Knitted Socks... With Heels

I finished the pair of heeled socks this evening. I made them for Raine, because the smaller size would serve better when what I was really trying to do was make the heeled socks. I used a smaller yarn and smaller needles than I had with the first pair. I think they turned out pretty well.

I'm looking forward to starting another pair, something not in wool, or at least not completely, so they will be cooler. I also think they need to be washable. I mean, socks. Really. I also want them to be not in acrylic yarn. I would like to step up on my materials.

Being creative can happen in any price point, and I'm pretty happy about that, but the quality of materials can make a big difference in the finished product. In fabrics, a higher thread count can make all the difference in the feel of the fabric, something that is an important part of choosing a fabric for me. Now, of course, I am all for getting something on sale, and I do have a budget. Higher prices mean fewer projects. Still, I've become more particular about what fabrics I choose. Now, I'm learning about yarns.

Accepting the Challenge

After quite a while of poo-pooing the show, even though a good friend of mine repeatedly told me I would like it, I finally got hooked on Project Runway. I have enjoyed seeing how each of the designers meets the weekly challenges, and have thoughtfully considered what I would have come up with. Like Wheel of Fortune, I'm sure thinking without time limits or the pressure that comes from being in a competition, AND on television gives me a certain advantage. Of course, as I've mentioned before, I'm sure that all involved with that program would consider me highly style-impaired.

Still, I was offered a challenge, and I've taken up the gauntlet. Last week, when Raine and I were shopping we looked around to see if they had a dressy top that she liked. Now, understand that Raine does not wear dresses, or pink, or anything too "girly." My tomboy has definite ideas of style and fashion. I'm fine with that, but she does need something to wear on those "dress-up" occasions. She said, "Why don't YOU make it, Mom?" I said, "yeah, yeah," like one does and we went on from there. Then, yesterday, it came back to me. Why DON'T I make it? I accepted the challenge.

Today, Ron and I went shopping, including to Jo-Ann's and the Asian influenced brocades were on sale. Yay! I picked out two. One that was a black background that has a red flower, and some black textural designs, and one that is a red background, with black flowers in it. I've already passed the first test. I showed Raine the fabrics, and she liked them. Tomorrow, Dev and I are going to look through the patterns that she has, and that I have to see what combination we will use for her new dressy top. The next time she sees it, it will be clothes. Then, the true test.

More "Random" Art

Flowers aren't the only things that can thrive in a random creation. This morning we dyed our Easter eggs. Oh, heck no, I'm not hiding these things and letting them go to waste... we'll make deviled eggs out of them to enjoy. Still, the decorating process for these eggs is kind of... well, you get what you get. You can try for an effect, but, you don't always get what you thought you would. Still, more than likely, whatever you get can be attractive, or at least as artistic as that kind of thing gets.

Another crafty endeavor that can handle that random factor well is quilt-making. My grandmother got lots of random fabric cut into little triangles which she sewed together, and then were made into quilt tops by alternating them with stripes of solid fabric. The color of the stripes didn't really matter, but they kind of pulled the thing together, and it worked.

So, randomness can work well. I think it helps lend that organic kind of feel to a work, which I do appreciate.

The Art of Subtlety

It's spring, and I love flowers, so I bought some today. They are a frivolous purchase, and I don't get them often, but they weren't overly expensive at Sam's, and we were shopping for Easter and I just did it. When we got home I put them in a vase to enjoy.

Now, I'm no flower arranger, but to a certain extent, the flowers are pretty, and stuffed into a vase they are... well... still pretty. Pretty hard to completely mess it up, you know? Which is a good thing, because there is an art to arranging them, making depth and breadth, and placing color and all. I get that those things can happen, and be amazing. Even when they are simple. But, yeah, probably not when I'm doing it. So, its a really good thing that flowers can just be pretty when stuffed into a vase.

