Monster Crochet

Changing It Up!

2011-07-08T00:50:00.000-07:00

Designing Despite It All...

2011-05-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

I am trying to keep my designer brain active while attempting to slog through my latest personal morass. (I don't want to get into the specifics of this right now, but I will probably share it eventually.) However, I did want to let you know that I do have two new crochet patterns available in the latest issue of Crochet Today mag...

Nothing like a cute little Wizard's Cape to turn my frown upside down! I really enjoyed creating this one. So much so that I even reproduced a larger one for myself after finishing the cape pictured above. (Come on, you all know I'll wear it.) Oh, and it's simple! Easy enough for a beginner. It's all done in single crochet. Stars and moon are appliques. Did I already mention that it's an easy peasy project???

Next up, the Bazaar Bag!

I really like designing bags. They are always challenging and don't take huge amounts of time to create (making these the perfect design projects for my current short attention span issue). The panels on this bag are worked up in two stages: the body and then the petals. It looks time consuming, but it actually works up pretty quickly. I love the way the finished product looks as well. I will probably tackle one for myself using a lighter weight yarn (the pattern in the mag calls for alpaca, which is a bit heavier than I like for a bag).

Anyway kids, that's my design scoop for now. I am working up the energy to post from time to time as I am working on several new patterns that I'd like to share with you. Things are just really messy right now, which seems to derail my ability to gather my thoughts into a coherent format. I am trying though...

Have a lovely weekend everyone! Your love and support is so important to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

The Status of Things

2011-04-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

Another rough year here at ChezLinoleum. Keeping up with my blog is really next to impossible at this point. I am declaring this an official blog vacation. Don't know when or if I'll be back.

Thank you everyone for your wealth of kindness and support. You've been amazing.

More Homespun!

2011-02-07T16:05:00.000-08:00

I've been doing a lot of spinning lately. I love this process. It's incredibly meditative, satisfyingly creative and well, who doesn't love a craft in which the by-product is yarn? Speaking of which, here's a bit of bamboo top...

This was my first experience spinning bamboo. It was a super easy spin! I loved the feel of it passing through my fingers and check out that sheen! More bamboo top purchases in my future to be sure.

Next up, another pulled silk sari single...

I love spinning this stuff too mostly due to the fact that pulled silk sari fiber is an inherently wacky spin. Easy to get a thick/thin single during the spin process.

Needless to say, my wheels are getting a workout!

Many more spools to ply and show. Stay tuned kids!

Have Yarn Will Travel

2011-01-07T12:49:00.001-08:00

Winged Thing
Originally uploaded by ladylinoleum

Well kids, I embark on my first trip of the new year next week. Off to the colder climes of New York City. Aaahhh Manhattan, an environ in which I've spent a lot of time working and playing AND as a result, a locale that I've come to think of as my home away from home. Seriously, I average 1-2 weeks a month there at this point!

Needless to say, I also spend a lot of time flying around in a big metal tube, which I've come to terms with as it affords me relatively uninterrupted knit or crochet time. This, I love! Sitting in uncomfortable seats and trying to get the frakin' video system to run without a hitch, not so much. Nonetheless, I usually take comfort in knowing that my yarn, needles or hook will pretty much get me through any travel-related irritants no worse for the wear.

Aside from figuring out which project to take along with me on a journey (this can take hours, even days), I've gotten really good at toting my crafty gear around in a user-friendly, I'm-packed-in-like-a-sardine-seat-conditions-so-my-stuff-needs-to-be-easily-accessible kind of way...

First and foremost, I do NOT attempt to bring along a new project. Too many variables here from gauge to yarn amounts needed to sustain me for the trip to possible reference books needed if directions elude my poor little brain. Nope, unless it's already on needles or ready for immediate hook insertion, it ain't making it into my bag.

Second, WIP, yarn, and collateral supplies must fit into my Eagle Creek Pack-It Cube. If this stuff exceeds the confines of my zippered containment system (and I have the biggest one they offer) then this stuff gets to see me again when I return home from my journey.

Third, I have a small zippered pouch (fits inside the big cube) for stitch markers, tapestry needle, crochet hook (knitters, you should also have this with you at all times...makes picking up dropped stitches A BREEZE), smallest post-it notes I can procure from the cube farm, a small pair of scissors (or the Clover ninja star thread cutter), a pencil and/or a pen. Oh, and this little pouch is attached to a lanyard so that I can wear it around my neck during the flight. This way I don't drop anything and my supplies are easily accessible.

That's my patented Have-Yarn-Will-Travel system and trust me kids, it works. I do not have trouble going through security (even toting my little scissors), I can obtain my crafty cube easily out of my larger travel tote when crammed into my seat and I can easily manage my crafty implements when seated for the duration of my flight. Definitely makes for happy trails for this yarn obsessed Lady of the Linoleum!

New Yarn for a New Year!

2011-01-06T12:25:00.001-08:00

365:6
Originally uploaded by ladylinoleum

Happy New Year kids!

Good news! I've been busy knitting, crocheting, spinning and weaving since the onset of Autumn. In fact, I now have a "photography pile" again. Oh yes, stacks of FOs waiting for their chance to shine on this little bloggy. I feel like I am finally moving beyond the nightmarish circumstances that have plagued my life during the last several years. It is with much happiness that I declare my creative mojo kicking in again. It's an amazing feeling and as a result you can expect some regular posts here again. Yay!

This week, I've got a few hanks of newly fashioned homespun to share with you. The black/white/gray colorway at the back of the photo is 100% wool and plied with a multi-sparkly thread. The reddish colorway at the front of the photo is a single spun from pulled silk sari fiber. That particular yarn is already project bound as I am finishing up another woven diamond shawl made entire of that stuff. Needless to say, I've got many more spools waiting to be plied or hanked-up for final processing. In fact, I spun approximately 1000 yards of yarn on New Year's Day. So excited to use these fibers in some of the 2011 projects that I have planned!

In addition to the "all things yarn" front, I am launching a new travel blog and I am participating in a photo a day project this year. Look for the first travel blog post later this week (I will link to it here) and well, you can check out my flickr for the 365 photos anytime. Looking forward to sharing a prosperous and productive 2011 with you all! Hugs all around!

My Last Lady Eleanor

2010-11-23T17:27:00.000-08:00

This stole is the fifth version of the Lady Eleanor that I've made (modeled by my best girlfriend, Bri). The first version I knit using mostly my homespun. The second, third and fourth versions were knit with Noro as is the fifth version above.

Why did I make so many of these, inquiring minds want to know? Well, I taught several entrelac workshops last year. Each version of the stole represents one workshop taught, as I started a new one each time I began class, working the tiers along with my students. I found this method an effective way to teach the entrelac technique.

I finished this stole last winter, but was unable to block it until recently. You know, all that pesky chaotic life stuff got in the way. Anyhoo, I am happy to call this LAST Lady Eleanor done! She is now on her way to a new home and owner. I hope that she enjoys wearing it as much as I enjoyed making it!

Business Items...

2010-11-22T11:53:00.000-08:00

Desire to wear a pie atop your head, but (i) you have no interest in crocheting one yourself, (ii) you don't know how to crochet and are patiently awaiting a knitting pattern from one, LadyLinoleum or (iii) you seriously just want a LadyLinoleum original. If you answered yes to any of the above then you're in luck! I have listed two Pie-rets for sale in my Etsy shop just in time for the holidays. I hope to make a few more, but honestly, I don't know if I'll be able to swing that before the holidays.

Wasn't aware that I had an Etsy shop, eh? Yes, I've had it for some time. I just haven't listed much in there over the years. Hopefully, this will be changing as the milk crate I like to call an apartment is just not big enough to house the enormous amount of items I've crocheted and knit since the inception of this blog. So, there will be more to come on the items for sale front.

Lastly, my thanks to everyone who has purchased a pattern from me directly. I'd also like to take a moment to apologize to those of you who found your order process less than satisfying. I have had HUGE problems with PayPal (especially in the last year or so) and have been unable to come up with an acceptable solution thus far. As such, I am determined to make one final effort to improve this situation by moving my patterns over to Ravelry. I plan to give it until the first of the year once everything has been moved over there. If that doesn't work, all patterns are coming off the interwebs. Most of you have been amazing with regard to this issue. I really appreciate your understanding and patience. Keep your fingers crossed...

As always, thanks for your support! Happy Monday everybody!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

2010-11-09T09:54:00.000-08:00

In the last five weeks I have been to New York twice and London once. Needless to say, all of this travel has complicated an already complex lifestyle and unfortunately it has also had a negative impact on my ability to knit, crochet, weave, spin, dye (haven't stoked up the dye pot in ages), sew, DESIGN and blog. I mean let's face it, my life has undergone the ultimate sea change: still divorcing (almost a two year process at this point); lost my home earlier this year, currently residing in a space the size of a milk crate; job responsibilities growing faster than I can keep up with (hence the constant travel); daughter on the verge of adulthood, squawking at me constantly; and there is always a silver lining...I find myself in an affair of the heart with an amazing man. Needless to say, keeping up with the tidal wave that is my life can be a bit challenging and trying to be creative despite these many perplexities has been a Sisyphean task.

Nevertheless, I am creating, albeit slowly and on a much smaller scale than in previous years, but create I continue to do. I haven't started much of anything new in the last several months for I am a creature of discipline if nothing else. As such, I am making a concerted effort to finish anything and everything that became stuck in stasis due to the great life upheaval of 2009-10. I make progress on these myriad WIPs while crisscrossing the country (the globe) in a flying tube, sitting in those ubiquitous vinyl seats gathered around airport gates, on my 60 minute lunch hours where yarn and not food has become the ultimate focus and if I'm awake enough to tackle anything else at the end of a workday, while sitting in my overstuffed chair in front of the television as I try desperately to watch all of the previously recorded programming on my DVR. Making has taken a backseat to moving at this point.

Now, I am nothing if not adaptable. I have gone through similar periods in my life where the act of making/creating was threatened by the stress of my daily responsibilities. However, making/creating is a very powerful force in my world and while it's daily importance has lessened to a certain degree as life happens, it has not disappeared completely. Further, I'm positive that my creative spirit will endure the current constraints as well as those that may occur in the future as I am an artist at the core of my being. Always have been. Always will be. I will make things because this is who I am. This is what I do. I just need to figure out how to navigate the current landscape and adapt my process accordingly. Not always easy to do, but definitely attainable.

So, in working through my current conundrum, I've come up with a few solutions that I will be actively pursuing going forward:

Finish all outstanding WIPs. Getting through these projects serves as a metaphor for closing the door on the past and readying myself for the future, thereby allowing me a clean slate to begin new work.
Notation, notation, notation. Time for me to begin recording my ideas and conceptions in a journal/notebook again. This has been a traditional part of my process that I have allowed to lapse over the last year. Time to dig out my notebook and return it to its proper place in my purse. Never leave home without my "spell book" and quill!
Smaller, lighter, faster. Size and portability are key when one is trying to create while trapped in a tube. I will try to fit all projects and accoutrement into the same carry-on size bag for every trip. Not only does this serve to simplify my packing, but it makes the project wrangling in a small space headache-free.
LadyLinoleum has a laptop and will promise to use it. Blogging IS possible to do from a big fluffy hotel bed while inhaling room service, at least this is what I'm told.

So peeps, you will be seeing quite a few changes 'round this here bloggy over the next several months, but I do promise that your Lady of the Linoleum will still attempt to entertain you with a cadre of smaller crazy creations, one-off patterns here and there, a bit of humor and wisdom as she sees fit and hopefully, myriad on-the-road crafting tips! As always, I thank you all for your continued comments, emails and support. Literally, you all are THE ONLY REASON that I'm still taking up residence in cyberspace. Big hugs all around!

Stay tuned kids!

Oktoberpretzelfesting

2010-10-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love Autumn. For me, Autumn means lots of carding and spinning in the evenings, weaving while indulging in a bit of Syfy telly, knitting and crocheting as fast as my digits can move those needles and hooks. It also means lots of warm woolen sweaters and fun coats. Fall weather enables me to wear boots every day, should I so choose. In addition, it is also all about decorating and exposing my, uh, alter-ego(s) for the most wonderful of holidays, Halloween. For me, Autumn means a month of rigorous menu planning for Thanksgiving, a process I enjoy immensely. And, as soon as the daily degrees take their Autumnal dip into the 60s (hey, it's SoCal and that's cold to us) my baking books literally leap from their shelves, begging to be perused and used. Fall is fantastic!

Last weekend was the first weekend of the season to actually feel like Autumn. Saturday was cloudy and cool. As such, I had the urge to go get knee deep in baking flour. By noon, the dining room table was covered with oven-centric tomes and I settled upon a recipe that I've used many, many times...bagels. Whipped up a batch of dough shortly thereafter and was boiling and baking those glorious rings by evening. My peeps were none too happy to take the fresh, hot, crispy, chewy rounds of doughy goodness off of my hands. In fact, the entire batch was gone within hours.

Feeling the pressure to produce more carb-based foodstuffs for my loved ones, I went back to my baking manuals the next morning and decided on a recipe I had yet to try...Hot Buttered Pretzels. Mixed up a batch of dough in morning and after a day of Oktoberfesting, I worked up eight soft twisted lovelies for a stint in the oven. They were a bit malformed (I'll blame the copious amounts of beer I imbibed earlier that day for my lack of pretzel twisting ability), but no matter because they tasted better than any pretzel that can be obtained from your local mall. Shiny, salty, buttery goodness...

Got a shot of the only pretzel that actually looked like it was supposed to. The moral of the story? Don't drink and twist.

More Autumnal adventures to come!

Another Autumnal Diamond Shawl

2010-09-15T15:58:00.000-07:00

You may remember the very first diamond shawl that I created. It was actually more of a rectangular stole, but it was the beginning of what has become a suite of shawls/wraps that sport diamonds as their primary motif. Oh and lest we forget, I use only scrap yarn to weave the diamonds for these over the shoulder pieces. It's my woven version of a granny square.

So, following on the heels of diamond shawl numero uno is yet another earthy delight...

This shawl is much larger than it's predecessor and almost resembles the tail feathers of a turkey when viewing it from the back...

