Tales from Yarnvana

Dragon Claw Yarnblob

2012-01-15T10:00:00.002-06:00

Accidental Noose Yarnblob

2012-01-08T10:00:00.003-06:00

I could not have done this on purpose.

WIP: Black and Red Frilly Scarf

2012-01-06T20:29:00.000-06:00

It's a couple feet long now, and thankfully looking more scarf-like and less bloody-organ-like. Whew.

WIP: Black and Red Frilly Scarf

2012-01-05T13:07:00.000-06:00

I'm making this for my younger daughter:

Yes I realize that right now it looks a bit like either "The Blob" or a disembodied organ, but it'll get better ;-)

Also, I've finished a few more projects over the holidays and will post soon :-) I did manage to make cookies but they were eaten too quickly to ice, so no pics of those.

WIP: Ork Carrier

2011-12-20T07:00:00.001-06:00

I've been working on a divided carrier for the Orks that came with my Warhammer 40k Assault on Blackreach set:

The top one for that corner isn't finished yet but you can see they stack fine

With both inserts removed: Look out for those Orks!

I had to make a special compartment for the Big Boss; an underling gets tucked into an insert beneath him

Here they are all stacked together; this insert is particularly tall to accommodate the Def Copters

Unfortunately, I didn't have enough of a single color mesh to use for the whole thing, so the panels are a combination of black, brown and clear/white. I suppose that's fitting for the Warhammer 40k Orks since the same could be said of their equipment.

Masculin Scarf Colors Yarnblob

2011-12-18T10:00:00.001-06:00

Manly Scarf Colors Yarnblob would of course be larger than your average Yarnblob

FO: Purple Sparkly Hat-Scarf-Mittens Set

2011-12-16T07:00:00.001-06:00

This set I knitted for the 3-year-old daughter of one of my co-workers:

The little one loves purple and princesses, so I hope she likes it. Given her height, I decided to go with a pom-pom edge rather than a fringe.

FO: Hideaway Scarf and Hat

2011-12-14T07:00:00.003-06:00

This set I made for my older sister's son, age 8:

His favorite color is purple; I long ago discovered it's difficult to find a masculine purple yarn, but this one isn't too bad; it's Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn 100 Ombre in 501 Hideaway.

FO: Pink Sparkly Hat and Scarf

2011-12-12T07:00:00.002-06:00

I made this for my older sister's youngest daughter (age 6):

It's knit with Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn 100 Sparkle, #752 Razzleberry Sparkle.

Fit to Be Tied Yarnblob

2011-12-11T10:55:00.000-06:00

If only I could tie gift ribbons in such neat bows.

WIP: Cross Stitched Wizard

2011-11-18T07:00:00.000-06:00

Quite some time ago, I bought this cross-stitch kit to make for my husband:

I finally picked it back up recently, and figured out I'd previously gotten as far as sorting some of the floss. So far, I've finished sorting and winding the floss, taping the edges, and have gotten this far on the stitching:

For scale, this is a 7" diameter hoop.

This bit is somewhere in the lower center of the wizard's beard.

Sadly, this 1.5" by 0.5" bit of stitching represents about an hour's work. At this rate, I suspect this will be a retirement gift.

FO: Blue Sparkle Hat and Scarf Set

2011-11-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

This is a gift for one of my older sister's children:

I'm not worried they'll see it early because my older sister has only recently figured out how to use instant messaging; she certainly isn't going to accidentally show them my blog (which for the moment is convenient).

Knit with Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn #100 Sparkle yarn in 740 Royalty Sparkle using US 7 circular needles.

Squishable Moose

2011-11-16T20:44:00.000-06:00

I received my Squishable Moose recently as a slightly late anniversary present from my Hubby, and I love it:

He is very well put together, very squishable, and very cute. The textures are wonderful and I have named him Moose Lee.

Late Post - FO: Card Bag

2011-11-11T07:00:00.001-06:00

Remember the card bag I was working on? I finished it at the beginning of September (told you it was a late post):

Exterior, tied

Interior, untied

Kitchener stitch: not perfect, but functional

I've been knitting plenty, but my blogging is way behind :-(

Happy Birthday to my Older Sister

2011-11-10T07:00:00.002-06:00

In honor of my older sister's birthday today (since I didn't get anything made for her in time), I'm re-posting the pic of the painting she did for my birthday many years ago:

I still think it's a shame she doesn't paint anymore.

Late post: Kids' Halloween Costumes

2011-11-09T07:00:00.001-06:00

This is my older daughter, dressed as Jack the Ripper, with and without fake blood:

Note Capt. Skully on shelf

I thought I did pretty good with the splashed blood

This is my youngest, Nerf Warrior:

It might be Nerf, but it'll still hurt

And this is my oldest, Crouching Computer, Hidden Face:

Unfortunately, my younger daughter escaped to a friend's house before I could get pics of her costume.

FO: Scarf and Hat Set

2011-11-08T07:00:00.001-06:00

This is my anniversary present for my Hubby, and believe it or not, both were completed on time:


The whole set

I thought the inside of the hat looked like a sunburst; quite accidental

All pieces are reversible

For these, I used Katia Odisea in color 132, with size US 10 (6mm) needles. I made this up, so if someone wants the pattern, I'll have to type it up first.

The Pick of Destiny goes to Paris?

2011-11-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

This is my older daughter's shelf in "the lab" (our family room). Between the Pick of Destiny and the pseudo-Dr. Horrible goggles, I'm speechless.

French Cafe Yarnblob

2011-11-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

Here we see the popular French Cafe Yarnblob, delicately balanced over a fresh latte:

Yes, I have yarn.

Skully Gets Promoted

2011-11-05T12:46:00.000-05:00

Well it was bound to happen sooner or later; no longer sporting his baseball cap, Skully is now an officer in a one-skull army:

Famous Hubby, Scary Bad Guy

2011-10-31T07:00:00.005-05:00

Proud spouse moment: my Hubby got published again, this time through TPK Games, which publishes RPG products. This time it's a pre-packaged bad guy named Temerlyth, based on part of a campaign he took me and my friends through some time ago. The bad guy was kinda scary then. Apparently he's even scarier now. Happy Halloween!

FO: More Lembas Bread Stripey Socks

2011-09-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I like stripey socks. More specifically, I like knitting socks because it's a project that travels well and doesn't really require sewing. What's not to like?

