It's Here!

Finally! My Natural Dye Studio yarn packages made it here last evening, and it couldn't have come at a better time! 

Turns out I'm still sick which is never any fun, but at least I have a good excuse to sit on the couch all day and knit with my new yarn! Here is a look at what I got, and what it will become:

These are the three mini skein packs that I purchased. They will eventually be this shawl (must be a ravelry member to take a peek!) 

This is the start of a communal knit blanket I am working on with a bunch of other lovely ladies who are huge fans of NDS yarn! I did not buy this yarn, rather it was sent to me, and I will be sending it back to Amanda (dyer of NDS yarn) for her to turn into a beautiful mitered square blanket! Currently I have 6 of approximately 28 squares completed.

Last but not least, (and all because Mitsy asked to see a picture) here is the early early start of a hexagon blanket I am working on in NDS Caress Alpaca/Silk DK yarn. I've actually been saving up skeins of this yarn for at least a year now. I was never really sure what I wanted to do with it, I just knew that I loved it. Since learning to crochet, and discovering this awesome hexagon tutorial I've made the leap into crochet blankets! Here's hoping it turns out beautiful!

And that is what I am doing while I focus on getting better. (let's hope that is maybe tomorrow, as I am really tired of being sick)

Flickr Favorites (week 11)

Well it's been a week since I last posted! (ooops) In my defense, I was out of town for a friends wedding, and then became quite sick as soon as we got back home. I'm happy to report that I am feeling quite better, and ready to resume posting again!

For this weeks flickr favorites I decided to do a color post (do I ever do anything else?) and include a picture of my favorite yarn on earth. Yep. You guess it. The Natural Dye Studio Yarn. I have been waiting rather impatiently for a couple packages to arrive from NDS to begin some new exciting projects! 

One project is a communal blanket project consisting of spice colored mitered knit squares. The second project is a CAL (crochet-a-long) which you can check out here, if you are a member of ravelry. I ordered 3 packages of Amanda's mini skeins which I know is going to make the most beautiful little shawl ever! Here's hoping they will arrive by tomorrow!

As always, if you want to play along this week head on over to Mitsy's blog!

1. e s s e n c e, 2. hey baby, 3. restyled denim dress, 4. September Natural Dye Studio yarn

Pass the Mayo

Mitsy announced that it is Belgium's National Holiday today, and as I looked at her beautiful flickr favorites I knew at once she was missing something critical. Super critical:

1. 102_3933, 2. Belgium fries with mayo, 3. belgian-fries-in-park-slope, 4. Ghent (Belgium) - French Fries Forks - december 2005

Okay, actually it wasn't critical but I decided that I would pay tribute to the Belgian (french) fry! 

I'll take mine sans mayo.

Want to make your own flickr favorites? Head over to Mitsy's blog and play along already!

Flickr Favorites (week 10)

I have on thing on my mind. The Mailbox. Why? I am waiting in vain for two packages. One comes from a ravelry trade/sale, and the other comes from my FAVORITE yarn site. Both contain the same thing: The Natural Dye Studio Yarn.  I am waiting for one skein of rose colored Dazzle Sock Yarn, 2 skeins of Caress Alpaca/Silk DK yarn of the purple/green/pink persuasion, and finally 1 skein of blue and purple Chi sock yarn. I hope to have it all by the end of the week.

My flickr favorite this week is all about, you guessed it, dye studio yarn! Okay, actually only the two squares with skeins of yarn are actually dye studio yarn, but it is still a celebration! Check out their site if you knit or crochet. You won't regret it. And if you want to make your own mosaic head on over to Mitsy's blog and play along!

1. Natural Dye Studio yarn, 2. Ruffle Leaf Scarf - Women All Season All Cotton Crocheted Scarf Necklace Fiber Jewelry in Lavender, 3. Lace Shell Scarf, Women All Season All Cotton Crocheted Lace in Vintage Teal, 4. The Natural Dye Studio Cobweb Mohair

As Promised. . .

Can you spot the newest addition? It's a hedgehog! I haven't added anything to my wild & woodland prints in a good while now, and it was so fun to be able to make a new animal for that section again! (I even have another one in the works)

Of course he needed to carry a flower. I am always seriously considering redoing all of them so that they carry a flower. It is my favorite part of the prints! Check them out here. Enjoy!

Dilemma

   So I was asked to put together a custom order yesterday. For the order I was asked to put together the letters n-o-l-a-n in a specific color scheme, and I was also asked to change the letters A and one of the two N's to an Ant and a Narwhal. Being that I LOVE custom orders I immediately said, "No Problem!" and set straight to work.

But now I have two adorable letters that I am unsure what to do with. I love the way each letter looks, but should I have multiple letter options in my shop? Opinions please! 

Here is a look at the completed set of prints (with altered letters A and N)

What to do. . .what to do. Someone tell me please, because I for one am really on the fence.

Close Ups of Altered Letters:

Flickr Favorites (week 9)

This week Mitsy asked us to tell a story with our mosaic. Not wanting to tell a story about my obsession with citrus (we all know it already, right?) I decided instead to mosaic something else I love.

I'm a maker. crafter. artist.  I have degrees in graphic design, ceramics, digital art and have studied photography and illustration extensively while earning some of those said degrees. I am always learning new things, always creating. And I love others who feel the drive to do the same. So my mosaic this week is all about celebrating those who make. Enjoy!

1. lilac, 2. inspiration pile and work table, 3. smock top, 4. blue yarn for vest

And the Good Times Keep on Rollin. . .

Ever since I've learned to crochet, I haven't found any time to knit! There are so many fun and interesting patterns whose look I could not hope to duplicate with two knitting needles. My latest creation? A Zig-Zag Scarf motif (affectionately called my Hippie Chick Scarf) made up of no less than 10 different yarns. 

Which brings me to the difficult topic of throwing yarn away. When does one throw yarn away? How little is too little to keep? I have been unable to answer this difficult question, and with the Hippie Chick Scarf I feel like I may never have to answer it. This bad boy uses up skein ends in the most beautiful way possible!

The pattern is one of Alison's creations (the same person who brought us the WONDERFUL Abigail's Scarf) Want to make this one yourself? First off you have to be a member of Ravelry. It's free and fantastic, so if you knit or crochet this is no reason for you not to belong to such a fantastic group! You can find the details for making this scarf right here on Alison's Ravelry Page. -And do browse through the rest of her work. It's fantastic!  

(Have I reached the limit on the number of times one can use fantastic in a single post?)

In Etsy news, expect a new animal by the end of this week. It's a cute one for sure. . .and dare I say, fantastic!?

And it Continues. . .

What continues you ask? My citrus obsession. I have no idea why, but I am a complete fool for yellow, orange and green. I'm also a complete fool for knitting.  I never thought I'd be a complete fool for crochet, but you know what? Thanks to a little help from an incredibly nice raveler (Alison) I am now a fool for this too! 

I showed off my first crochet project, two pillows, a couple days ago. Now I give you the citrus scarf -pattern from Alison's Abigail Scarf. If you crochet you must make this scarf immediately! I love it sooo very much. Also check out Alison's blog for lots of other fantastic crochet projects (my next project will be her hippie chicks scarf -which you can see on ravelry!)

I hope you like my citrus scarf. I know I do! 

(I love the summer, but I can't wait until it's cool enough to wear this!)