pleasurecraft

post city

2012-01-09T21:57:00.004-05:00

Since a month (one which included a lot of activity!), has passed since City of Craft, I'm going to let the following photos do most of the talking here. Suffice it to say, I had a most excellent time, and as usual, feel honoured to be part of this tremendously special indie craft event. Thanks to the folks who work so tirelessly and to put this on. Your dedication is an inspiration. Can't wait till next year!

This last one is courtesy of Have & Hold Design, who operated a beautiful photobooth just down the way from me.

Thanks to all my bff's for spending part of your day with me, you guys are the greatest.

City of Craft!

2011-12-09T08:15:00.001-05:00

This show is truly one of the biggest highlights of my crafty year. I am so excited!

Fat Goose! Today!

2011-12-04T08:45:00.003-05:00

The Fat Goose Craft Fair is today! Some of Eastern Ontario's most talented makers, music, video installations, raffle, food and boozy eggnog!

I am so excited!

Winter Fair

2011-11-28T08:34:00.003-05:00

Mulberry Waldorf School celebrated the changing of the seasons with our traditional, festive Winter Fair this past weekend. A huge thank-you to all the parents and volunteers, musicians and makers, children and grandparents who came and worked, played danced and shopped.

Busy-ness

2011-11-15T10:37:00.002-05:00

There is a lot going on in my world right now. I am coordinating the vendors for the Mulberry Waldorf School Winterfair.

I am one of a group of organizers of the Fat Goose Craft Fair.
I am selling a the fabulous City of Craft in Toronto.
I am guest editing over at four for the day all week.
Also I just celebrated my birthday..
So forgive the brief post. Let's let a few pictures do the talking...

Guest Blogging..

2011-11-09T21:14:00.000-05:00

Come and see me over at the Fat Goose Blog!

Fat Goose!

2011-10-19T19:24:00.002-04:00

I am happy to be one of the coordinators of this year's Fat Goose Craft Fair. It's a great little indie sale here in Kingston, and we are currently accepting applications from vendors! Find the application details here, and don't forget to check the Rules, Regulations and Rhubarbs!

and yarn...

2011-10-18T13:43:00.003-04:00

As promised, photos of new yarns created with fibre dyed and documented in my last post. Approximately worsted weight, slightly thick and thin. Hoping to have these up for sale in my etsy shop soon.

In the dyepot this week...

2011-10-06T12:28:00.003-04:00

Here are some photos from a dye session I did a couple of days ago. I am very happy with the colourways I achieved, even if they are different from what I had in mind!

You can see just how low-tech my kettle dyeing set-up is. Complete with wood that needs splitting in the background.

A close-up of a swampy green colour combo.

An autumny colourway inadvertently matching a mohair blanket on my porch

And a new (for me) variation on one of my favourite blends of colour, yellow and grey.

I have done a bunch of spinning already and am excited to share photos here tomorrow. For those of you in Kingston I will be selling yarn today and subsequent Thursdays, 12-3:30, at the market at Mulberry Waldorf School.

This Just In!

2011-09-25T21:18:00.002-04:00

Guess what? I just heard back from the good folks at City of Craft, and... drumroll... I made it into the 2011 installment of their amazing craft fair!
Hooray!

spinning.. two ways

2011-09-06T15:07:00.003-04:00

New handspun yarn, posing here with 'Songs in the Key of Life" by Stevie Wonder. This handcarded little number was made up of some leftover bits, and will, I think, become a gift for a vinyl inspired couple I know!

weekending

2011-09-05T13:20:00.002-04:00

School starts tomorrow, and for the most part we are ready.

But until then, it's still summer.

this moment

2011-09-02T13:25:00.001-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~Amanda Soule

doily fever

2011-08-31T11:46:00.003-04:00

I spent this past weekend in a state of total excitement and bliss at the wedding of two of my dearest friends. They being the artistic and crafty diy types that I know and love them to be, there were a number of amazing handcrafted decor items created for their nuptials, and many that I was lucky enough to have a hand in creating. Today's post will be the first in a short series that will detail some of these fine wedding crafts.

Early on, my friends decided that doilies would be a central theme to the celebration, and started thrifting in earnest to amass a very impressive collection of the beautiful handmade creations. From some pinterest perusing, we decided to use the bulk of them to create table runners.

beautiful close up of one of my favourites, reminiscent of a peacock tail fan

dancing the doily jig! laying out enough doilies to create 11 table runners.

handwork - all of the doilies were hand stitched together

we worked together, each at one end of the table, stitching and chatting...

The finished product!

Once I get back some decent shots of the table runners from the wedding, I will share them here..I was running around too much to get a nice one myself!

2011-08-20T08:23:00.002-04:00

We live in a rainbow of chaos.
- Paul Cezanne

this moment

2011-08-12T14:04:00.002-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~Amanda Soule

delivery

2011-08-12T09:15:00.003-04:00

I've been an awfully quiet blogger so far this summer...but not for lack of activity to write about! I will write a lengthy catch-up post soon, but for now, feast your eyes on 30 pounds of luscious falklands wool, delivered yesterday, and the first fruits from the dye pot. With Azzurra's help, I went with a bit of a rainbow theme. Spinning photos to follow!

