In case my mom hasn’t told you yet…

Actually it’s a good thing I don’t let my mom post on here, or I’d have nothing left to say! I got a call yesterday that my ric-rac was wanted for a Country Home photo shoot, and this morning the order came in, and it’s all this:

I am pretty darn excited to see what they do with all this, not to mention the publicity. I mean do you know how much magazine ads cost?!!? (a lot, like a ridiculously lot, double or triple your guess). And I am getting in there, for next to nothing. I am so excited about this for that reason and also because I love Country Home. You might here that name and thing foo foo, but it is a “surprisingly modern magazine” as our family friend Jolie said. Luckily she called while my mom was out of the house so I got to tell somebody, I wasn’t so lucky with my grandma who walked in the door less than an hour after I found out. I said, “I have exciting news,” and she goes, “oh the Country Home thing?” Ah! Do my mom and grandma talk telepathically, I think so. Anyway this is just so awesome to me. I’ve pretty much just been working on Ribbon Jar lately. Lots of fun things coming up.

See those cute little elephants? That is one of the ribbons in the April Jar that comes out next week. This jar is for my May guest designer. I haven’t had a real guest designer for a while, because honestly  I don’t get that many applications sent in, and I keep trying to hold out for a seamstress or someone who works with more fabric. I think because I’m a scrapbooker and lots of my ideas have to do with that, most of the people who apply are paper artists. That’s fine, and I’ve gotten to work with some super cool people, but I just want more diversity. So hello, are you out there? I will SEND YOU FREE RIBBON!!! And even if you do scrapbook send me an application, I never did this when I was trying to be published because I thought that competition would be too high and it wouldn’t be worth my time, but do it, please. 🙂

I am pretty darn excited to see what they do with all this, not to mention the publicity. I mean do you know how much magazine ads cost?!!? (a lot, like a ridiculously lot, double or triple your guess). And I am getting in there, for next to nothing. I am so excited about this for that reason and also because I love Country Home. You might here that name and thing foo foo, but it is a “surprisingly modern magazine” as our family friend Jolie said. Luckily she called while my mom was out of the house so I got to tell somebody, I wasn’t so lucky with my grandma who walked in the door less than an hour after I found out. I said, “I have exciting news,” and she goes, “oh the Country Home thing?” Ah! Do my mom and grandma talk telepathically, I think so. Anyway this is just so awesome to me. I’ve pretty much just been working on Ribbon Jar lately. Lots of fun things coming up.
Fears
The red one underneath is this awesome fleece thing I got in Denmark, and the size I was shooting for. I don’t think it’s going to happen. I am going to finish the body, then start the other sleeve, and maybe shorten the first sleeve if I have to… But even then… I don’t know man, it’s not looking good. And the frustrating this is, I brought a calculator to the yarn shop, I had enough, ahhhh!!!! (Okay so I didn’t do a gauge, so sue me).

23 Days until May!!!

Free Association Wednesday

                                                                 Tomato    

I say tomato, so just comment on the first thing that comes into your mind when you read that. If you need help see the first Free Association Wednesday!

                                                                  Tomato

In the Setting Sun

I’m headed up to Portland in a bit to go to the James Blunt concert in the Crystal Ballroom, but thought I would share a few photos from a quick photo shoot with my sister last night. It was some really low sun, and we just shot them in the backyard, but I think the sky looks yummy. I really want to find a better place around here to shoot and take her out again later.

I love this one. And here’s one with my other sibling: Buddy!

While watching Em these past few days I finished up all the pieces to my sweater. I have to block them, sew them together and then do like an edging or something, which I’m going to have to look up because I don’t know what it is. Plus after all that I have to do the collar. I can’t wait to work on it, but I have a bunch of other things to do. Like decide if I am going to keep my wheel and then drive to Carlton tomorrow to either finish paying for it or taking it back. Decisions…

Busy Hands

So I had started this big bulky top down sweater before I left for Memphis, but I didn’t want to take it with me to work on. I decided I needed a project a little lighter and easier to work for the plane, and yes I still have a sock to finish to make a pair, but that’s boring so I decided on this instead:

It’s from the Rowan Knitting & Crochet Magazine Number 39 (Spring/Summer 2006). I didn’t have any cotton to work it, but I really wanted to use some of my stash so I decided on the Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran that I picked up at the beach a few weeks ago. I had like 15 balls and I figured that was enough, besides I get cold really easily so I thought a warmer sweater for the spring might be better. Before I left I only had time to start a swatch and get everything together, so I did all this work on the trip:

So far pretty easy going. Luckily I ran into a woman in the airport on the first day that was wearing tons of hand knit stuff and carrying a homemade afghan so I went up to her and asked her about reading the pattern for the design (I’ve never done anything with a pattern like this where the stitches are boxes before). She helped me get started after I’d finished my swatch (thanks if you’re out there!). The first thing I did was the back and I was using really long metal needles, I kept poking the guy next to me on the plane, but he was a good sport about it. I love using these funky colored metal needles my mom and I have a stash of, I think I have more control now where I don’t need the “stickiness” of the wood (for lack of a better term). I haven’t work on this since I’ve been back, but I hope to knit on it today. Can’t wait to try it on!

