Today's finished object is...this blog. I've been thinking about it a lot, and I need to be reducing my commitments, and this blog has become increasingly superfluous as I have focused less and less on crafts as a business. I'm sure I'll still update from time to time, but not as a primary focus or as a frequent thing that I tell myself I "have" to do.
This comes out of a lot of life change in general. I've recently quit my job, and I'm thinking about moving, and traveling, and all manner of other things, and it's time for me to start clearing the decks.
It's been a pleasure getting to know you all! I'll still be active on Ravelry, and still be reachable here or through the CCC Facebook page, just not checking in as often. Have a great weekend, everyone!
Showing posts with label biography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label biography. Show all posts
Friday, September 21, 2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
Finished...Friday, 8/31/2012
I've been very "out of crafting" mode the last week or two. I think I really forced myself to the wall by pushing so hard to finish my blanket for the Ravellenic Games. However, tomorrow I'm leaving on a trip to Texas for a week, and I'm bringing cross stitch with me, so by next Wednesday I should have some progress to show. ;)
However, today something else is finished. I hope I can be forgiven for, unusually, posting a non-craft related thing in this blog. I do try to keep it on topic, but today is a big day for me - a big ending.
Today is my last day of work.
In 2003, I started working for my mother's small business doing part time work - primarily book keeping and data entry. By 2005, this was my primary source of income. By 2007, this was my full time and only job. But I've grown increasingly unhappy the last few years, and starting in June of 2011, I really hit the wall. I reached the point that every day was an effort. Every work activity I had to do was, "crap, I have to do that. :(" And finally, I accepted: it didn't matter if it was a "good" job, or any of the other justifications I had given myself. I shouldn't have to do a job that makes me miserable. I decided in February of this year that I would quit, and that today would be my last day. I've been counting down ever since. I informed my mother around February, and we as a company informed our clients in late July, and I've spent this month doing wrap up and organizing and all manner of other "omg we're almost done" kind of stuff.
And today is my last day.
This is the end of a big chapter of my life - a job I've had for 10 years - and I only have a few somewhat thought through ideas of what is coming next. All I know is...it's gonna be something new, and I'm totally freaked out about it. ;)
Until next week! Fiber Arts Friday; Finished Object Friday
However, today something else is finished. I hope I can be forgiven for, unusually, posting a non-craft related thing in this blog. I do try to keep it on topic, but today is a big day for me - a big ending.
Today is my last day of work.
In 2003, I started working for my mother's small business doing part time work - primarily book keeping and data entry. By 2005, this was my primary source of income. By 2007, this was my full time and only job. But I've grown increasingly unhappy the last few years, and starting in June of 2011, I really hit the wall. I reached the point that every day was an effort. Every work activity I had to do was, "crap, I have to do that. :(" And finally, I accepted: it didn't matter if it was a "good" job, or any of the other justifications I had given myself. I shouldn't have to do a job that makes me miserable. I decided in February of this year that I would quit, and that today would be my last day. I've been counting down ever since. I informed my mother around February, and we as a company informed our clients in late July, and I've spent this month doing wrap up and organizing and all manner of other "omg we're almost done" kind of stuff.
And today is my last day.
This is the end of a big chapter of my life - a job I've had for 10 years - and I only have a few somewhat thought through ideas of what is coming next. All I know is...it's gonna be something new, and I'm totally freaked out about it. ;)
Until next week! Fiber Arts Friday; Finished Object Friday
Friday, May 18, 2012
Fiber Arts Friday, 5/18/2012 (Adventures in Dyeing!)
So, at Maryland Sheep and Wool, I bought this fleece!
Her name is Irmalinda. My goal, over the summer, is to prepare either half or all of these fleece (I haven't decided quite yet - I need to get a scale and check a few things) by taking it from raw Irmalinda with tags and all to pretty dyed and spun yarn. In preparation for that, I split the fleece up into bags of from 4 to 6 ounces of fiber, and then I took one of those that had a fairly nice section of the fleece and did the whole process with just that section. First, I soaked it for 24 hours with a bunch of dish soap to get the gunk out.
That's a LOT of dirt! I used the water for my plants. :) Next step after that was to let it dry, and then I used hand combs to comb it out.
It takes about 10 minutes to comb about a half ounce of fiber. I'm left with this:
Two little mini balls, and then up top, a bunch of little ends and kinky bits and pieces that aren't adequate. This was my first mini-balls - this one I spun just to see how it would go.
I also taught myself to Navajo ply with this, which was easier than I thought, except I don't QUITE have the hang of it and keep overspinning it. Anyway. ;) I prepared the rest of the fiber, and then with five of the mini-balls that I had, I decided to make my first attempt at dyeing the yarn! Towards that end, I improvised a scale because it's 1 ounce of Kool Aid to 1 ounce of fiber, but my scale isn't working (I'm trying new batteries and if that doesn't work, I'll buy a new one).
Since I knew the weight of each Kool Aid packet, I used a simple balance scale to measure out Kool Aid equal to the weight of the fiber! (though that's uncombed fiber, not one of my mini-balls). I then prepared it all in a pot! To keep the fiber from getting all tangled with itself, I put a jar in the middle, and decided to use that jar for dyeing, too!
In the jar, I put one packet of Tropical Punch; in the main pot, I put 3 lemonades, 1 orange, and 1 cherry. However, as it turns out, the lemonade is WAY too light, so the yellow virtually doesn't show at all. The orange and the cherry took pretty well, though, and the Tropical Punch went excellently.
This is the "top" and the "bottom" of the four balls I put in the main pot. In total, I ended up with...
Because of the way I layered everything, the mini-balls went from lightest (top) to darkest (bottom); and then here was my pure red/orange tropical punch ball. I decided to spin them all together and go with the color gradient! Then, I tried Navajo plying again. It didn't go particularly better than the first time, but practice makes perfect, right?
66 yards of three ply right around lace weight. Oops, too thin!
Want to try dyeing? Here's what I've figured out:
1. Use more dye than you think you need. Seriously. The rule of thumb is 1 ounce of Kool Aid to 1 ounce of fiber, but I think a little more might be better (if you want the colors saturated, anyway).
2. For Kool Aid, you don't need to add vinegar, and as far as I can tell the amount of WATER in the pot doesn't matter, it's the amount of fiber compared to the amount of dye.
3. The candy thermometer was invaluable. I'd never have been able to figure out the right temp with out it. For wool, the goal is right around 170 degrees.
4. It took about 45 minutes of soaking at the temperature to soak up all the Kool Aid dye.
5. The color didn't run at all, and I was lazy and didn't rinse it. This seems to be okay, except that my yarn REALLY smells like Kool Aid.
