Let's make happy
Archive for February, 2009
No More Craft in Print
Feb 11th
I was sad to read this morning that Craft will stop publishing their print magazine after their current issue. They are vowing to continue to have a strong online presence, which I’m sure will be successful, but there was something fitting about a print publication for the new generation of people who like to make things with their hands.
I’m happy that I was able to have a pattern published in the magazine last year, and I hope I’ll get to work with them again in a different way in the future. Long live Craft!
Stackable Cats in Stitches
Feb 10th
I got started on the cross-stitch version of the Stackable Cats over the weekend! I’m pretty happy with it so far.
All Annie’s had in the way of 14-count cross stitch fabric was light blue and light pink, so I thought I’d give the blue a try. I think I rather like the effect.
I’ll be working on my full design (including more cats, birds, and balls of yarn) next, and if all goes well I plan to publish the pattern when it’s done!
Luvgun in Simply Knitting
Feb 8th
The popular British knitting magazine Simply Knitting featured my Luvgun pattern in their February issue as one of “5 of the best Valentine’s treats.” I’m chuffed, I think!
(Isn’t John a lovely hand model?)
The issue also includes a new Alan Dart pattern for Simply the Sheep, who is very cute.
Free Dragonfly Pattern by Kate Jeffery
Feb 5th
Kate Jeffery, aka discosmurf on Ravelry, designed a cute little dragonfly for a bug-themed mobile that she’s making, and she put the pattern up on Ravelry as a free download!
Is Cross Stitch My New Knitting?
Feb 4th
Last week I finally finished the cross-stitch that I started over Thanksgiving!
It was very exciting to complete it, but the photo isn’t so exciting because it just looks like a wrinkled version of the photo that the pattern came with. But I still like it and it was surprisingly very fun to make.
Almost immediately after finishing the little children and flowers, I got out some graph paper and colored pencils that I bought a couple weeks ago and started sketching out gridded versions of my Stackable Cats.
I very rarely sit down and work on drawing something, and after a few hours, I realized that the process was extremely relaxing and enjoyable. Then, because I’ve just started taking a class in Illustrator, I fiddled around with grids in Illustrator and started making a real-live chart. I like the way it looks on screen, but I’ll have to get supplies and actually stitch it up to see if I like it as cross-stitch. That’ll probably take a long time, but I’m eager to get started.
If I like how it turns out, I’m totally going to make a bunch of designs with my characters!
By the way, since I’m getting into this new medium right at the very time that we’re opening an embroidery show at gallery hanahou, I have no illusions about the skill level I’m at with needle and thread. But that’s OK, I’ll just be happy if I can make simple cute things that make me smile.
