making myself crazy

Posted on January 22, 2007 by mimik

I finished my valentine/ heart themed postcards. I wanted to make note cards from them. I also wanted to donate one to our local Art Center February show. I ran out of time. It took longer then I expected to make the cards. The time at the printers overlapped with the deadline to enter into the show- then I was paralyzed. What do I do!? Through shear ineptness (is that a word?) I managed to miss the drop-off deadline which helped me make a decision. The cards are at the printers now and hopefully I will have sets of the 6 images in my etsy shop by the end of the week. A bit late for Valentines Day, but really I think these cards would be good any old time.

blog related stuff

Posted on January 21, 2007 by mimik

so are you seeing my new banner? So much better!

And, there is now a link in the sidebar to click on if you’d like to receive my blog postings by email. Good if you don’t use a blog reader of some sort. It works. I’ve tried it.

And on Friday I spent the morning hanging out with Abby of While She Naps. We have gotten together a few times before, but I am always amazed how great it is to see her in person, see her work and just chat about what we’re doing- sewing, blogging, etc.

I have had only wonderful experiences meeting up with fellow bloggers. It is so easy. There is not all the explaining to do… “what do you do? why would you do THAT! what is that blogging thing anyway? why would you do it? … So much of what makes meeting a new person hard/ weird/ scary for me- we’re already past that. We have connected through our blogs. I put myself out in the online world in a take it or leave it situation. If you don’t like what I’m doing, easy. Don’t come back. The people who are interested, stay. When I meet up with someone I’ve connected to through blogging, there is no need to prove that what I do is valid, interesting, art, worthwhile or anything. We have already gotten past that before we met. So, phew, one more thing I love about blogging!

Now, a question. When you click on a link in a posting, do you like a new page to open up or is that annoying? I like having a new page open up but what about you?

weather, update, projects

Posted on January 17, 2007 by mimik

We are having winter today-

It was cold in my studio, but it was cold everywhere else too, so I worked anyway.

Here is the one week update on my blanket project-

technical information – I cast on 155 stitches with worsted weight wool. I am doing only garter stitch. I am using size 10.5 plastic circular needles, 29 inches long. It is about 50 inches wide and so far about 18″ long. It weighs 1/2 pound so far. My design- knit irregular rows (ie 3 or 5 rows of each color except when I run out of yarn), 2 shades of similar colors and a dark brown stripe between. The goal- use up what I already have.

I am working on Valentines with several thoughts in mind. I am thinking of doing the cafepress cards. And several galleries I know are having small works February Valentine’s themed shows- some for charity, some not. We’ll see where I end up going. These are similar to ones I’ve done before-

and here is an idea I’ve been playing with with the robots- sweetheart robots?

starting up again

Posted on January 14, 2007 by mimik

This is my desk after I cleaned up. Yes. It is.

I know it really isn’t cleared off. It must have been for a minute or two, but then I got started on something. While I was clearing things, I kept finding little sketches that I’ve done in the past few months- things I was thinking about, but I was in the middle of something else.

Now that it is time to get back to work, there are so many possible directions to go in. Which ever one I chose will very likely lead me down a path where these other ideas get forgotten or at least delayed a lot longer. They are all calling to me! So, I freeze up. But I know it is important to do something, anything, start somewhere. Start on the thing that has a deadline of sorts. So I am making Valentine postcards and Valentine robots-

above, that is my work table. Below, the ironing board. All surfaces are covered again. In my studio, that seems to be a good thing.

Thursday in January

Posted on January 11, 2007 by mimik

Thanks so much for all the feedback on the photo loading- things seem to be working again and I am SO relieved! Now, hopefully I can spend some time making the rest of the page look and work better. I’ll be researching some of my visually favorite sites and try to figure out why I like them.

In the meantime, some pictures-

I made these 2 ornaments after Christmas and brought them down to Connecticut… where I left them. Oops. Now they are back home. My list (the one I’ve got taped to my sewing machine) includes making more of these- especially the robot and children- and making a pattern. I thought it would be an easy pattern to make and maybe not too scary… why do I find the idea so overwhelming? I don’t know… ask my son why he hasn’t written his English essay and the answer or non-answer is probably the same.

