fog and snow at 8am

still winter

Oh. Yes it's still January. The temperature is going to drop in the next couple of days, after another coating of snow falls. The ground is covered with a combo of ice and slush already. I was compelled to take the camera and the tripod out again to play with the macro option. Getting better.



Now that I've done that I can get back to sewing. Will not be inclined to leave the house, so sewing can be accomplished! Log production resumes.

6 barks

Day 7 of 2009 and I'm finally posting. Happy New Year!

Here's a tour of our trees this morning in the rain. Korean Ash, Pine, Oak, River Birch, the tree I don't know the name of and a ringer--but it works for me.


I took my camera outside and realized I needed the umbrella. Went back in for the umbrella, went back out, took one picture and realized I needed the tripod. Went back in for the tripod and came back out and started shooting to create the tour of trees in our yard. Documenting the significant trees took long enough to freeze my un-gloved button-punching finger, but I'll live. Hooked the camera up to my laptop and viewed the shots. (To discover again that I really have to work on utilizing the macro lens better which I only recently discovered). Cropping and sizing in Photoshop, assembling them into position and calling upon the professional Photoshopper in the household to finalize the file...all took way more time than it would have if I could think of something to write.

But now I have new bark reference for future log creations.

...sleet nor hail or is that sleet or hail...

Audition for USPS delivery position...



I had a mission to fulfill this morning and if I had opened the shades at 6:30 this morning I probably wouldn't have baked "gift" scones for delivery today. But I didn't open the shades and I did bake scones and there was a snowstorm brewing. I managed delivery----

Happy New Year!

perfect weather

Felled by tendonitis at the most inopportune time ...the weather is perfect for doing tendon-inflaming things like knitting (any weight yarn with any size needle), sewing (on the sewing machine) and finishing all those fiber gifts (YIKES!)!

But I can work the oven and the camera, so all is not lost. Behold winter wonderland.

Scarfarama WIP's

Santa's helper is working hard to get the scarfarama segment of the Christmas gifts knit, but her wrists and thumbs started to hurt, so she decided to practice "picturing" for awhile to change the thumb and wrist action. Noticing that typing is not helping the wrist and thumb situation, maybe I'll have to move to the kitchen segment next...

Two done---
This one is Lorna's Laces, wool and silk.

This yarn is from Fabulosity on etsy, one of my first purchases there.



Two to go---
Vintage Icelandic wool that I dyed with leftover acid dyes to put my outdoor dyeing studio in hibernation.



Don't know if I can give this one up though---liking the results. Hmmm.

Faux for the holidays!

I've started this post three times, until today I haven't gotten anywhere with it. I read other blogs sporadically and realize that they post every day or almost, which astounds me. I'm happy to know that these creative people make things and write about their process too, all on a daily basis. I aspire to that ability. Maybe it's the writing thing? Maybe I should "picture" each day, maybe that's the solution?

I wasn't when I started writing this post, but I am now....deep into Santa's workshop mode. Trust me, no one needs a sweeping view of every surface filled with something in the process, perhaps just a slice of the overflow...

It just doesn't look like a Martha Stewart environment. Who wouldn't love a dedicated room to wrap presents? Oh, just me? Well, in my parallel universe I have a Martha Stewart room set aside for just that task! Drawers, cubbies, scissors, a variety of adhesives, plenty of tables, nice flooring, good lighting, plenty of ribbon dispensers, shipping dept, regular UPS pick-up. As long as we're talking parallel universe, I'm adding a Martha Stewart kitchen equipped to make all those tasty holiday treats with an assistant who has just returned from the grocery store with the ingredients I forgot...ahhh!

Anyway. Have my knitting and dyeing mojo back! Yesss! Won't my brother and his family in New Mexico be happy (I'm sure they don't read this) when they open their box this year and find that each one has received a knitted ______ in my hand-dyed yarn? I'm knitting with each in mind, but it just occurred to me to put their four items in the box, wrapped and unmarked and let them decide who gets what! We'll be i-chatting on Christmas day and responses will be noted. (Aunt Susan is pretty scarey.)

On top of Santa's workshop activities, I'm slowly rolling out another store on etsy, "sewfaux", just for my chenille textiles---my studio samples, my prototypes! I won't imagine going into production on any one chenille item but there are on-going themes. Finishing and photographing these pieces for this new shop has been great for collecting my thoughts on this years work and clearing the slate for 2009.


Surely there will be plenty of whimsically-minded people out there in this economy needing cotton Buche Noel Logs this holiday! No matter that timing is everything. Gotta have a sense of humor these days or you're in trouble. Hoping to get it all online this week just Faux the holidays!