have yarn, will travel

now that the mask making seems to be pretty much behind me, i've turned to something else as a new creative outlet.  granted, it's not as though i have any shortage of things i want to sew up - i've got tubs of fabric and a whole list of patterns i'm dying to make.  but with all of this time on my hands these days, i decided that i'm going to tackle what i've called "the final frontier" (at least, for me):  knitting and/or crocheting.  oh, yes.

the old lady learned how to knit a long time ago, so she was happy to add on a few supplies to my joann's order.  it's something i've tried and failed at a good number of times in the past, but this time i'm bound and determined to make it happen.  plus, i've always thought it was really cool to have a hobby that's portable - so i could take it on road trips and plane rides and things like that.  you know, if the world ever goes back to normal and we can travel again.

and so after i divvied up the yarn and needles i ordered and gave the old lady her half to take home and work on, i sat down and pulled out that crochet lesson book.  i figured that maybe since crocheting uses a hook instead of two separate needles, it might be easier to start with.

that book, by the way, was useless to me.  i tried to read through their instructions and scrutinized the step-by-step photos and they just weren't doing anything for me.  and so i pulled out the laptop and searched youtube for some tutorials for super duper beginners, and after i found one that explained things a lot clearer to me i picked up the hook and the yarn again and managed to eke this out:

i was SO proud of myself.  heh.  the bean said that it was perfect for wiping sweat off my face.  hahahaha!  she's not wrong, i guess.  but i found crocheting to be somewhat painstaking, which is most likely because of my super duper beginner status.  i'm pretty sure i just need to practice more, which totally makes sense and goes along with the advice i'm always doling out to the bean when she gets frustrated with something new.

still, the next day i pulled out the knitting needles and the bulky yarn i'd picked out and hit up the ol' youtube again for another lesson.  and somehow, even though i'd been intimidated by the use of two needles and haunted by the memories of my past failure, i found myself casting on in no time and knitting my first few rows of stitches!

this was super encouraging, not to mention i was enjoying the process and watching the rows grow as i kept on practicing.  i learned how to do a purl stitch and what a stockinette stitch is, and looked at a beginner's pattern and researched all of the terms that i didn't understand (which was a lot).  as i continued on though, i found lots of mistakes and dropped stitches and holes and all sorts of other weird looking pieces.  and so i decided that it would probably be a good idea to just pull the needles out, rip it all apart and roll the yarn back up to try again.

of course, while i was waiting for my joann's online order to arrive i'd been looking at all sorts of other websites with complete kits for knitters from super beginner to expert levels.  and because i was a first time shopper, i was getting access to some pretty good coupon codes to use.  as i was learning how to do those first few stitches i received my order from lion brand yarns - a beginner-level pattern for a slouchy cardigan that included six skeins of yarn, a circular knitting needle, stitch markers and a set of tapestry needles for sewing the seams together once the fabric was knitted.

i spent a little time reading over the pattern and was pleasantly surprised to find that i'd already learned the skills that were required for this project.  and since i'd taken apart my practice swatch, i felt like maybe i was ready to tackle this one...now.  i pulled out that circular needle, removed the packaging from the skeins of yarn and got to work with the first step - using both colors to cast on over a hundred stitches.

i'm about seven rows into the ribbing portion of the cardigan and i'm super excited to keep on knitting and see how this thing turns out!  in between knitting sessions i'm browsing through even more knitting supply sites, finding all sorts of great quality needles and accessories and one website that features soft leather bags that are made for toting your projects around.

oh boy.  i've fallen down quite a rabbit hole.  and i'm loving it.  haha!

who needs clubs? take me to the sewing studio

so you know, i've been working on fun little sewing projects off and on for the last few years now.  most of my sewing skills are self-taught (or, rather, internet-taught), although i did take a very basic intro to sewing class with a local seamstress when i first brought home a sewing machine.

speaking of that lady, she had such an interesting story.  she'd fallen ill and ended up having to undergo some sort of brain surgery.  when she woke up, she magically had this perfect british accent that the doctors told her could disappear one day...or it could stay with her for the rest of her life.  and she had never even left the country.  isn't that wild?  i think about her now and then and wonder if she's still speaking like she's ready to sit down for tea.

