I've had a really busy week or so but I hate having delayed writing here. Man, I'm also really behind on my blogs.
Lifehacker,
Gothamist and
Apartment Therapy, specifically. I'm good on the one-post-a-dayers and rely on their great photographs and writing at the end of a long day (they're on my sidebar in case you're wondering).
Anyway, I finally got around to seeing the
Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting exhibit at the Museum of Arts & Design this past Sunday. I'm certainly not the
first to blog about this, but wanted to urge you, fair reader, to go when you get a chance. It runs for another three months (scary to think that JUNE is only three months away already!) I wish I had posted this earlier this week, since MAD is pay-what-you-wish on Thursdays between 6 and 8pm.
I was amazed at how far you can stretch the definitions of "lace" and "knitting"--in terms of material, form and size. And meaning. How inspiring is it to see one of your crafts that you feel can be so ordinary and simple--taken for granted, even--stretched by the imagination and pushed to new limits. And instead of feeling "one-upped" and quite plain in comparison, you're a little pleasantly envious and practically elated to see your craft being shown off for all its possibilities.
Here are a couple favorites. Photography wasn't allowed so I'm borrowing from the MAD website.
Janet Echelman, The Expanding Club
Freddie Robins, Craft Kills
Turns out, my NYU silkscreening teacher had some work there! Apparently she's a Jack of All Trades--check out her website for the rest of her awesome work,
www.carsonfox.com. It always baffles me as to how one gets noticed as an artist or crafter. I had no idea she's so dang prolific. And there I was, embarassing myself in her class a couple years ago. Sigh!
Finally, it's list time...
Labels: inspiration, knitting
Today is Friday! And although this week flew by for me (one or two lengthy meetings a day will do that), I'm so glad it's the weekend. That special one fourth of me is ready to come out and play tomorrow.
I don't have pictures of the finished neckwarmer yet--I have a couple more rows to knit and must sew on buttons tonight, so I should be able to show it off tomorrow. If I want to wear it tomorrow, I'm not sure if I can wash and block it tonight...would it dry in time?
So, no finished project to show off today. But let me just say that I am SO inspired by the relief printmaking books I borrowed from the library. It's good to be really excited about something! I have so many ideas, I really need to start writing them down and doodling.
Before I go brave the weather to go trade in some Blockbuster Online movies for in-store movies, I gotta post this.
My Paper Crane is one of my favorites. I own two of her plushes--the strawberry milk and cinnamon roll are happily hanging out on display in my apartment.
But this takes the cake:
I love the brain--real and plush. I'm a psych nerd. Anyway if you're in the Mid-Atlantic/Southeast area of the U.S., go check out her stuff at the following show:
Medical Experiments In PlushMarch 17th-April 18th 2007 opening reception Sat. March 17th
Push Skateshop +
Stupid Creatures25 Patton Avenue Asheville, NC 28801
Blockbuster is one just block away. Think I'll make it?
Labels: ideas, plush
I love the library, always have. I love the quiet, the smell of books, the old computers. I've even thought of a Masters in Library Science. What's to be said about liking "loud" music but the love of bathing in such
quiet, interrupted only by whispers and creaky covers of old books and flipping pages? I guess I don't like the in between--the steady din of distracting noise and chatter. Funny I still love the noises of New York outdoors.
Why the library love post? I went there tonight to pick up some crafty books. Not only do I like to make things with my hands from materials, I also have a lifelong history of drawing and painting and always being in some sort of art class when I was in school. When college came around, although I got my photography fix, I didn't enjoy my silkscreening class in college and access to black & white darkrooms for photography is limited now post-college.
But then, last month I opened up my copy of
Craft Magazine and...cue the angelic Hallelujah symphony...
An article on Linocut (linoleum block) printing! Sorry, I can't find a link to the article--it doesn't seem to be online. The tutorial is great and reminded me how much I liked carving the blocks and printing in high school, plus it can easily be done at home--so I decided to get back into it. Hence the trip to the library. While the tutorial is enough to get going, I wanted to refamiliarize myself with all the aspects of the craft. Reading one of the books on the subway was enough to bring back memories of my art teacher demonstrations. And damn, I just love the graphic look of linocut prints.
I can't wait to get started and will be gradually gathering supplies from the city to Brooklyn. This is also an excuse to buy cool paper, another obsession of mine.
On a [mostly] unrelated note: Patti Smith was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame! Read what she wrote about the experience here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2032488,00.htmlShe's so amazing and makes me want to go change the world. I'll start with my dorky prints and wallets.
Labels: art, learning
Too long.
Since I've taken up sewing and knitting more seriously [read: decided to see if anyone besides my friends and I like my stuff], I've forsaken my collection of glue.
Mod Podge (glossy and glitter, thanks), glue gun,
Bond 527, spray adhesive, fabric glue (
OK to Wash It,
Stop-Fraying,
Fabri-Tac), and who could forget Aleene's
Tacky Glue in the gold bottle? I'm nerdy enough to think of suggestions for
This to That.
