Still playing

My challenge today was to get to grips with the program which appears to be the best choice for cutting my own designs using my CraftRobo.  It’s a free, open source Scalable Vector Graphics progam called Inkscape and as is the case with many of these niche-interest machines, there’s a really helpful forum where generous souls share their experience and knowledge.  A good job too, because I need plenty of that!

I began by drawing a paper doll template in the Inkscape program.  I followed all kinds of tutorials and help files and finally made it to the cutting bit.

 

I sat and watched as my small paper doll template was niftily cut from the corner of my card.  Well, I wanted it small, but…

Did I really want it this small?

Perhaps I did! 

It’s not right yet, there were one or two places where it didn’t cut and I needed to separate a couple of bits with my scissors.  I’m hopeful that one or two expert Inkscape and CraftRobo users will be able to explain where I went wrong.  But hey, for now, I’m thrilled!!

Time to play

I’ll admit to feeling a bit sorry for myself this week, but fired up on Benylin today, my day off, I was determined to find time to play with my new toy.  My Hero very generously gave me a CraftRobo for my birthday, something I’ve been muttering about for quite some time.

I wasn’t altogether sure that I’d make good use of a die cutter but a friend made me look again when she acquired one earlier in the year.  Then whilst in New York a few weeks ago, there was an incredible deal on them at Michaels and if I’d been able to carry one home, then it would have been a no brainer.

Somewhere in the middle of all of that, I’d done a bit of googling and made a list.  There, at the top, was Craft Robo, because it plugs into a computer and doesn’t need any dies or patterns.  It sits there, connected by USB like a printer – except that instead of printing a design, it cuts it.

In no time at all, I’d got it going and having remembered my manners first, I then opened up a file on the disk which came with it.  Two small flourishes gave it a bit of a challenge, though the end result was pretty impressive.  Less impressive was the user’s ability to load the paper correctly, meaning that it made one or two cuts in fresh air to begin with and the pattern went off the edge – but hey, these are early days and we learn from our mistakes, don’t we?

The cuts in this light card are clean and sharp, the accuracy impressive.  I can see I’m going to have fun with it.  I have books of designs suitable for using with it and there are hundreds of free resources on the internet.  However, will I be happy to cut out simple letters and shapes?  Or will I be tempted by other, rather more complex ideas, like these and these?

Please, don’t answer that one.  I’m just off to find that Kirigami book I bought years ago…

The Deal

No-one paid much attention to the three of us, sitting in a Cirencester restaurant enjoying lunch together.  We hadn’t seen one another for a while and there was plenty to talk about.  Arriving in the pouring rain meant that there were umbrellas and raincoats to provide a small distraction from the main aim of the meeting.

The Deal.

Though halfway through the main course, I spotted a slightly familiar face on the table next to ours but looked away without catching her eye.  I could have been mistaken; perhaps it wasn’t the woman I thought it was but simply someone of similar appearance.  This was not a time to get into conversation with others who might ask questions, expect a cut of the goods, maybe.

 

It was a clever move to make the transfer in such a distinctive bag, though.  Sometimes, acting in an open and nonchalant manner draws less attention than more clandestine behaviour and without a word, the stripy bag was placed under the table, next to mine.  I’m sure no-one noticed that the colourful bag did not leave in the same hands as it arrived.

The meal over and the transfer made, there was no time to spare.  The contents of the bag must be brought back, to be placed in a special, secure place as before.

If we didn’t get those sloes into the freezer before they thawed out, they’d make a horrible mess of Connie and Marjorie’s freezer bag and they might not do me the favour of picking them again next year.

The mojo returns

 

I’ve got my knitting mojo back.  Sorry to say, as well, Marion, that it was those dishcloths that did it!  Nothing like a bit of fairly mindless knitting to and fro to make me hanker after something a little more interesting.

Not to mention, more attractive.  (Though, like Nadine and Jordi, I do like those brightly coloured Mason-Dixon warshcloths)

Anyway, the creative urge led me to new (to me) knitting pastures, to mathematical challenges and unusual structures.  To Cat Bordhi’s sock book, to be precise.  My Hero is always pleased of a new pair of socks and  Jordi  assures me that the shapes and unusual structures are remarkably comfortable.

 

I thought the Tibetan Socks would be a good starting point.  I’ve knit the learning socks a while back, so didn’t think I needed to do that over again, but I did measure my hero’s feet and calculate the “magic numbers”.

After that, it was a cinch.  Though I’m not a fan of toe-up socks from previous patterns, I stuck with it the other night whilst sitting with our two small friends and bingo, the toe was done.

Not only that, but

Ta Da!!

Two toes done.  Yes, I thought that, since this was a complicated pattern which needed a bit more working out than a plain old sock does, I’d knit two at the same time (notice I didn’t say “knit two together”…for what good would that be?!)

Of course, I haven’t got to the complex bit yet and am simply working my way up until E – in my hero’s case, that’s 3.5 inches. I’ve got the letter stitch markers all prepared and will follow the instructions to the letter. It’s going well and I’m not bored.  Yet.

A shame he won’t wear prettier colours on his feet, though.  It’d be way more fun to knit fuchsia pink.

Felt tip pens and The Radio Times

Skimming through the teeny tiny print of the “handbag size” (I bet they don’t call it that) edition of Stuff magazine, my eyes fell on a full page advert for The Sunday Times. 

In particular, they fell on this bit

Curate my week?  Huh?  What’s wrong with “decide what to watch”?   Who knew that the simple process of mooching through the listings and noting things of interest had been elevated to “curation” in the world of Stuff?  Not me.  But googling this morning, I find that plenty of others have been busy curating, or at least, planning to curate in the near future and I appear to have missed opportunities to do more curating myself:

• I could curate my own membership at the Whitney Art Gallery, whatever that entails.
• I could curate my own podcast
• I’m sorry that I’ve been missing out on the chance to curate my consumption by subscribing to what appears to be a fashion blog

Feeling that I’ve missed out on what appears to be an essential feature of life in October 2010 and eager to curate with the rest rather than get left behind, I spoke to The Young Man About Town who laughed and dismissed it as pretentious tosh.

That’s all right then.  I’ll go and read the paper, then see what’s on the telly tonight.  I might even scribble a ring around something.