Fuzzy Izmit's Blog

Kitty Toes

2009-06-11T09:39:00.004-04:00

I know it has been a while since I blogged, but I have been super busy. Moving, starting a new job, being separated from my husband and (trying and failing) to write my dissertation has kept me pretty much strapped. I did snap this photo of my kitty Mesha's toes. I just wanted to share them and say "I am still alive!"

Oh, and if anyone knows of anyone who can help me dread my hair in the Cincinnati area please let me know!

I am a writer!!!

2009-05-15T09:18:00.002-04:00

I wrote a little article about future fashion in Viva La Mode magazine! And it is now out on the web for everyone to look at! The whole magazine is a great read... so check it out! I hope to have time to write an article or two for the next issue too!

Joe's Gizzarad City, Potterville, MI: Food Review

2009-05-07T08:59:00.003-04:00

About two years ago my husband and I took a trip to a great little place that I just want to share with the world! This tasty deep fried treat is called Joe's Gizzard City in Potterville, Michigan. First off, I love chicken gizzards and getting to go a place that specializes in them is a rare treat around here. Another added bonus is that half the things on the menu are deep fried. This isnt a place if you have a history of heart problems! The town is tiny, and the place has the look of a classic old dark 'townie' hang-out where they serve their beers in mason jars (seriously!). It is actually a somewhat well known place for bikers spot! Our server, Matt (with two T's), was a great and extremely friendly.

And now on to the important part... the FOOD!!

Here is everything that we ordered.

Appetizer: Sweet Corn Nuggets
Meals: Gizzard Dinner (me) and Bacon Cheese Burger (my husband)
Dessert: Deep Fried Dessert Platter (I dont remember the actual name, but that will give you a good idea of what to expect!)

Appetizer: We decided to try the deep fried sweet corn nuggets because years ago at some random Big Boy my husband and I stopped for breakfast. I am not a big corn fan, but they had some deep fried creamed corn that was absolutely wonderful. I had never seen them since or anything similar until I went to Joe's. The nuggets are served with ranch, which goes well with the crunchy shell. These nuggets seemed to be a mix of creamed corn and chunky corn, but they still tasted good. They didnt seem to burst all over, which some times is an issue with deep fried creamy stuff like jalapeno poppers (I always seem to have those explode all over me, covering me with hot cheese!). I thought it was the perfect food to start off a deep fried meal... it is a veggie so it has to be healthy right?

Meals - My Husband: My husband 'chickened' out and got one of the more normal items on the menu... a Bacon Cheese Burger. I do have to say, the last time we went, he got the deep fried burger, so I suppose he paid his dues :) The burger came with fries and my husband got the 'Everything Deluxe' version. We have a saying in my house, the more messy a burger it is, the better it tastes. Well, this burger wasnt as messy as my husband would have liked, but the taste was good. It was a solid burger, nothing to be ashamed of, but nothing to write home about either. My husband especially liked the bun. The ketchup they had was Red Gold brand, which definitely tastes different than the standard brands. I like it, but I dont think my husband did as much. That was okay, he ended up dipping his fries in my ranch!

Meals - Mine: I got the gizzard dinner, with a dozen gizzards, half Traditional Beer Battered Deep Fried and half 'Naked'. It came with coleslaw, bread and a potato. I got mashed potatoes with chicken gravy.

The coleslaw came out first with a side of bread. The slaw was good, but had a bit of a bite to it... and by a bit, I mean you could definitely taste a lot of what my husband identified as horseradish. If you dont like horseradish, dont get the coleslaw. The bread was like a mix between toast and croutons. Very tasty!

The mashed potatoes were good, but the real interesting point about them were the gravy. I have never seen such yellow gravy in my life! It was literally the color of mustard! It didnt taste like mustard though... it tasted like a gravy version of Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup. Interesting combo. Oh, and it looked as if the skins on the potatoes were left on for the mashing, wish means they were made at the establishment!

Now, on to the good part, the gizzards! Just so you know, not only do the gizzards come with marinara sauce, but ranch (not pictured) as well. Both are good. There are pros and cons to both kinds, Traditional and Naked.

