Mitten Saga

"To be a good knitter, you must be a good ripper." These are the words of my Grandmother and I can hear her saying them still, and she's been gone a long time. She didn't teach me how to knit, but did teach me how to crochet when I was six. I taught myself how to knit with a little book called "Learn How" published in something like 1950 or so. I was so enthralled and enamored of knitting that I quickly became pretty industrious, and really good at it. I rarely had to rip out my knitting and got pretty good at translating complicated patterns so I wouldn't have to.I've been knitting a three color mitten, from the book "Folk Mittens: Techniques and Patterns for Handknitted Mittens" by Marcia Lewandowski. It's a fantastic book, loaded with technical expertise, history, stories, and amazing patterns. If you are into two and three color knitting, it's a great source for wonderful patterns. Here are some photos of said mitten in progress.

It's been a challenge, I've got to say, and mostly because I'm too distracted to follow the pattern strictly enough to avoid serious "ripping". I made the right hand mitten. My tension was way too tight, mitten was small. Ripped out whole thing. Start again.

It helps that the yarn I've chosen is a softer-than-you-can-imagine baby alpaca and bamboo called Qina by Mirasol in Peru. Their project is worth looking at. Anyway, when you are knitting more than six mittens for yourself, you need some soft yarn. I started the right hand mitten again, this time relaxing my tension and the mitten is perfect. Just need to add the peasant thumb and right hand will be done.

Pictured below is the right hand mitten, nearly completed, and the left hand mitten on the three needles in the process of being completed. You can see it in the first photo too. I was NEARLY done with the left hand mitten when I realized that I had placed the thumb opening in the right hand mitten position. After realizing my mistake I examined the thumb placement trying to figure out how to NOT rip out the 40 rows I'd knitted above it. I said to myself, "I am NOT ripping out all this work!!" And after careful consideration, and lots of bitching, I realized it would be a waste to have two right handed mittens. It just wouldn't work. I heard the words again, "To be a good knitter, you must be a good ripper" in my Grandmother's voice, and I ripped out the rows.

I Knew It!!!

Thanks Phil!

snow anyone? My list of remedies

It's all snow all the time. I really don't like snow that much, but have devised ways to try to come to terms with it and not get too depressed about how freaking cold it is in the winter around here. Seriously, it bugs me. I'm the one who likes it to be 80 degrees or more, so when it gets down into the teens and below zero, I kind of get pissy. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else though..born and raised here in Massachusetts and not planning on leaving it. Here are some of the ways, as a snow hater, I've tried to come to terms with my climate.

• Four Wheel Drive - I've owned 4WD vehicles in the past, and don't really know why I ever bought a two wheel drive vehicle to begin with. I JUST traded in my little car for a 4WD, and what a difference. OK, so now I don't mind driving in it so much.
• Snow shoeing - THIS is an amazing way to get out and enjoy the cold. You get warmed up hiking around in the woods (I've found if you put on like 26 layers, including ski pants and long underwear, you can actually sweat your ass off) and you get to see lots and lots of animal tracks and evidence of wildlife. This winter I've seen bobcat, fox, squirrel, mice, rabbits and mink trails. The mink trails are the best, they have these little slidey marks where they've scooted down hills on their bellies. So much fun!
• Cross country skiing - Another fantastic way to heat up a bitter cold day and actually learn to enjoy the snow. There are many many groomed trails you can visit and pay to use, but you can also find lots of free places to ski...just look for snowmobile trails (but watch out for them...they are easy to hear coming so you won't be surprised).
• Sleeping - here's another way to enjoy the cold. Stay Inside! It's fun to look out at the wintery landscape, and if you can afford it, crank your heat up or put on your electric blanket and get back into bed with that cup of coffee. There's always something to be done, but I'm learning how to relax and enjoy the winter landscape from the warmth of the great indoors.
• 


• Baking - One of my favorite things to do in the winter. Bake lots of cookies and some pies and you'll be happy happy happy. I just saw a recipe on Smitten Kitchen for Buckeyes...Wow, that's next.
• Sewing - of course, I LOVE being tucked inside all day with nothing to do but work in the sweatshop. Surrounded by cats, a steaming cup of tea, and a great scene of snow falling outside my window, I can sew all day when it's like this.

hottentotenstrotelmutterattentaterlattengitterwetterkotterbeutelratte

Page 164 of Mark Twain's autobiography, which I mentioned previously, I am reading, starts "The Beauties of the German Language" an indescribably funny account of the German phenomena of stringing words together. You can go read it here for yourself...just scroll back one page to get to the beginning of the essay.

