Witchy Stitchy

Melt and Pour Soap Tutorial

2008-09-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

I was mixing up a batch of soap and had my camera out, so i figured- what the heck?

So Here's a tutorial on how to make melt and pour soap, my style.

Start with your basic supplies: melt and pour soap base, a knife to

cut the soap with, something to melt the soap in (i use a pyrex 2 cup measuring cup), something to stir the soap with (i use a plastic knife- easy to clean or toss if i'm lazy), your color and fragrance (can be bought in the soap making section of your local craft store, or you can be creative and use things from the kitchen), and your soap molds (i use silicon cupcake pans- easy to pop out the finished product, and they come in different shapes).

Next you are going to take your soap base and cut it into roughly

one inch cubes. It sort of crumbles a bit for me, so I don't worry too much about it being perfect. Basically, you just want it in smaller pieces so it will fit into your melting container.

Now you fill up your container. I try to make about two cups of

soap at a time, so I fill my measuring cup so its

almost overfull. When it melts, all the empty spaces get filled in.

Now I put the soap in the microwave. The time will vary depending on your microwave and the amount of soap you are using. For my two cups of soap, I put it in for two minutes. If you are making a smaller batch, you can try putting it in for thirty seconds at a time, stirring in between to make sure its all melty. Be careful not to overcook it. I accidentally did that earlier today, and it was not pretty. I had burnt soap. I didn't even know that was possible until today. It was brown, and smelled funny, and melted the plastic knife I used to stir it with. So don't try it.

Now you should have nice, smooth, melty soap. Its time to add your fragrance, coloring, and other add ins. The recipe is up to you. I like to raid my kitchen for fun ingredients, like honey and oatmeal. If you do really tiny batches, you can experiment and find out what works best. I like the little candy molds, or th

e silico

n ice cube trays for these... if you come up with a combo that doesn't work, at least you only wasted a tiny bit of soap.

Okay. Now its time to pour your soap into your molds. Keep your molds level. You can use pretty much anything you can think of as a soap mold. I love using silicon, as it makes the soap really easy to come out, and gives it a nice pearly finish. I've also found t

hin plastic hollow toys, cut them down the middle, and used those as molds. Be creative, just make sure that the soap will come out in one piece. You can even just use something like a brownie pan, and make one big soap, then cut it into individual bars. Or if you don't make it too thick, you could even try using metal cookie cutters and cutting out fun soap shapes. Then you can re-melt your scraps, and start all over!

The cupcake trays I use make 2.5 - 3 oz bars, depending on how full i fill them.

If you have pets, make sure to keep your soap away from them. Trust me, its a pain to try to pick off cat hairs from the back of your soaps. Its even worse when you get paw prints in the soap.

The soaps take a little while to cool. If you are making bigger bars, its going to take longer. Don't rush. You'll end up with smooshed soaps if you try. Just let it sit for a few hours, and when its completely cool and hard. Then you can pop out your soaps, and voila! You've made your very first glycerin soap!

Be careful, its very addicting, because it is a fairly fast process. I love seeing the finished product right away. It can get boring if you just stick with the colors and fragrances from the soap aisle at the craft store. If you experiment with different ingredients, you'll have a lot of fun. Essential oils work great. Extracts not so much, as they contain alcohol which can dry out skin, and the fragrance fades away over time.

Anyways, have fun, and enjoy your new soaps! They make great gifts for friends and family, and its so rewarding to use products that you've made on your own.

2008-02-14T13:19:00.000-08:00

While I'm bored at work, I try to spend my time entertaining myself on the internet. This can prove to be a challenge, when the computers block most of the websites I frequent. So here is what I usually do to pass the time.

1. Blog
2. Yahoo Groups
3. Play the LA Times daily crossword puzzle and Sudoku game
4. visit various message boards (the ones that aren't blocked, anyways)
5. research fun and exotic pets
6. window shop for fancy (and expensive) camera equipment
7. Shop

And that's pretty much how I spend my days at work while I'm not working. Its not the most productive thing to be doing. So I found a better way to spend my time while goofing around on the internet. Its a website called Free Rice (http://www.freerice.com). Its like a vocabulary quiz. Its multiple choice, and it automatically adjusts itself to your vocabulary level, so its never too easy or too hard. And for each word you get right, 20 grains of rice are donated to people in poverty. Even just a few minutes a day can make a difference. And the best part is, you aren't just helping other people, you are actually helping yourself by building your vocabulary. Its a win-win situation.

Expectations

2008-01-29T14:49:00.000-08:00

I hate expectations. I hate that I'm expected to finish college as soon as possible, and to transfer to a university. I hate it. That is not whats in my plans. And yet all of my coworkers seem to think I'm going to do just that. I plan on finishing my AA in Liberal Arts when I feel like it. Definitely in the next year or so, but I'm in no rush. I however, have no intention of attending a university in the near future. Once I finish my AA, I'm done. I don't plan on using it, anyways. Why waste the time and money in school if its not getting me anywhere, anyways? Yeah, I know people with college degrees get paid more. But I plan on being self-employed eventually, and will make whatever I can, regardless of education. And I can always change my mind and go back. I just wish people didn't expect things out of me.

So this isn't yarn related at all. I have nothing to say about yarn because I haven't had time to work with any lately. I'm working 9-5, five days a week, and then 9-6 on saturday and sunday, which basically leaves any free time for taking care of the basic needs- eating, sleeping, breathing. My yarn stash is diminishing, after donating much of my ww acrylic stuff to some elementary school so the girls there can learn to crochet, and sending a boxful of my random nicer stuff to a friend across the country. I started an afghan using two strands of ww acrylic and an N hook, to use up the rest of my stash, but had to stop due to time limitations, and joint issues. My yarn cabinet is slowly becoming an invert cabinet. I'm keeping my hissing cockroaches, my tarantulas, and various other spiders in there. Hey, spiders spin silk, it all works together, right?

trigger finger

2007-09-29T15:14:00.000-07:00

I don't know if trigger finger is genetic or not, but my mom has had surgery for it in the past. Now I'm getting it, and its really making it hard to crochet or knit, because both of my index fingers keep locking up, and my right ring finger is starting to, as well. I'm working on a baby blanket for my brother-in-law's cousin, but I can only do a row or two at a time before my fingers lock on me. Its crazy, I'm only 19, its not fair. I still have plenty of crafting left in me!

I may be losing my health insurance soon. I'm supposed to go to school full-time for it, and I was, but I had to drop one of my classes because I kept missing the deadlines for assignments, and it was more than half over. I was so behind, I doubt it would have been possible for me to still pass the class. so now I'm down to 9 units. I hope I don't lose my health insurance, I really need it, especially if I want this trigger finger thing fixed.

Tunisian Crochet!!!

2007-09-17T08:32:00.000-07:00

My mom was at a garage sale, and came across a huge box of crochet hooks. She got over 40 of them, for a quarter a piece. I'm always losing them, so I figured it was a good deal. Most of them are steel hooks, which I just bought a whole set of last week, but oh well, the more the merrier. There were a few afghan hooks, though. I have been looking for one of those for awhile, but Joanns, Michaels, and Walmart don't seem to be stocking them much lately. so now I'm working on making a crate pad for Daphne. I love tunisian crochet... Its like knitting, but with a crochet hook! No more pointy needles to stab my fingers with! Just one, smooth, hook. It looks almost identical to knitting, except the Vs go sideways instead of up and down. Oh well, can't win them all... After I finish this crate pad (I'm just doing a long rectangle, folding it in half, and crocheting a border through both layers, so its doubled), I need to see what other fun things I can do with this technique. Its probably not as versatile as knitting, but its so much easier on my hands...

