piddleloop.com

back (in black)

♥ Comments (3) ♥

I’m back from the east coast (according to nat where-everything-is-better)

I do not have pictures until tomorrow due to the mac hating my camera card.

i can report the folowing things:

1. after arriving at his family house from our flight i ate 7 chocolate peanutbutter chip cookies. nat’s mom made buttloads and buttloads of homade awsome cookies.

2. xmas morning breakfast consisted of pie and cookies

3. lunch and dinner also consisted of large amounts of said cookies.

4. after finishing his dad’s scarf and mom’s and sister’s mary jane slippers AFTER xmas i finished the last of the cinnamon snickerdoodles.

5. i was told i would fit in easily because i dunk my cookies in my hot tea.

6. i now want to collect japanese crafting books, because they are all beautiful to look at...and i would give my right arm for some.

7. i don’t want to look at another cookie for at least 24 hrs

pictures to come

in other news our shop is open. please come and look inside. drop a line say hello if you stalk the blog. I like email.

Posted by Jennifer on 12/30 at 08:32 PM ♥ Comments (3)

Merry xmas and all that stuff

♥ Comments (4) ♥

We’re wasting time before our flight today. seems like we got ready waaaay before we had originally thought! Well I’m leaving for the Easy Coast again and I hope everyone has a nice holiday. Y’all stay warm ( i hear it will be 50 degrees in philly!) Nat and i exchanged gifts last nite and i’m so glad he liked his. I’ll have to post pictures when i get back. i got some awsome things, because Nat almost always gets me awsome things. So everyone have a good one. i’m outta here.

Posted by Jennifer on 12/24 at 09:33 AM ♥ Comments (4)

starting to feel a lot like christmas

♥ Comments (1) ♥

around here in the house it’s starting to feel like xmas! i get pretty lazy when wrapping presents and sometimes have to get creative! like turning a somewhat boring gift (a plastic lid you put over food in your microwave) into something new and fresh like AN ORNAMENT!


or just adding a big red bow to a rat and sitting him in the xmas tree


how about a dog under a tree?


she will catch some rays anywhere she can, and frankly with it being 5 degrees today who can blame her.
i went to lesa’s house for a little xmas get together with our knitting group. I for some reason didn’t take many pictures of things i should have, oops. Like her wonderful friend from the UK, Jen. Or Kristen who was in town from California. I did seem intrested in take 3 pictures tho. Here is one of my new favorite members, Ann. She is very cool and she is very funny. She LOVES kitties. She made a kitty hat for herself from the stitch and bitch nation book! here she is modeling it:

long after midnight we were still up talking and knitting away. Here are lesa’s animals, meet buddy the dog passed out snoozing

meet mittens the kitty who sleeps on her head

erin, kristen, ann, jen, lesa, rebecca, tara, and sly it was good to spend the evening with all of you and laugh and eat it was a good evening had by all.

If your order today thru the 30th from our little shop we’re not going to ship or process orders until the 30th. I am going to the east coast for xmas this year again. I’m going to Nat’s family’s again. I will process anything ordered and ship when i get back after the 29th.
In the meantime Wendy was an insomniac last nite and handed me these today for your viewing pleasure (they are up in the shop as of now)



I got my shrinky-dinks paper in the mail today so we will be putting up Mustached Animal Knitting Stitch Markers after the holiday! make sure you watch for them! People at the party last nite were asking about our pouches. They were curious if knitter’s who drop by our shop have purchased the 12 x 6 pouches. Because they are perfect for knitting needles! I think most people don’t know you can fit your straights in there and pop them into your knitting bag. So i thought i’d give it a mention here. i’m mailing out the last of the orders today

I’m working tomorrow and thursday, coming back to Indiana to do laundry and pack to fly out saturday afternoon. So maybe i’ll slip another post in there before i leave.

i got a check for a scarf i sent to the trunk show at Fancy but i don’t know which scarf sold or who bought it or anything. so if you bought it and you read the tag and came here drop a line and say hello! Or if you stalk my blog always feel free to drop a line hello. I love it when you do, because then i can read your blog and say thank you.

