TMNT Can Cozies

These cozies were actually made as a commission for someone who decided AFTER I had made them all that they didn't want to buy them. Maybe I overcharge on my Etsy Store, but then again, Maybe I'm just someone who values their time more than most people. I never call in sick, but I do request days off for no reason sometimes. I don't spend my days off getting things done, I spend them doing things that make me happy (if I didn't, would I have a blog dedicated to crocheting and crafts?)

All these things are so important to me, having more happiness than money, having more time to take walks and pictures of wildflowers than doing laundry and fretting about things. I occasionally do laundry and fret, but more often than not I'm cuddled up in a nest crocheting something big and fuzzy. Why, then, did it take me so long to deal with the fact that I was hating what I was doing 40 hours a week?

Until recently, I worked at a movie theater. I didn't work at your typical movie, theater, either. It was a more upscale theater with higher prices, and better commodities (also a theater that has jaded the word 'amenities' for me forever. More on that later). The customers were so mean to me that in the past I have gone home to cry, drink, and Gabe and I have even had some rough times when I came home to scream and scream and scream about how my day went.

I had been called stupid, a 'fucking idiot'. I've been told I will 'never go anywhere in life'. I have been called a liar after telling someone that our theater has won awards. I have been literally screamed at for telling someone they had to wait in line. I have been told our salt is 'too salty'. I have been personally blamed for mistakes made when a person ordered tickets online, then promptly yelled at. I have been scoffed at and had my eyes rolled at me countless times. I could go on, believe me. Is it because I'm a mean or rude person? No, it's because people are used to getting the things they want, no matter what, and I was actually holding our policies up. I got yelled at, berated and degraded for doing my job, properly.

I stayed there for two years, and some change. I stayed there because I was convinced I couldn't find another job, because this was the best I could do. It wasn't until the incident in Aurora, CO that got me to quit.

It was a strange feeling, to feel so close to something that had nothing to do with you. Maybe it was the fact that it was a movie theater, and so is Sundance, or the fact that it was so random and isolated of an incident that it very well could have been me, at my theater. It may have even been the fact that that weekend, customer after customer scrunched their faces up and scoffed at me when I told them we would have no additional security in our theaters, and I was just about done. But honestly, it was very little of that, it was the fact that the tiniest part of me thought for one millisecond that I kind of maybe understood where he was coming from.

No, not the deranged Joker persona and the killing of many innocent people. No, not that part. The anger part. The part where people treat you terribly for no reason to a point where you do something drastic and irrational.

People are mean. People make you cry, and run you over, even when you're being nice, and even when they know you're having a rough time. In that moment, I realized how much faith I had truly lost in humanity, and I couldn't deal with it!

I left early that Saturday, having a crisis with myself.  Do I stay, stay unhappy and comfortable, or leave and go out into the big scary world of job hunting, potential unhappiness on an even deeper level, and maybe even a pay decrease? Yes, yes I would. Without having a job lined up, I quit. I quit the hell out of that place.

Exactly two weeks after putting my notice in, I was hired on the spot at a place where I will be able to serve my favorite thing (espresso) to people doing my favorite thing (being creative). I will be working at Traveler's Hearth Cafe & Games, a cafe and board game shop, where people can get away from their TVs, phones, twitter, and whatever other time-wasting machines to be social, and have fun with their time. My kind of place? I hope so.

So, I may have wasted some time making these cozies, but I suppose the least I can do is make the best of it, and share the pattern with you guys. And yes, I'm going to do my best to take some things with Sundance with me, and leave the negativity behind.

These cozies were rather easy enough to make. I  adapted them from my TMNT Mug cozies, and I actually like them better. I think they look nicer, even though I have no use for can cozies...I hope someone else does.

So here's how to do it.

Base worked in continuous rounds.

R1: With green, ch 2, 6 sc in second ch from hook (6sc)

R2: 2 sc in each sc around (12sc)

R3: *2sc in next st, sc* 6 times around (18sc)

R4: *2sc in next st, 2sc* 6 times around (24sc)

R5: *2sc in next st, 3sc* 6 times around (30sc)

R6: *2sc in next st, 4sc* 6 times around (36sc)

R7: ch 1 (does not count as stitch now and throughout), in back loop only hdc in each st around. ss to first hdc. ch 1, turn (36hdc)

R8 - 15: Working in both loops, hdc in each st around. ss to first hdc, ch 1.

