Why Hello, Mr. Tax Refund Check!

True to my word, I went to AC Moore last weekend and spent a small fortune (courtesy of my tax refund check) on cross stitching supplies. I bought three picture kits: the first is of a dalmatian puppy that appears to have sneezed off some of her spots, the second is a profile shot of a tiger's head, and the third is a snow-covered log cabin scene. I was hoping for a little more variety, but I had no problem settling (obviously). Once I'm a little more experienced, I'm going to shop on-line for patterns and buy the thread and cloth separately. I've already started the dalmatian puppy, but the going is slow. Why? Because I've yet again changed my grandmother's cardigan! The Leafy Lace Cardigan got fuglier with every stitch that I knit. I ripped it all out and turned to Ravelry, again, for something (ANYTHING) that my grandmother wouldn't be embarrassed to wear in public.

And then, I found it. Hey Teach!

I'm knitting this with KnitPicks Shine worsted (60% Pima Cotton, 40% Modal) in "Hollyberry." The yarn sheds quite a bit, but it's super soft. I had a different cardigan in mind when I purchased this yarn, so I'm going to have a ton left over.

The pattern is pretty straightforward. I had a little trouble deciphering the lace chart at first, but I figured it out without hitting anyone. The shaping, however, is causing severe mood swings. I'm sitting here, at work, completely consumed with figuring out a way to decrease (on the back) to 59 stitches without throwing off the lace pattern. Something tells me I'm in for a long night of cursing...

Aside from the shaping woes, the cardigan is a fast knit. I'm going to try to finish the back tonight. My grandmother's birthday is March 18th, and I'm hoping (although probably in vain) that I'll have it done by then. At some point I'm going to have to throw a Little Angel Top into the mix. One of my friends is due March 24th-ish. Everyone is reproducing, and I can't keep up!

Oh Dear

Something dangerous has happened. Along with wanting to do thread crochet, sewing, and a laundry list of knit projects that includes socks, I seem to have found myself wrapped up in an entirely new obsession: Cross Stitch. I would love to make some wall hangings that I could use to decorate my non-existent house. How about some cute tea towels? Napkins? Pillows? It's a slippery slope!

Perhaps I should organize my "tubs" before I embark on yet another craft adventure. Yes, that's what I'll do tonight. I'll stack and label my tubs. Life would be so much easier if my closet tripled in size. Apartment living is pretty craptacular when you hoard craft supplies. It would also be helpful if the hours in each day increased from 24 to 34. I need more time! Leaving for work at 7am and returning at 5pm definitely affects my crafting...negatively. Except work does support my habit(s). It's a love/hate relationship.

Guess who's going to Michaels on Saturday? Chances are it's the same person who is going to spend all of the money she allotted for frivolous craft spending in one trip. Thank you tax refund!

Blizzardy Things

Oh my goodness. So much has happened since my last post. Up first: TWO BLIZZARDS! I love snow. I love it so much that I get depressed when it melts. Over the past few years my area (South Jersey) has gotten very little snow, and I wasn't sure I'd ever see a big snowfall again. This winter has brought me THREE blizzards, and two of those blizzards happened less than a week apart. You can imagine my excitement when I learned that I'd have two days off from work to play in the snow. I hadn't had a snow day since high school.

I'm not the only one who loves snow. Darby loves it even more than I do! She's a complete snow puppy. I don't think I'd like frolicking through ice and snow with my stomach exposed, but Darby seems to enjoy the feeling. I can't wait until I get a yard. I plan to install a nice fence, and I'm going let Darby play in the snow for hours. Here are a few pictures of her adventures:







Xerxes isn't much of a snow-loving dog. Once he sees that there's snow outside, he drops and pees right in the hallway. He'll play once in a while, but for the most part he finds it inconvenient.

In other news, my Owl Sweater is totally complete. It's got its eyes and everything! Here's a picture:



Pretty snazzy, don't you think? Here's a side shot:



...and a cute little owl!



I used stuffed animal eyes for my owls. They worked out pretty well. I bought 100 eyes for less than it would have cost me to purchase 42 matching buttons, and they were much quicker to apply. All I had to do was pop the eye post through the sweater, snap on the back, and snip the end of the post. Wa la! This is my absolute favorite knit project to date. I've also completed 2 other projects:

...a hat


(This was a total disappointment. It turned out way small, and the pattern hurt my hands.)

