London Highlights - LOTR Musical

Long-time readers will know that I'm not afraid of getting a little touchy feely with my inner geek. I love plopping my arse into my chair after a difficult day at the cube farm, only to turn on the tube and hang out with Picard and crew on the Bridge of the Starship Enterprise or fly around BSG doing a bit of viper patrol with Starbuck or, as is often the case, traipse around Middle Earth trying to lose that freaky dude, Gollum. Um, yeah.

Anyway, I figured that my inner geek would be taking a vacay on this trip as I'd be working quite a bit and well, Sci Fi isn't exactly readily available in the channel line-up of most hotels. They don't know what they're missing...At any rate, you can imagine how happy my geeky self became after spotting a theater poster when having breakfast at an outdoor cafe in Leicester Square on Sunday for Lord Of The Rings Musical!

Oh yeah...Not leaving London until I've seen that! After all, I have a history with the Fellowship people!

Let's look into LadyLinoleum's LOTR file, shall we?

1. I own all of Tolkien's tomes. Okay, they aren't first additions or anything, but these texts are special to me nonetheless. Well read and well loved.

2. I have maps of Middle Earth. Hey, they could come in handy. You never know!!

2. I own all three Peter Jackson films. The extended versions. Hell, I even own the Rankin/Bass cartoons.

3. I flew to New Zealand to visit Hobbiton. Okay, I didn't specifically go to New Zealand to pay homage to hobbit holes. However, it was definitely one of the highlights of my trip!





4. I attended the One Ring Con in Burbank just over a year ago. I even paid to have my pic taken with Andy Serkis (Gollum himself) along with a few of my Gollum hats.



5. Speaking of Gollum headgear...Yes, I designed it to be worn at the One Ring Con.



6. A few years ago, friends and I attended the Lord of the Rings Symphony performed at the Hollywood Bowl. No, we didn't wear elvish attire...Jeesh.

7. I wear THE one ring each and every day.



8. I wear Gollum too.



9. I think that Middle Earth looked quite snazzy on stage.



It's all making sense right about now, correct?

Okay, as we can see above, I'm a bit biased when it comes to the subject of LOTR, but truly, the musical was great! Nothing like watching Gollum, Gandalf and four little dudes with hairy feet dance about stage belting out tunes!

Really!

Oh, whatever. I liked it and that's all that matters.

So there!

London - Day Two

When I was told that I was to go to London and Paris for work, I asked (insisted actually) my boss if I could pad the trip with a bit of free time as a 10 to 12 hour journey each way via airliner is a commitment to be sure. He agreed (thankfully) and my colleagues and I hopped a flight last Friday, arriving in the late afternoon last Saturday, leaving us free to explore the city on Sunday before putting noses to the grindstone on Monday at the office.

Sunday was a beautiful day in this fair city, sunny and warm (hot really), perfect for taking to the streets on foot and exploring. Random exploration would not do however, as I had an overall plan. I longed to go to Tate Modern and peruse floor after floor of creative genius, much of which I'd only seen previously in my art historical texts during college. This was my day to experience the work in person!

In the morning, I grabbed one of my travel companions and we set off for a bit of breakfast before crossing the Waterloo Bridge to the opposite side of the Thames in order to make our way to the Tate. Upon reaching the facing shore we were inundated by throngs of people enjoying the sunshine, watching any one of the many street performances taking place, clamoring to hop aboard the London Eye for panoramic view of the city, just generally enjoying the touristic riches available to them on such a fine day. Despite the crowd, I was able to discern a few banners flanking the front of the County Hall Gallery emblazoned with the name Dali. Intrigued, my colleague and I moved to investigate.


One of the many performers along the water.


London Eye.

Upon entry to the building, we each forked over 11 pounds and made our way to the entrance of the Dali Universe. Mind you, my expectations were quite low regarding the happenstance we were about to partake in. Fortunately, I was more than pleasantly surprised once moving through what could only be characterized as a tunnel, painted black, marked by both image and the ever-quotable verbiage set forth by the Surrealist master, to the exhibition. The space beyond was literally filled with paintings, prints and sculptures made by the hand of Salvador himself.

How did I not know about this place?

We perused image after image ranging from the tight, expertly detailed work Dali is most known for to lose, painterly fare that took me by surprise. Wicked wit, erotic machinations and clever unconventions, image after image. Dali was a genius.

Art appetite moist, I was ready for the lengthy tromp along the Thames to the Tate. Along the way, my colleague and I stopped into many a waterside pup for a pint of cider in an effort to stave off the humidity and heat, which was fast becoming oppressive. (It was actually hotter in London than in hometown Los Angeles last weekend!) An hour and some change later we were standing in front of the mighty Tate Modern (my new favorite place on the planet)!


