A Friendly FYI

Knit 2 Together by Mel Clark and Tracy Ullman is only $5.50 at Amazon.com. It is definitely worth $5.50. Jump on that! I'm currently making the Luxe Neck Warmer, and it's fabulous!

Caution: some of the yarn they use in this book is hella expensive. So. Be a smart shopper!


Additionally, I went to Yarn Haven today and I love love love love love it! Definitely one of my top LYSs now. When a yarn is discontinued they mark it down by 20%. How hot is that? This review on Lime & Violet sums it up quite nicely. So if you're ever in the Greater Toledo Area you should stop in. I'll definitely be participating in the Thursday night SnB sessions this fall.

Postcards

If you'd like a postcard from me while I'm in Europe, please email me your address!
byebyelove@gmail.com

And do it soon! I leave BG in four days, and after that there is no guarantee I'll get your info in time before my departure.

http://euroscene.wordpress.com

Birthday Meme

Ah jeez.

The Rules:
Go to Wikipedia and type in your birthday (only the month and day). Find three events, two births, and one holiday that occured on your birthday. Then tag five friends. Sounds easy, no?

My birthday is August 3. (Gettup, leo!)

Events:

1. 8 - Roman Empire general Tiberius defeats Dalmatians on the river Bathinus.
2. 1492 - Christopher Columbus sets sail from Palos de la Frontera, Spain. (Awesome!)
3. 1914 - World War I: Germany declares war against France. (Damn.)

Births:

1. 1926 - Tony Bennett, American singer (Hell yes! That rules!)
2. 1941 - Martha Stewart, American media personality

Holidays:
1. Niger - Independence Day

TAGGED!

AuraLee ... and everyone else that would look at this has already been tagged. So, uh, four other people that happen to look at this blog. Post your name and I'll update the entry! :]

Katamari Queen Earmuffs

I just finished the One Skein bathrug I was making for my grandma (no pics ... it's just like the one I made for myself many moons ago, but this one is in Peaches & Cream in Cream [har har] instead of the speckly stuff). So now I'm shifting focus to a set of Katamari Queen Earmuffs for my friend Lisa. I'll be making Katamari Prince Earmuffs for her husband.

To give you an idea of how dorkily perfect this is for them, I'll tell you that the first dance at their wedding was the cover of 'Que Sara Sara' from Katamari Damacy.

Yeah.

In other news, The Body Shop is the best store ever. Well, maybe besides H&M. Top two for sure. The Body Shop is entirely vegan (hot!) and H&M is the IKEA of clothing stores. Oh, so I guess IKEA would be number one, and The Body Shop and H&M right below it. I'm going there tomorrow! IKEA is awesome.

Okay ... less random, more knitting!

Grr ... FO!

This summer has been so awesome. I'm actually finishing knit and crochet projects!

Additionally, I am very bad at embroidering.

London SNB!

I am SO going to a London SNB Meeting!

A few days ago I sent an email to Stitch and Bitch London and they replied to let me know about a get-together on August 2nd at 6pm at Waterstones Book Store in Piccadilly Circus. So cool!

One of my self-made challenges for my European excursion is to knit in public in every city I go to. This will definitely help!

Here is my challenge list thusfar:
- one punk show a week
- drive a right-hand drive car
- knit in public in all locations I visit (Salzburg, Dublin, London, Stonehenge, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Munich, Venice)
- participate in a London stitch-n-bitch
- visit at least one tea shop in each place
- see at least one live concert (non-punk related)
- take a picture of every Mini I see (more for Steph & Q than for me)

Subsequently, if you'd like a postcard leave me a note and email me your address!
byebyelove@gmail.com

The cupcake madness continues ...

I finished my second cupcake hat/GPS holder.

I love that picture because it combines three things I love: cupcakes, knitted items, and music theory.

I've also begun a lace-like scarf. This is my first endeavor into the world of lace knitting ...

Although the colors are terrible, you can see the stitching pretty well. And it's coming along suprisingly quickly. I've decided that this scarf is going to be my plane/train/bus project while in Europe.

Up next: Grr!

Grr!

I love everything that Alice Bell creates ... but I am especially obsessed with her pattern in the latest Knitty!


Isn't that the cutest thing you've ever seen? As soon as I saw the pattern I instantly added it to my "top priority" project list. I want to use one as my washcloth when I go backpacking!

I love computer art

Yeah. I drew that on my friend Keith's Facebook wall using the Graffiti app.
So fun.

Vegan Passport Holder

For a vegan, I do a really sh**ty job of knitting vegan. Most non-animal product yarn is so unreliable and stiff and gross, though. So when I buy wool I make sure I know where it's coming from.

Well, from now on I'm trying out a 100% vegan yarn diet. And it's starting with Korella, a yarn made by Coats GmbH out of Germany (Coats & Clark in the US). It is 53% Flax/57% Acrylic and is an absolute dream to knit with. Brilliant, brilliant yarn.

And here is my first creation:

A nifty little passport holder. I stuck my ISID in there for good measure, and to keep the old passport company.

I love making stuff. It's like some weird manifestation and conglomeration of my materialistic nature and obsession with diy ethics.

Knit Night Cupcakes

You have to see this! Vegan cupcakes with marzipan-concocted knit items as decoration. Bloody brilliant. I have to try this.

http://veganyumyum.com/2007/06/knit-night-cupcakes/

Yarn Shop Map

I decided to catalogue all of the LYSs that I've been to ... everywhere.

Check it out.

Yellow pins are stores I have stepped foot in and (most likely) made a purchase in. The purple pins are stores I've been past or have heard of and am making a point to visit eventually.

In keeping with recent entries ...

Here is another one about cupcakes.

Well, a cupcake.

... a knitted cupcake.

... a cupcake that's supposed to be a baby hat, but is a GPS holder instead.
Neato!

Who doesn't like cupcakes?

This time around I made the "Simple Vanilla and Agave Nectar Cupcakes," but I substituted part of the flour with cocoa powder.

Look at that rise! It brings a tear to my eye. Almost too much for a cupcake, but it's just so ... beautiful. :]


A heart-shaped strawberry! It was definitely sacrificed to make my cupcakes.

Awww .... they're so pretty! The glaze I used was the "Rich Chocolate Ganache Topping." I let it get nice and cool in the fridge for extra thickness. I love the shine.



They look so happy!

Cupcake Parade!

Be prepared! oooOO!

Aw, they looked so sad without being baked.
And now they are real cupcakes!


And then I decided to put walnuts on top.



Woooo! Vegan cupcakes! They taste pretty okay too. The frosting isn't really the best, though I think I need to get new vegetable shortening. Also, I (think I) left them in the oven too long (due to my music being so loud that it drowned out the timer, oops). But I'm not sure. Either way they will get eaten. By me. Because no one else is around. Darn! ;]

Now that I've baked some cupcakes I feel inspired to knit a few! weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

And now, just for cuteness: