Mini Swapping Part Deux!

 Here's my little Chuthlu made with Lion Brand cotton-ease in the colorway of lime.  Yep, that's my iPhone leaning near the little guy too!  If you're wondering, what the hell is a Chutlu, check out this link.  It may clear things up or create more questions, as it did in my case.

The pattern came out of the book Creepy Cute Crochet by Christen Haden.  The tentacles gave me a slight problem but I managed to figure it out with my crochet buddy Katie.  Unbeknown to me, there's a tutorial from NeedleNoodles aka Christen Haden out there.  Now you may also be wondering, why did I make him?  Well, my partner from our last swap wanted in on the mini-swap, unfortunately, there weren't enough people to get her a partner so I sent it to her as a surprise!  She loved it!  Whoohoo!  I love surprise crocheted stuff in the mail!

Mini Swapping

 For the last swap in the Lion Brand Swap group on Ravelry, there have been a couple of mini swaps posted.  I signed up for both, of course.  This was an amigurumi swap and my partner enjoys teddy bears and the color red.  I think I nailed it.

The pattern was from Lion Brand.  It's called the graduation bear but opted to just not make the graduation garb and make a little double crocheted scarf for him instead!

April for ME!

 Masa Bag in crochet.

 I used Lily Sugar 'N' Cream Solid (Robin's Egg) and Stripes (Country Stripes) and double crocheted a rectangle of about 30x90 centimeters.

 Here are the directions on how to make the Masa Bag.

I really like the color combination.  It was a happy accident really that I needed the third skein of yarn in Robin's Egg.  I changed the original size to be slightly bigger so that I could carry more stuff around.  I thought the original size dimensions were a little too small and could possibly get me all sorts of angry when the time for folding and seaming the bag together came around.  I decided not to line the bag because whenever I use cotton yarn, my stitches don't really allow anything to break through.  So, a potential crisis averted!  Other people's projects added buttons  but I thought the button would get in my way of trying to reach in the bag.  The strap isn't super long because even though it's cotton, I was still afraid it may stretch out.  When worn around my shoulder the bag bottom hits just at the top of my waist.  Perfect!

Happy 200th post to me!!!

Something new

Got a free trial issue of Spin-Off in the mail today.  Very excited to read this.  Now to just find a quiet moment in which to do so.... 

A moment of silence

Do not be alarmed.

You may have noticed something different about my blog. 

I changed the title!  I thought my original title was super trite and a tad cheesy.  So, while I was driving to work my brain went back to this ongoing dilemma I've been having of wanting to change the title...and voilà it came to me.  Hope you like it.   I've got a new look but have the same great taste err... well, you know what I mean.

RIP 

"Hooked on Crochet"

Born March 23, 2009

-

Updated April 25, 2011

Chancelor's Sheep & Wool Showcase

 The S&W festival was awesome!  Despite the wet weather and brisk temperatures that must've scared away a little over half of the vendors that were signed up to be there, my fibery friend and I had a great time.  When we first got there, this little guy was getting sheared on display.

 The gentleman doing the snipping was very entertaining and knowledgeable.  I give him an A+ for his overall presentations.  (can you tell my teacher personality is showing?)

  I learned that after a sheep has been shorn it's important that the sheep's skin be protected during extreme types of weather because the lanolin that naturally occurs in their bodies takes about three days to come back and protect their skin again.

 The presenter was pretty entertaining as well; telling jokes about virgin wool, where expressions like 'the last leg' came from (happens when you shear the last leg of a sheep) and the difference between men and women's jobs on the farm (basically, women can better multi-task than men...this I knew already!).

 This was all the wool rolled up into a nice fluffy ball ready to be washed, carded and spun!

 What a sheep without his coat looks like next to his buddies who are still pretty warm and cozy.

 Poor little guy!  It was pretty wet and chilly but I give the little sheep credit for being a good sport up on stage.

 The sheep would not stay still.  Sorry for the blurriness of the iPhone pics!

 Saw this cute little sheep wearing a shall on one of the vendors tables and it made me think of this.

 Yummy, nummy yarns...

