Nearing the end of Mayhem

How about a few little pictures in the meantime! Finally.
Well, let's just hold off on those log cabin shots, the pict uploader is being a booger. Yeah... ok.
So instead, here we have a few of the latest mini toppers, this is the burnt crimson mini mini topper, with a pink and black silk band, ace of spade button on top of an iridescent button. An alternate view can be seen in the side bar.
Recently I met up with the young man who started all this back last Halloween downtown, the one with the mohawk, well I'm still waiting to exchange him hat for painting, and seems like we're still on for that. This next pict is the backside of the hat I initially made for him. Unfortunately it's a bit top (hhah) heavy, so I'm going to be constructing a mini mini topper, but maybe a little different for him here in the next week or so. This one came out a little 1940's German like, but it's fun set off with silk and bead ribbon as a band, and a little dead phicous (sp?) from my house tree. Heh, I say get it where you can. Lastly but not least of all is one of my fav's from the latest batch of mini mini toppers. This fabric was an impulse purchase for $1 from a local thrift store when I was working on a knitted wall for the Devil on All Sides. I feel as it just screams Rom, or hobo, or carpet bagger, what ever you may call someone on the outskirts of society dabbling in a little of the what not. It's super fun to wear and gives just the most striking of profiles. I've been wearing it without the peacock feather but with the little bit of twig that protrudes 8 inches through the air hidden behind the feather in this pict. The mushrooms hail from Small Stump etsy, I refuse to link to their yummy goodness lest all my lovely cotton mushrooms are stolen from out from under me... lied, they're all gone, now my little mushies are all that more precious. I must go weep now. Never mind, I lurv google. Well then, off I must be, it's getting late.
Welcome back to a glorious Monday, presumably since it's still Sunday as I write.

Almost forgot the title...

Let's begin this by saying it's Girl Scout cookie time, now go support your local troop. That's right freeze a box of thin mints and savor them throughout the year, to your hearts desire. I confess, I was a girl scout for 13 years. Little know fact, but true. That's where I first met my husbeast back when we were 17. Teaching Winter Awareness with his troop of Eagle Scouts at my old high school. how sweet... but onto the good stuff!
I've been busy and I've been sitting on my hands. It most certainly seems that I need an event or someone to focus my craft upon in order to do my craft. I find the same to be true on so many fronts in my life. It suppose it's my own way of having a little flame when I really need it.
This is a detail of the vintage Victorian button found at the stitches convention in the most lovely of lovely booths. The trim, ribbon, and button ladies! I miss them already, yet feel like I didn't get enough. I want more of these little darling buttons.
This miniature mad hatter has been delivered to it's new owner with much glee on both our parts. And just in time for the HoeDown this weekend. I was also rather lucky to finally find an appropriate hat box just perfectly suited for this to dwell in while not in use.
Speaking of the HoeDown, it was wonderful, and I was unbelievably under dressed! Me under dressed. All the ladies (ok a large handful) were dressed to the nines in bustles, long skirts, corsets and the whole works and the shoes! Hello Fluevog can I marry you. Just the kind of shoes I've been thinking of when it comes to that funny little gumdrop weird heel that looks like a melted Hershey's kiss. (I hear they have layaway) Even though a little odd at first, everyone is so sweet and weird that it really didn't matter. It's a party after all, right.

My next hat, which I adoringly refer to as Lemon Parfait was rather well gazed upon while perched on my merry made coif. (What else you gonna call all these red curls pinned higher than a Texas hookers ankles?)
Et la, c'est la Lemon Parfait I enjoy the silver with the lemon of the fabric, paired with the warm brown and pinks in the feathers, and the periwinkle of the thistle. I've never been a huge fan of yellow, but I just love this color scheme, especially for this time of year.
Not too sure where or why this happened, but I look upon the mushrooms and tea strainer as a happy accident. And look at that wonderful cutlery. Isn't it just to die for? The veiling on this hat is vintage, soft brown toole with little pink dots of adorablilty. Did you know that adorability could be packaged in such a small quantity? Well it can. The mushrooms are vintage cotton mushrooms from Small Stump, and I'm stoked I could finally use them in something. You may also note that aside from just a comb, an elastic band has been sewn on for added stability. I believe I could have actually danced in this hat, even as heavy as it is.

And the coup de gras, just for true morbidity my found horse skull wearing the little hatter. I really need to find better models. Seriously!
So there you have it, a little mini mad hatter update, Where in I am truly beginning to realize how redundant all this same fabric but in other colors must be, but I'm still in love with the richness and texture and the absolute lines that it creates that I'm not quite ready to move on yet. But soon, I'll go find something else.
Cheers till then. Happy whatever'ing.

A Letter

Dear Starpukes,

I believe you should know that your Ginger Chew cookies,

are well rather par under.

They're hard, and actually taste stale.

At times they even taste a bit like your chai tea,

which just to let you know is rather similar to the taste of soap.

There I've said it, and well if you could just make your ginger chews,

well more akin to their namesake I would certainly be content.

Thanks,

Bonnie Boheme

Enough said on that front. Oh and Peet's coffee, thanks for having squishy~soft, and filled w/ yummy ginger chews!

