owl in the dark

stardust love planet

2011-10-06T11:29:00.003-05:00

it is dusk and we leave our planets to step out into the stardust.
we find secret chambers along the way, and hearts lined with love;
and love so deep and wide the world itself is minute in the shadow of it.

i hold my own hands and evaporate.. ready to swing on a swing
that will carry me over the ocean and take me to the other shore.

america. america. america. america. america. i am coming home ♥

happy

2011-07-22T12:01:00.003-05:00

today i was thinking about how we are all allowed to be
happy but how we rarely let ourselves be ♥

crumpets & dryads & along the way

2011-06-24T06:38:00.013-05:00

we went to the faery fest in cornwall this weekend ♥
there we met some lovely wandering fae between the raindrops.

dear amy & swan princess natalee from tales from the dryad forest
floating through the field of sheep to search for the folly ♥

we danced wild into the night under the magic trees ♥ women twirled fiery hoolas with serene faces & boys played fiddles, flutes & drums

i learned that the universe inside you is not dark like the night sky
but swirls with a billion starburst rainbows of color and shine ♥

we found scadfulls of books and ancient messages. then yesterday i
started reading: charles g. leland "the gypsies" you can read it *here*

amethyst crystals and lepidolite eggs ♥ all praises to purple lepidolite my new lavender lithium bearing faery godmother. where'd you been?

we searched and searched for the folly but we never found it..
we did however find some dinosaur bones... maybe thats the
point of searching... to find things along the way ♥

all of these photos were taken by the loveliest butteriest crumpet
juliet of dear sweetlings here she is sticking her head in a hole and finding another dimension. thanks for sharing the trip crumpet!! ♥

water cauldron & crystal cave

2011-06-07T11:30:00.010-05:00

lately i ring little bells when i want to clear the air...
or sweep giantly with open fanned fingers like feathers ♥

i fill cauldrons with water and become a fish swimming inside.
or pull at time like a string until it bends back upon itself.

then late at night i sneak out into the deep garden,
silk tassels & moths flit this way and that when i pass.
there i am listening to stones & wood & wind &
filling shells with rainwater before sneaking
back up to bed.

♥ i watch the rain seep through my castle roof ♥

moon faery & teacup moss

2011-05-29T05:32:00.004-05:00

ive been putting mossy earth in teacups & dreaming green and blue...
little winged creatures have been dancing for and around me ♥
they spell words in the air and hug me with see-through wings.

i know what they are saying... and i am holding my cups
with crystals in... waiting... waiting... waiting... ♥
i am working on true grace and each of the elements.
when the fire gets too big i put fish in my heart.
they swim and sway... they teach me to cry and remind me
to go with the flow... the stream will always carry me ♥

today we are going to go see "hannah" if it is still in the theatres.
i sang on the closing credits song with the chemical brothers
and im so excited to see it on the big screen! that is if it is still
possible. i may have missed it... thats because i have been in my
sky parlor... hiding in the garrets and subject to the muse ♥
ooooh here is the song if you would like to hear it. ♥

ps all pictures are from we ♥ it

petals & mist

2011-03-31T14:35:00.005-05:00

i listened to evi vine in the car today.
by the end of song one i had turned
into a fairy. mint green skin and
magnolias for hair, my right wing
trailed out the window as i drove.
by the end of song four i found
myself transported. my fingers
disappeared and up my arms
until i was only petals & mist.

yes i know that is not very
good when you are driving.

snow white

2011-03-28T13:03:00.002-05:00

for me, it kind of starts here ♥

and ends here ♥

grimm's cottage, catching butterflies & mr. fox

2011-03-24T08:46:00.009-05:00

we are going to grimm's cottage to hear stories ♥

snow white rose red cinderella the glass coffin ♥

we listen all night and put logs on the fire ♥

we dream of the woods and girls in capes and snow ♥

then we smile and sigh and hold hands under the blankets ♥
grimm's cottage capelet and gauntlet set ♥
to download the knitting pattern click *here* 5.50 USD
*********************************************************************************

wheee yippee these are the mitts that were in yarn forward mag #35

they make catching butterflies really easy and friendly ♥

catching butterflies mitts ♥
pattern available in yarn forward magazine issue 35 *virtual copy here*
*********************************************************************************

then finally this little foxy stole my heart ♥

i didnt mind giving it to him in the end. he is kinda hot.
this is the other pattern that was featured in YF #35 ♥
mr. fox stole my heart ♥
pattern available in yarn forward magazine issue 35 *virtual copy here*
*********************************************************************************

im on my way to grimm's cottage now but if i dont make it there,
please ask the wolves. they will know where i am ♥

forget-me-not and ships & seaside

2011-03-04T17:07:00.012-06:00

lets wander the wild gardens after tea ♥

we will run through the labyrinths and trees ♥

we will hunt snowdrops until the sun goes down,

and wait for the cricket chorus to begin ♥

we have ships to count,

and beehive secrets to keep.

wool to spin,

and ponies to name.

and then when we are finally at home,

we will dream in striped linen,

and hang wreaths of blue roses on our cottage door ♥

i have been busy ♥ writing lots of patterns.
and finally! the yarn forward magazine came out.
i am so pleased with the way the patterns look inside ♥

also the studio doors have been swinging and the mixing
of our first snowbird record is almost complete. ♥
im feeling better.. finally.. the way it sounds just now..

forget-me-not (blue ruffle crochet collar)
$5.50 USD download crochet pattern now

ships & seaside (stripey mohair cowl)
$5.50 USD download knitting pattern now

or visit my etsy store ♥ tiny owls magic attic

free rapunzel!

2011-01-23T08:22:00.010-06:00

i started a campaign to free rapunzel from her tower.

i braided wool.. plait by plait... up to her window.

but when i reached the top and peeked in,

she was asleep... and with a little white cat on her lap.

she looked so peaceful and content,

that i climbed back down and left her there.
*********************************************************************************
free rapunzel! hat knitting pattern: ♥ buy now
bo peep scarf knitting pattern: ♥ buy now

we are searching for starwhales

2011-01-05T22:22:00.009-06:00

shhhhh they like whispering ♥ and soft purring. but you must wait.

they will attend to each petal. but only one at a time. that is best.

too many and it all gets in a rush... we must protect our hearts from being too busy... that makes them rush... then they dont work as well. they need time to breathe in the cold air that comes off of the snow.

today i am taking time to do things slowly. like watch for starwhales.

from now we will only do these things one stitch at a time ♥

wrapped in white dresses

2010-12-29T13:11:00.005-06:00

we are tucking down into the down down feather nest today.

it is so cold the wind blows through the barn & up to the attic.

i found some little white kittens in a nice pot for my bone hooks.

they keep an eye on things. they want me to knit mice. only mice!

we only will work with cotton though so the lambs stay warm.

still we climb stairs up to the attic. so high we can see chimneys.

dust dust white dust snow. we hide & stay wrapped in white dresses.

sweet robins & baby lambs

2010-12-10T14:35:00.002-06:00

little cranky lambs! it must be nap & apple time!

ive been knitting lots of wrist-ees.

in my new magic attic!

thats right we moved ♥ and were finally all settled in

turns out... there is a magic attic! ♥

ive set it all up so its half music studio & half knitting studio

all of the wool muffles the sound which is good for recording.

if you want to try knitting these patterns you can go to my
*etsy store*
or click for an instant PDF download below:
sweet robin wrist-ees KNITTING PATTERN
baby lamb cuffs KNITTING PATTERN
~^v^~

meow mitts

2010-11-06T05:03:00.004-05:00

i just published the pattern for my meow mitts ♥

they kinda make me wanna put up my dukes & meow.

i was inspired by the little kittens on vintage valentines day cards.

oh i made a little video... its a little creepy i think:

hi im a cat. im approximately age 3 i think? my favorite footballer
is gareth bale. i got a pretty nice face as you can see.
im a pretty happy animal. uuuuuh i dont have a face.
oh. we'll get you one. (make out scene)

knitting pattern in etsy. clicky clicky HERE ♥

tiny owl knits mania

2010-11-01T09:21:00.001-05:00

a little fawn fell asleep on my poncho. now i have a fawn-cho.

fall has come and my needles have been so busy.

my ♥ cousin ♥ and i stay up into the wee hours of the morning.

we make stuff. she eats smores and i eat doritos.

this little cowl is made of cashmere though so its dorito-free. mostly.

i finally opened up an etsy store. :)

i plan to sell magic trinkets, but right now its full o knitting patterns.

and i finally caught all the gnomes that were scurrying about the place!

busted!

now you gotta SING for it.

