Too Many Scarves

More craftiness...

I had other plans for the post following the last, but now I feel compelled to show this:

I painted that last night. Wooo!

Randy and I finally got around to trying some freezer paper stenciling and this was my first project.

I got the bag at The Gap for like, $15. I thought I'd personalize it a bit though so I don't have a bag like every else in America. Ha.

Want to see Randy's project?

He's funny. If you don't know sign language or couldn't even tell those are supposed to be hands...those are  the letters F and U.

Funny guy.

He's quite the perfectionist so he wanted to try it out on something before he made it "officially". That's just an undershirt...real shirt coming soon.

I have all sorts of ideas for things I want to stencil now. That's the way it works I suppose though. Learn a new craft and you start thinking of ways to apply it to everything.

Creativity...

Warning...picture heavy post ahead. I'm playing catch up.

I love when all of the housework has been done and I can just focus on being creative, in whatever fashion that may be that day. Sewing, knitting, cooking or baking. 

There has been a good deal of those things going on lately, although I must admit that the housework has fallen by the wayside to do so.  (If I always put this stuff off till after cleaning it would never get done. We live in a teeny tiny apartment and it gets cluttered fast. Super fast.)

If you've been following my 365, which is like, 3 of you, you already know about some of this stuff. The blog definitely has suffered since I started the 365.  It's so much easier to just upload a few pics and add a few notes than have to sit down and write out a cohesive post. 

I've been working on my version of the Chickadee Cowl. A cowl, in linen stitch, but not on size 10 needles with bulky yarn. Instead it's the Hacho yarn I got for 5 cents, which is a sock weight, perhaps, on size 4 needles.

It is taking forever. I'm thinking, you know, it's a cowl. A tiny little thing. You'd think I'd know better by now and not fall into that mindtrap. So, I carry it around in my purse so I can work on it on my breaks from work or while Randy is driving us somewhere.  It stays inside my purse in this little project bag that Katherine made for me:

No that is not underwear. That was the overwhelming response on Flickr when I posted this as my 365 pic the night I got it.  Super cute and it's got a ton of use since I've received it...and isn't that the best thing to hear when you make something for someone? So, thank you Katherine! Also, she has the neatest handwriting.

Then again, almost everyone's printing/cursive is better than mine.

I made a mini quilt just to practice some skills before I start a "real" quilt....

A close up of the fabrics:

Crazy, huh? I bought the fabric on top over a year ago. Then I saw the fabric on the bottom a couple of months ago at a store and thought, "That would look so cute as a quilt with the fabric I have at home!"  ???  Clearly, I was way off base here. I didn't have the other fabric with me and was thinking since they had sort of a common green and nature theme they could work together, maybe. So I consulted Sarah who told me, and I quote, "No, those are funky. And not in a good way like James Brown."

But here I was, still wanting to practice some skills...so I forged on. I just did one print as the front and the other as the back, no piecing together.  So, I got to practice the binding, and that's about it. Which is also, much too dark a shade of green I think. Once again, I didn't have the fabrics with me to compare.  It's been handy for when I am sitting on the couch watching tv and need a little something extra to keep my feet warm.

I made another hat...

It's another foliage, but made with mods like I did the last time. On accident. Made on the larger needles for the bulky style of the pattern but following the pattern for the worsted weight version.  I made this right after I finished the Owl sweater. I was on a red streak.

Now I am on a green streak.

I want to finish the cowl before I cast on for the second sock so I can use it as my "carry around"  project. 

I started this last week:

The Garter Yoke Cardigan from Knit.1  I think I should be able to finish this up in the next week. I'm thinking maybe some aqua blue buttons. Something to add a little kick to it.

And lets not forget one of my favorite new things:

 

I love these earrings. A little big, a little funky, totally fun.  CozyJune over at etsy made these. I'm kind of wanting the blue and orange ones now too!

I've also been baking up a storm...some muffins, but mostly bread.

Exhibit A:

 

Exhibit B:

I've made both of these within the past few days.

I highly recommend the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day book. My dad got it for me this past Christmas and only now have I gotten around to using it.  I've only made the basic recipe, but man is it easy. You make a big batch of dough, put it in the fridge and cut some of the dough off whenever you want to bake bread.   Easy peasy.

Ok, enough pics for today...but there is more to come. More crafti-ness! Oh my god...can you stand it?!!!  (Of course you can. You 2 people who read this here blog. Hee. )

Revelations!

So, the other night I had an epiphany. Actually, two! You knitter's out there should appreciate this. One, I have been struggling with a project that I have been working on for a while now. I am making another baby blanket for my friend Brenda's son, Nathan. He's the one that I made this one for.

