Place Me On Your Shelf

My most recent adventures have been a little bit tame. I visited my family over the holidays. I received a lot of mail, and made a few *not-so-secret* bids on ebay items. I will be the new mommy of a Louet Victoria Spinning wheel soon. I am SO excited. New spinnings to follow soon!

In other news, I am trying to think of a way to keep this blog going. I very much love it, and it’s been here a while… But I feel like I need a gimmick now. I don’t want to just whine at you. That’s not fair for either of us, is it? Let’s see if I can’t get the creative juices flowing and find a way to keep the wheel spinning.

Ah, I always seem to do this, don’t I? Well, I disappeared this time for a GOOD reason. I got a new position as a receptionist in a Veterinary Hospital. I also am managing their wordpress blog.

I suppose in other news, I’m trying to use up all my crafting supplies in my spare time. I’m trying VERY hard not to have to buy any more supplies, but… Sometimes you need to go out for that zipper, and the clearance fabric is staring you down… So far so good though. Christmas is coming up. Yule just happened with the local group. Hannukah is Tuesday. Everywhere you go, there is wonderful decoration and lights, and people hurrying along, weighted down with bags upon bags of belongings. It really does bring out the best and worst in people. I’ve seen some beautiful deeds lately, along with some horrible misdeeds.

Current reading is House of Leaves. Current knitting is still the epic Dr. Who scarf.

Two intense days of cross-stitching later (and a newly purchased pressure glove), I’ve “finished” the IT crowd commission. After this, I intend not to take any more commissions. I say finished in quotes because I need to know if they want the blue flourishes on it.

Next in my queue of things to finish is that blasted Dr. Who scarf. Did you know there are support groups for it on ravelry? It’s that daunting of a project. I lose motivation after so much garter stitch, you know?

After that is the Kyuubey Scarf, and then skirts, needle-holders, mittens, and then I can start on Christmas… maybe…

This morning was my official restart of the Truffle Cardigan project. I loved it when I saw the pattern on Ravelry. When I discovered it was only a recipe, I was a little bit sad. I resolved right there to learn how to do it. It’s that gorgeous to me. However, it’s taken me NEARLY A YEAR to figure out how to do short rows and cables together. If  nobody believes that knitting is math, then they should try cabling a yoke sideways. Yikes. I’m currently using Cascase Eco Wool + in Charcoal Grey. (I even special ordered it for this cardigan!) I’m still not sure if I’m doing a lace edging on it or not.

I have other things I need to be working on though. Since I finally nailed that formula, I want to plug away at stitches on the cardigan, but I have two scarves and cross-stitch to complete. So I’m going to write notes on the yoke, and get those other things done first.

On the subject of responsibility, you know what gears me up lately? An anime. Yep. 花咲くいろは (hana-saku iroha) is adorable! It’s about dreams, finding yourself, and responsibility. It really tugs on my heartstrings. Those are all things I need to learn for myself. I know that something magical like Ohana’s situation will never happen to me by accident. So… I need to make it happen, right? She… grows up. So much character development. I’m jealous, I have to say…

What you should check out from Hana-saku iroha, if you don’t just straight-out watch it, is the soundtrack. Mellow, inspiring, innocent, nostalgic even.

I hope next time I post I’ll have some interesting updates for  you all. Maybe a finished item or five, yes? Yell at me if I don’t post a cross-stitch, at least one scarf, and the yoke to this cardigan, okay? Oh! And a witch hat. Those things need to happen. See you again soon!

So, I’ve updated the layout of the site.

I also made a fanart for a friend’s comic. Please go see them! I’ll be visiting the creator of the comic in October for a collaboration, and to see SHINee!

I’ve got some extra time on my hands lately, and I want to get a lot pushed through my sewing room. I currently am working on the never-ending scarf, a QB scarf, a Harkness Coat, and a set of lingerie for myself. (And myriad other projects for friends! As always! When will I learn to say ‘no’?)

I’m also working on my witchy-poo outfit. Remember her? From back in ’09? She’s grown into a full-fledged alter-ego. Don’t ask me how that happened.

I’ll be sure to post pics of everything as soon as I can. I’m so excited to finally be back in the swing of things!

Uhm, as far as Otakon went, I actually managed to win the manga contest. 3 times! I’m not sure what kind of achievement that is, but it makes me feel great.  I’m considering getting an artist’s alley booth next year, but I’ll test my luck at Tekkoshocon, perhaps.

I’m going to be getting a new Deviantart soon, so I can focus more on my art and selling it. I won’t stop sewing or knitting, but I don’t think those will be primary focuses for me at the moment. I really seem to go in cycles with my hobbies. It’s unfortunate I can’t do them all at once.

