Sleepy Weasel Studio

An appeal for peace, by George Takei

2011-12-11T21:35:00.002-05:00

2011-12-10T14:54:00.002-05:00

That is all.

I Blame Marvin

2011-08-20T14:21:00.003-04:00

Yikes! Six months?!? Wow.... I can explain, really.

My contracts with AT&T were all expired, so as per their usual, they started offering upgrades and bribes to renew my contracts. After a bit of consideration, it appeared I could switch my internet package, end up with wi-fi at the house, and receive a better rate AND a batch of credits and gift cards. So far so good.

Until the gift cards came.

I had been eyeing an e-reader for some time, and had decided on a Nook for a variety of reasons, so off I went to my local B&N to obtain portable books, PDF's, and all kinds of stuff. (Honestly, with the added memory chip, I've got over 200 books, most LARGE ones and a stack of knitting patterns, plus some music on there and still have better than 95% memory left.) I named him Marvin, after the paranoid android from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy , since in my head I could hear him grumbling "Here I am, brain the size of a planet, and what does she ask me to do? Marvin, can you fetch me some Jane Austen? Marvin, are they handing out free cookies at the cafe this week?"

Small problem. Now I'm spending quality time with Marvin when I'm at home instead of internetting - it's just so darn easy when they give you a free book every Friday, a lot of the classics are available for free and even more are available in huge "Complete Works" compendiums for between a dollar or two.

There's still stuff going on, (potentially some exciting things). Hopefully now that I've caught up a bit on my reading I'll get a few more updates in.

Update on No Updates

2011-02-17T18:46:00.001-05:00

I have been working on things, and even have a few things to post, but for anyone who didn't hear, my little Elf passed away February 3rd. I went down to give everyone dinner and he just never woke up from his nap. I'm trying to take consolation that he went quietly and peacefully, but still...it just hasn't left me in a mind frame to do updates. Hopefully will manage some in a few days. Thanks to everyone who had offered condolences, they are appreciated.

One Down

2011-01-23T15:31:00.004-05:00

Tally for this week - one scarf done. It's an infinity scarf (big looped scarf you can wrap around a couple of times, if you haven't seen them). This makes 1 scarf down, 10 to go, 11 shawls to go and 15 stitching to go. No problem, right? (Delusional? Why, yes I am. It's still early in the year!)

Off to a Good Start

2011-01-16T12:51:00.001-05:00

Well, 15 days and 15 cross stitch projects started. There's an assortment in there of linen samplers, regular aida cross stitch, stamped cross stitch and embellished cross stitch (that's the one where they basically print a picture on the cloth and you highlight it with stitches). Now let's see how this goes. I'm really REALLY good at starting, let's see how much I can get finished in 2011.

And just in case anyone had the fleeting thought I may have stopped there, I signed up for an 11 scarf challenge. OK, so not much of a challenge as I already had at least 11 scarves I wanted to knit up, or that were already in PIG status. Oh well, scarves are fast, right? (Now that I've tempted fate, watch for updates on just how bad a scarf can be!)

New Year - New Insanity

2011-01-02T14:24:00.003-05:00

The impossible was accomplished in 2010 - I completed the 10 in 2010 shawl challenge, one of 399 out of thousands who started who succeeded. Abendwind, Wintersturm, Colonnade, Lady of the Forest, Citron, Ruffled Shawl, Kartoffelfeur, Traveling Woman, Wuestenhimmel, and Adamas all got done by end of the year.

Now, far be it from me to rest on my laurels (or leftover yarn, or patiently waiting stash projects, or...well, you get the idea). I immediately jumped into the 11 in 2011 (same idea, just add one shawl to the mix) AND as if that weren't enough insanity, signed up for the Winter Insanity Stitch Challenge (the site is in Finnish, so you'll need to run it through the translator of your choice). The object of this one? Start one stitching project every day for the first 15 days of the year, then try to finish them all by the end of the year.

I DO have some realization of my limitations, so I'm not actually expecting to finish this one during the year (especially as a lot of the things patiently waiting in my stitching stash are BIG projects), but I do know that once started, a project will get finished eventually. (5 - 10 years is still finished! Eventually!) I'm also taking this as an opportunity to expand my horizons a bit from the basic aida cloth and stamped cross stitch to Real Cross Stitch Samplers on Real Linen Fabric (A lovely 1854 Danish sampler reproduction was yesterday's start - with a special thanks to my friend Jackie for the hand-holding to get me started on Real Grown Up Stitching!)

I'll add pictures at some point, but right now have the printer hooked up, and I'm still on the back up computer that only has 1 port. I can have either printer, or camera, but not both at the same time. I may wait until I've got everything started for the 15 days, then post a mass picture so I don't have to do so much flailing and cable swapping (trust me, Me + Electronics = Ugly Situation Fast!)

Here's to a new year filled with new opportunities and growth for everyone (I'm NOT going to say challenges - everyone I know had a 2010 TOO full of "challenges" of the bad kind!) Now get out there and try something impossible! You just might do it by the end of the year!

Knitted Christmas

2010-12-27T19:06:00.003-05:00

Since the finances are tight due to the whole out of work thing, it was a knitted Christmas all around - on top of finishing the 10 in 10 challenge, and some ghost knitting. Even the ferrets are looking at me like I've gone round the bend. BUT everyone was happy with their gifts! (I got all but one pair of socks done, and those needed to be checked as I was warned about this particular designer running small halfway through the first sock!)

It sounds a bit like a knitters 12 days of Christmas - 6 fingerless gloves (three pair), 2 internet deities, 1 pair of slippers, 1 hat, and a pair of socks to finish. Oh and gifts that need to be mailed, which may or may not be finished yet.

What? Internet deities? Yes, that would be courtesy of my son. Flying Spaghetti Monster is fairly standard, but Pretazlcoatl is a new one he created "The saltiest deity I've ever made up" to be exact.

I'll try to get the 10 in 10 final tally up between now and the first of the year, as well as the "That's it, this time you've REALLY lost it!" challenges for 2011!

Award Winning Knitter!

2010-11-04T19:14:00.003-04:00

Well, I got brave this year and decided to enter my knitting in the Jacksonville Fair. I figured after having yarn in Pluckyfluff's exhibit in Lillehammer earlier this year, which allowed me to call myself an "Internationally Exhibited Fiber Artist" I might as well go for "Award Winning" as well.

I didn't expect this!

I entered a total of 13 items, 12 of which got ribbons - 5 first place, 3 second place, 2 third place and 2 honorable mentions. The shawl in the picture is my Wintersturm, the first one I finished this year for the 10 in 2010 shawl challenge. Not only did it get a blue ribbon, it went on to get Best in Show for the knitting category!

I'm thinking it's something to do with our LYS. Everyone who entered from there got ribbons - and not just in knitting - we had winners in photography and jewelry making too! Have to love having a supportive, creative environment! (speaking of which, special thanks to Jennifer and her I-phone for photos when I went off and forgot my camera.) Now for everyone who didn't enter this year - step up for next year. Knitting, quilting, stitching, painting - you all know you're out there. Bring it on!

Ghost Knitters in the Sky

2010-10-17T17:12:00.002-04:00

Well, OK, maybe not technically in the sky, unless you count that I knit upstairs a lot, or that the items in question are hung up. Since being laid up/out of work due to chronic illness issues, I've been having problems with feeling a bit useless. I can't work, can't do a lot of the things I used to enjoy doing due to physical limitations, and some days can't even manage basic household cleaning and cooking.

Fortunately for me, the life of a sole owner LYS is hectic, so I've been helping out my LYS owner a bit by doing a few small items that are put on loan for display. She gets items up that she doesn't have time to do, I get to do something and feel productive, so it's a win-win all the way around. Three of the 10 in 10 shawls are up there, and most recently I've done the pictured scarf and bag.

Hey, it keeps me happy and off the street and out of bars, as they say!

Catching up

2010-10-10T14:43:00.004-04:00

A while back I posted about the felted bangles that were a fairly successful experiment with felt club, so here they are (finally).

Still working on the 10 in 10 shawl challenge - I'm actually up to 8 done (only 7 photographed, but here are the ones I have up so far)

Traveling Woman shawl (my version is the Traveling Artist) done in Art Walk sock yarn Le Pont Japonais a Giverny by Claude Monet.

Kartoffelfeuer- another Windsbraut out of Zauberball sock yarn.

Lots more to add, but that's all I'm up to for one day. Stay tuned!

Angel Meets Doc

2010-09-30T17:39:00.003-04:00

As I've mentioned before, I'm lucky enough to live in a town with access to the vet who literally wrote the book on ferrets. Angel had her first visit with Dr. Rossi today. She's been proclaimed healthy, except for a bit of anemia, a few ear mites and being terribly thin. Dr. Rossi agreed that this, along with the hair loss are the result of fleas, stress and malnutrition rather than any disease. All her organs are good, no internal parasites, swollen lymph nodes or other problems. She was sent home with some drops for her ears and an iron supplement to help boost her up faster.

