WilleWorks

Kitty feet

2012-01-27T14:13:00.001-06:00

This week has just flown by and I don't have much to show you. My sewing machine is in the shop for service and the walking foot is not working properly. I have a bunch of hats piled up ready for some attention from me. I did finish the second lavender bunny and shipped him off today to my Mom. I haven't knit a cat for a long time so I started on this sweet blue cat made from wool from Maggie's Farm. I love this little kitty's feet.

Carrot Cake

2012-01-23T11:27:00.001-06:00

Santa brought me The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook last Christmas. Oz thanked me last week for being a foodie! This weekend I baked carrot cake using the recipe from Cook's Illustrated. Oh, my. This book is my new bible.

Miss Mouse

2012-01-20T21:15:00.002-06:00

Miss Mouse trying to figure out her new sewing machine.

Bunny

2012-01-19T12:43:00.004-06:00

Boy Bunny, a handknit doll

This bunny rabbit was finished today and I like the way he turned out. What a cute little lavender face!
I got some great feedback from the person who got this bunny. I didn't stuff Hello Bunny's ears although they did stick up when I photographed him resting up against the paper backdrop. She really liked the way he looked in the photo where you could see his little ears. I hadn't thought about it before but it is something to keep in mind when I photograph the bunnies for Etsy - if the ears stick up in the photos, my customers will expect that they stick up for real and not flop backward.

Mouse finger puppet

2012-01-18T13:13:00.002-06:00

Mouse finger puppet, originally uploaded by marianne_66047.

I'm starting to make mice finger puppets again. I made a bunch of them in 2010 and got burned out! I found the pattern yesterday along with a few mouse parts and hand sewed this little one. This grey mouse made from wool felt is now in my shop.

Mimi Wille at RedBubble

2012-01-17T05:00:00.003-06:00

I set up an online shop at RedBubble to sell cards and prints of some of my most popular photographs from 2011. I'll be uploading the Playing with Vegetables Series this week too.

Grey hats

2012-01-16T15:15:00.001-06:00

I've been doing some sewing today and finished up another grey hat with a spiral tassel made from a felted wool sweater seam. I'll have to show you soon how I hand felt tassels. These are both in my shop.

Blue hat

2012-01-13T17:28:00.000-06:00

Soft and simple blue hat made from a previously loved merino wool sweater. I made another one like this for Oz and he loves it. It is big! I'll have it in my shop soon.

Sewing day

2012-01-11T13:49:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I deconstructed a previously loved grey cashmere sweater. This afternoon I basted all the seams by hand on this simple skull cap before sewing the seams on a Bernina sewing machine. That way everything matches up nicely especially at the top of the hat where 4 points need to match up perfectly. The cashmere wants to slip around much like velvet does when it is machine stitched so I really save time by hand-stitching everything in place first.

It took me about 1 hour to sew this hat with all my fussing.

I have two nice big sleeves to use as material for a grey bunny rabbit doll dress.

What should I show you next?

Deconstructing the sweater

2012-01-10T11:48:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I washed this sweater and now it is ready to be cut apart and assessed. I found more moth holes that I didn't see yesterday in the sleeves and on the front. Contrary to popular belief, moth holes do not disappear when the sweater is washed; they get bigger. I've tried mending the holes before felting or fulling begins but sometimes it ends up as just a big lump and I don't like that.

I'm rewashing the sleeves because they need more fulling in hot water. I'm probably going to use the sleeves to make a bunny dress.
I use freezer paper to make my patterns and iron them onto the felt so that nothing slips while I'm cutting. I get perfectly cut shapes and points this way.

The cashmere 2 ply is very soft so I'm just going to make a simple toque hat or skull cap instead of a more complicated hat that could be blocked. I used the back of the sweater including the ribbing. I also included the side seams of the sweater for stability.

Sewing happens next.....

Monday is Wash Day

2012-01-09T19:20:00.001-06:00

People have been sending me lots of goodies lately....I received these beautiful buttons from Marie in Alaska. Thank you, Marie! Also, my Chicago cousin Debbie sent me a pretty grey cashmere sweater that she bought at a thrift store. Hi Debbie! Debbie didn't notice the sweater had a few moth holes when she bought it and discovered the problem when she got home. Bummer! She decided to send it to me and also asked me to take before and after photos. Eventually this will be a pretty grey hat.

Before:

Pretty cashmere sweater with Nordstrom label.

I put the sweater in the top loading washing machine with another sweater to balance the load.

Set the machine for small load and very hot water. I used liquid laundry detergent.

After it had been washed and rinsed in cold water, it is all wrinkly and a bit shrunk. It is gorgeous! I put the sweater in the dryer for 5 minutes to get out the wrinkles and fluff it up a bit.

Now it drying on a clothes rack in my studio, out of the sunlight and next to a large fan which will dry it in one day.

My niece Valerie and me

2012-01-08T12:30:00.004-06:00

Valerie and Mimi, originally uploaded by marianne_66047.

