I am back in LA on my annual all of August trip home to detox from the New York summer humidity.

Sophie, a dear friend, and I are currently sitting at BOUL’ANGE, a trendy West Hollywood cafe, working and drinking matcha.

This is our second catch up at this spot on the Sophie leg of this trip. This trip has been broken up by the different buddies I have with me. First leg was Sophie, then Charlie and my friend Mila flew in for a week, we are now finishing up the Doug/Kamala leg which was around 5 days, and returning to finish it out with my mom. It’s been a whole thing. Anyways, the first time we came here I was zoning out, staring at the couch, and who do I see? Olympic swimmer, and former pop sensation, Cody Simpson and his friend who looked vaguely familiar but probably not, sitting on the couch chit chatting. That’s something I have actually noticed a lot recently. Everyone in LA fits into that “vaguely familiar but probably not” archetype. They kept it looking around the cafe, as if looking for a friend or, more realistically, waiting to be noticed. He looks quite different now. The swimmer leg of his life is in full swing and he’s so jacked compared to his formerly scrawny build.

We are now sitting at that same couch.

I feel like I have been a bit absent here for the last handful of months… Sorry about that.

A couple big projects have pulled away my attention from creating thoughtful pieces here, but those are wrapping up and I am delighted to jump back in.

I’m in a bit of a creative transition. My heart and soul will always be in textiles, but recently I have been playing the field a bit. It feels like I’m cheating in a way. Every time I sit down to bead, my untouched yarn stash stares me down asking me when it’s time for sweater season. Theres also that. It’s summer, a hot one at that, and when I am SSRI sweating through all of my clothing the last thing I want to do is move wool around really fast.

Beading became such an attractive craft to me because it has that same repetitive mindless motion that you fall into when you knit. It’s less like traditional knitting and more like the duplicate stitch. There’s a lot of fun to be had with color and placements, while still being passive enough to genuinely relax.

Some of you may have seen the beaded ballet flats I have been consumed with for the past couple weeks.

Making the little bead clusters is a bit tedious, but also extremely satisfying and easy. Once you get into the flow of making them and create a bit of a system, it goes so much quicker. I bring my beading stuff everywhere now. Most recently, while beading on the plane, I tipped over my sequins all over the floor and spent the next 20 minutes picking them all up. Luckily there was no one next to me. Am I surprised that that happened? No, not even a little. I was fully asking for it at that point, but look how cute it looks.

My beading set up is so cute and satisfying.

Here is the jelly flat link if you want to make your own! Here is the tutorial link :) There is a more official one coming. I haven’t been in my studio much due to travel, but it is most definitely coming.

For how much weight I have added on the shoes they are not very heavy, seeing as they basically weighed nothing to begin with that’s not surprising.

The concept of adding beads to jelly flats was by no means my creation. I first saw the brand Heavenly Jelly post about them and was enamored. Their’s are a bit more subtle, less of the all around firework effect, but they have really blown this DIY up in a way that is extremely exciting for a crafty girl like myself.

In the same world, I started beading a pair of Uniqlo pants I picked up the other day before having hot pot at the Westfield Century City mall. I have had these old (LOOK UP DESIGNER) pants in my Pinterest saves forever and wanted to make my own.

I need to take a proper update photo, so look out for that.

As I am working on them, I am sort of realizing that they look quite costume-y… which I sort or hate, but shall power through and see what happens.

I am in such an unfortunate situation with one of my projects. After finishing the whole body of my hand knit 1x1 rib racing swimsuit replica, making it three rounds of crochet border around the leg hole, I ran out of the Chamade yarn I have been knitting with and need to order more. So here I am, stuck in knit limbo till that comes in. It looks fantastic though. (I just went to buy more and it looks like they no longer make it in that color… GREAT! Praying to all of the knitting gods that I have an extra ball hidden away in my studio.)

Crafts I want to do so badly but keep putting off:

I need to learn this crochet stitch IMMEDIATELY. I know summer is basically over, but this would be great for layering in the fall. I found this video on Pinterest that is pretty helpful.

I mean, obviously I have to do this…

I’ve never crocheted any clothing with a lace stitch and feel like this would be MAGICAL. I have been trying to find a pattern online but am coming up empty. Let me know if you have seen it, or know of something similar.

ALSO, I am officially looking for a freelance pattern maker. There will be a more official announcement and google form situation coming soon, but wanted you to have the heads up.

Looking for someone to help translate my designs and patterns into properly written out and graded patterns. Paid, obviously.

That’s all for now.

Happy crafting :)

Xx Ella

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I’m not gonna call this series because I have this issue where I start things and don’t finish them, so we’re just gonna call this a segment. This is a segment where I’m gonna show you things that I’ve been sitting in my cart that I haven’t quite pulled the trigger on, but then I know at some point I’m going to. There’s a mix of clothing, beauty home stuff. If I continue this on a weekly or by monthly basis, there will be more of a mixture of things based off of what I’m doing that month. Basically, this is just a way to show you what I’ve been looking at and also things that I love and I’m re-buying.

Clothing

Now look, I think the last thing any of us needs is more clothing, but because I like to browse The RealReal and other sites like I do Instagram, a girl can dream. I like to say that I’m more of a fall winter dresser I think my personal style lends itself to sweaters and pants and big skirts and things that can have more of a layering effect rather than this is the one thing that I’m wearing. It’s really hard for me to build out a summer wardrobe because I think a lot of summer colors and a lot of silhouettes make me feel a little out of place and uncomfortable, but I’m trying to change that. This is my Summer of sweat and body acceptance, these are the pieces that are gonna make me feel better about it. Maybe.

Obviously, these things are not gonna make me feel better about either of those things, but I hope they can make me feel like I can manage the emotional and mental side effects rather than make them worse.

Vaillant White Lace Dress

Just Cavalli Animal Print Mini Dress

Vagabond Danya Sandals

I’m pretty sure this is supposed to be a dupe on a sandal that the row makes but nonetheless this is exactly what I want from a sandal. I am 100% not a toes out girl, but I think the thicker strap takes away some of the focus on the toe which is very appealing to me.

Norma Kamali Animal Print Mini Dress

I have this in a more swimsuit material romper style and it is so flattering and so perfect for this deeply fucked up Summer we are having. It would be shameful not to use some of my real real credit to get this.

Stella McCartney Rhinestone Bikini

This is out of stock, but this is more of a reminder to myself that I want to do a DIY project like this.

Nuovo Drapee Dress

I have been seeing this dress EVERYWHERE and usually that is something to dissuade me from wanting to purchase it but every time I see it, it makes me want it more. Not only does it look like butter on the skin, but the crossover neck line just seems so flattering, especially for someone who has broader shoulders like myself. The one thing I’m worried about is that it’s gonna be incredibly short because I have a very long torso and most mini dresses are half butt dresses on me.

Beauty

I am on a bit of a journey with some of my beauty products. I have been a CeraVe user for a while and I am trying to transition to cruelty free products and just a bit more natural products. My skin is severely sensitive so it has taken me a lot longer to switch over than I would have liked, but at least it is happening now. I am also doing a bit of a re-up on some of my faves that have become deeeeeeep staples in my routine.

Sensitive Skin Daily Calm Lightweight Moisturizer

Read online that this is a great dupe, formula wise, for the CeraVe Am moisturizer. I’ve never used anything from Honest, but I’ve heard great things and I’m excited to try this out.

Pacifica Vegan Ceramide Extra Gentle Facewash

This is another dupe for the gentle skin cleanser.

Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara

This has become my go to mascara. I never really liked the chunky mascara look the kind that makes it look like you have false but the more I’ve been doing my makeup and playing with eyeliner the more I really love that look of a super full textured eyelash.

Bounce Curl Define EdgeLift Brush

Every curly girl I know has been talking about this brush, saying they like it way more than the Denman brush. Shocking I know. I just got a life-changing haircut that’s making me wanna wear my hair properly curly again so I’m gonna get this and test it out.

Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Activating Mousse

This has become a pivotal part of my routine, leaving me with super defined, but also really soft and bouncy curls. I’m going to be doing a crow routine on my Instagram for this soon.

Sephora Collection Intensive Ink 12hr Classic Felt Eye Liner

Saie Lip Liner 101: Creamy & Nourishing Lip Pencil- Flirt and Wink

Looking for:

A great light coverage, almost skin tint, foundation that can still have my freckles pop through.

Home

I am in the process, as some of you may know, of redoing my apartment in a way that helps my productivity and overall clutter in my life. I am getting super close to finishing and there are few DIY touches I want to add to tie the bow on this project. This has been a major distraction from making art and certain styles of content, so I am EAGER to get this over with.

Mood Fabrics Cotton Voile Lining - Swan White - Famous Australian Designer Deadstock

I am planning on making some light curtains for different spots in my apartment. I keep seeing these sheer drapes that are layered to make images with the changing opacity, which I want to try. My sewing skills are advanced beginner, AT BEST, so this feels like a bit of a challenge that I can maybe handle.

Select Blinds Natural Cordless Woven Wood Shades

So these will not actually be for windows… I have this cabinet above my kitchen island that opens up a perfect view into my extremely not cute kitchen. I am thinking of adding this shade under the cabinet so I can close off the kitchen portion and keeping the dining area clean and mess free. It my be dumb… but it also might be genius…

Looking for:

Closet systems….

And thus concludes the things I have been looking at buying.

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The TATTOO ARTIST MASTER LIST.

Out of every master list I’ve made, this is the one I’ve been most excited to put together. I asked my Instagram followers to send in their favorite tattoo artists from around the world, and this is the massive roundup we ended up with. I also added artists I’ve personally been tattooed by, along with a bunch whose work I’ve been obsessing over lately and would love to get tattooed by someday.

There are some seriously incredible artists in here — I personally went through every single submission. The layout ended up being way harder than I expected. I originally linked everyone’s Instagram accounts so you could easily click through, but when I checked last night, a bunch of the links were randomly redirecting to completely different accounts :/

Soooo for now, I’ve linked my personal add-ons, and if I get more time in the future I’ll slowly keep updating the rest. Until then, go explore, fall down some rabbit holes, and discover some new favorites.

Hope you enjoy!!

People who have tattooed me:

• Ruby May Quilter

  • LA

  • rubymayquilter

  • She is the GOAT and is the icon who did my back piece.

