happy lunch=bentokozy

i found the cutest bento box sets at the new Japanese market by the train station in Port Washington on Long Island. We were visiting my husbands family for the holidays. i like to stop at the Asian markets to find new candy for my sister. she loves it as much as i do.
After picking out all sorts of bits to wrap and give as surprise presents. i found these lovely bento box sets with matching utensils. they were so awesome. the wrapper said "natural lunch makes you happy". i wonder what an un natural lunch makes you?
any way i decided that they needed something knitted to ensure they would stay tucked together after being placed in a bag. i really wish i was a t home. i could have made linen napkins with embroidered bits on them. i also would have had my mini pon pom makers. i've learned my lesson. i'll never leave the house with out them again.
i had left over yarn from the slippers i finished on the airplane so i cast on thirteen stitches and started to knit. i crocheted some buttons and voilia bento box kozies. happy lunch.

holiday stuff

t'is the season. i'm still knitting presents and trying to figure out what the new year has in store for me. i'm in New York for a bit and then we head down to North Carolina.
I've been making notes and sketches everyday. i can't wait to get back to the studio.
some things that i will have are new dolls, knitting patterns, a magical collaboration with Gabby Lala, lots of mischief with meredith, jen and whitni.
i'm going to be teaching again. so if you want to learn how to make a very cute hat, chunky ribbed slippers or a cozy scarf with a hood go check out knitterly.net and castawayyarn.com. i'll be teaching in petaluma and santa rosa. i'll get more information later.
i need to get back to knitting. enjoy.

look how lovely

gnomes, gnomes everywhere.

it's been awhile. i've been sewing. A lot. i've also been knitting. a few of my patterns are being published. i'm very excited. the company is handjive. it's all natural dyed super yummy yarn. i'll have to do a minnie photo shoot preveiw next week. the patterns will be available in jan 2009.
otherwise i made some lovely new owls out of the most deliciouse brown wool. right now i'm sewing another batch of gnomes. my very good friend meredith gave me the best plaid wool ever. it makes me die every time i look at it. i have to take new pictures. friday is pictures and post on your blog day for me. saturday is craftaluma holiday spectacular. i'll be selling owls, gnomes, hair pins. i hope to see you there. i'll get all the specifics posted.
meredith and i did a tree sweater forest installation in court house square in santa rosa, ca. it's so pretty. please go and see it before it gets stolen. we've had six small ones stolen from court house square a while back. it made us sad. and our favorite sweater got stolen by the game store. well it's not going to stop us. however my knitting machine is refusing to cooperate. there won't be any new sweaters until the new year. but the installation will move around at least once more. alright i have gnomes to sew.

pop!

were to start. i've been busy, distracted, productive, and inspired. oh yay. totally exhausted.
mostly i have been drawing. today i will be making and photographing new dolls. my plan is to make one doll out of each drawing. my dolls have always been one of a kind but multiples. like a print edition but in totally different colours each time. production of any kind can wear on you. it deffinitly wears on me. i've done a lot of it. so anyway, to keep things fresh and exciting for me, i'm making just one. i'll have pictures up soon.
i want to share an ongoing art peice that i participated in. my friend stephan lives in germany and makes really cool stuff. he is doing a peice called breath. he fills a white balloon with his breath and gives it to someone. this someone then takes the breath and releases it. pop! i had the breath for a very long time before i decided what to do with it. here is a photo. enjoy.

something newish

greetings. it has been quite along time. i have been very distracted. there is the garden with pretty things, the fruit trees are ripening, i ate the first of the blackberries. soon there will be pie! we got a new kitty. we rescued him from certain death and are nursing him back to health. i love him. we can not let him inter act with our other two cats. it is a lot of hand washing. he will be in quarantine for 3 more weeks, maybe longer. he lives in the library, and sleeps on my chair.
today i am going to draw up new dolls and sew at least one of them. i've decided to switch gears slightly and make larger dolls. more art and detail oriented.
i love making my production softies. i think i have sewn them so many times that i'm beginning to feel like a robot. it is time to draw out new one's and retire the old ones. it makes me a little sad. such nice little friends they are.