you like clay, it's your favorite

The update will be here shortly. We’re trying something new and this year there will be a limited number of gift pots. You choose the form and the recipient chooses the design. I will work with each recipient to craft their piece. As these will be custom pieces they will be made and arrive in the New Year. They’ll be worth the wait. Each gift certificate order will be sent a special card to give. Might want to check out the etsy shop today for those listings . . .

The end of the 2011 is almost here. I’m all finished with shows for the season. I’m hoping Minnesota will finally get some appreciable snow so we can all play outside. (really it’s December where is our snow? ) While I wait for that snow to come I will be making the last pots of 2011. If you’re on the update list watch your email boxes as I’ll be sending the date and time for the holiday update this week. All orders will be shipped within 48 hrs of the update- and domestic orders should get to their homes in plenty of time to be wrapped for the holiday. Stay tuned . . .

It’s that time of year again . . . Come on down to the Midtown and check out all the great vendors at this year’s No Coast!

Our newest arrival. Meet Benjamin. We’re smitten.

I feel the need to address issues of production here on the blog. Those who know me either personally or professionally know I take great pride in my work. Each piece is hand crafted from scratch. While other production methods exist that could increase the amount of pottery I am able to produce those manufacturing techniques would remove my hand from the process. This is something I’m not comfortable with.  I make my pots the old fashioned way, one at a time.  Handcraft is important to me, being a craftsperson even more important. I truly believe a handmade object has more to it. More energy, more personality and character. I could go on and on about this, but if you’re reading this you probably understand what I mean. I am a process person. Process takes time and energy.

The updates are my way of making my work available to those who cannot visit me in person. My show schedule remains the best way to find the largest selection and variety of pottery. The vast majority of my studio production goes to shows.

I have had many inquires about the availability of Sock Summit mugs. I am NOT currently making that design. My show schedule is tight. After a show is finished I transition production to the next show on the schedule. Revisiting designs or filling special orders must wait until I finish with the obligations I have on my calendar. I do intend on making a small quantity of that design. If you have previously contacted my please know I have a list and you will be contacted as I have pieces available. At this time I expect to have that design available in December.

I am so appreciative of the positive press and word of mouth I receive. Please continue to follow my work, our studio and our growing family.  Please understand that my family is changing and growing and that takes priority in my life. This means the studio, and my work will undergo changes too. Please be patient.

The connections I have with my customers is part of what makes this journey extraordinary.  You all invite my work, and by extension, me, into your homes and to your daily rituals. Thank-you.

Lookie here. I’m in Vogue! Well, my pots are, which is practically me, right? I’ve renewed a few choose your own mug and yarn bowl  postings on my esty shop for those interested in purchasing pots. My work was also published in Interweave’s Sockupied e-mag at the end of July. You’ll see the stitchmarkers are also listed in the etsy shop. I am SO appreciative of the press.
As always the best selection of designs and motifs are when you find me in person at shows. Just a few weeks to WI Sheep and Wool in Jefferson, my favorite Mid West festival. Then a few weeks to Rhinebeck! (and hopefully somewhere before Rhinebeck baby potter #2 will arrive!)

It’s just a day before I leave for Sock Summit and I’m proud to say we will have more pottery than we have ever had for a show – ever! Besides the pottery there are gads buttons, stitch markers, jewelry and spiffy new t-shirts too!

Full tilt production and many kilns have been fired during the nastiest heat wave of the season. Firing kilns in the winter is great, the summer not so much.

If your planning on attending I’m in a corner booth #723. Here’s a link to the marketplace map pdf. Take a look and plan your shopping. It’s easier than being overwhlmed by the amazing booty that will be there!

The market preview is on Thursday night from 4:30 -6:30pm and is for attendees only. The regular market runs

Friday, July 29th: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday, July 30th: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday, July 31st: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

I have made many special Sock summit 2011 mugs and will be saving a small quantity in reserve for folks attending the market on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If your heart is set on one, please come early and choose your mug. If they sell out again I might be persuaded to do a special order for later delivery.

In addition to the pots in the booth I have also made a few pieces for the silent auction on Thursday evening 6:00 – 8:30. The money raised goes to Doctor’s Without Borders / MSF. One mugs, one large yarn bowl and one jar in this year’s Sock Summit 2011 Mt. Hood design will be there. Please come early and bid often. It’s for a great cause.