If you feel like you’re familiar enough with Witchy-poo to make suggestions about her wardrobe, I’d love to hear what you have to say! She is looking for a decorative hat to go to a concert in. Glowing? Perhaps. LED lights? Perhaps. Give me your best “party” witch hat, please!

I have been so busy! I’m really sorry about my lack of updates! I’ll try to get a better one written out when I get home tonight!

This weekend was really productive for me. I cleaned the house, finished and blocked two shawls, and completed a dicebag for a friend. I’ve cast on some socks and I’ll update with that shortly! I started a podcast, but its more to help me than anyone else… its a lot more spiritual than my blog here, but i am pretty pleased with it.

I may never profess to have a schedule again. I never post on time.

Recently, most sewing has been put on hold. Not permanently, and certainly not past projects. I only have two things currently paid for that need focusing on, and they do not count in the hold.

I’ve been trying to use up some of my yarn stash. I’d like to only use a single Ikea Expedit shelf (1×5 cubes) to house all my fabric and yarn. Right now, they all rest in a ginormous 5×5 shelf, and its a tad overwhelming. I’ve always been a hoarder, but now I’ve come to see how out of control it’s gotten.  Does anyone else have any experience in dealing with their hoarding tendencies?

This week, I’ve managed to spit out a few projects. I’m nearing the end of the Nancy and Judy shawl. I completed an ipod case for a friend, and I’m currently working on a dicebag for a friend.

Tonight there is a drum circle I’ll be attending, and I’m really excited for it! I’ve still got to get my quartz point strung into a piece of jewelry.  I used to have quartz point earrings in high school. I wonder where they’ve run off to…

I need to update with more pictures, and to update more frequently. The next few projects will be: Finishing the Nancy and Judy shawl, a Star Trek themed lolita dress, and an IT crowd cross-stitch (the pattern for which was provided by the lovely blogger over at dorkstitch.) After that, I plan to resume work for the fashion show in August, and to knit like the wind!

We’re supposedly moving at the end of this month, so if anyone local is interested in helping us move I would be super grateful. (Also to stand over me and ask “PMOYS, why do you own this?” so that I may be inclined to remove clutter from the new place… would be super.) Husband has decided to offer beer and pizza to movers, but I think tea and scones sounds much more tasty. I suppose there will end up being a fruit plate and some iced tea. Let me know if you can stop by!

And I promised, didn’t I? I fell behind again. Quite a bit has happened, and I feel like things are finally settling down into a pattern. I move at the end of this month, so there will be a bit of confusion at that time. I’ve recovered nearly completely from the tonsillectomy.

In knitting news? That insanely long doctor who scarf is no longer my friend. Yes, we chat from time to time, but I am just a fair-weather friend to it. I’ve got a set of socks on the needles with just the toes done, but I’ll probably pick those up after I’m finished… The Nancy and Judy shawl! I’ve been doing two shawls at a time, actually. I’ve got the wendyknits mystery shawl on the needles as well. I feel behind due to a spring flu, so I’ve got a bit of catching up to do. I’ll post pictures shortly.

This weekend, I was invited to meditation with my friend Jen. I’m excited to go, as its something I’ve been wanting to learn for a while. I’ll post more on sunday.

Everything is healing up great.

I had the chance to go to handmade arcade this weekend and picked up some roving from rhinofluff, and got some lovely yellow snapdragon from cosymakes. If you have an event like handmade arcade near you, I highly suggest stopping by. It was like etsy in real life. I really don’t know how better to explain it.

I pulled cards from a few of the fun booths I stopped by. NAMOO did a lot of amazing things with fabric. I was drawn to their booth by the lovely covered sketchbooks. Raymin had a lot of really neat bags. Shoulder bags, clutches, you name it. Lovely fabrics, excellent construction, lovely design. Cordial Kitten drew me in with adorable plush cats… with 5 legs! A few had moustaches, some had glasses, but they were all cute. The illustration style of cordial kitten is really cute and mellow.  I also got to meet plushes out of an animation! Tadly Waldorfington is a mimic octopus who has a lot of adventures in the name of science. I’ll confess I was drawn to the booth by plushes of his historian friend, a cat names Abigail. Tadly is a really neat animation, so I suggest you check it out!

Afterwards, a group of friends and I went to the local roller derby. I’d never been, but wow, those girls kick it.

This is my weekend! I’ll update on wednesday again when I have a little more down-time from recovery and catching up  with my social life.