Errr... A Confession

Errrr.... OK I caved on the whole "I shall never cover anything completely with washi" thing, and covered this ukulele in washi tape. Forgive me. It was smiling at me. I couldn't control myself.

Sorry for the grainy photo. Maybe someday I'll update it when I'm feeling less lazy. The uke is from a kit I got at Target and you can get here for $20!! (Warning: the durn thing won't stay in tune, so don't commit to it as an actual performing instrument. This is STRICTLY FOR FUNSIES.)

Why do I have multiple ukuleles? -- You might ask (not pictured are my real playing ukes: a Makala soprano and a Luna tenor).

If you have to ask this question, you obviously don't play. Pick one up. Play. Boom... it's THAT magical. And in ukuleletown, we play for keeps.

What A Washi Day It Is

Everyone has bad days. In my mind, the cure for the bad day is a new roll of washi: the colorful paper tape so enthralled by scrappers and gawked at and wondered about by the rest of the world. Am I a scrapper, then? Nah, not at all. I dabble, but that's it. Somehow, though, those lil rolls of quiet color speak to me. Not so much that I would waste time and money on rolls and rolls for "someday, maybe" type use, but just enough that I might mayyyybe indulge myself on occasion when the emotions call for it.
Today's emotions called for it. I won't go into detail, but let's just say it was one of those Murphy's Law days.
Anyway, now with blizzard raging outside, and hot chocolate warming my belly, I sit with my pretty new tape and admire my fun piles. and realize I have no decent method for storing it all. So I devised myself a contraption. Actually I took the idea from Silly Old Suitcase. Here is my version:

I know, sexy, right? I'm making dozens of these. Or, for reasonableness, I actually mean maybe one more. For now. Anyway this leads to the obvious question: WHAT DO I DO WITH A HUNDRED THOUSAND (minor exaggeration. Okay, major exaggeration) ROLLS OF WASHI TAPE?

Oh, and by the way, many thanks to Target for their awesome new supply of "Up & Up" paper tape (generic for washi). They also produce these delightful gems I got for christmas in my stocking. I see Santa knows me well.

So, back to the very important question. Here's a short list to get you started. Or to get me started. Frankly though, I think I'm just gonna start out admiring my stash. I'll move on to projects tomorrow. Or in a couple hours. Or soonish. Or ... hang on... I swear I'm gonna admire them a while first.... for a few minutes, at least! OHHHHH the temptations are dragging me down the path of crafty goodness! I may never return.... aggggggh!!!

OK here's my short list:

Oh but first, I must make this commentary: I don't get the whole idea behind covering every square inch of ANYTHING with tape.... like, this is tape, not contact paper. So you will not find those kind of projects here. Am I absurd for taking this hard-iron stance on a minorly silly subject? Of course, but I'm not changing. So there. Back to list:

iPhone cover: This one is great for those partially transparent tapes. Bring out the color of that case!
washi tape twist ties
organize your cords
purrty clothespins
cupcake bunting!
trust me, you want this.
more ideas here.

Get creative. Then get back with me. I should do something with these. I think I'm gonna start by decorating something... *scans about the room* ... We shall see.... :)

Some of My Latest Projects

Let's see what I've been up to these last couple days:


Pretty twig spray painted gold and hanging with a red ribbon.




Basic faux leather iPod sleeve with flannel lining for my guy.




Working on a priest-style stole for a friend's wedding. Paper cranes!




Up all night on this one: reversible messenger bag with side pocket.




Hope these provide some good inspiration!

A Manly Valentine: Introducing the Malentine

Now is the time to answer the age old question: what do you give a guy for Valentine's day? It better not be all sappy and pink and heart-shaped! OK so here is my solution, parts one and two. Part one is the card. Although I managed to slip in a tiny heart, here is my end result, painted on heavy duty watercolor paper, then folded in half.



Simple. Gets the point across. You wouldn't believe how long I spent trying to choose a font. That I could hand draw. And still looks good (not like scribble). After a very serious hour-plus, I finally settled on what I call the e.e. cummings. This font has a real way of bringing out the awwwe. Watercolor, rubber stamp (thanks to Walmart's amazing dollar bin), and pen and ink.

Part two is the jewelry. It was inspired by a cute bracelet I came across somewhere on the internet for an outrageous price. I would post the link, but I can't for the life of me remember where I saw it. Anyway... I made a set: one for him and one for her (AKA: me.) Because we go together like peas and carrots, I decided that was appropriate verbage. I was/am so excited to be using my new metal stamps!


