Midsummer Updates

Simple events tend to mark the passage of time.  The heat index in Oklahoma today is 102 degrees.  I felt an earthquake this morning while in my office at work, and now I'm home early starting my weekend off with the most delectable cocoa, cold brew coffee with almond milk.  These days, it seems that these simple occurrences mark the alignment of my daily path, and I just try to keep moving forward with the flow to see where it will take me.  The past few years continue to surprise me, in that as soon as I think I'm beginning to see an empty horizon, something pops up to fill the space and I continue to float, adjust, create.  It's a great place to be, though I find that as my plate fills up I become overwhelmed and have difficulty finding the words (or time) to communicate those happenings here.  Which is something that I once really enjoyed doing.  Which is also something that I miss quite a bit. I think I've allowed myself to overcomplicate my blogging process, and I'm realizing I just need to simplify my approach and have fun with it. I'm going to work on that.  For now, here are a few updates:

Factory Obscura Presents "Shift"

I have recently begun working with a new artist collective called Factory Obscura to collaborate on a fully immersive art experience that will first be unveiled at Current Studio in Oklahoma City.  This is a super exciting project, and we've been meeting frequently since early this summer to plan out a very ambitious installation that will open this November (see the image to the left for a snapshot rendering created by Adam Lanman).  You can find out more and learn about sponsorship opportunities on Current Studio's site, or in this article by Uncovering Oklahoma.  Right now, this project takes up a good amount of my time and will continue to fill more as we get further into creating the space.

Shop Update

After going on hiatus for an artist feature at 108 Contemporary's gift shop in Tulsa this spring, my online shop is now open again with lots of art, including knitted mushroom/lichen/tropical plant wall hangings, terrariums, and table top niches.  While I hope to figure out the mechanics of the shop hosted here on my site at some point in the near future, Etsy is still the primary sales vehicle for my art.  You can check out all of the new things at BromeLeighad.

Goodbye to "Contained Aesthetics"

About a year ago, I began the installation process of my public art project, "Contained Aesthetics" (pictured at top of post), which was funded through the Artist Invitational, a program of Downtown OKC, Inc, and contributed to by some very generous Oklahoma knitters through the donation of knitted leaves.  Located on the fence at the Downtown Oklahoma City Community Basketball Court on the corner of Reno and Hudson, "Contained Aesthetics" started out as a few small sprigs near the ground and grew weekly over a span of two months into a 5'x5' knitted trumpet creeper vine that budded and bloomed at its completion.  The vine has held up surprisingly well, but in less than two weeks, I will begin to take it down.  For those of you in Oklahoma City who would like to see it one last time, I encourage you to do so ASAP.  I plan to remove in one piece if possible, so that it may be reshaped and mounted on a different base.  All of that is dependent on its condition, however.  In the least, I will update my portfolio to include information about the concept and lots of photos.  The best documentation of the project at this time exists on Instagram through the hashtag, #containedaesthetics.

But There's More...

Some smaller recent projects include knitted orchids that I made for Current Studio's Art of the Month Club.  This is a really cool program where you sign up and receive a small piece of art from a different local artist every month - talk about a way to build a collection.  Find out more about that here.  I also participated in an exhibition in Tulsa called "Please Touch the Art".  This unique show encouraged use of all senses when experiencing art, rather than just what may be seen.  Geared toward the visually impaired, printed labels for the work also included braille.  I was very excited to collaborate with the very talented, Lauren Zuniga, who wrote a beautiful poem about my work, which was called "Symbiotic Mosaic".  I plan to get more images of this work up in my portfolio soon.

On the personal front, we recently took a trip to New Orleans, and I felt like a kid in a candy store looking at all of the amazing vegetation there.  Wow!  Maybe a topic for a future blog post? I have a lot of pictures!  We are preparing for another excursion later this summer to Rocky Mountain National Park - perfect timing for an escape from the misery that is Oklahoma in August.  The bermuda grass in my garden is way out of control this summer, and I'm seriously considering building raised beds next year.  And last but not least, we acquired another cat last winter!  A former alley cat named Maurice Minnifield (brownie points if you know where that name came from).  That's all for now; Happy Weekend!

