No snow around here. Just clear skies, a light breeze, and pleasant temps during the morning walk to the farmer’s market.
Printable Gift Tags by Abigail Halpin
Cloud Forest: Misty Czech Bohemian Forest by Kilian Schonberger
Lucy Knisley sketches the Winter Grumps. Yep, I can relate.
Creative Compulsive Disorder: Remembering Zina Nicole Lahr
The Woman in the Arena by Zen Pencils
I’ve been staring at these lovely singles for far too long and I’m looking forward to finally plying them. Do you have any crafty plans for the weekend?
Surreal Photo Manipulation by Caras Ionut
Perfect, Uncluttered Chicken Stock - A simple recipe that you can make in a crock pot.
The Story Behind Dorothea Lange's "Migrant Mother" Photograph
On Demand 3D Printing Studio Hits the Road
Productivity Tricks for the Neurotic, Manic-Depressive, and Crazy (Like Me)
My bobbins have been empty for long enough. Time to fill them up again and try something new. I’m going to try my hand at an intentional slub yarn. Well, that’s my weekend plan. What are you up to?
Knit, Purl, Sow - A wonderful exhibit of knitted flowers and plants going on through January 2014 at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I’d love to see this in person.
Abandoned: Mark Twain Public Library in Detroit
DIY Watermelon and Pineapple pom-poms! - Would it be weird or awesome to cover a tree entirely in pineapple pom-pom ornaments?
Knitted Fungi by Brome Leighad Martin - I’d love to walk across these mushrooms in the woods.
Spinzilla is already half over and I’m still spinning along. I’m over halfway through 6 oz of Perendale which smells delightfully wooly. Hope it’s all spun up by Sunday! During the moments I haven’t been producing yardage, I found some interesting links. Got to give my wrists a break some time. Good luck, fellow Spinzillians!
Observing Earth: Satellite Photos from European Space Agency
Interview with knitting extraordinaire Leethal AKA Lee Meredith
Learn a little about Foula Sheep
An emergency home built in 5 hours to last 15 years
The Yarndale Bunting - Over 6,200 crochet triangles from 31 different countries decorated the Yarndale Wool Festival. The before and after photos are wonderful. (via KnittyBlog)
Where did the month go? August and this project is almost over with only 2 more days before September.
I’ve really enjoyed taking daily photos and completely ignoring all of the suggested prompts. Spending August getting reacquainted with photography was wonderful. Taking daily photos has become a fun log of my days even if they just capture a little slice of everything that’s going on. I’d like to keep the project going but mix it up a little bit so I don’t get bored. Maybe a theme for next month?
Follow the remaining days as they happen on Twitter.
From the ride home.
The beach is the perfect place to rest my legs in the middle of a long bike ride.
I have a penchant for finding the knitting books first in any library I visit. Handy skill.
I took tons of photos yesterday (August 27th) but forgot to post one for August Break. Time to fix that.
Gummi bears are an appropriate afternoon snack right?
Joining up once again with Crafty Pod and Link Love to share goodness from around the web. This week’s theme centers on favorite tutorials from favorite blogs. It’s been nice sorting through the blogs I read everyday and remembering why I like them so much. So, great tutorials, in no particular order:
Making Neon Rope Baskets from The Work Is Getting To Me - If you’re lacking in storage like I am or just looking for some awesome baskets, this tutorials uses rope and neon mason line for customizable baskets. Videos and photos show how to make them in any size or shape.
Make Your Own House Stamp from A Beautiful Mess - A short and simple tutorial to carve your own stamps. Makes me want to go on a stamp carving binge all over again.
Cardboard Box Looms: DIY weaving at it’s finest! from Craft Leftovers - Full, detailed instructions on how to make a simple loom from a cardboard box, craft knife, and packing tape. Includes setup instructions and how to start weaving.
Simple Tips for Self Portraits from Elise Blaha - I feel a little bit silly taking self-portraits because they rarely turn out the way I envision. These tips have helped me capture better selfies and help feel a little less self-conscious.
Hanging Mason Jar Storage from Insubordiknit - Show off buttons, yarn, and trinkets in hanging mason jars.
