skelectica

How I Learned to Love Crochet

2011-03-09T09:00:00.003-07:00

...or, Why You Should Give Crochet Another Chance, by Sandra Campbell

When I was little, my mom used to crochet. And it looked SO HARD. I thought it was magical that she could fling around a hook and some string and produce something I could wear.
I wanted to learn this magic, being all of about 5 years old. Impossible, but she tried.
I held my hook like a butter knife, my yarn tight in my little fist; my chain looked more like a spaghetti disaster than a neat little braid, and once I finally figured out how to build back onto my chain, my stitches were so tight that I couldn't actually do it.
So I quit, thoroughly frustrated, convinced that crochet was Just Too Hard.

Does this sound familiar?

Years later, my stout-hearted friend Sarah took another crack at teaching me. This time around, having spent almost 30 years developing my fine motor skills (and patience), lessons went considerably better. Within days, I'd made two hats and a scarf; within weeks, started designing my own patterns; and within months, I was creating custom wearables for my friends.

Crochet is sculpting with fiber. It's about creating, accomplishment, patience, and skill building. It may not be easy, bur the concepts are simple.

YOU CAN LEARN, and I can teach you.
(skelectica@gmail)

2010-01-14T15:59:00.000-07:00

I AM STILL ALIVE!

i guess i took a month off. that isn't to say that i haven't been doing anything - i just haven't been blogging about it. or listing anything new in my artfire store (until now).

december was full of crocheting, snowstorms, christmas get-togethers, birthdays, and having colds. i also spent a few days working at the prairie chick, where some of my stuff is on consignment. and there are very slow-paced rumblings going on about a new skelectica handmade website! wait and see, because when it comes, it's going to be AWESOME! it'll be so nice to have everything all in one spot - blogging, shopping, tutorials, linky-links...

so. my new year's resolution probably should be to keep on top of my artfire listings and blogging, but in reality, the only resolution i've actually said out loud is to "do something with that 2'x4' canvas i've had sitting there for a year". so i unwrapped it.

oh, yeah: there's a skelectica handmade facebook page! go be a fan! (and can someone let me know if that link is any good? i'm still learning about facebook settings....)

happy december!

2009-12-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

good morning everyone!

i thought i'd let you know that all the hats i posted last week have been UNlisted from artfire, and they're now at the prairie chick in red deer.

AND there are more to come!

in other news, here's why i've been crocheting so much lately:

NEW HATS! YOUR FRIENDS WANT THEM FOR XMAS!

2009-12-01T13:44:00.001-07:00

here's what's new at my artfire store! go check it out!

free "shipping" within red deer!

new listings over at artfire!

2009-11-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

click HERE to make my day!

accountability

2009-11-13T13:41:00.003-07:00

my friend marianne had an awesome idea (over at her livejournal, in a locked topic) about starting an accountability group. somehow. i'm not really clear on the details, but IMAGINE if i had to explain to someone WHY i procrastinated my way out of updating this thing for the last two weeks! that just might inspire me to work on NOT procrastinating.

imagine the things i could accomplish in life if i only just DID them!

olivia's birthday present

2009-11-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

our friend olivia turned 6 on tuesday. i forgot (as i usually do with birthdays/anniversaries/name that holiday), until i talked to her mom on wednesday and she invited us to olivia's birthday party on saturday.

so i thought i'd make her something and i thought she'd like this.

amanda beach, sorry for the spoiler. i couldn't wait to post. (ps. i added the glitter just for you. now it's EVERYWHERE).

artfire

2009-11-12T14:39:00.003-07:00

http://www.artfire.com/users/skelectica is my new online store.

there's not much listed there yet (i can't seem to find any of my re-sized pics on this dang new computer!), but there's more to come.

as usual, custom work is available - just comment here, email me, convo me on etsy, or, apparently, "chatterbox" me on artfire. if you can figure out how. i can't.

hello, everyone! i've been busy!

2009-11-12T12:39:00.002-07:00

so, now i'm back, after a bit of a vacation. from the internet, at least.

yesterday was remembrance day here in canada, and when q went downtown to the cenotaph, i stayed home and listened to utah phillips' cd called "i want to know". twice. i think it's my new remembrance day thing. i don't want to get into politics here, so i'll just say, if you can find that cd, it's DEFINITELY worth a listen.

also, i have a piece of my art in a show that opens at the harris-warke gallery here in red deer. the show is a fundraiser for the gallery, and all the pieces in the exhibit are selling for $30. doors open for buying (and socializing, and i heard something about drinks and snacks) at 6pm sharp, on friday, november 13. there's a "name that tune" theme, so all the pieces' titles are (i think) song lyrics, and there's a guessing game for a $50 gift certificate to sunworks (an AWESOME little store here in town).

here's a pic, but you should really go check out the show - this piece, i'm really proud of in person, but it's not AT ALL photogenic.

