Nobody Panic: Knitting and a drawing

I couldn't go thru the month of May and not post something.

I've been busy. I have been working on stuff.

Here's the Koolhaas hat I did in a blue color.

And the Orange Shawl I'm working on (Part of the Toshstrology Collection: Aries Shawlette in Tosh Merino Light: Toshstrology-March '16-Aries...you can join the Toshstrology collection on Ravelry $15 (I believe that's the cost) gets you 12 months of patterns- they come out monthly, so we're all on May right now.)

And of course the completed drawing of my baby niece (which is a year over due so she's way cuter now)

I had been nominated this past week to post 7 pieces of art for 7 days and nominate people daily to do the same (on social media, not on the blog)...I nominated 6 people and I think only 2 people opted in, and only 1 is actually carrying it out past day 2, so yeah. I'm still proud of myself for doing it every day. I've been in a funk recently and the challenge helped pull me out of it. I completed the drawing of my niece and started another drawing that is long over due.

I've got another drawing that has to be completed relatively soon, so I've got to get started. Fingers crossed, June will have way more posts than May :)

Koolhaas hat- FINALLY

I don't think anyone knows this about me.

There has been a hat pattern that I have drooled over for nearly 10 years. I obtained the pattern 10 years ago when I saw it, and lost it. I've had dreams about this hat, and finally. I re-purchased the pattern and began to knit it using the Madelinetosh Vintage yarn in the color way I used for this hat.

It's the Koolhaas hat by Jared Flood. I love love love Jared Flood (I've never met him, so don't get it twisted- everything he creates is drool-worthy- If I had an unlimited supply of yarn and unlimited time to knit I would want to make everything he has created). 

The pattern is pretty easy to work up. I'm actually mad at myself that I didn't pursue this earlier in life. People all over the place could have versions of this hat on their heads. Not that I won't make more, because I will. I love this hat. Love it. Just look at it!

Back to knitting I go, I've got some more hats to work on, I've got some socks to finish for my dad, and a shawl called "Water Lilies", as well as the "Aries Shawlette" from the Toshstrology Collection.

I'll be busy...because on top of all the knitting, I have the spinning thing going on. Not to mention, I'm learning how to Brioche knit...it's going to be a long knitting season.

Tuff Granny Throw

I've been doing a bit more crochet recently, than I ever have in the past. There was a free pattern on Knitpicks.com that I had seen some time ago, using the large Tuff Puff yarn that they sell, which is basically barely spun roving.
The throw worked up extremely quick and the pattern was ridiculously easy. (Pardon the light streaming across the photo above, that's my only large enough, decently lit space, to photo completed work and the sun wasn't having it)

Just know, that if you ever come visit, this throw will most likely be on the bed you're staying in. Decorative greeting piece and all. It's not a full size blanket, but a decent lap/leg warmer, for sure.

Spinning

A few years ago, while I was in Dallas, I took a few spinning classes. No, not the kind at the gym on a stationary bike. I'm talking yarn-spinning, classes.
I loved it.
Spindle spinning, wheel spinning, the whole thing.
I had several large wheels, that were in various different stages of wear and tear (second hand wheels)- which brought my dad into the picture, since he's a work worker- he learned about the wheels so he could make the repairs. I've since sold/traded those wheels for others. My dad has since repaired wheels that are in museums. He's even made several spindles for spinning, which are fantastic!
Well, when Gonzo and I made the move to California, I thought it was going to be a brief stay, so I left my spinning wheel with my parents, only taking my spindles. Thinking that the move could possibly damage the wheel, and I just couldn't have that.
Here we are, nearly a year and a half later, still in CA, and I've been having spinning withdrawals. I miss my wheel.

So I made a rather large purchase, and bought my all time favorite wheel (well ascetically it's been my favorite, but I had never actually interacted with one) - Ashford Joy 2, it arrived this past week.
I would like to thank the lovely people at The Woolery for packing and shipping this puppy with expert precision.
They may have created a monster because I just made another purchase with them for more fiber and additional bobbins.

Last night, I got all the adjustments made to the wheel, so it was drawing in the fiber- I'm still re-teaching myself how to draft quickly, so there are a few more twists in my yarn that I typically like, but I did spend the majority of last night at the wheel.

Since I had two whole bobbins full, I decided to ply them together.

The skien on the left has 138 yards, the one on the right has 146 yards (roughly).
These were a lot of fun and worked up fast. I'm so glad I got a new spinning wheel.

Penny's Pony

What does one do, when an adorable little girl, makes a request for a present?

I create a special surprise.

