Working in a Costume Shop Means...

...wrapping yourself in 4 very full boas because they are there, and so are you.

...every so often seeing a show during previews, and sometimes that show is NEWSIES!!!*

Newsies opened this week and if you are coming to NY anytime soon, it is well worth seeing. If you liked the movie growing up, you will love, LOVE the stage version. They change some things, but those changes work well. The girl role is expanded, given a little more power which is always a good thing. The guys dance their asses off and their energy is crazy high. I sat there grinning like a fool the entire night.

Best $20 Art Project Ever, or at least the Sparkliest

I was bored the other night and took a short visit to my favorite costume jewelry store. This place is amazing. Almost everything is under $4 and absolutely encrusted in cheap rhinestones. It is one of the best craft supply stores in town. After this visit I got home, looked at these ridiculous earrings and brooch and inspiration struck. I had this awesome $3 frame from Pearl River Mart and had nothing to put in it, until tonight. I raided my glitter paper stash and for less than $20 total I have the most awesomely tacky wall art.

If you are visiting NY and want to check out the costume jewelry store, there are actually two owned by the same people, check out Earrings Plaza or Jewelry Plaza. They don't have websites but they are on google maps. Don't be scared away by the ugly presentation, because the product is fun.

Acorn Harvest

I published a pattern way before Christmas and failed to ever blog about it.

Acorn Harvest Hat and Cowl is a autumn inspired pattern. The chart was worked out in the actual fall but I was uninspired by my yarn, ridiculous as that may seem with my super size stash. Then in early summer I was wandering around Purl Soho and came across the Maple Leaf Madeline Tosh Worsted Merino, possibly the most amazing green yarn ever. The color variations are unusual and the yarn is just fun to look at. It ended up being perfect for the Acorn Harvest pattern. Because it was summer by this point, I brought the project with me to the beach where I was the freak playing with wool in the hot summer sun, every so often tossing the hat to my Blue Bottle Coffee barista friend to model for me.

Finally, a year after coming up with the chart I was able to get some pictures.

Here it is, the Acorn Harvest Hat and Cowl

The cowl is fully lined and very plush. It is a tube, stitched in the round from the bottom up. It requires a heavy worsted weight yarn in 175 yards of a background color (brown), 100 yards of pattern color (green) and 100 yards of lining color (purple).

The green line of stitches you see on the inside secures the lining in place. Any kind of decorative stitch can be used, I used a cross stitch.

The hat is an unlined snug beanie worked in the round from the bottom up. It requires heavy worsted weight yarn in 100 yards of background color (green) and 70 yards of pattern color (brown).

The patterns are sold as one pattern for $5.00 through Ravelry. You do not have to be a Raveler to purchase.

Thank You Leila for modeling for pictures!