R16 -20: With Color B (Bandana color), hdc in each st around. ss to first hdc, ch 1.

R21 - 22: With green, hdc in each st around. ss to first hdc, ch 1. Fasten off after row 22.

Eyes (Make 2):

R1: With white, ch 2, 6sc in second ch from hook. Do not join to first st. (6sc)
R2: 2sc in each st around, ss to first st, cut white. (12sc)
R3: With Color B (Bandana color),  *2sc in next st, sc* 6 times around (18sc). Fasten off, but leave a long tail.

Pupils (Make 2):

With black, ch 2, 6 sc in second ch from hook, ss to first sc. Fasten off, but leave a long tail.

Using the long tail, sew the pupils onto the eyes. Then, using the long tail, sew the eyes onto the mug cozy.

Weave in all ends.

Good luck, guys! I should be back soon with some STAR TREK goodies, and another semirelated story :)

Halloween Project #10: Potion Bottles

I used to consider myself a Wiccan, and I was pretty uptight about it, too.

Then again, when you're 14, dress in a lot of black, only listen to obscure Japanese rock, and have an offbeat 'religion', you can't really say too much without being put under the microscope about how 'weird' you are. You'd be a little defensive, too.

I took it very seriously, too. I never tried to curse people, or hurt anyone, but when I got a headache, I tried putting a cucumber peel to my forehead, I picked up Tarot reading (which I still do) and I even had a little chant if we couldn't find our car in a parking lot. I collected herbs and stones, memorized their magical properties, and had a green book with thick parchment paper where I used a matching green pen to write down everything I needed to remember. It's actually the only notebook I ever filled to the very last page.

I would get frustrated around Halloween, when I saw fake bottles with labels on them for "Eye of Newt" and other 'crazy' witches brews, and I found myself even more annoyed at the people gobbling them up, picking them up with their sweaty, unmagical hands screeching out "Look honey! Eye of Newt! This sounds scary! Hope we have $8 to dole out for it!".

 

For the record, Eye of Newt is actually just a nickname for Lavender....And screeching women in stores still bother me, but this is neither here nor there.

These people didn't know anything. If I could have, I would have cleared off a shelf of bad Halloween party favors and yelled everything I knew about magic and Wicca at them, and they all would have second thoughts about buying fake novelty potion bottles. They could learn something, enrich their life, get rid of headaches with cucumbers, but instead I rolled my eyes and stayed quiet. Looking back, it was actually probably the most reasonable response.

It wasn't until Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets that this started to change. After forcing myself to hate the first movie (and book), due to my principles of knowing strictly what witchcraft was, is, and should ever be, I refused to indulge myself in liking something so....fake. Against my will, I went with my Dad to see the movie.

And damn was it good.

How could it be that something could go against all the rules of REAL witchcraft and be so damn clever, and fun? Well, as it turns out, it's called imagination, and taking things lightly.

And yeah, you bet I'm saying that Harry Potter helped me lighten up.

So now, around Halloween time, I look around my apartment, at the fake potion bottles, the scene setters, the bad party favors, and it looks DAMN good every year. I just don't have any bottles labeled Eye of Newt, because the fact that I know what I'm talking about has not changed, now I can just deal with people who don't. Afterall, I can't judge anyone anymore, not after all the morals Harry Potter instilled in me.

 
Want to make some awesome fake potion bottles for yourself for the upcoming Halloween season?  Michael's is selling these for $5 each, but with a couple summer garage sales left to hit, some ribbon I KNOW you have lying around and a printer- you can make your own for significantly cheaper.

Here's how.

What you'll need:

- 20 Gauge Wire
- Pliers
- Empty 'potion' bottles (I got mine at Michaels for 99 cents each)
- Ribbon
- Mod Podge, and a paintbrush to apply said Mod Podge
- Potion label images (I found mine online, and printed them off with NO intent of selling them (in case you are thinking about yelling at me!). Otherwise I know Martha Stewart has had Halloween labels on her website in the past). If you design your own labels, I'm sure Etsy will be kind to you in the near future ;)
- Coffee, obviously.
- Optional: Things to fill them with! I have not dealt with this yet, but as Halloween approaches, I may put some thought into it.

