Week 4: I Got Nuthin'.

Only four weeks in and I've already dropped the ball! While I did in fact start two new projects this week, I didn't finish either. Between nursing a slight sinus infection, and trying to take advantage of what might've been the last of the warm, sunny weather (it was simply too nice to stay inside crafting), I just couldn't get anything done. Plus, I'm in the middle of the greatest book ever, which took up most of my time. So next week (I hope) there will be two new, completed things to share. In the meantime, this will have to do (careful now, there's swearing): I totally have that exact same Cookie Monster doll!

Week 3: Ugly Ugly Vs. Cool Ugly

Sometimes I can't believe my luck.

Last month I found these hideous owl figurines for $2 a pop. I won't say where, 'cause that's my little secret. They were too ugly, even for me, but I had to have them, because they're owls. I'm diggin' owls these days. I bought seven of them, as well as two cans of spray paint, and there ya have it... ...the transformation of Dollar Store-disaster to overpriced-hipster-Urban Outfitters-chic. It's amazing what a Knittah can do with can of Krylon.

The Very Unofficial Launch of G-Uknit

So the Good Catch Old School Woolly Grooves Fall Craft Fair rocked P-Dale over the weekend. While the scary weather may have forced us indoors, it was a fun afternoon spent talking craft with like-minded makers, shopping, celebrating how incredibly wonderful the Toronto craft scene is, and appreciating the significance of events like this that remind us of the importance of viewing craft as community and not just commerce. The show also marked the kinda sorta launch of G-Uknit, my line of hip-hop inspired gifts, stationery and accessories. Up for grabs were the aforementioned Eazy-E school supplies, Gocco-printed gift tags, and some felted mixtape pins. Oh, and some jewellery, too.

Week 2: Silkscreen Printing

Inspired by last week's Gocco printing adventure, I decided to explore printmaking a little further and tried my hand at silkscreening. It was hard. Here's the result: I was so happy with my Eazy-E drawing that I thought it was worth trying to print him on fabric. I managed to score some lovely, all-natural hemp book bags and had some ink kicking around, so why not, right? Right. But, I was not interested in making my own screen (I will one day, just not now), so I headed on over to G&S Dye, where they will expose a silkscreen for you for not too much money. Armed with my screen and squeegee, tubs of ink, and lots of bags, Moleskines, and file folders (I decided to make a set of Boyz N the Hood school supplies to sell at Woolly Grooves) I got to work. Here are some of the things I learned: 1. When the guy at the silkscreen place says, "Hmmm, you're going to have a tough time printing this image," believe him! Because the writing is so fine, I could only get one print done at a time because the ink would clog up the screen, and I'd have to hose Eazy down after each one. Exhausting. 2. It's probably best not to do your printing outdoors, on a windy day, on a patio table that has a huge umbrella-hole in the centre. For the life of me I couldn't figure out why each image always had a toonie-sized spot that was lighter than the rest. In the end, the dining table proved to be the ideal surface. Oh, and leaving open ink tubs around isn't a good idea either, 'cuz things (book bags, waiting to be printed on) blow around and stuff (and land in the ink tub and get ruined). 3. Never underestimate the importance of wet rags, and keep your freaking hands clean. 4. Invest in the proper hinges and clamps and things to keep your screen in place. This way, you don't have to guess where to put your screen and end up printing half of your image on the fabric and the other half on your patio table. I now have a very cool patio table. 5. Screenprinting requires patience, practice, and precision. I am not interested in any of these things. By the end of the week I managed to print four acceptable book bags (I ruined 5), two Moleskines (ruined three), a binder (perfect on the first try, sucka!), and about fifteen file folders (ruined a whole lot of 'em, but I stole them from my previous office job, so whatever). Now I just have to figure out what to do with the casualties - I'm thinking a lot of applique and collage are in order...

The Good Catch Old School Woolly Grooves Fall Craft Fair

Woolly Grooves Excloosive Felted Mixtape Pins

Today!

