Priorities...

Does it feel like that's been a title for my post(s) before? I feel like it's the title for my life, that's for sure! I am sure you all know what I mean.

Last January, I told myself that come May 1st, my number one priority would be prepping to move back home at the end of the month.  And now that May is here, I have yet to really prep anything. Instead I have been keeping myself busy with work, knitting and art.

For example, I found out that the Wichita Center for the Arts was hosting a "National Small Oil Paintings" show and the deadline to submit was this past Friday.  I don't currently have any small oil paintings and I found out about it two weeks ago. So what did I decide to do? Make one! And I finished it in time (two days before to be honest), but then by the time I got my stuff together and actually read the prospectus I realized that I had to send in the payment by mail and it had to be postmarked that day. I found this out Friday night when I went to enter after a long day of work. And so that opportunity was lost. But I still love this painting and enjoyed working small for once.

"Sad Sun Ice", 20 x 10 inches

I also just finished up a swap over at the stitch marker swap group. I really wanted to send some nice stuff this time around, and decided to go with lots of handmade goodies. I always enjoy participating in these kind of things, it's such a great way to get to know someone!

Nordic pattern inspired knitting bag, markers, spindle art and orange cookies!
Photo (C) the recipient

I guess karma is a good thing, as I received some amazing goodies as well. My partner really is such a sweetheart!

Project bag, yummy chocolate, markers, yarn, and a cute sticky note tablet

And speaking of gifts, my last week at the preschool is the week and all of us teachers in the Apple Room will not be working there next year.  What better way to thank my co-workers for a great year than with a little gift? After much deliberation I decided on market bags with homemade bread. Luckily it's not going to cost me anything to do it, because I have all the bread supplies in my kitchen already and I had the yarn in my stash (Prism Yarn Fantasy Cotton/Linen). Don't those colors just scream farmer's market?

2 down, 2 to go, 3 days.

On a final note, I switched up my lonely Etsy shop again. Now I am selling prints of my gouache paintings. So if you have been really liking my art and would like to own a bit of it, here's your chance :)

The Knitting Artist

Weekly Inspirations:

Art: One of my good knitting/art friends recently had her BFA show and it was beautiful. She is very interested in natural materials and it definitely showed in her works.If you want to see more of what she is up to, check out her blog: The Studio of Something Else. Way to go Stacy, I can't wait to see what's next :)

Knitting: We had knit club last weekend and this month's project is a scarf with floral accents.  I decided to omit the flowers and just knit the scarf with two colors of yarn, to get a nice black/silver scarf. It's going pretty fast, but the bags have me held up right now.

Food: We also had a studio warming for Kennita at knit club, and I decided to try this recipe for Mango Salsa. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I ended up falling in love. It's so simple and so yummy. I ended up making more for myself after (which, sadly is not getting eaten fast enough...).

Life: Did I mention I should be packing? 'nuff said.

I hope you all have a lovely week. If all goes well, my next post will be from Salina!

~Lisa 

Imagination is more important than knowledge

I would like to agree with the above quote.  Imagination really is the key to a better future.  The past few years I have felt this with all my heart, as my imagination has begun to flourish. 

I spent this past weekend in Greeley, Colorado.  As I mentioned in a previous post, I had submitted a few works to the National Greeley Art Exhibition, and one of them (Green Rain Tears) got accepted.  While the shipping was far beyond my budget, I believe that participating in this show was well worth it. One, it gave me a chance to exhibit outside of good old Manhattan, KS.  Two, I learned just what it takes to prepare, pack and ship work to a show.  And three, it gave me an reason to leave town for the weekend. 

Me with my painting at the show. ( I had a better photo, but I accidentally deleted it)

Me and my good friend Rachel decided to travel up to Greeley for the opening of the show this past weekend.  Let me just say it wasn't quite was I expected. I had hoped to get the chance to meet other artists and do some networking.  I had hoped (but didn't expect) that my painting may get an award, or even sell. To be completely honest, it was a little unorganized.  Set up at a local bank, all the works were either on easels (like mine above) or hanging from wire dividers.  Most of the works in the show were landscapes, animals or city scapes.  In fact, mine was one of only a few abstract works that I saw. It was also lots of older people, and lots of locals.  I am not even sure if anyone there knew I was an artist (they didn't give artists name tags or anything).  So by the end of that night, I was a bit down. I had hoped something would come from the reception/show and nothing really had.  The show runs until Friday, May 9 (Yes, it's a very short show), so who knows. Something amazing could happen. Fingers crossed.

