Retroblogging: Fancy Hats are Fascinating

Crafts in Chelsea, October 2012

Due to the recent fascination with fascinators (Thanks Duchess Kate), the booth bedecked with a variety of shapes, colors, and styles of fancies was attracting a lot of attention. From floral clips and posy pompoms, to ribbon headbands, to simple bands with crocheted blossoms, it was like a rainbow of cranium accessories. (I'm sorry Elle, I didn't get you this orange pretty.)

It was the kind of booth where the attendant encouraged us to try on things. So -- Jane and I had to play. With varying results. Granted, I was picking up the most ridiculous things ever to put on my head.

Yeah, I don't think so either. I just can't carry these off in my normal life. A hat like this requires a vintage bell-skirt velvet 1950's cocktail dress and heels, and little handbag. Imagine Queen Elizabeth II in the 1950s.

I'm just not the type of girl to look like a peacock. Wait, let me check...

 Nope. Just won't work in my life.

 Jane, however, looks ADORABLE in her feathered headdresses. 

I can't remember which one she ended  up with, but one of the last two. She can carry them off. I really hope she wore them for her autumnal concerts/Thanksgiving gatherings.

Actually, Jane - being even more English than I am (and I'm pretty English) -- seems to be able to carry off just about any kind of feathered fancy. See? Tiny hat on me? Not so much. Large fly-away feathers on Jane. Super cute!

Hey Jane! Let's go find another craft fair soon and play dress up some more!


(Jenn! Wake up. It's okay. I should have warned you!)

Auntie Nettie's Attic Merchandise 2012 - September

May you live in interesting times:

I think someone "blessed" me so that as 2012 passed -- things have only gotten more "interesting." Life in September got very busy (as you probably have seen from the lack-of blog posts) and I have to look back a lot of pages in what passes for my diary to remember what the heck happened -- aside from my jobs totally taking over.

If I'm reading my scrawls correctly, September:

~ Started off on Labor Day weekend with me "laboring" - helping out my friend Cynthia tackle a garage cleaning assignment that was on a hot muggy day full of poopy natural surprises. (Though I have super fond memories of eating a delicious omelet with chorizo, cilantro, and tomatoes ... MMMM.) What is the incubation period for the hanta virus, because I know I ingested mouse poop in a few forms that day. Seriously. YUCK!

I also:

~ Crocheted some of the baby bibs you'll see below, while sitting in the dark during Convocation for work. I knew I was getting to the point where I didn't have to watch what I was doing while watching t.v.. But now I know I can also crochet simple things in the dark with the lights out.

~ Had a lovely unexpected dinner with Christine in the City, to try and catch up with work/life before we got swamped by the incoming tide of change. So glad we did. October got WORSE - for both of us!; 

~ Cleaned out some of my kitchen stuff, including scrubbing decades of accumulated gook off pots and pans so to donate to the next generation of chefs (my work-study students); 

~ Missed brunch and baby shower plans due to illness, inclement weather, and geographic impossibilities; 

~ Cleaned, purged, watched television a lot on the weekends to catch-up, called to family/friends -- all necessary as I was about to be caught up in what we'll call "Hurricane H*******" aka the aftermath of an unexpected star-studded memorial/fund-raising event wherein it was "organized" by "amateurs" who had no idea how to coordinate guest lists and then it took over 22-different spreadsheets of data to be entered for over 700-1000 individuals, each with variations in proper spelling/contact information/relationships into my company's database into a coherent form. So. Yeah. That took weeks of research, 12-14 hour days, and juggling of deadlines, egos, priorities, and what I'm calling the 5-stages of frustration. There was anger, bitterness/resentment, denial, then grudging acceptance, and finally a horrible dose of gallows humor. (I kept track of hours, and OMH the comp and OT that I am owed -- if I only had TIME to take my comp time!) Then I had to interact with the oblivious, the obnoxious, the defensive, and the self-congratualory ... well ... 

Let's jut say GRRRR and that:

I also:

~ got sick during all this;

~ ate all wrong; 

~didn't sleep right;

~barely remembered to pay my bills on time; or

~send birthday/anniversary cards out; or to

~have the energy to go to Maker's Faire this year.

I felt the worst about missing friends and Maker's Faire. I bought a ticket and everything. But between the work stress, hours, and the sheer exhaustion, the one or two days I didn't have to work, I just didn't have the energy to muster up to head to Queens and be surrounded by people.

