Unrelated

I don't know how these conversations even happen.

Mom: You should go to bed. (It's only about 10pm.)
Me: I'm fine.
Mom: Take some medicine that will make you sleepy, then.
Me: If I take medicine now, it'll knock me out for too long.  I need to get up at 6 am 'cause I'm taking [my younger sister] to school.
Mom: I don't want you waking up at 11 again.  You're not being responsible.
Sister: Yeah, it's not good for you.
Me: I woke up at 9 this morning, not 11.  And I did chores all day!  Plus I just said, I'm getting up at 6 tomorrow.  I'm taking you to school so that I can have the car, and then I can get it smog checked and have the oil changed.
Mom: Why did you wait so long to do it?
Sister: You shouldn't sit around all day.
Me: Well, I'm doing it tomorrow, so that doesn't matter.  It'll get done.
Mom: You need to get your priorities straight. *walks out*

WAT?!?!?!  I don't understand her train of thought.  It's like "bed = coffee = llamas = CELERY.  FIVE CELERY.  THAT'S how irresponsible you are!  FIVE CELERY!!!!!!" (partial quote from my friend Polly who probably understands these things better than I do)

What this post fails to represent is my mom talking over me constantly, and my sister on top of that, also telling me what I should do.  But writing out makes it sound all nice and orderly.  It WASN'T.

Keeping Up

...is not one of my greatest talents.

Soooo, anyone actually following this may have noticed that it's been a few months since I posted anything, and I was SUPPOSED to do a different project each month.  Well, scratch that, I just crochet things now.  I never realized how fun and relaxing it could be, plus: 1) I've improved, 2) I'm getting a product out of it, so it's really rewarding, too.  Crochet is now my favorite hobby EVER.  I mentioned in the previous post that I'd start a new blog just about crochet, but that's really unnecessary, as I'm just converting this blog.  And here is where I show you all the fun things I've made since I've been gone:

Made for http://pollyrambles.blogspot.com/

No. 1, I finished the Stargate!
Chevron 9 is encoded and locked!
Anyway, this makes me a very happy nerd.
I gave the Stargate that's pictured to my friend Polly, and I made a second one which is now hanging on my wall.

Made for http://whitefluffyhat.blogspot.com/

I also made this Totoro for my friend Mel as a birthday present.  It is rather big, and was therefore pretty time-consuming.  I started in in March for her birthday in April, but I didn't finish it until the beginning of June (*facepalm*).  I also made a hat for her as a graduation present, but I don't have a picture of it for some reason.

 Soooo, I guess these are in reverse chronological order.  I think I made this in... early March?  This was a birthday present for a friend who lives in my dorm, and I didn't follow a pattern or anything!  I'm quite proud of myself for it.

 My first thread crochet project!  Last week I made a skirt and then I crocheted an edging onto it.  It was quite time-consuming, but I'm pretty proud of the outcome.  Actually I'm proud of the whole skirt.  I should post a picture of that soon.


Speaking of sewing, I made my first cosplay in the first two weeks of July!  If you've read any of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels (there are 38 of them, and you really should read them if you haven't yet), then you know about Great A'Tuin, the space turtle.  I'd never heard of anyone cosplaying him/her/it before, so I decided to give it a try:

A turtle carrying 4 elephants carrying the disc-shaped planet.

There's a backplate under the shell which I strap to my torso, and the turtle head goes on as a hood.  Then I cover the straps by velcro-ing on a white belly (or rather a square of off-white fabric), and put foam flippers on my arms.  There are four bolts that hold the back plate, the shell, the elephants, and the Disc all together.  There's also some wire and stuffing in the shell to help hold its shape.

I wore the costume to ComicCon in San Diego weekend before last, and was recognized quite a bit.  Sometimes I got pictures from people who didn't recognize it, but simply thought it was crazy.  The thing that surprised me most, though, was that I could actually sit down while wearing it!  Considering how many panels we attended on the day I wore this, that was very helpful.

So, I guess that's everything.  I made some more hats for people this summer, but I didn't get pictures of any of them.  Oh, well.  I have to go... watch Farscape now.

In Which I Wish February Never Had to End

I realize it's March.  I also realize that I haven't posted in a while, so here's what's been compiling over the last several days:

I finished the 2-tone fingerless gloves!

