Altered Book

Front Cover

Back Cover

                    

Here are the front and back covers of an altered book that I started in 2003. I was student teaching in Art at Canby HS and saw students making this project under the excellent instruction of Lori Shippy. I have added to this project over the ensuing years and watched it evolve into a sort of passport for life's journey.

 inside left page

inside right page

The inside pages are cut away with an Xacto knife, then bound (and glued) together by drilling holes through the corner edges, then stitched using needle and thread. Acrylic paint, photos, stamps, gold leaf, objects are added. Quite a little treasure, eh?

The inside pages of my book show photos I took in Estonia in 1999, when I had the privilege of singing in the Laulupidu festival. Check out 'The Singing Revolution' film for the history of how the courageous Estonian people kept their culture alive through songs (many of the songs I learned are veiled political protest songs of homeland, dignity, honor, because singing the National Anthem was forbidden) and their song festivals during the 50 years of Russian occupation.

Slouchy Cable Beret, so to speak

The Winter of Knitting....2009/2010

I have enjoyed knitting this cabled slouchy hat because the project unfolds quickly with  Arabella Aurora Bulky merino wool and size 10 1/2 circular needles. I'm at the point where I need to switch to a set of double pointed needles in order to finish the hat.This is where I get lazy, if I can't find those double pointed needles the first time I look for them I tend to get distracted and start reading my book (currently reading Middlesex and I Was Told There'd Be Cake) or do the dishes (I really don't mind hand washing the dishes..... 90% of the time) or pull out a painting to work on. What's with this lax work ethic? Here's my hat, all it needs is a few more rounds of knitting and it's finished! Maybe I don't want the project to end...(it's not a cheap project, the wool for this costs $8.95 per skein and the pattern calls for 5 skeins, a total of $45 just for the yarn).

Anyway, knitting this hat has given me a new confidence to tackle more elaborate projects, perhaps I will knit the February Ladies Sweater (free pattern) next.

I still have a cable beanie to finish for my niece Soraya, who is a UO Duck. I hand dyed two skeins of yarn, one in bright yellow and the other in bright green. I cast on 92 sts in the yellow and did a K2P2 rib for nearly 2" before switching to the green wool for the body of the cap. I knit one for Kenzie in the Duck colors, and three (in South Eugene HS colors: purple and black) for my other nieces and nephew (go AXEMEN!).

I've also knit three baby cable beanies and two toddler cable beanies. That makes a total of 11 hats so far this winter!