The two craft books that I have been looking through and planning gifts for family members (and not all gifts) are from these two books.  I found out yesterday that my cousin is pregnant!! I have many baby things to craft up now   I am happy about this!!

Back to the books:

I have really enjoyed both of these books.  I prefer the Eco Crafts since I am able to reuse common stuff.  I really like one craft in particular that I am not making for anyone specific so I can post about it…. The reusable lunch bag that is made from plastic bags.  This is an excellent idea and I do need a lunch bag (well really a bag for my dinner).  When I make it I will post about it…  

Last Minute Knitted Gifts has many great ideas and it is broken down into the time it takes to make the gifts.  I have marked some for gifts for all of my family!! But two I would like to make for myself are: I have made the cowl before but I like the one they have.  Plus I really want to make a pair of fingerless gloves…. We will see how it goes!

Well earlier Curly was using my computer to play some game… So I dug into my knitting bag!

So I pulled out some Knit Picks circular needles and the Knit Pick Essential yarn. I have decided thatI am going to make Curly’s sister a pair of socks.  I am still looking for a good pattern! Please share one!

I would say its been a long while since I have had my knitting needles and yarn… Curly and I last friday went and cleaned up my storage unit.  I was looking through some of the stuff and things I didn’t need I tossed.  But in the unorganized jumble I found my yarn, needles, roving and my spindle.

I picked up my KnitPick circular needles and some  yarn and just stared at it.  It was unknown to me.  I felt like all the yarn-y things I had taught myself had gotten pushed out or  filed somewhere deep in my brain.  I will be doing my best to look for it.  I know that before my knitting hiatus I had wanted to make a pair of socks.  Or atleast one sock… so that is my current knitting goal.

I will get back to photographing my ideas and progress soon.  I always like

Being green can also equal being crafty!!! I will show you how, but first some apologize and explaining to do.

As I have stated in the past the the hiatus would be temporary it has not. This I am sorry to my readers… Even if they are only my family and friends!  I will be making an honest effort to blog more and to keep in touch, not just so you can see all the crazy hair brain ideas I get.  But this will be my journal… my family and friends have said that I should get back in to my blogging and writing because I am more level when I do so… Here are my goals (new goals):

1. Blog MORE!! I pledge to try and post every day or atleast a few times a week.  The reason why – well I have been hushing myself and I have to much knowledge and interesting finds to share with you all… (who ever you are – Please leave comments so I can engage you too)

2.  Get my personal finances in order.  Well I have already started to try to do this – JUNE: Month to notate all the I am spending so I can analyze it and save.

3. Lose some weight – Well more engage in a more healthy lifestyle.  I am doing this not to be more “beautiful” because I love me the way I am.  But I am doing this to ensure that I am healthy and today we see so many with Diabetes and or Heart issues and I do not want to push my luck.  There are sub goals in this one:

• Eat more healthy foods – I have decided Healthy also means Local so I am enrolling in the 100 mile challenge.  I pledge to eat more, and more, and more local food.  *I will do this as long as I am not going to become broke by it*
• Exercise – In accordance with my saving and personal finance revamp I am going to exercise at home and outside (posts on this to come)
• Drink more water and fluids other than POP (aka Pepsi or Coke *my weakness*)

4.  Help to support local merchants… So buying local food and items.  Plus I will support the Handmade merchants so I think I am going to investigate items on Etsy!

5. Make the world greener! and my family too… I am going to make some nice green changes to my life… so that means cracking out the sewing machine and making some nifty items.  I will make sure I will let you all know what works and what doesn’t

6. Continue with my passion of cooking and food!  There will be food posts of all kinds! Food is technically a craft (kinda) too… its an Art!!

7.  Too Be Happy!  This will come over time and hopefully will show in my posts.

8.  Take more pictures – and share them

9.  Travel: explore my local area !  This is important to many of my above goals!  By exploring I will find new local merchants, friends and areas that I can green!  Plus I would really like to see more of Ontario! and my local area!