The big surprise however - turns out that she is NOT a baby! Based on her teeth, Dr. Rossi estimates she's about 3! (He said she could possibly be a bit younger and just have some excessive wear due to her conditions, but still no younger than 2 or 2 1/2!) She only weighed in at 1 pound 7 ounces - and while she'll gain weight, it seems she is just an extremely petite little flower of ferret femininity!

I'm still willing to bet that once she's gained a bit more weight and energy she's going to give the boys what-for!

Do You Believe in Miracles?

2010-09-26T10:50:00.001-04:00

Since losing my little Finn Tuesday, I've been forcing myself to try to maintain some semblance of normalcy - going to knit night, going to the quilt show, etc. Saturday, after sleeping in a bit (quilt show did me in) I straggled up to the knit shop where the usual group was in and out. Nothing out of the ordinary unless you count that I'm sitting there feeling rather blah. Until Mary left.

Now there was nothing extraordinary about Mary's departure, she was going home, I think she said she had plans with her husband. A short while later, however, the shop phone rang. I wasn't paying much attention until Kathe was standing next to me saying "Here, I'll let you talk to her". Mary was on the phone. "I know it may be too soon, but I wanted to call you..." Her neighbor across the street had a stray ferret in their yard!

I rushed home, grabbed the crate, a baggie of ferret food and some treats and headed over. Mary led me across the street to where her neighbor was waiting. There, next to the bowl of cat food, was a thin, weak, dehydrated baby girl ferret! The poor thing had fleas, and had lost a good bit of the fur from her back, so she had been on her own for a while. From the way she shakes when she's first picked up, I suspect maybe she fled from a not-so-good home life.

She's been named Angel, and everyone seems to agree that somehow Finn had a paw in bringing us together. Right now Angel (and her remaining fleas which we're working on getting rid of!) is quarantined upstairs until she gets a bit stronger. Food is disappearing at a rapid rate, and she's already made tremendous progress - her eyes are brighter and she can make almost a full circuit of the bathroom without falling over.

Do you believe in miracles? I do.

And then there were three

2010-09-21T07:01:00.003-04:00

At 12:33 this morning, my little Finn, my Finny McFinnweezul, my well-behaved gentleman ferret scampered across the Rainbow Bridge to freedom. May you have a neverending supply of places to stash snacks little buddy. There's an empty ferret house in my living room and an empty place in my heart.

Drive-by Update

2010-06-13T09:32:00.001-04:00

Well my computer is still not wanting to upload photos. In fact, it wouldn't even recognize my camera yesterday, so no photos with the update, but here's what's been happening in Weasel Land.

Finished shawl number six for the 10 in 10 challenge. This one is Traveling Woman in a lovely blue/green mix sock yarn. Lots more on the needles - and the original list has been completely thrown out the window. Too many new and shiny things grabbing my attention!

Forgot to mention in the last update that I made some really neat felted bangle bracelets at Felt Club. I used upholstery cording as the base, then wrapped in wool and embellished with novelty fibers and wool shapes.

AND (drumroll please) I'm working on an original requested piece. I'm not calling it a commission, since this is for a friend, but it's a step in that direction! Woohoo!

When/if the computer decides to cooperate, I'll come back and load pictures of everything!

Please Stand By

2010-05-21T22:49:00.006-04:00

No, I haven't dropped off the face of the Earth, but my computer is Not Well At All. I can only sporadically access the internet, with varying success at different pages. Pictures are even worse. Tonight is the first time in a little over a month I have been able to access and upload pics. Hopefully that will last long enough to get some up with this!

Still plugging along on lots of mixed media, still on track with the 10 in 10 challenge. I haven't finished the shawl I wanted to use for this month, but theoretically still could.

In the meantime, I have finished one (which is on display at my LYS, along with my Abendwind shawl!)

I also finished the first set of socks from the sock club my LYS is doing this year. The second are on the needles, the third are not released yet.

More updates as things are finished, or as the cranky, ancient, computer allows. (Yes, that old. My son was traumatized when he realized how little RAM it had while he was trying to work on it for me. Then he realized it still had a serial port. I think he's still twitching over that one!)

P.S. Looks like the computer has locked up trying to add the picture of the shawl. Sigh. Hopefully can edit it in soon.

P.P.S. Fixed. Scary that the computer is working this well tonight. It must be plotting...

2010-04-20T12:17:00.002-04:00

Still Hanging in There

2010-04-18T12:04:00.002-04:00

Scary as it is, I'm still on track with the 10 in 2010 challenge. I know a lot of you have already seen this, either in person, or on Ravelry, but here's the documentation for posterity.

Shawl number four for April, Abendwind. Once again knit in Zauberball sock yarn (yep, sock yarn! It's not just for socks anymore!) Now off to see if I can catch up on some WIPs. (Yes, scary as it is, I might finish some stuff too!)

The Giant Skein is Live!

2010-04-09T13:52:00.003-04:00

Here's the video from Pluckyfluff of the final twisting of the giant yarn skein! Final tally was over 10.5 MILES of yarn, and weighing in at over 70 pounds. Wow! If you've ever tried to twist or untwist a simple 400 yard skein of sock yarn, you can appreciate what this entailed!

When Yarn Goes Bad

2010-04-06T12:26:00.002-04:00

See that? There I was, knitting away on my April shawl for the 10 in 10 challenge, minding my own business, when I look up and see THAT! The yarn is putting its tongue out at me! Really, the cheek of it! You'd think it would be pleased, as this is becoming quite a pretty shawl, but Nooooo, not this yarn. Harumph. Story of my life.

Giant Yarn Skein in Progress

2010-04-05T11:25:00.003-04:00

Remember the giant yarn skein I sent yarn to Pluckyfluff for? It's being wound preparatory to being sent off to Lillehammer! Here's the video - this is actually a re-wind, as there was an underestimation on the first winding, resulting in a short, stumpy skein. Truly impressive!

Three for Three

2010-03-30T21:37:00.003-04:00

With a whole DAY to spare this month, I've completed another shawl. That's three months, three shawls.

Seven still to go though, but only one more big one after last months Adamas shawl.

In another month or two, I should have enough evidence to get away with anything by pleading insanity, right?

In Which I Go 3-D

2010-03-23T15:30:00.005-04:00

I'm not quite sure why I've been creating Goddess type female forms lately. A few weeks back my Felt Club project of a jointed doll took on definitely Goddess-like proportions, now this.

Tentatively I've titled her "Antiquity". She has the appearance of an aged artifact, created by gold leaf paint and patina spray over paper clay on the torso, and gold leaf and patina over collaged Latin text on the base, both with a smudging of walnut ink to stain and age it a bit. The gold leaf left the tiniest bit of raised texture, so when the patina sank into the paper clay it really gives a pitted appearance that doesn't show well in photography.

This makes collage/mixed media on canvas and mixed media sculpture that I've, if not conquered, at least made a decent showing in. Next up - more knitting (I'm still plugging away on the 10 in 2010 shawl challenge) and some assemblage/junk art. Unless of course something manages to distra.....Oooooh, shiny, looky!

Age Old Question in Mixed Media

2010-03-13T18:59:00.011-05:00

"But is it Art?" This is a question many people have faced, but seems to be especially predominant to those practicing "non-traditional" art forms. You created an art quilt? "But is it really art? Isn't it just sewing?" You designed and knitted a lovely lace pattern "But isn't that just a craft?" You work in mixed media, collage, and found object art - "But what is it?"

It doesn't matter. Art is anything that comes from your soul, or speaks to your heart. It's not limited to guys who died long ago, or people who attended fancy art schools. It's creating something that has never existed before, something that brings beauty into the world, joy into peoples lives, or makes them stop and think for a moment about the world around them.

The answer is in the second half of the canvas "What is Art?" Really, do any of us know? Does it really matter?

Your turn. Go create something that reminds you of this, and put it on the wall where you can see it.

Just in Time - and Eight to Go

2010-02-28T20:22:00.002-05:00

The 10 in 2010 challenge is based on Oslo, Norway time, which means a midnight deadline is 6 p.m. here. My February entry is Adamas, a free pattern from Ravelry, knit in a yummy alpaca/silk blend. It's times like this I wish the internet had a "touch-o-vision" feature, so everyone could see just how soft and fluffy this yarn is in the finished shawl.

I finished it a little after 5 p.m. and put on blocking wires and logged it on Ravelry at 5:22 this afternoon. (Well, the final logging was a bit later, due to the fact that my computer decided it hates me.) Yes, cut this one a little bit close. Fortunately the Mmario Mmystery Shawl is almost halfway done. With any luck March should be a little less hectic.

Further Proof I've Lost It

2010-02-25T10:28:00.006-05:00

This is the Hylym shawl. Named Hylym for "Have You Lost Your Mind". This is my first "original" design (I use the quotes, because the edging came from a knitting stitch pattern book, so it was more of an original assembly than original design). It's knit in size 8 perle cotton on size 0000 needles. No, that's not a typo. That really is 4 zeros.

