six and a half stitches

'TIS NOW A SERAPH BOLD

When I was in highschool I was fascinated with Art Nouveau and the whole turn of the century Romanticism. Floaty dresses, swirling iconography, elaborate detail and embelishment, hair in ringlets flowing in the breeze, trees which twisted and turned and were abstracted into symbolic dances. Loved it all. The richness, the detail, the story behind everything, the intricacies of each depiction and the tales of fantasy they brought to life. I was thinking as I wrote the post about this tunic top, about what the colours of this meant to me, what they reminded me of and I used the phrase: The utter deepness. Pond deep. With Koi carp floating around deep. Dragonflies above lilypads deep.And that phrase and expression have stuck in my head. Whenever I pick this up and work on it, I think of lilypads, dragonflies hovering overhead, deep tangled english undergrowth and brilliant flowers beside them. Mists in the morning, and a timber boat moored at a makeshift rambling jetty somewhere close. Wind in The Willows deep. A shining figure standing resplendant amongst the scenery. And yes, surely there are Koi fish swimming beneath the lilies. It seems apt that this simple tunic top has become more of an armour of arthurian legend, deep dark prussian blues split with peacock plummage, lined in Liberty Print fabric echoing the same colour tones, something thick and warm and quite arthurian. The original Phildar pattern now long gone as it was altered and reworked to follow a better line in this particular wool, and allow for an easy lining insert, it's reverse stocking stitch a kind of chainmail, it's lining a kind of jewelled display of wealth. A tunic top which wears like a middle ages court dress, on a child with light ringlets, fair skin, and cheeks of rose blush.
For my lady of the lake: "...'Tis now the brush of Fairy's frolic wing...."*

excerpts from the Lady Of The Lake by Sir Walter Scott

A PILLOW FOR LISTS

A pillow of lists.
A pillow for the first blogger.
A pillow of thoughts.
A pillow book.
A pillow of linen.
A pillow of words.

Louet euroflax linen yarn, Larissa's The Pillow Of Sei Shonagon from Knitalong, linen fabric from Linnet.

A knit project which combines textures and patterning in an eyelet design with text from Sei Shonagon woven through it. Contemplative text which finds joy in small things. Knitting with linen is not one of my joys as I discovered, but on a small project like this I can handle it. It is tactile, and neutral, and a wonderful canvas for the text to work against. I am always drawn to ways in which text can be used to describe something - not merely on paper or bound in a book, but also those ways which use the text itself as a form of expression. Tattoos which engrave the body, etching life and moment deep into the skin - as an aside, the visual delicacy of The Pillowbook is one of my favourites - turning a body and skin into a book of love and life, immortalised forever.

A pillow for all who blog.write.think.

collaborating:44TIMESTWO

Over the last few months Charlotte and I have been having some really lovely discussions about design, sewing, colour, photographs, Linnet - a lot of talk about linen and Liberty Print and fabric, books, life, London, girl's, motherhood - I could go on. The talk turned serious a few months ago, and when she suggested we do some sort of collaboration and see where it took us, I didn't hesitate.

We both have different backgrounds, different ideas, approaches, philosophies. We see things differently. We both have enormous respect for the way each person approaches design and in particular photography. We both wanted to look beyond what the blogs and flickr offered us. A place to focus - to ritualise the photographic side of ourselves. A chance to respond to the differences between us, randomly, without coersion or communication. We don't differ from many of the other photographic collaborations around (3191 being the most notable one), and nor do we intend to steal any of the trademark beauty they bring to their art. I could say this is a purely selfish act of pairing photographs to see what comes of it - which is exactly what it is, and I know I will look forward to seeing the patterns and stories those images together will have.

44timestwo.
44 weeks.
Twice a week.
Two people.
Two views.
Two extremes.
Two countries.

BRILLIANT

I found a splash of colour in amongst the rain this week. Now my bathroom has brilliant pink against the white tile backdrop. It's quite a, well, confronting colour in the brightness of the bathroom. In a good way. I think. It's a lot of pink isn't it? We wont let Pia see it. Just in case it rubs off on her and she starts getting ideas. I do like the intenseness of it though, and even though it's a standard flower you can get anywhere for a few dollars, I like it's sculptural petals, soft and silken. I keep looking at the image and not writing anything, so I think that means I should just let the colour seep through, and let the pink rejoice on it's own.

N IS FOR - NOW

I decided to add the book to the bookstore now. I did this one for me, and so it seemed a little odd to think of it being any other way, or to expect it to be any other way, and I'd just like it if people enjoyed it for what it is this time. There have been some minor alterations to the book, and obviously I don't have an updated copy right here to show, so the front cover is slightly different with text placement to the photograph above. Through the bookstore you get a preview of the first 16 pages, which is better than I can probably photograph and show on the blog, so go have a sneak peek.

[The white peaches were very nice cooked with butter, sugar and rum]

DETAIL IS FOR

You have no idea how much I smiled like an idiot when this showed up today.

I've wanted for a long time to catalogue and document some of my work and thoughts in a way which was pertinent to the themes that were guiding them. Over the last year, some of my thoughts have really come through in the pieces I make, and the photographs I take, and to have them in some sort of portfolio which is tactile, and 'real' [as opposed to the 'virtual' on Flickr], has been such a delight to create.

