Happy Halloween Everyone!

Here are a couple of pictures of some freshly carved pumpkins, carved my be and my hubby last night! Enjoy~ and have a happy and safe Halloween.

Fall is here!

One of many things occupying my time lately has been the traveling scarf group. See my scarf travel across the country. Currently it is visiting the east coast and some lovely pumpkins!


Projects underway:

I have put some of my crocheting and knitting on hold to finish some important and some less important projects. It's hard being a textile fanatic. So many things to distract one... :D

This year I will be participating in Discarded to Divine, a charity auction benefiting the St. Vincent De Paul Society. Local fashion designers/design students create unique, one-of-a-kind couture pieces created from recycled discarded clothing. This year I'm planning something spectacular. the only hint I will give to you right now is that I will be using only the items you see on the left here and at least two if not three of my textile related skills. I promise it will be worth the wait. More pics and info to come soon. I want to keep an online diary of my progress by way of this blog.

Another thing that will be occupying my time in the coming weeks is preparations of submissions of three special projects to a magazine which at this time will remain undisclosed as to not jinx myself. If I get in, I will post the good news. :D

I will also begin focusing on the next Crochet Liberation Front books. I have a couple of awesome pattern ideas in mind. If you don't have this book already, I highly recommend buying it :D. Well worth the money :D. And I'm not just saying that because I'm in it ;).

In other news, as if I weren't enough of a textile fanatic already, I've taken up a new hobby...spinning my own yarn. Spinning has it's own zen qualities that lends itself well to daily meditation. I just started in July after taking a brief class at Lambtown USA. I am now spinning lovely singles...


..which are then becoming beautiful yarns.

On October 18th, I will be attending Color: A Fiber Festival where I will be taking all sorts of lovely classes to enhance my textile manipulation skills. Muahahaahahahah! If you are in the greater Berkeley area, I highly recommend you stop on by. There will be many awesome classes and vendors for the fiber junkie in you. And you get a chance to meet all sorts of nice people like myself :D

New crochet projects...completed and upcoming

Recently I bought some yarn to work out a scarf using one of those beautiful Japanese crochet stitch patterns. It was originally made to give away, but then I fell in love with the amazing texture and beautiful subtle play of color. Plus it looked really good on my hubby...so I guess it saves me a present!

Presenting...The Tulle Fog Scarf. I haven't posted the pattern yet for download, but when I do, it will be on ravelry.

In other news..the Tour de France is about to start up and you know what that means.....time to work up some beautiful cycle worthy crochet! I have two great ideas...a pair of red riding gloves ala Speed Racer and a cute little matching cloche hat ala Trixie! Pics to come as I work out the patterns.

ALSO-->What have you done lately to help your Local Yarn/Fabric/Craft Store? Me? Well, I just showed my LYS some love by buying one of my fave crafting magazines, Interweave Crochet at my LYS instead of the MEGASTORE down the street. I also bought some yarn and vocally shared my appreciation. I guess she wasn't used to that, because I think the gesture really moved her. One good deed for the day, right.

I have so much more news and projects to share...but I still need to sort out some photos. I just got back from a trip to Yosemite National State Park (if you haven't been there, I highly recommend it...awe inspiring nature!) and so I have some pics to share. My mother in law also recently gifted me with an awesome stash of vintage crochet cotton threads and patterns dating back to 1945! Pics will come as I begin to work out the projects. Also, expect more portfolio pics soon.

Portfolio Images--Freshly Updated

As you may or may not know....I design clothes. Well, I guess if you've been following this blog you already know that, as my wedding dress from my very first post was also designed, pattern drafted, and sewn by me.

Since I design primarily for women, and I am a bit underfunded at the moment, I did all of the modeling you see here. Yup, might as well use myself as I am still slender enough and tall enough to do my own modeling. Pretty brave if you ask me...most designers wouldn't dare. And with no make-up!

Well this is all about the clothes anyway, so please take a moment to look them over. I have uploaded a few choice images for you to peruse. Enjoy!

