love-granny

116.

2011-03-07T10:42:00.000-08:00

A big-ish kind of update I suppose. I've been secretly working on socks for my boyfriend for the last couple of weeks or so but, he doesn't exactly have a normal size foot so making them too small is a very likely thing to happen. I ended up having to break the surprise so that I could measure his foot as I go. Hows about a pair of handmade socks for a size 16 foot... Yeah.

I also went on another tie dye spree with Christy last week and made up some new socks, tshirts, underwear & baby rompers. Everything turned out pretty cute except for when I hung everything to dry I apparently had not rinsed enough of the dye out so I got some random colored spots on things. Most importantly the underwear I did for my man friend turned out fabulously but, not fabulously enough to actually fit him. Sadly a large at the dept. store across the street from my house means a size 30-32 which is definitely not large. I suppose I will re-gift and come up with something else for him.

I went to PA with some friends this last weekend and picked up some thrifty stuff. I'll be putting these two things + a few more on my Etsy and re-newing some old knitted listings.

So, I guess this post wasn't that big - just chock full of pictures.

115.

2011-02-15T16:54:00.000-08:00

I am a soft butter kind of girl, I don't like when the butter stays in the fridge and is too hard to spread on bread or toast in the morning (or afternoon or evening). I have always had a butter dish for as long as I figured out that I hated cold butter.

A week ago I went to Fishs Eddy with my roomate to get some mason jars and such for the reorganization of our pantry. We're all about living in a big girl apartment and having big girl things over here in Brooklyn. When I told my man friend I was he was adamant about me not looking at or buying anything else while I was in there. I was only to get mason jars and get out.

I thought it was weird but, he's a weird guy so I (thought) did what he told me and bought some mason jars (and a butter dish). Low and behold, one of his birthday gifts (aside from cooking the amazing braised short ribs and beet+fennel salad) was to get me a butter dish from Fishs Eddy so, I ruined it. How was I supposed to know he was going to get me a butter dish!? It's the only other thing in that store i would have wanted... ... ... Shit.

Regardless, he went to the store and got me another kind of butter dish so now I have 2. I decided to use the one he got me as a HONEY butter dish after my recent love affair with the buiscuits + honey butter at Commodore. Super delicious and super easy to make:

(for this size butter dish)

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon agave

1 pinch of salt

mix the hell out of it

fin/

114.

2011-02-11T09:07:00.000-08:00

This year I decided to do the 365 pictures.

I've been thus far posting them on my fb page but i'll post some of my favorite ones up here for now.

3/ 365:

My new crazy plant that I can't figure out, some Canadian delicacies (salt & vinegar popcorn powder) & my new Nars multi purpose stick I can no longer live without.

14/ 365:

Frank (soon to be Francois after this really expensive dog trainer I got him)

18/ 365:

MNDR video day

26/ 365:

dreamcatcher making night

35/ 365:

the most amazing birthday dinner I could have ever asked for.

It's currently fashion week and for once, I didn't book the hell out of myself to the point of having to cancel things. It feels nice to be relaxed and ready for my shows.

Tomorrow will be BiJules at the end of the day, 1 before.

Calm, cool & collected.

113.

2011-02-01T16:21:00.000-08:00

Sometime last week I had a bunch of ladies over for a dreamcatcher making evening in my new apartment that I think went fabulously. I spent the afternoon wandering around in the slush looking for some kind of plastic O shaped thing because I hadn't yet looked up what dream catchers are exactly made out of, probably something I should have done before I went out on my shopping for supplies mission.

Either way, after a few hours of going to all the wrong stores I decided on some moldable wire.

We braided the wire and squeezed it together with plyers to make it a bit more secure then molded them into circles. Next time, I am definitely going to be ordering the rings online because that process took a lot longer than I thought it was going to. Next, I took some yarn and wrapped it around the newly made 'O' to make it a bit thicker all the way around. Finally I wrapped it with a piece of thin, wide suede.

figuring out the inside webbing was a bit tricky but Christy having macramed in the past figured out a pretty good way of doing it. I on the other hand broke down and youtubed a how-to video on the webbing.

Either way, they all turned out pretty amazing and there have been renegade feathers popping up all over my apartment for the last week.

I can't wait to make all of my friends forever, dreamcatchers for their birthdays.

I'm pretty happy with the way mine turned out. I think the next time I'm going to go overboard with the feathers though. Just get nuts with it.

112.

2011-01-22T15:48:00.000-08:00

Well, it's almost the end of January and that's weird.

I decided last night while talking to a friend of mine that as you get older, time fly's by. Remember being 15 and feeling like a week was an eternity to have to wait for something? I miss that. I wish a week felt longer than it actually does now with all of this "working" and "responsibility".

I have some things in the works. I am planning a dream catcher making night at my new apartment this upcoming week that should be pretty fantastic, I am working on building new plants out of all of my current plants, I am currently entirely freestyle knitting a pullover sweater that I pray to god works with 50+ year old yarn from a farm in PA...

All the while, working my ass off.

I've been getting some bigger and better clients lately which is definitely making life seem like it's actually going somewhere. A satisfying feeling to have after working at something for so many years.

Some photos from the last few months:

Holiday parties via Sunny :

Currently working on creating this in my kitchen. 1 plant + 3 decorative objects to go:

A story I shot for Nylon Mag in the Feb issue with Anouck Bertin:

I have found my favorite vintage fur store and purchased this lovely rabbit coat for myself:

Another new addition to my closet:

And last but not least, a little pouch I am swooning over from Scout and Catalogue

And I'll leave asking - if anyone knows where I may be able to find a sock pattern to accomodate size 16 feet (mens), I would be eternally grateful.

Bonnuit.

erngrn.

111.

2010-12-06T09:54:00.000-08:00

2 posts in one day is a bit out of control but, I'm going for it. This (american) thanksgiving was spent chez miss Olivia in Tribeca... Last minute planning turned out absolutely perfectly. I made my grandmothers recipe of yorkshire pudding & cooked the turkey! Dinner for 10 people who barely knew each other ended up being more perfect than any stressful family you-have-to-sit-beside-the-cousin-you-hate-while-your-mom-yells-at-you situation. I'm all for choosing who you want to hang out with for the holidays, well done friends... well done!

Yorkshire Pudding:

(makes 12 individuals)

l cup flour

l cup milk

2 eggs

Pinch of salt

Mix together in a large bowl using an electric whisk or beating the hell out of it until the top is entirely bubbles (for aprox 2/3 minutes)

Let sit for 2 -3 hours - do not move the bowl until it goes into the oven!

Preheat oven to 425

Pour aprox 1 1/2 tbsp of lard into the bottom of each muffin tray (if no lard, vegetable oil will work) and heat the lard/oil until it starts to smoke

Take the pan back out of the oven, add the batter and put in for 30 minutes. Do not open the oven door until the 30 minutes is up or they will drop!!

110.

2010-12-06T09:18:00.000-08:00

So, I thought I'd post some pictures of the tie dye process.

The bag which I was skeptical, ended up turning out pretty awesome and now acts as my new hair kit bag for jobs. The cotton is really dense so I was nervous the colors wouldn't seep into the middle as much as I had hoped but, it looks fantastic.

My friend Christy also gave me some little socks to work on so I now own my first pair of tie dye socks. I want all of my socks to be tie dye.

I am also registered for a craft show this Saturday in Greenpoint if anyone is in NY and wants to wander by! I'll have assorted knits!! The info is below:

Greenpoint Lutheran Church of the Messiah129 Russell Street

C'est tout!

erngrn

109.

2010-11-10T09:33:00.002-08:00

I went to a craft night last night for the first time in a really long time a la Christy's suggestion and was introduced to the world of tie dye.

I recently left my hair kit in a taxi loosing all of my product, irons, brushes, combs, pins - basically everything I'd need to do hair on a shoot not to mention the bag it was in. Yesterday I stopped off at ion studio (who I will be working with weekly from this upcoming weekend on -) and they donated a TON of stuff to the re-growth of my hair kit. In lieu of having all of these new things I figured I'd need a bag to put all of these new things.

SO I walked my monstrous little dog to American Apparel before craft night and got myself a new tote bag.

Um, does anyone know how awesome tie dye is??? I kind of want to tie dye everything. I can see how this can easily get a little out of control. I am going to get some ratty old t-shirts to do next and possibly 7 more pairs of socks.

Now taking suggestions on things to tie die...

Bag.

In other news, I've been kind of knitting again, I have put some new stuff up in my etsy shop and I am currently working on a little pillow for a friend who bought me yarn to knit it almost 2 years ago. I figured maybe it was time to finally get around to this little pillow.

I have decided, this winter is hibernation and crafting. I'm excited.

Next big craft:

-e.

108.

2010-08-23T14:02:00.002-07:00

Lately I've been feeling the creative vibe. I went out and bought some chain and banded together all my old broken necklaces that I've had sitting in a box for a million years and decided I wanted to make some necklaces.

Among other things I'm currently working on which will present themselves soon enough, here are my new necklaces modeled by my lovely and talented friend Vanessa Bley

I'm ready for fall. Light sweaters, layers, SCARVES. Oh, scarves how I've missed you.

-erngrn.

107.

2010-08-16T07:35:00.001-07:00

Ello Ello.

So I've left my camera with a friend to borrow so I'm pictureless as far as my new tote bag's go that I've been working on but, I do however have some camera phone photos from my trip to Montauk this last weekend. I've been out 3 times this summer already and I am trying to plan on how to get a summer house out there next year so I don't have to come back at all really. I took the L.I.R.R out this time for the first time and it really isn't bad at all, especially when you have friends to keep you company.

Back to work as soon as I get back but, it's a bit mellow the rest of this month. I guess everyone takes a break before the chaotic fashion week starts in September. I'm exhausted already and I haven't even really started booking any of my shows yet.

I'm thinking of starting a project that has to do with t-shirt transformation. The first one is about to happen this wed so, I'll post a photo and see how it goes - opinions muchly appreciated.

Mtk & recent makeup photos:

erngrn.

106.

2010-08-01T15:48:00.001-07:00

Well, I've been getting my knit on in this summer humid heat.

Hopefully I'll have some things ready to put up in the shop for the fall/winter season that is (quickly) approaching. It's crazy how fast this summer has gone by. Feels like yesterday it was May!

So much has changed. So much has happened. I can barely even wrap my head around it but, it's all for the best and I'm sure brighter horizons are in the future.

I'll leave you with some photos:

1> Inspiration

2> Missy at Q models NYC by Jimmy Fontaine (makeup by me)

3> Miya Ando in her studio (makeup by me)

4> MGMT by Brooke Nipar for Spray (grooming by me)

5> New stripped cotton bag up in the shop

105.

2010-07-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

Hi world!

I think I got my mojo back. Been cranking out bags like nobody's business...

Soon to make appearances in the shop : erngrn on etsy

Hope everyones been well.

erngrn.

104.

2010-04-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

Crochet was a success!!

Tonight, I will deliver my first ever granny-square-made-baby-blanket and I will be sure to photograph little Georgiah in said blanket. Next to learn will definitely be how to make crocheted hand bags! Anyone have any patterns they like?

I made this little mix for some of my friends in hopes of envoking summer weather, I think it's kind of worked so here's some summer vibes:

download here!!

Until I have some photos of baby in blanket, I'll leave you with some randoms.

-erngrn.

103.

2010-03-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

Did I get my mojo back?

On my way out the door now to get a crochet lesson, bathmat's a plenty!!

In knitting news:

More next time.

grnern

102.

2010-03-07T07:52:00.000-08:00

Well!!

I am not dead, still alive and kicking here. I'm going to go ahead and say I lost my knitting mojo for a few months there! I have started a hat, a top and a bag. The last thing I've touched was the bag and I ran out of yarn for it, not exacitally making the most effort to go and get more (but, I will be doing that tomorrow). I blame it on christmas, having to knitknitknit of a time restraint took it out of me, I lost my love for a minute but I feel it coming back now. Slowly.

