It's a Done Deal

Well, I've been to the studio and it is perfect for what I need. Yes, perfect. I like the location, the feel, the actual space and well it's just gonna work.

It's just concrete and wood, but it's my space. The other artists seem really cool and the common area is circa 1950-60's...I love it...

I walked around the neighbourhood and it has all the things that I adore...Food, shoes, antiques, more food, hip clothing stores and a great place for lassi across the street.



I have always dreamed of "going to the studio" on my bike, front basket full of goodies for the day. A place to see clients, have knit friends over without having to worry about cleaning the entire house first. A place to put out my eclectic collection of mirrors, wheels, skein winders and weird egyptian chachkas.

And finally, my house with only one or two beautiful well placed baskets of hand spun and a normal amount of WIP's that don't make my home look like a sweat shop (for one).

Studio MelonHead

I'm off to see the studio this morning and I can't help it...I'm excited. I just found out that there are no windows, but this is Vancouver. I intend on biking to the studio so I'll have enough sunshine and view there and back and it has a small kitchen, common area and a full bathroom and shower. In case I feel like working all night (which happens) and no one at my house needs to be tortured by my working hours.

The yarn is being reskeined now, I love the colours (and the cashmere---sorry it's all spoken for). However the sock yarn is up for grabs. The only thing I will not make, except for my test pair for the yarn.

And the rovings dried so quickly that I had no excuse not to spin them. I realize I didn't have to spin them all, but what the hell.....

I seem to be consistent at 125 yards plied for 100- 105 grams giving me somewhere between a sport weight and an aran weight.

I just figured out why I spent so much time on the wheel yesterday.....This thing...honestly, I wish I could say that I was a swift cookie with the paperwork, but it overwhelms me and actually makes me a little sick. GST isn't a difficult calculation, but this form makes me all sweaty..

Here's hoping that the studio is all that I need it to be. I am bringing Joan for an objective 2nd opinion. I would be inclined to love it, even if it was a dungeon.

Where There's Smoke.....

there's this representational skein of yarn. How appropriate. With a million things to do to get ready for the next show, this is what I was consumed with yesterday. Grey alpaca, silk noil, mulberry silk and merino and corriedale. It smoldered in my mind and on the wheel for the better part of the day.

My moo cards arrived yesterday. One of the photographs was not cropped properly so I have several lovely pictures of Sophie and what appears to be the brim of a hat. Crap, but even more wonderful was how Canada Border Services deemed fit to charge GST, PST and duty on my business cards. I have a number to call them to appeal the charges. Given I only have a few days left before leaving town, I am quite certain this is not going to happen. Lately, I am given to weighing decisions over how much it costs of my time per hour to fix them rather than the "principal of the thing".

And yes, I am able to let go whatever the wrong may have been. Time to move on.

The laundry list is huge today. Reskeining, pick up at the post office, scheduling an appointment to look at the studio and finishing the scarves. I would love to spin the rovings I dyed yesterday, but that may have to wait, unless I am rescued and taken to a gorgeous destination to spin.

It would not be that hard to convince me.

Studio, Here I Come

And it's about time. The dyeing has taken over, the rovings are insurmountable and there is no room to move in this place.

Wow......I wonder what it would be like to have a small bed, a chair and table for reading and the laptop in the spare bedroom.....hmmm. Yep, it's time to take this show to it's own little space. John will be pleased. The cats will be pleased. I will be delighted.

MelonHead is growing up.

I Get By With a Little Help from my Friends

What do friends do?

• They pick you up in their van and help you load it
• They help you set up shows
• They keep you company at said shows
• They shop from you
• They give you many compliments
• They make you laugh, I mean gut wrenching belly laughs
• They make you feel better on a sucky day.

Toni this week, Pearl next week and Joan a few weeks after that. I always feel a bit overwhelmed and apologize ( a lot) for my inabililty to drive a car. I try to stuff them with pastry and coffee, make them pick out inventory or buy them weird presents. I really want to learn how to be really grateful without gushing. I guess I'm looking for a bit more dignified response to what is always a cherished generosity from the people that are close to me.

Yesterday's show brought much in the way of conversation and laughter but not much in the way of sales. I'm not complaining, really, but there is a definite difference between having my last real show being Circle Craft and then setting up for a little one day show. I never bing, bang, big bucks, boom into the season.

I enjoy the yarn chats, seriously get off on the compliments (no, I don't get tired of hearing how fantastic and creative I am). It's what I do every day and I sometimes forget how wonderful it is, so it's nice to be reminded.

I have a simple display this year. I think I am walking away from the gridwall. If you know anyone that needs 2by6 and 2by4 incredibly heavy chrome grid wall, is local and wants to give me money, just let me know.

I have some cashmere. I might dye it today ---after I go to Stanley Park to knit for a while---pics later.

