'Tis the Season!

Wow.... Did I really just miss almost all of November?  Ouch...  Well, I hope everyone had a pleasant Thanksgiving and is excited (or, at least, prepared) to start gearing up for Christmas (or Hanukah or Kwanzaa or the Month of Gifts, like at my house).  Also, in the spirit of this being the first of the month, I'm setting a goal or 15-20 posts in December.  And, with Christmas gifts to make, it should definitely be a fairly reachable goal!

But first, let's catch up on my past month, in twenty words or less:  1 year anniversary with the boyfriend, new fall allergies, first new winter wardrobe in over 3 years, 3 exams, and missing you guys.  (And if you don't count the numbers, it's exactly 20!)

Oh, and I got the sweetest compliment the other day (from  guy, no less)!  He saw my Fetching Gloves and said I should really make more and sell them!  Well, I didn't tell him the pattern's not mine, but maybe I'll get my own pattern and fill out the Etsy a little more. ^.^  I really enjoy making gloves, and since I realized I love working with Cascade 220 (more on that later), this could be a really fun project.

Until then, here's my Christmas gift roundup.  Let's just hope I can finish everything in time...

For my lovely mother - She's asked for a warm scarf in "her style", which is really very different from mine.   For example, she can look through a catalogue from Anthropologie for hours, but I prefer Express or PoppyPia (just discovered them last weekend).  So I emailed my brother with a few pictures from Ravelry and the Anthropologie site and made him pick one!  What?!  He has surprisingly good fashion sense!  We chose the Swirls Shawl from Jojoland Yarn, except I'm using a local brand of yarn, Three Waters Farm.  If you're in the Chapel Hill area, their products are also sold at Yarns, Etc and the Carrboro Farmers' Market.  (Wow, this is turning link heavy...)  Mine is a gorgeous 100% Merino dyed Red Maple.  If my most unrealistic dreams were to come true and I could own a sheep, it would be a merino, preferably a horned merino, because I love them so...  Anyways, I'm hoping I'll have enough for a scarf.  I love how subtly this yarn is variegated!



For my brother - Not sure yet... He's requested a pair of black "hobo" gloves but black is such a boring color.  Maybe a fuzzy charcoal grey?

For my father - Well, since he bought me a spinning wheel, I'm definitely more than a little obligated to use it for this gift.  Except, I can't just hand him a shein of handspun and expect him to learn to knit...  But I've also noticed that he has very few fiber-y items.  I think that, since he moved to North Carolina from Massachusetts, he doesn't consider our winters to be cold enough to bother with scarves, sweaters, and warm hats.  However, he does have a few fiber items he either treasures or wears frequently.  Now, I don't want to even attempt to beat the blankets his great grandmother crocheted for him when he was seven...  But he also has a small collection of machine knitted cowls, (useful for late winter night motorcyles riding!), so I think I'll add to that collection.  Patterns I'm considering on Ravelry: Cowl'd and Frosty Morning and Man (or Anyone) Cowl.

As for the boyfriend, less immediate family members, and a few friends, I'm still completely undecided. (Gah!)  The clock is ticking...

Happy December!

- Cristy

Stripey Arm Warmers with Pattern!!

Ha!  I'm back!  The worst part is that it's not for lack of material, but simply time constraints...  Anyways, I bring pictures and a pattern/formula.  But first, you have to listen to my story telling...

I made these arm warmers a few years ago, back when I was still learning and figuring things out.  Surprisingly, I got lucky and they're really quite nice!  The best part is that, because they're so simple, they can be easily customized for any wearer.  So, armed with only the knowledge of knit, purl, and simple math, and the willingness to knit a gauge swatch, you too can make your very own customized pair of arm warmers!  Besides, aren't they lovely?  (Yes, yes I am silly.)   The pattern's after the jump.



<3 Cristy

Currently Watching:  CSI SVU

I finally finished Fetching!

Oh, alliteration, how I love thee.  But look, I finished my gloves!  Again, the pattern is the ever-so-popular Fetching from Knitty.  Like many commenters on Ravelry, I had to twist the stitches to tighten up small holes around the thumb gusset.  But I did find the gusset itself to be a lot easier than I expected, so maybe I'll start trying some more difficult patterns!  I know the boyfriend would really like a pair of gloves...  Or a cashmere scarf ^.^



Now that I've got them all finished, I think I want to go back and overdye them with a deeper red.  Hopefully, it will mellow out the degree of varigation and make the cables stand out more.  I'm thinking... black cherry or tropical punch?

