Having watched HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ in June, I had to get some answers after that final episode of Season 1. And being a bookseller I was well aware that there were already 4 books in the series, with a fifth due in July, so I bought them all and proceeded to plough through them. Turns out I learned two things about myself: I am a slow plougher, and also a fan of alternate reality historical fiction otherwise known as Fantasy.

When I worked in a bookstore (as opposed to my current book biz gig that has me working from home), I would claim that I’m so not a fantasy person. And yet. I’ve read Tolkien. And ‘The Mists of Avalon’ (I was once a teenaged girl, after all). And just about all of Guy Gavriel Kay’s stuff. In fact I have an enduring, if cheesily sentimental, leftover teenage obsessive-fondness for his Fionavar Tapestry trilogy, the one with a dragon and a wizard and a red priestess and a white tree, the one that includes a rehashing of that old Arthur-Guinevere-Lancelot chestnut. Oh no, fantasy is so not my bag.

You know what my problem with the genre was? Its fans. Fantasy (and sci-fi) fans are a specific thorn in the side of any bookseller responsible for merchandising those sections. In the huge bookstore I worked in once upon a time, if a week went by without a complaint that we had shelved The Wheel of Time series with one book out of sequential order, well that would have been a gloriously irritation-free week. (I never had one.) They were always equal parts accusatory and condescending, as if it made me happy to cause them grief with my evil shelving skills, and wasn’t I a complete idiot for not knowing the crucial difference between The Riftwar Saga and The Riftwar Legacy and the Legends of Riftwar. Same author, same diff, was my own point of view.

(To be fair, customers who religiously frequented the ‘New Age’, ‘Business’ and ‘Self-Help’ sections were the ones who truly made me want to hightail it to the break room. My favourite customers? The ones who came up to the cash desk with a book from the ‘Erotica’ section hidden tidily under some blockbuster from one of those novel-factories like Grisham or Crichton, as though Grisham/Crichton novels are so powerfully anti-erotic they neutralize all possibility of any wink-wink nudge-nudge embarrassment or discomfort over the purchasing of smut. But listen: honestly, if you buy books, well, bless you. Whatever you buy, even if it’s a piece of crap and a sorry waste of a good tree, just bless you for keeping books around and authors writing, and for keeping the dying breed known as The Bookseller gainfully employed.)

But what I want to say to fantasy readers everywhere is this: I get you now. You are my people. I understand the lack-of-sleep eye twitches and the half-pajama attire as you arrive two minutes before store closing to purchase the next installment in a series because you can’t go to bed until you get some answers. I understand your need to discuss all those various convoluted plot twists and your meticulous theories on the finer points of the more obscure prophecies within a story, even if it’s with a clearly disinterested if not outright alarmed bookseller who really doesn’t know what the hell you’re going on about. I get it. I am one of you. I’m sorry for the past judging.

A Song of Ice and Fire is purely great storytelling, with lots of themes and symbolism you’ll recognize if you’re a history and/or religious studies nerd. And there are some great characters (and yes, dragons). Even the characters I was irritated by (I’m looking at you, khaleesi) were never completely boring. (But wow, the further along we go on Daenerys’ journey, the greater my hindsight sympathy for Viserys.) The true joy came when characters I thought I had pegged as one thing turned out to be quite another. I like nuanced, honest depictions of what humans are really like. None of this pure heroism or pure evil business. But fair warning to anyone considering reading this series: George RR Martin can be a cruel bitch of a writer. You can’t be faint of heart or twee and precious or you won’t survive him. You who already know what I mean, really know what I mean.

For a lark I searched “Game of Thrones” and ‘winter is coming’ on Etsy, to see what crafty fellow fans have created out of their own obsession with the series:

‘Fear cuts deeper than swords’ one of Arya’s mottos in bracelet form by SpiffingJewelry

SKULLbunz: Ah, Viserys, I think you got the shaft. Sure, you have rage and entitlement issues, and you’re equal parts bitchy and creepy with your little sister, but who can blame you, really?