On the knitting front, I knit not a knot since Thursday, but instead I've very nearly finished the fabulous new little mad hatter in teal, it's been adorned but still needs some permanent staying ability.

Once I did that, I started a new yellow and silver hat for this weekend's hoedown! It's pretty cute, and not quite as Lemon Chiffon as I was hoping for, but it should work. That one's just about done. I was thinking of turning it into a bowler hat, but just couldn't find a good enough wooden knob to act as a hat block for me.

Speaking of hat blocks, guess what I found at Urban Ore in Berkeley on Sat, come on guess! Yep a nice rounded hat block in the exact hat size as my fat head, 23. Did I mention it's the shape I've wanted? It is!!!! I've very stoked as now I can make felt hats to my content. I even have some roving to start with, but first it needs a dye job. So cool though.

And I know I really shouldn't mention this so I'll write it very small:

the husbeast bought me a website in the cutest name for my birthday, which is at the end of the month. And he's the one that came up with the name and I reaallllly really adore it. Only problem is that he expects me to make it myself! The audacity. Me make a website. Oh, oh well.!!!!!

See I'm just really rather stoked. And yes I will keep all informed when it is out of construction.

Oh and this weekend I also weeded my ward, in preparation for seed planting, and my freesia are well into bloom, so yummy and pretty and Spring like.

Did I mention I love March? It's probably my favorite month, and not just because it's my birthday month.

Proof really is in the pudding

Redwood Highway, nearing Crescent City, Ca

We recently celebrated the husbeasts birthday (a little belated) with his family. They're uber cool people, real down to earth, and his mum is one of the most delightful cooks I know. So makes a fantastic Persimmon Pudding with a traditional English hard sauce. Just to die for. No really. Sometime I must share her recipe, but I have to make sure I can still find it! By the by the pudding is steamed for almost 2 hours, and it comes out thick and dark in color, not like Bill Cosby's crappy pudding.

So I know I talked all this talk about my fabulous and lovely millinery class that I had been going to, and have yet to procure any picts. Well there's a reason, see the hat I had created while the class was going on, as well as the 2 for the class, were in MHO just rubbish. Simply dooky on a stick. So I've been busy combining both the style I used to do with the wire frame and a bunch of yanking and pulling things tight, and the buckram framing that I was taught to incorporate under the fabric.
Wanna see just the buckram frame style alone, ok, brace yourself for it is hideous:
I told you, it's flat, and shapeless and looks like a form cut from a dye cast or something mass crap made. It's stiff and has no real motion. The construction isn't half bad, but honestly it should be either burned on the spot or better yet destroyed and reused. And please remember, "a passion for destruction is also a creative passion" ~old dude in the first movie Slacker (indie from the '90's)
So in between knitting the still unseen by all y'all log cabin squares, which I am currently on the seventh out of 9! I've been fusing my construction styles into something that is cohesive and readable, and much more me! And I believe I've had fabulous luck in my endeavors. And here we have it ladies and gents, the proof from the pudding:

Just click on the images to make them bigger by the by.
Here is the construction of the back:
It's so flat and has a straighter than normal seam that doesn't bulge or create an awkward shape! I'm flabbergasted that I've finally figured it out (well for now at least).
And here's a comparison shot: Do you see that difference, not only in height, but the depth and motion that the less used buckram framing has created. And the refined bias tape edging, which I will have you know that I made myself.
So I'm stoked, the new hat isn't quite finished since the cluttered picts, but I should have it done and off to it's new owner by next week. Just in time for the husbeasts company party, yes another! They're kooky people over there. This one is a hoedown in honor of their shed (a very large shed) being torn down. The company is currently constructing a new building and some more parking, and is just tickled pink to be growing. After all just a few years ago they were a small start up on a little island in the bay.
This morning I've been dreaming about turning this fabric into a cute little pair of bloomers, but I'm afraid to. I'm afraid to cut it, I'm afraid they won't be big enough, or that it would be better as a can-can skirt. Oh I just don't know. Just like I just don't know what the hell this fabric is! I was told by a friend years ago, but since have forgotten. Here's a hint, when it is washed and dried all those lines scrunch up into one bitch of a crinkle that takes a really long time to iron out. And I got it the oh so missed, Poppy Fabric in Oakland bask when I was still in Art School over there.
So there's most of all the proof, of the wonderfully fun things I've been up to.
If I finish the squares for the blanket soon, I shall show them all. As a hint I've been knitting them out of Noro Silk Garden in hoards of colors, but I believe I've already spilled that bean...
Cheers till then.

Boom, Boom, Boom

This week is going by as fast as my posts are!
Sadly though I realize with as fast as the week is flying by it only means that my dear old friend Damo will be flying back to his lovely family in China this Sunday... sigh. But he has made the promise that he shall be back to live here again come the summer, so I wait. See this man is my muse, and the one true artist that gets me to thinking about my art, and what I do with it. As long as he's been gone, I feel as though my inspiration has been seriously dimmed. Until he gets back though the husbeast has been given the job of helping to track down old friends of his in the industry to aid in the job arena. Hellooooo Pixar, got a live one here for ya, anyone there, Pixxxxxar?
(There is currently an old, black, London Taxi sitting outside my work window. It's so cute, I wish I had one.)