In the mean time, I've started a tumblr : 1 in eight million

It's a lot of music, videos, photographs that I like and things that I've worked on. Aside from that all the same things have been happening. Makeup, home life, Frank.

Speaking of Frank, I have to get him a trainer because he's decided he doesn't like other dogs at all and he wants to attack them on the street when we go out for walks! Any advice is much welcome.

And until I finally have an FO, I'll leave with this.

101.

2010-01-12T07:28:00.001-08:00

So the holidays were lovely. My best friend from Seattle came to visit - and on this trip to New York she decided that she will be moving here in June (!!!!!). My mom flew down from Toronto on christmas morning and we all caravan-ed over to my old apartment to spend christmas playing pictionary and cooking. The menu was a mix of delicious things but, I cooked the ham, yorkshire pudding and turnip/carrot mash.

Ever since I was a kid my grandmother used to make yorkshire pudding for holidays. I am absolutely in LOVE with the bready goodness that it brings to a meal. Especially when it's covered in a thick layer of beef gravy. My mom has tried a few times to cook the perfect pop-overs to no avail. They never really 'pop' so to say... but, me on the other hand. I can cook those babies like it was my god given right to have yorkshire pudding with every holiday meal for the rest of my life.

The holidays are always kind of a whirlwind of food and presents for which I am generally excited about but, this year I wasn't really feeling it. I didn't get any christmas decorations, no tree, no little nativity scenes - I had to pack and get ready to move Jan 1 and with all the moving I didn't necessarily have the money to go out christmas shopping SO, christmas this year was minimal to non existant for me. On the other hand, new years eve was there in FULL EFFECT. I was sure to prepare - I packed 90% of my things before NYE, hired movers for Jan 1 and had them come at 2pm so I could sleep off any residual drunkness I thought I might be feeling. My plan worked out perfectly, I barely had to lift a box and was completely moved into my new apartment by 7pm.

A few photos from NYE (before we all got too drunk to remember there were cameras floating around):

(all photos by sunbuns a.k.a sunny shokrae)

I have to say it was a pretty damn good new years. Ladies new years out is really the way to go about it. Dance parties, more dance parties, limos and dance parties.

So, I'm moved and settled into my new apartment now. Holiday season is over, I am quickly approaching my birthday (which I've decided I will be turning 23 again for) but, work is in the works. It was a bit of a slow first week for me but, things are picking up now and all is returning to normal. Tomorrow I'm off to L.A for a week for partly vacation/partly work (but mostly vacation). All of my best friends are going to be there at the same time so I'm sure it will be a reunion to remember.

Some recent makeup work includes this lovely lady:

Photographer: Eva Tuerbl

Stylist: Julie Williams

Hair: Amber Duarte

Makeup: Erin Green

Stylist Asst: Olivia Harris

Model: Chantal @ Marilyn

I loved working on this shoot because 1. it was all girls and 2. they are all good friends of mine. Chantal is an amazing model and this girl is going places for sure.

In KNITTING news, because I apparently haven't knit a damn thing for myself in months, I have taken it upon myself to start knitting a top up shirt on size 5 needles using an even smaller yarn. Is this torture? Am I doing this to myself as some kind of punishment for not having knit anything but a cowl or a hat in the past 3 months? Probably. Testing myself to see if I still "got it". Updates of said shirt to come but, in the mean time, wish me luck.

That's all for now.

-erngrn.

100.

2009-12-15T11:03:00.000-08:00

So I haven't posted in a minute, my knitting has slowed down and is being taken over by christmas/etsy orders. Its overwhelming! But, I do want to get something going soon that I won't be able to knit with my eyes closed. I'm thinking another shawl? More socks? Not too sure yet but I am open to suggestions.

Things are changing, I'm moving Jan 1. I think I'll probably move on Dec 30th because I'm going upstate for an intimate new years. People are always trying to get to New York for new years and I am trying to get out! A little cabin 3 hours north of here is going to house me and about 6 other friends for a few days. All eats, drinks and laziness.

I don't have much else as of now but a new year is going to bring plenty of new things. For now, an image from a shoot I worked on with my home girl Sunny

99.

2009-11-18T08:31:00.001-08:00

So it seems all the cool kids have caught on to the hipness of cowls. My man friend works on photoshoots for pretty big clients and he told me a few months ago, I better get knitting because the cowls are all the rage this winter. Now more and more I am seeing them around, window displays at Ann Taylor, Kenneth Cole makes a pretty good looking cowl, along with various other places like H&M and TopShop.

American apparels "circle scarf" (a.k.a cowl):

One of my favorite stores I noticed was also carrying massively oversized cowls:

Along with a few other places.

At one point, I thought of it as competition - these bastards are taking something hand made and wonderful and mass producing and selling at a cheaper cost than us etsy sellers but you know what?

Fuck it. Mass production has nothing on hand made.
We win.

Off to Baltimore for a few days, maybe I'll knit some more cowls on the way there.

In the mean time, here are a few of my favoite etsy places to get some killer hand mades:

Mi Scusi
Yokoo
Yarn Over Movement
Soft Spoken
Lulu and Loie

xx
gr-ern.

98.

2009-11-14T09:09:00.000-08:00

I went upstate a few days ago for a shoot - the leaves and the colors were all so amazing but, we found the most incredible old house to shoot in so, we stayed indoors for the most part.

Some teasers:

Photographer: Jodie Mcbride
Styling: Julie Williams
Hair & Makeup: Me
Model: Clara @ Trump

97.

2009-11-07T15:45:00.000-08:00

Couple of new things up in the shop!. Made a new header to spice it up a little bit, working on more knits for Duo & the etsy shop.

Model: Sunny Extrodinare.

So, I am now a fully freelance makeup artist sans other job on the side. I guess my last "official" day was on Monday, I went in and talked to the boss lady - apologized for being an asshole and told her it would be best if we just parted our seperate ways. It all ended on good terms, I will be back for visits.

Wheeling & dealing now, trying to book myself as much as possible and all is well so far!

This is all for now!
x
granern.

96.

2009-11-02T09:30:00.001-08:00

Some new beauty work from a couple of weeks ago:

Shot by: Jeremy James
Hair & Makeup: Me.
Model: Julia @ Trump

I am really happy with the way these turned out. She was such a perfect model for this job and I would love to work with her again!

In other news, I got a "wake up call" as some say on saturday... I've been waiting tables at a place for over a year and a half and as of late I've been slipping as an employee. I'll be the first to admit that I've been an asshole. I have always struggled with being tardy but, lately its been more rough than usual. Not to mention, out of fear - I'd lie about being late. A co-worker put it to me this way...

Would you ever be 30-45 minutes late for a makeup job? The answer in all honesty is probably not. I may be 10 minutes late but, not enough to be putting anyone out and making them wait for me. I was sent home and asked to 'really think about whether or not I want to be there and not to get in touch until I get my shit together'. I've been thinking about it for 2 days and I really don't know what to do. I've never thought myself to be irresponsible and careless as far as my work ethic goes. I've actually scolded people for having a shitty work ethic! Pot meet kettle.

As long as I've worked in the service industry I've a. never been fired from a job, b. always left on good terms and c. have always felt like with every wait/bartending job there is a life span of enthusiasm. There is always a limit to how long someone can work at a certain place before they start subconsiously self sabotaging. In every other job, I've always known when I was getting to my wits end and gracefully moved on but, maybe out of fear of needing to look for a new job I passed that point with this job? I'm not entirely sure. I've been really unfair to my co-workers and basically a straight up a-hole to my boss by acting the way I've been acting. It's sad because I really love all my co-workers and I love the place but, I have some real hard thinking to do. I've been getting down on myself for still being in the service industry in general (but then again, who doesn't - ha). I know I'm working my way up doing makeup but it is such a slow process that I need that extra cash flow to live the lifestyle I want to live.

Rock//Hardplace.

I guess I have some more thinking to do. But, today - I will meet up with my unicorn and ask her advice (my old darling roomate who is made of sunshine and rainbows and is a beacon of light and optimism). And I will knit.

xx.
theshittyemployee.
erngrn.

95.

2009-10-28T12:37:00.000-07:00

So recently I've had a hankering to sew. I don't really know how to sew but, I figured, if I can knit clothes - I can probably sew them.

A few months back I found this pattern on the Yarnaids blog and kept in the bookmarks section for a rainy day. After months of leaving my sewing machine on the bottom shelf all covered up, I brought it out, dusted it off and made this:

Trying to figure out how to take photos of myself in a dress was kind of tricky but, I managed. The material is some kind of cotton blend that has a little stretch to it. The pleats were the hardest part for me because they kept coming loose after I'd try it on. I went over them a couple times, hopefully they'll stay.

I've worn it out once so far and got a compliment! I'm a little terrified to wash it considering the pleats came loose from me just wearing it, but I think it will hold up ok.

In leui of my success on this top, I decided to try and recreate this shirt from top-shop that they don't carry anymore (sans pocket)

But, with the feel of these tops (and long enough so that I don't neccessarily have to wear real pants under it).

(images from oak nyc)

My boyfriend says I kind of look like an optical illusion and there is a bit more work I need to do to it (seam the collar, seam the bottom/back up an inch or two) but, I am pretty happy with it thus far:

I'm open to suggestion on how to finish this top to perfect it...

Anyway, I have some halloween costume sewing to catch up on.

What is your favorite website to buy yarn from online? Namely chunky yarn? Of good quality?

fin.
ern.
x.

94.

2009-10-23T18:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I got all 4 wisdom teeth out. FINALLY.

The past month has been full of working and house guests and around the end of the last house guest (miss maia) I got a nasty tooth infection. Not the first of its kind but hopefully the last. I've been putting off getting these things pulled out for years and I finally decided that I just needed to get it done. So now, I am a walking pill dispensory and in slight zombie form.

I've also been knitting for a wholesale order for this store which I am SUPER excited about!! So many cute things in this store, I'm excited my things are going to be among them!

Now, I must go back into my den of sleep until tomorrow where I will shoot at Milk & work at Mud!

Hoping for a speedy recovery so I can get back to normal and resume regular life (and hopefully be able to form full sentences again)!

x

93.

2009-10-01T14:22:00.000-07:00

As promised, a quick update with my finished socks!

Dragonfly socks

Yarn: Koigu KPPPM
Needles: US 2
Notes: LOVE my new socks, I had a problem finishing them because I decided it was ok for me to knit 5 things at the same time and got a little overwhelmed.

Annnnd - I got my hair trimmed, bangs are shorter than usual. Still feeling it out. Today my boss told me I looked 10 years younger. Early teens? I'm alright with that.

And lastly, Frank was curious while I was photographing my socks. I thought he looked cute, but then again - I always think he looks cute.

Fin.
x
-erngrn.

92.

2009-09-29T19:09:00.000-07:00

So, look who's finally coming out of the wood works. I'm alive, settled back to real life (thanks to my 4 days off in a row). I have a clean apartment, my laundry is done and the only dishes waiting for me in the sink are the ones from the dinner I just made an hour or two ago! These are all very exciting things for me considering I've neglected any "errands" or "chores" I've been meant to be doing over the past... oh... 3 weeks??

I told myself last fashion week I would book myself for at least one job everyday for this season's fashion week which I did infact end up doing but, I also told one of my best girlfriends who I haven't seen in over a year to come right smack dab in the middle of it. This meant working every day, going from place to place to - going out until 4am every night. Even if we rang 4am in in a deli 1 block away from my house because the sandwhiches took 30 minutes to make.

Believe it or not I have been doing some knitting over the past few weeks, I'm not sure if I mentioned or not but my cape - finit! (And dear lord do I love it - if only I didn't let my friend borrow it I may actually have some photos of it for this post). I also finished the Dragonfly socks!! I definitely suffered from second-sock-syndrome. I did not want to finish the second sock, I fought with myself - told myself I'd be better off learning how to magic loop, left them for weeks on end, untouched in the bottom of my purse until last night I finally finished them. I also do not have photos of said socks but promise I will next post.

