update

i had another great pottery class last friday. i thought i would be glazing as i have about twenty pieces ready to go but two outoftowners were unloading their kiln and no room was to be had in the glazing area. however these two were quizzed on the glazes they had used so i'll try some of their combos when i go in tomorrow morning to glaze. i did throw a pot and a cool cylinder. the cylinder came about by seeing how high i could knuckle pull up the walls, about a foot in the end. only one more class and two practice sessions before i go back to work. where does the time go? as you can see above i have been working on lost int the garden a fair bit. i went to the ufo club at kathryn's stitching studio last thursday and got a fair bit done. i also bought some small canvass pieces to try out some bargello designs this summer. i'll use the 10 white to grey to black floss and the rainbow flosses that i got for the colour theory class i took a few weeks ago. i'll finish up lost in the garden this week for sure. i also started the right mitten of the green autumn mittens i finished last fall. i would like to finish it this week as well as i want to start on the christmas present socks and mittens soon. i went to our knitters sunday afternoon gathering yesterday at patricia's. sandy, dana, liz, and dalila were there as well. dana is just about finished the scarf she started not that long ago. it looks great. we will go shopping soon for wool and a sweater pattern for her next project. sandy gave liz a cast on and ribbing lesson to get her going on the softest scarf in captivity. patricia is just about finished a beautiful scarf for her mon in a gorgeous blue seasilk. dalila sewed the buttons on her brown cardigan and modeled the finished cardigan. it looked great and fit her perfectly. sandy worked on a scarf, plain and simple as she wanted to join in the conversation. i followed suit by working on the mitred square vest. great snacks, courtesy of sandy and patricia, great conversation and of course great knitting. i have beeen ignoring my spinning of late but will get back at it later this week.

long weekend of crafting

the lwofc started with a fine pottery class on friday morning. my regular teacher was sick so judy marchand took over the class. she showed us a new, to us, way to make and attach a mug handle. she is very inventive in creating tools and methods using everyday articles found in most homes. she showed me a new way to shape a bowl as well. i fianlly got the hang of it and it was time to go! i'll try to get to the studio sometime this week to practice. i also realised once again the importance of proper wedging of the clay, centering and coning the clay is much easier when wedged well/enough. friday night and most of sunday afternoon and evening i worked on lost in the garden. i'm pleased with what i got done. my least favourite garden so far is the lower left one. hopefully i'll grow to like it when i've stitched more of it. saturday morning patricia and i went to a spinners gathering at brigittes home. i was a little nervous as i usually spin by myself. not to worry the women gathered there were/are very generous and very amiable. i spun up a bobbin in no time. i hadn't brought a second bobbin with me so asked brigitte if i could use her niddy noddy. yes indeed i could or i could use her nostepinde to make a ball of yarn. i had seen and coveted these lovely wooden tools at rovings but didn't buy one as i didn't know how to use them. well one of the women in the circle showed me how to use the nostepinde. her husband is the maker of the beautiful wooden tools at rovings. i had thought about getting a swift to use with my ballwinder but i will get a nostepinde instead. it may take a little longer but it is much easier and more fun. i also like the look and feel of the yarn ball made with a nostepinde. i also started the right glove of the grey/purple colourway in the green harvest mitten but got distracted with the canvasswork.

"lost in the garden" class

a new project started this week end called "lost in the garden". the classes were very interesting in that the participants, the other women had a great deal of stitching experience, helped in the editing of the pattern. i spent my time stitching and listening/learning the ins and outs of how a canvasswork pattern is developed. the finished work is to hold those earrings whose mates have been lost. i also attended a class on colour theory last friday. a lot of what i learned was really an affirmation of what i intuitively knew already but now i have a better understanding of colour, not just what colour can do but why.
i finished the left mitten of the "green autumn" mitts that i started last october in the pink colourway. now i just need to start the right mitten in the purple colourway and will have two matching pairs of lovely alpaca mitts.i've included a picture of the "crazy dreams" projects progress even though the new stitching was done a week ago last thursday at the ufo club. i wonder sometimes if i don't have too many varied projects on the go at one time. would great progress on one project be better than small increments of progress on a number of items? never mind, just get on with it! the beautiful pumpkin wool scarf is acually dana's project. she is learning to knit. ah good, another one comes over to the light! when she is done the scarf and feeling more comfortable with the needles she wants to get started on an icelandic style sweater. i'm to help with the selection of the wool for the sweater. shopping for wool, just one of my favourite things.

slow going

it has been slow going on the arts and crafts front for awhile now... i was studying for a food handlers permit challenge exam and trying to catch up on french homework. i have been working on "Crazy dreams" abit and started a new canvass for the "lost in the garden" class i'm taking this weekend. pottery class last friday was great! i threw three beautiful fairly large bowls which i trimmed today as i'm taking a colour theory class tomorrow ( my regular pottery class day). hopefully there will be finished objects pictures early next week.i also started the left mitten to match the pinkish one done last october.

a great day

well ''getback" day one was a hit. i managed
to finish the "knotty pines" socks for rose
and finish spinning a spool of aurora
polworth. i then plied the spun aurora with
the already spin aldo/polworth blend to make
skein number two. i'm hoping a can get enough of this yarn to make a gansey. i did post the finished products in my ravelry note
book. a great day all around!

give it up for "getback"

i have spent a large amount of time on ravelry reading forums and grazing the yarns and patterns sections. yes i did learn a few interesting things but not enough to warrant the time spent not knitting, spinning or working on the "crazy dreams" canvasswork. so, i'm giving it up for "getback".
this is lent for the secular folks. i will post my finished projects and add new ones to my ravelry account and i will hopefully post here twice a week. i'm also losing the solitaire habit to create more time for working on my projects. my realization of 'wasting' time was swift and hard, yet again. i've jumped in and the waters fine!