Friday, July 25, 2008

A saved post.

(My crafty-self saved these pictures in order to post them later so there was no gift-spoiler). Regardless of the date on the post, however, I am writing this from Costa Rica. There is so much to say about this trip even after a week and a half, but I feel like it´s still just the tip of the ice-berg in terms of experiencing the visual elements of this culture. Unfortunately, I opted not to lug my laptop around so I can´t upload pictures until I return, but I´m hoping to have a lot of artwork to show for this trip after my time in Honduras.

Here´s what I was toying with before I left for Central America...

Shrinky dink jewelry!

Now in my recent obsession with this craft, I´ve encountered many children of the eighties who were not enlightened to the joys of shrinky-dinking. Here is a link, people. EDUCATE YOURSELVES!

This particular one was made for Rachel (of Rachel´s Fist Throwing Circus infamy) for her birthday.

This one I made for myself, because..well, you know, every gurl needs a name plate to bling out.

And this one was made for Kerigirl.. The picture is not so great, but it´s Pippi Longstocking.

These are super easy and fun to make and I´m sure I´ll be making more of them. But for now, my focus is centered on murals in central america and improving my "spanglish".


Thursday, July 10, 2008

Rochester, NY

Although I've been blogging a lot more lately, I still feel behind because I've been taking a lot of photos and have had a lot of things I'd like to write about.

A few weekends ago, I went to Rochester, NY to visit a friend and she was kind enough to cart me around to see some street art. Most of these photos are from around one building, but this whole block had a lot of stuff going on.

This one reminded me of New Orleans..




These are from one wall & were done by the folks who did the awesome mural up at the Spectrum Theater in Albany.
I really wish there were more murals in Albany in general. They really change the feel of a neighborhood and it would be a good use for all of those abandoned and boarded up buildings in the city. I've asked to do some mural projects with the neighborhood kids while in Honduras and Eddie said we could hook something up, which I am really stoked about.

Saturday, July 05, 2008

stay golden

I've been really getting my knit on lately. After finishing the button tab hat, I decided a pair of hand warmers would be nice to match. I knit them literally in a day. One of them was knit entirely while in a work meeting. I had been meaning to blog about them, but was having a hard time getting a good photo. These ones are still a little too overexposed so the color doesn't translate as well. As per usual Rasca is in the shot. What can I say? My cat loves the camera.Project: "Golden Warmers"
Pattern: Emerald Green Handwarmers by creativeyarn
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Cotton Patiné in that mustardy yellow color that I can't get enough of right now.
I also started some socks that are proving to be an exciting challenge for me. I'm using the Leyburn pattern for my very first venture into toe-up socks. This will be a useful skill since I'm notorious for under or over estimating sock yarn.
The pattern also required learning the provisional cast on method, how to "wrap" a stitch and a new way to create a short row heel. Learning all these new techniques has actually made it a more intriguing, and therefore quicker, knit. I'm more than half way done with the first sock and I just started the project three days ago.
I'm also excited that these knits coincidentally go along with the Air theme for the project spectrum june/july.

I've also been a lucky duck in terms of fun mail lately. Rachel sent me this amazing yarn from Asheville, NC that her friend spins and dyes.
It's an Alpaca and wool blend that's dyed with copper, black-eyed susans and marigolds! It smells like working in the garden (in a good way). And if you are interested in scoring any for yourself, she can be contacted at wildbergamot@riseup.net