Christmas Wreath

I finally got the chance to create my version of the yarn ball Christmas Wreath. The inspiration for this creation was featured in the previous post. I was sad at first, because I wasn't optimistic about finding the materials to decorate it. Lucky me, I found cheap poor quality ornaments at Carrefour. I covered them with yarn. I bought the gift boxes and stuffed hearts at Ikea. The lights came from a really cool housewares store called The One. They're battery powered, so no wires to plug in . It took an hour and a half to construct. I used craft wire to attach everything. This wreath cost about $15 US Dollars to make. I made the wreath hanger from a dry cleaners wire hanger. It works perfectly. I'm really proud of it.

I'm also proud of the Christmas tree. My roommate Henry bought me the Hello Kitty ornament. Brenden sprayed the windows with fake snow. HEHE! The hanging lights are battery powered from Ikea.

I know the spire topper is crooked, but it'll have to stay as it is. It's handblown glass. It'll just break if I mess with it.

Anywho!

Starbucks Yarn Ball Christmas Wreath

I'm in love with this Yarn ball wreath from Starbucks. They don't sell it in the shops here in Abu Dhabi. I can't even find enough supplies to hack one of these, but I won't stop looking. Has anyone else seen it? I think I even recognized some of the yarns. They look like Lion Brand.

Plastic Rainbow Heart Earrings

I bought these charms in the Target dollar section. I hacked them into cute earrings.

Knitting Fashion's of the 1940's

Knitting Fashion's of the 1940's by Jane Waller. I'm mezmerized by this book. You can see why. I'm planning to make the water bottle cover first. Because the other patterns are a bit complicated but I'll get to them in time.

The Reluctant Anti-Heroes

I've just finished the first four episodes of Showtimes comedy Californication. I know I'm late but you can't that stuff here in Abu Dhabi. I watched all of them straight through without a break. I had no Idea what to expect. Is it a coincidence that lately, I've been reading books with the same sort of character. May be it's somekind of Noir writing trend. I would compare Hank Moody to Death's Head, Sven Tveskoeg and Altered Carbon's, Takeshi Kovacs, but without guns. David Duchovny's Hank Moody has a lot in common with these guys, like the restless demons that try to pull you into the black or the complete disregard for scum who prey on the lesser. He's a real badass and the women love it. Forget about the fact that he hates himself and then self-medicates with boose, sex, and drugs. Somehow he manages to uphold some type of chivialric honor and express a bit of sensitivity. There're still lines he won't allow himself to cross. There must be some hope left for this self-loathing, violent, vomit stained mess of a carbon based unit. Now introducing your reluctant and unasuming anti-hero. It's entertaining like a car wreck. David Duchovny is believable even when he's muttering through his thin upper lip. Enjoy.

You're Welcome Mom

While back in Kansas City, my mom spied my GUESS by Marciano Gelato Large Hobo with envy. She asked me for it. I said no. Later, after arriving back into Phoenix, I realized that I'd left the bag in KC. I asked Mom to look for it along with my Prada sunglasses. I went to Ross's in Phoenix to find another pair of sunglasses. I found the same Guess bag for half the price of what I paid retail. That was a big "Abu Dhabi sucks" moment. They don't have Ross Stores here or anything close. Anyway, mom ended up with the bag after all. She put my sunglasses away for safe keeping.

My New Bag

GUESS by Marciano Gelato Large Hobo

I finally found a casual bag that's big enough to carry all of my stuff. I mean ALL of the things that I can't seem to leave home without. I bought it in the Guess Boutigue at the mall. It had to be fate. Guess clothing and handbags are not my style. I'm not a fan of stores that sell items that won't allow me to wear undergarments like a bra and lycra slimmer. Their handbags are usually too fantastic with monograms and large reflective metal logo plates. Yeah, I know this Gelato bag has a big shiny metal plate. I used its reflection to apply my lipgloss. But what I'm trying to say is that, dispite my objections, this bag still called to me. I'm a handbag Diva. Holla!

Baby Socks

The two little cream puffs have arrived. I'd show you a photo of my new twin neice and nephew, if I had one. I ashamed to tell you that I haven't started the baby socks. The baby sweaters will be finished by the time the temperature drops in KC. I'm also ashamed to tell you that I hate to use my pretty yarn from SpritelyGoods.com. The socks will get ruined or lost. My brother and sister-in-law don't really have a lot of nice things and they wouldn't take care of a nice sweater if they had one. Some how I have to get over it because 1. I'm tired of being ashamed, and 2. I don't have anything else to knit with at this moment.

SpritelyGoods.com Bird of Paradise

Here's the new baby sock project bag. I love it!

Cat Bordhi socks knitted in Brown Sheep superwash worsted. I forgot the color. My tention is wacky, but I haven't blocked them yet.

