Berlin's Whimsy

Hope, Relief & a new Favorite

The tiniest bit of relief and hopeful thoughts are creeping into my life. And more than a smile, it brings tears of relief and even a bit of empathy for myself (almost a third person observation) for what I have gone through-------I wouldn't wish this past year on anyone. I realize there are people going through far worse situations the world over but it's been tough all the same. I haven't shared most of the gory details here but suffice it to say I didn't realize how the continuous bad news and let downs had settled upon me like a dreadful cape, something I expected. How sad is that.

Ah, but I prepared a new recipe for dinner tonight. It was a quiet sit down, just the three of us, and I couldn't share with my kids what was on my mind----nor can I here. But the wheels are slowly turning forward, propelled by time and differing motivations, and for the first time in a long while I see the top of this grueling mountain I've been climbing----the mountain that is ugly divorce. It's a long way off, and I'm not sure what I'll find on the other side, but I'm hopeful. Hopeful again.

On a lighter note, what is my new favorite recipe? Green Eggs and Ham-----or Pesto crepes with ham (pictured here). They are from Nigella Express. I'm a huge fan of both savory crepes and Nigella.

Have you checked out her book yet? If not, you must. It is full of fun antidotes and great family-friendly recipes----party popcorn, homemade pancake mix, granola bars, and lots of avocado... Mmmm! The pesto crepe recipe alone is worth the price of the book. It's simple, easy, tastes fabulous and kids love it!

My kids were skeptical when they saw this presentation of dinner tonight. I recognized the look: "Oh boy, Mom's trying to force us to eat another gourmet (pronounced "gor-met")/weird meal!!" They reluctantly took one bite and kept right on biting!

I'm Wilting.

I think I've mentioned it before, I don't like the heat. I don't like it when it gets hot. I become grumpy and sweaty. Tag me with a capital 'W' for wimp and I'm completely okay with that----I'll wear it like a crown (as long as it doesn't make me feel any hotter)...

To even dream that I used to man a ranger booth in 100-degree temps and smile so pleasantly as I registered hundreds of campers on their merry way into the great outdoors is beyond my wildest hallucinations now. I don't know how I did it without turning into a man-eating grizzly bear... I think those campers would find a pile of sweat if I were to try it now.

So, you can imagine my dismay at trying to work on some of my wool projects right now.

You see, I was immediately smitten with this book: Knit One, Embellish Too by Cosette Cornelius-Bates and felt compelled to pull out some of my hand-spun wool. Just a simple hat to knit so I could try out this embellishment stuff---that's all I asked! No go, it's just too hot.

Even so, the book is a keeper and so are all of Cozy's designs  (go take a look, though you might need to be a Ravelry member for that link). Or you can visit her blog to view more of her work. Her artwork in yarn is amazing and so inspirational for me----it's embroidery with yarn which combines two of my favorites.

But remind me of this come late September when the temps start to subside. In fact, now that those true summer temperatures have settled in for a good dose of comfort squelching, I'm beginning to dream of a migration to Antarctica-----I'll knit every Empire Penguin their own sweater. Or Canada----is it cool up there?? Just tempt me with a snowball and I'm there!

Updating.

I updated my etsy shop with these two project totes yesterday.

I have a couple more of these bags to complete and I'll add them to the shop as I finish them. I've noticed Etsy has an RSS option for shop updates if you would like to be notified when I update...

For these bag's dimensions, I use the pattern in Lotta Jansdotter's book, Simple Sewing, but I've changed it a bit. I add facings to the inner liner for added shape and strength and I add pockets to both ends of the tote. Those pockets are incredibly handy! I nixed the outer pocket of the original design. I use one of these for my own knitting bag and it's a great size to carry my projects----even the afghan I'm working on...

My plan is to update the shop with some linen sets early next week, as well...

A Knitter's observations on Crochet.

