Too long!

Oh man, it has been much too long since I've been able to access the internet to write a new post! I considered writing them in an off-net blog sort of way, and then uploading later, but I never got around to doing so. I have been looking forward to this day for a long time though!

Since my last post, I've moved into a new apartment with a new landlord and hopefully never, ever have to work with REMG again; it is such a relief knowing that. It is also very nice living in a larger space! Also, I recently found a new job and quit Subway (yes!) My new job will surely challenge me, if not the work itself, at least the daily commute at 6:30 am will (by bicycle)! Especially as the mornings become colder while the bed remains warm.

I've been crocheting almost everyday, sometimes morning and evening. Some days when I don't feel like crocheting, but pick up the hook and yarn anyways, my fingers feel happy to be in that rhythm.

Is it over yet?

My last post was a bit angry and frustrated. But I think, I hope, I'm over the worst. Don't get me wrong, I'm still pissed as hell about everything, but at least I'm not feeling that horrible dread and sense of worthlessness that Lambros makes their tenants feel.

The best part about this ordeal is being able to handle it with Scott, which he showed me today. Even though we're both super stressed, we're able to cope with it and talk together. I mentioned in my last post that it would be more stressful if we didn't have another place lined up. Well, a few years ago, that's exactly what happened and our lease was running out. I remember having a terrible fight with him because we were both so stressed that we couldn't see through it to comfort the other. But now, comparing both situations, I feel great relief and happiness =) We have definitely grown.

Yesterday was a pretty bad day with both announced and unannounced showings, plus work. But, through all the showings, I just sat on my couch and crocheted... and I've made some good progress! It's almost two feet long!! and three feet six inches (roughly) wide.

Well, I've got a few things to do before work, so... here's to good people and a sunny day =) Cheers!

Happy Father's Day!

I had a huge brunch with my family today, blackberry pancakes with raspberry syrup, eggs, and bacon =) I helped my dad repot a mysterious flower bulb that I've been growing for the past month or so into a larger pot, and hopefully under his care, it will finally blossom.

I've been neglecting my afghan the past few days... I just haven't been feeling it lately. Truthfully, I've felt really stressed and anxious between work and this whole moving hullabaloo. Lambros is really making this the most inconvenient and unorganized move out I have ever experienced. It's not the most stressful, though, because that was when we were moving out and didn't have a new place yet. I honestly don't know how that business continues to run with their level of disorganization. It's as if each "manager" has decided to take the property into their own hands to see who can rent it out the fastest, and the ones who really get the short end of the stick are us. It makes me sick to see a business take so much advantage over desperate people who need affordable housing. I mean, how the fuck is this fair or ethical? Because from what I've seen of them, they are miles from being far and ethical. How do you take pride in your work when you just make money unjustly off of people? It really makes me disillusioned of the world.

Afghan!

About five hours in, and I'm not even close to being halfway done with this afghan!! Twelve hours my ass. However, I am using a hook two sizes smaller than the recommendation. Even though my last post was about hating gauge, I decided to try it for this afghan, especially since my hook is so much smaller. In conclusion, gauge doesn't really matter for an afghan like this one, at least not to me, because the number of stitches isn't reliant on pattern, or whatever. The pattern called for 101 stitches, and I used 160.

Like I said, I'm not even halfway into this scarf, more like one fourth of the way:


I'm also thinking about finding a mannequin to photograph my scarves on, I think it would give a better idea of how they look. Now I just need to find a mannequin.

Forgo gauge?

Apparently the gauge is very important when crocheting or knitting, but I've always ignored it. I think it would be crucial if someone was making a sweater or socks, but since I mainly only crochet scarves, I just don't see the purpose of it. So I googled the importance of gauge and I found a helpful site. Here's one gem:

If you think that making a gauge swatch is unnecessary, think again! Each one of these single crochet gauge swatches was made using the same yarn and have the exact same amount of stitches and rows. The swatch on the left was made using a hook that was only one size smaller than the swatch on the right. Just imagine how this would impact the overall size of a sweater. We hope this convinces you not to take shortcuts!

and:

Don’t be influenced by other crocheters who say they never bother making a gauge swatch. Just keep in mind that professional crochet designers—those creative artists who design the projects that you will be making and wearing—have to make a gauge swatch before they are able to calculate all numbers of stitches and rows needed to form a garment.

Bah!!! I hate that they threw in "professional crochet designers" and "those creative artists" ... makes me want to vomit. Hey kids! I know your parents said to stay away from drugs but what do they know? Listen to the high rollers! You want to be cool right? Yay to drugs!

