A craft interlude

Yeah, I think I needed it.

- It was a day out, away from *gestures at everything going on in my life*.

- I bought some yarn

(Better pictures later)

- I also went to the quilt shop first and got some bright pastel (some Kaffe Fasset, some others) fat quarters. I do want to get back into piecing and just the sort of fun cut-and-make quilts.

- I was the only student in the class! But it wasn't cancelled because the teacher was there for an earlier class that day (which did fill). The class I was in was needle-felting an owl, which she said (because of the size and some special techniques for making the feet) was advanced-beginner, I think the earlier class (gnomes) was more of a beginner class. (It was full, which was why I went for the owl. I like owls better anyway).

She was a good teacher. I had never needle felted before but I was able to make a creditable owl with her instructions:

He is a "fluffy owl" - one of the special techniques that made it advanced-beginner, there are locks of longer wool (she told me the breed but I forget the name) that is worked on to it, and the belly is actually angora rabbit fur from a rabbit she has. (Angora rabbit fur is obtained by combing or plucking the rabbit as it sheds.)

She had me take the kit leftovers (and some other bits) home, and in addition to the single needles that came in the kit, she gave me a triple needle she made a special Sculpey handle for, in case I want to do more. I am considering doing a tiny, less complex owl (maybe with just felt feet) for my niece's birthday along with the other things.



***

This is a better photo of the yarns:




The colors are called Tiki Bar (the bright one on the left), it has a little stellina in it so it glitters. And Claude Monet is the one in the middle, and then finally, a striping one without a formal name. And the socks say "People I like: 1. Cats" on it. I was tempted by one of the borderline "obscene" socks they had - it said "@$$holes. @$$holes everywhere" (except: spelled out). Given my favorite Dad Story ever, I thought they'd be....well, not appropriate, maybe, but....fitting. But I decided I would not have the courage to wear them ever, but I would wear the cat ones.

And the book! Signed by the author even and there are at least three things (the shawl, the vest, and the cardigan) that I want to make. It's knits inspired by Anne of Green Gables. (I have the same author's Sherlock Holmes knit book....well, somewhere).




I plan to use all the fat quarters together. I used to have a big thing of doing those kind of bright-pastel quilts and I really want to get back to more of those. The yardage....well, I just liked it, I might even use it as sashing in something.

I also have a half-promise from the yarn shop owner that she will offer a class in Brioche Stitch some Saturday so I can get down and take it. Brioche Stitch and entrelac are about the only knitting things I've not tried, and I want to learn brioche stitch.