Knitting Inspiration - Sweater Weather

I don't think that many people who go for a four mile run in 90 degree heat and 88% humidity dream about wooly yarn and cozy sweaters the whole way.

But I did.

I love myself some yarn and sometimes while running I distract myself from the physical exertion of it all and just think of squishy yarn, pretty patterns and sweaters.

I have actually never knit a sweater before. I have made baby sweaters, knit a shirt for myself and some shrugs...but no sweater for me.

I have a sweater actually waiting to be finished but it's been sitting in a bag for over a year but I couldn't tell heads or tails of it now and the idea of figuring it out just doesn't seem as fun as starting fresh with new yarn and a new pattern.

My sad Liesl by Ysolda Teague just begging to be finished.

I signed up for LuvInTheMommyhood's summer sweater knit-a-long where you have from July 24th to September 19th to knit a sweater, post photos, share your experience and win yarny prizes.

I have yet to cast on for this yet though because the thought of winding up my three hanks of Malabrigo Lace yarn by hand is ever so daunting.

 The pattern I plan on doing - Featherweight Cardigan by Knitbot

Cardigans count as a sweater!

 

My perfectly minty yarn which will become that sweater. 

Even though I haven't even begun the above sweater I already have future sweater plans. 

Big sweater plans. 

It's totally reasonable and realistic to plan on knitting ten sweaters this cold weather season. Right fellow knitters?

Hear that husband??? Totally reasonable and I might even knit you a thing or two. 

Maybe...I've got a lot for me to do first ;)

Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Cobblestone / Owls / Oh My Bear / Blackberry Cabled Cardigan / Emmanuelle Sweater / Plowman Cardigan / Metamorphosis / Watermelon / Smokin' / Happy Days

See?!?! Totally doable. These are my first round draft picks for sweaters I want to knit up RIGHT now.

Back to reality, I have actually finished knitting a few things lately.

First, I finished my Molly hat!

 

oh howdy neighbor...I'm just hanging out in my curtains doing selfies. Don't mind me staring into your windows making weird faces.

I also had a couple little boy birthdays this past week, so I knitted up a few footballs to send them.

 In case you are wondering...I doubled the size of the pattern for the football to get something size appropriate for a 2-3 year old.

Last thing about knitting tonight (pinkie promise).... if I can figure out how to crochet an ear this evening, I will have a new pattern available tomorrow.

Now if that didn't pique your interest about the pattern, I don't know what will!

What are you working on right now? 

~ With Love, Ashlee ~

 

Marathon Monday - 3rd Edition

Alright...well....let's just start this post off by saying that I don't want to come across as too negative....but I am not too sure how that goal is going to be achieved.

I'm kinda feeling like this...

(Sidenote: My husband is trying to cheer me up by periodically running into the room while I type this out and perhaps pretending to be Elmo? I am not too sure what he is doing, but I appreciate the effort).

I had a hard run this past week and it's shadow is still hanging over my head. My weight also creeped back up two pounds above the 'arbitrary' line that I set. Instead of actually gaining two pounds....I feel like I have gained ten.

I know that I am way too negative and hard on myself about my diet and exercise. This destructive thinking ultimately leads to unhealthy habits again.

 

So yeah.... my 13 mile run on Saturday wasn't too much fun. It was around 87 when I finished and it took me much longer than anticipated. I ended up doing a 12 minute pace (which was 2 hours and 38 minutes total) and my goal was around 10:30. 

This is about where I was mentally, emotionally and physically when I finished. 

So for the next week, I have to run 28 miles total and my mental goal is as follows....

I need to be proud of what I've accomplished thus far and instead of thinking ...'geez...I was a bit slow on that 13 miles and gained two pounds back,' I need to think...'holy heck....I just ran 13 miles and I've lost 13 pounds since March!

So that's where I am right now.  A little bit all over the place...but ultimately good.

Hope everyone is having a good Monday!
 

~ With Love, Ashlee ~

Interview with Julia from Red Bird Ink

I am so excited today to start a new series on the blog where I interview and showcase artisans I admire. 

Tonight I get to share with you Julia of Red Bird Ink who lives in the Atlanta area and we both sell at Homegrown in Decatur, GA. 

Julia is just one of the most pleasant people to be around and the first time I met her, I babbled on for about 30 minutes straight because she is so nice and enjoyable (and a good listener)!

Her goods are extremely well made and she is just so passionate about her product. I loved reading her responses to my questions and I hope you will too!

