AnaDrea's Outlet

Colorized

2011-05-31T18:21:00.001-07:00

When I was younger (okay, up until around four years ago), one of my favorite things to do was choose a somewhat outrageous shade of red and apply it to my head. It all began in the 6th grade, when my girlfriends and I would use Kool Aid to color strands of our hair green or blue or pink. Sometimes, it made a mess (my old apartment's bathroom looked a bit like a crime scene after one particularly careless incident). Sometimes, it made me look a bit mad, but it was always fun, always a change. And, I love color.

Monday, I tried a new kind of dyeing. I colored some wool using Kool Aid dyes! I found a couple of nice tutorials ("How I hand-painted using Kool-Aid or food coloring dyes" and "Hand Painted - Dyed Yarns"). It was actually much easier (and less messy) than I had anticipated, although I learned a few things to do differently next time! Here are the pictures...

Ramen & bread dough?

The yarn on the left was hand spun from KnitPicks bare roving Peruvian Wool. On the right, I used Peruvian Wool Silk roving. In this photo, the fiber is bathing in some water-vinegar mixture.

The assorted "dyes"

At this point, I got a bit excited about the process and forgot to take many additional photos... but, the gist is that I soaked, then laid out the fiber and squirted on the dye and then microwaved it to set the dye. Then, I had to wait for it to cool, rinse it and hang it to dry. Here are the final results...

Cherry/Grape, Strawberry and Orange!

The yarn was fun to color. I used squirt bottles and did spaces of dark red, red and orange. As you can see, it bled together a lot, but it still varies. I could have gone for a bit more color intensity and will probably be more generous with the Kool Aid in the dye next time. I might also try it on a flatter surface than in a baking dish, in hopes that the dye wouldn't run as badly. I was pleasantly surprised though, it looked like there were a lot of white spots when I first put it in the microwave to set the color, but the dye spread and it all ended up taking on color!

Lemon/Lime, Raspberry Lemonade, Cherry/Grape

The fiber sucked in the dye like a sponge. I used more dye on it than on the yarn, and it still stayed uncolored in most spots! I think it will spin up nicely, but it wasn't what I was expecting. If I were to dye fiber again, I would probably soak it in just one color, or I would braid it and then apply the color like I see so many artists do on etsy.

I am considering buying some Jacquard dyes, but I'll probably stick with Kool Aid for now because it's so cheap (and the smell is nice!). I am pretty excited about knitting the yarn I spun and colored, spinning the roving and trying it all again!

Spinning

2011-05-31T17:55:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how long it's been since I posted over here... seven months?! How did that happen? It's not that I haven't been crafting. On the contrary, I've learned a whole new skill! But, since it's been all fibercraft, Ravelry has kind of taken the place of this blog as my brag space.

For my birthday, back in February, my favorite sister ever gave me a spinning wheel! At first, I was intimidated. Sure, the name "Babe" doesn't inspire fear, but it's mechanical, you have to take things like tension and speed into consideration, and you have to do things with BOTH feet and BOTH hands at the same time! For someone with my considerable lack of coordination, this can be a little scary. After several trial sessions, which deteriorated into cussing fits, I finally had a long talk with myself, sat myself down and worked through a batch of fiber. And you know what? It turned out just fine! Even kind of lovely, in its own way.

My first yarn!

Even though it feels like I've spun a lot since then, I've actually only tried a few more times, but I see improvement with every try.

#2

Note: #3 is featured in the next post.

The funny thing is, I've made this yarn but have yet to knit anything with it! The last two skeins were from borrowed fiber, so they go back to my friend in the knitting club. Also, I've made such small amounts, it can be tough to pick a project that will fit. I am learning to spin thinner yarn though, which makes it go farther and I'm also really excited to be able to order undyed yarn (cheap!) from knitpicks. The wheels are turning, and I have plans for larger quantities (woot! bad spinning joke!) so that I can eventually start a larger project, knit from yarn that I've spun and dyed!

The biggest craft project of my life

2010-10-07T17:26:00.000-07:00

So, I didn't take much time to blog this summer. I guess that's pretty typical for summertime. Usually, my knitting takes a backseat. It's too hot. There's no good TV to watch while I work. It's nice outside and we keep busy.

This summer was a different story. There was a LOT of crafting going on. Not just by me either. I had lots of help and lots of support, and together we made lots of lovely accents and necessities for my wedding! I should have taken the time to showcase them here, but I was just a little preoccupied. So please allow me to indulge now!

First off, the invites:

From the outside....

... the front...

and inside.

My momma, grandma, aunt and Shannon worked their fingers to the bone to make these beeeeautiful!

Here are the favors. We picked Skittles, which may have surprised folks, but the colors matched well and... Skittles are yummy.

These M&M favors, complements of my sister-in-law allowed our guests to eat our heads!!

I made jewelery for the bridesmaids. Of course, I forgot to take real pictures... but this is the gist:

We refurbished some old stone columns that Nick had wanted to throw away and used them as our alter, topped with big boston ferns.

My awesome cousin designed, printed and folded lots of programs:

My aunt and mom did my flowers.

Cake by CakeDot

My mom decorated these flip flops for everyone

And finally, these are the table numbers. Each table had coordinates and a location, highlighted on the card.

All together now!

Scrap scarf

2010-10-07T17:02:00.000-07:00

It's been a week of clean up and throw out. We got our new bedroom set on Tuesday, and in preparation, decided to get rid of some of the crap in the spare room. Nick cleaned up his Lego and finally threw out his PEZ collection. I de-stashed. I had noticed that my yarn collection was growing out of the two designated boxes, it was time. I finally got rid of all of the nasty acrylic stuff, the tiny odds and ends and the half dozen half finished doilies. It was both sad and refreshing. One of the results of the process was the decision and execution of this little lovely.

(I am referring to the scarf, not the cat)

He is thrilled, I promise.

