Goofy Quiz - Purple Hair?

My plan is to dye my hair when I turn forty. I haven't decided if I will do all of my hair or not and can't really decide on the color but I do lean toward purple and this quiz suggests that is the way to go.

Your Hair Should Be Purple

Intense, thoughtful, and unconventional. You're always philosophizing and inspiring others with your insights.

What's Your Funky Inner Hair Color?

I don't mind the idea that I'm inspiring either.

One Skein Questions for C'ville Swap :)

Hi, swap mates and swap partner:) Here are my answers.

1. Which yarn is most like your personality?

I took a quiz recently that suggested I was Mohair. I like mohair but I have not crocheted with it yet.

2. What is your favorite color yarn to knit/crochet with?

Purple! Then I like burgundy like colors or redwine. I like those colors for ME :) I can crochet with any color yarn I love it all.

3. Have you ever used variegated, or magic, yarns?

Variegated yarns yes but magic stripes yarn not yet.

4. Do you tend to favor certain fibers when choosing yarns?

Depends on what I am making. I do use lots of Redheart to make amigurumi. I did splurge on some pretty yarn with alpaca and made an amigurumi frog with it. It's so soft. So I could see wanting to get luxury yarns in my future. (After, I win the lottery that is:)

5. Do you prefer to work with center-pull or traditionally wound balls of yarn?

center pull

6. Have you ever worked with organic yarns or are you interested in trying them?

I'll try just about anything once :)

7. How many and what projects have you made in the last year?

several amigurumi/stuffies
freeform hat
socks
Bohemian Jacket in Hip to Crochet
a few scarves
book marks
a baby blanket

8. Will you be crocheting any gifts this year?

I want to but sometimes life gets in the way or the muse leaves me.

9. What is your favorite one skein project?

If the skein is the right size then maybe socks. When I need a simple get the creative juices going or to calm my mind I like to make bookmarks and amigurumi.

10. How much yarn do you have in your stash and how do you store it?

I store my yarn in big(14gal size) rubbermaid bins. I have 4 bins that are full if all the yarn is in the bins. Often the yarn escapes and is in baskets and an extra bin near my workstation.

11. Do you have a yarn in your stash that you love so much you can never use it or part with it?

No, I don't thinks so. I really want to see what the fiber can do so I want to use it :)

12. Do you crochet less or differently in the summer?

I find myself less excited to work on the afghan I started. My poor garden is being neglected this year with my new found passion for crochet so I "should" do some gardening and maybe a little less crochet :)

13. Do you belong to any crocheting groups (online or offline)?

I don't belong to any in person groups. I did join CGOA and want to start a chapter here. I'd love to get together in real life with other crocheters. Mostly, I connect with crocheters online at Crochetville and through a few other email lists.

I know I have been quiet lately....

Last weekend Corbin had a birthday to go to for a little friend he has made down the street. It's really sweet how he plays with her. She is a about 3 years younger than he is. He helped me put together her gift. Rather he was the idea man I was the crafter. You can see what we came up with here.

Corbin got a new bike recently which he is very happy with. Stephen has put together a bike for himself with some new parts and a frame he got off of freecycle.

About a week ago with my stomach in my throat Corbin went off on his new bike ALL by himself to buy some flower seeds from the garden center just a block or so away from our house. After Corbin got back Jade decd she wanted to go too so Corbin helped her find the way and AGAIN my heart in my throat. They are both fine and very happy with themselves and the gift of seeds they bought for ME :)

Jade has been listening to lots of books on tape. She even finds a way to get some playing time in the sand box by bring the boom box outside with her so she can dig in the sand and listen to books. Her latest favorite have been the High Wizardry Series by Diana Duane.

We have also watches Howl's Moving Castle also based on a book several times. It was produced by the same person who has done several VERY good anime movies including Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service and Castle in the Sky.

I just finished reading the Secret Life of Bees for the second time and I'm looking forward to talking about with my homeschool moms book club very soon.

Sunday I went to a talk about seed saving which was inspiring and got me interested in getting out in the garden more. Right now I really should be out there picking strawberries. I have a prolific strawberry bed this year. I've made strawberry short cake twice this summer. It's my favorite summer treat. It's better than ice cream. I'll post a recipe soon. I promise! I did get outside to water and weed the garden some today and that was very satisfying.

We've trying some new food here too to get us out a food slump. I have been just plain bored with our usual fare. Last week I had sushi for the first time and it's not too bad. I'll eat it again. Now the the garden is starting to produce and the farmers market is sure to have some yummy fresh veggies we are trying new things and making an effort to cook. We are especially looking at ideas that are cool and refreshing in the heat.