What I dooooo have photos of are the etsy knits. I originally knit all of these things for a shop I was going to sell in on consignment but alas, this did not work out so into my own shop they go. I was going for a color theme for the most part with all of them - purples/pinks/maroons. The green was a bit random but it was on sale and I couldn't resist.

First: I knit this hat kind of inspired by an Alexander Wang hat I laid eyes on recently but it did NOT turn out at all like I thought it would. I forgot about that whole ribbing making things tighter and stockinette making things looser situation so, I got this. I like it - I appreciate it for what it is.

Secondly, I thought I would teach myself how to crochet on youtube when I bought this yarn. I wanted to learn how to make granny squares and crocheted cowls. Needless to say I failed miserably and ended up just knitting it.

Third, when I was upstate doing my shoot a few weeks ago - the lady who's house we were staying in was an avid crafter. She had a loom in her basement and hand crocheted bath mat's (which I was incredibly envious of) and amongst all the wonderful things I found in her basement, I found a baby blanket that was seed stitch & stockinette all in the same blanket. From that/her I now have this:

Last but not least - this yarn is incredible. If you asked me what brand it is - I couldn't tell you but it is SO soft and SO cozy. It was a bit annoying considering this is 5 balls of yarn in 1 cowl so there was a lot of weaving to be done but, thats what you get when you buy 27 yard balls of yarn.

Sometime tomorrow I will post these guys up on ye ol' etsy shop. Thank you Lenard for taking the photos for me.

I am now working on yet another cowl for the shop and toying with the idea of attempting to remake a top I saw recently at topshop out of this crazy mohair yarn my manfriend got for me... One of these day's I'll actually cast on for it.

For now we will watch "The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" because my man loves Matthew Mcconaughey. Yeah. I said it.

x
-ern.

91.

2009-09-18T15:17:00.000-07:00

I swear I am still alive... kind of.

Some fashion week shows/presentations I worked on for sping/summer 2010:

sotired.
x
erngrn.

90.

2009-08-24T16:15:00.000-07:00

Today I think was maybe my 3rd or 4th day off this month. I slept till 2, I ate as much greasy food as I could fit in my body, I laid in bed for hours on end and I walked my dog around the block. I feel unproductive and its hard for me to be ok with it. I realize I'm supposed to get some R&R every now and then but today, I really went for it. I wrote yelp reviews, I looked up vegas swimsuit models who's husbands killed themselves in Canada, I read blogs and I chatted. No knitting (yet), no working (until tomorrow at 7am -eep)... I didn't even have a shower yet today. This I think, might have been the laziest day in I can't even remember how long.

So, in lieu of being as lazy as possible, I'm just going to stop typing and post some pictures of my recent sock knits WIP's & FO's.

x
erngrn.

89.

2009-08-20T09:10:00.000-07:00

So, I'm back from upstate - again. Working like mad, no time off but it's all worth it. This week upstate we made this happen:

Photographer: Jimmy Fontaine
Stylist: Julie Williams
Hair: Tommy Lovell
Makeup: me

I am so in love with these shots, I have been melting over them ever since we got back. These are fresh off the camera but I will post more when I get them all laid out.

My friend Maia is doing a giveaway on her blog - you should go check it out here.

Today is the last day of work in a 9 day marathon. Tomorrow is going to be full of sweet, sweet relaxation, parks, bikes & knitting.

Happy thursday.
xx
granern.

88. pillow numbero DEUX FO.

2009-08-12T08:55:00.001-07:00

And, pillow number two! I love this little guy. Contemplated keeping it but, I posted it up in my shop for someone else to love.

Knit with all acrylic yarn and stuffed with polyfiber stuffing. Stripey idea stollen from knitting to stay sane's adorable little socks.

Next up for an FO - Dragonfly socks!

x
erngrn.

87.

2009-08-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

Whats this? I actually have some knitting to post?! Oh why yes, FINALLY!

Firstly, a cute little cowl I threw together. I found this yarn in the bottom of my basket and figured I didn't have enough to do anything too big but, it was perfect for this little cowl which I just listed in my shop. Not quite the season (considering its 95 today) but, soon enough we will have fall.

Next up, something I've been working on for a while - little throw pillows! This is the second one I've made. I have a third that I need to get sewn up and posted but that will happen sometime in the next couple of days when I finally have some time off.

I've been working so much lately I've barely had time to think and on top of that trying to keep some sort of social life has just been killing me. I am going upstate though for work/pleasure for a couple of days next week to shoot with Jimmy Fontaine again and my darling Julie which should be nothing short of amazing.

Off to the post office now before work!!

x
-erin.

86.

2009-08-02T16:11:00.001-07:00

I have start-itis. I have start-itis. I have start-itis.

I have 3 things on the go currently. 1. Dragonfly socks 2. A cape somewhat modeled after a pattern in this book 3. Yet another pillowcase which will someday end up in my (very neglected) shop.

I am a bit of a mess with it all, I can't stand to have to wind my sock yarn myself (again) so I'm thinking I may take it to a yarn store and ask to PAY to use the swift. I am also scared I won't have enough yarn to finish my cape and the pillowcase, is getting public knitting time. I'm all over the place... I need to get focused ...and not start anything new until at least one of these things is finished.

Now, in photo form... this is what I've been doing lately.

From SunBuns:

From miss iO (rather, her camera stollen by kate) :

Summer 2009 is pretty damn good so far, despite the rain.

x
erngrn.

85.

2009-07-28T07:39:00.000-07:00

I have been absent for some days now.

I promise I'll be back soon.

Off to hevan for a few days.

x
-erngrn.

Photog: Jeremy James
Styling: Michael Kozak
Hair & Makeup: moi.

84.

2009-07-14T12:37:00.001-07:00

I am incredibly slow today, therefor I've decided to not make plans with anyone and just do the things I've been meaning to do for the past few days. One of which is go to the plant store down the street and grab some new ivy plants. These two little babe's are my purchases for today :

This little lady (I call her a lady because she is red) I bought from Crest Hardware a couple weeks ago with intentions of leaving her on my fire escape to bask in the sun, one week of fire escape life and she was blown all over the place and nearly falling over in the pot. I panicked, watered the hell out of her and tied some yarn around her leaves to hopefully keep some stability and found a new home for her inside. She will now live under the sky light in the living room.

Now these 3 live on the fire escape alone, the two little ones (that I planted from seeds) won't have to protection of rouge leaf anymore if it gets windy so I hope they start wrapping around the poles before we have any other wind storms. The one on the far left is was a housewarming gift from my friend Heather. She also planted this guy from a seed. Super adorable. I love plants... now that I know how to not kill them.

Due to my hangover, I don't have much else for today that I can think of. I started dragonfly sock a couple days ago. Just about done the first one, so simple and adorable. Photos soon. I'm also still working on my cape that I am making up the pattern as I go. I have decided I'm going to be really upset if it doesn't work and REALLY excited if it does.

I also want to take sewing classes, anyone got a good place in NYC?

Fin.
x
erngran.

83. FO

2009-07-06T14:39:00.001-07:00

Dear Pillow Case,

You are the cutest thing ever and I love you a lot. I will make more of your kind so you can have friends.

Needles: US 8 Circular 24"
Yarn: 1 Skein Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted

85% wool / 15% mohair
Pattern: Improvised using Woven stitch - knit in the round and seamed at top & bottom.

I love it. So so so much. I want to make a million more.

The 4th was incredibly epic for me. I worked until 5pm then hit a rooftop bbq in bushwick, stayed a few hours until we were "asked to leave" because one of us lit of some fireworks after the people who lived in the building apparently made an announcement that we weren't aloud to do that anymore. We moved on to another rooftop down the street that was far more amazing than the first one with way less people (which in our state was perfect). We danced/pranced & giggled around the best kept secret roof in brooklyn for hours until we finally ended up at our friends place who happens to have a front lawn entirely inclosed by ivy & trees. Turned on the christmas lights, brought out all the pillows and blankets in the house and slept on the front lawn. 5 boys + 3 girls all cuddled up on a lawn until 9am. It was beautiful.

How was your 4th?
--------------------

Stollen pictures from the 4th:
from Rennie

from instant dong

from sunny

x
erngrn.

82.

2009-07-02T10:01:00.000-07:00

Going to visit a pregnant woman is one of the best kinds of vacations. I never knew it would be so awesome but god bless anyone that needs a nap every 3 hours!!

I got plenty of knitting in while I was there :

And I just came home to some AMAZING images from a shoot I did last week:

I am so in love with this story. The rest of it is on my website.

New projects in the works.
xx
erngrn.

81. FO Swallowtail Shawl

2009-06-24T08:55:00.001-07:00

I can't remember the last time I made an FO post. That means this shawl took me far too long to make. Details :

Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn Clark (rav link)

Yarn: 1 skein Araucania Itata Solid Needles: US 8 36" circular

Needles: US 8 36" circular

Mods: I had to cut out 4 rows at the very end of of k7, yo, k1, yo out of fear of running out of yarn and I was dead on at the end. If I hadn't cut them I would not have had enough yarn to finish it.

Notes: I love this shawl so much, it took me quite a while to finish it because I lost all my luster as soon as I realized I might not have enough yarn to finish the full pattern. Out of fear of not being able to get the same yarn - I put it aside for a little while and worked on some other projects but, my roomate-made-lifemate suggested I just cut out some repeat rows at the end and she was right on the button. I don't have proper blocking facilities so I ended up laying it to dry on a towel which worked out okay. I will end up having to iron it every now and then to accentuate the yo, k1, yo's at the end but other than that - it is beautiful and I suggest knitting it no matter how many times you have to rip back (which was bout 4 or 5 for me). The yarn was great to knit with, it rarely split and I love the color's that it comes in. A++

I have some new stuff to put up on the shop but I have been SO busy lately I can't find the time. I will get it all done before I fly to Kansas City this weekend for one of my best friends baby showers.

xx

80.

2009-06-21T16:22:00.001-07:00

Loook what I finisheeeeeed!!!!!

swallowtail shawl in all its glory. FO update later.

*yesssssssssssssssssss*.

x
-erngrn.

79.

2009-06-18T18:27:00.001-07:00

So my friend Chloe has inspired me to run around taking photos of my finished apartment. We are all settled in with knick knacks and decorations just about finished. Everything has its place now and the boy has put a halt to my furniature accumulation which I think I am ok with for now.

Kitchen:

1. The view as soon as you open the apartment door. Note the fridge covered in Matthew Mcconaughey magnets.

2. cabinet & my favorite shelf in the whole apartment.

3. The kitchen table I have been going on and on about since I moved into this apartment

4 & 5. The hallway that houses the bathroom and my little vignette. I tried not to make it too "flowery & girly" so Trav got me the frame with the sail boat and I threw up a few empty ones just to cut the floral thing a bit.

6. I have intentionally not photographed our "couch" because it is a futon. A big eye sore futon that we need to swap out for something better sometime in the near future. But, I love my chair (used in this video I worked on).

7. The shelf that houses all things crafty & some books

8. His side of the bed, our makeshift table. I'm sure we won't be able to keep that wood there in the winter when the heat is on but for now it's a great little table. Wall of cameras, 2 of which are functioning - one I can't figure out how to load and get the film out of. I would one day like to develop the film that is inside of it.

9. My polaroid collages I made about 2.5 years ago. The only things I've ever shown and I priced them so high so no one would buy them.

10. Clothing land, we managed to fit most of our stuff in the closet but, I of course needed more space. A lot of the things on the rolling rack are things that I'm selling on etsy but we needed room for some more jackets and things. I think we'll have to replace the rolling rack soon because the left side of it keeps sinking lower and lower. Necklaces and sunglasses have their own little wall and the back of the door is covered in shoes. Something I also need to figure out because I'm running out of shoe room.

11. The lady desk/corner. Covered in things like mirrors, knitting needles & makeup. Canvas used to house my growing earring collection and the deer head is great for the hoops. It's a little weird because you can't really tell what it is under all the earrings.

