Lori Cameron | {Short and Snappy}

a poncho for me

This is why photos in magazines are created by a team of stylists, lighting experts and professional photographers with good equipment.

I made simple ponchos for the girls when they were little, but I’ve never made one for myself. I think they’re the kind of thing that only look decent if you’re tall and willowy, which I most decidedly am not, but I’ve been wanting something quick and easy to throw on when I’m at my desk and throw off again when I do something more active.

Note for future me if I want to make another: this took three skeins of Lion Brand Homespun. I used 5.5 mm needles for a fairly firm fabric that I hope will help resist drooping from gravity. You will know if this worked.

Cliff Walk at Pourville by Claude Monet

Brighten the Corner Where You Are by Carol Bruneau

Confession time: I don’t care for the paintings of Maud Lewis. This is heresy for a Nova Scotian, but it’s true. Folk art just isn’t my thing. I knew a little about Lewis’ difficult life (the health issues, the poverty, the tiny, painted house) since these facts are added to our tap water, but have never felt motivated to learn more. (And no, I haven’t seen that Maudie movie because movies also aren’t my thing.)

I had faith in Carol Bruneau’s ability to make me care about Maud Lewis, however, so I ordered a copy and, lo and behold, my faith was justified. It’s very good.

It takes courage to tell a story so familiar to so many in such a fresh way and it takes skill to know when and how to inject that story with moments of lightness and grace and humour. Bruneau’s got ’em . I think Maud Lewis would be pleased.

Evie the energetic

Two hours of dogsitting and I’m going to need to nap for a week.

a sweater for Anna

Knit from a pattern I will not name because it had *issues*.

After having to make a million modifications, I have finally finished this cabled yoke sweater for Anna. It’s seriously overcast today (good for my head, not so good for photos) so the yarn isn’t showing itself to be the pretty green it is in real life, but this photo is better than nothing. I’ve given away so much over the years, either forgetting to get a picture first or naively thinking I’d get a picture of it being worn/used later, and now have nothing to show for it. I’m trying to do better.

Many Lives Mark This Place by John Hartman

This is a really tough one. As much as I love the three primary concerns of this book (writers, art and Canadian landscapes), I really don’t love Hartman’s style of portraiture. Aside from his sitters all looking ugly and misshapen, I don’t care for the way their heads and upper bodies are floating above their chosen landscapes, with no connection between the two. It’s a strange choice since each writer contributed a piece about their relationship with the terrain. Why not show them actually in it?