Back in Bat

Hello?

Still there?

Well, if there is anyone out there who is still remotely interested in my little green bloggy, I'm attempting to make contact...

I know, it's been a while.

I just couldn't bring myself to type into this window for the last few months...

My life, my world, had been thrust from it's axis and sent spinning wildly from it's orbit. Needless to say, it has been a really rough ride, the sheer g-forces propelling events in various tangential directions rendered me virtually deaf and dumb for a time. As a result I buckled up, braced myself and hung on for dear life, attempting to get through the last few months without being ripped to shreds.

In short, my life has been excrement...buffalo chips...meadow muffins...basically poo poo courtesy of a very large animal.

Here's the 411...

My divorce has been and continues to be very contentious (I could say more here, but I'm saving it for the teleplay), quite costly and currently in stasis. I have been laboring 50-60 hours per week in order to pay for the formal demise of my marital mayhem and as a result of this epic life event, I have become a very neglectful housekeeper (seriously, the dust bunnies have planted their flag and named their new territory Watership Down) and I am a shadow of the parental unit I once was. I am finding it difficult to finish tasks, both menial and material. I wade my way Monday through Saturday (and sometimes Sunday) without enthusiasm or motivation. The bottom line? Yeah, I am deeply in debt (hey, Beverly Hills divorce attorneys claim a few pieces of eight), still not divorced (UUUUUGGGGGHHHHH) and as if these two factoids were not enough, I have a distinct possibility of losing my home (more salt in your wounds Ms. Linoleum?).

Can someone stop this ride? I'm feeling sick and I'd like to get the hell off.

Okay, I do have at least one thing in my favor...

I'm a tough old bat (don't make me put on my knitted black wings). So, I will get through this, teenager in tow. Okay, this time next year we may be living in a fridge carton off of Ocean, but I'll be happily single and the waves will drown out the sound of my adolescent's whining, so all is not lost! I wonder if all of my yarn and fabric will fit in my future mobile home? My stash might make for a comfy mattress...

My glass? Definitely half full.

Anyway peeps, I'm back and I've missed you guys (you've no idea!). I have a lot to share, both crafty as well as calamitous. So, in other words, stay tuned because this blogging catharsis has only just begun...

More Crochet Today Patterns!

Thank you everyone for all of your support and well wishes! I have felt very psychologically isolated during the last several months due to my unraveling marriage. I have kept much of my unhappiness to myself because, let's face it, most people just don't want to hear about it. Oh, don't get me wrong, I have a group of very supportive friends who love me and have provided me with many a shoulder to cry upon, but during the rest of my pretty public life I've kept my misery at bay. I debated endlessly as to whether I even say anything about my current plight on my blog. This is a craft blog after all. However, I do feel a sense of relief by sharing this news with you all and it means so much to me to know that you all are in my corner. So, thank you again from the depths of my soul. You all are amazing!

Despite my marital mess, I do still try to tackle a few design projects here and there. So, without further ado here are my latest and greatest projects for Crochet Today mag...



ABC and 123 appliques to adorn just about anything in your child's room! Definitely a quick, easy and versatile crochet project. I actually think that they'd be splendid strewn atop a baby's blanket.

Next up, a colorful cushion...



Don't ask me how I became the crochet maven of home accessories!

It's weird to be sure.

Anyway, I am very fond of this rippling, flowery wonder. It's purty, right? And isn't it good to know that I haven't completely lost my design ability during these trying times? In fact, once I have a moment to process my latest and greatest marital dissolution, be prepared for the ever so slightly twisted crochet design-o-rama that is sure to result from my experience.

Ahem...

Anyway, I'll leave you with a quote from the wall calendar hanging in my office that has a particular resonance for me as of late, "Divorce is expensive, but freedom is priceless."

