A child's world

This blog post must start with a textile crafty item before we get to the world of children: here are a few flowers, made of leftover Rowan Kid Silk Haze (see Medallion Wrap). The winter 2012/2013 has been unusually long and I felt I needed to hold some blossoms in my hands! The flowers are really easy to crochet (or knit): chain 30, turn work, make 2 sc in every chain stitch, turn work, make 1 treble into every sc, cut thread and weave in, roll up, pull bottom edges together and secure with some stitches and while you are at it add pearly bead in the center and there you go. I made a slip stitch chain (See this excellent Bosnian crochet stitch Tutorial) at the very edge with a contrasting color and some beads for extra dew-drop glam and to accentuate the spiral shape - click here to see the purple flower brooch as the final touch to a scarf. The flowers are For Sale - contact me and while you are reading on, listen to this alltime favorite: Petite Fleur, played by Sidney Bechet.

In recent years there were several trends, dare I say fads, of taking pictures from unusual angles. The Lomography craze, shooting from the hip and from all angles was state-of-art... for a while. Then the trend to take pictures non-stop with a Memoto camera, as if documenting every second of one's life, or rather every two minutes. This reminded me of the 15 minutes of fame, proclaimed by Andy Wharhol in 1968 - and this statement held so many interpretative options - especially the question of "What is fame?"Or even: "Andy Who?"

Our grandson Victor received a sturdy children's camera for Christmas last year. One might assume that a small child, not even four years old, would not be able to make pictures like adults do, chosing the object, the frame, focus etc. And what a surprise! Victor chose carefully, delightfully tried out angles and places and we found amazing pictures on that sturdy camera chip. First things first:  He took a picture of his face (above), of his his eyes and nose (below) ...

And then of his face, drinking juice through a straw, again taking a picture of himself just to see what he would look like drinking juice through a straw....

He fully understands the process, focusses the camera on what he wants to photograph, and expertly checks the result right after the click. And the pictures are literally taken at his level.

Maybe we should try more often to meet small children at their eye level, and it will be quite helpful to go down on your knees to share the child's view, it is truly a big world out there! Come to think of it: Easter seems to be a perfect time for that - crawling around on a level playing field under bushes looking for all those Easter eggs!

(For a nest chockfull of helpful knitting/crochet tips and tricks click here and go to bottom of post)

Noblesse oblige

This project suggested itself: I found some beige 8-ply cotton in my stash about the same time this potholder pattern from the Ravelry Projects page crept up on my screen. A nice waiting room project I thought and a short time later this pretty cloth emerged from the cone. It looked so fancy and noble that I just had to add some embellishment - and now there are little golden bullions or a bird leaving golden footprints wandering along the seam, from the bottom end right into the hanger.
 

 For the embroidery, I used my mother's 2-ply DMC cotton that was in her embroidery yarn box. This cloth turned out just too pretty to be a lowly potholder for wear and tear in the kitchen... it looks really too precious! So in honor of the International Women's Day - here we go from rags to riches!

The idea is from Michelle Gibbs, she saw the hotpad frequently on the Internet and finally sat down and wrote out the pattern, sharing it with Ravelry friends. It is soon available also in German.

How small, practical and ordinary things can suddenly take on their own beauty!

Pinterest

Literally Touring Countries and Continents

Writing a blog and visiting the blogs of readers can hold many unexpected surprises. It literally leads to new literary ventures and adventures. I would compare it to opening doors to unknown worlds, holding secrets yet unknown. It is a bit like working freeform - patterns and yarns fall into place in structures one would consciously never have planned before the yarn went into this or that direction.

Maybe I was always aware of the popular saying that there are 'so many books and so little time' because I cannot think of a day I did not read at all.  When I was much younger, in a pre-blog and pre-Internet time, my reading mainstay were books written in English by English, Australian and American authors, as well as books in German, this being followed by a distant second from ROW - the rest of the world.

Sometimes authors from other continents and countries caught my attention in the bookstores I frequented or in magazines I read regularly. And it was always a very enriching first experience of 'discovering' authors for myself, old and new, until finally the map of my reads showed a bit more of a global balance.

In January 2013 I chanced upon the lovely blog of Vibeke from Norway "A Butterfly in my Hair". This sparked my interest in more contemporary Norwegian literature, quasi on top of those famous Norwegian authors of old we had read in school and the inevitable all-Scandinavian specialty of crime stories.