Now finally as promised, on with the wonderful details from the millinery class this last Sunday. And yes it is a 3 week class on held on Sundays, from 10-4 across the bay in the hills, about 45 minutes from us.
The teacher is Wayne Winchern, and has been in the hat making business I believe since the 80's. He has a few kooky one that's for certain. Everything taught so far has just been vastly informative. We started off by making the brim and and crown to a sailor hat, out of buckram. Now the hat itself is not what I would have chosen to make myself, but I'm trying to make it work. Maybe I'll make it red and ship it down to my actress friend in LA. This process though has been exactly what I needed information wise. Buckram is a very sturdy sized cotton with holes wide enough to stick a needle through. As a frame it works wonders, it can also be steamed a stretched into any shape desired, or wetted and blocked into a shape using pinning.
The buckram is then sewn together, a wire edge is added to the brim, and eventually piece by piece fabric is sewn onto the buckram. Turns out that my process for making hats is relatively the same, but not as refined nor finished. But now, now it will be. I really am stoked for this chance to grow beyond what I've been doing otherwise. That sailor hat is still in the works, ie fabric needs to be added, and it needs to all be sewn together, but that's this Sunday's class.
The second hat that we worked on was a straw hat. I know ewh straw, but it's not just a hokey straw hat. We had the option of using the floppy brim form or the bell form hat. I went with the floppy in a cool grey/blue shade (the only one there!). Those hats were then wetted and blocked on a hat block. This process requires a lot of pulling and some roping off of the hat to make sure it stays put. Mine evolved into a bit of an art form. Not too sure if it'll look good on the head, but on the form it's a free flowing tricorn of sorts that has lots of movement. I think of it as being a contemporary tricorn, which shall be embellished accordingly. I have a little wooden pirate ship that I've been waiting to use with just the right hat. That and a skeleton key with lots of trim, and some feathers, sounds fun, non! I believe this weekend we'll be sizing those formed hats and adorning them.
So that so far has been my millinery class experience, a fun one with a bunch of really cool women all enjoying the art together. I keep thinking that I should take my hat frame and steam the living hell out of it and pull it into a nontraditional form if it's still possible. I feel so wicked for not being able to stick with the teacher's original intentions, but come on! It's horrendous.
Cheers for now,
I'm currently on the third block for the log cabin blanket for my FIL. Still not sure how big I'll be making it. Somewhere between 6-12 blocks.
PS I forgot to mention that if you click on the picts below you can see larger images of us goof balls.
PPS I just realized that my one year blogaversary is coming up here in Feb. on the 11th! Ahh it's been a year already how cute is that.

Calorimetry Gone Wrong!

I believe I have found my muse, and the model du jour, oh Tyra! I have your next Top Model! Tyra! Why isn't she listening to me. Here you have the hubeast holding our beast, Haze my precious leetle pitbull. And yes he is all meat head.
This is the second calorimetry I knit since Thursday. The first one is destined for the head of my bff, but thus little ditty is for me. And it's so pretty, and it fits rather well.
Please note that the first one I made in Manos de Uruguay with 110 sts, not the 120 called for and less the # of short rows (still using 8's ~and getting gauge). That was too big for my fat head, so I made a second one in a lovely wool terra of the earth? I'm not sure but the spin of this is just delightful as it has this illusive purple in the color. I'll try to find the brand later maybe. Also note that for the second one I made I started with 96 stitches. WTF! It fits though, and I lurv it just in time for the latest cold temps and piercing winds. Too sad no snow :^(
Oh and the next hat is on it's way. Get this it's lemon chiffon. Oh so lemony... mmm lemon curd, lemon meringue.

A little more in depth

Here's that Venetian Mini Top Hat I've been talking about. You'll notice that it's the one with horizontal stripes as opposed to vertical. After being blocked out, it was just as boxy as I was hoping. The original version of the Venetian Topper was supposed to be in a square peg round hole format, but the lines wouldn't allow that to happen as they did in this version.
I've added the typical silver broach piece that I use to hold the feathers and flowers, and also a pair of silver leaf embellishments that I found out at Kiowa Rose in Fremont. (Very neat little Victorian bead shop~that oddly smelled of weed last time I went out there ;) Instead of the huge door impeding pheasant plume~I opted to stick that one in the husbeasts Top Hat (that was left at home due to interference w/ the mask)~and went instead for some premade feather bouquets. I think it was a little more feminine, but when I give this hat over to the boy I do believe I shall put that pheasant plume back in. Of course those weird little dried puff flowers are staying with me. They're just too cute. The band is a few yards of Tilli Thomas silk ribbon in two older colors. To help keep this hat in place I used an elastic headband that is hidden under the hair, and again a hair comb that by my dumb luck swings forward and backwards. Hopefully a benefit to the young man with the cute little mohawk.
Soooo that's the latest topper.
I knoooow I should so be showing you the picts of the cute ass capelet, but I only have that one. It's so not easy to take picts of myself even though I have a remote control and a tripod, but I just don't wanna!
Cheers, happy Christmas crafting.