Saturday, me and Rachel set out to explore Greeley. Their downtown area is a very artsy, cultured place - much better than most places I've been.  As frustrating as the previous night was, Saturday made the trip well worth it. We started the morning at a local comic book shop for Free Comic Book Day. I came out unscathed, but Rachel had other ideas. Let's just say she's a comic nerd.  We found this very cool statue and just needed photos!

I <3 nbsp="" p="" spiderman.="">

Lunch came in the form of the cutest little crepe shop, Cafe Panache.  One step inside and I knew that I could spend every day here eating crepes and knitting.  It's so full of character, with local art lining the walls and vintage decor and furniture.  And to make the experience even better, we started talking to the owners, which led to showing them my work, which led to them inquiring about me displaying there.  It is almost 7 hours away from home, so I don't know if it will ever work out, but I am going to contact them in the next couple of weeks to follow up. 

Doesn't it just scream "Knit here!"

The rest of the afternoon we kept on exploring, which included more local galleries and shops.  I can tell you one thing - our feet were very tired by the time we decided to go home. But as I have said before, it was well worth it.  After relaxing for a bit, we decided to grab dinner at Santaremo's, a local Italian place with homemade pasta. It was so yummy. And because the night was still young, we explored the park also, which was a treat.  The lights started to come on and it go so beautiful with all it's sculptures and greenery. As I wondered around a learned about my camera, Rachel enjoyed a nice bench to binge on her comics. 

SUGAR!

Me experimenting with my camera while Rachel enjoys her comic. 

We ended the night at a local bar, which was so much different than the bars I am used to here in Manhattan - even though it was busy, it was so calm and relaxing.  And the drinks were pretty good too! ;) 

Sunday meant time to head home, but not before breakfast at another local eatery.  The Kitchen was a quaint little spot we found the day before.  I am so glad we did, it was probably the best restaurant breakfast I have ever eaten. And the sign doesn't lie - they really do serve homemade bread. It was so good, we each bought a loaf to bring home. 

And more street art too!

The weekend has since come to a close and I am back in reality. I guess the fun can't last forever.  If I learned one thing from my trip, it's that I am destined for bigger and better things outside of Kansas.  I saw amazing art, met amazing people, explored an amazing city and ate some amazing food. The Greeley/Ft. Collins area is definitely on my maybe list for my move this fall.

And because I can't go a post without talking about knitting, I will show you my socks.  I started these on the way up, during Rachel's turn to drive.  Although I planned on just doing vanilla, I decided to instead do the "Dead Simple Lace" pattern from my toe up book.  They're pretty much vanilla.  By the time we got back Sunday, I was at the heel. 

Weekly Inspirations: 

Art:  While in Greeley, we went into Madison and Main Gallery.  There I was able to talk to the artist who was volunteering at the time - Dan Augenstein - who happened to be the artist of my favorite painting in the gallery.  We talked about art and I showed him my works. He loved them and started telling me how to display at their gallery. I am not sure if I will take him up on this offer - it's more of a local gallery and I don't live that close, but I am going to try to keep in touch. 

Knitting:  Well, you saw my socks started above.  Not much else is happening. I am feeling kind of wacky inspired lately - I just finished a white tree and a white mushroom for future painting still lifes.

Food: I had a can of chickpeas in the cabinet I wanted to use, so I googled recipes and found one for lemon pasta and chickpeas. I made it last night and literally wanted to finish the whole pan in one sitting. It was so delicious and so easy (I omitted the breadcrumbs for convience)

Life:  I should be packing to move in a few weeks, I really should. But instead I am working on other things. I wish I could get my priorities straight. My apartment is such a mess right now and it's driving me crazy. 

~Lisa 

Worth the Wait

Is it the end of April already? I cannot believe how fast this "Spring Semester" (I will forever judge time in semesters, despite no longer being in school) has gone by. 

