Okay, so Steampunk isn't entirely my aesthetic but like many "fashions," there are some fun things that I kinda dig.
Like these awesome goggles.
I mean, seriously! how awesome is that- I love that the baseball leather just HAPPENS to be perfectly shaped for it, too. A+++
Also, if you've never seen them... there's this guy who does "steampunk" makeovers on computers- they are incredible. I mean, truly- WOW. I adore it.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Batts of Love
So, you guys may already know I'm into spinning; I'm not the best spinner in the world or anything, in fact, I'm still practicing a lot- I've mostly got the twist/feed part of the spinning, but it's the drafting that's getting me.
I get the technical aspect- you use one hand to pinch and keep the twist from running into your "drafting zone" and then you use the other hand to tease out the fibers- the problem is, I feel like I have to tug WAY too hard to get the fibers to separate.
Now, I don't know why this is- this could just be because I should be doing more pre-drafting. I don't really know, but I'm sorta testing it out- I figure I don't plan on doing anything that requires me to have perfect technique so long as what I'm getting is likeable I shouldn't care.
The problem, I'm having, however, isn't with the spinning itself- it's with the materials.
Batts. See, the thing about spinning- is that even with roving, it can be hard to tell what your finished yarn is going to look like if you have anything remotely multicolored. And a lot of that, honestly, has to do with how you spin it. For example, a roving with short little bursts of color- you could spread out those bursts into much longer repeats. Are you going to ply it? That'll change things too.
So what I have a hard time with is the fact that I keep finding these batts that look as yummy as the one I linked up above and I honestly have NO CLUE what it's going to look like spun up.
It's much the same thing with yarn, really. You find a nice, gorgeous yarn like this one, and you think "Wow, that's lovely." But knitted up it's hideous, and loses the charm.
It's rough- it's like artists really spend a lot of time making something that looks good as a product.. but then the actual finished product.. turns out not so great.
Sigh.
I get the technical aspect- you use one hand to pinch and keep the twist from running into your "drafting zone" and then you use the other hand to tease out the fibers- the problem is, I feel like I have to tug WAY too hard to get the fibers to separate.
Now, I don't know why this is- this could just be because I should be doing more pre-drafting. I don't really know, but I'm sorta testing it out- I figure I don't plan on doing anything that requires me to have perfect technique so long as what I'm getting is likeable I shouldn't care.
The problem, I'm having, however, isn't with the spinning itself- it's with the materials.
Batts. See, the thing about spinning- is that even with roving, it can be hard to tell what your finished yarn is going to look like if you have anything remotely multicolored. And a lot of that, honestly, has to do with how you spin it. For example, a roving with short little bursts of color- you could spread out those bursts into much longer repeats. Are you going to ply it? That'll change things too.
So what I have a hard time with is the fact that I keep finding these batts that look as yummy as the one I linked up above and I honestly have NO CLUE what it's going to look like spun up.
It's much the same thing with yarn, really. You find a nice, gorgeous yarn like this one, and you think "Wow, that's lovely." But knitted up it's hideous, and loses the charm.
It's rough- it's like artists really spend a lot of time making something that looks good as a product.. but then the actual finished product.. turns out not so great.
Sigh.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Packratting
I think I am pre-disposed to hobbies that require stockpiling materials. I went to the Finger Lakes Fiber Arts Festival this past weekend with my aunt, and I could have bought a lot more than I did, but as it is my spinning container is now completely overfilled with fiber. I also saw some adorable little Shetland Sheepies and I am in love with them. So adorable.
My aunt wants me to make her a pair of thrummed mittens, so I ordered some Cascade 220 from The Loopy Ewe for that, along with a couple Dream In Color Smooshy colors that I wanted, another Orange sock yarn for the Mystery sock at the SKA Ravelry group... And I think that was it, lol.
I'll try to take photos of the fiber. I also posted on my normal journal that I had found a guy who makes spinning wheels at the festival as well- I was absolutely flabbergasted. Someday I'll have one- I didn't even ask the price for the wheels (which were absolutely gorgeous), because the Drop Spindles were so expensive that I didn't even want to know how much the wheels were going for. Someday, though.... They were really lovely (and small!). I really admire someone who can do that sorta stuff. I guess in a way I know I'd be able to do it, but like I said.. I have too many hobbies already. And as indicated by the "Tech" class I took in middleschool (Fancy word for woodworking in NYS schools), I've not got the patience for the finishing. Sanding and all that is just boooooring to me, though I love the result.
Anyway, I want to make a Tee-Shirt quilt with all the tee shirts I have that don't fit me or have stains or that I don't wear... so I looked online for memory quilts and found like all these great ones and suddenly it's like..... CRAP I don't need another hobby! LoL!
I also wish I didn't get sucked into my hobbies so quickly. Like, spinning- I haven't even had my wheel for that long but already I'm salivating over a drum carder. Sigh.
My aunt wants me to make her a pair of thrummed mittens, so I ordered some Cascade 220 from The Loopy Ewe for that, along with a couple Dream In Color Smooshy colors that I wanted, another Orange sock yarn for the Mystery sock at the SKA Ravelry group... And I think that was it, lol.
I'll try to take photos of the fiber. I also posted on my normal journal that I had found a guy who makes spinning wheels at the festival as well- I was absolutely flabbergasted. Someday I'll have one- I didn't even ask the price for the wheels (which were absolutely gorgeous), because the Drop Spindles were so expensive that I didn't even want to know how much the wheels were going for. Someday, though.... They were really lovely (and small!). I really admire someone who can do that sorta stuff. I guess in a way I know I'd be able to do it, but like I said.. I have too many hobbies already. And as indicated by the "Tech" class I took in middleschool (Fancy word for woodworking in NYS schools), I've not got the patience for the finishing. Sanding and all that is just boooooring to me, though I love the result.
Anyway, I want to make a Tee-Shirt quilt with all the tee shirts I have that don't fit me or have stains or that I don't wear... so I looked online for memory quilts and found like all these great ones and suddenly it's like..... CRAP I don't need another hobby! LoL!
I also wish I didn't get sucked into my hobbies so quickly. Like, spinning- I haven't even had my wheel for that long but already I'm salivating over a drum carder. Sigh.
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