Red Phooka

A Mexican Wonderland, Part One: The Neighborhood (2 of 2)

2010-02-24T08:23:00.001-08:00

And Old Rust-Bucket. There were many abandoned cars in the neighborhood we were in.

John is wowed by Mexico.

John ponders the local fruit.

Cactus Grafitti that was close to me.

A winning game of Stick-Ball

There were many, many old Volkswagons.

A Mexican Wonderland, Part One: The Neighborhood (1 of 2)

2010-02-23T15:13:00.000-08:00

John and I talked with the animals.

I am ruler of the coconuts! Palm trees seem to be everywhere, and are apparently very dangerous, as ripe coconuts will split your skull.

This is pretty well the face I made for 70 per cent of the trip. It was very bright in Mexico.

John found his initials on a wall.

The neighborhood we were in was very low income. This is what many of the roads looked like.

This was the internet place that we went to. Many shops had really old and somewhat unappealing arcade cabinets like the ones you see here. I never saw a single person use one.

Some Xmas Photographs.

2010-01-29T12:16:00.000-08:00

Starman

2009-12-27T22:11:00.000-08:00

A single-paged comic inspired by David Bowie's "Starman". I've been listening to a lot of Bowie lately.

Afraid of the Dark

2009-12-20T23:46:00.001-08:00

A comic I recently made during class. I had trouble with the ink washes. I'm not super fond of this one, but here it is.

Crows vs Gulls

2009-12-20T22:11:00.000-08:00

This is a single page comic that I made a while ago. I really shouldn't have worked as large as I did (12 by 15), as it proved very problematic to scan into Photoshop for cleanup. I'm super happy with the end result, and now can't decide whether I would like to continue on with the story.
More pages of different stories will be added soon.

Our Carpets Will Never Be The Same

2009-08-01T07:50:00.001-07:00

Mostly Plants

2009-07-11T14:17:00.001-07:00

John, BBQer Extraordinaire!
This is our front patio. Recognise the chairs?

My Marigolds! Probably my favourite flowers, as they are pretty and difficult to kill. The Allysum to the far left is from a previous year, the stringier-looking stuff is new. I was surprised to see such a difference in the mature plants. This is a photo from when they were very recently planted. All have filled out quite significantly since. I had deadheaded these rather aggressively, and it paid off.

An Umbrella Tree! Pretty short at the moment, but he'll eventually be very tall. He also lives in the studio.

A Dragon Tree; a tropical I bought for the studio. They eventually get quite tall, but are very slow-growing. It will eventually be dwarfed by the Umbrella Tree.

One of my flower-boxes. Salvia, Sweet Williams, Allysum, and a mystery-climbing-weed. The weed was growing in a different planter box and I still don't know what it is. I'm hoping that it's nature will become more apparent as it matures. It looks like it might be flowering.

My tiny little tomatoes. Now there are about a dozen of various sizes, although all are still green.

Cabin 2009

2009-07-10T23:23:00.001-07:00

We didn't take the camera out as much as we should have, but got some good pictures of a few days!

A HUGE spider was living in the sink. We flushed her down once the water-pump was up and running, but felt terribly guilty.

We caught the Canada Day Parade in Sechelt, John's hometown.

John's in a tree! This was on the hike in to the Skookumchuck Rapids. A very long, very beautiful hike.

A sleepy tree. John was telling me that the notches were cut into the trees by the lumberjacks that cleared the area, so that platforms could be erected between trees. But now they look like eyes. Sleepy eyes.

The view from the point over the Skookumchuck Rapids.

Sunset, the last night at the lake.

Eventually Pique and Miles started to get along.

the Lipizzaner Stallions

2009-07-08T19:21:00.000-07:00

It was a pretty good show, although admittedly not as awe-inspiring as it was when I was ten.

Shirley Jackson

2009-06-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

A practice in inking with one of my favourite authors.

Illuminated Being

2009-04-19T16:34:00.000-07:00

8 x 10 on clear primed linen canvas.
Golden Fluid acrylics and phosphorescent green.
A birthday gift for a friend.

Apartment Walkthrough

2009-04-15T00:09:00.000-07:00

New Sneakers

2009-03-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

Spilled Ink

2009-03-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

Stoat and Cat

2009-03-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

Two paintings that I completed this weekend. Stoat was the first, and looks unintentionally like a certain Mustelidae sidekick. Cat started out as a wolf, but you know how things are. Both are creepy.
Stoat is 8" x 10" on a clear-gessoed linen canvas. Cat is 5" x 7" on primed masonite. Both are using fluid acrylics and have a satin finish. Fancy.
I'm fonder of Cat than of Stoat, but mum's the word.

Second Orc Mini

2009-01-18T14:52:00.001-08:00

This is my second miniature painted.
I was going for a bit of a brighter palette with this guy - I ran into a few issues early on, and so I feel that the application of paint isn't as nice with this one. I'm pretty pleased with the colours, even if they are a bit cartoony.
I also used an iridescent medium to do metallics on this figure.

Orc Mini

2009-01-18T14:01:00.001-08:00

I've spent most of the weekend finishing a couple of miniatures. We've got Dungeons and Dragons today, and I'm really excited to put these guys into play.
The first posted here is the first figure I've painted - finally with static grass and some touched up colours to make him a little more snappy. The colours are a little more blue than true, but you can get the idea.

The figures are by Reaper Miniatures - part of a three pack of Orc Warriors
I've been using heavy bodied acrylics, thinned with a matte medium, combined with acrylic ink washes. Although I'm not unhappy with the results, I'm curious to try out maybe a fluid acrylic. A few of my colours are pretty old and crumby so I think the next paint I buy will be a bit more tailored to model painting/glazing.
I've applied a matte acrylic topcoat and some static grass.
Second Mini posted soon.

Starbuck Vs. Paperbag

2009-01-16T08:52:00.000-08:00

Christmas

2008-12-28T17:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas was lovely.
We were alone in the city, so it was very quiet and laid back.
We didn't have a spot in the apartment for the tree ( a twenty dollar Army and Navy special) so we used the kitchen table.
The weather here was terrible, incredibly snowy - which, on it's own, isn't so bad. It's the fact that transit grinds to a halt and taxi's aren't equipped with snow tires . . . no one knows how to drive in slippery conditions.

A Novel Completed

2008-12-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

Kind of, anyways.
It was incredibly rewarding to take part in NaNoWriMo, and I look forward to having a go at it again next year, lessons learned tucked confidently in the crook of my elbow.
The first draft is finished. There is some serious work to be done: twisting the story line around to make sense, characters cut/added/switched around, rubbish to be chopped out, and a title to be found; but in the meantime it's nice to not have to look at the beast.
Familiarity breeds contempt.
I am, however, really looking forward to starting some new stories. I've got lots of ideas, both for novels and short stories, and am very excited for a break in my social-events calendar so that I can make the most of them.
Speaking of which, I'm preferably a solitary animal. To my happy surprise slash utter dismay, I've got a lot going on this month including, recently, some social event to attend every night for over a week. This never happens, and it would appear that I lack the stamina for it. Trying to juggle Christmas shopping, sorting out personal paperwork, and every day life things around all of these festivities is really taking it's toll on my mental state. I need some alone time.
My hair is still purple and still at my shoulder blades, despite longing to get it cut and dyed back. There just isn't the time lately, and it's bloody frustrating.

So I'm writing a novel. . .

2008-11-03T22:54:00.001-08:00

And my hair is purple. But more importantly, I'm writing a novel.
November is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo as it is affectionatly called. Basically it's a challenge where many many people slave away for 30 days to pump out a 50,000 word draft. Pretty nutty stuff. This breaks down to 1600 words a day, every day. Having heard about it previously but too late to actually partake, I decided to tackle it this year. My novel is about zombies. Yep, zombies.
After a weekend of sketchy beginnings and today's long hard day at work, I only have 3700+. It’s a little depressing, falling behind on my daily quota so early on in the game, but I’m betting I’ll be able to get a bunch done on the weekends, when I don’t have to be talking to people/fully clothed/focusing on anything other than writing. There will be peaceful times with many words.

What Day is Today?

2008-10-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

It's Piquette's Birthday!

She's seven. Holy hell.

Our Weekend In Kelowna - PART I

2008-08-05T12:34:00.000-07:00

We went (rather last minute) up to Kelowna for the long weekend. It was lots of fun, very hot, and we left very happy.
The bus ride there was pretty pleasant for being so long. It was raining in Vancouver when we left, so the gradual transition to desert was a little shocking for those of us who had never been so far inland. I don't have any photos of us on the bus, so here's a cute dog!

We spent a lot of the time in the pool, John trying to teach me how to swim. I can't say that I'm any more skilled, but we had a lot of fun making forts out of pool noodles and throwing things at each other.
The first full day there was a big family affair. I met a few of John's cousins for the first time, and saw some people I hadn't seen in a long time. Brian and Theresa made an awesome meal and there were some more pool shenanigans. John and his dad had a showdown, which resulted in a tag-team beat-em-up. It was pretty entertaining to watch. That's Brian underwater.