My First Quilt

I apologize for my silence (again) peeps. I have been unable to write, think, concentrate...my divorce has become (as many divorces do) very contentious. I mean, I haven't even been crocheting or knitting, which is very unusual as you all know. Although, I have not been sitting idle either. Instead, I have been sewing, quilting, spinning and weaving. There is something about those four activities that doesn't require me to sacrifice a huge amount of braincells in order to create, whereas knitting and crocheting, for me, are all about the process of design. Needless to say, I just cannot wrap my brain around any sort of creative puzzle at the moment.

Don't ask me how or why I am currently capable of following quilting directions, but I can and here are the results...



Is it ironic that I just finished a quilt covered with skulls???

I know, I try to avoid being sick and twisted, but I fail time and again. Oh well, that's moi!



Other than the obvious morbidity of this pieced work, I give myself a big pat on the back for making it through the piecing, layering, quilting and binding process with relative ease. As a new quilter I was a bit incredulous that I could actually make one of these fabric masterpieces. I mean, there are lots of pieces and they have to fit together! No small feat, I can assure you. However, I prevailed and I loved the process.



Did you notice the gold quilting thread?

And do you like the Frida backing?

I know, more tortured female artist juju...Definitely a quilt of the moment for me.

Maybe my next quilt should be all about freedom...

Quilting Stats
Pattern: Around the Block
Quilting Instruction: Rebecca McClure/Sewing Arts Center
Machine: Husqvarna Viking Scandinavia 400
Fabric: Alexander Henry
Made For: My Beautiful Daughter

Yes, I am still alive...

So sorry for my silence folks. The last few weeks have been a roller coaster, simultaneously pitted with sorrow and peaked with joy. It's a bit staggering...

First, I have filed for divorce. It was a very difficult decision, but the writing has been on the wall for years. So, I finally succumbed and sent my attorney a check.

Second, the powers that be at the cube farm have decided to promote me and although my financial position doesn't change much, I am nonetheless very happy to have been recognized for my hard work.

Third, I am an now an aunt. My little sister gave birth to a beautiful baby girl three weeks ago...Zoe Rose. She's a doll.

Fourth, I have been striving for some normalcy despite my personal chaos and have been crafting during every free moment possible. So, I do have lots of FOs to share.

Again, my apologies for giving you all the silent treatment. I just lost my voice for few weeks...

Kids Say The Darnedest Things...

Reason number one why I love teaching kids...they say what they think, no holds barred.

I have a Saturday afternoon knitting class filled with seven to ten year olds. This group of girls is a real treat to work with. They keep me laughing the entire time we're together and last Saturday was no exception.

One of my adult crochet students happened to be taking a lesson from me at the same time the girls were getting their knit on. As such the little people were listening intently to our adult chatter regarding getting older. In keeping with the subject matter, I mentioned that I would be turning 40 this May.

At that point, one of the girls said incredulously, "You're going to be 40???"

The rest of the girls chimed in, mirroring her disbelief.

To which I replied, "Yes, I am."

Then a barrage of statements from the peanut gallery, "You don't LOOK 40."

"You don't ACT 40."

"I don't believe you're going to be 40."

In response I asked, "Well how old do you think I am?"

The progenitor of this tangential conversation answered immediately, "16."

Her classmates in unison, "Yeah, 16!"

I immediately erupted into laughter telling them, "I love you all more than you'll ever know."

Tackling The Twinkle

After much apprehension, I finally purchased one of the Twinkle books. Don't get me wrong, I think her designs are super cute, I just don't appreciate pattern books riddled with mistakes. However, I figured her publications have been in the marketplace for quite some time at this point, therefore corrections should be easily obtained. So with that, I took the plunge and purchased her Weekend Knits book and tried my needles at the little bralet adorning the cover.



Here's my version in more LadyLinoleum appropriate colors...



I'm happy to report that I found only one mistake in the pattern and it was easy to figure out a work around. All in all, I knit this little top up in a matter of hours and was able to bust a bit of my stash in the process. Another win/win!

Adventures in Entrelac

A month or so ago, Samantha, proprietor of Abuelita's Knitting and Needlepoint, asked me if I would be willing to lead a weekend Entrelac workshop at the store. To which I replied, "Sure, no problem." This statement was then followed up with the thought...Well, I guess I better teach myself this technique! For better or for worse, my theory of teaching tends toward the last minute. Stay one step ahead of the class LadyLinoleum and you will be just fine!

