Make Me

Cute Purse!

Hey!  I found this cool bag on Craftster.  Anyone want to make it with me?  Sort of a sew-a-long?

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=28740.0

There's been lots of talk about this show, but to be honest, I thought everyone was in on the grand scheme and making it up.  Check out Craft Corner Deathmatch!

Quick Update, No Pictures (yet!)

Oh My!  I'm behind, aren't I?  Have oodles to do.  Still working on that "commissioned" retirement project.  Want it to be perfect.  Still have three scarves to make (did buy more yarn yesterday).  It's Wednesday and I still haven't unpacked from AZ yet. 

The new job is cool.  The people are cool and it looks like it's going to be a lot of fun.  A lot of hard work, but a lot of fun.  Just the sort of thing I was looking for.  I've got a bunch to learn though.

Speaking of learning - this took a long time but I think I've finally got it through my brain - getting the requisite amount of sleep each night is good.  Here I am wide awake and ready for action.  Wouldn't it be a kick to find out that I'm not in the early stages of Alzheimer's, but I just haven't been getting enough sleep?! I swear, I am so forgetful that I keep expecting to walk out of my house without pants or something.

I've also got a lot of thank you notes to write.  All the lunches and all the support these last few months....it's been amazing.  I've got to get that done this weekend.  This whole time management thing is a bear.   Any tips to offer?

Huzzah!

Happy Easter!  Church this AM and then a quick trip to the local Renn faire.  Fun in the sun.  Did I mention I have an outfit?  Yup, I'm a bodice short of being a big ole SCA geek.  I'll post pictures when I get home!

Perfect Timing!

I was just reading my comments and I got one from Jonara.  I had been searching for a jewelry blog for months!  I had finally found one and the day I found it was the last day of the blog.  Poof!  Gone!  So now it's super groovy to have Jonara Blu Maui!  I'm crazy about the two bracelets on the March 16 entry.  Check it out, but get a tissue - you just may salivate.

Last night I knit.  Finished up some things.  The cell phone cozy that matches Jeri's purse, another dishcloth that I started one night a long time ago cuz I was bored....just trying to tie up loose ends, so to speak, before the big job.  Plus I think it looks considerably less crazy if I have fewer than 97 projects going at a time. 

I've eaten too many jelly beans and my eyes are starting to cross.  Better go get some real food.

Totally Hooked

I received the soundtrack to Avenue Q a couple weeks ago and I am totally hooked.  I've played nothing in the car since then!  I hope it comes to California.  There are some clips on the website that you should take a look at if you haven't heard anything about this musical.

Tomorrow morn I'm off to AZ for the holiday.  I'm kind of not wanting to go.  It's a long trip and I'm just not up to having every move I make being misconstrued as evidence to my supposed "gay-ness".  This will be the first time back since that revelation.  Geez, I'm 40 years old - if I were gay, don't you think I'd have managed to friggin' out myself by now?   

Anyway, enough about that - just gets me upset... I have three more scarves to finish.  I've been having a hard time finding Lion's Homespun in red.  I know from the website that it comes in red, but I don't want to order it.  I went to the Evil Empire today and they had a sort of weird orangey red.  Anyone know where red Homespun is plentiful?

What's New

I've been tagged by Jess at Scarf-o-Matic.  I've already done it:  TV Meme

But I have to make some changes now that I got Netflix.  I just watched AbFab (season 1) and have just rented Northern Exposure (season 1).

By the way, if you haven't checked out her blog - take a look!  It's loads of fun and isn't this the coolest scarf ever?

Ordered some books from Amazon.  I will be a happy camper when these goodies are in my mailbox:

One of my recommendations was this book:

Looks interesting, but I think I'll wait until it comes out and take a look at it in person first.

Soapy Goodness

Found some cool tins for baking last year that I knew would be good for soapmaking. I got about 15 or so for a buck. I don't do real soap yet, just melt and pour stuff.  I was concerned that it would be difficult to get the hardened soap out. 

I sprayed them with non-stick spray first. 

My soap recipe was those glycerin blocks - four of the clear, six of the green. Shaved some regular white soap in for the flakes.  Added some lemongrass oil and freshly grated nutmeg.  Smells very springy and green.

I put one of the crinkle-edged ones in the freezer, thinking it would contract and be easier to pop out. Well, I didn't know that these aluminum things are easy to bend and they just popped right out.  Literally.  They each made a "pop" sound when released. The one out of the freezer just fell right into my hands.  Easy-peasy. All that worry for nothing. 

