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June 28, 2007

blah blah blog

Behold, hemp for knitting.

(some of you might recognize the framed picture on the wall in the background)

I'd been wanting to try it for making bobble stitch washcloths, since its nice and scrubby. And since I was down by Nina on Monday and she had a bunch of it and the colors were so yummy, what could I do? So I got two of these and commenced the bobble stitch pattern, discovering, to my dismay, purling 3 together with hemp is no fun. No fun.
It is quite disagreeable, in fact.
Thus I switched to a less interesting basket weave pattern, blah, blah, blah, but I'm hoping the payoff will come in the scrubby goodness.

You can see, it comes out kind of loose and blobby. I tried all different stitches and needle sizes. Aside from straight garter stitch this one was the least disappointing. But I will make something out of this stuff because really its kind of pretty. I'm hoping blocking will help.

Blobby.

Meanwhile, some etching has been going on, too.
I give you a glimpse of Philippe et Claude, in progress-

On the right is Claude, printed by himself because I just wanted to see. Last night, having drawn in Philippe, and some clouds, they were etched again, but the class was also in the midst of dying paper, and how can you not join in the fun?
So last night no printing got done but I did have a good deal of fun making these~

There is a pen of sticky stuff which can be used to draw patterns or whatnot on the paper before one sticks it into the dye bath. Then, when its dry, you can take the sticky stuff off a voila.

This little green one is my favorite.
I made some plain ones, too, for future drawing/printmaking purposes.
It wasn't until I got them home that I realized the colors I chose match the rug in my apartment.

Meanwhile, the really good news is Marcel and I found out his kidneys are okey-dokey! We did a little happy dance!

He is also glad, so glad, that the weather has cooled down and the thunder has stopped.

Posted by pippypippy at 05:32 PM | Comments (1)

June 21, 2007

People look like their pets, pets look like their toys

Marcel has a new friend!

His name is Octoman. In spite of the fact that we discovered, upon getting him home, that Octoman only has 6 tentacles. What a rip-off!
Oh well. Marcel doesn't seem to notice. So we don't tell.

Marcel + Octoman = LOVE!!!

Right, Marcel?
The other thing you might notice about Marcel, is his unusually tidy appearance! Because! Guess who had a bath? Oh yes, once a year, whether he needs it or not, this is his custom. Thus, for the moment his whites are whiter, his blacks blacker, and he smells fresh as a petunia.

As for knitting, I've become oddly obsessed with everything bobble-stitch, and thus far have completed 7 washcloths. 7. Well, some have been gifts. Since I am digging the bobble so much, there is this fantasy I am entertaining of a bobble stitch afghan, I saw a pattern for one in some book or other in the library which I shall have to dig up again. Since it would require a largish cash investment I left the book behind and tried to get fired up about finishing all the sweaters which are waiting around to be seamed. And then I made more washcloths, and taught myself to make a crochet edge for the Super Secret Baby project.
Important factoid of the day- did you know that using size 6 needles you can get 2 bobble stitch washcloths out of one skein of Tahki Stacy Charles Cotton Classic? Which, I used to think was way too shiny to be any good but in fact makes for a very satifying scrubbing surface. Which, plus, makes for superior exfoliation, which, everyone knows, is the key to a quality bubble bath. Oh, and it comes in so many good colors to match any bathroom decor, or not. So there you have it.

Etching class has been going along, too, and we just began a shiny new 13-week session, in which I am hoping to be wildly productive, but who knows. Right now I am working on an image featuring imaginary friends Phillipe et Claude, bears in stylish sailor suits, in love and having adventures of all sorts on the high seas. You may remember them from a sketch in a previous posting. Pictures of artwork, and possibly prints for sale to come!

Posted by pippypippy at 05:05 PM | Comments (3)

June 12, 2007

Bikes are fun!

Someone posted the link to this video to the Chicago Critical Mass listserve, its Peter Gabriel demonstrating what one should be doing more of instead of driving cars- ok, that's just me, but he does ride a bike and sing. Watch a couple of minutes and then the fun bikey part starts.

