Japanese for "long time no see", this blog has been sorely neglected. Why? Frustration with Mariah, figuring out where I went wrong and re-knitting, Open Yours Trade 07 (I have pictures to share, but when am I allowed to?), joining a karate dojo (yes!), frustrations with Japanese medicine, and other such things.
More pictures to come, as soon as I take them. Currently on the needles: Mariah's sleeves (both 17 inches), and a shopping bag (of my own 'design,' if you can even call it that), and contemplating comic ideas.
水曜日, 6月 21, 2006
火曜日, 6月 06, 2006
Yay for Second Attempts!
This is my second attempt at Mariah. I'm trying my best not to make any mistakes this time... but I feel like I must be because the central panel doesn't look quite right. This makes me sad.
But this is where all my knitting time has been going lately. I just wish it weren't so frustrating.
But this is where all my knitting time has been going lately. I just wish it weren't so frustrating.
火曜日, 5月 30, 2006
GAH!
I've decided to finally start on Mariah, the pattern by Jodi Greenefeatured on Knitty.
So, I did a swatch. And actual, real swatch. And, I even figured out how to knit correctly (because I knit "backwards" -- right to left needle); I have to twist my knit stitches and on the reverse side, purl with the back loop. It makes an even, nice stitch. I figured out how to do it in the round much, much easier... and it's taken me months to figure out how to do "correct" stitches on flat pieces. Hooray!
Anyway, after doing about... 20 or so lines of the first sleeve of Mariah, I realized that the reason the pattern chart is so hard for me to follow is because it's written so the the right side is followed and the wrong side (which is only knit and purl stitches) is done in the reverse. So I've been twisting all the cables backwards and being confused and... argh.
So, taking pictures tonight, posting maybe a photo, frogging the progress, and starting over again.
Next time: doing both sleeves at the same time.
No sketches in the past week or so. Have been contemplating doing a 24-hour comic... but I would like someone to do it with.
I have started listening to audiobooks as of yesterday. The boy bought a new mp3 player so I have his old (and quirky) one. The book I'm listening to, Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, MUST be read auditorially. No, I'm serious-- the reader of this book is genius and it's really, really good. I love the writing and the storyteller really brings it to life. Gaiman works well with different media; comics (with various artists) and now audiobooks. I should try reading his books by themselves.
So, I did a swatch. And actual, real swatch. And, I even figured out how to knit correctly (because I knit "backwards" -- right to left needle); I have to twist my knit stitches and on the reverse side, purl with the back loop. It makes an even, nice stitch. I figured out how to do it in the round much, much easier... and it's taken me months to figure out how to do "correct" stitches on flat pieces. Hooray!
Anyway, after doing about... 20 or so lines of the first sleeve of Mariah, I realized that the reason the pattern chart is so hard for me to follow is because it's written so the the right side is followed and the wrong side (which is only knit and purl stitches) is done in the reverse. So I've been twisting all the cables backwards and being confused and... argh.
So, taking pictures tonight, posting maybe a photo, frogging the progress, and starting over again.
Next time: doing both sleeves at the same time.
No sketches in the past week or so. Have been contemplating doing a 24-hour comic... but I would like someone to do it with.
I have started listening to audiobooks as of yesterday. The boy bought a new mp3 player so I have his old (and quirky) one. The book I'm listening to, Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, MUST be read auditorially. No, I'm serious-- the reader of this book is genius and it's really, really good. I love the writing and the storyteller really brings it to life. Gaiman works well with different media; comics (with various artists) and now audiobooks. I should try reading his books by themselves.
月曜日, 5月 15, 2006
Hats
I finished these hats a long time ago but gave them to the intended people yesterday.
The pink and red hats are baby wool, and the green one is in soft acrylic. While I usually hate acrylic, this yarn was nice and the perfect colour.
Patterns? We don't need no patterns! The green one is a simple top-down knit-in-the-round roll-brim (stockinette) hat. The pink one is also top-town, stockinette with three increasing points, and then some purled rows for a pattern. The red hat was made bottom up with three decreasing points until it came to a point. Because the kid it's intended for? Looks like an elf. SO CUTE.
The pink and red hats are baby wool, and the green one is in soft acrylic. While I usually hate acrylic, this yarn was nice and the perfect colour.
Patterns? We don't need no patterns! The green one is a simple top-down knit-in-the-round roll-brim (stockinette) hat. The pink one is also top-town, stockinette with three increasing points, and then some purled rows for a pattern. The red hat was made bottom up with three decreasing points until it came to a point. Because the kid it's intended for? Looks like an elf. SO CUTE.
土曜日, 5月 13, 2006
Finished at last!
This is the Scrap Blanket that has been my work in progress (i.e. my procrastination on real projects that require concentration). I started at the foot of the bed and finished tonight...
