Highlights from my pottery class

I wanted to post some shots from the better pieces I created in my pottery class that just finished up. It's a combination of hand-built and wheel-thrown pots.

This is probably my favorite piece. It was hand built on a puki base and coils were added to build the pot higher. I impressed herbs before it was fired and then painted with iron oxide before it was placed in the glazing kiln.

This little dish was thrown on the wheel. It was one of my first attempts at centering, pulling and trimming. It's too small to drink out of, so it's a Splenda and sugar holder.

This is a thrown mug that was trimmed. It was (clearly) my first attempt at pulling a handle. Overall, it turned out ok. Glazing is a whole other art. I was feeling better about my ability to throw on the wheel, and then you have to start glazing. You kind of have to guess what it will look like, because the glazes go on one color and come out different!

This was one of the first things we worked on, a hand-built mug. It was kind of neat, it started out from a single piece of clay. It became lopsided in the firing kiln.

Mitts

I wanted to make some mitts like the cute ones that Jill made for me for my friend Tessa, but the pattern calls for a provisional cast-on, which I've never done, and requires a crochet hook which I dont have anymore, thanks to losing my handy bag of knitting goods somewhere in Texas. Boo. But I used a little creativity and created my own. They're nothing fancy but I think they turned out well for a project done the past week (it was a crazy one) and completed in only a couple of days.

Like my skirt?

I made this a while ago, but finally wore it for the first time yesterday. So, I decided to take a picture of it. Both fabrics were from the thrift store. The brown is a really soft and slightly stretchy cordoury. The other is a cotton fabric that looks vintage, but who knows. I just cut the squares out and sewed them on. I really like how it turned out!

Chugging along...

Exactly two weeks until my thesis is due... eek! I actually feel pretty good about it, though. Ask me a week from now... I'm not sure I'll feel the same.

I have been very disciplined lately - working a strict schedule, and making time for knitting, reading, and relaxing for an hour or so before my 9pm bedtime. So, progress is slow but sure. I finished one of my Uptown boot socks. I've barely started on the second one though. I've been spending lots of time on my Brea Bag. I'm almost finished and I'm afraid I'm going to run out of yarn... Its just Lion Brand wool, so I could buy more, but the whole point of making it was to use up that yarn! Oy!

I did these little embroidered hedgehogs a while back with no plan for them. I just thought they were adorable, which they are. The other night I decided to send a package to one of my friends and I figured the little 'hogs would be a prefect patch for this red tote bag I had. My friend Cheryl made the bag while she was teaching a sewing summer camp and gave it to me when Frazier was having his surgery. My friend is kind of going through a crisis and I needed a quick package to send her... I don't think Cheryl will mind that I'm passing on her tote (I hope not, anyway!). I think it turned out really cute!

Springtime Scarf

Did this scarf mostly in a really boring GIS lecture, and on the airplane to and from Oregon last week. Sorry, didn't take any pictures there... They wouldn't have sufficed anyway. Really easy pattern: Nereides. I used smaller needles (8) & yarn (Ironstone Warehouse Flake Cotton), and it turned out really well. I like it a lot better than the one in the pattern. It will be perfect for spring, if it ever comes.

Look what the Easter Bunny brought!

1. Guinness cupcakes (He said he didn't get a chance to celebrate St Patty's day, so he was sort of combining it with Easter).

2. Garter mitts in Rowan Felted Tweed (with a racing stripe - when I knit with them on, it looks like I'm knitting even faster than I am!).

What I did on my spring break

I finished my tree jacket... and wore it today for a day exploring little towns in Tennessee with a couple friends. We started out by visiting Falls Mill, a working grain mill that 135 years old and is powered solely by water. They have a unique museum with lots of old tools and machinery and upstairs they have a whole room devoted to fiber - spinning and weaving, mostly. At one time the mill was used as a cotton gin and at that time they had a 1000 spindle woman-powered spinning machine. Unfortunatly, with all the time they spend milling grains, they haven't had time to restore the machine so we didn't get to see it. Their grounds are incredibly beautiful, especially this time of the year and with all the rain we've gotten lately.