My friend's adorable toddler asked if they were expecting any deliveries, and her mom replied that they weren't. Then her daughter said how much she would like someone to send her a package. Which resulted in my heart strings being tugged and crafting this:

From the same woman who inspired "The Granite Cape", I crochet a pony for Penny, my friend's daughter.

While mine turned out looking slightly different than the one in the instructions, I think it's still pretty cute.

I'm still figuring out the whole crochet thing when it comes to making creatures. The pony is actually the first crochet creature I've completed. There's a sheep made by the same woman, that I am going to be making for my niece since she was born in the year of the sheep.  I'll post pictures once it's complete.

"The Granite Cape" by Stephanie Lau of All About Ami

In January, I discovered a link, from a crocheter that I tend to follow, that peeked my interest.
She's had quite a few patterns that I have wanted to try, but was too scared to begin because my crocheting skills aren't that great.
She had created what she called "The Granite Cape". The stitch pattern was a fairly simple repeat for a whole bunch of rows. You can click on the link above to check it out in more detail.

I used Lion Brand Yarn: Wool-Ease in Blue Mist. Approximately 10 skeins.

I figured crocheting a sweater would go a lot faster than knitting one (I've made a few caplets and shawls- but not a full length sweater), and while this one did take the better part of January and a couple of weeks into February, it did go by pretty quickly.

The actually Cape crochets up larger than the photo indicates. I don't have anyone around to take a picture of it on me, but I did take a picture of the drape while it is on the back of my desk chair:

The oversized style makes the sleeves come down past my elbows, and the bottom of the sweater comes down past my butt (that's without blocking it). I'm 5'7", so do with that what you will.

The link for "The Granite Cape" will lead you to the creators post where there are photos of her wearing her version. I highly encourage you to give it a try if you are slightly scared about making a sweater. Her instructions are pretty straight forward and easy to follow. You pretty much only need to know SC, and Chain stitches.

Now that I've made this sweater, I'm thinking about making her "Easy Chunky Crochet Sweater" as it's something similar to what my mom has been wanting me to make for her. It'll have to wait for a little bit as I've got other things on my to-do list that I need to complete first.

Stay tuned this week for more things that I have completed.

SHOES!!!!

I know, I'm all over the place! Knitting, crochet, drawing, painting...what is going on?

My sister-in-law had me hand draw Disney quotes on a pair of shoes for her at Christmas, so when she went to Disney World a few weeks ago she could wear them. She liked them so much she asked me to paint a pair of shoes for her for Daytona's Bike Week which is coming up.

She asked for a particular kind of sugar skull and some phoenix's that are apparently a "thing" with the Harley Davidson crowd.

The sugar skulls turned out fairly well...had a bit of trouble with the fabric paint I was using, but I think they look ok.

The phoenix's were a lot of fun to paint, I didn't have a clear idea of how they would turn out, but I'm fairly pleased with them.

Hopefully they won't get too scuffed during bike week...

I'm pretty proud of them.

Materials used: 1 pair 7.5 size Bob's in black canvas; Tulip matte fabric paint in White, Orange and Red; One small paint brush and several wooden toothpicks.

More posts to come this weekend, I've finished one of my WIPs!

Aquarius Hat

Good morning and happy President's day for all those living in the U.S.A. or Happy Valentine's Hang Over Day...you pick.

One good thing about working in the mortgage business full time, bank holidays are usually a good day for me to catch up on projects, blogging and house work- since banks are closed and loans typically aren't funded. No work day!

I saw an awesome, year long, knitting challenge online last month and decided to add it to my ever growing list of knitting projects to complete before Christmas.

The Toshstrology Collection can be found on Ravelry and each month the creator releases another pattern. For January, we had the Aquarius hat:

It knitted up really quick...working on it for an hour before work and an hour after work each day I managed to get it done in a week. The yarn used is from Madelinetosh (Yarn dyer out of Texas and quite possibly my favorite yarn to knit) . The color used is from the Tosh Vintage collection in colorway: Aquarius, which I purchased from Jimmy Beans Wool out of Nevada.

The next item for February is the Pisces Cowl...which quite honestly I'm not sure that I want to knit. It looks cute and all, but I have the Winter Dreams Shawl that I purchased right before I found out about the Toshstrology Collection, and would rather work on it for this month. I'm still going to print the pattern and mull it over in time for my yarn to get here (again, it will be Madelinetosh Vintage in colorway Pisces)...but I do have quite a lot of projects to get done this year, so we'll see.

Fingers crossed I get some drawing in soon...I feel out of practice at this point...but I'm getting really good at my needle art work :)

This year is already speeding by

January is practically over and I haven't completed much.

The hats I made for my niece that were mentioned in the previous post, turned out to be too small. So once I receive them back I'll re-knit and send back.