WIP: Reaper Paint Caddy Dividers

2011-09-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

My Hubby and I have the entire line of Master Series Paints from Reaper Minis (yes, I mean all 216 colors, not counting the duplicates we have), which came in 3 paint caddies. At any given time, there are numerous bottles of paint in use on one craft desk or another (my oldest has at least 50 out just in his area). When that happens, the paints left in the caddies tend to slide around and get out of order, which makes it more difficult to find a particular color or triad of colors. It's also hard to see what the color in the bottle is when you're looking down at the cap. The caddies come with removable dividers but you can't put as many paints in if the dividers are in place, and the bottles still won't stay upside-down.

My solution, of course, involves yarn. In this case, yarn and plastic mesh, cut into strips and sewn into a ladder-like configuration. I've gotten one of the caddies almost completed:

Row 1 complete: so much easier to see what color it is when the bottle is inverted!

Note 3rd row where some paints are missing but the bottles stay in place. Boo-yah!

Here's where I messed up and put a "step" on the wrong side:

I got distracted by the pretty colors.

I haven't decided if it's worth putting smaller versions in the fixed pockets near the front of the caddies, but I probably will since I still want them inverted. The bottles don't clog any more than they normally do when stored right-side up. Since they normally clog regardless, I keep a straight pin handy for clearing them.

FO: Flying Mint Bunny

2011-09-02T07:00:00.003-05:00

I managed to finish the pieces for the flying mint bunny and even sew them together (this is an accomplishment because I hate sewing knitting), so here he is in all his minty green glory:

Here he is with the recipient, my older daughter:

Apparently he rides on the head of the manga character he hangs around

He is well loved

In the interest of my never having to knit a flying mint bunny again, the pattern is available free here.

WIP: Flying Mint Bunny

2011-09-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

My older daughter talked me into trying to knit her a "flying mint bunny" (a character from an Anime show about which I know zero) to use at A-Fest or A-Con or whatever A-thing is happening in Dallas this weekend. Thus far, I have most of the pieces knitted:

No, the Yarnblob on the left is not a part of the final piece.

I've got 1.5 legs left to make and then the assembly and a face. So, that begs the question: which one is the lucky rabbit's foot?

Once this thing is complete, I will be happy to write up and post the pattern if anyone is interested.

WIP Progress: Purple Shiney Card Bag

2011-08-31T07:00:00.011-05:00

Well I'm almost done with the card bag, and I've managed to make the "Bag End" (Tolkien reference) rectangular-ish:

As you can see, I've completed the liner as well, and it's also rectangular-ish. Here's where I've hit a major snag. I mean Major Snag. Are you ready?

I cannot do the kitchener stitch. I just don't get it. At all. I mean, I understand what the point is, but not how to get there. Since this bag is rectangular at the bottom, I can't just decrease the liner in the round, nor do the 3-needle bindoff without it being really visible inside the bag. I. Am. Stuck.

I guess I'll have to head to my LYS this weekend and get someone to show me. The real challenge is not to get distracted by all the pretty new yarns there and forget about the whole "kitchener stitch" fiasco.

FO: Black Dice Bag

2011-08-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

This is another dice bag for my oldest, made with Lana Grossa Fragolux color 317:

Forest for scale ;-)

This yarn was originally intended to be the liner for the black and white dice bag I made him, but since that one was sufficiently thick, he opted for a second dice bag instead.

WIP: Warhammer 40k Chaos Marines

2011-08-29T07:00:00.003-05:00

Yes, I picked the Chaos Marines for my Warhammer 40K army. I've been trying to figure out what colors to paint them. The black and old gold color scheme on the box is okay, but I like green, so I think I've decided on this:

I'm planning on painting the bases according to what unit they're in and what weapon they're holding; because unlike Pathfinder, in Warhammer 40K, what weapon your minis carry matters. That's something that will take a little getting used to.

Here are the Mad Painter's Notes; the colors in the pics are a bit off, so if you have these colors from Reaper Minis you'll be able to tell more accurately what it looks like:

Yarnblob: Highly Localized Yarnbombing

2011-08-28T07:00:00.008-05:00

This flowering cactus is located on the window ledge behind our large kitchen sink, so I had to lean way over and use really long chopsticks (the kind used for cooking noodles) to place the yarn in that position. Yarnbombing is hazardous work!

Take Two and Call Me in the Morning

2011-08-26T07:00:00.001-05:00

Note: Taking Wood Elf and Ork at the same time is contraindicated for those with Lawful alignments.

Fall Comes Early - I wish

2011-08-25T07:00:00.010-05:00

These are actually plastic trees to which my Hubby is going to glue green flocking; ultimately they'll be used for our Pathfinder games. I'm not sure how those few ended up in the chair, but I suspect feline interference.

WIP: Card Bag

2011-08-24T07:00:00.002-05:00

This is going to be a card bag for a friend of mine; the coloration isn't great in the pic because the photo was taken with my phone at work:

The yarns are:
Outer layer (on needles): GGH Gigolo, color 2
Inner layer (in high-tech anti-yarnblob device in the back): Louisa Harding Jasmine in color 29

I'll take better pics when it's finished. Meanwhile, the challenge has been to make it rectangular rather than round as for dice. I haven't quite figured out the bottom yet but I've got a few more inches of knitting before I have to know what I'm doing.

FO: Black & White Dice Bag

2011-08-23T07:00:00.001-05:00

Made for my oldest, using Online Linie 14 Cedro, color 101:

The nice thing about ribbon yarns is that they don't really need a liner, so I didn't make one.

She Has Been Assimilated

2011-08-02T07:00:00.002-05:00

I've mentioned my non-blogging friend a time or two in past posts. At long last, I talked her into getting her very own blog! Woohoo! She can be found at Trefot Stitches.

Yep, she has been assimilated :-)

Painted Mini: Female Gnome

2011-07-25T07:00:00.009-05:00

Yay! I finally finished one of the Minis of Doom I thought I'd never finish:

Apparently all I needed to do was actually roll up a character for the mini; this one is going to be a gnomish rogue in a Pathfinder game.

For the curious, this is a Reaper mini, No. 02772, sculpted by Sandra Garrity, painted with Reaper's Master paints.

Yarblob or Free-form Art? You decide....

2011-07-24T21:13:00.000-05:00

Sadly, I don't even remember what I was trying to do with the yarn in this photo.