The first kind, traditional is beer battered and deep fried. The breading keeps the gizzards EXTREMELY moist and tender. They just melt in your mouth and some of the best meat I have ever had. The slight issue of the breaded traditional is the breading adds a lot of bulk and you cant eat a lot of them without getting full to quickly... and tearing all the breading off to get to the wonderful morsels seems a bit wasteful.

The naked gizzards have no batter and because of that, when they are fried, they get a little tough on the outside. They are still tasty, but they are not really as moist and tender as their battered counterpart... but you can eat a lot more of these. I like these better for cold leftovers.

Dessert: Deep Fried Platter: Deep Fried Strips of Elephant Ears, Deep Fried Oreos, Two Deep Fried Nutter Butters, Joe's Nuts, Deep Fried Cheesecake, and Deep Fried Cookie Dough. Oh, and there are three dipping sauces: Chocolate, Caramel and Strawberry.

Let me tell you, this is one HUGE dessert platter. You can, of course, order these items individually, but variety is the spice of life right!? (and the destruction of your waistline) Our platter actually came in three 'courses' because first, the cheesecake didnt turn out, then they forgot the Joe's Nuts... so we got a free third doughnut once those came out of the deep fryer!

First we ate the deep fried elephant ears (the two thin strips of dough on the left hand side of the image). Yep, they taste like elephant ears! Given that elephant ears are normally deep fried, they had to be the least exciting item on the plate.

Next we moved onto the deep fried Oreos (in the top of the picture, behind the caramel sauce!) OMG those were heavenly! It was like the cookie liquefied and was just a wonderful gushy mess. This was my second favorite dessert on the plate! See the insides in the image? That is pure yummy!

Third we turned into next item on the first plate and dug into the Deep Fried Nutter-Butters. The peanut butter cookies also seemed to liquefy, but not the extent as the Oreos. They were really good with the chocolate sauce.

The last item on the only came with a single 'dose', and that was the Deep Fried Cookie Dough. I am going to admit, I am biased. I LOVE anything cookie dough, just about as much as I love bacon. Basically it is a huge lump (probably 2-3 cookies worth) deep fried. The second time we went to Joe's we got a whole plate of these suckers, 3 huge balls! Anyway, this puppy is warm, chocolaty and gooey! It is like a mix between raw cookie dough and a cooked one... I dont know exactly how to describe it. I think this something you either will love or hate, and I love it! Here is a candid shot of the nom-a-riffic insides!

Our Deep Fried Cheesecakes (second image, the wedges) I think had gram crackers mixed into the deep fried shell. These actually had a tendency to burst when you bit into them, and they were hot... so if you decide to go this route, just be careful. The strawberry sauce went perfectly with these little wedges. They were also high on my list of things that taste wonderful deep fried.

Lastly, we got Joe's Nuts. These are deep fried mini doughnuts. They were pretty good, but to really enjoy them, I found that you need to eat them cold! We couldnt quite finish our third doughnut so we brought it home with the leftovers. I love cold leftovers, and the cold nut has like caramelized sugar layer under the deep fried batter. Nom nom!

Overall Impression: I am moving, so I am going to miss this little gem of a grease spot. I would never eat here everyday, but for a special heart clogging treat, it cant be beat. If you are planning a trip of back roads and little town hot spots in Mid-Michigan, give Joe's Gizzards City a try!

Gift? I Guess Not!

2009-05-04T22:03:00.002-04:00

A month or so ago I finally figured out what to make out of some scrap yarn I had laying about. I figured I would use it to make a two sided pillow to give as a gift. Fast forward a bit... all done! Custom cut foam pad etc... everything. Now I just have to keep it away from cat hair and cat butts until I can gift it. I should have known better. Just look at her smug face... filling the fibers with feline follicles that will not budge!

Not only has Mesha decided it makes a great cat pillow, but I have also seen Dot on it as well. I guess it is mine now... even though I hate pink. It does have a gray side... guess I will have to keep that side up!

Sunny Side Up Breakfast Pizza: First Attempt

2009-04-12T21:46:00.003-04:00

My husband and I had an idea the other night that we thought we might try. We have had macaroni and cheese pizza (both from a restaurant... if you can call it that... and homemade) so why not try a breakfast pizza! I am sure someone else has made something like this... but we didnt look up anything and just went with our gut instincts.

