Halloweeny Craftings Part Deux!

Halloween is here!

I really wanted to make this TV jack-o-lantern, but I couldn't find any of the vinyl for the face...I have an ulterior motive scheme for the vinyl so finding it would have been marvelous.

But just wait, I will eventually make this. *nods* Oh yes.

And speaking of jack-o-lanterns here are a few of the products of the craving festivities of yesterday!

I ended up carving four of them to my BFF's one. Her sister chose to play with the pumpkin guts and clean it all out for us. I'd also purchased a build-the-haunted-village gingerbread house kit so her sister (being an architect) had a ball with that and ended up using it in a kid mentoring lesson later in the week. We only kept two of the carved ones I did, the other two went to other homes one with the BFF and her hubby and one to her parents.

Unfortunately, Jack-o-lanterns look much more amazing in person, but the cat-in-the-boot looks okay here. Cerberus (or Fluffy, depending on what you know) looks really strange. He looked awesome in person and I would totally carve him again.

I did do glow stick guts in a jar of water. It looked pretty cool (again, didn't photo well). It made a nice addition to the candy staging table inside the door. It would be nice to figure out how to get it to really streak on the glass like the original one. Maybe next year...Muwahahaha!

I would very much like to make this for next year! An un-welcome mat would be very welcome! Our cat one is cute and funny, but the other would be entertaining for the rest of the month. :D

And the whole reason for the blogging this month, the luminaries. They turned out really well, and I might have to take my Aunt up on making her a few. It would be fun to also make a few Nightmare Before Christmas themed ones as well. I'll have to ponder on that a bit. But I doodled and took inspiration directly from the tutorial I found for this years. Next time I can get a bit more creative.

As I was discussing Halloween the last few days while prepping for the carving festivities and decorating, I have vowed to fully celebrate the holiday in grand style next year. That being said, a friend posted this lovely little history of Halloween write up from the Library of Congress. The history and such is one of my favorite things about Halloween. Also found this little gem of a timeline. A co-worker has also lent my books on a few of the major monster myths so I'm hopeing to read through those soon even if the holiday will technically be over.

Halloweeny Craftings!

Halloween is my favorite holiday. I remember being a fan growing up, but it is with adulthood that I really took to it. Its not even about the candy and movies (mostly cause I'm not so much a fan of horror movies). I love the time of year with Fall literally falling on us. Yes, the leaves have been changing, but there are still days when it is really warm with those hints of summer. When Halloween arrives I know it is now time for sweaters and sweatshirts! I can wear my new hand knits comfortably without worry of taking them off when I overheat. Found a neat entry on Etsy about Halloween and parenting. Granted this is still a few years down the road for me, but it got me thinking... I need to revel in Halloween a bit more.

And hey, who doesn't love a pumpkin-piggy bank? He's so cute! I did not make him though, I'm not entirely that awesome.

Last week it was painting my toes a-la-Frankenstein. Which is about as festive as I've gotten thus far this month. Though I was changing up the fingernail polish to various fallesque colors since September. I really need to remember to celebrate Halloween all month next year. Making decorating and such work it like at Christmas time.

So the question becomes, what does this week have in store pre-holiday?

Low and behold, when I find crafting ideas, I have a compulsion to do them. So when I came across the GeekCrafts link to these de-lights I had to try (and these glowstick ones)! This resulted in me finding myself in Tuesday Mornings (my crafty grandmother would heartily approve) for glassware. :D I also headed out to Micheal's and ended up with a few more Halloweeny crafty things since they were starting to be mark down what little merchandise that was left.

So I made this pile of random bits and bobs into these awesome luminaries! And I will play with glowsticks on Halloween to light the other jars. Those pictures will have to come later. *nods*

Overall, Gleeful Things has provided some really excellent projects for the future for me to craft that are outside of the knitting realm. I do love knitting, but sometimes I want to end up covered in glitter and glue. ;D

On a side note, I was perusing Gleeful Things and came across this little gem. Um, yeah, here's my converse from before and after. I might actually have to make myself an avatar with my awesome new laced shoes on my feet.