PS....Click on any of the photos in the blog to be taken to that item in her etsy store.

 

Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started

I took a dip into art school at the Corcoran and MICA then meandered into a Landscape Architecture degree at Virginia Tech before starting my own business.   At first I just did illustration and design then I got my hands on a letterpress… after the first time I was hooked!

My business is called Red Bird Ink.  We are an art, design and letterpress purveyor in Decatur, GA.  At Red Bird Ink we design and make letterpress printed objects such as coasters, stationery, wedding invitations and art prints from our own original art, illustration and handset type.  Our goal is to inspire curiosity and delight through the objects we create!

Apart from creating things, what do you do?!

I play ultimate frisbee with my husband Collin, hang out with our two year old daughter Oriana, dabble with gardening, painting, home projects and lots of cooking/eating with friends and family!

Where does your inspiration come from?

I feel like I find inspiration almost anywhere.  The top things that seem to consistently influence my work are plants, landscapes and cultural elements.  Before I wash my clothes I have to be sure to check all the pockets for hiding foliage.  I'm often most inspired by learning something new.

What does handmade mean to you?

To me handmade is all about getting that twitch.  A feeling that inspires action to follow a train of thought from seed to stem.

How would you describe your creative process?

My process uses a combination of research, sketching, photography and digital work layered  and refined to reveal a unique perspective.  My hope is that the resulting object sings my personal song.

What handmade possession do you most cherish?

Our wedding rings! They were made by an amazing Jeweler from my hometown, they are amazing.
 

How do you get out of your creative ruts?

I like to go outside, look at plants, learn something new or exercise.  Yoga is always good for getting into a better state of mind.

Where do you see yourself and your business in a few years?

I'm happy where I am now, but I would also be happy with a slightly bigger business, more people to collaborate with and some other in house production methods.

What is the best and worst thing about being an artisan?

I guess the best thing is I would be doing it anyway, even if it was not my job.  I just cannot separate the artist, designer part of me from the rest of me.  The worst thing is caring so much about it means I have a hard time turning it off at the end of the day.  Sometimes I daydream about working a 9 to 5 and not have to think about work after I leave…. then I remember almost no one has that type of job and if they do it probably is not too fulfilling.

What advice would you give to other artisans trying to sell their wares?

Do what you love and what inspires you.

What is the most popular item you sell?

The numbers coasters and cable knit stationery have been the most popular items.

What are your top five books, movies, musicians and websites?

whoa!  Hard to choose.

Adore Prodigal Summer by Barbra Kingsolver
Enjoy stand up comedy, cheesy/funny/sweet movies and suspenseful mysteries
Can get lost for hours browsing Etsy, design sponge & pinterest
I feel like I could melt into Zoë Keating's music

Where can we find you online and off?

http://www.redbirdink.etsy.com
http://www.redbirdink.com
http://www.redbirdink.tumblr.com
http://www.facebook.com/redbirdink
http://www.twitter.com/redbirdink
http://www.flickr.com/redbirdink
http://www.supermarkethq.com/redbirdink
http://thebeehiveatl.com/collections/red-bird-ink

In Real Life…

- Atlanta, GA -
Steve McKenzie
Le Petite Marchet
The Beehive Atlanta

- Decatur, GA -
Homegrown

- Dunwoody, GA -
Spruill Gallery

- Charlottesville, VA -
Rock Paper Scissors

- Richmond, VA -
Paper Plus
Quirk Gallery

- Portland, ME -
K. Colette

- Chicago, IL -
Greer Chicago

Thank you so much to Julia for being a part of this post today and I hope you all enjoyed getting to know this designer. Check out her etsy store or if you are near any of the stores she sells at, swing on by!

~ With Love, Ashlee ~

Weekend Reading...

Between hanging out in my backyard for far too long sniffing my bacon-making neighbor's air and running 13 miles today...I am all tuckered out. 

All the big plans that I had for today (clean my ENTIRE house, make us at least a $1000 and then if I had time probably change a few people's lives with my kindness) have evaporated into laying on my couch, moaning about how tired I am and watching 'The Sopranos.' 

So here is my list of things to read/do this weekend if you find yourself with a few minutes to spare....

'Madonna's Diet Is The Hardest I Have Ever Tried.'

A reporter tries to live by Madonna's eating rules for a week and sarcasm ensures. 

