Inspiration of the Day

ingrid michaelson + steampunk in space? brilliant!

Inspiration of the Day

this video.

College Dinner

I was just kind of stunned cause between the two of them =$7.18 /7.20 that is my dinner equiv. they are quite large but still - funny how it works out.

Test for Shane

Inspiration of the Day

This just cracked me up. Why wouldn't spoons have more than one function?

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Nekomimi Receivers

In celebration of the Autumn 2010 Anime line up, I'm putting this online, finally.
I knows I was going to do this months (years?) ago, but I finally got around to it. Super quick project, just in time for Halloween! Both the knit and crochet pattern are super customizable - want to crochet stripes or in a fuzzier yarn? Go right ahead, I'm not stopping you. Have a particular character to cosplay in mind? Adjust accordingly and feel free to ask my help with the math and such.

As per custom, knitting abbreviations here.

Knit - The Cheshire Ears

I don't like headbands; they just don't make them for people with huge heads, like myself. The great thing about these ears is that you can adjust them on your head in whatever way you find comfortable. The striping sequence is made to match the "Turn A Square" hat pattern by Jared Flood. Color changes are totally optional though - make them in your natural or current hair colors! A great project for using up itty-bitty scraps.

Gauge is inconsequential.

Materials :

• · <10 yards of a worsted weight yarn in 2 colors >
  
• · 4.25mm / size 6 dpns
  
• · Notions: tapestry needle, scissors, the usual kit and kaboodle.
  
• · To wear them, you'll want 4 or 6 bobby pins.
  

I used:

• Moda Dea Washable Wool in raspberry (A) and plum (B)
  

Pattern (make two):

In color A, CO 20. Join in round.

Row 1: k all.

Row 2: *k5 m1 * to end. (24 stitches)

Row 3: k all.

Row 4: (Switch to color B) k all.

Row 5: Pick up first stitch of row 3, and k2tog with first stitch of row 4. k all.

Row 6: (Switch to color A) k all.

Row 7: *k 2tog, k8 ssk* twice. 20 stitches

Row 8: k all.

Row 9: (Switch to color B) *k2tog k6 ssk* twice. (16 stitches)

Row 10: k all.

Row 11: (Switch to color A) *k2tog k4 ssk* twice. (12 stitches)

Row 12: k all.

Row 13: *k2tog k2 ssk* twice. (8 stitches)

Row 14: (Switch to color B) k all.

Row 15: *k2tog ssk* twice. (4 stitches)

Weave ends for color B through the remaining 4 stitches. Tuck or weave in all color B ends

Using the ends of color A, close the ear by slip stitching the bottom seam together. Tuck or weave in ends.

As per custom, crochet abbreviations here.

Crochet version - the Natural Cat

Materials

• About 50-60 yards of lion brand chenille in the colourway closest to your current/natural hair color.
  
• 4.00 mm hook
  
• Optional - stitch markers.
  

• 
  

  Chain 3, join in round. No slip stitches between rounds.
  

  2 sc in each chain.6 stitches. 2sc in each sc. 12 stitches. Sc in each sc.
  

  Sc, 2 sc in next sc 5 times. 18 stitches.
  Sc in each sc for two rows
  

  2sc, sc in next 2 sc, 24.
  

  Sc in each sc for two rows.
  

  Sc2tog, sc in next 4 sc four times. 20 sc.
  

  Flatten and holding the front sides together, sc 8 across the bottom, slip st. in last 2 sc.
  

  
  If you find any mistakes of error, as my mother would put it, please feel free to comment or message me on Ravelry right away so I can correct them.
  PDF version available as soon as I'm not buried in school work X_X

special thanks to my pattern testers: Val1ant, The youngin, The knitting cat, Mion lion, and Aayjay, all from Ravelry :)

crochet pattern photos ganked form my boyfriend's personal website :o

First First Friday!

