knitxcore.: December 2012

Sunday, December 30, 2012

HANDMADE GIFT PARADE: ROOKIE-INSPIRED FLORAL CROWN

floral crown

Dani and I are both pretty much obsessed with Tavi Gevinson. We keep a pretty close watch on our little homegirl at all times. I immediately knew I was going to buy her the Rookie Yearbook, because that's what any good pal would do. Right?

After thumbing through it repeatedly (trying to find ideas for handmade gifts and swooning over how fantastic it was), I decided that Dani needed to have some kind of floral crown; a staple for the coven of cool kids who religiously follow young Tavi and her minions. Pastels wouldn't do it, though. Dani wears black every single day. I wanted to make something that suited her sense of style, just in case she wanted to wear it beyond a photo shoot or two.

I looked through the website and found a video of Tavi sort-of explaining how to make them. I did a little blog research and even dug out a 1970's book on how to make tissue paper flowers. After gathering my inspiration, I had a game plan.




I ended up having a particularly hard time finding tissue paper in grey and black (I didn't have time to order any) and so I got resourceful. I ended up using paper napkins from the party section at Michael's and spruced them up stamens from the bridal aisle. The rest of the flowers were made from plain white tissue and a shiny silver wrapping paper I had leftover from last year. I twisted the flowers onto a headband with floral wire and then covered the wires with black floral tape. When everything was perfect, I strategically (read: haphazardly) hot glued some silver branches from the Christmas section in between the homemade flowers.

I have it on good authority that my sweet little homemade gift may have brought our mermaid princess to tears. Again, I just want everyone to have a perfect holiday.

Ms. Tauber was kind of enough to take a self-portrait for me to share with everyone. Isn't she perfect?


HANDMADE GIFT PARADE: SHARPIE MUGS + DAVID'S TEA.

last minute gifts making mugs 1 making mugs 2

Every year, I work really hard to make sure that my co-workers receive meaningful handmade gifts. I spend as much time with them (if not more) as I do with Dave, so it's really important for me to make sure that I make the most unique gifts possible.

I made these mugs using the tutorial on A Beautiful Mess for my boss and his soon to be wife, Paula. I wanted them to be neutral enough to fit in with any theme or decor they have going on while still encompassing that crafty handmade vibe.

After wrapping them up, I tossed some Sleigh Ride tea from David's in the box for a complete gift set. (I also gave them the craziest vintage bubble bulb lamp. I should have taken a picture before I packed it up.)

Finally settling in to make gifts always puts me into the hoilday spirit! I hope they liked them!





Wednesday, December 19, 2012

DEAR SANTA: Dani Wants Stuff, TOO!

HEY SANTA!!!!

I felt really selfish asking you for all of that stuff and since I KNOW you're reading this, I thought I would take advantage of our budding interpersonal relationship by helping out a few friends. 'Tis the season, right? My pal Dani of Divebars and Graveyards has a few requests. Humor her? Thats what I do.

 drainpipe

oh hey, knitXcore readers!! and happy nondenominational winter celebrations!! i'm not really very good at asking for things or making actual wish lists, but robbie has asked me to guest blog about alll the thiiiings i want for christmas this year. so here is my list; santa, i really hope you're listening. i also really hope you can look past my speeding, cursing under my breath at slow people in public places, and my teasing blood on the dance floor fans at work...it's a phase. i promise. i can change.

dani hair

5. a boyfriend...with a post-punk / trad goth / rockabilly haircut. tight pants, decent ass. if you don't listen to the cramps, it's not gonna work out. no std's. no baby mama. no drug addiction(s). no bitch beer. i don't care how much money you make, just buy me pizza every now and then. inquire within...

dressdress

4. tattoo money / gift certificates!! i'd love to get more work done on my arms, and maybe add on to my chest piece.



3. a tooth fairy who works for free...i need my wisdom teeth out and all i've currently got on hand is whiskey, a pair of pliers, and no dental plan. so.

hearse

2. a vintage hearse with an all-velvet interior and a gas conversion that allows me like, 32 miles a gallon. or, better yet, make it a hybrid!! oh yes.

trash

1. news of the death of some never-met, very distant relative, in which i'm told i will inherit a $300/month rent-controlled penthouse apartment in new york city, preferably on or near st. marks. i'll settle for the garment district...i guess.
As you can see, this young cashew has some pretty extreme needs/wants. Is there anything you can do?

Christmas Kittehs!

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I don't think I post nearly enough cat pictures on my blog, so here you go!

Pumpkin is our pure-bred Somali. She loves getting into trouble and eating anything she can steal.

She hates wearing hats and sharing snacks.

Sometimes, she sleeps in the bathtub.


Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Dear Santa: Stuff is Good.

i like stuff
Hey Guy!

I bet I'm becoming a bit of a nuisance but I forgot to tell you something in my last post.