Not unlike my past diamond shawls, I edged each motif with a crochet (sc) border and then assembled the pieces using crochet (sl st) as well. I am not a fan of sewing knitwear of any kind together. I always crochet my seams, be they sweater or shawl. I have found that my crocheted seams are not only stronger than the ones I have sewn, but they are also more uniform than their sewn counterparts. And I like uniform seams, kids. They make me very happy!

Lots of varied yarn weights exhibited in the newest version of this shawl as well.

More of these to come as I have a lot of odd ball stash to power through. Oh, different woven motif shapes are in the works as well. Loving my lap looms to be sure!

Yoga, My Personal Savior

2010-09-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

You can find this non-craft-related post on my Tumblr blog should you be interested.

Let There Be Light!

2010-09-07T17:05:00.000-07:00

As you may know, I've been spending a lot of time exploring the great outdoors with my man. It has been so amazing to hike our state's myriad trails, sample some of our stunning national parks, cook on a toasty campfire and sleep under the twinkling stars. Being in nature is a real pleasure for me and experiencing it with someone I absolutely adore is definitely a bonus. That being said, our outdoor travels have lacked one very important feature: the ability to work on my crafty endeavors at night! Let's face it, trying to knit, crochet, weave or spin by a campfire is not exactly ideal. The light is beautiful, but it's not practical for working on any crafty to-go projects. Not to mention the fact that embers and yarn are not a really good combination. Not to worry though, I've come up with the perfect solution to my problem...

Meet my new trusty headlamp!

My handsome boyfriend, Steve, understands that a crafty girl has got to create, no matter the circumstances. So, he procured this headlamp for me. I road-tested it on our last camping trip. Works like a charm!

Roastarific!

2010-09-02T17:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this year hasn't exactly been one of consistency when it comes to Monster Crochet blog posts. I am attempting, however, to get back into a blogging routine of sorts. My life has changed so dramatically over the past 18 months that my life looks completely and totally different in it's current state from what it had been the last decade. There are a few things that have withstood the sea change such as my job at the cube farm, but even here, my position has expanded and my responsibilities have evolved (or devolved depending upon my outlook any given day). Anyway, my blog has suffered as a result of all the transition. Nonetheless, I am eternally appreciative for your patience as I walk through this period of change toward a bright new future and hopefully feeling the need to share it with you all via written medium.

On that note, I am not afraid of change. I dare say that I actually like change. Love it even though it proves challenging. That being said, there are certain routines I have established in my life that provide me with some consistency, a familiar respite while undergoing the sometimes unsettling process of transition. For example, creating has always been both a place of discovery and solace for me. Making is an essential part of my day, a place to rest and recoup after a long day of negotiating the unfamiliar obstacles of my new path. Another routine I enjoy immensely is cooking. I find the process of creating with food all at once meditative, experimental, challenging and satisfying. So, although my work spaces and kitchens change, my mind and collateral tools are able to set up shop and get to work! Speaking of which...

Enough already with the introspective blather! Let's get on with the purpose of this post!

So, yes, experimentation abounds in the ChezLinoleum test kitchen right down to those dark, rich beans used to brew our morning cuppa joe. Yep, the special man friend and I roasted our own coffee beans and we didn't F it up either! Read on...

Step One

Procure some green beans. No, not the haricot vert variety! You want to obtain coffee beans that are ready for roasting, which happen to be a very delectable shade of army green. Basically, green coffee beans have had their outer skins removed and are then dried out. Only green beans are ready for the roasting process. Don't try to find a pick your own coffee farm! Anyway, one of my beloved's coworkers gifted him with a bag of bee-you-ti-ful Ethiopian green beans. So, loving a cooking challenge we began to do a bit of research on the intertubes to figure out how to help our green beans brown up.

Step Two

After procuring beans, it is time to determine your roasting platform. Your choices are to buy a spendy machine, plug it in and let it do the job for you (this is very much akin to a bread machine in my mind), haul your green buddies out to your next campsite and roast 'em over the campfire OR bulk up your biceps with a rather lengthy stove top stir-fest in your mom's cast iron skillet. What method did we choose? None of the above! Actually, we made up our own method after reading about all of three of these options on this site.

My man and I happened upon this glorious piece of small appliance perfection (above) at our local Target and decided it met all of our coffee roasting requirements (cheap, able to keep beans in constant motion, allows us to maintain our weak biceps and as a bonus, it makes a darn good bowl of popcorn). Oh, and I like the fact that it's called Stir Crazy. Hey, I'm easily entertained...

Step Three

Dump beans into the Stir Crazy and plug it in. Oh, if you do decide to do this at home, make sure to set your Stir Crazy under your stove top fan if possible, as an inevitable byproduct of coffee roasting is the smoke. Stove top fan kept the Linoleum test kitchen smoke-free!

Watching coffee beans go in circles in the Stir Crazy is like watching waves break on shore. Okay, maybe not, but I know I was mesmerized!

Step Four

When beans have browned up to desired color, cut the power to the Stir Crazy and move your beans to a colander. Grab a second colander and pour beans back and forth from one to the other until they've cooled. Store them in an airtight container and let them rest for 24 hours.

Step Five

Grind some beans and drink up!

Neato right???

If you're ready to try this at home kids, take a look at this site as they have lots of varieties of green beans and a more substantive set of directions. Have fun!

Weaving the Weekend Away

2010-07-31T16:15:00.000-07:00

Originally, we had planned to go camping this weekend. Unfortunately, those plans were thwarted due to a very important art-related event that my beloved is involved in tomorrow morn. As a result, I was left with many empty hours to fill. I figured, I try relaxation for a change. After all, there is a very nice pool mere steps from the door to my domicile. So, clad in my requisite black tankini, basket of string and things in one hand, towel in the other and sunglasses atop my head, I hit the chaise lounge for some pool play with the teens. Oh, and a bit of weaving as well...

It was lovely to sit under the sun, talking with my beautiful daughter, relaxing the afternoon away.

I love to see my DD smile!

I went inside for the evening with sun freckles speckled about my nose and cheeks, fully decompressed and inquiring to myself,"Why don't I do this type of thing more often???"

Me, the weekend anti-warrior.

One Half of Granny

2010-07-21T16:10:00.000-07:00

I have a stack of FOs that has travelled with me from residence to another, waiting to be immortalized in living digital color. It just so happens that I pulled one of these purty wooly wonders from the stack this morning, as we seem to be in a state of perpetual cold in West Los Angeles. So, not missing a long overdue opportunity to photograph said item, I present to you my newest Half Granny Shawl...

Crocheted from some of my Koigu sock yarn stash (and let me tell you, I've got a store's worth of this stuff), this light wool number is great for throwing over one's shoulders on cool summer evenings or for donning in offices that double as meat lockers, as is the case with my lovely cube farm abode.

In shaping this triangular shawl, I began using double crochet (dc) until I reached the bottom of my shoulder blades, then moved onto trebles (tr) for the length of the shawl. I stole this idea from my personal crochet idol, Ellen Bloom, who has both granny square technology and drape down to a science. Thanks Ellen!

I edged the entire shawl with a basic picot stitch as I'm not a one who fringes (well, not with regard to crochet anyway).

Yay! I feel so accomplished having decreased my pile o' FOs by one! Plenty more knitting, crocheting and weaving to come...

Yes, We're Farmin'...

2010-07-20T15:28:00.000-07:00

For me, cooking is a close second to arting and crafting as a way to pass my otherwise free time. As such, the pursuit of fresh ingredients for my cooking endeavors is also high on my list of pastimes that I enjoy immensely and what better way to source fresh ingredients of the produce variety than on a farm? To that end, I spent last Sunday afternoon with three people I adore picking fruits and veggies at Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark, CA.

We had such a good time loading up our baskets with raspberries, strawberries and blackberries, plucking fresh squash from the vine, picking eggplants and myriad variety bell peppers from their leafy progenitors. We even liberated a few heads o' lettuce, roots and all, from their rich beds of soil. For me though, the best part of the entire day was whiling away the hours with my peeps talking, laughing, listening to Eric (LittleLinoleum's boyfriend) make up songs about farming with my daughter as well as listening to the teens scream whenever they encountered a bug. Hel-lo? Nature.

It was a great day to be sure! Now onto the produce pr0n...

And here's my crew...

L-R: LenaLinoleum, Eric & Steve

I'll end this very berry post with the lyrics to Eric's farming song...

‎”Yes were farmin'. Were havin' such a good time, yes were farmin'. Pickin' fruits of every kind, yes were farmin'. Lena’s not havin' such a good time…but were farmin'.”

Two New Patterns!

2010-07-19T00:09:00.000-07:00

Let's hear it for some crochet content!

Yep, I've begun designing again for Crochet Today mag, the new October issue to be more specific...

Nuthin' like a blue do to make your Halloween memorable! Oh, and just in case your mini me wants to be in the club...

So, there ya go. A little crochet content, a bit of pattern hoohaa and a nod to my fave holiday to boot. She's baaa-aaack!

Patch Me Up!

2010-07-16T15:16:00.001-07:00

So, yeah, I've been doing a bit of traveling and hiking lately. As such, I have been wont to record my expeditions in a format that suits my personality. What method have I come up with, inquiring minds want to know? A wearable one of course!

I bring you, my very personalized trip record jacket...

I purchased this lovely tapered-at-the-waist military cast-off at my local surplus store for a mere $9.95, upon making my decision regarding format of this, uh, journal. Now, I just comb the wilds of our state (and, hopefully, eventually, beyond) for gift shops and visitors' centers in search of patches. It's like I'm a girl scout on a scavenger hunt! Weeee!

So far, my right sleeve holds a few state and national park patches...

My left sleeve is becoming an homage to Smokey DA Bear...

One can see forest and national park emblems emblazoned on my chest...

And I've even done a bit of embroidery meself...

Gives new meaning to the term, eagle scout.

Anyhoo, I plan to do a few more embroidered patches of my own for this special item of apparel as well as A LOT more collecting as I continue to get my outdoors on. I may eventually need a matching bag...

Love these evolving type o' projects!

More Homespun Goodness

2010-07-15T16:00:00.001-07:00

I'm sure that you all read that title and your scratching your heads saying, "Does that Monster Crochet chick ever, uh, crochet?" The answer to that question is a confident yes, but I'm working on a few large projects so I don't have much to show with regards to the ways of the hook just yet. However, I will! I promise!

Until that time I can share a few new hanks of homespun love. To the left is approximately 400 yards of woolly wonder called Surf N Turf. I began with about 4 oz. of beautiful hand dyed roving, spinning it into a neat single. Then I plied that with a bit of gold thread, attaching golden silk cocoons here and there. The final effect reminds me of our California coastline, which incidentally is one of this state's myriad landscapes from which I am currently drawing inspiration.

Segueing off the spinning path for a moment...Some of you may be aware that I'm currently on a hiking kick, which means the boyfriend and I have been traipsing around the mountains on weekends and some evenings in search of some fresh air, spectacular views, a bit of fitness fun. In addition to these lovely attributes, I have become reacquainted with a landscape that I find infinitely inspirational. After all, this place is in my blood and it will always be home as I'm a native of the Golden State. I mean, just look at some of my recent shots from some of our hiking trips...

Segueing back to the premise of this post...My new homespun is beginning to be a visual reference of the topography of California and I'm really liking the results. Case in point, a bit of golden dazzle and a little purplish, goldenish 2-ply...

Needless to say I have many, many ideas churning about my gray matter. This is just the beginning. I have oak leaves and golden grasses on the brain to be sure.

My Lena

2010-06-28T17:14:00.000-07:00

My most important creation enjoying herself at the Hollywood Bowl last Friday night. This child is all at once mystical, magical, maddening, merciful, sometimes morose, oftentimes merry, prone to outbursts of maniacal laughter, mysterious and is a magnificent beauty. I love my Magdalena with all of my heart.

Singles Night

2010-06-24T00:42:00.000-07:00

Three new spools o' singles, ready for the ply-zone.

New Homespun!

2010-06-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

Trying to get back to some crafty content on this here green bloggy. What can say? The stuff of life hasn't really allowed me the mental or physical freedom to create. Frustrating to say the least. However, I am attempting to overcome the obstacles and get back to it. As such, nothing like jump starting a little make session via the wheel...

This ode to pink and purple was spun from BFL that I dyed eons ago. Originally, I had spun the Pepto pink single on my Hitchhiker, a little wheel that I have a love/hate relationship with. I find the little dude a bit funky to spin on. I'd really like to get in a groove with this little wooden wonder, however, because it's a car friendly wheel by virtue of it's size. And let's face it, I could get heap loads of spinning done on long road trips (my current fave way to travel for fun). The purple single was spun on my Lendrum DT (aka, the workhorse wheel). Finally, both singles were then plied together on my SpinOlution Mach 1. I use the Mach 1 exclusively for plying at this point and it does a splendid job each and every time. The wheel is masterful for spinning art yarns as well. Ahhh, I digress.

The wacky stuff above was spun with what was leftover from the purple single used in the previous yarn. I plied it with some red, shiny, sparkly composite yarn on the Mach 1 as well. I only ended up with about 40 yards of this stuff, so it will probably get tossed into the weaving basket(s) for inclusion in some diamond, triangle, square or rectangular loom based wonder (many stacks of woven shapes sitting around my apartment waiting to be made into something).

You might have noticed from this and previous spinning posts, that I tend to ply my singles as a rule. It's not that I don't like to use singles as is. I do. In fact, I have been spinning silk sari fiber into usable singles as of late. However, most of the time I prefer a yarn that has a bit more elasticity and softness. Plied yarns tend to be a bit, uh, bouncier. Also, I do tend to overspin my singles a bit. So, although I have gotten better at controlling the overspin, plying just allows me to correct any imbalance my singles may have exhibited before that process occurs. And anyway, I really like the interesting combinations that can be made when plying two seemingly unrelated yarns together.

Needless to say, I think I am getting back into a crafty groove again (at least I hope so). In the last week or so, I have filled many a bobbin with homespun glory and I am in possession of four huge bins containing much fluff. Not to mention the fact that I returned home from my recent trip to Sequoia and Yosemite with art yarn on the brain. The ideas and wheels seems to be working again!

