Getting ready for fall...

Today I saw a lot of birds heading south. I spend the day in the studio making sure the clay was stored safely for the winter, moving the fragile plants inside and so on. It has allready been below zero at night, but the weather is clear beautifull, and I am not complaining...

I made the cardigan and hat for Seth using this pattern, with a few changes to make it not so girlish...He is still to small for shoes so I made a pair of knitted boots ( I am afraid these will be to small in two weeks ) .....The pattern is from Erika Knights book: simple knit for cherished babies ( I just made them a little longer )

We are building the studio, so most of the time goes with painting and so on, but soon I will show you....

About knitting...

I use to knit these very complicated patterns, but something has changed...Now knitting is more some kind of meditation for me. I need it to be simple, without the constant looking at the patterns, counting and so on...I love wearing thin cardigans over tops and dresses, so I decided to make a pattern using my own sewing pattern. I knit all the edges by hand ( really easy...no counting...pure relaxation ), and then I finish it on the very old knitting mashine that I have from my grandmother. I crochet the button front ( again no counting ). I made the pattern with the help from the freeware program >Graph paper printer. I made a simple grid that fit to the gauge of my yarn and then I just trace the pattern on the grid...

I have knitted ribbon ready for take 2, and I will make some changes...shorter, rounded edges at upper front, dyed brown...Then take 3 in alpaca wool...take four in cashmere...........

Home again

We are home.....There has been a change in situation....I'm no longer dwelling in a greek café with my laptop, drinking fresh cool orange juice....no... I'm working in my studio, hands all covered in clay, drinking coffee, foggy landscape outside and two hunters walking by my big windows with a dead fox...beautiful animal, but very quiet...sad....

I like working in the studio... And find it strange to think about the fact that some people don't appreciate the work of hands...like our old greek landlord that doesn't have to do physical work to make a living. He shows that by keeping his thumb nails long ( I'm not a peasant, he tells ) ....I always have short nails, and I never wear rings, because It makes me feel like I cant breathe....

Another way of life

We went on a barbecue with some new friends. She is from Thailand and he is from Portugal. They live in an camping van with their two kids. They are both 22 years old and have been travelling around the world for the last 4 years. Pedro already was travelling as a kid, since his father was doing exactly the same as he is doing today...selling handcrafted jewelry on the sidewalk. It was as if we were back in the sixties (well that's what John says...you see I can't really know that since I am rather "young"). It is amazing to hear a very young person - Pedro - saying " you can not get anything good quality anymore, everything has changed to the worse". I don't agree, some good things has disappeared, but there is also somethings that has changed to the better.....an example...I love the fact that the the Internet has given me the opportunity to get connected with people doing things similar to what I do....If I want a good quality silk jersey, and I just can't find it anywhere in my local stores...well it is no problem anymore...see I think that is a good thing for people not living in the big cities...

Sunset....

Nights in Paleohora

Every evening we take a stroll in the village, and quite often it involves having cake at Elias. Elias has a café in the middle of the town and during the summer he sells the cakes he bakes at home in his kitchen. He spends winter in the nearby city of Chania where he combines seeing friends and family with his freelance work as movie producer. Before Elias restored old Lambretta scooters…. Now he is a true believer of all new age kind of things, and spends November at a meditation workshop up in the mountains. He is a great guy with very good taste in cakes and other things…don’t you just love that vintage scooter…..? …..When you sit in his café you look at the vegetable grocery…that place seems to always be open and there is always great amount of social activities going on at that place……thinking…I hope he will make his orange cake today..

Paleohora life

I am working on my homepage. It is just so much nicer to sit here doing that. Today is going to be a hot day, and I want to finish all this programming before the heat comes. Later maybe the beach....

Here is a few pictures from around the city, and from our room....aesthetics and Greece....I don't know...!!....why is that ??

mmmmm..........

All we do is basically eat and relax......Like the locals, I would say....."no problem"...

The sky is the limit….

I like having basic fabrics ( all white ) in my stash. Cotton jersey, silk jersey, viscose jersey, cotton corduroy, white and neutral linen in different weight, wool jersey and some others with interesting structure or feeling to it. I also have basic yarns and threads in white. I then dye it after or before sewing, that way I can make whatever I want and not get in these situations : ……”Oh what a beautiful color…but oh no…polyester….or what a wonderful texture and ….ooops…I wish that blue was just a little more……” Did anyone say control freak. Well it is more a matter of unlimited opportunities. I think this is one of the reasons that I ended up as a potter. There will always be enough clay and no limits except that of the materials own.
Before leaving we spend a couple of days in my studio. I did some cleaning, but also had the time to dye the body suits I made for Seth . I really like it and hope I can also find the time to make some prints…that would be so much fun. Did I say no limits and did anyone mention time as a factor…..

Some people think that creative minds are alike, but they are not ! …All creative people have some kind of drive, something they just have to do, but different things and different drives. I find illustrators faschinating. What is it that makes them grab that pen, drawing some fabulous little creature….? I have no idée, I just know I love looking over their shoulders while they are doing it. Their creativity is from another world then mine which is more : Hey that square wheel…lets make it round and while we are at it, should it be green or blue…hmmm….maybe a bluish green….oh yes that would look good with my yellow dress…

Illuatrators are like writers, telling stories. Some of my favorites out there in the blogosphere is Elizabeth dunker : fine little day and fine little thing. She tells really good stories with both pen and camera. Sara: Happysilly Her dreawings are so fragile and with edges just look at this little worried sweetie below. I just want to make her coffee, sit with her until that phone call from the doctor. Kate Neckel Just so funky and great patterns and energy. Tiel: tsk tsk. Quiet, sweet and with great colors. Now go check their blogs....