(this is what ~650 dime-sized spirals looks like. i counted.)

2009-10-26T19:39:00.000-06:00

we spent a lazy weekend at my friend lise's house, and while i was there, i made her a scarf and a hat, and i finished this scarf i'd started last week for another friend of mine.

it's a variation on the charcoal scarf i posted about a while ago, only this time, with moda dea "tweedle dee" in i forget what colorway. some kinda purple, anyway.

is anyone interested in a pattern? i could probably work out what i did - i did write it down, sort of, somewhere.

in other news, i'm working on a "how to tie a pretty bow" tutorial, possibly for tomorrow. it seems i possess a skill that a lot of people haven't picked up, so i'd like to share it here.

ATTENTION INTERNET!

2009-10-21T15:54:00.000-06:00

i'm looking for a couple of crochet pattern testers. as you know, i've been working on the oz gang for the last couple weeks, and i've got dorothy and the witch just about done.
this is an unpaid position, aside from a free copy of the pattern that will eventually be sold over at my etsy shop.
comment if you're interested, and tell your crochety friends if you're not!

how-tue, first in a series.

2009-10-20T16:14:00.000-06:00

EASY SC MITTENS

*gauge is important, but this pattern is so versatile, i usually just use whatever hook and yarn i feel like, and call the first 10 rows of the pattern my "gauge swatch". it only takes a few minutes to get to 25 sc in the pattern, and by that point, you'll be able to tell (by trying on the "mitten") whether it's shaping up to fit you.

<< see, this is how i do it.
(when i first drafted this pattern, i was using bernat "chunky" and a 6.5mm hook almost exclusively. those sizes of yarn and hook are usually my jumping off point when i'm picking new yarn for this project).
as long as you use the same hook and yarn for the hand and the thumb, this pattern should work beautifully, AND be useful for a variety of sizes.

all that said, this pattern is also very easy to modify. unless it's not big enough (or too big) around. then, you'd pretty much be drafting a new pattern anyway, so when that happens, i usually just change yarn. or hook. the path of least resistance.

if you think your hand is longer (or shorter) than mine, add (or subtract) rows between R9-20. same deal for the thumb. actually, the thumb in this pattern is a little on the long side, so i'd recommend leaving out maybe 2 rows of 8sc (between R 4-9).

i'll work on some thumb and ribbing variations for this pattern, and post them later on, too.

MITTENS
6mm hook
sean sheep "maldon"
(this is just what i could find, and the mitten fits my hand, well, like a glove. without fingers. but the stitches are pretty tight. i think the yarn's a bit too big for the hook, but whatever. comment if you're looking for yarn substitution ideas, or if you have questions about this pattern at all. i'm here to help!)

***work in a continuous spiral until instructed otherwise - for the ribbing. also, get yourself a stitch marker. they help a LOT.

MITTEN

R1 5 sc in magic ring, pull tight (5)

R2 2 sc in each sc around (10)

R3 1, 2 sc around (15)

R4 1, 1, 2 sc around (20)

R5 & 6 sc around

R7 1,1,1,2 around (25)

R8 - 20 sc around (25)

<< i decided to add a stripe of white by changing color when i started R12, and switching back to green at the beginning of R17.

R21 sc in first sc, ch 10, sk 3 sc, sc in next sc, sc around

(total of 22 sc, plus 10 ch = 32 stitches)

<< this is immediately after R21.

R22 sc in each sc and ch around (32sc)

<< immediately after R22. this is the beginning of your thumb hole.

R23 sc in first sc, sc2tog, sc next 6 sc, sc2tog, sc around (30)

R24 sc in first sc, sc2tog, sc next 4 sc, sc2tog, sc around (28)

R25 sc in first sc, sc2tog, sc next 2 sc, sc2tog, sc around (26)

R26 sc in first sc, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc around (24)

R27 sc in first sc, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc around (22)

R28 sc around (22)

R29 sc around, join with sl st in 1st sc, ch2 (22)

<< thumb shaping.

