little/big red riding hood

Some things never change, right? Like take a look at this picture of me dressed up for Halloween



That was taken Halloween 1976. And now, look at me...



This capelet began it's life as a plain red hooded sweatshirt from Target. I followed the tutorial from Emily.
Which brings me to The Up Series




which was recommended to me by the lovely Carolyn. Do you know about this? It is a documentary series about how people are who they are by the age of 7. (The Halloween photo is taken of me at 6 1/2). They interview the children at age 7 and then every 7 years. It is so interesting to watch. You really get wrapped up in their lives. We have 42 up now and will watch it this week.

Oh, and the 1st image is an antique Lithographed Tin Plate from the 1920's-1930's made by the Ohio Art Co. that I got at Little Cricket in Montclair, NJ. It is one of my favorite stores.

buttons and daisies

It was raining yesterday and I needed some brightness So, I did this....



I never wore this red shirt but, I'm sure I will now. I basted it last night and ran it through the machine today. I think it's kind of cute.

a knit cloche

Last week I showed the hat in progress and wasn't sure how it would turn out. I was so nervous as I finished it up not knowing what it was going to look like. Surprisingly, I'm really quite pleased with it since this is my own made up pattern and it looks really nice on. I think it is a little like the hat these lovely ladies are wearing in this Edward Hopper painting I adore.

Alice Love

recently I bought this


and 2 of these


and this wonderful pop-up book that is SO amazing

'The Quickening'

On Wednesday, Grammie came (oh how fun it is to call your Mom, Grammie) and I went to Chelsea to pop in a few galleries. I went to see 'The Quickening'. Why might you ask would I like to spend my time away from my little boy watching women get stalked and killed is a question that I can not answer but it was so much more then that. I really enjoyed the filming, technique, and narrative. I admit I am a sucker for the costuming and sets and the fairy tale aspect of the scarlet dress girl sweeping the leaves in the forest and dancing with the bear. This stems to my obsessions with the forest, forest creatures...


Here is a press release

Sue de Beer
Marianne Boesky Gallery
509 W 24th St
Marianne Boesky Gallery is pleased to announce a new video installation by Sue de Beer, entitled The Quickening. Set in the oppressive environment of Puritan New England ca. 1740 and drawing inspiration from the Salem Witch Trials, the novels of Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the Decadent writings of Joris-Karl Huysmans, de Beer has created a period film filtered through the gaze of a psychedelic lens. The video will be projected in the main gallery space, amongst a dropped ceiling, lush lighting and red carpeting. Typical of de Beer’s video practice, the artist replicates portions of the sets in The Quickening to accompany the screening. Before entering the projection room, the viewer must first pass through a ring of trees, 10 feet in diameter. Next, a hallway with two replicated dream machines entices the viewer towards the main gallery space. Integral to the film itself, the spinning dream machines with their mesmerizing flickering light prepare the viewer to be transported and deliver him ready to engage with the film.

With The Quickening, Sue de Beer distances herself from her past fascination with the world of today’s youth, so characteristic of her previous videos. Instead, 18th century Puritan America becomes de Beer’s physical stage and inspires a wholly different culture to be mined. The Quickening’s themes naturally involve female sexuality and its repression, sin, fear and ultimate persecution. The narrative is seemingly simple enough: a young woman is stalked, violently attacked, and finally hanged as punishment for her immorality. Recalling her past slasher-movie aesthetic, De Beer heightens the violence with frenetic camera movements and crystalline audio of knife to flesh, yet counters its dark shadows with rich jewel-toned greens and scarlets in its sets and costumes.

Layered upon the themes of sins of the flesh and their punishment, de Beer weaves another character into the video who sits entranced watching a dream machine before him, leaving the viewer to wonder where the reality of the narrative lies. Where Puritanism sought control over the members of its society and their inherent sin, which de Beer highlights through a voiceover with excerpts from the theologian Jonathan Edwards’ richly didactic sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (1741), the dream machine provides the very release from that control, freeing the mind from such constraints.

Felty Friday

Inspired by the wonderful creatures by Jenn, I am lucky enough to have adopted Beatrice and Tilda--I made this cute little needle felted blue bird. It wasn't so hard. I bought a kit, the wool roving and needles at the NYS Sheep and Wool Festival. It took me about 2 1/2 hours. The hardest part is not to stick yourself with the needles--they are very sharp. Isn't she cute?

lace + i heart suri

A perfect follow up from my last post I think would be to show what I'm currently knitting.




Here is a gray lace scarf that I am knitting with Blue Sky Alpaca Brushed Suri which is a combination of baby suri, merino and bamboo. If you knit and haven't yet worked with this yarn I most highly recommend it. It is so soft and amazing to knit with. This scarf is from Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2006 and is called Misty Garden by Jo Sharp. It is the old-fashioned feather and fan stitch pattern. This is my first lace knit piece and it reminds me of my handmade lace class which I took when I was 22 with my friend Heather. Lace-making is wonderful but tedious. We even made our own little cushions to do it on. So many bobbins and just wind and wind forever to get a itty bitty tiny little bit of lace.





Another, project on the needles is this Mano Del Uruguay/Brushed Suri hat I am doing. I am just making this pattern up as I go along so hopefully it works. It is almost done. This was the first project I started with suri and because it is so soft and wonderful I'm now doing the scarf.



Lastly, because I am feeling show off-y I thought I would show you a bag I made this summer from One Skein. The photo in the book shows a womans hands lovingly holding her coffee cup while the cute button clutch lies beside her. I dreamed about sitting in the coffee shop the same way with my tiny clutch to keep me company. I have yet to bring it to the coffee shop. Soon though, soon.