p.s. I promise you that parking ticket was 100% bullshit! I successfully contested it in like 30 seconds.
knit and crochet design by leah coccari-swift
Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts
Saturday, December 19, 2015
YarnTalk Holiday Special 2015
It's a SPECIAL episode of YarnTalk! Heidi, Allyson and I exchange gifts (sort of), Heidi makes a signature YarnTalktail, and mostly I we all feature prominently in the blooper reel.
p.s. I promise you that parking ticket was 100% bullshit! I successfully contested it in like 30 seconds.
p.s. I promise you that parking ticket was 100% bullshit! I successfully contested it in like 30 seconds.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
This Winter will be Different
So. I have long underwear on, and mixed feelings. I love my long underwear, they're comfy and warm... but wearing them means that Winter Is Coming (or here), which is a little scary.
7 years in southern California made me realize I am not a Winter Person. I just don't like it in long stretches. A week or two? Awesome! Snow is fun! Warm clothes are nice! Four months? Kill me now!
And last winter was BRUTAL. If you live in a place with actual seasons, you know what I'm talking about. It was my first winter back in the midwest, and nearly made me turn right back around again. As a born Wisconsinite, I am ashamed to admit that, but there you go.
But. THIS WINTER IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT! It will, because I am going to make it way better. Seasonal Affective Disorder, bite me. Maybe you'll join me in some of these fall/winter activities to make the cold months more enjoyable!
1. Exercise
Warming up from the inside! So far I've instituted a "One Solo Dance Party Per Day" policy, which has been fun. Even when I don't make it to the gym, once a day, I drop what I'm doing and boogie by myself.
2. Weather-Appropriate Crafting
You know what's fun? Making something warm and then wearing it to be warm! Very satisfying.
3. Seeing Family and Friends
We're all in this together! Sharing the time with people you love is key to surviving the long cold dark months.
4. Tea
Lots of hot drinks. Stay hydrated and happy.
5. Travel
Let's face it, sometimes you just have to get away for a hot minute. I'm planning my February escape to California as we speak.
Do you like the wintertime? How do you handle the cold months? Leave a comment and let me know your tricks!
7 years in southern California made me realize I am not a Winter Person. I just don't like it in long stretches. A week or two? Awesome! Snow is fun! Warm clothes are nice! Four months? Kill me now!
And last winter was BRUTAL. If you live in a place with actual seasons, you know what I'm talking about. It was my first winter back in the midwest, and nearly made me turn right back around again. As a born Wisconsinite, I am ashamed to admit that, but there you go.
But. THIS WINTER IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT! It will, because I am going to make it way better. Seasonal Affective Disorder, bite me. Maybe you'll join me in some of these fall/winter activities to make the cold months more enjoyable!
1. Exercise
Warming up from the inside! So far I've instituted a "One Solo Dance Party Per Day" policy, which has been fun. Even when I don't make it to the gym, once a day, I drop what I'm doing and boogie by myself.
2. Weather-Appropriate Crafting
You know what's fun? Making something warm and then wearing it to be warm! Very satisfying.
3. Seeing Family and Friends
We're all in this together! Sharing the time with people you love is key to surviving the long cold dark months.
4. Tea
Lots of hot drinks. Stay hydrated and happy.
5. Travel
Let's face it, sometimes you just have to get away for a hot minute. I'm planning my February escape to California as we speak.
Do you like the wintertime? How do you handle the cold months? Leave a comment and let me know your tricks!
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Testing pom pom techniques - Holla Knits Blog Tour
It's that time again... new pattern time! Meet Pom-A-Rama, the slippers with pom-tastic toes. I loved making these babies, and they inspired me to learn some new techniques to make these joyful embellishments.
For this stop on the Holla Knits Accessories 2014 Blog Tour, we're talking all things Pom pom.
Essentially, pom poms are tight bunches of yarn tied at the center and trimmed so they have a circular appearance. They can also be snipped into other shapes, such as these amazing fruit poms by mrprintables (there's a tutorial in the link!):
These pretty much blew my mind, and I've yet to try to make them. If you attempt some fruit pom poms, let me know how it goes!
A cool thing about pom poms is that you can make them all sorts of ways-- with or without a store-bought pom pom maker. I'm going to test out a few ways to make them, after poking around on Pinterest for ideas. In my previous pom-making attempts, I've used both the "cardboard donut" method and the plastic store-bought gizmo method. These are both good ways to do it, and have their little quirks and drawbacks like anything slightly fussy. As with anything yarn-related, yarn choice is very important to the outcome, as is keeping tension consistent when you're wrapping.
Let's try some other pom-making techniques!