Saturday Morning Bakes

2010-06-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

I spent the morning baking, an activity that I'm rather fond of. This particular creation happens to be a mixed berry pie, sporting the requisite lattice crust. So easy too! Just use your favorite pie crust recipe (or open up a box of ready made pie crust if you're patience for that sort of thing is lacking...no judgments here) and throw together a filling of 5-6 cups of berries, 1 cup of sugar, 4 tablespoons of flour, 1/2 a teaspoon of salt. Pour the mixture into an unbaked bottom shell, weave yourself a lattice top, dot a little buttah over the top and slide into an 450 degree oven for a half hour. Continue to bake at 350 for another half hour, or until brown and bubbly and PRESTO....yummy, yummy pie!

Happy weekend everyone!

Sigur Ros - Hljomalind

2010-06-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

Route 41

2010-05-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

As I take today to celebrate my 41st year of existence, I'd like to use this moment to reflect upon the journey thus far. Not always easy (understatement of the ages), beyond my scope of understanding more times than I care to admit, I nonetheless have chosen to view my sojourn through this life as one filled with a plethora of opportunities, a continual stream of experiences, for learning, for loving, for reaching beyond the pragmatic, beyond fear, to live with a sense of wonder and magic each and every day...

I live life with abandon. Fear is constantly dancing about the edges of my grey matter as I undertake an unfamiliar experience. Nonetheless, I just take a deep breath (or seven) and proceed. There is always an outcome, oftentimes an obstacle to be overcome, new directions continually revealed, and the fervent trust in myself that I will invariably figure it out.

I am learning to be gentle with myself. Not an easy task for this thrill seeking girl with a penchant for overachieving. My father, the progenitor of this temperament in my family, oftentimes mused that I was just like him. More curse than credit in many ways, this personality type comes equipped with a self-critique mechanism that is usually set anywhere from generally critical to brutal. Introspection and learning from one's mistakes is a good thing. Repeatedly beating myself up for human error is not.

I love with my whole being. In the past, I've been hurt deeply. So much so, that for a time I built a wall around my heart that not only served as barrier, but also as cage. When the heart is confined, so too is the bounty of riches one can only experience when one's soul is laid bare. I've spent the last several months painstakingly deconstructing walls that I had previously erected around my soft interior over the last two decades. The demolition process has been incredibly difficult, the pain overwhelming at times, but the rewards have been tremendous.

I seek out opportunities to learn something new each and every day. Always the avid student (and teacher for that matter), this quality or rather, craving, for a constant stream of new experiences, knowledge, dialog and debate, factoids and figures has become heightened as I enter the middle of my life. I feel as if I am literally a sponge, soaking up information and experience as quickly as I can absorb it, freshly incorporating data to assist me about the incredibly fast-paced world we live in.

I view the world through the eyes of a child. We live in a dynamic time and place, laden with myriad sensory delights, ripe with vibrant color, sights and sounds bounding from every direction, a squall of people, events, communications and media buffeting us about our daily lives. It's intoxicating and inspiring! As an artist, this time, this place is fecund. Even on the days when I awake with a less than favorable outlook on life, I grab a cup of coffee and reframe, readying myself to greet the rest of the day with a bit of hope, humor and happiness, full-tilt wonder sure to follow.

I enter my 41st year with a few scratches and dings, my leather seats sagging a little with age, a bit road-worn, but under the hood I remain strong, ready for the what the road ahead has in store. So, the next 41 years?

Bring it.

Car 97

2010-05-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

For those of you who weren't following my excessive tweets last weekend about my new adventures as a racecar driver, I posted a few pics of my little Jetta at the track (the speed demon) on my tumblr. What a great weekend!

New Hairz

2010-05-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

Here's my do...

Courtesy of my girls at Planet Salon in Beverly Hills. Thank you so much Roxy and Carrie!

Simple Pleasures

2010-05-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

The events of last year and then some has brought about a tremendous amount of chaos to my family's life. The offspring and I were definitely feeling a bit like Orestes on the run from the Furies much of the time. However, the destructive forces that have plagued my life as of late are beginning to give way. The paradigm is shifting, so to speak. What was before, ceases to exist. What is now is being cobbled together from a combination of old friends who've stood by the two us through thick and thin, new friends who are beginning to weave themselves into the fabric of our newly constructed daily lives, a few wayward friends who have reemerged during the shift, a new residence, new job responsibilities and an acute sense that we have much adventure to experience ahead.

Yesterday evening, in fact, brought a bit of said adventure to the table. Literally. My daughter's boyfriend, who has become a daily feature in our lives, sat down next to me at the dining room table while I was fiddling around with yarn and hook and asked me to teach him to crochet so that he could make his own beanies (the kid wears one EVERY day). The offspring followed her man into the room, project bag in tow, ready for the show. Dealing with a design detail at that very moment, I handed the boyfriend, Eric, a hook and some yarn and asked LenaLinoleum to get him started. Yeah, pretty much that effort ended with the offspring telling the boyfriend that we was slow (although she used a different term), while he exclaimed her to be a terrible teacher. Fortunately, my design conundrum solved, I was able to step right in and salvage the situation. Eric was crocheting like a pro within a half hour and I believe he'll be ready to tackle a beanie pattern tonight.

A year ago, I would never have pictured myself sitting contently in my own home, happily hanging out with my family. My household had become such an unhappy place for such a long period of time that I forgot what it felt like to experience such a simple pleasure. So wonderful to sit around the table with the teens yesterday, all three of us crocheting, talking and laughing. Change is good.

Here's a pic of my fave teen couple...

Friday Night Hike

2010-05-01T18:13:00.000-07:00

Here is a nice shot from last Friday night's hike at Topanga State Park...

Crocheted Bacon Strips

2010-04-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

After attending the summer Knit and Crochet Show in 2008, I was inspired to try my hand at a more freeform method of crochet. You see, my creative process tends toward heavy documentation. In other words, I jot down each and every stitch in my trusty notebook when designing something. My feeling is, generally, that I never know if or when I'm going to want to make this thing again. Or, at the very least, I may want to use a previously documented pattern as a jumping off point for a new design. So, freeform? Yeah, not so much. However, always open to new processes, in 2008 I threw caution (and my notebook) to the wind and embarked on a more intuitive journey...

Crocheted bacon strips!

As many of you may be aware (hello to my tweeps and FB friends!), I thought I had lost my stack of crocheted pork strippage during my recent move. It was all very upsetting as I have big plans for this treasure! To that end, I also hate having lots of WIPs around. So, finding myself settled into my new very teensy living space with bags of WIPs literally everywhere has been motivation to enter a finishing phase. (Metaphor for my current stagnant trials and tribulations? Uh, yeah.) At any rate, I have tons of ideas for these porky, thready beauties floating about my grey matter. Nonetheless, I'd love to hear any ideas that you may have for my strips, my peeps! Please feel free to share your visions with me. And, if I happen use your idea, I'll send you a few of my thready pork strips as a token of my appreciation!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Cougar Crest Trail

2010-04-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

Took this at the top of Cougar Crest Trail last weekend in Big Bear. We made it to the top at dusk. I love the light at that time of day.

Hike-O-Rama

2010-04-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

In an effort to vary up my exercise regimen, I've embarked on a few recent hiking expeditions. Friday night last was no exception as I found myself navigating about a darkened Santa Monica mountain trail with my Special Man Friend ("SMF") and a larger group hailing from the West LA Chapter of the Sierra Club.

Your mission, LadyLinoleum, should you choose to accept it is as follows:

5 mile hike beginning at roughly 7:30 pm PDT
2.5 miles to top of trail and back
1,100 foot elevation gain
2 hrs and 5 minutes from start to finish
hike rating - moderately strenuous

Here's a visual of the route. I love you GPS!

So, the SMF and I pull up to the meeting place (near PCH and Sunset) at approximately 6:45 pm on Friday night. I scan the crowd. Most of the participants look to be in their 40s, 50s, with a handful a few decades older. I breathe a sigh of relief. I should be fine, right? I'm in relatively good shape and hey, if this crowd can handle the hike, I'm golden.

Uh, yeah.

Anyway, after signing in and waiving the SC of any responsibility should we injure ourselves at anytime during the hike *hint, hint*, the SMF and I are whisked away by the carpool wave and dropped off at the beginning point of our evening's journey. Requisite announcements were made by one of three group leaders (a guy who looked to be in his 80s and a little unsteady, I might add) and then we were off...AT LIGHTENING SPEED.

Really???

Could someone have told me that we were going to walk what felt like 10 minute miles from the start so that I could have done a few runner's stretches beforehand? Oh, and could someone have also informed me that the 1,100 foot elevation gain happened to be THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE HIKE? Yeah, there was no gradual elevation gain on this hike. No siree. First 45 minutes into the hike was all steep incline. I felt like a mountain goat on meth.

Worst part? That 80 year old guy who looked a bit wobbly? Yeah, he blew by me in the first five minutes of the hike.

At the top of the trail, the SMF and I were praised for "making good time". A few of the regulars seemed surprised by this and rewarded us by inviting us to join in their group Fig Newton break before turning around and heading down. We thanked them, but decided to forego the Newtons in order to snap a few shots of the view before making our way back.

I have never before enjoyed a downhill journey more than this one, peeps...

Anyhoo, upon reaching the end of our night's adventure, we received more praise for our hiking speed and prowess, the leaders thanking us profusely for NOT holding up the carpool (as some newbies are wont to do by virtue of their turtle-like hiking skills). In fact, the old guard even invited us to join them for their traditional Souplantation post meth-hike meal AND invited us back for next Friday night's jaunt.

Yeah, I need to think about that invite a little longer before I RSVP...

The Eternal Musings of Your Lady of the Linoleum

2010-04-10T13:15:00.000-07:00

More blogging goodness courtesy of your Lady of the Linoleum. CHECK IT OUT!

Illustration Friday - Linked

2010-04-09T15:17:00.000-07:00

Concrete Blond

2010-04-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

Shorter and lighter...

Ahhh, I love my monthly visit to the salon.

Whiling Away The Weekend

2010-04-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

Over the last few months, I have come to cherish my weekly 48 hour cube farm furloughs. This is due, in part, to the fact that I recently discontinued my weekend knit/crochet teaching duties (nine hours of yarn store play every Saturday just became too much atop my weekly full-time cube farm commitment). It is also due, in part, to the fact that I now have my own space, chock full of my own things, a new locale filled with the delightful hustle and bustle of a mother/daughter duo going about their respective lives. Combine those ingredients with a heap-load of good friends, a busy urban setting providing lots of events to partake in at week's end, the new found psychic space in which to spread my wings and I've got a recipe for weekend scenarios that have become nothing short of a delightful respite from my work week stress-test-like schedule.

As such, last weekend's menu o' fun stuffs began with a lovely Friday eve dinner amongst friends at Hae Jang Chon in K-Town. (Got to love a restaurant that sports a grinning pig on the sign!) Our little foursome partook in the all you can eat meatfest where we sampled HJC's Bulgogi (BBQ beef), Black Angus beef brisket, marinated beef short ribs, thick slices of Canadian pork belly (mmm...bacon...), and BBQ pork.

Does anyone see a knit Canadian pork belly kilt on my design agenda? Methinks that might be a must...

*Ahem*

Anyway, all of the usual yummy Korean BBQ sides were also present: Kimchi; cone tortillas; rice cake; bean paste soup; and lettuce with sesame paste for constructing your own, uh, Korean tacos. The quality of the meat was stellar, sides were delish, price per person super reasonable in addition to something you don't see much of in my hometown...FREE PARKING. Oh, and my new buddy, Heather, and I drank many a bottle of pomegranate wine too.

Bellies full, our little party headed over to the Wiltern for a screening of one of my all time fave films, The Big Lebowski, for none other than Lewbowskifest. White Russians, I mean, uh, Caucasians all around! By the way, many a said beverage could be obtained throughout the screening from the bar...Nice!

Saturday, I had the opportunity to join a group of friends for an evening cooking class at Simple Gourmet in Redondo Beach. We spent the evening drinking wine and playing with knives. It was great! At the end of the evening our little group of novice chefs enjoyed the fruits of our labors...a three course French-inspired vegetarian meal. I would go into more detail and oh, show a few pictures, but I seem to have lost the camera I was using that evening. You see, my brain seems to be a bit muddled these days. Oh well, at least I still have my little point and shoot.

Easter Sunday involved, yes, you guessed it, more food. Brunch with family and friends at Luminarias followed by a lovely motorcycle ride traversing a handful of SoCal canyon roads. Nice way to spend the day to be sure...

Genesis: The Sequel

2010-04-01T15:06:00.000-07:00

The last few years have proven to be quite rough for me. In spite of the chaos I've found myself in, I've managed to keep making and blogging. However, over the last few months I have been unable to keep a stiff upper lip and motor through my life's meltdown with any grace. You are all aware that I have been navigating my way through a divorce process that could be characterized as glacial at best and completely stagnant a majority of the time, thanks to a very uncooperative counter party. In January, I also informed all of you that I have been witnessing my former home be foreclosed upon by a lender who has had little sympathy for my current plight, actually verbalizing that it would be more cost effective for them to take back my house than to lower the interest rate on my current loan, which had they chosen to go that route, oh by the way, would have enabled me to make my monthly mortgage payment unhindered. Go figure. Add to this pile o' crazy the stress of moving all of my little family's possessions to an apartment, literally a third of the size of my soon to be lost condominium, and the fact that my job is at a rolling boil due to our fiscal year end. To say that I'm having trouble keeping my head above the waterline would be the understatement of the year (and it's only April!). Needless to say, crocheting and knitting have practically ceased over the last few months and, well, blogging hasn't been on my to do list for some time.

So, I'm in a state of flux, poised to hit the reset button, yet waiting for the aftershocks to cease before I flip the switch. Meanwhile, I've been trying to glean how this reset will take shape and have begun to feel a twinge of excitement about the myriad possibilities before me, which I think, is a very good sign. You see, I tend to be a pretty positive person, despite the orange cones littered around the wreckage of my past mistakes. I tend not to be a dweller, but a doer. As a result, I am itching to get beyond the painful present, gain a bit of wisdom in the process and for all intensive purposes, live.

