Making Time

Rua means red in Irish. Finished this little doll this week, I spent alot of time on drawing and design and even Photoshop, so I’m quite pleased with the results. I used to just wing it alot, but with time I’ve learned a design stage can lead to much happier creations.

Ronan asked me- so who are you giving her to? Because eventually all of the things I make end up in someone else’s hands. I said, hey, I think I want to keep her for a while! I certainly would like to work on a pattern for her.

I used the fantastically translucent and lovely yarn which I can’t really praise highly enough without sound silly: Koigu for her skin. I don’t know what yarn her hair is! I originally bought it for a trim on another project a while ago, and flung away the label I did. I’ve been looking for it for two wseeks now I can’t believe I lost it. Poo.

I had to get over a mental block I had about doing human characters in yarn. I always thought they look like they have some bumpy skin affliction. But I really think the Koigu, with the color and texture suits this project well. I’d like to try this doll in other skin shades.

I want to dress her in pretty silk- cotton fabric just doesn’t drape in the right proportion for little dolls. Must go to the second hand shop and see what bits they have for sale. Not like I can get to the fabric store, blah.

The details matter, and I tried to take extra time like, I did french seams in her dress. This hides fraying.

I just bought some sweet paintings and a hand-painted bunny matryoshka (russian doll) by the talented artist Nakisha Elsje VanderHoeven (Nakisha.com). She’s a multi-talented artist- a painter, sculptor, musician- and a budding animator. Follow her adventures on her blog: http://bluedogrose.blogspot.com/. Here’s an animation she posted recently :

Her painting technique is skillful; her lines are sculptural and very sensitive to form. And the little cards are like snapshots from a story, like her animations. You’ll have to look to see what I mean, her Etsy shop is Bluedogrose. I can now count myself among the 2000+ Etsy users who have Nakisha listed in their favorites.

Through her Etsy page I learned about ACEO: Art card, editions and originals. I think I had heard about it before, but I didn’t realise exactly how it worked. Now I know! First, they are affordable. Next, they are the size of playing cards. I haven’t seen one in person, but I can just imagine this could be dangerously collectible. I think I get it now… they tempt you with one, and then you’re hooked. The ones I chose are for a new baby who just arrived. Maybe I can keep some and give her some?? Oh I’m so greeeedy.

Oh! Watch Nakisha make an ACEO card of a bunny

Getting my payment sorted out was a bit of a bother because of my awkward credit card problem of not having one in Ireland. She was very patient and we sorted it all out. I think having a shop must be alot of work. I just wanted to post this as thanks.

NB: I went on a shopping spree on Etsy- and it’s not over yet! I never bought so much online in my life. I’ve been saving up, and mentally preparing myself for this- but wow, I didn’t realize it was going to be addictive! Uh oh…

I wanted to show off what I got, so I’ll post more pics when I get a chance about the people I’m buying stuff from. Though I won’t actually “get” the stuff for real for a few weeks.

Aw… I’d love to see this movie- just saw it posted on Etsy. Likelihood it would show in Ireland? Very low.

http://handmadenationmovie.com/ see a Preview/Trailer on YouTube.

It’s a documentary about the indie crafts movement- focusing on the US, and how it expressed itself there (started there??). Its funny, in Japan, I don’t think the younger generation would have to “rediscover it”, because I don’t think they ever lost it. And in Ireland… I dunno… I think it *could* catch on here, but there just isn’t the support/culture/environment here to foster the kind of independent crafts movement. There’s a historical, professional crafts tradition here which has never died out; conversely, I don’t think there was the critical mass of zine-making going on in the 90s in which a so-called indie craft movement amongst a certain generation could flourish.

Crafts are still seen as a rather granny thing to do… though I’ve been amazed to see the wedding craft stuff get very popular. I’m blabbing on!

The Handmade Nation blog has loads of useful links. I listened to this podcast at Craftcast, and this one too for public radio in her local area.

The stop-action animation intro is cooooool!

sadly, i won’t be able to get my hands on any orange felt before THIS halloween, but i’m bookmarking this for next halloween

http://www.jmurphybears.com/projects.html

Jennifer Murphy’s Bears are amazing. What a talented lady! Glad she shared this tutorial.

OO… I just noticed I actually have comments! All those hundreds of comments weren’t actually ALL spam. Sorry for delays in getting comments approved. I just never bothered checking the queue, since I get alotta spam.