Oz helped me out at Lola Giant 2011 and took this photo at the end of the day. I was completely worn out by this point mostly because I didn't sleep the night before. I was soooo excited to try this new sales venue and to have Valerie visiting for the weekend.

Friday

2012-01-06T15:02:00.000-06:00

The little lavender bunny is now living in California and I'm working on another bunny with the rest of the pretty lace weight yarn. If you are interested in reserving a bunny rabbit please let me know ~ My mom sounded disappointed today that the lavender bunny was already gone.

Grant left today and the house is quiet. I'm doing laundry and packing up all the things that he left behind to ship to him. I'm looking forward to the new year ~ Logan will graduate from KU this spring and Grant will probably be working a summer internship in Kansas. Love my boys.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T12:54:00.004-06:00

Bunny Rabbit with his purple vest, originally uploaded by marianne_66047.

I don't have an resolutions to make this year except to learn to father myself. I miss my dad but I can see him sitting in his chair in the kitchen looking at me and saying, "Hi, Sweetheart!" He looked so happy to see me even on his worst days and he always had a big smile on his face. His love was generous and sincere.

Hello Bunny

2011-12-29T10:30:00.000-06:00

Lavender bunny rabbit. Bunny is knit from handspun alpaca, merino and tussah silk yarn and filled with polyester fiber fill. Child-friendly original design by Marianne Wille.

Boy or girl bunny ? ~ I was planning on sewing a white dress for this rabbit but now that I'm done it looks more like a boy to me. I never know what they are going to be until I am done knitting.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T17:00:00.005-06:00

Christmas Eve we had a nice big family dinner and I made Chicken á la King with crunchy cornmeal waffles. We served 10 for dinner and it was a great success. Christmas day has been very fun with lots of presents to open and games to play. Grant told me he is happy to have a day off from thinking. :) Merry Christmas from the Wille family.

Waffle recipe here.

First day of Winter

2011-12-22T15:55:00.003-06:00

First day of winter 2011

I have been running errands today. I went to the grocery store, dropped off glass at the recycling center and shopped at the local thrift store. 6 pretty sweaters are waiting to be felted and transformed into something new. I found the loveliest Pendleton sweater and a nice wool pullover that will become a fancy bunny dress.

Lola Giant

2011-12-19T11:44:00.001-06:00

, originally uploaded by valerie 24.

This is my table at Lola Giant 2 weeks ago. I was too busy to take photos but Valerie took this on her phone. So fun!

2011-12-17T16:39:00.001-06:00

Colorado, 2011

I have all the presents wrapped, the house is clean and the pantry is full of good food. Grant and Logan are done with finals. Ozzie's work continues to need attention but he's not traveling at the moment. Grant comes home tomorrow afternoon and we'll all be together for Sunday dinner.

Happy Christmas to you! With love, Marianne

Sunday update

2011-12-11T20:13:00.005-06:00

Miss Bunny Rabbit and I had a great weekend show with Lola (Ladies of Lawrence Artwork). Thank you to my beautiful niece Valerie who helped me on Saturday set everything up and helped me with sales. This morning Miss Bunny Rabbit was in the newspaper!!!!! She's pretty excited about meeting all those wonderful people this weekend but she's a bit tired now. I just put her in my Etsy shop and tomorrow I'll list the zippermouth purses and 3 buntings that didn't sell at the local show.

Friday Buntings

2011-12-09T05:00:00.004-06:00

Everything is tagged, packed and ready for the Lola Giant show on Saturday. I was able to find a little time Thursday afternoon to put together 5 wool felt buntings. They measure 6 feet long and have 18 pennants each. Wishing you a happy Friday ~ Marianne

Thursday's hat

2011-12-08T05:00:00.002-06:00

Hat with vintage Czechoslovakian brooch.

This hat is made from a beautiful Italian merino wool sweater that was gently felted ~

Miss Bunny Rabbit

2011-12-06T08:44:00.001-06:00

I'll be taking this new doll to the Lola Giant show on Saturday and Sunday. I'm looking forward to a fun weekend!

Monday

2011-12-05T15:46:00.001-06:00

I'm checking some things off my to-do list.

√ New scarf for Sunflower, The Cat
√ Girl bunny rabbit knit finished and dress sewn for her
√ Zippermouth purse made and lining sewn in

Lola Giant

2011-12-01T12:16:00.003-06:00

This morning I went out to mail Bobby Bunny (he sold yesterday!), run some errands and put up posters for the Lola Giant show.

I'm participating in a local art show at Van Go, Inc. with 24 + other ladies who love to create and make lovely things. This week I'm hand sewing a lining into a new zippermouth purse and also knitting another bunny. I would like to have at least one little bunny for the Lola show. I'm having trouble keeping up with the demand for the knit bunnies. I'm also going to make Sunflower Kitty a new scarf in a floral print cotton fabric. I wonder if we'll have snow before the show....

xxoo Marianne

Sweet women

2011-11-29T15:28:00.002-06:00

Sweet women, originally uploaded by marianne_66047.