We used store bought ready-made crust, a can of Alfredo sauce, whole eggs (hence the name), bacon, corned beef hash, and cubed Velveeta. Oh, and we salt and peppered it a smidgen. Here is what it looked liked uncooked:

We let it cook a little long, as we were a little afraid of runny egg yolks. We figured liquid egg yolks in our left over pizza was a bad idea. A side effect of the longer cooking time was the cheese type substance was a little darker than it probably should have been.

As for the taste, I actually liked it. It was like a compact breakfast! My husband thought it was a little on the salty side because of the corned beef hash. The eggs tended to be a bit rubbery... and had a tendency to come off. Overall, I think it was okay. Next time I would suggest scrambling the eggs and maybe mixing some cheddar or mozzarella (or both!) in with the Velveeta. We used the Velveeta because 1. we had some, which is rare and 2. it melts really easy. Maybe too easily? It makes for a memorable Easter dinner!

My New Baby!

2009-04-10T22:02:00.002-04:00

My wonderful hubby has been squirreling away little bits of money of a long time for some mysterious reason. This week I found out why. He was saving money for my graduation gift... a brand new guitar!

To be exact, an Epiphone Prophesy SG EX! I cant tell you how beautiful this guitar sounds and looks! The kicker is.... I cant play it until I graduate, and because of some scheduling issues that wont be until August at least! She will stay protected in her hard case, and her Vox Mini5 am anxiously waiting to be used. I dont mind, I can stare into her black smokey burl wood and beautiful inlays and just dream of the tunes I will learn. Take that mom!

Product Review: Glilttersniffer Eyeshadows

2009-04-04T17:45:00.002-04:00

I didnt think I would have time to blog this month, but lo and behold... I have a few spare moments! Since I am going to be starting a new (and more grown up) job soon, I decided I needed to replace my ancient cosmetics I have had for years and years and years. I wanted to invest in some nice stuff, but also some more natural stuff. I had been skulking around glittersniffer's shop for a while, just waiting for an excuse to go hog wild. Well, one day she was having a huge sale, so I jumped on it! Glittersniffer is not only really well known on etsy, but she is also a member of DIYscene which I am a member of as well.

I went crazy and bought 15 new eyeshadows to experiment with. My list included the following:
Boss
Shwag
Money
Redrum
Nova
Liar
Fusion
Universe
Kristin
Raw cocoa
Playboy
Silk sheets
Roxie
24k
Blow
Kush
I tried to get a variety of colors so I could mix and match stuff to go with all my work outfits, and still have some fun if I ever decided to get dressed up or go out. Each pot (except for Boss) contains 5 grams of loose powder. This stuff is extremely potent and a little bit goes a LONG way. I have only had them for 2 days, but I just love them so far! They stay on great, and the depth of the color is wonderful. All I need to do now is invest in some good makeup brushes and eyeshadow base. Since I am not used to wearing makeup, I tend to forget and accidentally rub my eye... the base should help with that. I wish I could have bought every color! There are even some shades named after other etsy sellers!

Here is the very simple look I put together this morning. Nothing special, just some Boss blended with some Universe!

Overall Impression: I love this eyeshadow and I would recommend Glittersniffer to anyone. Her shadow is 100% pure minerals, plus she has some eyecreams that I need to get my hands on! They might seem a little pricy (at least to me... wet'n'wild used to be my thing) with 5 bucks for 5 grams, but it is worth every penny!!!

New Vest Thing Design

2009-03-16T15:09:00.002-04:00

I guess I lied.. I thought I wouldnt have time to finish the project, let alone blog about it, any time soon... but I was wrong. Last night I finished working on a design I had been kicking around for a few months. I am not an "advanced" crocheter, so I get a little intimated when I start creating stuff from scratch. I think, for a first try, it turned out alright.

This first version I will keep for myself. It took me over a month to make it, so I am uncertain if any will show up in my shop any time soon. It was fun making it.

