Squirrel's Worlds

Crochet

2010-01-23T13:22:00.000-05:00

Freezer Door Tidy Up

2010-01-22T18:05:00.002-05:00

FREEZER DOOR: AFTER

FREEZER DOOR: BEFORE

Fridge Tidy Up

2010-01-22T17:57:00.004-05:00

FRIDGE: AFTER

FRIDGE: BEFORE

Freezer Tidy Up

2010-01-22T17:48:00.000-05:00

FREEZER: AFTER

FREEZER: BEFORE

The Best Soap Ever

2010-01-22T17:36:00.004-05:00

After field-testing numerous soaps from numerous sellers, I have to say the very best are from:

Herbaria

Their licorice soap is probably my favorite... it smells FANTASTIC. I also love their Almond Green Tea, Bay Rum, French Lavender, Old Fashioned Lye, Almond Spice, and Rose Geranium, and dearly hope to get to try all the rest of their scents.

Gorgeous Soap!

2009-06-04T21:11:00.004-04:00

Wow, I haven't updated this blog in... over a year?! Anyway, I'm here to talk about soap. I just bought some truly amazing soap from a shop on etsy called AuntNancysSoap:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5188140

I bought a bar of lavender, a bar of rose clay, and a bar of Fleurs D'Oranger. Second pic shows the Fleurs D'Oranger, it is so beautiful with a swirly layer of rose clay on top, and it smells SO GOOD!

With their wonderful, pure, natural ingredients, I've become A TOTAL CONVERT to handmade soaps. I've been buying them from several places, like the wonderful:

www.herbariasoap.com

with their deliciously scented Almond Green Tea and spicy Bay Rum, to name my two favorites so far...

plus I purchased a TRULY ASTOUNDING bar of organic lavender from another etsy seller:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5724941

I've got some more stuff on order from various places, will keep you posted on the good stuff!

2008-05-17T11:33:00.000-04:00

Progress

2008-05-17T11:27:00.001-04:00

The Tulip Throw continues along. It's a nice TV project, simple to crochet. It's fun picking out the next flower color.

^^

2008-05-12T10:55:00.001-04:00

The Tulip Throw

2008-05-10T23:54:00.004-04:00

Since I'm clearly in a tulip frame of mind this spring, I started the Tulip Throw from Coats and Clark. Also tossed it up for a CAL idea on Craftster, if anyone wants to play along:
CAL

It's turning out beautifully!

Tulips

2008-05-09T22:25:00.000-04:00

Yarn Haul

2008-05-06T12:31:00.003-04:00

Well, I made it to Joanne's yesterday. I was already on an errand in that area so I took a detour and found myself in the yarn aisle. I got four Caron 1 pound skeins because they were on sale for 5 dollars @: in pink, cream, light brown, and dark brown. I will use these on my 12" squares, plus since three of them are neutrals I'm sure I will find plenty of other uses... animals, edgings, etc. I wasn't feeling terribly well so I didn't browse around at other yarns, just grabbed four pounds of Caron and tottered off for checkout, lol. I must be doing really well at stash-busting, to find myself in need of restocking, so that's good. Still have lots of little scraps to use up in the hexagon granny.

Goodbye links, Goodbye craft store

2008-05-04T14:37:00.003-04:00

Ah, I had to wave goodbye to all my links and sidebar stuff when I changed templates. I saved it all in a notepad document, but do I feel like bothering with it? Not quite yet.

At least I am getting back in the crochet swing again. Got two squares finished for the 12" CAL, made a small granny square afghan, and am making a hexagonal granny as part of a CAL on craftster.

Sometimes it seems I spend 90% of my crochet time winding yarn, or untangling yarn, or frogging yarn! Progress on projects has been slow. I did organize my yarn-stash, which helped.

My little local craft store shut down. They were kind of pathetic, but still, if you needed a skein of Red Heart on short notice (and weren't too choosy on color) it was a lot quicker than going across town or into the giant conglomerate. Beyond that, though, I have FOND MEMORIES of the place. I've been in there now and then for fifteen years. I saw them through the occasional renovation/rearrangement. I saw them through a name change. After Christmas sales. I bought yarn in there, both Red Heart and the little balls of Sugar N Cream cotton yarn for dishcloths and the occasional piece of scrapbook paper for ATC's. Lots of stuff over the years. I knew it was only a matter of time, though. The last few years I had the feeling they weren't even TRYING anymore, you know? Nothing was ever stocked, and the only craft they really seemed interested in catering to was scrapbooking and I don't think they had the number of customers in this tiny little town to support that.

So anyway. One of these days I will have to make A Trip across town and load the car with yarn, haha. Like a pioneer woman going into town for flour.

Tulips!

2008-04-24T13:16:00.001-04:00

It's Spring, thought I'd give a new look to the old blog.

CAL

2008-01-03T09:13:00.001-05:00

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=215844.0

FO!

2007-12-27T12:45:00.000-05:00

The finished afghan from the previous 12" Square CAL on Craftster, organized by Homerof2. I'm organizing one for this year ~ starts January 1!

Lobster! :)

2007-12-24T13:38:00.000-05:00

I came across the cutest knitted lobster and the designer generously posted a link to her pattern!

http://community.livejournal.com/knitting/9108534.html?#cutid1

I'm going to make one, in live lobster colors. *goes off to search for lobster pics*

Recycled Ornaments

2007-12-11T20:55:00.000-05:00

OK, so here's my version of directions on making that most famous of crafty ornaments: the recycled Christmas card ball. I was going to accompany this with step by step photos but honestly... it'd probably take me til July. So here's the written. (the tea box just happened to be in the photo and has nothing to do with ornament construction, lol)

So without further ado....

