A Tale of Two Lunas

Luna Lovegood is one of my all time favorite literary characters.  She is quirky, bold and gentle, all rolled into one interestingly dressed package. 

Was it a surprise that I wanted to dress up as her for Halloween? 

My current roll for Halloween is to chaperone a feisty and excited bunch of trick or treaters.  Usually my costumes involve lights or some sort of guiding device to herd the group.  This year I have no doubt that they will be able to see me.  Mostly because I will be sporting Luna Lovegood's Quidditch Lion Hat, which may or may not have turned out GIGANTIC-ly awesome.  It is complete with a lion's roar and LED lights.   

My original plan was to go as Quibbler Luna.  One of the girls we are trick or treating with also chose Quibbler Luna, and seeing as she is a total Luna ringer, I couldn't compete. I also like a crafty challenge so when the gears started turning they kicked out a rough draft sketch of the hat, I knew I was headed in the right direction.

In my head my plan was to enjoy the project, take lots of pictures and document my progress so I could write a proper pattern for it.  I got so into the making process that I did not document what I did.  I have a rough idea plan.  I posted the sketch picture on October 3rd and finished the hat on October 21st.  The longest part was the rectangular scarf shaped base which took two days to knit.

 

The top four skeins in the picture (by the pumpkin) were used in the mane alone and purchased at Joann's Crafts. The mini embroidery hoops and sparkly ribbon are also from the craft store.  The two chunky yellow skeins I picked up on vacation at Ball and Skein in Cambria, California.  The beanie I used was purchased at Target. 

I used a stash ball of dk weight yellow yarn along with the chunky yarn to add some depth into the knit.  I also used size 10 needles because I wanted a fairly tight texture since I knew I would be stuffing this thing.

Sometimes I like discussing my plans with people even if they sound completely off the wall.  My friends are used to this.  It helps me organize my thoughts and I can pick their brains for things that I might not think of.  For example when I was talking about how I was going to work stretching out the hat to my head size while stitching the base of the head onto the beanie.  I was thinking about stretching it out over my knee and my friend goes "Why don't you use the pumpkin?"  My friends are geniuses!  Wouldn't you know it...I measured it and the pumpkin was only a few centimeters smaller than my head.  Which I'm not sure is a brag-able thing or not.  

The voice box.  One of my original brainstorms was to used a stuffed animal head on top of a hat.  I browsed online sites and decided that I was going to go from scratch because I could not find a head big enough.  One of the sites I was looking through was Build a Bear.  So I visited my local one with another task in mind.  According to the books, Luna's hat roars and Harry could hear it from the field.  Build a Bear happens to have a huge selection of voice boxes for their stuffed animals.  I needed a specific one.  They have this nice little device that will record almost anything you want on a voice box to put into one of their many many stuffed animals.  I know my way around a Build a Bear.  So the woman working there was very nice and asked if I needed a lion to go with my roar.  Nope.  Oh, do you already have one at home?  Nope.  I'm going to put it in a hat.  I am immune to looks when people think I'm weird.  Much like Luna.

   
Every now and then I tried the hat on to make sure the stuffing wasn't too snug on my head.

The black accents were also knit.  The large nose piece is just a triangle shape and the eye parts are diamonds.  I cheated and used giant safety eyes because I didn't think I could pull off realistic looking eyes (on my giant stuffed lion head).  

Pre mane.  On the back I installed some LED battery powered lights.  The ones I had from a camping trip have a remote for them and it's easier to turn them off and on.  I strung them in and out of the knitting.  In the end it looked a little crazier than I wanted so I did end up braiding them into some of the yarn.  

For the mane I alternated picking up different types of yarn and added them to the knit with a crochet hook.  

The ears are the mini embroidery hoops with an I-cord wrapped around them and stitched on.  

When I first finished it I was a little let down that it was so large.  Which goes to show that even though I think I know what I am doing, I do not.  I always have a vague idea however.  It turned out much larger than I anticipated but the more I wear it the more I love it.  The oversizeness seems to fit.  In the words of Luna...It's good, isn't it?

“Hello' said a vague and dreamy voice from behind them. Harry looked up: Luna Lovegood had drifted over from the Ravenclaw table. Many people were staring at her and few people openly laughing and pointing; she had managed to procure a hat shaped like a life-size lion's head, which was perched precariously on her head.
'I'm supporting Gryffindor' said Luna, pointing unnecessarily at her hat. "Look what it does...'
She reached up and tapped the hat with her wand. It opened its mouth wide and gave an extremely realistic roar that made everyone in the vicinity jump.
'It's good, isn't it?' said Luna happily. 'I wanted to have it chewing up a serpent to represent Slytherin, you know, but there wasn't time. Anyway...good luck, Ronald!”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

And Such

It's not that I forget that I still have a blog...it's that my free time in which I used to sit down and write has been taken over by fiber.  I am knitting all of the things all of the time.  Since I can not write and knit at the same time, my poor bloggy blog has been left to sulk. 

