Knitting Bare and drawing my feet

May I share?

2007-04-20T18:19:00.000-05:00

I am ending this blog.
I'm ending the entire "diosaperdida" entity.
It's time to grow up past screennames....plus it's causing huge amounts of confusion with sales, etc...especially since Rebecca Lopez is also a VERSION of my given legal name.
It's all getting too exhausting.
I am going to be using my legal name.
I do not want to be associated with this screenname anymore.
I am ready to move beyond a wagging butt, and being a persona.
I am ready to be a person.

and more doodles, and sketches

2007-04-15T12:37:00.000-05:00

Shoe is for everyday matters challenge "Draw a shoe"
So...there ya go...a shoe.

Those small colorful leaves in the top pic are by my 6 year old Becca...we like doodling together.

My Mom thinks that every time I leave the house, that I should be going to the grocery.
She acts like I'm a horrible Mom if I'm not going to grocery shop.
I finally told her today when she was shocked that I was going to the art supply store and not the grocery that we have been going to the grocery for days now, and it's time to stop.

sketches and doodles

2007-04-15T12:29:00.000-05:00

various doodles, sketches and excersizes...I have some more.

Yes..I'm gonna rant again

2007-04-01T13:58:00.000-05:00

So..I was looking at a website...a BIG website for artists. They carry both prints by famous people...and then have a section for artists like me and you.
I again was appaled by the number of things called digital paintigs that were no more than photos with filters ran on them...as well as a large number of paintings with nothing but a bunch of colors swilred around with a smudge brush.
Oh!...And they ALL had important sounding titles and descriptions.
"An exploration into the pain of one man sitting alone at night, and
twiddling his thumbs alone ...with only the soft glow of an artificial heart
..his photoshop program...to make him feel close to anything other than his own sad soul."
or..
"These swirls and twirls are the virtual fingers of my dreamlover who can
only reach me through these colors that are pulsing and swirling through the vibes of the internet."
In their bios they talk about those who collect their work, and how they have been
drawing since the day that they still thought that pencils were eating utensils.

Lets be frank...if they used to draw...they stopped when they started making this kind
of work their main focus.

hmmm..I just got myslf so worked up that I did a real life rant to my Mom...it wasn't nearly as kind as this one.

The bottom line of what I said to Mom.
No computer is going to draw for you.
You MUST ...be it digitally( using a graphics tablet and a wacom) or with a pencil( or brush...etc) learn to draw and paint.
Effects will take you so far....then you stop.
Now I will never say what is or isn't art...that isn't my place.
But if you really want to be in a confident place...
where if you had a ...teehee...collector say.
"Hey Joe...I love the swirlies...could you draw my cat for now?"
You can do it.
You need to put in the background work to get there.
I'm doing it.
I have been there.
My digital work was...um...swirly.
Then I wanted to go beyond that.
I DO draw..but I saw I could be so much better...and that I have an
enormous amount of improvment to be done.
You have to lose that sense of
"Gee...look what I did when I set up my computer yesterday!"
Go ahead and get mad at me.
But if this makes one person take a new look at what they are doing...

Also, on that site that I found dismaying...
I looked under the "Photorealism" catagory...

I found ...photos.

Photorealism is a painting and drawing style, folks.
Not a pic that looks realistic because it's a photo!

Again..I am not singling out any one person...nor saying that
anyone isn't an artist.
I'm just saying that swirls and filters are not all there is to digital art.
And to the viewer...I say demand more.

6 weird facts

2007-03-24T21:31:00.000-05:00

I was tagged...um..I'll look up the url in a moment...
1 I have a terrible time speaking. If I'm tired I am
even worse. I have a slight Mexican accent....and
I find it is worse if I'm tired or stressed...also I stutter
when under the same circumstances that make my accent worse.
2 I really believe in rules...but have a painfully hard time following them.
I seem to always fail to do as I'm suppose to do....and I live in fear of my
children finding out this fact about their strict Mother.
3 I am unbelievably polite and kind to cashiers and waitresses, etc...
also to anyone else I happen to meet in my day.
but let them act like a jerk and they will remember me for awhile
. I don't take shit off of my fellow man.
I don't yell, cuss or be nasty...but I am very admant, and blunt about
what they are doing and how they will rectify it. I make them feel small.
...and a bit scared. I also will tell other people's kids to knock it off if they
are infringing upon my space, person or rights. I find myself amazed that the
parent usually will not do this.
Never argue with me unless you can use logic better than a Vulcan.
If you do win..I will gracefully acknowledge that fact.
4 I pride myself in being a good loser and a brilliant failure. It is
through these events that one learns.
5 I would go out of my way to be nice to and even loan money to someone
I don't like. I would even give them rides to work, and let them live in my
home rent free if they had a problem.
I feel one should raise above petty dislikes, and be as noble as possible.
The Golden Rule should apply regardless of your personal feelings for a person.
6 I have no feelings about myself. I neither like nor dislike myself. I often forget
that I even am myself. It's such an odd concept to me.
I guess I should tag someone..but I don't really know anyone.

Well, I know Pat... but she was the one who tagged me.
So....feel free to do this if the mood hits....or don't.
Yeah...number 7..I can be apathetic on occasion...especially social type occasions.

I still exist

2007-03-24T08:37:00.000-05:00

Been awhile.
I am sick...so, that's that.
On top of excruciating pain from the main...whatever it is...I'm scared to go to the Doc...

I have an ear infection right now.

bleh

Anyways, I have also been drawing...A LOT.
Been trying to learn a new medium....colored pencil.
Drawing really is about seeing.
My own personal proof?
The one subject I draw better than any...my Mother.
Perhaps because except for a short period of time here and there,
my Mom and I have shared a residence all my life.
Including my adult life.
I see my Mother constantly...every tiny nuance of her
face is etched into my mind.
My best subjects after her...my Father, then my children,
then my cat....then Bill.
All individuals that I see constantly.
I draw the cat better than the husband because the
cat is always at my side.
I see him constantly.
Husband is running errands for wife all day...
so I only have him by my side at night.
Cat does not appreciate this intruder to our
cat /woman love fests...eiw..that
didn't sound right.
Why isn't my sis among the list of people I can draw with
my eyes closed?
I suppose because during the time we lived together and
saw one another every day, she was a child and her face
changed a lot as she matured...then she married early.
When I draw something unfamiliar, I look like a total idiot.
I sit and stare at it intently.
I turn it around and around or walk around all sides that are
available to walk around.
I touch it with my eyes, milimeter by milimeter...I find the lines,
then I take off my glasses...you people who can see well, can just squint.
When I take off my glasses, I then see dark and light. ( values )
If I am faced with a difficult perspective, I work it by site not
formula, and make sketches as I do this looking in order to get it how I see it.
Perspective is my weak point..so that extra step is needed...otherwise,
I do all my intent staring, and then I start drawing...usually a line
drawing. When I finish my line drawing...on cheap paper..I trace it.
Then I can use that as a template in case I screw up and need to start over.
I also use this template several times during planning.

From there I work out things like composition, and color
through thumbnail drawings.
When I have the compositon and color how I want it, I make a test run.
I transfer the finished compositon onto a cheap peice of paper, using
any elements from tracing paper that were drawn seperately...or I redraw
them free hand if size or angle has changed.
I then transfer the finished composition to another sheet of cheap paper,
and color it.
this is fast coloring to make sure the ideas in my
thumbnail will work out in a full sized drawing.
This also insure the VALUES are good...and if this is
going to be a graphite drawing...that's very important.
Color isn't even a factor in that case.
Values are the MOST important aspect of color and light that
there is...understand it and understand it well.
If I am going to use colored pencil as the final paint
medium then I write down which pencils I used for my
test painting/drawing.
If I am going to use graphite I write down what pencils
I used, and have my visual map all ready.
I then transfer the compostion/linework yet again
to my final surface.
Um...sometimes that is again cheap paper if this entire
thing is only practice.
I do a lot of things using this entire process that I never
intent to show anyone, but the kitty.
He loves everything I do.
This entire process is also used for paintings using watercolor, acrylics, or
oils...for any art work except for digital.
I do some things differently in with digital painting.

A word about family, and pets who want to sit with you as you draw.
Or in the case of my cat..ON the drawing..
Get a drawing board if you can.
For humans it gives people the non- verbal message that I am serious here..
I'm not playing around with pencils and paint. ( well..ok..I am but..)
I am working.
I have to constantly remind my humans that this is for money.
But even if it isn't for money in your case...
drawing and painting take thought, and planning, and concentration.
You are serious about what you are doing even if you do enjoy it.
Others need to respect that.
A drawing table says to others..."Hey..I'm working here!"
As for the cat..if he tries to sit on my tilted drawing table..
well..he slides right off!
Another message to others that you are serious...establish
a space that is for art work only.
Openly and blatantly call it your studio...even if it's just
a small space behind your sofa.
Real artists have studios in most peoples minds.
This is good for the new artist who struggles with the
concept and question of "Am I really an artist."
We all go through that period of wondering if we deserve to join the ranks
of those who are called artist. We blush when others call us that one day..
and many even deny it.
My way of knowing if one is truly an artist?
If you decide you are...then you are.
But having a space dedicated to art helps one with that decision.
It also helps those around them see that decision.

And a painting too!

2007-03-03T15:54:00.000-05:00

It's Kes from Star Trek Voyager.

Digital painting using real media principles.

I am having issues from working between moniters...on this one there is too much orange...I am not seeing that on the montiter I painted it on. It's irritating and like the issue with the scans in the last entry...makes me feel powerless.

new drawings

2007-03-03T12:19:00.000-05:00

really just practice....except for the bones...that's a not so much practice as a doodle thingy. The pic of the girl is my daughter Donna...it was extremely fast. If you have kids then you have an idea of how much they move...and just how fast the sketch was.

All are traditional media..mostly pencil and/or graphitints ( basically ...pencil, but a lightly tint, water soluable type.)

All done in the last week...longest took about 2 hours?

Terrible scans.

What bugs me about digital artists...

2007-02-27T10:55:00.000-05:00

I am not an art snob.
I love all kinds of art.
But a few things bother me about the "art world" in general...
and digital art, specifically.
When I first discovered programs like Photoshop and
PaintshopPro...I played with all the doodads.
It was beyond amusing to make photos of myself look like
metal or leather with the click of the mouse.
It was neato to make kalaidoscopic patterns with a similar
click or two.

Then I discovered you could actually make a mark...your own
mark...using a digital paintbrush.
Slowly, I would use a mouse to make drawings and paints.
I could even enhance them with grain, or changing color.

This pic is a drawing.
It was disqualified from a competition because it was
believed to be a photo...or at least that some trickery
was involved. Although the competition had a digital
art catagory...they didn't understand digital art very
well. They thought I had submitted a photomanipulation...
which they understood...and didn't allow.
I did use a grain filter...but other than that I used
PaintshopPro's round paintbrush, and smudge tools...
and nothing else. It is the equivalent...using a pencil and
a smudge stick. I didn't trace anything, I didn't
manipulate a photo. I used a reference photo to
LOOK at, but did not use any kind of trickery...
and this was before I had a graphics tablet.
My point.
I can draw.
I have honest artistic skill.
No..not the best skill, but I do have some.

So, can you guess what is bothering me?

I'm going to make people angry...
I will appologise now.

But I don't get all these people who "exhibit widely",
win "numerous awards", even judge competitons...

and all they do is run filters!

Or they do what is actually photo manipulations.

And most call themselves digital painters.

Shouldn't something have been painted,
before calling a piece a painting?

I am not saying that anyone or
any style is or is not art or an artist.
I am saying that running a
filter isn't painting.

I will furthur venture to say that until people stop
doing this, those who are anti-digital and think that
all digital art is "generated" , and that digital art is simply
not real art...will keep thinking these things.
How can they help it when digital artists themselves seem so confused,
about what they are doing?
I leave you with a digital...painting.
I made those marks.
I guided a stylus to paint them, and formed them into
a picture of a girl.

Wise words from Ms Japel

2007-02-18T08:23:00.000-05:00

I like her.
She has ...something.
She's just one of those people whom you can look at in a
photograph, even and know...she's special.
I was reading an interview with Stefani Japel of
Glampyre knits, and this part really caught my eye.

"Nat: Are there any tips you can share about running a craft business?

Stefanie: I'm still learning about the whole business end of
things, so don't listen to any advice from me. But here are
some things that I do:
Don't pay too much attention to what other people are doing.
Keep to your own aesthetic and you'll stay original. The second
you decide to consciously directly compete with what someone
else is doing is the second you lose the freshness of your own ideas.
I read blogs, and there are a few shop sites I check every so often...
but maybe because I'm so busy, I live in a bubble. I don't have time
to pay too much attention to other craft businesses.

Don't take yourself too seriously. I think that one big mistake
people make is to think of themselves as experts...I don't know.
Craft is what you do because you love it. When you start to put
all that pressure on yourself...ideas are harder and harder to come by.
Let things just flow.

