Where HAVE You Been!

That, my dear friends, is an excellent question.

I've been studying, studying a lot!

(Being an Anthropology/Middle Eastern studies double major is even harder than it sounds!)

I've been coughing and sleeping far to much

I've been thrifting

and drinking tea tea tea!

I've not been crocheting very much at all

(so I did this just to prove I still could!)

Though I've been playing with colors!

I've been packing for home

and waiting for Spring to finally arrive.

I've been planning adventures.

I've been applying for internships.

I've been watching the steady pace of my blog visitors rise!

And most importantly I've been sick and away and am glad to be back!

Cheers,
Cristyn 

Oh the Things You Will Do!

a.k.a. projects I may one day get to do!

I have really gotten a lot of work done on my current projects! I am always so impressed with myself when I actually finish something, it really gives you a sense of accomplishment!

(No worries, you'll see them soon, a project update is due any day now!)

However, with all these rainy days and my semi sad addiction to Pinterest, a list of new projects and inspiration came into being.

First thing first, Lemur has requested a set of coasters for her apartment

They will not be as fancy as this (so don't get your hopes up Lemur!) but hopefully they will be just as pretty and a real quick project.

This next one is a project I have wanted to do for a while now-- a granny square blanket!

I am already anticipating it to be a very long project but I would love to have one done over the summer.

I really love these calming muted colors!

This bunting is another super cute, super easy project! Though I would love to have some to decorate my dorm room with, these rooms can really lack color and cheer!

I really love this cat doll! There is no pattern and I discovered early on that making animals/dolls like this is not my specialty, still I would really love to have one. So maybe not a project, but it just had to make the list.

Still haven't found a pattern for this teacup yet either, but it is simply amazing! I would make at least 12 and use them for fun decoration! (I think I'm getting a bit bored of my dorm room, can you tell?)

No, your eyes do not deceive you, this is not crocheting. I recently began practicing embroidery and I think I may actually have some potential! I found this picture and it is now a must have! Once I get the basics down I am determined to try something as gorgeous as this.

And what about these darling necklaces!? They're a bit granny chic for my usual fashion taste (though some of you may not agree) but I think they hold some real potential as fashion statements or cute gifts.

Oooh if only I had the time!

I love my school and my majors, but sometimes it's just nice to take a break

I hope I have left you inspired.

Cheers,

Cristyn

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!

It is time to introduce you all to my current work in progress (WIP), also known as the love of my life.

I have tentatively named her (yes, she is a her) my Tangled shawl, after one of mine and Wonderboy's favorite Disney films. 

Mainly, the name comes from the colors because while working the second set of hexagons with dark purple, lavender, and yellow I couldn't help but think of all those purple flags with yellow suns from the movie.

Not to mention that the more I work on her the more I feel her becoming playful and innocent with a little bit of a daring edge like Rapunzel (which also happens to be my favorite fairy tale).

Okay so maybe I've given my shawl a few too many human characteristics?

But did I mention I love her?

I started the Tangled shawl about a month ago, over winter break, and am about two thirds of the way through with the hexagons. This is my first work with granny squares and it takes more time than I was expecting it to, though I am anticipating that this shawl will be done just in time for spring, 

which will be the absolute perfect time to show her off!

I'm using Lisa Harding and  Debbie Bliss yarns. These brands can be a little pricey and I am not used to spending so much money on yarn, but the quality is definitely worth it.

As for the pattern I am using a variation on motif 37 from the book "Beyond the Square". 

I do not own the book nor do I have access to the pattern so I formulated my own pattern and came pretty darn close if I do say so myself! (I will post the pattern with the finished project, until then you will just have to wait in anticipation :) )

I really seem to have a thing for shawls lately. I just ordered yarn for a second shawl. This time it will be simple and all grey. I find I work best by having two projects going at once. One is something real easy that I can work on during downtime after a long day of classes 

(such as the gift for Mrs. J I am working on, which I'll post later, or this next shawl project)

the other is something a bit more intensive

(the Tangled shawl)

that I can sit down and work at  on the weekends and really get to enjoy the beauty of the work.


Cheers,
Crsityn

Beautiful beginnings...

... don't you just LOVE an alliteration?

Not only do I feel that this is the start to something pretty AMAZING, but today was truly beautiful; fifty degrees in January! The next best thing to snow and no school.

Classes ended by twelve today for me so A, my partner in crime, and I decided to give the local bus system a try. We kinda winged it on a line we had never been on but the risk of getting lost really paid off. Not only did we find the yarn shop we had been looking for, but we also found a cool little tea shop and A was able to get some NEW TEA for our tea times.

We spent a good while in the yarn shop called The Knitting Sisters and I got this really LOVELY colored yarn! I saw it and just had to have it! Truthfully I went in intending to buy just the one skein of yarn I needed to finish my current project, but I sort of lost control. They didn't actually have the yarn I needed so I reasoned that by getting this yarn the trip wasn't a total waste.

I mean just LOOK at all the potential this color has!

Admittedly, my camera couldn't grasp all the perfection of the yarn, so you may have to just trust me on this.

I haven't decided what it's going to be yet, though I am considering a tea cozy or fingerless gloves. What do YOU think?

I also got this in the mail today...

It has 75 different GRANNY SQUARE patterns (!) all of them are simply GORGEOUS. I can't wait to start trying some of them out. I'll post some pics when I have a few completed.

Here's to the start of something good,

Cheers,

Cristyn