R30 dc around, join with sl st in top of ch2, ch2 (22dc)

R31 fpdc around, join with sl st in top of ch2, ch2 (22)

R32-34 fpdc around, join, ch2 (22)

R35 sl st in each dc around, fasten off, weave in ends

THUMB

R1 4 sc in magic ring, pull tight (4)

R2 2 sc around (8)

R3-9 sc around (8)

R10 1,1,1,2 sc around (10)

R11 2,1,1,1,1 sc around (12)

R12 put the thumb and mitten together, and sl st each sc in thumb into the hole in the mitten, both pieces right side out.

it's awkward (both to do and to explain), but it can be done. alternatively, you could do a final thumb row like this: [R13 sc around (12), fasten off] and just sew the thumb and mitten together the old fasioned way, but i've been getting really into NOT sewing, but actually crocheting stuff together. you'll see, when i finish the wizard of oz gang.

<< i'm not really a fan of how this looks. i'll work on fixing it.

so. get crocheting! the cold weather is coming! and don't forget to post pics of YOUR mittens! and remember - if you use this pattern, please give credit where it's due, and mention me!

how-tue

2009-10-20T09:19:00.000-06:00

who wants a free crochet mitten pattern? i'm working out the details and making it legible, and it should be up later today.

paper journal transcription 1

2009-10-19T17:11:00.000-06:00

oct 18/09

i just had this great idea that i had to write down, for a project i might start.

i've been drafting a lot of crochet patterns lately, and i'm constantly trying to figure out new techniques and stuff. normally, i just experiment and frog until i'm happy with whatever i'm working on, but i came up with a new approach i want to play with...

i think i'm going to start a freeform fiber scrapbook sculpture, and instead of frogging all my attempts, start keeping, sewing together, and taggin all my gauge swatches and experiments.. i think, if i do it right, it could be a really valuable time-saving resource, since i'd already know how to do whatever stitch pattern, or know how not to attach legs to torsos, or whatever..

also, i think it would probably end up looking pretty bad-ass, too.

IT'S A BIG ONE!

2009-10-19T11:07:00.006-06:00

wow, boy, did i let this blog slide last week! but i have a decent excuse: i got busy!!

last monday was thanksgiving here in the great white north, and q's mom came over for supper. my husband is really good at making turkey, though i think we learned a valuable lesson this year - stovetop stuffing is not so good when made inside the bird. i didn't take pictures of the turkey (it looked awesome!), but here's my contribution:

the candleholder itself was a dumpster rescue that q brought me. and you may recognize the fake leaves and berries that i wrapped around it as the same ones i used in the original pumpkin poster. i love re-usable craft supplies!

tuesday, my friend peter allen came over to make paper mache messes with me. i wish i could link you to him, and the project he's working on right now (it's called "the burning project", and it's AWESOME.), which is slotted for an exhibition here in red deer next year sometime. peter has been making all kinds of art for more than 30 years, and HOLY COW did he have tips for me! and i had coffee for him! we didn't really make much of anything on tuesday, but i got all inspired-up to try a bunch of stuff. later. with pics.

wednesday was kind of a messy blur, still with the paper mache. a lot of stuff got started, nothing got finished (yet), and some of my experiments hit the dumpster this morning.

thursday was a big day of painting - fixing up and finishing a BUNCH of toddler tees and listing them over at etsy. i started painting baby clothes last summer, but when the leaves started changing, i packed them all up and forgot about them. until now.

in that box was a size 7/8 girls tee with "olivia's favorite toy" outlined on it. (i just spent about 20 minutes trying to find an image from the book to link to, but you'll have to be satisfied with the pic i drew. i couldn't find anything except the cover art, which doesn't feature the toy - just olivia, lifting up the couch). it's been an 18-month long project for my friend olivia, who is (i think) 6. and kids grow. fast. i thought i remembered buying it a couple of sizes too big when i got the shirt last spring, but who knows how much she's shot up over the summer?! well, here's hoping it still fits.

and on friday, i started making polyclay christmas ornaments. so far, there's wonder bread, holly, and mistletoe. don't ask me about the wonderbread thing - i guess i was just having fun with circles. i'm a BIG fan of the mistletoe, myself. sets of 6, over at etsy. here's a sneak peek.

also on friday, i discovered "coraline". i think i'm on my third time through it, as i'm typing this. (please pardon any typos).. and i'm making a set of coraline magnets. i also have a hankering to make a paper mache black cat from the movie.

saturday, we got a wii. also, wii resort, super smash bros, mario kart, and star wars: the clone wars. that's what q did all day, and we played mario party 7 in the evening, when i took a break from crocheting dorothy from the wizard of oz.

