Craft update
OK, one good thing about being unemployed is that people have actually been commissioning crafts! now it does not bring in as much money as full-time employment would, but it keeps me off the streets.
I've also been doing some charity crafting too.
I made a stenciled bag for my sister for Christmas, and her friend liked it so she asked me to make one for her too.
Sn....uh, Alan Rickman! Note: this is a copyright free image of a famous actor. It has nothing to do with whatsoever with movies based on books about children with magical powers. Really.
I've also been doing a fair bit of needle felting lately because the stab-stab-stab goes well with the depression I've been spiraling into. A friend of my mom's saw the birdies I made and commissioned me to make an Eastern Bluebird for a friend of hers. It is the most detailed and accurate birdy I have made so far (although its beak makes it look hummingbird-esque). Alas, it is difficult to photograph.
And finally, since I have been really blessed lately with an awful lot of fiber, I thought it might be nice to make some crafts for people who need them more than I do. Also, my family members are sort of overwhelmed with crafts, as both my mother and I are sort of excessively crafty.
As I am alarmed by the increasing inaccesibility of health care (and always happy to help out other creative people), I decided to donate some of my little felty birdies to the MyMy benefit
(more info here: http://users.livejournal.com/_mymy/530321.html)
These are the birdies:
A bluebird of happiness, a purple bird of crankiness and a red bird that looks a little high.
(BTW, if you would like to own these birdies, they will be for sale here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5273479 there will be awesome crafts and you will be helping the good cause mentioned above).
I also wanted to donate some knitted items cause knitting is really fun, so I did some research and decided I would have to choose between the dulaan project (http://www.fireprojects.org/dulaan.htm) and Warm Woolies (http://www.warmwoolies.org/) (I have got to learn how to do those fancy LJ links). Both very good causes, both reputable charities -- and knitting for kids is FUN. I was very undecided until I realized that Warm Woolies provides knit items to the Dulaan project, so I have decided to just send them to Warm Woolies and let the fates determine where they wind up. To date I have precisely 2 items, but I just got started.
Using the same wool as the famous beer coozy, I knit a very enormous hat.
I felted down the hat -- it's still tall but much smaller width-wise, and should keep some kid's ears warm somewhere. I also decided that this is the perfect use for a very nice blue hat -- I initially made it for my mom (the pattern is here, btw, and a very good pattern it is -- it was my first fair-isle project http://www.magknits.com/Nov06/patterns/fakeisle.htm) but it is too small to fit her, but it is nice and warm and I hope it'll make the recipient happy.
Here is a random still life showing both hats, 2 sanseverias in varying degrees of health, and a small gnome. oh, and some sock needles.
if you are thinking that maybe charity knitting sounds fun, to give you further incentive, here are some awesome photos of the recipients of the Dulaan's projects knit goods:
http://www.nwkniterati.com/movabletype/archives/MossyCottage/001637.html
Also, after falling into a knitting black hole and knitting for days and days on a sweater that stubbornly refused to get any longer, I have finally escaped and finished the back of Tulio's sweater. It doesn't look like much yet so I declined to photograph it.
edited to add: AW CRAP! right after I posted this I noticed Mossy Cottage Knits has a little button that says "What happened to Dulaan?" so I clicked it and it is a sad story, readable here: http://www.nwkniterati.com/movabletype/archives/MossyCottage/001797.html
Good thing I'd already decided on Warm woolies then, I suppose.
Incidentally, in case you are wondering, I had looked into local organizations that might like knit items but have not had much luck. I guess not too many people need warm cozy knit items here in Georgia....
Edited again: OOH! Here is a project that is fabulous!
http://nownormaknits2.typepad.com/red_scarf_project_2007/
Kids who grow up in foster care are at a real disadvantage when they age out of the system. They are much more likely to have really negative outcomes (more info here: http://www.chapinhall.org/article_abstract.aspx?ar=1355&L2=61&L3=130). This is a population I would like to work with at some point, but more importantly, I think it highlights the uneffectiveness of our child welfare system -- however, that's neither here nor there, this is a simple and heart-warming way to offer some support to a kid who really, really needs it.