12. This is the man station. I was told I could decorate the apartment pretty much any way that I wanted to if I gave up one corner of the apartment to be the "man station". Prince tank top from Vegas 7.7.07 show, faile piece angry dog mouth and assorted animals covered in 'blood' (red paint marker) among things like printers, scanners and other electronic gadgets that I wouldn't generally care about having. It was a good deal and to be honest, I kind of like the Prince tank top. Its better than a dream catcher.

So, thats all I got for now. I have a wicked craving for pancakes at 10:16pm and I think I am going to go get some!

x
erngrn.

78.

2009-06-13T20:48:00.001-07:00

Baby bootie #1 complete... just about over halfway done the other with bedtime approaching in T minus 40 minutes. I think I will make a pair for Frank.

x
-erngrn

77.

2009-06-12T16:40:00.001-07:00

I am still here somewhere.

Swallowtail Shawl is going to be the death of me. I think I might be short by ohh... maybe 10 - 15 yards but, I'm going to cut 4 rows and just skip right to finishing which will hopefully save me. Fingers crossed.

Little ballerina feet and baby booties are on the needles. Booties need to be finished by sunday - wish me luck.

x

76.

2009-05-29T18:13:00.001-07:00

So, I made some stuff over the past few days. I finally got the feathers from my best friend in L.A who's house I left them at when I visited and after using them for a shoot :

I turned them into these:

And I've been seeing a lot of really big bulky necklaces lately that have been turning the wheels in my head with my knits and how to use my scrap yarn and voila! I figured it out. This is the first of a few I'm going to make and put up in my shop. I am already halfway done the 2nd one which I plan on making a little bit bigger than this one. I'm sure I will progressively keep on making them bigger and bigger but for now - this is what I got.

Simple i-cords made cute.

I have been working like crazy this week. I had 2 makeup jobs on tuesday (which was my first day off this week from the coffee shop) and I have 2 makeup jobs that I'm doing tomorrow. The first should be simple - event makeup and the second is going to be... KICK ASS. I got so many new pretty bright colors today at the mac store - all of which I plan on using tomorrow.

I'm toying with the idea of going out tonight but, its probably not too smart considering I have quite the day tomorrow...

Hmmm am I young and able enough to handle a hangover? Only time will tell...

x
erngrn.

and something new that I love : youtube link (un-embed-able)

75.

2009-05-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure whats going on with me but, I don't want to finish anything I've been knitting lately. All I want to do is just start new projects. I want more petit ballerina feet socks, I want to knit another cape, I want to make necklaces with the scrap yarns that I have but - I am not interested in finishing any of these items, nor am I interested into sewing any of them together and or blocking. I wish that the magical finishing fairy would come and get all this stuff done for me.

I've been thinking lately of making more time for my etsy shop in my life because I finally figured out that - working for yourself is WAY more fun than working for someone else. I mean, I don't work 5 days a week - I don't know many servers who do but, I am at around 3 or 4 days a week and on my off days, I'm doing makeup so it might not hurt to specifically set aside one day a week to just work on my etsy shop.

It's mom's last day today which is sad - we've had a really good time. Having your mother around while your moving is kind of the best thing ever. My sink and countertops are so clean! My jewlery is all untangled and the coffee is generally ready in the morning before I even wake up! It's great! But, I suppose all good things must come to an end and tonight I will resume my regular life and experience my new apartment with my manfriend as it is going to be.

On that note, I am taking my mother makeup shopping now before she has to go to the airport. Finally, someone who is going to take advantage of my 40% off at M.A.C.

New shop update photos:

high of 72. I like that.

x.
gern.

74.

2009-05-15T07:19:00.000-07:00

Always & Never:

Miss Tara Lynn posted this meme that she was tagged by and at work last night I found myself thinking about my always & never's so here we go with mine:

always

1. bangles: I wear bangles every single day - I actually never take them off. I have 2 large gold/brass, 2 medium size (one looks similar to the one in the image below) and about 7 littles ones. People think its weird that I sleep with them but, I would feel naked without them.

2. tapered jeans: the tighter the better, I had troubles re-adjusting into bell bottom or straight leg jeans because I've been skin tight-ing it for so many years and these are of course, my go to's

3. curly messy hair: my hair has always been as flat as a board, so needless to say when it drops down with no volume doing absolutely nothing but sitting there like i flat ironed it, it makes me insane. therefor, i curl my hair every 3 days. can't wait until the bleach is gone so i can get a body wave.

4. waist belts: I am a huge fan of waist belts. I love them, I need them, I dont' want to ever have less than 10.

5. oversized cardigans: I almost have one in ever color.

never

1. headbands: I know a lot of people really like these things and they seem to be popular with the kids these days but, I just cannot get into them. I have actually asked friends of mine to take them off because they drive me so nuts.

2. knee high gladiator sandals: please stop making them.

3. converse: now, this is not because I don't like converse, or have never work converse because that is not the case in the least. I own multiple pairs of converse, all black, black & white, white, pin stripe, camo but - everytime I try to put a pair on I feel dumpy and have to take them off. I have transformed in the last couple of years or so and somehow I magically cannot anymore wear converse. I prefer dainty lady slip on's or 7$ kmart slip ons.

4. yellow: my skin tone can't support an all yellow outfit. i can only do it in small doses which is sad because, yellow is kinda cute.

5. crop tops: I have always had this weird complex about bearing my stomach - I can't do it. If I do, I am constantly tugging down on my shirt and trying to cover myself. It was easier for me before I decided that I was embarassed of my lower back tattoo but now that I am, it is completely impossible for me to do. No bear mid-drift. I'd be great in middle school now.

If you're reading this post - consider yourself tagged for always & nevers.

and i know the font is all messed up. i am too annoyed with blogging to fix it.

x

73.

2009-05-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

A couple things for today...

*If you didn't catch my last post and/or you are a sewing guru please take a look.

*I purchased this book on amazon today in hopes of filling my brain with more literature (fictional or not) considering since I've taken up knitting, I've basically stopped reading :

I found the book on this blog which I found while I was paroozing twitter this morning trying to find more cool shops to follow. Twitter is such a strange phenomena, I still don't 100% grasp and/or feel good about it.

*I posted a million new things on etsy this morning - well maybe not a million but, 5 new things is a good day I'd say.

*I painted my new apartment yesterday with the help from a couple friends yesterday. We managed to get the whole thing done which I was pretty impressed with. Just a couple floors left to clean and it's live-able. I'm so eager to move now that I know I have it.

*Mom gets here from the great white north on friday.

*New York needs more yarn stores to open and less yarn stores to close.

*I'm going to enjoy the sun now.

x
-erngrn.

72. to my fellow etsy-ers

2009-05-09T07:31:00.001-07:00

Meet my friend Annaliese. This is also her dog carlos who has recently passed away.

She is looking for someone to construct her an urn for her little friend out of the fabric of a suitcase that he chose to sleep in everyday (as opposed to the 100$ dog beds that were in about every room of the house). This dog was really special to her so if you sewing geniuses out there know how you can make something special for her to keep her pup in forever please reply to this alchemy request:

on Etsy

or if you know someone perfect for the job - please pass the message along.

R.I.P Carlos.
xx
erngran.

71.

2009-05-03T08:07:00.000-07:00

Photobooth madness from the Henriot Champagne party.

Ren's photobooth fun.
Ly's photobooth fun.
x
grern.

70. Ryan & Kat - don't look.

2009-04-27T07:32:00.001-07:00

I get home from work the other night at about 130am and I look over to my little poop and see a huge booger in his eye so I immediately go to the cupboard for eye wipes and rush over him to get this gnarly thing out of my cute's little eye. He yelp's I wonder why and go for his eye again and realize it is covered in a layer of goopy puss! Quite gross but, considering this is the first dog I've owned in my adult life I was of course, near a mild panic attack. I hot compressed and hoped for the best in the morning. Of course it got worse and come morning, little guy could barely open his eye. So, here I am - supposed to be going to the Chelsea Hotel to work on a photo project with my friend Michael, panicking and calling every vet in NYC. I get an appointment - go to the Chelsea, get started then rush to the vet.

134$ later - I end up buying some drops for his eyes that cost only 10$ of the 134$ and he is cured (or soon to be cured). This is on day 3 of the eye drops.

I think my green thumb is becoming more green. I bought this plant nearly a month ago and it's coming along nicely and growing some new stems. I'm excited about it. It will look nice in my new apartment... (thats all I'm going to say about that for now)

One day last week while wandering around New York incredibly hungover, I sumbled upon my new found Oasis that is called the Point. I ask some questions, I oogle some beautiful yarn, I sit and knit for a couple of hours and make a purchase (that was highly inspired by the beautiful shawl recently knit by the manager Alyssa) which will now be turning into Swallowtail Shawl. I was so sad last night to recieve and email from the Point saying they were closing their doors - I will be visiting in the next 3 days to pick up some new yarns at 30% off and sadly I will most likely sit and knit in a pool of self pity for not taking advantage or finding this place sooner than I did.

I needed to work on something more challenging than what I've been knitting lately. My friends all seem to have been bit my this baby fever so I've been kicking out baby blankets galore. I'm on the 2nd this month, a little more than half way through and I was getting to the point where I could probably knit this blanket in my sleep.

A couple of appointments to check out some apartments today, I found one that I'm in love with but the owner/broker has yet to call me back. In the mean time I will go and look at a few others.

Happy monday.
Its beautiful outside.

x
-erin

69.

2009-04-22T08:07:00.000-07:00

Lately I've not been inspired to knit anything other than baby blankets for my friends. I'm on the 2nd one this month - which is the most baby related stuff I've ever knit. While parousing at Downtown Yarns the otherday I came across the Malbrigo brand aqua colored yarn and I fell in love. I decided I needed (another) cape in my life. I've been searching high and low for some patterns to loosely follow but I have yet to find something that I'm really in love with. Everything is either a poncho or a caplet. Help!!

I'm looking for something with arm slots like this :

and something that would work out to be about this length:

this would actually be my ideal pattern:

but knit from the top down. I must figure it out. I must find a way to do this... I might have to improvise. We'll see.

I came across some old pictures I never posted up from my work christmas party so I put em up. A little dated but, whatever!

Thank god its not as cold as it was on this night anymore.
x
-ern.

68.

2009-04-17T09:09:00.001-07:00

Here's a shot of my Scarfy- Cardi in action at a bbq! MeBySunny

Also, new posting's coming up on my etsy shop like these cold shoes! Yes, gold shoes.

Have a good weekend.
x
-e.

67.

2009-04-09T08:06:00.001-07:00

I might print this email out and frame it. I love having friends in high places. Names hidden for confidentiality of my ridiculous friend who sends me emails from the city with under laying tones of partying and debauchery.

Its beautiful outside, dog park day with baby blanket (that is almost finished!!)

Here's a question: To embroider or not to embroider - that is the question. (The blanket...)

x
-erin.

66.

2009-04-03T07:23:00.001-07:00

I realize lately that my blog has been progresively becoming slightly less knitting related but, knitting related at the same time. So in leiu of keeping my blog along theme - I will post some knit pictures before I go onto what I originally thought of posting about. I finished clutch number 2 and I'm quite excited about this. I think i will make myself a little makeup bag or change purse. Sewing in the liner was much easier the second time around.

I am currently working on my first baby related item, a blanket for my really good friends upcoming baby boy. I kind of don't have any understanding of how small babies actually are so I'm just kind of knitting until I think it will efficiently cover said baby. Dear un-born Oliver - how many pounds will you weigh when you come out? Love, auntie Erin.

Onto other things: I am currently obsessed with Talking Heads:

I have become a subscriber to the Satoralist.

My best friend is beoming progressively more and more talented with her photographs.

I started a twitter for the shop.

I purchased this adorable mirror from Loruh's vintage :

And that's all for today. Shooting a test tomorrow with a model from Muse, A music video in PA next weekend. Whee!!

x
-gran.