How to do it:

1. Cut two piece of wire, one about 3" long (This is to wrap around the neck of your bottle, so make sure it is long enough, with some extra slack) and the other one about 7" long (This will be the wire you will actually see/wire to use to hang on nails, etc.)

2. Bend the longer wire to form a U-shape. Using your pliers, bend about 1/2" of wire to wrap around itself a few times. Leave a small opening, as you will be putting the smaller wire through this.

3. Slip the smaller wire through the two loops at the end of your U-shape. With all of it as one 'piece', wrap the smaller wire around the thinnest part of the neck of your bottle. Use your pliers to twist the extra wire around itself, then push down towards the neck to lie as flat as possible. It's okay if this isn't perfect, you'll be covering it in ribbon, just make sure it's wrapped tightly enough so that it won't come undone.

 

 

Note: I know it seems odd to do it this way, instead of putting wire around the neck and THEN looping the handle through, but I found that I kept putting the neck wire on too tightly to fit the handle wire in.

Now you have a good base! Here's where the fun stuff REALLY starts.

4. Wrap the neck of your bottle with ribbon. You can use as much or as little as you feel it needs. Personally, it turns out I'm having some kind of love affair with ribbon, because I went way overboard, and I'm not looking back. I also tied some around one (or both) sides of the 'handle' for some extra fluff. I think the only REAL 'requirement' is hiding all the icky twists in the wires. Once those are hidden, you're golden.

5. Now make sure you have a good label printed out in the size and shape you think will be flattering for your unique potion bottle, and cut that sucker out.

6. Mod podge it on. Wait for it to dry, cover with a coating of mod podge.

7. Display proudly, knowing that you are not taking yourself too seriously, and you saved a couple bucks!
 

Are you filling your bottles with any potions, real or fake? What are you using, what kind of crafty concoctions are you coming up with?

Finished Project: Doily shirt!

This project was finished back in June, but only today have I had a chance to get some pictures that do it justice. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into this, and I can't wait to share it with you guys! Without further ado, here's a bunch of pictures of the biggest project I've ever done.


















Thanks for looking!

Oh, has it been awhile? ;)

Hello my lovely followers.

I consider myself a halfway decent blogger, I really do. But I suppose leaving my bloggerly duties for two months isn't my best decision to date. Here's a picture-free post of what I've been up to.

1. A Giant doily shirt.

Kristin Omdahl has a book it's called Crochet So Fine. In that book, there is a pattern for the cover piece, and I decided to make it. Though I started it in April, it was during June that I got terribly obsessed with finishing it. And finish it, I did! It's a lovely piece that I'm very proud of, and I'm just waiting for an opportunity to get some semi-decent, semi-flattering pictures of me wearing it. This thing deserves some jsutice, more than a selfie in a full-length mirror can do.

2. Other crochet things.

Of course I'm still crocheting. I'm making a skirt, dabbling in filet crochet, and trying to bring my stash down to something manageable.

3. Duct tape art?

That's right. I decided to pick up a roll of duct tape for the first time in about a year. I have a few wallets for sale on my Etsy, and I'm hoping to focus on it for a little while before I put it back down. For awhile, I was feeling a lot of pressure to do more and more with my duct tape art than I was capable of, and now that I feel out of the lime light, I'm hoping I can pick it up again as an easy-going hobby without any pressure from friends and family.

4. Writing.

I've been attending weekly writers group, reading and writing poetry, as well as keeping up with constantly editing my screen play that I wrote back in April. I might have some up here, but we'll see about that ;)

5. Being geeky.

I've been focusing a lot on geeky, pop-culture-y art. I hope to hone a few things before I post them here.

Stay with me, guys! I'll be around :)

Let's talk about the elephant in the room.: Pinterest. Also, let's give ourselves a challenge!

Yes, Pinterest.

I know, we all have our feelings about it, whether it be good or bad, but thanks to Pinterest, I'm starting a challenge for myself (Feel free to join me!)

