How Unseamly!

WIP Wednesday - February 29, 2012

2012-02-29T14:02:00.005-05:00

It's Leap Day! Did you know that in Britain and Ireland, women may propose marriage only on leap days? Supposedly, Margaret of Scotland required fines of a pair of leather gloves, a single rose, £1 and a kiss be levied if the man refused. This law sounds pretty reasonable to me. Oh, and she was only 5 years old when she created that law.

On to the crafting!

I've been working on a Gryffindor scarf for a while. It's taking me longer than it should, mainly because it's my take-along project that I only work on at lunchtime. I'm hoping to finish this up really soon. Here's where I'm at right now:

I'm about 70% done, so I'm hoping to have this done by the end of the week.

Happy Leap Day everyone!

What a week!

2012-02-26T10:36:00.002-05:00

Well, I had a jam packed week full of crafting, multiple trips to the post office, fun with friends and seeing my favourite band, The Dropkick Murphys.

The week began with a long weekend, the holiday observed here in Ontario is Family Day, which we lovingly call Turducken Day. This year was the 4th annual Turducken feast, hosted by the lovely Ms. H and Mr. D, and a most excellent time was had by all. My favourite part is always the post-dinner move from the party room to their place where the real party happens. What a night!

Big Wanda and Big Carl came out...Trouble

My trips to the post office resulted in a whole bunch of packages going out, as well as a couple packages coming in to me. Big, squishy packages full of fibre!!!!!

Squish!

As far as actual crafting goes, I got quite a bit done. In fact, I tallied up my projects for the year (I'm participating in 112 projects in 2012) and am already at 39!!! Holy crap! It's got to be all the spinning. Here are the finishes from this week:

On a sad crafting note, I had to frog 2 month's worth of crocheting :(
The crazy hat I've been working on for Mr. Social was WAY too small, despite me doing a gauge swatch and everything. So it is being restarted on a larger hook. Hopefully this time it works out.

Of course, the highlight of my week was going to see the Dropkick Murphys! They have been my fave band for what seems like forever, and no matter how many times I see them live, it never gets old.

We had originally planned to make our pilgrimage down to Boston for St. Pats to see them this year, however decided against it on account of needing to save for our trip in the fall. But, the first show of their St. Pats tour 2012 was in Toronto, so we didn't have to miss out. I got to pick up a shirt, and TORONTO WAS THE FIRST NORTH AMERICAN CITY TO HEAR THEIR BRAND NEW SONG!!! How exciting is that???

There was one song I had hoped they'd play at the show that they did not, so here it is for you all to enjoy, The Dirty Glass by The Dropkick Murphys.

Feeling like this right about now...

2012-02-24T16:10:00.001-05:00

The First Day of Spring....Sorta

2012-02-21T10:39:00.009-05:00

We haven't had much of a winter this year. A few days of snow, a few days of "real" cold (I define real cold as under -5°C/23°F), mostly just grey and wet. Normally, I really enjoy winter, I love the snow and the crispness of the air. I feel like I've been robbed of that this year, and for the first time that I can remember, I am looking forward to spring.

What makes me really sad is that this year we will miss out on one of the first signs of spring approaching, crocuses peeking out from the snow.

Well, Hello there!

Since I probably won't get to see that this year, I have spun up a yarn inspired by the first spring crocuses. It's called "The First Day of Spring".

A lovely blend of Merino/Nylon, Falkland, Angelina, and Mohair, this yarn almost makes up for the lack of seasonal progression.

I'll leave you all with another First Day of Spring (by the Gandharvas) for your enjoyment.

Happy Valentines Day!

2012-02-14T09:00:00.003-05:00

No, I didn't create that Valentine myself (I wish I could take that credit). See more Harry Potter Valentines by yenniper here and here, and some Lost Valentines here

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

My New Addiction?

2012-02-13T09:57:00.004-05:00

Crafty things I'm addicted to include knitting socks (full grown human and mini-sized), spinning, sewing anything, and now....baby sweaters?

Seriously, baby sweaters are so cute due to their tiny size and of course, fast to knit. I've only ever finished a full grown sweater in a week once, but the last 2 baby sweaters both took about a week each.

This week, I finished this one:

It's so cute!

I've also been working on my spinning, specifically core-spinning. This time around, it wasn't nearly as twisty as my last corespun yarn.