...and some fingerless gloves




At the moment, I'm trying to wrap up that baby blanket I started ages ago. I started knitting my grandmother's cardigan, but it's boring the heck out of me (and it's looking fug). It has taken incredible self control NOT to start something new and exciting. I'm sticking to my plan, though. I want to start making things to sell, and I can't do that until I've finished everything I've started.

Settin' Up Shop

Disclaimer: I totally didn't forget about posting the UPenn Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology pictures. I've been holding off blogging with the intention of posting said pictures, but the urge to blog usually hits me at work, and I cannot ignore it any longer. I should set a day. How about Saturday?

A while back I decided that I wanted to set up an Etsy shop. I might have mentioned it here. I can't remember. I want to sell accessories: scarves, hats, cowls, fingerless gloves, etc. Originally I thought I'd start working on my "products" immediately following Christmas, but stuff has come up, namely two owl sweaters, my grandmother's cardigan (Yes, I chose a different pattern), and my dad's chemo caps. Here are the reasons I've been set back:

-I'm participating in an owl sweater knit-a-long with my friend, Sara. I'm making one sweater for me and one for my mom.

-Due to time constraints, I ended up shifting my grandmother's cardigan to after Christmas.

-My dad will be undergoing chemotherapy for Multiple Myeloma sometime soon, hence the need for chemo caps.

After these things have been knit, I am not going to allow myself to knit ANYTHING else (save shop products) until I have enough items for my shop. I've put some thought into my "brand name." I think I'm going to go with Darby's Doodles, but that isn't final. In addition to a name, I'm going to need to come up with a cool banner and procure a model (and some photography skills). Tags are a must as well. I want my products to look professional. Oh, and I can't forget about my shop profile and policies! I'll have to come with something witty and entertaining.

I don't plan on making it "big," or becoming a famous designer. I just want to recoup some of the costs of knitting in general. If I make a little extra, good for me. I want this to be fun, not a job. I already have one of those.

Life: As I Know It

There's a reason I haven't been writing much. It's because there's nothing to write about. My life is pretty darn boring. Let's see...what have I done since I last posted?

-I attended a baby shower.
-Christmas "happened."
-I enjoyed a much needed (and deserved!) vacation.
-I begrudgingly returned to work.
-I went to the UPenn Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology. (I should probably post pictures of that outing here. Note to Self: Put up pictures in next post.)
-I started knitting a soul stealing sweater. (Believe me, it already did! I've spent more hours tweaking the pattern than sleeping.)
-...and I've been desperately trying to organize my teeny tiny apartment. There isn't enough space for all of my crafty stuff, which gives me agita, and makes me feel disheveled. I can't find a safe place to put my yarn. Darby ALWAYS ends up wrapped from head to tail in my yarn. She's such a weasel.

I've devised a plan to help me escape boredom: list making. Aside from the constant student loan budgeting that keeps me sane, I'm coming up with all kinds of things I'm going to do once I get a house. At the top of the list is sewing. I got a sewing machine for Christmas, but I haven't the slightest clue how to operate it. And while I'm confessing, I should add that I don't really know how to sew either. While I would love to pop that sucker out of its box and rip through a bunch of fabric, I know I shouldn't in such a tight space. I'm scared I'll lose some of the parts to either the vacuum cleaner or one of my dogs' voracious appetites.

Second on my list is gardening. Although I'm technically allowed to plant things in the space around my bedroom window, better judgement tells me that that's a no-no. I'm almost positive my completely rational neighbors will commit gardencide.

Third, I'm going to crochet a tablecloth. I've been admiring everyone's beautiful crocheted tablecloths, and I want one of my own. I picked out a pattern. All I need is a house with a dining room table (and space to safely store the tablecloth.)

Fourth, I'm going to get a Christmas tree. And make a tree skirt. And go all-out on decorating. I haven't had a Christmas tree (much to my despair) since I moved. There's just no room. And my dogs eat yarn and plastic bags. What do you think they'd do to a Christmas tree?

Fifth, I'm going to make Xerxes a bunch of diapers. One for every day of the week. He's got one at the moment. I don't bother making him wear it because I'm lazy...and I'm renting from the worst place on Earth. Yeah, I'm vindictive like that.

Of course, this list is open ended. Unfortunately, the wait is as well.

