MADELEINE'S HEP HERD

Today was light up day for Decorate Edinburgh and that means a full reveal of the Transreal Fiction   tree I've been decorating with mathematical knitting and crochet. Decorate Edinburgh is a fund raising project for local charities. Around the city, small businesses have given money and received trees to decorate in return. Their Tree Trail leaflet lists all the participants so you can see how they've all gone about decorating Edinburgh for Christmas. I volunteered for the decorating without much persuasion. This seemed like the perfect reason to finally knit Norah Gaughan's  stellated dodecahedron. After all, her father, Jack Gaughan , illustrated science fiction books and magazines. So now my version of her design top of Transreal Fiction's Christmas tree. (Want to make one too? the pattern is here and it's free www.berroco.com/patterns/celestine ). So much for the tree topper but what about the rest? Well, having started with a mathematical idea I figur...

In spite of trying to take it easy this year I have very full December so you lucky people can see (and even buy!) my work. First up is the geekiest project so far - knitted mathematical Christmas decorations for a charity tree in a science fiction bookshop! Transreal Fiction asked me to help out with their Decorate Edinburgh contribution and and you can see the resulting Fibonacci series of baubles and garlands in the shop at 46 Candlemaker Row until the end of the month. This knitted stellated dodecahedron is on top of Transreal Fiction's Christmas tree. (Want to make one too? the pattern is here and it's free www.berroco.com/patterns/celestine ) Next up is the Craft Reactor Winter Exhibition , 3 December to 7 January in Hula Juice Bar and Cafe 103 West Bow Edinburgh. I'll be taking part with lots of my crafty chums. Pop in for a look and some coffee and cake! Coburg House Open Studios is next. Come and see what everyone's been up to since August. We...

Crimson drops waistcoat wrap Originally uploaded by MadeleineS . Not a holiday from making but a holiday from the day job for the purpose of making stuff. I have the rare luxury of 6 consecutive days in the studio. The plan was to make a few fairly big pieces and a collection of smaller related scarves. The first of the big pieces is in the picture. It was a joy to be able to work on it over several days without 5 days of office work intervening somewhere. There's another waistcoat waiting for me to finish it when I get in today. So far I'm really pleased with the way this week is going. Making is, however, the easy bit of getting a second income from my work. The hard part comes in December when I try to sell stuff. The current target is to break even - i.e. cover the costs of materials, having a studio and taking part in fairs and open days. If it looks likely this year then I might have a proper, part-time business next year! Via Flickr: pre-felt and roving in merin...

Water bowl Originally uploaded by MadeleineS . A quick post to prove this blog is not dead! Actually not having time to post is probably a good sign in some ways. I've been really busy with all sorts of stuff - art, work and social. Some of those categories are beginning to overlap! Botanica Mathematica has really dominated most of what I've been doing over the summer. The project has really changed since Julia and I started it in January. I originally envisaged it being a studio project with me working in the studio on sculptural ideas, kept mathmatically rigourous by Julia'a watchful eye. It quickly developed an outreach aspect which has largely taken over the project. Because of that I've spent a lot less time on my own work and a lot more time on events and admin. This is not a bad thing at all:the project is alive and growing. It's getiting noticed in all sorts of places. I've met some lovely people and renewed some friendships through it. If you...

Coburg House Art Studios is open to the public for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Friday 2 - Sunday 4 August.  Come and find me in Studio 35 - I'll be there with all the other artists and makers, from 11am to 6pm each day. My new work is mostly felt necklaces and brooches but there will be a selection of old favourites and a few felt scarf bargains as well.  Botanica Mathematica , my major work in progress, will occupy a corner of the studio too.  It is very much a collaborative piece so please talk to me about it, take away a knitting pattern and let me know how you get on.

big felt beads! Originally uploaded by MadeleineS . Over the last few weeks, since Maker Faire really, I've been a bit stuck on this year's big project - Botanica Mathematica. I think it's the equivalent of writer's block but maybe easier to shift. Lots of excuses abound - not feeling well, having a break-in at the studio, being on a craft group committee, general fatigue and also some organisational tasks for Botanica. Anyway, my concentration is shot to pieces. If I'm not feeling good about the project on the one day a week I can get to the studio then it's a wasted day. Last week I was tidying up as the burglary had left a bit of a mess and the new small studio now had all of the Alba ad Astra photos and the remains of several other collections lying on the floor. In the process I opened several boxes I'd kind of forgotten about, including this one full of half finished necklaces. So I sat down and finished them. The beads are hand-rolled felt and...

Knitting Science Originally uploaded by MadeleineS . Writing, knitting, figuring, crocheting and partying have all featured this week. My life seems to rush by in such a helter skelter fashion that it feels like it'll go on without me if I just stood still. Of course, I don't really believe that so I keep doing stuff anyway and it keeps getting intertwined and confused. I end up exhausted - so much so I don't know how to stop. On Monday, Heather from McAree Bros arrived at my work to collect a big bag of textile maths objects to use in their yarn store window display. So I had a 10 minute art break in the office day. Tuesday saw me at the Roslin Institute for an inspiring workshop on creative non-fiction writing (like this post but soooo much better!) and I've now got a whole new set of ideas that apply to the day job and the arty life. Wednesday evening was time to see where Julia and I would have our stall at Mini Maker Faire in Summerhall in a couple of weeks. Th...