While Tangerine Dreams

Strawberry Monster-itta

Here it comes. The strawberry fiend. Luckily the local organic strawberry farmer is right next door. We use to barter soap for strawberries. I wonder if he'll take yarn?

Now she's had a taste, there's no hope. Want to hear something crazy? We had a friend come over last week and dowse our space for negative energy. The house is all impressively charged positive except for one spot; my computer area. Just as a disclaimer, whenever I start to whine about my Etsy shop being slow and wah, wah, I haven't sold anything all month, I'm not fishing for sales.This for me virtually going for calamari and beer with you and me with my beer buzz venting just to share. SO, I move the computer to the kitchen table (negative vibes really ick me out these days) and, this is the wacky part, I then made four sales this week after a whole month of nada. Weird!

And then she leans in for the kill. The yarn's a goner. Kidding! If you want it it's in my Etsy Shop! What a cheese ball I am. Speaking of Etsy Friday, my fiber/felting mentor just opened up her own shop Wooly Mammoth - she is so, so talented. My Calgary knit buds are having a Zombie sale and a new but dear cyber friend's shop just rocks. Have a great weekend. Let's do calamari again soon.

Vie En Rose

Edie has a cold.The first one all season, people! Last year she was illin' all winter, now, in March, her first case of the sniffles (I think it's this amazing house to to be tooting our houses horn again).  Not too nasty but enough that I'm keeping her home from her beloved Appledale and she's having epic naps again allowing me to watch a Mama movie and spin at the same time. Bliss.

So I watched La Vie en Rose, the Edith Pilaf biography which won the main actress Best Actress Award at the Oscar's this year. I'm pretty sure she's still the winner. I read in the paper how she's getting some "bad press' because shortly after winning she (gasp) voiced her opinion about her belief in the theories swarming about that huge thing that went down in NY a few years back. Look at me being all paranoid. Not totally comfortable even typing those three numbers in sequence.

So, here's Edie's giving her new flowers some medicine so they feel better too. My little loving Sparrow. So she woke up from her nap and watched the last little bit of the movie with me. I told her, "that little girl's name is Edie, too!" and she was just thrilled with that. When they flashed to Edith as a child the little child actor even kind of looked liked Edie but with a nasty case of sores all over her head (I guess that's what happens when your raised in a French brothel?) and both me and Edie would say  "she's so cute!". And then I'd start to cry. What is up with the sappiness these days? It's crazy crazy sale, I mean it's crazy!

It's my self-imposed Etsy Friday. Did you know there are buttons now on Etsy stores that say "alchemy" and you click on that and request a custom job? Not soliciting, just saying. Kind of a neat little feature.

Here goes my favorite Etsy finds of this Friday segment: this would be a crazy (man, I've been using that word alot lately) amount to spend on soap but if God forbid anything should happen to Do Be Clean, I would splurge on this. I've 'known' the soapmaker for years and she's the cat's clean Australian ass.

Softness of spring around the neck. Necking soft around the spring.

I want a drumcarder! Oh yes, I will have one.

It's Cookie Around Here

I don't know if it's the change in season, or the conspiracy movies/gathering date nights, my own personal favorite season of reflection, or my feeling of need to explain the naming of my spring etsy sale the It's Crazy Crazy Sale.

I'm looking at my shop the last few days (and mildly disgruntled nothing has moved in the last couple of weeks) and I start hearing my mother's voice. I seem to have fictional dialogue with my mom a lot in my head around this time of year. It's weird:

Kahhhtee, leesten to meeee. Stop acting so creezy. I see you doing leetle beets of everything. Peek somtheeng and steek to it. Stop beeing so stew-peed!

Again, it's not an ode to Talk Like a Pirate Day, I'm trying to do my mom's thick Spanish accent via blog again (it's better in real life).  God knows I love my mom, alot, and though our world views clash sometimes there's always a strange whiff of truth in what she has to say.

I've been tripping out lately on the craziness of the world. You know, doom and gloom stuff. Ignorance is such sweet bliss but I've come out of the initial despair of these encounters to heed attention to what I'm spending my time and energy on. Questioning what's important, right now.

