The Versatile Blogger Award

Ok, so I'm a little late in the game here, but I've been meaning to do this for quite a while. (Same thing goes with my new Twitter account (@Pomquat)- still trying to learn the ropes there, but I digress.) Actually, it really shocked me to see that the fabulous Libby had awarded me with The Versatile Blogger Award back in August (!!). I do want to thank her so much and let y'all know to go visit her blog if you have not already done so. She's very talented and extremely sweet.

So apparently, as a recipient of The Versatile Blogger Award, I'm supposed post 7 things about myself for the whole world to see.  Well, since I post about myself all the time (which takes a lot of time and thought, actually....blogging is hard!), I decided to cull some facts from one of those FB memes I filled out a while back.  Lazy? Yes. But at least I'm honest about it. :P

Anywho, without further ado, here are 7 things you don't know about me (unless you were a FB friend and read these a long time ago).

1. I cannot stand netspeak. All of the misspellings and ridiculous acronyms give me a headache but “LOL” is the bane of my existence. I know people do not LOL as often as they say they do and I can guarantee there are few who have ever really ROFLMAO. srsly, idk y ur 2 dum.

2. In 7th grade PE, I literally ROFLOL so hard and long that I forgot to breathe and passed out.

3. I’m extremely accident prone- don’t know if it’s an inner ear problem or just ADD, but I’m a real klutz. Yet, strangely enough, I’ve never broken any bones. I credit it to all the milk and dairy I consume.

4. When I was a kid, I wanted to go to Hawaii so that I could climb a coconut tree and drop a coconut on my brother’s head. When I finally got to go to Hawaii, my brother was not with me, so I had to improvise and hit another tourist. Haha- kidding. I really did want to drop a coconut on his head, though...watched too many cartoons- darn Wile E. Coyote.

5. I have worn Chuck Taylors my whole life- I even had some dinosaur ones in elementary school and was made fun of for having “boy shoes” I pinched that little girl and she never bothered me again. Violence is always the answer. 

6. My hair and nails grow extremely fast- I think I’m part yeti.

7. I don’t think skunks stink- I don’t know why, but they don’t. Must be the yeti in me.

Now, I'm supposed to pass on the love to 15 other blogs but unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to list 15 other blogs because, well, I'm lazy.  So, here are some blogs of folks I've visited and others that have visited me!

Becky from Beck's Blog.  If you've been on Crochetville or Craftster, you've most likely see some of this lady's amazing work. She's a Tunisian crochet virtuoso, among other things, and you really do need to see her work!

Steenta from CraftySteenta. She actually just left a comment on my previous post so I checked her out.  WOW!  I'm really jealous of people who are true artists in different mediums.  I really wish I could draw!

Howie from WooWork.  Another one you probably have seen from Craftster.  A male crocheter, video maker, comic writer...all around funny and talented guy!

lyteyz from Deep Thoughts Just because she's one of my BFF's and hopefully it'll encourage her to post more often- she's an amazing crocheter which makes me so very proud since she was my very first student.  I wish I could take credit for her crochet awesomeness, but.........ok, I'll take credit. teehee!! Post some of your works, girl!!

Tami from Tami's Ami's...another recent commenter on my blog.  Another awesome crocheter!!  I'm going to have to spend more time here, but I loved her post on Flash your Stash.  Your stash is defintely growing....two plastic bins.....and you've not yet been crocheting a year?  A girl after my own heart. :)

I wish I could send you all to Tracy's blog or Kuddlekubs (although visit her store!) who visit more frequently, but there are no posts there!  (Yes, I'm calling you out Tracy.  :) I hope you're doing well!!)

Ok, that was fun.   Have a great Sunday all!

I Need a Vacation....From My Vacation

Ok- I'm finally back and able to spend a little time on this here bloggy-thingy.  I had a few comments that were waiting for moderation (Thanks Lila, Tami, and Anons!) and I haven't been able to log in for a couple weeks. (BTW- I started moderating comments because I kept getting ones hawking Viagra, which weren't too bad- they actually would comment on the actual project, whether the Mario Blanket or Marilyn Bag, so I didn't mind. However, when I got the comment that offered to increase my penis size, I thought it would be a good time to stop the spam.  Insinuating my penis is small is quite emasculating and will not be tolerated.  However, I don't edit or stop any other comment.  They all get posted and, hopefully, replied to.  I'm getting better at that!)