I'm also going through some old photos today and rediscovered this photo of some of my beloved ones. Looking at this photo makes me cry.

My Grandma Ruth, Auntie Sara and my Great Aunt Weis.

2011-11-29T11:55:00.001-06:00

This week I've been reading, knitting a new bunny rabbit girl and sewing up some new zippermouth purses.

Bobby Bunny

2011-11-24T22:05:00.004-06:00

Grey bunny in red vest with vintage buttons. Bunny is knit from organic wool yarn and filled with wool roving. Child-friendly original design by Marianne Wille.

A new rabbit was finished today. Do you like his grey trousers? Logan says he looks like a hipster. He is now in my shop. Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Love, Marianne

Home Sweet Home

2011-11-17T18:42:00.002-06:00

My bedroom with quilts, Pendleton wool shawl and Mimi Kirchner doll.
Everywhere I go is home sweet home.

Note: I did not make this sweet doll but I did buy her from my favorite dollmaker, Mimi Kirchner. If you love dolls, handmade items and want to shop in the US for Christmas gifts I say go check out Mimi's Etsy shop too.

Robert Eastman Denton

2011-11-13T14:37:00.009-06:00

Dad and me ~ love his haircut!

I have been in Omaha for over 3 weeks helping take care of my Dad while he was in hospice care. Dad passed away on November 3 surrounded by his wife and 3 kids. While I will miss my Daddy, he lives in my heart and mind. I find myself feeling his presence and often talk to him. He became sweeter with time and the last month with him was precious. I also got to reconnect with my sister and brother and all my nieces and nephews. I have a wonderful and loving family.

My dad's obituary is here and I will think and feel love for him often especially when I see the sunrise in the morning and while watching the eagles fly.

Bunny rabbit doll in the lavender garden

2011-11-01T11:50:00.005-05:00

Grey bunny in cashmere dress. Bunny is knit from organic wool and filled with wool roving. Child-friendly original design by Marianne Wille.

Bunny Rabbit is in the garden checking on the newest lavender plants. Did you know that lavender is called Rabbit tobacco in Beatrix Potter's stories? The rabbits in my yard like to chew on it over the winter. I'm almost done knitting another rabbit and I have a lovely red jacket sewn for him to wear.

Trick or Treat!

2011-10-31T11:56:00.005-05:00

Some of our neighbors out trick or treating for Halloween 2009. I bought a ton of candy for tonight. We get a lot of traffic! More photos at Flickr

Family time

2011-10-22T21:40:00.003-05:00

Grant and Logan are in Omaha for the weekend to spend time with their grandpa. We had a big family dinner tonight and I loved being with my brother Bob, my sister Lynn and Lynn's three youngest children, Melissa, Tenley and Travis.

2011-10-15T10:58:00.000-05:00

This weekend I'm in Omaha staying with my parents. Dad has cancer and he's had a really bad two weeks. We've got a hospice bed for him in the family room and I'm helping Mom set up a care routine. I'm planning on staying for at least 2 weeks. So good to be with family and dear friends!

Pillow

2011-10-11T14:32:00.001-05:00

Since I'm into recycling, I often get previously loved blankets and sweaters from friends to make into something new. This was a lovely wool blanket from Pam that the moths munched on. I made a simple envelope style pillowcase for the 26 x 26 inch European square feather pillow. I have enough to make another pillow.

Mini Pennants

2011-10-10T20:53:00.000-05:00

I cut out 100 pennants today and it seems like a didn't make a dent in my wool felt stash. Does it multiply while I'm not looking? These will be made into pennant garlands for my local holiday sales.

Aubergine Zippermouth Purse

2011-10-07T06:00:00.003-05:00

I finished another zippermouth purse yesterday in an aubergine colored felt. It is lined with a batik linen fabric that matches the felt perfectly. I'm also working on felt pennant garlands for the holidays. I have so many beautiful small felt pieces and I'm happy to find another purpose for them besides finger puppets. I am using some beautiful hand-dyed Celtic Cord yarn from Maggie's Farm to string the triangles onto.

Thursday's Zippermouth

2011-10-06T05:00:00.011-05:00

This week has been nice ~ Oz is home, the weather is gorgeous and I'm just enjoying these summer-like days. I have been going through some of the many books I have in our library and found one that I don't remember reading to my children called Thursday's Child by Noel Streatfeild. What a charming story of a brave and independent girl.

Another brave, independent and visionary soul, Steve Jobs, died yesterday.

Felt Hat with Vintage Bakelite Buckle

2011-10-04T11:38:00.001-05:00

I had a lot of fun making this hat ~ Ozzie says I should keep it for myself. :)
It is a little small for my big head so I'm putting it in my shop.

