CraftyME: Summer Crafting wrap-up

So I started the summer being obsessed with sox, sox, sox. And guess what... I ended the summer still obsessed with sox. For some reason this has just been where all of my crafty mojo has been interested. WannaME seems to think that I am going to ultimately get to a point where I can just reach in my drawer on any given day and toss on a pair of sox that I made myself. Yeah...at this rate that will never happen.

As I said, this has been like the worst summah evah. It took like every ounce of everything I had to keep my sanity. So in efforts to feel better I decided to pick up a project that I cast on way back in May. I was determined to have a FO. I NEEDED to have an FO! It took me approximately 3 months to finish 1 single pair. But finished they are. They are my red stripey happy happy joy joy sox! And I F'LUV EM!!!

And just as I hoped it would, finishing my HHJJsox kick started my CraftyME juices. Immediately after those I cast on my Iris Ivy Anastasia Sox. A week in and I'm kicking arse on 'em. I'm already like half way down my big ol size 10 feet. And did you peep that, oh I'm fancy huh?!? Somebody is really feeling themselves and changing patterns up. Yeppers sure did! Took a single toe-up dpn pattern and made it 2-@-a-time.

I told you CraftyME is coming back. I've even been crocheting. I made a cute little baby blanket for one Ms. Chloe who is due to make her debut next month. Mom-to-be wanted a very simple mostly white blanket. So I took the Circles, Stripes & Squares pattern and modified it to her tastes.

As far as my other projects...let's just say they are on timeout. They need a few weeks to get themselves together. Either the project itself or the recipients lol. For now I'm just gonna keep trucking away on my Iris Ivy's. And work on some more posts. Catch Ya later. CraftyME

RememberME: I'm Baaaaack!!!

Hello dear friends. RememberME? Long time no see. Sorry to have left you on such a negative note. Needed to take some time to decompress. Now that the crappiest summer evah is ovah, I baaaaack! And I'm refreshed. Yesiree Bob! I've got more CraftyME goodness. More TouristyME adventures. Some WannaME cravings. And more. Watch this space cause it's all on the way.

HaterME: The Saboteur.....

So apparently Big Brother 12 was on to something with their new twist this summer. And apparently it's catching on across the nation.  
So today, Beastie Boys on rotation .

Sabotage.....

Whyyy; Our Backs Are Now Against The Wall
Listen All Of Y'all It's A Sabotage
Listen All Of Y'all It's A Sabotage
Listen All Of Y'all It's A Sabotage
Listen All Of Y'all It's A Sabotage

I Can't Stand It, I Know You Planned It
But I'm Gonna Set It Straight This Watergate
But I Can't Stand Rockin' When I'm In This Place
Because I Feel Disgrace Because You're All In My Face
But Make No Mistakes And Switch Up My Channel
I'm Buddy Rich When I Fly Off The Handle
What Could It Be, It's A Mirage
You're Scheming On A Thing - That's Sabotage

BB12 picked someone to come into the house and instead of playing the game, fighting to win $500K, their mission was to try to screwup everyone else's game. But at least The Saboteur would win $20K. What I don't understand is The Sab who does it for no reason. Well, no that's not true, I'm sure they have their own personal reasons, I just don't get them.

I've been battling Sabs all week. They are trying to jack up my work every time I turn around. And because I keep sidestepping their little traps, they keep trying harder. At first I thought it was my imagination or just little mistakes here or there. But now I can see it's deliberate.

People are funny. Why do they feel the need to tarnish my shine so that they can shine brighter? Don't they know you can't. lol I'm always gonna shine, whether you shine or not. I don't have to dull your shine to do it. I just turn mine up. And being the kind person that I am, I'll even toss some your way.  Heck Diddy said it

Yo, the sun don't shine forever
But as long as it's here then we might as well shine together
Better now than never, business before pleasure
 
But nooooooo since you can't do what I do, you try to mess up what I've done. It's ok. Because now I'll just have to blind you with my light. Plug in the 100 watt bulbs lol.

Something else I've learned this week. The Saboteur is not always someone else. I have found myself being sabotaged from within. WoeIsME can do some serious damage if I don't reign her in. WoeIsME almost had even our fearless superhero, CraftyME throwing in the hooks and needles to join her for some misery companionship.  

But it's okay Cause I'm combating it  ALL with a healthy dose of Estelle "Shine"

Oh this is my song
I'm just like you
I gotta fight to stay strong
Just cause it clears
It don't mean that it's over
I'm a shine
While my lights on
 

I'm a shine
I'm a shine
I'm a shine
While my lights on
I'm a shine
I'm a shine
I'm a shine
While my lights on

CraftyME held on and is still fighting the good fight against the WoeIsME blues.  CraftyME's gonna shine and get her craft on.......

