3.25.2009

bam.

I don't know why I always get the urge to blog when I have tons of homework to do. Grr. Will keep it short.

Things I've done lately:

  • unraveled a pretty red angora sweater ($5 @ thirft store!) and navajo plied the resulting yarn to make a beautiful worsted weight (look for a hat made with it soon).
  • bought 4, 5, and 6 pyrometric cones so I can do high-firing and have some finished pieces to show you soon.
  • got excited when I met a lady at work today who roasts her own coffee beans and decided I'm going to start doing that too (she says to check out sweetmarias.com for resources) - apparently you can use popcorn poppers??
  • NOT cleaned my room.
okay, folks. tune in next time for more non-stop bulleted-list action.

3.10.2009

we could close the curtains, pretend like there's no world outside

For spring break one year, my family took a vacation to Sanibel Island, Florida. This is an absolutely beautiful and relatively un-commercialized vacation spot (i.e. the beaches aren't totally covered with rich, anorexic spring-breakers every year). It's pretty nice. I had been there before, and I'd go there again.

But for some reason, that one year I brought a half a suitcase full of yarn and various knitting needles, and I stayed in the beach house we were renting and knitted. Constantly. The entire week. And had a blast. I didn't bring any patterns and had no access to the internet, so I created an entire line of hats out of my head.

Looking back, my parents probably spent a good deal of money renting the place, and I probably should have spent more time out on the beach taking advantage of that... but hey. It was a nice vacation.

I think that's the kind of vacation I need to have more often. I can't remember the last time I've done that kind of thing without feeling guilty for "wasting time" or stressed afterward from pushing things like homework or errands to the absolute brink of their deadlines.

That's where I am right now. I have a presentation that needs to be basically done by this evening, and I'm still in the planning stages.

And of course, I'm suddenly full of inspiration to spin, knit, carve stamps, go thrift store shopping, bake, draw, paint, throw pots...


Fuck.

3.05.2009

quick clay update!

The weather is gorgeous. It's spring. My knitting inspiration is fading slightly (even though I just bought about 9 oz of roving this week), but all my other artistic inspirations are abounding. I'm considering buying a dyeing starter kit and experimenting with that (or I may try the cheap Kool Aid method... no shame in that), and most excitingly, I've been throwing some pots and attempting to fire them.

Ever since The Purple Crayon shut down and I inherited a wheel and a non-functional kiln, the studio in the barn has been set up. Then last spring we got an awesome deal on a WORKING kiln via craig's list... I've just been waiting for the weather to warm up enough so it's comfortable being out in the door-less barn for hours at a time.

Yesterday I threw a couple pots and did a test bisque fire. It definitely worked (the bowl I had in there is bisqued), but the cone never bent, so I guess I either used the wrong cone (05), or I opened the lid too many times and messed things up... I have no idea. I don't know how to use the kiln-sitter, and I think I'll just end up buying a pyrometer to make my life easier. Also, we don't have any kiln shelves (or at least none that I can find), so I can only fire things on the very bottom and I feel like I'm wasting a ton of electricity on just a few pieces.

So I'm going to glaze my newly-bisqued bowl after classes today and see if I can finagle the temp to do a proper glaze fire. Stay tuned.