*whew* that was a lot o stuff to say ♥

wanna go to etsy now? i do. clicky clicky ♥

little cupcake kitten hat

2010-10-11T17:37:00.003-05:00

a little cupcake kitten hat is the perfect thing
to wear when having tea & cakes.

and cakes ♥

and cakes ♥

and cakes ♥

and just maybe one more cake ♥

i got the inspiration for the fabric from the little
victorian puppet i found at the antique fair.

roses & stripes

the pattern chart included is for 2 flavors:

strawberry & chocolate

i like both flavors :)

pattern info:
available in 2 sizes:
adult - 22” circumference head
child - 18.5” circumference head

adult yarn requirements:
2 balls MC
1 ball each CC (6 colors including stripy ears)

child yarn requirements:
1 ball MC
1 ball each CC (6 colors including stripy ears)

i used jamieson’s shetland spindrift (fingering/4-ply)

you can get the knitting pattern here for 5.50 USD
note: *this is a KNITTING PATTERN* (not the actual hat k?)
(the link will take you to paypal and then a
PDF will be emailed to you right away :)
love
stephanie xoxo

oh ps wanna see the little puppet? it made my heart skip a beat when i saw it. it was sitting on a table at the fair in the rain being totally ignored. the woman sold it to me for a fiver and looked at me like she couldnt wait to get rid of it. i loved it so much i kissed the creepy thing right on the spot. (and then made this hat in homage)

dont you want to KISS it!?

keeeeeeeety

2010-10-10T16:39:00.005-05:00

i was trying to take photos for another pattern yesterday
and lamby and roo were desperate to get in every shot ♥
for some reason it reminds me of before sunset when julie delpy
pics up her kitty and says "i love my keeeeeeeety"
i love it when she says that ♥

woodland hoodlet

2010-09-20T07:11:00.012-05:00

woodland hoodlet pattern i just finished ♥

its good for picking red red berries in the woods.

and for stopping to chat with deer along the way.

sometimes deer are shy to tell you their names are lieselotte & twigs.

so take lots of pretzels with you. deer love pretzels. its the salt.

yay the little heidi spencer tour is done. it was fun because i got to sit in the dark corner and pretend i was david gilmour on the lap steel. yes i know he doesnt play lap steel. but if he did. plus i could drink as much vodka as i wanted to and chirp to myself and no one seemed to notice one bit! its a bit harder to fall over if you are sitting down. it made me love playing out again because my legs werent all wobbly-like. playing out can be nervousing. i know its not a word but it means what i mean.
so... ♥ woodland hoodlet ♥ would you like to make your very own?
here is a quick paypal link if youd like the pattern. its 5.50usd.

oooh also.. here is the quick fox hiding in the shed.
this is the only picture that wasnt so blurry ♥

*shy* xoxo

ghosts in nests, the fox & dolphin searching

2010-09-09T04:34:00.005-05:00

this is one of my favorite nests. it has a little porcelain doll inside,
an owl talon, quartz crystals, and a wee bird from my grandma.

itty mittens. never even got bought. well... til me i guess.

the ladies' field club of york. by j morgan puett. all printed into frames.
i absolutely couldnt fathom not printing these. they are deeply inspired.

all things will face you. eye to eye. just like the little fox in my garden this morning that looked me right in the face before he climbed into my shed like he owned the place. i tried desperately to photograph him to no avail as he was too quick. and he looked SO well. his coat so red. his eyes so bright... but cunning and plucky! to waltz into my shed! we must have left the door open accidentally the other day. you know hes still in there too that cheeky little cur. probably painting the place.

you will always see what you look for. its best to look for dolphins.
even when you are in the middle of a lake. it will keep you hopeful.

we have been playing a few shows with heidi spencer around london. she is a dear friend of mine and a fantastic singer. i have been on the lap steel guitar! id never played it before but we had one in the shed so we got it out. (thats when we left the door open) luckily for mr. fox im pretty good on the lap steel or he wouldnt have free rent ♥

mice castles & the kitten in the flower box

2010-09-03T04:35:00.009-05:00

yay finally a home i can keep all of my imaginary mice in!

its ok. they will fit. my imaginary mice are only 2cm long.
they are white and twiddle their whiskers when they smell biscuits.

the little birds on the roof dont eat mice. they eat seeds or grapes.

the other day ruby was in the window and it reminded me of something.

this was my very first book. its about a little white kitten who is lost. everyone tells the kitten to scat. but in the end a little girl named rosey runabout finds the kitten in her flower box and takes her in to say. she pushes her around in a blue baby carriage and they live so happily that roseys braids nearly stick straight up into the air. i read this book a thousand times and must have made some sort of sub-conscious wish.
yes, ill have one white kitten in a flower box please, thank you.

ill take you in! if it mews, ive got a saucer at the ready.

or, maybe a cupcake or two. no ruby didnt eat these. she only sniffed.

i have lots of relief just now. i finally finished the 2 patterns and article for yarn forward magazine and sent it all in yesterday. i honestly think that i did more work for that deadline than i did for my masters degree. it was nutty and made me a little mental. but i cant wait for the patterns to come out cause if i may say so... they are freakin cute. the second half of my relief is as follows: the mysterious and horrid pain i have been having in my chest for 3 months finally turns out to be just inflamed rib muscles! it can take months to heal. i thought i was at the end of my rope but seems i may have a little more time on the blue planet. i am trying to make the best of it. honestly. but its hard sometimes isnt it? thank god i found a....

spinning wheel!!!!!! it was at the charity shop down the road. its an ashford traditional and is good for beginners like me. i have already spun 2 skeins with the fiber that i had lying around the house. i was shocked at myself that as a non-spinner i had 4 bags of fleece at the ready. ? it seemed strange to everyone including me. i learned how to spin on you tube and then sat down at the wheel. i spun it fine-ish so it would take longer. im afraid its all gone down another rabbit hole.

lamby and roo keep nibbling on it. ive walked in to find bits of fuzzy alpaca fleece sticking out of rubys mouth so it looks like she has a beard. you may wonder whats up with lamby and why he doesnt visit here very often. lamby is his own cat. he has a job in the city now and really cant be bothered hanging around the house much. when he is at work he has a lot of filing to do so by the time he comes home, he just takes off his purple suit and gets in his basket.
also, dont touch his paws. ever.

one more thing: after i spun up all of my white alpaca/silk, i switched to some sort of brown alpaca i had. heather came over and i was teaching her how to spin with it. however, it is ungodly. it looks and feels like real human hair. it is so ick it literally feels like a dirty fourth grade girl cut of her big brown danky pony tail and handed it to me. heather said it looks like it came out of the drain. i thought what can i even make with it, slippers? no! then it would look like i kicked someone in the face and was walking on the back of their head. i can not stop laughing about this and promise to pick up some more downy alpaca as soon as i am able.

deer with little antlers hat

2010-08-25T08:35:00.007-05:00

i had been trying to grow antlers for quite some time to no avail.
i finally had to get out the sticks and strings and make some!

i havent used them in a battle yet or anything. but i might do.

if you want to buy the pattern to make them yourself...
you can do that here:
pattern is 5.50 USD and takes one skein of manos del uruguay wool.
and some feltable off-white double knit for the antlers.
i mean. they are made of bone. of course they are.
ps.
lovely yarrow has asked me to post the lyrics to
*we carry white mice* so here they are:

when lacy wings decompose
i do not know. where do they go?
oh it is a subtle thing.
melting right into the air.

all the edges crisp and fray.
tiny pin eyes sink in a shell.
oh it is a subtle thing.
melting right into the air.

and then we... carry white mice to the prairie
to see them ascend.. and remember... all is lost.
************************************************

it came from a poem i wrote about a little winged
bug dying and then disappearing. and about the
funeral i might have for him. if i had gotten to him in time.
i swear the poem was better! ah! seems once i turn poems into
music they just dont stand up alone anymore. bad bad bad bad bad.
the video is only a demo of half of the song... more to come! ♥

pssst.. if you want to hear it its the second video in my sidebar
the one with all the pink flowers...
i left the audio to the video footage up loud because
all of the bird chirping was real time! ♥

she hath a mark like a violet

2010-08-20T05:47:00.010-05:00

its here its here! it is a print from *undine*
"she hath a mark like a violet between her shoulders
and another like it on the instep of her left foot"
i hung it right above my chair.

i would say to the many many over-many incomprehensible number
of bertaldas ive had in my life, that i will always love you all...
i forgive you all... and i will always feed you oranges,
and let you take what you will.
i have what i need. its inside of me ♥

roses and the absolutely impossible

2010-08-09T08:39:00.010-05:00

yesterday i planted these little cyclamen in the windowsill.