WannaME: Uh oh I've finally done it.....

Just a quick little update. WannaME has finally gone and done it. Yes folks. I've finally given into the temptation. After months and months of fighting it. WannaME just bought a drop spindle kit from ETSY.

As if CraftyME needs another craft. Now I am really gonna give spinning my own yarn a try. Hopefully all will go well and by the time Stitches East comes around in October, I can invest in some awesome fibers and a better spindle. I'll keep you posted on how this works out.

RememberME: Memory Mondays....Tis the season (almost)

Today's Memory Monday was inspired by yesterday. What was yesterday? Yesterday was CHRISTmas in July. And what does this have to do with Memory Mondays? Well, I would like all of my fellow crafters and general gift givers to just take a moment to remember all of the craziness that ensues come December. Everyone has the best intentions all year round. But then December hits and there is just nothing left. No time. No $$. No interest because you are just so over this overly commercialized holiday that no longer has any meaning.

So my friends, be ye crafters, be ye shoppers, be ye broke, or be ye slackers. I raise the call to you today, the day after CHRISTmas in July. Starting now we have 5 months. Pick up the tools of your craft and plunge in. Let's see if we can actually follow through this year. Select small projects. Hit up you local 5 and dime. Don't forget the thrift stores. Gift giving doesnt have to mean breaking the bank. With some well timed planning you can find something for everyone on your gift giving list. Do they have hobbies, favorite colors or things, tv shows etc? Heck grab some old magazines and a picture frame from IKEA. Think of the recepient and go crazy. BOOM insta-collage! Crap did I just give away a potential gift?


All I know is CraftyME's digging in my stash and hands don't fail me now. Cause unfortunately a sista's pockets dont reflect the amount of love I have for my family and friends. I may not get everybody. But I'm gonna try. And just because I can, here's a sneak peek of what's to come....

Merry Xmas in July friends.....

CraftyME: LIFELINES SAVE LIVES!

On to the next project guys. Next up learning to knit from a chart and to knit lace. WannaME has like 52billion wraps/shawls in the queue. But I have been hesitant to start any because those charts look SCARY. So this week I decided to bite the bullet. What better way to beat WoeISMe blues, than to tackle a challenge? So I cast on The Traveling Woman shawl.  Here goes something.

One thing that I learned, the easy way thank you Little Baby Jesus, is LIFELINES SAVE LIVES! Something told me to put one in before I started the chart. Yeah ME am so smart because I actually listened.
 

Two rows later, I missed a YO or something because I was short 2 stitches. I tried to fudge it, but by row 5 yeah it wasnt happening. I had to frog 5 rows. And had I not listened to that little voice, I would have had to pull out 5 days worth of knitting instead of just 5 rows.

 If you dont have those fancy needles w/ the little hole to thread your lifeline thread through, just take a piece of tape and wrap it around the tip of your needle. I used painter's tape because it doesnt leave the sticky residue on your needle. OK that may be a little bit of a fib, I used it cause I couldn't find the scotch tape and it was right there lol. But it didnt' leave the residue so score for being a lazy bum.

  Place one when you finish a section and know that it's right before you move on to another one. Place one after x# of rows just so that if you do make a mistake it's so much easier to fix it.

Trust me that extra 2-3mins will save you a bunch of cursing later. All you have to do is follow the little red thread to put your stitches back on the needle.

So remember friends LIFELINES SAVE LIVES! And this is coming from someone who doesnt even gauge swatch ever.

WoeIs ME: CraftyME to the rescue.....

So there maybe a slight theme to my life lately. WoeIsME has been running rampant. I may have a day or so of relief and then its back to the gloom.  But once again CraftyME to the rescue... by way of my old boss.  Now this is a man who was wowed by the fact that I made an apple cozy and who loves to tease me on all of my CraftyME expertise. After reading a couple of WoeIsME's Facebook statuses, he made the following comment... Why don't you make a banana cozy to cheer yourself up?

You know what..........

IT DID!! It did cheer me up! lol And all of the comments that ensued provided tons of hilarity. And even lead to this....

Yep it's a tampon cozy!  Dude you gotta get your kicks wherever you can get em! I do have to say though. Crocheted tampons changed my life. Wait Wait let me explain. Not like that.  A few years ago I used to only crochet. And I used to visit this one gossippy message board. Well one day someone posted a picture of some crocheted tampons that they found online. Well that led me to discover Craftster.org. Which in turn led me to discover OnlineCrackSpot aka Ravelry.com. So if it wasn't for reusable tampons I wouldn't be the CraftyME, blogging, onedaypodcasting ME that you all know and love.