I'm sure there is more but that's all I can remember.

Secret Pal Swap

My secret pal has been emailing me a bit to learn more about me which has been fun. The questions make me think, what are my preferences? What do I like and don't like isn't always clear to me LOL.
It's fun to find out we share some things in common like our other interests have taken a back seat to crocheting and that both of our sons like knights.

She sent me an E-card to day and you can see it here.

I had a pretty good day yesterday. I've watered the garden, made a center pull ball from some lace weight yarn I got as an extra goodies when I did the summer scarf swap on C'ville. I started a scarf with it.

I am particpating in a Sock CAL through CGOA and will share my progress on the Sock CAL on crochetville and here on my blog. I completed my swatch and was just about right on with the gauge. I'm using the sock pattern I found here

Belly Mask

Corbin put this belly mask on yesterday and I took some pictures :)

The belly mask is the one I did when I was pregnant with him. There are some more picture of him wearing it on my flickr pages if you want to take a look.

I got my scarf in the mail!

I love getting packages in the mail. It's so fun.

I got my summer scarf today from my partner. It's beautiful and my favorite color, purple.



She included the leftover yarn she used too, it's called Endless Summer from elann. She also sent me some stuff from her home town, Austin, TX and MORE yarn. I got a hank of laceweight knitpicks yarn and some Cascade 220. Yippee! My yarn stash just keeps getting bigger. (It's simply irresistible y'know :)

Thanks so much!

Socks - It's a Pair!

My socks are finished! I was worried that I didn't have enough yarn for the second sock but I had just enough. I still have some yarn on order at the Yarn Barn so I guess I will HAVE to make another pair :)

I think these will look great with my tangerine converse sneakers. The socks feel comfy in my sneakers too.

Shhhhhh It's a Secret Swap

I'm participating in the Crochetville Secret Pal Swap this summer. I'm excited about it.

Secret Pal if you are reading my blog, Hello and Welcome! If you want to get to know me a little and how I spend my time when I'm not crocheting you could read more about me and my family on my other blog here.

If you haven't already figured it out I'm a bit of a crocheting geek.

Happy Mother's Day

I didn't realize how many of these mother picture I have here include breasts. I was shocked myself. I'm posting this anyway because I truly believe that breast are more than actually, MUCH more than something sexual. Breasts contain a magic elixir than not only feeds our babies but it calms them and nurtures them.

Here's a visual feast honoring all the mothers I know

A sculpture given to me by a friend that represents Gaia, Mother Earth, mother of us all:



A mural I found when Stephen and I lived near San Francisco. I was pregnant at the time with my first, Jade. This mural really touched me because it celebrates life, children, mothering.




Using the above photo I made this Art Trading Card

Celebrate Mothers - Celebrate Life



And a re-run picture here to all the moms who are nursing and nursed your kids. More power to yah! Got milk?

Socks - just one so far

I was wanting something new to try and decided to make my first pair of crocheted socks.

I used a Toe Up Sock pattern that I found here
I used an E hook and Sockotta yarn. I don't have color code any more sorry!

The pattern was fairly easy to follow. A few tips that weren't shared in the pattern:

Do not join rounds (work in a spiral) if you join rounds you get a ridge that could feel uncomfortable. ( I did join rounds when I did the cuff part because I was doing some dc)

When I started the heal I joined the yarn in the heal opening in the second stitch from one "corners" (with the right side facing me.) I don't think it matters which one. Then did a decrease on that side then a decrease on the other side. I hope that makes sense. I might try and get a simple drawing up so it will be clearer. I plan on making another pair socks that does the same kind of heal so I can take pics of that. There are more pics of making the socks on my flickr pages just click on the flickr badge in the side bar and look in my crochet folder.

The beginning:


When you get to the heel/cuff part she suggests you divide in half the number of sc stitches you have to get number of the chains you make. I did that and thought it was too tight. I did a few more chains. So I recommend you try the sock on at that point to see how easy you think it will be to get on and off.



I think this pattern is really easy to do and works up quick but if your are new to crochet it might be a little confusing until you play with it a bit. I like how I can make the basic sock part with single crochet then do some fun stitch experimenting for the cuff. My sock fits nicely. It will fit even better after it's been washed (I hope!)

A close-up of the sock cuff. I use fpdc and a cluster dc. If I do this pattern again I might switch it around and do the cluster stitch first then do the post stitch. The fpdc stitch kind of mimics knit ribbing.




