Doodles...

Like I said a few days ago, I've been keeping busy tidying the hell out of my room.  Most of the stuff I found was, well, crap...  but there were some art supplies I hadn't seen in *years*.  Like these crayons...



All I know/remember of them is that they're really nice Staedler crayons my father brought back from a visit to Germany  (business trips meant my brother and I got gifts! :p  ) and based on my Googling, I'm not sure you can find them anymore...

But anyways, after years of inactivity, it was time to put them to use!  First, an abstract thing (on the Left in the warm colors) very much inspired by Drew Barrymore's commercials.  I think, among the celebrities, she has one of the most positive body images, especially without obsessing over surgery.

And the green tendrils are just... abstractness...  (Right)



A bit more realism here....  Just a doodle of a red carnation my mother received for Mother's Day  (the restaurant we went to for dinner gave them out!).  This is also when I realized the crayons came with white and started using it for blending. >.>  Not sure if I like this one; I'd definitely change a few things if I could.  The stem is definitely funky.



Anyone else have a thing for plaid recently?  I realized the colors *exactly* match a swimsuit I just bought a few days ago.  Like, creepily so..  Anyways, this kind of plaid is nice, gingham, not so much.  My Scottish roots rear their heads once again!



I can't decide; is this too terrifying?  (Yes, it's a portrait of my main character from WoW, stop judging!)  Considering I'm working with chunky ROYGBIV crayons, I think it's surprisingly accurate, actually.  Despite the ridiculously uneven tusks and lack of defined hair, of course. :p  (You can stop squinting at the scrawl in the corner; my preferred nickname on this character is Part.)  I've also decided the best way to see this picture is click to enlarge, then walk *all* the way across the room to look at it.  Compression kills!



OK, last thing.  And yes, something else WoW-inspired...  The technique was fun, at least.  First, put down a layer of yellow and orange and then blue and purple stripes.  Using some sharp tool (knife, in my case), etch a design.  It was 3am and I was feeling uncreative, so I drew something I had at hand, my character's (sweet) ride.



Apologies for the parentheses abuse tonight; I don't think a single paragraph escaped unscathed.  It's just my crutch when I'm tired.  I'm hoping to get back to fiber later this week.  I just bought some yarn from a friend today, and I'm going to a store tomorrow for spinning so, at the very least, I'll have something to show off!

Fluffy pillows and soft mattresses,

- Cristy

Currently Listening to: "Bad Romance" - Lady Gaga

Just Another Bedtime Story...

Anyone else in the mood for a little story?  Here's my mash-up...

Once upon a time, there was a great and terrible dragon named Smaug.  Smaug was feared throughout the surrounding towns for both his fiery breath and insatiable appetite.  Many a brave soul lost their lives attempting to vanquish him...



One day, Smaug kidnapped the king's daughter, a princess known for her beauty and charms.  For weeks, the dragon stayed in his lair, closely guarding the princess and his hoard.



After weeks of not seeing Smaug, the townspeople decided to risk the dragon's wrath in the hopes of rescuing the princess.  Of course, they had to call the most famous of all dragon-slaying knights, Sir George!  The king sent him on his way, promising the kingdom, a lifetime of riches, and (of course) the princess's hand if he returned with the dragon's head.



But as Sir George approached the dragon, he saw just how cute and misunderstood the creature was.  Smaug hadn't meant to terrorize the village people; he just had a big appetite!  And, after spending so much keeping company with the princess, Smaug was hungry.  Sir George knew exactly how to train the moody dragon.  He fed the dragon his less-than-trusty steed, successfully taming him.  Smaug then let Sir George and the princess ride him all the way back to the king, where he was re-christened Murphy and lived on an imported diet of barbarians and trouble-makers.



Oh right!  And they lived happily ever after...

(As for the treasure?  Well, how do you think Sir George funds his dragon-slaying trips?)



The End!

Thank you, thank yous to Lucy for letting me test her Dragonet pattern, which will (probably) be shortly available on either her blog or Etsy.  Her pattern is wonderfully detailed and full of illustrations.  I used about 130 yds of Cascade 220 Heathers in 2445 and a size 3.75mm hook.  Whenever she posts her pattern, I'll try to remember to keep you posted!

