City of Angels

So this isn't really a post about crafty things, it's a post about LA. My boyfriend and I went to spend three weeks with his sister this September, in her lovely place in LA. I had never flown that far before, and it was a long haul! I have learned for future flights, where I will end up travelling in total for 24ish hours, that £6 is not too much to spend on a neck pillow.


LA was great fun. Each area you went to was like its own little village, with its own little quirks. There was so much to see, that we didn't get to see it all. I want to go back again to see more! Some of my favourite parts were seeing the view at the Griffith Observatory and eating picnic food; having lots of American Apparel stores to go into, eating really good vegetarian food, and the sunshine. It was only cloudy two days of the twenty we were there. And it felt weird.


Here are some of my favourite photographs that I took whilst out there.


Oh LA, you're so pretty.

End of Term Time!

It's the end of term!! Happy Christmas everyone!!

Some thoughts

My book on crafting and the business thereof arrived today. I'm looking forward to giving that a read. Beautifully illustrated too. See here:


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Handmade-Marketplace-Crafts-Locally-Globally/dp/1603424776/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323796440&sr=8-1


Teaching is over for the term, so I can go back to my own work exclusively now. Well, after marking these test papers.... Was nice to chat to all my students individually for 5 minutes. They're a nice bunch.


I had a thought yesterday that not many people make things to do with Twin Peaks, craftwise. I'm wondering if this is a route to go down, perhaps. If you don't know what Twin Peaks is, use the internet to educate yourself, right now!

Red nosed reindeer

Here he is: the idea is that it's a sweet little guy in a reindeer costume. Sewing skills need a bit of work, but he was a nice first attempt and appreciated by my house mate as a christmas present.

Coming soon!

The first (semi) original crochet figure that I have made for someone for Christmas. Watch out later this evening for it!

Type type

PhD ideas are flowing and going into a paper at present. More crafting up soon.

For now, I will tell blog readers that I have ordered The Handmade Marketplace by Kari Chaplin. Excited to read it!

Christmas

To give a Christmas glow to readers of the blog, I love She and Him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRuxBY30UcA

Best granny square so far.

If I have the patience, I am going to make lots of these and turn them into a blanket. Perhaps a small blanket.. not one that needs 100 of these....

Variegated wool

Been practising different types of flowers and trying out a granny triangle! I really like this wool.

French knitting

Last night, my housemate asked me to have a go with a french knitting set. She puzzled over the instructions in German and translated them to me. French knitting is quite an odd way of creating knitted stuff, but certainly something I will bear in mind and see if it might work for a project. Maybe you'll get one in your Christmas stocking and you can have a go as well!

Welcome!

Good day all, and welcome to this, my first post. I had a blog called 'knit and knack' before, but because I was so terrible at updating it, I have decided to start again.

So, I like making crafty things. In the last year or so I have been working on my crochet and sewing skills. I am currently trying to develop what a USP would be, and I would really like to open an Etsy shop when I have items to sell.

Craft is a lovely way to unwind from the stresses of teaching and PhD research. It's also a great feeling when you make something for someone and they really like it.

So, to close, here are some pictures of things that I have made previously. I will do my very best to update this blog regularly, and show what I am working on.

A birthday card for my Mum.

Crocheted totoro for Tash.

Trying out a felt totoro to make into a brooch.

Christmas sewing practice.

Seasons Greetings!