So my secret pal gets the two non-crinkly soaps (they're the prettiest) and the purple facecloth I showed a coupla days back, some tea, and two skeins of heathery yarn.  Is that too random?  She's been knitting lately and I thought she would like the yarn.  I think I got the Debbie Bliss - I'm not sure anymore cuz I hemmed and hawed over the whole thing - it's hard to buy yarn for someone you don't know.

Yeowch!  This just added:

I'm one of the swappers who hasn't received much for the swap.  I'd be willing to swap with others who have not been shown the love either.

Other non loved swappers, PM me if you want to try and swap with each other.....I guess it won't be secret, but I dont' mind.

This is the person I send to.  As I understood it the agreement was to try to send something every other month.  In sending gift #4 today, I think I am all caught up.  So does she mean that I don't send much because I don't send a ton of stuff in every package? My gifts, except for the 9 bracelets, have all been single presents.    Maybe "much" means I don't send anything good?  Or because I got behind when we had a death in the family over the Christmas holiday?  I sent her a note with the last package and explained what had happened and that I would catch up soon.  So, I go in to get her address so I can get the package off in the mail this afternoon and that's the message that greets me.  So now I'm all upset.  And stupid.  I thought I was sending good stuff!  I just didn't know what to think.  So I wrote her a note and said that I would just send the last two gifts in short order and we can end the whole thing and maybe she will get a secret pal who will send her "much".  Am I being snipey?

Fish Abhor Toast

Hey, I've got knittin' to do but I found this site.  She does some very cool knitting and crochet. 

My Headphones

Stefani - you wanted the recipe for the lemon pancakes?  It's really, really difficult so I hope you can follow along :D  ... I added lemon juice to the pancake mix.  Why no!  I'm not a professionally trained chef!  How kind of you to ask!  Actually, if I'd been thinking, I should have boiled down the lemon juice a bit to concentrate the flavor.  But I was tired, sick and incapable of any other thought than...pancakes. now. me want.

I have one more day left on the job.  I'm not ready.  I have soooo much work to do.  It's crazy!  And I'm only about halfway through clearing off my computer. 

As for the title of this post....well, there is no explanation really. Make of it what you will.

Swirly, Twirly Scarf Pattern

Adapted from the Fuzzy Galore Spiral Scarf (which is waaaaay easier) but I didn't want it to be as wide and thought using a HDC stitch and a superfine yarn would make a narrower, lacier scarf.

1 skein superfine or fine weight yarn, Patons Baby Beehive or Lions Jamie Baby are good.

1 skein fun fur in coordinating color

G crochet hook

Loads of free time

Chain 181 with the superfine yarn.  In second chain from hook, 2 hdc.  2 hdc on each chain until end.  360 stitches.  Chain one.  Turn.

2 hdc in each stitch of previous row,  720 stitches.  Break off end.

Attach fun fur to end of scarf and 1sc in each stitch until end. 

Don't Ever Change Your Mind With Fun Fur

I'm sick, I'm in bed (sort of) and it's been 2 days.  Decided to finish that seaweed/barnacle on my backside scarf.  Was going to add another row of HDC in the fun fur, but that was too much fun for me.  Took me over an hour to get what little I'd already done, undone! 

It was sort of an experiment.  I'll post the pattern tomorrow or Tuesday when I get around to it.  I'm not sure if I'd ever actually wear it cuz it's just a little too frou for me.  But maybe I'll get a hankering one day for frou and there it'll be.  I kind of thought the fun fur would be less....furry, I guess.

Then I thought I'd make a little pouch thing.  Had some Lions thick chenille stuff in purple.  Started it up in stockinette.  Looked more like a washcloth.  So that is going in the box for my secret craftster with the soap I'm going to make on Tuesday.

Then I started this. 

I found Moda Dea on sale at the Evil Empire and bought the six skeins that were the same dye lot.  I've never worked with self-striping yarn before.  It's pretty cool.   Hopefully I'll have it finished soon and can show you what it actually is!  Here's a hint: It's not a hat!

I also started a cell phone cozy but there is only about 5 rows on that one, so no use picturing it yet.

In between I've been napping, learning how to be a yarn swift, organizing all my patterns, cleaning the kitchen and making lemon pancakes (yummy!)  Can you tell I'm getting a little stir-crazy?