So, despite what feels like a mountain of school work, I made time yesterday to go to my first First Friday. I left my dorm around 6:30 and headed for the nearby subway station, where I ran into Kenan (a cool guy) and a bunch of people from my dorm who were also going to the same spot. We talked for a bit and I kind-of coerced Kenan into taking my crazy scarf - i had brought tit with me in hopes of eschewing it upon someone, and he was the lucky victim. Kenan and i boarded a different car - he was going to an opera - and got so wrapped up in conversation, I didn't realize - I had missed my transfer! I had to wait for a car in the other direction.

Getting off at spring-garden station, I realized, I had no fucking clue as to where I ought to be going. so i got to street level, oriented myself (I had my wisdom teeth taken out at the office right by the subway entrance) and walked all the way to the convention center, looking for a bus that might take me where i ought to be going. I ended up taking the 48 (I had bought a transfer ticket at the first subway station)and finally made it to Penn's Landing, only to realize - I could have just taken the Market-Frankford line and saved myself a dollar. :(

Nonetheless, I was there! I spent the entire evening tromping up and down 2nd street between Market and Arch. Stopped at Brave New Worlds, a truly classy comic shop I've heard nice things about. And it was nice indeed - definitely felt like a boutique, without being snotty, and still had all the necessary traipses of comic geekery.

And as for the actual art galleries:

• LGTripp Gallery was showing David Foss: Exits and Entrances,
• The Works by Anthony Palumbo and Thelma Grobes cuaght my eye at Artists' House Gallery, which was actually a very cramped but still well utilized space.
• EPI's Artist in Residence Tomas Pineda Matus had some beautiful, culturally inspired works.

What definitely interested me most, out of all the things I saw this evening, were the street artists. There were lots of performers but also probably two dozen people just sitting out on curbs with there work on blankets and tables, hocking to the general public. and some of the stuff was absolutely beautiful - one girl, whose card i took but lost, was selling jewelry made form epoxy preserved fruit. Another guy was selling Dr. Who inspired Tshirts and other pop culture prints and whatnot. and there were plenty more just selling their work, in all sizes. it was super inspiring! I bought a cute pair of zebra-print ribbon earrings from some ladies, because I hadn't brought money for more - and it was a good thing too, because i would have bought every other piece on the street!

last but not least a stopped at some of the bookstores - the Book Trader and another whose name escapes me. The former had a very expansive collection, all used items and the whole place smelled like old paper, yum. :)

I decided to head back around 9, but walked up Market street first - past Smak Parlour, a totally high end boutique that had cute, fresh clothes that i could never afford in my lifetime, and on the next block, Artist & Craftsman, definitely the coolest and most well stocked independent art store in which I've ever set foot. It was a little more pricey than some of the small chain competitors in the area, and less convenient relative to where I am in the city, but I'll have to go back sometime and actually buy something>w<

When I finally found another subway station (5th and Market was closed for construction or some nonsense, so i had to go all the way over to 8th Street!) I did okay, but ended up waiting around half an hour at City Hall Station for a train that was never coming - There was a Flyer's game and the local line had been shut down, or something. at that point I noticed I had left the Hall, or at least thought I left the Hall, with my trusty Pokewalker, which was nowhere to be found. I was completely pissed but figured i could find a new one online.I ran into a couple people from my dorm again -Abby, Derek, and a girl whose name escapes me - who had been waiting for the same damned car too. We made it back a little after 10, and after unsuccessfullly attempting to get food at Temple's "Free Food and Fun Fridays" (they ran out of food) I went and just got food at the cafeteria. Ran into more people from Peabody there, and we had a nice chat. over our late dinner.

In the wee hours of the morning I found the Pokewalker - fell off my pants when i was tying my shoes or something before I had left earlier. It was sitting in a pile of laundry on the floor.

and I cut my hair!

Pics to come as soon as i get them uploaded.

Inspiration of the Day

I hear this song occasionally and it always, always makes my eyes well up. X3

Staying occupied on vacation- brush pen practice Resh

This is what i'm hoping to knit while i'm out of it. I just put in a lifeline... We'll see he it comes in handy

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Inspiration of the Day

since i'm leaving in a month and want to take my family's brita water tank with me, i promised to find a replacement for them to keep. since i couldn't remember the word 'tank' i went to search google images for brita stuff...

and came across these ads.
why did i never see these before? they're very stark, disturbing and highly impactful, in a minimalistic way. advertisement at its best.