Xmas Already?

Originally uploaded by feather.

I really wanted to find some thin red cotton with a nice colour and sheen… to make more garlands like this. But… seemed like the little yarn place we went to in Galway only had some Debbie Bliss baby cotton yarn…. in very pale, and I’m sorry to say, woefully boring colours.

I love the simplicity of the baby pattern books, but YAWN! What boring colours. Aren’t babies eyes just developing? Don’t they need colour and stimulation? Do we have to dress babies like they’ve been bleached in the sun for years? I think there’s some trickery going on there swathing babies in pale, calm colours.

Anyway… in completely unrelated matters… I saw this post from Woolly Wormhead who writes advice on her blog about making a go of vanity publishing for pattern books. It has completely quashed any notions I had of making a book myself. Whoah.

http://woollywormhead.blogspot.com/2007/12/torment-and-money-talk.html#links

“So, to recap….
Materials:-£1200
Labour:- £5510
Additional expenses incurred:-£500

So, all in all costs come to a whopping £7130. Minimum.
[snip …]
In total, I’d need to sell…..
340 books to cover my own financial outlay
1102 books to cover my time
1442 books in total.
“

More of her advice on making a pattern book using lulu.

Done!

Originally uploaded by feather.

Chicwithstix explained this was Blue Leicester

I lost the note which said who dyed this yarn!! I hope I can get some more. I bought some plain white that was available. But this was such pretty colouring.

All done now.

Irish Rail Niddy Noddy

Originally uploaded by feather.

This is what I meant about using the Sligo to Dublin train as a “niddy noddy” or “knitty naughty” depending on your pronunciation.

All done!

I had so much fun this weekend at the Knitting Retreat of Ravelry members; this crowd of lovely ladies:
Cniotáil

My boyfriend was a little wary: “You’re going to share a ROOM for two nights with complete strangers?” But by the end of the visit, I felt I had made great friends. I hope I can go to meet-ups in Dublin and see everyone again.

Thanks to Dearbhala (dmaxi), Suzy (SzuyMcQ) and of course, our very talented Drop-spindle guide, Diane (chixwithstix). So much work went into the preparation of this event by some very talented and busy people- who I’m sure were very busy beyond just preparing this event. But it was an excellent display of volunteer effort, with so much generosity all around. It was educational, fun, enjoyable- splendid. And it was really heart-warming, in that oh-my-god-if-i-don’t-get-a-break-soon-i’ll-collapse kinda way.

One of the ideas they thought up was a collaborative blanket to give to the hostess at Craig Country House, the gorgeous B+B. Again, so much thoughtful detail went into this. It culminated in the end of the visit.. the organisers presented the gift to the B+B hostess. It was a sweet moment. She put her hands on the side of her face… as she looked at THE FRANKENHAT! I blurted out: “That’s not your gift! Your gift is over there!”, pointing to the side table where the cute lap blanket laid. Laughs all around, because The Franken hat was looking pretty scary, and Mairead was developing a perplexed look on her face. Here was the cute blanket:

Throughout the weekend, I got alot of advice and encouragement, which is so helpful. I started a knitting project!(!) The Urchin hat! As well as the crazy Clapotis… which is naively thought was just a loads of stockinette, lol. So wrong, so wrong….

I learned to wrap stitches, drop-spindle some yarn, and I got some great yarn at the new LolaRose shop in Galway. As of this posting, it looks like they don’t have any yarn on their site, but that’s not true. They have loadsa yarn. Lola Rose Shop in Galway. I also had some bad family news when I was there, but it was really a very supportive environment.

I hope I can go next year, I’d say there’s already a waiting list forming

There’s more photos of Team Urchin and stuff on Flickr:
http://flickr.com/photos/tags/cniotail/

lovely ribbons

Originally uploaded by feather.

i think i’ll end up hoarding this stuff if i’m not careful…

hmm… i know! i’ll just get a critical mass of it big enough so that i won’t mind using some.

yes yes, that is the solution. get more… yes.

done!

Originally uploaded by feather.

i’m pleased with how this came out. i think it looks even nicer in person than the book, i hadn’t expected that.

i added an edging of three rows of single crochet. i think it makes it look more finished.

i don’t know how the one in the book was joined, but it was kinda lumply looking. i did whip stitches to keep the seams flat. it doesn’t show up because it’s all one colour.

but WHOAH this was boring.