Paint Blob

2011-07-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

This blue paint blob on the rag might not seem so unusual or random:

Until you see the color scheme I was painting with:

FO: Dish Rag

2011-07-13T08:00:00.004-05:00

I found a cone of cotton yarn that had a cool color combo, so of course I made a kitchen rag:

I have every faith it will take my darling family less than 3 months to turn it completely brown. No worries, though; that'll be my excuse to make more ;-)

FO: More Lembas Bread Stripey Socks

2011-07-12T08:00:00.002-05:00

Unlike other recent socks, these actually were intended for my Hubby:

FO: Stripey Socks

2011-07-11T08:00:00.008-05:00

These were intended for me, but since I knitted them standing and without all my "equipment" (e.g. a gauge checker) they ended up a bit large. Rather than rip them out, I gave them to my Hubby, shown here modeling:

Paint Blob

2011-07-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

No Yarnblob today: this was much weirder:

No, I Haven't Fallen off the Planet

2011-07-05T21:24:00.002-05:00

In fact I have a number of things to blog about; more to come soon :-)

D is for Revenge

2011-05-30T07:00:00.008-05:00

Okay D is for Dog, but the dog was my revenge. My Hubby kept throwing this little dog-shaped cat toy at me and I couldn't seem to hit him with it, so while he wasn't looking I put it where he would be sure to see it:

Yes, that's part of my hubby's current project. Now it's a dog house ;-)

Another Yarnblob Undone

2011-05-29T19:44:00.000-05:00

Remember the Pink Scarf of Doom? I finally got my older daughter to give me some dimensions (9"x6') for the original (cartoon) scarf we're approximating, and it was considerably less wide than the one we were working on. At last measurement, it was 3' wide (yes, 3 feet wide) by about 3.5' long. After informing her that I could probably unwind it and re-knit it to 9" wide by 6' long much more quickly than continuing with the 3' wide version, she finally agreed, and here it is, ripped, wound and waiting to be cast on in the new, compact version:

Yes, this is just the yarn we'd already used. Yikes.

P is for Paul

2011-05-29T16:12:00.001-05:00

This wooden letter was purchased by my mother-in-law quite awhile before she passed away:

(Painted in Folkart Cobalt Blue and Antique Gold, finished with Ceramcoat Matte Varnish)

She'd bought initials for the kids' doors, intending for the kids to paint them. My youngest painted his most of the way a few weeks ago and I finished it up today. I spend Friday night and Saturday painting Warhammer figures, so this easy project was a rather nice break.

Priceless

2011-05-22T21:28:00.000-05:00

A Tiger? In Plano?

2011-05-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Nope, it's just my big ole cat:

And here he is in a rare hearth-side pose with his very fuzzy brother:

Mouseguard Plushie!

2011-05-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

Guarding the TV with his meager life!

Also, I got the Trick or Treat Mouselings the last time we were at Reaper Minis:

After all, who doesn't need a plushie Mouseling ranger or a tiny Mouseling witch?

I'll Take the #2 Rabbitslayer, Please

2011-05-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

This little dagger is from my Warhammer Glade Guard; I lost it recently (after finding the head) and later found it on the painting table under a cloth (pencil for scale):

And yes, "Rabbitslayer" is a Dragonlance reference.

WIP: Socks on the Go

2011-05-19T07:00:00.011-05:00

I have a family member in the hospital (she's doing fine), and while visiting her there I all but finished one pair of socks and started another. This is the pair I started there:

Unfortunately, I have to re-do the first sock because it's a bit too large; I spose that's what happens when you approximate gauge in a waiting room and then knit standing up with the yarn in your pocket. Fortunately, I'm a patient knitter when it comes to socks, and I'm making the second sock (shown in the photo on the needles) about 4 stitches smaller. Once I get that one done and make sure it's the right size, I'll just unwind the first one and re-do it.

For those wondering, the yarn is OnLine Supersocke Relax-Color #1106 on circular size US2 needles, with appropriate Anti-Yarnblob Devices deployed.

Two Painting WIPs I'm Never Gonna Get Right

2011-05-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

The first is that dang ninja, after I tried adjusting the highlighting down from stark white to a softer yellow:

(He looks like he's been bombed by a squadron of pollen-laden honeybees)

The other is that dang gnome with the cool armor that just refuses to look like leopard spots:

(She looks like she's either made of stone or has a serious infestation of some sort)

Sigh.

I'm Pretty Sure the Dolphin is Mooning Me

2011-05-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

Warhammer Wood Elf Glade Guard (lots of pics)

2011-05-10T20:41:00.000-05:00

Well I finally got a few completed (this after destroying part of the Guard by trying to use the spray-on primer):

Beltane Yarnblob

2011-05-01T13:13:00.000-05:00

In honor of Beltane (Mayday to the uninitiated), here is a pic symbolic of two Yarnblobs joining to create a yarn cake:

Happy Beltane, everyone!

Fun with Gollum

2011-04-30T11:57:00.000-05:00

If Gollum had hair:

Captured while my Hubby was cleaning the ~~toys~~action figures

Not Exactly the Cavalry:

These appeared on my kb while I was outside

(thanks to my darling Hubby for the Saturday-morning entertainment)

What the Heck is That?

2011-04-27T07:00:00.001-05:00

Since we had a long weekend I finally got my Warhammer Glade Guard glued together, minus one tiny dagger that went MIA and has yet to turn up. I admit I thought about gluing the extra elf head to the belt of the dagger-less guard, but figured that probably wouldn't go over well with his buddies.

Meanwhile, however, I am left with another conundrum; there's a critter in the pack that isn't pictured anywhere; seen here in the lower left of my pic:

And here's a close-up of the lil guy, who looks a bit like a lizard with wings:

Seriously; what the heck is it? It's not on the website, not on the box, not in the book (that I can find, anyway); nowhere. So, what is it? Is it worth points, is it a mascot, a familiar, a minion? ("Who's my minion? Who's my minion?" sorry - D&D 4E reference there...) I just. don't. know.

De-blobbing the Yarn Stash

2011-04-26T07:00:00.012-05:00

So, after quite a long time of thinking about it, I finally dragged all my yarn out of the closet and the lab and various other places I tend to keep it, photographed it all and organized it by color range. Here it is stacked in the library after being photographed:

Here it is repackaged by color range:

(Yes, that's Vera in the foreground, hiding in her case)

Okay, from the outside it doesn't look a lot different than it used to, but at least my photography skills have improved ;-)

Unfortunately, just when I thought I was done, I sat down at my desk only to find a box that had mysteriously been overlooked:

What's in the box, you ask?

Dang it.

