woollypocket

In my corner of Echo Park, the neighbors are all packed in tight. I live in a back house, with enough room for a small walkway and a strip of dirt about a foot wide. If I lean out my bedroom window, I can touch the fence that separates me from my neighbor. It’s not much space, and when I tried growing carrots they were chomped by a bunny that roams the neighborhood at midnight (see?). But I’ve got some beets and lettuce and tomatoes that are happy here.

And I’m happy here, too. I get to work from home a lot – I write the LA Times book blog, and while I do go into the office, it’s also kind of my job to sit at home and read and write. My little back house is perfect for that – except for my neighbor, and next Friday.

It would be more accurate, I suppose, to say my neighbor and “El Proximo Viernes.” If you know “El Proximo Viernes” (“Next Friday,” in English), you probably know the contemporary version by Espinoza Paz. It’s a Mexican ballad, and my neighbor plays a version that was recorded, I’m guessing, before Paz was born – all big analog horns and sweeping ranchera waltz beat. It’s a pretty good song, actually, or that’s what I thought the first time my neighbor played it at top volume. But then he played it again. And again and again and again, hours at a time. While singing along. At the top of his lungs.

So when my friend Stephanie told me about Woolly Pocket, where she now works, I thought YES! I could plant carrots out of the reach of the midnight bunny, and simultaneously create a sound barrier between me and Mr. Next Friday. Instead, I planted pretty things that will drape.

I think I’ll need a higher fence – and a few more pockets – to completely banish “El Proximo Viernes,” but I’ll wait until next Friday to worry about that.

Carolyn Kellogg

http://www.carolynkellogg.com

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/

Hi Woolly folks, Tori here from Daily Grommet. Daily Grommet discovered the Woolly Pocket in June of 2009- and though it has been almost one year since we first featured Woolly Pockets, we are still big fans. You see- we don’t just feature a product and love it for one day—great products (like the Woolly) become a part of our Grommet family and continue to be a part of our lives.  Recently, Aurora reached out to us asking if we are still enjoying our Woolly Pocket- and she did this as if on cue. Joanne was just getting ready to replant her outdoor Woolly Pocket with new spring flowers. One year later, check out Joanne planting her Woolly Pocket for Spring.

After chatting with Aurora about this Woolly Pocket follow up- she asked if I would like a Woolly for myself. I was thrilled to try it out since I didn’t join the Daily Grommet team until 2010 (after Woolly was originally featured). Here are some snapshots of my first hands-on experience with the Woolly.

The Woolly Pocket ended up being the perfect solution for this bare wall I had in my kitchen. Hanging perfectly across from my prep counter- I now have a living piece of art. A little “green” surprise every time I walk around the corner- love it!