I'll be back!

Oh wow, I have really neglected this poor blog of mine. I have spent so much time doing stuff and so little time documenting it! Recently I have also tried to cut down my computer time, which was greatly helped by my trusty old MacBook Pro breaking down. Thank goodness I had pulled myself together and made a habit of backing everything up regularly, so the only loss was the hardware. Now, with a brand new slightly used MacBook Pro I am ready for internet again!

For one, I finally, finally, got around making a new professional website for myself. It's here in blogger, and you can find it at petrarossi.blogspot.com. It's been a bit quiet on the work front lately and I hope to turn things around.

With the dawn of a new website, I hope to breathe some life to this blog, too. I thought I'd kickstart a new era by looking at my archives and seeing what I have been meaning to put here but haven't.

The most important thing, perhaps, is my new relationship. Meet Louise:

She's 24 years old, in excellent shape and most importantly, ridiculously cheap! I picked her up at a recycling center where they didn't even know what she was. She just needed a new drive band and we were ready to go. She's a Louet S10, know for being a trusty workhorse. I read about someone who had accidentally tossed her down a flight of stairs and she didn't even flinch! We get along famously and spend a lot of time together, but I have failed to take any pictures since this one. Now that it seems spring is finally here and there is actually some light to take pictures by, I have to remedy the situation.

In other news, I have been dancing...

© Hans Kauppila

And dancing...

And dancing...

And dancing...

Taken by Kerttu Majander

And hanging upside down...

And knitting ridiculous amounts, but alas, no pictures. Now, let's see if I can make this blogging thing a more frequent than biannual affair.

Out of my hands

Finally I have something finished to show you: a cardigan that has been in the works since November has left my hands and resides with its rightful owner. Just in time for summer...

My friend K had a stash of alpaca destined to become a cardigan but just did not seem to find herself picking up the needles and knitting it. I was looking for commissions, so we came to an agreement. The first step was to settle on a pattern. We found the perfect one, but it was not obtainable outside the US so I set off to 'unvent' it.

The body of the cardigan is simple stockinette with garter edges to keep them from rolling and long, set-in sleeves. There are two rows of two buttons closing the front. Usually I prefer to knit as much in the round and in one piece as possible, but as alpaca has a tendency to 'grow' I wanted to minimize that effect with seams on the sides and sleeves. Since the garment is going to be hanging practically open, I shaped the waist even more to compensate.

The gist of the cardigan is its asymmetrical lace collar. That proved to be the tricky part, knitting it to both curve around the neck and grow to the right width, but with some help with my little friends I figured I had a plan. It still didn't curve in the direction I anticipated.

I blocked it on the needles to make sure the length was still right. Then I sewed the collar on and blocked it again on the dress form to make sure it would sit right on the shoulders.

K picked the buttons up later; simple, grey and marbled ones. They don't show much from under the collar. On the whole I'm very pleased with how the garment turned out; it helped that K and me are roughly the same size, so I could double check the fit on myself as I went along.

In other news, we have some new neighbors. Not that we don't have their kin over every single year; they eat all our berries, muck about in the vegetable patch, shit everywhere and are generally a nuisance. But they sure are adorable when they are, indeed, new.

They are baby fieldfares and they look like they are making noises, but actually they are just half asleep with their beaks open. I guess they figure they'll wake up when someone vomits in their mouths. The nest is perched on some fence poles just under the rafters of our garage, on the eye-level of anyone taller than me. At least it's a better place for a nest than another couple had; they managed to build quite a massive structure right above my window before I buckled up and took it down. I felt like a horrible person for it. Hopefully they still had time to build another nest somewhere that was wider than two centimeters and not directly above two inquisitive cats.

Perfect matches

These mitts have been finished since October, but only ended up with their new owner last week. My friend J lost one of his favorite mitts and asked me to make a new one. Miraculously, I found the perfect yarn in the first store I visited. I decided against choosing an off-white base yarn; the new one will get appropriately dirty soon enough, I hope! It was fun to just count the stitches on an existing piece and mirroring them. I hope these two decide to stick together now, despite their age difference or the fact that the older one was so brutally dumped by its life partner.