they somehow remind me of the flowers snow white may have planted in the window box at the little cottage she found in the woods.

i have been keeping busy designing a few knit bits for yarn forward magazine! im very excited about the secrets in the cauldron and its taking all of my willpower to keep them shoved inside. they want out.

i dont usually knit from patterns... but last weekend at knit nation i fell straight in love with the romance de la rose socks by renaissance dye studio. i think now that i can see the charts on this insane gadget... color-work has finally become impossible to ignore any longer.

ok. then something impossible happened.
and i still cant wrap my head around it.
oK.

simon works closely with a guy named jason rackham.
somewhere along the line.. simon must have mentioned
to jason what a huge worshipper of arthur rackham i am.
(simon is always hunting in the london charities for copies
or DARE, first editions of any of the works hes illustrated.)
he has found 4 so far ... but not at charity shops ...
peter pan in kensington gardens, evelina, little brother &
little sister (GRIMM) and the rhinegold & the valkyrie.

last week, jason was in a charity shop and found some
original arthur rackham prints from the early 1900's!
he picked them all up.. and since he knows how i feel
about the greatest illustrator of all time.. he got one for me!
now. i am honoured and excited and beyond consolation
when simon says, "oh yeah and i cant actually believe i forgot
to tell you this.. but jason is actually arthurs great-great grandson!"
! ♥ ? ♥ ? ♥ !
now. just why simon didnt come home
and actually set himself on fire in front of me
with this information painted on a plaque to
display the importance of it.. i have no idea.

i dont know what the print is yet.. and i can barely contain myself
with excitement over the possibility. also.. i just keep thinking..
why why why why why why why me!?
i will return with updates.
if they are all playing
a huge joke on me
i will let you know.

we are climbing up into our tree house

2010-07-27T11:36:00.013-05:00

i ran to put cypress & bay laurel on my wrists... 5 drops each.
i put on my silver jingle bracelet... we are going to climb the ladder
up into our tree house... we will disappear into books... together.

now we are climbing... my wrists jingle with each rung.
i am humming something that seems to be coming from
the earth floor... something soft and ordinary...
the ground is fading... clouds roll in.

inside... we can just stand... here... in the amber
cedar light... i place a crown on your head.
it looks perfect.
then we look out of little moon shaped windows... together.

hushing early morning and let the soldiers rest

2010-07-20T07:20:00.010-05:00

when you are mean to yourself
your self makes a little army of invisible men...
they link arms and form a barrier that separates
you - from your soul.

they will guard your soul like an iron gate
and they wont let you see it anymore.
they are protecting it from you.

if you are easy on yourself,
the men will put down their shields and rest.
then you can be all of you ♥

summer music with not too many words... patchouli mixed with bergamot... then 12 books from amazon dropped through my letterbox! fringy boots and foxes... cedarwood incense & earth thoughts in clay cups... carrying a summer basket... fur and feather wolf & crow dreams where i am the mother... where they rest on my shoulders and lick from my fingers... watching a mobile made of feathers blowing in the fan... then staying up into night to play with magic.. and... ribbons... always the ribbons... twirl your hair around your fingers and suck your thumb little one.. it will be ok and besides that i am so sorry ♥

tiny violet hand puff

2010-07-07T08:19:00.013-05:00

its a tiny violet hand puff.. my latest design ♥

over 200 crocheted and felted violets are crammed and smushed together because i forced them to be in love with each other.

the inside of this little puff is lined with white purr-soft angora ♥

i wore it around my neck on a green velvet ribbon when i went to stonehenge overnight..... it kept my porpies so warm!
porpies are hands. danielle and i used to pretend our hands were dolphins and make them swim in the air... somehow porpoise porpoise turned to porpie porpie and it stuck. i still call them that always.

i think this little puff will come in handy in the fall... but i cant help that i finished it in the summer. i will like to wear it with a black coat.

when i said i fell down in a patch of violets i wasnt kidding. i was totally surrounded... i crocheted little violets like i was shelling peas... i tossed them in a little basket for months before i had enough.

want to make your own? ive written up the pattern
the pattern uses knitting & crochet and sport weight & chunky wool.
it is shaped so your hands kind of *pop* in just like a real victorian muff.
hehehe i said muff.

aw vashti the darling-est

2010-06-26T09:34:00.004-05:00

we share a violin player now
so i got to meet her once
in edinburgh. lovely
lovely lovely lovely
all the way
through ♥

solstice sunrise at stonehenge

2010-06-21T17:58:00.005-05:00

we had to weave through thousands of people in the blackness but we found a place against a bluestone. i pressed my back up against it and it felt like water. it moved with me and it buzzed and hummed and sang. we sat still for six hours. i sat in the darkness as people around me beat drums and danced and cheered. every once and again a cheer would begin and grow and roll about the crowd and get louder until it died off in a wave. everyone was grinning. people held hands and kissed. i sat still. the rocks were moving.. they were living... they said "here and now" and "peace" and everything else seemed small and far away. it was like dying, like letting go but still being attached... i was clutching a small bag filled with knitting, little lights, water, bread and m&ms.. but i didnt need anything. i dropped my bag below me and opened my hands. i had whatever was coming from the stones and the people humming through me. my hands and legs were buzzing... despite every bit of strangeness that was there around me... (polite englishmen tripping on acid: "oh excuse me and please do pardon, i seem to have taken a bit of LCD and now my spacial perception is a tad askew.. i certainly would not have stepped on you otherwise, its because i have taken drugs you see." security men in bright yellow jackets standing like boulders and flashing yellow fire in a thousand camera flashes... teenage girls in miniskirts and rave bangles with smeary makeup and mumbled accents.) it was all there... and the stones sat ancient and held us all. we were picked up in a mouth like kittens, we mewed and screamed.. some of us fell down... but the stones, like grandfathers, rocked us and sang to us like we were rolling in a giant gaping baby cradle. and they just watched on... rooted... observing it all unmoving with equal love and detachment. i didnt move. i didnt need to move. i didnt touch any of the other stones. i didnt walk around in a circle. i sat against my stone plugged in like a little blackberry. it was mine. and how many others have felt the same! now that i am home, it is still mine. my battery is all full and my legs are still humming. ruby is sitting on me and wont leave. we keep joking that she is in the henge-glow. i didnt know that would happen! i didnt believe anything would happen. i was only going to sit on a blanket and watch the sunrise. what a gift. and now i know, stonehenge is a baby cradle.

heh heh look at ruby's henge eyes. shes got the proper glow
she keeps pressing her head to my legs. ♥ kitty ♥

then you can look at the stars & birds

2010-06-16T10:47:00.006-05:00

we went to the mojo awards the other night. i got to see people from all kinds of exciting bands... i couldnt find one single piece of crap to wear so i settled on this. i wasnt up for any awards or anything so it didnt really matter what i wore anyway ♥

we got the demo for the new azure ray record and i have been listening nonstop. i want everyone in the world to buy it when it comes out. i am so glad they are back together. it is one of my happy thoughts. do people still buy records? i miss them. ruby misses them too.

the other day my horoscope (sometimes i say horrorscope and i think im funny but im sure other people say that too.. or they say relationshit instead of relationship. im not sure) anyway.. it said .. just roll with it sweetheart. (well i added the sweetheart part.. but i think i it sounds nice) .. it got me thinking..... you cant control this ship. its on an ocean far too large and with a mind of its own... settle down in that little boat and drop the oars sometimes... then you can look at the stars & birds ♥

there are so many of us

2010-06-09T07:50:00.009-05:00

i watched a show on bbc last night about a nomadic turkish family
raising goats on a mountain plateau. the women bake bread all day.

they have dreams. they have broken hearts. and they sometimes laugh.

there are so many of us here on earth... too many of us for anyone to know us all... and there is a little eye on each of us... there is a little eye on every thing... we all have cares and worries... and every worry matters the same... i am trying to remember that worries are just thoughts... they can be changed into bunnies.

there will always be a little bit of mud on your new shoes. freckles appear out of thin air. how will i observe them? i will change them into bunnies. mud can become bunnies with the blink of an eye.

there are so many of us... too many of us to count... we are stuffed into white buildings one on top of the other. we sit by the water or fire... and we wander in the woods... and we are woven into the fabric of everything living and everything that has ever lived... we are one big quilt... we are grounded... i am a square sewn to many other squares. today i will decorate my own quilt square with candles and incense. strawberries, lavender and wool. its the only thing i can do ♥
stay tiny & turn mud into bunnies.

