Time For Spring I Say!

Oh spring! Fresh peas, beets and carrots. Crisp sunshine and still cool days. My favorite flower is blooming, grape hyacinth, looking like little cuttlefish all bunched up on a stem. Here is a photo of one that I have growing on my porch. There is also a cute little face, and it is a pin! Amazing! This little springtime friend is available in my etsy shop, www.blackgingham.etsy.com and would look dandy on any vest, shirt or lapel to celebrate spring. Take a walk on a sunny spring day, greet the flower faie and munch a crunchy carrot....eat it up!

The Spice is the Cabinet,The Cabinet is the Spice

True to my New Year's resolution I have continued to de-clutter the little corners of my life. Here is my spice cabinet....after de-cluttering. It was a journey back in time to Thanksgivings, Yule celebrations and birthdays past. Ancient spices purchased to create that 'perfect' meal 10 years ago. Candles in single digit shapes, sprinkles in a preschoolers favorite colors and long hardened cinnamon/sugar still with small buttery fingerprints on the jar. Spices that were my mother's favorites, used only to re-create a long gone cherished meal. I took out each bottle and tin, reaching far back in the past and let them go, some with a smile and some with a tear.
Now my spice cabinet is organized and clean, the spices fresh and new. I step into the future, remembering the past. Spicy and Delicious!

A Bowl of Sunshine

Not exactly a bowl of cherries, here in California in the middle of February you can walk out to a tree and pick a bowl of sunshine. These amazing (and giant) kumquats are off a tree in the orchard by the Long Beach Community Gardens. I have a plot there that is my little 20'x4o' rectangle of paradise. These beauties are sitting in a white bowl in my kitchen and make me smile every time I look at them.... delicious.

Doodle Brain

Oh the days are getting longer (slightly) and February is here. That means...dun-dun-duuunnn...Valentine's day approacheth. My birthday is the day before so I hold a special place in my heart (heart, get it?) for this particular holiday. So on that note, (goodness, not another pun) I made some notes! Doodle notes actually. You see I cannot draw, that is fine as I cannot sing either, but what I can do is doodle. Here you see the fruits of my doodling labor. These lovely, simple little note cards are my doodle creations. 'Love' with a long stem and little hearts-in-a-box. Now I can knit, I can sculpt, I can weave (if someone helps me warp my loom) I can cook and I can win a verbal argument, but I have always wanted to be able to draw. So now I am pretty proud of myself, I feel like a real two dimensional (not personality wise, but in 'art-speak') artist.
These little gems are available in my etsy store www.blackgingham.etsy.com, and I have sold several sets and that feels delicious! eat them up.

Oh Bento!

I will forever be true to fiber, knitting, crochet, naalbinding and weaving but....I have a new little squeeze on the side, called BENTO. Bento boxes, bento lunches, bento bags, bento bottles, bento, Bento, Oh BENTO! Here are two photos of my first bento attempts and the lid of one (yes, one) of my bento boxes that a friend brought me from Japan. My life has been consumed by bento. Now a new aisle at Marukai has opened up for me, the bento aisle! sigh....There are entire Flickr groups dedicated to bento. There are bento blogs, bento competitions, bento yahoo groups. These little boxes are so cute, and they really speak to my organized side. Though they look small, you can fit quite a bit of food into them. A bento should hold at least 5 different colors of food (yipeee!) and every little bit of it should be filled (double yipeee!). My first bento pictured has rice with furikake, a sliced Mornigstar Farms chick patty, hardboiled egg, assorted vegi's and fruit and some hummus. The second one has cabbage, a sliced jack cheese and chili tamale, spinach, assorted vegi's and fruit......delicious!

It's About The Process....

So I am taking this weaving class... Some time ago, yes years, I became enamored with the rigid heddle loom and had to have one. Being a fiber-ey type it appealed to my fiber-ey nature, being a knitter it appealed to my love of creating fabric. When knitting you cast on and then you are off, knitting away watching your project grow with every row. How difficult could weaving be? It is an ancient process done with stones, string and wood, I could do this! Weaving is fun, easy and relaxing. Yarn wrapped around a stick, shuttling back and forth between warp threads, the soft beating of the heddle pressing the warp into place...ah yes, this I like. So why has my beautiful Kromski Harp loom sat static for years? In a word....warp....Gads this part is tough! I have tried to do this on my own with no avail. My first (and only) two projects completed on this loom were done after a class in which we warped my loom. So now I embark on another warping journey with the help of an amazing weaver, Carol. Here are two photos of my heddle in the process of being 'slayed' or threaded. This is the third step in the process, the first being...math...the second figuring where to put the pegs on the warping board to wind the warp (warping board, sounds like a torture device and felt like one to me) and tying them just right so they don't make a tangled mess when you get them to the heddle and slay it. Whew!
This is quite a process, so my little knitter brain is learning fiber patience and a great appreciation for those women who wove the fabric of our past..... sweet.

