Mo' Baby Stuff

Here are some quick shots of the baby set I made for a gift. Found the patterns on Ravelry. I used all cotton yarn, in colors I picked as an attempt to be gender neutral. I was happy with how it came out. In fact, the bunny face is my best face work yet.

Living in pictures.

I haven't posted much lately, been really busy making gifts. I did an ornament swap. Participated in the Reddit Secret Santa event, and made a few gifts for family.

I've been making fun recipes and drinking fancy teas. Decorating my little Christmas Tree and my dogs.

Enjoy
<3 nik

Fancy tea; so dark it looks like coffee. 

Happy "Howlidays" from Payden and Virgil  (Virgil's antlers were to big and slid off)

Mass Effect multimedia art for my Reddit Secret Santa

Minecraft perler art coasters

Meatless Monday at our favorite raw/vegan restaurant

Reddit Alien perler art for my Reddit Secret Santa

All the gifts for my Reddit Secret Santa (not included a flat of ketchup chips sent directly to him)

Cranberries with Blood Orange Vodka. So yum.

Yarn store in Paige, TX.  I explored, and was so inspired and amazed at so much yarn.

"Smashed Potatoes" I saw on Pinterest.  They were a hit with J and Little Bro.

Enjoying local lights is one of my favorite parts of Christmas. 

Perler art in the works.

Happy Holidays

My spoils from the fancy yarn store, Yarnorama!

Halloween Hair Bow with Pattern

Halloween falls on my regular day to work this year, so I'll be spending it at work.  We get to dress up, but it can't be anything really gross or scary (I work in an ER setting).  Twinkie Chan posted a super cute tutorial on her site for making a cute rib cage and heart to affix to a t-shirt.  I figured it was cutesy and kawaii enough that I could get away with it at work.  You can find the tutorial here.  I haven't made the heart yet, but the ribs work up real quick.

I also wanted to make a cute bow for my hair and add googly eyes to it.  Who doesn't love googly eyes? (You are a communist if you don't like them just an FYI)  So I whipped up this super easy hair bow.  It would be great for someone just beginning to crochet.

I used black and orange, but you could use any Halloween type colors you want (I almost did black and bright green).  You could also use this same pattern to make any number of color combinations.  There is a color change in the pattern, which is easy if you have never done it before.  Once you get to the last stitch before your change,  pull your yarn through the last stitch so you have 2 loops on your hook, then put your new color on the hook, and pull it through the first color (I hope this makes sense).  If not, just do some googling.  Seriously its really easy.

Supplies:
Yarn
H hook
Crochet needle (I use the big plastic blue ones)
Googly eyes
Hair clip of your choice (I use the small alligator ones)
Glue gun


Hair Bow Pattern:
Using color 1
Chain 11
R1 Skip first chain, sc across, ch 1 turn
R2 sc across, change color, ch1 turn
R3 sc across, ch1 turn
R4 sc across, ch1 turn
R5 sc across, change color, ch1 turn
R6 sc across, ch1 turn
R7 sc across, ch1 turn
R8 sc across, change color, ch1 turn
R9 sc across, ch 1 turn
R10 sc across, color change, ch1 turn
R11 sc across, ch1 turn
R12 sc across, finish off.

Now to the most annoying part!  Hiding all the tails!  I love striped crochet, but I hate all the tails it leaves.  Once you hide all the tails, use your crochet needle and a 12 inch piece of yarn.  Pin the middle of your swatch how you want your bow to look, and then use the needle to sew through the middle.  I sew, then wrap a couple times, then sew, then wrap the rest of the yarn.  Once you have wrapped  it around and made the bow look how you want, glue the ends.

Once that dries, affix your googly eyes how you like.  Let it dry, and then affix your hair clip so the bow will sit how you want.

Sorry in advance for the lack of pictures.  I just did this real quick last night.  I used one of my dogs as a model, I'm not sure he was super into it.

<3 Nik

Finally hooking again

I took the whole summer off of crocheting, but now I'm back in the game. I wanted to make some fingerless gloves for my friends birthday; I didn't want them very girly though. Found a free pattern on ravelry.com that I loved so much I made a pair for myself.

My sister in law got me this really pretty and soft variegated yarn for my birthday, but just one skein. I was able to make 1 pair with enough left over to make a mug cozy to match. I love the yarns softness and it is a "no-pill" type of yarn which I thought perfect for gloves.

I was making the birthday girl's gloves during some downtime at work, and was commissioned by a coworker to make a pair for her. She even brought me yarn.

Please excuse my slightly unorganized picture placement. I am experimenting with blogging from my phone. The back gloves are the gift, and the others are mine.

<3 nik

More tiny grannies inspired by Minecraft

In preparing for James' birthday party, I wanted to make things that ladies would enjoy but that still followed the Minecraft theme.

Here are two granny squares I made, the top one being inspired by a Creeper, and the bottom being inspired by an Enderman. I have never played Minecraft, but I know these are both characters to be feared.

These will be given chains and worn as necklaces. Prizes yet to be won. Traditional granny square pattern was used.

The tiniest pibble of all

I don't even know if my words are good enough for the pictures I'm about to post.  It is just so, so AWWWWWWWWW.

