Oops! how did that happen?

Soo....August  until January, eh?  apparently I was doing NOTHING.  Well,  not exactly true --

I did finish a lot of projects, but so many of the were for Christmas gifts that I couldn't share them here since the recipients check in.  (hello family).  Maybe a short recap and then I can get back into the swing of things....

Knitting.  I spent a lot of time knitting things - some successful, some not so much.  My daughter Leslie sent me an image of a rather cool vest she wanted - based on what Katniss wore in the Hunger Games movie.  This was a lot of fun, although I had to rework it to personalize the fit after I got to Indiana (more on that annual winter trip later).













This is what the pattern she really fell in love with looked like.  But she wanted it in an oatmeal color.







What a slacker I've been about taking pictures since I've been a slacker about blogging --- I only have a couple of progress shots ---

I somehow neglected to take a picture of her wearing it.  sigh.  It went fast, I learned a couple of new techniques, and while I was in Indiana, I made another for my youngest daughter Hilary, using a lighter weight yarn.  The one I made Leslie used a super bulky yarn and it's very warm.  In fact, I had to remake the rings around the neck because although they looked nice, when you put it on, it feels like you're wearing a dog cone.


I also made what looked like it would be a cute fox cowl -- and this one turned out large, shapeless and altogether a failure.  I think it was my yarn choice - I chose something soft and cuddly, and it just lacked the body needed for the pattern to be a success.

And finally, I am still making version 4.0 of a pair of legwarmers for my oldest daughter.  She had a simple request, although she had some specific size requirements that I just couldn't get right.  I knitted and frogged 3 pairs, and I am on my fourth and this one looks like it might be right.  They were supposed to be Christmas gifts but looks like they're running late!






I also made Luna  a little coat to wear to keep her warm on our trip to the midwest. She looks good in red :)











Right now, besides knitting, I was inspired by a friend who posted a 365 challenge she's doing - she is drawing daily on a desk size calendar - it is really awesome, she's an awesome artist - and I like the daily habit as well, so instead of buying a calendar , I went looking for a calendar journal (I do love me some books!).  I didn't like any of them I saw -- and I did love her large calendar - so I made myself a large book to use. 

I just want to use this book to do a short doodle -- nothing too incredibly complex - I've got some other books I can work on for that.  I actually considered doing only zentangles in it -- which might be more interesting.  I did one of those for the last two days, so maybe a short stretch here and there.  I enjoy the mindless linework sometimes.  This book is big - the open pages measure 22" across by 15" high.  Each square is around 2.75 x 3.  So anyway, I look forward to working in this all through the year to keep my hand in.

And now that that little bit is done, I'm going to put together a couple of grandkid posts.  Now, THAT, I have lots of pictures of!

More Books

I finished up my books, a total of 30.  I still have a couple of ideas, so I might make a few more for myself.  Here are some of the last batch:

On the left is a japanese stab binding, with origami paper covers.  In the middle is an accordion book with one long, continuous page that is folded back and forth.  The covers are collaged with a number of things I had around - I never throw anything away, just file it in my studio.  On the right is a soft red leather book.

In this last group, the one on the left is a piano hinge book with skewers holding the spine together, the center is a couple of books make from an old Monopoly game.  I also made a pair of books from a Trivial Pursuit game, but didn't have all the dangly pieces hung on them.  On the right are two tall, skinny books, the one at top has a square hole cut through all the pages to frame the key, the one at bottom has some painted paper that I made, and the key transfer has a plexiglas cover wired over it.

I really enjoy making books.  I want to make a few really nice ones for myself, so these smaller books were good warm-ups.  I know which bindings I really enjoyed, and that will help me make some good finished ones for myself!

Handmade books

It's been really hot here (not HOT like the rest of the United States, but hot for Long Beach), so I haven't been out digging on my side yard.  Which is too bad, because I got some really cool plants this morning that I'd like to plant out there, but they're going to have to hang out for a few days until I get that area ready.

What I have been doing instead is beating the heat and getting ready for the upcoming semester.  One of the classes I teach is a seminar for student teachers, and part of that course includes having them keep a reflective journal with entry assignments each week.  This can be a bit of a chore for them because they're busy with so much, but reflecting is a vital practice in teaching.

So to get them a little excited, maybe, about this part of their teaching, I've been making them some hand-bound books.  I love making books, and it was one of the things I wanted to do this summer, but I had so many ideas and I don't need that many books myself.  So instead of having them buy a composition book, which I've done in the past, I'm making a variety of fun blank journals.

So - clockwise, from the top:  I created the covers from old mounted slides, the one on the top left has glass and aluminum mounts, the one right below it has cardboard mounts.  They're sewn together with a coptic stitch and watercolor paper pages.  The one on the top right is made from an old license plate I cut in half, the two below that are composition books (for the more traditionally-minded students) and I used old music book pages, paper napkins and origami paper for decorations.  The one underneath has a definition of 'music' torn from an old dictionary.  Oh, I need to say here that the section I'll be teaching in the fall is half art education students, and half music education students, so I tried to give them some choices that might appeal to them.  OK, underneath the composition books is a book made from the covers of an old geometry book, again with pages added and sewn together with coptic stitch.  The one underneath the geometry book is actually made from oval opening photo mats, with the holes left open so they can add their own pictures.  The one at the bottom left is made from a coin holder and has grid paper inside.  The last one in this batch is a fold out accordion style book, made of small brown paper bags, and they can write their reflections on index cards or if they want to type it on the computer and print it out, they can put each week's assignment in a different pocket.

Here's another picture of that book, opened out:

This second set has some fun stuff, too:

Clockwise from top left:  These books are made from my old LPs - this batch has Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon, Janis Joplin Live in Concert, and Arlo Guthrie Hobo's Lullaby.  Inside is a mixture of lined paper and watercolor papers, and the back is cut from the album cover.  Top right is a coptic stitch book with paste paper edges, and a map of Michigan.  I added some fun dangly things (the word says 'teach').  Bottom right is a Cheez-It book with watercolor paper, and the bottom left book has clear plexiglas covers and nice watercolor paper pages, with some fold-out pages for larger images if that's what they want to add.

So far I've made 18 books this week - some of them are duplicates of what I have above, and I have a few more parts cut out - one for a book made from an old Monopoly game, some more old records and I found some more old junk in the garage that I'm going through to see what else I can use.  I haven't spent anything, all this is found stuff from the house, and the paper I've already got on hand.  I need about ten more, maybe a few extras.  I want to be sure everyone has a choice and someone's not 'stuck' with one they didn't want.  I think I'll have them draw names to see who gets to pick first. 

So this week has been fun for me.  I did go out this morning and dig up some gorgeous agaves, my arms look like pincushions, but they're worth the ouchies and scabs (and I got them free on craigslist).  Hopefully I get that side yard dug up and the planting beds ready this week, I have some plants to move!