A Quick Update...

Hey Y'all!

As you may have noticed, I am not the most faithful blogger... Thus, I have decided to suspend my attempts at blogging for the present time. While I'm away, I hope to focus on better developing my business and products over at Etsy (and having this lovely baby boy in December!). 

Be sure to stay in touch via Instagram (@MesAventuresHAK) where I post almost daily, and through my shop. 

I hope this sabbatical will only be temporary and that I'll return freshly inspired!

Until later,
Adventure well; Live fully. 
HAK

Studio Update: More Word Art

Howdy, everyone!

Custom orders have kept me in the studio and away from my computer for quite a while! Though that is indeed my favorite way to spend my time, it means that y'all have been rather left out of all the excitement. Even now, in fact, I should be knitting away on yet another lovely project, but I'm finally bursting to show y'all what I've been doing.

A couple months ago, I shared the word art I created as a gift for a teenage gal in need of some encouragement.

A quick nose around Etsy showed me that no one else is really doing word art like this, so I added it as a custom item in my shop.

In May, I got my first order! I put together this piece as a gift for a mom from her 4 kids:

It included some of their favorite qualities about their mama and was "signed" by them. At 9x12 inches, it's also large enough for her to frame and hang it where she'll see it every day.

Then, a few weeks later, I received another order. This time for a family heirloom piece to be featured in the couple's new library. This piece took more planning and skill, and I loved the challenge!

This painting was huge: 16x20 inches. In fact, I ordered special watercolor board for it so that it would be easier to manage, ship, and for them to frame.

The family name was Scottish, so I incorporated some of the better known Highland flowers: thistle, heather, and bluebells. The "calligraphy" is all outlined by hand then painted in and lends it self to the classic, heirloom feel of the work.

I hope to do more work like this in the future--I really enjoyed working with my customers to select color palettes and draft sketches. It challenges me to listen well, ask careful questions, and think outside of work I've done before. It's a unique adventure!

Want to learn more? Check out this listing in my shop!

Adventure well; Live fully.
HAK

Studio Update: gloves, mug cozies, and cichlids.

Hey y'all!

It's been a good week in my studio, and I wanted to let y'all behind the scenes. 

As y'all know, I drew a lionfish earlier this week. In case you missed it, check out the drawing here. 

It's winter, as even Georgia has been reminding us lately, so I've been knitting lots (as often as I can thaw out my fingers, that is. ha!) 

As posted, I started a new set of gloves for myself. And, TA-DA! The first is finished!!

Must keep knitting. The sooner that second glove is done, the sooner my hands will be warm again!

I've been knitting something else, too. Mug cozies! They're going to be fabulous. 

And, last but not least, another drawing. I'm loving my watercolor pencils. These are Regal Peacock Cichlids, native to Lake Malawi in East Africa. 

 If you want to learn more about this piece, click here to head over to Etsy!

Adventure well; Live fully. 

HAK

Christmas Gloves

Hello, Friends!

My apologies that I've been so MIA! The Hubster and I have been sick, besides being busy having a very lovely Christmas. 

It seems like each winter some item rises above the rest as my most-knit item of the season. For several years when I first started knitting, this was, predictably, scarves. I knit oodles and oodles. 

 

Christmas 2006: lots of scarves!

 This year, though, it's been gloves. Gloves, gloves, and more gloves for about two months. Every now and then I feel a bit sick of them, but everyone who has a pair seems to love them so much (myself included), that I think they really are a worthwhile endeavor. 

So, I'd like to highlight a few pairs I've knit recently. 

First: cotton handwarmers. 

These are ribbed all the way down and have a longer cuff than the ones I've shared with y'all previously. I just sold a tan pair on Etsy, and I knit these for a friend. 

  

Second: Wool Fingerless Gloves. 

These were my mama's Christmas present, and I have to admit that I'm rather proud of them (though all photo credit goes to her and my dad--they sent these lovely pics to me this morning). They're trimmed with mulberry to match her coat. 

Third, and finally, my current project: Tree of Life Fingerless Gloves. 
I knit myself a pair of these two years ago, darned them last winter, but, as the photo shows, they're really in desperate need of replacing. So, I've finally started knitting myself a new pair! 

Love them? Check out the pattern at KnitPicks.

 

Well, there you have it, folks. My glove knitting mania in words and pictures. 

Remember, I love custom orders, so hop on over to my Etsy shop if you have a hankering for a pair of gloves knit just to your fancy! 