The reason for my blog abstinence is a wonderful one, actually.  I was on vacation with My Mister.  A REAL vacation- not one to visit family that is filled with obligations, but one where we got to spend time together, alone, and got to do whatever the heck we wanted to do.  It was glorious.

We were in Orlando for the wedding of one of my childhood friends (the wedding for which I needed to finish the Flower Bag) and then enjoyed a Disney Cruise package- 4 days Disney World, 3 days cruise to the Bahamas and Disney's Castaway Cay.  We've been planning this for quite a while- ever since we got the Save-the-Date from my friend- and it really couldn't come at a better time.  The only thing stressing me out was that I really wanted to finish my flower bag before the trip- it's quite happy and tropical and fun and I wanted to proudly carry it around with me on my vacation.

I was working frantically on it the day before we left and was able to throw it in the washer twice.  It felted really well, but I knew it had to go through a third time....I just didn't have the time!  So, I packed it in my suitcase with the intent to finish it on our trip.  I was a little concerned that it was a little damp and was laying on my clothes, but then I thought, "Meh.  A little mold never hurt anybody."  What can I say?  I'm a little obsessive sometimes.  I am happy to report that the Color Catcher things do work! I just wish I had taken them with me so that I could have used them in the final wash.....in the hotel laundry room.

Yes, I did obsessively finish my felting in the hotel laundry the night we got to Orlando- at midnight.  Yes, My Mister knew about my plan (I only reminded him a few times while en route).  I'm telling you- he's the best husband in the world.  Either that or the worst (best?) enabler, but we won't clue him in on that now, will we?

After washing it and putting it through the dryer (couldn't let it "air" dry in that thick, water laden sludge they call "air" down there...worst.humidity.ever.), I had to stretch it a bit (first bag I've had to shape after felting!) The next day (the day of the wedding) I started needle felting the borders around the flowers.  Then my needles broke. So, after the wedding and before the reception, I googled the nearest JoAnns and My Mister lovingly enabled drove me 30 minutes so I could buy a refill.  So, I started needle felting in the car again.  Then one broke again. (I blame it on a defective needle and not the fact that I was crazily stabbing at it so that I could finish it quicker).  So, My Mister loving drove me back to JoAnn's (no, I didn't threaten to stab him with my broken needles.  Why? What have you heard?) But, I couldn't go back in there since I was just in there and would be remembered (no- I'm not being vain- I was the only one wearing a cocktail dress and asked a few people where the needle felting items were.  And then the cashier started hitting on me.  Ok....maybe a little vain.)  So, My Mister went inside for me and bought me 2 refills, just in case.  He got the same cashier......who asked him if it was for the girl who was at the wedding.  (SEE!!) My Mister ever so politely told him, "Yes- these are for my wife."

We then went to the reception- I bawled like a baby. Congrats Dee and Dave!!! Love you both!

The next morning, before heading out to the Disney parks, I sewed my handles on (I brought them with me- as well as needle and thread) and then put the magnetic clasp on (I brought my Mister's Leatherman- best tool for the job!!).  I do want to line it so that I can add 2 more clasps on the side for security measures.  However, I proudly used it un-lined all week!  And, I even used it as carry-on for our flight home.  It's very large and very roomy- without it, we wouldn't have been able to make our 50lb. limit on our luggage.  My Mister was forced to admit that my crazy obsessions actually paid off. Ha!

So, without further ado, I present to you, my Dancing Flowers Bag!

Here I am in front of our Disney Resort- using it for the first time.  I'll have to add closeup shots of the needle felted flowers later- I'm still not finished with them, actually.  Teehee.

Here I am at Downtown Disney's Lego store.  Just chillin'. Chatting with my peeps.

And here is My Mister who proves it can also be a Man-Bag. We were at Blizzard Beach all day and it was stuffed with all of our stuff.  Since I was exhausted, he offered to carry it to the car. He only grumbled a little bit about being seen carrying a girlie-bag. I told him that he looked very much like a gentleman carrying the heavy load for his wife.  And then I took this picture.





So, there you have it- FINALLY a (semi) finished object!  As I've mentioned, I do have the flower chart ready and did write out the pattern.  I'm already planning the colors for my second one.  This is going to be a model for my Tunisian Crochet class later this month. WOOT!

Now, to finish the other semi-finished objects waiting for me.....oy vey.