Ok, ok. So gauge and drugs are nothing alike, at least on the exterior. But isn't the principle the same? Until gauge proves me otherwise, it's just an imitation and unnecessary.

I haven't finished my yoga socks yet. Well, if you count the fact that I have two different yoga socks finished but for two different pairs, then I have completed one pair =) I think I burned myself out on them. So what's the best way to motivate myself to finish them (besides feeling boyfriend's freezing feet at night)?? To stack a new project on top of it!! Hopefully it will motivate me to finish the socks so I can start MY FIRST AFGHAN as soon as possible!!! The pattern is from a free pattern card from Michaels. It's called a Crocheted Textured Stripes Throw and it's going to be great!!! Only, the completion time on the card says 12 hours... hahahaha yeah right. But, just because I like to challenge myself, I'm going to time myself when I crochet. I can't imagine anyone would actually sit and crochet for 12 hours solid...

This will be the largest project I've started so far and I'm really excited!

Scarves Update!!

Beware! Long post!!

I haven't been as busy crocheting or knitting as I'd like to be, but I've managed to finish a few of the scarves I was working on:

Granny Square!!

As you can see, I still have some loose ends to weave in, but it's finished for the most part. I love the look of Granny Squares, but boy I hate sewing them together! I think it's the starting then stopping, starting then stopping that I don't like. I would rather crochet nonstop.

This was kind of an experiment to, one, have more practice crocheting Granny Squares, and two, see how it would look as a scarf.

Ribbed Scarf!!

I started this last week after deciding to practice the Front Post Stitch. While I absolutely love the texture and warmth from it, it's a bit thicker and wider than I'd like. Also, my choice of yarn is a little too scratchy for my taste, at least for around the neck. But I love the colors too much! (leftover from Granny Square)

Close-up of ribbing:

Irregular Rib Knit!!Haven't worked on this one as much...knitting just isn't really my thing I guess. One thing I don't like about knitting scarves is my needles aren't long enough to hold the entire length of a scarf, so I have to knit the width instead. Ultimately it takes a lot longer in my head because I have to turn the work much more often. I ran into this problem with the Ribbed scarf as well. It feels like it's taking forever!

Pink Scarf!!

I finally finished it! And I absolutely love it! I love the yarn and the texture, and the color! But I think I will give this to Scott's mom, because I started it with her in mind. I hope she likes it =)


Another Granny Rectangle!!

Let's see....I think I crocheted this right after I finished the black and white Granny Rectangle (which I gave to my grandma for Mother's Day). This turned out a little Christmas-y, but I used up extra bits of yarn that I had.


My Yarn Bag:

It's ginormous so it holds A LOT OF BALLS =) I also like the design on it. I purchased this bag probably five years ago at a store downtown which has since gone out of business, sadly.

Biggest Ball Yet:

This is the largest ball of yarn I've ever purchased!! By itself, it's practically a pillow. And it's so soft! Unfortunately, it's very difficult to crochet or knit with. It's from Jo-Ann's Fabrics: Rainbow Boucle, "A soft and versatile tonal boucle."

I know it will make a lovely scarf or hat, or even a blanket, but it's super hard to see the stitches since it's like little loops are intertwined with a thread. But I'm not giving up on it yet. Because it's a big ball of yarn.

Actually, when I purchased the Boucle yarn I had a specific project in mind for it, a Chevron scarf. But that's really out of the picture with this yarn. So I might still make a Chevron but with different yarn. My grandma crocheted me an afghan with this stitch and it's beautiful! That's not the reason why I want to try the Chevron stitch, because I know it won't come out nearly as perfect as my grandma's, but I want to try it nonetheless.

Rest in peace, Rue McClanahan

via US News

I know this is a day late, but when I tried to write this post yesterday, I wasn't sure what to say. I'm not sure what to even say now, except that she was a great actress, and I'm sure, a great person. As I type, I'm watching the Golden Girls <3

I always turn the Golden Girls on when I need comfort or familiarity, or sometimes just for background noise. I've seen every episode many, many times, even then, I still hear or notice something I hadn't before. And each time that happens, it makes the girls feel more alive.

Sundial Agenda

I was just scrolling though the blog OMAkO's Posterous and found an awesome idea for agendas! (direct link to post)

I've always been really interested in organization (probably too much) and of course, if there's a way to do it myself, I will ^-^ For the past few years I've been struggling with finding/creating a functional agenda design, and I think the sundial approach is a very visual representation, which is awesome for me.

Piccadilly sells these agendas:

Each page of the Sundial Agenda represents either AM or PM, and you write your plan like spokes on a bicycle wheel, making it clear, intuitive, and easy to plan and see your daily schedule.