Weekend Knitting toddler hat

Letoya's First Blog Entry From Abu Dhabi

My last blog entry was last year. I'm so ashamed, again. So this is going to be a big one.

Abu Dhabi has treated me well. So far my new job is absoutely crazy but my coworkers are very welcoming. I'll tell you more about them later. I found a huge magazine stand at a small grocery around the corner. They sell craft and hobby magazines like Craft: I don't know why they sell them. I haven't found a yarn store here anywhere. I think camel wool is used for rug making. There's no such store like Michaels. I found this knitting mag that came with a free gift. It's a UK publication. The patterns are unimpresive, but they advertise some of the best products like Rowan and Habu. The magazine is trying to appeal to lots of different knitters and cross stitchers, instead of specializing. Anyway, the mag as a whole is still worth the price of 3.99 GPB.

Here's what today looks like in my neighborhood of Kkalidya, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. I took these pictures from my apartment balcony.

Partly cloudy, dusty 94F

Feels Like: 111F
Wind: W 31km/h
Relative Humidity: 50%

Flickr Photo Set

I just added my flickr photo set. I love it! now you can see more of my photos. I spend more time uploading images than posting blog entries.

www.flickr.com blacklovelythang's Jewelry photoset

About as crazy as the holidays

Here it is the Chicken Viking hat.
I'd love to present this hat as a hostess gift. Sometimes it's hard for me to give serious gifts and my friends and family know this. They would never see this coming tho'.

Easter Egg Hunt Scarf

Kiki gave me the Ironstone yarn and then I added the Splash and Fizz. I had to break out the size 35 needles. This scarf seriously bordered on ugly. But somehow it works. I knew of one person who would go completely nuts over it. It just happened to be her birthday too. You are so welcome Lori. She thinks it matches her eyes. I just let her keep thinking that.



There's wacky Ironstone Circus in there!

Wire Pin with Pink Tourmaline

I made another pin.

Happy Birthday Stephanie!

Tooth Ache Scarf

I'm making this scarf with GGH, Crystal Palace, and Trendsetter. It's so sweet my teeth hurt. You gotta love the macro camera feature. Pink isn't one of my favorite colors unless it's accompanied by brown or green. The Trendsetter Perla definitely fits my criteria with it's bright green strands of tinsel. The Crystal Palace Flowers has lime green fibers and gold tinsel. This stuff is too much fun!

Wire Pin

I made this for KiKi's birthday. Again the idea came as a project from the book Jewelry Making: Tips and Tricks Of The Trade , by Stephen O'Keeffe. It felt great to get such a reaction from her. I'm very happy with the way it turned out. Kiki gave me an Alexander Calder book to explore. The pin brought him to mind. I added it to my Amazon.com wish list. I was serously inspired and amazed. Isn't that what friends are for? She knows me well.

Swap-bot

I 'm really enjoying Swap-bot. Although I screwed up my first swap. It was the one inch button swap. I didn't know that the moderator meant pin-back buttons and not sewing buttons. So I emailed an apology to my swap partner and then sent the pin-back buttons. I was proud of myself for follow through. I never received a response from my partner/moderator. I sent at least four emails and an attached note with the new shipment of buttons. I hope she's still alive.
The sticker swap was fun, but I think that I may have offended my partners by sending them 13 year old stickers. The adhesive was beginning to break down. I added them as an extra treat. They were vintage Suzy's Zoo, so I thought anyone would be glad to have them. They still had very good usage left and were hard to give up. I also worked really hard on the Postcard Quote Swap. I collected cards mostly from book stores. But the independent book store Changing hands had the best cards. I already had a few quotes ready to copy, but since I'm such a movie fanatic, I couldn't resist adding a few of those too. I'm going to avoid joining so many swaps at one time. It's a lot harder to execute than I'd thought.

Cheese

Happiness is yarn in the mail. I ordered this from Spritely Goods. I got the package super fast because we're in the same state. I like that. The color is Parrot. I'm planning on making socks with it. I'm trying to finish my other sock project first. I also bought eight balls of novelty yarn from Big Lots. They were one dollar each. I'm using it to make scarves for people who may want to purchase them for Christmas gifts. Hopefully I won't get rushed again this season even though it was fun.

Quartz Wire Ring

This ring is a project from the book Jewelry Making: Tips and Tricks Of The Trade
by Stephen O'Keeffe. The finish isn't as perfect as I'd like. I had to darken the silver so the overall design wouldn't look washed out and flat. I just bought a fine new rotary tool tip that will smooth the lumpy solder mess. Then I'll refinish the dark patina. I'm particularly proud of being able to set an open bezel inside the wire knot.