I still have 2 ounces left of this fibre to spin, so maybe the next attempt will be even better :)

WIP Wednesday - February 8, 2014

2012-02-08T09:00:00.002-05:00

Seems that people all around me are growing or planning/wanting to grow some teacup humans in their bellies. This is good for me, and here's why: While I do not want to grow one of these for myself, I do love to knit tiny things.

This week's WIP Wednesday showcases my second ever baby sweater. The parents of the baby this is intended for are pretty punk rock, and do not as yet know the sex of the baby (it's playing coy and hiding its junk during scans). Assuming that said punk rock parents will have a punk rock baby, and wanting to remain gender-neutral, I opted for colours not typical to baby garments. Makes me think more of Hallowe'en actually, but I still think it's pretty cool.

Firebrunette, if you're reading this, look away! Nothing to see here...

I'm a Spinning Fool

2012-02-06T10:45:00.005-05:00

Seems to me that making a list has helped me somewhat in keeping organized. I finished the sock required for the test knit before the deadline I set for myself, finished the Dr. Who mini-satchel I was working on and did a whole bunch of spinning. I spun 5 skeins of yarn to be exact.

I'm really happy with how the bag turned out. It's a mini-satchel, so I guess more like a purse than anything, but soon it will have a bigger messenger bag to keep it company.

It's bigger on the inside

I did A LOT of spinning so far this month. Part of this is because I was ill, and spent my time at home on the couch with tea and my wheel.

Look at all the pretties!

I guess I wasn't kidding when I said "Spin All The Things!"

Monthly Planning - February 2012

2012-02-02T13:35:00.006-05:00

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with all the things I need to do this month, so I decided to make a list to help me keep focused and to keep track of what is done vs what needs to get finished.

Here goes nothing:

1) Finish Diamond Gansey socks for Mr. Social
2) Finish test knit socks for me (left sock needs to be finished by Feb 5 at the latest)
3) Dr. Who mini-satchel
4) Baby sweater for gift
5) iPad cozy
6) Other Dr. Who satchel (size as yet undecided)
7) Kraken hat for Mr. Social
8) Start second Kraken hat
9) Pink and black hat for C
10) Spin all the things

I'm sure I'm missing a few things, but this is a good start. I'm hoping to knock a couple of these off the list this weekend.

WIP Wednesday - February 1, 2012

2012-02-01T09:29:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday I did a sewing test as the final step of my college application process. I hadn't sewn in a while (because I'm always knitting or spinning) and had forgotten how much I love to sew. So I finally started a project I've been meaning to make for a long time.

A while back I had purchased some fantastic Dr. Who fabric and had some vague ideas as to what to make with it. For now, I have decided on a bag and am pretty excited about it. Here is my progress so far:

I've still got a lot of this fabric left, so I'm already plotting what to make next with it!

Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller

2012-01-29T13:01:00.004-05:00

For whatever reason, I haven't been able to get the deliciously cheesy one man band music from Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller out of my head. So, I decided I needed to revisit this movie from my childhood.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this movie, here's the basic gist. Stamp collecting is cool. Tommy Tricker is a prankster, Ralph is his stamp collecting friend. They discover the secret of "stamp travel" and go off in search of some fancy old stamp collection which belonged to Charles Merriweather. A 12-year-old Rufus Wainright sings "I'm Running".

Something I had forgotten about this movie, Tommy Tricker is a huge douchebag. Scamming or stealing from your friends just isn't cool. Also, the main character/hero of this movie is Ralph, so why isn't it called Ralph and the Stamp Traveller? I guess it doesn't roll off the tongue as nice.

What I didn't know about this movie, is it's the seventh in a series of children's movies created by Les Productions la Fête, called Tales for All. I've seen a few of the movies in the series and am now thinking I should go back and try to watch them all.

Never one to sit idly while watching a movie, I decided to honour this Canadian movie by spinning a yarn that is reminiscent of the colours of autumn, and the various shades of the falling maple leaves.

It doesn't look like much now, but I'm pretty sure it'll end up being pretty nifty.

Things I should hate but I don't...

2012-01-26T17:22:00.006-05:00

So, there's this song that's currently making its rounds on a local radio station. A song which initially, I hated. I hated this song as much as Gargamel hated the Smurfs.