Friendly Fox

2011-09-30T09:59:00.005-05:00

This fox is very friendly and will keep you company even when you are in a terrible, depressed mood. (I'm still sad about Zia passing away). He's very understanding....And he really loves homemade chocolate pudding and good coffee.

This friendly gentleman is now in my shop.

Princess Zia

2011-09-25T10:34:00.003-05:00

October 2009, Zia watching her fish.

In 2009 Zia aka Bobo or Butterscotch was 14 years old ~ she looks pretty good here.

My table of to-do

2011-09-23T08:27:00.003-05:00

I found out this week that our dear old fiesty cat Zia has cancer and diabetes. Yesterday I realized that I would make a great hospice nurse but I would probably last one week at that job. I'm tired already! Zia wanted to sit outside yesterday and I stayed with her for 4 hours sitting under the sycamore tree and listening to the birds. She's really fragile and defenseless. It was a good thing that I sat with her because the big bully black tomcat from the neighborhood charged her while we outside and when I yelled "No" he ran off.

I was able to do some knitting on the fox while sitting outside but realized last night when I evaluated my work that I'm having trouble focusing. I forgot to do some increasing on the back while knitting the body. I will be doing some deconstructing down to the tail and fix this poor skinny fox. Sigh.

On my to-do table is some organic cotton yarn for a new baby cap, new garlands, sock wool, bunny vest, 4 zippermouth purses and a new hat.

* Zia died at 12:36 am Saturday Sept 24. I whispered to her to meet me in heaven someday and then she seemed to curl up like a leaf and then died. Sweet rascally girl. I'll miss her. And when I go, I want to be struck by lightening and go fast....a two week long struggle was so tough to watch.

Tuesday Purse

2011-09-20T16:33:00.003-05:00

I have another zippermouth purse done and 4 more stacked up ready to be sewn.

I forgot to mention that over the weekend I phoned Pippi. After a while, Zander wanted to talk too. When he finally got the phone out of his sister's hands he whispered to me, "I got worm, I got worm, I got worm," like a little mantra. Pippi tells me that he been finding worms and caterpillars and squishing them. What a boy!

The Weekend

2011-09-18T17:03:00.002-05:00

Oz was in Chicago last week at Graph Expo 2011 with the Agfa-Pitman team. He's the tall one in the back under the light....looking smart in his new suit! This weekend is heavenly because it is rather boring except that I have a very sick cat, there is no traveling and Oz is home. He has had a crazy busy travel schedule lately and the days he is home are precious.

Zippermouth Purses

2011-09-16T14:48:00.000-05:00

A couple more purses have been finished today. Handsewing the lining in takes the most time and it must be perfect. Argh.... the downside of being a perfectionist.

Whenever I see an argyle sweater at the thrift store I snap it up. They make the prettiest zippermouth purses.

2011-09-14T22:36:00.004-05:00

Wow! What a great group of artists. This will be my first year participating with LOLA, Ladies of Lawrence Artwork, December 10 and 11 at the beautiful building of Van Go, Inc. in Lawrence, KS

Fisterra; Grant in 2007

2011-09-14T15:26:00.007-05:00

Fisterra, originally uploaded by marianne_66047.

Almond Torte

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I don't think I've posted this recipe yet but I've been getting requests for it.

My oldest son, Grant, lived in Santiago de Compostela for a semester and when he came home at Christmas he brought us a cake in his backpack. This torte is my attempt to duplicate that delicious almond torte from the medieval pilgrimage city in Galicia, the northwest part of Spain. Because the town is famous for their almond trees I’m sure they use local almonds for their tortes.

14 ounces pure almond paste, crumbled (I use Odense)

¾ cup salted butter, softened

1 ¼ cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

2 tablespoons almond liquor

1 ¼ cup white flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Powdered sugar

Lightly grease and line bottom of a 9” springform pan with parchment paper; set aside.

Beat almond paste, butter and granulated sugar at medium speed with a heavy-duty stand mixer until blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in liquor.

Wisk together flour and baking powder in a bowl; add to butter mixture, mixing by hand just until blending.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until cake is golden and edges spring back when lightly touched. Do not over bake. Cool completely in pain on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar. I often make a paper pattern to decorate the top before dusting with sugar. Remove paper stencil after dusting. In Santiago the cakes are decorated with a medieval cross.

Adapted from Southern Living Christmas Cookbook

Zippermouth Purse with Bakelite Button Eye

2011-09-13T16:18:00.003-05:00

I sewed another purse today. The felt is softer and thinner and very nice to work with. It is lined with Japanese cotton fabric and I sewed on two antique buttons; one of them is an unusual Bakelite button.

Now in my shop.

Happy Zippermouth Purse

2011-09-12T17:37:00.001-05:00

Happy Zippermouth Purse, originally uploaded by marianne_66047.

I'm working on more smiley face purses. This one used to be an Eddie Bauer Fair Isle sweater that I found at Goodwill Thrift store. It was a very large unattractive man's sweater. Sometimes the ugliest sweaters make the most beautiful felted fabric.