A beautiful piece of jewelry inspired by Game of Thrones, from DanielleRoseBean

SavageSewing A seriously detailed hand-embroidered map of Westeros.

Another jewelry design inspired by the series, from GailWilliamsJewelry

HoneysuckleBlue ‘Stark’ sock yarn seems like a no-brainer. Winterfell is cold, and what cold people need are warm socks.

More inspiration for the fans who also knit: this laceweight yarn in ‘Riverrun’ colourway is from DefyGravity

CutItUp This t-shirt is my favourite find from the ‘Winter is Coming’ keyword search.

Enough said. Knitnut by JL

MyMuseJewels A gorgeous necklace inspired by House Stark.

Fencing & Archery A Stones, er, I mean a Stark sibling tribute on a tee. (By the way, where the hell is Rickon?)

SHow your true colours for Renly in this shirt by Janeille

I want these dragons from lamusekalliope. I need new juggling beanies.

I think the Stark words resonate with us Canadians especially (we understand winter dread). Bracelet by Foxwise

mycrobe The head of The Hound as a catnip toy.

Here Be Spoilers!

Go no further if you don’t want to know.

Hautezinger deftly marries Game of Thrones to Pulp Fiction.

theminiboss Xs for eyes mean he’s really, truly good and dead. You know it’s official.

The Infant of Prague

I like him for so many reasons, even though I’m not a doll person, nor Catholic. He’s just so charming, yet somewhat sad. And he’s barefoot.

The Bremen Town Musicians

My favourite Grimm fairytale, about social outcasts and friendship and reinvention and road trips. I especially like *spoiler alert* that they never even get to Bremen.

Dogwood flowers

It must be a born-and-raised-in-beautiful-British-Columbia thing, this love for the flowering dogwood. I don’t even know what Nova Scotia’s provincial flower is. Shame on me.

Fibre bracelets

I like fibre jewelry a lot, but especially fibre bracelets and cuffs.

Landscape paintings

Nothing beats a pretty landscape. Especially an empty one, with lots of sky. And clouds.

Birds

I’m hardly alone in my enduring affection for all things avian. Apparently, I really like blue ones.

Birdhouses

For all the real birds out there, blue or otherwise, who need homes outside.

Birch bark

Probably because I didn’t grow up with white birch trees, they really stand out for me now that I call Nova Scotia home. That bark is the tops, right up there with arbutus.

Ikat

My favourite all-time print. I like it even more than gingham or toile, which is saying something. And I like it best in grey and yellow.

Geographic locations that hold personal meaning for me

Vancouver Island, Prague, Norway, Nova Scotia (specifically the Evangeline Trail); I have an abiding fondness for all of these places, and I regularly search them as keywords on Etsy.

(Click each item to get to its listing page on Etsy.)

For one thing, knitting socks (or mittens or toques or slippers, you get the idea) in the summer months just makes more sense. I knitted a big wool shawl for my grandma’s 90th birthday in June, but even in May while I was knitting it, it was far too warm for all that wool to be laying on my lap. So I decided to focus on small projects, and specifically conquer my fear of sock knitting, a fear born when I knit my first ever pair (for B), which resulted in lovely socks, but also immense frustration and blisters for me. Wrong yarn on the wrong needles for the wrong pattern. Lesson learned.

So here are the three pairs I’ve made for myself so far (I have many more in mind! The goal is to have 7 pairs done before the end of September, when the cold returns):

Pair #1, using Kaffe Fassett-designed Regia sock yarn that I bought in a cute yarn shop in the old Eaton’s building while vacationing in my hometown of Courtenay on Vancouver Island. (Calling it the ‘old Eaton’s building’ surely dates me.) I used the free ‘Charade’ pattern by Sandra Park available on Ravelry. If you knit or crochet and aren’t on Ravelry yet, join! Right now.

Another view.

Pair #2, using Berocco’s Ultra Alpaca Light yarn and another free Ravelry pattern: ‘Duckies’ by Samantha Hayes.