I haven't drawn much of anything this month. Yes, I have at least 3 drawings I'm supposed to be working on, but there are just some days that drawing isn't my priority. If I don't feel like it's my priority then I won't do my best work.

I've spent most of the month crocheting this awesome Granite Cape. Since I'm not the most experienced crocheter, I thought this seemed like the least complicated garment to attempt. Fingers crossed I'll be finished with it in the next few weeks and can show it off.

I also want to bring something up that I'm kind of ashamed of. Last year, I posted this knitting pattern of Baby Groot. I'll be honest, I set up the link on Ravelry.com, under my account, in case there was anyone who was looking for a knitting pattern, since there were a bunch of crochet patterns available. Then I kind of sort of forgot about my Ravelry account. Sure, that pattern has a bunch of views on my blog, which is great to see, and I hoped it was helpful- but wasn't aware of the messages that had been sent to me via Ravelry. For all of you who read the blog and looked at the Groot pattern, I thank you. I'm extremely grateful to each of you who left a message for me over on Ravelry and I feel completely awful that I never responded. I'm glad I inspired so many kind folks to knit their own baby Groot. You guys are awesome! I'll just go ahead and apologize for the fact that I don't check my Ravelry account very often because I'll get side tracked and take time away from my current projects...I don't need additional help in the procrastination area.

Anyway, I've got a list of knitting projects to work on this year, and a bunch of yarn that I don't know what to do with (I'll find something, I'm sure). I may have a problem, though...I want to go to the L.A. County Yarn Crawl again this year...I don't need any more yarn, but I can't not go, right?

Oh well. January went quick, maybe the rest of this year will go as quickly.

Happy 2016

I didn't get out any of the blogs I had in mind for December, but then again I spent a lot of time in Texas- away from my computer (10 days total stretched between two separate visits).

I completed a bunch of knitting projects, surprisingly.

For my precious niece that I got to meet in person at the beginning of December, I crafted a monster based on one of the monsters in this book. I have crafted my own pattern for hands with fingers and ears (those are not in the book)- and upon her receiving the monster she managed to fit it's fingers and toes in her mouth- which I call a success.

So while I was in Texas (which the first visit just happened to be my birthday weekend), my parents introduced me to two knitting stores located in Farmersville, TX. Fiber Circle is quite possibly the holy grail of yarn...there's so much that I think I walked thru the same row four times and still didn't see everything. But I did find some cute yarn to make some hats for my niece (they come with a small stuffed animal head to attach):

I also managed to knit one with a unicorn but didn't get around to photographing.

I do want to mention another of the yarn/fiber places that my parents took me to in Farmersville, TX... Fancy Fibers, I'm actually quite sad that I didn't know about this place while I lived in Texas. They have fibers for spinning and weaving, yarn for knitting and crocheting and classes for pretty much everything!  The woman who runs the store, I believe her name is Mary- was so helpful and actually got me started on a new hobby...I bought a blending board to start making my own rolags for spinning. It's been quite a while since I've done any fiber spinning, so hopefully this will lead me back to it.

Ok, and last but not least I bought some fun yarn (mystery mini skein set from Phydeaux which I loved simply based on the theme of the colors (Pride and Prejudice themed). They came with patterns and I completed one and decided to give it to one of my coworkers for Christmas:

(Please ignore the spots on the black mat...I had opened a glittery package seconds before and the glitter went everywhere.) It's a fun little shawl that "hooks" around your neck so you don't necessarily need a shawl pin.

I've got things coming in 2016 that should be exciting...a few drawings that are behind schedule, more knitting, hopefully just more of everything.

Hope everyone had a wonderful 2015, and I truly hope that you all have a fantastic 2016.

Day 372 in California

Today marks 372 days that I can say I've lived in California. Let's dive in, shall we?
The scenery is beautiful in California. The people have attitude problems. There is the reality that is Los Angeles, in all it's dirty, grimy, interesting glory; and there is the perceived reality of fame and fortune, that is not necessarily an accurate portrayal of Los Angeles. I think my bigger problem with California is the city of Los Angeles- not with the state itself.

I love San Diego. But I don't live there. I've been told I would love Northern California, but that's a day of driving to get to, so I haven't been yet.

There are definitely days, living in Los Angeles, that I dream of getting in my car and heading directly east as quickly as possible to clear that state line. But those days have grown few and far between. I don't see myself staying in California, let's put it that way. But there is a calmness and a laziness that I feel in this state that hasn't left me screaming to get away. California just feels like a vacationing destination, not a permanent living destination. It's possible to live in California, don't get me wrong; it's just not my cup of tea. I'm not a winter sport enthusiast or a lover of the beach and laying out in the sun. Hell, the ends of my hair have already started to bleach out and I spend next to no time outside. I used to do a Valley-girl impression, that's, sadly, an actual accent here (not necessarily in the Valley, but more toward Malibu).

