Zentangling

When I was 13, I had a run-in with my Art teacher. The assignment was simple, draw some shapes ( circles, rectangles, triangles), overlap a few and then paint them in 3 primary colours. Let's just say I failed. In hindsight I remember my piece to be extremely hideous, didn't follow the lines, splotches and smudges everywhere.

Needless to say, my art teacher used my piece as an example of what not to do. She went on and on about how we may not think art is important and that creativity was a necessity in life.

Being a silly rebellious teenager, the only thing I took away from that lesson was that I was hopeless in art and never really tried again.

Craft was a different matter, I followed a proscribed method and pattern and my creativity was expressed in the materials I choose. But to let go and try to use my brain to create something originally "mine", with a specific signature look was something I didn't attempt until I took up stamping and collages.

Again I felt I had failed. I could never tell when one collage was finished, how much more to add and how much more to embellish. More importantly, I never took away the need to discipline my creativity with preciseness. Which is why my work always had the smudges or that crooked line or the messy stamping.

A lesson I should have learnt at 13.

Lately I have been taking comfort in the freeform crochet and knitting, which is a lot more forgiving than the fine art of drawing. And with the great discovery tool that is Pinterest, I discovered Zentagle®.

I will talk more about this doodling art form method in forthcoming posts but just thought to show a few photos of the process...

Start with some Strings


Fill up some Bands - decide which ones you want to be on top and do that one first



Do some Swirls



Add some Fills



Finish with some shading



I am still practicing on normal A4 printing paper and some markers before I progress to proper 3 inch tiles ( tiny!). I am still struggling with preciseness but hey, I have all those years to catch up on, so I am not going to be too hard on myself.

Scrumble Beginnings

I have always loved colours and textures.

When I first started knitting, I loved those fun and funky sweaters Cliff Huxtables for the Cosby Show wore.

When I was doing quilting, crazy patchwork intrigued me.

When I was stamping, collages mesmerised me.

When I started knitting and crocheting again, I had affairs with patterns with scrap yarn like the sock blanket pattern -

or Moorish Mosaic Afghan in my previous post while I knitted the lace and the sweaters.

Plain coloured yarn bore me, I adore ribbons and slubs.

But it is a gradual process. It takes confidence and courage to break out of the grain and I struggled with whether a piece needs more embellishment, whether that fringe in that yarn is too much or whether that colour looks off.

Most of all I struggle with whether anyone else will want to have that thing as a bag, wallhanging or something they can abide being near with.

I suppose a true artist would not care.

Last year, I had the great opportunity to take a class with Prudence Mapstone and was challenged in the most artistic core of myself (which is not that deep and not that talented). And so I present to you my scrumble beginnings.

How it all looks put together - well that is another creative process. Here's an idea:-

Moorish Mosaic Afghan

The original is a mosaic of earthy colours evoking the balmy skies of the south of Spain.

Since it was published in Interweave Crochet, hundreds have been choosing their own medley of colours and all of them have been breathtaking

You can see my medley of colours in the three motifs I made below, Grass Green, Deep Rose Red, Light Orange, Light Salmon, Lilac and my main colour Grey.

Project Link on Ravelry

I think I may have been too ambitious by choosing to use a variety of mercerised cotton instead of worsted weight yarn.

Originally planning for a baby blanket of 9x9 motifs - that has changed to 4 x 4 and possibly even 4 x5.

Here's where it stands now ( pic by Instagram with Lomofi filters)

BUT here I am already to start crocheting during the Christmas break in Malacca when I realise I forgot to bring my hooks.

Sigh!

Here's the google image search "Moorish Mosaic Afghan" for your inspiration

Review: The Winter King

The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Another Arthurian legend with a twist, but very much in line of a Britain in decline towards the dark ages.

Not your Morte D'Arthur variety, Bernard Cornwell's Arthur is a warlord, not a King, albeit a far-seeing leader in search of a united Britain as a last defence against the encroaching Saxons.

We know the rest, the Saxons won and Britain became England, entering into popular obscurity until the Norman Conquest.





View all my reviews

Review: Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I wrote a review for this book for an English exam in 6th form and received an A+. It was read out in class! Wish I had that review now.

I remember it to be profoundly disturbing.

(This book was my first introduction to English literature as a subject, where I learnt to look at language, themes, alliteration, and a big word called "Onomatopoeia". Awesome memories.)




View all my reviews

Review: The Goose Girl

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I love this re-envisioning of a half forgotten fairy tale. The additional elements of special gifts extend the story easily to sequels, and the romance is tasteful and utterly believable.

