Home > Entertainment

Entertainment

Top ten twenty milestone events (in the life of Karina!) for 2011

2012
1 Comment
New Years Resolutions comic - healthy eating means wanting half a cupcake

This comic says it all... didn't it seem like 2011 was all about cupcakes?

Once again, Happy New Year!

Before officially ringing in 2012 (and by official, I mean an entire month late considering it’s already end of January… man, time sure goes by fast!), I wanted to summarize the major events that happened in my life during 2011.

Note: This post is part of my “Best of the Best Top Ten Lists” blog series. But as you can see… it somehow turned into a “Top 20″ list instead of 10 (only because there were too many events that had occured during 2011 to reduce the list to 10!).

Anyway, without further ado, here we go…

Top 20 events of 2011 - New Canon and Sony cameras and lenses
#1 New Cameras, Lenses & Filters… Oh My!
(January 2011 & December 2011)
2011 started with receiving my Boxing Day 2010 camera purchases in the mail: A) Canon EOS Rebel T1i DSLR camera kit (w/ 18-55mm zoom lens) from BestBuy.ca; B) Sony Alpha NEX-3 interchangeable camera kit (w/ 18-55mm zoom & 16mm wide-angle lenses) + camera filters from Henrys.ca
In January, I bought a Canon 75-300mm telephoto lens at J&R while traveling to NYC
For Boxing Day 2011, I bought a 33mm macro lens for my Sony Alpha NEX-3 camera, on sale at Vistek.ca

#2 Vogue Knitting LIVE! Convention in New York
(January 21-23, 2011)
I spent much of 2010 waiting for “The Ultimate Knitting EVENT from the Ultimate Knitting Magazine“… and it finally came in January 2011
I’m talking about attending the 1st ever Vogue Knitting LIVE! in NYC
Highlights include: A) Getting my “Vogue Knitting Knitopedia: The Ultimate A to Z for Knitters” book autographed; B) Meeting Knitterati-member Nicky Epstein; C) Buying more yarn than I could stuff in my carry-on (It’s true, I had to FedEx a box home!); D) Getting tips on designing my own knitwear & learning about different yarn fibers
Top 20 events of 2011 - Voge Knitting LIVE! convention in New York City

Top 20 events of 2011 - Watching Billie Joe Armstrong star in American Idiot Broadway musical
#3 Watching Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong Star as St. Jimmy in American Idiot Broadway Musical
(January 21, 2011)
While in New York for the Vogue Knitting LIVE! convention in January, we were lucky enough to be able to catch Green Day‘s front man Billie Joe Armstrong actually star in American Idiot The Musical, during his month-long stint playing St. Jimmy
We were also lucky enough to accidentally stumble upon him signing autographs outside the theater (watch video here)

#4 2011: The Year Google’s Panda Algorithm Update Changed the Landscape of Search
(The world changed after February 24, 2011)
As someone working in the Search Engine Optimization field, the year 2011 was most definitely a roller coaster ride… dominated by a giant black & white endangered animal that feasts exclusively on bamboo
The Google Panda algorithm update made its arrival in the U.S. after February 24th & would later hit other English-speaking countries April 11th
Regular Panda updates continued every 6 weeks or so all through 2011
Top 20 events of 2011 - Google Panda algorithm update

Top 20 events of 2011 - Rainbow color yarn
#5 Buying Rainbow Colored Yarn of All Fibers
(January to March, 2011)
After receiving a chullo hat & fingerless gloves knitting book from my mother-in-law for Christmas 2010, I became obsessed with knitting winter accessories… and teaching myself how to create my own custom-designed knitwear
It was during early 2011 when I came up with the idea of creating my own Hand Knitted SEO/HTML Geek Wear, to sell online through this site
This led to me being obsessed with the idea of buying yarn of all fiber types (merino wool, alpaca, organic cotton… oh my!) in every single color of the rainbow. I’m talking pinks, reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues & purples

