Katniss Everdeen Has The Best Clothes

One of my besties has a serious thing for the Hunger Games movies (and fair enough, they're awesome) so she naturally fell in love with the asymmetrical cowl-sweater that Katniss wears in Catching Fire. It's a beautiful piece - clearly handmade, in the couture sense of things.

Also it has Jennifer Lawrence in it, which would make anything look fabulous.

Now this friend of mine is most exceedingly knitworthy, as she appreciates both the process required and the finished product. She also lives in one of Canada's winteriest cities, so when she asked me to make Katniss' cowl for her I jumped at the chance to send a warm wooly hug in sweater form. We discussed some of the pre-existing patterns available on Ravelry, but in the end we decided that none of them (at the time, more have come out since) were really accurate to the piece in the movie. Being an experienced knitter, I decided I could easily do it freeform. My only intentional deviation from the film version was to reduce the bulk somewhat, for a more figure-flattering garment.

I adore this photo. It really captures the rustic halo of the yarn.

The yarn is Istex Bulkylopi. At 60 metres to 100 grams, it is, in fact, very bulky. I feel like the Icelandic breed, being a hardy sort with many primitive characteristics, would be far more likely than the Merino to survive in a post apocalyptic future. I used a size 13 needle and varied my gauge as needed using my tension rather than needle size. The neck loops are made from braided strips of recycled sari silk from a woven rug my bastard dog attacked, crocheted over with wool. The silk adds tiny pops of colour that I really enjoy, and because it's very lightweight and flexible it makes the cowl more wearable than the rope versions I had seen other knitters make. I also felt like brightly coloured silk, recycled twice over, added a bit of the feel of the Capitol and its relationship with the districts.

The cowl is predominantly herringbone stitch, knit flat and seamed, with lots of crocheted bits and bobs. I used stockinette to create shaping and textural variety in an attempt to simulate the amazing fabric in the original piece (which I really don't think is knitted or crocheted).

With the leftover yarn I also whipped up some over-the-elbow armwarmers fit for a winter revolutionary. I may put together a pattern for these at some point, but y'all are out of luck on the cowl.

All the photos (except the promo photo of J-Law, of course) are courtesy of Jeremy Clarke, who can be internet-found at jeremyclarke.org. I love the light and the texture and the snow! Some people just get how to photograph knits. Also my friend is a total fox and that always helps.

This project also helped me with my ongoing goal to read more, as until I made this thing I had never read the Hunger Games books. They took me just over a week, and only because I rationed them out so I could savour the story. The books were very powerful and evoked strong emotions, just like the best young-adult fiction should. Teenagers are overpowering emotion and revolution made flesh - they need books like this to fuel their fire.

What do you think of the cowl, dear readers? Would you make a freeform sweater thing? Would you wear this awesome asymmetrical piece of wearable art? What are your feels on Lopi yarn? Most importantly, on a scale of very good to completely amazing, where do you rank the Hunger Games trilogy?

 

Plus Sized Fashion - Your Sewing Machine is Your Greatest Ally!

I am sure you all know by now that I'm plus sized. Actually I hate that term. I'm fat. I'm also healthy and confident and body positive - three things that don't go hand-in-hand with weight nearly as often as you may expect. Sure, some days I hate my body - everyone has days. I have made peace with my curves, and that has been one of the most liberating changes of my life (another source of liberation? Did you know that nobody cares if you don't fold your T-shirts or pair your socks? You can just stick them in the drawer and nobody will be the wiser).

One of the drawbacks to being outside the "correct" size box is that great clothes are hard to find, particularly on a budget, and even more so if you don't live in an area that supports shops that cater to a larger size range. I love the idea of thrifted fashion finds, but it rarely happens here in Victoria, where I can count the number of shops with clothes that I a) want to wear, and b) fit into, on one chubby hand.

Long story short: I've taken things into my own hands. Knitting is my favourite method of making clothing, but it is neither practical nor desirable to knit an entire wardrobe. That's where sewing comes in. Most people will tell you that it isn't cheaper to sew for yourself. They haven't tried to buy a decently made dress in a size 22. This dress cost me approximately $24, including notions.

