What was that? I'm going to be butterfly?

This baby, to me, looks a little scared.

Hahahahahahah

http://www.nataliedee.com/archives/2009/Jul/?#495

Very very cute. Husband sent this to me, saying that it is my kind of humor...

Hours of Fun

Make you own inspiration/style boards here.

Click on the Create link at the top, let the fun begin!

Recycle LACMA Project - Part II

Usually I just post links and then let people make comments about what they think .... but as I read through the Recycle LACMA blog, I was a little upset by some of the recycle choices the artist made ... I mean, deconstructing a Claire McCardell dress into two witches hats; are you serious? The Bolivian blanket into potholders?

I know, I know, the artist makes it clear that many items were sold for merely their opening bid, and that these weren't exactly sought after items. I think what tweaks me is that many of these items were wearable, or pretty amazing on their own, and then they were turned into items that are kinda ordinary or commonplace.

I guess we"ll see what happens when he is finished with the project. Whatever the end result, I do enjoy the idea of the before and after, and will check in periodically to see how it all unfolds.

The Recycle LACMA Project

http://recyclelacma.blogspot.com/

From the site:

On January 14th, 2009 the Los Angeles County Museum of Art announced that it was deaccessioning more than 100 items from its costumes and textiles collection. Once carefully collected, catalogued, and cared for, these items have now been cast back out in to the world. What will happen to them? Like any other useless item, they will need to be recycled or disposed of.

Recycle LACMA is a project of Los Angeles-based artist Robert Fontenot. At three separate auctions he purchased over 50 items deaccessioned by LACMA and is now trying to find new uses for these otherwise unwanted items.

Taking Nominations for Next Craft Day Craft

After running into Anna today on the Purple line, I started thinking about another Craft Day. We mentioned yarn dyeing ... and I also ran across this great tutorial for a floral fascinator.

Anyone else?

If the work furloughs go through (the unions are fighting, but they only have until the end of June to negotiate this issue) then I will have every second and fourth Friday free, so pub time/craft time would be a nice pick-me up!

Whoa Nelly

I just discovered Patternfish. It is in Beta now, but it is pretty cool. I don't know how it compares to Etsy or Ravelry, but I do like that you can buy out-of-print patterns from several really cool designers. The search/navigation bar is pretty fun too.

Fine, I'll Just Cut Up My Credit Cards!

Stumbling upon this article in the NYTimes explained what has been happening recently, but it doesn't make it any better!

For the first time ever, I got slapped with a late fee on my credit card, and it wasn't small either! We usually pay our bills electronically, and have never had a problem. On my bill it said that I didn't make the payment on time, because instead of the three days it usually takes for an electronic payment to clear, you must now allot SEVEN days for the payment to clear. So, even though I paid my bill before it was due, I didn't pay it seven days before the due date.

However, not to worry, assures the credit card company, if I am worried about not paying on time, I can submit an electronic payment that clears INSTANTLY, but you will have to pay a FEE.

Seriously, this is crazy pants.

800 dollar cardigan

Looking at this makes me think several things.

1. Reminds me of a Todd Oldham project in a craft magazine from a couple of years ago. I can't remember the name of the mag, but I can see it in my mind. It is something hip and diy. Basically take a bunch of thrift store sweaters, cut them up, and assemble them into a cool multi-colored pullover.

2. This would be super fun to knit with lots of random balls of yarn. You could basically take this pattern and tweak it for the perfect lookalike.

3. Both of these projects would not cost you 800 dollars.

I think the cardigan is super cool, and not just because Michelle Obama wore it yesterday on a state visit to the U.K. I would totally do that strip of sequins, just because.

Quilts

I've always wanted to quilt, but once I tried to make my own clothes and basically failed (well, ok, I did make one complete dress, which I wore to husband's brother's wedding) but the experience was pretty off-putting. My MIL likes to make t-shirt quilts, and when she came to visit three weeks ago, she finished them by knotting through the three layers, which made me start to think that maybe I wouldn't have to do all those crazy finishing stitches.

Then, I saw this post.

I'm thinking maybe I should start organizing my fabric stash and see what I have color-wise.

And, today, I somehow managed to go out and buy a rotary cutter and mat.

We"ll see what happens.