Here is a pic of another bracelet I made of a similar style. Notice this one is shrinky-dink rather than metal, and has no clasps but just a knot instead. I post this photo to demonstrate what they look like on a wrist, and how they are intended to be worn. But of course creativity is always encouraged in my house, and if Ben wants to wear h is bracelet wrapped once around his head or wrapped ten times around his big toe, I don't care, as long as he keeps it creative :)

Striped Variegation Scarf

It's high time I posted an original pattern on here for you friends. Here it is: my personal, simple, yet somewhat tedious pattern for an amazingly awesome scarf. This utilizes a double knit approach while only requiring that you carry one strand of yarn at a time (score one for the clumsy!) The double knit is necessary in order to make the stripes only one row each. For a much simpler variation, you could make the stripes two rows each, do the whole thing in stockinette stitch, fold in half, and seam up the side. This version involves no seams. Sweet, huh? It's more work though. Each visible row is secretly two rows stitched (front and back) and for each stitch made, there is secretly one stitch slipped, thus 4 times the work for a usual row. Yikes! It takes longer than you might expect at a glance. But the awesome color change effect is SO worth it.This is also a good choice for a guy. (Just make sure there's no pink in the color gradation. Sometimes those girly colors have a way of slipping in there! Or maybe your guy is into pink. That is a tribute to his masculinity, and we ladies should embrace that, for sure! But I digress...) Here is my gender-neutral Striped Variegation Scarf:By using two completely different variegated yarns, we get a really cool effect. Well actually the yarns are self-striping and not at all variegated. But then what excuse would I have to use the word "variegated?" Another option would be to use two skeins of the same variegated yarn, but starting at different points in the color scheme. The colors will move in and out of each other in interesting ways.

Striped Variegation Scarf

Materials:
1 skein your favorite self-striping yarn (color A) (The yarn I used was blue/green)
1 skein your second most favorite self-striping yarn (color B) (The yarn I used was jewel tones)
appropriately sized knitting needles

Instructions:
using color A, cast on 40 stitches (for a scarf that will be 20 stitches wide. Adjust more or fewer as necessary.)
row 1:
using color A, *slip to purl, k1, repeat from * to end of row.
row 2:
Switch to color B. *slip to purl, k1, repeat from * to end of row. Switch to color A.
repeat rows 1 and 2 until you reach desired length (75 inches is about standard).
Cast off two stitches at a time. Pull ends to the inside.

tips:
~The finished scarf is essentially a tube, so any mistakes or ties can just be worked in to the purl side, and will disappear to the inside of the tube. The is the same inside where you can pull the ends. No need to weave them in. Yay!
~Be careful to keep a consistent tension on the yarn when you hit the ends of the rows, as they may not come out straight on the finished product if the yarn is too loose or too tight. My scarf is a little bit wobbly on the sides, but some stretching and blocking an they disappear more or less. Also remember, non-knitters completely don't notice this stuff!
~ when switching yarns, I strongly recommend picking up the new color from UNDERNEATH the old color every time. This will cause some amount of twisting, which will later have to be untwisted occasionally throughout the project, but it is totally worth it. The result is a smoother transition of color and the appearance of one perpetual stripe of color going round and round and round the scarf, with no indication of color switches. How professional!

Honey, Hunny!

It's that time of year again, friends: Honey harvest, when we turn empties...

...into fulsiesMy labels this year are a slight improvement over last year's. This year, I chose to go more Victorian, and less cartoony:
My next assignment: soap that doesn't mold in the trunk of my car and lip balm that doesn't separate in minutes. SIGH. This is a butt-wad slow learning process! Updates in the future.

my firstest amigurumi doodad.

Ohh yeah, I have a blog. How interesting that I have been soooo busy doing what I enjoy doing, but somehow forgot to take pictures and post to show the world. Because, really, it's the showing off that is the best part of the making! Right? Well, maybe sometimes. Mom got me patterns for lil crochet zoo animals and I began with the elephant. No clue why, as it is not the cutest, or the most convenient for my yarn colors... for some reason I felt drawn to begin with the eletelephony, as pictured above. I am now embarking on a giraffe. Other completed works include hats and scarves and so on... the usual. Probably I will promise to post pics but never will, as per my standard MO. And that's a mo-fo. Fo sho, yo.

No-Slip Grips

This is a really short note. But I made a discovery today that I'm sure many people have made before me. I am surely still allowed to be proud of it though, right? Right? Surely. Here's an easy way to make head wraps/bands/ties into non-slip versions. Magical and quick, it's called: hot glue! Throw it on, let it cool (I like to push it into the fabric with my thumb about 2/3 of the way through the cooling process, just to make sure it's really stuck solidly) and throw it on your head. No more glancing in the mirror to realize your hair tie has been dangling off the back of your neck for hours like an idiot! I have once again saved the day! Yay, me.

