Sideshow Freaks and Knitting

Whether you live under a rock or not, I don't think it's easy to escape the news these days.  Personally, I try to strike a balance between listening to what's out there and completely shutting everything out - which I think most people try to do.  Though sometimes I just want to crawl under a rock, literally.  There is so much hatred and ill will in the world today, it's hard to focus on the good stuff, but I keep trying.  I'm very grateful I have a creative life because I think I might go bonkers without it.  My bliss lies in being in my studio, listening to Florence and the Machine, losing myself in crafty little details.

I've been extremely busy with designing and articulating a new frontier in my knitwear practice, which will hopefully end up as a small collection soon.  It's inspired by a good friend of mine who is an acrobat/contortionist with Cirque du Soleil, but more broadly it's inspired by circus sideshow freaks and performers.

But first, this is a nice vintage-y shot of two new designs I just finished for Willow Yarns:

The cowl is a merino/silk blend with lots of squish, and the belted cardigan is a linen/cotton blend that's just like a soft T-shirt when machine washed and dried.

If you don't know Willow Yarns, it's worth investigating their products.  Simple clean yarn at a great price.

I will be teaching again at Vogue Knitting Live in Chicago from November 1-3.  Some classes are already sold out, so if you're thinking you might want to go, it's a great idea to just commit.  You won't be sorry, it's an amazing event.

This little felted vest work in progress is part of my new frontier:

It's a wool felt vest with leather trim along the neck.  Exactly what you want to see pictures of while most of the USA is engulfed in a heat wave, right?  I'll post some photos of it when it's finished.  I don't think it'll make it into the final collection, but there's more where this came from.

I've recently begun embracing more of my creative side when working in my studio, and letting stuff just flower and become what it wants.  Hopefully more to come...stay cool!!