Stormy Spring and what a big difference a beak makes - Birds project part 1

It's been like that since Spring started here last 21st :D, I couldn't take a pic when it hailed (is it that the correct form of the verb?) though but I like these days... I honestly thought it was going to be all hot and humid and people kissing everywhere... but it's not that bad, thanks to these rainy days, cheesy people are inside their houses and I don't have to see them! Other than that, I've been with an annoying cold, changing weather is a killer.

I've made a big improve on the mother's day project, I knitted these 2 birdies in a few hours  the other day, and then I added details. For a moment I was a little... uhm disappointed about how the yellow birdie turned out, well both of them don't look like the original, their heads are not that round, my guess is because of: the yarn or the needles or the filling and/or my hands since it's my first time with double pointed needles.
But back to the yellow one... it looked so weird and while I was staring at it with a blank face, my brother came and said: "hey, what are you making?"; "a bird", I answered; "...."; "exactly, it doesn't look like a bird!", I said, and then he pointed out the obvious: "uhm maybe with a beak and eyes...".

Going from weirdo to bird with just a beak. 

[Interesting language mistake: I actually wrote peak a few times because my head is translating from Spanish, peak means pico in Spanish and pico means, both peak and beak, I wonder what the relation is, if there is any, I guess it's like book and cook, no relation]

For the beaks I used these wooden sticks people use to eat chinese food (I'm not fond of oriental food but my brother and his gf truly are, there were tons of this sticks in a kitchen drawer!). To make the orange bird beak I carved one taking off the angles and then I used water with a bit of brown paint to tint the other beak, which I carved too and then sanded to make it smoother. For the eyes I used little black beads.

To make the feet I used aluminium wire because I have no chance of going outside and look for the kind of branches the original birds feet are made of and also I wanted something I could easily bend because of what's coming next. So I used round pliers and cut 3 pieces and then twisted them, I also cut a 4th one with a smaller curl (uh how do you call that "curl" made with a round plier?) to make the foot look more real, and also because I wanted to give the bird more balance. Lastly I made a final loop/curl so when I apply the white glue it'd stay in that hole and stick better to the filling.

In some kind of light bulb moment, I had the idea of making a stand for the birds, and then the ideas began to flash. So I went to this flower shop I have like a block away,  and I bought a piece (more like a slice) of log, a little basket that it's perfect to make a nest and moss to cover the glue later on.
I glued with hot glue a piece of black felt to the base of the log and I had my brother drilled 2 "holes" so then I could stick there 2 sticks and then glue on them 2 pieces more, all made of awesome chinese food sticks tinted with the watery brown paint, I glued those 2 pieces so that there would be a gap, so the 4th leg of the foot could get in there and the bird could stand on its own.

On the pic there is another stick glued to the log, I'm not sure if I'm keeping that, it's still beta :p
Also there's the fabric I'm going to use to make a cloth for the nest, which it's going to be used to hold sweets or jewelry whatever my mom wants to use it for.

I still need to sew the yellow birdie's eyes. For some reason the orange one looks "birdier" than the yellow but maybe it's just me.

Creativity rush

... I haven't had one of these in a while. We'll see what happens.

I wish I had a grandma

Today I bought double point needles because I saw these cute birds online, I instantly felt I should make these for my mom, Mother's day is coming in October so I think she would love them.

They look sooo complicated but I like challenges... and for long I wanted to try to knit with dp needles.
When I saw the abbreviations on the pdf I was like o.O... KFB, M1.. what's that?! so with the help of my good friend youtube I looked those oddities up and also, of course, how to cast on with this bunch of needles.
Anyways the reason for this post name is because I found this video who helped me a lot, of course I watched a billion times till I get it, a few times I felt frustrated and wanted to quit but for some reason I had to keep trying.
The thing is, the lady from the video... her hands and the way she explains, made me feel nostalgic.
I don't have grandparents, my grandfathers died before I was born and grandmothers passed away when I was 5 or 6. All people who knew them, always tell me how I look alike to my dad's mom (I happen to saw a picture of her, and it's totally true although a bit scary lol) and also, when one of my parents see me crocheting, or knitting or sewing, they tilt their heads and say "you are so like your grandma". Both my grandmas were craft lovers, they knew all sort of things related to that, in those ages you had to also they taught you that in school. My mom's mom used to crochet, knit, sew and embroider, I saw beautiful pieces that my mom had stored. My dad's mom also painted and drew, maybe I will take pics of their stuff and make a post someday.

