6 fest, more things and knitting and stitching

In the build up to the knitting and stitching show, I got my new feather cushions online. I'm loving the pink and red for the robots, and I'm thinking it might make a good colourway for the slippers too. I've had requests for girlier slippers and would love to grant them.

The Knitting and Stitching show was mad, I'm still recovering! In the course of it, I met too many crafters to mention in a skim through list, hopefully in time I can mention them all. Lauren of Stitch London (formerly Stitch and Bitch London, one can only assume they ran out of things to bitch about and just concentrated on the craft in hand), who said some lovely things about my work here.

I'm mulling over the idea of creating some knitting patterns, hopefully not too complex, which is tricky, as a lot of my processes are a bit complicated, for example, the stuffing of the digestive is a very delicate procedure which I often have to do twice. Small knitted biscuits are ten to the dozen out there, so scaling it down is not an appealing option either.

For the record, I'm blogging more personal (but not too personal) entries here and I'm aiming to update in a more official format on my news section. That said I've bought the stuff they use for slipper socks to put on the soles of my booties & slippers, so they'll be suitable for the running children and unsteady old folks.

In other news.

My nephew can officially say my name and said "Happy Birthday Sarah" to me over the webcam. He didn't say "belated" but he did get out the blanket I made for him when he was born and sat with it on his lap running toy cars over it. It is nice to see him enjoy something I made for him and I'm really glad it's part of his everyday life, as opposed to sitting in a cupboard as a keepsake.

I managed to find time to go to 6 fest. It was awesome, and definitely a reason for being on twitter! Highlights included: Metronomy (cool), Sweet Babou (indie), Adam Buxton (hilarious), Modified Toy Orchestra (edgy) and the Jim Jones Revue (loud). Modified Toy Orchestra piqued my interest in particular. The clue is in the name, but more so than you'd think. They don't use synthesisers, just the sound the toys make, amplified. I think it's more complicated than that, the sound is darker, more beautiful and less "quirky" than you'd think. Check them out:

Black Star (Live Hong Kong) from Modified Toy Orchestra on Vimeo.

Joseph Mount of Metronomy described the even as looking like a disaster shelter, referring I think to the diversity in the crowd, or maybe the fact that we looked like we'd just walked in off the street. Anyway the atmosphere was fabulous and wholly joyous at saving 6 music, which was a wonderful boost in my otherwise relentless mission for the show.

Goodnight Friends

Better Pictures

Hello

I have some better pictures of the slippers:

 

 

 

I'll be at Greenwich market on the coming Saturday (26th September).

Then I will be at the Knitting and Stitching Show 7th -10th of October at Alexandra Palace. You can get tickets here:

After that I plan on being at Greenwich Market every Saturday until Christmas

Coming Soon:

Mittens

New patterns for baby booties

Square Cushions

 

Things that are broken...

To get the gripes out of the way first, here are the things that are broken in my life:

• Bike. The bike was fixed then broke again quite quickly. (edit: my dad has fixed it)
• Sewing machine. Well, it still works but i keep getting electric shocks from it. Nothing mental, just enough to give me a slight aversion to sewing machine needles.
• Camera. Yes this thing is dead.
• Memory card reader
• (edit) I knew there were more things! Headphone set one (Sennheiser) - One ear functioning. Headphone set two (Boosted Sashimi cutest headphones ever) balances to the left or the right but scrambles when set in the middle. Thus can only use on a computer and not with the ipod.
• My external hard drive disconnects itself as and when it feels like it.

Culture

• Toy Story. Laughs (check), Heart (check),  Call backs (check), Peril (Double Check). Didn't need to be in 3D though. I prefer the storylines to have dimension *snort*
• Henry VIII at the Globe. Codpieces (check), Lots of storyline involving the dissolution of the Catholic church in Britain and the birth of Elizabeth (check), Evidence why it is not a very famous Shakespeare play (check), Giant interval brownie (Double check). 
• Welcome to Thebes. This really was a striking play - lots of poetic Shakespearean language and plenty of Greek mythological references (some stories from Ovid, which made me happy), but enough straight talking to anchor down any lofty pretension. Quality play. 
• On the Telly I have been watching the repeats of Cowards. I know I have caught this before, but not seen every episode. I love how Henry VIII carries a chicken drumstick, and the caravan sketches are hilariously endearing
• Him off of Cowards has a blog with a video/song about Neighbours Sexual Fantasies. I want to link it to the Homeandawaybours website, but i'll write this instead. 

 New stuff.


There are lots of New Things over on my website. But right here I have uploaded a second rate ill thought out animation I made in Canada but didn't do any sound to. Enjoy its poor quality and odd storyline.

Folksy Front Page

Hello All. 

