The beauty of finely sanded wood

Ships. They are beautiful.
Wooden boats, in my opinion even more so.

My boat builder, All enthusiasm and talent.

I am living with my boyfriend (featured above) while he is going to wooden boat building school. I think this is a factor in my current feeling of under achievement. I will do something and then feel like i've totally wasted my time. Partially i think because i am living with a blindingly talented, obscenely motivated young man. The reading about boats, the boat projects, the voracious appetite for all things boat knowledge related is mind boggeling. It puts into very sharp perspective my lack of forward momentum..

Living with that can occasionally make ones crocheting achievements feel rather feeble. Despite this, I soldier on!

I have recently completed a carrying case for my tiny new laptop. My new laptop is not an ancient hulking behemoth as my old one was and therefor is unsafe in my old computer bag. Yet another excuse to make something with yarn! Huzzah!

Pattern:

Chain the length of whatever electronic device you are trying to carry minus about half an inch.

Turn and single crochet around your chain adding an extra single crochet as you turn around the opposite end (where you started your chain)

( to b continued)

The internet here is the worst.

So my internet has not been exactly functioning. But it is also, technically, working well enough that they probably aren't going to fix it. Bummer.
As a result, I have not been updating here. This is because, unless i know exactly what i'm doing, i truly hate to use internet cafes. It just makes me feel antsy and then i forget half the things i meant to do or say.
So I am using my phone hotspot in my house right now to write this. If it ends up not being too expensive this will be a great solution; if not I will have to give in and start spending a lot for time using the wifi at the bagel shop.

However, this failure of internet has inspired me to do something i haven't done before. I actually paid for a book of crochet patterns. Woah, hold on there, you say, that's pretty extreme. And i must agree. But i found the cutest book at Port Hadlock Yarns called Geek Chick Crochet by Nicki Trench. I am extremely excited about trying out non-Ravelry patterns and being free from the useless internet that invades my home.
And it is with this book that I am going to attempt my next adventure: Fitted Clothing!! (ie anthing not a scarf or a hat) It should be a challenge.

wHale

That's whale with an emphasis on the H, a la Stewie Griffin.
I've been working on wHale for at least a month now and have finally finished him and sent him on his way. The carving is made out of basswood. Cut, chiseled,whittled, sanded, shellacked and finally waxed.

Not too shabby for my first carving.

I started carving wood because my grandfather left me his craving tools. We always had carvings from my grandpa around the house but the ones i remember most came out at christmas time. Chunky roughly cut santas, stocky reindeer, and a small wooden mouse with leather ears. I could always picture my grandpa carving these things back home in Nebraska, even though i'm not sure i ever actually saw him. Now, looking through the old worn carving book he left me, I can see where he gathered his patterns and inspiration. I know that my own style is very different but I still feel a quiet companionship in the shared pastime.

Next up... something less nautical i think.