My panacea

2010-09-30T18:55:00.000-07:00

Nick is out of town again. It's my least favorite part about his new job. I am reluctantly getting used to it, and try to enjoy having the house to myself. The first night is always the hardest. The house feels ominous, the cats are usually restless because something is amiss, and I stay up way past my bed time in a feeble attempt to trick myself into falling asleep quickly.

When he is gone, I try to pack my schedule, spending time with my folks or my girl friends. This time though, I wasn't feeling so hot at the start of the week. Monday night, I went to the Mystery Sock class at Temptations because I was afraid if I called off sick, I'd be blacklisted from their in-demand classes. Tuesday, I curled up on the couch, caught up on all of the crappy TV shows Nick doesn't like and felt sorry for my sickly self.

Last night though, I snapped out of it. I realized I only had two more evenings to take advantage of having the house (and the kitchen) to myself. You see, in addition to keeping busy when I'm home alone, I also take the opportunity to eat the foods that he thinks are gross. Last night, it was Drunken Alaskan Crab Legs, steamed broccoli (in our new rice steamer!) and focaccia. So yummy! And tonight, as I typed this, I scarfed down a big bowl of this awesome delight. Neither really made up for having only Simon to snuggle with at night, but it does help just a little.

Socks!

2010-08-04T19:06:00.001-07:00

Been a knitting fool lately. Stress always makes my fingers work faster. Also, I wanted to make socks for my aunt, and the first pair weren't up to par, so I had to churn out an improved pair.

Here's the first pair:

They are nice, but I made the cuff a bit too short...

And round two:

Makes for some happy feet!

Stuck!

2010-05-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

I've spent about 10 hours on my quilt so far. It's a lot of work, ironing, measuring, cutting, cursing, sewing, ironing, planning, agonizing, sewing, ironing, etc. I've gotten all of my squares stitched together and the pattern is arranged, I started stitching the pieces together, and somehow jammed my machine!! I fixed it once and it worked for a few goes, but now it is stuck again and I am frustrated. Good thing the yarn came to finish Nick's Xbox scarf, I'm in need of the diversion!

But... here's a sneak peek at my unintentionally Halloween themed quilt. I'm excited to hand stitch the layers. I think it will be therapeutic. (I made my first quilt entirely by hand).

Do you see the pattern? I'm going to stitch it out in green and orange thread.

New Job!

2010-04-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

So, I am finally able to publish the posts I wrote over the past month about the interview process, the nerves and anxiety and excitement.

It didn't help that I was really uncomfortably sick on Friday. I think part of the reason I got sick to begin with had a lot to do with stress. I bought vitamins yesterday and am going to try to take them and get my immune system back in shape!

I put in my two weeks on Friday. I knew that it was going to be sad, and it was. It's going to be a busy couple of weeks, making sure all of my responsibilities are handed off safely and getting through the day to day basics. I still don't quite believe it, to be honest. I have never been at a full time job as long as I've been with my current job. It really does feel like my second home (which is both good and pathetic at the same time). I keep thinking about 4 year phases... high school, college, job! It has been a great experience and I think that I've grown up a lot in my position. I am better at making decisions on my own, I am better at saying "no" when I have to (thank you, sales reps), I am more confident in dealing with people and I think of myself as a grown up finally, instead of a naive kid.

I am nervous about starting all over in a new place. Luckily, the people there have already proven to be kind and interesting. While talking with my future boss, I feel engaged and excited to get my hands dirty. It's going to be intense at first, I think. Two weeks of training and I'm expected to be up and running in 30 days. First and foremost, I have to learn to use a Mac! Yikes! :)

A new kind of stash!

2010-04-10T17:47:00.000-07:00

My yarn stash has been getting a little out of hand over the past couple of years. I'm usually pretty good at buying for specific purposes and can follow through with what I've started, but that doesn't mean that I'm not left with lots of odds and ends. I have no idea what to do with most of these tiny bits, but I feel confident that inspiration will strike at some point, or that I will need three feet of lime green eyelash yarn for some project or another and then, oh, boy, I am covered!

Now, with the help of ebay, I am running into another kind of problem. Fabric stash! I'll admit, before I even got my sewing machine, I already had a few remnants (illustrated above) from various projects and good deals.

This fabric, for instance, was marked down to less than a dollar per yard and I bought it because the colors matched my old apartment. Now, it happens to match my craft room! What shall I do... curtains? Pillows? A throw? It's kind of stretchy and odd, so it may be a challenge, but I suppose it's better to get practice from it than to leave it balled up in a drawer!

And then, of course since I got the machine, I got some fabric for a large bag I'd like to make at some point...

And, back to the ebay situation... the other night, I got a little bid happy and ended up with 18 new fat corners! For the low, low cost of $24! That's pretty good, as far as I know - they're $2 a pop at JoAnn's!

I've been inspired by Quilt Month on Sew, Mama, Sew. They've posted a lot of great tips for newbs like me! Now, I just have to pick a design and jump in. Maybe I won't have so much of a stash once that's done... maybe.

Orange, black and green!

StrengthsFinder 2.0

2010-04-09T20:51:00.001-07:00

So, I just took a personality test thing for figuring out how to maximize your strengths. I read through the possible characteristics before I took the test and kind of tried to guess at which I thought I would get. I have to admit, I was really surprised by the results. I'm not sure I 100% agree with all of them, but there are helpful suggestions for each and I can see how all of them can help me strengthen my skills. Anyway... here are my results:

Below are my top five themes of talent, ranked in the order revealed by my responses to the Clifton StrengthsFinder.

How well do you think these themes describe me?

Maximizer

People who are especially talented in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.

Adaptability

People who are especially talented in the Adaptability theme prefer to “go with the flow.” They tend to be “now” people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time.

Communication

People who are especially talented in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.

Input

People who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.

Responsibility

People who are especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.