To top things off, yesterday I tried using Wilton's Gel Dyes instead (it just takes so damn much Kool Aid!). I'm still waiting for it to dry, so I'm not sure yet if I accidentally felted the fiber I was using (this time using fiber I bought not fiber I prepared). I'll write up more about this some other time - maybe next week.
Want to read more amazing? You should go to Wisdom Begins in Wonder and Tami's Amis and other Creations!
Her name is Irmalinda. My goal, over the summer, is to prepare either half or all of these fleece (I haven't decided quite yet - I need to get a scale and check a few things) by taking it from raw Irmalinda with tags and all to pretty dyed and spun yarn. In preparation for that, I split the fleece up into bags of from 4 to 6 ounces of fiber, and then I took one of those that had a fairly nice section of the fleece and did the whole process with just that section. First, I soaked it for 24 hours with a bunch of dish soap to get the gunk out.
That's a LOT of dirt! I used the water for my plants. :) Next step after that was to let it dry, and then I used hand combs to comb it out.
It takes about 10 minutes to comb about a half ounce of fiber. I'm left with this:
Two little mini balls, and then up top, a bunch of little ends and kinky bits and pieces that aren't adequate. This was my first mini-balls - this one I spun just to see how it would go.I also taught myself to Navajo ply with this, which was easier than I thought, except I don't QUITE have the hang of it and keep overspinning it. Anyway. ;) I prepared the rest of the fiber, and then with five of the mini-balls that I had, I decided to make my first attempt at dyeing the yarn! Towards that end, I improvised a scale because it's 1 ounce of Kool Aid to 1 ounce of fiber, but my scale isn't working (I'm trying new batteries and if that doesn't work, I'll buy a new one).
Since I knew the weight of each Kool Aid packet, I used a simple balance scale to measure out Kool Aid equal to the weight of the fiber! (though that's uncombed fiber, not one of my mini-balls). I then prepared it all in a pot! To keep the fiber from getting all tangled with itself, I put a jar in the middle, and decided to use that jar for dyeing, too!
In the jar, I put one packet of Tropical Punch; in the main pot, I put 3 lemonades, 1 orange, and 1 cherry. However, as it turns out, the lemonade is WAY too light, so the yellow virtually doesn't show at all. The orange and the cherry took pretty well, though, and the Tropical Punch went excellently.
This is the "top" and the "bottom" of the four balls I put in the main pot. In total, I ended up with...
Because of the way I layered everything, the mini-balls went from lightest (top) to darkest (bottom); and then here was my pure red/orange tropical punch ball. I decided to spin them all together and go with the color gradient! Then, I tried Navajo plying again. It didn't go particularly better than the first time, but practice makes perfect, right?
66 yards of three ply right around lace weight. Oops, too thin!
Want to try dyeing? Here's what I've figured out:
1. Use more dye than you think you need. Seriously. The rule of thumb is 1 ounce of Kool Aid to 1 ounce of fiber, but I think a little more might be better (if you want the colors saturated, anyway).
2. For Kool Aid, you don't need to add vinegar, and as far as I can tell the amount of WATER in the pot doesn't matter, it's the amount of fiber compared to the amount of dye.
3. The candy thermometer was invaluable. I'd never have been able to figure out the right temp with out it. For wool, the goal is right around 170 degrees.
4. It took about 45 minutes of soaking at the temperature to soak up all the Kool Aid dye.
5. The color didn't run at all, and I was lazy and didn't rinse it. This seems to be okay, except that my yarn REALLY smells like Kool Aid.
To top things off, yesterday I tried using Wilton's Gel Dyes instead (it just takes so damn much Kool Aid!). I'm still waiting for it to dry, so I'm not sure yet if I accidentally felted the fiber I was using (this time using fiber I bought not fiber I prepared). I'll write up more about this some other time - maybe next week.
Want to read more amazing? You should go to Wisdom Begins in Wonder and Tami's Amis and other Creations!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Crafting? What crafting?
Super quick update! I hate to just let the blog sit here all un-updated when I had a couple months where I was good about doing it regularly. However, I have an excuse! The long and the short is...I haven't been crafting! I'm in the dead middle of a four week road trip, and even though I brought four projects with me, I haven't done a single moment of craft work since the second night of the trip. I've just been keeping busy spending time with my friends, and when I'm on my own, getting done moderator duties on Ravelry or working. However! There will be more to come, definitely...so stay tuned. :)
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
WIP Wednesday, 3/14/2012
Well...uh...I don't have any work in progress to share, really, though I do have a FO for Friday. :) I mostly am just tossing up a post to say, HI! And make it clear that it's not that I forgot, it's just that I don't have all that much to say. ;)
I'm currently on a road trip! The first stop is my dad's, where I'm sitting right now, but tomorrow I go up to Binghamton, NY, and from there I go to Rochester (With a stop-over in Syracuse to get breakfast with one of my dear friends who, because we're both kinda bad about e-mail, I feel like I'm always in relatively high danger of losing touch with, so it'll be awesome to see him). Then, I'll go to University Park in PA to visit Penn State, then next Tuesday I'll drive out to Columbus OH with a stop for dinner in Akron. It's so nice to just get away and I'm going to get to see so many of my friends and family throughout the trip. (There's more after that, but I think those are topics for next WIP Wednesday.
Anyway...super sleepy, and not much to share, but I decided I'd rather babble about completely non-craft related stuff than let a week go by without a post when I've been SO good about 3 posts a week for the past few weeks. :) Have a great Wednesday, everyone! OH! One thing, last night, I went back to working on this for the first time since the summer of 2008!
...but that's the pre-new stuff pic. Not that I added much, but what I did add actually would show. ;) Next week!
I'm currently on a road trip! The first stop is my dad's, where I'm sitting right now, but tomorrow I go up to Binghamton, NY, and from there I go to Rochester (With a stop-over in Syracuse to get breakfast with one of my dear friends who, because we're both kinda bad about e-mail, I feel like I'm always in relatively high danger of losing touch with, so it'll be awesome to see him). Then, I'll go to University Park in PA to visit Penn State, then next Tuesday I'll drive out to Columbus OH with a stop for dinner in Akron. It's so nice to just get away and I'm going to get to see so many of my friends and family throughout the trip. (There's more after that, but I think those are topics for next WIP Wednesday.
Anyway...super sleepy, and not much to share, but I decided I'd rather babble about completely non-craft related stuff than let a week go by without a post when I've been SO good about 3 posts a week for the past few weeks. :) Have a great Wednesday, everyone! OH! One thing, last night, I went back to working on this for the first time since the summer of 2008!
