remember this?

Since Alex got her nuptials out of the way she can finally get back to the really important work of keeping us happy and knitting. Which means....Howlcat is now an official pattern!

Head on over and show the girl some love for coming up with a seriously brilliant -- and simple! -- pattern.

i want one!

I am a great believer in instant gratification, it must be the times. I love to knit hats and sweep floors (fastest way of making a room look clean, don'tcha know) and make buttons!



THAT kind of button. Sooooo many buttons! My workplace made the sage investment of a button-maker, threw some vintage magazines at me, and let me go to town. Nowhere else on earth can you get paid to have so much fun.



Include the judicious application of some colored sharpies, and the possibilities are boundless:







Or more than one color of paper:



Pretty much, this is how cool I am. And if you ever want to show me how much you love me, you can gift me one of those sweet little machines for my very own. And I will make you an army of buttons. {All these pictured are available through Twisted, while they're hot!}

the new class

I had another DSLR photo class! These are the most fun ever, guys, seriously. If you're in the area and have a spare few hours some time and have been wanting to explore all the magic that awaits you in your camera, come play with us! This time the weather was so lovely that we got to spend most of the class outside, exploring all kinds of things in our neighborhood, and they dressed me up and posed me like their own little doll in their handmade items as well. The ones of me here were taken by Sivia in some new creations of hers that I understand will be coming out soon to a pdf-download near you! Both she and Judy took some very lovely flower and nature pics as well, enjoy! {I would give individual photo credits, but alas, to my undying shame, I cannot remember with perfect accuracy who took what pictures!}















Kudos to Sivia, Judy and Karie (whose photos I didn't get to snatch up, but rest assured that they were beautiful as well), and thank you for all the fun exploring!

yay!

Look! And *ahem* no, I didn't make these, either. Who said this knitting and spinning blog had to be about my knitting and spinning? Sorren made these ones, such loveliness, I want a dozen things out of this color.



She also did a perfectly beautiful job with the pictures I think, in the evening light after our workday. Thank you, Sorren!

p.s. the pattern is Mirry Dancers by Gudrun Johnston (with nine extra pattern repeats), knit out of Hazel Knits Artisan Sock in "Hoppy Blonde"!

our EcoTrust

{Be advised: this post has no adorable people or knitted items.}

This morning during my planned procrastination hour I came across this series of photos I took in March when I went scouting around for locations for some of those photoshoots I can't tell you about. I've held onto the pictures with the vague sense that I wanted to spend more time with them at some point, and if you love photos of buildings and shapes as much as I do, please read on. If not, I won't hold it against you.

Most of these were taken around the EcoTrust building downtown, a very cool old reclaimed center for eating and shopping and I'm sure some kind of ecothings. The rest are parks or bridges in the surrounding area. It turns out that when it came time for the actual photoshoot it was freezing and my models were turning all white and blue, so I didn't wind up using half these locations. Oh well.




This and the next three are all different parts of a free-standing brick wall that borders the parking lot.













Coming up next: my new favorite hobby!

i was there

My friends Alex and Travis got hitched last weekend! It was such a good party, and they even let me fly across the country to make a darn fool of myself all over their dance floor. I had more fun than anybody, almost guaranteed! Michigan is one of those places I never really expected to go, but I'm so glad I did. And no, I did not finish my sweater in time, but I didn't need it after all. And now I have yet another mostly-completed sweater sitting around in a project bag! Hooray! On to the pictures. I did not take very many of them, Alex was rightfully indignant every time I left my camera at home. Fortunately she knows of my lameness and hired a professional to document the occasion, if you want to see those lovely photos, go here.

But I did manage to snap some off while we were setting up, before all the pomp and circumstance. These are some of the lovely centerpieces that my talented friend put together. I loves her!



And a few of themselves, being the dozens of ways they are adorable in their hometown of Chelsea.











Thank you guys! I miss you and I still haven't forgiven you for moving so far away, but such a glorious vacation goes a long way towards mollifying me. You are the lovely, the awesome, and the happy. Have such wonderful lives!