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Daily fiber: Knitted Kong on Empire State Building

Spotted in window of Lion Brand Yarn Store on W. 15th Street

Jessica Stockholder's installation at Madison Sq. Park

Birthday

Today's my birthday. Society deems me as elderly and washed up at this point, but I say, screw that! It's all good.

I drafted my goals in life way back in 1981, at age nine. They are:

1) Be an artist and live in New York City
2) Run a marathon
3) Get a top-notch education
4) Read every book in the library
5) Own a horse
5) Own a full-sized arcade version of Pac-Man

It is true that I am an artist who lives in New York, so I've marked that off the list. I've run the Chicago Marathon twice and will probably run more races in the future, so that's done. As for education, I've got two Master's degrees that I paid top-notch prices for, so I consider that goal realized.

Reality and its time constraints have forced me to modify my aspiration to read every book in the library. At nine I was thinking of the Putnam County Library in Scott Depot, West Virginia, and perhaps that's doable. They have about five shelves of books. Instead I became a selective, discriminating reader, and I read one book a week. This is better than reading "everything," which spares me from enduring books starring teenage virgin vampires and the latest from Kathy Lee Gifford.

At the time I didn't realize that horse ownership and the living in New York thing do not go hand-in-hand. And I got over that desire once puberty took over.

I can play Pac-Man on my iPhone, so the full-sized version is not necessary (that goal didn't travel well, did it).

So, I'm finished! I've done everything in life I've ever set out to do. Should I have set my goals a little higher? Nah, I'm good.

Daily fiber: May the 4th Be With You

Did you know it's "Star Wars Day"? I didn't either, but apparently it is.

Why is it "Star Wars Day"? According to Wikipedia, it originates in the wordplay found in today's date, May the 4th. So, "May the 4th Be With You."

In honor of SWD, here's a nifty felt Yoda.

Originally uploaded by Poorlulu's Stabby Critters

Daily fiber: Great Balls of Fiber

 

Vintage bag made of felt balls, seen on 5th Ave near 17th St., Brooklyn

Daily fiber: Embroidered Martyrdom from Jenny Hart

Embroidery by Jenny Hart
Originally uploaded by Jenny Hart/Embroidery as Art blog

Some colleagues and I got on the subject of martyrs yesterday. This is not that unusual when you work at a seminary, but we happened to get on the topic while looking at someone's vacation pictures from San Juan. Specifically, there was one statue of St. John with his index finger raised as though in the midst of a dramatic sermon, although at first glance he appeared to be angrily flipping the bird.

Coincidentally, I then saw that patron saint of embroidery Jenny Hart had just posted this new work of a beheaded St. John on her Embroidery as Art blog.

Daily fiber: (How-to) Knitted Moby-Dick stowaway for earbuds

Originally uploaded by Artemis Adornments
Via @powermobydick

I've never been one for iPod cozy-type things, but this guide to making a whale-shaped earbud holder from Artemis Adornments, who offer "accoutrements for the post-modern subject," had me at this perfectly-chosen Melville quote:

“We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects.”

--Herman Melville, Moby Dick

http://artemisadornments.com/2009/03/04/whale-cable-controller/

Daily fiber: Michael Leavitt's cardboard shoes

Some days I passionately hate terms like "fiber art" / "fiber artist." Although they can be helpful filters that allow me to focus on what I appreciate (artists who use cloth, paper, sewing, that sort of lo-tech, DIY thing), it rarely if ever make sense these days for an artist to define his/herself with a medium. Doesn't just about everyone take an interdisciplinary approach?

Here's an example of someone's work who defies those kinds of limiting labels. I'm enjoying Michael Leavitt's old school cardboard shoes, and other objects. Looks like he has a show opening  March 21 at Fuse Gallery.

Michael Leavitt
Chuck Taylor
Recycled cardboard & paper bag, glue, staples, acrylic paint
13” x 4” x 7”
Originally uploaded by Fuse Gallery, NYC

Pet dentistry signage

Got out briefly to go to the post office and noticed this interesting handmade pet dentistry signage. The vet lady’s motorized hand brushes the kitty's teeth.

Daily fiber: Crocheted horse hat, NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade

Some horses are such good sports.

Photo from lensjockey on Flickr
Via Gothamist