Also, if you want to know more about life in foster care, download this episode of This American Life:
http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1201
I've also been doing some charity crafting too.
I made a stenciled bag for my sister for Christmas, and her friend liked it so she asked me to make one for her too.
Sn....uh, Alan Rickman! Note: this is a copyright free image of a famous actor. It has nothing to do with whatsoever with movies based on books about children with magical powers. Really.
I've also been doing a fair bit of needle felting lately because the stab-stab-stab goes well with the depression I've been spiraling into. A friend of my mom's saw the birdies I made and commissioned me to make an Eastern Bluebird for a friend of hers. It is the most detailed and accurate birdy I have made so far (although its beak makes it look hummingbird-esque). Alas, it is difficult to photograph.
And finally, since I have been really blessed lately with an awful lot of fiber, I thought it might be nice to make some crafts for people who need them more than I do. Also, my family members are sort of overwhelmed with crafts, as both my mother and I are sort of excessively crafty.
As I am alarmed by the increasing inaccesibility of health care (and always happy to help out other creative people), I decided to donate some of my little felty birdies to the MyMy benefit
(more info here: http://users.livejournal.com/_mymy/530321.html)
These are the birdies:
A bluebird of happiness, a purple bird of crankiness and a red bird that looks a little high.
(BTW, if you would like to own these birdies, they will be for sale here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5273479 there will be awesome crafts and you will be helping the good cause mentioned above).
I also wanted to donate some knitted items cause knitting is really fun, so I did some research and decided I would have to choose between the dulaan project (http://www.fireprojects.org/dulaan.htm) and Warm Woolies (http://www.warmwoolies.org/) (I have got to learn how to do those fancy LJ links). Both very good causes, both reputable charities -- and knitting for kids is FUN. I was very undecided until I realized that Warm Woolies provides knit items to the Dulaan project, so I have decided to just send them to Warm Woolies and let the fates determine where they wind up. To date I have precisely 2 items, but I just got started.
Using the same wool as the famous beer coozy, I knit a very enormous hat.
I felted down the hat -- it's still tall but much smaller width-wise, and should keep some kid's ears warm somewhere. I also decided that this is the perfect use for a very nice blue hat -- I initially made it for my mom (the pattern is here, btw, and a very good pattern it is -- it was my first fair-isle project http://www.magknits.com/Nov06/patterns/fakeisle.htm) but it is too small to fit her, but it is nice and warm and I hope it'll make the recipient happy.
Here is a random still life showing both hats, 2 sanseverias in varying degrees of health, and a small gnome. oh, and some sock needles.
if you are thinking that maybe charity knitting sounds fun, to give you further incentive, here are some awesome photos of the recipients of the Dulaan's projects knit goods:
http://www.nwkniterati.com/movabletype/archives/MossyCottage/001637.html
Also, after falling into a knitting black hole and knitting for days and days on a sweater that stubbornly refused to get any longer, I have finally escaped and finished the back of Tulio's sweater. It doesn't look like much yet so I declined to photograph it.
edited to add: AW CRAP! right after I posted this I noticed Mossy Cottage Knits has a little button that says "What happened to Dulaan?" so I clicked it and it is a sad story, readable here: http://www.nwkniterati.com/movabletype/archives/MossyCottage/001797.html
Good thing I'd already decided on Warm woolies then, I suppose.
Incidentally, in case you are wondering, I had looked into local organizations that might like knit items but have not had much luck. I guess not too many people need warm cozy knit items here in Georgia....
Edited again: OOH! Here is a project that is fabulous!
http://nownormaknits2.typepad.com/red_scarf_project_2007/
Kids who grow up in foster care are at a real disadvantage when they age out of the system. They are much more likely to have really negative outcomes (more info here: http://www.chapinhall.org/article_abstract.aspx?ar=1355&L2=61&L3=130). This is a population I would like to work with at some point, but more importantly, I think it highlights the uneffectiveness of our child welfare system -- however, that's neither here nor there, this is a simple and heart-warming way to offer some support to a kid who really, really needs it.
Also, if you want to know more about life in foster care, download this episode of This American Life:
http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1201