piddleloop.com

Zapped

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Ugh. Sorry. I had sort of “checked out” for awhile there. Someone came back and i wasn’t needed anymore at the ad agency, so i was kind of sad. I was staying in the city with nathaniel for a month and living out of a suitcase and only coming home on sundays. So it is nice to be back. But i had still had a bad chest cold and i had caught a touch of the flu this week. All i want to do is lay around or sleep. I feel like i have been zapped.

i did finish rebecca’s mary janes. i finished two pairs for her. I just can’t figure out how to get the one pair how i “want” them to look so they will all remain “plain” i just need to mail them to her. They have taken me like 2 months. Mostly because i was picked up for freelance and wasn’t expecting to get so much work. For that rebecca i apologize.

Saturday Uncle Nat came to town to help me watch Zander all day. Grandma and grandpa are in Vegas, they went to the giant NASCAR race last weekend. Thanks to the nice weather that day we met up with Erin, Nate, and Jessica and went to feed ducks. There weren’t any ducks around but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the 65 degree weather that day. We took the wee ones to a playground and let them play. Later that day we went to our local park and played, and then went to a “cat show”. We saw all kinds of cats there, hairless ones, hairey ones, siamese ones...all kinds. We came home and Uncle Nat played play-doh for awhile too. We had such a good time that day. I should have grabbed my camera, but i forgot.

i just can’t wait for Spring to really arrive. Maybe it will help me get back all my energy that has been zapped by this cold and flu.

P.S.
thanks to Nat my wonder web guru, i think the RSS feed is fixed. Let me know if it’s still not working right!

Posted by Jennifer on 03/15 at 02:37 PM ♥ Comments (3)

go figure

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You Are Animal

A complete lunatic, you’re operating on 100% animal instincts. You thrive on uncontrolled energy, and you’re downright scary. But you sure can beat a good drum. “Kill! Kill!”

i am working on my pie shawl which i have nicknamed ANIMAL.  Speaking of. I have done something weird, in the patterning of my shawl. i hope erin can help me tomorrow!!

Posted by Jennifer on 03/08 at 10:40 PM ♥ Comments (6)

changes (again)

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I’ve gotten tired of the free version of movable type and the expolsion of spam n the past two months. the free version only had a blacklist and the spamming people are sneaky on getting around this and i was getting bombarded with about 200 spams a day for a month straight. On to a new software. I’ve now moved to experssionengine and i have nathaniel my little web gebius to thank for setting everything up.  He tells me tho that i should ask all of you if you see anything weird or wonky to let me know. so please do. hit refresh and check out the changes, i’ve got that swanky type in the code before you comment thing too! woo woo!
Is everyone hunkered down and waiting for the oscars? i don’t think Brokeback Mtn will sweep. It will most likey sweep director and possibly best picture. My calls are: for best actress, reese she better get it. she literally became june carter and SANG for cryin’ outloud.
best actor: phillip hoffman is going to nab it for capote. BUT i’d like to see terrance howard nab it for hustle and flow. howard doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell but if the academy would like to make us happy we’ll see.
supporting actor, i’d like to see clooney get it. supporting actress i don’t even remember the nominee’s.
usually the academy throws several bones. what movie doesn’t get best picture usually picks up best screenplay.
and well y’all know my OBSESSION with walk the line’s wardrobe. I’d like to see that win, cause june carter’s clothes alone are worth it.
ok everyone have a happy oscar sunday and please report any weird wonky bugs to me!

Posted by Jennifer on 03/05 at 01:18 PM ♥ Comments (4)

Birthdays, cupcakes, and soft dogs

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Zander tunred the big THREE this past weekend. Sunday we threw a shin-dig at the house. Here’s some highlights. Altho please note...photographing any of the 10 or so 3-5 yr olds that were there was next to impossible since they move so stikin’ fast. It seems like i have alot of blurry shots and the back of the head shots!








look who was there! Erin of my dorky best friend and her husband nate!


the winner of pin the wrench on Bob the Builder


and nathaniel wearing his Dora party hat..doesn’t he look festive?


lucy had a bath that day and she is super soft after a bath, here’s joy enjoying lucy’s softness and freshness!

