Welcome to the Island

I for once am writing a non-craft post.

See my family has this summer home in Indiana. Its on an island. In Hudson Lake.

An island.
How cool is that?

Well long story short, the water level went down 6 feet. Not 6 feet from the shore, but literally 6 feet in depth. 6 years of the water slowly getting lower and father away from shore. The island became part of the actual shore. You could walk from where you park your car, to the island. Of course.... it would be in mud... but still.

The water level finally got back up to normal this year, actually even a little higher which is nice. But by now, everything is overgrown, mice have taken over the house, the roof is failing, the gutters are falling, the pontoon boat needs new floor, helm, and captains chair, the screened in porch needs new screens, windows need replacing, and everything needs a good intense scrubbing.
So for the past three weeks my brother and I have been pushing to get out there every weekend, just for a day, to completely submerge ourselves into making this place livable again. I mean, I am about to graduate college. How much fun would it be to get my friends over to the island, relax by the bonfire, swim in the middle of the lake, have a couple drinks, and just all out relax and enjoy each other?

Alot of fun. Duh.

So Greg and I pushed dad (who can sometimes be a little stubborn) to start helping us make this happen. And so Greg and I went the first week, cleaned as much as possible on the inside. Mice are nasty devils. And totally disgusting...

The second week I had work, so dad and greg went. They finally got the well working, but the water was not going to the inside of the house yet. They boarded up broken windows, and tried to fix the riding mower.

This weekend, Greg brought his friend Milosh, who did an amazing job, and I brought my friend Mark, who also kicked ass. With Greg, Milosh, dad, Mark, and I, we kicked that islands ass. Got the mower working, got the water to get inside the house, picked up all the fallen sticks and trees, cleaned off the paddle boat, emptied the gutters, trimmed bushes, deleted a whole bunch of growth all together. Over 9 hours of just straight work, and we did so much of improvement. On the outside that is. Next weekend we will be going back out there to clean the inside. I mean really clean. So clean we could eat off the floor.


Yes. That clean.

But for now, heres some pics from this last trip.

This is Milosh holding up the roots to the bushes Greg and him were cutting down. See.. when the water level lowers for so long, stuff grows there. Then the water rises, and now all that stuff is under water.... shitty to drive boats through... soooo lets get rid of it all!
Using the paddle boat to ferry around the things they ripped out. Thats my brother Greg. He looks so happy to be in that water.

This is a very artsy picture that portrays the idea of how much crap we burned Friday. Books, sheets, pillows, plastic bags, glass, leaves, branches, bushes, trees, anything that was garbage. cause there is no garbage service... on an island...
One of my favorite pictures of the day. Thats Mark standing there. If you look realllly close you can see my wonderful brother flicking everyone off with his stylish yellow gloves. what a good day.
This is how Greg and Milosh emptied gutters and trimmed overhanging branches. I'm sure balancing on a precut branch is extremely safe....
See we found this machete... its a shitty machete... doesnt cut shit. But dad had this great idea for some poses. Sooo... there you go.
Mark and me, we just so cool.
Some before and after pictures, this is how the side of the shed looked before Greg and Milosh attacked it. Mind you, dad found some poisen ivy there as soon as they finished. They got lucky.
You cant really tell a difference on the first picture there, but look at the bottom half of the tree, all the grass is mowed and leaves are raked and its just tons cleaner. The second set is of our paddle boat. Looks brand new now. I cant wait to go fishing.
Before and after of the front door,all those leaves raked up, and those stupid overgrown plants completely cut down. The second ones are of the front stairs that according to my brother were the "dateline" stairs. Now they are only somewhat creepy.


Thats all the update I have about that for now. I will be back there next Friday, and depending on weather may be camping out there for the night so we can do another day of work. We need a couple people to help out, so heres a call out to my friends. If you want to get a good workout, and you have nothing better to do come on out! Once we get the place to a good standard we will be throwing a BBQ on the island to all those who helped!

Ohhh ps, I also sold a sewn purse in my etsy store. 4 sales so far! keep it coming people!

Keeping busy

I made my first sale on Etsy! and my second, and my third!

Three patterns sold!

and I just finished this one!

Pattern for sale!

I have hit another milestone in my knitting career! I have published my own pattern!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/luganchica102

Do it. Go be my first sale. Nuff said.

Cool fact Numba 1: I am a strong believer that if I cook dinner, someone else should do the dishes.

Testing life out eh?

So this pattern I would like to sell.
Its actually going to happen. sweet.
I just finished knitting the second installment of this scarflette, in a different yarn, and I am very happy with it. While working along with this scarflette I also wrote down the pattern. My friend Sarah is planning on test knitting the pattern for me so that I can have some sort of a working pattern.