I made the first pattern in the book Crobots 20 Amigurumi Robots to Make that I got for my birthday.  I made a few minor changes, mostly I used a brown yarn instead of a cream yarn.  I quickly saw that this change would make the dog look more like Payden, so I went with white feet instead of black.  Here is the finished product.  A tiny Payden, to hold me over until I can get a puppy.

Are you done yet mom?

6th St Yarnbombing!

My little brother from another mother moved down to Austin, and is staying with me awhile.  This is his first time here,  so we decided to take him down to 6th St and show him around.  It was a game day, so there were a lot of drunken people to laugh at.  I decided I wanted to do some yarnbombings and whipped these up a couple hours before we went downtown.  I wanted them to get seen by a lot of people.

Little Bro approves of yarnbombing!

J in upper right and Little Bro bottom left, watching out for me!

This one is a little hidden, its not directly on 6th st!

I had to sew around the bikes, my yarn got caught a couple times.

 I really hope these stay up awhile.  I can't wait to do more.  I finished the buttered toast scarf, and have moved onto the cupcake scarf.  It was a bit challenging starting off the pattern, but I think I got it now!  I used a regular worsted weight yarn, instead of a bulky yarn, and my cupcakes looked more like mushrooms!  Cool, but not what I was looking for!  I might make a mushroom scarf later though.  The cupcake scarf will have to be hush hush till my mom opens it for Christmas. 

Surfside Yarnbombing!

I always have the hardest time trying to think of a witty title for my posts.  I hope the more comfortable I get with blogging, the easier it will get.  I am open to suggestions so if you think of a funny title, leave a comment and if it makes me giggle I'll probably change it. 

This weekend was J's birthday, so we went to Surfside Beach, Tx. His parents own a beach house there, and he wanted to spend the weekend. I just love his family more and more.  I am now Facebook friends with his brother and sister now, so we are on a whole new level now!

I had so much fun!  Although I did get sunburned (ouchie on my back and shoulders) I had a ton of fun.  A tropical storm was supposed to hit the gulf this weekend, but luckily it didn't hit us, but made the waves perfect for boogie boarding!  I was able to sneak in a yarnbombing while on the beach.  I have been holding onto this one for awhile. I think because I had attached a tag with my blog name on it, I was nervous about leaving it. 

The previous night J, myself, his sister and friend all went for a walk on the beach to check out the waves, and show them the little crabs that walk out at night.  We were able to check on some previous yarnbombings that we had done on our previous visit to the beach house, and they were still there,  just covered in sand!  I regret not taking pics of them.

This is a swatch I did a few weeks ago when J got me Yarn Bombing: The Book.  It was a super cool stitch where it makes a bump in the swatch, like a dot almost.  I also used this swatch to better learn how to do stripes.  I love that book and I suggest getting it if you love crocheting it has some really cute patterns (The only bad I have to say about it is that it has to many knitting patterns and not enough crochet!)

 

 

I also regret not taking a picture of the back of it!  I have learned now to take shots 360 degrees around!  I had to use this big plastic needle I had and I sewed up the back really tight like a corset.  It looked pretty awesome!  I hope it is still there the next time we go back, so I CAN take a picture of it.  This has gotten me really excited to do even more yarnbombings.  I just have to find the time!  

Right now my WIP is a pumpkin beanie for a newborn that is due in October, 4 large hot pads for a ferret rescue fundraiser due by the end of August, and a Twinkie Chan Toast Scarf for my BFF by mid September.  Oh!  And I still haven't tackled the mini Domo-kun I was making for J's birthday that kept tripping me up. 

What is your WIP right now? 

How in the world?

I found this tag downtown about a week ago or so, and just now had time to document it.  I am amazed at how high this tag is, and keep wondering how in the heck they did it!?

Can you see it waaaay up there?  I am very impressed!  The tag itself isn't that great, but you can see in the pic how high up it is.  8 stories?


And when you look at the 2nd pic, you can see that the wall they tagged has no ceiling, or floor.  So yeah, how in the world?





In other news, I have been accepted to enter some of my crochet work in the A life in yarn art exhibit in Australia.  I guess it's not a super big deal, because its not like it is this select art show and I had to go through some rigorous application process.  I just emailed Bali, and she got back to me (quickly I might add) about how she liked my ideas for the show, and I should contribute them.  But to ME its a big deal!  I will have my crochet work involved in an art show across the world from me.  Sad though, I won't be able to see it for myself.

Later Gators!
Nik

It's my first time, be gentle

Ahoy-

I feel nervous about my first blog post.  It has to be amazing! life changing! I feel like I am putting a lot of pressure on myself.  I've been wanted to get this blog underway for a long, long time.  I'm no one special.  There are just a few things I'm obsessed with, crocheting, crafting, cooking, yarnbombing, street art, dogs, robots.  Those things can change at any given time.  But for the most part the list just expands. 

I'm not a writer by any means.  Hopefully it will improve over time, and if not, well then I apologize now, dear readers.   I do have passion, and I hope that comes through more than anything else. 

Please come back soon, this is still a work in progress!
Nik

Project for International Yarnbombing Day 2011