• Makeout_sesh

  • Brooklyn

  • makeout_sesh

• meatyworld

  • CA

  • meatyworld

• cole

  • NY

  • cruelbarb

• Alexander Pierre

  • Brooklyn NY

  • alexander__pierre

• Ella Sklaw

  • Brooklyn NY

  • sklaw_

• Ricky.sunshine

  • LA

  • ricky.sunshine

• Dirtyl00ks

  • Montreal

  • dirtyl00ks

• Elizabeth

  • LA

  • softfury

• Notsohardsweet

  • New Paltz NY

  • nothardsosweet

• Emile Bernardo

  • LA

  • emilebernardo

• Lexi Stahr

  • Brooklyn NY

  • bug.on.a.rug

• Kyle England

  • LA

  • kyle.england

• Bleeep

  • Berkeley

  • bleeep.png

• Sage Williams

  • NYC

• saageeey

  Artists I like:

• greenbarbz

  • LA

  • greenbarbz

• Matt Carigan

  • NYC

  • mattcarignan

• Horrrhaus

  • LA

  • horrrhaus

• Samosstudio

  • LA

  • samosstudio

• Jack Bad

  • Chicago

  • bad.badtattoos

• jackson.tattoos

  • Brooklyn NY

  • jackson.tattoos

• Log Tattoo

  • Japan

  • log_tattoo

• Maya

  • Brooklyn NY

  • leon_chambers_tattoo

• Aus

  • Seattle

  • austynmccall

• Sara Pike

  • Brooklyn NY

  • sarapike_

• Dayi

  • NYC

  • ouch.tattoos

• Gabrielle Widjaja

  • Brooklyn NY

  • gentle.oriental

• Ariel

  • NYC

  • arielisgood

• Kale

  • NYC

  • sexytattoofactory

• Jonatan

  • NYC

  • whatisheavenlike

• Clay Gibson

  • LA

  • claygibson

• orchid.jess.tt

  • LA

  • orchid.jess.tt

• Alessandro Moroder

  • LA

  • alessandromoroder

• Sab drescher

  • LA

  • stab.dee

• Lily Lew

  • Port Townsend WA

  • mamalilylew

• Chris Fernandez

  • NYC

  • chrisfernandeztattooing

• Spider Sinclaire

  • LA

  • Spidersinclaire

• Jasper James

  • NY

  • jasperjamestattoos

• Alberto Lelli

  • NYC

  • albertinodabologna

Your Reccomendations:

• Emma Skane-Lawrence

  • Southhampton UK

  • @skane_inks

• Gen Romo

  • Sacramento CA

  • @Genromotattoos

• Dommy Sullivan

  • Brighton, UK

  • @Skumclubj

• Neomaia

  • NYC

  • Neomaia.ink

• Blxck Rose Tattoo Studio

  • New Jersey

  • blxckrosetattoo

  • Artists:

  • @sydney_osso

  • @alyssasicoli

  • @catinahinz

  • @taylortattz

• Zik Tats

  • Vancouver

  • zik_tats

• Liam Sparkes

  • London

  • liamsparkesok

• 1928 Tattoo

  • Barcelona, Spain

  • 1928tattoo

• KissKissBangBang

  • Rome, Italy

  • kissbangroma

• Cutedirtydog

  • LA

  • cutedirtydog

• Softtissuetattoo

  • Philly

  • softtissuetattoo

• Michael Campitelli

  • Montreal

  • jankybangers

• Belle Atrix

  • San Diego

  • atrixbelle

• sara_dziara

  • Poland

  • sara_dziara

• Corina Weikl

  • NYC Aspen Colorado

  • trudy_lines_tattoo

• Kaleidoscope Tattoo Studio

  • Sydney

  • kaleidoscopetattoostudio

• Emily Brown in

  • Jacksonville, FL

  • embrown.tattoo

• Kasparplease

  • Copenhagen

  • kasparplease

• katelynrosetattoos

  • port moody, bc

  • katelynrosetattoos

• Cat Castro

  • Las Vegas

  • catcastrotattoos

• Delphine Noiztoy

  • Toulouse, France

  • delphinenoiztoy

• Sheila Marcello

  • New Jersey

  • sheilamarcello

• Victor J Webster

  • California

  • victorjwebster

• Georgia Porkchop

  • Toronto

  • georgia.porkchop

• Cagnecanine

  • Marseille, FR

  • cagnecanine

• Julianna Menna

  • Philly

  • juliannamenna

• Kimberly Graziano

  • Richmond, VA

  • bunnymachine

• suedesilver

  • Glendale, CA

  • suedesilvertattoo

• softgentlesafe

  • LA NYC VA

  • softgentlesafe

• Julia Hayes

  • Kingston, NY

  • hen.wife

• Matt Huff

  • Brooklyn NY

  • matthufftattoo

• Crybabyricecake

  • Brooklyn

  • crybabyricecake

• Pokeapolis

  • Minneapolis

  • pokeapolis

• Meara Cafferata

  • Rockland ME

  • mossspiglet

• Dino Nemec

  • Columbus, Ohio

  • Dinonemec

• Ellen Perry

  • NYC

  • ellentattoos

• nthn.tattoo

  • Montreal

  • nthn.tattoo

• Maya Goo

  • Berkeley, CA

  • mayagoo.tattoo

• Anna Wexler

  • ATX

  • moonstonetombstone

• Nat Power

  • ATX

  • natpowertat

• Emily No Good

  • ATX

  • bad.chuck

• Artists Sucker Punch

  • Brooklyn

  • @iris.tats @lerbwerld @genuine_soup @spikeyfruuuit @abbiwabbi3@toughbutton.tats

