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