2007-08-07T13:28:00.000-07:00

I have not been up to much crafting at all lately. I'm not really sure what I've been doing with my time. It just seems to be passing by faster each day. Oh well. Anyways, its been months since I've been yarn shopping. Seriously. I don't know how I've survived, but I'm afraid that if I step foot into a craft store, I'll fall off the wagon, and spend way too much money. I don't make much money, and whatever I make is usually spent on gas and pet supplies. Too many pets. I need to find a way to make my own money, and fast. Anyways, I'm veering off topic. This morning, I checked my bank account to see if I could afford a quick run to the craft department at Walmart (I need fake flowers for props for work, and a skein or two of yarn can't hurt), when I noticed that my credit limit has been raised. It was originally $3000, and now its $5000. I don't like this. The impulse shopper in me wants to run off and spend money on big crazy things, but the sensible me knows that this is the bank's evil ploy to get me to run up my credit card when I can't afford it, so I can be in debt longer, and they can get more interest from me. I'm not falling for it! I'd cut up my credit card if I didn't think I might need it for an emergency. I wonder if I could just call the bank and have them fix my limit.

2007-07-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't been up to much crafting lately. I've been bogged down by work on weekends. During the week, I haven't really been doing much, but I've still been busy, if that makes any sense. I'm working on the boogie vest from knitty, using some of the fishermans wool my mom picked up at a thrift store. I didn't think I had enough for a sweater, so I decided on a vest. I finished the back, and am about 1/3 of the way done on the front, and it looks like i'll have plenty of yarn left over. my mom wants me to make a second one in a smaller size for a christmas gift for her friend. I agreed, because theres nothing else i can think of for that yarn, and it works up really quickly. I just hate doing cables.
I doubt I will have much time to work on my crafting in the near future. I was looking through the course catalog for school today, and that mind boggling. If I actually take school seriously and work towards my degree, I might have to go to school 5 days a week. working on weekends, that leaves me with no time to myself. not cool. I realize that in this day and age, college really isn't for everyone, and I know that its definitely not for me, but I am stubborn and am going to finish my degree. Even if its just an AS, its better than nothing. I always had goals to go all the way in school, stopping with a doctorate. That is not going to happen, but I'm not giving up completely, I am going to stay in school. I have no skills for a full time job. Taxes are only part time and seasonal, and this photography gig is weekends only. My new career goal is to get a degree in photography, and then learn animal grooming. then I want to open my own grooming salon/pet photography studio. Working with animals all day, doing two things I love, and owning my own business. and the studio gives it a different edge. Sudsy Snapshots. I don't know. something cute. its a dream. my dreams may shift and change frequently, but I have learned that I still need to follow them, I can't give up on them, or I will have nothing.

Harry Potter

2007-07-11T11:39:00.000-07:00

last night i went and saw the newest harry potter movie at midnight. First of all, let me say that I am not a big Harry Potter fan. I did not like that book at all, and I am not a fan of the movies in general. As usual, a lot was missing from the movie, but for once, it was okay. The book was filled with whiny drama and politics. The movie was better because much of that nonsense was cut out, making the story progress more smoothly. But why am I posting about that movie on my knitting blog? simple. The whole time I was watching the movie, sitting in the very front row where you can only focus on a small part of the screen at a time, my eyes were generally focused on the knit and crocheted garments worn by the cast, and thinking about trying to recreate some of them. As horrid as Dolores Umbridge is, she wears some cute jackets and such, and they are all pink. what's worse than just examining the construction of the garments was that i was also trying to identify the various yarns used in each one. I might be a bit crazy.

2007-05-19T12:20:00.000-07:00

My mom is a yarn enabler. She just feeds my addiction. I've been busy trying to get rid of some of this yarn, finishing up projects, and doing some stash busting stuff. I'm planning on moving to Washington some time in the next year. Its a big move, and I don't want to take all of this brightly colored acrylic yarn. So I've promised myself, no more yarn. I found a super cool website with super cheap yarn, www.affordableyarn.com, their selection is limited, but still yummy and super cheap! But no more yarn. No job = no yarn money, especially when I already have so much. So the other day my mom comes home from thrift store shopping, and presents me with one of those giant bags that thrift stores use. The bag is filled with yarn. seriously. I've got about 5 skeins of "fisherman's" color wool. I want to dye it with koolaid. I've got a few skeins of crunchy rug yarn, and a few odds and ends not worth mentioning...
And who came up with the idea of pompons? Seriously... I've got a doodle loom kit, and want to make pompons, but I have nothing to do with them... I need to find a life, lol... Oh well, I'm chatting with my bf on myspace right now, so this post is gonna be short...

Dreaming of Knitting

2007-04-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

Last night I had this weird dream. I was taking a knitting class in college. I blame it on staying up late last night dying yarn instead of doing reading for my classes today. Anyways, I have my schedule set up so two of my classes are online, and the other two are wednesday only. I am a super procrastinator, so when I actually do my reading, its on wednesday morning. I don't have homework for the two on-campus classes, or this wouldn't work. So back to my dream. I think it was a sign that I can't keep up like this. If I were taking a knitting class, I wouldn't be able to just do the reading the morning of class. In my dream, I cracked open my book to see what the assignment had been, and I was supposed to do a sweater, or at least, start one... it was some complex fair isle thing, scary. and of course, I was supposed to have it with me that day. So I frantically start sorting through my stash, only to realize that I have absolutely nothing that will work, and no needles, it was horrible.
So I really need to start focusing more on school. Seriously. Or maybe the dream was telling me that I should be focusing on knitting. or maybe I should be knitting a sweater.

2007-04-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

I want to make that loopy pillow from stitch n bitch nation, which was also on the stitch n bitch calender a few days ago. I really did try to make it, but that loopy stitch is so hard... well, its not really that hard, I guess, but I get my tension all screwed up, and it hurts my fingers. I prefer crocheting, its so much easier, and I usually don't stab myself with the crochet hook. Okay, so I did it the other day, and it hurt like hell. but its a rounder tip, and its easier for me to control. Knitting needles suck. I said it. Whoever thought up the idea of using two pointy sticks must have been a masochist. even when I'm not stabbing myself with them, I almost always lose one needle, rendering the set useless. And come on, how many needles does a knitter need? different lengths, different gauges. Straight needles, circulars, dpns... Crocheting is so much easier, I can get one set of hooks, and use them for almost anything. And then there is that weird device, the afghan hook. Its like, a combination of knitting and crochet... I haven't been able to find one when I've been looking, and I always find them when I'm not looking, so I don't own one. oh well, thats life, I guess.
Anyways, I totally went off topic. I really want to make that loopy pillow. Actually, I want three of them, one pink, one black, and one white, to go with my room. But I cannot for the life of my get the hang of that stitch. I know there is a loopy crochet stitch, I guess I'll have to do it that way... People keep telling me how talented I am at crocheting, I wish I could say the same for knitting... I really want to knit, but it just doesn't work. I need to get new yarn and try some sort of garment again. I was going to frog that sweater that didn't quite fit, but the yarn is unfroggable. So that was a complete waste of my money. I'm going to hit the thrift stores this weekend, looking for cheap yarn deals. Its better than spending my money at a yarn store, where I'll pay $5 for one skein. I like scrap yarn better, it looks prettier in my stash...

Has it been that long already?

2007-03-31T23:11:00.000-07:00

Wow, I guess it really has been almost 2 months since my last post here... I can't say I've been up to much crafting. I had been taking some of my crocheting to work with me, but I've gotten bored with having my coworkers stopping by and looking over my shoulder every few minutes to dazzle over my creative brilliance. Seriously... If I here one more, "Brittany, you're good" from one of them, I'll go crazy. I know I'm good. Not great, but good.

Projects I've got going on right now... lets see. I've got a one-legged amigurumi horse in progress. The legs got tedious, so I set it down after just one. I've got a knot stitch shawl for my mom, but its just so big, that its taking me forever to get done with it... I'm working on a baby blanket for my sister's husband's mom's neighbor. I could add more degrees of seperation there, but I'm too lazy. Its coming along pretty well, except I boo-booed when I bought the yarn. The pattern called for sport weight, and I wanted to use Caron Simply Soft, which is technically worsted weight, but its a thin worsted. So I didn't think there would be a problem, and bought the correct weight. well, I should have gone by yardage, not weight, because a heavier weight yarn is obviously going to have fewer yards per ounce, requiring more yarn. So I'm short one skein, and I'm banned from Michaels. Not really, but if I go in there for one thing, I feel like a total idiot, and end up buying about $50 worth of yarn and other craft supplies that I probably will never use.
I've been doing a lot of amigurumi, making little gifts for coworkers in my spare time. Its one of those instant gratification things, they turn out cute, but take so little time, and so little materials. counting rounds gets annoying, but stitch markers are even worse, so counting it is...

