Presents, for me, other knitters, and other kinds of people!

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Last Minute Christmas List

I know, I know, I’m impossible to buy for. I get it. So here’s a very last second list of things I like, that would be good gifts (Now or later):

This Purse: http://www.zappos.com/marc-by-marc-jacobs-preppy-leather-natasha-espresso
I recognize that it is rather expensive. I am aware that I have lots of other bags. That does not mean that I A. won’t enjoy or use this one, B. won’t really love it. Because I will. And I do.

This Ball Winder: http://strauchfiber.com/ball_winder.php
I know I have a ball winder already. It is a piece of crap and I hate it, yet I am forced to use it multiple times each week. Each time I use it, it sucks yarn down into it’s gears, gets tangled, refuses to release the yarn, and generally sucks up a bunch of time and energy. And it’s not large enough to wind some of the yarns I use regularly into a ball, so I have to cut the yarn in two. It’s a real bummer, and this one is not. so there.

Yarn. I know this option is surprising, since I have so much yarn, but hear me out. I have lots of yarn because I like and use lots of yarn. I get that understanding my taste in yarn might feel daunting, but it’s not–because you don’t have to. Really. Buy yarn for me that you like, in sufficient quantity for a project you need. And then give me a hint. Like “I saw this yarn and I thought it would make an amazing hat.” Then you have solved two problems–you’ve given me an excellent gift I am excited about, and next year, you’ll get an awesome hat/ socks/ mittens/ tea cosy that you will be excited about (and I won’t have to stress over whether you will like or need your gift)!

Gift cards and gift certificates. I like to shop. I really like to shop. A great deal. And I particularly like to shop at J. Crew, REI, Anthropologie, and Madewell. I also want some new knitting needles, from these fine folks: http://www.dyakcraft.com/needles.htm . But I’m not really sure what types and sizes of needles I need to round out my collection. And if these options fail, cash is always great too, especially if you suggest a way I can use it, like “Have a fun day of snowboarding on me” !

Need more options? Have you heard of Etsy? Not only do I have a shop there, I have an extensive list of shops and items that I adore in my favorites, here: http://www.etsy.com/people/glassmoondesigns/favorites?ref=si_fav And the best part of my favorites is that it includes items of all types and at every price.

So now you know. And also, if you don’t want to give me a present? Thats okay too–we can still be friends!

P.S. If you have other knitters on your list, they probably like yarn too, they might need a an assortment of small things like darning/ yarn needles, tape measures or stitch markers (which I sell in the shop) or they might enjoy learning another craft, like spinning or felting. And if anyone else you know enjoys etsy, they, too might have a favorites list you can use as a perfect, personalized gift guide!

Knitting update

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Where did I go, you may ask? I’ve been scrubbing and staining the deck, and also recovering from scrubbing and staining the deck. I have also been knitting on the holiday projects (there’s a hat band done and blocking now, and when it’s dry, I’ll pick up stitches for the crown.) I’ve also been washing and combing wool, dyeing yarn, working on floral arrangements, and even making some beads. So I’ve been pretty busy! And I am making progress on the knitting, though maybe not the 2,500 stitches a night I’d like to be getting done!

The evils of the flap heel.

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I’ve been doing a nightly knitting update on Facebook (where I lurk regularly, if you need to find me)…but I suspect very few of my friends actually care how many rows/ stitches I worked or which project I worked them on. I further suspect that the few friends who might actually care could be persuaded to care enough to actually come to my blog to see my nightly knitting updates (which happen a few times a week). And, moving the updates to the blog have the fringe benefit of actually (hopefully?) getting me to post more regularly to the blog. I think having some sort of desktop widget that I could just type the updates into would also help, but I would need to get my crack team of blog wranglers to sort that out for me (cough, husband, cough)–because for some reason actually going to my blog and logging in is a fairly significant hurdle in the battle to get any actual blog writing done. (And here you thought this was going to be about my current knitting projects, not my ongoing non-blogging problem).

