Felted Lineup

Posted on by Dan

Yikes! It’s been a little while since my last post. We have been busy making stuff, and I will be sharing some of the goodies that have come to be these last couple of weeks (including some excellent mittens and a few pairs of socks). I thought I’d check in, though, and share with you a little of what I’ve been doing with some of my unspun fiber (oh, spinners out there, do not begrudge me this happy pastime).

Winter 2009 Felted Lineup

This is a small lineup of some of the creatures that have developed from some of the clouds of roving laying about the house. We’ve got some alpaca/mohair/merino blends, some polwarth, and I believe the dark brown bear is california variegated mutant. All fibers that would make excellent yarn (and they will, too, one day), but for now I am using them for other purposes (it’s hard when owls are cuter than yarn, and, honestly, more fun to watch take shape).

In addition, I can’t help but share a photo of the tool involved in the process.

Finishing Touches

It does an excellent job illustrating the fact that this Thursday I’ll be having my 3-month checkup, complete with bone marrow biopsy. I’m also hoping that, with the help of some premeds, I’ll be feeling as fuzzy as Mr. Bear. We’ll be getting results in the next couple of weeks. Keep your fingers (and toes) crossed the results are still quite resoundingly normal.

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ScratchCraft (in time for the holidays)

Posted on by Dan

ScraftchCraftiness for Sale!

Looking for something different to give during this holiday season? Something not mass-produced, but unique and crafted with care? Look no further! Virginia and I have put together a sampling of goods that we have made.

ScraftchCraftiness for Sale!

You’ll find everything from hand knits to paper goods, ornaments to napkins. You’ll find something for any one, any age. Plus, you’ll know that what you are buying has been carefully crafted by us, using quality materials.

Click here to visit our shop.

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Warm feet

Posted on by Dan

Though not appearing on the blog for some while, Virginia has been knitting socks (working towards a 52 pair for the year goal). If you happen to follow her on Ravelry, you’d see them as they were finished. Obviously, not all of you are Ravelers, so I’ll try to be better about giving them some time here on ScratchCraft.

Here are a couple that she recently finished:

Socks (24 of 52PPIII)

These are knit from a Nancy Bush pattern called “Fox Faces.” The yarn used is Lang Jawoll.

Socks (25 of 52PPIII)

I like these, mostly because of the name of the yarn (but the colors are fantastic, too). This is the “Lichen Ribbed Sock” (also by Nancy Bush, from her book Knitting Vintage Socks), knit using Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball. Say that 3 times real fast.

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Apples on my mind

Posted on by Dan

Apple Head

It might be possible to have too many apples in one’s life, but I don’t think I’ve come close. Saturday morning I picked up another bunch of apples, including some “seconds” that required some fairly immediate attention (lest they continue to decline).

More Apple Pie

The result was two enormous pies (I think each pie has about 25 apples), which is good, because I figured the recommendation of eating 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables can probably be fulfilled with one slice.

Other apples in my life that I enjoy are the ornamental crab apples outside our kitchen window. Not only do the blooms in the spring cheer up the yard, so does the fruit in the fall and early winter. While I was peeling the apples for the pies, this was my canopy:

Crab Apple

A couple of notes about my previous post on leaves and Carl Sagan – I obviously got a little distracted by apples and raked very little. The leaves aren’t going anywhere, and will be there for another day. I also tracked down the quote that I was hoping to find and replaced the one that I posted yesterday. It’s worth checking out.

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Billions and Billions

Posted on by Dan

I know he didn’t actually say that, but it is a phrase attributed to Carl Sagan and it seemed an appropriate tie-in to my weekend project.

First things first, though. Virginia has finished another cardigan. This one is the Indigo Playmate cardigan by Wendy Bernard (from her book Custom Knits). She knit this using Classic Elite’s Kumara.

Indigo Playmate Cardigan

Indigo Playmate Cardigan

Which, leads me to my weekend project (and to the numerical reference). Notice the ground in the background of those two photos? The majority of leaves from our 20+ trees are down, and though the quantity isn’t exactly uncountable, there is a goodly amount to be raked.

But, why the Carl Sagan reference? Today is the first annual Carl Sagan Day, and I felt it would be good to give recognition to someone who played a small (but integral) part in forming some of my healthy skepticism.

I would love to believe that when I die I will live again, that some thinking, feeling, remembering part of me will continue. But much as I want to believe that, and despite the ancient and worldwide cultural traditions that assert an afterlife, I know of nothing to suggest that it is more than wishful thinking. The world is so exquisite with so much love and moral depth, that there is no reason to deceive ourselves with pretty stories for which there’s little good evidence. Far better it seems to me, in our vulnerability, is to look death in the eye and to be grateful every day for the brief but magnificent opportunity that life provides.

— Excerpt from a Parade magazine article, “In the Valley of the Shadow.”

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