Author: TwinkieChan

I hung out with Manda on Friday to work at her house, and we paid a visit to her storage unit in the evening. It was REALLY CREEPY in there, y’all! Like, dead-bodies-and-murderers creepy. I said, “We should make a 30-second horror movie in here,” and Manda said, “OKAY,” soooo we did! I don’t think Manda and I will be quitting our day jobs to make movies or be actors, buuuut making home movies was definitely part of our childhood, and now it’s ten times easier with iPhones! I was mostly afraid we were going to get in trouble for yelling, running in the hallway, and turning the lights on and off. If anyone watches our footage on the security camera: I’m sorry, and, you’re welcome. I call this masterpiece: The Storage Unit.   (2 Live Crew is the music I used for the “bloopers” section, in case you were like, “What does this terrible movie have to do with 2 Live Crew?”)

Do you guys remember the pug coffee cozy I made for pug-mammas Elsie and Emma when we shared a table one year at Renegade Craft Fair here in SF? People began to message me for custom orders, but I never made any more, since I didn’t want to start making animal-everything for everybody (I think there’s already a good amount of crocheted animal stuff out there). But I got a request for one a few weeks ago, and I must have been in a good mood, and I said yes! I must have erased from my memory how these are more work than my cupcake coffee cup cozies. So I’ll probably go back to not taking orders for pet cozies, but I just thought you might enjoy the fun pics!    

My cousin in London sent me a unicorn kigurumi absolutely out of nowhere just because she is super nice and super awesome. I wanted to crochet her a thank-you prezzie in return. I have crocheted her a felted eggplant zipper pouch in the past, because her hubby requested it, and she is vegetarian. I thought that my veggie pen cozies would be a really cute gift for her, and I also completed a new pattern for a little mushroom pen cozy. She’ll be getting the first one! If I can get caught up on my orders, I will try to make a few for the shop before the holidays, but we’ll definitely have some in our Renegade Craft Fair booth in a few weeks. I especially think the little gills underneath are super cute. The French knots on top kind of took me a while, so I might change them up to white pom poms, but I’m not sure yet. I have been stalling a little on sending her the package, because I think the mushroom is too adorable to say good-bye to. But I know I can always make more!

Take 25% off your purchase in the Yummy You! shop today until 11:59pm using code GETSTUFFED!!! Go grab some perfect prezzies for all the fun people in your life! P.S. I would have to say that I stuffed myself the most on stuffing (yes), brussel sprouts, and sparkling apple juice!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  I am extremely thankful to all of you who are following along on my wacky life journey! I hope you are surrounded by loved ones and delicious food today, which are basically just two of the best and only things you really need. Okay, there is also SHOPPING, and, yes, there will be a Black Friday sale at the Yummy You shop. Stay tuned for magical codes!! Check in with the Yummy You Facebook page to keep up to date, since Selina will probably post it there before I do it here. I will not be having a sale in my Etsy shop this year. You guys are awesome, and I’m already getting quite a few orders in there, and I want to be able to deliver everything in a timely manner for the holidays. But I do hope to have time to post some new patterns and items in the next few weeks Don’t forget that Ruth and I are teaching our beginner’s crochet class at Urban Bazaar in SF on Tuesday night at 7:00pm!! Last chance to hang out with us before the holidays. I would love to see you there!

Hello, lucky readers! Heidi and Amanda from A Very Merry Advent have kindly given you a discount code for $2 off their interactive e-guide! Use code twinkie2off during checkout! There are a TON of ideas packed into this little e-book, ranging from outdoor activities to craft projects to recipes for holiday yumyums. You get free downloads for print-outs, like an advent calendar page for you to plan your activities, and there are even instructional videos embedded in this thing! It’s pretty cool! If you are anything like me and have been fangirling over Heidi of My Paper Crane for years, marveling at all her holiday ideas and execution, you are in for a pretty big treat! I signed up early on a mailing list for this before I even knew what it was. I’m just that much of a dork. When they announced their website, I purchased immediately! Projects that get me particularly excited: baking a yule log cake, printing and cutting out her cute gift tags, and making butter mints!  

