biking laws

Today I was reading a story in the Downtown Journal about cops writing more tickets for bicyclists.
The story was bout a guy who got a $128 ticket for rolling through a stop sign. The car actually turned on its sirens and everything according to the story. Really was the bike running a stop light that big a deal.
As a cyclist I see cyclists rolling through stop signs and riding the wrong way on one way streets and riding without lights at night.
While I know that cops are cracking down on cyclists I think that some of this is unfair. For example there are some stop lights which are controlled by sensors and the sensors do not sense bikes so I can sit at certain stop lights until a car comes to change the light or I can wait until it is safe for me and then go.
I think that maybe the city needs to be educating people about biking. I know that bikes and cars should share the road but does the cyclist riding at night with no lights on the wrong side of the street know that?
One thing I have noticed this summer more than ever is that there are more bikers on the road and people have strong opinions about that. There was one kid who tried to tell me that his mom yelled at a biker that he should be riding on the bike path and not the road when bikers actually have a right to be on the road. There are always the people who think that bikes should be on the sidewalk.
But really I wonder if people who are in cars are even more unhappy about being in those cars. I mean gas is $4 a gallon, there is always traffic or road construction and then you see people on bikes, with smiles on their faces riding past and it has to be frustrating.
The other day while waiting for a light to change a car came up behind me and wanted to make a right on red. The kept inching closer and closer to me and revving their engine and turning up their Green Day. Really why aren't there laws against harassing people on bikes like this person was doing. The thing that really bugged me about this was that I was near a school and could have been a student.

remembering my first bike

For some reason today I was thinking about the first bike I ever bought. It was actually the first bike I ever owned.
It was a pink bike with fenders and a pink flame banana seat.
I remember saving my money as a kid so that I could buy this bike. I saved money from the tooth fairy and my birthday and I even tried to sell things like rocks and pictures.
My dad even let me spend a dollar of my money to buy a lottery ticket and I won $25. That was the only time I have ever won any money at the lottery.
My best money making endeavor was to pick up rocks that had fallen out of the rock bed and get paid a penny for each rock. Then I would try to sell the rocks to my friends for a penny.
So finally once I had saved enough money I bought this great pink bike with a flame banana seat.
Now I ride a bike everyday. I ride to work. I ride where ever and whenever I can. So I was thinking about where this love of bikes may have started and this is what I came up with.

I have been blogging away on myspace which is why I haven't posted in a year.

I have become one of those people who has created all these little blogs and journals on the web and I just don't always have time to maintain them all.
Now everyone seems to be over on facebook. That is fine but now if I move over there then I have to bring all of my stuff over there.
I originally created this blog to talk about my knitting and my life but I don't knit enough anymore to really track my projects on a blog.
So I am not sure what this blog will become and if I will keep maintaining it or what. I guess that I will see what happens.

Dino crochet

At the beginning of the year I cleaned my house. I reorganized my craft closet. The craft closet is the one bedroom condo owners version of a craft room since the only way to have a craft room would have been to live in the suburbs. Anyway I cleaned out my craft closet and decided that I needed to use a lot of yan before I ws allowed to buy more yarn.
Crochet has been very helpful with this but I havent used nearly enough.
But my finished objects are piling up very nicely. So far there are 2 crocheted beanies, 1 turtle potholder and various body parts of a crocheted dinosaur.
I've been blogging on myspace, but not about knitting or crochet or being crafty in general. So I have totally neglected this blog.

Rock out

This is the guitar strap from a 2004 issue of knit1 that I made for my cousin.

Rock Star

I found an old issue of Knit1 and there was a pattern for a crocheted guitar strap. So I had to make it for my cousin.
My grandma says she plays guitar and for a while she had pink and black hair so I made a pink and black version.
But really it rocks and it makes me want my own guitar just so I can make one for myself.
So now I will be making pj pants for presents for everyone.

New Knit1

My winter issue of knit1 just came in the mail today.
I still haven't finished my project from the fall issue. I guess I have been a little busy. But I am thinking of just making a bunch a beanies just to burn through some of my yarn stash.
OK that's all.

project choir dress

Currently I am making a lot of choir dresses so there hasn't been much time for fun crafty projects.
I am thinking of making some soap for the holidays. I made some last year and I would like to make some more. Plus I have some fun ideas for sets of soap.

I am also making sockings for the Minnesota Aids Project. I am making a lot of quick ones that people can then add sparkle to. Pimp my Ride, Trick my Truck, Sparkle my Stocking. I guess sparkle would be adding whatever sort of buttons and trim a person wanted to add. So I have made three for this purpose so far.

I started another square for my granny square skirt.

