Winged Things

I have not been a very good blogger these past several months. This problem is mostly due to the fact that my employer has blocked any and all blogs from my view. It sucks and I've yet to come up with a viable solution for posting to my own blog as well as regularly checking out what's going on with all of you! Short of giving up crafting in the evenings to catch up with the blogosphere, I'm stumped as to how I can rectify this situation. Any suggestions are welcome!

Needless to say I have been making stuff. What follows is a load of FO's waiting for a post all their own.

First we have a lovely knitted Black Bat Wing Shawl with crocheted red sparkly veins AND its accompanying crocheted Batty Beanie...



This has been sitting on my "to be photographed" pile for months! For shame!

Here's a detail of the veins...



And the hat...



I used my Chicken Beanie pattern (sales pitch: available for just $5 on my sidebar!) as the basis for the Batty Beanie, which can also easily translate into a Kitty Beanie. I think there are more themed beanies in my future...

Next up, the knitted Blue Bat Wing Shawl with crocheted veins of in the same yarn...



This one is sparkly all over!

And just because wings seem to be my thing for this post, how about a pair of crocheted flight implements...



I plan to use this hand painted ribbon as the tie for these babies...



Feels good to get these off of the "to be..." pile. The sad part is that I have so much more sitting there waiting patiently.

I cannot stand feeling so behind! Oh well, maybe I need to put in a few super early mornings to get back to my posting schedule...

I'll figure it out....eventually.

Happy Monday one and all!

The Three Y's

I don't speak much about my trials and tribulations, but suffice it to say that life has been pretty difficult for my family over the past several months. The accompanying stress is really beginning to take its toll on me. Many days I am exhausted from the moment I awake in the wee hours of the morning and often I find myself in the act of withdrawal from friends and family in an effort to catch my breath, if only for a moment. Oh, don't worry, my personal acts of withdrawal do not include semi-catatonic states, rocking back and forth repeatedly, mumbling unintelligibly. Not yet anyway...No, I tend to withdraw accompanied by what I like to call "the three Y's": yoga; yarn; and youthful creativity.

Yoga is my savior. No, I'm not being dramatic! A few years ago I began to suffer from vertigo. Every few months I would succumb to this condition, dizziness and nausea plaguing me for days, sometimes weeks, at a time. However, since beginning to practice yoga last April, I have suffered little to none from this debilitating state. In addition to the virtual eradication of vertigo from my existence, yoga always, ALWAYS has the ability to subdue my stress induced agitated soul, no matter my level of discombobulation. Then there are the added benefits that partner with a consistent practice: flexibility; muscle tone; balance; core strength and of course, an inner calm that goes beyond the mat into everyday life. Yoga is nothing short of amazing!

Yarn is my constant companion. Literally! My project bag crammed with fuzzy WIP's goes with me everywhere. Retreating into the act of making loops, knots, weaves and strings, regardless of circumstances or locale, is the creation of an instant inner sanctum, giving myself the ability to regenerate and recharge whenever I find the opportunity.

Youthful creativity, yarn's best friend, is my foundation. Some time ago, amidst the career proceeding my current employment endeavor, I reacquainted myself with my inner child. In doing so I learned that art unhinged, unrestrained, explorative, full of honesty and discovery was the kind of art that I wanted to be making. I gave a nod to my art school training and preconceived notions about what made a good piece of work and set sail on a journey beyond my known creative borders. And in the uncharted territories I still find myself. For me there is limitless solace in this exploration.

Though I know my road ahead is still at an incline, I am comforted by the knowledge that each day I can find a rest stop within the three Y's...

Scoring Fluff

2lb. Bag O' Fiber Crack
Originally uploaded by ladylinoleum

My supply was starting to run dangerously low.

Definitely time for a fix.

Revealed current distressed situation to fellow addict.

Fellow addict (Hi Jenna! I can’t link to you due to work blog ban!), ever resourceful in situations such as this one, contacted mutual dealer (Hi John! Ditto as for Jenna!) to determine whether he had any inventory to move.

Dealer flush.

Fluff to move.

Addicts drove over to mutually agreed upon destination to score some fluff.

Crumpled up bills exchanged for big bag of white in the corner of a Culver City parking lot.

Addicts' thirst sated...for now...

Repeat After Me...

At present, my days are filled with a constant level of pandemonium: demanding career; familial obligations; scads of bills; a plethora of appointments; making time for friends despite the perpetual fanfare; all amidst the backdrop of the ever so lovely and uninterrupted teenage tumult courtesy of my adoring daughter. Life’s mélange, so to speak. Needless to say I need to decompress from my daily toils in the evenings or I shall not be long for this world. So, how and where do I find a degree of downtime?

I find my brand of solace in repetition.

Yes, the act of pulling a loop of yarn through another loop of yarn over and over again is very meditative. Feet to treadles, wheel in motion, gentle twist entering strips of carded wool in a seemingly endless cycle is definitely calming. Aiding shuttle in its journey to and fro across the taught expanse of warp threads is nothing short of sheer tranquility. Moving brush from dye pot to fiber again and again, each stroke an explosion of color, pigments seeping into the essence of the yarn’s being, is my serenity.

This kind of repetition is the ultimate in restorative power.

A power that is produced from something as simple as reworking a familiar pattern in an unfamiliar colorway…



A power that is honed while working a pattern repeat ad infinitum.



A power that is all at once supportive and expansive with every lap around the niddy noddy.



A power that is generated at the end of each and every day in the humble environ that I call home.

What would I do without yarn???

Did You?

I Voted Sticker
Originally uploaded by ladylinoleum

Makin' Yarn

I know. Lately I haven't had much knitting and crocheting to show. Rest assured that I have been working both processes weekly. I've just been working on some substantial projects so I don't have anything to show you just yet.

I do have some yarn FO's to share though!

I made some real strides on the spinning front. Take a look...





Aren't they purty? I've been making tons of the two colorways above in the hopes of having enough of each to actually make something cool.

I just love spinning.

I love it as much as crocheting and knitting actually. And that's saying something! In fact, I've even been reading about spinning every night before bed...



This book is such a great reference for those interested in spinning art yarns! Right now my homespun looks a little, well, conservative. After perusing the pages of Intertwined, I am hoping to push myself right outside the proverbial box soon. Have no fear! There will be all matter of errata hanging off my singles and plies in no time! I've got a ton of goodies in my stash that would be perfect fuzzy embellishments...

On that note, I've taken to dyeing my own roving too. In fact, I spent my entire Sunday with fellow fiber fanatic, Jenna, dyeing piles of it. We also painted some yarn. Hey, that's what dye parties are all about!





I cannot think of a better way to spend a Sunday can you?