#6 Goodbye, Long Locks… Hello, New Short Bob Haircut From My New Fave Hair Stylist
(May 2011)
Before 2011, I can’t remember when I last had short hair
I started growing it long prior to my May 12th, 2010 wedding… but kept it long a year later (b/c I was cheap & lazy)
In May, I made an impromptu decision to abandon going to my regular salon & instead went back to trying Toni & Guy
Although I went with a random stylist, the guy became the best I’ve ever had (he knew exactly how to cut my hair based on how it naturally sat on my head). And what did I get? A spontaneous short bob haircut!
I tried finding him last month for haircut #2 of 2011, but turns out he had quit to start his own salon. Went to the new place & had him cut my hair in the same style as before. It looks equally great. So yay, he’s a keeper!
Top 20 events of 2011 - New short bob hair style

Top 20 events of 2011 - New Sony VAIO laptop computer
#7 Upgraded to New Sony VAIO Laptop Computer
(May 2011)
Also in May, I finally bit the bullet & threw away my previously beloved (but wonky) Spring Green colored Dell Inspiron notebook computer (it had a faulty monitor connection & wouldn’t load half the time)
When I noticed a sale on Sony VAIO E Series laptops at Best Buy? I made the decision to buy it… in electric blue
I’ve been using my trusty new Sony VAIO as my go-to, regular home computer since then & I gotta say… Most definitely infatuated with it!

#8 Made the Switch from iPhone to Android & Never, Ever Looked Back
(July 21, 2011)
I’ve had my iPhone 3GS for a while before one fine day in June and BAM! This happened: 1) I lost it by leaving it at a restaurant; 2) One of the staffers took it, then lied about doing so when I went back & inquired
Luckily, the (read: super cheap, under-the-table) phone plan I was on allowed me to get a new smartphone by renewing my contract in July
After consulting with friends, family & people at work, I ended up waiting patiently until nearly end of July so I could purchase the Samsung Galaxy S II 4G the day it was released on Bell Mobility
I gotta say, I love my new Android phone & wouldn’t go back to an iPhone even if you gave me the choice for free! Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Samsung phones are hot. And by hot? I mean sexy.
Top 20 events of 2011 - New Sumsung Galaxy S2 Android smartphone

Top 20 events of 2011 - New house
#9 1st Comes Marriage, Then Comes a New House…
(May 2011 & August 2011)
My husband and I are pros at renting apartments (together as a couple we’ve lived in 5 different rentals!)
In the middle of our 1-year lease at the last apartment, there was an uproar involving the landlord. They threatened to evict us “as long as we get 2 months notice” (which was NOT true)
We decided to be proactive & move out by the end of our lease in August before they forced us out on their terms
We also decided the time was right to buy property. Our tiff with the landlord at the last condo really soured us on the idea of renting. Plus, we had just celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary, and what comes next after marriage except our very own house?
We started house hunting in May & found the perfect townhouse immediately! Without a doubt, 2011 will forever be remembered as the year we bought our house.

#10 …Then Comes Living in Debt Thanks to a Mortgage on That New House!
(August 2011)
Guess what comes along with buying a brand new house? A brand spankin’ new mortgage loan, that’s what!
Lawyer fees, land transfer taxes, property taxes & maintenance fees aside… it’s good to know that at the end of the day, the money spent throughout this whole house-purchasing process (& money that we’ll continue to spend for years to come) is at least all going towards paying off our house debts
Top 20 events of 2011 - New mortgage debt

Top 20 events of 2011 - House painting fun
#11 House Painting Fun, Fun, Fun!
(August 2011)
>The best part about buying a house vs. renting a condo? You’re free to decorate it however you like! As someone who lives and breathes arts & crafts, I was jumping at the chance to get to work decorating it.
That’s right. I hoarded paint swatches from Home Depot. I clipped pictures of rooms I liked from storage organization/home decor magazines. I made “to-scale” floor plans for each room in the house & where to put the furniture. I literally had a sketchbook of ideas on how to decorate the crap out of the new house… before we even got the place.
At the end of the day, I didn’t really have to do much in terms of decorating the house outside of painting the rooms (since the previous owner had bought it just to completely reno it from top-to-bottom & flip it for profit). But man, did I have fun painting! Let’s just say there were 5 rooms that ended up getting painted & I used 5 different colors of paint!