anyway, my co-leader (who's become a really good friend by now) recently started getting into sewing too.  she's done some fun little pieces of clothing for herself and her kids, and even sewed together a few costumes for one of their upcoming plays.  she's as addicted to the sewing thing as i was when i first started.  and last week, she mentioned coming across a cute little sewing studio not too far away from us.  the owner also teaches fashion design classes at a local community college, and offers basic lessons to the public out of her studio.  my CL mentioned that she was going for a second class (out of a series of 4) and invited me to join her.  or maybe i invited myself.  i don't remember.  either way, i found myself in her car the next morning on the way to the studio.

the studio itself was small, comfy, cute and well-equipped.

now, while i consider myself a fairly decent seamstress, i'm terrible at working with ready-made patterns.  i mean, i know how to, and i've done them in the past, but i've never really learned how to do it properly.  i figured it would be a good idea to have an actual lesson where i could learn to do things the right way instead of winging it like i usually do.  the last time i attempted a project with a real pattern i ended up curled up on the floor in the fetal position in my underwear (because i'd had to try on the dress i was working on and got tired of changing out of my clothes), practically in tears and slightly traumatized from the frustration of the whole damn process.

getting started on our project - a basic pencil-like skirt with a front zipper - kind of reiterated for me why i don't like pattern work.  heh.  i mean...prepping everything before you can even sit down at the sewing machine and get down to business is SUCH a pain in the ass.  like, if i could pay someone to do the prep work - tracing the pattern, cutting it out, then cutting out the fabric and any other required pieces - and just be able to do the actual sewing part...that would be phenomenal.  but i sucked it up and worked on the beginning stages like a good student.

after what seemed like forever (and with some help from my CL, the instructor and her assistant), all of the pattern pieces were finally traced and cut out.

to begin working on the waistband, i had to iron some stabilizer (interfacing, also known as pellon) onto a couple of the pieces.  the iron i got to use was a really good one - way better than the $12.99 black & decker special i have at home.

with just about ten minutes left of class time for the session, we finally got to sit down at the machines to get a little bit of stitching done.  the machines were pretty basic models, but did the job nicely.

i learned a fun new trick to take home, too - a way to keep track of my seam allowances as i sew.  i'm usually pretty terrible at maintaining the proper allowance because - well, i'm lazy and i wing it.  but i'm totally going to use this painter's tape trick from now on and hopefully all of my seams will be nice and straight.

the studio offers lessons for adults as well as for kids - which means we're totally going to bring our new brownie troop here at some point during the next year.  in the meantime, we also signed up our own daughters to take a class together and learn how to use a sewing machine - with help from the instructors and from us, too.

not to mention, they offer open sewing time.  for $10, you can come into the studio with your projects and use the equipment and the workspace to your heart's content during regular business hours.  we joked about how this was going to be our friday night turn up...like the old ladies that we are.  in fact, i'm going to see if my friend lilcee might be interested too - this is totally her kind of thing.

TURN DOWN FOR WHAT.

hairography

i have never been one who was very good with hairstyling.  hell, i can barely get my own nugget to look halfway decent.  i tried and tried with the teen when she was little, but i was lucky to get her out of the house with her hair brushed at all, let alone pulled up into anything cuter than a couple of pigtails.

enter pinterest.  of course, right?  i was just browsing the "everything" tab one day when i came across this pin, which led me to all sorts of great ideas for things to do with the bean's two feet of hair.  it started with the 'do i managed to pull off for her on valentine's day - you remember this, right?

after struggling with the first step of that style, i headed to target to pick up a "topsy tail," a stupid little gadget that works magic.  i considered just making one myself, but realized it would be more trouble than it was worth and coughed up the $5 for the damn thing.  and with that piece of plastic, i was able to accomplish this quite easily:

and now that i've perused more and more websites dedicated to cute hairstyles for little heads, i've kind of become addicted.  this one was easy, and the bean came home from school that day puffed up with pride over the number of compliments she got.

i'm no good with french braiding, but a simple twist?  easy enough for even me.

these new hair skillz totally paid off while we were at disney world this weekend.

maybe i won't be as eager to talk the bean into letting me get her hair chopped off after all.