The second day we were on our own, and decided to got for a long walk around the neighborhood. I was surprised to see so many vineyards and wineries, but the climate is perfect for it. It was incredibly hot and dry, but we got a good workout and saw some really nice views.

We then decided to go up to Knox Mountain Park to see the city. The view was incredible. Also, a fat kid, sans parents, was acting like a goof and fell on his face. So that was kind of entertaining.
Here is a picture of the clumsy fat kid.

I'll have to do another post later. Blogger makes posting pictures probably the most awkward and difficult task related to blogging.

John and Pique Do Not Approve of Infrequent Blog Updates.

2008-07-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog

2008-07-20T23:30:00.000-07:00

If you haven't watched it, then what the hell are you waiting for?
Unfortunately it is no longer available for free, so all you hardcore Whedon/Fillion/Harris fans are just going to have to pay for it or. . . *ahem* piratethatsuckertogetyourfix. I have done the latter, but rest assured I will be purchasing the DVD with all it's glorious extras. This is too awesome not to support.
What is it, you ask?
It's a musical. About a super-villain (Dr. Horrible (NPH)) and his arch nemesis (Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion)) and his love interest (Penny (who is played by the girl from the Guild)). And it's awesome.
So awesome that I have had songs from it stuck in my head since it's arrival on the scene. So awesome that it's affecting my dreams. So awesome that I watched the third act countless times so that I could type up the lyrics (at the time of me doing this, they were nowhere to be found. If you want a copy, let me know. . .). So awesome that I, too, want to hold a PhD in Horribleness. What the hell am I talking about, you ask? Better watch it!

Saturday Afternoon Walk - Part II

2008-06-16T13:45:00.000-07:00

Just some pretty flowers.

This is our favourite park. The stairs down to the train bridge is just down and to the right. Plus it's got a great name. Though we would have named it something else. Like "Train Conductor Park" . . . or something.

John and I like to come down to this bridge and watch the trains. It's really nice at sunset. They go right underneath the bridge. It's right next to an inlet. There's always boats out there, and apparently a pile of sulphur that they filmed an episode of SG-1 on top of. I would think that would have been unpleasant for the actors.

A sticker that we liked. It's meat!

Down by the tracks. There's all sorts of good stuff to look at from the old bridge.

We ran into the sea star again on our way back home. He had moved slightly, and was now completely dead. I suggested that a dog sniffed him. John thought maybe he was kicked. I guess we'll never know. And neither will he.

This is a pretty mural by our house. See the grey squirrel on the balcony rail?

And finally we end up on Our Street. It was about 6 by this time. We went out for sushi at this awesome new restaurant by our place. The service is incredible, the food is great, and the prices are good. Perfect balance.

Our Saturday Afternoon Walk - Part I

2008-06-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

John and I went out for a long walk today. I took lots of pictures.

We ran into this guy on the sidewalk. We suppose he was dropped by a bird. He was very dry and dying/already dead when we found him. We considered dumping slushy on him to help him out, but thought that sugar and extreme cold was probably not good for sea stars.

Just so you don't think that we really had slushies.

One park that we went to had lots of initials carved into the trees.

And very pretty moss.

And neat things in stumps.

The sidewalks becomes trail at one point. It smells really nice along here.

We are really close to an ocean inlet, and there's some pretty intense industrial areas. Lots of seagulls.

I guess they were testing out the road-line painters or something here. The shadow is John's head, in case you weren't making the leap.

Dreams, apparently.

I took some excellent photos of John while we were walking. I think they look slightly CD-insert-ish. We also found the best seesaw ever. It was huge and sproingy and very confortable. You could stand in the middle. This might be the best photo of John ever taken.

My Newest Obsession,

2008-06-06T13:52:00.001-07:00

Spinning.

I decided to go visit Birkeland Bros a few days ago to look for a nice yarn for John's upcoming Tomten sweater. While I was browsing I noticed some drop spindles behind the counter. I've always wanted to learn, but never had anyone to teach me. I bought a small bag of Shades of Narnia (from Chilliwack) at the PNE a few years ago, and had no idea what to do with it.

So I bought a student drop spindle and 2 lbs of roving in two lovely greens. Pearl showed me how to use the spindle and I headed for home.

It took me a while to be able to spin the spindle and a) not drop it and b) know when backspin was going to destroy what I had just made. My first yarn was lumpy and ugly and wonderful.
I made about 6 yards. I seriously have no idea how much of it there is, but definately not enough to do *anything* with. I'm just going to keep it for sentimental reasons.

My *second* handspun is more like real yarn. I'm still not sure on the yardage of it, but it's about 100g of fibre. I should be able to actually make something out of it. It's a two-plu aran weight, made from the bag of Narnia roving. It's incredibly pretty. I've just got it drying at the moment, but I'll post photos of it when it's all clean and dry and wound. I can't wait to knit with it.

I also got a great steal at Value Village the other day. A large men's wool sweater, handknit. I'm in the process of ripping it all out. The yarn is a fingering weight, I think, and a beautiful blue-green colour. I'm looking forward to doing something with it, though I'm not sure what yet.

The Neighbor Cat

2008-05-15T00:25:00.000-07:00

He's a creeper, see?

Charbonne On The Needles

2008-05-14T17:02:00.000-07:00

The Cozy V-Neck Sweater from Fitted Knits. Or rather it will be. Really nice to knit, though there is a bit more ribbing than I enjoy. I'm using a bag of Shetland Chunky left over from when Lewiscraft closed. A little worried about the yarn not holding up over time after all this ribbing, but I can't justify not using it for something.

I also took a nice picture of John's hat. I think I may use this when I post the pattern. I just need some photos with him in it and I'm set.

Fajoey

2008-05-13T12:22:00.000-07:00

My third painting in Vancouver.

This is a portrait done from a photograph of a maintenance man that I met in Jamaica. He was very kind, and took care of the convent that I was at during my stay.

I still don't know to this day if "Fajoey" was his name; his accent was very thick and I had a hard time understanding him sometimes.

It's acrylic on canvas, measuring 11" by 14". It took me close to 6 hours to complete. The edges are painted black.

I'm not totally happy with the background - I find it a little too dark. I'm still learning this stuff though, so I can't have regrets about it. I'm sure someone somewhere likes it.

So Here's What I've Been Up To. . .

2008-05-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

I've got it in my head that I can sell my paintings for a living, and will be giving it my best shot this summer.

The first painting that I finished here is on a warped canvas, so I can't sell it. This pains me slightly but I love it and want it for our apartment so. . . I can cope with the warped stretcher bars.
It measures 16" by 20" and is in acrylics. It took me about 20 hours to paint and I was very happy to see it finished.

Next I finished a smaller landscape of a military base that I visited in Jamaica. I've found a lot of photos of Jamaica (this being one of the less desireable ones) that I would love to paint. I'm going to be popping out today to get some larger canvases to do so. Everything that I've been reading strongly suggests having works of all sizes and a fair range in price so as to appeal to a wider audience. This makes a lot of sense to me.
This one is 8" by 10" and is also acrylic. This little guy only took about 5 hours, but I'm also not happy with a lot of it. The power lines, for example, are crap. There comes a point where you have to call something finished though, I suppose.

I'm loving using my studio-easel. It's really helping to ease any neck strain that I would normally have after 5 + hours of painting. It's a little clunky in our tiny apartment, but I'll have even more room when the weather gets really nice and our patio is set up - I'll be able to paint outside.

Vancouver in May

2008-05-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

Here I am.
The first weekend here was wonderfully whirlwind - My arrival Friday morning was reasonably smooth - Pique travelled fantastically and we had lots of leg room on the plane. The weather was great and there were no small children in my immediate proximity. I couldn't sleep.
I was happy to see the spring trees in all their blossomy-glory. John was all smiles. We got a cab and had a bit of a time getting my over-sized luggage in a little hatchback, but were on our way soon enough.
That night we went to a going-away party for my friend Kasey, who is, typically, moving across the country to where I just left. We seem to do this frequently, and may never live in the same province at the same time again. We have the worst timing in the world. We encountered Toad, dancing ambiguously in the corner of the room. We also met and were cornered by the most boring man in the world, which admittedly made the night more memorable. It was potentially one of the most surreal nights of my life: On the way from the sky train to the party John was waved down by some young men through the window of the Spaghetti Factory. They were very convincing, but John is certain he has never known them in his life. After the party there were numerous sky train happenings. First we get on and manage to sit directly in front of a homeless man who then poops himself and starts mumbling gibberish and waving his arms about agressively. We were out of there and into another car at the next station. Next two burly gangsters try to sell us pot/other. They stood at our sides, unravelling a large handkerchief from a pocket. Begin advertising shpeal. They were clearly not talking to each other, loudly proclaiming, to us albeit indirectly, as to how great their copious amounts of illegals were. John and I nervously switched cars again.
The night continued on as such and we were grateful to be home and safe.
Saturday was a Brawl tourny, which I lost but had great fun at. John did well but was eliminated second tier. Sunday was lunch with John's cousins. We went to Granville Island and had a great brunch. I bought some stuff at Opus. All was right in the world.
I painted every day last week. I'm going to be trying to sell these things and make money at it. Wish me luck, as I'll need it. So far my plan to paint for at least 5 hours each day is going beautifully. I've got a big ol' easel now and everything. It's taller than me and pretty.
Mario Kart Wii is loads of fun. Get it if you don't have it already. Seriously. Fun.
I am going into withdrawal. I need yarn. Last night I knit a strip of redheart *shudder shudder* on 5 mms. I threw in a few stitch patterns. It's butt-ugly but. . . oh man. . . did it ever feel good. Our Greyhound shipment came in so I should be up to my eyes in yarn in the next day or so. Thank FSM.
More later. Lots more.