#12 Furniture Shopping? Even MORE Fun!
(Summer 2011)
Guess what also comes along with buying a brand new house? Shopping for brand spankin’ new furniture, that’s what!
Yes, my husband and I have lived in our share of apartments so most of our furniture had already been purchased. But we’ve never lived in anything bigger than a 2 bedroom apartment! And going from a max. 1080 sq. ft. condo to a 3+1 bedroom 3 storey house? There were definitely additional furniture items needed to bought!
Let’s just say during 2011, I discovered the inner furniture shopaholic in me. I could NOT avoid the neighborhood Urban Barn Outlet, was constantly at Structube & scoured every Toronto indie furniture store in search of custom upholstered sofas & armchairs.
It took me several months to amass everything, but at the end of the day I’d say I’m quite pleased with the furniture pieces that I ended up with!
Top 20 events of 2011 - New furniture shopping

Top 20 events of 2011 - Custom built dream walk-in closet
#13 Turning the Smallest Bedroom into a Custom Built, Dream Walk-in Closet
(August 2011)
Every girl dreams of their perfect, walk-in closet… one that’s the size of an entire bedroom (Hello? Remember the walk-in closet Mr. Big had custom built for Carrie in the 1st Sex and the City movie?). Well, that dream became a reality for me when we moved into our new house.
Back in August when we were about to move in, my dad (being the super awesome handyman that he is) followed my requests to the letter and transformed our smallest bedroom into my ideal, personalized walk-in closet. I’m talking a full wall-to-wall, floor-to-bottom set of PAX wardrobes from IKEA on one side of the room, facing a wall covered top-to-bottom with rows and rows of shelving to house my numerous pairs of shoes and boots. Can we say, heavenly bliss?

#14 Discovered Newfound Rubber Ducky Obsession
(August 2011)
I have no idea where it came from (seriously, this is completely from left field), but I’ve developed a newfound obsession with rubber duckies
It all started when decorating our main floor bathroom in the new house, and I made a spontaneous decision to have the decor revolve around a rubber ducky theme. I’m talking framed scrapbook prints of rubber ducky patterns on the wall, rubber ducky wall decal stickers, rubber ducky hand towels, rubber ducky lotion & soap pumps, plus a current grand total of TWENTY FIVE rubber duckies just, y’know, sittin’ around.
Yuppers. Just call me the rubber ducky hoarder!
Top 20 events of 2011 - New rubber ducky obsession

Top 20 events of 2011 - Food Network channel TV shows
#15 Became Obsessed with the Food Network TV Channel… and Watching It Nonstop While Cooking!
(Starting August 2011)
When we moved into our new house, we were able to enjoy the perks of free access to channels available through Rogers’ VIP digital TV package
OK, so it’s not technically free… it’s actually included as part of our townhouse maintenance fees. But they gave us 3 free boxes!And you know what that means? That’s right. I gots me a brand new flat screen Samsung TV to mount on my kitchen wall… and in white, to match!
As if the new kitchen and its brand new cabinets and fixtures and appliances didn’t make cooking in the new house completely awesome to begin with. Add in the brand new pivoting TV and free access to the Canadian Food Network TV channel? Pure cooking bliss.

