To Boldly Go Where No Hook Has Gone Before
Exciting news, everyone! My Spock Ears pattern is featured in the newly released book The Star Trek Craft Book: Make it So! now available through Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster.
You can buy it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or preferably, through your local brick and mortar book store. Trust me, they need your support!
Although I haven’t gotten a chance to flip through a physical copy yet, I can guarantee it will be a treat for both Trekkies and crafters alike — particularly crafting Trekkies! They really get to experience the Best of Both Worlds, if you know what I mean…
Thanks, everyone!
Yes, I’m still alive.
Hi everyone. I’m sorry for the dearth of posts lately; you can blame my hectic schedule, lack of motivation, and need for an actual social life. Because things have been pretty busy for me lately, I will be taking a short vacation from making Croshame figures for about a month or so and have put the Etsy store on Vacation mode temporarily.
I will try to post more next month; I do have some exciting news which I will be sharing tomorrow, so stay tuned!
DIY at DIA
Last week I traveled back to my hometown of San Francisco, flying out of and back into the Denver International Airport (DIA). Before my departing flight, as I was on my way to the TSA checkpoint alongside one of those people-mover treadmill thingys, I came across a large display of work from local Colorado craftspeople.
The start of the exhibit had a piece done by Denver’s very own Ladies’ Fancywork Society, whose needlecraft work I have seen and admired all over the city since I first arrived back in August.
Needless to say, I was both excited and intrigued as I made my way past the various cases filled with examples of knitting, crochet, sewing, felting and other crafts.
Then, somewhere in the middle of the long line of cases, I discovered a little cubicle set up for passengers and visitors to make their own contribution to the display.
Oh happy day, what a little paradise!
The space provided seating, knitting needles (huge ones!) and a crochet hook, with little cans of yarn and hooks on which to hang the finished work. Several people had already made and hung their donations.
So you KNOW I had to make something and hang it! I didn’t know how much time I would have to wait in the TSA line, so I whipped out quick little tiny something in a couple of minutes.
So that was satisfying and all, but on my trip back I decided I really wanted to show my appreciation to the Denver Airport and the Ladies Fancywork Society for giving the public a crafty respite, so on my plane ride back from San Francisco I made a pretty straightforward crocheted “Thank You” card.
After touching down, collecting my baggage and meeting the husband, we traveled back to the exhibit and I put the ol’ girl up.
Going to SF was like a big chocolate cake, being back in Denver was the yummy icing, but putting my piece up in DIA was the big red cherry on top!
New segment: Hookin’ at the Movies
Wherein I share stills from (oftentimes unwatchable) movies, miniseries and TV shows displaying hilarious, dubious or questionable crochet tendencies.
From A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song :
Ooooh… no thanks. Socks crocheted by Lucy Hale sound about as appetizing as a macrame bra made by Selena Gomez.
2013 means ch-ch-ch-changes
With a new year comes new changes, and this year that adage also applies to Croshame. There will be several differences in the way Croshame operates in 2013, specifically because I’m going to be working on several big projects this year, but also because I’d like to concentrate more on making more fine art and creating new Croshame pieces.
NEW PIECES: Although I will still be making new Antigurumi characters and posting them here on croshame.com, I will no longer be making those featured pieces available for sale through the Etsy store. Don’t fret; there are still a plethora of “classic” Croshame characters that will be available.
COMMISSIONS: I will no longer be accepting commissions, at least for a while.
PATTERNS: I probably won’t be releasing any new patterns this year. This is partly related to one of the aforementioned “big projects” I’m working on, but I won’t mention anything else about that until things are a bit more fully formed.
Thanks to everyone for making 2012 a great year for Croshame! Here ‘s to a 2013 filled with many crass crafts and lotsa laughs.
Plush Fiction
Although I’m an ardent cinema lover, I can be a pretty stubborn little mule when it comes to watching certain movies. I generally try to steer clear of most westerns, serial killer movies directed by Ulli Lommel, and just about anything with Vin Diesel in it. And for about 20 years, I avoided the Quentin Tarantino movie Pulp Fiction, telling people, “The only way I’ll watch that film is if someone pays me.”
Well, someone finally paid me.
