitting/crocheting without counting or marking. I think this is why I enjoy making scarves so much since they are basically a big rectangle.

You can see Mr. Biddles finds crocheting very therapeutic as well.

Trying out the new updates

2010-10-26T21:01:00.004-04:00

I'm liking these new updates on the ol' blogspot. They've certainly made some nice improvements. I always was frustrated that the photos were relatively small (and i could not figure out how to alter via html!)

A while back I ordered a "miniature tiny mustache pick" from the loveliness who is called "The Small Object". (Here is a listing on her Etsy shoppe.)

What you do is hold it up to faces when you take their photo, and due to a trick of the eyes, it "looks" like they're wearing a mustache.

Well, upon receiving, I of course had to try it out on Mr. Biddles. Apologies once again for the fuzzy photos, but my camera sucks and the one that I really want costs a bazillion dollars.

Surprise!

Handsome fella.Poirot-puss?

I'm really making an effort this year to craft presents for the holidays. Some people you just have to buy conventional things for, but if I can make something for someone, then that's what I'll do.

So I've got some projects lined up. There are so many awesome ideas out there on blogs and in craft books that it boggles the mind, but I think I've narrowed down a few prospects and I will try to post photos soon.

Torn sheet basket

2010-01-24T09:15:00.007-05:00

Inspired by a rag-rug pattern, I tore up a flat full-sized sheet into one long strip that was 1- 1/2" wide. It was a bit of work tearing that up! I was going to crochet it into a seat cushion for my rocking chair, but thought better of it - I think it might be rather uncomfortable to sit on this surface. So it has wound up being turned into some sort of container/basket. We'll see how large it winds up. I love this crochet hook - it is massive! I don't even know what size it is, lol.

Finished!

2010-01-23T15:20:00.007-05:00

At last. Boy, this stitch took me quite a while to master.

( I posted the pattern here.)

The scarf is approximately 4 1/2" wide and nearly 67" long. I would have made it a bit wider - I like wide scarves - but by the time the width became evident, i did not want to have to frog it again. Besides, that would have made it shorter and i would not have liked that.

It's a very pretty stitch. I'd like to use it again now that i've got the hang of it. I must say though after this project, i'll be happy to crochet for a while!

I bought a Schacht Cricket Loom!

2010-01-23T14:00:00.000-05:00

It won't arrive in the mail for another week or so, but i am looking forward to receiving it and learning how to weave. I did a lot of research on which loom to buy, and my head was swimming with information. There are so many options out there! Ultimately I decided on this loom, which is small and modestly-priced. The people on Ravelry were fantastic in helping me decide!

Wish me luck!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2009-12-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

Little Herringbone Scarf - WIP

2009-12-21T20:30:00.014-05:00

It's official. I am only creative in the colder months. I have finally picked up my needles recently after nearly a year of not knitting anything! Yikes! It is very clear to me that the quietness and isolative (is that a word? it should be) qualities of winter are highly conducive to crafting and knitting.

Here goes:

I saw this scarf and its pattern at a LYS and just had to give it a try. One side is all purls, the other is this little herringbone pattern which is just lovely to look at. But allow me to say - this one has been a BEAR so far! I've started it and frogged it several times, ranting and cursing, and finally seeking help from aforementioned LYS ("Knitting Treasures" on Court Street in Plymouth, MA and they are wonderful there!) Now I think I've got the hang of it. Phew!

Made with Manos Del Uruguay yarn- one of my fav's- 2 skeins, size 11 needles (but I don't have size 11 so I am using my 10 1/2's). I love the uneven-ness of the yarn, so you will see a slight variance in my stitches as the yarn randomly gets fatter and thinner.

Now I'm a "tight knitter", and with this pattern I have had to be very aware of keeping my stitches loose. Just FYI if this might apply to you.

Here is the pattern:

Cast on 30 stitches.

Row 1: K1, *sl 1, K1, psso, but before dropping the slipped stitch from the left needle, knit into the back of it*, until you have one stitch left, K1.

Row 2: P2tog, do not slip the stitches off the left needle, purl the first stitch (the one closest to the tip of the needle) again, slip both stitches off the needle*.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until you run out of yarn.

Bind off. Weave in ends.

And here is the sweet little bear mobile I bought from the very excellent ememem on etsy. I could not resist purchasing him, and he brings me joy. Amongst the treasures he is carrying, there is a little prism which sends sparkles across my kitchen. It's the little things, you know....

Happy Holidays to All...

Moved!

2009-05-21T09:15:00.005-04:00

I nearly thought I'd never post anything again, and it still will be some time before I have any creations to share, but I have moved recently, and the long chore of unpacking has begun. I will try to get back to regular postings, but I really don't know when that will start at this point! Wish me luck! (Mr. Biddles is doing very, very well in his new home!)

Ruffly Scarf - Done

2009-01-14T12:59:00.005-05:00

Yay! It's done!

Oh it's so pretty! And warm!

I love the contrasting strip of stitches down the middle for the length of the scarf.

And it rolls up into a neat woolie cinnamon bun!

Current WIP - Ruffle Scarf Pattern

2009-01-10T08:22:00.009-05:00

.

It's so undulating!

I found this lovely wool, hand-painted yarn and got a free pattern for the scarf at a LYS after I saw their sample scarf. I thought it was such a lovely pattern, very organic, and in colors of blue and green would be very aquatic. It's a hard scarf to 'model' so please excuse the pics.

I'm probably going to use the whole skein, which I believe is over 400 yards. I just think it looks nicer the more that can be left draped across the torso. The pattern uses a lot of yarn, of course, with all the ruffles. What I had not known until I got this pattern is that you could make ruffles so easily while knitting. I always thought of ruffles as a crocheting possibility but not with knitting.

Here is the pattern.

Ruffle Scarf
Materials 350 yards of yarn
Needles: size depends on yarn of choice. Choose one size larger than what the yarn calls for.
Directions: Cast on 20 stitches.
Row 1: Knit 8 stitches, turn.
Row 2: Knit 8 stitches, turn.
Row 3: Knit 6 stitches, turn.
Row 4: Knit 6 stitches, turn.
Row 5: Knit 4 stitches, turn.
Row 6: Knit 4 stitches, turn.
Row 7: Knit all 20 stitches.
Repeat rows 1-7.
Save enough yarn at the end to bind off.

That's it! Easy peasy.

And here is Mr. Biddles on the computer. Literally.

And my latest favorite pic of him. Ehhhn.

Just in case...

2009-01-08T20:17:00.005-05:00

I had fun taking the "Is your cat plotting to kill you?" quiz.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T18:58:00.003-05:00

Finished Amulet Bag

2008-12-21T06:47:00.009-05:00

I felted the amulet bag by hand last night. It really wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I used a small basin of hot water with a little wool soap, and I scrubbed the bag with a crumpled up plastic bread bag for 30-40 minutes. A good workout for the arms and hands! I did some shaping after I rinsed to keep things symmetrical as possible. This morning it was completely dried.

I'm pretty pleased with it. I think the only thing I would have changed about it is maybe having knitted it smaller. I'm thinking about adding a loop and a button - wooden or shell to keep with the natural, organic look.

Tough taking pictures in natural light today, but here it is:

Mr. Biddles! D'oh!

What's that tail doing in my picture? Sigh.

I really love how the colors blend. Manos del Uruguay yarn - have I mentioned how much I love it? If you look hard you can probably see there several spots where it felted in a way that almost looks like french knots, all twisted and curly. I'm happy about that because it adds interest and dimension.

Just a reminder what it looked like before felting:

It was still snowing this morning. Hi Crow!

SNOW!!!!!

2008-12-20T10:07:00.005-05:00

We got some serious snow overnight, and it is still snowing.

So pretty...

This tree looks familiar.....

Ah, there he is:

Tufted titmouse enjoying some seed:

Cascade.
Knitted by candlelight last night during the power outage. Here is the amulet bag, pre-felting. Looks pretty horrible, doesn't it? LOL

Felted Amulet Bag

2008-12-18T13:01:00.012-05:00

I'm making my first venture into felting (well, felting on purpose). It's going to be a gift so I hope it comes out ok.

