The Art Film House

It's not all about the cute here in the Lucky Penny household. In some ways, I consider this to be a lifestyle blog. That is, the lifestyle of the middle aged, urban, working class, dog sweater enthusiast. Here's a look into the darker side of Lucky Penny.
Many years ago, I lived near the Music Box Theatre, an art film house, like the Parkway and the Varsity, only nicer. With clouds painted on the ceiling, and real buttered popcorn. I saw many classic films that are still favorites of mine today. The Women (my number one favorite!), Dr. Strangelove, All About Eve, and some of the more cult variety. Like the works of John Waters and the Andy Warhol factory. Flesh for Frankenstein, also known as Andy Warhol's Frankenstein, left a huge impression. The photo is of two of the stars, the German cult actor Udo Kier (whose over the top campy performance really makes the film), and Joe Dalessandro. I told the Man about this movie, and described one scene where a head is severed using what looks like giant hedge clippers. Good taste prevents me from posting the movie poster here, which is Udo Kier holding the freshly clipped head. Much to my surprise and amusement, this movie was on cable last night, along with it's sister film, Blood for Dracula. It was so much fun for me to share these trashy movie moments with the Man, who had never seen them, and heard of them only through me.

I was thinking that my love of the movie The Women is why I get such a kick out of Bravo's newest reality show, The Real Housewives of New York City. The Women, made in 1936, stars Joan Crawford, my all time favorite actress, and Norma Shearer, who was having an affair with teen aged Mickey Rooney at the time. Joan and Norma were enemies, and Joan, using her metal needles, knit furiously off camera to irritate everyone. It's a gossipy movie about divorce. The Real Housewives is like a modern day version. It's got the Hamptons, having a snit when you're not seated front row at a fashion show, metrosexual spouses (one in particular is really over the top), and social climbing. Lots of fun. Keep your Tuesday nights open for it.

Five Years

I saw her little face on Petfinder, and still have the printed page in my handbag. I fell in love. She was in Lake Orion, Michigan, in a foster home. She was named Piccolo by the foster mother's husband, an orchestra conductor. I couldn't imagine another name. It's so playful and musical to say. Thinking that this would be a short trip, I made arrangements to meet Piccolo. I found out after that it wasn't a short journey, like St. Joseph or Allegan, but that Lake Orion was a suburb of Detroit. Almost to Canada to get her. Penny had died about a month before, and I still had Gidget. Age and blindness made Gidget a less interactive pet. Gidget could, however, find her way to the kitchen and under my feet if something was cooking. Gidget was my companion as I made the six hour trip. My understanding of Piccolo's history is that she was in the home of a hoarder, with many other pets. The hoarder ended up in a nursing home, and the house was beyond rehabilitation. This surprises me, because Piccolo really doesn't know how to act with other dogs. She's initially inquisitive, then afraid. Piccolo is also afraid of most people. This is why she will never accompany me at shows. She wants me or the Man, and that's it. She'll tolerate Sandy, her groomer. I give a pep talk before grooming, and tell her how much Sandy loves her. Piccolo was afraid of me those first few days in 2003. It took a lot of coaxing to get her into my car to drive home, where she spent most of her time hiding under the sofa.
I credit Piccolo for ending a miserable time in my life. I had lost Penny, my residence, and my Man. Piccolo worked her magic on the Man, and he came back to us. She may be eight or nine years old by now, and has mellowed a bit, but she is still playful. She's our little love object, our cuddle companion. The Man spends almost as much time cuddling her as I do. Piccolo loves to supervise my knitting projects, loves to spread herself over them, and spends a lot of time just looking at me as if I'm nuts. And Piccolo can wear a sweater like no other dog. When I was sizing sweaters for the book, I always started with her size, and then went up or down in proportion as needed for the others.
Her little snoot smells like Chinese food, and her feet, like buttered popcorn.