The finished sock

Tunisian Crochet and some Ribbon Yarn

I'm experimenting with Tunisian Crochet and some ribbon yarn just to see what happens.

I'm using Modea Ticker Tape yarn
What I think is likely a K or L hook. If I do it again I want to try using a larger hook. The Yarn calls for a an N hook.
I'm not following a pattern.

I'm using the following Tunisian stitches going back in for between and open look and doing all the stitches and using different sized stitches (follow stitch names to links for tutorials/intructions on how to do the stitch):

Tunisian treble
this recommended a chain two for the first treble stitch. I think a chain three works better.
eyelets or skipping stitches
I skipped stitches doing the Tunisian treble so I wrapped the yarn over 3 times instead of two and pulled thru twice.
simple stitch crochet

Lots of good video tutorials for Tunisian here and how to's for more stitches here


The beginning






I think the scarf looks good with green.



You can see the fringe I added here, how it looks with a purple shirt and about how long it is. I dyed the shirt myself doing low-water immersion dyeing.



Back to the pic with the green shirt because even if do say so myself not a bad picture of me. I like how the scarf looks too.

I'm trying to decide if I like the tape yarn or not. It was fun to experiment with and I want to try some more. I think that tape might be something you like or you don't like. It has a more "edgy" modern look to it and less organic than yarn. So that's how I am looking at it and trying to see how to showcase it's edginess best rather than trying to make it something it isn't.

I might as well face it I'm addicted to YARN!

This weekend I was not planning on buying lots of yarn. Honest! I really wasn't. I was just going to go to Michaels to pick up few more skiens of Raspberry Caron Simply Soft to finish my Supernova square afghan.




The Dollar Tree was on my way and last time I was there they has some yarn I just couldn't pass up, Bernat Frenzy.



I'll be using some of this in some freeform scrumbles I'm sure.

So I just had to see if there was some more yarn I had to have. Yup! There was some yarn I just had to have.

While I was at Michaels I did manage to avoid buying more Moda Dea yarns because I bought for $2/skein even though they were now $1/skein but it was HARD!

My stash increase from a few weeks a ago lots of Moda Dea yarns.



Then of course I had to go looking to see if there were some other great deals for $1/skein. Oops! There was! See what just fell into my basket and what I picked up at the Dollar Tree



I found the hot pink and the pastel pink ladder yarn at the Dollar Tree. The rest fell into my basket at Michaels (More PINK!) I really don't like pink. Someone must be telling me to get in touch with my inner pinkness or something. I couldn't help seeing a fun freeform purse for a princess or someone who like pink for baby girls. I want to see how an amigurumi bunny or bear might look in the hot pink. The purple rainbow ribbon yarn is some xtra I bought so I can make scarf. I'm wondering if should go buy more then I could make a shawl instead. Oh please somebody stop me!

As I was leaving the store I couldn't help but think of the Robert Palmer song Addicted to Love. I found the original lyrics HERE.

Do you remember the video with the scantily dresses women? I do. And although in someways it offended my feminist sensibilities there was an artistic quality to the video. I can't help but imagine a fiber artist filk video. All us fiber artist men and women flipping our handmade scarves around our necks dancing and singing the song. Can you see it ?

Because You might as well face it you're addicted to YARN!

Here's my version:

Addicted to Yarn

Your lights are on, and you're not home
Your mind is not your own
Your heart sweats, your body shakes
Another SKEIN is what it takes

You can't sleep, you can't eat
There's no doubt, you're in deep
Your throat is tight, you can't breathe
Another HANK is all you need

Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough
You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to YARN

You see the signs, but you can't read
You're spinnin' at a different speed
You're crocheting in double time
Another SKEIN and you'll be FINE!, a one track mind

You can't be saved
FIBER is all you crave
If there's some left over
You don't mind if you do

Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough
You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to YARN

Might as well face it, you're addicted to YARN
Might as well face it, you're addicted to YARN
Might as well face it, you're addicted to YARN
Might as well face it, you're addicted to YARN
Might as well face it, you're addicted to YARN


------ lead guitar ------

Your lights are on, but you're not home
Your will is not your own
You're heart sweats and teeth grind
Another SKEIN and you'll be FINE!

Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough
You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to YARN


Might as well face it, you're addicted to YARN
Might as well face it, you're addicted to YARN
Might as well face it, you're addicted to YARN
Might as well face it, you're addicted to YARN
Might as well face it, you're addicted to YARN

Simply Irresistible!