In other news, if you ever wondered what 16 000 sequins look like - and who hasn't? - take a look at what I got in the mail today:

I'm resisting an urge to pour them all out and roll around in them naked. Let's just hope my luck in finding perfect matches continues when I go to Tallinn next week looking for some fabric to pair off with these. There's a knit around here looking for its fabric soulmate, too, so a lot of luck is needed.

Work, work, work

Learning is hard. Especially learning stuff about yourself. For instance, for me it is apparently almost impossible to learn that if I work really hard on a project with a tight deadline, I cannot just carry all that energy over to the next project when the first one is done. No matter how many times it happens, I'm always surprised when the Crash comes. It always makes me equally surprised that if I try to push through the exhaustion, it does not work. And the most amazing surprise of all is that if I actually take a couple of days and rest, I feel better.

The past week has been another learning experience, let's hope it sticks this time. The past month or two have been very busy with work, and all the energy I've had left was spent on dancing more than crafts. Pole dancing, hoop dancing, tribal fusion, oh my! Dancing makes me feel so good, whether I'm busy or between projects it never fails to pick me up.

Despite having had hardly any time or energy for crafts, I do have something small to show you. Helsinki Burlesque Festival is an event I never miss, and this year the theme was 'over the rainbow'. I suck at dressing up as it is and this year my costuming plans fell through, so at the last minute I decided to take a very literal interpretation of the theme and make myself a little fascinator/hair clip thingy.

Because you need a raincloud to make a rainbow... get it? Get it?!

I've had those raindrop glass beads lying around for over three years, they are lovely and I still have a ton left. The fabric is silk and I sewed the sequins on with little beads. I guess a satin fabric would have been more flashy, but that's the story of my life... I dressed up as a raincloud, after all. I even made an elegant little dress with grey jersey and the same silk, but didn't take a picture. It's hard to photograph dresses on yourself, and the darkness of February certainly did not help. I did take an action shot of the clip, though. And had a splendid time!

And the dress is right there, so...

Of course, being sort of easily excitable a person, I now also have not one but two burlesque solo numbers under way, and there's a lot to plan and design and sew. My other craft projects, namely the two knitting ones I shared a glimpse of in the last post, are progressing, but slowly.

Oh, and speaking of learning new things, the big cat has adopted a new, smooth style to hang out and look cool.

The leg is limp. If I grab it and wave it around, he looks at me funny.

The Floor

Because life was getting sort of non-hectic before Yule with unfinished presents, graduation, extra wrestling and burlesque, I decided to redo my flooring. The old one was painted a delightful, flaking mint that always looked dirty. The new one is deep walnut laminate and looks fucking awesome.

See the difference?

Of course this meant taking apart all the bookshelves and piling all my worldly possessions in the middle of the room and then dragging them around as the floor progressed.

All work was done under strict feline supervision.

It was well worth the trouble, though! The room which was merely nice before is now pure perfection: 25 square meters with a fireplace, sleeping alcove and beautiful smooth wood imitation floor. My home for the past three years, and hopefully many more.

Now everything has felt paws to protect the floor. I almost put some on the cats.

The whole shebang also gave me a reason to tidy things up a bit. Like rearrange my craft- and bookshelves.

This is the only way my books will fit.

The soldiers were a present. The pig is... well, I think there was a plan at some point. I think.

I have a tin box problem.

And a button problem, but you knew that already.

After a rather busy end of the year, this year I've mostly knitted. Watched TV shows and knitted. Occasionally I've even been able to call it work. Here's a couple of teasers:

New year, new beginnings

I celebrated the turn of the year following a three-year-long tradition: on the 31st of December we fill the house with New Year's Eve guests, and on the 1st of January we fill the house with more guests plus the ones that never left to celebrate my birthday, which falls on December 29th. And on the 2nd of January we lie around in zombie piles and order pizza.

