Knitting for Charity Redux

I know knitters are caring people.  I know knitters love to make things with their hands.  I know knitters are some of the most generous people I have ever come across.  I also know that the folks in the Philippines do not need crocheted washcloths, knitted teddy bears, or handmade afghans.  They need cash.

I realize that online fiber folks are seeing a lot of pleas for disaster relief right now.  People really want to help, and truly  the best way is to donate to a well-known charity such as Doctors Without Borders, the Red Cross, or another reputable aid organization.  These people have boots on the ground in areas hit hard by the typhoon, they know what they need, they know what people can use, and they have the organizational infrastructure in place to use your donations to assist people immediately.  Shipping a giant box of baby soakers to Manila because someone in your knit group said their neighbor's nephew knows someone who was once stationed at Clark AFB is a super-bad idea and just contributes to the problems they're having right now.

If you simply MUST knit something, why not try one of the many organizations that are actually requesting donations of knitted or crocheted items?  Pine Ridge Reservation, the Project Linus, and the Mother Bear Project are always looking for donations.

Take up a collection at Knit Night, sell a few items from the stash, and give the folks most affected by this disaster what they really need, not what makes you feel good.  That's what altruism is, right?

Terrible Pun Is Terrible

Scrap Yarn

ZOMGS BUTTONS!!!

Did I post this already?  I can't remember if I posted this already, but it is so cute!  Meli Melo has so many neat things on her blog...Check it out here.

This is a little bit more sewing and weaving in ends than I would usually do, but it is so much prettier than your average mug cozy... Instructables has tons of crafty crap beyond patterns for knitting and crochet, it's definitely worth adding to your favorites list.


                                 

Washi Tape Noob

So I'm always looking for little things I can do to decorate my place...Unfortunately, in an apartment, there's a limited amount of stuff you can do while still remaining on good terms with your landlord.  I have seen a whole bunch of fun ideas to add a little color using washi tape, so I decided to experiment a little bit.

This?  THIS IS FREAKIN' CUTE!  And so easy to do!  Basically line up your washi tape all nice and straight over the switchplate, poke a couple of holes for the screws and cut out the bit the switch goes through, and you're done!  

These are all ready to go in the hallway.

The black and white brocade one was basically an experiment, so the corners could have been a little neater, but if you come into my home and start staring at the corners of the light switches, I'm going to ask you to leave anyway no matter what your opinion on my switchplate decorating abilities, you big weirdo.  ;)

I think the only thing I would suggest is to make sure you leave a little bit of tape around the edges in the center when you cut it out.  Then you can fold that tiny bit over to ensure complete coverage and not have any of the plastic showing around the light switch.

Now I just have to restrain myself from buying washi tape in ALL THE COLORS and covering my entire place in stripes and dots and little dancing cupcakes and ZOMGS ASTRONAUT WASHI TAPE!!!

Resistance is futile.  Obviously.  :D

Patterns I Love

It's starting to get colder, so I am embarking on my yearly search for the perfect slouchy hat pattern...Look at this!

So cute!  So cute!!

This one is close to perfect!  Free Rav download too, you can't go wrong with that.  :D

Crafty Halloween Awesomeness!

OK, so I love Halloween.  No, seriously, I FREAKING LOVE HALLOWEEN.

Unfortunately this year, I don't think I will be able to let my Halloween Freak Flag fly, but that doesn't stop me from collecting all the cool Halloween links I possibly can...Hooray for Pinterest and all the crafty folks out there who love Halloween as much as I do!

Spooky punch!

I wish my nails were long enough for this...

And Momnivores-dilemma has the absolute best idea for Halloween home decor!

I really can't believe I am posting two Martha Stewart links, but I love this bat headband so hard...

And no Halloween party would be complete without creepy shooters...

Best.  Costume.  EVER.  :D

I am not positive I would want my holiday decorations watching me...

 

And this?  This I would wear every damn day!!  

Most of the stuff in Mirela Olariu's Etsy store is wedding themed, but seriously...Who *DOESN'T* need a tutu??  ;)

My Bad

So...

Neglected blog is neglected.  :/

It's not a case of blogfade, more a case of exciting things happening and plain old getting out of the habit of posting, but with the start of the new semester, the same old same old has returned and lots of yarny posts are on the way!

So what happened?  Finals, and then I went to Spain, bitchezz!  My very first archaeological dig!  :D

Pintia is an Iron Age necropolis near Valladolid.  The whole experience was beyond awesome, and though I am not completely decided that archaeology is going to be my thing, as a history geek, the fact that I was literally able to hold history in my hand was incredible.

One day, while I was doing the same old-same old, grubbing in the dirt and hoping that we might reach a good artifact layer at some point, this just appeared in a pile of earth at my feet:

A 2000 year old needle, as perfect as the day it was last used...I literally could have dusted it off and started stitching...well, if I could sew, that is!  ;)

One of the tombs we found contained ancient ceramic bobbins that would have been full of thread or yarn:

I think everyone else on the dig thought I was insane for geeking out so hard over some old yarny stuff.  I have to admit I was disappointed that there were no spindle whorls discovered this year.

I spent a lot of time this summer working on my long-term goal: Project Use Up All The Yarn as well, but somehow I managed hardly any spinning time...Too many projects to finish up!  How is it that I have any number of basically completed items just sitting in boxes waiting to have the ends woven in??

Since I've finally got the camera working again properly, I'll try and show off some of the things I made 2 or even 3 years ago and just actually finished during vacation!  *hides face in shame*

;)