and then there were five...

I finally finished the five birds for the Handmade Bird Swap I signed up for through Craftster. I made four of them a while ago and for some reason the fifth one took me a few extra weeks to complete. I pretty much used the pattern/tutOWLrial I found online by Moonstitches, but added a few of my own mods like a little pouch/pocket in front of each owl and made a different base for each owl as well. I tried to take in consideration each recipient's likes and dislikes based on the questionaires we were all asked to fill out. Each one was made with different recycled/upcycled materials, different buttons and styles of eyes and wings. The stuffing used is made of bamboo. Initially I was going to construct little softie tree logs to house them in, but then stumbled across bamboo boxes below made by Numi the tea company. The company must have donated them to the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse as they had hundreds of them. I decided to go the easier route and use them instead. I figure my recipients can think of creative reuses for them as well!

Here's hoping my recipients like the birdies and bird stuffs I'm sending along with them. Bye bye birdies! <:

Mindful knitting with the Dalai Lama

Well, I just picked up my three "freebie" tix for two friends and myself from another friend to go see the Dalai Lama tomorrow at UC Berkeley's Greek Theatre. I was planning on bringing my Jared Flood Almeara glove project along, but upon reading the security info on the UC site, I'm not sure if it's such a good idea. I wouldn't want my knitting to be "perceived as weapons" and I'd be pretty bummed if I had to give up my right glove to gain entrance to the event. Here's a pic of the right.

Italy earthquake: 98 year old woman knitted as she waited for rescue

This story has hit every knitting/crochet blog out there, but in case you haven't seen or heard about it here it is a few more times...

There's some question as to whether she was knitting or crocheting and some say a bit of both. It doesn't really matter, I just think it's a great story.

Huffington Post:
98 Year-Old Woman Found Alive In Italy's Earthquake Rubble

The Daily Telegraph UK:

Italy earthquake: elderly woman knitted as she waited for rescue 

YouTube:

spoiler alert for handmade bird swapees...don't peek if you want to be surprised

here are four of the five birds i'm sending to my swap pals for the craftster handmade bird swap. each one was created using their color and fiber preferences. hopefully, they'll be happy with what i've made. i added little pocketses and plan on putting little tidbits in each one. we've got until the end of the month and i could keep on obsessing on the additional things i'd like to add to each one, but i really want to send them off asap and not wait until the 11th hour.

oldie but goodie, the cuppycake song

You're my Honeybunch, Sugarplum
Pumpy-umpy-umpkin, You're my Sweetie Pie
You're my Cuppycake, Gumdrop
Snoogums-Boogums, You're the Apple of my Eye
And I love you so and I want you to know
That I'll always be right here
And I love to sing sweet songs to you
Because you are so dear

I first heard this little girl's voice on an animation of a kitty that looks like a loaf of bread on www.e-thug.net. The domain is no longer but you can find it on YouTube.

Latest haul from the The Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire

I try to make the The Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire held every first Sunday of the month. I just call it the Alameda Flea Market. I've been going on and off for several years now and have found some wonderful things for my home, art/craft supplies, etc. Here's my latest find:

According to this website, it's a 1938 Underwood Universal:
Billed as the new Typemaster portable, the Universal/
Champion line was a popular portable that embodies the latest development in personal writing machines of the late 1930s. Noticeable improvements of the new line include Sealed Action Frame, Champion Keyboard, Dual Touch Tuning as well as an array of features that one would expect to find only in higher priced portable. Available in Charcoal gray or tan matte finish. The early version had metal ring key tops while the later version had improved plastic key tops. (A carrying case with folding stand was also offered at the time as an optional accessory for the line).

Mine has the carrying case and folding stand. It's in excellent shape, but I think I'll still bring it in to Berkeley Typewriter for a tune-up. Isn't she a beaut? I also picked up some vintage french fabrics that I'll use for some of my bird softies. Ok, off to work...

Birdspiration

Well, I should be finishing up my Jared Flood gloves, but instead I've started playing around on the old singer sewing machine figuring out what kind of bird(s) to make for the Handmade Bird Swap. I stumbled across Soto Softies blog where she points out a few wonderful bird softie makers in an old post: Ann Wood, Abby Glassenberg (while she naps), and a familiar site...Stephanie Congdon Barnes (little birds).

Wow, do I have a lot to learn regarding construction of softies, let alone creating original works and getting my own style down. I don't wanna go to work...

when crafters go bad...

on ocassion, i peruse the best of on craigslist. this one had me cracking up:

Lost small crocheted robot

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2009-02-06, 1:23PM PST

I have lost a good friend due to alcohol abuse.

I got blackout drunk at the commodore last weekend (Fri Jan 30) and misplaced a small crocheted robot with a lot of sentimental value.

I need this back.

If you see this doll either laying around or in a crackhead's shopping cart please alert me because I need dexter back.

See the below picture, please hook a sister up.

Text 778.239.6844 if you have any information regarding the whereabouts of dexter.

das vadanya from mr. b :(

Looks like Coraline's Mr. Bobinsky's blog posts have come to an end. He's gone back to Russia with his mice and posted a farewell message. Heavy sigh...:(

whimsical little knits arrives in berkeley

Ysolda's hot off the press booklet of patterns arrived from Edinburgh in my mailbox today. Pretty darn fast shipping as I ordered it last week. Thank you Ysolda! I love every pattern in this book and would like to start off by knitting the little slippers pictured first. I discovered her fabulous patterns where else, but on Ravelry and there's even a Ysolda group on Ravelry too.