I'm Crazy for the Hogs!

I can't stop making hedgehogs! It's time for an intervention I think.

Pattern Particulars

Needles: Clover Takumi Size US 10.5

Yarn: Lamb's Pride Worsted in Wild Oak and some weird cotton I had in my stash.

Time: Approx. 2 hours (most of it was spent pulling through loops of yarn for hair)

Loved: How quickly the yarn felted and the new animal eyes I bought at JoAnn's.

Hated: nothing.

I ran into JoAnn's tonight to pick up a few things I needed to continue working on Dave's Valentines gift. In addition to what I needed, I found official looking eyes for my hedgehog and future sock monkeys. I also picked up the new addition of ADORN. There is a lot of cute stuff in this one. Shrinky Dink Jewelry and ruffled flowers made from grosgrain ribbon are my to do list. There is also a pretty exciting contest from the people @ Velcro. All you have to do is use their *new* Fabric Fusion Iron-On velcro in a project and you could win $500, a Rowenta Professional Focus Iron and a 1-year subscription to ADORN. I'm kind of excited and I want to send something in.

Our dinner tonight was the biggest fluke ever!!! I was making an easy-peasy recipe I've made a few times and I only changed one thing. It was a baked chicken and rice dish, and we only had black rice in the house. We bought it one day because it looked exciting. IT WAS NOT EXCITING! It turned into a strange gelatinous sludge in the casserole dish and it had a very strange flavor. In order to make up for my kitchen blunder, I made Lumberjack's Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies from "I Like You" by Amy Sedaris. They are so tasty even my new hedgehog treid to steal a few. When I first got this book I thought that the recipes were jokes. I've tried three or four and all of them have been AMAZING! Amy Sedaris is a goddess!

I wanted to take a second and talk about something important. I'm not sure if you guys know what the AIDS Lifecycle is or how you could do anything to help. Here is the info from the website: "(It) will take place June 3-9, 2007, as cyclists and volunteers will travel 545 miles through beautiful California from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
(It) is the official cycling event of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center.
(It) is about HIV/AIDS and raising money to help the beneficiaries continue to provide the critical services and education needed to meet the growing needs of our community.

(It) increases awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS among participants, their donors and the general public,addresses the widespread misperception that HIV and AIDS are no longer a problem -- in fact more people are living with HIV & AIDS today than ever before, which means a much greater need for services....

(It) provides a reminder that the rate of HIV infection is increasing, particularly in communities of color and in individuals under the age of 25. In California alone there are more than 55,000 people living with AIDS, and another 125,000 living with HIV, many unaware of their infection....

(It) requires each cyclist to raise a minimum of $2,500. Each cyclist is assigned to a personal "Cycle Buddy" for assistance with training, fundraising, and emotional & practical support from the moment they register through the event's completion."

The last part is the one I would like to address with you all. One of my dear blog friends will be participating in this ride and they need help from our blogging community. I'm not asking for a miracle, or for someone to donate a zillion dollars. I know we all need yarn money.

Ms. Brooklynne Michelle is the AMAZING host of "The Mosh Knit", my absolute favorite knitting podcast. She has been knitting for almost 12 years and always has great advice on new yarns, patterns and music. A lot of people listen to her podcast but, unfortunately she has only raised $175! The money she raises will still be donated to AIDS research but, I'd really like to see her go all the way and make a huge difference, and to do that she needs our help. You can donate, check out her progress or stop by and offer her support @ The Punk Pedaler.

I'm sleepy and I think this qualifies as my longest post ever! So, Goodnight! Don't let the bedbugs bite! Sweet Dreams!

YarN PorN!

Today, Midnight Purls and I went on a lil' journey to the LYS. I went in with no list and no planned out projects! I kept my cool though and only bought a little bit. I picked up this Rio De Plata for a sweet earflap hat or mittens, I haven't really decided yet. The colorway was way to amazing to just leave it sitting there. While we were there, I also picked up some Lamb's Pride Worsted and a pattern for felted sunflowers that I wanted months ago, but it was on sale today.

I was going to watch the Knitty Gritty Knit In tonight instead of the SuperBowl, but after 3 episodes I couldn't deal with seeing any more fun fur, no matter how cute Vicki is! So, I knitted the Felted Military Belt from Michael's book. It knitted up so quickly!!!! I felted it in a bowl of hot water because I was afraid of it shrinking too much. I promise there will be pictures as soon as I get to JoAnn's to pick up some D-rings to finish it off. I was still sitting around with nothing to do, so I popped out another hedgehog using the brown Lamb's Pride. He doesn't have a face yet, but I'll get around to it.

