Calligraphy with Images

This is the first draft, and so far the most colorful. For the final draft, I decided to give each quote its own frame, since I couldn't get the letters to play nicely within the same one.

I need to load pictures here more often, don't I?

Calligraphy

I am five drafts deep into an illuminated quote poster for myself. PIctures and more details will follow tomorrow, when I have slept and re-hydrated my contact lenses.

Illuminate Me

Knitting:
- Last pair of gauntlet gloves: commenced, but far from complete
- Other last pair of gloves, not gauntlet: almost done with the first glove
- Wedding shawl: commenced, done with first strawberry
- Stockings: don't talk to me
- Long sweater: hesitating on this one; I'll tend to knit a row then set it aside again
- New! Marguerite's lace collar: planning stages
- Other: various stages of things; lately I've taken to knitting a bunch of jewelry, which is small, fast, and beaded, and it gives me a chance to practice different lace patterns

Tatting:
I have a shuttle... and that's about it. With the proper tool, I have to admit that it is easier, but needle tatting is quite different as far as approach is concerned, even though I understand that the knots are the same.

Sewing:
- Apron of Awesome: almost there! things that need sewing: gathering of the skirt, hand stitching dinosaurs onto skirt and front pocket, entire making of oodles of pockets, and overall assembly
- Hemp cord bodice/vest: materials are in my possession, so all I need is the confidence and sewing machine
- Marguerite's lab coat: have a pattern, need EVERYTHING ELSE

Calligraphy:
That's right folks! I have returned to one of my favorite crafts, now in color! I recently purchased red, blue, and green dip pen ink, and I love it. The inks are acrylic, so my nibs get a bit gooey on larger projects, but that just means cleaning them more mid work than before. Furthermore, this means that my inking won't have to cower behind the application of Prismacolor markers any longer. While I adore my markers, and they have served me well for several years, they don't cut it when it comes to super fine detail work, which is required for calligraphy. When you are working in a frame of 1" by 2", the 1/16" tip seems gigantic.

I have just finished two thank you cards on stationary paper. I am currently wondering why my craft store trip earlier did not include picking up proper calligraphy paper cards... but, no matter. I have enough bristol board leftover for further playing with these beautifully colored inks.

Gloves Galore

I am halfway through the second pair of commissioned Joan Gauntlet gloves. At this point, once I finish the ribbing, the gloves fly by on my needles. The coloring on this particular yarn (Debbie Norville Serenity Sock Weight, color: Sapphire) is a little disappointing. The colors look very nice in the skein, and they shape up nicely for the main part of the hand and fingers, but they pooled awfully along the wrist and upper hand (both times when a larger number of stitches were employed). This was a bit of a disappointment after the wonderful coloring of the other yarn colors in this brand. I am also beginning to worry that the next yarn I use for my final pair of these gloves will do the same, though that yarn is a bit heavier, more of a proper fingering weight than the light fingering of the Serenity.

I have also picked up my Very Long Medieval Stockings knit project again. I am on round 29/55 for the cuff of the first stocking. Each round is 180 sts right now. I think I am a crazy person for loving to knit such projects on such tiny yarn...

In other news, I also finally bought my own US 3 dpns, which means I can continue my Bird and Vine gloves (Fair Isle knitting), as well as bust through some of my growing stash. My goal is to keep my non-project allotted yarn to a single box or less. In the most ideal world, I would only buy yarn I have ideas for, but then the spontaneity of some projects would be lost. I like the ability to stumble upon a pattern or idea, pick up my needles and yarn and then just go with it. I recently had that happen with the yarn leftover from my first and thus far only pair of socks. It is a 100% merino wool fingering weight: Jitterbug by Colinette, so far one of my favorite yarns, even though it is wool, and makes my fingers itch a bit after working with it for too long. There was enough left for me to make a pair of fingerless mitts with a braided cable down the back.

My dearest friend and near other half also introduced me to Old Town Needlecrafts in Manassas, VA. It is a spectacular place for anyone with fabric-working hobbies, whether knitting, needlework, quilting or otherwise. Since the Knitter's Cottage in Fredericksburg has closed, I think I may need to make several trips there once I have used up more of my stash. They also carry AddiTurbo needles, including 4/0 dpns, which I near drooled on. Methinks there is lace and vision loss in my near future.