Peter Thornton Workshop #2

So, I haven’t written about the Peter Thornton workshop until now.  That’s because it’s taken all week for the dust to settle.   <whew>

The workshop was titled:  Layout & Design for the Terrified. 
It was a logical, intelligent approach to designing calligraphic pieces.

Peter’s a great teacher, and so wonderful to listen to--with that gentle British accent of his.  (He should have a weekly podcast that we could subscribe to, don’t you think?)

But there were times when my brain just started freaking out. 
It was like it almost hurt!  

Of course, I’ve already told y’all about how I don’t sleep well the night before a workshop--I get so excited.  (!)  So my brain was absolutely fried before we ever got started.

(Why do I sabotage myself so?)   <aarrgghh>

But this was a different kind of brain pain.  It was like everything was upside down and inside out.  And why was everyone was talking backwards??

Maybe it was the lack of sleep.  After all, I am not entirely new to Design and its principles.  I can spout the importance of having a focal point and the beauty of balance, dominance and unity with the best of them.

But apparently, when push came down to actual shove, I guess I’ve been designing things intuitively all these years.  Because once Peter started talking about “thinking” and how to approach things with units, my brain jammed and went on lock down or something.

Think of all the closing doors at the end of the old Get Smart TV series, and you’ll know what I’m talking about.  (!)

My brain was like, “Why are you involving me in all this visual stuff?  Use your eyes and leave me out of this.  I don’t even know why you are talking to me!” 

And would you believe, I have actually always worried that I was a little too left-brained to be a visual artist?  Merciful heavens! 

Oh, and then there’s the whole "fibonacci” thing.  I remember learning about the “Rule of Thirds”  when I bought my SLR camera 37 years ago, but I’m thinking that the fibonacci numbers and the golden ratio is like that on steroids.

Fortunately Peter had great handouts and I took my usual copious amount of notes, so I can spend the summer digesting and processing and experimenting.

Oh, who am I kidding??

It’ll take me the rest of my life!  LOL

Oh well, I was gonna be at the drafting table anyway!

XOXO,

Lucky Dog  

♥

For your enjoyment:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibonacci_number

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio#Aesthetics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thirds

Psalm 65 verse 8

Another little piece with pastels...

It's like I'm back in Kindergarten
when I make a piece like this.

Too. Much. Fun.

XOXO,

Lucky Dog

♥

E-Card

Sock Saga

Well, I finished my new sock!  My new real sock!!

(Yes, just the first one.  We’ll see how that second one goes!!)

So this little sock is made out of real sock yarn, not worsted,
so there are lots of little stitches and you use little skinny needles
 that look like that old game, Pick Up Sticks.

The beginnings of this sock had been sitting in my closet
for years, waiting for me to re-learn how to knit a sock.  (!)

When I found it, I saw that I had already knitted
the ribbed cuff/leg way back then,
so a lot of the knitting had been done. 

Oddly, I noticed that I used a K3P1 ribbing (??),
and I think I like it!

I haven’t a clue where I heard of using a K3P1 ribbing,
and if you had asked me, I would’ve said I had never heard of it.
But there it was!

I ended up combining elements from the original sock
instructions and from my recent sock class.
Like that pretty Eye of Partridge stitch for the heel.  ♥

But on this sock, I found myself so engrossed,
I was bordering on being compulsive!  And I kinda liked that!! 

I even had to force myself to work on it only in the evenings,
just so I could get other stuff done!  LOL

[Passion can be such a blessing!!!]

The yarn I used is highly variegated, and I absolutely loved that!
Not just the look of the colors after it’s knitted up,
but I loved how almost every stitch was a different color. 

Apparently, I need entertaining.
And apparently, it doesn’t take much!  Hahaha

And then I messed up on the decrease rounds.
Sigh. 

I forgot to knit a regular knitted round in between each.
So I got a lot of UNknitting practice again.

The variegated colors came in quite handy
when I was UNknitting, and made it much, much easier
with each stitch being a different color.

Thank heavens for that!

And then, you would think I had learned my lesson

on the gusset decreases, but noooooo…. 

When it came time to do the decreases for the toe,

guess who forgot the regular knitted rounds again??

Yup.  <aarrgghh>

And then, when I went to UNknit….

all of a sudden there were stitches dropping everywhere!

I nearly despaired. 

But I took a deep breath, calmed myself,

got out some stronger glasses (!)

and persevered until I got everyone back on the needles.

(Although some were a little wonky.)

And then I continued to UNknit past the madness.

Ahhhh, then all the stitches were happy again

and I could go to bed.  (!!)

Who knew knitting could be filled with such

crisis and excitement??  Hahaha

And I find it funny (or strange, I’m not sure which)

that I had never dropped a stitch in my knitting

until after I had learned how to fix dropped stitches. 

Odd, but convenient.

Now you non-knitters might be thinking: 

oh, she just didn’t know she was dropping stitches back then. 

But the knitters will agree:  if you drop a stitch, you know it!

But I will say this, stitches off the needles are tons easier

to fix with my Rowan Kidsilk Haze than with this sock yarn. 

With this sock yarn, the stitches just close up into a little ball

and it’s difficult to get the crochet hook even in the loop. 

But with the mohair, the loops just stand up there

and wait for you to do something. 

Mighty polite of them, I’d say!

Mohair is also tons better at hiding the cat and dog fur, too.

What a great excuse to stash lots of mohair yarn!

Could mohair bed socks be next??? 

XOXO,

Lucky Dog

♥

Yikes.

Man, this Friday posting thing
doesn't seem to be working for me!

Maybe I should just post when I feel like it??

How about that???  Good grief.

hahaha

It reminds me of Craig Ferguson's:

"I can't play by your rules!"

Apparently, I can't play by my own!

  

Only a few things have been keeping me preoccupied,

the weather being the latest.

We're having a rough day, here in Tornado Alley.

Yesterday was bad, today wasn't so good,

and they say tonight after midnight will be worse.

We'll see...

I may not get much sleep tonight.

The TV stations show live non-stop weather coverage 

during times like these.

And as long as they're on the air,

I find it hard to go to bed.

Oh well.  Welcome to Spring in Tornado Alley!

XOXO,

Lucky Dog

 ♥

Next Day Update:  The storms formed a line overnight, 

which we learned is safer, and we only had wind and rain.  

Hallelujah!  And today is now sunny and beautiful!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, everybody!!

XOXO,

Lucky Dog

♥