Cut out twenty circles from old Christmas cards, calendar pages, or photos. Neatness counts.
Fold an equilateral triangle into the center of each circle.
How do you get/make/find/create/locate an equilateral triangle in the center of a circle, you ask?
Well, first find the center point of the circle by creasing it in half one way and then the other. Now fold one edge of the circle in until it meets that center point. Fold the next edge in, too, so that it forms a neat point with the first edge you did. Fold the third edge in, forming three points. Voila. I suggest you make a template to base your triangles on so you can fold your pieces without excessive creasing.
Now you have twenty triangles with flaps.
Top of Ornament: take five of these critters and glue them so that all their top points meet in the center.
Bottom of Ornament: take five more and glue them together the same way.
Center of Ornament: take the remaining ten pieces and glue them so they form a straight row - to do this you will have pointy-end-up triangles ^ alternating with pointy-end-down triangles. V Then glue one end of your row to the other to make a ring.
Now: Put the top dome on top of the center band, and the bottom dome upside down under the center band and glue everybody together. Again I say, voila.

Variants:
You can glue them together with the flaps inside the ball instead of out.
You can also glue a top and bottom piece together with no center band, for a smaller ball.

Helpful hint:

Remember to center any focal points so they’ll land within the triangle.

Christmas Ornaments

2007-12-10T11:59:00.000-05:00

Last year I made one of those famous Christmas Card balls out of all our cards, and several out of that year's calendar pages as well. You know, the kind where you cut out twenty circles and fold equilateral triangles into them? I might post a tutorial, I've seen instructions around on how to make them, but I'd like to do a version.

Rosie ~ My Beloved Girl

2007-12-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

Her name was Rosie.

I usually called her Little Dog, or Wombat, because she was just so cute. My dad usually called her Woofie. She answered to all of these pet names.

Her favorite trick was to bring me a piece of paper or anything else that she found on the floor, and bring it to me for trade. You could point to something and say “Pick it up” and she’d rush to get it. If you dropped a pen, she’d rush to get it, and then put it gently in your hand. Trade it in for a dog cookie, or ‘bisky’ .

She was an accommodating little dog. If you wanted to sleep in for just five more minutes, she was fine with that, she’d snooze patiently until you were good and ready to start the day. When the moment arrived, however, she was on her feet in a flash, wagging her tail, nose at the door, big smile on her face as she waited for you to get up and start the routine.

The routine was to let the cat on the porch, and then Rosie would follow, and then me. It was always the cat first, even if you had to wait for her at the open door. (we knew who was boss) Then came walkies, and then breakfast. Rosie would finish first and stand at the glass sliding door and watch the cat eat. You could tell when the cat was done, the excitement would build and build and then yay! The cat was finished, and Rosie was let out to swoop onto the leftovers. That dog loved cat food. (Sometimes I would give her a whole can on top of her dog food, just because she liked it.)

I think she was probably part bird-dog or pointer. She would focus on what she wanted and stare and stare. She had such eyes, so dark and intense. Sometimes she would be staring like that at your dinner, and you would feel warm breath at your elbow. She wasn’t pushy about it, she would just gaze, and it was very effective. If one of our pet birds got onto the floor she would run over to it and point at it with her nose, so careful and so gentle, just to let you know it was there.

It was hard to keep your lips off Rosie. She was so cute you just wanted to kiss her all the time. She had a quiet reservation about affection though, the best time to catch her was when she was waiting to be let in the glass sliding door, then you could dip down and give her a quick hug and a kiss on the snout. She wasn’t a licker, but sometimes you would be giving her a kiss and her little tongue would dart out and catch you on the nose.

In later times, she mostly slept on the floor, but she used to spend some time on the bed with me. She’d nap on the foot of the bed, with her nose in the left corner, her back pressed along the soles of my feet. Every once in a while she’d heave a sigh, and ripple like a caterpillar against my feet.

She was timid but brave at the same time. Cautious, I guess, is the word. But whatever I wanted to do, she was game. If I asked her to get in the car, she’d bound on in. If I wanted to walk down the street, she was ready to go. She trusted me, and I was honored by that, because it wasn’t something she gave lightly or often.

She loved to stand in the kitchen doorway and watch me prepare meals, but somehow she always knew if I was handling dog-approved food or not . If I was making vegetables or something, she’d stay in the living room, but as soon as I picked up cheese or lunchmeat, she would appear, and I always gave her something. She wouldn’t get underfoot, either, she would stand at the doorway where the carpet met the linoleum and wait. If you dropped something, she would venture in to get it. If it was edible, she’d eat it, considering it fair game, if it wasn’t, she would return it to you for trade. She was very handy, if you dropped something and couldn’t find it on the patterned floor ,she would come in, find it, and point at it for you. Sometimes we would do a little cha-cha in the kitchen, back and forth.

I feel like I never really had to teach her anything, she just knew. I could go to the store and not worry, I knew exactly what she was doing, which was napping until I got home.

Her favorite toys were paper of any kind, which she enjoyed shredding into confetti, and squeaker toys. She loved the squeaker toys. She would stand next to you and squeak the toy in her mouth and if you looked over and said something she would squeak the toy like she was replying to you. This was always an easy cookie, it was so funny. We also used to give her some of the junk mail, the plain paper pieces, which became known as “Woofie Mail”, she liked to take it from your hand and trot off with it.

She could sit up on her back feet if she wanted a cookie. For a big dog, this was pretty impressive, she would balance very delicately and could stay there quite a while. If she still needed to get your attention she would raise her front paws up in the air or reach out with one and delicately tag your hand.

She was a quiet dog. Not a barker. If there was someone at the door, she’d let you know by pacing around and making funny little huffing noises. The only time she barked was for joy when my Dad came home, and then all of a sudden this quiet little dog would start booming out these amazingly loud barks. If you were outside you would think she was a Rottweiler.

I remember the sound of her nails clicking on linoleum. I remember that she always backed out of the kitchen. I remember she was good in the car. I remember the cool, sweet spot just on the top of her nose where the fur started. I remember the smell of the soft fur on the back of her ears. I remember the color of her coat in the sunshine. I named her Rosie because of that color. Because she surprised me by being a girl, and therefore needed the most feminine of names. Because she needed the most beautiful of names. She was a beautiful dog, my Rosie.