Hopefully (fingers crossed) it will come out looking something like this:

The pattern is from Judith Durant's recent book. I'm really loving this book so far. Nice projects and what's really cool is they are arranged in the book by yarn weight. I'm a big fan of short-and-sweet projects and this book is chock full of really nice ones.

I love Manos yarn. I just love love love it. Beautiful to work with and the most gorgeous colors.

Most projects almost always teach me something new and unexpected, as this surely did. I didn't realize you could make a tube by knitting on DP's and slipping stitches. I was a little perplexed when I started the pattern, then when I saw the tube magically growing, I said, "WHY didn't I know about this trick before???!!!" It's pretty nifty, I'll tell you.

I just need to bind off and make the cord. I'll keep you posted.....

Let's check in with Biddlepants.

A-ha. He is doing his eggplant impression.

Hi cutie!

Aaaah. Nappies. Zzzzzzzzz.....

Cookies Cookies Cookies

2008-12-15T20:26:00.016-05:00

Ok so I've been on a roll lately. I love cookies. They are little pieces of art. Don't cookies make people happy? They make me happy, for sure. So fun to make, even if it is a lot of work. Christmas gives me the perfect excuse to make a mess of cookies. I planned ahead which ones I wanted to make, wrote up an ingredients list, and have been slowly working away at it and putting them in the freezer. The ones that need to be iced (like the chocolate trees at the bottom, and the sugar cookies I'll be making later this week) will be thawed out and iced Christmas Eve Day.

Here are the latest. I have used my shortbread mold. The tricky part is getting the cookie batter to fill in all the design. You can't tell if you managed to do that or not until after the cookie is done baking. Next time I use it, I'm going to experiment a bit to see what is the best way to do this.

The mold:

Slap that batter on a greased mold:

Pat it down with your fingers:

Poke the top with a fork. (I forgot this step once, and it didn't seem to make a difference, fwiw)

It is done baking: (I sprinkled a little raw sugar on it before it baked.)

Let it sit for 15 minutes or so, then flip it and hopefully it will pop right out. I only had trouble once because I forgot to re-grease the pan (lightly with olive oil), but it didn't give me a hard time.

See the indentations where there shouldn't be?

Ah well, still pretty and yummy!

I made ginger shortbread, lemon shortbread, plain shortbread of course, and orange spice shortbread. The recipe for shortbread is so easy and well - short - that just changing the flavoring ingredients is all it takes to alter the recipe.

Then I made chocolate cookies. Lots of cocoa in these babies! YUM! Ah the sun is setting on the trees. A fun day of baking.

Mr. Biddles was close-by to supervise. See how excited he is about all the cookies?

Yup. It's a tough life.

Springerle Molds for Speculaas

2008-12-12T10:38:00.008-05:00

After reading about these cookie molds in a recent Martha Stewart magazine, I was so captivated by their beauty and texture (and history) that I had to give it a try.

I bought the molds from House on the Hill. The really cool thing about these molds are that they are replicas of molds from as late as 500 years ago. They even leave in the 'imperfections' of the originals for a true copy.

The recipe I used was the one they supplied with the molds, although you can find many recipes online for Speculaas. Here is a nice informational about the history of Speculaas.

So last night I began baking, and had a blast. The aroma from the mingling of spices is truly intoxicating. I wish blogs had smellovision. Just imagine citrus, cocoa, cardamom (which is a party of aromas within itself. If you have never smelled this spice, I suggest you get to your grocers STAT), mace, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.

Low light is my camera's handicap, so please forgive the poor quality photos:

The 3 molds I have. The house is my favorite.

A poinsettia cookie before baking:

MMMmmmmm! A tray of cooling speculaas!!

One very important thing I learned. See the cookie on the left? See how much clearer the imprint is? That is what happens if you put the molded cookies in the freezer for 20 minutes before putting them in the oven. A critical step, I'd say, and one I will be sure to do in the future.

Again, cookie on left was in the freezer before baking. Big difference, isn't it?

I love these houses. Have I mentioned that yet?

House speculaas!
I sprinkled some sanding sugar on them. It gives a slightly sparkly effect, without being gritty.

YUM!!!

Earthy Fingerless Gloves

2008-11-24T12:49:00.006-05:00

New gauntlets for a good friend of mine. Superwash merino from Etsy seller "Fearless Fibers".

Lovely colors - the more you look the more you'll find.

Chazz cares not for such things.

After making the previous stockinette gauntlets, I learned that this K2, P2 style is much better. It hugs the arm more, and doesn't slouch.

Worry Vase

2008-10-23T09:28:00.005-04:00

I started taking pottery classes a few weeks ago. This is my favorite piece so far.

I found throwing pottery to be a great deal of fun - and very therapeutic. I could just zone out and mess with the clay on the wheel, and turn off my worries of the day, which is saying a lot for an obsessive person like myself. I made this vase on a particularly bad day. It's nice to see that it didn't detract from my work - perhaps it added to it?

One of Two

2008-10-21T11:15:00.006-04:00

I've finished one of the fingerless gloves. I'm going to keep these for myself!

Lovely colors, and wonderful soft and warm superwash merino. Bought from the same seller as the Tartan wool, and I've just done a simple stockinette stitch with a little k2,p2 border on each end.

and checking in with Biddlepuss:

enjoying the lower angle of the southern sun.

=^.^=

Tartan Fingerless Gloves

2008-10-09T15:26:00.009-04:00

A friend of mine wanted gauntlets to match her tartan. I sent color samples to this fabulous etsy-seller Katie who dyed a skein of her lovely merino wool to match. The colors came out perfectly. The yarn was wonderful to work with and both my friend and I are very pleased with the results.

Plus, you can see, they have also received approval from Chazz the orange kitty.

I used this "Voodoo" pattern from Knitty.

Poofy kitty tail!!!!

Way Cool Green

2008-07-16T17:12:00.011-04:00

I made the switch to reusable grocery/shopping bags a while back. This movement has certainly gained popularity very quickly to the point where every major market seems to have their own version of them.

The bags I am happiest with are ones that do not have a store name on them, ones that are practical and can be good multi-taskers.

I am very pleased with the ones I bought from Lehmans. Extremely inexpensive and they have a feature I have not seen on any others: Hooks that grab onto the sides of the shopping cart and hold them open while you shop/pack! I find these are excellent especially when shopping at a chain where they give you the hand-held scanner. That way, as I go, I scan the product, drop into my bags, and there they stay until I get home.

Here are the ones from Lehmans. (go to "more views" and you can see them modeled in a shopping cart). Lehmans has a lot of other very cool things as well. I have had excellent luck dealing with that company.

What I couldn't find until recently were some good-sized produce bags. These are so cool. I just received them today. Check out the super-duper recycled packaging!! I AM SO IMPRESSED!

Inside the bags are wrapped in tissue for protection.

And here they are. Inexpensive, well-made, lightweight (1 oz.) and just plain neat. Perfect dimensions for fruits, veggies, nuts, etc. Nice drawstrings to keep stuff in. Look at the retro design! They are from www.baggreen.com, or from her etsy shop of the same name. A+!

And of course, Biddles gets to sit on the newspaper after. (bad lighting! sorry)

Oh Mr. Biddles you cutie-pie.

Bit of a Dry Spell

2008-07-04T07:44:00.008-04:00

It's that time of year again. The heat and humidity of the summer always renders me dry of creative juices.

However, something is percolating. I'll keep you posted as things develop.

In the meantime, enjoy the 17 year cicadas if you are lucky enough to have them in your area of the country. It's been super fun watching them hatch and grow, and hearing them sing. I'll miss them when they're gone.

I got a pair of really cool t-shirts from a nearby screen printer, celebrating the arrival of the cicadas.

Mr. Biddles does not care for such things.

Cloths and Collars!