 
Novelist Per Petterson was the first author I chose, reading his book "Out Stealing Horses" - a novel having won an incredible array of awards. I was sad to put the book down after I had read it - as if it held a golden bowl of beautiful phrases and story lines that had suddenly come to an end - but they will linger on in my memory for quite a while.

Per Petterson is a famous writer, his books are translated into 60 languages and his work has won many distinguished awards and prices. As I said: so many books, and such little time... But please feel free to add your favorite book in the comments box at the end of this post!

This post is for Vibeke and her beautiful blog, generously introducing so many artists from countries around the world.

Speaking of Norway - don't we associate cold and long winters with Scandinavian countries? And long summers with short nights, and the further North we travel the longer the days until the sun never sets...

The above shown muffs in my No Chill series are useful against winter chills. Two square modules are crocheted together - you might recognize the POP blanket pattern?

A warm fleece-type fabric is cut to size and sewn together, forming a tube and sewn invisibly into the muff as a liner, making it reversable. Just before closing the last corner, I stuffed Scottish sheep fleece into the space between liner and knitted sleeve. Finally I added the the ribbed ends on either side (k2, p2) as cuffs, finishing the edge with a crocheted picot stitch. [Some muffs are for sale - please contact me via e-mail].

Flying high with Hannah and her Medallion Wrap

Last year Vogue decided to publish a special Vogue Crochet issue. It is sold out but can still be bought in electronic form (pad or tablet). On the cover of the US issue was the Medallion Wrap (42 Motif Wrap) designed by Kathy Merrick. What a gorgeous wrap! I decided to splurge, use the original material (Rowan Kidsilk Haze) and went ahead.

Or so I thought. Reading crochet diagrams is not my forte, spoiled by easy-going freeform à la Prudence Mapstone, I usually just winged it, bullioned it and went every-which-way with my crochet. It took a while and a little bit of help from Ravelry's Maindruid in the Crochet en Vogue group until I had brushed up on my rusty crochet diagram reading knowledge but finally I forged ahead with making a couple of medallions with some stashed Rowan mohair to get familiar with the pattern chart, because mohair does not take kindly to being frogged (see my notes on Ravelry). Finally, I started with the REAL stuff, Rowan Kidsilk Haze. A truly exquisite yarn!

On finishing the wrap I realized that I needed a model to show its beauty properly. And true for both, the model and the wrap could not have found a better marriage. So on one very cold and windy day in early January, lovely Hannah Rose modelled the wrap on the very top of Clitheroe Castle (UK, Lancashire), chilly winds keeping people in their downy anoraks and coats while Hannah was smilingly floating along without even showing any goosebumps! Both the wrap and the model are taking wings, yes, miracles do happen! 

In fact, and there is no photoshop involved in any of the pictures: if you look closely, a-floating she is! She simply took off into the air with the Medallion Wrap, levitating like the famous witches of Pendle Hill.  What professionalism! But then, she has been modelling for a while such as for this fashion place (Just Vintage) plus she is used to being in the public eye with her music.  "The Remedy" is the name of her musical presence, teaming up with guitarist and photographer Elliott Dryden. In the following interview Hannah shares her views on modelling and making music.

Q: Laura Lauragais / A: Hannah Rose

1: Hannah, did you always love music and when did you decide to play an instrument, and which one is your favourite?

Hello Laura! Yes, I have always had a great love for music and have been brought up with a very musical background - Dad has always played guitar and Mum has always had a fantastic and varied taste in music, therefore leaving me with this incredibly broad and, I would say, uncommon musical knowledge, I love anything from Stevie Wonder to James Taylor. You can really hear these influences in The Remedy's original songs.

My first instrument was the violin and started to learn when I was just 6 - the reason why I chose it was because my mum had a gold charm bracelet and had a tiny violin charm on it, and well, I guess it just sparked my little imagination! A few years later I was bought a guitar for Christmas, but never really took interest in it for many years as I had such tiny fingers and because I am such a determined person, I used to get so frustrated by this! But, by about the age of 11, I really got into it and have never looked back. I do find the guitar infinitely easier to play, but I have a lot of emotional attachments to the Violin.

2) At what point did you think of making music a career and how did you set about this goal?

Ohh, only really recently - this past year it has really struck me that it is possible. It sounds so wrong finishing my A levels to become a full time musician! But, on a serious note, it is more than possible for me and Elliott to make it by playing at gigs and weddings, and we do not take it for granted at all that we have the best job ever. Music makes people feel happy and I love seeing this happen before my eyes. 