I finally got a ball winder BTW!!! I've been agressively balling up my stash for days. I'm so excited to see everything organized in neat little cakes in my craft room. I still have a few more organizational things and a desk to pick up and then, MAYBE, I will let you all see my creative space.

I'm going to have some tea and go to bed <3>

Henry the Hedghog!

I finished Henry on Saturday night, and we went out to play in the snow on Sunday morning! You heard right Sunne! It finally snowed in New Jersey. YAY!

Pattern Particulars

Needles: Clover Takumi Size US 10.5
Yarn: Included in kit from Craftyalien.com .
Time: Approx. 2 hours (most of it was spent pulling through loops of yarn for hair)
Loved: How quickly the yarn felted, everything I needed except for a tiny bit of Poly-fil was in the kit, the cuteness factor!
Hated: The tiny bald spot i missed.

I definitely want to pick up another kit or even just one of the pattern booklets. I'm so excited about felting again! I want to try needle felting now, and make the fruit from the new issue of Craft:. I'm afraid of jamming the barbed needle in my hand but, it has been a long time since a *severe* crafting injury. I might as well give it a shot.

WIP Wednesday on Thursday?

I wanted to do WIP Wednesday like Deneen, but I'm a day late and a buck short, eh? Anyway, this the ol' Besotted Scarf from HelloYarn. It seems like I've been working on it for ages!!! Every time I start a new, smaller project, this guys takes a back seat. The yarn I'm using was a gift from Helena, and I can't remember exactly what it is. I apologize for the awful photo quality. It's been dark and gross and I didn't have time to take it outside.

I started a Basketweave Dishcloth yesterday from the book Dave got me for X-mas. It's pretty much done, I have a couple of rows left and I'll show it off. I'm using some Sugar and Cream from a while ago went I bought wayyyyy too much cotton.

Have any of you seen the Backyard Critter Kits from Crafty Alien??? I am in love!!! I ordered the hedgehog to start off with, but I can promise he won't be the last. They have all kinds of cute lil' creatures including a skunk and a raccoon . I hear the new line will feature some birds and chipmunks. I cant wait for it to come in!!!

And finally, Keith from FredFlare.com wanted to let everyone who reads my blog know that until sunday, shipping is free if you enter the secret code (valentines.0207). Remember when I went on about the frozen hot choclate? Well, this is where I got it. The kit comes with a big glass and two straws, fun stuff if there's someone around that you like to kiss <3Today, I ordered some Retro Valentines for everyone at work and a secret gift for Dave. There's a bunch of new stuff, like a Peeps Maker and an *AwESOmE* Le Tigre Hoody that I need to be complete :-) Free Shipping lasts until Sunday, so hurry up!

My Inner European is....

Your Inner European is French!

Smart and sophisticated. You have the best of everything - at least, *you* think so.

Who's Your Inner European?

Thanx, Lani!

La famiglia della scimmia

I've been slowly building my sock monkey family. The new guy is the grey striped one on the left. He's about six inches taller than his brother because I found some cool "over the knee" socks. Sock Monkeys are slowly taking over my home. As soon as I had finished the new monkey, he demanded I give him the camera so he could take "pics" for his myspace!!!! I guess everyone really does have a Myspace!

Yesterday, Dave and I went to Borders and I finally got to check out "DominKNITrix" . I NEED THIS BOOK!!!! The patterns are so-so, but it covers a lot of things in detail that I haven't done yet. The cover is an extra cool shiny vinyl which makes it that much more exciting to put on the bookshelf or the coffee table. I also took a few minutes to check out Jenny Hart's new "Sublime Stitching" book, which was full of really cute embroidery patterns but, covers the same stitches used in the "Stitch-it Kit". I decided not to buy either, yet. The deciding factor was that the new CRAFT: magazine was out and there is a tutorial for needle felted fruit inside. Again, I understand that it is a $15 magazine but, it's worth it to indulge every now and then (it's only quarterly!).I'm still working on my list of WIP's, maybe I'll show one off on Wednesday??? What One do you guys want to see??? Take My Cool Poll!

WoW! #50

So, this is my 50th post! I want to thank everyone who's been reading and incourage newbies to say "Hi!".

I finally have an FO for you all! I just finished up the Slip Stitch Hat from Knit.1. The slip stitch ribbing ended up looking pretty awesome! It's a very simple variation on a 3X3 rib, on every other row you just slip 3 stitches with yarn in front. I'm pretty excited about completing my first top-down hat.

