After promising Devan several times that I'd take her to get a haircut, she finally decided to take matters into her own hands, and snipped off a rather large chunk of her hair with a pair of my decorative edging scissors. So today we went to the salon to see what we could do about disguising the huge chunk of hair that fell chin-length (the rest of her hair is down to the small of her back) or cut her hair if we had to.
We decided to go ahead and cut off 11" of hair and donate the ponytail to Locks Of Love. I can't even look at the site without getting all teary eyed, so I'm happy with our decision and so is Devan. Here are some photos!
Today, as I said early this morning, was the anniversary of my wedding. First I gave Jon his presents (I already bought myself some presents so there wasn't an exchange) I knit my sweetie some gray tweed socks.
and I made a little gift tag and matching card (anniversary pres) on my letterpress. The more I look at this the more I love it. It's so striking. I might make a few more, and actually cut them correctly and put them in my etsy shop with a letterpressed 'to and from' area on the back. What do you think?:
Here's a pic of the card (which contained 2 tickets to see Ricky Gervais at Madison Square Garden Theater in May! (excellent gift, if I may pat myself on the back a bit)
After the present exchange, we had delicious soup and watched The Pursuit of Happyness. It was pretty good. We had to stop in the middle so I could go get Devan from my in-laws, they were watching her so Jon and I could chill together for a little bit. (thanks!)
In other knitting news, I'm working on a pair of debbie bliss baby cashmerino socks from her book, Simple Living for Jon's grandmother who is sick right now. These socks are really simple. I don't know why I was so reluctant to try them. Plus they're knitted on size US 3 needles, which makes them go super fast. I think any stitch pattern where you're building a pattern goes fast. You want to keep going and going and you make little mini goals for yourself to finish pattern repeats. It's so much fun to watch the pattern grow. Anyways, Gotta finish these by Sunday, when we'll celebrate her birthday/Easter:
Here's another, closer pic of the leg/cable. I love these socks. They're soooo soft!:
ANNND, I started that thermal sweater. Here's the sleeve. I love the stitch pattern. This is another one I love to watch grow. I've just been busy finishing other projects, so I have been neglecting it a little. Pretty soon it will be too warm for such a garment, so I'm not in any hurry to finish it:
I'm making an effort to not use flash, and to take better quality photos, (with a little mood) to showcase my knitting and other crafts. I hope you can see the difference, and that you like what I'm doing. Good photos are the main thing that attract me to blogs. Speaking of which, 3 of my favorite bloggers are either stopping, distancing themselves, or have already quit blogging! No fair. I hope they change their minds!!! darnit.
Any photography tips? I'm working with natural light (which was not really present today, as it was so gloomy.) But I'm trying not to use flash, and only doing the teensiest bit of editing, for sharpness. I was really shaky for some reason when I was taking the photos this afternoon, so a good deal of them were blurry. I wouldn't alter them in any other way though, because, um, that's cheating.
I got Jon the best gift ever, but he doesn't know it yet, because he's sleeping (like a normal person) and I made him another gift that I'll give him tonight when he gets home. He was going to take the day off but I'll be working so it didn't make sense for him to.
I've been thinking alot and discussing this blogging celebrity phenomenon. I really am starting to dislike reading other people's blogs. I enjoy looking at beautifully photographed sewing and knitting projects. I admit that. That and the inspiration I sometimes find in other people's blogs are the only 2 reasons I continue to read them.
I've also realized that if your blog is popular, everything you do is 'amazing' and I'm so sick and tired of that word. There are things that are amazing, and then there are things that are 'nice'. please. let's take a step back and decide before we comment on someones latest project.
There's one blogger out there who I think deserves all the 'that's amazing's" that she gets: Vivien! She's seriously so talented it blows my mind. Look through her archives at the Ball-jointed dolls she creates. Amazing whether it's something you're into or not.
Maybe I'm jaded. I'd never describe someone's knitting as 'amazing' ...maybe because I'm related by marriage to 2 fabulously talented knitters (Jon's aunt and grandmother, who don't, by the way, feel the need to be validated by going on and on about what yarn they're buying and what projects they're making next. They knit, or used to knit, because they can and because they enjoy it. It's refreshing.)
I don't write this post to anyone in particular. I've just noticed recently how insane this blog world has gotten. If your blog has a following these things automatically happen: 1. If you make something and put it up for sale on etsy (or wherever) it sells out immediately. No matter how much it costs. 2. You can have very little artistic talent but you'll be constantly lauded as an amazingly (there's that word again) creative artist. 3. People will commission you to do work for them... because you're so ummm amazing? 4. You can write books about whatever and people will actually buy them! 5. Everyone involved in this craft community will kiss your ass and send you things that us po' folks can only dream of having. What is it about certain people that make other people want to send them awesome treasures? I love people and I love giving people gifts but I seriously cannot wrap my head around this phenomenon that you find in the craft blogging community. I also cannot stand shameless self promotion, or sucking up to other crafters/bloggers because you want a little bit of their internet fame to rub off on you. 6. (kind of related to 5) Your presence in any city will be the talk of blogs for weeks. Photos, stories, inside jokes will ensue. 7. The comment thing I mentioned before. By the time I read your blog, anything I might have wanted to say has already been said. Not that it matters because you've most likely posted somewhere on your blog that you cannot be expected to reply to comments because you're so busy making amazing things or doing amazing things and taking pictures of them.
There are so many more but I can't keep thinking about it. My head will explode.
Again- this is not related to a specific blog. In their own right they're all O.K. and tolerable and sometimes cute and sometimes awesome and inspiring. It's the idea that these internet blogging celebrities are becoming indistinguishable. Nothing is unique and everything handmade is hyped up so much that it cannot possibly deliver!
Another note: I'm not bitter or anything. I'm just typing as I'm thinking and I'm really unconcerned with how this sounds to anyone.
-(12-08) LIKING:
burritos, knitting for babies, dr. pepper, little potatoes, mitered squares, my bed, the ocean, travel, sleeping in my bed, Jonathan Safran Foer, tenament museums, linen, Air (the french band), Hugh Laurie, Intervention, babies, Iron & Wine, Clive Owen, letterpress, Yeats,
gray, mini-pigs, hotel chevalier, tea, pigs, Quebec, being anywhere but here (nj), modern simple quilts, autumn leaves, white on white, paper, lily snoring
