26 April 2006

This Post is Brought to You by Amvets

Well... I'm certainly glad that little visit is over! It was fine, nothing earth shattering, but I also didn't yak in the middle of the lecture. So, eh, it's over. Next!

I wanted to show that in the midst of all this thinking about things, I've also been pulling out some crafty projects to polish off. I bought a new sewing machine on ebay back in January (which is really a good story that will have to be shared at some point) and decided to give her a try. I think she passed. By the way, this is a very boring post. I'm out of steam. I gots a whole lotta nothin' by way of creativity right now. Ugh... end. of. semester.

American Slasher Bag

I'm naming this one in honor of Hilda who cautiously approaches all striped sweaters as if they channel Freddy Kruger. In its previous life, this sweater could've been chopping up teens, but once I grabbed it off the thrift store racks, it made a rebound as a felting project. I intended it to be a sleeve to protect my laptop from the bumps and bruises of life in my bag, but it felted too short and caused static when I tried it on the machine so crafty insight to the rescue. I lined it with a plain blue chambray and did canvas straps which wrap all the way around for support. The only real crafty aspect of it is the plastic canvas that I put between the sweater and the lining to help it keeps its shape. No pockets, no fasteners, just a plain jane felted bag which may or may not make its way into my rotation. Basically it's a project that I finished just because it was on the top of my sewing pile.

These are some pretty horrible pictures, but I just wanted to show that I finally managed to whip together the duvet cover that I've had the materials for for years. I found these two chenille bedspreads waiting in the Amvets aisles and liked the complementary nature of the colors. While it may not look like it, one is a nice denim blue and the other is a washed out green. These were originally intended to live in a pale green bedroom, but that was a year and an apartment ago. At least they are joined together now...

Finally, just to show that I haven't forgotten what the knitting needles were all about, I present a work-in-progress shot of Lara from the Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk collection. I started this when I was feeling all bad-ass in my post Knitting Olympics glow. It was abandoned for awhile as it grew too unruly for travel knitting, but I've been pretty faithful as of late. I'm doing it in some Brown Sheep worsted so it's got a very different texture than the original, but I think it will turn out wearable. As far as a knitting project goes, it's perfect for me right now as you have to think for a few minutes every so often and then it's back to knitting 30 rows of plain stockinette or 2x2 ribbing. And when you have over 200 stitches on the needles, those are long and mindless rows. Love it. Yes, I'm perfectly content to be mindless... just means I can devote more attention to the higher things of life, like CSI...

Tuesday, 24 April: nadda... too scared to contemplate spending money

Wednesday, 25 April: three solid meals at the Student Union... $1.85 for a bagel, $6 (which is highway robbery) for mozzerella sticks and a juice, and $3 for a milkshake... gotta love the end of semester for all the healthy eating options. Sure, I could've bought a salad, but a salad ain't gonna get these #@$%% papers graded... all fat and caffeine around these parts for at least a few more days. This teacher (and her real-food craving tummy) can't wait for summer break!

1 comment:

Lone Knitter said...

I totally know what you mean about mindless knitting. I think that's why I'm been sticking to simple socks lately. I like being able to zone and yet enjoy my yarn and needles at the same time. I think as academics we constantly feel the need to "be doing something" and knitting provides a strange in between so we don't have to feel guilty about not grading or reading.

Well, I just signed up for Secret Pal 8! I have a little child excitment about it.

Can't wait to see how your knitting machine turns out for you.