Lucky Wishing Stars

Kinda wish I had seen these before this past Christmas season. Here are directions!

Evening Bookmaking Class

HI Friends, We've had a few requests for the return of the evening Binders Bookmaking Class. It's a six week class, for shorter hours and less expensive. Begins February 3rd, ending March 3rd.

Bookmaking
Instructor: Anne Elser
Tuesdays, 6 sessions, Feb. 3 - March 3
6-8:30pm
Fee: $140

Sign up here.

Teenie Paper Baskets

We made these in Production last night. The die we used kept getting smaller and smaller until we found ourselves at 10:00, time to go home. Here's the die guide in case you want to make one yourself.

Wisdom From Emerson

"It has seemed to me lately more possible than I knew, to carry a friendship greatly, on one side, without due correspondence on the other. Why should I cumber myself with regrets that the receiver is not capacious? It never troubles the sun that some of his rays fall wide and vain into ungrateful space, and only a small part on the reflecting planet. Let your greatness educate the crude and cold companion. If he is unequal, he will presently pass away; but thou art enlarged by thy own shining, and, no longer a mate for frogs and worms, dost soar and burn with the gods of the empyrean.

"It is thought a disgrace to love unrequited. But the great will see that true love cannot be unrequited. True love transcends the unworthy object, and dwells and broods on the eternal, and when the poor interposed mask crumbles, it is not sad, but feels rid of so much earth, and feels its independency the surer. Yet these things may hardly be said without a sort of treachery to the relation. The essence of friendship is entireness, a total magnanimity and trust. It must not surmise or provide for infirmity. It treats its object as a god, that it may deify both."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Godmother Tina

This is Anton's Godmother, Tina. A gem of a friend, mother of three amazing girls, wife to a generous husband, pet lover, artist, knitter, trouble-maker, mentor, chef.... and the list goes on. Tina was actually the first person to introduce me to the idea of becoming a designer many years ago. She suggested I check out PC and so my journey began. Tina dropped by last night to pick up address labels for her oldest girl's Save The Date announcements. The marriage is set for May and guess who gets to be the ring bearer?!!! Woo hoo!!!

I'm Not Worthy

Good heavens, if you're looking for juicy inspiration, go visit Poppytalk!
Thank you to Martha, for passing this link along to me.

Counter Culture

From my clever husband (budding designer as well), Dougie Fresh:

I have speakers installed in the kitchen cabinets so we can plug in our iPods and listen to music in the morning. Of course, now we plug in our iPhones and Anton has taken to watching music videos in the morning. Fun way to start the day.

Knitting with Stainless Steel

Here's how this pattern is shaping up. Working with this stuff is really interesting. It's delicate, but has backbone. Won't slide off the needles as easily as other fine threads and MAN, I can't wait to see what it does once it's felted. Thank you Tina!

How It's Done

Keeping him still, that is, while cutting a two-year-old's hair. Little bunny was such a good boy. Thank you Baby Einstein.

Folding Triangle Scarf Finished!

Well. Having indeed met my maker (I'm talking about a knitter's orgasm) by working with this amazing cashmere from Art Yarns while following Lynn Vogel's Folding Triangle Scarf Pattern. I am almost sad to have finished the pattern. But not too sad to wear this lovely piece. It feels like butter around my neck.

I loved making all those varied triangles and feeling the cashmere slide through my fingers like deliciously expensive hand creme. Hmmm. I sound like an over or under-sexed crazy person.

In The Workroom

Check out my friend's beautiful new blog called In The Workroom. A fellow designer, smart thinker, bookmaker, Connie Herrell!

Habu Kusha Kusha Scarf Kit 78

My good friend Tina gave me this awesome scarf kit to tackle for Christmas from Knitch. Would you believe it's made of Wool and Stainless Steel? Here's a blurb about the product: One doesn't usually see soft wool and stainless steel in the same thought bubble. Leave it to ever-innovative Habu to realize this combination would find an exciting life on the needles of an adventuresome knitter like yourself. The wool-wrapped steel means the yarn has a memory—twist it around and it will stay as you wish until you change it.

New Haircut for the New Year

I've been cutting Doug's hair now for a couple of years and just discovered the secret to getting Anton to hold still while tending to his beautiful head of shiny golden hair: TV. Why had I not thought of this earlier?!?! I sat my little bunny in front of a Baby Einstein video and within 5 minutes, his whole head was cut and he barely blinked. Of course, I've been blinking back tears ever since. Every time his hair is cut, it makes him look so much older. I do love seeing his slender neck and being able to kiss it so easily. And he's really thinning out now - losing that baby fat and turning into a beautiful boy. I will miss his chubby thighs, but it seems that as soon as I mourn the passing of one stage, the glory of the next one shines brightly. Thank goodness for that! Oh, and Happy New Year!

1984

I was smokin' hot, as you can see. The only girl wearing a tie. Annie Lenox was my idol.

Mags Kandis

I found this fabulously simple and elegant mitten pattern here at My Wabi Sabi Country Life. A wonderful knitter I'd love to know named Mags Kandis. She's the author or Folk Style, published by Interweave Press (back when they were actually a good knitting magazine.) Anyway, she's generous with this pattern: you can download your own free copy here.

Brilliant

Passed Out

Anton's passed out in front of yet another Cars marathon. Without a nap the day after Christmas and a million new toys to play with, he snoozes after a carb overload with the offending potato chip still in his puffy hand.

Gift Review

Well. Doug, Anton and I are sick for Christmas this year, but happy to be up here in Rabun Gap. By the end of the present opening charade, Anton finally "got" the ripping of the wrapping paper down. His Christmas this year was all about trucks and cars and trains. We'll see what he's up to next year, but I have a feeling that this obsession is going to stick for a while, if not for his entire young life. Lightening McQueen is his hero. More pictures to follow.

Our family wasn't the only to get sick in time for the holidays: Mom got some kind of flu as well. So the holiday decor is really at a minimum and this was the first year we did not exchange gifts as adults. It felt strange. Also strange that we got less than half of the Christmas cards we usually get. It feels like everyone cut back in small ways this year and it dampened my spirits. But not enough to prevent me from making my own cards again and my own gifts.

I got several IMs and e-mails from students who made books and boxes for family members this year - so it felt good to at least inspire low-budget, but heartfelt creativity in others this year when everyone is strapped for cash.

So here are a few gifts we got: Doug is sporting a beautiful red wool scarf from Anton's godmother, Tina, and I am wearing a vintage olive wool beret Doug got me from eBay, (God bless the man I married with such awesome taste) and lastly, Anton is wearing THE coolest military cap from The Village Hat Shop dot com that Glo & Peter got him.

Merry Christmas everyone. More pictures to come!

Paper Lilies

These beautiful flowers are from a paper pattern I found online a few years ago. They may very well make it into my bookmaking syllabus!

It's all in the genes.

No one else in MY family does THIS with their feet. Like father, like son.