How can it be permissible
FIBER it celebrates my principle, yeah yeah
That kind of love is mythical
Oh YARN is anything but typical

It's a craze I do embrace, It's FIBER with a powerful force
I'm obliged to conform when there's no other course
YARN used to look good to me, but now I find it
Simply irresistible, Simply irresistible

The weight is so powerful, huh
It's simply unavoidable
The trend is irreversible
The softness is invincible

YARN'S a natural law, and WOOL leaves me in awe
Mohair deserves the applause, I surrender because
YARN used to look good to me, but now I find it
Simply irresistible, Simply irresistible

Simply irresistible (the YARNS so fine, there's no tellin' where the money went!)
Simply irresistible (The YARNS all mine, there's no other way to go)

It's unavoidable, I'm backed against the wall |
Yarn gives me feelings like I never felt before |
I'm breaking promises, I could break every law | DRUMS
Yarn used to look good to me, but now I find it |
Simply irresistible. The yarn's so fine, there's no tellin' where the money went!?!
Simply irresistible The yarn's all mine, there's no other way to go

GUITAR SOLO

My yarn is indescribable
The proof is irrefutable, Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
YARN is so completely HOOKABLE, huh
Our lives are indivisible

YARN's a craze I endorse, YARN's a powerful force
I'm obliged to conform when there's no other course
YARN looks good to me, and now I find it

Simply irresistible (Yarn's so fine, there's no tellin' where the money went?!?)
Simply irresistible (It's all MINE, there's no other way to go)
Simply irresistible (It's so fine, there's no tellin' where the money went?!?)
Simply irresistible (It's all mine, there's no other way to go)

FADE

Mastery and fun (Crochet!)

Yesterday, Corbin finally mastered doing a crochet chain. He is so excited he is ready to share it with anyone who is willing listen. He wants to go to the Yarn Barn downtown Saturday (maybe today) and get himself his own hook and skein of yarn.

He had Stephen make a few pull skeins of yarn I had on hand. He set himself up with his own project bag, with his own pair of snips to trim yarn, (MY! new) bamboo hook and yarn. He is pleased as punch.

I have a rainbow of crochet chain bracelet made by Corbin.




I'm having difficulty naming this attitude he has with this. He seems so confident and pleased with himself despite the fact that he is still struggling to move beyond a chaining to single or double crochet. Whatever it is .... I love it. As far as he is concerned he can crochet.

It's all about the process - rip it! rip it!

I decided to frog the spiral blanket back to the beginning so it wouldn't be so wavy. I had to go back a looooong way. Then I started making it again. I laid it flat on a table every round to make sure it would lay flat. It's about 10inches wide now and I plan in making it bigger.





I got it to this size and started adding on again.



Here's the second go around adding things to the outside. I just gets too wavy. So I frogged it back AGAIN to the spiral picture above. I started making small scrumbles rather than trying to crochet it continuously.

Here are some scrumbles that will be added to the blanket.



A blanket overview


I want about 1/3 more scrumbles before I think I'm done.

Apparently (semi-rant)....

My bike is stupid.

Or so someone yelled to me from their car while I was on my way home from downtown. I had just had a lovely time perusing books stores, yarn stores and topped my day off with a quiche (and a chocolate eclair too yum!) from one off my favorite restaurants in Lawrence Wheatfield's. When I left I bought a loaf of Kalamata Olive Bread to take home. On my way home I figured what's bread without cheese? (It's just bread and that's not good) So I stopped off at the grocery store and bought some white cheddar cheese to eat with my bread.

Can you tell I like decadence?

Anyway when I had just reached the store someone yelled. "That's a stupid bike!"

I'm thinking...Wow...When I was a kid that would have bothered me. But now I'm just incredulous. I'm thinkin' to myself, is that the best you can do? My bike is stupid? Could you think of something more cutting to say. I mean really if you want to offend me I'm sure you could have done better than that....

My other side is saying: Really YOU think my bike is stupid? Okay. I don't think my bike is stupid. I think my bike is very practical. I think it's kind of fun. I like the metal basket I use to get groceries so I can save on gas. I like biking places instead of using the car all the time. I'm really happy with my bike. But thanks...Noted...YOU think my bike is stupid.

I wonder what makes someone shout something like that out? It's weird of me but I get why someone people do some REALLY hateful things not that I agree with or like their choices but I do understand that they are in pain, that they are suffering which causes them to hurt others.

My bike? Why say my bike is stupid or really anyone's bike. Let's hope spirit had a purpose for me to hear that stupid remark. Let's hope some young kid was spared that inane comment. Maybe spirit new I would just be perplexed and irritated. But a child, a child could be crushed with that.

Apparently, I don't get it.