I was recently commissioned to recreate Uma Thurman’s character Mia Wallace, specifically from the scene in which she’s revived from an accidental heroin overdose with a giant shot of adrenaline.
So, yes, I finally caved in and saw the damn thing. And no, it wasn’t so bad (particularly whilst reassuring myself it was only for research). After watching, pausing, and re-watching Uma Thurman being impaled with a syringe by a doughy, greasy-haired John Travolta, I came up with the following figure…
“A-Mia-gurumi Wallace”
More photos of “A-Mia-gurumi” can be found at my Flickr page here.
Digging Your Own Grave: A Free Pattern
Getting into a scary-looking costume, wearing massive amounts of theatrical makeup, smearing blood all over yourself and scaring the living shit out of people is a damn good time indeed. It’s also what I call a Tuesday. But because Halloween is (possibly) the one day of the year that I can step outside and be myself knowing I won’t be harassed or have trash thrown at me, I still have a soft spot in my heart for the old girl.
So what better way to commemorate the festival of Samhain than to give all my readers a free pattern in celebration of that most wonderful time of the year? Yes, yes, there’s always the oh-so-spooky neo-tradition of donning a skin-tight “sexy” maid or cat outfit and drunkenly vomiting in public… but we all know an Antigurumi crochet pattern is much more satisfactory, right? Uhh… right?
Putting the “fun” back in “funeral” and the “me” back in cemetery, I present to you…
GRAVEYARN!*
©2012 Shove Mink / Photos: Chuck McNary
*Feel free to make these as decorations, costume embellishments, or as gifts to friends — but please, please, please!! For the love of all that’s hallowed, do not sell or distribute this pattern or sell finished products made from the pattern. (I swear it will haunt you to the grave — the real, final, stone one.)
MATERIALS:
- Size “F” (3.75mm) crochet hook
- Worsted weight yarn in light grey, brown, green, and off-white
- Felt in dark grey
- Cardboard
- Fabric glue
- Sharp scissors
- Tapestry or yarn needle
- Tracing paper and pencil
- Stuffing
ABBREVIATIONS:
ch – chain
dc – double crochet
hdc – half double crochet
rnd – round
rs – right side
sc – single crochet
st – stitch
ws – wrong side
yo – yarn over
SPECIAL STITCHES:
Popcorn (Pop): Make 3 dc in the same st. Drop loop from hook, insert hook from front to back into first dc made, pull loop through and ch 1.
Reverse Popcorn (RevPop): Make 3 dc in same stitch, drop loop from hook, insert hook from back to front into first dc made, pull loop through and ch 1.
Loop stitch (Loop st): Insert hook into st and form a loop of yarn around your finger. Moving over the front and around the back of nearest facing side of the loop, grab the farthest facing side of loop with your hook and pull through st (2 loops on hook), yo and pull through both. (Confused much? The effervescent June Gilbank of Planet June has an excellent loop stitch video tutorial available here, which is much easier to understand than written directions.)
PATTERN:
TOMBSTONE (make 2)
With light grey:
On one of the tombstones, leave about a foot-long tail before chaining.
Ch 11.
Row 1. Sc into 2nd ch from hook and continue to end – 10
Rows 2-12. Ch 1, turn, sc 10 across
Rows 13-14. Ch 2 (counts as first hdc), turn. hdc 1, dc 2, tr 2, dc 2, hdc 2.
Bind off and weave in all ends EXCEPT the foot-long beginning tail. Holding both parts of tombstone together, use beginning tail to sew together along sides and top, leaving bottom open.
Trace tombstone shape (along the interior of seam) onto cardboard, cut out and place inside tombstone opening.
Cut out the letters “RIP” from dark grey felt and glue to front of tombstone.
DIRT AND LAWN
With brown:
Ch 14.
Row 1 (rs). Dc in 4th ch from hook, dc in next, pop, dc 3, pop, dc 3.
Row 2. Ch 3 (counts as first dc), turn, RevPop, dc 3, RevPop, dc 3, RevPop, dc in top of turning ch.
Row 3. Ch 3, turn, dc 2, pop, dc 3. pop, dc 3.
Rows 4-9. Repeat rows 2 and 3.
Do not bind off.
Attach green yarn with rs facing up and towards you.