Squares, Squares Everywhere

2007-11-18T12:22:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I finally found my Leisure Arts pamphlet for the famous 63 squares heirloom afghan. CrochetNinja has started a CAL for this over on Craftster:

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=204168.0

which I've joined, and yesterday I posted a ticker here on the blog for the project. I figure if I do one a day, I will have it done by January 18. I'm definitely weaving in ends, adding borders, and joining as I go along...these are 7 inch squares so there will be a lot of joining. Inspired by the colors in the ticker, I think I will do the squares in green, yellow, and orange, and border with brown, because I think it will look like a vegetable garden!

I finished the 12" squares afghan a long time ago, I took pictures of it but still need to use the rest of the roll before I take it in to get developed. I adore this afghan so much, it is so fascinating to look at and very cozy.

I've also made a pet blanket out of plain single crochet 7" squares. It's twelve squares in various colors, and bordered in cream. It came out very nicely.

I also made a checkerboard blanket for my cat, nine light cream and beige squares, and edged with three rows of ruffly dark chocolate brown.

Vegetable Patch

2007-11-17T14:18:00.001-05:00

:D

2007-10-10T15:17:00.000-04:00

Here she is! Le Pumpkin!

PIP III

2007-10-10T10:49:00.000-04:00

We're getting there...... almost there.......

PIP II

2007-10-09T16:49:00.000-04:00

The flip side. (yeah, I knit inside-out on dpn's) About halfway there!

"Pumpkin In Progress" or... PIP!

2007-10-09T15:42:00.000-04:00

Just cast on for a little pumpkin knitted in the round. I haven't made a sock in so long I was a bit worried about trying to get started on the double-points, but it all came right back to me. The whole thing is jingly with stitch-markers. It's like jewelry for your knitting. :)

Pattern: The Curly Purly Pumpkin Pattern

Merlin

2007-09-23T13:16:00.000-04:00

Moda Dea Spellbound in "Merlin".

Rosie :)

2007-09-19T22:32:00.000-04:00

Harry Potter ~ Book 7!

2007-07-24T20:51:00.000-04:00

So Friday the 20th I was all set... see above :D ... had my advance purchase ticket, a box of Turtles and a bottle of green tea chillin' in the fridge. Saturday morning I got my book and read for three days. It was great! I enjoyed it so much.

Knotwork

2007-07-19T12:32:00.000-04:00

My dad made a keychain, woven directly through the key. This example of knotwork is called "a three line, five bite Turk's Head around a double rose"

Kitty Helps Out

2007-07-18T14:57:00.000-04:00

Quality Control Manager makes sure my crochet square stays securely in place so it can be photographed for the 12" Square CAL.

Critter Pix :)

2007-07-17T21:00:00.000-04:00

Rosie:

Lily:

Hibiscus

2007-07-10T19:07:00.000-04:00

Some hibiscus from the yard.
Hibiscii? Hibiscuses?
Pretty flowers. :)

Log Cabin

2007-07-10T14:21:00.000-04:00

I sat down last night to try to unlock the mysteries of log cabin knitting. Thank goodness for Craftster and the good advice contained therein! I made a wee little start of just three colors, with my wee little bow tied on the front so I would know when I was on the right side (you always bind-off with the right side facing) , and gosh if it wasn't pretty cute at that point, so I finished it and called it an art project, lol. I might knit a backing for it and make it a sachet for lavender.

It's Always Square!

2007-07-08T11:38:00.000-04:00

I've been wanting to try this pattern out for a while now, so last night I settled in with the leftover Strawberry from the previous dishcloth, and knitted until I had this:

It's an ingenious design ... (mitered, I believe).... because, as she says in the directions, no matter how much or how little you knit, it stays square. So not only can you use up leftover balls of cotton regardless of their size, you can make yourself the perfectly customized cloth. (I like my dishcloths a little on the smaller side than average) To top it off, it's fun to knit and the design is pretty! I think there will be lots of these adorning the kitchen of Chez Squirrel.
Pattern:

http://sasw.blogspot.com/2005/01/dishcloths.html

Rosie

2007-07-07T21:30:00.000-04:00

My baby. :)

Happy 07/07/07!

Rose

2007-07-07T21:29:00.000-04:00

Rose from Crochet Today! July/Aug issue.

4 More Corners!

2007-07-06T20:16:00.000-04:00

Another Four Corners washcloth! Loooooooove this pattern!

My 7's are going to be occupied for a while with July's dishcloth on the KAL, but now my 8's are free for a new one. What shall it be? The little frog? The yellow duck? Swatch up a square of linen stitch with some variegated? Another 4 Corners in green? We shall see. :)

Bunny!

2007-07-01T13:58:00.000-04:00

Is this bunny just the cutest dishcloth ever in the history of dishcloths? I think it might be.

Pattern:
http://dishclothcorner.blogspot.com/2006_05_05_archive.html

Yarn: Sugar n' Cream in "Jute"

Needles: 7's

Remember in Stuart Little when it said something like 'few people could look in a mouse's ear without laughing'? Well, I think few knitters could make this little bunny without laughing. I mean, check out the little garter-stitch tail puff.

4 Corners Dishcloth

2007-06-28T17:42:00.000-04:00

Pattern: "4 Corners Dishcloth"
http://1870pearl.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/01/pocket_knitting.html

I had SO much fun knitting this! (Sugar n' Cream in "Strawberry") I didn't know how to do the invisible cast on to start it or the garter graft to finish it, so I just winged both and I think it's fine. It's an ingenious pattern... I believe this is called 'modular' .... once you get used to the pattern you don't need to refer to the instructions for every row and can just knit away happily. I love what it does to the variegated yarn. I definitely want to knit more of these!

I got "Mason Dixon Knitting" from the library today, I've been leafing through that and it looks really promising. There are some good-looking dishcloths! :)

Ladybugs

2007-06-25T13:02:00.000-04:00

I couldn't resist these cute ladybug cupcakes at the store this morning. (chocolate cake with white icing is totally my favorite.)

I also happen to have a ladybug spoonrest in the kitchen (a long-ago ebay find):

and a ladybug keychain:

Rosie has a ladybug collar with a round red tag. (you know you're a dog lover when you buy a matching collar and keychain set!)