In the Community

2011-06-14T10:50:00.004-04:00

I was recently invited by the Youth Diversion Program at the Robert Meek School in Kingston to be the first presenter in their month long series of arts worskshops for at-risk youth.
Let me tell you, these kids are amazing. When I first got there I felt a little intimidated, and the kids seems disengaged, but as soon as we got started on our felting project, they lit up. Some even started off outright refusing to even touch the wool, and by the end, there was laughter and smiles all around while everyone's hands got soapy and their arms got tired.
Thanks to the staff and students for a lovely morning!

politics

2011-05-03T10:50:00.002-04:00

Canada woke up this morning to a new political reality. There was good and bad news.
The meteoric rise of the NDP was offset by the unfortunate majority won by Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party.
Congratulations to Jack Layton, I am happy to see you as the leader of the Opposition.

The true silver lining for me, though, was the historic and very exciting victory by Elizabeth May in her riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands. She is the first Green to be elected in Canada (or the United States, for that matter!).

So, here's to Elizabeth May, an inspiring and charismatic leader. May you do great things in Ottawa!
And to the courageous voters of Saanich-Gulf Islands, I'm sorry that the rest of the country couldn't have followed in your example.

Art by Hannah Stone. For more info go to www.facebook.com/GOHANNAHSTONE

this moment

2011-04-22T15:22:00.003-04:00

{this moment}- A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.
Inspired by the lovely SouleMama

photo shoot

2011-04-12T21:08:00.002-04:00

Fellow Wolfe Islander, Kristen Ritchie, was here on Saturday for a family photo shoot, meant as a gift for the children's grandparents.
Here is a peek at the results...

signs of spring

2011-04-04T15:11:00.002-04:00

Our dear, lovely hen, Granny, has been brooding on several eggs for the last three weeks. Very early Sunday morning, we got our first glimpse of her chicks! There are three little ones under there, and a couple more eggs. What an amazing, magical, everyday miracle!

friendly help

2011-03-30T12:37:00.004-04:00

I am so inspired by my friend and crafty colleague Becky Johnson's creative funding campaign over on Kickstarter, that I just had to share it with you, readers. Becky is a tour de force,and a treasure to the craft community. She is the lady behind The Sweetie Pie Press. Please visit and pledge! Becky is offering some amazing crafty, creative rewards, plus you will have the pleasure of knowing that you are helping to keep the indie craft dream alive!

photo still from video: "Sweetie Pie Press Summer Tour 2011"

this moment

2011-03-26T17:01:00.002-04:00

{this moment}- A Friday (or saturday!) ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.
Inspired by the lovely SouleMama

Enjoying

2011-03-18T15:03:00.002-04:00

My new boots, scored at Value Village!

Contra dancing, I'm the blur in the skirt and red shoes in the middle, at the Toronto Country Dancers March 12th dance.

Our brooding hen, Granny! She's got 4 eggs under there!

Hanging laundry on the line!

Another spring hat for me! Inspired by Kathy's.

spring toque

2011-03-17T12:34:00.003-04:00

This simple hat was made from a mash-up of 5 or 6 different handspun/handdyed yarns, some of them being mash-up yarns to begin with! Grey and yellow is one of my favourite colour combinations, and I humbly think that the bits of blue and green mixed in here are just lovely. There are fuzzy angora and mohair bits as well as some silk, but mostly this hat is corriedale wool.
The hat is a no-pattern slouchy affair, worked in the round, and took only a few hours to complete.
Who says wool should be confined to winter?

silkscreening time

2011-02-15T19:46:00.003-05:00

I like to think of myself as a multi-crafter. Whether it's sewing, knitting, pottery, toymaking, bookbinding, spinning, dyeing, felting...my, how the list goes on! I really do get a kick out of making things. So, when my dear friends in Sheesham and Lotus needed some t-shirts made, I offered to do the silkscreening for them, as my father was a master screen printer, and I was lucky enough to learn the basics from him a number of years ago at his shop outside of Toronto. The artwork is from the cover of their new album.

Here is a blurry action shot of me in process.

and some of the finished product!

this moment

2011-01-21T21:18:00.002-05:00

{this moment}- A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.
Inspired by the lovely SouleMama.

belated holiday show and tell

2011-01-19T14:12:00.003-05:00

One of my favourite gift-giving projects from the holidays were these simple bookplates. This was a collaboration between my daughters and I. First, Azzurra drew the image, I transferred it to some easy carving rubber matting, and we took turns with carving, although I probably did the majority.

We had an assembly line going when it came time to print, and fun was had by all.

2010 in photos

2011-01-03T18:52:00.014-05:00

January 2010

February 2010

March 2010

April 2010

May 2010

June 2010

July 2010

August 2010

September 2010

October 2010

November 2010

December 2010

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T10:35:00.001-05:00

At the end of this busy season, this busy year, I would like to take a moment to quietly thank all the people around me who make every day special.

Hope 2011 is good to all of you, readers.

thirty-one

2010-11-12T13:15:00.002-05:00

today. thanks to everyone who has made it a great 31 years thus far.

Three

2010-11-06T23:14:00.003-04:00

3 years ago today we welcomed our son, Basil into the world.

Today, he is a sweet, adventurous, thoughtful, daring, all-around lovely little guy.
Happy Birthday Basil, we're so glad you've come!

Pumpkinfest

2010-10-24T12:25:00.003-04:00

We went to the Wolfe Island Pumpkinfest yesterday, and both Azzurra and Sonika carved their own pumpkins for the contest. I'm proud to say that my youngest darling, Sonika, got first prize, with her big sister Azzurra taking second prize. Sonika did the "Princess" pumpkin, and Azzurra did the cat.
And yes, there are about a hundred kfc bags behind them, and yes, those were the prizes. Not much of a prize really, but the girls savoured their glory.

Happy Pumpkin season to all of you!!