In other news pretty much the only thing I’ve been working on since I’ve been back is Ribbon Jar. It’s been crazy busy, and I had to answer all the emails from my time off. Plus I’ve decided to do inventory which involves counting hundreds of rolls of ribbon and looking for breaks. So time consuming and so NOT fun. But my mom is helping me, and she helped me make up a bunch of new jars Thursday, which I put on the site yesterday, and are now almost all gone. I can’t believe how fast they go now. My mom and I decided to go on a jar hunt yesterday and I’m getting a bit worried that I’m going to have to turn into an antiques dealer or something to stay in the fresh (old) jars and lids. So if any of you have a stash somewhere let me know!

I’m off to Bj’s today then tomorrow I’m picking up Emilie from the airport and spending the night up at my dad’s so I can take her to school Monday. Hopefully I’ll get this sweater done so I can get in some good scrapbooking time… I’m just itching to dig into my paper stash! Have a great weekend!

Good googley moogley, that thang is juicy…

I finally gave Ceara her Christmas present – the Dots shirt, her favorite candy. At the wedding last summer Ceara popped some Dots right before the ceremony, now that’s style. So yes, my trip down south was great, relaxing, everything I wanted it to be. Ceara is my bestest of best, my longest time friend, my go to gal. I love that I can go hang out with her and not worry about what we are going to do.

My trip started out great with this hunk. It was great to fly with Bj, we have never flown together, which is weird to me. My first leg of the flight Portland to Seattle, was only like 45 minutes. Then I had to wait for a while and started on my project for the week.


This is the swatch for a sweater I’m working on from the Rowan spring/summer magazine. I’ll put up the details later, you won’t believe how much I’ve got done, the back, two front sides, and almost one sleeve. See that pouch Sara? That stuff goes with me everywhere, man I love swaps. Anyway two flights after that I was to Memphis. Ceara got lost (of course) on her way to pick me up. 🙂 I love doing the screamy happy dance thing when we see each other. So we drove to her town, Jonesboro Arkansas (side note for those who don’t know: Ceara’s husband is an athletic trainer for Arkansas State, and a bit of hero, he saved a mans life with a defibrillator at a game this winter). We stayed up way to late talking and she went to work the next day, while I got to sleep in. She came home at lunch and I drove her back to work and met everyone she works with. Then I drove around the town and shopped a little, got all waxed up (man personal services in the south rock, every time I got something done they’re like, “you want something to drink honey, a diet coke?” um yes please), and picked her up. We had pizza from the best pizza place ever (but don’t tell Grant, he thinks we ate carrot sticks or something, he he), and watched ER together. Ceara and I have watched ER and called each other after so many episodes I can’t even count. It’s totally our thing and we had a blast watching it.

The next day Ceara took off work so we could head into Memphis again and meet up with these crazy road-trippers. My brother Aaron had called me the day before and said, “We’re in Little Rock!” He’s an assistant Chaplin in the Air Force and they are moving from Cali to Washington D.C. I’m so glad I got to see them, especially my favorite little girl Brianna. We had a nice long lunch with them and did some shopping, bikinis for us both! Score! Saturday was Ceara’s birthday so we actually went back to Memphis again (it’s about an hours drive). We went to a few antique shops, but everything was over priced, or just too weird. I treated Ceara to a manicure and pedicure for her birthday at the same place we went to for the wedding: The Nail Bar. After that it was Chili’s. Yes of course we had an Awesome Blossom, extra awesome!


The next day Ceara and I just messed around really, looking around town and stuff. Then Monday Ceara worked,  I mostly knit, I really rocked some stockinette stitch! We had pizza again – bacon, pepperoni, and banana peppers (wait I mean for the first time, right Ceara). The next day we headed back to Memphis and walked around Beale Street. I had a wonderful ice cream concoction: yellow marshmallow ice cream with Reese’s peanut butter cup and the marshmallows from Lucky Charms all mixed together in a Heath topped waffle bowl. If someone knows where I can get more Lucky Charms marshmallows let me know!
I had to fly out that evening and we cried like crazy of course saying goodbye. I had a fairly good flight back, that was of course, until my last leg. I got seated next to a family, and a little tow head was my seat mate. That was fine, I love kids. Had a nice little chat with him, he told me he just turned three, totally cute. His parents were very old. The dad was at least 65 and the mom probably 47. So I had to do a major double take when she whipped out her boob and started breast feeding… to a kid I had just had a conversation with… with all his teeth!!! Not only that, but no blanket, and she did it for like an hour switching sides and giving him sips of pop when he asked for it in between. Ewwwwww. Yes, I am all for breast feeding, but that was nasty, and right freaking next to me. And no I haven’t see that episode of Desprate Housewives. So on that note, goodnight!

