Category Archives: Weblogs

30/30

Day 30--Self-portrait
This is my last photo in the 30-day Photo Challenge for June 2011. I hear tell there will be one for July but I won’t be entering that one. I’m still debating if I have the stamina to even do any sort of photo-a-day projects. I’m torn between feeling like I need to always be out-of-doors and trying to open up my home life more. And I’m not sure I’d like to do the latter. Plus with the Beanlets around the place isn’t always spiffy and photo-ready. ;)

I’ve been knitting off and on through this time. I’ve been busy on Pinterest, seeing lots of things I’d love to make; sewing and yarn-craft alike. The latest item to pique my interest is Mao, a cute little one-piece knitted toy cat. Mao is designed by blogging-multi-crafter OiYi. I have to admit that most of my unwillingness to knit toys was because they usually involved knitting a bunch of separate parts you would then have to seam together. This is done in one big section(just add the tail–no biggie), and you stitch on facial features with embroidery thread or thin yarn. Easy peasy. Mr BeanKnit has a few new 3rd(4th?) cousins coming soon and so I’ll definitely have little ones to give them too. Several weeks ago I bought a bunch of cotton yarn at Michaels for some potholders but those will have to go on hold while I make some Maos.

I haven’t done much sewing other than fixing a ripped seam or three but I am gonna have to dig in my heels and get to sewing because my wardrobe is woefully skimpy these days. I usually dress in layers during the colder months but since it’s warmer(read: hot!) now, all I need is one layer per section and I’m good to go! I’m not ready to tackle pants. I can’t bring myself to do it and I’d prefer more skirts. I’ve been loving the jeans skirt to death because of the built-in pockets but I will have to bite the bullet and add some pockets to the skirts I plan to make.

Well, just touching bases to let you know I’m still kicking! TTFN!

30-day Photography Challenge–First Day: Self-portrait

Yes, the blog is sort of turning into a photo blog. Trust me, I’m still knitting. See?

Day 1-- Self-portrait

Still working on the Multnomah Shawl I started I-don’t-remember-how-long ago. I figure it’ll be done by Thanksgiving 2012 at this rate. :)

Now, back to the challenge. I’ve taken on a 30-day Photography Challenge based on this page I found through Pinterest.

I’ve been sputtering along trying to understand and learn photography and so far it’s been fun. But something was missing. I don’t have the time-freedom to take classes and all my photography-loving friends are on a different schedule than I am so it’s very hard to hang out with them when they’re in the mood for photowalks. So I’ve been winging it on my own, Bean-style. (Every craft I do now was learned by books or photos/video online. I’m a visual learner, more than anything else.)

Enter the photo challenges. Back when I first got my dSLR I made up my own version of a “Project 365″ which didn’t last a month. Oops. Maybe I needed a daily topic/theme to get me on track and keep me there. So here we are.

Great (Craft) Adventures

Here’s the post I promised the other day(oops!):

Gone are the days when the only way you could meet someone for the first time, was in person. The internet has allowed us to ‘meet’ people from afar, by way of video, blogs, chatrooms, virtual worlds, etc. Often times we so easily develop friendships with people who might otherwise stay complete strangers. I met Mr. BeanKnit this way, as well as all my crafty netfriends. But just as I got the jitters when meeting him face-to-face after months of internet and phone chatting, I still get a little nervous when going to hang out with fiber crafters..

Nashé and Me @ Lion Brand Studio

Meet Nashé, yarn crafter and make-up artist from right here in the (quad?)-state area. She found me by way of my podcast last year and we’ve been chatting ever since. We finally got a chance to sit and knit together the other day. I had a ball! In fact, I had 3 of them:

Lion Brand Baby Alpaca yarn

I picked up this LB Collection Baby Alpaca( and a package of cute little stitchmarkers) when were leaving the Lion Brand Studio, where we sat to click sticks and talk about everything. I also got to put a few rows on the KP Fall/Winter shawl, which I took with me that day. I must admit the biggest reason I stopped working on it was my unwillingness to wind more yarn. Winding laceweight takes ages, it seems. But I’m enjoying the knitting of this project just like before and have been putting in a little work with it each day.

In a few rows, it’s on to the next color change!

Back again..

We also stopped off at B&N at Union Square to check out some crafting novels by Maggie Sefton, as well as a pattern book by the Doublestitch Twins, Erika and Monika Simmons. Unfortunately that location didn’t have it, but I’m sure I’ll find it somewhere!

It rained off and on that day but for once it didn’t bother me because I was having so much fun! Over lunch Nashé and I talked about crafting, motherhood, and makeup! She’s a sweetheart and it felt like old friends seeing each other after years apart. Thank you, Nashé for spending the day with me! :) Looking forward to another meet-up!

Next up, Mother’s Day, Tea, Shawl WIP pics and more potholder madness!

Revving Up

For a new year. There’s a lot I could say right now but I’ll hold off til the next post.

Just wanted to say Hi! And that there’s a new weblog challenge going on right now with WordPress. The challenges are to either post once a week or once a day. It’s Saturday and well, I’m not ready to put up a REAL post just yet, but I didn’t want to miss out on fullfilling this challenge, so here’s my post for the first week of 2011. :p

TTFN!

Thought Soup.

This is just a slapdash post with everything that’s been on my mind without any particular order.

In a recent post I mentioned how I’d probably have to spin my own yarn to get a yarn I can use for a sweater. Well, I’m on my way. I think. I’ve never been inclined to join the Tour De Fleece, or NaNoWriMo or the knitting or spinning Olympics. I’ve toyed with Lacevember and Socktober though, with miserable results.

This time, though, I’m hoping I can keep with the flow to get the FO I want. I regret being cheap with each yarn purchase instead of saving it all for sweater-quantities. I’ve learned that when it comes to Yarn/Fiber is better to have more than you need than to find yourself woefully short.

Sometime last year I got a huge amount of undyed combed wool through a friend. 5 lbs of huge. Half is Superwash wool and the other is not. This latter half is what I’m using:

co-op wool

I’m loving spinning this stuff. It’s turning out to be a very easy, smooth spin. I managed to fill a bobbin very quickly and I’m about halfway through the second one:

1 bobbin down...

This will be the first time I spin yarn for a project bigger than a hat or pair of socks. I tried doing it for a shawl, and for some reason that didn’t work out at all. I’m sure I’ll give it another shot one day.

Also, this weekend(Yesterday and Today!) is the Garden State Sheep and Wool festival and I missed it! Ack! Gah! I went in 2007 and it was a nice deal. I know I won’t make it to Rhinebeck(I didn’t in 2007 either) and would have liked to think I could do one, one year and the other the next. And damn if it didn’t sail by me this time. Sigh. I hope all my spinning/knitting/crocheting/weaving friends who did go/are going have a good time!

And hey, new Knitty!! I already love at least 1/3 of the projects in there. That hasn’t happened in quite some time. I can’t decide which project I want most: Bel, Mi Escuelita, Margot, Hatheel, or Riverbanks! And upon second glance I’m thinking I might add Kernel to the list too! Sigh. Off-hand I’m thinking maybe I can use what I’m spinning for Margot or Bel for myself but I really need to get on the ball for a Mi Escuelita for the girl beanlets because this year Fall came in really quick.

Well, back to the spinning and planning of dinner.

TTFN!