I LIKE STUFF.

I'll never become a minimalist. Things make me happy. I guess if I needed to have a label it would be a "maximalist"? Is that a thing? (Just looked it up. Definitely not a maximalist) Am I basically just a hoarder? Probably.

I'm filled with sadness when I go into sleek modern buildings or when I visit friends who don't have enough knick knacks. I start mentally placing my own bric-a-brac around in those empty spaces just to feel comfortable. Something is definitely wrong with me.

And so, I writing you again so I can procure a handful of things that would make me feel more at ease. You want me to be happy don't you?


My feet get so cold. Of course I could knit my own socks, but these recycled cotton socks from Hickoree's are cheaper than buying yarn.


I just rediscovered how great Demeter fragrances are. A staple in high school has become an all time favorite.


Dude. Peter Shire is my new favorite artist/sculptor. I'm freaking out over his collection of pottery. It's a little pricey, so I understand if a mug is the only thing you can swing.
I know that i already have a record player but WHAT ABOUT PICNICS? This one is portable and adorable. MUST HAVE.

Thanks for hearing me out man. I'm anxiously waiting to see what you've decided on.


Monday, December 17, 2012

Dear Santa: Keep It Simple.

dear santa, keep it simple.
Honestly bro, I've gotten some pretty strange clothes from you in the past.

In fourth grade, I got a printed silk shirt and a matching pair of suspenders. I thought it was legit. I thought you had my best interests in mind when choosing the perfect ensemble for me to debut in Miss Lafontaine's class after Christmas break. It looked totally expensive and my faith in you wouldn't steer me wrong, right? WRONG. I ate lunch in the bathroom for two weeks. Did you know who Urkel was? Just because he was on TV didn't mean he was cool.

A few years later, you did it again.

I opened my gifts and found a buffalo plaid pair of Zubaz pants with a matching V-neck top made out of a very stiff broadcloth. They may have been trendy in previous years, but by the time I opened up these extremely hideous genie pants, the fad had passed. I wore them anyway. My unwavering support, and your unabashedly exquisite taste level got me into a fight on the playground with a boy that looked like a pug. So, thanks for that.

This year, if you decide to buy me any clothes, my only request is that you keep it simple. Classics, y'know? I understand that you probably don't have a Polyvore account or that you sit around around in your palatial cabin waiting for Opening Ceremony to announce their latest collab. You're a busy dude. I get it.

Because you're so busy, I've decided to keep things incredibly simple for you.

This is what I want. Get it at American Apparel:

Winter Jacket
Rib Henley One-Piece
Fine Jersey Long Sleeve Leisure Shirt 

sorry/not sorry
thanks in advance :-)

Friday, December 07, 2012

DAMN THE MAN, SAVE TOILET WATER!

TW2

My friend Carol owns a really sweet record/clothing shop in Ocean City, NJ. It's probably the coolest shop we have locally. In addition to a fantastic vinyl selection and quirky gifts, she carries an assortment of really great clothes for guys and girls from really good brands; things from Dear Creatures, Obey and Sailor Jerry. If I drove, I would probably visit her everyday.

If you were following the devastating coverage of Hurricane Sandy, you know that Ocean City was hit HARD. A ton of great people lost a lot, including Carol. Unfortunately, the insurance companies just aren't helping and it's heartbreaking to see something someone has worked so hard on filling up with mold and broken dreams.

TW mess

Luckily, Carol was smart enough to have an off site warehouse that wasn't damaged in the storm. However, it doesn't change the fact that homegirl could use a little income to start picking up the pieces. It IS the holidays!

TWC1TWC2

So, until further notice Toiletwater.net is hosting an online warehouse sale!!!  By entering the discount code "40" at checkout you'll get an insane 40% off your total!!!!

Make a cute punk rock girl's Christmas and do some shopping on her site!


Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Christmas Knitting Swap!!!!

Christmas knitting party donutsssss DSC_0152

On Sunday, our Tuesday night knitting group met up to finalize our Christmas in July swap! We basically ananonymously traded yarn, and then patterns and finally a finished projects. It was super clever and the most fun!

Our lovely host, Lea, made some incredible treats for us to eat while we sat and chatted before the big exchange. It was great to finally catch up with everyone after a soul crushing semester at a new school. I was so excited to see everyone!

DSC_0189 julia CollageDSC_0187

Can you even stand how stinkin cute how cute Lea's house is? It looks like a yarn shop! Julia is pretty adorable too! Eventually, we got around to swapping gifts! Shawls for everyone!

My creation

There was even a guest appearance from an estranged West Coast knitter whom we all adore and miss!

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After sharing our stories and making up for lost time, it was time to pack up our shawls and hit the road!

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All in all, it was a great time with great friends that I'm so thankful to have in my life! You're all the greatest!