#16 Expanded My Pet Bunny Clan to Two
(August 27, 2011)
My husband and I may not have kids (yet!), but we’re currently content with our close knit family that consists of pet bunnies.
We’ve had 2 Mini Rex bunnies before, but both have since passed. In September 2010, we adopted a gorgeous charcoal-colored Netherlands Dwarf rabbit. She looked like a koala, so I named her “The Koala Bunny“… much to my husband’s chagrin. To this day he refuses to acknowledge that was ever her name. She’s now referred to fondly as “The Chicken“… because, well, she clucks! It’s funny, because our old Mini Rex bunnies used to honk like geese, I swear.
Anyway, this relates to 2011 because after moving into our new house, we decided to seek a soul mate for “The Chicken” (because bunnies don’t cope well on their own… they’re social creatures!).
I’ve always longed for a floppy-eared Holland Lop rabbit, one that’s brown with a dark nose. I finally found the perfect dream bunny and we welcomed him into our family on August 27, 2011. This one isn’t “pretty” like the other one (he’s more scrappy looking, a bit scrungy). But he is absolutely beyond adorable because he looks (and acts!) exactly like a perpetually enthusiastic and energetic puppy dog. Which is why he’s officially named “The Puppy.” And boy, do we love him!
So now, our little family of 4 is complete.
Top 20 events of 2011 - New puppy bunny

Top 20 events of 2011 - Intro to sewing classes
#17 Used a Groupon for Intro to Sewing Classes
(September 2011)
At the end of 2010, I purchased a Groupon for 50% off an 8-Week-Long Introductory Sewing course. However, it wasn’t until September 2011 (when the coupon was about to expire) before I put it to good use
I’ve had previous experience with sewing before (in Family Studies class at school & having been taught by my mom when I was young), but I definitely needed a major refresher
I learned quite a lot! It definitely sparked something inside of me to want to continue learning how to sew. So at the end of the day, 2011 will go down in my books as the year I fell in love with sewing again.
Plus, the best part to learning how to sew? Hands down, shopping for fabrics. Especially at Mood Designer Fabrics in New York, the official fabric store for Project Runway… one of my fave TV shows of all time!

#18 Started New KnittingNPurling Etsy Store
(September 28, 2011)
Starting in September, I finally got around to starting up a brand new store on Etsy called KnittingNPurling, where I intend to exclusively sell “handmade geeky gifts for computer nerds“
Currently, you can purchase: 1) gold or silver wire wrapped name necklaces with “geekery” words written in cursive letters, 2) computer keyboard keys & lampwork glass beaded earrings, and 3) computer keyboard keys & chunky layered button rose rings
More items are planned for the near future, including lots of SEO/HTML themed custom knitted geek wear… so stay tuned! And if you’re on Etsy, please feel free to add me to your circles. Cheers.
Top 20 events of 2011 - Handmade computer keyboard jewelry at my KnittingNPurling Etsy store

Top 20 events of 2011 - Toronto Bead Fair and One of a Kind Show
#19 Hi, My Name is Karina and I’m a Bead Hoarder
(Bead Fair in November & OOAK Show in December 2011)
When I restarted Etsy in September, I also rediscovered my love of volunteer group of people who share an abiding love of, and enthusiasm for, beads, beadwork, and related jewelry-making skills.” Sounds like me!
I also attended the twice yearly 2011 Fall Bead & Jewelry Fair in November. It wasn’t a big shindig, but the smorgasbord of beads available (including my coveted handmade lampwork beads by local artisans) made the show to die for. And I got to network with other bead lovers!
Lastly, I made my requisite pit stop at the Christmas Toronto One of a Kind Show, where I got the chance to both buy AND meet up with additional bead connoisseurs. 2011 was definitely a good craft year!