The fabric is a lighter weight decor fabric I got on sale at Ikea. It was a delight to work with, if a little heavy for garment use (but frankly too light for decor. What was it intended for??). The pattern is the BurdaStyle plus size Shakira Dress. This:

It's... really very, very ugly in that lumpy yellow fabric, but it looked like a very versatile basic pattern for $3, and I think it can withstand a lot of modification. There was an enormous amount of ease worked into the pattern - I had to take it in almost four inches from the size recommended for slightly bleow my bust measurement for a comfortable yet flattering fit. However, that means in a drapey fabric it could be made up into an entirely different thing! I love a basic princess seamed A-line and I'll definitely play more with this one.

The whole printing 50 pages and taping them together thing wasn't that bad, surprisingly, and I have a few more printable patterns in mind. And maybe I also bought fabric for them. I haven't done extensive garment sewing for years, because when I dropped out of my fashion design degree program in 2005, I experienced some pretty significant burnout. In fact, I've only just recently become interested in fashion again. I want to sew all the things!

So, do you sew, either in plus sizes or smaller sizes? I'd love to hear your sources for patterns and inspiration!

 

Enhancing the Stash. Again.

Hey everyone! First off - no update this week. Updates over the next four or so weeks are going to be sparse as I'm preparing for Fibres West and I need to keep a healthy chunk of my stock for the big event! If you are desperately hoping to get ahold of a specific base or colourway, please let me know, even if you don't see it in the shop. The store is well stocked right now - go have a look!

I wanted to share a little of the insanity that is my yearly December-January stash enhancement. With Christmas in December and my birthday in January, most of my yearly purchasing/gifting happens over those two months. I'm rolling in yarn and fibre right now ("rolling in" as in "I have a lot", not as in "I set it all out on the bed and then roll in it" - the felting, you see, is a risk I just can't take) and my two under-bed bins are OMG SO FULL. They're bulging in all directions and need to be wrestled under the bed because they don't fit. In lieu of a yarn diet I've just decided to knit more. That makes sense... right?

This post is massively picture heavy, so I'm putting it behind a break. Click for more!

2012 Goals: Crafty Edition

So, my list of craft related goals for the year is a lot longer than my life related goals. I think that's partly because my crafts have taken over most of my life.

 

• Make a patchwork quilt
• Learn some new knitting techniques (intarsia, double knitting, entrelac, afterthought heels, steeking, brioche, whatever).
• Knit Susan Pandorf's Evenstar shawl.
• Knit a sweater for everyone in the family (...cats excluded. Obviously).
• Set reasonable but ambitious monthly spinning goals through the LSG Spinners and Dyers "Spinning Asskick Club" on Ravelry. Score at least 80% every month.
• Participate in the Tour de Fleece.
• Spin more for the shop.
• Release at least one pattern design every two months.
• Make all three cross stitched Christmas stockings. About a third of one is finished as of the beginning of 2012.
• Knit enough socks for myself that I don't have to ration them or go barefoot (unless I want to).
• Use my crafty skills to make my home prettier.
• Learn to spin art/textured yarn.
• Fully restore and master the in's and out's of my Cowichan spinner. Make awesome yarn.
• Restore and reupholster the chair and ottoman in my parents' basement, thus creating an awesome knitting chair just for me.
• Don't overdo the Christmas gift crafting. Be sensible.
• Start some sort of project using sock yarn scraps.
• With yarn, try not to bring in more stash than is being knitted out. It would be great to be able to close the stash tubs and actually have the lids sit flush with the bins.
• With fibre, don't buy any more fleeces until the ones in the garage are processed. Work more with these fleeces. Occasionally buy a braid of something nice by a favourite indie dyer, but try to work with what is currently available.
• Knit what I want, when I want. Make things that make me (and gift recipients) happy.
• Crochet snowflakes for next Christmas.
• Learn a new craft. I don't have to keep with it if I don't like it - the learning and the trying of new things is more important.

