Make Me

Gossamer Sunrise

Here's a quickie:

 

Stupid Knitpicks.

Stupid Sale.  Stupid lack of willpower.  Stupid love of pink.

But better photos, huh?

I'm Back

So, after an unscheduled hiatus (blame the writer's strike!) I'm back.  I hesitated to post that I had yet another computer glitch.  *Sigh*  I'm jinxed.

Lost a video card. My computer resolution switched to 800x600 (or is that 600x800?) and everything was way honkin' big.  Reading email was a colossal pain in the buttocks.  Top it off with the fact that the video card I need is no longer being produced because it's so dang old, I had to wait a week for it to come in.  Then, for some reason it wasn't working so I had to take it into the computer place to get it running properly....  So I just pretended the computer didn't exist for a couple of weeks.

I may start a pool on what's going to go next.  Winner gets an old video card.

Moving on.

I have a wee bit of the yarn porn I promised.

Is it not loverly?  It's Malabrigo laceweight (100% baby merino wool, 470yds) I HAD to have from The Grove. I got the high lusties when I saw it. I believe there might have been a bit of drool.  I don't know what it'll be when it grows up - I'll have to check Ravelry to see what I can do with 470 yards of laceweight.

In other news, my mom is visiting for Thanksgiving.  Actually, the Thanksgiving that wasn't.  We didn't do or cook anything yesterday. Sat around in our jammies reading and watching TV all day being the laziest of lima beans.  Had warmed over tamales for dinner.

Maybe because we went out for dinner on Wednesday for my birthday.

A yummy Italian restaurant called Arrivederci where even the tiramisu was too good. And I had a mighty good Reisling as well. 

I have so much food in my house its crazy.  I had a carrot birthday cake on Tuesday.  Oh. My. Gosh. Seriously. The. Best. Cake. Ever.  One of my students brought me chocolate chip cookies (can I get an 'awwwwww!')  My friend Priscilla made her famous peanut butter cookies. My mom brought me lemon cake. The tamales were also a gift.  Hmmm - where'd did people get the idea that I liked food?

Shona gave me a gift certificate to Lori's in Alpine and I'm seriously trying to convince my mom that a day spent at the yarn store is the best day ever. No luck so far.

Last week I met the newest little knitter in the SD knitter clan - Miss Amalia.  Oh my, is she cute!  She has the cutest widdle button of a nose...you just want to bite it clean off.  And little Sophie (umm, Heidi?  Where's your blog?) is growing and steadily increasing her cuteness factor (which, technically should be impossible, because she already was the cutest glamazon babe ever). 

On the making things front, I've been getting jiggy for the upcoming craft shows.  I snagged a table at the show we have at work at our pancake breakfast.  I didn't get in last year, so I hope it's worth it for me this year.  I have a whole 9' table this year right by the entrance door (squee!!) so I'll have to be on the ball this time and can't take the leftovers from the previous craft show.

So the next few days will be spent hanging out with Mom, gettin my craft on and eating till I bust.  More yarn porn to follow in later posts.  It's shameful, really. But it feels so good!

Makin' It

I had to make some items for a silent auction last month.  I didn't have a lot of time because I thought the auction was going to be in December as it was last year.  I did some cards and this mirror.  I like the way it came out with the random gold leafing. 

I love these mirrors from Ikea - there's so many things you can do with them.  And the wood grain always makes each one come out differently.  I like using layers of semi-translucent paint.  I think I'm going to complete a few for the upcoming craft fairs I have in December.

The cards were relatively simple, but I think they turned out well (clicky for biggy).

I tried to keep them dance oriented

or not

     

Y'know, I took a lot of classes on really complicated and beautiful techniques for cardmaking, but I really just like the simple pattern/image combo here the best.  I guess it's the closest I come to having a definitive "style".

I didn't get to attend the event this year, so I missed the performances. Here's a little sneak peak:

 

I've got some serious yarn porn to share, but I have to get organized first.  I'm coming along in my quest to purge the crap and simplify my life.  Going through all the crafty stuff is going to take more time than I thought.  I mean, I've got a lot of stuff! I'm hoping to finish a lot of the wayward projects to sell at the craft fair - that would be ideal.

I've started Valpuri in KnitPicks Wool of the Andes.  The cabling is challenging for me and keeps me on my toes (fingertips?) I sized up on the needles to make gauge and I think it's going to turn out well.  I'm hoping to debut it at Thanksgiving. If I were Vera or Jillian, this would be a done deal, but with me....we'll just have to wait and see.

 

I've already messed up the increases, but since I plan on making it a wee bit longer, I think that will be okay.  This is supposed to be the back, but I might make it the front and make the back plainer with just the twisted rope cables.  We'll see.