Row 7. Ch 1, but do NOT turn. Sc 1 in each st around both sides and top, making 3 sc in each corner.
Row 8 (ws). Ch 1, turn, and loop st around, making 3 loop st in each corner.
Row 9. Ch 1 and turn. Holding loops down, sc around, making 3 sc in each corner.
Rows 10-11. Repeat rows 8 and 9.
Bind off, weaving in ends of green yarn and leaving tail of brown yarn.
Take brown tail and sew tombstone bottom (through both sides) against the open end of dirt.
Snip loops and trim to give the lawn a grassier look.
ARM
With off-white:
Sc 6 in magic ring (or ch 2, sc 6 in 2nd ch from hook).
Rnds 1-10. sc 6
Stuff and bind off, leaving tail.
FINGERS
Attach off-white yarn to round 1 of arm, then:
[Ch 5, turn, sc 4, sl st in next st] 3 times, then sl st in st below on rnd 2, sl st in next st, ch 4, turn, sc 3, sl st in next st.
Bind off and weave in ends.
Take arm tail and attach open end to the middle upper side of the dirt.
To build a teeny yarn cemetery, make multiple graves and sew them together along the sides with green yarn.
THE END!
If you need additional angles for reference, more Graveyarn photos can be found at my Flickr page here.
Don’t forget to keep the holiday safe! Go out at night in pairs. Keep away from gang colors. Don’t buy masks from the Silver Shamrock Novelties Company. And make sure to take those razor blades out of the Snickers bars BEFORE giving them to trick-or-treaters.
And above all… have a HAPPY, JOYOUS HALLOWEEN!
I know I will.
Plush You 2012
I will have a piece in this year’s Plush You exhibit, held at Schmancy Toys in Seattle, WA!
I really wanted to make three pieces, but with my out-of-state move and resettling (not to mention a violent bout of brutal food poisoning), my hectic schedule only allowed me to finish one piece, which I call The Bunny Trio.
(Sorry about the horrendous quality of the pictures, but “resettling” also entails not having proper photography equipment.)
The big opening reception happens tomorrow, October 12th from 5-9pm, at Schmancy Toys. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend, but if you’re in the area please stop by and support all the fabulous artists. There will be tons of impressive pieces by some of the biggest and most talented names in plush.
Back in Business
As some of you may have read in a previous post, I took some much-needed time off from Croshame to make the move from San Francisco to Denver. It’s been a crazily busy couple of months, but now that I’m somewhat settled and have gotten my yarn and supplies out of storage, I’m ready to start crocheting again.
The Croshame Etsy Store has been reopened, and I’m set to start taking orders and commissions. Anything that’s marked “Ready to Ship” in the listing title is precisely that — a finished product that’s eager to make its way onto your doorstep ASAP.
HOWEVER — if you would like to order something marked in the listing title as “CUSTOM” or you’d like me to make you a special request or commission to be shipped out by the holidays, please get your orders in by November 7th. (Or if you don’t give a toss about Christmas, just order them whenever!)
Unfortunately I have very limited time and arm strength this year and won’t be able to work my crazy speed-crochet magic as I have in years past, so please remember that my two doozies, the Krampus figure and the Exorcist Playset, as well as more specific commissions, can take at least 2-3 weeks to complete.
I’m also hoping to make some neato-keen changes to the site and additions to the gallery and catalog in the upcoming months, so there will be all the more Croshame to love…
…or despise!
Making Croshame a Family Affair
My husband Chuck is a wildly talented individual who enjoys a slew of artistic hobbies: drawing, painting, sculpture, animation, woodworking, photography… yeah, he pretty much does it all.
So it came as a bit of surprise when, as I watched Kristin Omdahl‘s Crochet Corner segment on Knitting Daily one morning, Chuck started asking me to explain what she was doing. Whuuuuhhh… REALLY? Chuck has seen me crocheting for at least 4 hours almost every day for the last three years, but for some reason — maybe it was Kristin’s perky dimples or those professionally smooth KS Inc. close-up shots — something captured his attention this time around and he expressed a sincere interest in learning to crochet.
Without me forcing it on him!