i finished her on saturday night (i lie: sunday morning, 2am, and also, she's not actually sewn together yet.), and i wrote down the pattern as i went! i'm testing it by using parts of it in the construction of the rest of the oz gang, and i'll be listing the patterns over at etsy, too, when they're done.. the dolls themselves will be about 12" tall, and are a custom order for my friend dawn. when i'm done, there will be dorothy, toto, scarecrow, tin man, cowardly lion, and the wicked witch. no pics yet - but this week, i promise.

i'm having a LOT of fun with this pattern-making business, so who knows? i just might get carried away and do some more sets.. any ideas? in fact, is there anything that you can't find a pattern for, that you'd like to see here? i'll definitely be offering free patterns here from time to time, and i might as well take requests too.

ok. it's been so gray and gloomy around here, weatherwise, for the last couple of weeks. we had snow for a while, but it got rained away over the weekend. i'm going to go make stuff. that'll brighten things up!

introducing PIGLET!

2009-10-12T12:32:00.005-06:00

here's what i did this weekend!

his skin is a paton's mohair blend, and his jumper is acrylic and cotton.

head and body are all one piece, stuffed as i went. the arms are as simple as they look. the ears are a variation on some bamboo leaves that i came up with a few weeks ago. the bamboo leaves do NOT look like pigs' ears, for the record. it helps that they're green.

his nose and face were made separately, and when i'd just about finished attaching them to his head, i stuffed some stuffing in so it would have some definition.

his little feet, i gave up on figuring out this morning at about 1:00, and went to bed to dream up possible solutions. literally. i got up at 9 this morning to finish him, and THAT'S when inspiration struck.

the feet, i have a pattern for. i couldn't risk getting one done, and then forgetting how i'd done it.

so. piglet is up in my etsy shop, in case you feel like he needs to come live with you.

and heads up: the wizard of oz characters in crochet are coming down the pipe. i just got the yarn for the ruby slippers. and if i'm thinking, i'll write down what i do so that maybe i can provide patterns for them.

OPA!

2009-10-08T16:32:00.001-06:00

i thought i'd share the happy news here:

i just had my very first etsy sale!

thanks, kristin!

as promised...

2009-10-04T15:18:00.004-06:00

so, over at craftster, i mentioned that nintendo heroscape pieces are not the only game pieces i've made, and diane from glassattic (SUCH a great polymer clay resource - she's got the answers for everything!) asked me to link to them.

so here's a pic of my version of "settlers of catan".

as usual, there are a bunch more pics over at my flickr, in the "catan" set.

and hey, don't be afraid to comment - i LOVE those!

ps. i also made "carcassonne", which we play on the xbox, but i sort of half-assed it, so i don't want to post pics yet. fixing it up is definitely on my to-do list, complete with the river expansion.

pumpkin carving - with tutorial!

2009-10-02T09:16:00.007-06:00

here's what i did yesterday:
it's (obviously?) a poster for a show that friends of friends of mine have coming up. i was asked to come up with "something", so i did. and here's how i did it.

step 1 (we can have lots of fun):
i printed out the names i needed to carve in cool fonts and whatnot. there is no pic of how i had all the names taped on the pumpkin at the same time, but i did, to make sure everything would fit and look good.
i googled "pumpkin carving" and found this site, where i picked up a great tip*: using a pin (or an awl, or - carefully, as i did - the tip of your craft knife), poke little holes around your design, through the paper, into your pumpkin. then, when you take the stencil off, there's a really faint outline in the pumpkin skin that you can follow for carving.
that's what i did for "laurelle" and "low flying planes", and then i went back over the words with a grease pencil, because i thought it would help me see the swirls in the L and R better, but it kind of made the lines even more unclear. maybe save the grease pencil for freehand designs, as the website suggests.
here's step 1 in progress (i've already started carving "laurelle", and you can see the grease pencil outline (sort of) on "low flying planes".):

