Sadie & Oliver

Changes...

They are one of my least favourite things.

But sometimes they are extremely necessary.

My husband moved out of our home last month, and I have been busy adjusting to single motherhood.  I’ve been distracting myself with helping Sadie through it all.  I’ve also been distracting myself with grand ideas and daydreams of my future.  It has to be bright, doesn’t it?  Isn’t there some kind of guarantee at birth?  I’m pretty sure I heard that somewhere.

I took to living on my own surprisingly quickly.  I thought 11 years would have stunted me somehow, but it seems the last few years did enough *magic* to make living alone kind of like heaven; no compromising, my kitchen stays clean and shiny, no uncomfortable silences or wishing I knew what someone was thinking, no way-too-long conversations about why it isn’t working and what can we do to fix it.  It’s nice, being able to just be, free of judgement or expectation.  And I like having the bed all to myself too.

There’s even been some knitting.  A lot of knitting actually.  Accessory knitting!  Couldn't tell you why, but every time I knit a sweater, I don’t wear it.  I want to, I mean to, and then I sell it or give it or donate it to someone who actually will wear it, not just plan to one day.  But the one thing I do wear is accessories - scarves, cowls, hats, mittens, love them!   So that’s what I am doing – stashing away accessories for the upcoming Fall and Winter.  This one doesn’t have a name, but she will soon.

 

It's a beautiful cashmere lace weight yarn, Diamond Ecco Cashmere, knitted up with panels of 'elevator lace'.  (That's not really a term at all, but when I charted it and knitted it, it reminded me of the gates that pull across old elevators, a la Nero Wolfe.)  There are some sweet scallops and the icord edging that I am so fond of, knitted along with the scarf so there is minimal finishing required.  And just as soon as she has a name, a pattern will be published!

Cheers to bright futures, and warm necks!  Oh what the hell, cheers to changes too!

generation whY

It's this really great idea for a gallery show by the Alberta Craft Council, featuring craftspeople from 'Generation Y', and attempting (I think) to answer the question of why we do what we do ~ from inspirations to intentions.

 
And while working on my proposal I came up with one good idea, and then, as is par for the course, went blank.  But since I like it so much, I thought I'd share it with you!  It's a cross stitch silhouette of Marie Antionette, with a blackwork style background, but worked in white thread on a linen fabric.

 
From certain angles the background is barely noticeable, which was not only the intention, but also a blessing since I messed up a count somewhere along the way and the pattern got a little lopsided in spots.  It's still pretty sharp looking though, and I am in love with that fresh green, rather than black, for a silhouette.

Off I go to figure out what to do for the remainder of my proposal for this show.  If you're an Alberta resident, you should check it out too!  The Call for Entry is on the main page of the Alberta Craft Council website.

(oh, that stupid virus!  I finally got rid of it, but it took forever!  It was a super-sketchy one that mimics the Windows Security on a PC, so you can't bypass it, or close it.  It won't let you access the internet, your email, or even the settings on your computer.  I totally owe that geek a kick in the pants!)

I've Been HiJacked

by a rogue virus on my laptop of all things. No swashbuckling pirates, no cowboy dressed in black, just some brilliant geek in a far off basement somewhere. Awesome.

So, if you've sent me an email or asked me a question on Ravelry or Etsy, I'm afraid I won't be getting back to you too quickly ~ I apologize. Hopefully I'll be up and running by next week.
Have a great weekend!

The Sketchbook Project 2011

I've been wanting to try paper-cutting for a long while.  It may have been an article I read about Elsa Mora, or maybe it was that youtube video I saw of the guy in the subway who will cut from a photo for $20.  Whatever it was, the idea sat in the back of my mind and on the ever-growing list of things I want to try someday.

The Sketchbook Project started popping up on some of my favourite sites, and before I knew it, I was the proud owner of a Moleskine cahier, with it's very own barcode and a due date.  I couldn't handle the pressure of 80 blank pages, so I cut the threads and removed them.  In their place I stitched in a few sheets of cardstock.  I won't call what I did 'bookbinding', but there was a needle and pearle cotton thread involved.

Then I set about the business of cutting.  Aside from the hand cramps and finger spasms, attributed to holding an x-acto knife with a death grip for hours, it was fun!  It was really more of an experiment, a way to try something I've wanted to, and with a commitment and a deadline so I couldn't just set it aside for too long, or bail altogether.

I managed The Little Mermaid and Hansel & Gretel, or something like them at least,

 
and I think they're alright.  I may take another shot at this whole paper-cutting thing.  I would love to have a shadow box full of layers of Marie Antoinette and her ladies with tables of macarons and flowers and cakes.  I just need to learn how to hold that knife a little more relaxed next time!