I could just imagine Kristin’s reaction…
Seizing on Chuck’s enthusiasm, I immediately cleared some room on the couch and whipped out my extra hooks and surplus yarn. After a few demos, soothing words, handholding, and the shocking revelation my husband has the opposite hook hold I do, by early evening I was staring from across the room at the surreal sight of Chuck crocheting.
Morning:
Afternoon:
Night:
So now it isn’t so weird anymore, and we have an entire stack of crocheted hats that are fun for the whole family.
Moving On Up (and a little to the East side)
Next month my husband and I will be moving to Denver, CO — a pretty big deal for me considering I’ve never lived outside of San Francisco before. I know I’ll miss the foggy ol’ girl, but it’s high time for a change of scenery after shackling myself to the Golden Gate for over three decades.
The Ladies Fancywork Society‘s Blue Bear Installation @ The Denver Convention Center
Unfortunately, conducting business with half-filled moving boxes and my personal belongings piled everywhere is more than a bit challenging, so the Croshame Etsy store will be temporarily closing for a little while starting July 15th. I’m not sure for how long, exactly, but I’m hoping it won’t be more than 1-2 months. Please feel free to make purchases before the hiatus; although some of my more labor intensive custom pieces (Exorcist, Krampus) have been taken down, there’s still a lot of ready-to-ship items and other custom product available. So if you have a hankering for some summertime Antigurumi, be sure to scoop it up!
I know I’ve been pretty lax about blog posting lately, but I’m going to try to continue to post here in the interim as I have some new, non-sale work I’ve been meaning to show off, as well as some other forthcoming projects and scheduled events. Once I’m settled in, I’m hoping things will be back to normal and I can start making and posting new things again, but for right now all my nervous energy is permitting me to do is bust out dozens and dozens of afghan motifs and hexagons.
One thing’s for sure… even if it is currently 90 degrees there, at least I’ll have something to keep me cozy in Denver.
Giveaway winner!
Time to announce the winner of the first Croshame giveaway! The entrants were designated numbers chronologically in order of their purchases, then chosen via a Random number generator.
So congrats to the #1, Jenny, who had originally bought Grimm the Little Black Metal Dude. She will receive an Anton Crochet hat, a set of Croshame stickers, and a Crothulhu print!
A big thank you so much to everyone who made purchases from the Etsy store this month; you’re ALL winners in my book!
Etsy Update 6/3/12… and Giveaway!
Yes, yes, giveaway! But first, let me tell you what’s new in the shop!
I’ve introduced a new option to customize colors when you order a Wolfy Baby or a Viking Hat; just pick the two colors you’d like and I’ll whip ‘em up for you!
Next up, Wolfy Baby’s new distant cousin, Yeti Baby. Available here!
Last but not least, the popular “Anton Crochet” devil cap — as seen at Maker Faire! Found here.
OKAY! Now onto the GIVEAWAY!!
Starting today and lasting through the month of June, anyone who makes a purchase (within the U.S.) from the Croshame Etsy Shop will be automatically entered into the 1st Official Croshame Customer Appreciation Giveaway!
I’ve put together a prize package with the following items (worth over $50!):
- A Croshame sticker set, featuring adorable drawings of Wolfy Baby, Tuggin’ At My Heartstrings and other Croshame creations
- A Crothulhu print
- Your very own Anton Crochet Devil Cap (available in Small, Medium, or Large)!!
All you have to do for your chance to win is to buy something from the Croshame Etsy store! (Again, giveaway applies to orders made within the U.S. only.) Numbers will be assigned to customers in the order that they purchase items. If you purchase more than one item, you’ll be entered more than once! (Oh happy day.) The winner will be chosen via a random number generator and announced on the blog July 1st, and the winning entrant will also be contacted through their Paypal/Etsy email address.
GOOD LUCK!!
A Match Maker’ed in Heaven
As most of you may already be aware due to my multiple recent “reminders,” I spent last weekend selling Croshame products at the Bazaar Bizarre tent at the Bay Area Maker Faire.
Now that the Faire is over and I’ve (somewhat) recovered from the excitement, it’s time to blog all about it!
From the first moment the Faire opened, I had a lot of passers-by who were interested in my stuff…so that was encouraging. I would often see people far out on the fairgrounds crack an “OMG” face in my general direction and make a beeline for my booth. Some folks even recognized the Krampus and Exorcist displays, which were set out above the other shelves of stock.
