Felt Klingons Orchestrate Blizzard

Erik 2.0 Super Tablet

This week started off on a good vibe: I launched this blog, got my car a long overdue oil change, and managed to clean up the living room from some recent craft abuse it had taken. On Wednesday, we celebrated Erik's birthday with our good friends, Mike and Miranda. We gorged ourselves on a delicious dinner out and then returned to our apartment for ice cream cake (Erik's birthday would absolutely not be complete without ice cream cake!). I have been planning on buying Erik a shiny tablet computer for his birthday. However, the model I want to purchase for him is out of stock, or ridiculously overpriced. In order to make up for the fact that Erik will have to wait a little while longer for his gift, I designed the Erik 2.0 Super Tablet for his interim amusement. This intricate piece of technology features 9000GB of storage space and a passing-real 3D picture experience. It's truly amazing, when combined, what felt, tinfoil, and hot glue can do, no? From a literal crafty perspective, I like the idea of a portable felt board, or of felt boards in general. Felt is a medium that I've recently become quite interested in using--it's inexpensive, comes in a variety of colors, and can be used in a variety of projects, from ornaments to embellishments on clothing to actual pieces of clothing. I'm still getting the hang of cutting felt into the designs I want. But, as with anything, practice will make perfect.

Last night, I hung out with my good friend, Kerry, brilliant chef and fellow crafter. Typically on Friday nights our two husbands get together with their group of friends and game. This leaves the non-gaming contingent up to their own devices, which usually means trash TV and wine. A few weeks ago, Kerry suggested that we throw crafting into the mix, and I wholeheartedly agreed. Kerry brought along a cross-stitch project she has been making. Martha Stewart provides handy instructions at her website about how to cross-stitch. I haven't cross-stitched since I was in third grade, but it's something that I'm interested in picking up when time permits. If you're interested in cross-stitch or embroidery work, I recommend you check out Amy Sedaris' book Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People. Besides being fun to read, this book contains some funky embroidery art by Megan Whitmarsh that is worth taking a look at for inspiration or just for kicks.

Qapla for head ridges on baby hats!

While Kerry worked on her cross-stitch, I continued working on my second Klingon baby hat. If you decide to follow this blog, you will come to learn of my love for Star Trek. The idea for a Klingon baby hat popped into my head a few months ago due to the fact that I have friends who also love Star Trek who have babies. I ran out of yarn before I could finish the hair on the second hat, which will feature a ponytail to keep the hair out of baby's face. I also have plans for a Vulcan baby hat--the idea of a severe haircut and pointy ears on a chubby face is just too good to pass up.

Anyway, today is the first truly snowy day in Massachusetts this winter. I've been enjoying it by drinking lots of coffee, reading the third book in the Hunger Games triology, and starting a new cowl. It's a wonderfully lazy day after a busy week, and I love it.

It's finally winter!