Merry Makes

Happy hands over here. Looking forward to lots more knitting as the cooler weather nears.

DETROIT

Hi friends! It's been awhile. Hard to believe we are at the edge of July. It's been a busy month and I have much to share but for now I'll leave you with photos of the most recent happenings. I've been working in Detroit this week. It's my first time here so I've been enjoying exploring. During the day I've been taking in the kid friendly sites (libraries, parks, and zoos) with the littles but in the evening I've been able to treat myself to a few great meals. I haven't taken too many photos but I hope to on my day off this weekend. For now I leave you with some photos of the pretty flowers around the city and the adorable ice cream and pie shops I came across. And of course a couple of knitting photos as usual. I'm slowly, and I mean very slowly, making progress on a hat I'm knitting. It's very tedious and time consuming but it's for someone I love very much. So it's worth it,right?! I really really hope they like it. I'm like 8 hours in and I'm not halfway.

Bits of May and June

More Happy things from the past couple months. I haven't been doing much sewing lately but my hands have been occupied with knitting and baking. I'm sure as the weather continues to warm I'll swap the hot knitting needles for my sewing machine. I'm hoping to work up some summer dresses for myself. I've got to take a few little day trips which has been quite nice. These days I'm daydreaming of a long scenic road trip up the coast. Hoping I can make that one happen in the months to come. And as usual, I'm forever longing for time in Europe. Oh to explore some place foreign again. I'm always saving my pennies for some sort of European adventure. Who knows where I'll find myself this year or next. Cheers to summer sweet friends!

HAPPY THINGS

That iPhone camera sure does come in handy. Here are some things I captured with it recently. Mostly knitting and a few other things that are worthy of note. Currently i'm working on a tricolored linen/wool shawl. I just started knitting up the border. I'm looking forward to blocking it and sharing the results.Happy Wednesday dear friends.

A few of my favorite knits

These pieces are special to me for various reasons. A few are knit with yarn I acquired on trips to Europe. They are sweet reminders of the beautiful places i've traveled. For example, the brown shawl on the left was knit with un-dyed wool from native british sheep. I purchased it on a perfectly sunny day in Brighton, UK. I'm pretty sure I day dreamed about the english countryside the entire time I knit it up. Other pieces are special because I learned a new skill while working on them. And then some of them have become rather dear because of the sense of accomplishment I felt after completing them. I never really thought my hands would be capable of creating such interesting things. But with a little determination and lots of patience I am pleasantly surprised by what can be made. If I can do it, you can do it too! I hope to encourage you all to work with your hands. Set your computer down and try to attain a skill that doesn't involve technology. There are so many amazing skills/crafts out there. Just give one a go.
xo
Esther

Repurpose

Such great satisfaction I get from giving new life to something that was disposed of. I found this sweater at the thrift store and loved the look of the wool. I took it home and decided to make it into something new. Above are photos of some of the steps it took me to get to my final product.

In the American culture we seem to buy far more then we actually need. Things are no longer made to last and many people purchase items based on there slim price rather then quality. It leaves our country full of poorly made junk that then fills our thrift stores and dumps. But once in awhile you thrift and find a real gem. I've been collecting from thrift stores since I was a teenager. I look for vintage. I figure if I find something 50 years old I'm sure it will last another 50+ years. I think it's so important to invest in pieces of clothing and other belongings that will have longevity. I believe our culture needs to be more aware of what we buy and who makes it. The incredibly poor wages and work environments of many employed by international clothing manufactures are absolutely heartbreaking. This is something that many people are completely unaware of. But that's a whole different issue for another post. Let's get back to knitting...

The process of reusing wool and knitting is very time consuming. Because of the time that goes into it I am naturally inclined to take better care of my handmade items. It gives it them much value. I hope to continue to hone my clothing construction skills so that I will one day be nearly self sufficient in my own wardrobe and the wardrobes of the children I dream of having. I have a long way to go but I know it can be done.

2016

Hello again and Happy New Year! Hard to believe it's 2016. Well let's see what's new. My year ended like it started -with loads of knitting. November and December were spent working on Christmas gifts for family and friends. I made David an Icelandic sweater that had me dreaming of being in Iceland the whole time. One day!

On another note.
I've been going through a serious creative block. I hope it's on it's way out because I'm getting real restless in my sewing space. I need to find things that will fuel my creative side. Perhaps a roadtrip...

Happy Tuesday friends!
x
Ester