So, I guess what I'm saying is I'm going to see the spring/summer as an opportunity to stock pile more art yarns into my shop (spinning's my true love right now) which entails washing, dyeing and carding a storm and then re-direct the rest of my time and efforts into staking  out the garden, perhaps raise us some chooks, nesting up the home front a bit more, and basically stop speading my interests so thin again and focus on home and community. Of course, I'm still here blogging because it helps so much with organizing the crazies but I'll be trying to step away from the laptop a little more too. I'm going to have a real cookie now. And finish the pajama ensemble I just cut out. See what I mean? Here's comes the voice again...

Super Freak

You know, I look at these photos from this photo shoot and I can't get that New Kids on the Block song out of my head. So there it is. My Built by Me hoody dress made with that super dreamy hemp fleece fabric from the local (yes, we have not one, but TWO hemp stores in town) hemp store and what's the feedback I get from the familia?

Edie: Mama, that is not beautiful.
Craig: (first) Looks like an ugly housecoat.
Craig: (when I almost wore it out to the restaurant last night) Looks like you're getting ready for bed.

I was happy as a pig in a hemp blanket though to wear this to walk to the mailbox and lounge around the house. Super comfy but shapeless and not very flattering. If I make this again perhaps a smaller size.

On the Etsy front, this is exciting news (if you're familiar with Etsy, if not, this is totally "whatever"), I made it into my first treasury. The deal is more or less another Etsyian carefully composes a list of cool items he or she found and displays them in this sought after position in the treasury board. A nice compliment and great way to gain exposure. Thank you Velma for the heads up on that one (I lurve your yarn you yarn goddess you) and my newest blog buddy, Creativeredhead (and winner of my birthday contest - love how contests bring bloggers together!) got on to the same treasury too! Yay! I know, I'm a freak.

Kercheevious

It's been slow at the good ol' Etsy store so I've been using this time on research and development. One item I'm trying out are some felted kerchiefs and started off with a Mommy and Me batch to try out. Hmmm...

Edie says she like how it keeps her hair out of her eyes. Love her feedback on my handmade items. Wait until you here what she thinks of the hemp hoody I made this weekend. I'll need photos to go along with that story. Let's just say it still stings a little but I grew up with a brutally honest mom so I find strange comfort in it.

Look at my little ham! Little bit of a vast improvement from these days, hey? You have to scroll because the pictures are at the bottom of the post but it's pretty darn worth it it's so funny (imho).

Oh Frankie You're So Fine...

What a long shot! I deemed this the Frankie Hoody because I had to Frankenstein some pink and green fabric together due to lack of yardage of one to complete it (oooo...deeeeep). I'm not sure what to make of it but I do know is I hosted our weekly knit circle last night and my dear friend Harmony freaked out when she saw it and screamed "OH MY GAWD THAT'S SO TACKY! In an awesome way." I think I know what she means. I feel very Mindy from Mork and Mindy in it. Or Natalie from Facts of Life. Kind of how I longed to be Kimberly from Different Strokes so long ago (look how little Edie's hair is there!).

And instead of a cord I used the shoelace idea from Intertwined for the hood. The yarn is felted Creative Spaced yarn from last month. (I have a new idea to once a month spin up all the excess from all my different projects. Last month turned out gorgeous (I should take a picture)! This month is a little scary fresh off the drum carder but that's what a love about this process; I'm usually pleasantly surprised!)

Being Etsy Friday; not to direct traffic to my shop or anything but if you check out this and this item, guess what? Edie was the photographer for both! She has a good eye though she begs to be in the shot the whole time.

Who's mama's little ham? Oink, oink!

Lunar Lemonade

Checked out that spectacle Wednesday night? Gorgeous, but was with that unnaturally sparkly star to the right (not pictured but we were looking at it through binoculars - really kaleidoscope-y and unnatural looking)? Hmmm... that's a little disturbing.

Speaking of unnatural, this week's Fiber Friday challenge was Citrus so I came up with this kiss of Kool-aid-dyed goodness. My first time playing with coils and it was too much fun. I wish there was a spin cam so you could have seen the orgasmic expression on my face when I pulled off one of those little beehives. It was pretty satisfying seeing something so cute materialize from out of nowhere. Love the new Lexi Boeger book!