The beautiful wooden displays and hat rack were handcrafted by my wonderfully talented husband Chuck, who was also a booth assistant extraordinaire that weekend!
Being at Indie Mart last year had prepared me for the likelihood of an onslaught of small children coming to the booth, so I “cleaned up” some of my more saucy pieces a little bit: “Goatse Cheese” was turned into the innocuous “Goat Cheese” (“-se” no evil!), Cairo Sheraton‘s peek-a-boo skirt was only lifted in front of two curious (adult) ladies by request after learning she was “anatomically correct,” and I placed my more PG-rated pieces towards the bottom of the displays and the naughtier ones higher up and out of the reach of small hands.
My prior “kid-friendly” assumptions were proven correct — my booth was a big draw for the wee ones. While a few parents steered their young’uns away once they realized most of my crochet was on the darker side, the majority of parents got the general humor and feel of I was going for and were genuinely supportive.
One Rad Dad even gave me a hug after his little daughter fell in love with her pink She-Wolfy purchase; she had to be one of my favorite pint-sized patrons from the weekend!
I had some new products for sale, like “The Anton Crochet” devil caps I made, which were sold out by the end of the faire.
This guy looked perfectly dapper in his devil cap, like a little brainy Beelzebub.
A lot of people snapped photos of me as I “happily” crocheted away behind my booth. Good thing I kept that lipstick-covered archaic smile plastered on my face.
Photo of Croshame at Maker Faire by Jordan Townsend of EuroVision (facebook.com/jtownsends.art)
I was even interviewed a couple of times for various video projects, which only seemed to prove that I turn into a blathering, incomprehensible cross between Corey Haim on painkillers and Sarah Palin when I’m asked to speak in front of a camera.
There were lots of talented people selling their wares alongside me in the Bazaar Bizarre tent. Our booth was stationed next to the gifted ceramicist Linda Fahey, and over the course of the Faire I got to meet and talk shop with fellow crocheters Narumi Ogawa from Mr. Funky and Steph from Nerd Jerk, who was also a guest juror for the Bazaar Bizarre panel.
I also met the fantastic artist Bill Robinson from Flimflammery, who bought one of my Wolfy pieces. I made sure to get myself one of his fabulous prints as well!
Professor Schnauzer print by Bill Robinson. Available for sale here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/60469896/professor-schnauzer-medium-print
The two days seemed to draw pretty different crowds. Saturday was filled with happy attendees, curious children, and lots of sexy steampunks in leather-tooled top hats, while earlier on Sunday there seemed to be a lot more looky-loos, lollygaggers, and a couple of “I’m too-cool for this” teenagers – although the turnout definitely got a bit more lively towards afternoon time with lots of Utilikilts, more sexy steampunks and Rad Dads. Marvelous Makers were everywhere on both days, of course!
Things got especially exciting near the end of Sunday, when I was presented with an “Editors’ Choice” ribbon from MAKE magazine photo editor Gregory Hayes. SWOON!
I’m so very proud of my ribbon. You like me! You REALLY like me!
The whole shebang concluded with the solar eclipse at the end of the day. (Chuck and I almost resisted singing Klaus Nomi‘s ”Total Eclipse” in high pitched voices, but failed miserably.) Besides an actual observatory, what better place to see an eclipse than Maker Faire, surrounded by robotics geeks, crafty bastards, and real-life science enthusiasts?
One important business lesson was definitely learned, though… next time I’ll probably get (or preferably borrow) some kind of newfangled electronic device to help me accept credit card payments, because — just as the great prophet Huey Lewis predicted — in the 21st century it’s apparently hip to be Square.
All in all, it was great fun and a big success. I got to share my work with a whole new audience, ran into some old friends, and met many fascinating people. And even if I did only get a chance to walk around Maker Faire a little bit (and most of that “little bit” was angrily spent trying to find the frizz-a-frackin’ bathrooms), I also got to see a lot of crazily fantastic projects and displays. I mean, really… where else are you going to see motorized muffins, Super Awesome Sylvia, and needle felted handguns all in the same venue?
MAKER FAIRE this weekend!
