Heart first

Part of the reason I haven't been posting more on my blog is because I really like to include pictures, and when I take pictures I like my house to be clean. It is not. The graphic design project due this week was to take a few of the hearts from week one (see post below) and recreate them with 24 different kinds of materials. Not only did I do a terrible job, my apartment is a disaster as a result. I need to learn to challenge myself with these projects. I focused on finding 24 different materials and completing 24 hearts (a number which, by the way, I did not reach). When I saw what some other people in the class had done, my heart sank. There were so many things that I did not even think to use! And the best projects consisted of less than 24 hearts.
What happened? Well, I fell into the old "just get it done" trap that often results in mediocrity. If I'd thought more about concept and quality, rather than quantity, I think my project would have been a lot more satisfying. I went into it thinking, "this will be painful, I will never find 24 different materials, I don't even know how I will translate my hearts using other media," and my negative attitude really showed in my work. In retrospect, I would have done much better if my goal had been to use the different materials to enhance each heart's concept. I wish I had thought about the heart first, then focused on materials, then focused on how many I could make.
I feel like this relates to crafting for me. Because it's a hobby, I never have the "get it done" mentality that permeates the tasks I feel like I have to do. I only focus on quality and improving my skills. As soon as something begins to feel forced, I lose all enthusiasm! I wonder if, as I try to make at least some of my money back, my work will become "forced" and I will lose focus. I really don't want that to happen. In all areas of my life, I think that the lesson of "heart first, output second" is very important to remember.

must. blog. today.

So many exciting things (well, 2) have happened, I've been itching to post but I haven't had a free minute until now. In fact I still don't have much time, but I don't want to keep neglecting my blog! Would love to post some more pictures, but that will have to come later.

1. Renegade Craft fair! It was in Williamsburg this weekend and it was amazing. So overwhelming, so inspiring, so hot. I saw Vickie Howell at the Austin Craft Mafia booth and Heidi from My Paper Crane (of course, too shy to say anything). I had seen the websites of a lot of the other vendors, but those were the only two people I recognized by face (not site/business name). There was so much there, t-shirts and prints and yarn and plushies and jewelry and bags and I was too hot to remember half of what I saw. I only bought prints (see "goals" post under "fab apartment"). I bought "Tug of War" from strawberryluna and two prints from Jason Cantoro of Sérigraphie Cinqunquatre (based in Montreal).

2. NEW YORK CITY CRAFT MAFIA!!!! This is the really exciting news. Right after I started this blog I found out about the newly-formed NYCCM through Joi. I immediately joined the Yahoo group. The first NYCCM meeting was scheduled for Sunday night after Renegade, and although I was apprehensive about wandering into Enid's and trying to find the craftiest looking people there, I went. I didn't see Elkie and Veronica's sign when I walked in, so I sat at the bar until I recognized Joi from her blog--after that it was smooth sailing. Everyone was delightful, I had such a good time. Sarah and her adorable baby Gavin came soon after, and Erika came as soon as she was done taking down her booth at Renegade.

I have to admit that my motivation for joining the NYCCM was to find crafting buddies more than anything, but now I'm really motivated to sell stuff. We might get a space at a fair in July! I also have to update my sidebar to reflect this new direction in my crafting life, but that too must wait until I have more time.

plans

I have plans/ideas/goals. I'm posting them here because, you know--accountability and transparency, etc.

Not too many people read this blog (one of them is my mother--Hi!) but it's out there and it's public and well, maybe I'll accomplish my goals sooner this way. We'll see.

Goal: a fab apartment.
1. I would like to make a slipcover for my couch. It's square, so I think if I could just get enough fabric, I could make a pretty good slipcover. I have visions of piping but I think that's too ambitious. The current slipcover is white and stained (from when Milo weighed one pound and had no control of his bowels). It's boring, too. Due date: August 15
2. I want more pictures for the walls. I want to make some, and I want to buy some, and I want them all framed. Due date: ongoing
3. Organization. Esp. closets. (Inspiration? petithiboux's 6/12 post). Due Date: August 1

Goal: skills
1. I want to learn how to use Illustrator. Due date for purchase of software: 6/30.
2. I would like to improve my Photoshop skills. Due date: ongoing
3. I would like to know how make an actual website, from scratch. Due date: September 1
4. Make a dress. Due: 7/15

Goal: education
1. Take more graphic design classes (fall 06/spring 07)
2. Take typography classes (fall 06/spring 07)
3. Portfolio (so I can apply for more classes!) due: January 2008.

first graphic design assignment

I'm taking intro to graphic design, and my second class is tonight. Our assignment was to come up with 24 4"x4" tiles, bound accordion-style, each one with a heart. Black and white. No patterns, shading, nothing--just hearts.

here's the whole shebang (background: the picturesque East river).