Helloooooo! I cooked again! Thank you so much for leaving me links and recipes. There is lots I definitely want to try to make! However, I became obsessed with the idea of making a tater tot casserole for the “Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner” that Manda and I went to, and HERE SHE IS! (That photo is pre-oven-ating. And I forgot to take a photo of post-oven-ating, since were kinda in a rush to leave.) I googled around for some recipes, and a lot of them included BEEF, which I didn’t want to cook. So I found and used THIS recipe from The Village Cook. I have a slight fascination with super kitschy “American” casserole hot dish type things. I was really excited to make my first one. Hairy made a face like this was going to be the grossest adventure ever, espesh after I said, “ranch dressing.” The recipe that I used does not call for french cut green beans, but I wanted to add, you know, “NUTRITION” to my casserole, cuz IDGAF. So I layered my tots on the bottom, then poured over the liquids, then packed on about 3/4 can of green beans, and then a good handful of fried onions, and then I packed on way more than 1/2 cup cheese, cuz, CHEESE. I started this project with about an hour to work with before Manda was swinging by the house, so I didn’t have time to defrost my tater tots. I just put them in there frozen. I’ve seen other recipes which say to just leave the casserole in for 20 more minutes more if your tots are frozen, but I didn’t have an extra 20 minutes either. It will remain a mystery to me, whether my casserole actually cooked in the middle, because someone actually took the rest home, CUZ IT WAS SO DURN GOOD!!!! People were like, “WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND THIS TATER TOT CASSEROLE!?” I was like, “If it’s gross, I had nothing to do with it.” But they thought it was the greatest thing ever. They thought it was so great, that it had a story, like, a history. So if you have a T-Day pot luck to go to (or any pot luck, really), I think you could be the star by making this bad boy. It was easy and yummy! The most work you have to put in it is chopping up parsley and chives. I decided, I do not like chopping, as it is time-consuming and I might lose a finger, but, hey, anything for you, tater tot casserole! The pre-Thanksgiving party was fun and mostly populated by people we didn’t know. I tried birthday cake or cupcake vodka for the first time. I also got into a small fight with someone over whether Chicken in a Biskit exists (it exists, OBVIOUSLY, don’t argue with me about SNACKS), but other than that, thumbs up!  

How I wish this were actually a WIWT post! I am dying for so many pieces in the Meadham Kirchoff for TopShop collection! I realize it may look a hot mess to many people, but, I need sparkly green monster booties like I need oxygen. Too bad they are already sold out…. and the collection just launched today! There are 60+ pieces on the TopShop site, although I thought I read somewhere that there were 80 pieces. The small sample I picked represents only a taste of what they have. While I’m drawn to the pastels, there are also other color stories, including this bright red and aqua frilly PVC jumper,  and this granny square dress!  

I woke up today wanting to feel 100%c comfy and cozy! So I threw on this sweatshirt dress that I bought from the girls department at Target. I can SOMETIMES fit into the XL there, but I always test first if my arms will fit in the arm holes. This one was a winner. This photo was sort of an accident. I wasn’t quite ready for the timer to go off on my camera, and I sort of spazzed and lept in front of the camera and did THIS. You can see me holding my remote button thingie. Oddly, it’s the only sort-of close-up that I got before my camera ran out of juice! It’s hard to see here, but there’s a sequin detail at the bottom of the dress. Very sweet! The sequins are kinda scratchy, though, so just don’t touch that part of the dress or wear it inside out ….haha. The cowl I’m wearing is from one of my wonderful blog sponsors this month: the Pink Samurai. Her shop is full of all kinds of colorful cozies, and you can also win one of her cowls in my current giveaway. I love outfits that feel like pajamas. Okay, so this one really does kinda look like pajamas, but I still felt cute while running around to the post office and to ImagiKnit. I also met up with Australian blogger/crafter  Ruby Velour and her man at the tail end of their U.S. vacation! We had chowder in bread bowls, watched the sea lions at Pier 39 hoot and howl into the night, and had a nice coffee and pie at the Grove. A very productive and relaxing and nice day! Dear iPhone flash: you’re fired. Dress: Cherokee Girls from Target, Leggings: Uniqlo, Boots: Forever21, Necklace: AthinaLaBella, Coat: from Macy’s a few years ago and needs to be retired because it looks like a 50 year old stuffed animal.

Ruth Tillman of the Enchanted Square and I are offering our new crochet class again: a super easy and super adorable wrapped candy! Just in time for the holidays! All you need to know is how to crochet a basic rectangle to turn your home (or yourself) into a sugary holiday wonderland, and we will teach you how to crochet this rectangle from step 1! This will be a really fun project, especially for beginners. Our class will be on Tuesday night, December 3rd, from 7:00pm – 9:30pm, at Urban Bazaar in San Francisco, for $30.00. Check out the class listings here and mark your calendars! I’m also going to bring some holiday nibbles that we can eat with toothpicks, so as not to get our crafty hands dirty!