On My Needles || Imogen Tee

I tend to stick to fairly simple sweater projects, partly because I tend to prefer bold colors over ornate stitching, and partly because I just like the ease of sailing through a stockinette body after a long day at work to help me unwind. The motif on the Imogen Tee pattern is just so pleasing to the eye, however. I believe I first saw it through my Instagram feed and knew that I had to find the pattern. That's how it is with me and knitwear patterns.  There's no wishy-washy indecisiveness of "well, I guess I'll start on this...." It's always more like "THIS!  It without a doubt HAS to be THIS!"  And so it goes, and I end up with 5 things going at once, but at least I'm enthusiastic about all of them.  I digress... This design is by Carrie Bostick Hoge for Quince & Co. I opted for Knit Picks Lindy Chain over the Quince & Co Tern. I've had some curiosity about Lindy Chain since it was debuted and decided to try out the Celery colorway. So far, I've not been disappointed. My motif is a little more open than on the garment shown on the model. I will need to wear a camisole underneath it once it's done, but I think the stitch definition will pop once it's blocked and it will make a nice, cool, summer sweater. One that I will finish just in time for fall to get here.

Around the time I began Imogen, I was somewhat hesitant about starting a project right then that required enough attention to follow a chart on every row, but it hasn't really required much concentration. The motif section is very short, so I zoom through the round, slow down a bit to reference the chart, and then pick it up again after a moment or so. As I'm writing this, the project is nearly halfway through the raglan decreases (it's knit from the bottom edge and up) and I'm hoping to have it done by the end of the month.  It will be a perfect addition to my spring capsule wardrobe (have any of you gotten on board capsules too?) and will give me something to look forward to other than, obviously, spring in general.  Until then, I'll be looking forward to fall...

Off the Needles || Twenty Ten Cardigan

It feels good to be finishing up some projects again!  Things have been a little hectic around here, and I have a couple of projects going that still need to be shared.  This is one that I finished a few months ago and just recently sewed the buttons onto.  It may finally be worn instead of draping over my studio chair looking pretty!  The pattern is Twenty Ten Cardigan by Veera Valimaki, knitted in Knit Picks Billow yarn in the Turmeric colorway.  The finished garment turned out a little large, but I expected it to be a little oversized since the gauge of the yarn I used was slightly larger than that of the yarn the pattern called for.  By the way, everything I said in my previous post about Billow-- I still mean it.  This cardigan is so soft, and the moss stitch pattern has beautiful definition. I would love to use it again for a different project, especially with all of the gorgeous colors available.

Lastly, I feel like I just need to say something about this wall.  Wow!  Part of me felt like I was standing beside Frida Kahlo's La Casa Azul (or at least I was wishing it was), and the other part was feeling nostalgic for sidewalk chalk from back in the day.  I've been eyeing this building for a while, wanting to get FO photos there and the contrast with the turmeric shade was just right.

That's the final pattern from my Veera Valimaki project rule of threes!  Which designer should I move on to next?

dress - Old Navy; brown flats - Target, head scarf - thrifted

52 Forms of Fungi || #48

Found in burned areas where morels are abundant, pink burn cup  (Tarzetta rosea) may cover the ground. While I'm sure I would be pretty jazzed about finding a ton of morels, these would probably grab my attention even more!  I would love to do a large installation with these - the color is so vibrant and they are very simple to make.

This species was knitted as part of my 52 Forms of Fungi project.  See more forms for the project here.

52 Forms of Fungi || #47

A couple of years ago, I was minding my own business in my office when a coworker walked in and tossed a baggie across my desk.  A little startled, I remember looking at it and thinking, "What on Earth?!" as I examined the strange crab claw-like structure before me.  For the most part, I'm the go-to "what-the-heck-is-going-on-with-my-tree?" lady, though I rarely get many questions about fungi, despite my obvious interest.  After a little digging, I discovered that the strange fungus that had sprouted up in my coworker's yard is yet another fascinating species of stinkhorn.  In looking into this unusual specimen I was inspired by stinky squid, which you see here, though I'm not sure exactly which stinkhorn my coworker had found, specifically.  The world of fungi never ceases to fascinate...

This species was knitted as part of my 52 Forms of Fungi project.  See more forms for the project here.

52 Forms of Fungi || #45

Craterellus fallax, black trumpet.  I find the dark color of these to be striking!  They are widely distributed, but apparently difficult to spot and like to grow beneath oaks through mycorrhizal relationships.  It seems that black trumpet is also very fragrant!  I'm not sure what they smell like, but how strange to spot a mushroom on a walk because of its olfactory properties!

This species was knitted as part of my 52 Forms of Fungi project.  See more forms for the project here.

52 Forms of Fungi || #44

Little nest polypore.  I remember observing some of these on a fallen branch in a natural area a year or so ago, alongside some bitchin' lichen.  They were much smaller than these polypores that I knitted, but the rings of color were pretty distinct.

These polypores were knitted for my project, 52 Forms of Fungi.  You can see more phases from this project here.