Pair #3! I’m almost finished these, I have just the foot & toe of the second sock left to do. This is the most scrumptious yarn, Trail Sock Yarn (in ‘Wine’) by Nova Scotia’s own Fleece Artist. The pattern is called ‘Cherry Swirl Socks’ and is available for free on the Fleece Artist website.

Yarn. Boy, do I love yarn. I’m trying to keep my yarn-hoarding tendencies at bay, but it’s difficult with all this tempting, gorgeous yarn on Etsy. Shop names & links are below the photos; clicking on each picture will take you to the Etsy listing:

Million Tiny Fibers

Swift Fiber Studio

To-Ply Fiber Arts

Light Brown Hare

Sweet Basil Fibre Works

River Poet

Lola-Doodle’s

Raven Ridge Fiber Arts

Black Sheep Dyeworks

Here’s a quick game; without clicking the links, spot the Canadian shop!

I was right. “Late summer at the earliest” officially morphed into a “January 31, 2011″ start date right around Christmas. Needless to say, it’s exciting, but daunting. There’s always way more work involved in prepping the rooms for the work to start on time (we’ve hired pros to do the actual renovating). And there will be far more dirt and debris tracked on the stairs and through the front hall than even my over-active imagination can conceive of at this stage. Still, to have a master bedroom with storage and a walk-in closet and insulation in the walls…it will be worth it.

It should come as a surprise to no one who knows me that I’ve spent the last few weeks dreaming and scheming and bookmarking design and lighting supply websites. B and I want the room to be neutral and restful. No more bookshelves (they’re now in the second bedroom which, once the reno is complete and we move out of it, will become the Library/Guest Room). No more clutter. No more ‘dumping ground for things we can’t find homes for elsewhere’. We’re being ruthless. And today I chose the serene wall colour: Behr paint’s Perfect Taupe. It’s a warm grey, or greige, and it would make the following items look extra dreamy:

WhiteCotton25

I like simple cotton matelassé coverlets, even though I don’t have one. (Yet.)

PaulaAndErika

I’m inspired by this bed ruffle and may take the leap and make a tailored burlap bedskirt, if I feel my sewing skills are up to it.

SohoMode

This wool patchwork blanket is stunning. I would love to see it without the pinks, in more neutral taupe and grey tones like these:

KallistiQuilts

This is a pack of what in quilting terms are called ‘fat eighths’, which I could use to make something similarly patchworked and blankety, though probably nowhere near as beautifully constructed as the SohoMode blanket. But maybe a pillow?

helkatdesign

Or maybe I just buy one of these pillows. I’m especially digging the elk in profile.

Mexchic

No (Canadian, at least) bedroom is complete without a wool throw, for the foot of the bed or strewn over a chair.

Our Ikea bedside tables were the jumping-off point when it came to the greige colour scheme we’re going with.

HammerOnSteel

This lamp is perfect. We’re going with swing-arm oil rubbed bronze sconces above each bedside table, but this on a dresser would make me very happy indeed.

PigeonToeCeramics

This carafe with dual purpose lid/cup would make a rather sophisticated upgrade from my usual boring glass tumbler of water. The interior colour here is a paprika orange, but the seller makes them in all sorts of great colours, including a storm blue and dove grey.

RetroVintageBazaar

I need to keep pencils handy on my bedside table, so what better way to store them than in a roll-top Dutch-themed wooden pencil case?

twoguitars

And since I need something neat and tidy and pretty to write in, this little notebook would live on the bedside table too.

TheCornerStoreBK

Oh, the clock dilemma. Digital or analog? Electric or battery? Scratch that. Definitely battery. Five recent early morning power outages had me see the light on that one. The truth is, we rarely need to be up at a specific time since we both work at home and to our own schedules. Still, I can’t break the lifelong habit of needing to know the exact time when I wake up, and I just really like this vintage Westclox Baby Ben.

hold

B’s bedside table would definitely need something for all the change he empties from his pockets.

calloohcallay

As the bedroom is also home to a ceiling fan and a tv, this vintage sewing machine drawer would make a great remote control caddy.