Holy shit - long list is LONG. And it's not over. I want to knit 12 kilometres of yarn, and spin 5 kilometres. And I can totally do it. Totally. Maybe.

 

Well friends, what are your crafty goals? Do you set reasonable goals or just go crazy? Do you set them at all? Do they work out for you? Nosy me demands satisfaction.

 

Happy crafty new year!

 

Celebrate Color - A Craft-Along of Epic Proportions (with Prizes!)

This is a public service announcement to all my textile-crafty friends,

If you knit, crochet, sew, quilt, or embroider you need (I'm not joking - some things are needs, not wants) to get yourself over to Stitched in Color for the Celebrate Color extravaganza. In honour of the beautiful colours* of autumn, Rachel of Stitched in Colour, Emma Lamb, Mollie of Wild Olive, and Shannon of luvinthemommyhood got together to create this fantastic internet craft party. Write a blog post to show off your beautiful work, link your fall-colour-inspired projects up to the category they fit best into, and share the love!

Celebrate Color is also the home of some truly fantastic prizes. Dont believe me?

Exhibit 1; October's yarn category: Interested in a Jordana Paige bag? Maybe a kit from Tanis Fiber Arts? How about an entire KnitPicks Zephyr interchangeable needle set, or a tester set of each of their interchangeable lines? Or perhaps a skein of yarn and a pattern from me, Em of Everything Old? Maybe some Cashmerino sport from Sweet Fiber? These prizes are being split between two lucky winners this month.

Can we just all take a moment to say holy crap, and then cast on something awesome?

There are three more categories of unbelievably cool and generous prizes.

Just go. Grab a blog button, drum up some enthusiasm from your crafty friends, and Celebrate Color!

*Just so you know, I'm completely aware that I'm flip-flopping on Canadian/American spelling of "colour" - but I'm stuck. I spell it correctly, for me, but then the actual event is American and... let's just be forgiving yes?

Book Review: Contemporary Irish Knits by Carol Feller

I bought Carol Feller's Contemporary Irish Knits (published by John Wiley and Sons, 2011) as soon as it was available. I know there are buyers out there far less impulsive than I (sneaky sneaky Amazon.ca sent me an email when this book came out, and I couldn't help myself) who might appreciate a review, so I thought I'd share. Visit Carol's website, Stolen Stitches, to see more of the book and of her other work.

 

The Patterns:

I really don't think I could say enough about these lovely knits. I'd been watching them appear on Ravelry with great anticipation, and I got more and more excited as each one arrived in the list of new patterns. I think there is only one pattern in the entire book that I don't plan on making, and only because it's a skirt (there's nothing I feel sillier in than a skirt, except perhaps a dress). Feller is true to her Aran inspiration in the details of the patterns, but the styles are modern, fitted, and attractive. Her approach to traditional Aran cables is fresh and adventurous- the cables spring to life from simple ribbing before blending back into the fabric in the Killorglin jacket (this design, featured on the cover, was the selling point of the book for me); they frame pockets of lace in the Dalkey Cowl; they define the shaping of the Killybegs cardigan; and they peek out from pleats in the Tralee skirt. There are patterns for women, men, and children, and each design is extremely wearable. The children's knits look great for playing in, the women's knits are flattering and timeless, and the men's knits look like they'll actually, you know, get worn outside the house. There are several accessory patterns that would make wonderful gifts, but the focus is predominantly sweaters. The size range is fantastic - every single women's garment has my size, and then some!

The down side? I'm going to have to buy a lot more yarn, because I'm making sweaters!

The Inspiration:

Fellers goes beyond simply riffing on the standard of the Aran cable - This book is inspired by Ireland and its knitting traditions in every way. The photography is stunning (an important note - the poses are comfortable and natural and the sweaters look fabulous, proving that there are no design flaws hidden by uncomfortable fashion poses) and is entirely set against the backdrop of the Irish landscape. Another source of inspiration is contemporary Irish yarn, which defines that layout of the book. Each chapter is based around the mill that makes the project yarns. Each mill's history, specialty, and process is charmingly presented, and the yarns used in the projects are to die for. The history of knitting in Ireland is presented as a living, changing industry with a great deal to offer to knitters the world over.

