Leg warmers

After doing leg warmers for another person, I decided to do a pair for me.  The pattern and yarn were differents.  For mine, it was done with circular needle.  I like the experience of the pairs I had already done.  The only problem, my leg warmers seems to be very large and short but it may be only in my head:

I do like the pattern and the result.  It is just bad that it is not seen in details on the photo.  Black seems to be a colour  that is hiding the detaiils! (-:  The fun thing is that I already knew how to do the pattern in the central part.  It was knitted the same way than the various ponchos I had made for 3 children just before the past hollidays.

Some new purchase and new earrings!

I have done some purchase:

Here the reverse of the bees pendant (at least one):

I have done two pairs of earrings.  Not very exciting ones but the components was very interesting:

I should have done something more elaborate with the first ones.  I also could have done a necklace with the filigree part.  The second one was a no brainer, it was a must to do earrings with the loops!

Project bag and a bad luck

I am knitting a bag.  It is a particuliar challenging project.  I do that bag with cable.  Here what it look like:

It will be the front and the side.  The back is rather plain:

Since the photos, I added more rows.  I am approaching the end.  There is a few errors but it is my first try in doing cable.  I just wonder how to finish it up.  It seems mysterious a little bit for now.  I will work on it this week and sunday, I will go do the finishing and ask questions.  I will have to find another project and questions because I will be in a class that is 2h30 long.  Better be prepared!

On the other hand, I think I may had be a little bit harsh on my knitting tools!  The project is not finishyed and I already broken an cable needle.  By chance I had another one available to me:

I learned the lesson: Not to do snug stitches for those who are in the cable part!

H2O Perler

Once in a while, I like trying something that I wonder if it will work.  So, I tried two set of H2O Perler.  It contain two pattern.   I have done one extra more, just to get rid of the remanining beads.  Here what it all look like:

 This one is still on the peg board, freshly made:

Of course, I miss a few beads to do as for the first horse.  But it isn't that bad like that.  It is simple to do: place the beaded colour on the partterned peg board, then spray some water on the deads.  There is a drying time.  I leave it dry during the night, just to be sure it will be dry.  It is easier to remove then.  If touching it too soon: it will be sticky and it will disturb the pattern.  It is hard to replace humid beads into place.  Better be warned than learning it the hard way!

I think I have a problem with the Sable colour

I have done some more latch hook.  I did two cats and the first one, I again mixed a color with the sable one.  So, I have done a second.  Not a great difference, I think.  This first one is with the error:

This one is supposed to be correct:

The second one is less dark.  I find I got it more right the second time.  It was not that long to make.  I also made one latch hook rectangular:

Thjere is less color and I got it right from the first try.  I will trim the excess yarn, of course.  It will look better.  I liked doing the butterfly itself.  Now, I think I will take a short break.  I have one kit remaining to do and it is a big one: there wolves in it.  Big project.  I may wait to have more free time to do it.

Learning more about diamond

I don't know how accurate this video on diamond is (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-Xrb8-s0Tw) but it is instructive.  I like the fact that kyanite can be found in a diamond.  I like kyanite since I discovered about it a few years ago.  I may not be a fan of diamond but they get a bit highter on my list with kyanite in it.

I am fascinated by stone and gems.  I don't have the patience to shape a stone nor the interest.  I tried once to do it.  It was the last.  I thought I would like to do it but it was not the case.At least, I tried.  Now, I know for sure I don't like to make polished stone.  What I know: I like to incorporate stone and some gems into my jewelry.  I find it nice to work with already shapen stones and gems.  I find it more inspiring.

In my favorite stones and gems: obsidian (I know, it is lava that had cooled quickly), lapis lazuli, malachite, kyanite, quartz, rutilated quartz, tiger's eyes (cat's eyes too) and tourmaline.  The rest depend on the stone itself, if it caught my eye.  I know I had bought some crystal balls out of obsession with a particuliar one.  I could not keep my eyes out of that ball.  It is quite a big attraction!  I have collected many stone and I enjoy them!

