Craftylilly

An answer to a question

I'm not quite sure what's going on with all the fires, but the air has been much clearer this week.  My sinuses are so much happier, and so are the kids as we've been able to spend much more time outside at the pool, parks, and playing in the yard.  I can only hope that the fires are being contained, but I fear that fires will be a worry all summer due to the extremely dry spring we had this year.

A few blog posts ago I showed a picture of a big blue bag and asked you all what new crafting toy was inside.  Many of you guessed a small loom.  Yes, I did get a loom for my birthday!  I got a 24" Kromski Harp which is a rigid heddle loom.  Fiber has officially taken over my life, my friends.  I haven't had a chance to do anything with the loom yet, as I haven't had a spare couple of hours to play around with warping it.  PQL is starting summer school next week, so I'm thinking I'll get some time soon.  I did start a subscription to Handwoven though, and have enjoyed perusing the pages. 

While RM has been at summer school, PQL and I have had a chance to explore a new fun place nearby.  In the brand new shopping area in Lafayette, a brand new retro candy shop has opened.  The store is called Powell's and it's such a fun place. They sell an amazing array of candy, and toy/joke shop items.  We found a couple of different candy to try, and I picked up a cute little pouch shaped like a Hostess cupcake.  Cute, no?

After finishing up the stole, I've been splitting time between a few different small knitting projects.  I really wanted a quick crafting project though, so I took out the sewing machine and whipped up two aprons out of two tea/dish towels I had on hand.  I used this tutorial.  I liked how they came out!  I'm going to give them as gifts to two friends of my kids.  Every kid needs a cool apron, no? 

We're going to have a family barbecue tomorrow for the 4th.  If I don't get to the blog tomorrow, let me wish all of you fellow Americans a happy and safe 4th of July.  I wish all my blog readers/friends have a restful and crafty weekend! 

Of Bacon and Bibs

I had fun reading all of your traumatizing film scenes.  Many of them I had forgotten about.  If any of you are interested in a good scary movie, RM and I just saw El Orfanato (The Orphanage).  It's a decidedly creepy movie in the vein of The Others or The Haunting. 

Speaking of things slightly left of center, take a look at the summer tote I bought at Target last week.  Who wouldn't want a pool tote with a bacon and eggs applique?  Just looking at it makes me chuckle.  The kidlets have swim lessons this summer, and this tote is the perfect size for some knitting, sunscreen and pool cover-ups.  Ah summer knitting, I'm beginning to anticipate the possibilities.  I'm thinking lots of lace, and perhaps a Cece.

And to go back to bacon for a second, have you all seen the latest Anticraft?  It's a bacon issue.  Check out this bacon scarf.  I started laughing out loud when I saw it.  I think I want one.  I've never tried double knitting.  Perhaps knitting myself a bacon scarf will be a good way to try it out and get a laugh at the same time.

In all seriousness, I finished up a couple of bibs for a friend's new baby.  This baby has been kept in the NICU for a week now due to birth complications.  My family, as well as PQL's whole preschool community have been very concerned.  I've been focusing prayers and positive energy into the knitting of the bibs.  I'm a firm believer in the power of positive thought and prayer, so if you are willing, send a little to this family.   

A plug for a podcast

If you haven't already found it, I'd like to introduce you to an awesome crafting podcast, Craftypod!  Sister Diane covers all sorts of crafts and has wonderful interviews with all sorts of creative and crafty people.  I've gotten inspired by many of the episodes.  The latest episode's theme is "Men Who Craft" and includes my own cousin, Adam.  Adam's wife, Kayte is also an extremely crafty person with her own craft blog, Love Forever.

Check it out!

