oh, hello there, blog. it's been awhile, no? i'm not sure if i'm officially dusting off the cobwebs here, as tumblr seems like an enticing alternative. truth be told, i'm still on the fence. with the blog, tumblr, facebook, and instagram, i feel like i need to simplify and sidestep the social media overload... know what i mean? hopefully, this explains my absence. what do you think? are blogs a thing of the past?

on a completely different topic, here are some photos of a doll i've been making at craft night. i like to think she's a cross between linda rodin and coraline. as you might've guessed, she's in dire need of clothing - a project i've been procrastinating since i haven't quite figured out how to address those sloping shoulders. cap sleeves might be the answer. in the meantime, she will have to work with what she's got - green tights. poor girl.

it's that time of year. nevermind the amazing indian summer we're still enjoying here in oakland, let the xmas knitting begin!

let's be frank, i've spent a long time brewing up this quilt and it's been awhile since my last post. summer has come to a close and i'm embarrassed to see autumn arrive with such little progress to show. but, i assure you that my delinquent hiatus from quilt making is not without reason! as it turns out, it's awfully difficult if not painstakingly frustrating when you can't lay out your quilt in a shoebox-sized apartment. know what i mean? let me clarify - our bathroom is so small you could "stay seated" and wash your hands in the sink at the same time. true story, but it is what it is. in any case, i postponed working on the quilt until i paid a visit to my parents home in sonoma where, much to my mother's dismay, i overtook their dining room for an entire weekend. hello gorgeous wooden floors and expansive square footage! hello my pretend studio with vaulted ceilings! don't mind if i do occasionally look up from my work to take in the rolling hillside vistas! what's that dad? an affogato for a late afternoon pick-me-up? yes please, i'll take two scoops of homemade vanilla ice cream in my espresso!

a weekend with my parents is so good, but i digress. the point: i got a lot done. so now the hand quilting begins...

i've been MIA from this space but i've got reasons galore... first off, summer beckons and what's worse than sitting in front of your computer while the sun is shining outside. and shit y'all, i bin sewin' up a storm in herr! let's do the math...

2 triangles = 1 square
23 squares x 23 squares
= 529 squares total (1058 triangles)

and that's just the front side.

remember this yarn? i decided to knit it into brooklyn tweed's rosebud hat. after finishing a knitting project, i always want to make a couple of tweaks. i'm often left wondering how many versions it will take before i feel like the pattern is right. revise, revise again, revise some more... so it goes.

remember friendship bracelets? i obsessively made them this past weekend with the same intensity as when i was 14. i thought i did a pretty stellar job until i saw this one.

craft night continues! a drawing from last night wherein facebook photos served as the main form of inspiration.

a really great sunday consists of a day-long adventure with friends... farmers market, dim sum, coffee, and beer. we happened upon piper + john general goods (a part of oakland's popup hood) where we came across artist nicole buffett's small books. feeling particularly inspired, we decided to make our own. mine is called "burger".











//  a great video about popup hood. here's to placing #5 oakland!

been working on some things

it's non-stop knitting here in oakland. i'm planning on giving my hand knit socks as gifts, but i realize it's cutting it pretty close with xmas just 5 days away.

oh, it has been a busy past couple of weeks! where to start? i've been nursing a cold and cough with a lot of home cooking and knitting projects (above). the holidays are just around the corner and i'm beginning to wonder if i can complete all of the gifts i initially set out to make. i'm not feeling the stress... yet.

by the way, have you listened to this interview featuring alice waters? last night, m and i attended a talk she hosted with robert reich at UC berkeley and found her to be a little frustrating. she seems to sidestep a lot of the questions. but still, it was a worthwhile lecture overall.

remember this? i'm only now just getting around to working with it. if i were in new york, i would love to take this workshop with shabd.

:: an order ::

for a friend // for his wife // for her birthday // for keeping her feet toasty

trying out some new yarn. while i don't wear a lot of color, it's so nice to knit something bright.

adrienne and shaun's reversible quilt throw (a wedding gift)
machine-pieced and hand-quilted liberty of london cotton print, linen, and all natural cotton batting
50" x 64 3/8"

the quilt is finally done! i'm patting myself on the back since i can be a procrastinator, but not this time! the wedding is a little over a month away, so i've got plenty of time to excitedly think about my july 4 in vancouver (how unpatriotic of me to leave the states) and a trip to new york for the wedding festivities. but i wouldn't be my restless self if i didn't start delving into my next quilt. i've had some ideas stewing for some time now and i can't wait to get going on something new.

been working...