Excuses, excuses I know. 

I did have a moment over the Summer where I put the large projects down and just worked on small stuff.  It was just tooooo (yes that many o's) freakin hot here to be under large quantities of wool.  We get triple digits here.  Nothing like walking outside and having 110 degrees hit you in the face. 

The fox hat that I kept in my purse just got finished last night.  It was an easy knit.  Just my favorite quick hat pattern, the Double Thick Cuff from verypink.com.  When it came to the crown decreases, I skipped those and knit 14 more rows.  I then found the 1/4 mark and 3/4 mark and knit three together to do a little bit of shaping. every other row.  I did that for 4 more rows and then flipped it inside out and did a three needle bind off.  Then I worked up two triangles starting with 15 stitches cast on, working in Stockinette, on knit rows knit 2 together, the first stitches and the last two stitches.  Then I stitches those on the front of the corners of the hat.  I stitched them through both layers so they gave more of a fox ear shape.  If any of that made any sense.  Now you see why I don't write patterns. 

It's my new favorite thing.  Now I want to make all of the hats, and I might have already promised my daughter a wolf hat for her and her wolf loving, role playing best friend.  

Continental Traveler

Started in Utah.  On yarn bought in California.  On needles bought in Oregon.  Finished in Tennessee.

 

Alpaca yarn.  Soooo soft!

I was working on it while my daughter hit the pool in Zion National Park, Utah.  I was hiding from the sun under a nice umbrella when someone asked me if I was working on a Slytherin scarf.  Why yes, I am working on a house scarf.  Then she gasped and said "I'm not sure if I am okay with that?!?  Don't you know that's the bad house?"  I know too many cunning Slytherins to answer that.   

Being Crafty and Such.

Dolls have been a hit lately.  I found a pattern I really love over at The Friendly Red Fox.  I have tried out this pattern a few time within the last two weeks.  I've made some minor changes to fit the look I was going for.  We had a house full of girls over last weekend and they all made some lovely pictures that I turned into doll.  

 

This one was supposed to be "a cat that you can't tell might be a dog"

 

The red girl.

 

Pinocchio for a special present. 

 

Figuring out the structure.  

The pattern worked up surprisingly easy. 

Finding Thoughts

I don't think the problem is finding thoughts to blog about.  I think my problem is not sitting down and writing about them right away. 

I wouldn't say that I have down time right now.  More like I am putting off everything I need to be doing.  Yesterday I spent the day picking up around the house.  I probably should have spent time in one area so it looks like I made more of a dent.  Little by little things will get done.  I know because I am the one who will get it done.  Maybe after one more cup of coffee. 

Keeping Up with Millie

Last August, we adopted a cat.  After not having cats for several years I wasn't sure if we were ready.  Things have been going pretty well, and I am happy to report that she fits in just fine.  She loves cardboard boxes, keyboards and watching youtube with me when no one else is home and the house is quiet.  She also like to play with crafting supplies which around here is plentiful. 

I have to admit that she is pretty spoiled!

I'm Still Around...

I am still here and kickin.  Just an update...the dishwasher is still broked and so is the husband's back.  So needless to say, I haven't had a whole lot of time to update my poor little abandoned bloggy blog.  But I wanted to let anyone who still reads this know that regardless of what is going on, I am still pushing through and making the best of it. 

Little Tech Support

Quick story time!

I was in Clover's class this morning for a little bit helping out.  The teacher was saying how her computer was broken and she couldn't see anything on the screen.  I offered to take a look at it and Clover came out of nowhere and asked

"When was the last time you rebooted it?  That means turning it on and off again.  Sometimes you have to do that and it will work just fine!"

I had a good chuckle.  She is her father's daughter.  It also reminded me of the IT Crowd.

She is a little more enthusiastic than that but the hair is pretty spot on! 

Oh, Monday

I thought we were pals?

Today you handed me an injured husband and a broken dishwasher. 

I spent two and a half hours at the doctors, another forty five at the pharmacy.  I was late picking up my kid and still had to make a Target run.  I fixed the dishwasher, made a hot home cooked healthy meal for dinner, took out the trash, got the kiddo in the bath, got hubby and kid in bed and managed to get a load in the wash. 

All while wearing lip gloss. 

See you next week Monday. 

I Made Another Thing

This time it's a Customized Framed Magnet Board! 

It can hold all sorts of stuff including pretty little pots full of sparkly eye shadow.  I brainstormed for a few days about the best way to tackle this.  I wanted a magnet board but I wanted a pretty one.  I didn't want to over think it because I wanted to be able to find materials here in town and not custom order something online.