 Huge ball of wool roving anyone????  I do believe I could've successfully used this in a dodge ball game to get someone out!

I bought some of the pink wool yarn on the far right there.  I plan on making some sweet mittens with it!

I'll post pics of the loot sometime this week!  You should all be very excited because I sure as heck am!

Bright as Yellow

 Motif #58 - I no liked. 

 Motif #5 - I loved.

The Cartridge stitch out of my Harmony Guide of Knit & Purl.

what i'm thinking of...

Tivoli tommorrow!

Suprise in the Attic

 This week spring cleaning has commenced in our household, which is why I haven't really posted much about anything since Saturday.  Yikes!  Bad blogger.  Anywho, we started cleaning/organizing/dumping starting from the top of the house down.  After I got the attic looking pretty acceptable, Michael proceeded to turn one half of the attic into his "man cave."  Note the drums above.  But, there's something else can you see it????

 Pay no attention to the sign and random drum equipment...  do you need me to get a little closer???

Score!  Sock blockers!  I am meant to knit a pair of socks.  

2 days 'til Tivoli!

Vogue

In the last Lion Brand swap, my partner gave me an old issue of Vogue Knitting International from winter 2004/2005.  Over the last few days I've been drooling over some of the patterns in this issue.  I like the patterns so much that my beginner knitter self was like, I can do that one and that one and that one...

My favorite is a vest made out of Noro yarn.  It's a pretty sweet colorway and it looks like I could handle this project as a newbie.  I used to be an avid reader of Vogue even though I don't really consider myself super fashionable but I felt like I was after reading an issue.  Vogue Knitting is cool because if you like what the model is wearing in the photo shoot, there's the pattern and you can make it!  So awesome.

7 days 'til Tivoli!!

Yea for Spring Recess!

http://www.nataliedee.com

I have one more scarf to finish up for Handmade Especially for You.  They have a goal of wanting to send more scarves out by Mother's Day so, I'm going to have to book it on the last one here along with everything else I have planned for.  Spring recess has finally come and one day early for me because there was a water main break in town which meant no school for moi!  Whoohooo!  It was just like Christmas!  Now off to go practice those new knitting stitches I promised you all I would do....

8 days 'til Tivoli!

2 reasons

Here are two reasons why my husband is the best:

1. He bought me a certificate for a manicure, pedicure or massage combo.
2. He bought me a certificate to get some yarn from In Stitches, a yarn shop in Manlius, New York

P.S.  God bless Living Social

10 days 'til Tivoli

Lust and Gluttony

What I'm lusting after:

Oh, why must you be 8 bucks an issue?

Gluttonous...

In the spirit of figuring out how much yardage I have in my stash, à la Stash and Burn, here is my total (not counting any unfinished skeins hanging around):

14,187 yards 

That's not counting some of the skeins I have that are unmarked too.  If I were to convert that to miles, that's a little over 8 miles of yarn.  Dang!  The girls on Stash and Burn are way worse than me though.

Can you tell that I'm rounding the bend of the Lenten season... oh, I can see the iced coffee at the end of the tunnel!

Days 'til Tivoli: 11

Regrouping

For those of you who are wondering about my March for ME project (or is it just me that keeps obsessing about it?).  I have decided that I will start my April for ME and work on the March for ME simultaneously.  Whenever that dumb sweater gets done, it gets done.  Whew, there I've said it and I feel so much better already.  The April for ME project will be a Masa bag inspired by one of my past swap partners.  Supposedly, I just crochet up a rectangle and do some creative folding of the fabric and voilà, it's a bag!  I hope it's that easy..  Masa bag project will commence mid week.  I have a spring recess for school coming my way and I'm hoping to make it a productive one- knitting/crochet wise.

Now...to work on those mini swap projects and new knit stitches!

13 days 'til Tivoli

Chancelor's Sheep & Wool Showcase

Yes, that's right.  I will be heading to Tivoli, New York with two of my peeps for this crazy shindig of sheep and wool.  I am very much excited and have already started making a list of things I would like to purchase:

• sock or DK yarn
• spindle
• roving
• needle case of some sorts
• a little mouton of my own;-) (just kidding..for now)

The countdown starts today -  14 days 'til Tivoli!!