To Make

2010-10-22T08:32:00.002-04:00

After seeing so many lovely star lanterns around I searched and searched for an online tutorial. It seems the couple of free ones that used to be around have been taken down, so I ordered one as a PDF from Syrendell.
I can't wait to get started.

Photo courtesy of SimpleMama. I hope mine turn out this nice!

this moment

2010-10-15T09:49:00.003-04:00

Kingston Yarn Bombing

2010-10-13T18:28:00.003-04:00

I am a little late with this, but it tickles me so, and better late than never, right? A group called the Outlaw Wool Lovers has knit and crocheted a cozy for the McBurney (skeleton) Park cannon!
It wasn't there for long, but it got covered in the papers and make lots of people smile. Hope you enjoy.
The photo below is lifted from this blog post.

what fall looks like

2010-10-12T09:27:00.004-04:00

Honeybees! We found this colony busy with their hive in an apple tree on our property. A local beekeeper helped us get them into the hive box, so next summer we will have our very own honey!

An acorn cake made with freshly collected Wolfe Island Red Oak Acorns.

Our very own sun dried tomatoes in olive oil.

Some great knit and crochet art seen at Nuit Blanche Toronto.

Experimental guitar love with Lee Ranaldo, also at Nuit Blanche.

Sonika showing off some fresh fall veggies.

Azzurra leaping at Big Sandy Bay.

{this moment}

2010-09-10T09:38:00.002-04:00

Hans In Luck

2010-09-08T13:09:00.002-04:00

I love making items for the lovely School that my children attend, Mulberry Waldorf School , and was asked by Azzurra's second grade teacher to create a fairy tale mobile for the class reading nook. Hans in Luck is one of the stories the children will be hearing this year, so I decided to make the little mobile below based on the one in this book

I love making these types of delicate and lovely woolen mobiles, and see many more in the near future.

supersized starburst

2010-09-07T14:51:00.004-04:00

Azzurra and I saw this project over at The Crafty Crow and decided to make our own extra-large version. Azzurra did all the weaving once it was set up to go, although I did give her some help when it was time to switch colours. It now occupies a place of honour near the wood stove in our family room.

{this moment}

2010-08-20T14:57:00.003-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. Inspired by the lovely SouleMama.

Wishing you a sunny weekend!

{this moment}

2010-07-30T20:10:00.002-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Camp!

2010-07-29T11:06:00.005-04:00

I had the joy and honour to be an instructor at the Blue Skies in the Community Kids Day Camp this past week.
What a great week! I had three fibre arts groups, with kids ranging in age from 7 to 13, and had so much fun with them! Not to mention the great times after camp with friends new and, well, less new!
Thanks to all the great kids, families, friends, director, instructors and support staff!!!

Hope to see you all again next year!

Roan doing his arial hoop routine at the big last day show

Exotic Azzurra with pagri and gourd banjo.

Some felt-in-progress from one of my students

Goldenrod dye pot

clowning Neal

The post-camp glow

{this moment}

2010-07-02T23:59:00.001-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual inspired by SouleMama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

island living

2010-06-28T16:46:00.002-04:00

Can you blame me for not posting more often?

I will have a crafty post for you tomorrow though, promise!
Also, take a listen to my current theme song.

The Big Day!

2010-06-15T12:27:00.003-04:00

We are home from our busy wedding-full weekend in Toronto. T and K's wedding was an amazing, love filled day, and went off without a hitch!
If I do say so myself, the ties, bow ties and dresses were a big hit, and looked and photographed beautifully.
Below are the girls dresses, as worn. They were made using my own pattern. The bodice is roughly based on the 'Flower Girl Dress' from the Heather Ross must have, Weekend Sewing. The skirt is the simple, charming, tied tulle tutu that can be found all over the net.

Special shout out to Marinko for his amazing 11th hour help with the tutu. That was fun!!

That's me on the right, as maid-of-honour.
Check out my hair!!! I'll have to find a better head shot. It is an amazingly executed (and long lasting!!) faux finger wave, as styled by Michael of Aveda Toronto.

tie-ing the knot

2010-06-08T08:23:00.006-04:00

Anyone who knows me personally knows that this weekend coming, one of my best friends is getting married, and that I am the maid-of-honour. Outside of all the regular duties that that entails, I am also putting my crafting skills to work. I have signed on to make ties for the groomsmen, bow ties for the ring-bearers, and flower girl dresses for my daughters. The bride is a woman of extremely high tastes, and luckily for me that has meant working with Duppioni silk for all of these projects.

The ties are the fist project up. They were made using this amazing tutorial from the Purl Bee. They are fairly easy to make, but with all that hand sewing, they are quite time consuming. The tutorial was put up for Father's Day last year, and seeing as that time is just around the corner, I would encourage any of you to make one of these for the special man in your life. I am making a couple of cotton print ones for Bryan, too.

Stay tuned for bow ties and flower girl dresses. Here is a sneak preview of the one of the dresses!

busy spring

2010-06-01T09:00:00.002-04:00

Wow. I can't believe a month and a half have gone by since my last post.
Spring (and summer-like weather) has been here for a while. Many craft projects have been started, and several finished. The school year is almost over. The island around us has turned green and come to life. An extensive garden has been planted. Chickens are on their way. We have plunged into the lake. The fiddle has been played.

We have sure been keeping busy around here.

I will be returning to regular posting in the next couple of days with a glimpse into a couple of the sewing projects I have undertaken for my friend's wedding.

Sonika is 6!

2010-04-13T20:24:00.004-04:00

My dear second child. Sweet and wily. Funny and thoughtful. Kind and patient with her younger and older siblings. Born 6 years ago today.

