Designing and Teaching

Bright and early on my way to the fair.

Gosh, I really don't know where to start. Should I make separate posts to keep you reading or one big, huge newsflash post? There's so much going on that I just keep postponing writing about it all. And, for a change, I'm also actually knitting.
I'm knitting my ass off to be exact. (and in my case, that a WHOLE lot of knitting!)

I'll just take it a step at a time.

One of the latest trends in crocheting/knitting; Zpagetti.
A bulky yarn made from left overs in the textile industry.

Today I went to the annual needlecrafts fair in my hometown Rotterdam and got home with:
- a bag full of Options goodies including a (excuses le mot) set of crochet (...) needles. More on those later, cable needles, a new pair of 3.5mm's (they are strong but can't handle beeing sit on...), a shawl pin (gotta have at least one) and the chunky set to complete my interchangeable set. I now feel like a real pro with a bag full of matching hardware.
- 4 cones of wool/angora mix taupe yarn (so I can finally start knitting a huge cardigan for ME!) for an amazing price.
- A big box full of lush green SILK (for sale during my lesson for at least 50% of normal silk prices!!)
- An amigurimi book (again, more on that later!) - Loads of lanolin cosmetics made by my friend Yvon at Storm op Zolder. I mistook the lotion for the cream and accidentally spilled it all over me and Boyfriend dear. I can tell you it smells like a dream!

the ugliest yarn I've ever seen.
It comes with little plucks of fake fur.
Yikes!

I did some hardcore bargaining on a new sewing machine (I still use the 1960's one my mother got at her wedding) and caught up with fellow knitster Dianne B. A very successful day!

Posters for an upcoming knitting event sponsored by Zeeman, a cheap yarn/clothing store.
More on this in my next post.

Humongous Hurding

It's been a while, I know... I have a good explanation, or at least for those who've been there and know what it can do to your levels of energy.... More about that later though.

I've been travelling a bit too; first a week to Denmark and two weeks ago I was on of te lucky attenders of the I Knit London 2008 event. Yup, I went to London to go to a knitting event. Everything else was a bonus, I'm just that kind of girl. I've been in New York City about 4 times and I've never been to London but I wasn't focussed on Buckingham Palace or Picadilly Circus or Shopping at Harrods... I was focussed on knitting. I was fortionate enough to have an excellent travel companion that nevertheless took me to all those places and so I had the perfect combination trip and all that in just two days. Needless to say I was totally knackered.

I've got a whole bunch of pictures so I'll minimise the rambling and optimise the visual story. Starting with the first ever SAS Knits It Again included Bachelorette Party, featuring Knit Kits disguised as a take away meal. It was great, the bride was happily surprised and the one guy that was present was probably the most fanatic. But I can't say it was easy, wanting everyone to go home with a (partly) finished item and still be able to keep the attention of the very chatty group. Phew! Teaching comes in so many forms. I'm sure they had a good time though and I'm definatly up for more P-A-R-T-Y's!

Then there was Denmark, where the weather was dreary and grey but the yarnshopping was fabulous. We've been at the same place in the spring so I knew exactly what I was going to get; some more of that lush baby alpaca and Danish mohair and then I got some curly mohair on sale as well. I got a whole bunch of great buttons and I also managed to design a new hat while hanging out in our wooden cabin.

And then, of course, London. Aaah, London... Where....

...I got a new bag...

...there was lots to see (and buy) at the I Knit London 2008 fair; like skeins, skeins, skeins, a grumpy old lady spinning, the backside of a bunny and the Dutch knitters who had their own spot.

I bought some great stuff; 2 different skeins of Manos (classic and silk blend), 3 skeins of Kaffe Fasset designed Rowan bulky yarn in (how could it be otherwise) fab colors, handmade buttons and a skein of Noro sockyarn which are going to be arm/leg warmers so they'll last me longer...

But the highlight of it all...

not so much the standing in line in pouring rain part... (though our comp-anions were lovely)

and not even the knitting part (that much)...

But listening to the Yarn Harlot talk about us knitters with all her charm and wit. We were L.O.L. almost continuously. Great stuff!

And then the Harlot signed my book (eh, her book). Knowing that she's into that kind of thing, Yvon let her know that she's studying to be a midwife and meanwhile told her to convince me of a home birth instead of a hospital birth. (YESSSSSSSSSS, that's why I've been absent so long, I've been simply to tired and too sick... I'm expecting a wee one, a little brother or sister for Iep, YippEEEEE!!)