Green Jade Wrap Ring

This ring was fun to constuct. Making the rough finish was he most difficult part. I made the ball end by melting silver scrap.
This ring is inspired by Debra and Marco. jewelry.novica.com/rings/wrap/dichroic-art-glass-ring-blu...

Disorganized and Dusty

I believe in organization and a neat work area. Currently the truth of this statement isn't being practiced. The photo doesn't lie. In defense, I haven't worked at this table in months. It's about to become a place where I can neatly stack those storage containers with the gemstones. The actual work area will be about the size of one table setting. There's a lot of stuff in this room that isn't in the pictures. I have a closet full of yarn, paper and fabric. I also have a shelf full of book in my bedroom.

This is my jewelry worktable. It's MDF and a metal cart that I got at Goodwill for ten dollars. It works for now. I like my caddies and the soldering pan. I'll move it into the garage when it gets cooler. Then I'll set up a real shop. I'll buy another workbench and bolt a vise on top of it. I'll also look into buy a jewelers bench. Yes those are sawed off knitting needles. They are perfect for getting inside ring bands. I have another set for knitting. I also have a big shop fan on top of the counter for ventilation. The white towel isn't hiding anything I don't want you to see. It's covering my bench pin and rotary flex shaft. I'm drying a new project that was just washed. I don't use the kitchen for much cooking. But it's possible. Wine, cheese and raisins don't need cooking anyway.

Delayed Entry

This blog entry is a year late. But I'm ashamed of not sharing, so better late than never. I felted this a very long time ago, back when I wasn't very good at lining bags. In fact, this project was a challenge from the very beginning. What was I thinking? God only knows. It all started when a fellow Stitch-n-bitch attendee, showed me her cute little felted striped bag. It was clutch size without a closure. She said that I didn't need a pattern because it was too easy. I had to knit a rectangle, then pick up the stitches around the rectangle using a circular needle. My first mistake was made by picking up too many stitches. The end result was a disaster of course. Someone even suggested that I should cover it in resin and use it for a rowboat. Yep, you know who you are Funny man. Anyway, I finally got the dammed thing knitted correctly, felted, blocked and I'd done a fair job of it. Later, I added the the funny lining and made the straps from one of my belts. One day ,at my house, Hannah noticed it and liked it. So, I gave it to her for her 16th birthday. She was gracious enough to model it for me.

That's my pocket from an old pair of jeans. I used it because it was already reinforced with it's own backing.

Hannah asked me to make this scarf as a Christmas gift for her mom. Yep. That's Brown Sheep bulky and look at those nice poms. I used my brand new pom pon maker. It's one of my most valued tools and for a good reason. Believe me.

Hannah and her mom loved the scarf. I felt warm inside. I knitted a few gift items for Hannah last Christmas. I improved my skills in the process. It was a good thing.

Thrift store find for a dollar. Vintage Boye needle set.

It's in great condition. Only the middle length cord is missing. I'm always on the lookout for yarn and stuff but this was still a lucky find. I haven't used them yet but I'm happy to have them when I need it.

Baby Bolero from One Skein. I made this for a coworker and her new baby girl. She pulled my name from the Secret Santa drawing and bought me he book. She was surprised to get the sweater. I just knew she was looked threw the book and wondered if I'd knit anything for little Sophia. But really, she'd never even thought about it. Again, I felt a warm inside :)

Go Bears!

Oh well they lost. But Anna, my coworker, was stylin' anyway. I like this scarf it was fun to make. To bad it didn't come with a drop of luck.

I used Brown Sheep Bulky and Lion Brand.

Etsy Google search

I'm still having difficulty searching for my Etsy items on Google. Yahoo isn't much help either. I'm sure it an Etsy problem. I'll email them and ask. Meanwhile I sold another one of my handmade items that desperately needed a home. I'm excited!
Esty has the cool thumbnail generator. I once tried to build on of the by hand. It was a freakin' pain.




I'm working on more novelty scarves for this winter. I have to say that at least three will be mine to keep forever. The rest will be gifts and such. Most will be made with Trendsetter Shadow and some other cotton/wool background yarn. I just love Trendsetter Shadow, Metal and Crystal Palace Splash and Fizz. I'm also ready to turn the heel on my first sock. I'm using Mega Boots Stretch. I like it but but this will be the first and last time I knit with it. The 2-ply splits too much.
My last jewelry class was last night. I learned so much. I made so many things. I have to take pics of them and post soon. Last night I made post earrings! They're so cute. I'm happy that I finished the class as a success. I was always confident in my ability to do the work, but I wasn't so sure of the terms and definitions. I didn't need to worry. I soaked it all up like a sponge.
New pictures coming soon. Here are pics of my summer vacation tho".