Finally, because I'm so very pleased with myself, a picture of the happy knitter...  (yes, I know the colors look odd with my shirt >.<)



Much love and a promise of a post tomorrow too!

- Cristy

Simply drowning in fiber....

big, Big, BIG news after the jump!  I'm terribly excited!

My newest love: Thread Crochet!

I promised I'd be back, didn't I?  Here's what I've been up to:

Remember my necklace on the Uniform Project?  Well, Katya contacted me when she saw it, demanding requesting one!



Actually, she was fantastically patient with me, and I really hope she loves it when it arrives.  (Say hi to my rommie's Michael poster!)



I also brought the necklace by my local yarn store (Yarns Etc.) and they absolutely loved it, so maybe I'll get some more orders!  And look for a custom order listing on Etsy sometime today or tomorrow.  Like the picture of me?  Those are few a far between...



The necklace above inspired (or spawned, if you prefer) these earrings!  Which should also find themselves on Etsy sometime by the end of this week, once I think of a name...  I'm thinking something berry-related, but I'm not sure.



Either way, I really loved photographing them in odd places around my yard.  My poor neighbors probably think I escaped from the nuthouse down the street.  (Yes, I do actually live near some sort of private asylum.  It's in a house though, so we're not entirely sure.  Sketch, very sketch.)  So, windchimes:



A tree:  (Taking them off was just like picking berries!  Also, I see Christmas potential)



I have a ridiculous number of pictures, so going trough them for the Etsy listing is goung to be tough...  But the weather was so nice, and my camera was so cooperative!



Oh, you thought I was done?  No, sorry.  I said I owed you guys a big post, and i'm delivering!  Here's a sneak peek of my next knitting project.  It's the Liesel pattern from Yummy Yarn, which has really helped give my hands a break from all of this tiny crochet work.  Sorry it's so hard to see the pattern; I'll definitely be blocking the hell out of this one.



Alright, that's all for today, I think.  But since today is the first day of Fall Break, I should be very active this week!  I wish we had more than 4 days for break though...

- Cristy

Sorry...

Sorry for the silent treatment, guys, but I promise I'll be back on Wednesday.  This is midterm season for me, so between disease, a few custom orders, and school, I've been keeping busy.  But since Fall Break starts in three more days, I'll be back in full force.  (Or, hopefully, even stronger!)

Much frizzled love,

- Cristy

Mediterranean cuisine, anyone?

Since I love mediterranean food and don't have a meal plan through the school this year, it was only a matter of time until I decided to tackle a greek-inspired meal myself.  Photos and a recipe after the jump!

A Birthday Gift for Myself

Today's my birthday!  I think it's definitely the best birthday I've had in several years...  My mom sent me a package full of food and a pretty pair of earrings a few days ago and then Harry woke me this morning with breakfast in bed!  He even made eggs benedict because I'd never had it before.  But I promise that's not why I'm here.  I bought myself a gift too!

It's a custom needle roll made by knitonebeadtwo on Etsy.



She let me pick the color and size, so it fits all of my needles, with plenty of room to grow.  I do have more than one pair, but they're either in use or at home...  But my hooks are more than happy to hold their place!



Along with the color and size, I asked for a belt instead of a tie.  I'm pretty much in love with this roll, and she gave it to me for a great price!



Have a good day, everyone!

- Cristy

Currently Watching: Greek

The Uniform Project

Welcome to those of you coming from the Uniform Project!  And thank you for your interest in my work.

If you're looking for more information, you can see my other posts here, here, and a little bit here.  The idea for Sheena's necklace actually came from another I made months ago.  There is a posted pattern for that one, but I've alterred my process since then.  Also, I'm completely willing to take custom orders!  Just drop me a line at cristy99@gmail.com!  (And my apologies for the link orgy.)

For my regulars who may or may not read the Uniform Project, here's a picture of the lovely Sheena modeling it:



(Source: The Uniform Project)

And the entire outfit:



(Source: The Uniform Project)

Anyways, since this project benefits charity, I guess I just got my dose of good karma for the day!

Much Love,

- Cristy

Currently Watching: Monk

Meet Chani!

No, I'm not bringing in a guest writer...  I just (finally) named my new fiber!

Mmmm, fiber....

I finally got to my local yarn store!  I haven't been since, well, before this blog even existed, even though it's the only place that sells fiber within bus riding distance from campus.  If you're in the area and wanting fiber, check out Yarns Etc.  They carry no generic brands, like Lion Brand, Patons, or Red Heart, so it can get a bit pricey, but look what I got for less than $5!