Grey Bunny Rabbit in green cashmere dress

2011-09-10T12:04:00.003-05:00

Finished this sweet bunny rabbit's dress today and she's now in my Etsy shop.

Autumn Change

2011-09-09T22:28:00.003-05:00

Pretty treasury!

Bunny rabbit doll

2011-09-09T09:30:00.001-05:00

I finished this bunny rabbit doll last night and I'll cut out a dress for her in a green cashmere knit this weekend. I found the perfect green satin ribbon for her dress and just have to find the patience to sit down to sew. She still needs a tail too.

Friday

2011-09-07T18:39:00.005-05:00

Oz and I have been traveling, working hard and staying out of trouble. I also have some great news that I am in LOLA GIANT this December. I'm working on some new things for that weekend show and sale ~ December 10 and 11. It will be a blast!

Oz comes home Friday for a brief visit before leaving again Saturday morning for Chicago. Looking forward to Friday and seeing my honey.

Burnt Orange Merino Wool Felt Hat

2011-08-31T16:48:00.001-05:00

This pretty hat is made from merino wool felt and I sewed on a pretty orange Bakelite button. Love the color! I will have it in my shop soon.

Grape Jelly

2011-08-30T17:57:00.004-05:00

Grape Jelly, originally uploaded by marianne_66047.

I made some more grape jelly today ~ it is almost jamlike because I really massed the heck out of those grapes in order to get the natural pectin out of the seeds and skins.
Pretty yummy!

This has been the best year for grapes and I think I have about 40 lbs on one vine.

Fox

2011-08-28T17:19:00.001-05:00

mount rainier national park fox 1560, originally uploaded by moontrippers.

I started a new fox today and I'm using this photo for inspiration ~ a Mount Rainier National Park fox.

Are you a good witch?

2011-08-25T12:02:00.006-05:00

Cashmere and wool felt witch hat embellished with a large glass sunflower button.

A Halloween trick or treater asked me one year as I was handing out candy wearing my witch costume, "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" I'm mostly a good witch unless I'm having a bad day.

I just finished a lovely book called The Book Thief. My mother will be so happy to know I actually read a book! I spend all my free time knitting these days instead of turning pages. Liz, who recommended the book, tells me that it is considered young adult fiction and I'm thinking that some of my favorite books are in that category such as A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. I just loved those witches in that marvelous story!

Felt hat in Fuschia Pink

2011-08-24T12:26:00.000-05:00

I finished this hat today and am also working on two more wool felt witch hats.
The knit grey bunny is coming along slowly. I have the hardest time getting back in the groove of sewing and creating after I take some time off.

Fuschia Fun

2011-08-23T05:00:00.000-05:00

Now in my shop.

I'm also working on a new grey bunny this week along with a few more hats.

Happy Birthday, Loganberry

2011-08-22T05:00:00.001-05:00

Logan James

He's got lots of nicknames depending on who you ask; Uncle Holmes calls him Logo, Grandpa Dennis calls him Lucky Logan, I call him Logie and his brother has an affectionate name for him which I will not repeat here.

Postcards from Neota Wilderness, Colorado

2011-08-21T05:00:00.005-05:00

Day 5

Grant left early today because he has long drive back to Tucson to get ready for his second year of law school at The University of Arizona. He is assisting with orientation for first years, working for The Arizona Law Review and also helping the homeless as director of and volunteer in NLG Legal Referral Clinic at Casa Maria Soup Kitchen in Tuscon. We sent him off with a large container of Cleo cookies and lots of hugs and kisses. This afternoon, we drove past Long Draw Reservoir to Neota Wilderness and hiked to a beautiful meadow. I spent my afternoon watching the fish in the meadow's creek while they darted around in the crystal clear water. Didn't see any moose today.

Postcards from Cache la Poudre River

2011-08-20T05:00:00.006-05:00

Grant fishing ~

This was the nicest day for me: Grant and Oz fly fished in The Poudre River and I climbed over boulders along the edge of the river watching them. The day was just gorgeous.

Postcards from The Poudre

2011-08-19T05:00:00.000-05:00

August 9

Dennis, UH and Zach left this morning. I made Zach breakfast ~ homemade granola, peaches and almond cake. He doesn't drink coffee (yet).

Day 2 is Quiet. Boys are exhausted from the previous week of fishing and hiking. Grant slept on the tiny couch because Zach stayed with us last night in the spare bed. I am serving Oz's grilled chicken (Oz grilled this last weekend and I froze it) Also serving a big salad, roasted potatoes. Brownies and Cleo cookies for dessert.

Postcards from The Poudre

2011-08-18T20:23:00.004-05:00

Every year my family travels to Poudre Valley, Colorado to fly fish and be together.