65. FO

2009-04-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

Cabled Clutch!

I had an idea- I went with the idea- I am super excited about the finished product.

So, I am trying to use as much of my stash as I possibly can before I go out buying new yarn. In this - I had an idea to make some hand clutches for my shop! I had absolutely no idea what i was doing but, it worked out perfectly!

I sewed in a liner (which was an incredible pain in the ass - sewing knit and fabric together is way harder than I thought) and added 2 snap buttons on either side of the opening flaps!

The yarn, my roomate brought back for me from italy for my birthday and the fabric came from my best friends families textile company. I love it - but i didn't have enough of it to make anything else. So, at least I finally put it to some use.

I'm just about to go and start sewing the liner into the second one I finished yesterday!

fin.

x
-erin.
p.s - I'm working on my first ever baby related knit. It's weird.

64.

2009-03-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was my 2nd of 2 days off in a row which is unusual for me so I took ful advantage of the 50 degree weather and got on my bike. I put Frank in a bag and we rode over to williamsburg to visit friends and go to the park. I was a bit worried about Frank as he hasn't been acting himself. Sleeping all the time, no energy - I fed him some sugar water in hopes of it perking him up a little but he is still sleeping. My true test was to bring him to the dog park to see if he got excited and he did so, I figure it can't be anything too bad. I'm going to switch his food - this natural, organic stuff is making him weird.

Another one of our missions yesterday was to drop this off with Ly :

She is one of the only people I know that actually uses little cases for her iPhone and she had asked me for one of these in the past so I whipped her one up. I used the koigu yarn I used for my little ballerina feet slippers. Turned out quite nicely with the little draw string!

Something else that has been consuming my days off is redecorating my apartment. It all started with my bathroom. I don't have a before picture but at one point there were 4 mirrors running all down one wall beside the toilet. One by one the mirrors started falling off (or being ripped off by someone who may or may not have been a little drunk and/or cleaning) so, we (the roomate and I) decided to start planing a newer prettier wall. On wed, I got a hair up my ass to get it done so I went out and got :

1 peice of cardboard
1 exacto knife
1 can of white spray paint
1 gallon of grey paint

and voila! :
The finished product that is now our bathroom! I had my man friend draw the tree's & branches and I cut them out, painted the half wall grey (the wall on the left had already been done) and spray painted the hell out of the bathroom! I'm so happy with the way it turned out. We've been needing something more in our bathroom and now we have it! I could do with a couple more mirrors but, I'm not sure how our guy roomate will feel about mirrors being EVERYWHERE.

My other project of this "weekend" was to repaint this kickass table I bought off the back of a truck for 5$ See before :

I sanded the hell out of it, probably more than I needed to but - whatever. Then I painted it Foot Hill by Benjamin Moore. The color of it online does it no justice. I like to think of it as baby vomit green :

Anyway, I am all photo-ed up : I have more pictures of all of these things on my flickr and I have to try to somehow make my back stop hurting before I work tonight.

ok, one more photo... tomorrow we will celebrate miss Vanessa Bley's birthday - I'm sure it will amount to more photos. I am excited.

xo
-erin.

63.

2009-03-23T09:37:00.001-07:00

My trip to LA photos are finally edited and posted up in my flickr. Right after I got back my answer to all the "how was it?" questions was something along the lines of - I love my friends, shopping is awesome but I will never, ever live there again. This is still true but I would like to say - I had fun. It was awesome. My friends in L.A are great. Many thanks to those of you who saved me from my early rising mornings and took me on adventures. Being at the mercy of others with no car is a bit of a pain in the ass but, I sorted it out.

I also bought a million things for my shop that I have been slowly adding day by day. Also - I am going to be making jewlery!! Yay!

A couple photos of course : 1. Dance party at The Bar on Bronson. 2. My best friend Katie has never loved anything more than she loves this cat (well maybe she has but, she really loves her cat Prince). 3. Obligatory "I'm on the beach with palm tree's" shot of myself. 4. The littlest jellybean entertaining herself in the sand in Venice.

I have a couple FO's as well! Just full of photos today -

Lady Arms:
Yarn : 2 balls Frog Tree Merino Worsted in black
Needles : US 5 dpns
Pattern : Improvised - I actually kept track of how I made this pattern - I think I may get some better photos and write it out - post it up on the ole' Rav.

Next up is Missoni Inspired Cowl :
Yarn: 3 balls RY Classic yarns - Bamboo Soft in taupe
Needles : US 6 cic 36" needle

It was a nightmare to knit with such small needles. Same thing, over and over and over and over... I was glad to be finished. I was hoping it would be a little wider but, it's good enough. I like it. I still need to weave in the ends.

I am trying to use the yarn in my stash before I go buying new yarn so I have no sweaters/tops in my near future but, can someone reccomend me something cool to make with 215-240 yds of cotton yarn?? I am stumped.

x.
-erin.

My best friend started her own etsy shop!! Hand made awesome jewlery!!

62.

2009-03-16T11:23:00.001-07:00

So, I have yet to upload my real camera's pictures. Not that I've taken a million of them anyway but - I have a few gem's. So for now I will post camera phone and photobooth pictures until I get that done. Meet my friend Mel. I love her very very much and I am sad that we don't get to see eachother more often. I'm soon going to start a petition to get her to come visit me in New York. She hasn't been since I've lived there and I think thats a bit ridiculous. She does the make-up like me and is classified as one of my "besties".

Moving on, I've become an aunt. This is Zues the baby italian greyhound. He is currently sitting in my lap curled up like a little leggy i'mhyperallthetimebutirhgtnowi'mgoingtobeadorable puppy face. I want to bring him home to be Frank's brother but, I don't think my best friend would like that very much. He is the cute, I am in like. He is 4 months old and like's to pee under the kitchen table which get's him in trouble so I hope he learns very soon that, that is not a good idea. (Please excuse the "I just woke up" face)

I am excited to go home for sure. This trip has established for me that I love New York SO much. It's way more my speed. Driving everywhere, having so much free time - not really my thing anymore. I have changed since I've moved to New York for what I think is the MUCH better. Different life phases I suppose.

I got a little bit of knitting done yesterday, I think I'll be finished my arm warmers by the time I get back to new york. I have 5.5 hours on a plane to get it all done tomorrow.

I almost bought a taxidermied chipmunk yesterday but, due to the economy - the price has gone way up from what I remember so I didn't buy it. I did buy some byson teeth though which I plan to make earrings with when I get home and put up in my shop!

Well, I'm off to spend my last day in the sun.
Good morning :)

Hope the day is wonderful for everyone.
x
-granern.

61.

2009-03-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm here in Los Angeles for the first time since I moved 2.5 years ago. I have to admit its a little strange being back and being somewhat familiar with where I am but not being familiar at the same time. I'm staying with my best friend in her new house being leader of the animal kingdom. There are 2 italian greyhounds here - Apollo Pete who is the neverending-iwanttocuddleforever-dog and Zues who is 4 months old and a complete maniac. Prince the hairless cat is roaming around here somewhere too.

I am about to run out the door so I"m pictureless but, I'll get some uploaded soon.

Its funny how you think that you're going to knit endlessly when you're on vacation and yet I haven't touched my knitting bag since I got off the plane. I did get the chance to finish an armwarmer on the plane though! One more to go!

Also, missoni inspired cowl is coming along but goddamn is it ever boring knitting the same thing over and over and over and over... and over.

Yay for nice weather.

I still love New York way more than Los Angeles.

But, shopping in L.A win's times 1000 over New York - goodies for the etsy coming up soon!!

x
-erin.

60.

2009-03-07T16:04:00.000-08:00

I should be doing laundry right now but, I got caught up in editing old phtoos that I've uploaded and not touched in 2 months. I'm a little behind on the times. I worked at my old bar last night and it reminded me why I'm not a bartender anymore. Last call being at 4am is really mean to bartenders in New York on friday and saturday nights. Its totally inevitable that you won't be able to get out of the bar until at leaaaast 5am because how the hell does one girl get 25 drunk people out of a bar when they still have full drinks (because of course I serve right up till 4am - gotta make that money)? I ended up sitting at the end of the bar at 445am last night pouting at my barback hoping he will just kick them all out for me. Needless to say, it worked. I woke up at 1pm today - record time for me as of late considering I've been waking up at 8am everyday.

I have knit 2 things (and I'm on my 3rd) since I finished my cardigan which reminds me that I haven't updated in a while. I have no good reason for not updating but, you know. It happens. Heres a few photos of my FO's :

meret beret (ravelry)
yarn: Lion Brand LB Collection 100% Cashmere
needles : size US 7 16" circulars
size : LG with 1 extra repeat
notes : I should have done one more pattern repeat but, I was scared already that I wasn't going to have enough yarn to finish the hat because the pattern called for 200 something yds. I ended up with a bunch of extra yarn (but of course, not enough to knit something else of decent size) and my had is a TAD smaller than I'd like it to be. Before blocking I was terrified that I hated it. I put it on my head and the shrunken little thing just looked like a weirdly shaped beanie so, I did the dinner plate trick and drenched that bastard hat! Now - Its pretty :)

Frank's end of winter sweater - improvised pattern.
yarn : something half acrylic from italy that my roomate bought me for my birthday
needles : US 8's DPNs
notes : I could have made this a little bit bigger but I was scared he was going to get pee all over it so I decided to stop a little short on the underbelly. I also decreased a few stitches too many around the sides so when he runs around in the sweater it kind of ends up looking a little bit like a cape. But, he seems to like it - I like it so we're all happy.

I should be doing laundry right now but, its one of my most hated chores (notice how I keep mentioning the laundry - that's me telling myself to get off my lazy ass). I would rather clean 10 toilets than do laundry. I almost feel the same way about the dishes but, I think I'd rather do the dishes than do laundry. I have no idea why laundry plagues me so much but - I hate it, and I think hate is a strong word.

On tuesday, my co-worker and I decided that we were going to dress up for work for our own entertainment reasons. This proved to be quite successful and entertained the customers at the same time! I'm not sure about a few of them - I think they thought I actually liked to wear red lip liner with light pink lipstick and cut off shorts in the middle of winter. Viva white trash tuesday!

Okay, I guess I'll go do laundry.

x
grenern.

p.s - I added a few buttons to my scarfy - cardi and it's so damn sexy. I will have to post some pictures of me wearing it out in the world.
p.s.s - I go to LA in 5 days!
p.s.s.s - This is my inspiration for what I'm currently knitting (stollen from restless grace's blog)

59. FO Scarfy- Cardi

2009-02-25T08:48:00.001-08:00

Great news!! I FINALLY finished my Scarfy-Cardi. Had I actually marked down how I made it and wrote a pattern for it I don't think i would have called it Scarfy-Cardi but because I'm not sure I'll ever be able to make another one - I am going to call it that for now because it is in fact : A Scarfy- Cardigan.

I used the Peruvian Tweed Superfine Alpaca I color way 127 (off white) - Knit the cardigan in a basic raglan increase in stockinette, I then knit the scarf seperately in heel stitch and sewed it onto the neckline. It took just BARELY under 2 skeins (aprox 1200 yards).

I then decided that I wanted it to have 2 front panels in a different stitch so I picked up stitches along the front open seam and knit for about 5" in seed stitch and VOILA! I was finished. Everything was done on size US 8 circulars.

I am going to be sewing on snap buttons so I will have somewhere to pin the ends of the scarf when I'm not wrapping it around my neck. The shape they're going to make is beautiful (and I'll post more pictures of it - I just got excited to have an FO!)

All I'm doing is working these days, its killing me. Luckily I managed to get friday and saturday off. This will be my first 2 days off in a row in 3 weeks. I am SO excited.

x.
-granny.

58.

2009-02-19T06:46:00.001-08:00

Well, another day of working ahead of me and another day of waking up incredibly early because of an alarm on a cell phone that isn't mine... *ahem*. Next time said alarm on said cell phone wakes me up to the point where I have to wake up its owner to turn the stupid thing off, I'm going to throw it out the window. Not even kidding. Bye Bye iPhone.

