Coding

Well, I'm figuring out how to edit CSS...slowly, very slowly.
I think this counts as a creative endeavour, and that's what this blog is for...

So I start school in 4 days.
Well, re-start school...would you believe I already have 2 bachelor's degrees?
Then I had brain surgery...now, I struggle along gamely trying to learn (re-learn?) what I can.
I'm taking 3 classes at the JC...

2 computer courses (beginning dreamweaver, and html 3...I'd like to take intro to CSS, but the html course is the prerequisite so I'm stuck) and an adaptive physical education course--swimming.
Whoever thoguht of the name for the handicapped exercise courses was just cruel--as if we don't have enough problems, note the abbreviation: APE. So I'm taking APE 10.1 or something.

Once I get going, expect a new look and feel on this and my other pages. Also, I'll be coding a site for a non-profit, once I get some more advanced skills--I can make UGLY web pages, but that's really not going to do for a REAL entity, unlike my own pathetic pages (templates are little miracles, aren't they? Think of how ugly the web would be...).

Loom Stuff

Currently, I'm making a hat for my little nephew. Hats are easy, so I always have to make things more complicated--I'm using three strands of yarn, and trying to do a double stitch. THAT was almost impossible: It got so tight that I couldn't get the yarn over the pegs, and I was at risk of breaking pegs/hook/fingers/yarn...so I cut off one of the yarn threads, and now I'm doing it with 2 yarns and a double stitch.
Luckily, I've included an eyelash-style yarn so you can't find where I cut the other yarn...and I did it as I was making the brim, as well, so the ends got tucked in and it looks like I did an extra thick stitch for the brim (which I did ;-), then changed deliberately (again, I did, but not for the usual reasons of appearance or style...).

His favorite color is a turquoisey/seafoam kinda green, so this is going to be a very colorful hat.
I'll upload a picture when I get it finished...and when I get around to it, I'll upload pictures of the 6 or so dog sweaters I've done, all modeled by my mother's dog Fancy and my dog Pocky. :-)

Looming...

A few months ago (okay, last fall) I was down at a friend's house, and she was busily wrapping fuzzy yarn around this legoland-style red spiked wheel.
My reaction was, "WHAT is THAT?"
She explained to me (whilst looping away) that "it" was called a Knifty Knitter, and that she got it at Wal-mart (her favorite shopping therapy store), along with a bunch of really fun yarn, and she was making scarves.

I must say honestly that I kinda turned my nose up at it as a cheesy fad...but come June, bored and stuck at home because of health issues (if you really wanna know, read my other blog but it's pretty eccentric. You are warned.), I got the urge to crochet again. This is something I take up every once in a while, then quit either because the yarn is crappy, or the patterns are impossible to read. I have a monstrous time trying to learn the argot, and usually quit in frustration. I've been "playing" with crochet (with very little to show for it) since I was like, 12.

Then, I was visiting another friend, and lo! her 10 year old daughter was busily wrapping away on this gaudy yellow chunky plastic ring...and what was being produced was PRETTY!
Color me officially intrigued.

As a side note: I hate Wal-mart. I don't do crowds well, and for some reason Wal-Hell seems to attract a great deal of pushy, obnoxious, desperate-looking overweight (quintessential Americans?) people. Did I mention I don't do people well, either? My friend calls it my "agoraphobia" but I'm not sure that's accurate...needless to say I spend a lot of time at home, and working with animals (I do reptile rescue)...but I digress, brutally!

Where was I? Oh, yes, Wal-mart...believe it or not, I was intrigued enough by this knitting tool that I braved Wal-mart (with my sweet and wonderful husband as guardian) to get the kit and some yarn. Had I known the kit was available at JoAnn, I would have gone there--however, I didn't discover this until I went there later that week for more yarn (once again, hubby running interference. I've been 3 places alone in the past 3 months...but once again, I digress)...

So, tool in hand, pretty textured yarn in the other, instruction booklet in front of me, I proceeded to knit.

Now you know: This blog is about what I am creating/learning to create with this centuries-old knitting loom (yes, I did some research--there are some great handmade looms out there!) that ProvoCraft has brought into faddish popularity by making the "tools of the trade" very colorful, chunky, and non-threatening--therefore easy and possibly viewed as "not really knitting" by outsiders, as I once was. ;-)

Oh, this blog is ALSO about cooking, creating art in whatever form I find it.

Introducing...

This is my blog for my creative outlet(s)...my other blog is full of all other aspects of my life, so splitting them seems to be best. I wish Blogger had categories, the way typepad does, but oh well. I'm learning CSS, but it's slow going...being able to code my own template would be really damn nice.