On a roll

It's a beautiful day outside, but I'm on a role and I can't seem to stop knitting. I'm finishing off my garter yoke cardigan. I'm really proud of it, but I'm getting a little tired of stockinette, so right now, I just want it to be done! I took a really shoddy picture of it with my phone because although I finally found my camera and charger, I still can't find the cord the connects the camera to the charger.

I just have to finish one sleeve, weave in the ends (from adding additional skeins of yarn, not from sewing, because this pattern is done completely in the round which makes it even more awesome)!

I was so busy knitting this morning that I didn't even get properly dressed until there was a knock at the door. It was my super, informing me that he had a package for me. It was my latest and greatest knitpicks package! Inside was the delicious yarn for something I'm going to try to make for my mom before I go home next month. I can't wait to start the project! Plus, I have to get a move on things if I'm going to finish before I leave!

Also inside was Knitting Lingerie Style by Joan McGowan-Michael, a book I am currently drooling over. Seriously, I want to make every single thing in that book. I think I'll start out with some of the spring outerwear and progress from there. I'd like to start one of the patterns when I'm at home in Sydney.

And then there's this month's EBW challenge. The theme is "Time Machine," and I'm a sucker for things like that. I haven't entered that last few challenges, but I'm psyched about this one. Any time, any place for inspiration? You just can't beat that. I'm thinking Japan.

And remember that Valentines gift? Well here it is:

It took a while to make this, mostly because I don't have a sewing machine so I had to sew the whole thing by hand. I designed the pattern myself and sewed on heart beads for eyes. I embroidered the heart on the shoulder and the mouth. It was my first ever attempt at embroidery, and I'm very happy with the results.

so much to make, such little time!

I'm still working on my top down cardigan. I'm at a point where it's just a lot of stockinette. I can't wait for the arms...oooooh! Variety!

And then I have my non-knitting, non-crochet, non-beading Valentines day gift, which I have yet to start, although I have most of the materials. Everything else can be bought at the discount store across the street.

Then there are the "little" projects I've volunteered for. The feminist knitting swap; the afghans for Afghans item (most likely a child's hat, possibly two), the neutral colored wool squares that my Heifer International group on Ravelry is using to make an afghan. All extremely cool, fun, encouraging things, all at the same time.

And now, I'm off to finish the laundry. Wish me luck! :-)

It's been a while (again)

I have so many blog posts in my head but I haven't blogged in so long! January was crazy - I had four Australian friends staying with me at different times (sometimes overlapping), and I finished 8 out of 9 law school applications. I also spent two days in DC to see Sam's dad receive the French Legion of Honor.

I've been knitting like crazy. Once I finished Sam's scarf (yes, I can finally announce that it's a scarf), I went on to finish my dad's scarf that had been in the works, like, forever. I finally knit myself a hat, and I'm a little over halfway done with my first cardigan. Unfortunately, I put my camera somewhere and am unable to locate it. Luckily, facebook exists. Here is a picture my friend Dave took of me knitting my lovely Thorpe hat (pattern downloaded from Ravelry).

Notice it was knit from the top down. Something about that was incredibly exciting and fun.

This next picture was taken at a bar in Park Slope (Brooklyn) after a hard day of football. It normally sits a little lower on my head, but it was kind of pulled up.

I've kind of been neglecting my beading, and I've felt bad about that, but I'm slowly getting back into promoting my Etsy store and supporting my Street Team. I've still been receiving hearts, and that's very encouraging.

I also have another little project up my sleeve that I hope comes into fruition. Here's a hint: what's exactly eleven days from now?

This and that...

The thing I've been working on is finally finished! And just in time!! I'll try to put up a picture some time next week...if you get my drift ;-)

Lately, I've become quite obsessed with Ravelry. And knitting. Again. So now I'm obsessively looking at patterns and I picked up something else I had meant to finish a year ago. Very proud of myself. Kind of getting in the way of law school applications, but still proud of myself. Oh yeah, and there are like a thousand things I want to make right now!

And, through Ravelry, I met some awesome knitters in Astoria. And I drank some delicious tea. :-)

hello hello!