Artwork at 108 Contemporary in Tulsa

I am really excited to announce that I now have artwork available for purchase in the gift shop of 108 Contemporary, a gallery in the Brady Arts District of Tulsa, along the perimeter of Guthrie Green.  Some of my individual knitted mushrooms and photo prints of installations are available.  In addition, a couple of small sculptures (pictured above) are in the shop as well.  These are of a concept that I have wanted to develop for quite some time, and I'm really excited about how they turned out.

All of these items are available to gallery visitors, but a couple of my items (namely the above sculptures) are also online for all of you non-Oklahomans!  (Click on my name - Leigh Martin - in the list at the top and it will take you to my section).  Thanks for checking it out and be on the lookout for more one-of-a-kind sculptures as I continue to work on them.

52 Forms of Fungi || #43

As I'm beginning to write this, it's occurring to me that I have not knitted very many conks for this project.  I made ganoderma in the beginning, but that was quite a while ago.  I suppose it's only fitting that I squeeze one into the final 10!

This is red belted conk.  I had hoped to post this a week ago, but we've had crap weather as of late (as you can tell from the white remnants of roadway torture substan--- I mean, snow, that's in the background there.  I have attached the little guy to a sad little apple tree in my back yard that had a heck of a fight with fireblight last year, has a pretty gnarly cavity at the base, and served as a nice host for some split gill fungi that I observed all last summer.  We will probably have to remove the tree in the near future, so I wanted to make sure her legacy carried on.... in the form as a host for knitted fungi in a photograph.  With that being said, I don't think this conk actually grows on apple wood, though if I'm wrong about that please correct me.  I have seen it on Juniperus in the past, or at least what I believe to be this species.  Very beautiful.

These mushrooms were knitted for my project, 52 Forms of Fungi.  You can see more phases from this project here.

Off the Needles || Still Light Tunic

Still Light Tunic-- the "third heat" (so to speak) in my Rule of Threes, Veera Valimaki edition.  (First: Whispers, Second: Twenty Ten).  This pattern sat on my queue for a couple of years before I started working on it this past summer.  I'm always hesitant when it comes to straight figured dresses, because they often tend to catch in the wrong places which just leads to annoyance and discomfort.  I'm glad I decided to go ahead and cast on this project though, because despite my initial doubts the fit actually flatters.

Another fingering weight, stockinette project, it takes a while to feel like you're really getting anywhere, but it's also a pretty easy, mindless pattern that doesn't take much concentration.  The deep front pockets are a nice feature that make me reminisce on the days when I lived in hoodies.  The pattern recommends that you stitch them in place, but I decided not to do this and have had no problems with the pockets riding up.

My favorite aspect of the design is the boatneck - I would love to make a normal length sweater with this construction.  Instead of using a button at the top of the keyhole in the center of the back of the neck, I stitched it together.  My only other modification was in needle size.  I had a hard time finding the US 2.5 size of needle when I was about to start the project, so I swatched with a size US 2 instead and based on my swatch determined that I could knit the Small size of the pattern to fit.  After blocking, it turned out just right!

I used Knit Picks Gloss in the Robot colorway.  The yarn is 70% wool, making for a warm and cozy garment, plus 30% silk.  I wore it on Christmas Eve in a room full of my huge family and about burned up!  It's funny looking at the pattern page now, because I somehow unconsciously chose a yarn color and styled my outfit for the photos to look pretty much the same as the model.  It seemed like a good idea to make a neutral colored garment for once, so I can pair my brightly colored accessories with it!  I've been a colored tights girl since college, but don't have much of an opportunity to wear them anymore so I'll embrace it when I can!

So, which designer would you pick for a Rule of Threes?

On My Needles || Twenty Ten

Twenty Ten is a short sleeved, asymmetrical cardigan designed by Veera Valimaki.  Project number three that I have knitted in the past year from her designs.  I'm going to call this my "knitting rule of threes".  First, my obsession with Hannah Fettig's knitwear wonders, now Veera.  I wonder who will be next?

In any case, I began this project as an early summer knit - actually, I'm pretty sure I cast on for the flight to see my niece graduate from high school in Denver last May.  Sadly, Featherweight took priority over it after my return and I didn't pick it up again until this fall.  That's okay, since the turmeric colorway of Knit Picks' Billow yarn really put me in the autumn mood.  I had been starry-eyed over this smooshy-looking, bulky cotton since they debuted it - was that last year?  And for the record, it's just as smooshy as it looks.  They have a way with product photos, those Knit Picks people.  If you haven't seen the recent release of kettle dyed Hawthorne, prepare to lust.

