things

This Saul Steinberg drawing (from 1971) says it all. Is there anything else? I have (books), here are some images that inspire me.


Embroidered coverlet, Mexican dated 1786, image from American Quilts and Coverlets in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Wouldn't these characters make charming dolls?

The next few are from Knot ISBN978-4-07-257058-6. Click the photos to see them bigger.








ETA: Sources for Japanese craft books Kinokuniya. I shop at the store in Los Angeles. Here is a link to Knot on Amazon Japan. I haven't ordered from them before so I don't have advice on how to navigate the site. I also found Knot listed on Yes Asia. I have ordered books from Yes Asia before. It's pretty straightforward.

Mother's Day

Abi sent this photo that she took of my mom and me on Mother's Day. We really were that happy! By the looks of that empty cup in my hand, I just finished drinking a very strong margarita.

These are my presents for being a mom. It's not bad having another gift holiday. I love my new books!


Knot. Crochet jewelry and embellishments that are photographed and styled beautifully. ISBN978-4-07-257058-6


Aran Knit. It's hard to resist these lovely cabled sweaters and accessories. ISBN978-4-277-11401-1


American Quilts and Coverlets

doll

This weekend we helped to celebrate our friend’s 7th birthday!
We made her a doll as a gift. I employed Johnny’s help. He was the master stuffer; the parts I stuffed he re-stuffed to look better. There is an art to stuffing. After trial and error we discovered that a size 19 Daisy knitting needle was the best tool for getting to the bottoms of the arms and legs. The needle nose pliers helped in extracting stuffing that had gotten packed too tightly.
Felix tentatively named her Marcia but the naming is entirely up to the recipient.
I dug through my swatch stash and found an exact replica in doll size of my Knitty skirt. And, the best part is that the knitty skirt belongs to our friend’s mom.



Her blouse is made from two swatches I knit for the lace dress in Greetings from Knit Café. I crocheted them together with some bright pink mohair. Her necklace is a string of sequins and her hair is Donegal tweed.

Gossamer Stars Scarf

Yesterday, the mailman delivered my Summer ’08 issue of Interweave Knits. I designed two patterns, Gossamer Stars Scarf and the Tapestry Skirt. Living in L.A. summer knitting is a natural fit for me. I can wear knitted skirts year round and I’ve always been a scarf girl. Today, I’ll talk about the Gossamer Stars Scarf. I noticed that the photograph in the magazine shows the wrong side of the scarf. Not that it matters, I mean both sides are pretty, but if you’re reading the chart you might see the difference.


For once, I managed to take a couple of photos of my project before sending it off. Maybe you can see some of the details in my backyard, knitting photo studio!
The yarn is Fiesta La Luz, luscious to knit with and touch, and the needle size is US 7 (4.5 mm).


I wanted to show my submission swatch. I don’t have the original but a scan of what I sent in. It’s worked in Fiddlesticks Knitting Zephyr Lace Weight Wool-Silk (50% Merino Wool, 50% Tussah Silk); 630 yds [576 m] / 2 ounces; Aegean Blue. I used needle size US 5 (3.75 mm).
If you’re looking for lace weight yarn I highly recommend this one. It is wonderful to work with and comes in a wide range of beautiful colors.

I’ve been asked for yarn substitution suggestions. I think it looks beautiful in both yarns and I say choose a yarn that is pretty, has drape and is monochromatic. It would probably detract from the stitches if you use a variegated yarn.

meme

Gudrun from the Shetland Trader tagged me. I was also tagged awhile back by creative yarn but I never got around to doing it. Both memes are kind of the same, one is answer these questions and the other is, list 7 random facts.

"The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer."

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?
Hmmm, 1997 was a big transition year for me. I broke up with my then boyfriend and moved to an apartment by myself, started a new job and met my current boyfriend. Phew. Oops! Ten years ago would’ve been 1998, not 1997. Duh. I can’t recall 1998, so it must have been okay. I was working retail in Beverly Hills, thinking about being a schoolteacher, and painting a lot.

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):
Answer emails, take the kid to have his TB test checked (needs to be done for entry into public school), return the book I bought my mom for mother’s day since she already owns it (I knew she would love it!), get my ass in gear with submissions looming ever so close, and work on a doll for a present (needs to be finished by Sunday).

3) Snacks I enjoy:
Rice pudding, Pinkberry – original flavor with chocolate chips, (sounds like all I eat is dessert), a little cheese with my white wine, suddenly I love white wine but not like a connoisseur, no, I like it watered down with ice cubes, but is that a snack? I like fruit, fresh strawberries, crisp apples, and sweet oranges; and trail mix with walnuts and raisons.
Want to hear a Pinkberry story? You do! Felix and I went the other day. The day he wore his poncho. While I was daydreaming and relishing every bite, he jammed his finger into a little tiny hole (cut-out) in the chair. He says to me, “mommy my finger is stuck. It’s been there a long times.” He had crammed his ring finger at a weird angle so how ever I tried to pull it out he would scream “IT HURTS”.
So, consequently the manager heard us, ran over with lotion and I desperately squirted lotion all over the top and bottom of the chair. Finally, I got the finger out but not before I had visions of firemen and rescue workers sawing the chair in half.
Needless to say, we left hugging each other and very tired from the drama.