Ninja skills: confuse enemy with colors!

The power is in the gloves.

 Now I will send them to my friend in Minnesota!

I loved that yarn so much, and I had just enough left over to make this neat springtime hat.

Front appearance

There's holes in it!

And more holes! O.o

That was fun, though making it up as I went along stopped working so well when I was really running out of yarn.  I had to go back and do the last few rows again several times in order to decrease the correct amount so it would fit as well as have enough yarn to finish.

I am now about 5/6 done with the second version of my most recent amigurumi project.  The only reason I'm not already done is because I started and finished a new project in the last two days that was a present for my friend's birthday (today, March 2nd, though it's late, so you see it as very early March 3rd). Voila!

Zach is pleased.

The penguin is pleased.

This may be one of my proudest creations, and I basically just improvised.  I had an idea of what I wanted, then just kinda did whatever I wanted from there.  I counted stitches and wrote things down so I can share the pattern in a separate post.

This last thing is a fun project requested by my friend and fellow Stargate fan.

My polar bear, Ianto, travels through time and space 'cause crossovers are fun. xD

There's wire and stuffing inside it to make it hold its shape.  The wire was actually quite cheap, namely because I got it at Walmart.  This was the smallest amount I could buy:

A lot of wire.  A lot.

And then I went to Joann to help my roommate pick out fabric for a dress I'm helping her make (being able to crochet makes me The Crafty Friend Who Knows Everything even though I don't).  While I was there I bought two new hooks, sizes G and N.  The only ones I had before were F, H, I, J, and K.  I also bought 3 skeins of yarn - black, cream, and orange.  Somehow I managed to only spend just over $11 on this shopping trip, which amazes me.  It was also the first time I ever gave into buying Vanna's Choice.

Yay, soft yarn that I usually can't afford.

So, clearly I've become obsessed with crochet. I know March has already started and I've begun to get back into my noveling mind, but I never want to stop crocheting!  I've decided to start a second blog dedicated entirely to my yarn-related projects and patterns so that this blog can keep on track with the project I originally set out to do.  Anyway, I promise I'll be back tomorrow with an update for March for reals.  Maybe a little teaser for my story so far or something.

It's the End of the Week as We Know It

So, I went to classes today.  I'm glad I feel functional again, but the badgermole and the catgator aren't gone yet and I miss being able to lay around in bed working on these projects and watching Stargate SG-1 all day.  But it's over now, and I just get my evenings to my crafts.

But there is good news.

First, I finished the second amigurumi thing that I was making!  I made the body of it in December before I knew about using smaller hooks on stuffed things so that there's no holes through which the stuffing can show, so it has that problem going for it, but it was good practice and still cute.  I'm going to make a second one that's bigger, modify my already make-shift pattern slightly while doing so, and that's the one that I'll give to my friend.

Secondly.  Best thing ever.

My dormmate lent me a book called The Happy Hooker and it's the greatest book of crochet instructions and patterns I've ever seen!   I bookmarked all the patterns that I really really want to do right away (as in this month, in addition to everything else I already had in mind).

Sooo many bookmarks.

These two especially.  These are the two prettiest/awesomest things in this book in my opinion, and I desperately want to make both of them.

Er... I hope it's not copyright infringement if I take pictures of the book, but just in case I'll make a disclaimer that the patterns belong to Debbie Stoller who made them.  She's awesome and I love her book.

What I've been working on today is finishing the second glove of a pair I started making last semester for a friend who later moved away.  After that, I didn't feel that much pressure to finish them and, using the lamest excuse ever, "I never got around to it." 

fingerless gloves in progress

When she saw my fingerless gloves (specifically the part-red-part-silver one), she wanted some, too but in blue and green, and with the colors reversed on the opposite glove.  The yarn she picked out is super fine and soft and lovely to work with.  I appreciate it greatly, as all I can usually afford is Red Heart.  My hands don't appreciate me too much for it.

What I did today was all of the second glove except for a small section of wrist that was already started.  They work up pretty fast for the most part, even though they're single crochet.  The most painstaking part is going from wrist to hand, trying to get the right number of stitches without specific places to put said stitches on the previous work, it being in the other direction.

I'd like to refer back to when I said I had lots of projects in mind, including the ones I found in the book.  I also have another work in progress, so here's just a current list of all the things I am/want to be working on.

