Lovely little giveaway over …

… here at by gum, by golly!

You’ve got until Tuesday night to drop by and enter a drawing for this lovely sack by Tasha’s Mom:

You can check out her Etsy store here.

Things that Inspire Me Today

justPictures » a daily photoblog by Fran Simó

Genju’s lovely enso-filled, contemplative zen blog.
I always learn something here.

And finally, less inspiration and more just plain fun:  this etsy seller.

Am I Boring You? ;D [NaBloPoMo]

Yeah, thought I might be. ^_-

I have this perpetual urge to make little classifications and subdivisions to work I’m doing on the computer.  I like to make meta-indexes – you know, stratified, taxonified collections of links to information?  For instance, an index on Hawai’i (which I have), with a subpage on Maui, with a subpage on – oh, I dunno – small local businesses, with a subpage on cafés possibly with subpages arranged by town or region.  I don’t know if it’s OCD or just being the daughter of a librarian, but gathering in huge amounts of information and then creating a cross-referenced index out of it is just my cup of tea.  I’m good at it.

Anyway, I’ve had this tendency to want to do the same with blogging.  I’ll not share how many blogs I have, but it’s a small slew, all by category of interest.  One of them does pretty well for itself, but I’m not ready to share it here, methinks.  However, I think the rest of them are perhaps not robust enough because I keep trying to hive out little chunks of thought streams.

SO – to that end, I think that, excepting topics that go better on that one blog I mentioned, I’m going to broaden the focus of UnRavelations and let it be my general blog for the moment.  However, I’m still very much in a crafty state of mind, so there will still be plenty of *that.*  I just plan on this being a more well-rounded journal.

I need to bounce – almost time to pick up the little dudes from school – but I thought I’d leave you with one of the better costume ideas I saw this Halloween:

 

The two boys dressed up here said they were bushes.  And what looks like Spanish moss there is actually all yarn.  Looks a bit like ghillie suits, but not quite, at least not to me.  In any case, I thought they were fab!

Little Update

Just a quickie – swamped by RL, as usual:

• I’ve been teaching myself granny squares.  I’ve read here and there on the ‘net that they’re addictive – and I can certainly attest to that.  Currently, I’m trying to destash old yarn picked up from Goodwill way back, plus odds and ends left-overs, so I’m making squares for a pastel throw.  I’m using the instructions from the Klutz Crochet book, and the squares are turning out to be roughly five inches a side.  I’m gathering this is a more unusual size?  The book uses them for a scarf, so perhaps? Anyhoo – hopefully soon I can take pics of the pile I’ve made so far – I have about 20.  I need a lot more! XD  In the mean time, blog entries like this and this are inspiring me, ‘tho I wonder if my skills would do such blankets justice at this point….
• Via twitter, a confidence-boosting look at substituting yarn in patterns.  Pretty straightforward info, but some good reminders here.  This is something I think about a lot, especially as a vegan.  Wonder how many knitting and crochet vegan pattern designers there are out there….
• On that note, right now golden bird knits has a giveaway for a really interesting yarn:  Ruca by Araucania.  It’s made with 100% sugarcane.  It looks like really interesting stuff.  Elsewhere on the web I found this description: “Araucania Ruca Multi is an interesting new fiber made from sugar cane! It has an absolutely lustrous sheen and is incredibly soft. It is reminiscent of silk. The colors are gorgeous, and Araucania Ruca Multi would be perfect for socks or an absolutely stunning shawl.”  I’ve got my fingers crossed on this one, but regardless – I’ll be considering picking some of this up.  Anyone else have experience with it?
• A couple of charity crochet/knit projects:  Warm Up America! and Knit Your Bit – Knitting for Veterans.  Check ‘em out!

That’s it for me for now – hope you’re having a fantastic day and the rest of it goes even better!!!!!  ^_^

Giveaway Over at Simplified Bee

Over at Simplified Bee (boy is *that* something I need to be!), Cristin is celebrating her 100th post with a drawing for a $25 gift certificate to one of several different craft stores.  Head on over to this blog entry for more info.

Whoops

Haha – long time no blog! I guess I have a lot of irons in the fire at the moment! I’m trying to get organized, but it’s really an uphill struggle, especially on a ridiculously tight budget with too little space. (Five of us in a house with inadequate storage. )

Anyhoo – I’m looking to re-stoke my personal creative fires.

I’ve started a twitter feed specific to creative endeavors (crafts, quilting, cooking, etc.).  Mostly that means a whole bunch of folks I’m following — I’m hoping to absorb inspiration osmotically.

I’m also sifting through the blogosphere. Via the The Quilted Librarian‘s blogroll, I’ve found a whole bunch of new goodies, blog-wise.  I’m especially grateful to have found Attic24 – not only is her blog lovely and fun to read, but Ms. Lucy’s blogroll is also full of yummy goodness!  I have so much juicy new stuff to read and follow!  Hurray!

The happily expecting Ms. Lucy would like you to see the lovely ripple baby blanket she has just finished making! ^_-

The Quilted Librarian

If you’ve yet to visit there, Dana Warner Fisher’s blog, The Quilted Librarian, is amazing.  The quilts she creates are gobsmackingly cool – dense with color and concept.  And her writing is really great, too. ^_^  Please consider a visit!

I Think I’m in Love…. ^_^

Via the Persnickety Knitter, I found this lovely guy.  Wow!  Not that I have any hope of something that glorious any time soon, but a gal can dream, yes?  ^_^  Anyway, hope P.K. doesn’t mind me borrowing the picture – what a lovely image and what great inspiration!!

• The pattern is actually part of a kit – the Alligator Scarf KnitKit from Morehouse Farm.

Droolicious Knitting Blog

Lovely Photo of Sakura Shamelessly Lifted from Astroknits to Prove my Point XD

Found a new one tonight – astroknits – lovely stuff – she takes wonderful photos and does lovely work.  XD  Plus ya can’t beat the fact that she’s working on her Ph.D. in astronomy. Woot. ^_^

Telling a Good Yarn, and a Tiny Project

Howdy, y’all – hope this finds you well.  It’s lovely here – very temperate.

So, I finally got back in the swing of doing a little crochet – doing a very simple project, as I’m such an abject beginner.  I’m making a thin little scarf, not measuring or anything.  Gonna give it to youngest son, as the blue of the yarn will match his lovely blue eyes. ^_^  I’m using this pattern from Adventures in Crochet as inspiration – kinda obsessed with moss stitch right now….  Not gonna take pics right now – I’m sure they’d be horrifying, lol – I keep having to start and stop my work, then there’s just the fact that this me attempting to crochet, haha!  ^_-

Speaking of ha-ha’s – I’ve been having fun exploring the blogosphere of late – via Flying Pig Knits, which I love to visit, I found The adventures of Gladys and Harold Quimby, which I’m absolutely adoring – her latest two posts (3/7 and 3/6) had me in stitches.  (No pun intended! o.0)