John Sketch

2008-05-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

This was a 35 minutes sketch of John using a Prismacolour pencil crayon. He sits very still when he plays Rez.

John Sets Up My New Easel

2008-05-03T17:06:00.000-07:00

John set up the easel for me. It's very tall and pretty.

Packing

2008-04-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

Only 3 more days in Ontario.
I've been organizing my belongings for two weeks now: getting rid of stuff, recycling, returning borrowed items, and trying to figure out if I really need some things. I started packing yesterday and so far have been making pretty significant process. Luckily. Time, she be running out.
Piquette had her vet appointment last week to make sure that she was in tip-top flying condition. Her carrier is cleaned and ready. All she needs now is a lighter bone structure and wings. I made a new carrier-insert for the flight, as the original for her soft-sided carrier (the only type allowed as carry-on baggage) was warped and falling apart. It was only card covered in vinyl and hadn't held up to well to years of abuse. The final straw was last Wednesday, when she decided that being in a carrier at the vets (new rooms, lots to explore!) was not all that it had cracked up to be, and had the brilliant idea to roll the carrier around the lobby, hamster-ball-style, to investigate things. Needless to say the the bottom-insert was toast. I fitted a fabric sleeve over a piece of hardboard cut to size, with a quilted top (I only had stuffing, not batting, but it seemed to work quite well) and covered it all in polar-fleece. She should have a comfortable flight, for the most part.
I'm worried about Lady, as we have been closer than ever lately. She pined quite severely last time I left, and I doubt that this Friday will prove any easier. For either of us.
I feel that this week has really snuck up on me. There was lots that I never got to do (including some farewells to friends). I did manage to pop down to see my two best friends before I left, and we had a great weekend. I'm really going to miss them. I've got my fingers crossed that they are able to come out for a visit in the next year. That would rock (hinthintcoryandrobyncoughcough).
I have discovered another reason to be grateful for yarn: It's a fantastic packing material. All those little nooks and crannies in the rubber maid bins (I'm shipping all of my stuff Greyhound) that are dead space otherwise. . . ? Yeah. Yarn. Merino Wool makes terrific padding. Way to go yarn! Who needs bubble wrap?

Like Lightning

2008-04-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

The snow is finally melting from days of rain.

And, Pretty Cat:

She's so camouflaged!

My Fish Salutes You

2008-04-05T17:41:00.001-07:00

It was a lovely little fish.

Also, I'm working on another painting using this new-fangled technique. It's of my Grandmother. She will be in a rose garden. Still a lot of work to do!

Trying Something New

2008-03-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

I've run into some visual difficulties with my current oil painting and decided to try a new technique with acrylics that I've been reading about. It's called glazing, and it's really bloody difficult. Lots of fun, but FSM help you if you screw up.
Basically it's very fine layering of paint, to create (more often than not) a believable skin tone. It's a lot like watercolour, except not quite as easy to make muddy. Although I did overwork it a bit (:ahem:) I'm still rather satisfied with the results. I learned a lot, and not only regarding acrylics. I would definately be more confident with watercolours after this. It was also my first time using masonite as a support. I gessoed it myself and managed to get that wrong too. Ah well. I know what not to do for next time.
I really enjoyed working on the masonite - It was very smooth and creamy to work on, unlike the textured canvas that I am used to. It was very inexpensive, though warped slightly after I gessoed it. I'm not sure how one would remedy this in future. Although I do love having a boxy canvas to hang on the wall sans frame, the masonite or a similar smooth wood surface does have a lot to offer. I may have to go for framed wooden supports in future (if my wallet allows).
I've also been hearing "varnish" a lot lately. I'm shocked that this never came up in school, and the fact that it didn't is only strengthening my argument that I'm learning more on my own time (so far this year my weekly expeditions to the local library has had a more bountiful harvest of new knowledge than all of last semester of school). I had never considered varnishing an acrylic painting, but I suppose it makes sense. Having never before worked with oils I hadn't heard about varnishing them either, but that makes even more sense still. I don't own varnish, I will have to get some.
For now, I am eager to try this glazing business again.

(The bottom photo is midway through the painting.)

More Snow

2008-03-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

It's nearly April and officially spring by date alone. We're being dumped with another 15 cms of snow as I type. When will this end? We've already got snow banks on the side streets (those streets not fortunate to have city-sponsored snow removal) taller than me, and that's after they've melted over the past week.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to enjoy that little taste of spring that we had last week as I was drugged-up and incapacitated on the sofa, eating my meals with a spoon and watching gratuitous Kids in the Hall. I had my final wisdom tooth out last Tuesday and things are healing well. I also had a root canal done at the same time, and it's been (surprisingly!) more sensitive and difficult to work around. I had fish and chips for dinner tonight and it was terriffic. I'm so over instant mash and diet-supplement drinks. I'd kill for a salad about now.
Speaking of Kids in the Hall: Guess who's going to see them live in May? I'll give you one guess. If you guess wrong then you are never allowed to speak to me again. Ever. I'll assume that you guessed right, which would be John and I, and that you are currently happy for us. It's the whole gang, live, in person, doing stuff. We bought the tickets today for the Coquitlam show. We're both really excited. I've always wanted to go and see them live, secretly fearing that one of them would perish and therefore I would never be able to experience the whole troupe when I did finally go to see them. Just hold 'til May, ok guys?
I took some pictures of G in the snow this evening. The flakes are just so huge, they were calling out to have their pictures taken.
The first picture is my favourite (the one up there at the top of the post). I'm not sure what she was doing, but it turned out alright. Her smiling one king of turned out mid-blink I think. There was an awful lot of snow falling, after all.

BAMF!!!

2008-03-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

I am designing some mittens:

They are, without a doubt, the coolest things I have ever designed. I'm working my second one, and refining the pattern so that I can release it. I'm hoping to make it a free Ravelry download once I get the sizes all figured out. They are super fun to wear!

I have had this idea in my head for a very long time, obviously inspired by Nightcrawler of Marvel fame. I used some Paton's Decor that I had lying around, the perfect colour blue. Not my favourite yarn but certainly well-suited for this project. The mitts I am making will be the small of the pattern; there will be an XS, M and L as well. I was considering doing a colour changed and a bit of a stitch change and making Ninja Turtle mitts as well!

On a side note: I have the most beautiful cat in the world . . .

And They Wonder Why Artist's Are Starving?!

2008-03-14T14:42:00.001-07:00

That's over a hundred dollars right there, folks.
I'm really enjoying oil painting in school, so I decided to sink some money into my own supplies. I went with an odourless solvent so that I can still paint in my windowless dungeon of a bedroom, and Walnut oil instead of Linseed. Apparently it doesn't yellow with time as Linseed tends to, and it is more resistant to cracking. The cost different was minimal, so it seemed worth it. That is, if any of my paintings are around long enough to risk becoming yellowed . . . and I don't mean in the Goodwill or anything. Those paintings clumped together on wire racks always give me mixed feelings.

Lady Bing Cherry. She wanted her picture taken too. How could I say 'no' to that big stupid smelly face?

Sarjaent is becoming a really nice little cat. Except when she bites you. Then you kind of want to throw her off a cliff. But she's super cute in pictures.

She also loves to eat the houseplants. And string, despite my best efforts to keep it away from her. I keep telling her that she's going to kill herself with the stuff, but she's a very stubborn little cat.

Some Knitting For Your Eeballs . . .

2008-03-05T13:34:00.000-08:00

I present to you: John's Cobblestone

This is the first sweater I've made John, but certainly not my last. It was a joy to knit, despite the yarn (Paton's Decor in Rich Blue) being full of knots and otherwise inconsistent. I very much enjoyed the construction and the garter stitch, which was surprisingly satisfying to knit up. It will need some blocking, and potentially some lengthening, but we will see how it goes after it is properly shaped.

In a potentially vain attempt to thin my ever-growing and mutating stash, I made some mittens. I had bought a skein of Thrumming when I worked at Knitter's Bazaar and had not yet built up the courage to use it. I had also acquired a bag full of half-balls of Paton's Classic Merino Wool in all manner of variegates. I thought it might be fun to work up some colourful Newfie Mitts . . . and it was! They are ridiculously warm and I really like the eclectic look of them. Unfortunately (?) it is not cold enough at the moment to wear them. Hopefully this doesn't change!