To learn more about the Clifton StrengthsFinder and how you can discover your top five themes, visit http://strengths.gallup.com

Look what I can do!

2010-04-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

Oh, Brother!

So, I got a new sewing machine for my birthday and I love it. It's the Brother CS-6000i. It makes me feel a little guilty because the machine basically does everything for me with the push of a button!

Start, back up, raise needle

I don't even have to use a foot pedal. I can set it to three different speeds and 60 stitches and it'll even thread the needle for me if I ask it to!

Stitch options, so many!

I picked a small project to begin with, just so I could learn my machine. I picked a little goblin from Plush-o-Rama. He's a little rough around the edges (in hindsight, fleece was not the best starter fabric), but I think he's got a certain charm. :)

My beloved monster

Once I felt like I had the settings down, I picked up a few fat corners and tried out some bags. The Origami Pouch was an easy little project that really let me experiment with the stitch settings (and work hard on keeping a straight line!). I need to redo the drawstring for the pouch, I just knitted up some i-cord, but it looks kind of chintzy.

Here's my latest completed project. It's by far the most difficult sewing project I have taken on, except perhaps for my cherry bag - with zipper pouch. I learned how to add a snap AND pleats! This was made using the Buttercup Bag pattern. I am really happy with this baby, but it is quite small, so I'm not sure if I will ever use it or if it will become a gift for someone littler.

Finished Buttercup bag

Fancy pants pleats

Oh, snap!

And a lip gloss pocket!

So, there we go. I am getting such a kick out of the new machine. I already have my next two projects planned out (a summer bag with handles and a batik quilt). Unfortunately, my knitting projects have taken the back burner. I still have two sat little half completed projects waiting patiently in my drawer....

Slippers, finished!

2010-01-07T07:48:00.001-08:00

edit: i wrote this in January and neglected my blog for 3 months...

I'd been wanting to make these puppies for quite some time. In fact, I started on them once realized that I didn't actually have enough yarn to make a pair! Got any need for ONE pink, yellow and green house elf slipper, anyone? I didn't really like the color scheme I had started with anyway, so I started anew. I went with Knit Picks Wool of the Andes . I love the color selection and it felts up wonderfully! These slippers were for my momma who also thought the pattern was pretty cool when I posted it, so I hoped they would be a hit.

I really wish I had taken a picture of them pre-felting. Those suckers were HUGE. I was worried that they were still going to be boat-like after the felting. The pattern reassured me, however, that if they were still large after one round in the washer, I could just toss them in again. The pattern did not lead me astray :)

Awkward self-portrait of my foot - it's bad perspective, not freakishly huge ankles!

I was down at my parent's last night and my mom let me borrow these slippers to wear around the house. They're very warm and cozy. She confided that she wore them for a solid week, between Christmas and New Years.

Simon, in a scarf again

2010-01-07T07:39:00.000-08:00

I didn't post any of my December creations because mostly they were gifts. I would hate to ruin a surprise! But, I had a very prolific month in knitting and have had to give my poor hands a rest for the past couple of weeks before diving into the next project (Super Cool XBox Scarf for Nick).

This is a scarf I made for Shannon, Wavy Orange (in my case pink) scarf, I hadn't really used Lion's Jiffy yarn before and was thrilled by how fast and easy it worked up. And it's sooo warm! I think she appreciated it much more than my model did. Also, apologies to Shannon for any cat hair left behind :)

The was long enough, I could probably have wrapped the entire cat.

Ooo wavy!

Take the cake

2009-11-14T06:16:00.000-08:00

My good friend celebrated her 27th birthday earlier this month. I'm usually pretty horrible with gift ideas, but this one was easy. I few months ago, I was reading Pioneer Woman's blog, as I'm prone to do, when I came across this recipe. I was blown away by the delicious moistness of the cake, but when I shared the link with Lauren, her first response was, "I want her cake stand!" Good thing my brain was working that day, because I took that as an opportunity to get her a kick ass birthday gift this year. I did some searching around and found that the cake stand is made of milk glass and it comes in several colors. The manufacturer is Mosser and it's made here in Ohio! How cool is that?

Anyway, I was a little worried that she wouldn't remember my inspiration for the gift if I gave her the cake stand by itself (plus, that'd be kind of lame anyway, wouldn't it?), so I of course *had* to make the cake as well. Not to mention, I really wanted to taste it and I figured she'd share.

I don't think I had ever made a cake from scratch before, except for chocolate upside-down cake, which makes up for in taste what it lacks in looks. I have to admit, I was a little nervous that my cake would fall in the center or not rise or crumble to pieces or any of the other nightmares that are associated with baking disasters. But guess what? It didn't! And it was quite tasty. And look! On that cake stand, it almost matches Pioneer Womans!!

Note: Make this cake if you:

Love the taste of coffee
Can handle an overdose of caffeine from time to time
Like loads of butter cream frosting

Do NOT make this cake if you intend to wash it down with grape juice and vodka. You can ask Lauren if you don't believe me.

But, I'm still not a yarn snob.

2009-11-14T05:59:00.000-08:00

Way back when I first started knitting, I don't think I could have told the difference between natural and synthetic fibers by look, nor by feel. I was (and still am) very turned off by those knitters who would ask "What are you knitting with?" and then snear at your Lion or Red Heart yarn. All that aside, there is something to be said for using nice yarn. When I'm working with something that feels good, I find it hard to stop! This is particularly useful when it comes to completing projects. I finished my shawl last night, only three weeks from when I started (I am not counting the two weeks I struggled with this pattern before scrapping it and starting over).

I used Imagination from Knitpicks.com, which is a wool, alpaca and nylon blend. It feels SO good! And, the colorways are so much fun, I'm trying to choose my next project which can feature it. My only concern is that it does shed a little bit, so I will probably be picking pieces of wool off of my sweaters all winter, as I intend to use this shawl if and when the office gets too chilly!

