new england summer

here are a few pretty, quiet moments from the last few days: my towering pile of summer reads, lazy-day knitting, some V's from the Printing Arts Festival at the Museum of Printing, and a little friend who joined me for lunch.

it's supposed to get ridiculously hot this week. i just cast on for a cool, cotton blend shawl for some breezy, lightweight stitches and am mixing up some cold brew coffee. what do you like to knit or make to stay cool?

feat of clay.

I am very excited to be taking my first ever pottery class this summer. Clay is a whole new medium for me and I am looking forward to getting my hands wet... literally!

I have worked extensively in 2 dimensions for almost all of my creative life -- painting, printing photos, and making collages. Knitting and working with fiber have definitely helped me start thinking in 3 dimensions and I am looking forward to the opportunity to try my hand at this form. To contain my excitement and get inspired, I started a pottery board on pinterest with creative ceramics and 3-D objects that I like. Feel free to take a peek. I am particularly fond of pottery that has patterns or eyelets inspired by textiles and lace, as well as artists like Diem Chau (below) who mix fiber and porcelain for delicate storytelling with big impact.

Source: diemchau.com via Vanessa on Pinterest

Source: hellocraft.com via Vanessa on Pinterest

Do you have a favorite potter or clay artist to share?

New York City.

If you follow me on instagram, you may have noticed that I recently made a quick trip to New York City. My visit there was pretty specific: see the Cindy Sherman show at the MoMA and the Francesca Woodman show at the Guggenheim before they closed. Not only was I excited to see work from the two artists I admired most when I was studying photography in college, but it was my first time visiting both of these museums, so the whole thing was pretty epic. Throw in a cute boutique hotel, a visit to the High Line, some great food, a little sightseeing, and you've got a pretty amazing weekend in New York City! Here is a bombardment of photos I took. Hope you enjoy!

seeing green.

Trying to capture the exact shade green in this yarn is tricky. It's a lot like the shades of green I am seeing all around me in the city --growing out of dirt, on the sides of brick buildings, and sprinkling the rainy sidewalk. They are greens that vary bright and bold, deep and dark, backlit, and shaded. Just like the urban gardens and wild vines of ivy, this yarn has got it all. 

I also love how Audrey is knitting up. The seamless construction is fantastic, the fit is a-okay, and the pattern is easy to follow. It's been a great low-stress project that manages to still be challenging and fun.  I hope to post some finished pictures in the next few weeks!

Happy knitting!

{edit} just listened to a fascinating radiolab episode about color. Have a listen (while you knit!)

yarn swap.

I went to a yarn swap this weekend. What a fun idea! So many fiber lovers from the community came out with their goods and brought 'new' things home. The leftovers from the swap were donated to Wrap Around, a group of knitters and crocheters who sell handmade goods to benefit the Somerville Homeless Coalition. A true win for everyone!

Snowy says 'Thank you!' for all your sweet and wonderful comments! It was so nice to hear from so many readers and dog-lovers out there!

ps. the first photo is of my imogen cowl, which I am making progress on slooowly. working with Quince and Co. yarn is, as usual, a delight! 

Meet Snowy.

I don't think I ever introduced Snowy here on the blog, so why not now? My husband and I adopted her in January. She is an adorable, one year old white shepherd/border collie mix who constantly makes us laugh and fills our hearts with love.

just look at those eyes...

and those ears!

My husband and I fell for Snowy pretty much immediately upon seeing her on petfinder.com. We learned from her rescuer that she had been abandoned at 10 months old and was completely deaf, so we started researching and preparing for what training and raising a deaf dog would be like. To be honest, it's been a piece of cake! We have taught her hand signals for sit, lay down, stay, roll over, shake paw, look at me, no, and NO! (they're different), and good dog -- an enthusiastic thumbs up -- which we use the most!

So far it hasn't just been a heartwarming experience with Snowy, it's been a lot of fun too.

...I told you she makes us laugh!