Tag: Craft

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Copy Cat and Compulsive Hobbyist

Amy6 Comments

First, I need to give you a little back story.  I have a couple of pretty significant issues that have influenced my course of action this week.

Issue #1: Sometimes I’m a copy cat.  Every once in a great while, I see something that gets under my skin.  I may not act on it the first time I see it, or the second or the third. Inevitably, however, if it’s lodges in just the right way, I will engage in full on mimicry.  (It’s the sincerest form of flattery you know.)

Issue #2:  Hi, my name is Amy and I’m a compulsive hobbyist.  It’s been two days since I picked up a new hobby.  And here’s the rub.  I don’t need anything new in my life right now.  The sewing machine is still out (and I think it’s staring at me) from my sewing “do over”.  I have a constant stream of crochet projects in progress with skeins of yarn taunting me from every nook and cranny of my house.  I haven’t blogged about it, but I have beading projects in process (that are staring at me accusingly from their totes) in an adjacent room. I’ll stop there lest I begin to look ridiculous.

Okay, now that you’re familiar with my issues, I can tell you about my latest misadventure…

The Seed is Planted  

Blair, who blogs at WiseCraft, began blogging about her sketchbook project a few months ago. She’s exploring the use of  water colors. I admire her for her efforts and tenacity, and have looked forward to seeing her progress.

As a pertinent side bar,  I’ve had a great interest in painting for a couple of years now.  It just doesn’t strike me as a class you’d want to take online. I think there are certain things you’ve got to do in person.  My kids are young.  I work.  There’s just no time right now.  But the idea lingers at the back of my mind.  So again, I’ve enjoyed watching Blair progress through her journey.  She’s talented in so many areas, it seemed natural that she would do something as bold as posting daily sketches.  I could never do that.  I can’t even draw for pete’s sake.  My painting plan has always been to work in abstract so that drawing would be irrelevant.

The Seed takes Hold  

Friday, I notice that Beki at artsy-craftsy babe posted her sketchbook.  It’s adorable.  Beki is ridiculously talented. She knits, sews, quilts and hand stitches some amazing projects, and apparently, she was inspired by Blair’s sketchbook project.  She’s done the most adorable watercolor houses in this little book.  I began to feel something more than “interested”.  I began to feel,  inspired…

The Seed Sprouts

Finally, over the weekend I read a post where Blair blogged about the tools she’s using for her sketchbook project. She’s doing watercolors with an assortment of nifty devices.   I’m a sucker for implements and tools…(it might even be classified as Issue #3.)

So really, it was inevitable.  Monday, I went to Hobby Lobby and picked up a small spiral bound sketchbook and some common colored pencils.  I lingered longingly over the graphite drawing pencils and watercolor pencils of every hue…then I snapped out of it and got out of there as quickly as I could before I got sucked into other departments.

Here’s one exceptionally good thing.  By far, this little adventure had the cheapest start-up costs of any hobby to date.  Five bucks.  I can live with that.  Second good thing?  It doesn’t have to be terribly time-consuming.  I’m just pencil sketching. I can spend as much or as little time as I want.

I’m still analyzing why this feels like something I need to do.  I’ve never drawn anything I considered competent.  I’ve always admired those who have a talent for drawing.   And maybe that’s enough.  It’s a skill I admire.  I’m not going to try to do it daily.  My goal is at least one bankable sketch per week.  I think it’s going to be fun, and I’ll keep you posted!

Crochet

Number Six

Amy4 Comments

You can’t accuse me of being fickle.  Fickle flits from one pattern to another.  This scarf pattern and I are in a relationship.  No matter where my eye wanders, I keep coming back and trying variations in color and pattern to the most excellent Pierrot 29-31.  The only relationship as durable as the one I have with this scarf, is my relationship with Catania  mercerized cotton. I’m not ashamed to say it.  I love them.  I’ve proclaimed my love boldly:

  • In February, I worked the pattern for the first time.  I followed the directions implicitly in an odd colorway of plum, chocolate-brown, off white and grey.
  • My second version (first variation) was a “Seascape”.  I love it.  Maybe my favorite of all of them.
  • Third, was in ivory and spring green.  Very natural and organic.
  • Fourth, my daughter chose the color palette, and so it became “Whitney’s Scarf”.  That girl has a wonderful eye for color!
  • The fifth version was an Easter edition of the pattern, or as I like to refer to it, “The one that looks like a watermelon.”

And now I’ve finished number six.  I like it a lot.  It’s more of a winter colorway-crisp, cool and evocative of all things brisk.

 

Too much?  Maybe.  I’ll just leave it at “I like it.  A lot.”

Each of these scarves will complete their creative journey as a Christmas present.  Needless to say, the person who gets number six will have to be very special-at least as special as number six.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crochet

Tunisian Ta-Da! Redux

Amy8 Comments

Finally! I can show you the Tunisian Multi-Garment I completed as a result of my very first Craftsy Class, Jennifer Hansen’s “Tunisian Crochet:  Revolutions in Color and Style”.

I started this little jewel in May, and finished the first rectangular panel just a few short weeks later in June.  And then I stopped….

I stopped for…a while….

I finally picked it up again in August.  And in a few short weeks, I finished the second panel.  I was pretty prompt in blocking, but then I started working with the lacing.  How did I want to lace these two panels?  There are a ton of options.  A shoe lace edging borders the each side of each panel.  I would lace it, and then unlace it…lace it and then unlace it…lace it and then unlace it….You get the picture.