Biography

I am reading about the life of Norman Rockwell (https://www.amazon.ca/American-Mirror-Life-Norman-Rockwell/dp/0374113092/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1547437135&sr=8-5&keywords=norman+rockwell+biography).  I like to know more about the life of an artist.  It gives a perspective on the art.   I am still at the beginning of the book.  What I discovered who was the most interesting: Norman Rockwell have a relative that was an paintor, specialized in birds.  Well, the image is in the family.

Another discovery: the Art Student League, in New York.  Still existing today.  Even have a website: https://www.theartstudentsleague.org/  They still have classes and workshops.  Well, it is surprising to see this place existing for so long.  There must be a need to fill.  I must say that I am a tiny bit envious.  Would be fun to have classes.  Of course, the atmosphere of that school at the time of Rockwell is different of the one now.

Well, now, knowing more about his origins and his childhood, I can see that Norman Rockwell was into making an idealized way of life.  It is also great to see that he have the self discipline while being in the Art Student League even if his colleage students were not as disciplined.  I wonder what will happen next.

Hair care

I found a few interesting products that get my interest going on.  They are «handmade» even if today, handmade can takes many form.  It can be really handmade.  It can be handmade on a larger scale and in large batches.  I wonder if it can be labeled handmade but have a mix of large scale manufacturing and natural component.  I don't know if my hypothesis is a good one.  I just have suspicion when it comes to marketing.

The idea of making shampoo is appealing.  I am curious how it can be made.  I am also curious about the item of a handmade shampoo.  Hair care is not something to be thought of.  For the hair treatment, I never had one and it is not really talked about.  It is not like makeup or skin care.  I try an hair treatment and it is fun to do.  I didn't felt it was a duty.  Just to apply the hair treatment and let it on for 20 minutes and then, shampoo.  I got good results for the few times I did it.  Now, i think I wonder how much to do it.  Is it best weekly or monthly?  It is not written on the product.

I think I will get a look for recipies of shampoo and for hair treatment, just to get more information.  Creating something like this would be satisfying, on an handmade level.  I wonder if it would be a messy business.  Or it would be easy to do.  Weighting the ingredients would be the less fun part, I think.  Mixing is usually more fun.  Getting the result is also a good thing.  The experience of doing is priceless.

Getting on the ice again

I never thought that I would do skating again.  Well, yesterday, I did it for almost two hours.  At first, it was supposed to be for fifty minutes but it extended for another fifty minutes.  It broke a long period of not skating.  I think that last time I was on skates, I was maybe 7 years old.  It's the last time I was on skates.  I know it is not really creative activity, it is a more learning one.

The old say about never forgetting that kind of skill is true.  I was able to stand up on the skates without problem.  The thing that no ones told: I felt really rusty.  I also felt less secured on my skates too.  I needed to get used to be on skates again.  More practice is what I was needing.  Of course, at the end, I feel a bit more at ease. 

, I will have to get used to that.  I will do some skating again in the next few weeks.  Strangely, I learned a few things yesterday about skating.  Skating lessons had really changed since I took mine when I was a child.  The children learn a bunch of things straight at the beginning, in the first class.  There was even a way to go backward that I didn't knew.  In my classes, the way going to going backward was not really covered much.  So, maybe I will be able to hone my backward skating at the same time that the learners I will be with.  Learning a new skill is a winner with me, be it on the creative side than the sport side.

Doodling

Those are some doodling I made out of boredom.  I also wanted to see if I could make somthing out of the form I know right now.  The end result is not what I had expected.  I think it is the kind of experiment that never what to be expected.  Well, time to return to class and see if I will learn new forms.  After that, I wonder if there is a next step to form making...