At any rate, I give you my first Entrelac experimentation...



I am a huge fan of red and blue combos. Here, I used various hanks of my own homespun combined with stash yarn. Each tier represents a different ball o' yarn.



The pattern I used (and subsequently taught others how to use) is the Lady Eleanor Stole from Scarf Style. What I thought would be a difficult technique to grasp, turned out to be pretty darn straightforward. Working up a bit slowly at first, I soon got into a groove, moving from tier to tier with ease. Really, the most difficult aspect of this project was weaving in the billions of ends at the completion of the stole.

After blocking, and not wanting to deal with more strings after the weaving in ends fun fest, I opted to forgo the knotted fringe that the pattern called for in favor of a more refined crocheted braided edging.



In conclusion, it is my firm belief that Entrelac is rad.

Far beyond a chip off ye olde block...

Look at my beautiful offspring modeling the hat she knit up for her boyfriend. Oh, and did I mention that this is her first finished knitted object? I taught the young one how to knit only a few short weeks ago. Massive props for tackling a hat her first time at the needles. Speaking of needles...yep, she used dpns. Can you believe it??? That's my girl, fearless to the core!



Look at how even her stitches are! And that cute dangling pompom...



I think she did an outstanding job! I also think that she is amazing (and not just because she is my daughter) because she is always thinking outside the box, unafraid of challenges and well, let's face it, she's got mad skills. Basically, my child makes me look a hack and I have to tell you all that I'm totally okay with this...

Lena, you go girl! xoxo

My First Shirt!

Oh yes, I actually cobbled a shirt together with fabric, needle and thread!



For me, this is nothing short of amazing. Okay, it took me five weeks to make this piece of apparel in my weekly sewing class. But hey, I deserve a pat on the back for moving through this at times painful sewing experience nonetheless. However, I figured if I could master a yoke, collar, cuffs, setting in the sleeves and actually lining up my button holes, I'd be that much more the skilled seamstress! Check out the parts...







Not bad, eh? In fact, I am wearing my bee-you-ti-ful bee attire today in the office and not one person has uttered that dreaded question, "So, did you make that?"

Now, we all know this question and what evil lurks behind it. Yeah, what the inquirer really wants to ask is, "Hey, why are you even wearing that thing that looks as if it were cobbled together by a chimp on crack?"

Or, "Were you blindfolded (and on crack) while sewing that garment together?"

Or, "Let me guess, that shirt, is it? Yeah, well, whatever it is...could it have been made as a collaborative project between you and a chimp...um, while blindfolded, your brains addled by copious amounts of, um, crack, perhaps?"

Yeah, not one person has said anything remotely like the above to me today. Because of this, I'm calling this top a win/win. Yep, I learned a few new skills AND I actually made a wearable garment!

So, my top looks relatively store-bought AND the best part, aside from the stuff I mentioned prior that is...it has BUG BUTTONS!



It's all about the details peeps.

Sewing is definitely less scary after the completion of this project. Now stay tuned for my foray into quilting...

Two New Patterns!

I have two new patterns in the latest issue of Crochet Today mag! Yay!!

But before I showcase my latest designs, I wanted to give a few woefully belated props to Crochet Today magazine as I believe that this publication is THE best crochet magazine out there right now (and not just because I happen to be a frequent contributor *wink*). Really, the designs are hip, fun and have a wide appeal. I usually find more than a handful of items in every issue that I'd like to try my hook at. And let me tell you folks, that's sayin' something considering our current crafty climate is flood-ded with pattern-alia...the good, the bad and the ugly. Not that I'm not thrilled with the selection mind you! But peeps, there is a lot of blah out there! And I don't know about you, but if I'm to spend my precious moola on a compendium of patterns, I'd like there to be more than one in the lot that I'm itching to make. In short, I'd like to thank the string lord for Brett Bara and the host of talent she has corralled in each issue of Crochet Today mag which never ceases to amuse and delight!

