H'm

*pokes blog w/ intercomputal knitting needle*

Nope not dead yet!

Having beat the better part of the hot hot heat last weekend, I am currently freezing my tits off. Crazy east bay weather. I must admit though this morning's sunrise was a bit sublime from all the local fires. The days are now Hazey and smell like a camp fire.

Sorry for being so quietly lately, it's just been that I still haven't been doing much of anything for quite some while. Last night I did pick up the needles and worked a few rows on the giant log cabin border. This is the third of four, so it's so close but just such slow going. I really love this thing, and don't want to see it out of our house, but it must go. It would be totally rude of me to keep it for our house. Besides I still have more Noro dying to be knit up. It really just isn't knitting season, it's summer! I should be sewing skirts and schtuff. But honestly I'm afraid I don't know how to sew that well, and I'll just futz everything all up. And there's also the fact that I don't have a sewing table, and my cutting table lives behind the couch and is just an old heavy table top with missing legs. So silly. But here I go again making excuses, so I shall stop.

Coming up in July are 2 hat making classes at the Berkeley Museum of Lace and Textiles, Lacis. I believe I may just take both of the classes, each offering different hats to make. They're all day courses, 10-5. Again, I'm rather eager to learn some new techniques, I've been dying to make little straw braid hats in the Victorian and Edwardian Fashion. How cute would that be, and useful if I'm ever to have a hat booth at one of the local Renaissance/Dickens Faires.

Perhaps I should finish updating the load of hats I have lying about. There are still a few I have yet to show. And then perhaps an Etsy. We'll see.

On an odd note all my Love in a Mist seems to be missing. I know I planted tons of seeds, but I have yet to see head nor hide of a one of them, out of some 500 seeds you would think something would have popped up now.

Anon til another days meeting.

When There's Nothing to Say

What does one say when there really isn't much going on...
I suppose a recap on Valhalla would do, but it was rather disappointing. The gal I was hoping to meet up with was absent, as were her lovely corsets. The rest of the vendors left quite a bit to be desired, and there were no Gyros. All in all I'd give this faire about a 6 on the 10 star system. I did pick up a new mug since the husbeast, the cooler, and my old one had a run in with the ground, with an unfortunate ending. Thank goodness the mugs are cheap and handmade.
The best part of Faire may have been the compliments on my wee hats throughout the day. It literally seemed like every 5 minutes someone was remarking on their lovely nature. Which admittedly does a great good to a girl's ego. But now I have 5 mini mini toppers, and well they need to move out of my house and into other person's houses. So I'll see what I can do to rectify that particular dilemma.
On the knitting front, there has been a stunning minimal bit. I think this is where I pipe in with Summer knitting blues. Not that grey skies seem all that blue, but last week it was warm...
Well ta' for now, til I can find something interesting to share.

Ohhh...Butterflies

The anticipation is just welling in me for this weekend. I couldn't sleep this morning, so I woke about an hour early, and finished the latest mini mini topper. Again another purple one, this is the fourth, but possibly the best of it's color. The first two were just hideous. The third, scary Nazi like, and this one is just right.
The lists are endless, I still have to do a little shopping for the things we didn't get, and pack, and wash clothes, and find all the camping gear, and ......
Yeah Faire!

It's June

Valhalla Ren Faire is into it's second weekend coming up here, oh I just can't wait. I love all the planning and the talking about it, and the packing. Tonight the old roomy heads over to do my brakes, and spark plugs, and change the oil in my truck ~ a little thanks for watching his dog for 2 weeks. And he's bringing his girlfriend by so I can help her on her garb. It's her first time ever to Faire, and I'm real eager to see what she has, evidently there may be some traditional Brazilian dress there, yes, she's Brazilian and a real sweet heart. Also coming out to Faire is my LA actress friend, Charity, arriving in style with a new beau, and another friend has invited our other 2 friends who are newbies also. It's going to be a wild time.
On my way up, I'm actually detouring rather far south to hit up the 50% sale at Knitting Arts in Saratoga. A bit out of the way, but WTF, 50% going out of business. Choice, I need some heavy worsted weight yarn for a cute tam by Ysolda. I have no idea how long this is going to take me since I have to go through San Jose or some god forsaken section of the Silicon Valley in the morning commute hours without a second passenger. The husbeast (yes the beard is already on a comeback!) has declared that now he wants to ride his motorcycle up, again. I can't blame him, riding in Tahoe is one of the best scenic rides, and a little tricky (on the roads he takes).
I'm still rather stoked the husbeast said he'd come this year, and even go into Faire, he hates Faire. How does any man hate so many free range boobies, I don't get it. Whateva.
We spent this weekend literally hopping from one BBQ to another, 3, yes one every night. It's not even like the weather was that great! But good food, and great company was had by all in every circumstance.
The Log Cabin blanket progresses as quickly as that many stitches on a border can. I'm about to cast off on the second of the 2 smaller bordered sides, and then I'll be picking up stitches for the first of the 2 larger borders. I thought it would help designate a top bottom orientation to have 2 opposing sides bigger. The husbeast loves it and says "mine" like a little boy, totally cute, but he'll have to wait for our own family blankey. Next to see if it can even pass some sort of easy washing stage, I highly doubt it since it's Noro and Cascade, like the 2 most feltables out there. I'll make a test swatch of them and give then a whirl soon. I think I'll bring the blanket with me to Valhalla to work on it. I really want to get it done by next week.
Aren't goals lovely.
Speaking of goals, I secretly made a goal with myself to have 5 mini mini top hats done for Valhalla, and I believe I will. I'm working on another purple topper. I also have two other mini topper's to bring for good measure. Even then I couldn't even fashion all the ladies in the Faire party with toppers if I wanted to, there's going to be 8 of us. I believe there should be 13 or 14 of us in total. Wow I still can't believe so many people are going. What dorks we all are. Lord I still don't even know how to bring all the hats into faire, at least they each have a hat box so they'll be safe. Ah we'll see. I think a mini mini top hat will be a great accoutrement for my Rom (Romany/gypsy) character. Mini Toppers aren't exactly period, but fine chapeau's were period of upper class women, and me wearing one is well enough explained by my character's gypsy *tendencies*. Oh and the sun hat for later in the day is a gas, made out of hemp and all swooshy dooshy to boot, with a wide, airy brim.
Ahhhh the dreams of Faire, how sweet the air becomes, how rausous and at home it shall be.
Cheers anon.