Life Cycle of a Yarnblob

2011-04-24T13:30:00.000-05:00

Here we see the "egg" - the very beginning of the Yarnblob life cycle:

Note that there are no umbilicals sticking out of either end:

After a bit of assistance breaking out of the egg:

After a bit of straightening, we can see evidence of the parent Yarnblob:

After a bit more winding, we find another, smaller sibling:

And another:

And yet another, larger sibling; what a rare and exciting discovery to find Yarnblob quadruplets in captivity!

At last, all Yarnblobs smoothed out:

But don't be sad; many good eggs end up in cakes ;-)

Happy Easter!

I Didn't Lose My Head After All

2011-04-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

This lil guy stuck to my slipper and bruised my foot when I stepped down, but at least he's been found:

I had to stick him in a bit of Museum Putty to make him stay upright; pencil for scale. Yes, that's my blackberry in the background; I was, uh.... too busy preparing the head's welcome home party to break out the portable studio. (You believe me, right?)

Yarnblobs in Waiting and Updates

2011-04-10T09:05:00.000-05:00

I realize it's been awhile since I posted; I've been working a lot of overtime lately and haven't had time to do much of anything fun, let alone post about it :-(

However, I did buy more yarn, just waiting to be turned into yarnblobs as soon as I have enough time off to get out the winder and swift:

I also found these cuties at my LYS, made by Serendipity Needles:

Yes, they're black sheep, and yes, they have little tails (tho, no legs: can't have 'em running off to school with Mary and that other lamb, you know). I probably won't actually use them since I knit almost exclusively with circulars, but they're just so cute staring at me from the pencil cup :-)

Meanwhile, my darling Hubby bought me the full set of Master Series paints from Reaper Minis, and more Warhammer 40K minis. Before the overtime started, I'd detached one of the sets so I could put it in a baggie for later assembly. In my efforts to show my brother-in-law what they looked like, I tried to hand him one of the spare heads, but I dropped it and it rolled out of sight and into oblivion. As they say, heads will roll. Counting on Murphy's Law to help me, I thought my cats would manage to find it. So far they've found screws, stitch markers and dust bunnies, but not the missing head. Good thing it was a spare.

Meanwhile, my Hubby also got me a new camera (Canon Powershot Sx130) and bag, and a portable studio thingy that folds up into itself so I can photograph minis and stuff. So, no more pictures on the game mat. I had to RTFM (read the friggin manual) to figure out how to shoot close up, and I also have a couple of tripods now so my shaky hands won't mess up the pictures. So far, this is as good as I've gotten, but I'm workin on it:

Brief Update

2011-03-24T13:34:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted much lately because I'm working a lot of overtime. Despite that, I have finished a pair of baby booties to go with the pink and white blanket (that I forgot to take pics of after it was complete) and am one cuff away from another pair of adult socks being finished; I'll post pics of both soon. And not to worry, I also bought more sock yarns recently so I'm not likely to run out anytime soon, heh.

On the painting side, my hubby bought me a new paint set (the complete set of Reaper Master paints), and I'd tried to repaint that same darn gnome figure but I'm gonna have to scrub her down and start over yet again. Sigh.

Yarnblobs to Be

2011-03-20T05:41:00.000-05:00

Or not to be, that is the question: whether 'tis blobbier in the mind to knit from the skein, or to wind the cake and.... Okay, I'm up wayyyy too early. However, I went to my LYS yesterday to donate some yarn and needles to someone teaching impoverished orphans how to knit so they can support themselves, and discovered my LYS was holding a sidewalk sale, so I got this pretty stuff at 75% off:

and yes, it's being guarded by my big sheep:

The sheep I got at the grocery store in an early Easter display. My Hubby has dubbed him Bruce Shee(p). The "p" is mostly silent. I should knit Bruce Shee(p) a little black belt and a gi or something.

PS Happy Ostara!

FO: Pompom Add-On

2011-03-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

My older daughter bought a hat for CosPlay, but it wasn't quite Scottish enough, so I attached the biggest pompom I could make:

Megan says "I am Awesomeness!"

FO: Stripey Socks

2011-03-14T07:00:00.027-05:00

Well my plan to ship off the surprise socks to the original intended recipient rather changed when I gave them to a co-worker who's going through some difficult times:

So while trying to decide what to make for the original intended recipient, I made these for myself:

They're made from Berroco Sox color 1474 using my basic toe-up pattern that doesn't require require me to carry the pattern around. Meanwhile, I've chosen the yarn for the original intended recipient, so that's next.

On a side note, I've had to start binding off socks with needles double the circumference of the needles I use to knit the socks because I tend to pull the stitches tight when I'm binding off. For this project, I used these to bind off the cuffs:

Cheerful little guys, aren't they?

New LYS and Why I'll Never be a Famous Knitter

2011-03-13T13:34:00.000-05:00

I visited a new (to me) yarn store yesterday in Arlington called Yarn Heaven. It's a very nice shop, lots of room, loads of sock yarns (my favorite) and a sizable classroom in the back. The ladies there were friendly and helpful, and more than willing to answer questions and demonstrate things.

As a result, here's why I'll never be a famous knitter: I was mentioning that my back-and-forth gauge was different from my circular gauge and that I figured it's because I knit rather differently than I purl, and showed one of the ladies how I purl. Apparently, I'm doing it wrong, though I couldn't quite distinguish the subtle difference between what I'm doing and what she was trying so patiently to show me. She does wrap her yarn under her index finger rather than over like I do, but I just can't grasp doing it that way (no pun intended). I'm told that's often the fate of those who learn to knit from books and the web rather than from a person. I guess I'm just doomed to purling weird. I used to knit weird but I've since fixed that.

Anti-Yarnblob Device

2011-03-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

I uploaded this photo some time ago, but it doesn't appear that I ever posted it. This is a clever little device from Clover USA, intended to make it easy to use multiple strands of yarn. I use them even when knitting with a single strand so as not to wear a yarn canal in my left index finger. Coincidentally, they also make good Yarnblob stoppers:

The Yarnblob Stops Here

2011 Gaming & Yarn Resolution Update

2011-03-03T07:00:00.001-06:00

Well we've started March now, so here's where I am on my Resolutions:

Yarn stuff:
• Knit something for someone who isn’t expecting it (Status: Completed! FO is drying and then I can ship it off to the unsuspecting recipient; no pics till the recipient gets it :-P)
• Finish all those baby sets before the babies are in college (it could happen, though, not today)
• Finish that dang green blanket! (Status: Completed!)
• Make my Hubby’s Lab blankie (Status: In progress and about 1/3 done)
• Organize (yes, I used the “O” word!) my yarn stash and library (Status: Ugh. Not. Even. Started.)
• Knit sufficient dice bags for our large dice collection (Status: Ugh.)
• Make myself a sweater (Status: Ugh.)
• Talk more on the forums (Status: Ugh. I keep starting to talk some but then things get in the way and I forget.)
• Blog more regularly (Status: Iffy: chaotic days still keep me from it.)