My mantra has always been, jump off the cliff and deal with the landing later. Oftentimes, this ability to ignore fear and just go for it has served me well. Other times, I've jumped right into a red hot mess. However, it is safe to say that my life is never boring and regrets? No, not really. Taking chances and throwing caution to the wind has provided me with so many amazing experiences, meaningful friendships and unexpected wonders that I could never, would never, change a thing.

So, another new direction? Another reset? Bring. It. On.

What do I have in store for you, dear reader? I have no clue. But I'll tell you, whatever appears on this blog as I embark upon this new chapter in my life will be tinged with a bit of humor, a smattering of wisdom and a vision of the future, my future, that will honor the independent spirit you've all come to know over the last five years.

Love to you all!

Yours in craft,
LadyLinoleum

Happy Birthday Lena!

2010-02-05T09:50:00.000-08:00

Seventeen years ago today I gave birth to this gorgeous creature. At that moment, my life was forever changed. Warmest birthday wishes to a young woman who always inspires my admiration, constantly challenges my sanity, provokes me to peals of laughter, delights and surprises me by her incessant creativity and is one of the most caring, compassionate and loyal individuals I've ever had the pleasure to meet. I love you my darling daughter. Enjoy your day!

I'll put a hex on you...

2010-01-20T10:12:00.000-08:00

You all know by now that I'm obsessed with small lap looms. Until recently I've been using my four Hazel Rose diamond looms more often than the rest. Oh yes, you read that correctly. My toolbox is full of lap looms in a variety of shapes and sizes other than diamonds. I have triangles, squares, rectangles, tumbling blocks, and my newest acquisition, the hexagon loom (which Hazel had laying around her workshop and agreed to sell it to me upon my request...Thank you Hazel!).

You see, I had a wild idea stuck in my craw, which entailed weaving on the hex loom in a similar fashion to that of weaving on any other small frame loom. I envisioned a straight weave, working warp and weft simultaneously, thereby eradicating the complicated warping method previously promoted for hex shaped lap looms. My crazy contemplations were definitely not in vain for I was eventually able to figure the weave out...

Ta-da!

Not bad eh?

Here's the hex freshly liberated from it's frame....

Methinks I see a woven hex throw or bedspread in my future....

Lumberjack Hats All Around!

2010-01-08T11:54:00.000-08:00

Every year I attempt to make each of my family members and close friends a holiday gift. My attempts at mass craftage have been mostly successful over the last few years (starting early is the key to holiday knitting, crocheting and sewing, in my humble opinion). This year was no exception as I bestowed upon each valued recipient their own version of my Lumberjack Hat from the January/February 2009 issue of Crochet Today magazine...

My family is not exactly camera shy.

Needless to say the hats were a hit and so versatile too...

Thank you to my sister, Steph, and SO, Jason, for hamming it up in their hats.

After crocheting a pile of these warm wonders, I decided that I should also make one for myself as well...

Mine matches The BoBo's (the nick my daughter bestowed upon my niece, Zoe)...

All in all, a successful round of Christmas crocheting to be sure! Oh, and finished just in time to begin the cycle again...

Mom's Quilt

2010-01-06T15:43:00.000-08:00

Hey peeps! Happy, Happy New Year!

Can we all say good riddance to 2009??? It was a rough year for many people. As such, I wish you all much love, prosperity and merriment in the coming year. Let's put some distance between us and 2009, shall we?

I so wish I were beginning this year with my divorce and loss of my home behind me (don't think I've shared this ordeal with you all as of yet), but alas, unfortunately, this is not my current state of affairs. However, I have every hope that 2010 will bring about an end to the destructive forces that have plagued me during the previous year. It's about time this crafty chick caught a break you know???

At any rate, the holidays were a lovely respite from an otherwise dismal year. I crafted my butt off prior to the festivities so that I might bestow upon my friends and family a bit of LadyLinoleum handmade goodness. As such, my mother was the recipient of my third quilting project...

Yes, while simultaneously working on our wedding quilt for Jenny and Rich, Jenna and I were also working on individual quilting productions.

I know, crazy talk right???

Right. Or at least I thought so while spending many an eve sewing into the wee hours of the morning. But just look at the results...

I am just so pleased at how much better I am getting at this whole quilting thing. AND I have developed such a love for Double Irish Chain during this process, I cannot begin to tell you. I love a piecing challenge, what can I say?

Check out them borders!

It's good that I am falling in love with quilting, because my family and friends have begun a quilt queue, sending me color swatches for quilts that they assume I will be making for each of them this year. No, they're not pushy or anything. Jeesh.

Love you all!

Lining.

Anyway, Mom loved her quilt and I loved being able to make it for her.

Definitely more quilt projects to come in 2010!

Where did December go???

2009-12-22T14:30:00.000-08:00

Heya kids!

How's tricks?

I know, I know. I've left my blog unattended again. December has been rough. What can I say? This month has been alternately plagued by myriad divorce proceedings, health issues (which I'm sure can be attributed to the stress surrounding my myriad divorce proceedings) as well as strangely pleasurable (despite all of the divorce and health misadventures) holiday endeavors which have included much eating, drinking and making merry with family and friends.

Can we all say hallelujah for family and friends??? There is NO WAY I would have gotten through this year without my peeps. I love you all to the depths of my soul!

Group hug!

Ahem...

Yes, well, in addition to the peepage lending me their shoulders to cry on, shoving platefuls of holiday goodies in front of my face AND keeping my wine glass filled to the rim, I've also been able to draw comfort from my craft. I mean, you should see the piles of stuff I've made this year that have yet to be photographed! It's nuts. Hell, I may have been a mess in 2009, but a productive mess no less and this week has been no exception. Yes, I been alternately in the kitchen making cookies with my Mom and sisters or sitting in front of one of my spinning wheels making yarn. As such, here is this week's homespun bounty...

I call this yarn, affectionately, The Christmas Catastrophe!

It's purty, no? Okay, it's weird. But it is also sparkly! My favorite color is sparkly...

Ooooooooooh...Ahhhhhhhhhh....

And here is the more sedate spinning experiment of this week...

After looking at the image above, I cannot believe I just characterized this yarn as sedate. I am losing my mind...slowly...but surely.

Anyway, the lovely, shiny yarn above was spun from pulled silk sari fiber. Neato, right? It's shiny! I like shiny almost as much as sparkly...

Can I get another Ooooooooooh?

How about an Ahhhhhhhhhh?

Thank you very much...

Okay, I have tons more stuff to show you guys so I promise to be better about posting. Also, since there seems to be widespread interest in the critter-sized Lumberjack Hat, I will be posting the pattern soon.

Stay tuned!

Hugs and kisses all around!

Baby Lumberjack Hat

2009-11-30T13:51:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

Mine was good despite my mood being a bit subdued due to the many, many December divorce court dates looming over my head. Tomorrow is December date numero uno. Keep your fingers crossed peeps as I will need as many good vibes coming my way as I can get!

The holiday was nice nonetheless. I was on turkey, stuffing and gravy duty so my workload wasn't heinous. In fact, in between basting my bird every half hour, I was able to modify my Crochet Today Lumberjack Hat pattern to fit my niece's little noggin...

How cute is she in that hat???

Yep, worked up this little headgear in a few hours. I used the yarn mandated in the original pattern. Bubble gum pink for the interior lining and a brilliant magenta for the exterior. You can kind of see the exterior color in the pic below...

It was a satisfying and super quick crochet indeed!

Just look at the smiles I was met with after putting it atop her head...

Absolutely melts my heart...

Hey, if you guys are interested in the pattern for this baby sized Lumberjack Hat, just leave me a shout out in my comments. I'm happy to write up the pattern if there seems to be an interest.

Jenny Lee's Quilt

2009-11-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

Several months ago, my girl, Jenna, had a brilliant (read "cracked") idea, which she posed to me during our last set of quilting classes at the Sewing Arts Center, while I was under the influence of a divorce induced stooper I might add. This, err, clever conception of hers surrounded our mutual friend, Jenny Lee, and her upcoming nuptials in October. Oh yes, dear reader, you can guess what's coming next...Jenna went on to say that seeing as how we have become such expert quilters (Can you all say coercion?), having recently completed one quilt apiece (you read that correctly...one...quilt...a...piece), that she thought it a splendid idea that we show Jenny just how much we adore her (and her betrothed of course) by making the couple a wedding quilt, a queen size wedding quilt that is. I believe I just stared at her, deer-in-the-headlights like, drool dripping from the corner of my mouth, responding somewhat unintelligibly, "Uh, okay."

Despite my, err, reservations about our collective abilities to tackle such a gigantor project, in hindsight I'm happy to report that Jenna's idea was indeed a masterful one. Not only did we make an awesome heirloom for our beloved Jenny and her man, but Jenna and I found out that we make a pretty darn good quilting team. Before going into the gory details, feast your eyes on the results of our laborious journey...

Oh, and yeah, that would be the Double Irish Chain quilt pattern...I know, we're nuts.

Here are some detail shots...

Now for the gory quilting details!

As it turns out, I rather enjoy cutting PERFECT strips of fabric over and over and over again. Actually, it's kinda meditative. Jenna, on the other hand, doesn't mind chain piecing strip after strip after bloody strip. Oh and pressing? We both are good with a steaming hot iron. Go figure! After having the strips assembled, I sub-cut 'em for more assemblage. This time we both took to our machines for an anal exercise of matching up corners and seams. Once the individual blocks were assembled we both laid them out on the floor and simultaneously gasped at the size of the behemoth we were putting together. I then went back to my machine to assemble the top. Jenna was on iron duty at that point. Once assembled, we tag-teamed the borders and backing, readying ourselves for the homestretch, pinning the layers. Quilt pinned, it was time for Jenna to machine quilt the top (not my favorite portion of the program) and she did a wonderful job I might add. Top quilted, I attached the binding around the entire front edge with my machine. We then put an end to our co-quilting journey by spending a week's worth of lunch hours hold up in one of the cube farm's conference rooms, tacking down the binding to the back of the quilt with needles, thread, thimbles and thousands of hand sewn blind stitches.

Whew, makes me tired just writing all of that! But I gotta tell ya all, it was so worth it. As not only did I have the privilege of spending myriad Sundays in craft with Jenna, but I was able to witness the joy on Jenny's face when we presented her with her gift...

It just doesn't get much better than that...

Holiday Diamond Shawl

2009-11-02T15:10:00.000-08:00

I know, I've made tons of these at this point. Nonetheless, here's the latest one...

I am calling this woven and crocheted wonder the Holiday Diamond Shawl for obvious reasons. Methinks I might need a gnome hat to go with it. I see a bit of felting in my future...

Ahem.

What can I say? I am addicted to lap looms, diamond shaped lap looms to be specific. I really should move onto a different shape. After all I have lap looms in various shapes at my disposal: rectangles; squares; tumbling blocks (yes, just like the quilt of the very same name); triangles and hexagons. Ahhhh, so many looms, so little time!

This latest version of my now ubiquitous diamond shawl was woven from many a skein of Jo-Ann Sensations Rainbow Boucle. I had a box of this stuff. Okay, so I have a thing for textured acrylic. Don't judge.

Anyway, I like the way the weave of the fabric just seemingly disappears into a mass of bumpy goodness...

I crocheted all of the diamonds together with some coned black wool that I had laying around and voila, one more diamond shawl gracing the dedicated shawl shelf in my closet.

All in all, a satisfying project, made sweeter by the fact that I used up pretty much all of the stash boucle in the box! Woo Hoo!

Costumeology: The Knitted Pirate

2009-10-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

Pirate garb is de rigueur at ChezLinoleum. As such, I've been knitting and crocheting my pirate-y stripes for the last few years in an attempt to create a fully knitted pirate look.

My costume began with this piece...

Draping oneself in one's flag is the ultimate display of one's pride methinks.

In succession, came the crocheted and knitted versions of this sweater...

I currently have three of these little sweaters in my closet. Great with skirts. Fantabulous with jeans. And absolutely amazing with...BLOOMERS!

Oh yes, upon immediate discovery of this Knitty pattern, I knew that I must knit a pirate-styled pair.

I wore this lovely ensemble to our annual Stitch N Witch gathering last night...

Even though I am just a mere deck hand at the moment, I did win the coveted "Best Use of Yarn" Prize while making merry at our fete. Yipee!

I see a knitted frock coat and perhaps a crocheted tricorn hat on my list of projects to complete for next year's Halloween season...Aaaarrrrggggghhhhh!

Costumeology: The Dark Fairy

2009-10-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

NOTHING makes me happier than donning a pair of wings (or fangs, or tutu, or pirate garb, etc.) before hitting the streets of LaLaLand to go about my daily routine. Now, under normal circumstances, I would be looked upon as a few eggs short of a dozen if I decided to show up to the cube farm sporting a clown fro. However, October cannot be considered "normal circumstances" so digging the tutu(s) (yes, I have more than one) and wigs out of the back of the closet became priority one a few weeks ago for this is the most spooktacular time of the year!

This particular Halloween season brings three dress-up opportunities for moi and y'all know I'm not about to wear the same costume three times. Mon dieu! So, lets take a looksee at what I've thrown together for one of my upcoming alternate egos, shall we? Without further ado, I present to you my Dark Fairy garb...

Now, every femme fairy needs an ethereal little skirt, don't you agree? Yeah...So, even though I have a plethora of tulle in my closet, I didn't have any tulle related vestments in this keen red and black color combo and no standard pink sparkly fae wardrobe would do for me this Halloween. Nope, I'm looking to personify the classic trickster fae folkette. As such, I worked up this cute little dark netted number last night in the span of hour...And what a satisfying hour it twas too!

These beauties have been adorning the wall of my closet for months! Oh, don't worry, they weren't at all lonely for I have LOTS of wings.

Anyway, are they not spectacular???

You know you want a pair...And you can purchase them here along with many other amazing versions. Her wings are awesome and really well made.

Anyhoo, as I said, these lovelies were sitting in my closet for eons, urging me to marry them off to a sampling of perfect accompaniments. I was obliged to comply. Just look at how amazing my wings look with their tutu comrade...

But wait, there's more!

No self-respecting fae would be caught dead with the ears of a human! Nope, only pointy elfin ears will do this All Hallow's Eve!

Um, am I the only one around who has spirit gum in her cosmetic case year round???