Adventure well; Live fully.

HAK

WIPs: More gloves and scarves

Good morning, y'all! Happy Saturday! 

My sweet hubster let me sleep in a bit this morning, and I'm having a late-ish breakfast of pear, double glouchester cheese, and tetley black tea. mmmm. It's so foggy and wet outside, that I can almost believe that I'm in Britain eating my English breakfast. :-) 

It has been far too long since I updated y'all! I promise that my silence does not mean lack of productivity, as I really have been knitting a good bit, in spite of finishing up my senior thesis this week and beginning preparation for finals. 

I have two works in progress at the moment, one for a challenge and one to keep me sane while I work on the other one. 

First up, a chevron-striped, chunky neckwarmer.

This is my challenge project, and, so far, it's just a nub of progress. I'm working off of basic instructions for a chevron seed stitch (see my chevron peter pan collar here to get an idea of the stitch), but I'm attempting to do each chevron in a different color. The result, I hope, will be a chunky single loop neckwarmer with awesome green, blue, and grey chevrons. AND the yarn is made from recycled wool. Awesome? yes. But, these 5 rows (granted, they were the "getting started" rows which are always the "worst") took well over an hour, so we'll see if I survive. Did I mention that, at last count, I have 8 strands of "live" yarn to keep track of. Madness. 

(Sidenote: see how kinky that one knitting needle in the above picture is? That's the pair of needles that I learned to knit on--9 years ago! Those needles have knit more scarves than I can count, and, well, they might have been sat on along the way...)   

 Next up: more handwarmers!

A couple of things sets these apart from the others I've made recently. 

1. These are 100% pima cotton. Sensitive skin? Warmer climate? These are perfect for you. This cotton is unbelievably soft. 

2. CHUNKY. The others have been with finer yarn and smaller needles. This is a chunky thick-thin yarn (the same ones I use for my washcloths. Check those out here.) knit on wonderful size 11 DPNs. This is such a quick project compared to the other stuff I've been doing! 

3. Length. These fit from above the wrist down to your knuckles. It's like a fluffy hand hug!

Now, lest you be anxious about the rather wobbly appearance of this yarn when it's just lying flat, here's what these look like on:

Chunky, cozy, wonderful. :D 

Already in love? These should be up on Etsy in the next couple of days. As always, I'll let you know when they go up via Facebook and Twitter (all the info for that is over on the right and toward the top. ---> )

And, FINALLY, in case you missed it on Facebook and Twitter, I have to show y'all the WIP that we had the guessing game about!

I was knitting a women's headband/earwarmer that matches the teal tweed handwarmers!

This tweed headband/earwarmer is knit with wool in a fairly fine stitch. The first third or so is knit in horizontal rib, which gives the headband some nice stretch. It then switches to stockinette stitch, finishing in an arrow shape, and connecting with 3 bobbly, faux-leather buttons. I think it's both classic and funky, and I have to admit that I'm rather proud of it. :-) 

Love it? Check it out on Etsy by clicking HERE.   
Interested in the handwarmers, too? Those are here.

Thanks for reading, y'all-- I'll be better about blogging, promise! :-) 

Adventure well; Live fully. 

HAK

WIP: Handwarmers and...

If y'all have been following my Facebook and Twitter, you know I've been knitting handwarmers like it's my job. Oh, wait--it is! I have the coolest job ever! My most recent pair of handwarmers was a special order. I had a week to knit, and yet, somehow so much time slipped away from me, so I had one night and a whole glove to week. Stress story? No, not really. I knit for several hours last night while watching Burn Notice with the Hubster (and eating Mojo Burrito queso. yummmm.). This morning I got up early to finish up. I thought I'd be groggy and a bit resentful at myself for not knitting up sooner, but I really enjoyed my early morning knit session--hot tea, my quillow, and yummy tweed yarn (tweed is the best, for the record). As it turns out, I had a fabulous Wednesday, and I think it's at least partially due to such a lovely start to my day. 

Just look at that tweed: 

Click here to see these on Etsy. :-)

You can probably tell that I like tweed. In fact, I loved this yarn so much, that I started a new WIP with it. Here's a sneak peak (don't worry, I have more yarn): 

 You guys want a challenge? First person to guess what this project will be wins a coupon code for 20% off any purchase of $25 or more in my Etsy shop! Here are the rules: Leave your guess in the comment section below, and be sure to leave your email address so I can send you the code if you win. Check back frequently--I'll announce the winner as soon as we have one! Spread the word, and start guessing--the coupon expires 1 week from today (November 27)!