It's been a while, and I apologize for that. A lot has been going on over here, and it's gotten in the way of my crafting (and, by extension, my blogging).

Sam and I moved to a new (for us at least) place in Astoria. I looooove this place. We're still getting settled in (e.g. we don't have a couch yet) but we're now at the point where I am able to work on my crafts. My Etsy store is still up and running, although I haven't been attending to it as much as I should, especially with the holidays coming up. Hopefully that will change soon!

I've also been knitting. I'm working on the same things I hoped to finish last December (this year, in retrospect, was not the year of the UFO). Hopefully I'll be able to finish them this December! Even so, I couldn't help but to order some sock yarn on KnitPicks for who knows when.

As for Hannah, she was found alive several months ago (and I should have posted this earlier, I know). You can read about it here.

Please Help Find Hannah Upp

She has not been seen since last Friday, August 29. Her keys, wallet, phone, metro card, and metro card, and passport were all found in her room.

Hannah graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 2007, a year after I did. She is truly one of the sweetest, kindest people anyone could meet. Her friends started a facebook group called "We're Not Giving Upp (On Hannah), and over 1,500 people have joined and are getting media attention. Please, please, please, if anyone who reads this blog knows anything, or could help in any way, please contact the police, leave a message for the facebook group, or let me know and I will pass on the message to the appropriate people. You don't have to give your name or anything.

Here is the information posted on the facebook group, by Hannah's brother, Wally:

"Hannah Emily Upp, 23, has been missing since Friday, August 29, from her residence in the vicinity of Hamilton Terrace, Harlem.
Hannah is a New York City Public School teacher; she teaches middle school Spanish at Thurgood Marshall Academy for Learning and Social Change, at W. 135th and 7th Ave. A recent graduate of Bryn Mawr College, Class of 2007, majoring in Spanish and Comparative Literature, she is a New York City Teaching Fellow, working on her Master's degree at Pace University and teaching full time. She completed her first year of teaching 2007-08, and was about to start her second year of teaching when she went missing.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Detective Perez, 30th Precinct Detective Squad, at 212-690-8842, or 212-690-8843."

Complimentary Contradictions

That is the theme for the Etsy Beadweavers September Challenge. For once, I wasn't scrambling to finish at the eleventh hour, and I had so much fun with this one! My piece is called, "Black and White - A Story in Color." It's made up of six hexagons woven together. Three of them are made up of different colors, and two of them are black, white, and different shades of gray. It's finished off with a real silver chain and a red glass bead. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out. These colors were so fun to use, and I'm also really pleased with the final proportions. I have a feeling that this piece will be my inspiration for many pieces to come.

You can vote for your favorite September EBWC Entry on September 9th on the EBW blog, http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com.

I've only been a member of the Etsy Beadweavers since May, but it's been such an awesome experience so far. And the three challenges in which I have participated have truly influenced the way I bead, for the better! Lately, I haven't had much time to bead, because I've been getting ready to move apartments, and I've also begun the law school application process. I have finished a gift and a custom order, and I finished two more bracelets a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't had a chance to photograph them and get the up on Etsy yet. But I will soon! All in good time...

Guilty Pleasures

I've developed an addiction to reality TV shows on Bravo. In the past, I would never had admitted to this, but we're all friends here, right?

My all time favorite, of course, is Project Runway. I've also really gotten into Shear Genius. I love watching the challenges and the wonderful and awful things that these people come up with. I love choosing my favorites and least favorites and imagining myself wearing those outfits and haircuts. My favorite "character" is Stella, the wonderfully ridiculous designer of all things "leatha."

I rush home every Wednesday to watch these favorite shows of mine. If I can't be home to watch them, they'll always be on the next day. And the day after that. And pretty much every day until the next Wednesday, the next episode. But then, all the episodes are on that day too...

This all got me thinking. What if there was a Bravo TV show about the type of designing that I do? What if there was a show just about beadweaving. Or about knitting and crocheting. The camera focuses on me. I'm beadweaving, and you hear a voiceover. "I decided to do a peyote cuff. So I started with some beads. And then I put on another bead. And then I put on another bead. And then I put on another bead. And then I decide to change colors." Or "I did a row of knit. And a row of purl. Then I did an intricate lace. Yarn over..." Maybe it's just that I've been watching too much TV and frying my brain, but this concept makes me laugh! Just imagine how entertaining that would be to the outside world! (Not!)