...but that's the pre-new stuff pic. Not that I added much, but what I did add actually would show. ;) Next week!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
At the Musee d'Orsay
As I'm labeling my way through the pictures I've taken the last few years that I'm behind on - primarily pictures from trips, I've mostly kept on top of the shots I've taken in NYC - I've got a developing issue. The sets that just random pictures of places are the easiest to label (I can label them all things like "Typical Istanbul Street Scene" or "Graffiti in Prague" and leave it at that) whereas the pictures I've taken at museums take a lot longer to label and tag as I transfer the information from the original museum label. Still, I'm trying to start tackling those sets. One of the first that I've finished is a set I took at the Musee d'Orsay in 2010. There are some really lovely things in their collection, though at times it's not an easy environment for photography - some of the corridors are narrow, and the lighting isn't always so great. Still, in two visit there (one in Februrary, 2010, the other in September, 2009) I did get some shots I think are pretty lovely, of amazing items.
The Adoration of the Magi, a tapestry by Sir Edward Burne-Jones
The Church of Auvers, by Vincent van Gogh
I'll admit, this is as much one of my "best" because of the episode of Dr. Who as for any other reason...
The Adulteress, by Jules Cambos
Art Nouveau Bowl
Detail from The Family, by Luc Olivier Merson
The Campaign of France, by Ernest Meissonier
Joan of Arc, by Henry Chapu
Well, that's all for now! :)
The Adoration of the Magi, a tapestry by Sir Edward Burne-Jones
The Church of Auvers, by Vincent van Gogh
I'll admit, this is as much one of my "best" because of the episode of Dr. Who as for any other reason...
The Adulteress, by Jules Cambos
Art Nouveau Bowl
Detail from The Family, by Luc Olivier Merson
The Campaign of France, by Ernest Meissonier
Joan of Arc, by Henry Chapu
Well, that's all for now! :)
Friday, March 9, 2012
Finished Object Friday, 3/9/2012
This is a reconstruction of this original post, necessitated by some aggravation.
In 2009, my apartment got bed bugs. I had just been getting in to cross stitch again as a major relaxation tool, and when the bed bugs hit, the only time in my ENTIRE experience I actually SAW a bug was on my current WIP at the time. Needless to say, that sucked and was VERY upsetting. So I put that project in quarantine. However, I still wanted to cross stitch, and so while I was road tripping while they exterminated my apartment, I bought a new project - this project - and started it. I was still working on it when I got home, and discovered...more bed bugs. So it too went in to quarantine. In 2010, I pulled it out and worked on it a little, but I didn't ultimately end up finishing it until, well, until now! Still, I have some progress pics from along the way that I thought are worth sharing.
But first, the fun stuff! My finished Dragonfly and Water Lily cross stitch! After three years!!
When I started working on it again in 2010, here's about where it was:
I worked on it a bit while on a vacation, but then it ended up put aside again until January. When I started working on it then, I got it to this point pretty quickly:
From there, I worked fast. By mid-February, I was well along the way!
Finally, about a week ago, here was it's status:
Cross stitch does take forever, but the results are worth it...at least I think so. And as to all my mistakes...we won't talk about those. ;)
In 2009, my apartment got bed bugs. I had just been getting in to cross stitch again as a major relaxation tool, and when the bed bugs hit, the only time in my ENTIRE experience I actually SAW a bug was on my current WIP at the time. Needless to say, that sucked and was VERY upsetting. So I put that project in quarantine. However, I still wanted to cross stitch, and so while I was road tripping while they exterminated my apartment, I bought a new project - this project - and started it. I was still working on it when I got home, and discovered...more bed bugs. So it too went in to quarantine. In 2010, I pulled it out and worked on it a little, but I didn't ultimately end up finishing it until, well, until now! Still, I have some progress pics from along the way that I thought are worth sharing.
But first, the fun stuff! My finished Dragonfly and Water Lily cross stitch! After three years!!
When I started working on it again in 2010, here's about where it was:
I worked on it a bit while on a vacation, but then it ended up put aside again until January. When I started working on it then, I got it to this point pretty quickly:
From there, I worked fast. By mid-February, I was well along the way!
Finally, about a week ago, here was it's status:
Cross stitch does take forever, but the results are worth it...at least I think so. And as to all my mistakes...we won't talk about those. ;)
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Work in Progress Wednesday, 3/7/2012
Whew, another week! I'm feeling pretty good about my crafting this week, actually. First, for the first time in AGES, I've met a personal expectation: last week, I said I expected to be done with the cross stitching on the Dragonfly and Lotus pattern by this week...and I AM. I'm still working on the back stitching, but I think THINK I can have to done by Friday, so I'm not gonna post the almost-but-not-quite-done pictures today. But there's plenty else. :)
Dyeing
Last week, I bought this fiber to dye:
It took going to three different grocery stores, but this week I managed to track down packets of Kool Aid!
I'm REALLY excited to try dyeing for the first time, though I'm not quite sure when I'm going to find the time. I'm HOPING I can do it before I leave on the road trip I'm planning - nearly a month on the road, starting next Tuesday - but I may not get to it. Still, his weekend, there is a chance... :)
Spinning the Cloud!
I've been spinning the lovely Loop Fiber Arts cloud that I bought last week.
I've got two singles almost ready to go, and maybe another ounce of fiber left. I'd really like to get this done sooner rather than later, but I'm so close to finishing the cross stitch that I've been doing that more. So hard to pick which project to focus on. ;) Still, I've got to finish this spinning before I leave, since I'm not bringing my wheel on the road trip (though it's tempting, very tempting...I'll probably bring my spindle...)
Using Old Spinning!
I've decided what I'm going to do with this:
...which I made a couple weeks ago. I'm going to make Eva's Shawl, which a friend pointed out to me. It'll be my first shawl, which is damn scary, but I think it's a really good project to bring on the already-repeatedly-mentioned road trip. ;)
Not a Work in Progress, But...
The most exciting, fun fiber related thing I've done this week was a meet up with other New York City Ravelry ladies! I've never met a group of folks in quite this situation, but we were all geeks, and we were all Ravelers, and we'd all participated in Nerd Wars at some point in the past. (In the foreground is my friend Jenny, who is also my neighbor, she taught me how to spin!)
We met at Panera, and they all knit, and I cross stitched, and indulged in a bread bowl, and it was great fun. :)
Check out what everyone else is up to over on Tami's Amis and Other Creations blog!
Dyeing
Last week, I bought this fiber to dye:
It took going to three different grocery stores, but this week I managed to track down packets of Kool Aid!
I'm REALLY excited to try dyeing for the first time, though I'm not quite sure when I'm going to find the time. I'm HOPING I can do it before I leave on the road trip I'm planning - nearly a month on the road, starting next Tuesday - but I may not get to it. Still, his weekend, there is a chance... :)
Spinning the Cloud!
