FO: Hitchhiker

I haven't blocked it.  I haven't woven (weaved?) in the ends.  But I'm counting this as an FO.

My Hitchhiker!  A bit of a poor excuse for one, with only 38 teeth, but I am still quite pleased.

Yes, marvel at my amazing photo editing skillz using Paint to seamlessly join two photomagraphs!

Stats
Pattern: Hitchhiker
Yarn: Schoppel wolle Zauberball
Needles:  3.25mm circulars

Obviously the best thing about this piece is the yarn.  (Oh just look at the amazing things you can make from this yarn.)  Although I think this pattern looks awesome in a plain colour too.  I would also really love to knit one with stripes.   It is a very good pattern, I had no difficulty in memorising it, and this is only the second thing I've knit. 

I'm a bit over garter stitch now though, so will be moving on to bigger and more challenging projects soon!

Vogue.  Strike a pose.  Even a blurry one.

Blocking will probably make it look nicer, but I'm time poor and also lazy right now.  I really like it against the grey.  It's going to add a great pop of colour to my predominately black Melbourne wardrobe.

la la la la.  also I must learn to take photos in better light.  whatevs.

---

Linking up with Tami's Amis FO Fridays, and Fiber Arts Fridays at Wisdom Begins in Wonder.

***CATURDAY PLUG***

Every Saturday is Caturday at My Grandmotherly Ways.  Every Caturday I share a picture or two of The Kitten, and maybe some other feline related stuff.  I include a widget which so you can link up with me, so you too may participate in Caturday and show us your furbabies!! Hope to see you back here on Caturday!!

Caturday VIII

Welcome to another Caturday, the day dedicated to The Kitten, her cuteness and her various shenanigans.  The day I also invite you to particpate and link back at the bottom :)

This week I've had a bit of a case of the sads.  Just one of those everything-that-could-go-wrong-does-and-I-can't-do-anything-right-fuck-my-life kind of weeks.  But then A will sent me this text, and things seemed just a bit better.

Cuteness update, keeping me fully informed on all the latest cuteness news.

And in case you'd like a larger version of this photo taken in atrocious light, here it is.  You can't say I never did nothing for you.  (Don't mind me.  I can't brain today.  I has the dumb.)

Apparently she was sleeping quite peacefully until A came in and flashed the camera at her.  Suck it kitten! 

And today's topic, Kitties in Literature (the term 'literature' is used loosely)

So, I recently finished reading the Hunger Games series.  The series wasn't mindblowing, but it was entertaining enough for me.  One of my favourite characters was Butercup (well of course the Hunger Games has its own wiki!). My only emotional response was near the very end of book three, involving an exchange between Katniss and Buttercup.  I won't spoil it for you.  I will say however that I actually welled up, which is rare for me when reading any book.  I'm so tough.

Enough talking Tanya!  What did you find when you googled 'Hunger Games Buttercup'?  Well, since you ask so nicely, Hunger Games advices!

Advice Buttercup

via

More hunger games advices here!!

***BONUS**

Katniss Pusheen.  Your argument is invalid.

 So, any kitty related posts you'd like to share?  Pop your deets into Mr Linky below and link back here!

Caturday VII (late)

Alright I'm tardy this week, but The Kitten still needs to be appreciated, and gosh darn it if I can deny her!  So, lets celebrate  Caturday !!!

May the fourth be with you


As you would be aware, it was Star Wars Day on Friday.   This week, The Kitten gives you her best Jawa impression.

Utimi!

In honour of Star Wars Day,  I have painstakingly scoured Google images to make this  Caturday as Utini as poss.  You're welcome.

Via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

(Many many more I could have included, see here for example!)


If you'd like to share your feline related post, please include your link below!!

And linking up with Squee Sunday, so something good comes out of being late :D

WIP: garter garter garter

Ahhh back to the familiarity that is a normal WIP Wednesday and Yarn Along.

I wasn't going to do a post today, but to hell with it, I'm proud of my progress!

Getting closer to the end of my Hitchhiker, although sadly I will not make it to the magical 42nd tooth.  I currently have 31, and with less than one colour repeat left, I think I'll be lucky to get another 4 or 5.  Sad :(  I hope it's long enough.  Buying another skein of yarn is out of the question, as is frogging to add a different yarn to make cool stripes.  I might try seeing if I can find some yellow to tack onto the end, as I will be finishing with yellow.  We'll see. 