The down side? My travel budget my have to cut into my yarn budget.

The Book Itself:

One thing I really like about Contemporary Irish Knits is its size. 152 pages and 20 detailed patterns, (with anecdotes, a good appendix, and lots of photography) fit in a book small enough to actually, you know, knit from. At 8" x 9" and barely 1/2" thick, the book is small enough to take on the go or even tuck into a large project bag, but the layout isn't cramped or busy. The appendix has a long list of clearly illustrated techniques. Several substitutions are listed for the yarns used, and a comprehensive list of retailers is given, should you wish to try these lovely Irish yarns. The patterns are clear and readable, with easily spotted headlines, large schematics, and charted cables. There's a succinct but informative section on fit, measurements, and ease.

The down side? I know it's a petty quibble, but I'm not a big fan of the font used on the cover and as the headings.

Verdict? Just buy it. The cover price is $24.99 US/$29.99 Canadian, but it was considerably less on Amazon.

Subversive Stitching - An Unintentionally Essay-Like Post Vaguely Not Safe For Work Or For Eight Year Old Readers Who Are Quite Sheltered And Whose Parents Wish Them To Remain So

In my short life I have run into several people who have insisted my textile arts aren't, in fact, capital A "Art". I'm the first to admit that many of the things I make are made artfully by an artisan, but fall under the practical category of design. But don't you dare tell me that I can't use my spinning, dyeing, knitting, crocheting, embroidering and sewing skills to produce "Art". Textile arts have been confined to the sexist realm of "made by women, and therefore not important" for centuries. If we  process our conception of "Art" through social filters built on a telling of history in which "Art" is only produced by men, of course textile arts will not be included. But why would we do that? What would we be missing out on?

Quilting is womanly, crafty, soft, and submissive. Embroidery? Keeps the hands busy while making polite conversation about marriage and babies. Knitting isn't feminist and is the bane of badass girl power. Right? So very wrong. Textile arts are coming to the forefront in a big way as more people accept that the history of art is not (and should not be) only populated by men who paint. Check out these women and men who are making artistic statements through textile media:


Lisa Anne Auerbach is a knitter who creates garments in response to a variety of political and social topics, from bicycling and road sharing to abortion and 9/11. Her amazing colourwork sweaters are calls to action, call outs (Calling outs? Callings out? Whatever), and warm, fuzzy protests that scream their message from woolen stitches.

Designing and knitting a sweater - a stranded colourwork sweater - even on a machine, is a big freaking deal. It takes a LONG time. Auerbach's sweaters are art objects in themselves, but I would contend that the act of wearing them is an art performance as well.

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"After six months held by the Nazis in a prisoner of war camp, Major Alexis Casdagli was handed a piece of canvas by a fellow inmate. Pinching red and blue thread from a disintegrating pullover belonging to an elderly Cretan general, Casdagli passed the long hours in captivity by painstakingly creating a sampler in cross-stitch. Around decorative swastikas and a banal inscription saying he completed his work in December 1941, the British officer stitched a border of irregular dots and dashes. Over the next four years his work was displayed at the four camps in Germany where he was imprisoned, and his Nazi captors never once deciphered the messages threaded in Morse code: "God Save the King" and "Fuck Hitler"..."

Read more about Major Casadigli's embroidery, and that of his son Tony, pictured above, in this awesome article from the Guardian.

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Another embroiderer, Julie Jackson, started her Subversive Cross Stitch company to share her "form of anger management therapy" with other stitchers. She sells kits, like the above Fuck Cancer kit online, and has a book of patterns out as well. As I was googling her site to snag a pic so you'd see how awesome this sampler is (it's the perfect combination of post-modern ironic snark, feminist strength, and refusal to become part of the pink-ribbon-cancer-romanticising/profiteering-machine) I found this piece by internet feminist icon Twisty Faster of I Blame the Patriarchy:

She describes her Frida Kahlo- esque piece thus:

"It’s a self-portrait in cancerbroidery, incompleted a summer ago as I recuperated from, and felt compelled to represent in a medium with which I was entirely unfamiliar, assorted barbaric cancer cures. I’m no embroiderer, but I can attest to the therapeutic forces contained in wool thread."