The need to organize

  At this time of the year, I feel the need to organize.  I wouldn't call myself a person who likes to clean house.  I'm a person who like to make sure I have clean bathrooms, and kitchen, but dusting, and cleaning the rest of the house?  Not so much.  However, organizing and neatening I do enjoy.  Yesterday, I turned my attention to my bead stash.  When I work with beads, I try to keep my beads and materials organized, but it's inevitable that everything ends up in some disarray after a while.  So, I went through the tools, beads, and materials that I use on a regular basis and organized.  I ended up with a much neater storage system, and a rather large selection of odds and ends beads leftover from projects.  I've started collecting these leftover beads in a Viewtainer from my local hardware store.  Actually, the local hardware store is a place to find all sorts of cool things for beading.  When RM has to go there for something, I just like browsing through the aisles musing over all the possibilities involving metal washers, or brightly colored duct tape, or tool boxes.  Speaking of toolboxes, I keep all my tools and stringing material in a electrician's tool box.  It's perfect to keep all my pliers, wire cutters, needles, wire, etc. in.  It's portable too, so I can drag around all the things needed for beading from place to place.

I've also gotten to my yarn stash too, and started organizing there.  I've put up some yarn I'd like to destash up on my Ravelry trade/sell page.  I've also pulled out yarn that I'd like to work on for the next few projects.  I still have to turn my attention to some other areas in the house, but I'm feeling pretty good on the crafting organization front. 

In knitting news, I came to terms with the fact that both Simply Love socks just weren't going to get done before the end of February.  I did manage to finish one, and the toe of the second sock, but had too much going on to get the other one done.  Now, I usually try to avoid the Second Sock Syndrome by working on the second sock monogamously until completion, but I had the itch to cast on for another quick project.  So, for the past couple of days, I've been working on a string bag.  I'm using the Saturday Market Bag from Magknits with an eye on some of the modifications from this blog entry.  I'm using some Lion Cotton in the Salt and Pepper colorway, and am almost finished with the bag part.  It's knitting up so fast!  Gotta love the almost instant gratification projects. 

I've been tagged with a meme, and saw another meme that is a lot of fun.  I think the next couple of posts I'll turn my attention to blog fun.  Hopefully, I'll have a completed string bag to show too!

I've had a crafting revelation

For years, I've considered myself to be a product crafter.  I think the main reason why I thought of myself in this way, is that I really do enjoy the completed project.  I like looking at it, I like wearing it (whether it's jewelry or a handknit).  I also tend to work on one or two projects alone, preferring to see steady progress with my projects.  In general, I've fallen love with a project and wanted to make it badly, collected the materials, and did what I needed to do to make it happen.  Sounds like a product knitter/crafter, no?

I think I was wrong.  I've come to realize that I've been wrong for years.  Why am I wrong?  Well, what has brought me to rethink my product knitter identity has been my reluctance to cast on for a complicated sweater project.  I just don't want to do it right now.  I know that one day, maybe in a week, or a month, or a couple of months, I'll want to tackle the Celtic Dreams sweater in its aran glory with all vigor and excitement.  It's not today or even this week though.  I know why too.  My life has been particularly crazy this past few months.  For a variety of reasons, I find myself mentally and spiritually tired.  I crave the soothing calm that a small project quickly finished can bring me, or the meditative qualities of a simpler sweater pattern, something on the level of the Tree Jacket or the Hourglass sweater.  I want to lose myself in the stitches and not concern myself with complicated cables, new techniques, fiddly lace charts, or the oppressive hand of gauge.  I want to enjoy the process.  You know, I think I've actually always been this way.  When I was a young adult, I used to write all the time.  I wrote for the pure enjoyment of the process.  It wasn't to say that I wrote a story, or a poem, or an essay.  It was just because I enjoyed doing it.  The same goes for my crafting history in embroidery, cross-stitch, beadwork, and now knitting and spinning. 

So I guess I was wrong, and somehow, I feel more free in the knowledge that crafting and creating for me is more about the process.  It makes me feel better about the crafting choices I'm making.   It's the journey and not the destination after all.

Hand-dyeing with the preschool set

The preschool that my daughter attends is a parent cooperative.  Essentially what this means is that the parents/guardians run the preschool along with the director, and work in the classroom.  The director/teacher of PQL's class loves to bring in the crafts and talents of the families into the classroom, so for two class sessions, I brought in Easter Egg dye from last year, vinegar and water soaked off white Patons Classic Merino Wool, and lots of foam sponge brushes.  The preschoolers really enjoyed dyeing the yarn.  I think they did a fantastic job!  I'm making little braid keychains for each child, and am toying with what to do with the rest.  I have though that knitting a scarf for the teacher with the yarn might be a good idea.  Any other suggestions out there?