I just love this pattern!

Newest project!

I'm looking to create my own patterns and actually write them down and sell them. I make so many things that I use my own patterns for that I really could possibly bring in some money while doing so.

This is one of my newest projects, and I really did like how it turned out!

Artsy picture. good stuff.

Me wearing the shawl. Which I never do. According to my grade school friends, my wardrobe lacks color. My closet is full of grays, browns, blacks, and blues. That is it. So when i put on this shawl I felt like a rainbow. A very happy rainbow.
This is a pattern that I am going to write out and publish for sale. I am very excited!

To end this entry. My friends Sarah and Kelly showed me the exciting feeling of being in a yarn store with money. I have been in yarn stores, I have bought yarn online. But this was a new experience. I could actually look around and purchase things I wanted, and really just feel great doing it.

I spent $104.65 on yarn.

And I smiled the entire way.

Etsy!

I have been updating my Etsy in hopes of my first sale.
I opened this Etsy because I have so much luck with the knitting sales for Kappa Kappa Psi that I host, that I was hoping to actually sell items and make a profit for myself instead of donating all the money to the group.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/luganchica102

Check it out! I would love to make some money in order to buy more yarn and make more! I also need suggestions as to what would sell well, what people are interested in, all that jazz.
Now for some more pictures!I am so lucky to have such a great roomate!
This is Terrence, he is my lepard gecko. He is my favorite ever.
And he loves my knitting!



Oh Smokey! I decided I needed some sort of cuddly animal with me this summer so that I dont get lonely. So I took one of my two family cats to school with me.
The first night, I was about to kill him. He didnt let me sleep, he kept me up all night meowing, and when I finally locked him out of my room he wouldnt stop nudging the door and making it shake.
Thankfully the next night he cuddled right up next to me in bed, and slept until 5 am.
I had to get up at 7... but we ate breakfast together and enjoyed the sunrise!




My fluffy friend.

Its been a while!

Thankfully the semester is over! I have not stopped being busy this entire year, and I can finally take a break. Even though I have summer school I am doing my best to get things done!
First off, my cousins high school graduation quilt. I am currently quilting in the ditch for the bigger squares, and just about to finish that. If I still have time I will also Sew in the ditch of the smaller squares.
I am so proud of her! I taught her clarinet years ago, and she has excelled so much in the few years she has been playing. She is my prodigy student!
Its a music quilt! The black lining has composers names in gold, each square is a different instrument, piano, violin, upright bass, harp, etc. Then the fabric around the center square is filled with clarinets, drums, and other instruments! I love it!
Hopefully I can get it done by next month! I will be flying out to NJ to celebrate her high school graduation with her! yay!

This was a test crochet I did for a rav. friend. Ziggurat scarf. I really liked how easy and well written the pattern was, and I really enjoyed working with it!
Done in two different yarns!
Pooling rivulets scarf, I love how the yarn worked so well with the pattern. its so light and lofty!
I had to use this fabric! Mario party fabric purse!
With tiny cables.
This was another test knit I did for someone else on Rav, Fontana shawl. I really liked how the yarn turned out. It was an easy pattern, I learned an alternate cast on and bind off. So I felt great! The biggest lace project to date that I have taken on!
Pretty!
This was a feather and fan scarf that I did, very light. I actually wore it to a knitting class I was teaching even though I never wear scarves!
This is a mobius type scarf. Knit like feather and fan scarf in mohair. Very soft!
I had to do the branching out scarf, I just loved how it looked! So i knit it up in a bright pink. Even though I am the pink opposite girl...
And now we are getting into why I have not posted in a while! I had my junior percussion education recital at the end of this semester. I have not practiced so hard in my life! So enjoy these pictures!
Showing off my mallet bag, not all my mallets of course!
Playing my marimba solo Apparitions, I highly suggest it!
Our multi percussion piece, Mixtures. it was fun, and actually pretty simple.
My vibraphone solo, Paint Me A Sky, this was my favorite piece!
Us playing our marimba duets, I love the reflections in this recital hall!
Bowing after my marimba solo
Close up of my mallets during my marimba piece, yes I am using cross grip. It works for me!
Michelle and I bowing!
I love her! Not only is she the only other female percussionist at EIU, but she is my roomate! And she kept me going when I wanted to give up.

As our finale, I arranged Come On Eileen for percussion ensemble. I think it turned out to be a hit!

Thats all I have for now! I promise to keep up throughout the summer!