The Bramble Owl

Today was one of those days. Between a nap strike, no food in the house, and a surprise septic pumping (really, why don’t those guys learn to call first?) I am completely without anything relevant to say.

Except. For this:

I’ll admit it. I just love owls. Thanks to the genius that is Knitwhits it comes in a little package with everything included.

I’m not much for knitting little animals, but consider this one cast on.

My Garfield Shawl

Can’t you see us both bursting with Garfield? Not a Jon Arbuckle in sight. I kinda want to wear this every day.

name that muse

Yesterday morning, having just had 24 hours without sleep/shower/second without babe Niblo demanding attention, I heard a knock at the door. (Actually, I heard my special-needs dog lose his mind and run around the backyard hysterically, inspiring half the neighborhood to call the humane society, the way it happens every time there’s a knock at the door. I never actually hear the knock itself…)

Did I order something? I couldn’t remember. Lately, there have been a couple late night Amazon trysts when I had to have it that very instant and couldn’t wait and who will know but me and the UPS guy and my Prime account is still active and I deserve a treat and… Shameful, really. I always feel slightly unwashed when I open an Amazon package. Especially since my own local bookstore is so good about ordering whatever I want within a week. I mean, when did a week suddenly feel like such an outrageously long time to wait?

But it wasn’t Amazon. It was something so much better.

The Big Bale Sale from Sheep Shed means you’re looking at 10 lbs of beautiful grab bag roving.

Which leads me to the next question. I’m not quite sure what makes me want to sell the yarn I plan to make. Isn’t it enough that I make it and use it and give the projects away to people I love? I think it should be. If I was anything like Madge Gill — if I was the rockstar artist it seems I should be in the middle of the night — than I wouldn’t be etsy-bound at all. I’d be honoring my aptly-named muse and trying desperately not to anger her.

Seriously, though, I’ve got a muse. I don’t know her name, but I’ve definitely got one, and I know for a fact that I’ve pissed her off more times than I can count.

I decided not that long ago to write/create/perform whatever the hell the muse whispered into my ear in the middle of the night, no reservations — no questioning, criticizing, or second-guessing — but it hasn’t happened. And because of this, she holds back the good stuff. She just hands me crap, forcing me to do it and like it, and if I can be consistent (see: prolific) than the good stuff will come.

So I’m holding off on the etsy thing. I’m holding off on selling anything for a while. I might not go so far as to stuff everything under my bed to be discovered posthumously by my only child (though my journals are there, and Niblo better damn well get them edited and published if I die before writing that book) but I will give my crafts to the people I love.

And I’ll post them on this blog. Sadly, this may be the place where I parade the bountiful creative brain crap once and for all.

Lucky you, internets. Lucky you.

If You Live in Santa Fe…

Do me a huge favor and check out the Museum of International Folk Art. For the rest of 2008 their exhibition Needles & Pins: Textiles & Tools gives some serious love to the fiber traditions.

From their website:

“Explore the processes, techniques, tools and equipment — spinning wheels, bobbins, looms — used in creating and producing weavings, lace work, and other forms of needlework. A variety of tools are juxtaposed with examples of the beautiful textiles that result featuring pieces from the Museum’s unsurpassed collection of textiles and costumes from many cultures and regions. Visitors are invited to: try your hand at embroidery, add to the group weaving, use a loom to make a pot holder.”

Besides being able to experiment hands-on, and take part in community art, the highlights of the exhibition are the artist demonstrations. Talented folk artists teaching their skills to the public for free. The entire idea of it seems so congruent with folk art itself, I’m wishing I had the time to head south. But since I can’t, would you go instead?

hey it’s good to be back home again

I just spent ten days in Illisconsin visiting the old homestead. A much needed break from the ho hum every day. I also managed to do some crafty stuff while I was there, too.

First, I gave my dad his green Brangelina, which turned out perfect. Just the thing for those cold Illisconsin winters.

Second, I completed the seed stitch version of Le Slouch, to replace my mother’s old hat we like to call The Brain. This one’s not as brainy as the original, but it still looks good.

And Third, a last-minute Saturday Market Bag for my nonna. She’s going to use it as her mailbag, to hang on her walker for when she goes downstairs in the morning to get her mail. Nonna was so impressed she e-mailed me the link to Etsy, to encourage me to start selling my crafty wares. I’m on it, Grandma! Just gotta come up with the yarn/pattern/etc. It’s all in the works. Believe me.

Should I mention that all of these were made from my own handspun? I’m one step from owning the sheep myself.

Nonna’s mailbag was made in under 48 hours, using some of the antique knitting needles she graciously passed down to me on this trip. I’m going to post a photo of those as soon as possible. Sadly, I had to leave them behind, since traveling with both an infant and a big wooden box of antique knitting needles was kinda out of the question. Hopefully my parents will bring them here on their next trip west.

So I wanted to head south to see the Fiber & Folk Art show in McHenry County while I was back home, but it didn’t happen. I did gather a few helpless victims on a destination yarn store visit. KnitMap, my friends, is a beautiful beautiful thing. Without much planning, I found an excellent yarn shop not too far from where I was staying.

The Yarn Sellar in Loves Park is fantastic. Not only are the ladies super kind, they have loads of great yarns. They also have a few amazing patterns that can only be found in their shop. I picked up a felted flower pot cozy kit, under $10 for the whole thing, flower pot and seeds included. Also inspired by some art yarn and a pair of size 50 needles, I’ve started something I call my Pride Shawl. Finished product will soon be posted.

The highlight of the yarnie bits of this trip, though, was unexpected. My sister-in-law wants to learn to knit. Totally over-excited for her, I ordered a copy of Stitch ‘n Bitch and will now harass her until she reads it.

Watching me purchase a pair of size 50 needles either totally inspired her, or scared the hell out of her. But if she’s like most craft people I know, it was probably a bit of both. Hooray for craft insanity!

she grew up on a farm there

I’m crying today because I’ll just miss the Midwest Fiber & Folk Art Fair in Illinois this summer. If you don’t know, I’m a daughter of Illinois, and most of my family still lives there. I’ll be visiting in July, a week or two before the fair. Oh, the humanity!

One consolation, though, is the Fine Fiber and Folk Art Show will be displayed in the McHenry County College galleries during my visit, so I have hopes of dragging my family along on an inspiration-gathering mission.

I’ve never been to McHenry County, but it turns up in my favorite Tom Waits song “Johnnsburg, Illinois” and really, what more of a reference does one need?

a gift for Pops

For Father’s Day I bought WD a light box with which to take photos of my handspun. (I have dreams of joining the Etsy ranks… please make room on the bandwagon.)

Right now, it’s sitting unopened next to the bed. I fear before the weekend it’ll get buried underneath a pile of dirty clothes. But I’m determined to unearth it this Saturday and document the stuff I’ve been spinning up.  

In the meantime, thanks to a Father’s Day request from father himself, I’ve started knitting a hat for my Pops with some of the more decent handspun and it’s coming along pretty well. I cast on 84 and planned to make a simple 2×2 rib stocking cap, but the yarn is too bulky, so I had to start over with 64.  I mean, the hat was freakishly huge.  Even with the ribbing.  Even with Pops odd-shaped noggin.

Now I’m knitting it from Crazy Aunt Purl’s Brangelina, which is a 4×4 brim and then stockinette stitch. I think it’ll be perfect.

Just don’t tell Pops the name.  Not that he would know what it means, but if it came up in a crossword puzzle, I’d have some explaining to do.

the joy

I slipped into another obsession since my last post.  Thanks to a wonderful series of synchronistic events, and a lovely new friend named Annette, I am the owner of an Ashford Joy.

Don’t know if I have room in my life for another obsession (between Niblo, music, writing, knitting… no sleep for me…  no time to breathe…).

Committed to spinning 15 minutes a day, I find myself still there, long past the proper bedtime of a new mom, treadling away for one to two hours. It is gratifying in that soulful way, turning raw fleece into yarn. It takes my attention away from my other artsy (pre)occupations (I have a gig at the Portland Saturday Market in August for which my fingertips are not nearly calloused enough), but I’m letting it be what it is.  

A psychic once told me that the patterns of my life and work will always be non-linear.  I try to remember this when it seems I’m just fickle and unfocused.  I mustn’t compare myself, is all. (Ha, good luck with that.)

And in addition to the spinning wheel, the joy this summer, my 30th, is kinda overwhelming me.  With Niblo as my sidekick the importance of weddings and births are much more obvious than they were to me even last year, and some of the most cynical people I know are falling in love again.  

Now if only the sun would shine on this little island for a while.  Then all of it would be good.

Garden at Dusk

Yarn
(super bulky, thick&thin, handspun by Bees Knees)

+  Colorway
(hand-dyed by Bees Knees, Garden At Dusk)

+  Needles
(size 15 Options)

+ Pattern
(Mile-a-Minute #3 by Turvid)

= Love.  

Knitting book review!

Wondering about the new Stitch ‘n Bitch book?  Check out my latest article for Feminist Review. 

Now all I have to do is finish the socks…