Knitting

I went to a former co-workers house to learn to knit. She did an awesome job teaching me! So much so that I now can cable!

Now I'm knitting like crazy! I made a cute little headband for my niece with a rose on it. It was per my sister's request of course but I had fun making it. Images will come once my sister decides to take them. Or maybe I'll just take it home and take the images myself!

At this moment in time I'm working on a baby blanket for a little Irish boy. The blanket is turning out nicely considering I've only been knitting for about 3 weeks. :3 It's a basic design with checker board and cables running up the sides and changes colors to match one of the Irish flags. Again I don't have images but then the blanket isn't done. I'm so excited to finish it though! I love doing customs for people!

Carved Crochet Hooks

So I was thinking the other day that I would like to own a set of carved crochet hooks. I even came up with some really cool designs: at least I think they are. So I asked my boyfriend: the awesome artist that he is, to make them for me. Sadly he doesn't think it would be cost effective to make them. It might have something to do with me wanting the wood to be cherry or red oak. I originally was thinking ceder but that wood is too soft.

I asked Daniel if it would be permissible to get a chunk of wood and cut it into 4-6 pieces then spin them but I guess it's not. All well!

I'm thinking of contacting a few of my fellow artists and seeing if they would be willing to do an art trade or just see how much they would charge for them. I'd rather support my fellow artist rather than get them from a store. If not then I'll have to make them myself darn it!

I have come across a few people who make them. Like Shangri-La Craft (though it's not quite what I was wanting) and Katherine Kowalski (who's work I love)! The latter makes me wish I could spin!

Lace Gloves

I just finished making a pair of lace gloves for a friend. I did have to undo my work once since I was stitching too tightly thus making them a wee bit too small even for my little hands. In the end though I think they came out well: especially with the yarn I used. Such a pretty rose and brown exchange!

I used a fan pattern in crochet to create these and plan to make another pair in browns and golds for myself. I might change the pattern slightly so that I don't end up with the lined pattern here, otherwise I love them. The pattern referenced is a free one found on Crochet Insider. I'm sure you'll notice that theirs is a little different. I might have added a few extra rows somewhere.

I found when making these that I need to work on my tension: that could also have played a factor in the differences.

The wrapping that the gloves are shown in is something I sketched up real quick like after I finished them. I was going to give them to her as is or with a simple wrapping of ribbon and name tag that night but by the time I finished she was off work and heading home. So I expressed some of my pent up creative juices. I didn't have much time (or so I thought) to pose them properly which is why you can see my cluttered work space in the back ground. And taking images of your hands by yourself is not easy. However, I'm going to make her pose them for me when I visit her loft! I might bring my delf cup with me if she doesn't have something that would work.

More images can be found on my Deviantart gallery along with images of my other works. I do tend to update that more often. >.<;

As a side note I found that there are MANY people using the Crochet Insider pattern and selling the product on etsys for about $20.00 +.

Race for the Cure Tortoise and the Hare

I've been thinking for some years now on how to crochet the Tortoise and the Hare with a race for the cure twist. I finally came up with it and have finished the Hare. She's so cute! Not only do I believe this but so does my niece who absolutely loved her. Plus everyone who's seen her just goes "aww"! Needless to say she sold pretty quickly.

I have a tone of images of her on my facebook page as well as some other creations. I also have other crocheted items on my Deviant page.

I was thinking while crocheting the tortoise about what my old teacher once told me. That I would make a good toy maker. I don't think he meant the crocheted versions but rather the modeling of action figures and what nots like that. Still toys are toys.

In the process of making my R4C amis I found it strange counting two separate numbers in my head. Talk about mental work out! I've already had to undo my work and start over so I'm being cautious by counting every round. It's a little challenging creating something to this scale (unless you count my blanket ... which I'm not!)