Gaming/RPG Stuff:
• Try my hand at a character who isn’t a rogue (presuming we start a new campaign or my rogue dies; and, btw, this is a toughie: I’m generally always the rogue). (Status: Still playing same campaign, but she is near death, so who knows.)

Painting Stuff:
• Paint to completion at least 1 mini a month (Status: Ugh.)
• Talk more on the forums (Status: Ugh.)

Disorganized Crime Yarnblob

2011-02-27T07:00:00.001-06:00

Note that picture is crooked, like the bad guys' hideouts in the old Batman series:

Unfortunately for the hapless multi-strand Yarnblob, I'm sure I have something in my utility belt ("pencil bag") to end his knotty crime spree...

WIP Progress: Hex Blanket and Pink Scarf

2011-02-21T07:00:00.001-06:00

Despite a tumultuous week, I did actually make some progress. The hex blankie is up to 4 rows completed:

Unfortunately, the blankie is now too large to simply lay over the dungeon (game mat), and the library doesn't have great light for photography, so I normalized the color as best I could.

Meanwhile, the Pink Scarf of Doom is now 20 inches long, and I've had to buy another Pound of Love because the first one ran out:

In all fairness, I didn't use the entire first Pound of Love for this scarf; part of that went to a baby blanket I haven't finished (I still have some of the first POL set aside for that blanket). I'm contemplating just using the pull-out skein on this one, rather than winding it into multiple cakes, but I'm not sure which tactic will yield fewer Yarnblobs. Either way, I'm also going to have to switch to a larger project bag.

Level Indicator Yarnblob

2011-02-20T11:02:00.000-06:00

This handy device, similar to a rain gauge, lets you know that your desk has too much yarn on it by covering the icons on your computer screen:

Poor "Blaine" doll; he didn't stand a chance

Tough Week for Knitting (and everything else)

2011-02-19T11:51:00.000-06:00

As the title says, it's been a rough week: my mother-in-law went into the hospital last Friday and passed away around 5 AM Wednesday morning, so besides everyone feeling very sad, there's also been a lot of scrambling to get things handled. In the midst of all that the kids have been exchanging the mystery virus, for which the doctor says there's no treatment. I also had to work late Monday and Friday to try and get caught up after missing several days from all this. As one might suspect, I've not gotten much knitting done. I also missed the painting contest. Our heads are still spinning with things that have to be done, but we're trying to take it one step at a time.

Meanwhile, here are the roses, chocolates and teddy bear my Hubby sent me for Valentine's Day:

A little blurry; taken with my cell phone

I left work early Tuesday and didn't go back until Friday, but the roses were still fresh and the chocolates and teddy bear still waiting for me :-)

V-Day FO and WIP Progress: Hex Blankie

2011-02-14T07:00:00.011-06:00

This year, I made my Hubby's Valentine's Day gift using a pattern from Mochimochi Land, and actually had it done early:

At least he'll never get the blue screen of death.

I've also started row 4 on the Hex Blankie (also for him):

This odd critter is threatening to take over the whole dungeon!

Happy V-Day everyone!

Anti-Yarnblob Device and WIP Progress: Pink Scarf

2011-02-13T21:53:00.003-06:00

For projects too large for my original Anti-Yarnblob Device but still small enough to carry around, I have this nifty little Pretty Cheep Project Bag, distributed by Blue Sky Alpacas:

It was fairly inexpensive and a brilliantly simple idea, so I got one and have used it a number of times. Currently, it holds the pink scarf of doom I'm finishing for my older daughter's friend:

It's now up to about 18" long and looks increasingly like a blanket. Oh, well. She actually worked on it some the other night, and I didn't get a picture, but she had her first WIP Yarnblob when a small knot came out of the cake. She was quite worried and didn't know what to do, so I explained that it was a Yarnblob and detangled it in only a few seconds. Family togetherness brought on by a Yarnblob; who'da thunk it?

FO: More Lembas Bread Knitted Can Cozies and Free Pattern

2011-02-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

Another set of commissioned bottle/can cozies completed:

Dungeon Not Included

Here's the pattern:

Can/Bottle Cozies

Materials: US 7 circ. knitting needles, 2 colors worsted weight yarn
Gauge: 3.5 st./inch in circular Stockinette st. (St.st.)
Size: Cozy meas. approx. 8.25" circumference x 3.5" tall.

Layer 1:
Using 1st color, c/o 28 st., join and work in the round in 2x2 ribbing for 6 rows; work in St. st. to 3.5" total;
Beginning with a purl row, work in Garter St., decreasing 4 st. per round on the knit rows until 12 st. remain (end w/decr. row). Break yarn, run through rem. 12 st., secure and weave in ends.

Layer 2:
Using 2nd color, with right side of Layer 1 showing, pick up 28 st. just inside lip of Layer 1;
Join and work in the round, working 2x2 ribbing in opposite direction from Layer 1 (i.e., purl where Layer 1 is knitted, etc.) for 6 rows;
Work remainder of Layer 2 as Layer 1; stuff Layer 2 inside Layer 1 so desired color is showing.

And, of course, the requisite Mad Knittist Notes:

WIP Progress: Hex Blanket and Pink Scarf

2011-02-10T07:00:00.003-06:00

One more hex and I'll have row 3 completed:

The objects in the background might give some clue as to what else we did last weekend. I couldn't work on the blanket while gaming because the pattern requires a bit more brainwork than I can devote while trying to survive a dungeon. Instead, I worked on the scarf my older daughter started for her friend. To me it looks more like a small blanket, but it's simple and dungeon-friendly so I'm not complaining:

Goal Post Yarnblob

2011-02-06T13:56:00.000-06:00

Happy Superbowl Watching!

Reaper Painting Contest

2011-02-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

Thanks to fellow blogger LadyArgent for posting that Reaper Minis is having a Winter Painting Contest. I admit I've had painting on the backburner for awhile; my January Ninja is not complete, though thanks to some helpful suggestions by fellow mini painters, I have some ideas on how to improve him.

