Passion to Create

Starting over

2012-01-27T10:23:00.001-06:00

Sometimes things are just not right. This is the front of a new garment I have been working on. I LOVE the concept of it, I love the diagonal knit and I love the point. It is a pattern that is done all in one piece except for the sleeves. I love everything about it. BUT it is going to hang down to my knees! The pattern does not come with a schematic so I couldn’t tell the measurements before I started the thing. I just started on a hope and a prayer. Well, I think my hopes and prayers have failed.

I know, I know, it would be good to try and go a different direction and turn it into something else. But that is just too damn much work. I have had these yarns collected for about a year now just waiting for the right thing. I don’t think this is the right thing.

I am going to start something else – stay tuned.

Coming attractions

2012-01-24T17:37:00.001-06:00

What to do when you are sick

2012-01-21T08:12:00.001-06:00

KNIT! I recently was nursing a cold and of course all you can really do is wait for time to pass. So, I decided to find something to knit that didn’t require a lot of thought. I found two balls of Feza Alp Oriental that I had got on sale somewhere. One was primarily purple and the other primarily green. I have never liked them, but they were on sale – so I HAD to have them. It is essentially 4-5 strands of multi-colored yarns in 5-8 yard lengths tied together. It is a super bulky, with all kinds of yarns some metallic, fuzzy, and various thicknesses and fibers. Apparently, it is tied together by Turkish women. It is very colorful and sometimes colors that just don’t look like they belong. All you can really do with it, I think, is make a short bulky shawl. (we have already discussed that I am not a shawl girl.)

So when I am sick, lots of crazy ideas go through my head. This yarn was just too bulky for me. So I separated each section of 4-5 yarns into 2-3 yarns and tied the the whole thing back together and then started knitting. – what can I say – I had time on my hands.

I didn’t want to think too hard, so I just knit using the half-linen stitch, which is really simple and fast. I made two rectangles and stitched them together leaving a whole in the middle for my head. Voila- the Serape Wrape was born!

The time passed, I feel better and I have a funky, warm wrap! I am happy.

Beginnings

2012-01-14T12:48:00.001-06:00

Why is it that as soon as the Christmas season is over, I want all the trappings, tree, decorations, music and other reminders to be gone immediately. I feel like I am suffocating with all the clutter. I am ready to take on new projects and be done with the past year and start anew. I wrapped up a few projects at the end of the year so I started scrounging around for something new to make.

I had some Feza Yarn's Alp Oriental that I got on sale somewhere and pulled it out of the case and thought I could knit something up with no thinking at all. But of course, I can never do anything like a normal person; I thought the yarn as it is was too bulky, so I separated all the sections! Most of the sections had 4 yarns, so I separated them into 2 and re-wound the whole ball.

Then I decided to just start knitting using the half linen stitch which I love. I thought I would make a poncho or a capelet – something new for me ;-). So far so good. It is fun to see what colors will be next.

I also started an unusual project for me – all one yarn. I started thinking that I would do something different, but as it went along, it just thought it would be better in one yarn since it is knit in the round and I didn’t want to be striped around me. I have a whole bag of discontinued Debbie Bliss Stella which is silk, rayon and cotton and so soft. So, I started with this poncho/top with a roll collar. I had to put some bling yarn in it, even if it is just a little bit. I can’t help it!

My knitting companion.

Free Giveaway

2012-01-08T09:26:00.001-06:00

You could win this fabulous Amethyst Necklace!

Handmade MN is sponsoring this free giveaway of one of my stone necklaces. All the details are here. Go look see and enter today!!!

Calling done!

2012-01-06T14:50:00.001-06:00

I declare this done! I started this way back in October and I have been looking at it for the longest time thinking it was too short. I finally put a couple of my felted buttons on the sides and front and thought, so what if it is a bit short. I am done. I really did not have the energy to take the panels off and make them longer and to add to the bottom I thought looked stupid. So done it is. Not bad. It is all my favorite textures and colors all in one piece. Hot chata cha!

I bought this marvelous kit at STITCHES this year, it was so me. It was a free-form knitted and crocheted scarf. It was funky and I loved it. I even started and got bored out of my mind. I don’t know why, but it just wasn’t going to be. The yarns were a wonderful array of neutrals and maybe that was the problem.