The collars are beautiful, very vibrant colors. They're made by:
http://lupinepet.com/

and I ordered the collar and keychain from:
http://fouryourpawsonly.com/mm5/merchant.mvc

The super tags, which are also very vibrant, were made by:
http://www.laserdogtags.com/
(They're "laserdog" on ebay)

She also has the "Ruby" collar with a big purple diamond-shaped tag. I need to get some film for the camera and take some fashion pix of her in the garden in her stylin' collars.

Soap Sachet

2007-06-23T17:52:00.000-04:00

This came out rather nicely, I think. (It's a much prettier pink IRL.) Sugar n' Cream cotton. Kirk's Castile Soap inside. Purl side out for extra scrubbiness. :)

Pattern:
http://knitting.about.com/od/knittingpatterns/p/drop_soap_sack.htm

Milk & Coffee

2007-06-22T19:32:00.000-04:00

Clouds in my coffee? Actually it's more of a perfect sun with long rays shape. I don't know if it shows up in the pic, but trust me, it's there. Some scientific phenomenon at work here, I'm sure, but I just think it's cute. Sorry if you're now humming "You're So Vain". lol.

I bought a copy of Crochet Today. I don't usually buy craft mags but some people on Craftster totally talked me into it. :D It's an excellent issue (July/Aug) ~ I've already made a lovely rose embellishment that I'm saving to put on a bag.

For the World's Cutest Dog....

2007-06-18T11:43:00.000-04:00

The World's Cutest Dog Toy

Glitter of Gold

2007-06-16T12:09:00.000-04:00

I've been using stash yarn for the 12" Squares crochet-a-long, but trying to stay in the range of creams, whites, and browns. Yesterday I was going through bags trying to find something suitably neutral, and found an old ball of light brown with a pretty metallic gold threaded through it. I had just enough to make December's Experienced Square (Octagon Medallion), which is my new favorite! (well, it's a tie with Butterfly Garden) I made the whole thing in one day, because between the fascinating pattern and the beautiful yarn I just couldn't bring myself to set it down. Projects like that are such a joy.

http://members.aol.com/crochetalong/hexpill.html

Granny Square Kitty Blanket

2007-05-28T08:30:00.000-04:00

details:
uses the Simple Square Pattern:
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/lffunt/flatbraid.htm
.
small: one round of pattern
medium: three rounds, used single instead of double on round 3
large: five rounds
(basically just adjusted heights as needed to make four small squares equal one medium square, and four mediums equal one large.)

New Techniques

2007-05-13T22:18:00.000-04:00

Modular:

Star Coaster from Knitty Gritty
.
Mitered:

Mitered Dishcloth
.
Entrelac:

Garterlac Dishcloth

For My Own Reference:

2007-05-01T22:01:00.000-04:00

Craftster 12" Square Craftalong
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=117318.0

24 Finished Squares:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/97382664@N00/sets/72157601268384069/

.
Oct

.
Solid Stripe:

http://www.texasdg.net/daynascrochet/pattern.asp?id=22

.
Birthday Flower:

http://www.geocities.com/cdjsimon/birthday_flower.html

.
Nov

.
Racing Stripes:

http://www.texasdg.net/daynascrochet/pattern.asp?id=71

.
Dutch Square:

http://www.jpfun.com/patterns/01granny/dutchsquare.shtml

Dec

.
Maggie's Square:

http://www.heartmadeblessings.org/patterns/Maggiessquare.asp

.
Octagon Medallion:

http://members.aol.com/crochetalong/hexpill.html

Jan

.
January Square:

http://www.heartmadeblessings.org/patterns/jansquare.asp
(see page 20 of Craftster thread for correction)

.
New Year's Eve:

http://www.heartmadeblessings.org/patterns/newyearseve.asp

Feb

.
Cable Hearts:

http://www.geocities.com/cdjsimon/cableheart.html

.
Center Heart Square:

http://www.heartmadeblessings.org/patterns/Centerheart.asp

Mar

.
Pinwheel:

http://dayna.tdgservices.com/ShowPattern.aspx?PatternID=23#

.
Schoharie Spring:

http://maryatthemanor.blogspot.com/2005/09/schoharie-spring-12-square-pattern.html

Apr

.
Butterfly Garden:

http://www.geocities.com/cdjsimon/butterfly_garden.html

Floral Overlay:

http://www.pandacrochet.8m.com/floral-overlay.html

May

.
Windowpane:

http://www.pandacrochet.8m.com/floral-overlay.html

Waldo's Puzzle:

http://www.geocities.com/cdjsimon/waldos_puzzle.html

June:

Tilt-a-whirl
http://www.geocities.com/cdjsimon/tiltawhirl.html

.
Cherries Jubilee (see correction on craftster thread page 37)
http://maryatthemanor.blogspot.com/2005/09/cherries-jubilee-12-square.html

July:

Pineapple Square
http://pandacrochet.8m.com/pandapineapple.html

Square in a Square

http://www.p2designs.com/pdfs/grannyquilt-SqInSq.pdf

.
Aug:

Circles on the Square

http://www.heartmadeblessings.org/patterns/circlesonthesquare.asp

Maple Leaf
http://www.p2designs.com/pdfs/grannyquilt-maple.pdf

.
Sep:

http://pandacrochet.8m.com/pandamanlysq.html

http://www.p2designs.com/pdfs/grannyquilt-4sq.pdf

Other interesting-looking squares to try~

.
Victorian Dream: http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/patterns/victorian_dream_square.php

.
* Star Overlay:

http://www.geocities.com/cdjsimon/star_overlay.html

.
'I Love the V-stitch':

http://dayna.tdgservices.com/ShowPattern.aspx?PatternID=42

Crochet Pattern Central list of 12" squares~
http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/12in_squares.php

Dayna's Crochet 12" squares:

http://dayna.tdgservices.com/Patterns.aspx

Flat Braid Joining Method ~ (also has Simple Square pattern)
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/lffunt/flatbraid.htm

Basic Granny Square~
http://www.jpfun.com/patterns/free/101/f101101_basicgranny.shtml

Mr. Dragon

2007-04-30T10:14:00.000-04:00

Knitty's Norberta pattern.

