Hillside 2010.

It was a good year for Hillside.

The turtle image they used for the tickets, lanyards, and promotional material was really cool. I just wish they'd used it more. I think adult t-shirts would have sold really well.

Bronwen and I rented a car to drive up because we had all of our camping gear and our workshop supplies to bring (we both volunteer running hour-long workshops in the Do-It-Yourself tent). Since we had the car, we got to visit Andrew and Louise for french toast breakfast on Saturday. Also, we took some detours on the way home to visit some of my favourite shops in Guelph and my old work site, Limehouse Conservation Authority

It rained a couple times on Saturday, but we were under the Island Stage tent for both of the down-pours, so we managed to stay dry. The ground got really muddy, but we walked around in bare feet and it wasn't so bad. It was actually cool on Saturday night. We went swimming after the music and the water was warmer than the air. Andrew had requested that we deliver him a cone from Mapleton's if there was a cold snap, but it wasn't quite that chilly.

Mapleton's had organized their ice cream stands much better this year, so we went there a lot (well, we always go there a lot, but this year they didn't run out of all the flavours so quickly and the line-ups were tolerable). The Flying Chestnut Kitchen had a stand and they served the most delicious Traditional Indian Tacos. All local ingredients, like Grey County beef chili, Ontario tomatoes and peach salsa and cilantro on Ojibway fry bread.

Our workshops went well. Mine wasn't so busy on Saturday (I was competing with The Acorn at 5:00 pm), but my Sunday workshop was packed and I used up all of the leftover materials from the day before.

My favourite acts of the weekend were: Jason Collett on the main stage Saturday night, The Beauties and what would have been the Japandroids show on Saturday night if security hadn't killed the show, The Acorn and Wooden Sky first thing Sunday morning, and Zeus.

Japandroids rock out in kitty t-shirts.


The Wooden Corn rip a hold in the the plaid universe on Sunday morning. This also isn't a great picture, but you have to admire the seven plaid shirts on one small stage at the same time.


Sarah, Bronwen, and I at the main stage on Sunday night.


Amy Milan's insane glitter dress and Stars.

Glowy red mushrooms we found at Limehouse on our way home.


Some of the native alvar plants I planted in the abandoned Limehouse quarry three years ago. It's nice to see that they are doing so well.


The old draw kiln at Limehouse (just another type of old quarry restoration in action).

Pond hockey birthdays.

Today is the Little's 2nd birthday. She's all grown up! It seems like yesterday she was only the size of a guinea pig.


Since Mini's birthday also happens to be my half birthday, I thought I'd put a few pictures up from my very fun pond hockey birthday party last January. This was the first time I had seen many of my friends since returning from my Australia and New Zealand trip. I had barely even recovered, in fact. It was so great that everyone was able to make the drive up from Guelph to visit my little home town. We dug up enough skates and hockey sticks for everyone and spent the evening planning pick-up on the Mill Pond. After hockey we went home for homemade pizza dinner, arm wrestling, hilarious youtube videos, and then headed back out at midnight to toboggan on the hill behind the rink. Everyone slept over and we had a big breakfast including eggs from the chickens I was housesitting the next morning.

Nat and Whitney snapped so many hilarious picture of the event. Here are a few of my favourites.

Nat and I on the way to the pond. Notice all the fabulous knitwear.


Em by the stop sign infront of my parent's house on the way to the pond. Her figure skates and Matt's hockey skates. I believe her tam was made by one of my past knitting students.


Matt and John (fast friends) carry the rubbermaid bin of beer to the pond. Whit tags along. They would build a bonfire on the pond for us. Whitney is wearing the toque I made her for Christmas. She truly appreciates a good handmade item.


Skate tie-up help. Andrew's chocolate brown toque made by me.


The crew. Mom and Dad and the pups came to join in on the fun too. Notice Jayme's flap hat.


Nat and Andrew back at the house after dinner.


Matt and Jayme modelling my grandfather's old snowpants.


Me and Louise!


Brian and his pup, Stogie. Brian is wearing his Christmas toque from me as well.