I feel as though there are two kinds of people on Pinterest. The first kind is The Collector, The second being The Doer.

The Collector is planning their wedding, wardrobe and future house out on Pinterest. They post pictures of shoes, dresses, cute wedding ideas (so many of which, that if they actually USED all of them at their wedding it would be the tackiest thing), as well as home accessories from rugs to kitchen bowls, to food processors to paintings and toilets. They post so many pictures of jewelry and open-toed shoes, all with the caption "I WANT THIS!!!!!". There is nothign wrong with being a Collector (I'm certainly guilty of it at times), but I find myself getting bored of thinking "Oh, look at this thing I'll never own'. I'd much rather be a Doer, and that's what this challenge is about.

The Doer is the person who posts DIY things over and over again, from every sort of category. How to make your own dresses, how to plant a garden in tuna cans, how to bake cookie bowls, how to do fancy up-dos. Crochet and knit patterns show up among tutorials on how to make coffee filter flowers, headbands out of T-shirts, and personally, I can't tell you the amount of things I have pinned related to DIY projects with maps involved.

Good GOD I love Maps.

So us Doers, we pin and pin and pin and pin, and we think "HOW ENRICHED MY LIFE WILL BE AFTER I MAKE ALL THESE THINGS", and we keeping pinning and pinning until one day we realize....My God, I'm not actually doing any of these things. I'm just wasting time on Pinterest, tricking people into thinking that I'm a super crafty lady.

So, I'm going to remedy this.

During the month of June, I'm going to set down my crochet hook for awhile, and do some of the things I've pinned, because I sincerely thought about how enriched my life would be because of it. On top of it, hopefully by posting links to some of these things, I will hopefully be able to inspire you guys to do something crafty with your time (I mean seriously. I just CAN'T watch anymore TV, or deal with facebook for much longer).


So, month of June. What will you guys be doing? I'm going to take on the challenge of making:

- DIY Crochet hook comfort grips

- Jenga Block Map Keychain

- Homemade granola "bars"

- Pretty Double Braid Headband Hairstyle

Don't have a Pinterest?

That's fine, in fact, it probably means you're being more productive than I am. Nonetheless, let's make June a month of getting things done, learning new things, picking up a new hobby, venturing into unknown territories of your current hobby.

Wanna know more about crocheting, but have only made a dozen scarves? Learn to make a hat. Don't have anything to do with your hands while watching TV? Learn to knit. Bake cookies all the time? Make crescent rolls, or learn to make cheesecake. Go outside and take photographs. Start writing a novel. Just get your hands on something, and make your brain start thinking.

I think you'll be surprised how nice life gets when you get away from Facebook and cartoons once in awhile. It's not that I'm not guilty of it, I totally am...what do you think inspired all of this, anyway?

I will post my results either at the end of the month, or as they are completed. Anything on your pinboards you guys wanna knock out of the way this June? You can see by the things I'm choosing to do that it won't cost much, either. Any hobbies you've been wanting to dabble in, but just haven't, for one reason or another? What are you guys waiting for?

Since I've been blabbering on about Pinterest, you guys should follow me! Honestly, please do. I need to follow more people...right now, all the pinners I watch are Collectors...I need some inspiration!

Broomstick Lace Finger Cuff

I've been so into broomstick lace since I made my Misty Broomstick Lace Hat. I guess I was surprised by how easy it is, when I've been feeling so overwhelmed by it for so long. I've made a handful of broomstick laces bracelets over the last week or so, and after my FIFTH one, I thought, what about other broomstick lace jewelry?

I decided to try to make a ring, and although this turn out much bigger than I had anticipated, I still enjoyed the idea of a 'finger cuff', many of which I used to own back in the day when I shopped at Hot Topic ;) These, however, are a little lighter, a little prettier, a lot more elegant, and have zero skulls on them.

Not sure how to broomstick lace? A tutorial can be found here. Otherwise, this pattern will assume you know how to do basic broomstick lace.

What will you need?

- 1.50 or 1.65 MM crochet hook
- Size 10 Crochet thread
- A Size 8 (5.0 MM) knitting needle
- Tapestry needle.