One of the handmade gifts she received from me was this angel mobile, which was inspired by a project in Living Crafts, I think it was the Winter 2009 issue.

It's her very own angel to watch over her each night.

5 Things...

2010-04-08T22:28:00.005-04:00

...to be excited about right now (not including of course..the forsythias, crocuses, willows, grasses, mosses, geese..and all the other spring lovliness going on outside my door).

- making these spring bonnets, designed by Amy Karol, for my girls

- the little yellow bunny that arrived in my mailbox last week, just in time for easter. Thanks Claire!!!

- this great list of spring activities for kids courtesy of Rhythm of the Home

- this song slays me

- finally picking my 'lady of the lake' back up, after months of neglect. I am more than halfway, and think this project just might get finished soon!

Leave a comment...what are you excited about right now?

Kniterary

2010-03-28T22:59:00.002-04:00

If you are in the Peterborough area, please come out to the Peterborough Public Library tomorrow night from 7pm to 9pm for the monthly Kniterary night, where I will be teaching the knitters of that fine city to make yarn on a drop spindle.

This moment

2010-03-26T08:53:00.003-04:00

out of commission

2010-03-05T10:25:00.002-05:00

Since my last post I have:

-taught a wonderful group of fledgling spinners
-celebrated an amazing hockey victory with dear old friends
-spent the week teaching handwork for a Waldorf grade 1+2 class
-started a knitting circle at my children's school
-had a complete muscle spasm/seizure in my neck
-been to the chiropractor and for xrays
-fought off a throat virus/infection?

Is it any wonder I haven't posted all week?

Below are some photos (taken by Becky and Tina off their flickr..hope you guys don't mind!) of last Sunday's Church of Craft spinning workshop. Thanks to all who came. I had fun!

Church of Craft

2010-02-27T12:27:00.002-05:00

Those of you in the Toronto area, please come out to The Workroom tomorrow, where I will be giving a workshop on drop spindle spinning at 3pm. Before that, they have their regularly scheduled Quilt Sunday, which I am just tickled to be finally able to attend.

This workshop will mark the final Toronto Church of Craft under the guidance of the lovely Leah. Her other life as a musician calls her away to live among the arts appreciating Germans.

Hope to see you there!

WIP Wednesday

2010-02-24T15:54:00.005-05:00

In which this:

becomes one more of these:

to warm the hands of this little girl:

A sign of things to come...

2010-02-23T19:19:00.005-05:00

Here is a dandelion nature table doll that I made for the 5th birthday of a very special friend. I was especially pleased with how the dandelion itself turned out. Inspiration for this project came from the great book The Nature Corner, which has so many great doll patterns and ideas.

Making this little doll got me very excited about spring. Although we have been getting flurries here off and on, and trust me, after the mild winter we've had I am definitely not quite ready to say goodbye to Jack Frost, BUT, there sure is something great about the sunny face of a dandelion, isn't there? I can almost smell the sunshine!

Island Living

2010-02-19T09:29:00.005-05:00

Living on an island means that I spend a lot of time on the ferry. It takes about 1/2 an hour each way, and for me, it can be a great time to be social, to knit, read, or quietly ponder the magnitude and beauty of this amazing, great lake that I live on.

Recently, the wind and cold caused a thick sheet of ice to form along the ends of the ferry, where the spray from the lake was freezing on contact.
It was a beautiful, magical, comical sight. Here it is captured late at night in all it's cold, eerie glory.

(and, yes, the bottom photo does indeed have a sign to warn us that the stairs are slippery!)

WIP Wednesday

2010-02-10T08:47:00.005-05:00

I am hopping on the WIP Wednesday bandwagon. I will do my best to post a new work-in-progress each and every Wednesday.
This week I am working on my 2nd attempt at a Baby Surprise Jacket. My first just didn't look all that nice. The yarn was too unsuited for the pattern, and colours were pooling all over the place. In this one though, the colours are coming out beautifully!
The yarn is Misti Alpaca Pima Cotton and Silk, and more details can be found here.

My second may not technically be a WIP yet, but I am planning on knitting up a couple of the cute kittens from "Toymaking With Children" for Sonika's waldorf kindergarten class. I think I can finish two on the ferry this afternoon. The yarn is some handspun llama from many years ago. It is very soft, and the colours are just perfect for a calico kitty.

watercolours

2010-02-09T12:25:00.005-05:00

The kids and I stayed home yesterday to recuperate after a busy weekend. The girls both do wet-on-wet watercolour painting at school, so we haven't done much at home since last summer. Yesterday, though, they decided to use hearts cut from paintings for their Valentines this year, so out came the trusty Stockmar paints (primary colours only) and the lovely painting verse was spoken:

Painting spirits, wise and sage,
come out of the sky,
and onto my page

This was actually Basil's first time painting! You can see him looking over to his sister's page for guidance.

A quiet mood prevailed, and the girls were very encouraging to their little brother, helping him wet his brush, and cheering on his efforts.

Last night they drew and cut many hearts from their paintings, and tonight they will assemble them into valentines for all their friends. I will be sure to post a photo when they are all done!

Five Things..

2010-02-02T22:19:00.002-05:00

that I am very excited about right now:

* Handmade tie tutorial from the Purl Bee

* The Ukeladies

* The custom made 100% silk dress I am having made by Christine (aka The Hempress) for my best friends wedding

* Loaf after loaf of the amazing No Knead Bread being pumped out in my kitchen

* This Valentine sewing tutorial. I can't wait (and shouldn't, only 12 days left!) to make a couple of these for some of my favorite folks

Can you share something that you are excited about right now?