Baby Shower Selections

I've finally made my "official" baby shower selections. I had been going back and forth between a few options, but I was forced to buckle down and make a decision. After all, the shower is on January 10th. I chose the Lace Panelled Baby Blanket ("Panelled" looked kind of weird to me, so I looked it up. Apparently panelled is the British spelling of paneled.) and a simple raglan baby cardigan for which I cannot provide a link since it's only available on Ravelry. Kai is taking me to AC Moore today to buy the necessary yarn (and possibly a long circular needle). I haven't done anything "baby" for a while, so I'm kind of excited. I'm lucky enough to know the sex of the baby, so my color selection won't be limited (It's a boy.) The blanket pattern I chose is a bit lacy, but I intend to add a masculine border. I need something that will keep my interest.

In other news, I completed all of Bristow's pieces. I was going to block them on Sunday, but my apartment lost heat last week and plunged into the 40's. Needless to say, I wasn't keen on playing with water. The heat has since been fixed, so I'm thinking the blessed event will take place this coming weekend. I also started the Chevron Lace Cardigan. I'll spare you the gruesome details and just tell you that it is nearing completion. It's about waist length now with cap sleeves. I'd like it to be hip length with 3/4 sleeves, but that's just wishful thinking. I probably won't have enough yarn for the sleeves.

Ebay has become my friend over the past week or so. I've been scouring the auction giant for cheap buttons. I can't bring myself to spend $4-$8 on a card of buttons. Due to my amazing bidding prowess, I am now the proud owner of 3 lbs of "decorative" buttons and 200 Waterbury metal buttons. (Decorative - That's what the seller called them. I'll call them a smattering of different shaped, sized, and colored buttons.) I also won 3 lots of 50 buttons each. (They're baby buttons.) And I'm bidding on about 5 more 50 button lots of baby buttons. (Buttons, buttons, buttons.) When all is said and done, I'll be set for life! All I need now is a big jar. The buttons are currently residing in a mini cooler, 'cause that's how I roll.

In my queue I have a hat and a pair of gloves that need to be completed by Christmas day. I also have a dishcloth that I'd like to make, but we'll see. I'll probably start the baby stuff this week (maybe tonight!), because I can't stay focused. Oh, and I need to find pretty boxes and wrapping paper for all of this stuff. I think I might end up wrapping at my parents' house...if my mom lets me.

Destruction and Doom

Yesterday I came home to a dismal scene. Every morning when Kai and I leave for work, Kai puts Xerxes in his kennel so that he doesn't destroy the apartment while we're away. I walk outside while Kai does this because I can't bear to hear him cry. Yesterday evening, upon arriving home from work, I found Xerxes LOOSE. Somehow he had gotten out of his kennel and managed to shred everything within reach in the kitchen and living room. He had my knives, Kai's birthday cards, our pens and pencils, etc. Worst of all, however, was that he had gnawed on my beautiful digital camera. The "shield" covering the battery and memory card was gone (Xerxes probably ingested it.), and the LCD screen was covered with dried slobber. I tried turning it on to see if it still worked, and to my surprise, it seemed to be functioning properly. I'm not sure how long it'll last, but at least I won't have to run out this instant and spend $200 on a camera.

Among the things that Xerxes destroyed was a can of cheeze whiz. He ate the whole thing. All of the cheeze whiz, that is. Thankfully, he left the can. Last night we had a training class, so Xerxes spent the majority of class embarrassing me with his farts. When he wasn't farting, he was peeing all over the trainer's carpet. He even lifted his leg and peed on the trainer's "tunnel." (It's some kind of tunnel thing that the dogs army crawl through.) You know your night is shot to hell when you have to pick up your dog and clamp his wiener shut with your hand. About an hour into the class, Xerxes decided he was done. The trainer has been trying to teach us how to make our dogs lay down, and I must admit that I haven't been practicing that particular command with Xerxes. I have my reasons. One - I don't care if he lays down on command. And two - he is incredibly stubborn when it comes to laying down, and I just don't have the energy to keep pushing him down. Because Xerxes refused to lay down, both the trainer and I had to keep correcting him with the "choke collar." Xerxes got really upset about the constant correcting and stopped paying attention. He just stood by the door with sad eyes that said, "Please let me out. I want to go home." When I didn't let him leave, he ran and hid underneath Kai's chair. That broke my heart. I let Xerxes sit out for the rest of the class, but stayed to watch so I could practice the new stuff with him at home.

Next week we have our last class, and I'm kind of scared to go. I don't want him to be scared. :(

I have good news, though. I am officially halfway through my sentence at The Landings at Pine Lake. I've got my fingers crossed, and I hope we make it to May without being kicked out. I'm not sure when I should start looking for a house to rent. Maybe March? I don't want to wait too long. The last thing I need is an extra month at The Landings.