A Happy Little Doily

I've done it again. 

I have played Yarn Chicken... AND LOST.

This is why we weigh skeins of yarn to find out the yardage.

This is why we check gauge.

Remember that *cough* painfully pink *cough* doily I started on my birthday? Yeah, I messed up. Although it isn't as bad as I've made it sound- just as long as you don't know what pattern I used. }:-)

I was crocheting the last few rounds of this accursed doily when I realized that I definitely did not have enough thread to complete it, and by that time, I was already committed to the project. For a split second, I imagined unraveling the entire thing. The hours I had spent slouching over it in a corner when I should have been interacting socially would be meaningless; the days I spent looking at it and thinking, "I would very much like to burn this pink atrocity," would be wasted. No, I could certainly not dispose of the thing. I WAS going to finish it, and nothing as trivial as a mere lack of sufficient supplies could stop me.

So, I pulled a Bob Ross and made my happy little accident into a 3 pineapple-d doily rather than... whatever it was supposed to be that I'm not telling you about.

My, my. Doesn't that look intentional? ;)

HAPPY BELATED NEW YEAR

Hello, again, all of you lovely people! I'm writing this post quickly before I finish packing for my family trip to Belize. 

The end of 2016 was a very hectic period for me, and it consisted of  Christmas parties, Christmas itself, and birthdays galore. The New Year has been just the same with a New Year's Eve party (I sound like I'm a party animal, don't I? Well, I can assure you that I'm definitely not; I love sleep too much), my parent's wedding anniversary, and, yesterday, my 18th birthday.

I haven't been working on that many projects since my classes ended because I was feeling rather burnt-out, and my hands were aching from the constant repetitive motions. Still, despite being weary of creating things, I managed to knit my friend a Christmas hat- of which I don't have a picture, oddly enough.

On my birthday, I started making a bright pink doily for the same friend's birthday  present. It's from a free vintage pattern, and I'm excited to see how it turns out.

Sometime before Christmas, I started a Ginny Cardigan for myself, on which I have knitted about 3 1/2 inches. I really like the yarn that I chose for it, a Knit Picks' Tweed DK. It's soft, and I think that it'll be comfortable to wear.

Now that I'm nearly packed and ready for the trip tomorrow, I just hope that my hook and needles won't be confiscated as I board the boat to Central America. XD

Seriously, though.

TMD 2016

Hello, all you lovely people!

As most of you probably know, last weekend was the 33rd annual Texian Market Days in Richmond, Texas at the George Ranch Historical Park. Emily and I had a blast (even in those few moments when the crowd thinned and it got quiet enough for us to realize how little caffeine we had consumed that day ;P )!

The vendor in the booth next to us, Curt Locklear, is an author, and he plays the banjo and the guitar. Emily and I are occasionally musically inclined (read: we put our headphones in and have dance parties by ourselves because we're cool like that), so we sang a few songs with him. Despite being a bit nerve-wracking, it really was fun!

From the left: Mr. Locklear, a marvelously attractive hat rack, Katherine, and Emily.

Besides taking this picture, our sister Jennifer recorded a video of one of the songs we sang:Amazing Grace.

Just Monkeying Around

I craft in class. It's fact, and it's also a nice ice-breaker, because (so far) no one in my classes have any idea what I'm doing (NEITHER DO I).

Last week, one of my classmates asked me what kinds of animals I could make. I haven't yet encountered an animal that wasn't on the internet already, so I told him that I could make pretty much anything. He then asked me to make him a monkey, which I have now done.

I've got to tell you, it was immensely satisfying to see a full grown man light up over a stuffed animal.

You can get the free pattern here: Chinese New Year Monkey pattern by Stephanie Jessica Lau.

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).