Unless, of course, he's eating them...

The song in question is Midnight City by M83.

It seems this song has grown on me. Don't get me wrong, I don't love this song, or even like it really, but I find myself not changing the station when it comes on anymore.

What do you think of Midnight City?

WIP Wednesday - January 25, 2012

2012-01-25T09:45:00.002-05:00

For the past 6 months or so, I've been hosting a sock KAL. This month, I've been a very bad host and am way behind on my sock knitting. I blame the "studying", you know, spinning yarn instead of reading my books....

Anyhoo, the socks for this month are Diamond Gansey Socks by Wendy D. Johnson.

This is the first of 12 pairs of socks promised to Mr. Social to be made in 2012. Chances of finishing these by the end of the month are slim, but I'm going to do my best.

Busy, busy, busy!

2012-01-23T10:31:00.007-05:00

Wow! Who knew that January would be so busy??? The last few weeks had me knitting up a storm to stock my shop, spinning a little bit and studying for an upcoming exam (it's on Thursday, yikes!).

Some of the things I've created the past few weeks:

The smallest Jayne hat ever!

Dalek Hat of my own design - Prototype #1

Handspun yarns. The middle one is my first ever corespun!

Taking a peak in my shop, I realize I've been on a crazy hat kick. I think I need to add more variety. Good thing that exam time is almost here. As soon as it's done I can start sewing again!

WIP Wednesday - January 4, 2012

2012-01-04T09:40:00.004-05:00

It's WIP Wednesday! This weeks edition showcases something I've never attempted before... a baby sweater. It feels to weird to be knitting something small enough to fit a teacup human!!

Right now, it's smaller than a sheet of paper O.o

I do love how fast it's working up, which is good as I need to have this done for this weekend to send along as a baby shower gift.

Out with the old, in with the new

2012-01-02T10:39:00.006-05:00

Good riddance to 2011. What a roller coaster of a year! 2012 will be so much better, I'm sure of it.

Mr. Social and I ushered in the year in the classiest way possible. With some pink bubbly.

Apparently we only have 1 champagne glass in the house...

I have big plans for 2012. One of which is I'd like to go back to school. The first thing I did this year was submit my college application. I look forward to the rest of the application process and can't wait to go back!

We're also planning a trip! Looks like we're going to head to Portugal (!!!) in the fall. I've never been there before! I haven't been away in a couple years, so it's nice having something to look forward to.

As far as crafting goes, so far I'm on a roll! I've finished 3 projects already (okay, okay, 2 of them were started in 2011, but they were finished in 2012) and have started several more. I started to learn to crochet. I've even got most of a yarn completed! Here's a look at what I've done so far:

Happy New Year Everyone!

Oh! I almost forgot! Remember the naughty hat I was working on? It's finished and was given to a friend :)

WIP Wednesday - December 21, 2011

2011-12-21T09:40:00.003-05:00

I've been working like mad on my holiday knitting, taking breaks here and there to work on non-holiday things as well. I finished a last-minute gift last night, and thought I'd cast on something not holiday related as a treat for myself.

I haven't tried my hand at colourwork in a really long time, so I figured now is the time to try again.

This hat will be pretty naughty when complete. I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out, and if I left enough slack in the floats for the hat to stretch properly once worn...

Nerd Squee!!!!

2011-12-19T21:20:00.004-05:00

It came! My awesome Dr. Who fabric came!!!! So excited to use it :D

Giftmas Knitting - Zooming Right Along

2011-12-15T11:52:00.011-05:00

When I started my giftmas knitting, my list seemed a little daunting. I had 2 commissions as well as a handful of other items. Now that I've completed a few things, and perhaps an item or two not on the list, it doesn't seem so bad. Although, I'm unsure if I can manage 2.5 socks before the big day....

Here's what's been done so far:

Commission Knitting #1 & 2:

Giftmas Scarf:

Some unplanned hats:

I won't post pics of the socks just yet, I don't want to ruin the surprise!

The Tree They Call Jayne

2011-12-11T20:31:00.005-05:00

Our holiday tree is up. Pretty cunning, don't ya think?