Hi Gang!!! It’s the 15th of the month, so it’s time to launch a new blog sponsor giveaway! Thanks so much to my generous sponsors for offering us these wonderful goodies! One lucky winner will receive:

Seattle!!!! Please go to Schmancy this Friday night, November 15, 5-8pm, to celebrate the launch of Kristen’s new super awesome crochet book, The Wizard of Oz Crochet. I have two patterns in the book, so you’ll have to pick up a copy to see which ones ;). This thing is actually a KIT which comes with a hook and some yarn, so it’s a super great gift! If you’re in Seattle, please go and take photos of the very special Oz-inspired crochet painting I just finished. I ran it over to Fed Ex and didn’t have time to take any photos of it. Sad!! So you have to go and take lots of photos for me :).

Last weekend, we vended at DesignerCon with Yummy You! This was the first convention I’ve ever vended at, PLUS, it was the first time I had ever had a Yummy You! booth anywhere! I LOOOOOOVE doing events in L.A., because I know way more people there than in S.F., and it’s so fun to see all your buddies come out! Greatest buddies ever! I have quite a few photos, so I’m going to post things in chronological order, starting with Friday, when Manda and I flew into Burbank to set up the booth with my business partner.  I think it will be funny to refer to my partner as Charlie, like Charlie from Charlie’s Angels, because he doesn’t really like to be “seen.”

So I was typing out a blog entry about yarn swifts and ball-winders (non-yarn people are like….. YAWNNNNN…. hehe), when I stopped to check my Instagram. Manda and I are leaving tomorrow for Pasadena to vend at DesignerCon with the Yummy You! booth, and she asked if I wanted to meet her at the mall so she could pick up a few things. We ended up at H&M. I’m trying not to purchase so much crap, but I got sucked into the shopping vortex, a little bit. I tried on 3 things and kept these two. While in the dressing room, I mourned my bare knees. I know that everyone is probably like, “Your knees look fine.” But you know how it is. We all have certain parts of us that we find awful no matter what anybody says, and my knees happen to be one of mine (there are others, but today is about knees). I think I have really big knobby knee caps, with some flub hanging over the tops of them. I tried to shift around before taking the photo, to minimize gross-knee-effect. I don’t know if I figured it out. I am also bow-legged. I am unfortunately also really hot and sweaty most of the time, but I still won’t usually wear shorts or dresses without tights or leggings underneath. CUZ MY KNEES. Anyway, I snapped a photo in the dressing room anyway, cuz I always think those are kinda funny and intimate. This moment reminded me of something someone told me years ago. I remember I blogged about it then, but I can’t find that entry (don’t even know if it was Livejournal, or what!). It was about how I walk around town and see people’s plants in their windows and think that their plant arrangements look really good, and that I don’t know how to arrange the plants in a nice way. The person I was with said, “Your plants look fine. You just don’t realize it because you see them all the time.” This was a very casual comment and not meant for discussion beyond that moment about plants, but it’s something I keep remembering. Sometimes we forget that we are intriguing, cute/pretty/sexy/handsome beings. That people see us differently than we see ourselves. And even if you feel dumpy and gross and fat-kneed, you are still a beautiful mystery to someone else. I think it’s a good reminder for ourselves. Over and over again. *** On another strange note, Manda tried on some stuff as well. She came out in this dress that looked perfectly fine, yet, kinda like, not HER. The only word I could think of was “sporty,” since there was a stripe/panel down the middle. I said, “There’s nothing wrong with it. It just looks kinda SPORTY. If you love it, go for it. But I can’t put my finger on why I think it doesn’t look like YOU.” She said, “Maybe … it’s … TOO YOUNG.” WHAT. COULD IT […]

  I’m super duper excited about this Yummy You! collaboration with one of my favorite jewelry makers: AthinaLaBella. I have been one of Athina’s customers for some time now. All her pieces are so sweet and sparkly and decadent, and wouldn’t you know it, she is the sweetest as well! When my business partner and I were chatting about potential collab collections, I immediately thought of Athina. We NEEDED some of her fabulous candy heart necklaces!   If you are at all interested in snagging one, I suggest you do it right now! We have a very limited number of these super special handmade treats. The necklaces come in three different styles – Pink Glitter, All Sprinkles, and Iridescent Glitter – but each is still one-of-a-kind, just like you!

Hey, Southern California! I’m traveling down to hang out at the very first dedicated Yummy You! booth at DesignerCon! We are booth #424! I am going to try to bring some surprise/special goodies with me! DesignerCon will be held at the Pasadena Convention Center, November 9-10, from 9-6 on Saturday and 9-5 on Sunday. Here’s the link to buy tickets! Just $5 for one day and $10 for both! See you there!