More (clickable) pictures:

Recent Roving Aquisitions...

I thought I'd show up some of the roving I bought before leaving school.  (What?  I had to stock up for summer!)  First, I grabbed some wool top.  (It comes in lovely, bright colors for $2/2oz and a discount if you buy in fives at Yarns, Etc in Chapel Hill, NC.)  I've gotten it before, but never got to try it with the spinning wheel.



Don't they look silky smooth?  No idea what I'm going to do with these...  Maybe try making some art yarn?

But I'm *much* more excited about my Wool-Mohair mix!  I'd been eying these bundles since before I could spin and finally bought one!  The ball was rather messy from traveling, so I unraveled it all over the kitchen counter....  (Anyone else  find this oddly reminiscent of bacon?  Like a pile of perfectly cooked, purple bacon strips.)



And freshly re-wrapped for spinning!



(What do you think about fingering or lace weight?)

- Cristy

Currently Listening to: "Rehab" - Amy Winehouse

Apologies...

Oh, I've been awful this month...  I'm not even sure how I've managed to be more busy at home than at school.  Or the other hand, my craft space is finally organized!!



Okay, it's really more a craft closet than a space, but everything has a place now!  I mean, there's the skeins and fiber in the milk crates, beads in the red box, embroidery stuff in the small clear box, stationery in the brown box... the list goes on.  Luckily, a lot of the roving is at my father's, otherwise it wouldn't fit.  (Unfortunately, I don't get to use the top shelf, but I guess the winter blankets have to go *somewhere*, right?)

And I've clean the rest of my mom's house.  (It's mine during the day, when I'm the only one home. :p  )  Everywhere from the bathroom to the kitchen to the depths of the basement has been reorganized and vacuumed.  Like spring cleaning in hyper drive.  Hey, I threw out two full trash bags of stuff from the bathroom alone...

I'm hoping I'll have time to post a real content-type something tomorrow.  It's been too long.

- Cristy

Currently Listening to: "Starstruck" - Lady Gaga

The Spirit-Star-Wars-Gnome Lady

I just finished my last exam for the week!  One more on Monday morning, and I will be officially halfway done with college.  Terrifying.  But as I'm still not quite coherent from too many late nights and fact-cramming, we'll be looking at another blogger again today.  (Last one, I promise.)  Have you met Lucy Ravenscar?

You've probably seen her adorably fuzzy Nature Spirits on Craftster (or Etsy, Craftzine, and even TrendHunter..), but did you know she's also the brilliant woman who made the (best) Star Wars amigurimi?  How about the adorable cork characters for her kids' bazaar at school?

Seriously, I had no idea these were all from the same person.  And, while I think her work is wonderfully original, my favorite part is how much personality her spirits have.  I think my favorites are the Mother and Child Earth Spirits, although I like to think of them as Fire Spirits.  So pleasantly autumn-y...

If you're curious, her patterns, as well as some of her creatures, are for sale on Etsy and if they're anything like her blog, they're extremely well written and detailed.

Man, brushed crochet has been looking appealing recently.. >.>  *Makes a mental note to buy a pet brush when she gets home*  Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed our little depart from the usual.  Anyone have any suggestions who I should cover in the future?

- Cristy

PS - I'll be posting again in the near future about Lucy Ravenscar.  Get excited!


Currently Listening to: "Mamma Mia" from the play Mamma Mia

The One, the Only....

Next in my mini other-blog series (just until exams are over!) is Jared Flood, better known in the blogging world as Brooklyn Tweed:

He (oh yes, a male knitter) writes possibly the most aesthetically pleasing blog I've read, not to mention the gorgeous pictures.  I think his lace work is my favorite (pictured), but all of his patterns look so beautifully complicated!  Every time I look at one of his shawls, I want to make one too.

As far as I can tell, he's been knitting for years, started a blog 5 years ago, and I think that's how he got a book deal.  If I could, I'd buy it just for the mitten pattern.  Or the lace stole... or the sweaters...  >.>  But if he wrote a book of just lace shawls, I think I'd have to give in to the temptation!