#20 Back From My Longest Hiatus From Blogging (With a Vengeance!)
(December 6, 2011)
I’ve been known to go in on long breaks between blogging (there’s just so much going on in my life all the time that I can never find the time to devote to blogging!) However, the break that elapsed between the last blog post I had written on April 24th, pre-hiatus… vs. the comeback post I had written on December 6th? That was SEVEN months long! Ouch.
Well, just wanted to say I want to end that trend of going on hiatus now that 2011 has come to a close. I’m refreshed. I’ve got the new house, and everything has settled down in my life. So I’m ready to tackle maintaining this Knitting & Purling blog… with a vengeance!
Hopefully you’ll keep returning back to read more of my posts. Cheers and much thanks in advance if you do. XOXO, Karina
Top 20 events of 2011 - Restarting my Knitting and Purling blog (after a 7-month hiatus)
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterPin it on PinterestSave on DeliciousDigg ThisSubmit to redditSubmit to StumbleUponShare via email
Filed Under: Jewelry Making Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ian’s 680 News sound bite video: Russell Peters highlight of Charlie Sheen Toronto show today

2011
Leave a Comment
Charlie Sheen comic - no you cannot be Charlie Sheen for Halloween

Hilarious comic on Charlie Sheen's recent spike in popularity

If you’ll recall, a month ago I blogged about how I was able to successfully score tickets to Charlie Sheen’s Violent Torpedo of Truth show in Toronto at Massey Hall.

I knew I risked potentially angering a lot of people by admitting to going to the show… but fascination for the man took over, and so I have no qualms about admitting to wanting to see his show.

Anyway, the show was today… and apparently at the last minute Canadian comedian Russell Peters got added to the show as the person interviewing Sheen on stage.

Canadian comedian Russell Peters co-hosted Charlie Sheen Toronto show

Canadian comedian Russell Peters helped co-host Charlie Sheen's "Violent Torpedo of Truth" show in Toronto

I actually didn’t hear about Russell Peters getting added to the bill until today… and boy was I ecstatic when I found out. I LOVE Russell Peters, he is an absolute riot. I’ve seen him once at a free comedy show on the streets of Yonge & Dundas in downtown Toronto, and have fallen in love with him ever since. So yeah, having Russell Peters co-host the Charlie Sheen show was like getting a bonus double feature for the price of one!

And boy, was I glad the Sheen show that we saw had Peters added to the bill. Throughout the (albeit quite short) show, I was definitely laughing it up and slapping my leg every single minute. But the jokes that I was laughing at? They definitely didn’t come out of Charlie Sheen’s mouth!

My husband and I have seen pretty much every single interview, biography, and documentary ever created since Sheen went off the deep end in recent weeks… so we’re definitely aware of how funny he could be while mentally off his rocker. But he definitely wasn’t that funny tonight! He barely even cracked a joke about #winning, shockingly enough! And also barely even mentioned warlocks, trolls, Adonis DNA, tiger blood… you name it. Even his two “goddesses” made brief 2 minute appearances in order to throw merch out into the crowd, and that was it.

Charlie Sheen Winning t-shirt (not so much tonight in Toronto)

A Charlie Sheen "Winning" shirt... something that he most definitely failed to do tonight at his Toronto show...

Russell Peters, on the other hand? I fell in love with him all over again after the show. Most of his jokes were Canadian-centric and dealt with minorities, of course… and I laughed HARD at each one. He even poked fun at that seedy scuzzbucket behind Oliver’s Jewelers, who was actually in attendance at the show sitting in the front row… dude actually had a wad of cash on his person and whipped it out for everyone too see! The word d-bag was definitely created to describe someone like him… and Russell Peters made it his mission to make continuous jokes about him at the beginning of the show. Definitely hilarious!

So there you have it… that’s my review of the Russell Peters/Charlie Sheen Violent Torpedo of Truth Toronto show at Massey Hall on April 14, 2011.

Y’know what the best part was? When we were leaving the venue, a reporter for “Toronto’s only 24/7 all news radio station” 680 News asked my husband what he had thought about the show, and he gave a brief sound bite that paraphrased pretty much everything I had just mentioned above in this blog post. But the best part was, IT MADE IT ON THE AIR! Not just on the air for any time slot though either… his comment made it on 680 News’ headline news segment (!), which was playing tonight every hour on the hour, and every hour on the half past hour mark.

