by carmen | Sep 18, 2008 | Uncategorized
The most common question I get asked whenever I’m at a show is about inspiration. People really want to understand the thought process or the germ of the idea. The birth of that twisted little thought that made monkey wool or seaweed hats.
My most recent scarf started out quite simply with the neighbourhood tom cat. Here is Sebastian hanging around the back door. He knows there is always extra food (and I think he has a thing with Asia–one of our fur babies). His fur had a super nice shine to it and almost a bit of a halo…
The next thing you know, I am digging in the fleece bins…
The silver, black and grey is a nice carded superwash merino and the white is merino, cashmere and silk. A nice silver thread for plying and this is what I ended up with.
Now, on to the task at hand, the spinning was just for fun, but I actually had a custom order for a black and grey scarf. I wanted something chunky, but light, so I opted to include some Kid Silk Haze in white and black with the hand spun.
Here is the end result.
I was so excited with the free form flow that I carried on to a separate 2nd scarf…That one is mine! Off to my first Weavers and Spinner’s Guild meeting. I belong, I belong.
by carmen | Sep 16, 2008 | Uncategorized
I think Sunday was the best day I had in the Whistler Market. Seriously. The sun was incredible, the breeze was soft and cooling and …….I felt the love. What do I mean?
Yarn love, and the absolute abundance of all things yarny.
John made a new friend.
There was an exciting wardrobe malfunction.
There was knit love.
There were boy cooties and good friends.
I laughed a lot, so much that it hurt my face. Still smarts just a bit.
John found a new friend. They became inseparable. This also became the corner where all bored husbands could sit and join John and keep him company and pet the dog while wives and girlfriends were discussing yarn things.
I was happier with my booth than I have ever been because I removed half of what I would usually display. Simple, clean —crisp and clean and no caffeine in honour of my 5th day without coffee.
Just a couple of people I want to thank for the day.
Jan, thanks for coming by to visit, even though you weren’t feeling well. I am still determined to find that paragliding day before the end of the season…Have needles, will tandem glide. You know you want to see this happen.
Michelle, your enthusiasm for the craft reinvigorated me and made the long drive back to Vancouver tolerable. And then to get home and have an e-mail from you…even better. I think I might have bruised this poor woman’s ribs I hugged her so much! Please forgive me for doing this, but since I am still reeling from your kind words, I would like to include a small piece of your note….the flattering piece, of course..
‘What sets your work apart from much of what I see at similar venues is the meticulous attention to structure and form. Of course your gift of color and texture only adds to it all.’
Oh, and while we’re at it…I’d like a shout out to the Garlic Guy, the Pickle Guys, the Spice Guy, the Banana Fritter Ladies, the Felt Lady , The Bike shop for lending us their dog for the day and everyone that stopped by to say hello.
Now I leave you with a few more pics of the new and improved booth.
**I apologize for my extreme use of the words yarn, and yarnie and all its variations. It is my new favourite thing to say.
***Although I never normally do this, I have to say it….I hated my stay at the Mountainside Lodge, I mean HATED it. There, now I feel better.
by carmen | Sep 12, 2008 | Uncategorized
Spending my summer surrounded by fresh fruit and veggies has made me want to try something I have always been afraid of. —Gardening—- even a mini garden. I hate the idea of killing anything, even a plant, but I have had this burning urge…..
So after 6 weeks of babying the soil, here are the results…
On the left is my tomato garden (sans tomatoes) I was originally quite hopeful as the greens just grew and grew, but apparently I am missing the small yellow flowers which indicate the arrival of tomatoes…Julie has confirmed that I have missed my window for tomatoes this year. Argh. On the right, I am vindicated by basil that will soon be ready for picking. Next year I will start earlier. I will not give up.
It’s been serious hat time lately, shows are coming up—things are happening. I really need to pick up the pace. I was actually happy today when a custom hat didn’t fit just so I could have the extra hat in my inventory.
Well time to get back to work. These hats won’t knit themselves…oh and two shows this weekend…
by carmen | Sep 10, 2008 | Uncategorized
The last few days have been a marathon of knitting to make up for previous slacking off. I am drowning in yarn (what a way to go). Lambwool, silk, alpaca, hand spun —all have passed through my fingers in the last few days. Here’s a peek and what’s kept me up all night watching the space channel.
Inspirational buttons, vintage, new, polymer clay from Joan Tayler.
Notice the fine Joan Taylor button…have I told you how much I love her buttons.?
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Temple Hat in lambswool, silk and alpaca.
Since I production knit I am not ashamed to say I need to keep my designs simple, but each design must have it’s own “special” something. Something that says “
hey that must be a MelonHead hat’. As a result, I rely a lot on colour and textures to make that statement, but my experiment lately has been very much an absence of colour which has ended up creating very interesting architecture in the designs.
I’m still playing catchup, still working on web orders, but the day was so beautiful that I had to photo the cats each enjoying their own patch of sun. Please enjoy self indulgent cat photos.
One cat still AWOL at the time of photos –camera shy, I guess.
by carmen | Sep 9, 2008 | Uncategorized
After months of trying to reprogram my brain, I have given up. This is the only way I can work. I bulldoze through my knitting. I cannot prioritize. Anytime I see a UFO I must attack it –regardless of what other orders or projects are waiting.
And now with Whistler thrown into the mix, I am literally knitting week to week replacing sold inventory. Don’t get me wrong, I love replacing inventory, but my stock for my Christmas shows is sad to say the least.
Whistler was exciting this weekend. The weather was unbelievable, warm, breezy, casual. More people stopped to chat and shop and browse..they seemed to have the time and weren’t running off to something else. It was delightful. I brought a bunch of UFO’s and didn’t have a chance to knit one of them until we were in the car on the way home.
I had a celebrity sale which I will not name drop, but I have to just say out loud, it was a thrill meeting you, I have loved your work forever and you made my day with your kind words….Oh and your children are gorgeous…Okay…enough drooling. I have never wanted to be one of those people who falls apart when they meet someone they admire……but talent, in whatever medium, is hopefully infectious….you always hope a little of the talent virus will rub off on you.
I am focusing on my little people designs as that inventory has been wiped out and I know I can depend on Pearl to get me back on track. She is a great friend with amazing focus.
List of shows upcoming
September 13/08 – West End Market (last date of season)
September 20/08 – Trout Lake (last date of season)
I can’t believe the market season is drawing to a close….only 5 more trips to Whistler for business this season. Hopefully many more for the snowshoeing, snowboarding, new friends and beautiful views.
by carmen | Sep 7, 2008 | Uncategorized
I’m not a touchy, snugly kind of person, generally happy, mostly content. My favourite expression is “I have no needs” (other than wool of course) and here I am at the end of a week visit with my friend, absolutely aching that she is going home.
I am lucky. I have good friends. Sometimes I regret not having instant access to all of them. When you move across the country, you leave a lot behind. Through all of this Julie and I have remained friends. BTW she does not knit and I still consider her a friend.
Last night we went to dinner with Pearl to the Chai Gallery to enjoy an ayurvedic buffet and belly dancing. It was the perfect way to wind down our visit. It was a long lazy evening.
I’ll return to the regular posts, finished objects, new wool spun. Life goes on, friends leave and come again. More wool gets spun and hats are knit. The circle of my life.
The next thing you know, I am digging in the fleece bins…
The silver, black and grey is a nice carded superwash merino and the white is merino, cashmere and silk. A nice silver thread for plying and this is what I ended up with.
Now, on to the task at hand, the spinning was just for fun, but I actually had a custom order for a black and grey scarf. I wanted something chunky, but light, so I opted to include some Kid Silk Haze in white and black with the hand spun.