Did I mention he spins too?  Oh yeah, gorgeous, fine, perfectly fingering weight yarn...  As well as thick-and-thin yarn, worsted...  Great color choices too, they tend to be either soft and mellow or rich like the shawl to the left.

Anyways, it's always been one of my favorite blogs; I think it was actually one of the first ones I found when I started knitting.

- Cristy

Currently Watching: House on Hulu.com

Excuses, excuses...

What with exams this week, I'm going to be insanely busy.  But for whatever reason, I've been in a blogging mood with nothing to talk about!  So this week, I'm going to try to highlight a few different blogs I've been reading recently.  First, New Dress a Day:



This blog is like the much thriftier cousin of A Dress A Day and The Uniform Project.  Except, unlike those two, Marisa creates clothes I'd actually dare to wear!  And, since she's been at this for about 200 days now, there are plenty of archives to get lost reading.  I particularly love watching something so frumpy your grandma wouldn't touch it turn into a dress malls would charge $50 to buy.

My personal favorites have been an apron (recon pictured at left), a men's tuxedo shirt, and the classic trench coat.  She's also limited herself to just $365 for the entire year, including supplies. >.<  Crazy!

Anyways, I seriously recommend checking her out, she definitely deserves some of your attention!

As for me, I'm planning a trip to the local secondhand stores once I get out of exams.  Hopefully I can find something interesting and it will end up half as good as her recons...  Cross your fingers!

- Cristy

Currently Watching: Good Eats on the Food Network

Planner 2010

Have you ever tried to buy a planner in April?  It's impossible.  (Apparently, I managed to buy an academic calendar, which only went from August 2009 to April 2010..)   As I'm completely hopeless without one, I bought a blank notebook to fill out with months, weeks, etc.  And of course, I just couldn't leave it alone; the blank, blue cover was too boring!



It was a bit nerve-wracking at first, especially since I really didn't want to screw up my first Moleskine notebook...  (At least it was on sale!)

Would you like a (very, very brief) tutorial?

1- Design the general outline in Gimp/Photoshop/Paint.  I suggest starting with an image that is the size of your notebook and don't bother making every line for every stitch, just enough to get the placement right.

2- Print and cut out the image.  Using tape, stick it to the cover of your notebook.  (Plastic notebook covers are best!)



3- Using your pointiest needle, poke every hole for each stitch.  They don't need to be huge holes, just enough to get through the cover.  Open the notebook to the first page and lay the cover on a roll of toilet tissue to keep the needle from going through all the pages.  (It's also comfortable to grip the roll between your thighs.)



4- Embroider just as you would normally!  Don't worry about tying knots though, you can secure the ends with a dot of glue when you're finished.

The back:



That's really all there is to it!



The stitches I used, from the center: straight stitch, an altered herringbone/cross-stitch, buttonhole stitch, back stitch, two more rows of back stitch, straight stitch radiating from a single point.  (Sorry, I don't embroider nearly enough to know real names, but if you have any questions, I'll be sure to answer them!)

Soooo....  what do you think?

- Cristy

Currently Listening to: "Sober" - Pink

Glass Earrings

Earrings are fast, easy, and charming, a perfect project when you've only got an hour between classes and nothing to do!



Aren't they charming?  I love my bead stash, but I've realized it contains a lot of "statement" pieces and not so many plain beads...  a result of getting everything when I was much, much younger and prone to begging my mother for the pretties. *sigh*

These definitely put me in a green-gold mood and they match my new ring!  (On sale for $4 at Classics on Franklin St. in Chapel Hill, NC.  The store owner was nice enough to give me a discount on a dress too.)



The green-blue beads are glass.  The gold spacers are recycled from unused ear hooks I re-purposed.

I like these so much, I'm thinking about making a second pair to sell...  I can put it in my Etsy when that gets up and going again!  What do you think?  (And if you're interested, email/leave a comment!)

Do you sometimes feel like earrings are copping out too?

- Cristy

Fair Isle for Summer

I love traditional knitting color work but, here in North Carolina, there's not much reason for sweaters or hats, much less doubly thick ones...  But color and I are learning to play nice with each other, finally!  (As a former jeans-and-t-shirt girl, matching colors is admitted not my forte...)  I've been trying to add those patterns to my repertoire and give my fingers something to fiddle with.



