daily business

I have finished more fingerless gloves and added the first pair to my Etsy Shop.

This led to a really fun photo shoot with my daughter!

Since I mentioned the farmer's market, I thought I show you my little set-up.

I think it looked kinda cute. However the sales were not great, I think people are still not used to this being farmers AND artists. But there is a lot of room for growth.

Next year.

Here is the finished little mat that I showed you from the back side the other day.

I am not too fond of the corners, they look kinda fatso, because the material really bulked up. Hmm.

Gotta ask the wise woman aka my smart teacher.

Ike does not mind the funky corners! (And I actually don't mind too much either.)

I had not planned to show this, but since Munchkin decided to strike a pose...

Coasters in the make, not too far advanced at this point.

But who cares, when there is a cute cat in the picture, right?!

Thanks for stopping by! May you all have a very happy Sunday!

Happy Birthday

Today my daddy would turn 70.

I think there are only two pictures that show him as a baby.

He grew up with three brothers.

He met my mother at a dance when he was real young. They got engaged when he was 18.

A match made in heaven. He loved her with all his heart.

When he was about 40 he turned his life style around. He quit smoking, became a dedicated runner and lost about 50 lbs.

He was a marathon runner.

He did not live to fulfill his dream to run the NYC Marathon.

He kept himself always busy, he hardly ever stood still or sat down. He always worked in his beautiful garden and he had a passion for hunting down cheap antiques and restoring them.

I scored two of the beautiful pieces and treasure them. They have traveled across the ocean with me.

He had an artist in him, too, and carved faces in wood for a while.

He had a fierce love for his family, but he could not always show it.

He adored his grandchildren.

He was the ultimate grandfather.

He had his secrets, too.

He once gave me this Zippo lighter, which I used for a long time, and I got the impression, that there was a special story connected to it.

He never told me.

Eight years ago he had to go.

Happy birthday, daddy. I miss you so so much. It never goes away.

Could Would and If

Sometimes I manage to be real good at disciplining myself.

I am packing up for the farmer's and artisan market at the Albuquerque Academy tomorrow. I'll be there with my little table with fingerless gloves, eyeglass cases and this and that. Last one for this year, too, boohoo.

I have been running and every time I am up there on the trails I think that I live in the most beautiful place on earth.

I have finally decided on the border of this little hooked mat, attached a binding of wool fabric by hand stitching and it is being blocked right now.

Well...I hate to admit it, but this is a gift for a friend who's birthday was in March. Embarrassing. More pictures from the right side to come.

I grind my teeth and do the laundry.

Gosh did I really find 10 single socks in one load? They are all hers.

She kinda makes up for it with stuff likes this:

BUT.

What I reeeeaaaally want to get to is this.

I still can hardly believe that my dear friend Amy, who lives way too far away in Virginia, decided to get this going for us! We will work on two rugs, which we will mail back and forth between the two of us, and that is how the rugs will grow. In the end we will both have a mat to keep.

Isn't this just gorgeous? I so cannot wait to slow the pace and to finally get started.

I am so excited about this project, thank you, my friend!

And to all of my friends who stop by here, I hope your lives are full of accomplishments and beautiful things that lie ahead of you, too!

practice run

The girl was invited to a birthday/Halloween party today.

Cut up black shirt, some make-up, and uber-wild hair.

Made for a great pre-Halloween Saturday afternoon!

We are so ready.

up and running

I survived the 3rd annual High Desert Studio Tour.

Actually, the tour went smooth and easy, but getting ready... well, let's not get into that.

People loved the scarves again and there were plenty.

I had a blast making loads of eyeglass cases just days before the open house.

Lots of linen, fun and colorful bits of fabric and vintage buttons. Perfect use also for some vintage fabric that had been meant for a quilt, already pieced, found at Goodwill a long time ago.

I love each and everyone of these.

Fingerless gloves en masse as every year, they just never get old.

But here is the news, I started listing on Etsy again. This will be a slow process, don't expect it all at once. Listing of the day was this yarn:

Hand spun alpaca yarn, soft as a cloud and in the warmest shades of yellow and orange.

This always gets me wondering what another knitter might create.

The possibilities are endless!

Have a great weekend, friends!

Sneak peek

The race is on, I am knitting and sewing as much as I can to finish as much as possible for the studio tour.

Mark your calendars, Albuquerque folks, High Desert Studio Tour coming up on October 15th from 10.00 'til 5.00.

It still means so much to me to be participating in an event like this, it is a long dream come true. For the third time.

When our kids were little we would visit a studio tour in Maryland. Lots of green countryside, lots of driving through rolling hills, lots of beautiful places with talented folks making art with glass, clay and - you guessed it - fibers. My favorite place was always Dancing Leaf Farm, the artist Dalis being the gifted, energetic and colorful owner, inspiring and creative with everything she touches and a studio and little store, that just made you wanna sit down and knit, crochet, spin or felt with her. Being far from Maryland now, I have not been to her studio in years, but we are still in touch, still friends, and Dalis even stopped by last year for a visit here in Albuquerque.

Since our move to New Mexico four years ago I am lucky to have a studio of my own, that makes me happy and inspires me. The kids are bigger, I have more time to myself, more time to create, and the yarn stash... well, let's not get into that, friends.

So I have ventured out of the house to offer my fiber art and people seem to like it. When the idea for the High Desert Studio Tour came up I was in and have been ever since. Some very talented folks open their houses and it is fun to look at their work spaces, their creations and possibly to shop. Nothing wrong with Christmas shopping in October, right?!

Start the tour at my home, there will be maps, or check out the whole thing on the High Desert website here. - See y'all!

today

I went through loads of pictures since I need to find the best to put on some new business cards.
Somehow this one stood out from the crowd.



I own loads of straight knitting needles, my favorites being the colored vintage ones.
Almost never do I use them, because I prefer circular.

But they do look pretty, don't they?!