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter06/PATTnorberta.html

Knit-a-long on Craftster:

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=165432.0

Purl the Puppy

2007-03-20T12:48:00.000-04:00

Meet Purl the Puppy by clicking on her. Then click on the dog treat box to give her a bone. (click over her head and she'll jump up for the treat. You can also play ball with her.)

"Red"

2006-11-24T15:43:00.000-05:00

Just a simple doodle...still trying to learn the Spanish.

ATC

2006-11-22T21:35:00.000-05:00

I signed up for that ATC swap on Craftster (on the theme of Crafts/Craftster) ~ here's the card I sent my partner, which she's received. It's a pic of some of my mosaic supplies. I got this little chicken in a batch of ebay tiles.... he's like my mascot now. :D

Also signed up for an alphabet swap for the letters M, N, and O, which I will be mailing out on Friday.

Craftster has a brand new ATC board! Hurray!

There are several swaps on ATC Exchange that I'm considering, too, for next year.

Got an email that my holiday cards are en route for delivery ~ woo!

Everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow! :)

Bougainvillea

2006-11-20T20:25:00.000-05:00

Still pondering the Thanksgiving menu. Part of me wants to tie on an apron and start making sweet potato pies and ginger cookies and part of me just wants to lay in a supply of frozen pizzas and oreos. We'll see. :)

They are selling Christmas themed tea at the store, I didn't buy any but they looked interesting. I've also found two really good Green Teas - pre-made in bottles - I really should brew my own, since these have sugar added, but they are delicious chilled. We Southeners do love a sweet iced tea.

Now It Feels Likes the Holidays

2006-11-15T12:11:00.000-05:00

I just ordered my holiday cards and THEY'RE ADORABLE. I got them from here:Humane Society Holiday Cards. I almost wasn't going to do cards this year, but who can resist the Humane Society???

Oh, and I bought some peppermints.

Deer Dish II

2006-11-12T14:48:00.000-05:00

Another vintage item I have with a deer on it. It's a plate or server of some sort. I really love the sweet deer.

Deer Dish I

2006-11-12T14:39:00.000-05:00

I don't know what it is about this little dish, but I really like it. It's only 3 and 1/2 inches wide, and just has a sort of vintage charm.

"Lizard on the Inside"

2006-11-12T14:28:00.000-05:00

I did this quick pen sketch for Illo Friday's theme 'clear', but it was too light to show up on my scanner, and barely showed up on the web cam. But I'm posting it anyhow, because I was happy with it, and how often do you get to draw the undersides of a lizard's little sticky toes?

Key Lime Pie, 50's style

2006-11-07T10:33:00.000-05:00

Image from an old postcard, we're guessing from the 1950's. I keep it in the cover of my green recipe notebook. I think it's time to make a pie.

Paper Leaf Doilies

2006-11-06T11:10:00.000-05:00

Today's Impulse Purchase. Yeah, I don't know what I'm gonna do with them, either, but if the need ever arises for cute litte green 4 inch high paper leaves I'm covered.

There are some ATC swaps I want to be in, but the idea of actually signing up is stressing me out for some reason. Maybe I will try to make the cards today since I know the themes already, and if I like them, I'll sign up. We'll see how it goes.

"No Smoking, Please"

2006-11-03T15:14:00.000-05:00

For Illustration Friday's topic: 'smoke'. Yet another of the quick little sketches I've been doing to help myself learn Spanish, tailored to fit today's topic. In all honesty, I'm not even sure if the sign is supposed to say 'no fumar' or 'no fumas'... I'm not far enough along in the book to conjugate verbs with any confidence... lol...but I think it's right from the quick internet search I did. I basically just like to draw dragons. Usually I don't draw them standing up and carrying suitcases, but I couldn't resist! :D

Enjoy the meal!

2006-11-03T09:57:00.000-05:00

Yet more ‘learning Spanish’ sketches. How cute is it that the Spanish word for fox is zorro! Of course, it makes perfect sense when you think about it….
I always associate foxes with grapes, but in my version of the fable the fox always gets the grapes. ;) And the four seasons….

This week’s Illustration Friday topic is “Topic”. And I actually have an idea for that, as soon as I double-check a translation…. EDIT: just got a second email notification that the topic is actually 'smoke'. Hmm... I don't want to do that one ... unless ... dragon???

What Time Is It?

2006-11-02T11:29:00.000-05:00

Here’s another one of several sketches I’ve been making to help me with the Spanish. This is quite an enjoyable way to learn vocabulary, I highly recommend it. :)

"Muchas gracias" to Alexiev, who left me a comment for my Illustration Friday picture in Spanish! That was very exciting.

Leah… I left you a comment about your Clapotis on that October post. I did get to see it on your blog but couldn’t leave a comment for some reason… I will try again. You’re making me want to start another Clapotis. Well, maybe you’re just making me want to buy pretty variegated yarn… heh.

How's The Weather?

2006-10-31T17:54:00.000-05:00

For Illustration Friday's theme "Wind".

October is Good Knittin' Weather

2006-10-29T09:33:00.000-05:00

Hello!

*dusts off blog*

There was a dip of cold weather the other day and I grabbed my white Clapotis out of the closet before going outside. I was thinking how cool the pattern was. No matter how many hours you've spent staring at a Clapotis, it's always cool. I may be knitting again soon.

My recent obsession has been Spanish. Como esta? I went to the bookstore yesterday and bought a book, plus a dictionary. The dictionary was only $2.50 - which was an unexpected bargain! Que cosa! I took a year of Spanish in high school, still remember some of it, but that was a long time ago. The last couple of weeks I've been watching this little 'learn Spanish' educational program on TV, it's kind of like a soap opera where everyone speaks slowly and in short phrases... lol.... I'm really enjoying it. (and not just for the Spanish ... will Rachel return to Arturo? Will she solve the mystery of Fernando's relatives? l ol)

Happy Halloween!

