Mod Grannies
Good Afternoon Friends!
Daylight savings time happened and we lost an hour today. I have bittersweet feelings about springing forward. On one hand I enjoy the longer days and the opportunity to be outside until the sun goes down. On the other hand, I miss the days of being inside - cooking, stitching, filling the house with a beautiful aroma of dinner cooking on the stove, feeling the luxury of not feeling guilty about a garden that needs weeding, peeling house paint, and all the other chores that need to get done while the sun is shining and the weather is warm. What about you? How do you feel about daylight savings time?
As you can see from the header above, the little lambs are getting big. This photo is taken in the greenhouse barn where the light is beautifully filtered. Outside, the snow is piled up along the sides several feet high. This week, we are expecting temperatures above freezing during the day and below freezing at night. This is the perfect combination for maple sugaring and you can bet that the maple farmers will be collecting and boiling like crazy. This is the latest "maple season" I ever remember. Usually boiling begins around the 22nd of February. If you can't get to an old-fashioned sugarhouse because you live far from New England, you can order Maple Syrup from fellow farmers The Williams Family here.
This week on "Getting Stitched on the Farm" - my blog, I shared a new project I am working on - a fucshia linen fabric square which I printed with paisleys using the techniques given in my new book Crafting a Colorful Home. You can read about it here. I am really enjoying this project because it is going so quickly and turning out nicely. Here's what the pillow top looks like with some of the printed paisleys decorated with embroidery.
Continuing on with the theme of Sneak Peeks from my new book Crafting a Colorful Home, today I would like to share my crocheted Mod Granny Square Afghan. As a kid, I remember snuggling under a crocheted afghan on cold winter days. I loved the scrunchy feel of the fabric - the openess and drapability that granny square fabric makes. When planning this home-centric book, I knew one of the projects HAD TO BE a granny square project. How could I put my own spin on it? I decided to make a bold granny afghan - taking a cue from graphic modern art. I simplified the traditional granny square into two colors. The colors bounce off against each other creating fun interplay. The afghan used 8 colors of my Color by Kristin and was made with 20 large granny squares.
My second sneak peek today is of the printed walls in the living room. The tuscan inspired gold background was done with a colorwashing technique. I wanted to add a simple border treatment above the chair rail and along the window and door trim. For this, I drew two shapes inspired by the rugs and Indian block print fabrics I am crazy for. I made them into printing blocks. With paint splodged onto the printing block, I added this border. I love how the texture of the printing is a bit uneven and definitely handmade looking.
I am still taking orders and shipping copies of Crafting a Colorful Home. I have extended the FREE Shipping and am continuing to include the Kristin Illustrated Bookplate and the set of Kristin Postcards. Hop on over to my website to order here. If you don't do Paypal which I know many people still are not comfortable with, you can still order. Here's how:
Send a check for $27.95 written to Kristin Nicholas to PO Box 212, Bernardston, MA 01337 along with your address. I will send you the book.
Here are some interesting things I have found this week.
• Via World of Interiors, I found some stunning applique work by artist Georgia Bettoja. Check it out here.
• Gardener/writer Margaret Roach writes about her winter here.
• The craft and art of embroidery is having a renaissance according to the Associated Press. See the article from the Washington Post here. Did you see the feature on embroidery in the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living? If you missed it, you can find it condensed here on the Flax and Twine blog.
• I loved this nice article and interview with 78 year old knitter/designer/youtuber Judy Graham. Check it out here.
• This painter's studio is really spectacular!
• According to ApartmentTherapy, color is back. I didn't know it had left!
Lastly, thanks to all of you who braved the cold and came out for my talk at the Roslindale Public Library. It was so nice to meet you all and re-connect with some folks I haven't seen in twenty years!
Thank you for reading and supporting my work in craft and color. Have a great week - make something!
With best wishes,
Kristin Nicholas
p.s. Last week, I promised I would be announcing the class schedule for the upcoming months here at Leyden Glen Farm. I am working on the schedule but need a few more days. Don't worry - you as a newsletter subscriber will be the first to know what I am offering.
I've just listed 6 colors of my latest sock yarn - Colorations - from the Design Line by Regia. These colors work up in a pattern similar to a fair isle. The colors were inspired by my favorite ikat fabric. Check out my Etsy shop here.