Pattern: Revontuli Shawl, from Ravelry (which I really need to update, I suppose)

My lovely new shawl

No dropped stitches!

Detail

Goes great with pajamas, don't you think?

What begins with "S"?

2009-10-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

Apparently, everything I've knitted lately!

Socks!

Sweater!

(and overly long Sleeves :))

Scarf!

Simon! (I didn't knit him, but he's darn cute)

And, my work in progress, Shawl!

Hot, cold, yum!

2009-10-14T17:40:00.000-07:00

It's my favorite time of year again. Even though it's been drizzly and gray these past few days, it's still beautiful out there with the leaves changing and flying. And it's also pumpkin and apple and pear time. Pear time? Oh, yeeeeah!

Last week, I got a chance to try my hand at making pear riesling sorbet. My goal was to replicate my favorite of Jeni's flavors. Mine turned out pretty different, but very delicious! I used this recipe I found in Ice Creams & Sorbets by Lou Seibert Pappas. I was surprised that the recipe called for heavy cream, but I was patient and followed the instructions and for once my sorbet turned out just like it was supposed to! The only disappointing part was that it froze up pretty hard, so it was best right out of the Cuisinart. Next time, I will find the recommended pear liquor to add in the end, which would keep it from freezing so much. Also, next time I think I might replace the pears with apples and the nutmeg with cinnamon. Yummy!

My favorite kitchen appliance!

Churn, baby, churn!

Tonight, in honor of the cold weather, and because I had a pile of potatoes that were about to turn ugly, I made potato soup. This was my third attempt at making potato soup for Nick and I think it was the most successful. I found the recipe on Tasty Kitchen, and since it called for both bacon and sour cream, I knew it would be a winner. It was. And, it made a ton, so we'll get to have it again soon!

Wrapped up in chains

2009-09-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

Finally found the wire I've been looking for (kind of) at Joann's. They only have three different gauges and, of course, not 21g, which I needed, but I made due with 20g copper core silver wire. It's much easier to work with than the stuff we picked up at the hardware store and it's prettier too! I made the King's Mail Bracelet from Chain Mail Jewelery. It was a lot of fun making this piece, mostly because it didn't kill my wrists and hands, turning and cutting the wire and because once you get going with it, it's really neat to see how the rings lie against one and other.

I sort of made this for Nick, although I'm not sure he'll ever wear it, and I wouldn't blame him if he doesnt. It's fun to play with, it looks neat, and I'm satisfied with the experience. I only wish I could figure out how to not make the edges of the wire so rough. I tried squeezing them with my pliers and it worked on most of the rings, but it's really hard to get them right. Maybe sanding or something?

Just like the picture, huh? :) I think I will try something delicate next, like the Diamond Earrings next. I have a feeling it will be trickier, but even more worthwhile!

Keeping busy, rotting my teeth out, plumping my thighs

2009-09-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

My honey's been out of town for a week now and while it's hard to adjust, it's also given me a lot of time to work on projects! I'm 3/4 of the way through a second sock, halfway done with a pair of felted slippers and most of the way done with a scarf. I am forcing myself to finish at least two of these projects because I really want to start on a shawl to wear in the office this winter (love my new desk, but not the air vent directly above it!). All that knitting is fine and good, but I've also been itching to do some baking. So, last weekend, I found a package of phyllo dough in the freezer from when I decided to make spanakopita (SO yummy!), and I tried my hand at baklava.

Baklava has a bad reputation for being really difficult to make. I feel like I must have copped out or something because the recipe that I used really wasn't that hard to follow and the results were much better than expected! Aside from the nuts, which are always pricey, it wasn't even that expensive. For these reasons, I believe baklava can now be added to my Christmas cookie repertoire!

Mmmmm... look at all that flaky goodness...

For end of quarter, I promised one of my co-workers some of Bakerella's cupcake bites, so this weekend, I spend a considerable amount of time assembling them. Last time I made them, for a work bake sale, it took over three hours to make the cute little devils. This time, I decided to be less meticulous about it because in the end, they're devoured in two bites, and it really doesn't matter whether or not that cute little chocolate shell looks like a cupcake wrapper or not. It still took over an hour. Hurmph. No, they're not as cute, but they're still sugary and good.

Side note: I would not recommend the confetti Wilton candy melts... I thought they would save time with decorating, but once melted, it really resembles ranch dressing. Not something I want to put on my cupcakes!

Day dreamy

2009-09-10T12:03:00.000-07:00

We went to a big old, gun-slinging, dog-racing, junk-selling, deal-making swap meet/flea market over the long weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, made a few purchases (an old wooden rolling pin that won't stick to my sugar cookie dough), a couple of vintage knitting magazines and a skein of the softest yarn in existence. It's 100% Ohio grown and processed alpaca yarn from a critter named Pistolero. Nick got to get up close and personal with some of the animals and we chatted for a bit with their owners.

I've been joking for a while now about my plans for getting an alpaca of my own when we have our big house in the country. Nick has kindly humored me and basically given me the "Yes, dear" answer. He's not much of a country boy, and although I have 8 years of 4-H under my belt, I still have limited hands-on experience with livestock. I'm happy to say that after our meeting with the owners of Swisher Creek Farm, my dream might be one step closer to reality. Nick fell in love with the sweet pair alpaca that were visiting the swap meet. We learned that they like cold weather, are relatively low maintenance and don't take up too much space. Since then, we've been daydreaming together, looking at the cost of land, animal behavior and other details of alpaca ownership.

I don't know if it will ever happen, but I would love it if it does. I want alpaca and bee hives and a library job. My dream life. It's good to have dreams.

Bathingsuit Body by October?

2009-08-20T07:17:00.001-07:00

Probably not. But, it would be nice to loose a few pounds before our impending vacation. Fortunately, my fantastic fiance ordered an exercise bike from Amazon over the weekend (we've been looking at them for almost a year!) and I'm putting it to use already.

