Paw Prints

* didn’t post a furry Friday. (Better get a MCM lined up!)

* Thursday i started using the pink crochet “thread”? cord? and made the first couple rounds of a heart. Today i finished it and then started doing the same in red wire. The adjustable loop method is not very good in wire. I also think i’ve got a blister and elbow pain from working with the wire. *sigh* But it looks great! I think i understand dc in wire now. Can beads be far behind?

* received PIF crochet hooks — very small steel/thread hooks (Joseta_fugeta)

* received PIF Norwegian paperback pages (Naiviv)

* From Earth Friendly Yarns:

1. … Bamboo, Purple/Lavender, 100 grams, 250 yards, $13.50 USD
…… $61.29/lb 1135 yds/lb

1. … Organic Cotton, Green, 50 grams, 95 yards, $7.50 USD
…… $68.10/lb 862 yds/lb

1. … Recycled Cotton, Denim Blue, 100 grams, 180 yards, $7.00 USD
…… $31.78/lb 817 yds/lb

1. … Soy Silk, Turquoise/Tan/Green, 100 grams, 175 yards, $12.50 USD
…… $55.05/lb 794 yds/lb

4.54 * 100g = 1 lb

* received digital documentation from renmeleon for LMAO2005.07, Artistamp Album.

* received a few more Zig photo markers — these from Mister Art. Quite the set. Now what?

* crocheted hearts based on the first couple of rounds in Gwen Blakely Kinser’s pattern (Encyclopedia of Crochet, p 112). Substituted the adjustable ring as the base. Now that i have the idea, i think i can almost do it by feel. The larger heart had the third ring done by feel….

Notes on reading Crochet Me back issues:

* Reading Oct Nov 2004 of Crochet Me

– how much yarn have i used? Weigh the piece (from Annette Petavy’s article on scarves)

– Technique: a square crocheted in the round – Annette Petavy

– Kitty Cat Hat: 3oz. sport weight yarn, grey and a small amount of pink. Model uses Lion Brand Micro Spun.

– Artisans Traveling Hat: two color work, medium hat. Two skeins of at least 114 yards of 1034 yds/lb yarn. (Sport weight?) Pattern for wool. (Pattern states 1 skein primary color (114 yds / 50 g ), 1 skein secondary color (245 yds / 100 g) but looking at the hat i bet there was *lots* of the secondary color left over.)

* Reading Dec Jan 2004-05 of Crochet Me (But this somehow spilled into the current issue — argh)

– 200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws, and Afghans by Jan Eaton, recommended as a good, detailed reference for the crochet geek. Added to Amazon list.

– Knit and Crochet with Beads by Lily M. Chin Sounds good, but amazon reviewer says, “75% knit and 25% crochet” But it sounds very technique-oriented.

– 300 Crochet Stitches book, by the Harmony Guides. (When i get bored with my encyclopedia)

– Swirl sweater and technique. 4 skeins of (665 yards per 8 oz skein) Christine – a red, black, and greys.

– idea for Zain, make slippers with a loopy stitch and add claws to make Abominable Slippers This pattern is for younger kids.

* cleaned up garden & wove a support for sweet peas from fallen eucalyptus branches.

* finished Roll2006.01 with shots of GreyBeard.

* took digital photos of Meyer lemons for MA2006.OAP.Jan

* did the front side of MA2006.CBTI.Jan.05 using an image from Roll2005.01 of the hawk at Moss Landing.

* visited the 10th anniversary exhibit of Bay Area Book Artists

* did a row of double crochet backwards/left handed. I think i could manage.

Email sent to sf-artpals in “repsonse” to a spam message, subject “I’ve found my perfect match!”

I thought, oooh! Someone’s either got a sweetie who’s keeping them busy -OR- they’ve found the perfect creative medium. Must read!

Piddle.

So here’s a real post in belated response to Ruth’s invitation that we fess up to what we’ve been up to. For me, mail art and — as of Dec 24 — crochet.

http://www.grey-cat.net/elainephotos/JEB-CrochetProcess2006.shtml

I’ve been fascinated by the process of crochet, excited by a continual sting of exclamatory thoughts, “I could crochet *that*! I could crochet *that*!” So i’ve crocheted curling ribbon, wire, and the plastic film of the dry cleaning bag. As well as yarn. Beading will happen soon. And my sister is sending my hair from the tail of our ancient Morgan horse.

My sweetie has taken up cross stitch, and she gifted me with a great telephoto zoom lens for my film camera.

Mail art wise, i’m participating in a “chunky book” tip in swap in the new nervousness forums, and an artistamp omnibus project. I don’t know whether i will persist in those monthly endeavors: on one hand they take me away from larger projects by having deadlines. On the other hand, the small scale plus deadline forces an invention that is, i suspect, good for me.

No perfection, but a lot of fun. Must get back to the easel. An underpainting has been sitting there since summer waiting for me to commit color.

Cheers,

judith

This is for both yesterday & today.

Yesterday, we went to Michael’s after work. I picked up two large skeins of Heart yarn in claret (a red) and aran (off-white), a set of steel hooks, and two balls of crochet cotton thread: DMC Traditions, size 10, in ecru and Royale Fashion, size 3 in warm rose. At home i worked a sample swatch in the claret and aran, experimenting with carrying the yarn over and alternating color all in single crochet.

This morning i wrote up my notes about the swatch. When i came home, the wire from eBay had arrived. I promptly made a disk in the metallic orange and nest a couple perodite-green glass beads in the center. Lovely! A little later i tried making the Irish rose pattern in the metallic red wire. I don’t think it’s anything like the instruction. Perhaps i’ll try the rose again in the rose thread.