Stitch Witch

Cheap and cheezy title, I know.  Trying my hand at that SEO stuff :) 

Regardless, my post IS about Twilight…the movie…and yarn, so I’m not being deceptive!

So, took my daughter to see Twilight, opening night at 10pm.  Mainly because I detest large groupings of peoples who just don’t care about anything more than squealing, texting and talking on cell phones all while a movie is playing!  And, we can now say that we made family history by attending a blockbuster, number ONE feature film on it’s national opening night.  Woot. I know!  You know I am special, I know you know I am!

Puke.

What ensues will NOT be a review of said movie, nor the books that spawned it. If you want a pretty DEAD ON review about Twilight, check out TheAndrea for a full throttle heads up!  This, however,  is just me reveling in all the gorgeous knitted type things that abounded all throughout the movie……..except for the brief stints in Arizona.

Sweaters, wrist warmers, mittens, hats…..all if it was found in this one film.  What’s NOT to love about that?  Of course, since the shallow side of the fashion industry shuns such lovely outerwear, I have been hard-pressed to locate any worthwhile imagery from the film that can be used to demonstrate JUST what I am talking about.

Thusly, I am left with my shoddy memory skills and the internets to help me find items of a similar gist that will display the sheer joy of yarn-related products that made this movie, at the very least, visually stimulating for the yarn addict in ANYONE!!

An hour later….here I am….I tell you…NOTHING in the way of yarny imagery exists about this movie!  Grr!

Here is one shot of Kristen Stewart (One fair-skinned Bella Swan) in A hat and A scarf, however, seriously, I believe this is just a promo shot….unless it’s from the moment in the meadow when Edward sparkled like one of those funky plastic, bubbly, shimmery things you always see at Christmas….(DAMN, now I have to go locate a picture of one of those, since I have no clue what it is!!).  It’s now 8:32 pm.  If I’m not back in an hour, send a search party. Seriously.  One that has High Speed capability!  

Beadazzles Plastic??? Check it out!

Yeah, that’s a downright shoddy misrepresentation of what I’m talking about, but if you get up and look at this pic from across the room, you might understand what I’m talking about.  However, now that I’m WAY off track…..let me hop back on!

Sheerluxe Pure Cashmere Wristwarmers

Ok, so my main obsession is probably something I didn’t even really see except for in my own head.  Bella (Ms. Stewart) was wearing an absolutely glorious, slouchy, cabled gray pair of what I perceived to be wrist warmers, however they very well could have been mittens or gloves too…..and if anyone else noticed these and know exactly where a picture exists, PLEASE let me know? 

This picture was just the closest representation I could find.

And, being discouraged by the lack of appreciation of Twilight image capturers across the globe for anything made of YARN, I am going to just leave it at this.   Someday when someone posts more images of the film itself, or when the movie comes out on DVD and I can capture my OWN images, then I will revisit this topic.

Ok…not so bad for posting 2 days in a row.  Now I need to get to work on planning what we need to talk about tomorrow! :)  Have a loverly rest of the weekend!

I have been a horrendous, despicable witch, I know. I realize I haven’t posted since the 15th, but that will be changing. I promise. Just to let you know, it really is NOT you, and it really IS me! Dealing with some personal issues on the home front, dealing with some health issues, and trying to hold it all together.

That being said, on this another Black Friday, I am NO WHERE near any commercial center of consumerism and am instead holed up on the homestead. At least, in my absence, I have been doing yarny things which can account for at least part of the missing time frame. Here are some updates and new findings among my unfinished and finished stashes:

Several weeks back, I mentioned a handbag/purse/clutch that I had begun, using Nylon crochet cord. (see So Many Yarns, So Few Hands for the original pic) Here, we now have two completed sides, and I just need to decide on how I want to approach the lining. I think I want to line the envelope-flap and inside as one solid piece, and I will have to stitch by hand, because I do not want thread showing up on outside of the bag.

Since this bag is obviously (in my head) going to be an accessory for evening wear, I am not going to attempt to go for durability, however, I still want a lining and function that will hold up. SO, it’s taking some more thought. Using black Dupioni silk for the lining. Want sharp folds to be the only thing visible, so, I’m thinking I’ll secure all exposed edging with (get this…..)Stitch Witchery….or Heat N Bond tape….in my experience, the Stitch Witchery is better for delicate fabrics. Heat N Bond gets really stiff and doesn’t lend itself to as much movement.