I don't enjoy how people honk their horns if you start to slow down at a yellow light; or when you don't pull into the intersection on a red light; or if you actually come to a complete stop at any intersection that indicates you should stop. I also don't enjoy the lack of parking lots and instead the absolute need for everyone to know how to parallel park (believe me when I say, if I have to parallel park to go somewhere, I skip it- whatever it was, it wasn't that important).

I do enjoy the fresh produce here. You'd be surprised (anyone who doesn't live in California) how amazing fresh lettuce tastes. I do enjoy that once the sun sets, you need a sweater. I love that people are terrified of rain here, so much so that some people leave their work places early to beat the possible .05" of rain that may or may not fall. I enjoy that there are acts of nature out here that I haven't seen anywhere else I have lived (I don't like the damage that can be caused from them, but it's interesting to see new things)- like the landslide that is currently taking place in Santa Clarita: Read and watch the news about it here. (Side note...Channel 5 news in the early AM, weekdays, actually has a Dallas, TX fan favorite anchor- Megan Henderson- I missed her when she left, but I'm glad I can watch her deliver the news in CA.)

It's a mixed bag of feelings for the most part, but overall I don't see this being my forever home. Sure I'll add it to my vacation destination list (San Diego, not so much LA), but I'm not going to put any roots down here. I'm thankful for the opportunity we've had to be out here, to see it for myself, but I'll be happy when I can return "home".

That time I lived in a haunted house...

This would have probably been more appropriate on Halloween, and I considered posting it then, but I got distracted by a large bowl of candy.

I feel like I need to set this up for you, in order to fully appreciate the insanity of it all.

I was raised on a farm...in the country...fairly close to Indian burial grounds. I've seen weird, unexplainable things in my life. But I was raised in a way that made me question everything- to try to figure out what it, logically, could have been that I saw or heard. I'm sure, had I been raised any other way, I would have tall tales to tell that would be unbelievable to all believers. Honestly, I do have tales that I won't tell because I know the looks I would get, and the whispers of "she's crazy!", that I don't need to hear, I already feel crazy. So if you've ever actually heard one of my "stories", it's because I trust you enough, that I think you know me well enough, to know if I'm truly crazy or not.

In fact, I've only told a handful of people what I'm about to share here, because I know I would be called crazy...I'm only sharing it now, because I feel like I need to.

Gonzo and I, once rented a house in Dallas, TX (I won't say specifically where), that was a house we actually considered buying. We lived there for a good 3 years. We had a great landlord, who actually grew up in that house. It was well loved, and well taken care of. Our first day, we found a praying mantis hanging out on our mailbox- which we took as a sign of good luck.

I'm not unlike other people, in the sense that, once it gets dark outside, everything tends to take on a whole new sinister look. If I hear a pop, or creak- it instantly means the boogie man is going to murder me if I fall back asleep. Dark=scary. I think most people, never truly grow out of that. But on the day that I learned we weren't alone in our rented house, it was completely light outside. In fact, I think I had come home early from work, so it was like 4 in the afternoon.  Bright summer, Texas sun, streaming in all the windows.

I had been watching TV and saw something out of the corner of my eye, in the kitchen. Which, isn't uncommon for most people, to "think" that they saw something move, out of the corner of their eye. It happens. Generally, when you look directly at the spot that contained something that possibly moved, you don't see an older woman with white hair and a pink shirt smiling back at you- unless you are at grandma's house. Fortunately for me, both of my grandma's are gone, and I was in my own home. I saw her for a grand total of two full seconds and she was gone, like she evaporated into thin air.

Of course, I called my mom- the keeper of a calm head- when I could have possibly seen something that I shouldn't see. My heart was racing, but I had stayed, firmly planted in the chair I had been sitting in when I saw her (Gonzo would later call her "Mary", which I really don't think she liked). My mom ran thru all of the possibilities of "light reflecting off of a dish or glass on the counter"; "possible gas leak in the house"; "Carbon monoxide poisoning"; "burglar"; You name it, she suggested it. After saying "no" to all of the suggestions, she actually agreed that maybe, just maybe, I had seen a ghost. She also told me that she wasn't sure she would ever visit me again, for as long as we lived there.

I felt calm. Truly calm, other than having been startled by the grandmotherly figure who decided to let me know that the kitchen belonged to her. It wasn't like the movies, where people run screaming from the possessed house; or become possessed themselves. It was kind of like having a new roommate move in. A quiet, rarely seen, roommate who doesn't eat your food.