Admittedly I bought some more yarn. This is the one (ONE, just one) skein that I purchased at Granville Island on my Vancouver Adventure. It's silk and it's hand-dyed and hand-spun and it's lovely. It's hiding out in a zippered baggie at the moment. I can't risk anything happening to it. One day it will become a kerchief. The most beautiful kerchief in all the land.

And this beauty is my latest monster. It's Ganomy Hat, by Elizabeth Zimmermann, and arguably my favourite hat I've made to date. It was super-fast to knit up and valiantly managed to use up every last scrap of one particular ball of Alsfoss Lopi that I had no clue what to do with.

The little star is from "Christmas-Fiddle-Faddle" by Zimmermann, and (I think) adorable.
This Lopi stuff I have never before had the honor of working with. I use "honor" lightly. It was like a Norwegian sheep stomped on my fingers before exploding in my face. My entire workspace was/is (depending on when one reads this post) covered in wiry bristles of yarn. My fingers are sore and dry. The hat looks awesome though, and isn't unpleasant to wear at all. It sure does make me feel like a gnome!

Another Trip to Granville Island

2008-02-24T10:57:00.000-08:00

We're 100! This was our trip back to Granville so that I could pick up that yarn. More on the yarn later.

We thought this graffiti was too awesome. Graffiti64!

Mr and Mrs Lagamorph

2008-02-22T11:23:00.001-08:00

Rabbits are difficult to photograph. They are very twitchy. They also don't really like camera-sounds, you have to shoot like a ninja. I will be trying more later.
We are attempting to bond today. So far. . . better? They have never really been partial to me, but then again they have never really been partial to anyone. They are somewhat cranky bunnies.

Granville Island - Take 1

2008-02-02T12:15:00.000-08:00

John and I at Granville Island. I look deranged. I thought that was the plan. Ah well!
This was a fun outing - we visited a silk-weaving studio, and I bravely resisted buying up some silk/wool blend. I am now kicking myself. I'll have to go back.

John refuses to act like a garbage can. I was planning on taking a picture of him doing so, but he resisted, and so I took a photo of his insolence.

Apparently Justin's favourite graffiti in all of Vancouver. Mine too. So far, that is. I remembered the Dinosaur, but I think the elephant must be "new", because I couldn't recall seeing it before, and I can't see myself forgetting his awesomely austere expression.

More Later.

Said the Lion to the Cat. . .

2008-01-18T13:50:00.000-08:00

"You don't love me, you love the idea of me."

My cat, Pique, seems to have fallen for a drawing I did a week ago. She sleeps by it, she stares as it, she marks it with her face-scent, she knocks it over so she can lay on it. I don't get it, but I'm sorry to say that I need my drawing board back. Also, she's ruining the paper. I'll have to make another pastel drawing to see if it's just the fumes she loves. Or, perhaps she and lion have bonded.

Christmas Knitting

2007-12-21T09:52:00.001-08:00

As I am unable to post knit items for family and friends until they have received said items, I shall instead post a commission that I received wind of the other day.

I present to you . . . A knitted Dickey

Serious Business, this Dickey. I was given very little notice during my bout of Christmas knitting, and managed to pull it off in about 3 hours. It's made from Paton's Classic Wool, 100 per cent sheep's wool, in a very pretty/manly denim blue (I wasn't sure the gender of the recipient so . . . . everybody loves blue! right?) as you can see from the tag. Here Nigel models it. Nigel thinks it's dashing.
Here's something I can show you - A sneak peek at my new mittens! This is a reward for myself for being on schedule with all my Christmas knitting. I needed a treat. The colours are fairly true in the photo, a very pretty teal and a kelly green. I'm following Elizabeth Zimmermann's Mitered Mittens Pattern with great success. I've used this pattern before but shhhhh. . . what I made is top secret!

And here's Sarj with someone else's gift:
Knit Catnip Mice!

She was pretty pissy when I took them away. I guess she thought they were for her - I'll have to make her and Pique some for their stockings. I made these guys extra big because they are going to such a big guy!

Deck the Halls

2007-11-27T08:02:00.001-08:00

This is how we decorate the tree at my house - with flair and gusto.
That tree is fake - can you tell?
Still struggling with school, though keeping up. Only three more weeks until this semester is over. I'm scared. Next semester will be much better, and *gasp* I may actually be creating art instead of colour scale exercises. I'm so on it!
My computer is almost up and running as usual. Installing Norton really helped, as I am getting something trying to "attack" my PC every five minutes I'm on the internet. Even after hours of picking through every file on my computer I was unable to locate the infected ones, but switching to Firefox as my browser was a good move. I guess only Internet Explorer is really messed up.
Yesterday, while riding the bus, I happened to sit behind a very large man with a sticky-out moustache and a child's mind. He was picking his nose with bandaged fingers and smearing whatever he found up there on the rails and windows. Further proof that men smear (10 points if anyone can tell when what movie that is referenced from). I was pretty disgusted and may never take public transit again. One of those situations where it's totally inappropriate to say anything, but god damn do you want to.

M's DS Cozy

2007-11-05T05:36:00.001-08:00

That's right - it's hairy. . . just like everything else in the house.

This was a gift for his tenth birthday - he was also receiving a DS, so I knew it would immediately be put to good use!

I used a light courdoroy as the outer fabric and a pumpkin-coloured fleece for the guts. I sewed in two deep (by DS game standards) pockets in after the fact, and made a wrist strap for it as well. I was especially proud of the strap, as it showed more foresight and planning that I usually exhibit in my sewing. I may actually be getting good at this thing!

I made up the pattern, using my own DS as a template. I didn't want to use too much velcro, as the stuff that I bought out of a bargain bin has incredibly hold-power, and I have to wrestle with my wallet that I made a little too often. I did do a test run with my own DS though, inserting it into the cosy then flailing it about wildly by the wrist strap. I can safely say that this baby is solid.

Jake Rocks Out

2007-11-04T13:04:00.001-08:00

Some sketches of Jake playing Guitar Hero III - The first took about ten minutes and the second of him standing about 5. I hadn't been drawing much lately, and wasn't feeling very inspired, but the the past week or so I seem to have the hankering to draw everything I see. Which is welcome, believe me.
I've also got to find a job. Some money would be welcome, too.

Being Proactive and Loving It . . .

2007-11-02T06:20:00.001-07:00

So life has been hard to keep up with lately, but I think I've survived the storm. Not that it will be smooth sailing, but I don't run the risk of capsizing so much.
I'm working hard to get all caught up on my Craftster Swaps, homework, housework and Christmas crafting. A huge bout of family birthdays in a very short period of time has left me out of breath; my midterms marks left me breathless. Let's just say I could be doing better. Way better. Let's just say I'm ashamed and dismayed. Let's just say I'm pulling up my socks.
Let's just say I'll never do this poorly again. Let's.
The Zombie package was very well recieved, and candy was consumed. Hurrah!
Hallowe'en was ok - my brother and I had a mini shindig with the signifigant others. I'll have to post pictures later. If you have ever wanted to see a Drug Dealer, Shifty-Eyed Drunken Vagrant, Witch and Hooded Skeleton rock out on Guitar Hero whilst imbibing fancy drinks. . .boy are you in luck!

And Thus Ends a Haunting Chapter of My Life.

2007-10-26T05:29:00.000-07:00

So I finally sent off my Zombie Swap Package. I would feel like the worst swap partner ever, except for the fact that everything I made was gold. Here is the completed package, plus black cat for extra spooky goodness:

I made these magnets out of those glass drops sold in mesh bags and little water-colour paintings I did especially for the project. I actually did six, thought I had taken a picture of all six, and then realised that I was missing a set of two after I had packed them up and sent them off. Bummer. They were all different. I drew the faces on with pigment liner and highlighted the white bits with acrylic paint. I totally plan on making lots more for myself! Magnets are glued in behind.

Sorry for the wicked glare. . .

I made these earrings as well. Hoo-Rah for Shrinky Dinks! They are based off of a guitar pick that you can buy from Hotpicks, but who wants to do that when they can make them at home? Earrings, I mean. Not guitar picks. I realise that shrinky dinks are far too brittle to be used as guitar picks. Simmer down.

I really liked the packaged for this. Ziploc Bag, and index card and a sharpie. Oh. . . and staples. Can't forget the staples.

She should receive it Hallowe'en, which I thought was terribly appropriate, however late it may be. I really think that she'll love it. I was so sad to see Gary, my zombie, go. I will miss thee, Gary.

I also sent some Bulk Barn candy (hopefully she is willing to eat bulk candy she received in the mail from a stranger. I just bought it. It's fresh. It's also brain gummies and sour bones. Awesome!

Just in case she dutifully adheres to the lessons of concerned parents/school teachers/scout leaders and is leery of eating unpackaged candy from strangers (though they never mention it arriving by mail, which in my opinion cancels the whole thing out) I also sent her some body parts. . . packaged. . .at a factory. Definitely no poison or razor blades there!

My PC is still indisposed.

