Granny square happiness!

One day I decided to learn how to make a granny square. Well, I should say relearn, because I made a Christmas granny square throw for my great-grandma when I was about 10 years old. She displayed it on her living room hassock every December, and her praise for my work made me feel so special.

Fast forward 30 years, and here I am, getting back to my crafty roots. After a few months of following patterns and watching online tutorials, I decided to design my own granny square bag. I started with this:

Inspired, I grabbed some complementary colors and got to work!

Before I knew it, I had all of these. I had to find a way to put them together, so I threaded my neutral-colored yarn into an embroidery needle and used what I hoped was a basting stitch to turn a pile of little squares into the front of a bag.

With the front and back sewn together, I realized that I needed some sides. What to do? I finally went with a double crochet to make two long panels.

Then I attached the sides...

And realized I needed a bottom! Quickly I double crocheted a brown bottom and sewed it in! I discovered that creating a three-dimensional bag requires a fair amount of geometry, a weak subject for me. But somehow I managed, and the math worked!

Wow! A little more work, and I ended up with this:

I also made straps with long strips of double crochet panels much like the side panels. I encountered some problems with these, so I won't be sharing the final pics here.

There it is. My first design! I am thrilled beyond belief! My first success so inspired me that I have been designing and creating every day. I never realized how much joy and calm there is in crocheting and making something new.

My obligatory New Year's resolution post

It is here. Well, almost. In less than an hour it will be 2013 on the East Coast. And, not being a party animal at all, I am in the FamCave, at my desk, writing this blog. I actually bought cheap champagne to make mimosas at midnight, but who am I kidding? I will surely be asleep by 11:55.

Before I crash for the night, I will publicly commit to a New Year's resolution. I usually don't make resolutions because I have the attention span of a gnat and forget them within days of the new year. But this year I am determined to give this a try. So here goes...

I have this idea. And it is actually a good one because it will motivate me and keep me focused throughout the coming year. I am pledging to create something new every day in 2013.

What does this mean? To encourage my own creativity and challenge myself to learn new skills, I am defining this broadly, to include crafting, designing, writing, and generally making anything new. My goal is to take on new crafting projects, continue my technical and marketing copy writing work, and even take on a little creative writing to stretch myself artistically. A recent Pinterest convert, I have been pinning like crazy, making lists of creative sources of inspiration in 2013. I am starting the new year with a modest list of projects, including these:

Crocheting - I learned to knit and crochet when I was a kid, and now my daughter has inspired me to relearn and expand my knowledge of all things yarn. I am collecting patterns and tutorials on Pinterest and have big plans for this year!

Making Amurigumi Animals - I have loved these cute little yarn creatures for years, but 2013 will be the Year of the Knit Creature for me! Stay tuned!

Expanding my photography hobby, including digital photography and crazy, artsy, lomo photography

Learning to create beaded and wire jewelry - This just looks like so much fun, and I want to create the kinds of beautiful pieces I admire on Etsy.

Encouraging my daughter's film making efforts because she is awesome and talented and I know she will continue to create amazing things!

Writing this blog - I am taking a blog design course and plan to set aside time each day to code, design, research, and learn as I develop this blog into something you will want to read every day.

And there is much more I plan to do this year, so watch this space!

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope 2013 is a blessed and wonderful year for all of you!

Hipster? Or Just Awesome?

I was watching an episode of The Simpsons with the fam the other night. Now, as a rule, I don't watch that show. I claim not to like it, but I do permit myself a chuckle or two when Jesse makes me watch it. A recent episode elicited roaring laughter, however, when the Simpsons tackled that enigmatic creature known as "The Hipster."

The following is written with all possible irony and humor.

It is safe to say that I have gleaned all of my understanding of The Hipster from television shows. And my 19 year-old cousin who seems to despise The Hipster in all its forms. This limited information has lead me to conclude that I am a hipster. Let's examine the facts, as I understand them:

1) Hipsters crochet and knit and generally create hip crafty things for themselves. CHECK. It is entirely possible that everyone in my family will receive a handmade gift, if I can manage it. Regard my Pinterest crocheting board.

2) Hipsters wear cool eyeglasses. CHECK. I have cool, retro, bright red specs. They are awesome.

3) Hipsters listen to vinyl. CHECK. Of course, I was buying vinyl when it was affordable and commonplace. I started my collection long before it was cool to pay $21 for the new Gotye album.

I hasten to admit that I did, in fact, pay too much for that Gotye album. And it was worth it. And I have not one, but two turntables. To my credit, my vinyl collection is far larger than any you will find in a moody, scarf-wearing, college student's dorm room.

4) Hipsters like cool mid-century retro decor. CHECK. I mean, have you seen my house? It is a work in progress, but rest assured it is clever, quirky, and eclectic in a hip way.

5) Hipsters shop at Urban Outfitters. CHECK. It is my current favorite store. Many tchotchkes are purchased from UO at each visit.

6) Hipsters wear their hair in bangs, like Zooey Deschanel. CHECK. I never expose my forehead for the world to see.

7) Hipsters love film photography. CHECK. I liked it when it was the only option, and I still use it now. I have a shelf in my fridge for film, and I am planning to document this Christmas on expired Polaroid film. Yes. I am THAT cool.

8) Hipsters wear Skeletoes shoes. CHECK. You know those awesome sneaks with cozy little spaces for each toe? Well, I have a pair for biking, and I love them. According to The Simpsons, Hipsters wear these.

9) Hipsters like to ride their bikes. CHECK. I have a nifty Schwinn hybrid that I am slowly transforming into an old school-style cruiser bike, complete with bicycle basket repurposed from a storage basket I found at Home Goods.

10) Hipsters blog about their lives. Well, obviously, CHECK.

CONCLUSION: I am a hipster, although clearly I am not. I couldn't lie convincingly enough about my age to be a hipster. But I like all the things that are awesome. The difference, of course, is that I like these things genuinely, not ironically. I am mature, evolved, and clearly awesome. I was a hipster before The Hipster.

Taking time to relax, create

My daughter Genevieve recently decided to learn crocheting. Her lessons have not been going well, because I am not a good crochet teacher. It would seem that I learned it incorrectly and have been doing it wrong for decades. This weekend, while shopping, I decided to grab some crochet hooks, beautiful soft yarn (Lily Sugar 'n Cream), and a beginner's book. I started over from scratch, and I made this:

Sure, it's only a little square consisting of three simple stitches (chain stitch, single crochet, and slip stitch). But it is a start, and I hope it will inspire my daughter to try again. I forgot how relaxing and centering crocheting and creating can be! As I worked, my mind was flooded with fond memories of my childhood, when a cherished babysitter taught me how to knit and crochet. She used to make little outfits for my Barbie dolls and help me make special gifts for my family. Now I hope to do this for my little girl and create for her some special memories! So it isn't always about work. Sometimes it feels wonderful to make something out of nothing and share the beauty with the people we love most.