Together Everyone Achieves More

Or Else. 

Knitting Update

Jillian Lewis from Project Runway has released a collection, which is cable and knit heavy.

Spring 2009 Interweave Knits Preview.

I'm mildly obsessed with this whole line of legwarmers. I say "mildly" because I don't think I could get away with wearing them, but I have this fantasy of a little bit of knit/crochet popping above my boots.

And I think this Halogen sweater looks a lot like the Holly Jacket.

I'm trying very hard to not buy yarn, because, lets face it, I have enough. I've purposely not gone to either to either of the two yarn shops that are 10-15 minutes from my work. I think I deserve a reward...

Crying Over Vegetables

My grandfather in Wales passed away on the 18th. He had prostate cancer, and a bad heart, and in the end, the chemo weakened his heart and he had a heart attack.

My step-dad and my mom have been calling from Moscow, and I've been calling Wales and Moscow in return. Thank God for Skype, else it would have been incredibly expensive, since we spoke for hours. 

Everyone keeps telling me that is okay that I can't go to the funeral, that everyone understands that I live too far away to make it to the funeral on Wednesday. Everytime someone says it though, I feel more and more guilty. 

I was in Subway the other day, and a man asked for "no veggies" on his sandwich, and I just started crying, because my mother always scolded my grandfather for not eating his vegetables, and that his poor diet would "be the death of him." 

I said good-bye to my grandfather two years ago. We went out there for a week and a half, between leaving my job and starting graduate school. He had just been diagnosed, and everyone said he had a couple of months left, at most. He outlived their expectations, and passed away four hours short of his 86th birthday. 

Still it hurts, that I won't be able to say good-bye at the funeral. I guess that is why we like our rituals, because it gives everyone a proper time and place to say and do what they feel. Maybe on Wednesday I'll go find a pub and lift a pint for Grandpa, since besides building houses, he loved his beer. 

Frustration

I have learned that lace-weight kid mohair and bamboo knitting needles do not go together.

Off to dig through metal needles.....

How to Lose Six Pounds in Roughly a Week

Step One: Obtain a head cold. This can be done by working in close proximity with sick co-workers, or, alternately, working with the public. If you can manage to do both, your head cold is virtually guaranteed.

Step Two: Have no vacation days. Or sick days. You self-medicate with over-the-counter medications because this will prolong the cold, and not actually make you healthier. At this point, your ear may begin to throb with pain, but rest assured, this is part of the process.

Step Three: Break down and go to the emergency room at 1 am. Obtain a perscription for 400 mg of Motrin and a steroid nasal spray. Again, this will not actually make you better, but it will allow you to continue to work and interact with the public. Go to work on 5 hours of sleep. This last step is crucial.

Step Four: Make a doctor's appointment for your day off. If this day off is four days away, all the better. You will not have an appetite, but you will force yourself to eat the bare minimum so that the Motrin does not eat through your stomach lining. Also drink lots and lots of tea and water to flush the increasing amount of mucus that is gathering in your throat.

Step Five: Limp through the work week until you can get to the doctor. At this point, the doctor will inform you that you need antibiotics, and that you have lost six pounds! Congratulations.

Step Six: Rest.

First day on the job

Well, I'm exhausted. I ended up doing about five hours at the reference desk due a crisis with the other librarians. Plus, some people were off for Rosh Hashanah, so we were short-staffed to begin with.

Did anyone else feel the rain? There was a light sprinkling....

In other news, my bus ride to work was 15 minutes long, and nearly door to door. Yay!

I guess Tim Gunn can go back to NY

Lifetime Blocked from Airing Sixth Season of Project Runway.

Juicy Couture? Where are the sweatpants?

I am guessing that Juicy Couture has come a long way from sweatpants and furry purses.

I'm kinda into it. I'm a sucker for gold buttons.

-all pics vis Nordstroms.

Gwen Stefani and I are on the same page

Can't wait for Sept 1, when the new issue of MPMK comes out! And then, this whole post will make sense.

You can go to school for that? Knitwear + Academics

Over at making things she has a really great post breaking down the different knitwear programs across the county. I wanted to give a shout out to FIDM and Otis on the West Coast, both of which have knitting specialities. Otis is particularly nice because it is part of their continuing education program, so it is made up of night classes.