To copy my crochet idol, Lady Linoleum, I'm posting pictures of my stash and workspace, at least the indoors part of it... Now, before you proceed to look at these pictures, keep in mind that I'm not a very neat or organized person, quite the opposite, actually. things could be worse, and probably are worse, to be honest, but I'm not sharing pictures of my entire room, just the parts I want you to see. So here goes...
This is my china cabinet of wonders. Its not as full as it usually is, because I've been frantically pulling out skeins of yarn to start projects, and haven't been putting them back when I've given up. Yes, there is a punch bowl in there, I think it looks pretty filled with smaller balls of multicolored yarn, and its special, its from RKO studios, way back when, they used it for company parties... To the bottom left (your left, not its left), there is a plastic drawer thing, which holds my knitting needles, and craft books. Next to that is a small bookcase which has very few books, and is piled high with UFOs and other things. its not shown because I hate attaching more pictures.

and here is where half of my projects are done. My bed/futon. Its probably the most uncomfortable thing in the world, but its still functional, so it hasn't been tossed out yet. Its on its last legs, though... literally. I have no clue what is still holding it up, probably the junk I've got shoved under it... Once I get a higher paying job, its being replaced by a sturdier one from IKEA, one thats not going to break after 3 months. The other half of my crafting time is spent right where I am now, sitting at my computer desk. But the world isn't ready to see that yet...

not much new...

2007-01-30T12:28:00.000-08:00

sunday i crocheted a cute bag, using diagonal crochet. I based the pattern on the Brown Sugar Bag on crochetme. it turned out pretty cute, although I had to alter the pattern to get the color pattern the way i wanted it. instead of crocheting the back and the front flap in one piece, i did two seperate pieces, and joined them together, because i used a diagonal pattern for the whole bag. if i had done it all in one piece, the pattern on the front flap would have gone the opposite direction, and it would have looked weird. then instead of making the strap, and joining all the pieces together, i crocheted the strap around on the bag, starting at the middle of the bottom of the back piece, until i reached the ppoint where I joined the front flap, then I chained until the strap was as long as i wanted it, then picked back up on the other side of the join, working in the round until it was the right thickness. then i turned the bag inside out, and crocheted the front piece on. I'm giving it to a friend for her birthday, hopefully she will like it. it is unlined, so not suitable for small things like pens, but its bigger than i had expected, anyways, so its more like a small bookbag, which is great because she loves to read! I need to take pictures of it before i give it away. my mom really liked how it turned out, i don't know if i'll be making anymore, though. diagonal crochet is fun, but it gets tedious, as each row is bigger than the last one, at least, until you get to the middle. then things get easier, lol. i love the texture it creates, though. i want to do an afghan. i think i'll start with a baby blanket, i have plenty of baby yarn floating around. i wonder how a verigated would look... hmm...
i'm not sure if i posted this here yet, but the cardigan i was making is not getting finished. it doesn't fit in the front, i guess my gauge was off, although it fits across my back just fine. so now i'm debating whether i should rip it out and start over again, or what. it didn't take me too long to make, but i don't know if i want to go through the trouble. i will eventually, because i paid good money for that yarn, but right now its too depressing. for now, i'm just sticking to basic things, using my knifty knitters, and some simple crochet projects. i'm also going to try to learn counted cross stitch. one of my co-workers does it, and it looks so cool. i could never get the hang of it as a kid, but now my mind is more oriented towards counting stitches and using charts, so it could work. i'm going to go to michaels and look for a kit after work. I really want to buy my own spinning wheel. I want an upright wheel, where everything is stacked, i think it would be easier to use and control. my mom's ashford traditional is just too bulky and clumsy for me. i need to finish the ingeo that's on the wheel, so i can ply it, and then i'd like to try and dye it, if i can find a good synthetic dye. that should be absolutely yummy, i love ingeo, i would only spin that if i had the choice, although natural fibers are fun, too. but the ingeo is so incredibly soft and satiny.
in other news, i will be breeding my rabbits. I had originally thought it better not to, but after research, i've decided its better for Barbie's health if i breed her. my mom won't let me get her spayed to prevent uterine cancer, and if she's bred, the chances of her getting that will be reduced, because the reason why rabbits get cancer is because those organs don't get used. Rabbits were designed to be bred. to not breed them, and to leave them intact, is just cruel. maybe not so much with males, but with females, it is. I am a strong advocate of spaying and neutering pets, but i see no problem in breeding for specific purposes. my purpose is for fiber. i wouldn't breed non-wooly rabbits, unless i planned on using them for meat or something, because there are enough homeless buns out there. its the same with other critters. Blair is breeding mice now. sort of. Trevor bought two male mice as feeders, but his snakes wouldn't eat. I named them, and played with them. After a few days, i noticed that Maximus was getting smaller, and sickly looking. after observing the two interact, i realized that Maxi wasn't sick at all, but Sparticus would not let him eat, he would snatch food away from him. Maxi still wanted to snuggle with him, though, he wanted the company. so after i spent a few hours playing with Maxi, encouraging him to eat, (and dying him pink, which is another story), he was really tame. Both mice were still intended to be food at this point, but i didn't care, i wanted him to be healthy and happy until that point. I guess blair and trevor decided to handle him, and realized just how social and friendly he was, and felt sorry for him, so they went out and bought him a new cage, as well as a girlfriend. they decided they could breed the mice and raise the babies for snake food, which i totally support. at least it ensures that the mice will be happy and healthy until they become food, as opposed to living in crowded tanks, with no human interaction, until they get purchased as food. I wish my sister had done some research before making that decision, but i guess they assumed i knew everything about breeding mice, which i don't, but i know enough, so its okay. in about 3 weeks, we should have newborn mice. i'm waiting a few weeks before breeding the rabbits, because i don't want her kindling date to interfere with our planned arizona trip, which i don't even want to go on.

i'm knitting a sweater!

2007-01-16T15:49:00.000-08:00

earlier today i tried to post a pretty long entry, but it didn't go through. anyways, here it is in short. I'm knitting a sweater. its been something i've been meaning to do for awhile, but i still consider myself a total beginner, considering i have never even made a simple scarf, and of course, its a requirement for a new knitter to knit 8 million scarves before they move onto something more complicated. lol. my office has been freezing lately, the AC is running, and we can't turn it off! so i wanted to use my few knitting skills and make a simple raglan cardigan. no sewing required! unless you count sewing on buttons, i guess. the pattern i found (i'm at work and don't have the link) was written with buttonholes optional, which i didn't realize. i was halfway through the row that was supposed to have the first buttonhole, and noticed at the bottom of the instructions for that row was the alternative instructions for the buttonhole row. not wanting to frog out that row (i really should have, thinking back), i decided to forget the buttonholes. so when i'm done, i'm going to crochet a border around the front, making loops in the buttonhole side so i have a way to button it. anyways, i've got over a foot of it knit, go me! its working up pretty fast, and its turning out pretty cute. my mom keeps saying its not going to fit me, because she sees it all scrunched up on circulars, and she secretly wants it for herself. i sort of tried it on today (as much as i could without transfering the stitches to scrap yarn), and it seems like it will fit, which is awesome! i'm so proud of me, i'll be even prouder when i'll be able to actually wear it! hopefully sometime next week, if i work hard this weekend, and try to get at least 2 inches per day during the week... i have no idea how long the sleeves are going to take, though...

New bunny!

2007-01-11T17:46:00.000-08:00

Today I got a french angora rabbit! He's a real cutie. He's a bit matted, so tonight he's getting a haircut. once we get him all tangle-free, he'll be ready to grow beautiful angora hair! he's a retired show bunny, and has transferred hands a few times since. he shouldn't be too bad with grooming, though, having been shown, he must have dealt with that all the time! he's got a great coat, not very many guard hairs, which is unusual for french angoras, but a great thing for spinning, because the undercoat is so soft! he's light grey (maybe lilac? i'm still trying to figure it out). His fur will blend nicely with Barbie's, and because he's 2-3 times her size, thats so much more fiber he will produce!

i'm so bummed...