Yay for cross-stitching!  This is a small piece (7" x 5" ?) but oh-so-satisfying.  Some of the patterns are my own; others were found via some intense googling.  I'm thinking the final piece might look good in a frame, or as separate pieces of a set of buttons...  Still considering my options though. ^.^

I love my camera's macro function to death...  I want to get some macro photos blown up to poster size for my room. ^.^



So what smaller projects are you picking up for the summer?  (Or if you're on the other end of the world, got something big for winter?)

- Cristy

Currently Listening to: "We Belong" - Pat Benatar

Motif Bolero

Having destroyed my mother's scarf (>.>) and being in the mood to crochet, I've picked up yet another project!  I showed my mother some of the patterns on Ravelry and she immediately picked out the Motif Bolero.  It's a lovely pattern, once you find all of the directions...  (check other users' projects on Ravelry!)

Well, I started it, finished 4 square motifs, which is almost half the pattern, and realized it would probably be way too small for my mother.  At least, I think so... It's had to take someone's measurements when they're on the other side of the world!  I've restarted with a slightly larger crochet hook, which seems to be working well.  It certainly opens up the pattern nicely, anyways.



(Wow, that's a crappy photo... Apologies)  I'm definitely going to keep working on it before summer break (only one month away!!) but hopefully I'll be able to finish it when I'm at home, so i can make sure everything fits correctly.  I'm actually loving this pattern too!  It's complex enough that it's interesting and I love having an excuse to make something a little more ornate that I would never wear.  I hope it turns out prettyyyyy!

- Cristy

Currently Listening to: "SI-N+R-JE" by George Acosta via Pandora.com

Socks, finally!

(Just "Sock" if you're being nitpicky though..)  Remember that shawl I was intending to make for my mother?  Something about the motif was just too repetitive, even for me, and I just lost interest.  But I reused the yarn to *finally* start on my first pair of socks!!



Yes, I just couldn't help the faux-artsy photo...

The pattern is on Ravelry as the Leyburn Socks and, while it's not difficult, definitely required some extra research on my part into the basics of sock knitting.  So, if you've never knit socks before, I can highly suggest the post on Knitty for beginning a toe and this one for the short row heel.



I'm having a bit of trouble working myself into starting the second sock, but I finally understand why people knit socks at all!  That one foot is so unbelievable cosy!  (The merino yarn doesn't hurt either...)

- Cristy

Rethink the Shrinky-Dink.

Recently, I saw this great post over at Craftster that has me second guessing my decision to abandon shrink plastic.

I think everyone who's tried it goes through this phase.  First, we're enamored that our artwork (or, more likely, something we traced out of a book) can simply be shrunk into tangible, unbreakable plastic.  And that shrinking does more than just harden the plastic, it defines your shaky, Sharpie'd lines and turns that 10-pack of Crayola color pencils vibrant.  But all too soon, the newness seems to wear off and no matter how we try to disguise it, it still just looks like a kid's summer camp craft and only your mother would be willing to display it on her refrigerator.

And then, you spend some time on Craftster or Etsy and see laser cut acrylic!  Or maybe even brushed steel!  It's gorgeous, shiny, and monochromatic, but still resembles the long gone, but not forgotten, shrink plastic.  Oh, and those laser cutters?  Yeah, they cost thousands of dollars.

Anyways, Craftster user missfortune86 has managed to replicate laser cut acrylic with shrink plastic, and it's just tempting me to pick it all back up again...  Maybe this summer. ^.^

- Cristy

Swap II: World of Warcraft Swap (5/5)

Yay!  I finally received!  (I actually got 3 packages sent to my dorm that day, the first of which was horribly beaten, so I was relieved to see this one in such perfect shape!)

I guess I'll go in order of my favorites?  (Hard, since I loved everything. :p  )

Lovely square-braided (I believe..) bracelets in Horde and Alliance colors.  (They're the rival factions in WoW, of which I ardently adore the Horde.)  And yes, I even wore the Alliance bracelet. :p  (It burns!!)



Next, these great Horde stickers!  I think I'll have to give one to my brother, since he'll appreciate it.  (Poor kid's spending this month with family friends while my parents are in China on a business trip...)  The stickers are about 3 inches tall and my partner sells more like them on Etsy.