And now for something completely different.. Or, For the love of The Hidden Cameras.

2010-01-29T11:47:00.003-05:00

Although I don't often blog about it, I love music. I love Canadian Independent Music, among many other well deserving genres. One of my favourite Canadian bands is The Hidden Cameras. I am lucky enough to be acquainted with some of the members of the band (Meadowvale and Toronto represent!), and this past fall I got to see them on three consecutive weekends on their North American tour, first in Toronto (at a dear friend's wedding!), then in my new hometown of Kingston and finally in Brooklyn, NY.

Below is a photo taken of me, up on stage in Brooklyn with The Hidden Cameras (and the ever-lovely Gentleman Reg) gleefully helping out with the final song of the night. It was also my birthday. And my three best friends were there with me. What a night.

Now, if you have the time, enjoy this charming video from last year.
Ladies and gentleman, "In the NA":

One small change

2010-01-26T22:26:00.006-05:00

I am participating in Hip Mountain Mama's One Small Change campaign. The basic idea is that all of us make one small change toward sustainability each month until Earth Day, and all these 'small' changes might just add up to something BIG!
I am joining a little late, and really wanted to get a post up right away about my change, so I have truly chosen a small one, but one that will be a big deal for me nonetheless.
I am going to only use a reusable coffee/tea mug from now on. This is big for me because I typically do not remember to bring one with me, and just end up buying my drink in a disposable container. I won't be doing that any more. If I forget my mug, tough. And since I don't have money to be buying 10 reusable mugs, I can't cheat, so I figure it won't take me long to get the hang of it!

Above is a photo of my mug in all it's rust coloured glory. I got it for 50 cents at the MEC gear swap last fall! Actually, MEC has an online gear swap, which is worth checking out if you are in need of any outdoor gear. Could be the seeds of another small change.

I have bigger plans in mind for my February change, which I will post about at the beginning of next week.

Above is a photo of me taken by my husband on a walk we took with friends behind our property last week. We live on Wolfe Island, along with about 1200 other people and 86 wind turbines! This one is about a kilometre behind our house.

Some Bunny Loves You.....

2010-01-22T14:36:00.005-05:00

Here is my latest FO, two cute as pie bunnies. It's a very fast, but somewhat fiddly knit. My kids love them. After my disappointing first attempt at a Baby Surprise Jacket (didn't like the yarn, and didn't pay close enough attention to the increases..) these little bunnies are a very satisfying distraction indeed!
Here is the pattern. These would make really cute Easter gifts for little and big folks.

Have a lovely weekend!

Some Birthday Knits

2010-01-19T10:23:00.004-05:00

As promised, here are two of the knitted items that I made Azzurra for her 7th birthday. The first is a child sized Caliometry in a mustard yellow/green Malabrigo worsted. It is super soft and fits her very nicely. She is trying to grow out bangs right now, so it is just the thing needed to keep her hair out of her face at school.

Next we have Neighborly. Made from Lamb's Pride in a lovely teal and some great hand-dyed bumpy thick and thin yarn that I acquired on my trip to NYC at Purl Soho. I really love the way it turned out. Azzurra loves it and has already worn it a few times. I will be making one of these for Sonika's birthday too! More details can be found on my Ravelry page here.

Happy Birthday!

2010-01-12T16:08:00.006-05:00

I can't believe that it was 7 years ago today that I became a mother. My dear, how my little sweet Azzurra has grown into such a lovely girl. And I can hardly believe how quickly it has gone by. It's like she was a baby yesterday, and at the same time, I feel like she has been with us forever.

Above is a detail of the wall quilt that I made for Azzurra for her birthday. I am very proud of it, despite the beginner embroidery and crooked patched squares.

Azzurra's birthday table,

Happy Birthday to a very special 7 year old!!

Tomorrow I will post photos of the two knitted Birthday gifts that Azzurra is proudly wearing at school today.

Outside

2010-01-06T11:29:00.002-05:00

We are blanketed in beautiful white snow here on Wolfe Island. These are some photos that were taken just after dawn this morning.

I really love this weather. Cold, clear and bright with lots of clean and lovely snow.

More of the holidays...

2010-01-04T09:03:00.010-05:00

Some more images of our holiday season:

Window star and wool angel

Our seasonal table

Our advent calander

The "wall pockets" that I made for the kids for Christmas. It is one of the many amazing projects in SouleMama's newest book, Handmade Home

Some woolens warming by the fireside

Two happy girls in new handspun, handdyed, handkint hats!

And, last, but certainly not least, I bring you this: an image to sum up my New Year`s Resolution for 2010. I am really not much of a resolution type of person, but the timing is working out for this one, so, here goes...I resolve to become more of a fiddle player this year. I have taken lessons in the past, but my playing has fallen by the wayside. I have someone who is willing to teach me, I have the fiddle, and now I have the resolve! 2010 will be the Year of the Fiddle!!!

holidays

2009-12-29T15:21:00.004-05:00

here is a glimpse into our home this holiday season...

Our advent table (photo taken by Sonika)

Solstice, spent in front of a fire, with friends, in a tipi!

Dear Sonika, at our Christams Eve feast

Nativity, set up by Azzurra and Sonika, using toys and found objects. The dolls were a "farmer" set that I made several years ago, the little angels were made by the girls last winter.

I hope a lovely holiday season has been had by one and all!

This Weekend...

2009-12-10T23:22:00.003-05:00

With all the work I have been doing preparing for this year's craft sale season (which we are in the thick of), I have not been keeping my bloggy promises. I have loads of pictures to share from this past fall including two trips to New York State (NYC and Rhinebeck).
Alas, there will have to be some sort of year end retrospective mega-post to come.

