My First Roll of Black and White Diana Film

So the black and white film finally came in!! I'm not as happy with these as I was with my color film, but I think they turned out ok, don't you? Obviously full sunlight worked best because the few fuzzy ones were either inside or in the shade. Does anyone have any black and white film tips for me? If you do, please share! :-)

I tried to take a picture of my shadow. It kind of worked...haha.

Yikes. That's the death stare right there. Don't look directly into her eyes...

This last one is my other cat, Abby. I've yet to get a good picture of her on either roll of film, but I thought this one looked pretty cool of her silhouette. Very mysterious...haha.

I better get ready for class. Only two weeks left!! It's crunch time. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts about the pics too! Have a great day! 

Knitting Inspiration - ALL Knitwear Box Top Sweaters

Masko Box Top

1. Dash Dotter Box Top  2. 1x1 Accent Box Top  3. Cheeto Maryland Box Top  4. Cheeto Matrix Box Top

Cactus Box Top

Colorful and quirky - two words I adore - only begin to describe Annie Larson's beautiful work at ALL Knitwear. The exquisite detail of these box top sweaters amazes me. 

Don't the colors make you smile? Stop by her site to see even more cheery knits.

I hope these beauties brighten up your Monday! 

Union Jack Teacosy - Countdown to the Wedding

**(See my progress on this teacosy here and here.)**

The teacosy is coming along! What do you think so far? I've finished the two outer pieces and now I'm working on the lining. I still haven't tied up all of those ends...I tried to delicately tuck them away, but alas, you can still see the insanity that lies beneath. I'm not sure if I will finish before the royal wedding (only 7 days!) but I will definitely work on it as I watch the grand spectacle in the wee hours of the morning. 

It's Easter weekend, but I really don't have a break from school. I have to work on papers and get ready for my LAST WEEK OF CLASSES! I can't believe this semester is almost over. I'd appreciate some happy thoughts from you guys as I push through this last little bit of craziness. :-)

If you have some time off this weekend, I hope you enjoy it! 

Have a Llama-tastic Thursday!! - Llama Font

(And if you can't decipher the llamas they say - Busy day ahead. Have a llamatastic Thursday!)

 Ok so how cute is this llama font? Knitters love llamas, don't they? Well, everyone should love llamas. Check out this free font here.

This semester is coming to an end and classes are getting craaaazzy stressful! I have so many papers and exams falling on the same day that I'm sure how I will fit it all in. I kind of feel like the "Y" llama...I'm going a little cuckoo!!

Also, the About Me page is officially up and running! Check it out to learn a little bit more about this overly stressed college student...

Knitting Inspiration - Talula Zev Sweater

I'm not sure if this is knitting inspiration or shopping inspiration, but I am obsessed with this beautiful Talula Zev knit sweater from Aritzia. The intarsia color-work of the horse is stunning.

I never thought of myself as a girl who would wear a sweater with a horse on it. I guess I was wrong. :-) 

Etsy Dallas Spring Bash Hearts - Finished!!!

I did it! My 50 knit hearts for the Etsy Dallas Spring Bash bags are finally finished! Whew, and just in time. I think I underestimated how long each heart would take, but in the end, knitting these hearts was so worth it! They came out beautifully! 

I'm just so proud of these happy little hearts. Don't they bring a smile to your face? 

I even kept the rainbow of colors going in the packaging! 

If you are in the Dallas area, come to the Spring Bash on April 30 and snag one of my hearts in the bash bags for the first 50 people in line! 

I can't believe I'm done making hearts...ok it's time to finish my Union Jack tea cosy and get to work on some new accessories for the shop! If only you knew the ideas I have brewing...get psyched everyone. :-)

Have a great weekend!

Emmadime : Knitted Giveaway Winner

Congratulations Erin! You win the Emmadime : Knitted Hailey Bow!

Email me your contact information and if you would like the headband in Dark Grey or Oatmeal.

(I had to select from 85 of the comments, because some were not actually entries for the giveaway.)

 Thanks for entering everyone! 

Get excited for another great interview and giveaway next month!!

Knitting Inspiration - Drawings by Hayley Warnham

How incredible are these drawings by Hayley Warnham? I love any kind of illustration on notebook paper because that is where I do most of my doodles, on the side of my notes in class. :-)

Check out Hayley's photostream on Flickr for more of her beautiful work. 

Don't Worry...

handcut inspiring "everything is going to be ok" paper doily - little house on the hilltop 

It has been one of those weeks.

The kind of week that will never end. When it seems like everyone is trying to keep you down. Day after day, you make silly mistakes and your confidence slips away. No sleep. Not a moment to breathe. 

But today is Friday. 

We've almost made it through. 

And everything is going to be ok.

The First Pictures from My Pretty Diana+

Isn't she lovely? I'm pretty much obsessed with this little plastic camera and the fuzzy-fun photos she makes. After seeing so many inspiring snapshots taken with the Diana's and Holga's and such on different blogs, I decided I needed to take my (new) love for photography to the next lomo-level. (Some of my favorites can be found here, on The Rockstar Diaries blog.)

