The Craft Begins

My lovely friend Amy was kind enough to host us at her DC abode last week for dinner.  It was cold, rainy and windy and after some time trying to make it across the city in such a storm, we were glad to go inside.  What I wasn’t expecting was how fantastic the house was.  It was a little Sherlock-Holmes, a little Victorian Lady, a little Drag Queen, and a lot of fun.  Bold wall colors and lots of fun little discoveries awaited us at every turn.  As I left my camera at home, Amy was kind enough to send me some pictures of the place.  And now I’d like to share them with you!

On a great block of old brick row-houses sits this gem.  You’d never know from the outside how decidedly non-traditional it is.  Parlours in the front let in the light and block the city noises from the rooms behind them.  Creative lighting solutions and large fireplace mantels set the mood.  On hand is the resident puppy, Nylah, who looks scary from the outset but is indeed the friendliest dog on earth.  The chalkboard paint in the panels of the kitchen door is a great place for a grocery list or a note to the roomies.

Another thing I really like about the house is all of the gothic accessories.  A suit of armor guarding the stairwell?  Of course!  Gargoyles scattered over every surface?  Well, I thought every house had them!  They’re offset nicely by all of the dark wood framing out the doorways and stairwells.  Who says traditional has to be boring?  Check out the fabulous Ms. Amy herself – look at those legs!!

The back servant stairs were pretty terrifying (as Amy said, they had about the proportion of a Mayan temple) but the idea of a hidden staircase was pretty exciting.  My absolute favorite thing was the gargoyle sitting in the gorgeous tile fireplace.  There was a glorious “poopatorium” that was painted a pretty navy/black color, proving that it is possible to pull off super dark walls.  And the best part of all, hidden behind gorgeous wardrobe doors – THE BAR.  Needless to say, we had a great time.

Thanks to Amy and the boys for letting us into their home and letting us eat drink and be merry.  And then for sending follow-up pictures.  You guys rock.

I love the product photography of these bags and scarves.  Not something you typically see.

I also like the line itself.  Using traditional Ethiopian weaving techniques, Arnold Haas creates beautiful and modern designs.  You can see the full collection and read more about the concept here.

Here’s a project I feel very strongly about.

The Navajo Nation is pretty desperately poor.  If you’ve ever driven across northern Arizona, you know what I mean.  The standards of living there aren’t keeping up with the rest of the US.  And unlike many tribes that rely on the income from oil contracts, or gambling, they don’t have too many sources of income.   A few months ago I stumbled across a little shop that was selling beautiful yarn from the rafters.  Sheep are a traditional way of life for the Navajo, and they spin this gorgeous yarn from some of their herds.  I bought several hanks, and got the impression that I was the first person to have bought yarn in quite a while.  I was really impressed by the quality of the wool, the variety of the colors, and the price (just $6.25 a hank). If I had to guess, I would say that it’s spun at a worsted weight.

I’m going to be buying all of my yarn from them from now on.  Not only is a great value, it’s also a great way to support people who could really use our support.   And you can be proud knowing that it’s a truly American product!  I called the store when I got home and they said that you can call and order directly from them, if you’re interested.  I’ve attached the color card that I was given here – the colors are as close as I could get them, but if you call they will send you a color card in the mail as well.

It’s not a terribly high-tech system, but you can just call and ask to buy the yarn.  The business is called the Cameron Trading Post, and the phone number is 928.679.2231.  Let me know if you’d like any clarification on colors or anything, and thanks for supporting the Navajo and their lifestyle!