Sunday, November 29, 2009

Christmas!

It is finally Christmas Season!

I'm so excited, I put up some lights today, the colorful kind. I did them all around the living room and a ton along the bar. I got out the very few Christmas decorations we have. A nutcracker and a few ornaments. We still need to get a tree.
I also did some left over wedding decorations and some IKEA paper lanterns hanging above our bed! It looks so neat! I love decorating. I just am not very good at it. I wrapped some red ribbon around the lanterns to give them a more Christmasy look. There is a bow in the one over my side of the bed and no bow on Johnny's side. I hope Johnny likes it!
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I'm also planning on making a few things this year. I'm not really sure what but Johnny and I liked these, and they look kinda baby safe-ish.
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I found the instructions for them here.

Johnny also wants me to make a stocking for Elara. I had a pink brocade stocking when I was a little girl. I think she may need some thing like that. Definitely.

Every year I make christmas ornaments to put on our gifts instead of bows. I'm thinking this year it should be something Johnny can help me with. I'm thinking of doing little string globes with glitter all over them. Basicly you take string and dip it in glue. Then you wrap it around a ballon that you have sprayed with Pam and cover it all in glitter. Like this.
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We will need to try one and see how it turns out. Johnny is excited to help me. At least he says he is...

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Knitting overload! Now with added Sewng!

I have been doing a whole lot of knitting lately, and I have also sewed a few little bags. And I have only bought 4 balls of yarn! Yay me! (they were for Johnny's scarf and he picked out a pattern that needed a bulky yarn and I only  had worsted weight. So really it is Johnny's fault.)
Here is the scarf for Johnny. It is the Seaman's Scarf (hee hee) from Knitpicks. I'm using Patons Shetland Chunky in Black... Johnny doesn't like colors.It is an acrylic wool blend and really soft. But the cable pattern is kinda different and threw me for a loop at first.
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I also made the Star Crossed Slouchy Beret. I made it as a Christmas present for my brother's girlfriend. I hope she likes Orange... I used Red Heart Soft that I bought to make a baby blanket about 600 years ago and never made. Oops. I learned how to knit in the round o this one! It used to be so intimidating for years!! I used the Magic Loop method and it was so easy! I love knitting in the round now!
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I still need to block it, but I only have square plates...I'm going to have to figure something out.
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Then I made the 4th scarf/shawl for my Granny. I have made her 3 different scarves over the years, all lovely lace scarves out of really delicate pure wool fingering yarns. But the moment they are done one of the cats attacks the crap out of them and I have to start over! This time I did the Sunday Market Shawl but made some modifications.
Photobucket I cast on 32 stitches and did knit 4 YO so that I could add a simple cable. I used a sturdier yarn, Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Mariner Blue. I love the way it turned out and I hope my Granny will like it.
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This is my project bag!
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 It is the first thing, other than the Halloween costumes, that I have sewed that I use. I used this pattern. I did add one large pocket on one side that will hold a pattern folded in quarters, a small pair of scissors and a crochet hook to help with my cables. I don't know where all my real cable needles went.
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After that I made up my own pattern for a crochet hook holder. It turned out kinda wonky but it des exectly what I need it to! I love that blue fabric and the ribbon.
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I think that maybe I should just blog about all this stuff as I do it. then I wouldn't have to do massive posts like this.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Elara's First Hair Cut!

Last weekend we all went out and got our hair cut. It was Elara's first one. We went to Cookie Cutters and they did a fantastic job! They play a little movie and have them sit in fun chairs. Elara got a pink convertible and watched The Wiggles, she loves that show. The girls there are really patient and work fast. They also taught us how to do this!
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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Halloween Totally Rocks! Beep Beep!

I LOVE Halloween!
I just thought that I needed to make that very clear. I love to make my husband, daughter and my costumes every year. (This year I did cheat, I bought Elara's from Etsy. I started sewing about a month ago and didn't think I could do all 3. But next year...) Elara was the love child of Dr. Girlfrind and The Monarch from Venture Brother. I guess it would just be child now since they are married and really the thought of them having a child is really scary, but she was adorable!!
Every Love Child needs a light saber!
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She really did keep the hat on most of the time!
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Johnny and I were robots. To be more specific Johnny was Bender from futurama and I was his fluzy Party Bot companion.
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Oh hell ya! He totally had a working door that he kept a beer, his flask and a wallet in all night! I use one of thos pop up laundry hampers as the base and made a cover for it. then I made the door and used really huge zip ties around the edge to give it some structure and the compartment was a large slit pocket. Johnny made his mask out of cardboard and paint and he wore a grey track suit underneath.
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My Boobs are falling out!
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For my costume I used a corset and tutu thing I already had. I made a shrug and tube thing for the top and the bought silver leggings. I bought the wig and my make up was all eye shadow. I did learn a lot about sewing while making these...Mostly that I know nothing about sewing! The silver stuff was so hard to work with and it kept getting puled down into my machine! I need to figure out jersey! I was going to make some cool fingerless gloves and shoe cover things with awesome giant ruffles things on them. Beacuse I could. But really I could't. I tried, I cried, I gave up and wore my red chucks with stars all over them.  Robots wear Chucks right?
For my Boobs I used some metal bowls from IKEA. So I had IKEA nipples. People kept putting magnets on me and I got really cold outside. I also had robot buttons. I used those little rubber furniure bumpers that I painted with fingernail polish. My favorite little Halloween emergency paint! I have used it on earrings and shoes too. Really awesome stuff!


So that was our costumes!


Johnny and I even won the
Unofficial Official Spyder's Halloween Costume Contest!
Woot!