Adventure well; Live fully.

HAK

The Thing About Art

Thanks, "The Beginning Writer." :-)

I think I repeat this to myself every day. It's very, very true. Any of you ever wonder what it is like for me to be a newlywed, painting and knitting my heart out, and owning my own company? I'm scared to death. Every day I think, "What if I don't turn a profit by the end of they year?" Or, equally terrifying, "What if I do?"I don't really have an answer to either of my scary questions, but that's okay. That's part of it, too--I plunge forward (somewhat wildly at times), and pray I'll figure it out as I go.

But why is art so scary? I think all of us recognize that it is, that's why, when I taught nature study in high school, I heard more parents say "I can't paint" than I heard first graders say the same thing. As we grow up and become self-concious, we realize that art is scary. I don't know who Chuck Palanhiuk is, but I think he said something valuable:

"Your handwriting. The way you walk. Which china pattern you choose. 

It's all giving you away. 

Everything you do shows your hand.
Everything is a self-portrait. 

Everything is a diary."

Art gives us away so much that we feel the vulnerability. Every brushstroke, every stitch in my shop gives me away. Gives away that my strength is in details--not motion--when I paint, that I knit too tightly, that I'm more "classic" and less "trendy" (I try, really I do. Ask my best friend about my new leather moto jacket).

But does my art show that I am a business woman, a professional, a skilled artisan? Sometimes I don't know, but I sure hope so. While I love and respect the thousands of "hobby" sellers on Etsy, I do want something bigger. This is my job. And a lot of times, I'm scared to death. But I want it to be more than that, too...

I'm an English major with a streak of teacher in me, so I love to summarize. Here we go:

1) Art is scary. 

2) Art gives us away. 

But that's not all (if it were, we'd crawl into our fear and never create again, right?).

3) Art is valuable. Because it gives you away, it also gives your audience a way to connect with you more deeply. We artists take a big risk, and sometimes it hurts, but sometimes we are given the chance to speak from where we are or have been to someone else who really needed to hear what we had to say. 

Sidestory: I have this friend named Melissa who is a wonderful and insightful artist. One time, when I was 15, she showed me a painting of a large English cottage. Something about it struck deep in my soul, and I knew, in that moment, she had done more than paint stones, water, and grass, as beautiful as they were. In that painting, this house was hope and Home (for more on those themes, go here). I wrote on my bucket list that night: "Live in the house from Melissa's painting." I meant this figuratively in the keep-my-eyes-on-Heaven sort of way, but I also meant this literally in the visit-that-house-in-the-Lakes-District way. Have you seen these?

Scenic England Greeting Cards on Etsy

 See that top left card? That's the house I was talking about. It's called Stepping Stones (the stones across the river are the ones Wordsworth wrote about), and it's about a mile outside of Ambleside in the Lakes District. About 5 years after I first saw Melissa's painting, I spent a week living in the Garden Cottage of Stepping Stones after 5 weeks of studying at Oxford. And why was my heart set on spending time there? Because of ART. Because a painting grabbed me and wouldn't let go.

I hope I can paint things that inspire hopes and dreams like that someday. 

Finally, Wordsworth's "The Stepping Stones:" 

          THE struggling Rill insensibly is grown
          Into a Brook of loud and stately march,
          Crossed ever and anon by plank or arch;
          And, for like use, lo! what might seem a zone
          Chosen for ornament--stone matched with stone
          In studied symmetry, with interspace
          For the clear waters to pursue their race
          Without restraint. How swiftly have they flown,
          Succeeding--still succeeding! Here the Child
          Puts, when the high-swoln Flood runs fierce and wild,
          His budding courage to the proof; and here
          Declining Manhood learns to note the sly
          And sure encroachments of infirmity,
          Thinking how fast time runs, life's end how near!

Art on, mes amis! :-)

Adventure well; Live fully,

HAK

WIP: Christmas Whimsey: DONE!

I know, I know... I'm a couple days later than I had hoped, but this little beauty is DONE. It will make a lovely hanging in your home or special cards to send to friends and family.

It is  available as a custom print here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/169309764/custom-holiday-print-christmas-home 

And as greeting cards here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/169309764/custom-holiday-print-christmas-home 

Sample customizations include:

 "The Knights," "The Knight Family," "Merry Christmas," 

"Happy Holidays," "Merry Christmas from the Knights."  

