A Beautiful Crafting Night in the Neighborhood

July is  busy month! But we took some time out Wednesday Night to do some knitting!

Ethel was busy making right-angle weave beaded bracelets.

Ethel’s beaded bracelets

Meanwhile, she went to work on a hat that she’s had on her agenda for a while.

Ethel & hat

It’s a bit difficult to be thinking of fall and winter accessories for the relatives “up Nawth” when it’s been at least 90 degrees here in the swamp day after day.  But that’s our lifestyle! Now I am almost finished with the Silk Garden socks  (the alternate project for March, on ravelry‘s Sock It To Me 2013 forum). What a slacker I am! There must be an entry in the DSM 5 describing my personality as it pertains to knitting…

Noro Silk Garden socks

However, I guess I’m not the only one who is a bit behind on the sock-making arena: here it is already July 10th and no one on Sock-It-To-Me has put up a sock pattern for July yet. In fact, no one has heard from the forum moderators for a month, one post says.

Some of the forum posts indicate that the knitters, left to their own devices, it seems, are planning to use the time to catch up. I believe I’ll need more than a month to catch up. Plus, I got stung on the right elbow by a wasp night before last. It doesn’t stop me from knitting, but it’s another excuse that looks serious.

DH did not use my Knitting Time as an excuse to slack off, he was out in the shop with a bud, doing some woodturning and pondering work on a new Craftsman-style dining room trestle table. Here is buddy Adam with his turned project–pretty good for a beginner! After DH attended the AAW Symposium and saw the convention center dominated by gray- and bald-heads, and watched the youth participants take to the lathes like ducks to water, he is committed to sharing this craft with younger generations.

another friendly neighborhood woodturner

Read Full Post »

Spectacular Galleries at AAW in Tampa

Last day of the 2013 AAW Symposium.

DH and I went together to another David Marks workshop: Unique Patinas. We were fascinated by some of the samples he passed around and the processes he showed the group.  In this photo, he draped cheesecloth over the wood to get a textured look from the liquid chemicals.

David Marks silver leaf, gold leaf, cheesecloth resist

David Marks finished vessel

For applying patina to a curved surface, he has a PVC pipe stand.  He says once metals are applied to a surface, they are very delicate even after they dry. If he is using a water-based formula, he finishes with shellac and never sands. He says a light coat of Krylon acrylic spray gives the least amount of color change to a finish.

pic showing various patina finishes by David Marks

patina effects by David Marks

David Marks demo’d the effects of these fish in class

David Marks is very open about his techniques, willing to share every detail and answer any questions.

He demonstrated the effects of various chemicals on the metal leaf applied to the 2 fish motifs shown here, in class.  It’s always fascinating to see the processes demonstrated by the master craftsman and watch the effects develop before your eyes!

DH bought several of Marks’ DVDs for future entertainment and enlightenment. I noticed that quite a few other notable woodturners drifted into the back of the class as it was drawing to a close, and were mesmerized by the ongoing work on the demonstration. That may have been due to a committee meeting scheduled in that room for the next time period…but no denying that David Marks’ work-in-progress is very, very interesting!

For the next rotation DH went to the Youth Shop to volunteer his helpful expertise, and I chose to go to a class called Design, Inspiration, Insight, and Happy Accidents by Nick Agar.

Nick Agar, right, in red shirt, showing slides of his work

spalted wood bowl by Nick Agar

Nick Agar art (9-ft tall board)

He showed slides of his studio, located on a riverbank in Devon, England. He said that the changing of the seasons and the tidal behavior of the river influence his work.

We had invited son and daughter-in-law, who appreciate art, to come over and enjoy the exhibits at the gallery, which was open to the public til noon. As soon as they arrived, we toured the People’s Choice galleries (with grandkids! The guard at the door looked like he was going to have a heart attack when he saw us coming!)

Just kidding, we had the grandkids well in hand at the galleries!

Don’t worry, the grandkids’ hands were never un-handed by an adult while in the People’s Choice Gallery. Although even we oldsters had to admit, the fascinating art objects look incredibly touchable! You can take a look at this art work by Joey Richardson, who created it to draw attention to illegal rhino hunting, at the online exhibit of AAW wood art here.  In all, a spectacular weekend!

Read Full Post »

A Fiberlicious Weekend Vaycay

I am so stoked: I just got back from a great weekend vacation in Tampa.

While in Tampa, we attended the 2013 AAW Symposium (American Association of Woodturners)
Every day we were incredibly WOW-ed! You and I could have both gone to the symposium and each had completely different experiences; the depth and variety of the workshops, forums, and hands-on classes was magnificent! I will be taking some time in a few upcoming posts to give little summaries of the things we studied while we were there.

But first, we went to nearby Winter Haven and vicinity to see some much-loved relatives! And for a visit at one of my favorite places, Four Purls Knitting Shop. I love it there. It’s a little haven in Winter Haven. The shop is in the old part of town, has a juicy selection of the most beautiful knitting things imaginable, and the shop contains a vast sitting area where people can sit comfortably and knit, spin, crochet, or just talk together. The staff is beyond friendly and interesting, but they seem to gauge how much you want to socialize vs how intently you want to shop while there. They know everything about knitting, spinning, weaving, and most other stuff you might be interested in. I know we have a fantastic LYS where I live, but visiting Four Purls is a treat.

fiberlicious finds from Four Purls

elusive green 100% wool

yum Berroco and Cascade

I was looking for some colors to match my purse. Once I communicated that desire to the dear little sales clerk with the discerning eyes, she disappeared for a second and came back with a skein I didn’t see, and it was right on!

purse

some color matching?

And I got a roll of silver rayon by Swallowhill Creations to maybe make some more knitted bracelets (see my previous post).

Next post soon: working with the BIG FIBER–wood! Luscious! Profound!

Read Full Post »