Tower at the front of the Tate.

The edifice alone is awe-inspiring. Yet strolling among the works contained inside was positively astounding. Now, I'm not exactly an art neophyte. To the contrary, I have two degrees in fine art. I've been to museums and galleries around the globe. Actually, I'm pretty jaded when it comes to looking at, speaking about, experiencing art in all of its many forms. However, as "old hat" as the world of art is for moi, I did, in fact, lose my ability to form words at the mecca of modern as I feasted eyes upon some of my favorite creations by some of my favorite artists: Duchamp's Fountain and Nude Descending a Staircase; Kapoor's Ishi's Light; Judd's untitled steel homage to the rectangle (hey, just call me a square); Giacometti's Standing Woman and of course a little Bacon. There was so much to see. So much that I loved, have always loved for that matter. The experience will stay with me for some time to come.

One really works up an appetite when one is in the presence of great artistic wonders. It was finally time to hit the hotel, wash off the heat of the day and ready ourselves to tie on the feedbag! Eating well is a feature of all my travels, business or pleasure, and Sunday evening's spectacular meal was a perfect example of this essential experience.

Hubby's flight had arrived just in time to join my co-workers and me for a lovely meal at Veeraswamy. This legendary locale is an outstanding example of east meets west decor. The place is beautiful, filled with color, glitz and glam. Very cool space, indeed. We sat adjacent to one of the floor to ceiling windows, allowing our party a bird's eye view of the bustling street below.


Veeraswamy's grand interior.

We began our meal with round of cocktails. While half our party chose to imbibe some fairly pedestrian alcoholic fare, two of us felt a bit more adventurous, choosing to indulge in lychee and rose water martinis. Can you say sweet and refreshing?

Next up a host of family style dishes such as Nizami Murgh (a Hyderabadi dish consisting of chicken breast and koftas with pine nut, lemon and rose petal), spicy Saag (by far, my favorite spinach dish ever), Sukhe Aloo (you say potatooo, I say potaaato), Kolhapuri Kofta (deep fried veggie croquettes in a savory brown sauce), Bombay Dal (mild yellow lentils spiced to perfection) and multiple orders of Naan. We ended the meal with a plump pot of chai, mango sorbet and banana kulfi to share. Another good meal to be sure.

As we strolled back to the hotel after dinner, I reflected upon the days events, feeling blessed to have had the experiences and readying myself for the week ahead. More to come folks!

London - Day One

It's actually the beginning of Day Two, Sunday. However, seeing as we flew in yesterday at around 2:45, spent an inordinate amount of time (at least an hour and some change!) in the customs queue at Heathrow, drove into city center and got settled into our hotel, finally taking off on foot for dinner at about 6:30, I was just too damn tired to post last night after inhaling my meal.

However, I will always endure the rigors of a 10 hour flight to this destination as it 'tis one of my favorite cities on the planet! As long as I can stay awake upon arrival until a ripe-for-bedtime hour, I can enjoy London's pleasures relatively jet-lag free the rest of the week. I know, I have to actually go into work Monday through Thursday, but that will not stop me from enjoying myself!

Speaking of enjoying myself, I didn't do much of that last week. Hence, no posts. I was busy readying myself for two weeks worth of travel, tying up loose ends at the office, oh, and crocheting six enormous items for Crochet Today magazine! Literally, no free time. I plan to make up for last week's misery, by painting the town RED this week. Yes, indeedy.

Now, back last night. My two work colleagues and I were, needless to say, famished upon our arrival at the hotel. So, immediately following brief dates with our respective showers, we three met in the lobby and proceeded to a lovely restaurant around the corner from our home away from home, Al Duca, on recommendation from the hotel's concierge.



Nothing like kicking off two weeks of travel with a fine meal. Al Duca's delights were just the sort that the god Hermes would have partaken in upon exiting his chariot after a long journey!
We began with glasses of chianti and an amuse bouche consisting of a dollop of gorgonzola cream atop a roasted walnut with a sprig of dill. Lovely.

Our second foodie delight was Melanzane grigliate con burrata e olive nere (Char-grilled auberine with creamy mozzarella and black olives). This dish consisted of a generous slice of warm grilled eggplant topped with a healthy portion of THE most creamy burrata I've had the pleasure of tasting. Drizzled with olive oil tinged by its grassy origins, freshly ground black pepper and dotted about with olives nicoise, it was heavenly.