So yeah…that’s the scoop so far on the handbag. Any suggestions for handle (long, short, braided, straight, fabric, cording……I’d love to hear your input!)

Also, earlier this month, you might remember the utter mindless spree I went on over at Michael’s. (Yarn Fix #5052). I decided to pair the pale sage-colored Bamboo yarn with a gorgeous Merino-sparkly blend that I got at JoAnn back during a clearance sale, and that Khaki Green Mode Dea stuff.

So, yeah, I wanted something quick, something knit, and decided to go with a scarf on some rambunctious size 5000 needles. 1 skein of the Bamboo got me through probably 30+ inches of a decent-length scarf, using the 3-strand combo. HOWEVER, now that I’ve got that much done, I’m really not feeling it with that Mode Dea. I do NOT like the color scheme in person. It kind of just looks gaudy, and a much paler shade of the Mode Dea would have been much better suited. SO, looks to me like I’m gonna rip it out and either do a two strand with a matching bamboo oversized beret, or who knows. The softness of the Bamboo yarn needs to be in scarf form! Something that scrumptious should be something one can cuddle in to on a very frigid day!

Next up….this is a fairly skinny, 70″ scarf that I did with another shade of that Mode Dea yarn. This is ‘yarn’ in the loosest sense, because when you see it up close, it looks more like someone painstakingly cut 1/16″ strips of interfacing and then took the time to sew delicate, shimmery fibers in straight lines through each strip, but also then took the time to bobble (for lack of a more educated term) more shiny fibers to give it tremendous texture. I love this shade so much more than the Khaki….it’s a cross between periwinkle/cornflower and a dusty blue. Much less purply than it appears here. However, once it’s put into a project, you don’t see the minute interfacing detail, and it just looks all scrunchy and fun…and it’s not scratchy, it feels good!

And NOW, you see the real source of my distraction. This little piece of feline perfection is only home when my husband comes home, so of course, I spend more time getting my skin flayed and taking pictures than I do writing. My bad!! Meet Jezebel. Attention-whore extraordinaire!

This lovely piece of gorgeous red/gold/purple suede was the beginnings of a neck warmer that I was making to wear to work last year, when I still worked in the coolers of the produce department. 40 degrees is good after a month of 90 degree weather, but on a daily basis, it just starts to chip away at one’s ability to ever be warm! However, now that I’ve pulled it back out again, I’m thinking I’m going to destruct and reconstruct this one in a row of 3 largish cables. This yarn lends itself to bulky designs, so cabling, here I come.

Now, for the PS de Resistawwwwnce-I present to you the progess as of yesterday during Thanksgiving Din-din on the Vogue pattern, also mentioned above (So Many Yarns, So Few Hands)

I’m up to about 50 rows thus far, and nearly on my 3rd skein of that Bernat Ebony Alpaca Blend. My opinion of this yarn…..it works up gorgeously, however, you must not be wearing anything that you don’t wish to turn into an Alpaca-adorned covering. Oh well, what’s one more animal hair here at the animal farm. I am dedicated to this one, no matter how many years it takes me, I WILL complete it!

Thusly, now I have concluded my total update inundation, and am in progress of preparing tomorrow’s post because I am no longer slacking off. Yarn IS my drug of choice, and thusly I should give it due praise on a daily basis!

Hope everyone had a lovely Turkey day, replete with all the gut-wrenching, taste-bud wooing favorites!

Lindsay of “I Believe In Buttons” (sorceress who concocted the oft-mentioned Deepest Sea Handspun bliss) for giving me this delightful award:

Granted, I am a self-proclaimed (or blamed) control freak, and some have even said I suffer from OCD, so I felt the urge to revamp it a bit to make it color coordinate. Yes I know, I need to look into treatment options!!

Award recipients are asked to “Pay it Forward” to at least 5 bloggers whom they feel are deserving of special recognition.

The Uber (synonym to Super) Amazing Blog Award recognizes blogs that:

* cause inspiration
* cause smiling and laughter, or at the very least, gigglets!
* provide amazing, incredible, useful information
* provide a great read
* present amazing design
* deserve recognition for any other reason that makes them Uber amazing!