Just a tidbit from the article - 'One time Madonna told Spin’s Bob Guccione Jr. that “straight men only think about how you may dominate them in some way and make their dicks shrivel up or something.” In that aggressive yet very fun spirit, I start my day off with corn in a plum-paste sauce.' 

'36 Things You Will Naturally Understand If  You're From Colorado.'

As a transplanted Coloradoan, I get this list. 

So if you live in Colorado and didn't see it on your Facebook newsfeed this past week, check it out.

"18. At some point, Casa Bonita made you think that cliff diving was a viable career option."

 Truth

"Male Species I Just Can't"

The ever so funny Whitney did a blog post about guys she dates. 

You know...cuz it's funny to categorize whole groups of people.

Sorry single ladies that this is what you deal with. 

Lastly, I might be making myself some vegan coconut bacon this weekend. 

 via

It's coconut flakes with bragg's amino acids, liquid smoke and maple syrup and supposedly is a vegan substitute for bacon. 

Let's just say that I am not getting my hopes up....but OMG....what if I found the perfect substitute for the baco's I used to eat straight out of the container as a kid!

Hope y'all are having a great weekend thus far! I have big plans as you can see.

~ With Love, Ashlee ~

High Five For Friday!

It's Friday and it's not just any ordinary Friday guys. 

I received a care package from my mom (yeah...I'm 27 and I still get care packages from my mom) so it's basically like Christmas morning over in the 'My Sweet Nomsa' duplex.

So here's a special edition of the 'High Five For Friday' based upon what we received in the most random care package ever!

I went out to get the mail and practically tripped over the box the mailman had left for me all booby trapped on our front porch. 

I squealed, grabbed my husband and insisted that my puppy had to be in the room for this monumental event. 

I grabbed the pair of scissors that are designated to only be used with boxes and tape (any one else like this? I have like 7 pairs of scissors, each allotted to a certain task. OCD much?).

My first thought was this.....'YARN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YARN, YARN, YARN!' 

Followed shortly by...'why did she send me so many razors? I'm not that hairy.' 

With my husband asking...'Is that a used towel in there?'

We quickly started sorting through things. I naturally went for the yarn first and got that out of the way so we could dig into the deep box. I then reached for the used towel and started holding it up and examining it. It is a fancy super absorbent towel that supposed to like suck all your water off, but it was definitely used recently.

I put that in the dirty clothes basket. Um....thanks mom?!?!

After the yarn and towel were out of the way, my husband started making 'ooohhhhing' sounds and lo and behold, the best thing that could have ever been in the care packaged for him was in there. 

Somebody has a big weekend planned now thanks to his large bottle of scotch. Thanks Randy for including it in the box! Definitely made John's day.

Cooper was next to get his present. My mom couldn't forget about him. 

He was so excited for his 'steak' bites that he couldn't sit still. Also, I had to use my masterful photo-shopping skills to remove his puppy boner. 

What can I say, the pup loves himself some 'steak' bites!

So after going through the box and pulling everything out, this is what we ended up with....

From left to right, top to bottom: a used super absorbent towel, hello panda cookies!, scotch for the husband, puppy treats, three sport bras that my mom purchased for herself but never tried on until after they were washed and found out they were too small so I got them (thanks for bragging about your chest size mom), Candyland Band-aids?, a very happy broom and dustpan set, new toothbrushes, 7 razors!, a box of tea, a bag of onions grown from her garden, and a mickey mouse t-shirt. 

So a bit random right? 

I also got some aprons from her vintage apron collection which I am in love with. They have such incredibly darling details. 

I walked into the kitchen to find John cooking dinner and sporting one of the organza floral aprons. 

Last but not least in our care package was 'the pièce de résistance.'

  

Two gallon sized ziploc bags full of unwanted samples from Birchbox boxes, sephora gifts, ulta freebies, etc. 

There is so much stuff here. Mascara, soap, BB cream, make-up remover, matte face powder, hair products, etc. 

You guys...I am going to look like a baby after I use all the face cream, sunblock, skin correcting creams that I got. 

My mom hates perfume too, so I got about a dozen different perfume scents to try out. 

I am pretty sure I am going to need to create an excel spreadsheet or something to try to manage my new beauty regime. 

So all in all....my mom rocks. She is a good puppy grandma, a great mother-in-law and an amazing mom!

Well...I'm off to shave because apparently I am hairy beyond belief. 

Have a great night!

~ With Love, Ashlee ~