The yarn is super soft and warm, but MAN! I used a lot of it! I probably used almost a pound! The self-striping yarn looks a little odd in the round, but I think it has some potential and charm. The colors are just perfect, and now my mom can stop complaining that I dont wear anything white. (BTW, I dont wear anything that is white, this is a very light grey).

Let me know what you think! I have no idea what to call it... a vest? A chest warmer?

Excuses Excuses

2009-03-14T15:26:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to tell everyone out there in cyber land why I haven’t been posting all that much lately. The reason for that is like 17^6 fold.

First off I am trying to finish my master’s degree in zoology. It has been quite the bumpy ride, and I don’t expect anything less for the finish. I am spending long hours in the lab trying to finish up my research while trying desperately to write my thesis up at the same time. Let me just say, my experience with my master’s degree has not inspired me to (at least any time soon) pursue any other higher degrees. While it would be nice to be called Doctor, I don’t need that to feel fulfilled in life. I am, in fact, writing this blog entry as I am sectioning with a microtome in the basement of a drab looking university building on the weekend. I would love to be home with my husband right now in my pj’s watching a movie and eating junk, but I can’t. I have to be sequestered away from the world in a windowless hole so I can finish, maybe on time.

Secondly, I have been trying to find a job, so that once I get said degree, I can be gainfully employed. About once every two weeks for the past two months (really long than that) I have sat down and devoted hours to searching up good jobs in my field. I will let you know, that gets old really quick. There aren’t many widely publicized positions for microscopists. I have, how ever, found a few places interested in me. That leads me to my third reason…

Thirdly, I have found a job! I am currently waiting for them to send me my official offer letter (UPS tracking is useless). I have had two offers, but I waiting for the second one to come in to make my actual final decision. This job will be awesome, and a welcome change in both venue and revenue! Since the job is in another state, my husband and I have been spending long hours contemplating where to live, how to get there, and in what order to do things. I even worry about how to safely and sanely transport my kitties for the long move. Well, longer than I have ever moved with pets before. This also takes a large chunk of time, neither of which either of us have much of. I, of course, have to focus on school while my husbands is starting this week to work extra long hours as his work. A coworker of his is going in for surgery and he has to train his replacement and take over her job. Fun. Oh, and guess what. This coworkers is scheduled to come back to work the same day I am scheduled to start my new job!

I have been contemplating putting my etsy shop on vacation mode so I don’t have to worry about that. I was thinking of having a “Moving Sale” but I don’t have time to devote to the higher possible work load that might generate. Oh, I also had my first canceled sale today. That was great pick me up.

So, there you have it. I have been extremely busy and it wont stop any time soon. I wish I could keep up with everything, but it takes too much time and, even worse, it distracts me from what I really need to be doing right now.

Fuzzy Philosophy: Life is like a Rubik's Cube

2009-01-27T13:01:00.004-05:00

I dont normally talk about what makes me tick on my blog, or how I see the world really. I dont know if that is a bad thing or not. Today, I want to break my inner silence and share with the world one philosophy I hold that, I think, can be applied to anyone from any time, place, creed, etc. This universal principle is something I like to call:

Life is like a Rubik's Cube

Now, I did not come up with this world renown puzzle box, but I see it as the conceptual basis of my argument. If you are not a conceptual person, you may want to stop reading this here... because it is going to get more complex as we go on. In my view, we are all born with a Rubik's cube. It represents our state of being, which has the following properties.