This was surprisingly simple. It felt easy to wind the yarn around a fork, and the tines provide a nice even place to slip the tying yarn through the middle. I had a little trouble cutting the yarn while it was on the fork, but then I looked at the directions again and she did NOT cut it on the fork... so. There you go.
The resulting pom was a little oblong and required lots of trimming, but it's cute and worked pretty dang well.
I should have known this was going to be a disaster. Yarn choice is EVERYTHING when knitting and crocheting... and yet, I picked mohair to make this pom pom. Mohair.
Let's learn from my mistakes, shall we?
This technique requires you to sort of finger-comb the yarn out from the center and trim it until you have all the strands roughly even. My Mohair Monstrosity was so sticky and fuzzy that I could barely get my fingers through it. What followed was about 45 minutes of frantic pulling and frustrated laughing while I chopped at the fuzz.
I gave up after it became evident that the most I could hope for was a demented Tribble-esque creature. I got halfway through and decided it needed a face to reflect this hilarious epic fail. You're welcome, world!
It should be said that this pom-tastrophe was 100% my fault, and does not reflect a problem with the technique. I want to try this again with a more appropriate yarn, but don't currently have a ball on hand that is this shape and not already spoken for.
My first thought was "this seems like a great way to cut off your circulation," but fortunately no fingers were severed in the making of this pom pom.
While at times it felt like I might need another hand to pull this off (PUN INTENDED), the pom came out pretty sweet. Getting the wrapped yarn off my fingers was a little tricky, as was tying the yarn evenly around it, but overall this is a pretty solid in-a-pinch method.
For this stop on the Holla Knits Accessories 2014 Blog Tour, we're talking all things Pom pom.
Essentially, pom poms are tight bunches of yarn tied at the center and trimmed so they have a circular appearance. They can also be snipped into other shapes, such as these amazing fruit poms by mrprintables (there's a tutorial in the link!):
These pretty much blew my mind, and I've yet to try to make them. If you attempt some fruit pom poms, let me know how it goes!
A cool thing about pom poms is that you can make them all sorts of ways-- with or without a store-bought pom pom maker. I'm going to test out a few ways to make them, after poking around on Pinterest for ideas. In my previous pom-making attempts, I've used both the "cardboard donut" method and the plastic store-bought gizmo method. These are both good ways to do it, and have their little quirks and drawbacks like anything slightly fussy. As with anything yarn-related, yarn choice is very important to the outcome, as is keeping tension consistent when you're wrapping.
Let's try some other pom-making techniques!
1. Tiny Poms with a Fork
Technique here. |
| Why do I suddenly want noodles? |
This was surprisingly simple. It felt easy to wind the yarn around a fork, and the tines provide a nice even place to slip the tying yarn through the middle. I had a little trouble cutting the yarn while it was on the fork, but then I looked at the directions again and she did NOT cut it on the fork... so. There you go.
 |
| Wee pom! |
The resulting pom was a little oblong and required lots of trimming, but it's cute and worked pretty dang well.
2. Giant Pom with a Whole Ball of Yarn
Technique here.I should have known this was going to be a disaster. Yarn choice is EVERYTHING when knitting and crocheting... and yet, I picked mohair to make this pom pom. Mohair.
Let's learn from my mistakes, shall we?
 |
| Only halfway there, and that's enough |
This technique requires you to sort of finger-comb the yarn out from the center and trim it until you have all the strands roughly even. My Mohair Monstrosity was so sticky and fuzzy that I could barely get my fingers through it. What followed was about 45 minutes of frantic pulling and frustrated laughing while I chopped at the fuzz.
I gave up after it became evident that the most I could hope for was a demented Tribble-esque creature. I got halfway through and decided it needed a face to reflect this hilarious epic fail. You're welcome, world!
 |
| I'm as surprised as you are, dude. |
It should be said that this pom-tastrophe was 100% my fault, and does not reflect a problem with the technique. I want to try this again with a more appropriate yarn, but don't currently have a ball on hand that is this shape and not already spoken for.
3. Hand-Poms
Technique here.My first thought was "this seems like a great way to cut off your circulation," but fortunately no fingers were severed in the making of this pom pom.
While at times it felt like I might need another hand to pull this off (PUN INTENDED), the pom came out pretty sweet. Getting the wrapped yarn off my fingers was a little tricky, as was tying the yarn evenly around it, but overall this is a pretty solid in-a-pinch method.
 |
| post-haircut -- not too shabby! |
That's a wrap, folks. I hope you enjoyed this foray into the fuzzy world of pom pom making!
Pardon me while I go vacuum bits of mohair out of my everything.
--
Check out the Holla Knits Accessories 2014 collection, and the blog tour including some awesome giveaways!
Holla Knits Accessories 2014 Blog Tour Schedule:
Pardon me while I go vacuum bits of mohair out of my everything.
--
Check out the Holla Knits Accessories 2014 collection, and the blog tour including some awesome giveaways!
Holla Knits Accessories 2014 Blog Tour Schedule:
Nov 4: The Sweatshop of Love
Nov 19: Baah Yarn
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Double Deco KAL begins!
Hey there! Are you knitting along with us yet?
Check out my Week 1 techniques post over at Ewe Ewe. We're casting on and getting started. Next week we will finish the first section of Wing 1 and Wing 2.
Make sure to label your posts with #DoubleDecoKAL so we can find each other! I can't wait to see what you're up to. So far the colors people have chosen have been super fun.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Dirty 30 pattern sale!
Today is my 30th birthday.
*breathes in*
GAAAAAAAAaaahahahhHHHHHH!
Ok, it's not that bad. I am feeling more and more like an adult every day! I'm sure I'll spend today filing my taxes, eating kale and dusting the mantelpiece, or something!
To celebrate this new decade, let's have a pattern sale, shall we?
30% OFF all of my patterns TODAY ONLY. Use coupon code DIRTY30 at checkout.
If you've got some patterns in your cart already, click here to apply the discount.
Discount is valid Midnight to Midnight on February 25th, Central Time, where I now kick it on the regular. Tell your crafty pals before the witching hour is over!
And if you are so inclined, send me an email confirming that I should not be freaking out about this.
*breathes in*
GAAAAAAAAaaahahahhHHHHHH!
Ok, it's not that bad. I am feeling more and more like an adult every day! I'm sure I'll spend today filing my taxes, eating kale and dusting the mantelpiece, or something!
To celebrate this new decade, let's have a pattern sale, shall we?
30% OFF all of my patterns TODAY ONLY. Use coupon code DIRTY30 at checkout.
If you've got some patterns in your cart already, click here to apply the discount.
Discount is valid Midnight to Midnight on February 25th, Central Time, where I now kick it on the regular. Tell your crafty pals before the witching hour is over!
And if you are so inclined, send me an email confirming that I should not be freaking out about this.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Point Mugu
My dear friend Katie and I spent one night on Point Mugu. It wasn't the most RV-less place we've ever camped, but you can't beat the view. Our tent site was gettin' ocean sprayed. There are lovely, mountainous hikes in the area, but beware the mountain lions. We saw some caves that looked a little too cozy.
Next time we might try a different campground off the BBQ strip, but this is a beautiful place. We saw two schools of dolphin and some seals. Katie got some mysterious black substance on her foot (oil spill??) and I got my ass handed to me by a few waves I was attempting to wade in. Good times!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Ok so
I didn't want to jinx it, but I got a job at the Knitter's Studio.
YES !
That sound you hear is me breathing a massive sigh of relief.
My yarn stash is going to get a serious upgrade in the coming months. I start there the day after I finish my temporary stint at Ruth Bachofner.
YES !
That sound you hear is me breathing a massive sigh of relief.
My yarn stash is going to get a serious upgrade in the coming months. I start there the day after I finish my temporary stint at Ruth Bachofner.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Creatures Across Oceans
Sometimes when I'm crocheting an animal, I wonder about where it will end up. There have been orders from Australia, Denmark, Mexico, Belgium, England... I'll tie a little tag to its leg, wrap it up and place it gently into a box, never to see it again. This has happened over a hundred times.
Recently, fortune smiled upon me and this pattern was not repeated when the lovely Ami (a fellow cephalopod nut) received her carrot octopus and yellow squid:
There they are, in Singapore! Hurrah!
The visual closure makes me as gleeful as she looks in the picture.
Ami, if I ever figure out a way to make a cuttlefish, you'll be the first to know!
Recently, fortune smiled upon me and this pattern was not repeated when the lovely Ami (a fellow cephalopod nut) received her carrot octopus and yellow squid:
There they are, in Singapore! Hurrah!
The visual closure makes me as gleeful as she looks in the picture.
Ami, if I ever figure out a way to make a cuttlefish, you'll be the first to know!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
The Leelou tour of the LA area!
Eilee visited in early February.
Sophia in mid March.
I miss you girls.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
I hated this at first...
Not done yet, but it's getting interesting.
I still don't love the colors. Oh, and it's five feet long.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Productivity
...is a funny thing.
I've been painting almost every day, getting my etsy store back up and running,
and eating lots of homemade sushi.
Los Angeles doesn't seem so bad right now.
Friday, October 5, 2007
My Ludo poster
... makes me happy.
I got it a few years ago here, which is an awesome site. If you have a few minutes, poke around and try to find your favorite movie.
The visuals they came up with are sometimes pretty astounding. Check these out:
Blade Runner
The Muppet Movie
8 and a Half
The Shining (yikes)
...and here's my Labyrinth poster
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