Constantly sketch. Draw every single permutation of every
idea that you have.

Save your receipts and organize them. Taxes suck.

Stay friendly. I learn so much from people who are in this business.
I see every relationship as something to learn from. The most annoying
customer can really give you insight into the minute things that could
be changed to either make the site more navigable, or the pattern more
easy to read. Some people even write just because they're lonely...not
because they really have a problem with you or your work...just treat
everyone with respect, and you'll be respected."

Sometimes it is the most simple actions that mean the most. And while she
is talking about crafts and knitting, I think the same advice should be taken by
fine artists too.
That ol "act like a rock start, cold shoulder the fans,let them know you are a superior
being " act has got to go.
I have seen it fail a number of times now, for a number of people.
Yeah...the part about staying nice REALLY caught my attention.

more quiz-y goodness.

2007-02-16T10:16:00.000-05:00

Pure Nerd

82 % Nerd, 47% Geek, 30% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.

A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.

A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.

You scored better than half in Nerd, earning you the title of: Pure Nerd.

The times, they are a-changing. It used to be that being exceptionally smart led to being unpopular, which would ultimately lead to picking up all of the traits and tendences associated with the "dork." No-longer. Being smart isn't as socially crippling as it once was, and even more so as you get older: eventually being a Pure Nerd will likely be replaced with the following label: Purely Successful.

Congratulations!

Also, you might want to check out some of my other tests if you're interested in any of the following:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Professional Wrestling

testid=8115472531704248346">Love & Sexuality

America/Politics

Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 99% on nerdiness
You scored higher than 99% on geekosity
You scored higher than 99% on dork points

Link: The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test written by donathos on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

hmm...well, ok, then.

Lookies.
I made a sun.
It doesn't seem too popular on DA...
like a really care about that anymore.
It cheers me up.

I also made this..not so sure it cheers me. It's funny what people have seen in this...everything from Valentines to a preganant woman.

gratification

2007-02-12T08:57:00.000-05:00

painting more or less
"flopped" everywhere I showed it.
Maybe people think parents are
being self indulgent when they
paint their children.
It's my daughter Donna.
Anyways...they liked it over at
artwanted.com.
That's nice.

Yanno..I am sorry about griping about Mom so much.
But sometimes, I need to vent.
The woman sits and talks for 30 minutes straight
about how backed up she is.
Asks if I will give her an enema...
to which I replied that there is a reason that
I didn't chose medical care with humans. ( I used to
be a vet tech.)
But she wouldn't be in this
shape if she didn't eat about 4 times more than
she should at each meal.
I mean...she uses a mixing bowl for a cereal bowl!
She complains about reflux when she eats...well duh...
She is 4'11".
You put that amount of food into such a
short torso/stomach...you run out of space.
But then she has the nerve to harass
my chidren every time they eat a piece of candy.
She was even trying to force them
to watch some talk show with a severly obese
child...all the while giving lectures and dire warnings...
AND SHE HAD A BOWL OF ONE OF HER MEGABOWLS
OF CEREAL AT THE TIME!
And the cereal is an example.
We all use smallish plates from my set of dishes.
She uses the giant dinner plate and fills it up.
She fills it up even if I haven't had a chance to eat.
So, sometimes...I don't even get to eat dinner.
You see why I needed to vent?

New Hobby?

2007-02-11T11:47:00.000-05:00

It's becoming more and more clear, that with building a house,
and all my hobby storage needs ...

I need to take up woodworking.

I have some basic knowledge...which I need to expand upon.

I was telling Bill about how alarming my storage situation
has become and he said he would help me.
We are also going to be doing this cool project that I saw while
watching B Original on HGTV.
It originally aired on the DIY Network.
If you have priced full sized floor easels you can
see the appeal of this.

I guess I knew it would happen.

2007-02-08T12:54:00.000-05:00

Someone thought Bill was Becca's Grandfather today...
She had been told that fact by other's who know us, fairly well.
Or so I thought.
Perhaps people just assume even when presented with facts like
"This is my husband, Becca's step-Father."
The person in error appologised profusly.
I said it was ok, and that confusion can happen
when two people so vastly different in age marry.
And that indeed, Bill is significantly older than I.

Anyways..

he is actually a year older than Becca's Grandfather on my side
would have been. :)

Someone once said I was mentally ill for marrying
someone so much older.
If having and loving a man like Bill makes me mentally ill.
Then yay for being out of my mind.
Believe me..women dream about having a husband that
would treat them like Bill treats me.
I'm not bragging.
I am stating fact.
I pay for it with the knowledge that he will probably
die long before I do.
But one has to live now...
not for before, and not for after.

Does this have anything to do with knitting?

Not really..unless you count the fact that Bill does...
Knit.
Among other things.

doom and gloom-aboom,boom,boom

2007-02-05T20:02:00.000-05:00

I have been Ms Negative Pants lately, eh?

But really, I'm a generally happy person.
I suppose that's because I get it out.

But I admit..this last year has been a very tough one...

sigh I even stopped painting.

I also stopped getting things out in other ways...
that is until I would just explode.

But I have started painting again...and everything seems to be
much more balanced.

I had stopped painting for ten years before...for various reasons.
And when I HAD to start again, I mean I NEEDED to paint.
I was getting a divorce.
But when I decided to start again, I wasn't sure that I could.
Then I painted this flower.
I think it's ok.

A bit better now..

2007-02-04T22:26:00.000-05:00

So anyways..

(Hey...here's the shrug from a thrift store sweater that
was unraveled.
And no..I really dont appologise for anything.
I'm not neat, I'm not skinny, and I make stupid faces.
We'll all get over it.
Machine knit body and hand finished cuffs and ruffled edges.
The cuffs and edges are NOT recycled yarn...they are
Lion Brand Jiffy...erm..colorway is..el paso?)

In spite of being hit by the worst pain in my life on
Friday afternoon, it's been an nice weekend.

First of all, I have some lovely news.
I am the new editor for the Painting catagory at craftgossip.

I am being brief, tonight because I'm running
low on energy, and I want to make a new personal blog
that will help me to keep track of my projects.

I guess the "first of all" is going to be
the ONLY of all. I am really tired
and lacking focus right now.

Hmm..Bill just called and is telling me
almost all of the schools in the area
closed due to the extreme cold.

My weather thingy

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN
EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST TUESDAY.

SINGLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES WILL
COMBINE WITH WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH
TO PRODUCE DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND
CHILLS. WIND CHILL READINGS OF 15
TO 25 BELOW ZERO ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT
INTO MONDAY MORNING. WIND
CHILLS WILL STILL BE 10 TO 20 BELOW ZERO
MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
TUESDAY MORNING.

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN
A STRONG WIND WILL COMBINE
WITH COLD TEMPERATURES TO CREATE
DANGEROUSLY COLD CONDITIONS FOR
EXPOSED SKIN. THE WIND WILL MAKE IT
FEEL LIKE IT IS BETWEEN 10 AND
25 DEGREES BELOW ZERO. THOSE PLANNING
TO VENTURE OUTDOORS SHOULD
USE COMMON SENSE AND DRESS WARMLY
...MAKING SURE THAT ALL EXPOSED
SKIN IS COVERED.

Well...the girls have a different set up at school..no waiting for a bus.

Eh..I'm seriously sick of fighting with blogger for now.
Stupid italics.

Maybe later

2007-02-04T13:50:00.000-05:00

I have a terrible, and excruciating ear
infection right now..
maybe later tonight, after
antibiotics have had a
chance to do something,
I'll catch up on my blogs.

One stop creation

2007-01-30T11:27:00.000-05:00

http://www.tinkertinker.com/

I have mentioned my Rebecca many a time.

She is a special girl...and I'm
not just saying that because
I am her Mom.
She has a very high IQ, and a very
creative and dynamic personality.
She is a force of nature.
She's big, smart, able and
ready.
But Lord help you if she
isn't willing.
Or if she wants YOU to be
willing when you are not.
She is passionate...and she
is stubborn.
She has the soul of an artist,
the mind of a brain surgeon,
and the heart of a poet.
She is both an idea girl..and
she can plan AND she
can follow through.
Most people really only
excell at one of those areas.

I don't brag on her like this very often.
But it's a bit relevant.
I secretly had this idea
for a place like I linked to
at the start of this post.
And she also had the same idea.
We just sort of blurted it
all out the other day
while we were working in
my studio.
Becca often chooses to
make sketches
of her paintings and ideas
before she does the final product..so
she is in there with me alot.
The room is set up for art and exploration.

We both decided we wanted
to make a place
where others can come
and create too.
Her idea is to call
it "The Make Place"

I NEED this..and so does she.
While she can always find
a way to occupy that
1000 mile an hour brain of hers,
she needs a focus.
Fortunately she has
sticktoitness...always has.
So oddly I don't worry much
about embarking on a business venture
with my 6 year old daughter.

This town also needs this place.

What is offered to older children
and young/mid aged
adults in the way of artistic exploration
in Westerville is pathetic.
Also what is offered as a means for artists
to display their work just isn't enough.
We have a sweet little gallery uptown....
but it isn't large enough...
and I feel the pricing is a bit
prohibitive for those
who have never shown their work before.
In addition to that all space is rented.
Artists are never featured based upon
artistic innovation or skill.
I think a "people's" gallery, as well
as a featured
artists gallery would be the berries.

I'll ask Becca what she thinks.

Or maybe not..she is still under the
impression that I am
mentor material.
But while I have a pretty good brain of my own,
I fully expect her to surpass me..

Heck, she'll be taller than me by
the time she's 8!
4'5" already!( maybe more since
I noticed her pants
looking like floods this morning)

And please...do not for one moment
think that this post undervalues Donna.

Donna is a whole different story...
whew..is she ever.
All of the above characteristics is slanted
quite differently when the child is
extremely introverted....
and when she is made of pure wonder.
My daughters are like a coin whose
one side is science, and
the physical. And whose other side is
magic and the ethereal.

My name is Rebecca

2007-01-29T20:43:00.000-05:00

I posted about the 100 reasons challenge.
The first theme is "intro"

I know the title...

"My name is Rebecca and I am angry."

Now...to put that on canvas...

and no..I really am not asking for suggestions.
I don't know what I'm doing.

My Rebecca...long story as to why I and my daughter
have the same name...
anyways..my girl, has discovered shoulder pads.
She is beyond perplexed, but has decided that the
best use for them would be to put them inside her
PJ top and "cuddle" with them in bed.
There is nothing in this world more amazing and
perfect than a 5 and a 6 year old...
not until next year, that is.

Less than a mile..

2007-01-29T10:49:00.000-05:00

My sister lives less than a mile from me.
I forgot my camera battery charger when I was there last.
When I was there last, was Christmas.

We have been too busy to find
a time for me to get it when she is there.
Or for her to drop it by to me.

I see her husband more than I see her....but
he is our realtor, and we are desperate to find land.

So...I see my realtor brother in law ( yeah..I write it ALL out, and my kid isn't my DD either.)a lot more than I do his lovely wife...
My beautiful muralist sister is extremely busy.

So...

this is why I dont have pics to show lately!

And why I cant show you what I found yesterday.
I went to a local store here where they sell everything
from pharmaceuticals to goat milk cheese to clothes...and cheap.

I saw that they had sweaters and other knits, so
I looked at the seams of some.
Most were natural fibers...wool, cotton..and
some silk/angora/wool blend knit skirts.
And they had good seams for unraveling
( hand finished with mattress stitch as opposed to serged)..

and there was a sign saying "ALL clothing 99 cents"!

I got a GIANT sapphire blue wool sweater...
seriously..it was big on me, and I wear an 18.
It was marked size small...but it was enormous, and
it is cable knit..so a ton of yarn in that thing...and
it has a large cowl neck!
I estimate that it is maybe ...hmmm...4000 yards
of fingering weight wool...
At 4.5 per 220 a yard ball...it would have cost more
than 80 dollars.

I then also bought the silk/angora/wool blend
skirts...4 of them.
lets say also about 4000 yards? At say 7 dollars
a ball that is 220 yards? 127 dollars.

But I paid 5 dollars..for all of it!

The down side?
The skirts while coming apart fairly easily,
are made of two strands of very fine yarn, held together.
Makes it kind of fussy.
Also, while the skirts are unworn..I am
guessing the skirts have been alive for awhile. The yarn inside of the waistband is much brighter....if you can call any of it bright.
The two strands are a shell pink and a grey held together.
The overall effect is...kind of beige.
It has to be dyed. I don't do beige.

eh...who the fuck cares.

I was on the phone while writing this
trying to reschedule an appointment for
Donna, to have her hearing checked.
We all have the flu...and all of us have earaches.
I thought rescheduling was the right thing.
Only to find out that they can't get her in until APRIL.
I tried to go ahead and keep today's
appointment because SHE CANT HEAR!
But the lady said she had canceled it
already...and it couldn't be undone.
I just started crying...and I can't seem to stop.
I have failed my child.
I just dont really deserve children.