It's sweet.

I read this book a few years ago, where the girl, who incidentally was a witch, tracked her miles on an exercise bike and plotted them on a map so that she could pretend she was biking across the country. I don't really remember the particulars of the book, but that detail struck me as a good idea. I rode for half an hour after work last night and half an hour this morning. I'm heading west right now, but I might retrack it toward the south and see how close I can get to Florida before we go there for real in October. As it stands though, I'm 16 miles out already! Fun stuff!

I like how Google maps lets you create your own maps. I can even add a new line for each day and save it as the date to show progress. Super neato, as long as doesn't decide to crash my Vista "infested" laptop. Oh, and I can also play DS or read or knit while I ride, which is even more awesomeness. I played Tetris both times so far, and found that when the pressure is on, I pedal faster. I need a life.

Back at it

2009-08-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

I've been buying a lot more crafting crap than I've been using lately. BUT! I have been getting some things done...

I made this necklace (again) with a little twist. I added green pearls. I like it, but I think the first one is my favorite.

I put this necklace together tonight for the third time, and I think I finally like how it looks. That's how it usually goes for me - it takes a few tries to come up with something I like.

This silly little bracelet is something I made with some beads that came in a kit. I think I'll give it to my cousin.

Finally, Nick and I looked at chain mail at the Irish Fest a couple of weeks ago and decided it's pretty cool, so I checked out this book from the library, ordered the jump rings and made this:

It's an anklet, which I may never wear, but it was a lot of fun to make and I'm definitely going to try some harder chain mail projects soon. We're even talking about winding our own rings which would be cool, but I'll just add it to the ever growing list of things I want to do.

(On my rough looking leg, with the handsome Simon cat looking on)

Oh yeah, and I made some quick stitch counters too.

I found a bunch of the rings at Big Lots for a super good deal, so I have enough to make a few sets. It's an easy task, when I'm in the mood :)

Submersed

2009-08-14T10:07:00.001-07:00

There's something really cool going on out there, in the world of publishing/podcasting/social networking. I think it's probably the way entertainment is moving, in a big way, and it both thrills and frightens me.

I know that movies and video games have been using various mediums to promote their work for a pretty long time now (websites for fictitious companies like Lacuna Inc. and The Hanso Corporation, "leaked" video footage, fan sites on Facebook, fake television commercials, even messages in bottles!). It helps to draw users in and make them feel like part of the experience.

Now, some of my favorite podcasters are taking this approach even further, creating whole online personalities, side stories and interactive contests and games to immerse their listeners or readers even deeper into the worlds of their fiction. I recently finished J. C. Hutchin's "Personal Effects: Dark Arts", which is the journal of an art therapist working on a very dark and paranormal case. The book comes with "personal effects" (death certificates, photos, IDs) and is laced with websites and phone numbers that provide more meat to the printed story. The lengths that Hutchin's has gone to to create a very real-feeling world for his characters and story are amazing and create an entirely new entertainment experience.

Phil Rossi's "Harvey" is a podcast only novel that began in early July. This is Rossi's second full length podcast novel. His first, "Crescent", went to print earlier this summer and is a must read for any horror/science fiction lover out there. In "Harvey", Phil is also taking interactive universe approach. He has created websites, twitter accounts and even music files to correspond with the story. The amount of energy and creativity being put in to this work is phenomenal. I find it all very interesting and exciting, but also a little troubling.

While these fake websites and social networking accounts do create a very "real" experience for the reader or listener, I have to wonder about the integrity of putting all this fake information out on the internet with no disclaimer. I know that most people today understand that the internet is FULL of bogus information and we usually monitor and judge what we read before taking it as fact. But what about PixelVixen707, one of Hutchin’s characters, who hosts a gaming blog and also posts articles on Suicide Girls? Is it misleading for these authors to create characters and interact with people outside of their fiction? I suppose that as long as the information posted is true, it’s not really hurting anyone and I also know that people make up fake accounts all of the time, but there’s just something about it that makes me feel a little bit uneasy. This doesn’t mean that I’m going to stop following these kinds of projects. I still think they’re freaking awesome. I just worry more about being had by the internet, being tricked into thinking something is real when it’s not. On guard.

Gifts for birthdays (and for me!)

2009-06-01T17:51:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to make this necklace for a while now. In fact, I bought the pearls at a thrift store some time last summer, with something like this in mind. So, when my pearl loving friend's birthday came around this year, I knew just what to make!

The set...

Necklace detail

Earrings.

Also noticed that the lighting/my camera suck for these. Bummer.

And here's what I made for myself:

They all look much better in real life. :)

Finally, just because... my future sister-in-law showed me some sweet stitch counters she got on Etsy, and the obvious dawned on me, and I happened to have an adorable glass bead I'd been holding on to for no particular reason, and because I'd been using a small piece of blue yarn to mark my stitcues instead, and because... oh, bother... I made these:

(gotta start taking nicer photos)

Mmm baby!

2009-06-01T17:36:00.001-07:00

Cupcakes! For Easter, my friend and I attempted to make Bakerella's super sweet cake balls. We failed pretty miserably (baking + drinking = ugly baked goods). They were still tasty, but not cute by any stretch of the imagination. A couple of weeks ago, I got ambitious again and decided to try cupcake bites instead. They basically consist of cake & icing, mashed up and then covered in chocolate, to look like miniature cupcakes. Sugary, sweet and yummy! Four hours of baking, melting, decorating, swearing, and washing my fingers after licking them later, I wound up with these little guys...

Tiny!

Next time, I will buy more chocolate molds (I had to make 11 at a time!) and, for sure, I'm enlisting help!

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

I made a couple of bracelets for Mother's Day. I also exceeded my Flickr account with Nantucket photos... sooo... here are the two pictures I managed to squeeze in there!