The more complete our cube is, the more happy our life is. People like having all the colors matching, even if the other sides are a mess. A completely solved cube is akin to the "perfect" life and whatever that means to that person. My "perfect" life is not the same as yours etc., but would make me happy and content for the rest of my days.
The less complete our cube is, the more chaotic and unhappy our life is. Most people do not like randomness and sorrow. A completely random, unmatched cube is akin to complete insanity and being completely miserable.
We can occasionally turn our cube through our actions and choices we make, both moving it towards completion or towards chaos. We cant always see all of the aspects (or sides) our choices affect. Like the real life game, strategies, short cuts and hits can be learned and use as a person grows and experiences life. For example, where you choose to go to university, your career, who you become friends with etc are things you control and affect your quality of life well into the future, both positively or negatively.
Others can turn our cube through their actions and choices (both directly and indirectly), wither they realize it or not. For example, having a medical misdiagnosis, being fired by an over zealous boss, a neighbor giving you some brownies they made etc. Not all are bad, not all are good. Some dont seem to affect anything.
Sometimes fate turns our cube. These are things that are not a result of anyone's actions or choices, they just sometimes happen. Natural disasters are an excellent example.
Any or all of these forces can act at any time, and in any combination. You loosing your job because some big wig at a company mismanaged money can be broken down into several categories. Rarely can you categorize something in just one category.
Death is equal to breaking the cube, wither it is natural or caused by another. I am not making any comments about what happens after you die. This only applies to life as far as I have thought it out.
Even with a solved cube, if you continue to live on, things can still turn your cube just as before. For example: You retire in your prefect place with your significant other. All is blissful and great, then your significant other develops cancer.
No matter how many times your cube is turned, the possibility for true happiness (or having a completed cube) still exists, even if it is difficult to unravel the path to get there.

So, I see my life as a Rubik's cube. All things that happen can have the potential to affect each side, or the path to my happiness. Some people live with only one aspect of their life making them happy, like having a wonderful job, but a totally chaotic (or completely unsolved) personal relationship side. Others are totally content with where they are in life, only to have their lives devastated by disease or accident. What I find is wonderful about applying this way of thinking to you life is, no matter how twisted up your life gets, no matter how chaotic and unhappy, if you work hard enough you can still achieve happiness in the future. Also, attaining happiness is an ongoing task with the ever changing mosaic that a Rubik's cube creates.

Let me know what you think. I have tried to assess all aspects of my theory, but I am sure there are things I have missed. Maybe you can apply this to your life, either future or past, and work towards your happiness.

I have been featured!

2009-01-25T21:52:00.002-05:00

It doesnt happen very often, but I have been featured on another etsy sellers blog! Check it out!

And while you are at it, check out Shine Your Hiney's awesome shop!

Orange and Black Striped Loom Knitted Shrug 1

2009-01-24T21:33:00.003-05:00

Orange and Black Striped Loom Knitted Shrug 1
Originally uploaded by fuzzy_izmit

I finally got my first ever (for sale) loom knitted shrug all photographed and up on my etsy shop. I am really excited about the way it turned out. I hope to make some more soon, but I already have an other new item in the works already. It might take me a while to create, but I think it will be worth it.

My poor skinless mannequin had to be covered with one of my favorite sarongs to make her presentable. I hope to have something more permanent soon, but I have to wait until it gets hotter out so we can paint outside. She is made of foam, so I dont know what kind of paint I can use that wont make her melt. My lightest sarong makes a good background, but it was hard to find a good place in my apartment that I could put it and still be in the light. You cant see in my photo, but my mannequin is actually on top of a cat carpet/bed thing, and two plastic litter buckets... all stacked on each other!

Product Review: Custom Thank You Stamp from Owlbaby

2009-01-22T08:17:00.004-05:00

One fine day while twittering, I happened across a glowing recommendation from one of my followers beaming about her wonderful handmade stamp from a fellow etsyian. I saw the example she linked and saw the price... and I figured a handmade "thank you" stamp would look great on my recipes! After look at Owlbaby's shop, I was sold by the quality!

I contacted Owlbaby, and she was more than happy to do a custom stamp for me. Communication was quick and clear... which is a great thing when collaborating on custom items (and one of the key components in my opinion). She showed me to a page full of every kind of font you could imagine and I picked out one called "Burton's Nightmare" which is modeled after The Nightmare Before Christmas font. I also included in my stamp my cat face logo. Once I figured out how to send a rough sketch of the layout (I forgot that etsy will only allow you to send certain formats), it only took about a week to get my brand new, totally handmade stamp in the mail! The only thing I forgot to ask about was price (stupid me, totally my fault) but her stamps are very affordable!

Overall Impression: Wonderful work for a wonderful price. My roughly (I havent measured it) 2x2 inch handmade stamp was only about 10 bucks, with my pick of logo and font! Owlbaby was a joy to work with, and very quick! If you need any stamps made, I would definitly recommend Owlbaby!

