West Virginia Fun!

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting my two most favorite people ever, Will and Amanda, out in their West Virginia home! I was almost a little too excited because I've not seen them in forever and Amanda always makes us crazy waffles for breakfast (this time she made us Cinnamon Sugar waffles, whaaaaaaaat!?). 

We woke up Saturday morning and were kind of lazing around. Amanda had to go outside for something and all the sudden I hear "oooooh" and the door shut. She yelled for Will and I to come look and when we did, we saw the cutest little raccoon on their doorstep!

I stole their instagram karma with this photo. But don't be fooled, they totally got better shots of the little dude!

After all that excitement, we ventured to the local Alamo Drafthouse to see Oz the Great and Powerful. Local, meaning, an hour and a half away (I can't say much, we don't really have any near me). And let me tell you, if you've never experienced one, you need to. It's kind of the best place ever!

Image taken from GeekyRant

Quick movie review: it wasn't as bad as all the reviews I'd read said. In fact, I really enjoyed the movie and some of the subtle things throughout (I kept noticing a ton of rainbows, for instance).

Honestly, though, the highlight of my weekend there was when we went hiking on Sunday. I'd kind of set out to try to find a pair of antlers for Nick, but wasn't dead-set on it. Figured if we saw some, that'd be awesome and I could surprise him.Our hike was pretty much done and we were just heading back to their house when I glanced down and noticed a very white branch. I stopped and kind of did a whole "Is that- I think it's- oh man!" Yep, totally spotted an entire skull with antlers still attached!!! 

It's a pretty small skull, and the right side is missing but whatever. This is seriously the best find (especially because I was just hoping for, you know, one antler). I can't wait to get it mounted and hung on our wall!

Etsy Photos

So I'm going to admit something: I'm not the best photographer nor do I have the best camera. I rely on friends to help me out with this sort of thing. I'm going to consider it my part in "giving back" or whatever....

Anyway, so for the newest listings, my good friend Sean Scheidt helped me with the photos and I couldn't be any happier with the results! He mostly does fashion photography but has been known to dabble in the world of product photography.

I really can't wait to work with him again and hopefully I'll have more to list and more items to have fun with on our next shoot!

Below are a few of the photos he took for me, if you'd not had a chance to take a look at the listings. And I mean, if you haven't, what are you waiting for?!

Also, don't forget to head over to Bossy Italian Wife to enter to win one of my knit dish towels!

Giveaway time!!

I'm so so excited to announce that my good friend, Billie of Bossy Italian Wife is doing a giveaway on her blog featuring my dish towels!

Head on over to her blog (linked above) to enter for a chance to win!

If you don't win, though, FEAR NOT! I've listed some more in my etsy!! If you aren't fond of the colors available, please reach out to me! I'd love to work with you on a piece that suits your needs!

(This was my big surprise, guys! Hope you're as excited about it as I am!!)

New Etsy Listings!

Good morning!! Just wanted to pop in to let you know about the new listings I just put up on my etsy! Head on over to check them out!

And stay tuned for a little surprise in the next day or two :)

Friday Photo(s)

When I was little, we found a kitten on the side of the road, covered in fleas and ticks and just sad and pathetic. After we cleaned him up and got him healthy, we were able to play with him more. One day we were out back and kicking around the wood chips from my mom's garden. The cat went up to sniff one and immediately jumped about 10 feet in the air. That's when we named him Spooky. He was a pretty great cat who let me hold him like a baby. He also loved to swing on our swing set with me (as shown above). 

Sidenote: I love the multiple ruffles going on in my outfit. Not only did I have shoulder ruffles but the skirt had like two layers of ruffly jeans. Oh man, early 90s, come back to me.

Sneak Preview

Lately I've been working on some pretty basic items for my etsy shop and I'm so very excited to share them with you!

They're 100% cotton dish cloths and dish towels!

 

The cloths are 10 inches by 10 inches and the towels are 21 inches by 11 inches.

I've also got a little surprise coming up, but that'll have to wait until the weekend :)
 

Sunday Funday

Just a few things I've been enjoying over the week:

Caged Turquoise Necklace from This Enchanted Pixie

Bilbo Cardigan (ravelry link)

Twinkle and Tweed Heel from Modcloth. I'm a bridesmaid in a wedding where the colors are blue and yellow. Our dresses are blue and these shoes would be the perfect match! 

I was recently exposed to PB2 and I'm obsessed. It's a healthier, reasonably priced alternative to regular old peanut butter. And it tastes JUST the same as regular pb! Oh and they make a chocolate peanut butter that I've not yet tried, but sounds amazing!

Friday Photo(s)

I've always loved weekly features on other blogs and I decided I'd like to start one on mine! (And, let's face it, it'll be harder for me to avoid posting for over a week!)

I'm choosing a photo from way back when (which honestly doesn't seem like so long ago): 1991! 

Left to right: My sister, me, Evan and Drew (mom's friend's sons!)

My mom and her friend (the mother to the two boys) each took photos of us kids hanging out on my front steps. I have no idea why my sister is throwing up gang signs or why we ALL have the same haircut, but whatever, it was fun. 

I mostly want to discuss that awesome red Jeep in the corner. My sister and I had got that for Christmas in 1990. It was our annual joint present (we got one huge gift each year to share). I remember she wanted to drive it for a bit and she was allowed to, inside the house. Instead of, you know, driving it away from things, she decided to go straight for the Christmas tree...where our cat was sleeping. Luckily, the tree was on the coffee table. Upon impact, though, the tree toppled over and poor Buddy went flying. From then on, I wouldn't allow her to drive it. I was designated driver and she could be my passenger. I mean, a three year old is not capable of handling the speed of a battery powered Jeep! 

