Technical issues

I’m sorry there wasn’t a blog post last weekend, I had a migraine on Saturday and then I had access problems at the beginning of the week. I have been knitting, I’ve almost finished my Odessa socks and have swatched for an Autumnal themed scarf but I’m not letting myself cast on until the socks are cast off.  I have knitted an Odessa hat in Burnt Orange Merino yarn that I bought at the knitting and stitching show.  Hopefully I’ll be able to post pictures at the weekend.  Oh and I won some yarn from Erin at the Faery Knitting podcast which arrived this week, so I have to plan what to knit with that.

Crochet coral reef

LOOK!!! this was the sight that greeted me as I entered Alexandra Palace on Sunday. It’s the UK Crochet Coral Reef and that turquoise bit near the bottom of the blue/purple stack, just above a pink fuzzy bit in this photo is MINE!! I made it.  I was soooooooooooooooooo excited.  I’m so glad I put a dark blue edge on it or I’d never have found it. 

Here’s a close up of my bit. Just above the purple piece.  How cool is that??

It all came about when the Institute For Figuring realised you could use crochet to produce models of the structure of coral.  And now it’s led to several exhibitions of crocheted coral reefs being used to bring the plight of the world’s reefs to everyone’s attention.  NY Times article

Fame at last (sort of)

 

College was good again this week, the lesson was on Tone. It involved a lot of shading and playing with different marks on the paper to show 4 different levels of tone. I did a passable picture of a squat little cooking apple but after a receiving couple of comments at work that it looked like a bum (and by that I mean somebody’s bottom not a tramp) I’m not posting a picture of it here. I’ve also knitted the foot of the second Odessa sock (first one pictured left) and will be doing the heel tonight or tomorrow on the coach. I’ve written a list of yarn that I need for the projects I have in mind to knit next. And I also looked at my scarves/gloves/hats to see what colours I should buy to knit an Odessa hat or a Clapotis by Kate Gilbert. I should NOT buy purple or green yarn as I have lots of purple and green accessories!!

I feel like I have to knit a Clapotis as it’s like an initiation pattern for knitters, like the Cobblestone jumper by Jared Flood is for men knitters.
Hey, listen to episode 19 of the Faery Knitting Podcast as I get a mention. I’ve been listening to SpinningErin’s podcast for the last month of so and realised the Erin and I both have a love of Diana Wynne Jones. I messaged her on Ravelry to talk about Tam Lin/Fire And Hemlock and we’ve been chatting ever since. I really enjoy her podcast, she reads a faery story at the start of each and then discusses the story and it’s roots/meanings and then tells us all about her goats and alpacas and knitting. I recommend it for the faery stories alone but I do love hearing about Erin’s small holding progress.

Right I’m off to bed soon, I have to get up early for the Knitting And Stitching Show tomorrow!!

Negative Space

I’ve finished my first Odessa Sock.  I cast on at the toe with the magic cast on, then when I’d increased to 50 stitches (the stitch pattern is a 10 stitch repeat) I just knit round and round and round until I had the length of foot I wanted.  I increased 20 stitches in the knit sections and then did a widdershins heel which took me back down to 50 stitches and then I knit round and round forever up the leg, increased a few times for the calf (not really early enough though) and then did 10 or so rows of a 3 x 4 rib and cast off when the yarn ran out.  I’m going to cast on sock 2 whilst watching Merlin on BBC1 this evening.  I will hopefully get the heel done by next weekend and can knit the leg section whilst on the coach to Alexandra Palace on Sunday.  I have to knit on the way to the knitting and stitching show or it doesn’t feel right.

College went well on Thursday, there were major roadworks on my street so I decided to go by bike instead of trying to get the car round cones and road rollers. It took 12 mins instead of the 30 mins it would take to walk but I do need to buy some kind of tube with strap to carry my pictures though! 

I did a charcoal drawing of a Yukka Plant using the negative space method.  You draw the spaces between the leaves instead of the leaves themselves.  Apparently it’s a very good way of drawing things that are coming out towards you as you don’t get muddled trying to draw them foreshortened.  It took an hour and a half but I did manage to do a pretty good picture of the Yukka that I’m quite proud of .  [11/10/08 Edited to add picture] It was hard work and I did get quite an achey back from standing still for so long – if I moved I was worried the triangles and funny shapes between the leaves would be different and I would loose track of where I was.  It took a little while to stop looking at the leaves and look at the gaps and it’s difficult to switch the way your brain sees the plant but I got it in the end.  I’m hoping that the course will help enhance my knitting and other crafts.  But even if it doesn’t I’m really enjoying it anyway, it’s so nice to spend a couple of hours not thinking about work and not doing anything but drawing the …… (fill in the blank).  It’s nice to zone out for a while.