(Photos used with permission from Owlbaby)

Product Review: Custom Silver 8 gauge Earrings with Coral Drops from Lisa's Lovlies

2009-01-04T23:54:00.002-05:00

I saved up all my etsy money to buy myself something really special, and I decided to go with a pair of custom earrings from Lisa's Lovlies! While I make jewelry myself, I dont made large gauge earrings. I have 8 gauge main holes and there arent many sellers on etsy who cater to those with stretched lobes. Lisa's Lovlies is one beautiful shop where you can get larger gauge earrings, along with normal sized jewelry.

I contacted Lisa and we quickly worked out exaclty what I wanted, which was a pair of sterling silver 1 inch diameter hoops with beautiful coral drops. She made them in a few days, and I had them at my door with in a week of finalizing the design. I was so giddy when I got them, I just had to get them in as soon as I got them! They are extremely solidly made and they have a great weight to them. I am so happy to have dangly earrings again! I wear them 24 hours a day, and they have been a dream!

Overall Impression: Lisa has excellent customer service and is very attentive. She is great to work with and works extremely fast. These earrings are well made and will last a long time. They are worth every penny for the wonderful quality!

Dot's New Bed

2008-12-30T22:35:00.002-05:00

Months and months ago I went looking for some wool sweaters at the local thrift stores for some needle felting projects. I found a few, but before I could try my hand at all of them, one of my kitties (Dot) decided that one of them were here. For weeks she lovingly covered this gray XL sweater with her hair. I figured, since she was so attached to it, she could keep it as a bed. A few days ago, I found it (it had been buried by some boxes... long story) and the thought occurred to me to turn it into a proper cat bed. Dot doesnt use the one we bought her (we actually use it to keep her from sleeping on our towels...), but maybe she would sleep on this one since she already "claimed" it.

First I cut off the sleeves, which I actually have plans for, and hand sewed them shut along with sewing the bottom shut. I hand sewed because not only is our craft room full of boxes, I would have to clear away all of my beading and painting stuff to get out my sewing machine. It was just easier to hand sew it. I debated on putting some decorative stitching on top, but Dot has a funky toe which cant retract it's claw and I dont want that getting stuck in the stitching on accident. I loosely stuffed the body with just one bag of eco-friendly stuffing to give it some fluff, but not a lot of bulk. Dot doesnt like bulk to sleep on. Once I broke it up a bit, after it was inside the body to keep it from getting fibers everywhere, I sewed the neck closed, but below the collar. I did this so it still looks like a sweater that I folded lovingly, but before I could put it away, Dot got to it!

And so far, she seems to like it!

Stuff Like This Makes Me Happy!

2008-12-18T22:58:00.002-05:00

LabialPalpLeft_site2_3500x
Originally uploaded by fuzzy_izmit

I know no one will know what this scanning electron micrograph is... including myself, but it made me dance and sing around the lab today! This is the reason I love science... because no one has ever seen this particular thing before! Whoo hoo! I finally feel like I am accomplishing something!

Finished Cable Neckwarmer!

2008-12-09T22:05:00.001-05:00

Finished Cable Neckwarmer!
Originally uploaded by fuzzy_izmit

Man, being sick sure gets my creative juices going. Here is the finished neck warmer! I even blocked it! That is the fourth new technique I learned on this piece! I hope to have it up soon on my etsy shop... but I have to get some help photographing it! I cant do everything myself!

My First Cable!

2008-12-09T17:08:00.002-05:00

My First Cable!
Originally uploaded by fuzzy_izmit

I'm so excited! I am actually doing an honest to goodness cable! I took the plunge! I have only had to start over once... so that's not to bad. I even tried a new way to cast on AND made a small button hole in this one! I am learning a lot... like to remember the salvages... because now I have to figure out now to fix this when I finish it. I hope to make this into another neck warmer. Hopefully it will be in my shop soon!