One last reminder to everyone that Croshame will have a booth set up this weekend at the Bazaar Bizarre tent at Maker Faire Bay Area, Saturday May 19th from 10am-8pm and Sunday the 20th from 10am-6pm in the San Mateo County Event Center.
I’ve invested many, many hours over the past month and half getting ready for the big show (with some wonderfully helpful assistance from my husband Chuck), so hopefully everything will go as planned and the weather will be cooperative. There will be some classic Croshame pieces as well as some new previously unreleased stuff, so if you’re planning to attend, please come by and check it out. (My Etsy store will be “on vacation” for a little while but will reopen shortly after.)
See you at the Faire!
Maker Faire, Maker Faire, Make Me a Match
So yeah, this blog has been a little neglected over the last couple of weeks… but there’s a good reason why.
I’ve been accepted into the Bay Area Maker Faire Bazaar Bizarre craft show!
Yes, coming up this May 19th & 20th at the San Mateo Event Center, Croshame will have its very own booth in the Bazaar Bizarre tent at Maker Faire. I’ve been busy as a bee on speed working my tendons into pulp to crochet up my old standard pieces as well as designing some new stuff that will be premiered at the Faire!
CRAFTS! INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS! ROBOTS! FIRE BREATHING DRAGONS! ADAM FREAKIN’ SAVAGE! There are going to be so many wonderfully creative and amazing displays, speakers, teachers and projects that there’s sure to be something for everyone. If you live in the Bay Area or Northern California area (or anywhere else in the world, for that matter), I highly encourage you to attend! Discounted ”Early Bird” tickets are now available through the Maker Faire site.
R.I.P. Kurt Cro-bain
Today marks the 18th anniversary of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain’s death.
As an angst-filled teen I was a fan of both his music and lifestyle, so when a customer commissioned me to make a Kurt Cobain figure a few months ago I was pleased to do it.
My first reaction naturally was, ”You want him to be dead, right?”, but the buyer assured me she preferred him alive.
Creepiest. Safety eyes. Ever.
That’s Flipper the San Francisco punk band. Not the dolphin.
Yes, Kurt was left handed. Sinister.
It just wouldn’t be 90′s grunge without holey jeans and Chuck Taylors.
“And I swear that I don’t have a gun / No I don’t have a gun.”
Sure you don’t, Kurt.
If only he could have picked up a better hobby than gun collecting…
R.I.P. 1967-1994
Open up and say “Cheese” (NSFW)
The internet is a great place for many things: socializing with friends, finding historically inaccurate information, and looking at photos of kittens with infantile quotes written underneath them. But for all the eternal sunshine and endless giggles the information superhighway provides, there are just as many damp, dark, and disturbing corners filled with nightmarish imagery and unsettling ideas.
One such corner discovered and popularized by internet trolls some time ago was a phenomenon called Goatse. WARNING: If you’re unfamiliar with Goatse and have a low tolerance for the utterly repellent, I don’t recommend rushing out and doing a Google image search as it’s probably considered objectionable viewing material to 99.99% of the population.
Mr. Goatse seemed to get a pretty bad reputation fairly quickly, so to lighten up his persona a little, I’ve decided to create my own tribute to the “meme”-ory of this infectious image…
GOATSE CHEESE!
He’s all business in the front…
And all party in the back!
Awwwww… so cute!
Awwww… not so much.
Although I’m not expecting this one to exactly fly off the shelves (“Makes a great Easter or Mother’s Day gift!”), it is available in the Etsy store here.
They don’t call me Croshame for nothing, folks.
Croshame featured in this month’s Simply Knitting!
My work is featured in the UK magazine Simply Knitting this month!
They’ve put me in their “Knit One, Purl Fun” segment of the magazine that profiles unique and offbeat needlework designers. If you want your own copy and live in the UK, issue 91 is available on newsstands and stores until March 20th; if you live in the U.S. or elsewhere, you can purchase a copy here.
Crothulhu Tees Now Available!
Crothulhu t-shirts are now in the Etsy shop! Available in Ladies sizes Small, Medium, Large and X-Large.
A love that lasts through the rages
Being ostracized from society can be an agonizing affair, particularly on a day like February 14th.