Muji sells a similar type of agenda, and I actually prefer theirs over Piccadilly, based on the feeling I get from their respective websites. Muji's philosophy:

MUJI is not a brand whose value rests in the frills and “extras” it adds to its products.

MUJI is simplicity - but a simplicity achieved through a complexity of thought and design.

MUJI’s streamlining is the result of the careful elimination and subtraction of gratuitous features and design unrelated to function.

MUJI, the brand, is rational, and free of agenda, doctrine, and “isms.” The MUJI concept derives from us continuously asking, “What is best from an individual’s point of view?”

MUJI aspires to modesty and plainness, the better to adapt and shape itself to the styles, preferences, and practices of as wide a group of people as possible. This is the single most important reason people embrace MUJI.
MUJI - in its deliberate pursuit of the pure and the ordinary - achieves the extraordinary.

And, based on Piccadilly's price tag of $12.95 to Muji's $5.50 for basically the same notebook... who needs the frills? Because that's what you're paying for, or so it seems. Not that I have anything against Piccadilly, because I've never used or purchased one.

I'm going to play around with this concept. But one of my main concerns is paper usage. Currently I use two pages to display one week, but the sundial uses two pages for just one day. I think if I opt for a smaller sized notebook or keep the size I have (which is a Moleskin Large Squared Notebook, 5.25" x 8.25" 240 pages) and just divide one page into AM and PM. That still uses a lot of paper though. If anyone has ideas on how to make this a more economical idea, I'd love to hear them!

Anyway, thanks Matt from OMAkO's Posterous for the great idea! (I hope I didn't weird you out by linking your blog, but I loved the idea so much)

This is how I knit:

(pictures from last night)

This is how I knit:

1. Obtain sleepy cat.

She likes to lay on top of my yarn and then play with it when I pull more out.

2. Turn on Golden Girls, or another awesome t.v. show, to listen to and occasionally glance up to watch the good parts.

3. Cold beer (^-^)

Lately, Session has been my favorite, but I always love Blue Moon or Alaskan Amber.

Although this setup works pretty well for me, I'd love to join a knitting/crocheting circle! I have a few friends who enjoy knitting and crocheting also, we just have to coordinate something =)

Hmm

I ran out of both Yogi Detox and Egyptian Licorice a little while ago and haven't been brave enough to try Timothy's again. But today I finally found Egyptian Licorice Mint!! (at the Good Food Store for about $5). Before I only drank it at school because it was relatively inexpensive, fifty cents or something for the tea bag.

However, after drinking a cup of it just now, I think I prefer the plain Egyptian Licorice; it's a bit sweeter. I still really like the Egyptian Licorice Mint, but not as much as I thought I did... haha.

On a side note, I was listening to 107.5 fm in my car the other day, and Rihanna's "Rude Boy" was playing. I've heard the song before but, like with all other song lyrics, I never paid attention to what the message was. OMG O.o !!! haha halfway through the song I realized she's singing very explicitly about sex. I have slightly mixed feelings about this, but overall it doesn't bother me. Except that I'm so slow to realize things like this.

Also, I've started a new scarf <3 The pattern is from Knit Scene special issue 2010, and it's an irregular rib scarf, basically alternating with different amounts of knits and purls. I'll post pictures once I've knitted a few more inches =) p.s. I'm reusing the yarn from the checkerboard scarf because I made a mistake and didn't know how to fix it...

Shower, Tea, Knit... a Perfect Order

One of the nicest things after a shower on a chilly, windy day, is a hot cup of tea.
Lately I've been enjoying Yogi Tea, especially the Detox, Egyptian Licorice, and Egyptian Licorice Mint.

However, in light of some spring cleaning, I found a few boxes of tea from past holidays. While my friends know I like tea, I'm very particular about the kinds I drink.

The one I chose for tonight was from Timothy's:







I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that the tea is in "silk" bags with actual tea leaves and not just tea dust. That said, I tried Chai tea, and it was horrible. After a few sips I couldn't drink anymore. Absolutely flavorless. It reminded of really bad coffee, like the kind that literally tastes like boiled cardboard.

I googled the company to find more information on them, but haven't found anything substantial yet. I did find that Timothy's manufactures individual "K-Cups" for coffee and tea...so you can brew just one cup at a time, I guess? sigh...lazy. I'll keep searching.

<:3 )~~~

Besides being misled cute tea packaging, I've started and stopped a new crochet project. After the black and white Granny Rectangle scarf, I decided I skipped a step in the process and started working on plain Granny Squares. I crocheted nine squares alternating in bright blue and spring green (both Red Heart), and single crocheted around each with black.