EDITED to add: How about all the damage control good ole G. Bush has been doing? oh wait it wasn’t “damage control” it was rallying support for even more washing away of our civil liberties. I like how he spent ten whole minutes yesterday during that press conference talking about how the government CARES about your civil liberties. Now. You KNOW the frickin’ court will give you a warrant for wire tapping and all that crap. So what just what makes you think you can go and break the Constitution and just do things without a warrant? Last time i looked we still have a Constitution and a Bill of rights.....? My friend Erin said somewhere on line you can buy a mug with the civil liberties on it and when you pour hot liquid in it they disappear. I should look into that.

Posted by Jennifer on 12/20 at 01:47 PM ♥ Comments (1)

xmas rush

♥ Comments (1) ♥

ok so i spent a week up in chicago and i’ve come back to do laundry, watch zander, and xmas shop all on one day and then go back. So far there’s no car with a car seat for me, so foget shopping. I did watch zander and we did laundry, he was in charge of fishing the socks out of the dryer.

more of big needle xmas three scarves for Nat’s: aunt, grandma, and 94 yr old grandma
<

i still have nothing wrapped. I still have a few gift cards i have to buy for certain people...and i haven’t sent out xmas cards. This is not good. I do want to thank Kim for sending me a picture of her vintage snoopy artpiece on a card. I am jealous and i do love it, altho i have the same Snoopy xmas lights, they used to hang in my bathroom. I always hang lights in my bathroom...but these are in my room.

I’d like to thank everyone who helped me with awsome rubber rain boots. I still haven’t decided on a pair yet. I like those argyle ones, that are cheaper (thanks!) and i like a few of the pairs that are left on target’s site. Altho most of their’s are sold out. I’m just waiting til i get paid for my week after thanksgiving freelancing stint. I am broke. So broke i will have cold wet feet forawhile.

Wendy was bored while i was freelancing and has been busy all week. She’s made two more kitty project pouches. and some of these:

Posted by Jennifer on 12/16 at 02:59 PM ♥ Comments (1)

self portrait tuesday on friday

♥ Comments (1) ♥

i took these on tuesday, and planned to put them up while i was freelancing in chicago, but Nathaniel’s card reader and his Mac didn’t like my stick. It kept making the computer crash, crash badly. So here you go the first is on my walk to the EL over on Montrose. This Sushi place had a nice window

and the second is me while i’m freelancing at the ad agency i was at all week. I am reflecting in the G4 sitting on my desk.

sorry this is late, but that’s what happens when i get to work and am stuck up in the city for a week.

Posted by Jennifer on 12/16 at 02:42 PM ♥ Comments (1)

stuff and things

♥ Comments (5) ♥

what’s that sizzling sound this morning? oh yeah that would be my butt on the radiator! ow! there’s only about 2 feet of clearance from the sink to the radiator and i misjudged that this morning.

i should probably clarify a little more. i am NOT a boot person. i never have been, and probably never will be. The last time i owned boots was in middle school. I don’t wear boots with skirts like every other woman in wintertime in chicago. I also can not see the practicality of any kind of heel on a boot? i am clutzy ENOUGH trying to walk on ice, giant piles of snow made from tire tracks, black ice, and what not i don’t need any kind of heel to make that WORSE. Why do nearly all boots i looked at this weekend have some sort of heel on them or worse a wedge heel? i’m already five foot eleven i don’t need to be taller and fashionable in this sludgey snow, nor do i need to fall more than i normally do.
also what is with the weird fur and pom pom boots? i mean COME ON. who would be caught dead in those? oh wait i think i saw some people wearing them over in lincoln park. My boyfriend’s idea of winter boots is anything that resemble COMBAT BOOTS. Um, no nat. It’s bad enough i don’t like boots but then to take 30 min to lace into them is even worse.
hence why i think i need to find some good ole, rubber rain boots. But not just any rubber rain boots ones that can brighten up my dirty sludgey walks. perferably ones that don’t cost me 70$ either.