CLUTTEREDmind

We don’t really need clocks on both sides of the bed. For B’s side, a barometer would be useful. I’m the weather-watcher of the two of us, but B’s the one who suffers debilitating migraines whenever there’s an extreme change in barometric pressure. This could help him see it coming, at the very least.

NikkiDesigns

We’re giving up on drapes, and I’m going to make roman blinds. Or failing that, I’ll put in an order with NikkiDesigns, because she obviously knows what she’s doing!

paintbox

We have two windows side by side, currently with a vintage rope-framed mirror hanging between them. The mirror will move to the walk-in closet, and this painting would be its ideal replacement. I think paintbox’s Etsy shop is my most-visited shop on Etsy.

JustUsBelles

A lovely chair could sit in the one empty-ish corner of the room, to hold that wool blanket, or a cat.

ing00te

These beautiful warm slippers could be waiting for me on the floor beside my bed every morning.

ShabbyChicFairytale

Set below the relocated rope-framed mirror, a table like this would come in handy in the soon-to-exist walk-in closet.

BerkleyIllustration

And seriously, this print framed and sitting on the little table in the walk-in? What better way to get inspired to put some increased effort into getting dressed every morning. He’s so dapper.

EthanOllie

To manage the laundry at the end of each day, a beautiful basket, which I would line with this pretty hand screen printed fabric:

OldGreyHouse

So that’s it for today’s bedroom daydream. There will be a whole new slew of grey and taupe and calm bedroomy things to search for on Etsy again tomorrow. And the day after that. And the day after that….

This brooch is from the Etsy shop Victorian Sentiments, and the stones around the central glass stone spell out “Regard”: Ruby, Emerald, Garnet, Amethyst, Ruby, Diamond.

The traditional words are quite lovely, “Regard”, “Dearest”, “Je t’aime”, so I decided to make my own modern versions in the form of my ‘stick’ (as I call them) necklaces, which I had been making using single stones.

An original “stick” design, using just amethyst beads.

“Regard”: Ruby, Emerald, Garnet, Amethyst, Ruby, Diamond

“Dearest”: Diamond, Emerald, Amethyst, Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, Tanzanite

“Je t’aime”: Jet, Emerald, (Blue) Topaz, Amethyst, Iolite, Moonstone, Emerald

While I like those three a lot, I decided that if my design was more modern, the words and sentiments could be too:

“Admire”: Amethyst, (Black) Diamond, Moonstone, Iolite, Ruby, Emerald

“Sister”: Sapphire, Iolite, Sapphire, Tanzanite, Emerald, Ruby

“Cherish”: Citrine, Hessonite, Emerald, Ruby, Iolite, Sapphire, Hessonite

“Respect”: Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, Peridot, Emerald, Citrine, Topaz

You can see from this photo just how delicate these little necklaces are, which I think matches the sweetness of their messages.

I’m sure I’ll be coming up with more words to turn into necklaces, but some letters are hard to find stones for. All I can come up with for “U” is Unakite, which doesn’t quite do it for me. “O” is proving problematic as well, mostly because opals are too expensive. It’s a shame, because I had grand hopes for “Cupcake” and “Porkchop” and “Gumdrop”. I haven’t given up on finding good “U” and “O” stones, but in the meantime, I’ve also been listing more of my toggle necklaces and hammered earrings, with more to come this week:

Please stop into my Etsy shop often to see the very latest designs. Thanks for reading!

I no longer use pre-made earwires or jumprings or headpins, I make these all myself. It’s just me, some .927 half-hard round wire, a hammer and an anvil (and safety glasses and earplugs):

I didn’t have time to photograph all of what I made, mostly because I always seemed to be making them in a rush to re-stock Angela’s display case, but they were all along these same design lines, so you get the gist.

These are the three pairs I made/kept for myself. The top two are with Swarovski rondelle crystals (in new colours ‘Air Blue Opal’ and ‘Cyclamen Opal’), the bottom is with a pair of gorgeous Paraiba Blue Topaz teardrop briolettes. I had been wanting to splurge and make something for myself using my birthstone, but I’m not overly keen on yellow topaz. However, blue I can do.