This book has been about details - about those little pieces and parts of a whole which fascinate and resonate and actually make the object:idea:photograph. I set myself little daily tasks of photographing things last year as a way of forcing myself to see beyond some of the hard times, and find beauty in apparently mundane or unlikely sources. I found our walks would become so much more as I looked around, and then Max joined in and started looking and collecting as well; now Pia also collects things, just because we do, and I think that's lovely - seeing what they see, documenting it, drawing on that in the things that I make. I wanted to put all those thoughts and ideas into something bound - so much more than the flickr sets that are created, something more structured and conscious. A graphic recollection, simple and stark where the images are allowed to speak with little text - a purely visual catalogue. So the Blurb book 'D is for detail' was born. An expression of details and the processes through which those details evolved over a year. And it is so very beautiful - something I am really proud of, and excited by, even after the hours I spent putting it together.

Unfortunately Blurb currently don't do the Bookstore for non-us citizens*, so making this available publicly will have to wait. This was a proof copy that I've done and there's a bit of tweeking needed before I can release it anyway. I thought I might get a small run done, and see if anyone wants one, while waiting for the bookstore option to become available.

* I should clarify: the bookstore is available for non-us citizens, but you can't set a price for the book and receive profit if you are outside of the US - the book retails for the print cost. This is an option, I'm just getting my head around how I want this to go out. Till then, and I get the book re-edited, the book wont be on the blurb site for public viewing.

SYNCRONICITY

Not every week:day:month runs smoothly. Some weeks run as pure nonsensical rubbish. And then you are left reeling from the events and turns and wishing for goodness to descend once again. Last week is over. This week is a new week. The petals on my flowers have dried and fallen, time for new flowers.

The start to school hasn't been as smooth as I assumed. My beautiful self assured child who considers everyone his friend until proven otherwise, who plays with everyone, has felt the pressure of enormity that school is, how friendships change, how not everyone is as nice as he believes - or knows - them to be, and that somehow his mother is caught up in this massive life change around him, and he feels her anxiety too. I think he's had a week of feeling lost and overwhelmed and oh! how I have wanted to take him and make everything great for him, knowing there are some things I must trust him to negotiate himself. It's been much better this week and over the weekend, and I know it will be ok in a few weeks. We have a birthday party to plan - it will be fine.

My transition to non-working-in-an-office mother hasn't been as smooth as I assumed either. It's been a fragile few weeks. I need to take things in around me, relax, and breathe. I need to make lists (done). And then take stock of what I can and can't do through my time. And then half my expectations. I need to grasp the fact my daughter turned into a girl overnight and has a mind, a will, a determination, a character. And that she copies faultlessly me and her brother everything we do. We need to re-establish our rhythm together through the day while Max is at school, and find that special one-on-one place we used to have.

My lists are written, and slowly being crossed off::tops and dresses for Pia::invitations gocco'd for Max::patterns drafted::Knit projects finished::Sumidity finalised ready for release::wool wound::Pia's knitted tunic - err, lying unravelled and started again from scratch and the pattern kind of lost along the way in favour of reshaping which will be closer to what I want but slowly being reborn::new books to peruse::a few moments to walk and photograph::trying to teach Pia to say her name::baking homemade Ricotta, sweet potato, chive and olive pizza [it was very, very good].

I may even get around to making creme brulee this week. But first, new flowers, with colour.

THEMATIC INVESTIGATIONS

Max declared: Trucks

• When I grow up I want to work for the council and drive a street sweeper truck
• When I grow up I want to own a cement quarry and buy lots of cement trucks to drive
• When I grow up I want to work for the council and drive the weed spraying truck
• When I grow up I want to fly jet fighter planes with flames coming out the back
• When I grow up I want to drive a dump truck

Pia declared: More

• More
• More
• More
• More
• More juice food water food water water food tickling

I declared: Quantity

• White linen in large quantities
• Fabric dye in large quantities
• White linen now dyed in large quantities
• More rain? how is that possible?
• Buttons please, in quantities
• Paperwork, in quantities

I declared: too much running around this week. Time for a little chocolate break.

BLEARY EYED COFFEE CUPS

I completely forgot to thank all those who wished me a Happy Birthday - thankyou! It was nice to share it with you all.

Yesterday - there were no tears, only a few as I got Max dressed in his uniform. Mostly I just felt emotional and exhilarated for his new adventure in life. For all those days you wish would just.end.please. now, here he is nearly 5 and going to school and I can't for the life of me understand where that time went it's gone so quickly. He's happy and excited, and he ran into the classroom this morning like an old pro. Just the way it should be. I hope all those others starting this week have had an equally successful start.

I've received two 'you make my day' awards recently - from Veronique and from KT. First, I'm a little taken back. I never receive awards. I don't put myself out there to receive them, so it's a bit of a surprise to get them. A very welcome, and generous surprise I might add! Thankyou both. In turn you have made my days as well. And which 10 people make my day?

• Heavenly Days - Her words are moving and from the heart. She is so true to herself and the intricacies of life, love and nurture as a means of communicating. And she makes incredible soap.
• Poppalina - she rocks. She has an excellent pair of eyes which see amazing things. In technicolour.
• Moonstitches - Crochet is sexy.
• All Consuming - I love the mother that you are.
• Michelle - Always knows just what to say, and where to buy great girls shoes.
• Mustaa Villaa - Boy can she knit.
• Sara+h - Always empathy in reading and looking.
• Whoopee - When I need a laugh. And she swears. Love that.
• Yarn Ball Boogie - What John does with yarn will make your toes curl.
• Grijs - Because it's just beautiful.

You all bring such beautiful words and things into my day. Now you should all go and let 10 people know who make your day. Who inspires? Who makes you laugh?

Small child asleep, so some time to sit, and knit I think.