We arrived at the mountain cabin at 4 pm on the 8th after spending the night in Colby, Kansas. It was in the 60's when we got up, ate breakfast and left Colby. Really nice feeling after the 110 degree temps in Lawrence last week. We (the Wille clan) had dinner with Uncle Holmes, Dennis and Zach. Logan's friend Xander had left in the afternoon to drive back home to Kansas. I had made 2 beef briskets in my dutch oven baked with garlic the week before and froze that for the trip. I brought rolls from Wheatfields Bakery ~ we also had fresh peaches, big tossed salad with avocados and tomatoes, pickles and chips on the side. Double debauchery brownies for dessert. Big hit.

Colorado fly fishing

2011-08-18T09:45:00.000-05:00

Grant, Logan and Oz just before dry fly fishing in the Poudre River.
We had beautiful weather all week and didn't have any rain until the last day. The river was high this year because of record snow pack.

Kansas Sunflowers

2011-08-17T11:37:00.002-05:00

Sunflower field in Northwest Kansas.

We stayed the night in Colby, Kansas. We left Interstate 70 at Colby and drove north on highway 25 until we hit the junction of highway 36 (Atwood). We turned left and went west on 36 into Colorado.

I think the field was somewhere on 25 before we hit Atwood....on the left. Or it could be on highway 36 in Kansas ....wish I remembered exactly where it was.

Kansas, my beautiful state

2011-08-16T22:51:00.001-05:00

Our first day of vacation (August 8) was spent packing up our old faithful Toyota Van, Sheri, with coolers of food, flyfishing gear, cameras and suitcases. There was a little room left for Oz and me ~ we drove to Colby, Kansas and stayed the night before driving across eastern Colorado.

Logan's socks

2011-08-16T11:56:00.002-05:00

I finished knitting Logan's socks while we were on vacation in the Colorado mountains. We were busy flyfishing for trout, hiking around the valley and enjoying the cool weather. We have a such great time being together. Logan says that some of his earliest childhood memories are of watching Grant and Oz flyfishing while I sat with him and instructed him not the run into the rushing torrent of the Poudre River. Now Logan has no problem wading in the river and caught and released lots of fish. I'll post more photos of our trip soon.

Gone fishin'

2011-08-05T16:27:00.002-05:00

Sunflower loves trout fishing too ~

My boys

2011-08-01T09:40:00.000-05:00

flip flops and burks for fishing and hiking.... what's a mom to do.....

Playing With Vegetables :

2011-07-30T17:17:00.001-05:00

Playing With Vegetables :, originally uploaded by marianne_66047.

I started these carrots early in the coldframe last February or March. I dug up the last carrot patch yesterday and found this lovely dancer.

Felt Witch Hat

2011-07-28T17:42:00.003-05:00

Witch Hat.

Made from a previously loved Italian merino wool sweater that I gently fulled and cut apart. So soft and fun to wear....for the witch in you.

Now in my shop.

Grant's Cross

2011-07-27T12:04:00.004-05:00

El Camino a Santiago de Compostela

My oldest son Grant completed the 500 mile medieval pilgrimage trail across the width of Spain in 32 days in the Summer of 2008. I found his cross this week that he wore while traveling across Spain.

Our dearest family friend Shirley who lived in Beirut, Lebanon in the 1960's writes : Thanks! I'd forgotten that cross and its blue stone is a symbol of good luck in the Arab world. And I presume I sent that to your mom, right? I don't think, in the days I was in Beirut, they'd ever been seen in this country. Love, S

Fall Preview: Maine Fair Isle Wool Felt Hat

2011-07-26T11:50:00.002-05:00

Maine Fair Isle Wool Felt Hat, originally uploaded by marianne_66047.

I finished this hat yesterday while Pippi and I enjoyed an art day together. She's moving with her family to Maine tomorrow and she's looking forward to the cold winters and cooler summers. I wish her a wonderful adventure ~

This hat is made from a repurposed Fair Isle sweater. I gently felted it and it is very soft. The crown of the hat is quilted. I love the way this hat turned out.

Playing with Vegetables :

2011-07-24T19:29:00.008-05:00

Playing with Vegetables :, originally uploaded by marianne_66047.

Anaheim and jalapeño peppers are abundant now!

I'm featured at the Art Room Plant today ~ Hazel Terry is a Scottish artist and art educator who is passionate about art, craft and design. She features international artists on her website daily. Fun blog!

http://theartroomplant.blogspot.com/2011/07/marianne-c-wille.html

On the path

2011-07-21T20:48:00.005-05:00

On the path, originally uploaded by marianne_66047.

Trying to stay on the path of happiness....I've been hanging out with my niece and nephew as much as possible before they move to Maine next week. Pippi, who proudly tells me she is now 8 and a half, came over today for an art day where we goofed around in the grotto, we sewed her a new purse and we watched half of a Harry Potter movie. She's going to come over on Monday for another art day and to watch the second half of the movie. Yesterday I played with Zander all afternoon...we played outside in the pool, he wanted to be pushed on the swing ("faster, higher, crazier!" he yelled), we played Thomas the train and other games. He's two years old. I'm really gonna miss my sweet little peeps when they move!