I had the Saltinbocca di branzino con patate n ovelle e scalogno marinato (Sea bass fillet wrapped with Parma ham, sage, sauteed new potatoes and pickled shallots) as my main course. Just remember, everything is better wrapped in bacon! Sea bass is hardly an exception. Cooked and seasoned flawlessly, I inhaled my perfectly portioned fillets. The skin of the fish was as crisp as the ham it was wrapped in, while the meat was tender and sweet. Underneath the fillets were lovely golden shallots and tender browned new potatoes. Mouthwatering.

I ended my meal with two small crepes, one filled with my daughter's fave toast topper, Nutella. The other infused with a lemony sweet ricotta. Yum!

This little bistro is definitely worth a try should you find yourself near Picadilly Circus AND you'd like to avoid some of the more tourist infested locales.

Okay folks, got to jet. Day Two awaits!

On The Road Again

Thanks for all of your wonderfully supportive comments with regard my last post!  My car has been fixed and looks perty again.  I still feel like an idiot, but I'm trying to cut my overworked boo-tay some slack.  I guess my three jobs, incessant travel, never-ending custody battle and out of work husband are finally chipping away at my tenuous hold on sanity.  I'm stretched a bit thin right now to be sure.  However, thanks be to God for yarn!  If I didn't have crocheting and knitting (and spinning, dyeing and weaving) I'd be a candidate for a rubber room at this point!

 

Speaking of incessant travel, I have a date with a plane again in two weeks.  Yes, my tube travel can again be attributed to job numero uno, my main gig.  This upcoming trip will take me to London and Paris.  I know that I've said this before, but I actually plan to have a bit of fun while in Europe as my time away has me straddling two weekends enabling me to (i) check out the local yarn and (ii) blow through a few tourist attractions.  Yay!

 

Traveling as much as I do means that packing has become a regular feature of my life.  Here are some of my tips for traveling smart and crafty!

 

First and foremost, let's hear it for light luggage!  About a year ago, prior to traveling to the Knit and Crochet Show in Manchester, NH (read – I needed a bigger bag to hold all of my class supplies and yarn purchases), I decided that it was time to trade in my large, heavy suitcase in favor of a lighter model of similar dimensions for use on those trips lasting longer than a few days.  My old bag weighed in at about 25 lbs when empty!  Needless to say, I was always over the limit when checking the stupid thing.  Now I have a featherweight model that weighs in at less than 7 lbs. when empty.  Much better!

 

Second, but of just as much as importance as the luggage factor, is this burning inquiry (which I ask myself each and every time I travel, oh by the way)…How much yarn is enough yarn to keep me busy while in transit, but not so much yarn that I have to dedicate my entire carry-on to the "fuzz factor"?  Yeah, well, I've come up with no good formula with which to answer this question.  So, I usually err on the side of paranoia, shoving two to three WIPs into my squat little roller bag adjacent to my beloved Mac each and every time I hit the road.  Really, it's dumb and I need to get a grip.  However, the thought of not being able to knit or crochet when entombed in a tube freaks me the hell out!  Okay, so this wasn't so helpful…Movin' right along.

 

Third, cords anyone?  Really, should any shenanigans take place aboard the aircraft, I am prepared to wrestle the offending individual to the ground and hog tie 'em with all of the electronic device cords that I'm forced to carry onto the plane.  Really.  My cord inventory is as follows: Blackberry power cord, cell phone power cord, digital camera power cord, digital camera USB cord, iPod USB cord, MacBook power cord (2 of these – one for the wall and one for the plane) and a host of adapters for international travel.  If I run out of cords mid-hog tie, I can always dip into my carry-on yarn stash or just start hurling adapters.   

 

These tips aren't exactly helpful, are they?  Alrighty then!

 

Fourth, are these shoes really made for walking?  Next to the yarn yardage factor, the travel shoe issue is another that confounds moi, oh, every single time I travel.  I don't know about you, but I have, quite literally, an entire shoe store in my closet.  And here's the kicker, only a few pairs out of the hundreds that I have available to my toe tips are suitable for wearing longer than oh, let's say…20 minutes. 

 

Peeps, I'm a girl!  We buy shoes because they look good, not because they feel good!  Comfort, schmomfort!  It's all about sexy toes, especially when it comes to strolling around the halls of the Cube Farm.  Therein lies the problem.  When I'm traveling for fun, a couple of pairs of my most comfortable shoes are usually sufficient.  Throw in a pair of heels for good measure and I'm set.  Add in the work factor and I'm screwed!  Many more variables.  This suit looks best with those pumps, while that dress looks super cute with those flats.  You get my drift.  Jeans are so much easier to pair with shoes.  Ahhhh.  Note to self, make sure to do a little shoe shopping this week on your lunch hour...