Here are some of the individual tiles:




To wrap the whole thing up, I bought some black ribbon and finally got to use my sewing machine's handy button-hole sewing foot.

For this project I only used markers. I could have made the heart images with a computer but I don't have Illustrator (nor do I know how to use it). Cutting up the tiles was another thing I did by hand, I tried to be as exact as I could but I would need more sophisticated tools than my scissors and T-square to come up with a more professional package. I really like some of the tiles, some I think are well-executed but I'm not really drawn (haha) to them. I also need to work on my finishing. I tried to minimize smudges but it turns out that the ink from one of my markers is soluble in rubber cement so there was some bleedthrough! I won't show it though. I hope white-out will be discreet enough.

socks (past FOs)

here are some socks I made using the sock recipe from knitty. They are ankle socks because I only bought one ball of Rowan 4-ply, and the stitch pattern is from one of the harmony guides. My first pair of socks, somewhat felted from wearing.

Milo

Milo has taken to attacking my lamp. It's the only floor lamp in the room, and my main source of light, esp. while sitting on the couch. It was also my first purchase for this apartment (all of $40 at Ikea) and it stood guard here during the two weeks between the beginning of my lease and my move-in date. I'm rather fond of it.

It all started the other day when a poor little insect was buzzing around the lightbulb. I get excited when bugs sneak in, now, because it gives Milo something to do. However, since that bug, Milo's become obsessed with the lampshade and tries to take it down every night. I have no idea why, the bug's long since gone.




and here, thanks to Milo, is a snag in the shade's nice woven texture.

phildar sweater

I haven’t given up on blogging yet. I’ve been working on this stupid fundraiser at work non-stop, and last night I started a graphic design class. So no time for crafting, much less blogging. Today, however, I had the foresight to wear a sweater I made to work so I could get a someone to take a picture of me wearing it.
It’s from the Phildar Automne 2005 catalogue n° 436. It is the only sweater I’ve ever completed, and in fact it’s one of the first things I ever made. When I started, I’d only knit three scarves, one kittyville hat from snb, and a tiny mitten. I didn’t know anything about gauge or the differences between euro and American needle sizes, so I knitted it on n°5 needles when in fact it required size 8s. Ever since, my knitting has been super loose and I always have to go down a size or two to get gauge. It took me about 5 weeks total knitting, but several months to put it together because I was afraid of blocking (the yarn is mostly acrylic).
here is what it's supposed to look like.

here is what it looks like on me. The picture's not very good, and I definitely should have tucked in my white shirt--however it is actually a very nice sweater and my boss complimented me on it before she knew that I made it myself. My row gauge must have been way off, but the overall effect is a boxiness that I really like.

Past finished objects

I'm going to set up a gallery of all my FOs later, but in the meantime, here is a picture of a sweater I knit for my cousin Lily. It's the "ribbon-edged cardigan" from Debbie Bliss's Special Knits, in DB baby cashmerino. The buttons are tiny rabbits from MJ Trim (the camera wasn't good enough for a close-up, sorry). I omitted the ribbon since Lily is so small, I thought it might irritate her skin. She's 10 days old in this picture!



also, here is my first-ever sewing project, I made it last Saturday (the same day I learned to use the sewing machine). It's a sewing machine cover in a Kaffe Fassett print, "paperweights," from Brooklyn General. If you're ever in the neighborhood, you must stop by. It's one of the most delicious shops I've ever been in, and the owner is very nice and helpful. Not bad for my first project, eh? It's even got piping.

also pictured is Milo, who likes sewing as much as I do.

much better

I made another pouch this morning. This time the proportions were much more to my liking. Still, because of the length of zipper I had, it's kinda short--I don't really know what I can put in it. But it's so cute!

finished!

Last night I finished blocking some socks I made for a friend of my mother's. They're made of Cherry Tree Hill supersock in some colorway (I think Dusk, but I lost the label) in a simple k2 p1 pattern with a slipstitch heel.
I also made this pouch last night. I got the pattern template at Small Hands. I didn't really understand the construction until I put it together, and so my proportions were way off. It's much taller, yet squatter than I envisioned. However, I did a good job on the zipper and lining! I've put in zippers before (I'll show later) but never a lining. I'm sending the socks to Marilyn inside the pouch because she encouraged me to start using my sewing machine and even bought me a subscription to W magazine for motivation.

Here I begin my blog.

I've been thinking about starting a craft blog forever, ever since I started knitting last year. I don't think that I would have fallen so in love with knitting if it weren't for knitting blogs, which I read religiously. Seeing everyone's projects on the web is really inspiring and the reason that I have made so much progress as a knitter. It's also the reason I started sewing last week. I'm pretty shy, though, so I've been reluctant to put myself on the web. (yes, I know it's anonymous.) But I'm diving in, and I'm rather excited!