filling our baskets

2010-06-05T10:40:00.005-05:00

here is a new picture we found at the fair. i dont know what its called.

i love the way the light is dusting the women... the way they are up and working before the sunrise... the way they are so draped in shawls, skirts and baskets they look like they are part of the earth.

the sun IS coming up again today. its cool and today we will talk about everything that still excites us... we do matter. our lives matter. our gathering matters. our tiny treasures matter. our smiles and our thoughts matter. the way our shoes shuffle in the mud and our workers hands hold tight to our findings. the way we still have things to say. we tick and tock and still wake up new.

earth thoughts

2010-05-31T09:55:00.004-05:00

deep in the ground the earth is thinking.

when it does, crystals form.

i have been collecting earth thoughts for some time.
i got this new one yesterday ♥

poor violas come back & the concert

2010-05-24T06:26:00.005-05:00

the sun has been striking at my violas and they are so sad.
i had to put a parasol up for them and give them lots to drink.
its because my neighbors cut down their beautiful birch trees.
i cried and cried. just the sound of them being chopped to bits
just hurt me so much... now we have lost our shade... and more
tree ghosts have been made.... *weep*

last night was the chemical brothers concert.. i got a chance to
see them really quickly before the show and wish them luck.
i was totally shocked when my voice (on track) opened up the show!
i had no idea! the record is really light and vibrant and promises
hours of positivity... im really happy that i could be a part of it.

i thought simon pegg was sitting in front of us, turns out
it was "just some guy" OK TWITTER. for all of you that
subscribed and then just as quickly unsubscribed,
im sorry dearlings! yes i have a dark and sometimes
disturbing sense of humor. i like baby-eating jokes.
i always have. i always will. unless of course
someone eats my baby. then i might change.
so
i think twitter is just the place for me to
let it all out and yes, i laugh at my own jokes ♥

hamsters, bears & mating doritos

2010-05-21T11:39:00.007-05:00

ah. ok. i started twittering. i found all these tweets
in the attic and really needed a place to stuff them.
plus i just found out for super sure that the
chemical brothers used my vocals on three
tracks on their new album! im chuffed &
dancing around. then i saw 8 swans.
really! a mom and dad and 6 babies.
its been a busy day.. do you want
to follow me on twitter where
ive been talking about
bears and hamsters
and mating doritos?
*my tweets*

ps. is there an "e" in doritos?
pps. yes i know theres no e.

UPDATE:
ppps. before you come over to twitter
you should know that i have been talking
about eating hamsters, not petting them.
i like pretty things but im also a massive
shit talker. if you dont like that sort of
thing, just stay over here where ill still
talk to you about magic and faeries.
i promise! ♥

kempton, lilacs & kew gardens

2010-05-15T12:02:00.009-05:00

oh gnome. yes. i did. heres the garden like i promised!

i have been watering the moss as much as the flowers.

these tapestries are 100 years old... i found them at kempton last week and stuffed them up into pillows. cause thats what girls do, they make pillows.

dusty old fairy tales from kempton again... the man who sold them to me looked like he didnt really want or believe in tales like this... so he sold them to me for a pound each. ka KA bitch!

sometimes i put creepy little doll heads inside glass. i really like it when everyone gets creeped out... i dont know why. i like it when their faces get scrunched up. its BAD they say.... noooo....i think its gooood.

i am starting to seem like i am living on a farm. it sort of catches... once you find a little cow you like.. (even when you didnt know that you liked cows) ... suddenly...

this is happening. and you have a little pig with pink hooves on the floor. but honestly. how could you not have this little pig on your floor? he is hilarious and tells the best knock knock jokes.

cause i need a place for all my sand.

little white violets that i planted last week... looking good little violas. KISS.

oh this little girl was so cute.. she was running around kew gardens and her cheeks were so puffy i wanted to bite them. i think her mom got upset because i was taking so many pictures of her. hehehehe im not a baby eater. not really.

these swans just had 2 little fuzzy babies and they were making a nest for them. AW. see them? they are sort of sticking out from under the mom swans featherbutt.

so we went to kew gardens so i could steal lilacs on my birthday. its my holy tradition. we got gobs.

we're ok!

2010-05-05T18:02:00.002-05:00

thank you for all of your well wishes hearts & prayers
kitties are back to fluffing and purring as you can see.
more special food... more special care... and
nearly back to normal. ruby had to wear
the cone for a few days .. but she is up
to full strength mew-ness now.

i have been in the garden. i fell straight into it.
normally i just watch it grow... but this week i
put my hands right inside of the ground.
and then i found everything. everything.
i will take some pictures soon..
lilacs, jasmine, strawberries,
roses, azaleas & ferny bits
heather & moss & forget me nots..
all stretching roots and sighing.
plus the wee little frog pond is kicking!
aw!

perfect day

2010-04-26T05:09:00.003-05:00

today is not perfect
i am watching over my kitties and they are not feeling well.
then joanne may sent me this song and it sort of did
something to line me right up. the energy inside.
i think it might be magic. anyone else? ♥

the secret garden vs. the universe

2010-04-21T06:41:00.008-05:00

yesterday i listened to peter yearsley read secret chambers and hiding places by allan fea on librivox... and i began to think about hiding. and what is hidden. its human nature to hide. its human nature to want to hide... or need to hide... or to be forced to hide. for fear, for shame, for safety, protection, or for suppression.

and in the chamber, pain whorls around... deep silence and darkness mock your senses. but something else happens. some great undertow takes hold and grows roots... and things that are in secret grow... they grow in a wild way that only unseen things do. like mushrooms or wishes, cup moss or tiny black spiders. they are a universe of magic. they are whole onto them selves. locked away and growing.

i thought about anne frank. living.
i thought about the children coming out of hiding .. up from the ground.. "all eyes like potatoes" like from that jewish poem i dont know the name of. i thought of the priests.. hiding their masses in secret compartments inside of chimneys. communing with a spirit forbidden. hiding books behind panels in closets and practicing alchemy... turning words into gold by a lock and a twisting key.

then i watched this video by hank green
now i am in the garden nursing my whiplash.

oh my bear!

2010-04-17T08:16:00.003-05:00

ive just finished my bear sweater.

i figure if i run into any bears in the woods,
i can just point to my sweater and explain
that i am a long time bear supporter.

i might even get some porridge out of it ♥
(i have posted the pattern on my knitting site too)

calke abbey and the old wooden horse

2010-04-05T19:28:00.015-05:00

today we went on a day trip to calke abbey.

we climbed moss trees filled with crows.

we had to wait for hours to see the magical manor house.

so we explored all of the groves & gardens first.

when we finally got inside the house it was an eerie and cold magic.

the wealthy eccentric owners built the estate in 1702 and over the years the descendants boarded themselves up in a few rooms and left the rest of the enormous mansion to sleep. for 300 years it has been untouched. everything is still just exactly how it was found after the last resident died in 1980. an abandoned time capsule.

quiet libraries are crammed with thousands of ancient books and delicate maps. fossils and minerals, shells and stones in giant glass tombs in every room. tiger skin rugs, boxes of owls and bunnies, fish and ferrets. birds on strings, needlepoint and chinese silk, pianos and pillows and ancestor portraits sit quietly stacked before fireplaces.

most of the rooms are boarded up and only let in cracks of light.. as you creak through them, little old men stand with flashlights to shine light on the dollhouses, deer heads, writing desks with quill pens and tall candlesticks left behind. there are giant glass cases filled with swans and specimens, big cats and crocodile skulls. teeth and shells and feathers and bones. all labeled in flowery script and frozen in time.

pots, kettles and clocks crumble in the kitchen as if cooks just wandered away. outside, old black carriages with sheepskin seats wait in dark rows to be driven again. there are tiny carriages for children that wait to be hooked to ponies. the stables are hollow and full of horse ghosts. the only real horse is a white wooden rocker that sits in the front hall and keeps his glass eye on you as you spiral up the grand staircase.

this was a little boys room. the bed is tiny. he had hunted all of the animals himself. we saw little wooden plaques with crudely painted letters explaining in which gardens he had found each one. next to his bed a glass cabinet stands filled with bits of wood and bone, spiney sea creatures, shells, antlers, horns and hooves.

once we got inside we were hunting for the old wooden ships we had seen in some of the windows from the outside. the sails were billowing against the glass right before our very eyes. but inside, hard as we tried, we never found a single one.

forest girls

2010-04-02T18:31:00.008-05:00

i had a mori girl day. I wore flowers and fluff.
i tacked a wolf tail to my bag. no its not real.

