Scarf it down

When I started that scarf, it was still floating around the 80s/90s here, and definitely not "chunky scarf made from alpaca" weather. Now a month later it's humid as EVER and has been raining for the past week. Thankfully the guy who (hopefully) received the scarf doesn't live here and has been sitting through 60 degree rainy weather for just as long.

Despite the fact that I'm still relatively low on my own well-earned spending money (lack of a part-time job really hurts) I couldn't help but finally give in and buy Stitch 'n Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker as well as a 4.5mm Tulip Etimo crochet hook. I haven't had a chance to make too much in the book, but the Etimo? Well, I feel bad for cheating on my Clover STs, but I'm really in love with this hook.

I swore that the last book I got would be the last, but I couldn't help but buy THH after seeing some of the designs there. I don't know when I'll be able to make anything but I swear, this is the last until I get a job and can actually afford my hobby.
Wait! That's a lie, I need/want to get June's book on amigurumi that's being released in a few days. I swear, after that, I'm done!

New Book

One part of my "new habit" is to avoid buying books when the ones I already have cover exactly what I need to know to accomplish the same task. Example: I have half a dozen books on "comic book anatomy" and they all basically cover the same thing, just with different illustrations. As much as I respect other amigurumi designers and love their work, I don't see the need to buy a ton of books full of patterns when my main goal now is to create my own original work.
I've heard nothing but good things about Beyond The Square, though, mostly from other bloggers who own the book. I've picked it up a few times at the store just because the cover looked really cool but only gave in today and bought it.

In the 10 hours I've had the book in my possession, I haven't been able to try any of the motifs myself, though a quick scan through the book did show that a lot of the designs are really unique. I don't know what I'll use them for, but the combination of color and shape was enough to make me buy the book in the first place. Now I'm pretty sure I have to go ahead and make all 144. I might not be the type to use granny squares in my crochet, but something tells me I'll be able to apply the shapes to future ami designs and such.
Not to mention I have a ton of junk Microspun that needs to be used for *something*.

Elephant in progress

Yeah, my work area is a little cluttered ;p
This is the only ami I've been working on lately, I have two other crochet projects that are in progress, but they're gifts so I need to keep them secret. I've also made a few tweaks to the pattern as I went along making it, so once I finish it up, I should be able to have the pattern available as well.
Oddly enough I've been crocheting more than anything lately. That doesn't sound too terrible, but I've felt a little guilty for not working on my artwork like I told myself I would. Plus, you know, the whole "I'm an art student" thing usually means I need to worry about it a little more than I have been. That and I don't have physical therapy for a few weeks, so I should lay off the wrist abuse too.