frenchtown fiber

Chris Mundy and Kate House try to make art while navigating the crap life throws at them.

Monday, September 17, 2012

After All This Time, a Studio of My Own

I went on vacation to Vermont this summer. We visited a friend who was putting a huge addition onto her house to make an art studio. She already had a room in her house as a studio, I thought it was fine, but she declared it was awful and she needed something better. She is 73. I started thinking after that, "I'll never get a studio if I don't make it happen myself."

I decided that I was going to buy one of those free-standing sheds for myself, and it was all I could think about for the rest of the trip. My husband had been making a studio for me in the attic for 3 years, and I was thinking that, after all that, when it was eventually finished, it would probably be a sucky space, anyway.

The first thing that had to be done was to move the garden shed that was in the space I wanted to use for the new studio. The guy I bought the shed from said he could move it for me. The machine he used to move it was so heavy, along with the shed, that it all began to sink into the yard! He had to drop the shed and just leave it where it was, all cock-eyed in the yard. I was not at home when this was done, and when I saw it I was kinda freaked out, thinking, "What have I done?" Joe said not to worry about it, he had a plan.



So, he put lengths of greased  PVC pipe under this shed and moved it around with a pry-bar until it was in position. I was SO relieved. We had the contents of the garden shed everywhere. I have a pretty good tolerance for chaos, but it was getting really bad. I was so happy just to put everything back where it belonged.


Now the site is ready, and I am being told that the shed is set for delivery on Thursday. I can't sleep at night because I am constantly trying to work out how I will se the thing up. It is 10'x14'. I guess that's pretty big, but I'm afraid I am remembering it larger than it really is. I can't believe i am finally getting out of the awful damp cellar. Of course, there is work that needs to be done on the shed after it arrives, insulation, walls, lighting, furnishings, storage ORGANIZATION.


Wednesday, March 28, 2012

I Can Crochet

After watching video tutorials on line over and over, I am now reasonably competent at crocheting granny squares. I have 9 squares finished. I'd post a picture, but I can't find the computer connection wire for my new camera. I lost the bitch almost as soon as I bought it. Such a pain. But really, it's nothing to get excited about, you've seen granny squares before.I was thinking of making a nice multi-colored granny square sweater vest for someone I love. Remember those? Yikes! My ultimate goal is to be able to crochet a uterus, complete with fallopian tubes. Some crafty activists are crocheting and knitting these things and sending them to our lawmakers in washington. The idea is that if they have their own uterus, maybe they will leave ours alone. See the link:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/crocheted-uterus

I wonder how many granny squares i will need to churn out and sew together to wrap a reasonable-sized tree trunk? Way more than I think, no doubt.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

I'm a Freak (Plus a link to check out)

FOCUS:
I wish I could have that stamped on my brain. Thanks to those who commented recently. I'm thinking the funk has got to be contagious, but I guess I can blame menopause, too. Plus, I am a freak. My husband says I am to blame for many of my problems. Isn't there a book out there called "Women who do too much?" Dude, seriously, I can't stop doing stuff. I just finished up my latest college class, just in time so I could get involved with my town's council. I helped get our new mayor elected (by working on his campaign with many other fine local folks) And he says he would love to have me more involved and thinks I could do a good job for the town. I have been invited to join one of the committees forming. I held off until my class was finished, but I am attending my second boro council meeting tonight and I suppose I will be making a commitment.

Like I don't already have enough to do?

Plus, someone in town was posting pictures of yarn bombing on Facebook.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/melismashable/25-amazing-yarn-bombs
Everyone got so jazzed up about this that it was decided to have a yarn bombing day in Frenchtown. There was a "learn to crochet" party at a local residence, so naturally I want to do it.  Unfortunately, I'm not picking up crocheting naturally. I've been trying to do it in my spare time (not much this week) and I believe that I have become competent at the basic chain stitch. I was cursing myself last night and my husband remarked that I did not need to do this. But I can not imagine this happening in my town and me not being involved! Yarn bombing day is June 8 after dark. The idea is to have the town wake up to everything yarn-bombed. Well, Joe and I are leaving early am on the 9th to travel to West Virginia so I can watch him scream his motorcycle around a race track at 150 miles per hour. So, I guess I can provide the effort with some half-assed granny squares. I don't have to do everything, but I need to do that because he will be very hurt if I don't. I think it has something to do with him agreeing to stop at every cemetery we have ever come across while driving on vacation so I can take pictures of it.I think it is called payback.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Funkadelic

I've been in a major funk for months.  I almost shut down this blog the other day, but instead, at the last minute, second, I just uploaded pictures of what I had been working on.

I just typed out this big song and dance number about what has been going on the past 5 months and eventually I got disgusted just looking at it. I can't communicate anymore without whining. I'll just up load pictures of work and shut the hell up.

Sunday, February 26, 2012