Saturday, August 25, 2012

Ideas Come From Play


My mom said this to me this morning, and I've been thinking about it while sitting here and knitting, play knitting. I often don't realize how things can come together in an abstract manner until I play. I have a migraine and tunnel vision today, but I'm playing with my knitting and that is making me very happy. I don't know why I have such a hard time with doing things without the goal of sales, or of recording how I do them so someone else can do it. It hinders creativity at times.

What I am doing now is a knit necklace. I'm using fingering weight wool, bare and blue. It fades into blue the further I get into the skein, a fun dye job. I am thinking this will be a lariat of some kind, so I can get into the blue but I will probably overdye it with some crystal light, too. No idea. I started off with 4 sts, and am using a 2 st garter edging on the whole thing. I did some mini cable twists first, and now am on my second leaf. Not sure what is coming next but there will definitely be photos forthcoming.

Speaking of photos, here are a couple from my last shoot of Cassie. I had great fun with her makeup. Bless her heart for being patient during all of that! It took forever but turned out really lovely, I think. The shoot itself was great, I feel like we got some nice photos out of it. I need to get some more backgrounds going and iron the ones I'm using, but things are going well with my photography.


Tuesday, August 21, 2012

The Wedding Job and Brandi U.

The Wedding Job colorway, On Exquisite (70% baby alpaca and 30% mulberry silk)
by Nerd Girl Yarns
This is a beautiful yarn, and will get a full review after I knit it up! I'm so excited about this collaborative project, you have no idea! I have come up with a fabulous plan and am now working out the ohsoimportant details! More cryptic comments to come!



Meet Brandi U., a model from my new town. We had a shoot yesterday and it really went well! Tons of great pictures, find the whole shoot here at www.whitneychristmas.com which is my makeup/photography site. Check it out!

I just want to take this moment to say-I'm really happy right now. My personal and creative lives are going well, and that makes me a happy duck!

Monday, August 20, 2012

Going to Grandma's-A Photographic Excursion

Growing up, the only home I knew my grandparents to have was a tiny farm house in central Texas on the Colorado River. Beautiful, idyllic landscapes full of sweeping dioramas of beauty. Green was everywhere. The farm teemed with life. Goats, cows, and our stubborn pony were just the beginning. In the morning, you would wake to the hollering of the peacocks, and if you were so inclined to step outside in the chilly autumn morning, you would see the males' arcs of tail feathers. An amazing sight. Then the guinea hens would come around, the dogs, the cats... the chickens, geese, and ducks. My memories of this early time period are like snapshots in and of themselves. Impressions of light and movement, energy, but with the stark silence that comes only so far from civilization. The "farm" was 17 miles outside the nearest town-which had only 1800 residents. Six of these miles were treacherous dirt road. It was a path, really, in these days of golden sunlight. Insulation from the "real" world.

Now, many things have changed. I am an adult, as are my sisters of course-and I have two nephews. My mother is remarried, my step dad is really my dad, and the farm that has always been there, was sold 3 months ago. Mom is still living out there, until the house in town-the same oh-so-tiny town, is completed. It has been nearly five years since my grandparents moved into town, in an equally historic home. Though, that home's history is not part of our history, the way the farm is. Papa's father built is the farm house, after a huge flood. But, that place in my history will soon be someone else's. And  they will get a husk of what it once was. Year after year of drought and neglect has changed the land, brown over rules green and dust is over it all. Taking photos at the farm was my first really dedicated time to make photos after my lifelong interest in photography bloomed into a passion. Looking at them now, they tug my heartstrings. When the photographs were taken there was the feeling of this place, having always been, would continue to be a part of my life and a part of my future. Soon, it will be a memory, much like the "snapshots" I had as a child.





The House

3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom of fun and games. WIth a basement and remodeled (well, in the 80s ish) kitchen. A very interesting juxtapositon of antiquity and modernity. A basement that regularly floods and high speed internet.





The View from the Swing

We had various swings in this tree growing up. Usually those adventures would start with one of us being the ringleader to Get Er Done. Sometimes it was a rope and tire swing, sometimes we put on shows for the family, complete with hors d'ourves. Sometimes it was a raid on the fabric stash to make some crazy, useless, and probably never finished concoction.

I must say though, I believe my creativity was fostered there in a big way-the serenity and comfort allowed me to express and experiment with out fear of judgement.