Award recipients are asked to do the following:

* Put the logo on your blog or post.
* Nominate at least 5 blogs (can be more) that for you are Uber Amazing!
* Let them know that they have received this Uber Amazing award by commenting on their blog.
* Share the love and link to this post and to the person you received your award from.

So, watch me as I waddle up to the podium now to accept this most gracious award! Click, click, click, thud. First of all, and again, thank you to Ms. Lindsay! I couldn’t have done this without you! I mean, seriously, if not for the temptation of that yarn, I might have just sat here silent, not able to form any coherent thoughts! So, here’s to you, Lindsay Luu. May you never tire of spinning yarns!

Since I’m relatively new to the Blogiverse, it was tough to pick out very, very favorites from normal favorites, as I do truly like so many!! So, I decided that, in keeping with my short attention span, to allow my list to resemble my varied and warped thought processeeeeees (emPHAsis on the EEEEEEEEE)! I’m almost gonna say with 100% certainty that you won’t expect at least TWO of my favorites to be here, in a YARN blog, but o well. Not all yarnverts are created equal! Yes, I did say Yarnvert! Do with it as you wish.

Without further adieu, I bring you some of my very favorite blogs. You really need to visit these lovely, lovely people because:

a.They rock
b.They are intelligent beyond belief
c.They have intense powers of inspiration
d.Each blog is kick-a$$ in its very own way, shape or design!

Kung Fu Grippe

While I’m almost certain that Mr. Mann could not care less about extraneous fluff (like blog awards), I still know, without a doubt, that he deserves a shout. Master life-hacker and creator of 43 Folders up until early fall was constantly producing effective and useful advice for anyone who longs to improve their personal productivity ratings! Then, as per usual, life interrupted while he was busy becoming the go-to source for productivity info online.

He’s more than OK in my book, mainly because I’ve been following him since the early days of 43F. I like his style. I like his wit and his sarcasm and his ability to point out what others (including me) don’t want to acknowledge. So, dear readers, check out Kung Fu Grippe, and 43F. It’s worth the read!

Jesse Blogs It All

I met this beautiful creature on Entrecard, and was immediately drawn in by her gentle nature, her angelic aura, and those gorgeous, hypnotic eyes! When you meet someone and you are immediately encircled in a feeling of utter peace, calm, and warmth, even if they live across the universe, you need to hold on to those friendships. Positive energy is effective no matter where it comes from. Jesse, whether knowingly or not, is a definitive source of such warmth!

A Little Piece of Me

Enter Claire. Claire with the heart-stopping eyes (NO, I don’t have an eye fetish!!), and the clarity of someone way beyond her years, offers a veritable wealth of knowledge, observation, and some spectacular artistry, in the form of doodling! She’s also really good at smooshing boobies, and proving that brassieres can be useful and strikingly beautiful when worn as hats! She listens to funky music, she loves her family, she’s not afraid to expose the layers of her vegetables, and she just all around rocks!

Lenox Knits

Lenox Knits is a blog that I also discovered on Entrecard. Yarny minds think alike! Ms. Lenox has created some of the MOST STRIKING pieces of yarny goodness I’ve laid eyes on! Her choices of color and texture speak to a mind that is overflowing with creativity. My reasons for following her, however, might be construed as a bit selfish! She owns an Etsy store. I WANT to own an Etsy store. She has much knowledge and experience in selling online, as well as at craft fairs. I am secretly picking her brain for all sorts of useful tidbits of information! She just doesn’t know it yet If you love handmade, if you love discussions about selling, about knitting and everything even semi-related, you need to pay this blog a serious visit!

SIDE NOTE:

Clearly I am attracted to red-heads…..I swear…..everyone I am drawn to seems to have some format of copper to auburn locks and light eyes. Maybe it’s because I have dark hairs and black eyes! But this is not about the physical, my favorite blogs are my favorites because of how they make me feel! I’m sensitive. I am a Leo.

Room 237 Origins

UPDATE on the Update: You see before you one truly stupefied witch We’ll chalk it up to my lack of sleep in the past 24 hrs, but suffice to say, there is ONE author of Room 237…..Jack. There can BE only ONE!

UPDATE: READ THIS FIRST Your yarny idiot now has copious amounts of egg on her face. Clearly I misunderstood that I was dealing with more than one excellent human being at the helm of Rm 237. Enter Jack.

