Vegan Craftastic

Monday, May 20, 2013

Return of the Parking Lot Garden!

Longtime readers (and those of you who know me in "real life") might remember my parking lot garden. You see, we live in an apartment in the city, so traditional garden space is not something we have access to. So I decided a few years ago to not let that stop us from growing veggies and herbs. The solution:

This is the motley collection of pots that I have set up in our building's parking lot. In this picture we have radishes, cilantro, chocolate habanero, mini bell pepper, tomato, kale, chocolate mint, oregano, and more. But the thing I'm most excited about this year is that other neighbors are joining in on the gardening fun! It's been great to see pots of all sorts of edibles and flowers popping up in the parking lot.

Do you guys garden? What are you growing this year?

-kala

Monday, April 29, 2013

Goodale

Oh hi! Yes, I am in fact still alive. Well, as alive as you can be near the end of a brutal semester. Anyway, I'm not here to gripe, I'm here to show off this awesome handknit sweater I was gifted:

At a crafty get-together this past weekend, my friend Trinity had a couple of her beautiful handknit sweaters to destash because they were too big for her. I'm super psyched because I've admired the pattern (Goodale) for quite a while, but as you guys probably know, I'm not really a sweater knitter. So yay, and thanks again to Trinity!

What do you guys do with handknit items that don't quite work for you?

-kala

Monday, March 18, 2013

Hue Shift

Something crazy happened yesterday. I knit. I didn't just knit, I knit for an EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. This semester is absolutely killing me, but this week there is a bit of a break since some, no not all, of my classes are giving us a Spring Break. So I'm knitting again, which is so nice! I started the Hue Shift Afghan last night while watching The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (cute movie by the way!):

Of course, anything I put on the dining table, Ritz has to investigate. The yarn was a gift from my husband for Christmas, it's a kit for the rainbow version of the blanket. This will be one of my twelve stash projects for the year and my very first knit blanket, yay!

have you knit or crocheted a blanket before?

-kala

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Come on, weave me!

You know how you visit a yarn store and the yarn actually SPEAKS to you? Like, it might say, "hey, you know you want me, I would make the most fabulous sweater you have ever seen!" Or it might say "that's right, I'm $47 a skein, but you will stay awake all night thinking about me if you don't buy me so just give in." That happens, right? Well, today, this yarn said, "weave me!"

Three skeins of Origami, a Berroco yarn. I just had to buy these guys, the yarn is super pretty and it was half off! You know I can't pass up a yarn deal. I'm not sure what I'll make with it, but I think it will be used for my very first weaving project. I bought a Cricket loom the other day and I'm just itching to learn how to weave!

Do any of you guys weave? Does yarn speak to you in the store?

-kala

Friday, March 15, 2013

cozy

Some of the best things can be found right at home:

Ritz kitty looked so amazingly comfy, all snuggled up in bed, I had to share! Of course what's really making him happy is that he's getting his fur all over the sheets ;)

-kala

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Stripe Overload!

As if there could ever be such a thing as stripe overload! Stripes are awesome, especially horizontal stripes. And if anyone ever tries to tell you you can't or shouldn't wear horizontal stripes because you aren't thin, then at least you know that that person is either a) a douche or b) has been sadly socialized to believed that bigger gals are not "allowed" to do certain things. Wear what you want, end of story! See the Militant Baker for more on that topic, I love her! Anyway, this all leads to the unrelated fact that I finished knitting something! See:

I finally finished my stripey cowl! I love how it turned out, it's super comfy and the colors are bright and happy (much brighter than the photo implies). It's my second project of the year in the stash challenge going on in the Twin Cities Ravelry group. I can't believe I'm on track for finishing 12 stash projects in a year, but I guess it's only February so I shouldn't get too cocky...

What are you guys working on?

-kala

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Time Flies

Time flies when you're busy, doesn't it? I've been neglecting this blog for a while and I really miss writing to you guys! Things have been crazy, school is much more demanding this semester and there has been enough friend drama to fill the Great Lakes and then some.

But overall, things are good if not stressful, but that's life, right? I'll be back soon with a more substantial post (I'm thiiiiiiis close to finishing a cowl I've been knitting for a while) but I wanted to pop in and say hi. Hi! And I'll end with a random picture of my cat, Ritz, being adorable during a cold snap we had a few weeks ago:

-kala

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