Blue rose bracelet and earrings for Nick's momma

For Grandma McG, "Inspire" bracelet

"Wish" bracelet for Grandma S

Landscapes

2009-05-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

Because my friend Rach is a science nerd, and because she's led camps and participated in research and is apparently a sponge for knowledge, she was able to give me a very comprehensive tour of the island of Nantucket. On the afternoon that I arrived, the sun was trying to shine through the clouds and the weather wasn't terrible, so we dropped my bags off at the house (more on that later), and headed out to see some sights.

It's kind of hard to tell in the pictures that I took - looking back at them it seems like the entire landscape is brown, gray and occasionally blue - but as we were driving around, it felt like every direction I looked, something different was taking place.

This is the view toward town, from the site of the "Oldest House" - the longest inhabited home (now owned by the Nantucket Historical Society)

And, here is the Oldest House. I guess they give tours in the summer, but I had to make due with peeking in the windows.

Here are some of the homes? Hotels? Places to stay on the island. I had a hard time telling buildings apart, as the majority of them are finished in those cedar shingles.

I was anxious to get down to the beach, but this was too pretty not to snap.

We walked along the beach on the west side of the island. There, the water was pretty still and the sand was littered with shells. Rachel gave me a guide to the shells of the island and I filled my pockets with a few (I should probably bleach those soon... my carry on bag probably smells pretty bad). Next, she drove me to the eastern facing side of the island, where the beach was soft sand and the waves were very choppy. It was also considerably colder. I found it amazing that such a short distance could yield such different climates.

Rachel explained to me that the island is always changing. It was created by the glaciers and is essentially a big pile of sand and rock. She said that a couple of years ago, two homes on this beach were washed away after a big storm.

To round out my tour of the island, we headed out to Siasconset so that I could see the pretty homes and beaches there.

Pretty, beach facing homes that may or may not still be there in a couple of years.

"Evil cliff" that is threatening homes in previous image (interesting politics).

We stopped off to see the Sankaty Lighthouse before heading back to the house to get ready for dinner.

A long-winded preface to my Nantucket adventure

2009-05-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

One of the few things I hate about traveling is returning home, only to feel like I didn't make the most of my trip. Two years ago, when I visited Boston with a friend, we walked by the library twice but never went in. We spent more time in shopping malls than in museums. We rode the subway in every direction, but found ourselves getting off at mostly the same stops each time. While it was a fun trip and certainly whet my appetite for the East Coast, I wasn't completely satisfied. The same goes for a trip to Vegas, where there are so many things to see and do, I spent most of the time feeling overwhelmed. All I really wanted to see were the places Sinatra hung out, but we just never made it to Old Vegas.

I cannot think of one thing I wish I had seen or done during my trip to Nantucket last weekend. Now, this could have something to do with the fact that the island is only 13.5 miles long and 3 miles wide, but I think it is more likely attributed to my fantastic tour guide. Not only is Rachel one of my favorite people, she's also a kick ass cook, gracious hostess and one of the biggest nature nerds I've ever known (that's a high complement, coming from me).

Rach and me in our pokey-dotted dresses, sometime around three years ago.
This trip was kind of a big deal for me. When Rachel moved to the island after college, she offered up the chance to visit, but I didn't want to impose/didn't have the money/knew nothing about Nantucket. After our friend Caitlin made her way out there last fall and then told me how awesome it was, I started thinking of ways to go out to see Rach. I told my mom that I thought I might want to make the trip and that I'd like to go alone - it would be a good test of my self confidence and give me a chance to spent time one on one with my friend. So, for my 26th birthday, my parents agreed to pay for my airline ticket so that I could fly to Boston and then make my way over to visit Rachel.

Nantucket does have its own airport, but it's pretty pricey and flights to Boston were running cheap, so I decided I'd take the roundabout way. That means I had to fly to Boston (2 hours), catch a bus to Hyannis (2 hours), and then take the ferry to Nantucket (1 hour). I was a little worried about all of the connections, but Rachel helped me navigate the transportation system, with back up plans included.

Everything went fairly well from Columbus to Hyannis, and I was eager to stretch my legs once I got off the bus. I made my way over to a breakfast/lunch place called Persy's Place and ordered a cup of chowder and a salad. Then, I thought to look at the time and realized I'd better gulp down my soup and get my rear to the boat dock if I wanted to make my ferry. I hustled out and found a cab, but in my disheveled state I said, "Take me to the fast ferry, please." I ended up at the Hy Line, when I needed to be at the Steamship Authority. Freaked out, and with 5 minutes til the boat left, I called Rachel. She guided me to the correct place and I made it with little time to spare. On the boat, I dozed off listening to Ella Fitzgerald and awoke as we were pulling in to the port.

I once had a friend in Nantucket...

2009-03-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

I booked my plane tickets this morning and I'll be off to visit Rachel at the end of April. I'm very excited.

I've been wanting to write for a while about the fact that nearly all of my college friends have fled this city... off to Philadelphia, DC, New York, New England... I think Anish and Nick Snow are my only college friends who've remained in town. Sometimes I wish I could leave too. Not forever, just for a while. I try not to think about it too much. I had the opportunity to move right after college and maybe if the destination had not been Cleveland (or if I'd had a solid job opportunity), I'd have taken it. Dreaming about moving away is one thing, but then the reality of my family's attachment and expectations hit me and I wonder if I could even do it.

At any rate, I'm glad that I can finally take advantage of the fact that I have a friend in another city, especially since she also happens to be one of my very favorite people. I'm also looking forward to traveling alone. It's kind of a challenge to my independence. I've traveled with Steph and with my parents and other friends, and I've flown alone to visit Ryan but I've never taken off like this. I almost lost my nerve and asked Nick to join me, but to be honest, I have no idea when I'll have another chance to travel alone and he and I have many trips together yet to come!

