Thursday, January 31, 2008

Dishcloth day


A lightbulb came on yesterday that the tool I needed for cleaning out my cast iron pots was a hand-knit dishcloth. So I whipped one up last night out of some ecru Peaches & Cream. Every once and awhile I do make a little something for myself (or my kitchen). I also finished a felted pouch and posted it today in my store. The flower on it is a Japanese Anemone flower. I am also working on a bowl that will have similar flowers in it. Should be done tomorrow if all goes well.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

meme

Nona i.e. Everyday Yogini tagged me with a modified meme. This is a little departure from knitting, but maybe not really since knitting is so integrated into my life at this point.

In the Past year:

What are you proudest of achieving?
Two things. One is my Etsy store. I felt that the last part of 07 was very successful. I never expect to make millions at what I do but I sent a decent amount of things out in the world and got nothing but positive feedback.
I am also proud at the level of health I have reached in the last year. Matthew and I have done many 10+ mile hikes with rough terrain and amazing amounts of elevation gain this year. Last year that would not have happened.

What was your most embarrassing moment?
I was pulled over for speeding in of all things a construction zone (plus I didn't have my current insurance card). A ticket of this nature requires you go to court. I wrote it down on my calendar wrong, got a babysitter, all my paperwork in order and the night before I was to go in I realized I missed it by a day. They put a bench warrant out for me! Lil' ol me! I had to go in and post bail. The best part of this was the Police escort I required to go to the ATM in the courthouse.

What would you do differently with the benefit of hindsight?
This is a toughy. there are lots of little things. I suppose just simply paying attention more to what is going on around me and honoring my initial instinct more often. Realizing that I can do so many things if I just got my confidence up.

What did you love about this year?
The 4 months I had with my family while Matthew was between jobs. Made me realize how truly blessed I am to have such a great partner in crime and father to my child.

In the Next year:


What do you want to say you accomplished next year on this day?
That I have organized and simplified. To officially get my ducks in a row with my business so I can focus on making pretty things more.

What are you most looking forward to in the next year?
Spending lots of time in the mountains with my boys. We are big into Geocaching.

What goal of yours are you most tantalized by?
Ah, to knit a whole sweater, or a lace shawl. Something big just for me.

If you knew you only had the next year to live, what would you make sure you do? What is stopping you?
My big one is to visit Nona in Rome. I miss her and would love to see that amazing city through her eyes. AND I would spend as much time as I possibly could with my boy. I would want to teach him more songs and make lots of art with him.
Money is preventing me from visiting Nona right now... and I need a new passport. As for Seamus. I tend to spend a lot of time knitting but I have vowed to do more with him everyday. After all, he is growing up so quickly!

I really don't have anyone to pass this meme on to, so just like the Pay It Forward I have to suspend it for awhile.
If you are interested in being a recipient of my PIF drop me a comment. :-) It will be something handmade and most likely wooly ~*~
Cheers!

Tuesday, January 29, 2008



Here is the Forget-Me-Not bowl for your viewing pleasure. I added the quarter in to show size.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Completed Projects 1.28.08





Here are some of the pictures of completed projects I have been promising. There are more to come but I will put them  up tomorrow to spread them out.
The Daisy bowl is for my Cousin Adrienne who is in the Peace Corps in Turkmenistan commissioned by my Aunt Martha (thank you). 
The Hat is for my Cousin Sarah's soon to be born baby girl. The pattern is from  Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. 
The Lily-of-the-Valley bowl is also a commission piece from a wonderful friend Chris. She has another bowl coming but I will post it tomorrow as I am still adding the finishing touches.  Chris raises Alpacas and graciously allows me and Seamus (my 2 1/2 yr. old) to come out and chill with her sweet friends. We will be going for a visit soon and I will be sure and write a post about it with some pictures ~ Thanks for looking ~

Centering

I have not checked in for a few days here in Blogland. I have been thinking about what I do and how best to explain it to others.  Why felted bowls?  You can't eat your cereal out of them no. In college I was on my way to a focus in ceramics (I have a BA in Fine Art) but I balked after taking all courses possible and heading into independent study. That story is for another time. I had an amazing and inspirational professor by the name of Dave Hunt. Assignments in his advanced classes were more conceptual or even philosophical. And the only reading was suggested and is the most amazing book called Centering by M.C. Richards.  I still go back to read it often. This is where the bowl form took hold of me. I may not throw them in clay now, but I craft them from fiber and loops and form them through hot water and agitation.  They are vessels to hold treasures, or the most humble items that you use everyday.
I will expound more on this soon. I also completed  quite a few needle-felting projects this weekend and I am excited to share!