Finally I stopped with the lacing, and just took the pictures.  It’s beautiful.  I went with a simple poncho.  Very cute with jeans!

Jennifer Hansen has such an amazing mastery of drape when she’s designing.  If you haven’t, you should check out her website at Stitch Diva Studios.  I love her style sensibility. (So hoping she does another Craftsy class on Broomstick lace…)

Now onto my next class!  Maybe it’s finally time for one or two in photography?  Cuz what I’m wondering right now is, what’s up with the grey foamy on that hanger?  Who leaves that in a picture?  Oh well…one should embrace one’s opportunities 🙂  Have a great weekend, y’all!

 

 

 

General

Acts of Random Gastronomy

Amy3 Comments

Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun…

When I ate my first Big Mac, there was not a McDonald’s in my home town.  You had to drive about an hour in any given direction to get to one.  When I tried my first one, it was love at first bite.  (Scarcity drives demand, don’t  you know.)  I don’t remember if it was my sophomore or junior year in high school, but we finally got a McDonald’s in my little East Texas town. The cars literally stretched about a mile down the street the Saturday it opened.  I’m not sure that there was ever a more anticipated opening in our little burg.  It was big news.  Yep, big news.  But it wasn’t pretty.  I have vague memories  an  undetermined period of time where I consumed  Big Macs daily. Looking back, it’s hard to believe.

I don’t love Big Macs anymore.  I don’t love McDonald’s.  And I certainly wouldn’t drive out of my way to get to one.  There have been times when I’ve pulled into the drive-through for my kids and smell has repulsed rather than enticed me.  In spite my general abhorrence for the restaurant chain, however, about once a year, I have an inexplicable craving for a Big Mac.

Over the last couple of weeks, I felt it coming on.  I’d see a commercial, and be tempted.  I knew it was coming, and when I woke up this morning, I had a sneaky suspicion that  today was the day.  Today was the day for a Mac Attack!

I’m not gonna lie.  I was stress eating.  Stress with a capital “S”.  And I’m not ashamed to say it…That sandwich was good.  I enjoyed it.  I didn’t feel bad about it.  I don’t now.  And I’m done.  Done until the next time.  My next annual (or whatever-I’m pretty sure it was well over a year this time) Mac Attack.  Nostalgia?  Probably Tasty? Usually. An anomaly?  Absolutely. Acts of random gastronomy…

General

Obstacles…

Amy3 Comments

 

It’s been a month of transition at my house.  Transition back to school.  Transition back into my husband’s business travel.  Transition into a new level of engagement in my own job, which has also necessitated travel.  As it turns out, I’m not as good at transition as I used to be.  This morning finds me reflecting back on a month of obstacles.  Isn’t that absurd?  It’s so easy for us to focus on what we aren’t able to do instead of really experiencing what we’ve done.

I sat down today to write about obstacles to my blogging.  Mainly because I carry masses of guilt on a daily basis.  Guilt for what I haven’t done or haven’t done well.  I added my blog to this list over the last couple of weeks.  I felt guilty because I didn’t do something that I do strictly because I enjoy it.  And guess what? The guilt eliminates the enjoyment.  That’s an irony I don’t find enjoyable.  And I love irony.

So this morning I woke up a little angry.  Per the usual, I was angry with myself.  So I decided to give into the obstacles. I let myself be interrupted by my kids and chose not to be frustrated by it. I let myself go onto other things when i couldn’t start a load of laundry because I’m out of laundry detergent.  I let myself read blogs and link to sites as my whim dictated. I let myself drink a cup of coffee and do nothing. And it was nice.  And I don’t feel guilty.  I gave into the obstacles, and I was able to cut myself some slack instead of focusing on what isn’t getting done.  (I win!)

….And now I’m blogging.  (I win again!)  And I’m still going to talk about those obstacles, because really, they’re kind of funny.

1.  I finished my Tunisian Multi-Garment, but have no photos to blog because I can’t decide the best way to lace it together.  I’ve laced and re-laced this garment around 5 times and undo it every time.  There’s a strong possibility I’m subconsciously postponing the inevitable because I don’t want  my picture taken.  Hmmmm.

2.  I’ve crocheted what I feel is an adorable scarf.  I can’t finish it, however, because I went off pattern and ran out of yarn with only three sides of the final border row to go.  I went to the yarn store yesterday and they’re out, so I ordered some.  It’s going to take two weeks for the yarn to come in because I went to my local yarn store instead of ordering it online.  Why don’t I order it online?  Because of guilt! I love the little ladies at my yarn store and I feel obligated to get it from them because of their elderly wonderfulness. Next.

3.  I’ve finished a pencil skirt and I think it’s pretty awesome.  I’m actually taking license by saying I’ve finished it because I haven’t.  I need to add a hook and eye to the waist band.  That’s all.  I’ve needed to add this hook and I for roughly four weeks.  Still haven’t done it.  I want to wear it to work.  But I can’t because it needs a hook and eye.  Could it be that I’m postponing completion on purpose?  Probably.  You see, I want to blog my sewing triumph, but then…I’d probably need to have my picture taken….

Oh well, I think I’ll deal with one shortcoming at a time…don’t you think?  I’m going back here now…Wishing you all a peaceful weekend!….Amy