Shortly after that incident, I began to notice that one of the two doors that led out of the house, would be unlocked in the morning. I kept letting Gonzo know that he had forgot to lock the doors before bed and needed to be more careful, we weren't exactly in a nice neighborhood. It wasn't until one specific night, when Gonzo made me watch him lock the door, so we would both see and know that we weren't acting crazy, that we realized our ghost was being mischievous. I watched him lock the deadbolt and the lock on the door knob in the kitchen- we walked thru the living room and I watched him lock both the locks on the front door. We went to bed that night and on my way to work the next morning, when I reached the kitchen door- the locks were unlocked. I had laughed to myself for having been so hard on Gonzo about not remembering to lock the doors, here it was the kitchen ghost, the whole time.

Now would be a good time to let you know that hind-sight is truly 20-20.

We had discovered a pretty bad smell in the house after a hard rain. It really smelled like something had died. We had narrowed our search to the kitchen, but it smelled like it was coming from under the floor. The only way to get under the house was the crawl space, which had an entrance in one of the hallway closets- on the other side of the house from the kitchen.

We drug everything we were storing in that closet, out into the hallway, so Gonzo could open the trap door and get under the house. I was busy knitting or watching TV, I don't honestly remember, but that was a "man-duty" so I was letting Gonzo take care of it.

"Uh, baby, can you come here for a minute?" I heard from the hall closet.

Assuming he needed me to hold the flashlight I eagerly walked the few feet to where the door was, "Sure what's up?" I asked, looking down at Gonzo, who was waist deep in the crawl space.

"I need you to look at something and tell me what you think it is."

Immediately I rolled my eyes, assuming he was going to have me identify the dead animal carcass that was stinking up the house. "Ok."

"Don't freak out," he said as he shinned the light into the crawl space in the opposite direction of the kitchen, "lean down and look." The hesitation and calmness of his voice, made the hairs on my neck and arms stand up, and I took a step back.

I leaned down for a split second before jerking straight up, "What is that!?!?!" I freaked out and leaned back down again, my eyes following the beam of light, "Get out of there! Get out of the crawl space! Oh my God, what is that???" I tugged on Gonzo's arm begging him to get out of the crawl space.

There was a large, black, trash bag, in the crawl space. Full of...something.

Seeing it, immediately reminded me of when we had done the walk thru on the house before signing the lease.

"You have access to 100% of the house, except for the attic- I use that for storage; and the crawl space under the house. If you have to get under the house, call me- I don't want anyone to end up with a broken leg or any kind of injury from jumping down there. Also one section of the cabinets in the garage is off limits, I have maintenance things in there for the other properties I own." The landlord had told me as we walked from room to room making sure everything looked good for move in. Gonzo had been off looking at one of the restrooms, missing the warning.

"What is that?" Gonzo had asked, brushing the cobwebs from his pant legs as he closed the crawl space.

"Dead body; millions of dollars from a bank heist; a voodoo curse; dead llama; dead body." I rattled off.

"Dead llama?" He questioned with a smirk on his face.

"It's a thing in other countries, for fertility or good luck, or something. Someone brings a dead llama fetus and buries it under ground or something. It's a thing, look it up!" I was frantic.

"Ok, but it's not buried, it's just under the house."

"I don't freaking know! Didn't the landlord used to live here? He grew up here, right? He probably knows. Call him!"

"It's a trash bag, it's probably raked leaves or something."

"Who puts raked leaves in a bag, under the house? That's a freaking dead body. The landlord pulled a "Psycho" on his freaking mom, that's her body, that's the ghost in the kitchen. Shit." Shivers ran down my body as I remembered the walk thru with the landlord, "Shit! We weren't supposed to open that! He specifically said for us not to go in the crawl space!"

Gonzo, ever the skeptic replied, "He didn't kill his mom, that's not a dead body. I'll go look, it's probably just some of the landlord's crap he's been storing."

"NO! Are you crazy?!?! Have you never seen a horror movie? Don't. We weren't supposed to be down there anyway. We can call him, and ask if he can come figure out what the smell is...if he needs to get in the crawl space he can go and then we can "accidentally" see the large black bag under the house and ask him about it."

Of course, the landlord was never called. Between my dad and Gonzo's dad they were able to figure out that it was stagnant water in a pipe that was on the roof. We both pretended to ignore that there was anything under the house. Making sure to put all of our heavy belonging on top of the crawl space door on the off chance that something wanted to open it.

The whole incident was forgotten for a little while, at least for me. Until one night when Gonzo was working late.

Again, dark=scary, so I had all of the lights on in the house when I went to bed. I shut the light off in the bedroom and laid on my side so I could see the light streaming in under the door, until my eyes closed and I drifted off to sleep.

