A Reptile and Warmth for your Phalanges

Complete projects!

These two items are gifts for a couple of my Smashcookies Inc. friends. And for anyone who knows them, it shouldn't be hard to guess who's getting what.

                                                               Amigurumi Turtle

Hope Mr. Turtle doesn't look too shabby next to your hand painted figure collection, o Evil Ginger Wookie!

And another pair of fingerless gloves

Yes, there ARE two gloves, but I take my own photos and my toes aren't quite dexterous enough to pull off snapping photos.

This pair of gloves actually has a thumb, which is entirely optional. I popped it on there just b/c I wanted to see if I could! May they keep you hands eternally toasty Grif!

Getting the Ball Rolling...sssslllloooowwwwllllyyy

Ok, I'm guilty. I was AFB (away from blog) for a while there. But it was for a good purpose I swear! I've been focusing on getting my youtube channel up and running this past week. It's just an intro video, but it's there, it exists!

Needlearts Academic YouTube Channel !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My plan is to make my blog and my vlog companions sites for needlearts learning. Lets say I put up a video of how to do a particlar needlepoint stitch up on youtube- I'll have links on that video's page to an actual stitching chart and hopefully some close up photos of that stitch done in different types of thread over here =) Posts are going to be slower than I would like at both sites until I've become more familiar with all the logistics involved. Actually finding time to record videos, editing them, researching all the things I want to say or write about. It's a tad overwhelming right now!- like being told to dig a tunnel through a mountain with a tablespoon! I'll get there eventually though. I've ordered some books online about blogging, video editing, even one about acting to improve my camera presence. This project is going to take up years of my life and I am taking it seriously. No half hearted crap. Now everyone cross your fingers and hope I can get my family to all chip in on some decent video and sound recording equipment for my Christmas present!

So, um, I made these. Like, just now, I made them.

Zero to fingerless gloves in 3hrs flat. I've really been on a crafty tear the past week or so, but time constraints have kept me from making the kind of progress on my projects I've wanted to. Looking at some patterns and pics online only made urge to MAKE uber strong. So, in a spurt of knittastic energy these were produced! Ahh, the joys of a quick project made with bulky yarn. Ribbing on the ends, stockinette in the middle and voila! C'est finite! Work today was like that too. I got tons of paperwork done- rent, taxes, emails, daily till, schedule changes, payroll, all on top of having the monthly visit from our Subway field consultant! Wish I could be this productive every day!

If being a Store Manager at a Subway has taught me anything, it's this: Prep a crap ton of steak every day during 5$ footlong month. Cuz everybody and there momma loves a 5$ sub. Especially that annoying lady who always makes me empty an entire bottle of olive oil onto 5 subs and wants and extra side of jalapenos and pickles and MORE OLIVE OIL on top of what's already on the sandwiches. Had to make 6 subs for her today while Mom stayed in the back to keep from asking if she's like anything else for free. I'm in the office now wondering, why do I even need a job anyways? Why can't I just stay home and make amigurumi chocobos and knit Teemo hats living? Oh yeah, that's b/c I actually want to get ahead in life a little. So, subs now, entrelac later, subs now, crewel later. It shall be my mantra. The kitten pic DOES make it all a little better. I may actually get a stitching post up later. Have been working on the mistletoe on my daughters stocking and have had some interesting results. I have one more option to try before I decide which way to go with them. Wish me luck ppl.

Huzzah for exploration! Today I ventured forth into the North Carolina wilderness on an expedition to find the only embroidery shop less than 2 hours away from Fayetteville. After dolling myself up a bit in the morning I headed off, stopping first at Subway (the Subway my mother owns and which I am General Manager at) to check in and get a bite to eat. While there I unexpectedly acquired a best friend/travel companion, which made a trip I was already looking forward to 10x better! Beautiful weather made for a pleasant drive and about an hour + much rural roadway later we found ourselves outside Moore Than Needlepoint in Pinehurst. Upon entering, much geeking out, done by yours truly ensued. The shop itself was small and cute, neatly organized, and had a very decent selection of threads available- including the one color of Arctic Rays I have been looking for each time I go back to MI but have been unable to find. The lady behind the counter was uncertain about us at first, and understandably so. I'm sure the majority of her customer base is at least 20 years older than Tamara and I are. She warmed up to us quickly though, especially after I showed her the the piece had I brought with me- the stocking I am working on for my daughter. She was super helpful, making suggestions about threads and stitches to use in areas I was concerned about. She even gave me a copy of the monthly newsletter for the ANG chapter she belongs to. I am seriously considering joining. Tamara later confided in me that she was laughing to herself in amusement at my behavior the whole time we were there- I was just so excited! Thinking about it now it must have been a sight to see, watching as I bounced back and forth across the store over and over, gushing about threads, textures, different forms of embroidery (it's CREWEL not CRUEL lolol), kits vs patterns, hand painted canvases, waffling all the while about what I wanted to buy. Despite my enthusiasm, I was a good girl and managed to keep my spending down to 35$. Tamara got herself a beginners project too! =D Now we have another excuse to hang out! WOOT! Out the door we went smiles on our faces and stitchy purchases in hand! And boy am I glad I signed up for their mailing list, because while Tamara and I were at the dollar store out there, getting drinks and snacks for the drive back, my phone rang- it was the needlepoint shop calling. Apparently, in my excitement I had completely forgotten my camera, left it sitting on the checkout counter! =O What can I say, the pretty threads were distracting me! Homeward bound we were then, and getting back to Fayetteville was much easier than the trip to Pinehurst- as I actually managed to correctly follow the mapquest directions in reverse order instead of wandering a bit on and off roads I thought were the ones I was looking for- as I did on the way there. We made it though! And are happier for it! If I can manage to get up early enough tomorrow morning I may go back there for the sit and stitch they have every Wed from 10-12.

So, it's been a while since I've worked on this blog at all. Major life changes and all that shoved it way down on the priority list. I think I'm finally settling into my new life in this new place though. Lately I've been thinking it's time to try this again, start learning again! Not to mention sharing. I may even throw in the occasional update on my personal life- my sister seems to find it cathartic and I must admit her blog IS amusing. Eventually (if the living room ever gets done and I have a decent place to record videos) I hope to have a youtube companion channel with videos actually showing other people the things I learn along the needlearts road. That's a ways off yet though. For now, I'm just trying desperately/still to find the stitching and knitting community down here. Ah, how I miss back home where there were 5 EGA chapters within an hour's drive of my house! Now the closest chapter is 2 hrs away. Le Sigh Tomorrow will hopefully be a day of discovery- I have found a website for a needlepoint shop that should be a mere hour and 15 mins away and I plan on venturing forth to see with my own eyes if it does indeed exist! I will report back with my findings.

Yay, Hat!

Here is my wonderful boyfriend modeling the knit hat I made for him! The pattern is simple ribbing, taken from the wonderful pages of Stitch n Bitch. I stitched it up in just 6 hours! Isn't he handsome folks?!