Meanwhile, we have this contest thingy now. My first thought was that I'm not really a good enough painter to even bother entering this thing. Since then, I've been mentally chewing over what they said: "Be fun and clever." Somehow I managed to connect this to a gnome mini I've been wanting to paint that previously didn't come out right and has to be scrubbed down to the metal once or twice. While I was working on the hex blankie this afternoon I brought the mini with me so I could think it over, and indeed I've come up with an idea. Right now she's just primered, so I won't post pics of it here until I have some of it done. Here's Reaper's pic of the unpainted mini, sculpted by Sandra Garrity:

What you can't see in the photo is the cool little helm she has hanging on her belt behind her left arm. It's probably my favorite feature of this mini, which is why I want to paint it well. With all the great painters on Reaper's forums, I probably won't even "place" in this contest, but that hardly matters. I feel inspired to paint again, and that does matter. Thanks, Reaper!

Yarn-Related LOLCat

2011-02-04T12:03:00.003-06:00

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

WIP Progress: Hex Blanket

2011-02-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

I managed to get mostly done with the second row of this blanket, and I must say I like the way it's turning out. However, I did hit a bit of a self-induced snag on the first hex of the second row. This:

Directions? Bah!

is supposed to look like this:

Oops

It helps if you read the directions thoroughly. Seems I'm sposed to pick up and knit on the sides of 3 prior hexes, not just 2. I considered ripping it out, but decided just to sew the two sides together instead:

You didn't see annythiing....

It might still look odd in that photo, but in the next photo, the second row is nearly complete and you can see that the gaps between hexes pick themselves up nicely:

Yes, that is a Pathfinder book in the background by the t-square

Thus the last "bite" shape at the end will go away when I knit up the final hex of that row.

FO - Can-Bottle Cozies

2011-01-31T07:00:00.001-06:00

Commissioned work for a co-worker:

As you can tell, these are reversible and will fit most cans and similarly-sized bottles. Not the most exciting thing I've ever knitted, but I'm thinking of knitting some color-coded ones for my kids; they can never remember which water bottle or can is theirs. I probably won't make theirs reversible, though.

Eternal Question Yarnblob

2011-01-30T07:00:00.001-06:00

What came first; the chicken or the Yarnblob?

WIP Progress

2011-01-25T07:00:00.007-06:00

I'm up to 5 hexes on the blankie now:

Had to take the picture diagonally and turn it because it was too wide for the camera

Not exactly that one-hex-a-day average I was looking for. I was hoping to work on it more this past weekend but I was busy playing Pathfinder. Oops.

I'm also finishing a scarf WIP for my older daughter, who started one for a friend:

Good thing this is a simple garter stitch project

Despite being fairly inexperienced at knitting, her gauge is fairly consistent though I can tell she did some "distracted" knitting (having done my fair share of it). Understandably, she'd rather focus her efforts on drawing than on knitting; we each have our strengths (drawing is decidedly not mine). This is a very wide, very long scarf she fashioned after the one "Russia" wears in Axis Powers Hetalia. Thus, what you're looking at is the end, not the side. Big scarf. How'd she talk me into this again?

Risky Birdnest

2011-01-24T07:00:00.002-06:00

I took a nap this past Sunday afternoon, and when I awoke, I found this scene in our lab:

In the absence of the players, I am left with one question: does the presence of the Gilbird indicate victory or defeat?

Twin Yarnblobs

2011-01-23T17:25:00.000-06:00

Two skeins. Two yarnblobs. 'Nuff said.

Okay, so they're fraternal twins.

Scurvy Yarn Project: Black Cabled Socks

2011-01-21T07:00:00.001-06:00

My LYS had a sock yarn sale some time back which I took full advantage of. I purchased, among other things, several shades of tweed sock yarns by Lana Grossa, which I really like. I need black socks, so I decided to start there. I also decided, thanks to some apparent need for punishment, to incorporate some cabling into these socks. Oh, and to make the torment really medieval, I also decided to do them via the two-at-a-time method.

Yeah. Go ahead. Laugh it up.

I didn't take any pics of the first two attempts (both of which I ripped out) because the socks looked too much like a tiny bikini top. This, however, was taken as I was rewinding the yarn after the second or third failed attempt:

At least I found some small amusement; the spool edges stayed put while I was re-winding the cake

It's in a scale because after cutting off the parts that were so bad I couldn't untangle them, I needed to make sure I still had enough for the ~~torture~~ socks.

Here is the yarn after I'd finished, all packed up in Anti-Yarnblob Devices and ready for yet another attempt:

Anti-Yarnblob Devices provide no defense against Scurvy Yarn Projects

Here are the socks, knitted two at a time, with cabling on the tops and cuffs, shortly before I realized the cabling pulled them in so tightly I couldn't get them on:

After I ripped that attempt, I realized two things; (1) I don't have the attention span to do socks two-at-a-time (my mind tends to wander while I'm knitting; that's half the reason I do it); and (2) the gauge difference between regular in-the-round knitting and cabled in-the-round knitting is very, very important.

After that, I decided to just knit them one at a time and only do cabling on the cuffs. So far, I've gotten to the point of starting the cuff on the first sock (I knit mine from the toe up), but now I've got to rip out the two rows of cabling and the increase row because I added too many stitches:

Eventually I will get this right and finish these darned socks. No pun intended.

WIP Progress: Hex Blankie

2011-01-20T07:00:00.015-06:00

So far, I've gotten two hexes done on the blankie:

Right-side view

Wrong-side View; cast-on or mitosis? You decide.

It took me a day to finish the first one (including several froggings and re-dos) and an evening to do the second. At that rate, it'll take two months to finish. Well, I spose it's better than ten years.

New WIP: Hex Blankie and a Once-in-a-Lifetime Joke

2011-01-19T07:00:00.003-06:00

I bought an afghan pattern some time ago for my Hubby called Komb, published by Berroco. It's a no-sew job and the motif is a hexagonal shape, which is great for an RPG GM like my hubby:

I wonder if Berroco knows that hexagons are used for outdoors mapping in RPGs

Now that I've finally finished the green blanket I felt no guilt in casting on for this one, which will be considerably smaller than the green one:

This nifty hexagon has a dirty little secret!

Once I started really working on it, however, I realized it wasn't entirely a no-sew job; the pattern calls for you work the motif back and forth and then sew the seam. This has two unfortunate side effects: 1. you have to sew; and 2. for all that trouble, it leaves a very visible seam:

The seam, approx. half a cm thick, is even visible in this flat photo

Heck with that; I decided I'd just knit it in the round. It required some pattern adjusting, but not a lot, and yielded the same tidy hex and no seam:

Knitted in the round

Look Ma, no seam!