 

The frame is from Wal-Mart and has been in the cabinet forever.  The magnet board is from the teenybopper/locker part of the back to school section at Target.

 

Step one, disassemble the magnet board.  

I took the cardboard off of the back of it.  I just had to pry the corners over and it slipped right off.  I was worried I was going to have to saw through this but as soon as the cardboard came off the metal was flexible enough to cut with scissors.  

 

Cut to fit the 5x7 frame.

 

 

I took some scrap fabric and covered the magnet board with some overlap on the back and hot glued the ends down.  Then put the back of the frame on.

 

I found these magnets at Orchard and had them left over from another craft project so I took those and hot glued them to the back of my pots.  

 

Ta-da!

Overall the project was about five dollars out of pocket since I had most of the components laying around.  It took about ten minutes AFTER I figured out that the backing comes off the magnet board.  I did spend about twenty minutes looking for the saw and glue gun before I started. 

 

My finished set up. 

It looks nothing like that now.  I found some spooky books when I was picking up something from Orchard so I subbed those out for the gray books. 

 

So Scary! 

Nature of the Giver

We were talking the other day and I asked one of those not so simple questions.

What do you want to be remembered for?

I don't give this question much thought.  When the question was turned back on me I answered it pretty quickly.  I just want to make someone happy.  I know there are people out there with huge goals of changing the world.  I'm not looking to take on the stress of all that.  I just want to make the people around me happy and spread some love.  I don't aim for big things.  I like to be helpful wherever I can.  If I can make someone's day a little bit easier I am all in.  Sometimes it's bringing cookies or cracking a lame joke to distract someone from their stress for a minute or two.  As a matter of fact I think it's the smaller things that matter.  Let's just revisit my favorite quote, shall we? 

"I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love."  - Gandalf     

Such is the nature of the giver, I suppose.  You never know how that small act of kindness can help.  Sometimes those acts go unnoticed as the person is so wrapped up in themselves that they are too distracted to notice.  Then there are the ones that take so frequently that they come to expect it.  Both of those thoughts are discouraging.  As my favorite six year old in the whole wide world told me today...

"That's just life Mom!  Sometimes it's just like that"

Sometimes we just have to shrug it off and continue on because you know I am going to wake up and do it all again tomorrow.               

But, What If I'm Not Ready

The other night Clover was getting snuggled in bed.  Everything was in order.  Her book was picked out and her crocheted rainbow blanket on the bed.  She popped out of under the leaf that hangs over her bed to tell me "Mom, I'm six now.  I'm a little old to be sleeping with stuffed animals in my bed.  Dontcha think?"

The voices started in my head.  What?!?  No?!?  You're still a baby!  You can sleep with whatever stuffed animal you want to sleep with!  But I heard myself calmly say "If you feel like that is what you want to do than that is fine"

She thought about it for a minute.  "Yeah, Olivia can sleep on the side of my bed.  She doesn't actually have to sleep WITH me."

Yes she does!  She has slept with you since forever.  Her neck is all wobbly from where you put her in a headlock every night! 

We read her story and snuggled before I turned on her lullabies and kissed her goodnight.  Olivia was still tucked into the side of her bed.

I'm not too sure I can handle my baby deciding that she is over this stage in her life.  Yes, I know realistically that she is going to grow up, but why does it have to be so fast?

When I peeked on her later in the night she had pulled Olivia out and had her in a headlock.  I sighed a heartfelt sigh of relief.  As I walked down the hall all I could think was that I'm still not ready.        

Obsessed With

I've been catching up with my Youtube subscriptions.  I've been watching a lot of beauty vloggers.    One of the things I find funny is the lingo a lot of these people use.  "I'm like obsessed with it" and "I've been in love with this forever".  I'm taking a shot in the dark and guessing that you mean that all figuratively and not literally.  Because I think it would be hard to function while that blush is preoccupying your mind continually, intrusively and to a troubling extent.  It's blush, it's pinkish or coral or orange and you put it on your cheeks.  I'm finding it hard to comprehend how you are thinking of that to a troubling extent.  You could just say your found something that you really really liked.  See the two reallys mean you double like it, or love it.

With that being said, I found stuff that I really really love!

First is an independent make up company called Shiro Cosmetics.  I have tried the eye shadows.  They do loose powders and have just started selling pressed as well.  They have beautiful colors and they have some very creative color names.  Some of them are on the geeky side but honestly that is what drew me in.  The quality is what made me place a second order.  You can also turn any eye shadow (as long as it is lip safe) into a lip gloss which I also did for Wild Flowers and it's my new favorite thing ever!  

 

The two that started this endeavor.  Up all night to get Loki and Jareth's Tight Pants. 

 

Hubby bought me a mini haul for my birthday.  He's a good hubby.  

 

Hurried swatches on my hand because I was so excited to open them!

