Pumpkin

Don't you love it when your pumpkin matches your sweater?

Empty Bowls

Last Friday Emily and I took a rather long lunch and ventured to Powderhorn Park for Empty Bowls, which is an organization that strives to  create art, provide sustenance and promote the common good.  Many of my instructors serve on the board of directors and work hard to run such a massive grassroots event.  And I have to say; it definitely exceeded my expectations.

 The rec center at the park has become a very familiar place to me.  A place where friendly faces gather to create and learn. On this particular day, upon arrival, we were greeted with home baked bread. 

So here's the deal... there are bowls... a lot of bowls.  First, you have to pick your bowl.

I loved this pretty carved white one.

But I went with this one instead.   Then you pay and get your soup and bread.

 The gymnasium was packed.  We sat, gathered and chatted.  After a refreshing bike ride, it was just what we needed. 

 Doesn't Emily look happy?

Afterwards they wash and wrap your bowl up for you.  Then we headed to the raffle area to place our bids.  I have my fingers crossed for the little mugs in the front.  Emily's got her eye on a mustardy yellow sauerkraut crock.  

Bowls for My Boys

 My mom would constantly complain that I fed my boys out of the same bowls that I use daily.  She would exclaim, "What would your friends think if you gave them soup out of this bowl and they looked down and saw the exact same bowl with cat food in it on the floor!"  I have no idea; no one has ever  complained about that, and it wasn't as though I don't wash my dishes.  Nevertheless,  I decided to remedy the situation once and for all.  

Of course after seeing my new cat dishes, my mom exclaimed, "Oh those are too pretty for your boys.  Can I have them?"  "No", I argued, "besides they already have cat food in them, you wouldn't want them."  Turns out she's not so picky after all.  

 I was stoked to see these cat bowls being unloaded from the kiln.  The glazing is always the pivotal moment between loving and hating something.  So many times have I been disappointed by a beautiful piece with a terrible glaze.  

Muffin, in particular, likes his new dish.  Here, he is reminding me to feed him, by putting his catnip mouse into his bowl, which is definitely one of his top 3 insanely cute moments!

They both spend a lot of time looking at their new bowls and telling me how much they love them....especially in the morning.... 

when they are desperately hungry.

Pizza Farm

Enjoying Fall can be difficult when the weather won't behave.  But on one of those rare Fall days when the sun is shining and you crave the outdoors, a pizza farm is the place to be.  Good friends a bottle of wine, or two, and some knitting is exactly what you need to bring to Love Tree Pizza Farm.  They provide the wood fired pizza and you bring everything else, literally.  Spend the day basking in the crisp sunny day waiting for your name to be called and deliciousness served.

Steeked

A few weeks ago Little E, my niece, was rushed to the hospital via ambulance due to a febrile convulsion.  Once safely home, luckily without a serious diagnosis, our attention turned to her beautiful sweater hand knit by my sister.  Upon arrival the paramedics had simply snipped off her clothes leaving this in the aftermath.  

 We brainstormed how to remedy this sweet little sweater.  It would have been easy enough to reknit the front, but the idea of undoing the collar and taking apart the entire sweater seemed more  exhausting than re-knitting the entire body.  In the end, I brought the mangled mess back to Minneapolis, deciding it was a perfect time to learn how to steek.

The ambulance crew didn't exactly cut in a straight line along one wale of stitches, as would be preferable for a steeked garment, but they did thankfully avoided the front cable.  

A quick online tutorial later,  the once pullover turned into an asymmetrical cardigan.  This hand knit piece will never be what it once was, but now it is a salvaged sweater with a story, as all good hand knits should have. 

Pumpkin Days

On a gorgeous Saturday afternoon I found myself back at Hogsback Farm, to help my friend Emily and other friends with CSA memberships pick out their fall pumpkins.  Despite the hoards of children, everyone managed to snag a pumpkin or two, whilst enjoying the good weather and food. 

Glazing

My pottery skills have improved beyond my expectations.  As per usual I have become a bit obsessed.  I find myself running over to the studio every chance I get.  Nothing else matters or exists while I am there and there is nowhere else I would rather be.  I've challenged myself to master the cylinder, throw off the hump, make lidded vessels, throw multiples and collar a vase.  I overcame my fear of lifting a pot right off the wheel and I rarely have to re-wedge clay anymore.  This teapot is one of my earlier pieces, but I am so happy with the results. 

 The moment of truth is always the glaze.  I love the shape, but a bad glaze could ruin and disappoint.