Ahem...Let's move on.

Lastly, I purchased this very cool kit from Sephora to aid me in achieving each of my spooktacular looks this season. Methinks the store should offer these boxes of wonder the rest of the year as well. Come on, you can picture it. Ice Queen makeup for winter. Flower Fairy makeup for Spring. Golden Goddess makeup for summer. It would be amazing right? Yeah, I agree, retailers have no vision.

My Dark Fairy costume just needs a little liquid leather and fishnet to top it off. Then I'm good to go!

Ahhh, Halloween, how I love thee!

Stella Circular Shawl

2009-10-19T10:43:00.001-07:00

OMG, October has been a blur! So much so that I have been unable to post during what has to be my most favorite time of the year. I haven't even had a chance to unearth my harvest decor for goodness sake!

*Sigh*

Despite the current madness, I have still managed to maintain my daily fiber regimen. Oh yes, still designing as well as randomly crocheting, knitting, spinning, weaving and sewing, albeit in a lower gear. As such, I have a FO from an OPP (other person's pattern) to present to you...

This is my version of Kristen Omdahl's Stella Shawl. The pattern can be found in her book, Wrapped in Crochet, one of my current favorite crochet tomes. Upon first inspection of this book, I knew that Stella would be my first project. I mean, check out the pic below direct from the book's pages...

The shawl is simply gorgeous. Further, the project gave me a perfect excuse to purchase an entire bag of Blue Sky Alpacas Suri Merino! What a lovely yarn to work with, so soft and luscious.

I had a blast crocheting my Stella. The directions were clear and without mistakes. As such, I motored through this WIP, completing the shawl in less than two weeks. I am very happy with the results and intend to make another after the craziness of the holidays subsides.

Happy Monday everyone!

Holiday Cover Girl

2009-09-30T10:39:00.000-07:00

My tree skirt made the latest Crochet Today cover! Woo Hoo!

Tons of retro goodness to be had in this issue peeps. Get thee to a newsstand...stat!

As the Spool Turns

2009-09-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

I've turned into one of those girls.

You know that of which I speak. One of those girls who sews all of her own clothes, knits and crochets her own sweaters and wears said ensembles on a regular basis. Yeah, I've turned to the dark side...

I am the embodiment of craftaholism at this point. As such, above I am modeling my newly sewn, and fully lined I might add, squid dress (okay, more like squid muumuu...hey, comfort is key), beneath my recently completed Summer Breeze Cardi.

Rad, right? I felt so accomplished, flitting about the office in my homemade duds. I know, I'm a dork, but a crafty dork nonetheless.

I used Amy Butler's Anna Tunic pattern for the dress and although I love Amy Butler's aesthetic, her patterns tend to be a bit challenging. Despite this fact, I moved through the Anna Tunic with relative speed. I especially like the button closure at the back of the neck...

Do you like my blue crystal buttons?

I also really like the squid fabric...

I have used this fabric, in an alternative colorway, prior to this project. Remember my squid skirt? It constitutes my first recent foray into garment sewing. Ahhh, feels like so long ago now...

Anyway, my adventures with needle and thread shall continue. I currently have two quilts in the works. Because this fact, I have vowed not to begin any new sewing projects until I've completed the pieced behemoths. Upon completion however, I am planning to sink my needle into a Collette pattern which I've been itching to attempt.

As the spool continues to turn...

The Conventions of Wisdom

2009-09-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I am having a rough year. It's also no secret that the rough stuff is the stuff from which most of us learn our most valuable life lessons. Knowing this doesn't make the journey any less painless, however! I mean, to say that I'm in a state of transition seems an understatement to be sure. Be that as it may, I am learning to accept my current state of groundlessness. It was a bit unsettling at first to be this, uh, unsettled, but now I just shrug my shoulders and put one foot in front of the other, hurdling along my current path at death defying speeds, winding unpredictably to an uncertain fate. It's horrifying and exhilarating all at the same time and I have made many a discovery about myself and my life's cosmic soup along the way...

Firstly, when it comes to societal mores, I happen to be an unconventional girl. Okay, I know that you all are sitting there reading this statement and thinking, hel-lo? You didn't know this about yourself already? You've christened yourself LadyLinoleum for Pete's sake! My reply? No, I did not know this, or more appropriately I should say, I have, until this point in my life, had trouble accepting this vision of myself, as evidenced by my constant attempts to fit my trapezoidal shaped peg into life's round holes. Oh yes, my past is littered with failed pursuits of the western woman's dream. You know that of which I speak. You are born, you spend your youth immersed in compulsory education, after graduation you may pursue higher education and possibly career, but then you almost certainly find a good man, get married, purchase a home, have children, you and the hubby work tirelessly toward retirement, retirement finally arrives, maybe you travel, enjoy the grand kids and general fruits of your life's labors until the end of your days. Yeah, it took me a long, long time to realize that I'm just not suited to that particular path and it took me even longer to stop beating myself up about the fact that this path has eluded me.

So as it turns out, I am just not marriage material and further, I really like living alone. I love having a career and earning a paycheck. I also don't really mind being a single parent most of the time. Speaking of which, I love my daughter, but feel fortunate that I decided to have only one child during my early 20's. At the ripe old age of 40, I know that I have no desire at all to live in the 'burbs. I love living in the middle of one of the greatest cities on the planet, noise, traffic, hustle, bustle and all. Don't get me wrong, I love nature and having the ability to seek refuge in it from time to time, but I'm a city girl to the depths of my soul. As such, for me relaxation comes in the form of total immersion in activities that keep my mind and body busy. And I know that this one may come as a complete surprise to you (or not!), but I'm secure enough in myself to admit it nonetheless...I'm totally high maintenance. Yep, just call me, uh, complex. Not to worry though, I am quite capable of taking care of my own maintenance, thank you very much...Oh my, did it ever take me a long time to accept these truths about myself and to stop apologizing for them to whomever I found myself unhappily married to.

Secondly, and completely contradictory to my first dictum, when it comes to societal mores I am too every bit the conventional girl.

What did you just say?

Girl, have you lost your mind? Up above you were going on and on and on about what an independent, headstrong woman you are!

I am, but as also previously stated above, I am nothing if not complex...

In addition to my need for independence and a strong craving to experience the larger world we inhabit, I am also a woman who loves to get lost in what society considers to be a traditionally female role. I love caring for my child and home, cooking and baking make me immensely happy and well, you all know I have a penchant (read, serious addiction) for the needle and fabric arts. Okay, I admit it...I also adore all things girlie, shopping, primping and coiffing, gossiping and hanging out with the girls...People, I own a hot pink blue tooth and I am NOT afraid to use it.

Who am I kidding? This independent, headstrong business woman, in touch with her inner stay at home mom, is also perfectly at home in the shallow end of the pool.

Didn't I already use the term complex?

Anyway, the treatise above regarding the recent discoveries made while trekking about my inner landscape is my long-winded approach to a point, dear reader...Basically, I am a phoenix in mid-cycle. My soul having suffered a good ole cremation, I am beginning to rise from the ashes of what was before, readying myself to experience what will be. As such, I will be approaching this next chapter in the book of LadyLinoleum with a bit of wisdom tucked under my belt. Henceforth I will always make a concerted effort to live loudly and deeply. I will try not to be afraid to make mistakes or allow fear to hold me back. I will attempt to be gentle with myself and cherish my loved ones most deeply. I recognized that each day presents an opportunity to discover something new about myself and the world around me. I will make art everyday...

Oh, and for you, dear reader, I will keep these self-help styled realizations to a posted minimum for I seek NOT to be the Deepak Chopra of the craft world...Yes, you can all breath a group sigh of relief!

With that said, many thanks to you all for reading my soliloquy, all of my myriad soliloquies for that matter. Happy Wednesday kids!

Four Times a Lady...

2009-09-15T16:13:00.000-07:00

Do you all remember my experimentation with Entrelac? Not a bad beginning to be sure. However, I did learn a very valuable lesson while knitting up my first Eleanor. Changing color at every tier? Yeah, it makes for some serious end weaving action upon completion of the project. What. A. Drag. Needless to say, I saw the error of my ways and bought entire bags of Kureyon and Taiyo for the three latest incarnations of the great Lady Eleanor. Effortless Noro color changes. Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

She looks quite smashing in Kureyon blues and greens...

And equally fetching in Kureyon pinks and oranges...

But my fave is definitely the summerific inspired Taiyo Lady...

I even finished her off with the knotted fringe that the pattern calls for...

The Kureyon gals sport "easier for me" crocheted edging. I am equally satisfied with the results.

I know what you're thinking...

Yep, you all are wondering what has possessed me to make four of these stoles, right?

Well, it just so happens that I teach an Entrelac class at Abuelita's pretty regularly. It also just so happens that the beginning tier of this stole is a little tricky for novice knitters to grasp. Therefore, at the beginning of every Entrelac class I cast on and work the first tier of this project along with my students. You know, there's safety in numbers...Anyhow, I figure if I'm going to start one, I might as well try a different Noro colorway and make yet another stole. After all, Lady Eleanor happens to be quite an interesting knit despite the fact that I could probably knit one in my sleep at this point!

Oh, and just in case you were wondering...I have one more of these bee-you-ti-ful girls on my needles. Just wait until you see the results!

Back from Alaska...

2009-09-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

A few months ago my mom suggested that we take a family vacay. Perhaps a cruise to Alaska? I nodded in silent agreement, thinking hells to the yes, I need a break. After the year I've had, planting my arse in a deck chair for a week and whittling away the hours with needles/hook and/or book in hands sounded nothing short of heavenly. As a result, my mother, younger sister and glorious offspring boarded the Star Princess in Seattle a few weeks ago bound for the wild north.

Now, let me tell you all right now that this was my first cruise and I would be lying if said that I was anything but skeptical about the whole notion of cruising upon accepting my mother's suggestion. It's not the sitting on the boat for seven or more days with which I had an issue (after all I do have a penchant for all things seafaring...Argh!). Nope, it was the fact that cruising just seemed so typically tourist to me...you know, organized shore excursions, 24 hour a day buffet, gold sold by the foot on the Lido Deck...because of this I just didn't consider myself to be the "cruise type". I mean my idea of a vacay is flying to some exotic destination, getting the lay of the land and traipsing about the alleyways and interstices of a city or some other random environ, soaking up the local culture like a sponge. Conversely, a cruise just seemed like it would sanitize my travel experience and, well, I like to get dirty. *wink*

Despite my reservations, I relented and told my mom that the offspring and I were in. I'm glad I did because it turns out that I rather liked the whole cruise experience as did my child. Most of all, I loved seeing the daily smile of delight on my daughter's face as she indulged her senses and discovered a part of the world she had only previously heard about...

My daughter's smiling face!

Speaking of discovery, onto Linoleum's look at Alaska!

As I said, we began our journey in Seattle...

We boarded the ship around noon, dropped our stuff off in our cabins and of course headed to the buffet for the first of many shipboard meals. The fact that I did not gain any weight on this vacay was nothing short of a gift from the gods because I can assure you, I never missed an opportunity to tie on the feedbag during our trip. Hey, when in Rome...

Anyway, we left port at around 4:00 pm that day and sailed northward on calm seas to our first stop Ketchikan, Alaska...

Located on Revillagigedo Island, in the southeastern part of the state, Ketchikan is a town with a year round population of about 7,300 residents. Their economy is based primarily on fishing and tourism. Yep, every couple days during the summer months three or four cruise ships pull into port and dump 2,500 people per boat onto the docks for some serious shopping and sightseeing. Actually this is true for all of the Alaskan cities/towns on the cruise ship route...It's nutty.

Not in town to purchase a Rolex (oh yes, jewelry stores abound in these little hamlets along the cruise routes), my little landing party opted for a more cultural experience...Totem Bight State Historical Park. My child is a totem pole aficionado...

The tour about the park was awesome as our tour guide was a lifelong Ketchikan resident of Tlingit ancestry. He led us about this rain sodden environ through spectacular scenery while simultaneously giving us his insights into his culture's mythos.

Oh fungi, how I love thee oh so orange-y.

A rad clan house.

Spookerific branches.

More spooky branch action. It's pics like these that inspire my designs.

Okay, so that shore excursion was well worth it. Next destination? Tracy Arm for some glacier action!

So, Tracy Arm is essentially a fjord. We didn't actually disembark from the ship. We just sailed up the fjord and the pilot maneuvered the vessel as close to Sawyer Glacier as possible, weather permitting, so that we cruisers could catch a glimpse of nature's retreating glory.

I found the color of the blue ice captivating.

My sister (left) and daughter bundled up against the cold.

Oh, the cruise ship traffic abounds...

Later that day our ship arrived in Juneau and we readied ourselves for another shore excursion, the Mendenhall Glacier.

More Alaskan photo opts...

My sister (left) and daughter hamming it up.

I love this pic of my mom and offspring.

Needless to say, we had a great time despite the cold and cloudy skies. Oh, but wait! There's more...after hanging out at the Mendenhall Glacier we were bused back to the boat in order to sail to our next destination.

Stay tuned for more Alaska peeps...

Missed you guys!

On Vacation

2009-08-17T00:30:00.000-07:00

I will be on vacation from August 16 - 24. I will have VERY LIMITED ACCESS to email. As such, pattern orders received during that time will not be delivered until I return.

I'll miss you guys! See you when I'm back in LaLaLand!

xoxo!

Summer Breeze Cardi

2009-08-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

When not designing I've been working OPPs (Other People's Patterns) in an effort to expand my creative horizons. You see, I learn a lot from other designers when I work up their patterns regarding construction, stitch pattern design, as well as the drape and/or structure of knit and crocheted fabrics. Oh, also? It's fun to give my designer brain a rest and follow someone else's instructions for a change of pace. With this in mind, I decided to try my hook at one of my fellow Crochet Today designer's fabulous cardigans...

Yes, that would be me modeling (in the office ladies room no less) Elena Malo's Summer Breeze Cardi from the May/June 2009 issue of Crochet Today.

I have been experimenting with crocheted sweaters lately. In other words, currently I've been crocheting quite a few. Now, I have to tell you all that traditionally I tend to not be a huge fan of crocheted apparel because generally it lacks drape and by virtue of this fact, the fabric itself becomes pretty darn thick. However, it seems that designers have begun to take these facts into account when designing crocheted garments. Therefore, today's designs seem to be much more wearable than their predecessors. This is true of the Summer Breeze Cardi as it definitely has drape.