 

Love the skull and crossbones for a baby blanket.

This one is much loved and in need of a replacement/stand in for when he goes to daycare. I'll admit it though, I did NOT want to make this exact one over. Too attention much detail that I just knew I couldn't give it right now. 

So, I was going to make four blocks of stockinette and then stitch them together in a square alternating the wrong sides and right sides showing. Easy, right? Well, turns out, I make one then don't want to start another. It's like second sock syndrome.  So I have been dragging my feet. But I had my epiphany last night.  Cast on however many stitches. Knit halfway through then purl the rest. Same on the other side continue in this fashion till you have two squares. Then change to purling the first half and knitting the rest. No seaming. Duh.

Am I missing something here or does that seem like that would work? It just seems too easy for me
to have not thought of that in the first place. 

Second epiphany: I have been wanting to cast on for the Garter Yoke Cardigan for a while now but haven't picked out a yarn. I didn't want to buy any if possible and I wanted to use what I had in my stash...but I honestly didn't think I had a sweaters worth of any kind to make it.

Wrong.

Enter Knitpicks Shine in the Grass colorway from the frogged Picovoli.  Wooooo!!! We'll see how it works out....

I hope it's gonna work out fabulously. And man do I love that color this time of year....

Weekend...

I actually had the weekend off. I didn't ask for it off...I just got it. Wooo! Quite a surprise in the retail world.

Randy and I had a whole day of fun planned for Saturday. It involved getting up early and walking around with some coffee down near the beach:

(that's also my 365 pic for the day)

going to Ikea and getting a few things like this guy:

He is our pretend dog, Chuck,  for now.

We went to back to a newly discovered Mexican food place for burritos:

(Fan, be sure to thank Fawn for the recommendation.) Yum.

Aaaaaaaaaand then we went home to watch Twilight on DVD. Hee. Randy gave it a 6 on a scale from 1-10. Totally understandable considering he's not really the target audience.

And lastly, I finally did a little work on our bedroom. It's been over a year since we moved in here and we just never put anything up. First it was 'Well, we might not leave that there so we might not want to hang something on the wall just to take it down later." Then it was "Well,  we don't really have money for that right now." So Randy got his tax refund the other day and we did a little shopping. Nothing major, just a few frames and a shelf.

Here was my desk area before:

And here it is after:

And here's the wall, now sporting some of my beloved Fillmore concert posters from my concert going San Francisco days:

I really should think about tidying up before I take pictures and post them. Oh well.

I love how it just looks so much more put together.

And clearly I have been spending more time on Flickr these days than around the blog. I was going to try to add a "note" to the picture.   Ha!

Lil Sprinkles...

A few weeks ago I made another somewhat impulsive purchase from Etsy. I say somewhat because I had been planning on making a purchase from Lil Sprinkles for quite a while now (ever since I saw these cute little dolls at the craft fair) but I didn't plan on that being the day. But I couldn't pass her up. She's holding yarn!

I was afraid that she was going to get snatched up so I went for it and now she's sitting on my little shelf in the front room.

She's so well made. Seriously. I am impressed.

Now what are you waiting for? Go get yourself one :)

Another week gone by...

So my temp job ended this past week (which I couldn't be happier about, btw) and I thought these past couple days were going to be spent getting some stuff done around the apartment, but that hasn't happened. I had the chance to pick up some extra hours at my retail job so I did...cause that's the smart thing to do.  I always think that I'll be able to come home and get some stuff done after work but that never happens. I am always too tired now. Sheesh, I must be getting old.

I guess I will just have to wait till Thursday when I am definitely off (and not coming in if they call me) to get some stuff done around here.

I have decided that cleaning is the priority. I have to clean the clutter around here before I can even entertain the idea of sitting down and doing some crafting for hours on end. I can't think straight anymore when it gets this bad around here. I used to be able to ignore it or just accept it, but no more. (Probably another example of me getting older. )

Anyway...I have some stuff to show, but it will have to wait till the next post. I have some laundry piled on the bed that needs to be put away and if I don't put it away now I am just lazy enough to sleep with it piled next to me.

I will show you some recent Etsy acquisitions. Complete impulse buys. I saw them on a blog and about 3 minutes later I was punching in my Paypal info. Whoopsie.

God, those green ones are just so fun and spring-y. I love them and am anxiously awaiting their arrival.

Oh my god, how excited am I?!

I won a prize over at Needled for my Owl Sweater! 

Linky.

Woo hoo!!!

Trip to SF

First off...thanks so much for all the Owl love! I've never made anything that has had such a huge response and I am super flattered. 