 

My last week has been full of crocheting. I finally mastered that little dish sponge pattern and I even made some modifications that just might produce the ultimate in scrubbie dish sponges (I will post the tutorial later on)... Because developing the ultimate dish sponge is truly the answer to all the world's problems, right?! (I write with a smurk & a wink)...

So, based on my very limited exposure to crochet, and with a fairly extensive background in knitting, I have a few observations (my own opinions)....

• Crochet is so much more forgiving to those who make mistakes. (ME). In crochet, if you make a mistake, just rip it all out in wild abandon! There are not all those little loops to replace on the needle. You rip back to where you're happy and find that ONE loop and move on---no cursing, no headaches, just rip and go. I LOVE THAT. In fact, that reason alone might make me a crochet convert.
• Sculpture in stitches. Yes, there is knitted scrumbling, but I find that crochet lends itself to free-form sculpture and creation more easily than knitting. Choose a spot and start stitching----that's all there is to it.
• Flowers. Yes, you can knit flowers but I love crocheted flowers and they seem to be easier to create----more intuitive, I guess.
• Old-fashioned. I'm right smack in the middle of an old-fashioned phase right now-----loving all that is vintage, charming, and cozy. I want to someday recreate the little vintage goodies of my childhood: lace-edged linen napkins & hemstitched pillowcases, doilies, all that good stuff... In addition, crochet just has that old-fashioned look that I love.
• And here are a few other reasons to love crochet: Bella Dia's Cloche and some of these bags, and this hat, too--oh, and TOTORO!

But don't get me wrong, I'm not throwing out my knitting needles anytime soon but I hope to use both knitting and crochet together for future projects. In fact, I love the way they play upon each other----- a knitted piece with a lacey crocheted border is just about perfect in my book...

Also, I found a crochet book that is filled with projects that really appeal to me: Uncommon Crochet. Most of the projects utilize basic materials such as kitchen cotton, jute, and leather cording to create market bags, baskets, and little containers with felted flower tops (I've included a few photos here).

The author utilizes crochet's open stitchwork to allow fun fabric linings to peek out in between the utilitarian look of jute. Not only are the projects wonderful in their combinations of basic materials & fun accessories but there is so much potential for other projects using plastic bag yarn and other repurposed materials.

Alas, many of the projects are still beyond my skill level in crochet but I hope to obtain those skills soon to tackle these fun items!

'Shear Spirit' & 'A Fine Fleece': Reviews

It seems April is a fortuitous month for fiber lovers. I had the opportunity to look through two gorgeous fiber books that were published recently. Both books tackle the subject of handspinning, fiber, and knitting but their approaches to the subjects differ.

Lisa Lloyd's book, 'A Fine Fleece' stunned me with not only its beautiful photographs but the knitted designs and patterns were exactly what I was craving but didn't realize it. It's a pattern book I'll keep for the duration of my knitting life.

The patterns are written with the handspinner in mind but they also allow for the understanding that not all knitters spin their own yarn nor have the availability of handspun yarns. Each pattern includes a photo of the project in both handspun and commercially available yarns.

The patterns are beautiful and timeless---absolutely exquisite. I especially loved this aspect of the book because if I take the time to handspin the yarn for a sweater, I don't want that sweater to go out of style anytime soon!

These are patterns that you will turn to over and over again for many years to come---they are works of art in texture. In addition, the resource page includes one of my longtime blogging friends, Jennifer of Spirit Trail Fiberworks!

The other book is Shear Spirit by Joan Tapper and photographed by Gale Zucker. This book differs from Lloyd's book in that it celebrates the source of fiber. Through warm and luscious photos, the reader visits farms from Maine to Oregon and cannot help but feel inspired to pick up yarn and needles or even take up handspinning! There are lovely projects within this book, as well.

I especially liked the Redwoods Earflap Hat.

This book is both coffee table treasure and pattern book. It's one to carry with you to page through in the sun, dreaming of visiting a local fiber farm or even moving to one yourself.

Both of these books are works of beauty and inspiration.

"But we don't know how to make anything."

