more socks

i know these are very plain-jane (knitwise, anyway) and they're not even toe-up, but i started them on the 12-hour train ride i took to go home to cleveland for the holidays, and i finally finished them a couple weeks ago. i love how space-dyed yarns make weird patterns as you go; i have even seen them make spontaneous argyles! i think knitters call it 'pooling' and generally don't like it, but i feel the opposite...

tunic class

april sewing tunic/dress workshop at Lena's studio (fort greene, brooklyn)

intermediate level

if you can sew, but need a fresh new challenging project to step your skills up a notch, then this class is perfect for you. we will be using the Simplicity 3964 Built By Wendy pattern. students must arrive at class with pieces already cut out and marked, as this can take up to 2 hours and it will be otherwise impossible to finish the project in the allotted time. yummy lunch included!

see the pattern here:

one 5 hour workshop

11am ­ 4pm

sunday april 19th

$125 + supplies

there will also be a 1 hour finishing class on monday april 20th at 6pm, if needed.

to register or see details on lena's printing class look here.

embroidery workshop

well, my farm-sitting gig will be over in a few weeks (though it looks like i'll still be hanging around here for a while longer), which means that i can come back and spend a week in the big city in april. fun! i am scheduling a few different classes while i'm in town, so here's your chance if there was something you never got to take before i left. i can also do private lessons in any of my subjects (sewing, patternmaking, crochet, embroidery...) so give a shout if you'd like to set something up.

embroidery at Treehouse

i'll be back in the trees thursday april 16 from 6:30-8:30, showing you 12 basic stitches so you can embellish and customize everything you own! you'll leave with a sampler of your stitches and a brainful of ideas. all supplies included (including tasty treats). register here. siri's got a bunch of other cool new classes on the roster so take a peek.

visit feelin' stitchy and the flickr embroidery pool for an endless supply of inspiration!

gertie v. guinea

gertie's favorite sport is to chase the guinea hens here on the farm, but the funny part is that as soon as she turns around, they follow her! it's a cat and mouse game, but it's a little unclear who's who. and it seems entirely possible to me that a dozen mice could outsmart a cat if they worked as a team...

button it!

march has been button month over on CraftStylish, and i've been busy making all kinds of projects with my button stash! it's been fun because i don't usually use button closures in my clothes, but i have a ton o' vintage buttons that i hoard, saving them for their special moment. and quite possibly, this may have been it! my projects have been a crocheted button charm necklace, monogramming with buttons, and how to sew a buttonhole by hand. interestingly, my hand-sewn buttonhole tutorial caused quite a stir in the comments, with some old-schoolers claiming that my buttonhole just doesn't cut the mustard, and many more coming to my defense. i chose to stay on the sidelines, but it's been an amusing show! i only wish we could see some of the experts' buttonholes, but none seem able to produce an example...

tagged

(random goat pictures)

i got tagged by lena a few days ago, and it's been a while since i answered odd questions about myself, so i thought, why not?

What is your current obsession?
farm hunting; if you know of any adorable houses on 2+ acres with a cute barn and/or studio for $200K or less in or near ulster county, new york, please let me know!!!

Which item from your closet are you wearing most lately?
the sweatshirt i made last winter. i need to make about 5 more of them!

What's for dinner?
no idea

What was the last thing you bought?
a barackobandanna from handoverfist for my friend george

What are you listening to right now?
the Housemartins, but i did not put it on

Say something to the person who tagged you:
hi lena! hope to see you soon!

Favorite vacation spot?
i'd go back to japan or mexico in a heartbeat

What are you reading right now?
A New Look at Crochet, from like 1973 i think

What is your current guilty pleasure?
handfuls of ginger snaps

What will be the first spring thing you do?
i've been wanting to have a picnic in the woods once the mud subsides

Where are you planning to travel next?
no travel plans at the moment; i just want to find a home!

If you could grow any plant(s) in the world in your house or yard, what would it be?
tea, indigo, henna, avocado, lemon

What was the last thing you made?
a custom-ordered crochet hat in cotton/linen yarns
. . . . . . .

And these are the rules: Respond & rework-answer the questions on your own blog; replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention; add one more question of your own. Tag eight other un-tagged people.

i tag:
kim
siri
jen

outside

one of the things i am loving most about this winter on the farm (and have every intention of continuing for the rest of my life!) is spending time outside. living in new york city, i was often outside while in transit, but rarely did i just spend time outside in the winter.




we have gone for many walks in the woods...


plowed this driveway with the ATV...


tobogganed down this hill...


only this little one has perhaps not been completely in love with the new winter-in-the-country way of life. but she'll make up for it soon!

pin-tuck restyle

i just can't get enough of the re-styling of t-shirts, and this newest one i did for CS might just be my fave ever! the fit is very flattering and i love the length. check out the tutorial and make one of your own!

wraps on sale!

i've just marked down the last of my very popular wrap cardigans in the shop. there are a couple of wool, and a couple cotton (both long-sleeved and short) ones that are perfect for spring and cool summer evenings... remember those? you'll have to wade through the whole sale section to see them all. it's supposed to be in the high 50's here in the Catskills this weekend, so spring really is coming. and tomorrow night we gain back that long-lost extra hour of sunlight!

sock love

i've got a thing for socks. knee socks, in particular. i have a lot of them; kind of a collection, if you will. i have socks i love so much that i've never even worn them. and socks are one of the few things i knit (usually i prefer to crochet). i have only knit about 3 pairs of socks, and i have never worn any of them, because the thought of wearing out the toes or heels just horrifies me. since knee socks are the ultimate style for me, and working the traditional way (top-down) is tricky because you don't know how long you can go and not run out of yarn before reaching the toe (not a disastrous thing, in my opinion, because a random-colored toe seems like a fun feature in a sock) i am a toe-up girl all the way. and now i've discovered a toe-up crochet sock pattern which is pretty darn cool. so, above you have my not-quite-finished toe-up crochet socks.