knitxcore.: February 2012

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

FO: Valentine's Day Garland.




I've been just DYING to show this to all of you!!!! I had an awful time shipping this garland to my swap partner; she finally received it this week, so it's safe to blog about now.

I had so much fun making this! I employed the use of the magical Strick Liesel that I bought on ebay to make a ton of i-cord and then attached tiny felted hearts and handfuls pompoms to the strands. It was super easy, but also a little time-consuming!

Fortunately, it's finally found it's way to Jamie and I hope that she loves it!



Project Particulars


Pattern(s): PomPom Garland and Hearts (ravelry links)
Yarn: Lamb's Pride, Misti Alpaca, Vitage Stash
Needles: Strick Liesel and Size 8 bamboo DPNs
Cost: $15
Time: 6-8 hours
Notes: I adore this! I can't wait to make one for our home! I'm pretty jealous of my swap partner!



What have you finished lately? Leave a link in the comments!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

tuesday night knitting club; "hands" edition.

tuesday night knitting club: "hands" edition.

I decided to dust off an old favorite tonight. "Tuesday Knitting Club" is back. I sit at the table and take pictures of everyone's WIP's, so you can see what us creative types are up to. Those are my hands up there! Unfortunately, I can't share much about what I'm knitting right now but all will be revealed in due time.

tuesday night knitting club: "hands" edition.

The next set of paws belong to my fairy craftmother, Lea, who's working on a bacon inspired pillow. Don't steal her idea :-)

tuesday night knitting club: "hands" edition.

And this last set of manly mitts belong to Will, who's face you may recognize from one of the Westknits books. Yep. He's famous.

I've been so busy all day. I had ceramics this morning and directly after that, I attended a reading featuring NJ author Paul Lisicky.

Mass Media class immediately followed that and then I found myself knee deep in InDesign working (barely) on the Layout for Rewrites 30 with my two favorite professors in the whole wide world.

I eventually ended up at home, where I stood on the couch and screamed the lyrics various show tunes while taking shots of swedish fish flavored vodka.

Don't judge me.

We all need to unwind.

After my personal party, I made my way to the bookstore where our Tuesday Night Knitting Club takes place and worked on some top secret things for awhile, before coming home and putting on my pajamas.

And that's brings us to the present; in which I drink a cold decaf latte, eat leftover sushi and watch reruns of "The King of Queens" before I pass out on the couch.

What did you today?

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Vinyl Monday: Veruca Salt.

Vinyl Monday

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I effing love Veruca Salt. They are the epitome of the frenetic early 90's girl rock sound. Sure there are tons of super "important" bands I could reference here (like L7 or Bikini Kill) but my very favorites of the era are what I guess folks would call one-hit wonders; bands like Letters to Cleo, Luscious Jackson or Tracy Bonham (all of whom actually have more than one great song).

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It may have been the extensive airplay or the strategic placement in popular movies but the one-hit wonders are the songs that have become the soundtrack of my life. Maybe I somehow identify with their the quick rise and fall or the sort of satellite quality of these pop-culture loners? Either way, they hold a special place in my heart and they are the songs/bands that I return to over and over again when I'm feeling nostalgic.


What one-hit wonders are part of your own life's soundtrack? Why?

Saturday, February 25, 2012

american pancake club or burgertown USA or jang-a-langs. whatever.

american pancake club

american pancake club

american pancake club

I took the day off from work to hang out with this chick. We dug through others people's garbage, debated about which dresses were "Zooey" enough, and ate THE BEST (vegetarian-ish) foods!

I love taking the entire day to just thrift and eat! I guess it's how us over-25 folk party. I may have even "gotten low" once or twice.

I bought the most fantastic things! I can't wait to share them all this week; keep your eyes peeled!

What did YOU do this weekend?

Friday, February 24, 2012

What I Wore: 2/23/12.

What I Wore: 2/23/12

What I Wore: 2/23/12


What I Wore: 2/23/12
Glasses- Hot Topic
Cardigan- GAP
Flannel- Vintage
Jeans- Old Navy
Shoes- Vans

That's it! Totally accessible, right? No "gratis" pieces from Modlcoth, no c/o Blowfish shoes; just real clothes that I bought with real money. How 'bout it?

I'm still experimenting with the Dreamy Diana lens. I really was going to send it back, but I love the hazy quality of the outdoor photos. I might just keep it! I give it a few more test runs on sunny days before I decide.

"What I Wore" posts are quickly becoming a Friday standby for me. They're such an easy and fun way to end the blogging week. I get to play around with my camera while the neighborhood kids ride their bikes around in circles asking why I'm taking photos of myself. Good times!

It's actually really grey outside (I took these photos yesterday), it's probably going to rain. I'm going to kick my feet up and watch "Reality Bites" while I work on a little knitting.

What are your favorite rainy day activities?

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Get Healthy!: Abhyanga.

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I'm still exploring alternative health, and after Deepak Chopra's book "Perfect Health", I've begun to include certain ayurvedic activities into my daily routines. The first of them being abhyanga.