Pattern Particulars

Needles: Clover Takumi Size 6 DPN's

Yarn: Shanghai Noon From Cool Buddha Tonic (Thanx, Charles!)

Time: Approx. 4 hours

Loved: The colorway of the yarn, the unique ribbing and it was a top-down hat.

Hated: The fact that I couldn't try it on during knitting, and the sizing was a bit off (i was on gauge!).

I've decided to throw some of my WIP's into the pond. I frogged a few things that I lost intrest in to focus on some more exciting/important projects. My new, shorter list includes: The Moderne Log Cabin Blanket from Mason-Dixon Knitting, HelloYarn's Besotted Scarf, The second damned Knuck from Knitty, and the Vintage Beaded Gloves I messed up a while ago.

Dave bought me "Knitting With Balls" for X-mas, and he did a great job picking out a knitting related gift. There are some pretty great patterns inside that I won't have to tweak much to fit me. There's an amazing argyle sweter vest and a bunch of pretty fun stuff in great fiber choices. I can't wait to tackle a sweater or a vest this year. I'm really excited about the awesome modern men's patterns in this book.

Currently Rockin':

Artist: Daniel Johnston

Album: Hi, How Are You?

"Daniel Dale Johnston (b. January 22, 1961 in Sacramento, California). Johnston suffers from bipolar disorder with psychotic features and religious preoccupation to the point where he has had to be hospitalized intermittently and his attempts at independent living have been largely unsuccessful. Johnston was the subject of the 2005 documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston. He currently lives with his parents in Waller, Texas.
Johnston has been classified as an outsider musician. His 'songs' are typically painfully direct, and often display a disturbing blend of childlike naïveté with darker, "spooky" themes. Johnston's 'singing' voice is rather high-pitched, and his performances often seem faltering or uncertain; one critic writes that Johnston's recordings range from "spotty to brilliant". -Wikipedia.com

New Post...

Coming tomarrow. I just took a little bit of time off for the holidays... I'll be back in full swing soon :-)

6 Weird Things About Me Meme!

I was tagged by Sunneshine, so now you all get to learn 6 weird things about me...

1. I love bubble baths!!!! I have to avoid looking at fun bath toys/products because I lose self control. I have these amazing rubber duckies that light up and change colors in the water. I could be in there for hours at time listening to music and playing with bubbles....

2. I dance with my cats when I'm cleaning the house (ALONE). I always listen to loud crazy music like the Blood Brothers or the Gossip when I'm cleaning and it makes us all really hyper.I should probably close the shades. My neighbors probably think I'm nuts.

3. I can't sleep without a blanket, no matter how hot it is!

4. When I'm upset, I sit on the kitchen floor... I always have, I don't know why... I just do it.

5. When I'm angry or stressed out, I clean like Cinderella. I scrub the floors, and every little spot that usually goes untouched. It helps me calm down and focus on the situation (or forget about it).

6. I'm a HUGE fan of poop jokes. You can just say poop, and I'm rolling on the floor. It's totally immature, and gross. But, I just can't help myself!

I think most of you have already done this, but if you haven't feel free :-)

Merry X-mas!

"choclate" cozy version 1.0

I finally tried to use that CrAzY handspun yarn.... there wasn't much yardage, so i didn't want to get into something and run out. I made a cozy for my new phone :-) It looks sort of crooked, but the yarn got sort of thin in spots. I'm going to tweak the pattern a lil' to make the next one come to a point where the button is. I'd like to try some sock yarn or something that will work up less bulky fabric... But, this one is crazy like me, so it will be just fine <3

Did someone say bridge jumping? I'm in!!!

You Are a Snowflake

You live for the winter - blizzards, cold nights, snowball fights! The holidays are just a bonus!

What Christmas Ornament Are You?

OMG! an FO?

I finally finished the Learn to Cable Scarf from Lionbrand.com. I invested maybe 4 hours into it, so I'm really psyched that it looks sooooo good! It only took 1 and a 1/2 ball of Wool-ease Thick and Quick in "Pumpkin". The recipient is leaving for Iowa on the 20th so I finished this just in time. Cabling is my favorite (knitting) thing to do right now, so this was a blast to make! Next on my "to knit" list are cell phone cozies for Dave and I, out of "SporeZillA" from Hobbledehoy. I'd also like to get moving on socks for Dave before it gets cold. If anyone knows of a great 1/4 length pattern send it my way.