I didn't even realize that I had heard something until I was sitting straight up in bed. Actually I'm not sure that's right. I woke up to me sitting straight up in bed, my heart pounding, my eyes staring at the door to the hallway. Gonzo wasn't home, but every sense in my body was telling me that I had just heard something in the hallway.

"HEY!" A deep voice screamed into my left ear, causing me to flinch and jerk the covers up as I scrambled to my feet beside the bed.

The thudding of my heart was deafening as I stood there, staring at Gonzo's side of the bed, wondering what-in-the-hell I had just heard. I lifted my hand to my throbbing ear, instantly feeling a sting as my finger pads caressed the soft curves of my ear. I ran to the restroom, turning the light on immediately.

Looking in the mirror, I saw a red line under my left eye that went across my cheek- back to my ear and across my ear. I shook my head, rapidly, trying to wake myself up. Looking back in the mirror, I realized I was awake. Upon closer inspection, the mark on my face and ear, looked like a burn mark. It certainly felt like a burn. I spent the rest of the night on the couch in the living room until Gonzo came home. By morning the puffiness of the line was gone, but it was still sore to the touch, hot, and red.

I could detail all of the other things that happened, but they get wildly unbelievable. From something grabbing my leg as I walked between the couch and the coffee table, to a ream of paper being thrown across the room. The long and the short of it, is I believe there were 2 spirits that haunted that house. The woman in the kitchen, who I only saw one other time, as if she was going to check on something in the oven; and the thing in the hallway which seemed to control the bedrooms, always keeping me on my toes.

The funny thing, Gonzo and I loved that house. We still talk about it, even joke about "Mary". What's even more strange, especially with the whole "hind-sight" thing...It took us moving out of the house, for Gonzo and I to admit to each other that the first night that we stayed in the house (in the room that would end up being the guest bedroom after that very first night), we both woke up frequently staring into the hallway, thinking we had heard something like foot steps, neither admitting it to the other until we no longer lived there.

When we moved into our new place in California, the house, not the dreaded apartment, we had a group of praying mantis that hung out near the light by the kitchen door. A sign of good luck.

The last few weeks, the kitchen door has been unlocked when I get home from work, but that's a coincidence, right?

Mermaid socks

I began knitting myself a pair of socks sometime in April. Typically it doesn't take me this long to knit a pair...but I had several projects that superseded these. After all, this was a pair of socks for myself, and projects for myself get put off if something else comes up. The photos don't do the color justice (they are sitting on a black mat if that gives you an idea as to how off the color is on my camera right now...soon I will have a new one so hopefully the picture quality gets better...).

The yarn color is "Mermaid Lagoon". I believe the brand is Phydeaux (I hope it was, I've lost the paper that went with it...but I'm kind of obsessed with Phydeaux at the moment so I wouldn't be surprised if it is)...I found it at a really great yarn store in Burbank called Unwind one of my first weeks in CA. Sadly I have not been back to the yarn store since about a week after the LA Yarn Crawl...and according to the newsletter, I believe they are closing or may have already closed. Which is unfortunate, but the last time I was in the store, there wasn't much of a yarn selection. It looked like they were becoming more focused on sewing, which is great, just not something I'm interested in most of the time.

I don't remember the knitting pattern I used (something I found online...but have misplaced the link). The socks ended up being short top socks, based on the simple fact, that the stitch pattern was making my fingers cramp. Normally I would have carried the pattern down the top of the foot, but it's an odd pattern and I didn't have it in me to figure out the exact mechanics of the slipping of a stitch at the beginning and the end...I was paranoid if I continued it down the top of the foot it would end up twirling down the foot instead of staying on top (The pattern is meant for something flat like a scarf...not a knitted in the round type of pattern- I had to improvise)...so at the ankle it just goes to a stockinette stitch down to the toe, which worked up quickly.  

Yes, I do knit my socks 2-at-a-time...if I didn't, the second sock would never get made, or it would look completely different than the first. If I can find the pattern I used, I'll update this post and link you to it. The book I use for most of my socks knitting is this one. But I'm sure you can find something online or on Ravelry if you wanted to learn how to knit socks 2-at-a-time. 

DQ Baby

Once upon a time there was a contest. In a galaxy not so far away...but my memory, it's not so good. So I don't remember the contest, what it was for, who set it up, if it ever really existed or not....(kidding, I remember the winner, just not the contest)

Anyway, my friend Daniel from college won the contest, and finally (this could have been over 7 years ago for all I remember) decided to cash in on the drawing he was owed.

This is his niece, who I've dubbed "DQ Baby". As soon as I saw the photo, I knew it was right up my alley.

