Monday 9 August 2010

roses and the absolutely impossible


yesterday i planted these little cyclamen in the windowsill.

they somehow remind me of the flowers snow white may have planted in the window box at the little cottage she found in the woods.

i have been keeping busy designing a few knit bits for yarn forward magazine! im very excited about the secrets in the cauldron and its taking all of my willpower to keep them shoved inside. they want out.

i dont usually knit from patterns... but last weekend at knit nation i fell straight in love with the romance de la rose socks by renaissance dye studio. i think now that i can see the charts on this insane gadget... color-work has finally become impossible to ignore any longer.

ok. then something impossible happened.
and i still cant wrap my head around it.
oK.

simon works closely with a guy named jason rackham.
somewhere along the line.. simon must have mentioned
to jason what a huge worshipper of arthur rackham i am.
(simon is always hunting in the london charities for copies
or DARE, first editions of any of the works hes illustrated.)
he has found 4 so far ... but not at charity shops ...
peter pan in kensington gardens, evelina, little brother &
little sister (GRIMM) and the rhinegold & the valkyrie.

last week, jason was in a charity shop and found some
original arthur rackham prints from the early 1900's!
he picked them all up.. and since he knows how i feel
about the greatest illustrator of all time.. he got one for me!
now. i am honoured and excited and beyond consolation
when simon says, "oh yeah and i cant actually believe i forgot
to tell you this.. but jason is actually arthurs great-great grandson!"
! ♥ ? ♥ ? ♥ !
now. just why simon didnt come home
and actually set himself on fire in front of me
with this information painted on a plaque to
display the importance of it.. i have no idea.

i dont know what the print is yet.. and i can barely contain myself
with excitement over the possibility. also.. i just keep thinking..
why why why why why why why me!?
i will return with updates.
if they are all playing
a huge joke on me
i will let you know.

27 comments:

Valerianna said...

oooooo - that is soooo cool!! Can't wait to know what print is for you!

And, when I lived in Greece, cyclamen grew all over the mountains, popping up out of cracks in stone walls, peering out from edges of paths and generally sweetening up the whole village. They were a bit paler in pink color, but oh so beautiful!

waiting patiently for print news..... and for rain... dry, dry, dry in these hills.

stephanie dosen said...

oh oh oh oh thanks!!!!
i am desperate to not sound like i am bragging
because if someone told me that this happened to them
i think i would turn green and split in half.
i hope it doesnt have that effect on anyone!!
please please know that i will appreciate it
as much as humanly possible.

i will definitely definitely post a pic of it
when i get it.. im not sure when that will be.

yikes. i read that cyclamen dont like the sun
and mine are smack dab in it.. im afraid i
may have to so some re-location...

oh that sounds so beautiful on the mountains!

Cait O'Connor said...

Arthur Rackham prints. Oh my God!
I LOVE Arthur Rackham and you also have connections?
I was just going to say I adore cyclamen and I have one that is forever flowering, it is amazing, I blogged about it yonks ago.
Then I read your NEWS....keep us updated!

brandi said...

~i think i may just be green and splitting right now...you should be excited...EXSTATIC...i would be screaming and shouting out loud for the world to hear...how truly blessed you are...can't wait to see what piece you will hold!! as for your knitting you leave me in awe of these pieces you create...i struggle with reading patterns so i marvel in the creations of others...i told my husband i need knitting classes not so much for the knitting but simply to learn read patterns!! as for the magazine what fun and congrats on your work that will be include...hopefully your cauldron will not bubble over...wishing you well and blessings aplenty~

BEESTLYproducts said...

you are such a daring little bumblebee. colorwork scares me more than thinking there is a wolf under the bed. (when i was little, i would jump from the doorway onto the bed so he couldn't grab my ankles).

stephanie dosen said...

aw hi everyone.! i will share every fleck of my gift
i promise!!!!!

and oh! dont be too impressed that i am doing these socks because i SUUUCK at colorwork. suck.
most colorwork i end up felting to get rid of the holes.

i had to knit and re-knit and re-knit these things
through 3 episodes of australias next top model
last night. yes. over 3 hours. and .. i think they
are STILL too tight! gads.

stephanie dosen said...

ps cait o'connor is your cyclamen in the sun?

Pandora said...

*Sigh* That is the unfortunate thing about living in the south of US, no really neat things to be found in antique stores or charity shops. At best one can find primitive furniture.

Laura said...

LOVE the socks!! And the iPad pattern viewing..now I need one of those!!! :) Can't wait to see what your print is!!! xoxoxoxo

stephanie dosen said...

ooops! edit: i was just reminded that he was is
great GREAT grandson. ♥

Jo Potter said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jo Potter said...

Ah, you lucky fairy!:-)
This is such great news... Do you think it is The Little Red Riding Hood illustration?
I love this picture with the wolf. I have the same image on my blog too and own the books you have mentioned. What a coincidence.:)
Fairy minds think alike!
Really lovely to meet the great grandson.
Many blessings. x♥x

Josephine Tale Peddler said...

