Presenting... "as-salamu Alaykum". Meaning "Peace be upon you" in Arabic.

I so still wanted to call him "Souq", so fun to say. But i found the souq in Alexandria a little...well... scarey. So as-salamu Alaykum it is, a beautiful sentiment the Egyptians use as "hello". Or "Salaam" meaning "peace" for short.

Salaam has quite a story knitted into him. His first 18 stitches were cast on while in an airplane 35,000 ft above Greenland going 743 mph, part of his neck was knitted while cruising on the Nile river, his right leg in Istanbul Turkey, his right arm on a beach on the Greek island of Mykonos....etc.

I am making him also a small book, mapping his unfolding which i will call, "The Life and Times of as-salamu Alaykum" and will include extra pages for my son to add to his story.

The pattern for Salaam is from a book i love called "Knitted Babes" by Claire Garland. So many inspirational patterns for dolls and their clothes, though there are no boy dolls within so i modified. I was unable to find appropriate, inexpensive textiles for him during our travels as planned, so instead he will have recycled sweater clothing. I will post a picture of Salaam in his full regalia next week, today he sports only his undies which i made from an old cotton t-shirt.

My son was aware of my knitting a doll on our trip but he has no idea it is for him. I think. He is used to my creative meanderings. In fact... we bought an extra camera on our trip and i quickly knitted a cover for it to protect it : )

Such a delight intricately pouring (or knitting) myself into a few of my children's gifts every year, leading them by example into the realm of living and giving from the heart.

Bon voyage!

The question is, "How will i cope without a creative project while away".

The Answer, "i won't have to" : ) i will be taking a project with me. i plan to knit a doll while on my journey for my son for his October birthday. A doll for a boy you ask? My answer...yes! and i am reminded of "William's Doll" a story by Charlotte Zolotow. So sweet.

i will knit the doll and buy textiles for clothing as i visit Turkey, Egypt and Greece. And come up with a proper name for him. Perhaps "Souq"? the name for an Egyptian market? When i return home i will stuff him with "Charlie the Llama" fur (pictured), a generous gift from my wonderful neighbor Holly (and Charlie the llama of course).

Will post pictures when finished.

i counted the number of crowns i've created over the years via old invoices. 1709 crowns is the running total i came up with after 10 years of crowns and/or 40 seasons. Incredible. i have pictures of crown evolutions over the years. Pictured is one such early model. It is the first. Where it all began more than 10 years ago. Fairy crowns for my daughter's fairy party when she was turning 4. It came complete with a handmade, floaty fairy skirt, one for each party guest. My son's comment today on this rather old school miss t crown, "It's so plastic!" : )

i have used some really great ready made flowers over the years but now i prefer mostly to make them. Knowing that "ready made's" place of origin is usually China, i began to feel uncomfy using them, not knowing the safety of the paints and glues. And the waste that comes with tearing down a ready made piece to get to the flower etc. is huge, forever sitting plastically in the landfill. That part of my work felt really hurtful. I will still occasionally use the ready made pieces if i find the glorious, but i much prefer the waste management and biodegradable nature of natural and vintage materials.

i use recycled wool sweaters a lot now. Every bit and scrap gets honored and appreciated and used. i don't like to make garbage. My twist and turn into a more eco friendly miss t is for the care and keeping of our beautiful Mother Earth.

This Winter Collection you will see recycled wool sweaters, hand crocheted flowers in wool, vintage crocheted lace and trims, needle felted birds and vintage and new beads. My Winter Collection of 60 pieces will arrive at The Ark a few days before Thanksgiving and i am so excited to share it.

i know...i know...."Peace", but i just can't help myself : )

my latest sweatered soap.

Soon i will be departing on a little trip abroad. i've never been out of North America so i am freaking out inside though excited. My dolls of my dollhouse will be departing with me on this particular trip. Always, as a child when i left on a trip, i thought my dolls and toys would be so sad and miss me terribly when they were left behind. My daughter and i usually take a collection of dolls on our trips for just that reason and the security of something sweet and familiar.

The Mildew's (Whimsey, Fancy, Bendy, Bendita and Bendu), my dollhouse dolls, will be taking their first airplane. Fancy, (pictured), was my grandmother's. She used to have open and shut eyes until i dropped her accidentally when i was 10 and sadly her eyes fell into her head. The doll doctor fixed them permenantly and put way too much hair on her and fancy clothes (thus her name). She went in as a baby doll and came out as a fancy little girl. I think i cried. Perhaps a little too much creative license? My sister kept her safe for years in a little plastic box and now she has a family and proper house to spend her days. She would have quite a story if she could tell it. She is probably 90 years old. But she doesn't look a day over 2 : )

Yesterday, the Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio in SF. 10 galleries of artifacts from the life of Walt Disney. We entered at 10:30 am and exited at 2:15. Almost 4 hours of observations?. There is that much to take in!

Still pondering his creative needs to keep moving forward. (i can relate)
But his connection to people who could provide his creative movement...even more of a ponderance. His animators et. all...what an amazing connection to possibility.

Photo of Walt with Sergei Rachmaninoff and Vladimir Horowitz. Photo of Salvidor Dali riding in Walt's backyard model train. What did they chat about and discover of one another?

By the time i reached the last gallery, which mentions his last months...i choked back tears (and still as i write this). His visionary magnificence has inspired my lifetime. His old animated films still delight me in their innocence and happiness. Disneyland is still my favorite place to be. The sweetness, beauty, comedy and musicality of his incredible creations fill my heart with joy and possibility.