And now on to the knittin’.

I finally got around to photographing most of the projects I’ve completed since my last knitting update back on March 29th:

My pride and joy, probably because it took forever. The pattern was easy though, and free on Ravelry (the “Retro Style Knitting Bag”). It was just a lot of knitting, as the yarn was fingering weight. The vintage wood handles were picked up down the road at Summerhouse Antiques, and the fabric was part of a bundle of Amy Butler half-yards I bought a while back from an Etsy seller. Part of the reason this is so special to me is that I took it along to Norway, and a good chunk of it was knit sitting side by side with my knitting buddy Thea. I’m sure there are some of her blond hairs knitted in there, along with some Luci dog fur. The other part of the reason it’s so special is that, did I mention this already?, it took forever to knit.

I had different plans for this yarn; in a previous post I showed a picture of the pattern I wanted to make with this. And I did make it…twice in fact. And each time I hated it (on me). So I frogged it (again!) and knit up this easy summer cardigan, just in time for fall.

This is supposed to be an asymmetrical shrug, but I didn’t like the asymmetry, so I button it straight. A nice layer for cool summer evenings, though B says it looks like a handmade fishing net. I find that only adds to its appeal. The wooden buttons were a Frenchy’s find.

This is the “Dandy Scarf” I also mentioned in a previous post. I think it’s just super. It’s made with Fleece Artist sock yarn that I got on sale at the Gaspereau Fibre Shop.

This is the second Circular Shrug that I have made for myself, this time with Briggs & Little Heritage yarn. It’s easy because, as my friend Sarah pointed out to me, you need one skein for the first bit of 2×2 ribbing, one skein for the 1×1 ribbing, and one more for the second 2×2. And that makes for easy row counting and for a relatively inexpensive shrug since Heritage yarn is about $5-$6 a skein. I made one for Lara’s birthday, and one for my mom’s birthday this summer too.

A month ago I got stuck making fingerless gloves. I made 7 pairs, one right after the other. It was a solid week of fingerless knitting. I think B was a bit worried about me. This pair is made of Noro Kureyon and is the pair I’m keeping. I dig Noro.

This pair has cables, and I made ones just like these for my mom right after I made my first pair for my friend Sarah’s birthday. My mom watched me make Sarah’s and promptly put in her order. These ones are either for me or for future gifting. Act surprised if I send these your way.

I want to make a Striped Noro Scarf (like this one) out of Noro Silk Garden, but 4 balls of that stuff is quite a chunk of change. So until I pony up the money for the yarn, I used some Noro scraps (some 267 Silk Garden from the first hat I ever knit, and the rest of the 195 Kureyon from the fingerless gloves) and did a basic, striped, 2×2 ribbing unisex hat. It’s meant to be shared by both B and me, but since he saw it on my head first he now fears it might be “kinda girly” on him. Please.

My favourite hat to date, knit using yarn I bought in Røros, Norway. The pattern is “Dogwood Hat” and it’s free on Ravelry too. A great pattern, with really clear instructions. It will look even better and less wonky along the edge once I block it but I just couldn’t wait to photograph it. Now I need to knit some mittens to match it.

The current work-in-progress, the Every Way Wrap from Interweave Fall 2009 magazine. When it’s completed it can be worn sort of like a shrug, or just like a shawl if I pin it, or like a plain old big ‘n’ chunky scarf. The yarn is so soft and plush (Knit Picks City Tweed DK, if you’re wondering), but it’s taking me forever to knit because of the intricate reversible cabling. I have about four or five projects for myself that I want to complete this fall, but none of them will be quick. Apparently I can’t go for just the basic pattern anymore, I have to challenge myself with cables and lacework and Norwegian two-colour stranding. Which is fun, for sure, but oh so time-consuming. I may never blog again as I’ll be too busy knitting…to say nothing of knitting/making Christmas gifts…well, it seems I have some work to do so I’d best be on my way. Ciao.