Here's how to do it.

Row1: Chain 17. Single crochet in 2nd ch from hook, and in each ch across (16 sc).

Row 2: Pull up a loop from every sc onto your knitting needle (16 loops). Pull together a group of four loops, ch 1, then 4 sc in the gathered loops.  *Pull together the next group of 4 loops, and 4 sc in the gathered loops.** Repeat from * to ** until the end of the row (16 sc, 4 groups of broomstick lace)

Repeat Row 2 until your finger cuff is the desired length. Mine was 8 rows.

Finishing off: Fold cuff so both WS are facing outwards, sl st through both the 1st and last rows to connect. Finish off after connecting last st. Tie off ends, and flip inside out.

Are you going to make one? Where are you going to wear it? I'm not sure what occasions mine is appropriate for, so I wanna hear what you guys are doing with yours! I think it's a nice coffeehouse afternoon accessory, but then again, that's what I think all accessories are for :P!

Quick and Easy Crocheted Bangles

I don't really know what's been going on with me lately. The weather is in the 70's, and I've only yelled about it a couple times.

See, I like winter. I like putting on sweaters, and drinking hot cocoa, and crocheting with the biggest, fluffiest, fuzziest, softest yarns I can get my hands on, and then wrapping whatever it was that I just made around my neck a good 5 or 6 times, so I can go sit in front of a fireplace at my closest Starbucks. I like snow, and ice and wool socks.

I don't like summer. Summer, to me, is mosquitoes, and sweating, and all my friends saying "Let's eat our dinner outside!" So that I can be swarmed by mosquitoes, while I sweat, WHILE eating dinner. Nothing says 'joy' to me like picking gnats out of my mashed potatoes. Great.

This year seems a bit different, I haven't been bothered by the weather thus far, and I've been all too happy to go out and take walks. The weather has, however, been very inconsistent. Maybe I will look back on this reflection in a couple months when it's 80 degrees everyday, and think "Oh, if only I knew then what I know now..."

However, in the spirit of enjoying the weather, I put something simple and summery together. I was at Target the other day, and on a whim, nearly cleared out a section of clearance bangles (They were $1.20 each! At that price, how could I afford NOT to buy them? Amirite?!). Basically, I took cheap, semi-broken bangles and single crocheted over them with a light, cotton yarn (Lily Sugar n' Cream Stripes, the colorway "Country Stripes"). I LOVE this yarn. I'm already rather partial to cotton yarns, but this yarn reminds me so much of the Chesapeake Bay, where I used to live, my heart feels heavy as I write this out, and I don't know how good it is for my health to think about it too much. The yarn is 4 colors that all shined through over the 3 bangles I made, and are so reminiscent of the Bay waters, looking down at them makes me reminiscent enough to keep rambling (but I will spare you all). On top of that, it's light, so it won't be too hot to wear in the summer. My favorite part? Only using one yarn, and making 3 distinct and individual bangles.

Ah, I've been rambling more than usual. I'm actually hoping to do some real writing after this post, so my creative writing juices must just be spilling over. Also, my coffee is totally working (It's peanut butter coffee!)

*Ahem*

Here's how to do it:

What you need:

- Bangles! I used 3 kinds, a flat one, a round one, and a square one. The square one was weird, but works well enough. I will use the flat one as an example, since it is the simplest.

- Yarn, preferably cotton yarn so you can wear them in warm weather, but to each their own.

- Crochet hook. I used a size G hook, but I'm not entirely sure if this matters.

- Tapestry needle

First, Slip stitch around the bangle, then ch 1.

 

 Because of the thickness of the bangle, you will have to reach your hook out about an inch. Be more aware of tension, and it will turn out fine.

After your sl st ch 1, you will just do single crochets all around the band.

Pull your loop up more than usual, to meet the top of the bangle

 

Pull through one loop, then both loops.

 

Single crochet all the way around. Be sure all the stitches are snug. When you are done. Sl st into 1st sc.

I then threaded both loose ends underneath all single crochets and cut them. Boom. Done. 

 

 These were so fun, and I actually REALLY enjoy wearing them! If you make some, I would love to see how they turn out.