Anyway, I have been on a poncho kick lately and so, I started a poncho out of the yarns thinking that I would make something with very subtle changes in color. Something I never do. Pretty soon it just evolved and as I was knitting it I was stuck how the colors were so very similar to my best girlfriend; Zoe.

So, what was a scarf turned into “My baby girl’s Poncho.”

New Years Eve Poncho

2012-01-01T14:05:00.001-06:00

Started this poncho on Friday, December 30, 2011 and worked on it until it was time to go out to celebrate New Years Eve. Seemed like the right thing to wear!

Year in Review

2012-01-01T10:26:00.001-06:00

Shawls, ponchos, cowls, bags, a sweater or two, stone jewelry, Sticks and Stones oh my! It has been a creative year. I admit I like seeing a compilation of all the projects that I created over the past year. There are some real winners, and a few not my favorites, but all in all, it has been a very good year!

Beginnings

2011-12-31T08:03:00.001-06:00

It is the end of another year and the beginning of a new one; the brink of new possibilities and starting things fresh. I am so ready for 2012 because this is the year that I will have time to embrace my creativity, this is the year that I will have time to explore. I am so excited.

Yesterday, I had the whole day in the studio with my baby Zoe stretched out in front of the space heater as if it was a burning fire.

Hallmark movie channel completely entertained me with chic flicks all day and I had a tub full of yarn. My pleasures are so very simple. I have been wanting to make a gray to black topper for the longest time. Yesterday it began. I had trouble putting it down to go to sleep; it was so much fun.

Beautiful

2011-12-29T15:00:00.001-06:00

Trip to the conservatory in St Paul the day after Christmas. Beautiful images, trying out a new camera. It was wonderfully beautiful even though it was an unseasonably warm 52 degree day outside. The bright colors are a lovely change from the brown of a warm winter.

Finished

2011-12-28T09:06:00.001-06:00

Sapphire Sampler is finally complete!! Three times was the charm. It turned into a Ruana type vest. Love it.

And then with the left over yarn I made a cowl!

Purple is the word

2011-12-25T11:10:00.001-06:00

My dear friend Christie sent this lovely purple cowl for Christmas – it is fabulous! I love the color and I love the pink accents and amethyst stones from the Mango Moon Chakra. I threw it on immediately and wore it around the house, it is so pretty. Love it! thanks.

I have been working on a stitch sampler for a looong time. In fact this is the 3rd version. I have ripped it 2 times, the first time I did not like the yarn, it was too lofty and the different stitches did not show up. I then added some thin sock yarn and that helped a lot, but I started making a shawl and I found that I did not like it, it was too long and big and I was just not going to wear it. So I ripped it again and started a vest, topper thing. I am thrilled with the definition of the stitches and I love the colorway. I have struggled with the wave stitch made by graduated yarn overs, but I think I finally got it here.

This is the back – I am still working on the front so that photo will come later.

Re-purposing

2011-12-19T08:57:00.001-06:00

Last year at this time I was frantically looking around for table decorations and I ended up going to Michaels and getting a bunch of Christmas pics and making my own.

This year those table decorations became the inspiration and parts of a wreath that is hung over the fireplace.

I have been making a lot of jewelry lately and the finished pieces have been sitting in a pile on the edge of the table. I hauled out some shutters that I got years ago just for the purpose of hanging small things like this for display and voilà it turned out well.

Then I bought a display and she looks pretty stunning with the turquoise piece – don’t ya think?

Holiday sale!

2011-12-12T22:37:00.001-06:00

Everything on my ETSY site is for sale!

Enter 20OFF for 20% off - MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Last minute gifts!!!!!

Gift yourself!!!!!!

click here

Christmas Decorations

2011-12-10T10:09:00.001-06:00

The stockings are hung, the tree is adorned and the home is festive throughout, let the season come!

Cuteness

2011-12-07T11:54:00.001-06:00

I made this little Cowl and it is cute as heck – easy too. I like it because it has the built-in color. Simple ribbing and garter stitch. I made it in 2 nights. Buttons that I have had forever and have never found the right home work great. Good gift I am thinking.

