I heart art
In the past, I've taught or shared poetry for Valentine's Day...love for family, lovers, friends, whatever. In that vein, I share Dakota, by Lowell Mick White. It's for you if you love animals or poetry, or both.If not, or if you need some comforting after reading that incredible poem, (I know I did), here's some arty stuff to liven up your day. First, a new painting by my talented sister-in-law, Jennifer Seiff. I love it and can't wait to get it framed and hung up. Thank you! I'm lucky to have such talented relatives.
...Some handspun silk I've just finished. The first photo is the ball before I plied it. Finished, it is
Navajo plied, hand-dyed with kool-aid, and worsted to bulky weight. Yes, I have some fine yarn I spun with this silk, but my naturally impatient nature said 
You should live so long! so I spun this 3 oz. thicker- instant gratification. I love how the colors pop and remind me why no one should consume kool-aid (my family called it Bug juice)...or at least, not too often!
We have a local art festival here and I try to submit things every year. I've even won prizes once or twice. This past weekend, I used electric wire, beads and buttons to do this sculpturey thing. I think I'm calling it cosmos fabric or something like that. (the buttons are all those satellite dishes, lost like Pigs in Space) I used knitting and crochet techniques, mostly with my fingers, to do all those wire twisty bits. (shhh, twisty bits is a technical art term, can't you tell?)
This is when you turn to the person next to you and say, Geez, can you believe she got an Arts Council Grant? Don't worry, it wasn't for my twisty sculpty skills. It's for my non-fiction. Whoosh, what a relief, 'cause the writing is so lyrical here...I present hat #7 for the season. This is a stretchy cotton blue dog hat, and it's going to a special cousin in Miami. Joshie, check it out! Harry the dog didn't appreciate the modelling session, so the floppy tongue is hidden, but you get the point.
Tomorrow, I will wear my Heart's Ease socks for the very first time. Gotta love warm woolly feet in February.
posted by Joanne at 2:42 PM
9 Comments:
Hi Joanne!
Thanks for your comment on my blog. I appreciate hearing another point of view.
I think what I didn't say properly, is that it is becoming WAY too common for knitters to HAVE to look for errata before they knit a project. It has become acceptable or expected.
I have two elementary age children. I will never let them think that it is acceptable to turn in homework that is incorrect simply because they rushed through it, or didn't feel like taking the time to do it correctly.
This is what I think is happening in the knitting world...there are SO many new books coming out and publishers put a LOT of pressure to meet deadlines and I think the pattern writing suffers.
I am a CPA and CFO of an investment firm. My motto is that anything we produce HAS to have a second set of eyes looking at it before it is presented to the powers that be....no matter if it delays the report.
My biggest problem is that I had 4 e-mails from the designer regarding the rings on the bag, and not once was the errata mentioned. She knew I was knitting the pattern but was more concerned about selling me rings that cost $73 each.
Again, I understand that mistakes can happen, and if this were a free pattern...I am SO on my own. BUT, it shouldn't be the norm to EXPECT errata.
Oh, and as a financial executive, don't get me started on Fannie Mae!
The silk is just beautiful Joanne!!!
The hat is too cute your nephew will love it!!
Joanne,
I wrote you another long comment, but it doesn't appear to be here.
PLEASE don't let anything I posted keep you from designing. I do agree though, that if the publisher isn't responsive to your ideas...they might not be the right publisher for you.
I have been on the translation end of technical writing...so I understand how painstaking it can be.
Have you ever thought of doing something like the girls at The Garter Belt? If I were designing, I would want to collaberate with other knitters/designers. Just a thought.
I love the hat! What a cute idea. Wish I wore hats more, but I just don't. I love to knit them though. I'm going to have to try the heart's ease socks sometime too. They are just so cool! Thanks for sharing your lovely art work and spinning.
Kool-aid dyed silk! I didn't know that would work. Did you do anything special to it when you dyed it?
Hi Diane, --Nothing too special. To dye with Kool Aid, immerse the silk (or wool) in warm water with a little dish soap to get it thoroughly wet. Sprinkle the drink powder or make into a solution and dump/drizzle it onto the fiber. Then you can cook it--in the microwave, on the stove, or the oven, whatever is your preferred method--until the dye fixes. (the water around the fiber should be mostly clear) I usually add a bit of vinegar in the rinse water to make sure the water is running clear. That's it! (there are a lot of tips for dyeing with Kool Aid on the web, I'm sure you can find other sources too...)
Harry looks less than thrilled, he must not know how dashing he looks in that cute hat!
Harry looks less than thrilled, he must not know how dashing he looks in that cute hat!
Hi Joanne, Your silk yarn is gorgeous. I am a new spinner. And I live here in BG as well. I was refered to you by someone I met on Yahoo Group's Spinning. She told me you were a local spinner, knitter, artist, writer...... Are you part of a local spinning group? I am looking for one as is another girl I met.
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