I think it turned out pretty well. The quarter gives you some idea of the insanity of the scale here. The ruffle is definitely cute - enough so I've contemplated tackling a full sized version for me. Please note, if I see men in white coats, I will not answer the door, I will just send my furry minions out to surround them and demand chickenses in adorable little ferret voices until they expire from the cute.

Now off to finish February's contribution to the 10 in 2010 madness...

Calling All Spinners!

2010-02-14T16:40:00.002-05:00

Are you a spinner? Or even a wanna-be spinner? Do you have bits and bobs of fiber waiting to be spun, but no idea what to make from it? Have you always wanted to be exhibited in a fine art gallery?

Weird as it seems, yes, those questions DO go together! Pluckyfluff is coordinating an art show in Lillehammer that encompasses the work of fiber artists world wide. As part of this, she is assembling a gigantic skein of handspun yarn to be included in the exhibit. Information on requirements and where to send your yarn is on her blog. She is willing to accept multiple skeins, but time is short - submissions need to be to her by March 1.

Now get out there and get spinning! It's your (and all of our!) chance to show what fiber artists can do!

One Down, Nine to Go

2010-01-17T09:59:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned last week, I signed up for the "10 in 2010" shawl challenge. Frighteningly enough, I'm on track so far. This is the Windsbraut, Wintersturm, started January 1st Oslo, Norway time, which was 6 pm December 31st my time, finished January 16th my time.

Just because it's done, doesn't mean it was drama free. About six rows from the end, I realized that I am still knitting huge for some reason (see the previous debacle with the FAO beret), and was going to run out of yarn. Fortunately I was able to not only locate some more, but locate some locally through Ravelry's stash options. Final tally, the first ball ran out 3 1/2 rows from the end. Yikes! If I had had to rip the whole thing out and reknit on smaller needles - well, let's just say it wouldn't have been pretty.

This puts my tally at 1 small completed, 2 large in progress, and 7 to start. Oh yeah, and all those UFO's haunting me. Yikes. Just keep knitting.....

I Have Already Lost My Mind for the Year

2010-01-10T09:58:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's true. Right off the bat, I've gone ahead and gotten the "I've gone completely bonkers" out of the way for the year.

Someone started a challenge group on Ravelry called "10 in 2010". The goal is to knit 10 shawls during 2010. Minimum size is 250 meters for 8 of them, and 500 meters for 2 of them. Now, of course, I'm not one to go look for patterns that just qualify so I can get this done. Noooooo....I go ahead and pull 10 out of my PIGS to plan for the year. I did have enough sense to include the smaller ones in there (which for me means around 400 yards). There are still 4 that are way over the required yardage (900 - 1500 yards).

If anyone needs me, I'll be huddled by the fireplace mumbling "Just keep knitting...just keep knitting...".

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-24T07:43:00.003-05:00

Warmest of wishes for joy and happiness to you and all of your family (whatever the species!) during whatever Holiday you celebrate in this season!

From myself, and the Insane Weasel Posse (Frick, Frack, Finn and Elf)

Drive-by Geeking

2009-12-18T20:47:00.002-05:00

If Earth had rings like Saturn

(It cuts off too much if I try to embed. Click and enjoy!)

You Made Art From What?

2009-12-13T13:34:00.004-05:00

In the "More Fun With Recycling Household Junk" department, this weeks random foray is dryer sheets!

We all have them - sometimes found when we finish laundry, and sometimes found in the middle of the night stuck to your foot because you didn't notice them stuck to your sheets. I've seen some interesting things done with them that take advantage of the semi-transparency, yet at the same time sturdiness. This week I decided to have a go and see what I could do.

First off, I had to iron it to get it nice and smooth (one of the times I'm glad I'm single with ferrets, and don't have to explain to an S.O. why I'm ironing dryer sheets). Then I taped it down to a piece of used printer paper (yes, I also save my test sheets and misprints, just for things like this!). You can use whatever you'd like to tape it to, but you definitely want a backing, as colors will bleed through due to the sheerness of the dryer sheet.

Then I rubber stamped an image on it, and colored it in with colored pencils. I plan on trying this with different mediums, as I'm sure you'd get a completely different effect with watercolor pencils, or liquid paints. At this point, I felt like the stamped outline was a little weak, so I went back over that with a fine brush and some black ink.

That's it! An interesting, semi-transparent image waiting to be collaged on!

Busy, Busy!

2009-12-06T13:48:00.007-05:00

Welcome to the Holiday season, and the season of drive-by blogging! In addition to all the projects I have going, I discovered I have apparently turned into one of "those people". I took the IWP out today to have their pictures made with Santa. I don't think Santa or his photographers had dealt with ferrets before. We managed to get a couple of cute poses out of the general mayhem induced by a man in a white beard and red coat and four ferrets going "Whee! New peeples! New places! Did you brings us chickenses?"

On the creative front, I finally finished the Pillar socks.

The former grungy macrame board is well on the way to becoming a landscape. (I think it might end up having sheep made from yarn tags and ball bands added.)

The former musty old book is well along in the altering process. The photos on this one didn't come out too well, I think due to the reflective glazes and embellishments. I'll have to try again on a day with better light.

And while we're in the Holiday season, don't forget our furry, feathered, and scaly friends. Many shelters and rescue agencies are in need of donations. A gift of something as simple as your old towels can make a huge difference. Check with your local shelters and agencies (if you're not sure where they are, you can go to Petfinder and put in your zip code to find out what is available in your area). If you'd like to help make a Holiday happy for a weezul, there is the Ferret Giving Tree. Many of these are older or special needs ferrets, so any act of kindness you can show them is especially appreciated!

Multiplicity

2009-11-28T09:25:00.009-05:00

People frequently boggle at the number of projects I have going at any given time. Not just the knitting, (which is usually a result of "Oooooh, Shiny!" kicking in on either a pattern, yarn or both) but the variety of types, media, and interests. Honestly, this is not something I generally plan, it just happens - projects feed into each other and reproduce like bunnies! Just in the last week, I've witnessed one project morph into three. I'm going to document what happened, not just as my usual WIP commentary, but as either Great Inspiration or Dire Warning to those who wonder how (or how NOT) to have a lot going on.

As many things do, it all started innocently enough. I've had some ideas for altered books floating around for a while. Last weekend, for whatever reason, I finally decided to give it a shot. I wandered out to the garage to pillage the piles of ~~junk~~ art supplies and treasures, looking for a set of outdated "How-to" books that I had no interest in, and had had no luck interesting anyone else in.

While out there, I discovered an old, stained macrame board that had come from someone else's stash in a bag of "Hey, can you use this?" type stuff (which I never turn down, hence the piles of stuff in the garage, hence the tendency to....well, you'll see). This came in also, as a whim, and as a "Hmmm, what can I make with this?" thought.

I mixed up a batch of diluted glue, got out my brayer, box cutter, rulers, brushes, etc. and set about prepping the book. I sliced out chunks of pages (which were set aside for later collage projects). I glued together stacks of remaining pages to give a stable background, separating them with waxed paper and weighting the whole thing down with a stray sewing machine head that was waiting around to either be fixed up or parted out (OK, so the sheer number of hobbies I have contributes to the problem here....)

The board was just sitting there, so I figured, since I had supplies out anyway, I'd mix up some diluted gesso, and prime it. If I decided I didn't want the print showing through, I could always go back and paint over it, but it would still need to be primed. I'm being efficient, right? Since I've got everything out, and am right there and all, right?

The board and the book spent the work week sitting downstairs in waiting, as the book needed to dry. After letting the book sit for a day to ensure everything was stuck together and more or less flat, each night I dutifully turned another page set, carefully peeling the waxed paper off so the next set could finish drying completely. Meanwhile the board sat patiently, waiting for me to figure out what it would be.

As it frequently does, an idea came to me overnight after spending the week pondering various collage and mixed media possibilities. I remembered I had some lovely blue tissue that came in a shipment of - something - can't remember what, but yes, I hoarded it as potentially useful. I had seen something a while back about how the color runs and fades from damp tissue, so thought if I crumpled it, sprayed it with water, then rolled it around a bit, I would end up with a mottled, textured background I could glue down to the board. Not being one to let a batch of free color go to waste, I put a piece of watercolor paper down to do this on. This seems to have worked well, as I have a lovely, pale, splotchy blue background now on the watercolor paper. I also now have a third project going. Yikes. Meanwhile the tissue is drying so I can uncrumple it and collage it to the board.

Anyone want to place bets on how many offshoots or random spawnings will occur before the original project gets finished?

That's What You Get

2009-11-21T21:17:00.005-05:00

Yes, that is exactly what it looks like - a big pile of yarn barf. That's what you get when you don't check your gauge closely enough. The pattern is the F.A.O. beret, worked in Cuzco alpaca/wool. The problem was not discovered until about 6 or 7 rows from the end, when the yarn ran out. (cue wailing, gnashing of teeth, and flinging of yarn)

I am happy to report that the ~~victim~~, erm, project made a full recovery following attention and treatment with a one-size-smaller needle. Whew! Thank goodness this was only a small project!