So what's the once-in-a-lifetime joke, you ask? Well, being who I am, I had to fling the completed motif shuriken-style at the nearest family member and shout "I put a hex on you!"

The eye-rolling was exquisite. Boo-yah.

Ruby vs. the Hairdryer

2011-01-18T07:00:00.032-06:00

Recently, my teenage daughters talked me out of my hair dryer. I was using it to dry paint on minis; they wanted to use it for *tsk* hair. Bah!

Anyway, the one I let them talk me out of was full-sized and had multiple heat and blast settings. While great for human hair, even the low settings would blow a plastic (e.g. Warhammer 40K) mini right off the counter. I couldn't tell you how many times the Termagants went flying despite a lack of wings.

Having recently started painting again I realized I really did need another dryer; flying minis aside, having the girls tote it up and down the stairs was both time-consuming and problematic. So, off I went this past Saturday to Sally's on a quest for a smaller dryer, perhaps small enough not to blow my Warhammer 40K Chaos Space Marines off the counter once I start on them. Granted, they have jet packs, but that's still no way to go.

Fortunately, Sally's had just the thing, pictured here with a Reaper mini I painted for our current campaign ("Ruby") and a pencil for scale:

Being somewhat of a nerd, I was skimming through the little information booklet that came with the hair dryer (in case there was anything useful in it; scuze me while I look for my pocket protector) and found this little page of helpful styling hints:

I will admit that occasionally, when blow-drying a mini, I am amused at the thought of drying their hair, which inevitably fails to waft in the breeze, even with a styling tool:

My youngest casts "Summon Styling Tool IV"

Ruby does not appear to be quite as amused, however:

"I'll never tell you where I hid the gems!"

Ruby, however, is metal and thus not likely to go scooting across the counter with anything less than a shop-vac set to blow. Instead, I tested the power settings of this little dryer against one of the plastic WH40k Chaos Space Marines. He bravely stood his ground on the low setting; the high setting made him do a bit of a moon walk, but at least he didn't go flying off the counter:

"Wow, can you outfit that with a laser sight?"

RPG Mini WIP - Male Ninja

2011-01-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

I posted recently that I'd chosen #03081 Edo (Male Human Ninja) from Reaper Minis for my January mini. I chose him in particular because he's not complicated color-wise and also because I already have Mad Painter Notes from my Guild Assassin to use for the color scheme (since they're in the same Guild). Believe it or not, I actually started on him and thus far have done the basecoat, highlight, wash and a second highlight:

Ignore the dungeon in the background: our boy here is not quite ready

I'm not completely satisfied with the highlighting. Unfortunately, I'm not exactly sure exactly how to fix it to my liking, so I've posted him to the Reaper WIP forum in the hopes of getting helpful hints. Naturally, any of you fine folks reading this who have hints can feel free to post them here if you don't have a log-in on Reaper.

p.s. the dungeon tiles in the background were made by my Hubby

Camo Yarnblob Escapes by Rappelling down Desk

2011-01-16T07:00:00.002-06:00

Knitting in Pathfinder 2: Famous Hubby

2011-01-15T07:00:00.001-06:00

I posted a while back about my Hubby entering a yearly writing contest held by Paizo. Just a couple of days ago, his first round entry was published in Kobold Quarterly, an RPG magazine. Naturally, I'm very proud of him. It was many years since he was last published in an RPG magazine, and now he's done it again and is working on other articles, and I think that's very cool.

What's even cooler is that his first round entry was about magic knitting needles.

Boo-yah!

FO: The Green Blanket

2011-01-14T07:00:00.007-06:00

At long last, I finished the green blanket yesterday (also my birthday). After teaching myself to knit 10 years ago, I bought a small book and the first skeins of yarn for this and several other blankets (the others were for my kids and were completed long ago). This blanket, however, isn't just a blanket: it's a story of 10 years of my life and the progression of my knitting skills and knowledge.

When I first bought the yarn for this blanket, I felt guilty for spending the money, even though RedHeart has always been fairly inexpensive. I originally bought six skeins for my green blanket; two shades of green and one shade of tan; my thinking was that each skein would make a stripe. I was going through a divorce when I cast on for it. Somehow I always felt comforted when I worked on it, no matter how difficult things were. It's been in actual use ever since I got enough of it put together ~~to lay across my lap~~ for a cat to lay on:

This was taken in July of 2008, when there were still only three colors

I also learned a lot about knitting during this project. For instance, when I sewed the first few pieces together, I had no idea how much they would draw up; the piece was much shorter than I expected, so I had to add rows. At the time, I had no idea that you could unbind the bound-off stitches. Thanks to knitting button bands for sweaters, however, I had learned to pick up and knit, so that's what I did. You can just see the odd-shaped stripe in the middle sections:

Here we see the importance of learning to un-do…

When I finally got the stripes long enough, I realized the six stripes I would be able to make from my original six skeins would not be wide enough, so I added more green and a green-brown multi to lighten things up a bit. While I was knitting with the multi, I learned that multi-colored yarns are not as thick as solid-colored yarns. I still needed to add some width to the blanket, but I didn't want to use more of the multi-color, nor more of the tan since it looked kind of drab, so I decided to go with more green and a darker brown:

Here we learn the importance of dye lots…

This was taken in December of 2010; blanket is bigger and with more colors, but still holds cats just fine

By the time I bought the last batch of yarn for this thing, I was married to my darling Hubby, who scoffed at the notion that knitting was a selfish or wasteful hobby, bought me yarn instead of flowers after an argument, a knitting machine (Vera) so I could churn out big stuff quickly, and who has accompanied me many times to our LYS to watch me ooh and ahh over the yarns. So now, 10 years after starting this blanket (5 of which we have been together), he and I get to share it for many years to come:

Boo-yah; we win.

Posable Figure Body Bag

2011-01-13T07:00:00.002-06:00

While repairing my older daughter's posable art figure, I came to the realization that she had no portable container for him or his magnetic stand, so I grabbed some yarn from the Yarn Booty and cranked one out:

Looks like a wine bottle

Or maybe a sleeping bag

Also usable as a beanbag chair

Pencil and grid for scale (ignore the dungeon in the background)

Mad Knittist Notes

Not too shabby for a no-pattern dice bag variant :-)

Posable Figure Repair: When Yarn, Hardware and Art Coalesce

2011-01-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

While we were snow-watching this past Sunday, my older daughter told me that "Jesse," a posable art figure, might be done for. Apparently, his foot had come off several times, though until today, she had been able to repair him. For some reason, she just couldn't get him fixed this time, despite attempting to use yarn to pull him together. After she described the issue, I talked her into bringing him down so I could take a look:

Jesse, all in pieces

Turns out a couple of the screws were stripped. My MacGuyver Mom skills still reasonably sharp, I realized we would need both yarn and wood glue. I applied the wood glue to the screws while he was still in pieces so it wouldn't affect his ability to move:

This springy screw has to be pulled through leg pieces and onto the hip screw.