2007-10-17T21:57:00.000-07:00

And it's pissing me off.

hope to have it fixed in the next week. We are coming up on reading week, and I must say I'm looking forward to it. I need some time to catch up on some work that I've been struggling with. I've decided to really pull up my socks and start taking my courses more seriously. I am considering applying to Fine Art in the fall. It scares the crap out of me: I'm so homesick. We'll see how it pans out. I think it'd be good for me though. Wherever I may go, more schooling seems like the answer for me.

It was Pique's birthday this week (and Cristin's!). Same day. We had balloons and a cake and everythin'!

The Birthday Girls! (We have a newfound tradition in my family to wear this awesome hat I found at the dollar store on your birthday. Pique is not a big fan of hats:

And. . .
PIQUE DEMANDS CAKE!!!
Never piss off a cat with a fork. It's death.

BEST. . . SHIRT. . ..EVAR!

2007-10-12T15:44:00.000-07:00

Please don't mind the smushy chin - it's hard to take a picture of choself. . . I found this shirt on Threadless and completely fell in love with it. I think my favourite aspect is that is totally looks like a little kid's shirt until you realise exactly what the cuddly unicorns are up to. My rainbow is a bit wonky - my scalpels were dull (I have since replaced them). Enjoy!

Gainfully Unemployed

2007-10-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

I finally quit my stupid awful job.
Rather, the new manager (my old manager was transferred to another store within the company with no notice. . .there's a big long story there that I'd rather not get in to, but let's jsut say that it's not a good scene, and I no longer felt good about the ethics and politics within the higher-ups) called after I didn't show up for a shift. I had already called her and told her that I was sick and unable to come in to work (more on that later) and she demanded a doctor's note. I thought this ridiculous, especially because I have never needed one in the past, it is not company policy and I don't want to go all the way to Angus to get a note for a headcold. So I told her that I wasn't coming in anymore. She got mad - told me that she didn't need this crap and that she doesn't have time for this. . . she's got a business to run. I stayed chipper and friendly and told her to have a good day. And that's that.
I've got to say it's pretty nice to know that you're not selling bedding anymore. I would really like to stay out of that type of retail in the future. The idea of selling people things that they most definately do not need really bothers me. Also the up-selling. I hate how good I am at it.
Aaaaand. . .I'm sick. It's just a headcold but I've very nearly lost my voice. I could only whisper when I awoke this morning, and now I sound like a goose. It should be cleared up in the next few days though, and I get a few days in my pjs playing vids as a result. Not too shabby overall. . .
My computer is also sick, and will be out of commission for a while. There's a trojan virus on there and its hacked my system or some jazz. I can't use the internet or any of my programs. That really stinks. Especially when I'm sick. . . .

What did the Yeti make when he walked through the vegetable garden?

2007-09-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

SQUASH!
AHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I drew these for class & thought I would share. I'm eating these suckers for dinner tonight (I mean my reference, not the paper). It's Mayfair paper with some pigment liners ( 0.01 and 0.5 in case anyone cares to note it). Took me about an hour over breakfast.

Also - a page by the name of www.last.fm has very recently come to my attention, and . . . well . . . I just think it's fantastic! Check it out if you haven't already - I was ever so sad when Pandora went American-only (as if I needed more reasons to glare at our neighbors to the south - though this is probably the first time it has been a jealousy-fueled glare) so I was super-duper happy to stumble across this gem! I'm on there and . . . appropriately. . . "sydmore". If you'd like to add me as a friend, then by all means do so. Because if you read this blog, then baby, you're not just my friend but my hero.

Sketches and Stitch Markers

2007-09-26T21:36:00.000-07:00

I drew these for Fundamentals of Drawing - charcoal on big paper and all that jazz. The berries were done in like 15 minutes because I was tired and wanted a beer - but everyone seems to like it so. . .here it is. . .

The tree took about an hour - it was windy. That squirrel there? Scared the crap out of me when it ran down the tree I was leaning against. Then it ran into view. So I drew it. I have others, but I'm not confident enough in them to show them proudly. So I shan't show them at all.

I also made John some stitch markers. . . .

Glass beads and earring backs. I thought they were pretty. I hope he likes them. I also plan on making up a little pouch for them to go in, but I haven't had a chance yet.

Re: Your Brains

2007-09-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

So apparently blogger doesn't want me to put these in any apparent order.
I made this zombie!
He's cotton with a poly fill. I gessoed over top of the crummy lookin' doll I made, and painted him with acrylics and turned him inta THIS:

It's quite possible the coolest thing I have ever made. I plan on making OOAK dolls like this and selling them on etsy. Seriously. Pretty awesome, don'cha think?

He's for a swap, so I really hope that my swap partner isn't reading this a spoiling the surprise. It's in the mail.

long relaxed sigh

2007-09-22T20:50:00.000-07:00

Today was my very first day off in 18 days.
I did. . . nutthin'. . . .
Oh sure - I slept in, I had a big pancake breakfast, a lesiurely shower. I talked to John and cleaned up my room (which has been even more neglected than usual) to make way for my brand spankin' new drafting table. I then bought the drafting table (which, during assembly, I found out is missing a rather important piece - I'll have to go by Curry's tomorrow and grab 'er up), had a big, deliciously starchy dinner with a big, deliciously fatty desert. And that's right. . .I made whipped cream. It was awesome. After dinner I worked on G's birthday scarf and watched Brisco County Jr. (which, for any of you whom are not familiar with this fine fine show - seriously check it out. It's a western/comedy/sci-fi starring Bruce Campbell. . . almost too good to be true, no?). All in all, a relaxing day.
Nevermind the fact that in 12 hours I will be at work. Nevermind that I have projects due on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc. . . Nevermind that I still have to finish up a project for my Zombie Swap (due out on Monday). I drank tea and sat in my pyjamas and couldn't have been happier to do so.
That having been said - I have been thinking more and more about quitting my job. For good. For ever. So long bedding! Adios crappy retail! It has long been in the works for me to sell a line of crafts on Etsy, and I think I may get to it! Work has been giving me more hours lately than I can handle (even after many discussions with my boss as to why I cannot handle more than 10 hours per week and her agreeing that this is acceptable. I would very much like to not go any more. Ten hours a week at minimum wage isn't going to pay out much more than selling crafts online anyways, and I bet the latter would be a lot more fulfilling.
It's been nice to have a day to chill out and not have anything stressful on my mind. I'm bummed that I wasn't able to go and visit Cory and Robyn, but I needed a day at home to get some stuff organised (not to mention I don't want Robyn getting sick with this head cold after all of her health issues lately - that would suck!).

Stitch Markers and Evil Villian

2007-09-16T21:06:00.000-07:00

I made these for a swap:

I did 18 in total, they are not all shown here. I used an earring kit, some colourful glass beads, and some cool charms I have been holding on to for a while. I will have to make some more for the knitters in my life.

Also, further proof that my sister is awesome:

I recently attended a moustache party (it is what it sounds like, people). G decided to try out my trial moustaches. Immediately after this picture was taken, she robbed a bank safe using dynamite before tying a young girl to to some train tracks. . . .

Yarn Pron

2007-09-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

I bought enough of this candy in Bancroft during my camping trip to choke a horse. It's a wool/nylon blend from New Brunswick. I got 1300 yards of the brown, and 200 of the blue/violet. . . . enough for a pullover or cardigan. . . perhaps even a hoodie?!. I haven't decided what exactly I'm going to do with it yet, but boy do I like looking at it!

I think, due tot he fact that I worked up my gauge swatch in a tent, and lovingly wound the balls near a campfire (with my little brother's patient help), it should only be made into an Elizabeth Zimmermann inspired garment. It seems only fitting. I think I may try and buy yarn as a souvenir more often - it truly is a wonderful thing to remember an adventure by!

Meat Sydney. . .

2007-09-09T21:16:00.000-07:00

So this was my first assignment for Ideas and Imagery, a class where we discuss . . . ideas . . . and imagery. I was to create a self-portrait in the odd style of Arcimboldo, using a collage-type styling, and the objects I used were to be symbolic of my person.
Of course I chose meat.
Why, you ask? Because: we are all made of meat. Also, we were supposed to shy away from any imagery that was too obvious or that the symbolism of would be too literal. I thought it symbolic of my incessant need to define things too literally for comedic and ironic effect.
I find it a little disturbing, but I'm happy with the end result. The photograph isn't great - I still haven't erased the graphite lines of my original sketch away, and I have a few more edges to glue down. But I think this is an excellent representation of what 4 hours, a couple of beers, and a fat stack of grocer's flyers can bring out.
I used fried meats foods for my hair, and roasted meats for my top. My face is made from raw meats and white meats. Also. . .I used sole for my eye. Because. . . the eyes are windows to the . . . sole?!?! AHAHHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Also, my eyelids are sausages. Hurrah!
Aside from being kind of lumpy - and . . .y'know. . . meaty. . .I think it looks like me for the most part. I'm nervous about the mark I will receive on it, but I'm more afraid of someone else having used meat! (We were given complete freedom to use whatever we wanted...)
The whole thing measures 14" by 17". I like it more every time I look at it.