Don’t believe me? Just ask…
THE ODD COUPLE!
To some, a Goth boy dating a Punk girl sounds like a subculture disaster waiting to happen.
Sure, their days are filled with drunken fighting, bad dark poetry and the occasional accidental overdose, but they still know that true love means never having to pretend you’re normal.
There definitely won’t be a marriage, children, or a white picket fence in their future…
but that’s the way they like it.
Someday they’ll be able to look beyond their vast differences, but for now these two star-crossed lovers are happily living out the phrase “Opposites Attract.”
(Available here)
“Were” There’s a Will, There’s a Way (to make a month out of it)
From National Blog Posting Month to World Malaria Day, these newfangled kids and their internets seem to be obsessed with creating new daily and monthly celebrations you’ve probably never heard of before (some which may very well not exist next year). Well, I simply refuse to be left out of all this nonsensical dedicatory amusement, so I’ve designated February as Werewolf A-Were-Ness Month.
I actually made this designation about five years ago when I went on a February Werewolf movie binge — the first of many — and have been celebrating it as such ever since. Sometimes werewolves just don’t get the credit they deserve, squeezed behind vampires and zombies like some kind of second-class monster citizens. My private lycanthropic celebrations were somewhat vindicated last February when Hollywood released The Wolf Man remake, but this year I’m taking my message to the streets (the internet streets, that is) in the hopes of letting everyone in on the fun!
In celebration of this fine month, I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite Werewolf movie selections. I highly recommend watching them all in one 8-hour sitting to confuse yourself as thoroughly as possible.
#1: My Mom’s a Werewolf
Because let’s be honest: everyone needs a mother more monstrous than the one they currently have.
—————–
#2: Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf
(AKA Stirba: Werewolf Bitch)
Sexy Sybil Danning as a Transylvanian werewolf queen? Yes, please!
—————
#3: I Was a Teenage Werewolf
I’ve been on a real Michael Landon kick lately, watching Bonanza in the afternoon, Little House at night and Highway to Heaven on the weekends. Now that it’s February I’ll turn up the Landon factor to “10″ with a re-watch of this 1957 stinker!
————–
#4: Werewolf of Washington
(Full movie online HERE!)
Dean Stockwell stars in this 1973 satirical tale about a reporter who changes into a cute white fuzzy-wuzzy fur-face and then becomes Press Secretary to the POTUS. Talk about a horrible transformation.
—————
#5: Teen Wolf Too
If you’ve already been traumatized by the ending scene in the first Teen Wolf where that extra in the audience exposes himself, trust me, you’ll step into a whole new realm of ecstatic trauma watching this dreadful sequel. Bonus points if you watched every episode of the horrible cartoon as well.
—————–
#6: Curse of the Werewolf
A Hammer horror production starring the delightfully delicious Brit actor Oliver Reed as one of the fluffiest werewolves ever.
———————————-
Oh, hey… and while you’re at it, why not bring home some Croshame Wolfies to love and cherish?
There’s the original Wolfy Baby!
And Teen Wolfy!
However you choose to celebrate Werewolf Awereness Month, make it a safe and happy one…
but watch out for that full moon on Feb. 7th!
Rashes are Red, Violence is Blue, Here’s A Free Gory Pattern Just For You!
Oh goody goody gummy bears! It’s almost February, and that means Valentine’s Day! YAAAAYYYYY!!!
EVERYBODY LOVES VALENTINE’S DAY!!!
Oh, wait… no they don’t.
In fact, there are more than a few people out there who feel that February 14th is nothing more than a big sham designed to make singles feel like crap and keep greeting card companies in business. Keeping these folks in mind, this year I decided to come up with my own Valentine’s Day greeting to make and share with the ones you love… or loathe.
If you’re tired of getting the same old “Oh, I love it!” or “How incredibly sweet!” upon gifting your sweetums their usual, mass-produced Valentine, sit back and watch the lovely look of confusion strain their face when you plop this little sucker into their lap. Maybe you’ll even get a sexy lower lip quiver or a tear-filled eye in the process. HOT!
This little fellow works up pretty quickly, is crocheted back and forth (as opposed to rounds), and requires only a scrap amount of yarn .
Download the pattern PDF here!