The Rings:

Bella-Bijou Jewellery

Blue Zinnia Designs

Two from Vivian Gaston Designs

Sandy Toes Jewelry

Joslin Streich Designs

Sasha Bell Jewelry

The rose gold:

Maria Burgos

Lauren Haupt Jewelry

Nanopod Hybrid Studio

Jenco Studio

Beth Cyr Jewelry

The Pebble Collection

tinahdee

Those few weeks of secret-keeping were some of the hardest ever; I couldn’t even blog I was so scared of spilling the beans. But it was totally worth it to see the look on her face! Poor kid joked later that she thought she might have had a little stroke, she was so gobsmacked.

I had the best time there, hanging out and sharing her life for 11 days. The greatest memories are of getting to spend a lot of time laughing with Lara, getting to know Morten and their kids better, meeting and walking their dog Luci, sitting around the dining table chatting, playing scrabble, reminiscing about our childhood and especially Lara’s mom Freddie. I got taken to some fabulous places, but what I loved most was hanging out with them at their house, shooting the breeze.

Norway, if you don’t already know, is a tad expensive for us non-Norwegians. But I had to get me some tangible souvenirs, because there are just so many gorgeous and traditional crafts and designs there. So my criteria was fairly strict: it would have to be made in Norway, handmade preferred, and be anchored to a specific Norwegian experience on my trip.

Lara & Morten have a few of these thick and lush wool blankets that I fell in love with. They’re made by a company called Røros-Tweed, a woolen mill that dates back to 1939; all their blankets and textiles are made from start to finish in Røros, a small mining-town that is now filled with craftspeople and charming small shops (it’s a UNESCO world heritage site, just like Lunenburg here in NS). Lara and I took a road-trip there and stopped at the Røros-Tweed factory outlet store where I snagged this gorgeous polar bear throw. It’s a thoroughly Norwegian treasure, AND it was a true bargain! Freddie would have been proud. As you can see, Monkey has claimed it.

This is a traditional pottery style from the Trøndelag region of Norway, and I saw a lot of it around Trondheim and Røros. This particular bowl comes from artist Elin Aune’s shop in Trondheim; Elin is a sixth generation potter from a family that have been creating these ceramics since 1797. This bird bowl was what I got for B (along with some Aquavit), and he loves it. When we go back to Norway together, this will be the stuff we fill our suitcases with.

Another Elin Aune treasure, a small bowl to hold my rings.

I found some charming ceramic and brass knobs to replace the mismatched wooden knobs that came with my office armoire. Now I get to think of Lara & Norway every day when I sit down to my computer. Sweet!

Speaking of sweet, Freia is seriously the best milk chocolate I’ve ever eaten. B agrees. Lara sends us some every Christmas so I went to Norway knowing I would be bringing home a lot of it. I brought home 10 big bars… and it’s almost all gone. Time to get serious about planning the next trip to Norway.

My mom went through a tole painting phase in the early 70s; in particular I remember a big clock she made for my Omi that I always thought was the most beautiful clock ever. The Norwegian tole painting technique is called rosemaling, and I just had to get a piece. I picked up this spoon while visiting the island of Tautra. It’s by an artist named Sigrun Dahlen who lives and works in the town of Frosta.

On my last full day in Trondheim, Morten, Lara, the kids and Morten’s mom Elfrid and I went out to Tautra and visited the Cistercian monastery there (both the new, highly modern cloister and church, and the medieval ruins of a stone church). The nuns of Tautra Mariakloster make some amazing soaps, so being the soap nut I am, I loaded up. They smell incredible, and look at that packaging. So pretty.

Obviously, I saw a lot of Norwegian knitting. And it was all incredible. Just amazing! I could have spent a small fortune. Instead, I studied a few pieces and decided that I would learn how to knit my own pair of mittens. When I got home I ordered this book online, and these will be my first attempt at traditional Norwegian two-colour knitting:

I’m feeling oddly confident. I’ll post the results once complete.