 

Not helpful?  Yeah, I'm just hoping that I'm not making you anxious about your next trip…

 

Okay, here's good travel tip…Fifth, got a stack of Netflix DVDs that you've yet to watch and a laptop that you plan to travel with?  Watch your rentals on the plane or while in the hotel.  Usually beats the in-flight entertainment and you'll avoid those pesky movie charges on your hotel bill!  I wish that I could take credit for this brilliant idea, but alas, I cannot.  This one is all Jenna!  She travels a lot too.  Actually, I should probably consult her about my shoe-yarn-excessive cordage issues as well…

 

Hey, two outta five ain't bad.

A Week In The Life...

Yes, my silence has been deafening over the past week.  Let's just say my previous week went southward following the Sunday market excursion.

 

Monday began a hectic work week. It sucks, but it's also familiar.  I have been digging out of the fiscal year end madness that overtook the cube farm shortly after the holidays ended.  Really, it feels like year end 365 days a year at this point.  However, as I said before, this is not unusual.  I imbibe pot loads of caffeine, knit and/or crochet on my lunch hours to decompress from the morning craziness and well, cocktails are a regular part of my evening routine.

 

Tuesday began as any other...uh, groggy and partially caffeinated.  However, this morning differed in that I was heading over to my doctor's office for an early morning appointment before embarking upon my daily toils at the cube farm.  Aside from the fact that I hadn't been feeling all that well, this excursion seemed normal enough.  That is, until I pulled into the parking lot of the medical building...

 

I drove up to the ticket dispenser and gave the button a push.  When the ticket appeared I found that I was sitting too low to reach the slip of paper.  So, obviously not thinking the following action through, with my foot securely on the brake (or so I thought), I released my seat belt and leaned out the window of my vehicle. 

 

You can guess what happened next. 

 

Oh yeah, my foot slipped off the brake pedal and onto the gas pedal sending me careening headlong into parking barrier gate! 

 

But wait, there's more... 

 

I didn't just merely tap the barrier.  Oh no!  When I break something, I do the job right!

 

Yeah, I mowed that barrier down and pushed it about, oh, 8 feet or so before I was able to get my foot back onto the brake.  Now that?  Takes talent.

 

Needless to say, I was in shock and just a wee bit embarrassed as this occurred in a street level lot on one of the busiest corners in Los Angeles.  Resisting the urge to flee, I pulled into one of the first available parking spaces and proceeded into the medical building to (i) confess my barrier gate demo, (ii) find a receptacle to barf in and (iii) partake in one the most expensive doctor's visit in history!  With those items checked off my list, I gave the hubs a holler to let him know how I spent my morning.  He immediately came to my rescue, driving me to work and my car to the body shop.

 

Love the hubs.

 

Upon arrival at the cube farm, I took a conference call, closed my office door after the call's completion and cried.

 

Yeah, Tuesday?  Could've been better.

 

Onto Wednesday. 

 

LadyLinoleum, what do you do to unwind after mowing down your local parking barrier and totally screwing up the front end of your Beemer? 

 

I went to Disneyland!

 

Really.

 

I should also be noted that I wore Pirates of the Caribbean Mickey Ears the entire day while attempting not to let the previous day's events ruin my time at the happiest place on earth.  Definitely a difficult task.

 

Thursday and Friday were uneventful as compared to the former half of the week.  Days spent toiling away at the cube farm, eves mired in a few magazine design projects.  Hey, life marches on right?

 

By Saturday, my nerves had come down a notch or two.  I spent most of the day at a LYS in South Pasadena teaching the ways of the hook.  Sunday seemed almost normal, my girl, Jenna, and I spending the whole day dipping yarn in dye. 

 

Okay, last week?  Yeah, a little tough.  I did learn a few things though, not the least of which was that I need to become one with my parking brake. 

 

Here's to a better Tuesday this week!  

Market Sunday

The hubs and I spent Sunday morning perusing an LA landmark, the Grand Central Market, located in Downtown Los Angeles.



Earlier that morning we searched in vain for a restaurant we intended to try in an adjacent neighborhood to Downtown. We drove around for a good 45 minutes before giving up and heading straight for our ultimate destination. There we were met with plenty of eateries to partake in. We chose to give Tacos Tumbras a Tomas a try because they had the longest line. Rule of thumb...When you're looking for something good to eat in territories less than familiar, always follow the crowd!