We've started taking every opportunity thrown at us - playing every gig we have been offered, writing our own stuff and playing covers that people WANT to hear, sometimes you feel like you're selling your soul, but that's just the music business. I don't long for 'celebrity', that's not what I want to achieve with my life, but I would love to be given the time to write and record our music properly and become recognised for our achievements, like Kate Rusby who is another great inspiration of mine.

3) What do you enjoy most: playing for a live audience, making a recording, just having a session and improvise?

I love, love, love playing live - there is nothing better when you capture an intimate audience and get to that point where you could hear a pin drop! Don't get me wrong, we have played in so many places; including in pubs when no ones listening, weddings, restaurants, cafes and we have even played to just one person! Every live gig is different and there is always something special and memorable that happens.

4) Can you tell us a little bit more about “The Remedy” and your partner Elliott Dryden?

Elliott and I have been together for nearly 3 years now, we met at Ribblesdale High School and I sat behind him in English and really liked the back of his head! Little did I know then what we would turn out to be…

We have been playing together now for about 18 months, but playing together just seemed the logical thing to do; I could play guitar and had just started to write my own songs and Elliott played the bass guitar - so we just started to learn a few covers together and something just clicked! We just know each other inside out and work so well together and even tell what each other are thinking (hence our newest song I wrote). We know what we have is special and why not embrace it fully and make a living from what we both are so passionate about? [If you are in the area: The Remedy play on 2 February at Backridge]

5) What are your plans for the future in your music career?

We have so many plans - nothing can hold us back now! We're going to attend wedding fairs and really focus and target ourselves at making someones special day that little bit more special! When a couple book us, we always ask for one a two songs that really mean something to them that we can play for them on their big day. The last wedding we did, we played in church and the Bride down the isle to Fields of Gold, originally by Sting and up the isle to Somewhere Over The Rainbow and I played it on my ukulele! It was a truly magical moment…

6) Your modelling job: did people just approach you (like I did) and asked whether you would model their product, be it clothes, hairstyle or other items?

I was first approached by Lisa Savage from Just Vintage (a vintage shop which is in the Ribble Valley) about 3 years ago - all I did was try on a dress in her shop and she just said "you look like my other model in that" and I've modelled for her website ever since! That's the only modelling work I've ever had, but it is a great experience, and I love doing it. It's like playing at dress up when you where little, it still gives me the same thrill. Plus, I really do appreciate everything I have to wear - yours Laura, being the most incredible thing I have ever worn! [Also see this great picture of Hannah modelling the wrap in the preceding blog post on Miracle Design - and visit Vogue Knitting's Facebook of Saturday 26 January 2013, posting a link to this post.]

 

 7) Do you actively pursue your modelling career as well and what are your plans?

No, I don't to be honest, I just love being asked to model - it's not the job people think it is, it takes confidence and it has done me a world of good. 

8) You are so perfectly natural, at ease and in harmony with what you do – what do you think is your secret?
You are too kind Laura! My motto is smile, enjoy every day and do all things in moderation.

Hannah Rose - a Model With Wings

This is just a preview for the next post, which will be released next weekend - many pictures have been taken, but selecting a few from hundreds of beautiful ones is indeed difficult!

See here Hannah Rose - truly a model with wings, a singer with a beautiful voice, and a wonderful person!

PS: I posted a long interview with Hannah, with a lot more pictures of her modelling the wrap - for reasons I don't know that particular post was constantly hacked and pictures disappeared so I finally did not repost it. If you are interested in Hannah Rose's musical career, please search for The Remedy or go to https://www.facebook.com/events/1855346958028842/. Don't miss it!

First time I saw the ocean...

In Japanese there is a wonderful expression: aaware. It refers to the special beauty of the volatile, transient: the cherry flower, the first snow, a shooting star passing across a nightly sky.
But as fleeting as it might be, its impression often stays on in our memory for a very long time.

Jorge Centofanti - The Golden Way

I was ten years old and stayed with my god-mother who lived close to the Dutch border. She was expecting her first child and I was thrilled that I could feel the yet unborn baby kicking inside the belly, and it was as if I had created a touching bond with the invisible child. My vacation with my aunt Luise was pure bliss and this blog entry is written in rememberance to her. She loved to laugh and tell funny stories, her southern Swabian dialect as strong as ever as if she had never left home. But instead of adapting to the local lingo and northern vocabulary, she introduced her own familiar dialect and expressions to the villagers, and the butcher, the baker and the lady at the garden shop, everybody smilingly added her vernacular to their own command of the language.