Tardy

2007-09-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

I have this "thing" where I will not get ready for something because I have "too much" time. I have to work at 1:30. I can't get showered at 12:30 - that's 15 minutes too early! Showering early would lead to early teeth-brushing and hair-styling, which in turn would lead to early dressing and perhaps even shoe-donning. Why would I want to do these things over surfing the internet and drawing in my pyjamas? I don't think it's logical and neither should you.
However I am always running late for things and often have to sacrifice the hair-styling as I grab a granola bar and run out the door, shoe-laces flapping in the wind. Perhaps my "thing" is flawed.
Also - I have to make a portrait of myself out of meat-pictures by this coming Wednesday. Who knew college would kick so much ass?

What's that?

2007-09-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry, I couldn't quite make out that last bit . . . . I should eat, you say? Some meat? Ah. . I see. . . oh . . . and then proceed to accelerate in my vehicle at an alarming rate? Uh huh . . . . to the metal indeed!

(I spent pretty well all of today playing Dead or Alive 4 with Cory. . . . just in case you couldn't quite place that reference . . . you know. . . about the meat. . . ?)

And I've got to say it's pretty killer.

I likes.

I'm reasonably new to the Dead or Alive family of games, today being the first time to ever actually sit down and play instead of picking up a round at a party. My thumbs hurt, my eyes are dry, I'm feeling a little ill from that bag of marshmallows we ate . . . but I'm pretty happy about it. I'm really sad that Robyn and Cory are moving this Friday. I know I'll really miss them. Luckily I will still be seeing them, as they will only be 40 minutes or so away. Yay!

I start school tomorrow, which is crazy. It really crept up. Also, somewhat amusingly, I will be totalling 20 hours of work this week (which contains a stat. holiday) and an alarming final count of 31 the following week. Scratch my average of 14 hours per week that I've been schedualled this past summer (that my boss firmly insisted was the maximum she could allow) and double it! I'm a student now! Goodbye social life! I don't need you . . . I have money now . . . .

I'm sure I will have to request that my hours be cut back. With classes everyday, I forsee this being too great a workload. Plus . . .you know. . . I like sleeping and stuff . . . *shrugs* I'm just sayin'. . .

Rojo!

2007-09-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

I got home from camping last night - tired, scruffy and happy - and guess who was waiting for me?!

Rojo, from the sunny land of Florida!

He's sweet and I love him. . . I have coveted Day of the Dead Bears for a long time and now I have one! I think I will have to try my hand at making one as well - they look like a lot of fun!

This guy has been all over the country and the U.S. - FedEx kinda sucks, as it turns out. . . But he's finally here, chill-axin' right next to my Attack Monkey. They seem leery of one another, but I'm sure they will become fast friends.

So Murder and camping are not as similar as you might think

2007-08-28T03:37:00.000-07:00

A bit of an overlap here between blog and comic, but It's 3:30 in the morning and I have yet to pack.

Anyways, I'm heading into Northern Ontario for a few days, I'll be back at the end of the week. So, basically all I had to say was:

We Own Other Team!

2007-08-27T21:38:00.000-07:00

These are some wallets. I made them. That is all.

G's Gryffindor Scarf. Still working on it. It's due the end of September, so it's a nice leisurely knit. I'm using Bernat Satin, but not because I like it.

A Striped Toque. Worsted weight wool. It's not quite that bright in real life. My own design, I quite like it and would like more in different colours.

Cable>Satellite

2007-08-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

It's been pretty stormy here the past few days and my satellite is wonky because of it. Luckily the power isn't off and I can still sew.
As it turns out I am reasonably handy and managed to get my machine working again, and been pumping out some wallets and fooling around with old t shirts. Only the wallets could ultimately be described as worth my time. Unfourtunately the camera has gone on vacation and won't be back for another week or so. Plan B is an older digital camera that I have but seem to be missing the USB cable for. I shall go hunting!
Why do I always managed to get more done when I don't have a way to display it?
My party is not on. I had a few friends over last night, had a bbq and watched Evil Dead II. I'm expecting similar tonight, which is fantastic in it's own right. . . I've just never had a party before . . . ever.
Oh well.
Oh and Eryn? I got your letter! *grin*

Dear Diary...

2007-08-23T09:22:00.000-07:00

Things to Do Today

Register for Classes (check)
Freak out about how much my books will cost (check)
Get my hair cut so I look less like a demented Farrah Fawcett (urgent)
Try and remove the dog-smell from my couch (impossible?)
Untangle the pile of yarn that is my bedroom (5 day job)
Do Laundry so that I have clean clothes, not just underwear (check)
Log in more hours on my overly ambitious Christmas knitting pile (check)
Get my hands on some beer (ASAP)

Belligerent and Moody

2007-08-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling slightly more psychotic than usual in the past few days, partially due to work - partially due to a potentially failed party that I was to be hosting this coming weekend. Partially because I am to register for classes tomorrow. Partially because my knitting is kicking my ass.
I finished my shift at work early today because I couldn't stand my customers. I was snappy. I ignored people. I lied about having product so that I didn't have to show it to them. I thought it best that I get out of polyester pants and onto my couch and start eating some cheese and watching cartoons. So I did.
My manager wasn't in today, or else I might have stayed through 'til the end. But my feet hurt, my patience was gone, and I was getting awfully sick of greeting incoming customers only to have them pretend not to hear me. When this happens I repeat my greeting, sometimes switching it up between a "Hi there" and a "Hello!", getting progressively louder with each repetition and moving closer and closer. Today I was especially focused in making them uncomfortable. Try and ignore that, you old cow. Don't blame it on the stereo system - I saw you react when I said "Hi" the first time. You get an A for effort though.

Ohthankgod. . .

2007-08-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

I recalculated my younger brother's measurements. This is the first time I have ever been happy to have to rip out some of my knitting! His finished chest circumference should not 54 inches - more like 46". This should cut down onmy knitting time considerably, which is fantastic.
Also I have found a really cool celtic lettering generator for knitting and other needlepoint. I will be duplicate stitching our family motto, "Hold Fast", into the hem of the sweater, and perhaps the date (2007). Thankfully I hadn't started that yet on the monster sweater, because I, eternally rushing, had been considering it!
Most of my family left for camping today, and I've got to say I'm a little bummed I couldn't go with them. They will be back next Tuesday for my Mum's citizenship ceremony (she is finally Canadian - after almost 30 years of living here! Yay Mum!) so I may go back with them if I can figure out a way to update my webcomic while I'm gone *wink*
We shall see.

Smaug the Dragon

2007-08-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

This is a package for a girl on Craftster. It took me way too long to get off in the post, but I hope the items will make up for my tardiness.

It was for the swap "Fairy Tale Creatures", and the girl I made this for had a partner who flaked out (aka did not send a package), so I signed up as swap angel.

I knit the dragon out of Bernat Satin, and ended up creating my own pattern becuase I couldn't find anything on the internet that suited the subject. The beads on his chest are a reference to the gems that Smaug placed in his scales to strengthen them. I used felt for the teeth/ears/tongue/wings, and painted the wings with fabric paint in both a gold and yellow. The eyes are teddy-bear eyes, I thought they looked cute.

I didn't give him legs because he was more cuddly without them, and though I made legs they didn't suit the look of him and were awkward. I crocheted the spines along his back (which took me close to 2 hours due to my crappy crocheting skills).

The Tshirt was from Michaels, and I just stenciled on a cool Celtic Dragon knot. She also likes Celtic stuff.

The Fairy stone has a tag which explains it.

I will also be including some chocolate dollars in the package, because. . .where would adragon be without treasure to guard?

I really hope that she likes it - I put a lot of work into this guy!

Hark ye Heralds. . .

2007-08-16T22:20:00.000-07:00

I officially started my Christmas knitting this year on August 16th. I have started my oldest younger brother's sweater - a whopping 54 inch chest circumference. I'm using a worsted weight yarn - my gauge is a mere 5 sts per inch. Crazy you say? Suicidal, you say? Well. . .
I tend to agree.
I figure that I have given myself ample time though - I also have another large man pullover, an adult's small (other younger brother - who is only nine and almost as tall as I - why are all the men in my family giants?) a child's size 8 for my little sister (who would like a ski-sweater) and a secret surprise for my mum (aha! Caught you mum!). Luckily my mum's super-duper secret surprise is almost finished (I'm like a freakin' ninja over here!) and will most definately be ready by Christmas morning.
All but mummy will be receiving garments designed around Elizabeth Zimmermann's patterns and techniques. I have to admit - I'm in love. Everything she created is so inspirational. It all makes sense to me, unlike any designer or guru I have ever encountered (not that there is a surplus of knitting gurus out there - but you catch my drift!). I love her attitude towards knitting.
I have also been reading some Stephanie Pearl-McPhee as of late and though her anecdotes and observations are cute and all. . . I don't really like her work as an author. I dislike how whimsical she makes the craft out to be. Wait - let me rephrase that before I come off as stodgy and unimaginative: I dislike how she presents knitting as out of our hands. Whatever may be, will be. Yarn is a sentient being with and evil will. Knitters are slightly deranged. Look lady - my Brownsheep Worsted is not the crystaline-freakin'-entity. It's string. I will make it a hat. See? It's magic in it's own way, but I control it. There are no "knitting winds" or "yarn gods" that bless or fuck up my work. If I make a mistake that was my fault. If something turns out exactly perfect it's because I took the time to make it so. I know her attitude works for a lot of people, but it certainly doesn't with me. I'll take the good-humoured yet practical and logical EZ over that any day.
*end tiny knitting rant*
P.S. I don't know if this is updating properly. Blogger and I are not seeing eye to eye as of late.