Its beauty lies in finely tune clear cut prose, none of the flouncy flowery language that often becomes too heavy handed for young adults. And none of the heaving bosoms, or rippling muscles either.



View all my reviews

NZ May 2010

NZ May 2010, a set on Flickr.

It was a year ago and I have just finished processing and choosing the best ones this album

So It begins again

18 months it took!

18 months and plenty of social media experimentation such as Ravelry, Twitter, Facebook and now Google+.

It's a lot of changes for little blogger me.

I tried to microblog on Twitter and nothing beats the instant gratification of a reply or a mention not to mention the instant validation of the re-tweet.

But then it became more of a conversation rather than a self expression.

Then there is Facebook, all that poking and clicking on games gave me RSI and formed a habit for FB credits.

Ravelry has relevance mostly to my knitting yet I feel I have more to say than just about my craft....

Sooooo, in the interest of just recording the random, the meandering or just plain self- indulgent me.. KnitNut will Natter about anything.

Quick update to show this video.

So not on the ball!

I have been obsessing on the Clapotis since 2004.
Just look at what Clapotis search results on my blog. It's been a epic tale of stops and starts and looking for the right yarn.

And yes I was complaining about the price of Lorna's Laces then... My My how things changed.

Anyways I sucked it in and did me a nice little mini Clapotis using Handgefaebrt's Merino Extra Fine in Night Elves.

Here we go (warning! lot's of photos)







All in all I used up the whole skein of 570 yds in total and about 6 and half feet long. Yes it is very long but ooooooh sooooo soft.

Still I think a more variegated yarn would have given this pattern a bit more punch.

Here's to the next knitting obsession. And pray it not take another 5 years before completion.

Mourning the loss of BSG

BSG (Battlestar Galactica) ended last month and I have been a blue funk since. To be fair - it has its ups and downs and some very illogical stretches of imagination that suggest thet the Cylons ( ie the writers) didn't really have a frakking plan.

BUT it has been compelling and very good tv for 4 years plus and the penulitmate episode made me stand up and cheer. For once we have a good non cheesy, non CGI pretentious sci fi show that dealt with universal issues. Yes the Star Trek franchise had played its part but when was the last time there was a good Star Trek series. Before, the sci fi genre was still the the domain of geek boys and fan girls who were always thought of as .. erm ... off the radar. I think this has all changed with BSG or at least it should...

In any case I was a doofos and didn't release that Final Five Cylon siren call was All Along the Watchtower. So here I have embedded a video of it in it's entirety - the BSG version - with clips from Crossroads Ep 1 & 2 - one of the best episodes in the series, I think.

Battlestar Galactica - All Along the Watchtower(Full song)
Uploaded by boyeatsgirl - Watch feature films and entire TV shows.

PS. On the crafty front - here's my latest spin FO



Singles from Baby Batt from FeltStudio UK

Fluffing Around

I am sure you all have had days like these. Go off on a holiday and come back taking a long time to rev up your engines again. It's the same with hobbies, work or family. I didn't want to come home, just wanted to lie around in the sun, at the beach or just in the hotel room doing nothing.

DH and I took a break to Phuket two weeks ago. More updates on that when I can get my photoshop capabilities back on.

Just before we left, I started a new project, but I haven't touched it since I got back. I have got to only this point with my Firestarter socks from Yarnissima




Just a few days ago I received something that cheered up me up a lot more.







These are sock yarns from the indie dyer Handgefaerbt. Yummy, luscious deep hued sock squishy yarny goodness. Brings on all the creative juices and good knitting vibes. Off to finish off that firestarter so I can start another pair of socks.

It's been spinny

The KL Knitter's group on Ravelry has been in a spin lately with the entrance of the second spining wheel in Malaysia. StitchingBee (Aw) got a Majacraft Pioneer and we managed to have a meet-up on Saturday to compare wheels. Sally graciously provided her house and both she and Lyn joined in to see if they would be sucked in to the world of spinning.

I think we scared them off a little, Aw and I.

Anyway - there is this gorgeous pic that Lyn took of me spinning, with her top of the range dSLR.




I've been spinning this Merino Tencel bump from Spinning Bunny supposedly to make sock yarn. But alas it isn't fine enough so it is ending up to be sport - DK weight. Haven't figured out what I am going to make with it yet.



This skein could be plied tighter I think.




This one is my current favourite although it was very tight when I took it off the niddy noddy. Had to give it a fairly good whacking, for all the kinks to straighted out but voila.. nice fat lovely 2 ply yarn.

I've got about 150 m right now with about 2 half bobbins and 2 oz more to spin - I am hoping to reach at least 300 m.