2007-01-10T13:48:00.000-08:00

I'm at work right now, so I can't post pictures or anything.. recently I finished a crocheted Tigger doll, he's pretty big... I'm working on Pooh atm, so far i've got his snout, and one foot which needs to be frogged. the patterns are from a leisure arts book, but they just don't seem to work well for me. i use stitch markers, and i'm counting my stitches (two things i normally don't do), and i'm still ending up with uneven rounds...
One of the Joanns over here is closing, which means everything is on sale! I'm excited about it, and i'm dying to go shopping, especially now that i have a little bit of money in the bank. But i'm bummed because they aren't accepting checks, only credit cards and cash. big problem... there were some fraudulent charges on my debit card, so i reported it and requested a new card. well, they deactivated my current card, and have yet to mail me my new one. I avoid using my credit card, because i don't want to be irresponsible with it. Without my debit card, i can't get cash! its horrible. all of my money is sitting in the bank, waiting to be spent, and unfortunately, i am forced to neglect it... my fingers are itching to craft, i have some patterns for some really cute things i want to make, i'm just waiting for the right yarn, and with everything on sale, i could really use that...
in other news, walmart is closing their fabric department, it will only be available in the superstores. my mom is bummed about that, but she's waiting for everything to go on clearance at the regular stores... i wonder what they are going to do with the extra space... maybe they'll expand the yarn aisles... a girl can dream..

Long time, no post...

2006-10-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

I've been really busy with school and work lately.. not much time for crafting, not much time for much of anything recreational. I started another snood, this one has beads. its pretty, so far. i'm about halfway done, and i got bored. So i put it down and decided to crochet a witch hat for my halloween costume. its kind of small, it could easily fit a child, but it also works for me, so its all good. Its got a kind of folk look to it, not like those commercial ones with perfect cones, and a brim sticking out at a perfect 90 degree angle... this is a lumpy cone that gets wider at the base. i like it, though, its versatile, i can play with it and it looks cute. I am looking for a pin or something to put on it, something fancy, but not too much, since i'm trying to be a very cute witch this year, with a black strapless cocktail dress, neon green and black striped stockings, and pointy pumps. I'm also working on a (crocheted) witch costume for Felicity (my american girl doll from i don't know how many years ago). I'm done with her hat, and am working on the dress. Its a dark green color, a little different from the traditional black, but with her red hair (that matches mine pretty well), the green looks absolutely stunning! anyways, i still have to finish the sock i have been working on for a while, and start a new pair for my grandma. she might be here for christmas, so i'm hoping to have them done for her then. luckily, 2 of my classes end next week, and i'll hopefully have more time. and my tax class ends towards the end of next month, so thats even more of a relief. And my molly is coming home! I'm going to knit or crochet a little sailors hat for her as a joke... maybe... if i can find a pattern... and some time... oh well, i'll make sure to post some pics of my witch hat, and my doll, and the snood, and the socks, when they are all done... lol.

what i've been up to lately...

2006-07-24T10:33:00.000-07:00

its been awhile since i've posted last, so i figured i'd update, although i don't have any pictures quite yet...
i have started working on a quilt, i got a few blocks done, and then i got busy with life and the likes. its one of those quilt block of the month things, so i have all the pieces already cut out and everything. i just have to get the right thread on my machine and find some time to work on it.

My brother requested this hat from a show called Firefly, or Serenity, i can't remember... its the same character, one's a movie, the other is a show, i guess... anyways, its this hideous hat, its red, orange, and yellow, with ear flaps and a big pompom on top. i cheated and crocheted instead of knit, but he likes the hat. I used Cascade 220 that i bought from KnitWitz. with the leftover yarn, i crocheted a cute little purse, and felted it. its a little small, but i followed a pattern. next time i know to make it a little bit bigger, this was my first experience with felting.

The other day i was at Joanns, and found this adorable book with crochet patterns for winnie the pooh characters. i got the yarn needed for Tigger, and so far, i have his face, ears, and one arm done. i went back and bought the yarn for pooh, but i set that project aside for the moment. now i'm knitting my first sock. just one sock for now, i started it on friday, and now i'm working on the foot of the sock, so i'm nearly there! i'm doing it for a sock pony. i'm going to go back to KnitWitz and buy more yarn to make a pair of socks for my dad's birthday. it sounds like fun...

anyways, i'll try to post again soon with pictures of everything...

amigurumi cat- picture

2006-06-26T22:51:00.000-07:00

i got my cell phone to connect to the computer, after all. so here is the picture of my amigurumi cat, sitting next to my adorable cat, Runt.

now i've decided to crochet myself a skirt. i tried to make the one in crochet! magazine (may issue, i believe), but the xl size wasn't big enough for me, so i was about halfway done when i realized it wasn't gonna work... the only reason i got that far was because i figured it would stretch. then i realized, if its gonna stretch that much, you will be able to see right through it, so i ripped it out, and started again, making sure to make it just a tiny bit bigger than it needs to be. and of course, if my new weight loss plan works, its going to end up being a big waste of my time. my sister was looking through vogue knitting, the one with the pretty pink skirt on the cover, and saw plenty there that she wanted me to make for her. i told her that if she'll buy me everything the pattern calls for, i'll do it, but i don't knit very fast, so one thing at a time, and it might take awhile...

i'm dying to get out and meet other crafters, and its probably not going to happen for awhile, as i seriously cannot make it out to any of the existing SnB groups, which makes me sad. maybe i'll get out to KnitWitz sometime in the next few weeks, buy some yarn, and ask about local groups...

Amigurumi Cat

2006-06-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to finish my amigurumi cat. I made it out of the wool yarn i spun myself, sort of a souvenir of my first spinning. he's a bit top heavy still, i may have to add legs to help hold him up... i had done the head with ears, and body with tail, but i couldn't find any stuffing for him, i couldn't remember which of my pillows has a hole cut in it... i figured it out today, and got right to finishing my kitty, complete with eyes, nose, mouth, whiskers, arms, and collar! i took a picture on my cell phone, but my computer isn't working right, so i can't transfer it onto here yet, but i'll post the pic as soon as i can. i think i just need to restart...
okay, no luck with that pic yet... its just so gosh darn cute, though, so i'll have to fix my regular camera... apparantly the camera fell on the floor, and now the memory card doesn't stay in place. so i'll have to figure something out, i like pictures...

stuff...

2006-06-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

i haven't been very crafty lately, i've been too busy with other things. i'm frogging the cowboy hat because it was pathetic, and the twine is better used as a bag, which i'm almost finished with. i started working on a black snood to go with my mom's mourning clothes, but i lost the hook i was using, and also happened to lose my entire pouch of hooks. pathetic, huh? yesterday we had a barbecue, sort of a fathers day party, for kids without dads... weird, i know, but it was pretty fun, the food was good, although we didn't even go through half of it! we have lots of hamburgers and grilled chicken breasts, plenty of potato salad and pasta salad, and some melon balls. and we get to do it all over again in 2 weeks for my birthday party. i bought some cute decorations and stuff for my party today, including some really cute plastic margarita glasses, which are going to be adorable with ice smoothie stuff i bought at biglots. i just need to find little umbrellas. i also need to get leis for the guests, and i need to work out the menu. not to mention i still have to invite half of my guests! i have a feeling its going to end up being a small party, and most of the people there will be strangers, so they probably won't be bringing many gifts. i know, i'm selfish. i have ulterior motives for everything. why else would i throw a birthday party, though? sure, its going to be fun, but i'm spending money i don't necessarily have, in order to have a good party, which will be worth spending a little money on a gift for me... anyways, i guess i need to start making phone calls soon to invite people...