Star Charm Necklace and other encounters

I made this using a Swarovski crystal star, silver ceramic star and pearls on a silver chain. I wanted to use charm on a necklace instead of a bracelet. I've seen designs where the charms are strung directly unto the chain. I like the dangle/Y look. I string the items in groups of threes. It feels completely wrong otherwise. I think it's fung shuish or something. Anyway, I've made a few more with heart and key charms. I'm making another using a cherry charm with a mother of pearl shell fetish bird dangling from it and a crystal butterfly. I think it'll turn out nice.



I sold three girlie beanies at FirstFridays. People didn't hessitate to take them home. The black and white beanie it the only one that got to come back with me. I hope my beanies will be happy with their new owners. I feel so alone without them. I'm making more of them as fast as I can. I was googleling for the southwest trading company turqouise colored yarn, when I came across Al's picture at an Ebay auction for Karaoke. I couldn't stop laughing! Al, you are too cool! Do you even know this person?

Vroom! Ach Ach! Hairball

A knitted Ferrari was shown at the London Car show and that's the gal that did it. Can you see the seems? I can't imagine patterning this without a computer. I hate sewing pieces together. Maybe I wouldn't be so bad if I was as good as Lauren here. Gees! I found this link to an article on another blog.

This is my 4-wool drive

Goodwill Hat

I made this hat useing yarns that I got from Goodwill. It came in a bag of mixed acrylic balls. I also added a few rows of Dale of Norway. It was to much fun to make. I'll make another mixed color hat for myself soon. This one makes me look like a Conehead.

Slinky Cut-out Tank

Amimono Slinky tank
I really like Plymouth yarns but Wildflowers is hard to knit. The fibers split and create ratty loops. I have to stop and fix it. So it's no wonder that this tank is slow going. I rib for about 13 inches. I'm not used to Addi's chrome yet either. I can really get going if I sit in a quiet room and concentrate. If I'm undisturbed, "disturbed" being relative, then I can fall into a trance. Yeah, a trance. I get a few rows done this way. I feel positively refreshed and productive afterward. Then hungry in that order. Kidding! I'm always hungry.

I haven't blogged in like forever!

I've been working on a lot of jewelry making. I upload as many pics as I can. I store them at Photobucket. I knit every chance that I get, but I'm slow to finish anything. I completed the Ipod cozy. I used Noro and a pattern from Grumperina. I read somewhere that another knitter used the Grumperina pattern but added a back pocket. I added a pocket too. It's slighty crocked but sturdy. I used a pack of Bubbalicous to keep the shape. I don't own an Ipod. I cut a piece of shower curtain liner for the protective cover. The plastic, as expected, gave me problems. I changed the presser foot on my sewing machine to reduce the friction between the plastic and the face plate. I used brass buttons and an adjustable strap.

better late than never

I'm finally back on my diet. It's a little late for the Summer season, but I need to get back in shape. I'm absolutely commited to eating correctly and working out. My plan is to regain flexibilty and reduce my body fat ratio. I'll eat a low sugar, low salt, low carb, high protien diet. That's the easy part. The hard part is to stay away from fast food and Cokes. I need a Coke right now. Eat to live and not live to eat. Right!

Sample breakfast:

This month I started my Etsy store. It's really cheap to list and sell your handmade goods. So far a few visitors have come by to see my stuff, but no sales yet. I Googled some of my items and they didn't show up on the search. Then I Yahoo searched my stuff and didn't get any hits at all. I'm shocked! My items should be reached by search engine. I'm so discouraged. I don't know what to do about it. I need to fix it in a hurry!

Here's a few bracelet's that I made for gifts.

Charms from Disney World

Magnetic Hematite and Garnet Bracelet

Drugde

Today at work (I'm still here), I became the extra person. I hate being the extra person, because my sups try to find dumb things for me to do. It's as if they think I shouldn't be allowed to do get paid doing nothing. It's not my fault that the schedule overlaps on Tuesday mornings. So thank goodness I brought my scarf project. I surfed the internet looking at local bead stores. Then the firewall failed to keep me from accessing Myspace. I messaged my friend Tina a coupla times. I discovered Victoria's Secrets bra and panty sale. It was another firewall lapse. I also read a few book reviews. By this time coffee was failing me, so I got out my scarf and started knitting it. I got a few rows done before I started falling asleep. I managed to add one stitch and drop another. Big warning! Don't knit at work while falling asleep. I'm spending the last hour of my shift, ribbing the last five inches of rows. *SIGH*

Mosiac knitting

I got a tip from an anonymous blogger. Schoolhouse Press is publishing Mosiac Knitting by Barbara Walker in April. It's more afforadable than the 1976 copies. They even offer free shipping with a pre-order. It sounds like my knitting library will be greatly enriched. I'm very happy for the opportunity to own a copy.