Green Glass

Because I can, that's why

So many pigments, so little energy.

A couple summer's ago, my family went to a new beach that had opened up on Edisto Island, SC - a former private estate.  The beach was fun - a person at the entrance was checking the quantity of shells people took away, trying to preserve the abundance that had lasted until the beach was made public.  But what caught my attention was the road along the island.  It was old and wide and although the surface had clearly been improved for the new traffic, the growth of the trees was magnificent.  They had grown together over the road, the way old southern trees do, and made a tunnel.  I have a picture of it on my wall.

And as I play with all my pigments/paints I am delighted and almost giddy with the decadence of my choices.  I took one of my kids old watercolor palettes and used blue poster tack to hold my little half pans in place.

I hate the paper I'm working on (for watercolor - it's fine for lots of other media) but I can't help myself.  I keep slathering rivulets of paint across the page.

 

What I've been up to

During the last weeks, I've been trying to tie up loose ends on a variety of projects.  Hahahaha.  That was a pun, because below you will see a project that I started.... oh, I don't know.... whenever.  I saw something in a knit shop and got enthusiastic and some big box was having a yarn sale and next thing I was making a novelty yarn shawl.

At some point it dawned on me that 1) I don't like the feel of novelty yarn in, say, a shawl type setting and 2) I never ever ever wear these colors.   

Well, maybe I do a little.  But it was the yarn that spoke to me, and clearly I succumbed to peer pressure way too easily.  But after I had this revelation this was set aside, and in my new clean up approach to life, I got it, and all my other unfinished knit projects out, and finished knitting it and tied in all those loose threads.  I am waiting for the right person to say something nice about it and then - plop - it will be theirs!  No give backs.

I also finished this mitten because I wanted my needles back.  But the boy who was going to wear this mitten has since gown several sizes so it is a solitary mitten.  I'm going to hang it on my Christmas tree in honor of this little hand that fit it.

I finished one other project - a sweater - that also did not manage to grow sufficiently for this boy, so that sweater is going to find a new home.  Maybe for a boy half his size, since I started it ... well, a while ago.

But then, suddenly, and without warning, I had actually, for once in my life, caught up on all my projects.  (My knit projects.  Let's be clear about that.)

But not my yarn.

So I immediately started this.

Because I love little skinny shawlette/scarf type things in the winter.  I actually use my own knitting.  After this, I'm going to make some fingerless gloves.  Because that is something I actually use too.  Cold neck and fingers.  All winter long.

I'm peeking at you

Sometimes I know when I'm going to take a break.  Sometimes I don't.  This one snuck up on me.  Or I should say, napped up on me.  I've been doodling along here all this time, just couldn't get organized (or stay awake long enough) to get things scanned/photoed/edited/posted.

Things like this - tried sketching my cat upside down.

She complained later that I made her face too fat, but she's fussy like that.  After all, I don't have a hook nose, but you don't hear me complaining, do you?

Hope all is well in the land of blog.  What have you been up to while I was napping?