on hats and breaking through...

it is a bit of a mystery but for some reason since the age of around 9 i have knitted...however, in all the years (it's quite a few years, mind you), all the yarn, all the work has ever resulted in have been scarves, long scarves, short scarves, scarves that get sewn together to make cowl neck scarves, sure, i got creative and made some wrist/arm warmers and even a headband, but never have i learned to read a pattern, or understand knitting lingo...i am not saying these things because i think it rather admirable to just stay in a wee box and just do what you know/are comfortable with, au contraire mes amis, i guess there is a bit of charm in just teaching oneself ladadada, so low and behold, i went out and bought myself some needles on the round (this, before was a very daunting act),...took a few tries and many pots of tea, but here she is my first hat ever (still needs to be sewn at top)...

this brings me to a point and back to this idea...i trusted i could do the hat thing (which, btw was pretty silly easy)...now, i must trust that i can make and bring to completion the other creatives of which i do so love...it can happen...with trust.

what might you be trusting in these days?

i have felt in love...

felting by the christmas tree last night

I have knitted since i was a young girl, taught by my Irish grandmother who would visit sunny California for 6 weeks every year and bring me the most wonderful sweaters, vests (yes, I wore vests back then), hats and mittens. We would sit outside in the sun, or at the kitchen table and knit together, she would fix my mistakes and compliment my work.

I love wool, the smell, texture, working with it, and have been very interested in felting for a long time...so, when this great gal offered up her little workshop, I jumped like a wild banchee.

And well, I have fallen in love with felting and am finding myself thinking of when I can sit down to felt next...

knit me a story...

view of my table while camping

when i was a little girl, my grandmother would visit for 5 weeks every year, to get out of the cold of canada and bask in the warmth of california sun, bake scones & cheese biscuits (of which were the best i have ever had), tell stories and teach me to knit...we would sit out under a tree in our front yard and she showed me the basics of purling, casting on etc...i knitted alongside of her as she would chat and tell stories, while once in a while glancing down at her work, and all the while i was lulled by the gentle, calming, tapping of her needles...she made wonderful sweaters and vests for me, my mum and my sister, and i would bury my face in the smell of the wool and her soft scent woven into the fibers. she had come to canada from the 'old country' ireland where her mother and her mothers mother had all knitted.

knitting took a back burner as i grew and moved into different interests, however, when i was pregnant with my daughter almost 9 years ago, i picked up some bamboo needles and began again to knit.

i am no expert, and i do need to learn more, however, i am teaching my daughter to knit too and hope that she takes to it as i did...and we can knit and purl our bond even tighter, as my grandmother did with me.

knitting, orbs and other such wonders

All photos in this post by the amazing Mike & Allie

As my grandmother taught me way back when, I now have taught my daughter the art of knitting. My grandmother was originally from Ireland, transplanted to Canada and would come to sunny California every year for 6 weeks, during which time she would bake scones, knit, teach me to knit, and basically just be a granny from the old country, she always smelled so good (like the smell of fresh wool) & her hands as sun warmed and roughly arthritic were always somehow quite soft, I remember. I felt the time overdue for my gal to learn this most amazing skill and she has taken it to it wonderfully, I am happy to report.

There is something very soothing in knitting...I remember my granny would sit quietly in the sun or whilst watching tv and all you could hear were the tap tap tapping of her needles, a very comforting sound to me as a child. Now, I knit all the time, there was a spell in which I did not, and I missed it. So I watch as my wee lady knits and enjoys this precious handspun creativeness.

I have been busy in the studio, here is a small glimpse of some of my recent work...I am excited about the upcoming show and seeing how my work is recieved...