New Year

Hello and Happy New Year!!
I've made myself a massive list of resolutions this year (well at least compared to lasts years one resolution...) and one of them involves this blog, so here i am ready to blog your brains out.

Above you will see two of my creations from December. At the top, crocheted scarf which is actually made of abstract little fish, and below the knitted headband with the fish design i created for this piece. (My friend you see modeling her new presents is, not suprisingly, a pisces.)
After extensive travel throughout the USA for the past month and half, I am back at home in Cork. In light of one of my other new years resolutions (from here on out we'll call them NYRs) I've decided to get out there and join a knitting club next month; StitchNBitch Cork. I discovered there was one by checking out the various signs posted on the window at Cork Wools, just outside the English Market. Looking forward to meeting some other crafty people in the city!

A {little} About Me

Hello, I realize this is sort of a one-way meeting, but I'm sure if you are here it would be lovely to meet you. My name is Laura.

I find it difficult to answer the question "where are you from?" because the longest I've ever lived in one place was 6 years (and that was Russia, and I am American). I currently live in Cork, Ireland with Bubs (my love), a sucker fish named Dude Nosferatu, and my plants. I love it here in the one place where you can not possibly say the grass is greener elsewhere.

I know that in order to be happy I have to work with my hands: to create, to build, to grow, to draw, to cook, to paint. This is the place where I share that with you.

Yes, the name I've chosen for my business is Arguing the Mobius.

It's quite a mouthful for a blog title. Nevertheless, I love it because it speaks to me; it gives voice to a thought in my mind and an inspiration behind much that I do. So what in the world does it mean?

Let me try to break down the metaphor:
Do you know what a Mobius strip is? It is something of an optical illusion, it is a strip of paper connected in such a way as to have only one side and one edge, both continuous. See here.
When you make an argument, essentially you are stating an opinion, making a claim, taking a standpoint. This often takes courage and can be isolating.

When I am arguing the mobius, I am being true to myself while recognizing and honoring my connection to the greater context no matter how separate I may seem or feel.

I want to make connections. I think that lies at the heart of my many and varied interests.

Feel free to email me at arguingthemobius (at) gmail.com.

Textile Art

so, as a follow up to the previous post, i wanted to share a link to one of the textile artists i really enjoyed at the K&S show, Tilleke Schwartz. look in the textile art gallery; fascinating work; like collage but with embroidery... i particularly like the one on the bottom row, second from the right. have been feeling a pull to create some textile/multimedia art soon; did an oil painting ages ago that i added some embroidery too that is one of my favorites..
also, back during the Art Trail, during the artist's car boot sale I found out about a textile arts workshop happening in February in Cork, will have to find that leaflet and post about it...

Dublin

So got back from a long weekend trip to Dublin to visit some old friends, had a wonderful time; though my searches for a specific garment construction book were not fruitful (have decided to just order it from Amazon while I’m back in the states, cheapest alternative). Did happen upon some interesting things while I was up there; the first you can see in the picture (though not very well); I was out walking around Sunday morning waiting for my host to wake up and as I passed a side street I noticed a bunch of (mostly older) men milling about, and so it seems I stumbled into a mini pet bird market. No stalls or anything, just the cages hung up against some boarded doors. Odd yes? But then again, M’s mom saw someone in her town in Illinois with a chicken on a leash … ☺ (oh! i just found a link! bird market)
Also, after a lovely picturesque walk around Killiney hills we drove by (sadly on the last day of the show and only about an hour before closing) the Knitting and Stitching show. Nevertheless I’m glad I got to walk through it, picked up some business cards and such, didn’t buy anything (because I’m tight on funds right now) but there was a lovely exhibition of textile art at the back and some graduate work upstairs that I thought was inspiring.
Other than that I visited some great shops for yarn and sewing supplies, I liked the one on the north side of Ha’ Penny bridge, think its called the Woolen Mills. Also discovered the Dublin equivalent of a young designers market located in the Powerscourt Shopping center, the market is called the Loft and I saw some interesting things being sold. In particular, there was a beautiful little selection of hand knit garments.
Last, I visited the Singer sewing machine shop on Talbot St. and was pleased to discover that they have a good selection of used machines at pretty reasonable prices; unfortunately they don’t ship so we’re going to have to rent a car at some point soon I think. The Singer center down here in Cork is good too, I should mention (and very friendly and helpful) but unfortunately they don’t have any secondhand machines right now…
Have heard there is a market for crafts and things somewhere near Cork but haven’t figured out where yet, also want to get out to Blarney Woolen Mills and see what their yarn selection is like. So these will be some of my next adventures; but probably not till the new year as I head back to the states in 9 days for the holidays!

developing

here are the yarns i've put together based on the photo's in the previous post. i'm feeling good about the color story developing, but still working on how i want to incorporate the layering aspect in the knitting. i've been toying with some swatches, but still not completely satisfied with what i've come up with. i have really liked using the plating function though (which creates a fabric that is a different color on the back than the front); using a smaller yarn as the plating yarn it created a striped effect on the back that i want to utilize in some way.
also have been devouring a book that was given to me sometime ago by an old classmate; a wealth of information on hand manipulated stitches that is really inspiring me.

color stories

i like finding inspiration for color stories on walks. Cork (and Ireland in general) is a good place for this; many people will tell you that due to the rainy weather its mostly gray here, but it makes color all the more vibrant; this is why the grass always appears to be glowing with green.
right now, i'm thinking about what colors would lend themselves well in some knit creations i've got in mind. looking back through photos from some recent walks, i pulled these two as possibilities. i like the warmth in them, but also the sense of layering, so would like to find a way to translate that into a design as well.

Word of Mouth

So the Triskel Arts Centre has (temporarily) re-opened its cafe "Word of Mouth Foods" and it is officially my favorite cafe. Housed inside the Centre (well known for interesting art exhibits and jazz/music shows), it has a nice little bohemian vibe; an assortment of random books strewn about the tables, one of which includes an ancient typewriter. a few old albums propped on the ledge of the couch and some paintings on the walls by local artists. and my favorite touch, the three small chandeliers made of mismatched glasses, teacups, silverware, etc. (made by Charlotte Donovan)
add to this, consistently good music (was introduced to the music of Antonio Forcione), free wifi, and great tea, food and service from the stylish young couple behind the counter, and, really, why would you want to go anywhere else?

new home; new "dress form"

alright, a month and a half into my new life in Cork, Ireland; time to start blogging!
so, my shipment (of mostly yarn and knitting machines) arrived for the most part in-tact; very happy about that! have embarked on some new creations with the intention of selling at a crafts market or two upon my return to the states in dec. also began working on the wedding dress for J; yet being a more-or-less broke artist/fashion designer in a foreign country has presented some interesting obstacles (aka creative challenges). so what is a girl to do when she has no dress-form or mannequin, and the cheapest she's seen is roughly 400 euros? well, she makes one up of course.
i happened upon a half size Styrofoam bust in Vibes and Scribes art store; carved a hole in the bottom to fit it on a candlestick. keeping in mind that constant stabbing with pins will eventually break down the form, i decided to use some stockings to form a protective layer; i used two layers and chose green in honor of my new country of residence (that and they were the only pair i was willing to sacrifice). and ta da! this project cost me 17 euros (about $20). yay for DIY.