Still here

And even more than that, still knitting. So what happened you ask, why did I wait so long to blog? Well the space between the last blog post and now has been full, almost too full - such that I feel a little like a student who has missed a few classes, catching up is daunting, and so the student continues to miss class rather than face the extra work, just making the situation even worse. The problem is not that I missed class ... But that I added a class and ended up with too much to do. I have been loving the printmaking class on Tuesday nights, but have struggled to produced enough in the way of original images to turn into prints. The class is structured such that the three hours are devoted to using the specialist printmaking supplies, tools and equipment, ones comes ready to etch or print. I haven't been doing that and have felt like I can't keep up.

I have been drawing, and after many pages of poorly planned and ill executed designs I finally realized that for me a design has to evolve, and can't be imagined before it is begun. Once I stopped trying to draw final designs and just drew I had a lot more fun. After announcing in my last class that I was a little over images of the cat, it is the cat where I have found inspiration. Some of these were from life, and some from photos. I think the close up of here face has the most promise as a woodblock print, but I have a lot more development to make that work. I need to discuss with my tutor how one can treat grey areas in a black and white print. My cubs are a great leveler, when I feel so proud for having drawn a cat that looks like a cat, not only that one that looks like my cat - little cub points out that our cat is fluffier than I've drawn. How I ask does one draw white fluff on a white background? The white is where she is fluffy, the black is much less so. I have much to learn, and seems like so little time to do it all in, of course I now that ones dosnt draw white fluff, one draws the background and the white fluff appears - now I have to remember to do just that next time.

The stash enhancement from Unwind, and beyond, sits in the living area reminding me that I need to process it. Some needs matching to future projects, some needs stashing, some spinning ... And it all just looks lovely. The pile teases me in the most lovely way. Most is stash from unwind, two are spinning just completed and wound into skeins.

Some I have processed, the lovely fiber from Maude and Me I thought was a good candidate for using what I learned in Sauerkraut's class. I divided the dyed roving into three piles, lime, blue and a lime blue mix. Each pile made two carded batts - shown here. The next stage is to match this to a shawl pattern so I can plan a series of stripes that will knit up into equal stripes. A bit like the printmaking - that next step requires a little investigation and some planning, so just like the printmaking that is as far as I have got before stalling.

With all that and more going on I thought the best knitting project should be a simple one. Elder cub is now at high school, which in New Zealand means a uniform, for boys standard shorts and long socks. I thought he might need some warm mitts to keep his paws warm on the walk to and from school. Being a boy - I imagined that his requirements would be for the plainest mitts possible, nothing decorated with a tardis, nothing with a superhero or uber-geek reference, nothing to fancy, nothing to colorful, nothing that would attract attention. So he got Beaded Ribbed Mitts in Skeins 8 ply in silver, a goodie bag treat from Unwind. I knit the large size, which took a little over one 50g ball.

I knit the large size, which is generous on me, but perfect for elder cub. The thumb just has its very tip showing when worn, and the fingers can be just out enough to use or tucked away warm inside the mitts. The wrist section is long, generously so, enough to tuck into a coat or pull over a jersey sleeve.
I'm away in Waimate with younger cub, visiting my dad for Easter. i have my pi shawl knitting project to work on ... So who knows there might even be enough to blog in a few days.
Take care, na stella

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