Week 3 complete! I’m happy and just a little surprised that I’ve kept up with the August Break Project so far. I’ve really started to enjoy this project, not just because it makes me keep my photographic eye open, but also because it’s a mini journal of my days. Looking back, I’m reminded that I did those things and explored those places and watched those waves. Taking daily photographs is starting to become something precious.
For the daily feed, follow me on Twitter.
Wondering what I got up to the past few weeks? Check out Week 1 and Week 2.
Writing a lot in analog tech these days.
My bike and I are going places today.
Love the feel of this yarn, Cool Wool.
Skipping the digital version and writing my lists down on paper.
My Stripe Study Shawl gets a little bigger every week.
Walking on the beach might be my new favorite hobby.
I love walking on the beach during low tide.
My attempt at August Break 2013, or telling stories through photos, continues. I thought I was going pretty well until I compiled the last week’s photos and thought I’d missed a day. Turns out that I just misspelled the hashtag.
Check out week 1 of August Break, here, or get the daily feed by following along on Twitter.
It was melting faster than I could eat it!
Finally walked along the Santa Monica Pier.
Sometimes, you just need a sweet treat.
Decisions, decisions. Which skein should I choose?
There are always colorful things to find on afternoon walks.
The “ca-chink” of the row counter makes me feel all accomplished.
The start of something new on the needles.
No worries. I’m not taking a break for the month of August. I already had enough of a blogging break during May and June. August Break is a photo-a-day prompt by Susannah Conway. The idea is that for the month of August, you skip the words and let a photo do all the talking. I liked the idea but skipping posting for a month didn’t sound like a great idea. So, I took the photos to Twitter instead. It’s been a nice change. For the last week, I’ve ignored the prompts but went on the look out for interesting details to document from my day. Things that I would ordinarily pass by with a smile, got a little more recognition.
For daily updates, follow me on Twitter.
My favorite spot for summer knitting.
Doing a different kind of spinning today.
Sometimes, this is what designing knitting patterns looks like.
Making tiny, adorable mini skeins!
So far, reading subtitles while spinning singles has not been a bad idea.
Another day, another walk on the beach.
Found a beautiful shell at low tide.
6 days out of 7, the weather along the coast of Los Angeles is gorgeous with perfect temps, cool breezes, and clear skies. That seventh day, though, makes me feel like I’m on another planet. The fog rolls in off the Pacific and covers everything in a fine mist. You can barely see the sun in the sky let alone 100 feet ahead. I love walking the beach in this kind of weather. The grey mist, the sound of the waves, and wet sand under my bare feet combine in the perfect moment of zen. Still, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Cthulian monsters walked out of the depths or zombies slowly shambled into view.
When driving across the Southwestern United States, you can’t just drive past the Grand Canyon. If you are anywhere in the state of Arizona, you visit the Grand Canyon. Detours be damned. The Bearded One and I followed this rule to the letter and were not disappointed. We were only able to spend a few short hours exploring the canyon rim but it was still a breath taking experience. Yes, it was hot and, yes, it was bright but the majesty of this place cannot be denied. I want to go back to explore, hike, camp, and maybe even ride a mule. I want to lose myself in the power of that place.
I took quite a few photos while we were there but even amazing photographs can’t do the Grand Canyon justice. You have to go, stand on the edge and look into crags and valleys before finally casting your eyes on the horizon to really appreciate this place. When I stood on the edge I became aware of my place in the universe. I was and am very small but surrounded by wondrous things.
My only advice: Go. Experience the Grand Canyon. You won’t be disappointed. Also, don’t forget the sun screen.
As I’m typing up this little entry I’m sitting in an airplane at 35,000 feet above Indiana, hooked up to the net, and scrolling through the photos I took while in Los Angeles. I love living in the future. Would be nice to have some more elbow room though.
Right now I’m on my way back from Los Angeles which will be my new home a few weeks from now. This trip was my first time visiting the city and also the first time I’ve been in California and on the West Cost. My previous record was Nevada. Los Angeles was definitely interesting. There were oil derricks next to parks next to strip malls next to apartments next to more strip malls. It was also very flat. There were billboards for new movies everywhere which really isn’t surprising. Just different from home. The weather was wonderful after coming from a city with 80°+ temps and high humidity. I pretended the interstates/parking lots didn’t exist which made the traffic a lot more bearable.