Like this:

Adventure well; Live fully. 

HAK

Cha-Ching: On sales, custom orders, and knitting

“I still find each day too short

for all the thoughts I want to think, 

all the walks I want to take,

 all the books I want to read,

and all the friends I want to see.” 

~John Burroughs

I shared this quote with y'all on Facebook earlier today. Indeed, my day was too full--too full for my SIP and my Shakespeare essay and my date with all those loose papers that desperately need to be organized into my binder. But it was full of delights and surprises, and I'm thankful for every last one. 

If you ever visit the Etsy forums, you will see lots of sellers talking about the "cha-ching." Apparently, that's the sound the Etsy app makes when you get a sale. I don't cha-ching, but I did have two sales today--three this week so far. WOW. I'm still new at this whole small biz thing, so every sale feels like the very first one. I dance like a little kid! But you know what? I hope I never lose that feeling. I hope that as long as I am a business woman, be it 1 year or 100, that every single sale feels like the first one. 

Why? you might be asking. It's actually not about the money, though that is a very important part of the business. It's about the delight that I made a product that a customer is willing to spend their hard earned money on. It's an affirmation of my skills and artistry. It's like making a new friend. 

Today was full of running to the post office (twice), writing notes to customers, and reading little blurbs like, 

"I purchased some of these and they are WONDERFUL! Great job, HollyAnne!" 

and "I agree, [creating a custom order together] is FUN." 

It was full of connecting with a former neighbor over a yarnation (that's my brand new word for something created out of yarn. Be impressed--that's pure genius. ;-) ). 

I'm thankful, and very blessed. 

Today was my first day as a truly busy business woman. Maybe I grew into that role a little more over the last few hours. It was a new step of my adventure. 

I want to hear from YOU! 

What was your day full of? A new book? Too much to do at work? Snow? 

Was there an adventure hidden (or not so hidden) in it?

Please comment and share your story! :-) 

Adventure well; Live fully. 

HAK 

Love these? They are SUPER COZY. 

Request a custom order in your

favorite color and fiber at 

www.etsy.com/shop/MesAventuresCraftsCo

or by clicking on the Etsy Mini on the right. 

----->

 

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/johnburrou101053.html#PvVbljC3sBUV6T0F.99

WIP: Christmas Whimsey

One of the things I'm hoping to share with y'all on here is my work: even my work in progress (WIP).  Today's WIP is a whimsical Christmas print or greeting card design. When it is finished, the ornaments will be brightly colored and surrounded by snowflakes, and the box at the bottom will be topped with snowy evergreen boughs and a red bow and will be fully customizable with a family name or message, something like "Merry Christmas," "Happy Holidays," "The Knight Family," or "Merry Christmas from the Knights." I'm hoping to have it up on Etsy the first part of next week: both as an 8.5x11 print and in packs of 6 greeting cards (about 5x8 inches when folded). What do you think?

An Unexpected Journey

The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began. 

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow if I can,

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way

Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

~JRR Tolkien

It probably says many things about me that I'm beginning my blog with a Tolkien quote. I've already given away my love of books, especially excellent fantasy, all things Oxford, and, hopefully, my desire to look at life as an adventure. Every day is a gift, and, to borrow from Oxford University: "Dominus Illuminatio Mea"-- "the Lord is my Light"--and the Giver of each glorious day.

So why a blog? Well, on Facebook I love to promote my shop and other Etsy shops; on Twitter I, well, I guess I reveal a bit of my own silliness. But here-- here I want to tell a story. The adventure of my life includes my art, my faith, studying, exercise, and more cooking than one would expect for a family of two. I want to share about those things and invite y'all to share stories, too--whether they're a lot like mine or very different. 

Mes Aventures, Crafts & Co. has been an unexpected journey for me. I was working at a TV station, finishing my English Lit undergrad, and enjoying newlywed life....Well, my hubster accuses me of being a "now" person. I try to think things through...I pondered this blog for a whole month! At the end of the day, though, I think John is right. My Etsy shop came rather suddenly, but I'm so thankful for it. It's the best job in the world! I love creating and connecting with other artists and my customers. I love the challenges of developing my artistry and learning business skills (and still balancing studenthood and wifery). I hope that writing here will help me process all of those things even as I'm sharing with y'all, and I hope that we will all be encouraged to adventure well and live fully. 

Carpe Diem.