Category: inspiration

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Autumn Knitting

As the weather here is turning colder, and the leaves begin to show their brilliant display, I find that I am once again feeling a draw towards my knitting.  Don’t get me wrong.  I do knit year around of course – but once fall comes around, I find it easier and easier to spend my entire day needles in hand.  This can cause a problem for the amount of house work that then accumulates around me.  Today for instance, I was going to focus getting all the laundry finished, and all or our floors cleaned.  However, once I started looking at fall knit-ware, I was unable to pull myself away.  Can you blame me?  Take a look at some of the inspiring & fun knitting patterns I found.

Interweave Knits; Fall 2007
The Sitting Tree
Joji Locatelli
free french pattern/translation please!
the Purl bee
Vogue Knitting Early Fall 2011
Vogue Knitting fall 2012
Ysolda Teague
by Celery Stalk
Pixie Bell
Carmen Rigby
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Renegade Craft Fair >>> Chicago

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago.  I’ve had my eye on this event for several years, but haven’t been able to get there until now.

We arrived there early.  So early in fact that many of the artists were still setting up.  This had it’s benefits: 1. we got an awesome parking spot 2 blocks away, & 2. we were actually able to get in to see the art work. By lunch time the street was so packed it was nearly impossible to see what was there.

My favorite artist at the fair was Dolan Geiman.  His artwork drew me in and held my attention.  I wanted to look at every single piece he had there.  My favorite piece is the Warblers.

Lisa Chow is another artist whose art I really enjoyed seeing.

I love her whimsy style that invites you to the land of make believe.  I’m hoping and waiting for an enchanted ballerina to appear.

There were a lot of other talented artisans there as well and over all The Renegade Craft Fair is a great event. However, I’d have to say I was disappointed.  Almost every artists could fit into one of 4 categories: 1. jewelry  2. silk screen/letterpress  3. art/graphic art prints  4. reclaimed wood.  There were a few people working with leather, and few more with aromatherapy, but there just wasn’t a lot of variety.   After awhile, I found my self not caring if I saw what an artist had since it was very likely that they would have similar things to what another artist had. I don’t know if this lack in variety was a result of The Renegade Crew accepting only this sort of application or if there weren’t any applications from other artisans.  I am a bit curious to know why it was this way.   Later on I’ll share with you what my dream craft fair would look like.

At any rate, it gave me some confidence in my own art/craft projects.  Confidence that I could one day have a booth at something like this, and my stuff would be unique.

If you ever have the oppertunity to go to a Renegade Craft Fair, you should definately check it out.  There are several of them across the country.

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nature + fiber art = seasonal inspiration

>>>> I came across this beautiful installment this past spring and was inspired to do more outdoors knitting this summer.  I didn’t get as much of it done as I had hope. The summer seems to have gotten away from me as it always does. I get to this point in the year and panic.  I realize autumn is upon us and I still have a list of summer activities yet to do.  This summer, I couldn’t get enough time at the beach! I am still hoping to get at least one more trip in before the weather turns chilly.

I did get some knitting in this summer, and on our last trip I found this lovely drift wood!  I have some ideas brewing for next summer, or maybe this autumn yet.  I make a vow to myself to slow down, empty my date book, and enjoy the coming season.

>>>> Happy Labor Day my friend! <<<<

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Color Scouting: Winter Rainbow

winter rainbow
As a result of the “polar vortex” that has been effecting most of America, my region has had extreme, arctic-like temperatures. It has caused all kinds of inconveniences, shutting down entire cities in a declaration of emergency. However, it has also shared with us a winter-time beauty that we have not experienced before in this part of the world.

What is color scouting?

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Zinnias

ZinniasI went to the Calendar Garden to paint with the kids.  There were a lot of beautiful zinnias in bloom.

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Show Me You; a series

I was little when I asked Jesus into my heart – young enough that I still thought of Jesus physically being in my heart.  My salvation was real, I knew Jesus, and grew up active in our church.  I have never known life without Jesus in it.  However, as a teenager, I would wonder about my relationship with God.  I didn’t feel like I had passion in my relationship with Him.  I felt His fire at youth retreats and conventions, but I knew that was different than having passion.  So, I prayed for passion. Fast forward 15 years.  God has given me passion.  It often consumes me.  I feel like a cup that is overflowing, and I’m scrambling around in a frenzy of excitement trying to find out what to do with all of “it”.  “It” is a number things, like sharing God’s love & HOPE with Tibetans through knitting.  Another, is my artwork.  In the past I’ve simply let “it” spill out all over the place.  I don’t know what to do with “it”, so I start talking about “it” looking for direction as I wait to see what God is going to make out of the mess.

Mandy of Messy Canvas shared this statement on Facebook a while back.

“Quite frankly Christians, I’m ready to see you, not your Jesus.  Show me you.”

This status update & the conversation that follows has gripped me in such a way that months later, it still pulls at me.  It has started me down an internal path of wrestling.  I don’t know where the path will lead me, or even what direction it takes me.  When I’ve written my thoughts into a journal I seem to be all over the place in a kind of swirling ball of passion. I know that I have found something that is important, but I am unable to define it.  This single sentence has sparked a flame in me.  It is creating a passion for divine inspiration.  I’m searching for what to do about it as it is still very messy, swirling around in my heart & my head without any definition.

I have started the “Show Me You” series to give myself a place to  work through the swirling ball inside me.  I hope, dear reader, that you will jump in the conversation and offer your own thoughts & ideas to help me in my search for direction.