Posted by Jennifer on 12/12 at 10:23 AM ♥ Comments (5)

soon

♥ Comments (4) ♥

i promise to take some pictures soon. i lugged my camera up here. I get to work this week, so i’m on nat’s mac. we put up “christmas korner” last nite and i finished some christmas shopping today. Nothing like schleping around in chicago’s dirty, disgusting slush. For all you people who like snow “cause it’s pretty” can just bite me. There’s nothing like schleping around in this dirty wet crap, not pretty. In the meantime i’m looking for some golashes, or rubber rain type boots. I keep seeing cute ones on zappos but they are 65$ ouch! anyone else see cute ones cheap? the ones on zappos i like are argyle in green and brown.
i’ll take suggestions!

Posted by Jennifer on 12/11 at 11:51 PM ♥ Comments (4)

project bag confusion

♥ Comments (2) ♥

i recently got an email from a friend who was very concerned about the project bags we have up in the shop. she was confused about the grommet and how it was used. I just wanted tot ake a second out to clarify that yes if you use the grommet and you go to put the project back inside the yarn is still outside the zipper. so yes you do just shut the zipper gently (that is why wendy has put ribbon tabs for you to grasp while pulling the zipper on each side) and don’t zip it completley shut. We realize this and figue you can use it or not. it’s there for you to decide! Personally i don’t use the grommet yet in my prototype project bag, but then again the pocket in it lays on the bottom instead of the side so i don’t use alot of things in it, haha. But anyways i thought i would let y’all know the little bit about the grommet in the project bags! Please check them out wendy is quite proud of them, the serger gives them a nice finished look inside too. Also the cosmeticc cases, are the same thing just sans eleastic and pocket also perfect for a knitter who just likes to throw everything in one little bag!

Posted by Jennifer on 12/10 at 12:42 PM ♥ Comments (2)

mememememememe

♥ Comments (8) ♥

snowy and cold. we got some major snow finally. and i wished i had a camera outside yesterday because lucy now plays with the labrador across the street, sammy. Sammy is literally like 6 months old and tries to eat the snow. He and lucy played for about an hour while i shovled with zander. She also was running so fast she wiped out in the snow. I know the bassett is only 3 inches off the ground but to see her wipe out while hauling ass in the snow was quite a site.

because i’m bored here’s a meme for mem’s sake (totally ripped off from erin but it was begging to be ripped off)

TEN random things you might not know about me:
1. I have always been underweight
2. I will ride any ride, if it’s held together with duct tape and rusty coat hangers THE BETTER
3. I secretly sing all the songs laurie berkner sings from jack’s big muisc show
4. I too love day old popcorn in fact i used to pop it a day ahead of time so it would be good when i wanted it.
5. I have alot of irrational fears, fears i KNOW can’t REALLY happen but for some reason i am CONVINCED they will
6. I love neil diamond, who can’t love that sparkly jumpsuit!
7. I can sit and look at a Pantone swatch booklet for hours
8. I HATE HATE HATE HATE COMIC SANS
9. I love candy
10. I judge movies based upon their title sequences, really i do. And the end credits to Lemony Snicket deserved an Oscar just for how awsome they were.

