Friday, December 28, 2007

wired magazine


picks it's top ten illustrations for 2007




Mario Hugo's beautiful use of contrast harks back to '50s and '60s art direction. The splash page is an open art piece, a pause between the front of the book and the story well.
Illustration: Mario Hugo
(i don't agree with all of them, but most are spot on!)

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

merry christmas
































i collect ornaments. i love ornaments. here are some of them. lots are blown glass and wonderfully tacky - take for example the christmas mermaid (you can't see her tail from the angle but she's the pink and green one)! i had a blue space man that was my favorite but he's not on the tree this year (my sister decorated and i didn't feel like going to find him). the one with the carrot and moon also has the little bell in the picture. that bell ornament is as old as i am. it's beat up but it's special. my grinch (glass) and my ostrich and my purple moon pictures didn't come out. perhaps next year.
anyway, please have a merry christmas, joyous holiday season and safe and prosperous upcoming new year



Sunday, December 16, 2007

ok, i don't know ANYONE


who wouldn't want to knit up a mr t OR bruce lee OR the queen of england doll. do you?



Thursday, December 13, 2007

i love this (crafty) blog













she has knitting and sewing and cooking and crafting and of course ceasar and napoleon






Thursday, November 29, 2007

i LOVE this site














they have a wicked cool interactive on-line afghan pattern generator (which doesn't seem to work this morning. hope it's just a glitch. looks like you can d/l it though to your computer)








more math and knitting and all sorts of other cool stuff. i got a book and several patterns. haven't started on 'em yet. knitting away for my department's christmas gifts (34 scarves and neck warmers. they have to be easy and fairly fast to knit up. although i HAVE been slacking off. last year they all got hats)












curve of pursuit afghan-wooly thoughts




dragon curve scarf - wooly thoughts




my hats

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

how to craft a






felt hat using store bought felt (not felt you've made - from your knitting or crocheting or needle felted)






and some other cool felt hats and stuff



Wednesday, November 21, 2007

upcoming december holidays (i wanted to get an early start)

december 2007 (courtesy of holiday insights via (one of my FAVORITES bifurcated rivets)

Month:
Bingo Month
Write a Friend Month
Each Day:
1 World Aids Awareness Day
2 Eat a Red Apple Day
2 National Pie Day
3 National Roof over Your Head Day
3 National Fritters Day
4 Santas' List Day - we hope you are on the "Good" list
4 Wear Brown Shoes Day
5 Bathtub Party Day
5 Repeal Day - The 21st Amendment ends Prohibition. I'll drink to that!
6 St. Nicholas Day
6 Mitten Tree Day
6 Put on your own Shoes Day
7 International Civil Aviation Day
7 Letter Writing Day
7 Pearl Harbor Day
7 National Cotton Candy Day
8 National Brownie Day
8 Take it in the Ear Day
9 Christmas Card Day
9 International Children's Day - Second Sunday in December
9 National Pastry Day
10 Human Rights Day
11 National Noodle Ring Day
12 National Ding-a-Ling Day
12 Poinsettia Day
13 Ice Cream Day
13 Violin Day
14 National Bouillabaisse Day
15 Bill of Rights Day
15 National Lemon Cupcake Day
16 National Chocolate Covered Anything Day
17 National Maple Syrup Day
18 Bake Cookies Day
18 National Roast Suckling Pig Day
19 Look for an Evergreen Day
19 Oatmeal Muffin Day
20 Eid-Ul-Adha - date varies
21 Forefather's Day
20 Go Caroling Day
21 Humbug Day
21 National Flashlight Day
21 Look on the Bright Side Day
22 National Date Nut Bread Day - or September 8!?
23 Roots Day
24 National Egg Nog Day
25 Christmas Day
25 National Pumpkin Pie Day for recipes see Pumpkin Nook 's Cookbook
26 Boxing Day
27 Make Cut Out Snowflakes Day
27 National Fruitcake Day
28 Card Playing Day
28 National Chocolate Day
29 Pepper Pot Day
30 National Bicarbonate of Soda Day
31 Make Up Your Mind Day
31 New Year's Eve
31 Unlucky Day

Monday, November 19, 2007

website of the day




check out fuldesign for some REALLY different patterns (like this one)


it's in swedish (i think) but the patterns TRANSLATE my peeps!

Saturday, November 17, 2007

i bought this yesterday

and can't WAIT for it to arrive

it's called purple snowbride and it's from luxe's shop on etsy

i can't WAIT to get it! check out her other hand spun yarns (and she has a few hand knit items up as well).

Thursday, November 15, 2007

strange dolls










one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE doll sites. i think beth robinson's work is simply AMAZING
(her ravens are my favorite. she has some KICK ASS spiders out there right now too. please check her out)

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

knit your bit


for veterans. all scarves DO go to veterans



(directions for the scarf at the link. also directions for crochet)

Monday, November 5, 2007

knitting and crocheting - to make YOU feel good

(and to make someone ELSE feel good as well)

my dia de los muertos skull-by jean











it's crocheted, felted and embroidered. the pictures don't do it justice (it's stuffed with my fuzzy blue sock in one of the pictures). it is SOOOOOOOOOOOO wicked cool. thanks jean!








Friday, October 26, 2007

stamps

the postal service is offering a set of winter stamps featuring KNITTING! way cool, huh




For the 2007 holiday season, the U.S. Postal Service will issue Holiday Knits, four stamps featuring classic Christmas-time imagery designed and machine knitted by nationally known illustrator Nancy Stahl: Thereýs a dignified stag; a snow-dappled evergreen tree; a perky snowman sporting a top hat; and a whimsical teddy bear.

Friday, October 19, 2007

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm PASTA (with special sauce)




this was inspired by mark bittman (the minimalist)








i made a few changes based on MY likes and of course what i had on hand. if you make this in the summer you can use FRESH tomatoes of course




1 large can of tomatoes (whatever. they can be chopped or whole or whatever YOU like)


1 box of pomi tomatoes


1 T of balsamic vinegar


onion (I used a vidalia. chopped. however much YOU like)


1 large sweet potato shredded


1 cup of dried mushrooms and a few sun dried tomatoes (whatever. i used black trumpet, oyster, porcini and morels. OR you can use fresh if you have them. i didn't happen to. my sun dried tomatoes do NOT come packed in oil. they are in fact, just dry)


Olive Oil


herbs and spices dried or fresh (i used basil, sea salt, a few flakes of hot red pepper, just a TAD of freshly grated nutmeg, oregano)


a bay leaf or two


1 T of sugar (optional. use it if your tomatoes aren't sweet)


pasta of your choice




rinse off dried mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes. pour boiling water over them and let sit 20 minutes or so. in a bit of olive oil, saute chopped or diced or minced onion for a couple of minutes. toss in the shredded sweet potato and saute (stirring constantly so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot) a couple of minutes more. add the tomatoes and vinegar and stir. then add the bay leaves and herbs and spices. put mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes in with a bit of their liquid. (save the rest of the liquid. as your sauce cooks down, if it's too thick for you add more mushroom liquid). turn heat down and simmer anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, stirring on occasion.

cook pasta and top with sauce! there you have it AND VEGAN TOO