This year there was extra celebration because of my graduation. I called it a Bachelor party, because that's what you have when you stop being a Bachelor. And become a Master instead. Or a Mistress. Whatever.

Anyway, lots of epic fun was had, and at some point I was presented with a complimentary victory cigar, junior size. As a person who has in her life smoked absolutely nothing, ever, it got me thinking. About how much holding a cigar in your mouth resembles holding your own penis in your mouth, a feat for which I have neither the flexibility nor the penis, and about when to smoke it. Obviously I am going to have to, one day, because I am every year more and more of the opinion that most acutely non-lethal things should be experimented with. The only question is to find an occasion worthy of cigar-smoking. This, however - turning 30 and becoming a Master of the Universe Arts - was not it for some reason. Yet if this wasn't it, then what exactly do I want to achieve in my life? A doctorate is not it, and as much as I expect to turn 40, 50 and so on sooner or later, I doubt that will be a cigar-smoking achievement. After all, the only effort I have to make is not to die.

I worry about two things: First, that the year 2011 featured the crowning achievements of my whole life. Second, that I fail to recognize the things that I accomplish and belittle them instead, thus cheating myself out of happiness. Third, that I have just jinxed myself with the last sentence of the previous chapter.

I guess the challenge, let's not call it a resolution, for 2012 is finding new goals to work towards. When I started this blog last February, it was to mark a new beginning. Most of the things I listed then have happened: commission hats, check; dissertation, bitch, check; new website... oh well.

Other things have happened, as well.

A spring boat trip to Stockholm with bingo, quaint tearooms and voodoo exhibitions.

The annual trip to Lammi flax festival, where there were baby sheep.

 Leisurely garden existence and many, many dead little animals.

A kitten lost and found.

The big, huge, scary, amazing project of Lucha Libre! that has irrevocably changed the rest of my fucking life.

Lucha Libre! also marked the beginning of my burlesque career: a career that continued in December when I performed with my group, Stage Fright! at Helsinki Burlesque's Newcomers' Night with not just one but two numbers. One was the same show from Lucha with a new, improved Skeleton Crew.

I cannot get over how hot my skeleton dancers were!

 And another, completely new one, this time not as La Mujerta the ruda wrestling queen, but with a more permanent burlesque identity: Lauren Fuckall. The number was a tragic western ballad that I choreographed and performed together with Scarlett Wilde (not featured in the picture) and I am so very proud of it, and us.

Picture by Tuomas Lairila.

And, of course, so many craft projects that I failed to either finish, take pictures of, or make a post on. Good thing there's a whole other year to do better, or worse. An entire new year to live, dream, do, make stuff, experience, be awesome.

I feel lucky.

Summer memories

It's cold and dark, the wind is blowing wet snow in a horizontal direction and I'm out of words. I feel cold, dark, and tired all the time. The days are measured with cups of tea or coffee with naps in between.

So, I did something I've been meaning to do for a long while and uploaded a bit of summer 2007 into Youtube. When I find the missing power chord for my external drive, I will put the rest of my films online. In the meanwhile, here you go:

Pontius

I have just published my first knitting pattern.

To celebrate the release of Trine 2 in December, a sequel to the oh-so-pretty platform fantasy game Trine by Frozenbyte, I was commissioned to create a pattern for the fancy helmet of one of the game's heroes, Pontius the knight.

© Frozenbyte

Now the pattern has been released to the public, completely free of charge. You can download the pattern in English or Finnish from here or visit the pattern page to look at more pics first.

If it looks huge in my tiny head, it's because of my tiny head. And the fact that this hat is supposed to fit an adult male head. Which my head is not. Smaller size is achieved by tightening the gauge, which frankly only makes the hat look better. Better sizing options may be available in the future, but for now this is a one-size-fits-all kind of deal. And honestly, one size has so far fit all.

