Work of the Week!

Scarf It Up! Work of the Week!

The Year-Long Rag Bag!

It's been several days since posting - too many doctors' appointments, commitments, tennis, etc.  It's not that I haven't been producing; it's just that I haven't found time for the blogging. 

So....here are some photos of the latest work, all being held here at home for the November 13 show at Port City Pottery & Fine Crafts.  Sara Westermark and I are the hosts of this show, called "Holiday Show of Wearable Art."  It's to be held at the gallery in the Cotton Exchange in Wilmington NC from 2 - 8 PM on November 13.  

Sunset Haze Scarf

Sac Sauvage Rouge

Holiday Loop Bag

Lavender Blue Cachecol, available on Etsy right NOW!!

Laboring on Labor Day!

I have always considered Labor Day JUST THAT! A day to labor before Summer ends - although not officially - and school begins. Labor Day always marks the beginning of something for me: being a student, being a teacher, being a career counselor in an academic setting, getting the kids off to their own school settings and activities.

I always measured my year from September to June! It's only since my employment with Duke ended in February that I went out and bought a REAL calendar - one that actually began in January and ended in December. And still, I think of beginnings. Now that I am "retired," I live those academic calendars vicariously through my children and grandchildren. One daughter is a school psychologist, and she begins her school year on Tuesday - with a new job, I might add. And the other daughter, who has three school-age kids, has already sent them off - this year to three separate schools.

But for me, Labor Day always meant doing all the things I didn't get to do in the summer and needed to get done before I started my own work once again. And I always resented all that laboring! So instead of that, I "worked" all day yesterday and four hours today at Port City Pottery and Fine Crafts, where there was loads of traffic and some sales too! And I'm happy to say that tomorrow - the real Labor Day - the only thing I have pressing is the completion of a tennis match, already postponed THREE times due to rain! And we had won the first set, were losing the second set, and so my job is to do something right on the court tomorrow so we can win this match!

Such is my life right now! Can't really complain!

While I was working both days, I also completed some new fiber art - photos are NOT ideal! The black and cream is a remake of the scarf sold yesterday at PCPFC. And this wild and funky rainbow scarf in nubby, bumpy, Sheela yarn: Oh, and I guess I WILL vacuum and straighten up the house! Such is life! Laboring on Labor Day!

BLOWN AWAY!

No, not a storm! But taken by storm! We had planned to have the second Annual Show and Sale at our home in early December (invitations prepared to go out via email today!) BUT.......my sales volume at Port City Pottery for this month has been very gratifying to say the least, and I am knitting away just to keep the stock fresh. Right now it appears impossible to consider having a home show - I just don't have enough new product to warrant it, and Tony doesn't have enough period.

We want our loyal following to know that we both are happy to work with you to create custom fiber or clay pieces to fit your needs. And we welcome you - of course - to PORT CITY POTTERY for a huge selection of fiber, clay, fused glass, mixed media, jewelry, weaving, and basketry. FOUR new artists have joined us too!

See SOLDS on flickr to get an idea and some recent private sales:

Sassyglass and Scarfitup Together!

Another bit of collaboration!

Sassyglass' Andrea Cumming and Scarf It Up have collaborated once again to produce some delightful designs in neckwear. These three distinctly different necklaces - fiber with dichroic glass pendants - will be available at our gallery, Port City Pottery and Fine Crafts in Wilmington NC, very shortly. They sell for $39 each.

Comment below or email scarfitup [at] ec.rr.com if interested or if you want additional information. More photos available here.

Knitting / Knotting with Batik

Back in the Fall, while visiting our daughter and family in Winston-Salem, NC, I stopped by an awesome yarn store and stumbled upon a new idea: a bag knitted with strips of fabric cut from gorgeous batik. Wanting to try something new, I bought a yard of batik (at great expense!) and thought I'd create my own version. Little did I know how laborious this task was going to be!

• First.....cut the batik on the bias into 3/4" (or so) strips.
• Then.....knot the hundreds of different sized strips together.
• Finally.....start knitting!

The idea is to leave the little knot tails showing. They are part of the design (even though they get a little shaggy and frayed!) THIS KNITTING IS NOT EASY!!! It is tight on the needles, hurts your hands, and requires frequent breaks. I ultimately decided NOT to knot all the pieces at once, thereby giving that needed break.

Well...as you can see, it's taken me many months and LOTS of very long breaks to complete this project. I am not the type to leave projects unfinished for long. This is probably the first abandoned project I've had in recent years, and I am rather pleased to say I finished it last night!

Port City Pottery and Fine Crafts

A new venture! For me and my husband! A venerable old building in downtown Wilmington (NC) will be the new home of Port City Pottery amd Fine Crafts. A group of local potters have joined together to fill a need in this coastal area to offer local pottery and other fine crafts to a large audience of local appreciators and visitors.

The Cotton Exchange (http://www.shopcottonexchange.com/) dates from the early 1900s and has been a venue for shops and boutiques since 1975. It will soon host a new gallery for juried pottery and other hand-selected artists' work. My husband is a potter, and I have been asked to become part of the co-op, to display and sell my handknitted fiber art (wearable and functional).

The opening is scheduled for early April with a Grand Opening Celebration during the Fourth Friday Gallery Night on April 27. There is much excitement amongst the members of the Co-op as well as amongst local artists. http://www.portcitypottery.com/ The website is still under construction!

A meeting of the members will take place on Sunday, so more news will be forthcoming!