Abhyanga is basically a self-massage done with warm oil shortly after waking up. At first, I thought it was ridiculous. I mean, who has the time to heat up oil and massage themselves EVERY morning? I'm not a morning person and getting up early to do something like this seemed insane.

I finally tried it on one of my days off (so I didn't have to get up any earlier than I wanted to) and I immediately felt a change. I felt happier, less physically irritated and absolutely calm throughout the day.

I begrudgingly started waking up early enough to add an extra half an hour to my morning routine so I could begin practicing abhyanga regularly.

It's weird at first, but it is absolutely worth it! Once you get past the creepy new age feeling of doing something outside of the norm, abhyanga can be exhilarating!

In addition to decreasing inflammation and improving disposition abhyanga is also believed to:

-Increase circulation
-Tone muscles
-Calm nerves
-Eliminate impurities from the body
-Increase stamina
-Increase mental alertness

There are all kinds of specific oils which you can use if you are well versed in ayurveda or aromatherapy but for the most part, sesame oil seems to do the trick.

There is a specific order and direction which an abhyanga needs to be done. I watched a few videos on Youtube until I found one that seemed reasonable:



I'm totally aware that this is really far out of a lot of folks comfort zones, but it really did make a difference for me! If even just one of you give this a shot then this post will have been worth my time.

Would you try abhyanga? Have you experimented with any alternative health practices?



MCP: Days 7-10.



MCP: Day 7
Day 7: "Materials".

I took this photo with the "Dreamy Diana" DSLR lens. Kinda awful, right?

MCP: Day 8
Day 8: "Challenging"
Planning more top secret knitting.

MCP: Day 9.
Day 9: "Hands".
I know you already saw this picture, but I'm falling behind as it is. haha.

MCP: Day 10.
Day 10: "Craft Bag"
This is the bag that my most current WIP's go into. It was free with a subscription to Martha Stewart Living :-)

I'm officially 13 days behind on the MCP challenge. Ugh.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

intro to ceramics: tuesday is the best day!

intro to ceramics.

I promise I'm not bi-polar or anything. My plan to hold it together today just happened to work out nicely.

I always look forward to Tuesdays, today in particular. I walked in to the studio with the worst attitude. I may have snapped at someone who asks far too many questions. I just wasn't in the mood. I jumped right my projects; head down, focused. I tried my hardest to avoid everyone.

I think GMG noticed and went out of his way to make extra hilarious jokes to rock me out of my funk. It worked. By the end of class, I had forgotten everything awful that was happening at home. It's amazing how a person I had so wrongly misjudged had actually went out of their way to make sure that I was happy. The atmospheres of the ceramics studio gave me enough positive energy to get through a Rewrites meeting and a Mass media lecture without completely collapsing. I can be pretty fragile.

On Tuesdays after school, I stop by the grocery store to pick up odds and ends and then I stop at Dunkin Donuts (because it's next door) to get a (disgusting) latte. It doesn't really matter what the coffee actually tastes like, the routine is what's important. Routines provide a sense of normalcy when things get crazy.

When I got home, I practiced another favorite pastime I look to to regain some kind of control; cleaning. Earlier this week I downloaded a book to my Kindle called "Magical Housekeeping" by Tess Whitehurst and while some things are over my head completely, there is a certain connection between negative energy and a messy home. I'm hoping that I can wash away all of the negativity that's found it's way into my house and life. I hope it works.

I'm going to pack my bag and leave for my knitting group in a few minutes; the perfect ending to a rather peaceful Tuesday.

What's your favorite day of the week? Why?

Monday, February 20, 2012

vinyl monday: the smiths.

Vinyl Monday

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This week couldn't be a to a shittier start (pardon my language) but, it's just been awful. I don't really want to get into the details of it. I'm pissed off and confused. I don't know whether I should just curl up in a ball and sleep through the week or if I should just pretend everything is swell, and just hope that it will fix itself.

The entire situation is pretty much out of my hands, so I guess I'll just have to sit back and see what evolves.

Today, I received my daily fortune from Miranda July that reads, "You are insulting yourself in ways I find insulting. Insult a hat like that and I promise the hat will cry. Today you stop" and I can't help but take that as some kind of omen. I mean, Miranda July is clearly not a soothsayer, but I sort of trust her for some reason.

Tomorrow, I'm going to stand up straight and hold it together. I want her to be proud.

In times like these, I look to the cathartic qualities of my favorite bands to pull me through. The Smiths will be my band-aid this week. Now, if only I could find some Neosporin.

Friday, February 17, 2012

What I Wore: 2/17/12.

wiw3 21712

WIW 21712

WIW2 21712

E.T. Hat-Vintage
Military Shirt-American Eagle
Striped Tee-GAP
Levi's 501xx (Shrink-to-fit)- Vintage (eBay).

