Studio Monday

Emily J. Snyder has been here all day, and it's been great.
She worked on her website for Queen Quills while I finished her sweater.

When I started doing drawings for New Land of Milk and Honey a year ago, I had a lot of different ideas in mind as we hadn't completely fleshed out our concept yet.  This was one of the sketches I did, which was intended to be a combination of sweater knits and neoprene.  Since NLMH has had a full year to percolate, a lot of things have changed and some of the original fabrication choices and aesthetics don't sound quite right to me anymore.  So here is the full knit outfit loosely inspired by the original illustration.  There are still a few final touches that need to be made, and more things will change I'm sure, they always do. 


Multi-Color Variegated Stripe Leggings + Raglan Fairisle and Stripe Sweater, Modeled by Emily Snyder

Costing Nightmare

As I was knitting these pants, I couldn't help but think about what a costing nightmare they would have been at Target.  I learned all sorts of things about stripes while designing classic mens knits and sweaters.  These stripes are engineered, as in they have a specialized placement that is non-repeatable, which in a mass market retailer means a lot of extra cost in the garment.  There are also feeder stripes which usually have a repeat that is less than two inches, and auto stripes that have repeats larger than two inches (these specifications vary with vendor and manufacturer). 

Color minimums would be another cost issue with these leggings.  The manufacturer making these would have to order all of the yarn colors, no matter how little a certain color is used.  We all know that buying in bulk is cheaper, and this garment would provide little opportunity for leveraging a main yarn color.  Other things like stripe matching, pattern grading with size, and labor would also increase cost.  It's a good thing I'm not trying to design these leggings for Target, because if a reasonable price can't be negotiated the style gets dropped and will never be put into production. 

I think I avoided stripes while learning to machine knit because of the long history I had with them at Target.  But, I like stripes.  A lot.  So I will make them and not worry as much as I used to.

KNITTY CITY

Minneapolis is getting cold, cold, cold.

It was bound to happen sooner or later.  I finished this sweater just in time to greet the first nights of below freezing weather, and to cheer me up after watching The Road.  Things are rather rosy and cozy in our workspace these days with lots of coffee and homemade soup.  Yum!

This sweater is a combo platter of multi-color fairisle patterns with raglan sleeves and 2x2 rib cuff and hem.  The neckline is rolled jersey with little yellow v-notch for a sporty touch.  This piece was a test in pattern matching, specifically along the raglan seams.  Matching the patterns while hand-linking all of the panels together is very time consuming, but theraputic in a way.  It's also very quiet because it doesn't require moving the carriage on the machine, which I'm sure is a real treat for anybody that is used to enduring the constant grind of cams, levers, needles, and yarn.  My mother told me to start wearing earplugs.  She is a smart lady.

A Rare Wisconsin Gem

Avalanche Looms is a beautiful store and workshop, deep in rural southwest Wisconsin.  This is a lovely area of Wisconsin, and very near to the place I call home.  Susan Johsnon is an exquisite weaver/fiber artist, and the owner of this magical shop.  My family has known the Johnson-Arnold family for many years, and they have always been a creative inspiration to me.  I had many art classes with Susan's daughter, Sofia, when I was in high school.  We played pick-up sticks a lot, and I think I remember her making a painting once of David Duchovny dreaming of a salad.  Sofia was also responsible for creating and distributing "PRO SEX" buttons at our school.  I wore that button until my sophomore year of college, when it fell off my backpack by an Einstein Brothers Bagel shop.

Avalanche Looms was the first place to carry any of my creations.  I took up hand-sewing during high school (circa 2000) and started making handbags out of recycled materials under the label, "OLD BAG."  I made funny labels with a grumpy old lady wearing a silly hat, and my slogan was "Don't be an OLD BAG, Just Carry One."  Susan carried my handbags in the shop until I moved to Minneapolis.  I think I sold two.

I had the pleasure of visiting with Susan, Sofia and Daniel during my holiday visit to Wisconsin over the past few days.  This family is truly an inspiration to me, and I have dreams of one day retreating to the wilderness to create work amidst trees and streams in a beautiful valley, just as they have done for so long.


Avalanche Looms Shop

Avalanche Looms Shop and Front Counter

Susan's Workshop

OLD BAG Handbag from around 2000 (Child's Bathing Suit and Tulle)

Happy Heart

Unemployment has been treating me well so far, and I am happy that this opportunity has finally entered my life.  It may be short lived, but for right now I am thrilled with having a focused mind in my own work.  Waking up in the morning feels much different, knowing I do not have to walk through the halls of Target, dodging rolling racks and foam core boards.  I can have my morning dose of folk music, coffee, and feel at ease with the day ahead.

On Monday and Tuesday, I knit this pencil skirt, inspired by the very primary weekend I had with New Land of Milk and Honey activities.  For the past few weeks, I have been challenging myself to work with fewer colors in pattern work.  This look demonstrates the power of the edit, with two color patterns in the hat and scarf, and only four colors in the skirt.  Sitting behind the machine waiting to improvise the color and pattern sequence can be overwhelming, and even with fewer colors, I still find myself unraveling enough rows to make another garment. 

I have had several inquiries about where these items can be purchased, and unfortunately, there isn't an easy answer to that question yet.  Send me an email if there is something you are particularly interested in and we can work together to make sure it happens.  Much needs to be figured out before any of these pieces will be readily available, so until then we will just have to fly by the seat of our pants.


Mini Cone Hat + K Scarf + Pencil Skirt - Modeled by Joy Janice
Merino wool and fine guage cotton v-neck sweaters for Merona at Target

NLMH Weekend

This weekend, friends of New Land of Milk and Honey gathered to celebrate the spirit of our community in a two-day session of meditation, gardening, music, crystal hunting, and field work.  This series of events culminated with a joyous party, Harvest Feast 2009, with the precious energy of friends and loved ones ever present.



Harvest Feast was a collective effort by many friends, with hearty dishes to be savored by all.  I feel so fortunate to have good friends in my life!  Everyone in attendance had a gift to share through song, speech, food, and spirit. 

"Today we gather in thanks to honor the light that lies within us all.  As we gather, we give thanks to the blessings of this quarter moon in our house of magic.  Here we gather in this moment, that which is eternal in each of us.  Yes, the answer is friendship.  Yes, the answer is love.  Yes, the answer is you.  Blessed be to you and yours."

Excerpt from Harvest Feast toast by AnnMarie Delathouder Freeman.



YES THE ANSWER IS YOU!

A Noble Babe is a Good Babe

Lindsay Noble is a good babe, one of the best, in fact.
Last night she paid me a visit and brought belated birthday treats, including a Tracy Chapman tape, corn on the cob holders, knit magazine delight, and a beautiful four color screen print of her own making!

We played a game of dice and then started dressing her up in some of the things I've been working on. The sweater is a vertical birdseye stripe pattern with raglan sleeves and 2x2 rib cuff, hem, and neck. The hat pattern is a backwards lowercase letter "k."

Lindsay is all ready to go to the Harvest Feast!