Let's catch a breath of air, shall we?

If you're like me, then you are busy. And you probably like it.

Not only am I craft crazy, employed full time, and a mother of two - as of this Monday I will also be a grad student.

Busy, busy, busy.

In addition to the typical hubbub, I've had a lot of different changes in my world recently that have served as huge, soul-stretching opportunities for...growth. I say growth because that is the positive end-product and 'positive' is the name of the game when shitty things happen. (And I italicize the word because it is a little nauseating to be so goddam Pollyanna and putting things in italics makes it seem like I'm tilting my head a little, and therefore makes it feel less trite. Because head-tilting is anything but, natch.)

Consequently I've had to dial back on the crafting, posting, and anything else extraneous / not totally necessary. I have luckily been able to make a few beautiful things which I'll definitely be sharing soon - but the biggest project in my queue now is my own, squishy, disgusting, gorgeous brain - which, let's face it, will need all the help it can get!

So as today is June 1, not quite the midpoint of the year but close enough, I'll make a new theme for the second half of 2013:

finesse

1 : refinement or delicacy of workmanship, structure, or texture

2 : skillful handling of a situation : adroit maneuvering

So let's up the ante, everyone. It's time to get ridiculously fantastic at everything.

Yarn Geek

If you're familiar with our family, you'll know that my husband is obsessed with Batman. Which (fortunately?) has previously had no place in my knitting world...

Until now?

Check out this amazing crochet Bane mask (a la Christopher Nolan incarnation):

You can read more here and perhaps even buy one for yourself.
(Meanwhile, I will be deleting my browser history so Reed has no chance of seeing this.)

(And no, he doesn't read my blog....too boring for him!)

New Yarns!

Thanks to WEBS year-end sale and my unbearable weakness for endangered yarns, I have a new batch of yarn to drool over!

And here is what I'm planning for at least a portion of it:
Purl Bee Chevron Baby Blanket

But back into the bin for now. Too many other things on queue.

Foray into Crochet!

I started to make another Aviatrix hat for my mom's friend's new baby granddaughter, but I wasn't 100% fond of the knit flower on the first one I made.

cute...ish

Everyone knows that the best, easiest, fastest yarn flowers are crochet flowers...but they're crochet. I can't crochet! 

Or so I thought!

I finally buckled down and decided to learn how to crochet. Thanks to this awesome example at www.craftstylish.com complete with borderline easy-to-read instructions, a lot of Googling and video watching, and with a little patience, this...

The start of a beautiful flower...or the start of an elaborate piece of garbage?

Became this:

Blam! Double layered flower!

Ta-da!

I'm really happy with it. Crochet isn't so scary after all!
Now...only about a hundred more of these before I feel comfortable.