Both the hubs and I settled into a couple of tortas. For him, birria. For me, carnitas...my fave. Yes, we all know I have a fondness for pork. Although, I try not to eat it often because I have to watch my girlish figure...It's okay to indulge every now and again though. Hence my lovely and delicious Mexican pork sandwich...



The tortas were typically huge and truly I could only eat half. Warm roll piled high with fresh ingredients and a mountain of pork, this sandwich hit the spot following our little driving expedition earlier that morning.

Tummies topped off, it was all about the shopping. Produce shopping that is...



We came away with bananas, beets, garlic, broccoli, carrots, yams, cilantro, lettuce, blueberries and even a cherimoya! In addition, we also acquired a generous amount of dried ancho chiles, roasted and seasoned pumpkin seeds, Mexican hot chocolate and handfuls of dried fruits. All of this cost about $20!



Definitely worth the trek from Westside to Eastside. My other half confirms this notion with a smile for the camera!



What a great was to spend a Sunday morning!

Grand Central Market
317 South Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90013
213.624.2378

Tacos Tumbras a Tomas
Grand Central Market, Space A-5
213.620.1071

Danish Serape?

What does LadyLinoleum get when she pairs some of her lovely hand dyed yarn with the Traditional Danish Tie-Shawl pattern from the latest issue of Spin-Off mag?



Nothing short of a Danish Serape!





Both bright and bold, this cool wrap combines some of my old dye experiments with that of the new. The variegated red is Kool-Aid (and so it begins), as is the turquoise variegated, while the cobalt was achieved in a Jacquard dye bath. All of the yarn is Bare Peruvian Highland Wool (fingering weight) from Knit Picks, which is a great starter yarn for beginning dyers, oh by the way.

The shawl construction is very intriguing as it begins with a starter rectangle, stitches picked up along three sides to form a triangle, then continues with the body of the shawl, increasing at the center and ends on every other row. The beginning rectangular sequence of stitches is brilliant actually.

Ooooh, I almost forgot! The other very cool aspect of this shawl? The edging!



It's braided! Actually, it's crocheted. But it looks braided! Crocheted with two colors simultaneously, this edging is a finishing technique that I intend to use again and again. Cool eh?

Spin-Off always has wonderful knitting (and crochet) patterns in addition to great articles and project ideas for the spinner. It is my current fave mag to be sure.

Now, if I could just figure out what to wear with this shawl, I'd be sittin' pretty...literally!

Happy Friday all!

Color Me Red

I tend to go through phases with regard to color and its usage in my work. Last fall and winter I seemed to be alternately in a black/white/gray phase or a blue phase, whether I happened to be knitting, crocheting, weaving, dying or spinning. Actually, this is pretty unusual for me because, by nature, I tend to be a “red girl” (or orange). However, I had blue (and black/white/gray) padding about the recesses of my cerebrum. At the time I felt those colors constantly calling me. They wanted, no, needed, to be seen (over and over again!). So, I happily complied.

However, Saturday I knew the blues were officially over during a yarn dying session with my girl, Jenna. I just couldn’t get enough of anything remotely reddish. Or pinkish. Or orange-ish. You get my drift. Yep, I painted and kettle dyed 1500 yards of yarn in warm brilliance! I would have dyed roving too, but…um…er…I have a bit of roving backlog right now; baskets of fluff sitting patiently by my wheel(s) awaiting transformation. Keep yer shorts on, I’ll get to it!

Anyway, just look at the piles of color I created…

Looks perty eh?

And here is some of my hand-dyed reddish roving spun up…

This will get plied with possibly gold or another reddish iteration. Not quite sure which.

And then there are my current WIPs featuring…Yes, red!

I am working up a Feather and Fan Shawl from Cheryl Oberle’s book, Folk Shawls,in pretty burgundy and copper stripes.

I LOVE this book, which I have had in my possession for nearly a year.



Nonetheless, this is the first pattern I’ve tried. It’s an easy one. Well, except for working with the fiber the pattern calls for that is!

Un-spun Icelandic wool.

Think super thin, ultra-skinny roving, which pulls apart easily (yes, because it is un-spun). Due to the fragility of the fiber, this WIP just won’t travel well. Needless to say I will be working on this wrap at home only.

On the crochet front, I am working up a Singular Tee from my Knitscene pattern.

Mine will be in sultry red and cool blue-violet. This top is perfect for summer, crocheted in dk weight cotton from Halcyon Yarn, which is apropos because Los Angeles has begun to feel the heat of the season! Last Saturday and Sunday saw temps in the 90’s!