I started sewing them together, but I'm feeling a bit burned out of them haha I'm not used to projects of stop and go, only going! I would really like to finish this scarf by the end of the week, and I know I can, I just need to do it! I normally don't choose bright colors like this but I was thinking how nice it will be to wear a bright springy scarf in the middle of winter!

Also... I picked up my knitting needles again. I am horrible at knitting, mostly because I go too fast and then a stitch falls off and I don't know how to put it back on, or I miss a stitch...you really never know with me. Anyway, I found a SpiceBox at TJ Maxx today, and it's an Introduction to Knitting, which, I felt couldn't hurt even though I already know the basics (though not so well). Plus, it came with a few cute patterns, four skeins of wool/soy yarn, 5.5 mm bamboo needles, a darning needle and stitch holder, all for $7. What the hell =)

I really like the bamboo needles too. I have three sets of metal ones but compared to the wooden ones, they are much slicker. No wonder stitches kept falling off! (haha....that'll be my excuse). Anyway, I started a Checkerboard pattern which is new to me, but it's very neat looking!




I haven't knitted very much because it takes me such a long time! But you get the idea what it will look like, I hope. This wasn't the yarn that was included in my super box buy ;) it was just a ball in my yarn bag but I have a feeling it's Red Heart. It's a nice yarn to practice with because it's thin yet has a lot of stretch to it. I wonder what I originally bought it for...

Well, this has been a marathon blog for me because I've tried to squeeze three separate things into one. Hopefully my next post will less of a catch up of what I've been up to!

Happy crocheting and knitting!!

Black and White Granny Rectangle Scarf

I started this scarf yesterday after finding the pattern on wikihow.com (see previous post). This was my first time ever crocheting a Granny Square so I had a little trouble at times. For example, I didn't realize the first row of stitches would actually be the center! So my scarf might end up being a little longer than I imagined but this has been a great learning experience =)

My camera is really old so it's difficult for the close-ups to turn out well. The problem I found now with the scarf is that it's so dense in the middle and loses some of the bulkiness along the edges, so it kind of flaps and doesn't hold the shape. But I'm in the process of single crocheting around the edges so hopefully that will add stability.



The yarn I used was Caron Simply Soft in 7 oz. skein, Medium 4, and 100% Acrylic in black and an ivory sort of color.

I love the Granny Rectangle scarf because once I got the hang of it, it's super easy! I can't wait to experiment with crazy colors and heavier yarn.

I also found a great pattern on PBS's Create last night. It's a treble stitch with a post stitch using three different colors. I tried finding a picture of it but failed. Anyway, I think I can remember the gist of it so that's my next project. I haven't tried a post stitch so this should be very interesting =)

Pink Scarf

I started this scarf around the end of March while on vacation. Since I wasn't driving, it was a great way to pass the time! I usually single crochet or double crochet for the entire scarf, so I decided to add some more texture. To be honest, I don't know many different stitches and don't like following patterns. So for this one, I kind of winged it and decided how it should look as I went along...which worked well for me =)

I'm not quite finished with it as I ran out of yarn, but this is how it will look more or less.



And here's a close-up of the stitches:


I single crocheted three rows, then in every third stitch, I made three double crochets to make the little bubbles. I repeated this series of single crochet rows with the double crochet bubbles four times to make this scarf about four and a half inches in width and four feet long.

I would like to try this scarf again but alternate rows with different colors of yarn, which I think would make for a fun scarf!



For my next scarf project, I found it on wikihow.com here and it's my first try at a Granny Rectangle!! (square...) I really like browsing wikihow.com because there are so many different entries, especially on things that I've never really thought about making. I just realized today that there are probably a lot of crochet and knitting ideas on there and I was right =) I'm really excited about this Granny Rectangle scarf because it's really easy but looks so pretty.


Well, happy crocheting!!

How on earth do blogs ever become "established?" While trying to start my own, the openness and endless opportunity freaks me out. I'm also, in general, an indecisive person so making certain decisions about this blog are making my brain spin. The first post was an inspiration about haibun, but now I'd like to expand this blog to showcase more of my interests, such as crocheting, knitting, scrapbooking, photography, pens.... will that be too overwhelming? Certain blogs that I follow are specific only to pens, or notebooks, or amigurumi. Oh dear. I'm already feeling scattered.

Hmm...well, perhaps I will go at this blogging with whatever pops into my head. So I guess on that note, I'll take some photos of a scarf I'm working on and upload them soon.

Ganbarimashoo!




This is Berny <3 You will see a lot of her.