I heart Halloween SO MUCH.

When I was a kid, Halloween was one of my Very Best Favorite holidays. It was up there with my birthday and Christmas.

I mean, when else do you get to dress up as Whatever You Want (truly, in my case, thanks to my mother the Very Talented Seamstress), eat a lot of candy, and stay up half the night? The notion of one night for playing dress-up still appeals to my inner child and whimsical nature, but I never make the time to actually do anything about it.

I may have to make the time -- I came across the Most Brilliant Idea, Ever for a costume -- Pirate Cinderella. How cool is that? Not only is she my sort-of namesake, but the costume combines Princesses and Pirates. And pirates are extremely cool.

Plus, there's something hilarious about a princess who walks around saying, "Arrrrr!" all night.

Maybe we'll have to have a Halloween Party this year. Which means I need to get started on a certain Human's bear costume.

Swappy goodness

Now that my partner has received, I can post! Yeah!

I was in the Harry Potter Favorite Character Swap on craftster.org (craftster, how I love thee) and my partner was the fully-fantastic GoldfishGirl. Her favorite characters were Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Fred & George Weasley, and Molly Weasley. I wanted to send her at least one thing for each of her favorite characters.

What knitting?

I had plans. Great, fantastic plans.

I would make wardrobe capsules. I would clean my craft room. I would finish the bed quilt.

As soon as school was done for the semester.

Then I bought a bike. And I want to do nothing else. I think my Rockhopper is made of crack or something.

I am LOVING this new addiction.

Dance of the FO Fairy

Ruffles has been finished for a few weeks, now. I absolutely adore it and wear it every where. It looks purty and cute, on. By the time I was done with it, I was completely sick of short rows.

So, of course, the next project I decided to tackle was the Lady Eleanor entrelac stole from ScarfStyle. Apparently, this is the Winter of Projects that Don't Get Longer.

I'm also nearly finished with the World's Easiest Gift Scarf. (Yes, that's an exaggeration. The easiest thing to do would be to buy something.) You cast on the length instead of the width, and it's very simple.

Happily knitting away

I wound up having to set the seedstitch scarf aside because I ran out of yarn, so I got to start on Ruffles (aka the Pink Noodle Scarf). I also (finally) managed to hold the first Knoon Knitting meeting this season. Two of us attended.

But at least I wasn't there knitting and listening to crappy 80's music alone.

I'm getting to the point where I can see the light at the end of the tunnel on the Christmas present for MIL. After that, it's back to work on the seedstitch scarf (found more of the same yarn in my stash) and then, if there's time, the book I want to make for SIL.

It's almost October. It must be time to knit.

There's something about fall weather that makes me want to pick up the needles. I can go all summer and most of spring without caring a bit about yarn or anything crafty, really, but come fall, I'm ready.

I went to my Very Best Favorite Yarn Store, Ever today at lunch and picked up a few skeins of Lorna's Laces. I aim to make myself a Clapotis. Among other things, of course.

I'm also in the process of (not) making blackout shades for our bedroom. I've completed and hung 4 of them, but I'm having trouble finding motivation for the remaining 3. Once those are done, I need to tackle the window covering situation in the living room. And finish the quilt for our bed. And make shades to replace the blinds I removed from the Craft Room.

And finish organizing the Craft Room. It's slightly tidier than usual, but not much. (I can walk from one end of the room to the other if I stick to the cleared pathway.)

And then there's my Christmas list. Lots of plans, little action.

So, of course, I'm starting fifteen new projects. Hee!

January, a time of planning and sorting

I'm working up my Christmas '05 list. (Sick, I know, but a necessity for someone with a full-time job, a half-time class load, and a dozen people to procure holiday gifts for.)

I know what I'm making for MIL, SIL, and my nephew. I have a few fuzzy ideas for everyone else, but nothing definite. I've got an idea for my mom's gift that will either go over tremendously or flop completely. I think it'll be worth the risk, though!

Gave my SIL her birthday scarf, yesterday. She absolutely loved it. (Yay!) I made a ruffled-edge scarf from the Little Box of Scarves from Filaro 12-ply mohair in Imperial (a dark blue-purple) and Southwest Trading Company Bamboo in Purplexed (a variegated purple & fuschia). The effect of holding them together was very subtle and pretty. Topped off with a flower pin, and voila! A gift!

Today, I'm trying to get my sewing room a little more organized ... all the rearranging over the holidays left my room looking like a cyclone had hit it.

Pictures, soon, I promise.