Somedays I feel really sad because I wish they were here with me, teaching me how to do stuff, how to get better at it... or tell me how bad I am :p.
I'm the only one in my family who actually does (or tries) to do the stuff they did, so I feel lonely. When someone talks about this topic, my eyes get teary and then my mom says: "grandparents are a big important part of a child's life"... "ok, that doesn't help", I say and then she makes me remember what year is and the fact that if my grandmas were alive, they would be more than 100 years old... and yes, they would probably be too sore and ill but oh well.
This make me realize that I have to appreciate life and what I have now but sometimes I see how people are mean to elderly people or even their own family and it makes me feel so mad at them... there are people out there who wish to have what you have.

It's weird how you can miss someone who you didn't even get to know.

Multitasking day(s)

uhm where to start....
Over a week ago I saw focaccia recipes everywhere (I love italian food), it didn't seem too complicated so I wanted to give it a try, since my brother's birthday was coming, it was the perfect opportunity. So I made it happen, wrote down 2 recipes that looked the best and made my own with bits of them and it worked out really well, I wanted to make buns with the dough leftovers but my brother was like... "why don't we make a pizza out of it?"

This is what is left for tomorrow (and the day after tomorrow and who knows) (lots of food -.- but you don't turn 29 everyday):
 

Today I've also been watching videos at lockerz, they give you more points for watching videos today and since the redemption is coming soon and I have enough points to TRY to trade for 25 bucks on my paypal account (I'm looking forward to buy a rotary cutter on etsy), I made the most of it and watched threadbanger's videos, interesting things there.
There were also idiotic videos like some girls talking emptyheadedgirly stuff, I can't believe such people can be so airheaded, it's so ridiculous that it looks fake... come on, who cares if your bf wears designer underwear that cost more than a car! or if your miniature dog's farts smell like flowers! or if a "newsupahottop" iphone gadget gives you massages! come on!... so with just reading the video tittles ("Pink is in, Julia is out" or "Sex with ex?" or "Strippers"... please, give me a break here >.>) I knew it wasn't good, so I muted them and listened to some good old Beck songs, nice memories there... I used to lol at this video when it was first released, I was like 11 or 12 and the image of the fridge humping the cooker was to die for, also the songs sounds so... happy, like No rain by Blind Melon with the little bee that kinda looks like the girl from Little Miss Sunshine.

DANCE LITTLE BEE!! ^^



 These days, and today, I've been crocheting a little, I still have this endless "square net sweater"

but I know I'm going to complete it... this time.

Seriously... I do. Oh and there is also a peek at the crochet cushion cover I made for the white cushions I also made :p, I just need to make the other one.... so lazy

Also while I was waiting for the dough to rise I tried to knit with these double point needles I bought today... I almost bought them on etsy because no craft store had them or the size I needed, funny thing is that I didn't even know their name in Spanish (I think I heard it on a craft show here but I first knew about them in English) so I was like translating it and I found out the name "agujas para medias" or... sock needles... it seems nobody knit them anymore but I saw oooh so pretty sock patterns on ravelry!

The result of me getting started in ... this technique, more here.
Well, it is a nice "thumb cosy"
I'm excited with this.... it feels like those moments when your mind is all happy and racing because you accomplished something that seemed too hard,
eg:
- "I'm riding a bicycle on my own!"
- "I'm knitting!"
- "I'm driving!"
- "I finished school!"
- "I won!" (a dressing contest in second life, funny thing it was "best in skirts" and my avatar was wearing a simple one and the rest of the girls were all dressing like ho's... and people voted for me and I won :p)  
- "Opeth is coming!!!" (probably one of the happiest moments in my life, too bad at that time I didn't have someone to share the excitement with)
- "I understand!" (when I read or listen to stuff in other languages that I don't know much about)
- Etc...
And now...
- "I'm knitting with double needles!"