• misskwan

  • CA

  • misskwan

• greytattoos

  • Chicago

  • greytattoos

• aurevoir.gabriel

  • Paris

  • aurevoir.gabriel

• Andrew Mullen

  • Chicago

  • andrewmullentattoos

• Chaim Machlev

  • LA/Berlin

  • dotstolines

• Victoria Lee

  • victorialeetattoo

• Arnaud.L.vidricaire

  • NYC/Montreal

  • monsieurklean

• Dave Quiggle

  • Old Rose Tattoo in Temecula, CA

  • davequiggle

• Ola Grigorev

  • Ottawa, Canada

  • picsola

• Mike Gorman

  • Portland, Maine

  • mikegor

• Tony Pepperoni

  • Fort Collins, CO

  • tonytimetattoos

• drvg.store.cowgirl

  • PDX

  • drvg.store.cowgirl

• Simone Klimmeck

  • Germany

  • simoneklimmeck

• Clan of Tusk

  • Bruges, Belgium

  • lenleye.cot benvervotte

• Tyler Borich

  • LA

  • tylerborich

• se lee patuke

  • Madrid

  • ptatuke

• Twentysecondswan

  • NYC

  • twentysecondswan

• Jess Mascetti

  • NYC

  • jessmachete

• slipknotguy

  • Minneapolis

  • slipknotguy

• Mitchell Allison

  • Brooklyn NY

  • mitchellallison.studio

• James Dean Pruitt

  • Denver, CO

  • jd.pruitt

• Nakkab

  • NY

  • nakkabdoesit

• Francesco Ferrara

  • LA

  • francesco__ferrara_

• Julian Bast

  • MI

  • julianbast

• Chad Koeplinger

  • Nashville

  • chadkoeplingertattoo

• Mr. Blue

  • New Orleans

  • ______mr.blue_______

• marialainecough

  • Pittsburgh, PA

  • marialainecough

• Oskii

  • London

  • oski__________

• Monica

  • London

  • chaotic.tattoos

• ballini.ballini

  • Paris

  • ballini.ballini

• mip_tattoo

  • Japan

  • mip_tattoo

• Emelie-Viola

  • Stockholm, Sweden

  • violarooos

• Steven Morales

  • Dallas

  • datboysteve

• mo.no.tattoo

  • Barcelona

  • mo.no.tattoo

• TJ

  • Richmond, VA

  • rinoski.tattoo

• Maria C

  • Wellington, New Zealand

  • miss.crude.tattoo

• June Joyce

  • Warwick, RI

  • 4leafbug

• Waterstreetphantom

  • Calgary, Alberta

  • waterstreetphantom

• Valarie Vargas

  • Modern Classic Tattoos in London

  • valeriemodernclassic

• Samantha Hughs

  • Montreal

  • samsfindings

• Jade

  • Connecticut

  • misshoneyclub

• Fidjit

  • Glasgow

  • fidjit

• Evan Paul English

  • NYC Hudson Valley

  • evanpaulenglish

• Amanda Wachob

  • LA

  • pinpushed

• Rita Salt

  • Pawtucket

  • ritasalt

• Cloey Zikmund

  • Supplementary Tattoo Chicago IL

  • cloeyzikmund

• Sarazvieira

  • London

  • sarazvieira

• Jenna Bouma

  • New York

  • slowerblack

• Chloe

  • brasscitytattoo in Connecticut

• benzyandthejets

  • Decatur GA

  • benzyandthejets

• Bibi Abelle

  • Takoma Park, MD

  • bibi.abelle

• Caitlin Hackett

  • Oakland CA

  • caitlin_hackett

• sheetlessghost

  • NYC

  • sheetless.ghost

• Erika Vendett

  • Brooklyn NY

  • erikavendett

• Klair Tattoos

  • St Mary’s in Santa Barbara

  • klair.tattoo

• Weston Imhoff

  • San Rafael CA

  • westonimhoff

• nicocoen

  • Lafayette CO

  • nicocoen

• Micheline Haloul

  • Church Tattoo Austin TX

  • michelinehalloween

• Jon DeGroot

  • Buffalo, NY

  • wind_pisser

• babysfirstcig

  • Brooklyn NY

  • babysfirstcig

• Sam Doyle

  • Detroit MI

  • bodyruiner

• sofialmendros.ink

  • London

  • sofialmendros.ink

• katiejerwin

  • Brooklyn

  • katiejerwin

• Pony Lawson

  • NYC

  • ponylawson

• Agueb

  • Brighton UK

  • agueb_

• Sam Walker

  • Salt Lake City UT

  • magnolia_tats

• Mantaraetattoo

  • Austin TX

  • mantaraetattoo

• sitytattoos

  • NYC LA

  • sitytattoos

• paperboy_x

  • NYC

  • paperboy_x

• B Hayden

  • NYC

  • gayliltattoos

• turzel

  • NYC

  • turzel

• Luca Font

  • Milan NYC

  • lucafont

• bigyoink

  • Budapest

  • bigy0ink

• Sweet Pea

  • Totally Tattoo in Larchmont Village, Los Angeles

  • sweriet

• allieb.tats

  • NOLA

  • allieb.tats

• jack_tatts

  • NYC

  • jack_tatts_

• Joline Cappo

  • Brooklyn NYC

  • jojcap

• nikolettkapor

  • Switzerland

  • nikolettkapor

• Kait Hartman

  • LA

  • thankyouforpoking

• maid.of.flowers

  • Brooklyn NY

  • maid.of.flowers

• tattoo_vigee

  • Duluth GA

  • tattoo_vigee

• backhilljilltattoo

  • Milford, NH

  • backhilljilltattoo

• Dakota Jenner

  • Long Beach CA

  • dakotatattoo

• diii.tattoo

  • Berlin

  • diii.tattoo

• Molebulle

  • Montréal

  • molebulle

• Julia D’Alkmin

  • Brazil

  • aflowergirltattoo

• Rasmus

  • dontletmetattooyou

• macuwu

  • Spain

  • macuwu

• grill tattoo

  • Copenhagen

  • grill__tattoo

• Carly James

  • Atlanta GA

  • carlyjamestattoos

• Gilberta Vita

  • Puro Studio Milano

  • gilbertavita

• apro_lee

  • Korea

  • apro_lee

• travstattoos

  • New Jersey NY

  • travstattoos

• ludolamainbleue

  • Saint Ghislain Belgium

  • ludolamainbleue

• caue gottardi

  • Brooklyn NY

  • caue.gottard

• Chris Montes

  • `Austin TX

  • studiomontes

• Filthymedulla

  • In the Bloom Collective in Peoria IL

  • filthymedulla

• Spencer Rhoades

  • Chicago

  • ___dispencer___

• Dean Denney

  • western NC

  • deandenney

• nate smith

  • Tattoo Paradise in DC

  • natersmith

• leela blakey

  • moon baby in Taos, New Mexico

  • leelapokes

• turnipgirl_tattoo

  • Ft Lauderdale FL

  • turnipgirl_tattoo

• tadoula

  • Brooklyn NY

  • _tadoula_

• Amare With Love

  • Liverpool

  • amare.with.love

• Connie Gabbert

  • Portland OR

  • conniegabbert

• kaylie.inks

  • Indianapolis

  • kaylie.inks

• Julia Mei

  • Colorado

  • pineneedle.pokes

• Bree Lin

  • SF

  • breelintattoo

• cowgurl_bebop

  • Brooklyn NY

  • cowgurl_bebop

• frogmagik

  • Stockholm

  • frogmagik

• girlknewyork

  • New York

  • girlknewyork

• Meg Adamson

  • Portland OR

  • megadamson

• pollytatttoo

  • Crowthorne

  • pollytatttoo

• squids.ink

  • Brooklyn Oakland

  • squids.ink

• theaccount_tq

  • Ontario

  • theaccountant_tq

• Jess Chen

  • Toronto

  • __jesschen__

• donttellmymumtattoo

  • London Norwich

  • donttellmymumtattoo

• Parker Benayoun

  • Portland OR

  • parkermidnight

• Claudia Cutter

  • Allied Tattoo in Bushwick

  • claudiacuttertattoo

• ThePeachMoon

  • Tampa

  • thepeachmoon

• Anna D Williams

  • Los Angeles

  • annadwilliams

• Nick the Tailor

  • NYC

  • nickthetailor

• Freeorgy

  • NYC

  • freeorgy

• Aria Lee

  • Communion Tattoo - Austin TX

  • arialeetattoo4u

• Tim Lehi

  • Hawthorne FL

  • timlehi

• pinkprincezzz

  • NYC

  • pinkprincezzz

• Brian Kaneko

  • truenaturetattoo

• muk.tatouage

  • Paris France

  • muk.tatouage

• Ryanthepirate

  • Heartbreak Social Club in Dublin

  • the_pirate_tattoo

• Reba Slate

  • BK NY

  • flowers.for.all.occasions

• Kate Atom

  • NYC

  • kate.atom

• Molehole Tattoos

  • Berlin

  • molehole.tattoos

• Sean Harrington

  • New Orleans

  • seanharringtontattoo

• glisx

  • Miami

  • glisx

• Tessablueart

  • AZ

  • tessablueart

• Marilee Henson

  • Dallas TX

  • the.gutter.goblin

• Simon Ban

  • Brooklyn Oakland

  • squids.ink

• lotusofmyheart

  • Richmond VA

  • lotusofmyheart

• _ugco

  • Richmond VA

  • _ugco

• Eve Stuer

  • BK NY

  • evedoestattoos

• Jaime Farmer

  • Portland OR

  • blackmarrowtattoo

• Odni_poke

  • St Aug FL

  • odni_poke

• tat2friend

  • Fort Worth Texas

  • tat2friend

• chilli0il

  • LA

  • chilli0il

• Dima 3000

  • LA

  • lazy3000

• kei.inks

  • London

  • kei.inks

• Justin Turkus

  • Philadelphia PA

  • justinturkus

• Gretchen Gambill

  • Cygni Tattoo in Tacoma WA

  • gretchengambilltattoo

• Yulia Vita

  • Brooklyn NY

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• Jessi Preston

  • Portland OR

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• Erin Bauer

  • Cathedral Tattoo Chicago IL

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• Nick Judkins

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• Inkbish

  • LA

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• luwalstad

  • NY

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• cutler_darling

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  • cutler_darling

• witchofneedles

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• lilpeggyhill

  • NYC

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• Ignacio Ceroni

  • Oleander Tattoo in Chicago

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  • Seattle

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• patrick.edell

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• bowietats

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• mariquitx

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  • NY

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• __sinkhole

  • NYC

  • __sinkhole

• Rare_earth_images

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• inkslut2002

  • LA and NY

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• lyziloo

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• Danika Brooke

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• Brandon Ing

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• kerstintattoos

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• Sofija Kamasi

  • Chicago

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• Erich Foster

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• Zaktats

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• Anthony Medrano

  • Chicago

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• twodoors_open

  • Bucharest RO

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• Trevor Taylor

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• Lilac Cinema

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• Joey Hill

  • Nightschool Tattoo in Venice CA

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• Mac the Fruitbat

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You may be bored of hearing me talk about this subject, but this isn’t going to be me yapping about my own issues.

I asked my Instagram followers to share their productivity tips and tricks with me, to hopefully find the magic potion for my inability to stay on track. Upon looking at the responses, it seems like many of you also want this potion.

Now, I really don’t think there is a cure or one-size-fits-all solution to productivity problems, but I do think there are enough aids out there at this point that everyone can find their perfect match. It’s kinda like a Goldilocks situation, sure, there are a lot of options out there that all generally do the same thing, but each one caters to certain preferences that not everyone will connect with. Each of our magical brains is so deeply different, which is so wonderful, but also means we have to test out a bunch of options before we find the thing that's just right.

Here are some of the suggestions that you guys gave me, with a few of my own sprinkled in there.

• Expensive workout class, cant afford to miss it and you feel great after

• Pomodoro Method

• Meet up for coffee with someone who wakes up early

• Google Calendar

• Make the most of small productive bursts: “do what you can, when you can.”

• Make a written list in order of priority, with timing

• Set a timer for yourself and see how much you can get done in a certain amount of time- gamify it

• Put all your tasks into a wheel and spin it so you dont have to make the choice

• App blocking app- Brick, Opal

• The AntiPlanner

• Fire sounds in the background while you work

• Set rewards for different tasks- like chocolate or a fun drink

• Put all tasks, no matter how small, into a reminder or task app- Streaks, Trello, Tick Tick

• Alarms- Hatch Alarm Clock

• If it only takes 2 minutes, do it right when you think of it

• Only set 3 tasks a day

• A stim hand toy

• Kikkerland Habit Tracker

• Hand written lists/ sticky notes

• Lock tf in

• Children’s fridge chore charts

• One song rule- put on a song and do as much as you can before it ends

• Have someone bully you into it- accountability partner

• Habit stacking- behavioral strategy that involves attaching a new habit to an already established, consistent routine, making it easier to adopt and maintain new behaviors.

• Body doubling- working alongside someone else

I am not new to a lot of these methods, but there are a few that really stood out to me that I want to try: Task Wheel, Habit Stacking, and One Song Rule. I think I’ll start a little series on here where I test each of these for a couple of weeks at a time and see how my productivity changes or doesn’t.

I hope you guys found this helpful!! Also, if you have any other suggestions, please leave them in the comments, and I will add them in.

Stay focused.

Xx Ella

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Happy Monday, how are you??

Short intro today because I have much cleaning to be done before the week starts… BUT I will say this is an all time collection of beaded things. I want to bead a pair of ballet flats so badly omg…

Enjoy!

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What an emotional roller coaster.

My mom has been in town for the past two weeks, and we have been on a journey.

One day, when we were going back to my apartment to pick Jerry up for a walk, she went in for the first time in many years. Part of me wishes she hadn’t, but the other part is really grateful it happened, because I don’t think anything would have gotten me to where I am right now.

It’s almost everyone’s worst nightmare to have a parent, but specifically mom, come in, go through all your stuff, ask why you have this or why you have it set up this way, or lovingly judge the space you’ve created.

Maybe it’s just me.

Over the past few years of having my studio in my apartment, I have developed this shame around my space and an embarrassment that had never been there before. I wasn’t inviting people over besides my boyfriend. All the content I was making online was framing out the clutter and mess that had taken over my apartment, like the hoarder I have become.

I know it’s been causing me a lot of stress and anxiety, but I didn’t want to own up to it because I didn’t know how I could fix it on my own. There’s a reason it got to this level, and it’s my inability to figure out a storage situation or a general flow because I had so much stuff that made it worse. The stuff accumulates from either me accepting donations of art materials, or taking lightly used furniture from my recycling area, or from brands just sending me stuff. I feel immense guilt about saying no out of fear that they will find me ungrateful. There were many excuses I made for why my place got to where it is, but in reality, it was because it just felt beyond my control.

As my mom walked into my apartment, my heart tightened.

Did I clean up enough before she came?

Does it smell like trash in here? Not that my apartment usually smells like trash, but you never know, I could become nose blind.

Did I clean up the hair on the edge of my bathtub?