Now, onto the patterns. First and foremost, the Sunny Shoulder Bag!

If you like working motifs and sewing 'em all together, then this be the project for you! The final product is constructed from piles of colorful hexagons, a solid rectangular bottom and wide-ish strap. It's so simple, yet really rather fun! I keep thinking that this bag would be outstanding worked up in linen for Spring...hmmm...

My second design is of the applique variety and a bony one at that!

I don't know about you all, but I think I need a T-Rex skull on the back of one of my jackets...It should probably glow in the dark too. Oh yeah...

Ahem.

Have you obtained your issue of Crochet Today yet? Well, what are you waiting for???

Knit Through It...

During the last year ChezLinoleum has been a household plagued by such predicaments as my spouse's unemployment, my own stagnant salary combined with an increase in work hours, a condominium worth less than what we paid for it and oh so much more. Although I've done my share of complaining about my family's current straights, I find that vocalizing my discontent to be less than satisfying and pretty much solution-free. So, instead of constantly kvetching I have decided to completely immerse myself in productive activities outside my regularly scheduled work regimen. Meaning, needles, hooks, wheels, looms and sewing machinery are operating daily at top speed until my eyelids need propping open with toothpicks.

The beneficiary of my current compulsion to avoid and create is grateful for the increased production levels...



Yes, that is the offspring wearing her new Silk Shrug.



This pattern is from Erika Knight's Classic Knits book. I'm a big fan of Erika Knight patterns as I think she's a wonderful designer. Her work is smart, classic and the patterns are always well written. Two thumbs up as far as I'm concerned.



Lena picked out Kraemer Silk and Silver yarn in Heavenly Blue for this little sweater and I think she made a wonderful choice. Looks great on her!

Now that I've finished this delightful knit, I will be starting work on one of the cardigans in the same book. The next one is for me!

I am determined to knit (crochet, spin, weave and sew) my way through this difficult time...Call it coping or call it avoidance. All I know is that busy hands quell my worry. Now there's a solution!

Seams Difficult

LittleLinoleum benefited from my new found seamstress abilities (yeah, right) this weekend. I fashioned a pair of PJ pants for her in a festive cupcake print.



Lena was so cute, putting them on immediately upon completion. Thankfully, she didn't see all of my mistakes!

I'm telling you all, sewing continues to be a vast frontier for me. Pattern directions that are seemingly simple upon first inspection always prove to be just a wee bit above my head when the project is underway. Peeps, I struggle with even the most simple of sewing processes (i.e., buttonholes are never in a straight line, turning corners inside out gives me a run for my money and let's not even talk about sewing evenly around zippers). My fellow tailors and seamstresses, will this ever change or am I destined for perpetual sewing reform school?

I sure hope I can overcome my sewing issues because I recently invested in one of these...

Crazy Batt Diamond Shawl

Here's another example of one of my woven diamond shawls. This version, however, was woven entirely from my homespun, which in turn, was spun up from some of my crazy carded batts, a technique I learned from Lexi Boeger at Camp Pluckyfluff last fall. Each diamond is a little different (or a lot different, depending upon your viewpoint) and I have to admit, upon first arrangement of the diamonds into their final shawl form, I thought the project looked a little too nutty even for me! Nonetheless, I threw caution to the wind and proceeded anyway. I am nothing if not a taker of risks.



I put everything and the kitchen sink into those batts. There is leftover yarn, old Christmas tinsel, fabric, wads of knotted thread...The batts were nutty to be sure. However, the whole lot of diamonds seem to be pulled together by the black crocheted borders...whew!

Definitely a fun project that worked up fairly quickly.

Project Stats
Loom: Hazel Rose 12" Diamond Loom
Wheel: Lendrum DT (purchased at Paradise Fibers)
Drum Carder: Louet 8" Standard Carder (purchased at Village Spinning and Weaving)
Yarn: LadyLinoleum's Schizophrenic Homespun & Brown Sheep Lanaloft in black

Are you getting the feeling that my house looks like some weird fiber sweat shop???