I think one of the signals that time is going so fast is the fact that Relay For Life was this past Friday evening. For those of you who have been following my blog the past months (and years), you have probably heard me talk about Relay and all the efforts I put into the event and fundraising.  This year's event was no different. 

People walking during the Luminaria Ceremony. I love how my camera shaking inadvertently made a good photo. 

Me with my bags in memory and honor of my Grandparents. 

Usually every year we spell out HOPE in the bleachers with Luminaria bags.  Well as Chair for Luminaria, and as my last year on committee at KSU, I wanted to leave a bit of a mark on the event and try something new.  So I decided to make "Giant bags" that say HOPE on them.  As you can see, the wind had other ideas. 

However, the desired effect was still achieved, when we lit them with lanterns and changed them to CURE. 

It was a fun night to be had by all.  Being on committee for the past four years has been a real treat, and this year was even better. Our committee showed so much passion and dedication and really knocked it out of the park. AND at the end we raised almost $27,000 for American Cancer Society, which is an amazing number for a college event. 

On the crafty side, I finished my striped socks about a week or so ago.  I love how they turned out - besides the toes the stripes match perfectly - and think this is my new favorite pair.  However, I think the foot is a bit short, because the heel area keeps sliding down onto the foot.  If I use this pattern again (the basic short row toe up from Wendy Knits) I will make the feet a bit longer.  Has anyone else experienced this and how did you solve it without ripping it out?

Weekly inspirations:

Art:  Ok so to be honest, I haven't been looking for much artistic inspiration lately. But I would love to share with you one of the first "knitting artists" I ever discovered.  There is just something about the simplicity of these that makes me happy. Valerie Molnar

Knitting:  As I mentioned last week, I really want to work more on pairing my yarns with projects.  My first choice shall be Creme Brule. I just need to sit down, find the yarn and start now.
Food: As I type this, I can smell the bread in the oven baking.  For about a year or so now I have been baking my own bread (I think I have maybe bought one or two store bought loaves - not counting the homemade at Farmer's Market - this past year).  The kind I'm particularly fond of right now? Honey wheat oat (which is from the bread machine book)

Life:  With Relay over, packing to move begins. I am t-minus 1 month away from moving. What a scary thought.  However, I am really excited to be finally cleaning up and moving on.

Happy Sunday all!

~Lisa 

Just for giggles. 

Inspiration Saturday - Pattern/Stash Match-up!

I've been bored that last couple of nights, which is insane because I have to worry about sending work to shows and Relay For Life stuff this coming week, and decided to attempt to pair up my stash yarn with potential projects.

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Yarn A: Vinnis Colours Serina Heather.

A gift from my aunt when she went overseas, this yarn was handdyed by members of a tribe she visited (if I remember right, she was in Africa, but I am not completely sure on that). The yarn is 100% bamboo and there's enough here to make a gorgeous summer top.  Upon digging through patterns and patterns on Ravelry, I think that Creme Brule would be a good fit.  The example is in a nice variegated yarn and I have always wanted to have an over sized tee.

Image (C) Joolsy Woolsy

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Yarn B: Cascade Ultra Pima

When Wildflower was closing last fall, I grabbed some of this yarn towards the end at 60% off. I have been wanting to knit with it for awhile, and what better timing? Since this yarn is so versatile, there is a good chance my plans will change, but for now I am thinking Sizzle is a good choice. The color really fits the design and the drape would be perfect for this cotton. Once again, another summer knit I really want to start.

Photo (C) Lalouja

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Yarn C: Universal Yarn Renew Wool

There isn't much on Ravelry about this yarn, which I find weird because it is a pretty nice quality yarn. But maybe it's still new, now that I think about it Wildflower didn't have it for very long before I stocked up at the closing sale. Yet another blue yarn to add to my collection, but this time a bit more pale.  A perfect color for the Agnes Pullover.  Simple yet elegant, the perfect winter knit. 

Image (C) Interweave Press

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Plans are constantly changing, so who knows if any of these will ever materialize.  But it sure was fun digging through patterns and favorites and searches.  I found a lot of things I would normally overlook and realized there are a lot of projects I really want to knit.  Which one will I start with?

~Lisa

P.S.: Today's post is a part of Woolen Diversion's Inspiration Saturday. What a fun excuse to share ideas!