Corset Neck Warmer Prototype

2008-12-08T13:44:00.002-05:00

Corset Neck Warmer Prototype
Originally uploaded by fuzzy_izmit

Here is another design I have been kicking around for a while in my head. It is a corset style neck warmer. The corset actually doesnt really do anything, but it looks cool. I am still fiddling with it, like I want less eyelets next time, but I think it has some potential. I wish I had a different color of the red cording... because I know not everyone will want red! It is very warm though. Let me know what you think!

Shrug Done!

2008-12-07T22:56:00.003-05:00

First Try Shrug
Originally uploaded by fuzzy_izmit

I have been dutifully plugging along on my purple shrug for a couple of weeks now. I finally finished it... but with a little bump in the road. I constructed this by first completing both of the sleeves, then creating a panel to connect the two. Well, about 7 rows from where I planned on ending the panel... one of my two skeins of yarn ran out! To remedy that I decided to try and take what was in my remaining skein in half and try and finish. Well, if I wanted to actually JOIN the pieces together... I had to end it like 4 rows before I wanted to. I decided to give it a shot shorter just to finish this puppy.

Well, it fits... barely. I dont think I will ever be able to wear this with anything with sleeves. Because of the size issue, the sleeves are shorter than I wanted, and they hang at about 3/4th length level. That bugs me, because personally, I hate sleeves that are anywhere in between short sleeve and full sleeve length. I guess I will have to get used to it. It is super warm because I used 2 strands of homespun for the whole thing... so maybe I can wear tank tops in the winter now! I hope it will stretch out a bit with use. I am going to probably make another one... but thinner and a little bit longer, a different pattern. I also want to try making it as one complete piece next time, so I dont have to join the sleeves etc. That means no cuffs, but thats okay.

WIP update

2008-12-03T23:06:00.003-05:00

I was thinking that if I keep tabs on my WIP, I would feel more responsible and get the darn things done! I blogged a while ago about starting a blanket for myself. I knew it was going to take a while to make, and I am right on track. I finished my first strip last week. I am going to create several 5 foot strips then sew them together and give the whole thing a boarder. One strip down... I have no idea how many more to go. I was suprised I couldnt get the whole strip in the photo!

This sucker is going to be warm! I only work on it when I dont really have anything else to work on... so it might take me all year to finish it. I think it will be worth it.

I have also started a loom knitted shrug. It is a bit of an experiment, but so far I think it is going well. I have one arm done. I just need one more arm and the back... then sew the whole thing together and I should have one WARM shrug. This sucker is made with two strands of homespun yarn, which makes it really thick. I think I could wear tank tops under it in the winter just about!

I think it will turn out really good... but we shall see! If it does turn out, I may make a few for my shop, modifying and improving the design along the way. I dont know how many different sizes I can make though... since I am knitting this in the round, and that limits the diameter of the sleeves. I just cant wait to get mine done though!

Product Review: Custom Quilt from YankeeCrow

2008-11-27T22:07:00.002-05:00

New Quilt!
Originally uploaded by fuzzy_izmit

Looking down the barrel at up to 5 different Christmas celebrations this year, my husband and I decided to shave one off by having ours on Thanksgiving. I was so excited when he opened his gift. It had been waiting for months to be unveiled! But I get ahead of myself...

I was wracking my brain trying to figure out what the heck to get my husband. I am a terrible gift giver... I feel I come up with terrible idea or get into a rut of the same thing for years and years. My husband is wonderful at giving me ideas, but I undoubtedly forget them as soon as something shiny comes across my field of view.

One fine day I happened to be in a chat room on etsy and YankeeCrow was in there. I saw her beautiful work and that got me to thinking. My grandmother gave us a wonderful quilt for our wedding and I know he really liked to sleep under it. Unfortunately, it got a little tear in it and we havent been able to get it fix yet (there is a local quilt place that just moved... so we have to take it there). I thought it would be great to give my something beautiful that we could pass down for years. I asked about the possibly of Yankeecrow creating a custom quilt... and the adventure began!