One night The Bearded One and I headed down to Venice Beach. I couldn’t resist getting my feet wet in the Pacific Ocean. It wasn’t as cold as I was expecting nor did it smell quite the same as the Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico. The sunset though was more beautiful than I imagined.
The next few weeks of packing, moving, and getting married are going to be crazy and stressful but I’m still really excited. Can’t wait to start the next chapter of my life.
Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started.
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Hundreds of photos. Untold megabytes of hard drive space filled. Hours spent reviewing photos. Even more hours spent editing. A few dozen photos that I’m proud to show. My incremental project studying photography in March went pretty much how I thought it would. Except that it didn’t. I thought I’d read up on photography terms, learn about ISO and f-Stops, peruse photography blogs, and study lots of technical details. I didn’t even crack open the manual for my camera. Shame on me. I thought I was going to do all all those things because I thought they were what I really needed to become a better photographer.
Almost a month later, I’m sure that I still need to learn more about the technical side of photography. I just skipped over an important first step during my planning - becoming comfortable with my camera. I was fine taking photos on the back deck or the porch during the day, areas that I had decent control over, but I was really self conscious outside of those spaces. So, I started hauling my camera around everywhere I went. Didn’t always bring it out but I got used to the idea that I could snap a photo if I wanted to.
Always having my camera at hand has led to some of my favorite shots. During spare moments, I’d look around for the small details, the Everyday Magic as Tammy Strobel calls it, and try to capture the moment. I started to document my days like going to knit night or doing late night cross stitch. I’m seeing things that were passed over before, like this tiny and therefore adorable pinecone, because I wasn’t paying attention.
There’s still a lot for me to learn about photography but I’m happy with the first step I’ve taken. Maybe I’ll finally get around to studying some of the technical details in these last few days of March.
Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started.
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Taking a photo a day - especially, a photo I want to show off - is hard. There, I said it. I didn’t start out thinking this project would be a cake walk but I didn’t realize how difficult it would be. A few days into March, I started following the daily prompts from Fat Mum Slim. Some days were easy and some I’m still haven’t figured out. No surprise, I fell behind. I was determined to catch up on Friday so I grabbed my camera and headed outside. The original plan was to take photos to match each of the prompts. They weren’t any easier. Thankfully, I was in the right time and place for the 15th’s prompt - explore. I took it and ran. Those other prompts? What other prompts?
Last Saturday morning, my mom decided it was time for an impromptu road trip down to Mobile, AL. It only took an hour of frenzied packing and primping to get out the door. The drive was easy and the weather glorious. Nothing like a 4 hour drive south to breezy 74° weather to lift your spirits.
Part of the reason for our trip was to visit the historic Magnolia Cemetery. The cemetery was originally established in 1836 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. At its founding, Magnolia Cemetery sat on the outskirts of town but is now near downtown Mobile. It was quite the paradigm shift to be standing between graves more than a hundred and fifty years old and seeing shining skyscrapers off in the distance. I walked past the graves of Confederate soldiers, infant children, state governors, veterans, and entire families. Some of the stones were were still as easy to read as the day they were carved. Other markers were cracked, broken, and worn. The names, dates and epithets almost lost to the world. A humbling experience to walk among the reminders of the dead.
Historical information cited from magnoliacemetery.com
March 3 - Key
The March photo-a-day challenge continues and the challenge part is definitely right. It’s a lot harder than I thought it’d be. Somedays, the prompt is no help - fear, I mean you - and I have no idea what to photograph. Then there’s catching the right light, arranging a nice composition, and the final editing. Never mind any technical mishaps. Maybe I’m just over thinking the whole thing.
Annoying as they are, the difficulties did lead me to a photography epiphany. Most of the photos I post here and the great majority of photos I take are posed and stylized. For every photo you see, I took at least 5 other variations that didn’t make the cut. I edit and crop and resize them just so. The photos don’t always turn out like I hope but they do get the point across. What’s more, is that I’m comfortable with them. March, I’ve discovered, isn’t about taking comfortable photos. I do want to learn more technical details and better understand my camera’s inner workings; however, I want to break out my box. I want to tell stories. I want to capture the small, daily details. I want to pic up my camera and be spontaneous. Not be chained to the regular, stylized routine.