Last, however most certainly not least, I bring you access to one of the trippiest blogs I’ve ever had the horrific pleasure of reading! This is where you go to explore your ‘dark side’. Written by ONE splendidly warped being of humanity who has definitely contacted and maintains constant rapport with the inner workings of his brilliant cranial cavity! Now, if he could find the combination for that padlock! This blog is full of writings, meanderings, and the first thing I ever read there: musings on recurring dreams! I could probably talk for hours about dreams, interpretations and the like, and when you’ve got someone on the other side who can reciprocate and spark more thought? AH! Like a blast of refreshing air shooting straight up your nostrils!

I’m not even close to being done reading everything there, but already I know that this blog is a place I’m apt to visit daily if not more!!

Sure, I can babble on incessantly, however, to be able to explore and write down what I am REALLY feeling? Bah. So, if you’re not afraid of the dark, and you need a mental break from everyday humdrums, Room 237 Origins is THE definitive place to be!

So, there you have it. The short list of a this woman’s favorite peoples and reads! Go now, seek out that knowledge and entertainment and joy that you will undoubtedly get from these shining bloggie stars! (Yep, that was cheezy!)

For my award recipients:

To claim your awards, simply save your Uber award (above), and place it somewhere in your bloggie!

Here is the original .jpg shot of the award in all it’s very pink glory! Use this to hand out your own awards to your own favorite bloggers!



Enjoy your awards!

Here it is, already Thursday.  The time has flown by this week, but I feel compelled to share some interesting thoughts about color, online shopping, and a bit of psychology-or just a comment on psychology (read: how our brains perceive color, etc.)

As mentioned in the past week or so, I’ve been absolutely enamored with the Deep Sea Messy Handspun yarn that I purchased from Lonely Love Bird Supplies.  It arrived the other day, and I do believe I just sat and held it and dreamed of all the beautiful things I could make with it.  My only complaint…..there’s not enough :(  I need like 5000 yards, then I could just throw it on the bed and fall into it like a scrumptuous pile of yarny leaves!

Upon ripping open my package of fiberesque bliss, however, the thought occurred to me that we really, for the most part, only see what we want to see, and don’t often take the time to consider all the aspects that play a role in how something appears.  This applies to life in general, as well, but that’s for another blog!   So I decided to do some tinkering and give you tangible examples of how perception really can be 99% of our reality. Go grab a cup of something and come back, this is kind of long

Please read this first:  Any mention of my purchase from LLB Supplies is only for demonstration purposes, and does not in ANY way, shape or form deter from the 1000% satisfaction rating I give Lindsay and her beautiful work.  This is a post about color only!  

Example #1

This is the original photo that drew in me in, like a moth to a hot, hot flame!!  

This is a shot, taken by my poopy digital camera, at home, in normal room lighting with no sunlight.

And finally, this is a Photoshop-adjusted rendition of the original, which I did by holding yarn close to monitor-again in normal room light conditions-and tweaking color ranges and curve until it matched the yarn (at least from what I perceived the color to be!!)  As you can see, there’s quite a range of difference between the original photograph, taken by Ms. Lindsay, and the color of the yarn as it appears in my home. In my mind, when I looked at her store, and picture #1, I saw a deep turquoisey-blue, however, the yarn inside the package is not so much blue as it is green.  All which is still utterly delightful for me!!  Then, as you can see, when shot by a crappy camera, in crappy lighting, the yarn does not appear as vibrant and soul-captivating as it really, truly is!  Then, with the adjustment and my vision (which by far is not 20/20!), I can only attempt to show you the color that I see as I hold it in my hands.  But then, my perception may be far off from what you see.  We are at the whim of our monitors and our ingrained definitions  when it comes to buying anything, online, that involves color.

Even with the adjustment, I still cannot properly display to you the true beauty of the yarn, which is a shame, but also serves to remind us that the way we see things is comprised of about 50% sight and 50% mind.  To me, the name of the color-Deepest Sea-indicates some blue going on!! :)  To you, it might mean blue-green….to another, it might mean midnight blue.

Let’s move on to example #2.

This is the official picture of Lion Brand Microspun Yarn in Purple.  Not too much difference betwixt it and my HP digital shot at home.

This is the original home photograph.  Normal, no sunlight, room lighting.  