Universal Craft Blog Directory

The title speaks for itself, does it not? CraftyRie is compiling a list of crafty blogs to find out just how many are there. All she is asking is for people to add their blogs to the list and then spread the word to their followers. So, dear reader, do you write a craft blog? Click on the directory button below and join in the fun! Shoo!

What about when you're done?

Apparently it's the international fail day today, and I feel like a failure for not having much to report in the way of fail. Well, I did fail to go to Grandma Club (aka knit night) tonight, but instead I finished two work assignments which makes me free to dedicate tomorrow to baking and partying. Well deserved baking and partying.

A couple of weeks ago I told you about one of two big projects, and here's the other:

"Anthropomorphism, sexuality and gendered bodies in American mainstream animation" to you furriners.

Yes sir, my days as a bachelor are coming to an end. From soon on, I will have to get used to all the responsibilities that come with being a master. Of arts, no less! Prepare to be spanked!

There are pages! With words on them!

I have a strange condition: if I achieve something, suddenly the achievement ceases to be a big deal. I mean, if I can do it, it must be something ridiculously simple, right? And let's face it, I got here essentially by watching shitloads of Spongebob. But still: it was a hard journey and I try to remember that I didn't really believe I had it in me up until a couple of months ago.

And whoa: I can do whatever I want with my life now. Of course that also means I have to do something with my life now, but right now even that seems achievable. Two huge projects down, several more lined up. There will be more sweat, tears and hyperventilation to come, but if I learn a couple of lessons from this experience, it will become easier:

- First of all, if you're not proud of what you do, what exactly is the reward?

- Second, the lesson of the fail day should be that it's okay to try and fail, because that way lies learning and innovation (damn I've learned to hate that word), but honestly? Today all I can think about is that I did not fail. I thought I would, and I didn't.

- And third, give yourself a fucking break every once in a while, sheesh!

For the record, that is what a break looked like last night. Pay no attention to the fact that I have yet another new teapot. *cough*it'sonlymyfourth*cough*

Oh, right, I did say something about a knitting pattern last week, didn't I? Well, to your utter shock I presume, I was too busy playing role playing games through Friday to Tuesday. Just put that on your list of betrayed promises, but with a ticky-box so that you can feel the faint trace of satisfaction when I actually get around to it. 

Showing off

Regular updates you say? This is a step in the right direction, I suppose, even though a week seems to fly past so quickly!

Let me show you things I've neglected to report about. Roxanne mystery shawl (links to Rav), for instance? It's been finished and in use since May. First I thought I wasn't so keen on the design, but it looks very nice draped around one's neck, and that's what small shawls are really for, right? It's also a tiny bit smaller than I'd like, but on the other hand works perfectly on these autumn days when one wants just a little more warmth. I'm definitely using it on a daily basis at the moment.

What else? Ah yes! The owl pouch (links to Rav) has a face now, and lives on my bedside table. It was a very quick knit and a good way to use a skein of spontaneously acquired thick-and-thin yarn (Løve Garn's Cocoon which, by the way, drives me crazy because my English-thinking brain reads it as a whimsical way of writing 'love' even though I know full well that the word has nothing to do with English) I was going to make mittens with but changed my mind. Now there's still three more skeins left... Ideas? Besides more owls?

Geodesic cardigan, which you've already seen blocked, has not been used much. I'm not sure why, really. I think it's because it's such an in-between article of clothing: too warm for warm weather, but not warm enough if I actually need a cardigan. It's main purpose is to look good, and I'm not used to wearing clothes like that. I might have to, though, because today I fell in love with a waistcoat and what is a waistcoat for if not show?