Stormy, Stormy Sundays

Is it already Sunday? Where did the week go? All I know is that the weekend went by way too fast. And now it's a stormy, stormy Sunday here in Kansas.

What's on your needles this week? For me, it's still my stripey spring socks, which should be done by next weeks post if I have my say.

I really have been enjoying every minute of these socks and see lots more striped and/or vanilla socks in my future. The idea of popping the project in my purse and heading off is a nice plus also! Except I've had a couple of casualties involving dpns falling out in my bag. But you take the good with the bad.

With these socks being close to completion, I am contemplating my next move. Which, in reality, should be my next move - moving. I am leaving Manhattan in a month and a half and haven't even begun to clean/pack/organize. And man, my apartment is a MESSSSSS.

But on the knitting front, I am thinking my next move will be the Diamond Tee from the Spring 2012 Knitscene. I already have the yarn from my stockpile during Wildflower's closing so there really is no stopping me. My yarn is a deep teal color, a perfect fit for a simple yet elegant pattern. 

(Photo copyright Nathan Rega + Knitscene)

I mentioned that this week has had it's ups and downs. Well, one of the ups (or downs, if you look at it from a financial standpoint, but let's NOT). is that I received confirmation that one of my large oil paintings got accepted into a NATIONAL JURIED SHOW. Yes, I could not believe it either, but one of my paintings will be on exhibition and for sale at the National Greeley Art Exhibition. I feel like someone is playing a late April Fool's trick on me, with this and the print show in a 2 week span. So now onto the fun part, shipping the work to the show - which as it turns out is very expensive to do. Let's just leave it at that. 

Accepted work: "Green Rain Tears", 24 x 40, oil on canvas, 2013

Weekly inspirations:

Art:  After getting accepted into the National Greeley Art Exhibition, I clicked around a bit and read up on the Juror: Desmond O'Hagan. Desmond works primarily in oils and pastel, and man is his work amazing. The colors are so rich and the scenes are so real. Talk about inspiring. I hope I get to meet him when I go to the reception!

Knitting:  I've been participating in the My Sister's Knitter Knitting Resolutions KAL and there have been some amazing things happening. So many beautiful FO's and stories to go with them. It's hard to pick a favorite of course ;)
Food: This past week I was feeling like oranges.  I decided to make orange spiced sweet potatoes (although I used a butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes) and orange porkchops. They were both very very yummy. 

Life:  I've been helping a knitting friend clean out her studio (she's an artist also) as she prepares to move in June. It's been a lot of fun actually, and I have actually learned a few things. She has had me taking apart old picture frames and I've learned a fair amount about framing in the process. Was a handy skill to have!

I hope you all have a fabulous week!

~Lisa

March and April Happenings

Blogging has slipped through my fingers once again. I keep up with some of my favorite blogs on a regular basis, but posting seems to just be difficult. I think it's the photos - I am just too lazy to take constant photos of my WIPs.  But from here on out, I vow to try and update once a week, likely Sundays. This will be helped by the use of my new camera, my Canon 40d dslr !

Well, it's 1 week into April, and Kansas is still being bi-polar with it's weather. I think we are FINALLY hitting consistency with our nice weather, but I may be speaking too soon. Either way, I have been happily enjoying my time with art and knitting and constant inspiration.

I finished my Cookie A. Socks a few weeks back. I feel so very accomplished. I went from getting completely lost on the pattern two years ago to finishing the whole pair in a little over a month with only a couple mistakes. I have only worn them once since completion however, because one of them is a bit tight. I need to wash and block them, but I keep forgetting (doesn't that always seem the case?).

Rick by Cookie A.

From one sock to another, I have found myself casting on yet another pair of socks, this time a super simple vanilla sock with the amazing sock yarn gifted by Andi (I mentioned it last month). I now know why so many people use self-striping yarns and make vanilla socks - They are so easy and portable and quick. I see more vanilla socks in my future, that's for sure!

Short row basic toe up socks by Wendy D. Johnson

Besides knitting, I have been very inspired lately with my art as well. I spent this last weekend in Omaha, wondering around the Old Market District, which is loaded with cute shops and galleries. I found some very inspiring artists that I hope can only push my work further.  We also had a chance to go to the Joslyn Museum of Art, which was loaded with lots of "famous" works!