When I picked up my kids from school yesterday, I was presented with a permission slip for an annual overnight field trip. The parent's cost for each student is $100. I gasped a bit at that. Though I've never needed a scholarship for my kid's school activities before, this time I glanced at the scholarship portion of the form which stated that scholarship money was very limited due to the other options students could pursue...

I was pleased to find those other options. Students are encouraged to work to raise their own field trip money. Opportunities consisted of positions at the upcoming school fundraiser ($5 per hour) and students must interview for the each position, babysitting parents' children during the event ($5 per hour), writing thank you cards ($5 each------hmmm, I'll sign up for that one!!), and more...

It also included the option of making items to sell to parents and community members, as well as offering up your services for bidding. I loved all of these ideas, especially the school's aim to provide opportunities for students to work their way towards the field trip rather than just handing out scholarships.

When I mentioned the option of making items to sell, both of my kids whined in unison, "But we don't know how to make anything!" My son added for more effect, "Yeah, I don't think anyone's going to want to buy one of my doodles!"

I told them I disagreed and we went on to discuss all of the things they know how to make... I reminded my daughter of her drawing skills and that we could transfer one of her drawings onto fabric and embroider it and then use that piece to make a bag or some other item. For my son, I mentioned our handspun yarn and how well he can now knit. I also reminded him of his expert origami skills and how lovely a miniature crane looks on a handmade card. We're just starting to get into felting and I told them of all the things that can be made out of felt. We discussed painting and drawing and mini-quilts and hair accessories... and the list went on and on.

In the end, I said, "Yep, I guess you don't know how to make anything, huh?!"

*******

And on the topic of creativity, I know you've probably read it before, but Amanda's book The Creative Family is absolutely lovely. I highly recommend it. There are a number of reasons I personally liked it but for other readers I feel that her ability to encourage everyone's creativity is impeccable. She provides basic activities that are easily obtainable, but more than that, they are presented as a jumping off point for each family's creativity. She also describes the creative atmosphere each of us can create and nurture in our own households. Sure, I know how to sew and knit and many of the other projects within the book, but I still loved reading it because of the "atmosphere" of gentle creativity and parenting the book evokes-----it's like joining a wonderful community of mothers and families from within her words. At $10, it's a steal, too.

Creating comfort.

Thank you for going along with my musing in my last post. I know there isn't an easy answer (though I do agree that more workplaces with a focus on family friendly schedules and such would come much closer to a happy medium)...

Onward... Creating comfort. I love it and it's apparent in all the things I do: my sewing, knitting, cooking & baking. It's probably why I'm such a homebody, too! It's sort of like my mantra these days, both for myself and for my kids. I will continue carving out a comforting and creative life for them even in the face of all our changes.

It was satisfying to send my daughter off to school for a cross country ski expedition in her new hand-knitted socks yesterday! Hot off the needles and she loved them!

There was Araucania Ranco yarn leftover from the socks and I went straight to work starting one of these scrumptious afghan squares. I remembered seeing these on Knitting Iris sometime ago and then recently noticed they will be included in the upcoming book, Knitalong, by Larissa of Stitch Marker (yippee, it just shipped). I really like the simple design of these squares, probably because they look a bit like a quilt block. Siri had mentioned sewing up a backing for the blocks to make a blanket and that idea intrigues me. Also, I love this Psychedelic Afghan Pattern, too!

Meanwhile, I'm starting on a pair of socks for my son... More comfort.

My hands are the machine.

Watching other quilters piece together their blocks by hand fascinated me: how are they so patient? It must take forever! But when I touched a hand-pieced quilt it felt so wonderful-----its softness uninhibited by the machine's control. And a quilt hand pieced and hand-quilted? Absolutely heaven.

I'm digging into my scrap bag and the strips of color to piece together a lap quilt. I'm imagining bold colors similar to the Gee's Bend wonders I've been reading about.

After seeing a friend take-along her hand piecing quilt project, I decided to try this myself----I love projects I can take with me.

