Looking for more crafty goodness? Check out Pack Rat Magazine Issue #1 and stay tuned for Issue #2 available December 1st.

Anyone who knows me even a little knows how dangerously in love I am with all things hand drawn (and even some computer graphics too). I say dangerously, because if you unwittingly start a conversation with me about, say…cartoons, you’ll wander away from my soap box hours later, blinking at the light and stumbling. Since, loyal reader, I’m sure you’d rather I don’t recreate that experience for you here, let me just say that cartoons and animation are one of the great modern art forms. You can see how far we’ve come from Steam Boat Willy with amazing new feature films like Persepolis (also a series of ground breaking graphic novels that I highly recommend) by Marjane Satrapi. This intimate look of a young Iranian girl growing up in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution is stunning. See for yourself at the website persepolismovie.com

Looking for more crafty fun? Check out Pack Rat Magazine Issue #1 and stay tuned for Issue #2 out December 1st.

Recently, my iPod has developed the nasty habit of refusing to turn off, no matter how hard I press the power button or how loud I yell at it, still it’s screen glows in defiance. But I spent good money on it, I shouldn’t have to flush my hard earned dollars down the drain, right? Well, if you feel the same way and you have the same problems, check out a recent article from the New York Times called “BASICS; Don’tThrow Out Your Broken iPod; Fix It Via the Web.” It’s full of great links to sites with little tech tips. And now, my iPod only doesn’t work half the time.

Looking for more crafting fun?  Check out Pack Rat Magazine, Issue #1 and stay tuned for Issue #2 out December 1st.

If I’ve learned anything since I started this blog, it’s that you knitters are taking over the internet. There are a gazillion sites out there dedicated to this particular craft. And here’s another handy one. Check out Knitting Fever and their free book Knitting Architecture that teaches the ambitious knitter how to build their own patterns. Now as I mentioned before, I’m just at the scarf level, I’m not even quite sure how to read a knitting pattern yet (although, in all fairness to me, I have yet to try), so this book is a little out of my league, but it seems to be a good resource (even if the woman in the sketches has scary lobster claws instead of hands). If anyone uses this to design their own patterns, let me know and fill me in on your beautiful creations.

Check out Issue #1 of Pack Rat Magazine and stay tuned for Issue #2 available December 1st.

And for those of us living in Texas, this Saturday is the Stitch Handmade Revolution craft fair. Keep your eyes peeled for the fashion show at 9:30 pm.

Check out Pack Rat Magazine Issue #1 and stay tuned for Issue #2 available December 1st.

Quick reminder for those of us who live in the Pittsburgh area, this weekend is the Handmade Arcade indie craft fair. Spend two days among good eats, great indie treats and some toe-tapping jams.