WIP: Seeing Green

There was no planning whatsover in the series of WIPs I have for your perusal today.  What could it all mean (hehe chryoprase.  I'd never looked it up before but I knew all the trolls on the discworld were named afeter geological things. hehehehehehe)??  Ahem.  Well, green...

Green is the color of nature, fertility, life. Grass green is the most restful color. Green symbolizes self-respect and well being. Green is the color of balance. It also means learning, growth and harmony. Green is a safe color, if you don't know what color to use anywhere use green.

Hmm.  Alright.  Check out my projects and tell me if you think they are safe, harmonious or balanced??

A new project!  I've been trying not to buy anymore yarn, or start anymore projects, but its so goshdarn hard!!  wwwwaaaahhhhh STOP JUDGING ME K??  Anyways, after finishing a mammoth project last week, I think it's ok to mix it up a bit with something small.  I cast on a garter stitch hat on Sunday using some bulky Pander Amber, it's purdy eh?  I had the sudden urge to make a bunch of colourful hats for the niecicles so I bought this yarn.  

Ok, so I wanted something a bit more challenging than garter, but you must admit, nothing looks better in close up!

My Spongey Scarf.  How do I love thee?  Let me not count the ways because I really don't.  Ok I'm being harsh, but this yarn is very difficult for a newbie to work with.  It is soft though, I imagine it will be like having some sort of green furry animal wrapped around my neck, an idea which I find quite appealing.  I'm finding it easeir than I did at the start, which I think I have my new bamboo needles to thank for, but I just want this one over with. (wow I have blogged about this one 4 times.  It's a one skein scarf!  That seems a bit excessive.  I promise only one more post about this one - when it's finished!)

I dunno, I can't think of anything funny to say.  Just look at my knitting, k?

The Blissful Flowers Shawl.  Oh poor little shawl, you were kinda finished, but you just turned out too small.  Why did you do this to me little shawl, when you were supposed to be a birthday present for my Crochet Biatch Ange back in May.  You've made me look like an absolute ho little shawl, and for that you will be punished, by being subject to my miraculous crochet skills whereby I add two more rows of flowers to you ex post facto.  TAKE THAT!  (Sorry for the delay Ange!!)

Why oh why will you not photograph true to your colour?  Stop being so difficult!!

I haven't done much reading lately.  I do that, I go through a period where I must always have a book on the go, then I go off reading for a while.  I tried reading one of Cherie Priest's steampunk zombie books, which you'd think would be awesome right, but found it super boring.  So much potential, so poorly executed.  And I generally stick it out with anything!!

Instead, I've gone back to the tried and true Pratchett, and am kicking off reading all the witch books with Equal Rites.  It's read by Celia Imrie, who I think is my favourite Pratchett-reader yet!  Her Granny is devine, and I love how Esk sounds like a little girl.  And what a great book it is too!  I always forget how much I love every single Pratchett book when it's been so long between readings <3

Why have I included a picture of Angelina Jolie in a badly photoshopped witch's hat rather than a picture of the cover?   I dunno, Google told me to (via)



-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***

Just a reminder, every Saturday is Caturday at My Grandmotherly Ways, meaning I post awesome pictures of The Kitten maybe some other feline related stuff, and invite you to partcipate by linking up to a post about your feline friend! 

May Movies

I watch a LOT of movies.  Time and again I've asked myself 'should I blog about them?'  The answer is generally no, because, who cares amiright?
But then I saw Kim's post about the movies she enjoyed in April (and now May) and I thought, surely it wouldn't be too boring if I did a movie post once a month would it?  So, I am unashamedly blogging about the movies I've seen in May!  M=seen at the movies, H=watched at home.

Beauty and the Beast, re-release in 3D. (M)
A wonderful trip into nostalgia.  Kids these days just don't get quality animated movies like we did.  The 3D actually looked really good on this!  Apparently Disney are releasing one of the classics in 3D every year.  I'm psyched!

My face, when I watch a Disney movie (via)

The Five Year Engagement (M)
I went in expecting a plain vanilla romantic comedy, and was pleasantly surprised by this often crude and offbeat jaunt.  Written by Jason Segal, so no wonder it was awesome.

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The Muppets (H)
A bought me this on Blu-ray the day it came out.  Thoughtful much?  ^_^  So obviously, I had to watch it straight away.  (I blogged about this when I saw it at the movies)  I love it more with each viewing - I've seen it about 5 times now.  Ditto above re Jason Segal.

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The Muppet Movie (H)
Coming off the high of The Muppets, I wanted to go back where it all began to relive the original Muppet Movie.  It's still amazing, and it hasn't dated at all!  

 Still one of the best movie effects I've ever seen!
 (via [Warning - if you click that link the magic will be explained])

The Avengers (3D) (M)
We saw this for the second time at the movies.  We saw it on opening day (25 April in Aust) and it was just shocking.  People brought babies.  BABIES!!  No offence to the parents out there, but please do not bring your babies to highly anticipated movies on opening day - especially if you cannot control them.  I mean, seriously, it's not a movie for little kids anyway.  It really spoiled the experience for us, and A is a huge comic book nut, so we had to see it again.  We probably would have seen it again in any case, but still.