We've also enjoyed a couple days of sun.  It's still cold, but I'm just glad to see some blue skies after all the rain we've had.  So, sun outside means pictures of the monkeys in progress.  It's still not the greatest picture, but you can get the idea of the colors.  I'll probably be done with this pair in the next few days.  I'm still not feeling the big project love, but I was taking a closer look at the Celtic Dreams Aran, and I'm thinking that I could break up the project into smaller chunks, so it doesn't seem so overwhelming.  My brain can't take overwhelming right now.

Happy New Year! I'll have the BLT

MMmmmm, BLT's.  RM and I had the exact same craving for them today.  Luckily, I ran some errands with RR and picked up the makings.  I love a good BLT.  I'm thinking of making it a New Year's Day lunch tradition.  BLT's are a good thing, really and truly.

Here's another couple skeins of good things.  I got a PM over at Ravelry from Marianne, the owner of my favorite LYS, that the shipment of Kauni had come in.  Yep, that's right... Kauni.  So of course, I had to make a special trip over to the Yarn Boutique to peruse the Kauni lovliness and purchase some.  I bought 150 grams of Kauni in the EQ or rainbow colorway.  I also bought a cone of 330 grams of it in the EJ colorway, which is a mix of mauve, taupe, and ecru.  It's gorgeous!  I'm thinking shawls for both, but for right now, I'm just admiring it.

Now that I got my "things that make me happy today" stuff out of the way, I can share my New Year's Goals.  I'm trying to keep these as doable as possible, as I really want to try to make these goals.  So, here there are, conveniently divided into sections.

Knitting

1)  I would like to knit one sweater every 3 months.  The sweater doesn't have to be seasonal, but I'd like to increase my sweaterly choices, as I've been wearing my handknits much more lately.

2)  I would like to knit one and maybe two shawls this year.

3)  I would like to knit from my stash.

4)  I'd like to knit 2 or 3 projects from my own handspun.

Spinning

1)  I'd like to spin 4 oz of roving/batts/sliver each month, all from the fiber stash. 

2)  I'd like to spin for a larger project, maybe a vest?

Dave is planning on concentrating more on spinning in 2008 and has a cool button for anyone else who is also planning on spinning more in '08.  If you are also looking to commit more to the wheel, go get a button!

Beading

1)  I'd like to complete one larger project.  I've been thinking of a bead embroidery cuff using some art glass cabochons that I have.  Maybe that...  Either way, beading for me is a spring/summer activity, so I've got time to mull it over.

2)  Etsy.... My poor etsy shop has been sorely neglected for months.  I still have several stitch marker pendants and bracelets for sale, and of course stitch markers and row counter bracelets.  I'm not sure what direction I'm going to take with the shop.  I think I'll be noodling around with it this year.

Reading

1)  I'd like to read a book every two months.  I really miss reading and want to do more of it.

Journaling

1)  Other than blogging, which I still love to do, I'd like to write at least 5 sentences a day in a journal:  no guidelines or rules, just 5 sentences.

So, are all of these goals doable?  Yes, I think so.  We'll see how I do!  I've been reading other people's resolutions/goals for the New Year as well, and it seems that many of us have similar thoughts.  Overall, I'd just like to take the time to experience and work on my creative life a little more, and be more reflective in general. 

So Happy New Year to all of you!  I look forward to sharing a new year of crafty goodness, with some family busyness with all of you.   

Pay it forward

I've been seeing this idea floating around blogdom, but I actually signed on with TeAntae. 

So here it is!

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

So, if you want a handmade item from me, be one of the first three to comment and make a pledge to Pay it Forward on your own blog.  Come on, join in!  It's a great way to add your own positive crafty energy out there.

The kids are back in school and the holiday preparations are in full swing.  Enjoy these last few days of November.  December is just around the corner!   

