Remember Me!?

Gentle reader,

Hello, my name is Raynor and I’m the Shy Lion. I write a blog about crochet, knitting, and crafts with occasional interludes…

I thought I’d better introduce myself to y’all again since it’s been legit actual FOREVER since I’ve posted here (and if you’re a new reader anyway, well, the intro still stands. Welcome! Pull up a comfy seat, and engage in some crafty behavior and we’ll have a swell time).

I mean, I’m fairly sure it’s no news to anyone that life doesn’t always go according to plan. My plan had been to take  easy, casual, no-brainer temp contracts so I could devote most of my energy to writing super neat fun posts for Le Lion Du Shy (that’s French for The Shy Lion), make things for my Etsy store, and generally just be a total nana.

Well, I’m now working full time for a big online department store and it’s so full on (for me) that when I get home, my brain is all mushy and I just want to play video games and eat candy. Exciting, right?

So, my casual temp contracts turned into a legit six month contract with more responsibility and expectations than I would have thought any sane person would ever give me (don’t get too excited, I’m still a total peon. Let’s keep things in perspective here, I’m basically an eight year old in a thirty year old body, so y’know… grown-up stuff = drainer), and I’m working on an online store… just not mine. So, not entirely how I planned it, but, I have money in my pocket and I’ve met a whole bunch of really rad, neat, and all together ace people and I heart them.

I got a secure job with great people, so I’m very grateful. But, sometimes I feel like I’m tripping balls and I’m like “Wait… how did this all happen?” It’s so far from what I thought I’d be doing!

Here is me and my super fave, Yen, goofing off in the office after a late finish. She’s the wind beneath my wings.

That is why my wee poor blog has stood in solitude without much attention from me for the last while. I have a massive backlog of things that I’ve photographed to write posts about and my plan is to start rolling them out. So, I’m not dead! I haven’t forgotten y’all, my lovelies, my puddings, my pals. There are rumblings of future activity, promise.

Meanwhile, my Etsy store may look a bit empty at the moment, BUT, I’ll be teaching again soon! Hurray! I have some classes lined up at The Handmaker’s Factory. Check ’em out! Class details are listed on the “Classes” tab, so if you’re in Melbourne and you wanna learn, go have a sticky beak. 

To tide you over in the meantime, here is my cat in a dress. You’re welcome.

 What have you been up to!? Tell! Tell!

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Spock Hat. Dunzo. Classes. I Haz ‘Em.

Gentle reader,

Are you peeps ready for some SRS BSNS!? (that’s excited text speak for ‘serious business’)

The Spock Hat is finished and photographed! Y’all should give your thanks to The Beard, because he’s been sick and he was on his way to work, but I pulled him outside and made him model it for me before I’d let him leave. “Enough’s enough!” I said to myself. “This needed to be done, like, months ago!”.

And so, I present you with an earflap beanie of the Spock variety. BLAM!

Also, get a load of The Beard’s beard! That’s impressive.

To do the ear detailing, I just did a surface slip stitch in a darker yarn. It turned out pretty well, I think.

“Live long and prosper.”

So Vulcan, so chic.

Well, that’s that done! Finally! I had intended to write the pattern as I made it, but at some point I realized I’d stopped making notes and it was all over. Oh well.

In some housekeeping news, I’ve added a section for my class dates! So, if you’re in la Bourne du Mel (that’s Frenchie for ‘Melbourne’) you can totally come sit with me and I’ll show you how to crochet! Fun times!

Just clicketty-clack in the handy-dandy nav bar, and you can sign yourself up for some crafty education. Hurray!

What’s the nerdiest thing you’ve ever crafted!? Bonus points for posting pics on the Facebook page! ^_~

 

The Shy Lion! 2012! Aaaaaannnnddd…. GO! Crochet Classes at Thread Den!

Gentle reader,

Apologies for the long post title! I got a bit over-excited. Oy! I have some cool things happening in 2012 and the first cool thing is that I’ll be doing even more teaching. So, if you’re looking for crochet classes in Melbourne, then you’ve come to the right place!

The most exciting thing that I’ve been dying to share with you for ages is that in addition to the classes I’ve been teaching for Morris & Sons, I’m now teaching at Thread Den. I’m so super stoked about it, and the first class is soon!

Hamanaka crochet hooks are love.