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

I made it through the woods



Dare I complain about being busy? Well, I have gotten all of the bowls and cozies felted today while my 2 yr. old was napping. This is a feat in itself because he is fighting naps every other day and I never truly know if I will have those 1-2 hours to work or not. I am posting the before and after pictures together this time. I think it is so fun to see what a little soap, hot water and agitation can do to knit wool. Now on my schedule I have a long list of needle-felting projects to do. Things are going to get fun now:I bought some new colors of roving and I have Spring and all the colors and flowers that go with it in mind.

I also snagged a treasury on Etsy for Etsyfast. Check it out!  It is all about Green ~*

Monday, January 21, 2008

Busy Bee

My whole reluctance of starting a blog was that  I would spend even more time clicking the keys of my computer and not clicking my needles. However, the call of Valentine's day is hitting and I have received some special orders. My personal favorites are the red and pink beer cozies. I will post pictures as I get things done.  These projects are definitely keeping me occupied and have not left me a great deal of time to devote to Blogging.
In the meantime, I wanted to also mention that I am always looking for feedback and ideas of things you would like to see me make. It can be anything from a color combination to a wild dream you had that would make a neat  theme. I know what I like, but what do you like? It is always good to have a fresh viewpoint.

Thanks! and so many thanks for all the wonderful feedback and comments thus-far~

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Friends to the Ends of the Earth (Or Italy and Kenya)



Modern communication is a blessing and a curse isn't it?  I sit in front of this computer so much! This morning through this here computer however, I was able to communicate directly with both my amazing friend Nona (Everyday Yogini) in Rome and then a few minutes later I had a brief  conversation with another truly amazing woman Jessica who is in the Peace Corps and in Kenya. Yes, she is still there because she is in the safest part of the country. 
So raise a glass to technology! To keeping in touch with good friends in far flung places so easily and lastly for being able to instantaneously share my projects with you when they fly off of my needles or our of my washing machine.... perhaps Nona could write me a Gatha for this.
I have attached a picture of the felted Fibonacci bag (It shrank a lot more than I anticipated!) and Mariah's Armwarmers still on the needles but not for much longer.  

Monday, January 14, 2008

Mixing it up





Here are the fingerless gloves I knit for my MIL Carol- modeled by herself.
I also attached a picture of a bowl I posted on Etsy today. Here is the link:

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Projects in progress





I have always wanted to show the different steps to my felted projects.  My wonderful friend Nona (Everyday Yogini) commented that she would like to see it too. How did she know that I was going  to post this today I ask?
Anywho,  I have finished knitting the Fibonacci bag. I will be sure and take pictures of it after felting (fulling) in the same spot to give perspective on shrinkage.
I am also including a picture of the spiral rib armwarmers I am knitting out of sportweight Misti Alpaca on size 7 DPNs.  It is truly a treat to knit with this fiber! 

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Catching Up

Today is the day for catching up on projects and getting organized... or at least the beginning.
I now have a section on my blog called "What's on my needles?" I don't like to have a lot of projects going at once so I decided that in publishing the truth I would keep myself honest. I am sure as the day progresses and I delve deeper in my quest for organizational bliss the list will grow. 

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Little lessons


Oh what a day! and it isn't even 2 pm.  I received a package from my very dear friend today. I got all choked up. Needless to say since this is  slow time in Etsy, I am going to try and make her something warm and cozy.  
Sometimes I am so caught up in making things to keep my store stocked that I forget the importance of also making things for the people I love.  I know how much I love receiving  a handmade gift.
I have a quote up over my work area I am not sure who said it but I read it everyday:
    "Handmade things have an energy. I want to touch them, absorb what's fresh about them."
This is what I hope for my creations when I send them out in the world. 

And on that note,  the bowl that is shown here is one I just completed for another close friend. He is not only an amazing human being, he is a fabulous tattoo artist at Your Flesh Tattoo in Durango,CO. 
www.yourfleshtattoo.com
Thanks Tom for being such a stellar person. We are truly blessed to have you in our lives. 
On that note I will cease to wax nostalgic. 

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Still Figuring All This Out

Not much of a blog yet. For some reason I am easily confused about Blogging. But here I am!

I have just joined another Etsy street team: Etsy Mile High Club. We are all Colorado based crafters. Very exciting to be part of a team here in my home state.
Once I figure out how, I will create links to their blog plus links to some of my good friend's blogs as well.