Anyway, I got some new stuff that I'm going to be posting up on etsy in the next day or two. I found some killer stuff at a somewhat secret thrift store right by my house... A sneak peak?

I was almost tempted to keep that purse for myself but, I figure don't get too attached to things otherwise I'm never going to be able to part with anything. There are other purse fish in the sea. This skirt I'm pretty amped on. Its a Liz Claiborne with the tag's and all! Its even got the extra buttons in a little baggie on the skirt! I already have it posted up here.

I've been doing a lot of freelance work lately, which is why I think I'm so tired. I've been working as much as I normally do at my coffee shop job but I've been doing way more freelance work so I've barely had any time off. It pays off in the end though. Yesterday's call time was 630am so, I was up at 5. Awful time of day to be awake unless you've been up since the night before.

It was my first runway show yesterday and I didn't do makeup but, I did hair and it was AWESOME.

Nanette Lapore :

My roomate and I got excited about the knit hat's and arm warmers that were in the collection.

Anyway, thought I don't have pictures of it yet, my Scarfy-Cardi is coming along sooooo beautifully! I sewed on the scarf yesterday and now I'm working the front panels. I can't believe how well its turned out and now I'm kicking myself for not keeping track of what I did to write a pattern for it.

FO to come soon.

x
-granny.

57.

2009-02-15T09:25:00.000-08:00

Things on etsy have been selling pretty good, I'm rather excited about it. What I am not excited about is, I bought a dress for my birthday that cost a pretty penny... In my shopping I found another dress in a similar color and almost identical style to said expensive dress for 98% less than I bought the birthday dress for. arg.

I am on a cleaning frenzie before I have to work tonight but, I figured why not throw up some pictures of Frank doing things he's not supposed to be doing like eating my yarn :

But, then again he does things like this (he needs his face hair trimmed as he cannot see me as well as I can see him) :

And, finally... Progress on le scarf. Almost there ! :

Long work week ahead of me. I'm tired already!

x
-erin

56.

2009-02-11T15:49:00.000-08:00

Today so far has been a pretty good day off. I woke up relatively early and cleaned my room. I took frank to the dog park where he proceeded to get really dirty and decided it would be a good idea to get mud all over me and my white shoes. I walked, I coffeed, I talked, I (window) shopped. Not so bad.

Upon arriving home, Frank couldn't go without a bath so, that happened which is always relatively easy but, the whole cutting of the hair thing after the bath was not a fun one. He hates it for some reason when I try to touch his paws. I can cut everything else whenever I want to but as soon as I go for the paws it's life or death and he will gnaw on my fingers until I either get pissed off and yell at him a bunch or give up. Today... I WON THE BATTLE. I did yell at him a little, yes but - I ended up winning. He fell asleep while I was cutting his leg hairs! I feel like I've conquered the Frank.

In knitting news, there hasn't been much knitting. I'm on the scarf part of my cardigan and I HATE knitting scarves so I'm about halfway through the scarf when I could very well be finished by now. I haven't started another project in fear of abandoning my scarf but, I think I might have to. Its either Frank sweater or lace beret pour myself. Hmmm.

I've also decided that I'm going to sell vintage clothes on my etsy store as well as my knits. I figure I have an entire wardrobe that I like to circulate clothes in and out of so why not try to fund the clothes I buy with money from the clothes I sell!

Here are a couple things I'll be posting in the next few days :
Suede brown boots

Suede/Leather tan boots
Tie dye tank topI've got a few things that I've posted up already. Who knows how this will go, I'll call it an experiment for now.

Does anyone prefer etsy to ebay or vice versa? I like how much neater looking etsy is and I feel like its less confusing but as far as clothes selling goes - etsy vs. ebay?

Tonight, I go for dinner to some fancy fondue place in Soho where they serve wine in baby bottles. Possible go out dancing after... I do have the day off again tomorrow!!

I love days off.

x
-erin.

55.

2009-02-04T07:24:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday to me :)

Artwork by : Jnthn

For my birthday, someone got me a "missed connection" on craigslist!!

quite possibly my favorite thing ever. ::

oh tattooed chick who works at mud! i want to scream out my love for you from the top of a mountain, but there aren't really a lot of mountains in the NY metropolitan area. you're like the girl from Ipanema, but way more white and i doubt you speak Portuguese. Your beauty is so illuminating and i kind of go deaf when i see your face! that smile! your cute knit hat! your long chestnut hair! everything about you entrances me, except, you have a ton of shitty tattoos and a septum ring...

I can see it now, you and i walking down the street hand in hand, glowing. The mere sight of us together will conjure "happy together" by the Turtles to everyone who looks upon us. then we'll walk into a cafe so i can introduce you to my friends to show off your beauty. After you have ordered your food, you'll politely excuse yourself to go to the restroom, and when in your absence, with a shit eating grin on my face, i'll look to my friends and say, "so... pretty awesome right?" to which they'll reply "uh.. dude, she has a septum ring" but i will defend your honor and stand up and say "so?!? were we not young once? dont we have some sort of questionable fashion skeleton in our closet? are we not hipsters to boot? besides, i find her love of shitty 90's hardcore endearing." they'll snort and remind me i have better taste than that. "fuck you" i'll say. then i'll mumble almost inaudibly "she likes other stuff too! like um... drum and... uh, bass" they'll laugh at me i know, but they dont know you like i do. like i think that it's cute that you find the new Animal Collective record "pretty weird if you're fucked up". i dont have to explain it to anyone. you make me food when i'm sick, and....

fuck this. i think you're about to file a restraining order if i come into your place of business again. you don't notice me anyway and i am pretty sure you have a boyfriend that i wouldn't enjoy fighting. i'm taking my patronage to starbucks. their black and green uniforms are like kryptonite for my boner anyway.

And for now, I will get early day manicures, knit a bit of hat & scarf, drink some more coffee and possibly spend some money that I shouldn't on something to wear to kareoke tonight.

Have a good day!!

yay for 3rd grade lazerbeam photos!
(me before the '90's hardcore babe tattoos & septum ring)
xoxo
-moi.

54. FO - Jaywalkers

2009-02-02T06:30:00.000-08:00

I finally finished my Jaywalkers! (ravelry). They look wonderful! This is my first pair of socks that I've knit the hell into as I was going, the other ones were all using the afterthought heel.

A couple of photos? Oh, why yes.

Yarn : Claudia Hand Painted yarns in Fingering Weight from The Yarnery in St.Paul, MN
Needles : US 1

Notes : I was a little on the dumb side when I bought the yarn for these socks and didn't read the pattern on how much I would need so I just figured - 2 skeins, 2 socks!. Soon I came to find out I was going to run out of yarn for the toe's and had no idea what I was going to do. Luckily, I impulsively buy things on eBay and I picked up some Rowan Cotton Glace and that worked out perfectly for the toe.I am quite happy with them. Now I'm working on the scarf for Scarfy-Cardi. I'm almost wondering if I should have made the scarf wider? I'm not sure. If anything though I have decided I am going to knit onto the front.

This will all make much more sense when I get some photos. Ha.

Thats all for now.
x
-granerin.

53.

2009-01-28T16:23:00.000-08:00

I have an awful headache right now that I feel may only get worse so I'm not sure staring at the computer is the best idea for me at the moment but, I just got sucked into posting a blog.

Today has been a pretty all around awful day. The weather is grey and rainy meets darker grey and snowy making for the grayest and slushiest day. I woke up far earlier than I would have liked to and I started working on my Scarfy-Cardi again (now that I've gotten the yarn for it) and upon casting off the second sleeve and trying it on I realized - I knit one of the sleeves 2 inches too short. GRRRRRRRR.

I am now suffering from heartburn, I have no desire to get up and cook something yet I'm hungry and Frank wont stop barking at the door.

/end complaints.

Tomorrow will be a better day. The glass is half full.

x
e/g

52.

2009-01-23T07:07:00.000-08:00

I've neglected my blog for over a week and here I am looking through my bookmarked toolbar of 30+ blogs being upset that I don't have more than one new one to read today. Well aren't I a brat.

I guess I haven't really felt the need to update about anything in particluar otherwise I would of done so a few days ago. I've been working quite a bit this week. I've been knitting a little less than usual because I'm being plagued by Jaywalkers and Claudia hand painted yarn. I was stupid in my yarn purchase choice to knit the Jaywalkers with because I didn't read the yardage. Now, here I am - terrified I'm not going to make it to the end of the foot and I'll have to rip back to make the leg shorter. In lieu of being this terrified, I haven't picked up in my knitting in 2 days. This is what happens to me. I get scared and I run away from my knitting (yes- i'm being incredibly over dramatic but, i think it will probably make it more interesting of a read).

Just for the sake of posting a photo - here was my Jaywalker progress as of a couple days ago :
I haven't really progressed much. I'm maybe 2.5" into the middle of the foot now with a very tiny ball of yarn left...

So many of my friends are pregnant right now - I'm not sure what I'm going to knit them. My friend Kat who's wedding I was in 2 January's ago is going to have a baby in Aug. Her shower is going to be at the end of June so, all my lovely lady friends who have all moved to different corners of the country and going to reunite in Kansas CIty for her baby shower and I need to come prepared with something beautiful for this baby (who I think should be named Erin).

I also have another friend from Louisianna who's all knocked up! This one is a seamstress extrordinaire... so I need to figure out what I can knit that she can't sew. I've got time for that one too I suppose - any suggestions on baby stuff?

I had a makeup job yesterday for a couple of hours. I did makeup on a 16 year old girl who is a Theatre Singer. I'm not really that sure what that means but, she needed head shots to send out so - that's what we did. Nice and simple job.

My birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks. I refuse to make any plans this year for it as last year was slightly dissapointing. Planning your own party isn't really that fun anyway. Not to mention I'm not exacitally what you would call "ready" to be another year older. I think I'm going to hang on to the year that I've got now for a few more months. I'm enjoying it. BUT, even though I'm planning on keeping the same age... Should any of my friends feel inclined to get me this, I would be very much appreciative. I found this little gem on my lovely friend Maia's blog which I recently discovered the other day.

Anyway, I'm going to do some research on knitted dog sweaters because Frank is too damn cute to not have one. I think he also feels neglected because I keep knitting hats for my boyfriend.

x

P.S friends : I also really wanted this when I went to Miami but iO convinced me that I shouldn't spend 28$ on a necklace. So, if anyone knows of where I could get something similiar to this without spending 28$ at Urban Outfitters, I'd be quite thankful.

51.

2009-01-11T08:13:00.001-08:00

So, I was tagged by my friend Ryan Marshall to blog about a photo on my computer.

Here are the rules.

1.go to your documents

2. go to your 6th file.

3.go to your 6th picture.

4. blog about it.

5. tag 6 friends to do the same.

This photo I took with my little point and shoot kodak camera. I was walking around with miss io shopping and having a general best friend hang out day and upon walking out of Beacon's Closet on N11th in williamsburg I noticed the sunset over the park and attempted to take a photograph of the clouds. I think this was probaby the best shot out of about 15 that I took, adjsuting the settings and the light to try and get the colors. That day was right before the weather got too cold to wander around jacketless outside, we were full bags in hand (or at least I was, as I usually am when I leave Beacon's Closet), on our way to a destination we hadn't figured out yet. I think we had some coffee on a stoop on Bedford until she went out for dinner with Katie and I went home to bed. I love those kinds of days off.

So, now I'm supposed to tag 6 people. I'm going to go for it.

1.) Well, considering this photo was from an Io & Erin day, I have to tag iO. She's got some pretty fun pictures up there on that computer of hers (I say up there because she lives in the apartment above me).

2.) I'm gonna go ahead and tag nobuks - I'm interested in seeing what crazy photo she'll pull out.

3.) Either of the ladies at Team Knit.

4.) Chelsea!!

5.) MI scuuuuusi!!