Best. . .morning . . .EVER!

2007-08-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

Not really.
So today I had a job interview at Goodwill. Hold your applause: I didn't get it.
I wake up an hour late to no alarm. I don't know what the hell happened, but I think I may be getting a little too good at covertly turning the radio off before my conscious mind catches my hand. So I leap out of bed - and my housecoat is in the wash. For anyone who cares to note this, I sleep in the nude. So I wrap myself in a sheet, somewhat resembling a certain jedi, and clumsily stumble upstairs. It was my responsibility to wake the kids today and get them ready, as their father was picking them up at quarter past nine. Like some sort of demented hobbit, I stagger from room to room, shaking their legs and mumbling incoherently. Realising I will have missed bus, I place a few panicked calls. My step-dad agrees to drive me on his way home with M and G and I quickly hop into the shower.
Of course there was no hot water.
Freezing and cursing the gods, I do my best to complete my morning routines. My laundry, sleeping innocently in the dryer, was not dry. I don't know why. It just wasn't.
So by this point I'm cold, damp, panicked and still host to the lines you get on your skin when you sleep on wrinkled sheets.
I try and print of my resume downstairs. My computer, the trustworthy leviathan I have come to love, crashes. I run back upstairs. I try and run a print on my Mum's PC. The printer jams. Like jams. I spend the next five minutes trying to release 3 sheets of 8.5"X11" from the unruly jaws of a silver monster.
By this time my step-dad and siblings are waiting, patiently, by the front door. I throw on shoes and lock the front door on my way out. I forgot my resume.
I don't have house keys.
Apparently my mother married a ninja. He decides he can break into a window in my house (which I stupidly left open - I never do that!) and he retrieves my resume. All is well.
I get dropped at Timmies and have a coffee, trying to calm my frazzled nerves. I have nearly half an hour before I am due at my interview. I psych myself up, and walk across the street, head held high.
Fast forward to five minutes later:
I walk back across the street with my head held low.
They don't have flexible hours in part time and you cannot request a specific schedual. Anna, the pasty thing behind the desk could only seem to say "I'm sorry but we are not able to offer you a position at this time".
Great.
In a funk and having an hour to kill before my shift at my "real" job - I bought myself a new book.
Never under-estimate the power of a good western.

Oh yeah. . .

2007-08-09T15:35:00.001-07:00

And my dog? She's insane.

G's Knit Shrug

2007-08-09T15:28:00.001-07:00

Yes - she's a ham.

It is from Stephanie Japel's Fitted Knits - a pattern called the two-tone shrug. I used some odds and ends I had laying around. The variegate is Decor Sandcastle and the trim is Bernat Satin in Mocha. It looks quite pretty together, I think. She loves it and seems to wear it regardless of the intense heat we have been having. I managed to whip through it - though I wasn't watching Law and Order while knitting so I couldn't tell you how long it took!
I actually started it in the hospital emergency room - waiting to get called in. M came home from camp with something like scabies. Very unpleasant. I guess it's basically mange in pets, and he spent a lot of time helping out at the Nature Hut, where they house a lot of rabbits and guinea pigs.

My Awesome Truckers Burn

2007-08-07T20:10:00.001-07:00

I spent my day hanging out with Sciensational Sssnakes at Kempenfest yesterday. They had a tent and I was half under it for a good portion of the afternoon. Therefore only my left arm (from my shirt-sleeve down, no less) is all burned to shit. Good times.
I couldn't believe some of the stupid questions that people were asking the group. I can only imagine the doozies they must encounter on a regular basis. I remember my days at the pet shop. . . I eventually started asking customers to leave the store if they asked stupid questions. And I'm not talking about the odd "why can't I keep a goldfish in a bowl?". I had people set to buy a puppy and then ask how long they lived. And they weren't referring to the specific breed. One lady thought they lived 2-3 years. No. . . that's a hamster.
Good try though!
My hours seem to have been cut back at work. Now, as great at this is for my social life (if I were to, you know. . . . have one) I kind of need the money. I'm pretty sure my boss is pissed at me, due to me calling in sick on days I specifically asked not to be scheduled in on. I complained about her stealthily adding new shifts half-way into pay periods and not telling us. I've missed a few because I didn't know I even had them. Way to go, boss. You are the best manager ever.
Now, if you'll excuse me - I need to reference the TV guide. I think it might be possible to fill every hour block with an episode of Law and Order. I almost did it today, but I think my failure was due to my poor planning and sudden need to watch Duckman instead.
Because the best days off are the ones where you watch TV in your underpants and eat entire shrimp rings by yourself.
Seriously. Try is sometime. It's brilliant.

The Grand Prize

2007-07-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

I would prefer to win a million donkeys over a million dollars. Then I could sell the donkeys.
Maybe to a third-world nation? Good karma, plus I'd be frigging rich.

So I went shopping last night. . .

2007-07-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

Just for fun - I don't shop for myself all that often (read: ever) and I thought "Hey! Why not?!"
Plus I was foolishly under the impression that Hot Fuzz was released the day before yesterday and was merrilly on my way to purchase the slice of fried gold. (damn you you banshee at Blockbuster! WTF?! You gave me the wrong date!).
But I ended up dropping about 60 bucks in undergarments instead.
Which I never do.
It felt pretty good - and I managed to find a few bras that actually fit me (which I never ever do). I've been to Sears, I've been to the myriad of small bra boutiques, I've even looked into custom fitted things. All anyone as been able to tell me is that I'm not a normal size. You want too much information? Not that I'm normally quiet about this sort of thing - anyone who knows me knows this. I have one boob bigger than the other. Most girls do. But mine are odd sized to begin with - not fitting in the conventional cup sizes. So normally whilst bra-shopping I cry.
Not last night!
Who knew Walmart could fill a void in my life?

I Found that Pattern, By the Way

2007-07-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

I tried drawing again tonight. I did one small five minute sketch of a photograph of myself, and was reasonably pleased with the results.

It's not perfect by any means, but I was encouraged by the outcome. I haven't really drawn anything lately, and was happy to be holding a pencil.

Yeah - for a minute, anyways.

I tried again - I thought "damn - ok - I should practice more!" and went to sketch a second subject. I actually balled the frigging paper up it came out so badly. I'm really hoping that school will enable me to draw anything other than faces. 'Cause. . . .bodies are good too. . .

Starting to Panic. . . .

2007-07-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

So, after years of fawning over the Urban Aran Pullover from Patons, I have decided to make it.
Into a CARDIGAN!
I was going to post a picture but, just click on the links below - You'll get the idea.
Inspired by CosmicPlutoKnits and Jared at BrooklynTweed, I will be crafting this glorious once-pullover, training it in the ways of a zip-up. I bought the yarn and everything at my yarn-buying binge on the day of Lewiscraft's demise. I seem to have enough Shetland Chunky to make it in either a soft steel blue (which is what Knitter's Bazaar made it up in - It was gorgeous) or a subtle heathery charcoal. The charcoal might be badass. I have always loved the fact that this aran reminds me strongly of a leather jacket. . . . charcoal might not be a bad move!
Only problem is: I can't find the pattern. I have lost the freaking pattern! It's here somewhere. It has to be. I know this because I started a test run on the Urban Aran in some cheapo acrylic crap that squeaked when I knit with it. I was using the pattern then. I put it all in my knitting basket and left it for two months or so. And today, I panic.
I'm sure I'll find it. It has to be around here somewhere, right? I guess I am panicking a little more because I really don't want to have to buy the pattern again. I want to start knitting this sucker today without having to first tear my room apart. That would be preferable.
On another note, last night I spoke with a boy whom I hadn't seen since grade 11. It was really neat, to be perfectly honest. We had been pretty good friends in highschool, but hadn't stayed in touch after I left. I recapped my last four years in small and precise paragraphs. It was like the back-blurb for some romantic comedy. Because you know damned well that I would get something as lame as a romantic comedy if a movie were ever made about my life. Yech.

Feeling so inspired!

2007-07-19T20:04:00.000-07:00

I have fallen in love with a grotesque purse:

It is incredible. It's fantastic. It's a knit brain bag!

I will be keeping my eyes open for doctor's-bag-type-purses at second-hand shops. And for brain-coloured yarn. I'm not looking forward to basically knitting either a big grey stockingnette tube or a big grey stockingnette strip and then seaming the sucker afterwards, but I think it would be well worth it. It is totally and honestly my favourite purse. . . that I have ever seen.