The Slide

This was the slide we played on as kids. Once, we took a baby goat (Peggy Sue) up to the top. Needless to say she did make the 14 foot fall. But survived!



Kerosene and Tractor Equipment

Avoiding tripping over old tractor or other types of heavy equipment was a dance we all learned to do, and very quickly. I do have memories of stepping on a nail at one point, my sisters each had the same experience! Wearing flip flops and tromping around in the country isn't a good plan!



The "Tank"

Fish? yep.

Pirhanas? Maybe.

And lots, and lots of mud!




She's Gone Country

This is the current state of affairs on the Farm. Brown, dusty land with mesquite trees and cacti to show for it. But, when it is unexpected, you will find beauty in it!





The Gate

This is one of my favorite photos I have taken, and the first that made use of the capabilities of the camera to shoot and have fuzzy and strictly in focus in the same frame. Much love for my camera!





The Goat's Climbing Tree

The cistern out in the front of the barn, in the foreground of this photo, has always been there. I really must ask about it's history-I am sure it came from somewhere else! That tree was struck by lightening many years ago, and the tree split. Later, it was struck again and that right hand branch was broken off. Lighting does strike twice if the target is ideal-there are no other trees near this one! The Spanish and the Boer goats were avid climbers, getting as high in this particular tree as it was possible to have their weight supported. I guess mountain goats really can climb if those breeds can!

*****

My Papa passed away several years ago, but Grandma is still going strong. We are blessed.

What are your fondest memories of visiting family?

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Website and Portfolio

I've been working super hard this evening getting my website and my facebook portfolio up. I did Model Mayhem yesterday too. I am getting some shoots together for this next week, I'm really in the mood to take some photos! I'm very excited about it!

I also received this yarn in Exquisite Lace, a baby alpaca and mulberry silk blend. There is a pretty high silk content, which really makes it shine, I look forward to working with it. Nerd Girl Christa is a really sweet person. Looks like she just ran a Kickstarter project and it was funded! GO Christa! With the quality of this yarn, she deserves a great space to work in. The colors are gorgeous!

My Favorite Photograph

This is Robin, she is a lovely model from San Antonio whom I had the pleasure of working with very early on. I love this photo, everything is really serendipitous. I would love to have some constructive criticism though! I did almost no edits on this one, so bear that in mind! 

I've been thinking lately about my lifestyle goals. I want to create. That is my goal. Whether or not it makes me a huge profit is irrelevant. I want to turn out good work, for myself. If people happen to want to pay for it, that's great, I could use the cash! 

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

"...Six Impossible Things..." Printable

To indulge my love of printables, I have created this one! I love this quote!



Monday, August 13, 2012

New Knitting Patterns!


I've been designing like crazy, and have lots of lovelies to show for it! The 4 patterns shown below are available on my Ravelry store or at Craftsy. The first two little dabs of knitting are even free patterns!

A fabulously fashionable Peter Pan Collar is first. This is knit in a worsted weight silk/bamboo blend, but can be knit in most any fiber/yarn weight. I do need to take more photos and knit a few more of these, they are ripe for embellishment!



Next, is a Swiffer or ReadyMop cleaning pad. I have decided to start using more renewable cleaners and reusable cleaning towels, and mopping with this was an extension of that desire. Make up a few of these for yourself and for gifts, they are fun and easy, and pretty swoopy-do if I do say so myself!



A New Leaf Lace Shrug (One-Skein Raglan) was a joy to design and knit. I had great fun developing the leaf motif, and the pattern includes charts to make it that much easier to knit! A New Leaf comes in one size-plus which will fit any lucky lady from size XL to XXXL. Be sure to get gauge to use only one skein of yarn!



And, last but not least, Sierra Lace Shrug. This shrug was also a fabulous knit. It developed as I went, without a preconceived notion of what would come next. I adored working with the Cascade Sierra. It was my first time to work with a wool/pima cotton blend, and I love it! This is so much fun to wear-and I get tons of complements!



Thursday, August 9, 2012

Gourmet Crochet

I just wanted to share my favorite crochet pattern designer, the fact that it is my mother's patterns has nothing to do with it! Carolyn Christmas is so talented, making truly wearable crochet garments, and lovely decor and holiday items. Gourmet Crochet is full of delightful surprises, like the fabulous Happy Holidays patterns. A Santa doll, amigurami nativity, and gingerbread houses abound.

I also have a few patterns there, but they are no longer in stock.

What is your favorite crochet pattern designer?