NINE places Ive visited:
1. London Ontario, canada
2. Toronto Ontario, Canada
3. NYC at christmastime
4. Las Vegas
5. San Franscisco
6. Miami
7. Key West
8. Tampa
9. L.A.
10. Philly

EIGHT ways to win my heart:
1. make me something
2. give me somthing with snoopy on it, he makes me squeal
3. be smart
4. be silly
5. think originally
6. be spontaneous
7. be opinonated
8. never ever use comic sans

SEVEN things I want to do before I die:
1. See the Sistine ceiling
2. Experience the St. Peter’s Collinades
3. Wave to the Pope
4. Move to Rome
5. Make a typeface
6. Succeed
7. go to japan

SIX things I’m afraid of:
1. My belly button being touched
2. Exploding and having my guts on the sidewalk without anyone to push them back in
3. SNAKES
4. Not remembering my phone number when i get old
5. Giant CRUNCHY bugs
6. Dying on the effing DAN RYAN

FIVE things I don’t like:
1. Green Beans
2. Mushrooms
3. when i can’t figure something out
4. the wind
5. Being cold

FOUR ways to turn me off:
1. if you like and use comic sans
2. having your cell phone glued to your face
3. wear bad shoes
4. not own enough shoes

THREE Things I do everyday:
1. daydream
2. play with zander
3. knit/read/type

TWO things that make me happy:
1. Family
2. Friends

ONE thing on my mind right now:
1. Concern about flying out on southwest in 2 weeks and skidding off the runway

Posted by Jennifer on 12/09 at 09:52 AM ♥ Comments (8)

TV world

♥ Comments (5) ♥

Ok today i started out really angery because they moved my FAVORITE tv show and you know what that means. that’s the first sign on sudden death. first they move it then no one can find it then it gets cancelled. They moved Invasion for a show that is already cancelled Alias. Stupid Alias. Stupid JJ ABRAHMS i know you have lost so GET OUT ALREADY. Gimmie back my invasion. I follow this show to epic proportions. BUT..tv world has redeemed itself. Tonight in that time slot PROJECT RUNWAY SEASON TWO is on over on bravo. I’ll be there. no doubt, but i still want my invasion back, asap.

Posted by Jennifer on 12/07 at 09:45 AM ♥ Comments (5)

Self Portrait Tuesday

♥ Comments (8) ♥

December’s theme: To take an image of yourself in a reflective surface

I love this idea because i’ve done it all my life. In my photoclass i once presented a picture of a harley davidson as one of my self portrait’s and it took the prof about 20 min to figure out you could see myself in all the chrome. the reason i took it. this thing had A LOT of chrome, and it was pretty looking too. Anyways i leave you with my first installment of December’s Self Portrait Tuesday....

in the Chicago Daley Plaza Tree

mmmmmm tea

wash yer hands!

i spent the entire day sewing, embroidering, cutting, pieceing, and ironing. Wendy cranked out some amazing project bags all NINE of them. Go to the shop and check them out. We’ve also used scraps of stuff to make odd sized pouches.
Please take some off of us!

I did run into and old high school friend of mine at the Post Office today. I hadn’t seen her since my graduation party, back in 1991! I asked her how the hell she recognized me and she just so simply replied “you haven’t changed!” oh my.
So a big H E L L O out there to Renae, man it was good to talk to you for that 15-20 min or so. Later on that nite when i took a hot bath all these memories of high school came flooding back. I remember hanging out with her and Karly and trading Fugazi TAPES...TAPES FOLKS not cd’s. And danzig, and the misfits and ministry and the cure. oh my. It’s just really funny because it boiled down to the fact that i am still as nerdy as i was then, i guess some things don’t really change do they? And here’s something for any Northwest Indiana kids out there, i was reminiscing about local bands with Jessica last week. Such bands as I SHARKO, and Psycho reggae. Talking about seeing NAKED RAYGUN at the Scout Hut on a friday nite, and then TRENCHMOUTH, and LIFE SENTANCE. eeegads.
Now i feel old, really old.

i’m looking for harry potter book on audo, mp3. if someone has them i think you should email me and we can strike up a deal of some sort. I’ve read books 1 & 2 but want to listen to the rest while knitting. hmmmm.

