Esther Marquis

Sunday, February 28, 2016

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

Weekend Scenes

It's been a while. As you can see by the photos I have returned from Europe. I've been home for about a month and I'm already dreaming of another trip. Oh the joy of seeing different parts of the world! Time to start saving up again.

I'm getting back into the swing of things around here. I've just started to do a little sewing again and I'm almost always knitting. I can never seem to keep my hands still. So when I can I sit and I knit. I've also been doing a bit of baking, but not nearly enough. It's important that I bake often so that I don't lose the skills that I once worked so hard to attain whilst in school.

Below are a few snaps from this weekend. Life is good, God is great, and today my heart is full. I hope the same for you.

Castle Walk

Once again Xativa has treated me well. Perfect weather, the best people, and delightful food. Lately I've been doing a lot of eating, drinking (loads of tinto de Verano and cafe), and napping. I'm on vacation so this is acceptable, right?! It's funny back home I never take naps. But here in Spain it's a must. If I miss a siesta I don't seem to function quite right. Oh the Spanish life! So very different then my own. I must say I have also been doing quite a lot of walking and hiking. Today I made the trek up to the city's castle. It's a really beauty. It blows me a way to see such an old fortress still standing. It really was built to last. As always I snapped photos.

I just realized I didn't get any good photos of the castle itself. I was mostly shooting from the top down. Hopefully I can snap some tomorrow before I leave for Barcelona! I hope to be back with BCN photos Thursday!