But it also got me thinking about the people I design for. I always design with a little piece of myself in mind. After all, who could love something I make that I don't even love? In their own way, the Etsy Beadweaving challenges are kind of the same concept. The last challenge in particular got me out of my comfort zone, but I was determined to make something beautiful within the guidelines that was still true to my own sense of style, and I'm pretty sure I pulled it off.

And of course there are the people who wear my jewelry. I just love opening a package in which there is something wearable that I ordered from Etsy. (Lamp work jewelry is another guilty pleasure of mine.) And when I put it on, I feel amazing and beautiful. That is exactly how I want people to feel when they wear my jewelry. I want them to feel like the powerful women they are, or to feel like princesses. Whatever makes them feel best, that is how I want them to feel. Whether I give pieces I make away or people purchase them or even have me custom make them, I just want my pieces to be loved, and I want the people who wear them to feel just that little bit more amazing.

Art Deco

Once again, I listed my EBW Challenge piece at the very last minute, but I listed it!

This piece was inspired by colors and geometric designs of the Art Deco period. It's an adjustable peyote cuff with rectangular windows ascending (or descending, depending on which way you look at it) across the bracelet. I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

When I started this piece, I had a vague idea that I wanted it to be red, with maybe some black and or white, and preferable with some sort of window. It evolved as I continued with it. As geometric as it is, this piece is the closest I have ever come to free form. Perhaps it is time for me to give real free form a try! :-)

Starting August 9, you can see all the beautiful entries on the EBW Blog, and vote for your favorite!

Checking In

I've had various things going on for the past couple of weeks, and I've been kind of absent from the blogosphere. A few weeks ago, Sam and I had an amazing time visiting friends in Ithaca. And the Thursday and Friday before last, I had jury duty. (Yes, in New York, federal jury duty lasts two days!) I spent all of Thursday in a court room, but in the end, I didn't get picked. It was pretty interesting, though. I started my Art Deco challenge entry that night, and was able to work on it a lot on Friday in the "Jurors Lounge" and then at Starbucks as I waited for Sam to get out from work so we could head off to a Ween concert, which is one of his favorite bands.

The next day, Saturday, was Sam's birthday, and we walked from his apartment in Astoria to Peter Luger's in Brooklyn. It was lots of fun, but I wasn't wearing the right shoes. We finally took advantage of his back yard that night, during Sam's big birthday bash. When I excused myself to "nap" (i.e. go to sleep) at 2:00, the party was still going strong.

My big endeavor for this week was to finish my August EBW challenge, Art Deco. Sam and I had planned to go hiking upstate with a few friends yesterday, but a few hours into our drive, it started to thunder and pour. So we took a tour of an old mansion for an hour or two and then got ice cream before the long ride home. But today, at 1:00 p.m., I finally finished my piece! I took my pictures, but I haven't had a chance to list it yet, or even put up the pictures (a very late brunch in Sam's neighborhood took priority) so I'll get them up tomorrow before the midnight deadline. But...Woohoo! Done! Yay! :-)

Fives

I got this one from Sarah, thebeadedlily. I love little surveys like this when they're about arts and crafts. (A lot of my answers actually overlap with Sarah's!) I've been kind quiet on the blogging front lately, and I will soon update you on my latest adventures. But for now, I leave you with fives!

What are your 5 favorite art works? Have you seen them in person? Do you have plans to?
And I mean art in a very broad sense here.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge - yes! I've seen it and crossed it hundreds, maybe thousands of times. I miss it!
Anything by Van Gogh (Same as Sarah!) - yes, I've seen many of them and I would love to see more of them and to see many of those I've already seen again!
Chanel Suits-- I saw an exhibit on them at the New York Met! (Don't know if I'd ever wear one, though)
Avenue Q-- Yes! It was my favorite play EVER!
Anything by Renoir -- yes, and I'd love to see more!