I just got the baby bed and dresser back from Carol and Bill ~ was surprised to see all the hand knit items that I had made for my niece and nephew in the top drawer of the dresser. Kinda feel sad about that....

Magical Fox makes front page news

2011-07-19T20:25:00.004-05:00

While Magical Blue fox was on the front page I got some nice feedback from others:

"I just wanted to tell you - your blue fox is absolutely lovely... he has so much character!" and

"man, I want to buy him just for his magical/ cheating ability at Scrabble! seriously, you need to be writing ad copy. I was, like, where's my checkbook?!"

1,087 visitors to my Etsy shop yesterday! That's a record for me.

Playing With Vegetables

2011-07-18T05:00:00.004-05:00

Carmen Miranda

The tomatoes are starting to ripen on the vine....we have Roma, Brandy Wine, Cluster and Japanese Black tomato plants this year.

Playing With Vegetables

2011-07-17T06:00:00.003-05:00

Mr. Carrot Man

I have used up all the water in my rain barrel to water the plants today. Hot and dry now.

July Garden

2011-07-16T06:00:00.018-05:00

Playing With Vegetables
I hope the garden stands up to this heat...we are under a heat warning until July 22. I spent a good hour watering the garden this morning and I feel sorry for my pretty plants when it get so hot.

Logan's new socks

2011-07-15T13:18:00.004-05:00

Logan's new socks, originally uploaded by marianne_66047.

Logan says that he's down to one pair of handknit socks that don't have a heel or toe blown out so I'm working on another pair for him. I have two skeins of organic wool from Maggie's Farm and these are from her sheep named Logan. The yarn is soft and squishy. Just perfect for socks. I'm knitting these with addi turbo needles on size 0 and using a simple pattern from Knitting Vintage Socks.

Because somewhere on Earth it is snowing

2011-07-13T20:27:00.005-05:00

Blue Stripes Wool Hat

I'm still sewing hats because I know soon enough it will look like this.

Sunflower, a hand knit cat

2011-07-12T17:22:00.006-05:00

Sunflower, a hand knit cat, originally uploaded by marianne_66047.

Sunflower loves hot sunny days, chasing butterflies and listening to classical music on the radio. Sunflower is a cheerful little soul.

Sunflower Kitty is a hand knit doll made from hand spun 100% Blueface Leicester wool yarn from WhirlExpo. The yarn is 2 plied, soft & lofty. The colors of this yarn consist of gold, pumpkin, caramel, taupe, brown and a hint of white.

Sunflower is now in my shop.

Green Beans

2011-07-10T13:23:00.001-05:00

Green beans from our garden

These sweet green beans are so yummy. I like to blanch them and eat them dipped in tzatziki sauce.

I'm working on an orange tabby cat this week ~ I just have arms to join and her head to knit. I have 3 more hats in the works, including a black witch hat. I've been busy in the garden watering the plants (it has gotten really hot in Kansas) and also working in the cool grotto.

Summer Fun

2011-07-07T22:46:00.003-05:00

Grant and Blair

This is my oldest son, Grant, with his friend, Blair, while they are on a weekend vacation in Utah. Blair is Grant's best friend in Tucson and she's a smart one ~ just finished law school at the U of Arizona and she knows how to put up with my son's teasing.

Grey hat with art deco buckle

2011-07-06T16:51:00.001-05:00

Grey hat with art deco buckle, originally uploaded by marianne_66047.

The grey hat is made from a previously loved Italian fine merino wool sweater. It is so lightweight and soft.

Bunny Rabbit with pink cashmere dress

2011-07-04T22:45:00.002-05:00

Bunny Rabbit with pink cashmere dress, originally uploaded by marianne_66047.

Happy Independence Day from Miss Bunny Rabbit.

She is now in my shop.

My mother's garden

2011-07-03T20:36:00.002-05:00

My mother's garden, originally uploaded by marianne_66047.

I've spent the past week in Omaha with my parents and family. This is my oldest niece, Valerie, with my mother, Joan, in her beautiful garden. I love the smile on my mother's face....showing gratitude that Lynn, Valerie, Melissa, Tenley and Travis have moved back to Omaha and my Dad is home after radiation treatment for cancer. It was a good week with dear friends and family.

June Garden

2011-06-25T08:19:00.001-05:00

June Garden, originally uploaded by marianne_66047.

I've been spending lots of time in the garden this summer. We are having a storm this morning and it was sweet to wake up to thunder.

Monday Morning

2011-06-20T10:02:00.004-05:00

This past weekend we had two big thunderstorms in Lawrence with lots of rain and the garden is full of blooms now. I worked outside this morning with my assistant Precious, The Cat. I used my new birthday Felco tool from Oz and it makes easy work of deadheading plants and cutting lavender.

I'm slowly getting the bunny rabbit done. This time of year is so busy for me that I'm not as productive in the studio. I'll post photos of her when I'm done.

