Of Cats and Dumplings

Inspired by PH's great work as yarn model in the photo shoot of December 12th, 2007, I ventured outdoors with my newly felted and dried Dumpling Bag, intent on pressing the young, orange talent into service once more. As always, the ever-obliging feline came when summoned.

Today, however, he seemed less than accommodating.


At first he refused, but then reluctantly relented after I agreed to his extortionist terms. He demanded a wardrobe fee for appearing in his own collar, travel expenses for having to come down the stairs and a special fee for being male and having to appear in print with a purse. He also demanded that craft services be set up not just for the time allotted for the photo shoot, but for the remainder of the day and evening so that he could snack whenever he wanted. Needless to say, his fee involved vast quantities of dry food, canned food, treats, chicken and then of course, bacon, as well. I think I am going to have to start auditioning the neighborhood cats. You know, some "unknowns."


Well, there are some pretty photos of my Dumpling on Ravelry. I'll post them here, tomorrow. As for marble-mania, the purple paper ended up going on the book. Here it is with some others that turned out pretty well.

In other news, today is DH's and my 11th wedding anniversary. He had to work today and he had a special program to do tonight, so we're celebrating next week. The 11th anniversary, that's the yarn and fiber anniversary, right? Just like the 10th was? Heh heh heh.

You know, he looked so professional in his head shot...

Knitting For Artillery

The first clue for Mystery Stole 4 came out today. Though other people seem to really like it, I have to say that I am a wee bit disappointed. I loved MS3 (Swan Lake) because of the beads and the lacy wing. This one is starting out a little too geometric and stockinette heavy for me. I guess I just like the looks of, and enjoy knitting, very lacy lace. But, MS3 started out with a lot of stockinette, too, so I have to give it a chance. It's only the first clue, right?

Yesterday, I marbled up a whole slew of paper, as my oil paint stained fingers can attest to today. I managed to produce some decent ones amidst the bleah and just plain awful. I think that to make some really nice marbled paper you just have to use the sizing. I found that the paint just keeps moving around using only water to float it on. My colors started mixing together, as well. I think this may be one art that really requires watching someone else who knows what they're doing. Never-the-less, I covered the book, and it looks pretty cool. Plus, I have extra paper to recover the book when it gets trashed, which is bound to happen since it is a prop.

Oh, oh, oh! I felted the dumpling bag today. It is cute! DH calls it my cannonball bag. I have stuffed it with plastic grocery bags to give it that nice, round, large-caliber projectile appearance. I'd say it looks like about a 12 pounder, maybe more. Photos will appear tomorrow when I have the light to take them.

The End.

Marbling, Meh.

As promised, here are the results of my marbling paper experiment. Looks like I've got a ways to go. For one thing, I need to use a heavier paper than I did. I grabbed a pad of sketch paper, but I know that I have a larger pad of heavy drawing paper packed away. I'll have to find that. There are other things that I'm going to have to get before I try this again. Lots of newspaper, for one! It's a messy job! I need a sponge for dabbing excess away, better containers to mix paint and mineral spirits in and a better way to hang them to dry. Here are the sad results of my first attempt...

Not really usable for much...

Once I get the hang of it and get some nice ones (if ever), I'd like to cover some books with them for my DH.

After spinning the plain 'ol vanilla top, I got out the Mountain Colors roving in Alpine...

I wound them both up on a ball winder and plyed them both to themselves today. I took some photos of the skeins, but the light wasn't good. I'll try again to photograph them tomorrow.

We've had some much needed rain the past couple of days. DH and I like the rain. It is not a universal feeling in our household, however. The frustrated shut-in, Kittysperk, aka PH, feels otherwise. Here he is shown taking solace in one of my baskets, lying on my pennywhistle.

Vanilla Sheep

Did a little vanilla spinning last night and finished it up tonight. Just some Coopworth I've had hanging around for some time. I'm shooting for a worsted weight. Maybe it will become a bunch of mittens. I'm thinking I could dye skeins in several colors. Coopworth just seems "mitteny" to me. Not terribly soft, but not itchy.

When I first started spinning, around the turn of the century, I leaned towards natural colored fleeces and roving. I figured that I could always dye them if I got around to it, right? Lately, all I want is color, color and more color. So, from now on all plain, white fleeces, roving and top that remains will have a date with the dye vat. I have some gorgeous natural colored fleeces that are deep brown and silvery grey that I won't have to dye, but I just need some unnatural color in my life!

Today, DH and I went to Hobby Lobby. I bought some oil paints, for, tomorrow, I am going to attempt marbling paper. The oil paints I purchased will be mixed with mineral spirits to a cream-like consistency, floated upon a vat of water, and then manipulated into pleasing patterns with skewers and suchlike. The resulting masterpiece will then be transferred swiftly, but carefully, to a piece of drawing paper and hung on a line to dry. This is what is supposed to happen. What actually happens, however, will be documented tomorrow whether it be success or utter failure. I am hoping that the oils will float upon the water without having to prepare a sizing. I read somewhere on the web that you don't need a sizing when you use oils and I am counting on that because I really don't want to have to go to all that trouble, though, I know of one artist who uses one anyway. Hey, oil and water don't mix, right? Oh, I hope not!