2008-05-12T22:00:00.016-04:00

Washcloths/Dishcloths/Whatevercloths - Made for my mom for mother's day. I had fun making them all frilly!

I love these colors. Kinda old fashioned.

This would be nice for a teapot.

This organic cotton is so soft and lovely.

I love picot edging!

In other news, Mr. Biddles got some new collars from this great seller on etsy. They have the coolest fabrics to choose from, are super helpful and make a terrific product. They use the breakaway collars, which is the only kind I will put on Biddles, just to be safe.

They make collars for poochies too!

I sent them pictures of Biddles in one of his new collars, and they put him on their website!!Squeee!!!!

Here he is sporting their "Hottie/SpottieDottie" collar. Very becoming, yes indeedy. Good colors for Mr. Biddles. He is so gosh darn good at accessorizing!!

"mmmm. so happies."

" i like sunnies on my tummies and warm stones on my backsies."

"my new collar is very comfy. see i can still stretchie."

.

Amigurumi of Consiquince

2008-04-20T12:55:00.012-04:00

Okay - a little background information.

Years ago, one of my dearest friends introduced me to the often-misunderstood fruit called Quince. This odd little fruit became an inside-joke between us, sparking a plethora of word games (like in my title, for ex).

Anyhoo, I modified a pattern from my amigurumi book. I think it could use a little tweak here or there but basically I am satisfied with the results. Quinces are often misshaped but basically look like a cross between an apple and a pear. This might look a little too pear-ish but I can't bear frogging this little cutie to satiate my inner perfectionist. This is part of my friend's housewarming gift and he is going to love it!

Does anyone remember this book? It took me forever to figure out what the title was when all I could recall was something about "bunnies going down the road" to go visit "old man toad". Finally I found it - I grabbed a second-hand copy. Such a cute little book. I love the story and the detailed pictures.

i love how the little girl has her own toy stuffed bunny. (see way over to the left) And the mom with her hat and high heels.

A toad would wear a vest and smoke a pipe, no?

I love the mole with the shaw, apron and slippers.

home is indeed where the heart is.

Washie Wash and WIP

2008-04-10T15:41:00.006-04:00

My current WIP is going to be a baby's hat. I am using a lovely naturally-dyed organic cotton yarn by Mirasol called Sampa. I like crocheting (and knitting) in the round but I am having some tricky moments with the 'ruffle' factor and the 'beanie' factor. I've been adjusting as I go. I'm not using a pattern for this so wish me luck! I'm using some guidelines by the wonderful "yarn harlot" Stephanie Pearl-McPhee in her book "Knitting Rules".

My last project was 4 dishcloths/washcloths for part of a housewarming gift for a friend. All the same Mirasol Sampa yarns.

These two are simple single crochet:

This one I alternated single with half double for a little design:

This is a single crochet but only grabbing the front of the "V"s instead of both of them. This creates a line or ridge in your project. I have found it also allows the fiber more give, more stretch.

I did a little edging on this one.

I would have made them frillier - putting picot and shells around the edges, which I was dying to do but they are for a guy so I had to resist.

Happy April

2008-04-01T10:46:00.003-04:00

.

Mr. Biddles says happy April and doesn't he look cute!

Confession and Current Prodge

2008-03-26T11:58:00.011-04:00

I'm a yarn snob.

There. I've said it.

Some knitters say they are knitting snobs, some crocheters say they are crochet snobs, having personal preferences and seeing knitting as the best way to interlace yarn, or crocheting as the best way to interlace yarn. I don't have any prejudice there and I like both knit and crochet.

Me, I'm a yarn snob. I have a hard time buying average yarn, mass-produced yarn, the yarn that is sold at Walmart and Michaels and ACMoore, for example. I can't help it.

I go nutty for handspun yarn and hand-dyed yarn, local-made or made by an artisan or a community of artisans or a small company that sees to high quality and the beauty of natural fibers. Companies like Blue Sky or Malabrigo or Manos del Uruguay and the unnameable, numerous small companies that produce wonderful yarns from natural fibers.

I go to local yarn shops (LYS) - privately owned - the equivalent of mom and pop shops where you get the best service, knowledgeable and caring attendants, and top-notch products. The LYS's are where you find the best yarns. It is almost always more expensive as far as money goes, but the quality of whatever you are making and the luxury of handling such good yarn while you are making it pays off endlessly. Quality beats quantity. Plus, you know you are helping to support the crafting community all the while.

That being said, now I will get off my soapbox and show you my current project. I will use the term "prodge" for "project" from now on, because it is silly and makes me giggle.

This is my first excursion into the daisy/star stitch in crochet. I really like how it looks, although this is not the best type of yarn to see the design. This yarn was chosen by the recipient of this scarf. I, being a yarn snob, would be hard pressed to choose yarn like this. It has acrylic and poly in it. Metallic threads are often itchy although they look pretty. Ok, enough snobbery.

Pretty colors.

See the pattern of stars?

Soft n Fuzzie Cowl

2008-03-26T08:19:00.007-04:00

Originally this had been a scarf. It is a skein of angora and a skein of ribbon. I now wish I had a before/after picture. I had made it for my mother before I started this blog. The scarf was made on large-ish needles and the ribbon would snag during every-day activities so I had her give it back to me so I could take a good look at it and see if it could be frogged.

You know how these natural fibers can felt/full naturally from friction sometimes so I wasn't sure if it would frog easily. It did - well, fairly easily- so here it is. I turned it into a cowl on smaller needles - (well, size 10's are small for me!). It turned into a beautiful, soft and squishy and stretch, incredibly warm cowl which can be also worn as a hat.

I did the binding off for the first time in a different way to maintain maximum stretch. The typical bind-off was not stretchy enough so I pulled it back and did a search in my books for an alternate bind-off. I found it in "Teach Yourself Knitting" which has been a very helpful book.

1. knit two together (k2tog) through the back of the stitches.
2. slip this stitch you just made back to the left needle.
3. repeat.
4. continue until one stitch remains, then cut your yarn and pull it through the last stitch to secure it just like you normally would for the universal bind-off.

At first I was like "huh?" and it seemed so weird, but after a few tries it made sense and it left my bind-off with equal elasticity as my cast-on, which made it a perfectly symmetrical cowl. Very pleased am I and my mother loves it!

Happy Easter

2008-03-21T19:45:00.004-04:00

What could this be....

Why, it's Lil' Miss Bunny!

From "Knitted Animals" by Anne-Dorthe Grigaff

It's still a bit chilly so she needed a scarf.

But Spring is right around the corner so she needed a flower for her ear.

Lil' Kerchief

2008-03-20T18:24:00.008-04:00

I set out to make a beanie/skully for a young daughter of a friend of mine but the yarn I had did not work with the pattern very well so I knitted a little kerchief for her instead.

The pattern was straightforward, from Debbie Stoller's first Stitch'n Bitch book. I wanted to girlie up the edges so I did a crochet picot around the sides. It amazes me what a difference a little decorative edging makes.

Sans picot:

Avec picot:

I debated on using the picot across the top as well but it didn't seem like the right thing to do so I decided against it.

I used Blue Sky Alpaca's Silk which is 50% alpaca and 50% silk. Very nice drape and indeed silky to the touch. Color is Guava #145.

Kerchiefs are so darn cute. I hope she likes it!

Bebeh Hat!

2008-03-09T09:52:00.014-04:00

Stuffie kitty will have to demonstrate. I think square hats are so cute. Oh baby is going to look so adorable in this!!

I love these colors. Mirasol Cotanani 60% Cotton/40% Merino Wool. Lovely yarn to work with. I made this baby hat for my good friend's little boy. I followed the "Dots" pattern in "Itty Bitty Hats" by Susan B. Anderson but I did a little improvising and made stripes. I did this on straight needles and then stitched up the seams on the sides. I have learned a lot from this little hat. I will never make a square hat this way again - next time I will make it in the round. That way the only seam to stitch is the crown. Much easier and possibly more comfortable to the wearer.

I even like the WS, which I usually don't like that first row where the next color is added on. I think it is because these colors are so beautiful together. There are 4 different colors I chose.

