the long forgotten needlepoint project

Reached waaay back in the unfinished projects pile the other day and pulled out one that's been around for at least 6 years.  It started with this little painting by Tim Biskup, which I loved and thought would make a swell pillow:

I blew up the image and transferred it to needlepoint canvas, and stitched and stitched for many months.  Then I ran out of yarn for the background, and at that point I was so tired of it that it went in a bag and was not seen again until the other day.  btw, I moved that bag of unfinished crafts to at least 4 apartments in that time.  Lame!  Here's how it looked when I pulled it out:

it wasn't that far from being done, just needed some finishing around the outer edges and details on the birds.  Found some yarn in the stash that wasn't a bad match, and after a couple of days it was a pillow!

.... looks swanky on the plycraft chair, no?

that's a whole lot of tiny stitches, each one by hand.  No wonder this took 6 years to finish!  I love it though, it makes me smile whenever I see it.  And I can cross one more unfinished project off the list!

yes, another afghan. (I know!)

ok, I'm trying to stop with the afghans.  but I'm really not into the idea of crocheted clothing, and my amigurumi phase has passed.  so afghans it is.  this one started with the yarn, a cheap, wacky variegated acrylic in shades of orange, grey, and brown.  I think it was the name that got me:  "Pop Art Ombre".  (that and how cheap it was.)  but I paired it with a solid grey to try to tone down the insanity.

I used the "Park Slope" afghan pattern from the Lion Brand site, and the squares (or rather, squares and octagons) went really fast.  the part that sucked was sewing them all together.  there just didn't seem to be an efficient way to do it.  luckily it's not a very big throw, just about 38" x 60".

it's fun but it's very retro, more than I'd like.  and retro in a "back of the couch in a That 70's Show episode" kinda way, which isn't really good.  But Stoli likes it (that's his little ears peeking over the chair arm).

and it actually photographs better than it feels, being cheap acrylic yarn from Michaels (never again!)

that cat makes everything look better.

mama birds

Ever since I left the nest, my mom has become a friend to all little animals who need some help growing up and getting out into the world (and has let me come back to the nest quite a few times as well).  So in honor of her and her love for California wildlife, I created this linocut of a California Quail.

Happy Mother's Day, to all the mama birds and all they do for us!

great grey granny

in my fit of finishing old projects, I went waay back into the craft closet and pulled out the giant pile o' granny squares that I made at least 2, maybe 3 years ago and then abandoned when the idea of sewing them all together was just too daunting.  these squares were my very first crochet project!  and somehow I made almost 200 of them.

the palette is very restrained, just one "color" per square, surrounded by 2 neutrals and a charcoal border.  I think I was consciously trying to make something I wouldn't regret in 20 years, considering how long it took to make all the squares.

anyway, joining all the squares didn't take as long as I'd feared, and it was so nice to work with 100% wool yarn again that I rather enjoyed it.  I can say now, after being tempted in the past by the brief allure of cheap acrylic yarn, that it just aint worth it.  spend the money, get the materials you love, and it will be easier to work with and the finished product will be something you will want to keep forever.

The finished throw:

and on my rumply bed -

sooo many squares!

very happy with the outcome.  although now that it's 90 degrees in LA, I'll be packing it away for about 6 months.  I should really stop making afghans...

ABC: Always. Be. Crafting.

here's what I'm working on when I'm not working on something else:

I only need to make like 108 more of these.