Additional videos taken during the first Toronto appearance of Charlie Sheen’s Violent Torpedo of Truth show:
Image sources: Comic image courtesy of iGossip. Russell Peters drawing courtesy of FineArtAmerica.com. Charlie Sheen “Winning” t shirt picture courtesy of Reason.com. Video footage courtesy of 680News.com.
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterPin it on PinterestSave on DeliciousDigg ThisSubmit to redditSubmit to StumbleUponShare via email
Filed Under: Knitting & Purling Blog Tagged With: , , ,

Gonna get some haters… but we successfully landed tickets to Charlie Sheen’s “Violent Torpedo of Truth” show in Toronto!

2011
Leave a Comment

Charlie Sheens Violent Torpedo of Truth show

Charlie Sheen's "Violent Torpedo of Truth" tour poster

OK, so like I had mentioned in the title of this post… I know I’m going to get some haters for this.

But my husband and I are in the pro-Charlie Sheen camp (we’ve been following his antics on a daily basis, I must admit). And when we found out Charlie Sheen’s “Violent Torpedo of Truth: Defeat is Not an Option Tour 2011″ show was coming to Toronto, we knew we had to get tickets.

Apparently, tickets to his shows in the States were selling out within minutes of when they went on sale… so I didn’t exactly have high hopes of landing tickets to the Toronto show (especially since the T.O. show was at Massey Hall, a teeny tiny theatre that’s so small, it can only fit 2800 people!).

However, I’m no spring chicken when it comes to scooping up “high demand” tickets the second they go on sale on Ticketmaster. My husband and I have been to our fair share of concerts throughout our teenage years… even up until present day. And I was always the one in charge of purchasing tickets.

So anyway, tickets to Charlie Sheen’s “Violent Torpedo of Truth” Toronto show went on sale today, and I’m pretty sure they sold out in 4 minutes. But that’s perfectly fine for us, ’cause I bought our tickets before it sold out! Woo.

That’s right. Come April 14th, we’re going to be guzzlin’ tiger blood, not sleeping (but waiting!), and learning how to “bi-win” from the master Warlock himself.

And who better to describe what the show would be like except Charlie Sheen himself? Check out this quote:

“Will there be surprises? Will there be guests? Will there be mayhem? Will you ask questions? Will you laugh? Will you scream? Will you know the truth? WILL THERE BE MORE?!?! This IS where you will hear the REAL story from the Warlock. Bring it I dare you to keep up with me.” -Charlie Sheen

I cannot wait!



Image Source: Charlie Sheen’s “Violent Torpedo of Truth” tour picture courtesy of OK Magazine.

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterPin it on PinterestSave on DeliciousDigg ThisSubmit to redditSubmit to StumbleUponShare via email
Filed Under: Knitting & Purling Blog Tagged With: , , ,

Video of Billie Joe Armstrong signing autographs after performing as St. Jimmy in the American Idiot Broadway musical

2011
1 Comment

Drawing of Billie Joe Armstrong in America Idiot Broadway show

Drawing of Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong performing on stage in American Idiot Broadway show

A few weeks ago I blogged about how I was lucky enough to catch Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong perform as St. Jimmy in the American Idiot Broadway musical while I was in New York City for the Vogue Knitting LIVE! convention. It was pure luck that the convention took place over a weekend in January, and Billie Joe just happened to have chosen January as the month that he would personally star in the Broadway show!

My husband and I have always been Green Day fans, and we’ve seen our fair share of Green Day concerts. But with the band being as popular as they are, the chances of us catching Billie Joe perform at a theater setting would be virtually impossible. So it was definitely a thrill to have been able to catch him perform in a Broadway show, live!

New York City New York hand drawn food map (featuring a Shake Shack burger)

Grabbing a burger at the Theater District location of the Shake Shack in New York City!

In fact, at the end of the show after the final curtain call, Billie Joe even gave an acoustic performance of Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)! Definitely a night to remember.

After the show, a huge crowd started forming around the front entrance of the theater. Everyone was willingly standing around outside, even though it was miserably freezing… just so they could catch a glimpse of Billie Joe. I mean, I love the guy and everything… but there was no way in hell we were going to do that!

