Day 12 - 4/7/15

Hello.

I finished a leg - which was stumpier and shorter than the arms.

When I started this leg, I was still dealing with the feeling that I hadn't quite gotten the hang of creating circular knitting.  My sloppy slip knot was sticking; I couldn't get my hook through the first stitch; I miscounted the round and it's not the right size, etc.

It's strangely comforting for me to think that most of what you do in amigurumi will start with that circle, 2 chains, and 6 stitches, followed by 12, followed by 18.  You could pre-knit 10 of these and have 10 parts for toys.

And so last night I hesitantly started the first leg of my first monster from Stacey's class.

That's the monster in blue, obviously I'm doing it in purple.

I just banged the darned thing out - I couldn't believe it - sloppy slip knot - DONE; 2 chains - DONE; 6 stitches in the 1st chain - DONE; increase in each stitch - DONE; Inc 1 - sc 1 - DONE BABY!

Dude, I can't believe that I can't believe this - I'm a pretty talented person, I mean that I can do almost anything I put my mind to.

So now I know how to do this thing.  I'm staying focused on working my first monster but I'm already thinking about what's next.

The next monster in Stacey's class is this one:

And then a part of me says "why don't you make your own?"

And I say "I'm not ready!  I don't know enough!"

"When will you know enough?"

"Well, after I... and then ...when I...uh..."

"Ok"

Oy my head hurts.

Alright - don't need to decide right now!  Let's finish up this first one - whaddaya say?

Photos will follow soon.

Wow crocheted until bedtime.  I'm kickin' major booty on my monster:

That's the whole darned thing

The opening increases for the body - only 2 increase rows to go.

Grumpy Cat wanted in on the action.

Day 11 - 4/6/15

I LOVE STACEY TROCK SO MUCH!

Alright let me explain.

She is a truly amazing teacher with a style that very much speaks to me.  She has a friendly, warm, charming, and very helpful way of teaching that emphasizes me discovering my own voice and my own style.

And again, her site is Fresh Stitches and she has a couple of classes on Craftsy.

Alec Smith, Amigurumi Designer Extraordinaire!

I've done two arms and the eyes:

And, yes, people, that is an ARM!

I just cannot believe that I am actually creating my first crocheted monster!  I just cannot believe it. Words cannot describe how energizing this is.  Not only am I learning how to make monsters and read patterns.  More importantly I'm being taught how to design my own monsters.

Love Y'ALL!

Day 10 - 4/5/15

Today I took my swatch concept and started a scarf.  I'm working primarily in double crochet; though I'm certain that I'll start mixing the stitches up a little as the scarf progresses.

Woo hoo - hard to believe that two weeks ago I didn't know how to crochet.  My first amigurumi is underway - I'll post photos tomorrow.

Day 9 - 4/4/15

Today we buried the ashes of our kitty Darkie.  It was very difficult and was so painful to have to make the decision to end her life.  She was so sick and frail.

But the memorial we created was beautiful.  I'm quite pleased.

And I did create.  I actually started coloring a Buddha print.

And I did as much as I wanted to do on my test circle.  I've been adding an extra stitch at the beginning of every chain because I thought that was what Kim told me to do.  When I realized that you just keep going around and around things started making more sense.  So this thing is kinda goofus but I'm still real proud of it.

That's it - talk to you tomorrow.

Day 8 - 4/3/15

More importantly than anything right now, I want to commemorate my father.

I had a chance to scatter his ashes today and I am overwhelmed with emotions.  I remember everything that happened.  I remember so much.  I went through so much pain watching my father die.  I was close to him.  I lived close and I spent time with him.  I got to know my father so much, more as a friend than as a father.

Merle Smith is responsible for my love of classical music, jazz music, buddhism, tarot, British humor, strange films, and a plethora of other things that I barely think about, but are so much of who I am.

So I left the last of his earthly remains behind.  He has been in spirit for so long that I know this action was more for me than anyone else.  I needed to let go of that.  Those ashes were holding me down, keeping me from moving forward.  The ashes were like a monument for how  I haven't grieved the death of my father, a reminder that things weren't freaking done yet.  There was still more to accomplish before I can finally leave this behind.

My dad knitted, he did needlepoint (he actually did a huge rug that he modeled after a piece of Indian art).  He read a lot.  He read more than I could ever dream of reading.

he liked sports a lot, which I never shared with him.  If anything I think my absolute disinterest in anything sports-related is attributable to him ALWAYS watching sports!!!!!

And in the spirit of creativity, I continued.

I'm going to keep going on this.  I'm getting pretty good at the circles.

It's got holes and stuff and I'm sure I'm messin' somethin' up!

:)

We'll figure this out.  My teacher Stacey Trock promises me that this is easy!  EASY I TELLS YA!

Day 7 - 4/2/15

Today I needed to get a copy of my Social Security card because someone tried to submit a tax statement as me!  In the SS office in Santa Ana I didn't bring anything to do except crochet, which is kind of subtly telling my busy-mind that it's doing crochet whether it wants to or not.

My busy mind will do almost anything - as long as its busy.  But busy-mind does get bored, so it has to be something that doesn't repetitious or old (like every video game I've ever played).

I'm having sort of a reckoning lately about video games.  I've always played video games, I got my first Nintendo Entertainment System when it first came out.  I played my friend's Atari.  Bottom line is I've been a video game freak for a very long time.

I've never been particularly skilled at video games.  I can't play hard games and strategy games are impossible.  Platformers always get too hard.  RPGs always get too hard.  The only game I really excelled at was Fantasy Life, which is an easy game with some depth.

So, when I think about "creativity" and "making things" I don't think of video games.  I will admit that video games are a step up from watching television, which is completely passive.  With video games there is an interactive hand-eye type of activity going on.

But nothing is being made.  I'm achieving levels in the video game - I'm getting higher and higher - but, what in my life is reflective of the fact that I'm a level 20 palladin in this silly game I play.

Which is partly why I'm really getting back into yarn crafts.   I hold something in my hand that "I MADE!"  There's something to be said for that - I made it - it's mine.  Even if I'm following a pattern, I'm putting my own spin on it.  I like to add hair and stuff to monsters, you know, make it your own.

So, I crocheted for an hour at the social security office, just working this swatch back and forth trying to get familiar with the routine of knitting.

I rather enjoyed seeing the stitches getting neater and neater as I continued along.  these photos are of the final stages of this swatch/practice piece. This is a setup for a scarf I want to work on in crochet.  It's amazing!  It's going... well I'll show it to you when I get there.

I did a tiny bit of work on my circle practice in green.  I'll post photos of that one tomorrow.

It's getting to the point where it's not what am I going to make today but what am I not going to make today?

Day 6 - 4/1/15

Today I did a crochet swatch.  I'm trying to get my stitching and technique consistent before moving on to more complex stuff.

Oops - looks like that swatch is making a run for it!