Ruth Tillman of the Enchanted Square and I will be teaching a new crochet class, and our project will be a super easy but super adorable wrapped candy! Just in time for the holidays! All you need to know is how to crochet a basic rectangle to turn your home (or yourself) into a sugary holiday wonderland! Our class will be on Thursday night, November 14th, from 7:00pm – 9:30pm, at Urban Bazaar in San Francisco, for $30.00. Check out the class listings here and mark your calendars! If you’ve always wanted to learn to crochet, this will be the most fun class ever to do so :).

A couple gals on Instagram have been talking about the cartoon Bee and PuppyCat on YouTube, so I had to go see what the hubbub was all about. It is kind of weird, but oddly intriguing. I believe “surreal” is the word that fans use. Created by Natasha Allegri, an artist for Adventure Time, Bee and PuppyCat is about a girl named Bee and her adventures in this world and in an alternate world with her cat/dog/youdontreallyknow PuppyCat.  After watching the episode online, I really wanted to put together an outfit inspired by the one that Bee wears! Unfortunately, I didn’t notice until too late that my bee necklace had turned the wrong way, so you can’t really see its cute smile! Oh well! C’est la bee. I get really hot in long-sleeved sweaters, so I opted for a sweater vest. I also liked the idea of making the bee a necklace instead of an applique, so that each piece could be worn with other pieces. I then couldn’t decide if I wanted PuppyCat to be a hair piece or a plush, so I started with a plush! Then I started getting crazy.   And then a bit crazier: BATTLEMODE!   I think my new goal should be that all my outfit posts will involve really bad animated gifs! Anyway, I wrote down the crocchet pattern for the bee applique/necklace, the bows on my shoes, and….PuppyCat! (Or, just a regular cat, too, whatever you want!)  I’ll do more specific photos for the bows in the next few days. I really like how those turned out! Shirt: French Toast (school uniform!), Vest: Liz Claiborne via Etsy, Shorts: Victoria’s Secret, Boots: Forever21

Here is our last look / Day 5 from the Yummy You! shoot with model Shannie Bee and photog Crazy Spork I Am! Thanks so much for going on this photo adventure with us!

Day 4 from the Yummy You! shoot with model Shannie Bee and photog Crazy Spork I Am!

I know some of you are still basking in the afterglow of your Halloween crafts, but Michaels.com already posted my free crochet pattern for November: Turkey Box Tissue Cozy! Edit, June 4, 2014: Please find the pattern here on my blog. Michaels.com is currently re-vamping their pattern/project section, and the above Michaels.com link is disabled for now. I got so excited about sharing this project and making it awesome, that I also included the patterns for the little veggies – baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, and POTATOES –  as well as the lettuce garnish underneath, which is actually a DISH CLOTH. You could turn the veggies into brooches, fridge magnets, or string them into a crazy necklace! This is going to sound a little weird, but I got really addicted to making tiny potatoes…! This is truly one of my most very favorite crochet projects ever, and I’m really proud of how all the components came together. I hope you guys love it, too, and have a lot of fun! I’ll be offering finished versions of this, as well as my infamous turkey hat, in my Etsy shop very very soon!

Happy Halloween!! Come check out Too Yarn Cute eMagazine, bursting with articles and patterns for crocheting! They approached me and offered to let me talk about…. whatever I wanted! Crochet-related, of course. How could I say no? It was actually kind of hard for me to nail down what I wanted to write about, so we decided I’d talk about my year of working with Michaels.com and writing free patterns every month, and I also gave Too Yarn Cute readers a sneak peek at my November and December patterns for Michaels. Michaels already posted the November pattern early … but … you still get a sneak at December! (I will post more photos of the November pattern tomorrow.) Once you click on the TYC  link, scroll down a bit and hit up the Christmas issue! There are 18 patterns in this thing, which would normally add up to $74.42, and the eMag is only $4.99. It’s a pretty great deal!

Sushi Scarf! Here is Day 3 from the Yummy You! shoot with model Shannie Bee and photog Crazy Spork I Am! Sorry I posted these so late! We went to a haunted house tonight!

More from the Yummy You! shoot with model Shannie Bee and photog Crazy Spork I Am! These were all shot on the same day as the other looks, but I’m calling it “Day 2” because it’s Day 2 on the blog! Powell’s Sweet Shoppe was really nice about us shooting inside and outside their store. I bought some gummy candy for me and Hairy! Stay tuned for Look #3 tomorrow!