Not dead

Nope, I'm not dead. Have been feeling that way a lot, but I'm still kickin'. I had some major creep bug that stole my voice last week, so you can imagine how much fun teaching was. HA. I typed a lot. Good think I type really fast.

I've been knitting and spinning and crocheting like a fool again too. I spun up about 2 oz into frog hair yesterday, boy is it thin. I plan to spin the other half soon and two ply it. I think it will have nice long color repeats like a certain Japanese yarn that is so hard on my hands, but I make no promises.

I'm making my brother a toy for his birthday based on the Kate pattern from Knitty (ravlink). I started to just make it a rockstar cat, but then I put fangs on him and his ears next, and lo and behold- it looked like a bat. So I'm going to finish out the Kate bodt with arms and legs, but then I'm gonna mod me some bat wings to sew on to his back. I think I'm also going to give him a mohawk and pierce his ear. I also bought some jewlery finding (chain extenders) to attach to him that will make him look like he has a wallet chain going on. Bub will get a kick out of it, or at least I hope he will. I'm using up some handspun for this, but I'm gonna have to use commercial yarn for the wings. I'm thinking black batwings.

I also knit the free pattern by Raynor called Sugar Bunny(ravlink). It was her take on the best bunny by lionbrand except she knit it up. It was a really cute pattern, and would have been great if I could read. I made the feet for the hands and then got so excited I sewed them on. Of course, once I had darned all the ends into the stupid thing is when I realized that I had screwed up. There was no way out either. I used some really pretty handspun to make a shawl to hide the UGLY seam I made when I attached her head. Again, not a pattern flaw so much as a crafter flaw.

I'm also thinking of making a little stuffed dog for a lady who loves dogs and is retiring from my school. I don't know her very well, but it doesn't look hard to make and it will be a sweet thing to do.

I've been spinning a bit more too, and here's the proof.


I've been taking weird pics in the fruit section to show my mom orange lemons.


I've been walking down by the river and really getting irritated by irresponsible people. We picked everything in that pic up from the river bed/bank, even the plastic bag it's held in. This was our second load.

But there were some nice things to see while we were playing riverkeeper.



And one last pretty pic, but not at the river. This is in D's dad's back yard.

Video

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Originally uploaded by venutian_beauty

Crap video, but you can see the snow is really coming down.

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Originally uploaded by venutian_beauty

Early Bloom

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Originally uploaded by venutian_beauty

View from driveway

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Originally uploaded by venutian_beauty

Hell hath frozen over

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Originally uploaded by venutian_beauty

mailhouse snow

mailhouse snow
Originally uploaded by venutian_beauty

That's not snow on the lense- that's snow still coming down.

SNOW

dave snow day
Originally uploaded by venutian_beauty

Blogger is being weird and won't let me upload photos through them, so I have to do this 1 at a time through Flickr.

But yes, we have had SNOW.

And I get a SNOW DAY!

Party party party

Nothing To Lose

I'm not a designer. I'm not planning to become one. BUT I AM a knitter and I do USE patterns, so I think I should voice this in some way.

Annie is a megapower in Knitting Design and she still gets treated like crap. So imagine what I would feel if I were to try and design to publish. Less than crap. No, that's not right. It's not right that if I did get my stuff into a major mag that they could rape the profits of unknown hours of work and determination and kick back a dime for every three dollars they make. NO. That's not right.

No. That's not right.

NO. THAT'S NOT RIGHT.

And now you can go read what she's said because I'm just a nobody in this, but it will affect my penchant to purchase Vogue mags from now on. Did you hear that Vogue? I hope so. Knitters shouldn't be f-ed with. Just in case you DIDN'T know that.

http://www.modeknit.com/2009/02/valuing-our-work.html

To New Knitters

Soulemama asked her readers today for advice to new knitters. I waxed loquatious, so I'll repost here what I blathered there. Also, Wendyknits says it's delurker's day. I guess that goes for me too - I come from the shadows to post and not lurk!

I'm a child of the digital age, and knitting and crochet came as a hobby at the strangest time of need. I needed to destress during my last semesters of college and while student teaching. My grandma crocheted all through my childhood, but by the time I was ready to take it up in earnest, her hands had turned on her and her memory failed as well. So I did the next best thing I could figure in my age, I googled it. I had an online friend who knew how to knit and had inspired me to pick up the pointy sticks, so she was a sometimes resource, though her webcam caused as many questions as it answered.

But, for new knitters (says the self-taught knitter of 4ish years), I would say:

1. Find needles that feel good to you. Pick wood if you like them in the store, plastic if you think they are fun. Don't look so much at price, go with what feels good. If you are serious, then price will not make any difference down the road anyway. You'll buy what you want, no matter the cost.

2. Buy yarn that you love. And learn to knit with it. Don't pet it, put it aside, wait for the day your skills are perfect. It won't come. I promise. I'd still be waiting for the "perfect" cast-on for that cashmere silk blend I bought myself on a tough day. Buy a smooth yarn that feels nice to your hands. Don't fret over the content (even if it's 100% acryllic). Love the yarn you learn with. It will make the learning easier. And more enjoyable.

3. Read a few books. Check your library or go to a book store and pile up a bunch of knitting books. Sometimes just flipping through the pages will help you understand a skill. Flick through a stack and see which ones you love, the pictures, the writing, the patterns, and then buy that as your reference. Elizabeth Zimmerman would be a great read for a new knitter, she'd teach you to be fearless from the first.