Free Association Wednesday

                                                                tony

Just comment on the first thing that pops into your head. No I couldn’t decide on just one, I’m going to be without internet for almost a whole week so I thought I’d mix it up. If you need help just see the first Free Association Wednesday.

                                                               pickle

I’m cracking myself up over here.


OH MY GOD! Is this so freaking funny or what. I found this at some thrift shop or something and I have been saving it, looking at it every once in a while and cracking up. I was going to try and hold on it until my mom’s birthday (in June) because Cabbage Patch Kids freak her out. But I know Ceara will freak out laughing too (and her internet is down so she won’t be seeing this – and I won’t be connected while I am there – ahhh). So that’s pretty funny right, now dig the inside:

What the hell right? Is someones birthday wish making out with a fairy princess Cabbage Patch Doll. Okay back to packing.

Another Question – Memphis?

Hi my blog peeps. I am going to visit my bff Ceara in Jonesboro, Arkansas. It’s like an hour away from Memphis (that’s where I fly into). I leave on Wednesday and Thursday Ceara has to work so I was going to drive around and check out some antique/fabric/knitting/crafty places. Not having much luck searching them out online though. So my question is: does anyone know any place around there I should check out. I really want to find some diamond in the rough like I did on my cross country trip with Julia: Sister’s Garden (crap I was going to find a link and when I googled it all I got was a previous post on my blog LOL – I swear it’s a real place!). A cool place, with vintage stuff, weird stuff, decorating stuff. Ahhh any one know any place? Anyone?

CK Portland Convention

I don’t think I ever mentioned this but Ali Edwards choose the Ribbon Jar as one of her company picks to showcase at the backstage event for the Portland Creating Keepsakes Convention (a scrapbooking convention). She told me that the little packets were great, and well recieved. A blogging buddy, Sarah, commented that she loved the ribbon and I’d love to hear from anyone else who was there. Did you get a whole bag of stuff, did Ali do make and takes or anything with the ribbon? If you were there please share! I’m trying to decide if this is something I will continue to do in the future. Thanks!

I’m all wound up

Okay so remember how I said I was taking a new class, on spinning. Ya that wasn’t like cycling. I was learning how to make my own yarn on a spinning wheel. So things started out really rocky, and I didn’t want to talk about, that’s how bad it was. I got home from my first class and I was so upset. I like to “get things” to pick them up easy. Maybe not to master everything, but if I take a class on something I need to be one of the people waiting for the next direction, no begging for more help. But I found myself constantly calling upon the teacher. “Why is my yarn all twisty? How come I can’t get it to take up onto the bobbin? Is something wrong with my wheel?” I had spent 97 dollars on the class, more on the wheel rental, and I was bummed. My teacher said that my wheel wasn’t working all that great. And looking on the web I found unfavorable reviews of the Ashford I had rented. I didn’t know what to get! I didn’t know what a treadle was, or that I would want two instead of one. I just picked one that looked kinda fairy book style and brought it home.

So my mom drove me back to Woodland Woolworks. A big shop in a super tiny town an hour away. I brought the wheel in and told them my teacher said it wasn’t working right and I wanted to trade. I went upstairs to the loft where all the wheels were and kinda played around. I thought I had one I liked better so I went downstairs to get someone to help me. I saw a woman spinning on the wheel I had brought in. “Are you the one who brought back this wheel?” she asked. I said yes, and she said nothing was wrong with it, the bobbin just had two different ends, and they had to be flipped around. I told her what my teacher said, and then asked if she could come help me pick out a wheel, because I decided that even if that one worked I wanted a double treadle instead. So I sat down and showed her what I could do and she was all, “why aren’t you using your thumb on your drafting hand?” (that’s the hand that hold the fiber you are going to spin). I told her that my teacher told me not to, that it was a bad habit, and she said she had never heard of that, and everyone spins that way and she showed me a few tricks and… I GOT IT! I mean I was spinning. Then she showed me that the fiber we had got was really short, and not that great. So I got some prepared stuff, just carded, so it still grabbed to each other. I was so happy I went home and spun, and spun. Then we had the bad weather, and a class was canceled, so I didn’t get to show off my skills until Tuesday. When I went I had more done than any one and I felt like a super star! We started playing with different fibers.

And she even let me ply on my last class because I”m going to be gone for the make-up from the snow day. I am loving spinning so much. A great new friend I met in the class lent me her copy of Spinning Designer Yarns and I am going to buy it because it has lots of great information. Here is a single ply that I knit up after soaking in hot water and drying (to set the twist):

Thank Bj for the great photo. Check my photo of the day for a rockin turquoise I”m working on. I don’t know if I’m going to keep the wheel (a double treadle folding Lendrum), I’d have to pay like 400 dollars more, all my spending money for the next few months (luckily the rental price goes into the wheel, and I’m loving the one I have now). But I was thinking I might make up some fun stuff to sell on my blog to offset the cost. I don’t know though. So that’s my spinning update. I feel like I could be a real pioneer woman now, knitting, spinning, quilting, but of course I would miss my power mac, so I guess not!