What colors are speaking to you at the moment? Inquiring minds you know.

Two New Patterns!

I have two new patterns for you in Crochet Today mag! The first is a super easy sweater that can easily be worn to either beach or bistro...



The pattern calls for Red Heart Hula yarn, but I can easily see this in myriad fibers. Cotton or bamboo would be lovely. I have a fairly large stash of ecru, taupe and cornmeal colored cotton, which I think would make a lovely striped version of this sweater.

The second pattern is my take on the classic tomato pincushion...



Another simple pattern that utilizes Red Heart Super Saver. Although, I think this too would look great in a shiny mercerized cotton. Methinks it would also be a wonderful gift for Mother's Day!

The newest issue of Crochet Today is currently available at your local newsstand or bookseller. Enjoy!

Bee Season Scarf

A scarf to wear as the last vestiges of winter give way to the warmth and color of spring...





This lovely woolly wonder is knit from Lamb's Pride worsted in a honeycomb pattern from one of my current favorite stitch dictionaries. (Oh, I know! You guys don't like these books due to lack of charts. I however, love them!)



The stitch pattern required every other stitch to go on a cable needle. At first this fact was a bit maddening, but soon I was motoring along as a rhythm began to develop. I think the entire scarf took me a few weeks to complete.

I finished the muffler off with a crocheted picot edge...



And six little needle felted bees...



The bees took me longer to make than the actual scarf! Although, I think they were definitely worth the effort!

Copyright 2008 Regina Rioux Gonzalez. All rights reserved.

Happy Three!

March came and went without my having acknowledged my third blogiversary. Can you believe it? Blogging is so "old hat" to me now that I cannot even remember the passing of this milestone? So sad.

At any rate, I was thinking about my journey through the labyrinth that is the blogosphere over these last three years as I sat in airport last Friday waiting for my flight back to LaLaLand. It all came flooding back to me at once, the provocation for starting this green bloggy, investigating blogging platforms, figuring out the inner workings of code and exploring the intricacies of image hosting. I reveled in the memories of my first explorations about the vast frontier that is craft blogging, attempting to figure out my place in this ever expanding world. Sharing my work in this virtual world was and continues to be exciting as well as a bit scary. It has been such a wonderful experience to have met so many people who share my addiction for all things yarn. Of this I shall never tire. Three years into the experiment I feel like corpulent sponge, having readily absorbed every possible experience a craft blogger can partake in, virtual and beyond. Memes and contests! Swaps and challenges! Ravelry! Message boards! Craft fairs! Charity drives! KALs and even more CALs! These three years past have been nothing short of amazing.

Really, blogging has changed my life. It is because of this blog that I have had my designs published. My weekly musings and crazy projects even landed me a stint on television. I teach crochet and knit classes in and around Los Angeles because I blog. I have traveled across the country attending various workshops and conferences all in the name of yarn, oh, and my blog. Finally, the only reason I even know about (and attend) my local Stitch N Bitch meetings is because I was invited to attend by, you guessed it, another blogger.

The blogosphere has been very, very good to me. I have had some amazing experiences and palpable successes. I have had the privilege to meet some wonderful people and forged many lasting friendships. You, my fellow bloggers, have provided me with endless amounts of inspiration, laughter, candor and kindness. Thank you for embracing my weirdness and for your constant encouragement. I love you guys and look forward to sharing another year with you!

In closing, I think a few words from Eeyore are in order. Thanks for noticin' me.

Free Pattern - Knit Half Round Shawl

I use this pattern again and again. It's easy and there is no end to the different color combinations, stitch patterns and embellishments one can apply to this versatile accessory.

For instance, I've adorned this half circle with grilled delights...



And simple stripes...



Olives and pimentos...



Corndogs...



As well as these crazy crustaceans...



Despite the examples above, I feel as if I've only begun my exploration about the realm of the half-round. Oh yes, more iterations definitely to come.

Love to see your take on this one too...

Come on, give it a try!

Materials

• 800 yards (give or take) of worsted weight yarn
• US size 8, 9 or 10 circular needle (40")

Abbreviations

• BO - bind off
• CO - cast on
• K - knit
• KF&B - knit in front and back of stitch
• P - purl
• PF&B - purl in front and back of stitch
• PM - place marker
• st/sts - stitch/stitches

Directions
Shawl is worked from top down.
CO 8 sts.
R 1 - K 2, PM, K 2, PM, K 2, PM, K 2.
R 2 - PF&B of every st.
R 3 - K
R 4 - P
R 5 - KF&B first and last sts and before and after each marker. (two increases made per "section").
R 6 - P
R 7 - K
R 8 - P
Repeat rows 5 - 8 until desired length is achieved. (I usually work until I have at least 320 stitches on the needles.)
BO.