In addition to the drape factor, I think that the construction of this little sweater is quite clever. The back, fronts and sleeves are crocheted first then joined together when crocheting the yoke. It's very cool.

Needless to say I have a couple of boxes of yarn that I purchased recently in order to make a few more of these cardigans. Oh yes, I shall have one in fuschia, baby blue, black of course, oooh, and red...

Spinnin' Away!

2009-08-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

I've been on a batt buying kick as I haven't done much dying on my own as of late. This is mostly due to the fact that Jenna (my partner in color crime) and I both dropped some serious duckets on sewing machines. Hence, all the sewn apparel and quilting happening at ChezLinoleum. However, we should get to dying again soon, don't you think Jenna? Our dye pots are gathering dust...Anyway, I digress. So yes, instead of dying my own fluff I've been buying other people's fluff and spinning it up or mixing said fluff with some of my stash fluff on my drum carder before ultimately spinning it up.

Now, I gotta tell you peeps that I LOVE spinning. It is a process that rivals knitting and crocheting for me. In fact, when I'm feeling down I often think that sleeping next to my Lendrum would sooth my bereft soul. Then I actually come to terms with the logistics of this notion and opt for snoozing with my cat instead. Poo Poo Kitty is nice and squishy. Much easier to cuddle up with. So, my Lendrum remains next to my chair, at the ready, whenever I'm feeling the need for some spinning meditation and just look what we've been creating together lately...

Purty eh?

I spun eight ounces of Mountain Colors Handpainted Targhee Roving, in their Moccasin colorway, into singles on my Lendrum. Then I plied it with the leftover gold thread from my first quilt on my Mach I. Since my Mach I's arrival at my condo it's become my primary wheel for plying. Doesn't matter the size, weight or crazy factor of the yarn I'm spinning, I always seem to use it for the plying process.

Next up, look at this wacky color combo...

I used a Donna Batt (Battman Batt from Material Whirled) for the singles that make up this yarn. Then I plied it with some leftover pastel variegated lace weight mohair.

Neato eh?

I gotta tell you all that rarely do I look at a batt and think I MUST HAVE THIS NOW. However, the minute I saw the Donna Batt, I thought just that. I told Reenie that this colorway is so wrong that is just right. She responded by telling me that we should have t-shirts printed with that statement on it. Sounds like a good idea to me!

Needless to say, I have more Donna Batts on the way. Ultimately, I have special plans for this yarn...

*Wink*

Jean-ious

2009-08-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

In between my melt-downs (and actually, during them as well) I've been crafting. Can we all give a huge shout out to crafting...my personal savior? Yep, no amount of misery can stem the tide of my creativity. Um...err...or my attempt at creativity as the case may be with this next example of handmade glory...

Oh yes, I made my own jeans.

Now, I'd like to say that the process of making one's own denim pantalones was one that I enjoyed immensely, but then I'd be fibbing. Oh. My. God. Making jeans is hard peeps! Firstly, how many pattern pieces should one really have to deal with in one project? One pair of jeans has like, oh I don't know, a bazillion pieces! Damn the belt loops!

*Ahem*

Okay, so I knew I was in trouble when I began to liberate my pattern pieces from their paper frames. I'd cut out one or two out and think, well, that's got to be all of them. Then I'd look at the stack of folded pattern pile-age in front of me and think, Really??? Pinning all those pieces to the denim and cutting them out was no party either. However, I must admit that cutting out pattern pieces is NOT my favorite part of the sewing process. It's kind of like cleaning toilets or folding a hundred white socks. Boring AND tedious. Yay! Anyway, after three hours of cutting I began what I thought was going to be "the fun part" of making my own jeans.

Okay, if you have jeans on, I want you to strip from the waist down right now.

Yes, I mean it! C'mon, humor me.

Are you nekked? Okay, good. Now, turn your jeans inside out and look at all of the pieces sewn together that create both the front pockets and fly.

Are you feeling my pain?

Fine, you can get dressed now. Thanks for playing.

Needless to say, it took me four three hour classes to sew my denim dynamos together, from controlling the stitch line of the reinforced stitches to putting in the fly to riveting the pockets. I whined the entire time (my version of whistle while you work). Oh, and let's just say that I came to know my seam ripper INTIMATELY.

Now, here's the sick and twisted part of this whole thing...I have a stack of fabric, both denim and corduroy, that I intend to use to make many a pair of future jeans. I must be a glutton for punishment, eh? Or, perhaps, I could turn this process from one of torture to tickled pink (I mean blue) with just two little words: assless chaps. A pair of those would look smashing in ladybug print corduroy and won't have as many pattern pieces to contend with.

I'm a jean-ious.

When Things Fall Apart...

2009-08-10T15:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend began with a phone call at 4:30 pm on Friday afternoon...

I looked at my Blackberry screen...private number. I debated as to whether I should bother answering and then elected to do so.

"Ms. Gonzalez?"

"Yes."

"This is Detective So and So from the LAPD."

I immediately think, great! What's my soon-to-be-ex-husband accusing me of doing to him now? (You all have no idea, dear reader, the shenanigans that have ensued since the official split.) My seconds of contemplation were interrupted by the Detective's voice.

"Ma'am, do you have a daughter?"

My right brow elevated slightly as I answered, "Yeeesss."

"Can you tell me her name?"

Upon my answer he began to relay the scenario that necessitated his call. Apparently my lovely daughter and her posse were smoking cigarettes in the alley behind our condominium. The undercover narcotics detectives spotted them and thought that they looked a little too young to be smoking. Bingo! So, they decided to wrangle the group up and search their persons and belongings.

Guess what they found in my offspring's bag?

Gum?

No, give it another try.

Mascara?

Well, yes. One doesn't achieve beautiful full lashes without a little help from the cosmetic counter, but that item didn't give the officers cause for any concern. No, the item found in my daughter's tote that provoked this Friday afternoon phone call was...oh yes...a marijuana pipe.

Yeah, the fun never stops over at ChezLinoleum!

The detectives said that my daughter and her friends look like good kids, but the pipe could be a sign of more to come if not nipped in the bud (no pun intended) sooner rather than later. Further, they said that they would only give my child a ticket for smoking and release her into my custody, allowing me to handle the situation as I saw fit. Unfortunately, the ticket means that we will be going to teen court (Yay another courtroom experience!) in September and she will receive a fine.

The one good thing that came out of Friday evening's events? For the first time in weeks, my daughter seemed to lose her obnoxious teen 'tude. Yep, when I calmly explained to my daughter that she would be grounded for the rest of the summer she just looked at me and replied, "Okay. I'm sorry Mom." Further, she told me that she will be paying for the fine with her own wages, to which I replied, "Yes, yes, you will."

Unfortunately the weekend just worsened from that point forward...

Weekends have become increasingly difficult for me since the onset of my marital mayhem. When my husband and I were still residing together, weekends were filled with tension and a depth of unhappiness that was nothing short of utter oppression. Now that he is gone, the silence itself and my ever encroaching awareness of the nightmare that I have endured, am enduring, has become utterly oppressive. Now, I am quite adept at keeping my sadness, anxiety and depression at bay most of the time, but there are occasions when no amount of positive affirmation can stem the tide of my despair. And last weekend, despair was the rip tide that caught my leg and tried to pull me under...

I could feel the ripples of despair lapping at my toes when driving home from my teaching gig on Saturday evening. As I edged closer to home, my stomach began to turn and my mind raced with unsavory thoughts. I acknowledged that this did not bode well for an evening of quiet relaxation.

By 10:00 pm I was in full melt-down mode. My body was collapsing under the weight of my sadness, tears streaming down my cheeks, nostrils leaking fluid, hair in disarray...not a pretty sight peeps. I needed to hear a friendly voice. I texted my Mom and said simply, "I'm falling apart." She called me shortly thereafter and by the end of the call, we were both in tears! At this point, my eyes were burning and my eyelids had swelled to size of raviolis. I needed to get control of myself. So, I threw Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring on the DVD player and attempted to drown my sorrows in a bowlful of Cheetos. Normally, Frodo and a neon orange snack would do the trick, but this was no normal bump in the proverbial rode. (Oh, by the way, the whole time I was melting down mercilessly? Yeah, I was also crocheting. Just because I was falling apart and contemplating heaving my body from the rooftop, did not mean that I had became exempt from my design deadlines.) At that point, I decided to pack it up and just go to bed. Yeah, you guessed it, I cried myself to sleep.

So, how was your Saturday night?

*Ahem*

Needless to say, Sunday I awoke with bloodshot eyes, ravioli eyelids and a headache the size of Los Angeles County. I looked in the mirror and began to tear up again. Enough was enough. I called my girlfriends. They were coming over later to get me out of the house. Knowing this made me feel marginally better, but not enough to dam up the tear tide completely. So, I picked up the phone again and dialed a familiar international number. I listened to the crackle and hiss of the line making it's myriad connections before finally hearing the foreign and yet oh so familiar ring go through its repetitions...

The deep resonant voice that I know intimately answered, "Al-lo?"

"Honey, it's me," crying ensued...AGAIN.

He immediately answered me in English, "What's wrong Re? Tell me..."

It was there and then that I laid it all out, the pain, the suffering, the overwhelming sense of feeling like a failure. I told him about LittleLinoleum's Friday fun fest, my parental controls slipping away, the endless crocheting during it all. How could I have allowed my life to go so...sideways? He listened intently and comforted me with his words. By the end of the conversation he even had me in doubled over in laughter. We were both reluctant to end the dialog, but we said our pregnant goodbyes nonetheless. After hanging up, I looked in the mirror and noticed the residue of a smile on my face. I would be okay...

Later at lunch with my band of rescuers, my mom looked up from her plate of food and asked me, "Did you talk to Sam?"

I smiled. "Yes."

She smiled too and said, "I thought so..."

Two New Crochet Today Patterns!

2009-08-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, even though I've been a bit out of it as of late I have nonetheless still managed to push out a few patterns here and there. My latest designs for Crochet Today...

How about that adorable dino hat and those floppy bunny ears? Cute eh? And easy peasy to crochet too!

Next up, a ghoulish treat bag...

I rather like this little green dude. Also an easy crochet!

Shipping new designs this week for future issues of Crochet Today as well as for a friend's upcoming book...

New Charts Available! From Head To Toe: The Skeleton!

2009-08-03T15:53:00.000-07:00

I've got an early Halloween surprise for you, my peeps...

Remember my skeleton antimacassar? That Monster Crochet filet crochet classic?

Well, I finally finished translating my hand drawn charts into digital format (yeah, that took some time) and I am offering the set of 15 charts to you, dear reader, for a mere $15! Yes, that would be a buck a chart!

The set of charts comes to you in PDF format, each chart on a separate page. You get the skull, ribcage, pelvis, a right and left humerus, a right and left ulna, right and left hands, a right and left femur, a right and left tibia and, of course, both right and left feet! These charts can be used for knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch, etc. Remember, these are "Just Charts!" so there are no needlework instructions accompanying the charts themselves. Charts are available on my sidebar.

It's never to early to get started on crafting your Halloween decor!

Copyright 2009 Regina Rioux and Monster Crochet. All rights reserved.

LabLinoleum Coat

2009-07-31T11:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is easier for me to create when donning props that set the mood. One such accessory happens to be my new lab coat...

This lovely example of LinoleumLove shows off all of the anatomical embroidery I was stitchin' last fall in the form of embroidered patches. Let's see, we have the requisite eyeballs...

Oh yes, I had my name embroidered on my coat!

Lovely reddish intestines...

A multi-hued heart...

And of course, BRAAAIIINS!

I am hoping to add a few more embroidered doohickeys to this piece of wearable art along the lines of prescription drugs and syringes. You know, nothing like a border of dancing pills or syringes to make everyone smile! Move ova Nurse Jackie!

Ahem...

On a more serious note I'm thinking I should not wear this to divorce court...

All embroidery patterns EXCEPT the brain (my design) can be yours to stitch away. Just take a trip over to Sublime Stitching to purchase.

The Haps at ChezLinoleum

2009-07-29T15:48:00.000-07:00

I am trying desperately to get back into a regular blogging rhythm. To that end, a two week silence is better than silence for two months. Anyhoo, here's the ChezLinoleum update...

Firstly I'm a blond now...

I've never been one to shy away from changing my coif. Therefore, I head to my salon each month for a redo. It's exciting to see what my girls, Roxy and Carrie, have in store for me upon plopping my arse down in the chair for a leisurely Friday evening full of laughter, conversation and hairstyling abandon!

Next do-wop is this Friday. Life's little pleasures you know.

Speaking of life's little pleasures, I'm finally able to concentrate on reading again! I generally love to read, but the events of the past several months have prevented me from doing just that. I just could not focus on the words. Needless to say my mind has been little more than sludge due to the pummeling my soon-to-be-ex-husband has been giving me. Sucks. Anyway, with HIS presence absent from my physical sphere I am able to enjoy reading again. So, I am doing just that!

I'm about 400 pages into Pillars of the Earth and I have become totally absorbed in the story, which is great because I started this tome upon embarking on my latest divorce odyssey (yes, this is number two for me) and as I said above, I've been a bit distracted because of this experience. As a result, the first 300 pages of this book were a rough ride for me. I can tell that I'm beginning to have some clarity again by virtue of the fact that I'm feeling totally at home in this epic adventure.

Oh, but wait, there's more!

I am also listening to the audio book Eat, Pray, Love while toiling away at the office (and when not in meetings of course).

Now, I have to tell you all that I resisted this book for some time. First and foremost, everyone I know told me that this was a must read for me. You know, you're hurting Regina. So, be at one with someone else's torturous experiences and find comfort in her ability to have gotten through her tough stuff. Whatever. I'm not into the self-help thing I told them en masse. No, no, not self-help, we swear. Okay. Fine. I'll read the f-ing thing. Cool yer jets.