Yes, that IS a word above. I highly recommend "hearing" this read on the Autobiography recording. Funny, funny, funny.

In the meantime, I'm almost at my goal of 65 items in the quilt shop. I'm officially at 63 today, with two more items to list tomorrow morning bringing the total, finally to 65! At last. Not that I plan to rest on my laurels at this point, as I hope to sell some of these goodies before long.

The shop is busy with three custom quilts in various stages of cutting and piecing. Surely, I've got lots of extra time on my hands to construct interesting and wonderful blog posts. LOL.

In other news, I've also started photographing my prints, from www.brianataylor.etsy.com which I've included here so you can see. The listings for my prints have only had the image, and I thought it would be nice to actually show the print and what it looks like. The paper is so nice. It would be hard to imagine the quality of the paper without seeing its edge, in my humble opinion, and I think these photos really are getting that point across. You can see it's not just a sheet of photocopy paper, it's a really nice, thick cotton rag paper, with a nice tooth to it. My printer, Evolv Printing in Easthampton, MA, does such a great job. I'm never unhappy with the prints.

It's been a great year! Word for the new year: Time Management

(New coasters in the shop... well soon to be listed..see these for now)

So much better than 2009.  I shouldn't complain, but seriously, 2009 really sucked. This is really the time of year to take stock, look back at what worked, and look forward to new ideas, projects, and plans to make it an even better year than last. 2010 was pretty darned good.  I'm ready to make 2011 even better. Now all I need is the time to make it all happen.  I don't know about you, but I'm constantly trying to figure out how to fit this in or that.  Recently it's been trying to paint my kitchen, making new Kindle 3 cases, or reading any one of the great books I have stacked up to read.  I need better time management skills.  Or maybe I need less of a social life (I didn't just say that out loud).  I'm not sure what it is, but there is never enough time to do everything I want and plan to do.  It's the age old song that's been sung for time immemorial.....

(New Pot holders in the shop) 

....I've just started listening to the Autobiography of Mark Twain (yes, listening, because the only time I have is the time I spend in my car from work to home and to the store, etc.)...and even before they've reached Chapter one, the narrator is talking about how Mark Twain started an autobiography over and over and over again during his lifetime.  Sometimes dictating it, sometimes writing the words down, agonizing over how honest to be or how close to play his cards.  He never really finished it, although he managed to write a tome of over half a million words when he could focus on it.  He also had the foresight to have his autobiography published 100 years after his death (1910).  Another unknown fact to me was that it took him, on average, a total of 3 to 7 years to write each of his major works.  It normally took him this long because he inevitably had trouble keeping focused on a project and often put it aside for long periods of time. He mused on time a lot.  Things don't change......

I find myself wishing I lived in a simpler time.  1910 for instance.  But it wasn't any simpler than it is now, maybe worse, not sure, on the cusp of World War I, everyone realizing some of the fallout from the industrial revolution, etc. etc....  Maybe the 1500's....  Only if I could be nobility in some rich, stable foreign country.  Honestly, all I want is some time to read a book.  

In my reading stack now:

Just Kids - Patty Smith

The Murder of Bunny Monroe - Nick Cave

Packing for Mars - Mary Roach

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk  - David Sedaris

The Sea Glass Chronicles - Christophe Brunski

The Mind's Eye - Oliver Sacks

Meanwhile, I teeter on 499 sales!!

It's true, and I feel like I'm reaching a big milestone with the shop, and of course, want to have an excuse to get excited and celebrate...even if it's something small and only means a lot to me :) You guys get it! My next sale will mark my 500th sale in my quilt shop! Yay!

Meanwhile, my wonderful and most excellent friend, Jeff Derose, has taken some photos of some of my quilts in a gorgeous field in Amherst, MA. Nicole, at Lillyella had so kindly interviewed me for a featured spot on her blog, so I needed some really nice shots of the quilts, and an actual photograph of me to include. Thanks, Jeff :) Check out his websites. It's great to get someone else's perspective on your work, and hiring a professional photographer is pretty amazing. I highly recommend it, because they really see things that you just do not. Or, as in my case, I have a certain way that I photograph my items, for consistency in the shop and all that. Anyway, here are some of the photos from that shoot... enjoy!

Come and See Me! At the 24th Annual Cottage Street Studios Holiday Open Studios and Sale

December 3, 4, and 5. Friday 12-5, Saturday 10-5, Sunday 12-5. Come and see me and forty-four other artisans, when we open our studio doors for the 24th Annual Cottage Street Studios Holiday Open Studio and Sale! You'll find me in Studio 420 with my quilty items and paintings!