You've Come A Long Way, Baby

2009-11-17T19:49:00.004-05:00

I know of people who never go back to old projects. They look at them, see the mistakes, or see how much their technique has improved, and scrap the whole thing for the real or perceived flaws in it.

Not me. I love to look at them, cherish them as a reminder of where I was, a milestone on the road to where I am now, and a reminder that I had the courage to start something, even if I wasn't sure it would be perfect when it was done.

Isn't this where most of us should be in life? Nothing is ever perfect, or turns out as planned. Instead of bemoaning our lack of perfection, or lack of that new car, or new job, or hunky husband, shouldn't we look at where we are now and view all these things as what made us who we are? No, you may not have gotten that promotion, but if you had, would you have met the really neat person in the cubicle next door? Maybe your car broke down, but if it hadn't, would you have ever discovered the fantastic coffee shop next door to the car repair place?

Today's featured finish is Midwinter's Eve, which was started about two years ago. Since then, I've discovered I was twisting my stitches when knitting, learned a lot about lace knitting, and knitting in general. There are several mistakes that, to me, are glaring. You know what? It's still wonderfully warm and cozy. It still impresses people to find out I made that. You can still see the pattern - the snowflakes coming down over the snow covered mountains, with the trees, stream and snowbank at the foot of the mountains.

Yes, you've come a long way, baby, but you wouldn't be here, if you had never been there.

(p.s. It appears Blogger is testing my theory. It's refusing to load pictures right now. I promise they exist - looks like I'll have to edit the photo in later. Now off to figure out what I'm supposed to be learning from this.)

Finding My Mojo

2009-10-31T15:06:00.004-04:00

Backtracking to the month of intermission time - I came down with bronchitis/pneumonia/respiratory crud that landed me on a week of antibiotics and general icky. Once over that, I seemed to have lost all ambition. Apparently "over" and "OVER" that crud were two different things. (Either that or the ferrets stole my Mojo and hid it under the couch. Hmmm....it did seem to resurface right after I had to get the broom to chase Frack out from under the couch so I could put him to bed before going to work....maybe my Mojo was in the pile of toys and day old treats that came out with him.)

I finally think I'm getting back on track with actually getting something done. Just since Wednesday, I've finished two - yes TWO things! (After nothing for a month!) OK, so it's not major projects or impressive finishes, but it's something!

Circle socks, done in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport. Due to the yarn being heavier than called for, I dropped one repeat out of the pattern - cutting down from 64 stitches to 56 stitches. Miracle of miracles, it actually worked!

I also finished (JUST under the wire!) the October block for the Basket Case block of the month group. I'm not sure I'm entirely happy with this one, I think I will at least add a bow to the top of the handle, but will probably wait until I have more baskets and can evaluate adding embellishments to them as a group.

Now to wander off and try to mojo up some more projects! Woohoo!

Knit Knerd

2009-10-28T20:09:00.005-04:00

This week is FlGaWeen at work. Yeah, kind of a bizarre footballholidaymashup thing. We're having theme days all week. Yesterday was Think Pink. Today was Nerd day.

Normally I either forget, or just flat don't get around to doing a dress-up for these things. For today though, I managed to get it together. About 10 minutes quality time with some glitter glue and my scrap bag of yarn ends and I had this nifty shirt.

To complete the outfit, I had on hand knit socks, hand knit wrist warmers, a hand knit shawl, knitting needles and a small ball of yarn stuck in my hair, and instead of the standard nerdly tape wrapped around my glasses, I had yarn.

Fortunately, or unfortunately no pics - but yes, the image is as silly as you're thinking.

Intermission's Over

2009-10-18T17:00:00.005-04:00

Wow, over a month? How did that happen? Well, you know what they say, I try to take one day at a time, but lately several have been ganging up on me all at once.
Due to the general non-fun, life-induced mayhem, not a lot has been done in the last month.

I did finish the basket block the coffee dyed fabric was made for.

Only a week behind on mailing, but I finally finished the next two blocks for the Yes We Can group quilt. The flag is an original design. (OK, so not too original, and not too much to it, but I thought it turned out nicely.) The other - well, just let's say if anyone hears me suggest I'm going to do that many flying geese to put into that small a block (4.5" finished), please come over and smack some sense into
me.

Hopefully things have settled down a bit, and I can return to the regularly scheduled mayhem. This business of doing nothing but sleeping or working just isn't much fun!

Not Quite What I Was Expecting

2009-09-13T14:56:00.008-04:00

I decided to go ahead and tackle the basket block for the Block of the Month group this morning. Not being the kind to plan ahead, I had no idea for color scheme, and had not done any purchasing other than a few fat quarters of assorted browns for the basket portions. I wandered off to the stash closet to look for background fabric, and discovered that I have successfully managed to diminish my quilting stash at some point. There are a lot of small scraps, so I'm set for the applique, but background size bits? There were very few in a light or neutral color, and none that were really suitable - most were too busy. This left my old standby of muslin.

Now, muslin is what I consider a staple, so I have plenty of it. It's the kind of thing I wait for the 50% coupons, and buy a bolt. I had a couple of different weights, I had bleached and unbleached, but even the unbleached seemed cold and stark for baskets. What's a girl to do on a Sunday morning with no quilt shops open?

Fortunately, I hadn't done my weekly grocery shopping yet - so, remembering bits and pieces of tips and tricks from the many magazines, blogs, and random tutorials I wander through, I picked up a jar of instant coffee. The intent was to create a splotchy antiqued tan background. I've put the step out on it below - it didn't quite do what I envisioned, but I still have a very nice, warm background ready!

I started by cutting the muslin into suitable squares. The blocks are going to be 6 or 12 inches, so I went with 14 inch squares to allow for shrinkage during the applique process, as well as room to square up. I tossed these in a sink of plain, warm water to soak.

I then scattered instant coffee over the top of the damp fabric and misted it with more plain water. (I usually have plenty of spray bottles thanks to the ferrets. The enzyme cleaner for their cages comes in spray bottles, so I wash, save and reuse those for this type of thing.) I think I would have had a more splotchy end result with less water - either wring the fabric out more, or spray less. I then let this sit covered for about an hour.

Not being particularly patient, I then popped the fabric squares onto baking sheets (the cheap kind they sell as disposable oven liners are great for this type of thing!) I set the oven for 200 and let the fabric set for about 20 minutes. If I had let it go longer, until it was dry (or at least dryer) I may also have gotten more uneven results. (I'll keep everyone posted, as I'm sure there will be more experimentation!)

I rinsed the still damp fabric, at which point I discovered I had more of an overall tan, than completely splotchy.

I ironed it to set the color that was there, then gave it a final wash to make sure the coffee was out (since coffee is acidic). The strip across the middle is a trimming of the untreated muslin on top of the fabric before the final wash. You can definitely tell a difference!

This is the final washed and pressed version, again with a strip of the untreated muslin for comparison. I'm pretty sure that with more patience and time and less water, I would have completely different results. As it is, I'm still pretty happy with the end product. I think it's definitely warmer and more inviting than the original color - and there is still a little bit of subtle variation that doesn't quite show in the pictures.

P.S. The ongoing projects stand at: Pillar socks knit through today, Midwinter's Eve knit up to today, still needs today's two rows knit, and Per Terras has been a Very Naughty Shawl and is in time out until I am focused enough to rip back about a dozen rows.

Corporate Zombies

2009-09-09T21:29:00.002-04:00

Yes, it's come to this. Even the zombies have gone corporate.

see more Engrish

A Good Run

2009-09-07T20:39:00.002-04:00

Well, the potholders are finished. Everything except the Per Terras is caught up. Per Terras is not quite at Friday's target. Depending on ambition, it may make it to Friday's goal before the evening is up. The quilt block wasn't on the schedule anyway for this week, so I'm going to declare it doesn't count.

Even if I didn't get caught up, I think that's a pretty good run, considering where I started the weekend!

Getting There

2009-09-06T21:20:00.001-04:00

Midwinters Eve is now caught up. I may even try to get two more rows in tonight so it's done through tomorrows schedule.

Per Terras, potholder finishing and quiltblock to go...

Status Check

2009-09-05T18:42:00.006-04:00

All I have to say on status right now is I'm glad it's a long weekend. So far progress is at:

Pillar Socks - knit through Monday's goal (ahead of schedule)

Potholder finishing - not started

Midwinter's Eve - Erm, there was an incident. The type involving wailing, frogging and flinging of yarn. This afternoon I managed to recover back to where I was Sunday night.

Per Terras - Not touched since Wednesday due to above mentioned incident.

Also, need to get going on a quilt block for an online block of the month. You don't get the next pattern until you post a photo of your completed current pattern. This is the first official month (there were some warm-up blocks that can be done at any time).

Now, back to the yarn mines. I can do this, really I can. Just really, really glad I have an extra day here.

Can I get a Pod Check?

2009-08-30T21:46:00.002-04:00

You may know, (or have gathered) that I am not particularly focused on my creating and making. I have to pretend to be a responsible adult and meet goals and expectations all week, so generally don't do that on my "me" time. That is the time when the OSS (Ooh Shiny Syndrome) is allowed free reign.

