6/19/08

Oyster Bay Beauty

Did some blocking this morning. Gosh, I finished this shawl almost a year ago and just never blocked it. And shame on me, because it turned out just beautiful and crisp and makes me want parade around in it. But all my knits make me feel that way these days. I think I may be projecting my love lost of screaming kids on my knits. Maybe?Anyway, it's Elann.com Canapone, in Ice Blue, a lace-weight hemp that is perfect for sub-tropical heat down here. Once blocked, it comes off the surface as crisp as a sheet white paper and softens as you handle it . It kept it's shape out in the heat, no problem.The pattern, Oyster Bay Shawl by Lori Law, is simple enough and my only regret is that I didn't knit it larger. But it can always be done again, right? I did mine on US 4's. With this yarn I might switch to Us 6.

I See You!

Self Portrait of My Girl.

Romancing the Stone

Hate to reapeat a post and all, but this isn't a true repeat. In an effort to keep the wee portrait of my husband from getting squished, I baked the Fimo relief in the oven yesterday. This morning I got a chance to fool around with painting some sort of patina on it to bring out the shadows. It was totally experimental. I started with sepia-toned watercolors and while it took time to work out, it was a failure. There is a suble undertone to liquid watercolors (which are the only kind I keep on hand) that separates as it dries. Kept turning too yellow or green depending on the color used. The upside was that it washed off the Fimo with absolutely zero staining.

So I switched over to gouache....black gouache, in fact, in an effort to cut to the chase. Anyhoo, it worked well, but I learned pretty late that it stains, lightly. I also figured out that I needed to be sort of particular about where I painted it on more heavily and where not to put it at all. In the end, it turned out OK. Now I just need to mount it somehow in a shadow box or something.

Groovin'

Time to push oneself into pushing pencils around again. It's been a while since I've bothered to draw so much as a toe, but I like this one-minute sketch from last night's class.

Summer Summer Bo Bummer

Throw Rug, Drew Emborsky...Moda Dea, Tweedle Dee.

Banana Nana Fo Fummer.....Summer! How its going. Should be at the pool, but it's all ear aches and car repairs and tweedy rugs and lace in the air conditioned coolth. The kids got off two weeks earlier than usual this year and it's been slow getting into any semblance of a summer routine. Oh well....I'll just keep crocheting along till it makes sense again.

Electric Ene

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/redrocket/enes-scarf

I have not been this smitten with a knit project in some time, but LOOK!!! Pattern: Ene's Scarf by Nancy Bush, in Scarf Style. The yarn is Malabrigo lace weight in Indigo and Frank Ochre. I may sell children for more this yarn. It's smooshy and light and as soft as cashmere....stick a needle in my eye....swear on a crack....yeah, that soft. Only took half a skein of Indigo and one whole skein of the other, on US 5's. It's a touch smaller than I expected, but it's a perfect scarf size none the less. Oh the colors....electric, eclectic and fabulous.