Reading Machine

One of these days I'll learn to write a post more than once every two weeks. I haven't been very crafty lately and therefore haven't had much to write about. I have been an absolutely reading machine though. It has been about two years since I was this into reading! I have been an avid reader all my life. Unfortunately, reading took a bit of a backseat to my knitting since I could only do one or the other and let's face it, I'm addicted to knitting! The other issue was I just couldn't find books that were truly interesting me. It's not that I have stopped reading in the past two years, it's just that I would read so sparingly, it would take me anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months to finish a book when I used to read one in less than a weekend.

I don't know what has happened but all of a sudden, great books are all around me and I cannot...stop.... reading! Two weeks ago my boyfriend and I went to a local used bookstore here in Nashville. This bookstore is in a former warehouse and is HUGE. It is insanely well organized and I can spend hours in there. Before we left for the bookstore, I went to my Goodreads account. (Sidebar: If you love to read and haven't checked out Goodreads, I highly recommend you do. It is like MySpace and Facebook for books! You input what you've read and what you'd like to read and can view what others are reading too. It's a great way to find new books.) Anywho, I wrote down a few titles off my Goodreads list and off we went to the bookstore. Within a few minutes of browsing, I found one of the books I was looking for for just $0.10. That's right - 10 cents. Get out! Needless to say, with prices like that, I majorly stocked up on books.


I just finished reading "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield. If you like mysteries, I recommend this book. The story was good and kept my interest. There were even a few unexpected twists here and there.

I am in the middle of reading "Crazy Aunt Purl's Home Is Where the Wine Is" by Laurie Perry. If you enjoy Crazy Aunt Purl's blog, you'll enjoy this book.



This is Laurie Perry's second book and comes complete with knitting "recipes".

Next up after "Home Is Where the Wine Is" will be "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier. I am dying to start reading this. I plan to finish up "Home Is Where..." tonight and hope to start "Rebecca" either tonight or tomorrow night.

If anyone signs up for Goodreads, be sure to "friend" me and if you're not into Goodreads but know of any great books, be sure to pass the book titles along to me. Thanks!!!

Hot Mess

Folks, I have been a hot mess lately. I just cannot get it together! When I try to focus on my crafts, I make the silliest mistakes. A few weeks ago at my knitting group, I was complaining about how I didn't think the hat I was knitting was turning out quite right. The hat pattern included sequins. I have never really done a knitting project with sequins or beads. It was easy enough but still didn't seem quite right. Finally, at the end of the evening as I was complaining about my hat yet again, Stephanie finally asked the question "Is it supposed to be knit in the round? All of a sudden it hit me! I was taking a pattern intended to be knit on straight needles and was knitting it on circular needles yet still following the pattern exactly as it was written, not accounting for this change. The original hat pattern called for stockinette stitch (knit one row, purl one row) I was doing this on circular needles which is not necessary! When knitting on circular needles, you just continuously knit (not purl) to create stockinette stitch. DUH! I pulled everything out immediately and started over. I am still not in love with the hat. I think I bought the wrong kind of sequins. The picture in the pattern was a bit fuzzy and the directions didn't specify so I bought sequins with the hole in the center. I think the pattern may actually require sequins that are more like discs with the hole at the top. I'll complete this hat with the sequins I have and see what I think. I may need to make another one with sequin discs. You can never use too many sequins!

In other blunders, I pulled out my card making stuff this past weekend to make a birthday card for JJ's mom. I was working away having a grand ol' time stamping, punching and cutting. I completed the front of the card and opened it up to stamp a sentiment on the inside of the card only to discover I had glued everything on UPSIDE DOWN. Oy ve! Thankfully it was an easy fix. I just cut the card front off and glued it onto another folded card. It didn't look bad either. Whew!

I think this may be a sign I am trying to get too many crafts in with too little time. One of these days I hope to turn my hobby into a full time job. I am not 100% positive how I am going to accomplish this but I do have some ideas. That's a post for another time. Until then, I'll just keep on keepin' on and hope for the best. Have a great weekend everyone!!!!

I need sunshine!!!!

I have been in such a rut lately! I have not done anything having to do with my crafts. I haven't even taken the photos I keep promising. I have scarves draped over the back of the dining room chair just awaiting their photo shoot and I can't get motivated.