Laboring over Labor Day

I'm determined to make good use of this three day weekend.  I've made a list of things I'd like to get accomplished crafting wise, and I'm not doing too bad so far.  Here's the list:

1.  Beading:  Create a custom order of lace stitch markers, 2 stitch marker necklaces, 2 multiple strand necklaces (I made one for Scout as part of a swap and am now inspired to make many more), and 3-5 sets of stitch markers all for the shop.  So far I've got both stitch marker necklaces and one multiple strand necklace done. 

2.  I'd like to finish or get within a few inches of finishing my SIL Irish Hiking Scarf.  It'll be my first Christmas gift made.  I've got two toys and two scarves for the kids still to go, Cobblestone for RM, and my MIL wants a bracelet.  Christmas is still a ways off, but the fear has begun.  I listened to the latest Cast-On podcast and heard Brenda Dayne talk about Christmas and started to get a little... twitchy. 

3.  Here's one thing I have accomplished already.  I plied and set the twist on 4 ozs of superwash merino that I got from Mama-E.  Pictures once it's dry which shouldn't be too long in this heat.  We're having a little heat wave here in the Bay Area. 

4.  I'm going to retake pictures of all my shop merchandise with our new camera.  My previous camera, the Canon Powershot SD10 does not take quality pictures.  Our new camera, a Nikon D40X is awesome.  I hope to take better pictures and perhaps get a few more people to buy my wares.  The widespread opinion of family, friends, and customers are that my current pictures don't do my pieces justice.

So what are you trying to accomplish over this weekend?  Or conversely, what are you avoiding?

Sock goodness and a meme

I've been so busy, it's been hard to blog.  I know all of you can relate.  I do have some things to share with you though.  First up, last week I received my lovely Sockapalooza socks!  My sockpal, Pam (sadly blogless), knit for me a gorgeous pair of Diagonal Cross Rib Socks designed by Ann Budd.  Pam used Colinette Jitterbug in the Peacock colorway.  I just love them!  They fit perfect, and are so pretty and squooshy.  She also sent me a lovely gold, silk small project bag from Lantern Moon, chocolate local to her area, Washington State, and a set of Bryspun DPN's.  I'm quite intrigued with the Bryspuns.  They have a nice point and are much more substantial than the Brittany bamboo circs that I have a tendency to snap.  Much thanks go out to you, Pam!  I love everything.

I also thought I'd do the little crafting meme that's been going around.  Lately, through discussions with my mother, I've been thinking about what a strong crafting heritage that I come from.  My best friend also comes from a strong crafting heritage.  It's kind of fun to see what I've been involved in throughout the years.

4. Love it! This is my thing.
Knitting, beading, cross-stitch, spinning, writing, jewelry making (wirework).

3. I do or have dabbled in it.
Designing, pattern-writing (I'd like to branch out beyond accessories), calligraphy (I'd like to learn more), music, graphic design (blogging, web design), cooking, crochet, felting, origami, sewing (I wish I could spend more time on this), macrame, dyeing, embroidery, gardening (specifically roses), lucet, rug hooking.

2. I'll give it a try.
Appliqué, paper making, book binding, flower arranging, millinery, mosaics, shibori, soap making, baking, basket-weaving, painting and drawing, pattern editing, photography, card-making, glass bead making, etching, glass blowing, lacemaking, quilting, stuffed toy making, weaving.

1. I've got absolutely no interest.
Basket weaving, candle making, cartooning, collage, balloon animal making (????), doll house making, paper-mâché, pottery, scrapbooking (I'm not good at this.), stamping, story telling/acting/stage work, straw marquetry, string art, tatting, wood carving, decorating, entertaining (I hate entertaining. Hate it.).

Speaking about my love of Spinning, I thought I'd share with you the fruits of the Tour de Fleece.  The bottom four skeins in the picture are what I actually finished during the tour.  The green is about 300 yds of light worsted wool, the blue/brown mix is another wool blend (280 yards or light worsted), the red/green/pink corriedale is 400 yards of sockweight, and the pink/gray merino is about 400 yards of sockweight as well.  All yarns are two ply.  The two green skeins on top were my warm up for the tour and represent about 600 yards of light worsted.  My spinning has slowed since the tour ended, but I'm still spinning about 3 times a week for 30 to 45 minutes at a time.  I've been doing most of it in the morning before my kids get up.  It's a good way to start the day.