I Ran Away

It's been a long time since I've been here.  It's a little dusty and cobwebby.  And I'm not sure what to say after so long, or if anyone drops by anymore.  I could offer an excuse for such a long absence, but I don't have one.  I just ran away.

While I was running, I was getting sick of knitting.  So I put it down and I did other things.  I took Sadie to preschool and picked her up, and made dinners and took up actual running.  I painted too.  A lot.

 
And I futzed around with the idea of opening an art shop on Etsy.  Cygne Noir.  The name is reserved and everything.

 
But it scares me; the idea of opening an art shop, not the name :)

I tried portrait painting with acrylics.  Not the best.  But not too bad...I think.  I tried oil painting too, for the very first time in my life, and though I won't show you the outcome of that experiment, I can imagine tossing my acrylics and replacing them all with water-soluable oils.

And that about sums up the last 6 months in my world.  How have you been? 

The Waterfront Collection

Inspired by dreams of living in a sweeet little cottage near the water, of wandering out to the dock for coffee and breakfast biscuits, and splashing around in shallow water with Sadie on a summer afternoon, I came up with a mini-collection of patterns, ideal for both pretend life and my real life (at various suburban play parks).

 

 The Bayshore Cardigan is seriously cropped, with a generous hood and fitted elbow-length sleeves.  It's worked from the top down, so lengthening the body would be a simple enough task.  It's finished with a garter stitch trim that's knitted directly onto the sleeves and body.

(Ravel Bayshore)

 

 The Crafter's Bay Cardigan features an all-over chevron lace pattern with loose fitting elbow-length sleeves.  It hits at the hip and has slight body shaping.  It's knit with Classic Elite Duchess, a bulky but lightweight yarn, so it knits up quickly on 6mm needles.

(Ravel Crafter's Bay)

Both are open fronted cardigans with no closures.  They were designed to be casual, easy to wear and comfortable.

And the third piece of the Waterfront Collection is the Port Alice scarf ~ still in progress and soon to be released!

Happy Mother's Day!

This has to be one of the quickest, most fun patterns I've made my way through in quite a while.

on Ravelry (for free!) here

 

The Time Has Come

to knit mittens in March?

to roll your eyes at people who knit mittens in March?

to release a mitten pattern in March?

I'll take all three.  I've released the Alice in Wonderland mitten pattern, I will be knitting a modified extra small pair for Sadie, and I will, no doubt, be rolling my eyes at myself for knitting mittens when it's so Spring-like outdoors.

Alice in Wonderland Mittens ($5.95)

I don't know about your weather, but it's been disturbingly Spring-y here.  That doesn't usually happen until the end of April.  I'm secretly (or not so secretly) hoping for just one more cold snap so I can wear my new mittens without sideways looks from confused Calgarians.

I also wanted to say that the notes and comments I've received about these mittens have been so lovely.  Thank you for such a warm reception,...even if it is March :)

The Winners & The Love Project ~ Pt III

The Random Number Generator has chosen.

Congratulations Sarah, Tammy & Gretchen!

I'm aiming for a March 15th pattern release.

 

And thank you to all of you for your comments.  It was a lovely trip down memory lane, and I've added a few more titles to the running list of books to get for Sadie as she gets older. 

I came across this saying on a poster in the vast Etsy world and it stuck with me.  (You can see that one here.)  I seriously thought about getting it tattooed somewhere, but people stopping to read me would be a little too strange.  So I painted it instead (ink & gouache on illustration board for those of you who care to know that sort of thing).  Now I need to get back to knitting.  These mittens won't make themselves!

How Thrilled Am I

to see Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland this weekend?  So thrilled that I'm knitting mittens in March.  But not just any mittens ~ Alice & Mr. Rabbit mittens!

I've been planning them for a good long time, but couldn't get the stranded design and yarn choices quite right until now (that knitted sample you see there is very wrong).

In honor of the movie release this Friday, I'm  having a little contest.  Leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite childhood storybook was.  Or tell me what color your socks are.  Tell me anything you like (so long as it's not about the wonders of Viagra or other spammy stuff).  The prize?  A free copy of the Alice mitten pattern just as soon as it's ready for public consumption!  Cut-off is Sunday evening, at which time I'll use a random number generator thingy and name three winners.  Please make sure the email address attached to your comment is correct.  Good luck!

On a side note, thank you to everyone who bought Sadie & Oliver patterns on Ravelry this month.  50% of all the sales will be sent to the Canadian Red Cross for Haiti relief just as soon as I hit 'publish' on this post.