Little Hawk-date

After his doctor's appointment, some advice, (cover up the windows with dark blankets) and some medication, Little Hawk is feeling much better and less barf-y and fall-y. He felt better enough to eat, and consumed a great deal of Taco Bell.
He was also very sweet and thoughtful, not worrying about how badly he was feeling, and only concerned about me- what a thoughtful guy.
He ordered me to buy some nice craft things for myself, so I got a dozen spools of colorful thread. Singer now has biodegradable plastic spools, and when Singer says it bio-degrades, Singer means business, because I am watching the spools crumbling on my desk!

Le Sigh

Just when I thought Little Hawk was feeling better.....
He had a relatively good morning today, and even felt well enough to drink some coffee. The next thing I know, he starts throwing up and then got dizzy and fell off the couch.  Twice.
 Ensuing conversation:
Little Hawk: Honey! Call 911, I think I broke something!
Little Bird: What? What did you break? Where does it hurt?
Little Hawk: I don't know, but every time I move I hear something crunching!
Little Bird: Dear, you fell on a bag of corn chips.

Luckily, the corn chips did not need an ambulance.

I got him back up on the couch, with a rolled up blanket under the cushions so he couldn't fall off again. (yay for nurse skills!) I email my teacher that I may be late for class, and go to the kitchen to wash some dishes while I wait for his doctor to call. Now, remember that Post Concussive Disorder causes short term memory loss, so it's basically like having stage three Alzheimer's.  Naturally, Little Hawk dozed off, woke up, wondered why he was on the couch, and popped up into his chair again. Have I mentioned he's a paraplegic?
He rolls into the kitchen, scaring the liver out of me, and asks for some Sprite and a cold compress I put him back on the couch with orders NOT TO MOVE and then, finally, his doctor calls. While I am busy talking to his doctor, he sneaks off the couch again, only to have another dizzy spell and crack his forehead on the coffee table. I cut things short with the doctor, turn him on his side while he dry heaves, then put him to bed. Another email off to the teacher, and an emergency appointment with the local clinic.  Then, while I was on the phone with the clinic, he got up AGAIN.
I love him so much. I'm just terrified that he's going to fall and die.
No time to cry, I have a doctor's appointment to go to.

Happy Birthday Nanou

I read the blogs of some wonderful, creative and beautiful crafters, who decided to celebrate the birthday of one of their close friends by making a little blog about her creations.
It is the most beautiful celebration of someone's creativity, love, and giving heart that I have ever seen, and it has truly inspired me. Happy birthday, Nanou, and continue to spread your magic across the world.

Rug-weaver, Not ... ... Ok, I Can't Make That Joke Here.

I had a fun time tonight twining a braided rug out of a climbing rope. It was super fun and I am looking for similar patterns that I can translate into woven mats and such made of yarn.

Also, Bunny was super sweet and gave me some special shinies for my magpie stash.
Last but not least, here is the Beauty Queen, begging for a belly rub.

Better Than Christmas

This weekend was a little rough. Someone I know died this week, I was behind on my homework, and Little Hawk was not feeling well at all, so I couldn't go work on it. Then something happened that brightened my mood. 

As I mentioned before, I had the luck to win a givaway hosted by Umelucky. I got her package this weekend and it was full of wonderful things!

Every little carefully wrapped package tied with jute! It was all so carefully and thoughtfully put together!

A beautiful card made from homemade paper

Tiny stamped tags

Little wormy bravely sunning himself on the cat's patio. Fear not, he is now safe on my desk!

More gift tags and a pretty pretty clothespin

A bonus- a BEAUTIFUL lavender sachet made from a soft, quilted cotton. I love it dearly and it is in my workroom.

Even MORE tiny tags! 

The softest cowl you have ever seen, with another heart. My husband claimed this one as soon as he saw it and hung it in his office. :D I love my silly Little Hawk. 

Pictures cannot do this cowl justice. It is SO SOFT and COLORFUL and SPARKLY. I ADORE IT!!