So, Rach is about the coolest and best planner and she sent me a whole trip-tic with recommended sites and restaurants to check out on Nantucket. She'll be working on Friday, while I explore. We're planning to spend some time together in Boston as well. I want to go back and actually ENTER the library, rather than walk by longingly as I did when I went with Steph. Rach said there are some nice museums and of course I intend to do some Geocaching and eat plenty of seafood. I hope the weather is nice, but even it it's not, I intend to have a great time!

My new toy

2009-03-07T06:34:00.000-08:00

I was very excited to receive an awesome birthday gift from my sweetie - the Amazon Kindle 2. Before I could take it to work and show it off though, I had to make a cozy for it!

Isn't it nifty?? (The Kindle, not the cozy)

My friend Jess also got her sweetie a Kindle (copycat!), so I made hers a cozy too...

I've been sticking with quick and easy projects lately. I hit another wall with my sock knitting when my crazy kitty jumped on my knitting bag and somehow snapped two of my harmony needles in half! The pieces even flew across the room! I ordered a new set, along with some yarn which should arrive any day now. Darn cat.

Here's another short, sweet project, another pair of wrist warmers for my cold handed aunt.

Now, I just have to get them to her before it gets too warm to wear them!

What's cooking?

2009-02-11T08:07:00.000-08:00

I've been on a bit of a culinary tear lately. Can't say that I've been doing much cooking myself, but I have been bookmarking, daydreaming and salivating over many a good cooking blog.

We've had a house guest since the 21st of January and I did make a pretty mean meatloaf one night, chicken parmesan another (but forgot the spaghetti!), and I tried these Spicy Chicken Nuggets on Monday night. They were yum! I think the marinade (1/4 c. dark rum, 1/4 c. lime juice, 1/4 c. soy sauce and 2 tbs. sugar would be awesome on steak or grilled chicken).

Lately, I've found it's easier to avoid conversation if I bury my nose in a book or my laptop, than to try and knit in my free time and so I am getting behind on productivity. I need to get on it though, my aunt has requested another pair of wrist warmers and they won't be so useful if I wait til June to make them!

As for my creative outlet, my wonderful and very missed friend Rach sent me a set of LOLmagnetz and so I've been spending my down time at work futzing with those. Yay magnetic LOLpoetry!

Put a lid on it

2009-01-31T21:36:00.000-08:00

I've been knitting a lot lately but I got too busy to take photos! Found a good deal on Lion Brand Jiffy, so I whipped up these caps to keep me and my honey warm.

Nick in his new cap.

My new cap.

Caps (couldn't get the size right for the big headed dude).

My cap with matching wrist warmers.

I also got a little beading done today. Like every other bracelet I've ever tried to make, this required two revisions before I was happy enough with it to wear. My mom bought me the really cool frog pendant. It's a Safe Journey frog and I love it.

Front

Back

Hopefully some more sock knitting will occur in the not too distant future :) I blame my new distraction, the Wii, for taking me away from my more productive hobbies. It's worth it though, to spend some time throwing plungers at rabbids.

Revisiting the Stars

2008-12-03T19:53:00.001-08:00

My friend had a birthday earlier this month, so I used those cute little stars to make these for her!

Nothing fancy, but I'd never made a bracelet like that before. I'm going to try to make a couple more as gifts this season (time permitting), I got some really cool beads on Black Friday.

It takes two...

2008-12-03T19:43:00.001-08:00

So, I finally finished my first pair of socks. And then, I was so excited, I went ahead and finished a second pair. Four successful socks! Woo! These were both patterns from the wonderful Mystery Sock class at Temptations.

These warm puppies are staying with me:

I learned a lot about my tension issues with this pattern. I lost my spots when I knit too tightly and ended up pulling it apart and starting over more than once. But, they're super warm and they both look the same, so I'll chalk them up as success.

Pattern two was much easier and sooooo pretty. And! I have enough yarn left to make a second pair... score!

Dig that wiggle?

Finally, a riff raff scarf I just finished. I'm feeling a little iffy about it, but I think the sparkle helps. I'm making another with the same yarns, hopefully I like it more....

And my model looks fantastic in it!

Tiny trees, take II. Buckeye Beading, too!

2008-10-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

I was busy this week. I think stringing seed beads has temporarily replaced my addiction to knitting. Look at this lovely!

(It's a bracelet ;))

I stopped by the bead shop down the road - Jennifer's Beads on the way home from work on Friday. That place is dangerous! I found some pretty fall colored small beads and used them to make these:

They also had a nice assortment of OSU related beads. I cheaped out and got a small batch of polymer buckeyes. I want to go back for some of the nicer glass ones, but in the meantime, I will wear these:

(Gratuitous photo of me, and my new hair cut, but really I took it for the jewelery. I promise...)

She sees shooting stars

2008-10-04T15:22:00.000-07:00

Got some beading done today, but I'm not totally satisfied with all of it. At any rate, I got some really cute star beads the other night and made these:

I've also been trying to master peyote stitching on wood beads. It's a pain in the rear and it takes a long time, but I'll probably give it another go.

Finally! I really wanted to try this after I saw it on Craftster. There are some great ones on there. I over estimated my bead stash though, so when I make another one (I sure will!), I'll have to buy some good beads or chips to make up the leaves. It's such a neat idea!

Dry Spell

2008-10-04T15:15:00.000-07:00

I've been crafting pretty regularly, but I've been really bad about taking pictures and posting. I finally finished the knitting part of a baby blanket that took about 3 months to complete, but it won't be done until I add some kind of backing to it, and that's gonna be something of a challenge!

In the meantime, I did knit this unkillable desk plant for a friend at work (it looks like the real one which she watered til it died!)

Baby stuff

2008-08-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I think I will post some older projects now, just so this blog won't get stale waiting on me to finish something new (trust me - I'm working on a lot of new things, I just haven't been able to find the time to finish any of them!!).

In the meantime, here are the cute baby things I knitted last fall/this spring for the new babies in my life.