I'm obsessed with these things.

2006-09-11T11:20:00.000-04:00

August Post

2006-08-30T16:54:00.000-04:00

Just making sure there's a post for August. Why? Um... so the Archive list stays neat?
Still resting on the knitting, but I found a Jean Greenhowe book while cleaning up and ... ooh. Mice in aprons. *glances towards stash*

On Hiatus

2006-07-29T23:23:00.000-04:00

Well, I guess I may as well declare Squirrel's Worlds on hiatus. I'm not doing much knitting right now and my attention is elsewhere. But I'll still be visiting y'all now and then on your blogs.

And since this space should be good for something.... let's make it a hatchery and see who pops up. :)

Stitch the Bear

2006-07-15T22:47:00.000-04:00

Here's Stitch... he's a very sunny yellow bear, I started him on Monday and finished by Friday. He was made from this fabulous pattern from Magknits ~
Laura Jane Bear

Hibiscus

2006-07-10T10:08:00.000-04:00

BLUE

2006-06-30T11:55:00.000-04:00

OK ~ my picture for Project Spectrum this month! Blue things! My copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the 4 skeins of Lana Grossa's "India" that I bought a while ago on ebay. I bought the yarn specifically to match that book cover, in fact, because I plan to make a shawl with it to wear to the movie in 2007. :)

Blogiversary of Squirrel's Worlds!

2006-06-20T07:31:00.000-04:00

Wow, it's been a year since I started this blog. I'm so glad I decided to try it, it's been so much fun, and it's made crafting even more fun than it already was. Much gratitude to anyone who's come by to visit, and of course those who've left comments and made my day brighter. :)

Ron Bear!

2006-06-16T17:39:00.000-04:00

I finished Ron Bear today! Woo! The little sweater turned out good, I think, the body of the sweater is actually the body of the bear, I just knitted little cuffs, hem, and collar and stitched them on after. (sneaky but effective!) I don't know if it shows up in the photo, but he IS red.

And Leah ~ you rock! How did you ever find out the paper pull tab on a Hershey's kiss is called a PLUME!? You must have serious search skills. ;)

A Very Long Kiss

2006-06-09T08:44:00.000-04:00

Lookit what I found in a Hershey's Kiss. An 18 inch long paper thingy. (is there an official name for that little paper pull tab thingy?) I was quite amused. :D

“Sunny” and “Letter Meme”

2006-06-08T12:45:00.000-04:00

I found another betta pic in my gallery file, this is Sunny:

And here is the Letter Meme! I was assigned the letter F by Sachi, and here is a list of the ten things I could think of that started with it that were relevant to my life. (if anybody wants to be assigned a letter, leave me a comment!)

*
Fish: Since I’ve been thinking about them a lot recently. Bettas all the way, baby! If I had the wherewithal for a big filtered aquarium, I would also love to have goldfish and catfish. Sachi mentioned albino corydoras in her comment yesterday, I had a pair of those in a ten gallon aquarium when I was a kid and I loved those little guys so much! They were so much fun to watch. I’m also always enthralled by the big tank of little feeder goldfish every time I go in the pet store, but I know they need filtered water, so I have to just admire them at the store. But they are so mesmerizing. (now I want an aquarium)
*
French Vanilla: Favorite flavor of coffee. Preferably with a Milano to dip in it. :)

*
Flowers: Gardening is very important to me.
*
Frogs: I like frogs and toads…. they’re on my calendar this year.
*
Fairy Tales: Beauty and the Beast is my favorite one in literature, The Little Mermaid is my favorite Disney version because of the artwork.
*
Fantasy: my favorite genre of fiction.
*
Forest: favored environment.
*
Felines: I’ve had four furry felines in my life, all fabulous friends.
Sox ~ My first cat, he was a black and white tuxedo cat, very big and strong.
Plum ~ Our Siamese, she was a tiny little cat with a great big personality!
Middy ~ A motherly black and white cat who got on great with the dogs and mice.
Lily ~ our sweet orange tabby cat, big kitty with a tiny voice, nicknamed “Squeaky”.
*
Flamingos: I just like ‘em. (I don’t have any plastic ones in the yard, though!)

*
Florida: Where I live.

Betta World

2006-06-07T10:31:00.000-04:00

Sachi asked in the comments the other day about my fish tanks. Well, I have three 1-gallon tanks for the youngest bettas, and one 2-gallon tank for the oldest and largest betta who's over two years old. I have file-folders between all the tanks so they can't see each other.
Their names are
Fisher ~ turquoise (you can see him in the big tank in the first pic)
Sunny ~ yellow
Mango ~ orange (second pic)
Oberon ~ red ... the new boy on the block :)

Kind of gives the effect of a longer tank, but much easier for me to manage. I change their water about once a week.

I get all their water from a PUR filter on my tap, which seems to be working really well for us, plus the usual additives (AmQuell and Stress Coat) and we use Hikari Betta BioGold for food.

I'm glad I live near a really good fish-oriented pet store, all the bettas I've bought from there have been really healthy.

(Oh, and Sachi sounds like she's much more versed in the fish hobby world than me, but if anybody else wanders by who wants to know about bettas, there's a link in my sidebar under "Animals" to Betta Talk, which is a great site. )

So Sachi... what kind of fish do you keep?

Oberon

2006-06-05T20:03:00.000-04:00

Still here, still knitting... Meanwhile, a picture of Oberon. Isn't he grand? I've had him about three months now.

I see my one year Blog-iversay will be on the 20th of this month. I will have to make some cupcakes or something and post a picture of them, heh. (I'm thinking strawberry...)

Little Update

2006-05-22T12:33:00.000-04:00

Just comin' round to say hi. Nothing much in the knitting knews except that I'm quietly working on RonBear. Yes Leah! I've finally gotten around to Ron! :D I kept procrastinating on this one because I wasn't sure how to go about making his Weasley sweater (or 'Jumper' , I should say, to be more Britishly correct...) Rather than try to make up a jumper pattern on my own and then try to retrofit it to the bear, I decided to just switch over to the jumper yarn when I got to that part of the bear. I'll try making a hem and cuffs separate and sew them on for extra 3D effect, oh, and I will have to get an "R" on there somehow. We'll see how it all works out.