Sunshine really helps me get the creative juices flowing. My craft room is all done up in bright and cheerful colors with a window that lets the sunshine in perfectly. Without the sunshine, I am at a standstill. Well, I need sunshine as much as I need to clean up my craft room. It's a little hard to work at the counter when it's covered with piles of stuff. I have craft items I purchased and haven't even used just sitting there! The horror!

Perhaps I'll make a concious effort to get organized this weekend. Anyone have any good tips or tricks from orgaanizing everything from beads and sewing notions to paper and stamps? I need all the help I can get!

The Crew

As much as crafting is an activity that can be done solo or socially in a group, I never truly craft alone or without help. I have a whole team that helps me out. Meet The Crew:

Chloe

Chloe is the most particular one of the bunch. If she doesn't like something, she'll let you know. Chloe is great in the area of quality control. She is sure to check all yarn for softness. This is done by laying upon the yarn for hours at a time, ocassionally rolling back and forth to be sure of the yarn's durability, comfort and overall texture. Honestly, Chloe has never met a yarn she doesn't like but it doesn't hurt to check each and every skein. She also gives all loose tissue paper, silk flowers and other ephemera an adequate taste test. Everything must be edible. How embarassing would it be to find out a greeting card you worked terribly hard on could not be eaten by the recipient? Sheesh. Don't even get her started on the ribbon! All ribbon is tested for suppleness, flowy-ness and also taste. She has got to be hands down, the best ribbon dancer I know. I wouldn't trust anyone else with ribbon checking. Once the crafted item is complete, it is shown to Chloe for approval. The tone of her meow makes or breaks the outcome of your project.

Bailey

Bailey is the curious one of the bunch. She is sure to evaluate all craft items for proper usage and durability. If it is handled by Bailey and still intact when she's done, it is good to go. Bailey likes to check all craft items for playability. She makes sure all yarn dangles just so and all ribbon twitches just the right way. Fallen beads are checked for their ability to be tossed, batted and swished around. She is also great at giving advice on any project. She'll take away items she doesn't feel you should use and is always happy to rearrange things to make them more aesthetically pleasing. Bailey also likes to perform smell and taste tests. You can never be too careful about the scent or flavor of your notions. If the pieces aren't palatable, the whole project could be ruined!

JJ

JJ is the designated boyfriend. As the boyfriend, he is in charge of avoiding disaster. As a former boyscout, he is always able to lend a helping hand when my skeins of yarn get twisted and tangled. Ocassionally this is due to Bailey testing the yarn for playability. JJ also assists in the brainstorming process. When I couldn't find the needle size I wanted in the length I wanted, he made me knitting needles! Carved the tips, sanded them down, stained them and everything. He is great to bounce ideas off of and helps me think outside the box. This doesn't mean I always agree with his ideas... it just means we share ideas. Haha!

There you have it. That's my crew! It's a motley bunch but we get the job done.

Grandma

Hey everyone. I have really been slacking on the blogging front. There are posts to be written and pictures to be posted. Unfortunately it has been a rough couple of weeks. My grandmother passed away last week and I spent some time in Ohio with my family. We knew this was coming so I was able to prepare myself a little but you can never truly be prepared. Her passing made me reflect back on our time together. My grandma is truly the one who inspired my love of crafts. She loved to sew, crochet, macrame and do various other crafts.

My aunt found a great photo with my grandma standing next to about 5 hanging plants all of which had macrame plant hangers she had made. She was always so trendy when it came to handmade items. She always seemed to know what was in vogue whether it was clothing or home goods.

My mom always jokes that my grandmother was one of the most beautiful sewers she ever met but yet she couldn't read a pattern to save her life. Like I said, my grandmother always had fashionable clothes when she was a young mother since she made them all herself! She would also visit local craft shows. If she found something she'd like to make, she just bought it and took it apart to see how it was made. I remember her teaching me so many crafts. I was always bringing projects home from grandma's house. And cookies too. She always made sure I had cookies to take home for my dad. I think he ate his weight in Snickerdoodles!

I say the passing of a loved one is not a time to be sad but a time to celebrate the life of the one who has passed. I am thankful for the time I got to spend with my grandmother and how she helped shape who I am. She will be greatly missed.

Another Perfect Crafting Weekend Ahead!

