a handmade holiday.

this weekend will be my first fair of the winter season - a handmade holiday. it will also be my second-to-last, as i scaled back considerably this year to make time to work on running city of craft.

run by the amazing mike, bianca and jordy at kid icarus there isn't enough time or space to express how great this show will be (or how great they are as artists and humans). just check out the vendor list if you like to be wowed.

just to keep things interesting, i have set aside a few products to be fair exclusives at each show. for a handmade holiday there will be deep discount multi-packs of buttons and some of my mystery loot bags (while supplies last).

plus, i will have my all my button sets (including the newest ones) available at both shows!

handmade holiday arts & crafts show
saturday, december 3rd 2011
11:00am – 6:00pm
st. stephen-in-the-fields
103 bellevue ave
(college and bellevue)
$2.00
$5.00 with a mystery bag
12 and under free

sweater weather cometh (or time to fill in holes).

i am just about to head out to make a mountain of pom poms, but before i do i thought i would quickly share last night's mending project. above is a favourite woollen sweater vest that had gotten a little chomped by moths while we were away this summer. not wanting it to unravel completely i laid into it with some pretty lace weight yarns. expanding upon the swiss darning technique i have become some entranced by, i was extra proud in this case to actually mend holes (swiss darning is usually just use for reinforcement or decoration). i don't currently have time to explain the whole process here but basically, i made loops where there were none and pinched them with my fingers until i came back through on the next row up. thankfully, these particular moths were not too hungry. i also reinforced the weakest, most eaten parts by doubling over some sections (in a different colour for reasons of pure aesthetics). i say if your mending can't blend entirely, make it show!

aitor says it looks like a video game from the 80's.

no wrist for the wicked.

2011 has been a long, strenuous and daunting year with no end in sight. in fact, it seems very likely that 2011 will still be happening well into 2012. carpal tunnel syndrome is not on the to-do list, though. that is why one of my lone personal craft projects this month was to crochet a duo of wrist wrest for myself and my sweetie. made with scrap yarn and stuffed with scrap fabric, they are basically a free solution to a growing problem we were both lamenting. and they work like a charm (so we can keep working like beasts of burden). it is amazing how much gets done in the current world at the flick of the wrist.

pom pom power.

i spent a few hours yesterday laser cutting little stacks of hardboard donuts at the workroom. why? well, to use as template for pom poms, of course. the city of craft decor is going decidedly pom pom this year. what's more? you can help! we are hosting a little mixer and craft party next friday to generate the massive heap we need to adequately decorate our two venues this year. you can read more here or see the event posting here.

puff it up, friends!

city of craft & other distractions.

no, city of craft is not really a distraction; it's a focus. either way, it has certainly absconed with my time of late. with just days over one month left before the show, i don't see that changing much. and with kickstarter rewards to catch up on, orders to ship and my own stuff to make, the blog has certainly fallen by the wayside. i miss it.

that artwork up there is by sandi falconer. each year at city of craft i work with a new toronto designer who creates an annual theme. sandi's been doing a totally bang-up job this year. her sense of space and balance blows me a way - i have to admit to some serious pangs of humility when i get artwork from her. not that i consider myself some hot shot design, but still...

speaking of poster design, i have started a small side project - a blog of posters from the indie craft world. i know, i know, if i am so busy why do i need another project? well, this one operates as a sort of latent activity. i started it with a big collection of poster files i found on my hard drive and already have a queue a few weeks long of daily images. now it's up to the world (you or someone you know) to submit more. i warn you, though, i did not set out to be comprehensive. as a latent side project it sort of serves to satisfy my end-of-day senses. in short: i am curating selections to my own whims and tastes. enjoy!