Little did I know that parts of October ... 

It's not just me ... is there some weird celestial misalignment going on? Is Mars in retro-grade? WHAT IS GOING ON?

It's good thing I have SOME sort of therapy outlet I can only imagine I would be WORSE off mentally, and that's saying something.

So -- yeah. Maybe you can see a theme to my crafts this month? It veers from being full of love for the new lights in the family that are due in a month or so, to be wildly optimistic and seeing love and hearts everywhere, to being bird-brained and thinking that every one is a monster.

Or something! 

In any event, here are the many creations from September including:

Baby Shower presents for Phineas and Ferbina

ANA 2012: 66 and  67: Pink and Blue square "ribbed" washcloths for the twins

(Lily Cotton Sugar 'n Cream 4-ply cotton) 

 ANA 2012-70 and 71: Pink and Blue bibs for the twins

(Lily Cotton Sugar 'n Cream 4-ply cotton and buttons)

Details of the fastenings: Two loops, depending on the size of their little heads/growing bodies 

ANA 2012-72 and 73: Pink and Blue round washcloths for the twins (in back of rounds)

(Lily Cotton Sugar 'n Cream 4-ply cotton)

ANA 2012-74 and 75: Mini camo owlies 

(left: 74, fledgling; right, 75, grey-eyed adult) 

(Miscellaneous mystery acrylic and left-over wool)

  ANA 2012-76: Maroon stripped mini owlie

(Miscellaneous left-over acrylic yarn and batting)

ANA 2012-77: Fuchsia pull-over with pink hearts and XOs 

(Red Heart and left-over miscellaneous acrylic yarn types) 
(as of 12/13 no longer available, gifted)

ANA 2012-78: Fuchsia pull-over with purple hearts and subtle accents 

(Red Heart and left-over miscellaneous acrylic yarn types) 
(as of 4/14, no longer available, sold)

ANA 2012-79: Fuchsia mini (or skull cap) with two hearts (pink/white)

(Red Heart and left-over miscellaneous acrylic yarn types) 
(as of 12/13 no longer available, gifted)

ANA 2012-80: Black Cyclops hat, with horns 

(Red Heart and left-over miscellaneous acrylic yarn types) 
(as of 4/14, no longer available, sold)

ANA 2012-81: Black Cylops hat, with horn and bulging dilated green eye - Rolled brim

(Red heart and left-over miscellaneous acrylic yarn types) 
(as of 11/2013, no longer available)

ANA 2012-82: Black Cyclops hat, with horns and bulging green eye

(Red Heart and left-over miscellaneous acrylic yarn types) 
(as of 11/2013, no longer available)

Alternatively, if you don't a bulging third-eye in the middle of your forehead, you could flip these around and have a Janus-head thing -- and freak out the people walking too close behind you.

Still in progress; 

2012: 
3 mini owlies
1 pink afghan

 2010: Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. Didn't you read all about the sagas of the last few months? It's amazing I got anything done ... at all!

Regarding the shop: I think I've come to the conclusion it ain't happening this year. I just can't see me finding extra time to dedicate to it this year, especially given my travel plans from now through ... well 2013! However, if you see something on here, let me know, so I can see if it's still in stock, and not somewhere else, and give you an idea of prices.

Auntie Nettie's Attic Merchandise 2012 - August

If you have happened to stumble across the blog, I'm .... well, shocked. I can't even get my family to read this thing, forget acquaintances, colleagues, friends, or cyber-stumbler-uponers/strangers. But welcome!

I'm Auntie Nettie, and this is my version of Jo (from Little Women) scribbling in the garret.

This blog has become a bit of an archive for me to try and keep track of some of my activities, readings, wonderings, and wanderings. It's also a bit of a therapy log - including an actual log of some of my craft therapy projects. Rather than eat my pain (I kid, but I don't), I try to keep my hands busy, to varying degrees of success.

To recap some of August, you could read through some of the archives to see that I:
~went on a lot of walks through New York City that month;
~did some Island Hopping;
~tried to meet some friends (sorry to miss you Casey and Poopeh), and did see some others, like Christine and Amelia (a bunch of times!), and the library gang;
~ saw off my summer intern with a long lunch with colleagues;
~ cleared out and organized more of the personal archives;
~ caught up on televisions programs;
~ went to the Botanical Garden;
~ took a couple of sick days, prior to the real "fun" beginning; and
~ had a week that I would prefer to forget, except that it resulted in a shiny new bathtub and quality up-close-and-personal time with Wendy and Emily.

