knitt’n kitten

Smitten with the Knittn’ Kitten

| Betsy

When I was in Portland this spring, not only did I see some of my favorite crafty friends, but I also had the opportunity to visit a PDX crafty institution, The Knittn Kitten, an amazing vintage fabric and craft store! Not only are the supplies also, but so are the mother and daughter team that own it! If you have the chance to stop by, don’t forget to check out Rome’s awesome haberdashery skills displayed around the store.

Now some of those same people have gotten together in support of the Kittn’ and created a free e-book of patterns based on items bought in the store! Wanna check it out? Click on the photo above and then click “download” on the top right of the page! Easy as pie.

Inside are projects from Heather Mann, Lee Meredith, Teresa Sullivan, Diane Gilleland, Joey Groendes, Christine Blystone, Bridget Benton and Susan Beal!

The cover photo was taken by the always talented Lee Meredith.

And yes, this is where Kim and I first donned our “Smocks of Creativity!”

The Creative Life Dot Net.

| Betsy

If there’s one thing I like, it’s projects. Even the word “project” sounds lovely just by itself, doesn’t it? Clicking on the photo above will send you to my newest project, a collaboration with Kim Werker, The Creative Life. What started out as personal emails of frustration, honesty and openness, we decided to expand our dialogue outward.

This trying to live your life as you want it can be messy. And hard. And frustrating, anxiety-enduing, annoying, and a complete pain. But it also can bring newness in the form of discoveries, friends, journeys, dreams and hopes. To join in this conversation you don’t have to work solely for yourself, you just have to believe that life is to be lived not just endured. So often we’re so freaked out that we’ll screw up that we do nothing, and find ourselves with our heads in the sand wondering how in the hell we’re going to make things right.

But we just need to hold on to the seemingly impossible idea that we will make them right, even if there are a few mistakes and bumps along the way. So go on over and check it out, okay?

The photo above was taken by the amazingly wonderful and talented Lee Meredith of Kim and I modeling our “smocks of creativity” in Knitt’n Kitten in Portland, Oregon. And yes, we bought them! What better thing to don on a dreary day when inspiration seems to have left you than a weird-fitting smock?