Yeah, yeah, it's been a long time. I know. Lay off. I was raised scribbling in notebooks, it's what i'm used to. It's what I do.
I actually have a bunch of pictures to share today! I have been crafting up a storm, let me tell ya! I am taking a break from my cross stitch kit (Which is going to my mommy) and sticking with happy spring-y colors to cheer me up. It's supposed to snow today! Ugh. I made a lot of progress on the xstitch on my mini vaca in KC anyway. And I tend to enjoy the mindless copying of patterns block by block, so it's not like i'm leaving it forever.
But first, I want to talk about my trip to Kansas City. It was so awesome seeing my mom and lil bro and meeting Tracey (I approve of her. She is not too serious and reminds me of Joany.) It had been so long since I had last been in a real city. It was a bit of culture shock. I hadn't even seen a black person in months. Haha. It was a little nerve racking being there, I tend to get talked to when I am out and about, especially in larger cities. I have a bit of social anxiety and would prefer to be alone with my thoughts, but once I got past the "this is nuts!" phase, I didn't mind the guys trying to flirt with me on the bus. Kind of a confidence boost, in fact.
KC is a pretty awesome place. the library downtown is amazing! It is ginormous and there are lots of little secret nooks you can hide in and not be disturbed while you flip through books. And did I mention the coffee bar? That's right, a library with coffee. I want to live there. KC also has it's fair share of cute little indie shops. I dig it.
I had a great time, and that's not even counting the plane rides. Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE flying. I'd fly every day if I could. On my first flight they told us to pull down the shades over our windows so that there wouldn't be glare on the television screens though. I don't understand that at all. Don't those people realize that they are FLYING? How can b-list romantic comedies be more entertaining than looking out the window when you are thousands of feet IN THE SKY? Honestly. (I kept my window cracked open to see. Screw you guys.) I even saw a corn maze from my vantage point in the sky. That was pretty cool.
Now on to my amazing craftiness!
First up is my apron. When I am cleaning the house or cooking I like to channel my inner June Cleaver to get in the mood. Trouble is, I didn't have a kitschy apron to wear, and everything is more fun in a costume. So I took one of the many tea towels that I inherited from my mom and cut it up (Sorry mom, I hope that's okay. I will be better loved now anyway instead of sitting in the drawer waiting for me to have a tea party)
It looks pretty cute, if you ask me. It is all sewn by hand and I am not terribly confidant in my hand sewing skills, especially with the gathering that I did, which I have never done before, so if I ever manage to steal my mom's sewing machine I will run it through that a couple times for good measure. Now, the tea towel was much larger than I thought it was, as it is usually folded up in the before mentioned drawer. Tea towels are huge! It was the perfect size for my apron. For those who would like me to publish a pattern, here it is. Cut the tea towel in half, that is your apron body. Cut a wide strip of fabric from the end, that is your waistband. Gather the apron body along one end and attach to hemmed waist band. Admire.
The second project I am working on, I can't post a picture of. That's because it is going to be a secret gift for Dalin. I will tell you that it is a simple chain stitch motif on a small scrap of linen for him to keep in his wallet to remind him of me. It is a deceptively simple little pattern, as I drew it myself.
Thirdly, I crocheted a little beret-type hat yesterday. The pattern is loosely based on one that I found on www.ThreadBanger.com (awesome website, tons of crafts that are not grandmaish at all. It also doesn't hurt that Rob, the co-host, is a total babe.) I started and finished it in one sitting, which is saying a lot because I am not at skilled at crochet as I would like to be. It is all worked in single crochet though and it suitable for any beginner. The yarn is Manos Del Uruguay 100% chunky wool which I got from Ewephoria for 5 bucks a skein because it was being discontinued. I ADORE that bright blue. It makes me happy.
I'll post a picture later today. I don't want my morning face on the internet. Haha.
This is a nice blurry picture of the progress I have made on my cross stitch project that is destined for my mom. I have got a lot done since I took it to KC!
Those are Usagi (bunny) and Alfred (Penguin) they were crocheted by me and Dalin, respectively. They are patterns from the book Amigurumi World. I should have put something in the picture for a size reference. Usagi fits comfortably in my two hands and Alfred is a bit larger.
Was I on a japan kick or something? This is my first attempt at Onigiri, or stuffed rice balls. They are super yummy, very easy to make, and VERY filling. A recipe might show up here in the next couple of days. I promise, it's easy, as long as you have the right ingredients.
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