Sideways Stories Props

Back in March I helped with Sideways Stories from Wayside School. I'm sharing photos of a few of the props I created.



One of the characters brings on a shopping cart full of stuff. It was great fun putting this together. I found lots and lots of things to include and the stranger the thing the better. The actor (Kate) pulled the props she needed for each scene. And she maximized the fun factor based on what she used.



This is a piece of rutabaga cake with crunchy noodle topping. It looks yummy, doesn't it? Of course, I had to sample it.



Did I forget to tell you it was a huge piece of cake. It wasn't very tasty.



Mr. Gorph didn't like it much either.


I enjoyed my work with this show a lot. Making odd props is surprisingly satisfying.

I created this post back in March and just found the draft. I thought I would finally post it. It was one of the things that kept me busy and not blogging.

Extra Yarn Book Review (sharing)

Wendy sent me a rather cute book. I wanted to share it with you.

Perhaps a library near you has the book? Check Worldcat.org here.

Cascade Colorwheel

Last Friday, I visited Loopy Yarns in Chicago. During my visit, there was a customer selecting yarn to make a colorwheel of Cascade Yarn so she could knit a knock-off version of an Adult Surprise Jacket. I wandered the store, enjoying the yarn options I don't have at my LYSs while listening to her struggle with getting it "right."

You know I used to work at an LYS, right? I'm really good at color. I'm also a good salesperson when needed. I believe the staff had helped her as much as they could before I arrived. I listened to this customer struggle and decided to find out where she was stuck. There were two colors she wanted to get in the circle and couldn't make the transition smooth enough...a bright yellow and bright blue.

I like a challenge. I ended up taking out two colors and adding four. I went lighter to help transition instead of brighter. She was thrilled. I'm pleased with the result. What do you think?




I count 35 skeins of yarn in my (poorly) photographed result. The customer spent over $350 for this yarn. She was shipping it back home to the UK. She knew she has more than enough yarn for her sweater. I think she could knit each of us a sweater with all that yarn.

I wonder if the staff were glad to have me help.

I walked out with three skeins of Miss Babs Yowza I intend to use for a vest.



The dark skein is called Black Bird and is dark blue, almost black with hints of navy. I think it looks right next to the white based yarns with the black, gray (Ansel) and red (A Day atPowells), black and gray.

note to self: design a vertically striped vest, write up the pattern and become a well-known and wealthy knitwear designer.

Mary Ann Crago

I walk around the Visual Learning: Connecting Readers to Art display by a co-worker and great artist, Mary Ann Crago.
She has a blog I think you should visit. Go ahead and click the link. I'll wait but please come back.

What did you think? I am inspired by her process. I'm lucky because she encourages me to make some "art" and has recommended a few books to help overcome the blocks preventing me from creating. She might even be willing to trade a piece of her work for some of my knitting. That makes me feel really good and I believe she would value the knitting as much as I would value her art.

I have Mary Ann's permission to post the photos I have in a flickr set. Enjoy.

Curiosity Cabinet No. 7

I bought this piece of art on Tuesday. The gallery at work had new art hung on Tuesday with a display entitled "Art from the Other Side"

"Art from the Other Side" includes a truly remarkable body of work from artists who cannot easily be defined by a particular movement. We hope that viewers are moved emotionally by the raw and earnest offerings of this wonderful selection of artists."

I saw this piece and feel in love with it. Nikkie Rogers created this mixed media piece in 2011.

I like the size, the design and visual texture. I also liked the price, $35.00. I called immediately and purchased the piece.

I am an artist and know how important it is to be able to sell my work. When I connect with a piece of art, I consider purchasing it. When was the last time you supported your local artists?

Knitting at Dirty Franks

I took two co-workers to Dirty Franks for lunch today. The menu is based on hotdogs. The menu give lots of options for hotdogs and beer on tap.

I enjoyed a Sriracha Slaw Dog as a lettuce wrap. I don't recommend the lettuce wrap because it gets messy. I also had three pretzels with salt. They were delightful.

I'm knitting the Thorpe hat (Rav link), a design by Kristen Kapur, using size 10 DPNs with a bulky baby alpaca yarn. I'm supposed to be able to get the entire hat done with just one skein of yarn. Fingers crossed. The hat is a surprise gift for my oldest brother who wants something to keep his ears warm.

A View From the Upstairs Window

My sister blogged about my chainsaw adventure on her blog. She posted a couple of pictures.

BTW: We were talking about how long it would take to cut up all this wood. So there. :)

Learning to Use a Chainsaw

My BIL Jack taught me how to use my chainsaw this morning. I brought the manual with me so he could look at it just in case it has significant problems. It didn't. We (he) took it apart and tightened the chain, added chain and gasoline and it started up after a few pulls. This is impressive because I haven't used the chainsaw in almost 10 years (if not longer) and did no preparation for such long storage. Jack did a cut with it and found the chain was very dull so he let me do some cutting with his chainsaw.

After I get the saw started, it worked out pretty well. I cut two of the trees into 18" lengths. I'm looking forward to going home and being able to use my saw on my own. I'm confident I can do the cutting I need. Notice the flannel shirt my sister bought for me. I think it's nice.


After the morning, we went to Planktown Country Market. It's a bulk food store that has spices, cooking ingrediants and an incredible deli. I picked up spices, bread flour and cheese to name a few things. The horshradish cheese is quite tasty. We headed to my niece's house for a nice lunch. I got to hear about her wedding plans. She's almost done and the wedding is almost 11 months away. w00t.

Here's a video to lighten the mood a bit, especially after seeing me using a chainsaw and wearing flannel is too much for you. Enjoy!

August at Otterbein

Songferret and I attended August: Osage County Saturday evening at Otterbein College. Info here.

I thought it a compelling performance with some very talented actors making me experience a wide range of emotions. If you've never seen August, I encourage you to take advantage of a great version of the show.
Dispatch review.
Grossberg commentary.
My San Francisco review.

The show is three acts so be ready for a 3 hour experience. I was engaged throughout the performance as the playwrite does an exceptional job unfolding details of this family in a way that pulls me in to learn more and more. I remember thinking "what could happen next?" There is a next (and a next and a next.)

I was frustrated a few times because actors were speaking over the (nervous) laughter and I was frustrated by not hearing all of the lines. I did have problems hearing lines but this is an issue I have with my hearing in theaters & during performances that are not mic'd.
The set was well-done and fit the stage nicely, taking advantage of levels to convey the 3-story home. I snapped this picture for you.


There is still time to go see this show! It isn't a "happy" show but offers a great theatrical experience.

I sat next to a lady who was interested in my knitting. I was casting-on for my Nutkin socks using the cobblestone yarn. You can see the yarn at the bottom of this picture. :)

Sweater Find

I've recently started going to thrift stores again. I've been losing weight and need some new clothes and have found some wonderful clothes that fit me now. Today's adventure was no different. I found two pairs of brown shoes (that look great after they were polished), two jackets, and a hand-knit Aran sweater. I spotted the sweater and wasn't sure if it was hand-knitted. I could see no tags and there was that special quality about it. I tried it on. It was scratchy and slightly large on me and should fit DH. Here's the sweater:



And the back:



I think this is an amazing find for $5.99. :)
Look at the front details:



And the back details:



I'm washing it a couple of times today and putting conditioner on it to soften it. DH has sensitive skin (*giggle*). If he won't wear it, I'll use it as a jacket.