Something has happened. Something strange. I don't have a basement, so that's not where the body snatcher pods are - maybe I should have someone check the closet in the stash room. I have been setting and meeting goals on my fun stuff.

Goals for last week stood at - 10 rows per night on the Per Terras shawl, 4 rows (one pattern repeat) on the Pillar socks, complete the Jitterbug Velvet Olive socks, work through chart 3 on the Midwinter's eve shawl.

Frighteningly enough - all were met. We'll see how long this bout of responsible behavior lasts. (Even more scary in the light that just last week I was discussing responsible behavior as well - AND I have a Magic Purple Unicorn with cashmere/silk/merino yarn waiting in the wings to be cast on - and it' still waiting until I finish some things!) (Well, OK, honestly, or until I lose focus on the current bout of responsible behavior.)

This week, goal is to continue the Per Terras 10 rows per night, the 4 rows for the Pillar socks, 2 rows on the Midwinter's Eve (I can only do so much before and after work, after all!) and get the finishing done on the potholders that have been languishing at 95% done, just waiting for batting and backing.

Can I get someone over here to do a sweep of the house with flashlights and flamethrowers? (Get the pods, just look out for the stash itself!)

Seriously.

Smug

2009-08-23T17:19:00.003-04:00

Having finally realized (or accepted) that I long ago reached SABLE (Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy), I have been making a concerted effort to dig out and finish assorted WIP's, WISP's, and UFO's. I figure when my son has to hold my estate sale someday, it will be easier to sell complete, unopened kits than half finished items. (And no, I don't expect this temporary round of being good and responsible to last, my Start-itis is both chronic and severe.)

In digging around through the various WIP's, I found the Midwinter's Eve shawl from Goddess Knits. Upon pulling it out of its project bag, I realized I was almost done with clue 3 out of 5 total. Figuring this would be a good one to pick up, since it would be a relatively quick finish, I started knitting on it again.

Only a row and a half in, I realized something was very wrong. What I was doing did not look at all like what was already in the shawl. I put it down and thought for a bit, then realized that in the last year and a half, I have corrected some rather strange things I was doing with my knitting (a result of being originally self-taught). I went back, studied the fabric of this shawl, compared to the fabric of more recent items, and, (here's the smug part), not only figured out why it looked different, but was able to recreate it so I don't have to start all over!

I used to knit wrapping yarn clockwise, which results in twisted stitches. This is not something that's particularly noticeable in a finished item (unless you're a master knitter, or a ranking officer in the Knitting Police), so I have no problem finishing this shawl as is. I am now merrily knitting away on this in a completely "wrong" manner, while at the same time knitting "correctly" on other items, which makes for an interesting few minutes when first switching projects.

And people wonder why I'm so confused all the time.

Drive-by update

2009-08-16T19:42:00.004-04:00

Really really tired this weekend. I think I'm starting a flare, plus work is trying to kill me. It was bad enough yesterday that I slept so late the ferrets were threatening to report me to the Humane Society (their breakfast was an hour and a half late - OBVIUOSLY gross neglect - never mind that there was still plenty of food in their dish).

I did manage to finish a big project from the UFO pile. Christine's Rose Garden, from a Yahoo knit along. This has been in progress for about a year and a half. (One of those that bogged down in the middle, and has been picked at for a while until reaching critical mass of being close enough to finished to be prioritized.)

Oh, and here is the picture of the Broadripple socks that I was too lazy to take and post a couple of weeks ago. Like I said - slow week here. Bleah.

Can you give them hope?

2009-08-09T15:20:00.007-04:00

As you may know, all four members of the Insane Weasel Posse are rescues. Frick and Frack were a "private adoption", Finn was a rescue from the dog pound (listed as a stray) and Elf was an "owner surrender" at the Humane Society. I've always had a soft spot for abandoned, special need, and otherwise unwanted animals. This is why my first job ever, working in a pet shop, was a bad idea. At one time I had a blind hamster, an epileptic parakeet, a gerbil that was missing a foot...well, you get the idea.

The problem is, many "special needs" or "senior" pets never get a chance. They end up in a shelter, and get passed over for younger, cuter, healthier pets. I see all the time in classified ads notices for senior pets, usually because the owner has had to go to assisted living, or has passed away, and the relatives don't have time or patience for an old or ailing animal. Suddenly, a pet that was someone's baby for many years finds itself abandoned in a lonely cage as people pass it by with never a glance. Eventually they meet the sad end of far too many unwanted, unadopted animals.

August 12 is Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Day. Whether it's a senior dog, a special needs animal, or the ever maligned black cat, please consider a "Less Adoptable" animal. Many of them are calmer, already trained, or so grateful for a chance to not be in a cage any more that they make the best pets ever. On behalf of those who can't speak for themselves, Thanks!

P.S. Until I figure out why the code isn't 100% showing, where it says 'code', put in your zip code. Select the type of animal you're looking for from the drop down box, and you'll see everyone in your area that needs help!

Randomness

2009-08-02T18:07:00.002-04:00

This week is all over the map. I haven't been able to seem to settle down and focus on any one thing, so here goes a series of random updates. There may or may not be follow ups on any of these items later.

Finn did just fine with his distemper shot (this is the one that ferrets can potentially have a reaction to). He wasn't quite as well behaved as last week, but I think that was mostly due to a dog in another room having hysterics. The barking seemed to freak him out a little.

Finished the Broadripple socks. I think they'd have done better with a stretchier yarn (which is what they're designed for). I've been too lazy to take pictures, but will update to Ravelry (hopefully) some time this week. May post pictures here if I do an update that I can manage to relate them to.

I think I have a yarn problem. Seriously. I found a stash of sock yarn I don't remember. I have no recollection of when, where, or why I bought it. Some of it even had patterns packaged up with the yarn (PIGS for those familiar with the term). I'm still trying to figure out why I have over 800 yards of one of them though. No pattern, no clue with that one.

My workplace had free admission for employees at the Cummer museum. This was the last days of the Quilts of Gees Bend exhibit, so was fortunate enough to see those. There was also an exhibit by Paul Jenkins. I wasn't familiar with his work, but took some notes and intend to do some research. That one is still there through August 9th if you happen to like abstract works. A couple of my favorite paintings from the permanent exhibits were MIA however. One of the guard/docent/whatever gentlemen told me that some were on loan, and some were currently off exhibit due to having to clear part of some of the galleries due to roof leaks and repair work.

I think I'm about to fall off the finish-itis wagon. I had been doing pretty well with the finish two, start one goal. The above mentioned sock yarn find may have killed that though. On the bright side, socks are a comparitively quick knit, so that theoretically will help the FO to UFO ratio. (Also the stash to PIG to FO ratio.)

With that, I think I'll wander back to what I've been doing for the last week - randomly picking at projects a seam, a row, a chapter, or a dabble at a time. (Which incidentally is why everything gets finished eventually. Some things just take longer than others if they can't hold my attention for more than a couple of minutes. Things that can interest me for more than that get finished proportionally faster. Level of interest on anything subject to change/demotion to dabbling/promotion to finishing without notice.)

...too quiet

2009-07-25T17:41:00.004-04:00

I must say, following a ferret with a plastic bag and a magazine subscription card to get a "sample" is a lovely way to start a weekend. As mentioned last week, Finn had his annual checkup today. After procuring the "sample", I loaded him in the carrier and we headed out. He promptly resorted to hiding under the cozy faux sheepskin cushion and declaring "No weezuls in here! Vet can't give shots to empty crate! We go home now, right?" Um, no sweetie.

The ferrets and I are actually quite lucky in our vet. Dr. Rossi is a top notch exotic specialist, with several books out. As a matter of fact, I got lucky - his new book What's Wrong With My Ferret is now available. It covers first aid and home care for ferrets, including ferret CPR - something I don't think I've seen in other books. I got a copy direct from him, and he was even kind enough to autograph it to the Insane Weasel Posse! He is also a tremendously good sport, and gladly posed for a picture with Finn when I explained I have a blog with the ferrets, and asked if I could get photos for the ongoing documentation of the ferret plot to murder humans. (Which he seemed to think was a reasonable assumption, ferrets being ferrets and all.)

As far as Finn's health, the visit went well. Finn checked out fine, got his rabies shot (we have to go back next week for his distemper, as ferrets are too small to just do everything at once). It does look like he'll need his teeth cleaned, but for a middle-aged ferret, not too shabby. He also behaved remarkably well. Too well, actually. I'm sure retribution is just a trip on the stairs or a slip on the tile away....

Slow progress

2009-07-19T17:59:00.003-04:00

Still not a whole lot going on in Ferretland. Life has a way of doing that to you sometimes.

About the only thing I have to show is progress on a sock. This one has been lurking in the WIP's for over a year. For whatever reason, the pattern and I had a difficult start, with 4 or 5 do overs. Finally got the pattern going, knitted all the way past the heel, and finally had to admit (after it was pointed out to me) that it was a little small, resulting in a complete frogging, pattern restructure and reknit. Ah the hazards of yarn substitution.