Posted by pippypippy at 07:36 PM | Comments (0)

June 07, 2007

printmaking class and other imprinted matters

Wednesday I was modeling my new respirator before my first etching class which was, in fact, not my first-ever etching class, but my first in quite some time.
Like knitting, etching involves needles, is obsessive, somewhat repetitive, time-consuming, can be very simple or very complicated, and the results can be spectacularly gorgeous or entirely disappointing. In general, the end products are probably not as functional, although you can get a nice warm feeling of satisfaction- hence, the cliche about showing one's etchings. So you even can share the warmth. And too, who doesn't find a woman in an ink-smudged apron sexy? That's what I'm saying.
Anyway, its always prudent to have proper safety precautions in place, particularly when you are handling noxious, caustic, and/or powdery substances. (and in fact, one doesn't use the respirator so much, I just like to wear it around for effect. I'm thinking of riding in Critical Mass with it. Ok, not really. Well, maybe.) Which, you have to love the danger aspect of it. Kinda makes me feel a little macho, even when I am drawing happy little animals, which is my master plan- more about that later! There's also metal and heavy machinery involved, and, in some cases, a back-story involving a somewhat freakishly devoted cult of printmakers held in the thrall of a brilliant and charismatic leader. Believe it!

(Also useful for knitting purposes- I'm quite sure it filters mohairs.)

Class was like coming back home, in a couple of ways. First because I saw some longtime friends and fellow devotees, and engaged in the familiar rituals of etching,-while chatting about politics, movies, cicadas, not necessarily in that order- beginning with preparing plates to be drawn/etched upon.
Then there was the other kind of weird fact that the place where the class meets happens to be in the suburb where I grew up. Whenever I go there it is simultaneously familiar and freakish, because everything looks the same, but not. In fact, the house where I grew up is gone, having been torn down and replaced, but everything around it looks similar. Then I have this weird kind of phantom-limb sensation, where I imagine I should be turning a certain way, heading to the my old house along a route that's completely imprinted, (as it were) which still exists, but goes to some other place that I have no connection to. But I feel myself turning up the driveway and going in through the back door, and then I have to remind myself that none of that exists, nor has it existed for a very long time. Plus I don't really feel that way about anyplace else I've lived. Its funny how things get imprinted on you when you are little, and time shifts these things that you once thought were immovable. Its weird how it remains indelibly tattooed somewhere on your reptilian brain.
Here's the other thing I saw in suburbia that I hadn't seen since childhood- cicadas!!! Whoa. There don't seem to be any in the city, which actually I'm kind of glad about because they're fascinating but man, they're gross.

P.s. Rob is back from China! Go read about his trip and be sure and check out his Caroline's Rock photo series on flickr.

Posted by pippypippy at 08:56 PM | Comments (2)

June 05, 2007

looking rosy

I know, I'm a dork, but I can't help it. I'm a sucka for pretty flowers. Its all because of being a girl.

Roses. You have to admit, there's something about them.
If it were my garden, I don't know that I would be inclined to plant them. But since they're here.

Can they be more perfect?

We've had a lot of rain, which Marcel is not crazy about, nor is he crazy about having his picture taken lately. He's decided to add the camera to his list of things that make him stick his tongue out and shake. He's also decided that if he doesn't look at it maybe it will go away.

My flowers are flourishing in the rain-

The begonias in particular are blooming profusely.

They've become my favorites. Every morning when I let Marcel out I go and pet all my flowers, and stare at the begonias and soak in the happy happy feeling. Also I check on the seeds I planted, which have begun sprouting. I peek in and give them encouragement, which seems to help them grow. Oh yes, the green things will speak to you, if you listen! They will tell you what they need! They will love you back!
Believe it!

There are several more but they are tiny and hard to photograph.
So there are tiny green things

And rather large green things. I love these leaves so much.
Oh yes, you just can't stop the girly flower love.

Btw, here is an excellent read, which, if you haven't already, you should pick up immediately and devour. Especially if you are a fan of the graphic novel in general, the show Six Feet Under (I hate to make the comparison, as this is so much more-for lack of a better word-real) Alison Bechdel's comic, and/or comics. Plus it is extremely well drawn. Really lovely. I bought it on a whim and read it over the weekend, it had been a long time, I realized, since I spent a rainy Sunday afternoon reading comics. Pure bliss.

Wednesday I am going to etching class. I'm all excited and hoping to get inky. (some of you, and you know who you are, might remember a pair of inky overalls. Oh yes. They are long gone, but remain with me in spirit.) Stay tuned for up-to-the-minute printmaking developments.

Posted by pippypippy at 09:34 AM | Comments (0)