Posted by Jennifer on 12/06 at 12:00 AM ♥ Comments (8)

Do you ever

♥ Comments (4) ♥

buy xmas presents say in june and then put them away and come december you start tearing apart your place looking for them? welcome to my world. I was going thru my gifts piling them up to see who i’ve bought enough for and so on when i remembered i bought some handmade items back in june for my close friend and can’t find them. 2 hrs later and a giant mess i manage to find them tucked away in a target bag in the closet. sheeeesh.

i’ve whipped up my second mary jane in noro sans crocheting and a couple of hats that are xmas presents for friends. I have a few more scarves i need to whip up on my 17’s for nat’s 94 yr old grandmother and his other grandmother. I’d like to make a scarf for his aunt too but i’m afraid at this rate when we fly i’m going to need another suitcase for all the gifts. I’m not sure how to keep everything portable to Philly. yikes. We bought plane tickets this weekend and if any of you plan on flying this holiday better buy your tickets soon cause they are expensive. I look forward to another NYC in the christmastime trip.

this months self portrait tuesday is a theme i have explored for years in my photography. It’s become something i do unconsciously. I take alot of pictures of myself in reflective surfaces. I like the not so very involved themes. sorry about novemeber but i will be putting them up on the theme this month.

sorry no pictures but i’m charging the camera. I have a question for anyone out there. i have to knit lucy a dog sweater and she’s rather long, quite long...like four feet long and only 4 inches off the ground. I was thinking of making her a topper with just the strap on the belly so it’s easy to get her in and out of the coat. but i’m afraid her belly will get cold since it’s so low to the snow. i’m looking at the new dog sweater books, but don’t know which to buy. Anyone have any suggestions out there? anyone ever knit a sweater for a LONG dog?
got any pointers?

Posted by Jennifer on 12/05 at 01:43 AM ♥ Comments (4)

hello my name is jennifer

♥ Comments (7) ♥

and i can’t spell worth a crap. ever. especially when i am in a hurry. i can’t even use the excuse i’m a designer of course i can’t spell! because i can’t even spell WORKING for crying outloud! it’s a quirk. my boyfriend even pointed out i can never spell decide right on my blog. i said i misspell it everytime i’m sure, so you should be used to it right? oh lord. i’m sorry. 

today i didn’t have to work so i rode the El downtown to do my aunt-ly duty of looking in H & M (ugh) for zander some snoopy clothes. I managed to find three shirts with snoopy on them and feel like i did pretty good this year. not as good as last with a snoopy jacket and zip up hoodie but hey i try. i meant to look at Marshall Field’s windows this year since i have no idea what the theme of the windows are this year and forgot. anyone see them yet? we always had a tradition of riding the train to the city and looking at the windows and the tree and skaters on skate on state. i used to love it.
i did notice one thing. it was effing FREEZING outside and that means i walk fast and i pretend i am warm. and i HATE tourists who don’t know where they are going over on Chicago ave. and walk slow and stop all of a sudden. ugh. that was NO FUN.
i just found out a fellow blogger lynette works not too far away from where i freelance. i will have to keep my eye out for her!

shop update: wendy tells me on the phone today that she has cut and sewn the zippers on to NINE PROJECT BAGS....all different fabrics. so some of those will be showing up next week in the shop. also i’m going to be putting up some cosmetic cases, which are the project bag SANS elastic and pocket on the inside. you can still use them for sock knitting and stuff, and you can request a grommet on it f you want too (no charge) just leave it in the comments. i’ll be shooting those tonight!

Posted by Jennifer on 12/02 at 05:42 PM ♥ Comments (7)

alive but…

♥ Comments (3) ♥

W O R K I N I N G!!  all week. yep stuck up in chicago ALL week and working which is nice. i need some bank for xmas. i hope everyone is doing fine and everything. i have no camera or anything ehre so i’ll post more on the weekend. there is snow sticking to the ground this morning, more for me to trudge thru to the El.

Posted by Jennifer on 12/01 at 10:17 AM ♥ Comments (3)