This blanket was made completely out of scraps of leftover yarn from projects that I've done since I've been in Japan (1.5 years). I knitted this blanket with a twisted stitch ("incorrect" knitting technique according to Japanese knitting gurus) on size 10.5 needles. There is wool, alpaca, acrylic, all weights of yarn-- whatever I was using at the time. And I **still** have a huge stash to bust... more on that later.
I love this blanket.
More sketches coming. I've been working on a bunch of Columbine pictures...
This blanket was made completely out of scraps of leftover yarn from projects that I've done since I've been in Japan (1.5 years). I knitted this blanket with a twisted stitch ("incorrect" knitting technique according to Japanese knitting gurus) on size 10.5 needles. There is wool, alpaca, acrylic, all weights of yarn-- whatever I was using at the time. And I **still** have a huge stash to bust... more on that later.
I love this blanket.
More sketches coming. I've been working on a bunch of Columbine pictures...
水曜日, 5月 10, 2006
Poppy
This is the picture I made for my own mom for Mother's day. Now to send it...
A bit of ink and mostly prismacolours on a postcard.
A bit of ink and mostly prismacolours on a postcard.
火曜日, 5月 09, 2006
Clippings
Used to be, "clippings" was a term used to describe teeny pieces of plants that were babies and could become big, happy plants.
I still love clippings of plants, but lately I've been doing a lot of clippings in art.
Top left: prismacolours on Japanese vocabulary cardstock (flimsier than index cards). Top middle: prismacolours on index card, cut out with x-acto knife (another thing I've been crazy about lately). Top right: ink on the back of a butter package. Hey, it's perfectly good paper!
Under the ink picture, a magnolia abstract on index card, and to the left of that, a teeny piece of something with green. Just playing with colours, really.
I still love clippings of plants, but lately I've been doing a lot of clippings in art.
Top left: prismacolours on Japanese vocabulary cardstock (flimsier than index cards). Top middle: prismacolours on index card, cut out with x-acto knife (another thing I've been crazy about lately). Top right: ink on the back of a butter package. Hey, it's perfectly good paper!
Under the ink picture, a magnolia abstract on index card, and to the left of that, a teeny piece of something with green. Just playing with colours, really.
月曜日, 5月 08, 2006
Pufferfish attempt #1
First official knitpost!
This is what I've been working on lately. I'm upset because he's round... maybe attempt number 2 will be in pieces?
Anyway, he's still damn cute.
This is what I've been working on lately. I'm upset because he's round... maybe attempt number 2 will be in pieces?
Anyway, he's still damn cute.
Good art day!
I feel accomplished. It's not perfect but I think it'll work for now.
This is for the boy's mom on Mother's day. I'll post a picture of my own mom's card eventually (I finished it a week or so ago)
This is for the boy's mom on Mother's day. I'll post a picture of my own mom's card eventually (I finished it a week or so ago)
日曜日, 5月 07, 2006
Ugh, artist's blo(ck)g
I have a semi-assignment (draw irises) but my hands and my mind are just not allowing the iris to flow. So I've got a few failed attempts and a lot of frustration. On days like these, I just don't do art. I should knit instead.
Speaking of knitting, I'm working on a porcupine fish (aka harisenbon)... but it's not looking so good. I prefer knitting everything in the round, you see. Which means that I don't have so much control about the shape and instead of looking like a cute little happy fish, he looks like a puffed up, intimidated fish. I'm going to try to learn to crochet, but...
Speaking of knitting, I'm working on a porcupine fish (aka harisenbon)... but it's not looking so good. I prefer knitting everything in the round, you see. Which means that I don't have so much control about the shape and instead of looking like a cute little happy fish, he looks like a puffed up, intimidated fish. I'm going to try to learn to crochet, but...
土曜日, 5月 06, 2006
An abstraction!
This is an abstract piece made with ink on paper. It can and should be viewed from any angle.
金曜日, 5月 05, 2006
Sketchblog!
I enjoyed drawing this picture a lot. Terra from Final Fantasy 6 in ink and prismacolour pencils.
水曜日, 5月 03, 2006
Obligatory First Post
Things I love in no particular order:
the month of May
Prismacolour pencils
headphones
Freddie Mercury's voice (this happened today)
mornings
And has anyone else out there noticed that Cloud Blue (which is incidentally one of my favourite coloured pencil colours) does not play well with others? White works wonderfully-- blends colours together and is all soft and shiny. But Cloud Blue is just as stubborn as can be.
Hi to all you out there in the wide world. This is my first entry.
the month of May
Prismacolour pencils
headphones
Freddie Mercury's voice (this happened today)
mornings
And has anyone else out there noticed that Cloud Blue (which is incidentally one of my favourite coloured pencil colours) does not play well with others? White works wonderfully-- blends colours together and is all soft and shiny. But Cloud Blue is just as stubborn as can be.
Hi to all you out there in the wide world. This is my first entry.
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