I really recommend her blog if you like your feminism served fresh, pithy, with no punches pulled.

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Visit the website of Shelley Hakonson, a Canadian artist whom I was privileged to know in my high school years, to see some more mixed media based work that still incorporates a great deal of textile art. Her artistic motivations and inspirations are as varied and complex as the materials she uses, and her embroidery skills are (if you'll permit me a short dalliance with adolescent slang) epic.

This Byzantine angel requires a much closer look to see the wry humour and pointed commentary stitched into the work. Go look at her website gallery for more.

 In other words, textile art is not soft or weak just because it's cozy and sometimes delicate. It's not just for women, and it's not just for men. It's accessible, it's both practical and whimsical, and it's something you can create from a place of great experience or none at all. So get out there and knit your ideals, quilt your pain, embroider your protests, crochet your life story, and weave your vision. Or just whip up a few gifts for family because holiday season is fast approaching. Your "Art" and your arts are both welcome here.

Links - Podcast Mania!

I have been so busy lately trying to get ready for Fibrations, and part of that preparation is getting as much handspun ready as possible. I'm also trying to get at least one more pattern published before then. Add to that the usual website maintenance and blogging, and as you can imagine I spend a lot of time parked on my backside, generally in front of the computer. I've started listening to loads of knitting podcasts to keep the whole experience less ...well... boring.

I haven't listed any Wednesday links for a while (I was hoping you wouldn't notice) so I thought it would be good to share my favourite knitting podcasts today.

The Knitgirllls is a great videocast and is very popular. It's like chatting with friends at knit night. I think this 'cast is set apart by how much fun Laura and Lesley seem to be having, and by its quality. They also have a big community on Ravelry.

Never Not Knitting is designer Alana Dakos' thoroughly enjoyable audiocast. I love that she interviews other designers. It's a very knitting and design focused show, with fun additions like 'knitting stories' from guests.

Just One More Row is another great audiocast. Dana and Brittany seem like really nice people, and they are very engaging. They talk about knitting and spinning, and their frank reviews are great. They talk about a lot of different patterns and yarns which is awesome when you are looking for a little inspiration.

Complex Texture is a weekly videocast, which happens to be by one of my favourite professors from university, Dennine. The real treasure in her 'cast is the 'footnotes' section, in which she looks at the textile arts from a more scholarly angle.

The Pagan Knitter is a new audiocast by Ursa, the mastermind behind Gaia's Colours, an indie yarn company that she has since closed down. Her recordings and editing are of wonderfully high quality. She talks about all sorts of fibre arts related fun, but also does a section on Pagan topics. She is very informative and well spoken. Both Ursa and Dennine of Complex Texture are local to me, which is fun (for me, and for you if you are too!).


Brass Needles is my new favourite audiocast. Miss Kalendar combines knitting with in-depth conversation about science fiction, steampunk, and general geekery.

What podcasts, knitting related or otherwise, do you listen to?

Street Art. On the Street.

So simple, yet so complex. Very cool. This has nothing to do with knitting or crafting of any sort really, but we all need a little variety.

Links: My Favourite Crafty Resources

credit

This Wednesday I though it might be nice to share some of my most visited craft resources. There are loads of fantastic sites that help me get ideas about what to make, but these are the ones that help with how to make it (and they do it for free). Obviously my list is a little knitting-centric, but so am I.

Get the links after the jump! (or if you're clever, suss them out from the pictures...)

Photography Tips from a Non-photographer

One of my favourite things about other people's craft and design blogs is the photography. I'm in love with colour and texture. It is so impressive when people are able to creatively display their work in a way that shows off these qualities, while also capturing the greater essence of an item, design, or experience. I make no claims of being a photography expert - I've known more than a few of those (both aspiring and fully realized) and I don't even begin to compare. F-stops and apertures and, well anything much beyond you will find considerably greater success if you take the lens cap off are way above my level of knowledge. I have, however, dedicated years of my life to the study of art and design. I'm not sure how one consistently takes great photos, but I can, without a doubt, tell a great photo from a mediocre one.