I've been spinning the lovely Loop Fiber Arts cloud that I bought last week.
I've got two singles almost ready to go, and maybe another ounce of fiber left. I'd really like to get this done sooner rather than later, but I'm so close to finishing the cross stitch that I've been doing that more. So hard to pick which project to focus on. ;) Still, I've got to finish this spinning before I leave, since I'm not bringing my wheel on the road trip (though it's tempting, very tempting...I'll probably bring my spindle...)
Using Old Spinning!
I've decided what I'm going to do with this:
...which I made a couple weeks ago. I'm going to make Eva's Shawl, which a friend pointed out to me. It'll be my first shawl, which is damn scary, but I think it's a really good project to bring on the already-repeatedly-mentioned road trip. ;)
Not a Work in Progress, But...
The most exciting, fun fiber related thing I've done this week was a meet up with other New York City Ravelry ladies! I've never met a group of folks in quite this situation, but we were all geeks, and we were all Ravelers, and we'd all participated in Nerd Wars at some point in the past. (In the foreground is my friend Jenny, who is also my neighbor, she taught me how to spin!)
We met at Panera, and they all knit, and I cross stitched, and indulged in a bread bowl, and it was great fun. :)
Check out what everyone else is up to over on Tami's Amis and Other Creations blog!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Work in Progress Wednesday, 2/15/2012
Well, I fell behind in my blogging the last couple weeks. I wish I could say I had a good reason, but the simple truth is that I haven't been doing much crafting, but I HAVE been spending a lot of time trying to get my head screwed back on straight. All in all, it's been a rough month and a half, but I'm really starting to feel like myself again, and with that - slowly but surely - has come a return to a desire to craft. Along with that, I'm taking a new approach to this blog. I will post three times a week, period. On Wednesdays, I'll talk about my current projects. On Friday, I'll talk about anything I've finished, and also just whatever other fiber-craft I feel like discussing, and on Sunday, I'll do a post about photography. I may do other posts occasionally on other stuff, but the goal is: three posts a week. I think, by not making it an "every day" optional thing and instead focusing on a "regularly scheduled" thing, it'll work better for the way that I approach work. ;)
I think it's one of those really hard things, as a crafter, to acknowledge and accept that sometimes we just don't feel like crafting, and that that doesn't mean that there is something wrong with us, or that we've failed, or that we're letting anyone down. It's a tough thing to accept, though - I know I tend to feel like, well, as long as I've got two hands with which I can keep doing this stuff, I ought to ALWAYS want to do it. But I don't. And I'm really focusing on telling myself that that's OKAY! ;)
Anyway, there are a few work-in-progress going on!
Paint Chip Collage
Last month, I got my bathroom repainted, which meant I had to go to Benjamin Moore. I decided ahead of time that I'd have some fun with it, and pick up some paint chips to play with. At first, I went about it in my usual systematic way (I should take one of each chip!) but then...no, I told myself, let's just RELAX, and have fun with it! So I grabbed every sample that appealed to me. Then, when I'd done that, I went through again and pulled out ones that I really, really loved. At the time, I was planning to do a rainbow waterfall with the chips, but now I have a different plan. In the next day or two, I hope to execute it (though I've noticed that I've been putting it off...I think the prospect intimidates me, what if I do a bad job, as if I have any one's standards to live up to but my own...wait, my own are stupidly high! ;) ) ...but I don't want to spoil the surprise. I hope to have it ready to share by Friday...though it's entirely possible it'll end up being next Friday, instead. :)
Dragonfly and Water Lily Cross Stitch
I've made a LOT of progress on my dragonfly and water lily cross stitch. I've been taking it with me to all of my meetings of late, and because it's on 14 count Aida, and doesn't involve THAT many colors, it's been coming together very quickly. There was one day, last week, where I made two ENORMOUS mistakes, but I ended up deciding to leave them, because one of the beautiful things about a project like this? Unless I tell folks, no one will EVER know the difference. Can you spot them?
No?
Positive? :)
Well, one of the sections along the border, the whole thing is one row to the right of where it should be, and I had to make some other changes to not make it mess up stuff. That's the less obvious mistake. Can't imagine anyone would EVER notice. The other, well, it does look a little strange, but the stylized "stained glass" look hides it well - that lily pad on the bottom? I used the wrong shade of green for a rather large section of it. There was SUPPOSED to be another shade between the darker shade and the two lighter shades, but I goofed. But ya know what? Screw it. Just much too much to undo, so I went with it. :)
(close up on a section that DOESN'T have any massive mistakes. ;) It's a VERY simple pattern, but I do love the colors...
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
The other thing that I've been up to is that I'm still working my way through the Artist's Way, one chapter at a time, approximately one chapter per week (it's actually been taking more like 8 or 9 days per chapter, just fitting it in around my schedule). I can't say it's really "doing it" for me, but I've decided to keep at it because I do think I'm getting something out of it, if not as much as I want to. The further in I get, the more I've been modifying the program to suit my own needs. Earlier this week, I switched from writing my daily journal in the evening from writing it in the morning, and it's doing me a world of good. I wake up in the morning feeling fresh and ready, the issues of yesterday are out of my mind. When I write my journal in the morning, all I do is stir up all the mess first thing in the day, and it was leaving me feeling drained and sad. This way, I put everything to rest right before I go to bed, keep my thoughts from distracting me before trying to sleep, and wake up the next day with everything out of my mind. And I no longer get stuck setting an alarm for 4:30 AM so I have time to write before my earliest work days. Definitely a plus. :)
But in the end? My biggest objection to her remains her idea that creativity comes from an external source and flows through us. I don't think that AT ALL, and no amount of reading her work has yet convinced me. I feel so empowered because I believe that creativity is something WITHIN me, that all I have to do is let it have it's way, it's my own strength, my own abilities, my own empowerment. It's funny, because if I were asked to describe it I'd probably use very similar terms to Cameron - I could see someone telling me, "no, you're saying the same thing she is!" But I'm really not - she says that creativity comes from outside of us and we're just a conduit, and I say that creativity comes from deep within ourselves and is all our own. Still, I find her exercises interesting, so I'm going to keep at it, I think I can get SOMETHING out of it, and it's at least interesting stuff to think about. ;)
Read about what everyone else has been making this week, over on Tami's Ami and Crochet blog!!
I think it's one of those really hard things, as a crafter, to acknowledge and accept that sometimes we just don't feel like crafting, and that that doesn't mean that there is something wrong with us, or that we've failed, or that we're letting anyone down. It's a tough thing to accept, though - I know I tend to feel like, well, as long as I've got two hands with which I can keep doing this stuff, I ought to ALWAYS want to do it. But I don't. And I'm really focusing on telling myself that that's OKAY! ;)
Anyway, there are a few work-in-progress going on!