step 2 (there's so much... never mind - i think one new kids on the block reference is enough for one day):
start carving. and don't go all the way through. my letters are only about 1/8" - 1/4" deep. i carved "laurelle" with my little x-acto knife. then, i made an emergency trip to alberta art and drafting to buy a (speedball) lino cutter. WAY easier. and faster. and more fool-proof for shallow lines. and looks better too.
"laurelle" was done pretty much by trial and error. "low flying planes" looked a bit better (i had the lino cutter by then), and for "mandy mckee", i used a whole different approach.
i didn't poke holes around "mandy mckee". i just used my x-acto knife again and cut out all the letters right through my stencil (and the pumpkin), so that when i took the paper away, all i had to do was sort of scoop out the inside bits of the letters with my lino cutter. that seemed to work the best. also, this was in a really skinny font, so i used the smallest blade that my cutter came with.
in this pic, you can see about how deep my carving was:
step 3:
i scooped the guts out of the pumpkin once i was done carving (big fat lie. i got bored mid-carving and decided i felt like scooping instead).
and then i stuck big bright lights inside, set it up (with fall leaves and berries surrounding it) it and took some pics. i found that the candlelight setting on my camera worked the best for capturing the glow, and the candlelight pics are the ones i used for the poster itself.
is anyone really interested in how i got from pumpkin to poster? i can expand on that part if you want to hear about it, but right now, i'll just say that i used paint.net, which is AWESOME. and FREE.

so. did i miss anything? i don't think so. but let me know if you think there's more detail needed or anything.

and if you're in edmonton on the 23rd of october, be sure to [dress up and] stop by the haven to check out this awesome show.

*this tip would probably work better for less intricate designs - the holes all but disappear in the pumpkin skin, making it tricky to determine (for the swirly bits in "laurelle", at least) where the positive/negative borders are..

3 posts in one day!

2009-09-29T14:52:00.003-06:00

so, we play a lot of board games around here, and one of those games is heroscape, which jesse-next-door got for christmas last year. we also all like to make stuff from time to time, and heroscape is the perfect game to customize. i just finished a set of nintendo themed figurines for jesse, and got some (fake) action shots for you.

i made bowser, the koopas, mario, luigi, peach, toad, and daisy.

jesse made the hammer bros and the goombas, and sarah helped him with bob-omb and chain chomp.

i'll post one here, but if you want to see the rest, go check out my flickr page.

autumn scarf

2009-09-29T11:32:00.003-06:00

scarf number two! this is VERY loosely based on the quahog beach bag (from crochet kitten), like, i thought i remembered the stitch pattern from making the purse, but i didn't.

autumn scarf

ch 23

R1 - dc in 3rd ch from hook and next 4 ch, *(ch 3, dc in next 5 dc), repeat from * across, ch 2, turn.

R2 - 1dc in each dc, *(ch 3, skip 3ch from previous row, dc in each dc) ch 2, turn. (you should have

R3-85 (or until scarf is desired length) - repeat R2, fasten off.

tassels: i cut 4 lengths of about 15" (for each tassel), plus one piece a bit longer (for tying the tassels to the scarf). feed the tassels through the ends of the scarf (1 in each corner, 1 in each 3ch space, and one in the middle of the dc groups - for 7 on each end), and tie the one longer piece around the tassel about 1/2" from the end of the scarf. (the ends of this longer piece just hang with the rest of the tassel). trim tassels to uniform length.

and it's as simple as that. i used sean sheep's wooloomooloo yarn, in autumn colors. it's got a nice metallic thread running through it, and the variegation looks really nice when it works up.

if anyone tries this pattern, can you let me know how it works? i just wrote it down from the finished product, not while i was making it.

scallop crochet scarf

2009-09-29T10:46:00.003-06:00

this is the scarf i made over the weekend. the pattern is free (with free sign-up) at lion brand yarns, and it's pretty easy to follow. i used a bernat cashmere blend that i got at wal-mart (bernat has since discontined it). i think it took up 2 balls.
the only difference between my scarf and theirs is that i didn't follow the finishing instructions - i got the 2 sides done, and i liked the look of the ends without actually "finishing" them.

i'll post pics of the other scarf i made this weekend just as soon as i finish attaching the fringe.

both scarves will be available at the prairie chick in downtown red deer by the end of the week - prices to be determined.

learning curves

2009-09-25T15:13:00.003-06:00

i just wanted to note here that HOLY COW i've been learning a lot the last few weeks. new techniques, new crafts, new schedules, new programs and applications. and mostly, the computer stuff is what makes my brain hurt.

i would LOVE to just magically understand googleapps, and how to work my blog, and what good is twitter, anyway? also, my learning process would go more smoothly if error messages were limited to one of these options:

1. computers aren't actually capable of doing whatever it is that you're trying to do.
2. you're doing it wrong.
3. the website/program/application/whatever is broken.
4. your computer is broken.
5. don't you remember? you changed your password, bonehead.

just saying.

paper mache friday!

