I like Mike

7 Jan

Let me be more specific. Michael J Nelson of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Rifftrax fame – I love him. I have a bobblehead.

My husband introduced me to his work and he may have regretted it ever since.

So, when I saw this on Etsy:

Michael Nelson Tweet Stitch - FREE SHIPPING

I cooed with glee (prompting an immediate eye roll from my husband).

And yes, I do follow him on Twitter. If I ever end up in San Diego again, I am so asking him to lunch.

So thank you, YouHeartUs, for making my crafting day!

Ravelry.com

6 Jan

Ok, this post is for all you yarn fans out there.

Over Thanksgiving, a friend of mine introduced me to Ravelry.com. I may be late to the bandwagon, but possibly there are knitters or crotchetiers who are reading this blog and haven’t heard of this site.

Ravelry is a place for you to:

  • browse patterns – many are free
  • keep track of what’s in your yarn basket
  • keep track of what needles and hooks you have one hand
  • keep a queue of patterns to try
  • post updated of your progress on your current project
  • socialize with other yarn craft loving people

A few screen shots for your viewing pleasure:

The pattern tab:

image

The advanced search here is particularly powerful. You can search by many and multiple parameters – what needle size you want to use, what yarn you have in your stash, difficulty, type of garment, etc.

The yarns tab:

image

You can search different types of yarns out there and see where you might be able to purchase the yarn you desire. I’m a very tactile person, so I prefer to shop for yarn in places where I can feel it, but this could be nice if you prefer to shop for yarn online (though they do link to some brick and mortar stores as well, i believe).

Your notebook:

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This is where you can keep track of your progress on projects, review your queue, update your stash, keep up to date on events – everything social and project oriented.

Any yarn lovers out there want to add their two purls on Ravelry.com? Leave a comment 🙂

Local Etsy Spotlight: Licia Beads

5 Jan

Today’s spotlight shines on Licia Beads.

Handmade jewelry using precious and semi-precious gemstones, sterling, gold, vintage style floral and brass as well as the smallest of seed beads.

The shop also links to a supply shop for all you home jewelers.

Some lovely items:

Winter Night - beadwoven Swarovski and sterling necklace

Blue Moon Pearl Earrings

Sea and Sky - Aquamarine and mixed metal floral earrings

Pool - beadwoven swarovski and sterling chain

(I guess we all know what my favorite color is now…)

Hop on over and take a look!

Foodgawker Highlight

4 Jan

I love Foodgawker – celebrating good food photography and making me hungry every day. Occasionally, I learn something, too!

Today I saw this lovely picture on the front page:

Kroketten (Dutch Croquettes)

And, well, that looks like something fried. And being from the South, I never met something fried that I didn’t like.

The image links to a sweet post from Almost Bourdain. The snacks above are called Kroketten and are a type of Dutch Croquettes. Reading over the recipe, this seems like a great item to have in your recipe box when you have some leftover roast beef or brisket that you aren’t sure what to do with.

What’s also nice about the post is the writer’s connection to the dish – recipes with a story are always a favorite. And she takes many lovely pictures, which always help me out the first time I attempt a new dish.

Maybe these will be on my Super Bowl Party list this year…

Fabric Friday: AT Fabric Site Round Up

2 Jan

Apartment Therapy is one of those blogs I skim a lot. Some pretty pictures here and there, but posts I find actually useful are fairly rare. I rent my apartment, but it seems many of the readers and writers of AT may rent, but can treat the property like they own (painting, light construction), which I cannot.

However, this is why I love New Year’s – roundups galore. Like a well organized browsing session, roundups help me find more information more efficiently.

Case in point – Best Fabric Shops: Online

While I prefer shopping for fabric (and yarn and clothing) in person due to my tactile nature, this is a post I will be bookmarking for future reference.

To comment on each site after a brief browse:

  • Amy Butler Design – annoyingly designed site and I couldn’t find where to buy fabric online – only pre made items like bags and bedding.
  • Retro Depot – exactly as the name suggests (includes Amy Butler designs). Very little that blew up my skirt, though, so to speak. Many designs just come across as kitschy – might be good for quilters looking for something different, though.
  • Purl Soho – More of what I like, but the thumbnails are very small, making it harder to browse effectively.
  • Fabric Guru – Now this is more like it! Huge variety, even though the site isn’t the prettiest thing to look at.

I’m a sucker for damask prints.

  • FinnStyle – again, the site design leaves something to be desired, but big, bold prints abound and are oh so lovely:

  • Nearsea Naturals – I’m not stickler for the organic/naturals movement (though if that’s what you like in terms of design, so be it), but the benefit of buying large quantities of fabric by the roll, or getting pre-cut fabric discounts is appealing.

  • Fabric.com – (note AT’s link via their Marketplace is wrong) Very much like an online JoAnn’s to me. Lots of fabric, not a lot that calls to me. They also have other supplies such as yarns and needles for knitting.
  • Lewis & Sheron Textile Co. Online – Nice and easy to browse. But really – why is it most fabric sites look like those pages that come up when you mis-type the address to a popular webpage like Facebook or Google?

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  • FiltzFelt – Though on the expensive side, the site is well designed and easy to maneuver and the products are simple and easy to find. The benefit of dealing in one type of fabric (and a few products made from that fabric).
  • Repeat Fabrics – suffers from the same site design issues as Amy Butler, but the designs are more compelling – though it doesn’t seem like you can order them online. Oh well.

The other item of note is most of the sites seem to sell fabrics good for decor, quilting, or non-wearable items. Aside from Fabric.com, I may still need to visit my local fabric shop for any clothing I’m looking to make in the future.

I wish everyone a wonderful and creative 2010! Happy New Year and Happy 10’s!

Tutorial for all my peeps in rainy places

18 Dec

How to recover an umbrella:

These umbrellas were pieced to create new designs. Piece the fabric before cutting out the canopy segments.

Kanzashi Christmas Tree

17 Dec

From Craft Passion:

Christmas-Tree-1a

(click image to be taken to the Tutorial)

My Etsy Shop

8 Dec

I just posted my first listings at my new Etsy Shop.

Feel free to go take a look.

Anyone need a stocking pattern?

2 Nov

We have commercially purchased stockings around our home, and even though we won’t be home for the holiday, I would like to have something a little more personal.

This pattern caught my eye:

Stocking tutorial small with header

http://blog.maggiemakes.com/files/stocking-tutorial.pdf

Who else is excited for the holidays?

Craftgawker’s Yummy Sister Site

31 Oct

Recently, Craftgawker recommended I visit it’s sister site – Foodgawker.

And I’m so happy I did:

Halloween Peanut Butter Truffles

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Deviled Egg Dip

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Boeuf Bourguignon

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Enjoy exploring!

On another cooking related note, Pioneer Woman’s Cookbook finally came out and was delivered and is packed with yummy recipes and sweet stories. Highly recommended for those not afraid of cheese, cream, and butter.

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