Writer + Maker

Exploring craft, couture, and handmade style

  • Complete Your Spring Look With a New Knit Cardi

    Complete Your Spring Look With a New Knit Cardi

    Spring weather is notorious for its unpredictability. It can be sunny one day and chilly the next, so dressing in layers is key, especially when you are traveling. I just finished a new hand-knit that would make the perfect layering piece for Spring travel — the Amalfi Cardigan by designer Tayler Harris! It has classic…

  • Heart Health Needs an Extra Check in Midlife

    Heart Health Needs an Extra Check in Midlife

    Monitoring heart health seems more important in midlife, especially for women. At a recent doctor’s appointment, I learned that I had high blood pressure — a result that was concerning enough for the doctor to recommend that I buy an at-home monitor and check my blood pressure daily. It was surprising because my blood pressure…

  • 7 Ways to Think About Clothing in a New Way

    7 Ways to Think About Clothing in a New Way

    I admit it. I’ve always loved clothing and fashion, shopping, and especially a good bargain. Over the years, I’ve accumulated bins full of clothes — both bought and handmade — that are stacked in my closet. Nordstrom Anniversary Sales, Cos sales, Britex fabric remnant bins, and closeout yarn sales have all contributed to my oversized…

  • Exciting Things are On the Way in February 2024

    Exciting Things are On the Way in February 2024

    I can’t believe it’s already February 2024 — time flies! Here are some random things I’m excited about this month. Visit a New Fashion Exhibition in San Francisco Fashioning San Francisco: A Century of Style opened at the De Young Museum last month and I can’t wait to go! The exhibition features a collection of…

  • Fleck Bulky Makes Knits With a High Cozy Factor

    Fleck Bulky Makes Knits With a High Cozy Factor

    Woolfolk’s Fleck Bulky yarn is one of my new faves for designing cold-weather knits. It is a super bulky yarn that knits up into an incredibly soft and addictively squishy fabric. It has a cool rustic-yet-refined vibe, with its merino wool base and donegal wool flecks. Simple Designs Showcase Fleck Bulky Chunky Twist Cowl I…

  • Why I Need a Special Travel Coat

    Why I Need a Special Travel Coat

    I need a travel coat, I thought, as I stood at the crowded Southwest Airlines gate waiting for my flight to southern California. It was my second flight in two weeks to see my aging parents and help them with house and health. The airport was packed with people traveling for the New Year’s weekend,…

  • Four Easy Ways to Style the Chunky Twist Cowl

    Four Easy Ways to Style the Chunky Twist Cowl

    Tossing on a hand knit like the Chunky Twist Cowl is one of my fave ways to stay warm and stylish. Made with a super bulky wool yarn and shaped with a twist, the cowl can be styled in different ways. Here are just 4 simple looks – but I’m sure there are many more…

  • Designing a New Shirt for the New Year

    Designing a New Shirt for the New Year

    I love taking classic clothing styles such as a good shirt and transforming them into something special. An unexpected mix of fabrics; a new sleeve shape; unusual buttons and trims; a play on proportions – it’s all about experimenting, creating, and having fun with new ideas! Original button-front shirt design from 2017. Ties are made…

  • Happy New Year and Welcome 2024!

    Happy New Year and Welcome 2024!

    Happy new year and welcome to my blog! A new year calls for new beginnings — a fresh start! As I greet year #54, my goal is to live with intention, including as a designer and writer. Life — especially viewed through the lens of midlife — is just too short to waste. As I…

  • Inspiring a New Generation of Women in Diabetes Research

    Inspiring a New Generation of Women in Diabetes Research

    For this article, I had the honor of interviewing two distinguished women scientists whose innovative ideas, tenacity, and vision transformed the field of diabetes research. Their scientific work advanced our understanding of diabetes and the development of new treatments. But these successes came at a time when there were very few women scientists. The unique…

  • New NET Cancer Therapy Reshapes Treatment Landscape

    New NET Cancer Therapy Reshapes Treatment Landscape

    NET cancer — or neuroendocrine tumor cancer — isn’t well known. It isn’t branded by the color pink and it doesn’t have a month dedicated to raising awareness. It isn’t associated with a controversial habit such as smoking that ignites passion on both sides of the conversation. When Steve Jobs and Aretha Franklin passed away…

  • Medical Writers Excel at More Than Just Writing

    Medical Writers Excel at More Than Just Writing

    Medical writers in the biopharmaceutical industry write and edit regulatory documents that support the development and approval of new medicines. These documents strictly adhere to the regulations of different health authorities around the world, so there’s no room for creative writing! But good medical writers need skills beyond good grammar, punctuation, and style. Write Clear, Concise,…