10.  To Keep crafting – to learn some new Crafts

11.  More to come…

I, Little Miss, pledge to honour my goals and post along the way!  I hope you all will help me along this journey!

Well Little Miss has embarked on a new crafty venture… Today my Mom, Sister, Curly and I went out to a friends farm.  They have 10+ sheep and they were recently sheared.

We picked up 5 bags of raw fleece from the sheared sheep.  Mom, Curly and I sat up in the garage and cleaned it up.  I went over to the Black Lamb and got some tips from Laurie.  She also pointed out to me what I was doing wrong when spinning with my drop spindle.  She said that when cleaning sheep it is called Skirting.  Also she said for us to get it cleaned carded and spun it was better to go to a mill.  So we have begun to skirt the wool and clean the crap (literaly) out of it.

There are some good sites out there for this:

- How to take wool from a sheep to the needles

- How to Skirt a Fleece

Pictures:

Raw Unskirted Fleece

Working with Mom!

Phyiscally… not the Blog…

Last week I moved into the city!  I have moved into Toronto so I am looking forward to going to the Toronto Knitters Guild.  They had Laura talking 2 weeks ago.  Also I am planning to evolved my crafting.  I would like to go find the Knit Cafe and Lettuce Knit.

I will have some more posts about the past few weeks.  I am just visiting some family right now.

Please if your a Toronto blogger leave me a comment! I am looking for some fun knit stuff to do.

I was surfing and saw that the new issue of Knitty is out.  I am looking for a new fresh project that I can do to reboot my Knitting love.  There were two patterns that I think are cute:

Topaz

I would make this little dress for my sister.  She is 5 in a few days and she is super skinny so Ifigure I can mod the pattern to make it long enough for her.

If not this is a super cute pattern for anyone who is having a baby!

The second cute pattern is:

Hanne

I would make this vest for myself. It would be nice on a cool spring day.  Plus it has the added difficulty with the 90* turn.  I have not knit anything like that.

Plus this would be a awesome present for christmas or someones birthday!

I am so bored… Right now I am jobless and stressed out. All my knitting (and well all of my stuff) is in a 10×10 storage container. I really want to get it all out! I want my stuff back! I really just want a job!!

Knitting a scarf is getting SUPER boring… and I currently have one set of US5 needles and a ball of Vanna’s Choice yarn in green. It works as a Project Spectrum item, yet I am bored!! HELP ME I AM DIEING OF BOREDOM!!

Suggestions Welcome!

Well for those who have read there has been a lot of change that was supposed to happen.  I was supposed to move and start a new chapter; well that didnt work.  There were also a lot of personal issues and choices that I have taken to ensure my happiness.  I have decided to get back to the basics and do things that make me happy.  I am getting back into CRAFTMODE…

First order of craftyness is *drumroll*

Seeking Direction with 2009 Project Spectrum!

I have decided that this would be a good project since I get to do it over the next few months and I am going to learn some stuff along the way.  Thank you Lolly for setting this up again!

I am also wanting to learn french… I taught myself how to knit and crochet. I can learn french.  So if there is a random posting in french or about it that is why.  Plus I am going to explore France (via the net and library) as a Country and in their food.  I am really branching out.  Enjoy

Knitting Update:  Still working on my scarf – Picture updates soon.  The rest of my knitting is in a storage container.

So today there is a crazy blizzard outside.  I must say it is very pretty all the snow covering the trees!  Yet this is all kind of unwanted since I am moivng in 3 days!  *sigh* I totally hate packing and moving.

On the Knitting front I have made some more head way with my green scarf.  Yet all my other projects are packed away to be safely taken to there new home.  I am super excited to move, and I will have my own little craft nook set up.  An area where I am going to have all my knitting, crochet, sewing and more.  I may actually get to sew some stuff now (since i have more space).

This is the idea that I have for my closet… There is a long 12′ section that  I can set up all this closet stuff in.

I should get the keys today or tomorrow *fingers crossed* and I will post some pictures.  If you have any suggestions I am all ears!