Huh?

Well, I'm (nearly) done with my cardigan and, as I thought, have done a completely awful job of tracking its progress. This is mostly due to the fact that as I was working on it, I was too excited to see it done and didn't want to take time to snap pictures, etc.

Now I'm in the middle of trying to type up the pattern, and was wondering...does anyone know what the heck this says? I sure don't. But once I decipher my own handwriting, I'll be sure to post pics of the finished sweater AND the pattern! :)

Music Monday: Leslie Hall!

I've mentioned her a couple times, maybe posted a video or two, but I thought I should bring her up again. Because she's just that awesome. Well, really I should say she AND her band mates are awesome. I'm talkin' about Leslie.

Leslie (Hall) and the LY's are a small group out of Iowa. They started out as "cewebrities" and...well...I suppose they still are mainly that. But they also tour the country, and I am just waiting for the day they come here.

Just why do I love them so much? They are midwest girls and proud of it. Their overall aesthetic has a real '80s-neon-kitty-and-pink-bows-on-wicker-woven baskets kind of vibe. Leslie wears a LOT of spandex, gold usually...in fact I think spandex is all she ever wears. And they sing about crafts. And sequins. And snacks. And besides that, their music really is catchy.

Please look at her website and maybe even buy an album. I am also big on Leslie because she is not unlike any other independent crafter/artisan with a dream, working stitch by stitch to make that dream come true. Except her stitches are beats...well...and sometimes stitches. (She makes and sells spandex pants, too.)

My favorite new video of hers. Please be warned that it is what some might call "weird":

Bike Ride.

I got a new bike...and wicker basket. Nothing fancy, but it soooo pretty! :)

Pictures from its maiden voyage....

Decisions, decisions....

For the longest time, I have been wanting to have my own custom fabric printed up at Spoonflower. The reason I haven't yet is that 1.) it's a little pricey so I want to be sure about my design and 2.) designing decent looking fabric is not the easiest task in the world, at least not for me. :/ And since I have quite enough to do already, I've not even messed with it.

Over the last few days, though, I've started to seriously think about what I would want. And the more I think and experiment, the more I realize the possibilities are endless!! Here is just one design I came up with. I did a little collage in photoshop elements using some pictures I snapped at Botanica this summer. Which color combo do you like best?

(Note that the watermark isn't part of the design. I normally wouldn't worry about it but who knows, I might decide that this will become part of an exclusive collection!)

Music Monday: Natacha Atlas: "Ana Hina"

Natacha Atlas is beautiful, dreamy, hypnotic. Her music is often categorized as "pop" but it's a far cry from Britney Spears. Natacha sings in English, French, and Arabic, and there is also a wide range of musics from different cultures that influence her style. And she is so very versatile--every one of her albums has a distinctly different feel, but all are excellent. The one I'm recommending to you today is Ana Hina, her latest release.

Ana Hina seems to be the least "poppish" of her works. It's elegant and smooth, and, well....you just have to hear it! There are so many great tracks, but one of my favorites is "La Vida Callada." It is an eerie duet with Clara Sanabras, the words being from a poem written by Frida Kahlo.

Slugs.

Not too long ago, we had to take out some landscaping due to needing the underground water pipe to be replaced. This stump got unearthed, and was covered in slimy slugs! I think they're fascinating. This was from a few weeks ago, I just forgot to share. :)

Paper Ornaments: A Picture Tutorial

Materials:

• metal brads
• yarn or string
• scissors
• paper - I used pages from a vintage (replica) flower book. You could use something similar or some lovely scrapbooking paper, or whatever strikes your fancy! The pages I used are approximately 4" x 6.75". Using this size or the same ratio should give you perfect circles!

Follow the pictures...

Etsy Finds: Bronzed

Fall is upon us--

so close I can taste it...

I'm already wanting

autumn metallics.

Right now I've got bronze on the mind; rich but not too rich, muted and sophisticated.

vintage dress by PranceAndSwagger

hour glass neckalce by GwenDelicious

heels by lisunette

corsage brooch by TheBroochBoutique

woodland earrings by novella

liquid metal leggings by kellylynne

fingerless gloves by BellaBlueKnits

wrist wallet by WilmaWorld

tote by woodroots

silk/merino yarn by kangaroodyer

Music Monday: Beats Antique

I haven't talked about it much on here, but I am in love with music. (Who isn't?) But I also like a lot of music that isn't quite mainstream, and figure there's no reason to keep the awesomeness all to myself!

When I started bellydancing about 7 years ago, I got introduced to a whole new world (literally) of sound. At first I heard a lot of traditional song: Egyptian, Greek, Turkish, Spanish, etc. There was also world pop, and then some industrial/techno...and really all sorts of music.