Cowl love

2011-12-05T20:28:00.001-06:00

I have come to love cowls. They are very easy to make, can be made with a wide variety of stitches and can be worn in a number of different ways. In fact, on Saturday, my knitting students are making a cowl instead of the typical scarf, a cowl has more fashion ability. Here is a simple garter stitch rectangle worn in an number of ways . Cute.

New knitters

2011-12-03T18:25:00.001-06:00

We can add 3 new knitting addicts, Denise, Tara, and Abbey to the party! Today, I had the great gift of spending the morning teaching these 3 eager young women how to knit. We kept it really simple and I gave them a couple of rows already knit on size 13 needles so they did not have to get frustrated with casting on. I just wanted them to get in the rhythm of the knitting movement. Casting on, binding off and purling will all come later. I am proud to say that each one of them was able to knit quite a bit in a couple of hours and avoided the common foil of new knitters; making their stitches too tight. They learned how to be loose! yay! They had their struggles, but they all got it and look at those huge smiles! I think they might be hooked! I am sooo proud!

What a lovely surprise

2011-12-02T08:07:00.001-06:00

Recently, I joined Handmade MN which is a group of Minnesota artists that sell in ETSY. Last night right before I turned off the computer I went to the blog and whoa, I was surprised to see one of the dolls I made. What? I scrolled down to find out that I was being introduced on the site. Wow – what delight. Check it our here.

Staying busy

2011-11-24T08:54:00.001-06:00

My inventory on ETSY has been dwindling, so I have to get busy – Here are about 80 sticks that are in the assemble line. It is so sad because, I have a great time making them. I think that is one of the reasons why I enjoy the creative process so much, I have a lot of control and there is a beginning, middle and an end. There is continual visual progress which I totally love!

Free-form scarf - this is a little kit that I bought when I was at Stitches Midwest and it is right up my alley; different yarns and different stitches. But as you can see from the photo, there is a curve, which means that the edging is smaller than the body. So, as per usual, I have to rip out some of it and re make some of it. But, hey it is just more opportunity to knit more!

New toys

2011-11-23T13:58:00.001-06:00

Over the weekend, I played around with making some earrings. When I have more time, I will get them listed on ETSY. Then I found some new software that I tried out called AutoCollage. The jury is still out on whether I like it or not, but here is a sample.

New things for sale!

2011-11-19T14:21:00.001-06:00

In between whittling more wood for my Shawl pins, I started playing around with the stones and some new Vintaj findings and ended up with new things for sale at my ETSY shop. Like the “Sticks and Stones” they are made out of semi-precious stones, and I wanted to call them “Stones around my Neck” but maybe the connotation is not exactly what I am looking for!

Stones around my neck!

2011-11-17T22:50:00.001-06:00

Since I am having such a love affair with natural stones, I have been thinking of other things to make with them. Tonight, I made some large pendants. They really turned out well I think. Tomorrow I am going to see what kind of chain or cord I can make/find to hang them on. Then, I think I will put them up for sale too. I used all kinds of beads, bone and glass as accents. The findings are all antique brass and it is the metal and stone together that looks so marvelous.

Etsy Sunday

2011-11-13T12:28:00.001-06:00

Sunday is a busy day for ETSY. Lots of people seem to be looking and buying, it is noon before I am even off the computer to get on with the day. I made lots of sales today which is wonderful. One of my customers was interested in something blue. I took this picture to send to her.

I am not a blue person – I don’t wear blue, I don’t tend to work in blue, but when I took this picture, it made me smile. The stones are Lapis and Azurite and when I look at this picture I am impressed with the blueness, it is really quite lovely. The colors range from deep blue all through turquoise with lots of veins and speckles of silver, white, black, tan, gray, copper and brown. I have a new appreciation for blue.

Fabulous Combinations

2011-11-09T14:56:00.000-06:00

Sticks, stones and yarn – this is what I call a great combination. Now “Sticks and Stones” are part of high end, luxury fiber yarn kits! My friend Jane Thornley has included them as part of her kit offerings. They look great and are a wonderful complement to these fabulous fibers that she travels the world procuring.