Hot Mitts!

The weather is cool and crisp....the perfect time for cooking up comfort food and baking something sweet. So when the cobbler is done or you need to lift the lid and check on that simmering soup I have just the thing to keep your little fingers from frying.... 'Lid Lifters' mini hot mitts. Available now in my 'etsy' shop. www.blackgingham.etsy.com
Now go and make something delicious and eat it up!

Peace

I wish for peace. Peace in my home, Peace in my heart, Peace in my life and Peace in the world. I wish all of this for all of you.




This year I start my peaceful journey by waking up my personal spaces. I have decided to bring visual peace to those small and taken for granted places in my daily routine, beginning with my corner of the bathroom. I had been keeping my hair clips, combs and often worn earrings on and in a basket. Said basket had been my faithful servant for many years and was weary of the task. A trip to Marukai for inspiration and I found bowls. Lovely blue and white bowls, a large one for my hair claws, a smaller one for my hair combs and my hook earrings. I also have three small platters for post earrings and thus&such. I am so pleased. Every morning when I look in my corner I see peace, clarity and order....ah, delicious.

Right Outside My LYS

You can see snow on the mountain top in the distance and a man on his boat in shorts. Yes, it is December here in Southern California. Crisp air, blue skies, palm trees and the view just steps from my local yarn shop's front door. Ah, paradise....yum.

bump (a neck warmer)

The wonderful yarn I was given at my SnB holiday party has already become my new favorite winter accessory. A neck warmer! And boy does it work. I had often thought a scarf was the only way to keep me warm but I was sorely mistaken. Just two balls of Merino have me toasty cozy. I have plans (and yarn) to make more of these snuggly treats, just for me. Here is the pattern so you too can chase the chill with a delicious neck confection. Yummy!


bump (a neck warmer)

You choose the yarn and circular needles...
CO a multiple of 3 onto your circular needles, PM.
Row 1 - Knit
Row 2 - Purl
Row 3 - Knit
Row 4 - Purl
Row 5 - K1 - YO - K2tog, continue to end of row.
Row 6 - K2 - YO - K2tog, *K1, YO, K2tog, continue from * to last 2 sts, knit these.
Rows 7, 8, 9, - Knit.
Repeat rows 5 through 9 until 1" from desired length ... then
Purl one row
Knit one row
Purl one row
Knit one row
BO, weave in ends and be warm!

My Fiber Tribe

This Wednesday evening past was my knitting groups first (and hopefully annual) holiday party. Replete with potluck to die for, secret Santa's and the honor of being surrounded by my amazing knitsibs. When we lived in small towns or villages we had women around us, older and younger women. Women who taught us and women who learned from us. Women to who we could turn when we needed advice and others to show us the way on this women's journey. I so often remark on how as we become embroiled in life it becomes more and more difficult to make new friends and find those women. I have found them, they are my tribe, the tribe of fiber. Huzzah! to all of you wonderful ladies.

I have a special thank you to my secret Santa Carol for my lovely gift of luscious merino....so beautifully served up in a sundae glass! I was so excited about the yarn that I took it all apart before photographing it. I felt bad about missing that photo op so I set up these, Yarn Portraits! Could this be a new niche market? I must say that this merino sat well for me and followed direction well. hhhmmmm.....a thought....yarn portraits...delicious.

Spiders Gift

Work had been a bear, preparing for our annual holiday show. Rehearsals, endless Christmas carols, students trying to hold it together and a stressed out staff. The week at home was rattling, shocking cell phone bills ( the boys no longer have the ability to text ) and (not so good) grade progress reports all hit at the same time. Then, one lovely gray and misty morning as I was leaving for work, I found this. An amazing ocean fog beaded spider web above my car. Ah, the Great Mother was speaking to me and I listened. Thank you little spider for bringing it all back into focus. Life is sweet, and I am grateful, eat it up.

Yarn Longing To Be A Sweater

"Knit me.....knit meeeeeeee......kkkkknnnnnit me!" I can hear them, stuffed in their little plastic bag all huddled up together. I can hear the three of them calling, taunting, breathing out whispers "knit me" they say. I am trying to ignore them, picking up other current distractions, my sweater vest, coat hanger covers, even sewing (gads, did the habu hear me say 'sewing'?) Yule gifts looming large, my day job for heaven's sake! Not to mention the kids, the dishes, the chocolate.... I can hear them now, three cones and a Japanese pattern, maybe if I just put them in a knitting bag with a pair of needles they will quiet for a bit thinking I should be to them soon, I'll tuck them in with a "hush little habu" and buy myself some time....delicious time.

Top 20!