I also received this tin, with an image from Crystalsong Forest (a zone in the game).  Not sure what to put in it yet though...  (I'm thinking embroidery needles, stitch markers, ....  something!



A plush Horde symbol!  It's so cuddly!  I've hung it above my desk, to distract me with thought of WoW while doing homework. :p



Finally, my favorites!  Two etched Horde glasses!  They look like they could be shot glasses, but these could definitely hold a nice sized pint!  The boyfriend has already threatened to steal one for himself. ^.^



Alright, one last picture....



Anyways, thank you very much to my lovely partner, and I'll be back soonish with (finally) some completely-unrelated-to-WoW stuff, because I'm sure everyone's tired of it by now. ^.^

(Sorry, I feel like I'm usually more verbose than tonight, but I've been arguing with the boyfriend and just stressed in general...  So, I'm exhausted, yeah.  I usually try to keep personal drama away from my little sanctuary, but it likes to creep in.  On the other hand, I think personal details give you a truer sense of the person behind the typing...  I leave it to you, dear reader.  Shall you be entrusted as my confidant, my bosom friend, or will we march on as usual, in perfect step to the refrain "Keep calm and carry on"?

Yes, I did read to much Bronte as a child.  Jane Eyre and I were the closest of friends, late at night.)

- Cristy

Links:

Parts 1, 2,  3, and 4

Swap II: World of Warcraft Swap (4/5)

Okay, this is the last post about my WoW swap, I promise!  (At least until I get my package!)

This is the last item; it's my absolute favorite part and I think you'll be a bit impressed!

I finally made a pair of Horde earrings!  They're very obviously based on the infamous pair sold on Etsy, but I couldn't just buy them, could I?  And now that they've gone to someone else, I want a pair of my own. >.>  *want*



They're very simple, just some polymer clay I stole borrowed from my mom (she used to play with polymer clay a lot) and the beads, headpins, and ear wires are all things I already had.  Like I said, I love them!

This letter was on the top in the box.  I designed it in Gimp to look like a quest from WoW (basically, the player is asked to do something and given gear or helpful items in return).  It was a bit time consuming, but I think it drew the whole package together.


Finally, a letter for my partner, mostly just a thank you and an explanation for all the parts.  And it matches my Horde envelope!  (This is the rival factions emblem, the Alliance lion.)



Yay!!!  I'm officially done!  I really, really hope you enjoyed reading about everything, and I hope you non-WoW players didn't get too lost.

<3

- Cristy

Links:

Parts 1, 2,  3, and 5

Toxic Wasteling pattern

Finally, I present the Toxic Wasteling pattern!  It's ridiculously simple and absolutely adorable.  (Also, could be easily converted into a brain slug, from Futurama!)  (Original Post)



Hook: 4.0 mm

Yarn: Plymouth Yarn's Encore Worsted in Lime Green (3335)

Pieces: Ooze and ooze belly

Ooze: Chain 2, 6sc in first chain (6), *1sc, 1inc* around (12), *1sc, 1sc, 1inc* around (18), *1sc* around for 5 more rows (18).  Now we begin ruffles!  Alternating between sc, hdc, and dc, make 3 stitches in each previous stitch.  I followed a basic *1sc, 1hdc, 1dc, 1hd*, and repeated several stitches as I felt like it. ^.^  As usual, cut yarn and pull through.

Ooze belly:  Chain 2, 6sc in first chain (6), *1sc, 1inc* around (12), *1sc, 1sc, 1inc* around (18).  Slst, cut yarn (leave a tail!) and pull through.

Assembly: Using the tail from the belly, seam the top and bottom together, stuffing as you go.  Easy!

Enjoy!

- Cristy

Speedy the Turtle (pattern)

As promised, the pattern write-up for Speedy the Turtle!  (Original Post)



Hook: 4.0 mm

Yarn: Yellow - Red Heart Super Saver in Gold, Green - Cascade 220 Heathers in Dk Green (2445)

Pieces: Speedy is made of 8 different pieces (4 legs, 1 shell, 1 underbelly, 1 neck, and 1 head).

