Vix Voice

Friends and Artists

Sometimes, friends and artists are the same. I'm lucky to have a pal like fiber artist Lisa Souza. I met Lisa through her yarn, of all things. She's amazing as both a spinner and a dyer of all fibers. She featured The Bone Man on her blog, and I'll let you read what Lisa had to say. Her Tilt a Whirl blog is here. Below is the way-cool shot of The Bone Man in the California woods!

Here is some of Lisa's gorgeous work:

You can find her and her yarn and patterns at www.lisaknit.com

Now...on to the Dublin Art Tour. Yes, I'm in a frenzy getting ready for the 12th art tour and my third. I can't quite believe that, but it's true. Here are some photos that I'll be showing on the tour. But first, here's the invitation I'm sending out.
You can find more about the tour at: www.monadnockart.org
And now for some of my recent photos. I'll let them speak for themselves. Have a good one!

WE'VE MADE IT!

We've made IT. We've finally Arrived. What am I talking about, and who are WE? Simple—the "what" is knit stuff. The "we" are knitters. Here's the deal...

Last week in USAToday, headlines blared:
"Knitted decor is a crafty look"

Pardon?

You read correctly. Below is the list that was given a full half-page in the paper. I've added my own editorial comments. (Note: All the photos are from the retail Web sites.):

1 knitware pottery - If you're aching to puchrase pots that look like cable, knit, and other types of stitches, just go to alyssaettinger.com

The knitted surface gives you the desire to touch them. "They give off a sense of warmth and pleasure."
Warmth and pleasure? I'm all over that one!
In fact, they're pretty cool looking.

2 - Cotton crochet table - for a mere $3,400, you can purchase a crocheted table. It's referred to as "chic and modern."
Check out mossonline.com

Okay, so I only knit. At those prices, I'm gonna learn to crochet.

Speaking of...these finger puppets are much more reasonably priced than the above table, but they might not be everyone's cuppa:

Yes, terrorism finger puppets. I found these myself on the Moss On Line site. Again, not something I've seen before.

3 - Eleanor light for $280
velocityartanddesign.com
http://www.velocityartanddesign.com/perch_eleanor.html

According to the paper, the knitting gives the light a "fresh look."

4 - For a mere $1,100, you can own a Hung table from loyalloot.com

http://loyalloot.com/LLhung1.htm

I think you have to e-mail to purchase.
As you can see, the table has pouches in it for books and such.
Isn't it cool being hip?

5 - The Etoile vases are made from organic Peruvian collton and sari silk. Sound familiar?
The vases run from $70 to $90 at umbra.com for retailers.

I found the vases here:
http://www.unicahome.com/p31882/umbra/etoile-glass-vases-by-michelle-ivankovic-for-umbra.html

You can purchase them here. Or...you can knit them yourself.

6 - And last, but certainly not least, is the Knit chair at branchhome.com for the tune of $5,998.
Yes, you read that right. Crochet'd wood holds the chair together. branchhome.com
www.branchhome.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=2

If you've seen any interesting knit stuff, do tell!

Like I said, I'm taking up crochet!

Misty Rock and Other Thoughts

Misty Rock and Other Thoughts
Originally uploaded by Vix Photos.

Above is another photo from our California trip—Misty Rock2.

I have discovered Pod casts. Now, I understand they’ve been around for a while. Okay, when I first explored them with my spiffy new iPod (thanks Blake!), I found that the ones I tested out were utterly boring. I won’t name them, but I wondered why anyone would bother wasting time and energy and money on blathering to create a stultifying Pod cast. Needless to say, I didn’t save them.

But today I explored a wee bit further and discovered: Cast On! It’s Podcast from Wales, which in itself is totally cool, hosted by Brenda Dayne. Sure, it’s about knitting, but the gal do9ing the cast plays amazing underground tunes, includes some additional great writing by others, has several sheep sounds (always a pleasant addition), and, best of all, has a wicked sense of humor and irony. I’m hooked. Here’s the Web site: www.cast-on.com. And you can, of course, get the Podcast for free from the iTunes store.

So weird, but I still love listening to ‘60s and ‘70s music. Where are today’s Mamas and Papas, Cream, and Rotary Connection?

Just got my Publisher’s Weekly review for The Grief Shop (comes out Aug 29), and – boy – did it make my day. Several days, actually. It’s on my Web site, in case you want to check it out yourself.

Just got some brand new and spiffy buffalo fiber from Buffalo Gold. Oh, yum. The stuff is gorgeous, and I plan to knit up some mitts as soon as I finish my current progress. I've also just ordered some new yarn (baby alpaca and silk) from Liza Souza, the most divine spinner and dyer in the world. And, no, I do not exaggerate.

Ms. Gracie, the dog who can’t tell the difference between doggie toys and human ones (duct tape, chair legs, shoes, used underwear) has sinned. She was sitting beatifically on the floor as I went to take my shower this a.m. I sang, per usual. Today it was Les Miz, which is what perhaps drowned out Ms. Gracie's glee.

So anyhoo – out I come, sparkling fresh and happy with cleanliness, and what do I see? Ms. Grace looking utterly content, my latest knitting project disturbingly close to her mouth. Yes, she had been investigating.

Fortunately for her and for me, she ripped nada regarding the knitting. Since I’m knitting cables, that was a huge plus.) Ah, but my lovely number six bamboo needles? Three were fine, but one had suspicious-looking teeth marks on it.

Now, I could have chewed on that needle in my sleep. Anything is possible, right? But being the smart detective that I am, I knew, with great certainty, that Ms. Grace had defiled my needle!

Tonight, I test if the needle is still in working order, meaning that the yarn slips over it like oil on a baby's bum. I sure hope so.

Nonetheless, Ms. Grace is the cutest thing in the world. And, yes, I did scold her in a solemn voice, which made her quiver. I'm not sure if it was in fear or from laughter. I suspect the latter. But then I had to kiss her. I mean, c’mon, one cannot stay angry at a basset, particularly one as adorable as Ms. Gracie. It’s an impossibility.