Copyright 2009 Regina Rioux Gonzalez. All rights reserved.

Weaving 101

I finally had a chance to road-test my Ashford Knitter's Loom only a year after having received it as a Christmas gift. Jeesh. Anyway, weaving on my new toy brought forth memories of my floor loom days, only on a smaller scale and sans the eight harnesses, warping board, etc. Yep, this loom is easy peasy to use, warping directly onto the loom itself. Neato, let me tell you as I always found dressing a biggie floor loom to be a bit tedious.

Within an hour of beginning I had the Ashford dressed with some worsted weight wool and ready to weave! Check it out...





The weft is some of my hand-dyed looped wool, which I space-dyed last summer in subtle blues and greens. I bought the nekked yarn at Art Fibers in San Francisco on one of my northerly jaunts up the coast.

I didn't get fancy with the weave. It's just plain (over 1, under 1), but I think it looks quite nice nonetheless.



Throwing my shuttle to and fro I finished the 8 x 108" scarf in an afternoon. Not a bad way to whittle away the hours as far as I'm concerned!



I see some serious woven stash busters in my future...

Happy Birthday Lena!

It was 16 years ago today that I gave birth to my wonderfully intelligent and beautiful daughter. I couldn't have hoped for a more loving, loyal, talented, silly, smart and exasperating young creature to have taken charge of my life. She is truly the most magnificent creation I've ever made. Please join me in wishing my lovely little girl a joyous birthday!

I love you Lena more than you'll ever know.

Git Yer Pie Patterns!

I just finished writing up the patterns for the Pie-rets AND the Fruit Tart Fascinator! Now peeps everywhere can wear their pies (and tarts) as well as eat them!

I have put all three crochet Pie-ret patterns in the pack...Pecan, Lattice Crust and Pumpkin! As a bonus I added the Fruit Tart Fascinator for those so inclined. That's four fab patterns in one! Never too early to get started on your holiday gifties...

Pattern is available on my sidebar. Let's hear it for woolen pie!

Um, yeah.

Sew Cool!

So, sewing. Yep, I've been taking lessons at the Sewing Arts Center in order to round out my fiber and fabric skills. Sewing is basically the final frontier for me with regard to all things fuzzy and soft. I've got the crocheting, knitting, weaving, spinning, embroidery stuff down for the most part. So, it was a logical next step to begin tackling my fear of sewing head-on.

Oh yes, I did say fear.

You see my peeps, I am a fudger of fiber. Oh I know it looks as though my works are technically sound, and for the most part, this is true, BUT (and this is a big but), I tend to not get too hung up on perfection as I like to finish objects born of my crafty pursuits on a regular basis. Getting caught up in the technical minutiae seems to be my own personal precursor for project abandonment, and I hate having lots of WIPs cluttering my world. I'm kinda big on the whole beginning-middle-end type o' process.

With this said, I believe that the fudge component in sewing to be relatively slim as compared to the other needle arts. I mean, once the fabric is cut there is no going back and mistakes? Yeah well, they become a bit of a challenge to hide. If you are sensing that I suffer from a slight case of sewing neurosis right about now then you're right on the money.

My cure? Classes with Russell at the Sewing Arts Center! Yes, indeedy. He's an awesome teacher! Lest we forget my apron foray...Well, after feeling more confident post apron, I decided to take my needle and threading to the next level and try the skirt class. After 4 sessions I finished this lovely A-line diddy...



I even set in a zipper...



I can feel your ooohs and aaahs right now.

Really though, I haven't felt this accomplished for a long time, and I have a ready-for-Spring Squid Skirt to show for it! Yay!

This month, I'm taking a quilting class...may the force be with me.

P.S., Many, many thanks to everyone for your kind comments on my last post. I'm in for a trying year and it's a comfort to know that you guys are out there sending me good vibes. Hugs all around!