Paint Chip Collage
Last month, I got my bathroom repainted, which meant I had to go to Benjamin Moore. I decided ahead of time that I'd have some fun with it, and pick up some paint chips to play with. At first, I went about it in my usual systematic way (I should take one of each chip!) but then...no, I told myself, let's just RELAX, and have fun with it! So I grabbed every sample that appealed to me. Then, when I'd done that, I went through again and pulled out ones that I really, really loved. At the time, I was planning to do a rainbow waterfall with the chips, but now I have a different plan. In the next day or two, I hope to execute it (though I've noticed that I've been putting it off...I think the prospect intimidates me, what if I do a bad job, as if I have any one's standards to live up to but my own...wait, my own are stupidly high! ;) ) ...but I don't want to spoil the surprise. I hope to have it ready to share by Friday...though it's entirely possible it'll end up being next Friday, instead. :)
Dragonfly and Water Lily Cross Stitch
I've made a LOT of progress on my dragonfly and water lily cross stitch. I've been taking it with me to all of my meetings of late, and because it's on 14 count Aida, and doesn't involve THAT many colors, it's been coming together very quickly. There was one day, last week, where I made two ENORMOUS mistakes, but I ended up deciding to leave them, because one of the beautiful things about a project like this? Unless I tell folks, no one will EVER know the difference. Can you spot them?
No?
Positive? :)
Well, one of the sections along the border, the whole thing is one row to the right of where it should be, and I had to make some other changes to not make it mess up stuff. That's the less obvious mistake. Can't imagine anyone would EVER notice. The other, well, it does look a little strange, but the stylized "stained glass" look hides it well - that lily pad on the bottom? I used the wrong shade of green for a rather large section of it. There was SUPPOSED to be another shade between the darker shade and the two lighter shades, but I goofed. But ya know what? Screw it. Just much too much to undo, so I went with it. :)
(close up on a section that DOESN'T have any massive mistakes. ;) It's a VERY simple pattern, but I do love the colors...
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
The other thing that I've been up to is that I'm still working my way through the Artist's Way, one chapter at a time, approximately one chapter per week (it's actually been taking more like 8 or 9 days per chapter, just fitting it in around my schedule). I can't say it's really "doing it" for me, but I've decided to keep at it because I do think I'm getting something out of it, if not as much as I want to. The further in I get, the more I've been modifying the program to suit my own needs. Earlier this week, I switched from writing my daily journal in the evening from writing it in the morning, and it's doing me a world of good. I wake up in the morning feeling fresh and ready, the issues of yesterday are out of my mind. When I write my journal in the morning, all I do is stir up all the mess first thing in the day, and it was leaving me feeling drained and sad. This way, I put everything to rest right before I go to bed, keep my thoughts from distracting me before trying to sleep, and wake up the next day with everything out of my mind. And I no longer get stuck setting an alarm for 4:30 AM so I have time to write before my earliest work days. Definitely a plus. :)
But in the end? My biggest objection to her remains her idea that creativity comes from an external source and flows through us. I don't think that AT ALL, and no amount of reading her work has yet convinced me. I feel so empowered because I believe that creativity is something WITHIN me, that all I have to do is let it have it's way, it's my own strength, my own abilities, my own empowerment. It's funny, because if I were asked to describe it I'd probably use very similar terms to Cameron - I could see someone telling me, "no, you're saying the same thing she is!" But I'm really not - she says that creativity comes from outside of us and we're just a conduit, and I say that creativity comes from deep within ourselves and is all our own. Still, I find her exercises interesting, so I'm going to keep at it, I think I can get SOMETHING out of it, and it's at least interesting stuff to think about. ;)
Read about what everyone else has been making this week, over on Tami's Ami and Crochet blog!!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Quick Update!
I've been busy, but this blog ain't been forgotten! In fact, I'm changing my approach! From now on, I'll be posting regularly three times a week, every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Wednesday posts will focus on WIP, Friday's will focus on what I'm up to and what I've finished and what I'm planning, and Sunday will focus on photography. I think that, by getting this a bit more organized and a bit less haphazard, I'll be better about posting regularly. :) That's the hope, anyway!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Greece Photographs
It's been an interesting few days. I've come down sick, and I finished reading the book on Optimism that I was reading, and promptly moved on to a book my dad loaned me nearly a year ago - his copy of "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron. I'll admit to being VERY put off by the introduction, she spends a lot of energy on talking about how SHE views creativity, and it's just...not how I do, at all. Not even how I WANT to. It's not just the way she discusses God - I could get past that, she makes it clear that she understands that not everyone shares her religious beliefs, fine - it's her attitude that creativity is something that comes from outside of us and flows through us. I don't think that at all, and I actually find that discouraging. I think of creativity as something that resides within us that we learn to accept, channel, and encourage. What's interesting, though, and that I only just realized is that in the end, perhaps the process is okay - she's talking about "letting" our creativity happen, and that's definitely how I view it too, it's about getting out of my own way and letting that creativity that resides within me...out. Anyway, despite my differences of opinion about things thus far, I've decided to give it ago. She says do one chapter a week; I read the first chapter last night, and I started tackling the "activities" in the chapter today. It's gonna be work, and I imagine I'll write more about it as I go - already, having read the sample activities, I've realized some interesting things.
What have I done so far? Well, she talks about doing "morning papers." Basically, wake up, pick up a pen, and immediately write three pages. She says to take half an hour. First discovery: I write small and fast, so I can only write two pages in a half hour. And I don't want to take longer. So, I was a bit skeptical, but I did it this morning. Last night, I set a journal and pen next to my bed, and this morning, I just opened my eyes, flipped the light on...and wrote. And it was interesting. What I really noticed about it wasn't just that it cleared a lot of crap out of my head right off the bat, but that it was invigorating. It wasn't invigorating because of the crap getting cleared out; rather, it was invigorating because, having spent a half hour sitting in bed accomplishing what felt like virtually nothing, as soon as I was done I sprang out of bed and immediately stared getting things done, and I've been getting things done ever since. Found that very interesting, and if it's the least I accomplish, I'll go with it. But tomorrow, I think I'll set an alarm, I think, I hate feeling like I've frittered the morning away (though, having just written that, I just realized...I don't feel like I HAVE frittered the morning away, which is interesting too, and maybe because I've been up five hours and have already gotten a lot done...but I can't credit the Morning Pages with that, since this morning has been a mirror of yesterday morning, before I read that stuff.) ...anyway. Yes. A bit rambling today.