This is the same home photo, Photoshop-rendered to show the color as I see it, holding yarn up to monitor to make color and curve adjustments.  Even as I look at the modified photo, however, I can honestly say that while it is in this particular shade of purple, it is NOT as vibrant as the picture makes it seem.

Example #3:

This is the original photo from website of Lion Brand Homespun Yarn in Lagoon.   Left up to imagination and this picture alone, I never would have bought it.  And, their description states that there are hints of chocolate in it?!?!?  Either their dye lots vary substantially, or they were looking at another shade, because there is NO chocolate to be found in my skein of Lagoon. 

This is a closeup, in same room, same normal lighting.  Woot. 

Here, we have Lagoon leaning against monitor, compared to unrendered home photo, taken with flash.  (Bet you’re falling off your seat with giddyness, eh?)  

Here, however, we have Lagoon leaning, but taken withOUT flash.  Hmmm.  See the difference a little light makes?  The yarn looks absolutely NOTHING like that….it’s not pukely or brown or dull in anyway, and actually is going to go beautifully, entwined around the Deepest Sea :)  

In this shot, you get to see all 3 pieces together….notice how the Deepest Sea brightens up with a lamp to the right (not shown) and the burgundy wall behind?  Tres Excitement, I KNOW!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

I suppose my whole purpose in displaying these examples is to get you to see that you can’t truly hold it against a seller or retailer if you purchase something color-related  online and it doesn’t quite fit the vision you had when you first saw the photograph.  Even in stores, colors can look completely altered based upon the type of lighting that a store uses.

So, when buying yarns, threads, fabrics and clothes online, you will benefit from not committing to a very specific shade that you need to match at home.  Shop with an open mind, and use your eye and creativity once you receive an item!  Color, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, and you can’t judge a color until you’re beholding it, right?

I would like to take the time to thank YOU, faithful yarnaddicts, for taking the time to read this   Your input and suggestions and anything else you want to talk about is always welcome!  Spill it!  :D  Have a beautiful November day!

So, it’s Sunday.  Let’s review, shall we?

1.  By exponentially more than a hanging chad and a slim needle’s worth of hair, we can now safely sing praises to our newest fingerpuppet-elect, Barack Hussein Obama.  Whether he can uphold all the lofty campaign-trail promises or if he’s just another person who said what we all wanted to hear as a means to an end remains to be seen.  Yep, you guessed it….I am a cynical witch when it comes to politics and government.  It’s easy to get caught up in hype…..it’s hard work to make that hype into a valid reality.   I, however, shall save my political diadribbles for another forum.  We are here for the sake of many colorful and varied needly and hooky fibers!

2.  Remember the Deepest Sea Messy Handspun?  As luck would have it, once it arrives in the mail, I have BRAGGING RIGHTS!  That’s right……I waited two days.  I prayed.  I held seances.  I concocted spells and danced nekkid in the back yard.  (YEAH SURE I DID!).  Then, with my writing money, I was able to snag up the one remaining skein from Ms. Lindsay Luu at her gorgeous Etsy Shop:  Lonely Love Bird Supplies! Once it arrives, you’ll all be the firsts to know what I plan to do with it.  Firstly, I will open the package, and take it into my yarn-obsessed hands, and just sit quietly soaking up the luscious hues of blues!

3.  Yarn Whispering-Part Trois is a work in progress and will be posted at some point during the upcoming week.  Maybe I’m just a Leo who didn’t want it to get lost in the shuffle of all the political hubbubub Click here if you want to catch up by reading Yarn Whispering-Part Duh!

4.  Progress on my workings in progress:

• Started Vogue sweater.  Currently resting at row 7

• Almost completed side one of Elegant Woot Evening Bag.  Side two will be short work since it’s just going to be rectangularly in shape!  Then the fun part.  Making the lining, sewing it in-invisibly, creating a handle or strap (undecided), and the beading work and finally the clasp/closure!  It’s gonna rock.  Just watch!  I’ll post pics to update you as it comes along!  Exciting, I know!

• I have selected two other yarns to use with that splendidly supple Bamboo yarn purchased during my recent fit of yarn hysteria at Michael’s.  The colors are very mild and understated, so it’s perfect for anyone who shies away from vibrancy!  We cannot all be one with bedecking ourselves in brightly -hued pieces!  And mellow and light tones do have their place!  You’ll see.  Sorry for the shoddy pic, lighting quality is not abundant within the realm of my domicile! 

