oh look! shiney!

toe up sock on magic loop

toe up sock, yarn colorway: Zombie Barbeque

I must admit that I am easily distracted.  (this is an understatement).  I do so adore things like the internet because I can click and hop from place to place, from blog to blog and image to image.  There are always new things I want to do, items to make, things to knit and objects to buy.  It is quite a feat for me to commit to knitting a garment, much less an entire pair of socks (you mean I have to make a second one that looks just like the first one that I just finished?  Really? really, Really?).  Because of this I have what is termed in the knitting world as SSS, or Second Sock Syndrome.  Alas there is no cure aside from intestinal fortitude to press on to make the second sock and complete the project or to actually knit two socks at one time,.  I have attempted this but along with my Attention Deficit Disorder comes a touch - well, maybe a bit more than a touch - of Dyslexia.  This poses a unique issue for the 'two at a time' concept wherein I became quite fouled up with the endeavor and many curse words were flung about.  As you can see in the photos above there are socks, an actual pair of socks and another on the way, I have found my sock mojo and it is called 'The Magic Loop'.  It is a process where the knitter uses one long circular needle instead of two circulars or 5 double pointed needles.  I am enamored with the 'toe up' option and see many more pairs of hand knit socks in my future, there may just be a few new sock bombs to come!  That is a yummy idea.

yarnivore bites, snowflakes Scratch

detail of snowflake bombs

crocheted snowflake bombs

It has been cold and windy here in Long Beach California, actually dipping down into the 40's at night (I hear the frozen snickers from readers in more northern climes).  It is December, so befitting of the weather and the season I crocheted some lovely little snowflake bombs.  They were set out tonight, three hanging from the now infamous 'fork' bike rack at 4th and Termino in Belmont Heights.  Two hang on the door handle of the amazing and tasty Scratch Bakery and one on the awning.  As I left the scene I saw them dancing in the cold late night breeze, so white, so frosty and oh so delicious.

hair bites

keeping hair tidy with a yarn bomb.

Yarnivore likes biting bike racks.  Long Beach California has so many to choose from in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.  My most recent target is the bike rack that looks like a ...wait for it....person riding a bike! (how novel). Now the 'person' riding this bike (rack) has hair that is blowing back in the imaginary wind.  Well this just won't do.  Yarnivore needs to tidy that up a bit so I knitted some lovely little triangle head scarves to help them out. There are many of these but my main target bike rack is on PCH (Pacific Coast Hwy) and Loynes Drive near the 'Local Spot' coffee house.
One bright Friday morning the scarf was applied and off to work I went.  It lasted two days.  Not the quickest removal of one of my yarn bombs, but pretty quick I will say.  I plan to re-bomb it today.  I thought it looked adorable...and delicious. 
Photo credit, Judy Kilpatrick/Alamitos Bay Yarn Company

biting twigs and willows

twig and willow bomb

There is a lovely little store called 'twig and willow' on 4th street in Long Beach California right next to a terrific eatery, The Coffee Cup Cafe.  Out side of this pleasant boutique are two red bike racks shaped like hearts, how quaint.  They need to be bitten, so I crocheted up some orange-y cherry blossom shapes with bright green centers, attached together with a brown twig like chain stitch to bite them with.  I will be bombing in the morning....delicious.

yarnivore bites VK Live!

Oh the glory of a knitting convention!  Classes, tutorials, yarn, needles, bags, yarn, patterns, demonstrations and more yarn!  a-mazing.  Alamitos Bay Yarn Company had a booth at Vogue Knitting Live Los Angeles and I was able to work the show and shop the show and do demonstrations at the show and sell yarn at the show and buy yarn at the show and Yarn Bomb the show.  I was gobsmacked to see that I was the only bomber to grace the Hyatt Regency in Century City with some yarny goodness. Fun was had by all and I can hardly wait for next year, maybe, just maybe we will see a call to knitterly arms with more yarny decorations...delicious.

granny guerrilla

granny bombs

granny bomb hanging

granny seat bomb

toast bomb

toast bomb installed on 'fork'

granny bombs installed above Egg Heaven door

a cozy granny bomb installed

Granny guerrilla's bombs hit 4th and Ximeno tonight, late, hoping to catch the eyes of early morning patrons of Egg Heaven in Long Beach.  Granny is hoping to make those waiting for a seat in this popular eatery more comfortable, cozy and yarn aware.  This place has terrific food and a hippy atmosphere from the early '70's.  Egg heaven is a little bit of breakfast heaven on 4th street, a true local's choice. 
My citrus slices are long gone from the 'fork' in front of the now named 'Scratch' baked goods bakery (not open as of yet) and have been replaced by ... toast!  C'mon, who doesn't like toast?  Toast, all warm and buttery, yeah, toast rocks. 
Yarnivore + toast = happy face.  Tasty!