Anyway, the cumulative effect of everything that I'm working on is that, while I wouldn't say I'm feeling inspired, I'm definitely feeling okay about just doing what I'm up for. I don't feel like "I MUST!" or "I WILL!" but I do feel a sort of quiet, resigned feeling of "I CAN!" It's been building for the last three weeks, starting when I started playing with my photographs again, and...I still feel that way. Anyway, over the last three days, I've gotten through labeling three or four more sets of my Flickr photos, and pinned a handful more of my better photographs. They're still all from the Greece vacation in September.
Santorini
Do you know about Santorini? OMFG, I LOVED IT THERE! It was probably my favorite stop of the trip, except maybe Istanbul. I would LOVE to go back to Santorini and just relax there for a week or two. It was stunningly beautiful, and breathtaking. When I got back to the ship after my day there, I joked to my mom that CLEARLY, I have to become a geologist. The volcanic caldera that is Santorini CLEARLY needs to be extensively studied. Sure, there's always the chance that the volcano will erupt again, like it did 3,000 years ago, and blow us all to kingdom come, but in the interim, there's all that sunlight and beauty and hiking and SCIENCE to do. It'd be a sacrifice, to risk my life that way, but someone has to do it... :)
This is the first view I got of Santorini, coming out of the ship looking at the biggest city in the island cluster, called Fira. See that switch backed path? I climbed up and down that. Yeah, it was damn hard...
My main goal on Santorini was do a hike - I walked from Fira to Ia and back again, about 7.5 miles each way. I was REALLY happy when Ia finally came in to view...
It was very common to find small shrines with rocks stacked against them. I have no idea what the religious significance of this was, but it was neat...
There was a spit of land with a huge spire atop it that I decided to climb. Hundreds of years ago, the Venetians had built a castle on top of that spire, and the ruins are still there - it was mostly destroyed by earthquakes. The most fun/scariest/stimulating part was when I had to free-climb up the last 15 feet. I was going to chicken out, but there were a few other American tourists there too, and we all stared at it, and finally one by one we decided to take the chance. Alone, I wouldn't have done it, but I'm glad I did...
Like every where else I've been in Europe, graffiti was every where. I fell in love with this one - Love, To Be Announced. They'll get back to us when they've figured out whose name goes in the heart...
There was no where in Santorini where you looked and didn't see a breath-taking view.
Athens
The other set I labeled was the pictures I took in Athens. This was ONLY the "general" pictures, and doesn't include the Acropolis, museums, etc. It was mostly graffiti, actually.
Like this guy...
And graffiti-Cthulhu...
But the real highlight of these shots is this one:
I adore this shot. I think it's one of the best photographs I ever took. I remember when I was standing there I was even thinking, "if I get this shot the way I want it, it's going to be amazing." I took several minutes just looking at the statue, walking around it, taking a few shots...and it worked. It turned out just the way I hoped. And I love it. Thank god for all that sunlight!!
So...I've just got to keep it up! I'll write more about "The Artist's Way" as I go, and post more photographs. And I'm still doing other crafts - I just didn't make enough progress this week to think it'd make a very interesting post. Maybe by Friday. :)
What have I done so far? Well, she talks about doing "morning papers." Basically, wake up, pick up a pen, and immediately write three pages. She says to take half an hour. First discovery: I write small and fast, so I can only write two pages in a half hour. And I don't want to take longer. So, I was a bit skeptical, but I did it this morning. Last night, I set a journal and pen next to my bed, and this morning, I just opened my eyes, flipped the light on...and wrote. And it was interesting. What I really noticed about it wasn't just that it cleared a lot of crap out of my head right off the bat, but that it was invigorating. It wasn't invigorating because of the crap getting cleared out; rather, it was invigorating because, having spent a half hour sitting in bed accomplishing what felt like virtually nothing, as soon as I was done I sprang out of bed and immediately stared getting things done, and I've been getting things done ever since. Found that very interesting, and if it's the least I accomplish, I'll go with it. But tomorrow, I think I'll set an alarm, I think, I hate feeling like I've frittered the morning away (though, having just written that, I just realized...I don't feel like I HAVE frittered the morning away, which is interesting too, and maybe because I've been up five hours and have already gotten a lot done...but I can't credit the Morning Pages with that, since this morning has been a mirror of yesterday morning, before I read that stuff.) ...anyway. Yes. A bit rambling today.
Anyway, the cumulative effect of everything that I'm working on is that, while I wouldn't say I'm feeling inspired, I'm definitely feeling okay about just doing what I'm up for. I don't feel like "I MUST!" or "I WILL!" but I do feel a sort of quiet, resigned feeling of "I CAN!" It's been building for the last three weeks, starting when I started playing with my photographs again, and...I still feel that way. Anyway, over the last three days, I've gotten through labeling three or four more sets of my Flickr photos, and pinned a handful more of my better photographs. They're still all from the Greece vacation in September.
Santorini
Do you know about Santorini? OMFG, I LOVED IT THERE! It was probably my favorite stop of the trip, except maybe Istanbul. I would LOVE to go back to Santorini and just relax there for a week or two. It was stunningly beautiful, and breathtaking. When I got back to the ship after my day there, I joked to my mom that CLEARLY, I have to become a geologist. The volcanic caldera that is Santorini CLEARLY needs to be extensively studied. Sure, there's always the chance that the volcano will erupt again, like it did 3,000 years ago, and blow us all to kingdom come, but in the interim, there's all that sunlight and beauty and hiking and SCIENCE to do. It'd be a sacrifice, to risk my life that way, but someone has to do it... :)
This is the first view I got of Santorini, coming out of the ship looking at the biggest city in the island cluster, called Fira. See that switch backed path? I climbed up and down that. Yeah, it was damn hard...
My main goal on Santorini was do a hike - I walked from Fira to Ia and back again, about 7.5 miles each way. I was REALLY happy when Ia finally came in to view...
It was very common to find small shrines with rocks stacked against them. I have no idea what the religious significance of this was, but it was neat...
There was a spit of land with a huge spire atop it that I decided to climb. Hundreds of years ago, the Venetians had built a castle on top of that spire, and the ruins are still there - it was mostly destroyed by earthquakes. The most fun/scariest/stimulating part was when I had to free-climb up the last 15 feet. I was going to chicken out, but there were a few other American tourists there too, and we all stared at it, and finally one by one we decided to take the chance. Alone, I wouldn't have done it, but I'm glad I did...
Like every where else I've been in Europe, graffiti was every where. I fell in love with this one - Love, To Be Announced. They'll get back to us when they've figured out whose name goes in the heart...
There was no where in Santorini where you looked and didn't see a breath-taking view.
Athens
The other set I labeled was the pictures I took in Athens. This was ONLY the "general" pictures, and doesn't include the Acropolis, museums, etc. It was mostly graffiti, actually.
Like this guy...
And graffiti-Cthulhu...