So here’s the knitting update: Today I worked no rows on any gift item, not even the easy, happy scarf. Today, I ripped out a heel-flap and gusset on a pair of commissioned socks, and re-knit it using my traditional, typical, well-beloved short row heel. The short row heel uses a lot less yarn than the flap heel, if you’re interested. I also think it is easier and faster, with a tidier result. But those are my opinions–you can like other heel types better as suits you–it is, after all, your knitting. But in my knitting, the short row heel is king. I have no idea what I was thinking working a flap heel out of the blue on a client order, even if there is no real deadline. Working the flap heel took forever, I didn’t like how it looked, and in the end, I ripped it out anyway. Lesson: don’t suddenly work random flap heels because you want variety. If it’s part of a pattern, sure, go ahead. But hey, if you have a system, and it works, by all means keep with it–even if that’s dull. Dull= happy, right?

Rows worked/ Stitches worked:
A short row heel + 36 rounds/ a number of stitches I don’t care to estimate + 1584

Daily goal to keep up with Kevin’s participation in NaNoWriMo: 1600
Did I make that goal today? Yeah, because while I may not know how many stitches exactly are in the short row heel, I am certain it is more than 16!

All I want…

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I admit it, although to many of you this will come as no surprise: I want a sheep. More than one, actually, I want a whole flock of my own, even if a flock has to be just, maybe, two or three sheep to start. I know just what kind of sheep I want too–Border Cheviots, although some people in the US call them American Miniature Cheviots. They are petite–about 23 inches tall, with good spinnable wool. They are purportedly excellent mothers and they have their lambs easily. Then there is the the best feature of the Cheviot sheep–that face! Those ears! (Go, google it, see the pictures. Drool a little. I will wait.) And they supposedly have a gait with a “lively carriage”. What’s not to love.

Now, there is just one problem. This is not a good time for me to acquire a sheep. Besides my company (which is doing well, actually, and growing, thank’s for asking) I don’t have a normal job–currently I work for my mom (yeah, I know it’s a bit embarrassing)–helping to pack up her house and get her ready to move, doing the landscaping, shoveling a lot of stone–things like that. I don’t make much, and when the opportunity for real work (or going back to school comes along) we need to be able to move, quickly–because my work here, for my mom, is nearly done. And having sheep would complicate things more than they already are–because we do already have four lovely cats. The only problem is, no landlord really wants tenants with four cats–no matter how well behaved they are (the tenants or the cats, take your pick). And so finding a house we can occupy with the family we already have is difficult enough, without adding the requirement of a barn and a yard where I can keep sheep, even if they are very small, with those ears! those faces! that lively gait!

What I want for Christmas, maybe even more than my two front teeth (although I have those, and they are pretty great), Santa Baby, is not a yacht, it’s a flock, and really, that’s not a lot, is it? (Christmassheep? Anyone?)

Getting organized.

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Right now, there’s a big push around the farm here to get things organized before winter comes and the weather gets nasty. This week, we cleaned and re-organized the garage enough to get a car inside. That may not sound particularly impressive, but consider this: we have a 3 car garage that is so packed with stuff, that there has never been room to park a car inside in the 10 years we have been here. And now there’s room. So that’s quite a triumph. I have lots of other projects to finish too–we need to clean and re-seal the deck, finish spreading stone on the driveway (that project has been ongoing to about a year and a half now–and the end is in sight finally!), switch the contents of our closets (pull the winter clothes out of storage and put the summer ones away), and pull out the heaters. But you know, not all the chores that need to be done are unpleasant. A few years ago, I made a new arrangement of faux birds, natural leaves, dried flowers, and silk flowers for the dining room table. It looked great!

But a few years is a long time–and the arrangement no longer looked as cheerful. The greenery had dried to a dull gray-green, the stems of wheat had long ago been pulled out by curious cats, and the birds were rather more bedraggled–also due to the curious cats. The stems of fresh berries had long ago dried out, and had finally begun dropping their fruits all over the table. It was simply time for something fresh. With fewer birds to tempt the cats. So I got to spend an afternoon giving the arrangement a much needed update, pulling the old one apart, salvaging what elements I could, and creating something fresh for fall.

So you see? Not all the projects I have to do to get ready for the changing weather are boring–some are really fun! Which is just as well, because I don’t think sealing the deck is going to be any fun at all…

Hope.