• finish blue and green gloves
• finish second cable hat in other color
• these Mary Jane slippers
• a Stargate for Polly
• this simple tunic
• the second, bigger version of my last amigurumi project
• a fox for Jennie

I think I overestimate crocheting speed and the amount of time I have left available this month.  I don't care.

Goodnight!

Sickness Is Conducive to Crafting

As the title would explain, I am currently sick.  Last Tuesday I woke up feeling like I had a catgator living in my sinuses, and a bagdermole living in my throat.  So I haven't gone to classes for the last three days, allowing me to watch many many episodes of both Slings & Arrows and Stargate SG-1 while crocheting myself crazy.

Of the two amigurumi projects I mentioned in the last post, one of them is all finished but for one part that I don't have yet; I still can't put up a picture or say what it is, though.  The other is basically done, but turned out to be more of a practice run, the outcome of which was so-so.  I'm going to give it another go with a completely different pattern and find something else to do with this poor misshapen creature.  I think I may just keep him myself.
 
These last few days have finally put a visible dent in my bag of fiber fill.  This stuff lasts forever, and that was the smallest bag available (12 oz), only costing $2.99.  Seriously win.  All the more reason to make more and more and more stuffed animals!

Here's a couple pictures of the fold-over mitten top gloves that I mentioned last time but didn't have available.  I wish Erica could model them on her own hands as they're too big for mine, but she's off on an excursion for the rest of the week/weekend.

Now they're fingerless...

...and now they aren't!

I also got around to blocking one of the scarves I knitted a while back (it's the white one in the first picture on my last post), so it's currently lying flat, pinned, and drying.  All is well with the world.










I might as well mention a non-crocheting project that I did recently when my friend bought a $10 box of white sculpey which he shared with everyone.  That's right.  I made a Dalek.

Also on devART

A trip to Jo-Ann is in order as soon as I feel up to riding my bike 4 miles then back.  Then I can finally add the finishing touch to my latest project and give it to the person!  I'm not going to give it away directly, though.  Oh, no.  I'm going to send this person on an epic quest.  Just you wait.

Showing Off Is Good for You

I'm going to start the series of actual project posts by showing off.  'Cause it's fun.  Sorry for the crappy picture quality; I have to use my webcam since my actuallyreallynice camera disappeared last year.  Methinks I'll be getting a new one soon.  Anyway, these are some of my past knitting/crocheting projects, pre-2011:

1. Scarves!  Everyone starts with scarves.

Knit - white Lion Brand homespun

Knit... I forgot what this yarn is called. xP

Knit - red Lion Brand homespun

Tassels!

Crochet - red and silver acrylic

Crochet - off-white and other acrylics

Crochet - same yarn as purple scarf only red.

The first two are knit with "knifty knitters," and the third scarf was with regular needles, size 9 (the only pair I own O.o).

My first crocheted scarf is actually the red one I'm wearing on my head, which I later wore for my role as Baker's Wife in Into the Woods.  It's crocheted lengthwise and has lots of mistakes and holes in it.

The next one I made chronologically is the red and silver one, before I knew how to tuck in ends rather than tie them in a knot so they stuck out of the work. Dx  With all those color changes, all those knots.  I'm going to sew the sides together, actually, 'cause it looks better when it's half as wide and the gross edges wouldn't be visible.

The super long one that's strangling me was also done lengthwise.  I ran out of the multicolored yarn, though, so I did off-white edges on it to make it wide enough.  It's one I don't wear much... or at all...

2. Next: a hat!

Crochet - blue and silver acrylics

This was actually the second hat I made.  My first was a puff stitch hat (pattern), of which I don't have a picture, nor is it readily available.  This is that without the puff stitches, your basic slouchy hat, crocheted in the round with double crochet except for the band around the head in single crochet.  The colors are pwetty. :D

3. Fingerless gloves.  Wicked.

White, red, and silver acrylics

 









I used this pattern, modifying it as I went to fit my hands perfectly.  After the first glove, though, I ran out of white yarn.  I thought, "It could look cool to have gloves of different colors... I'll just pick something and go with it."  Lo and behold, I ran out of red yarn right before I did the fingers.  So I finished off the fingers with yet another color, quickly wishing I'd had enough red to make both gloves look like the one for my left hand.  I think the red with silver looks awesome. Plus, after wearing them while riding my bike a few times, the white one has black marks that won't come off in the washing machine.

