Last week I was lucky enough to spend a few days in Maine visiting relatives. A trip to Maine isn’t complete without an hour or two at an antique mall, but I don’t have room for many cool knickknacks in my little apartment, so I usually go home empty handed. This time I was smart and headed for the boxes full of antique postcards. I managed to take home three extra special ones for a song.

I can’t wait for 2012 to get here, because then I can wish someone the most terrifyingly happy new year ever!

Here’s another New Years card from Europe that’s bursting with unusual symbolism. Nothing says Happy New Year like mushrooms, clovers, and cannons, right?

(My dad interpreted the mushrooms to be champagne corks, which makes more sense. But boy, they do look like mushrooms, don’t they? And I saw clovers on several New Years cards, so I’m thinking that’s a European thing? Either way, I still think this card is creepier than the sum of its parts.)

And lastly, what’s more lucky than a dismembered piece of rabbit? How about a disturbingly illustrated one?

I’m really looking forward to someone’s next job interview, or maybe marriage. Good luck!

Let’s start this year off with some inspiration! Here are a few things that are making me want to do new and exciting stuff…

Digital Textile Design by Melanie Bowles and Ceri Issac

I’d had my eye on this book since it came out in 2009, and just got it for Christmas! (Thanks Mom and Dad!) I haven’t yet delved into the technical stuff, but I’m determined to be designing myself some textiles by year’s end. How cool would it be to make a stuffed toy out of your own fabric? I know Spoonflower has been around for a while, but I’m interested in seeing what other possibilities there might be. And then actually doing it!

Ninon

Ninon is an Italian plush artist living in Berlin, and she totally has my heart right now with her fun fabric combos and lovely embroidery. I bought this beautiful creature by her at Schmancy on my Seattle trip, and she has plenty more in her Etsy shop and also in the current plush show at gallery hanahou! (Read an interview with her on the gallery blog.)

The Knitgrrl Guide to Professional Knitwear Design by Shannon Okey

I ordered Shannon’s book several months back, and finally had a chance to read through it toward the end of the year. Just reading about her experiences being a professional designer (along with her interviews with many other designers) gave me some much-needed motivation to take a step back and think about where I would like to go with my work and life in general. It’s definitely not just for design professionals, either—if you have any interest in designing, or blogging, or some other kind of crafty enterprise, this book will give you some good ideas and a starting point.

elf518

CRAFT featured one of this knitter’s amazing designs a little while ago, and it was the most inspiring knitting I had seen in a while. I had to send her fan mail right away! She has patterns and gorgeous finished items and available in her Etsy shop. (And I would be lying if I said her designs didn’t make me want to make insane color work toys…)

Objectified

This 2009 documentary popped up on Netflix Saturday night, and it turned out to be a good way to ease into the year. It was a bit slow for John, but I appreciated its low-key, reflective tone, and I enjoyed hearing about the processes of various people working in industrial design and how they each define “good design.”

Crazy Rhythms by The Feelies

I am constantly plugged into music and podcasts while I knit and do everything else, so I get excited when I come across a new album that I can obsess over. In the case of The Feelies (thanks, Leah!), this is not a new album at all (it was originally released in 1980), but that’s almost better—it’s somehow reassuring to think that there are great things from the past waiting to be re-appreciated. New music helps stimulate new ideas, is what I’m thinking!

I just got back from an amazing trip to Seattle on Monday! My primary reason for the trip was Urban Craft Uprising, the big craft show last weekend where I had my first-ever craft show experience as a vendor. The show—and the whole trip, really—way exceeded my expectations. I was lucky enough to have my mother-in-law Bonney and my sister-in-law Jenna along with me, so we made a mini-vacation out of it that turned out to be a crafter’s dream weekend.

Among other things, we paid a visit to Schmancy, the vinyl and plush toy store in downtown Seattle, where Plush You! is held every year.

Kristen Rask is the owner (and one of the organizers behind Urban Craft Uprising)—she really has a gift for finding talented artists and bringing them together in successful ways. A true curator!

I’ve blogged about Schmancy before, but this was my fist time to visit in person. My wallet was definitely lighter by the time I left the store.

Next we were invited for a special visit to Cascade Yarns by Shannon, the lovely lady who provided yarn for my book and my installation this year.

It was pretty unreal to see the place where all of the gorgeous yarns come from. Since their products are so popular, I was expecting a big company, but in actuality they have fewer than 20 employees, and we even got to have lunch with the wife of the founder of Cascade.

Everyone there was so nice, and many of them had made Mochimochi toys! Tammy had a pair of Bed Bugs right on her desk.

Shannon was kind enough to take us on a tour of the warehouse, where each color of every yarn they make is on glorious display.

I probably said “Oooh! Look at that color!” about 50 times as we went through each aisle. Even Bonney, of the world’s biggest stash, was in awe.

We might have even gotten to take a few samples home with us…

And finally, Urban Craft Uprising was an incredible experience! The many talented vendors, the nearly 10,000 visitors, the awesome playlist that Moxie (president of UCU) put together to make the whole place happy… And here’s what my little table looked like!

My sister-in-law (who was a huge help at the event, along with my MIL) took some way better pictures that I’ll post soon.

I was a bit nervous to get out there in front of the general public with my silly knitted stuff, but everyone was so nice and enthusiastic!

I left out a ton of stuff that we did in Seattle, but this blog post would take me all day if I included everything. I love Seattle and I can’t wait to go back!!