While some of the photos I have posted on this blog are less even than mediocre, my funny old digital camera and I get along quite well. It was given to me second hand, and I have dropped it from a fairly grand height two times, as of this morning. I take about 50 photos per photo shoot, and whittle them down to the two or three that I really like. My best advice to crafty folk who, like me, aren't great photographers but know great photography, is this:

Use the macro setting.

Something to Show

Hi!

I've been more than a little absent from blogland lately. Sorry. Like I said last post, Christmas presents kinda kick my ass time-wise, but I really love making them so I let the non-essentials slide. Yep, blogging is a non-essential. Unless it starts making me money that is; then I will blog till my fingers are blistered and my brain is empty.

Another problem with spending most of my creative time on presents is that I can't show them off when they are finished. It's terrible - I'm really proud of a few of the things I have made (6 completed items so far!) but right now it's all a big secret in case someone stumbles across their future gift.

One present that I am able share is a part of my sister in law K's Christmas present. She is on a mission for the LDS church right now and is therefore unable to see most of the interwebs, including this bloggy backwater. K is awesome. I don't know if she knows I think that - I guess I should write her and tell her. She's a really cool person and I wish I knew her better. She is a fantastic artist, and all the artists I've ever met need sketchbooks, so I made a book cover for her.

Isn't the fabric fabulous? I bought it from Fabricworm - beware, if you follow the link you may experience multiple fabric-gasms. Their selection of quilting fabric is toe curling. Oh and the prices are good and shipping is really fast, should you choose to consummate your newfound textile relationship.

Ok I'm going to stop comparing online fabric shopping to sex now. I'm neither as lonely nor as creepy as I sound.

And, because I know you still want to get into my head, even after the fabric/sex thing, I thought I'd share my post-design notes for this project with you. This isn't your grandmother's hand-holdy tutorial, beware.

You need:

• Fabric - I used 2 different fabrics but I don't care what you do. Well, I care in the sense that I think it's nice that you'd consider taking inspiration from something I made, but I'm not going to be hurt if you don't listen to what I tell you to do.
• Coordinating extra-wide double-fold bias tape.
• Clear vinyl. I used a bag that some baby thing-or-other was packaged in.
• EZfelt. It's a stiff felt-like stuff made of recycled plastics. I got it at Michaels.
• Fusible web (non-woven double sided heat fusible interfacing).
• Thread and stuff.

Ok, this is all you get. Use the pictures above, and your imagination, to get a finished product that suits your needs. I wrote this down so I would remember what to do if I want to make another one of these bad boys - my original notes were on a scrap of EZfelt.

My brain is considerably messier than my notebook.

Garden Update

Remember how my garden looked a little while ago? All scary and bleak and both empty and overgrown all at once is how it looked thankyouverymuch. I will now overload you with pictures, proving two things: that I love my camera no matter how old and banged up it is, and that my garden is now a very pleasant little place.

Check it out now! There's the main patio area:

The tree and flowerbed:

The cool pot with lots of lovely things in it:

And the bottom garden, of which I have no nice photos. But it's pretty!
It has fuchsias,

Some blue corydalis,

And a columbine that refused to bloom for ages and suddenly, months after its season ended, came out in flowers! I think it was supposed to be pink and white, but I'll take whatever it gives me. I'm just happy it bloomed at all.

All I need is a patio set so I can sit out there to enjoy it all, and I`m happy!

Bygone Days

Before I start, yes, I did change the look of the blog. I am just not feeling the neon purple lately.

This bible belonged to my great grandmother.