It's been unseasonably warm here in NJ, and I'm kind of afraid that we'll never have winter again. I've got all my sweaters and warm clothing out, only to look at them. BTW! Something decided to eat a hole in a cashmere sweater Dave bought me last year. I am soooo pissed! I've never seen moths in our house, I would be dead of a heart attack. After reading the new Knit.1, I'm assuming we have nasty lil' bugger called carpet beetles. Apparently, you can't see them, and the more precious the fiber the better. I have no idea how to fix the hole yet, maybe I'll learn how darn???

We had our small X-as party yesterday. It was fun and I didn't get too stressed out. I made a Spiral Ham for the first time. Has anyone else tried these??? You don't have to cut it at all and it was very yummy. I baked Snickerdoodles, sugar cookies, and Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffe cake (from the Amy Sedaris book). We exchanged gifts, and had some wine. Good Times! Hopefully I won't have to cook much, we have a lot of food left :-)

I'm going to go eat some leftovers and work in the rest of the ends on the scarf, G'night!

Currently Rockin':

Artist: Sufjan Stevens

Album: The Avalanche

Song: Chicago (Acoustic Version)

Merry (early) X-mas to ME (and the kitties)!!!

Yesterday, a yellow sticker on my door told me I had to go to the Post Office. Rafther than pondering the USPS secret motives, I rushed over today before work. There waiting for me was the large package the yellow sticker had told me about. Before going home we stopped to pick up lunch, the whole time I was wondering, what's in there? what is in that large package?

I tried to open it with my keys while Dave drove, but alas they were no sharp enight to break the official look priority mail seal. SO, unfortunately I had to wait another 15 minutes before I could see what exciting things were waiting for me.

I had Adrienne check out the box first, to make sure it was safe, you can never be too cautious these days. Once she gave me th O.K., we opened the box.

After hours of spleunking, we found some tresure.

Festive-ly wrapped treasure!

Adrienne and I proceeded with joy as we unwrapped these secret gifts from a special pal.

This is what we found:

A quite stellar hat for me, in my favorite color combo.

Some adorable handknit kitty dim sum for Adrienne and Jewel. I wish I could have gotten a video of them going crazy!

But, that is not all, Ladies and Gentleman!!!!

In addition to the hat and kitty toys, we also found a very fancy piece of yuletide ephemera, some beautiful brown green and orange beaded stitch markers and 2 skeins of Berocco Cotton Twist.

Everything was beautiful!!! I could not be more happy with the things I've recieved for my first swap. I'm very impressed that my sceret pal did enough research to find out my kitty's name and even understand my insane love for earflap hats. Thank you Secret Pal!

Dear Secret Pal, ...

Myspace Glitter Graphics

Your gift is on it's way....

record box fun :-)

Remember when I said I bought 20 records for $2??!! Well, I finally decided to put some to use. I already had everything I needed, so I didn't have to buy any supplies. I used the tutorial I found on DigsMagazine.com. I did, however, use clear scotch tape instead of packing tape and I Mod Podged the entire thing to keep the picture from cracking. I'm terrible at math, so Dave had to measure the second piece to make sure that they fit together. It came out pretty well! (Inside is the green balaclava from a few posts ago, I'm so proud of my fancy handmade gift!)

I'm still working on the Quick Cabled Scarf, I got a little bored. There are only 4 repeats left, so I should finish it the next time I sit down with it. It's looking pretty good. I still have to finish up that embroidery and make one more gift.

Christmas shopping is just about done. I got Dave's last gifts today in Historic Smithville. There was a store that had just what I needed :-) I also stopped by Tomasello Winery and picked up a few bottles of Almonique for gifts and our X-mas Party. My mom had given us a bottle last year and I pretty much loved it.

Alright, I'm going to stop procratinating and get some things done.

Currently Rockin':

Artist: Sufjan Stevens

Album: Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lake State

Song: All Good Naysayers; Speak Up!

"MICHIGAN is the inaugural entry of THE 50 STATES, a cumulative recording project by Sufjan Stevens unparalleled in its panoramic enterprise: a record for each state! You think he's kidding, don't you?" -www.sufjan.com

The Mariners Revenge!

I started a Quick Cable scarf today, again using cheap-o Lion Brand Yarn. I'm not too snotty about what I'm using if it still yields a decent result. I saw the pattern in the back of Knit.1 and it's free on Lionbrand.com, if you sign up :-) I really like how exaggerated the cable looks in that super chunky yarn. On size 13 needles I'll be done in a day or so.