Of course the print would find you! You are as inspiring as a rose. xx

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

So THAT'S what an iPad is for!! Now I may have to get one. What a brilliant way to see charts.

And I do so hope they are not playing a trick on you. To actually have a Rackham print... and to know his great-great-grandson!! How wonderful!

Valerianna said...

Good morning, Stephanie.... just had to stop back over and tell you you were in my dream last night! A strange dream, to say the least. I read your comment on my blog right before going to sleep, so I guess you traveled with me into my dream.

I was at the top of a mountain, wondering if I should cross-country ski down it with my friends, though they had skis on and I had only boots. I decided to do it and was skiing through lovely valleys and such when then I ended up skiing into and through a building. At one end of the building a crowd was gathering and a small stage in a large bedroom was set up. What drew my attention were many white/ivory colored dogs with very pink mouths and tongues. I knew immediately from these dogs that you - Snowbird- would be performing. I ran over to where you were and introduced myself. We wondered at this chance meeting and I went to sit with friends in the crowd to hear you.... I awoke before the concert... too bad!

stephanie dosen said...

oooh my lovely kindred fairy friends
i love you each and all ♥

valerianna that dream sounds so so so magical.
it almost makes me want to pluck up the
courage to drag myself back onstage...
just to see the white dogs with pink pink tongues.
dream travel! happens! thanks for sharing this.
it has TRULy inspired me. ♥

joanne may why am i not surprised to learn that we have the same books!!! hehehe ♥
ooh noo im sure its not this one.. i just had
this one in a folder somewhere.....
and its one of my many many many favs. :)
i could never pick one!
my guess is that the illustration will probably
be a bit lesser known.. or it probably wouldnt
have still been in the charity shop! ill let you know as soon as i find out! :) eeeeeeexooxox

Such a Wondrous Place this Faery Space said...

This is a beautiful faery blessing!!!! When I see that name, Rackham, I actually get Christmas morning excitement. It sounds silly, but silly and I go way back. I am filled with sparkle for you!!! I would like to put a picture link on my sidebar to this lovely place, would you mind? Just let me know dear faery finder... Have a blessed new day!

k.spear said...

Your comment on the print reminds me about a really great book called The Forgotten Garden.. I bet you would really enjoy it.

Ajna Rogue said...

I will be so excited to see your print! Sometimes, on lucky sleep nights, I dream in beautiful rackham scribblings; you are most fortunate!

Reina said...

those flowers are so beautifuly delicate and the colors so vibrant. really nice.
ahh! adorable socks!

Jazzy E (Hivenn) said...

adorable

rossichka said...

Dear Stephanie Dosen,
I’m so excited to write to you! I discovered your music thanks to Yarrow - http://oakmoonstudio.blogspot.com/, whose follower I am. Every time I visit the blog, I listen to some of your lovely songs. When I asked Kimberley to send me the lyrics of “We Carry White Mice”, because I can’t understand all the words, she gave me the link to this wonderful blog of yours. And I found myself in a world full of tenderness, beauty and some kind of magic…! I see that you like Arthur Rackham’s art. Well, maybe I won’t show you something you haven’t seen, but if you are curious, visit my blog and click on the label “Hansel and Gretel”. There’re two links, concerning the artist’s works. I’m a puppet theatre director and found them, while preparing to put on stage that fairytale. It’s a real treasure to possess a Rackham’s print, I understand your excitement! And, yes, what a coincidence!...

Caroline Ergy Erg said...

OH OHOHOHHH i can seriousllyy not tell you how jealous i am right now :o i absolutely adore and obsess over Arthur Rackhan's work!
I have a few prints (not old ones) and i'm looking for the perfect frames to go with them at the moment!
How amazing though, i'm very happy for you! You're so lucky :D can't wait to see what one you get!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yarrow said...

I can't wait to find out which print you get. I'm a Rackham freak too and should have known that you love him as your style would have inspired him to paint :) I can just imagine how he would paint you :)

Could you please print out the lyrics to 'We Carry White Mice' as someone who follows my blog loves your work and has asked me to ask you.

Such a Wondrous Place this Faery Space said...

How was the tree house dear? Magic, I hope. I received an award and part of the deal is to introduce darlings that have sparkled up the day (my words, of course;) but, you understand. Anyway featured you and zero, zip, no need to feature the award, just passing along the knowledge of your little spot of joy here to other readers of my little faery space. Love, blessings and faery wishes to you, Amy

Unknown said...

I'm a big Rackham fan myself, we have a collection of very old books (some of the first editions)at my mothers house, my great grand aunt who was an illustrator herself collected them and they are now our most treasured family heirlooms!

Danielle said...

Stephanie have you read any Angela Carter ? I think you would love her works, adult fairytales with a very dark twist !