At this point, there is one full sock (which has been tried on and verified that it does fit an adult human foot), and part of a second sock. Meanwhile, the house is still uncleaned and the yard is still unweeded.

Next week could be interesting though. Finn has a vet appointment. Fortunately, he's not much for participating in the ferret plot to murder the human. Of course, a jab in the rear with his yearly shots could change that.....

May I present.......Nothing.

2009-07-12T17:19:00.002-04:00

Yep. Been that kind of week. Got confirmation my blocks from last weeks post made it to the coordinator. Finished one sock of a pair. Knitted a few rows on some other stuff. No sewing. Despite having at least one project done except for finishing (probably less than an hour's work) didn't finish anything. I didn't start anything either. (This is probably a good thing, considering the WIP to FO ratio around here.) This weekend I slept, I caught up reading some email lists, I did laundry, and I ate M&M's. Yay. Hopefully next week will be more productive.

Presidential Ambition

2009-07-05T13:57:00.003-04:00

One of the many projects I'm working on is a Dear Jane quilt (the same quilt and group that I did the swap blocks for a while back). The group tends to have a lot of collaborative activities - especially around historic events. They contributed to a new and fitting grave marker for Jane A. Stickle, the creator of the "Mother Quilt". After September 11, they created a red, white, and blue "United We Stand" quilt for President Bush. After this year's historic election, it was decided to create Yes, we can Jane!, a collaborative quilt for President Obama.

At this point we are on round one of blocks. There is a rough draft (which looks amazing!) of the layout, and all participating members are sending in their first two blocks by July 15th. (If you'd like to participate, there will still be more blocks needed - feel free to sign up!) There is a designated background fabric that will be sent to you on signing up, and the rest are to be civil war reproduction fabrics (due to the President's historical interest).

My first two are ready to go - or at least as much so as I can get them. I've spent all weekend working on two little blocks, have done everything wrong I possibly could, and am still convinced they are nowhere near good enough. I'm taking a deep breath and mailing them out anyway. Yikes!

Zombies!

2009-07-02T20:57:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since a zombie update, so here you go. From the files of the webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal.

Well THAT was interesting

2009-06-26T20:54:00.003-04:00

Ahh, summer in Florida. The heat. The humidity. The giant bugs. The freak thunderstorms out of nowhere.

I work in a call center for a large company. Think corporate campus, multiple multi-story buildings type place. Large buildings, full glass sides - you get the picture.

A little after 5 this afternoon the safety commitee comes dashing through telling everyone "Get OFF the phones, get INTO the stairwell there IS a tornado!" As I rounded the corner headed to the stairwell, you could SEE the tornado! Several people stopped to get pictures - I'm not that brave. After a quick glance, I headed straight for the stairwell.

Yes, I did gather the important things before I left my desk. Purse, car keys and knitting. Welcome to summer. I will be spending the rest of the weekend either cowering at home, or cowering in the safety of the LYS with my friends, if anyone needs me.

Fifteen of Ferret Fame

2009-06-21T08:10:00.006-04:00

If you're on Ravelry you may be familiar with the "This Week in Ravelry" feature. One of the semi-regular columns is "Ask Auntie BubboPants", an advice column that occasionally features a guest column for pets, written by Auntie BubboPants dog, Chester.

Some time back, there was a notice that Chester would again be doing a guest column. I let the Insane Weasel Posse send a question, and in the most recent (OK, it was the June 11th, but I just realized it was up) column, Chester answered them!

For those not on Ravelry, who would still like some ferret-y amusement, I'll include just their letter and the reply.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Chester,

Hi, we’re ferrets. We’ve never seen a question from ferrets before, but we’re hoping you can help anyway, ‘cause you know stuff! And a bunch of the stuff you know, is stuff we know, and stuff we like too!

Anyway, our human Mom takes us to the park sometimes. We really like the park! We dig in the leaves, and visit with the little humans and the big humans, and sniff stuff, and dig stuff, and have lots of fun. Sometimes, we find these tunnel things - right under the ground! And kind of sticky uppy, above the ground too! Mom says they’re made by something called ‘moles’. We dig and dig when we find these tunnels, and we stick our heads down in them, but we never ever ever see ‘moles’.

Is there really such a thing as ‘moles’? Or is this one of those tricks humans think are funny, like squeak your squeaky, then hide it so you freak out and can’t find it?

Just wondering -
The Insane Weasel Posse (Frick, Frack, Finn and Elf)

YOU ARE FERRETS!!! OH MY GOD!!! the lady’s sister used to have the things called ferrets and the lady tells the very funny story about the ferrets and they jump sideways and go chkchkchkchk and sometimes I see the ferrets in the place that is the dogstore and they play tumble games and I want to play with them!

Moles. OH YES!!! there is the thing that is the mole. I see them sometimes at the dog park. and one time there was a very little dog that was not a little it was just smallish and the dog was doing the thing that was being very mean to a mole and the mole made lotsof squeaks and the lady got SO MAD!!! and we had to do the thing that was go to the other side of the park but that is good because that is the place where the toads are!! Do you know toads? sometimes the toads are the kind that are insideout and you can roll in them and they smell SO GOOD!!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(For those wondering about the toad thing, that's a reference to a very early Chester column featuring a question from a dog about why their humans would bathe them every time they found something good to roll in. Chester apparently likes to roll in roadtoads.)

Hubris

2009-06-20T11:51:00.002-04:00

hu·bris (hyōō'brĭs)
n. Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance: "There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris" (McGeorge Bundy).

[Greek, excessive pride, wanton violence; see ud- in Indo-European roots.]
hu·bris'tic (-brĭs'tĭk) adj., hu·bris'tic·al·ly adv.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

hubris

1884, from Gk. hybris "wanton violence, insolence, outrage," originally "presumption toward the gods," of unknown origin.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper

hubris

The act of angering the Gods of Knitting by somewhat bragging about a good round of finish-itis.

So far, this has earned me a little over a weeks worth of frogging, tinking and screaming.

The Broadripple socks? Yeah - should've checked gauge when I decided to use a different yarn. Frogged back from just past the heel turn and restarted with an extra 8 stitches added.

The Queen Anne's Lace shawl? Apparently 5 rows of self corrected mistakes, resulting in careful tinking (it's already been to the frog pond once), counting, re-counting, carrying to a friend to have her count and verify that yes, the row should indeed end in a multiple of 9.

I've been afraid to even touch paint or fabric. That's a LOT harder to correct than picking out knit stitches.

Anyone have any suggestions? Do I need to sacrifice stash? Attend remdedial kindergarden for counting week? Seriously. Help!!!

Block Party!

2009-06-14T15:36:00.007-04:00

You may remember a couple of months ago I was making blocks for a quilt swap from the Dear Jane list. Well, the payoff showed up this week!

Blocks from 79 different people and 6 different countries.

I have US, Canada, England, Australia, Belgium and The Netherlands.

A block from "The Queen of the Blanket Circus" herself, Brenda Papadakis (yes, the one who wrote the Dear Jane book!)

There are blocks with rhinestones, blocks with state stamps, personal references, one that was completely hand stitched, one with a tiny button stitched on, and even one talented and aspiring 11 year old quilter!

There are still a few people I will be emailing who did not participate in the swap, but who have indicated they would be willing to swap one-on-one for a few blocks, so the numbers may go up a little bit.

I find it really interesting how history has come full circle in a way. Signature blocks were popular in the 1800's as people moved westward. Friends and family who knew they may never get to see their loved ones again, and would have only limited postal contact would put together quilts with their names and sentiments written or embroidered on as a way to remember those left behind. Now, in the digital age, the same method is being used to bind those with a common interest who may have never met, and who may never get to meet. I wonder what those first makers of siggie quilts would say if they could see what goes on now?

Finish-itis

2009-05-31T20:02:00.008-04:00

In a completely uncharacteristic burst of actually having an attention span, I spent the weekend finishing projects. I manged to get THREE items off the knitting UFO/WIP list. (This is the only UFO/WIP list at the moment, actually. Everything else is waiting to be located, admitted to, and cataloged).

First off - basic Jitterbug ballband socks. These are actually the most recently started project due to an unfortunate frogging incident that led to the project in progress being given a timeout. I was also having a flare and realized I was not safe around lace or any other knitting that involved actualy thought. Yarn - Colinette Jitterbug, colorway Popsicle. Odd thing I've noticed about Jitterbug - for some reason it tends to pool completely differently from sock to sock, even using the same skein. Go figure.

Second - the single oldest knitting WIP I'm aware of. I started this, got 13 rows from the end and ran out of beads on the perle cotton. This meant calculating how much yardage I would need to finish, cutting that much off the ball of cotton, and stringing beads from the other end to finish up. I finally worked up the nerve, attention span, and enough light to finish this. (Plus, I bought a bead spinner a while back. Definitely worth using a Jo-ann's coupon for if you do anything with large quantities of beads!) Yeah, I know. First attempt at bead knitting and I pick dark colors. Did I mention common sense and forethought are not my strong points? (Dime included in the picture for reference as to size of beads and lack of sense.)