It's About the Dogs

Lots of fun was had yesterday at Arcadia with the Doggie Knits trunk show. It may still be on display, if you want to check it out. The attendees were people from the yarn (shop) industry, who were in town for a seminar sponsored by Yarn Market News. I understand that some of the speakers mentioned dogs, and the presumably untapped market for dog things. What could be a more satisfying project than knitting for your dog? It's been over fifteen years for me, and I still love it.
There's some problems here at the Lucky Penny studio. One, is I can't get the CD slot on my computer tower to open. I just broke a size 1 double point trying to pry it open. This may be why you start to see old, old photos on the blog (I'm trying to post previously not seen ones) and my Ravelry page isn't updated.
My other problem is I need to find a low cost web designer to refresh the Lucky Penny retail site. It's in desperate need of a makeover, and doesn't really promote Doggie Knits very well.
I'm going to be dealing with an antsy Man over the next few weeks. I'm on deadline for two sweater vests for a production of A Comedy of Errors. The deadline knitting is always the time I have to do intarsia. I've already turned down a road trip for this weekend.

Letting the Dogs Out

We're letting the dogs out, and they may play a few hands of poker! Stop by Arcadia Knitting, tomorrow, March 26, for a Doggie Knits trunk show!
Arcadia is at 1613 W. Lawrence Ave., Chicago. Phone 773-293-1211.

For My Baby

My Piccolo loves the wooly stuff. I love the Noro stripes. So, a little project for my little girl. It's the Pinwheel blanket, that many others have made for babies. I've done a little crochet edge with Lucy Neatby's Blue Faced Aran. That's some marvelous stuff, by the way. The edge curls a little more than I would like, and there are still some ends to weave in.
We're back from another delightful weekend in Wisconsin. It was so much fun to watch Piccolo in her sweater and red Zapatos take to the yard. Running, running, mommy! Pulling on the leash running. Followed by some serious napping.

In My World

In my world, a manicure lasts for about an hour. I thought that perhaps my hands should look a little nicer for my pitch on Saturday, so I had a manicure on Friday afternoon. I couldn't take my eyes off my hands afterwards. I had what the manicurist called an "American" manicure (I guess as opposed to a French), where the tips of my nails were painted white, then a sheer pink was painted over. My nails looked like they were perfectly shaped and natural. After an hour, I had a chip. I suppose with how things turned out, my hands were the least of it. Today, Monday, after doing dishes and sorting laundry, and various household tasks, I had many chips. So I removed the polish. I always wondered how someone kept up with the nails. I'm convinced that you can't do it without your hands being idle.
I didn't mention that there were some interesting panelists at this event on Saturday. One was Heather Bailey, whose blog I started reading now that I'm using some of her lovely fabric for my bed sized quilt. The other was Maggie Pace, who has the company Pick Up Sticks. She was so adorable. I was thinking about the event today, and how I want the creative life to be my full time life. It's hard to fit everything in now, with Lucky Penny costing more that it makes. I'm hoping after the book is published, that will change.
The photo is a behind the scenes peek at the Doggie Knits photo shoot. Lyubi is put into position by Lonnie and Josh, and we shoot the color card.

It's Sooo Good

Well, that was a day. Now back to my regular life.
It started with early rising to get to the hotel to show my items. I didn't get all the mannequins out, or the heads attached, and it was over. Let's just say I would be surprised to hear from them.
I decided, with a two and a half hour wait before the afternoon seminar began, to drive my things home and take the el back to the hotel. My mom was still here when I arrived, and I got treated to a meltdown about a family estrangement that has been going on for five years, or ever since I lost my building. It's a long, ugly story, that some of my friends know, and I'm not going to repeat it here.
My apartment looks so much better. There were things unpacked that I had forgotten I had. As it turns out, I have quite the collection of vintage mixing bowls. I hadn't seen my Jadeite coffee mugs in many years. I have a functional guest/dressing room that's going to be pretty! There's still some work, and some hanging of shelves that the Man needs to participate in, so I'm sure this will take a long time. My mom can really whip a messy, unorganized living space into shape. I think it would have been a great business. She was driven. I did get a fair amount of judgement, though, not unexpected, and mostly about the yarn accumulation. She said that I won't knit most of it, and I responded that I don't feel that way at all.
When I was at the Francisco el stop, I saw a woman with her back turned to me, and I knew who she was by her mittens. She belongs to my knitting guild, and I sat with her for part of my trip back downtown. She rides a bus that another friend rides, and told a story about how she lost a favorite pair of mittens on the bus, that were retrieved by this friend, who knew that they belonged to her.
I had an awkward, embarassing moment back at the hotel. The ladies' rooms were small, and couldn't accomodate the 600+ attendees that were fed and watered that afternoon. During a break, there was a long line out the ladies' room, and an empty gentlemen's room across. I'm not afraid of a men's room. I've used an empty one on occasion, (and find them to be cleaner!). I suggested that some of us take over the empty room. It worked when I stood guard, then when I was in, someone came to use it, and when I emerged, there was a short line of men, one of whom was the magazine publisher. One man looked like the television personality Mr. Food, who appeared very distressed that women may be in the room. If there had been bouncers or security there, I probably would have been tossed out. Talk about wanting to be invisible for the rest of the afternoon.
Here's a successful custom job. It's little Mercedes, who lives in Georgia, wearing her red cashmere Lucky Penny sweater.

