art equals happy.

A touch of tie-dye. :: Style.

Back for another daily oufit post. :] This one is a little special because it's one of those happy accidents. I bought the long sleeved dress/top with stripes on it a long time ago (like 2005) and it never really got worn. It's a little tricky to wear because the neck line is a very low 'v' cut- and that's not really my style (I always feel like my boobs are hanging out!!). So- it got pushed to the back of my wardrobe. Then, last year, I was looking for stuff to tie-dye with a friend and I pulled this out. Perfect fabric for it. So I wasn't really bothered with how it came out- I was just playing around. I used two different blues and tried a whole bunch of different tying techniques.The colour held really well and it makes a great studio outfit paired with a shortish pullover.Have a fun Saturday. :] kimxo

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Talking about art school. :: Videos & Vlogs.

A housewarming gift for Amy. :: Drawing.

My dear friend Amy moved into her first real place away from her parents recently. She starts Uni (for reals) this year, and it's all super exciting because she is making her place very nice and homey. We are pretty big Harry Potter geeks, and I always love an excuse to draw anything potter related... so obviously... this happened!It's got quite a few (really geeky) references that most of you probably won't get (double points if you do!!!)- but that is meant to be a Doe (someone said it looked like a sheep- oops!) and, 'Always' is something Snape says in the last book. 
When I gave it to her, she squeeled and jumped up and down and hugged me- so I'm pretty sure she liked it... hehe.
Here are some sketches I did before I commited to the cup:Thanks to The Art Cafe, where I painted it. And Happy New House Miss AMY! kxo

A new mug for Dad. :: Drawing.

Jazz works in this cool little ceramic painting place during the summer, and I like to hang out there, painting mugs and things. This was just a fun thing I did for my Dad, because he needed a new one.(this quote is from a Shakesphere play!) I took these photos before it got glazed and fired, but I still think it looks beautiful. It's amazing how different the colours look before it's fired... I'll take photos next time I'm at my parents' house.I try and always put a little heart on the bottom of the mug- like a surprise. :] kimxo

Spinning loose ends. :: Dyeing and Spinning.

I have a really hard time throwing away dyebath. Like- I just can't. haha. At least until I've exhausted it a few times. So I end up dyeing loads of fleece and end up with a pile of light shades from leftover dyebath. These particular colours were from when I dyeing Pink and Green for the 'Bi' exhibition. (I combined the blue and yellow to make green). It was using commercial dye and I kept getting it confused with my natural dye bits SO I decided to just spin it up and just add whatever there was to my stockpile of yarn ready for knitting.A very pleasent thing happened as I was doing this. I had two shades of each colour (the first exhaust, and the second). Instead of just mixing it together, I spun the first exhaust and the second exhaust seperatly and plyed them together. The result is a pleasing two-toned effect. And I like it so much- I think I'm going to try this with the next batch of Natural dyeing I do.Subtle but special. Also it was super fun to spin so tiny. I usually don't have the patience but I kind of wanted to make it go as far as possible. I know. I'm a dork. It's not enough that I've already saved some dyebath from waste. Sometimes my need to reuse & recycle gets me into trouble. Like all the paper I've been stockpiling for years... Perhaps I should make up some kits and sell them? Love you. kxo

An Art Journal of sorts. :: Drawing & Sketchbooks.

Sometimes I like to draw things on paper that isn't in a sketchbook. Sometimes I like to write down my feelings. Sometimes I just need to glue stuff to other stuff. Sometimes I get that urge to document. Sometimes I just need to remind myself of something.
I guess that's what I used to do with my art journals. I just used to do it a lot more often and perhaps with more cohesion? My art journals have taken a back seat (okay- more like locked away in a bag in the bottom of the boot where I never look), compared to Uni work and growing my knitting skills. But this year, I've kept a loose diary of sorts, along with my notebook that I carry around with me everywhere.
Here are some pages from March and April that I thought you might like..."The city moved and we were still. " "Poetically sad and beautiful" "I turned my phone off." "The wind made my hair dance and the boats kissed each other." "I need to tell this to my pages" (just in case you can't read my messy writing. haha)This 'journal' is a free place for me. It's a place that never gets judged. It never has to be 'beautiful' or 'perfect' or even nice looking. I don't have to be happy with the drawings/compositions I make. It is literally a place for thoughts and bits of paper. I tend to keep scraps/offcuts from projects, reciepts, bags, etc and I like putting them together and marking them with a date. It's a nice reminder of what I was doing at the time- and I love looking back at my old ones too. Hopefully one day my kids will too. Maybe they'll see that we all struggle and get frustrated and hate ourselves now and again- but that if we really think about it, we are lucky and there is a lot to be happy about.It is also incredibly helpful for dealing with CFS/M.E. Being able to write your frustrations down- to make something that can't be seen... tangible- (or just complain) to a piece of paper is such a gift. :] Kimxo

Post-it drawings. :: Illustration & Sketchbooks.