Let me tell you peeps, am I getting more out of this book than I ever could have imagined. It's a lovely memoir about fragility and strength, truth and consequences, discovery and fear, love and loss, pain and solace...in short I am loving this read (or listen as the case my be). I also am really enjoying the fact that Elizabeth Gilbert is the reader in the audio version, as it should be as far as I'm concerned.

Finally, I am working my way through a third book about journey, discovery and transformation...

Nicky Epstein is one of my favorite designers. Combine her complex, interesting and sometimes quirky style with a few travel memoirs and you've got a book I'm way into! I've only just begun perusing the pages of Knitting in Tuscany, but thus far this book is a visual delight and worthy of a few bookmarked design pages to be sure.

In addition to reading, I've been thoroughly immersed in music again. I realized that over the course of my last marriage, music had begun to vanish from my life completely . You see, my mostly unemployed soon-to-be-ex-spouse was home a lot and had the television on 24/7. So, listening to music was just not an option unless I walked around with my iPod attached to my waist, earbuds affixed, the resulting anti-social behavior becoming the norm. Not wanting this to occur for fear of reprisal, I just stopped listening to music (unless of course I was in my car for the 2.5 mile commute to and from the office each day). Yeah, now? I throw my iPod into the speaker dock each morning and sing my way to a finished face and coiffed do. It is heavenly.

I have very eclectic musical tastes ranging from R&B and rap to alternative to classical to world music. I am HEAVY into the world music thing. Lately my worldly bent tends toward eastern rhythms. Lots of Indian classical stuff as well as the not so classical, traditional and not so traditional Arabic music with a bit of Tibetan singing bowls thrown in for good measure. Love this stuff.

My daughter and I have been known to whittle away the evening hours sharing songs with one another via our dueling Macbooks. She thinks my music is "weird" and/or "sad", oftentimes urging me to add more Notorious BIG to my library. Needless to say, I have a good selection of Biggie Smalls since the onset of our musical sharing sessions. Got to love the teen peeps.

So let's see...reading again. Check. Groovin' to the tunes. Double check. Stepping up the work out regimen and taking care of the old (and I mean old as I hit the ole 4-0 this year) bod. Check, check, check! Oh yes, taking care of my weary mind goes hand in hand with taking care of the body. As such, I rehired my trainer the minute ye ex-spouse left the building. The dude is at my house two nights per week where he proceeds to kick my ass, thank you very much, and I try to hit the gym the nights I am not with trainer dude, Jerry.

Lastly, when not coiffing, reading, singing along or working through 58 sun salutations in a row I've been designing. Here are my latest and greatest stuffed wonders for Crochet Today mag...

Crabius Gigantius!

And a couple of shell pillows...

Even though it's been difficult to focus, I've tried to maintain my design regimen. No small feat, but well worth the effort in the end. Um, that last statement works for literally all of the subjects that I've covered in this post.

I feel as if I have awakened from a very long, very dark dream....

One Skein Goodness

2009-07-13T14:57:00.000-07:00

Firstly, from the inner recesses of my heart and soul, thank you all for your lovely supportive comments to my last post. You have no idea how much your well wishes mean to me. You guys are great and I will try my damnedest to keep on writing despite my current tumult.

HUGE XO's all around!

So, even though I was silent for the past few months, my hands never ceased to move. Sure, I've had a bit of trouble in the design department simply because my brain power has been focused elsewhere, as you can imagine, but my addiction to all things fiber held steady nonetheless. As a result, I've been knitting and crocheting OPP's (other people's patterns) during my period of silence, which is definitely a good thing because I tend to learn a lot about other's design processes and construction techniques when working through said projects. Inspiration for later application to be sure.

Anyway, one such inspired and fast knit recently completed is the One Skein A Stole by Katja Jordan. The pattern calls for one skein of Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn to create the netted beauty below...

Got to love those Noro colorways. Makes simple projects such as this a pleasure to knit up...

I will be giving this to a friend who turned fabulously 40 two weeks before I did during the month of Taurus. She's not a knitter, but I'm hoping she'll enjoy this nonetheless. Good things come in small packages you know...

More FO's to come!

Back in Bat

2009-07-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-13T15:48:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-11T20:56:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-04-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-03-31T10:10:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-26T12:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-19T16:41:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-03-17T16:31:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-03T10:50:00.001-08:00

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...

2009-02-25T11:09:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-17T15:18:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-13T10:49:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-11T16:47:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-02-05T08:25:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-02-04T15:16:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-01-29T11:28:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-26T13:50:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-16T09:35:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-08T10:57:00.000-08:00

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!

Pedagogy

2008-12-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

Well folks, 'tis almost the new year! As such, I've lined up a few teaching gigs around LaLaLand in honor of '09. Let's hear for working 7 days a week!

Ahem.

Despite the time suckage factor, I really do love to teach. As many of you are probably aware, teaching was my career of choice way back when. I absolutely loved imparting my passion for making unto others. I just had trouble making ends meet while doing so, hence my transition to the Cube Farm. However, I am fortunate to still have a few opportunities to play with you all! So, without further ado, I present my teaching schedule for the next few months...

On Saturdays (for the foreseeable future) I can be found at Abuelita's Knitting and Needlepoint in South Pasadena, where I teach both knitting and crocheting. Project based classes as well as private lessons can be had. Currently, we are encouraging peeps to crochet a pair of Fuzzy Boots!

Contact the store to sign up or just email me and I will pencil you in for a lesson!

My other teaching opportunities will occur at The Urban Craft Center in Santa Monica. Contact those peeps to sign up for class!

January

Design your own Amigurumi (must know how to make loops with a hook to take this class)
Sundays, 1/18 & 25, 11-1 pm

February

Project Ugg (my westside Fuzzy Boot class)
Tuesdays, 2/10, 17 & 24, 7-9 pm

Acid Dyes (oooooh, dyeing yarn!)
Sunday, 2/22, 11-1 pm

March

Crochet Project Class (beginners to know-it-alls welcome)
Sundays, 3/8, 15, 22 & 29, 11-1 pm

Whew! I am going to be a busy gal...

Happy New Year all!!

Winter Solstice Wrap

2008-12-23T13:40:00.001-08:00

Finished this woven wonder just in time for the cold weather. And yes, it is cold in LaLaLand. About 56 degrees during the day. Okay, that's a spring temp for much of the rest of the country, but for us weather weenies, it is frigid!

So, back to my wrap. It's big (I wanted this to work as a coat replacement) and it's made entirely of scrap wool. Let's hear it for stash busting!

As is my way, I wove this example of diamond motif goodness on my 12" Hazel Rose Loom and crocheted the pieces together with a cone of Lamb's Pride worsted in their Smoke colorway.

I really enjoy using these little looms. In fact, I just finished up a diamond wrap made entirely of my own homespun and have one more in the works using a bushel of boucle from my stash. After the boucle wrap is complete, my plan is to move onto square, rectangle and smaller triangle looms. I also have to weave something on my Ashford Knitters Loom and my Spriggs Adjustable Rectangle Frame Loom. You can be sure that there will be lots o' weaving in 2009!

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday!

Copyright 2008 Regina Rioux Gonzalez. All rights reserved.

Poultrypalooza Apron Redux

2008-12-18T11:38:00.000-08:00

Tuesday evening fellow cube farmer, Rebecca, and I headed over to the Sewing Arts Center for a fabulous course in apron actualization taught by shop proprietor, Russell! I am a huge fan of apron-age and have tried my hand at one before, a poultry-themed lap wrap, but it didn't exactly display expert sewing technique. Basically, I just threw it together sans pattern, working from applique to finished product. The fact that it came together at all was more a result of luck than anything else.

So, needless to say, I do have a little sewing technique under my belt, albeit far (very far) from expert. Rebecca, on the other hand, is quite the avid seamstress, yet she is always interested in honing her skills and she's way into aprons (check out her etsy store!). Therefore, when she told me that Russell was teaching aprons and she was planning to take the class, I told her I was in!

I figured I'd do a little tribute to my first apron by revisiting the poultry theme in my second attempt...

Thanks for modeling Kristen!

Is it not darling?

Check out those wood scallops!

And the heart-shaped pocket!

This lovely piece of apron technology was also constructed sans pattern. Well, not entirely. Russell had us create a pattern for the bottom scalloped edge by using a quilting template and some freezer paper while in class. We also used a technique called the burrito roll to attach the scallops and apron strings to the body of the apron. All I have to say about the burrito roll technique is nea-to.

I am so proud of my little chicken apron! There are definitely more Sewing Arts Center classes in my future. Next up, I tackle the dreaded shirt...

Angelenos, won't you join me?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2008-12-15T10:35:00.000-08:00

I spent last weekend immersed in activity. Saturday, LittleLinoleum and I drove to South Pasadena so that she could work her weekend shift at Abuelita's Knitting and Needlepoint. Needless to say, I don't generally have any knitting and crochet students this time of year due to crazy holiday schedules, but simply dropping Lena off at work, going home and returning to retrieve her is pretty much out of the question due to distance and traffic. So, I use my student-free waiting time at the store to work on knitting and crochet projects, while chatting it up with the customers and Samantha (store proprietor). It's a nice way to spend the day and I'd like to believe that LadyLinoleum Jr. will look back fondly upon our Saturdays together.

I spent Saturday evening behind the spinning wheel while in front of the tube watching Christmas flicks (Little Women and It's a Wonderful Life), gas log blazing, lights twinkling on the tree(s), the hubs and I making the most of our quiet evening at home.

Sunday morning was all about a bit of baking on the kitchen front and a little assembly on the fiber front. From the kitchen emerged popovers, of which I forgot to snap a photo, and from my living room based textile mill half of new diamond shawl woven from some of my crazy handspun took shape. Pictures to come of the shawl. It's a wild one to be sure, lots of metallics embedded in the yarn. I'm quite happy with the results!

Then it was back to the kitchen for another round of making eats. This time I tried my hand at homemade marshmallows!

I never fancied myself a concoctor of confections, but marshmallows were surprisingly easy with Alton Brown as my guide. (Love that guy!) In fact, making 'mallows is nothing more than creating a syrup, whipping the syrupy mixture up with some gelatin until the final product is thick and sticky, yet airy. It's pretty fast and relatively simple if I do say so myself.

Marshmallow sugary syrupy base.

Curing mallows in a pie pan.

The most difficult aspect of the recipe process is trying to get the 'mallow mix from the stand mixer bowl into its final resting place, the pan. Wow, sti-cky! I won the battle however, and the mallows look superb. Tonight, I plan to coat my masterful marshmallowy goodness with chocolate. Mmmmm!

The hubs and I rounded out our Sunday with friends at our annual outing to Merry Tuba Christmas! (LittleLinoleum is currently too cool to attend this much loved *by the rest of us* tradition.) Sans child, we began the evening with a fabulous friends-filled dinner at Far Niente, then headed over to the Alex Theater to partake in a bit of musical majesty that only 150 tubas playing Christmas (and Hanukkah) carols can provide.

It was awesome. Incidentally, this year marked my fifth Tuba Christmas and, thankfully, the event always manages to kick my hibernating Christmas spirit into gear.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

The Linoleum Homestead

2008-12-11T01:42:00.000-08:00

There seems to be a direct correlation between my escalating descent into a world where making is tantamount to breathing and my compelling desire to leave urbanity for a rural existence. I long for space, solitude, time to experience and experiment. How wonderful it would be to whittle away the daylight hours baking pies, crocheting pies, wearing pies...Ahem. Yep, I am ready to leave the hectic pace of my current existence behind, flee the 9-6 toil of cube farm life, shed the confines of my multi-family abode and head out to more sparse pastures, far, far away from the urban topographic maze I currently inhabit. I want to have the space and time to just live and breathe and relax and work with my hands. This is what I call bliss.

You see, I am an individual who finds great joy in mundane, repetitive activities that bear fruits. The shine of the kitchen counter surface after buffing, the diminutive band of stitches dotting the hem of a garment freshly sewn, myriad interconnected loops composed with needles, hook and hands, fleshy, yeasty dough coaxed into mound by kneading, wool loosed into a thin veil and drawn into an endless pirouette about the bobbin of my spinning wheel while treadling. As I said previously, to have the time to dedicate my day to such circumstance would be nothing short of my own personal heaven, but alas, such is not my lot in life. For better or for worse (depending upon my mood), I find myself the epitomical urban career girl, days occupied by a barrage of emails, memos, meetings and conference calls, only to find retreat in the hour long snippets of crafting during my lunch hours. For me, the bulk of my creative freedom happens after the sun has set, when the sky has dimmed and the city is slumbering.

Although I long for wide open spaces and the time to devote to my creative freedom while the sun is high in the sky, I will tell you that, for the most part, I have come to terms with my current living, working and creating lifestyle. I actually do rejoice in the mostly successful urban homestead that I've created. Sure, our condo is cramped. I have frame looms adorning the living room walls and spinning wheels dotting the floorscape. My butter churn is small by necessity, but quite mighty nonetheless. I don't have the room for any fuzzy barnyard buddies, but we do cohabitate with our share of friends hailing from the animal kingdom, as will most likely always be the case. But the best part of my urban homestead existence is the fact that I have lots of opportunities to expand my crafty and culinary frame of reference due, in large part, to the fact that I live in an urban area ripe with resources. Knowledgeable friends and acquaintances, classes and workshops galore all enhance my artsy, craftsy and cooksy skill sets and although I voice my share of complaints about the fact that I am, for all intensive purposes, the main breadwinner at ChezLinoleum, my income affords me the luxury to experience and experiment with much of what the crafty world around me has to offer.

So for the moment, my exodus from urbanity to all things rural is but a dream. In the meantime, I shall fill my urban nights and weekends crafting it up to the best of my ability, attending my weekly SNB meetings, taking classes at the Urban Craft Center and the Sewing Arts Center, teaching the uninitiated how to wield hook and needles at Abuelita's Knitting and Needlepoint and hey, I may even engage in a cooking class or two. Then, when the time comes for me leave the bright lights of the big city for a less populated locale, I'll be ready to soar in my new environ, my crafty bag of tricks overflowing. For now, I'll keep the dream alive and imagine a future filled with spinning wheels, butter churns, homemade cheese, lots of yarn and a feelings of utter fulfillment. Wait, that last statement characterizes my current lifestyle! Okay, absent the cow and pasture and sparse country lane. I guess I can live without those other things...for now.

