"Falling" Behind

See what I did there?  That was a pun... cause its fall and I'm falling behind in blogging...... *ahem* moving on.

September and October have been eventful for me, most of which I enjoyed.

In the past 6 weeks I've walked in the woods;

gone to the pumpkin patch;

enjoyed warm days outside and cool evenings by the fire pit;

practiced some new photography tricks;

visited cities;

spent time in my favorite places;

celebrated birthdays (he's 2 already!),

   
         (and he's 34 already!)

and remembered two special lives passed.  I lost two grandmothers in the span of 3 weeks...

But in the midst of it all I've even had time to work up some new projects.  I just haven't had the time to share them with you.

(left to right:  Red/White Kitty Hats, Gina Giraffe and Newborn Newsboy Cap, Striped Brimmed Hats)

(Swirl Cap with large flower)

So now we're all caught up!  What have you been doing to enjoy the glory of fall?

Photo Reality

So... I haven't been crafting much lately.  I admit it, I've been a complete slacker in this area!  But the reality is that I have been taking my creative drive in a different direction lately.  I'm going to share a bit of what I've been up to.  If you're not interested, feel free to skip this post, but I was just feeling the urge to share this part of me with you as well!

I have always loved nature.   My most vivid childhood memories are crisp images stored in my mind of the places I played outdoors.  I can remember as a little girl sitting on the warped, aging, moss-covered wooden bridge that crossed the little birch-lined creek in our backyard.  I looked down into the slowly moving water that was covered in a layer of golden leaves newly fallen from the trees and my heart swelled with delight!

I so desperately wanted to capture this image and keep it forever.  I tried to take a picture with my little plastic camera that my parents had given me for my birthday, but it turned out flat and blurry and just did not come close to the image I had stored in my mind.  I figured I just wasn't any good at taking pictures, or that it was impossible to have a photo capture what I was seeing, and my desire for photography waned.

As an adult my interest in photography has grown again as I wanted to find a way to better present my products.   A few years back I bought a super zoom camera that allowed me to have more control over the outcome of my photos and I truly got hooked!  This winter I took a photography class taught by my dear friend Jill Reid of Raindancer Studios and learned even more about what a camera is capable of.

This spring, I was finally able to afford a digital SLR camera, and I have actually been able to truly capture images as I see them!  I have spent countless hours outdoors with my kids; stopping at random locations, crawling on the ground, bending at funny angles, taking shot after shot as I learn the ability of my camera and its different functions.  And I have been capturing some of the most amazing (to me) photos of the glory of this season.

There is nothing in the world that makes me feel closer to God than to revel in His wonderful creation, and I have truly been drinking it in this spring!  I hope you enjoy these as much as I do and that you are able to enjoy the glory of the springtime (or the fall, depending on where you live) happening all around your home as well!

*all images (c) Andrea Moberly 2011.  May not be duplicated or used for any purpose without express permission.*

Photo Op

One of my favorite things about summer is the abundance of beauty there is and how easy it is to capture a beautiful photo.  This year my mom, sister, and family friend and I went on our second annual girls' camping and kayaking weekend.  We stayed at a fish and wildlife area in south-western Indiana.  Our campsite was perfect, with access to the reservoir right from the site.  We had a blast kayaking and chatting.  We also made some great memories in the sweltering heat, fears of being attacked by the rather large-sounding racoon in the middle of the night, and monsoon-like nighttime rainstorm that threatened to collapse our tent.  Fortunately one of the girls was smart enough to bring a coffee maker so that we could function after such an eventful night!   We also visited nearby Vincennes, IN and saw the historical sites there and did some shopping.  It was all very interesting and provided a great retreat.  As much as I love getting away with my family, it was awesome to get away without them too :)  I didn't do any crafting on this little weekend away, but I got some of my very favorite photos I've ever taken!  I hope you enjoy them too :)

Featured Photographer - Raindancer Studios

I have been having a great time getting to know some local, and not-so-local photographers in the last few months.  I recently started making props for infant/newborn photography, and have met some amazing people!  I thought it might be fun to do a feature on my blog about the different photographers that I've been working with, starting with Jill Reid from Raindancer Studios.

Jill Reid is one of the people I most admire.  Her family suffered a tragic accident in 2008 that left them with no income and lots of hospital bills.  Through it all, she had the support of family, friends, and her faith; and in 2009, at the urging of her supporters, she decided to turn her love for photography into a way she could support her family.  She says "God inspired me through this season to look deeper for beauty and goodness in the midst of pain and struggle.  The following quote  has been my mantra for 2008 and 2009 and the very thing God has used to keep my heart soft and open: 'Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass.  It’s about learning to dance in the rain.'  Photography reminds me to see beauty amidst the ashes...to dance in the rain."

Jill has an amazing ability to photograph the spontaneous interactions of a family in a way that beautifully captures the love they have for one another.   She is constantly trying new things and always surprising her customers with the outcome!  If you're in the Indianapolis area and looking for a family, newborn, or maternity photographer, consider Raindancer Studios.  I am certain you won't be disappointed!

Below are a few of the photos that Jill has taken using Knits and Knots props :)

Cotton Candy

I finally got around to making something out of that lovely cotton yarn I dyed at the end of February.  Loree had requested another hat* for her photography props - this time one in an "aviator" style (with short earflaps and long braids).  I was kind of dreading working with the thick/thin yarn because I just wasn't sure how it would knit up, but I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to work with! 

I started by making a skullcap style hat and then pick up and knit stitches on each side of the hat for the earflaps.  The short earflaps really helped hide some of the bulges from the thick part of the yarn that showed up along the cast-on edge. Really, the hardest part of the whole hat were those braids!  It was really difficult to get braids of a consistent thickness out of thick/thin yarn.  I ended up making the braid out of 6 strands of yarn.  I tried to offset the thick parts of the yarn so that at any spot along the braid there was at least one "lump".  It took some work, but I ended up with two sections of braid that were pretty good.

When it was all said and done I thought the hat looked like cotton candy!  A sweet little topper for sweet little babies :)

I also recently purchased some new tags/stickers and business cards.  The hat made a nice backdrop for some photos of the business cards!

*see the "Elfin" stocking caps featured on Loree's blog!

Props

My friend Jill has just started her very own photography business, and needed some props for her newborn photography.  She wanted a cocoon and a pod and a matching baby hat with bear ears.  I found a great pattern on Etsy for the pod, improvised a pattern for the cocoon, and modified an existing hat pattern and added ears for the bear hat.  Unfortunately the only model I had on hand was a stuffed animal.  I think if I'm gonna keep making baby items I need to get some life-sized models!  Stay-tuned for some professional pics from Jill's sessions showing off these items with real babies inside!  And stay-tuned for the pattern for the cocoon.  Its made with a size N hook and is super quick to make.  I bet a newborn would snuggle right down in one of those and pass out - just like being back in the womb!

The cocoon is made from Lion Brand Homespun in apple green

The pod and hat are in Lion Brand Naturals organic cotton in chocolate brown

Fair Update

Thanks for all the input on my fair submissions this year! I took all the opinions and narrowed down my photo choices to the four most popular that I could submit to 4 different categories (only one photo is allowed per category). Besides the photos, I submitted one knit and one crochet item. All of my submissions received blue ribbons - but, as I learned last year, blue ribbons do not a winner make at our local county fair. The true winners are the "Champion" and "Reserve Champion" ribbon winners. While I didn't get any of the big winners, my neighbor did receive two, so I was happy to see that!