Market Season in Full Swing

I consider that the market season is in full swing. Starting tomorrow, I am pretty much booked for shows until December. Tomorrow you can find me here.....then again in 10 days in Calgary, then Vernon, then Whistler, then.......The blog will keep you updated on the full season and if you need tickets for Portobello West, then just send me an e-mail with your address and number of tickets and I'll send them to you.

Since it's a spring thing I'm finishing up the blossom scarves. They are my signature piece as well as my favourite for this season.


Hope to see you at the market tomorrow. Stop by and say hello if you get a chance.

Crocheting in Chinatown

Sun brighter than ever, breezy and fabulous. Chest congestion be damned....out into the world I go. On Pearl's suggestion we hit the $2.00 store on the outskirts of Chinatown (lots of great little finds there) and then into Chinatown looking for watercolour and calligraphy brushes.

It was like a second childhood rummaging through all the fantastic stores(once you get passed the Hello Kitty stuff that you can't seem to get away from) The colours were fantastic and I took them all in. BTW, what do you think of my new yarn colourway - Chinatown.

My apologies for such a photo heavy post. But, I need to show you how Toni and I spent the afternoon.

Here is the entrance to the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Gardens nestled in downtown Vancouver

And this photos shows the city skyline creeping in to our paradise. Even cast in the shadow of the pond.

Note to Pearl ....(wish you could have called in sick today)

Toni sewed labels and I worked on a cherry blossom scarf. We chatted with complete strangers who didn't find it all odd that we had set up shop in the gardens. Agreed that we are coming back, but this time ----I will be bringing the wheel.

Making the Most of the Sunshine

No one enjoyed the sunshine more than Asia on the back porch today. Her fur was glowing, certainly worthy of spinning. (Where's that brush)

I was utilizing the fine weather so that the yarns could hang outside. The hand spun is in the basement (just due to the volume of it).

All of this is pretty much earmarked for projects. The seacell is beautifully accepting of the dye and gave me exactly what I wanted. Now if I can just hold on another day I can start using it..Yeah for me.

I have some decadent alpaca in my possession. How to spin it, how to spin it....I have half a mind to card it with my silk and the tiny bit of camel I have left over.....not sure. I have some Jacob fleece as well. Hmmm. Slow down sister, what about that knitting you were supposed to do today.

Oh, that.

My Two Favourite Things --Together

Now this is a thing of beauty. From Vegan Yum Yum....Sweaters, balls of yarn and cupcakes, all in one.

Here's the actual tutorial from Martha Stewart for those so inclined. If not, there is an etsy shop where you can buy your own.


Happy Earth Day.

Result Oriented

I gave myself a challenge yesterday. I can't be home (well or not well) and stare at a pile of knitting or fibre and not do something about it. It's worse than torture. Fortified by every vitamin in the alphabet, I managed to snap a few photos of the FO's.

Falkland, hand painted and plied onto itself.

SW Merino plied onto itself.

Two merino rovings. One semi solid orange and one multi plied.

And because I had quotas for other things as well......

I didn't push so hard today and it just doesn't work for me...Meandering around the house, 40 cups of tea(at least), I mostly completed detail finishing. I am leaving the house tomorrow no matter what my condition.

Plan of Attack (Revised)

Firstly---attack the funky virus.

The formula.

• liquid vitamin A
• 3 litres of ice cold water
• 1500 mg B12
• 500 mg B6
• 2000 mg vitamin C
• ginseng and lemongrass tea
• ice pack on sinuses

Screw you evil virus trying to interfere with my inventory. Seriously, you are not welcome here!

Now for the truly punishing part of the day...I have made another list. This is what is going to get finished today. I have the largest UFO list on record.

• 5 kids hats seamed - done
  
• 1 plum blossom scarf - done
  
• 3 felt hats actually felted - done
  
• 1 baby sweater finishing details buttons - where is that sweater?
  
• 1 free form scarf - and the red scarf?
  
• 2 skeins of hand spun -done
  
• 1 fern scarf - done
  
• 10 kid forms ready for embellishment --craptastic, didn't even get a start here.
  

At some point today, do a load of laundry and vacuum the hallway...Oh and have a nap after half the list is complete. I will post photos of the stack o finished things tomorrow. I'm sure I can do this. Tomorrow will be another day and another list.

Oh, wait, and start packing for the show this weekend...

Well it's 2am...I didn't manage the nap or vacuuming the hallway, but I did get a load of laundry done. Was today successful? I'm not sure.

Lack of Focus

Toni dropped off her Kiwi with me for safe keeping. This is bad. I've been avoiding spinning so that I can finish the 20 scarves I have been working on forever. The same week the wheel arrives so does the roving, wool and silk and alpaca and silk....crap..

Now I am forced against my will to spin . This is the alpaca and silk. 117 yards.

This BFL is positively squishy. 125 yards.