citrus guerrilla

guerrilla citrus

citrus yarn bomb

'fork' bike rack with slices

handle slice

granny bench cozy

Ah, successful citrus!  The slices went up with ease as did the delightful granny square bench warmer.  The slice of orange door handle addition lead me to an interesting find.  My lettuce leaf yarn bomb disarmed, abducted and now being held in solitary confinement inside the still undone 'bakery' shop.  As I installed the door handle slice I looked into the building and there she was, just lying there on a bench, limp, next to a roll of blue painters tape and drywall dust.  Perhaps they are saving her, holding her for later use as 'fork' decoration, one can hope.
Citrus yarn bombs...juicy!

lettuce leaf, disarmed

no more cookies

several summer citrus slices for the fork

citrus yarn bomb

slices...for a fork/bike rack

an adorable, non threatening granny square yarn bomb.

the cookies are gone, the fork stands bare once again.  I will remove the dangling cupcake that is worse for the wear of hanging on the still unoccupied establishment door handle, to be replaced with a luscious orange citrus slice. 
there is a nearby (just doors down) business with a lovely green bench out front.  a granny square bomb will soon grace it's seat if all goes well.

all to be installed on the morrow.

yarnivore bites cookies!

cookies down the fork

string of cookies

cookie cluster

cookie cluster too

a string of cookies now adorn the fork/bike rack on Termino and 4th street in Long Beach California.  A little bitty cupcake with pink frosting and a 'cherry' on top is dangling from the front door of the soon to be bakery there.  these little cookies just went so well on the fork.  this yarn guerrilla has sunk her teeth into some delicious crocheted cookies....mmmmm, tasty!

cookie bomb cookie

guerrilla's like cookies, don't they?  this guerrilla does.....yarn cookies that is!  my leafy green is gone (stolen? tossed? removed? wilted? never the less, no longer there) so the soon-to-be bakery needs a little sweetening up.  yarnivore will string cookies to grace the fork/bike rack on her way to work tomorrow.  gggrrrrr.....cookies, yum.

yarnivore bites....asteraceae

fork/bike rack sans salad.

ah, salad.

salad, up close.

lettuce on fork/bike rack...street view.

Romaine? Butter?  Green leaf?  Iceberg?  It's all salad.  The fork/bike rack on 4th & Termino now sports a large leaf of asteraceae, you choose the order.  I used several greens to produce this fresh forkful.  An easy installation on my way to work.  I remembered to bring scissors and a tapestry needle to secure the leaf.  Hopefully this fare will stay crisp for many to view.   mmmmm...mmmmm...tasty.

hungry guerrilla

the guerrilla is hungry and the yarnivore is ready to bite.  the linguini is gone, eaten up by some passerby so the the fork stands bare again.  last time I served up a pasta dish, this time it will be salad...a lovely piece of leafy green has been crocheted and is waiting to be served up on the street corner 'al fresco'.
I will 'plate' the large leaf on my way to work, so check back to see what the yarnivore bites.

yarnivore bites! guerrilla linguini

Fork as bicycle rack, sans unlawful decoration.

Fork as bicycle rack, complete with unlawful decoration.

I saw this 'fork' several days ago.  A new installation on dear little 4th street.  I had to look at it twice to figure out what it was...fork as bike rack.  Here in Long Beach, deep in the SoCal artsy beach scene, the city has created bike racks to reflect the businesses in front of which they stand.  Cups of coffee in front of Viento y Agua or Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.  Slices of pizza in front of Olives and flowers in front of Kava Yoga.  A lovely little Greek deli recently moved out and now the sign sweetly beckons me with the word 'Bakery' in large buttery letters.  Out side of this soon to be den of waist enhancing joy is said fork/bicycle rack.  So lonely, so bare, it needed...something...something starchy...something yummy...something pasta!
Here we have it, linguini as 'unlawful decoration' (thank you Sara for this new description).
I now have a 'fork' to decorate....big piece of crocheted lettuce perhaps?  Crochet bacon? An egg?  The comestible ideas are endless. 
Dropping this bomb on my way to work just made my day that much more....delicious.

yarnivore bites! linguini...

who doesn't like pasta? this guerrilla does.
I dropped a pasta yarn bomb on my way to work.  A giant fork marks the delicious spot.
Photos to come...after work. 

yarnivore bites!

