I'm hooked...

So many people have tried to teach me...For years I put off learning it....but here it is:  The other day, I learned how to crochet.  Sorry guys, its way, way way way way way way way way more fun than knitting.  It doesn't make me want to pull my hair out, and it goes way faster.  I still don't think its as pretty, but it has lots of advantages that I am looking forward to.

Just like my knitting, all of my crochet will probably be made out of giant yarn.   Yes, I eat a lot of Thai food.  

Using Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick that I purchased from Goodwill and a GIANT size P crochet hook, I created this scarf using the pattern 200 by John Brinegar as a guide, I made this scarf in a little over 5 hours (mostly while watching South Park).  

I've also been trying to make some dishcloths as presents for when I come home.  But they are knit, and that is dragging.  I think there was a reason I needed to branch out, and that is that I think after 5 or so years of knitting straight I've lost my mojo.  Maybe after a hiatus I'll be ready to dive back in.

Next up:  Hats.  

Handmade Pendants

I've been experimenting a bit with making ceramic pendants...I got a few back today so here is one I strung up already....

I have more to get back yet, and I also have other ones like this one so I was thinking of selling them. Not this one though, its mine mine mine!

Any Thoughts?

Summer is here!

After three weeks of cold rain, the weather finally broke and the dry summer season has begun.  I have actually been experiencing some allergy sneezing and sniffles, and a local told me its allergy season!  I have never before actually had outdoor allergies, but I've always heard local honey is a good remedy for that.  And now that I think about it, I had been eating (or drinking) local honey back in Pittsburgh for a very long time.  Local honey was always purchased at the fair or Schramm's farm, and it may have been the reason I've never really had an outdoor allergy problem before.  Now if someone could only make indoor honey...

Portland Saturday market honey guy to the rescue!  At 3 dollars, this jar of honey is a lot smaller than it looks.  But I'm sure said honey guy's blood, sweat and tears went into it.  Actually, ew...I hope not.  It tastes pretty good though.

So besides sneezing, what am I doing with my life?  Short answer: nothing.  No job yet, and no word back from my interview.  But that's okay for now, being unemployed in the summertime is Childhood version 2.0.  Except nobody tells me when to go to bed, and I can have all the beer I want.

Enter kiddie crafts.  Lately, I've been making friendship bracelets among other things (things which I cannot post yet since I'm sending two of them off to Texas as a gift and I don't want to spoil the surprise).  I loved making bracelets when I was a kid, and the fun is not lost on me at 24 1/2.  Today, patterns for bracelets can be found all over the internet, not just in books, though my favorite still comes out of the original Klutz Friendship Bracelets book (by Laura Torres):

Double Chain Knot.  Not too intricate but you can make 5 in an hour

and wear them all at the same time.  Like, for instance, while watching

90's sitcoms at 3AM because you don't have a job.

Another thing we've been working on is our patio garden.  Not too much has sprouted yet, but when they do, I'll be swimming in cilantro.  Which will get made into pesto.  And frozen.  Tomatoes (I hope they don't get blight), jalapeno peppers, petunias, catnip (for guess who!), lemon balm, rosemary, and cilantro should soon be sprouting on our balcony.  Time will tell.