The Harlot then spent about 4 minutes convincing me to give birth at home. Just picture the scene, there was a line about 50 m long and people were waiting sometimes for over an hour to get a book signed... She was só passionate about it that she totally got into convincing me. That was, well... uber cool! Did it work? Well, let's just say she touched some nerves and I'm definatly thinking it over again. ;-)

The next day we did the London thing and it was fab!

...there was even some K.I.P.-ing (knitting in public) done at Picadilly Circus!!...

...I spotted one of my favorite street art designers' work ...

And apart from missing my little boy, I had a great time. And am saving up already to go again next year!

ps

spelling check didn't work and its late... please forgive me any stupid mistakes...

ehm, maybe not...

Turns out Wordpress isn't that much better... it just didn't look good. With a little 'pimpin' I decided this blog would do for now. I thought it would be a nice opportunity to change to a nice fresh white scheme, but working on a white blog for the last days really made me miss the black. I know it's not a very friendly 'color' (I was told in art school that it actually isn't a color) but it makes the pictures look good and it's stylish. So I'll stick to my Blogger blog.

While you were blogging and knitting...

I was doing this:

re-organizing my stash...

sewing play blankets for Iep...
and we went on a holiday to Langeland in Denmark. It was great! Quiet, pretty, beautiful weather and this... Yarn in a supermarket! (a small supermarket)

For those of you who think 'yeah, so what, it's crappy yarn', that's pretty amazing for a Dutchie. I've never éver seen yarn in a supermarket in Holland. There are hardly any yarn stores as it is, let along YARN IN A SUPERMARKET!!

There wasn't much more yarn shopping because, well, there weren't many people on the island, let along yarn stores. But after a failed search on Ravelry (is that even possible...Ravelry Rocks!) I managed to find an amazing shop that sells natural clothing and... fabulous yarn. An add in a tourist guide said bla, bla, bla, GARN. I may not speak Danish very well (or at all...) I must know the word for yarn in about a 100 languages.

The goods in the store were way, way too expensive for a starting entrepreneur, so I did what I always do; buy just two skeins of carefully selected yarn and as a result always having to little yarn to make anything mentionable. I got the softest yarn in my collection so far; petrol blue 100% baby alpaca, recycled silk that looks like peacock vomit (and I mean that in the nicest way), white and a green/grey 90% wool + 10% acrylic mix (good for baby booties) and an actual Danish product; two skeins of mohair mix (75% kid mohair, 25% merino) in two shades of green. I was (and am) a happy camper!

Some pebble and wood gathering was done too...

I finished this baby...

It's a hat that turns into a toy as soon as the wee one grows out of the hat. I'm thinking 'Zilla' or 'Nessie' for a name. More about that one as soon as I figure out how and where I want to sell patterns. I think this one might be my first non-free design, just to see how that goes, a good impulse to finally open my Etsy shop and because, well I'm serious about my knitting empire so I've got to get serious about selling stuff.

I also designed a bag for the new summer kit I'm working on. Still working on an open worked beret (to keep hairs out of the way while sun bathing!) and as soon as that's done, I'll write out patterns, take pictures, make the kits and get them out there in the shops. (I actually have two shops that sell my kits now, yay!)

Furthermore (always loved that word)... I copied an existing bag design for promotional purposes. This bag is designed by Susan Bijl and is a huge success, she sells them all over the world and is able to live from the profits. I always wanted to make this icon into a knitted version and when I ran into her she gave me the extra excuse; she was working on her new folder and in it will be pictures of people from all over the world with her bags. She asked me; 'how fast can you knit, the design is printed in about 6 days.' And I said; 'pretty damn fast if I have to.' So I got the talkon powder, put it on my hands and knitted away, with this as a result and a very probable spot in the new folder which means loads of world wide advertising for SAS Knits It Again.
And now for something completely different...Boyfriend Dear shot this while he was in Malawi (Afrika) about a month ago. Isn't he a sweetie, shooting a wool shop from out of a car window, especially for me. How romantic!

On other news...

Sunday will be my first mothers day éver. I didn't think I'd be so excited about it, but I am. When I was smaller we were always expected to buy my mom gifts. I hated the expectation aspect of it so I want to do it differently. I have no expectations but when Iep gets older and if he wants to do something I hope he'll make stuff himself. The kind of kids creativeness where you go; 'aaah that's lovely dear, whát is it...?' 'An astray mum.' he then says while giving his non smoking mom a bulky thing that looks like a mini mountain of clay.

Aaaah motherhood.... Loving it!