Just a few things to document the trip to San Francisco for myself here.

We decided to take our time and drive up the 101 which takes a little longer than the 5, but the 101 has outlet malls! Woo! We did a little shopping. And a little screwing around on any children toys we could find.

Randy in the car appears twice because I was short one pic and because it is that awesome.  Turns out he is much more flexible than I am. Actually, that might not be true. It might be that I was more concerned with getting stuck.

We stayed at a hotel in Downtown San Jose, right near Santa Clara where Stitches was being held. We grabbed some food nearby when I realized we were near Commuknity, a yarn store I had visited a couple of years ago. It was walking distance from the restaurant so I headed over and this is what I saw:

Ugh. So sad. It's really bumming me out to see all these businesses go under.

The next morning we headed out for some coffee at a place we had driven past the night before. (I was so scoping the area out for good coffee knowing that the hotel coffee just wasn't going to cut it.) This place did not disappoint. Oh man was it good. If you're ever in the San Jose area, check this place out.

Then it was off to Stitches West. Woo hoo!!

I did not buy any yarn. None. I wanted to, trust me...but that was not what I was going there for. I had a few other things in mind. I picked up a cute pattern for felted slippers, some circular needles and some sock blockers. Hee. I know I could have gotten that stuff here...but I just couldn't walk away from Stitches with nothing, and it couldn't be yarn. That is a slippery slope AND I am still somewhat on a yarn diet. Doing a pretty good job at getting through my stash still. Inventory will be taken again soon.

Then it was off to the city. We had to get there by 6pm in time for my haircut. I love getting my haircut by Katheen (at the Strand on Locust Street, btw). She's hilarious and we talk about music together since we like a lot of the same artists.

We had some yummy chinese food at Red Jade on Church Street. Oh how I love these sesame ball things that they bring with the check.

We stayed the night at my friend Fan's place. Also known as the cutest apartment ever. I seriously think it holds that title for me now. Doesn't it look like it is straight from a catalog or something?!

I love how everything isn't matchy-matchy but it sooo works together.

Check out the big sheep in the cabinet there. I want him.

My bedroom has never been this clean. Ever. 

Even her bathroom is cute. The picture is a little blurry (and a repeat for those of you following my 365) but check out the cute little picture mosaic.

We headed out to the Mission District to meet up with our friend Ianthe and a late lunch at Tartine (which is totally worth all the buzz, IMO) and some coffee at Four Barrels Coffee, which I found on Yelp. It was pretty damn good too. I just wish that I didn't start coming down with a borderline migraine again.  (Two Saturdays in a row now, what's up?!)

It's trips like this that make me wonder why we left SF, but you know what? When you live there you don't get to lounge around and go out for brunch all the time. That's what vacations are for. I wouldn't be surpised if Randy and I ended up back in the Bay area sooner or later though.

It was a lovely trip and thanks letting us stay with you Fan!

Here they are....

Many thanks to Sarah for pointing this pattern out to me. I may have never come across it on my own. Upon seeing it, I knew I had to make it sooner or later. Then the designer herself posted about a competition if finished it by March 1st. Looked like I was going to be making it sooner than later.

Then I realized Stitches West was coming up. Looked like it was going to be even sooner.

I cast on for this on February 10th and just 15 days later on the 25th I was sewing the buttons on.
There were obviously a few modifications. I made it short sleeved and it's made out of Cascade Sierra, a worsted weight 80% cotton/20%wool blend to maximize my use here in So Cal. 

I totally guessed when it came to gauge considering I was using a different weight yarn. I just followed the medium size instructions on size 7 needles and it was perfect. Perfect.

This color is probably best represented in this pic, kind of a tomato-y red.

I couldn't be happier with this sweater. I've realized I'm not very good at making two of something, no matter how easy the pattern is or how much I loved working on it. I just get distracted by the two gagillion other things I'd like to make. But this sweater might be the exception. Maybe a cardigan or one that stays true to the pattern.

I loved working on this sweater and seeing the owls coming along. Many thanks to Kate over at Needled for thinking this one up. (Oh, and check out her paper dolls. Oh man, I think I need to make that one too.)

Someone was walking by in the park and I couldn't help but laugh at how funny I probably looked to them.

Road Trip!!!!!

I'm off to the Bay Area for the next couple days and I couldn't be more excited.  Randy and I are taking our time driving up tomorrow (wait, today. It's after midnight), hitting up Stitches West on Friday, then seeing some dear friends on Saturday.

Oh, and the Owl sweater? Done, baby. DONE.

Pics to come soon.  See ya in a few days.