I'm not mean...wait..it's about yarn...don't leave!

2007-01-27T18:34:00.000-05:00

well..not in your most basic way, I'm not mean.
I do have a problem with snobs, idiots, graspers, takers, molesters...etc...

but I don't like to hurt people..and I
try to see all sides to a situation.

Anyways..
I won an Ebay auction the last week...week
before...whatever.
I sent my payment within their alotted
time, and was clear in communication.

They sent me something that looked quite
unlike what was pictured
on the auction page.

It IS the same color...and that's about
where the similarity ends.

The texture is COMPLETELY different.
They showed a yarn in a cool brown that was
nubbly, and loopy.
I recieved a smooth cabled yarn.

It really don't like cabled yarn.

They also said it was wool.
It is wool wrapped with a fine strand of some
manmade fiber.
burn test also says it is a blend. It melted instead
of left ash
AND it smelled like hair.

I waited and wrote to then before just leaving my feedback.
I let them know all of the reason's I wasn't happy.
I also let them know I was keeping the yarn.
I just wanted to hear their side before I made my feedback.

They DID reply, addressing only one concern...
not responding to others...especially why it was represented as all wool, and why it looks completely different from pictured.

In the end I left a nuetral feedback explainging the problems briefly.

Why do I feel like a big meany?

In other news..I made a new blog.

It's time for a stupid quiz break.

2007-01-21T23:10:00.000-05:00

What type of sock are you?

Wow! You would have been a pair of socks as long as it's possible for socks to be before they're tights - and all multi-coloured with pretty patterns and detail all over the place - then you could stand and admire your sock-self all day!
Take this quiz!

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What is your level of knitting experience?

You've got experience. Your wardrobe is full of things you've made yourself; your friends and family pretty much expect you to knit things for them. Yet it always seems like you're learning something new.
Take this quiz!

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What kind of knitting needles are you?

You are plastic.Futuristic, milky, and silky, you are willing to go where no crafter has gone before. You can do just about anything, with strength agility, and pretty colors to boot! While you are good at slipping and sliding out of sticky situations, remember to stay where and when you are needed. Don't overdo it on star gazing when there's earthbound knitting to be done!
Take this quiz!

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PICS..for a change.

2007-01-21T14:37:00.000-05:00

This is a painting which I thought was done..but
when I looked at the photo, I noticed that large
white splotch...which is far more noticable in
photos, than in real life. But online, it's photos
that count. So I need to fix that white splotch on
the leaf on the tree in the front. Painting is oil and
oil pastel on paper...and very darned big, for paper.

Then we have some yarn that I got from a
thrift store sweater. Bill and I are sharing it.
That's his swatch for the hat he is making for me.
I love my husband.

And while we are talking of spouses who make
hats...this is Bill's balaclava, which I made.
He got to test it out today..our first real snow this year.
He says it is almost TOO warm.
Yay.
Again..no pattern.

I also made myself a scarf and ...hmmm.it's kind
of like a hat with no top.
I didnt have enough yarn for a hat, but this
works very well. The yarn is a beautiful
wool/mohair/nylon mix...
I am VERY tempted to buy more.
Not appologising for the paint shirt, nor
for the blurry pic, nor for the mean face I'm making,
nor for being fat.

Also I am not appologising for the mess in the next photos.

This is large rug that I made from 6 smaller ones.
It goes in that room perfectly.( my family room)
Mom seems to think that we need doilies in
that very ...not-a-doily kind of room.
I have made a chair set that DOES match...
I just need to finish it up.
And yes..the wall not pictured is blue.
And yes..there is art all over it.

old blended with new..

2007-01-17T14:53:00.000-05:00

I brought some of my older blogs into the new
version..and my old profile has taken over.
I call it fate.
It's more "me" I guess anyways.

I was asked if I paint anymore....

I hadn't been painting much..and rarely sharing what I had.

I started again.

Not that it's anyone's damn business...Ron.

It's funny..Ron doesn't need to be critical of me, or
worry if I'm knitting more than I'm painting.
Oh wait...yes he does..
cause if I wasn't knitting, he wouldn't have that
afghan for his freezing ass that's all set to send out.

But just for the record...one VERY good reason my focus
has been more on knitting...and only ONE ( see last post)
is that I am working on earning Master knitter status.
It's a personal goal..one that I am allowed to have
without explanation to anyone.

But yes..I AM painting..and drawing.

Like anyone REALLY cares about my work anyways?

That's not a "poor me" statement..it's fact.

Maybe this will take some time to explain.

2007-01-15T20:34:00.000-05:00

I had a friend who died last February.

I told him I could only be his friend.
I told him that I was in love with Bill...

He found something in me
compelling...lovable.
Go figure...but, yes, he did.

He THOUGHT he was in love with me.
We had a parting of ways that involved him
saying that he couldn't deal with me being in
love with Bill anymore.

I swear I was HONEST!
I didn't lead him on...

but something in him still thought he loved me.
And that night that he said he couldn't deal
with me and Bill anymore...

he took some vodka, and some pills..
out into the woods..

and he drank the vodka..and took the pills..

and he went to sleep...

and froze to death.

And for the last year, I have
been trying to kill
whatever it was in me that killed him.

I have tried to submerge my personality
as much as possible.
I have nearly stopped painting.
I have lost interest in sex.
I have dressed like a construction worker.
I stopped talking to people.
I stopped being alluring, attractive, desirable
funny, smart, ...human.
I have tried to die without having
to leave my husband
and my children, Mother,
and pets....without ducking out
on what I owe to them.

I have tried to pay for what I did.

God help me..I have tried.

I guess that's all...
perhaps writing this is
the first step
at some
resolution.

I need some
because my family deserves
more than just a body.

Test knitters for super cool project?

2007-01-13T22:27:00.000-05:00

I am going to need about three to four
test knitters.
Requirements being that you are
very comfortable
with cabling,
and that you are willing to work for free...
It would also be an enormous help if you are able
to read charts.
The finished instructions will probably be
for sale, so
your discretion about the project would be much
appreciated.

Email me at rebecca.lopez@gmail.com

By the way...this will not be the last project
where I will need
test knitters. You will get a free project out
of the deal each
time, and the satisfaction of
being my source of double and triple checking....and hopefully
adding some inNovative
things to the knitting world.

Where's the knitting bitch?

2007-01-12T20:40:00.000-05:00

"excellent comment! if i could express myself
that well
verbally, i'd talk a lot more."

The response to a comment I made
on a peice of artwork titled "depression".
The comment doesn't matter..I am not
one to regal you with puffed up stories of my
prowess in any depatment..but especially verbal
expression.

When it comes to figuring out what to say, I hurt deep
in my head and sweat in my heart.
I am pretty sure I'm getting it wrong, and will
probably alienate someone...

well...best I just stick with alienating myself.

One thing is certain; I now understand why it is said
that depression is anger turned inward.

I am angry.

Very, very angry...about so many things.

But alas...gratitude is my salvation and my grace.
I have far more to be grateful for than to be angry about.

I shall write this 100 times...

hmm..maybe I could convince Bill to work it into
a naughty professor/student scenario?

Bill could easily teach salvation and grace 101.
Odd though that he found both in the love of
a broken soul....

as for knitting...hmm...ofcourse.
I knit all the time. But I don't have alot for show.
I should show you Bill's 2x2 ribbing...
now that's a man that can rib!
And I give credit where it's due...even if the student
does surpass the teacher..
He can weave in ends and do duplicate stitch like
nothing I have ever seen.
WAY better than I do it.

I'd like to know where you got the notion..

2007-01-09T17:27:00.000-05:00

I have had that song in my head for the last week.
It's about all that's been in my head.
I did finally finish Bill's balaclava. It's ugly..
it's a balaclava. But it's soft.
I will be
sharing pics soon. I wish pics showed how soft it is.
I need an afghan made from Paton's Classic.

I have been designing a cable....more on that later.
It's going to be spectacular if I can pull it off.

Also..speaking of cables;
I have most of the pattern for the pink cable mitts
written out ( ok.."mitt" has TWO "t"'s.
As a Spanish
speaker
I find all the extra letters in
English weird and
annoying...nevermind
that I first learned to read
in English..)

But other than that, I seem to mostly be
preoccupied with falling apart this week .

Yanno...I can't let that happen.

As it is, I am about the laziest person alive.
And procrastination!...I'm surprised I don't
put off breathing for some other more
convienient time.

Hmm...I think the meat for dinner is thawed now.
Perhaps I should actually...cook it?
Hold on a sec, eh?

damn..it isn't anywhere near thawed yet! At this
rate dinner will be at 8:30 PM.
I do everything slow..because I diddle..
and procrastinate!
If I allow myself to fall apart too much,
I will never get anything done.
Then soon, I'll be dead...and nothing got done.

I keep telling myself I'm gonna do this, and
gonna do that..
Would it kill me to actually DO some of it?
Instead I sit around and cry.

OK...well..this journal is yet another way to procrastinate.

Actually, the bachache and weepiness described
yesterday, hasn't occured today.
I think it might be being caused by a medication that I am on.

I have to ask myself something, when it comes to blogging.
Are real opinions really acceptable?
I see things that I have definite opinions when I read blogs
and forum posts.
But I ask myself constantly, if stating my opinion
would be over stepping boundries?
It usually is answered with a yes...probably.
So I shut up.
I know many of my opinions would anger people.
So I shut up.

grrrr...

So you wanna knit a..

2007-01-08T11:35:00.000-05:00

hammock?

I don't..but it would seem that my husband does.

I had no idea that my husband even wanted to
lay in a hammock...

much less knit one.

That man is just full of surprises.
I guess he can find any excuse to go
to the hardware store.

He loves washers and nuts and
bolts...and twine,
the way I love diamonds and
rubies...and yarn.

He isn't a yarn junkie quite
yet...give it time.

In other news...well, I am writing this
later in the day...and I barely can

something is terribly wrong with me
It started about a week ago?
I get a heaviness...sometimes
a soreness in my lower back
I get weak and wobbly

and here is the kicker...

weepy, depressed and angry.
I'm almost in tears now and I don't
know why!
I feel like I need to the emergency room.
But what would I tell them?
I should run in and tell em I'm weepy?
Seriuosly..I feel like I'm losing my mind.

I need to floss...

2006-12-31T10:51:00.000-05:00

Not my teeth...with my extensive dental work...not
flossing would be tooth-a-cide.
I mean..embroidery floss.

Cause...48 dollars is more than I wanna do. ( freepeople boutique )
But aren't they CUTE!

I have about 9 pairs of
black Mary Jane style shoes...
and a ton of floss.

I can have em for zero dollars.

ZEROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

They also have a jaquard knit reindeer skirt.
And it's looking mighty cute...I forget
what it really is...has straps like suspenders.
I can do without those.
The front is a "sweater knit" panel set into a woven
fabric skirt...back is all woven fabric. It's mine.
I can make that so easily.
And the shoes.
They may be called "free people"...but the clothes
aren't...and I can do it for darn near free myself.
Well..at least simple sewing, embroidery, and knitting!

last time I'm going to try this...

2006-12-30T13:57:00.000-05:00

Some knitting...that Blogger doesn't want me to show.

OK...hat for my nephew( red)
Hat for his sister..modeled by my daughter ( blue and black stripes)
Mits for me

Red and Pink items are Paton's Classic Wool.
The blue, white and black hat which you can't really see is Lion Brand Magic Stripes.
It's a tasselded hat, and so cute that I wanted to keep it!
Since it was an easy machine knit( yes...you CAN use finer yarns on the USM...just be sure to keep those weights on the top edges...move them back up about everyother row.)..I'll make one for me.
Other hat and mits are handknit.
All made up as I went along.
Needle for red hat...mostly a size 5 Denise circular.
For the mits size 7 DPN's
and I think I used about 42 needles...and...hmmm...maybe 80 rows on the USM for the striped hat....I made a rectangle, folded it, used matress stitch to sew the sides.
Then I picked up stitches along the bottom edge for ribbing with a number 3 from the needlemaster set my sweet husband bought me.
After that, I made tassels, and sewed them on the top corners.

100 reasons...a challenge for artists.

2006-12-30T13:29:00.000-05:00

100 REASONS CHALLENGE

The point of this challenge is to test and
improve your skills...

THE RULES:

1) Make 100 works of art, with each having
a theme as listed below. Each should have
ONE and only ONE theme to it.

2) No time limit, so have fun!

3) The art should be of your own ability,
so whatever medium you are most familiar
and comfortable with is allowed. Artwork must
be original and created by you, the participant.
Photomanipulations are fine, but DO CREDIT the stock
you use! Your work can be anything from crap
to great master pieces. Just have fun with it.

4) The list below is to be placed somewhere
in your or website for others to see that:

A) You are in the challenge.

B) What you have completed.