World Wide Knit in Public Day

2006-06-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

today was WWKIP day. i went to the covina group, and although there were only two other people attending (the organizer of that group, and her daughter), we had lots of fun. i sat and crocheted that cowboy style hat out of garden twine. i was having so much fun with it, that i had finished the last row without realizing it, and was searching through the pattern for the rest! it turned out really floppy, doesn't look much like a cowboy hat at the moment, but i think i can fix it. i need to make a hatband for it, and then i can tack the sides up, and try to shape it a little better. garden twine is not very easy to work with, its not very flexible, and its rough against your hands. i knew it would be like that, but i still had to use the next size up hook, because the one the pattern called for just didn't do it. we sat and talked about things we would eventually like to do, funny, both of us really like the idea of moving to maine. she wants to open a bed and breakfast there, i'd like to open a yarn store. we both thought they were great ideas, and would both be lots of fun. i gave her my card, so we are going to try to start up our own knitting group in the area, because there isn't one... she also mentioned a yarn store on arrow highway, called Knitwits. funny, because as i was driving home from dropping my brother off at raging waters, i took arrow home, and found the store. i was in the wrong lane to just turn into the parking lot, and i didn't have any money anyways, but i really wanted to go. so it was ironic that she mentioned that store today. next year for this event, we are going to try to have a better turnout, advertise a lot more, and offer workshops and such, so it will be more worthwhile for people of all skill groups to attend. anyways, i'm having a terrible headache, so i'd better get to bed soon. i'll try to get pictures of that cowboy hat once i have it together a little better. i just need to decide what color i want to use for the hatband...

news

2006-06-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

alright, in my last post, i mentioned a new bunny. well, she's a girl bunny, named Barbarella. and she's a lionhead rabbit, not a jersey wooly. tomorrow there is a rabbit and cavy show at pomona fairplex, but i don't think i'm gonna be there. i think i'm going to go to the knit in public day thing in covina. of course, i'll be crocheting. i don't have the motivation right now to start a new knitting project, and i've abandoned all of the ones i've started (mostly due to lost knitting needles). I'm almost done making my first snood. my mom bought one skein of yarn she saw at a thrift store, its patons 4 ply wool yarn, its just barely thicker than size 3 crochet thread, and its the perfect color to match my navy dress for civil war reenacting. i just need to do the last row and thread through the elastic, and then i'll be done. and i'm seriously dying to start that cowboy hat made with garden twine. so i might have to weasel some cash from my mom and head to the hardware store tomorrow morning, before going to the park. i have to drive my brother to raging waters tomorrow for a school dance. i'm upset that i didn't get invited this year. when i was a freshman, i took him, and he was in 6th grade. i think he should have invited me this year, considering most of my friends are currently seniors. bah. oh well, i have better things to do tomorrow. i should bring daphne with me tomorrow, except i think she'll bite someone. i swear, that dog is so antisocial, i hate it! she's such a sweetie to me, but my friends come over, and she doesn't stop growling! but she does enjoy going out, so maybe she'll behave herself. we'll see. if she's good tonight, then she can come tomorrow.

Meet Duran Duran

2006-05-31T15:15:00.000-07:00

this is Duran Duran:

He is a lionhead bunny. He was found in the parking lot of a burger place. Somebody took him in, but couldn't keep him. so i ended up with him, and he's darling. i was really sad when i had to give away my last bunny, due to allergies. you would think that with a long haired bunny, it would be even worse. surprisingly, i'm not allergic to him at all! no watery eyes, no runny nose, nothing! and the best part of it all: if i brush him daily, i can collect all that fur, and spin it! that was the whole idea of getting him. i was originally told that he was an angora rabbit... close enough, he's almost a dwarf angora (jersey wooly). he's gonna come with us to reenactments, even though his breed is one of the newest. we'll just say he's a young angora. his civil war name is Mopsy, my mom named him that. I prefer Duran Duran, after the scientist from Barbarella. I also like the band, but that's not why i named him that... i just think a silly looking bunny needs a strange name. he's such a sweetheart, he's just chilling on my bed right now. only problem is, he has mites, and my vet is out of town... I'm gonna call tomorrow to make him an appointment for whenever she gets back... at least they aren't bugging him (no pun intended)...

i think my next project is going to be the cowboy hat from Happy Hooker, made out of garden twine, at my brother's request... i just need to figure out how much i'll need, and go buy it!

broomstick lace and more...

2006-05-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

its been awhile since my last post, and i apologize for that... I got a new RAZR cell phone, which takes pretty okay pictures, considering its a cell phone... so i promise to take more pictures of my work...
so i was looking for some crochet patterns yesterday, on crochet pattern central, and came across instructions for broomstick lace... so i was at walmart today, and found size 50 knitting needles, which is what i read is often used for broomstick lace, so i bought them... they were like, 6 dollars, and they are HOT PINK!!! lol... did i mention that i'm slightly obsessed with all things pink? speaking of which, have you seen the new Hummer H3? Its a smaller version of the hummer, so it looks like a Barbie car. so if they ever make a more fuel efficient H3, and if i ever become insanely rick, I'm going to get one, and have it painted hot pink, like a barbie car...

so anyways, back on topic. i was looking for patterns for broomstick lace, and i came across this hat: Lovely in Lace. This woman is now one of my crochet idols... hey, that gives me an idea... i wish i had more readers for this blog... oh well... anyways, i decided to make this hat. the pattern was so nicely written, that it only took me around 2 hours to make, and i didn't ever have to rip anything out... there is one row of broomstick lace towards the bottom, and its just a very cute hat.
My version of it:

(ignore the ugly model... that's just me...)
I think the hat works nicely with this belt I made a few days ago:

do you have any idea how hard it is to take a picture of a belt you are wearing on a camera phone? the belt is a mile-a-minute strip i have been using for a few afghans i'm working on... each time i make it, i think to myself, "this would make an awesome belt". so i finally did it, once i got some plastic bone rings... i made both the belt and the hat out of wool i ripped out from a sweater i bought at a thrift store... i also have a bag i made, but that's just plain and ugly and not worth taking a picture of...

anyways, if by some chance, there is actually somebody reading this, please leave me a comment, and let me link to your blog once i get my links section up... i'd like to have a few readers because i have a really cool idea for a project i'd like to do, and i need participants!

spinning!

2006-05-08T12:04:00.000-07:00

yesterday I learned how to spin on a drop spindle. I'm having way too much fun with it... but sometimes i do great, and other times, i keep breaking the yarn... anyways, i filled up one spindle, and am working on a second, so i can ply them together. i think i'm gonna have another go at the irish hiking scarf once i'm done with it. it should be fun, being able to say that i spun the yarn all by myself. eventually i'm gonna want to clean, card, and dye my own wool, but for now, i'll stick to the ready-made roving. i have to get off to class soon, so i'll post pics later tonight.

skool is stoopid.

2006-04-28T11:59:00.000-07:00

sorry, i'm in my art class right now. I'm supposed to be working on my Adobe Illustrator projects, but they are so boring, i can finish them at home over the weekend. my teacher is out, so we have this sub, who isn't nearly as fun. i work better when i'm at home, working without this pressure. so i figured i'd update on my projects.
The cape for my mom is on delay right now, i got sick of it. i started knitting another IHS, this time on size 6 needles, which i will probably frog because my hands don't like those tiny needles. i keep poking my fingers with them, and its starting to hurt. i pulled out my knifty knitter set, and started playing around with those yesterday. so now i'm using the flat loom to make panels for an afghan. i'm using a single strand of worsted weight yarn, so its very loose, but i think it will be a nice summery afghan. i think i'm gonna make the panels 6 feet long, and then i will edge them with a crochet hook, and sew them together using a contrasting color. i haven't figured out if i'm gonna need 3 or 4 panels yet though, but it gives me something to do while i'm sitting in bed watching TV, which is what i do when i'm not on the computer or out doing something.
so, i think i'm going to the renaissance faire this weekend! as long as my friends get back to me with the details... it will be a lot of fun, i haven't been since i was 9... anyways, i'm on my lunch break now, so i could go out and get food or i can stay in and type. at least i don't have to be sneaky anymore... but we still have, like, 2 1/2 hours left of this class after lunch... maybe 2 hours, depending on how slow things go. i think i could just leave, i don't think she's going to teach us anything else today, and since i have the software at home, there is really no reason for me to be sitting here. maybe i should ask. or maybe i should just take off. if i leave now, i could go to my high school and visit for awhile before all of my friends take off.. but that parking lot is a nightmare, so i think i'll just stay here, or go straight home. anyways, this blog doesn't seem to be much about crafting anymore, so i'll stop... oh, i did create a logo for my "company", and am really proud of it. I'll post it later when i get home...

more stuff... I have no life...