The edge is seed stitch, which i so much love.

Beautiful colors!! Have I mentioned how beautiful the colors are? Have I? Have I??

BTW, I also saw in the bookstore Susan B. Anderson's other book, "Itty-Bitty Nursery", and oh lordie there are so many adorable patterns in it that I nearly keeled over.

Love at First Swift

2008-03-07T10:17:00.001-05:00

I finally broke down, after years of winding skeins by hand on the backs of chairs, and I bought a skein winder. This is a luxury item, folks, and it has taken me forever to justify buying one.

The effects were immediate. I have been winding like a...well...winding fiend. And it has been so easy. Watching it wind slowly (I cannot justify buying a ball winder) is wonderfully hypnotizing, especially on a cold windy night by the fireplace.

This swift is terrific and I found it so reasonably priced at etsy.com. This seller was great and I received it within a few days after ordering. I highly recommend him if you are on the prowl for a modestly-priced swift.

World's Biggest Ball of Yarn

2008-03-01T14:17:00.005-05:00

I had made a shawl ages ago with my gargantuan size 50 knitting needles and although I loved all the yarns I had combined (I used a different yarn every row), I didn't like the end result. I can't even say why, I just didn't. So last night I frogged it. That was ~~awful~~ lots of fun.

I tied the ends together loosely so I could make a ball - I'll just watch ahead so I can weave in the ends as I go. I'm making (drum roll please) another scarf, yes, but this will be a Springtime Scarf! Most of the yarn is light in weight. I have no idea how this is going to turn out. This should be interesting. Those are size 10 needles.

All greens and pinks - one of my favorite color combinations. There is a bunch of different textures deeper within the ball. I'll take shots as I go...

Play by Play Sunday Sachet

2008-02-24T15:38:00.009-05:00

Okay I need to make a toy for my friend's cat. This is a cool book - good especially for people like me who like projects that won't take a ton of time or a ton of yarn.

Mr. Biddles would you like to help me knit?

.......

........

"i think not."

Okay. Well, it's a pattern for adorable sachets but I'll stuff it with polyfill and voila it will be for kitty.

DPN's can be a bit tricky, especially at the beginning. Imagine wrestling with a little porcupine. Anyhoo, off we go -

You can see one of the eyelets on this one.

Getting there....

Looking at these pics, it's funny how noticeable the change is in the lighting, lol. I began in the morning and now it is late afternoon.

Here it is finished, just awaiting the fill and ribbon. Isn't it silly?

and done! I tried the ribbon first, but since it is a cat toy, I thought it best to give it something with more strength and no loose ends that kitty might untangle or eat.

Cute, fun, and easy to make!

The sachets in the book have more of an oblong shape, being made with a different type of yarn, and being filled with a teabag of lavender. I can imagine these would make great gifts.

"when's dinner? sigh."

Cat Blankie

2008-02-20T09:13:00.005-05:00

Finished crocheting the cat blankie for my mother's new kitty. I experimented with popcorn stitching. The shell edging has given it a nice ruffle. It's cute and girlie and perfect for a sleek little black female kitty. I'm quite pleased with it. The only thing I would have done different is put the popcorn a little closer to the ruffles, in order to make the 'nestling' area bigger. She's a small cat though so this should work fine. I like making things without following a pattern. Sometimes things won't come out quite as expected, sometimes I wind up frogging entire projects, but that is okay with me.

Shell edging.

Popcorn stitch.

On A Roll

2008-02-18T13:23:00.005-05:00

Ok I think I'm all tapped out on scarves for now.

I had to knit this one - the 4 strands of yarn made it too bulky to make a long enough scarf in crochet and I did not have much of this yarn. I'm not sure if I'm right about this, but I think it takes more yarn to crochet something than it would to knit it, if you were making the same pattern. Has anyone tried that? I'd love to know for sure. With knitting, it's loops inside loops. With crocheting, it is more like knots and wrap-arounds.

I'm nearly done with a crochet-in-circle Pet Blankie for my mother's new cat. I am loving crochet. I learned how to knit first, several years back, and now that I am teaching myself crocheting, I am amazed at how much easier it is than knitting. I think there are more possibilities too. FUN!

Finished X 2

2008-02-17T08:41:00.003-05:00

Done with my crocheted funky yarn scarf. It is very warm.

I have also completed a scarf for one of my mother's friends. It's so soft.

Isn't it dreamy?

Birdwatching

2008-02-14T10:22:00.006-05:00

I love watching and feeding the wild birds in my yard. I've been feeding birds since I was a kid, and wherever I live I cannot resist feeding them. The blue jays love peanuts and they will get pretty close. I figured I'd try and take some pictures today. I do not have the best digital camera, but here are a couple shots I like.

Kinda blurry, but I like this perspective. That peanut is histoire!!!

I love the blurred movement in this photo. Birds are amazing.

I'm almost done with the funky scarf. I'm liking it very much. Ever have a hard time putting down the needles? I was crocheting into the wee hours this morning, wanting to complete it, but I finally had to stop myself and go to sleep!

I'm a fiber nut. I love these textures.

Mr. Biddles approves.

Funky Yarn Scarf

2008-02-13T10:57:00.003-05:00

What can I say? I love making scarves. I have a mess of knitted ones and so now I will make a mess of crocheted ones! They are easy and involve very little fussing about with counting and complicated patterns, and you do not need a lot of yarn to make a decent sized scarf. This is the latest and I am halfway through. The yarn is Trendsetter Yarns - Baffi. Mostly wool and a little poly. The colors are what I'd like to call beach sand and blue sky. There is some metallic gold wisps mixed in and uneven bits of fuzz which is giving the scarf an organic look which I am very pleased with. Simple single stitch crochet.

This Yarn Gives Me The Warm Fuzzies :)

2008-02-11T15:37:00.000-05:00

Ahhhhhhhh. Just thought I'd share. Too bad this isn't feel-0-vision.

I just found out last night that some yarns are extreeeeeeemly difficult to crochet. Maybe it is because I am a beginner at crochet, but maybe not. When you have to find the little "V's" to hook, if the yarn is very floofy or uneven, it seems nearly impossible to crochet properly. So out come the knitting needles once again!

Just to Reiterate

2008-02-10T21:19:00.000-05:00

Just following up on the aforementioned scarf, from the Great Scarf Incident of 2007.

The new one is on the left, of course, looking loverly and springy. The one on the right, borrowed/stolen and ruined by some fool, is the "dead" mohair.

I just thought it would be interesting to show the vast difference between the two.

I cringe when I look at the felted one.

Onto better news, I have started crocheting again. I love the colors of this hand-dyed, hand-spun yarn. I think I am enjoying crocheting more than knitting at this point. There is something very satisfying about the geometry of the single crochet stitch.

Aren't the colors beautiful?

Deja Vu All Over Again

2008-02-02T12:12:00.000-05:00

=^.^=

I have finished the "Deja-Vu" scarf. I think it came out better this time. I have made it a slight bit wider and longer. My casting on and binding off are looking more even than they used to - they used to slope in a bit and look smaller than any other part of what I was knitting, which I found extremely vexing.

I love the close-up of the fiber. Not my favorite yarn to work with but very pretty.

I love it when cats "talk" with their ears. Yoohoo Mr. Biddles...

Cutie.

Photos from after the storm last week:

"I disapprove of this snow."

"Ehhnnn."

But today the sun is back out.....

"Ahh. This is nice."

"This is nice too."

"But I also feel good like this."

"mmm. sleepies."

Catching up

2008-01-28T08:27:00.000-05:00

=^.^=

They forecasted 4-6 inches so they were a *little* off. That's okay with me. It is still windy but last night was even windier - howling wind like in the movies. I walked around this morning.

I found a stray cardinal feather (male), and thought wow am I lucky! If i find a stray feather of a wild bird, I save them. Cardinal feathers are rare. Then I saw another feather, and another. I felt sad. I knew the odds and what that meant - surely enough, I found the 'crime scene' close by. (The gray feathers in the pics are the rarely-seen downy feathers underneath a cardinal's fine red plumage.)

