Philosophers Afghan

Philosophers Afghan 015, originally uploaded by tanyalizbeth.

So I have this professor....no this is not a three guys in a bar joke....anyway, this professor always requires an arts based element with any research paper. This particular class, with this particular professor, was Philosophy of Education. The final paper was to write your philosophy of education and cite the philosophers that influenced you, oh yeah, and do something arty that ties in. So, I came up with the idea of this afghan. Each block represents one of the philosophers that influenced my personal philosophy. Pretty cool huh? It seemed a lot cooler before I put umpteen hours into it right when I had final papers in both classes due. It got done though and I think it's pretty cool. My eldest daughter was trying to lay claim before it was even pieced all the way together.

Knitting Knotecards

These are from a series of photos I took of my own knitting projects and stash. I fiddled with the photos, cropped, played with effects, etc. The results I had printed, then I applied them to blank note cards.

I sent them off as a gift to a dear Ravelry friend. I was delighted to discover that she thought I had bought them for her, until she recognized one of my projects :) I love it when that kind of thing happens. Aforementioned friend was kind enough to take a lovely photo as well (the other items in the photo are also made by me).

Someone else on Ravelry was kind enough to wonder if I sell these cards. All this praise could certainly make a girl blush.

Needle Felting, aha!

I have seen the adorable figures that others have made. I have oohed and aahed over these tiny soft sculptures. I have steadfastly resisted getting the equipment to make such things. I have resisted and resisted. Then, when I was out of town, my DH took the kids to the Maker Faire and bought a kit. He and the oldest DD got hooked immediately. Then I came home and I oohed and aahed over their creations, still resisting temptation. I was happy to let them have this craft, after all I have knitting and crochet, right? I'm sure you can see where this is going now.

I resisted and resisted, then one day my DD left the stuff out and it was just sitting there, pretty and fluffy and calling my name. So I gave in and starting stabbing that little needle into that fluffy wool. These little kitties are the fruits of those first efforts. It's definitely addicting. I've never had much luck with clay sculpture, so I didn't know what to expect from this. I have a long way to go, but I think these little kitties are a good start.

Birthday Cowl

This was a little cowl I whipped up for my SIL's birthday. It was a great pattern called the Quicki Cowl and it really was quick. I enjoyed the easy to memorize pattern and this yarn (Debbie Mumm Traditions) was a pleasant surprise. I had seen this yarn at JoAnn's when it first came out and loved the colors but they ran out fast and then I kind of forgot about it. Anyway, when this project came up I thought the color changes would lend themselves to the pattern nicely. The yarn turned out to be really nice to work with too. My SIL enjoyed the gift and even came up with a use for it I had not thought of, headband. I assumed scarf and hood were the limits :) The model here is my littlest one, helping Mama.

Books & More Swap 2

101_3694, originally uploaded by tanyalizbeth.

Swapping is so much fun! You get to stalk someone for awhile, read their blog or their posts on Ravelry, shop for things you would never buy, make a new friend.

This is my third swap, my second to moderate and I just love it. I have made new friends every time and had tons of fun picking out things I thought my intended spoilee would enjoy. I have also received marvelous packages along the way. This photo is of my most recent package from my new Ravelry friend Carbby64.

One of the best things about receiving a swap package, for me, is that a thoughtful swapper manages to get you things that you might never have picked for yourself but you nonetheless love.

Thanks again Carbby64!

Kitty Pi

Kitty Pi 002, originally uploaded by tanyalizbeth.

As you can see this project had a recipient in mind from the beginning. We acquired a new family member this summer from our local animal shelter. Zissou is a tortie point Siamese, possibly a mix. She is only 5 months old. We have all had a great time getting to know her and playing kitty games. She is definitely Siamese in personality though, note the look of disdain aimed at the camera :)

Zissou is modeling my latest felting effort. This is a free pattern called the Kitty Pi bed made from Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool I dyed myself with Kool-Aid to match the Lion Brand Fun Fur I had chosen. Luckily for me Zissou took to her new bed immediately, very gratifying.

This was a really quick and fun knit and it felted up beautifully. I think some folks will be receiving cat beds for Christmas!

Swiftly my Love

Swiftly my Love, originally uploaded by tanyalizbeth.

Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather when my DH presented me with this for Valentine's Day this year. I had sent him this link several months ago then completely forgotten about the whole thing. Luckily, my dearest love had not forgotten and he crafted this handsome swift for little ol' me :)

For the uninitiated this is a yarn swift. It holds the skein of yarn so you don't need your DH or small child to stand for 20 minutes with arms outstretched while you wind your new yarn into a ball. The upright dowels you see can be moved to different holes to accommodate different sizes of yarn, yippee!

One of the coolest things about this model is that you can take it apart and store it in a bag or other container when not in use.

I have to say that this is a sign of true love indeed!

Trash or Treasure

Trash or Treasure, originally uploaded by tanyalizbeth.

Today the weather was beautiful and treasure hunting was in the air. My neighbors were all busy putting things to the curb for bulky pick-up tomorrow. What was I doing? Shopping their junk, of course.

I came across this cute little table a few doors down and had to have it. I made my DH trudge down the road with me and tote it home. I'm sure we made quite a sight since my littlest one and the dog all decided to come along too.

Basically I just gave this little table a really good bath. I had to refresh my bowl of Murphy's Oil Soap and warm water about 4 times! Then for the final wash I scrubbed the neck out o fit with a really gentle scrubber. I think the top may be leather so I was pretty gentle with that and I didn't oil it with the furniture oil.

The final step was some Old English furniture oil and a good buffing. I think it turned out great, though I failed to take a before picture. Just imagine four big bowls of brown water, yuck!

I had never seen a drop-leaf coffee table before so I was intrigued and I am very pleased with the results of my elbow grease. The next step will be to stain the areas with missing veneer to match the rest.