2006-04-06T16:56:00.000-07:00

I went to Joann's with my mom the other day, and I bought Sensations Thick & Thin yarn... It is so soft, I love it. So when I got home, I pulled out my size 17 knitting needles (i wanted to use my bigger ones, but i couldn't remember where i put them) and just made a ridiculously easy scarf, it took me a few hours, i don't like knitting very much, but its not so much of a chore with big needles and bulky yarn. my friends seem to like the scarf, too, but i doubt i'll be making any more anytime soon. I'm cheap, and although the yarn was clearanced for $3 a skein, i needed 3 skeins, so that was $9... if i had a job, or if people were willing to pay me for them, i would be happy to do it, but right now i rely on my mom to buy my materials for me. My mom also wanted me to make her a cape like i did for my friend, so we bought the yarn for that, and I started working on it... i just get so bored with that pattern, i like having to memorize a stitch pattern, it makes it more fun, but this is all double crochet... so boring, but the finished product will be nice, so i guess its worth it.
We went to another reenactment on saturday, and checked out the suttlery's... kind of a "oh, look, i can make that" type of thing, and to talk to the suttlers about how to get started... we want to be ready by the first weekend of september, but we might shoot for a little bit sooner, if its possible...
My next project should be the dog sweater from Stitch n' Bitch Nation. We took in a friend's dog, and i think she would be darling in a hot pink and bright orange sweater... the pattern calls for a mohair blend, i think, but i think i want to use Caron Simply Soft Brites, i think it would knit up nicely... if my sister will go to walmart and buy the yarn and the needles i need, i'll gladly make it...
i added progress bars, and would like to add a section for links to other blogs, but am wary of doing so. i just don't know anybody, and don't want to put random links on my blog... so i guess if you want to link up, leave a comment... that could work...

finished...

2006-03-30T20:01:00.000-08:00

i finished 2 capelets, one based on the lacy shells poncho from luv2crochet, the other one came from a booklet at joanns... i'm working on a snood, trying to replicate the ones we have bought from different suttleries... i don't understand how people can sell them for so cheap when they take so much effort to make... i think once i figure out the pattern, it will get easier, but still... i'm expected to have a bin full of them in assorted colors, and i can't even make one yet... but it should be done soon, if i actually keep at it... i think i used up most of the yarn i bought the other day... i'm gonna have to start buying it in bulk somewhere for cheap... maybe ebay... hmm...

Shopping!!!

2006-03-28T17:33:00.000-08:00

My mom took me to Joanns today, so we got to buy yarn... we went just a little bit crazy, lol... we bought yarn for the fur trim on my friend's cape... its this gorgeous chocolate brown mink yarn, it looks absolutely yummy with the cape... then we bought lots of yarn to make capelets to sell at reenactments, and some size 3 thread so i can practice making snoods... so i finished the cape, i will take pictures of it on my friend at her birthday party... i'll hate to see it go, but i know its going to a good home... lol... it just looks so good in my closet, i didn't know how proud i could be of something with such an easy pattern, but here i am... maybe i'll make one for myself... my mom wants one first... and she wants me to make a few to sell, as well, she thinks they could go for $90 or so... i think it depends on what yarn i can find on sale... i really need to find a place to store my stash... i think i need to convince my parents to build a castle, with really big rooms... that way i could partition off my room into three sections: bedroom, computer room, and craft room... maybe 4... a sitting room area would be nice so my friends can't mess with all of my stuff... lol, i seriously want a castle...
anyways, i am using lion brand jiffy for the capelets, with the sensations mink for the edging... that stuff looks great, it seriously looks like fur from a distance... i am envious... i don't understand how i can feel envy about a yarn, but i do... i want to be that yarn, or maybe i want to be the cape... who knows... it just looks so good! anyways, the jiffy is great, it feels like mohair, but is actually acrylic... so i still have yet to work with anything besides acrylic (oh, and cotton)... but man, that fiber is versatile... so many different textures out of one fiber! I'm impressed... but i'd love to work with animal fibers, for a change... i can't wait until my mom starts spinning, so we can realy make everything ourselves... i think raw fiber is cheaper than yarn... it just takes more work, but thats all the fun... or if my mom won't spin, i wish she would let me use her wheel so i can spin... she just doesn't want to set it up...
at the reenactment a few weekends ago, we met Nancy... from Sewing with Nancy... but i didn't know that... i mean, she was standing at a table filled with books and videos about sewing with Nancy, but i didn't put two and two together until just now... i did pick up a nifty copy of vogue knitting, from winter 1961, i think... i'll look at it later... so i might dabble into knitting again eventually, but crochet is so much faster and easier for me, its relaxing, while knitting still makes me tense... but i still prefer to look at knitted things than crochet... i think its just the artist inside me, never being satisfied with my own work...

ow...

2006-03-19T21:24:00.000-08:00

i really need to start using my camera again... i think most people who read blogs secretly do it for the pictures... anyways, so far, my progress on outstanding projects:
1. Cloak- no progress since the last post... i've been lazy... i'll work on it sometime during the week, i need it finished by the 30th.
2. mile-a-minute afghan- again, no progress... i'm lazy...
3. daphne blankie- still no progress... wow, this is getting old...
4. rainbow scarf- i started this because i had a skein of rainbow yarn and wanted to get rid of it... the scarf is for blair... its almost finished, just needs fringe... its sitting in my backpack, in my car, along with my math homework which is due tomorrow but i haven't even started... its got an interesting twisty pattern to it, i got bored on my field trip to Bergamot Station.
5. simply soft scarf- another scarf for blair... she loves the scarves i do with this yarn... i made her one before, and then another for her friend, and she requested yet another, so i'm working on it... just a simple double crochet scarf, with a single crochet border... its pretty thin, like, 3 or 4 inches, and will be about 6 feet long... she likes them long... i have about a foot done, and am in no hurry to finish it...
6. IHS- still no progress, i have to remember where i put the danged thing!

so i bought Stitch n' Bitch Nation today, and i love the patterns in it, i can't wait to stock up on knitting supplies and get started... of course, i think most of the things i would make for blair, she wears that kind of stuff, but still... but i promise not to start anything else until i finish 3 things from my list... okay, maybe 2 things...

now to explain the title... my arm is killing me.... seriously, a few hours ago, it started out as an ache in the middle of my forearm... annoying, but managable... over the past few hours, it has spread to an almost intolerable ache going from my right ring finger, to the right side of my jaw... i don't know what to do, nothing is helping, i just want to cry, or scream, or cut my arm off... so this means no crocheting or knitting for me until the pain goes away... at least, no knitting, i think i can crochet with just one hand, being left handed and all...

oh, one more thing, am i weird? seriously, i am a lefty, and i've heard that its easier for leftys to knit the continental way, as opposed to the english way (or is it the other way around? i forget)... anyways, i knit the right handed way, but backwards... switching right and left in patterns... which gets confusing, but at least it makes sense to me... i have tried it the other way, and i don't get it... it doesn't matter though, right? as long as it works, i guess... but still, everything i see tells me i should do it the other way, and i don't see the point.. of course, i would love to learn how to knit right handed, too, that way i can do stockinette withought having to turn, and without having to do any purling.. just knit from right needle to left, and then back onto the right needle.. that would be fun... lol...

Cloak!