4. Dwight the Octopus.

Are you excited?  I'm excited.  He makes me squee.  :D  He's my first amigurumi, and a Secret Santa gift for a friend.  She was super stoked about him, and named him Dwight.  The pattern is based off of this, but I wanted him to be bigger and his legs to be connected slightly differently, so I modified it.


And then, it was 2011...

1. Another hat!

Crochet - color-changing acrylic

Earflaps and cables!

This one I find quite exciting.  This was my first project with cables, and I wanted to create the pattern myself since I couldn't find an earflap hat with cables online.  And then I wanted to experiment and work out my pattern using some crappy yarn so that I wouldn't care if I ruined it somehow, and I found this skein of the ugliest yarn I'd ever seen, hiding at the bottom of the box.  I think it's the skein that I stole from my church years ago.  Anyway, it was perfect.  As things go when making up your own pattern, it took lots of trial and error, re-doing the top 6 rows of the hat over and over and over again until I could get it right.  It's all double crochet, with triple for the crossing stitches in the cables.  There are seven cables going down and outward from the top, two on each side extending down the earflaps.  I've got the whole pattern written down and I'll post it to deviantART when I get the chance, maybe edit this with a link.

2. Last month I made another pair of fingerless gloves, this time fitted for my friend and this time with fold-over mitten-tops.  They're kind of fantastic and have buttons shaped like stars, but she's not available at the moment to model them for me.  They're silver and pretty and they made me want to pull my hair out most of the time.  The design of the mitten tops is my own, and they were way more troublesome than I expected, never being the right shape or size.  Then I finally bought a yarn needle and realized I could make each side and sew them together and stuff.  For the win.

Now I'm currently working on/planning some more cable ear-flap hats (some of my family wanted their own), and 2 more amigurumi animals.  I shouldn't say what they are because they're both gifts that are supposed to be surprises, and the point of secrets is not to put them on the internet.

That's all for now.  Bye!

The List

So it's more like 12 months, 11 projects.  I want to keep doing the project I originally decided was for January, partly because I haven't finished what I wanted to do, and partly because I can't think of what else to do for the month of February.  The plan appears to be turning out thus:

January - crochet
February - crochet (cont.)
March - finish last year's novel
April - ScriptFrenzy: write a 100-page script
May - painting
June - costumes for San Diego ComicCon
July - running/exercise of some sort
August - songwriting (15 songs?)
September - videos every day
October - embroidery
November - NaNoWriMo: write a 50,000-word novel
December - I don't know yet!  To all of the two people who follow this: comment with youses ideas of a project to finish/wrap-up/send out with a bang/tie up the metaphorical loose ends of this blog.

For the crochet, painting, and embroidery ones, I'm basically just setting those months aside to do as much of that one craft as I can, and to actually dedicate myself to it so that my projects actually get done.  I tend not to finish things, and my goal for those is to accomplish that.

If you've got creative exercise ideas for July, by all means share them.  My preferred sports are ice skating and skiing... 1) money, 2) winter.  Actually, there's an indoor ice skating rink that I'd love to visit every day in July, but it wouldn't actually be that much exercise, plus let's refer back to number 1.

Wish me luck!  Seriously, though.  Do it.  I'm gonna need it.

Tapioca and Projects and How They Are (Not) Related

Hello.  My name is Beth.  And I like tapioca pudding.

Tapioca doesn't have to do with the project, I just like it.

Now, more important matters, I've taken on a project.  I don't know how I will do it, considering that I'm in college and don't exactly have time.  However, I managed to watch two seasons of Merlin in the first week I was back at school, so I should be able to do what is about to follow:

Every month this year, I plan on taking on some sort of goal such as a craft, a project, a musical endeavor, what have you.  I had a list of some ideas for each month, but it disappeared.  I'll get back to you on that.

I know January is almost over already, but I've already done most of what I wanted to do this month. My goal was to finish several crocheting projects, mostly comprising of late Christmas gifts; I just wanted to increase my output of various crocheted things, as well as improve my actual crocheting ability.  I should be posting what I've done so far very soon.

All in all, this is going to be one heck of a year.  See you all (which, at this point is nobody) at the finish line.