Mewlnir (via)

Death Warrant (H)
Jean.Claude.Van.Damme.  I'm a late student to action movies of the 80s and early 90s. There are many many I haven't seen.  I'm currently working my way through Van Damme's hits.  The blurb on the back of the DVD really got me pumped "Your ticket to a Van Damme good time"!  How could I refuse?

In Death Warrant, JCVD is an undercover cop, posing as a criminal in a maximum security prison to figure out why a bunch of inmates have mysteriously died.  I wonder what it would have been like seeing these movies at the time they were made.  Would I be laughing my ass off the same way at JCVD's ridiculously high pants?  Would I be cheering with the same intensity every time he spin-kicks a person in the face?  My only criticism of this film was that Van Damme didn't do the splits.  Seriously, that's why I watch these movies!  At least his shirt was ripped off.

Tron: Legacy (H)

Another movie I watched because something else put me in the mood.  This time, Tron Uprising.  Uprising was so amazing and similar to Legacy I had to go back and revisit it.  Legacy is amazing, even though Clu's face creeps me out a bit.  

Speed Racer (H)

This movie.  Seriously, this movie.  I love this movie.  Don't you find, that every once in a while you see a trailer for a movie, and you're like whaaaaat?  I remember seeing the trailers for this movie, and I was like whaaaaat?  And then I saw the movie and it was freaking AMAZING.  I love everything about this movie, and I can watch it over and again.  I'm not really a car-race type person, but this movie is worth watching just for the car races.  I recently got it on Blu-ray just to experience the full blown colourful car-fu explosion of awesomesauce.   This movie didn't do well, which disappoints me (I keep reading really awful reviews.  Some people just can't be pleased! oh wait, I found at least one person who liked it. Some faith in humanity restored).  It's just so much FUN.

Go Speed Gooooo (via)

Men in Black and Men in Black II (H)

Getting in the mood for MIB3 (which I am seeing today!).  How crazy that it's been 10 years since the last one?  Love these movies, Will Smith is just too cool for me.  And I love the wurms.  They steal the show. 

From MIB animated - crazy eh? (via)

Anastasia (H)

I do love my animation.  Here's one of the non-Disney films that I quite like.  I had an urge to watch it so I went out and bought it.  I love hearing familiar voices in different settings - here John Cusack and Meg Ryan.  Lovely storey and music <3

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Les Miserables (H)

Do you hear the people sing?  Singing the song of angry men?  It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again!   I was listening to the musical soundtrack of the stage show recently when I got the urge to watch this movie. It's an old favourite for many reasons - anything with Liam Neeson is brilliant, and I love Uma Thurman.  I am not looking forward to Anne Hathaway as Fantine in the musical version of this movie coming soon - what do you think? 

via



Ahhh movies...  how do I love thee.  See you next month!! 

Caturday XI

Yo yo yo!  It's Caturday!  The day dedicated to the The Kitten and the ridiculous amount of cuteness she eminates, and invite you to do the same with your kitty! 

Today, photos from the phone!!  The phone is always nearby, it increases my ability to snap The Kitten unawares when she is being cute.   The photos may not be the best quality, but the cuteness is always top notch!

Today's topic:  Kittens in Literature

A walk down memory lane today.  I loved, and still love, the Serendipity books written by Stephen Cosgrove and illustrated by Robyn James.  I'm trying to build up a complete collection of them now.  We had about 5 of them.  Fanny was one of them.   

via

Once you get over the alternate meaning of "fanny" (especially the aussie meaning) the book is lovely!  I really loved these books for the amazing artwork.  And yeah, it's nice they all have a message about being good to each other etc etc, but even as a child I remember thinking it was a bit of wank.  LOL.  But again, the calibre of the illustrations kept me reading and re-reading our limited supply of Serendipity books.

via

If you'd like to join in, please fill in the mister linky below!!

FO: Layette

Who knows what a layette is?  It seems no one that I speak to does!  I think it's old fashioned.  Grandmotherly even.  The Authority tells me it's a US thing.  Anywho, my idea of a layette is:  blanket, matinee jacket (another apparently outdated term), booties and hat.  So that's what I made for a friend of mine.  Her baby girl is due in July.  On my birthday even, how awesome is that?  And you know what my friend said?  "I hope I have a little girl just like you"!!!  Awwwwwww!

So this baby is going to be awesome.  And I thought, awesome baby needs an awesome hand crocheted set, so my awesome friend can tell people, "my awesome friend made these for my awesome baby".  It's all about me really.

I gave this gift to my friend yesterday.  There were tears.  You know you've done something right if you make them cry, a motto I live my life by.  I probably would have cried if I received this layette as a gift too - I'm so so so proud of it so obviously am very excited to show it off to you now!  Many gratuitous photos to follow.

Bah!  The only photo I took with the set showing the whole blanket.  Blurry, but you get the idea.