Last week, I was up to the yellow.  Judging by my progress, I am obviously a kniting master.

I've got 2 chapters left of Mockingjay (lord I am an idiot.  I wanted a fancy link for here, but then I actually read the frickin Wiki page and now know the ending. So yeah, don't click it if you don't want to know.  A has been so annoying lately, as he read the wiki pages ages ago, and periodically asks me "so how's the book going", and when I recount the latest chapter I've read, he keeps asking "I know what happens, I can tell you"  bah!).  Book 2 was my favourite, with book 1 coming in second and book 3 coming in third.  It just gets a bit ridiculous, and people I liked died, so that sucks.  Boo!  After my initial meh-ness on this series I've warmed up to it and enjoyed it for what it is, teenage fluff.  I'm looking forward to the next movies though, hurry up dammit!

Oh god, I spoiled the ending for you didn't I? (via)


These books reminded me tons of John Marsden's Tomorrow Series, which I love.  If you like teenages running around blowing shit up and saving the worldishness, you should read Tomorrow.  Now I'm looking for my next series to start reading, or maybe I should get back to Game of Thrones.  Finishing a series (albeit a short one) is the WORST!

-Linking to-
WIP Wednesday (Tami's Amis)

WIP Wednesday (Ambassador Crochet)

Yarn Along (Small Things)
Keep Calm and Craft On {Crafting on} (Frontier Dreams)

***CATURDAY PLUG***

I'm still trying to start a *thing*.  Because I love The Kitten so much, I always want to share her awesomeness with those around me!  So, every Saturday is Caturday at My Grandmotherly Ways.  Every Caturday I post a picture of The Kitten, and maybe some other feline related stuff.  I add a widget which allows you to link up with me, so you too may participate in Caturday and show us your furbabies!! Hope to see you back here on Sat.... er... Caturday!!

Crochet & Knitting Blog Week

I'm a quitter!

I'm going to do a quick post to explain why I have quit CKBW .  So I'm dropping posts for Day 4 (3KCBWDAY4), Day 5 (3KCBWDAY5), Day 6 (3KCBWDAY6) & Day 7 (3KCBWDAY7) (those are links to other blog posts for that day if you actually want something interesting to look at).

On top of not really getting time, I just didn't care about it really.  Frankly, I had better things to do than come up with something "blogworthy".  Additionally, the topics just did not inspire me, I found thinking about what to write extremely boring, so imagine if I made you read that stuff!!!

Day 4: A knitter or crocheter for all seasons?  How would anyone find that interesting?  (I too did not find other's posts particularly riveting on this front.  Oh it's too hot to knit?  duh).

Day 5: Something different.  I actually really enjoyed looking at others' posts for this one.  (This one by Knitting, Reading, Photography and maybe more was actually mind bogglingly good - take a look!)  But looking made me realise I just did not have the time or energy to contribute, and anything I did would seem rushed and lame. 

Day 6:  Improving your skillset.  Again, who cares?  I'm sure you don't care about my skillz.  You probably visit my blog to check me out, and that's cool.  Besides, I'm a crochet master, and I really don't like to brag ;) 

Day 7:  Crafting Balance.  Again, uninspiring.  "I like crochet the best, yessir!" 

Wildcard:  Craft your perfect day.  Yawn.  Who actually cares?  "I love crafting and I just wanna craft all day oh yeah"

I probably broach these topics every now and again while generally blogging, so I suppose that's my preference.  Keep it natural. 

This post is not meant to be offensive or derogatory to any of you who did participate.  I follow a lot of you and read all your posts, and probably didn't comment because my thoughts would have been along the lines of "that's nice".  I guess I found the whole thing a bit restrictive.  I don't like being told to "be imaginative", "be creative" etc.  This is my blog dudes, I don't want to stress about posting every day and force things I wouldn't usually talk about.  Whatevs.  In the words of popeye, "I yam what I yam and that's all that I yam!"


via

Thanks for visiting, I'll try to be a bit more positive next time :)

Caturday VI

*cue music from Elton John's Saturday*

Caturday! Caturday, Caturday, Caturday! Caturday, Caturday!

You'll have that in your head all day now :D

That's right, it's Caturday!  The day I set aside to reflect on the cuteness of The Kitten, and invite you to do the same with your furbabies!