I've been getting over a weird cold or something and have been quite tired. Did manage to make some lovely butterscotch pudding this morning.

How did it get to be the 22nd already? If I'm going to make anything for Project Spectrum this month, I'd better get started!

Hermione Bear

2006-05-09T16:58:00.000-04:00

Reading "Hogwarts: A History" of course. :)

Geranium

2006-05-08T13:34:00.000-04:00

One of my geraniums is getting ready to bloom. Isn't it sweet? Don't you just want to kiss it?

Knitting Knews I: Hermione Bear is DONE! Yay! I decided not to use the hat because it was too big and obscured her ears, so I'm going to knit up a book instead.

Knitting Knews II: I got my ribbon yarn on Saturday and it is incredible. Just INCREDIBLE.

Behold ~

2006-05-01T14:55:00.000-04:00

The sock pattern has arrived.

I anticipate lots of fun with Project Spectrum this month. Green is my favorite color. Starting the month off with a big shiny leaf.

Good Together Sunday

2006-04-30T07:27:00.000-04:00

Quiet morning here at Chez Squirrel. I've picked up the knitting needles again and started on the second half of Hermione Bear. I've already made her hat, I'm going to see if I can crochet her a copy of Hogwart's, A History. :)

Colors

2006-04-29T19:55:00.000-04:00

Wow, I just realized tomorrow's the last day of the month and I did not make a Project Spectrum project. I do have some yellow and orange (and green and red and white) tissue paper though, plus the bag I keep all my little single-serve coffee bags in.

Pattern Coming, Yarn Coming

2006-04-28T14:00:00.000-04:00

Woo-hoo!
Knitting Knews Item 1: I got an email saying that my sock pattern is on the way. Actually in the mail. In the mail!
Knitting Knews Item 2: I just won an ebay auction for 5 skeins of what may very well be The Most Incredible Ribbon Yarn In The Universe. It's called Lana Grossa "India" and is an astonishing array of blues and silvers. I have big big plans for this, and they relate to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I hope this wakes up my knitting interest again. And by the way, I spent $3 more than I probably needed to because it was one of those Dutch Auction things and I didn't bother to read the definition and explanation of Dutch Auctions because a)I was excited b)Dutch Auctions are confusing as all get out, at least to me and c) it was about to end and I just wanted to bid now and strategize later. So just a word to the wise that they work a bit differently than the regular auctions and it might behoove you to read the help info first if you ever want to bid in one. But, even so, I will soon have The Most Incredible Ribbon Yarn In The Universe and it has made me happy. That's worth an extra $ 3, surely.

Egg

2006-04-27T18:49:00.000-04:00

So I forgot all about posting this before Easter. The original plan was to make six and photograph them in a plastic egg tray, but well, we know how that goes. Here's the one that got made before I got bored with the pattern and wandered off. Pretty yarn, though, got lots left over. What to do...what to do....

Gratuitous Alligator Footage

2006-04-26T15:05:00.000-04:00

My monitor guardian.

Yawn

2006-04-25T20:07:00.000-04:00

Still no knitting, sock pattern, or Beatrice. Thought I'd better come do a quiz or something before I forgot how to login.

You Are A German Shepherd Puppy

You Are a German Shepherd Puppy

Intelligent, quick witted, and a bit aggressive.You've got the jaw power to take a bite out of anyone you choose.

What Breed of Puppy Are You?

Hope

2006-04-19T10:15:00.000-04:00

Not much knitting or posting happening around the blog this week. I got bored with Beatrice, my white whale, and if I keep this up I will forget the stitch pattern and I'll never want to touch it again. My sock pattern hasn't arrived. I haven't been feeling very well. I've been very depressed and physically exhausted, coping with various health issues of my own and several of my pets. I generally try to keep this Blog Lite, and use it for fun stuff, pretty stuff, to remind myself of the beautiful things in life. One of my favorite quotes, which I painted on my garden bench, is: "Look to the Beauty of this day, Miracles are all Around You"
So during these last few weeks I dropped the ball briefly on plant watering, and was horrified to find one of my beloved mints brown and crunchy in its pot. But when I finally filled up the pitchers and set to watering all the other plants, I couldn't skip over my poor mint. I watered it anyway. But guess what. Mint are strong. Today I have been given a bit of hope. Look here:

O Beatrice! What are you doing to us???

2006-04-13T16:27:00.000-04:00

For the Beatrice-a-longers:

End of row, before the last step:

End of row, after the last step:

Beginning of row, before the first step:

Beginning of row, after the last step:

This is just my personal interpretation of the instructions, let me know if you disagree!

Nautie and Nice!

2006-04-12T15:15:00.000-04:00

I'm making Knitty's Nautie! What an ingenious pattern! I had to learn to use dpn's the other way from what I'm used to, so it would be knit-side out, because it's stuff-and-coil as you go and therefore can't be flipped around at the end like a sock, but a new skill is all to the good! I think I'm going to try to make the shell into a snail, though. The nautiloids are cute and all, but I really like snails.

Orchid Tree ~ Bloom & Seedpods

2006-04-11T19:06:00.000-04:00

Cat Shaped Article

2006-04-11T11:51:00.000-04:00

I almost passed these by in the cat food aisle, but then the basic shape of the container caught my eye, and I thought that once all the labels were soaked off it would make a cute place to store.... I don't know what... really small stuff.

See the potential? Assuming I can get the smell of fish, animal products, and various preservatives out of the plastic ... lol.

Anyway, it's orange and yellow.

Somebody just tell me to go throw it out now.

I Didn't Really Want to Make Socks Today Anyway

2006-04-10T20:26:00.000-04:00

The sock pattern did not arrive and I'm wondering if it's time for the Politely Worded Email yet. Furthermore, I found myself in Joanne's today and dashed to the wonderful new Wall-of-Needles to buy myself a second set of #2 dpns so I could make TWO socks at the SAME TIME, only to discover the sizes offered only went down to #3.

