Baby quilt

 

Hopefully moving soon to a place with better light. Cross your fingers for me and my photos!

Friday!

I’m settled into my new place and just waiting until I get paid to treat myself to some internet service. I’ve been making do at cafes. A few photos out of context are all you’ll get until I’m hooked up!

Modern Home Goods

My inspiration collage:

When I was just a knitter and a blog reader I stumbled across the nifties made in a previous round of this swap. Modern Home Goods. It made me want to sew. it made me want to hoard all the beautiful scraps of the beautiful fabrics. It mae me crave adorable patchwork-and-linen sewing accessories. I feel like one of the big kids to have been let into this round. My partner is about to get washed in color and Russian Dolls.

Such beauty, such kindness

Part of my haul from the Modern Stash Quilting Bee. Shitdamn, I’m a lucky woman.

Real new beginnings

I find it odd to turn away from a photo-heavy posting habit in favor of only words. My camera is packed in a box because I am moving. On new years day my partner and I split. I feel so many things but relief and freedom seem to be highest on the list. I’m heartbroken that I’m not greeted by my marshmallow of a pitbull every time I turn my key. I’m basking in the fresh feeling of my old life.

My life, it turns out, fits in a SRO or Single Room Occupancy unit. It’s the sort of place my 14-year-old self dreamed of finding in my future hipurban life. In those days I was a brainy country kid discovering The Beats and Bob Dylan. I imagined torrid love affairs and art and endless cups of coffee and big ideas that could change the world. I craved intellectual conversations with my fellow globetrotting starving poets.

There’s a little less romance in the poverty for me now, but I’m largely the same dreamer. I love my little room. I love the quiet and the independence and the satisfaction of simple living. I even love the “bring your own tp” policy in the communal bathrooms. I’m about to be reunited with my books, my camera, and my sewing machine. Then, the real fun begins.

Years

I feel immensely excited about a new year. 2010 was many things. The good was very good and the bad was, well, awful.

It was the first full year I spent with my true love. He had two major heart surgeries and many more minor procedures to correct a congenital heart defect. We moved in together which has been both hard for the conflicts and wonderful for every other reason. I nearly melted last week when my unsentimental lover said, “the best part of the day is when you come home.”

He’s a keeper.

I made things. so many things. I taught myself to quilt, and in a haze of pain and painkillers, my darling announced that he wanted to learn, too. It’s been such a fun thing to do together.

I lost an uncle and, on Christmas Eve, a mentor. I’m just beginning to wrap my head around losing Kevin. He is one of the precious friends I’ve had since moving to San Francisco and finding the most unbelievable group of hard-fighting, loving, passionate, activists. My political home is my whole life and Kevin will be missed by all of us, by the local immigrant’s rights movement, the educator’s union he organized in, and the special ed classes he taught.

I’m ready for a new year. I’m ready to make plans with my healing darling, to start grad school in the fall, to knit, to sew, to feed my hungry people, and to see what’s in store.

And on towards the new year

I’m very happy that Christmess is over. My favorite part is giving gifts and I’m still unclear on why my atheist ass should have to wait until teenagers have dragged themselves out of bed to do it.

All told, though, I had a lovely holiday. My darling and I went to his parents’ house in Tahoe for a few days. I got to meet his friends, who are the sort of loud country boys that take me home to my childhood in Vermont. I loved them and their trucks and their board games and beer.

Now we’re back in The City and ready for a new year. My resolutions? Last year was the year of the quilt. The year before was sweaters. This year I want to build my quilting skills and stash at the same time that I clear out yarn I don’t like from my knitting stash. I also want to focus on fixing my back.

Bee!

I’m hosting the first month of the Modern Stash Quilting Bee on Flickr. Here’s my example block:

I can’t wait to see what other folks do with gray, yellow, and frames in an improv block.

Yarn Destash Sale!

Help me pay for the GREs! I’m destashing yarn. All come from a smoke-free environment and a closed space with no cat or dog contact, though there’s one of each in the house. I can accept paypal. Shipping additional. Post a comment with your email and we can work out the details!

This is Colinette Jitterbug. 100% merino sock yarn. 110g of squishy hand dyed awesome.

There are two skeins of “Jay 85” (same dye lot) and one of “Marble 88” $18 each or all three for $50 (retail is $25)

Cascade Cloud 9. 50% Angora, 50% merino. 50g/ 109y.

The color is 113 and is a touch more violet than that picture. I have 12 skeins and would like $60 (retail $7)

FibraNatura Baby Merino. 100% superwash wool. 50g/ 190 yards.

4 skeins in “Nicholas” for $10. (retail $8 each)

Lamb’s Pride Bulky. 85% wool, 15% mohair. 113g/ 125y.

Red Baron, 2 skeins for $10

Valley Yarns Northampton. 100% wool. 100g/ 247y.

Three skeins. $10

Finally out!

Here’s my entry into the My Faborite Little Quilt Swap of flickr!