It was like the stress that I felt when my mom would go through my high school bedroom, and I would be freaked out that she’d find my weed. Now I don’t care if she finds my weed; I care that I have lived up to the standard she set for living. I didn’t want to disappoint her. The moment she walked in and started looking around, even just trying to find a place to sit, I knew that I had failed. I left her alone in my apartment and went to take Jerry out, which turned into a walk that triggered mind spirals.

Was I gonna get a stern talking to when I got back?

I’m an adult now, so it’s not like I can get in trouble, but I know she cares about my well-being, and the state of my place is not conducive to someone who is in a good state of mind. When I came back, she brought up the clutter, and my heart sank. I felt like I wanted to crumble into a pile at the foot of the stairs and hold onto her leg and tell her I’m sorry. She kept walking around slowly, edging her way upstairs. I yelled at her, “No, no, no, no, please don’t go upstairs,” and she turned around and looked at me and said, “Oh, I’m already up here.” The downstairs has always felt chaotic and cluttered, in a way that I could excuse as an aesthetic choice, but the upstairs is like a black hole. Nothing has a place; everything feels cluttered, and there’s just excess. It’s really embarrassing, to be quite honest.

She looked around with a sad look on her face, telling me that being in here is making her stressed out, and she can’t imagine how I can live in here without feeling the deep repercussions of so much chaos. And it’s true. I have experienced a seriously insane amount of anxiety surrounding my apartment over the past few years, and I’ve never been able to really pinpoint what it was in my space causing it.

Still, I just knew working here and living here gave me a tightness and a lack of rest that I couldn’t escape. I felt like my apartment was the boogeyman, and I was a little girl afraid of him coming out of my closet.

We then went to meet Charlie for brunch, not really getting into it much into what had just happened, but I knew her gears were turning. We made a plan to spend Sunday cleaning.

I felt such a sense of shame and embarrassment, and it put me in such a confused mood. I never thought I was the kind of person who could let myself get to this point. I don’t think anyone thinks they’re the kind of person who would be like that, which is how it happened. I was so on edge and feeling so emotionally drained. I was extremely sensitive and being a bitch, the dumb fight that Charlie and I got into that night was a clear indication of that.

Something about me is that I hate being called out, but when I am, I take it to heart and move forward. But I need help, and I hate asking for help. I feel like throughout my life there have been so many periods where I break down and need the people around me to pick me back up, and after a while, it starts to feel like you’re the problem.

I think we can all agree, no one wants to be the problem.

When my mom came over the next day, she told me how she wanted to cry after leaving my apartment and how emotional it made her feel to think about me living in such clutter. It made me sad because, obviously, there’s a reason she was feeling that way, and I knew exactly what it was, cause I’ve been feeling it for a while now.

Once we got the tears out and locked in on what actually needed to be done, we started moving in a rhythm that felt so nostalgic. When I was younger, my mom would tell my brother and me that Labor Day was supposed to be a day where we just did chores all day, and this felt exactly like that.

We started with the downstairs because that felt like the easiest and most important place to tackle, as it’s easier to hide what’s going on upstairs, and that needed a little more in-depth organizational help. I bought giant trash bags and began just getting rid of stuff that should’ve been thrown out a while ago. Random broken things I was dead set on fixing. Old containers without lids and other things that were accumulating and taking up space that could be used for the stuff I actually need.

All the saving is coming from a really good place. I want to use things as much as I can, and if there’s a way I can save it to reduce waste, I want to. At a certain point, you don’t have enough time in the day to be able to do all of those projects, and you have to let go. I had a whole box of supplements that I didn’t even know had expired, and I was saving them for some reason. Well, I guess I was saving them because I didn’t know that they expired. You know, come to think of it, there were a lot of things I didn’t know that were actually expired, and I was holding onto them since I lived with my last boyfriend. She also became aware of the massive stash of honey I have, because sometimes I forget to adjust my Misfits Market order enough and end up with 14 jars.

A lot of this collecting, I’ll call it collecting instead of hoarding for my own sake, really did come from a good place. If it didn’t come from a good place, it just came from pure laziness and forgetfulness, which is definitely worse, but with the handful of years that I’ve had, I’ll give myself the benefit of the doubt.

I spent the next week at home, going through my closet instead of in my studio. Sorting through my archive of clothing and basically anything that I own, and holding it like the princess Marie Condo did and asking myself, “does this spark me any joy?” “Is this from a major moment in my life that I want to keep, even if I don’t wear it, or does it even fit me?”

If any of those questions were no, it went into a donation pile, a crossroads trading company pile, or a real real pile. I was able to remove what feels like more than 50% of my belongings, and just knowing they were gonna be gone instantly gave me a relief I’ve never felt before. Funny enough, Crossroads is on its way right now to come pick up their massive haul.

While deeply humbling and embarrassing, this cleaning experience so far has opened me up to a lot about myself and how I thought I wanted to live versus how I actually feel I need to live. I always thought that being surrounded by stuff made me feel less alone and made me feel like I was in a cozy cave of comfort, where I was actually in a psychiatric padded room filled with shit that I didn’t need. I know that may sound harsh, but I think another thing I learned is that I haven’t been harsh enough with myself. I haven’t put barriers around the things that I let into my life. I thought more stuff would mean more happiness because I could surround myself with color and cute things I loved. Still, it was actually causing me such daily discomfort that it was building into a big crescendo of unhappiness bleeding into different parts of my life I didn’t even realize.

No one’s design aesthetic is clutter. I know that a lot of people might not agree, but I really don’t think it is a sustainable way to live, and that’s coming from someone who’s lived like that for my whole life. We are in a time when everything is about buying, looking, and being influenced. I think everyone needs to have space in their life that feels really thoughtful. Gives space for breath and general room to take a pause. Now that’s not to say you need a massive apartment to do this. I think it’s just being really intentional about what you bring into your life because once it’s in your life, it becomes a part of you. I think in this stage of capitalism we’re in, when you can buy everything and have it all at once, it’s really hard to remember that.

This experience also showed me how deep a mother’s love can go. Now, I love my mom so much, and Mom, I know you’re gonna probably read this: I love you so much, and you really changed my life doing this. But it made me so emotional thinking about how empathetic you need to be and how much care you have to have for someone to help them do things like this, especially when you’re an adult needing help like this. It felt so raw and open to be able just to let someone in on a lot of the harsh realities I have put myself through in my way of living and routine, realities I hadn’t opened up to anyone about. I say harsh reality in a very dramatic way. I think my situation, compared to many people who are actually hoarding, is very small. But I say ‘hoarding’ because I can see how this act and this feeling can lead to something like that if left uninterrupted.

Now look, the apartment isn’t done, as my mom says there’s still a long way to go, and it will take a very long time, but even just starting this journey has made me feel so proud of myself and proud of the way that I’m retaking control in my life to feel more fulfilled and just more at peace. In a world where everything is uncertain and nothing feels safe, you need to feel that safety in your own space.

As always, thank you guys for giving me the space to open up about this stuff. I can’t even tell you how cathartic and awesome it feels.

Xx Ella

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Happy Sunday!

I’ve been in a bit of a creative rut recently. It’s been more than just recently, but it has come to a head as I have talked about in my past pieces.

I thought the studio space would immediately solve all my problems, but alas, that was wishful thinking and the rut still persists. My mom came over to my apartment yesterday for the first time in a really long time and crowned me as a hoarder. Not a capital H hoarder, but definitely an issue with holding onto things I don’t need. I’m currently waiting for her to come over to help me start the process of rearranging and decluttering my apartment, so I’m in a little bit of a funk today about that and a bit embarrassed that I’ve let it get to this point.

Here are some textile things that have inspired me recently, and make me want to climb out of my rut. I’m specifically really obsessed with the floor poof because I have the perfect insert to make my own.

Bunny Scarf Pattern

Cardigan Pattern|

Hope you enjoyed and found some inspiration!

Xx Ella

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It’s been a while since I lasted a Soft Pins.

Pinterest just hadn’t been very inspiring to me for a bit and I wasn’t turning to it for creative stimulation anymore. But in the past couple of weeks, I’ve fallen back in love with it and have actually found some really cool references and new artists and knitwear designers that are really exciting to me, so I’m bringing this series back on the hyper-specific things on an Int basis. Woo hoo! I think of all the groupings I have done, my favorite are the hyper-specific groupings. Sometimes I’ll just find one image of reference that I really like, go to all of the suggested pins, godown a rabbit hole, and end up finding 30 really sick things that just work well together.

With that being said, welcome to a collection of really cool and artistic bathroom tiling. If I had a space that I could renovate like that, I would 100% do something insane like this to the bathroom. There’s such beauty in letting the material slightly control the design colorway of the space.

Let’s get into it with the pin that started it ALL.

This concrete one actually blew my mind.

This one was another that sent me spiraling.

Hope you enjoyed all of the bathroom inspo! Which one is your favorite…

Xx Ella

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Like, no social media at all. Ok, fine, I used Pinterest, but I don’t think that really counts because I use it as a work resource rather than a social platform.

A couple of weeks ago, I hit a breaking point. I looked at myself in the mirror and asked myself, “Why can’t I get anything done?”

The answer was a mix of losing control of my studio in my apartment, leading me into a constant cleaning frenzy, and avoiding all the work I should be doing. BUT, it was also my inability to not get sucked into social media for an exorbitant amount of time when I just meant to check a message. It’s that reflex that we have all developed, almost like patting your pockets for your keys and wallet, that feels out of our control. It’s a gut reaction to any time spent doing nothing, even if it’s just getting a couple of seconds of solitude, that are filled with online nonsense and observing everyone else’s day but your own.

This breaking point came as I was trying to put stuff away in my living room and got sent a reel that led me down a 30-minute scroll. I had a very specific amount of time planned for this task, and it was gone before I finished, all because of this side quest. It started making me think about how much time a day I actually waste doing that exact thing. Even little spurts of 2-minute “scroll sessions” add up to a solid amount of your time that you could be using for quite literally ANYTHING ELSE.

I always felt a strong sense of guilt when wanting to take a break from social media. My mind always jumped to people getting clowned back in the day (lol, it was like 10 years ago) for posting about leaving social media. I never really understood why people would get so bent out of shape for that. Instagram specifically had become almost a contact book for people in your life in the same way Facebook was in the early 2010’s. You disappear on Instagram for too long, and you don’t have everyone in your DMs phone numbers, that’s a whole relationship that’s changing now.

That’s a whole other thing.

Why do I no longer feel it necessary to have people’s numbers?