Love, M

Pink Bubble Gum Zippermouth Purse

2011-06-17T16:32:00.005-05:00

Have a sweet weekend and thank you for stopping by this week. I love to read your comments.

Love, Marianne

Happy Zipper Mouth Purse

2011-06-15T13:08:00.004-05:00

Happy Zipper Mouth Purse, originally uploaded by marianne_66047.

All three purses are in my shop now.

I'm going to see Barbara Clark today to buy more wool yarn for charcoal grey bunny rabbits and big grey tom cats. I've got two bunny legs done so far on a new dark grey bunny and I have a pink cashmere dress cut out. I found the prettiest ribbon for her dress. It is vintage 1940's-50's Italian velvet ribbon 3/16 inch wide from FiniRibbon on Etsy.

Butterfly weed

2011-06-14T21:25:00.001-05:00

Butterfly weed, originally uploaded by marianne_66047.

This is my favorite Kansas wildflower. The plant in my backyard is huge this year. The tiger swallowtails, black swallowtails and monarch butterflies are attracted to it. I grow parsley next to the butterfly weed so the caterpillars have something to munch on while they grow.

Three more zippermouth purses

2011-06-14T06:00:00.003-05:00

After knitting Mr. Magical Fox, it is nice working on some smaller projects that just take a day. So satisfying! These purses still need steaming and shaping, eyes sewn on and lining sewn in.
They will be in my shop later this week.

Birthday

2011-06-13T06:00:00.001-05:00

Dear Aunt Mimi, I hope you have a grate Birth Day from: Pip

Yesterday was my birthday and it was a perfectly lovely day. Ozzie made me breakfast and I opened some beautiful cards and gifts. Logan showed up at noon wearing a black silk bow tie and dress clothes to take us out for lunch at Wheatfield's Bakery. After lunch, Oz and I were invited to Carol and Bill's home for afternoon tea and cookies. I invited my 8 year old niece, Pippi, to spend the late afternoon with me for an impromptu art day. We ended up working for 3 hours in the grotto and I taught her how to use a sewing machine. We made some things for her little toy doggie. She was soooo happy and danced around the room. She's my little soul mate and I'm sure going to miss her when she moves with her family to Maine.

Magical Fox

2011-06-10T17:30:00.009-05:00

This fox is magical.

Magical fox loves to play football, drink root-beer floats in tall frosty glasses and win at Scrabble.
He comes up with the most interesting words like sulfoxides, foxglove and foxfish. He's kind of sneaky and sometimes hides scrabble tiles in his bushy tail.

He's 24 inches tall and knit on size 0 needles with 500 yards of handspun, handdyed corriedale alpaca blend by WhirlExpo.

This fox is now in my shop.

I've got 3 more zippermouth purses and a grey bunny to work on this month. I've been washing sweaters, deconstructing them and designing new hats to sew for my autumn and winter inventory. It is funny to be thinking about Christmas sales already but I was approached by a local retailer to sell my zippermouth purses for the holidays. I have to start planning in June for those sales and I'm not sure that I want to sell wholesale. I seem to be busy enough with direct sales through my Etsy shop and Pam's open house.

Stars Zippermouth purse

2011-06-07T05:00:00.001-05:00

I took a little break from knitting and sewed this zippermouth purse. Ozzie says it should be called "I ate all the stars" zippermouth purse. I was going for the 4th of July theme.

June Garden

2011-06-06T08:38:00.004-05:00

The garden looks beautiful after all the rain we've had. The weather has turned really warm and I'm watering the garden early in the morning. In the afternoon I work in the grotto. I'm still working on the magical fox. The foxes take so many hours to knit so I break up the time with some sewing.

We had a big family dinner on Saturday with Oz's family. So fun to be with them! I especially loved seeing my father in law Dennis sitting at the table with his beloved granddaughters teaching them some German. Zander ran around after dinner engaging the menfolk. Last night, Logan and some dear friends joined us for Sunday dinner. Oz grilled his famous chicken. Our friends brought yummy potato salad and the prettiest raspberry, strawberry and blueberry fruit salad. I made a big green tossed salad and for dessert served almond cake with a blueberry almond liquor sauce. Such a great dinner to share with friends.

Logan the fisherman

2011-06-02T22:58:00.004-05:00

Hey, what's up. You want to go fishing?

Logan and Oz have been fly fishing on the weekends. They have so much fun together and it is good mental therapy for Oz. Logan came over today and had a box of new lures ~ I especially like the little frog lure made from deer hair.

New Fox on the needles

2011-06-02T08:27:00.004-05:00

I have been working on this new magical fox. I love the handspun, hand dyed yarn that I'm using. Pauline writes, "Nova Scotia is spun from 80% corriedale & 20% alpaca roving dyed by Amy of Spunky Eclectic. The color of this yarn consists of dark/periwinkle blue, mustard brown/gold, grey, white, & chestnut brown." I say super yummy!