I just discovered the fine art of mutton bustin’. It is the most hilarious concept to ever grab onto (and then immediately fall off of) a state fair. I discovered it via the Puyallup Fair, via Penny Arcade.
And it’s sheep related, which means I’m allowed to post it here! Enjoy the wondrous hilarity of watching a bunch of kids hanging desperately from the backs of rodeo sheep.
I’m heading off to the Sault again. I’ve got a copy of The Golden Compass to read, a few papers for my masters and the stats from all that wonderful data you generous folks gave to me!
I’m also printing something else out…
I’m finally starting Bubble! I didn’t have any worsted/aran wool to use with this and I’m still trying to stick to my stash diet, so I drove to Value Village yesterday and bought a pullover in a crimson colour. It’s cotton, which I don’t usually like to knit with, but I think it will be ok. I ripped, skeined and washed it last night, and it’s drying as we speak. Hopefully it will be dry in 4 hours when I have to leave!
I’m back to taking photos again, now that my mom is back from Europe (along with her camera). Here are a few I took for you guys:
It seems like there is a new one every week. Whereas the last ones seemed to have at least some soul (like here and here), this new embroidered music video by Architecture in Helsinki doesn’t appear to have very much of anything.
Architecture in Helsinki feels like another one of those bands that sounds like your brother made it on a Casio in his basement in ’85 and someone picked it up and rerecorded it with slightly better production values and sold it to a distributor by saying “Napoleon Dynamite” a lot.
The embroidery itself is very nice, but they took a lot of shortcuts by just CGI-ing the motion so it doesn’t seem like there’s enough effort involved. That shouldn’t be my reaction, I know, but it is. There doesn’t seem to be a real concept here; it feels like it’s just embroidered to take advantage of the DYI aesthetic. The previous videos were real works of art; this video is just a bunch of spinning coconuts.
This is a guest post by my IRL friend Liz who is fabulously creative and just got a new camera (of which I am envious). Liz, you are welcome to guest blog any time you like!
Back in December, there was some talk of buttons over here that really caught my eye. Buttons are beautiful, varied in colour and design, and occasionally functional – what’s not to love?
The only problem I have with buttons is getting my hands on some. There’s usually a rack at the local fabric or yarn store with some practical button options but nothing particularly imaginative, and certainly nothing affordable in bulk for crafting.
Beyond crafting, the acquisition of buttons has been a nagging concern of mine ever since I started a cardigan out of thrifted yarn over the summer. I’m piecing together two (formerly) very ugly sweaters into what will be a simple, modern cardigan. Cardigans need buttons eventually, but I figured I’d cross that bridge once I’d actually finished a sleeve or two.
The search is over.
On Rue St. Denis in Montreal, there is the most amazing store. You walk in to see a giant bin of buttons, to be purchased by the bag full. All the walls are lined with either tubes of buttons (sorted by colour and shape) or spools of ribbon. Just walking inside is inspiring. I started thinking about the things these notions could decorate, and of course, my cardigan. It only has one sleeve so far, and that sleeve is too narrow. I’m going to have to rip it back, but it will be ok. I’ve got buttons to work for.
Les peaux de lièvres by Tricot Machine is populated by 700 frames of knitting. This would be a huge undertaking, even if most of it is duplicate stitch. Looks like it was really fun! The final effect is breathtaking, and the music is beautiful.