On the plus side, I got a gigantic skein of cream yarn so I could start Beatrice over.

Ah, Beatrice.

I started a crochetalong for ole' Bea over on Craftster a while back, and we've been having a time over there trying to decipher it out, I tell you.

I've been crocheting for ages, I'm not a novice or anything. But every time I worked on this thing, I felt like I had to have a lie-down and a cold beverage afterwards. The directions were incredibly complicated - a solid paragraph of bafflement that I marked up with layers and layers of highliter pen. And there were errors. And yet... I kept going back. It was like trying to decode some secret language that you were just hovering on the verge of understanding.

And the irony? It's simple. It is a SIMPLE pattern. Let me reiterate. IT'S A SIMPLE PATTERN. I reached that point today AT LAST where you don't have to look at the directions every 10 seconds anymore, you know that point where you just roll happily along listening to the radio and thinking about whatever you want? That point. So here she is. I did make a mistake in Row 1, but I wasn't starting this thing over AGAIN! I've just started Row 3 here, so I have a ways to go before I have an actual garment, but it's a start, and I've cracked the code.

Reminiscing

2006-04-09T11:32:00.000-04:00

The book Peaky Beaky (by Bertrand de Vogue, illustrated by Kelly Oechsli) fascinated me when I was a child. It was published in 1967, and was one of those Tip-Top Elf books. I took my copy out of the closet this morning and was looking through it. I remember vividly that this was my very favorite illustration:

And I also came across this picture, of Peaky Beaky's wife, which made me think "Hmmm...knitting...this could explain a lot..."

Plans for Patons

2006-04-08T10:38:00.000-04:00

WHERE is my sock pattern? I mean, I know I paid by check, but honestly. I need blog fodder here, people! When the pattern does (eventually) arrive, they will be knit with this yellow:

Unless I decide the green and yellow are just too cute together and should be stripes, and that the butterfly socks should be done in lavender or something.

Other things not on the needles:
the bear series
the crocheted shrug
the spring-cleaning mouse with the little apron :)
the knitted Easter Eggs

Can somebody please come over and cast something on for me.... just to get me started?

Orange & Yellow

2006-04-01T17:15:00.000-05:00

~~~

March 31

2006-03-31T08:19:00.000-05:00

Just a quick snapshot of a corner of my desk. Why? Well, because it is the 31st of March. Last day of Project Spectrum's Red/Pink phase. Today's calendar page seemed to want to get in on the fun.

Doin' the Happy Dance In My Tiger Socks!

2006-03-29T20:40:00.000-05:00

FINISHED A COMPLETE PAIR OF SOCKS AND IT ONLY TOOK ME FIVE MONTHS!!!
I'm ecstatic, in case you couldn't tell. They fit, and they're both the same size (I know the top one looks smaller but that's because of camera angle)
Things I have learned about sock knitting:
1. One sock is only 50% of a pair. Acceptance of this may be the key to my sock knitting happiness.
2. Make lots of legible notes while knitting Sock I, so that it can be easily duplicated.
3. I need a row counter! For pity's sake, why haven't I bought one yet?
4. Casting on for the second one immediately would be a really really good idea.
5. Second Sock Syndrome is real.
6. It is definitely worthwhile to buy the fun and exciting yarn. It's the only thing that kept me going on this thing for the last 20 rows.
7. No matter how tiny the gauge is, if you knit a little every day you WILL eventually reach the toe. Sometimes I wasn't sure.

"The Four" Meme

2006-03-27T12:23:00.000-05:00

Thanks for the tag, Leah, I love memes. :)

4 jobs I've had:
1. Pet Shop Girl ~ clean cages, walk puppies, catch wayward cockatiels
2. Pier One ~ setting up merchandise for a new store
3. Jewelry store ~ bookkeeper
4. Telecommunications co. ~ bookkeeper

4 films I can watch over and over:
1. Goblet of Fire
2. Prisoner of Azkaban
3. Chamber of Secrets
4. The Sorcerer's Stone
See a theme? Hee. I don't usually watch films over and over except for Harry Potter movies because they make superb knitting-background movies for some reason. Atmosphere, perhaps. The rain, the wending train through the countryside, the drafty old castle, the snow, who wouldn't want to knit?
Oh, and when I was a kid I saw Return of the Jedi about 12 times.

4 tv shows I love to watch:
1. Knitty Gritty (when they're new)
2. The Dog Whisperer
3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
4. Angel
I had trouble remembering this one because I haven't watched TV in months!

4 places I've lived:
1. Orlando, FL
2. Ft. Pierce, FL
3. Titusville, FL
4. Floridana Beach, FL

4 places I've been on holiday:
1. Curacao
2. The beach
3. Busch Gardens
4. Disney World

4 websites I visit daily:
1. Cute Overload
2. Craftster
3. Metacrawler
4. Dog of the Day

4 fave yarns:
1. Opal sock yarn (current obsession: Rainforest Collection)
2. LionBrand Fishermen's Wool (for Koolaid dyeing)
3. Handpainted variegated dyed wool from various places
4. Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport

Celtic Horoscope: I Am A Fig Tree

2006-03-27T12:21:00.000-05:00

You Are A Fig Tree

You are very independent and strong minded.
A hard worker when you want to be, you play hard too.
You are honest and loyal. You hate contradiction or arguments.
You love life, and you live for your friends, children, and animals.
A great sense of humor, artistic talent, and intelligence are all gifts you possess.

What is Your Celtic Horoscope?

Good Together Sunday

2006-03-26T08:08:00.000-05:00

I'm delighted to have been tagged for a meme from Leah ~ I will post that tomorrow! :D

In sock news: I managed to drop a dpn off the side of the bed, where it landed on a curved piece of paper, rolled down said paper like a skateboard ramp, and shot off under my desk. It is not a moveable sort of desk, so some time today I have to get my Swiffer and try to retrieve it. That may lead to general floor mopping, who knows?

This pic isn't from this morning, this morning I am having oatmeal and juice like a sensible person. But I remember it fondly.