hand eye crafts

 The new car has proven a little difficult to get used to in one regard: finding it in a parking lot.  If it's parked by an easily remembered or seen landmark, not an issue, but that isn't always possible.  The first time I went somewhere after sundown, I had one of those moments of just stopping in the parking lot and looking around like a dope.  Then I remembered that the opening-the-door chime worked.  (It had long since not worked on the Highlander.)  One little button push, a couple of little chirps, and there it was. Okay, not there  exactly --- the lot at Target isn't that arty or clean.  But that's the car.  Still unnamed, btw. Tomorrow is  Twinnie 's birthday.  If you're wondering how we can be twins with her birthday being in April and mine in February, you've entirely missed the backstory.  But don't let that stop you from wishing her a happy day.

The books being delivered to me of late have been from  Thriftbooks , which I have discovered is a very good place for finding knitting books.  This one, from 1968, has been a delightful surprise. Some of you may know it, but it's new to me.  It's mostly stitch patterns, with occasional instructions for using the stitches in clothing.  Probably 90% to 95% of the patterns I have never seen before, at least not with these names.  Like so: I especially like the Harrison Cable, because the cable looks either embossed or debossed. One more. You know who you are.  😉

If you're starting to collage, Goodwill is a great resource.  Books, papers, ribbons, laces, and magazines, all at a wonderful price.  I went to the "other" store today (as in, farther from my house) and found Master Yoda seems pleased. There was a nice copy of de Tocqueville's Democracy  in   America,  too, but I doubt that I'll be cutting it up. Also, what looks like a full pad of cardstock.  Score! In amongst the books, this sort-of-puzzler  A book for cutlery enthusiasts?  Who knew?

Small thought: Another advantage of straight needles over circular: you can't scratch your back with the latter. Small thought: My mail carrier has to be wondering at this point what I do with all the books I get. Larger thought: I've been knitting baby bibs. I can't show you any more than this, as they're gifts.  They're easy and quick to make --- basically washcloths with ties.  It's the perfect project for watching, oh, hockey games or XFL or USFL or NASCAR.  You can cast on and finish while you're watching.  

Having given in to my night-owl-ish-ness, my bedtimes many nights flutter around 1:30 or 2 AM, and my rising (for the second time, having had to get up and give Maddie her food and injection around 7) moves to 11:30 AM or Noon.  My biggest energy push comes around 8 PM, meaning when I hit pause in whatever I'm doing, it's almost always after Midnight.  And that's why I haven't posted in a few days: if I'm up into the next day, writing about the previous day seems disingenuous I've been collaging, mostly bookmarks.  I have had an awakening with regard to myself and this chosen art form.  I don't like to cover stuff up.  If I've cut something out or saved something to use potentially, it's because I like it.  Covering it up seems such a waste.  This, as you can imagine, is not a helpful trait for someone trying to create collages.  As Big Sister  Twinnie  reminds me: layer, layer, layer. Knitting-wise, I've begun a  Wingspan .  It's my third or

 In general, of course, be nice to people, but here I mean be kind in your reviews of my first collage. I like it, I guess.  It's center-heavy, I think.   And rough --- I need to get a sealant or something to wash over the whole thing.  I need to always put things under books or something weighty to avoid the glue-buck-pucker. My chief take away, though, is that I must always lay everything out before starting to glue.  Things pulled up to put other things under them don't lay back down so good.

 Is collaging.  I'm dipping myself into collages, and  Kim  has helped get me on my way by sending me some supplies.  There are a few things I already know about how this is going to go: 1.  I'm going to be extra hard on myself if things aren't positioned or glued perfectly.  Silly, but me. 2.  Words are going to be important to me.  Cutting them out whole, or letter by letter, or drawing them myself. 3.  The cutting things out is going to be My Favorite Step.  It's simple: I love  cutting things out.  Always have.   Despite that enthusiasm, I don't always cut really true straight lines, so I figured I should get one of those sliding cutters.  Checked prices, decided to hold off for a minute, then found this on a Goodwill run: I actually went to get books I could use for pictures and text, which I found, but this was completely unexpected.  I also found a holder for my pens and pencils: It's a good start for less than $8.