5) Make sure to update this list and check off
what is done and make a link to work as it is
submitted to your gallery.

6) In the comments for your artwork add
a note stating that it is
part of the "100 REASONS CHALLENGE" list and
state which ONE theme it is.

7) Now the good part... CHALLENGE YOUR FRIENDS!

THE LIST

1. Introduction

2. Love

3. Light

4. Dark

5. Seeking Solace

6. Break Away

7. Heaven

8. Innocence

9. Drive

10. Breathe Again

11. Memory

12. Insanity

13. Misfortune

14.Smile

15. Silence

16. Questioning

17. Blood

18.Rainbow

19. Gray

20. Fortitude

21. Vacation

22. Mother Nature

23. Cat

24. No Time

25. Trouble Lurking

26. Tears

27.Foreign

28.Sorrow

29.Happiness

30. Under the Rain

31. Flowers

32. Night

33. Expectations

34. Stars

35. Hold My Hand

36. Precious Treasure

37. Eyes

38. Abandoned

39. Dreams

40. Rated

41. Teamwork

42. Standing Still

43. Dying

44. Two Roads

45. Illusion

46. Family

47. Creation

48.Childhood

49. Stripes

50. Breaking the Rules

51. Sport

52. Deep in Thought

53. Keeping a Secret

54. Tower

55. Waiting

56. Danger Ahead

57. Sacrifice

58. Kick in the Head

59. No Way Out

60.Rejection

61. Fairy Tale

62. Magic

63. Do Not Disturb

64.Multitasking

65.Horror

66.Traps

67. Playing the Melody

68. Hero

69. Annoyance

70. 67%

71. Obsession

72. Mischief Managed

73. I Can't

74. Are You Challenging Me?

75.Mirror

76. Broken Pieces

77. Test

78. Drink

79.Starvation

80.Words

81. Pen and Paper

82. Can You Hear Me?

83. Heal

84. Out Cold

85. Spiral

86. Seeing Red

87. Food

88. Pain

89. Through the Fire

90. Triangle

91.Drowning

92. All That I Have

93. Give Up

94. Last Hope

95. Advertisement

96. In the Storm

97. Safety First

98. Puzzle

99.Solitude

100. Relaxation

Could any of these be translated through
knitting...or some other more tactile and 3 dimensional mediums?

I have known about this challenge for some
time...I only now have the sudden urge to do it.
As for painting..I may go weeks with no ideas...then
full paintings appear in my head all at once...and in
multitudes!

This was originally found on a deviantart journal...I
don't recall who the journal belonged to.

trees?

2006-12-27T20:42:00.000-05:00

I get freakin' weird ideas sometimes.

I wanna make big white papier mache trees.
Ones with no leaves.

I wouldn't mind making them water proof
and putting glitter on them, etc..and decorating
them with snow flakes and using them in the
front yard.

I am a bad girl..I not only bought more yarn. But I also
bought the entire first season of Star Trek Deep Space 9
...for over 50 bucks.
I shouldn't have...
my Mom might need that 50 dollars for a bounced
check or something..or just because she "feels restless"
Which basically means "give me money or I'll sit here and
tell you how depressed I am... capped off with how everyone
abuses me."

No really..I love my Mom.

I do wish she didn't eat 4 times more than
anyone else in the family.

I knitted for Christmas.
I also left my camera batteries and
charger at my sister's house.

In addition to finishing the other mitten for Becca,
I started a pair of cabled fingerless mitts for me.
They're pink!
I'm not using a pattern.
I think I have actually used a pattern...
hmmm
I made "nautie"
That's one reason I don't slam out FO's like other people.
Most things I have a formula for..and they go quick enough.
Other things...alot of swatching. Alot of trial and error.
AFTER alot of sketching.
But the fingerless gloves...that's easy.
I just picked up my tools and let 'er rip.

Yanno....I see all the time on Amazon and
other places where books are reviewed...under
the knitting catagory...
the reviewers feel the need to say.
"This is not a book for beginners." ,
quite often.
It sounds to me like they are saying.
"I know this fact because I myself am an expert."
and
"As an expert I can and will say what books
are suitable for beginners."

I would love to think it's just a case of an
experienced one wanting to steer the innocent
newbie away from the perils of intermediate
writings.
But...
there is rarely a reference to a book that IS good for a
beginner.
And there is generally reference to all that they can do in
one form or another

Now..if that doesn't make you angry...

What is it with yarn snobs!?
What really cracks me up...acrylics that
are acceptable if they are put out by some
"fashionable" company.
What also cracks me up are "fashionable" yarns
that are pure crap!
No..I'm not the world's biggest fan of Red Heart Super Saver.
But...acrylic in general, has it's place.
And people who knit with it...and who knit with Lion's Brand, Red Heart, Paton's, Caron's....STOP LETTING YARN SNOBS MAKE YOU FEEL YOU SHOULD APPOLOGISE!

loony moony

2006-12-26T13:10:00.000-05:00

You are The Moon

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.

The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Hope your holidays were fine.

Well..mittens ofcourse.

2006-12-16T12:16:00.000-05:00

So..What do you do when you make a hat and
a scarf that match?
Yes..you make mittens.
Since this daughter will stick her
hand in damn near anything,
especially if it's cold and wet....
I decided felting was in order.

Conversation with daughter numbers
one and two just now.
It begins with yelling and crying.

Becca: I'm sorry! blughber, hoody,
booboo...ACCIDENT!
Me: Huh
Becca: Accident, garbledty, mishy-mash,
foozle..I said ACCIDENT!
Me: Please state the nature of the
medical emergency
Becca: I don't know!
Crying has long since stopped...that
was Donna
doing the crying by the way.
Me: Donna...are you still alive?
Donna: No
Me: ok, then.

Children are indeed like tiny drunks.

Interesting how my Mom always
is saying things like

"If you want to buy me a gift..." And then
points out some expensive item.

Or.."I see something I like"

Thing is..I don't know why she
is always assuming
that I'm trying to find her a gift.
Or that I'm scouring the universe
for something she likes.

My feline is being an ass..
plus I have a cold and
a nasty kidney infection/stone

so..I'm going now.

I actually have alot more pics.

I get in these moods...

2006-12-07T23:33:00.000-05:00

and it's better for me to just show a pic.

Scarf and hat.
Scarf is machine knit with hand finishing.
Hat is handknit...mittens in the works.
Yeah, yeah
I showed these already...
but not totally finished and blocked.

The child wanted short fringe...just seems so wrong.
But...she is my first born.

First born and I also made soaps and bath bombs last week!
We put marbles in some....looks sort of weird, but feels
kind of fun
in the tub.

Blogger is pissing me off...everything is pissing me off.
Hence my reference to moods.
I know TV Land had better not have Star Trek on right now
after having it on at midnight last night.

I'm really just pissed at Bill.
Really pissed...cause..
I love him so much?

And he went ahead and risked his life driving out of
state in bad weather...well..it seemed alot worse
at the time..
when I asked him not to.
Asshole...making me worry
like that.
Not bad enough for him that I will
spend my old age alone...
he has to risk leaving me even earlier.
Shit...now I'm crying.
Gotta go....hate when I'm like this.

Hey..I'm also making the coolest ...maybe it's a shrug?
It's for me. It's gonna have lace ups here and there like a corset
does.
Not to worry...
I know what's a real corset.
I remember when Bill wanted to
buy me this dress..
sigh...
and I feel bad about yarn.
The dress was 500 dollars.
And we weren['t even engaged!
True...we've been together for YEARS...
and had been before we talked about
marriage.
Me: "I love you" Click. I then hung up on him.
Next day I call back.
Me: "Erm...hi.."
Bill: "Hi"
Me: "You still want to talk to me?" "Not scared off are you?"
Bill: "Huh?" "Are you kidding?!"
"You know I love you!"
Me:"Well....I didn't actually think you MEANT that!"
Bill: "I LOVE YOU!"
Me: " Me too"
Bill: "So...what do we do now?"
Me: " Do? We don't DO anything"
Bill: "Oh"

And then we said goodbye for that moment.
Phone goodbye, yanno.
I learned later, that the diamond I wear now had already long been purchased by that time...with hopes on his part, that one day...

Several years later...

Me:
( written)
I love you.
I don't want to live with you, but
I want to marry you.

Bill: ...alot of crying...and laughing...and
saying stuff about how he had always hoped..

The next month when the ring was ready...

by that point he already had it at the jewelers...the
stone that is..having the ring made...which took forever...
and ruined his little Christmas surprise of asking me first.

yes...

the next month..

he officially proposed.

We met like...back in 86?

We're lucky we lived long enough...geesh!

Unbelievable the things that man has rescued
me from..and put up with from me.

Drugs, affairs, smelling like a vets office,
bitchy moods, having not one..
but ..
two children with another man.
Disorganization, messiness, and mayhem..
my obsessions with knitting and art.
My tantrums.
Sigh...ok

he can go to West Virginia.

But TVLand better not fuck up tonight.
Star Trek and knitting is my sanity.

And Bill, ofcourse.

Oh...the dress reminded me of all that..
or I thought of the dress because of the shrug...
and it's corset like laces.

The dress was a corset dress...
I made one of my leaps in explaing all of that.

Real men knit.

2006-12-01T09:39:00.000-05:00

I'm about to slap Blogger in a minute.

Let's try this post again.

Picture:

That's MY real man knitting.
Well..he's casting on.

Here are some more.

Was hoping that I remebered how...

2006-11-29T18:13:00.000-05:00

I hadn't done coragated ribbing in ..years?
Hell..I can't even spell it.
I will use the spell check thingy though..

Anyways...cheap yarn for experimenting...
yarn I wouldn't ever wear on my body...or put
on my kid's body.
HER sweater however...my first real machine
knit...
is going to have cora-whatever ribbed sleeves.
It's a variation on "Nothing but a T"
On Magknits.
Oh go Google..you can do it.
I was way proud of myself for making an invisable
hem..on the machine!
And I'm a beginner at this machine business!
It was tedious...but not too difficult.
I had to hang each stitch from the tail of the
sweater, onto the needles with the stitches next to be knit.
And then I knit the next two rows manually...
juuuusssttt to make sure their were no mishaps...like
carriage jams.

The scarf I made in finally enhanced with
hand crochet AND knitting along the sides
It's in the wash, right now, and will be blocked
properly next...then fringe added.
I kind of overblocked the first time..oopsy.

OK..next..
sock number one for number one daughter.

It's a perfect fit...
how did my 6 year old get to have
such large feet!?
I'm not crazy about the yarn.
I like the colors..and the self striping..
but the self patterning seems a bit lame.
I also wish I had knit it on a size 2 instead of size 2.5 ( 3 mm)
Oh well...

I ran out of stuff to say...

I wish I had this evening to myself. I want to paint.
But I am going to go buy a ball winder thingy.
Yay.
I am wondering if I HAVE to have a swift if I
use a ball winder?
I dont want a swift.

I thought by now..

2006-11-28T13:39:00.000-05:00

It's the holiday season, I guess....sigh..
Robin's death still stings.

But what kind of surprises me, is how much
I am missing my Dad this last week.

I mean..I miss him all the time.
But I thought after two years, that the
crying was over.
I thought that voice in my head was
always screamimg
"I want him back!" ,
had finally shut up.
But I hear it again.

Bill lost his Mom about a year after I lost Dad...
he still cries sometimes.

Maybe it's normal, then.

I still can't come to terms with death in general.
The very idea outrages me.

What the hell do we work so hard for anyway..?
Just for it all to be over and forgotten so soon..

But I work even harder as a response.
I keep hoping to leave behind enough of me in
tangible form, so as to not ever be forgotten.

But...

I will be.

cute intarsia!

2006-11-26T09:12:00.000-05:00

http://www.swakknit.com/

This place has some awesome patterns ...You just have to see for yourself. I am inspired.

Well...he'll kill me, but I am going to show off Bill's first knitting. I'm so proud!

And next we have his guage swatch for his first real project...a dishcloth...well..we decided that the swatch is also a project...a coaster ofcourse.
Even though it's just a dishcloth, I am having him approach it like it was a sweater. Planning, swatching, following a pattern that I am writing for him based on his guage. The dishcloth will teach him how to follow a knitting pattern, as well as how to follow written instructions for a stitch pattern...and how to manually do it...getting used to the switches of the yarn from front to back.
That was why I had him do those few squares on his first swatch.
I have to say his speed has increased dramatically...as well as how long he can knit at a session, before being mentally worn out.

Anyways...the guage swatch! Not too bad for cotton, and being a beginner.

And now show and tell for me.

On the USM...this was the first thing I made...basically it is a rectangle..I made it into a bag to hold Bill's juggling balls.

Next..I made Becca a scarf to match the hat that I made her...hat is handmade, and took two days...plus finishing.
Scarf...took two hours....still needs hand finishing.
Not to brag...but the hat actually has nicer, more even stitching than the scarf...hmmm...

