Let's make happy
Awesome Things
“I’ll Hold, You Wind” by Hine Mizushima
Apr 26th
How awesome is this needle-felted artwork by Hine Mizushima?!
“I’ll Hold, You Wind” will appear in Art Too Cute for Words, a group show that will run May 12 – June 24 at Leanna Lin’s Wonderland in LA. Definitely check it out if you’re in the area! (Really wishing I was…)
Hine is truly one of my creative heroes. That’s why I’ll be posting an interview with her very soon, so be sure to check back for it!
The Gameological Society
Apr 9th
John has a new website! And it isn’t just any website, it’s new partner site of The A.V. Club, where I’m sure many of you read about movies, TV, and other pop culture stuff. My husband’s new project, called The Gameological Society, is dedicated to intelligent and fun discussion about games—mostly video games, but also board games, game shows, and sports. The idea is that games are a part of all of our lives, and thinking about them shouldn’t just be for the guys who think of themselves as “hard core” gamers.
I know there’s a huge overlap between knitters and gamers, so I hope many of you will check it out! (And that cute pic of Soupy on a laptop that you see if you scroll down a bit on the homepage? That’s my cat and I took that photo!)
What’s your favorite game these days? Please share in the comments!
New Yarn Store in Brooklyn: Argyle
Mar 6th
The other day I finally made it to Argyle, the new yarn store that opened up a few months back on Prospect Park West in Brooklyn, just down the block from me.
I don’t know why I waited so long to go—it’s such a lovely store, owned by this lovely couple, Esther and David.
Their passion for knitting is apparent in their great selection of yarn and wide array of tools that knitters need. It’s a great feeling to know that if I need some new needles for a project right now, they’re just a walk away!
The first time I visited, I introduced myself and mentioned my patterns. I’m not the best self-promoter, but Esther and David made it easy with their enthusiasm for my designs! You can now find a bunch of Mochimochi patterns and kits in their store.
If you live in or near Park Slope/ Windsor Terrace, Argyle could be your new favorite LYS! They’re renovating a back room for classes, and they’re also planning to add other craft supplies in the future. I’m exited to see this small business grow along with the neighborhood.
Cindy Wills Plush
Mar 1st
I was recently in Tulsa for the holidays, and a visit home is no longer complete without a trip to Dwelling Spaces, a store in downtown Tulsa that specializes in fun products and art by locals. I’m usually charmed by something there, and this time it was this handmade plush creature.
When I was checking out, I asked about the artist and was told that it was Cindy Wills, the youngest daughter of the western musician Bob Wills. I was also told that this plush was special—the artist had recently passed away of cancer, and so there wouldn’t be any more of its kind.
I Googled Cindy Wells when I got home, and found a blog and a Facebook page, both of which feature her vibrant artwork in a myriad of mediums (from watercolor to hooked wool), and both of which end abruptly—maybe no one had access to these accounts to log in and post a proper farewell to Cindy.
I wish I had known about Cindy earlier. She clearly had a creative and bright spirit that touched many people. It continues to do so.
Behind the Scenes of a Tiny Yeti Party
Feb 29th
I thought it would be fun to show my setup for shooting the still images for the Yeti Party GIF.
(Please ignore the horrendous mess. It gets a little cramped working and sleeping in the same room…)
I normally do my pattern photography using a little tent and these super bright lights, but because I had to get my hands into the scene and move lots of stuff around, I skipped the tent and pointed all the lights away so there wouldn’t be too many shadows.
I also had to find a way to suspend the little mirror ball without using something overhead that would block the light, so I just pulled out the top drawer of my yarn storage and hung it down from that.
Here’s a look at a still photo before I cloned out the wires in Photoshop.
I wanted some of the yetis to make smooth dancing moves, so I inserted pieces of thin wire through the front yeti’s arms and legs, and one through the arms of the yellow-horned yeti, to make their appendages malleable. (You can see a tiny bit of the wire sticking out from the yellow one’s left hand.) The head-spinning yeti and the two dancing guys are stuck to the styrofoam base using straight pins through their backs where they wouldn’t be visible.
I used Photoshop to make the GIF itself, but there are several free GIF makers out there, which you can find with a web search. But if there are enough people interested in how I made it with Photoshop, I’d be happy to share that sometime!