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also known as the common autumn falling leafFor me, this is a great symbol of hope. I know most people think of spring as the season of hope, regeneration, and renewal. But for me, the season I associate with those traits is fall or autumn. I have a bones deep love of autumn. I love the damn, green, earthy smell of decaying leaves. I adore the colors of the trees, the sight of leaves sifting through the air, the look of autumn leaves covering the grass and raked into piles. I love the smell of wood burning fires, apple orchards, and mulled apple cider. I love to see my breath escape in bursts of fresh white steam, and to hear the leaves crunch underfoot. I love the sight of rich orange pumpkins, dried Indian corn, and cheerful Chrysanthemums (just don’t call them mums…for some reason, I find that intensely annoying). Like I said, I have a bones deep love of fall, and I engage with almost every aspect of this season.  Sometimes I wonder if I love fall so much because it was my first season out in the world. But whatever the reason, autumn is my favorite, and I’m glad it’s here.

From beads to baubles.

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I haven’t posted in a little while, but I haven’t stopped making beads (I’ve been making fewer, since my school obligations have again increased) or jewelry or knitting–so I’ve been busy as usual.
Today I thought I would show some pairs of fresh beads (made them this morning) in their “raw” state (just beads) and in their natural setting (finished jewelry).

This set of beads (and the finished earrings) I made for my mum as a late Valentines present. I wanted something classic and elegant, and the earrings needed to be on the short side because my mum doesn’t do long dangly things.

To make the beads, I started with a white core, and then put on two rows of blue dots. After melting the dots mostly flat, I raked them into a leaf pattern–making sure to rake the two rows in opposite directions. This gave me a nice pair of simple, visually interesting beads– and the blue and white color combination is classic and elegant.

To take the design from beads to earrings, I first decided on a metal color–I typically work with silver, but since the white and blue are both cool, I chose to work with yellow gold. Yellow gold is not only visually warm, it is also timeless and elegant–which works well for this design.
After selecting my metal, I carefully matched the shade of blue in the leafy beads with smaller accent beads, in this case, faceted cobalt quartz-glass. I then assembled everything with some petit gold ball beads to give everything a very polished look. They look classic, timeless, and elegant to me–what do you think?

One common type of bead is a “white heart”– a white bead with an overlay of a transparent color, placed so that from the side, some of the white is still visible. While I like the idea of white heart beads, I’m not feeling the pastel colors they create right now–so I have been using the technique with other color combinations. So far, my favorites have been a pea-soup-green core with a transparent teal overlay and purple-blue ( translucent periwinkle today) dots, and a bright yellow core with a sky blue transparent overlay.

Shaping beads is another fun way to add interest (in addition to techniques like color play and surface decoration), and one of the easiest ways to shape beads is by gently flattening one or more sides of the molten glass, which is what I have done here. If you flatten a round bead on two opposite sides, you get a flat tablet shaped bead–it looks like a circle instead of a sphere. But, if you flatten a doughnut shaped bead on two sides, you get a nice eye shape–which is what I did here. Once I had shaped my bead, I used some surface decorations as well–I placed yellow dots in the same color as the core on the flat sides, melted them in, and then flattened again, then topped those dots off with the translucent periwinkle I used in the last set of beads–and added another set of dots to the “ends” of the beads for good measure.

These beads a a little odd (all eye beads strike me as odd) but in a fun, primitive way. The ancient egyptians made all sorts of glass beads, and eyes were pretty frequent–so I’m following a seriously long tradition here. I wanted to play up the unusual colors, the primitive feeling, and the sense of whimsy and fun when turning these beads into earrings, and I spent a long time trolling through my collection of gemstones to get beads that had the right combination of color and shape. I finally settled on some circular yellow-green olive jade serpentine and some bright aqua hemimorphite balls. I put everything together on hand-made sterling silver head pins.

In the past I have been reluctant to pair glass beads with fine gemstones, because I thought the relative “values” of the two items were too far apart and would create conflict in a design. I was wrong. Expect to see more designs featuring hand-made glass beads side-by-side with gemstones in the future.

Moon beads?

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Wednesday night, I finally had the opportunity to learn the basics of glass bead making. I’ve been wanting to learn ever since my mom gave me a basic kit about 10 years ago, but I was never comfortable enough with the idea of just plunging in and doing it without any guidance or instruction. From time to time, I looked for classes, but I never found any that were suitable–usually they were several states away or prohibitively expensive.