Today I want to share one of my favorite modern bands, Beats Antique. They fall into the fusion/techno/instrumental category (though some of their newest songs have a few lyrics). True to their name, they mix some solid beats with older, more traditional ethnic sounds. The result is very rich, layered, soulful, and danceable. A lot of their songs also make for great "chill" music.

And--GASP!--upon checking out their website, I realize that their new album is due tomorrow! EEEEEeee! I'm going to go listen, and leave you with a couple of my favorite songs.

Beauty Beats...this one gives me chills!

A little slow at first, but it does pick up... LOVE it.

Sweater Adventure, Part 2

Wow! Not much to say other than I got quite a lot done on my cardigan since Friday morning. A lot of stockinette stitch and a little bit of arm shaping. I was thinking the front and back would be knit as one piece, and seamed at the side, but I'm thinking about some things and may end up knitting the two fron pieces separately. I don't like more seams, but it may work out better...

Sweater Adventure, Part 1

{very!} crude sketches of my idea...two sleeve lengths

I am going to knit my first cardigan. (Correction: first big person cardigan. I've made two for bebes.) I am calling this an adventure because I'm knitting it from my own half-baked "pattern," which isn't even written down completely. I'm mainly doing this because I couldn't find a pattern that was exactly what I wanted...so I'm taking my chances with my own construction skills! Eeeek!

Of course, I thought I would record its progress on here. I will try to keep you updated, even if it doesn't work out and I have to rip it all back (which I hope does not happen!)

But anyway, here's what I can tell you about it so far: the yarn is that lovely pink stuff I talked about last week. The style I'm envisioning is very simple but with a sort of vintage feel. Large buttons. Sort of a cropped length...or maybe not cropped, but definitely not long. Short or 3/4 length sleeves, depending on how much yarn I have--I may need to pick up more and pray they still have what I need at the yarn shop!

...and this is the bottom band of the back side

Giveaway Winner: iamthemandy

CONGRATULATIONS

to

iamthemandy!!!

She is the winner of my first Scapper's Delight Giveaway!

I would also like to say "Thank You" to everyone else who entered, as well. I will be sure to have more of these, so please keep an eye out for the next one. :)

And, in the meantime, take a peek at iamthemandy's wonderful handmade wares; she creates truly beautiful and 100% unique jewelry pieces from recycled and reused items. Check out her website, www.iamthemandy.com, for more info about her and her art. (And why not treat yourself or a friend to some of her great jewelry?!)

I love these earrings!!

Giveaway Reminder and Pink Yarn.

So yeah....don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY! Win folds of fabulous fabric, lengths of lovely lace, and a bevy of beautiful buttons!! (I could go on all day with the alliterations, ya know, so you best enter!)

You have until Tuesday to enter, so go to the post and comment--Good luck!

And here's the pink yarn from my favorite LYS (local yarn shop), Twist! I really love Twist...I may have mentioned this before...but it's great thing, because while I do like other yarn shops in the area and in surrounding towns, the best one just happens to be closest to me. By far the best selection and the best people in south central Kansas. Heck, probably the world. :)

But back to the yarn--4 skeins of Berroco "Vintage" in the color "Fondant." This may or may not be enough to knit myself a fitted, short-sleeved sweater or cardigan. I don't know because, well--I'm making up the pattern myself! Ahhhh!! But I ain't scared. It's only yarn. I can always unravel it. :)

{ pretty pink yarn, on its way home...}

Barn Chick Meeting: I knew I wouldn't find any apples here...-

...so I wore them.

And I am apologizing in advance, because this post isn't quite as thorough or fabulous as I'd like it to be. (I'm blaming it on not having much time for blogging right now due to trying to fill some orders, home-improvement emergencies, and other deadlines, AND the fact that my visit to this old family farmstead was unexpectedly cut short.) Blah blah.

Oh, and I should probably apologize for the pictures being gigantor...I can't seem to fix it. :(

Anyway, as I said, this barn and land belongs to the family. It was owned by my great uncle who passed away about a year ago, but it has been out of commission longer than that. So it's overgrown and falling down, but as you know, I appreciate that kind of stuff, too. :)

ALSO--just realized that I forgot to link to our lovely hostess, Karen, earlier. So, please be sure to check out Karen's blog, Brayton Homestead Interiors, where you will find lovely posts by her AND the entire list of Barn Chicks participating in this meeting. Be sure to visit them all!

My faaaaavvvorite vintage shell...I think I got it for maybe $3??

And sooooooo CORNY....but whatevs. :)