The Closet Cleanout

Zuppa

And here's what I sorta made...garbanzos, roasted peppers from a jar, big can of chicken broth, big can of tomato puree, veggies, cayenne pepper, Celeste's oregano from last year, and a bay leaf, salt and pepper. I hope it tastes wonderful. It will be hard to eat without a lotta bread and butter. I am usre I will add fresh basil at the end.
the recipe http://www.pinterest.com/pin/193443746467661590/
that video I wanted to share. The dance and that guy's eyes. O my!
http://youtu.be/lcpV7MR7DWQ

Drawer Cleanout

I have solved my slow hot water problem FINALLY. We turned the water heater to the highest setting and now I have almost instant hot water. Much better than waiting a whole minute or more for the water to get hot.
And now for the great drawer cleanup. Yay!


I am amazed at the amount of stuff I tossed out and then the amount that I am donating to Goodwill. How many slotted spoons did I have to have? I am now down to one. What a good feeling. I have three potato peelers! Two sets of measuring spoons and cups and way too many scrapers and spoonulas. Only two spatulas. Hmm. (my little camera is acting up, not focusing automatically, see first photo.)


Tony was chewing on the plastic pencil and dropped it as I took the picture. He looks so innocent, but is really a baaaaaadddd little doggie.

Neckline Update

As promised here is the next step. I feel that the shoulder seams should be sewn before the shoulder triangles are picked up to knit. I also like to do the collar at this point too. To make it simpler than my first attempt at explaining this,
Knit the neckline 'wedges' by decreasing on both edges (sl 1, k2tog, k to 3 sts before the end, k2tog, k1) until only 21 stitches remain. Note: On the right front, the stitches are picked up from the center front edge. On the left front, the stitches are picked up from the top of the diamond instead. So ending threads are not on the same side when the wedges are completed. I cut them both and put the live stitches on holders as you can see. I will weave the loose yarns in later.
Then stitch the neckline/shoulder edges together, cut yarn, and with main color (whatever that is!) pick up the live stitches on the inside left front, and continue to pick up and knit around neckline.

 I bound off the back neck at five stitches but I may go back and undo that and leave more stitches open or live to make that neckline 'seam' more seamless. I think that the center back neck seam shows most of all when stitches are picked up there, so the fewer picked up, the better, if that makes any sense to you.

paint or dye effects

Using Setacolor textile paints, which I have a ton of, and just pressing the brush down and allowing the paint to dry in the spotty looks. I can't recall if I used two coats, one with a foam brush and one just really wet fabric first...have to play with this. Dried in the sun, quickly.



Also using Setacolor. Paint is applied and scrunched up fabric is pressed into it. Set it in the sun and it makes this design all by itself.


Thickened dyes, I have the thickener in my closet, sodium alginate, made from seaweed. Squirt on the thickened dye and squirt regular dye in between.  Same with the next piece below


The darker pink and the yellow were the thicker dyes and the rest of the colors were squirted into the empty spaces. Done on pimatex fabric, a poplin weight, single layer.

New top

OK I ripped off this idea, mostly because I liked the layout and the fact that ferns have always been a motif in my work. I plan to use fern shaped quilting in the dark green space which is why I left it blank, for now.
I didn't mean to make it so rainbow-y, but was looking through my special editions for a fabric that transitioned from one color to the next for the background piece. Well this one did, but when I had to contrast it with the ferns, out came the rainbow-y look. Doncha just love how those little squares go from one color to the next. Hand dyes. Can't beat 'em.
I started this piece at 8:30 this morning and finished it by noon. Now I can get dressed.