Items of business:
1. I finished the cat bed. And of course it's the only thing the cats refrain from laying on.
2. The multicolor afghan is basically done, I just need to sew the last few squares on.
3. I finished the fuzzy dice, but have no rear view mirror to put them on.
4. I finished the head, body, and one leg of the alien, but I hate knitting such small things in the round so I stopped after that. I think I'll sew it it all together and add a tentacle or two, modifying the pattern.
Since I last posted, I've knitted a multicolor earflap hat and crocheted a stacking ring set for the previously mentioned baby.
Right now I'm working on a freeform scarf and a double knit argyle scarf in hot pink and black. The double knit scarf is taking forever, but it's gonna look killer. The freeform scarf looks very spring-y.
This is JC Studlee. He's an alpaca:
I've just learned to hand-spin yarn using a top whorl drop spindle with a "learn to spin" kit my dad got me for Christmas from Big Horn Mountain Alpacas in Wyoming. It came with the spindle, some fiber, instructions, and they even include a picture of the alpaca it came from!! Alpaca fiber is hypoallergenic, super soft, and leaves your hands feeling super soft, too, after you spin it. My alpaca fiber came from none other than JC Studlee himself, a herdsire with an award-winning fiber background on his father's side. Isn't he adorable?!Here are some projects I have lined up next:
1. A fringe vest out of VHS film:
For some reason I can't find a single knitting pattern for a fringe vest, so I'll have to create the pattern myself. I've had the idea to make something out of VHS tape film for so long, and I've finally thought of an awesome way to use it. It'll be really flashy, so it will probably turn out to be more of a couture item than a day to day piece of clothing. I'm really excited about starting this project!
2. Flying Panda painting:
As I was waking up one morning, I heard the phrase, "but first, flying pandas," which related to the shipment of a panda in the National Zoo back to China. At that moment, I envisioned a large canvas with a panda in the sky flying with comically small wings.
I really want to do a series of "absurdist" (I'm coining that term!!) paintings, like the panda one.
3.T-shirt/clothing modification:
I've had this on my list for a long time. I now have most of the tools to play around with this. I don't have any specific ideas as far as modification goes. I've got to look through my stash of old clothes, and iron-on letters, and t-shirt modification book, and finally figure out my new sewing machine that I've had since July 2009.
4. Paisley Tie Skirt:
Whenever I read the owners manual of my sewing machine (hopefully this weekend), I'm going to start working on a skirt made out of a bunch of paisley ties (that I got at Goodwill!!). Most likely I'll make a simple base skirt first and then sew the ties in such a way that they curve around as they go from hip to knee. With any leftover ties or remnants, I'm going to make a hand bag. It'll be downright Project Runway!
That's it for now. Maybe next time I'll post pictures. Right now I'm too tired to be taking and uploading all kinds of pictures...
--Michaela
