Sharing New Skills Monday from The Welcome Mat - LBDD

I'm really listening to the words hookers use when they describe colour.

It really makes a big difference, like a police sketch artist as you are telling me what you see, I'm visualizing the bushy eye brows and jug ears of our suspect.

Many times we are using a way of talking that mixes the "drawing"  up.

For instance the description and grouping together the idea of light and bright or the idea of dull and dark.

They are not the same.

Light and dark describe the position of the colour's value.

Dull and bright describe the position of the colour saturation, how much colour is in it?

It is possible and occurs all the time to have a colour that is light and dull or light and bright, light can own either of these saturation descriptions.

Light and bright are descriptions that are not interchangeable.

It is possible and occurs all the time that a dark colour can be dull or bright.

Dark and dull are not interchangeable but describe two distinct facets of colour.

Sometimes a colour is neither bright nor dull but somewhere right between. This colour is at 50% saturation.

Sometimes a colour is neither light nor dark but falls somewhere right between. This is a medium value.

Using close to the same colour as I could get with my old computer colour tool I show you what I mean, and a value scale:

Have a great day!

Curtailed but Happy as a Lark

Get ready for this, it might take concentration to follow along.
If I sit down I cannot get up.
If I stand up I cannot sit down because I cannot get up once I sit.
Sometimes I cannot lay down.
If I'm by my self I'm up the creek.
I am going steady with a massager, not a massuer mind you. Let's get that straight.
We meet morning, noon and night and often between, true love!

Ok let's list now for the curious or just bored the things I do sitting down, some of them involving you.
anything on my computer
hooking
spinning
sewing
relaxing
zentangling
dining
driving
sit ups  ok those never happened at the best of times

This is why my blog is unattended, why I have nothing to report.

Now let's list the things I can do:
ski
dye
feed cats
feed squirrels
feed Man
ski
shop
open packages
ski
dye
bake
ski
cook
pace
sort wool strippettes
use my massager
That's how I'm pretty much living life in that order  Because I can't sit down I go skiing twice a day out of bordeom, I skiied over 3 hours yesterday.

Speaking of boredom, let's talk about this:
One wonderful package this week was from Heavens to Betsy, remnants, 10lbs, I love each and every one. I love hooking with bits, so needing invention and creative thinking, it feeds my brain this method!
Combining several ingredients to make a single unified area tickles my fancy, like cooking you get a sense of the salty, the sweet, the sour and the hot and if you can include that mysterious unami, well done. Make rug making both more interesting to look at and to do.


My strippettes came from my dear departed hooking helpmate Sue Raynor. It is just like having her here with me, her colour presence was strong and wonderful, the dark orange reds, the oranges, the golden brown and Indian green she loved so well. We had a commune through those strips that was joyful and merry and content, just like Sue.
Talking about colour and their meaningfulness you might like this:

This message has been brought to you standing at my conductor's pulpit which is not conducive to fast hand mind co-ordination.
Be well.

Want some Phi ?

Phi is the mathematical symbol for The Golden Section. Looking to make a pleasing rug? Use this calculator to find out a perfect proportion to create it in. Isn't this symbol lovely too?

More than you can believe

Terrific Skiing in Wiarton- wish you were here.

We got game!

Circle of Life

Finally after many weeks of being quite distracted by duties I've been able to get down to and into my Circle of Life rug.

Only 20 days behind I look forward to having this rug lean well into February, what a nice thing to  anticipate. 

 One of the best parts about making a journal rug is the fresh new start each day, one of the worst things, the fresh new day when you are not caught up to the days past.

Below, a dust bunny, a dried poppy head, clock, blotch and doily.

Doesn't The Blotch and Doily sound like a great Pub name?

These are the circles in my life.

Dyeing Colour Lab (Online Class)

Have you always wanted to be a better dyer? Have more control of your outcome or even just make corrections with ease? Do you find you continually dye the same thing over and over?
Are you fairly competent with the concept and practise of dyeing?
Then this is the class is for you. 

There are 6 lessons and 6 months to complete your lessons 

Lessons will be  posted every third week of the month, January to June 2013.

There is intensive and deep interplay with your instructor Wanda Kerr, Rug Hooking Magazine's dye columnist for the past 10 years.
All questions pertaining to class are answered in a timely fashion for no extra charge.

All or any dyes brands can be used.
You will need wool to dye and the usual dyeing equipment.

Cost $180 (or $150 if you are a member of The Welcome Mat )

Note: I'm giving this class in two places at once, my online studio for teaching dyeing Wanderful Dyeing Studio and The Mat.

For non Mat members the cost is the same for a subscription and participation in class plus you get the added benefit of having the option to complete your lessons in 12 months on The Mat not to mention all the other added great dyeing and hooking info.

Go here to sign up to the Mat - look on The Main Page for info on joining The Dyeing Colour Lab.

If you are not interested in this - pay to join the Online Dyeing Studio below

Put yourself in the hands of a colour goddess, and find your own divination.

Wha happon?

For many days I could not sit down.

This means no hooking, computing or other obvious pursuits. My lap dancing career "sob" was over.

Now on the mend I'm back to the land of the sitting.

My poor old Circle of Life rug is on paper and nothing more, though I tried, I do not like to hook standing up. I have to twist my shoulder down a little too much for comfort.