I'm not even going to upload the rest, really I am so mad at myself for getting so easily distracted. It's so easy to work on what I like rather than what I need to do. With a show next weekend and another one two weeks after that, I really need to get my ass in gear.

I tried to blame it on the lovely blend of medications I am taking in order to pretend that I have not been sick this week. Sleep is a luxury for people who aren't self employed and I have put myself at risk again but forgoing sleep for inventory building. What's a girl to do?

On the other hand, I have had the luxury of John fetching hot and sour soup and decaf lattes, mixing neo citran and lining up all the supplements for the morning. It is overkill, but it is still sweet to have someone to take care of you when you aren't well.

When will I learn to slow it down enough to make the time to take better care of myself? As long as there is an ounce of roving or a skein of wool in this house, it is unlikely.

The day has turned out to be gorgeous. At least I have my fab window view while I'm waiting for round 2 of the meds to kick in.

"Pretty" Amazing

The weather has turned today and the sunshine is gone. The view out my front window now is spectacular. I am just waiting for the leaves to fill in so that the entire window is covered.

I love everything about these magnolias and feel badly that I was secretly cursing them for such a late bloom this year. Really glad to have them now. Since the entire day today is about organic shapes and blooms, I couldn't ask for a better inspiration spot for the knitting today.

Find your inspiration where you can.

Time to Ply One On...

Finally, finally...hoping that Irene and Toni would both be proud of me now...Yes 510 yards in one skein. It was not my intention to spin today. The postman came a knockin' and roving showed up and well, you know me. The fact that there aren't enough hours in the day to finish the projects I have now didn't seem to deter me.

The yarn was completely in charge of how it was spun. I have Toni's Kiwi (on loan) and we were just getting reacquainted when a merino/silk roving hopped up and into the wheel. Yes, make me lacy, make me pretty it squealed...



And the marathon began...I spun so long that one cheek and part of my leg fell asleep. It felt exquisite to have the tiniest bits of fibre running through my fingers. The colourway was lovely, lots of white left in the roving and it plied onto itself beautifully. I would not have enjoyed it as a single and now am looking forward to seeing it knit up.

You can't sell hand spun if you don't know how it knits and how it wears as a finished garment. And let's be honest....it's just mine, all mine. I earned the right to knit it...

Now a project. Suggestions?

Inspiration

I spent a lot of time looking at the broken asphalt while I was waiting or a bus the other day.

As interesting as the cracks themselves, were the wadded up pieces of gum that has nestled into many of the crevices. Hmm.

Where is My Silk Noil?

....not the recycled sari silk, not the tussah silk, not the silk bombyx....my bag of silk noil...you know the one I mean. Come on, it was next to the gray alpaca...

Seriously, I need it now, not tomorrow, not next week---while the inspiration is still in my head...

I have no idea what I might have done with it. I can usually find what I am looking for in my controlled chaos, but this is just too much..

Double Frack.

Beach

The highlight of the weekend was the hike at Deep Cove. There was a light rain late in the afternoon that left a pale gray cast to everything. It was beautiful.

I couldn't help but pick up a few shells and small pieces of driftwood. I tend to not keep them for long, but they remind me of my childhood summers and I am compelled to put them in my pocket. Late into the evening, I was still thinking about the afternoon.

Pearl's birthday party was last night and I thought of the best yarn for her. She's a fan of blue (not a colour I gravitate to) but the beach blue from the weekend was an easy colour to fall in love with.

Here's Beach

100 grams
107 yards plied BFL...Squishy soft...(I hope she likes it)

A Blossomversary

Remembering the joy you brought me last year
I hungered for your return

An illusive anniversary
to say the least.
How you made me wait.

The memories of you
soothing and lovely
Your petals rained,
and swirled around me.

Even on the ground
a deep carpet
of pinkish snow

And naked branches reminding
me of where you had been

I recreated you in fibre
sifting through my mental photo album
looking for just the right textures
to awaken sensory memory

Angora,
Your petals seemed
to me
Silk and wool branches....

Finally here
your petals are more silken.
your pink somewhat duller

Still,
imprinted again.
grateful for your return.

If you are going to be late again next year
I would at least appreciate a call.

It Really IS a Good Friday

Up so early this morning that I had to leave the house so as not to disturb the quiet. A bag of knitting and a sketch pad and out to scout for coffee.


The streets were already full at 9:00am, families and sunshine, how glorious. I plowed away at the knitting to curious looks. Once the stack on the table is more than a few hats, it is definitely going to get stared at.

Too beautiful even to people watch from indoors, I abandoned the knitting and took a stroll around the neighbourhood.

We're headed off to Deep Cove today. This will be the best weather of the long weekend. I've got a lot of hats to knit in the car and some good distance driving to do it in. I have a goal in my head for how many I can knit while I am staring out the window enjoying the view.

Hope your Good Friday is REALLY good.