It just doesn't get much easier than that!

Copyright 2008 Regina Rioux Gonzalez. All rights reserved.

Lobster Bake Shawl

I mentioned that I've been on a nautical kick as of late right?

Yeah well, here's the latest in this series of aquatic themed projects...



And it's a stash-buster to boot! Yep, I made a serious dent in my acrylic stores with this crustacean emblazoned wonder...



The shawl itself is knit from the top down. I've made this half-rounder numerous times, beginning with 8 stitches and working until I have between 300 to 400 stitches in total (give or take). The piping around the edge is crocheted as are the lobster appliques.

Why appliques?

Because silly, you don't see the intarsia mess on the backside of the shawl!

I don't like messy.

I've also tried knitted appliques, but the finished product tends to be too stretchy for me. So, crochet the appliques I do. No give means a solid applique.

Now, if I could just find a So Cal lobster bake at which to wear this red, white and blue diddy, I'd be in business!

Heading to NYC tomorrow!

Promise, promise, promise to blog from there this time peeps!

Copyright 2008 Regina Rioux Gonzalez. All rights reserved.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Brain Embroidery
Originally uploaded by ladylinoleum

Not only does this adage apply to living a greener existence, but it can also be applied to living a more fully realized yarn-based existence. Oh, yes! You see my friends, intrepid exploration about the interstices of an idea, image or process oftentimes portends repetition of said idea, image or process, in an alternate iteration that is.

What the hell am I talking about, you ask?

Okay, remember the If I Only Had a Brain Shawl that I worked up several months ago? Yeah, well, that brain image? I just cannot let it go. In short, I feel that it has not outlived it shelf life. Nope, not in the least.

So, where has the gray matter turned up?

Inside the border of my embroidery hoop!

And looking quite fetching I might add…

Although this latest cerebrum inspired piece is quite satisfying to work on, I feel that this brain’s journey is far from complete.

Any ideas about where the brave and bold brain will show itself again? Do tell.

Anchor Tote

I've been on a stashbusting kick as of late. This latest project used up some of my Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece stores.

I give you the Anchor Tote...



The design of this tote is the progeny of a bag design I did for Crochet Today mag, which should be available this summer. Also, this seafaring baggy is crocheted in the round with an F hook, anchor is an applique that is crocheted separately and sewn onto the bag and the handles are made from braided crocheted strips.



Neato eh?

Oh, I almost forgot about this feature...the Tote is completely reversible!



Although this bag is quite simple to make, methinks it quite stylish. It was a great way to use up all of my cotton stash too! I may be making more of these. Different themes of course.

Happy Monday everyone!

Treking The Stars!

A few weeks ago the hubs and I traversed just south of us to the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, in order to partake in a bit of LadyLinoleum sanctioned geekdom...The Star Trek Tour! 

 

Let me tell you all, it was awesome!  We were able to stand on the bridge from the original Star Trek set as well as the bridge from The Next Generation set (and yes, I did sit in Picard's chair...love that guy!) and view all of the props and costumes from the various Star Trek franchises, both television and film.  They even had a Tribble in one of the display cases!  In my humble opinion, Tribbles are THE finest examples of fun fur usage to be seen anywhere!

 

Ahem.

 

Anyway, I put a very short slide show together of the highlights of our visit which can be seen below.  We had a faboo time!  I highly recommend this event should it travel to a locale near you! 

Star Trek Tour

OUCH!

Yeah, if you are noticing some changes with my blog template, that would be because I accidentally erased most of it this evening!

What.

An.

Idiot.

Fortunately I had a slightly older version of my beloved green bloggy template saved on my computer.  Cleaning up this mess as I type...

Jeesh.

Marching into Spring...

...with a duel-handled blade!


My newest toy, the mezzaluna.

Yep, I spent my Saturday immersed in craft and the culinary arts as well as in search of the perfect materials suitable for both activities. After a mid a.m. Saturday morning coiffing, I was joined by my girl Jenna for some shopping just south of our usual stomping grounds.

First stop was Melt Down where grilled cheese is king, or queen, depending upon your preference. Ah yes, nothing like beginning a shopping binge tanked up on melty, cheesy goodness.