Hooking Should NOT HURT!!!!

Man created a rather maestro-ish apparatus for me to stand up at and type. This meant The Mat did not suffer from a lack of news or views.

We had a plethora of colours to dye from this Gauguin painting, Village in The Snow.

This week we will look at what to do with this interesting fabric and dyes!

We studied hard edges in New Skills and tonight on Turn Back Tuesday, when I share stuff I've written for live classes I've given, I posted an 8 page primer on primitives.

In Colours to Dye for Amplified this weekend we are publishing the Lasagna method of dyeing many layers for large areas quickly and without mess.

Oh and from the Main Page this very good reminder

Like right now!

Make Something Everyday 31

A little late to the party isn't it?

Consumed by The Welcome Mat annual January Journal project I was lax in keeping up.

Here is the Front Page blurb about it.

A January Journal Project 2013

"The Circle of Life"

Every day circles come into our life in the mail, through snow or rain my goodness just take a look tomorrow - how many circles you will see.

During this journal we will recording their daily arrival and circumstances in a simple way.

Using the circle to explore this calendar month we can expand and reveal as much or as little as we wish. We can write our own "life's circle"

The skills needed: ability to circle and hook.

 There is so much to discover in our circle of life, go here for some interesting inspirations I've gathered.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN US or accept my invitation you have in your email.

There are many of us doing fantastic circling this month and we would love to have you join us. There is much to observe about artistic process even if you don't take part, we love watchers too!

This enriching experience is worth the $30 yearly subscription with out taking into consideration all the other things available and freshly produced specifically for Mat members.

The inspiration board is very diverse, you might enjoy it.

Here is my first circle of hell:

 

Make Something Every Day 30

Tonight I started my tam.

And set up this sweet vignette to photo it in, you can also see yesterday's Zentangle.

Now do you cast on an odd or even number of stitches for ribbing?

Time to find out!
(Here is the answer)

Make Something Everyday 29

Today I made Amiee's first Christmas decoration.

I give my girls one each year and now Aimee, sometimes I make them, sometimes I buy them, but they are the same ornaments for each girl or should I say woman!!!

This velveteen heart is upcycled from an old house coat my kind neighbour Marge gave me long ago, frankly I'm hoarding it, if you get a piece of it you are well thought of - top notch. Amiee's mom had put some stuffing in a gift she gave me so I re-used it. The antique ribbon came to me from Robbie in a gift parcel she sent me this summer. The MOP button was in a jar of buttons Shirley and Helen gave to me when I turned 50! I love when something so small can mean so much!!!

Make Something Everyday 28

I try to learn something new every January, hooking was one of those things back in 1997!
It is a good tradition.
This year I'm learning about zentangles, here is my first one. I have a book, One Zentangle A Day.

Make Something Everyday 27

It is hard to believe I only have 4 days left on this wonderful make a thing a day odyssey, I had some projects I wanted to try out and I better get cracking.

Tonight I finished my tea towels for Nessa.

And a close up of the stitches

Make Something Everyday 26

More time for me today with leftovers and people wanting cereal instead of Scottish breakfast.
I 'm back loving at some tea towels.

Sort of unusual they look a little boro and a little kantha and they satisfy me.
I loved stitching the coloured bamboo and tencel threads, working on number two today.
Loving the irish linen too!

Make Something Every Day 25

Needless to say I spent a good portion of the day in the kitchen and I felt much as this little animation must, just when you get done, it is time to start another!!!

I had some lovely helpers though, Owen and Martin.
One tall for up high jobs and one low of below the knee work! Sounds like one was wasted and the other drunk and passed out doesn't it? I'll let you paint your own artistic rendition!

Everything was delicious and all were content, replete with gifts and food.
I did not turn my hand to creating at all.
Nary a thing.
Nada.

I hope you had a wonderfully festive time and had a moment to ponder your great good fortune or perhaps you are starting to feel as this person does.

I feel a bit like shaking up traditions myself.
I wonder if I sewed/ sowed the seeds of change today?

Make Something Everyday 24

Chapeau, Maker and Model.

Make Something Everyday #23

Two make up four yesterday, I made two things:

Das Bootu Two

They are stuffed in a radical way and are more alike than they appear.

 And a hat with pom poms on the front sides and top but not the back for the carriage trade.

I'll see you tomorrow! I promise.

Make Something Every Day #22

X

Marks the spot where I was too tired to make.

Shhhhhh it happens.

Make Something Everyday 21

 Hand Made Gift Tags, Yes I do have other colours of paint but I like red and green.

Make Something Everyday 20

Splice is nice for winter and I've gone all conservative and stitched up and cut away the layers in an interesting and selective way.

Make Something Everyday 19

Today I made a couple of things, one was an out take on a splice skirt but it needs an alteration so instead I'll show you the wool I dyed for a special lady for Christmas. When I get the skirt adjusted I'll show you it.
 Using the electric frying pan with the transitional method and a 1/2 yd of wool each for this example I used Yellow, Brilliant Green, Blue, Blue Violet, Red Violet and Orange over natural wool

For this one I used Red, Blue, Moss Green, Yellow, Chocolate Brown and then Seal Brown over tan wool.

They are both lovely!!!