WIP Wednesday - December 7, 2011

2011-12-07T09:15:00.003-05:00

With all the holiday knitting I have going on right now, I have several WIPs. This week, while at work (on lunch breaks and such) I have been working on socks. I'm particularly happy with these as it's the first time I'm using a yarn I dyed myself :)

Here's hoping this post goes unnoticed by the intended recipient of these socks ;)

Resolutions

2011-11-28T11:44:00.007-05:00

It's that time of year again, the weather is turning colder (and threatening snow....well, not a threat to me as I love snow) and the hectic holiday season is approaching. Which means two things: copious amounts of food and new year's resolutions. Normally, I don't make resolutions as I just break them anyway (except that time it was to try the PB&J Burger at the Yellow Griffin, which was the most delicious resolution ever).

This year is different. This year I am only making crafty goals. I know it's early, but I've been in serious project planning mode (since, yet again, I'm behind on my holiday gift knitting). My crafty resolution for 2012 is to knit 1 item, spin 1 yarn and sew 1 item every week. Yep, seems simple. Probably is biting off more than I can chew, but this is what I want to accomplish.

Here's some recent finishes to keep myself motivated:

Fluffy, fluffy braaaaains

2011-11-21T17:17:00.005-05:00

Recently, I've been on a zombie movie kick. While watching Dead Snow, I was inspired to spin up a yarn with brains. Juicy, bloody brains.

Mr. Social doesn't think that they look like brains, but I disagree. What do you think, brains or weird random lumps?

A long overdue post

2011-11-16T12:20:00.012-05:00

So, it appears I have been absent for a while. I must remedy this. In my time away I have improved my knitting skills as well as learned to spin. This blog is going to evolve into a crafting blog, rather than just being focused on sewing.

I am joining A Year of Projects (late) and will be creating a list of projects that I'd like to complete in 2012. While I do that, here's some stuff I've finished recently:

And some luscious yarn:

Knitting!

2010-01-31T09:06:00.004-05:00

So, January 2010 was the month I learned how to knit. I know, not at all exciting, but I really wanted to learn and am glad I did. Here's a couple things I've made so far:

Feather and Fan Slouchy Beret

And a simple ribbed scarf and hat for my wee nephew

Love LOLs

2010-01-15T12:28:00.002-05:00

I found this online today and thought it was too cute not to share:

Thank you icanhascheezburger.com!

'Tis the season for holiday dresses!

2009-11-29T23:07:00.007-05:00

With my company xmas party approaching, I'm in need of something to wear, so I decided to make myself a dress.
Simplicity pattern 2549, view B with the bow from view A. Rather than making the dress all one tone, I decided to make the underbust band and bow in black to add a little something extra. I made good progress today and hope to have it done in the next couple of days so that I can make a crinoline to wear underneath.

New skirt completed :)

2009-11-08T17:03:00.003-05:00

I finished the skirt Thursday :) however, did not end up wearing it on Friday. But YAY! New skirt!

I sewed up the side seams and top stitched the seams,finished off the waistband (stitch in the ditch) and finally hemmed and added a button/buttonhole.

Step two of new skirt

2009-11-03T22:27:00.005-05:00

Okay, so I'm making really good progress considering the time constraints I'm working with.

Today, I got the skirt back assembled and top stitched. And I've decided to do something I've never done before.

Rather than sewing front to back and then attaching the waistband, I've decided to attach the back waistband to the back, and the front waistband to the front prior to attaching front to back at the side seams. The main reason I decided to do this is to make my life easier for when this skirt needs to be taken in (if it should ever require taking in).

Now for some rest. Maybe tomorrow I can get it finished.

Step one of new skirt

2009-11-03T19:15:00.000-05:00

So, a little while ago, I decided that I need to wear more skirts and/or dresses. I've been stuck in a rut of jeans and beaters/hoodies for years, and it's high time I step out of my "comfort zone".

I'm going to a concert on Friday, and figured it's the perfect opportunity for the wearing of a cute outfit that includes a skirt. My job doesn't allow for a lot of time inthe evenings to get lots of sewing done, but if I can do a little bit a day, I should be ready for Friday.

I'm making McCalls pattern 5429 (the mini) with an actual hem, rather than leaving it frayed as the pattern specifies.

I didn't have a whole lot of time last night, but I managed to get the skirt front completed, icluding fly. I'm making the skirt out of denim (can't stray too far from my comfort zone the first time out :P) and using a red top stitch.

So far so good! Now back to work :)