Ms Crafty: where craftiness rules supreme...

Monday, January 29, 2007

Received via email

Please let me know if my answer as your question’s answer I gave was appropriate answer of your question you questioned for.



The best I can say is that at least it wasn't formatted in Comic Sans.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Randomness

I am still working on the Swallowtail shawl, but I must say that it isn't the easiest of endeavors. The pattern is by no means difficult. My problems are all "user errors," which is to say that I cannot watch TV, read the chart, carry on a conversation and knit this thing with a cat in my lap all at the same time.

In other news, while out with some friends Friday night, we had the fortune of running into local celebrity Frank Chu, who generously and graciously posed for a photo op with Griffin.



Enough with the diversions, back to that lace pattern while I still have some daylight.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

This is just wrong

Seriously...wrong...and yet they are growing on me...

May I present, from the depths of the internet...


kitten boxing


kitten doing pushups

Monday, January 22, 2007

Man scarf--phase 1 complete



Well, I kinda sorta completed the man scarf just in time for Griff to head off to the big apple. However, I bound off a bit prematurely just so he would have a lovely bundle of handknit love (I just threw up in my mouth a little at that one) to wear in the freezing cold.

Now that he's back, I need to remove the provisional cast off and get this thing back on the needles to finish out the length.

He would also like it to be a bit wider, but the LYS is now officially out of this yarn. I bought a contrasting color, and was thinking about picking up and knitting a big of contrast color down the length of the scarf. Any ideas/recommendations on that one?

That darn swallowtail is kicking my butt. I have ripped back to my lifeline (thanks, Tabby) so many times! It could be because I have poor lighting, but it's probably because I need a new eyeglass prescription. Sigh.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

The biggest perk of working at home

...is my furry feline friend, Miss Mabel.


Today she decided that she had to be in my desk chair with me.


She wrapped her paws around the arm rest and stretched out across my legs. She snored and snored and snored some more.


It probably had something to do with the proximity of the HeatDish.


"Don't even think about getting out of that chair..."

Monday, January 15, 2007

Swallowtail

Now that I have survived holiday knitting '06 (note: I merely survived, I have not yet finished all intended gifts), it is time to finally start my first knitted lace project with an actual lace yarn.

When I saw Brooklyn Tweed's Swallowtail Shawl it was love at first sight. I quickly snapped up the Fall '06 Interweave Knits and some lovely laceweight Merino.





In addition to being my first real lace knitting, this is also the first time I am trying to knit using only a chart. Typically I would translate the chart line by line...

So far so good.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

I [heart] comic sans.....not


Stopped by MacWorld for an hour today as evidenced by these photos.


However, immediately upon entering the floor I was immediately overcome with both nausea and horror when I realized that the superhuge banners hanging over EVERY area of the conference used Comic Sans.

This font has caused me more pain as a designer than any other font in existence. I was secretly hoping that I'd snap a pic and go home to match the type and discover that they had used Chalkboard or another "kids" type font.

But, alas, some designer out there used Comic Sans. Even worse? Some art director probably signed off on it. Or maybe a new executive...

"Welcome to the company, Bob. We need your approval on these banners ASAP."

An open rant to whomever is the boss of the person who approved the use of Comic Sans for MacWorld -- fire them! They do not have an eye for design, and have no ability to understand the audience.

I would expect this kind of schlockery at almost any other lame computer conference, but not MacWorld.

Apple, this affects your brand. Last I heard, you weren't Comic Sans--it's just so PC.

Seriously, I couldn't stay more than an hour--everywhere I looked this font was mocking me. I was telling a friend about via phone, and when we met up a bit later she handed me this gem:


I think I need some temporary tattoo paper for an inkjet printer! Anybody know where to score some.

Side note: the iPhone was gorgeous! Some day I might get one despite the Comic Sans...or maybe not...

Monday, January 08, 2007

Knit-spiration

Still working on the man scarf and hoping to make a dent in the second ball tonight (three balls total...I swear this might as well be laceweight yarn as long as it's taking me...). In the meantime, I have been searching for a quick, inspiring knit.

I have been longing for adorable knit cupcakes ever since I first set eyes on the 2005 Anthropologie holiday catalog. And now, thanks to One Skein, and some lovely Etsy knit-spiration I am hoping to turn some leftover yarn into some awfully yummy little knits.









I'm hoping to finally put some random single skein novelty yarn buys to good, supercute use.

Friday, January 05, 2007

Ahhhhhhhh....knitting.....

Thursday evening was a welcome return to my regular knit night at Marin Fiber Arts. It felt simply wonderful to be back in the company of my fabulous fiber friends.







Warren was swatching up some possible sock yarn acquisitions, which were just gorgeous. The pink was my favorite, duh. Not simply because of its pervasive pinkness, but because it was an angora blend and thus was buttery soft as knitted fabric. So...yummy...

Now, I'd better get back to that man scarf, since my man is actually going to New York shortly and will need said scarf...unless global warming has really set in for good. In that case he'd better take a pair of swim trunks.

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

The Knitting Curse?

If you're familiar with knitting, then you are probably familiar with [insert drum roll here] the knitting curse.

The gist of this curse is that the second you knit something for your significant other, things go horribly awry and you end up spontaneously combusting...or at least the relationship does...

Now, this probably doesn't apply to married couples, but in theory it applies to both singles and live ins alike.


I have finally decided to tempt the fates by knitting what I am affectionately terming "the man scarf".


Detail of the stitch pattern (surprisingly simple pattern from LYS Marin Fiber Arts.)

It is being worked up in a deliciously yummy Blue Sky Alpaca yarn...so thin and delicate...

I only hope it's something a man can appreciate...