"Oh the weather outside is frightful.....". It's another horrible day in the neighborhood. I relish these dreary days. They are the perfect days for staying in and doing crafts. I am hoping the weather holds out enough that my friend Stephanie can come teach me continental style knitting. It is much faster. This could be a problem as the faster I knit, the more yarn I'll need and my wallet is not prepared! I have been cranking out projects rather quickly lately as it is!

Speaking of yarn and injury to my wallet, I just bought some Rowan Kidsilk Haze to make Fetching Knits "Fling" scarf. I love how light and airy this scarf looks. It will be a great spring or even summer scarf too. It's so tough to find summer knits!


Based on the suggestion in the pattern, I picked two contrasting yarns: Marmalade (orange) and Jelly (Lime Green).

I cannot wait to get started on this scarf! I love using bright colors. They just make knitting that much more fun. I am dying to use this super soft yarn too! Side note: Thanks to the fun lime green yarn entitled Jelly, I now have the line "I don't think you're ready for this jelly" from Destiny Child's song Bootylicious. Wonderful... Let's hope the upbeat rhythm leads to quick, upbeat knitting.

In other knitting news, I completed knitting my blue cable knit scarf over the weekend. Right now I'm working on a purple merino wool scarf. It has a pretty ruffle pattern. I'll be sure to post pics soon. As soon as I finish up the purple scarf, I'll be starting my Fling boa scarf. In other words, I'll be knitting like a mad woman this weekend so I can start my new project. I always get so excited to start new projects!

I hope everyone else gets to enjoy the gloomy weather as much as I do! Whatever you do - Have fun!!!!!

I'd rather be knitting

Do you ever have one of those moments when you realize you could be doing something much more worthy of your time? For example, today it took me over an hour to get to work thanks to the lovely bit of snow we received the other day and the fact that only main roads were plowed. Being the goofball that I am, I downloaded several podcasts over the weekend but failed to sync them to my iPod. This left me an hour in which I feel I accomplished NOTHING. It was bad enough that my work commute had increased by more than 30 minutes but now I not only did not get any knowledge from one of my wonderful podcasts but I also could have used that time doing something much more enjoyable.

To me, a one hour car ride translates into one hour that I did not spend knitting or doing another craft. Do you know how many rows of a scarf I could have completed in an hour?! Or how many cards I could have made? It is truly my dream to be able to make a living out of my crafting. We'll see if I can ever make that work.....

Snow Days = Craft Days

I love Snow Days! It's been a long time since I've had an actual snow day. I purposely moved south to avoid snow but didn't realized how much I missed the luxury of a Snow Day. We are actually getting a nice accumulation of snow here in Nashville. I left for work at 7:00am and the weather was fine and dandy. Two hours later the office was closed due to the inclement weather. It was like someone flipped a switch and a bunch of snow got dumped on us! Things could not have come together more perfectly. I now had a whole day to admire the lovely, fluffy snow on the ground from the comfort of my own home. What a perfect day to catch up on some crafting! On a Friday no less. Hello three day weekend!!!!

Needless to say, I got home, changed into some comfy clothes and settled in on the couch with the tv remote, my knitting and the two kitties - Chloe supervises the yarn tension while Bailey occassionally tests the flavor and texture of the yarn. Ugh.

I have been working on a cable knit scarf for a few weeks now. This is my second cable knitting project. It is so much fun. I love the look of cables. All those wonderful twists adding texture and definition. I've gotten quite a bit done today and am in the home stretch. The weather isn't supposed to let up so with luck I'll have the scarf wrapped up (no pun intended) by Sunday evening at the latest. Here's a preview:

And a close up of the cables:

Please bear with me as I am still mastering the photographs. A new camera is on the wish list but for now I'll work with what I've got. Haha! I used the Hooded Button Scarf pattern from the November 2009 issue of Creative Knitting Magazine.

The scarf knits up rather quickly on size 10 needles. I've modified it a bit for my liking. The pattern calls for 3 strands of worsted weight yarn to be held together. I tried that and it was WAY too thick for me. I used just 1 strand and it is coming out perfectly. The worsted weight yarn suggested is a mohair blend. I purchased KnitPicks Merino Style yarn. It is a 100% Merino Wool yarn in DK weight. It is working out perfectly. I love the color too! I selected "Kenai" which is a gorgeous shade of blue. My photos clearly don't do it justice. While I like this yarn, I wish I had selected one that was a tad bit softer. KnitPicks has several other yarns I am dying to try. I'm eyeing up their Gloss line which is a Merino Wool/Silk blend. Sounds scrumptious!