Remember that resolution I made over a month ago? I decided to "dress better", and I wanted to document and share the process. I used this past month to read a few books ("True Prep", "Take Ivy". and a few others), explore blogs, and watch some of the recent fashion week coverage. I overhauled my 'style' pinboard and started pinning looks that I liked.

All of this exploration led me to realize my anti-fashion stance regarding personal style. I don't like to look chic or streamlined. "Trendy" things make me feel dizzy and sad. I just feel like I've overindulged in a lot of "try hard" activity and I feel sort of embarrassed and confused by what I've taken in.

So, I'm cleansing my palette with simplicity. It's really the only answer. I'm taking an anti-fashion stance against my now overloaded senses. I'm going to curl up in simple and comfortable basics for awhile to cure this sensory overload.

However, I am still going to document it because I feel like the understated need a voice.

That's it!

If you feel sort of "boring" or "simple", I'm gonna be your poster boy.

What are your favorite basics? Tell me about your wardrobe staples!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Six Word Memoirs: ZINE GIVEAWAY!!!!

six word memoir

I don't really discuss it much, but I'm the layout/art editor for Rewrites (our college's literary magazine). It's really exciting to be involved in something outside just going to class, and it provides a great opportunity to network with people outside of my usual circles.

I think, for the most part, that we're probably the most "with it" kids on campus but then again, I've never really been very humble.

Take, for example, our most recent project; a zine composed of six word memoirs (inspired by the folks at Smith Magazine). There's a great collection at NPR for those of you who may need a little clarification on the genre, but a six word memoir is just what it sounds like; a very poignant life story told in only six words. Edgy, right?

I was asked to prepare my own six word memoir and to take a picture of it for the cover. "I hope that she is proud" is both a straightforward and passive aggressive message concerning two very influential women in my life. I probably shouldn't explain it, actually. A professor once told me that I should never explain my work, for fear of soiling someone else's interpretation. But, whatever...

While my message is blatant and you've already seen it, there's are tons more inside of Issue #3 of "8 1/2 X 11" that are just perfect.

I just checked, and I have 5 stamps on the refrigerator so:

The first five people to comment will receive a copy of our zine!!!!
Be sure to leave an e-mail address and your name in the comments.

I wish I could send all of you one, but the post office is really out of the way and stamps aren't cheap!

Just for fun, let's see who can come up with the best six word memoir in the comments, and I'll send them a zine and a last year's copy of "Rewrites"!!!!

I look forward to reading a ton of memoirs!




Wednesday, February 15, 2012

valentine's day swap!!!!


I received my Valentine's Day Swap package from Jamie of With Love, Jamie and Creativity is Love last week and after all of the comments yesterday about her little owl and mushroom, I figured I'd give them their own post.

Unfortunately, I made a shipping error and her package was returned so I can't share what I've made her yet because she hasn't received it. I really need to pay more attention to those damned shipping labels. It's a good thing I only list one item at time in my Etsy shop or I'd have a big mess on my hands.


But anyway, Jamie sent me that adorable felt owl in the top picture and the little companion mushroom in the second and I LOVE THEM TO BITS!!!!! It's funny how someone can just stumble across your blog and pinpoint your personality and the things you love so easily!!!!

Thanks, Jamie! I hope your package arrives safely this time and that your like your gift as much as I love mine!!!!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

valentines day = pizza buffet.

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Today after school, I walked to the grocery store and bought a bajillion things to make heart shaped pizzas and a confetti cake for Dave. I had to move quickly because I only had 3 hours hours to make the dough, let it rise, and bake the cake somewhere in between. I'm awful at time managment when cooking, so it was a struggle. There was flour EVERYWHERE; there's probably still some in my hair.

MCP: Day 9.

See? Messy.Messy. Messy. You should have seen the floor.

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But somehow, I pulled it off. The last two (of the 5 personal pizzas) was going into the oven as he walked in the door. I did it!

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I was so excited, that I jumped. Again. I think I may stop crafting and just jump. A lot.

How was your Valentine's Day?


Monday, February 13, 2012

vinyl monday: paul baribeau.

Vinyl Monday

vonyl monday: paul baribeau.

Today at my day job, someone walked up to me with a record in their hands and asked if it was a poster or some kind of wall hanging. He said that his girlfriend really loved the Beatles and he thought that it looked like a "cool collector's item".

I stood there sort of dumbstruck for a moment, but then I remembered that I was old and that 90% of the music I enjoy was probably written before 1994.

He seemed a little confused and unfortunately, I probably wasn't much help. I can be a sort of music snob, sometimes.

vinyl monday paul

I picked Paul Baribeau for Vinyl Monday today, because he's sort of the opposite of that. Even though he's gotten a little acclaim here and there, he plays small shows and is really personally accessible. He doesn't act like a star or turn his nose up at boy's buying their girlfriends Beatle's records for Valentines Day.

I should probably try to be more like that.


Instead, I try to be like A-list bloggers and jump when the shutter goes off.

We all have our idols.

Who's been inspiring YOU lately?