2 dishes and a burnt mouth later

I'm feeling a bit clumsy lately. This morning I broke a bowl in the dishwasher and then proceeded to break a mug in the cupboard, yesterday morning I dropped the coffe grinder on the floor with the mornings beans (yet ground thankfully) and now I just burnt my mouth on my lunch. All this and I'm sickly. But I am not whining, I'm merely pointing out all these things.

Terribly sorry for not checking in sooner, as to regards to the Husbeasts company Venetian ball, it was a blast, and really lovely. If you happened to see me on the BART train, with my little capelet, and mini top hat, well that was me and the husbeast. He looked so cute in his tux with tails. Everyone kept complimenting him on his great hair, and prodded him that they would steal his ball cap off his head next time they saw him at work. Really no, they are some of the nicest weirdos ever. I blame it all on the island that the company has their office on. The same one where I work also with some of the oddest clients. The HR lady (yet another crazy lady) and I realized in the loo that her corset (she had made) and my hat were indeed the same fabric only in other colors. The only reason I didn't grab the same fabric is because I originally grabbed the fabric for the commissioned hat for the boy painter. So I mentioned that I could make her a matching miniature topper to her corset, and I may actually accept money for this one, but she'd supplying the fabric.

But enough of this babble, I know you really just stopped in for the picts, so without further delay:

I really prefer this one, very soft and subtle, and sweet.

The husbeast and I adorned for the Venetian Ball, ala my mum's camera:

These are the masks from Mitchell Walker, aka Peekaboo masks, I love them. I should grab a detailed pict of the mask the husbeast has on, it really is a marvel of craftsmanship.

And me in all the little things I made for the ball, my capelett, the elbow length mittletts, and the mini top hat. The broach is from Stitches West, ala Mississippi Mud? or is that a beer...I suppose it's just Mud, or such. Great glass things, and a wonderful price. I must get more this next year.

And at last a closeup of the Venetian topper in vertical lines with the accouterments. I do have some better picts, but I didn't put them on my USB mem stick, soooo I'll get around to those later.

That's it for now, all apologies as the computer screen is making my eyeballs go all wonky.

Cheers til later.

Sooo luxurious,

You may notice that it's Sunday, and there's a new post... it's true we have cable! and internet! and tv (woohoo). But it's great I've finally been able to update all the mini top hat's I've been doing, and can now properly post picts again. Wonders of wonders cease to amaze me. It truly is marvelous, this freedom, this this this thing that it is.
So finally true picts of the latest hatses me preciouses, there are a few in the sidebar, but a few extra are to follow. I'll keep them small, just so as not to stall anyone out too heinously.

From left to right you see is Amanda's hat that has made a new home over at the Button Box,
My All Hallow's Eve Topper as I portrayed a Marauding Crony to the High Minister of Silly Walks,
My Venetian Ball mini topper that shall be put to good use this weekend on the 8th,
and a loverly shot of the Hallow's topper w/ the Venetian Topper. Sooo cute.
A few details of each of the toppers ah you need not ask, for here they are:

And again here is the back to my first topper, the Green Fairy,
And the alternate fate for Amanda's hat, due to extraneous weight from the wire, beads, and skully,
And lastly a cute as a button silken flower.
Ta for now, the lamb is done and the taters are just about all done boiling.
Cheers
Ah well I'm back, dinner was fabulous, especially the purple mashed potatoes!
I know I've promised picts of the purseletts, that matches the Venetian Topper, but the sun has faded out of the sky, and I'm afraid they wouldn't come out so well. Next time though. Hmmm promises and more promises. How about a sky shot from back when there were a couple of fires converging on the Bay, one to the south of us, and one to the North of us. These weren't the LA fires, that's too far, but the other ones...

I got nothin'

So ironies of ironies, my bff emails me, yeh you know who you are, and she's all 'Everything alright' ~Since I've been so quiet lately. Just in case I was being too quiet, all is well. I'm still a little mopey but a lot of it has to do with the Allergy meds. It's either an allergy or the onset of a cold that just has me pooed! The ironic part of this is that she hasn't even written a word in like ever... but that's just my little jab from where I sit. Now if only I could remember where I left my little inter-spacial-dpn's to poke her with at her desk. Wouldn't that just be great. You could poke someone in the hand with a little knitting needle through your computer screen... oh just so you know I'm claiming the copyright on that little invention.

