I so wanted to cast on for a fun chevron striped scarf with all my new yarn, but I had a few outstanding projects hanging over my head so I figured I better bite the bullet and figure out the i-cord handle for my bag. Turns out, not that hard. 
(side note, do you like that jacket? Tags are still on it, I’m deciding) The bag is so stretchy. I was afraid it would be too small for anything. Not so my friends.
I totally recommend this project. It cost me about two dollars in cheap cotton yarn, and the pattern is free right here. That leaves the baby surprise sweater, a blanket (which is long term), and a few random socks. So I think I’m ready for something new.
Rockin’ Yarn
This weekend was all about the yarn. I was doing so well scrapbooking, but then my printer decided it did not want to communicate with my computer. This coincided with a Blue Moon Fiber Arts de-stash sale. BMFA is located in Oregon, near Portland, but they don’t have a shop or anything you can visit. They sell online and are known for their Socks that Rock yarn. For an awesome example of knitting with this yarn see January One blog. So yummy. Mmmm especially these. So Sciarrino and I got up early and head to the craziness that is the de-stash sale. It took a little over an hour and a half to drive there, and we stopped so I could get a little breakfast before heading to the sale. This was either a huge mistake, or a very good thing as it put us at the sale about six minuets after it started. People were crazy (but in a totally nice, after all we’re all Oregonians here kind of way). Another guest managed to snap some pictures of the madness. Here is one that I’m in (far left corner). I grabbed a bunch of lovely yarn.
I started winding some so I could swatch it up.
Lots of Socks that Rock in medium weight. I got a few lightweight. Heavyweight was all sold out by the time I got to it. I also got some mystery cotton cone yarn.
Not sure what I am going to do with it, but that is like 1,200 yards for $8. I swatched some up on size two needles.
Maybe a little baby jumper for V? Find a really cute tee to go under. It’s not that stretchy since it’s cotton, but I liked knitting with it. Plus I think since it’s been on the cone it will bloom when I wash it.
I also swatched up the Socks that Rock. This is on size 4 needles. The top is the light weight, the bottom the medium weight. You can see all of my yarn on my flickr page or my ralvery stash page. I got some yarn for my mom as well. I’m really happy with everything I got, Sciarrino bought some amazing stuff, and if we would have gotten there any earlier I might have walked away with too much (or maybe I already did if you ask Bj)!
Quick Scrapping
I did some quick scrapbooking tonight. Until my printer decided, "hey I don’t want to print for you" And I’m all, "Bitch!" Ahhhh! So I had to just scrapbook the pictures on my desk. Lucky for you Angela.
{old dictionary page, Autumn Leaves paper, Pebbles sticker, Love Elise paper} Then I pulled out my
And finally a Gnome layout of V. I had printed out one of the photos with a border on accident so I trimmed that off and laid it on a sheet of Basic Grey. The patterned paper has a circle in the design so I punched part of that out with an anywhere punch and backed the whole thing with a piece of red cardstock. I used some of those lush making memories velvet letter stickers, Ribbon Jar trim (this wonderful stuff) and a tag from Paper Source. Journaling: "Violet my sweet, sweet god-daughter oh how I love to spoil you! I thought of you every stitch I knit of this silly hat. And seeing you smile and take wobbly steps on Halloween made my day!"
Possibly more later. It all depends on the printer!
Little Miss Karsen
Oh how I love this little girl. Yes it’s her, the sweet
We went to story time at the library (were apparently all the cute kids in Salem go), had lunch on a fishy plate, learned what a globe was, and about the color mustard. I learned she gets really sweaty after a nap.
I could hear her stirring in the other room so I said, "sissy are you awake?" I got a nice drawn out, "yaaaaa" I said she could get up and I saw this. LOL "I get sweaty after nap. My head hot." I was dying, seriously so funny. Or when she was playing with my little people bus and I hear her say, "oh honey, you forgot your jacket," to one of the school kids. I love the imagination at this age. She took a lid from her smoothie thing and put it on top of her half eaten string cheese. She said his name was cheese. I asked what cheese was doing, "um petting a doggie." Okay. Oh and her best friend? She told me it was "Hoggie" Her brother. SO DAMN CUTE!
9 AM Pacific Time
Yummy Dahlia jars at 9am Pacific time on the 5th right here.
Hanging with my gnomies.
So on Halloween I headed up to Portland to dote on my lovely and perfect god-daughter V (what, I’m allowed to be biased, right?). This post is going to be picture heavy because she’s so damn cute I can’t just pick one. Michele and I have a thing for gnomes. I find them to be hilarious and for their housewarming gift I bought them some pre-worn (hehehe) garden gnomes from a garage sale. So I thought it fitting that I make up a gnome costume for V for this holiday. 