I didn’t even realize that I was stuck in a photography rut until I read a post about capturing unprompted moments on camera from A Beautiful Mess. Following other people’s daily photos helped too. The ever talented Leethal has been posting photos on her Tumbler. It’s inspiring and makes me keep trying.
March 5 - Under
March 6 - Chair
March 8 - Favorite
March 10 - I Want
March 1 - L is for...lion!
Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started.
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In like a lion and out like a lamb. We’re only four days in to March and, so far, the idiom stands true. After the outright pleasant Spring-like weather in February, the temperatures dropped and March has seen fit to grace us with snow flurries. Nothing stuck but the snow did it’s best to cling to the windshield while The Bearded One and I were driving around town. I’m hoping that the weather returns to its pleasant self by the end of the month. I’m also doing my best not to get sick. Bring on the vitamins and warm, wooly layers!
Besides from snow, March also brings with it my new incremental project. February was all about yoga which I have come to love and greatly enjoy. Have no doubt, that a daily yoga practice will continue behind the scenes here at Chez Strategos; however, March’s main focus will be on photography. Almost every thing I’ve learned about photography up to this point has been completely through trial and error. Some of my photos, I’m very happy with. The rest, well, I pretend they don’t exist. It’s time to level up.
March 2 - I Made This
Usually when I start these projects, I have a decent idea of how I’m going to spend the month and what resources I’ll be using to learn. I’m coming up a little short this month. So far, there’s Shoot It! Craftsy class with Caro Sheridan to learn from. I bought it months ago when it was on sale but haven’t done anything with it. I think it will be helpful but I’m not sure if it’s exactly what I’m looking for. Also on the to-do list for this month is finally reading the manual that came with my camera.
Know of any good sources to learn photography? I’d love some recommendations.
March 4 - Lucky
The one thing I know that will help me improve my photography skills is practice, practice, practice. Sunday, I found out about Fat Mum Slim’s March Photo-A-Day Challenge from Leethal. The daily prompts should help me focus and keep me motivated through the month. Now, I’m playing catch up. It was a happy accident that two of the practice photos I took day yesterday - the lion head and my hand knit socks - match the prompts for the first two days. Hey, Neighbor Cat counts for today - Lucky. This is an unintentional win. The blossoms don’t count towards the challenge but I like them.
Onward to better photos!
Blossoms
Good natural light can be hard to catch at Chez Strategos. So, I usually chasing it down in the yard with my camera and a handy sheet of foam board in tow. Sometimes I’m on the front porch. Sometimes the driveway. Never in the grass though since all the bugs have to have their 15 minutes of fame. These are all my fallback options though since the best light is usually on the far corner of the back porch. The foam board goes catty-corner on the railing and I get to shooting. This generally goes off without a hitch. Until today.
Today, I was plying some yarn and documenting the process. I had my ball of singles, a bowl to hold said ball, my spindle, a sheet of foam board, and the camera. Everything is going well. My spindle is filling up with luscious, freshly plied yarn and I was getting photos of the entire process. I took a photo and put down the camera on some freed singles. Then I start plying again. Ever so briefly I wondered what the singles were caught on before I looked down to see them helping the camera over the edge.
I dropped the spindle to grab the camera.
Saved the camera but bumped into the board.
The board and everything starts going over the side.
Grabbed the bowl.
Grabbed the board.
Grabbed the camera again.
Lost the singles over the 10’ side.
Learn from my mistakes people. Wear the blasted camera from a strap around your neck. Also, photograph on the edge only as a last resort. These are your Pro Tips for the day.
Besides from several inches of rain on Labor Day weekend, Tropical Storm Lee also brought along cooler temperatures. It’s nice going outside and not stewing in my own juices. In fact, it’s been cool enough to start drinking hot tea in the evenings and occasionally wear hand knit socks. These things suit me just fine. The cooler weather also makes it easier to look back on my visit to hot and humid Savannah, GA. So, a few things that caught my eye.
All of these shots were taken on and around River Street. I’m looking forward to exploring more of the city when it isn’t the end of July. Maybe next year.
Hi! My name is April Klich. I write about knitting, spinning, and straight up making with a focus on playing and finding joy in the process.