little legwarmers i knitted a long time ago..
maybe i should put up a pattern sometime?
anyway,
then when i was on the bus to kingston, in theme,
i downloaded ♥ girls of the forest ♥ (1902) by L.T. meade
on my iphone. it is the story of 10 girls let free to run in the early
edwardian forest after their mother dies and their father falls into
a book of virgil and forgets he has daughters. i like it so far.
do you want to read it too? i cant vouch for the end yet. *here*
then i went into the studio to record some more snowbird songs.
i am getting very excited about the record finally being close ♥

fairy queen crown

2010-03-29T07:46:00.002-05:00

i found this little fairy queen crown in the woods near my house.
i am sure she will send her knights to come look for it,
so ive kept it in plain view just in case.
it must have fallen off when she did
some acrobatics. i know queens
shouldnt do that sort of thing.
but i bet she did it when
no one was looking.

the little gloves

2010-03-23T19:34:00.014-05:00

i knitted these little white rabbit wrist-ees. as soon as i saw the film i couldnt help myself. i made up a knitting pattern too... would you like it? ive posted it over on my *knitting blog* ...its free ♥

in theme i found this old set of alice books at kempton last week.

they are pretty tiny... they have gold pages and really nice illustrations.

ive been meaning to post them ♥ but ive been lost in a book of ships.

and then i fell down in a patch of violets.

a book of pretend

2010-03-20T07:13:00.006-05:00

this is a little book of pretend i found. pretending makes it real.
i remember starting out half of my conversations that way ♥

near kew gardens there is a fabric shop that
sells reproduction fabrics from the late 1800's...
i squirreled some away and made this bunchy skirt yesterday.
it feels like a down duvet and crinkles softly when i walk.

today while i was walking molly
i saw a little girl passing on a red bus.
she was pointing at my hat and her dad was smiling.
(that erased the reaction i had gotten from a little old lady
a few minutes earlier) ♥ my question to her is:
why on this earth would you NOT want ears on your hat?

little pink hat

2010-03-17T21:06:00.009-05:00

ooh its a little pink hat i found at kempton park for a fiver ♥

its doll tiny and old ♥
yesterday we went to the flower nursery
& picked up scads and scads of ivy plants.
right now they are trailing vines all down the
windows & bookshelves... spring is coming.
ive put lavender oil in all of the eaves and i
have been adding drops of rose extract
to my ice water and drinking it out of
a pink glass goblet. its all turkish
delight and velvet kittens ♥

the ships, the lion tamer & the north wind

2010-03-15T12:23:00.006-05:00

i had a dream we were on the desert planes... the grass was pale green and dry....a giant lion tangled with a man. i was in worry of being gobbled myself.... then a voice said. "look again, the man is just distracting the lion.. you are safe... and they are only playing..." i looked again to see them rolling about on the grass like puppy & boy.

its just like the north wind.... things are not always as they seem? i have seen her sink ships with her left arm, and hold children in her right... her hair brambles as her hand divides... but what if what we think is dividing... is really not dividing at all?

speaking of ships... i have been pondering them again.
and lo if the north wind didnt blow one right straight
into the magic charity shop for me today.
...eye on the sparrow and all that.

ps. when i was on the bus on the way there..
i saw a giant ship in a window in camelot court...
i thought id like to find one myself... isnt that strange?

there's a fly on the lamp.

2010-03-12T19:17:00.010-06:00

there's a fly on the lamp.

there's a FLY on the LAMP.

THERE IS A FLY. ON THE LAMP.

i am taking this to my vet as proof that my cats are in
desperate need of kitty prozac. look at ruby's eyes!
they are having a proper freak out.
hilarious ♥

crowns & castles

2010-03-11T12:03:00.012-06:00

ive been walking through paper castles

& having crushes on little blurry figures of smoke.

i have a cold :(
partly because i conquered kempton park antique fair on tuesday
and i got a proper chill doing so. my bones felt like ice... my fingers
were frozen and clutching tiny broken dolls and bits of old lace.

i am reading again: ♥
at the back of the north wind
by george macdonald

ps.
all of the pretty paper magics are made by *terri windling*
arent they just the loveliest? ♥

alice...update

2010-02-25T18:47:00.007-06:00

tonight was the royal premiere of alice in wonderland!

it was pouring cats and rabbits... and rain.

we got to stand next to tim burton and helena bonham carter.
i was able to meet her afterwards and give her a little white rabbit ♥
i totally stumbled over myself. i just totally adore her.
im so sorry i took a video but its insane & i just cant post it!
im babbling something like "i love you" its horrid. BUT
she was AMAZING in it. absolutely riveting and perfect.

and theeeeeen we saw alan rickman ♥
(and of course the rest of the cast... but.. alan rickman!) brilliant.

also. it was a royal premiere..
so the trumpets sounded and prince charles came in!
he sat a good 20 rows ahead of us.. i was dying to get
a look at him wearing 3-D glasses.. but alas. he never turned around.
i have to admit.. during the film
(which was stunning and redeems the story for me completely)
i just kept thinking.... "im watching a film with prince charles"
"hey, whats the prince of wales doing tonight?"
"oh, hes watching a film with me"

also.. one other cute thing,
when we were in the rest room
i was washing my hands and looked next to me
and there was anne hathaway standing there like a baton.
she was really really really lovely & we had a little chat ♥

i swear im not a star stalker! im not! see? no photos here..
but.. this was really special ... and im really thankful i got to go ♥

ps. look what my friend heather just found:
*clip* of us on the red carpet scurrying past
johnny depp.. giggling... like... idiots. (9 seconds in)

midlake & alice

2010-02-20T21:37:00.002-06:00

we had the final midlake show on thursday.
i got to sing with them onstage for all 3 of the
london shows and it was more lovely than i can say.
i am sad to see them go back to america ♥

good news:
i just found out that we have tickets to the
london premiere of tim burton's *alice* on thursday!
we get to walk the red carpet in leicester square
with tim burton and johnny depp! i am so
excited i could completely freak out ♥
i have to fight the urge to wear an alice dress.

cedar needles & the little moose dearling

2010-02-14T13:09:00.007-06:00

i am knitting a woodland cape-let with my cedar knitting needles.
i look at the branches while you read me fairy-tales.
♥ ♥ ♥
when little baby mooses are small they dont have antlers
im not sure what the plural of moose is... im sure its just moose.

but i will call them mooses anyway.
i dont want them getting gypped of a letter.
dont worry little dearling moose
you will have them soon.

deep black forest

2010-02-06T09:06:00.008-06:00

i had a dream that the forest floor was covered in black velvet.
little beetles made their way this way and that.
a wise owl watched from a tree but let them be.
he turned his feather head
all
the
way
around.

magic treetop bag

2010-01-30T12:48:00.006-06:00

i am so inspired by fairysteps that i knitted a bag
sort of like the beautiful ones that she makes.
i adore her. check out her blog and pick up
a bag. i have the red skim bag and i love it!
here is a link to the knitting pattern if you like ♥

woodland horses dream

2010-01-23T09:00:00.005-06:00

when woodland horses breathe the steam makes little clouds.

im working in dark wool with bears and horses.
the day is ready for some tree time.

i often ask trees questions. do you?
what kind of questions do you ask?

wild rumpus start

2010-01-14T19:04:00.003-06:00

ah! i know ive posted so many pictures of this.. but
here it is finally done! ♥ ♥ ♥ ah!!!! this is such a
relief. it feels like everything that could have
gone wrong with the project did. i mean. i
had to do the whole thing over and over.
every time i began i had to rip, then my
google docs got all messed up, then i
was out of room on my flickr. then
ravelry wouldnt accept my new
account... anyway. i feel like
causing a ruckus now that
its done. i think ill go in
the garden and jump
around ♥

ps. look how jealous lamby is!
he was SO mad that i was petting the dog.
he almost looks stuffed. he better watch out or he will be :)

max hat & crown part deux

2010-01-13T15:23:00.006-06:00

the jumper is done.. as well as the new crown. yay!
the pattern is also completely finished... i just
need to take some proper photos in the light
tomorrow before i put the pattern up.
its hard to take a picture of your own
self. i always need help ♥
also: i made a matching hat see?
and: here is a high-res of this picture for your desktop :) just click it ♥

i had to go to the doctor today
because i pulled my rib muscles
from laughing so hard at a show
i watched on youtube. dont ask
me what it was im too
embarrassed to say.
no, wait.
it gets more embarrassing.
i had to take a pee test at the dr
and he tested it in the room and
he accidentally knocked over the
pee all over himself and the floor.
oh yes. come on 2010.

