July 20, 2012

Fiber Fridays: Inspired

Well, after last week’s stellar Friday post comes this week’s more ‘laid back’ version. I had intended on posting some photos from my recent spinning projects, but the upcoming baby shower and an unexpected work day, plus theĀ  leaving of my power cords AT work have prevented me from spending the time i’d like. I’ve got 40 minutes left on the battery, so i’ve gotta bust this out!

As you know, i felt little critters. They’re cute. I love them. Folks love them, but what does one really DO with an adorable miniature barnyard animal or corgi? A recent customer sent me an appreciation photo that just blew my mind. Check it out. Is that not the coolest thing?

A. that doll majorly radical.

B. my little bunny was so clearly meant just for her. I’ve definitely been inspired to create some Fiber Friends specifically as doll accessories, and may even bring home some of my old Madam Alexander dolls as props for photo shoots.

Thanks for the inspiration!

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This week’s featured Fiber Friend may just be my favorite so far. Sleeping in the classic ‘pooped corgi’ pose we’re all familiar with, this little pup must have had a long day of play and fetching. She’s perfect for setting on top of your monitor or other frequently stared at surface. Those squinty sleep-eyes are just too cute. Almost as cute as Pocket’s squinty sleep-eyes. Next on the docket will be a ‘flat on the back, legs akimbo’ corgi – that other popular sleeping position.

What’s your dog or cat’s favorite sleeping position? Leave me a comment to receive a coupon for my Etsy shop!

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July 19, 2012

The Oregon Country Fair

If you’re not familiar with the Oregon Country Fair, or OCF you may find the following photos a bit befuddling. This is NOT your state or county fair. You’ll find no sheep or huckleberry pie with blue ribbons at OCF but what you will find: just about anything else!

I used to be a “fair kid” as a teenager, joining my parents who are part of the Community Village in working to prep the fairgrounds and camping throughout the event. The event is open to the public for 3 days, but those who are part of the fair family are involved all year round planning and building and managing public relations. A lot goes into changing this seasonal swamp into a three day party of love and self expression, and it’s thanks to the public for supporting the fair that it keeps on truckin’ through the years.

My husband was a ‘fair virgin’ and thoroughly enjoyed his first fair. He told me on the way home that he “gets it” now: the fair is a place where you can and are encouraged to express yourself, no matter how bizarre that true self is and are enveloped in a bubble of happiness and goodwill. So much goodwill! It can almost be oppressive šŸ˜‰Ā Ā Ā  The fair was historically a ‘hippy’ event, filled with drug use and other illegal activities to the point that the police were going to shut down the fair. No more. Although i’m sure there are still drugs being used, they’re used privately if at all and security is well enforced. It’s in everyone’s best interest to keep the fair going for years to come, so we keep it on the up and up.

The fair is full of craft booths, music and performance stages, educational displays, parades and of course the ‘villages.’ Archeology park is full of booths educating you on the historical residents of the valley, how to make fire and tan hides displays and other cool muddy stuff. Energy park has booths for solar energy, kinetic energy, permaculture and more. And of course, the community village has their own displays, including my favorite: the wild edibles booth. I FINALLY figured out that i was right in my Plantain identification and was shocked at just how poisonous Foxglove really is! I also made the ID of all the wild peas growing everywhere and was even more shocked to discover they’re massively poisonous, causing permanent paralysis! Don’t eat that stuff, man!

We visited for just one day, this year. Picked up a few souvenirs including a shirt, a delicious nutty butty and a handcrafted wooden comb. We’ll probably go back next year, though may check out the Philomath Frolic instead. Talk about two polar opposite events on the same weekend: a frolic and rodeo vs a massive event of self expression and alternative lifestyles in action!

Did you go to the fair this year?

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July 17, 2012

Fermented Pickles #2

So, i never really updated my first pickle post. I was remiss. I was too busy eating them to take their pickled pictures, so now all those lovely red onions have been gobbled up: i guess they were a success! I decided with zucchini season really gearing up, i’d try my hands at some fermented zucchini pickles… but i have a few concerns.

I chose some skinny little pickling sized zucchini babies and placed them in the same brine i always use (1 T salt to 1 Q water). I topped my jar with my normal little pyrex lid and used another jelly jar as my weight – which works way better than a silly hot sauce bottle! BUT i added spices this time. Loose spices. Loose spices that immediately floated to the top. This means they have contact with the air and could potentially drag nasty bacteria down into the safe ‘good bacteria’ zone of the brine. Fermentation has since cruised along nicely. The water is murky and there are active bubbles happening……

This post can be found at the Simple Lives Thursday blog hop.

What do you think, should i be concerned? Just in case, i’ll be picking up some more baby zucchinis tomorrow to make some basic refrigerator pickles as a backup.

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Filed under Buy in Season, Cooking, Fermented, probiotic, Veggies

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July 13, 2012

Friday Favorite: Son of a Sailor

I thought i’d mix things up a bit this Friday and post a feature on one of my favorite small businesses (who also happen to beĀ  one of my favorite couples), Son of a Sailor. This husband/wife team may not work with fiber, but their craftsmanship is definitely worth a Friday spotlight.

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William Knopp and Jessica Tata revel in playful creation and collaboration. William is a graphic designer by trade, but has made stops along the way in the Navy, the oil fields of West Texas, and pilgrimages around the world. Jessica fancies herself a creative marketing professional with a background in art galleries and museums, photographing the world around her as she goes. Based in Austin, Texas, both continue to explore space and form through jewelry as just one of their creative outlets.

I met Jessica when i worked at the Austin Museum of Art, back in my Austin days. We immediately connected: both of us being art weirdos who loved to speed type back and forth at each other from our respective office spaces (often and inappropriately laughing aloud). Jess has traveled as much as i have over the years, living for a while in San Fran before settling back in Austin and finding her soulmate, William. I sent them a special wedding gift in lieu of my presence this Spring, don’t you think this is just a spitting image of them?

I had a lot of fun making this illustration for them, and recently worked on another special project for them: a commemorative Fiber Friend of Jessica’s dog, Jackson who passed away about a year ago. I felted mini-Jackson in trade for a personalized charm from Son of a Sailor: isn’t bartering fun? Here are a few of my favorite pieces from their shop, including the little charms i’m expecting in the mail soon (photos of my new goodies to come soon!)

Son of a Sailor offers great customer service along with their hip and unique jewelry and graphic design. Their policies are clearly stated on their Etsy page and your order is followed up with a convo to nail down every detail of your purchase. I chose an 18 inch chain with two charms, and had many other options to choose from, plus instructions on the care of my (new favorite) necklace. I hope you’ll check out Son of a Sailor on Etsy or at some of the trade shows they’ll be gracing this Summer. Brooklyn magazine recently proclaimed Son of a Sailor to be one of “The 10 best things we saw at Renegade Craft Fair!” How’s that for some great praise? The couple is in for some more travels this Summer and will be peddling their wares atĀ Renegade SF (San Fransisco) Saturday, July 21 & Sunday, July 22; Renegade Chicago September 8, 9 Ā (renegadecraft.com) as well as maintaining a consistent presence at Shatzelein, a sweet little boutique on south 1st street in Austin. You can find all of the boutiques and festivals that feature SOS here.

If Son of a Sailor isn’t visiting a location near you, you can always find them on Facebook, check out their pins on Pinterest, get their latest news and photos from Tumbler, sign up for their newsletter and of course browse their shop on Etsy. Yay!

Do you have a favorite local or boutique designer/shop in your area? Leave us a comment so we can check them out too!

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