Thank you so much, Umelucky. You made a rough weekend so much better. :D As soon as my paycheck is deposited, I will mail you something special.

Best. Morning. Ever.

Is there a better way to start off the day than to take a drive with your best friend?
Wait, there's also free lattes and scones?
Best way to start off the day EVER.
My spindle finally arrived from Knit Picks. Spinning is SO MUCH FUN. I have already spun up every scrap of available fiber.
I have been eagerly awaiting a package of wonderful, handmade-with-love goodies from the talented umelecky. I was lucky enough to win her awesome givaway. Yay!
Also, I have been working on a lot of projects. Since Bunny and Kitten are here doing crafts a lot, but they don't seem to have their work-baskets put together, I am doing it for them. It's the least I can do, after all the support I have gotten. I started with two handled boxes that are covered in Liberty prints. I got them from Target, but can't find them in the online catalog so no links for you. Anyway, I then went to the store and grabbed a couple of round Singer tape measures. I followed the idea from Tiny Apartment's Owl Measuring Tape, but made a bunny and a kitty instead. There will  be pictures at some point.
I want to make a set for another friend, but I'm not sure if she wants to join our group or not. Also I haven't come up with a nickname for her.
In other news, I finished Kitten's cup cozy, and it was SO EASY. Super fun. Awesome instructions.
Also, Little Hawk is doing better, which is good because one cannot be happy when their significant other is suffering.

The Only Thing We Have To Fear Is Cables

Or not, as it would seem. I started a quick easy knit cup cozy for Kitten, as her socks will not be done in time. Curse you, top down socks! I had to rip the first sock out because it was too small.
I have been frustrated a lot about school, the huge pile of homework looming over me, and Little Hawk. He fell down a flight of stairs at a local business a week ago and had a pretty bad concussion, and has not been improving at all.
It is actually terrifying me, although I try to keep a happy face for him. His memory is terrible, he has been having splitting headaches and horrible nightmares. we are in constant contact with his neurologist and local doctor, trying to get him onto cognitive therapy.
On the bright side, Code Enforcement has determined that the building does not comply with the ADA, so it is the building's fault and the owner and business have to pay for any medical issues.

Cats and the Attack of the Hair

I finished up my pink stripey socks, and am almost done with a pair for Kitten's birthday this weekend. These socks are a nice plush acrylic, to prevent accidental felting, in a black basket weave check.

 I love my new socks so much. 

Also, because the sun has been so lovely, I made a little spot for the cats to chill and watch the passersby. Since I haven't filled the bird feeder in a while, it's not as exciting as it could be, but between the warm sun and the heating vent below, the cats are pretty happy about it. 

As you can see, our windowsill is too small for them to sleep on, so I pushed the couch closer to it and put a piece of Foamcore over the gap, with a comfy blanket. 

Mew approves. 

So does Coraline. She is currently sporting a snazzy sweater I made her out of an old sock. Coraline is not pleased about this, and has already started shredding my curtains in revenge. 

Last, but not least, here is a picture of me. 

*yawn*

Picspam

I finally got around to grabbing those ice photos off of my camera. The ice is all gone now, thanks to a few beautiful sunny days. Well, here they are.

Those white lines are yarn that I wrapped around these icicles while they were tiny.

The net results were disappointing. 

That's all pure ice droplets. Wow. Just...wow. 

Fighting the Grumpies

I am working on a new style of living, a new philosophy and approach to life, if you will. After coming to the realization that I had to take charge before the negativity took over, I started meditating on what things made me happy and how I could improve myself and the lives of those around me. Then I read a beautiful post by Sonia on Cozy Homemaking, and everything clicked.
I create my own happiness by making, by crafting.  I propagate that happiness by making these crafts for others, by thinking of what object a person needs, what would make someone happy and producing that object.  The joy I feel is the joy of sharing - if I make someone else happy, then I am happy too.
Therefore, I am rewriting my new year's resolutions. My new resolution is simple. Every day, I will work on some form of art project.* Every day, I will find a way to make someone smile. And every week, I will give someone something.