And I’ve got a knitting project started-

Yeah! Inspired by Cassi at Bella Dia and Jane at Yarnstorm and all the other beautiful blankets around the blog world, I’ve got one going. I am looking forward to having it be long enough to keep me warm while working on it… yes, it got cold again. It is soothing to work on. Sort of how I felt about coloring books when I was little. All I have to think about is color. The pattern part is so easy- just straight garter stitch until I think it is done.

and some links- Sharon has again made me think with her inspired thoughts about blogging. And, Happy 3rd Blog Birthday to her! She is an amazing resource and supporter of the community of the craft/art end of the blog world. In another post she talks about the bloggies and choosing favorite craft blogs. I’m not going there, but I find I am most attracted to the blogs that are not so wildly popular- maybe I feel more likely to be able to have a real connection with the person writing (that community thing again). If I go to a blog and see something wonderful but there is 50 comments on a post, the likelihood that I’ll add my 2 cents is very slim.

Lastly- I love the YouTube Moleskine here.

deflated balloon

Posted on January 7, 2007 by mimik

That was how I described my creative drive at the end of last January- one of the good things about blogging is the record of such things. Now I can chalk it up to a yearly cycle and feel as though I am making progress if I get back to my studio before the end of January!

Hard to believe, but I’ve been gardening- doing the fall clean-up that I never got to in the fall. It was 70 degrees outside yesterday- which is just too very strange for Boston. I guess I can’t use the too cold up in the attic excuse for not working.
A few things that the blogging world brought into my house over the Christmas season-

Shobana‘s wonderful knitting book- lots of inspiration in it. Knitting often gets me past a slump- I should start a project…

and this wonderful pin cushion from Betz White–

I love pin cushions!

I was excited to see that Forest Rogers has a new blog. Her work is amazing, the faces especially. And beautiful photography.

So I’ve got a question- is this blog working better for you, oh reader? Are the photos showing up? Is it unbearably slow? Better then before or worse? It is better on my end, but I have to admit I don’t know how badly broken it has been… I kept finding new problems over the last 6 weeks. Feedback would be very helpful.

Some things I’d like to get to this coming year-

-write up and publish at LEAST one pattern.
-make cards, probably through cafepress shop
-go back and finish the many unfinished dolls sitting around my studio- they are all untouched since I showed them here and here. For the most part, they need clothes.
-teach a class- wool dolls
-more linking, more commenting, spend less money, make more dolls, go on a real vacation, laugh more, garden more, make a new friend, worry less… I’m sure there is more but that’s all for now.

Boston First Night Parade 2007

Posted on January 1, 2007 by mimik

Boston First Night Parade 2007, originally uploaded by Mimi K.

It’s been a very busy week or so. Full house, lots of food, cooking, mess, laundry, shopping. Down to Connecticut for a few days. Yesterday was First Night 2007. Eleanor and I went down for an afternoon of puppet theater. The most wonderful was the Flexitoons and their take on the Pied Piper. (The link includes some YouTube footage!) Love!!!
At 5:30 in the afternoon, the Parade started. I’ve posted many blurry, shiny, sparkley photos to my flickr account. Also photos of the 7pm fireworks.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

last minute gifts

Posted on December 24, 2006 by mimik

last minute gifts, originally uploaded by Mimi K.

Merry Christmas everybody! I hope all of you are more organized and ready then I am- I will be making stuff on Tuesday for the last few family gifts… I will be traveling down to see relatives for a few days mid-week. I am working on these ornaments- I am thinking of them as flat dolls, which makes me smile.

tuesday

Posted on December 19, 2006 by mimik

I continue to be optimistic and post new photos… and then freak out when they don’t consistently load. Must be something they have a drug for. Anyway, today… Mango has found the most perfect spot to sleep on a sunny morning- the place I set up to photograph the dolls.

I finished this sweater baby last week-

Today I was at my local Trader Joe’s when apparently the numbers on my sales receipt came up just right- bells were rung, I got to spin a wheel and I came home with a free bouquet of flowers. It made my day!

mango gets in the picture