max & the wolf

2010-01-07T19:21:00.004-06:00

im sooooooooo close to being finished with this mammoth project ♥
i had the idea as soon as i saw the first trailer, and its taken AGES
to get the shape and size of the sweater right.. i am making it
up as i go along so ive had to re-knit the arms twice and
sew them in several different times. im not used to
knitting something so baggy...
tonight i finished the ears ♥
they stand up on their own and everything!
ill post a picture of them soon.
but! i must re-knit this crown because the points
are a bit too long i think? grrr....all this aside...
i should have the pattern up for sale on my
ravelry shop sometime this weekend!
fINALLY ♥

the night we saw the blue moon

2010-01-06T19:34:00.007-06:00

look up.. its the blue moon on new years ♥

we walked to the park and stood in the middle of a field

to see the fireworks making electric lights all around us.

it was blue and icy... and we were all alone.

ever since that day... dimes have been appearing out of thin air

pennies have been landing right side up

ghosts have been twirling ribbons in the garden

and snow pom poms have been landing on my mittens ♥

elsbeth & the blue moon

2009-12-31T11:33:00.012-06:00

today is a blue moon because it is the second full moon in december.
today i heard on the radio about a 70 year old woman named elsbeth.

she has lived outside all month in cold england in a little shack.
she didnt want to go indoors from full moon to full moon.
she has a little fireplace and an alter in her shack.
she makes beads and wears them around her neck.

every night for the first 2 weeks, she would go outside
in the pitch black and plant a bead somewhere in the earth.
after the 14 days had passed, she began to search for the beads
in the ground. night after night. digging and looking.
finding new places of blackness in the night and
little white beads as the moon was waxing.
tomorrow she will go back inside the house ♥

update:
i found the BBC iplayer with the whole program!
if you are in in the UK you can listen *here*
(i wish the interviewer had been more into it..
i think we would have heard much more)

picture: we ♥ it

the wolf princess & the feather crown

2009-12-20T16:02:00.015-06:00

i tied crystals around the necks of wolves in my dream.
they panted and ran ... the crystals caught the sun
and flashed like diamonds in cold grey fur.

i am knitting a crown today. with feathers hanging down.
everyone needs a crown. it should fit just right.
♥ im listening to peter and the wolf ♥

(press play here)
note: alas this is not my crown.. its from we ♥ it

i look more like a tree now

2009-12-17T04:33:00.005-06:00

hiding snow puff hide hide good.
the fish in my little pond
are ducking down under
the leaves to slow down
their heartbeats.
me too.

i am waking up very early these days
the windows are white and i make
coffee before my eyes open.
i have to go to the studio
by 3 so i want to have a
full day before that or
i feel wasted away.

peter and the wolf

2009-12-16T08:38:00.003-06:00

today it is snowing in my garden.
i am listening to peter and the wolf
and sewing together my latest jumper.
i have secretly dyed my hair brown a week ago.
here are some jumping beatrix potter animals ♥
cause its funny.

winter trinkets, snowy elk & tree ghosts

2009-12-12T01:43:00.004-06:00

we have a stream near our house that swans drift down.
(thats where i find my swan feathers. they float like boats)
the bank of the stream is lined with giant trees. some of them
are so old that they lean over and drag their branches into the water.

yesterday when i was walking molly i noticed
that two of the biggest trees had been cut down.
i brushed the wood chips away from their stumps,
then i stepped up onto them and made myself as tall
as i could. i stood very straight and still in their place.
it felt like i was inside the ghost of a tree.
i could even feel my arms and cheeks turning to wood.

then i collected some of the abandoned
branches and brought them home.
i pinned them to the ceiling and
hung little crystals from
the branches ♥

what is a sugar plum?
i definitely always thought i knew what one was.
but now im sure that i have absolutely no idea.

owls owls owls in a tree

2009-12-09T10:18:00.009-06:00

hoot

lamby took all of the owls out of their bowl!
one by one he dragged them all over the house.
bad kitty.
they are all safely in the tree now ♥
they are smaller than smurfs. (which are 3 apples tall)
they are only one apple tall ♥

pine branches & baskets of birds

2009-12-08T15:57:00.005-06:00

sleepy eye owl here with these long dark nights.
they go on forever. i am in pjs by 7pm
because im positive it is midnight.

today we put up our tree and
hung pine branches with lights.
we set out little baskets of birds
and a big bowl of white owls.
i also got out my snoopy
christmas piano music
and played all night.
♥ christmas ♥

will O the wisp

2009-12-05T19:09:00.004-06:00

i knitted some wisps and then
i stuffed them into votive holders and shells.
they are happy little puffs. i know because
they tell jokes on their cigarette breaks.

wolves & wands

2009-12-04T12:22:00.003-06:00

today felt like canada.
wolves & wands & stripes & snow.

lulette & snow

2009-12-03T16:27:00.002-06:00

lamby is licking the steam off of the windows
its better than any other drink he says
because its nice and cold.

i am going to be present
i am going to be here now
i will not scramble or be frantic
i will sink to the pinpoint of peace

its my choice :)
♥

nanowrimo 2009

2009-12-02T01:15:00.004-06:00

yay ♥ i did it! weeeeeee ♥ *nanowrimo 2009*
it was great to see the banner.
(even if it was orange) yuck.
orange horrifies me.
i had to change it to pink.
there is nothing orange in my house.
i wont even buy oranges. i like them ok
but i cant handle the color in my fridge.
and
i can only have orange pumpkins in
my house as i carve them. when i
set them out on the counter to
admire with the little candles
glowing inside, the color
upsets me so much i
have to take them
outside. sad.

the past 2 months have been
butterflies in a net frantic.
i just got back from my
america trip yesterday.
all should start to calm
♥ now
we are going to go to
stonehenge tomorrow
because my friend
shawna is visiting
from paris and
shes never been.
also..
jet-lag and stonehenge just seem to go together.
dont you think?

lamby & the willow wand

2009-11-19T09:04:00.009-06:00

a little lady named helen sold me this willow wand for one pound.

she has a tiny antique store at the end of my road
it is filled with wooden stools & globe lamps.
she never gets anything new, but sometimes
i stop in just to say hello. i saw this staff
with the curly vines and my face lit up.
"oh that old thing, you can have that
for a pound." she said. yay.
lamby got in the picture
can you tell what a
bastard he is?
maybe you cant cause he looks kind of cute.

ps. nanowrimo is my bitch
im at 33,000 and ticking like a clock.
and thanks everyone for your encouragement!
it really really helps. i hope nano is your bitch too.

swallow & owl feathers

2009-11-16T13:48:00.003-06:00

i have been completely and utterly swallowed by my book!
im trapped in the belly of the mama whale.
i have bought some white carnations
they are sitting on my writing desk.
my book wakes me up at night
like a screaming baby. i am
on schedule though with
25,000 words. ♥

thanks for everyone who wished me well with
nanowrimo! i am still punching it in the face!

also. these are my owls. they are each the size
of a loaf of bread! i bought them at a thrift
store in wisconsin and then painted them
with pearl paint so they glowed. thats
the trick with brown owls. you can
just paint them pearly white and
they dont mind ♥

little cousin i love you so

2009-11-09T09:25:00.004-06:00

this is a sketch done by my cousin *kimberanne*

she is in art school in wisconsin & here we are ♥

here is the original. shes such a talented little otter!
she cheers me up when im pulling my hair out.
she sends me links to video games when im
about to die of pure bordeom.. and writes
the darkest and best little comic about
a penguin named chester. there are
lots of years between us but our
family blood makes us cut from
the same exact cloth. id be
absolutely lost without her ♥

ps. ive only got 7881 words for
nanowrimo so far!!!! i must
write write write write write!

sea glass & tiny pots

2009-11-06T11:25:00.003-06:00

ive started to collect bits of pale sea glass.
the magic charity shop is swimming in it ♥

they also have lots of tiny little pots. i cant resist them.

i found some white roving and made little snowballs.

feeling a bit better but my novel is suffering!
with a swimmy head all i want to do is rest and knit.
im going to give myself an extension on the deadline heh heh nAUGHTY.
its just that,
i have lots of knitting patterns just sitting around that
need desperately to be written up and posted on ravelry.
ah me. you must get to work you lazy little sausage!