The class is a two and a half hour session on Sunday the 29th of January at Thread Den in Fitzroy from 2pm to 4:30pm, and it costs $49 for the session. You can get all the details here. Go give Thread Den some love! They’re really awesome. That’s the only class officially on the calendar at the moment, but I’ll keep posted on more. They also have excellent sewing classes, so check ’em out!

In the next few days, I’ll make a new page in the navigation bar listing my class schedules and how to book etc. Maybe I’ll see some of your lovely faces, huh? ^_~

I’m hoping to do some writing too, but we shall see! What cool stuff will you be getting up to in 2012?

– R

 

More Classes!

Behr!

Gentle reader,

If you’re one of the people who asked about Amigurumi classes at the Yarn Store and I gave you a card with my website written on it, I have good news for you! If you attend the One Step Up Crochet class this Saturday at the yarn store, I’ll be taking it and will teach some Ami basics. You can call the Yarn Store (the number is on the card I gave you) or drop into the store to book in.

If you’re not one of those people, but you’re in Melbourne, have some beginners crochet know-how and you’re interested in Amigurumi or just the next step in crochet, you can sign up for the class too! It’s this Saturday afternoon. Email me for details. Quick-quack!

A Few Of My Favorite Things. Also, A Busy Week.

Gentle reader,

Mondays are my Fridays, in that Monday is the last day of my working work. And it’s been a busy one. This weekend at the Yarn Store, we had two workshops/classes on both days and most of all, I was teaching one of them! I taught my first class – Beginners’ Crochet – on Saturday and let me tell you, I was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs! I wrote my own class information packet instead of using the usual instructors notes, because I figured I’d be more confident using my own material, and I’d written them in such a way that if I suffered a nervous breakdown they’d be pretty self-explanatory. The good news, however, was that I didn’t suffer a nervous breakdown and it actually seemed to go quite well, so I’m very grateful. I’ve even seen a few of the attendees since then and they remarked that they really enjoyed it. So, I’m not a total failure as an instructor, which is reassuring to know.

Speaking of teaching too, a few customers at the Yarn Store have expressed interest in my teaching an Amigurumi crochet class, which I think is a wonderful idea. So, if you’re in Melbourne and you’d be interested in an Amigurumi class, please send me an email or comment below and I’ll see if I can arrange one at the store. Otherwise, if you’re interested in private lessons, let me know also. I don’t claim to be an expert, but I can definitely share a few tricks.

Anyway, I decided to clear off the photos from my cell phone and realized that I had some nice ones on there. Nice more in the sense of them making me happy rather than any comment on my photographic skills. So, I shall share them and hopefully they might make you a bit happy too.

Hydrangeas behind the bins

The garbage bins for my apartment are by the driveway next to a garden bed that is positively bursting with hydrangeas, which I love. The odd balance of garbage and blooming deliciousness always struck me as just as things ought to be, in some quaint little way.

Cold Mountain in the mail

The Book Depository is one of my favorite online stores because not only does it satisfy my craving for books but there’s the added joy of getting packages in the mail! I’d been craving something new to read, and I wanted something rural or pastoral and somewhat dark. So, I came to the decision to buy Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier and Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell. I suspect that Cold Mountain will be more rural/pastoral and Winter’s Bone will the darker of the two.

At any rate, Cold Mountain came in the mail last week, and this is the beautiful cover artwork which I’m completely besotted with. I’ve started reading it, and I’m already completely hooked but I’ve also spent God knows how long just looking at the cover. It’s by Sanna Annukka Smith, who also did the album artwork for one of Keane’s albums. I’ve only had a quick skim of her website and already it’s made sweet love to my eyeballs. Winter’s Bone came in the mail today, so I’ll probably start reading that tonight and see which one I want to read first.

Narnia must be nearby...

This lamp post is just outside the entrance to the building the Yarn Store is in, so I pass it numerous times most days. Naturally, it always makes me think of Narnia, and this makes me very happy in my little, silly heart.

Sleepy Lady

And last, but not at all least, is my little fur baby, Lady (she has many names, but she’s almost always referred to as Lady). She spends the vast majority of her time snoozing on my bed, which you can’t really hold against her. She’s thirteen now, and a little bit addled. But, she’s my precious pudding. In fact, I shall bid you all adieu and go join her, I think! It’s awfully late. 気をつけて！