5.  Check out my lovely guide to caring for your hands, if you too, are a fiber artiste! It’s called (of all the blatantly obvious titles):  How to Protect A Fiber Artist’s Most Important Tool-The Hands

This is great for anyone who’s just delving into the finer addictions of yarns and fabrics.

6.  But not least, I would like to give a humonguous SHOUT OUT to Acadia over at The Superficial Gallery, for including me in his Super Saturday Links post! 

You gotta see his site, though.  I’m not much on the superficial stuff in life.  I can’t tell you the names of the hot pop groups right now, and I don’t care how much the latest Disney clone weighs, or if her eating disorder is hurting or helping her career.   I think the last time I cared about celebrity, Tom Cruise still had control of his mental faculties, Gary Oldman was perfecting Syd Vicious and Lindsay Lohan was just a comment on an egg floating in utero.

But, I digress, because you see, the Superficial Gallery is NOT JUST about the superficial :)  It’s chock full of all kinds of good, fun, quirky stuff that can keep you entertained for eons!  And, for those who simply adore the superficiality of life, there are pages upon pages of just that for your inquiring eyes to look at!  Go CHECK IT OUT!  You can even fondle your fibers whilst visiting!

You ever have one of those days where you just start taking stock of exactly EVERYTHING you’ve got going on? Today is my day. Decided I would put all my projects in a duckly row and figure out where I’m going with each one. And YOU, lucky yarnizens get to see inside the mind of maniacal yarn addict with the attention span of a flea! Follow along, and be stunned, won’t you?

For starters, we have a piece of knitting sparked by my muse. In the course of creating my Etsy store (as yet fully unnamed), I knew I wanted to use up my stash of black yarns, threads and other assorted fibers first. This lovely unfinished ensemble is constructed of J&P Coats 100% Crochet Nylon, which is great for purses, jewelry, home dec stuff and whatever else your little needling fingers can make! Mainly because I am enamored of the clutches and handbags, circa 1930-60, I wanted to try my own hand at making an elegant bag for evening wear. Woot! Elegant=Woot. It does!

The picture makes the thread look way shinier than it actually is, and yet it’s got a lustrous sheen to it which will be absolute perfection for beadwork later on. I’m thinking of lining with some black dupioni silk (if the shades of blacks match). Not sure how big it will end up being, or which end of the scale-gaudy or classic-it will land on. Who cares, just know it will look smashing, because I say so. And, I might add, this thread is super easy to work with, it’s inexpensive and it feels smooth to the touch, not hard or plastick-y! And that’s just ONE thing I have on the back yarn burner!

As you can see, I’ve got my pattern all printed out on crispy white paper, dug out the appropriately sized needles, and 1 lonely ball of Bernat Alpaca Natural Blends in Ebony. This time, I am going to use a separate piece of paper to record each row. You cycle through broken rib, small cable and large cable sets for 8-9 rows, before repeating, so it’s good to keep track of exactly what row you are on, in case of an emergency yarn evacuation! I cannot WAIT to get started on this. Morning comes, coffee brews, and I start this pattern anew, with the new yarn!

This silvery gray number below was the trial run, using cheap yarn. Good yarn, but cheap, and not the desired bulk to fully support the scrumptious cabling. Now, the silvery piece will be used for some sort of free form project perhaps, or disassembled and placed within the confines of another pattern!

This cornflowery bluish purple piece is also another one bound for free-form success. Just as the perfected shade of the richest handspun yarn can steal your breath, so too can a really good cover of Vogue Knitting! This pattern came from the first copy that I ever purchased, and was my first major excursion into following semi-complex patterning. I was hooked (all while abandoning my hooks for long, sleek needles, no less)!

These two particularly bland (the photo does them both way TOO much justice) lap blankets are on their way to bigger, better and prettier pastures. I’m thinking an entrelac throw, adding in some mustardy yellow, and perhaps a good shade of green, but that’s questionable. (In fact, about the only place that would look good would be on Bourbon St., in the wee hours of the morn after Mardi Gras! It would take the consumption of several tasty Hurricanes (that’s a drink name, not me being facetious!) in order to be taken even slightly seriously! Or maybe 5-6 shades of purple in varied bulks? Or, I did run across an idea in Crochet Today magazine for ‘repurposing’ (I HATE buzz-terms!!) granny squares into pillows…maybe I could make throw pillows with yarn fronts, and fabric backings? I just don’t know yet.