I've been busy. The kind of busy where I had house guests, moved the last motorcycle from the old roomies ! Woohoo. Oh and if you ever think it's a great idea to marry a man with 4 motorcycles, and none of them work; well um, yeah, at least mine still works. And then there's the finished capelett, which has been blocked and is beautiful. I also made a pair of elbow length mittletts, which I call the uber mitts, in the same yarn. As the hat is made just as yet not photographed, well I'm a slacker. Reason being is that I'm working on a matching purse (to the hat) and want to get it done and right before I shoot them all.
In other words I slack big time.
I must say that one of the highlights this weekend was Dickens Faire, over at the Cow Palace in the city. I always get lost going around and around and through the rooms. From the moment I got out of the car up until the last moment we were leaving, it seems as though I got nothing but compliments on the latest hat. Oh and have I mentioned that the pheasant plume on it was sooooo tall that it tends to bend in door frames! Seriously tall. I felt as though I couldn't move my poor head much under it though. I am rather glad it had a test run before the ball, as I found out that all the accoutrement made the topper a bit off. It needs a comb to better stay in the hair. And I experimented with loops of elastic instead of a head band, and well it needs a comb. I hate having to adjust the poor little bugger all day long. Aside from all the great booths and neat people I really like Dickens. Finding a proper dress for Dickens may prove to be difficult. What can I say, I'm just a Renn Faire reject! Oh and we accomplished our goal of finding and purchasing the most wonderous and most perfectous leather masks for the Ball. Mine is white and a bit feathery in design. The husbeast though, gah, gorgeous workmanship. I've been eyeing this proprietor's work for the better part of 10 years, and am proud to have a handmade mask from Peekaboo masks. Unfortunately the man doesn't have a web address, but he is always to be found at a Nor Cal Faire.
I promise to be back with picts. I'm just so tired and lazy, and making excuses. Soon though, soon.
I need to get going on a few more hats also, as I'm sure the young gentleman is looking for his, and well who knows who else out there requires a mini topper of my creation.
Cheers anon til then.

Is it my turn yet?

Ah the struggles for sanity. You know, the personal kind. The kind where you contemplate the benefits of a career and/or a family. Timing is a key element to this whole thing that revolves in my mind. The questions of timing are what keep me on my toes. When, how the hell do I ..., and to what. If I want a career in a particular field of art, just where the hell does one begin. Of course the right answer is with a portfolio. Well I'm working on that one slowly but surely. I need to have more deadlines, harsher critiques on myself, and eventually perhaps some classroom time to hone the particular techniques I lack.

I envision tables of dyed and felted fabrics, wool with silk, or even forms to shape the fabrics to... So much to be done but again it's time that seems to elude me and mock my efforts. It's times like these that I feel like *just a crafter*. Times like these that I prefer to be a creator, a maker, an artist in a world that needs designing. I want to be that eccentric, you know the older woman with the wild hair and curious outfits. I want to be the one that identifies something different in the world and marks it as something familiar and like-kind.

My husbeast is precious. He is strong for me, and he is rather giving for reasons I can't quite put into words. I feel as though he will be able to afford me the time and space needed to get these ideas out of my head and into the real world. He is patient with my Filbert-gibberty manners. He is precious and pushy when need be. If only he knew just how adored...

But here I am to bring you the latest news in my current millinery endeavors. This is la petite chapeau styled for the Venetian Ball coming up in December for the husbeasts outlandish software company. It is still as yet unblocked, and unstyled. But alas ze is sewn. I do swear that the hardest bit is the back seaming. I finally figured that if I angled the fabrics that I would get a straight seam. Still it took a bit of fidgeting and well it is just about spot on when it comes to the lines meeting up. But that's nothing a little stylization, and some ribbon would come in to benefit. I believe I trim this one in browns, so as best to match the dress. And I am still as yet undecided about what else to adorn it with. Perhaps some pheasant plumes and certainly some vintaged brass would be lovely. I like the way the the framed hat is horridly mad hatter like. Right now there's just some cardboard for rigidity. So we'll see how the final piece comes out in the end.

I still have all those little cotton mushrooms I need to put onto something. Or things I should say, as there are 50 to a package. Yoinks so many!

Tonight I may finally get my truck back from the body shop. Again this is where I shake an angry first at the stupid flock of turkeys!

And also I finally get to knit downtown. You should have seen me jonesin' last week, all just to knit in public.

Cheers and here's to a good nights sleep tonight *crosses fingers*

The proof is in the Pudding...

Mmmmm, pudding. Have I ever mentioned that I love Tapioca pudding. It's my absolute favorite. All those little bubbles of squishyness, yum.
But this really isn't about pudding is it now.
So what you see here is evidence of my knitting related injury. Yes it's true I have shoulder-itis. Ah so painful. But I have used 5 balls and am onto the 6th which is depleting faster and faster as this monster grows. It really is a quick knit.
But sadly last night I hurt so much from knitting on this the previous evening, that I had to pick up a needle and thread and begin on the hat for the ball. As evidenced by my horrible phone pict, yes these two items are relatively the same color. The hat, ahhhh how I love the fabric I found for it. It's just so wonderful and such a color that I find peaking out all over my house. At first this was to be vertical stripes that would find themselves coinciding on the brim, top, and the vertical part. But alas big, thick, chunky stripes don't like to converge in nice, pretty lines when they need to be sized down considerable from the top of the hat to the base. So sadly I cut another piece of precious fabric and placed the stripes horizontally, which really does work for me still. As you may see from the pict, I am at my stopping ground, as I had reached the back seam to la petite chapeau. They are always the most difficult to manipulate. But fantastically the sewing has gone rather quickly, as it's nearly finished from one nights work. I would estimate that a hat may truly take 3 nights to construct. Damn this day job!
And soon my loverlies I may have real picts to show again. The husbeast had a wonderful epiphany the other evening when I was whining to him how he's rather ruined my computer (he did warn me not to move it into the home with him...) and he realized that he had a computer program that I could take to work with me and use it also on my home computer. It's called Gimpshop ToGo. And it's a free plug in that doesn't require any software to be installed onto one's work computer. When I'm done with the pict I'm working on, I just save it to the little card-thingy, and go home, viola, c'est fin! So this GIMP program is just like Photoshop, but not as easy to navigate, but it's free so if you can't afford the $$$$ for photoshop, or don't have a hacker friend (hey wait I married one!...) then you can use this great program. There are help books out there to give aid when using the program also. I believe the link provided may give anyone interested enough info...but if not don't ask me, I just do what the husbeast demands. (Well, he doesn't really give me a choice now does he when it comes to actually buying software, now does he.)

