Back to the FLea!

This Sunday I'm finally back to the Brooklyn Flea! What on earth am I going to bring??? Unfortunately not the huge slew of items I was hoping for, but this little baby will be there at least. Maybe it's perfect for your little baby... it'll be getting cold soon!

This week the Flea is a super, music, Dj extravaganza! (see below) Woo hoo! I'm glad to be a part of that. I love having tunes at the Flea!

I also love my early morning Croissant & Coffee from Choice! YUM!

I can't wait!!

(Well, actually, I can a bit. I want to make more stuff!!)

Craft Fair Prep

I took a break from knitting and flying around the room...aka dance rehearsal... today to do some much needed prep for the upcoming Brooklyn Flea.

Hopefully my table will be full of map & stamp jewelry, trees, craft kits and harfs. Probably not too much knitwear, considering the change in weather.

The Brooklyn Flea is going to be a huge flea market in Fort Greene starting in April, every Sunday from 10am -5pm. You'll find it at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School on Lafayette Ave. between Clermont and Vanderbilt Ave. There are about a zillion vendors listed... crafts, clothes, vintage, antiques, food, furniture... gosh, the list goes on!!

Come visit me!

Recycle It... don't throw it away!


I was browsing the online store Olio United today and found these recycled sweater/suit zip ups for men. I just had to post about them since I think they are the hottest thing for so many reasons!

Great idea, great design, great re-use and cuteness to boot!!!!!!

Wouldn't you want to snuggle your man in one of these????

Olio United is all about being green & sustainable while supplying us with the cute outfits we want! Read more here.

Hey, guess what! They also sell my harfs!
Maybe you should buy one????



Green Machine

So, I am trying to make the best of this left over yarn from a sweater I designed for the next Stitch and Bitch Book (Name drop, name drop) and need your opinions about what I'm making with it.

The sweater that produced this excess of yarn was a Fair Isle vest pattern done in a bunch of different greens. I wish I could show you the photos of the project, but you'll see them soon enough in the actual book! I will tell you though that the book is all patterns for MEN and the model dudes are super cute! Oh Mans!

The editors of the book helped pick the yarn: Nature Spun Sport weight from Brown Sheep Company. It comes in a zillion colors and isn't too expensive, which is always a concern when designing for a book. You can't really expect people the pay $400 to make your sweater! All together, the greens look great together, but individually, they are not my favorite.

The Nature Spun is 100% wool, which I can't complain about, but the color just does not have the depth that I am used to with the smaller dyelots of, for lack of a better word, expensive yarns. Commercially produced yarns are like Crayons. The colors are vivid, opaque and will not vary from box to box or store to store. Smaller companies like Koigu, dye their yarn in very small dyelots of about 24 skeins. It just makes it so every store gets a totally different looking yarn! Look at the photo below of two different skeins of Koigu Painters pallet in two dyelots:


I like this kind of yarn for many reasons, but mostly because it supports others artists like me. The colors seem to glow and I'm fully convinced that when the spirit is given room to move... things are just better! You know what I mean? I commend the Brown Sheep Company however for making natural fibers affordable, since most inexpensive brands are all fake.

So I made a harf using my left over yarn and think it turned out ok. The plain green seemed a little bland to me, so I added contrasting white trim. I also did a curved edge for the button band, which I like better than the straight version on all the others. It reminds me of stuff my mom and teachers might have worn in the early eighties. Maybe a wrap around skirt with contrasting piping or a monogrammed sweater... that's what I was going for.

What do you guys think?

Life as of Late...

So I've been very busy lately babysitting and frantically making things for the Renegade Craft Fair. I've mostly been making jewelry which I would love to show you but... the trash camera I've been using while I wait for mine to get fixed, doesn't take very good up close shots. Alas. I guess You kids will have to come out to the craft fair to see all of it and buy it up so I can pay my rent!!!

I'll just share a few random things with you. First check out Luke and Eleanor posing while picking flowers in the park. I think this is one of the best kids shots I've ever taken! It really captured a funny moment between the two. We were gathering flowers to make flower necklaces... until a crazy storm hit and branches started falling down. Luke reminds me everyday that we still have to finish making those flower necklaces.... I wish I was getting married so these two could be my ring bearer and flower girl. Do you think they'll but up for it at age thirteen?

These are the two latest Harfs,


The top one will probably fit a child better or maybe a gal who's a little smaller than my model, Petunia.

I recently took the kids to ride the carousel in Prospect Park. How much do I love carousels? They really go so fast and I love the music. Anyone want to go again with me? I know some kids we can drag along to make it look like we're doing it for them...

As the summer approaches, the light in my room around six o'clock has been amazing. I didn't think trash camera could really capture it... but a little bit.

Dinah has been a little dare devil lately! She jumps out up on my window ledge like it's no big deal and sometimes it totally freaks me out. I don't mind when she goes out on the fire escape... look how funny she is!

I think this is it guys. I wish I had more new ideas to share... but I'm a little uninspired. What else do you think I should make for the craft fair????