They sell bundles of wool top (2 or 4 ounces, I can't remember...) for $2 each, so I grabbed these to play with.  If I hadn't already ripped them apart for blending, I'd be tempted to name them and keep them on my windowsill to pet and appreciate...  Anyways, that's what I'll be doing this weekend.  Yay for spinning!  By the way, anyone have any ideas for what these should eventually become?  I'm thinking a hat, since it's wool in North Carolina and I'm not sure how much yardage I'll get, but something simple to show off the colors.  Suggestions, guys?

-Cristy

Currently Listening to: "Careless Whisper" - Seether

Pucca and Garu II

Remember when I embroidered this for a friend a while back?  Well, I decided that I didn't like it enough to give to anyone as a gift, so I redid it completely.  I even cross stitched it, which was my original intention!  I gave it, framed, signed, and presented to that friend today and she loved it!  I think it was well timed too, since she just when through a trying break up and needed something cute to distract her.



My only issue was that, in areas with lots of black, the white fabric still shows through.  (This is 14 count Aida.)  See?  I think I'll be using three strands of black next time...



Also, I got a pile of awesome frames from Goodwill for a dollar each!  This one was an ugly brown, which I tried to spray paint over.  Except I ran out of the plain black halfway through and had to respray them with heat resistant paint...  I think it also caused these strange crackly patterns too, which I really love!  (My frames are also heat resistant to  1200 degrees Farenheit now.)



And finally, because I was so very, very proud of this redo, my signature and the year.



Let this stand as a lesson to me:  Never be too afraid (or lazy) to reapproach a project that I'm just not satisfied with.  It's worth the effort!

Much love and cute Asian kisses,

-Cristy

Currently Listening to: "We Are Pilots" - Shiny Toy Guns

ETA (12-13-09):  I'm always willing to email readers a copy of the pattern if they leave a comment on this post or email me directly (or do both!).  However, I've found that hotmail email accounts cannot recieve files as large as an average PDF so, when you leave a comment, remember to include a non-hotmail account!  Thank you!

Earrings, anyone?

I've finally recovered from, what I believe was, a brief bought with H1N1 (commonly known as Swine Flu)!  What with large numbers of people with weakened immune systems living in close quarters, colleges are breeding grounds for disease.  But I'm finally better and caught up with my late work!  Hopefully, I've also been vaccinated for winter too!

Anyways, the university's prescribed isolation period left me lots of time for thumb twiddling, which produced these.  I actually have a bit of a secret bead stash... What do you think?

The hearts have been floating around for a while, so I finally just stuck them on earwires.  They're very far from perfect, so I get to keep them!



These next ones were actually recycled from a bit of beaded fringe.  They definitely need to be restrung with some wire (rather than string) but I don't have and wire or pins that match my earwires...  I could probably also use some needle nose pliers too. ^.^  Maybe I should switch out the coppery beads for gold, huh.



And here's the last pair.  Another example of my non-matching wires.  I actually really love these anddon't think the different wires are noticeable.



And I really love the lighting effects in the picture.  I think it was towards the end of my mini photo shoot, right as the sun was going down.



So, I'm thinking about having a giveaway for the third pair, and maybe keeping a few similar items stocked in the Etsy.  Interested?

-Cristy

Do you Rasterbate too? (Project Idea and Mini Tutorial)

Heyyyy guys!  Remember me?  I've finally unpacked, settled in, and started classes!  There were some mix ups with my classes, but I'm looking good for another semester!

But even with all the crap I brought with me, the white walls were looking a little boring...   So what do you think?



That's the wall above my bed.  You can't read the text underneath the monkeys, but they say "See, Speak, Hear."  (Notice my blanket too?)  To keep things kosher, here's the source link.



And this is the wall above my desk.  I know how very crooked it is...  I probably could've made this one a little bigger too, but it leaves me space for more!  Also:  Image Source



The Rasterbator takes your image and essentially pixelizes it, but with circles.  See the above and below examples?  Up close, the image looks like nothing more than colorful circles but, from a distance, it's a pretty picture!



I suppose you want to know how it's done?  Because it's super easy!  Here are some basic instructions, but the website guides you through it well:

Step 1:  Find your image.  You can use one directly off the internet or that you have stored on your computer.

Step 2:  Head to http://homokaasu.org/rasterbator/ and click on "Rasterbate online."