I say this a lot, but it bears repeating. I hand make each and every item. Each piece has it’s own character and thus they are all a little different. While they all begin as the same weight ball of clay some are taller, squatter, or curvier.  Like people they have personality. It’s part of what makes handmade items so special.

So, come stop by say hi. Introduce yourself. Fondle the pottery, it’s meant to be held. Make a connection with a pot or a person – or both. This is the fun part of what I get to do. I look forward to meeting you.

Space Invaders!

The studio has been rocking here lately. July is a busy month for the studio. It’s full tilt busy season. I’m gearing up for Socksummit  and am taking short trips to WI each Saturday for the Schoolhouse Press Knit Camps.  I have been attending these as a vendor for many years now and have been a camper for the last few years too. Spending the weekend with a room full of intelligent inspirational knitters and Amy Detjen , Joyce Willams, and Meg Swansen? Yes, please.

This year I broght along the sweater I’m working on for my dear brother. I was instantly smitten with the design and knew it would be a perfect gift for him. A modern twist on a classic pullover. Space Invaders in classic Stedestal colors. (black, red, and ivory) It’s from Arne & Carlos. (Sadly I can no longer find the pattern available online, but the book Julekuler – Christmas Balls is fantastic too!)

He’s 6’5″ and I remind myself with each double check at his measurements that I love him very much. Very much.

This pattern has proved problematic as it is in Norwegian. While my mom studied in Oslo and has rudimentary Norwegian skills left from that time in the (cough) 60′s, what’s left is largely conversational. With zero knitting vocabulary I turned to the internet. There are a wealth of resources available for translation but the end result is a cobbled together brain twister of silly nonsense. So I took my measurements and just knit by the seat of my pants.With reckless abandon I knew I could figure it out. The charts are what matter most- and those are universal.

My weekend at camp provided some much needed guidance and direction with the pullover. I am four rows of knitting away from the top neck edge of this sweater and I have decided to pull the yoke out. There are too many little things that I now know would improve the sweater for not only the wearer but for me, the knitter, too. After all the time and energy I have put into this I want to be wholly proud of the finished garment. I so dislike having one element of something I made, or others for that matter, pointed out at the introduction of that item. That classic, “Yeah it’s great if only I had done this that and the other thing differently.”

I knit because I like to knit. Ripping out and learning from my mistakes is the just the opportunity to knit more. Do overs are part of the creative process. It’s putting your knowledge to action, practicing new skills immediately so they stick.  It’s like putting another quarter in the arcade game and starting again. So here I go . . .

I have started making the specialty mugs for this year’s sock summit. The theme has been so fun to play with! I start by making watercolors of my ideas. It is a quick easy way to play with color and layering. I’m able to use the same brushes I use for my clay work, and it’s tidy enough that I can paint almost anywhere. After I hone in on an idea I move on to painting with ceramic pigments on handleless cups. These cups serve as ceramic “sketchbooks”. I get a better idea of color and texture in the same media as the finished piece. The cups allow me to play with my ideas, layout, and carving. Some of the motifs took too long to execute, but were too fun to let go. Look for some of those in the auction before the opening ceremonies.
The final design has socks, of course, and some recognizable Portland scenery too. Here’s a sneak peek. I’m making more than I had available during the last sock summit. Hopefully that will be enough for all who want one! Just a few more weeks to go…

A moment of toddler patience

It seems like all I’ve been doing lately is traveling. Six days in a car over the last 2 1/2 weeks. (Mn to Md  and back. Msp to Green Bay and back, and finally Msp to BWCAW and back.) I love a good car trip, but have been itching to resume my routine. I had my first production day in the studio yesterday in a very long time and it reminded me how great it is to throw pots. So much of my time running this business is doing other things it’s refreshing when you get the chance to start at square one.

Mt Hood anyone?

The next few weeks the studio will be buzzing with activity getting ready for the Schoolhouse Press Camps I attend in July and then the behemoth of road trips out to Portland for Sock Summit (booth 723) . I’ve started initial design work for the special sock summit mug. I’m also planning on making pieces especially for the auction to benefit Doctors Without Borders on Thursday night. I’ll try to post pieces in progress as I go along so stop back once in a while to see what’s going on.

(I’m hoping to have a small (wee) little update in June too. . . details to come)