make some time

portfolio progress 2.0

asholigee — Fri, 14 May 2010 05:13:55 +0000

I want to show the evolution of my portfolio. This is the second version and includes a few upgrades and shifts. It is important to develop a logo, so I have developed and applied a first version of that. It is a play on my given names, which I will likely choose to use in the design industry.

I am still searching for an aesthetic, but want to share the current changes. I have switched to a black background, changed the font, and eliminated some of the more irrelevant text for descriptive text. Also, I removed my name and contact info from the web version. Thanks for looking!

architecture portfolio: years 1+2

asholigee — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 06:32:47 +0000

just a taste of the past two years

..a work in progress

mmm alpaca

asholigee — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:34:11 +0000

silk & alpaca

I feel really bad about my blog neglect…I just don’t want to ramble too much, but frankly that’s inevitable. I am glad this semester is over and my leisurely habits can take over. I plan to indulge in an unhealthy amount of these habits, especially since my best friend has gone 2000 miles away.

Knitting-wise, I don’t think I’ve finished anything since the summer. Shame! Fortunately, a new LYS has opened in the area. The Fibre Space, my favorite store yet, had a lovely Black Friday sale and I am now well stocked with a few Malabrigo’s. When I first discovered the shop, I bought some lovely Blue Sky Alpaca and Silk that is becoming a Cherry.

I have finished the back, with length modifications raveled here. The yarn is very luxurious and I shall surely be its loyal slave.

summer fun ends begins

asholigee — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 02:25:24 +0000

Man…I am feeling better about my new header (look up!). I want my new look to represent how I make some time. Usually I am sitting in front of this Mac looking at Ravelry and loving on some yarn and whispering out how it wants to be crafted. I’ve been trying a few new things and maybe the new vibe will reflect my knitting life a bit more. I am no comfy chair with a fluffy cat kind of girl! The more pain I am in, the better. Ok maybe I’m not so into masochism…but I like to go fast and read the pattern later. Same thing with my headers and well…all of my crafts. A slightly clever title placed and ta-da! I love when random knitting photos come in handy!

So my current handmakery has consisted of knitting and a little sewing, even a crochet chain! I still can’t properly crochet, but who can resist a heavy cotton crochet chain to finish a summery dress? The dress is Burdastyle’s Coffee Date Dress (check out their new website!) but since I am 5’10″ or so and somehow refuse to use muslin I needed to lengthen the neckline. Enter crochet chain which make for a bit less country/childish look than ties made of the pink plaid fabric. I have yet to seam together the top and bottom, but thanks to (rare) planning, the fabric will line up! There should be plenty of school beginning activities to wear this guy.

Here she is pre-crochet additions (finished photos coming next post).

Next on the roster, we have the Boatneck Bluebell from Stephanie Japel’s Fitted Knits. Raveling here! I went with Cascade 220 (snore!) and the 6 deep purple hanks should be enough for a 3/4 sleeve dress. I don’t think sweater dresses will be a trend this year, but I dark faux-leather jacket will bring it into trend and take it deep into the night. A modern turquoise handcrafted necklace and some trendy caged sandals and yum yum I will just have to to go out…to get a $6 smoothie, maybe some calamari if I’m lucky! I am so much fun…

Peeked over at Etsy and reborndesigns has just the thing! It’s vintage and will look cute with the dress. You can buy all of her re-birthed pieces here.

Pictures of the dress coming soon. I have just passed the hips (top down) and will bind off mid-thigh. Can’t wait to wear this one!
Oh and yes, it is the frogged cph from a previous post. Moving my lot back to the best school in the world on Wednesday and hopefully my lovely best friend gets back soon. Can’t wait to have less time to myself and spend some time with that guy. The handmakery will suffer happily.

that there cph…

asholigee — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:08:48 +0000

Is there such thing as finishing syndrome? I think my Mrs. Darcy Cardigan would really love to be finished and made whole, but I just can’t! Hopefully, I can make a visit to Knit Happens this week and get some more of the The Fibre Company’s Organik in Seawater. It is a very lovely yarn, just a bit expensive for a person with no job, so I had to buy it in two stages. I am praying that they have some left, or I will just order it online. I’m trying to support local! Another sweater that will beg me to finish him is the CPH I am knitting up. I mentioned it a couple posts ago in my long list of ongoing projects. It’s being made from Cascade 220 7807, a deep purple. I’m not sure that I am in love with this color. I regret not choosing an orange or something a bit brighter, but it should look great anyway, all ligaments crossed.

