art equals happy.

Warping the Loom. Step-by-Step. :: BA Illustration & Crafts!

Today I spent the morning shooting some photo series D.I.Ys for my current Uni project- only to realise that yarn this thin won't really support t-shirt yarn when you try to weave it.
Still- that means you guys get a bonus!If you've ever wanted to know to to Warp a simple tapestry loom so that you get a natural shed- here is your answer!
1. You need a tapestry loom, warp thread, scissors. 
2. Start by tieing the warp thread onto the loom.
3. Carry the ball at the back of the loom to the other side.

4. Bring it around to the front and carry it across
5. Pass it along behind again.
6. Bring it round to the front.

7. Repeat 3-6. Cut and loosely wrap around end.
8. Tighten.
9. Re-secure thread onto loom and test for firmness.
You should notice that the threads 'criss cross' so you get a natural shed on both sides.

These are pretty simple instructions- but that's how I warp my little loom up! Hope you are having a good Thursday. :] Kimxo

It's deadline week. :: My Life & BA Illustration.

It's deadline week at college! We've got a big essay and a big project to finish up and hand in on the 30th, so I might be a bit quiet online. Still going to keep tweeting and instagraming of course. [: 
This piece is from my current project, where we have been set the task to make work about a specific exhibit we saw. I chose one about the ancient methods of Weaving and Looms. Part of our brief is to adhere to a specified outcome, which will be an activity book- aimed at 20 year olds. I'm having a few technical/practical difficulties (ah! stressful!!) but, if all goes to plan- I should be able to make enough copies to go in the shop! Hint: It's like a D.I.Y. with pop-out bits!!!

Speaking of shops... I've been thinking of switching from Etsy to Goodsie. Anybody feel strongly about this? Nothing is going to happen untill mid-Feb, but it's playing on my mind a lot. I want the freedom to design my shop better & offer more products/explaination! (With Etsy & Paypal fees, I get very little profit. And I want to keep things affordable for you guys.)

Ok, it's off to bed for me, so I can start early tomorrow and get on with that dreaded essay!
Love you, Kimxo
p.s. I hope I dream about being a 'Spinster' back in Victorian times... 

A little guilty pleasure...

Yeah- I love this show. Started watching it before christmas (like, from season 1) and I've just started season 4 now. What can I say... I love a bit of magic. [:What do you like to watch/listen to while you knit/unwind from a busy day?
The next episode is my treat at the end of the day if I do a lot of work. Keeps me motivated. [:
kxo

That time we did Renegade... :: My life & Photos & Style.

Early mornings when Brick Lane was pretty empty. Spending all day in the Truman Brewery. Crafts everywhere! Smiles all the times and lots of hugs and sillyness. Renegade London 2011 was pretty awesome. I've shared a lot of photos of the event- but here are some silly ones of me and helper, miss Amy!If I do say so myself- we were a pretty good team!Hehe- I had some rules about dress code for anyone working at the ArtEqualsHappy booth- you had to wear something vintagey- florals prefered, and something yellow/brown. :] I love how much we matched- and Amy's outfits were super pretty!Such good memories! <3 Photos taken in Oct 2011.

I love my carder. :: Wool on the Wheel.

Having the carder has made spinning a whole lot more interesting and fun! I've been playing with mixing colours more and stripes and things. This was done in the same method as Mum's xmas gift- but I did the gradient (from pinks to yellows) in each batt- so the stripes repeat themselves about 6 times!I added liberal amounts of white to this, to keep it bright and airy. Spun it up as chunky and them plyed with thin cotton thread. I love how you really get to see the mix of colours. So tactile and soft!See more spinning here.

Q: Barnicles wanted to know if the method of spinning is the same when you are plying it with cotton.
A: When you spin the fleece- it's exactly the same. When you ply it with the cotton, you've got to sort of hold the cotton a bit tighter to get that 'crimping' effect. [: I hope that's what you meant. I feel like you can be looser when spinning the fleece, because the cotton is going to give it strength.