* Not hard, since I AM in art school.

Old Sweaters and New Nieces

I just found this amazing blog written by a talented lady who makes stuffed animals and dolls out of old sweaters. I was enthusiastic, but wasn't captivated until I saw this page. Forest girl dolls. They are like gypsies. Oh God. I must have one. I must MAKE one. Luckily, she has a pattern and instructions here.
I don't just want one for myself, though. I have two very little nieces, Ellen and Freya, who are rapidly approaching doll-playing age. I generally don't approve of 99% of the dolls on the market, but these lovely ones are wonderful. I feel a deep, almost urgent need to go to the Goodwill and look for some sweaters now.

In other news, I got a pile of roving from a friend in Ceramics and am impatiently awaiting my spindle from Knitpicks.

Brrrrr

I finished up the cup cozy, and it was a leetle too small. Just a tad. It fits a soda can, though, so no loss! I think I will do a few more, slightly bigger and knit flat, so they button shut. That way they will fit a mug with a handle.
I still have Startitis, so I started a plain old pair of socks with the pink yarn I got last week. It is so pretty, a pale peach that turns salmon and then burgundy. These are for ME. The first is allllmost finished.

I also made a knitting cork, so I plan to make I-cord acorn bunting! Maybe it will be in the give-away. You never know.

Hmmm.

I have been thinking about doing a craft swap with some of the talented crafters I know. Why?
 A lot of bad things have been happening right now, but I'm not going to go into them in depth. Suffice it to say that I have been doing a lot of therapy crafting. Now, I was thinking about just giving it all away, since I LOVE to give people presents. However, I like to GET presents too! So, I will post something that I am giving away, you can comment what you would trade for it, and I will use a random number generator to choose a swap partner!
Or I could make more if there are a lot of people who want to swap. So! I will put up a poll to see what people would be interested in swapping for, then in one week I will post my item.

The Longest, Saddest Time of the Year

January, February and March have, traditionally been hard on me. The weather is dark and dreary. My surroundings are colorless, gray, and either frozen or muddy. I am so cold that it feels like I will never get warm again, and this year is even worse than usual.
Still, even during these months, I have little things to keep me happy. I am committed to updating this blog, even though I doubt anyone reads it. It still helps to be able to gather my thoughts together into some form of cohesive whole. I have this lovely little craft room, where I can lock the cats out with a board and still lbe near my husband, where I can pretend that the only things I need to worry about are my crafts, and where I can wrap myself up in a wooly blanket and crank my tiny heater. I have my sweet kitties, who are always ready to stop and cuddle, and my husband, who is also always ready to stop and cuddle.

I gathered some more acorns and caps today, I am thinking about making a string of them to use as a garland. I also picked some dried juniper berries, because they smelled so yummy.

I also have been enjoying my walks to and from school. It is only a mile there, so in the mornings it gives me an opportunity to gear up for my day, and on the way back I can meditate on the actions and events of the day and file them all away, so that when I get home I can put it all aside and relax. I also spot plenty of interesting things, like this pretty lichen.

It was so nice and orange, I knew Bunny would love it at once. She likes orange things. Also, like I promised, here are the results of Stage One of the Great Ice Installation.

Here is the ice cakes on the string. Not at all what I was expecting, but super pretty. I moved the net closer to the waterfall to see how it interacted with the spray. More Pictures tomorrow!  In the meantime, here are some of the natural ice formations around the stream. 

Do Not Leave the Broiler Unattended

....or your crab cakes will burn.
That's ok, I was afraid that they were going off anyway. Now the question of what bad crab smells like is moot.
Little Hawk let me go to the knitting store today in search of a spindle, but to no avail. For once, the little shop of fuzzy wonders was lacking. So, instead of being reasonable and waiting to go order one from Knit Picks, I bought two skeins of Plymouth and a set of size 2 double-point needles, or dpns.   One skein is a variegated pinks, and the other several shades of dusky lavender. I have succumbed to the deadly Wooly Startitis and threw a coffee-cup cozy on the needles right away in the lavender.