So, there you have it. That’s the short list of things yarny, I am contending with, willingly and not so willingly.

The Slippy Sleeves Project was unavailable at publication time, due to an unfortunate slip of the senses by the knitter who changed her mind and ripped it all back to a ball of yarn.

Stay Tuned! There’s a new installment of Yarn Whispering that should be hitting your monitors by tomorrow!

Yeah, so I went a little mad in Michael’s this evening. I HAD TO!!! It was a new store! Had to check out the yarn selection (which I might add is MUCHLY diminished from years past…This saddens me, but then again, it also opens me up to the limitless possibilities that abound all over internet-world! Besides, there’s an Alpaccccccccca farm right down the road. I can adapt ninja-like stealth, don some shears, and go collect some natural fibers as needed (JUST KIDDING!!)

Regardless, back to the excursion to Michael’s. Although we (my daughter and I) probably only covered 1/2 the store’s contents, this is the booty we ended up with:

• 1 large Sketch Book

• 1 pack of Anime/Manga Markers

• 1 Silver/Gold/Wiry Cross pendant

• 1 Velvet Choker Chain (for said pendant)

• 1 pack of beading needles

• 1 roll of superfine Silver beading wire

• 2 strands of assorted larger beads

• 1 tube of hematite seed beads

• 1 Heart-shaped pendant

• 8 Skeins of Bernat Alpaca Blend yarn (see the lovely shadings of grey?)

• 2 Skeins of Bernat Bamboo yarn (can’t tell, but it’s a splendid shade of palest olive/sage green)

• 2 Skeins of Caron Simply Soft Bulky yarn for my cousins Arm Warmers (think Leg-warmers but for the arms, eh!?)

• 1 Entirely KICK-A$$ Paper Cutter by our Lady of Homemaking, Martha Stewart, in the most spectacularly-detailed shape of a (ahem) WITCH!!! (I sense labels being made with this very shortly!!

———–

Grand Total: A very stomach-churning $113.00

I want to crawl in a hole and punish myself now. But NOW, dearly beloved yarnies, NOW, I can truly complete that Vogue sweater pattern with almost identical shading and texture (what’s REALLY the difference betwixt Alpacas and LLLLLLLLlamas, I ask you?)

That sage/olive bamboo yarn is going to blend exquisitely with some Moda Dea yarn that I got last year on clearance. Probably in the form of a hat/scarf combo, or just scarf and wrist warmers, maybe. I cannot WAIT to work with it, it feels like baby bottoms after bathtime, freshly powdered with the beloved scent of Baby Magic!!! It is divine!

So, this concludes my entirely humiliating, money-gobbling adventure into Michael’s. See, THIS is why I am a hermit. When I go out in public, I cannot be controlled, especially when confronted with yarn and crafty things! Maybe I should’ve bought a wand, or learned to wiggle my nose, so I could instantaneously create all these things, and prove that I’m actually going to USE all this stuff!!

Stumble It!

Ok, so I didn’t make it back to post yesterday, but I had my reasons. None of which you care about, so let us continue the exploration of Etsy and all its glory.

~~~

Now, as for what I’ve been doing, concerning creating my own little corner of Etsyland?  I’ve been doing research!  Research is KEY, people!  It’s key no matter WHAT you’re doing!  An informed choice       (VOTE NOW!!!) is always better!!!

While I am still reading all there is to read on Etsy, I have also been busy checking out other Etsy sellers, and believe you ME, there are some seriously stunning, gorgeous, magnificent stores out there for anyone who adores handmade items!!   SO, in the process of researching and refining my goals, I am formulating my future success based upon the inspiration provided by such Etsy stores as:

Lenox Knits

Tropical Fruit Scarflette

I met Ms. PLenox via Entrecard, a few days ago.  She had me at ‘Tropical Fruit Scarflette’.  Her color-infused creations are as rich and varied as a Sedona sunset…..and once I save up several thousand pennies, I will indubitably be purchasing some wonderful items from within her store!  Go check it out, you, too, will fall quickly in love!

 Ixela

Rainbow Shrug

Facendo bellezza dal filato-making beauty from yarn.  I have yet to make the acquaintance of this artistic beauty from fair Italy; however, I discovered her shop whilst (again) browsing Entrecard blogs.  She blends old school charm with new world color and style, and the results are full of life and beauty.  I wish her every success in the world.  Go grab a piece of Italy for your own collection!

 Lonely Love Bird Supplies

Deepest Sea Messy Handspun

Has your heart ever skipped a beat upon first sight of a fragment of yarn?  Mine has, and it was this morning, when I happened upon Ms. Lindsay Luu’s blog: I Believe in Buttons .  Who KNEW that someone with a button fetish would be the very same individual who would make my wildest, kaleidoscopic, yarn-filled dreams come true?  I am still rendered speechless by the very sight of the yarns that this blessed creature has spun into life!  Trust me, if you don’t pick up that Deep Sea Messy Handspun, it is going to be MINE!  ALL MINE!!!!!