My guess is a hawk caught the cardinal. I had a sharp-shinned hawk in my backyard just days ago. Hawks gotta eat too, so I understand, and nature is not prejudicial, but I kinda wish it hadn't caught a cardinal. I have 12 feathers. Thank you mr. cardinal and i hope your death was quick.

I played with Mr. Biddles in the snow this morning for about 15 minutes. He really had fun but then suddenly he looked very unhappy and cold and was very content to come inside. In inclement weather, he prefers birdwatching from his hut.

I have been in a total crafting slump for months, I'm quite sad to say, until yesterday when I picked up my needles again to finish this scarf.

Aaaa!!! It's snowing!!!!!

2007-12-13T12:39:00.001-05:00

.

I love the snow. It makes everything so pretty and soft and bright. It sparkles in the light. It makes everything sound and smell different. Snow is not only lovely but also beneficial as it can be "poor man's fertilizer" depending on what time of year it falls. Snow serves as natural insulation and it shows you which critters have sauntered through your yard.

If you don't like snow, live a little - go outside, crane your neck back, and catch a few flakes on your tongue!

Welcome, snow!

.

Waldorf School Christmas Bazaar

2007-11-28T13:37:00.000-05:00

Every year I have meant to go to the Christmas Bazaar at the local Waldorf School but every year I missed it... Until this year! I am so glad I went. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Here is my bounty - not a great shot due to the light, sorry - I got a felted lamb made by the students, a music box, a wooden gnome from Germany, a wooden game from England, (can you tell I love wooden toys?), a felted flower for my car dashboard, and two adorable books by Elsa Beskow.

Here are some closer shots of Elsa's work. Though her books have been around for quite some time, I had never seen them before. I love their nature themes.

I also bought a recipe book featuring a collection of soup recipes from Waldorf Schools across the states. Here it is. You can see that Mr. Biddles approves of this book.

"I approve of this book."

He also approves of the wooden gnome.

"This gnome is satisfactory."

And it was love at first sight for Mr. B and the lammie.

"gimmie kiss"

Felted flower and perfect pawsie.

The usual suspects:

More Sun Modeling

2007-11-07T09:58:00.000-05:00

I went to the kitchen this morning and found Mr. Biddles sunbathing. He looked so sleepy, toasty, and melty (that's a word, isn't it?) that I had to take some pics.

BiddleBelly!

Bunny feet!

The Sickening Thud

2007-11-05T13:54:00.000-05:00

No, I do not believe that is the name of another Lemony Snicket book.

If you are a bird lover, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you are not a bird lover, I am referring to the sickening sound that is heard when a bird mistakes the reflection of a tree in a window for a real tree and they fly to it. Sometimes the bird flies away in confusion, sometimes the bird dies from injury.

I've been feeding birds since I was a kid, and this is the only house that I have had problems with bird/window collisions. Fortunately I have not seen evidence of any of these collisions here resulting in death, but I am not one to tempt fate. I bought the window clings that are supposed to divert birds but they are not working for me.

I hope I have heard my last thump. I found this product called CollidEscape. Please note ordering and/or getting information on the manufacturer's home website is a little confusing, but when I called them to order, they were excellent. I received my roll of film quickly and have installed it very easily. It does make your view to the outdoors a bit darker, like a screen, but I find this personally to be an easy "sacrifice" if it means no more bird/window collisions. It cost the same as the amount of money I have spent on window clings which did not work, and it is sized for a rather large window.

There are advantages outside of the bird aspects as well. It allows privacy, as you can see from my photos. It also diverts the sun's glare. It is basically a window cling but stickier. It can be peeled off and removed. I rent, so this is very important to me. Unlike window clings, you can see through it.

I will definitely create and addendum to my post if I find out at some point that there are any problems with this film.

Here it is from outside after I stuck it to my window. You can barely see any reflection in it, as you can see by comparison to the side window:

Close up of the white side which faces outwards and is not sticky:

Close up of the black side which is sticky and goes against the window. (I have it peeled back from the window for this shot, so the white you are seeing through it is the non-sticky side.)

Knitting for Spite

2007-10-24T14:27:00.000-04:00

Yes, you read correctly. I am dusting my needles and beginning to knit again, and it is for spite.

You may think you are experiencing deja-vu, but be not alarmed. I have used this mohair/poly yarn before to make this scarf.

It was a present for my mother. Why am i knitting the same scarf twice? I will save you the ridiculous details and tell you the condensed version, which is that basically one of my mother's nitwit acquaintances stole my mother's scarf, used it, then returned it to her AFTER SHE WASHED IT. Not a little handscrubbing under the cold tap either. I could tell from the way it looked that this was a full-on cycle in the hot washer.

Mohair, folks. Mohair. I know you can feel my pain.

Essentially the scarf was felted/fulled, flat as a pancake and lifeless, and of course extremely shrunken.

To top it all off, my mother has a hangup about confrontations and anger, so she has buried any anger and resentment towards this nutty scarf-stealing woman. I was livid at the whole situation and reconsidered ever making anything for her again. But, of course I will, cuz after all, she is my mother. To remedy the situation, I feel I must make her another one, same style. Fortunately we had purchased 2 skeins of this yarn and I used only 1 before.

Once I give her the replacement, I think I will recycle the other one into something, if I can. It is neither happy, nor practical right now as a scarf.

October's South Sun

2007-10-21T19:19:00.000-04:00

One of the many benefits of this time of year is the angle of the sun. As it gets lower in the sky, its warm golden touch stretches further into my kitchen and dining room. Allow Mr. Biddles to demonstrate, please.

{ahem}

Mr. Biddles, would you please model the sun for us?

"You mean, like this?"

(note the dangling pawsies)

Yes, Mr. B. Thank you.

You're the best, Mr. B!

Welcome, Harvest Moon

2007-09-26T20:39:00.001-04:00

What would we do without our moon?

.

If you want to go bonkers....

2007-09-24T17:19:00.000-04:00

Try house hunting.

I have not crafted a darn thing in ages cuz all my creative juices have been sucked dry. I have been looking into buying a home for over a year now off and on. I'm tired of renting. House shopping is exhausting.

I don't like that I have been neglecting the blog lately, and I apologize to anyone who is annoyed with me for not posting regularly. Sorry! I hope things change very soon.

So, no crafts presently, but I have been cruising Etsy. What a wonderful showcase of crafty stuff. It seemed that I could not resist purchasing some small "homes" there since I could not find them in reality:

This one kills me:

Does it get any cuter? No, but here's another. Superbuzzy is another great place to shop. Here is some adorable fabric I could not resist.

It feels like I'm trying to make a house materialize by buying all these miniature representations of them. Cross your fingers for me!!

I'd like to live here:

Mr. Biddles Gets A Leaf (part of the "Gawd I Loves My Cat So Much" Series

2007-09-22T14:35:00.000-04:00

=^.^=

What's that you got there, Mr. Biddles? Why, is that a crunchy old oak leaf?

Get the crunchy old oak leaf, Mr. B! Don't let it get away!

Are you sure you want to play with the crunchy old oak leaf instead of the nice clean fuzzy mouse that cost me $7? It's right there.

Or maybe you'd rather play with the smushy cloud ball? It's not that far away. See?

"No. I just want my leaf please."

cronch crunch cronche croinch

Ok, Mr. Biddles. You play with your leaf. Whatever you want is okay with me.

.

The goofiness continues...

2007-08-25T13:19:00.001-04:00

Another silly pose

2007-08-14T20:46:00.002-04:00

What's going on here? Mr. Biddles, you silly!

A thousand apologies for being so remiss. My inspirational moments tend to evaporate quickly in this summertime heat. I have been trying out something new with a punch needle but making slow progress. Plus, I have been aggressively home-searching for my first house and having very little luck. It's exhausting!