 I made the cardigan from this set, and picked up some cute buttons from ebay.  They don't exactly match, but they are cute, and isn't that all that really matters?  Ravelled here. 

I didn't like the bonet that went with the set (I don't really see babies wearing bonets), and I couldn't understand what the pattern was on about when it came to the booties, so I didn't make those either.  Instead I made these Mary Jane Booties. I made these very late in the piece, so I feel they're a bit rushed, and they're really only going to fit awesome baby as a newborn.  But cute!  And matching buttons.  Ravelled here. 

I struggled to take a photo of these, but behold - booties!

I had a real dilemma finding a hat pattern to match.  I wanted a beanie because I think they're more versatile.  So, instead I made one up, inspired by the cardigan pattern, and using this size guide to hopefully align with the size of the awesome baby's head.  I'm quite proud of this one, and will be writing out the pattern proper soon.  Ravelled here.

See how it has matching stripes??  and the edge folds up??

And the matching blanket, inspired by the cardigan pattern.  It measures 37" by 31.5", and looked to me like a nice size to wrap around a baby.  It weighs just under 450g.  This is the pièce de résistance (ooOOoo fancy) of the set in my opinion.  It's realllly soft and snuggly, and I think the edging really makes it look professional  (edging inspired by Gillian's edging on her Wool Eater Blanket).  I'll probably write this up as a pattern properly too.  Ravelled here.

10 points if you can spot the embedded cat hairs.

I blocked the blanket in my usual way (soaked in some lukewarm water for an hour or so, then rinsed thoroughly.  Squeeze the excess water out and then roll in a towl to really suck the water out.  Pin to cardboard covered with towels).  

Blocking a bit wobbly, but how often are you going to spread the blanket out and look at the whole thing?  I'm guessing, not very often.

The whole set is made using Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 4 Ply.  It's described as 'baby wool' and that's no lie.  It was soft to begin with, but blocking rrrreeeallly made it soften up and gave it beautiful drape.  A little bit splitty, but I used a 3 and 3.5mm hook for all these items, so it might not catch so much with a larger hook.

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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 so you can link up with me and participate in Caturday and show us your furbabies!! Hope to see you back here on Caturday!!

CBC - 27 May

The Crocher Biatch Club (or CBC) convened yesterday for a day of catching up with masterchef, baking, gassbagging, cuddling of furbabies, eating and of course, crochet.  It's funny how little crochet I find myself doing during CBC. 

This time, we met at Rhon's.   Rhon and I both needed to make something for morning tea at work, so we utilised CBC to do some baking.  Rhon made a delectable lemon slice with passionfruit icing, and I made this almond, chocolate and date torte.

As for crochet, Rhon was freestlyin' some fingerless gloves in a retina-burning hot pink cotton.  Ange was bordering some granny squares and I showed her how to join-as-you-go, and am proud to say that I had a very proficient student!  (I feel I need to mention here that those blue and green squares are most definitely not Ange's choice in colours.  She's making this particular afghan for her hubbie, and Ange thinks these colours are repulsive!  LOL.  I think they look great, and she has done a smashing job!).  Ange is also getting her ripple on.  For my part, I continued to work on my baby set.

There were lots of cuddles going on with both Aslan and Vervainn, who I introduced you to last time.   A good thing too, because it was flippin' freezing.  Thanks for keeping my feet warm Assie!!

Thanks for a lovely day gals, see you at my place next time!

xox

Tan

[Linking up with Make Something Monday, just for the hell of it!]

Caturday X

Welcome to another exciting edition of Caturday!  The day I unashamedly dedicate to the The Kitten and her shenanigans, and invite you to do the same with your kitty!   And today is a very special Caturday because it's Caturday the tenth!!! Wooo!! *confetti**streamers**trumpets*

Today, The Kitten hangs out in my clothes basket.  I've exhibited evidence o the effect that The Kitten likes my clean laundry, and here is another example. 

Ok, you can have a scratch.  Only because you're cute!!

Today's topic:  Other blogger's cats.

Katia from Etudes de K has kindly permitted me to feature her kitty, Saoune!

Saoune was born in the street, and was abandoned after being adopted by a young couple.  He was found frightened and shy in the city center by the association L'Ecole du Chat.  Saoune was adopted by Katia 1 April 2012, and Katia describes him as very kind and affectionate.


Katia is making a Felted Cat Basket, and by the looks of things, Saoune loves it even as a work in progress!!

So freaking cute!!

Awwwww!

Would you like your kitty featured on My Grandmotherly Ways? Contact me and your kitty could be famous!!

If you'd like to join the cuteness party, fill in the mr linky below, and link back here!

Caturday IX

Is the ratio of Caturday to non-Caturday posts too high?  Well, I can't help it!  The amount of crochet and knitting in my life fluctuates significantly, whereas the amount of cuteness in my life due to The Kitten is generally the same.  So, no apologies!

Today:  the difference a moment can make.  Look at The Kitten go from relaxed to freaked out in the blink of an eye!

And for your enjoyment, a cute and crazy kitten spazzing out at some apples!

If you'd like to join Catufday, pop in your deets below and link back!