When I first saw this pattern, I was really drawn in by the asymmetrical button band, again by the moss stitch texture, and the cowl neck really did me in.  The model is shown wearing it over a long sleeve top, and looks about as comfortable in it as I look curled up on the couch in my fluffy robe watching Gilmore Girls on Saturdays (while knitting, of course).

I finished it over Christmas and it's been blocked already.  I think it might end up fitting a little bit large, but I'm waiting to attach some buttons before I determine that for sure.  It's possible that I may sew the buttons on further onto the front panel from the hem than they are meant to go, partly to add a little fabric to restrict airflow, and partly for a more snug fit.  I'll let you know how that goes.

Moss stitch is my new jam, folks.  I've been using it on other small projects since finishing this one, just because I enjoyed looking at it so much.

Happy Friday!  I'm going to mope around because the weather is supposed to be gross AGAIN, but March begins next week so I know I have something to look forward to.  :)

52 Forms of Fungi || #41

We're at the countdown, folks.  I'm now twelve phases from finishing the 52 Forms of Fungi project.  Last week, I sat down and planned out exactly which species to include and am really excited to share them with you, starting with bleeding hydnellum!  When young, this fungus appears to be "beaded" with red droplets, almost blood-like.  As it grows, the flesh will envelope surrounding objects - twigs, leaves, cones, PLANTS (whoa!), etc.  According to my trusty field guide that I bought in Oregon a few months back, this is also a great dye mushroom and (surprisingly) produces hues of blue and green.  Another common name for this species is "Strawberries and Cream".  Yum, right?  I'm glad to finally add this little guy to my fungi index, and now I'm off to keep working on future phases for the countdown.  For those of you with the day off today, I hope you enjoy your holiday!

Off the Needles || Whispers

The lack of On My Needles/Off The Needles posts would lead one to assume that I have abandoned knitwear as of late, but it's quite the contrary... Aside from a recent need to disconnect a little bit and center myself, it's just been a little hard lately to get in knitwear photoshoots for a number of circumstances. This project has been bound off, finished and blocked for a couple of months now, and draped over the back of my studio chair along with a couple of other FOs.  The bad part about this habit is that I never wear a piece until after I've gotten photos (to hell with wrinkles!) and given that it's the middle of January I'm not really in the best season for this sort of top, now am I?  It's the perfect piece to break out as soon as spring arrives, though, so I will eagerly await that moment --- just as I eagerly await seeing daylight after 7:30 PM.

This is Whispers, my first Veera Valimaki project.  Oddly enough, the two other FOs hanging out in my studio at the moment were both also designed by her... both of which will have posts coming up in the next couple of weeks.  I find that this garment is very flattering and comfortable to wear, especially with the length that I added to it.  Although, it's been so long since I made this and I did not make note of it in the previous post, I cannot remember exactly how much I added on! (Sorry to you prospective knitters, if that's something you were wondering about).  The split sleeves are a fun and interesting touch.

I wrote about the gradient yarn in my previous post about this project -- Black Trillium Lilt Sock Gradient kit in plum.  I do want to reiterate that the brilliant idea of using an ombre yarn for this particular pattern was not my own.  Cassy of Knitthehellout did it first, and truth be told her project is what sold me on this pattern in the end.  Kudos, Cassy!  If you're a fan of knitting blogs I highly suggest checking hers out.

52 Forms of Fungi || #40

Last fall, Berroco so kindly provided some yarn for me to use on this project.  The majority of it was varying gauges of Ultra Alpaca (a personal favorite), but also in that box was a new yarn that was about to be released.  A super soft, shiny, beautifully draping yarn.  Now that I'm nearing the end of my project, I'm finishing up my Berroco yarn stash as well.  The two shades of this lovely mystery yarn triggered an epiphany in my brain the other day as I realized the perfect species to use them for: oyster mushrooms.

This is a timely post, as I've been seeing oysters all over my feed lately from local wild crafters.  Apparently, this is a really great year for them in Oklahoma.  I'll bet more will be popping up over the weekend, with all the slow, drizzly rain we've been getting this week.  You may be noticing this from the photos, but no, I did not detail the gills this time, mostly due to time constraints.  Please don't hate me.  If you like to see stitching for gills though, check out Lactarius indigo, another species that I knitted with Berroco yarn.

And now that you're fully wondering what that mystery yarn is (I know you are), I suppose I'll tell you... it's Folio!  The caps were knitted with the Peaks colorway, and the cream shade is called Orr.  These are by far the smooshiest (not a word, but go with it) mushrooms I've made to date.  This yarn has some serious drape.  I'm really considering ordering more to make a sweater or a wrap with; so lovely.