Drama Queen

Nothing like beginning a year with massive life changes. I cannot bring myself to go into detail right now, but let's just say that my path to the future has gone off road. Needless to say, I have no words for the experience right now, but I'm sure I will again have the ability to string plenty of apt phrases together after gaining a bit of distance from the whole debacle.

Personal drama aside, I have finished another Danish Tie Shawl. Like it's predecessor, this delightful example of shawl-dom was knit from my own hand-dyed fingering weight yarns.





I am also quite close to finishing the pattern testing for the Pie-rets. Let me tell you all that I must have been drinking when writing up the lattice crust version of said hat. Uh, yeah. Pattern testing has been nothing short of an adventure. Wow. Anyway, I'm almost there. Should be finished with the final version of the Pie-ret patterns this week. Stay tuned!!

There and Back Again

Whew! I have been swamped these last two weeks with prepping for travel, actually traveling and organizing my life post-travel. Turn-around trips are exhausting to say the least. The one positive, however, is the fact that I get lots of knitting, crocheting or embroidery done while interned in my coach seat for 5-6 hours at a time. As such, you'll all be gleeful to hear that I finished the motherload of pattern testing on the Pie-rets while to-ing and fro-ing to New York. Yep, expect those patterns very soon...

Despite my current schedule, I found a few spare moments to make a pair of fuzzy boots for myself! I figured New York would be frigid and therefore my toes would need a bit of extra warmth, so I got to crocheting before leaving on a jet plane.





Purty purple booties, no?

And check out those blue soles! Found 'em at The Woolery.

I've got a tell you peeps, most of the stuff I design for Crochet Today is not exactly stuff I would make for myself. Don't get me wrong, I think that I've done a good job with the designs and each one definitely has the "LadyLinoleum touch", but how many throw pillows can one have? With that said, I am a big fan of both the fuzzy boots and the lumberjack hat (need to work one of those up for myself as well).

Speaking of designing, I have come to a very important decision. This year I will offer more patterns on my website/blog than I have in the past. I have felt a bit inhibited when designing for publication as of late. Sure, I am immensely thankful for the opportunities designing for publication has provided me (i.e., reaching a larger audience), but I feel as though I am watering down my weirdness. As a result of this realization, I have decided to free my caged aesthetic for a while and pick up the craziness factor a bit. So, you can expect Pie-rets and then some in '09!

*Insert evil laugh here*

Let's put the Monster back into Monster Crochet shall we?

Have a wonderful weekend all!

Seamingly Simple

So sorry for the lapse between posts peeps. I'm traveling to New York next week to spend a few days in our Manhattan Cube Farm. As such I've been busy prepping for my meetings. There's nothing like the inception of a new year to fool my mind into thinking I will get a handle on the unhandleable (my NY practice). Oh well, I will flex my muscle nonetheless!

Oh, but I haven't just been sacrificing trees to the gods of paperwork this week! No, I've also been basking in the glory of my sewing sensei, Russell, of Sewing Arts Center fame. Yep, through the end of March I am spending one to two nights per week with said sensei in order to hone my sewing skills via a variety of classes.

January is all about the skirt and last Tuesday was my first class. Needless to say it was illuminating. My classmates and I spent the evening modifying our patterns (if needed), cutting out our pattern pieces and fabric pattern piece doppelgangers as well as embarking on a bit of sample seam sewing. Russell demonstrated a couple of seam techniques that we will be using on our projects: (i) the French seam and (ii) the flat fell seam. His contention is that fine finished seams are easy and a must for novices to learn. And after completing sample versions of both seams, I agree with him. I am a big fan of the private side of my home sewn garments looking just as fine as the public side.


A less than perfect example of a French seam. As is my way, I began this particular seam on the wrong side of the fabric instead of the right side as I was told to do. What can I say? I have a long and very familiar relationship with my seam ripper.




An almost perfect flat fell seam. Fortunately I didn't screw up two types of seams in one evening!

My next class will be all about seaming and pressing my garment. I haven't decided which seaming technique I will use to assemble my skirt. However, I have a week to mull it over while in New York. Exciting stuff!

February, I am tackling quilting! Wooo hooo!