Oh! BTW, the pic was taken with my new phone <3333 I've got a Mint Choclate and I have to say, it's pretty adorable :-)

I've noticed some bloggers out there want to send SnAIL MaiL X-mas CarDs, so if any of you guys are intrested email me your address and we can also exchange some ephemera...

That's it for today!
<333 KnitXcorE

Cupcake!

I made a hat similar to this not too long ago, remember? Well, I gave it to someone I work with, and his fiance wore it to work. All the girls there went crazy for it!!!! Everyone at her store wants one... This one is named "Cupcake" because it reminds me of a cute choclate cupcake with pink icing. I may have just been kinda hungry. "Cupcake" was finished in about 2 1/2 hours. I used extremely cheap yarn (it felt funny in my hands), but none of them are willing to pay $30-35 for a hat made out out quality materials. So that's it, what do you guys think???

Currently Rockin':

Artist: Lady Sovereign

Album: Public Warning

Song: Random

It Ain't Easy Being Green!

I don't know if any of you have seen the new issue of Knit.1, inside is not only an awesome interview with Dr. Ruth by Vicki Howell, but probably one of the craziest patterns I've seen!!! I end up buying knitting magazines on my lunch break at work, and everyone is usually just as excited as me to see what's inside. So everyone is looking at the new Knit.1 and there it is, The Balaclava! An extremely utilitarian knit, with an almost absurd kitschness. One person, in particular, showed a lot of intrest in said pattern. What kind of person would I be if I didn't give him exactly what he wants for X-mas????

I had the entire weekend off, two balls of Cascade 220, and ABC Family showing a Harry Potter movie marathon. What did you think would happen? In addition to decorating our tree (complete with X-mas butterflies and alcoholic hot choclate), a Balaclava was born! I added the pom-pom and buttons from Hobbledehoy to cute it up a little bit :-)

Currently Rockin':

Artist: The Mountain GoatsAlbum: GhanaSong: Creature Song"The Mountain Goats is the name of prolific American singer-songwriter John Darnielle's long-running musical project. Darnielle began recording in 1991, and has become known for his highly literary lyrics and, until 2002, his lo-fi recording style. Currently, when the band plays live, it comprises John Darnielle and Peter Hughes, but Darnielle has worked with a number of other musicians when recording albums under The Mountain Goats name."- Wikipedia.com

Lazy Days...

Not much going on here, I finished my Winter Warm Exchange Pal's gift. I'm just waiting on one thing I ordered on Etsy.com and I can send it out. I'm really excited about my first swap! I hope he/she likes it :-) I can't wait to see what I get!!!!

I've quit the beaded gloves until December first (I needed to seperate from them for awhile, after our torrid love affair), I hope I have enough time to finish them before Christmas. HelloYarn's Besotted Scarf has been stealing most of my attention right now, I really love working on cables. You don't have to pay too much attention, but you still get to do something fun every couple of rows. I don't remember what yarn I'm using, someone gave it to me a few months ago. The Ol' Moderne Log Cabin Blanket is still hanging out OTN also, I haven't forgotten about it. It just kind of... found it's way to the bottom of the basket.

I'm already ready tired of X-mas shopping, I work in retail and I've had just about enough. Most of my shopping is now being done via Amazon.com. I have a majority of my shopping done now. I just have to dedicate some time to finish up some handmade gifts and figuring out which cookies to bake. I got a billion books and movies for my birthday last month that I haven't even begun to think about.

I'm going to go get started on a meatloaf, I have an awesome recipe somewhere. We're cutting back on carbs in Casa de KnitXcorE, and it's kind of hard for me not to make pasta or rice with every meal. I'm going to have to get creative. Has anyone had success with one of those spaghetti squashes????

Currently Rockin':

Artist: Sufjan StevensAlbum: A Sun CameSong: We are What You Say "Sufjan Stevens (born July 1, 1975) is an American musician, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Michigan. He is known for his lyrically focused and instrumentally rich songs that often relate to faith and family. He has enjoyed wide critical success in the United States. He is considered part of the folk revival in indie pop, but his influences are very broad. His music has been likened to electronica,[1] the jazz of Vince Guaraldi,[2] and the academic minimalism of Steve Reich.[3] Stevens has announced plans to make an album for each of the 50 U.S. states, having begun the series with the albums Michigan (2003) and Illinois (2005)." -Wikipedia.com