Knee Deep in Hemlock

and when I say knee deep, I mean knee deep in some major surgery. See I was getting into a groove last night while watching that horrid Superman Returns movie (yeh still no cable~still cool by me though) when I looked at the last set of stitches before a new row and realized that 15 stitches is no where near the 36 that all the other set had. So a plan was devised and instead of putting it off for tonight, I ripped, and I ripped and now there's 24 rows that need some attention.

Those are them on the holder, I practically had to rip back to the beginning of Jared's pattern for the feather and fan section. Turns out that I was off by 1 stitch somewhere after the first repeat. Yes that 1 stitch turned into 24 rows of reknitting. I must admit though that I'm kind of stoked that after these 7 years of knitting that I am confident enough to be able to fix such an erroneous mistake without ripping the entire thing to the frog pond, not like I had to last Thursday. That's right I've really been working on this since Friday morning while our leaky pipe was being fixed.

Now onto figuring out how to get to work on Friday. The only day of the week the husbeast and I don't carpool since I work at 1 in the afternoon, and he doesn't. Turns out my truck won't be done until Friday morning, I decided to get the dent on my hood fixed since there are no turkey's in our new neighborhood. Yep that's right Turkey's damaged my hood with a pecked dent about 1/4" deep, and numerous scratches otherwise! Not quite as bad as the husbeasts though.

So in other news, while waiting for the husbeast last night, I made my way to Beverly's crafts and picked up some consolation fabric, it's kinda cool but still not what I need for the next hat, this is just for something in the mean time.

2 beers and a Commission later

Last night was cute enough, we ended up going downtown briefly. But it was great because I got to see one of our long lost friends who has been hiding out in the Portland area for almost a year now. Welcome back Jordan. If only I were 7 years younger, and if only I weren't married. But he's just the sweetest little punk rock kid you've ever met. Big heart, deep scary voice!
How's bout's some gossip! Yeay, well turns out that the roomy finally found a lady friend at the huge All Hallow's Eve bash we missed while at my brothers, and she's a long time friend, and the best bud to his youngest brothers girlfriend. I've only been trying to hook them up since last Tahoe Renn Faire, what was that, May? Jeesh, at least they made the effort themselves! Woohoo congrats old roomy! (there goes 5 years of celebacy out the door.!)
And last but not least, because I was wearing my latest hat last night, that I have yet to show in completed detail, well I got another commission. And this time it's from a BOY of all people! How rad is that. He was sporting one of those mini-mohawks and big brassy sunglasses, and a horridable English accent ~we got on famously! So the commission is to be grey and purple stripes, and I'm thinking it should sport a long pheasant plume. It'll be so cute. I can't wait. Oh and get this, I had him try on my hat to make sure it would stay with the clips and elastic, and it was no problem. I love it! Now I get to barter for a very rad painting by a wonderfully talented young man! Woo hoo.
Yeah kindda excited to do another hat.
Not that I don't have another one already lined up for the husbeasts company Winter Venetian Ball in December. I'm thinking of doing mushrooms. You'll see, uber cute.

Tonight is the Beer Bitch Meetup, but before that we go to look for a washer and dryer. Eh ghads I can't wait...all my stockings are getting rather ripe.
Cheers for now. On the needles a bit of frogging on the Hemlock Ring blanket.

This is Halloween, This is Halloween!!!!

Halloween!
Halloween!

And tonight, muhhhauha we dine out. And we avoid the candy grubby children who's parents only clue these poor creatures in on the insignificant aspects to the season, dressing in plastic costumery! Magh, plastic makes me melt, do you see me here, I'm melting! from all the plastics, and ill costumery.
I've come to speak of the lastest hat, yes the one I could not, and frankly would not speak of lest it's new owner catch on to what I was up to. Sadly I have no decent picts as they are still in the body of the nice camera, and we still have no working cable at the home. Sooo instead I shall point you over to Amanda Button, where you can oogle and ogle this cute as a Button Mad Madame d' Le Strange!
Go ahead, take a minute. I'll wait while you go and check out her new digs.