But the real highlight of these shots is this one:
I adore this shot. I think it's one of the best photographs I ever took. I remember when I was standing there I was even thinking, "if I get this shot the way I want it, it's going to be amazing." I took several minutes just looking at the statue, walking around it, taking a few shots...and it worked. It turned out just the way I hoped. And I love it. Thank god for all that sunlight!!
So...I've just got to keep it up! I'll write more about "The Artist's Way" as I go, and post more photographs. And I'm still doing other crafts - I just didn't make enough progress this week to think it'd make a very interesting post. Maybe by Friday. :)
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Back on Track, Step by Step
It's funny, no matter how many times I go through this process, it's always so easy to forget that getting things done is a matter of taking it one step at a time. As soon as I let things accumulate - oh, I'm so far behind! oh, I have so much to do! oh, how could I have let so much time pass! - it gets overwhelming so fast, yet in the end, it's always as simple as just doing one thing.
One blog post, earlier this week, to own up to how far behind I've gotten.
One pattern, that I know is ready to go and be tested, now up in Free Pattern Testers here. I went with something recent - the scarf I made in September - but it's still a bit ambitious. I'm pretty busy, and it's my first knit pattern, and I'm really a crappy knitter still (though I'm getting better - I'm actually working on two knit projects right now!)
Once the testing is done on this, I'll be distributing this pattern for free, which gets me back on track in the area of releasing free patterns.
One day at a time, one thing at a time, I'm NOT going to give up on the dream of pulling off a craft business!
One blog post, earlier this week, to own up to how far behind I've gotten.
One pattern, that I know is ready to go and be tested, now up in Free Pattern Testers here. I went with something recent - the scarf I made in September - but it's still a bit ambitious. I'm pretty busy, and it's my first knit pattern, and I'm really a crappy knitter still (though I'm getting better - I'm actually working on two knit projects right now!)
Once the testing is done on this, I'll be distributing this pattern for free, which gets me back on track in the area of releasing free patterns.
One day at a time, one thing at a time, I'm NOT going to give up on the dream of pulling off a craft business!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
On Hiatus
Even though this blog has clearly been on hiatus, I've been strangely reluctant to go ahead and make a post to that effect. I have no idea why not. It's just been a crazy fall - though, I'm happy to say, mostly not in bad ways. After a rough spring and summer, I'm still busy with work, but I've also got some good things going on in my life. I'm still playing Nerd Wars like always, and being captain of a team keeps me pretty occupied. I'm modding for the Free Pattern Testers group on Ravelry, also, and keep assuming more duties. I've been traveling a lot, I've been working a lot, I've been trying to take more time with the dog, and to keep up my other responsibilities, and I've recently gotten in to a long distance relationship which is making me very happy, but also eating it's fair share of my time.
Something always falls through the cracks, and the last six months or so I guess I can't deny that that has been the craft business, and by extension this blog. I'm not gone - I'm still making things - but I don't just want my blog to be week after week of WIP Wednesday and FO Friday. So, while I figure out just what I'm doing with all this craft stuff - specifically, how can I find the time to get my patterns and such out there while still doing everything else that I'm supposed to do? - this blog has been on the sidelines.
It's not going to last long. It's surely a sign that I'm moving forward that I'm even making the hiatus post, and what's funny about it is that it's coming even as I'm expecting to break through my inertia - today, for the first time in ages, I looked at my to-do list and realized...I'm not late on ANYTHING for work right now. Oh, I've got things in progress, and a few things that are behind where they should be, but there's nothing that is waiting entirely on me that I look and think, "crap, I should have done that yesterday...or last week..." So, looking at Thursday, my next day in the office, I've decided: I'll do the work that has to be done, maybe a couple hours, and then I'm going to get organized on some pattern stuff. I've got two patterns written up that just needs some photographs before it can be tested, and I've got others that need to be prioritized, written up nicely, and then re-made by me. I know that, just as in all things, I just need to crack through the being frozen and start doing it regularly again - not every day, but often - and all will be well.
I'm looking forward to getting to share some actual honest to god progress again. Until then, I hope all of you are having a good year. :)
Something always falls through the cracks, and the last six months or so I guess I can't deny that that has been the craft business, and by extension this blog. I'm not gone - I'm still making things - but I don't just want my blog to be week after week of WIP Wednesday and FO Friday. So, while I figure out just what I'm doing with all this craft stuff - specifically, how can I find the time to get my patterns and such out there while still doing everything else that I'm supposed to do? - this blog has been on the sidelines.
It's not going to last long. It's surely a sign that I'm moving forward that I'm even making the hiatus post, and what's funny about it is that it's coming even as I'm expecting to break through my inertia - today, for the first time in ages, I looked at my to-do list and realized...I'm not late on ANYTHING for work right now. Oh, I've got things in progress, and a few things that are behind where they should be, but there's nothing that is waiting entirely on me that I look and think, "crap, I should have done that yesterday...or last week..." So, looking at Thursday, my next day in the office, I've decided: I'll do the work that has to be done, maybe a couple hours, and then I'm going to get organized on some pattern stuff. I've got two patterns written up that just needs some photographs before it can be tested, and I've got others that need to be prioritized, written up nicely, and then re-made by me. I know that, just as in all things, I just need to crack through the being frozen and start doing it regularly again - not every day, but often - and all will be well.
I'm looking forward to getting to share some actual honest to god progress again. Until then, I hope all of you are having a good year. :)
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Work in Progress Wednesday - 8/31/2011
Well, I'm back! And back for real, now. It's been a rough month with some amazing highs and lows. I've been super busy since I got back from all the traveling, though, catching up on both work, craft and personal stuff, so I've let a lot of days get away from me.
The highest high was that I got to see a lot of my wonderful friends and spend lots of time with them, celebrate and help put in place a wedding, sip afternoon tea, and generally love my family and the people who might as well be my family. The lowest low is that on August 19th, my 93-year-old grandfather passed away. He's been a fixture in my whole life, always present and supportive and generous. I won't say he was a saint, cause he wasn't at all, but he was my Poppop, and it doesn't yet feel real that he wouldn't be there if I called.
As for WIP, well, I think I'M the WIP this week. It's been a busy one for crafting, and I've got...er...I think four or five FO for Friday (some are older that I just haven't gotten around to posting). This week is more about planning. Today is the last day of the third round of the second Nerd Wars tournament - and the last day of the tournament as a whole! Which means September is a free month, and I can start planning for the future. The big plan is this one:
I'm gonna make that blanket, except I'm going to do so in shades of black and rainbow as my contrasting colors. I'm planning to do it in Red Heart, with the thought that if I do it out of less expensive materials, I'll feel no compunction about ACTUALLY USING IT, even with the knowledge that my dog will lie on my bed and potentially damage it. :) I'm gonna buy the materials today...