What are 5 crafts you couldn't live without? Have you done them? Any good?
Beadweaving-- yes and yes
Sewing-- yes. I was good at it for my age, but I haven't sat at a sewing machine since I was about 14
Woodwork-- only in shop class
Metalwork-- same as above (only in shop class)
Knitting-- yes and yes

What are 5 crafts you'd like to learn? Have you ever tried them? Will you?
Lampwork-- yes, I've had one lesson in a studio that used to be around the corner from my mom's house. I think I will try it some time again in the future
Metalwork-- only in shop class. But I plan to delve back into it!
Drawing-- I've tried some, but I would love to (and plan to) have more training
Filigree-- No. I plan to learn some day, because I love this craft!
Leatherwork-- No, probably not

What are 5 arts and crafts you've tried that weren't for you?
Calligraphy
I won't rule anything else out!

What are 5 things you aim for with your art/craft?
Individuality
Beauty
Wearability
Happiness-envoking
Love

It must be genetic

At least it runs in the family. Or maybe it's just a family trait.

People in my family tend to buy gifts for birthdays and holidays early or on time, and then just never send them (instead, waiting to give them in person), or send them really late. It's not a negative thing, because we all do it and so we all expect it.

So that is why my Auntie Carol got her birthday necklace three weeks late! It was one of the things I was madly trying to finish in June, but I didn't exactly send it until the middle of July. At least the outcome was success -- she loved it! After all, it was her colors! :-)
This isn't the greatest picture of it. It was almost 100 degrees outside when I took it. (I was determined to take it in natural sunlight.) I had to run inside before I could take another one! But you get the idea...

And now, I'm off to watch the new season of Project Runway! Woohoo!!

Art Deco

On my way home from the subway today, I was thinking so hard about the next EBW Challenge that I overshot my turn by a whole block. For the last challenge, I knew exactly what I wanted to make right away. But this one is taking a little more planning. There are so many facets of the art deco movement that I just can't seem to pinpoint what I want to make or even which part of the movement I want to use for my inspiration.

I am very drawn to the delicate jewelry of the period, and I've sort of designed a bracelet and a necklace in my head. I would really enjoy these things, but they would not exactly be my most complicated or time consuming creations.

From the little internet research I've done, the art and architecture of the period seem to be much bolder than the jewelry. I could also have a lot of fun exploring shapes, and I've also cooked up some ideas for a bracelet cuff that would do that. I've even been (half seriously) toying with the idea of creating a tiny mini-building out of beads.

And then there's the ever-present real life getting in the way. Today, I had leftovers from a chicked and eggplant dish that I made on Sunday night for dinner. I'm beginning to realize that I haven't cooked a meal in literally months. (Not including Lean Cuisine and Campbell's Soup! ;-) ) For a Manhattanite, that's very normal, but it isn't normal for me. I love eating my own cooking almost as much as I love eating my mom's cooking! If only there were more hours in the day!!

This and That

This is my friend, Dave, his awesome girlfriend, Nicole, and me last night at a comedy show. Dave and I went to high school together in Sydney, and he's doing a PhD in theoretical particle physics at Cornell, and Nicole is a med student here in New York City. They're both on summer break now, so it was awesome getting to see these busy academics. (The show was cool too!)

This weekend, Sam is partying it up in California with his brother, Dan, so today is my lazy day. It was going to be my cleaning day, but I think it's going to be my lazy day with some cleaning on the side. This morning, I've been beading and watching Project Runway reruns. I'm finishing up a bracelet that I started last weekend. It's inspired by my EBWC Challenge piece. Here it is, not quite done. (There are still loose strings hanging off of it.) It's definitely a piece that needs to be photographed in natural light, but you get the idea:

The bracelet turned out a little bit smaller than expected, so who better to wear it than yours truly! I'm keeping this one for myself! :-)

Speaking of last weekend, I just have to include this photo of Sam's mom, Cheryl, who put this choker that I made with this adorable outfit, worn to dinner last weekend in Sag Harbor:

They're all so Dreamy!