This bunny is from a pattern on the Lion Brand website. I actually followed all of the instructions, including the yarn suggestions, which was a first for me. The scarf, however, I added on my own. His head was a little too floppy without it, and I thought the additional color was pleasant :)

And, with the baby

And this is the sweater I made for my niece, Caitlin. There are a few things I wish were different about the pattern, but it was so cute and tiny when it was finished.

Another brick in the wall

2008-08-18T17:19:00.000-07:00

I had a go at brick stitch on a necklace for my momma. I think she liked it, I know I did, but I was having some trouble with the beads (I used sort of flattened beads) slipping around and not staying in their "frames". I wish I had put a dot of super glue or something on to keep them in place. At any rate, please have a look!

Confession

2008-08-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

I would get a lot more crafting done it if it weren't for video games...

MsToiletWeasel

But, as it is, my goal is to get +2600 points this week, so that I have more than our friend B.

Because it's cool - PMOG

2008-08-11T12:13:00.000-07:00

It's no secret, I spend a lot of time bumbling around the internet, reading blog feeds, news stories, links from friends. I think of the firefox as one of my pets. If you're big on wandering around the web too, PMOG is a really cool (and fun) way to discover new things.

To play the game, you install a little tool bar in your browser and take off around the internet. You get points for visiting new web pages, find portals, missions and other items hidden on sites by other players and can create your own missions (quite easily) by placing lightposts on your favorite sites. Other players have created a number of tutorial missions (get points and learn about the game!) to help get you started.

Once you figure it out, check out my two, small, lame-ish missions and let me know what you think! :)

http://pmog.com/missions/entertainment_for_the_ears
http://pmog.com/missions/a_little_drinkey (The NSFW tag is just because there's *gasp* alcohol involved :))

So long, orange sofas!

2008-08-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a rather sad day in the life of Drea. I bid adieu to my best ever thrift store find, my orange sofa and love seat. These hideously lovely pieces of furniture were the focal point and source of great comfort during my two year stay at Heritage Apartments.

The reality of no longer having my own place is starting to set in. Sure, I was rarely alone even when I had my apartment, but it really was my little haven. Coming home to those brightly colored rooms always made me feel better. It was so completely my own, my style.

Nick is giving me some creative freedom with the condo, but his tastes are far more subdued than my own. I'll admit, I've had my fill of pepto pink bedrooms, but just you wait and see. I'll find a way to sneak "Blues Clues" blue, alien green and rusty orange in to my new digs.

Goodbye my lovely corner of the world...

The front door, the creepy, view obscuring bushes, in which I once found a drunk, pant less man.

The hat box, Frank Sinatra themed girlie bedroom. Many thanks to my mom,
wife and Rach for helping with the accessories here.

My office with kick-ass shelving added by my dad.

The kitchen/living room/dining room, where I spent most of my time

The tiny kitchen which Steph helped me paint and decorate

Summer Reading List

2008-08-05T07:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's a little sparse. There's just NOT enough time in the day! At least I have a list - that's a step up from any time before June, when the only thing I read regularly were my feeds.

How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship & Musical Theater, by Marc Acito

This was one of those fun, feel-good stories that only got better with the guest appearance by Frank Sinatra at the end.

Attack of the Theater People, by Marc Acito

I pretty much had to read this, just because it was a sequel. I have to say, I enjoyed the first book more. I liked how the characters matured from the beginning of the first book to the second, but there was just more heart and more story in How I Paid for College.

The Good Fairies of New York, by Martin Millar

Sweet, hip and funny. I didn't get too attached to anyone in this story, in fact, I didn't really like any of the characters very much, but it was interesting to see how they interacted.

Between the Bridge and the River, by Craig Ferguson

A+++ Great Story
I haven't actually finished this one yet, but as far as summer reading goes, this one wins for me. There's a surprising amount of insight and poignancy for all the comedy and bizarre wanderings. I want to finish this book, but I need to savor it at the same time.

Fear of Flying, by Erica Jong

This is the selected book for the QSFT Book Club 2008 (established by me ;)). I'm only about 5 chapters in and it's interesting but not at the top of my list. I have to keep reminding myself of the era in which it was written. I understand the significance and womens lib and all that but it doesn't change the fact that I hate the "c-word" and it's overuse in this story.

Dunno what else I'll get around to this summer. I love that the Hilliard Library is 5 minutes from home, I'm taking full advantage of the convenience!

Beady little eyes?

2008-08-04T15:34:00.000-07:00

I never took much to beading. I thought I might when I was in my early teens, but I was never very satisfied with what I turned out. As a result, I have a pretty little collection of beads and hardware, which have been sitting in a box for 10+ years. Last weekend, the boyfriend asked me if I wanted to go to Joann's as payback for "dragging" me to the aquarium store. Joann's (always dangerous) had a 40% off sale on all of their beading products and now I am giving it another shot. It's a nice change of pace from knitting and it really requires a lot more planning and creativity. There are lots of things I want to try, but here's what I've done so far....

Some green ringy earrings.

I made this bracelet last summer, but I wasn't happy with the end product, so I added another strand of beads and entwined them. I like it a lot better now, but it's harder to clasp. You live, you learn.

Happy set!

Some more green earrings. I really like these. Keeping it simple works sometimes.

This actually matches the green earrings above. It's hard to tell in this lighting, but I liked the effect. Trying to stick with an "electrical" theme - get it? Lamps? Cords? Outlet? Current? Maybe it's a stretch :)

Ready, set...

2008-08-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

Yo!

Look at this. I wish I had something interesting enough to actually blog about, but as it is, my interests are scattered across books and crafting and out door exploring and I don't think I'm "in to" any of them enough to write anything that hasn't already been written in someone else's blog.

Some of my favorite websites, pertaining to my interest:

Geocaching

Real-life, outdoor treasure hunting!

Craftster

Knitting, beading, sewing creating!

Wonderland

Geeky girl gaming!