Posted on by — 3 Comments

The Innocence Mission in Concert

The Innocence Mission, Karen Peris and Don Peris

When I saw Crowded House in 2023, I decided to make it a priority to treat myself to more live music by bands I love. In March 2024, I kept that promise and saw Guster. I didn’t tell you about this one at the time, but I saw Guster again in January of this year. (And I may or may not have tickets to see Guster with the Mountain Goats in August. I’m a bit Guster obsessed at the moment 🤭) And now this. The Innocence Mission has been a long-time favorite of mine, and I feel so lucky to have been one of the 600 people in that room this weekend.

Read More: The Innocence Mission in Concert
Posted on by — 2 Comments

Treating myself to pockets, part two

After my last sewing session I thought I was done. But it was a hot day. And I was wearing shorts. And I was starting to feel like maybe having my legs out all summer would be a nice thing. I used to wear skirts constantly (remember that?). And then somewhere along the line, I started feeling like shaving my legs was too much work, and none of my t-shirts looked good with my skirts, and blah blah blah. I’ve spent the last several summers pretty much living in jeans, except on the really, really hot days where I just can’t take it anymore. I still think shaving my legs is a royal pain in the neck, but I can probably be convinced to go above the knee maybe once a week, and put on something nice 😁

Anyway, I dug through my vintage sheet stash and found two things that grabbed me right away: a set of pillowcases that were in excellent shape and had a bold mod floral design, and a green 60s/70s era sheet that was still in the package.

Read More: Treating myself to pockets, part two
Posted on by — 4 Comments

A Dead Mall Liminal Space

I visited Livingston Mall two days before Christmas, and instead of buying anything, I had an unexpected photo shoot. I knew the mall was experiencing a decline, and while I wasn’t anticipating large crowds, I still found it jarring when I saw barely another soul in the whole place. It was dead quiet, and many of the stores were shuttered.

Read More: A Dead Mall Liminal Space
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Five (or more) Golden Rings 💍💍💍💍💍

I thought you might like to hear about my latest obsession and see what I’ve been working on.

I recently found a new source for brass channel ring blanks, which gives me access to a much wider range of ring sizes than I had before, and has triggered a bit of an obsession on my part. If I could, I would sit at my clay table making rings all day every day. One for me, one for the shop. One for me, one for the shop. Two for me, one for the shop 🤣

I love these colorful little hunks of brass so much, I can’t even explain it.

Today’s blog post is a stream-of-consciousness brain dump about the hold that brass rings currently have on me. I talk about a few other things, too. Maybe click through and read the whole thing if you’ve got a few minutes? Maybe even post a comment and tell me, am I in good company? Or have I possibly gone a bit off the deep end where brass rings are concerned? 😁

Read More: Five (or more) Golden Rings 💍💍💍💍💍
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Small Business Saturday, all week!

I’ve just returned from Walgreens, where I got my flu shot in one arm, and my COVID shot in the other. I’m prone to fever and chills after a COVID booster, so before that happens, I’m hopping on here really quickly to tell you about my Small Business Saturday sale for 2024.

I know it’s Friday. It’s even a particular Friday known for sales and promotions, but I have never liked the idea of Black Friday. (Remember when it was just “the day after Thanksgiving?” Yeah. Me too.)  Small Business Saturday, though, is something I can get behind. And not just because I have a small business of my own.

So, before I start shaking my fist and telling the young’uns to get off my lawn, let me just leave this coupon code here: SHOPSMALL24

Use that code to get 24% off of everything in the Polka Dot Cottage shop. That includes all handmade items and all patterns, tutorials, or other downloadables. The coupon is good until next Friday, but since I tend to make things in very small batches of one or two, you shouldn’t wait too long if you see something you like. It might not be there tomorrow!

Read More: Small Business Saturday, all week!
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Polymer Claycation

Last week I attended the first Polymer Claycation, an event that has risen up from the ashes of the old Clayathon. It happened at a different time of year, and at a different venue, but I saw many of the same familiar faces, and the make-whatever-you-like-to-make vibe was alive and well.

Read on to see everything I worked on, and to hear a little bit about the experience!

Read More: Polymer Claycation
Posted on by — Leave a comment

A Tale of Two Cardigans

I have two sweaters to show you! One of them I put the finishing touches on just this week, and the other one has been waiting for me to take pictures of it for roughly a YEAR.

The first cardigan is a pattern by Tin Can Knits and features a lovely cabled yoke. It was a bottom-up knit, which is not my favorite, but I enjoyed knitting the cables. And there’s something to be said for saving the interesting part for last.

The other cardigan is the Striped Yoke Cardigan, which is one of my own patterns. I made some significant changes to the yoke for a more customized fit, and I’ve worn it many times over the past year. This one was a top-down knit, which means you get to do the fun part right away, but then you’re stuck with the stockinette slog for the next few weeks until it’s done.

Both methods have their pros and cons.

Keep reading for more details, photos, and links to the patterns, yarns, and button-making instructions!

Read More: A Tale of Two Cardigans
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Election anxiety and feeling helpless

I have thoughts about the upcoming election. And I don’t love writing about it, but I feel like I need to anyway. Is this a bad idea? Bringing politics into a blog that’s mostly about puttering and snapping pictures? I hope not. I’m not trying to change anyone’s mind, that is already made up. But I wouldn’t mind reaching a few undecided minds right now. Or commiserating with any of you who might be as anxious as I am.

Read on, if you’re curious, or if you still don’t know who to vote for.

Or just come back another day, if you’re DONE with this election right now. Believe me, I get it 🩵

Read More: Election anxiety and feeling helpless
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Purple is a Fall Color

Purple is a Fall Color, Polka Dot Radio playlist

I look out the window and all of the back yard trees are brilliant shades of orange and red. It’s lovely. A few weeks ago, when there was still some green to be seen, I treated myself to a roll of Lomochrome Purple so I could indulge in a bit of film photography with a fantasy color palette.

I also made a new playlist, and I called it Purple is a Fall Color. Despite the name and the cover image, the idea of “purple” doesn’t feature prominently in these songs. In fact, I am fairly sure the word “purple” does not appear in a single title or lyric of the 20-odd tracks. Sometimes a playlist cover is just a playlist cover.

Read on to see some of my favorite images from the roll, and to listen to some nice Autumnal music.

Read More: Purple is a Fall Color