Oh, my goodness, I've been gone so long! But that's because I've been working on the biggest project ever: my master's thesis!

On Monday, March 23, I defended and passed my thesis. Now all I have to do to graduate is pass my classes for the semester, find a job, and the world awaits!

Sweaters for Mo Rocca

Mo Rocca made a tragic mistake last week during his appearance on NPR's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me." He said he didn't care for handknit sweaters because they're always so itchy. Well, of course, the Ravelry community was having none of it. They've embarked on a campaign to knit for Mo, and to prove to him that all handknits are not itchy. Fine merinos and alpacas are quite nice, though I do seem to favor mercerized cotton. 

Someone on the boards suggested that those of us who couldn't commit to a whole sweater make some tiny ornament sweaters. That seemed fun and do-able, so I cast on with some green baby yarn I have left over from making slippers. The result is the Team Rocca Jersey Sweater!

Valentine's Day

The day for all things cute and pink has arrived again... but what's a lovebird on a budget to do? I recommend a return to two old standbys: glue sticks and mix cds!

I made this card for my sweetheart out of some some supplies I already had around the house, one piece of scrapbook paper, and two little spools of grosgrain ribbon. The envelope is also handmade and decorated to match. Inside is a cd of romantic songs, several of which have a sentimental memory attached. The cd is short - only 8 songs - but why overdo a good thing? Here's the playlist:

Oh - Dave Matthews 

A Kiss To Build a Dream On - Louis Armstrong

Beautiful - Damian Marley

How Sweet It Is - James Taylor

Somewhere Beyond the Sea - Frank Sinatra

Time of My Life - Dirty Dancing Soundtrack

Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree - Glenn Miller

Can't Get Enough of Your Love - Barry White 

Always Knitting

Things have been going pretty well over at Etsy. I've sold some of my hairpins, my drop spindle, and both my Eowin and Arwen necklaces. Soon I'll be putting up some stitch markers as well, and we'll see how they do.

I whipped up the Zaftig Bra last week, but instead of a 2.5" band, I kept right on going till about 11" to make a terriffic lounging tank. Unfortunately, I found the recommended yarn to be really a little too stretchy for my taste. It may end up on Etsy as well, and perhaps I'll try again with a regular cotton yarn. But at any rate, it's a quick knit and fun to make. I even learned to do short rows with the help of The Knit Witch's great youtube videos. Her instructions are easy to understand and see, and it makes everything so easy.

Now I've cast on for my own variaton of Knitty's Tubey sweater. I'm doing the whole thing in black cotton with a 2x2 rib. I may add some hem and cuff details I like from a Gap sweater I have, but I'm keeping it fairly simple. It's my "homework knitting" - something simple I don't have to think about or look at to keep my hands busy while I do my reading for class. 

I'm using Addi Turbos for the first time, and I'm surprised at how much I like them. Before, I've used Clover's bamboo circs, and while I love the wood for the natural feel, the monofilament cable just isn't very flexible. Addi's cable is much nicer and I may stick with it. I've also discovered how much I like knitting rows on my circs. I have a bad habit of losing the free needle while my work is stashed in my bag. After a needle falls out of your bag for the second time, it gets expensive (not to mention infuriating)! I may even be moved to de-stash some of them when I next get ready to move. 

Just in case that wasn't enough, I've also cast on for laceweight project. Instead of swatching, I'm making a little headband. I know swatching is super-important, but I just hate to waste the yarn on something useless. And lord knows I'm up to my eyeballs in fabric swatches already. So instead, I'll make something small and see if it's appropriate for what I'm working on. Unfortunately in this case, I don't think it'll be right. I'm still in search for the perfect pattern.

Coming soon: Valentine's Day crafty goodness!

Hairpins

I've finally gotten my hairpins uploaded to etsy! These are the button ones, and there are also my Road Trip pins and some cute patterned ones. 

Back to the homework!

Main Street Yarns

I got out of work early today and headed over to Main Street Yarns in Watkinsville. I picked up a ball of light green Dolce Amore fingering weight cotton, three balls of Cascade Fixation for the Zaftig Bra (though I may keep going and turn it into a tank for lounging around in), and an amazing skein of lace-weight silk from Claudia Hand Painted Yarns in a variegated blue, green, & purple colorway called Ocean Depth. I also picked up a pair of size 5 circs and size 2 straights while I was there. 

I was so glad to go and visit. It's a little intimidating, seeing all the beautiful yarns and the samples knit up. Little baby sweaters, felted slippers, long lacy shawls, and a bunch of people who are just as excited about it as I am. It's like my grown-up version of a candy store. 

I'm also sending word out to see who'd be interested in an on-campus knitting club. If there's enough interest, maybe we can get the ball rolling.

Flammarion Woodcut

For my painting class, I reproduced the Flammarion Woodcut - an anonymous woodcut depicting a pilgrim peeking through veil of the sky to see the inner workings of the universe. Though its original date is suspect, 1888 seems likley; the color was added in 1998.

My version is black acrylic, with the tinting done in gouache, on canvas board. I opted to leave my border uncolored, and I think it sets it apart from the illustration nicely.

The next thing for painting class is to see what I can do about using the mood and style of the above work to inspire a costume design of some type. I did some sketching in class and have a sort of Galadriel-meets-Renfaire thing going on. I'll post it after it's painted.

Another class I'm taking is a "costume problems" class. A large component of the class is focusing on makeup, both for stage and screen. Since the last Ben Nye I bought was cinnamon base and I've long since given away all my white-girl makeup, it was time for a whole new kit. If any interesting photos develop, I'll post those as well.

In my crafting life, I've made a zillion cute bobby pins, I'm fighting with double-pointed knitting needles in a renewed determination to figure out sock knitting, and I've purchased the supplies for turning my old clarinet into a lamp. I have more ideas than time, as usual! I'll let you know how those things go, too.