Legs: With Green, chain 2.  6sc in first chain (6) and then continue with 1sc in each stitch in the round for 4 more rows (6).  Slst, cut yarn (leave a tail for sewing!), and pull through.

Underbelly: With Green, chain 2.  6sc in first chain (6), *1inc* around (12), *1sc, 1inc* around (18), *1sc, 1sc, 1inc* around (24).  Slst, cut yarn (leave a tail for sewing!), and pull through.

Shell: With Gold, chain 2.  6sc in first chain (6).  For the following, sc in back loops only: *1inc* around (12), *1sc, 1inc* around (18), *1sc, 1sc, 1inc* around (24), *1sc* around for 3 more rows (24).  Slst, cut yarn, and pull through.

Neck: (Start with a longer tail for sewing) With Green, chain 6.  Slst in first chain and continue with 1sc in each stitch in the round for 4 rows (6).  Slst, cut yarn (leave a tail for sewing!), and pull through.

Head: (Note: It is easiest to add eyes (whether safety, button, or bead) around the 5th row.) With Green, chain 2.  6sc in first chain (6), *inc* around (12), *1sc, 1inc* around (18), *1sc* around for 2 rows (18), *1sc, 1dec* around (12), *1dec* around (6). Slst, cut yarn, and pull through

Assembly: I found it easiest to complete the legs and body first and attach the legs to the bottom of the body, stuffing as needed.  The shell can then be seamed to the underbelly using whip stitch.  The bottom (first row) of the neck is flattened and sewn to the body, at the seam between the shell and belly.  Finally, stuff the open neck and sew on the head.  I found the back of the head (or nape of the neck, so to speak...) looked best when anchored to the shell, to help support the weight.

I think that's pretty thorough...  Hopefully it just feels awkward because I'm out of practice. >.>



Comment with any questions!

- Cristy

Spring Yarncleaning!

While I was home for Spring Break, I was seized by the devil of spring cleaning and managed to wash a pile of my first spun skeins.  To be precise, 6 whole skeins of creamy white, lanolin heavy, 100% wool.  All of which are <25 yards...  But now they're clean and ocean breeze shampoo scented!



There's a decent mix of single and double-plied and, seeing the skeins all laid out, I'm more tempted than ever to try a felted project... (And dyeing too, of course!)



Yes, I even made super-organized project cards!  Everything from the content and source, to the weight and wpi is written on those cards...  A bit time consuming since I made a pile for the future, but very worth it!

- Cristy

Paper Yarn

This really hasn't been a good week for blogging, has it?  To be fair, I've had an insane week.   First there was the computer that had to be replaced, then I broke my glasses (first break or loss and I've been wearing glasses since I was 5, so I don't really feel too bad...), and my parent were flying to China for a business trip all of Friday, so I couldn't exactly call them for help either.  Either way, I'm glad I got everything back to rights eventually, and hopefully this will be a good productive weekend!  (And I really like my new glasses!)

I've been meaning to try spinning paper myself, ever since I saw a post on Craft Stylish.  Most sites recommend using a spindle but well, I'm lazy!



I didn't have any problems with the paper strips tearing, but I did have to feed everything in by hand.  I was using a lace flyer, apparently?  So perhaps something more normal would help with feeding.



The final paper skein is a bit less satisfying than a fiber skein.  It's not nearly a soft and squishy, and well, it's basically raffia...  But it does make for some interesting macro photography!  (Next time, I might try a page from the Sunday comics, for color!)



I could see where someone who paper crafts could use this though... Maybe in a literature-themed ATC for texture and a bit of 3-D?  Unfortunately, paper craft is really not my forte, so I had no choice but to knit!  (Is anyone really surprised?)

I think it looks like a yurt....



So, if you live in a tropical climate and want eco-friendly housing, I've got a solution for you!

Since I don't really see myself making a sweater out of this anytime soon and I've got several yards left, I'd be happy to mail some to you!  (Unfortunately, the earliest I'll be able to send will be summer break, or May 9th.) Those interested in acquiring some newspaper yarn, please email me directly so we can work out amounts, addresses, etc.  Small amounts are free but I'll probably have to charge if someone orders hundreds of yards... (Please god, don't.)

<3

- Cristy