I've been working on a steely-gray Quill for the past few days. It's what I finally decided on for class, although I didn't end up going to class because of all the ICE. It was so intense and I don't know if it was just my driving, or that everyone else had snow tires, or if I was just so concentrated on my own driving that I didn't notice anyone else's, but I slid all over the road while taking Ben to work. Seriously. All over the road. And after fighting for parking and walking in the 0 degree FREEZING cold all week, I didn't imagine I would have been able to get to class on time, and if I had, I probably wouldn't have been in one piece, so class was cancelled for me. I've been knitting my Quill anyway, though, and it seems to be taking ages (endless garter stitch can be, well, endless), but I'm committed. I just love the border around it. Since I only have enough to make the small size, I may put aside and into our "baby box" for the future. But, if I'm truly in love with it, it may hang out on the back of a chair for a while to lend some texture and so I can gaze at it.
Yesterday night -- which was actually early this morning because that's how we roll around here, especially on the weekends -- Ben bought me a camera. I am so full of anticipation and excitement I think I will burst before it arrives! I. Can't. Wait. It's a Canon EOS Rebel T3, 12.2 megapixels, and an 18-55mm lens. Can you believe how nice he is?? And have I said that I can't wait?!
Maybe you should know that this is an upgrade from a Fujifilm Finepix T200 (a point-and-shoot) that I fight with every time I want to take a picture. I started taking photos with a regular Canon film SLR, which I bought for $500 at age 17, before digital SLRs were really affordable. At all. I love that camera and it's just dead simple to take good pictures with it. It's like it just takes good pictures all by itself. So, I know that everybody says you don't need a good camera, and I've read lots and lots of good reviews about the Fujifilm Finepix T200, but I just FIGHT with it! It seems like I have to adjust the settings every single time I open the durn thing, and it drives me absolutely craaazy. So, anyway, I'm really looking forward to having a more manual camera that I can fiddle with. I also like the bulk of an SLR. It feels like I can get a really good grip on it, whereas with a tiny little point and shoot I'm always fumbling for a better hold.
Anyway, so I'm excited.
You can see some of the other stuff I've been working on in the top picture, too. The cat and the bunny are puppets I made using this tutorial from Mer Mag. I love them so, so much, and have thrown together 7 more heads that I'm excited about. FYI, because I hadn't done papier mache since about 5th grade, it is super messy. Don't use your living room carpet as a work space. Better yet, don't sit on the floor at all, as I learned, because if you've recently thrown your back out, you will re-injure yourself and end up on a Flexeril and stuck in bed for the rest of the day, too drug-dumb even to knit, watching super-bad youtube reruns of Dr.Phil. :-/ Not ideal, to say the least. But, I do digress.
That's the Quill in there, too, that they're all cozied up together on. And some building discs from madebyjoel.com that I've been loving putting together and taking apart. I printed them on cardstock and then glued them to paint chips to stabilize them even further. They're actually a little fiddly, but super fun.
Last, and also pictured, are a couple of the vintage pot holders I've been working on. I love the green and beige one, and the mauve and white one has ended up being more coaster-sized because I didn't pay attention to the yarn requirements. Oh, well. I love the pattern anyway.
Outside, the snow is oh-so-hard, just stuck as firm as royal icing to the ground, but not nearly as pretty as freezing sleet and rain have turned the sides of the roads just black as grime and so, so dirty. I am more than ready for these dreary, cold days to end so I can take a deep breath and stop wearing so many sweaters.
That's all. I'm going to go back to my Quill and to my marathon of the first season of The Beekman Boys, because that show is just adorable and so funny. It makes me feel a bit like it might be spring soon. I'm waiting and thinking about Easter!
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