Cut to about two weeks ago–when I finally found a place that was close by (about an hour away) offering an affordable evening class to get me rolling– I called right away, and booked two of the four available spots! I guess I was lucky that there were spots available, and I am really glad that everything worked out. I was desperately excited about the class for the two weeks I had to wait–10 years plus two weeks?! Two week too long! (I went with my husband, if anyone is curious. Some people take cooking classes. We made beads with fire and pointy sticks. Same thing, really.)

Glass beads are made from rods or sheets of glass, and they are formed in a flame (at very high temperatures above 1250 degrees Fahrenheit) using a mandrel (rod) and gravity. Melting glass, with a texture like honey, is wound onto the rod, which forms the hole in the bead, and then the flame and continuous turning of the mandrel help to create a round shape in the molten glass–which quickly un-rounds and drips if you stop turning! Decorations, such as other colors of glass in dots, stripes, and flowers, can be applied to the basic bead using the flame, and the bead can also be textured using a variety of heat-proof tools, used to twist, rake, poke, prod, and pull the molten glass into a variety of shapes. To finish the bead, the glass is allowed to cool over a period of hours in a thermally insulating ceramic fiber blanket, and is eventually removed from the mandrel, ready for use.

While the options for making beads are nearly endless, last night, the focus was on simply creating a nice, round bead. I am giddy to share my efforts with you, and I look forward to continuing to develop these skills so I will have more to show you in the future.

Kevin’s beads all turned out really well. Like me, he created one bead that would not come off the mandrel, which is too bad, because it was really neat. I think the bead on the left above looks like the surface of a planet.

This is one of the coolest beads I made, but unfortunately, it broke when it was being pulled off the mandrel. It probably happened because it was not fully cool yet–the class had run late and the shop-owner was in a hurry to get everyone out so she could close–I don’t blame her, it was after 9:30! We need to go back tomorrow, though–Kevin forgot his coat!

Of the five beads I made, this is my favorite. I love the dots. I love the color. It’s round. It’s decorated. It’s really, for a small purple bead, absurdly exciting to me. I can’t wait to make more. And I have all weekend to do so. I. Can’t. Wait.

Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef live in D.C.!

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Today I finally visited the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef at the National Museum of Natural History in DC. It’s only about an hour from my house, including the drive to the Metro and the Metro ride in, but I get into the city less often than I might like, and to the Museums even less often. I was extremely excited when I saw that the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef would be making it’s way to D.C., although It was a bitter-sweet discovery once I figured out that I had just missed the deadline for contributing to the community reef they would be building for the exhibit. Today confirmed both the excitement (such an amazing reef, display of community, and curation of fiber-arts talent) and the wistfulness ( I can’t believe I missed contributing to something like this). I am so glad that I finally made it in to see it, and I will certainly be keeping my eyes open for opportunities to contribute to similar things in the future.

Ok, so here I am at the reef. I wore my coral scarf and everything!

This beautiful anemone looking piece is pretty much front and center, and whomever made it should be proud–it’s lovely.

A very striking red piece stands out, even on the “red” section of the community reef.

According to the signage at the community reef, it took a legion of volunteers 8,500 hours to curate and construct the reef from the thousands of knit and crochet pieces donated for the cause.

A particularly fine cream and white specimen of coral in crochet form.

Not all the components of the reef are technically hyperbolic–like this lovely coral, or the lace pieces on frames. But elements like these really help to bring the reef to life.

The majority of the back-side of the reef was done in shades of cream, white, beige, and gray. So elegant!

Some more lovely reef-life. I am particularly fond of the colors here.

A vibrant example of lace knitting helps to bring the reef to life. I love how the blue pops against the orange.

I love the cream, orange, and red jellyfish on the left. There are so many wonderful details in the reef, I would be happy to go back and have another look–I am sure there are many phenomenal things I didn’t see this time. I have certainly been inspired by seeing the Reefs made by the Institute of Figuring and the Community Reef, and have some great ideas for new corals I wish to knit and crochet myself. In the past I have crocheted and knitted several coral-y hyperbolic structures, including a scarf. I look forward to making more, and perhaps one day having an ocean and reef themed nursery, if I ever have children of my own!

If you are curious about the crochet coral reef at the Smithsonian, the math behind hyperbolic crochet and knitting, or the Institute of Figuring, check out the links below:

http://www.mnh.si.edu/exhibits/hreef/index.html

http://www.mnh.si.edu/exhibits/hreef/communityreef.html

http://theiff.org/main.html