Self Striping: An Ode

My latest obsession: self-striping yarns. While on a trip to Bowling Green this week, I stopped in at the local yarn store (Crafty Hands. It is very nice. You should visit if ever in town. It is open during normal business hours) and bought up a variety for use in projects for friends (a scarf and some tiny birds... don't tell!). now I want to self-stripe everything I make. It makes a simple, say... dishtowel, amazing and gorgeous. Just knit in any pattern or none at all, and voila! a stripey dishtowel! No work, no ties, no weaving in ends, no multiple skeins of yarn. it is God's gift to knitters. Who invented this stuff? That person (a woman, I am sure) should be CROWNED!

Next up.... Verigated Yarns: The Self Striper for Caterpillar Socks

Update

Sigh... I have moved yet again and all my stuff is packed away. That means all but the essentials: clothes, toothbrush, deoderant, sewing machine, knitting needles and yarn. Oh and peanuts. So I am having to do minimal stuff to post on here for the next couple months. Here is what I have been up to (sans pics, I'm afraid):
an abnormally long orange fuzzy scarf.. Good for halloween?
a blue-grey and dark blue-grey striped scarf (in progress)
a black and white quilt (in progress)
a fluffy soft long red skirt made from fleece. it's like wearing a blanket!
Ok thats it for now. I may not blog in a while. Maybe I'll manage somehow to post pics. We'll see. Oh and I got awesome new yarn. I need to make something for my new room with it (the room I'll be moving to in December) cause the colors match and its awesome. I'll try to post pics of that too. We'll see again. Ok running out of time. Ta.

Update

I have updated my etsy shop. The new location is The Coy Bobbin. I have one item posted and more to come
Be sure to check it out!

Robot News

I just found out this amazing new thing! Etsy has an entire category devoted to nothing but robots! And of course, you all know how much I LOVE robots!
I feel strongly as though I need to create something JUST SO I CAN PUT IT IN THAT CATEGORY. While you're there checking out the etsy robots, you can check out my BRAND SPANKIN' NEW etsy shop of my very own!! I've not got anything posted for sale yet, but I will soon! be sure to bookmark it and check back often. and give me loads of business! yay!
go there! yay!

Flickr, mostly

now on flickr and in the CRAFT flickr pool
what a great place for new ideas!! go look for me there and add me as a contact if you wish for EVEN MORE pictures of my questionably significant daily doolings!

Also here I add a shameless plug for my sister's blog as she travels about Britain. its very funny. Read on!

Doing/Inspiring

Well I've been on a few more projects lately. I've some pics here. I love picture posts, cause who wants to read a buncha filler about other people anyway??? heh...

finally finished the quilt... now for some wall color. Methinks that yellow, which I call "Pooh."


Just can't get enough Nemo.


The DVD rack gets a color makeover. It is now back in the living room and looking snappy.


My Handy hubby paints the cabinets. Be it known he did not do ALL the work on these. I painted the insides and after taking this picture, I painted the window, too


My scary makeshift workspace. I need an "after" picture somewhere in here, now that I've (finally!) recieved my real desk.
Some pages from my wedding scrapbook. I'm new to scrapbooking, so its pretty simplistic. But I like it that way. :)
Some scrapbook papers. I love these so much I'm using them for inspiration for a project later on. I'll show pics when its done.



I just love these. The flowers remind me of my wedding (my bouquet was daisies).


Nailed in the wall over my desk.



Just an awesome thing. I love those colors, especially the emerald green and gold. They will someday show up in the decor of this room. Someday.


Because not EVERYTHING is about crafting, and because my Wendy is awesome and adorable. Say cheese, Wendy!

backing to crafting

Although I've begun to get to that quilt (finally!), sometimes one must take a break from crafting to work on existence. And that usually means going out and making money, then handing that money over to important people who work at banks and electric companies and grocery stores. This is life. Well in this world, that is what I am up to. And due to an interesting and unfortunate reaction between medications (pharmacist error? ... no comment.), I have had no awake time for anything but the necessary lately. I am, however on weekend trip to mom and dad's to collect the necessaries: long-packed-up crafting books... may the games beginagain! 

And speaking of games... 'tis olympics season. I root for us, naturally, so get away from this durned computer and turn on the tube! Go us!

My Plans

Things I have been working on in the last month or two:

nothing.