Em made me a spectacular cake, as usual. With a small bonfire's worth of candles.


My party was a great time. I'm so glad that I have so many good friends to knit for. Til next July....

O, and better yet, this post puts me one tiny bit closer to finishing one of my 101 things in 1001 days items. I've been working hard on my list lately.

Wool Blacks.

Once upon a time I was a Knit World visitor too. I actually dropped in on the knitting group at the Knit World in Wellington, NZ. This group is out of Dunedin. I was only in Dunedin for about one hour while waiting to catch a plane. Not enough time for, even me, to find a wool store (the airport is just a tiny little place out in the sheep pastures).

I like this video because I have always thought of knitting a sports jersey. Hockey jerseys were knit by hand when leagues were first starting. This group of women are knitting the jerseys to raise money for charity.

Appropriate and inappropriate uses for googly eyes.

Sometimes googly eyes can be used for good. For example, quickly and easily turning a little purple tea cozy into a little purple hedgehog tea cozy.


On the other hand, googly eyes can sometimes be used for evil. For example. on this poster advertising a breakfast deal in downtown Peterborough. Sunny-side-up eggs shouldn't be able to see you. Also, none of this egg's food friends have googly eyes, so how come it even has googly eyes, in the first place?


Of course, definitions of good and evil are up for interpretation.

Retro puppies.

The other day I snapped this picture of Sam and Miss sitting in the front seat of the RV. I decided this was the perfect setting to transform a digital image into (what looks like) an old-school analog photo. I used this tutorial from spoon graphics to learn a few tricks in photoshop. And I think it turned out quite well. I will definitely use this technique in the future. It's an easy way to capture the old-fashioned aesthetic I am always looking for. Don't worry, I still love my Holga and can't wait to test out my new Polaroid Spectra. John found it in the old Sarnia Hospital and brought it home for me. It has a big OR scratched into the top, so I'm sure it's taken some interesting photos in it's life. I just need to find a good source of film.

The retro puppies:


The original puppies:

Stitch Yourself exhibit.

The London Science Museum's Who Am I exhibit opened on June 30th, 2010. Two hundred and fifty nine little stitched selves crowded into the entrance way display case. I can't display the pictures here, but here are links to the overall exhibit and the Science Museum Logo in the foreground of the exhibit.

There are several close-ups of the exhibit, but I haven't been able to spot my little doll. Stitch London says that they catalogued each entry and will be featuring all of the dolls in blog posts over the next few months. I'll keep an eye out for mine. Hopefully she made it to the UK and isn't lost at sea.

Jewels.

J Davis handmakes silver jewellery of tiny, mini town scenes. The pendants are my favourite.


Dark Cloud Silver makes silver jewellery inspired by DJ paraphernalia. I love this headphone pendant a lot. Much better views on the website.


Over at Maker's Market, Laura Cesari is making beaded models of the solar system. She worked out the distances between each bead to scale. The small black beads each represent about 20 million miles, or 32 million kilometers. She has kits and patterns for sale. I think I'm going to have to make one of these.


I may have posted this before, but it doesn't matter because I like it so much. Italian designer, Maria Christina Bellucci, of MCB Jewellery, takes ordinary things and makes them into beautiful colourful art pieces.

Foodie gadgets.

Sugar dust stencils with knitting and countryside designs by Megan Herbert.



Handpainted lunch tiffins from Rose Grey.


Tableware from Fishs Eddy with Alice in Wonderland designs.


Cookie cutter puzzles! from Match and Munch.

Sandwich wraps and snack bags from Brantford, Ontario.

A reusable shopping bag system from Canadian company, Moukisac.

Alice in Wonderland cutlery made in England. From Hidden Art shop.

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters.

by Portia Nelson

I

I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I fall in.
I am lost ... I am helpless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes me forever to find a way out.

II

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in the same place
but, it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

III

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in ... it's a habit.
my eyes are open
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

IV

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

V

I walk down another street.

This poem was framed in five little frames and hung on the wall of a house that I stayed at in Whitehorse.

Orchids, pitcher plants, squids, and little green things.

More Haeckel art I've collected.