Unfortunately I’ve caught the horrid chest cold my hwole family went thru in feb. I haven’t been knitting, or anything else really. I come home from work, eat and go directly to bed and sleep, hoping i will get over this thing quicker. It’s probably all in my head.

I want to take a second to say while i am delighted people are using items from the store for their SECRET PALS, I just want to pass on some helpful things for those of you thinking about using items for our store for your secret pal.
1. If you are ordering something and having it sent to your secret pal please let me know in the comments that you don’t want your identity to be known. This is important because I send every order their invoice packing slip.
2. if you are ordering a digital download for your secret pal, please email me and let me know their email address to send it to, to keep your identity from being known.
3. In general a reminder that patterns will come to you via email. so you will need to check your email, and be aware of spam filters.
4. just email me or say stuff in comments i will accomodate you in alot of ways with a special request and so forth. I just like to know things in advance. Please feel free to email me or add in the comments any questions or whatnot.

that said thanks to everyone who’s ordered. we do appreciate you supporting handmade!

Posted by Jennifer on 03/01 at 03:14 PM ♥ Comments (3)

the week

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i’ve got a picture of the view to show you. On monday it was so pretty and i took my camera hoping tuesday would be a repeat. Thank goodness it was, this is directly to my right as i type (but on tuesday of this week)


the entire hallway is all windows from the waist up. on sunny days it’s quite stunning even tho i’m only on the 5th floor.

valentines day was fun around here. here’s some of the stuff i gave to nathaniel


can you tell he likes oscar the grouch? he also got a book by douglas coupland

i got a “Blinky the Eyelash Mite” and a felt donut and flowers! Blinky is because i kiss nat’s eyebrows and i found out everyone’s are loaded with mites. ew! so as a joke i got Blinky from nat.

nat doesn’t understand why girls like flowers if “they just die” i simply keep telling him that IS why. because they are only pretty for a short period of time.


nat traditionally makes me a valentine card..if you look thru the feb archives you can see them thru the years. this is the one he made for me this year, involving a longtime standing joke between us.


we also bought each other one of these a monster made from one continuous piece of string


you can see one of the japanese books i got in the mummy picture, i also got the crochet book i was upset i had to put back in NYC over xmas time. it’s so pretty.

i want to learn the magic loop thing for socks sometimes this year and prepared myself with these:


i also bought some handmade hairpins


felted hairpins in brown and sky blue


i also had a dr’s appointment wed and went home i got in some knitting time with my hometown posse this week

Posted by Jennifer on 02/17 at 03:00 PM ♥ Comments (8)

Self Portrait Tuesday

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I forgot about this last tuesday, with the new freelancing gig and all i simply forgot.  Feb’s challenge is this:
“all of me” embrace your mistakes, love the ugly bits.
I want this to be a challenging month - we have had it easy over christmas and the holidays but now it is time to look deep inside ourselves and embrace and face our whole selves. I don’t want to see any perfect images, any pretty studio like images, no perfect hair or makeup, get rid of the masks you use to face the world.

My terrible habit of BITING MY NAILS. what nails? they are non-existant. People ask if they hurt...no they don’t. My family calls them “nubs” i still don’t care. They have been like this for 33 years. I don’t need them, ever. For anything i can’t open there is someone who will open it for me, if there’s no one there’s always teeth.

Posted by Jennifer on 02/13 at 10:55 PM ♥ Comments (3)

pictures!

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oooh i’ve been knitting away at my mary janes for other people!
the twins are forming..i’m wrestling with the crochet on the brown one for some reason


another pair


i’m waiting STILL to pull out the pie shawl. today would have been good but it was just a no go. perhaps tomorrow. i plan on brining my camera to work to show you my awsome view. it was stunning today with the sun.
here’s some silliness from tonight
i always do pet pictures of the dogs and forget simon nat’s kat. here he is chillin and all rasterized for fun (he crosses his paws a lot)

nat frowning at me (all blurry-like)


because i wanted to take a picture of him using his chopsticks (for no apparent reason)


also i got the coolest xmas (late) present the other day from my awsome friend Jimmy. (the one who resurrected my semi-dead computer this summer)
meet SFlip Flap. He’s a plant that runs on solar power. His little leavves rock, flap, and bounce. At first he’s kind of disturbing...now i love him and freak out if he’s not moving. thanks for the awsome unique gift jimmy!


and lastly i finally finished these for the shop


they are shrinky dink stitch markers of the animals plain and with mustaches, also there is te piddleloop yarn kitty mascot. check them out in the shop.