Maybe that’s just a me thing, because I communicate and surround myself with a lot of fairly online people, but I think everyone has that tendency these days. I catch myself saying, “let’s finally take our friendship out of DMs,” like it’s Tinder or something. It’s something I’ve noticed a lot, and it just deepened my need for a reset.

My unplugged week was from Monday to Sunday, a full 7 days to earn back. I had written out the whole list of everything I wanted to get done in my last essay: making some crafted things, cleaning out my fridge, and going through my closet. The Friday before I was supposed to start this productivity week, I went to go see a studio space I had found very randomly on Craigslist. Studio spaces have become as hard to find as a four-leaf clover. Either they are a hundred-square-foot box with no windows for over $1000, or they are in Long Island City (which is extremely far from where I live) and the perfect space. Forget finding a spot in the city, it’s like having a whole other apartment, if not more.

I saw the place, fell in love, and immediately put in my application when I got home. A part of me was expecting this long, drawn-out waiting period to see if I was accepted and to have a peaceful week of work without distractions. Another part knew it would come in the next 24 hours. A few other people were seeing the spot after me, so it put some fuel in my fire.

Saturday afternoon, while I was walking Jerry at the park, I was accepted, and thus began my week of crafting and packing.

(My actual reaction to being accepted)

The timing of everything was pretty perfect. I now had this whole week unplugged to get my shit together.

In the 2.5 years I’ve been working out of my apartment, I’ve acquired quite a bit more stuff than I had in other spaces. Pounds of donated yarn, random furniture from my building’s recycling areas, material scraps for my spike balls, and just generally A LOT more material hoarding than appropriate.

Fun fact: I have never thrown away a the cones from my yarn ever since I started working with it. Each of these are worth a pound of yarn.

In hopes of killing two birds with one stone, I started using the yarn I had way too much of to make projects. I started with a version of this top I had found on Pinterest.

I’ve made a slightly different version of this silhouette a few times, though not with this ruffling aspect. I’ve been wanting to challenge myself to make ruffles on my machine for a while now, but I just haven’t found anything I wanted to make.

I’m going to make a tutorial on the top once I get settled into my space.

The top was a pretty quick make, maybe half the day, but the crochet edge along the edges has been torturous. Between doing hundreds of tiny single crochets and using a paint roller all day, my hands are getting quite the workout.

The second project I made to destash was a blended scrap mohair sweater. I’ve had all this mohair stashed away for YEARS. I don’t know what it is about mohair that makes me so adverse to using it, but I have only used about 1 ball in my decades of collecting yarn. I’ll make a tutorial of the sweater because, as simple as the design is, it’s SUCH a comfy shape.

Once I finished my projects, I had to start packing up my studio. I filled a duffel bag with every yarn I have ever acquired and held onto like a baby blanket. So many yarns I even forgot I had, getting stashed away again until they settle into their new home, yet again, waiting to be used. Along with packing, I did a lot of planning for my yarn storage. I have never had a proper storage solution that could handle and properly color-organize my collection until now (hopefully).

I did some deep diving on Pinterest to see how other people are setting up their spaces, not just studio spaces, but all spaces. I have a running board that I save:my home set-up dream spaces, and it actually has a lot of attainable ideas that could work with my new layout. I came across this pin that changed everything.

This

is the EXACT situation i need to have all of my yarn accessible AND organized by color. After some research I found that most of these are indeed custom built, rude, but I came across this…

Of course, IKEA makes the exact thing I need. I am getting four of these to create a wall of yarn storage. I am also going to be getting another set of pegboards to continue my wall of cone yarns, which I had already started. I still get giddy just thinking about it.

This is really the only thing I need to get. I am bringing a lot of furniture from my apartment that I had been ready to part with and replacing it with furniture I had squirreled away in storage. It’s perfect. I’m so excited. I feel so grateful to have a space like this.

Along with all of the studio and work stuff, I spent this week connecting with friends and family. Trying to reach out to more of them that wouldn’t usually get the time that social media sucked up. It was really jarring to see how little I usually keep up with people when I get sucked into the algorithm.

Now, I will never get off social media. It’s my job, and it’s actually a lot of fun for me most of the time, but I am going to set some ground rules for this relationship. We got in a big fight, had to take a break, and now we are rebuilding. Some ways I am going to set this up for myself: scheduling free scroll times during the day, blocking out time to post for work, and continuing to use the brick during my actual workday. I want to treat it with the same rigid schedule I try to set up for my studio time; it’s just as much of a time suck, but it’s also just as much a part of my job, so I need to treat it as such.

If you haven’t taken a week offline and actually can, I highly suggest it. It was the perfect reset I needed.

Xx Ella

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I don’t even think it’s just recently. I think I’ve always had this problem… I just can’t seem to get my shit together.

Every time I feel like I’m on a good path and making good strides in what I wanna do, something absolutely rattles me out of it. Sometimes, at a dramatic life event, I’m not taking my meds a…

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Really excited to be back with another tutorial. This one has been extra fun because it is so simple and the piece itself is so cute. I’ve come across a variety of versions of this top on Pinterest and Instagram, but never been able to find a clear pattern for it. I had this pin saved for so long of a piece Twiles Crochet made and I just had to make one of my own. This is a really great piece for machine knitting beginners because there is no shaping and it’s a good lesson in construction.

In the video, you will learn how to pattern the top based off of your own measurements (machine and hand knit), knit the piece on the machine, and assemble it ( machine and hand knit ).

I show you a diagram in the video that you can draw yourself, but I’m also going to attach a template that I made to make it a bit easier.

Hope you guys enjoy!

Xx Ella

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When I was 13, I started really experimenting with my style.

I discovered Tumblr and the profound depths that my depression could reach, and began to let that take my life over. I spent mornings and nights reblogging photos of Sky Ferreira and soft grunge girls who embodied my dream aesthetic. I didn’t quite fit the ideal aesthetic, or body type, but that didn’t stop me.

As many performative teen girls like me did, I would skate down to my local CVS and buy SPLAT box-dye kits, spending the rest of the night dyeing streaks of my hair pink and blue while watching MTV reruns of Jersey Shore. My parents never really cared about how I expressed myself; they would make fun of me for sure, but I never got in trouble for it the way some of my friends did. Dying my hair turned into alternative dressing, which led me to the alt-girl final boss of gauging my ears. It’s hard to put into words the chip on my shoulder that gauging my ears gave me.

I spent so much time and effort into the way I looked, the kookier I could be, the hotter I felt. I didn’t care that none of the guys found me attractive, that wasn’t the point, I was craving individuality and self expression. Everything I did had to be different than what was around me. As someone who grew up in West LA, it wasn’t hard to separate myself from the army of Brandy Melville girls who swarmed the streets.

I spent hours on eBay in class trying to find the perfect Y2K club-kid looks and the highest-quality platform sneakers on the market. These little research adventures led me to my first pair of Dr. Martens. They weren’t the average black leather boots you could expect, or even the black with the tiny flowers that dominated my feeds. They were a plastic-y pair of blue plaid boots, heavily worn, that cost about $50.

It’s hard to explain how excited I was to get these shoes. They felt like a rite of passage to the grunge look I wanted so bad. The first day I wore them to school, obviously paired with my American Apparel disco pants and tattoo choker, everyone thought they were rain boots and gave me shit. I didn’t care. They were dorks who didn’t understand fashion, at least thats what I told myself.

During this time, I was going through a pretty tough mental health crisis that caused me a lot of pain internally and externally. I turned to craft as a calming mechanism to distract my body from the crippling anxiety and depression that was destroying me. One of my favorite crafts to do was customizing anything and everything I owned. Every backpack was filled with patches and drawings, I would make these insanely intricate sets of fake nails that I would never wear, and all my walls were filling up with little paintings. It was now my time to give the new shoes the “ella treatment”.

I sat at my little desk in my room, staring at the boots and all the little bits and bobs I had lying around that could transform them with. I am, and always have been, a material hoarder, so there as never been a lack of things for me to repurpose. I had these baby girl rosettes that I found at a Goodwill and was waiting to find the perfect use for them. I still have a solid amount left for another project. I sewed a ring of roses around the top opening of the shoes, a simple yet impactful DIY.

I wore these daily for a very long time.

DIY and customization gave me a sense of creative purpose and a reason to focus on something that wasn’t my dwindling emotional state. I carried this practice throughout my life, serving as the perfect coping mechanism to keep my mind and hands active. Every shoe was painted or stitched, and every jacket scribbled on like it was my diary. It became my own little styling trademark.

As I have grown up and built my career around craft, sharing this love for customization and how it’s become a soother for my soul has become my main goal. Making the change to community-based events from modeling has served as its own coping mechanism for me. It’s terrific to craft alone, but seeing that spark ignite in other people is indescribable.

I had this idea to do a UGG customization for a few years now, not as a whole event, but just as a little social partnership. It has been patiently waiting in Procreate for its time to shine. I had never really pushed it, due to UGG being a massive company with lots of people who want to partner with them, and not feeling strong enough in the idea that customization was a good enough reason to throw money into an event. As the concept simmered, I hosted more knitting clubs and started branching out into DIY craft-based events that were a little more accessible to non-crafty people. Knitting and crochet have a higher barrier to entry than doing a little customization, at least in my opinion.

During this past fashion week, I was invited to a UGG event to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season. I never expected to hardcore pitch the team at events like this, but when I found myself with my friend Adam Eli at the bag charm-making station, chatting with the UGG team, I had to. I told them about my love of the boots and just how I have used craft in my life to build community and calm my mind. I stealthily wove in the idea that had been waiting so patiently to be brought to the forefront. They loved it.

What started as a fun event idea turned into an email chain, which eventually led to the intro call for our collab event. It’s rare for a team to be so on board with an idea like this, down to sourcing materials from independent Etsy sellers and small-scale fabric producers to make patches. They saw the vision and the opportunity to bring the community together and learn something new. While they gathered the supplies, I started diving into shoes. It was like being transported back to my childhood room with my docs. I sat in my bed in front of my TV, the bed covered in beads and little crochet patches, feeling this full-circle moment come to a close.

It’s moments like that that make me so utterly grateful for what I do. Being able to share the things that have brought me so much joy and peace with a company that sees them as valuable enough to help make them happen.

This was one of those events that I now look back at and feel immensely proud of not letting up.

This is your sign to keep that idea.

Let it simmer.

Let it change.

But never let it entirely go, because you never know when it will pop back up and turn into something even bigger.

Love you guys, thanks for giving me space to brain dump about this.