Well..I have other pics...but they can wait.
I am going to change the main blog pic...
it has nothing to do with knitting, I just like it.
It's my bedroom window.

I wanted to love it...

2006-11-23T03:31:00.000-05:00

And I did!
I did!

I love it!

See post below...

Anyways..weird..I kept having the carriage jam.
I would knit a row...a row and a half..and bam..
everything would just stop.
Then I felt my hand relax when for some
reason my mind wandered...and the carriage
...which was getting ready to jam...whized
through the row.

Seems the trick to this thing is to relax.

I made a 12 by 13 square in no time..(an entire
ball of dishcloth cotton.)
after I had figured it out.
It took a couple of hours to figure it out.

What is the point of knitting

2006-11-21T19:56:00.000-05:00

Yup...
I know for many,
many knitters, the whole point of knitting
is to make something by hand....or to enjoy
the process of knitting.

I have to say that I do enjoy that process.
I wouldn't make socks by hand,
when I can buy them for 2 dollars..ready made,
if I didn't like the process.

But alot of times, the point of knitting for me,
is to have something that is knitted.

Alot of times, that something isn't the most
interesting thing...
or like the 270, it takes forever.
like when your daughter asks you to make her
a 48 inch wide Supergirl cape..at 6 stitches to an inch...

Yup...you know what I did.

I bought a USM.

I am hoping that now I have some
power to
quickly knit the things that dont
take tons of thought,
and can put more time into lace,
cables, and fair isle.
The machine is supposed to do
these things,
but I want to do them by hand...
Specifically, I'm getting interested
in Shetland Lace.
Now maybe the kids can have
their cardigans( and capes!)
I can have my scarves, and wraps.
Also I can do more charity knitting.
AND...I will also have more time
for socks, and lace.

Let's hope I am not one of the people that HATES
the machine.
Seems to be 50/50...it's loved, or it's hated.
I wanna love it.

As for it being plastic....
I have many plastic things, that have been
used like crazy for 15-20 years.
They still work.
Plastics aren't all crap.
Geesh...metal also breaks, and
can be very cheaply made.....

As for machine knitting not really being knitting..
The Kntting Guild of America disagrees, it would seem.
True...they aren't talking Ultimate Sweater Machines
in their Masters Course for machine knitting....
but they dont say machines are out.

We shall see what happens.

Comfort shawl...

2006-11-21T00:19:00.000-05:00

for Amber..Robin's daughter.

Garter stitch on needles too large for the yarn
to make a soft, floppy, warm...and quick fabric.
Crocheted shell stitch for an edging...which
looks pretty interesting in a boucle yarn...and fringe.
The fringe is a joke that Robin and I had...well...
part joke..part understanding.

Knitting through

2006-11-18T09:40:00.000-05:00

My cousin left behind a husband, 4 brothers,
many cousins,
a Mother...and three children. The boys are
18 and 20...her daughter is 14.
She is very lost right now...never again will
she feel her Mother's embrace.
The shawl I am knitting for her is a poor substitute..
but it's all I have.
Some of the shock has worn off..
there is still disbelief over the event...
but I do indeed accept it as real.
Very real, and very tragic.
I can't seem to stop the outbursts of tears,
just out of the blue, they begin.
Beautiful Robin Gail is...gone...gone by her own hand.

Robin

2006-11-17T09:56:00.000-05:00

My cousin Robin is dead at age 37 from an overdose
of blood pressure meds, cocain, alcohol , and
misc other drugs.
I ...have nothing else to say.

"I'll stick to my knitting."

2006-11-16T08:57:00.000-05:00

That was the second part of Bill's statement,
reflecting his opinion of crochet.
I thought that learning crochet would help him a
bit with the issue he is having in holding the working yarn.
I guess, it's my issue. His tension is fine...he just goes so slow
and looks so uncomfortable, with the needles anchored on his leg,
pointing to the sky...and his deliberate wind of the yarn when he
is making a stitch.

The first part of his statement about crochet...

"I HATE crochet"

I have never heard him say he hates anything
except for when people call him, "Will", "Willie", or "Billy" .

oo...and he "HATES" brussel sprouts...but who doesn't?

By the way...an interesting tidbit for the argument over knitting being art or not...and yes..I have had it more than once, with more than one person.
I was looking at Grove Art Online today...accessed through my local library's website. Here is how they describe themselves.

"Grove Art Online comprises the full text of The Dictionary of Art, edited by Jane Turner (1996, 34 vols) and The Oxford Companion to Western Art, edited by Hugh Brigstocke (2001)."

There is an entry for knitting..an entire page in fact. If the DICTIONARY of ART, defines knitting as art...then..well...so THERE!

What's with me lately..

2006-11-15T18:28:00.000-05:00

I am not the best knitter in the world...but
lately my work has been really loose and sloppy.
That ribbing is a disgrace...and ...bleh...the whole thing
looks like crap.
I think I will frog it and go down a size or two in needles.
The wool is sooo pretty.
Look at that color!
It is kind of overly crisp in hand and not very soft...
and the store had one ball.
So I thought it would be great for mittens for Donna.
It doesn't look it, but that's a really tiny mitten.
She almost never can wear store bought ones,
since her hands so so small.
I knit for about a size 3 year old...tried it on her
while she was napping.
One thing I can say....the mitten fits perfectly.

Um..I painted some...

Yay...she liked them!

2006-11-14T09:08:00.000-05:00

Well....the owner Purrpower on Craftster liked them...
kitty looks like she wishes someone would please
put the lid on the box.

It doesn'y really appear that the other sweater wearers
are any happier but owner is.

More detailed pics below

They DO however like the catnip toys...as Darlene aka "Puurpower" said...maybe a bit too much. ;)

Also well recieved was the clipboard...she said the painting looks like one of her kitties named Appolo.

I'm so happy she likes them. I can be so slow about things...but
I have to take care of the kids first...
and with all the illness, etc...well...plus it's winter knitting time for the family...so...yeah...slow..
I hate it, but try to make up for it by doing as good a job as possible...
She was very sweet and said only two sweaters would be fine..
but she has 4 cats. So..I wanted to make 4 sweaters.
We agreed on 2 for the swap..and two more to follow.
I had about every kind of problem possible at swap time, and
was lucky to be able to send the two sweaters as well as some
mini kitties.
I wanted to be sure to make up for that!
I make up for things by painting...I'm weird, I guess.

9 inches( repeat post from another site...but warrants repeating)

2006-11-13T17:46:00.000-05:00

A cap 9-11 inches or an afghan square 9x7 can make a difference. Maybe it could even help save a life. I dont guarantee it, but isn't it worth a try?

People love to cry how the world is unfair. I'm not saying that can't help...it is the passing of information in it's own way...and knowing about a problem, can be the first step to fixing a problem.

But sometimes, DOING is needed too. If you have always wanted to help but thought one person cant make a difference...you're wrong.
One person...and 9 inches CAN.

Well..it's Saturday....but I posted on Sunday.

2006-11-11T14:38:00.000-05:00

I dont have much to do, yanno?
So, I thought I would write another
facinating blog entry.
I found some 3mm DPN's.
What's with calling both 3mm and
3.25 mm needles size three?
Frugal knitter call em size 2 1/2.
That just makes alot more sense to me.
Anyways, they are only $ 6.50!
AND they are 10 inches!
I really was wanting some longer
DPN's.
Since I use size 3 the most...well..
I have wanted to use size 2 1/2...
but all I can find is size 3.25 mm...
anyways..I am going to get those
2 1/2 needles and now use those for most of my socks.

I have the flu...am I making ANY sense at all?

I think I'll save this as a draft
go do the SuperGirl chart for my
oldest girl's pink and white sweater.

SUNDAY

DAMN IT! I did all this work on finishing this post
..and Blogger couldn't complete my request...
and it's gone!

ok...
I have something to add anyways.
I could pretend I had added it..
you wouldn't know the difference.
But I'm honest.

I found some size 2.5 DPN's at Joann's!
They are plastic....my least fav material ...
(inspite of my beloved Denise set.)
And they are only 8 inches...but that's still a bit longer
...and I think it'll help when I'm doing hats.
I got a pair in size 13 also.
I am aquiring quite the needle collection..
as in I have the Denise set
AND I have a two needlecases full.
That makes me sooooo happy.

( Actually...pitured here..it doesn't look all
that impressive! Oh well..I have a few circs too? )

I wish I had a set of bamboo interchangables.
That would be...well...
The thought is making me all hot and bothered.
I wonder if I could call up my hubby and have him
talk some knitting with me...

( He has been sick all week...I haven't had any action.
So forgive me, ok? And anyways...isn't he cute?
He says I made him better looking than he really is...not true.)

Now onto Supergirl.
I use www.microrevolt.org/knitPro/
to make my charts.
I do ALOT ( often HOURS worth of
work prior to the
initial chart being made) to them
after, because they have
so many color variences.
But I still give credit.
I am NOT going to use 58 colors in achart...thanks.
Sorry..can't share the chart for this one...copyright issues.
But here is what I will knit for my daughter's sweater.
The yarn is more baby/bubblegum
pink than here...but Photoshop wasn't cooperating.

Wow..it posted this time..in spite of
getting the same error message.
Lets hope the link I made works too.

Look Ma...no flap!

2006-11-11T09:41:00.000-05:00

I did indeed use my hands...and Mom doesn't care.
But I couldn't think of a better title.

A short row heel...

Why doesn't everyone do this?
It's way nicer!
Perhaps like me, they thought it was something really
difficult.

By the way, my answer to the holes...
cause the wrapping just so doesn't prevent them
...unless..

yes...there is an "unless"...

You have to pull the holy heck out of them as you knit the next stitch after the wrap.
I mean PUUUUULLLLLL.
HARD.
Like.."I can't hold her together much longer Captain!"...that hard.
So hard you think you could break the yarn.

Blogger is being an ass..I just barly squeezed these pictures in Captain.
Dont push her any furthur.

( you gotta use your best "Scotty is in my head again" reading voice for much of this post....you can do it.)

Ofcourse I need to edit.
I think something is wrong...
Would it KILL me to use a pattern?

I cant figure out what to do now. I dont make a gusset do I?

Off to look at socks patterns featuring short row heels.

because I really like it...

2006-11-10T11:54:00.000-05:00

old one of mine

kind of done

2006-11-10T09:41:00.000-05:00

Donna's sweater.
I still need to put all the buttons, and weave in some ends.
But..it's kind of done.

Model( Donna)is home sick from school today.

Sweater is not intended to wear with PJ's.

My Mom is too much.
Seriously..I love my Mom, but...
Well..I could see myself doing the Mother Daughter version of that old blog "Why I hate my flat mate."
Or whatever it was called.

Food messes and filth are ok...but knitting being left around is shameful and slovenly.
She hopes for the day that I will stop painting, because she thinks it's too messy.
And has tried to get me to move my studio to the garage.
I reminded her that HER car is parked there.

I might also say that I own this house.
I support my Mother.
I buy the bananas and oranges whose peels she leaves around.
I buy the socks( and make!) that she uses to stop a bloody nose and then leaves laying here, there, and everywhere.
I buy the insulin syringes that she insists on never thowing out...much less never thowing out properly.
But this time took the cake.

I said something about needing to get back to work on Donna's sweater because sweaters dont knit themselves.
She says something about how she would have a whole bunch of sweaters if they did.
So I ask...
"Mom..would you like me to make you a sweater?"
She looks at Donna's bulky knit sweater with distaste and says.
"Oh..no...that's ok...I like my sweaters to be a little more refined."
WTF?

I reminded her that sweaters can be made in all sorts of ways and that this one is this way intentionally...but still..WTF?

Somehow though...just as boxed Mac and Cheese will always be superior in her mind over homemade, and canned soup so much better than my soup....
A machine made sweater from Wal-mart says love far better than one of my unrefined homemade ones.

And she sews....

Oh yes..her view on sewing verses knitting.
And my releuctance with sewing( ok...fear)

"Well..some people aren't meant to sew. It takes alot of presicion. Some people are just meant to knit..and you do that very well."

I will not call my Mom a bad name. I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.I will not call my Mom a bad name.

ok...done.

As for the sweater..I am especially pleased with the short row shaping done on the collar/back neck...I dont know what it would be called...it just seemed natural to do that. Gave it the baseball jacket look.
Also am pleased with the sleeves..knitted in the round, directly onto the sweater. And the heart...nice for no chart what so ever.
Entire sweater was a wing it project...no written pattern exists.

Just a sleeve and button bands..

2006-11-07T18:57:00.000-05:00

then I am done with Donna's sweater!
( I also need to sew on the buttons)
Now if the warmer weather holds, I can
get her coat to a seamstress this week to replace the zipper.
I dont know how to do that. I do good to sew a straight
line.
The zipper isn't broken, it's just a POS and slides down.
The coat is in good shape, so I figure it'll be perfect if I
can just get the zipper fixed.