I have recently seen a classic film called "Harvey" starring James Stewart. A fun, feel-good, warm-fuzzy movie that I highly recommend. If you like comedy of errors as I do, you will enjoy this.

Thank you, posters, for the prodding. You know who you are! :)

Mid-Summer Misery

2007-07-19T08:12:00.001-04:00

"I'm pleased that this hot summer is nearly over."

"Wait! It's only mid-July!"

Biddles and I both have a case of the grumpies. I do not fair well in the Summer, and can't help but complain about it. I can't wait for the autumn. I'm in the midst of a crafting hiatus, but I am sure the creative juices will be flowing again soon. I'll keep you posted!

Green Gardening

2007-07-03T13:00:00.000-04:00

I've been container gardening for the first time this summer. It started innocently enough with some catmint and catnip, and now I have quite a tiny and nice collection of other flowers and herbs. The soil is inexpensive - even the organic stuff, so that is great. My complaint is the cost for pots. I love the ceramic ones but they are heavy and pricey. The plastic ones, while cheaper, are still going to add up to too much if I keep up this pace. So....

I have always bought my spring water in the large containers with the spouts. (2 1/2 gallons, I think.)

Here they are, on their short end, spout facing down. I have removed the spout valve.

I cut off the "top", at about 1 1/2- 2 inches. Now I put that underneath the containers and they act as a perfect saucer for the runoff. Then I fill with soil...

Here is my coreopsis. She is not complaining so far. Nice handle too for moving around!!

And in the second container, some coneflower. These containers won't win any beauty awards, but they are not costing me any money. Danny Seo, eat your heart out!! :)

The drain and 'saucer' work perfectly. I take the runoff and toss it into another plant.

I'll keep a close eye on these to make sure there are no unforeseen problems.

After the gardening season is over, I will give the containers a good cleaning and put them in my recycling bin. Perfect!!!

Mr. Biddles approves.

Crochet - Maiden Voyage

2007-06-27T11:51:00.000-04:00

Mr. Biddles and I have been hard at work. Here it is, my "first-born" crocheted creation. I have been interested in learning how to crochet for quite some time now. There has been a flurry of recent activity on fellow blog sites on this particular craft, and that got our tails moving on it.

"Right" Side:

"Wrong" Side:

(not sure which side I like better.)

I've been accustomed to knitting so what I find the most vexing in crochet is the placement of yarn on the left hand. I am going to be working out the kinks for quite some time, trying to get just the right amount of tension. Other than that, I am predicting that - overall- crochet might indeed be 'easier' than knitting. I certainly found that to be so when weaving in ends, and being able to finish without binding off, which is very nice indeed. Ah- -and the dreaded 'dropped stitch' is not such a worry in crochet.

Action Shots:

The video clips to learn how to crochet have been invaluable to me. I have several "how-to crochet" books and they were all much harder to understand than to see a video clip of the action. There are great lessons at Crafty Daisies, and a search on YouTube brought up quite a selection as well.

Latest Japanese Mags

2007-06-13T13:05:00.000-04:00

Just a few shots of my latest acquisitions:

First book, Cotton Friend. Summer Edition 2007. 4910136250674.

The form for the little box on the right came with the magazine. I love the little extra's you get with these craft mags.

Pop-up greeting cards.

Great idea.

I love the little bag in lower right corner.

I loooooove this sweet, tiny bag!

More great bag designs.

A wonderful pattern to make cloth flip-flops.

A pattern showing how to turn pants into a cute handbag.

Stitching monogram ideas.

I don't know what these are, but I know I like them.

Next book - Cotton & Paint. 2007, Vol 28. 4910039210676.

A very cool umbrella and bag pattern.

Instructions on how to make this bookcase/shelf unit and the round cloth contatiners.

Smocking directions.

Cute bag.

Pretty curtain pattern. Looks similiar to roman shades but more sheer.

I want to know what she is saying to her kitty! Wait. Is that me and Mr. Biddles?

Another cute bag design.

Some small crochet items.

Cute, cute. These pincushions are too sweet.

Cute.

Sweet pajama bag.

Plenty of patterns in both books.

Eep! You know I love little purses!

and big purses.

Not sure what these are either, but I also like very much.

More cute bags.

And a very unusual design for a bag. Very simple.

There were a lot of chidren-oriented clothing patterns and crafts (bibs and such) which I am not interested in at this time. Overall, I was more pleased with the previous mags I purchased, but these certainly have enough to offer and I do not feel my money was ill spent. I will lean more towards "Cotton Time" and "Stitch Ideas" in the future though.

I couldn't help it.

2007-06-09T10:53:00.001-04:00

I was taking a walk this morning and saw this in one of the shoppe windows. I had to buy it. I could not help it.

I mean, how could I resist such silliness? They look like they're having a good time.

I think kitty's on for a free ride...

... but puppie does not seem to mind!

And they're both wearing shoes!! Squee!!

Modesty forbids, well, almost.

2007-06-06T10:06:00.000-04:00

A couple nights ago I was knitting in bed. Mr. Biddles was supervising. Unbelievably, my camera was within reach so here he is, in all his ridiculous cuteness. Looking at these pics now, I can't stop giggling.

What a goofball. Oh, Mr. B, I just loves you so much.

Sorry about the messy bed and my very white leg at this bad angle, but I was sure if I moved, that Mr. B would have moved too. He was so comfubuhls! I had to use the flash too, and I dislike the effect, but it was too dark otherwise.

Well, here is the end result of that night's knitfest. A simple dishcloth/washcloth, and a soap "sock". You can see the fresh, unwrapped bar in it. My favorite soaps are from Herbaria and Zum Bars. Wonderful, natural products.

Very pretty cotton yarn. I like how it feels and knits. Mr. Biddles likes how it feels too - in his mouth and between his clawsies.

Now that I am accustomed to DP needles, I am very fond of them.

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Mama Hen pillowcase

2007-06-05T09:31:00.000-04:00

.

When i saw this fabric I had to buy a few yards. I wasn't sure what to do with it, but you know when you see a certain fabric, yarn, etc., and you know you just have to buy it even though you have not a clue what it will become.

The pattern seems like it would be at home in the kitchen, but being a poly/cotton blend it is not absorbent. (I tested it.) I thought about maybe a tablecloth, but I wanted to make it as a gift and did not have her table measurements. So, after finding some perfectly complementary orange gingham fabric, I decided to use a yard to make a pillowcase. I can't believe how perfect the gingham matches - you can see there is orange gingham in the chicken pattern itself.

Please pardon the creases/wrinkles.

It says "mother hen and her chicks."

Check out these chicks!! So cute and silly.

I like this one. He's like "i'm cute and i know it."

Mr. Biddles gets a new blankie.

2007-05-31T15:33:00.000-04:00

Mr. Biddles? I think it's time we make a new blankie for your window seat. It should be cotton or linen since the weather is starting to warm up, and it should be wide enough to cover the whole seat.

By the way, you look extra squishy today. I must kiss you first and then I'll make your blankie.

I think this looks nice, Mr. B. Do you like this fabric? Cool striped linen. I'll make it double sided of course.

Well? How do you like it? Is it comfy?

Looking sharp! Don't worry, we'll keep your other blankie's for the autumn.

Sewing and Social Studies Saturday

2007-05-26T16:23:00.000-04:00

I have some "sack cloth"that I"m going to making into kitchen towels. Apparently, years ago, livestock feed bags came covered in cloth similar to this. How cool is that?! My grandmother made dresses for her daughters with sack cloth.

Ok, well, time to start sewing. Mr. Biddles is already helping by making sure the fabric doesn't get away.

Ummm, I need that please, Mr. B.

The first fabric has pretty flowers and leaves. There is some slight discoloration here and there - probably stains from being stored in wooden furniture.

This can either be a towel or a runner for a small piece of furniture. I fringed the two shorter edges.

Here is a towel with a little loop for hanging. I did this one double-sided. Mr. Biddles has to take a nap to recover from sheer sewing exhaustion.

Close-up of some serious feline napping action.

The second fabric is very cute too. I like the colors.