Xx Ella

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I think it’s social media’s fault.

I hate to add another essay into the universe about social media, and this won’t really be about social media, I promise, but I have found myself needing to write about this.

I usually feel embarrassed writing “think pieces” like this. Not that I find them embarrassing, but more so that I feel a sense of imposter syndrome when writing them.

Who am I to be a sharer of knowledge in this field?

I quite literally am just brain dumping.

After I wrote my most recent essay for @sexhappens about living with boyfriends, I fear it unlocked this writing bug inside me that wants to infest Substack- sorry, I just got a moth larvae infestation in my yarn, it’s on the mind.

For as long as I can remember, I have had this remarkable inability to create a routine for myself. In my pre-skincare routine youth, it would be hard enough to remember to brush my teeth. I long to be that hyper-vigilant person who wakes up at 6 am and has their self-care morning before they dive into their regular day. Maybe that’s my issue. It’s not just a special thing that happens on special days. That routine IS a part of your day.

There’s a feeling inside me that I can’t seem to shake. It’s not ADD or ADHD; I know people with it, and it’s different. This feeling is easy to conflate with it, though, in the same way people who like to be organized or like their hair a certain way say they have OCD. In reality, they don’t.

This feeling is more akin to the new level of distraction constantly presented to us, with or without our consent.

For me, it’s the feeling of rush. I am trying to get so much done in the span of 24 hours that I will sacrifice the things I need to do to keep myself sane, to keep pushing out content and making more and more art. It’s the feeling that if I don’t have something incredibly cool and viral ready to post, then I am going to fall behind. But in reality, it’s the constant pressure to be productive at all times that’s making me fall behind.

I can’t tell if this is something everyone feels.

Do better.

Do more.

Be even MORE efficient than yesterday.

While this has existed forever, social media is speedrunning productivity and expectations of people in a way I have never seen before. Constantly consuming all this content about being productive and the ways that you can enhance your productivity, while sitting on your phone, ignoring all the “normal” things you need to do.

I think social media has also given people the impression that everything in their lives should be photo-ready. Now, obviously, not everyone feels this, but I think the group I’m talking about, who gets affected by social media this way, will understand. With this other pressure, you spend even more time on something that should be quick, done, and already part of your routine, so you can actually get to doing the things you want and/or need to do for work.

I’m trying really hard to exist in my own world in this next year, not feeling pressured to make everything cute or aesthetically pleasing to others. I have to accept that’s not who I am, and I really think that the more I can let go of that, the easier a time I’ll have waking up in the morning and having my list of non-negotiables.

Here are some of my non-negotiables:

• Drink a glass of water in the morning.

• Wash face/ Skincare

• Brush Teeth

• Jerry Routine

• Put away all dirty dishes in the kitchen. (I get the most distracted during the day when my kitchen is dirty)

• Move everything off my stairs up to my closet. I will deal with it at night.

One thing that’s helped recently is carrying around a little notebook and writing my to-do lists in there, and I can’t move on to the next task until I fully finish the first one. I know you’ll be like “Ella, obviously I’ve tried writing lists. That’s such a dumb suggestion.” I will say, though, when I was first writing a list, I would write everything I could think of that I needed to get done,. It could’ve been a list for the whole week. With this new list method, I put three or four things I know I can actually get done within the timeframe, excluding any cleaning or self-care. I’m trying to make that just a part of my life. I’m keeping it to work-related things or small errands that I can get done and cross off my list.

I think the hardest thing about this productivity issue, or just not being able to finish anything, is that I spend every day feeling like I’ve gotten nothing done, even if I have. It really hurts my confidence in an industry that relies heavily on self-motivation and self-belief. The issue is that I know I can do it, but I need that click moment.

I don’t know what will cause that click moment, but I think, for a start, I’m gonna try to do 10 days straight of my non-negotiables and see if that can build a habit. Isn’t that a thing?

You can build any habit in 10 days.

My first day starts tomorrow, seeing as I already started the day distracted.

What do you guys do to help keep a routine? Any and all suggestions welcomed and appreciated.

Xx Ella

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I’ve put together a mix of wellness products that have genuinely improved my day-to-day life, along with a few pieces from my favorite makers.

There’s a lot of discourse around gift guides this year—and honestly, I get both sides. If you’re a gift-guide hater, please don’t shame people for making them; a lot of folks simply enjoy reading them and seeing what others love. And for the gift-guide lovers, try not to promote over-consumption. There’s definitely a point where these lists start encouraging unnecessary spending, which isn’t helpful for anyone. There’s no real right or wrong here.

That being said, I did my best to curate a list of things I actually use or would truly use in my own life.

Welcome to the gift guide…

Textiles

Ur Gf - Basics Tommy Sweater ( $250)

Makena is an excellent LA-based knitwear designer who hand-makes all of her pieces in her studio. She made this sweater a little while ago and I simply cant stop thinking about it.

Bailey Goldberg- Star Beanie ($90)

If you know me, you know Bailey Goldberg, the master beanie maker. I will shout him out any time I can because he truly makes such a fantastic beanie with really colorful and playful designs. I am adding this with the knowledge that he currently doesn’t have any stock available, but he adds new styles regularly.

Josefine Dyring- Bowling Bag Knit Kit ($72)

Josefine was one of the first smaller knitwear brands that I saw turning their patterns into kits, and it has been so inspiring to me. A lot of her work uses scrap yarn and high contrast colors, leaving you with a fun knit and a colorful new piece to add to your wardrobe.

Stahl Knit- Ribbed Knit T-shirt ($145)

Stahl Knit makes such fun, unique pieces that are great basics for your closet. All handmade, they’re really good at experimenting with fun silhouettes that make you question if this is even the knit.

Clothing

Lou Equipment- Wax Bag ($145)

My friend Bailey turned me on to this brand. They make a lot of amazing, simple t-shirts that I will be getting, as well as this multifunctional tote. It features a customizable strap and waxed material, making it perfect for winter weather.

Emily Dawn Long- River Shawl ($298)

Everything Emily makes is incredibly chic and high quality, but this 100% wool shawl has stuck with me since she released it. It can be worn as a traditional shawl, top, skirt, and truly whatever way you think of. It’s a multi seasonal staple that will be perfect for the fabulous person in your life.

Cleo Camp- Cleo Tee ($82)

Cleo has really made the perfect shirt. With a high neck and a low back, it adds a new dimension to your basic tee. Funny enough, Cleo and I went to high school together, and it’s really awesome to see people you grew up with starting their own brands and making really great products. I’m pretty sure this shirt is also reversible which is a huge plus in my book.

Sara Rabin- Swan Tee ($60)

Sara is one of my favorite artists of all time. She has such a gentle hand that translates so beautifully on print and also in clothing. She turns many of her prints into T-shirts you can buy, which is a favorite thing artists do, in my opinion. She also collaborates with brands to create prints for their products.

Plain Jane- Shortie Tee ($42 for 1 $99 for 3)

If you were around when I was making the white T-shirt master list, you definitely know Plain Jane New York. Of all the shirts I tried out, this one really came out on top with its comfortable feel and really customizable shape. They make all of their basic tees in different sleeve lengths so you can find the one that’s right for your body.

Rummage Stretch- Yellow Nike Fanny Pack ($55)

Rummage stretch is new to me, but I’m so happy I found it. They curate vintage workout wear from all around. They release it, and drops which have become very popular, so definitely keep your eye out for the next one. This is one of the few things they still have in stock.

Wellness

Intake Breath- Beginner Nose Strips ($49.99)

I’m usually not want to fall for Instagram ads, but this one really got me. I’ve started running more and one of the biggest things that stops me when I run is not being able to breathe. I wanted to see if there was something that would help him, but without my nostrils, and obviously, my phone was listening to me, and this came up. It was well worth it because I can now run properly with open airways.

Brick- App Blocker ($59)

My dear friend Danya convinced all of our friends to get this app blocker to help us recenter our lives in reality, and it honestly hasn’t disappointed. Once you get over the existential dread of being at the point where we need something like this to get off our phones, it’s actually a great product—and a great gift.

Rolflex- Arm and Leg Massager ($72.96)

A friend recommended this to me a while ago, and I only recently tried it at my boyfriend’s parents’ house—and I am changed. As someone who works a lot with my hands, I find it hard to stretch my upper forearms properly. This is the solution.

If this price isn’t in your budget, I also love this body roller from RadRoller:

RadRoller- Everywhere Multitool ($24.99)

This is something that I bring whenever I travel. It’s like a detailer foam roller; it gets into all the nooks and crannies that the bigger ones can't reach. It’s been truly life changing.

Misc.

Bailey Hikawa- Geta Phone Case ($49)

Okay… I know this looks wild—just hear me out. Bailey sent me this phone case years ago, and I tried it on my phone just for a laugh. I didn’t take it off for three years, until I upgraded my phone. It’s incredibly comfortable in your hand.

There are many things I could say about how excellent this case is, but the highest compliment I can offer is that it survived a fall from a cliff without a scratch.

Ariel Kellogg- Leon Brooch ($80)

Ariel is a fantastic jewelry designer and vintage curator who blends her two loves to create gorgeous, humorous pieces. She offers a wide variety of styles- brooches, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and more.

Paul Georgio- Steel Incense Holder (CA79.99)

Paul is an extremely sick furniture designer. I featured his keyring holder in my last gift guide and feel like this is a perfect follow-up to that. I love how he turns functional items into wall art.

Caroline Mills- X3 Print ($25)

Caroline is one of my favorite illustrators of all time. She blends pop culture with her own artistic style leaving you with a burst of color. She also hand-draws on vintage clothing; they sell out quickly, so keep your eyes out for that.

Janie Korn- Korn Candle ($84)

Janie’s candles are always a go-to when it comes to gift-giving. She hand-makes all the candles, even offering custom portraits of yourself or your dog.

Ceramics

Meg Hubert- Have a Good Day Mug (CA60)

Meg’s ceramics are destined to make your morning a bit happier. Her joyful designs mixed with well crafted vessels makes for a perfect treat for someone in your life. I really love her huge of massive handles on the mugs.

Danny D’s Mud Shop- Speed Vase ($165)

Danny works out of his LA-based ceramics studio to bring you organic pottery with a touch of old traditional tattoo illustrations. He offers a wide variety of pottery, from cups to light fixtures, that make your home feel like a piece of art. Similar so keep your eyes out.