Then we headed over to the Swiss Pantry bakeshop to pick up some 'fried pies' - delicious - and then to the Belvidere Market for lunch ($13 for all four of us). Here we experienced true southern hospitality. Michelle didn't have any cash and the store owner told her that was fine, she could just pay the next time she came in! Don't worry, we spotted Michelle the money. The owner offered us a couple cats that she had hanging around (and I didn't even take her up on the offer, if you can believe it!). And then she went on to tell us about a man in the area that rescues retired zoo animals and gave us directions on where we could find camels and zonkeys (donkey + zebra)! Unfortunately, the zonkeys were too far away to get a good look, but the camels came right up to the fence. So naturally, I needed to get a picture of the sweater with a camel, right?

Then we went on to Sewanee, TN, home of The University of the South, a beautiful private college located on the top of a mountain. They own a ton of land and we went for a short hike after a little walk around the campus. This, of course, included more pictures.

It was a really beautiful day - full of random funness and gorgeous spring weather! As always, more pictures at flickr.

Happy First Day of Spring!

(and still snowing)

Vegas, Baby

Hey girls, long time, no post.

We got back from Vegas last Sunday, and we had a great time. Lots of relaxation by the pool for me, lots of learnin' for Kane. I did a lot of walking around, looking at casinos, went for a run (the weather was perfect....70 degrees with a breeze), swimming, did some good eatin'.....etc. We stayed at the Paris, and the only thing it made me want to do is visit the REAL Paris.

We saw a Cirque du Soleil show and it was amazing. "O", set over water. The ususal gymnastic craziness mixed with synchronized swimming and diving. I was ready to come home and apply for a job with the troupe, but realized that I'm about 15 years too old, and 30 pounds too heavy. Kane insisted that if I really wanted to do it, he would be totally supportive.

While sitting by the pool, I knitted some on the sweater, but realized after I saw Molly's that I needed the smaller size, so it got ripped. Now, I'm ripping again after a stupid mistake of misaligned eyelets, but sometimes those happen. It's moving along very quickly now that I'm past the garter section of the body. I also did a little reading and some drinking...it's Vegas, the only place where people don't judge you for having a drink with an umbrella in it, by the pool, at 10 am.

The little trip made me ready for spring, but I've come back to the Sierra to realize that it's still winter. We got a nice spring surprise of ~2 feet of freshies this morning. Riding in powder is something that I'm not very good at, since it's something I experienced once every 10 years back in WV....so today was a challenge but lots of fun. I'm going to take a women's specific clinic next week to help me work on more ski skills before the end of the season.

Hope you guys are doing well. Molly, again the sweater is beautiful. Jill, keep up the good work on the thesis, you're almost there.

I think you've both been to Vegas.....thought I'd leave you with one of MY favorite attractions, the Bellagio fountains.

Cheers!

How many projects can I work on at one time?

I have managed to get some knitting time in over the past few weeks and I even went to knitting club last night! I've got lots of projects in the works, so here's what I've been working on:

Uptown Boot Socks in Plymouth Yarn Sockotta

I started these way back in September, and finally just pulled them back out this week. They are very fast... When I pulled them out on Wednesday I only had the cuff done.

Tree Jacket, in Cascade 220.

Coming along nicely. It use to be a lot longer, but I had to rip it all out because it was too big. I think this will fit better. That stitch marker? Yeah, I accidently dropped a stitch.

Cabled socks, in Kollage Lucious

I don't really like the yarn. Its very splitty, which is annoying, but it also just kind of feels like its going to fall apart. I haven't worked on these since I got back from Austin. Lately, I'm just not interested in having to think when I knit.

Brea Bag in Lion Brand Lion Wool Chunky

I have one side finished and have to do another side and the gussetts. This was really fast, I made this side in a couple days, I think. It was a while ago, though. Again, I'm not really interested in having to think.

One Done!

So I finished the KALII Tree Jacket!! Yay! Check it out.
I knit the size small (second size), and didn't do any shaping. It seems to fit pretty well. The next size up would have been too big. I'm wearing it today!