KnitPony

Daily Kitty

Mel has left for college.  She's very happy.  Every day I send her a photo of her cat, Kitty Purry - it's the Daily Kitty.  Here is a mosiac of the last 16 Daily Kitties. 

More Magazines Listed on eBay

I just listed more magazines on eBay as I continue to clean out my studio.  There are Selvedge magazines and Marie Claire Idees listed. 

Somerset Magazines for Sale

I just listed a ton of Somerset magazines on eBay.  I'll combine shipping and all that stuff.  My seller name is DML410.  Thanks for looking.

Esty Shop

I started an Etsy shop, it's called KnitPony.  What a surprise.  I figured I needed someplace to sell some of the things I make.  My house can only hold so much!  Here is what I have listed so far.....

   

Fabric rosette badges, altered horse show ribbons and a couple of bracelets.   
 

 

 

Horse Show Weekends

Last weekend Mel competed on her trainer's horse at the CDS Jr. Championships at the LA Equestrian Center.  She had a great time, it was our first out of town show with her new barn.  She competed at First Level and took 6th place at her first CDS Championship show, Ixtapa got to be in his first honor round at 20 years old. 

This afternoon, we are heading up to Tehachapi for a Pony Club Dressage Rally.  She's taking Stella for this and will have the opportunity to ride her free style dressage again just for fun.  A couple of the other members will also be riding their freestyles.  A quick jumping clinic on Sunday morning and I should be home by 4 pm on Sunday and have the opportunity to play for the rest of the weekend. 

Mel braiding Ixtapa

I'll post a better photo later.  
  

The first day of the last year of high school.  This slideshow from Gretchen Rubin sums it up.  The years are short.

Between driving driving Little Miss to teach at Pony Club Camp and USPC Western Championships, I've been stitching myself silly this summer.   I've been inspired by Teresa McFayden, Amy Powers, Jenny Doh  and many others.  I used to embroider up a storm in high school.  I remember embroidering the cover of Fleetwood Mac's Penguin album for my brother...  That was a long, long time ago!   

One of my first attempts. 

For Little Miss....I tried to do a sampler of stitches but ended up with alot of the same.

 

Another for the girl.

Thinking about autumn and hoping for cooler weather. 

   
   
 

Some Bear and Bunny Friends

 
 

Years ago I made teddy bears and other assorted animals.  I stopped making them after almost everyone I knew had their own special animal.  I've started up again, playing with the mohair.
 
 

Working

I finished two pieces for Mel's room.  This is the first one of her on Skippy when she was still tiny.  I learned the technique at Art and Soul in Stephanie Lee's class.  I had worked on a larger scale piece with the same photograph.  Mel surprised me when indicated she'd like me to make three pieces; for each of her horses; for her room.   I finished Whisper's also but have not photographed it yet.  I'm hoping to get started with Stella's this weekend.  I loved taking the class with Stephanie and am disappointed that she is not planning on returning to Las Vegas next year. 

Aside from painting I've been sewing up a storm and making some jewelry also.  The state of my studio is beginning to bug me.  It's overflowing with stuff.  I am planning on destashing - putting a lot of the magazines that are threatening to take over the room on etsy and ebay.  I'm getting ride of all my Mary Englebreit magazines and tons of Somerset Studio magazines.  I'll be posting them this weekend and will link to them.

Books I've Read (or am Reading) So Far This Year

Here is a list of books I've read so far this year.  I'm finishing Outliers and Little Bee this weekend.  I'd recommend them all but Edgar Sawtelle, Wild Trees and Little Bee are pretty amazing.

Just Kids by Patti Smith

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

Edgar Sawtelle by David Worblewski

Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah

The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith

Wild Trees by Richard Preston

Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield

Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by Mark Twain

Outliers: The Story of Success by Macolm Gladwell

Art and Soul Retreat - Viva Las Vegas

I loved the Art and Soul Retreat in Las Vegas.  The women I met (there were some men there but it was overwhelmingly women) were fabulous, friendly and inspiring.  I felt like I was surrounded by friends I just hadn’t met yet. 

The teachers were great.  I had a class with Jane Wynn on Sunday to make “Science Under Glass”.   She was very encouraging to everyone in the class – and it was the first time I’ve soldered anything since high school.   I am very pleased with my necklace and look forward to making more.

 

 

My next class was Thomas Ashman’s Tiny Glass Journal.   That was a more challenging class. I should have know something was up when he had chocolate kisses spread out on the tables to sweeten our moods.  The journal is very cool.  At first I thought – this is so easy but when it came time for the final assembly it was hell.  I gave it a good try for an hour but my book kept falling apart in my hands.  I left dejected but I listened to Patty Smith at full blast on my way home and thought about the mechanics of getting everything together.  When I arrived home, I sat down and started again.  After a few swear words, it came together and I have my journal.  I will probably put together the second one I started, maybe for a gift.  I don’t know if I’ll make anymore.  One thing about the class – we used a plumber’s torch on the 26nd floor of Bally’s.  It just seemed wrong but it was also crazy fun. 

Tuesday I had my super bonus class with Sally Jean, super bonus because my original class was canceled and the wonderful Glenny put me into Sally Jean’s tiara class.  This class was all butterflies, puppies and everything wonderful.  I was so excited that I was able to complete my tiara and I have ideas for more.  I had bought solder equipment after buy her book but was too chicken to just experiment.  Now I feel empowered and creative.  I also realized I need to organize because I could not find crystals I bought years ago at a flea market in Paris and they are somewhere in my studio.

 

My final class was with Stephanie Lee.  I didn’t finish my projects in her class, Selective Seeing, because there is so much more that I want to explore with them.  Stephanie is a great teacher and gives so much of herself.  If I tried to explain the class it would sound weird and contrived but it wasn’t.  Everyone’s work was so different.