little kitten basket & the tour lag

2009-11-04T21:12:00.010-06:00

aw i made this little basket. it took forEVER to felt
because i have to do all of my felting by hand these days.
if i was a very very tiny kitten i would get inside of it.
*ive posted the free pattern on my knitting site*

so. i am neck deep in national novel writing month!
i am writing my first novel ♥
the goal is to write 2000 words a day
and by the end have over 50,000 words.
i know that math is a bit dodgy... but
with editing and all that... it works.
its funny how fast it all comes out
once you start. its so much easier
than writing songs... because
with songs you dont have
that much room to say
everything you want.
to make every hint
totally understood.

plus im knitting a gigantic afghan and watching
episodes of ghost whisperer online. i am such a nerd.

mostly all of this bed-ridden activity is due to the fact
that i am tour-lagged and have picked up some sort
of hideous cold that has me seeing stars. the only
super cool thing is that i MAY have gotten the
cold from emily saliers! my songwriting guru
gave me a cold. what if joni mitchell gave you
a cold? well, emily is my joni. she had one
on tour and since we were all crammed on
a tiny bus i am guessing that is why im
feeling like a giant marshmallow.

ps.
at first i spelled marshmallow marshmEllow.
i thought that was the right way my whole life.
i guess they just arent as laid back as i thought.

pps.
im not saying that im saving my kleenex or anything
just because i got my cold from emily!!!!! ha ha ha :)
its just that... i mean.. if you have to get a cold
you may as well get it from someone really cool.

indigo girls tour diary

2009-10-28T16:27:00.007-05:00

ya all ya all ya all ♥ .................................. thats me! ^
this is the indigo girls tour diary.
at 2:40 i am there! and we are all 3 singing together..
one of the coolest moments probably in my entire life.
of course.. it was the first show i sang with them
so its a little iffy.. and i miss some words on stage!
but its getting better night by night... now im also
singing "closer to fine" and "galeleo" with them!
we play dublin tomorrow and then
its back home and back to normal ♥

ps. if you think you cant see emily
well enough.. you can see her in
the mirror :) heh heh heh

fringe & wings

2009-10-15T15:45:00.006-05:00

ive been a busy sewing bee for the past 2 days
i wanted to make some new fairy skirts for tour.. like you do.
ill post some pictures when the light is better.
and tonight i cut my bangs a little bit
so they are a little shorter... like you
can even tell in this photo.. but
you can see my weird freckle
which is on my nose. which
i would like to ask
about when i
die.

and then i was getting something out of my closet when
somehow a feather embedded itself into my arm-warmer.
i stuck one in the other side too
& thought they looked a bit like wings...
i sort of flapped around my room after that ♥

even if alice ate 100 current cakes

2009-10-14T17:22:00.008-05:00

she would still look up to gatsby

because he is so great.
at least thats what they say.

today i had a long chat with ciara
we talked a lot about *one time one meeting*
really.. its silly to waste these moments thinking
about it all too much... or worrying with nervousness.
its best just to let time roll and appreciate every tick and tock.

id like to have a grandfather clock.
i think the ticking and tocking would be reassuring.
it wouldnt stop. or pause. ever.
you can really count on a clock.

the white fairy and hare

2009-10-12T17:50:00.008-05:00

♥ this week i was lucky enough to drift near one
of the lovely joanne may's enchanted drawings!
she captures all sorts of magic in her work.
check it out *here*
and thanks jo ♥

we had some freaky moments too!
when i was in france, i was visited
by so many white moths it became
absurd... all the while it seems jo
was busy in her studio putting
white moths in the drawing.
plus.. i have a wand just
the same size and look
as the one she drew!
ill post pictures soon ♥

when we carve pumpkins

2009-10-11T13:56:00.003-05:00

i get really excited about the fact
that alllll that seedy orange pulp is
growing in secret darkness...
and i get to be the one to expose
it to the light for the very first time.

right now... the inside
of your pumpkin isnt even orange... its black.
just like your blood and your heart.
things only turn colors when light
is shed on them and they are seen.
really and truly seen.

have to believe we are magic

2009-10-10T10:31:00.007-05:00

here she is walking down the aisles of my heart in 1980.

when doctors found out that there was a little tiny olivia
dancing in shorts and white cowboy boots inside of me
they just sort of shrugged... "it is very rare." they said,
"but to try to remove it now would be very dangerous."
so they just shot a quick video and left her inside me ♥
no, ive never minded one bit.
its a very good thing
to believe indeed.

if i had a castle i would paint it powder blue

2009-10-08T18:02:00.003-05:00

and add glitter on the doors.
then everyone who came in
would get glitter on their
hands.. and when they
rubbed their noses,
their faces would
sparkle in the
candlelight.

wellllllll... its back on the bus y'all for me.
!!! *** im going! *** ♥ ♥ ♥ !!! ***
i've been invited on the bus!
i really cant fathom it.
i hope i can be myself
and still be fun to be
around... i want to
bring my joy with
me and give it to
everyone for a
good tour.

THIS TIME... im going to live INSIDE of life instead of on top.
THIS TIME... im going to allow everything... let moments be.
THIS TIME... im going to remember that im just a human.
THIS TIME... i wont try to be perfect... nobody is perfect.
THIS TIME... im going to relax... a bit... thats if i can :)
THIS TIME...

by candlelight & cobweb you lure the bats

2009-10-06T18:18:00.008-05:00

we got the midlake album today
its like a labyrinth at midnight.
ive been wading through it
lit by candlelight only.
it comes out in
a little bit ♥

(i sang on one of the songs)
so this is the picture that
will be inside of the book.
i know i should play it cool
and not be excited to be
inside the book.. but i
reeeeeeeealllllly am.

ps.
simon took the picture ♥

pps. ive been invited to go on tour with the indigo girls
but as i dont really have a tour manager right now im
not sure if i can do it.. seeing as i would have to
get myself to all the gigs.. and basically tour
alone. as much as i adore them.. if i went
on tour alone i would probably get so
lonely that i would collapse inside
of myself and drown in despair.
i wouldnt know this for sure
unless id already been
there..... and i have.
its horrid. alone.

starfish in a jar

2009-10-05T07:32:00.005-05:00

yesterday we went to brighton and sat on the beach.

the water was pale teal and the wind was cold.

we found some shells and starfish at a little shop by the water.
then we rode on the carousel... my horses name was lydia.
she showed her teeth to the sea as we went round & round.

i came home and put the biggest starfish in a glass vase.
i like this glass vase because it looks like water...
you can almost hear it rushing ♥

the swans in hampton court

2009-10-02T18:26:00.003-05:00

today at hampton court palace
i found a swan feather by the river.
the swans may belong to the queen,
but now this feather belongs to me.
thanks swan ♥

i hung it above my favourite chair
along with some white pom poms
and a little lost ghost in lace.

a midsummer night's tricks & pardons

2009-09-29T09:51:00.007-05:00

♥ oh mia farrow is still absolutely perfect ♥

we have been on a woody allen kick..... so far
deSPITE what i find to be a gruesome title,
i think midsummer night's sex comedy
has been my favourite! so lovely!
is hazy 70's victorian hilarity..
its been a long time since
ive watched a movie for
the first time and then
immediately pressed
play again ♥

milk moth neverland

2009-09-28T16:27:00.002-05:00

the most pale.

when you see your very own lace
in your very own waiting window,
you know that a cup of tea in
your very own fluffy chair
is just around the corner.

i am staying up late tonight and working
on a sweater that i have been knitting
for quite some time. size 3 needles
are the essence of slowness.

little owls and faces in the rocks

2009-09-26T04:54:00.007-05:00

i may have been lost to the sea and the wind this week
but my heart remains in the prairie, forest and wood.

these were my holiday sounds and reads.
i needed them to keep me grounded!
the sea air can have such a dizzying
effect on me....water so changeable
and wind so free....they seem to be
able to dissolve my earth essence.

water wears down rock and wood
wind makes waves in the sand.
and me... with my home at the
base of a great sequoia tree,

my cheeks tingle and i have
to think on roots and stones.

i will be home soon.

la vache qui rit et too much candy

2009-09-23T07:02:00.003-05:00

we have a cheese in england called "the laughing cow"
here we bought it and its called "la vache qui rit"
so thats all we are saying. turns out you can
just say "la vache qui rit" and it means
absolutely anything you want it to.

we have also been watching
french cartoons all day!
and speaking horrible
french about la vache
et how he makes his
fromage. and why
he would be
laughing.
heh heh MOOoo hea ha ha ha ha moooooo!