Cover Girl!

2008-12-04T09:47:00.000-08:00

Guess who's hat made the cover of Crochet Today mag???

Yes, that would be my hat!!!

I am so excited!

Needless to say the pattern for this very funky, yet oddly fashionable earflap hat is included within the pages of the latest issue.

But wait, there's more...

I also designed a pair of fuzzy faux Ugg-ish slippers for this issue of the mag as well.

Just trying to help you guys keep your heads and feet nice and toasty this winter.

Happy crocheting!

Beauteous Bagels

2008-12-02T14:29:00.000-08:00

How did you spend your Thanksgiving weekend LadyLinoleum?

Well, I sported a few pies atop my head while darting to and fro about the western reaches of the Los Angeles city limits AND when not driving around while donning pie, I attempted a bit of baking! Oh yes, bagel baking...

Are they not beauteous???

Okay, I admit it. My rings o' dough are probably not the most handsome examples of bagel-dom. However, they're not a bad first attempt and, more importantly, they taste like heaven. Seriously good. Really, my lips shall never touch another store bought bagel again. Okay, not really, but you get my drift.

Inspired? Come on, you know you wanna boil and bake some chewy bagel-y goodness! I know that homemade onion bagels are definitely on my upcoming weekend's slate of baking activities...Yum!!

Recipe source for bagel-y goodness: Fannie Farmer Baking Book

Fruit Tart Fascinator

2008-11-30T12:23:00.000-08:00

I am so excited that you guys are lovin' the Pie-Rets! I have received tons of requests for the pattern. So, I will be testing all three pies this week in the hopes that I can offer the patterns to you in the next few weeks. Stay tuned...

Needless to say you've inspired me to keep going with the holiday sweets headgear...

Introducing the Fruit Tart Fascinator!

Yes, that would be me hamming it up with a little pie atop my head.

This mini crusted headgear was a one-night crochet project. As such, you can be sure that there will be many more versions of this little wonder in a variety of fruity fillings!

Who would have thought that wearing one's food could be so satisfying?

More holiday fun to come! Stay tuned...

Holiday Pie-rets

2008-11-24T11:05:00.000-08:00

I have been infused with some serious crochet mojo combined with a touch of holiday spirit for the past few weeks. Now, you all know what that means...Oh yes, that definitely portends a bit of twist in my yarn!

Introducing Holiday Pie-rets!

These crocheted versions of round flaky goodness are just in time for Turkey Day! And yes, you can be sure I will be wearing pie to my family's Thanksgiving feast. So, let's take a look at my crusty choices shall we?

There is the always popular seasonal delight, Pumpkin Pie-ret...

Topped with a dollop of cream...

Thanks to Ellen for modeling!

OR how about a touch of dark and rich Pecan Pie-ret...

Bridget is modeling this lovely headgear!

And my personal fave, the Cranberry Orange Pie-ret with lattice crust!

Modeled by my girl, Jenna!

It's a tough choice to be sure.

Onto the crochet stats...

The Pecan and Cranberry Pie-rets were crocheted with an F hook and some of my Cascade 220 stash. An F hook combined with this light worsted yarn creates a very tight fabric. This is exactly the effect I was attempting to achieve as I was aiming for structure, not drape. My challenge during the design process for both of these Pie-rets was creating a perfectly shaped circle while using a popcorn stitch pattern. Needless to say, frogging ensued before I came up the correct increase to stitch ratio. I am happy with the results.

The Pumpkin Pie-ret was also crocheted with an F hook. However, I chose to use Lamb's Pride worsted for this one. Don't think I would choose this yarn again for this type of project. The FO ended up being too heavy for my taste. I will use Cascade 220 going forward should I ever decide to crochet another dessert-themed hat!

Needless to say, one of these hats combined with Turkeyzilla the Tote Bag accessorizing my holiday outfit will surely embarrass my daughter to the core. It just doesn't get much better than that! Muhahahaha!

Copyright 2008 Regina Rioux Gonzalez. All rights reserved.

Practical Crafting

2008-11-20T14:23:00.000-08:00

Well, I had my year end review yesterday at the Cube Farm. The good news is that I am still employed because as luck (or constant effort shall have it) I'm indispensable. The bad news is that management cannot reward me for my efforts with anything other than praise. Yep, salary is flat and bonus is down. Hell, at least my wages did not decrease and I'll receive a bonus! Nonetheless, I am mired in disappointment. As the sole breadwinner at Chez Linoleum, my finances are really stretched. No matter how unrealistic the thought, I was really hoping for a bit of monetary relief. No such luck. Oh well, I'll just have to quell my anxiety about my current state of affairs with an extra dose of crafting.

As such, my penchant for making has taken a turn for the practical. Whereas turkeys and bacon will always have their place in my creative pantheon, what I could really use right about now is a special pair of socks to comfort my tosies as I witness my 401K lose all of it's value in a tanking stock market...

Likin' those Holly Berry Jaywalkers!

Needless to say, thoughts of my Depression Era grandmother have become omnipresent lately. She was the master of frugality, saving pieces stale bread to make breadcrumbs later, forever mending holes in articles of clothing that had seen better days, throwing all of her aging foodstuffs into her world famous "Garbage Soup" and she pretty much made every single pair of pants that she wore. Literally, a rainbow of gabardine to be had in her closet. My Nana could stretch a dollar better than anyone I knew/know. So, in honor of my maternal grandmother I've taken up needle and thread. I don't know that I'll save any money by turning to my Singer in my time of woe, but my wardrobe will surely benefit by the addition of a few hand sewn necessities such as drawstring pajama bottoms. Here's one of the Halloween-themed pair that I recently worked up...

I've got stacks of fabric in my stash waiting to be transformed. You can be sure that the whole family will be sporting pj pants for the holidays before I'm through. And who knows, I may even try my hand at a bit of quilting...

But wait, there's more! My practical crafting also extends beyond the borders of hooks, needles, looms, spinning wheel(s) and sewing machine. Oh yes, let's not forget the artful, yet practical culinary crafts. 'Tis the season for cooking and baking and trying my hand at all sorts of magical kitchen delights. For example, last summer I acquired these handy attachments for my Kitchen Aid Mixer that I've yet to test drive...

Because nothing brightens my poverty-stricken day more than handmade tube steak!

Ahem.

So, even though my wallet is a lot thinner these days and the world a lot messier, I can take heart in the fact that I've got a roof over the clan, food in the fridge, fuel in the car...um, just a wee bit of yarn in my stash (okay, I'm understating...whatever) and few fundamental skills that will allow me to occupy my mind and fingers while riding out the tough times we currently face. Stay positive kids...We're chicks (and dudes) with myriad tools and we ALL know how to use 'em.

Big hugs all around!

Beanies for Blade Runner Bag Ladies

2008-11-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

While at Camp Pluckyfluff, Lexi mentioned her penchant for making "spirit beanies" from her own handspun. I loved the idea. Simultaneously, my spinning classmates were discussing what their vision of a post-apocalyptic spinners compound would look like, a discussion I found to be completely intriguing. Subsequently, upon my return home, I began to work up my homespun odds and ends into a few Post-Apocalyptic Spirit Beanies...

Okay, they do look a little like hats for Blade Runner bag ladies. Come on though! Admit it! They do have a certain nutty charm and they are a departure from my usual obsessive compulsive fair.

It's all about creatin' outside the confines of the proverbial box...

Happy Saturday Everyone!

Angelenos, don't forget about Felt Club tomorrow!

A Nurtured Nature

2008-11-13T10:07:00.000-08:00

Last night, after my Wednesday night yoga hour and before the premiere of Top Chef, I was finishing up a special Thanksgiving-inspired crocheted item while watching an amazing documentary on PBS called Weaving Worlds. This incredible piece of television had the same impact (if not more) on my creative psyche as another PBS miniseries, Craft in America.

Weaving Worlds tells the story of Navajo rug weavers (who are also shepherds, shearers, mini fiber mills and spinners) and their role within the collectibles market. Through interviews and oral histories, the film gives an intimate look at current dilemmas facing Navajo weavers as well as the relationship between wool production, spinning, weaving and the family dynamic. Not only was this hour docu-journey fascinating from a pure process standpoint and how Navajo weavers have supported themselves via wool, but its emphasis on the female collective, a family's shared experience of growing, tending, making was inspirational.

Lately I've been thinking quite a bit about the roll of fiber/yarn/fabric in my own existence, which since the age of seven has been a fairly significant aspect of what makes me, me. Those of you who have been reading my blog for any length of time know that I learned how to knit, crochet and sew from my maternal grandmother as a young girl. Looking back, I know now that my inescapable interest in what my Nana would do with her fingers, a few metal tools and some string has not ceased. In fact, I venture to say, that my interest in fiber and all of its derivative processes has well surpassed the interest stage, the whole fuzzy tangle becoming embedded in my genetic make-up. Or maybe, just maybe, I was predisposed to become a fiber fanatic. Maybe this fiber obsession is a recessive gene, that skipped a generation (my mother and her siblings) and appeared in my DNA strand just waiting for the right moment to bloom.

So, was the fact that I was inexplicably drawn to my Nana's fiber rituals nature or nurture?

Watching Weaving Worlds brought the question above to light for me. In the film one of the women profiled, who happens to hold a Masters Degree in Linguistics, decided to return home to her reservation in Arizona with her family because she needed, desired, to work with her hands, tend her sheep, process the wool from her flock, spin the fleece into yarn and finally weave the results of her labor of love into woolen works of art, just as her mother and her grandmother had done before her. She described her decision to leave the world outside the boundaries of the reservation for her current fiber-focused life as something she felt she was destined to do. Further, she said that weaving, working with wool, was in her blood, in short, who she is and who she wants to be.

I understand this statement to the depths of my soul.

I spin yarn. I weave yarn. I knit and crochet yarn. I sew fabric. I spend hours each day making stitches and loops because this is who I am and, even more importantly, who I always want to be. I don't know that my Nana thought this deeply, or contemplated the meaning at all, about why her fingers were constantly moving amongst the backdrop of baskets filled with yarn, thread and projects galore, but I do know that she too was drawn to everything fiber, delighted in it, worked at it every day as she was masterful with string. Her daily fiber practice may have had its genesis in necessity (as it did for many in her generation), but eventually became much more meaningful to her. This is the aspect of making, working with fiber, that holds me in sway and hasn't skipped a generation this time round as evidenced by the fact that my daughter is undeniably drawn to the ways of wool despite her current state of teen angst. Although she's foregone her daily acts of crochet in favor of endlessly texting and chatting online with her friends, I do occasionally find her fondling the omnipresent cakes of yarn scattered about the house. When I walk up beside her in one of those moments to ask her if she's interested in using the object of her attention in a project, she usually replies, "Not now Mom, but this yarn is really cool."

I have faith that eventually my ever creative daughter come back to our shared fuzzy space. After all, yarn is in our blood.

Yes. We. Did.

2008-11-05T15:40:00.001-08:00

In honor of change I give you my tribute to the American democratic process...

Knit (and crocheted!) entirely from my stash, this lovely 100% virgin acrylic piece of Americana kept my digits busy as I fell deeper and deeper into the sway of the 2008 campaign season. As a result I found that I knit faster when something I heard, saw, read ticked me off along the way. Ahhh yes, it's those little revelations that make our political system worth participating in....

I had actually planned to wear this cape while voting, but alas it was nearly 80 degrees in my hood yesterday! At any rate, I wore it to work today. Uh yeah, pretty much everyone at the Cube Farm knows which way my political pendulum swings now...

Oh yes, we did!

Camp Pluckyfluff

2008-11-01T20:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I set out on the 421 mile journey to my north in order to learn how to trick out my spinning. Yep, I'm in beautiful Placerville, California at Camp Pluckyfluff!

Held at the Boeger Winery, Camp Pluckyfluff is a two day art spinning extravaganza taught by the Pluckyfluff maven herself, Lexi Boeger.

Let me tell you after having just finished day one of this workshop, I am completely satisfied with the experience. Well worth the money AND seven hour drive up here. Today alone we workshop attendees learned six or seven techniques!

Just look at the results of my, um, err, spinning enlightenment...

Granny Stacks fit for Halloween...

Here's a detail of the stacks...

Crazy Carded Batts spun up into glorious thick thin string-age...

Lofty translucent mohair clouds...

And tons of twists!

Here is Lexi's twisted example...

Absolutely amazing day! I feel like my training wheels have come off and I'm flying by the seat of my proverbial pants. Doesn't get much better than this, creatively speaking that is. Needless to say I can't wait to get back to my wheel tomorrow morning for day two!

Renfield's Shawl

2008-10-30T15:52:00.000-07:00

Here is my tribute to Dracula's sidekick...

Yes, it's Renfield's Shawl!

Covered in crocheted buggy delights, this woolly wonder is made up of woven diamonds that I subsequently crocheted together. Each diamond was woven on my 12" Hazel Rose Diamond Loom in a variety of yarns such as Colinette Point 5, Lamb's Pride Bulky as well as a little Vitreous Humor by Insubordiknit (which I love!).

Renfield's meal replacements...uh...buggy buddies were crocheted from scraps of Koigu KPPPM.

More details about the bug appliques can be found here.

All in all, not a bad accessory to drape about the shoulders while traipsing around the neighborhood in pursuit of candy on All Hallows Eve!

Happy Halloweeeeeeen!!

Copyright 2008 Regina Rioux Gonzalez. All rights reserved.

Anatomical Patches

2008-10-28T17:23:00.000-07:00

Whew, where has the time gone? Since my last post I've work a bazillion hours, designed lots of goodies for Crochet Today mag, purchased a new car and managed to hit Disneyland for a little "Happiest Place on Earth" time.

I've also finished a few embroidered, anatomically correct, patches!

Yes indeedy! I have finished my embroidered brain...

A few eyeballs...

Uh, intestines....

And a heart...

I edged all of these anatomical gems with a bit of machine stitchery and all of the designs, except for the brain, are from Sublime Stitching's Vital Organs suite of patterns. The brain? Yeah, that's all moi.

Now, just wait until you see where I plan to paste these patches...

Embroidered Brain Patch: Copyright 2008 Regina Rioux Gonzalez. All rights reserved.