If you're a knitter or crocheter you've never checked out KnitPicks, I highly recommend you do. You can only order through the catalog or online. They have a great selection of yarn at really reasonable prices. Even after shipping, it is still a great deal especially for the quality of the yarns. While you're checking them out, browse the needles. Their interchangeable circular needle sets are amazing! In the set you get needle tip sizes 4-11 along with 2 each 24" and 32" cables to attach the needles to. All that for one super low price if you consider how much it would cost to buy each individual circular needle size. Did I mention they all fit in one simple zippered case?! No more loose knitting needles lying around! You can also purchase additional needle tip sizes and cable lengths. I love my Options Interchangeable Harmony Wood Circular needle set. Not only does having a full set of circular needles come in handy but they are so pretty too! Even better in person!

With luck, I'll finish knitting the scarf this weekend and get it blocked so I may show of the finished product next week!

In other news, I did not win my first card challenge. This was no shock to me and I am in no way disappointed. It was a great opportunity to pull out my card making supplies and get creative. You will have to check out the winners though. There are some very creative women participating in the "Everything But The Kitchen Sink Challenge"! Congrats to all the winners!!!! There will be another EBTKS Challenge on January 30th. Check it out!

I am off to enjoy the rest of my Snow Day. Ciao!!!

Addicted to Podcasts

Gah! I never thought it would come to this yet it has. Hi, my name is Sara and I am addicted to podcasts. And not just any podcasts - craft podcasts for the most part. These really make my commute to and from work much more enjoyable. I am really hooked on CraftyPod with Sister Diane. Not only does Sister Diane have some great ideas for making "stuff" as she calls it but she has a great sense of humor. Her humor is subtle at times and quirky which I love. CraftyPod gives me some great ideas and also inspiration to create whether I create one of the items Sister Diane presents or just inspiration to create something completely new. I am currently downloading a few CraftSanity podcasts. Both CraftyPod and CraftSanity have great websites. I especially love CraftSanity's crazy little logo guy. So cute!

Never listened to a podcast? Have no fear! It is easier than one might think. You can download the podcasts to your computer for free from each website. On the CraftyPod website, go to the "Podcasts!" link. There you can download any podcast of your choosing in mp3 form. This way you can add the file to your mp3 player and take it wherever you go. You can also play the podcast in a pop up window right on your computer. CraftSanity offers a download of the podcast at the end of every blog entry. If you are like many people, you have an iPod. Both of these wonderful podcasts are available for free on iTunes.

These are both wonderful craft related podcasts. There are hundreds of other great crafting podcasts out there. I'm just getting started.....

My First Challenge Entry

Ok, here it is folks, my entry for the Everything But The Kitchen Sink Challenge! This was a sketch challenge. EBTKS provided the sketch to base your card on. Here's the sketch:

And here's my card:

It's not my most favorite card ever. I was going for a more Victorian love note sort of look. Any thoughts on how I could give it a more Victorian feel? Please keep in mind, I am a crafter on a budget. Haha!

Here are the materials I used for my card:

Creme Colored Cardstock (8" x 5.5" to create a 4" x 5.5" card when folded)

"Faded Text Background Stamp" by Stampabilities

"Love" Stamp by Stampin' Up

Brown Ink

Red Ribbon 5/16" wide

Silk Rose Petals

Oval Paper Punch

Jeweled Brad

Lighter

Glue Pen

Sponge

Dimensionals

Awl

Directions:

After folding the cardstock in half, I tore the bottom edge of what will be the front of the card. Next I took a lighter to burn the torn edge to give it an "antiqued" look. Then I stamped the background stamp. The ribbon was glued on next with the glue pen. While the glue was drying, I stamped the "Love" stamp on a scrap piece of cream cardstock and punched it out with the oval punch. I sponged the edges of the oval with brown ink. The completed oval was adhered to the card front with dimensional squares. Finally I added the flower. I used a silk flower like the ones you can find in bunches at most craft stores. I just took a single rose apart to use just a few layers of petals. I instered the brad through the center of the petals and used an awl to poke a hole through the ribbon and cardstock so I could easily insert the brad through the front of the card. I flatened the brad and *voila* a card was born.