The entries for the Etsy Beadweavers Midsummer Nights Dream are up on the EBW blog! And they're all so dreamy and beautiful! Drool over them all and vote for your favorite! :-)

This Weekend

So Sam and I didn't quite make the fireworks. We got cheese steaks and headed over to the pier just as the crackling of fireworks started. About five minutes before the end. We did, however, make the last five minutes. It was still fun, though. Even as we were walking there, masses of people streamed in front of us and behind us. Then we headed to a party in Brooklyn with some of Sam's really nice Oberlin friends. It was really fun!

We came back "early" because we're going to Sam's parents' house in the Hamptons tomorrow. So unless I go to the library, I will be without internet access for the next two days! *gasp*

I'm super excited because Sarah (thebeadedlily) is featuring an interview of me in her blog! Sarah is another EBW member (and moderator!) with an Etsy jewelry shop of her own, featuring many unique beadwoven pieces. Here is just one of the beautiful things in her shop:


Sarah's shop is an eclectic mix, so I really recommend checking it out! :-)

A Midsummer Nights Dream

I'm meeting Sam in an hour to grab a quick dinner and then see the fireworks, but for now, I'm doing some of my essential chores...like writing in my blog!

The rest of my beads finally got here on Wednesday, and I spent Wednesday night, Thursday morning, and a lot of Thursday night (with a few hours dinner break with friends) furiously beading. And I finally finished!
Between scattered showers, I took some pictures of the necklace lying flat, and Sam took some of it on my neck, and voila!

Apart from the surprise factor, I've been a little mysterious about this choker partly because I didn't know how to explain how to describe the hearts. I also didn't want to take "in progress" pictures because at the time that I ran out of beads, I only had the three stars and a few of the strands connecting them.

Figuring out "numbers" for this piece was kind of difficult because each strand had to be a different length, and I had to keep this in mind while figuring out how to make the purple hearts. I also had to figure out how to make it look finished at the back. I went with brick stitch (which I had never used before, so I just taught it to myself out of the book Sam gave me for my birthday!)

I had originally wanted to add some embellishment to the bottom of this piece. I had a few different ideas going around my head. But when I finished the choker part, I realized that it was actually done! I don't think that any sort of embellishment would have done this piece justice. I'm actually very happy with the way it turned out! :-)

Thank you so much to everyone who left me kind words during the drama that surrounded this piece! ;-)

Some Happy Things

Last night, I went to the 40th anniversary party of Sam's parents, Cheryl and Richard. I really had a lot of fun meeting their family and friends, and of course, hanging out with Sam and his brothers, both of whom live in Chicago and had flown to New York for the occasion. They finally presented them with the photo album that that they (mostly Sam) had been working on for over a month! It included anecdotes from their loved ones, as well as photos. It was a great success!

After the party, Sam, his brothers, and I went back to Cheryl and Richard's for a night cap. We looked through the album. At this point, they opened a few presents. That's when I presented them with this box:
You see, Sam's parents collect little boxes. I've had this pattern by Julia S. Pretl in my beading repertoire ever since it appeared in Bead and Button Magazine about 6 years ago. They take quite a while to make, but I love making them and giving to people who love them. Seeing Richard's and Cheryl's happy reactions to this was sooooooooooo cool! :-)

Another happy thing is that I am currently being featured on NightMaiden's blog, Going Handmade! I am so grateful to NightMaiden for featuring me! I know that when I answer interview questions (just like when I used to write essays, and before that, reports) I tend to write a lot! So I really commend NightMaiden for taking my looooooong answers and putting together such a wonderful article! I also commend her for taking so much time to promote Etsy artist. Her blog is very new, but she has featured a different Etsy artist every single day since its birth! If you check out her blog, be sure to check out some of the other Etsy artists she features! Her post on Maoiliosa prompted me to impulsively buy these gorgeous Japanese washi earrings.

Ever since they arrived at my apartment a few days ago, I haven't taken them off! (OK, maybe for sleeping and showering, but that's IT!) :-)

OH NO!!!

So as you may recall, as soon as I heard the theme of this month's EBW challenge, A Midsummer Nights Dream, I immediately got sketching. I worked out a pattern and ordered the beads I needed. I wasn't quite sure which colors would work best, so I ordered a few different colors in small quantities.