2006-03-12T17:50:00.000-08:00

So I bought the yarn for my friend's cloak the other day... Its working up pretty fast, which is good... the body calls for 60 rows of DC, i'm on row 57... but its too short, and walmart doesn't have any more of the yarn i need, i think i have just enough to finish the cloak according to the pattern, but i think it should be longer... the model is tall and skinny, so i was worried that it wouldn't be wide enough, but its turning out great, its just not long enough, i think the particular piece modeled for the book was made longer, because it goes all the way to the floor, the model is tall, wearing heels, and is holding part of it up... so this is rather dissapointing.. this might mean i will have to go search several walmarts looking for the right yarn... not that i care about dye lot... if i were making something nice to sell, i would be more careful about that, but this is for a friend, and she'd better be happy that she's gettign anything at all for her birthday! I'm PMSing, if you can't tell, so that explains the mood... anyways, my mom's friend brought em a book of patterns for crocheted purses, which would be perfect to sell in our suttlery, once we figure out our name and get the paperwork filed... i think we need to come up with our name in the next week or so, so i can go ahead and start on the paperwork... i wonder if i'm going to be considered a full partner, or if i'm just going to be an employee... i hope i'm a full partner, i'll be making most of the small stuff that people will buy, as opposed to expensive dresses that only serious reenactors will buy... which reminds me, i really need to whip up a batch of soap, and try my hand at some candles. soaps and candles are staples for a suttlery... any other knicknacks i can think of would be great, too... maybe some homemade toys... those are great, fun to entertain kids with... but i'm rambling again... anyways, i think i'll have the cloak finished by wednesday, i might need a full day to work, and that won't be until tuesday...

Baby stuff!

2006-03-08T10:52:00.000-08:00

last night my sister asked me to make something for her friend's baby. So i got bored, pulled out some yarn, and hunted for baby crochet patterns... i made adorable booties (i want to make more, they are so easy and cute... maybe if i make them smaller, they will fit Daphne?), some mittens, and a hat. baby blue with white accents, very sweet. i had trouble finding patterns using worsted weight yarn though, thats all i've got on hand... anyways, i'll try to get blair to take a picture of the baby and his new accessories when she sees him, and then i'll post it here... babies are just too darn precious...

another useless day...

2006-03-05T21:03:00.000-08:00

so i made daphne a quickie crochet sweater out of that nice fuzzy yarn... i still need to add one more thing, and she damn near killed me when i tried to put it on her... she does not like wearing clothes... so after screaming at her and trying to hold her mouth shut to prevent her from biting me, i got it on her, and its so fuzzy! now my friend has requested a crocheted cloak... that seems like a lot of fun, but that would require a lot of yarn, i would prefer wool, probably wool-ease so its washable... and that costs money, which neither of us have... i swear, i need to start making something that i can sell for cash... and thats not gonna happen because i lack talent and original ideas... everything i make seems to come from a pattern from someone else, which i can't very well sell... i wonder if people would buy crappy dog sweaters... i don't know if i could make these in different sizes though, it would require some serious trial and error time... and a lot of extra yarn... maybe i'll make one for Zena, she's big, and Blair likes to put her in sweaters... i'd make one for Alfie, but he might have a new home soon! yay for new home... i want a kitty now... a little tiny fluffball, like Oliver was...not that any of you would know who he was, he was a tiny thing that we rescued from the shelter with an advanced case of upper resp... sadly, he didn't make it, but we were able to keep him alive for 10 days longer, which is more than he would have had at the shelter, and at least he got to snuggle with me when he died... imagine waking up in the middle of the night with a dead kitten laying on you... not pleasant... especially to a necrophobic, like me... but anyways, back to pleasant thoughts, of cute fluffy kittens... so i'd like to take a kitten over spring break, and let it live with me and be all snuggly, even bottlefeed it if its that young... and if its over spring break, then i can spend all day with the baby... but thats not going to happen, not while i'm living here... does anybody want to hire me? i can be a nanny... except i can't yet drive with children. but i'd be a great live in nanny... then i could move out, and everything... heck, i'd even babysit if snb-ers need to bring kids along to a meeting... that might be interesting work... i'd charge a few dollars per kid... then more people could come because they wouldn't need to stay home with the kids.... cool idea... i'm so smart...

today...

2006-03-04T20:59:00.000-08:00

the other day my mom was going through some boxes in her closet, stuff that belonged to her grandmother... she handed me a bag full of old crochet projects... there were several granny squares of various patterns, but not enough of anything to actually do anything with... thats a bummer... i can still make some into pillows, using 9 or so, for the front, and then doing one big granny in a solid color on the back... my mom seems to like that idea... there was also a cute granny skull cap (not sure what they are called) that needs a few more rows added onto it... i'm gonna need my mom to finish that one for me... its a simple shell pattern, but my great grandmother was right handed, and i'm left handed, so i think it would look funny, especially since she left off mid-row. i'm gonna do a cute flower though and attach it on, and it will be very retro... thats in right now, right? i guess so... i'm not really into what's in though... i just started buying new "bohemian" clothes, i'm really glad they are in, i had been trying to attempt that look for years, and now the clothes are widely available, and they look so cute... lots of long flowing skirts... very earthy/hippy, without looking like some kind of freak. anyways, back on topic. so we were at biglots today, trying to buy wagon wheels... we are doing a pioneer theme for the living room, and my mom wanted to get some wagon wheels to hang on the walls... needless to say, they were sold out. but i found some cute yarn, Caron Feathers... so i bought a few rolls of it, and am debating whether i should do an irish hiking scarf (even though i haven't yet finished the first), or if i should make a sweater for little daphne... i need to find some gold fabric and make some tiny throw pillows for daphne... we got her this adorable little loveseat, its made for dolls, but its the right size for a bed for her, and its burgundy. i'm redecorating my bedroom to look like a brothel, kind of a moulin rouge look, with gold and burgundy. my next step is to find some burgundy satin sheets for a twin size bed... but anyways, this isn't a redecorating blog, if it were, it would be very boring, considering i don't know what i'm really doing anymore...

I'm so lame...

2006-03-01T17:08:00.000-08:00

i haven't gotten much work on anything done in these past few days... too much other stuff going on with the dogs, and with school, and everything... but i've had a request to make a doggie sweater for my sister's friend's new dog. she's a doll! but daphne is getting one first, and not even until i finish the doggie blanket, and then my friend's afghan... i need to stop starting projects until i finish the ones i'm currently working on... anyways, i have been looking at other crafty blogs, and i just adore monstercrochet, and then i looked at her website, and found her resume, and realized, she did a show at my school sometime last year! but i wasn't a student there at that point, dammit... if only i hadn't taken that semester off... oh well... so she's one of my crochet idols, someone that i'm absolutely dying to meet. i would love to just sit and crochet with her... seriously, how lame is that... except its actually plausible, considering she lives in the area, and she's a stitch n bitch member... so i would just need to find out which group she goes to, and then i could start going too... i'd meet a lot of really amazing people that way... but anyways, i just thought it was weird because i found her blog while doing a google search for crochet blogs... seriously, its a small world... school was so boring today, i swear, one of these days i'm going to bring my knitting and knit in math class while the teacher is going over the previous homework assignment, and i'm usually falling asleep because its stuff i had no problems with... anyways, this is my knitting and crocheting blog, not my stupid life blog, so i guess i'll end this here, because i have nothing craft related to blog about anymore... i swear... i think it would be cool to start a stitch n bitch group at school, we could all hang out in the student center once a week and it would be fun... there are couches in there and everything! perfect! okay, i promised i'd end this... over and out.

was bored today...

