July, 2009 August 2009 September, 2009 An e-mail newsletter August 15th, 2009 I'm working on putting together a monthly e-mail newsletter, and I'd love your help in figuring out what to include in it. Since you're the audience to the newsletter, I didn't know who better to ask! :) Would you mind taking a few minutes to answer some brief survey questions (there are less than 10)? This is the sample e-mail I've come up with using one of my existing designs. My plan is to feature a new design each month. Thanks for your help! Comment Bursting with creativity, but no yoga. August 12th, 2009 So, I haven't been into the yoga studio more than twice in the last month... and while my body isn't feeling the best, I am noticing a creative BOOM. Designs have been flowing through me quite easily lately... and while I don't want to jinx anything by mentioning it, I just have to talk about it a little because it baffles me slightly. I'm noticing a trend. Lots of yoga means very little designing, and little yoga means lots of designing. I can't help but wonder about the relationship between the two. Is the energy used when doing physical yoga the same energy I use to design? Is it a creative energy? What is it about the LACK of yoga that lets creative energy flow more freely? I'm truly baffled, it seems backwards. You'd think more yoga would increase creative energy... maybe I'm doing something wrong? Yoga makes me feel like a million bucks. After a long session I can feel like a peaceful blob of jello—quiet, calm and floppy—or a high-energy honey bee, buzzing around with super-speed productivity. Maybe that's the problem—that there's an imbalance between how I am before and after doing yoga? Maybe the ups and downs disrupt the delicate balance that is necessary for creative energy to flow? When I'm not doing yoga, my energy levels are relatively consistent—no highs—no lows. Is that what is needed for creative energy to flow through me? Who knows—I don't, I'm just speculating. This seems to be a constant experiment for me, and this trend between designing and yoga seems to be consistent. Is there anyone out there who's noticed this same pattern happening in their own life? How do you deal with it? Comment So… it's not the right size August 9th, 2009 I finished! It's not the right size for how I *intended* my laptop to fit into it. However, it I put the laptop into it the other way, it may still work. What I learned: 1. Hand-felting a swatch takes much less time than hand-felting an entire bag. I'm not sure I enjoy hand felting large objects... 2. If the felted item is knit in fair isle, knit the swatch in fair isle. (for some reason, I knit a single color stockinette stitch swatch and figured that would work. Obviously my math turned out all wrong, so it didn't work) 3. I like felting. I can see how this may become an addiction to some people. Overall, dispite the size discrepencies, I'm very happy with how it turned out. I've written the pattern down, and kept track of the size of the bag before felting and after felting so now I know more accurately what the felting ratio is. Is this a pattern you guys might be interested in? Comment Trying my hands at felting. August 9th, 2009      Ravel it I recently bought a refurbished Macbook Pro with a 17" monitor. I absolutely LOVE the thing, and I'm so happy I decided to go with a laptop, and sell or get rid of my desktop computer. I haven't done so yet, but once James and I move into our little house, it'll be necessary for the desktop to go away. To honor my new laptop, I've decided to design it a felted laptop bag. I really don't have very much experience with felting, so I'm somewhat nervous as to how this is going to end up. If it doesn't fit, oh well, I'll still have a pretty neet bag, and I can try again. None-the-less, the process of making this has been pretty fun so far. I installed Knit Visualizer on the laptop on Friday and drew up the chart you can see in the image above. Generally I'll use Illustrator for all my charting needs, but I used Knit Visualizer this time because I really wanted to be able to see how the design would look in the felted gauge... and that's something I haven't yet been able to adjust in the grid in Illustrator. If anyone knows how, I'd love to hear it! :) I'm almost done the knitting part. Just about 2 more inches to go. Then I seam and felt! Oh, how exciting. Hopefully I can finish it today... but I do need to go look for a door for the little house at some point. Speaking of the little house. James and I have some more updates on our escape-from-density blog. Comment 100 things about me August 7th, 2009 1. I learned to crochet from my mother when I was around 8 years old. 2. I taught myself to knit after seeing a job listing for a yarn company seeking a graphic designer. 3. I never really *knew* what I wanted to be when I grew up, but what to do next has always come pretty easily to me. 4. Every day I strive to eat as much fruit as possible. 5. I began transitioning toward eating vegan on May 1, 2009. 6. The only animal products I haven’t been able to let go of yet are raw tuna (in sushi) and the occasional cream cheese on an egg-free bagel. 7. I enjoy math—always have. 8. I treat my body to at least one yoga class each week—hot, power prana. 9. I don’t drink enough water. 10. I love cats, and think dogs are mostly annoying and needy. 11. I will someday become self-employed. 12. I’m afraid of moving far away from my parents. 13. But I’m drawn to the west coast. 14. I wear flip-flops all summer—from when the snow melts until it snows again. 15. I hate my commute for so many reasons. 16. I prefer knitting with straight metal needles above all else. 17. I try to visit my mom, and my dad once a week each. 18. Meditation is something I’d like to get in the habit of doing. 19. When I was very young, I designed clothes for paper dolls and crocheted for Barbie. 20. The very first things I designed with yarn were crocheted slippers. I was probably about 10, and usually only made 1 because I couldn’t remember what I did to make the second one. 21. I couldn’t read a crochet pattern until I learned to knit. 22. Whenever I don’t go to TNNA, I wish I had. 23. When magazines offer royalties as a payment option for designs, I’ll submit to them first. (Interweave & Twist Collective, to name a few) 24. I was once a CVS 1-hour photo-lab manager. 