As with all traveling experiences, the best souvenirs are the ones that can’t be bought. Lara showed me a memory box that she has filled with mementos of Freddie. I remarked at how beautiful this pin is. It’s the Trondheim Rose, which is on the Trondheim flag and is an architectural detail I spied on many buildings. Lara gave it to her mom years ago and Freddie wore it on her purse, every day. It chokes me up to think that Lara wanted me to have it, because it represents so many things to me, chief among them the love between Lara and Freddie. Add to that our 35 years of best-friendship, the fact that Freddie was my mom #2 and I was daughter #6, and now add a big dash of Trondheim memories, and you can’t fail to see why this pin means the world to me. So now I wear it on my purse. Every day.

I’m ending with the first souvenir I got, which Thea made me on day one of my visit. That’s Thea in red, Lara in the middle, and me sporting one very cool outfit. It reads, “To Jo, It’s so fun to have you here. Love Thea.” I mean, come on. How sweet and cool is that?! As an added bonus, the top right corner is wrinkled and smudged because Luci the dog snatched the picture from Thea as she was presenting it to me. Bad dog! (But really, it has become a great souvenir of Luci too. Good dog!)

My friend Angela is back from her world travels and is readying her shop for the summer season. I need to make up some fresh pieces for her, so to get the creative juices flowing I’ve been trolling my favourite site for beautiful jewelry design. And I think it’s working; I keep eyeing my hammer and anvil and bead stash while I type this.

No detailed captions are necessary here, though I will name the shops and, as always, clicking the picture will take you to the item’s listing page.

Elizabeth Scott Designs:

Lila Ruby King:

Kathi Roussel Jewelry:

Smashing:

Michelle Chang Jewelry:

Round Rabbit:

Quench Metalworks:

Sarah Hood Jewelry:

I just have to end with a shout-out to all of these artists for taking amazing photos. They’ve made this post look really good!

I’ve also been writing up plans for a few sewing projects, along with plans to set up an actual hide-away sewing station in my bedroom. To say nothing of the myriad plans for our garden. So many hostas to divide, and soon there will be so little time.

Etsy Dream Outfit (if I had someplace mildly fancy to go):

Silver Vine Studs by lilarubyking

Indigo Denim Fiji Dress by modaspia

Stack Bangle in Sterling Silver by michellechangjewelry

Library Clutch in Steel by hardsugar

Medium Heeled Clog Sandal by rabiahhodges

Notions of Sewing (stuff that inspires me to bust out the Janome):

Vintage Large Smokey Shell Buttons from MyVintageAddiction

Vintage 24 Shell Buttons on Original Card from oritdotan

Vintage Painted Leather Buttons from corrnucopia – I bought these!

Japanese Lace Zipper from buttonsandsuch

Remnant Bag from repeat; these would make the best ever patches for my gardening overalls.

Mud Room Dreams (there’s really no call for a lamp in our mudroom, but this lamp is so cool):

Blue Navy and Natural Nautical Stripe Ticking Fabric from terireeswang (to make a curtain for the pantry)

Upcycled Cabinet Door Chalkboard by ShabbyChalks

Vintage Candy Dispenser Lamp by faithfulroots

Stuff I Made! That I Can Wear!

Saffron Sweater Coat from Rowan New Shapes, knit with Rowan Ribbon Twist in Oatmeal.

Cocoon Cable Twist sweater from Haiku Knits, done in Berocco Cuzco in Oliva.

Balthazar Vest from Twinkle’s Big City Knits, done with Brown Sheep Company’s Burley Spun in Jack’s Plum.

Transverse Cropped Cardigan from Interweave Knits magazine, Spring 2010 made with Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool in Nature’s Brown (I used the two smaller leather buttons I bought from Corrnucopia on Etsy, shown above).

I’m taking a short break from all the sweaters to knit this: The Dandy Scarf by presentsknits

And then it’s right back to sweaters, woo! I just bought this pattern from SarahMontie on Etsy:

And I’ll be using this Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton in Jasper, with the four larger leather buttons from my Corrnucopia purchase:

Have I mentioned the 12 books that I want to get through before summer starts? Perhaps I’ll leave that for another post.