by carmen | Jul 14, 2008 | Uncategorized
I am a convert. Check out this site for amazing last minute deals on Whistler get aways. No, I am not being paid a commission for this. John and I spend an amazing weekend at the Chateau Whistler before the Sunday market. Decadent and wonderful. This is where I did my serious knitting (like all night marathon knitting)
This is where we did our serious drinking.
This is part of the wonderful collection of wood benches outside on the patio of the Chateau Bar all in circles around an amazing fire pit. Feeling a bit cheeky, we claimed an entire section to ourselves. Interestingly enough, the next 3 groups of people who tried to join us were kicked out of the bar from infractions varying from being clearly underage to refusing to wear clothing, it made a strange no fly zone over our “area”.
Finishing dinner and still having sunshine, we took a little walk down the path behind the hotel. If anyone knows what this particular wild flower is, please let me know. Gorgeous colour combination to be including in a hat sometime this week. I need to spin some buttery yellow!
The Sunday market was lively to say the least as a Whistler version of the Amazing Race was taking place with one of the pit stops right beside our booth.
Whistler White was a hit and it is not currently available, but I will have some for the market next weekend. The patterns will also be released in a limited run this week for a neck wrap and Amelia hat. We managed to hook up with Rebecca and JP for a sexy dinner in Brackendale.
We are heading out on the first ferry tomorrow for our first trip to the Sunshine Coast. I will be posting the process of spending two creative days in a yurt when I’m back on Wednesday and all the new designs that come from this collaborative adventure.
by carmen | Jul 10, 2008 | Uncategorized
This is pretty much what the next two weeks of my life is going to look like. God, two weeks until Filberg and my inventory is minimal to say the least. I really wonder what I have done for the first 6 months of the year. Perhaps I’ll read the blog, because to me it doesn’t feel like much.
Laying shows one on top of the other was not my original plan, but who gets in every show that they jury for? Whistler is a going concern and it weekly takes me away from getting ready for the “big shows”. How can I resist, though….the pull of Whistler is intoxicating. John and I have never enjoyed BC more….
We savour, crave and devour our weekly treks. We explore and conquer new trails and travels. I knit, he swims, we laugh and eat a lot of terrific and local food. We meet new people, plan new plans and all because of this small winding stretch of highway that leads to Whistler/Blackcombe.
I curse you Whistler–you mountain temptress!
So much work to do and on top of that
- a pattern to finish
- knitting lessons scheduled
- 8 pounds of fleece to be picked up
- hand spun to spin and gather for my Yurtshop
Yesterday gave me the amazing luxury to knit with a wild tempo and abandon. On top of that add one free form crochet hat from my “ugly chesterfield yarn” and I fell into a puddle and slept.
Short live as I had multiple show dreams about missed locations, double bookings, ugly knitting and anything that could ever go wrong with a show….Again, this is expected when my SHOW brain takes over the rest of the normal Carmen brain.
Toni, I need you. Bring me that mindfulness and calm—-two shots of calm please, with a beer chaser. Need to level out.
by carmen | Jul 8, 2008 | Uncategorized
When you start your morning with two cups of Turkish coffee, you will pretty much be the energizer bunny for the rest of the day.
It is 8;30 in the morning and I have spun a pound of fleece. It only arrived in the mail yesterday and now I have nothing left……except beautiful yarn, of course. I really enjoyed spinning my Cabana batt from Terra Bella Spun. Comprised of wool top,merino,mohair, bamboo, sparkles, glitz and wool nepps, it just floated through my hands. When I was done I realized that it matched my vintage coffee cup. Cool.
Cabana
High Tide
I gave myself the luxury of knitting my own hand spun yesterday. I prefer to sell the yarn as I have always considered it a finished item. However, this yarn fell on top of 2 coordinating colours so I had to give it to the urge. I love the waves that the thick thin spin creates and how it frames the yarns in between. I chose an exaggerated tam design, a bit unusual for me, but I’ve developed a pattern I will definitely use again.
I continue to be humbled and grateful for the response that the work receives.
” I thought you might enjoy a picture of Kristen in her hat. She absolutely loves it. Thanks again.”