I like to see project’s in process as well as the finished products, so here is the back piece. I am working on the front pieces at the moment:

Unfortunately, my room carpeting has minimal padding, and blocking will not be a breeze. Anyone have suggestions for blocking?? I’ve seen users on Ravelry using those foam alphabet play mats. I love the pattern so far, it’s fairly easy. The fiber color changes so drastically each hour with minimal light changes, which may or may not be a negative. So, here’s to finishing something with long sleeves!

banana lime love

asholigee — Sat, 30 May 2009 08:09:27 +0000

I’ve been thinking a lot about cupcakes…and cake in general. Actually, it’s just cooking in general that has gotten my attention lately. The Food Network is all I really watch and I’m just having an issue with not having a kitchen to really get down in. Now that I sort of have a kitchen in my university housing apartment, I smell people cooking for real and I feel a bit behind. So, when I went home a few weeks ago, I made some cupcakes. It made me feel a bit more legit, like I had accomplished some level of bake skills. I hadn’t. They were not even close to being “from scratch.” At least I made a banana lime icing, I guess. I feel ashamed, and now I have decided to improve my skills. Unfortunately, my best friend, the only one who might eat said experiments is 2,000 miles away, so I might have to gain some weight. I think I’m looking to incorporate cooking and baking into my everyday lifestyle.

I just just a birthday and there is no denying that the days of buying dinner everyday shall soon be over. This is especially true without a J-O-B. I am into pastas and salads, but also Thai staples such as Pad Thai. In fact, there is a lonely Thai recipe book on the shelf in my parent’s kitchen…hmm would that be so wrong? I think not. My goal for next week is to try one of the Thai recipes and to get back to Hello Cupcake in Dupont Circle to get some cupcake inspiration…for studying of course.
Here are the pre-icing cupcakes from a few weeks ago:

Summer 09 Begins…

asholigee — Mon, 25 May 2009 23:00:37 +0000

I am sitting in the architecture studio, about to begin a summer that promises to be busy. Knitting, I have decided, will be my number four priority, after boyfriend, classes, and moneymaking. Maybe it will finally become part of priority three and people will stop bugging me about wasting my time making stuff when I could be selling it. Speaking of knitting for profit, I would now like to complain about the lack of knowledge with which these supposed consumers always come. “So, I’ll pay you $5.00 to make me a sweater.” “Are you out of your mind?!” Granted, these are usually teenagers, and I have had some sincere and knowledgeable interest, but the chance to make money out here in the natural world is very…spare. Despite the low level of handmade consumerism in my community, there is one last hope to make my crafts profitable. Sites like Etsy, who host online mediums for buying and selling handmakery are my last chance to possibly provide goods at a price that is fair to both the consumer and myself. I don’t think an adult large sweater will have to be sold at $5.00, only to break the back of the maker who will profit -$50.00, because the materials alone cost 11x what the client is willing to pay. I would also try Ebay, but it seems to be a consumer/buyer host with more “mishaps” than I am willing to deal with. I am not sure that I want to be scammed out of my $100 cardigan, though there are plenty of ways to avoid that. I HAVE noticed on Ebay, that yarn, fabric, and patterns come at a steal. I guess I’m just more comfortable getting scammed out of my money than my handmade goods…

The most wonderful thing about making without commission…taking your sweet time!
Something I am doing with all eight projects that I am currently knitting at, very, very slowly adding substance to each piece. Moving around like a sleaze through my many loves. Well, here’s what I’m currently working on:

1. Mrs. Darcy Cardigan in The Fibre Company Organik
2. Drops Jacket 112-26 in RYC Cashsoft DK
3. Megathy in Cascade Sierra
4. Anthropologie-Inspired Capelet in Brown Sheep Bulky
5. Peace Sign DK Scarf in Cascade 220
6. Manos del Uruguay Wool Clasica Scarf(only commissioned project, currently)
7. Razor Cami with Recycled Cascade Pima Tencel
8. Central Park Hoodie in Cascade 220

Maybe I’ll show progress on two at a time…

Printmakery

asholigee — Tue, 05 May 2009 06:51:20 +0000

A few throwback handmade prints for your viewing pleasure…

Mrs. Darcy Cardigan WIP…boooo

asholigee — Mon, 04 May 2009 05:09:04 +0000

This Mrs. Darcy Cardigan is losing it’s identity. At least it’s The Fibre Company’s soft, amazing Organik!

Is this a complete disaster??

Or a complete disaster?

It needs length and sleeves…maybe nix the sleeves…to be continued in three days after finals are due!!

Ok, give me a week, we have to consider the brother’s graduation festivities and tons of family passing through.

P.S. please excuse the dirty mirror. i’ll go get the “green” windex now.

Where Am I??

asholigee — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 22:03:13 +0000

With a lovely semester (not) coming to an end, thoughts of non-architectural projects are dancing in my head. I have tried to knit on my Mrs. Darcy Cardigan sleeves with little success, though I am expecting to run short anyway. Along with slow knitting, sewing had completely disappeared in my life. The hot days have finally arrived in DC and inside my stuffy dorm room I have rediscovered a big bag of fabrics from a summer splurge. A lightweight yellow pinstripe cotton with textured bands for a ruffled dress shirt and a mid-weight cotton khaki with bright pink stripes for a skirt. I’m thinking about a burdastyle skirt I saw a couple of months ago, or using one of the Built By Wendy simple skirts. Below is a photo of the two fabrics I pulled out.

With two class projects left in the semester, I hope to get some more satisfying projects in soon! Thank God for the Spring inspiration!!