My poor Chucks are so worn. I guess it make it obvious I walk funny given the wear on the inside heel, hn?

Mittens of Yggdrasil

In the midst of trying to make all kinds of projects, I knit up some fingerless mitts for myself so that maybe I can take advantage of the nice fall weather and knit outside. This will hopefully help me to get some sunlight so I'm not quite translucent when in the sunshine.

I'd found this pattern on Ravelry. I love the tree! This was also recently after seeing Captain America and renewing my interest in Norse mythology. I still have a burning desire to pick up a mythology book. It's been so long since I read up on the Norse pantheon.

Thus, I waited to find the perfect yarn to knit these up. And low and behold, Etsy came through. AnotherCraftGirl had some other yarn that had caught my eye and when I scoped her shop, she had this luscious chocolate and caramel hand dyed colorway.

It knit up rather quickly once I got the hang of the pattern. This was also a project I semi/pseudo cabled sans cable needle. O_o

That was interesting. It might be a skill I should foster more, but I have a tendency to drop stitches so maybe when the cable isn't overly complicated. Like this pattern I'm itching to knit up from the same designer. I want to find another nice colorway to use, but I'm not sure what. I also kinda want to make them a bit long since the Yggdrasil mitts took less than 50 grams of the skein. They might look cool in some of the semi-sparkly yarn I have lying around.

I was also able to use this opportunity to pull out the recently purchased pumpkin stitch markers. Aren't they cute! The leaf is the different one to mark the round beginning. Oh Etsy, why do you have such amazing things? I wish I was half as crafty as some of those people on there.

As you can see, the mitts look pretty fantastic if I do say so myself. :) They are shorter on the fingers that I'd generally knit, but I wanted to be able to wear them while knitting so need greater finger room to properly tension the yarn.

And yes, this was an excuse to take a picture of my glitterly orange Halloween nails.

Since I got side tracked on discussing other projects, I'd like to add that I have stalled on the last Pay It Forward Project. I might have to change what I make again. We shall see. I won't have too much time since I wanted to get it done for Christmas. Lots of ideas and a few projects started for her that I could finally finish. >_>

Crochet mystery cracked!

I always find cute things I would like to crochet, then I read the book and get horrifically confused. I'm 75% sure finding such awesomely cute patterns was the reason I decided to learn to crochet. Anyway, I've had this cool Creepy Cute Crochet book.

The whole starting part was always very confusing. I really really wanted to make a little grim reaper and a ninja and...ok I wanted to make most of the little critters inside. I also would find more amigurumi books (like this one) that I wanted to make little animals from. The real kind, not the creepy. And of course while browsing for the other ones I found Crobots! I might have to put it in my queue!

Therefore I'm beyond excited that while browsing Gleeful Things, I came across her video. Now I know I could have googled for it, but she makes tons of them from what I can see and it is nice a clear. I have learned most of my knitting techniques in the past from the internets, so don't see an issue with continuing the trend! :D

So this little dream that I've put by the wayside out of frustration might actually see fruition soon!

Not a SQUIB, but MAGICAL!

Ahahahaha...yeah. I haven't posted in a while since my strategic management class ate my life. I turned in the final project/paper after not learning anything. Fortunately I had Dad (who teaches this stuff too) around to bounce ideas off of. I'm happy to say that I learned from him and that I did it by myself. He was also happy that he'd done what he could to help without walking me completely through it or doing it himself.

Anyway, *washes hands of class* that prof is off my list. :P Hopefully I'll end up with a good passing grade.

As I mentioned ages ago. I've been waiting for my Pottermore letter. Well they announced today that all the Beta letters had been owled. I got mine yesterday and was up until 5am battling the site crashes and plowing through. In the midst of this I was knitting a certain pair of glommitts. :D Rejoice in the return to knitting!

OMG! It's really amazing! :D There is information galore and all kinds of neat graphics. It's almost too much to take in. I know that I'll have to go back through and read again after a reread of the first book.

I was having a blast yesterday chatting with Rika as she and her beau were plowing through too. XD

I forgot how much I love the train. I might have to figure out how to knit a mini-plushie Hogwarts Express. *nods* I also need to knit myself an owl. I bought one, but have no clue what to name it. Leaning toward Priestly. ;D

There was little doubt, but I still feel validated. RAVENCLAW ALL THE WAY!

Now to work on brewing potions and waiting for dueling to return so I can cast spells! Book 2 comes out next year! :3

Gifting fun giftys!

Got together with KA and her lifemate Bean. I'm going to be screwed when they get married since I've known the girl by first and last name forever...I don't know that I'll be able to change it in my head.

Anyway, had dinner with them and finally gave birthday gifts...a month and seven months late. Eh hehe. Yeah. Figuring schedules, so not my strong point.

Interesting, and humorously, enough Bean and I wore the same shirt without consulting. HAHAHA! That's what happens when you are nerdtastic.

Anyway, I gave each a coffee cup cozy that is hand sewn and reusable from sewtara's Etsy shop. I actually had to get one for myself since I got a ceramic coffee cup with lid that didn't come with a cozy. *pouts* Ah well, I picked a good one.

Along with that KA got a little panda pouch. I am a firm believer that one can never have too many pouches to store things in. Bean got a set of teacups that are cupcake molds. KA had told me when we were last out and about that he wanted them, soooooo. Yesh. :D

As you can see I knit a panda plushie too. This was for KA. She's a big panda fan. It was entirely too entertaining making this little cutie from Katie Boyette's KnitWit book. I have plans for a few other patterns within. *cackles*

There was also a knitted little wonder for Bean. KA and I discovered that there was a mutual love for Dr. Who. That being said I decided Bean needed 11's sonic screwdriver a la yarn.

In the midst of the shopping and browsing of Etsy, I realized I forgot to include a small item for each. *headdesk* I'll have to remember for next outing with one or both of them. *sigh*

They actually got me something pretty freakin' sweet too. KA commented that she loves journals, but doesn't journal well. So I reap the benefits since I do both things. Well, perhaps not well, but I use journals for various things. Anyway, they gave me Keri Smith's Wreck this Journal. I'd seen this when I worked at BN and always meant to buy it. Muwahahaha! I was doing a little googling on it and came across pictures of people following the journal's directions. It got me thinking, I might document this and post about that. Then I found a blog that is doing so. She calls it Wreck this Journal Wednesdays. I'm not sure if I can stick to that schedule, but I can certainly take pictures and post what I do to it.

Yes...this is going to be entertaining. :D

knitting in pop culture

I've been really amused to come across a few knitting references in movies and literature lately.

I think another part of this is the yarn bombing movement. It's been making the news so putting knitting in the spot light. I really love the Wall Street Bull yarn bomb. :D

Dumbledore refers to knitting the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince:

"No, I was merely reading the Muggle magazines...I do love knitting patterns."

Mostly, I completely understand this compulsion. I have ridiculous amounts of fun looking at knitting patterns. Whether I knit them or not is irrelevant. They are creative and inspirational. Then again, I like to stock pile them away in hopes that I might knit them in the future. I also have a compulsion to buy yarn. My stash is huge.


Tangled refers to it twice. I love that Rapunzel knits. Look at Pascal hidden in her scarf! He's so freaking adorable. Hehe! She's knitting English style too.

And one of the ruffians does later on in the movie. It's part of the listing all their dreams.

If you haven't seen it, go and watch. One of the better animated non-Pixar movies to come out of Disney's studios in a while. Cracks me up every time I watch.

I look forward to finding more knitting references.