For now, dear reader, I give you this:
My most favoritest Craft Sale of the year, happening in the fine city of Toronto, this weekend, December 12th and 13th, at the Theatre Centre on Queen Street. Check the lovely website for more details. Hope to see you there, dont forget to come by and say hello!

tomorrow:

2009-11-20T21:57:00.001-05:00

the fat goose craft fair!

My first foray into the Kingston indie craft scene.

lazybones...

2009-10-20T11:57:00.003-04:00

Well, first it was all the summer camping and traveling. Then it was the move. Then it was the lack of internet. After that, about the third week in September, it has been pure blog laziness. But I'm back and I have some great photos and stories to share in the next couple of days.

We are settling into our new home on Wolfe Island, in beautiful Lake Ontario. Now that we are more or less accustomed to the ferry (ohh..the ferry!!) and have made a few friends, we are feeling at home on this island.

Here is what this fall has looked like around here.

on our way..

2009-07-22T09:22:00.003-04:00

We are off for a couple of days of camping north of Wakefield, Quebec. Just before we head off, I thought I'd share the last two FO's of mine..two Sweet Baby Caps. One that turned out the right size for Basil, and one as a gift for Erin's coming baby boy. This first photo is of Erin, in all her pregnant glow, at her shower, with her new hat.

warrior girl...

2009-07-05T21:18:00.003-04:00

Our dear Azzurra had a terrible fall from the monkey bars on Canada Day (July 1st) and suffered a supracondylar fracture. We spent two nights in a children's hospital, and she underwent surgery to repair her elbow...three pins are holding it together. She has been so strong and brave through all of this. We are proud of our little warrior.

Here she is recovering after surgery last Thursday.

at long last...

2009-06-26T16:57:00.006-04:00

Well, almost a week after the fact (we have spent a lot of time at the lake the last few days), here are some photos of the busy weekend we spent peddling yarn in Kingston and Toronto. First, a couple more production shots of the day or two leading up to last weekend:

Here is the booth we had at the Skeleton Park Music Festival, it was a super rainy day, but we had fun, and did okay despite the weather.

I will be posting more photos of this event over at the Material Girls blog.

Next up, the Spring Garden Trunk Sale put on by City of Craft and hosted by the always amazing Workroom

Doing these small trunk shows is just about the most inspiring way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Besides the fact that I get to fabric gaze the whole time....

(yes i spent most of my earnings on fabric and also finally got a copy of Heather Ross' book Weekend Sewing)

....but, I also get to become intimate with my fellow crafters merchandise! My absolute favorite being Bespoke Uprising, which is Roison, a super talented and friendly lady..And just check out those bloomers! Many of her fabrics are hand-dyed and her original silkscreened images are oh so lovely.

So, all said it was a fantastic weekend. And to think, it's Friday again already!

work in progress

2009-06-17T16:43:00.002-04:00

I am busy spinning and doll making for two sales coming up this weekend! On Saturday, the Skeleton Park Music Festival in Kingston, and on Sunday, the Garden Party Trunk Sale in Toronto. If you are in either of these two fine cities, please come on over and say hello!

Here is the stuff I dyed the other day and spun last night:

Now, back to spinning!

One Day Beret

2009-06-05T23:23:00.003-04:00

Well, this beret became the one-week-beret, but it wasn't at all slow in the knitting, I started it one night watching a movie, or maybe hockey playoffs...got about half-way through, and then picked it up a week later at work and finished hte rest off. It was made with my handspun, thick/thin heavy worsted/bulky singles, in a colourway I called 'toast'.
I like this simple pattern, because it's knit top down, and therefore suitable for yarn of any gauge..you just stop increasing when you've got the right size! I will make this pattern again in a worsted weight yarn.

Violet

2009-06-04T23:12:00.003-04:00

Recently completed Violet Child,

Did you know that both the leaves and flowers of the Violet plant are edible? Try the leaves raw in salads, or add them to your favorite blended soup! Also, the flowers are actually a 'false' flower, meaning they produce no seed, so go ahead and eat as many as you can! We are lucky enough to have them coming up all over our backyard, and the girls just love them as a little outdoor snack-on-the-go! If you want to learn more about the medicinal and culinary uses for violet, check out Susun Weed's must have book, Healing Wise.

Montreal!

2009-06-01T20:33:00.006-04:00

We took a short weekend trip to Montreal, and packed about as much into two days as we could! Highlights included a trip to the Botanical Gardens and Insectarium, hanging out with dear friends, yummy sandwich from Aux Vivres, and of course an inspiring visit to Marguerite of Le Grand Ourse, our favorite Waldorf Toy store, where the children played happily while I tried not to spend our entire savings on all the lovely playthings, books, fibres, supplies and instruments.
Here are some of my photos...

currently listening to: Blitzen Trapper

Mayfair!

2009-05-24T11:24:00.006-04:00

Yesterday the whole family made the trip sown to Kingston to participate in the Mayfair at the Mulberry School. What a beautiful day. We were there from start to finish, as I was set up selling yarn and dolls.

The children made crafts, had their faces painted, made friends, enjoyed the lovely treed school yard and just generally made merry for the entire morning and into the afternoon.

After yesterday, we are feeling very secure in our decision to move to Kingston...now if we could only find a house!

