MOVED

All new posts, and more, are found at Abnormal Babble in the Crafts section.

My shawlette!

I decided to buy a book of patterns from The Invisible Loom and I made the first shawlette in the book, "Sweet on Ruffles" using a 24 peg round loom. I grabbed this book. Here's my results:

Pardon my poor modelling. It took me most of yesterday and a chunk of today. I love it. It's my first shawl. It was done in garter stitch with a lot of short rows, for the ruffles. I can't wait to do more.

Typing glove(s)

One down, one to go. This is the sloppiest pattern ever! Easy to follow. Enjoy.

Neckerchief complete (Fun with filters)

Poppy Neckerchief Simplified

I'm making this cute little neckerchief (I love the way that sounds, so vintage, teehee! *snark*) for my mom, along with some gloves and a hat, for her birthday. I'm going to cable the hat, and make gloves with fingers! My first tries. I've simplified the pattern for the neckerchief a bit because I'm using small gauges that are close together. It's my first time using the Martha Stewart loom set (put it together yourself) and I'm going to be finding pegs everywhere for the rest of my life. The cats like to play with them. I like the colour of this yarn. Since I just got out of the psychiatric unit, I've decided it would be therapeutic to also make hats and scarves for the cancer centre where my boyfriend goes for his MRI's. He doesn't go for another 6 months (he has a brain tumor that is "watch and wait", so far so good, no changes since diagnosis) so I'll have a huge bag full by then. I'm sure they could use some blankets. If I won't use it, they can. I'm going to knit today, go to therapy, then knit, then play D&D. I've got new dice for my new character. Here's the neckerchief so far on my loom. I've also learned a new bind off and am making it look fancy with some crochet detailing. Hell, I might even throw in some Swarovski crystal beads!

UPDATE: I got this far before going to bed last night:

I'm decreasing now, just over 50% done.

On and off the loom

I've still got the 10 stitch blanket going. I'm going round and round and round. It's looking good. I'm going to finish it in the darker blue shades. I want it to cover my double bed. I have no updated pics, just look down. It looks about the same. I was in the hospital for a few weeks. I started some socks there in some god-awful yarn.

I took the Leaf Dragon scarf thing off my loom. It wasn't turning out. The cats play with it now. I haven't accomplished anything on the sweater except for getting yarn to finish it.

What else.. I've found some patterns I'm excited to do. Loom Knit Granny Round by Kristen at GoodknitKisses by Kristen Mangus

Granny squares on the loom! I'll see if I can crochet them together. I cannot crochet worth a damn, I've been trying worth years. I still have hooks. I've given away my old books and stuff to people that can use 'em. I just can't do it. Like knitting needles, I try and try. Looms, it is! I have fun with them.

Here's what I want, but bigger. More blankets! Huge blankets. Warm blankets, winter is coming. And not green. I like colour. Blues, especially. The more the better.

So, winter is coming. Expect hats (touques), scarves, mittens and more. I'm expanding on my "mad skillz". Maybe I'll even write a tutorial.

10 Stitch Blanket - Colour Change

I ran out of the orange-ish yarn, so I switched to the blue pattern. It's the same combination I used in my hexagon baby blanket. It's getting bigger! I just ran out of the blue yarn, so I'm off to get more in a little bit.

Progress on the 10 stitch blanket!

I started working on this this afternoon. It's a 10 stitch blanket, which means that there are only 10 stitches on my loom at once. Here's my progress. It about covers my lap. I picked up the pattern quickly, its actually really easy!

On the loom

Here are my current projects, and what they'll turn into! First up is the daisy chain sweater. I am doing mine with long sleeves. I used thicker wool, so it isn't as lacey. I ran out of the black and white wool, so its on hold until I get more.

The second is the leafy sea dragon scarf. Mine isn't that far along. It's my first time using short rows to create ruffles.

Last is the 10 stitch blanket, which is going to take me forever and lots of wool. I've just barely started it and I'm excited to see it grow!

Current project!

I am doing this: I'm doing it in thicker black and white patterning yarn and am making full sleeves for the cold winter ahead! Pics later. I'm about 10 inches in. Using 56 pegs on an afghan loom (1/2" apart)

My new helmet

I love that I have a small head and can fit into helmets like this.

