Knitting, Crocheting, and Cleaning. OH MY!

These past few weeks have been busy, y'all.
I haven't gotten as much crafting done as I would've liked, but I DO have two finished projects (and also a very clean bathroom- more on that later)!
I made the Tilson socks from my Yarnbox subscription. I've never made an afterthought heel before, and I'll admit that it is pretty frightening to cut my knitting. It feels WRONG, but I did it, and it's cute, so everything is alright.

I also crocheted an Amigurumi Elephant, and gave it some bright yellow eyes.

Now... If you are a bit of a clean freak (*raises hand and looks around*), these next few photos are probably going to bother you. My parents bought a farm on thirty acres 11 days ago, and the people who used to live there were hoarders who neglected absolutely everything. Because of that, my parents got a great deal on the property, but have an enormous mess to clean up. 

This is what the master bedroom looked like the day after they moved out. 

Fun Fact: there is an armadillo tail in the cream laundry basket [see picture below], and a rubber dragon in the master closet.

In the doorway to the left (where my mom is standing), there is a sitting area that is also filled with junk. The years of neglect show very plainly there, as you can see from the huge dirt spots on the walls and the cat litter sprinkled across the floor [picture below].

The sitting room next to the master bedroom has dirt spots all over the walls, although the one captured here is the most prominent.

If you thought those rooms looked awful, the bathrooms are worse. This is the floor of the master bathroom *hyperventilates*. I'm not even going to talk about the shower.

Yesterday, I spent about four hours cleaning one tub, one sink, and one toilet in the cleanest bathroom. Not floors, not walls, just those three things. I used strong and undiluted chemicals over every inch and then cleaned them each about three times over. Here's a nice comparison of what the outside of the tub looked like before and after I wiped it once. AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!

If you're not grossed out yet, here's a picture of the dining room in all its glory. 

Those are some majorly impressive cobwebs, aren't they?

 Moral of this post: Clean your house. FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS PURE AND HOLY, PLEASE CLEAN YOUR HOUSE.

There Are No UFOs

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: if needlecrafts were a form of cardio, I would be the most fit person alive... BECAUSE I HAVE GOT FOUR FINISHED PROJECTS!!!

I made another Winter Mouse, which is very snuggly and sweet-looking in his DK weight scarf.

Then, I made a baby dragon. This li'l dude had a billion different parts to sew together, but it was completely worth it.

And now my brother Caleb has some socks! The pattern was easy to memorize, which made them practically fly off of the needles.

Last, but not least, I finished a toddler sweater! In just four days! You may have noticed the tiny little sheep buttons on the button band. I got them from The Sated Sheep, my local yarn store, and I LOVE them. I really can't wait for it to be officially fall, because I want to see this worn!

The Octopus With Blue Eyes

Octopi (octopodes? octopusses? octopeople?) are generally known for their eight limbs, their slimy skin, and fabulous ink-making capabilities. Thankfully, amigurumi can't spray ink everywhere (note to self: MAKE THAT HAPPEN), although they are adorable.

This little octopus was originally not an amigurumi; it was more like a finger puppet. So, I added a couple of rounds to the body to close it up (as you can see on my project page). It's such a tiny little thing that it can fit in your palm!

Then, I made a seal, complete with a pink tutu (no outfit is complete without the addition of a tutu)!

Its whole body was made in pieces and then sewn together, which was a total of only seven pieces if I remember correctly (I've made an amigurumi with more than thirteen before, and that was a beast).