New Finished Projects!

I made my own pattern for Luna Lovegood's Gryfinndor Spirit Quidditch Lion Hat (wow, what a mouthful of a title!). I made it way too big. How did I do that? I thought I had tried it one before I added the ears and mane...but something happened! hhhmmm...

Anyway, I just flipped up the brim. It's not like I'll be wearing it everyday, ha. Probably just for school when we have crazy hat day or favorite book spirit days. However, if I make this again for any special orders, know that it will be made to size correctly! Infant through child sizes $30 and teenage through adult $35. This hat costs a little more because it has more details and materials.

Another hat I finished was my Baby Yoda Hat. It was my first felted project. I think it came out so cute! I got the pattern from ravelry. I am currently making a baby Yoda sweater/robe. I only have the sleeves to make and then sew it all together.

I need to add stiffener to the ears to make then stick out on their own.

Ravelry Harry Potter Knits and Crochets

I am a first year, first term (winter)...Hufflepuff!!! Yay! This is the house I wanted to be sorted into. So, all the professors say not to do too much your first term. This month I think I will do potions class. The assignment for January is to make something scary. I think I will make a Dark Mark messenger bag. But I'm thinking I may do crochet and felt it. Even if I don't do crochet, I am going to felt it I think. The only thing...I don't have these colors in my stash, and I don't want to buy more yarn because it goes against my "Make Do and Mend" new year resolution...so...I don't know what to do. I will have to think about it, but I can't wait too long because I only have January to come up with something for class and to turn in and earn house points. You should check this great idea out on Ravelry!

New Year Motto: Make Do and Mend

I am going to give the blog another go. I will mostly focus on my crafts and projects, but share some of my other lives (teaching, family, etc.). My new motto for this new year is Make Do and Mend. I've been listening to Brenda Dayne's podcast Cast On, for some years now. Series 8 from last summer was titled "Make Do and Mend". While I loved listening to this while knitting, the motto didn't sink in for it's real meaning. Not until just a few days ago when I was listening to CraftSanity (another crafting podcast) and I listened to an episode from August with an interview with the Beerhorst family, did Make Do and Mend finally make sense to me. I don't even remember anyone actually saying this phrase, but what they shared about their lives explained it all. I don't need to run out to Michael's or JoAnn's when I think I "need" something, such as the perfect buttons or exact color of yarn after 3 tries, etc. Believe me, I have plenty of STASHES of yarn, buttons, paper, stickers, yarn, yarn, yarn...
We recently moved and I got new furniture for my craft room. Putting away my yarn- a whole closet full of cubbies filled with yarn! By color, fiber, weight. I don't need to buy any for a long time...but yet I can't help but look forward to a trip to my local yarn shop! I always say to myself, "But I'm supporting local shops!" But I'm realizing that I have PLENTY to create with and I need to stop wasting my energy going out to get what I think I need and spend that energy looking through my button jars and using what I already have. When I feel the urge I say, "Make Do and Mend" and that makes me stop and think, "Do I really need to get this?" It's been working the past few days, and I'm hoping to keep it my motto this year and throughout. How exciting to see what creations I will come up with, with the many supplies that I have here in my home!

i went to Sock Summit 2009!!!

It was the best day ever! I will post some pics soon. I got the cutest hand scultped stitch markers of an owl and mushroom. I want to get some more from "Good to be Girl", she has some cute cupcakes and others. I got some beautiful yarn from "Becoming Art": "Twilight (which one one of the Dye for Glory categories) and "Outlaw". Both beautiful! Looking for the perfect pattern! There was SO MUCH in the market place!!! What goodness!

Green Eyes

My cat is a Russian Blue and has the most beautiful bottle green eyes. I love my Yuri!

I am rereading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I just sent it to one of my brothers to read for the first time. I hope he does! I know he'll love it just as much as the rest of us!

I can't believe I am going to the Sock Summit this weekend!!!! I really don't know what to expect, except for crazy overload of knitting goodness! My poor husband is taking me and must hang out with me! I told him he can wait in line to get my books autographed while I shopped. He said, "Will there be enough people to be a line?" Ugh, I can't believe he said that! Hello, there are going to be 150 vendors alone!!! And it's in the convention center!! My goodness! I see this as my last summer to-da because next week I start professional development classes for school, then teacher inservice, and then the start of school!

Summer Days

Colorado was a fun trip! I got some nice worsted Malibrigo in true Colorado colors (red like the hills/plateaus and some yellow like the hot sun) for a hat on Knitty called Foliage. I haven't wound it up yet, because I am waiting to buy a ball winder from Knitpicks soon.
I sold 5 of my hats! I was able to buy more yarn =)

In 2 weeks I go back to classes and then inservice...already!

. School's Out For Summer!

It was a bittersweet goodbye today- my class this past year has been the sweetest and best class any teacher could ask for! They were truely the class every teacher says "This is why I became a teacher!". They were sad to leave until they met their uber cool 5th grade teachers and all of a sudden they became the oldest and coolest kids of the school =) I also met my new class for next year and they seemed very sweet. There is always one though =) I can hear the song, "schools, out for summer!".