It's official. :)

Inspiration of the Night

The sunrise through my window. i drank coffee that was too strong and didn't sleep a wink last night. but i dreamt- or perhaps i had visions, sudden inspiration for things i want to do when the sun is out. i thought to myself: today is a month since the summer solstice. what have i done these past thirty days?
I wish ideas were a body fluid- they could cut me open and drain my brain when i get bloated, and put it all in little vials for cold storage. and when the time was right i could find the ideas, all nicely bottled up, and i'd actually do something with them. but in their current state, i can't do too much: the ones i don't get around to harvesting, they slosh around in my head til they spoil and fall from recollection.
But i guess that's the purpose of writing things down.

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Doodle!

I'm writing thank you notes today so this is the doodle i drew to put on the front :)

Inspiration of the Day

This is a close up of my Inspiration Corner! It's a collection of my old school ID cards, business cards and promo stuff, movie tickets, and used gift cards i stole from my job >3<. Here we have two awesome little 'gifts' from my SO: a photo he took for a class, which portrays a bunch of yarny things he had(or stole) at the time, and my corsage from prom. :) is this all going to come to college with me?!¿¡?!

Inspiration of the Day which also happens to be an FO.

I kind of regret this yarn, but not the typical buyer's regret- i bought it on a wednesday and had a new, next- to-skin-soft-but-surprisingly-Noro scarf on thursday evening.
The yarn is Noro Taiyo in colorway #4. while i was working on it i couldn't help but think of all the sweet summer treats the colors called to mind- neopolitan ice cream, watermelon, sasaparilla root beer on ice... and a bunch of things i can't eat right now! XD
Yes, I'm on a diet, but it's a not a weight focused diet so much as an "improving well being thru limiting very specific foods" diet. which is hard enough anyways. i hope you are all well, or at least enough so that you don't have to avoid yummy foods like me :0

Plague of Flies Cast-Off Marathon and The Internet as Your Enemy.

I've been busy, lazy and increasingly nocturnal this week. On either monday or tuesday, my little sister <let's call her "Glare" cause she's good at that> got in trouble with our folks, her friends, and the nice people who run a popular social networking site. it just goes to show:actions speak louder than words, but on the internet they are one in the same. she made a remark about a friend who had been ignoring her: word got around, bans were made and parents were called. so now she's become social pariah. and my folks have assigned me to address the issue of her internet usage. to be frank i don't want to go near this whole ordeal. so let's think happy thoughts!
when i woke up tuesday morning and opened the door to the office, a dozen flies were chilling out by the window. i moved my yarn and computer out ASAP. and by the end of the day i killed at least 20, though i stopped count at 14.
and i finished all but three of my WIPS! i hibernated or frogged what was left and started anew.

Inspiration of the Day: cute dresses from CONWAY ! <3

Posting after midnight for Saturday -_- it still counts...

today my dad, sister and i went to go visit a friend of my dad's who is in rehab - he fell off the roof of his house and split his pelvis wide open. moral of the story is: be careful when you're on a roof and have someone with you! it was an interesting visit; the dudes talked about old movies, bad animation from the 70's and CSI. then on our way home we stopped to investigate a sign we had seen on our way in: CONWAY.

when my mother was a student living in Manhattan, conway was her favorite store for cheap and trendy clothes. And they are dirt cheap! i work part time at a retail store that shall not be named, but the dresses at conway were so much cuter, and $10 cheaper to boot. when i went to a conway in manhattan with my family last year (we had gone to see avenue q) i got some really cute dresses from their 'out of order' line. the prints are quirky and flattering! next time you
pass a conway, be sure to check it out! :O

Finished Project: Blue Boobies

A friend for a gift.... i mean a gift for a friend! the pattern is Tit Bits from Knitty, made in the B cup size with Moda Dea Washable Wool. Actually made a while ago, but i forgot to take photos before i gifted them.