I whipped up the belt with a scrap of pleather and a novelty belt buckle. Tres cheap and easy. 
The hat of course I made. I knit it up really quickly two weekends ago, and then dunked it in hot soapy water, between rinses of cold water, followed by a dry in the drier to felt it up and make it sturdier. Thank goodness Violet is a hat girl now. She had no problems with it. Occasionally taking it off to check it out, then handing it to me so I could put it back on her head. The beard however, was a no go. She has become so much more independent since my last visit! 
She’s standing, walking, babbling like crazy. I got to spend the night and then hang out with her the next day. She kept reaching up for my fingers to do this:
I totally picked out those shoes for her to wear. Multi-colored high tops, she is so cool. Yesterday afternoon I went with the family to take pictures. I had to give the lens back so I really wanted to use it. That coupled with light issues, a very active 15 month old, and lots of people made it hard, hard, hard. 
I really learned a lot though. I need to figure out how to give better direction.
And pay attention to the whole picture. 
I did manage to get a few cute ones. But I think next time I’ll stick to things I know a little better. especially when I’m trying to work quickly.
*edited to add: oh and what was I on Halloween? Nothing interesting. I just wore my old costume from a high school production of Oklahoma, so I was like, a prairie girl. Total cop-out, I know!
Happy Halloween!
Reid (with the spiders) and her boyfriend Eric (the vampire with his arm around Bj). I also enjoyed Martin’s ‘dot com explosion"
(that would be Tex, bent over and laughing so hard at Bj, who kept playing up the part). And now I need to do some last minuet things to get V’s costume ready then it’s sleepover time up in Portland so I can trick or treat with her. I’m so excited!
Oh and if you sent me an email before Tuesday I can’t respond to it because we installed Leopard (um, amazing!) and there is no plug in for hotmail for Mail yet. So all my messages are stuck in the computer. Boo Hoo. I’m not ignoring you, I just can’t get to them! Hopefully soon. Hotmail sucks and I would ditch it all together but I’ve had the same email address for 11 years. I tend to like to hold on to things like that.
CR-V (no I don’t know what it stands for either)
Look at me, I’m a grown up with a brand new car!
It’s one of those CR-V‘s (but 2007 kind). I know, I know, you’re shocked and a half that I didn’t get the green one. The thing is I love the color of the green element, but the green CR-V didn’t hold my heart as much, and I wasn’t really that thrilled with the beige interior. So since they had this on, I got it! Yeah! I’ve never had a new car before.
The inside is so nice.
I picked it up, and then picked up Emilie from school, as per usual. She loves it. Then I had to go get grandpa to take him to a doctor’s appointment. He thought it was very nice, so much easier to get in and out of than a normal car (which is what we were going for). I still miss my car, but I think this will help ease the pain (hehehe). Now I just have to wait for the crater lake license plates. Also there is a new Bones tonight, whoo hoo I love that show. It’s the simple things that really make me happy.
Big (wide) Love
oh my yummy goodness. My dad hired me to take pictures for a condo project he is involved in. He wanted me to take shots at what is going to be the third, forth, and fifth floors from a lift so that people can get an idea of the view from their balconies. Um, okay! 1. I got to go up on lift 2. take pictures on the nicest fall day in history 3. I got to use this amazing 12-24mm lens. Oh heaven. Have you seen these things? 
It’s a mess, try and ignore that, but it’s my whole studio; floor, ceiling, both walls, crazy. One more fun shot:
Those were right in front of the lens. Okay I need some one to take a picture of me taking a picture so you can get a good idea. The only bad thing is the lens is kinda a light hog (maximum opening is 4), and you can’t use an on camera flash because of the shadow, but I have the 600 speedlight, so it’s not a big problem for me. Now what I was "hired" for:
View to the north east.
View to the west. 
View to the south east.
Mmmm. Oh and also my first time doing a portrait session (for the company website):
What do you think? No, please tell me. There was severe sunny overhead light so I opted to walk around a bit and took this in a shaded alley with my 50mm. I think it worked out well. Thoughts?
Now what to take pictures of before I have to give the wide angle lens back? Hmmm everything!
Christmas Come Early
Made up my little Christmas gift list thing early as I am going to try to be a little more on time with gifts. And I’m going to try and make up a majority of them so I have to start early right?
I don’t have everyone in here yet, but it’s a start. It’s tiny so I can put it in my handbag when I go out. I’ll squeeze them all in. 
And the back. I so love making little things. Ribbon: Ribbon Jar, Paper: Basic Grey, Anna Griffin, Designer’s Library tags, 1/4" Dymo labels, and I finally used the Jolie’s by You I’ve had in my stash, um, FOREVER.