In case you haven't seen, I've been updating my website lately. The slippers are up there, all ready for Autumn and Christmas and I have been a busy busy bee (woodcutter?) getting things done.

I also noticed some folksy stirrings and realised the pink wafer had made it to the front page under Featured Goods. So props to Becca at EASTLANDme and Selki at it belongs to turtle. And thanks for letting me know about it!

Also zips arrived today for making little bags and the patchwork bags could well get photographed.


Saw my little cousins at the weekend. They are growing up and now they are into Horrible Histories. I think I should give them my books but I still sometimes* read them. On a less shameful note, anyone else noticed how the TV show has become something of a cult hit?


Dare I say it could be this generation's "Maid Marian and her Merry Men"?

More things.

I went round to roz's house for a cup of tea and to borrow her teapots to photograph my teacosies... the catch up was lovely Roz has been working on some new sketches and painting, but I accidentally left my camera in a black and white setting rendering the photographs defunct. Oh well

Over at folksy, I set up an online store and took some more successful pictures. Ho ho ho, the biscuit doesn't fit in the cup.

Those slippers what I told you about are over here. Yeah.

Update Update

  

why do the i-pad adverts sound like a male grooming product? is it because i-pad sounds like a lady's hygiene product..?

many congratulations to my lil' sister sheila who got a first in her Psychology degree. Very proud of you!

Tenerife supplied sun, sand and plenty of time to start Ovid's Metamorphoses. I'm about a third of the way through and enjoying every minute of it. 

InSeine, Winner!

Paris was wonderful. The centre, unlike London, is walkable, so one can take in a jolly amount of scenery, absolutely stunning architecture with a slowly matured cultural aesthetic which, if it were a cheese, would be very smelly indeed. Incidentally, it is quite smelly. Seemingly the word for pavement might be synonymous with the word of urinal but i have no evidence to back that up. A word of caution - it's really easy to eat unhealthily in Paris. Way too much wheat and sugar based delights washed down with lovely coffee. 

Highlights include walking around the far west of the city looking at houses by Le Corbousier and others, eating macaroons, walking next to the Seine, going up the Arc de Triumphe (hint: free for 18-25 yr old EU citizens). Viewing the Mona Lisa behind a million glowing mobile phone screens was a bit futile - knackered anyway by this point so no huge loss. 

Moving On!

I can't find my camera right now (it's kind of broken anyway, causing a little huffing in Paris), but I have made some lovely new baby booties. I'm thinking they'll be a good autumn/ winter product, important because.....


I will be exhibiting alongside the craft guerillas at the Knitting and Stitching Show in London - at Ally Pally in October. Back in March they ran a competition for stall space, and I was selected. It's not something I can currently afford (or would like) to do on my own, so this opportunity to get my name out there and network with others is very welcome, and I am super happy.

In the bullet point round up:

• It is sunny. Which means having a workspace by the window is a double edged sword. On the one hand it's nice to have the sunlight come in, on the other the temptation to go frolic is just that bit too strong.
• Louise wangled tickets to see Wicked. Fabulous costumes, really truly, every chorus member, the smallest part, all dressed delightfully bizarrely. Masterful scenery and scenes changes.

• Saw the News Quiz live. David Mitchell on good form. I want Sandy Toksvig to be my Auntie. No family event need ever be dull again. I wish I had a voice like Charlotte Green's. I was in awe. 

I have to cut this short and go. Bye bye bye 

Election Smellection

Hello - lots has happened. But I don't want to title every post with "Update" so I went for something topical. With opinion pouring out of the internet (and my mouth), I don't think I need to add anything misguided here. yet.

So I met lots of wonderful crafters and artists two weeks ago at Stour Space. Nice little market with good people (Hello) - I recommend you check it out, it falls on the last saturday of every month and it's in Hackney. I can't make May, but I will be there in June and July when I can get there more easily by train.

Have some new products to coo over!

(Awesome) Socks not included. I've been working on a nice new felted design for slippers. I've got about 5 test piece i've been strutting around the house in and working on the style, fit, etc. Don't worry, the test pieces won't be for sale - but I'm progressing towards an option for a totally bespoke slipper to fit your feet exactly.

• In other news:
• If I met anyone at Stour Space and I wasn't smiling, it was due to some hectic tooth pain going on. My dentist (props Dr Ahmed) removed the offending wisdom tooth and did a very good job too. Vive la NHS.
• A friend of mine pointed out that it is more productive to get involved in our communities instead of trying to elect a colour which would change the nation. I thank him for his advice, and would like to highlight this website. If you feel a bit depressed about the election, and, like me, feel a little bit like you hate everyone sometimes, I think this helps build a little positivity. 
• I'm going to Paris this weekend! So look forward to a parisian blog on Tuesday.