The first hurdle was the colors. My husband loves dark purple and dark green. Picking out the right shades of purple and green were paramount because he is a little bit picky about colors. This had to be the most tricky part of the whole process (for me anyway). Yankeecrow and I chatted about colors and patters. I was worried that it might be a little hard to convey my ideas over the internet... because all the quilts I normally see are very, how shall we say, foo foo girly cutesy things. Neither me, nor my husband, like foo foo girly cutesy things. I have to day, Yankeecrow listened to my every word and worked so hard to get everything perfect. She right away saw my vision of a masculine and simple but bold quilt. She has a great head for colors and concepts! We talked for days, and she continually updated me along the whole time. I am so happy to work with her, and I am glad to say I also gained a friend along the way. There were a few bumps in the road (like finding one of the fabrics was discontinued...) but everything progressed wonderfully.

When my quilt came in the mail, it was just beautiful! As you can see, I also got some matching pillow cases. I wanted to give it to my husband right then, but I knew I couldnt. I dropped a large chunk of change on this beauty and I just couldnt afford to get anything more.

I am so glad that we had Christmas early, so I could share it with everyone out there! I had to wait to write this review because I coudnt risk my husband finding out about it! I am so glad he loves it. He loves the colors and is sleeping under it right now!

Overall Impression: Yankeecrow did a wonderful job. She is a breeze to work with and has great ideas, along with working with input. She tries extremely hard to bring your dreams to fruition. I would definitely use her again if I ever need another gift to wow!

Third time is a charm!

2008-11-25T13:42:00.002-05:00

Third time is a charm!
Originally uploaded by fuzzy_izmit

Well, there we go! I finally finally finally have a neck warmer! I know it is a bit hard to see, since it is black and I am wearing a black shirt and a black hoodie (can you tell what my favorite color is?) I can wait to turn out a few more (in different colors) and put them up on my etsy site. There are few little things I will do differently to tweak the pattern, but I really like it. I have worn it all day and it is really super comfy. All these neck, arm, and ear warmers are coming in handy as we have to keep the heat low to conserve on our energy bill. I sorta envy my cats, they have fur coats! My husband doesnt feel the chill because I am convinced he is half yeti.

Fail... at Neck Warmers

2008-11-23T23:00:00.004-05:00

This weekend I was determined to work out a neat neck warmer I can wear all day while I am at school, teaching etc. I set out with some lovely red yarn and my knitting loom. Well, first, I ran out of the red yarn.... so no problem, I will make it double sided. I really want something that hugs my neck so I worked out a nice ribbed pattern to try. I got to learn and practice how to make the purl stitch on my loom, which was neat. I go on my merry way, knitting along. Well, I finish everything off and....

The binding off is too tight... while most of it will slip over my head, that darn binding stitch wont budge. Dang. Well, it does make a nice and warm ear warmer!

And dont forget, it is revertible! That is great because I really want to wear these items with the majority of my t-shirts during the winter. You can see that the black matches my knit arm warmers too! Those are a mess up as well, they were supposed to go all the way up to my armpits, but I didnt make them wide enough on one end and they were too tight on my elbows... so they are now a pair that sit below my elbows and are scrunchy. At least they still work!

Yesterday I tried again. I dont have any pictures of it because it was so messed up, I made my husband pull it apart. The second one was made from a nice grey and black combo. I fixed the "constriction" problem by not knitting in the round on my loom. Well, I also wanted to add some embelishment in the form of a cowl that you could fold over your nose and mouth if it was really cold, fold it down when you were inside. That didnt really work out... it ended up looking like a bib. Epic fail! I was so disappointed because I couldnt even salvage it. Well, I salvaged the yarn.

I tried again today. Plain and black, no cowl. I dont have any good buttons to close it, so it isnt done just yet... until I can make a trip to the local craft shop. I really hope it works. If it works, I may make a few more for my shop.

Wait...there are new clothes in the house?

2008-11-23T15:55:00.003-05:00

Wait...there are new clothes in the house?
Originally uploaded by fuzzy_izmit

I am absolutely certain that cats have a six sense (or maybe a couple more) that tells them the exact worst spot for them to nap. For example... everything you own is full of cat hair, so the most logical place to nap would be on top of the bag full of new, prestine clothes! How about on top of a stack of deconstructed boxes several feet high stacked on a couch? Wonderful! On the keyboard... Great! I love my kitties anyway, what can you do with that cute mug looking at you?