The Sound of Music

Verrrry Interrrresting

After a whole life of considering myself to be a person carrying a sign that says “Don’t worry; I won’t try to sell you anything,” I found out last weekend that selling isn’t so bad when the product is worthwhile. I helped sell knitting kits and patterns for the Mother Bear Project at Stitches West on Friday and to my great surprise I didn’t run away after a few minutes. And to my even greater surprise I actually sold several kits and enjoyed it. I have to explain that I myself usually shake my head when somebody at a store asks me “Can I help you with anything?”

“No, thank you,” I’ll politely reply and walk off. I like to take my time; don’t pressure me; don’t tell my what I would like; don’t assume that I don’t know what I want while you are able to tell me. When I am ready to ask questions I’ll find you. Add to this the fact that I have lived alone for the last 30 years, and my daily “voicing experience,” unless I meet up with friends, is restricted to saying good morning to myself in the mirror and cursing the TV. I don’t usually say things like “your sweater is beautiful” or “how old is the baby” or even “how are you today?” to complete strangers.

             All this to say that I had a great time in the Mother Bear Project Booth. Thank you, Amy, for your guidance, and Melissa, thank you for your encouraging words. Besides spreading the seeds for more bears I learned that, when needed, I can be a salesperson. Who knows, it might come in handy if Social Security checks come to a halt due to government gridlock.

And now to the next challenge. I was asked to make a bear with Lederhosen. I assume everybody knows what they look like, those short or calf-length leather pants, worn with embroidered suspenders by beer-guzzling German men. At least that is the picture that comes to mind when I hear the word. Wow, I had never thought of transferring this image into cute and cuddly, my idea of teddy bear, though I had seen bears in Lederhosen in Munich and remember at least one family friend who wore them on occasion.

Colors for the first Dirndl Darling

Lederhosen and Dirndl

Yesterday I began the process that goes into my search for a new theme. The first step was a google search of Lederhosen images. Sure enough, several showed young men raising their beer glasses. One image was of a young couple; the girl wore a Dirndl. I can relate to her since I used to wear those during my childhood. I printed out a page of Dirndl images. Finally a page of Edelweiss, the alpine flower that plays a major part in the embroidery of both, Lederhosen and Dirndl. Next I picked the colors for the first couple – barn red, black, white. Tan for the head. While watching TV, last night, I began the new line. All I needed was the name. It came to me as I was sketching a general outline this morning; I get a lump in my throat when I think of the song “Edelweiss” and one of my all-time favorite movies will certainly be a good guide to the next series of bears: THE SOUND OF MUSIC. I want my Lederhosen Lads and Dirndl Darlings to sing.  

Sketching the next Bear Line

First Dirndl Darling in Progress

Bears 219 and 220

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Wow! I see that there is a long dry spell in Bear knitting. In my defense I have to say that travel and other knitting projects had pushed themselves to the forefront in recent months. But I did knit and finish Bears 219 and 220 a couple of days ago. I guess socks, scarves, and caps took priority due to the fact that I spent a lot of time in the snow and my California wardrobe lacked all those. Here then are the last Bears and some of the other things I knitted.

Happy Holidays to All

These two are the last Bears of the year for me since I will be traveling over the holidays. I always take yarn and needles with me, but NEVER poly fill, and so, even if I knit, I won't finish any of the Bears while I am on my trip.

I've named these Bears Patti and Patrick in honor of my daughter and her boyfriend. And, staying with the current B list, the girl Bear is a Barefoot Babe with Boogie Bag, and the boy Bear is a Barefoot Beanie Boy.
I wish everybody a wonderful Holiday Season and hope to knit many more Bears in the coming year.

And now to the individual photos for each Bear.

Bear 213

Bear 214

Bear 215

Bear 216

Bear 217

Bear 218

Barefoot Beanie Boy and Booted Boogie Babe

I think I have fitted more than enough B-Words into these two Bears (see below). It is one of my favorite Bear photographs in quite a while; the black and white squares of the material kind of swirl around this little brother and sister pair. I can't wait for them to begin their journey to Africa. They've been loaded with love and good wishes, having witnessed the Rescue of the Chilean Miners on television while they were sitting on my coffee table. Bonne Chance!

Barefoot, Bonbon, Beanie, Boy, Black, Breeches, Blossom, Band, Boogie Bag, Boots, Babe.

clean up your table - company is coming

I really don't very often listen to my own advice - my table top is in constant flux and rarely ever neat and orderly. Some days the colors match, more often they clash. My color choices depend on my mood or they are influenced by the kind of Bear I have in mind. Since my ideas overlap my Bears aren't finished in the order I want them to be finished, but in the order of interest to me at any particular time. I was fully invested in lime green and hot pink when suddenly I saw an image on TV and couldn't wait to get the right colors to make it come to life. The image was of a woman in red high heels and black and white striped stockings. I had to come up with a color for the dress and picked teal for the contrast. Bear 211 is the result.

Teal, black, rouge, and white Red Heart Super Saver yarn made the Beanie Boy possible. He's only a few days old, but has been a favorite of mine since I began working on him. Another B-Word incorporated with the Beanie. I am tempted to rename the PomPom a BonBon and call the cap a Bonbon-topped Beanie

Here she is, the young lady in red Boots and Black and white stockings.
She carries a Boogie Bag and wears a Blossom Band on her head.

And this is the first Bikini Bottom Bathing Beauty

A Blossom over her ear, hot pink Boogie Bag strapped to her shoulder,
wearing lace-edged white Bloomers, this is Bear Number 209.

Details, Details, Details

Something that always motivates me to knit more Bears is a trip to Michaels. Whenever a friend sends me a 40% off coupon for yarn I take it as an omen: You must shop NOW.

I love to crochet little flowers and the Boogie Bag is perfect for "hosting" one of them

Of course Boogie Bags have to have different shapes and sizes.

I love the little Black Boots; the color of the laces is important in the overall picture.

Another Boogie Bag, this one with drawstring.

I know from my own childhood how important little bags or pockets are to little girls. I used to beg for buttons from my grandmother's button box and kept them in my apron pocket. Sometimes I carried flowers or pebbles around or I folded a very important piece of paper and hid it in my pocket.

Blond Bistro Babes in Black Boots

These four young Bear ladies wear Black Boots with colorful laces.
Some also wear Blooms on their heads.
The bottom three carry Boogie Bags.

One dons a Beret and one sports a headband, loosely translated into Bandana.