ITEM NAME: Geisha Shirt. DESCRIPTION: Kimono sleeved tunic with self fabric bias-bound seams, blouson back, and tie waist. COLLECTION: FALL 2008. FABRICATION: Japanese Cotton

ITEM NAME: Twist Dress. DESCRIPTION: Draped jumper dress with a twisted bodice. COLLECTION: Summer 2008. FABRICATION: Linen

ITEM NAME: Corset Pant DESCRIPTION: Extreme high rise pant with denim detailing. COLLECTION: Fall 2009. FABRICATION: brushed twill

I will try to post more in the future as I work to get all of my pieces individually photographed.

Crochet for Change--> Crochet and Charity

I have just recently put my first Ravelry pattern up for others to download and its gotten some really great response. I've sent the pattern off to 5 people, 8 people have it in their queues. It's very exciting for me, because you never really know if anyone else will appreciate your work.

That's me in my "V for Victory Hat". I came up with the design for the "Knitters for Obama” group. We are crocheting and knitting a number of hats, scarves, and washcloths to donate to homeless vets in a number of locations. I have made 7 victory hats in varying color combinations to donate for the cause (one example shown by my husband to the left).

In other news, I am still waiting to hear about whether or not I will be in the Crochet Liberation Front 1st official book with this pattern for my Yogini Tote. If it doesn't make it into the book, I will put it on Ravelry for sale. It took a lot of time and a lot of love to create it.
This week I'm pretty busy...trying to finish up my first sock for the sock a month SF club, prepping yarn for the Knitting Olympics (gonna make my first Fair Isle project) and working on some lovely crochet wear designs I've been cooking up in my little brain (a little hint...Go Speed Racer Go! :D). I'll also be going to Yosemite for the first time for an extended weekend.
This is all while trying to find a new job...sigh.

MAROON!!

Well I decided I'd venture off in my quest to dye my own yarn for this project I've been pursuing. I couldn't find affordable yarn anywhere that was the right gauge for this project, so I figured, what the heck, maybe I can dye it!

Well my chocolate brown ended up maroon. I didn't test swatch it, because I figured even if the color wasn't exactly right, how wrong could it be??

Sigh, how very wrong indeed...

But it all turned out okay in the end. See my beautiful sweater. Dyed and knit by me!

You May Be a Textile Fanatic If...

1. The value of your stash of fabrics/yarns of possible projects exceeds your annual income.

2. You have more "potential" clothes than actual clothes.

3. You frequently use family, friends, charity groups or whatever as an excuse for your addiction even though you already have ample supplies at home (I need to buy THIS cashmere yarn to make socks for my mom, or maybe a beanie for the homeless, or maybe...) and you really know you are probably just going to add it to your stash.

4. You've run out of places to sleep because of your fiber addiction (or have your bed jacked up too high you fear injury to facilitate easy textile storage).

5. You buy supplies for techniques you do not yet know with the intention of learning them someday (someday I'll learn how to make lace, and when I do, I'll be glad I bought all of this...)

6. You have ever worried that maybe that one remaining skein/yard will be lonely if you don't buy them all.

7. You have tried to convince your husband/wife/lover/partner/pet to wear a sweater/poncho/dress to give you good reason to buy that fabric/yarn/material or to use/learn a technique.

8. You live in California, but you've taken up Norwegian Stocking Knitting in wool during high summer (or made cotton crochetted bikinis for the winter in Fargo)

9. Your cozies have cozies.

10. Your UFO's outnumber your BFF's

To be or not to be a textile fanatic

...sigh, life as a SF Fashionista can be rough.

Expecially in the early stages. Finding a new job while keeping an old one. Trying not to get too distracted by projects. Trying not to buy more supplies than needed...big problem there!

This blog will be part ranting, part personal update, part forum for new ideas and new interests. I will document my daily struggle with trying to make it in the fashion industry, as well as my current hobbies and projects.

There will be lots of photos of adventures and surprises and more. We will see. I'm a horrible blogger...