Enjoy the rest of this lovely gift of a weekend....

holiday monday

2009-05-18T13:56:00.006-04:00

Here I am at home on the Monday of the Victoria Day, or as it is so affectionately known, the 'May 2-4' weekend. Funny to think of what a big deal this first long weekend of the long party season was as a teenager...
Our family is spending it at home with some clean-up projects (the lawn finally gets mowed for the first time this spring) and soon we will be heading out to check out this chamber music concert in Brooke Valley.

I worked at the Farmers Market this weekend for the first time...other than the torrential downpour it went pretty well! The Material Girls Collective was well received indeed.
While at the market, I picked up the following very lovely local produce:
Morels!

Gorgeous flowering chives and wild leeks courtesy of Coral, Queen Beet.

The wild leeks then became this very tasty pesto...just the leeks (greens and all), come olive oil, cashews and salt.

..and..here is a slightly blurry (he moves so fast!) shot of little Baz after sneaking a fingerful of the pesto for himself...

new yarns on etsy!

2009-05-16T16:18:00.004-04:00

I posted some new yarns in my etsy shop just now....I will post later about the market today, but it did go well, despite the deluge of rain!

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Fantastic Weekend!

2009-05-12T23:40:00.003-04:00

To start the weekend off, the Ladyfest craftsale was really fun, and while not the huge financial success it was for me back in December, I made a couple of good connections and bought and/or traded for some amazing handmade stuff, including a great purse from lines by: davis, sweet printed t-shirt from pinpals, lovely printed shirt and leather earrings from loot by stina b. and a super-sweet necklace and tote from wine on sundays.
I also met Anita of The Warm Hands Network, and I am very excited to hopefully be working with them! What an amazing and worthwhile cause.

On Sunday, for Mother's Day, I was treated to a lovely breakfast in bed, handmade gifts from the kids and flowers they bought from the Farmer's Market. Then we packed into the car and headed into Ottawa to visit the International Pavilion of the Tulip Festival where we gorged ourselves on amazing foods from Turkey, Korea, Vietnam, Mexico and beyond. Much fun was had by all!

Apple Fritters

2009-05-08T14:49:00.004-04:00

A free styled late afternoon snack that turned out fabulously!

Spelt flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, a bit of organic sugar, lots of chopped apples, cinnamon, nutmeg..fried up and sprinkled with just a touch of organic icing sugar to make it special...mmmmmm

wool, wool, wool!

2009-05-06T15:26:00.006-04:00

Here are a few shots of today's dyeing and spinning. Here is a bit of a process..from the pile of hand-carded fluff, all of it ends from my hand-dyed rovings and fleeces..to the spinning in action..to the finished product, alongside a similar skein in blues.

And the fruits of today's dyepot:

Take a close look in the last one for Mr. Foxglove, napping on the garden bench!

market-ing

2009-05-04T11:36:00.003-04:00

This is a quick post.. we are a bit sick around here..bad timing. I am trying my best to stock up on handspun yarns for this weekend's craftsale (see previous post), plus, the group I am working with for the Perth Farmer's Market, the 'material girls collective' is debuting this weekend as well, so I am also busy with toy making for that! Here is one toy concept I am excited about, with Azzurra modeling.

production mode

2009-04-30T09:32:00.007-04:00

Right now I am trying to increase my stock of handspun yarns for the upcoming Ladyfest Ottawa craftsale which is fast approaching! Here is what that looks like...

new doll on etsy!

2009-04-22T10:55:00.003-04:00

just a quick note..I posted a new doll on my etsy toy shop, 'rooted toys'

2009-04-20T12:20:00.004-04:00

This weekend was an exciting one around here. With a visit from dear friends, beautiful weather for being outside, church rummage sales and a birthday party..we were joyfully busy!

I mentioned that I would post some of the birthday gifts I made for Sonika. First, this is the little buttercup child I made based on the pattern in The Nature Corner. I was so happy with this! I think she turned out quite sweetly and buttercups ARE one of Sonika's favorites...

These dollies were the first ever dolls I made at a doll-making workshop at the Halton Waldorf School back in 2005. The faces of both had been drawn on in marker (ack...it was heartbreaking at the time..but when a 3 year-old wants her doll to wear facepaint....), and were generally grungy from years of love. I decided finally to take the heads right of and apply new outer fabric for the face. I have to say, this was one of the most fulfilling projects I've done in a while! I have made a lot of improvement in the are of doll heads and faces in the intervening 4 years since I first made these dolls, and it shows! I wish I had a before and after....alas you'll have to settle for the cute after shots.....

spring crafting

2009-04-17T14:34:00.008-04:00

After two weeks without a camera (having loaned it to my in-laws) during a particularly high volume crafting time, I am very excited to show some photos of spring-time creations.
First up, a teeny-tiny bunny knitted with some white mohair from my stash, along with a tiny carrot (as suggested by my husband..thanks!). I made one of these for each of the girls.

I also made these cute cloth baskets based on this idea. I loved using cotton batting in this project..it is something that I wouldn't have considered before seeing it done! score one more for craft blogs!!

Next I'll update you on my seasonal table. I have been especially inspired this spring, and I'd like to think it shows! The tray of moss and lichen was collected by the children on a recent hike.

The tied wool bunnies were made by Azzurra...

Finally, I wanted to share some amazing free thrifted items that I scored while at the Re-use Centre at the McDonalds Corner's dump! I have been hearing aboput the Re-use Centre for ages and can't believe it has taken me this long to actually go there.
In this photo you can see a silk shirt that I will use to make a fairy doll for the seasonal table, a wool sweater for felting and crafting into something, a hilarious vintage potholder, amazing japanese fabric and a bag for keeping herbs in the fridge.

Here is a closer shot of the super-cool japanese fabric.