 Granted, I've only tried (and failed) once, but have any of you ever successfully scanned a QR code from your TV? I may  be elbows-deep in a new craft.  Big Sister Twinnie may  be enabling. Half of the knitting projects I've finished this year are purple.  Just sayin'.

Do you go years without thinking about fuzzy yarns?  Like, you used it when it was hot, then grew tired of it?  Like you used to like glittery unicorn stickers but now you like antique-ish bookplates. Then you go to a thrift store and see two bags of fuzzy yarns and you think to yourself, "You know, it isn't really all that bad.  It might be fun to use it again.  You know, for cuffs or stripes or some such." And it's gonna cost you a mere $1.50. Now it's all home. Yep.  It's here. So. . . Yeah.

Did you know YouTube has videos of LA police chases?  Don't ask what I've been knitting to of late. Did you know that reporters covering LA police say inane things like, "Oh, that's not cool"?  I repeat the "Don't ask" from above. Did you know that if you aren't paying careful attention, you can make a stupendously bad trim of your cross-stitch fabric, completely and honestly ruining the project you were so close to finishing? I've reconsidered.  You can ask about the chases.  Leave the stitching for a calmer day.

It was a lovely, windy, rainy day yesterday, which I took advantage of by knitting and reading and watching hockey and starting the series "Lenox Hill" on Netflix.  I am definitely hooked into some of the doctors, and a patient or two. This follows me flying  through "The Patient" (Hulu) last Wednesday.  "Flying" as in "Finishing the whole thing before the sun went down."  Most everyone knows by now that Steve Carell is an excellent dramatic actor, and he is really good in it.  For me, though, Domhnall Gleeson is the draw.  He is astounding.  I haven't seen or heard anyone talking much about him, and that's a true shame.  He's brilliant.  I read the book that this apparently springboarded off of, and liked it.  I don't remember it having this specific story in it, but I read it a while ago.  Either way, watch.

Still fuming over what happened in Tennessee.  What I can do from here, I'm not sure, but I continue to look for ways. I bought other books besides the knitting  ones at the library sale, of course.  It's always a goal when I go to pick up things I can leave at the free library, for children and  adults.  One children's book that I am keeping this time, though. Cute, right?  But look at what's inside: This tickles me, 'cause it looks just like Joe, right?  Only adding the aviators could make it more on point. Happy Passover / Easter / Spring weekend to you.  

 In the past, things that have happened in Nashville, or Tennessee, have angered me, or left me bewildered.  What happened there today thoroughly disgusts me.  I am embarrassed to be a Tennesseean.

  This is a pillow I made for my father which rests, as it did in his house, in his chair in mine.  I noticed that I put only "K" and the year on it;  I think if it was to be a gift, that's the way I would go, but if it were just for me, I did the three initials  and left off the year. And in the Margin Breaks Make a Difference category:  a sentence which caused a double-take when I read it the other day. He kept the farm stocked with his wife?  Because he had a taste for meat?  No, silly Kim.  Keep reading. His wife bred livestock.  That whole thought needed not to be interrupted.  Frankly, it's kinda more fun the other way.

Proud of the Nashville students today. We have to keep these children alive.  They might be able to save us yet.

The library book sale here wound up today, meaning that for $10, you could buy as many books as you could fit into a paper grocery sack.  I scored right away: Just these four books are worth the ten dollars, wouldn't you say?  This is every knitting book they had.  I'll mention that that's Master Yoda looking over them. Generally, book sales like these have things I want, even on the last day, as my interests are crafting, biography/memoir, and non-fiction.  Oh, and coffee table books.  I'm big on nice coffee table books.  Novels, mysteries, romances, et al, are very well-picked-over by Day 3 of the sale.  There's not much elbow room at those tables, but I'm kinda skating around with no problems. Also made a stop at Michael's while I was out.  You see, my remarkable  Twinnie  is helping me tiptoe into collaging, and I wanted to get a feel for the supplies. THERE'S SO MUCH! I'm feeling more than a little overwhelmed.  Still, it will be fun, no doubt.