Posted by Jennifer on 02/13 at 10:18 PM ♥ Comments (4)

yay!

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i have finally updated the KAL’s please oh please if i forgot you in EITHER of them please email me!

Posted by Jennifer on 02/09 at 11:17 PM ♥ Comments (1)

Picture Time

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Hi there! I’m sorry for my lack of updating the KAL’s and for updating here. I am just not used to pulling 11 hr days with commute time and this weather is just making me feel like a drag. By the time i get home it’s 9 or 9:30 i eat and then don’t even want to knit, because it’s basically bedtime. whew.  I haven’t even been able to start my perfect pie shawl. I am finishing Rebecca’s mary janes and i feel way way waaaay too slow with them cause of this working thing. now on to the pictures!

i got my big o bag and mustache clutch from Rebecca and i love them. I am one for intresting shaped bags, i think this will make a great summer bag. Check them out:

i also got some awsome spring inspired cards from liquid sky arts They are so pretty and cheap. I urge you to think spring and get some too.

Go check out Trudesign for some very pretty handmade earrings to buy for your valentine!

Tomorrow i will update the Kal’s tonight i spent photographing new pouches and these. Get yourself some smashing new stationery. Or think spring with Russell. Or check out our updated knitting sheep cards!

also NEW SHEEP HAVE ARRIVED (AGAIN!)

we are up to order number 104 in our giveaway so one more person gets to be 105! YAY! So thank you for checking in, i’m sorry i’ve been bad about updating.  Also i’d like to give a shout out to lesa, ann,tara, and erin my hometown posse. i miss you guys like a rapper misses his entourage.

Posted by Jennifer on 02/09 at 12:13 AM ♥ Comments (5)

♥ stuff and things ♥

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can you see i ♥ the phrase stuff & things a LITTLE too much? i also for some reason can’t get enough of the little HTML hearts you can make with simple code, call me a dork but i didn’t know that til nat showed me.

anyways i wanted to link Hilary’s blog from the chicago group Kelly Girls They meet every wednesday near Nat’s apartment. I signed up on their yahoo group ages and ages ago when i thought i’d find a job in the city. Last wednesday when i was walking home from the El i saw three girls in the Cosmic cafe knitting. I went inside and sat down and had a nice evening. What a way to wind down after a long day of making quark/indesign files work.

also check out Sara’s shop She was the only person to give me a URL from their group aside from Hilary. I will see if i can find more URL’s of theirs next wed. Check out Saras ardvark’s they are very very cute. I also love her flower pins.

also when i get home tomorrow i can’t wait to see if Rebecca’s big O bag and MUSTACHIO clutch have arrived. Also rebecca if you read this if you click on hilary’s link above you can see your sweet mary janes still being knitted!

Also i can’t wait to see if my order from Amyville has arrived yet or if i’ll have to wait til i go home next weekend! i was FINALLY able to throw some cash money love amy’s way for some totally awsome cupcake/donut stitch markers. She has been a very cool internet/live and in person friend to me. I admire her creativity and ability to make things that kill you with cuteness. and how does she not tear out her hair making everything so tiny out of fimo?

Wow, i announced the giveaway at order 98 and we are now at a stand still at order 99! haha i wanted to take a minute here to say a few things to people about the shop
1. if there’s something you’d like in scrabble tiles email me i can do short names or initials or “dirty” markers as was suggested last wednesday please don’t be afraid to email storeATpiddleloopDOTcom to ask away
2. if you have anything you want to say in our testimonial section please email me as well i’d be happy to know what happens to our stuff when i send it out into the big world.
3. i really suck at wire wrapping so i am still TRYING to get our shrinkey dink animal stitch markers as stitch markers this is where i need someone like Amy’s expertice.
4. we have several 12 x 6 poches with SHEEP on them headed down the assembly line please watch they will show up very very soon
5. don’t forget to show you valentine our shop so they can buy the knitter/crafter/cool person they love something to ♥LOVE ♥

ok so untill i get home tomorrow to my camera and other good stuff enjoy all these links and go support handmade and check out those people!!!

Posted by Jennifer on 02/04 at 07:33 PM ♥ Comments (4)