Skip to main content

renegade

even though i work weekends forevermore (hooray for the service industry), i was able to drop by the renegade craft fair on my way home last night.  i allowed myself to spend any tips i made the day of however i wanted to, and was fortunate to have a very busy and profitable day.  what better way to pay it forward than to support other independent artists and crafters?

left: deep sea sock!  right: barn owl BFL
as always, there was almost too much to take in - a lot of great inspiration - and even some yarn!  i ended up buying some ridiculously squishy merino/silk sock yarn AND some handpainted BFL roving from rhinofluff, a vendor from austin, tx.  (as though my startitis weren't bad enough!)  i was immediately drawn to the beautiful turquoisey blue of the sock yarn - the subtle variegation of 'deep sea' will make some beautiful socks - or perhaps a triangle scarf! - for me.  and the roving is right up my alley, what with the neutral colors and BFL-y goodness - but the color name, 'barn owl', totally pushed me over the edge. me want.

i also ran into some pals of mine who make amazing posters here in chicago, which was fortuitous for many reason:  a) it was nice to say 'hi' and catch up.  b)  i could give them their baby gift (left:  a giant squirrel pillow knit with lorna's shepherd worsted in a custom color dubbed "anna's eyeballs,"  pattern is ysolda teague's nathaniel.)  c)  i could finally snag the snow leopard print i've been coveting for the last year!

diana's snow leopard print!
i met jay and diana during my days at lorna's, and have been fortunate to get to know them a little better in the last few years as we dog/cat/house-sat for them when they were traveling the world, selling their posters and such.  diana was even nice enough to create the awesome 'handmade by stefanie' banners which grace this blog, my etsy shop, and all of my patterns (and all for the price of some home-made cupcakes!)  i was excited for them both when i heard they were expecting, and excited for me, because a baby on the way gives me an excuse to knit even more cute things...not that i need one.

at any rate, if you weren't able to make it to renegade this year, you can find posters, fine art prints and more at diana's etsy shop - and while you're at it, check out the bird machine, which houses all of jay's rad posters and other handprinted items.

my final purchase at renegade this year is from a mystery vendor - i neglected to grab their business card, and there is no tag or means of attribution anywhere that i can find - so whoever made this necklace, i love it! and i wish i could link to your website or etsy shop, but unfortunately, i got distracted and have no idea who you are.  if anyone's wandering around renegade today and notices someone who is selling necklaces that look like this, please give me a shout so i can amend this post to give a link!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my  taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b
Post a Comment
Read more

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends,  so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with  this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks).  The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a
1 comment
Read more

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels?  I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n
3 comments
Read more