New Mitten Pattern - Monkey Mittens

Here's my 3rd version of the Monkey Mittens:

MONKEY MITTENS ~ Snow-Day Artist Design

I like this version of the eyes, they are closer together. I knitted many ears before settling on these.   All in all, I'm pretty happy with this design. I'll write up the pattern now, and then look for some test knitters on Ravelry. I am also working on a picture book manuscript. It's a story about a turtle. The prop I am using for my illustrations is in this photo.


~(:(o)    

Here's a link to the pattern:

Monkey Mittens

Knit these in traditional 'Sock Monkey' colors - or design with your choice of colors

Pattern in Progress... Sock Monkey Mittens

Final design with a twist... in pink & purple! Monkey Mittens

I'm working on a new mitten pattern. I want them to look like the traditional 'Sock Monkey'. In the March 24th blog post are the first pair of Sock Monkey mittens.... Do these need ears? I'm thinking that the eyes are too far apart. Hmmm...
Later edit: check out final pattern here: Mitten Pattern - Monkey Mittens
or at: Snow-Day Artist ~ Etsy Shop

Summer in Maine... bugs, art, gardens, more art

Today is the first day of summer! School and teaching Art, ended yesterday. School year endings are always bittersweet. I have to say 'good-bye' to my 8th Graders. And YES! - they were the most awesome class of 8th Graders I have ever had. I wish them well, and hope they have wonderful experiences in high school. 'TAKE ART CLASSES!'
With summer, comes my chance to work full time in my studio. I have a couple of books I'm working on - writing and illustrating. I know of a poster contest... And I have some large paintings in the works. I hope I'm not planning too much. I do like the feeling of getting things done - but I don't like to be overwhelmed. When I'm juggling a nice combination of creative projects, they play off each other, and add a depth to each that can't be predicted.
There's also the garden, the chickens, a new mitten design, reading books, and visiting family and friends. Life is good. Well, except for the bugs.

Web 2.0, E-Commerce, a Mermaid, Purple & Orange...

I actually can tie this all together - watch: I recently took a workshop by Women, Work and Community.
http://www.womenworkandcommunity.org/
This was an informative, quick paced workshop on Web 2.0 & E-Commerce at UMA. I highly recommend these workshops - they are for free! I had a few minutes to spare prior to the workshop so I went to the Student Center to photograph a sculpture I did in 2004. The mermaid sculpture, entitled 'Whole', was my solution to an assignment. I took the Sculpture II class in 2004 because the Dept. of Ed felt I needed an additional 3-D course to add

to my BFA in Drawing, to approve my Visual Arts teaching certificate. This assignment involved making a body cast in plaster and incorporating some sort of structure for support. My support structure was an old dining chair.
There is a good story to go with this sculpture... and in the end this piece was juried in to the annual art show and was chosen for a purchase prize. It is on display at UMA.

At the Web 2.0 workshop we discussed branding and brand identity. As a group we analyzed a few websites to critique their 'brand identity'. I learned that the two colors you should NOT use in your branding (logo, avatar, headers, etc.) are Purple & Orange. I don't mean together. Don't use either one! Purple & orange are supposedly the two most offensive/disliked colors by the general public. What does this say for a major donut company that uses pink & orange in their branding? Anyway, to the left is the avatar I use on Etsy and Ravelry - and I like it!

Butterfly Mitten Pattern now available on Ravelry & Etsy!

My mitten pattern is now available on both Ravelry & Etsy: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/butterfly-mittens        http://www.etsy.com/shop/SnowDayArtist

The pattern comes with 2 additional variations. 

      Size small: 3-4 year old.   Size large: 5-6 year old.  HAPPY KNITTING!