The expression on her face is hilarious- those eyes! How awesome is she?

On a side note, for those of you visiting my blog who have not eaten at a DQ in Texas, you don't know what you are missing...unfortunately for me, I do. Dairy Queen, outside of the state of Texas, is a sad beast. They all still have blizzards, but they are severely lacking in all of the other fantastic menu items that make going to DQ a meal. I miss the Chicken Strip basket with fries and Texas Toast...dipping sauce, gravy. Yeah, completely not healthy- but freakin' delicious. My face would look something like "DQ Baby" if I ever get back to a Texas DQ.

Wisconsin meet California

A fun thing happened this past week, my friend Jess came to visit!!! Her first time in California; First time on the West Coast; and first time seeing the Pacific Ocean.

She brought alcohol...from Wisconsin...because there's no comparison in any other state. The alcohol from Wisconsin is amazing!

I believe there are a total of 8 wines from 3 different Wisconsin wineries; 2 bottles of brandy; one bottle of apple brandy; one bottle of absinthe and a bottle of horchatta (from 2 different distilleries in Wisconsin). It was like Christmas! A very inebriated Christmas!

Shockingly we only managed to open one of these bottles in the week that she was here...it was the absinthe, which proceeded to burn a hole in my esophagus...I guess 180 proof will do that (Don't worry, there was plenty of other alcohol consumed).

I won't recount in detail everything that we did, but some of the highlights included seeing a real life bum fight in the middle of an entrance ramp to the 101 on the first full day of her visit; TMZ Tour; Wax Museum; Temecula wine country; Pacific Ocean; Malibu; Exploding Kittens (the card game, nothing malicious); drinking and getting to hang out with one of the best friends this gal could ask for. It was a great time.

Some of the wax figures, at Madame Tussauds Hollywood, looked fairly believable while most did not. It was a little disappointing. I'm not sure it was worth the price of admission. But I think we were still in a fairly jolly mood from the TMZ Tour to make up for it. (Seriously, if you are in Hollywood and haven't gone on the TMZ Tour, just go...it's hilarious.)

We each downed a tropical drink while enjoying the Pacific Ocean view from Duke's in Malibu. Very little talking this day, I think we were both just too enamored with the ocean to communicate.

The very last day of her visit involved eating at a Shakey's Pizza for lunch (Wisconsin should not have let these leave the state...SO GOOD!)
It also included one of the best experiences I have had in California. One of my co-workers gave us tickets to the Zac Brown Band on Friday...At the Hollywood Bowl. Doesn't get much more touristy.

While I learned that the people of Los Angeles are all out of their minds (which I already suspected), I also learned that Zac Brown Band puts on a pretty spectacular concert. The fact that they played Bohemian Rhapsody might have been my favorite...that and Chicken Fried (of course).

The only thing that really topped the alcohol from Wisconsin might have been the size of the beers at the venue:
Exhibit A:

That's basically a 32 oz. beer...and no I wasn't drinking a Heinie...Dos Equis....but was it worth $16? I haven't decided.

Anyway, I had a blast, and I hope Jess had an equally good time (We can just forget about the Malibu wineries that sucked and remember the awesome time in Temecula).

(Photo Credit: Jess...the one on the left)

I can't wait for her to come back to visit...or for me to go back to Wisconsin...

Moral of this post...Wisconsin still has the best alcohol. Plan your trip accordingly...
Wollersheim Winery: http://www.wollersheim.com/
Fawn Creek Winery: http://www.fawncreekwinery.com/
Spurgeon Vineyard: http://spurgeonvineyards.com/
Wollersheim Distillery: http://www.wollersheim.com/wineryvisit/distillery
Minhas Distillery: http://minhasdistillery.com/ 

Wise words will not come easily

I haven't been in the mood to do anything recently. I call it the "calm before winter"... yeah...ok...maybe I don't, that sounds really lame.

There are a grand total of 5 drawings I need to get done...or more like, I need to get started on at least 3 of them, and finish the two that are nearly completed!

I have a barely started painting that's been in the works for over 3 weeks now...a pair of socks I've been knitting on since April or was it March (but I've already turned the heel so I'm half way there!)?

I just received my Yarnbox (if you aren't aware of what that is, and you love yarn or knitting or crochet, then please go here. You can curse me later), so of course that makes me want to immediately start knitting something and ignore the socks...but I'm determined to have will power...I will finish my socks first!!!!

Speaking of mail order boxes (is that what they are calling them?), I'm currently into two: Lootcrate and of course, the already mentioned, Yarnbox. There's a zillion others that my facebook newsfeed tries to remind me of every day...but I'm limiting myself to these two guilty pleasures...for now.