 ~~~

And that’s just a small sampling of the stores I have located in the past two days.  I can’t even begin to tell you how flabbergasted I am.  Some get all faint and dizzied by Prada, Manolo Blahnik, and Baby Phat.  Me, all it takes is a good, huge lot of assorted fibers and some needles and hooks, and you’ll find yourself one elated hooker!   

This concludes Part DUH (so named due to the stupor I am in from viewing all this beauty).  Stay tuned, my loverly yarnies, Part 3 shall grace your screens within the next day or so!  

So, I must admit, I’ve been utterly sidelined and distracted this past week.  Here it is, almost 7 days since beginning the journey into the land of Etsy, and I have yet to get around to exploring everything which I need to explore.  But, I will delve into that tomorrow, I promise!

This week, I’ve been busy with other projects:  writing, more writing, networking, issues at home, issues with health, so on and so forth, and so guess what took a back burner? Anywhoo, let me share with you some things you may be interested in:

1. Entrecard. Until I joined the Today.com site, I’d never heard of this useful networking tool, and the more I use it, the more I am liking it!  It’s put me in touch or in view with numerous artists, fellow yarnophiles, and writers that take my thoughts in a million other directions (hence the distraction!) If you have never checked out this site, I encourage you to give it a shot.

2.  If you’ve ever encountered a cyberloon, one who is not hooking with a full skein of yarn, you know how very bothersome and annoying it can be.  Hence, I spent a day or so collecting necessary informational bits so as to counteract the flow of ignorance that was swarming from that southerly direction.  In the process of thinking about the whole situation, it occurred to me that we all (yes, including me!!), as human beings, sometimes need to take a step back and review our perceptions.  So, I wrote about the art of accepting criticism.

3. Writing is an art form that continually requires attention, practice, progress and criticism.  I appreciate the feedback I get from one of my writing jobs, as it allows ME to take a step back and view things through someone else’s eyes!  Less is always more, it seems, within the realm of the internets, so you constantly have to check yourself for verbosity!  This week being no exception, I did one rewrite for the utter wordyism (OOOPS), and now have another one that requires attention because I kind of stepped outside the preformatted lines and took a different direction.  You never know until you try, right?  Lesson learned, won’t try that particular move again with that particular venue.

4.  Tomorrow becomes the day that marks 12 splendid, beautiful, roller coaster-touched years of marriage to my beloved.  And you know what, romance takes on many forms, so never pass something up as mundane, when it just might be the most romantic thing someone will ever do for you.  I’m not sharing details, I just want you all to know that perception often gets in the way of seeing things as they really are!  Don’t waste time with assumptions, just live for those moments!

5.  Dug out some particular pieces from my stash, some old mags with great ideas, and a few hooks and needles.  Don’t know where my muse is taking me, but I’ll let you in on it all when I find out!

6.  Started a new book:  Secret Societies.  Not sure what I’m getting myself into, mentally, by reading this type of thing, however, once you’ve brushed up against one, you’re always left with a nagging need to know what the hell just happened!  I’ll let you know how it turns out, and if I learn anything more than what I knew already! 

So, this has been my week in a nutshell, and now it’s time to return to a shred of normalcy.  Back to yarn, back to fibers, back to all things stitchy, witchy, and wonderful! Stay tuned, faithful yarnies, as part two of Yarn Whispering will appear within the next 24 hours or so!