Instead, my husband and I decided to grab a ShackBurger from New York City’s famous Shake Shack… a place recommended by my friend, which we wanted to try ’cause the two of us can never turn down a good burger joint! We’re quite obsessed with hitting up all the indie burger places everywhere we travel.

Shake Shack ShackBurger in New York City

The "ShackBurger" from New York City's Shake Shack

(Side note: Best burger joint that we’ve been to so far? Chicago’s Epic Burger, no contest! You gotta try one of their burgers with a fried egg on top! Mmmm…)

Anyway, on our way back to the hotel after dinner, we happened to walk by St. James Theater again (where the American Idiot show took place). And lo and behold, the second we walked by Billie Joe decided to step out from the theater right then and there! Pure coincidence.

Of course, since we weren’t part of the crowd that had been waiting there for like an hour, I wasn’t able to get a good view. But here’s a video that I was able to quickly shoot. You can see the back of Billie Joe as he signs autographs for the screaming crowd around him. Enjoy!



Image Source: Billie Joe Armstrong drawing courtesy of Broadway.com. Illustrated food map of New York City courtesy of JamesLaish.com, tweaked by Karina of Knitting & Purling. ShackBurger image courtesy of ShakeShack.com.

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterPin it on PinterestSave on DeliciousDigg ThisSubmit to redditSubmit to StumbleUponShare via email
Filed Under: Vogue Knitting LIVE! Convention Tagged With: , , , ,

Here I go again, blog hiatus #2 within the same number of months!

2011
Leave a Comment

Billie Joe Armstrong performing in the American Idiot Broadway show

While on my last blog hiatus, I visited NYC and caught a showing of the American Idiot Broadway musical... starring Billie Joe Armstrong himself, on stage!

Hello again, to anyone perusing through my blog. Welcome!

First off, let me apologize once again for my irregular blogging schedule.

I got a bit overwhelmed in January when I decided to start my Vogue Knitting Stitch-a-Day 2011 Calendar quilt project. I bought the calendar at the end of December, and made an insane decision to knit an 8″ x 8″ square swatch of each day’s knitting pattern on the actual day that pattern would appear in the calendar.

Needless to say, that was absolutely impossible to keep up… especially since I still have to work full-time during the day, not to mention the fact that I’m also undertaking 18 bazillion other hobbies of mine at the same time.

New York City NY hand drawn map by Alice Tait As you can clearly see, I tried my best to keep up with the schedule until January 14th, and then hell just sorta broke loose and everything started unwinding like a ball of yarn!

What have I been working on since then? Well, I’ve actually had tons of exciting things happen that I would love to retroactively blog about. I mean, there are still topics that I have yet to blog about since my last hiatus back in December! Guess I better get cracking.

Some of the exciting things that happened recently:

  1. I traveled to New York City(!!!)

    2. >> Attended the Vogue Knitting LIVE! convention and marketplace
    >> Bought lots and lots and lots of yarn
    >> Visited TV Show Project Runway‘s regular stomping ground… a.k.a. the fabulous Mood designer fabrics store!
    >> Saw Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong personally perform in the American Idiot Broadway musical as St. Jimmy)

  2. Getting the groundwork prepared for creating a new Etsy store

    3. >> More details to come

  3. Starting a TON of new knitting projects

    4. >> Includes my first time trying my hand at custom designing my own line of knitwear!



Image Source: American Idiot Broadway show image courtesy of Broadway.com. Hand drawn map of New York City courtesy of AliceTait.com.

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterPin it on PinterestSave on DeliciousDigg ThisSubmit to redditSubmit to StumbleUponShare via email
Filed Under: Custom Designed Knitting Projects, Knitting Books & Magazines, Vogue Knitting Calendar Quilt Knitting Project, Vogue Knitting LIVE! Convention, Vogue Knitting Stitch-a-Day Calendar Tagged With: , , , , ,