While my methods may seem rudimentary to some, I am still a beginner and work with what I've got. I improvise when needed. I also try to keep a handle on my craft supply purchases because I already have an entire closet overflowing with yarn, beads, stamps, findings and other crafty materials. I really should try to use some of that up before I buy more. As it is, I already need another peg board to house all my craft tools. Haha!

Wish me luck and let me knoiw if you enter the contest too!

Most girls want a pony...

...I want a llama. That's right, a wooly, smelly, spitting llama.

Why you ask? Mainly so I can hug it. One of my single goals in life is to hug as many animal species as possible. As of right now, I have barely made it past hugging dogs, cats and guinea pigs although there is a donkey hug in my future courtesy of one of my co-workers who owns donkeys! But I digress.... Not only do I want to *hug* a llama but I want to harvest it's wool. I am obsessed with knitting and obsessed with llamas. How cool would it be to knit with wool that came from your own llama?! My boyfriend, JJ, bought me a drop spindle to spin yarn a few years ago. I have yet to learn to use it but if I had my very own llama wool to use you can bet I'd learn in a jiffy! (If anyone knows someone who can teach me how to use the drop spindle, please let me know. I'm happy to learn sooner rather than later.)

I have done my research too! Llamas are social animals and do better in groups of 2 or more so I'd HAVE to get a leat two llamas. Double the llama fun! I know llamas are a lot of work. That's why I have JJ. He doesn't know it yet but in the future, he will be known as JJ the Llama Farmer. (JTLF for short) People always ask where I plan to keep the llamas - in the east wing of course! Don't worry, they will have their own air filtration system so as not to interfere with the rest of the household. As for the smell, I'll be buying stock in Febreeze. Llamas are made of natural fibers and therefore Febreeze-able.

In the mean time, I will pine away for my llama family and start looking for some land to build my llama-friendly home. I'll keep waiting for the day when I can knit with yarn spun from my very own llama wool. *sigh*

My First Challenge

In an effort to further hone my crafting skills, I am am going to do my first craft challenge. One of my newest crafts is card making. Thus far I have been making somewhat mediocre cards with my limited supplies and knowledge. That was until I started taking classes and got the BIG SHOT. For those of you unfamilar with the Big Shot, it is a die cutting machine perfect for all your card making and scrapbooking needs. Mine is also pink and black and super cute!

Now that I have the tools, it's time to work on the skills. I am going to start with the challenge from Everything But The Kitchen Sink. Every month, EBTKS does 2 challenges: a sketch challenge and a household item challenge. They give you the sketch or household item to inspire you and you get crafting.

My friend Alison and I are going to give it a go together for moral support. I know this doesn't seem very scary but if you saw some of the cards these women came up with, you'd be scared too! I'll post my card when done. Anyone is welcome to join the challenge so c'mon everyone - let's get card making! This means you too, Tiffany! Maybe you can add some of your photography to a card. Here's wishing all of us luck on the card challenge!!!

So here we go....

I have finally done it. My first blog. I never thought I'd become one of those people yet here I am. Haha! Now I'm not entirely sure anyone will ever even read this blog but I am in hopes that someone will. I am an avid crafter who loves reading everyone else's crafty blogs. I decided to start my own blog just about the same time I decided to move my crafting to the next level.
For the past year or so, people have been bugging me to sell some of my crafts through Etsy. I am finally taking the plunge. Hopefully this time next month I will be able to launch "A Touch Of Grey" on Etsy. If anyone has any advice, I'm happy to hear it!

Note: I would like to further state that this is not a New Year's resolution. I have been thinking about selling my items since 2009. Winter time is the best time for me to focus on such things. Up in Ohio, I had lots of time for crafting since winter (a.k.a. "crafting season") starts about mid-October. Here in Tennessee, it barely got started in December! The topic of Tennessee winters is a whole other blog post entirely..... Anywho, January just happens to be when the stars aligned. I feel the need to point this out as I am not a New Year's resolution maker. I am a "If I'm going to do something, I am going to do it now not wait until a specific date to make my changes and then probably fail at them in three weeks" kind of person. Haha! Please cross your fingers and wish me luck as I hone my craft skills and try to make a little bit o' moolah to at least support my crafting habits. Cheers!