25. I loved working in a 1-hour lab, and often have dreams that I still do it. 26. My first job was as a *page* at a local library. I shelved books and checked books in and out. 27. I’m a pretty spiritual person. 28. Taoism and Buddhism are the closest *religions* to what I trust. 29. Most days I aspire to eat over 15 bananas. 30. I hardly ever finish projects I begin for myself. 31. I’m alright with #30. For me, it’s the process, not the destination. 32. I often get the urge to do a handstand, but have never successfully done one. 33. I don’t drink coffee, soda or anything else containing caffeine. 34. I don’t like, or trust the U.S. medical system. 35. It bothers me that I am required by state law to have health insurance. 36. I’m not sure if I ever want to have kids. Certainly not right now. 37. I love to ski, but don’t have anyone to ski with. 38. My hair was in dreadlocks - from April 19, 2008 to July 31, 2009. Now it’s really short. 39. I have 1 full sister and 1 half sister (we can all crochet and knit). 40. I generally don’t feel strongly one way or the other. 41. I was a girl scout from first grade until high school. 42. I’m comfortable with my weight. 43. I strive to eat a low-fat, high-raw/vegan diet to feel the best I possibly can, to have energy, and so I can enjoy my yoga practice much more than if I didn’t eat this way. 44. I took French in Jr. High, but I can only speak English fluently. 45. My friends call me Sam. 46. Kristen is my professional/family name. 47. Sam is my fun, earthy, spiritual, yogi name. I write it sAM. 48. I love camping - in a tent. 49. I’m terrified of the dark when I’m camping—it’s something I’m working on… 50. I compulsively check my e-mail. I won’t get an i-phone because of this. 51. With enough time, I tend to get comfortable wherever I am. Then I don’t want to leave. 52. Our television isn’t connected to any sort of TV feed… cable, rabbit ears… nothing. 53. We only watch DVD’s. 54. I’ve seen probably about 90% of all The Simpsons episodes. Many multiple times. 55. I don’t like scary movies. 56. I have a peanut butter addiction. 57. I know how to change my car’s oil. 58. I want to have my own mango tree. 59. I don’t like using forks—I often eat with chopsticks instead. 60. I don’t buy greeting cards. 61. I enjoy crocheting more than knitting, but enjoy writing knit patterns more than crochet patterns. 62. I work best with a tight deadline. 63. I enjoy a challenge. 64. My biggest challenge with designing is designing something simple. 65. I think knitting with size 2 addi-turbos and light cashmere is the best feeling ever. 66. I think air conditioning is very un-natural, and believe my life would be fine without it. 67. Because of AC, I often wear my winter sweaters more in the summer, while at work, than I do during the winter. 68. I enjoy being in nature. 69. I love picking fresh fruit—blueberries, strawberries, apples… nom nom nom. 70. I work at Classic Elite Yarns—began as the graphic designer, now I am one of the tech editors. 71. I love tech editing and writing patterns. 72. I think it’s great that there is a medium (knit/crochet) that allows me to create using logic and math. 73. I inherited a love for Jeeps from my father. 74. Pam Allen, Ysolda Teague, Kristin Omdahl, Jared Flood, Cookie A, and Robyn Chachula inspire me. 75. I’ve noticed that when I’m designing a lot, I’m not doing yoga, and when I’m doing yoga a lot, I’m not designing. 76. I’m constantly working at finding and maintaining a link between yoga and knitting. 77. I’m a mac person. Always have been. 78. I save all my scraps of yarn, knot them together into a ball of yarn. This is something that has been made with one such ball of this yarn. 79. After a design is done and published, I rip out the swatch and add the yarn to the above ball of yarn. 80. I prefer e-mail over the phone. 81. I rarely answer my phone. If people leave messages, I’ll call them back. If not, then it probably wasn’t important, and I’m glad I didn’t bother answering. 82. I like making lists. 83. I sometimes wish I could abandon society and go live in the woods. 84. I trust my boyfriend to cut my hair. 85. It takes me a long time to get to know and trust people. 86. I don't enjoy working in an office environment. But it's better than retail. 87. My ideal job would be to work alone in a creative environment and communicate to people via e-mail. 88. I have a niece. 89. I never had any desire to design for babies until she was born. 90. I rarely knit 2 socks, unless I knit them both at the same time. 91. I generally gravitate toward neutral/natural colors, but have recently been trying to add more color into my life. 92. I continuously dyed my hair from seventh grade through my third year in college. 93. I had a range of hair colors: red, blonde, black, green, blue, purple, and some interesting combinations there-of. 94. I won't put any chemicals into my hair anymore. 95. I peel my finger and toe nails. It's something I've done my whole life. 96. I occasionally stop peeling my nails for a few months at a time, then it starts again. 97. I collect rocks. 98. I strive to avoid using plastic bags whenever possible. 99. I buy local and organic whenever possible. 100. I love life. Comment Spontaneous-ness August 1st, 2009      On April 19, 2008 I began dread-locking my hair. It was an interesting journey that I would definitely do again, but during these last few days, thoughts of cutting them off have been very strong... so why not? It's just hair, it continues to grow, and change. Last night while enjoying some vegan burgers with James and our friend Kevin, I mentioned that I had been thinking of cutting them off, then it turned into my asking James if he'd like to do it that night. I felt very confident in my decision, and was amused how often James would double check before he began cutting... he was sure to begin right in the front so there would be no turning back. hehe. Comment