Well, it's been a busy week of knitting/posting about fungi!  I will be working on more over the weekend, and now we're at a countdown!  12 phases left! Hard to believe.  I wish you a very happy Friday!

These mushrooms were knitted for my project, 52 Forms of Fungi.  You can see more phases from this project here.

52 Forms of Fungi || #39

Orange peel fungus!  Named because... well, orange peels... As I mentioned yesterday, I had some issues this week with getting photos for the project due to weather and being so close to the solstice.  It was getting a little dark out by the time I got to shoot this phase, and the clearest photos were a little darker than I usually go for.  The resulting mood was true to the nature of the day, however, and I like how much the pieces stand out in the gloomy setting.  So, rather than correct the brightness I decided to leave the photos as they were.

This was knitted for my 52 Forms of Fungi project.  See more phases from this project here.

52 Forms of Fungi || #38

The odds seem to be against me this week in getting photos of the phases I've been working on.  I made it to a favorite photo spot just as the sun was going down yesterday to capture this species and another that will be posted tomorrow, only to realize that I left my SD card at home (At least I had tacos to look forward to afterward).  This morning before work, it was still too dark by the time I had to leave.  This afternoon--- steady rain and dim outside.  This leads me to realize that every phase to date has been shot in clear weather, so why not get a couple when it's damp?  It's a nice contrast.  In any case after a little while of crawling around in the back yard in my raincoat...

Western amethyst laccaria.  Not found in my area, but I would love to run across it one day.  I don't know what it is, but the purple fungi grab my attention the most.  My favorite about this species was the variegation in color of the stalk.  I knitted with two strands of different shades to achieve that effect.

This installation was created for my 52 Forms of Fungi project.  Check out more phases from this project, here.

52 Forms of Fungi || #37

I've knitted a lot of mushrooms (including boletes) over the past couple of years, and this is by far the largest one.  King bolete is an impressive specimen, and I would love to make another that's even closer to the large end of the scale.  How exciting it must be for the mushroom forager to come across one of these out in nature!

This species was knitted as part of my 52 Forms of Fungi project.  See more forms for the project here.

For the holiday shoppers - I have prints and knitted fungi available in my shop!

52 Forms of Fungi || #36

I made a bunch of these for an art event at a local park that I was going to be a part of last month, but I ended up unable to participate at the last minute due to some things happening in my family.  This is the first chanterelle I've done -- cinnabar-red chanterelle, to be exact.  I enjoy doing the stitch detailing for the gills such as with Lactarius indigo.  It wasn't quite as pronounced on these since they are so much smaller, but I like how they turned out.

It's been a productive weekend on the knitted fungi front - as I'm trying to wrap up this series, I have about 3 others ready to post and one that will be ready in the next couple of days.  The shorter days reduce the amount of time I have to get out and shoot photos of these after I get home from work (or before work, for that matter), but I will do my best!  I would like to complete the series shortly after the New Year, if not before, so efforts will be amped up a little... which means more to see here on the blog until then!  A holiday surprise...

Thanks to everyone for following along!  Check out more posts from this series here.

52 Forms of Fungi || #35

Dung bell, a charming name, isn't it?  These cute little guys are often associated with cow manure and grow in masses.  I thought about throwing some dog poo in the photos for effect, but when I realized that meant I would be crawling around in the grass with my camera next to dog poo, I decided against it.  These were fun and simple to make.  I might churn out some more for a small piece, which I've been working on a collection of.  Just in time for the holidays!

This structure was knitted as part of my 52 Forms of Fungi project. Check out more of the forms from this project.

52 Forms of Fungi || #34

In Washington, we hiked in the Snoqualmie-Mt. Baker National Forest in the North Cascades, which was pretty much heaven for me in terms of the ecosystem and diversity of fungi.  One of the most striking species we came across had a cap of deep purple that had somewhat of a shimmer to it (perhaps from moisture on the tiny hairs?).  The rich, dark color was easy to overlook in the shadows of the trees, but was truly beautiful to behold.  As I was going through my new guidebook that I mentioned in the last post, I knew as soon as I flipped to the page that this is what I had seen.  Violet cort.  I also thought it funny that this species has been on my list for a while, as I was drawn to it in earlier research.  I really had no idea how much it would impact me to see it in person, but feel fortunate to have had the opportunity.  The bottom photo shows one of the mushrooms that I observed.  The setting is vastly different, but in November in Oklahoma, you work with what you can!

This structure was knitted as part of my 52 Forms of Fungi project. Check out more of the forms from this project.