Things I WANT to work on:

super-washable quilt for twin bed.
curtains.
skirt from hankies (see A Little Hanky Panky.)
trash bag for car.
futon cover.
chair slipcover (this will be a challenge.)
build retaining wall.
attempt mosaic (a new concept to me. I want to try it out.)
complete garden.
plant tree.
etc.


Amount of free time I have to complete said projects:

limited. very. sigh.

Things from my New England Trip

Because I know you are just DYING to know what stuffs I bought myself while on vacation.
This t-shirt I found in (duh) Plymouth, Massachusetts. (In middle school, I used to be able to spell that. Today, I depend heavily on spell check.) At any rate, I bought the shirt as an afterthought mainly because it was on the clearance rack for under $4. It has become my favorite and new default T. That is, if its clean, its on my back. Of course. Because, after all, isn't that how it always works?

This Hufflepuff banner I found in Salem. Of course! That place is crawling with awesome souvenir shops. And basically very little else. And a witch museum which cost too much for me to enter. The shops, however, were free, and therefore ALL visited by me. hehe. Incidentally, I might note that spell check suggests shuffleboard in lieu of Hufflepuff. (I am proud to note that "lieu" I have no trouble whatsoever in spelling on my own.)


This shirt says "I (Mickey Mouse) N Y." Silly me, I didn't think a mirror photo will pop out a mirror image of the lettering. Duh, me. Its SO cute, though, isn't it?!! I got a similar one for my friend's dog. Yes, they even have dog T's at the three-story NY Disney store.

another T from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Apparently, the ancient Egyptians worshiped cats like my Wendy. I find this difficult to believe. Wendy may be a peach, but she's hardly godly. She's also fatter than this cat. Lazy girl.


Saw Xanadu on Broadway. From the stage. No yolks, folks. I even sang and danced on the stage. In front of God and everyone. Lots of old ladies. Totally NOT an old lady show. Still don't know what the dealy is with that, except that maybe only old ladies can afford regular tickets. Ouch. prices.


Also from Salem. Also resembles my Wendy.

Also ditto. Also ditto. Isn't it cute? :)



Edit 6/3:
my new and improved photo of me in my new IMMNY shirt. I flipped it and cropped the junk out. :) It continues to be an awesome shirt!

Domestic Turmoil.... and more crafts coming up!

Where have I beeeeen? One word: Finals. The last word:

I have finally gradgimicated (or the closest I intend to get for a long long time) so I was going insane finishing school, then on vacation to New England (pics coming soon, I swear). Now I am visiting my family for a grad party, as I was not the only one doing this dirty deed. I'm back on the track this week. I promiscuous. OH! I mean I promise *blushing. 

Beebee Binket

Well ladies and germs, I'm sure you're wondering where I've been. Or maybe you've not noticed. Well, at any rate... this is finals week. 'nuff said, eh? But I HAVE been busy knitting a baby blanket for my friend who just popped one out a few weeks ago. It is red with devil horns... cute! I took the pattern from a great book, so the rights aren't mine to publish, but you can find it in Crazy Aunt Purl's book, Drunk, Divorced and Covered in Cat hair. I altered the devil horns a bit, making them bigger, and worked the edging as I went, rather than crochet around when I was finished. Here's the pics!




There's Dog Train, modeling for us. And isn't he just a bundle of adorability?! I have a concern the hood might be too big. Naturally, when I was making it, I thought surely it was too small! Typical. Oh well. I guess babies' eyes don't sit on the top of their heads like stuffed animals' do. I hope.

Gone Green

Apparently, the trend these days is going "green" yet, if you're a genuine crafter like me, you know this concept all too well already. We hoard supplies (and random stuffs) like crazy... for just in case. That is to say, we don't throw anything away. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle... well, maybe not reduce. For example, I have fabric scraps in my closet from I-don't-know-how-many years back that I just can't bring myself to get rid of just in case I need that color for a quilt corner. Or a tie back. Or whatever. So they say green is the new black, but I say green is the trendy new just in case. Don't get me wrong, I think saving the planet and all that is a very good thing. I like to imagine I'm doing my part by recycling and using low-energy appliances, etc. I just want the world to know that I and my fellow hoarders have been doing this since before it was cool, before when we thought we humans were indestructible and ruled the world. When everyone else was throwing out plastic packaging by the ton, I was saving all those little yogurt containers, toilet paper rolls and cardboard boxes. I saved it for the inevitable day that just in case would become a reality. And finally, now, the revolution has begun. No longer is it just in case i need this item, but it has evolved to just in case the world should collapse. For the betterment of mankind, for the betterment of our children's children, for the betterment of our own need to fill closets full of junk, please my friends, RECYCLE. Thank you.