There is 8 lbs of roving “on the way”. If I really concentrate, perhaps it will arrive today….. Think Carmen, think, woolly thoughts, think……
by carmen | Jul 7, 2008 | Uncategorized
After breakfast on Sunday morning I decided to check out the back of the hotel just to see what all the fuss was about the night before. Also this is my first ski in/out lodge, so I just wanted to investigate the mechanics of it all. A view of the hotel and hot tub through the eyes of one of the snowboarders from the night before.
The Marriott is actually an evil place due to providing a buffet breakfast. Seriously, who can make an intelligent breakfast choice this early in the day. And providing a waffle machine –who is going to choose the pear and yogurt combo???
Here is the breakast I should have had.
This looked more like the breakfast I actually ate. Oh the shame of it all.
In order to make myself feel a bit better about these indulgent weekends, I have created a calculator that determines that setting up craft show booths burns more calories than any most activities on the planet and that there is absolutely no chance to gain weight from this. Perfect time for an early morning walk.
Very different greens with very different textures. Recording for later inspiration.
The weather was exactly what I requested. Cool, overcast at times and not a drop of rain. This created a fantastic energy in the market. Some people came over to play dress up. Aren’t they good looking?
Some people came to learn.
And an update on a MelonHead yarn project.
And with all this going on I still found time to finish and tag two of my own projects.
And the best happening of the day…….the first organic cherries of the season! Same time next week?
by carmen | Jul 7, 2008 | Uncategorized
I was still on a high from Thursday at Granville Island. The fact that I hadn’t been there in so long just made me crave the frenetic activity of summer there. How could things get any better?
It all starts with a visit from my friend, cohort and past president of the West Coast Knitter’s Guild, Holli Yeoh. She kept me company for several hours as I dashed back and forth for a visit in between sales and yarn chats…..She was knitting a fabulous pair of socks which she actually finished.
This is an idea of how crowded the Public Market was on Friday and this is at 10AM…
On Thursday I was telling people what I loved about being here and then a customer came by for a “yarn consultation” left and then returned with this.
Chicken noodle soup and still warm foccacia. How could she have possibly known that
a) I was starving and
b) Out of all the food choices I was thinking about having a bowl of this very same soup.
Maybe I am just easy to freak out, but I think I have changed the weather already once in the last few weeks and then commanded soup with the power of my mind????
Again on the note of things to love…This young woman’s beautiful hair. And her great taste in hats. And “Devil Danny” making a perfect choice.
I probably won’t be at Granville Island for another month so I am going to treasure these last few days. Mike is stuck with me for a few days this time round, for tearing down the booth tonight and the weekend in Whistler. Pity him.
by carmen | Jul 4, 2008 | Uncategorized
Behold the pear, embrace the pear, please squeeze the pear. I have this on my table at Granville Island right now and all I have to say is –THANK GOD this thing is made of felt or else it would be puree by now. I believe it has been squished by over 200 people in 3 days.
The market is not yet up to capacity, not like it was on Canada Day when there was no room to move, but today is the American long weekend which guarantees new fresh faces, excited by the terrifically stacked fruit, aqua bus and water views….
10 things I love about Granville Island
- Being able to sell my work there
- The Fibre Arts Studio
- Maiwa
- Selling my work along side other talented artists
- Talking to artists travelling from other places
- The never ending supply of tasty in season produce
- Cheese, lots of it
- The water view
- The aqua bus
- The tourists and locals that take the time to stop and talk about my work or the weather
These may seem like small things, but in those wee things, I find myself the most content…
The booth was shuffled around a bit and this ended up being the final result. Yes, it was impossible to stuff one more thing on to this table. These are the moments when I wish Richard still lived in Vancouver. He was an amazing display person who always knew what to edit from the table. I want to show it ALL (what’s on the table, that is)
If you aren’t visually overwhelmed yet, how about a little more?
This is where we did our serious drinking.
Whistler White was a hit and it is not currently available, but I will have some for the market next weekend. The patterns will also be released in a limited run this week for a neck wrap and Amelia hat. We managed to hook up with Rebecca and JP for a sexy dinner in Brackendale.
We are heading out on the first ferry tomorrow for our first trip to the Sunshine Coast. I will be posting the process of spending two creative days in a yurt when I’m back on Wednesday and all the new designs that come from this collaborative adventure.
