100.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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



sotired.
x
erngrn.

90.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.