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New Studio!

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I am so very happy to announce that I rented a studio space! It's 10'x20' with 18' high ceilings and a ton of amenities (kitchen area, gallery, wi-fi, slop sink.... yada, yada). I'm in the middle of packing everything up, so I need to put my etsy shop on hold for a hot minute while I set up the space.

It's a surprisingly short commute (to Queens) but I'm excited! It'll be nice to get out of the house and start a new schedule. 

And there's even a view!

Crochet Blitz!

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Over Thanksgiving, I asked my mother to teach me how to crochet. I stunk at it. I'm not trying to brag here, but I pick up things relatively easily and this was something that I just could not grasp. Literally. My fingers cramped up, I couldn't figure out which way was the proper way to "yarn over". Clockwise? Counterclockwise? How do I get it through the loop without catching everything else? What part of the stitch do I put it through?!? I don't get it!! And my lovely mother took some well deserved cracks at me and my lack of comprehension. We shared a lot of belly aching laughs. And that was the end of crocheting for me.

Except that I am a stupidly determined person, and when I'm terrible at something it makes me want to learn it more. (Groan. I know. Maybe someone should have told me I would be a terrible investment banker.) Anyway, I sat down with my Teach Yourself Visually book - note: I do not get anything for endorsing these books, they're just great, um, visually - and single crocheted my heart out. Then double crocheted and before long, I had a few example swatches.

It was as if a light had switched on - I just "got it". Before long, I had made a few snowflake ornaments for our non-existant tree.

Okay, not a few. More like a gagillion.

And now I understand why people like this so much. Yes, it is quick (more so than knitting?) but it is much easier to fix mistakes not to mention easy to hide mistakes.

The problem I'm having is how to bring it into the 21st century. I'm not really interested in making hats or tea cozies and all the patterns I've been finding look dated in a not-so-cool way.

Hip Rocking Chair...

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Recently a few of my friends have been popping out fabulous little carbon copies of themselves, and in turn have needed to outfit a nursery. One friend had a particularly difficult time finding a stylish rocking chair that wasn't essentially a big overstuffed abomination. (No offense Lay-z-boy.) 

Lo and behold! I happened to be in West Elm the other day and found this cute and comfortable rocker. Who knew? A great alternative to the overstuffed older styles.

The King - Stephen King, that is

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The other night I went out with my fabulous friend CH, and we got to talking about creating - she is a writer and I, as you might know dabble in the textile world. I was complaining about how, when I am working, lose all track of time but when I emerge from the process I am extremely hypercritical about what I've just created, often times to the tune of burn it!

She looked at me and said, "Ah, yes. It might not go away with time, but you will have to learn how to deal with it." I wanted to add a 'young padawan' in there, but she went on: "Have you read Stephen King's On Writing?" After I looked at her, oddly with my head cocked poised to deliver a snide comment, she continued that the - ahem - King of darkness wrote a wonderful book in which he describes his process, accentuating a part about leaving the book for at least 6 months before the first edit.

My eyes must have been bulging out of my head because she finished with, "Yes. It is a long time. But - oh - just read it!"

Has anyone read this? Any thoughts or comments about the book? It is currently in my NYPL queue...