21 inches of cat..

2006-11-05T09:26:00.000-05:00

( 21 inches from neck to butt..that doesn't include his head!)
So cat is making a leap for my desk
which is holding my keyboard and my coffee.

I do this sort of "catch" while he is in midair, and
he sort of convolutes his form into a half circle,
and lands that way...feet splaying at the last moment.
I feel like an ass.

But he has this habit of putting his long frame in the middle
of everything I do.
When I knit, he lays on it.
When I sew, I have to nudge him out of the
way of the needle...the MACHINE needle.
When I cook, he wants to see everything I am doing.
When I paint, he lays on my painting or pallette..
unless it's oils..he hates those.
But when he wanted my attention AFTER the strange
kitty acrobatics episode, he just sat on the floor
and looked up and purred as loud as possible.

Pictured Above:
Here he is laying in the middle of one of my work areas...yes...
I am messy.
No..I don't really mind it ...much.
No..we don't eat at that table.

childhood fantasies

2006-11-04T16:55:00.000-05:00

"You wanna a peice of meat!?"

That has been a sorce of giggles for a few years now.
Ever since Becca thought that the phrase being parodied
by a cartoon character was that instead of "You want a peice of me?!"

She would shout that at me when i would tell her to pick up
her toys or any other undesirable maternal command.

I have never been very tolerant of her challenges to my
authority...but that one was just plain funny...
especially since she was dead serious... black eyes flashing..

"You wanna a piece of meat!?"

She'd get so mad when I would start laughing and request a steak.

Anyways...that's the tough girl phrase in our house, as far as the girl's are concerned...
They still aren't quite sure why it makes me laugh.

I bought Becca something today that she has been begging for.
Wings..

They flutter and play a tune while strapped onto the child's back.
She has been so ill, I thought a bit of cheering up was in order.

So...if you buy it for one child...you buy it both.

Donna has had a blast with hers.
She put them on and went fluttering and tearing through the house.
She came around the circle formed by hallway, livingroom, and dining room...stopped, said "GRRRRR!"
Then with wings doing their angelic dance, and heavenly tunes along side of the wing action, she says...
"You wanna piece of meat!?"

Becca was pleased...played with hers some...but feels too crappy to indulge in any wild childhood fantasies.
She took them off after a few moments, and asked when she would be 4'9"
Maybe she wants to grow bigger than the cold that is living in her nose and chest.

At least she didn't ask me this time what would happen if someone put a flower down the toilet.

In other news.

I have added to my stash...I have added ribbon yarn.
pretty ribbon yarn that makes me feel all tingly.

And no..I am not a yarn snob...Lion Brand is good enough for me.
I dont mind any yarn...so long as it isn't crispy.
That super sparkly stuff ( greens and purples) IS crispy...and wasn't cheap even marked half off of list. Bill had a great idea.
I was going to use it as a bag...he offered the suggestion of making a long "sash" that could be a scarf or a belt...or a whatever.
He probably wants to tie me up with it.
One can only hope. ;)

Oopsy...I should leave out any and all BDSM references, shouldn't I?
Nah....if you can't handle it, go to another blog.
I am the submissive knitter. And I bet I'm not the only one.

And yeah..I'm not all that submissive in everyday life.
Go figure.

If it's me then fine...

2006-11-02T11:33:00.000-05:00

It's one thing if I'm the one that's sick.
But I freak out ...quietly, when my family is sick.
I have this masochistic desire to take it all away
from them.
To bear the pain, and sniffles.
Yeah...whatever.
I'm also sick...but trying to hold it together for
everyone else.
I really worry when Bill is sick. He is 67.
I dont think about him being older when I look at him.
But sometimes that fact is hard to ignore.
Or I should say the fears related to that fact
are hard to ignore.
Will he just suddenly leave me one day?
Yea...he'll leave me one day.
You accept that when your mate is 30 year older
than yourself.
But will I get to prepare?
Will he just get pneumonia and be suddenly gone?
Or will it not have anything at all to do with age, and
be my biggest fear....

that his shitty, reckless driving is one day going to be
the end of him
and about 12 other motorists.
The one thing he has to reckless about in life
( other than marrying me...what was he
thinking then?...geesh...)..and he has to make
it an activity done in speeding traffic.

I will not mourne my husband before he is gone.
.I made the mistake of doing that with my Dad.
I will not think about how I will miss that smile
one day, and
the smell that has said "man" to me for the last
20 years.
I will cherish that smile, and that smell now...

just as soon as my nose clears up.

EDIT:

How could I forget my good news!
The cops are pregnant!
Well..the female part of the cops is pregnant!( my neighbors...both Westerville's finest).
Since I saw here last September at the Westerville event "Cops and Kids" being repeatedly dunked in the ...that dunking game thingy...

all in the name of teching children about safty and the police in general...

I gained a huge respect for her.
I wasn't very nice when she came to my door two days after I had moved in, with what I thought was an agenda. Sign me up for the neighborhood political scene.
I refused to allow her to list my name , address, and phone number...
in spite of the amazing cookies that she had baked.
I did design art just for her in the form of a "thank you" card.
But still..I later regreted my attitude. Anyone who will go through that kind of wetting, has some substance.
She will make a fabulous Mom.
Anyways...what this all really means?
I have a baby to knit for!
Oh YES!
YES!

And it's a girl.
Oh double YES, YES!

erm..here is the card graphic that I made for her( as well as for my family room)....she has probably thrown it away...

Can you believe that I used to feel bad for making a pic that had no meaning behind it? What the hell is wrong with liking color, form, line...and all the trimmings...for the sake of those things alone.
Like I said..I dont appologise anymore.
And if I dont want to make a statment...then I wont.

Baby girls knits...sigh...

I'm excited!

boo!

2006-11-01T23:19:00.000-05:00

( ghost face painted by me)

Damn I'm tired. Sick kids, halloween, cupcakes made for my daughter's classroom party...that she was too ill to attend.
We pumped her up with meds so she could do a bit of trick or treating.
Maybe it was a poor parental decision, but it broke my heart to think that after marking each day off on the calender all month, talking non stop about how fun it would all be, how much she loves seeing and talking to all the neighbors( beggers night around here has a block party feel to it...it's fantastic.)I just couldn't stand to break HER heart.
She came up with the spooky princess idea all on her own...she elected not to bother with make up...a sensible choice.
Isn't she beautiful? When I look at that face, I see the whole world.

And her sister...the child so pretty that it makes me worry, wearing her poodle hat. I also knitted wrist bands and ankle bands so she would have a "poodle cut"

This is a better view of the hat.( edit...not so better..the pic was cut off, but you should be able to see it by scrolling down to an entry made last week, or just clicking the pic. I ofcourse would prefer you scroll down. ;) )

Anyways...in addition to that stuff, lots of work. Painting and knitting

I made something for myself! A pony tail hat!

I have never in 20 plus years made something for myself.
Then I fell in love with this yarn made by ...Red Heart.
It's called "Rag Doll". Described by them as roving wrapped in a fringed thread.
It is beautiful yarn but was oily and I had to wash it before I knit it so I didn't get hives.
After all that handling, I had to make something for myself. I caved over pretty colors.
Why is it a ponytail hat?
Because I made a hole in the back for my ponytail.
I was extremely pleased by that.

Other details...hmmm

my own pattern, colorway is "Wow", and I used 10 1/2 circular and DPN's.

And last but not least...a couple of painted pumkins!

Whew...alot of pics. Sorry if you are dial up.
Have a great day, night, stardate, whatever.

love the idea of the seal..

2006-10-29T12:49:00.000-05:00

but ofcourse I need to make one all on my own..but this one works as a nice place holder until I return from the library.
I better git...now!

Seal can be generated at says-it.com

edit: hmm...it hurts my eyes now...might need toned down. I'm a bit color starved atm, and can tend to over do.

1000 words...?

2006-10-29T09:36:00.000-05:00

I always wondered about this thing...what are the words?

Oh hey...guess what. I have a head that is larger than what is considered average for a man.
Oddly..I always thought I had a small head.
I have a bigger head than Bill....at least in circumference...his is 19 and a half..mr skinny head.
But loooooong. :)
Perhaps I shall study phrenology one day.

I said I would!

2006-10-28T17:00:00.000-05:00

And look..I am.
This is a painting that I finally finished today...the recipient..if she sees this ever, will know how over due it is. I am sorry.
It's a Sphinx kitty. Acrylic on clipboard. ( yup..it's useful too!)

I am thinking to post about 3 paintings a week..both old and new. A gradual migration of the old art blog. A mix of painting and knitting..and other stuff..I NEED to do the "other"
It's killing me not to.
See..I also can embroider pretty well,applique, and also paint fabric.

I need a new face

2006-10-28T15:29:00.000-05:00

to this blog, that is.
First...I maintain the position that knitting and other textile and needle ...crafts are simply art in a different form.
They are as valid to me as painting.
So...
All the art is going to live together.
I want this to be a compilation of all my thoughts, writing, and whatever else I spit at you.

I have seperated myself from myself for too long.
Maybe I thought that if I put each part in a box, it would get easier to figure out...but it isn't.
I do know one thing..I have let others influence my art too strongly. I have let others tell me what is or isn't art.
I may argue, but I complied in the end.
It's funny. I was praised for color usage. Then I was told that I should be insulted by that.
I was praised for imagination...but when I did realism people seemed skeptical.
So I went on to try and prove my abilities there.
When noone responded, I just didnt know what to do.
I listened to my Mom when she more or less told me I wasn't all that good.
I got upset that I paint in the style that this person or that person paints.
I let other's tastes, skill, and opinions dictate how and what I paint....and knit....and every other creative pursuit.
I have to stop.
No one is going to tell me what, how where, or why anymore.
I dont care if DiVinci himself comes to haunt me and tell me it's wrong.
In fact...the more I think about it..I dont need a new face..
I need MY face.
Anyone that doesn't like it can look elsewhere.

Hmmm..I had a new name for this blog figured out...then I forgot it.
Sigh..I hope it comes back to me because it was really good.

OK...the girls want to go out...I would rather cut my tongue out than go out right now ( or any other time generally speaking).
But you do things for your kids that you dont want to.
You just do.

It's about time!

2006-10-28T11:47:00.000-05:00

I dont know what was so hard about a simple heart...even without a chart...why did I have so many problems!?
Well...true...the first time issues weren't about the heart at all..more about my inability to count.
By the way...this is a cardigan for my youngest. Ms Tiny Butt Donna Rae Lopez.
Nah..I dont worry that you'll look her up now that you have her full name. Not unless you want shot.

And then I screwed it up again!

2006-10-26T10:07:00.000-05:00

Bill was trying to rip the sweater from my hands as I began to rip again the back of this freaking sweater that should have taken about two days!
I am knitting in a large heart...and ...
God it's embaressing..

lets just say, I didnt measure or chart one damn thing..

heart was too low on the body.

As for Bil..he has never seen intarsia being done before..he saw all the tangled yarn...yeah....fuck bobbins I say!...

anyways...

he says "Honey...can I do something..you need me to hold something?!"

Poor man was truely alarmed...

I ofcourse have this "what the hell is your issue" look when I am doing something wrong and get called out on it...

A look that says "YOU have the problems buddy...not me!"

I have no idea why I'm not divorced yet.
I cant figure out how Bill has not seen me for the sub quality human that I am.

Oh well..some other time I guess.

Book review- The Knitters Handy Book of Patterns.

2006-10-24T09:08:00.000-05:00

I love the idea of this book..who wouldn't?
Knit what you want..at the guage and size you want..choosing the yarn yourself.
But errors in math and poor judgement have turned me off of this book very much.
An example. My daughter is 5 years old. She wears a size 7 and has a 231/2 inch chest.
They have a size two childrens sweater measuring in at 26 inches!
And as I said there were simple math errors...the number cast on in the same pattern formula would not make the size they say at the guage that I was looking at.
It deeply saddens me...almost to the point that I want to take out needles, yarn and calculator myself and fix the errors for knitters who need this kind of book.( nevermind my previuos post...the stitches were hard to see! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!)

As for it being a beginner book..the instructions as to how to read the charts are a bit thin. But I am not one who feels that every book on knitting need apply to a beginner...contrary to what seems to be the popular opinion these days.

Acceptance

2006-10-24T09:04:00.000-05:00

I screwed up the guage with a cardigan sweater I am knitting for my youngest daughter. I had to rip out 3/4 of the finished back and both front sides.
My husband died with each pull of the yarn, even as he himself helped me to rip it out.
But I knew there was no point in proceeding...it wouldn't have fit her until she was 40 at the size it was turning out.
I easily accepted it as a part of knitting.

Bill is knitting a bit better. But he isn't yet a knitter.
He will be.

An idea that wont go away..

2006-10-15T10:18:00.000-05:00

I have seen several examples of chair/cushion covers lately..

and I have this recliner with a sure fit cover on it that has a hole worn in the arm.
I was thinking..I could use the sure fit cover as a template, and make a kick-ass red cabled slip cover for my recliner.

