Arts and Dannas

June 23, 2008

You guys lucked out, because there's no one online worth babbling this to!


Over on Ravelry (a knit and crochet community) There is a thread going titled, "Crochet is Better Than Knitting." Usually these end up flame wars, and I was hesitant to actually click the link and read through pages of knit-bashing. (There's nothing wrong with knitting- and nothing wrong with crochet either!!) Ravelry seems to be a little bit more knit-based, simply because the 'public' forums are awash with knitters talking about projects, needles, yarns, etc. Seems the crocheters either get lost in this mess or are simply not as vocal. (Typal?) However this group called Crochet Liberation Front- where the thread is- is totally devoted to crocheting and the love of crochet.

Anyways, I was reading through the thread and was pleased to find that it was just people saying why they prefer crochet to knitting- one being you can stop mid-stitch no damage done, another being that a quick pull of the fabric made will erase mistakes, easier to make something 3d, and so on.

And then I saw this post by Grieney:
"Because I can make a stitch any-damn-where I please."


And for those of you in the know- that's a hell yea right there!
It made me laugh :)

June 19, 2008

I don't think i was ever tagged, but uh. here ya go :)


1) What was I doing ten years ago?

Ummm since it was summer I'd probably be at Blue Lake Fine Arts camp for two weeks over summer. I'm pretty sure that would have been the first year I went, and the first time I'd ever gone to camp. I had a few friends from school actually in the same cabin as me, so overall it was a great experience... which is why i went back every year until high school was over!

2) What are five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today:

*Work on that damn blanket for my cousin (I need to have 3 1/2 more feet done in a month)
*Do some dishes that have been piling up...
*Go to Thirsty Thursdays at the Lansing Lugnuts stadium (and probably NOT get hammered)
*Sit on my butt and be lazy because even though it's Thursday, I have the next two days off so it's like my friday :)
*Eat dinner (does this count? I ran out of things!)

3) Snacks I enjoy:

Umm I like crunchy stuff like chips or pistachios, and I guess they have to be salty too. I love ice cream but can really only eat the soy stuff... um. Chocolate! Dried fruit is always really tasty. (hmm i should put that on my shopping list!)

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

*Go to school and not worry about student loans at all (and therefor probably keep going to school until i was bored with it- you know a few degrees here and there ;)
*Buy a big old farmhouse and renovate it (which of course would be a farm too!)
*Invest lots for my future and any future children's college- you know, live off interest!
*Give to charities- volunteer my time at the Humane society since presumably I wouldn't have to work if I didn't want to anymore (and foster animals! <3)
*go on a super sweet vacation
*pay back my parents from years of borrowing!

5) Places I have lived:

Okemos, Williamston, Haslett, Lansing, Lansing, Lansing...

6) Jobs I have had:

Cleaning rental houses, Retail at Kohl's, Computer Lab at LCC, Cleaning Remax office.

7) Peeps I want to know more about:

Whoever is bored enough ;)

June 9, 2008

I finished up a bunch of spinning projects a few weeks ago after I got my hand carders- I felt that mojo come back in a storm! But now i'm sort of spun out, I haven't really touched the spindle or the cards for a week or so- but I've been fondling my fiber stash, of course!
I just wanted to show you what I did with those carders. First up is Tutti Frutti- only a few yards and was made with chunks of wool that were dyed many different colors. This was the 'test' of the carders, to get the feel for them and to see what spinning from rolags would be like. Navajo plied, to boot! It was my first time plying that way and I actually had a good time doing it and it was pretty easy to keep going.





Next up we have the big ticket yarn- This one is wool and soy, which it was my first time spinning soy too! I'd say 50 or so yards, made from rolags from my carders and then navajo plied.

I did finish up a poor yarn that had been waiting to be finished forEVER, but you'll just have to check out my flickr for that :)

June 2, 2008

I finally got my hand carders- which I have been waiting for since november(!) Although I didn't buy them from the place I ordered them, as they never called me about them. I checked with them multiple times before giving up too.

No, I got my brand new Ashford Hand Carders from The Spinning Loft in Howell, Mi. Pictures do not do justice to how packed that place is with lovely fibery goodness! They had everything from silk to raw wool to dehaired alpaca to bamboo, seacell, and so on! I took a little trip out there with my mom a few weekends ago and we literally spend two hours in there, playing with everything.
I don't know how I managed it, but I got away with only spending $7. (my mom bought me the carders as a late xmas gift)
I ended up getting 2oz of Black Diamond, which is carbonized bamboo. Also they had glitz there! Pretty cheap too, comparing what prices I've seen online. I got the rest of the white/blue, which was only .3 oz- but i think there's plenty to last!!


As for what I was thinking along the lines for my cousins wedding- I've just decided to crochet her a ripple blanket using the 'soft waves' pattern from the 200 Ripple Stitches book. I'm pulling colors that are used in the wedding and the reception, so it's just a bunch of blues and greens with a teeny bit of purple thrown in for good measure.

And another blanket will be in the works after I get the ripple done- For another friends wedding in October. Her colors are watermelon and brown so we'll see!