One of the things about being able to call yourself an amateur photographer is that when you show your flickr stream to Fellow Student Photographers, you don’t feel so ridiculous. I even prefaced with a warning that I haven’t taken any real shots in quite a while, and that my pics tend to be interesting only if you like nature photography.
Things that win: selling yourself short at the outset! hehe. =P But really now. I haven’t taken a lot of really nice pictures in a while because there has been lacking (a) time, (b) energy, and (c) a nice lens other than my telephoto. Which I love DEARLY but can only shoot with outdoors during daylight hours. I have never taken the time to learn how to manually focus while using flash because I really just do not care for flash. Also, that seems hard.
Anyway. I had brought my Nikon with me to class and left a little earlier than normal because dammit, I wanted some pictures of the autumn colors this year. I got some, yes I did. But my favorite shots featured a dying bush with the most delicate little brown flowers.
I’m going to have to print out a shot and take it to a local nursery to figure out what kind of bush that is and whether it will grow in my yard. Because I positively love it to pieces.
What a gorgeous, gorgeous plant.
Also, I must say that it feels weird knowing that my classmates will be able to birdwalk their way over here and see my photos. And then, like, tell me about it in person. Gah. I’m used to my flickr only being perused by people I’ve stalked into friending me or the foot fetish folks. That’s what happens when you post shots of the veins in your feet. The foot freaks flock. But seriously, veins are so interesting looking to me because of the colors. It’s interesting seeing how your body works.
Have I mentioned the lack of bodily fluids groups found on flickr? The world should be glad I do not own a macro lens (especially since I own a diva cup)(what? you know I’d post it)(and you’d be all, look at those phenomenal colors!). Because a few months ago I would have had some awesome shots of what blood clots looked like and I really think that the entire reason macro lens’s were invented was to show the beauty in our randomly made bodies. Have you ever looked at your skin underneath a microscope? It’s gorgeous with all the soft shaping and angles.
In other crafty news, I’ve successfully made TWO scarves. I amaze myself. They are pretty and comfy! The only thing I’ve discovered that I really don’t care for is weaving in the ends because I have taken to only using variegated yarns (solid colors are far too boring for my taste) so you have to get creative with the weaving. And by the time it gets that far, I just want to wrap the scarf around my neck and go frolic in the autumness.
Two completed scarves before the first frost. Holla.
Also, I stumbled into our local crafting store which is always A Bad Situation when I have spare cash and ended up investing in new needles. I’ve got some bigger chunky ones (9, 10, and 10.5), double-pointed needles in size 8, and a circular needle(s) in size 8. So now I have seven sets of needles (the first two are sizes 6 and 8).
And because you cannot buy needles without getting yarn, I got three bundles of delicious to start with.
The two yarns on the left are for kid sized hats if I ever successfully figure that out. I started casting on for the hats on my circular needles but for some reason my brain could not wrap itself around how to do it properly and since I bought friggin 29″ circular needles (the length of the plasticy part), the stitches couldn’t wrap around the needles either. So I started with double pointed needles.
I am very frightened. I’m also making slow progress and started with the rainbow yarn to make Jas a hat with. It reminds me very much of the cinematography in Man on Fire. You should watch that movie if only for the colors. Also, Denzel Washington! But the colors, really.
Every time I sit down she asks if I’m going to work on her hat. She has a lot of faith vested in this hat and my ability to make it. Unnerving. But dammit, people have been making hats since before indoor plumbing was invented so I’m sure I’ll figure it out before long.
My internal deadline was for her birthday but this kid really just cares about the cake and whether or not she gets to help mix it. She loves to mix. If she gets to help make the cake, she will be content. I’m thinking of even letting her help me dye the frosting which will be the biggest thrill of her life. She really gets a huge kick of watching me do it so to possibly be let hold onto the little dye squirters? I can almost feel my ribs being broken by the ferocity of her hug.
The second photo shows off the scarf I’m making for Andy that I like to call Oreos In Your Teeth. In my temporary insanity I thought it’d be a great way to learn to stripe while carrying the yarn up the side of the scarf. No weaving in ends or anything crazy. Plus it was the best way to use the beautiful black-grey variant that I bought. They only had two “clumps” or rolls in stock and I had to have it. Plus I have two jumbo black rolls at home that I figured would just go splendidly together with it.
I seriously love the scarf I’m making him. It is so soft because the variegated yarn is a really cushy yarn and contrasts well with the Red Heart Scratchy Black. I pet it a lot. Especially when I’m switching to the alternate yarn because I always forget the way that I weaved the yarn in previously so it feels like I’ve done it differently every time. Which isn’t a problem when the darker part of the yarn is being threaded oddly, since you can’t see it, but when it’s the lighter shade I tend to get cranky. I need to develop a method and just stick with it.
Andy, of course, is as thrilled as a peach that I’m knitting him a scarf. All the better to choke him with. I kid, I kid! I do not have the arm strength required for that. Ahem. I always feel weird making these jokes on the web because what if some psycho person actually chokes him with this scarf some day? It’ll totally look like premeditated murder on my part, all organized with text and pictures.
So please believe, I have no intention of killing him off even when he drives me crazy. Because who else would do my dishes and the laundry? And clean the gutters? And distract Jas while I down ice cream at an alarming rate in our kitchen (teamwork, y’all)? And still think I look hot even when there is green sludge flooding from my eyelids because I’m sick? And who finds it adorable when I spear my finger in his direction and berate him over the latest incident of upset?
Nope. That is too hard of a human to replace. Not to mention the several years worth of training I’ve been subtly applying, I’d hate to have to start all over again.
