Busy Monday

I'm doing a bunch of stuff and sweating. I thought I should get things to work on over the next 2 days when it is suppose to be really hot.

I keep forgetting to give this link to Radio Reposado. It has become my new musical background. It's my playlist streaming back at me from someone else. I could have picked this music. So if you want a mix of jazz and lounge and Latin and electronic and , well, just interesting stuff listen to it. It is coming from the Reposado Hotel in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

Maybe I'm just wanting to be in Mexico right now. Soon, soon, soon , I hope.

Summer

I am taking Shelly's advice and just going with the flow of summer. I'm keeping myself centered at the shop not letting the weather bother me.

Knitwize I have been doing little sample things. Samples for functional stuff that I'll need in the fall and winter. A raw silk hat, funny socks that sort of work.

And I am sketching. Trying to put the ideas for a few finished pieces on to paper. I was inspired when the artist Valerie Hammond was in the shop. She brought me a copy of her latest catalogue and we talked for a while even though we were both sweating and hot. I really liked what she is doing with her work. The way she is using victorian/women's imagery in a contemporary way has reinspired my way of thinking about knitting.

I've been lazing on the back deck and there are more pictures of the fawns eating their way through the garden. Blogger doesn't seem to want to upload them this morning so you'll have to use your imagination.

I am in the summer mood. Pass me a beer, thanks.

Sticky Friday

I made it into the shop early. I wanted to open up the door before it got too hot out. The thing is the temperature inside was already the same as out. The door is letting in some fresh air though and the fans help.

I have a piece on the machine that will be going to Toronto. I'm working on it slowly, the sticky air makes mistakes a lot more likely.

It has mostly been a quiet week.

I'm feeling uninspired.

So, apologies for such a boring post.

Warning! Knitting Content Ahead (sort of)

I have been trying to get a chance to post since yesterday. Technical things were getting in the way. I have been knitting. Working out some ideas for Toronto.
I'm also trying to do some of the sewing on earlier stuff.
The next 2 images have machine sewn lines. It really changes the texture and feel of the knitting and almost makes it an armor. It makes a solid fabric.


I just wanted you all to know that I'm not just sitting on the back deck watching nature walk by. I'm doing the art work + knitting some little projects. It's just that there are some annoyances at the moment, {read shop}.... and that makes the S.O. extremely grumpy. But we are handling it.

unfocused

Things are whirling around here.
Last night during dinner the deer and twin fawns were in the yard. I jumped up and said, get my camera I have to get a photo for Rabbitch. So Janice, these are for you even though crazily unfocused. I think I may be beginning to think like a blogger.

I feel a little relief today

Driving up to the shop after being away for two days my palms were sweating and I was feeling worried about what might be waiting for me. Guess what.? For the first time in months I didn't find any beer bottles outside of the door. I didn't find any leaks in the shop. I'm am feeling cautiously relieved today.

Even a pile of dog sh** in front of the door didn't phase me. I am saying it was just a careless somebody on the street and not purposely left there by the nuts upstairs. I have to have faith that things will work out. So today (dare I say it?) looks like it might be a good day. I'm not going to let the heat get to me. I'm just concentrating on the shop.

My days away were productive. I managed to do some little experimental knitting and I also was working on the knit panels. I'm adding sewing to them. I'm still working out the embroidered images

Today my mood is optimistic.

The In-Laws are coming

Instead of one day away from the shop I have decided that I should have two. Today I plan on spending my time puttering around, doing a little cleaning maybe some cooking, because the In-Laws are coming.

We don't have a time for the arrival. They have been in Ontario, I think they went on a cruise on the lake. Who knew? Anyway the cruise ended last night and they will be stopping here on the way back to Boston.

This is a good thing. I love them both.

Fran's mom is a nutritionist and food historian. We always have tons to talk about, like The Omnivore's Dilemma, my current bedside reading. Or we might discuss recipes or her lastest food tour, or the current topics at The Culinary Historians of Boston.

Fran's dad is a semi-retired physics professor, he'll get a kick out of the knitted mobius strip ( yes, I made one) and the knitted structures based on the fibonacci series. Plus, I still have Limoncello that I made (remember July 4th?), he'll have a bit of that I'm sure.

So I'm looking forward to the day away from pressure I've been feeling at the shop (mostly from the nutty landlady). A relaxing summer day with a good meal this evening, aaah summer.

[AmpuTee, your dream about the newspaper work on the patterned wall paper is one of the directions I think that the things might go. thanks for the input.]

Randomness on a hot afternoon

1. The evil landlord was in yesterday. It seems that the drip in the back of the shop "can not be fixed with out considerably expense". I take that to mean it will just stay.
2. I mention the fear that my windows will be smashed one night by the bar patrons. Her response, "we get a rough crowd up there some nights". That sounds to me like I should be afraid.
3. I feel bad that I am boring everyone with these minor tales of woe.
4. I have gotten it into my head that I should knit a mobius strip, I'd like to use newspaper. Maybe I should check into an institution right now.
5. This week there was a mother turkey with at least 14 babies sitting in the tree in the back. They seemed awfully clumsy to be sitting in a tree.
6. Happy blogiversary Rabbitch!
7. "merde" AmpuTeeHee, a little late but merde all the same.
8. All yarns get sticky in very humid weather.
9. Knitting machines don't like the humidity either, believe me, I know.
10. Two fans are better than one and iced coffee is even better.

