My first paper clay mask dried long ago. I even transferred it to my own house as I have more fiber and yarn and so many other things of doll import awaiting there. Tonight, that same strange urge hit me. This time, I had my tools here at R’s w me. I created three more doll heads/faces tonight. I have set them aside to dry. No pictures as yet. Maybe not until after they dry.
I have several pieces of wood drying outside on the front porch. Which really is a bit funny, considering how much rain has fallen in the past few days and all. R had to cut down the bushes in his back yard. They were dead, dying and/or diseased. We will be replacing them w pampas grass. As he was cutting the trunks, he thought some of the pieces would be good for me. He was correct. My spirit doll speaking brain is already processing and wondering where I can find a small but decent set of woodworking tools. The wood pieces I have are rounds, thick ones. They are begging to be cut, carved and filed down into the body of some, the soul of others. This is an interesting process. It seems that the lesson that has surrounded me for some time now is coming to fruition. Patience. Slow down. I am happy at the moment to allow incubation time for this current crop of project—it is one project that will spread out amongst the many bodies that shall come forth to be created. That makes me happy.
I started a scarf for my friend T this past week-end. Due to sick children and other matters, I kept screwing up the simple lace pattern. I frogged the scarf and set the whole project aside. However, I found this book, while doing research for another friend, and the book turned out to be for T.
Here is a great example of how I operate. In the mid-90s, when the ex-husband was torturing me mentally, I bought a plethora of books to help me learn to help myself and to reconnect me to myself. This book is a healing book. I never read it. I do have a tendency to buy things for other people and then hang on to them until they are needed—just as I tend to buy things for myself as well, years before I need them. This time, I held on to something since the mid-90s—for a friend I have not seen since the mid-80s—because not only do I love her, but she needs it.
The scarf lay unraveled. But, my hands were itchy. I had to have needles in my hands and fiber flowing over my fingers. R picked on me yet again for picking up his mother’s scarf (he is knitting the scarf to donate in his mother’s name). I decided I liked the pattern from the scarf—and I wanted something I could do quickly in order to get the book to her that much faster—plus it had to be something she could wear now—or any time of year. I made her a headband. I can’t post pictures until after I know she gets the package. I also crocheted her the quickest bookmark in the world, so that she would not have to go nuts trying to find a bookmark once she starts to read her book – the way I normally do when I am reading (simple chain crochet).
Well, you add together the recent knitting, the long list of UFOs I have on hand, the plans I have to test knit things I designed, the list of things I still want to knit…and I see a long road ahead of me.
I need to finish off the last repeat here of the test knit of the wedding/faroese shawl I have designed. I need to restart N’s Captain America sweater yoke. There was no way that opening was going over his head…no matter what I did. I was also thinking that I could do a short sleeved version from cotton for the summer. Mwahahaha. It’s such an easy pattern, and yet I drag my feet.
When we went shopping yesterday, there was this lovely little black dress. It was knit w a fluffy 100% acrylic yarn. Short sleeved. Cowl necked. Reverse stockinette at the hems. Stockinette for the body. The belt it should have come w was missing. That’s why it was on the clearance rack. Not that the first thing I would do wouldn’t be to cut off the loops and toss the belt out anyway. I kept thinking—lovely dress, cute dress. Not too long. Not too short. Good whether I am pregnant or not. Curve hugging due to the size and the shape of the knit. Nothing I cannot do myself and can probably do better. So, I let it go. It was only $14. It did not pass my first requirement though. The yarn alone was not worth $14 to me. The knitting itself was so simple—I can do that. It wasn’t knit on tiny little needles. I can make the same dress w the same yarn on about a US9 or US10. Spending $14 to not knit myself something—not worth the effort. I have already been pondering adapting a simple 1x1 ribbed sleeveless shirt/vest pattern I have (in one of my numerous knitting books) into a longer, more dress-like piece. So, no, the kohl’s dress stayed behind.
Every time I go into any store today, the first thing I start to think is…I need to start knitting myself some tank tops and little shirts for summer. I have gotten into long sleeved t-shirts of late. Everyone knows I will wear long sleeves all year. Not because of my tattoos. It is because of my skin being a sunburn magnet. Like, big time.
I was rippling through my closet very quickly this afternoon, on the off chance that something would stand out that wanted to be donated, when I decided that I want to knit something for myself, as in start and finish, actually finish the whole thing, this month. I know. It’s the 22nd. But I have a few simple shirts sitting there, the yarn and book/pattern in the bag together, waiting for me to grab them and start them. I’ve been using my old UFOs as a hook to keep me from starting anything new. Well, since I am not really planning to work on anything, now is as good a time as any to start something new—the squirrel hat I need to work on when no one else is bothering me. E was sick this week-end…and now that she is better, it’s 100 questions per minute—none of which pertain to anything pertinent whatsoever.
My spinning wheel is still locked up tight in my bathroom, to protect it from N, who really loves it and would treadle for hours if I would only let him. I did buy a spinning dvd (Start Spinning: The Video with Maggie Casey and Eunny Jang), since the local yarn store class is time yet to be determined. N and I actually watched the first few parts of it together…but then I had a client and it was nickjr to the rescue for N. I only watched about 3 sections of the dvd and I learned so much. I can tell R what most of the pieces on the wheel are now—and what they are used for…that’s progress.
So, tomorrow, when we go to the house, I am going to grab my newest hemp for knitting and my pattern book (which I need to go look up tonight so I am sure to grab the right one) and start knitting myself my spring shirt.
It is so not helping me that the spring knitty is up and they have such lovely things.
So, now I am off to make my to do list for tomorrow, as I never quite got around to it today, even though I did accomplish quite a bit of what I wanted to get done today.
More coming soon. Please stand by…