It took me forever to finish my first roll of film because I was sooo nervous that every single picture would come out black or blurry beyond recognition. The seasons even changed from snow to spring as I was cautiously snapping pictures. These seven pictures were the best of the roll and I am so proud of every single imperfection, and I'm really not sure why. :-)

The last picture is my cat April, doing what she does best.

Sweet Diana is fully loaded with some black and white film and ready to capture my life. I can't wait to see how they turn out!

Emmadime : Knitted - Interview & Giveaway

I'm happy to introduce the lovely Emma Robertson from Emmadime: Knitted. She nicely accepted my request for an interview on my humble blog (and even threw in a giveaway!) Emma just updated her shop and is unveiling these new photos for the first time on my blog!

She is such an inspiration and a great role model for a young, knitting entrepreneur like myself. It is such an honor to have her here.

Welcome Emma...

When did you start knitting? Who taught you?

I started knitting when I was about 15 or 16 - My grandmother taught me over a holiday break and I couldn't stop! Although, I didn't start knitting as much as I do now until about 2 years ago. In college, a good friend of mine held these awesome sales out of her tiny house and let me put some pieces in it. They were a hit so I kept it up and eventually decided to open my shop - Emmadime : Knitted !!

What inspires your designs?

I think it's hard to pin-point what inspires me when it comes to designing knitted pieces!! I will admit that I still have a lot to learn so the majority of my stuff is fun and super simple* When I first opened the shop - everything had a bow implemented into it - so anything that is bow-like definitely catches my eye. I think the element that I love to play with the most is color - so when I am doing visual research, I focus on that a lot.

Along with knitting, you are also a graphic designer? How did you get into that field?

I have always been into creating - for as long as I can remember. Although, I only took one art class in high school so when college rolled around I was like, "o crap, should I study art?" I decided to go for it and never looked back. I studied at Oklahoma State University and couldn't have loved my experience more. When it comes to design inspiration - I am going to have to pull the color card again - anything with a really strong color combination will grab my attention. When I am designing, I always start with a palette and then go from there. I LOVED all of my illustration classes in school and definitely would prefer to hand draw things than work them out on the computer!!

How do you connect your knitting with graphic design?

I think having a basic understanding of shapes and form and color from my design classes - has really helped me develop my knitted pieces. I am also very detail oriented when it comes to my work ( because it was hammered into my brain in all of my design classes ) so when I am knitting - I am VERY neat and particular about certain things.

What is your favorite thing to do when you knit?

I am a movie lover!!! I have two weaknesses - french movies and war movies :) I am about to start listening to french lessons and books on tape to switch things up a bit. I spend so much time making pieces that I should probably be a bit more intentional with what I do when I am knitting. I just llllllooooovvee movies.

What are some of your favorite books? Movies? Music?

I used to hate this question but now I love it :) Instead of giving you a big long list - I will just tell you what I am watching, reading, and listening to RIGHT NOW!! This evening, I am watching The Virgin Suicides ( I heart Sophia Coppola ), I am reading To a Good Unknown by Steinbeck ( I also just got a used copy of The Great Gatsby to re-read ), and I am listening to the Mood Rings ( my friend Meghan has this awesome music blog that I always hit up when I need something new - she turned me onto them )

What do you usually keep in your knitting bag?

My knitting bag huh!? So first things first - I actually got the most amazing knitting bag last Christmas from my grandma - the one who taught me!! It has been passed down in our family and I adore it. I have a plethora of wooden needles - I don't have a specific brand that I like to use, just as long as they are wood. When it comes to yarn, I have been using LION Brand for a while now. The Vanna line is what I make the majority of my pieces with. It has a huge range of colors - which I LOVE* as you all know now :) Currently I am working on a really chunky cream beanie - with a huge POM on top!!

Thank you so much Emma! You are the sweetest. :-)

Just for my sheepish readers, she is giving away one of her lovely Hailey Bows. She has two colors for you to choose from, Dark Grey or Oatmeal.

To enter the giveaway:

1. Follow Emma on Twitter.

2. Follow her blog.

3. Follow my blog.

You can do one or all three to enter the giveaway. For each entry, leave a SEPERATE comment HERE on this post. Then I will choose the winner through a random number generator.

This giveaway will run from April 4 - April 10. I will announce the winner on April 12.

More Knit Hearts for the Etsy Dallas Spring Bash Bags

I'm finished with 32 out of 50 of my hearts for the Etsy Dallas Spring Bash bags! They are due April 15, so I look like I will make the deadline!

I've definitely decided against the loop that I was thinking about adding in the last post. I like the suggestion of making it a pin. It would be so cute to wear on a shirt or purse! 

I found these cute, mini lunch bags at Hobby Lobby today to package together the hearts, my business cards and quite possibly a discount for these incredibly lucky 50 shoppers. :-)

I'm working on the blue hearts today and the purple ones are up next. I can't wait to see the rainbow of hearts together. It will look so cute and colorful! 

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. I'll just be here, writing papers and knitting. :-)