Flowing Juices

What is it about vacation that get my creative juices flowing? I met the sculptor JeanFo, nice french guy. I'm around my cousin who is going to the school I went to SAIC, but who's art sucks. Sorry, but I think anyone get smoosh paint on a canvas and call it art. I want to create again. Maybe it's the fact that my relatives have forgotten that I too am an artist, or it could be the fact that I may have forgotten. My grandmother had a photographer friend over, who went ga-ga over a digital photo I took in Michigan of some wooden stairs at a state park. Haven't had that type of reactin in awhile. I was playing around with my cheapy digital camera and took some self portraits, forgot how fun that could be. I also need to be more pro-active with designing more knits. The lady I made the red sox stocking for is estatic, want to know if I can make some for soem of her husbands friends, um sure!

Happy Festivus!

I am so glad the holiday is upon us and the crazyness soon to be gone. I was able to skip out of work early yesterday and fly to grandma's house deep in the bible belt. We are not religious and we don't spend our life's savings on a bunch of crap, so Happy Festivus! Work so sucks that I've decided to make voodoo dolls for myself and my suffering co-workers. I saw the pattern for the knitting voodoo dolls somewhere and thought they were great. I'm going to take the more stress-relieaving approach and while the outside will be all voodoo looking, I have bought a variety of healing crystals which wil be placed inside so instead of wishing evil on the doll, it will have healing powers. How cool is that, knit your own voodoo doll. Is it strange that I've brought four knitting projects with me on my trip. The first one, a knitted scarf of the Himalayan silk for a co-worker was completed on the plan. The fingerless gloves for co-worker number two is well underway. I also brought the Clapotis which is a third done and a double large ball of Socks the Rock and a new sock book to start toe-up knee high socks. ALso have a new book to read, my iPod and my SuDoku game. It's very quiet here and the weather is perfect, though I would like the chance to wear my hot pink coat here and show Arkansas some color and style. Ciao!

My Grinch Heart

Since finishing the Red Sock Stockings I have, knitted a quick pair of fingerless gloves for me in light blue wool, got a hair cutl, henna'd my hair, worked like crazy at work, went to a party, started another project of fingerless gloves for co-worker out of glass-bottle green Cascade 220, recieved after much problem form the the postal service my yummy e-bayed Noro Silk Garden #34 yarn, and recieved a surprise package from the person who's Secret Pal I was, of a treasure-trove collect of vintage thimbles. It's is very rare to absouletly surprise me, usually I can sense if something is up, or the secret is not well kept, but I was surprised, and it really touched my Grinch Heart. I've added them to my collect up on a high bookshelf away from curious kitties next to a Salvation Army find of a sterling silver candle stick and my all-time favorite picture, my grandmother looking very chick and cool in the early 70's. Grandma recieved her yarn today for her felted bag but has no idea on hw to start, I know somewhere out there in computer land is a cartoon video on how to cast-on, I need to find it and send it too her or the bag will never be ready to leave with me for me to felt. Now it's crunch time, time to figure out what to bring with me on the trip, it's short, so two projects to switch back and forth with should suffice. I thinks it might just be time to ball up the Socks that Rock yarn and find a cool pattern for toes up, and maybe finshing Clapotis would be a good thing. So many projects, so little time.

My Red Bane

The bane of my existence for the past month has been the damned red sox stockings. Being my first commisioned piece, I think I did well, they took about a month, but I have to admit I wasn't strict about knitting on them constantly. In truth, I kinda hated making them, only because it was keeping me from my own knitting and the weather is so perfect for knitting...basically I'm a greedy knitter, mostly me all the time. There is the aspect of expectation, I really hope the woman like them, no loves them because she paid very VERY well for them. One thing that I'm proud of is that I had the yarn store that I teach for hold the money until after they were finished, makes better motivation. So what to knit next, the Clapotis, the Stitches Sweater kit, socks, etc., I think I can squeeze a quick pair of mittens and a hat in there for me, being it's snowy and all, that would trump all projects for sheer need. I feel like this big weight has been lifted off my shoulders. YEA.
I love technology. I was talking on my cell to my grandmother who was talking on her portable while I was stepping her the the process of ordering yarn on line from KnitPicks for a felted bag, isn't that sweet! I can't wait to see her next week. I do have one time commssion, a co-worker wants a pair of fingerless gloves, he has small hand and nothing fits, if I can find the yarn in my stash I won't have to buy any and he will never have to know. (it would be nice to take from my stash instead of adding for once!)