Jackson Pollock Painting at the Joslyn Museum of art. 

Partial inspiration is also coming from a recent success story. To my utter surprise, last Friday I received an email from the Morean Arts Center in St. Petersburg, FL.  One of my prints has been accepted into their National Juried Show: Bite, Scratch, and Expose.  When I applied, I knew my works fit the theme, but I NEVER thought I'd actually get in! From this experience I have learned that you never know until you try. I am now in the process of framing my print and sending it off to Florida!

The accepted print - "Investigate #4"

Oil painting has been halted lately, with so much else going on (I think I was literally home for an hour each day this past week!). Which is too bad, because this painting is really close to being finished. My plan for this week is to suck it up and finish it. I want to add ropes to the bottom, coming out of the dark under the "paper". 

"Thunder Breath Beneath" in progress.

I hope you are all having a lovely April and a lovely Sunday. 

I have also decided to include a list of my current inspirations at the bottom of my posts from now on (I hope!).

Weekly inspirations:

Art: I discovered artist Jerry Jacoby in Omaha this last weekend. His colorwork is gorgeous and his style relates so much to my own.  Too bad all his inspiring works aren't on this site to give you a better idea.

Knitting: My summer Knitscene came the other day! Items I see knitting in my (hopefully)  near future: Bethel Tank, Helium Tank, Stoxa Tank
Food: The kids at my preschool never eat their bananas, so I've been stockpiling them at home. I found the perfect, most amazing breakfast bar recipe! I've been using Kerub Choc chips and adding pumpkin seeds. I bet they'd be good with raisins and other nuts also!

Life: The Tea Smith is the coolest tea shop I've ever seen (ok, the ONLY tea shop I've ever seen). We stopped there in Omaha and I walked out with Blackberry black tea and mint/chocolate herbal tea. Both are super yummy, especially in the mug I got at a gallery 30 minutes later!

Reminds me of my Muffin, who passed on almost 2 years ago :(

~Lisa

PS: I am going to try really hard to reply to comments more also :)

February Loves

What better way to celebrate the month of February than with a quick post about my recent crafting loves.

This gem showed up in my mailbox today, courtesy the amazing Andi. I am always saying how much I LOVE her stripey socks but this is such a treat :) I cannot wait to cast on a lovely pair with this super squishy skein of sock yarn from Lady Bug Fiber Co.

A few weeks ago I finally finished my merino/silk blend yarn.  I received this massive chunk of Louet Roving from my amazing friend Ivy for my 21st birthday, over 2 1/2 years ago! I've been spinning off and on on it ever since (I've spun other stuff in between!), working towards that perfect skein.  I have finally finished it with a little motivation from the Knit-along I am in.  The end result? Over 200 yards (I think...I tried to count with my niddy noddy but that's not always right) of lovely purple awesomeness. Now the real question - What should I knit with it? 

With the completion of the gorgeous merino, I knew I wanted to add more fiber to my stash, so that way I'd have an excuse to spin more. I was passing through Abilene last week and stopped at the Shivering Sheep Yarn Shop, looking for something as a favor to a friend.  While I didn't find what she was looking for, I did walk out with these 2 bits of top/roving (how do you know the difference?). Both are hand dyed in Nova Scotia by The Fleece Artist.  The one on the left is a lovely green and brown Blue Faced Leicester and the one on the right is a pastel rainbow merino.  I can't decide which one to work on first! Hmmmmm 

Finally, you all know my love and passion for all things Relay For Life. Well I posted on a buy-sell-trade board about knitting scarves as a fundraiser. I had a girl contact me about knitting scarves with colors of specific cancer ribbons and I took up the challenge.  In the end I decided to pair a simple black yarn with 4 different thin stranded linen yarns.  The pattern is one I improvised but really like - a combo of garter and lace.  I think she liked them, it was hard to tell when I handed them off. But either way, I feel great about knitting for such a good cause!

I hope everyone had a great February and Valentine's day. I feel like the months are flying by. Just 3 more and I am off to start a new page in my life - what that page is is still a mystery though. But no matter what, I know it will be very full of art and knitting!

~Lisa