And speaking of art yarns, this one's a good idea; wedding dress yarn. Why not?
A sweet little bunny for some bunny's bedroom.
I like to collect these.
Learn something new everyday, hey Craig?

Petticoat Munchkin

So I'm on this petticoat kick. The first one I put for sale on my etsy shop sold and needs to be replaced (was really popular looking at the views and heart counts). But first I had to make Edie one because the one I sold I originally made for her when she was an even munchier munchkin but turned out too small. So I made her this one but, alas, again, too petite of a petticoat.

Doesn't she love the camera? I wonder if it's because I use to coo to her as an infant as we watched America's Next Top Model that Tyra Banks was her Auntie Ty Ty? Not very Waldorf-y, I know. So because this was a little too snug, I went gangsta-busta and made her this giant not-so-petticoat:

Awfully cute, but she finds it too big. What a shame. Now she wants to keep the purple one which is probably only going to fit her for two more days. So today's the day she goes to her once a week daycare (she loves it !) and Mama gets to work non-stop until three o'clock. What a luxury, though I get almost paralyzed by the options though. So I'll be working on the finishing touches on one of those, not sure yet, and throwing it up on my shop later. Maybe. Or perhaps Craig and I will go for a cross country ski. (OH. MY. GAWD. Have you seen Away From Her yet? Canadiana in contention for Oscar! I loved it. Craig refused to watch it. About an older couple dealing with the onset of Alzheimer's. So romantic though.)

One more shot of the cute because I took a million and just can't decide which one to share. Off to work now!

You Asked for Uggin'

EF so innocently asked what the definition of "ugging" was in the comments last post. The above would be the picture next to the word in the dictionary. Ugging (or "uggin'") is the object of which when you look at it it makes you expel a pained utterance; "ugh". This is the Weekend Chilled Out Sweatsuit pattern that not that I felt compelled to ask Craig to take this shot I might go ahead and review it on Pattern Review.

I skipped a lot of "optional" steps because I've been busy with my shop project. Some of these include the neck facing which would have been a lot cuter with the deep v-neck as on the picture, a hoodie, pockets and stuff. But, in general it just came out to big and shapeless. Ugh.

Some etsy finds this week:

A cute little something I know Edie will love.
My funniest and most talented knit buddies from Calgary's etsy shop.
I'm digging black yarn with bright parts sticking out!

They Grow Up So Fast

Shots are blurry because it's been that kind of a week. Big disclosure moment: Craig's been away all week again. So what's a new Etsy Mama to do when Dada's away and she needs a picture taken of her smelling her new clutch with two hands and is too lazy to read the camera's owner manual to figure out the doodad to take a picture of yourself with no hands? Get your three year old daughter to take the shot:

Not bad! Who's mommy little photographer? So, with Craig out of the house, and a plethora of wholesome children's dvd's at the corner store, I've been able to craft down and crank out some inventory for the shop. More to be cranked this weekend now that's the manny's home.

Speaking of my soulmate, thank God he's home safe and sound. I begged him to fly instead of drive out like he normally does. Strangely, when he called me from the airport on the way home he's was talking incessantly like he normally does (that's a super tongue in cheek inside joke for everyone who knows him in real life) and then he says "I think (insert cute girl name here) is sleeping right beside me". I said "rub her feet awake". He didn't but the reason she was there is because she crashed her car on the way home. The roads are terrible right now. I'm so glad he flew. <Cute Girl Name>'s okay by the way.

So Craig was gone then the cat went away. I lost the cat. He lasted ten hours in my care without incident. It was very scary. Long story but the cat came back. But the neighbours think I'm the crazy cat lady now though hearing me yell his name, sobbing for hours then having me call them on the phone a few times. Yikes. I lost my cool. Poor kitten. He was stuck on top of pole during the snow blizzard. Luckily Edie's babysitter found him 9:30 at night while she was walking home. She's getting a raise.

So, it's now Saturday morning and I can post my pretend it's Friday post and feature some of the finds from my Etsy Favourites list:

Camel toe  anyone?
I'm not much of a jewellry person but I can easily see myself smothering myself allover with wool.
A sign of better road conditions to come.