And finally, a bit behind the trend, but my first foray into the world of amigurumi. What better way to start than a cute, cuddly, crochet version of the Lord of Darkness himself, Cthulhu!

Thanks to this burst of activity I'm actually down to - um, erm, *mumble,mumble,19,mumble,mumble* knitting WIP's!

Oh yeah, almost forgot -

I also finished a bottle of wine and a bag of M&M's. A girl's gotta have goals, right?

Raiders of the Lost Recycle Bin

2009-05-24T10:33:00.005-04:00

Occasionally I get comments from someone who observes "Oh, it must be nice to have the money to spend on craft supplies." Guess what, I don't. Now I do save on budget in several ways, I don't have a TV, I'm one of those thermostat guardians (or would be, if it wasn't just me and the ferrets), etc. Craft supplies however, are NOT necessarily a huge investment on every single item involved, if you just take a good look around you. You still need to invest in some basic tools, but the consumable supplies - that's another story!

First, there's the internet. Whatever you are interested in, I can pretty much guarantee there are free patterns, directions, how to tutorials and YouTube videos demonstrating techinques. At the moment, one of the projects I'm still plugging away on is the crazy hair doll head. I've decided to go with a soft body based on a free pattern from Nuno dolls.

After looking over the pattern, I decided I will probably try to make her a little more full-bodied, so will need to trace the pattern, then add a bit around the edges. I tend to prefer traceable patterns when possible anyway, just because I like to have the line on the fabric to go by when I'm assembling. Many magazines and books will suggest buying cardstock or template plastic from a specialty store or craft store. This is another item there's no need to spend money on.

My first quilting teacher showed us the magic of the plastic that comes inside bacon packages for templates. If you happen to not have bacon in the house, check the recycle bin. Odds are there's some form of thin cardboard in there. In this case, said cardboard probably provides a disturbing glimspe into my dining habits, but oh well. You can also use the thin cardboard from priority mailing packages, the piece of cardboard that is frequently in a pack of paper to keep it from bending before purchase, or - well you get the idea. Look around, you probably have most of what you need on hand.

Next idea - I was reading through a magazine that had some really cute pendants that were made from sheet metal that had been stamped, glazed, painted, beaded, embedded in polymer clay, etc. Most makers already have basic paints, assorted beads etc. You can run to your local craft or hobby store, pay for a sheet of aluminum, OR (here goes another distubrbing glimpse into my dietary lifestyle) use the sheet aluminum you already have on hand. Yep. A can and a pair of tin snips and you have enough for several pendants.

So what else do you already have on hand? Take a good look before you toss that item! Plastic yogurt cups, frozen dinner trays? You just replaced a plastic palette and a paint or resin mixing cup (and you don't have to feel guilty if something dries in it and you have to toss it out - there's another one easily available!) Drying dome for clay? Didn't you just replace a light bulb? Yep, same dome. Multi compartment tray for beads and small craft items? Egg carton. Linter for paper making? Check your dryer (and as an added bonus, if you're organized enough to plan your laundry and check your lint trap, you can somewhat color control your lint! Denim lint gives a lovely soft blue-grey tint.)

Grab your fedora and whip and head outside for the great recycle reclamation - you might find ideas you never even knew you had!

I Hate Being a Grown Up

2009-05-17T21:18:00.003-04:00

There is absolutely nothing fun to report for the weekend. I've been doing boring adult stuff for the last two days - all around housekeeping in one way or another. Bleah.

In lieu of anything interesting, I'll just give you more zombie follow up.

Five scientific reasons zombies could happen

*Warning* Adult language and some graphic zombie-ness in the link.

Zombie Update

2009-05-16T11:59:00.003-04:00

Ongoing Public Service Announcements.

For those of us in Southern states - as if zombie humans weren't bad enough, now we have to worry about Zombie Fire Ants!

Apparently the Zombie Animal Threat doesn't end there either. I would enourage you to check here to see if you have imminent threats in your area!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled weirdness.

More Wonderful Web Weirdness

2009-05-12T08:57:00.002-04:00

The Sultan's Elephant (Little Girl Giant)

Seriously - Why I'm Not Getting Anything Done

2009-05-10T22:06:00.002-04:00

TED.com again

"Symbiosis" by Pilobolus

More geekery

2009-05-10T19:55:00.003-04:00

Really - I'll get some real posts up eventually. Busy wandering through TED.com I'll tear myself away and get back to work someday.

In the mean time -

Levitation, Science and Sculpture

Drive-by Cool Stuff Alert

2009-05-09T07:12:00.002-04:00

Theo Jansen, Creature Builder

Amazing - sculptures? Creatures? Artificial Life? Just go see.

This is why I'm on so many groups and sites - amazing things like this get passed on!

The Trees Are Watching (or Why I Flunked the Crazy Test)

2009-05-02T13:35:00.005-04:00

A while back someone posted this quiz to one of my online groups. Most of us flunked with varying levels of distinction. Now bear in mind, the best description of this particular group would probably be "Merry Band of Misfits", as it involves artists, knitters, dyers, and general non-conformists. Also bear in mind, I in no way believe in any "diagnosis" delivered by a few questions online. The results, however sparked an interesting discussion.

The part most of us flunked, regardless of the other levels, was the bit about seeing, perceiving, or thinking differently than other people. One person related a tale of working in an artist studio collective, coming in, and mentioning "There's a really cool dead seagull across the street" at which half the studio emptied out to go see. Some of the others had at other times posted pictures where you could see a face in a flower, or an image in a stone. It seems those of an artistic or creative tendency see these things, but others don't - therefore the massive flunking of the "differently than others" portion.

On my part, I recall training for my current job. Most of us parked in the same area, which led past a row of trees to get to the building our training class was in. Due to the way the trees were trimmed, several of them had the appearance of eyes, or faces - one particular tree more so than the rest. I noticed this, and pointed it out to several people. The most creative of the bunch immediately said something to the effect of "Oh wow! How neat!" A couple of the others were more on the "Huh?" level, but after being shown "See? There are her eyes" said "Oh, yeah, I guess so....". The ones who were the most no-nonsense, black and white, career focused, "I don't have time for that" types maintained they could not see anything at all, even when specifically pointed out - and in fact, gave me and the other highly creatives odd looks and a wide berth for the remainder of training.

So which one are you? Is the tree looking at you? Can you see her?

What about now? Are you crazy too? Think about it for a bit. If you are, welcome to the group. Isn't it delightful to enjoy things other people can't?

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

2009-04-25T14:51:00.009-04:00

Everyone, I'd like you to meet my sewing buddy Miss Eleanor Davis. She's a Davis vibrating shuttle treadle from some time in the 1920's. She is not a Vertical Feed, the most commonly known and sought after type of Davis, but she's one of my best sewing buds. Her presser foot measures out to a perfect scant 1/4" allowance. She knows enough about sewing, that she really only needs me to treadle. If she could figure out a way to self treadle, I'm sure I wouldn't need to do anything but cut pieces and leave them stacked on her cabinet. When I woke up in the morning, she would have them all taken care of for me!

This week, Eleanor and I have been making blocks for the Dear Jane Big Siggie Swap. That comes to a total of 84 blocks sewn, pressed, stamped and signed. And yes, I did give her full credit on the blocks, and included her name too! Unfortunately I forgot to get pictures before I packed them up and sent them (I was pushing to get them out to the Swap Mom before deadline).

For those of you who don't know, I sew almost exclusively on treadle and hand-cranked machines. I suspect it has to do with the episode of getting my sewing badge as a Girl Scout, when my Mom would constantly warn me that I was going too fast and was going to sew through my finger on her electric. Regardless, I find treadling a nice activity - there's something soothing about the steady rhythm of treadling while watching pieces go together. No noisy motors. No guessing at speed. Just nice steady pedal, stitch, pedal, stitch - and as a bonus, the ferrets like to ride on the treadle pedal while I sew (then chase the quilt blocks as they spill off the back while chain piecing!)

I'm sure a lot of you may have a family machine tucked away in storage, or sitting in your living room as decoration. Think about giving them a try! On a treadle, there is virtually nothing to go wrong. Unless they're seriously rusted or deteriorated, all you need to do is find a belt, oil them up, maybe grease the treadle moving parts a bit, and you're off. You may even notice that you get a true straight stitch (if you're detail oriented enough to notice that type thing). Modern machines that are made to zig-zag have play built into the needlebar to allow them to move back and forth. Treadles have one mode only. Straight. And the stitches themselves are a nice, neat, straight line, not the series of angled lines in a row you get from a modern machine. Plus, Earth friendly power, the ability to work even during a storm if your lights go out - you really can't beat them!

If by chance you're interested in giving yours a rehab and try, or if you're interested in getting one, there's a great group on line at http://www.treadleon.net/ where you can find support, information, and even people who will help with parts and supplies. Plus the neatest local gatherings (called TOGAs for Treadle On Gathering and Academy) that you'll ever get to attend.

OK - time to get off my treadle soap box, and back to all the rest of the 500 projects in process! And I'll get pics up once I get the swap blocks back, so you can see the final result!