Too much candy from Capucha on Vimeo.

isnt this little petal the funniest & cutest ever ♥

to see the sea & the purple rose of cairo

2009-09-22T13:57:00.005-05:00

we are in corsica

ive been looking for dolphins all day long

the rug in this house is made of a million tiny ropes.
there are big windows that open into the walls all around
so the breeze is coming in and the curtains are moving which
is my very favourite thing. we put all of the mattresses from all
of the rooms in the middle of the floor so we can watch them better.
and jump around like total idiots ♥

little baby on the acorn moon

2009-09-19T16:09:00.002-05:00

i like when people put little baby heads inside of wool
and then top it with an acorn. thats just something i like.
you arent really born knowing that you like that sort of thing.
its something that occurs to you over time. or when you see one.

we are leaving for corsica at 3 in the morning.
i really want to get some rest.. but im all buzzy
and cant wait to get to the villa and do just nothing.
lamby and roo have a lovely cat-sitter. so i wont worry.
much. i hope to be able to chat from there.. but im not sure yet.

charlotte & stars

2009-09-18T16:52:00.004-05:00

i found these little jars in my shed. i painted the corks white.

i dusted them off and put charlotte inside with some stars.
the littlest jar has a knitted white mouse inside.
i made him in australia. he has nylon
whiskers and silver eyes.
all the better to see
you with my dear.

i just found out petal and i are going to whitby
again this year! im so excited because halloween
is the very best most favouritest holiday there is ♥

all of these underwater conversations

2009-09-16T09:55:00.006-05:00

i used to talk too much. now i like other people to talk.

lately i have been surrounded by very quiet people.

i wonder about the silence.

about what is being thought.

about the things people are saying that i cant hear.

im putting rabbit ears on invisible friends for better reception.

listening to what is not being said... i suspect im getting it all wrong.

the truth is... i cant control what anyone else thinks.
i can only control me.. and what i do with the silence.
its a strange lesson... for a violin string unstrung like me.

totem animals: dolphin, lion & robert smith

2009-09-14T07:36:00.004-05:00

last night i had a dream that i had a
tiny tiny mouse the size of a dime.
i kept it in my make-up case.
for some reason though
there were other girls
there, and they told
me my mouse
was generic.

i would never tell my mouse that they said that.

ruby and the pony

2009-09-12T18:15:00.002-05:00

my little neighbor girls ruby and rosie
were having a garage sale today.
i always buy stuff from them.
i come home with sparkly
nail polish, plastic rings
and pink feather pens
about every weekend.

today they had a white pony
for sale. it cost one pound.
because im such a good
customer they threw
in a barbie for free.
ruby likes it.
kind of.

we and our kelpie horses see you as a king

2009-09-10T14:20:00.006-05:00

we collect colored taffy and wear birds as rings.

shhhhhh we are behind the curtain. we arent a monster.

some ghosts have tails... i love toddy my angel cat forever.

we and our kelpie horses are going to tokyo i think.

certain stars shot wildly from their spheres at the thought.

these are some pages from an old sketch book
i was making during the recording of my album
*a lily for the spectre* ... they are from 2006.

mojo magazine is re-releasing pink floyd the wall
so i have been busy in the studio working
on ♥ goodbye blue sky ♥ for it.
i have been quite nervous that i wont do
it justice.. because pink floyd is really
one of my favourite bands ever.
im playing the piano on it.
hopefully it will be ok...

magic chalice fairy goblet & holy grail

2009-09-07T16:16:00.003-05:00

ooo i found this little fairy goblet... it looks like it has a crown!

its sooooo good when you put cold pear juice in it

and drink it during magic times to bring you back to earth.

i took these pictures yesterday when i was wearing my tablecloth.
today i wore fancy pjs with long stockings. i stayed in bed all day
and drank coffee and read. ooooooooh lazy! shame! sin! glory!

belgian lace and the panserbjørne

2009-09-06T13:51:00.005-05:00

ahoy! i am kind of out of bed. kind of!

i am wearing a belgian lace tablecloth as a scarf.

i just got it this week ♥ ebay ♥ its kind of ralph lauren.

today ive been playing with the panserbjørne in the golden compass
video game for playstation 3. its really fun. you get to ride on his
back and travel over the tundra. i love the sound the snow
makes when my panserbjørne crunches it under his paws.
sometimes he slides and causes avalanches on the wolves.

so thats my other secret: im a total video game JUNKIE.
if i can swim, fly or run through castles and snow
in a video game i will buy it and play it all day.
ive saved all of the princesses that
were ever locked up and id do it
again and again and again.

apples, grapes and or paul mccartney

2009-09-05T18:00:00.007-05:00

today i spent some time in my secret garden.

they are coming to prune our apple tree this week.

there are two big red apples that just wont fall.. see them?

under the arches past the frog pond its a tea-party place.

if i sit really still, the trees say all sorts of things.

and little grapes hang on for the end of summer.

id like to put them in a big basket and share them.

tonight we watched a beatles documentary.
one time i was in london alone on the rooftop
sitting at a table. a man came up behind me and
started chatting about singing... life and hometowns.
it was paul mccartney. he asked my name... but didnt tell
me his... i guess he figured i knew it. he was really silly and
really sweet. that was one of the most surreal moments in my
whole entire life. im thankful that he said hello. ill never forget it.

some twirling and to celebrate the magic shop

2009-09-04T19:25:00.007-05:00

i had the new york ballet work out DVD on
my amazon list. and low and behold i found
it NEW for a pound at my magical charity shop!

i have to talk about this shop. its a holy wonder.
its right down from my house.. and no matter
what im secretly wishing for... they have it.
from my dollhouse to my strand of pearls.
from my ballerina box, to my fairy goblet.
the wings on the back of my door,
most of my crystal balls and
the netting for my fairy
skirts and nearly all
of my fur collars
came from the
magic charity.

its like the place is
aladdins lamp or a birthday candle.
a magic cupboard or a wishing well.
a tooth fairy or a frozen charlotte.

i asked joyce about this phenomenon
am i the only one? (one time i went in
there looking for black and white
striped fabric and a glass head
to make cats & hats for whitby
gothic fair.. and there they were!
BLACK AND WHITE FABRIC
AND A GLASS HEAD!????)

she said im not the only one.
"people just seem to find
exactly what they were
looking for in here.
its almost eerie"

i just wanted to say thanks
to my magic shop.. and
thanks to joyce for the
discounts :) heh heh

bed rest & the ten of cups

2009-09-02T08:42:00.008-05:00

here i am on tour in a hazy yesterday-ish
sort of hello kitty meets rest stop blur.
im on bed rest today so.. its time to do the
10 things people might not know about me post! ♥

♥ i share a birthday with florence nightingale.

♥ when we were little,
our tv only had 4 channels.
and no remote.

♥ i never had a barbie doll.
i had kelly from charlies angels.
(the original series) and the van.

♥ i used to work at a knitting store
and teach people how to knit
sweaters, socks, and hats.

♥ my favourite band is cocteau twins
(not just because my boyfriend was in the band!)
its always been my very favourite ever.
i think its the most perfect music there is.
may i suggest four calendar-cafe :)

♥my first kiss was on my 13th birthday
with a bastard who kissed my best
friend the next week.

♥ during the summer, i would always
play the piano at about 5 pm.. because the
sun would pass through the water in our fish tank
and cast a long perfect rainbow down the keys.

♥ my magic wand has a little knot in the tip that
resembles an owl so perfectly youd think it was
carved by a pixie. i had it for 2 years before i even saw it!
i love how time reveals magic things every single day.

♥ quite often i have dreams about ballerinas,
swimming with dolphins or cuddling lions.

♥ my house smells really woodsy and nice and people always want to know how i do it. about once every few weeks i take cotton balls and drench them in patchouly, lavender, cypress, cedar wood, sandalwood, neroli, tea tree and violet oils. (not all together.. but in little combinations) then i run the cotton over every door and door frame along the wood, especially by the front door, go underneath every table, on the bottom sides of all the book shelves, underneath every wooden place i can find. the bed, the shelves, the railings, the rafters, the banisters, in the dresser drawers, under along the couches and chairs, on every light bulb, on the radiators, and the air vents, the fan, and even on the tops & backs of picture frames. then i put the cotton balls in the dryer when i dry my towels. im a total incense snob! i hate the heavy smell of it and only burn morning star cedarwood which smells exactly like a campfire. i do this inside my bookshelves because it makes them smell like magic. i also burn sage and pine cones by the handful! its one of my secrets and i always feel really ritualistic while im doing it! sometimes when people ask me why my house smells so good i cant even begin to tell them all this insanity so i just say.. i dont know! ha ha ha! i already have enough to explain with all of the trees inside and the little ghost dolls and strange books everywhere.
ps. be careful about doing this on painted surfaces or in visible places
because the oil will take off the finish.. thats why i do it under stuff ♥