spelunking in the closet

I suddenly realized I leave to go to the States in about a week and a half. I'm trying to be very very productive in the interim. Much exciting progress is being made on my current projects (hurrah!), but I keep needing little odds and ends.. bits of metal, tiny fixings, and today I needed some pieces of fur. Unfortunately my bits of (vintage, not new) scrap fur live in the back of my closet, which, unlike most British closets, is cavernous. I had to crawl to the very back of it to dig out the box I needed. A miner's lamp would have been helpful.

(the piece of fur in question)

I also got a beautiful print in the post from the very talented Rima, which you can see here. Thank you, Rima!

lucky girl

I'm feeling very contented this morning. I got to spend time with my sister and Ryan not long ago, my friends in Bristol this past week, and last night a friend of my sisters came to stay on her way home from Istanbul. Not only did we have a really nice evening but she gave me an incredibly sweet little Turkish bowl as a thank-you.


It's so nice to meet nice new people!

Today I get to sit at my desk and make lovely tiny things, and maybe make a pattern for some summer-weight shrugs. This evening I'm meeting my best friend to see the new Indiana Jones movie. I'm completely, geekily excited.

O soothest Sleep!

I'm very tired as I've been away in Bristol since last week, ostensibly to teach a master's workshop, but I've mostly been visiting friends, eating nice food, watching a village fête themed cabaret, taking part in a tiny, tiny piece of theatre, putting friends' lovely daughters to bed and helping to write a ghost story. I also saw a fawn gamboling in the evening sun from the train and was forced to watch this on television. Hope everyone else has had a happy weekend too.

yawn... off to bed.

yes we have no bananas

I slipped on a banana peel on the sidewalk today. Who knew it happened in real life?


(the Terry Twins sing the Chiquita Banana song, 1940s)

I'm sure I've not mentioned it before, but I collect banana stickers from around the world. If anyone finds an interesting one and would be happy to send it along let me know!

out and about

I was lucky enough to have my beautiful sister and her boyfriend visiting this past week. We braved sun and rain and cobblestones, filled our bellies with tasty food and managed to spot some famous people. It was Ryan's first time in London.. doesn't he look happy?




(photos courtesy of Brie and Ryan)

I'd be even more sad that they've gone except I'll get to see everyone in a month when I go home to visit. I miss you guys already.. hope the jet lag isn't too bad. I love you!

Happy Anniversary!

knit one

We've had a weekend of no-jacket weather, which for some reason has put me in a knitting mood. I spent part of the evening looking for a nice structured wrap pattern and have had absolutely no luck. Either I'm one of the pickiest people alive or 99 percent of knitting patterns are terrifyingly awful. Can anyone explain this to me..?



..anyone?

I think I may just make something up, which is what my very talented sister does and her projects always turn out swimmingly.

Speaking of raccoons, my family was once intimidated by a raccoon in our own back yard. We were out on the patio playing board games one night and it stared us down with such an evil intensity we all considered making a run for it. They're not as cute as they look, raccoons.

May flowers

We're still having showers even though April's over. In fact, right now the low evening sun is streaming in one side of my studio while it's raining and thundering and flashing lightning on the other. Crazy spring weather! We do have the proverbial May flowers, however, which are making the bees very industrious indeed..




Happy May Day!