4. Have NO fear. Do NOT let a single soul tell you how hard socks are, or how scary lace is. Personally, socks seem easy and lace scares the pants off of me, but that's me. Many people I know are afraid of even socks, but will knit a full man's sweater. You pick out your patterns and projects (don't start with a scarf - they NEVER END!) and decide what seems hard to you. I cried for 30 minutes on night trying to cast on for a square. I couldn't get the yarn to stick to the needles right. I forgot the slip knot - so don't be afraid. Nothing is terribly hard to do, otherwise it would have been lost to the ashes of times gone by. Simplicity sticks to us, we only keep stuff that's simple and easy to pass on. Think of the thousands of poorly educated people of the past and realize that if they could do it without the Internet to hold their hand - you sure can do it with the wealth of resources we currently have in our data rich society.

5. Remember, knitting is s'posed to be fun. Well, that last one, I stole from Mason-Dixon Knitting. But it still holds true. So don't let it become a chore or something you "HAVE" to do. Only do the things you enjoy or that challenge you in a good way. Never say you'll make something for someone out of guilt. Those are the WORST projects. Ask me how I know. :D


Other than those ideas and that knitting content, things are still busy and happy here. Running like the headless chicken and all, but happy while I go. Work is good still, new quarter brough 5 classes a day for me. Three of which are back to back, a solid three hour and 15 minute block of me talking and talking and talking. Blech.

Who needs November?

Not me. :P

So yeah...quiet around here. I've been enjoying my job and my life and my boyfriend. We've been trying to fit as much down time between his job as we can. But, this weekend, he's off Saturday AND Sunday. I'm going to die from shock.

I've been knitting TONS. About 20 scarves for the ladies in my office. Each one different. 3 more went to the ladies I went to San Antonio with (yeah, I went to Texas) and another is on the sticks for the boy's stepmom.

San An was fabu and I ate texmex 2 times and I've had enough, thank you very much. I also had a texan cow. mMMM cow.

Thanksgiving was good, all except for a visit with my Daddy's Mama. She didn't know who I was or who my daddy was when I tried to tell her. So, yeah. That was NOT good. Didn't enjoy that. But I did see my ex's cousin who was there visiting a relation. Didn't speak, but my did I look good-on purpose.

My Daddy had his baby - a new little girl. That's all I know or care to know.

And I tried to break my foot walking on it while it was asleep. Almost accomplished it.

And I'll try and get back in here more often than not - maybe update the shop soon too - but I promise nothing as Christmas looms!

Fall, Fell, Have Fallen

Again, a me post because this is my blog and I can do whatever I want. :P This one's for my mama. And since I'm on housearrest until the washer guy comes and gives me the new washer....

Photos I've taken in the last month- Hold onto you dialup, this is gonna be a long one.

Hello World, this is me looking at my bellybutton

I sometimes wonder what goes in to the making of a successful person. Nature, nurture, genetics, and location all must play some role, but what role? Can we put some of it down to a choice? How much do we have to be given at birth, how much do we need from our parents, and how much is simple, dumb luck? Are some of us just born to prosper or do we make our fate over coffee and toast each morning? I feel like I've made my life what it is by determined daily toul. I am what I am because I said I would be. This person I am sprung from my toddler's braindwaves Athenian in nature. It's clear that my choices led me down a certain path- towards one thing and away from another.

But am I a thief? Did I steal the best parts of myself from those in my life, those who raised me? Did I reach into their souls and take what I needed to become strong? A grubby, stick, chubby fist locked around straings of my grandfather's spirit. Did my development strip them of their souls, their wisdom, their lives, as I took chunks, splinters, pieces- daily- into me?

What makes a successful person? How does one reach the top? Does it even matter, as long as we get here in the end? Looking behind me, who have I used, needed, leaned on, reguarded? What did I take from them?

My Papa's determination and focus drove me to success. My mother's care, concern, and soft-serve heart lie in my core. My father's stubborn refusal to admit flaws haunts my relationships. My grandmother's crafting heart and busy hands wile my idle house by. My teachers' styles, dispositions, and passions burn and bubble in my heart. All of it stolen, bit by bit, secreted into my squirril's cheek mind.

I am the fox and the world around me is a roost. Beware hens and protect your eggs. The fox is hungry.

I spy

I spy with my little eye
out my workday window
a wheel of cheese
a man on a crescent
the pale and jealous lady

You peer down with your little eye
the whole Earth you could spy
and see me here
looking to you there
and smile, turn, and move on.



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Not really sure what that's all about. My brain does strange things this early in the AM so please forgive if you think that was dumb. I like it. :D

It was cool this AM when I walked in under moonbeam and starshine. Maybe Fall really is on its way.

I'm not dead

I have a job and I'm not dead. I am now working at the Tech School in town. MUCH BETTER than my old place. Jeesh. I love it.

And I've been spinning my butt off.
















And I've been dyeing up yarns to sell in the shop.




And knitting.







And crocheting




And shopping.




These are from a major yard sale...LOVE THESE. The big thing is a picnic basket that has plates and cups that buckle in.






I'll try not to be so long next time. :D Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers that I'm sure many of you sent out.