Saturday, September 27, 2008

Craft Gluttony

My latest endeavour is to teach myself how to knit! I remember knitting as a child with my Granny but I haven't knit since then and I never got past making scarves but here I am again trying to knit. I went to Michael's the other day and got myself some knitting needles and some yarn. I picked up the cheapest needles in the entire store for some reason and I now realize why they were the cheapest. They honestly border on useless and I don't even know what I'm doing yet! LOL! I think they're metal and the yarn keeps on falling off. I'm not very good at rescuing lost stitches yet and so I end up pulling the entire thing apart! Yowza! However, the yarn I got is incredible! I picked up a bamboo/silk mix. It's honestly gorgeous! If you've never felt bamboo fabric then you really have to because it is DIVINE! I found a really cute sweater pattern on the internet but I swear it's in German. Is knitting terminology German? Just kidding! So the sweater pattern got put aside until I can understand "knit-speak". Guess what I'm doing instead? Yes indeed I'm making a scarf! Winter's coming and I love scarves and wear them often so it will be practical and a good beginner project. I'll post a picture when it looks like a scarf. :D

What else have I been up to? Oh yes! I am working on my writing skills. I'm trying to write more and type less so that my handwriting looks better. I have a dream of having my favorite books handwritten on beautiful paper with a beautiful italic fountain pen and then personally bound. (I know this is insanity at it's best! There's a reason why I haven't started yet! LOL!) That was a nice segue into my next endeavour...I want to learn how to bind books. I've been looking at it online and it doesn't look too earth shattering. I was thinking I could make a nice cloth bound journal for my Mom for Christmas!

I also joined an artist book club. What is that you ask? Well, a bunch of crafty people have gotten together to read artsy books and inspire and support each other. We're reading "The Vein of Gold" by Julia Cameron. It's meant to be the companion to her other very popular book "The Artist's Way". It's really interesting and the exercises that she gets you to do are pretty neat. I've learnt a lot about myself! Why is it that you can see the patterns and idiosyncrasies in other people but you can never see them in yourself?! As part of the exercises she asks you to keep a journal. No problem! I've kept a journal for ages. Here's the difference though: she asks you to write in the morning and to write about anything that falls into your head. ("Today I must remember to..." "So and so drives me up the wall..." "My dish clothes are smelly...") By writing in the morning I have a whole different tone to my journal. It's no longer a catalogue of daily events. Now it's actually about what's in my head! It's so much more interesting!!! I highly recommend it!

Well, that's all for today. Sorry that this post had everything in it but cross stitch. I'm still stitching... Lissandrea looks great! I'll post a picture of that one soon!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Trucking Along

I finally made it to the store to get batteries...not only that but while at the store I also remembered to put the batteries into my basket! Now that my camera is functional again I am able to give a Lissandrea update. Here she is and she can see you too! (I love a project once their face is done!!!)

Monday, September 15, 2008

Lost in the Wind

Have I ever dropped off the face of the earth recently!!!!!!!! I have been stitching but not nearly as much as I normally do. I'm onto page 4 of Lissandrea and she looks gorgeous! Unfortunately, the batteries in my camera have died and there are none in the house. Thus, no pictures for a bit. Hopefully I will get to the store today so that I can update you all on my progress!

But the real reason for my absence is due to a book. I borrowed "Gone with the Wind" from the library and I CAN'T put it down! I've never read it before and I've never seen the movie. I am HOOKED!!!! I'm completely lost in the world of Scarlett and Rhett! LOVING IT!!! Has anyone else read it?! WOW!!!! I promise that I'll surface again shortly! LOL!



I've also signed up to be a volunteer with the local Humane Society. I'm so excited to start this! I went by the other day to fill out the necessary paperwork and I just know I'm going to love it! While I was there I couldn't resist playing with a room full of ADORABLE little kittens! I have a training session this Thursday so that I can learn all about what they do and how I can help. My husband is already worried that we're going to end up with a few extra legs in the house! LOL!