Secret Pal 6

There really are some nice people out there, and I firmly beleive that most of them can be found in the fibre arts community. My first time doing secret pal was interesting, I enjoyed shopping for my person, but my pal lost contact so I had a lovely angel step in. I just opened the most wonderful box filled with chocolate (who doesn't love chocolate!)books, yarn, candles, a nice large coffee mug (that will be competing with my Paul McCartny mug for first choice in the cabinet) yummy soap and dodads. How totally cool and nice to open a lovely box on a grey snowy day, yea! Even Piewacket liked the box.
So I just checked out the local park district holiday sale and found the same stuff. Apparently everyone who thinks they can weild two needles and master the knit stitch have a booth selling overpriced lionbrand fuzzy scarfs. Holiday shoppers beware! invest that money in a knitting class and make it yourself. Ugg. And speaking of crap....jewelry, just because you know where the local beadstore is doesn't mean your a jeweler, cheap bead earrings and all. I want to see something more creative and challenging, something that takes um, skill would be nice. Making these things and giving as gifts is one thing, "WOW, Mary-Sue who is all fingers made this, she must love me!" etc. There is unfortunately a fine line between skill and a profit. Most people are too cheap to spend money on something that is actully worth the price asked because is takes time, skill and good materials. Well, I'm off to baby-sit for a friend and get some much needed knitting done, I've got to finish these stockings so I can get paid. THANKS SECRET PAL 6 ANGEL!

My First

I've bought shoes on ebay, I've bought silver thimbles on ebay, I've even bought sterling collectable Towle ornaments on ebay (all of which I've been very happy with) today is the first time I've ever bought yarn on ebay. I'm an ebay yarn virgin! It's my most favorite color of Noro Silk Garden, number 34, I also am a big fan of number 84. Sad isn't it that I have the numbers memorized, but ah, it's a glorious color and the yummiest yarn, and I already have the pattern picked out. I've been looking for over a year on ebay for a lot of the yarn larger than 10 balls and won a lot of 13, I need alittle extra, for the curves you know...Yea! Not counting my Tony Little Gazelle that I bought (which makes a fantastic clothes hanger) this is the most expensive ebay purchase ever! But I just paid 7 bucks a ball for yarn that can sell for over 11, you do the math.

Only in the Fibre Community

Busy busy bee am I. So my class at Lill went well, and there's one more next week. For filling in at the last minute, the pay isn't bad. I got a little gossip on the reason the knitting teacher left, didn't get along with the dept head, must be the artists in them head butting because knitters never would. (Unless is was at a super-duper mega yarn sale and then it's every woman/man for themselves) So they want me to also fill in for the other two classes next year, and here's my prob, they're on tuesday nights, my designated SnB night. Can I go two months without my SnB society? I'll miss all the gossip and new projects, but the money could go toward my never-growing scooter fund, uh. Plus, to do these classes I kind need to see the old teachers syllabus, who else will I know what they expect. I just have this issue, if people pay good money, and I mean big bucks, to take these classes, I feel I have an obligation to make sure they get their money's worth. On another note, my secretpal6 experience has been interesting. I need to mail of another bit of fun to my pal, but I seem to have been forgotten, until now. The great thing is they have people called angels, they fill in when one's secret pal has goen AWOL, how nice is that! I think on the next round of secret pal I want to do that too. Well, I have the day off for once and am going to make the most of it. Going to take a nice long shower, have my potato soup, knit like hell on the stocking and go see a movie tonight.Ciao! PS. For those Chigagoans out there, I've figured out that the key to a more pleasent CTA ride home from work is having a mug of hot spice Gluwein (german mulled wine) in your hand and sipping it all the way home. (the ride is even better if it's your second helping)