Big Read

I've been reading a few books (not like me) in preparation for Big Draw and this is a cracker. If you have young people to inspire - and that includes your inner child - go get it.

What a nit

This is what has been exercising my tiny mind for some time know. It's from the Vogue Knitting Mag...only it's now allowed to be called the Vogue Knitting Mag in the UK anymore. What is THAT all about? They change the front cover and call it Designer Knitting, but it has the same content. Obviously one of these mad things that makes Jif change it's name to Cif.....................or is that because Jif is a swearword in some other country? Well Jif that for game of soldiers!

Anyway, having enjoyed the pain and frustration of this cardi so much, I'm moving swiftly along to another swear maker. This could take some time. Jif, jif, jif, jif, jif.......

This is an idea I was revisiting whilst thinking about Big Draw. These are facial features collaged onto sheets of acetate. As you lay the sheets on top of each other, the face begins to built. The idea was to introduce primary school children to location of the various facial features. If you have different features ready made you can change expressions and deliberately misplace them. Kind of like these books with the split pages where you mix one person's body with someone else's legs.

Cut and shunt

Whenever I made anything it tends to hang about for a LONG time before it has it's public debut. Sometimes it never does. I'm a big fan of outsider art and they do say the definition of a true outsider is for their art to be discovered posthumously. Trying to ensure I don't qualify.

Anyway, these were four bits, two drawn and two stitched that I decided to combine. The top one is called The Blues and the bottom one is called Electric Woman.

Mood swings? What mood swings?

Drawing without line

These are two printing techniques. The figure is printed with the side of a square of cardboard and black ink. The idea is to draw without drawing a line if you see what I mean. Okay, I did cheat a bit but I didn't drag it to make the lines, I did print them. The nose is a kind of pointillist technique of hundreds of little monochrome daubs. Think it's my favourite.

Big Draw 2009

I'm going to be providing in-service training for primary school teachers in order that Big Draw can be rolled out across schools in my area come October. For inspiration I've been looking back at some experimental drawing methods I've tried in the past. This drawing was done with glue initially and then I dumpted some leaf mold on top of it. The close up is of the hair. I did this years ago and don't treat it with any reverence. I must say I'm very impressed with the way the leaf mold has survived the 'under the bed' experience.

Hurrah and huzzah!!!!!!

Blogger has locked me out for months but I'm back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yoooooooooooooooo! off to take some photos so I can tell you what I'm up to.

Closure

I crochet things sometimes. Usually things without button holes. And then I decided I would like to button them. I've invented (?) a solution for this problem. It's a little piece of chain, maybe 2" long with a nice big lobster clasp at either end. Now you need is two buttons with a shank into which you can fasten the lobster clasp. The buttons can be as big as you like because it's only the clasp that passes through some convenience space in your crochet - then you attach the buttons. It also means the buttons are interchangeable.

I've made other fastenings in this style by attaching the shank of the button to the chain with a jump ring. This makes a kind of giant cuff link. The downside of this is you need a hole large enough for the button to pass through and the buttons are attached for keeps, not interchangeable.

A difficult thing to describe in words but a very useful invention - or unvention as Elizabeth Zimmerman would say!

An awfully big adventure

We had a lovely adventure in the Scottish heritage village Luss today where the Scottish soap opera 'Take the High Road' was filmed. Here's my take on Luss.

Cast off

The finished product. I enjoyed it so much, I have another pair on the pins already.

The finishing touches

I've finished my latest pair of fingerless gloves. The recipient of these likes a bit of pzazz so I decided to fancy them up with a crocheted flower on the back of the wrist. The flower shown without a button is the more realistic but it stands quite proud and I would be afraid that it might catch in sleeves and be a pest.



The flower with the button is simpler and can be unbuttoned and taken off if the need arises. I'll go with that one.



Ohhhh goody! A new project looms!

Dressed for the occassion

Thought I'd share with you some more of my vintage crochet patterns. I think it's amazing how contemporary the handbag models look and how I have survived so long without one of these aprons I will never know.