I actually spent a large part of this month working on gifts (more on that another day!) so my challenge piece got pushed back a little bit. I figured I could finish it this weekend.

A little while after having started the challenge piece, I realized that the colors I was using just were not working out. There was not enough of a contrast between them, so I started over, using one of the colors I had used for one of my gifts.

I don't know why this did not occur to me at the time, but I did not have enough beads in that color! Last night, I realized this, and immediately spent a small fortune on two-day shipping. They should be there by Monday or Tuesday. Problem is, I'm supposed to stay at work late on both Monday and Tuesday (tutoring is canceled this week because of the 4th of July holiday). With my job, that could have me home anywhere between 7:00 and midnight! It's not so much the beading that I am concerned about as much as the trial and error. While part of my challenge piece is in my comfort zone, part of it is something I've never done before, and it takes a while to figure out how to make it work! And then there is the photography part of it. I want to take my pictures in natural light, so I'll just have to hope that July 3rd or 4th is a nice day (for more reasons than the obvious! ;-) ) Plus, it's the type of piece that really needs to be photographed on a person. So I'll have to make sure that I'm with a person who can photograph me wearing it during bright daylight hours. The July 4th holiday might complicate things, because I'm also going to have access to my computer - i.e. be at my apartment and not a barbecue or the like, for at least part of the day. AND if this piece does not end up working out, I won't have a challenge entry at all...

Earlier this morning, I ran out of the color I needed. At least this will force me to do the seemingly never ending house work I need to do... That's actually a good thing. :-)

Anyway, this will probably all work out. I did work on the piece a lot last night, so it's not as if I have the whole thing to make. (If I hadn't already done so much work, I would have just used another color!) But this is my progress report. I have made a lot of progress - I'm just impatient and I wish I could make some more progress now! :-)

An Almost Knitting Night...And Other Adventures

For exactly a year now, I've tutored GED students every Tuesday after work. I used to only tutor math, but now I almost exclusively tutor reading. This is something I look forward to every week, and I always come home invigorated. Like many who volunteer, in many ways, I learn more from those whom I teach than they learn from me.

Everyone knows that on Tuesdays from 6:00 to 8:00, I am not free. So yesterday, when Amna and I decided to see the New York Philharmonic play a free concert in Central Park, Amna got there a couple of hours early to stake out a spot. The plan was to knit in the park while we listened to amazing music. But, in typical Adina fashion, I forgot to bring my knitting needles to work! Luckily, I live right near the site of the concert, and when I got to Central Park West around 8:30, I ran home to find them! But (sadly!) I haven't knit for months! I have three scarves on the needles right now - all were going to be gifts last December! - and I was determined to work on one of them! But I couldn't find the matching needle to ANY of them! I scarfed (seriously, no pun intended!) down a bowl of cereal (I am NOT a pretty sight when I am hungry!) and tore through my apartment, looking for any one of the three needle mates. Finally, I found one! But that scarf was a cable pattern, and I couldn't find my cable needle (of course)! Finally, I grabbed a crochet hook, figuring I could improvise and use it as a makeshift cable needle, and bolted out the door.

When I got to where the concert was, there were droves of people walking towards me, and I was sure the thing was over...but it's wasn't! It was just intermission! I found Amna with surprising ease and, armed with my quarter-finished cable scarf, sat down on her huge picnic blanket to knit. And then I realized that it was too dark to knit. (It was even too dark to take pictures!)

Well, at least it was great company and amazing entertainment. And I hadn't seen Amna in over a month and I missed her! So it was great seeing her again. And, well, the New York Philharmonic! Enough said! Even without our knitting, we had so much fun! And then we went to Pinch for pizza. Yuuuuuuuummy.

Then, tonight, I had a tutor appreciation dinner. Also so much fun. I think I surprised the other tutors because I'm usually so quiet when I see them. But then, I'm usually concentrating on tutoring when I see them! Get a glass of wine and some good food in me, and I can't stop talking! Like our students, the tutors themselves are all so diverse, and getting to know them better was a pleasure!