So, what is my point here? I think the art of flower arranging is basically a subtle art. The artist makes subtle changes in the placement of flowers and greenery to make a more beautiful arrangement. There is shape, and balance. They know where to cut the stems, etc. I'm not that subtle person. I'm happy to cut the stems long enough to reach the water, yet short enough that I don't make the whole thing way too top-heavy. Then it goes from pretty to a mess. One that _I_ have to clean up.

I think that all style is probably part of that subtle art. It takes someone with a practiced eye to realize it is there. It takes an even more educated eye to totally understand what is going on - what the artist is trying to say, perhaps. Then, there is that further step of being able to create style. On purpose, with intent. (I think some people have an intuitive feel for it, and others of us sometimes get lucky). I think that I am somewhere in that middle step, working on recognizing and understanding style. I don't think I have an intuitive feel for it, although I think I can learn something about making it, or at least creating my own.

That being said, I do think there is a place in the world for the appreciation for the simplicity of the enjoyment of a thing, without worrying whether it is high art or not. It is good to be able to say, I sure do like those flowers, even if I did just stuff them in a vase...

Something about trees

Driving through west Texas today I was reminded again that I think trees look cool. There were quite a few that didn't have this year's leaves yet, and the branches with their twists and turns and interesting shapes just catch my interest. Sometimes is the light of the sun on the tops of the branches and sometimes its the dark wood. Sometimes its the way several trees close together can create one canopy, and sometimes - eventually - even one tree. And of course none of them are the same. I think that is a part of the interest. None of them are the same, and there is no such thing as a "mistake." It always seems that it is the leafless trees that are the most interesting as well. As soon as the leaves are on the tree, they make that big green blob. It is the intricacy of the branches that fascinates me.

I always think that there would be a market for pictures of these trees. I would definately make a collection of them. I think that it would be something you could do a decent job of with freestyle embroidery as well, once you got good at the embroidery.

taste impaired

I make stuff, and I enjoy doing it. I've learned (the hard way, sigh) to match thread to the background color of the fabric when sewing, or to lay thread across the fabric and pick the one that disappears. I've made afghans, and when I got near the end, had looked at them so long that I couldn't tell any more whether they would look good or not. I've put together a pattern and fabric and trim and later wondered how in the world I could have thought that they went together. Not every time (thank goodness) but it happens.

None of those things have to do with technical prowess, or how the item was structurally made. It has to do with taste, or at least I think that has a lot to do with it. Sometimes I think all my taste is in my mouth. Now, I would like to take a moment here to differentiate fashion from style for this discussion. Fashion changes, and changes fast. I don't really care about fashion (could you tell that just by looking?). Style, however, lasts. It is style that I would like to get a handle on. It is style that I would like to include in my creations.

So, here's my first thought on learning more about taste and style. Color wheel. I mean, I understand what a color wheel is and how to use it, at least basically. But I think if I can read up on them some, and find a good one, that I could use it to make sure colors did together what I intended them to do. That would be a big crafting learning step.

Creatlivity

This is my first post for this new blog, dedicated to crafting, learning more about and practicing various crafts, and sharing my experiences with other crafters. I hope to share their experiences as well, and generate - or become a part of - a crafting community.

I love crafting, whether it is knit, crochet, sewing, cross stitch, or beading. There are other crafts that I have not had as much experience with, yet, but it will come in time. I hope to share my process, my learning and my love of making things and in turn be shared with, as well. I don't pretend to be a grand master crafter, but I know I am on the curve of learning more all the time.

Recently, I've been working on my knitting skills, by making socks. The first pair I made was a tube sock, and they turned out well, for a learning activity. I can actually wear them, and everything, although - since they are wool - I don't wear them very often, here in New Mexico, even in the winter.

Currently, I began a pair of heeled socks. They are ostensibly, a size that my daughter can wear, although they, too, are a learning project. I've been using this book to help me with the pattern, and the thread is an acrylic. I'm working the toes, now, and soon will cast on the second of the pair.

The next pair, however, I would like to make with some really nice yarn, maybe a silk and bamboo blend. Something soft, and durable yet not too hot. I also don't want a yarn that has to have special care. I mean, they are socks, after all, they WILL need to be washed.