I am a horseback rider, I lease a horse named Trick (Thoroughbred gelding) and I ride a few times a week on him or my instructor's horses. I love riding and am competing this winter. Today I just did barn stuff, we went to Greenhawk (a tack store) and I found this helmet and HAD to buy it.

I found a pink show blouse to go with it, but it was too damn small. Oh well.

Finished hexagon baby blanket!

This took me about 3 days of off and on loom knitting. I used 2 different balls of yarn and I love how it turned out. I did a different bind off than on the instructions because I kept screwing it up, so I did it the hard way. It is done in e-wrap knit and purl into a garter stitch. I love the simplicity of garter stitch, and it has no "wrong" side.

The first wedge, the hardest part. 36 peg large gauge loom.

2 wedges down

3 wedges, halfway there, starting to take shape.

4 wedges, looking better.

5 wedges, almost there!

6 wedges, ready for bind-off!

Bound off and sewn securely together.

A size comparison. On my large computer chair.

Hexagon baby blanket

I found this free pattern at this awesome site and decided to make one. I used two similar, lighter yarns that are different colours but follow the same pattern. I initially wanted to do it all in the blue/purple/teal yarn, but I didn't have enough to do the entire blanket. I completed one wedge on Tuesday night, and three and a half on Wednesday and I'm finishing it up now, on Thursday.

It's actually an easy pattern. I love it. The colours actually mesh well and I think this is my favourite project I've done. I found the pattern on Ravelry (GO THERE) and it's an alternate wingspan pattern that blew everyone away with needles and was made available on the loom. I use looms, I suck with needles. The pattern is basic, using three stitches: e-wrap knit, purl, and half stitch. I did an e-wrap cast on and I'm doing a basic bind off. I used a 36 peg circle loom and I want to do it again with crazy rainbow colours on my 50 peg circle loom, and I want to make a poncho.

It's a great pattern and can be easily modified to make a scarf, a poncho, a wrap and more.

Here's the example off of the site:

And here is mine, as of last night before I went to bed. 4 wedges completed. I am now finishing the final wedge. 

It will definitely look different when it's connected and not so stretched out. Pardon my dirty carpet. 

Fun with firecups

Firecupping is an ancient Chinese medicine practice used to bring bad blood to the surface and remove toxins. Well, it is sort of a load of crap. It's not proven to really do anything, but its still done today. Why? It feels good. Like a warm, hard, massage.

A special glass cup is rubbed with a flammable liquid (most often rubbing alcohol, I use 70%) and lit with a torch, which can be anything from a BBQ lighter to a specially made torch with a cotton end. Immediately after lighting it, it is placed on the skin and the flame inside goes out and creates a vacuum pulling the skin up.

I've been firecupped a bunch of times and I've done it, too. It feels really, really good. The cups can be on very tight or loose. If you add baby oil or lubricant, you can move the cups around, which feels good too. It leaves red or purple marks for up to a week. It's great for loosening muscles.

My friend got kicked by a horse, so we firecupped her. It's painless. It feels good. She felt much better after. I find it very relaxing. Here are some pics.

Warming up with light "fire play". Running a flame along the back and putting it out.

Putting on some small firecups.

You can see the skin tightening up here.

A back full of firecups and Chinese suction cups which work in a similar manner, just without fire.

The resulting marks are slightly raised and go away quickly. The big bruise at the bottom side is from the horse kick.

Animated GIF's are fun

I need to make more animated GIF's. This is one of my friend Kwinn's horse, Giovanna, being ridden by her part leaser who has done an amazing job with her.

 She took the rail down the 2nd time. 

I adore how her back legs are invisible here!

Horses!

Some horse pics!

Dually, the wild stallion (3 year old Thoroughbred colt) being ridden bareback by me with no bridle.

One of the barn kittens taking residence in Annie's hat.

Dually looking into the sunset.

Riding Dually for the first time, no saddle, no bridle (halter and lead) A bit of a glare.

Breaking Bad Custom Cross Stitch

I love Breaking Bad. Walter White (Heisenberg) is such a badass. This is about half done, I'll put the pattern (created by me using Photoshop and PC Stitch, if you want to use it, go ahead) beside it to track my progress. My good cameras batteries are dead, so I just used my phone. I hope you like it! My right thumb is literally numb from stitching! This is two days worth of stitching and about 2000 stitches.

My current kitties

Meet the furballs, Izzy (orange) and Freya (tortie) They're brother and sister. Middle aged kiddies.