Slacker

So I've been slacking lately. I won't bore you with excuses, so let's get right in to it! 

I've been working on another gift exchange project recently. Actually two items for one exchange. Unfortunately, I already mailed out the hat. But I can tell you that I used the It All Comes Together Beret pattern (on ravelry). I used a nice wool blend in mustard. 

Because of the super quick deadline, I had to get that baby shipped out before I was late. BUT I've got part two still here and still unfinished! 

I'm using the Foreign Correspondent's Scarf pattern (on ravelry). I honestly can't remember what this yarn is. I bought it several years ago while on a trip in New York. I've loved the colors in it, but hadn't found a pattern for it yet. 

I really like the contrast between the slant of the pattern and the slant in the colors!

 

I've been able to catch up today thanks to a "snow day." The above picture shows just about how much snow we've currently got and let me tell you, I'm sorely disappointed. We were supposed to get anywhere from 4-10 inches and it was supposed to be our second Snowmageddon. Yeah...

At least I got a day off though! If any of you got some of the storm, I hope you were able to enjoy it!

Friday Fun with Kitty Caps!

Nick and I recently bought a new (to us) couch. Of course, as soon as we got it, Eleanor and Toby decided to play all over it and sometimes use it as a scratching post. Discipline doesn't work, especially on Ellie - she's a spiteful brat, and I can't hang out at home all day, ready to yell when they try to start clawing. Solution? KITTY CAPS!!!

I bought this set (pink glitter and hot pink) and also a clear set. But once I got home, I knew I'd use this set on both cats haha!

The directions say to trim the cat's nails before you apply. I was able to do that with Ellie but Toby freaked out when I got the clippers near him. In my opinion,  you don't NEED to do that, but it would help fit a little better. His are staying on just fine for now, though. 

Application was pretty easy, but I learned my lesson and will  have Nick help me next time. Ellie growled and bit me (just once), but it would have been so much easier with someone else applying the glue to each cap and just handing to me. 

And the final product!! I decided to give Toby the hot pink nails and Eleanor got the pink glitter!

So defeated.

So annoyed.

All in all, I'd really recommend these! They're reasonably priced, supposed to last 4-8 weeks AND the cats haven't snagged the couch anymore since I put them on!!

Date Night!

This year, Nick and I decided to celebrate Valentine's Day a day or so after the 14th...mostly to avoid crowds. Something you should know about me: I hate crowds. I get irritable and annoyed and can't handle anything until I'm where I'm supposed to be. This will make more sense in a minute. 

A couple days after we decided to hold off on any plans until the weekend, I found a deal for Medieval Times! Nick had JUST talked about how he wanted to go sometime. I'd never been either, so I figured we'd buy the deal and go! 

I don't know why I didn't realize....but the Friday after Valentine's Day is still a pretty busy day and especially at a place like Medieval Times.

These dudes were the show-openers.

Our knight is the Black and White....he was also the cutest

We got a grab bag of Valentine's Items! Two champagne glasses, two flags, a rose, a weird light up foam stick thing and...

our photo taken! (This was mid-freak out, so I'm surprised I look as happy as I do). 

I think I held it together pretty well, though. Once we got inside and seated, I was fine. Ok, I won't lie. Once I got my complimentary glass of champagne, I was fine. Once we got inside, I was able to fully relax and enjoy the show! 

Hope you had a great Valentine's too! Tell me what you ended up doing for the holiday! 

Tardis Shawl

If you're like me, you only recently heard of this site, but if you're more of an internetting-pro, I'm sure it's old news. Anyway, I recently (within the last year) started browsing reddit. Quickly, I found the Knitit subreddit and fell in love. I'm SO glad I did find it because recently there was a sign up for a Knitters vs Crocheters swap! How awesome! I immediately signed up and then became really nervous.

What if my match wants a huge blanket? What if their likes aren't that similar to mine and I'm unfamiliar with their likes?! What if they want something that's above my skill level?! What if, what if, what if!!!!!

As you can tell, I'm a crazy worrier and it's mostly all for naught. I was paired with someone who asked for a lace project (I've only ever done like two lace projects) and a Dr. Who themed item. I don't watch Dr. Who. OH NO!!!!!!

Luckily, I found Bigger on the Inside from Knitty's Spring/Summer 2012 edition!

First few rows of the lace portion

I actually just finished the shawl this evening. I still have to weave in ends and block it, but at least it's off the needles! 

Blurry Eleanor tries to get in close for a look.

By next time I'll have all the ends woven in and it'll be blocked.  I'm so excited to share the fully finished product!

Good morning!

Hello and welcome! My name is Shaye and I'm always knitting (and sometimes crocheting) and watching a whole lot of television while doing so.

I live in an apartment in Baltimore with my wonderful boyfriend Nick and our two kitties!

Toby

Eleanor

To be honest, those two will probably be a large part of this blog. Why? Because I love them and look how photogenic they are!

I'll be posting mostly about current knitting projects both for my etsy and friends/family, but with a little bit of travel, book, and tv talk thrown in. And of course cute kitty talk!

I'm so very excited to start writing about my life and experiences in general as well as discuss knitting projects! And while I know not everyone is as knitting-crazed as I am, I will be sure to incorporate other aspects of my life for everyone to enjoy!

Thank you for checking out my blog and I hope you stick around!