I could use a very bulky yarn...

I am going to test drive some of the fattest wool-ease that I can find today.
I get a 20 percent discount at Michaels today for doing some teaching for the Warm Up America event...I am not going to be the only one teaching ofcourse...so 20 percent is generous.
I would have done it for free....but since I will get the discount...might as well use it..

Hey..it was free..

2006-10-14T20:12:00.000-05:00

Mom gave me the ball of yarn from Joann's called "shaggy". I wasn't too crazy about it..still am not, but it was free yarn!
I made my daughter a scarf in 2 hours too!( first time I ever actually used those size 17 needles...it was weird.)The scarf is the last pic because I'm stupid...so there.
Also pictured is part of my other daughters costume...she's going to be a poodle.
Also a pic of another cat sweater...I won that yarn.10 balls of Phoenix by...ummm...I dont recall but at list price it was about 100.00 worth of yarn that I won! I combined it with knitpics palette to give more body to the fabric..

So..that completes our novelty yarn fashions for the family show.

In other news...I taught my husband to knit the other day.
In even more other news. I will be at Michaels tomorrow teaching people to knit for Warm Up America!

When you have it figured out..

2006-10-13T20:08:00.000-05:00

but still dont do it.

I have suddenly seen everything click into place like a dream.
All the things I have learned to do...the painting, the needlework.
I am supposed to be a textile/mixed media artist of some sort.
But I am quite frankly afraid.
I dont know why.
I have sold my paintings...and from what I have seen, straight painting is harder to sell than fiber art or mixed media.
Collage has exploded in popularity...and has began to be all the same. Some kind of black and white vintage compilation of photos with different body parts combined different ways to make a new human like form...and usually wearing pointy hats. Add some swirls and some flowers and dont forget some meaningful and personal handwritten text.
Voila...you have art that is sooooo unique that you learned how to do it from a book sold at Michaels.
Books about collage, altered books, etc were sadly just coppied instead of being starting points as I believe they were originally intended.
I want to incorporate my art into fiber. I have those I admire.
But I dont want to BE them. I dont want to be someone saying how creative they are when really they're just doing what is the trend.
I panicked when knitting became "in". Only continue to do it because I love it...and I have done it since way before it was the thing...and because like tattoos and peircings...you may see lots on the net, but it isn't really all that rampant in Westerville Ohio.

I liked doing that last chart so much

2006-10-12T17:46:00.000-05:00

that I did another one the other day...far less labor intensive, but worthy I think. Click for the download.

chart

2006-10-09T15:10:00.000-05:00

EDIT: The chart is now on my website Click the link that says "knitting charts" to access it.

It was alot of work...about 10 hours worth.
I will have it available for download as soon as possible..the download is larger...this is just for display.
I used the knitpro web app to place the drawing in squares form..but the charts made on there account for any color...including a grey made from softness around the lines.
So I had to hand color it...or Photoshop and Wacom hand color it...which is just as labor intensive as drawing with a pencil as I did with the original drawing.
Title of the drawing is "evolution"

One pic is how it looks in chart form..the other is a bad scan of the original. obviously, I added and subtracted this and that. And corrected for all the "extra" colors". I am seriously considering changing the highlight on the lip to me more like the original.

All my eggs..

2006-10-06T08:37:00.000-05:00

hmmm...you know that old saying...

well..I have been putting all my data on one computer, out of the three that I have.
That computer has had it's wireless card go bad, and so it has been a challenge to post anything on the internet...nor have I been all that interested even.
I have decided that I would prefer to most of my free time knitting or painting.

I have loosened my self expectations when it comes to painting...and have been having fun as a result.

I proved that I really can paint half way ok...now I'm going to do what I want.

I have also been sketching and designing..and writing patterns.
Going to post pics...although at the moment none of it really looks like all that much.

ok..at the top is a very fitted leg warmer for my oldest daughter. I machine sewed this one with my machine's overlock stitch....they are going to have a button closure so that she can easily get them off when she arrives at school.
She prefers dresses...and detests tights...so, hopefully these will keep her warm.

Below that..the magic splotch socks are finally done...geesh.

Next is the start of Bill's balaclava....I do hope I know how to make a balaclava. That man would ask if I knew how to knit a pony and would I for him...and I would die trying.

Next...child sized hat thatI wasn't willing to wake a child to model..so...you get my big head modeling it.

And last...cuffs...
this will be the first pattern/tutorial on this blog....or possibly I will direct those interested to a page on my website.
They are for my long legged and quickly growing youngest daughter. A way to extend some perfectly good pants that I am not willing to give away just yet.

Most is knitted in various wools..the legwarmers are ...Red Heart...erm..light and something.
I LOVE this yarn.
It has such a beautiful color and feel.
The pic doesnt show it off well at all.
A medium rose roving type of yarn mixed with a delicate pearly pink.
It is light..and soft...and just really nice.
Plus it knits very fast!
This time of year..I am into fast.

Hopefully tomorrow I will have some pics of the last two cats sweaters..totally different from the first two...drastically different, because of the yarn.
They are also the softest things I have ever felt.....sigh.

They were on sale..

2006-09-27T08:01:00.000-05:00

those ten balls of sock yarn I bought yesterday...were 50 percent off.

The 12 balls of wool were not..and I did only mean to get 10.

The sock yarn and that fluffy stuff were completely unplanned..but does sock yarn at 50 percent off, and pink fluffy stuff that was cheap even at regular price, really count?

You betcha!

I have a significantly enhanced stash baby..and I love it!

When I told my husband that I may have spent a bit too much on yarn he just said "Oh?"

Me spending too much on anything is sort of a novelty.

I am working on a hat for a contest at the knit out the mid-ohio knitter guild is ..what's the word..doing?

I have frogged it a total of about 5 times..but only once entirely..I think I am about to completely frog it again..seems too small..
And yes, I did a guage swatch..in stockinette....

if only that was what I was knitting the hat in..

How do I knit?

2006-09-23T09:01:00.000-05:00

And I quote:

"I knit english when knitting right handed!
Totally blew my mind when I automatically started doing it."

I am quoting myself.
But am I correct?

Whne I say I knit English while knitting right handed..I mean that I hold the yarn in the same hand as the working needle..and throw.

I dont know anymore..I assumed that what defined continental knitting was the fact of holding yarn that is being worked in the OPPOSITE hand..not that you are a continental knitter by holding it in your left hand...
I assumed that the definition was reversed for those holding the working needle opposite to the yarn.

But it seems everyone else thinks that the act of holding the yarn in the left..no matter what hand hold the working needle is what defines continental knitting.

I am now just not at all certain.

I mean to me it makes sense that what defines continental knitting would be merely holding the yarn opposite to the working needle....but I seem to be the only person with this opinion.
When I said that I knit English when knitting right handed..I meant that I hold the yarn in my right hand.

This brings me to picking and throwing..picking is holding it opposite if I am to understand correctly..and continental knitters pick..if I am to understand THAT..so basically I AM a continental knitter..in reverse?

It really DOES make a difference when teaching left handers to knit.
People always tell them to do it "continental" because the yarn is held in the left hand..but if the true definition of continental is being a picker..and holding the yarn opposite..
then the yarn should be held in the right hand.
So if using the left hand to carry the yarn is the objective..then they should be being taught to throw!

In the end, I think a person needs to experiment and see what is comfrotable.
I mean..who the hell would have ever thought that I would throw my yarn when knitting right handed..I am a picker since the beginning.

Are you a knitter?

2006-09-23T08:12:00.000-05:00

Are you a knitter?

You are a masterful knitter! I don't know how you got this result, but what the hell... Enjoy your title, and try selling some of your "unvented" patterns- you may make enough for that bundle of qiviut you've been drooling over...
Take this quiz!

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| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

In other news..my dog chewed up the point to my new size 7 bamboo needles.

knitting good...drawing ...good too.

2006-09-22T12:07:00.000-05:00

Well, there you have it. I need to get the traditional art groove back.
I think I will do some knitting related graphics for the blog..and to offer to other bloggers.

I suck when it comes to any kind of ribbing. I am beginning to think that what I need are some largish projects that feature ribbing..and to forget about doing the Masters program swatches in order.

I blame Will Riker..his bearded cutness was distracting me..

poo..I lie. I suck at ribbing.

Plus I have my own bearded cutie. As for the ribbing..it's too bad to bother with photographing...sigh..or maybe it's not..maybe I should put it out there and ask for help.

But you really do use both hands..

2006-09-22T08:46:00.000-05:00

I hate that crap.
Yeah..one does use both hands to knit..but it IS a directional and handedness oriented task.
It DOES matter what hand you use.

I just wanted to get that off my chest.
I was fed that speil again at a guild meeting...by a knitting teacher.
Lemme tell you what... If I knit a cable pattern using right handed instructions..it'll be backwards.

As for knitting right handed..my 6 year old is right handed, and learning to knit.
I am ofcourse teaching her to do so with her right hand..which means me going that extra measure and showing her while using MY right hand.

Makes sense, right?

Yet people still believe lefties should just go ahead and learn right handed.
If I was teaching my little northpaw to knit left handed it would seem ludicrous.
It would be like men giving birth..it would go against nature.
( actually, that's a bad example..I am all for men giving birth.)

I learned something interesting while teaching Becca.
I knit english when knitting right handed!
Totally blew my mind when I automatically started doing it.

270..DONE!

2006-09-21T07:32:00.000-05:00

I finally finished the 270!
I finished while Bill and I were away at the cabin for his birthday...it is proof that a large item can get done just a bit at a time.
Noone has ever knitted anything for him before. He was touched by the fact that I had done this for him.
Also, we had a little mini party last night so the girls could take part in celebrating his birthday.
I dont think he has had a party just for him since he was a kid.
It is something to see my 67 year old giant man near tears because...people cared..
I love him like a crazy woman..I would give him a party everyday if it wouldn't lose it's specialness to do so..but alas....the once a year aspect ..or in his case once every 60 years , is what makes it special.
You know? When we got to the cabin this weekend...that man had flowers and candy waiting for ME?
This is what kind of man I married.
I'm always trying to figure out how I got so lucky as to get someone like him.
And I thank God that in spite of his age, he is in wonderful health.( and he has the handsome to prove it! He is still as fine a man now as he was when he was 40. )
In fact he and I have discussed and planned for the fact that due to my health..I may possibly be the first to go.
I sometimes feel like that I am trying to cram as much into my life as possible...just in case.
I need to let common sense prevail and slow down...if I completely exhaust myself, I will go all the faster.
I have come to the point lately that I never stop..I go and go and work and work, until 3 or 4 in the morning. I dont go to bed..I pass out.

Ooo..I got some Lacette for a shawl..so I like cheap yarn..sue me. I have kids to feed.

I am beginning to wonder about all the yarns that I have encountered that give a larger needle size than you really would want to use with that yarn. Are they trying to make the yarn seems like an instant gratification yarn?
This yarn's ballband says to use a size three. The top of the swatch shown here is a size one.
The larger needle just made messy stitches, and giant holes. Ooops..I need to buy a size one straight needle....sigh..I went to Joanne's to buy a needle the other day and ended up spending 80 dollars ...Mom showed me were the clearance fabic is kept. Size two just doesn't get it with this yarn either..but it may have to..I already own some size two needles.

kitty sweater number two...done!

2006-09-14T12:40:00.000-05:00

Here is the second kitty sweater.
I have to be brief here, have to be out the door very soon to take the girls to the Doc..Becca for a follow up on an ear infection..Donna for this dry cough that is persisting.

The color here is not accurate..no time to correct the photo today.

I should have gone to bed

2006-09-14T01:11:00.000-05:00

Instead I stayed up and worked on the sweater...and then I screwed up my blog.

Edit:

I fixed it.

I hope to God I can get the 270 done by Saturday...that's when his B-Day is.

acid green teddy

2006-09-14T00:25:00.000-05:00

My lid loves him..bought him with her allowance. Plus he was handy.

So, he had his great knitwear modeling career launched today.

I present to you..acidboy wearing ...a cat sweater.
This is the finished product from the last post.
It really is a shame that he is not posable on all fours...and that he is too small for the sweater.
Oh well..then he would want to keep it..and it isn't his..so there.

And on the bottom is the back to sweater number two...which is in the middle of being seamed. I needed to stop for a minute though. I may need to stop until tomorrow..I am passing a damn kidney stone...well..actually, I am TRYING to..and it just wants to stay put and be a ..pain. A screaming nasty pain.
Add that to the toothache that I have, and I needed some pain meds...
they are making me tired..
I doubt I could sleep much anyways..and I really do need to get this sent by tomorrow.

Look..I knit leaves!

back of cabled kitty sweater- swap spoiler-caution

2006-09-07T11:24:00.000-05:00

ok..if you are my kitty swap partner..you know what I'm making..but still, dont look.
Not like you would...anyways.