At any rate, upon first glance, the menu was pushing and prodding me toward ordering one of the sweet melts. I mean who doesn’t want a hot and delicious brie and apricot sandy on grilled walnut bread? (Note to self, have to order that one when next gracing the doorstep of cheesy pavilion.) However, upon full perusal of menu offerings, I ended up ordering this sodium enriched wonder, the Italian Deli melt. Yeah, yeah, I know! Not good for the chick with the lofty blood pressure. Whatever. It. Was. Good. Crunchy grilled focaccia, slathered with balsamic and olive oil, cradling layers of thinly sliced cured meats and spongy fresh mozzarella. Hot and savory. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, Jenna seemed to equally enjoy her appropriately named sandy, the L.A. Chick.

Tummies full, we were off to our first shop stop, Surfas, the “Chef’s Paradise”.

Oh. My. God.

I really had to restrain myself! I was walking around the place, glassy-eyed, wallet at the ready, feeling the overwhelming need to purchase huge vats of gold and silver sprinkles for the millions of disco ball sugar cookies I was planning to make upon my immediate return to my own humble kitchen. Really, it was scary. I don’t know what came over me while traversing the isles containing miles of culinary treasures. It was like a spell had overtaken me the minute I stepped foot inside the building. Literally, I was planning my graduation party from culinary school by the time I had made it to the register to purchase my wares. Oh yeah, it was THAT bad.

Needless to say, I showed a modicum of restraint and left the building with only one bag in tow containing a nifty mezzaluna (always wanted one), a glass condiment jar with flip-top lid for my stovetop stock of kosher salt, a small stack of flexible cutting boards, oh, and, um, a 1 lb. jar of gold sprinkles. Hey, I don’t see any reason to deprive my sugar cookies of their much deserved bling. So there.

Our final stop for the afternoon took me to my primary shopping danger zone…yarn AND roving. Culinary, schmulinary! This is my true downfall. However, I felt that Jenna really needed to be introduced to one of our most beloved Westside yarn haunts, A Mano Yarn Center. The fact that I have no self-control regarding stash acquisition should have no bearing upon the situation at all. Let’s just say I was providing a service, a charitable service, by acquainting a dear friend with a resource previously unknown to her. Yep, I’m a Good Samaritan through and through. A Good Samaritan who happened to leave the store loaded down by several balls o’ mohair and wads of roving. Jenna loved the store though, so the fact I dropped a little cash while simultaneously helping out a friend is quite acceptable. Quite acceptable indeed!

Ahem.

After Jenna and I parted ways that afternoon, I went straight home and occupied myself in a little nautical themed yarn play. Okay, “little nautical themed yarn play” is a euphemism for one large knitting project, two crochet projects and possibly a bit of embroidery too. Yeah, it’s all striped with anchors and such. I will probably want to burn all things navy and white when I’m done with this stuff, but well, right now I’m having a blast. You know, I tend to be a bit spirited with my efforts.

What brought on this sudden need to be at one with the sea? Well, I just came off three design projects for Crochet Today mag, which were as you might have guessed, notedly nautical! Oh yeah, there will be crocheted lobsters in your future, people!

I need to go back to Surfas and get some crustacean themed cookie cutters…oh, and some red sparkly sprinkles…

Winged Things

I have not been a very good blogger these past several months. This problem is mostly due to the fact that my employer has blocked any and all blogs from my view. It sucks and I've yet to come up with a viable solution for posting to my own blog as well as regularly checking out what's going on with all of you! Short of giving up crafting in the evenings to catch up with the blogosphere, I'm stumped as to how I can rectify this situation. Any suggestions are welcome!

Needless to say I have been making stuff. What follows is a load of FO's waiting for a post all their own.

First we have a lovely knitted Black Bat Wing Shawl with crocheted red sparkly veins AND its accompanying crocheted Batty Beanie...



This has been sitting on my "to be photographed" pile for months! For shame!

Here's a detail of the veins...



And the hat...



I used my Chicken Beanie pattern (sales pitch: available for just $5 on my sidebar!) as the basis for the Batty Beanie, which can also easily translate into a Kitty Beanie. I think there are more themed beanies in my future...

Next up, the knitted Blue Bat Wing Shawl with crocheted veins of in the same yarn...



This one is sparkly all over!

And just because wings seem to be my thing for this post, how about a pair of crocheted flight implements...



I plan to use this hand painted ribbon as the tie for these babies...



Feels good to get these off of the "to be..." pile. The sad part is that I have so much more sitting there waiting patiently.

I cannot stand feeling so behind! Oh well, maybe I need to put in a few super early mornings to get back to my posting schedule...

I'll figure it out....eventually.

Happy Monday one and all!