This is a drawing I drew to commemorate the holiday: http://thehootfrommrowliy.deviantart.com/art/Happy-Valentine-s-day-2012-285128973

He became part of the sharpie ad campaign after they found out about his amazing art on styrofoam cups. To visit his blog: http://iamboey.com/

click on this link for a really cute stylized “O” featuring a owl. Credit:

http://www.dailydropcap.com/alphabet-7-o#comments

The cars driving quickly pass,

a doorman on a hotel’s steps,

the gloomy grey sky looms ominously against the tall barren sky scrapers.

Morning commute:

Smoky skies,

seagulls fly,

people chatter on mobile phones.

Midday:

People shout,

flags fly,

office personnel on lunch break.

Night:

Cigarette smoke,

drunks run amok,

A city of pounding beats from the feet of dancers.

The lonely emptiness of a pulsing, fast paced day.

And yet, I would never give up the city life.

The new year is a great time to start off again, and as you may or may not of noticed I’ve started to delete and edit old post to bring them up to date or remove whatever I don’t think is quite up to standards. Up coming on this year’s agenda is a DIY on sock monkeys, a few beaded projects, some poems, and many, many more artsy things then any other year. I need to start posting more projects, as many of you have so far requested more tutorials and inspiration for your own crafty endeavours.

~thehootfrommrowliy

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 2,100 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 35 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

This necklace was inspired by a sale the Michaels was having on their glass pearls. They sold for two for seven dollars and typically, I had to buy a few strands. I got the two types pictured (the whitish-gray and the textured pink) and nabbed the vintage peacock to go with it. In keeping with the theme, I pick a textured chain in a copper/rose colour and picked up three old rings from a secondhand store. I wired together the rings to form a clover like shape, and strung the pearls with a few leftover beads in white and muted orange.I attached the strands to the shafts of the peacock feathers (I used the prescribed  loops to hold the peacock straight.) I added a chain and lobster claw clasp, and that’s how I got a beautiful vintage style versatile pearl necklace.

*faints* I hated the old app. I’m sooo happy this one is better!!!

1) Knit a scarf. A really basic one if you’re pressured for time. This has the advantage of being fast (so you have the time to personalize) and letting you try out new skills when you work the borders. I’d say a stockinette or a gather stitch with a interesting border at the edge and maybe the recipients initials would make for a good, easy project. (think ruffled edging or a fringe.)

2) Make ornaments. There are many tutorials online that will teach you how to make inexpensive and beautiful ornaments. You can change the part tern according to your needs, and it’s a good way to use up all those beads you never really used.

3) Jewelry. Personally, this is my favourite because you can quickly make many objects that look completely different while using a few very basic tools. I like to lay out a few tools and beads that are leftover from other projects or I no longer like and just shape and transform that way I want to. The end result is always pretty, personal and appreciated.

Knit Slippers

You will need:

Bulky yarn (#6)

6mm knitting needles

Blunt yarn needle

1) Borrow (steal but return them!) a pair or shoes from whoever you are making the shoes for. A rough estimate will work to, if you don’t have access to a pair of shoes. Trace out the outline and replace the shoes back where they belong. It’s ok if it’s not so specific because the yarn will stretch a lot when you put it on, so you’ll want to actually make it a bit small.

2) The top sections ( you need two)

For size 7-9 feet cast on  14 stitches and knit 34 rows. The next row start to reduce your stitches from 14 to 13, then 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 6, 4, 2, and finally 1.

3) The bottom.

Cast on 15 stitches and  stockinette 37 rows. Reduce by 1 stitches each row after that, alternating sides from which you reduce the stitch until you are left with three stitches. Remove them from the needles but DO NOT pull on the yarn. Set aside.

3) Time to put together the pieces! Pick up the stitches on the edges of the 2 top pieces about 1/3 of the way down from the tip and knit the two pieces together. (see the first picture)! Then Knit together the bottom and the now half attached top pieces, stoping at the back of the slipper. Take the needle and flip inside out the slipper. fold the back of the bottom piece in half, and whipstitch together the heel, continuing in till you get to the top of the back of the top piece.

kinda how the stitching works at the heel. The yellow is the part that's knit together.

And you’re done! Make these by the dozen and give them away! I’ll have more projects coming up, as soon as I finish this scarf I’m making!

You can find a tutorial on how to knit together seams here:

http://www.lanagrossa.com/service/stricktipps/stricktipp_maschenstich.html