I like the house.

I like the windmill.

Then I noticed something. The girls are doing all the work! What's the guy doing....

...smoking a pipe and hanging out with the duck. Sheesh.

Here's another double-sided towel with loop made from the sexist fabric.

Poor overworked woman.

Small towels.

The final collection. I like the double-sided towels the most. It's nice not having to look at the "wrong" side of an item, and the loops are cool. I'm pleased.

Mr. Biddles is pleased too.

.

Raising Cane

2007-05-25T17:37:00.000-04:00

My latest endeavour. Learning how to cane.

Here is my learner's kit footstool. There are several steps involved and I only have one more to go - the binding - to hide the holes.

It was easier than I had expected, but it does get a little tricky on the diagonal.

Obligatory artsy fartsy off-center shot:

And here is a silly squirrel. What is he doing? Sunbathing? Warming his tummy? Meditating?

"Ohmmmm. Ohmmmm."

.

Tea, anyone?

2007-05-20T16:11:00.000-04:00

Finished! Very easy and fun. The hardest part is getting out the wrinkles!

This is fun

2007-05-19T21:41:00.000-04:00

and easier than i had expected. I completed my first tea towel but forget to take pics before i gifted it. Here is my progress on the second tea towel. Please pardon the wrinkles.

It's from my Stitch-it Kit by the Sublime Stitcher Jenny Hart. The kit is great - came with a basic collection of everything you need to get going. I have purchased more floss in muted colors for this towel.

This is what it looks like after ironing from a transfer before stitching anything on it. Probably kinda hard to see here, but i purposely ironed them lightly so there's less chance of showing under the floss.

Mr. Biddles was relaxing after watching the birds intently for a while.

I like this shot - he was just noticing the dangly cord on my camera. He's kinda like "barooo?"

I'm moving to Japan

2007-05-15T11:05:00.000-04:00

I just realized i did not list the first Japanese Mag i received. It's Stitch "Idees" Volume 5 (Cafe Sister Heartwarming Life Series). ISBN978-4-529-04418-9

Prepare yourself for some seriously cute craftivity. These are just a handful of the items in this mag.

I love these cute little panda purses.

This delicate pink purse makes me weak at the knees.

Sweet bibs.

Very decorative and detailed stitches on these bags.

Stitching patterns inserted in the middle. A LOT of them. They look very clear and cute.

Adorable bag. I love the detail. Little girl even has a shadow.

Little girl and bunny pillow.

Lovely stitching detail.

I LOVE these critters! I want to know what they are saying!

Adorable.

These miniature jewelry items really blow me away.

They even designed the jewelry pouch to be a larger picture of the small jewelry items. Egads! Does it get any more charming than this???!!

Sweet and lovely.

Darling stitched buttons and purse.

The bunny is cute, but check out the hairpiece on the piggy!

I LOVE THIS!

The pattern instructions look clear. In Japanese of course, so we'll see how it goes.

Can you stand it? Too cute! Baaa!

Happy little people with flowers.

Cute apron. I like the lack of depth perception.

I can't feel my left hand...

2007-05-12T21:10:00.000-04:00

...so it's a durn good thing i like how this turned out.

It's a hot water bottle cover, from the aforementioned "Romantic Home Sewing" by Christina Strutt. It's for me mum, of course, for Mother's Day. I have spent several hours today on this, at times feeling like i was going to lose my mind. I kept reminding myself "it's for mom" and through gritted teeth "it's handmade - with love! Aaargh!"

The ironing was the worst. There must be a better way than what is described in the book with the cut seams around curves. I dunno - maybe the hand-stitching was the worst. It's supposed to be a whipstitch but it looks more like whipstitch and blanket stitch spawned a love-child. Honestly, by then i just wanted to finish the project. I mean the sun was setting, for crying out loud. Mr. Biddles had long lost interest in playing with the thread.

This was much more difficult than the first project i did - the "bucket bag" from this book. That was a tiptoe through the tulips in comparison. I actually have more fabric on deck to make another 1 or 2 bucket bags. I can't say the same for the hot h20 bottle cover.

The lighting is off a bit on this fabric. It is actually a pale aqua green background - kinda vintage looking. The flowers are more coral, as well as the lining which is coral with white polka dots. I added the little heart for a personal touch.

I even considered not posting this project, since it didn't come out to perfection. That's not fair though. First, perfectionism is overrated. Second, imperfections add to a project's uniqueness, and Third, of course, the recipient will love it. Besides, one day it will be nice that i can take a look back and compare the development of my skills by looking at past projects.

I want to finish up at least one tea towel too that i have been embroidering with Sublime Stitching Jenny Hart's kit. I'm waiting for feeling to return to my left hand first, unless i can hold the hoop with my feet. I guess it's the least i can do for putting my mother through labor.

Dollar-Bill Dottie and Bucket Bag

2007-05-07T10:08:00.000-04:00

This is Dottie. She's my "first born", after years of not sewing anything, I took to my machine like a duck on a junebug this weekend. I made her without a pattern or template, with a little inspiration from Linda Kopp's Plush-o-rama, and I turned off that nasty little perfectionist that lives in my brain. You know the one - the "oh this sucks", the "this is not perfect", the "i'm not any good at this and should give up" little monster that often knocks the stuffing out of our creativity.

Instead, I embraced my mistakes and heralded any imperfections. I set myself free and I have wonderful Dottie to show for it. The first thing i did was sew the sticking-out-tongue on and i knew right then this was going to be an excercise in "take that!" to my insecurities to craft-making.

She's Dollar-Bill Dottie. She has a dollar coin - one of those new ones - in her back pocket.(Dollar-Coin Dottie didn't sound right.) While making her, i had to snicker at times - she's so silly!

I made her a matching bag. Again, not perfect, but colorful and fun, and made without a pattern. One side:

the other side

"i steeck my tongue out atchyou!"

Bucket Bag

I also made a handbag - the "Bucket Bag" from Christina Strutt's book "Romantic Home Sewing". I am very pleased with this as well. With this project, not only was my creative side sated, but the evil perfectionist as well. It's lovely and i will be making more in different fabrics.

This is what it looks like in Christina's book:

Here is mine: (it's a little floppy and hard to model. In retrospect, i should have put something in it to help distinguish its shape.)

As the pattern indicated, I used different fabrics for the exterior and lining.

I love linen. Beautiful exterior fabric:

Beautiful interior fabric. Isn't it dreamy?:

Mr. Biddles was very helpful during my sewing madness. I consulted with him on several points.

"ugh. wake me when it's over."

Finally!

2007-05-03T12:19:00.000-04:00

After weeks of waiting, i have finally received my copy of the book "Mr. Pusskins". I could not find it in any local bookstores, and it was on backorder at Amazon.

You can listen to a wonderful narration by NPR here. Catching this on my radio one day prompted me to put in an order for this amazing gem of a book.

I have now read it and i am deeply touched by this lovely little children's book. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll go hug your cat.

I feel faint

2007-05-02T09:06:00.000-04:00

Oh, happy days, my Japanese craft mags arrived yesterday. I've yet to have some comfortable time where i can sit and absorb them. This morning i thumbed through them and took some shots to show you. The fabrics and ideas are cute, lovely, and inspiring, as you can see.

I bought them here and here. Both vendors have been excellent. Superbuzzy shipped so quickly that my head spinned. Pomadour is shipping from Japan, and i chose the cheaper, slower shipping; however, she was kind enough to tell me she's coming to the states so she brought it with her and shipped it when she arrived.

Sweetest placemat (or teamat, really):

Nice little crafty nook:

I'll look into this some more. something about a story quilt, and it sounds vaguely familiar:

Isn't this adorable:

Lovely little scarf:

This sweet little bag knocks my socks off:

I would drink more if i had coasters this cute:

The weight of creativity in these mags is overwhelming. When i have the time, i'm going to make a cup of tea, nestle in my blankie on my couch and have a good long look at them. So exciting!