Another plan is to actually mobilize and get some craft business WORK done. Man, have I been slacking all summer! Throughout the fall, I'm going to make the second drafts and publish the patterns for various things like my starfish, my roly poly king, the fox, and more.
Well, it's not much to share, but it's been that kinda month. Friday will be more interesting, with all my recent finished projects.
Join in on the fun over at Work in Progress Wednesday on Tami's Amis and Other Creations Blog!
The highest high was that I got to see a lot of my wonderful friends and spend lots of time with them, celebrate and help put in place a wedding, sip afternoon tea, and generally love my family and the people who might as well be my family. The lowest low is that on August 19th, my 93-year-old grandfather passed away. He's been a fixture in my whole life, always present and supportive and generous. I won't say he was a saint, cause he wasn't at all, but he was my Poppop, and it doesn't yet feel real that he wouldn't be there if I called.
As for WIP, well, I think I'M the WIP this week. It's been a busy one for crafting, and I've got...er...I think four or five FO for Friday (some are older that I just haven't gotten around to posting). This week is more about planning. Today is the last day of the third round of the second Nerd Wars tournament - and the last day of the tournament as a whole! Which means September is a free month, and I can start planning for the future. The big plan is this one:
I'm gonna make that blanket, except I'm going to do so in shades of black and rainbow as my contrasting colors. I'm planning to do it in Red Heart, with the thought that if I do it out of less expensive materials, I'll feel no compunction about ACTUALLY USING IT, even with the knowledge that my dog will lie on my bed and potentially damage it. :) I'm gonna buy the materials today...
Another plan is to actually mobilize and get some craft business WORK done. Man, have I been slacking all summer! Throughout the fall, I'm going to make the second drafts and publish the patterns for various things like my starfish, my roly poly king, the fox, and more.
Well, it's not much to share, but it's been that kinda month. Friday will be more interesting, with all my recent finished projects.
Join in on the fun over at Work in Progress Wednesday on Tami's Amis and Other Creations Blog!
Monday, August 15, 2011
Don't Bury Me....
Hey readers, I just wanted to put up a brief note that I'm still around and stuff, but things are too crazy right now for words. I went directly from a fun thing (Gencon!) to a not fun thing (work conference in Washington DC!) to a fun thing (one of my closest friends weddings!) to a really not fun thing (my grandfather has pneumonia, has been sent home from the hospital and is receiving hospice care). Toss in that I have a major, unavoidable, has-to-be-done-and-I'm-the-only-one-who-can-do-it work deadline on Friday and another on the 31st, and you can see why my blog hasn't been getting much updating! I haven't been crafting much anyway, when I finish work and I'm not spending my time with people I just don't have any energy left for anything (I spent an hour yesterday lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling, singing along with my iPhone...yeah...)
But there's more to come! I've really been thinking hard the last couple weeks about what I want out of my crafting time, and I'll be re-aligning my priorities to start getting more patterns out again, cause I've really let that slide. I'll still be doing all my Rav stuff, too, I'll just be changing my approach. :)
One of the things I love about life is that I know that no matter how good or bad things are at any given time, there are both better and worse times ahead, and that's amazing...
But there's more to come! I've really been thinking hard the last couple weeks about what I want out of my crafting time, and I'll be re-aligning my priorities to start getting more patterns out again, cause I've really let that slide. I'll still be doing all my Rav stuff, too, I'll just be changing my approach. :)
One of the things I love about life is that I know that no matter how good or bad things are at any given time, there are both better and worse times ahead, and that's amazing...
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Work In Progress Wednesday - 6/15/2011
Ugh. I've had the kind of day - and the kind of week - that leaves the gas tank on empty. So, short and sweet this week.
Nerd Wars Dissertation
I've finished the spinning for my Nerd Wars dissertation, and went on to the swatch. I got enough done to demonstrate what I have in mind for the "feather" part of it. It took a few tries to get it the way I wanted, and it's a slow construction process anyway, but I'm pretty happy with it. (reminder: I'm making a shawl inspired by angel (feathers) and demons (webs)).
Bleeding Hearts Trim
A week from today, I leave for Origins, a gaming convention in Columbus, Ohio. While there, I'll be participating in a LARP (live action role playing game) in which the characters are in an asylum in the 1840s. I have a whole plan for my character, so I'll be making the costume over the weekend - specifically, I'll be making this:
The one on the right. I've actually already made the one on the left, and I wore it for Halloween in 2006, along with my room mate we were Eleanor and Maryanne Dashwood, from Sense and Sensibility.
I'm on the right in this one. I <3 this costume, and still have it, but it's too nice to wear for the asylum game, so I'll be making it again out of cheap materials that I have around in the house. However, there was a Nerd Wars challenge that I wanted to make lace for, and I thought it would be nice to make trim for my dress. I had some thin yarn around that my mom bought literally before I was born (it's from sometime in the 70s as far as either of us know...though she might be misremembering...) and I have just about the right amount to make the 12 yards that I'll need to do the sleeves, neckline, and base of the skirt. I've made somewhere around 7 or 8 yards so far.
Hope to finish soon.
Don't miss everyone elses awesome work over on Tamis Ami and Other Crochet blog!
Nerd Wars Dissertation
I've finished the spinning for my Nerd Wars dissertation, and went on to the swatch. I got enough done to demonstrate what I have in mind for the "feather" part of it. It took a few tries to get it the way I wanted, and it's a slow construction process anyway, but I'm pretty happy with it. (reminder: I'm making a shawl inspired by angel (feathers) and demons (webs)).
Bleeding Hearts Trim
A week from today, I leave for Origins, a gaming convention in Columbus, Ohio. While there, I'll be participating in a LARP (live action role playing game) in which the characters are in an asylum in the 1840s. I have a whole plan for my character, so I'll be making the costume over the weekend - specifically, I'll be making this:
The one on the right. I've actually already made the one on the left, and I wore it for Halloween in 2006, along with my room mate we were Eleanor and Maryanne Dashwood, from Sense and Sensibility.
I'm on the right in this one. I <3 this costume, and still have it, but it's too nice to wear for the asylum game, so I'll be making it again out of cheap materials that I have around in the house. However, there was a Nerd Wars challenge that I wanted to make lace for, and I thought it would be nice to make trim for my dress. I had some thin yarn around that my mom bought literally before I was born (it's from sometime in the 70s as far as either of us know...though she might be misremembering...) and I have just about the right amount to make the 12 yards that I'll need to do the sleeves, neckline, and base of the skirt. I've made somewhere around 7 or 8 yards so far.
Hope to finish soon.
Don't miss everyone elses awesome work over on Tamis Ami and Other Crochet blog!
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