Bi-weekly motif update!

 Motif #116

Motif #93

Still using the Red Heart but you know what?  It's cool.  I'm just practicing some crochet skills.  Plus, it won't be sitting in my plastic H&M bag feeling all lame and unwanted.

Bon weekend!

Llamapocalypse

This is from a fellow blogger who became a "Blog of Note" recently.  This chick is hilarious!

Through the gate...

What I've been looking at lately:

I have also been pricing out roving just to see what the average ounce costs for different types of fibers.  I haven't got all the spinning terminology yet but I think I want to get a.. .top whorl spindle (sounds so weird to say!).  On April 23rd, I'll be heading to a fiber fest  in downstate New York and I'm wondering if there will be spindles for sale.  The above ones look so neat.  

Yesterday, I was perusing YouTube with Hazey and thought these videos were very interesting and helpful. I was fascinated by them but Hazel, not so much!

This chick was cool!

I just adore Kelly Petkun!

It is true what they say about knitting; it's a gateway drug!

Fame

Today, I'm going to toot my own horn a little bit which is a far cry from my slacker post in which I was a guilt laden, frustrated yarn crafter.

So here are three ways as to how I've become a teensey bit famous in my world of yarny goodness:

1.  Lion Brand Yarn does this super cool podcast called, YarnCraft.  I called in a few weeks ago with a some comments and questions.  Well, before I even listened to the episode myself, I had like three messages in my inbox on Ravelry saying,  "I heard you on YarnCraft!"  I do have to admit, I was like, awwww yeah (in my head).

2.  Do you remember the motif from hell?  I got a message the other day from a fellow Raveler wanting to feature my FO pic of the motif on the project page.  Whaaa?  I clicked okay and then vowed to remember the age old saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

3.  YOU GUYS!  I never thought I would have 16 readers publicly following me and seeing what I'm up to in my busy, yarny world.  I love comments so if you've been quiet all this time just blab away into my comments.  I'll read them and love every single one!

Horn tooting has been completed.

The town over

Last week, I was having my parents over for dinner.  I didn't have to pick up Hazel and I was able to drive back home the 'old' way without having to jump on the thru-way, which drives me nuts!!  On route 5 just upon entering Elbridge, New York, from the west, I stopped into this yarn store, Duck Flats Fiber Studio, and took a look around.

I was a little bummed that old issues of Spin Off weren't for sale because I found the perfect issue to help me out with a new addiction - finding the right spindle.

Here's a shot of their award winning American and Canadian wool that was very nice and a tad pricey.  I really wanted to buy a hank but I vowed to myself not to spend over $12.  Mostly because I only had that much in cash on me.

I loved this little teddy bear hanging out on his Adirondack chair in his super cute knitwear.  Soooo upstate New York of him!

Zombie

A little keychain Zombie by one of my husband's students.

mmmm.... Brains!

Slacker.

Okay, so you're probably wondering, where my new knit stitch is for the month of March? You may also be wondering, where my March for ME project is too.  Oh, and those motifs in the CAL I joined?

Well, for some reason I thought I had more time to learn a new knit stitch and when I hunkered down to do it, I realized that with all the knitting of those scarves, that I forgot how to purl!  That put me on hold for a while.  To resolve this issue of slackiness, there will be two knitting stitches I'll be learning for April! 

As for the March for ME project, I'm currently trying not to rip my hair out about it seeing as I've already ripped out the project TWICE.  I'm convinced there's a typo somewhere and I am determined to overcome it!  No slackiness here but rather stubbornness because every time I start this project I find an error in myself or the pattern and then I get mad and can't go back to the damn thing until I've calmed down.

And lastly, the motifs are almost finished.  I was one behind but now I'm on track again.  I am still using the crap Red Heart yarn mostly because I've become infatuated with the DK that I bought and realized that is the stuff sweaters are made of!

Please forgive me dear readers.  I went into March like a lion but came out a tired and frustrated lamb.  Here's to April!  Woot, woot (as my sister would say)!