Here are the ISBN's for those of you who may be interested:

Linen & Cotton Vol 2: ISBN4-529-04261-8

Cotton Time 3: 4910138230377 (that is the only number I could find on the magazine but I do not know for sure if that is the ISBN, sorry.)

Bag!Bag!Bag!: ISBN4-391-62071-5

Quilting Book (not sure of the title. It is the smallest book shown in my first shot, on lower right): ISBN4-8347-6442-7

.

little things mean a lot

2007-04-29T17:06:00.000-04:00

i tackled my crafting supply closet this morning. i want to start sewing again sometime soon and had to get things sorted out first. it felt so good rearranging everything, getting my crafting books off the floor!, and tossing a few things that i know i would never use.

my dusty sewing machine was looking rather gloomy. until i sew a dustcover for it, i need to cover it with something else.

in my plastic bag full of plastic bags, i found this bag and it fit perfectly. i was so thrilled about it. clearly, i need to get out more.

so that will do for now, and my closet looks much better.

my mother is coming over for a visit this afternoon. i suppose i've been watching too many jane austen period pieces because i have a hankering for some cucumber sandwiches. they are incredibly and surprisingly tasty.

mr. biddles? will you help me make some sandwiches?

hmph. didn't think so. okay then...

i got white sandwich bread, and some whole wheat too. all else you need is:

softened organic butter (a substitution like alouette cheese is also quite pleasing. i used that on the wheat bread.)

english (seedless) cucumber

kosher salt

the trick is to slice the cucumber as thinly as possible. i suppose a mandoline would have been perfect for this, but i don't have one so i used a short paring knife. put cuke slices on paper towels for a quick pat to take away some moisture. you don't want your sandwiches to get soggy. make sure you spread the butter completely covering the 'face' sides of both slices for the sandwich. sprinkle with salt. put on the cuke slices. i found one layer sufficient, but it depends on how thick they are, of course, and what your preference may be.

cut off the crusts. cut into triangles that should be no bigger than two bites.

use a cookie cutter if you want. i used a flower cookie cutter. here are two sandwiches.

aren't they cute!

serve with tea, of course.

also had a luscious dish of fruit and cheddar cheese (cheese at room temperature, please!) yum. yum.

heart-shaped strawberries. does life get any better?

we had pastry from a local bakery for dessert. sorry, that disappeared too quickly for a photo-op. ;)

.

thank you, la

2007-04-23T11:35:00.000-04:00

thank you jenla for the lovely stitch markers.

mr. biddles is very proud to have won such a lovely prize.

"i would like to thank the academy...."

"i'll have my people contact your people."

i knitted this but wanted to knit again an hour later

2007-04-21T15:08:00.000-04:00

i've knitted a present for mr. biddles.

shhhhhh. don't tell him.

i like these books by shannon okey. they are put together quite nicely with very clear instructions and excellent how-to photos....

...and you know i had to get it since there are two patterns for cat toys. the "dim sum" contains the wonton and egg roll. i decided to make the egg roll. very simple pattern, quick gratification. me likey.

very nice reynolds yarn. the one-piece pattern is done. ready to stuff n' stitch...

i chopped up an old pair of socks to use as the stuffing. of course this would be an opportune time to put in some catnip, but mr. b doesn't care for it so we'll leave it out. {correction - he likes catnip, but only fresh off the plant.}

i found it helpful to pin the eggroll closed to hold in place while i backstitched it closed.

dinner is served! (presentation is everything.)

yoo hooo, mr. biddles?! look what i made for you cuz i loves you so much! i just knows you're going to love, love, love this new toy and play with it forever 'n ever! here you are mr. b, here is my present to you....

"what am i supposed to do with this?"

what is that glowing orb in the sky?!!?!

2007-04-19T13:43:00.000-04:00

oh, its the SUN!!

time for some sunbathing, then, i should say. don't forget to flip over, mr. biddles, for the best coverage.

time for a close-up

i could not resist my luck with another japanese craft mag. it'll be a couple weeks or so before i get this one as well. it's chock full of handbag patterns.

cute, eh?

a tad bit of rain

2007-04-18T18:56:00.000-04:00

ok, so i guess we did indeed get a nor'easter, obvo.

i have to admit i love rainy days. i love windy days. i love rainy, windy days. however, even this much gray is getting to me. and it's not over yet. the good news is though, that the odds are we'll have a nice weekend. i guess the old saying "april showers bring may flowers" is not antiquated just yet, no matter how bad global warming is.

i was taking pictures of how gray it is out there. why? not sure. they didn't come out well anyways - too darn gray? so you have been spared!

here is a cute pic from a greeting card that hopefully puts a little light in your day.

no current projects on deck just yet. i'm craft blog-surfing and getting my creative juices flowing. it's always fun to see what other people are creating. it is one of the greatest personal benefits of the web, if you ask me.

Good day for knittin'

2007-04-15T13:49:00.000-04:00

its amazing how quickly a project will complete when using large needles. i love the nearly-immediate gratification factor, thats for sure. it is a very pretty and airy scarf/wrap which will be perfect for the warmer weather, which is definitely coming despite the gloomy and cold recent weather. my nose knows. i'm sneezing more often already.

so now you know what i've been doing. what has mr. biddles been doing, you might wonder? well...

yup, rough life, mr. b.

not sure what to do next. i've still to try felting something, which for some reason i am a bit intimidated by the process. i'll probably try some embroidery - i've purchased jenny hart's 'sublime stitching' book and set which i am very interested in. mother's day is coming and i'd like to start something now and hopefully have it ready in time. (i'm not good at deadlines. i oddly rebel against them.)

now i will make some oatstraw tea (yum!) and settle in for a jane austen flick. persuasion? p & p? decisions, decisions.

Pollyfoofoo

LuLuBell

Finished Jovie Hat

WIP Update Jovie Hat

WIP Jovie's Slouchie Hat from the move "Elf"

Mason Dixon Washcloth/Dishcloth

p*e*a*c*e

Did another Tiny Owl Knits Cowl

Hot water bottle cover

One fulled pot rest coming right up!

Tiny Owl Knits Bedknobs and Broomsticks Cowl

Mom's Christmas Gift

You have to be careful who you knit for.

First Cable Project

My first gusset!!

Finished Fingerless Gloves

Get yerself to Craftland!

Free Owl Calendars at MY OWL BARN

Falling Leaves Scarf Project: Finished!

Falling Leaves Scarf

An Improvement

Patternless Crocheted Gauntlets

Trying out the new updates

Torn sheet basket

Finished!

I bought a Schacht Cricket Loom!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Little Herringbone Scarf - WIP

Moved!

Ruffly Scarf - Done

Current WIP - Ruffle Scarf Pattern

Just in case...

Merry Christmas!

Finished Amulet Bag

SNOW!!!!!

Felted Amulet Bag

Cookies Cookies Cookies

Springerle Molds for Speculaas

Earthy Fingerless Gloves

Worry Vase

One of Two

Tartan Fingerless Gloves

Way Cool Green

Bit of a Dry Spell

Cloths and Collars!

Amigurumi of Consiquince

Washie Wash and WIP

Happy April

Confession and Current Prodge

Soft n Fuzzie Cowl

Happy Easter

Lil' Kerchief

Bebeh Hat!

Love at First Swift

World's Biggest Ball of Yarn

Play by Play Sunday Sachet

Cat Blankie

On A Roll

Finished X 2

Birdwatching

Funky Yarn Scarf

This Yarn Gives Me The Warm Fuzzies :)

Just to Reiterate

Deja Vu All Over Again

Catching up

Aaaa!!! It's snowing!!!!!

Waldorf School Christmas Bazaar

More Sun Modeling

The Sickening Thud

Knitting for Spite

October's South Sun

Welcome, Harvest Moon

If you want to go bonkers....

Mr. Biddles Gets A Leaf (part of the "Gawd I Loves My Cat So Much" Series

The goofiness continues...

Another silly pose

Mid-Summer Misery

Green Gardening

Crochet - Maiden Voyage

Latest Japanese Mags

peace