Lootcrate feeds my inner child, with vinyl toys I can decorate my desk with, without going into debt surfing Kidrobot's website (I'm not even going to link that one...it's trouble- I had an almost addiction to vinyl toys a few years back...circa 2007 it looks like- I stopped cold turkey and haven't been back in years...but every time I smell a freshly opened box containing a piece of vinyl I have to inhale deeply...). There's sometimes a comic book or some trinket from a card game or tv show...it's good times...I'm over here, as I type this, admiring my golden Buddha....yeah maybe I should stop there in case people haven't opened theirs yet. If you like Pokemon you are in for a BIG treat this month (I'm not into Pokemon but I was pretty ecstatic about it.)

Yarnbox, I'm fairly new to it...meaning this month is my first box. I received two lovely lovely lovely skeins of the most perfect color yarn they could have sent. No joke, I don't even know if that's a lucky coincidence or if they are mind readers...seriously perfect for me (Teresa Ruch Designs- hand dyed yarn...that's all I'll say). Not to mention 3 knitting patterns and a simple crochet stitch pattern. I'd post pictures, but I really don't want to spoil it for anyone else.

I like the whole mystery behind these mail order boxes. You don't know what you are going to get...but if you are even slightly interested, each box you receive is like opening a fantastic present.

If I find a decent art/drawing mail order box, we're all in trouble.  

Knitted Pie?

I haven't been posting!!! I know! I'd say it was laziness, but that's not it. 

 

I've been doing some baking...I've made 2 pies in two weeks along with some other sweets. Lemon Meringue is apparently my pie.

 

In other news, I finished that sweater I think I've mentioned a time or two...

It's being blocked here, and shocker, it doesn't fit me. Well, it sort of fits me, but isn't flattering at all, so I won't be wearing it any time soon. Back to knitting socks, I go.

Wallpaper creator, anyone?

Recently I found out about a website that is so astonishing (to me, anyway), that I couldn't not share it with you.

Do you like patterns? Do you like repeating patterns? Do you like Kaleidoscopes? Then you just might like this program.

The program is called Repper Pro. (Click the link to visit the site where you can purchase it- yeah it's one of those that you have to pay for...but it will be money well spent, as time will slip by you as you create more and more images...not to mention it's less than $100)

Basically you just load an image (I used a drawing I had done of Neil Young from back in High School for the image above and below), and move the little square indicator in the program around to see what kaleidoscopic images appear.

I'm pretty excited to have some new backgrounds for my computer, and maybe even a few pages I can color when I get bored.

You guys should check it out. If for no other reason, than to just play around with their free demo on the site. You might get hooked.

(The above is done from a color photo I snagged off the internet) The possibilities are endless!

"Earl's Girl"

Getting back into the swing of things with portraits.

One of my new co-workers allowed me the pleasure of drawing his daughter for him.

2B and 4B pencil on 8 1/2" x 11" white 60lb paper.

I left a bit of a boarder on it so if he wants to matt and frame it, he can.

I have my niece's portrait to complete as well as a new request from one of my contest winners way back when. So far back, that I don't even remember which contest it was from...

Hope everyone is enjoying the end of the summer!

Adult Coloring Books

I am probably posting this well into the recent fad of Adult Coloring Books. But I thought it was worth sharing anyway.

Way back in 1994 my mom purchased the above book, "Roger Burrows Images 3: The Ultimate Coloring Experience". I'm fairly sure she bought it for herself...but some how I have managed to own it for over 20 years now (I'm just going to be in the corner barfing for a moment while I process how old that makes me now...)- There are literally only 5 pages in this book that I have managed to add color to in that time.

A couple of weeks ago, I happened to find it again- in one of the boxes that I was unpacking (yes, still unpacking...it's a slow process over here). So I decided to scan the 6 main patterns that repeat and send them to my parents to see if they remembered the book. While they didn't say anything about remembering it, I could picture my mom's face: Pursed lips, slightly turned up on the corners in an all-knowing grin as she narrowed her eyes in my general direction, saying "So that's where my book went, uh-huh."

Anyway, I actually chuckled to myself when I found it again (...gulp...20 years later...still gagging)- particularly since the Adult Coloring Book phase has sprung up recently. Not to detract from the amazing images in the current incarnations of adult coloring books- but to find out that my mom was ahead of the curve on this fad made me smile to myself (although, was she ahead of the curve? Or is the fad just repeating again?).

I've been doing some coloring since I found the book again...so maybe one day (hopefully not another 20 years from now) all the pages will have color.

To my mom- thank you for letting me "borrow" the book for so long. Nothing like loaning a book to someone who never gives it back, right?