*squeeeeee*

P.S. Its the Brain-bag from Undercover by Jun Takahashi

An Update

2007-07-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a long time since I've posted anything new. I've been working on my crafts a lot lately. It's aaaaaall in preparation for school in the fall, I promise.
I've been accepted to college for an art program, and I'll be starting in September. It doesn't seem very far off anymore which is both scary and exciting. More exciting that scary.
I have been pretty active on Craftster, and completed my first swap not too long ago. It was Firefly/Serenity themed and a lot of fun! I am currently working on a package for a girl who's partner flaked out on her in another swap. I'm working on something that is really cool, and I'll be sure to post pictures of it later.
For now here are some projects that I have finished up and are now happily in use:
I stencilled these T shirts -

I knit Tim this sweater for Father's Day (Bruins colours) -

I knit myself this shrug -

And this is what I recieved from Rain in my Craftster Firefly Swap :)

I'll have more posted soon!

Painting of John (somewhat creepy)

2007-05-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

A few photos:

One of the original picture I took of John acting silly on the sofa in the basement. Another (the fat looking painting) is the half-finished one as of this afternoon. I hadn't yet taken in his frame for background. The other two are different lighting on the same finished painting. Yay!

G's earings

2007-03-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

Number Six

2007-02-28T18:36:00.000-08:00

For Drawingboard's Number Six drawjam - trying to get back into the swing of things. . .

Saruman - pencil sketch

2007-01-02T14:24:00.000-08:00

A pencil sketch of Saruman, the White Wizard. Wanted to loosen up, stylize him a little bit.

Lady-Eater Creature Feature. . .

2007-01-01T20:57:00.000-08:00

For the weekly challenge on http://daredetectives.com/phpBB2/index.php. The theme is "creatures". I thought this was a creature if I ever saw one (though I guess I haven't ever seen anything like this. . . )

It's kind of a goat-ostritch-alien?

Yeah. . .

Captain Tightpants - Coloured

2007-01-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

Finished the colours. Pencil Crayons, but I swear it looks far better in person. The scanner seriously faded the colours and made them intensely grainy.

OH well. . .

Was thinking of using a little white goache in his hair, do some highlights. They aren't actually purple.

Captain Tightpants - inked

2006-12-31T14:35:00.000-08:00

Trying to get back into the swing of things, art wise. Here's an inked Mal Reynolds (Firefly, if any of you non-existant readers are wondering).

I intend to colour him, for all it's worth.

Bad Wash - some colour

2006-12-31T14:29:00.000-08:00

I know what I did wrong, so I think I will try again. Just thought I would post anyways, as it is the first thing I have drawn in almost two months.

His eyes are closer together than that... *sigh*

Aaron's Christmas Gift!

2006-12-20T07:55:00.001-08:00

Awesomeness!

I now have an order from a friend for two more of them. . .

But mine comes first.

(Aaron really liked it, FYI)

HOLY freakin' crap!

2006-12-18T11:48:00.000-08:00

I have an interview at the Knitter's Bazaar!!!
EEEEEEEEEK!
I'm so excited! And I have such confidence...ooooh!
Although it will mean working reatil once more - it will be petting yarn! and knitting! and quiet! and....my chest is constricting with excitement!

Lady Bing Cherry's Sweater

2006-12-16T11:17:00.000-08:00

She really doesn't hate is nearly as much as she looks to. I felted an old wool people - sweater that I had and re-fit it for a little dog. It's forest green, which looks very good on her. It has real mother-of-pearl buttons on the sides to close, and it's Italian Merino wool... sharp-dressed Lady!

The dangers of console gaming...

2006-12-09T23:20:00.000-08:00

My Great Grandmother and my Dog experience the Wii for the first time....

WiiSports bowling proved hazardous to Lady Bing's face.

My Great Grandma bowled a fantastic game.

Kudos to my mother on her excellent timing with the camera.

Now my dog cowers everytime a remote comes into sight.

We Own Other Team!

2006-12-06T05:13:00.000-08:00

John is here, my Ma has come to visit (greatgrandma), we got a Wii, and there is oodles of snow.
*explodes from happiness*
Haven't heard back from the college yet, but I have high hopes. I have made the appointment for my College Placement Test, hopefully they can weed the essential info out of my garbled, stuttering phone message. I stink at leaving messages. . . and I was nervous. . .but mostly I stink
*blushes*
The bunnies made the trip in two pieces (being a pair of bunnies and all). WestJet was awesome: very friendly and the rabbits seemed in great mental and emotional shape after the flight. They were a little comatose on the car ride home, but they have been in a car all of half a dozen times in their young lives, so I can't blame 'em for that. They have perked right up again, and don't seem to mind the cats at all. Sarjaent hasn't quite figured them out yet but Apollo scares the little kitty wits right out of her.
Pique is back to her old self. I was worried with the move. She hasn't been as chatty as she normally is in the past month and a half, and seemed very distant. As soon as we got our room set up she settled in, and now spends the nights curled up beside me in bed. She's back to her old ways, and I couldn't be happier.
Trying to get my campaign up and running. My brother has never played AD&D 2nd ed. before, and it seems that his old DM in 3rd ed. was slightly deranged. There was no balance to the game, and at fourth level he managed to have a short sword which generated 1000 gp. per day . . . and could command the weather . . .
*raises an eyebrow* Now I'm not perfectly familiar with 3rd edition myself, but something seemed a little off to me. Apparently the DM's idea of balancing out these obscenely powerful weapons and equiptment was to have it break every other battle to be replaced with more stupid-powerful loot.
Anways, he has decided to try to roll a Hill Dwarf (a race which has been tailored rather heavily for my campaign) and John wants to go for a BaKhai (Human Viking-like race) druid if possible, but we'll see how he rolls.

West Jet is my Saviour!

2006-11-22T10:58:00.000-08:00

Yay!
*does a little happy dance!*
Bunnies will be travelling better than the BF will be, it will seem - underneath the cockpit in a climate controlled room, apparently quieter than a seat near the wing would be!
In celebration of the rabbit's getting the go-ahead for travel, I purchased a new cage set-up for them. A little pricier than their old one, but a whole lot classier: stainless steel mesh siding instead of white rubber-coated squares.
Can't wait for my guests to arrive *grins*

"Harmony?" PAH!!!!

2006-11-18T20:07:00.000-08:00

I laugh at the notion.
Harmony Airlines is giving us a bit of a runaround. We want to bring both bunnies in the same carrier at carry-0n baggage from Vancouver to Toronto, and . . . . we can't? Apparently they have issues with animals together in a carrier on their flights. They suck.
Anyways, quilting lately, trying to learn the ropes before I tackle the quilt. Perhaps I should call it "Il Quilte", because everything sounds so much more badass and epic in spanish!
My basement room is almost ready to begin in it's transformation from dumpy-cold-nasty-room to awesome-warm-comfy-sanctuary. Sooooo exciting! After nearly a week of removing old crap and packing away new crap and giving away useless crap. I am so excited I could almost spit. . .
*spits*

. . . . . . ?

Red Phooka

A Mexican Wonderland, Part One: The Neighborhood (2 of 2)

A Mexican Wonderland, Part One: The Neighborhood (1 of 2)

Some Xmas Photographs.

Starman

Afraid of the Dark

Crows vs Gulls

Our Carpets Will Never Be The Same

Mostly Plants

Cabin 2009

the Lipizzaner Stallions

Shirley Jackson

Illuminated Being

Apartment Walkthrough

New Sneakers

Spilled Ink

Stoat and Cat

Second Orc Mini

Orc Mini

Starbuck Vs. Paperbag

Christmas

A Novel Completed

So I'm writing a novel. . .

What Day is Today?

Our Weekend In Kelowna - PART I

John and Pique Do Not Approve of Infrequent Blog Updates.

Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog

Saturday Afternoon Walk - Part II

Our Saturday Afternoon Walk - Part I

My Newest Obsession,

The Neighbor Cat

Charbonne On The Needles

Fajoey

So Here's What I've Been Up To. . .

Vancouver in May

John Sketch

John Sets Up My New Easel

Packing

Like Lightning

My Fish Salutes You

Trying Something New

More Snow

BAMF!!!

And They Wonder Why Artist's Are Starving?!

Some Knitting For Your Eeballs . . .

Another Trip to Granville Island

Mr and Mrs Lagamorph

Granville Island - Take 1

Said the Lion to the Cat. . .

Christmas Knitting

Deck the Halls

M's DS Cozy

Jake Rocks Out

Being Proactive and Loving It . . .

And Thus Ends a Haunting Chapter of My Life.

My PC is still indisposed.

BEST. . . SHIRT. . ..EVAR!

Gainfully Unemployed

What did the Yeti make when he walked through the vegetable garden?

Sketches and Stitch Markers

Re: Your Brains

*long relaxed sigh*

Stitch Markers and Evil Villian

Yarn Pron

Meat Sydney. . .

Tardy

What's that?

Rojo!

So Murder and camping are not as similar as you might think

We Own Other Team!

Cable>Satellite

Dear Diary...

Belligerent and Moody

Ohthankgod. . .

Smaug the Dragon

Hark ye Heralds. . .

Best. . .morning . . .EVER!

Oh yeah. . .

G's Knit Shrug

My Awesome Truckers Burn

long relaxed sigh