Laura Chautin- Handmade Cup and Saucer ($185)

Laura is up there with my favorite illustrators. She has such a delicate hand and color palette that blends so well with her gorgeous ceramic pieces. She hands makes and glazes all the pieces herself.

Boom. There you go.

Hope you enjoyed :)

Xx Ella

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Happy Wednesday.

I’m currently in Georgia with my boyfriend visiting his family for Thanksgiving. We roadtripped in from NY and have been chilling extremely hard here. Lots of walking around, eating, and watching football- his family is a capital F football family, so I have had a lot of time to craft and get some iPad work done. I t…

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Not because I am worried about the election results today, I have 1,000,000% hope and belief that Zohran Mamdani will win tonight.

It was something else.

It took a second for my mind to properly wake up and register the feelings (I also needed to take my morning pee, so I thought that might be a factor too).

As I opened my phone, this photo came up in my memories…

… and I remembered.

Ah, yes, I was here last year, but in significantly different circumstances.

As that one book says, “the body keeps score”, and oh boy does it.

That day last year was filled with so many emotions and fear that it almost felt like it didn’t happen. That felt like a whole lifetime ago, and I guess a year really is a long time, but I feel like a completely different person. My understanding of losing and rebuilding has completely changed who I am as a person. Seeing who I am now compared to who I was then really shows that.

I feel empowered.

Very emotional too.

There was so much weight on that election, and now, seeing how horrible everything has become since, it’s hard not to have this sinking dread whenever waiting for results like these.

I don’t feel ready to fully engage with that night, even though it’s been a year; it feels too fresh to approach it with a clear mind. But I am writing this as a reminder to myself and to all of you not to lose hope. We fail, we pick ourselves back up, and we keep trying. No matter how many times we get kicked down. The downsides of not trying are too significant. As people in this world, we have to keep trying for those who can’t.

Being a small part of this campaign with Zohran alongside Chi Ossé has healed so much of the despair that came after the loss and filled me with hope again. Filled me with the understanding that the fight never ends, even if the one you are in has.

Last night, I attended an orientation to become a volunteer with City Harvest. This New York-based food rescue organization helps supply food pantries and other charitable groups with fresh food and ingredients. This was something I had wanted to do for a while, but I always had some excuse to put it off. I was really impacted by the cutting of SNAP benefits to take the leap and actually follow through. It was something so simple and easy. Something that so many of us talk about wanting to do, but never actually do.

If we spent even a sliver of the time we spend on our phones actually going out and doing something positively impactful instead of just reposting it, so much more would get done.

In short, thank you for being here, thank you for voting (I hope you all did), and start a habit of doing small things to make a positive impact. This is how we will rebuild and feel like a community again.

Xx Ella

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How’s everyone’s week been going?

How are you feeling today?

I just knit this beanie for one my Halloween costumes, and it got me thinking about the cold weather and holidays coming up.

I went on a deep dive through some of my favorite pattern designers and found that there are too many good headwear patterns out there right now not to share. I think we’re finally at a good time to start working on gifts and what not, and all of these seem feasible to finish by the holidays, if not way before.

I’m noticing a big trend of earflap style hats, which I’ve really been enjoying. There’s also a sense amongst all the patterns of just a bit of quirkiness and fun coming back. Some of the shaping and color choices are really peeking my interest as I’ve had this realization that I’ve been in a huge fashion slump and need to spice up my wardrobe a bit. And in true ella fashion I hate buying knit hats, it’s too easy for me to make them, so I’m gonna start tackling some of these.

Let’s get into the headwear.

Starting off strong with Kamille Wenneberg’s Wool Cap 3-in-1 Pattern

https://kamillewenneberg.com/products/wool-cap-3-in-1-pattern

From my understanding, this hat is knit first and then felted to give it more structure. I haven’t felted since college and remember it being weirdly harder than I expected, so this is gonna be a fun challenge.

Kitten Ear Bonnet by Rimma Gagieva Radke

https://www.lovecrafts.com/en-us/p/kitten-ears-bonnet-knitting-pattern-by-rimma-gagieva?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=Pin&utm_campaign=lovecrafts_03022025_pattern_KittenEarsBonnet

I have seen MANY versions of this on Pinterest recently, specifically this one photo of a black version on the cutest little kid. The one thing that had always stopped me from moving forward with this pattern is those ears. Is it short rowing? Possibly. I will soon find out as I think this is gonna be a popular Christmas present from me this year. Imagine a striped version of this…

Bridewell Hat by Nina Machlin D

https://www.yarn.com/products/bridewell-hat-knitting-pattern-by-nina-machlin-dayton

When I went to Rhinebeck, this was an extreme popular shape. I had never really thought that this was a shape that would look good on my noggin, BUT once Bailey and I tried them on we were both hooked. The colors their were a lot louder, so this feels much more wearable to me.

Deima’s Bucket Hat Knitting Pattern

https://deimaknitwear.com/products/deimas-bucket-hat-knitting-pattern-english

Deima is one of those pattern makers who I see EVERYWHERE, but for some reason have yet to actually make something yet. Maybe I don’t want to fall into the hype and get let down? But also, there’s a reason I’m seeing it everywhere so….

Wool Reef Patterns Summer Flower Hat

https://www.etsy.com/listing/4316068788/crochet-pattern-video-tutorial-beanie?ref=elp_anchor_listing&pro=1&dd=1

These types of hats are so funny to me because it’s something that looks so easy, but I feel like actually requires a lot more math and focus than you’d think. Also, I know this isn’t the most weather appropriate but this seems like such a quick project.

Milena Paulina City Hiker Beanie

https://milenapauliina.com/products/city-hiker-beanie

See!!! I’m telling you ear flap beanies are it this season. This one I love specifically because it has such a pointy top and adds a little bit of funkiness to what could be seen as a pretty basic pattern. This is also great because I always fear when I’m biking on the bridge that my hat will fall off and this will add an extra sense of security.

Sophie Hood by Petite Knit

https://www.petiteknit.com/en/products/sophie-hood?variant=49542031671632

I think of all the patterns that I’ve posted today this is the one that comes up the most. There’s not a day that goes by where I’m not seeing someone either starting this, finishing it, or styling it. I’m falling in line and going to finally start this.

Bunch o Grapes Bonnet by Brigitte

https://www.etsy.com/listing/4300382598/bunch-o-grapes-bonnet-knitting-pattern?ref=elp_anchor_listing&dd=1

This bonnet reminds me a lot of the Ranti Studio Romanesco Jumper. Similar to the cat bonnet. This is one of those techniques in knitting that feels so hard to me, but I feel like once I actually do it. It’ll make a lot of sense. It almost seems like this is the same technique they used to make the little ears.

All right folks, I think that’s about it for this round up. Let me know in the comments which one’s your favorite, and if you have made or are planning to make any of these :))

Have an amazing day.

xx Ella

I used to be hunched over and now I hurt all the time.

I was born to be a tall girl. One of my earliest memories was my pediatrician telling my mom I’d grow to be 6’1”. I didn’t quite get there, though sometimes it feels like I did. At the time, I was thrilled—five more inches than my brother was predicted to grow. But that dream was complicated by my very quirky spine.

Let me start with my spinal condition and the chronic pain I live with today. The root issue is something called a tethered spine. In my own words, it’s when tissue connects the upper part of the spine to the tailbone, restricting growth and movement. Mine developed in utero because of an extra vertebra. My favorite weird fact about myself, I have more bones than you. When puberty hit, instead of shooting up, my body shot forward. I developed kyphosis, essentially a hunchback. Years spent in that posture meant my back muscles developed incorrectly, leaving me with chronic pain in my back and shoulders—pain that’s been constant since my surgery thirteen years ago. So that’s the overview: I used to be hunched over, and now I just hurt all the time.

I honestly can’t remember a time without pain. Thinking about my adolescence still stings—living with pain no one believed in, not even doctors. My parents, like most, thought posture correction was a matter of discipline. “Stand up straight,” they’d tell me, again and again. I tried. I’d yank my shoulders back, strain to align my spine, and instantly be stopped by searing pain from the tether pulling downward. From the outside, it looked like I wasn’t even trying. I’d hear, “just do it like this,” as people demonstrated their perfect straight backs, making me feel broken. I was eleven years old, hunched over, binge eating to cope, and starting to believe I was failing at something everyone else could do so easily. Even being touched on my neck or shoulders made me flinch.

Those years were a blur of appointments: orthopedic consults, physical therapy, sports massages, endless scans. Doctors told me they didn’t know why I was in so much pain. CAT scans, with their hour-long clacking inside a narrow tube, became routine. By the end, I could handle them without panicking, but they never got easier. One doctor even came close to recommending a metal rod in my back—a misdiagnosis that would have left me with lifelong limitations. All the time spent at clinics meant I missed out on school activities and friends. I didn’t have a huge social circle anyway, but the absences deepened my sense of isolation. The silver lining: I grew very close to my mom, who carried me through every appointment and dead-end diagnosis.

After the near-rod disaster, my mom brought me back to her orthopedic surgeon, who specialized in sports medicine. He had just read about Olympic runner Lolo Jones’s tethered spine diagnosis. Something clicked. That was it—my condition finally had a name. Surgery was scheduled. It wasn’t a routine operation. Because the tethering was close to my spinal cord, there was a risk it could affect my ability to walk. I only half-heard that warning, preferring not to dwell on it. Mostly, I felt relieved. After years of unexplained pain, there was a plan.

Surgery mornings are strange—you wake up knowing someone is about to cut you open. At 5 a.m., I was groggy but more at peace than scared. I had lived with pain so long, what was a bit more? Still, when the anesthesia hit and I was wheeled into the operating room, I started shaking. They had me count backward. I made it to four.

Waking up was worse. I couldn’t move, I was woozy, and I cried immediately when I saw my mom. The doctor entered smiling. He explained what he’d found: the tether pulling my spine was so tight that when he cut it, it literally boinged. The release was so dramatic I grew three or four inches on the spot. Imagine going to sleep one height and waking up nearly half a foot taller. I felt like a deer learning to stand.

Because of the risk of spinal instability, I wasn’t allowed to walk for hours afterward. Meanwhile, my bladder had other plans. The options were grim: bedpan or catheter. With my lifelong “pee anxiety,” the bedpan was impossible. The catheter was excruciating and didn’t even work. Only after much protesting did the nurses let me hobble to the bathroom, IV and all. My spine didn’t collapse, but my body felt fragile, as if I were held together by thread. I didn’t stay overnight. Once cleared, I was wheeled out to my mom’s car and sent home to recover.