I ponder, I wonder

There are times where I make discovery that sparkles questions.  I found a website, one with a subscription that send a box.  The one I discovered is about knitting.   They send a box with knitting projects (https://www.mybluprint.com/p/beginner-knit?cr_linkid=CraftsyRegisteredUsers&cr_maid=115124&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIirG10bbV3wIVAuDVCh0MFgtNEAEYASAAEgIjM_D_BwE)  It bring the eternal questions: It is worth it?  Will I like the projects?  Will it repeat themselves over time on projects?  It is nice to do mitten or tuques or shawl.  I do not want to end with an army of those and not knowing what to do with them.

Another problem with that kind of site: I always leave the side with an information hunger.  It doesn't answers all my questions or my concerns.  I may want everything written down to the last details and it bugs me not seeing that.  Would be also nice to see independant critique elsewhere about that kind of subscription.  It is hard to find that kind of critique.

Well, this site will sit aside for a little while.  I know already how to knit.  I can find a lot of pattern on the website of yarn companies (like https://www.yarnspirations.com/ca-en/ or http://www.lionbrand.com/)  In addition, there is a lot of video on youtube too on knitting.  So, I am in no hurry to get that kind of subscription.  Maybe it will be of more help for those who are more into it.

It's done right!

I finally finished the latch hook of the horse!  I had done it right and it look good!
This one is the perfect one:

 This is the one I screw up:

Way better reseult after getting the colours right!  The only difference is the yarn that I had to pick up to replace the missing colour.  Now, let's go to the next project!  Be it latch hook or not!

My dream job

I wonder what would be my dream job.  Would it be about creating all day?  Probably.  Am I sure of it?  Not at all.  I am not sure because I am not in it.  I am not sure if creating something all day will be fun, be it in the short term or the long term.  It would be something I would have to test.  It is two different things to create for fun and create to earn money.  In the second one, there is a pressure to deliver.  It can be stressful, I imagine.

I wonder about it.  I have not stumble on it.  I have no clues of what would be my dream job.  Would be fun to find one.  I think that everyone have an idealized dream job, daydreaming how they will be happy in that hypothetical job.  I can't see myself in a job, even less in a dream job.  I can't do that connection.  Well, it would be fun to try a few ones or to find one that I could do a test drive.

What is the hardest is about finding one that suit me and suit my need to create.  It would be something where I would be free of social expectation and except of meeting people all the time.  No crowd for me for sure.  It will be great for my concentration, too, a boost.  There must be a place that have those restriction and where I could feel useful.  I wonder if I will be able to find something like that in this very social and connected world,..

A new crafting new year

A new year have to start somewhere.  For me, today is only a date.  It only signify that a new year is starting and people have hope and dreams for the beginning of this year.  I do not set a list of new year resolution.  Last year, I had break a few new ground.  It was not conscious.  It just happened that way.  It was an happy accident, if I have to put it that way.  Nothing was planned.  It was a bit impulsive.

This year, I want to put some order in the chaotic creative process.  It is sure that spontaneity will stay.  It is always good because the unexpected can spark something new and that is not planned.  On the other hand, I am ready to try or research new unknown area.  I want to start some research on patchork quilting.  I want to know more about the subject.  Do have have the skill?  Not really but I may try.  I am not really ready to start at the very start of the year.  The first patchork quilt may be one with big piece of fabric at first.  I have to build my confidence with the sewing machine.  No way that I would do that manually.  I need a more reguilar sewing capability and to go straight.

Another project that I want to try would be to do a sweater.  Of course, it is the continuation of the last year.  At the same time, it would be the culmination of this new area of knitting.  I want to see, with my new skill of reading the pattern, if I can make a swearter.  It would be the proof that I have mastered this knew skill.  Staying in the fiber world, I also want to experiment a bit more with the dye tye.  I still have fun doing it and I want to explore the limits.

I will pursue the learning process of drawing.  I do not think to end up doing portraits, still life or reproducing nature.  I may use that new skill for jewelry making.  For this goal, it is pretty much down to earth.  I know this but it is a motivation for me.  I may find something else to do but right now, my main goal is jewelry making.

I think I will start with those goal.  If I need to add up, I will do it as it comes along.  Things like drawing takes more times.  Research for patchwork quilt is quicker, so it is a good balance of goal.