We got a new car a couple of weeks ago.  It's a new NEW car!  So, that is pretty awesome.  The Kitten also approves.  She treats it like a play ground.  She's an inside kitty, so even going out into the garage is a bit of a novelty for her (yes, we are cruel cruel humans).

Generally, we let her 'out' (ie into the garage) once a week, while we bring in our groceries (such an exciting life we lead!).  During this time she generally goes a bit skitzo, sometimes yowling while she does laps of the car, jumping into the boot while we remove our shopping and climbing on top of the car.  We find this quite entertaining.  Usually when she's on top of the car, she's a super duper fraidy cat and has to walk down in the most delicate way.

I am a cat and I do what I want.

I'm not quite a crazy cat lady (A is not allowing me to accumulate any more kitties until we get a bigger place), but I love this idea for your car if you are one:

via

(As an aside, Mikey Robbins calls those stick figure family stickers people put on their cars 'bogan hieroglyphics')

If you have a post about your kitty you would like to share, please fill out the form below and link back here to join the party!  

Crochet & Knitting Blog Week - 3KCBWDAY2 - Photography & 3KCBWDAY3 - My Crochet Hero

I knew trying to participate in CKBW would be difficult.  I just don't get all that much time for blogging, and less time to take lovely photos, as there is limited daylight when I get home.  Boohoo for me!
So, I'm cramming TWO topics in today, and linking up with WIP Wednesday!  Do you have a problem with that??

Day 2:  Photography Challenge
I got a new hook!  It's a lovely 3.00mm Addi Comfort Handle Hoook and it handles like a dream (hehe get it)?  Using it is like a knife through butter, I could not recommend it more highly.  This photo is dedicated to my lovely new hook, who I have named Natasha.  

Oh lordy thats gorgeous. 

So that's my ripple baby blanket, now with 48 rows (I think this makes me at around 51% complete!)  I also took an uber close up photo of some recent progress on another WIP, my hitchhiker.  I was just going bonkers only working on projects for others and I really needed some me time, you know?  Not that I've done much, I think I added like 4 teeth, but I worked through all the pink and yellow you see below.  It's a bit boring as I feel I've gone beyond garter stitch now am itching to start something a bit more challenging (well, I kinda did start testing a pattern for something A LOT more challenging but I will not bore you with details.... yet).

pretttyyyyyyy

Day 3:  My Crochet Hero


Without a doubt, Lynn from Sweet Little Stitches.   She's recently started releasing patterns on Ravelry. 
There are people who are good with colour, and people who make lovely things.  These people are ok, but I am just not impressed, because I always thing, with enough time and resources I could do the same.   What Lynn does is make practical, wearable crochet items from her brain!  She makes them up!  Her technical abilities just astound me - she even invented a crochet stockinette (Not tunisian)! I've just bought the pattern for the sailor blues shawl because its just lovely - it doesn't even looked crocheted (not that I don't want my things to look crocheted) but it's just ingenious in its simplicity!

Sailor Blues Shawl

To see other bloggers' pictures for day two and three of Crochet & Knitting Blog WeekChallenge click here or here.


Another reason that I haven't had much time today (even though it was a public holiday and I wasn't at work) was that I was out all day trying to see The Avengers!  (why did I link to that?  As if you don't know what I'm talking about!)  OMG the cinemas was pandemonium!!  I have never seen it in such a state!  I should have taken a picture because the line was out past Subway, and I know how much people like photographs of queues!!  The session we wanted to go to was SOLD OUT!  I nearly turned into the HULK right there I was so angry!  We went home, bought our tickets to the next session online (which I will henceforth do as a matter of course because I really hate queues... so much that if I wait in line at a store too long I will put my items back on the shelf and leave, but I digress...) and came back three hours later. 

via.  I told you there is a lolcat for everything!

TOTALLY WORTH IT GUYS, you need to go see it.  It was jam packed with Joss Whedon's patented character banter, lots of action (duh), and lots of classic lines  *teeny spoiler so don't read if you are a wussy*  Captain America tells Hulk to Smash!  hehehehee

-Linking to-

WIP Wednesday (Tami's Amis)

WIP Wednesday (Ambassador Crochet)

Keep Calm and Craft On {Crafting on} (Frontier Dreams)