Chemisty Professor Cats and Puns!

I ran across this at I Can Has Cheezeburger this morning while I was checking my email and sipping my fresh-from-my-garden mint leaf tea and just HAD to share. This combo of cats, chemistry, and bad punning is awesome!

In other news, I've been working diligently on my lace weight shawl. I'll be ready to block it tomorrow or the day after. I'm going to block it outside because with this summer heat it should dry in just a few hours. I can't wait to see what it looks like after. Pictures coming soon!

Geek Girl: Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Time for a geek girl moment :) I just heard about, "The Cave of Forgotten Dreams", a 3D documentary film by Werner Herzog about the Chauvet Cave in southern France.

What's inside the cave? Hundreds of animal paintings, most from about 30,000 years ago, depicting at least 13 different species, including some rarely or never found in other ice age paintings. There are not just the familiar animals of the hunt that predominate in Paleolithic cave art, like horses, cattle, reindeer, etc., but also predatory animals like lions, panthers, bears, owls, and hyenas. The soft, clay-like floor of the cave has even retained the paw prints of cave bears! The cave is believed to have been untouched for approx. the past 25,000 years until its re-discovery in 1994. The cave is carefully preserved and the general public is not allowed to enter.

Why is this so cool? Paleolithic artists incorporated the subtle bulges and contours of the wall into their art which means the experience of their hybrid sculptural/pictorial art simply cannot be replicated in a 2D photographic reproduction. Also, the sounds and other non-visual stimuli present in the cave environment would have imparted an influence. This film is in 3D and will give a sensory experience much closer to what Paleolithic artists intended.

One caveat. I've seen a trailer for this and it seems that all the lighting used inside the cave is bright white. In keeping with generating an authentic viewing of the art as a Paleolithic experience, it really should have been more torch-like in my opinion. Flickering warm torchlight gives a vastly different visual experience than modern florescent floodlights. But still, it looks like a film not to be missed!

Incoming from a Parallel Universe of Mutant Bunnies

I believe your home should be filled with things you love and cherish. That speak to your heart and dreams and soul. Today I found a fellow Northwestern artist who makes the most amazing textile artwork: Zoe Williams. According to her bio, there are no armatures used in her work and it's all solid needle felted wool. Which, if you've ever done needle felting, you know is incredibly time consuming.

Photo via Boing Boing

Art is very subjective,(beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder) but there is just something about this morphing bunnies series that speaks to me. I can't decide if they are mutant bunnies pushing their way through the picture frame from a parallel universe, or if they are transmuting from a primordial genetic ooze into bunnies. But I either way .. I LOVE these! She has quite a number of other amazing works viewable at her website X03, but these bunnies are the ones I've fallen in love with. Only thing I wish is that they were brown bunnies ... I don't know how white those white bunnies would remain without a display case, and where's the fun of sticking sculpture behind glass? :)

It looks like she has her first solo show coming up, Somnium Bestia (at the Ghost Gallery) where her textile creatures will make an appearance. Wish I could go!

Geek Girl Loves This Library

This is the most amazing, thought-provoking library I've ever seen. Jay Walker's Library of the Human Imagination. Note: This is a private library, so I will probably never be able to see it in person, but a girl can dream :)

Okay, I added the words on this last one, but it's an appropriate sentiment :)

You can find an amazing walk-through video of the library here: The Walker Library of the Human Imagination. It is totally worth the time to view. Really a beautiful, inspiring visual paeon to human knowledge.

New PDF Pattern - Peacock Earrings (Easy Crochet Lace)

Hello everyone! Fall is just around the corner here and school for my little guys starts in just a few days .. how the year has flown by. Unfortunately, I've had quite a few surgeries this year so I haven't been able to spend much time in the studio .. but it looks like those are all finally behind me (yeah!) and I am ready to get back into the swing of things for fall.

First off, there's a new pattern available: Peacock Earrings. These are a really easy beginner crochet lace pattern. They are very lightweight to wear, look fabulous on everyone, and only take an afternoon to make. The pattern includes finishing instructions and the exact yarn I used in the photo if you want to duplicate the color scheme. The pattern is over at my Etsy shop. If you haven't been to Etsy lately, the shops there have all had a face lift and have a new, more modern look. Check it out.

Here's me wearing my pair :) My son is quite the budding photographer and took this picture. He's only 9, but has such a natural eye for setting up a great shot!

As most of you know, I'm not just an artist, but a complete geek girl too :) I forget how, but I ran across these fabulous geeky science lab cookie cutters. Oh yes, I want some. I do, I do!!
Also .. I found this great binary scarf knitting pattern:
You can include any phrase or sentence you want to knitted into the scarf, secretly encoded in binary. How cool is that?

Oh, and I did finish my new winter scarf made out of that amazing Mochi yarn I showed you in this post. I'm blocking it now and will take a pic as soon as it is dry and ready to be worn. It really turned out beautifully and I can't wait to show you!

Bag End Hobbit Hole Miniature Dollhouse

Sometimes I run across artistic eye candy just too cool not to share. Here is one such thing: crafter Maddie Chambers has created a handcrafted Hobbit hole miniature ... Bag End from Lord of the Rings! Complete with removable roof and a detailed interior!! Yep, this sure does appeal to my inner geek :) Here's a few pictures, but I encourage you to visit her blog to see more cool photos and learn about all the authentic movie details she incorporated.



She also has a post called How I Made the Hobbit Hole, which has some amazing production photos.

Geek Crafters Rejoice: Moonlit Flowers Tutorial

"Moonlit Flower DIY Kit" from techdyi

Those of you who regularly read my blog know that it can be a bit eclectic at times. Today is one of those days. I bring you a really cool tutorial I found online that merges technology and craft: Moonlit flowers!

What's so cool about it? How can conductive thread united with LEDs and felt not be cool? Especially that conductive thread -- what a fabulous industry supply with unending possiblities! Please see the full online tutorial at TechDYI. There is even a downloadable template. It states that there are kits available at Etsy, but the shop was empty when I went to check it out. I'm hoping a local Radio Shack will have some of the materials. Don't know about that conductive thread though ... out here with the llamas it could be a challenge to rustle up.