Back so soon, are you, well wasn't it fabulous. And rather adorable how well she took to the little creepy and insanely delightful mini topper. A better home I cound not ask for than the wonderful Amanda. And she was so patient even though it was late for the very improtant date. (I swear they are the perfect All Hallow's Eve accoutrement. )

The story of the hat actually dates back to last year's 30th Birthday bash that was held for our old roomy. Living up on top of the deserted hill, having all but one set of neighbors (weirdo's!), and a plethora of beer loving free-loading friends (up to 150 people stopped in!). We decked the halls in blackened gauze, and made an archway to the foodie table where the likes of jellied hands, and brain foods toppled the table. The coup de gras being the bleeding heart in actual molded shape filled with a blood red oozy bag that subsequently found its way onto Jesse the Ventura aka a bodybuilder, and then onto the floors, the walls, outside, and many an unsuspecting guest! Oh the horror. Since then I have been banned from making anything that involves red food coloring :( But fear not I am ok with that for now.

So the moral of this story is that because I wanted to be the Green Fairy (ala Absinthe) I needed an appropriate mini top hat. And During the same time, good ol' Lady Linoleum had just made one!, and gasp to my horror out of crochet. Ah poo. I despise crocheting, I just have better things to do with my time, no offense to my loverly crotcheting fiends! But it's true. So since I would be constructing a 3 foot tongue that sat inside of the fireplace on it's rack, out of paper mache, paint and a bunch of shicken waer (yes punny!) I decided that I should apply some of my textile construction knowledge to making said tiny green mini topper.
If you will imagine with me know, out came the scissors, some fabulous green gauze (bye old curtain) some small gauge wire, and the only thing I could entertain to keep it stiff enough to make it wearable, some glue and varnish. Go painting skills, go!
And off I was like a mad woman assembling this little tiny hat, learning the ins and outs of tiny hat construction. And enjoying every minute of the process, and remembering fondly my days in Art School.
When I had finished I had the cutest and wonkiest little thing I'd ever seen, but pyling my hair up and under it was rather satisfying. And born was a new hobby. And new craft, and something that is rather difficult to find in the real world.
Granted I've found these things at the Renn Faire, and also Dickens Faire, but of course that's by the same lady, and also her's are not hand made, they're made by a form and shipped to her from an outside source.
So all in all, I'm rather pleased that I've stumbled upon something that I can create, concoct and conceive (notice the new 3 c's of being a woman!) something of my own hand and craft.
Don't get me wrong fellow bloglandians, I still knit, and rather viciously lately as the winter comes to set upon us, I just don't have the picture capabilities to prove as much (unless you realllly like my phone picts). I've also come to appreciate the fact that I prefer to speak about an art that I can sculpt on my own, unlike telling the tales and woes of a knitted piece that I haven't even put the effort into the design of. It's like I'm being a copy cat, or a bad imitation to a good thing, where here and now I can tell the tales of MY latest creations. So please don't hate me for straying every here and there into a craft that you may not fancy, or grasp the concept of. Please be patient while I test these new waters of craft-dom, and know that I still knit, and I am still the rightful heir to the Gypsy Junk knits name. (shhshh I haven't been thinking drafting a new header that reads Gypsy Junk Handmaids shhshhh)
Ta and Happy Sam Haining or All Hallow's Eving, or Trick or Treating!

I spy with my little eye,

with my little eye,

a piece of candy

faintly rolling on the ground

as if in a whim

it's smells of old men,

and cherry pipe tobacco.

It has the fondness of a far off land

and I am certain it's now in my hand.

what a treasure,

what a delight,

what a sight.

It's Kauni.

So being a couple of weeks or so ago, my mum had the audacity to order the coveted Kauni yarn from a company in Denmark, and she was sweet enough to think of me.n the mail it came today, it's so colorful, want to take a peak. It's okay too.

isn't it just perdy.... and tiny, and like fingering weight! Oh my how am I supposed to knit with such tiny yarn? I might as well be making socks (something I don't really do.) Oh well it's soo loverly though.

On another note, know how I mentioned the swap-a-doodle I'm doing w/ a mystery blogger, well I suppose I should email her and ask her for her address, for her pressie, she is finito! And I so need to ship her off, hopefully in time for this weekend's festivities. And once it's in her hands, well then I will post details. And I'm so stoked because as I was placing the coup De grace last night, I finally figured out how to attach the little thing. Albeit I had to apply more stiffie, but who cares, it looks fabulous! I can't wait to show you guys.

Where in I propose my love for Stiffie!

Like the smell of rusted salt

curdling on the vine

I give you the answer to the earths divine

quest

ion

A man once sat with me at a cafe table

in a town outside of Rome

Heaped with the words of an unearthly gnome

find the Tate ,

and Picasso too,

squash the Weeping Woman

You will find true love

coming from,

and just in time.

All this moving and replacing journals on shelves has reminded me that I once could write, and write well, and write odd, and off kilter. Some sad, some true but always I would just write. So please pardon my dust as I clean off a few free cells and try to recreate the world I once inhabited in my own space, and my own time.

So there you have your answer. To the question of which artist my man so blighted with his natural perfume! It was Picasso, so many close answers (wherein I snort since only 4 people joined in, but the odds were fabulous!) and the pencil drawing was Weeping Woman #29. And yes how she must still weep, as the husbeast performed his act in malice, and on purpose! Well I never.

So as odd and odd may be, there were two correct answers, and two simultaneously stuck together pieces of paper, so as chance may be, there are two wieners, I mean winners! Yeah, and I do swear they did not cheat, but yes they are two of may closest buds. Strange I had no idea they knew art (cough *google*) so well. So cheers and here's to Erin of Seamstrix Art, and Mary of Contrary Colleen. Also both are new bloggers, welcome to the outlandish world we have created for ourselves ladies, do stay a time and perhaps enjoy some tea and bickies. I will have you both know that I just farted for you in honor of your winnings. No seriously I did. Hmm, I suppose this calls for pressies. I know Contrary Colleen is tired of accumulating a stash, so tell me is there anything you so desire? A new set of mittletts, or a pair of Mary Jane Slippers, or a hat? Something simple and yet worthy? And Erin, likewise something I could do for you, or are you in it for the yarn? I have a plethora of yarn, and some mohair bits from the husbeasts godmother's Angora Goat Farm I could be persuaded to part with, as it's been ever so many years and I have yet to do anything with any of it... do tell ladies, do tell.

Now onto the juicy news...

Let's just start the day off with some lovely Eco-Wool by Cascade, shall we. Do you people realize that for $15 you can purchase nearly 500 yards of lovely wool! Now that's not much money for the amount of wool...I just saw a rainbowed art car drive by with a pair of legs glued upside down to the roof ~dang this is a strange little island... sorry about that I wish I had my camera ready. (I want one of those) Yeah so um, ecowool, good, art cars cooler. Let's just say this is going to become another Hemlock Ring Blanket, we'll see if it lands on my couch, or my mums.

In news of the sneakiest sorts, I can't really show picts, but the latest and swappiest hat, she is nearly finished. This is where in I profess my love for Stiffie brand fabric stiffener. What, oh get your minds out of the gutter, buggers. Do you see that sneak pict over there, yes it's black and it's in the shape of ~strike that last intrusion there are 2 sets of legs glued upside down to that art car! Dang missed it again, perhaps she'll drive by a third time just for me.!~ So yeah, hats are still really really cool, especially when they hold their form, and don't look like udder crap. There are still a few areas that need a little re-stiffie-ing, but I'm still really impressed. Thanks to the blessed Erin, for having a birthday party where you allowed me to walk away with your fabulous stiffie. It's a life saver, truly.

And last but not least, this hat you;ve previously seen, is destined to be the Ministress of Silly Walks, just in time for my brothers All Hallow's Eve Party, up in Washington (really Portland area). The husbeast has his bowler, and suit, and umbrella. Myself well I am to have my mini topper, suit like dress, and parasol. But really we'll see if I stick with being the ministress. I'm not entirely sold, as I prefer something a bit more garish, and involved, and well, less Monty Python comical.

If yo look hard enough in the background you can see my mummy, isn't she cute. And well yes even in the lovely new house, my crafty mess does claim all areas. Well I believe that shall soon be rectified (I once used this word when talking to a table when I was cock tailing, letting them know I would rectify dudes meal! ~horrible I know, but really when else can you have fun and poke people in the ribs so especially when they're surrounded by all their big burly guy friends), as last night I spilled a solution of stiffie and water on the floor of our new house! I'm sooooo bad.
Oh well I believe I'm off to go look at lovely sweaters at the Old Navy, yes I know I despise them, but eeh gahd they're soooo cute. The sweaters that is.

I'm rolling........rolling I tell you

Shall we talk of desires today. They're a strong thing and well I'm not able to contain mine sometimes. And I've been dreaming of such a thing for soo very long now, at least two years. I've yearned since I stepped foot into the Cotati Accordian Festival and was just blown away by the fantastical tunes of the little guys. Well I broke today and searched on craigslist, and well there was one, it's an Hohner Anglo Concertina with 20 buttons. Red with green floral bellows. I've emailed the guy selling it, and he's accepted my offer of $80 and a bottle of wine. How fantastic is that! I'm just about to burst out of my skin on this here.

So in celebration of my little concertina, I give you horrible cell phone picts of the hat I made this weekend...and please pardon the hoooorible picts, but heh what's a girl gonna do.

Lord, who knew I was such a goth princess. Normally I am not, but it's for All Hallows Eve, who can resist such temptations. And yes, the bells does a little tinkle. The skeleton dude needs better attachment for sure.

Ohhh I nearly forgot. Last night after a little trip downtown after work, we came back home and it turns out the husbeast had a little too much imbibe. Thankfully I was driving, but he comes into the living room where the roommate and I are chatting away, and the beasty announces "I just fell backwards off the railing onto the grass, and landed on my feet!" I know I know, I couldn't believe it. But he's perfectly fine today, and not even a scratch. But oh my that could have been horrible, and we wouldn't have even known where he was for the longest of times. I still can't believe it he fell over the railing! and landed perfect. Of course I did have enough forethought to ask him if he threw his hands up as would a gymnast, cause you never know if there will be a slew of judges looking on waiting to give a perfect 10 score out. No, seriously that was my exact reasoning.

I don't know what's happening to me, maybe it's the impending full moon, or just the comfort of being married, but I feel as though I am getting stranger and stranger in my old age. I am not complaining, but perfectly happy with just as much. I do pity our poor children to be, they're going to be weird little ones, and horribly awkward and geeky. Poor fellas.

Anon and cheers biotches.