Today’s gains

06Mar07

All the stock at my local art store is on sale, so today I bought a bunch of Arches paper, a couple rolls of ASA 100 B&W film, and a 8×10″ copper plate. The paper’s for my edition to be printed this week, and I should use the film for some self-portraits, but really, I was just splurging (on a starving art student’s budget, mind you). I love shiny new copper, and $3 for a roll of a film was more than I could pass over. I love shopping for supplies. Btw, I spent like $22… it was 50% off.

Also, my friend finally gave me my cupular coins! Here they are, all shiny and ketchupy (like I said, I like the shiny copper). I’m making tokens, love tokens to be exact. I’m going to use a penny from a particular year, make it cup-shaped, and etch/engrave some romantic text. However, I’m not sure about the procedure yet… If I etch the coin first, it seems I should sand/burnish the surface first so the elevations will not conflict, but I may lose the relief anyway in the shaping. But, if I etch afterwards, the shaping may make it messy, hard for the ground to stay put. Hmmm. I think I may have to go with the latter. Fingers crossed, of course. Pity that I need to use a post-1997 Canadian penny: pre-1997s were 98% copper and now only 4.5% copper. However, my dear friend did smash up a pre-1982 American penny for me, which is 95% copper and 5% zinc, perfect for test-etching.

In knitting news, I’m making Dana Victoria fingerless mitts. I love vintage, lace, and cables. And the cute thumb gusset? Love it. I’m using this funny orange fingering weight yarn from France that I found in my mom’s stash. I may have to re-start the mitts though; the wrists are loose, exactly what I didn’t want. I think I’m using 3mms, but I’d like to go down half a size. So frustrating, because I can’t access more needles than I have on hand right now.

I’ve also been daydreaming about making Laura Rintala’s lacy thong from Interweave Knits Spring ‘07. So cute; after Mon Petit Chou (despite everything.), I’ve found knitting frivolous lingerie irresistible. I think I’ll find some rich scarlet yarn soon.

All for now, unless I want to fall asleep on the nitric acid tomorrow…

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