Armour part 3

I'm still working on the felt armour mentioned in previous posts. It now has a backplate, a paper helmet and some embroidery, but is currently missing its left arm piece, which was broken off somehow. I'm planning on reattaching that and creating a breastplate after the Easter break.

Crochet

I'm currently learning to crochet.


I saw the episode of Horizon about the unconscious mind recently and it was fascinating to watch right before beginning to learn a new skill. I've knitted for long enough that those motions have now become automatic, but crochet feels awkward and unfamiliar – it still requires conscious thought (and will do for a while I suspect). An added difficulty is that I knit English-style, with the the yarn in my right hand, so I feel incredibly clumsy manipulating the yarn with my my left hand.

Found

Fourteen peacock feathers, found on York Road between Leake Street and Waterloo at 7:15pm on Wednesday 14th March.


London is weird.

Skull skirt

I mentioned in an earlier post that I had picked up a pattern for a gathered skirt from Sew Over It. This skirt is now finished.

Yayoi Kusama at Tate Modern and Victoria Miro

Entry: Tate Modern - £11 adults / £9.50 concessions with Gift Aid donation; £10 adults / £8.50 concessions without Gift Aid donation; Victoria Miro – free

I heard Yayoi Kusama's name long before I knew who she was – she's one of the people name-checked in Le Tigre's song “Hot Topic”. Many years later I found an entry about her in an art book and got to go, “oooohh, so that's who she is”. She is, (for anybody who can't be bothered to click the link above), a prolific artist who has been working since the 1950s in a huge variety of mediums. In addition to her paintings, sculptures, installations, and performances, she is a novelist, a fashion designer and a film-maker. And she has also been a resident at the Seiwa Hospital for the Mentally Ill since she voluntarily admitted herself in 1973, (apparently her studio is within walking distance of the hospital).

New year's knitting resolution

My new year's resolution is progressing nicely. The Hedera socks are now finished, though they don't quite match - curse you Zauberball yarn with your colour repeat that doesn't repeat properly and your tendency to split without any provocation. Still, it's a nice pattern and they are very soft.


Next up? Another sock pattern from Knitty - bmp.

Intro to dressmaking at Sew Over It, Clapham

After a couple of less-than-successful attempts at making clothes on my own, it became apparent that it was time to get some guidance. Thanks to a voucher I received for Christmas I could afford to attend the Introduction to Dressmaking class at Sew Over It in Clapham.

It was a great class, very relaxed and with a practical approach to things. And I've finally sewn an item of clothing that I could actually wear, (if it wasn't snowing at the moment).



I picked up a second skirt pattern while I was there - this time for a gathered skirt - so I can practice what I've learnt. I fear that sewing in a zip without Lisa Comfort in the same room to help me may be a bit trying.