My New Hero

2009-04-16T19:28:00.005-04:00

By this time, you've probably all seen this clip, but just in case, here's a link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

May she inspire us all to follow our dreams, no matter how big, no matter how much everyone else laughs. Congratulations Susan Boyle.

I Dreamed a Dream indeed.

May all of yours be so grand and so successful.

Public Service Announcement - Zombies

2009-04-11T14:44:00.004-04:00

Thanks to the LSG group on Ravelry, (special thanks to Hallie) for bringing this to my attention:

http://www.nola.com/news/?/base/news-1/1239081731120020.xml&coll=1
If you act now you can still get supplies and a copy of Max Brook's definitive Zombie Survival Guide.

If you already have a copy, review your basic Zombie Survival Rules:

1) Organize before they rise!
2) They feel no fear, why should you?
3) Use your head: cut off theirs.
4) Blades don’t need reloading.
5) Ideal protection = tight clothes, short hair.
6) Get up the staircase, then destroy it.
7) Get out of the car, get onto the bike.
8) Keep moving, keep low, keep quiet, keep alert!
9) No place is safe, only safer.
10) The zombie may be gone, but the threat lives on!

Now back to the scheduled projects for the weekend.

Talking Heads: Part II

2009-04-05T15:30:00.010-04:00

As promised, here's the follow up on the disembodied heads that are currently living in jars on the counter and bossing me around...

Head Two - Introduction:

This one is the wide head. Originally intended to have a Cheshire Cat type grin on a more or less human face, I mashed in a mouth as well as eye spaces on the original styrofoam ball and clay overlay. As I was adding the Celluclay on the first layer, it began to demand a dorsal ridge. Erm, okay....at this point, I'd already had the discussions with head one, and was quick to just give in and do what I was told.

Once I got to the paperclay level to smooth out the skin, I was informed that it needed lips - not Cheshire Grin teeth. *sigh* Okay. Fine. Whatever you want. I just live here and buy the supplies, you know.

Then the eyes. She definitely was showing fishy characteristics here, so again, I didn't bother to argue or discuss. Remember, I just do what the disembodied heads tell me. Somewhere around here is when she mentioned the bicycle. I still haven't figured out how I'm going to do that. Hopefully I'll find one in a toy store, or lawn ornament section.

And here we have the paint to date. I'm still not sure I'm 100% sold on this. It's a coat of interference silver, then a drybrushed coat of blue-green with a pearlescent medium added. I was definitely not happy with the appearance at that point, so dry brushed again with iridescent pearl. I like this better, but she's still in the sit and think mode.

Head One - Cameo appearance and follow up:

Here's our friend from last week. She was debating at that time between a purple and sparkle roving, a bundle of novelty yarns, and a bag of multicolored Cotswold lamb curls for her hair. She decided on the curls, individually applied with gel medium. Yep, she's turning into a high-maintenance kind of girl. She needs a little styling and tidying of her locks once they're all dry and set, and fill-ins in a few spots, but I'm kind of liking the out of control curls, so don't know that I'll do much with trying to get it into an updo or more tamed style. I have a feeling after this, though, that she's going to be living on her jar for a while until I can find a suitable body and wardrobe for her!

The ferrets are planning to kill me

2009-04-04T17:24:00.004-04:00

See that face? That is the face of an angry ferret. A freshly bathed, very wet, Very. Angry. Ferret.

Something you may not know about ferrets, is that they can catch human sicknesses. They're especially susceptible to colds and flu, which are dangerous to the ferret, and expensive to the human who foots their vet bills.

With that in mind, I've tried to minimize contact with my boys this week, for their (and my budget's) own good. They, of course, think they are terribly neglected and abused, as they spent most of a week without getting to play their favorite ferret-human games like Tackle the Toes, or Knot the Knitting. Then I really made them mad.

Another little known fact - you don't bathe ferrets more than every six weeks or so, max, as bathing strips the oil from their coats, causing them to go into oil production overdrive, which actually results in them smelling worse for a few days. But they're in the middle of spring shed, so there's fur everywhere, and with the cold weather all winter it's been a while since they've had a bath. They had basically reached the point of smelling worse than they would if I bathed them, so it was time.

Trying to get a jump on the weekend chores, I came straight home from work Friday, so I could take advantage of the daylight to take their cages outside and disinfect and hose them down. I put their little hammocks in the wash - then it was doomsday (still not sure for who though).

I rounded everyone up, cleaned eight ears, clipped nails on sixteen feet, and dragged four ferrets up to the tub. (You don't want to do one at a time, or you'll bathe one ferret, then spend six hours looking for the rest of them.) They foofed their tails. They glared. Frack made a valiant attempt to escape by leaping over the side of the tub, climbing up and over me, and making a break for it. (Fortunately, I know this trick, and had closed the door.) Frick made an heroic attempt to save his brothers by stealing the shampoo after he'd already been washed (you could practically hear him squeaking "It's too late for me, but I got the smelly stuff - save yourselves!")

As of right now, almost a day later, they are still giving me glares and tail foofs, alternated with following me around, gathering at my feet, and giving me the "don't you feel guilty" look. I know what they're really up to though. They're weasels after all, and not above revenge. I warned them - "I know people!" "I know people with legal connections!" "I know people who are legal connections!" They just looked at me, and plain as day said "Silly human. Do you really think anyone would convict a bunch of cute, fwuffy widdle fewwets?" They know they could get away with murder, just by pulling the cute little fuzzy face routine.

If my crumpled corpse is found at the foot of the stairs make sure someone dusts for pawprints.

In which the Universe has other plans

2009-03-29T21:36:00.024-04:00

I had big plans for this weekend. The weather's been getting better, but not too hot yet, I've got lots of stuff I'm working on, so there are plenty of things to choose from that need working on. I was going to get lots done (even, maybe, some house and/or yard work!)

Then the Universe laughed.

Friday I wasn't feeling well at all. Had to call off from work and take an unpaid day kind of not well. Chalked it up to the Fibro, medicated and slept most of the day. Saturday I got laundry done. That was it. (All the stuff in Saturday's post was prior work that I finally got around to putting up, not that days work.) That should have been a hint, when just doing a few loads of laundry and a blog post wore me out. That still left Sunday though - I could still get things done.

And the Universe continued to laugh.

Around 2 a.m. the storms rolled in. Big storms. Strobe light horror movie kind of lightning. The kind where the room lights up every few minutes, and you know, just know that any minute you'll see something in the corner. Next flash it'll be closer. Then closer. (For the record, love of horror movies + overactive imagination = BAD COMBINATION!) After about 30 minutes of lying there with the covers pulled up to my chin, I gave up and got out some mindless knitting to tide me over until the worst of the storm had passed. Then the sinuses kicked in. Just storm pressure right? Wrong. When I finally woke up, I was definitely in the throes of a nice spring cold. Bleah.

I did finish the socks though.

And washed and ironed some fabric for a quilt block swap

Yay.

I just do what the disembodied heads tell me

2009-03-28T12:05:00.001-04:00

So for years now I've admired the character sculpts you see everywhere. You know the kind. The darling little fairies, the cute dolls, the odd and slightly creepy fantasy characters. I signed up on several groups on sculpting, read some books, started reading magazines on dolls, mixed media, art in general. Finally I decided it was time....

Trying to think methodically and logically (OK, I can hear the laughter from people who know me) I decided to do 3 heads, a round head, a wide head and a long head. This would give three basic face/head shapes, and a little experience with each.

I started with 2 styrofoam balls and a styrofoam egg, and began slapping clay on. I soon found out they had their own ideas about what they'd be....

HEAD ONE (Round Head)

This started as one of the round styrofoam balls. I squashed places in for the eyes, envisioning that it would become a Steve Buscemi type creepy yet sincere odd little guy. Here's the early stages:

So far so good, right? There's a nose, brow ridges, nice sockets to add bulgy eyes...

Moving right along....

Hmm, the eyes aren't quite as bulgy and it's not coming off quite as creepy as I....wait, why am I hearing whispers about eyelashes? Well, that could work, big creepy eyes, long eyelashes...OK, I'll go to the store. I need to get some nail sanding wedges anyway to even out the clay...

Well, this is definitely creepy - but maybe that's just the blank eyes. At this point it is starting to hint that it wants to be a girl. What? That is not what I intended! Stop that!

Oh, and that's the other two in the background, in progress. We'll get to those another day...

The staring, blank eyes were creeping me out, so in the middle of the night, I'm painting eyes. This is going further on the course that it wants every day. Definitely not looking like what I started out for!

At which point I have completely given in. I'm just doing what the disembodied heads tell me. And what's up with the beauty mark? I don't get them I don't do them. Sigh. Is anyone else being bossed around by stuff they make? I'll follow up when I've finished shading her lips, and she's decided what she wants for hair...

Time to start!

2009-03-27T15:41:00.000-04:00

After much bugging by friends and random folks who care, it's finally time to set up a blog! With any luck, this will eventually tie in with a full web presence (or if not, at least allow me to indulge visions of grandeur as far as what I'm doing!)

With any luck, I'll have some pics up later this weekend of things I'm working on.