I have also been writing a lot lately so my hands have been busy writing and I haven't been knitting and crocheting as much.

pooh bear

I am mear stitches away from finishing the pooh bear crosstitch that I started a year ago.
All other project have been at a stand still while I have been vigorously working to get Pooh Bear finished.
The next project I wan to do is the Hollywood Granny Squares skirt from the Fall 06 Knit1
Still no pictures because still no new computer.

I started Cupcake from the Happy Hooker book. Mine will be lavender like the one in the book. I only got through three rows the other day but it is a start.

This has been a busy summer of running 5K's, and celebrating with friends who are getting married. I've been to a lot of showers and I have to stay that my skill at the swipe the gift game is getting better. Last shower I left with a gift.

This September I will be riding in the St Paul Classic bike tour. I've set up a fundrasing pageCarrie's St.Paul Classic

Also there are some new fun crochet hook cases at my etsy storeCarrie's Craft Fair

Fit to be Tied

I finished my Fit to be Tied bag. It turned out realy cute.
I haven't been doing a lot of knitting mostly because of the discovery of crochet and also because I have been sewing a lot and reading a lot as well.
I made the cutest skirt for bike your treat to work day on Wednesday. It had little retro bikes on it. However I had to wear shorts and change into the skirt at work because my brother just gave me new chain grease and so my chain is particularly greasy.
Still no pictures because still no new computer but I have realized that when I get a new computer I will also have to get a new digital camera because my camera uses 31/4 inch floppy disks and I'm noticing that computers don't have that slot any more.

My computer crashed a few weeks ago so I haven't been able to update thingsas I might normally like. I am currently working on the Fit to be Tied clutch from the Stitch and Bitch Happy Hooker.
I don't have any pics because of the computer crash thing but I am making it out of some yarn I found in one of my mom's boxes while we were looking for some bears my Great Gram had crocheted for us when we were kids.

Lots of crochet hook cases for sale on my Etsy site Carrie's Craft Fair

Happy Easter- Don't eat the Peeps 

Sock Monkey baby hat 

Boy beanie 

Happy Hooker- boy beanie

My first finished project from the SnB crochet book is the boy beanie. It is sort of a warm up for the sock monkey hat.
For some reason my pics aren't working so I'll have to post those some other time.
I haven't started the Sock monkey hat yet because I am working on a Winnie the Pooh crossstitch. I am very close to being done with the pooh bear part and then I'll get to move on to the border and then all of the outline stuff.

Crochet

This weekend I bought Debbie Stoller's new book Stitch and Bitch Crochet The Happy Hooker.
I've never crocheted more than a chain and so it is a little weird to try to figure out what the patterns are telling me to do. The abbreviations could be confusing. Like the one for double crochet(dc) makes me think I need to decrease.
My Gram Madora made many a granny square blankets but one of my favorite creations of hers was the set of three bears that she crocheted. I have to learn how to crochet so I can make cute bears too.
I think I am starting with the Sock Monkey hat. A couple of my friends are having baby boys this summer.

I have new items on my Etsy store. Carrie's Craft Fair

Stitch and Bitch

Ok so last weekend I went to an SnB. I have to admit that this was the first SnB I had ever been to despite always looking at the SnB meetings around town. It was fun. I think I came in at the end of the "bitch" portion but I started another pair of little kid mittens. I think it was the only thing that I could think of last week when I went.
But my friend said some nice things about me and my talent and stuff and basically I am thinking of starting a sweater or at least some sort of sweater tank top thing. I may not be ready for sleeves yet but I think I am ready to graduate to sweaters. It really is a big step though. I mean it took me a year and a half to make socks and what if I make a sweater and it takes me 5 years or something outragous like that.
But no really I am going to make a sweater.
And I am going to finish all of my other crafty projects like the Winnie the Pooh crossstitch projects I have to finish.

In other news my kitty may need to have lab tests done to see if something is wrong with him if he keeps getting sick. So keep your fingers crossed that he stops getting sick.

And Check out my Etsy Store Carrie's Craft Fair

Red Scarf project

My current project is Knitting a Red Scarf for The Orphan Foundation's Red Scarf Project Red Scarf Project

Here is a little something about it from their website
Earlier this fall, 2,500 college students without families across the nation received care packages assembled on Capitol Hill by members of Congress, their staff, volunteers and caring individuals who know the importance of feeling connected to others. On Valentine's Day, those same college students will receive care packages containing individually hand-knitted or crocheted red scarves. For young people without loving families and homes to serve as a practical lifeline, the scarves send a powerful message of hope.



I think they are collecting them at Einstein Bros. Bagels

I have also been busy working on stuff the sell at my Etsy store. Today I listed a super cute skirt.

Cute baby hat