End of Story

The text reads:
"You see?"
"And it's not just cakes."

Gulp!

Back on my feet and moving on....

If you're going to be sick for a week, try to make it one with temperatures of around 35 degrees C. No better time to be lying in bed, under a fan, reading novels! Of course, being scared to breathe in case that sets off the tummy cramps is part of the deal....


On with the comic:

New Badges

Some new badge designs. I won't have them ready for the market this weekend, but I hope to get them made up soon.

I need to come up with a title for this comic sometime soon....

noooooo.....

The text reads " no! " (Pretty much what you'd expect...)

And on with the pesto jar....

Instructions for the knitted vase from a few posts back:

These instructions are more of a recipe than a pattern, because a lot depends on the size of the jar and the yarn and needles. I used a smallish pesto jar, DK cotton and 2,5 mm needles.

Here's how to do a flat round disc to start off with:

Using 4 dpns, cast on 8 sts and distribute over 3 needles, with 2 sts on the 1st needle and 3 sts each on the 2nd and 3rd needles. Join into a round and knit all sts through the back loop to keep the center flat.
Then:
1st round: Knit into front and back of each st (called inc 1)
2nd round: Knit to end.
3rd rnd: As first.
4th and 5th rnds: K to end
6th rnd: *Inc 1, k2, inc 1, rep from * to end
7th and 8th rnds: K to end
9th rnd: *Inc 1, K4, inc 1, rep from * to end
10th and 11th rnds: K to end
12th rnd: *Inc 1, K6, inc 1, rep from * to end.
13th and 14th rnds: K to end

... you get the idea. Keep measuring the knitting against the bottom of the jar - I only did about 8 rounds.

Then knit straight in the pattern of your choice. Ribbed patterns like the one I used need to be able to pull in, so the disc needs to be a little bigger than the bottom of the jar. At this point you can easily switch to a circular and magic loop it if that's easier.

The stitch pattern:
You need a multiple of 6 sts - I think I had to k2tog twice to get the right amount of stitches
rnd 1 - 6: *P2, K4* rep from * to * to end
rnd 7 - 12: *K3, P2, K1* rep from * to * to end.

Back to The Comic

The text reads "I can't seem to eat less."

Things to do with jam jars

This is a little bit odd... It was the only flower I could find quickly, and I can't seem to take a photo that shows off the colour and the texture of the knitting well, but I kinda like it!

Pattern is here.

Monkey!

Short-row shaping, intarsia - what more does a monkey need? (Fangs, a belly button perhaps?)

Not terribly eventful so far...

New Story

Time for a new comic! This one is still untitled. The text reads: "Are you still on diet?" "Yes!" "But it's not easy." "mm..."

The trip to get new pen nibs failed, the weekend away turned into a weekend at home. The car broke down 10 km outside Swellendam, it was apparently around 27 degrees (C) in the shade, and we arrived home just before dark. My fury melted and then evaporated, and I've made peace with my drawing tools.

It's all just a matter of getting used to each other.

The text reads: "It's still the same." "No, I think they give them each a little box of fruit juice now..."

It's the last frame!

Much cussing has accompanied the inking of this comic (WARNING: some really nerdy ranting about drawing materials is about to follow...)

Art shops, at least where I live, are a fickle collection of enterprises. My favourite pen nib has started to show wear that I can't ignore. After 2 years of use it's more of a medium than a fine nib, and a broad medium too. I bought it on a whim, and after discovering how wonderful it was, I rushed back to the shop the very next day. But they didn't have any more. I took the nib to them, hoping they could order. Hmm, they'd never seen anything like that. Didn't know who had ordered it in the first place. Certainly couldn't get any more. However, if I wanted strawberry-scented glitter pens with ink that changed colour according to the temperature, yes, they could certainly help me.

Thankfully they're no longer my local art shop.

My new local art shop only had Hunt pens, so I tried a few of those. Not as wonderful, but pretty good. They do wear out quite fast, and when I went back to get more, surprise! they aren't getting any more in, don't know where they came from, but they do still have a whole box of holders sitting on the shelf. Might be tough to sell without the nibs, but they're trying.

So I'm back to buying any pen nibs I see anywhere, and trying them out. Luckily Hunt pens are readily available online, being 'America's favourite art pen', and there's also a small shop 3 hours' drive away in a small coastal town that has boxes and boxes of the things. I'm going there this weekend.

I tried out a few different nibs on this comic, trying to find the magic one. Hunt 107 is the winner, and Hunt 102 if I absolutely have to draw teeny tiny fine lines, but too flexible a nib just encourages fussiness.

My wonderful wonderful pen? An online search reveals that the 'Sir Josiah Mason 1002 Fine Point' that I bought brand new 2 years ago is a vintage pen nib known only to collectors of old pens and only to be had (possibly) for $5 apiece. Without shipping.

Aaaah.... bliss!

Bit tentative with the inking today - could've been the heat, could've been the new nib. Scanning has beefed the lines up somewhat, though.