The Tortoise is also finished. He didn't take nearly as long to make thank the gods! I have him a little bad boy twist with purple hair done in a cornrowed, Mohawk. It looks like he's wearing a jump suit though so the next one is going to have more clothes! :3

I named him Tiny Tim and he can be found on my Deviantart page as well as my Facebook page. I need to add him to my etsy store so that he will sell however I'm not adverse to selling him via any other means (hint hint) :3

Baby Mouse

Say hello to Baby Mouse! She got her name from my niece who kept asking to play with "baby mouse" and would hug it and burp it....so freakin' cute!

To the left here is just the charm and ribbon. For a full body shot see this! I attempted to load the image but it wouldn't work. *shrug*

I have two made ... well okay the second one doesn't have a face yet but that's only because I'm not sure what I want her to express.

Baby Mouse is about 7" tall from the top of her head (not her ears) to her little toes (not the length of her tail ... which may vary). I have based her off of a character I saw once, I thought she was so cute and had to make a plushie of her!

Info:
Cost: $15 (though people say I should ask $20 I figure I'll be nice since I've never sold before.)
-can complete within a week or two (depending on work)
-shipping is $3 for one within US borders and $5 for international shipment. (may vary based on how you would like it shipped [secure or reg.] and the going prices)

If you would like the one shown it's ready to ship as soon as I receive payment. I do do custom orders just email me the details and I'll let you know if I can do it.

Hair Care

Over the years I've been asked many questions and gotten many comments about my hair. They range from the best: "Your hair is beautiful!" to "How do you keep your hair so healthy that long?". Notice I didn't add the comments "Your hair is too long!" Oops!I guess I just did! So it would seem that some people find long hair to be unsanitary/unkempt, but this is for the ones who wish to know my secrets.



I'll start by inviting into my personally routine then finish with tips and tricks for other hair types. Most I've learned from my mother who is a hair stylist by profession (my source creds :3).



Firstly I don't wash my hair daily! Ya sounds gross (at least some people think so) but doing so will dry out your hair. Obviously if it needs it then do so and I do but unless I'm dirty my hair stays up. When I shampoo it's only the top half... about half way down the full length as this is the part that gets the greasiest. Don't worry though the rest of your hair is getting washed just not directly and not lathered. Now I personally use BIOLAGE at the moment. I switch it up a bit (seems to make my hair a bit fluffier) with this awesome Paul Mitchell collection.



Secondly, I condition just my ends. This refers to the part I didn't wash directly ... about my neck down. I am currently using a BIOLAGE cream conditioner with which I use most every time I wash and a mask called 'It's a miracle 10' which I use once a week as a deep conditioner. (FYI I get these things from my mother. They tend to be only salon products though I have seen BIOLAGE in the stores I'm unsure about the other products mentioned here.) The 10 I leave in for a good 5min plus the BIOLAGE about 3min or as long as it takes me to finish my shower. Then rinse!



Now that the shower is over: summer showers are the best because they are typically colder (heat so kills hair). I have a few things that I add to my hair. They aren't an everyday thing for my just when my hair feels like it needs it. Say frizzy at the ends or looking dry and split. So the first thing is something called BIOSILK. It smells awesome and makes my hair all silky smooth. :3 Love it (though it's pricey). I just add it to my ends (notice a trend here :) with long hair the ends need the most love). I just need a dime maybe nickle sized little squirt and it covers all my hair (last measured at 3ft ... in case you care). This BIOSILK can also be used on your body so if you have dry skin or even patches of dryness just rub a bit in and presto. The other thing I use is by Redkin and it's called EXTREME. This I will use like a detangler. Since the wind really doesn't like my hair ... well most things don't seem to ... it tangles like so easily. I just add a good bit of EXTREME and thoroughly massage in my ends and a brush will slide through with nary a problem.

And speaking of brushes, I use a square head boar hair brush (I imagine these products are helping the brush hairs stay supple-ish as well). I think a hair brush is better than the plastic bristles because the hair will give. *shrug* I very well could be wrong on that one. Though the boar hair brush will make my hair shine: crazy luster when it's brushed dry.