Step 3: Follow the instructions though the cropping, choosing page sizes, etc.  For scale, my first image is 3x9 and the second is 2x2 sheets of US Letter.  I also used a dot size of 7mm, the smallest allowed for my size paper.  (The Gallery is also a good source for ideas.)

Step 4: After you've downloaded the PDF, print the document and remove the borders (preferably with a paper cutter, but I only had scissors).  Tape it all together, hang it on the wall, and you're done!

You can find more on the website, especially in the FAQ and Forum.

Good Luck!

-Cristy

Currently Watching: Greek

Tossed Cookies will be on Hiatus!

Just for the next week or so, while I pack for school and move in.  Believe me, packing eight months' of craft supplies is no joke!  As well as the usual cloths, school supplies...  I will miss you all dearly!

-Cristy

Glass Etching

So I finally got around to making Harry's birthday gift!  Only the day before he came to visit, too...   I alluded to this gift way back in April, and nothing's changed since then except the designs.  I know he'll like these the most because he basically picked them out himself withough knowing!  I knew he'd been considering getting a tattoo for the last several years, so I told him that my brother and I had been talking about tattoos and asked him to give me his favorites (in order, no less!).  My theory:  If he likes something enough to get it permanently inked on him body, he can't complain if it shows up a few other places too!

Here's the set!  I wanted single shot glasses, but Walmart wasn't cooperating with me...  Also, I read somewhere in the depths of Craftster that tinted water helps etched designs show up, and I have to agree.

A Boo, from Mario (right?  I didn't play video games until this year..)



A Bob-omb, also from Mario



Pi, fairly obvious.  I also wanted to get the first few numbers down the back of the glass, but it wasn't possible with the fabric paint method I was using.  Next time, I'm definitely trying the painter's tape version.



Finally, the Bohr model of the atom.  Again, I had difficulties with smaller detail.  And the really geeky among you (I love you all, really) can protest that the model isn't even accurate, but the atomic orbitals aren't as aethetically pleasing!



We're nerds, aren't we?  His birthday is tomorrow, so we'll see how he likes them!  I also bought some cookies from an Asian market in Charlotte, but I already gift wrapped those.

And would you like the world's shortest tutorial?  Buy glass, wash glass, tape design to the inside of the glass, outline with fabric paint, fill in blank places with more paint or masking tape, let dry overnight, coat in Armor Etch, wait 5 minutes, rinse off Armor Etch, peel off paint and tape, and wash your newly prettified glass!  If you look on Craftster.org, you can find several tutorials (as well as some spectacular examples), which is where I drew from.  I was originally inspired by ladypie's StarTrek Glasses.

Would "Live long and Prosper" be an appropriate sign off?  I don't know the Mario equivalent...

-Cristy

Currently Listening to: "Angels" - Within Temptation (Pandora.com)

Spinning!!

Bwahaha, my upcoming domination of the world through fiber is almost complete!  Seriously, I've wanted a sheep since I was three and once I found out about the whole sheep -> yarn process, that desire wasn't going anywhere.  Although I realized that I'm learning the whole process backwards...

Through my parents' office, I met a woman who's president of the local fiber guild, has a few patterns published, etc and she agreed to meet with me last night to talk about fiber!  I think she spins more than knits and, before I realized what was going on, she handed me a drop spindle and taught me the basics!  She's an amazing teacher and is extremely British, which I've missed very much.   I'd give you a link or something, but I don't know if she has a site and I forgot to ask permission...  But we might be taking a trip to a fiber fair together!  I believe it's the SouthEastern Animal Fiber Fair.

But look!  It's my first bit of spinning and it's fabulously lumpy!  It's wool, rather heavy on the lanolin (wool oil) and very, very sticky, but my teacher says it should felt nicely.  I'm thinking about making that Dumpling Bag from Interweave Knits everyone lusts over if I can get any kind of consistence going.



And this is what I've got now.  It looks a little bit better, but I still have no idea how tightly I should be spinning this.  I knit and crochet with a deathgrip, so I'm assuming I'll likely overspin.  I think I have two pounds of this stuff, but I have no idea how that would translate to yardage.  Also, the very best part, the sheep this came from has the same name as my mother!  Were I superstitious, I'd say it was meant to be.



I left with more pressies too!  First, some small bundles I can play with, even though I really just want to keep them as is and pet them...  From left to right, top to bottom: hand carded wool batt, salt and pepper-colored wool roving, gorgeously deep red alpaca, creamy alpaca ball, earthy alpaca.  I'm not positive on all the fiber types, but I think they're right.  (This is like a pop quiz the day after a lesson...)