Yarn breaks and all

I haven't been on the machine for weeks. Today I decided to jump right in.
I started working on the pieces that will go to Toronto. The machine wanted to eat the yarn and needs a little maintenance. But I did get some things done. These are going to be cut up and sewn on so the breaks don't concern me.

OhOh I see water coming into the shop.
SH**


Later everybody. The "other issue" has returned. At least I'm laughing at this point. Hysterically laughing.

Images from the show

It's been craziness around here.

Because I don't want to be a whiney baby I will just mention that the shop had another flood. I have reached my limit.

To the show....
Here are the 4 newspaper pieces

and here they are in the gallery with the great knitted super hero suits by Mark Newport.

The camera is driving me a little batty. It might be that the photos are crappy because I've been finding it a bit hard to concentrate lately.

So now back to the "other issue".

Because I have nothing better to do at 5 A.M.

'What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Thank-you Rabbitch.

View from the deck

Our friends, Suki and Timm, are mushroom foragers. They have been telling us that this year would be a great mushroom year because of all the rain.
Yesterday Suki appeared at our doorstep with two types of boletes and yummy, yippee, hooray CHANTERELLES. So for dinner last night we sat on the deck and enjoyed the chanterelles sauteed with shallots and parsley on udon.

The deck in the summer is our favorite room. We watch the wildlife go by. I have mentioned the bear in a previous post. We have also watched a family of red squirrels, we counted six, running and jumping through the tree to get to our cherries. The birds have been bringing their young around too. A father cardinal has three little ones following him through the yard as he grabs bugs and feeds them, so cute. And there is a wren family (noisy) and sparrows and robins and blue jays. Our deer, we call them our deer because we recognize them from year to year, have been bringing the fawns through. One has a singlet and the other has twins. The deer are the reason that we don't plant a vegetable garden anymore. Fun to watch. The cutest ever was last year when a fawn was sniffing at a baby rabbit, I'm not kidding, just like Bambi and Thumper.
One little note about the mushrooms, Suki called us later in the day and relayed the information from Timm that we shouldn't eat the large boletes because they were bitter, not poisonous, they just didn't taste good. That has made us a little leery of eating the smaller boletes too. They are still sitting on the counter while we decide.

My Case is Not Unique

With apologies to Violette Leduc.

I am participating in a consumer interview, supposedly I represent 50,000 people in the statistical survey. I must be one of 50,000 blogging gay textile artists that the industries that control us need to know about.

One of 50,000 shop owners who walked into their shops today to find plumbers and the building supervisor in the shop.

One of 50,000 people who is about ready to explode because they were thinking that this morning would be a good knitting morning on the machine, but instead found the plumbers had moved ladders and other equipment into the workspace.

One of 50,000 trying to remain calm and getting more and more pissed off that this was all done without any notice.

Yes, it gives me some comfort to know that statistically I am not unique.

I don't know what makes me do these things.

You Are The Moon

You represent the unconscious side of life, what happens in dreams. You are capable of great genius - but also of great madness. Emotions tend to be primal for you, both your fears and your fantasies. Your intuition is always right, listening to it is the difficult part. Your fortune: You are about to embark on a very important journey - and a very difficult one. Some of your deepest dreams will be realized, as well as some of your deepest nightmares. Follow your creativity and visions; stay away from your weaknesses. You are taking a voyage to the center of yourself, and you may be pleasantly surprised by what you discover.

What Tarot Card Are You?

Thanks to Femiknit Mafia

There really are things to write about.

I don't want it all to sound as whiny as yesterday.
Work on the collaboration is moving along. I'm in a little bit of a waiting mode, M is away and the project, as far as our exchange goes, is on hold.

I haven't gotten to the gallery for photos yet. My schedule and their schedule are in a bit of a conflict. I should be able to get in there next week on Tuesday or Wednesday. (fingers crossed)

TheAmpuT is right when she says that when it's busy there are more things to write about but not as much time.

I should be knitting right now.

While I was typing the earlier post I heard rumblings outside hmmm..... Then I went out bought a newspaper and was sitting reading it and I heard growling noises and then a big crash in the trees across the street. Yep, it's a bear. I got the camera and tried to get a shot but I didn't want to get too close. Then I came back inside, thought a little more about it and picked up the camera again, went out, but I turned around pretty quickly when I saw the bear had 2 cubs with her. Not a good idea to get close enough for a photo.

Thanks to everyone who had good words about the show. If you didn't make it to the opening try to see it. Worth the trip. I will get to the gallery sometime this week to take photos of the installation. Keep watching.

It hasn't all been knitting around here. Fran aided my addiction yesterday and added 3 new cookbooks to the collection. I am especially intrigued by Salads Sandwiches and Chafing Dish Dainties by Janet M. Hill, 1928. Egg Timbales, Halibut Sandwiches with Aspic, Spinach and Tongue Salad, English Monkey, and Golden Buck. Wow. I can see some knit coming out of this.





Scotch Woodcock anyone?
Make a cup of white sauce; add one tablespoonful of essence of anchovies and five hard-boiled eggs cut into quarters lengthwise.

I think this is suppose to be served on toast.