Amazing how quickly my hands sew the pieces together. And the hand piecing is so peaceful----sitting with my kids and listening to a book on CD----compared to sitting by myself at the sewing machine.

I think about some of the stories within the Gee's Bend book I'm reading----how quilts were a part of their lives, leading to generations of quilt makers. Not only were the quilts used for warmth, but their children probably watched the whole process-----Mom cutting up your old clothes, piecing your old clothes together, her hand pressing the needle and thread in and out of your old clothes.

One of the women mentions her preference for old clothes and re-purposed fabric for her quilts, even though she now can afford new. That old fabric has a story to tell.

Though I'm using primarily new fabric for this quilt, I'm sure it will have stories to tell, too. Of Mom piecing it together by hand while sitting on the bed with her children---the colors all combining into something both beautiful and cozy. And who knows, I might cut up some old clothes for this one, too...

Whimsical Hoarding.

I'm one of those Library patrons... The ones that keep books waaaay too long. In fact, for a period of time, I believe the book is mine in the most selfish way. If I remember, I renew my books for as long as I can; however, all too often I forget to renew them, and the fees rack up. I'm sure my name is hung somewhere on the staff bulletin board as one of the founding members of the library, or perhaps the sign is thanking me for the week's supply of staff room donuts (okay, probably not, but it's a nice thought, isn't it?)!

My latest books are about quilting. Not the typical, straight-and-always-perfect type of quilting, but free form and artistic. Bright and colorful. Haphazard and creative. The quilts of Gee's Bend. (Do go check out that site and read the history---so interesting)...

My favorite of the bunch is Gee's Bend, The Architecture of the Quilt. This book describes the shapes found in this region of the country and how these shapes, colors, and landforms formed the creative basis behind these unique quilts.

There are pages of photographs of these shapes and colors and the reader can draw the line between these real-life images and their resulting quilts. I enjoy books that not only provide inspiration but also provide a bit of explanation of the artist's creative process. Often, artists use such differing means of eventually finding their artistic niche.

I don't know if I can consider myself an artist, but I do find inspiration in the strangest images or snippets of things. Such as the photo at the top of this post. Another piece of tea-dyed linen that looks rather like a crumpled up remnant of something whole. I showed my Mom and she said, "Hmmm... interesting," with a look of confusion.

I know to others it doesn't look like much, but I think there is so much potential in that little piece. Not only am I picturing adding to it but it also reminds me of one of my favorite museums of the Old West nearby. I love to gaze at the bits of old fiber there----some of them parts of old quilts that traveled the high desert in a covered wagon, or old petticoats that brushed along the sagebrush. All of them have that off-white old look to them that I love.

There is a reason I named this blog Whimsy. I go through these phases. I went through a fairly intense quilting phase many years ago. In that phase I learned the "proper" techniques of quilting. Perfectly straight blocks. Color technique. Itty bitty hand quilting stitches (my stitches are pretty "rusty" now). Now living in quilting country again with one of the nation's best quilting stores nearby, I'm feeling that muse calling me again, but this time with more of an art quilt inspiration. It could be a passing whimsy or it could be here to stay for awhile... I would love to one day exhibit some of my work.... and therefore, I will!

Meanwhile, I'll continue to hoard my quilting books from the library... 

Reading: Inspiring Quilting Books

A children's book: Stitchin' and Pullin'

A Baby Hat. And Bib.

Onto better things... Like crafts! My niece had a baby two months ago, and while I had a few things planned for her, I didn't actually finish them. Until today. When I found out she was in town. I finished one of my go-to infant knitted hats: the best ever infant baby present (the pattern is in this post and also follows in the extended text).

And a bib. Even though it was very simple, I loved the way it turned out. I just embroidered the flower using my free-motion embroidery foot and bit of wool felt. The flower design is a repeat from the fabric pattern on the back.

Again, I was reminded of my goal long ago to have a few little baby presents on hand for that special little baby that enters the world and needs a bit of handmade goodness for their journey. Nothing's better than that.

Sewing Resources: Bend the Rules Sewing