2009-09-25T10:33:00.004-06:00

i'm still at it. my dining room looks like we've been eating flour and water paste for the last week. BUT. in my oven, as i type, are about 14 little former water balloon balloons, now covered with newspaper and muck, and drying nicely, at about 150C.

there are a few possible outcomes for these babies - as i've been mache-ing away, all the things that they look like in their unfinished state are going through my head.. i've seen eggplants, little squashes, painted egg-shaped christmas ornaments, and now... FAT LADIES. i can just see them hanging happily from christmas tree branches.

they don't look like much in reality, but in my head.. WOW.

here's the Fat Lady Sauna:

this little piggy went to market..

2009-09-23T10:06:00.002-06:00

yesterday, i went downtown to peddle my wares. i took a duffel bag full of earrings and crochet goodies to dark day and the prairie chick. i ended up leaving a bunch of hats, some slippers, and some buttons with collette, the awesome prairie chick herself. i'm her first consignment client! FYI: she's always looking for crafters to buy from, so click over to her site if you make stuff, and are interested in getting it out there!

and barry, who owns dark day (and is also, arguably, alberta's best body piercer) wants more information about the safety of polymer clay before he agrees to sell my earrings.fair enough. so i linked him (and you guys) here - and i'll head back downtown next week to try again.

i also had a massage - and HOLY COW it hurt. i'm totally going back there next week too. kathy has magic fingers, i swear. i wish i could link to her, too, but she doesn't appear to have a website. leave me a comment or email skelectica @ gmail if you'd like her contact info.

the rest of the week, i'll be working on a scarf, some mittens, and some more bags. also, finishing my paper mache mess that i started on monday. i've found that brown paper towel works much better than newspaper for me, with my raw flour and water paste that i got the recipe for here. thanks, jonni! everybody, go check out the site - her paper mache sculptures are AMAZING!

one of my other grand plans is to start offering crochet patterns here, you know, for free. i think i'll also develop some for sale in my etsy shop, but who doesn't like free stuff? i just might start tomorrow, with a free pattern for my pointy hat, which people seem to LOVE whenever i wear it.

ok. i'm off to Do Some Crafting.

papier mache monday

2009-09-21T11:49:00.004-06:00

it's really taking me a while to get into the swing of things around here. i finished moving all my stuff into my craft room last week, and i think the setup is going to work for me down here. see? i'm even posting from downstairs!

on the 14th, i took my singer spartan in to the shop for a tune-up and cleaning, and i should get it back in 2 weeks or so. or rather, next week sometime. time flies. in the meantime, i have a kenmore 14, which the internet hasn't heard of. i even searched for the looooong model number on the back, and still couldn't find a manual. i guess it's just a game of trial and error until i figure out how to thread it and what all these dials and buttons are for. at least i have definitely located the power switch. i hope that’s a good omen - a LOT of bags need lining.

today is paper mache day. i'll be working on some christmas ornaments, some hot air balloons (maybe), and a little onion that will be a game piece for heroscape, which we play with the neighbors sometimes. my craft room has carpet, so messy stuff stays upstairs. and this is DEFINITELY messy. check it out:

morning

2009-09-15T08:54:00.004-06:00

ok, never mind guessing my movie references. go check out my flickr page for 8am pics. and while you're there, look for the mannequin. i'm trying to decide what to do with her, and if you guys have ideas, i'd love to hear them.

on the agenda today:

- finish moving
- empty garbages
- shower
- crochet with the new yarn i got yesterday
- post about my michael's trip yesterday (thanks, jo!)
- work on business cards

i'll check in later, after another cup of coffee and a little bit of productivity.

day one

2009-09-14T20:31:00.002-06:00

today was made of internet drama, secondhand shopping, quizno's subs, and alley excitement when the black kitty and the mouthy squirrel almost went at it.

it was the first day of my self-employment, and i didn't get pictures. the least i could have done is get the embarrassing "before" pics of my craft room. at this point, it still looks like i've just moved in (we've lived here for over 2 years), but at least it's not quite the bermuda triangle of supplies that it was until this evening.

maybe now i should get "before" pics, you know, before i move all the crap that's filling my dining room down there... if i'm successful, i'll be marketing my craft room design as TARDIS blueprints. stay tuned.

tomorrow, the Big Move, and paper mache. maybe also cookies. and, if i can find the motivation, yoga!

namaste, you guys!

ps. anybody: identify the 2 (deliberate) tv/movie references, and i'll post pics of tomorrow's adventures as i go!

the countdown is on...

2009-09-03T19:43:00.001-06:00

life, the universe and everything:

COMING SOON!!