I did wear the Geodesic at my mom's 50th birthday few weeks ago, the perfect occasion: warm autumn evening in the garden. I gave her this:

It's a small pleated evening bag made of raw silk. It has cotton lining, a magnet snap closure and ribbon embroidery. I've had the ribbons and a book on ribbon embroidery for years. I've been meaning to give it a shot, but somehow my rococo dress project has not been progressing lately. (It will, though, and sooner rather than later!) I'm glad I finally did it, it was lots of fun. I made the roses with the help of this tutorial.

For the bag I used a tutorial at crafster.org for inspiration, but ended up going in a whole different direction in the end. The only thing that remained were the pleats. I like pleats. I've tried smocking briefly and want to do more. Perhaps some rococo undergarments.

I love the golden swirls of the lining.

If I made this bag again I would change some of the construction bits taken from the tutorial for a neater result, even if it would mean a lot of pinning and basting and tearing out hair. I already managed to sew some pins inside the lining with this one...

That's it for tonight. I wonder, if I make a half-promise now that there might be a knitting pattern next week, would I actually finish it? Hasn't worked before.

One year ago

One year ago I was so frantic and stressed out that I forgot my keys at home two nights in a row. My landlord was not impressed. The second night he was so pissed that he made me show him the keys to prove I hadn't lost them altogether. It was the only time I've ever forgotten my keys, and it had to be the weekend all my housemates were away. H and J were visiting H's parents, and little did any one of us know that trip would change my life.

The reason I was stressed out was because it was the day of Gloriana, a 1890's dance theater show I had rehearsed for the better part of the last six months. That night I would be on stage doing stuff like this:



(That's me, second from the right. Photo by Tuomas Puikkonen.)


(That's me in the middle. Photo by Tuomas Puikkonen.)

I was rushing to the theater at nine in the morning when H called me and - wait - let me backpedal a bit.

A year before that night, give or take a day or two, I had a dream that I had an orange cat named Pulla (it's Finnish and means a sweet roll). When I woke up I had a bad case of a kitten rabies and started looking for one. There was even a big huge disappointment in there, when the owners of one kitten decided to keep her a couple of days before I was supposed to go pick her up. Eventually I decided to just stop looking. That was one week before the day of Gloriana.

These are sweet rolls btw, with a heart of butter and sugar. Nom!

And then H called me.

H: "Hi! We found a kitten. Do you want it?"

Me: "Um, yeah, of course!"

H: "Okay! See you tonight!"

The rest of the day was spent in a stupor of hair, makeup, OMG I HAVE A KITTEN, stretching, rehearsing, curtain call, WTF KITTEN. I kept forgetting about it because everything was so frantic around me, and then it would suddenly hit me. KITTEN. And when I got home, this was waiting for me:




A little tiny orange cat. She was mewing outside H's parents' window in the countryside, near the middle of nowhere. She was perfectly litter-trained and way too young to have wandered very far on her own, meaning someone must have dropped her off there. The first frosty nights came only days after she was found. I can only hope it was just her left there and none of her siblings.

The first month or two she had to be quarantined to protect both her and Kölli. She was in a relatively good shape, although skinny. There was only a mild eye infection and some goo in her ears that both needed attention on a daily basis. She fought none of it, even though the cold eye drops were horribly uncomfortable. There were so many vet visits. But also food, all of which she gobbled down. It took her a week to realize that there would be meals in the future, too. That first week she mostly ate, slept and purred in a state of "I don't know you people but everything seems to be going fine so PLEASE LOVE ME". And we did.

One year later, Pulla is still tiny. She likes cheese and snatching food from people's plates. If I give her a twist tie she's not interested, but if I "forget" one on the table, she will play it to death. She loves to be petted, but if you approach her head-on she will retreat and hide. She's so timid and scared of so many specific things that I suspect the people who abandoned her did not treat her well to begin with. And despite everything she is such a good cat, easy to handle and even medicate. I hate the people who hurt and abandoned her, but I love the chain of events that brought her to me.

She used to live in a box outside.

Huffing glue and causing mischief.

And now she is part of my family.

Bathing in the sun.

Living the good life.