This might just be my favourite skein I've done so far! Not that I play favourites... hehe!

New glasses. :: My Life.

Funny story...
I had my glasses broken on New Years Eve 2009! It was just a little break at the top of the right side. I superglued it back together no problem, and wore them ever since- just until I had the time to find a new pair. (I'd had the same frames since I was 10 years old). So- I was pretty attached to them.
This christmas just gone- a couple of days before, I was superglueing my glasses back together again. I checked to see if they were dry- it was to the touch- I started cleaning the lenses, and  it smeared!!! Like- big time. Nothing I could do- and of course, no eye-doctor is open on Christmas Eve!!! (I felt like a prize idiot!)
So, for like a week, I'm wearing these frames that are totally smeared on the right lens- or just not wearing them and getting dizzy. A total drag if you're someone who uses their sight a lot (hello, I have drawing coursework to do!)... and I was going back to see my friends in Bristol I hadn't seen in ages. Haha- so ridiculous! Anyway, I managed and finally got a new pair the first week of Jan.

So- bye bye old, lovely, brilliant frames- and hello to new Ray Bans. [: Bittersweet.
I couldn't find anything like my old shape- so just went for something classic and nerdy, that gives me more seeing space.It's kind of nice, having something fresh to wear on my face! I kind of imagine this 'new' Kim being just like the old Kim- but maybe the type of person that does more meditation, is Gluten Free and has a bit more 'sass'.
What do you think? Do you like them? :]
(bottom photos are silly photobooth ones.) 

Oh Darn! :: Knitting.

I made this pair of socks for mum last christmas (2010), and they got a hole in them a few months back (from overuse! haha). I'd never done any darning, and it had been a long time for Mum- so we kind of stumbled through it together. Luckily, it came back pretty clearly for Mum & it turned out great.She was inspired by Rachel of Prick Your Finger and her crazyamazing jumper- to darn it in a different colour so you get to see the wear and tear and the love that it's known. A pretty sweet idea. (And a pretty big step for Mum cause she generally likes things 'proper'). [:Which reminds me- I have some cool photos of this sock to share. See you later!
kimxo 

Painting postcards. :: SA Sketches

From a magical couple of days where Ted and I painted in the garden...
I mostly made postcards for friends back home.
I've still got a couple of these postcards, if anyone wants one, e-mail me ($4 and I'll write you a little message!) kim@artequalshappy.co.ukSee more South Africa adventures here.

Heather's xmas gift. :: Wool on the Wheel.

Yay! This christmas I made a special blend for my dear friend Heather. She spoke to me about wanting to make some leg warmers- and I know how much she appreciates handmade and skillful crafts (being rather talented herself). Here is the (pretty fat!) skein I spun up especially for her. It's 2ply and a chunky weight.The base colours- a reddish brown and an oatmeal grey, I blended them twice on the carder, to get a more even colour. The brown is mostly acyrillic (so she can wash them!) and the grey is pure BFL wool. It made quite a nice earthy tone when blended. I made this a little more funky by making it a 'tweed'. I added in tons of other colours here and there. It was a great way to use up all that bits I had laying around.I thnk it's going to knit up beautifully! It really reflects on Heather. She's grounded and down to earth- but with tons of hidden moments of happiness and joy and pure brilliance. Not to mention soft and cuddly.Some silly photos of us after she opened her gift. [:Love you!
See more Wool on the Wheel posts here. 

The Dobby Sock :: Knitting Adventures.

The story behind this sock is similar to my Gentleman's Sock- although this time- I was using a tried and tested sock pattern- but was trying to use a ridiculous amount of colours, and then improvised the bottom. It turned out in a way too big shape- but I love the colourwork pattern. So all in all a win, I'd say. But not a repeat.I call this my 'Dobby Sock' because it's the kind of thing I imagine Dobby The House Elf would have made for himself. It's size is totally off, and it's kind of mental to look at- but it was made with love. And there's only one.A good experiment with colourwork Kaffe Fasset style.