On a sunny day we went to Scheveningen. At that time it was an exciting excursion, involving hours of driving in a car and going "abroad" to the Netherlands at that, passports had to be presented and stamped at the border, a small suitcase was packed. And then, finally, the overwhelming first view of the ocean! It was more mighty and endless than I could ever have imagined. Nothing framed the horizon but the sea and sky. It was a windy day, the waves thundered in and the wide sand beach was glistening with the froth whipped in by the wind. The air had a taste new to me and when I had the first waves whirl around my bare feet it seemed like a miracle from heaven, so cool, so fresh and so much alive.

 

What astounded and fascinated me most about the sea were the many colors. I had vaguely assumed a blue like the sky on a summer day. But the variety and innumerable shades of blue amazed me and I still find it fascinating to stand at a beach and look out to the ocean and marvel at the ever-changing spectrum of shapes and colors.

 Looking out to the Boulevard Beach was the Kurhaus Hotel, maybe then as popular as it is today (see the present-day Kurhaus), and to my surprise and delight my uncle and aunt decided to have an afternoon treat at the Kurhaus, coffee and cake, and for me an incredibly tasty, thick hot chocolate drink. I felt like a million and as happy as a child can only be.
 The chocolate / cocoa brand was Droste, of course, the chocolate maker Droste famous for the visual effect on its boxes of cocoa, the socalled "Droste Effect" as shown here. Can you detect the many images each in a yet smaller scale? The site will take you further and lead you to the most interesting work of M.C. Escher and the Droste effect, and anybody interested in patchwork designs will find this a challenge to replicate.

When driving through the dainty Dutch villages I noticed that the windows were often dressed up with short lace curtains. There were even patchwork lace curtains, stitched together unevenly but still looking absolutely beautiful in my eyes.

I took home with me an experience and the memory of a wonderful day I haven't forgotten in more than 60 years, witness to the poem that True Happiness is the Absence of the Striving for Happiness (Zhuangzi). The day was simply magic.

I still love the color of blue with all its shades and in all its uses. Its history is fascinating, such as The War of the Blue - Indigo Versus Woad, and items dyed with woad into a lovely pastel blue are still made today in an area in France called Le Pastel (Lauragais) amongst other places. Blue is "azul" in Spanish and I named my shrug (see below) Azul, the lovely pattern Ovate is by Toni Gurbisz. The shrug Ovate is for Sale - contact me.

A favorite blue of mine is Lapislazuli, and I like to use it in combination with some yellow and green as in the Blue Morpho Papillon bolero.
 

 

 

Feel free to add your own story of how you saw the ocean for the very first time!

Taking Walks

Taking a walk through Ravelry is like walking through day dreams: Yarns, patterns, techniques, assembled in clearly structured spaces. How did we manage without Ravelry!

August is a month for summer knitting or crochet in lovely bright colors - but also for lots of outdoors activity, working or playing in the garden, taking many smaller and not so small day trips or just enjoying the company of wonderful family and friends.I did finish Forest + Frill from Tiny Owl Knits, my third one, called Yummy Summer Bolero,

Made with some stashed Colinette yarn and my own handspun and dyed wool. I alternated 20mm and 10 mm needles, the frilly edging was done with a 10mm crochet hook. Send me an e-mail if you wish to buy it, it is for sale.

Here are a couple of sites and blogs I chanced upon last week: The amazing "Indiaflint"- taking you to new creative horizons.
Need to get more crochet wisdom? Here are very good tutorials "Stitch-Story.Blogspot.fr" - and if you want to learn the absolutely neatest way to turn a dc crochet chain learn how to by watching this tutorial.
You feel like designing your own stuff? Check out this incredible site of "nervous.com".
Interested in unusual book blogs? Here's one: The Inky Fool" - and I am sure you already know Good Reads - if not, it might be a very good idea to visit this page and find lots of new and unusual food for thought.

This summer of 2012 artist Francisco Centofanti of Francisco Centofanti Artworks made a number of paintings in the Midi (France). He captures the very essence of this beautiful landscape and the yet quite uncrowded area. Here is one of his paintings - they were sold the moment they were posted! But look at his other work, too, his paintings have already become sought-after collector items.