The yarnivore bites 2nd street, Belmont Shore in Long Beach CA, June 11th, 2011.
It was misting in the sleepy beach town at 5:00 a.m. when she arrived with yarn b*mbs in hand/trunk to spread yarny goodness to all who may notice.   Jamba Juice employees just showing up for work and a few pups being taken for early morning walks were her only company.  This was a lonely venture for the yarnivore, after days of solo crocheting, it was time.  The day had arrived, International Yarn B*mbing Day, 2011!  Hurrah!
Several parking meters offered up their stems to be covered in crochet as one crosswalk button and a street sweeping sign became yarn graffiti targets.  
Where will the yarnivore bite next?
Veni, Vedi, Acubus Texui.

parking meter bitten by the yarnivore

a flowery yarnivore bite

yarnivore bites the street sweeper sign

a pink yarnivore bite left for a hair salon

yarnivore sharpens her guerriila teeth on a crochet hook

Looks like crochet....really a yarn b*mb.

crochet graffiti

crochet hook responsible

okay, deep breath....here we go.  I am going to do this.  I promised myself and I am going to do this.  Saturday, June 11th 2011 is the first International Yarn B*mbing Day (it is also Knit In Public Day).  I am  going to do it.  yes, yes I am.  I plan on getting to 2nd street in Belmont Shore around 5:00 am and covering some parking meters.  I have several long rectangular pieces of crochet and a few flowers....my hands are getting sweaty just thinking about it.  Should I include a card?  a website?  this one by chance?  knittaplease, yarnb*mbing, I just don't know.  and time, what about time?  I have to work all day today....I have been crocheting furiously for the last day as I have been so busy.  eeegads.  So I will take photos of the guerrilla installation....and post them here for all my little yarnivorites.  The yarnivore is getting ready to bite!

velvet grape leaves

Saroyan is a small shawl.  Saroyan is a scarf.  Saroyan is a shawlette.  Saroyan has leaves on one side. Saroyan is delightful to knit.  Saroyan sits comfortably around the neck, layered or not and is mesmerizing me at the moment.  I had just finished 'Summer Flies' when I found Saroyan.  How fortunate for me.
It is supposed to be knit in a worsted weight yarn, but true to my form I am using sock though still with the size 8 needle suggested for the worsted.  Malabrigo sock to be specific, color?  Velvet Grapes.  ohhhh, ahhhh.  Malabrigo and Velvet in the same project.  delicious.

may bites

Logan (second from left) at regatta in Sacramento.

Same boat, same race, same son., fourth from left.

Baby sweater started on bus.

Baby sweater finished.

Citron Circe

Summer Flies.

What a whirlwind my life has been this month.  Beginning with my son at a rowing race in Sacramento, with the obligatory bus trip, hotel stay and bevy of teen boys.  Their favorite toy on this trip was zip ties!  "Mrs. Carter, someone zip tied my wrist to the back of the bus seat when I was asleep."  Thank goodness I brought my pink mini Leatherman tool, it made me Super Chaperone!
I was able to knit a baby sweater on the bus, yes, yes I did.  For a friend of mine who has a 2 year old daughter and is expecting a second in September.  Unfortunately her husband passed away (in May) suddenly, after a long battle with depression, he took his own life.
I was stopped at a stoplight when the person behind me decided it was a good day to pay attention to something other than what was in front of her and rear ended me.  That was a drag.  I am currently driving rental, Kia Soul.  The one with the hamster commercial?  It does have a great sound system. I now have chronic 'head bob' syndrome from the rockin' stereo system and Sirius radio. 
All of this plus work, end of the school year teen stuff, their grades, one's broken wrist (lacrosse) and the hilarity that ensues.
It is no wonder why the call of yarn beckons me with it's soft, silky, merino wool voice.  Patterns that promise with only a size 6 needle and one skein of sock yarn I can have a sweet little fashion accessory to toss around my neck, oh so enticing and semi-circular.  I fell for it and started two of them!  The ever popular 'Citron' from knitty.com and an easy, flirty pattern called 'Summer Flies'.  Madeline Tosh was kind enough to create the lace weight yarn for my 'Citron' in 'Norway Spruce'. A dark and stormy teal green that reminds me of the poisoned sea of Circe fame.  There was a Lacy Baktus of Prism sock yarn in my knitting bag that I had decided was ugly, I frogged it,  now it will become 'Summer Flies'. 
June is around the corner, and I have knitting to do, life is good...and delicious.