I love posting stuff on Craigslist. Today, I’ve been cleaning out and rearranging my jewelry studio (also known by my family as the Craft Room, and it’s lately been the Crap Room.) I went to Ikea yesterday and got a bookshelf and a desk….and I’m getting rid of a pine shelf and moving the loveseat out too.
Anyways, so Mark and I made the bookshelf, and I moved all the books over to it. That left me with a pine shelf to get rid of. I posted it on craigslist, and it was gone out of my driveway in 30 minutes. 30 MINTUES!!! A lady in a green minivan stopped and put it in the van, and I noted the time. Went back online to see when it hit CL, and it was EXACTLY 30 minutes from when I had posted it!
Here is a pic of it - I deleted the post, since I’m a considerate free item lister….this made my day!
I’ve decided to knit myself a sweater. This is a big deal. For a few reasons. First, I don’t generally knit things that have to “fit.” I knit hats, scarves, half of a sock, that sort of thing. I DID knit sweaters for the kids when they were small, but that is easy stuff - little kids don’t care if a sweater hangs a little crookedy. OH, I have knit some tiny sweaters for friends who are having babies too - and they come out fine. Again, it’s the “kid” thing - they don’t have to be perfect because you know the baby will just puke on them, and they’ll have to go into the wash.
So, for me to knit myself a sweater, well, that’s an adventure. I was inspired by a sale. There’s a great yarn site, Elann, and they had a sale on yarn so I got some. Here’s the yarn swatches I knit:
I just scanned them, didn’t feel like getting the camera out. So, after I bought the yarn, I went looking for a sweater pattern. THAT was an adventure. I pored over the free patterns on Knitty, looked at Berrocco, Bernat, all different sites. NOTHING caught my eye that used yarn in the same weight as this one. SO, on the way to the gallery last weekend to work, I stopped in a yarn shop in Charlestown, RI near Rt. 1, where Rt. 2 hits Rt. 1.
Got a book:
AND found a great little raglan pattern:
So, I’m good to go! Did my swatches last night to check my gauge, and now I know I have to go out and buy bamboo needles in size 10 and size 8 since I only have metal needles in that size (and I hate knitting on metal needles cuz my stitches always slide right off!)
We’ll see how long this takes me - how often do i make anything for myself anyways?
OK, so not completely wordless because I have to explain this first! I read a blog, Pinch My Salt, where she posts “Wordless Wednesdays” and I love them. Ok, so I can’t be a complete copycat, even though I am most definitely a fan of alliteration. these photos of my work were taken by my husband - it’s cool how he is experimenting with different backgrounds (my favorite is the slate!) to show off my beadwork. ENJOY!!! (click them and they get bigger!)
Sitting on the back porch working on a really different bracelet (for me anyways.) Listening to WGBH’s A Celtic Sojourn, then folk, then assorted CDs. Here’s where I’m working:
Now, here’s a closeup of the work itself. I’m working freeform brickstitch with different sized seed beads that circle around one of my lampwork beads. The colors of the seed beads echo and mimic the colors and shapes of the enamel areas within the bead. I want this to be a wide freeform cuff, and it’s well on its’ way here:
Wow. WOW. I worked in the gallery yesterday and when I walked in, I was just blown away by the talent, by the art selected for this month’s Regional Show. If you have a chance, you need to get yourself down to Westerly to see this show. I’m posting a few pics here of my work and some larger shots, but to appreciate this show, you have to get down there! I’m working in the Gallery again on Sunday May 24 - during the Memorial Day weekend there is an outdoor art show, Virtu, going on in Wilson Park across the street. That would be a great weekend to visit as well!
My oldest was on the SECOND PLACE TEAM in RI for Academic Decathalon yesterday. And today her picture was on the front page of the second section of the ProJo…. fun!
Saturday morning gallery sitting….it was relatively quiet so I put up a table and worked on my sculpture. I hope to have it done and enter it into the regional show in late April.
I also took some time to snap pics of some of the other work in the gallery that I really liked this month. Kaleeny Cannon is a newer member, and this is her first time as a featured artist. I love the bright colors of the flowers in the first one, and the low viewing angle of the second one here:
I’ll post some more photos of some of the other work I liked in the next couple of days.
Today, the weather looks like it will be warm enough for me to spend time in the studio making beads = yay! Yesterday was so hectic, today will be a good change from that, a chance to slow down and savor the creative process and melt glass.
I promised to post this as S and J created the most adorable animation for Valentine’s Day. Make sure you watch in “high quality” otherwise it’s a bit “pixel-y.”