I am an official finalist of the 'Craft My Ride' competition! Oh yeah, I rock! Here is one of my little dashboard critters giving some attitude about being a top 20 winner. I had to send the entire cover in to the Scion committee for final judging, that was hard to mail off my little dashboard buddies, I was so used to having them all over my dinning room table, looking so amazingly cute! So watch out world, this could be the 'it' item on everyone's hip list! Eat it up!

Hang it Up

The birthday party for my boss was at work the next day. I had only one night to make the perfect gift. I had very little time and even less cash (it was the day before payday) and I needed inspiration...In a brilliant flash of desperation it came to me "Hanger Covers!" Doesn't everyone woman need some sweet covered hangers to grace the dark interiors of her closet? Yes, that would be it. So off I went, fortune had recently smiled upon me as I have been asking everyone I know if they have seen simple wooden hangers for sale anywhere. A friend of mine found them at Longs Drug store, and had just dropped them by. I was saved. Here they are in peach and white, with contrasting/matching crochet flowers. I tied the two of them together with satin ribbon. I think these just might start showing up at my etsy shop.
Here is how I made them:
Chose yarn. Make a swatch, (this can be sewn up like a little bag, add a crochet chain like a handle and hang it around the hook of the hanger for a sachet). Measure your hanger length wis and cast on appropriate number of stitches, leaving a long tail. I cast on a few less so it would fit snuggly. Knit in whichever stitch you choose ( I used seed) for about 2 - 1/2 inches, (be sure your bind off will be opposite your beginning 'tail' end) bind off leaving a long tail. Find center by folding in half length and width ways and slip hook through knitting. With long tails left from CO and BO, sew up ends and along bottom of hanger/CO & BO edges to meet in the middle, I made a little knot and then weave in ends. I made 4 crochet flowers of chain 5, slip st. into first chain to make a circle and made 5 petals of chain 3, and 3 dc's with a slip stitch after each petal and tied them on. Quick, easy and .... delicious!

Fickle Fiber Flitting

Oh, I was so in love with you






Habu....you must know that you fill a sweet picot edged pocket in my heart. I must though confess to a new fiber of the moment that has caught my wandering eye. It all started with a shipment of knitting books from Japan. I ordered them from www.yesasia.com, as I cannot read Japanese I took a chance and judged these books by their covers. One, a thin, tan book with just the beckoning hint of a sweater on it's cover wooed me. In this Asian treasure I found my new loves. Yes I plan to spend time with a few of these delicious darlings, trying one after the other until I am sweater-ed out. The first piece I have already begun. A vest in a velvety Noro and cashmire blend. So lovely Habu, I here post your picture as a finished object ready to be taken out, draped deliciously over my shoulder, for a splendid sushi lunch. yum, ademame!

You're Not The Boss a' Me!

This is my new computer wallpaper. It just makes me chuckle every time I look at it...Oh you have just got to love Bossy Bear! www.bossybear.com. And don't tell me that one day goes by that you don't want to be just like him! Hey, let go of that donut(ball of yarn, BMW, Prada bag), it's mine! eatitup.

I Crafted Their Ride

So there was this competition put on by Scion called 'Craft My Ride'. I submitted my entry late last night...whew! The idea was for you to make a car accessory for the Scion XD. First prize is a new XD for the lucky crafter! I have been keeping this a super secret, but now that the deadline is past I can finally share. My submission is this: A dashboard cover with inter-change-able items, such as pouches, cargo nets, stuffed critters/pets, a crochet photo holder and crochet bowls all with magnet clasps that attach to the dashboard cover. Here is one view of the cover and close ups of two of the 'pets'. I am very excited about my project...how can you resist those cute little faces?! Yipppeee! Looks like a winner to me....eat it up (and drive it off the lot!)

Habu, Habu, I Love You...

Oh the glorious joys of knitting with Habu Textiles yarns. Their amazing texture and easy to follow Japanese pattern writing. Yes, I do adore Habu. Here are the two yarns, linen and silk, that I am using to knit a purse. I bought the kit at the Habu trunk show at Wildfiber in Santa Monica. I also bought a kit for a jacket....oooh, how decadent...photos will be forthcoming on that item. The bright green yarn is just a provisional cast on to be removed when the strap is connected. I will keep you apprised on the purses progress, I am in love with knitting this Habu bag.....delicious.

My New Toy, Weavette!

Here is my new toy, the Weavette! I saw it last year at the Fabulous Fiber Fest and have dreamed of them all year. So this Fiberfest was my chance and I bought 2! One rectangle and one square. They are very easy to use, it takes just a bit of yarn and very little time to create a piece. I made the cell phone case on the rectangle and am making squares for a baby blanket with the (you guessed it) square one. Each piece is light and delicate, they feel so different in hand than knit or crochet. I am having much fun with my Weavettes and can say that they are a terrific addition to my fiber menu, oh so light and yummy!