Days 15-21 - The First Amendments

Crafting Clock: Okay, so I haven't been keeping the greatest track of the exact number of minutes, but I am almost certain it has been at least an hour each day, and I know it has sometimes been over 3 hours, so I think it all evens out and we are still on track!
Listening to: Swim by Caribou
Reading: Almanac of the Dead by Leslie Marmon Silko

Well, it has been an interesting week in the Land of Creativity. Not in that I've done something extra creative (in fact, most of that has been pretty un-imaginative), but because I have been thinking a lot about how I do want to define "creative" in order to meet my goal. As I mentioned in my first post about this New Year's resolution, I don't want to get too bogged down with what it means for the purpose of this endeavor. However, I was recently shamed by someone (oh, I won't name names) who said that reading isn't a creative activity, and so I was pushing myself to do things other than open a book. But then I realized that I wasn't reading anymore, and that made me very sad indeed. So reading is back in the game! I think it is creative in a way because it calls on use of your imagination to draw up scenes in your mind. I might not be creating the plot, but I am creating the theater in my mind, and that's enough for me. **What do you think? Is reading creative or a cop-out?**

I have also decided that cooking pretty much anything counts as something creative for me because it requires me to overcome the same combination of laziness and fear of failure that inhibits me from taking up my needles or sitting down at my sewing machine. And much in the same way that both crafting and cooking make me drag my feet at first, they also both bring me so so much joy and such a sense of accomplishment when I actually finish preparing something.

Tonight I made fried rice, which I know sounds about as complicated as chewing bubble gum to some of you out there, but believe it or not, not everyone is as competent and capable of using as a rice cooker as you. Bless her faith in my abilities, my roommate let me borrow her rice cooker tonight with the simple instructions of "Pour the rice in and add twice the amount of water. And turn it on." That made sense when she said it (I even got cocky and gently mocked her for reminding me turn it on! ho! ho!), but then I pulled out the rice cooker and about three million questions. Put the rice in first and then turn it on? Let it heat up and then put the rice in? Let the water boil and then add rice? What is the switch for? What is warm vs. cook? How do I know when it's done? How long does it take? What planet does rice come from anyway? Too bad she had already run to catch a bus by then. Luckily, there's this magical place called "the Internet" where they have all the answers to every secret about your specific rice cooker. THANK GOD. And look! Half a bottle of soy sauce later and we've got dinner!

Another amendment I'd like to push myself toward given that reading and cooking may seem a bit like steps backward is to try to do one creative activity each week that I'm not used to...in other words something that isn't knitting. This week, best buddy and I made shrinky-dink earrings! They didn't really work so great because they curled up into boils in the oven, but it was fun all the same.

leafy leaf shrinky dinks. she also tried making purple bunnies, but one slipped through the cracks of the oven and broiled in a fiery death. RIP purple bunny pal.

shapes!

i shouldn't have shrunk these cuties...

...because now they look like they're about to poop out something rather uncomfortable.

Besides the usual puffs (of which I now have made 21...so that's nice and slow), I also bit the bullet and returned to an afghan that I started a few years ago, but gave up on when I made some mistake in a row and was too irritated to try and figure it out. Turns out that was only a 20 minute puzzle which means I am back on track to knitting something quite snuggly.

So there's some give and take in this challenge, and I admit I feel the need to justify myself to you (whomever you are), but also...I'm really awesome, so you can eat my feet if you don't like how I'm playing. Just see if I make you something, critical readership, you! 

Days 4-6: Mystery Gift Revealed!

Crafting Clock: 1 hr Thursday night, 3 hrs Friday, 2-3 hrs Saturday, Sunday....hmm.

Today is my dad's birthday. Happy birthday, Dad!

To celebrate, we had brunch at Lula's yesterday! We were particularly satisfied with our brunch because 1) one of the waiters had on a *vintage* Channel 11 WTTW shirt (where my mom works) so she's basically an uber-hipster by association. And 2) Dad LOVED his french toast. I didn't see him shake any spoons (signature Dad move indicating great gastronomical pleasure) but when it was placed before him, he did do this.

Reason numero 3 that I was satisfied with brunch was because I gave Dad my delight knit MYSTERY gift. Were you able to guess it's identity? Hint: It is NOT a cat.














A knit balloon animal bunny, you say? How did you know!?!? That's right here is mah buhnee frrrend for yoooou to luuuurv!

Here's the Ravelry link to pattern in case you want to tackle it yourself. You do have to register on Lion Brand's website to access it. I modified the pattern by knitting in the round rather than across and then seaming, which made it much quicker at first. However, I felt abusive trying to twist and pinch my little bunny into place, and ultimately, I think he could have benefited from a few more knots pinching his limbs into submission. (Yikes! Sounds like ancient foot-binding practices!) He doesn't quite sit up on his own, and Dad had a mildly difficult time figuring out which side was "up" but overall, I am pleased with how he turned out, aaand I wouldn't *not* recommend the project to someone else!

So yesterday (Sunday), rather than doing something explicitly creative, I did some creativity preparation. Or even creativity "nesting" if you will. I went out and bought a couple new storage boxes for fabric, projects, and notions. I deep-cleaned our hallway closet to make space for project supplies (like all that yarn I dyed in Peru as well as an obscene amount of stuffing for my puffs). I ALSO cleaned out our pantry/cupboard/cat bathroom so that I could fit some crafting items in there if need be. I am very pleased with all the new crafting space and feel like organizing is not that far off from creativity so it's cool!

ALSO I found THIS while cleaning out our coat closet:

Oh, that's right. It's a Yamaha keyboard left behind a couple roommates ago in my apartment where tenants rotate in and out. My roommate didn't even know we had it! Major score! It has already been suggested that Nacho perform as Keyboard Cat, and I can't say it's out of the question...