So I sprung for one of my handful of plastic containers filled with supplies as soon as--okay I waited 'til the weekend--I saw this project idea:
Winter bulbs potted in used tin cans, by Pink of Perfection. Which reminds me to subscribe to that blog ASAP. Now bear in mind, it's probably too late to start this project now. I was lucky enough to catch it a couple months ago.
I nabbed 4 paperwhite bulbs for $5 at my local flower shop the next Saturday and dived into my collection of free swatches from
Javis Davis. After opting for OK to Wash It and managing to get some on my jeans (note to self: make those damn aprons already), they worked out pretty well. I got some major sprouts in 3 out of 4, and a few small flowers. They didn't last too long, but maybe I got the bulbs too late in the game for them to be real healthy. Regardless, I enjoyed them while they cheered up my apartment this winter.
Sadly, they're dying and I missed out on taking a picture while they were kickin:
Mary Mary Quite Contrary
End of an era. But Spring is totally on the way!
Recap: The constant sticky fingers thing never used to bother me, nor did the rubbing and peeling off of the glue. But man, it really bugged me this time. Maybe I need to ease myself back into glue slower. Maybe some more standard decoupage is in order. I've made more than one decoupaged Altoid tin in my time. One for a boy, even. (He loved it, then I learned he lost it. Oh the nerve, to not guard that thing with his life...).
Anyway, thanks to Pink of Perfection for inspiring me to get back into the nitty gritty of crafting. It reminded me of projects with my even craftier mom and her bottles of Aleene's glue in various states of clogging with requisite glue squeegee made from a scrap of cardboard. Total glue faux pas to squeeze glue straight onto the project.
Glue nerd, over and out.
Labels: decoupage, plants
Like most knitters out there, I'm scrambling to finish up a wintery project before the weather gets TOO nice. Yes, it was in the 50s this weekend, but I WILL finish this soon:
A diagonally ribbed neckwarmer to be closed with 2 buttons of my favorite color, turquoise (thank you, Bucket O' Buttons). Why not a whole scarf? Sometimes I don't want to drag around a long and/or bulky scarf. Winter accessories annoy me. Sometimes I just want to keep the wind out on a not-so-horribly-freezing day.
This is a re-do of a K5P2 piece. That ribbing was too stretchy and didn't stay up very well. It also didn't feel quite thick and effective enough. So I said, "Eff this," and found the diagonal ribbing idea when I got home from wearing it the one day it survived. Here's what's left of it, as the new one is gobbling it up fast.
More yarn = more coverage. I'm only about halfway done, yet 3/4 the way through the yarn used for Version 1.0. That's fine with me. Supporting Manos del Uruguay yarn is well worth it. So far I'm liking the weight of this pattern, and really like the interest and texture that the diagonal ribbing adds.
Sidenote: I only knit with cotton (or mostly cotton) yarn. No, I'm certainly no Vegan or snob; wool makes me itch--the wool in my price range, that is. I'm also slower than I'd like to be and sometimes forget I've stopped knitting to gawk at the Barefoot Contessa on TV. My food show addictions are a whole 'nother post.
Labels: knitting
liked the peace sign visual aide. 1/3 was protein, 2/3 was vegetables, grains. surprised some are so unaware of balance in diet. no pasta or grains?? hope more people discover her. want to try soy nuts for work.
one burner, mini fridge, preparation on glass coffee table. now i don't feel so bad.
craving/mission for next week: cuban sandwich - alton brown, thanks.
felt hungry all day. watching food network all day = bad idea.
Labels: cooking
So today I said to myself, "Hey why don't you make a snazzy belt for that plain, black dress with no waist that you want to wear tonight with those amazing new shoes? One that'll stay in place despite the lack of belt loops?"
After rummaging through my fabric stash, a light bulb went off when I pulled out the mint green, buttery-soft vinyl.
When I was finally done agonizing over its measurements, I slapped some iron-on velcro in the appropriate spots and was finished. Simple, eh?
But, OH CRAP: I accidentally used my iron straight on my newly de-virginized cutting mat! I craptastically did a touch up ironing without putting my table top ironing board back underneath the work. Now I got me a couple of iron impressions in the mat:
So I'm reminded once again: "Simple" doesn't really ever exist for me.
I was too miffed to try to iron it back out. Will probably try tomorrow. More disappointment came tonight, in the form of a sudden major lack of plans. So the culprit belt (or the fantastic shoes) won't even be worn as intended. Ah well.
At least I'm back on this blog. I think the craft world needs to hear more from the non-superstar crafter world. Where things don't go as planned and online stores slump and countless hours are spent oohing and ahhing at other crafters. Plus I need a kick in the ass, motivation-wise. I hope this helps more of the myriad ideas in my head reach fruition.
Now, on to tortellini and beer!
Labels: clothing, sewing, woops
