Baudelaire

My new socks: Baudelaire by Cookie A. They've taken many months; I bought the wool about a year ago! Only tried them on when I was well past the heel on the first one, and realised I needed to make the medium size, not the small. I'm quite proud of myself that I ripped it and started again.... maybe now I'll learn to swatch for socks. (Hmm... maybe not.)

The lace pattern is easy to memorise, despite what I initially thought was a counter-intuitive decrease. And I learned how to do a sewn bind-off.

Strangely enough, that's the same sock in both pictures. Got a lot to learn about lighting.

Up and running away with it

Thank you for the sensible replies to my dilemma in the last post! Random does seem to be the best way to go.

I grabbed something off the list and started. Printing with lino blocks on fabric. Clearly my registration process needs some thought, mainly because I don't have one, and some of the blocks need to be cleaned up a bit more, and I really should iron the fabric before printing on it, but I think this is could be something worth pursuing. I used paint I already had, printed on some scrap calico, and a block from another printing project, to which I added the leaves and the outline.

Researching block-printed fabric led me to this amazing blog. Jodi Green is, as part of her MFA thesis, wearing only clothes that she's made and printed. Go here to see photos of her wardrobe project.

How do you....?

How do you decide where to start?

This is my list of things I want to make/design/invent. I wrote it while I was working on the comic, concerned that I might forget some of the ideas, and it was great motivation to get the comic done.

But now I don't know where to begin. Do I just start at the top and work my way down? Do I pick the most enticing project? Or the one that seems most likely to work? Or the one that's going to require the most research? Or several small ones at once?

It doesn't even include things I have to do, like making curtains and clothes.

I'm paralyzed by choice and the prospect of even a little bit of free time!

Market and a Barrel of Pigs

Our stall at the Neighbourgoods Market in Salt River this past Saturday. I took the picture quickly while we were setting up, and managed to catch Liesel in the act of trying to duck out of the way. It was a quiet day at the market - next week will be the big one, when a whole new section is opened up, and loads of new vendors join. The market will pretty much double in size!


In other craft-related news: we're curing pork. At home. In a barrel of salt. Don't ask.

The barrel is now closed, has been turned into an item of furniture, and we're going to ignore it for a few months.

Some good places to find comics

Some of my favourite comics:

Cat and Girl
I know, Girl bears a startling resemblance to You-know-who, but I swear I didn't realise this until right now. I guess it's just easy to draw round faces and black hair?

Scary Go Round
Go right back to the beginning and read everything. It makes more sense that way. And it's weekend, you have time!

diesel sweeties
Pixels! And wit!

Orneryboy
Cute pictures, funny stories, and often so close to home you want to print it out and stick it on the fridge.


I'll be at the Neighbourgoods Market on Saturday, selling my things and Heather's, along with Liesel Trautman. Come and have a look, if you're not too busy reading comics.

Time Off

Now that I don't have the luxury of a comic a day to stick up here, I have to figure out what to blog about. But first I have to do some of this.


See you when I'm done!

Pinch me, I think I might be dreaming.

Soundtrack: Pixies, Chris Chameleon (and by implication, Ingrid Jonker), Hanne Hukkelberg, and, quite frankly, anything that's been on the radio for the past 6 months. Pop music seems to be going through a good phase!

Just a Spoonful of Sugar

The Adventures of Anti-Bacterial Boy (2 of 2)

The Adventures of Anti-Bacterial Boy (1 of 2)

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against hygiene, but some people don't seem to know about the 5-second rule (via not martha)

Denial

Yeeha!

The rockin'est of all rockin' girl bloggers made me one too! Thanks, Heather!

Now I need to pass it on to 5 more:

To Suzanne of Sakura Snow for her amazing photos

To Cristina of Little Wilds for all the things she makes, and for leaving comments that invite conversation

To Karrie of Girl on the Rocks for making me laugh often, and for being so busy

To Lori of Yes, I MADE that for being equally busy, and able to do so many things well

To rifferaff of Make It for inspiring me to think about printing (oh, the plans I have!) and the great links she posts.

Ag, Shame! *

* This is South African for something like 'Aawwww....!'

Time for something different

Today's Women's Day, and a public holiday, which means the internet is fast (because all you office workers are at home), and I can catch up on blogging quickly.

Yesterday I was treated to the most amazing massage at a very swanky spa, because someone thought I needed to relax. (Thank you!) I was so relaxed afterwards that I needed 2 cups of coffee in quick succession before I could even think about working - it just didn't seem important.

I took the chance of being out of my studio to nip into the Cafda bookshop. It's a bit of an obsession; Cafda sell donated books for next-to-nothing, and it's a goldmine of old craft books. I feel like I'm rescuing these books. Not so lucky with the knitting books yesterday, I think someone with the same idea had been there before me. In fact, I'm sure, because I did find a rather nice knitting book 'hidden' under some sewing magazines....

Anyway, I came away with this book on 'Cardboard Modelling' published in 1927.


Look at the writing, it's so beautifully handdrawn!

Also found this. The toys are not that great, but the cover is lovely.


And this drawing inside made it totally worth the R5 price.


Finally, the cover of a 1951 edition of Lorna Doone. Pretty!


I have to admit, reluctantly, that the 'all work and no play blah blah blah' thing might be true. But it's time for me to get back to work. If I owe you an email, I'm sorry, I will reply sometime soon. And I will be back to look at all your blogs too.

20 pages to go and then it is done!

Soul Food (2 of 2)

Soul Food (1 of 2)

Sugar

Food Technologist

You're supposed to eat the stuff, right? Food presentation is sometimes a little too much about the visual, not enough about the consumption.

If you're going to put avocado in a toasted bagel, for instance, try mushing it up, instead of slapping down great slabs that slip out under the slightest pressure....

A Potato a Day

I'm feeling a bit like this about drawing, specifically drawing letters. Staring at my hands, asking: "What do you mean you can't think of another font variation?"

Lunch (7 of 7)