And finally this beautiful wool that's threatening to eat the bottle in the background is special to me.  My teacher is good friends with the curator at the local Schiele Museum (worth a visit, if you're in the area) that I loved going to for school field trips, summer camp, and short hikes.  Anyways, I'd always try to spend some time in their pilgrim village, talking to the sheep, and this is from my favorite of them (Sarah).



Now that I've shown off my new toys, I'm going to get some much needed practice!  Bye, guys.

-Cristy

Currently Listening to: "No Surprise" - Daughtry (Slacker.com)

Just because I'm an atheist, doesn't mean I'm a bad person!

I've also been looking more into paper cutting.  Most paper crafts aren't really my thing (Glue and I haven't gotten along since pre-K and a fateful macaroni noodle portrait), but something about paper cutting gets me interested.  I think it's the permanence of every cut.  With yarn, mistakes can be fixed with a few careful pulls, but paper cutting mistakes have to be worked into the image or you get to restart.

Anyways, this was my test/practice piece.  I'm thinking about extending this to Etsy (interested?) with a few fixes like bolder letters and maybe some border decoration.  I'm also very undecided about the crescent and whether it looks better completely open or merely outlined.  I rather like the dictionary page, but I could be crazy.  As to Etsy, I probably wouldn't be able to offer framing, unfortunately...  grr.



A closeup of the virgin:



A quick word on the political rammifications of this piece:  Yes, I was raised atheist/agnostic but I've been known to pray when the situation calls for it, although I call it "extremely ferverent wishing" since you aren't supposed to pray only when you want something.  I also love religious art and writings and my life goal is to view at least one service of every religion and its various denominations.  Probably because I'm a bit of a feminist, I cherish the Virgin and chose to highlight her, but I have another version, which is only a template so far, that includes a border with various religious icons (cross, wheel of dharma, star of david, fsm, om, swastica, star and crescent, and yin yang).  Basically, I'm not trying to be inflamatory or anything.

Love,

-Cristy

Pucca and Garu

I though that switching houses every day to house sit for my mother and spend my evening with my father (it *is* his week, afterall) would severly limit my crafting this week, but it's actually been a boon!  I have access to all my materials, and with all the guys working in the house, I don't feel right just sitting in front of the TV, so my hands are constantly working on something.  The next few posts will be everything I've done since Monday!  (In order, no less.)

I owe an old friend a gift, so I embroidered some of her favorite characters!  Hopefully they're still her favorite, but we haven't talked much recently.  The satin stitch is a bit spotty.  I've never done it before and I was trying not to run out of black thread.  Hopefully, I can hide the gaps whenever I frame it...  The heart made me realize why metallic threads are so very hated, and I have to agree.  Also, anyone know where I can find good, cute frames and batting?  The piece is about 3x4 in.

Those of you who have been kicking around for a while might remember these guys from an early, early post.  They were cross-stitched, but I haven't learned that yet.. ^.^



Hopefully I can get this framed and to her soon!

-Cristy

Currently Listening to: "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" - Soulja Boy (Slacker.com)

Yet another craft?

Why yes, I am doing something new!  I know, I really ought to be crocheting, developing patterns, etc, but hey, you're only young once and nobody should be closeted into just one niche!  Yarn isn't very appealing during the summer, but I still have a tiny little yarn update.

Remember my yarn I dyed?  I finally wound it up (by hand, no less) and meet my ball winder!  It really is the midsection of an alto recorder.  I was looking for something that had a decent circumference and would let me slide the ball off easily when I was done.  What do real spinner/dyers use?  (Besides a machine.  I don't have that kind of cash.)



Also, I found this chart...  Armed with merely a postal scale and and idea of the yardage, you too can find the correct name, gauge, and needle size of your yarn!  (Thanks to Nancy's Knit Knacks.)



Anyways, here's the new craft!  How do you feel about paper cutting?  My mother and I, years ago, used to make them occasionally with scissors, but since I prefer the feel an exacto knife, I printed out a few templates for practice.  I'm hoping to make my own soonish, and maybe Etsy them.  (Yes, "to Etsy" is now a verb.)  Think I could pull it off?  I've got a few ideas, but ideas in my head don't always translate as well to paper.  (har har)  If you'd like to try, free templates are hard to find but I got mine here, here, here, and here.



Sorry about posting so sporadically.  I'll be bumping between my parents three times this week (after having just recovered from unpacking after summer school!) and my mom's house is having the floor replaced after a leaky refridgerator destroyed it...  Anywho, have a charming week and I love you all dearly!

-Cristy