FO Friday in Texas :)

This is probably one of the first time's I've actually been able to do an official "FO Friday". I usually don't have FO's lately, let alone on a Friday. But I finished up two projects this week and decided that they needed sharing.

The first one up is my Chevron Cowl, a project I started before I left good old Kansas. This project actually has a lot of history in it as well, something that makes it extra special.

The story starts with me seeing this cowl on Snapdragon crafts (aren't her colors amazing!) and knew I wanted one. I was stash diving and decided it would be a great way to use up some lose skeins. The merino is a yarn that my aunt gave me that she got in Europe. She didn't give me enough for a sweater, so I have slowly been using it for other projects (See Drehen, Grace Lace, and another hat I never published). The last skein was matched up perfectly with some dark Dream in Color I used for my first socks (Here). All that was left was a third, which was chosen at the Salina LYS in the form of Ella Rae in a nice pumpkin color.  But then, about 6 repeats in, I ran out of the Dream in Color! To my horror, it was impossible to figure out a matching yarn in that brand since their dye lots change so much. To my luck, the LYS here in Navasota had a good substitute: Kenzie by HiKoo. And luckily, it matched almost seamlessly. Well sadly, I still ended up casting off before the pattern said because I ran out of the turquoise, but I liked the length and decided to just go with it. I'm glad I did because it wraps nicely both single and double. Sure to keep me warm if it gets cold this winter. 

So there is definitely a story behind this cowl: Yarn from my first socks, yarn from overseas (and a gift!), yarn from my hometown and yarn from my new town. :) 

When I first realized I was out of yarn for my cowl, I decided to just put it aside. So I cast on a new shawl, one that I had been planning for a while. Multnomah is a beautiful pattern that is super easy to execute. It's mostly garter ending with Feather and Fan. And even that was simple to finish (But then again, I do have a lot of free time here!). My only qualm is that it's a bit small. If I could do it again, I'd probably knit the garter part for a bit longer before starting the feather and fan border. 

My version is knit with some Knit Picks Stroll that I dyed two summers ago with my friend Ivy. I had planned it to become this shawl, but never got around to it. I'm glad I finally did, I love how the colors pool and work together. And I still have a skein and a half left. What else should I make? 

In the world on non-knitting (or at least, non pleasure knitting), I have stumbled upon a new idea and possible direction for my art. You can read about the whole process here! I have started making "Sculptures" out of various knitted balls. And I want to start  painting pictures of them too, with nothing but the sculpture and a background. The example below is in gouache, but I want to try it with oil paint next week.

And on that note I also finished an oil painting this week. I don't have a decent photo of the whole thing to share, and I am also saving it for the guerrilla show I'm doing next month (Themed Serenity). But here is a snippet of the bottom right corner. Isn't the color spectacular? It's looking from above and supposed to be like a pool of water. Do you feel it? 

Finally, I got really fed up with the big plastic bag of needles hanging out in my yarn bin and decided I needed to do something. I remembered that I had some oatmeal tubs downstairs in my still life props box (Yes, I have a whole box of props) and figured I could make it pretty. I found the scraps from my greeting cards in my drawer, grabbed my mod-podge and went to town. I think the end result is a suitable fix, don't you? 

Weekly Inspirations:

Knitting:I think my next project is going to be the Scroll Slouch from my Knitscene magazine. I have been eyeing it for awhile and have the perfect yarn in my stash.

Food:  I wish I could share a recipe with you, but I haven't had a chance to update my food blog lately. I can say that I was eating on some delicious homemade marinara with pasta this week. The recipe is here and it's amazingly easy.
Art:  My fellow resident, Mick, just finished up a mural in Waco. It's pretty awesome and you can read more about it here.
Life: It's finally cooling down here. Which means I don't get all gross when I go outside. I've been exploring the town more and discovered some new things. A yummy Taqueria, another bar (that I haven't gone in...) and a few more cute shops.

I hope the weekend treats you all well. We are going to vend at an art fair this weekend and I am sure lots of fun stuff will happen. I can't wait to share it with you all.

~Lisa