6.) Tara @ yarnover movement

Now, question...
I ran out of yarn for my grocery bag, I have about 3 inches left of the handle to do - I have a cowl for sale in my etsy store that has been up since october and no one has grabbed at it - do I take the cowl down, frog it and finish the bag ? I think I might have answered my own question already but I need someone to back me up.

xx

50.

2009-01-09T09:35:00.000-08:00

Well, I said I needed more makeup jobs and this morning I got what I wanted. It looks like I'll be working on a shoot for Rolling Stone on sunday with a couple of the guys from SNL. Should be pretty good.

I have much knitting things that I'm going to post. I am short on time so it's mostly going to be photos... First of all, I have never gotten a hand made knit thing as a present other than from my grandmother up until now! My roomates very good friend came to visit us a few months ago and we all talked and bonded about knitting and for christmas, he sent me up this beautiful mustard yellow scarf!!

Next up, I found something to use the rest of my yarn I had bought for my Lauren Jacket. A new bag!!

Something else you might notice about the needles I'm knitting with... Yes, I have the best boyfriend ever who got me harmony interchangeable needles from knitpicks!!

Question to those who have these needles (Kim) - Do you notice you have to keep screwing on the needle to the cable beacause it comes loose? How do I stop this from happening?

Last but not least, my lovely friend Chelsea came to visit me a couple days ago and her and Frank fell in love.

fin.
x
-gr-erin-ny

49.

2009-01-07T07:41:00.000-08:00

Well, I got around to posting 3 new things up on my etsy store yesterday which is nice considering I was knitting for christmas and myself for the past few months. I'm excited to sell some things again. I finished the maroon cowl right before christmas and the other two were done over my past 2 days off. Today is the last of 3 days off... I am currently laying in bed watching the rain outside wishing it would stop for enough time for me to run to the deli down the street and grab some milk for my coffee. I have yet to make it because coffee just isn't coffee to me unless it has milk in it. Yet I am slowly getting more depressed about not having the coffee. Dilemas dilemas.

I am meant to go to a dinner party tonight that is pot luck style. I was thinking fried rice (its an asian theme) and Peach Pie? Does anyone like Peach Pie? Does anyone have a favorite recepie? Help a girl out with some dessert suggestions!

Frank got neutered yesterday. He hates me for it. When we got home he made sure to say hello to everyone in the house but me, he cuddled with all of my roomates and my boyfriend before I finally had to force him to hang out with me. He was sitting in the kitchen with his back turned to the couch and would just look over his shoulder like he was saying "you know I am really mad at you for this, I actually might hate you". I tried telling him things like "i'm sorry, I had to, you were going to pee on everything I own" I pleaded for forgivness until I finally got hard and said "I FEED YOU". It didn't work. Now, he's almost back to normal-ish. Still not really interested in a cuddle, off in the living room doing his own thing.

I threw out half my clothes the other day in some mild freak out I had about not having cleaned my room in weeks. I got rid of about 15 shirts, 4 dresses, a couple skirts and 8 pairs of shoes. I do these freak out things alot where i get rid of things but this was by far the biggest since I moved to new york, I got rid of things Ive had since I first moved to LA 5 years ago. It felt kind of good but now my closet is looking slightly empty and I am in no place for shopping.

My makeup jobs lately have been so few and far between, its killing my pocketbook and my motivation/inspiration. I need to book something soon...

I went back to yoga yesterday for the first time in about 4/5 months. My body isn't what it was, I am not quite as bendy as I once was... Hopefully I can get back there though, one of my new years resolutions was to force myself to go at least once a week. I also plan on quitting smoking - after my birthday but before June. I know that may seem ridiculous but, I am just trying to be realistic with myself.

One more thing, I got this reaaaaaally beautiful cashmere lionsbrand yarn from my boyfriend for christmas, I want to knit myself a nice cable or lace beret... Do you have a favorite pattern?? I just cant figure it out. The yarn is white. Opinoins?

x
-erin.

48.

2009-01-02T09:58:00.000-08:00

1. sockettes0217, 2. woomansocks3, 3. rudythehat, 4. and I will make a men's version of it, 5. finished yarn tote, 6. mediacaseblu1, 7. mansocks1, 8. blorangina4, 9. laurenFO2, 10. anniehat1, 11. yoscarf3, 12. sold on etsy, 13. 4 sale on etsy, , 15. purpleker4, 16. caplet - right shoulder, 17. MNxmas0162, 18. orangeker3, 19. tote4, 20. wristlet2, 21. for emmalamalamaaaM, 22. collar - grey, 23. kerchiff blue, 24. handribbed2

2008 knitting summed up by a mosaic maker.

resolutions in my knitting :
1.) knit more things that aren't worn around your neck
2.) finish scarfy cardy (still waiting on the yarn)
3.) gift a sweater
4.) knit more lace (damn that lace)
5.) use up as much of my stash as i can in the next 6 months before buying new yarn to add to my stash.

Happy 2009 everyone! I got a good feeling about this one. Its going to be great.

x
-erin.

47. FO

2008-12-29T16:56:00.001-08:00

So, I just got back from my minnesota christmas vacation, uploaded a million and one pictures to flickr and am now finally finding the time to update the blog. I have one last christmas present to finish that I already pre-warned would be a little bit late. So she will continue to wait until I am finished.

I didnt' have any turkey this year which is kind of strange for me but, I did have copious amounts of ham. I love ham, I had no idea how much I loved ham. I had it for breakfast, lunch and dinner... Split pea soup with the bone marrow, fried it up for breakfast... all kinds of different ham's. Beautiful thing.

I did a little bit of shopping, I didn't realize it until this trip but I live in basically the shopping capitol of the country so for me to expect to find killer shopping in mid-western states is kind of a bit ignorant. I went to about 4 stores before I finally found the most beautiful cape I've ever seen (I will soon provide pictures of said cape). I have a new found love for poncho's and capes and this one, perfect.

I didn't take very many pictures but here are a couple. The top one is the alley behind the house, there are all kinds of these alley's in mpls/stp. I've seen them before in Dallas and I never quite understood them. I mean why isn't the garage in the front of the house at the end of the driveway instead of behind it? Thats like you're making a whole one lane street for parking? I'm sure there is a logical reason for it. This is the house I watched television in for the past 6 days. It looked really pretty at 4:30pm, the sky was looking nice.

I'll move onto some knitting now.

While I was away, I had the chance to finish up this adorable pair of sockettes.

Ballet School Dropout Sockettes
Yarn : Koigu Painters Pallet Premium Merino (KPPPM)
Needles : US 2
Mods : I didn't technically modify anything, I did choose to go the 'deeper toe' route. I like toe cleavage and all but these guys will be worn under my 7.99$ kmart slip on's and my hipster urban outfitter ked's (har har). So, that being said I don't really need them to be all THAT low.

Notes : I love Koigu yarn. Like, loveloveLOVE it. It is SO easy to work with and it feels nice, not to mention it looks clean and defined. I have another pair of socks I used Koigu for and it still holds up quite nicely after washing them. I will for sure be using it again.

A friend of mine gets in from Toronto in about 15 minutes so I have to get cleaned up and ready for dinner upstairs with the aunt's of my frankit.

Funny picture, he tried to eat my new socks :
And, last but not least... If you're ever in Saint Paul, Minnesota... May I reccomend going to the Yarnery. its pretty cute. HUGE sock yarn variety. I guess I'm on a sock kick lately.

xo
-erin.

46.

2008-12-16T15:43:00.000-08:00

Today was a big day in the world of the internet for me folks... I re-vamped my blog as I'm sure you have already noticed and I posted 2 new things in my etsy shop.

Eye-Lets Love cowl :
Knit with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino - suuuuper soft and lovely. I finished this on my way to Miami and immediately started a secret christmas present so I've been so engulfed in said secret christmas presents that I haven't had time to get this posted up on ye' old etsy.

Second - Nauti-Cowl :

I knitted this with some left over yarn I had from 'secret christmas presents', I figured why not bang out another cowl and post it up. Its been a while since I updated my etsy because i've been doing this and that and work and sleep -etc... Its tighter than most of the cowl's I make but, I kind of like how tight it is. I thought about keeping it for myself for a minute but I have so many and I'm running out of room!

Thank you new roomate Nick for photographing me.

I'm getting ready to go to Minnesota for christmas, this will be my second year in the past 4 years that I will be with a family that I'm not firmiliar with. The first year, I was in Livermore, CA with my friend Paul who so sweetly invited me to his family's place for christmas after finding out that I was most likely going to be alone. I hate not going to my family for christmas - so many ritual's that I haven't been able to partake in in over 3 years... My mom came down the past 2 years which was lovely but this year, its back to the misc. christmas. It will be fun but, I miss my family.

Here's another blog refferal, I was sent over here today by my best friend io. This girl is 12 years old and incredibly advanced for her age! Cute little fashion blurbs, interviews, shopping refferals... Check it out.

This is a week of dinners for me. Tonight with Tippy, tomorrow is Miss Molly's birthday pot luck... I don't have anymore planned yet but we'll see as the week goes on.

fin.
x
-granny.

45.

2008-12-15T09:11:00.000-08:00

Some of my christmas knitting is a secret so I'm photo-less right now but, I can say that I am what I feel like - very behind on christmas shopping. I have 8 days essentially to get everything in the mail, home, wrapped. I can't knit quick enough. Shit!!

I'm kind of hungover, it was my anthonys birthday last night and I ventured out to a club in the west village that is way too expensive, way too smokey and way too far from my house but for once I had fun. I have to work at 330, I'm not sure how that is going to work out.

I'm going to not really say to much because of my current state but here is an awesome blog with some great music :
Le Freak C'est Keek

and a couple photos.

x
-erin.

from selkas film about the magic tap shoes.

one of my little plants
menupages.com - projectors.

44.

2008-12-11T09:13:00.000-08:00

I'm back from Miami, to say the absolute least it was an amazing time! I generally hate florida (except Orlando) but, I figured I had never been down for an event of sorts, I've always been there on tour. I hoped to change it. Upon arrival (after getting up at 6am to rush to JFK) we picked up the rental car and checked into our cozy little hotel by the airport. They had a "general store" on the ground floor that was on an honor system. You drop exact money in a little box for whatever item it is that you want or fill in a little slip with your room number. After first glance, we decided our hotel looked like a loonie bin.

After settling in we hopped in our cute little silver box and headed to south beach. We kicked if off at the Tokion magazine party. Met up with the lovely miss Heather and drank some free wine. It was a bit chilly, wind blowing and of course 2 girls from New York going to Miami neglected to bring sweaters or things that may help in a windy or cold situation. We were somewhat screwed but we fought through and pushed on. We later checked out the Aqua Art and called it a night around midnight.

Thursday was full of fun... Io was to speak on a panel about outsiders coming in at 2pm so we woke up, searched for starbucks for about 2 hours then barely got to the Gen Art fair in time.

Post Gen Art/Vanguard we rolled on over to the Theme Magazine party in Wynwood where we met up withLogan & Jeremiah. This was the beginning of us "rolling 13 deep". Its like a snow ball, you keep pushing and pushing and going and going and all of a sudden you're in Miami (where 12 hours before you only knew maybe 2 people) driving around like you grew up there with your 11 new friends.

We rode on over to South Beach where we hit up the Ricky Powell party. An impromptu fashion show with half naked women strutting in bikinis may or may not have happened, a couple drinks... some painting. But the bikini's I think was the highlight of the party. Or maybe the hispanic guy that asked me what my sign was and told me that he needed be to buy him a drink becaue the police stole his bag.

Next stop, Beautiful Decay party - our group got bigger. We went to the Pharell party at Le Baron - an underground club lit up by only red lighting (to make people look beautiful) where we got seated at a table, 3 tubs of assorted beer and a bottle of 10 cane rum. For free.

stollen photo from logan.

After that, there was nothing more than sleep.

Friday I forced Io to take me to the beach. I knew that if we didn't go, we would never make it. It was so beautiful.