My other favorite thing I actually bought awhile ago.  I managed to scare my husband half to death with it while in San Francisco.  He walked into a dimly lit bathroom and saw the goblin king on the counter.  "Honey why is creepy thing in the bathroom?"

 

He just happens to be my makeup inspirations so why not put him on a makeup bag?

 

Makeup:  It doesn't look that hard...

It's harder than you think Sarah!  So while browsing forums I came across a company that will custom print bags.  It's called ArtsCow and they will pretty much custom print anything from tiny key chains to large tote bags.  If you want it on a bag you can get it through them.  Every now and then they do some really cool sales.  The printing on the bag is really nice.  It's fabricky and not plasticy and I have traveled with it a bunch for the last couple of months and it's held up pretty nicely.

P.S.  Jareth is not creepy!

Although I did just realize right now that he was in my makeup and on my bag so maybe I am a little obsessed with the goblin king?  Maybe even literally.                

Lightning Millie Cuteness Crystal Diamond

I found myself with some extra free time this afternoon, after volunteering, running errands and grabbing some pho for lunch.  I'm sitting here with a whopping forty five minutes before I have to start the trek and hunt for a parking spot to go and pick up my kid from school.  Part of me was wondering if I felt like writing.  Sometimes I am in a writing mood and other times I don't want to write something that isn't going to be up to my normal wordy standards.  Part of me just wants to sit here and pet the lazy cat that is in the office chair next to me.

Yes, after being petless for almost five years, we broke down and got a cat.  Clover asked to go to the pet store and look at the animals.  I told her no because I knew if I saw a cat in one of those tiny cages waiting for someone to come in and take it home, I was going to be that sucker.  And then she laid it on thick with those cute eyes and then came the "Pllleeeeeeeeaaaasssseeeee?" and as you can see my resolve didn't last long. 

So we went in.  Wouldn't you know?  There was a cat in there.  One.  One small white and black cat who needed a home.  Then the nice girl asked if we wanted to pet her.  So we did and Clover called the cat over and she came to her and my mind was made up.  But I couldn't just bring her home.  We had to decide this as a family.  So by the time I got home my husband was asking me why I just didn't bring the cat home.  I thought he was joking when he said to bring her home via text message. 

So we went home empty handed.  The next day I decided I wanted this cat.  So we went back and it turns out that there is an adoption process.  They go through a local shelter and it is up to the shelter if they approve your application or not.  I was not aware of this.  Clover was bouncing up and down and singing about how we were getting a cat.  I felt horrible when I told her that that we had to once again go home empty handed.  I went home and submitted the application and three days later we got the call to arrange a day to come and pick her up. 

Here is Lightning Millie Cuteness Crystal Diamond.  Clover was told that she could name her anything she wanted so she picked out all of the cute things that she liked.

 

Helping the tiny human with her numbers.

 

Kitty likes Imgur.

 

Watching Youtube with the human that gives her pate. 

If ever there was an award for being a chill cat, this cat would win hands down.  She is so patient with our six year old who can get in her face quite a lot.  She doesn't make a crazy amount of noise at night and has not once woken me up.  I think we are going to get a long just fine.

 

Her tiny human taking a picture of her.

 

Waiting with Olivia for the tiny human to get home from school.  

I have become one of those people who post annoying pictures of their kid all the time and now I post pictures of my cat too.  What can I say?  They are both really really adorable! 

Getting My Tie Dye On, Vol. 2

Earlier this Summer, like a month ago, we tried out some tie dying experiments.  While Clover was busy working on her creative t-shirts, I was working on my own creation.  I was trying to recreate this bag I really like.  I like it because it looks like the universe but I hate the straps on it.  They suck.  They don't fit around my arms and I end up carrying it on my wrist which takes one of my hands up.  So my solution was to try and make my own. On to the pictures!

 

 Took two of my husband's undershirts and chopped the sleeves off.

These are Medium.

 

I also cut out the neckline and rounded out the bottom.

 

Using the sleeves as pockets.

 

Pinning the pockets (sleeves) down.

 

I sewed the two shirts (purse and liner) together with a zig zag stitch.

 

Starting to get my dye on.

 

It looks really really dark.  

 

Even with the gloves this stuff stained my hands.

 

Resting in the bag.

 

Rinsing and trying to take a picture without dropping my phone in the bucket.

 

After rinsing.  

I used a scrunchie sewed in between the purse and lining as a closure.  I just have to sew the button on the other side.

 

I splattered some bleach to add some "star" looking effect.

 

After the bleach was rinsed and dried.

 

Up Close of the final product.

It's big enough to hold a lot of stuff.  The pockets are nice to keep track of the little stuff.  There is a little stretch to it because it's made out of a two t shirts.  If I was going to do it again I might use a more stiffer fabric for the lining.  Over all I am pretty pleased with the results.  I might make another one but I think my husband has started to hide his undershirts.