The hip screw: not easily reached.

Once the wood was dry, I cut a piece from my trusty ball of beige crochet thread, hooked it onto the spring attached to his foot, strung it through his leg pieces and pulled it onto the screw in his hip, all of which sounds painful enough to make me grateful I'm not a posable art figure:

Aunt Lydia's to the rescue

Pulling the yarn through the hip joint and up onto the hip screw; note the loose shoulder screw, lower left of photo

Noticing his shoulder screw was a little loose, I went ahead and dabbed a little wood glue on that and the remaining screws:

Wood glue drying

Here's our little superstar, all fixed up and ready to work:

Supah-Stah!

Sometimes Yarn Just Won't Do

2011-01-11T07:00:00.003-06:00

My Hubby was recently working on some dungeon bits for our Pathfinder games and asked me to create some tiny bedclothes for the beds he'd made. I decided to use crochet thread and a tiny hook (1.65mm) and crochet them. Even so, it was really difficult to get them small enough. The pencil and 1"x1" background grid are for scale:

The evolution, left to right; final version far right.

I finally got it the right size, and even managed to make the sides turn down a bit so they'd hang off the edge of the tiny beds:

Final version, side view.

Vinal version, end view showing turned-down sides.

I even made some Mad Knittist notes as I went along so I could re-create the bedspread since my Hubby would need a dungeon-full of them:

Unfortunately, the very nature of yarn ensured that the tiny bedspread curled a bit, and at that scale, its own weight was not enough to pull it down. We suspected that even with gluing, it would still curl. Also, the depth of the crochet stitches made the bed nearly 1/8" wider than without the bedspread. Using the same 28mm scale as the character minis, that's roughly the width of a shoe. No yarncrafter in their right mind would make a bedspread that thick. Sorry, Aunt Lydia, but yarn just wasn't gonna do.

My Hubby, however, was undaunted. He decided to use paper, some origami-esque folding tactics and some shaved foamcore, and I think they turned out great:

The paper makes it look like they were patchwork-quilted, perhaps by the innkeeper's wife. My Hubby's full blog post on the beds and other dungeon bits can be found here.

Nessie vs the Shark

2011-01-10T07:00:00.001-06:00

Nessie, our automatic pool cleaner, is in the habit of catching just about anything that might be floating in the pool, including our yellow duckie thermometers. We're down to one duckie thermometer now, and it's been in the spa for some time. Poor Nessie apparently got bored or desperately hungry and has now started going after larger prey:

Nessie: 1; Sharkie: 0

Yes, that's the shark chlorine table holder, and yes, it's completely embedded in Nessie's gullet. She couldn't even submerge until the shark was extracted. Exotic pets require a lot of special care.

Black Hole in Space Yarnblob

2011-01-09T07:00:00.003-06:00

Seen here in true color, one can discern that the black hole is actually navy blue, as is the trail of space dust being pulled in by its gravity:

(Ignore the Matrix in the background; Morpheus' blue pill will make that go away...)

Choosing January's Mini

2011-01-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

After reviewing my New Year's resolutions, I realized I'd better pick a mini for January. Then I encountered what I suppose I have encountered every time I've tried to pick a mini to paint; my overwhelming collection:

This doesn't include the Warhammer 40K Termagants or the handful of painted Reaper minis that are currently in use. Still, it's obvious that the majority of my collection remains unpainted. I find it easy to choose when the mini is for a particular character, but choosing one just to paint is rather daunting. I like them all. Most of them made me ooh and ahh when I bought them. I want to paint all of them, so how can I pick just one?

Finally, I decided January's mini should be something rather simple; a ninja. Specifically, 03081 Edo, mini and image by Reaper Minis, sculpted by Bobby Jackson:

You can see him waiting patiently in the fourth photo of this post, middle shelf, far left (your left). Now he's waiting patiently on the crafting table. You know how ninjas are: they'll wait patiently until it's time to strike. Or, you know, get painted.

2011 Gaming & Yarn Resolutions

2011-01-07T07:00:00.002-06:00

Guess I’m gonna jump on the bandwagon here and post my blog-related resolutions (meaning, I’d better make some so I can post them):

Yarn stuff:

Knit something for someone who isn’t expecting it (I already have the project and recipient in mind)
Finish all those baby sets before the babies are in college (it could happen)
Finish that dang green blanket! (the one I’ve been working on for 10 years now – I’m really close!)
Make hubby’s Lab blankie (already have the yarn and pattern, just gotta git ‘er done)
Organize (yes, I used the “O” word!) my yarn stash and library
Knit sufficient dice bags for our large dice collection (yes, each of us has a collection that large – dice are shiny and pretty…)
Make myself a sweater (sad but true; I, the knitter, have no sweater)
Talk more on the forums (I tend to lurk)
Blog more regularly (this is something I enjoy, and I’ve gotten in the habit of letting chaotic days keep me from it)

Gaming/RPG Stuff:

Try my hand at a character who isn’t a rogue (presuming we start a new campaign or my rogue dies; and, btw, this is a toughie: I’m generally always the rogue)

Painting Stuff:

Paint to completion at least 1 mini a month (that sounds like a long time for a single 28mm mini but you’d be surprised)
Talk more on the forums (noticing a trend with this talking thing?)

That's all I can think of.

Green-Brown Dice Bag and New Year's RPG'ing

2011-01-04T07:00:00.003-06:00

They say that what you do at the end of the old year and the beginning of the new colors the rest of the year to come. To celebrate this New Year's, my Hubby and I played Pathfinder most of the weekend with my oldest, my best friend, her husband and my brother-in-law. We also managed to squeeze in some painting, some knitting and a few other crafty-type things. Naturally, much of the knitting was done while we were gaming, so while my Pathfinder rogue was looking for secret treasure rooms and good positions in combat, I managed to produce a new dice bag for my oldest:

The guardian spider, however, was a gift from my Hubby (shown here warding off my youngest just outside the dungeon):