The Good Catch General Store Backyard

(or a couple doors over, if it's raining)

1556 Queen Street West 12pm – 5pm

Sometimes a Knittah needs to branch out.

Been working on a new look for the classic Old Weston twig brooch. Here, the lone acorn has been replaced by three wee ones, as well as some twinkling (though you wouldn't know it in this picture) erinite buds... ...and an antiqued silver twig is tranformed into a cherry blossom branch with some pale pink freshwater pearls and amethyst flowers. Both on display at Woolly Grooves this Saturday!

Week 1: Printmaking (or, "Who you tryna get crazy with, esse? Don't you know I'm Gocco?")

The Labour Day project begins with an adventure in Gocco printing. I do not own one of these wonderful machines (essentially, it is a mini-screen printer, and it is awesome) but a lovely friend of mine very generously let me use hers. I didn't think the extremely fine script in my Eazy-E drawing would work out, but the screen came out perfectly, and it printed quite nicely onto a kraft brown Moleskine cahier. It's a bit splotchy, but that's most likely a result of my over-inking. I also used the Gocco to print out a new set of gift tags for next weekend's show. I first started making these last Christmas, using my good old clackety-clack Smith Corona to type each one out. Since then her ribbon has run dry and I haven't been able to find a replacement, so it was Gocco to the rescue. The beauty of this project was that even without the machine, I could continue to make prints at home just by inking the screen and running my credit card along the top - a technique I like to call Ghetto Gocco. I'm quite impressed with this little gadget, it has changed my life significantly.

Bust a move at Woolly Grooves.

So, this is happening a week today! Not only is yours truly gonna be there, I'm even the "Coordinator." How official! This show is part of a series of monthly craft fairs hosted by the Good Catch General Store in Parkdale, and Toronto's City of Craft, and will run in conjunction with the Queen West Art Crawl. As Coordinator, I get to design a fun poster (see above!) and round up some of the 'hood's crafty troops to sell their original, handmade goods. It's been a busy few weeks, and the next few days are going to be uber-busy as I try to get all my stuff made, maybe throw together some decorations, and assemble a kick-ass old school (five-hour!) playlist. Click here to check out this month's vendors. Oh, and do come.

A new leaf, or something.

Even though I’ve been out of school for four years now, September always feels like the start of something new. Perhaps it’s the fallout of being such a keener in my school days, or maybe it’s just the better Fall clothes, but this is when I feel I can do everything, and usually, I do. Unfortunately it doesn’t last long. By about November, I’m ready to crawl into a log and turn into moss. But this year I have a log alternative. To curb the wackness between late Fall and April (does it last that long for you, too?) I have a new, year-long project in mind. You see, part of the problem is that I think a lot about making things but rarely get around to actually making them. I get the supplies, I draw up the blueprints, and then it starts to fizzle out. I also don’t finish a lot of things (like, for instance, the Japanese Noro and sari silk scarf that’s been waiting to be cast-off for the last two and a half years). And there’s all those things I’ve been meaning to do since forever: make a sock monkey (been hanging on to a pair of work socks for a couple years now), take up watercolour (bought a Moleskine Watercolour notebook, paints, and a brush over a month ago), learn to sew (got a serger for Christmas, and inherited a kick-ass vintage Singer in the Spring). I need to do these things. I need to finish the projects exiled in my closet. I need to use up the thousands of dollars worth of supplies I’ve accumulated in my relatively short lifetime. So, over the Labour Day weekend, I developed the 52-Week Makin’ it Happen Challenge. I will devote every week this year to a specific craft or project. Each week, I will learn or try something new, complete a long-overdue project, make someone a present, or simply create one of the things I’ve dreamt about over the past year. Each project, no matter how crappy it turns out, will be posted. If all goes according to plan, by Labour Day 2009 I will have made 52 of my DIY dreams come true. With a loaded glue gun at the side of my hip, the year of living craftastically begins now.