PS: I just joined Twitter!  (Seriously- JUST joined it- like 5 minutes ago.)  I figure I'll be able to post updates a lot quicker on that so that I don't pull a disappearing act when I'm busy. :D  Follow me: @Pomquat.  Ummm...once I figure out how to, I'll add that as a link. ;)

Checking in

Hey y'all- so, I don't have pics of FO to post (no fully finished FO to photo- need to get cranking on that sewing machine!), but just wanted to give a quick check in.

My trip back "home" was quite intense- hospitals, funerals, and lawyers are never fun.  It was great seeing my friends and family- especially my brother.  But, I must admit, I was very eager to get back to my Mister and our home.  So, here's just a run-down of what's been going on:

1) I was given a Versatile Blogger Award by the fabulous Libby a couple weeks ago and haven't had the time to pass on the love- hopefully this weekend.  I need to pass it on to other bloggers who are also "versatile."  I've come to the realization that I need to be better at bookmarking places I've been to- I've come across some great and interesting blogs and now have to do some googling to find them again!  I may end up going through folks who have commented here and linking back to them.  Or to others that have linked back to me since they've used my patterns.  So, I've got to some investigating to do......nonetheless, Thank you, Libby!!

2) I've been battling...something...since I left NM.  I don't have allergies, but that's what I thought it could be at first.  I tried a Neti Pot type thing- flushing out mucus from your sinuses is soooo fun- and instead of making me feel better, I ended up feeling worse the next day.  And water logged.  Now I'm coughing and just plain old tired.  Tired, snotty, sick, and cranky.  And impatient.  And cranky.  Argh.

3) I've been working feverishly on 2 patterns- one's the Coco Bag- it came out just like I imagined it would and I can't wait to find the right accessories to finish it so I can show it off.  And, I'm almost done with the second one so the pattern is almost complete.  Yay!  The other is the Flower Bag- I NEED to finish this one by next weekend (I need it for a wedding next weekend), so this one takes priority.  And it's beautiful.  I just hope those color catcher things work when I felt it this weekend.  Because I'm cranky and that won't make things better.

4) Yesterday I visited one of my LYS- Never Enough Yarn in Winchester, VA- and I was carrying my Chocolate Strawberry Tote.  The ladies were ooohing and ahhhing over it and were astounded that I not only designed it but I crocheted it. HA!  So, I showed them some pics of my work.  They said I should write patterns.  They said I should teach a class. They said I should have my own TV show.  Yeah- that store is filled with the smartest women in the whole world. So, next month, I will be teaching my first Tunisian Crochet Class!  WOOT!!  If you are in the Winchester area and are interested in learning Tunisian Crochet, come on by!  Dates to be confirmed in the very near future.

Ok, I think that's it.  Back to being a cranky crocheter who needs to finish her laundry and clean her house before her Mister comes home and sees it messy and then he becomes cranky, too.  Argh.

PS: here's something that makes me smile amidst my crankiness.  A pic of my sis and me when we were kids- one bright spot in my trip home was being able to get copies of old photos. :)

Why is the room upside down?

News From the Road.....Again......

Well, I'm out of town, yet again.  Although this time, there was a family emergency, so I'm back in the Southwest taking care of family business rather than emptying the Great White North out of all it's woolen wares.  And, as tempting as it is to visit all of the yarn stores I've been able to locate within a 10 mile radius, I'm now officially on a yarn diet, so.......only small purchases now, right honey? Honey?

I'm staying with one of my BFF's from college who also happens to be a crocheter.  The first night here, her husband had taken the kiddos camping, so she and I had the freedom to party hardy and were encouraged to go out dancing, or watch late night movies, or just generally be girls behaving badly.  Man- we totally took advantage of that freedom and partied hardcore!!!  It was intense, I tell you.  That's right- we stayed up til 3am being wild and crazy girls.....crocheting until our eyes couldn't stay open anymore. 

I love my friends. :)

So, with the crocheting I completed on the trip out (I even made a new knitting friend while on layover in Dallas!  Yarn- the universal friend maker), and the intense 3am and 1am crocheting sessions the last two nights, I've finally been able to finish and felt my Coco bag (AKA- the Cat Boobie Bag), and will most likely be able to finish the Flower Bag I told you about last time.  I'm hoping I can line at least one of them while I'm here since I'm staying with my mom the rest of the week and am totally taking advantage of her awesome sewing prowess.  (My mom is a very gifted artisan in many different mediums- she's truly amazing.  Actually, I think I'll teach her to crochet while I'm here- another yarn monster in the making.)

