Saturday, April 28, 2007

WHAT A YEAR IT'S BEEN!!!



Happy Birthday, Zora baby. Today was the big birthday party with way too many people and presents, but she loved every moment of it, including the piece of chocolate cake that she shared with her Nanny. Here she is is her birthday dress and the doll that I made her. It's unbelievable that she's a year old--I'm already mourning her babyhood.

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Thursday, April 26, 2007

MEET LULA

Lula was made from a pattern in Lucinda Guy's AND SO TO BED... for Zora's first birthday which is tomorrow. Her parents are hosting a gala celebration on Saturday and I hope to get pictures of Zora and Lula together. If this doll survives I have plans to expand her wardrobe. Right now I sewed everything to her body so those tiny shoes and hairbows don't end up in someone's mouth. She was fun to do and I can see making some friends for her.

I am already working on Janel's socks for my May sock. The combination of yarns is nice but the pattern is a bit of a challenge for my stuffed head and chest (I have the crud again for the third time this year and am in the midst of a giant pity party. I'll snap out of it soon.). According to the posts on the STR blog almost the
whole world has their next pattern and yarn but me. I was last on the
list last time and hoped for a higher position. This was a costly propostion and so far has not been what I hoped for. The Chameleon Colorworks has been a much better choice

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Saturday, April 21, 2007

BOOK REVIEW

This just came from Amazon last week and as it was purchased under the influence of allergy meds, I was dubious about it. Happily it is wonderful. These books are a real inspiration and just wonderful works of art on their own. I am trying to get back into a more of a thinking approach to my work and hope that this will help. When I was working as a designer it was always necessary to show sketches and justify the process. I always hated to do that but think that I finally get it. So many times I have been happy initially with a project but at second glance realize that it would have been improved with certain adjustments. Thumbnails do just that. Great book!

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Tuesday, April 17, 2007

WEEKEND PROJECTS

After a way too rigorous week taking care of Zora while her parents were celebrating the New York opening and trying to keep up at work, I hid all weekend and played. After finishing the socks I did some felting with CrossPatch over a small plastic Easter egg and this was the result. I'm still not sure how I will put them together and they definitely need some embellishment. Something to think about while I wind my way through another long week--only one more to go the grant is finished.

No pictures of the dye projects--two greens one very brilliant and the other less so. I also dyed up some Brown Sheep mill ends that I have had sitting around here for a long time--they were brown and white and now are brown (even darker than before), white (very little), turquoise blue and a touch of purple and a very small touch of fushia. Will take photos when I home next in the daylight.


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Monday, April 16, 2007

PICTURE AND SOCK CATCH-UP

Work and life has been so crazy that there has been little time to knit, spin, etc let alone post something here. There were two whole days last week that my fingers never even touched a knitting needle--can't remember when that last happened.


First pic is the last conference pic--my winning shawl. The fiber was a merino/silk that I handpainted, spun and then knit up. While I would love to claim the pattern as my own, it is one from Knitty--Lizard Ridge. The original is an afgan knit in Noro. I just added and ribbing border and knit it to my size.


Still on track with the socks (My New Year goal is to knit a pair a month). The lovely blue lacy ones, actually finished in March but not photograped are from the Chameleon Colorworks sock club. The pattern is Niagra Falls and is knit in a very nice random dyed superwash wool. They fit like a dream--I went against my grain and did not adapt any of these for my pattern but knitted the pattern as written. The goal is not only to end up with lots of sock, but to learn something along the way as well.











April's sock is my Socks That Rock package. I have never had such trouble with a sock as with this one. I did learn to knit a toe up and love the garter and heal on this sock but the cuff was a nightmare. It was easy to knit but had to be redone several times to get it so that my foot fit in the tunnel. The cable really brings this in and there is very little give to the cuff. I knit this on size three needles finally and can just barely squeeze it over my heel. I hope it doesn't shrink.



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