Friday night was the Scion party at the Raleigh hotel in the Penthouse. Pretty fancy stuff though they only had one bathroom which if you ask me was pretty silly considering they had an open bar party. None the less, I met a ton of new people and hung out with my crew of 12 until we rolled onto the next stop which was the Obey party. I took a few pictures there but got the memo that Russel Simmons was there and didn't like cameras so I had to put it away.

Next stop was the GenArt party in Wynwood where we stayed for aprox 10 minutes before walking the (way longer than we should have walked) "6" blocks to the next party. Living in New York and thinking about blocks is like a facade. I think 'oh, 6 blocks is not that far at all - thats like walking from the train stop to my work which takes me 5 minutes'. In other cities - blocks have the ability to be almost a mile long. Ugh - it was a stupid choice to walk. I was in heels. It was annoying and kind of chilly. But, we got there - we had to go back to the car to get our ID but - we did finally get to the Nike/ANP party.

At first the music was so loud that we had to all go to the bathroom to get toilet paper for our ears. We had to pay 13.01 for 1 single drink that had 15% gratuity included, at a bar where they didn't serve tap water - only bottle for 6$. It was shit. Terrible... too loud, too expensive I almost thought about suggesting leaving untiiiiiiiiil - Heather saved us and showed us there was free wine & beer in the garden out back where we then accumulated a cabana!

stollen again from logan.

The boys finally at one point decided to leave us and head back to South Beach for bed when they shut down the garden and we shortly followed but didnt go to bed. We closed the diviest of bars on 14th & Collins called Mac's Duece club. Made it home around 530am. I haven't done that in what feels like forever.

Saturday we dedicated to being art day. So, I'm just going to picture through saturday :

I found these two at the NADA art fair. This is a performance piece they have been working on together since 2006. It is one giant pink crocheted tube. I of course stopped, took photos, took video and asked them a bajillion questions. A link to more info about the super super long pink tube.

Anyway, that basically sums up the weekend, our flight left very early on sunday morning so after one more meal in south beach, we went home to our little insane asylum hotel.

I didn't get much knitting done (obviously). I did start a hat and realized after all the ribbing that it was big enough to fit 2 heads so I had to start over / back on track now.

I have no christmas presents yet other than the 2 dishcloths... I better get on it.

Thats all for now.
Thank god for a day off.
x
-e.

43. FO - wooman socks.

2008-12-01T11:26:00.000-08:00

So, here I am with the socks that took me nearly 2 months to knit. Knitting while on the train, at work when it was slow, sometimes out at bars with friends or at friends houses - basically the "i have spare time and I need to entertain myself somehow". Now, this isn't to say that I love them any less than anything else I spend real time working on because I have been endlessly excited about finishing them and getting them on my feet. I mean its my 2nd pair of socks ever, first pair for myself... They are a big deal.

So, I am going to start with all the basics :

Yarn : Koigu - Bought at The Yarn Tree in Brooklyn on sale!!
Pattern : A combination of 2 patterns - knitting from the toe up, knitting the heel last.
Size : Woo-Man size. A tiny bit too big for my feet (size 8) but, not enough to make it annoying.

Needles : Size 2 US
Notes : I love the yarn, Its so lovely to knit with. It hardly ever splits, it slides around on my bamboo DPNS perfectly... I am for sure going to be using it again, in fact I have 2 more balls wound ready to be turned into more socks! (these might be jaywalkers - ignore the boob)

Now - tragedy insues (sp?) ... They look fine from here right? Totally cute, little, colorful socks?

Well, have a closer LOOK !!!
So, I have this nasty habit of smoking cigarettes, which I don't do in my house and had I left this project at home this may have never happened but, I took them out to the "big game" last night (because i hate sports and figured I'd try to finish my socks while the minnesotans watched sports) and somehow a cherry from my cigarette decided to jump off the tip of my cigarette and into my purse where my poor veunerable sock was harmlessly hanging out. My sock was hurt and upset, mostly that I didn't notice it being attacked by the burning cherry in time enough to save it from the little hole. I am pretty upset about it... I did the best I could sewing it in hopes of it not coming apart again. Every stitch I tried to sew to would break in half - they were all creating the "facade" of being real stitches but, infact - they were already damaged.

I'm wearing them anyway.

In other news, I knitting these for my boyfriends mother for christmas - dishcloths from this pattern, I improvised a little on one of them but, I figured it would be a cute gift for a mid-western mother. Mojo is super excited and she doesn't even know it.

I have also decided both my grandmothers will also be receiving these for christmas. Mom, don't tell them.

I have to go to work now. I really don't want to. I am going to Miami on wed so I would really like a little rest before my vacation but, I suppose I do need drinking money in south beach? Im delerious and need to wash my face.

xx.
e. & g.

p.s - new post on chopstickbusinesscard.
p.p.s - i broke my phone again. patiently awaiting a new one.
p.p.p.s - where is team knit?. I miss them.

42.

2008-11-26T10:39:00.000-08:00

My friend Nima said something the other day about how he likes that my blog posts are titled by number. It makes it easier for following if you don't have one of those "I read it already" markers. I agree with him. 42 does come after 41.

I have all these ideas about things that I'd like to write about almost always (oh so conveniently) while I'm walking down the street. I sometimes wish that I had a mechanism that would read my thoughts as I think them and put them in a storage bank that I can later re-visit so I can write about whatever weird and (almost) dillusional thing I am thinking about at the time. I being an aquarius, am incredibly loose minded? Scatter brained? Something like that - therefor I almost ALWAYS forget the "brilliant" idea I had to write about.

My roomates parents are currently staying with us. They are kind of adorable. The father does magic as a proffession, he keeps showing me little tricks. They're kind of awesome. I am tempted to ask how they're done but 1. I don't think he'll tell me and 2. It will probably kill the mystery. I came home to find a bible on the table today which is a not so common thing to find around my apartment. I'm not going to lie, it threw me off a little bit... I am definitely not used to censoring myself in leui of parents. I never grew up with christian, wholesome parents so I am infact finding that I have to bite my toung quite a bit. Example - My roomates mother has sleep apnea (I have never encoutered until yesterday) which I wasn't aware of. Upon entering the bathroom last night to have a shower - I came out yelling "who's damn scuba gear is in the sink??" = I am an asshole. Another instance, "If you're around on thanksgiving day, I'll show you my whole magic show", says Naomis' dad to which I promptly reply "HELL YEAH!". I suppose it was better than "F*&* yeah".

Anyway, onto knitting things... I have made some serious progress on Scarfy Cardy. I love Scarfy Cardy so far but I'm already thinking of some alterations I might like to work on after I finish the 2nd sleeve. It isn't quite wide enough for me to close so I was wondering, should I add on some front panels by picking up stiches and knitting out in stockinette? Or should I knit pannels and sew them on after so the stockinette stitches go in the same direction (up & down)?

I also knit some semi-ribbed random stitches around the wrist cuff so it wouldn't curl but, when i turn it up, I really like the way it looks so I'm glad I did it.

The little "woo-man" socks are coming along nicely too. I am just about at the heel of the 2nd sock now. I cannot wait to get them on my feet because it has been coooold the last few days!

My friend Vanessa had a surprise birthday party for her boyfriend Wade on friday night last weekend - I was 'documenting the night'. This is one of the photos that Trav took for me :

These were essentially the only two people I knew when I first moved to New York. I lived with them for 2 months as soon as I got here. I had known Vanessa (middle) for about 15 minutes before she dragged me out of the apartment with my sunglasses to avoid getting flipped out on my ios (left) mother for moving into her aparmtent on 3rd street without being informed. "This is not a HOTEL io" is the last thing I heard before I ran out the door to Tomkins Sq park with vanessa. Its been 2 years now (on Dec 5th) since I moved to NY. I love them very much. Thank you vanessa for saving me from Rebecca (who now loves me for the record).

I should go, I am geting magic tricks done to me by Naomi's dad.

x
-granny.

41.

2008-11-19T10:23:00.000-08:00

I did it, I made my first adult designer million dollar clothing purchase. Of course, I documented such experience considering I am quite proud of myself. I think I may have a christmas dress for Minnesota! Its so lovely :

My roomate works at a store at Spring & Greenwich called Aloha Rag and yesterday they started a 40% off everything (except gold) sale. My roomate had a suggestion for me already as soon as I walked through the door and it was this dress.

I'm incredibly in love with it.

Knit news :

"woo"-man socks 60% finished
(working foot on 2nd sock)

scarfy cardy 50% finished
(2 more inches of body, add sleeves & scarf)

I don't want to work today.
x
-erin.

p-s : (the mirror in the first picture is one of my favorite things in my room. it was a design by my best friends cousin, he used some sort of chemical to burn that image into the glass. its so beautiful.)

40.

2008-11-12T10:51:00.000-08:00

You'd think with a handy little card that gets me 40% off at the M.A.C cosmetics store, I'd be able to find someone to come makeup shopping with me? Alas, no luck. Maybe thats because a lot of my friends have day jobs? I'm not sure. I suppose I'll just have to go by my lonesome.

So yesterday was Franks last set of puppy shots and his rabies vaccination, he now is the proud owner of a huge red tag that is almost bigger than his head that says he is rabies free. I am pretty proud of him for making it through all those needles. Poor little guy, getting stabbed once a month with multiple needles. I am not looking forward to the day he gets his _____ chopped :/ - I'm probably going to spoil him rotten for a week.

Its gotten cold here... I could complain but, I suppose it is November. I wont.

Some music that's been getting me really excited lately, a visit from Roy Ayres - Everybody loves the sunshine... Why did I ever loose that song? Why did I neglect it for so long? God damn is it ever good. Another is this young sweedish girl, Lykke Li. She is a cute. Very much a cute.

Knitting? I have finally overcome my inability to knit more than one thing at a time so I am currently working on 2 things! My "woo-man" socks that I am so desperately wanting to finish so I can put them on my feet (42 degrees is cold) :

Preparing to knit on the subway, as I do. Often. And annoy people I'm sure.

Progress is being made on my scarfy cardy :

Have I mentioned yet that I plan on attaching a scarf to it?? I posted a picture of a big squishy cardigan on here a month or so ago with a huge fluffy scarf attached around the collar. I am going to go for it but, should le scarf be a wide rib or should I maybe throw a cable in there somewhere? I'm not sure I need to do the cable, its a pretty simple sweater all around... Suggestions?

My throat has been swollen the past couple of days. Not so much fun, especially while working but what better for a swollen throat then a few beers with some friends ? (Bad idea : Good photo fun.)

And finally, I'm going to end on some more pictures. A discovery around the corner from my apartment building. A "Glorious" discovery.

fin.
x.
-granny.

39. Pattern : Rudy short for Rudolph

2008-11-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

Rudy short for Rudolph :

Materials :

Needles : size 10 US circular 16" needles / Size 10US DPNS - for finishing.
Yarn : 1 skein Catalina Baby Alpaca Chunky
One stitch marker.

Cast on : 76 sts, PM

-Join round, Rib 2x2 for 2 inches.

-Knit in round for 2.5 inches

Pattern RND (1 round only) : *yo, sl1, k2, psso (repeat * until end of round)

-Knit for 2 inches

DECREASE :

Rnd 1: *k17, k2tog (repeat * until end of round)
Rnd 2: *k10, k2tog (repeat * until end of round)
Rnd 3: *k9, k2tog (repeat * until end of round)
Rnd 4: *k8, k2tog (repeat * until end of round)
Rnd 5: *k7, k2tog (repeat * until end of round)
Rnd 6: *k6, k2tog (repeat * until end of round)
Rnd 7: *k5, k2tog (repeat * until end of round)
Rnd 8: *k4, k2tog (repeat * until end of round)
Rnd 9: *k3, k2tog (repeat * until end of round)
Rnd 10: *k2, k2tgo (repeat * until end of round)

Weave working yarn through all remaining stitches, pull tight & weave in ends.

x
-granny.