I spent the first week at my mom’s, the second at my dad’s. My mom turned into a world-class nurse. Pain meds on time, incision care, meals, and endless replays of 13 Going on 30. She made sure I had comfort in every possible way. The medication wreaked havoc on my stomach, but otherwise, recovery was mostly boring: online shopping, iChatting with friends, hunting for the perfect roller backpack since I wasn’t allowed to carry more than a book.

That was the last major medical intervention for my back. The surgery freed my spine but didn’t erase the pain. Instead, I was left with a body that felt permanently complicated.

Here’s the thing: I’m always in battle with my body. Not just in the “ugh, I don’t like how I look” sense—though I struggle with that, too—but in the “living in this body makes everyday life harder” sense. Every outing comes with anxiety. Will there be seating? Will I have to sit too long? Can I carry my bag without wrecking my back? Holding something heavy for more than a few minutes can undo me. I’m constantly shifting in public, contorting myself into odd shapes just to ease the pressure in my shoulders and spine. Right now, as I write this on a flight, I’m twisted sideways, trying to relieve the fire behind my shoulder blade. I still carry embarrassment about my slight hunch. Even though I know how much I’ve stretched, strengthened, and fought for mobility, it’s a reminder my body won’t ever look “normal.” But I’m not sharing this as a “boohoo” moment. People live with far greater pain. I’m proud, actually—proud that I live fully with it, that I don’t let it erase my life.

What frustrates me most is how invisible this kind of pain is. Non-visual conditions are so often dismissed as exaggeration or made-up. Mine isn’t. And though it has been hard, it’s also made me resilient. A few months ago, I impulsively opened up on Instagram about my tethered spine and chronic pain. I expected silence. Instead, my inbox filled with people sharing their own stories. Many had tethered spines too. I had truly thought I was alone. Naïve, I know. I realized I’d spent years convinced my pain wasn’t something others would care about. But sharing wasn’t about centering myself—it was about aligning with people who understood. The comfort I felt hearing from them was something I want to pass on. Now, I’m less self-conscious about the things I do to manage my body: the stretches, the posture shifts, even my slight hunch. Talking openly about it has stripped away some shame.

I didn’t grow to 6’1”. My body didn’t unfold the way doctors once predicted. Instead, it bent, broke, healed, and left me with a life of daily discomfort. But it also left me with resilience, empathy, and community. My spine may have tethered me physically, but it also tethered me to a deeper understanding of how we live with pain—and how sharing it makes us feel less alone.

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Happy Monday. How are you? How was your weekend?

I had such a good week/weekend. It was one of those weeks filled with fun work and friends. I’m working on two knitting projects for Instagram that I’m THRILLED about. One is for the launch of HOBBII’s new line of yarn, Copenhagen Fibers, and the other is a knit kit collab from two of my faves ( hasn’t been announced yet 😝). I feel fortunate when jobs that are craft-focused come in. I spend so much time knitting in the first place as a procrastination method, so it’s actually a lot less guilt-filled. Both projects require me to hand-knit sweaters (or at least a solid amount), and I highly underestimated the time hand-knitting sweaters takes. This past week of knitting had been reminiscent of college: staying up till 3, knitting, and watching The Handmaid's Tale.

(This is off-topic, but it’s been really interesting and horrifying watching it now and seeing how not far off something like that seems. Obviously, a lot of it is dramatized, and the whole point is like “oh, this is our future,” but it’s hitting on a whole other level this time. I would suggest rewatching if you aren't experiencing enough anxiety already 🥴)

My dear dear friend Isabella visited for a couple of days, and she stayed with me. I hate to admit it, but I’m really not a come stay with me and sleep over kind of friend (I just love alone time) but this year I’m trying to open myself and my space up more to friends. It’s less of me not liking my friends and more of the switching my routine and opening my space to other people’s belongings and how they live. Like even just how people leave their clothes and suitcases out gets me. I know that’s an extremely annoying and bitchy trait to have, hence my exposure therapy.

We just wandered around my neighborhood with Jerry and ran in to oodles of people, ate amazing food, had some drinkies, and finally got to catch up. She lives in Santa Cruz and it’s hard for us to have a real catch up as we are both terrible texters, but we have one of those friendships that just always picks up no matter how long we’ve been apart. Very effortless.

We used to live together in Greenpoint, so Friday night we got a group together and hit our old spots.

Little Dokebi- Fried Chicken, Banchan, so many green tea daiquiris…

Goldie’s- Fun drinks, amazing decor, great patio, but sadly closes at 11

Tempkins- Chill drinks and Pinball

If you live in NY, I highly recommend this agenda for a night out, and I would even add Minnows if you want some late-night snacks. She was only in tow for two nights, so it was a mad dash to get everything done and squeeze all of our bonding time.

I spent Saturday and Sunday with Charlie, again just walking around with Jerry. We went to a massage spot yesterday and had one of the most amazing massages I have ever had. It was one of those holes in the wall that could be either amazing or terrible. When we got there, the front room was FILLED to the brim with people getting their feet rubbed, which was a fantastic sign. People were quite literally, working on their laptops while getting their feet rubbed, an interesting choice, but I get it.

The massage itself was more on the side of physical therapy rather than relaxation, I like that kind of massage, though. We had these two older guys who, upon first glance, would not be able to tear up our muscles (in a good way), but damn, were we wrong. This man got knots out of my lower back that have most likely been there for a decade. I think a lot of that lower back tension came from me being a tween and sticking my butt out and arching my lower back so much to get a thigh gap… sad.

All of the movements were super intentional and specific to each muscle problem. It was very much so they knew what they were doing and just knew muscle structures instead of following a routine.

That's something I have thought about a lot… is there a standardized routine for different massages, or are they just winging it? Do you have to memorize a circuit of movements, or do you have a tool belt of other things you can pull out? This is where my mind goes while I get a massage.

I am now sitting on my couch with Jerry, having just made myself a dirty martini, going to knit on the couch with Charlie while watching Wayward (that new Netflix true crime show).

Last thing!!! I have so much extra product from when I was making knitwear and would love to do a studio sale and have a large % of proceeds go to charities and orgs that are working to make the world a better place. I have a couple in mind… but what are some that you have been supporting or wanting to support.

OK, thank you for bearing with me. You can get into the pins now.

Welcome back to Soft Pins.

Hope you enjoyed, have a fabulous week.

Xx ella

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We are soooooooooooooooooooooo back with more patterns.

Since making the last list, my whole Pinterest has become patterns of all kinds ( not mad in the slightest ). It feels like I have been doing myself a disservice by not exploring the patterning world.

The people are DOING. IT. WELL.

WOW.

I don’t know what I had expected for the state of pattern making in knitwear and textiles in general, but yeah it’s great.

I have started making a pretty good dent in my previous list-I made a machine knit version of that 80’s layered t-shirt and the Anna Top by Kiss Kiss Rhinestone.

It’s way easier to translate hand knits to machine knits than i was expecting… feels like there will be a lot more of that in my future. Making the two tops was 100 times quicker than I anticipated at first, which I think is a reason I had put off following other peoples patterns for so long.

Here is the layered shirt.

A 2-in-1 is highly appealing to me ( especially cause I run insanely hot at all times )

The Anna top was extremely fun and quick to make. It’s a pattern you don’t have to focus too hard on, which is great for passive TV knitting. Mine was knit mostly outside watching Hunting Wives ( worth a watch ) on my iPad.

I going to start this one once I finish the hand knit Slouchy Top which will be a BLAST.

So fun!!!!!

Ok lets get into it. As summer is coming to an end ( sad ) I am gearing up for some brisker months as October and November near. I feel like all of these are for cold weather, but not like cold cold, so they will be ideal for layering and the more transitional seasons we are experiencing.

Flower Hoodie By Kamille Wenneberg

This first hoodie took my breath away. The thing that is most appealing about this to me, besides the obvious ( flowers ), is the hood. Knitting a hoodie has been on my bucket list for so long, and honestly seems way easier than it looks.

As I’ve now been knitting a lot of different patterns, I’ve realized that a lot of these techniques that seem so hard on the outside are way simpler when you’re actually doing it.

Everyday Shorts by Kamille Wenneberg

We have to have the matching shorts to go with the hoodie…

Sidewalk Tee by Spetackel Strik

This is a dream pattern for me. I have had this vision of remaking one of my vintage graphic tees in knit for, but have never taken the time to actually pattern out a t-shirt base shape. This is sort of exactly what I was looking for… I do think I’ll add a collar around the neck line similar to the one by one ribbon they have on the sleeves and hem.

Knot Top by Wool and Beyond

I actually just found this one today and was really taken aback by the design. In knitwear you don’t really see a lot of silhouettes like this this is the kind of top that I’ve seen made in a silk or chiffon rather than a knit so it adds a really floaty delicate mess. My one worry is that due to that it will take forever to knit and the needles will be extremely small.

Stripe Overload Cardigan by Spektackel Strik

This is a pattern I cannot escape. It seems like every knitwear designer and or textile enthusiast I see online or no has either made this pattern posted about it or referenced it. So, it’s finally time to do it.

Stripe Polo by Spektackel Strik

This polo is made by the same person who made the cardigan above. I think you can probably tell. I haven’t seen this one around as much, but I’ve been really into polos recently and having a cushy soft cotton one would be very universal piece in my wardrobe.

Air Blouse by Deima

This is another one of those techniques that in my brain feels extremely hard, and then I recently found out how you did it ( just dropping stitches once the piece is knit ) and it’s actually super easy! I love tops like this that provides some warmth, but also have a lot of cut outs. I have a lot of tattoos on my body so this feels like a fun way to be able to still see them while being covered up.

Camille Sweater by Johanna Gehrisch

Similar to what I was saying before, I’m really just into light layering pieces right now. I feel like this is something that I would wear with a lot of different dresses and skirts and have as something to throw on if I’m going out at night also it has a really low back, which is really enticing to me now that I have a backpiece

Blush Blossom Poncho

I can’t really put my finger on why I like this one. This is a technique that I’ve been really wanting to learn and crochet, and I’ve also been poncho-curious. This feels like something my Granny would wear ( in a good way ).

As always, I hope you enjoyed the fun patterns. This is such a fun little series for me to do. If you end up making them or if you have any that you’re about to start send them my way. I would love to do a piece thats only patterns you guys suggest…

Hope you have a great night :)

Xx Ella

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