Obsolescence Project

Day 97 – Knitting Needles

Knitting Needles

Bunch of metal knitting needles. Some pairs, some odd men out. Possibly the kind Ms. Marple used.

Semi-vintage, in that  the double-pointed end ones were purchased only a few years ago at Zellers, but the rest were mainly gifts from two of my Aunts (both passed, RIP). I’ve taken up knitting again in the last few years. It’s quite fun. I am decidedly unambitious though, having only a few hats,  and one cable-knit scarf that closes with a (wood) button under my belt as anything remotely complex to knit. Other than that it’s been dishcloths only.

What I learned when entering a knitting store a few years ago is that these type of metal knitting needles are very passé indeed. Along with plain ol’ wool – nowadays it’s all hand dyed, hand spun wool made from sheeps fed organic grass. With a price to match.  Bamboo seems to be the way to go for the modern knitter. So I dutifully bought packs of eco-friendly bamboo needles to use – much more comfortable and imbued with a pretty warmth.

These remaining hodge podge of needles still hang around – awaiting a larger project requiring long needles.

Knitting Needles

Knitting Needles

Status: Feed to sea monster, donate the rest.

Kill-ratio: 40:3 or 13. 1 down from yesterday.

p.s. In case anyone’s noticed in pic #1, those rubber bands tied around the double-pointed needles are my cheap way of keeping the wool from falling off. I’m sure there’s something fancier out there.

p.p.s I did once use knitting in my art practice, Sheryl Crowbot’s legs had knitted knickers on them. You have to scroll down page and click through to image #3 to see them. Soon, very soon, I will migrate my website to a proper CMS, at the same time as I have scanned all the old slides. And then I could link directly to the robot project post. Absolute deadline is September 30th. I’m committed now.

Posted on by Deanne in Objects

Day 95 – Gem Glass Jar

Glass Jar w/ Partial Lid

Improved GEM Glass Canning Jar, Canada. Missing Lid. 1 Quart size?

We have quite a few of these jars, they are fantabulous and we use them for storing rice, beans etc. This one, though is missing the glass lid and rubber seal. So it’s essentially useless for that purpose. It very occasionally gets called to duty as a spare flower vase, but it’s not that often there are that many flowers hanging about that a spare is required.

Did once spend quite a bit of time searching for a replacement lid, and was unlucky.

I like the way the lettering on the glass is raised and the kind of image they call up – canning or storing things for the long winter ahead. The zinc cover for the lid is rather fetching too.

Glass Jar on Its Side

Bottom of Glass Jar

Status: Target a date for a renewed search for the matching lid.

Kill-ratio: 45:3 or 15:1

As of today I’m adding this new status (kill-ratio). How many images are taken vs how many used.
Read more about it at the bottom of  yesterday’s post.

Posted on by Deanne in Objects

Day 94 – Unknown Cable

Unknown Cable

Cable of Unknown Origin.

On the bottom of the round capped end, there is  unpeeled 3-m sticky tape (not shown).
It is a mystery to me as to what this is for, but perhaps if I peel the tape it will be revealed.

It was  a tiny bit of an internal struggle to remove the wire holding it all together. It was so perfectly wound up.

Unknown Cable 2

As it unfolds, it springs to life.

Unknown Cable Drawing

Status: There is no going back and getting it to fold up all tidily, so doing an animated gif of the unfolding (which came to me as an idea later) is out. Although I do have quite a few images of this. So… Peel and Reveal.

Unknown Cable Drawing

Discarded Layers

p.s. Been thinking a lot of the concept of a kill-ratio, where you kill most of the ideas/concepts/whatever that come to the table first and then you’re left with the “one”, or the few. With project Obso, I end up shooting (the luxury of digital photography) dozens or gadzillions of images, and then the task at hand is to get a good kill-ratio. The out of focus ones are the easiest to murder of course, as are the not so well lit, and the ones with little bits of stuff in the background I didn’t notice are also fairly easy to discard. Then the task becomes more harder. Obso is helping me get better at this, but it’s still a challenge..

What is your kill-ratio like?

Posted on by Deanne in Objects

Day 93 – AV Firewire / RCA Connector Cable

Cable Drawing AV

This belongs to the Sony Camcorder that hasn’t quite slipped out the door yet. (Capturing that video takes real time).

Cable Drawing AV231

I’m enchanted with this colour yellow. Must get a summer t-shirt in this colour.

Cable Drawing AV340

Status: All cables have been claimed by sea monster. She can’t have it until all video capturing is done, because as soon as you think something is useless, when you go to do the 99th task on your list, suddenly it’s essential.

 

 

 

RIP Adam Yauch

Posted on by Deanne in Objects, Photography

Day 92 – Waffle Iron

Waffle Iron

General Electric Automatic Grill Waffle Baker.

Another garage sale find. We used it a lot. But then one day it got super smoky and it’s a job for Mr. Clean or someone with superpowers to clean it, so it’s sat there (outside on the balcony) for at least a year.  It did make perfectly formed waffles.

Waffle Iron Open

While photographing the inside, I noticed how it looks a bit like a television screen. Perhaps that will be its future use. Projections on waffle iron.

Waffle Iron From Back

Notice the dust.

Status: Technically not mine, so I am spared the burden of decision. However, I am glad it’s out the door and no longer on the balcony. It can meditate on the floor in the studio for a few days, as it muses on its future identity. Perhaps it wants to be a screen, but it might also be tired and want to go the recycling depot.

Posted on by Deanne in Objects