2006-02-25T21:58:00.000-08:00

i went through one of my boxes of junk (i have several piled up in the family room from when we got new floors put in... everything that didn't have a spot got thrown in a box). I found some of my knitting needles, which is great. and i felt particularly crafty today... i was more in the mood to crochet today, but i can't for the life of me figure out anything to make... so i decided to make a baby blanket for Daphne. i have a huge skein of blue cotton worsted weight yarn, which is perfect... so i'm knitting the main part of the blanket with the light blue, and then i'm going to crochet a border with black cotton yarn, and i'm going to crochet a black flower and sew it onto the bottom left corner of the blanket. then daphne will have something to chew on...
seriously, that mutt has no appreciation for what i do... its a miracle that she's not barking at me right now because i'm paying more attention to my computer than i am to her. i swear, she's jealous of this thing... tough, i've had it for longer, and spent at least twice the amount of money on it than i did on her. so she'll just have to deal with being in second place.
anyways, if i can ever find my camera again (i know its around here somewhere...), then i will post pictures of the blanket, it should be cute, although i'm still trying to figure out a cute edging pattern for it... anyways, the blue section is about 1/3 of the way done, its about 6 inches, maybe more... (i know i have a ruler around here someplace, too...). I figure i'll give it 18 inches, and then the border should add at least 3 inches width and length total, depending on what i pick... 21 inches seems like a good height... oh, i'm just working in garter stitch, for those who are wondering, and i attempted a crochet cast-on, not exactly knowing what that is, but guessing as best as i could... it was so much faster than casting on normally... i hate casting on and binding off, i guess i need more practice, but those parts aren't the parts that get used as often. you only cast on and bind off once per piece... i'm rambling again. i think its my schizophrenia... lol, long story...
tomorrow i have a busy day ahead of me, so i might not get much else done on the blanket for a few days. i promise, i will finish it! same goes for the IHS... oh, i found a second cable needle, so expect progress on that in the next week or so... i have to wash it when i'm done though, because stupid daphne decided that it was her pee-pad, and peed on it, so its stinky and gross... at least dog pee doesn't linger like cat pee does... i'm being gross again, sorry...
anyways, i need to put my blog out there, i haven't posted in it much yet, but i do intend to keep it fairly updated, unlike my other umpteen thousand blogs... who knows, maybe i'll start up crochet challenge again, after i get more readers here... i wonder, is there a way to see how many people look at this blog? so far i'm relying on comments, which i don't get many of, but i have no idea if anybody is actually reading this or if i'm just typing all this for no reason...

long time, no knit...

2006-02-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

i haven't posted in awhile because i haven't been knitting for awhile... i set down the IHS because i misplaced my cable needle... then i started a k1 p1 rib scarf on plastic needles, and then proceeded to sit on a needle and break it... i babysat over the weekend and took along a kit i picked up at a thrift store for leg warmers... i got one finished, but there are several mistakes, mostly from being tickled mid-row, causing me to pull away, and slip several stitches off the needles... i'm not very good at picking up dropped stitches, especially when it rips out several rows down, so there are a few noticable mistakes, but i guess it kind of gives them the 80s grunge look, so its alright... now i need to find time to cast on the second one... and i found a pattern for a sweater that i'm dying to make, its the Red Heart tri-cable pullover... i think it would look cute on one of my friends, but she has zillions of sweaters, and i don't have any, so she told me to make it for myself... not sure if i would wear it, but i would at least enjoy making it, and thats whats important... now i have to convince my mom to buy me the yarn and needles i need... i already owe her money, although i did give her $50 yesterday, which is half of what i earned from babysitting... i wish i could babysit more often, right now its only about once a month, and that $100 i get needs to pay for my gas and food, but my mom insisted i start paying her back... so i gave her half of my money, and then "borrowed" her ATM card and filled up my gas tank... wow, gas is so expensive... it cost almost $30 to fill the tank! i hope prices go down soon, although i know they won't... but anyways, unless anybody else wants to hire me to babysit fairly locally, i'm stuck with no money for knitting projects... hmm...

2006-01-30T15:53:00.000-08:00

not much progress since yesterday, i'm not feeling well enough to sit and concentrate on anything right now... didn't get any work done in the waiting room, we got there, signed in, and were in the exam room in 2 minutes... it was weird, i have never been to a doctor's office without waiting. good news though! My mom's leg is healing, so they might not have to do a bone graft and muscle flap! anyways, i'm dying to start working on the Lacy Shells Poncho from luv2crochet. but i want to use the pink yarn that i'm using for the scarf, which means i actually have to finish the scarf before i can start anything else... oh well, i guess i'll have to keep working on the scarf, it shouldn't take me more than a week to finish, depending on how i feel...

IHS- continued...

2006-01-29T15:17:00.000-08:00

So i could barely sleep last night, i kept coughing, i hate being sick.. as soon as the sun came up enough for me to see, i picked up the scarf and started working on it... I've got about 2 1/2 feet done so far, go me! i'll probably get a few more inches done today. Assuming i feel better tomorrow, i have to take my mom to the doctor, so i'll have lots of waiting room time to sit and knit... i'm a bit upset because about 7 inches into the scarf, i screwed up and had to rip out 2 rows. some of the stitches got twisted as i put them back on the needle, so there is a "scar" going halfway across one row... it doesn't look too bad, but its still frustrating. i decided to leave it alone because i wasn't sure i'd be able to actually fix it, i was worried about messing even more of it up... anyways, daphne is bugging me, she wants to play... she's jealous because the computer has my attention at the moment. i'll post more pictures tomorrow...

Irish Hiking Scarf

2006-01-28T13:08:00.000-08:00

so i got bored with the stupid garter stitch scarf... its not like i'm gonna ever wear it... its freaking white! although it would actually be pretty cute with the outfit i have on, white pants, and a green tshirt with "I *heart* Nerds" printed on it. and the heart is white... so the scarf would go pretty well, but too bad. its over, unless i get really really bored... so i pulled out a nice fat skein of baby pink yarn yesterday to attempt a doggie sweater... except the pattern used cables, which up until that point, i had no clue how to do... and daphne was getting all tangled up in the yarn, while i was counting "knit one, purl one... leave me alone stupid dog... where was i? oh, purl one, knit one, purl one... why is this ending on a knit stitch? aw crap... " so i frogged it, set it down, and proceeded to find instructions for cabling. then i remembered someone posting on SnB about a cable scarf they were doing as their first cable project. I found the pattern, and its so freaking easy! Its the Irish Hiking Scarf... it looks really pretty, too... So then i dug frantically through my grandma's old knitting basket, found a cable needle (not easy, there is too much crap in there), and decided to try out the pattern on my pink yarn... i think the scarf is gorgeous, but also can be very masculine, it would be the perfect gift for a guy friend, except its pink, and besides, i don't have any guy friends to give gifts to... i'm having one problem though, i hate purling! the rows where i knit more than purl go very fast, but the odd numbered rows where i have to purl a lot, take me forever! I dread finishing an even row because i know what comes next. but i look forward to finishing odd rows, so i can take a break with the even rows... i might just be going crazy... oh well... daphne is sound asleep on my pillow next to the scarf, she's adorable... and pictures... i turned of the flash for the daffy picture, and it made it be slow shutter and it came out blurry... i'll have to figure out my camera a little better...

2006-01-27T12:34:00.000-08:00

I'm sick, my digital camera is still in my car, and I'm too lazy to get up and get it so I can take pictures of what I'm working on... I am so antsy to start a new project, I found a whole bunch of adorable patterns that i'm dying to crochet, but i really need to finish the things i've started already... I have a mile-a-minute afghan going thats about halfway done, its a very late christmas gift for a friend who's going to japan soon. Luckily her departure date got pushed back to june, so i don't need to rush to get it to her. i'm lazy. She understands. I'm also halfway through knitting a scarf, just a really basic thing, just to get the hang of it... I'm just using garter stitch, 15 per row, on size 10 needles, with boring white worsted weight acrylic yarn. and its twisting... like, a spiral scarf, but this pattern doesn't work like that. And apparantly garter stitch isn't supposed to do that. I know i'm not doing it wrong though... I'm probably just the world's lousiest knitter. We'll see... maybe after I bind off, it will magically straighten itself out. So far its about 3 1/2 feet long, so i'm halfway there... I am so bored with it now though, i want to try to teach myself something more challenging, like cables.... ooh, cables... I think they are too advanced for me at this point though... i think i'll make the doggy sweater from Lion Brand next... last time i tried it, i had the wrong size needles. now i have the wrong size dog... i seriously need to shrink that pattern... Except i don't know how to do that yet... Oh well, thats all part of the learning process, i guess...

Witchy Stitchy

2006-01-25T17:22:00.000-08:00

This is my knitting/crocheting blog. I adore knitting blogs, I adore knitters. Sadly, I am not much of a knitter. But I am learning, slowly... So this blog is a combination of knitting and crocheting, so any viewers aren't stuck looking at my shoddy knitting all the time, they can oggle over my wonderful crochet projects as well. I know, I have a big ego... Why else would anyone start a blog though, if they didn't think that what they have to say deserves to be shared with the rest of the world? Bloggers are so egotistical.