This is the back of sweater number one..lord I hope I can get two done by send date!

The pic of the cable close up isn't quite accurate in color..the pics of the entire back, as well as the ribbing and part cable are darn close. ( second and third pics)

She did not want wool..I always worry about blocking acrylic but shouldn't be too big a deal, it will have edging and be seamed to another peice...edging at the arm holes..seaming to the chest peice..which I am going to cast on for..right now!

before I die

2006-09-07T08:38:00.000-05:00

There are certain things I want to knit in my lifetime.

a dress
a coat
the "birch" shawl

since I dont plan on being dead anytime soon..I think I can do it.
We'll see.

I'm seriously thinking of buying a knitting machine..a cheap one.
The one I am considering, I have read many reviews and seems half the people love it..half hate it.

If I hate it I know where to return it..so no big deal.

Why knitters are crazy

2006-09-03T09:03:00.000-05:00

Aren't those hot?
I want them..I can go to sock dreams
and buy them for ten little dollars. TEN!
But..I want to knit them.
Yes, I do.
That is why at least this knitter is crazy.

huh?

2006-09-02T08:10:00.000-05:00

My sidebar doesn't show in IE.

2006-09-01T23:33:00.000-05:00

Well..I have finished all but the toe of Becca's Magic splotch sock..I do both toes at the same time. This way my urge for an FO stays with me. That yarn sure is..big for sock yarn..all in all..it is about the worst sock that I have ever made..but..here it is.

I got some much nicer yarn..Parade from knitpicks. I think they should have named it "mermaid". It goes so well with the pic that I have been working on.

Ms Mermiad isn't done yet so technically, noone is supposed to be seeing her. So you saw nothing here..ok. I would have to kill you other wise.
ok

I also got a knitting bag..I LOVE this thing. It's huge. It's clear. It's fully packed.

ok..this is prime knitting time that I'm cutting into by farting around on the internet. ( "The kids are in bed..hurry..knit! They'll be up in about 10 hours!" )
Sweaters for hairless cats dont knit themselves. ( It's a swap thing)

I will double post..dont think I wont.

2006-08-29T13:24:00.000-05:00

I see that only blog team members can comment.
Well..I am not aquiring team members anytime soon..so..

I will double post to my old blog until blogger beta says I can get an occasional comment around here from someone other than myself.

I tried on Becca's sock..what possesed me to that I dont know..she is six..I am 39..there is a bit of difference in our foot sizes..not much but some.

Oh well..Mom falls in between Becca and me in foot size..if I stretched them to death by putting it on then..she can wear them.

But I wanted to make Mom something a bit more...womanly, as opposed to girlish.
She dresses kind of like a kid and has expressed a desire to look more grown up.
A good decision I guess at 59 and 4'9" tall.
She tends to wear things with cartoon carachters, small florals, funny sayings..kittens.
I dont mean to offend anyone..but to me that is a grown woman dressing like a child.
Only worse is those older maternity tops that manufacturors seemed to think they were making for babies..and not women having babies.
Eh.maybe you are just supposed to be feeling ultra feminine when you're pregnant.
I just felt ultra nauseated...and thank God I am young enough( or rather..I had my babies late enough..I was 33
when I had my first!) not to have had to become even
more nauseated when confronted with pastels pinstripes, ruffles, and tiny embroidered flowers in
ofcourse..pastels..as my only clothing options.

I blame my parents..

2006-08-27T22:46:00.000-05:00

I hate when people blame their parents..

but when this all began..I was not yet my own person.
First..I will admit that I was a late emotional bloomer..
in fact, maturity is one of those things that still isn't a big part of my being ..it certainly isn't natural. I often have to force it though since I am responsible for several lives.
None the less..I have a huge safty net in my life. My husband.
HE is the actual adult..and I play grown up.
But I digress...

It used to be that I was far less my own person..and still very influenced by how my parents did things.
Now Dad did hold a good job..for 30 years...after he got clean from heroin and stopped getting arrested..no really..that is a fact. It isnt some joke entry making you think I came from trash roots..
I did.
But Dad wanted alot more for his kids.
Mom..well..
um..

Mom is one of those people who's life I am responsible for.

OK..I did go to college and I did get gainfully employed taking care of many other lives..they werent human, but..anyways.
I matured..some..Mom never did.
She seems to think she is "fun" the way she is.
Mom cant be bothered to read instructions. Mom cant be bothered to be neat or orderly. Mom cant be bothered to have the correct materials for a project...or even find out what those correct material might be. ( The woman once crocheted a blanket from a wool yarn AND an acrylic..boy was she surprised when she washed it.)
Mom does things Mom's way...screw good results.

Well..back when I taught myself to knit..

I knit a sweater first..with no pattern..and well..I needed to attatch the collar..so I devised a way.
It only looked kind of weird.
Just a tad.

I later started looking at those crazy things called patterns..and saw they wanted me to "pick up" stitches.

o..so it has a name..

I went on for all these years...until tonight..

thinking that I knew how to pick up stitches.
You know what?

Ofcourse you do.

I have been doing it WRONG!

I have been doing a "MOM" all these years!
It's sobering when I give you this info.

I am reduced to tears over some dumb assed thing my Mom has done at least 2 times a week..at LEAST.
Dont get me wrong..I love my Mom..but starting with the fact that she sent me to another country as a baby because she couldn't cope..and then turned around and had my sister..and left me there..and kept my sister..(with whom I am friends..)
well..we have a rocky relationship.
And yeah..I am finally starting to GET IT that Mom has some mental problems going on and is not trying to slowly kill me intentionally..

but I dont want to be like her.

Anyways...I now know how to pick up stitches. Mom be damned.

As for those socks..I think that particular ball of yarn must have some sort of curse on it..I have had to rip that thing about 4 times....

Yanno..maybe I cant really knit after all?
I am in a cant paint, cant knit, bad Mom, bad daughter," my poor husband", terrible friend funk.
And the only chocolate in the house is dark...ugh.

magic splotches

2006-08-26T09:41:00.000-05:00

ugh..I wrote this whole thing out and then when I was about to finish up..Opera 9 beta crashed and I couldn't recover my post.
That's what I get for using two betas to blog, I suppose.

Anyways..I was talking about Lion Brand Magic Stripes.
I LOVE the colors..they are all so cute.
But the yarn has issues that mean it will be fine for socks for me and the girl people in my family..Bill doesn't do..stripes..magic or otherwise...
but it will not be good for the light verticle striped sweater that I have always wanted to knit for myself.
It is for one thing..rough. I have heard it softens after washing...I was thinking some hair conditioner.And it IS reasonable for socks if you knit at a guage of 28 stitches per 4 inches or less..for shits and giggles I guaged with a size 1 US and it was a bit unfriendly feeling.

But the bigger problem is in the dying. I have twice in a short amount of yarn used found undyed spaces mid stripe..and there are splotches and flecks from where the yarn of one stripe colored area touched another.
This makes it look like you are knitted in a splotch in the cases of bigger areas..and dirty when knitted up when it was just a small fleck.

I now am coming to the pic part..and will copy and paste this text. The crashing in the last attempt for pic uploading related, I am sure.

The above is a sock for Becca and my multi needle playing around swatch..NOT a guage swatch..just fooling with the yarn.
I frogged the sock, and started with another pattern that had fewer typos and mistakes in it. ( funny how someone SEEMS to be so clever until you actually READ what they wrote..but that is another issue..one I will not eleaborate upon, because I dont believe in being nasty for nasty sake.) I also was kind of astounded at how poorly I knitted the ribbing and couldn't live with such uneveness..and people would know for all enternity that I knitted that.
Anyways..see that splotch..and the kind of dirty look?

That's why for the sweater I always wanted..I will keeping searching for a self striping yarn..or just do it the less magical..old fashioned way..intarsia verticle stripes or sideways as I would do if using the self striping yarn..The world wouldn't end. I just like the less yarn and bulk with the self striping.
I also wonder..if I knitted the stuff up and down..would the stripes be cut short..and I would have kind of jagged irregular stripes? Worth playing with I think.

by the way..still waiting for my knitpicks order..oddly enough, it is taking some time. I live in the same area as they are located and assume that is why I always recieved pretty quick. But they just did send out yesterday, and FedEx hasnt even dropped it off to the US postal service yet.
This is upposed to be a time saving method..maybe just money saving..dont know. I qualified for the free shipping ( my order was well over 40 dollars. *blush* so if knitpicks can save themselves some money this way, I'm ok with that.

oooo!!

2006-08-22T21:01:00.000-05:00

I just ordered a bunch of yarn and needles ( bamboo DPN's! Sizes 4,5,6,7 I have little ones) and bags from knitpicks.com

several types of self striping sock yarn
wool of the Andes in ...um..it's not called black ( I am eventually going to MAKE my dream bag..felted and lined.)
and some cream colored sock yarn

and get this..I am even going to make something for..me!

yeah I knit backwards

2006-08-22T15:18:00.000-05:00

wanna make something of it?

Seriously..why should anyone care if I knit backwards..I mean, yes..it is completely backwards continental knitting. I hold the working needle in the left and the yarn in the right.
The very fact that I do any kind of left handed knitting seems to bother some people..why?

Nevermind the fact that I do everything that involves small motor skills lefthanded..why should it even be ANY concern of anyone how I knit?

Dont look?

But back to the fact that I am left handed.
I taught myself and I did indeed reverse everything in a picture from a book.
I am running into more and more writing and comments from people both online and real life where some think that you should teach a left hander to do it ...

right handed.

Maybe we should reverse that situation..teach a right hander to do it left handed.

hmmm....any takers?

I do sometimes have to fiddle with directions and stitch patterns..I admit it..oh horrors!
I have a much better understanding of how knitting is what it is because of that fact.
What a shame that I am forced to actually THINK as opposed to blindly follow someone elses instructions.
That's terrible..better I go completely against nature and knit with my right hand..that way I can be ready to follow the words of anyone that comes along.

I dont rant often..but this time I have.

Yanno..my husband is older..he will be 67 next month ( wanna make something out of THAT?...dont even get close to it..in my eyes he is the most wonderful man on this planet.)

Anyway..he is a switched lefty. His mind still does lefty things.
He cuts himself ALOT using everyday tools.
He was forced to go against what was natural for him.

I cant see the benefit in this.

My two cents.

Oh hey..by the way

You can post comments anon...this as mentioned is a beta blog..normal commenting will return one day.

My day job

2006-08-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Knitting is fantastic...but on this blog, and on the old blog. I have failed to mention my day job.
My first love.

I'm a painter.

And I haven't been painting much. I am not very financially motivated to paint.
But my soul has suffered. I have to give up some knitting time for what is necessary to my being.

My art can be seen here if you are curious.

all a freakin' twitter ( this is gonna be pic heavy)

2006-08-21T09:21:00.000-05:00

ooo..new blog..ooo

ok..the post I was going to make at the new blog when I FINALLY decided to get off my vitual butt and figure why for the last week that I have been having log in weirdness.

It was due to a sort of forced sales pitch to offer me the chance to do the Beta..

which not being a proper nerd, always makes me think of this ( runs to google..or maybe my pic files somewhere?):

(pic is from here)

so..yeah..Blogger is growing up..if only it would start knitting, then I could be so proud.

Anyways.

I was looking at my desk here..and counted very quickly at least ten things that could be thrown away.

About an hour and a half later I needed to reboot ..which takes about 9 years on my laptop..so I actually decided that I am going to REALLY throw away those 10 things!
And I found this..and I remember it..I SAVED it!

What in the world did I think I was going to do with THAT?
Is that not pitiful?
You know what's worse?..I still havent thrown it out.

On to less shameful blogging.

I am making an internet friend the baby kimono from Mason*Dixon knitting..for her daughter. Is it not the sweetest?
This is a finished one picked randomly from a Google search and was knitted by nsdis

Who also makes some mighty fine bags as you can see by his/her Flickr account..go nsdis!
We love you and your baby kimono/bag making prowess.

so..this is the basic idea( why do I suck so bad at getting to the point?)

And the blue is my KIP ( kimono in progress)

(I hope this works
I am now having some layout problems..but onwards and upwards..ah I think I fixed it.)

So..I made Nautie from Knitty
for my daughter's 5th B-Day. She also recieved this butterfly condo thing..but naturally turned it into a Nautie Condo!

And last but not least..the "270" is about 2/3 done..I really feel like renaming it ..the "2/3 done"..giant pain in the ass thing that it is. But it is for my beloved Bill...he bought me an entire house and provides me with sex and entertainment
( I make it sound like sex and entertainment are two different things!) ..least I could do is knit him..that thing..in that yarn he chose.
I swear my guage has not changed, as it appears in the photo..it really IS the yarn!
( God how I hate it.)

ok..this has been quite possibly the longest blog entry that I have ever posted.
Not sure what has gotten into me.

It's Kimono knittin' time!
Cya!