Inspiration of the Day: Acquerello by Aurora Yarns with a bead tube

It has been summer for quite a while now! a lot of things have gone down since i last wrote. first of all, i got a phone with a full keyboard! so i've resolved that using it to blog everyday might be good practice typing on this thing. i'll have inspirations of the day, project updates and whatever else strikes me as awesome enough to let the world know about.
right now i'm job hunting, since they're handing out significantly less hours where i'm already employed. however i need my license soon, even if i don't have a car. i failed the first test back at the begining of the month; please wish me luck this time around :).
i have a banch of things i want and need to do before i leave for school in the fall. hopefully i'll get a few done at least, and then i'll tell you all about it.
til next time!

Inspiration of the Day

heard this at work and it's subsequently been stuck in my head all week.

Inspiration of the Day

Yesterday's Post at Hyperbole and a Half was brilliant and grammatically sound. and angry grammarians ( Jeff Barg, any one?) are some of the most amusing individuals on the planet.

Inspiration of the Day

or the most sentimental, romantic and maybe a little cheesy thing i've ever come across


picture from Fabuluster on Etsy

Inspiration of the Day

or Things I want and Photoshop.


i originally saw this scarf sitting wrapped around the neck of a girl in my public speaking class - she told me she got it from Charlotte Russe. upon further research i found it (the exact scarf) on the Torrid Site on Clearance - alas it was sold out when i next checked on it. however, i want to make something similar out of my first handspun, from blushing ewe.

it already is very similar in color to my Noro Fingerless Gloves

so hopefully i can combine all three into something beautiful and wearable.

The Pompus Scarf

SDC12891

i work at a clothing store, which unfortunately for my bank account is parked right next to an A.C. Moore. so on my 15-minute break the other night, when i went to go get some more embroidery floss for the Legend of Zelda doll I'm making, i spotted some of Red Heart's fairly new Pomp-A-Doodle yarn there was one lonely skein of this hideously Pink fluff, so i had to get it. I've also been looking with envy at te slew of Baktus Scarves on Ravelry, but knew i didn't have the patience to do all that garter stitch. this resulted.



i used the recommended gauge of 9 US 5.5 mm
10 sts x 12 rows =4” in Stockinette Stitch, but note that it is worked in garter. it's 2 stitches between every pompom and all stitches are worked between pompoms

Pattern:
make a slip knot as close to the first pompom as possible, and cable CO 1.
row 1: k all
row 2 and all even rows: k all
row 3: kf&b in first st, k all

repeat 2 and 3 until there are 24 stitches on the needle, k 2 rows.

row 4: k2tog and k to end of row. repeat 2 and 4 until there are 2 or 3 stitches left; by now you should be down to your last 2 pompoms.

bind off: knit all stitches together and pull pompoms through.

friday : finish or frog

i recently joined the Finish or Frog group on Ravelry. the concep tis simple enough : every friday, look at all the things you are currently working on, and decide whether or not you are actually going to finish them. if not, frog it! i was uber tired and didn't get around to posting last night, but better late than never.

for my first FoF friday, i picked three projects i was absolutely sick of:


in this bucket is Spring Fever Mittens from the latest issue of Interweave Crochet, ahlf of a Comfy Sock from knitting Daily's free patterns, and the start of a glove based on the Fusilli Beanie pattern from Stitsailuja.

the comfy socks pattern i've done twice, once as a gift and one that i ended up giving away because it grew in the wash. i thought i wanted a pair for myself, but it was taking way too long to get to the toe, and i simply lost interest.


the pair i gave away is currently keeping my mom's feet warm from the foot of snow we got last night!

the fusilli- based glove was going to be a gift for my cousin, for whom i knit the beanie for christmas. couldn't figure out how to go for the thumb, and again, had lost interest. took it off the needles for another project.



lastly the spring fever mittens - i've been trying to find something i want to do with this yarn ( Lamb's Pride Worsted and Patons SWS) for ages, but i realized i'm not too keen on having to felt it.



forgging is like cleaning out your closet - very refreshing.

Inspiration of the Day plus

Relient K - Give

and now for the plus:

tonight i'm finishing my temple application. i've also been tipped off to 2 knitting/crochet scholarships. and who doesn't love scholarships? definitely checking it out

Inspiration of the Day

the fox, the crow and the cookie by mewithoutYou