Later on tonight or tomorrow I will post photos of the birthday items I made for Sonika. Cheers!

5 years!

2009-04-13T12:08:00.013-04:00

Five years ago today Bryan, Azzurra and I first welcomed little Sonika earthside. She is a joy and an inspiration. Her creativity and humour continue to amaze us.
We love you Sonika!

spring time

2009-04-03T20:24:00.004-04:00

Today was spent organizing the house and cleaning and of course, a bit of crafting. We finally cleaned out the explosion of stuff from the spare room that was a side-effect of our recent bathroom reno, the results of which are pictured at left, minus the baseboard trim which is the last thing left to do. This photo was actually taken the day we installed the vanity, so the bathroom does not look as 'lived in' as it does now. I am really digging the calm colours in there, even though I resisted giving up the apple green paint job we enjoyed for the last two years.

I finally had a chance to dye some wool in 'palest blue' which will be spun into a heavy worsted weight singles yarn for my fellow crafter, the super talented Becky of the sweetie pie press and city of craft, among many other things. Becky and I have worked out a trade where she will make me custom pleasurecraft pins in exchange for some yarn...how I love to barter! I am hoping to have her yarn done in a couple of days, right now I am waiting for the roving to dry, and I will certainly post photos when I am all done.

hard days

2009-03-31T23:44:00.003-04:00

Our family has recently received some bad news..my husband's sister (and one of my closest friends) was in a serious car accident on the weekend. She will be okay, but will be in the hospital for a while and will have to have a few surgeries to repair some shattered bones. We spent the day at the hospital today. I wanted to bring her something special. My obvious first thought was..some needles and yarn! This, however is a highly inappropriate gift for someone who cannot move their right arm. After looking about, I figured out the perfect gift..one of my recently made hand-potted mugs. It is far from perfect, as it is only my first attempt, but, she loves handmade pottery, and has a special thing for mugs, so I hope it will brighten her days just a little bit.
I love you Tina.

2009-03-29T09:47:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I posted some new items in my etsy shop and this morning I awoke to good news in my inbox... I was accepted to the Ladyfest Ottawa spring craft sale, cutely titled 'Tarts 'n Crafts'. I am very excited about this, especially in light of how well I did at their Christmas show. Now I just have to get myself very busy spinning and building stock, as I am also selling at the Mulberry School May Fair.
Here is a photo of part of my workspace right now. Not exactly a studio, as our house renovations have turned our extra room (my "studio") into a temporary storage space for displaced furniture and tools.
Visible here are my spinning wheel, as-yet-unused loom, recently spun yarn, dyed rovings and kids art! In the upcoming days and weeks I will have many new yarns and dyed rovings to show here...

wool and sun

2009-03-28T10:40:00.009-04:00

I spent the better part of yesterday out in the yard dyeing wool while basil played and explored. That little boy sure loves to be outdoors! And his mama sure loves her wool! Here are some of the results of yesterday's dye session:

It is dry now, and I will post the spun photos as soon as I can! I think this wool will meet my wheel tonight...

Also, last night I finished the diaper cover I have been making dor Basil, based on the wonderful curly purly soaker pattern. I haven't taken any finished, or "action" shots of it yet, but here is an image of it almost done, just waiting for me to add the second leg cuff.

I purchased the wool for it at the NY Sheep and Wool Festival last year. It was something ridiculous like, $3 for a 400 yard skein from a discount seller...score! I have enough left over for another project, too!

In other news, our seasonal table is coming together quite nicely. The seaonal table has been something that I've struggled with a bit. It just always seemed to be the thing that got cut off the to-do list. We had a nice space for one when we lived in Halifax, and kept it up well, but in out home in Perth, we never could seem to find the right spot. Recently, though, I gave up on the idea of trying to make it 'perfect', (how good it feels to let go of that one..) and we have focused on a "seasons tree" as a focus, with small items placed around it. I am also working on making a nice mother earth doll who will live there.

The little blossom fairies appeared the day we saw the first snowdrops and crocus blooms. They are based on a pattern in Feltcraft.

These daffodils sure add some spring sunshine!

2009-03-27T11:31:00.006-04:00

I am making a serious go of this blog thing. I have been a blog reader for years, and sadly my attempts at blog writing have been beyond meager...but I feel I am now ready!!! My kids are growing and I can usually find a few minutes in the day to write and post photos of the crafty things going on in our lives.

So, I will get things started here by posting some pictures of recent handmade wares...

sweet waldorf style dolly, for sale on my etsy site!

This is Azzurra, back in February, doing some wet felting at MERA

Recently spun bulky single ply yarn (also for sale on my etsy site) with sweet new tags designed by the awesome Heather and James!!

oh my! a post!

2005-07-22T08:12:00.000-04:00

so, inspired by all the neat blogs i've been reading lately, i have decided to actually post something to mine!
i am just worried that i won't have enough interesting or witty things to say on here.. and i can't seem to post a darn photo. anyone out there reading this could help make things way more interesting by giving me a couple of hints.
so, right now i am working on the yoke vest from loop d loop. it is coming along qiute nicely, and quickly since i am using sz 13 needles and a fairly bulky yarn. i wish i owned the book, but for now i am working off a potocopy made for me by cheryl of tangled skeins in dartmouth, my new favoritest spot to procure yarn.. well, tied with gaspereau valley fibres which i had the pleasure of visiting when tina was here. we actually hitchhiked there. it was well worth it!

okay, so this has been pretty short, but i am being called away by the duties of motherhood...

it's a start

2005-05-17T08:34:00.000-04:00

so, here is my blog...