The inside cover is a work of art - a stunningly detailed ink drawing bearing her name and the date. The first time I saw it I was reminded of some stickers my mum had. They have a place to write your name under "this book belongs to:" and a nice picture of a duck. They serve the same purpose as a hand drawn inscription. Do they have the same value? Pshaw. Not even close. Then I thought of my own pocket-size hymn book. My name is stamped on the front in gold lettering - an attempt at personalization, perhaps, but more realistically a mindless mechanical process. The font is standard, the work is shoddy, and the outcome is anything but personal.

Without meaning to sound overly dramatic, I think that crafts and related creative pursuits have become a a thing of the past. By crafts I don't mean exercises for children involving popsicle sticks, Elmer's glue, and glitter. I mean objects with a purpose, created by hand, with both practicality and beauty in mind. I mean stained glass.  Woodcarvings. Embroidered tablecloths. Doilies. Handknits. Pottery. Furniture, Metalwork. Blown glass. Handmade paper. That sort of thing.

Thing is, you can still get all of these products. They are mass produced, cheap, and readily available. But, at least according to Me (the ultimate authority, at least within the confines of my own blog), these products lack love. They lack personalization. They lack any real value beyond that of the purpose they serve.

As many of these crafts have fallen by the wayside in light of easier methods of production, the skills required to produce high quality handmade products have also waned. They are not gone, far from it. My uncle makes stunning furniture. My father made a stained glass window. I knit. My friend sews. Another friend makes pottery. There is a thriving craft community on the internet. Thing is, many of these skills have been downgraded from valuable, marketable, useful outlets for creative impulses into 'hobbies.' How many times have I been asked "why  put in the time of knitting that if you can get it at Walmart for cheaper?"

My answer?

Because there is far more satisfaction in creating something beautiful than in buying a similar, mass-produced item. There is greater pleasure in buying a product made by real human hands, especially from the owner of those hands, than in buying something that has been stamped out and shipped worldwide. Human history is impressed on the objects a culture creates. So much can be learned from an ancient piece of pottery. The values of the era are infused into rococo furniture. Gothic cathedrals tell us the stories of the people who built them, used them, and paid for them.

What does our cheap, breakable, mass-produced furniture say about us?

So I Lied

I said I'd be posting more but the evidence suggests I am a liar.

In my favour, we found out shortly after the last post that we were accepted into a housing co-op that we had been hoping to get into for ages. So, the last weeks have been spent moving. I actually sort of like moving - I love the chance it gives you to go through everything and see what you have and de-clutter. I think I am the opposite of a hoarder - I get rid of everything I might not need, and then I ALWAYS need it later. Oh well, It gives me the mental workout of finding creative solutions for not having the things I need. Right? Yep.

So, I love this new place. J measures floorplans of houses for a living and he deduced that we have actually doubled our living space in this new home. We have a room for the baby, a dining area, so much kitchen storage, an outdoor storage room, and, I think best of all, a little patio with a garden plot! Come spring I will no doubt be posting the great backyard revamp (currently it is covered in moss, overgrown with plants that I hate, and generally a little inhospitable).

One thing I do miss, however, is the space the old kitchen had for spices. In memoriam, I shall post photos of my old spice-space. It was my domestic pride and joy. My little spice racks are still out though, which is some consolation.

 

 

The bottles are old chemical supply bottles that my dad acquired from the high school lab where he used to teach chemistry. If you are able to find things like this, I strongly recommend replacing the corks. You never know what was in an old bottle and you really don't want to eat some of it. New corks can be purchased at hardware stores, generally in the aisle of bulk bits-and-bobs. Be prepared for a shock, those things cost a FORTUNE.

I labelled my spices by choosing a nice font and colour and printing up a list of what I needed. I then stuck double sided mounting tape (the foam stuff) on the back of the paper where the words were, cut them out, peeled the other side off the tape, and stuck them on the bottles. Not very tricky eh? Thin double-sided tape would work just as well and probably get less damage over time (as it wouldn't catch on things), but I like the way the mounting tape looks. It is a great way to make labels if you haven't been blessed with one of those wicked labelling gadgets. Very cheap and easy.

RIP old spice display...

It's actually better for many of the spices to stay out of the light anyway, so my cupboard isn't all that bad, I guess.