I won't have much internet access while I'm out here (AAAAAGHHHH!!!).  It's already been an intense couple of days so far and I know it's going to be pretty intense the rest of the week, so I asked my Mister to send me a couple more skeins of yarn to work on a second Coco Bag to de-stress when I can.  Thankfully it's already arrived at my mom's house, so I have something to look forward to tomorrow.  (Why are you looking at me like that?  I'm not crazy.  If anything, my Mister is crazy for actually sending them.  Then again, he probably figured it'd be cheaper to send them than letting me loose in a yarn store again looking for them.)

Hopefully I'll have some FO pics for y'all when I get back home.  Also, I'm testing out the Coco Bag pattern, so it should be ready around the same time.  *crossing fingers* 

Ok, that's all the time I have to update today.  Until next time, Zoobaroos.

Anatomy of a Design

Now that I’m coming back from cloud nine after my win this weekend, I’m finally able to post about something that I’ve been wanting to for a very long time. It’s all about my designing process and, in this case, graphing out a new project.

Designing a new project can be very easy- it can come as an inspiration that hits as fast as lightning and comes to life like Athena popping out of Zeus. Or, it can begin as a small flicker of an idea deep within the recesses of your mind and slowly germinates to maturity over the days, weeks, months, or years. Both of these methods can be very rewarding….and sometimes very frustrating. I’ve been working on a design that has been flashing in the back of my mind for quite some time now. It’s been slow to come to fruition but, now that it’s here, I’m so freakin’ excited!!!

One of my “things” is that I draw little 5 petal flowers all over the place. Just a random doodle that marks my territory no matter where I may find a writing utensil and surface to deface. I’ve always been a doodler- it helps me to focus, really. In college, I used to write my married name over and over and over again, well before my Mister ever put a ring on it. Whether overconfident or just a plain creeper, I covered everything with my name. And flowers. And little hearts. I’m a girl- sue me.

I’ve been trying for ages to transfer my little flowers from paper to crochet. I’ve tried graphing it out many times over the last couple years and became ever more frustrated with my failures. I have an idea for a bag that is just dying to come out and I’ve not been able to get this stupid little flower just right! Well, I’m extremely excited to announce that success is finally mine! It wasn’t easy and came by lots of trial and error, but all of my frustration has finally paid off.

First, I drew some flowers on my new graph paper and then filled in the blocks that seemed to be appropriate.

Don't listen to them- you look beautiful to me.

Yeah- that looks dumb. The problem is that I couldn’t draw my flower to be symmetrical enough for me on the graph paper. I ended up finding a picture of a real 5 petal flower, printing it out and then tracing it on my graph paper.

Well...if you turn your head just a bit and squint your eyes....

Ehh….close, but still….no. By slowly tweaking where the boxes were, I was able to come up with a design I could live with. The first one I tried, crocheted, and test felted was too big. So, I tried scaling it down. Then it was too small (and kind of looked like a fat headed little man).

It's big because it's full of brains, I tell ya!

Argh. Then, I was able to find a happy medium and I knew it was just right.

Well...almost just right...

I started on my bag right away, but found that I had placement issues. So, instead of frogging the 4 flowers I had made, I decided to use them for something I’ve needed forever- a case for my hooks.

Mama likes!

I just need to add a zipper and VOILA! My pouch is the perfect size for all my hooks- even my long Tunisian ones!

Now, look at this side:

Mama likes even more!!

WHAT THE WHAT??? I know!!! I have discovered needle felting and it is my new favorite. I am so in love!! I can now draw on my finished product! See how I was able to soften the blockish look of the edges? I used Tunisian crochet for this which means each stitch is a square. It’s great for square-ish things (like 8-bit Nintendo games), but for round objects, it leaves a little to be desired. Well, with needle felting a yarn border around my image, my dilemma is solved. AND, it makes a gorgeous finished object! (You can see the black border on my first test square, as well as a yellow border around the center.  Not too sold on that yet...)

I do have this chart complete- it (and the bag pattern) will be available just as soon as I finish my bag. I’ve been working feverishly on it for the last few weeks (minus a break for the SWS Turtle Bag), but hopefully will have it done in the next 2 weeks. I forgot how much I really enjoy Tunisian crochet! I just hope it comes out as good in real life as it looks in my head. I’m using white wool for the purse- a white background with colorful flowers, so I’m really hoping they won’t bleed too much. Maybe I should heavily invest in Shout Color Catchers……. Anyone have experience with them? Do they work?? Reviews are greatly appreciated!!