With all of these college projects on at the moment (we've got like, 6 things to worry about)- I've been trying to set myself some time in the evenings for fun things. The other night, I made a series of post-it note drawings.I did these completely from my head- pulling attributes from people I'd seen during the day. And trying to keep it as much of a continuous line as possible. Although- I really didn't want any rules. Just funsies.Then the next day, I did these- drawing directly from life.I think the thing that makes these easy and fun for me- is that I'm not worrying about making that person look 'pretty'- I'm just practising lines and shapes and connections.

To do this yourself- all you need is a stack of post-it notes, a pencil (or pen or crayon! anything!) and an imagination!! Try starting with the nose and eyebrows, building in the eyes, mouth, jaw, and then hair. Be free and let the pencil wander! 

Love, Kimxo 

Wool display. :: Flat 5 & My Life & Workspace.

So- after 2 years of living in my little flat, I am finally getting things up on the walls! Haha, I'm so bad, I know. I've needed a good way of storing my little odds and ends of wool, and since I'm running out of floor space, I couldn't just have a big bucket of wool. I love organising my things by colour- especially wool, so this is what Mum and I came up with!
The baskets are a good size, because they don't stick out that far from the wall either way, and are a simple design so you really notice the colours. We just hung them on nails (two for each) and I can easily take them down (lets say, if I was working on something with lots of greens) for projects.There's no magic tricks here- you just need to pack as many balls of wool so that none fall out- they will hold eachother up. [:It's so pretty to look at, and gets me inspired everyday when I wake up! Negs isn't too sure about it though, becuase it means less balls that she can play with. haha.Love, kxo.

p.s. how fun would it be to have a whole big wall full of different sized baskets all hanging with wool in them! <3

First ever Mittens! :: Knitting Adventures.

Haha- Hi everyone!
Back when I didn't know anything about mitten making- I made these. Small needles and thin yarn & I did them on straight needles- and sewed it up the side. I was looking at a victorian illustration of a knitted mitten- and I just guessed my way through it. I'm all about making this stuff up!This was sort of a test to see how my swatch patterns would look in a garment. Because this was made with 2.75mm needles, it feels much more delicate and 'fancy' compared with my other mittens. It's also lighter, so would be good for spring time, when there is still a chill in the air. It feels more like a relic, like an actual victorian mitten, and doesn't seem as 'comfy' and 'wearable' as the chunkier ones. But- maybe that's just me... haha. 

Saara's Finish(ed) Mittens. :: Knitting Adventures.

Take a look at this cozy pair of mittens I made for a friend. [: The pattern is really simple- the colourwork design, an old traditional Finish one- and the colours, too much fun to knit!This is the kind of project I looveeee knitting. The needles are small enough to be light and quick in my hands, but big enough so it doesn't take too long to do a round. The colours are fun and always changing- letting me 'mix' my own colours so the subtle changes blend nicely. I know it's going to be a gift- so I put as much love into them as possible, and I get to think about what that person would really really love.So happy birthday Saara! May these mittens keep your fingers warm and toasty whenever you visit home (Finland)! Love love love. Kxo

First Timers. :: Natural Dyes & DIY

If you're thinking of trying out Natural Dyeing- I highly reccommend getting a book or two on the subject. Although there is a nice section in my college library about this- not any one book really did the trick. Get a couple and cross refernence- It's such a subtle science (kind of like potion making!) that everyone has thier own favourite ways.
One of the books that I found was about Dyes from the Kitchen- and this was a great, inexpensive (and quick- some plants and bark need to be soaked for 24hrs- 2 weeks. So check ahead!) way to try my hand at Natural Dyes. Jazz came over and we spent all day playing! The one thing you will need is a Mordant! (It's the stuff that opens up the wool/fibre/fleece/fabric and lets the dye really get stuck in.) I used Alum- and it was pretty simple- if not long-winded. 

There's a lot of waiting around with dyeing- especially if you're Mordanting as well. But it's worth it because it's mysterious and exciting. The great thing about using stuff from your kitchen, is that you feel like you're doing something green! Instead of throwing your fruit peels into the trash or straight onto the compost- they can be used!We tried out lots of little batches- Orange Peel, Banana Skin, Spinach, Tea, and Coffee.The colours came out super light- but they look beautiful together, and it was a great first attempt. [: