oil pastels

Why is it that, of all faces, one's own partner's is the hardest to capture? The portrayed, when asked, replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. 'Well, it's the face you see the most.' Which wasn't much of a comfort.

I'm usually a fast painter, completing a project in one sitting. But this one has been tricky. I've gone back to it several times now, and there are still flaws in the likeness. Since I'm working at craft and art to placate my need for completion, (in the face of a horribly slow, incomplete BA thesis) this unfinished painting is rankling my nerves. I may have to haul my holbeins and the painting to NYC for the weekend to finish.

By Request

Wallets for Sylvia! I searched long and hard through my favorite craft and DIY websites. Wallets are a hard thing to sew. It would take me a while to figure out how to sew a good one. Then there's the issue of what material to use-- it has to be tough but not too bulky. Some other people in the DIY craft world have gotten around these problems by making wallets that don't require sewing. This one reuses plastic bags--you can sew, or melt them with an iron. Personally, I'm sick of duct tape wallets, but this one (from the DIY Network) is a nice variation.
If you don't want/don't have time to make one, there are some nice handmade wallets and coin purses on Etsy. Here are some link to sellers who make them: Tiny Meats, Kitty Empire, and Lemonade. I really like What Sew Ever and Kung Fu Cowgirl as far as wallet makers go. If you really want to break the bank, Free People has absolutely gorgeous wallets. (Go with Etsy, though, for self-employed crafters!)

addict

Recently I sent my whole fabric and yarn collection home with my parents. I emptied out two trunks and a drawer, freeing space for extra sweaters and books. We even agreed to send home my sewing machine. "I don't need it this semester" I declaired proudly. "I'll be too busy with my senior project."

It's Saturday and a I found myself scrambling for fabric scraps at the back of my closet. Rummaging through the downstairs living room, I spotted a gleam of white under the breakfast table. The relief was overwhelming. They didn't take it! I carried my machine up to my bedroom, cuddling it to my chest.

I swear I'll do some of my senior project first. Then just a few quilt squares. I swear.

In Love!

I'm in love with these two craft blogs: Love Forever and Little Birds Handmade. Just look at those mushrooms by Stephanie Barns (from Little Birds):

Recommendation

Today I dropped in on Betsy (my favorite librarian at the Bard Library) to beg forgiveness on my late fines. We often end up talking about art, architecture, home improvement and interior decorating. She's awesome-- she knows all about the Small House movement, eco-friendly modern modular design and DIY culture. Anyway, after reducing my fines this morning she turned me on to ReadyMade Magazine. It's amazing. Thanks Betsy!

Soft and Green

I made this hat using Blue Sky Alpaca brand yarn. As a rule, I don't use patterns (I make them up and then don't write them down) but the jist of making this hat is as follows:
Get some chunky yarn and round needles. Cast on around 40 stitches depending on the size of your head and how loose you want it. Slip the first stitch, yo, and k2tog. Go on sl, yo, and k2tog. I think this is basic mesh stitch. Make a hat shape by decreasing ( I just do it by eye). Be warned, this stitch decreases fast! When the hat part is finished, pick up about ten stitches along the bottom
rim and knit your ear flaps. I did a few rows of knit stitch and then switched to mesh. I also decreased on the sides. To decide where to put the second ear flap I just put the hat on and marked where to pick up the stitches. For the strings, just braid some yarn or crochet a chain. This hat knits up fast and is incredibly easy. I estimate that I spent less than 3 hours on the whole project.

If you don't knit, just google it. I happen to like the Vogue Knitting website but About.com and many other sites have videos as well as instructions.
Finally, about alpacas. I try to use alpaca whenever possible. It's warmer and lighter than wool, and from my research, it's more sustainable. Alpacas are lighter and eat less than sheep. The herd poops in one communal spot, so cleaning up is easier. Best of all, they don't have hooves, but paws and toenails, like camels. This and their light weight means they don't compact the soil, so they don't spoil the land for agriculture. However, this article suggests that there is an alpaca market bubble that might be dangerous for farmers in the US. However, it seems that the nature of this problem does not mean consumers should stop buying alpaca, but that farmers will have to anticipate the price drop. So keep supporting alpaca farming-- if not currently economically sustainable, it's still environmentally sustainable. With the current boom in sustainable products, the latter is likely to bolster the former.

Accepting Imperfection

   My lovely friend Tony points out to me the hypocritical nature of having a blog about making things myself while using blogger to host my blog. Yes. He's right.
    I used to have a blog about Morality & Environment, hosted by Adrianne. I made the template myself by reading html tutorials and the sources of all my friends' blogs. I made a pretty neat template in three days by cannabalizing and tweaking text from the blogs of Tony, Adrianne, and Todd.
    The thing is, these brilliant people (you should read their blogs) have many credits of computer science under their collective belt. Todd is in grad school for something computer-y. They were all very helpful, but I spent more time fixing bugs in the template than posting, and then of course, there's college. So the plan is, after I graduate (in addition to learning spanish and finishing one of my many quilts-in-the-making) Tony will help me make a new template and I'll learn all about html with my newfound free time. And I'll post about learning html. If said posts do not appear sometime around June or July, then call me a hypocrite.
    For the meantime, I'll accept my imperfection.