I also let my hair air dry when possible. If I need it dry fast to put it up or style it then I'll blow dry it otherwise it drys on it's own. And I almost never put a pony tail in my wet or damp hair. Since you hair is most brittle when it's wet it will break and bend and stretch if you try to tie it up. If I need it out of my way I put loose plaits in it and use a very small band at the very last strands loosely to minimize damage.

And those are my secrets... well secrets no more!

If you have dryer hair then you don't need to shampoo as much and if you have greasier hair just watch it a little more often.

I hope all this blathering helped out someone!

Saoirses' Boo-Boo

The unthinkable happened yesterday! My poor little warrior Saoirse was hit. What happened, at least through speculation since no one actually SAW it, was a gent backed into her while she was parked. See I went to see my partner for his lunch. I parked Saoirse were I always do: on the curb under a tree at the back of the lot right by his car (or as the case may be MY car since he sold his). We took the Princess out to get some food and on our way back to his place of work he gets a phone call. His coworkers normally prank us by moving my bike when we get food or getting really close when they drive by customers cars so we was thinking they was joking until they was real serious and Daniels’ like “You’re not going to like this.” Man was he not kidding! I was shaky and upset and that’s before I saw her on her side. Then I was sick!

The gent was of Indian decent (that being from India though I suppose it doesn’t really matter) and apparently decided not to have anything done to his car that was recommended (things they say he needed done to be safe…like breaks). It was a pain just to get the cops out to the scene of this most tragic crime! The dispatcher claims its private property (though the cops apparently come out and ticket people all the time so what’s the difference with an accident?!). Daniel (being an employee) convinced the dispatcher to send an officer out. Granted all the guy did was take down the man’s information and then was on his way.

I took a few images while loosing my appetite. Both before she was touched (after having been damaged) and after she was picked up. I got the concrete curb where my paint shall remain; never to be back on Saoirses’ beautiful body again!

Sigh. If that man hadn’t said he was sorry I’m not sure what I would have done. Probably nothing reckless or violent to him but I would have been very irate once the sadness wore off. To which it did rather quickly!

At the moment Saoirse has some nasty road rash all down her right side, her front ‘tire guard’ is all banged up, the oil pan (at least the block were the oil is put and from where it’s level is checked) has some pretty nice scars, and the tail pipe is no longer pristine. That’s just some of the superficial damage not even including the blinkers, mirrors, and all my petals and handles. Or even the internal damages to which I know there is something. For one after she was set up right she started to bleed. Jeff nor Daniel could determine where she was leaking from exactly, just that the oil was dripping onto the left side tail pipe and then the ground. It’s possibly just an overflow draining after the tip caused oil to go everywhere throughout her systems!

For another after Daniel attempted to start her she idled a little off with some stuttering in her tail pipes (I couldn’t have placed the difference but he knows his vehicles). When I took her for a wee spin around the lot she sounded like shit. She didn’t want to rev high enough to really shift; all sluggish like!

Once Daniel went back into work I moved everything to a quite little cubby and began the long process of calling insurance companies. I began with mine (being as I’ve never had this happen before I had no idea what to do and my rep wasn’t in so I wasted a bit of time with my insurance) then they gave me his insurances phone number. So I called them and got my incident number. Now I got to wait till Monday, call my rep so he knows and wait for his to call me back.

After all that shiz I rode her home and found that she doesn’t like to lean anymore (makes a strange noise when I do… kind of scary when you’re truckin’ down the road and your bike starts making noises!) On the way another gent (also of Indian decent) bloody pulled out in front of me. Thanks the gods my breaks were working just fine or I would have T-boned the arsewipe. Actually used my horn for I think the first time ever when in crisis mode and all the gent did was look at me like I was some bug on his windshield! Grr! I’m not particularly a races person but if people of this race keep messin’ with me like this I might just convert!

I got her home virtually safely and took a lot more pictures of all her battle wounds (she was virtually attacked in her sleep! Raped I tell you!) and called a friend to tell the bad news. She was like “OMG!” Which I must say cheered me up a bit.