It was a very, very, very "interesting" month, and I am just hoping that all the drama got out of my universe's orbit, so I can just deal with September.

Perhaps, in retrospect, that is actually why so many little birds hatched in my attic. Or, maybe, why there was so much POOP to deal with?

In any event, here are the many creations from August, including:

ANA 2012-55: Fuzzy Slouchy Hat
(mystery tag sale yarn, acrylic, as well as mystery chenille)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless)

ANA 2012-56: Mini Purple Owlie

(assorted leftover mystery yarn and batting)ANA 2012-57 and 58: Red-winged Blackbird family, adult and child

(Assorted leftover yarns, acrylic, and batting)
(as of 12/13 no longer available, gifted)
ANA 2012-59: Black and White Owlie
(Assorted leftover yarn, chenille, acrylic, and batting)
(as of 4/14, no longer available, sold)

ANA 2012-60: Rainbow Rook

(Leftover mix of yarns, acrylic and chenille, batting, and button)
(as of 12/13, no longer available, gifted)
ANA 2012-61: Grey-flecked Owlie

(Assorted leftover yarns, chenille, acrylic, metallic, batting, and buttons)
(as of 2014, no longer available)

ANA 2012-62 and 63: Fuzzy-winged Birdies
(Assorted mystery acrylic yarns and batting)
(as of 12/13 no longer available, gifted)
ANA 2012-64: Light-blue Owlie

(Leftover mystery yarn and batting)
(as of 4/14, no longer available, sold)
ANA 2012-65: Dark-blue Owlie
(Leftover mystery acrylic yarn and batting)
(as of 2014, no longer available)

These two were completed during August, but I totally forgot to record them in my log, so the numbers are out of order!

ANA 2012-68: Mini two-toned boys hat
(Leftover mystery yarn)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless)

ANA 2012-69: Exotic Pastel Sparrow
(Leftover mix of acrylic yarns and batting)
(as of 4/14, no longer available, sold)

Still in progress:

2012: Presents for Phineas and Ferbina, the nephew and niece to be. Not posted here as they were supposed to be a surprise for my sister-in-law's shower. Thanks to FedEx, they were scheduled to get to Nevada at 4:30 - and the shower was scheduled I believe for 5:30! That's cutting it a bit close, no?

2010: Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. Didn't you read all about the sagas of the month? It's amazing I got anything done ... at all!

So, about the etsy.com shop. Again, when have I had time? IF what was discussed by my friend Wendy actually happens, HOPEFULLY, I can pack a bunch of animals and/or scarfs off to her and she'll schlep them to a community-church craft bazaar. (Please, please, please!) If not, the animals will continue to run the asylum and threaten to choke me. (As of this weekend, the count was 37 birdies, 2 pandas, 1 polar bear family of three, 10 bunnies - and that's not counting the scarves, hats, bags, and blankies -- I need a shop keeper.)

HOWEVER, if you see something here that you must adopt, please contact me for prices and availability. You would be helping me clean out the Attic.

I have a stash of fabric, bits, and bobs that I would love to run through the sewing machine, but I'm trying to stick with one craft obsession at a time.

Auntie Nettie's Attic Merchandise 2012 - June

If you have been reading along, you'll have seen that last month was a little busy. After the craziness of the spring semester, particularly April and May, June was much more low-key, and I'm feeling much better about work, life, and me - in general*. Part of it was due to taking time off to sort things out, literally.

When June rolls around, the offices close on Fridays. We call them Summer Fridays (capitals are due to their importance) and look forward to them all spring long. I managed to use them to:
- Reorganize my closets, cabinets, and assorted storage;
- Spend some time at the New York Botanical Gardens;
- Get Grandma Ollie's sewing machine serviced (after 10 years), so I can eventually learn how to use it (1 craft obsession at a time, thank you very much);
- Catch up on t.v. programs;
- Power through miscellaneous "mix-tape" VHS tapes from days of yore, not to mention odd collections of burned DVD series; and to
- Start going through the buckets of scrap-book items/personal papers left to me by my parents during their move (see retroblogging entries throughout the summer 2012).

I also took all the Mondays off in June [Summer Mondays?] to:
- Recuperate and rejuvenate;
- Do laundry; and
- Get my house and brain in order -- ala
- Do some more of the things mentioned above for Fridays, etc. and so forth.

June was a good time to:
~ Spend time with dear friends like Amelia and Christine in the 'burbs, and also to brunch with Poopeh in true New York weekend fashion. Brunching al fresco is de rigueur for the ladies of NYC, especially in the warmer months.

~ Dropped, and thus destroyed, Ms. Ruby Nikon 2.0 and endeavored to try and replace her with cell-phone, iTouches, and not one, but two, Nikons. (Poor Ruby, no one can really replace her.)

~ Baked and cooked for various work-related parties, including one on the bosslady's terrace in Brooklyn. (Can you say "salary and real-estate envy" much?)

~ Revised all out-side plans due to the crazy ridiculous heat and humidity waves.

Oh, and managed to get a couple of craft projects done, like these listed below.

Now, I don't know why during the hottest weeks of the summer I decided to work with some of my hottest yarns in stock in ye olde Attic, but I did. I think it's really because I'm trying to work through some of my oldest stash of remnants, mystery yarns, and rotate things out of the bottom of the trunks (see above mentioned cleaning jags.) But still, it's weird how it happened.

Oh, and I feel like if I do little projects, like hats, I actually have output for a month, rather than huge blankets that take more time that I have.

ANA 2012-34: Square Blue and White "Granny's Boy" Blanket
(Mystery white chenille and blue Caron 4-ply sport acrylic)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hurricane Sandy relief)

ANA 2012-35: Red Rolled Brim Pull-on Hat
(Skein(s) of Lion Brand chenille, acrylic)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless)

ANA 2012-36: Purple Pull-down Slouchy Hat
Super big - room for lots of hair or dreads
(Skein(s) of Lion Brand Chenille, acrylic)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless)

ANA 2012-37: Light Blue Cuff Brim Chenille Hat
(Skein of mystery chenille, acrylic)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless)

top view of both hats

ANA 2012-38: Light Blue Rolled Brim Chenille Hat
(Skein of mystery chenille, acrylic)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless)

ANA 2012-39: Slouchy Red Beret with White Trim
(Skeins of Lion Brand Chenille and mystery chenille, acrylic)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless)

ANA 2012-40: Red Chenille Bunny
(Skein of Lion Brand chenille, acrylic, button, and batting)
(as of 12/13 no longer available, Toys for Tots)

Not technically part of the June group were these pair of Halloween hats for two of my favorite monsters. I started them on the 30th and finished on July 1st, so ... whatever. It's my blog. I'll make up and bend the entry rules if I want to.

ANA 2012-41: Adult Monster (above: right/below: top)
ANA 2012-42: Child Monster (above: left/below: bottom)
(Part of skein of Caron Sport 4-ply acrylic, leftover bits of other acrylics)
(not available, to be gifted)

I have to admit, these last two are almost too cute to gift out - but I'm going to do it. I have a feeling once my other brother and his son/my other nephew get a look at these, I'm going to have make a pair for them too, so no feelings will be upset. I already have a couple ideas about other variations for the girls.

To give credit where credit is due, I adapted the pattern from another blogger: The Boy Trifecta, and her Crochet Monster Hat Pattern. Thank you Emily.

Still in progress:

2010: You know what: My albatross. For photos, just scan the archives. "Write" now it's buried beneath backdrops, No. 34 up there, and other blankets collecting bits of flying chenille.

The shop is still open, but as I haven't looked at in a month or two, the listings may have expired. I need to take a series of photos and do new listings, but it's not high on my list of priorities currently. Getting rid of other detritus of my past is higher on the list that moving out the yarn projects -- but just you wait! I got a new camera (two!) - and I will get it done - eventually. Like my albatross.

If you do see something on these posts that interests you, please e-mail for updated availability, sizes, more photos, and estimates on prices and shipping/handling.

*Post-June note. Am I ever grateful that I got this much stuff and myself pulled together/in a better frame of mind in June, because July started out with a doozy of an attention-getter. DUDE! Seriously. But that's another one of those mysterious things that can only be referred to in general terms right now. Life off-line is tres (fill in your own adjective here)!