Sometimes, You Need Your Mom

I told my sister a few weeks ago about what disarray my apartment was in after the move. How I was overwhelmed by all of my stuff, and unpacking and hauling unwanted stuff out. Her response was, of course you're overwhelmed, your mom hasn't been there yet. Mom had been out to Denver for a few weeks after they moved to work her unpacking magic. My mom is the Master of Organization. The Queen of Fitting Things into Other Things. And, she loves to do it. Tonight I had a hard time shooing her off to bed. She's opening drawers and finding Stuff. I'm throwing away my tax returns from 1979 and 1980. Isn't it time? Think about how many times those papers moved with me. I found a costume history assignment from about thirty years ago. I'll take some photos, but then I think the time has come to dispose of them, too. Talk about a purge.
So, maybe in a few days the House of Shabby, also known as Lucky Penny Headquarters, will be a functional studio and household.

Another Taste

Here's another two pages from Doggie Knits. It's the same model, ZeeNa. Isn't she the sweetest? I love the heart shaped marking on her forhead. She is a little love.

A Little Taste

For all of you who pre-ordered, or are curious about Doggie Knits: Sweaters and Accessories for Your Best Friend, here's a peek at a few pages.

I'll Try Again

Next weekend I'm enrolled in a seminar sponsored by Country Living magazine, for women entrepreneurs. Part of the conference is five minutes in front of the magazine's editorial staff to pitch my product. I've tried this before. The picture above is from October 2006 when I was in the first Country Living Fair at the Chicago Botanic Garden. I'm hoping to get a plug for the book out of this, more so than my retail side, so we'll see what happens.
I need updated business cards, and maybe I can get the proofs of the book cut and spiral bound for this. The thing that I'm most apprehensive about is the picture taking before. I'm so not photogenic. Must wear makeup that day. I think I'll get a manicure, too. My hair has been recently cut and colored, so that's okay. I think lots of craft businesses are personality driven, which is the main reason I started the blog. I thought people might find the backstory of the book production, and some honest impressions of experiences I've had on the show circuit interesting. Or maybe not.
This could only happen in Chicago. I've felt for a long time that most Chicago people don't get the dog sweaters, and here's more proof. I'm walking Piccolo, all dressed up in her sweater and Pawz disposable boots. People comment on the boots, and completely ignore the sweater. I've even heard boot comments in Spanish. "Zapatos!"

Couldn't Help Myself

Spring is in the air. This time of year the Chicago yarn shops have their end of season sales. I couldn't resist going to Knitting Workshop yesterday for their moving sale. One of the books I purchased was the new Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton, Wanderlust. It has a few cute vests, and an interesting, but mostly impractical, dog sweater. I'm going to make this vest, only without those hip flangy things. I have the stash for it. Somewhere. I'm loving seed stitch lately, and I think the shape would be flattering.
One of the other splurges was some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Super Chunky to make the sweater on the cover of Veronik Avery's book, that's in my Ravelry queue. Even at 35% off, that stuff is no bargain. Perhaps it's why I've never knit with any, except for a random baby thing.
There's another sale at Arcadia right now. Maybe tomorrow.