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Hahaha. I don’t know! The typical things that people do when they suddenly have money SPEND IT.

5) Places I have lived:
Okay, I started to write down the places I lived but it is so incredibly long. I deleted it at the point where I would have been a teenager because I couldn’t deal with walking down memory lane. Let’s just say I have moved A LOT. It’s too much!

So here is the random facts part: As you may have noticed I don't follow directions very well. It's not for lack of trying. I went to therapy once and the therapist told me I was an airhead. I didn't like that!

I like to be alone but only with people around me. Doesn’t make sense? I like having the choice to be alone otherwise, I get lonely; I know I know, I sound like an airhead!

Do you want to play along? Tag, You're it!

poncho style

This is hand-knit wearing in action. My kid won’t wear a sweater for five minutes but he wore a poncho all day.
He asked me in the morning, “Mommy, you made this? Did it take a lot of times?”
“Yes. I made it and it took a while.”
“Oh, mommy it’s beautiful. What’s it called?"
"A poncho. It's pretty cool, you look like you're ready to ride a horse in the old days".

Then, a few minutes later I overheard him telling our little three-year-old neighbor, when asked what he was wearing, “it’s just a dress. My mom made it and it’s beautiful.”

We ran around town today like two kids on vacation. On a weekday afternoon, we were the only riders on the train.




ETA: The pattern is Prankster Poncho from Boho Baby Knits and the yarn is Filatura Di Crosa 127 Print (#36 Teal).

squares

I’ve been knitting squares. It means more stash busting and some much-needed mindless knitting. I really do knit to relax but I also use it to challenge my abilities to use math creatively as in writing patterns in multiple sizes.
I guess I need a little bit of both and like to alternate between challenging and relaxation projects.


Also, last week I taught a class on embroidering knits. It was great fun but a lot of work to prepare for. I knit quite a few squares for the class and had square fever afterwards.
For the class, the squares are done in stockinet stitch. I had the students work a sampler using the face from the beatnik doll found in Boho Baby Knits.


I also had the owl face ready, but we didn’t have time to get to that one. The owl face is one of the decorations on the bonnets from Boho Baby.


All these other squares are for a blanket. They are garter stitch. Ah, lovely, easy, textural, lays flat, garter stitch I love you.


I got on a kick with planning patchwork blankets and can’t stop. Right now, I’m working with what’s in the stash, Brown Sheep Nature Spun sport weight in a variety of colors that I used to make my dolls. I’ve been studying the color card and feel tempted to buy more colors. This is how THE STASH gets to be so huge, there’s always a need for more!

tangled yoke and carnival

If I look like I'm wilting while wearing my new sweater, the Tangled Yoke Cardigan it's because of the heat wave. Many cups of coffee helped me through the weekend and a visit to the fair that parked across the street from our house. And I was determined to finish my sweater, maybe the heat will go away and cool air will prevail a little while longer if I get all the ends woven in and the buttons sewn on. Yes, magical thinking is my friend.

Part of me wanted an oversized, comfy cardigan but I'm glad I decided to make it more fitted. The yoke feels roomy even with the snug fit through the body. I like the finishing on the neck, how it is doubled over and bound off together with picked up stitches along the base of the neck. It feels sturdy and I like the look of the rolled edge uninterrupted by a chained bind off finish. Of course, my favorite part of the sweater is the unique, tangled cable stitch and for me it's just the right amount of cable.


I made a couple of modifications to the pattern. The yarn is Rowan Scottish Tweed and my gauge: 20 sts and 30 rows = 4 inches. Needle size US 4/ 3.5 mm for main body, US 3/ 3.25 mm for button bands and collar.
I cast on enough stitches to make a 35 1/2 inch finished bust circumference. After 2 1/2 inches of ribbing I switched to stockinet. The yoke has 20 sts less than the smallest size in the pattern.


C'mon who doesn't love a house of mirrors...


and smiley faced lady bugs going around and around?


These are the pretty buttons I bought for the Tangled yoke. They have weight and I like the burnished metal color with the tweed. If you're in L.A. and need buttons, I got these at The Button Store, a wonderful place for button lovers.

boys do knit

Last weekend Felix helped his dad make a wood box for my sewing machine. It was a surprise. My sewing machine came with a flimsy plastic cover and I think Johnny was tired of looking at it on the shelf. I didn't want to store it on the floor in the closet. But, now I can. Anyway. Felix helped make this box. He hammered nails, and sanded the wood and other stuff too; and he was so proud of himself. We were all proud.


The little striped toy is named Tiny and he made it out of a sock filled with stuffing, eyes are glued on and a string is tied at the “neck”. It’s a great project for a four year old. He’s been carrying Tiny around all week.


I got to thinking, if Felix can work with wood, why couldn’t he start learning to knit? My mom taught me to knit when I was eight so I had that age in mind for teaching my child to knit. Nevertheless I already own a great book for kids knitting appropriately titled Kids Knitting by Melanie Falick.

I asked Felix is he wanted to learn knitting. “YES Mommy!”
Off to a good start, I handed him knitting needles and yarn, I cast on a few stitches and started to show him the motions.

“Now I’m a granny momma.”
What?! Not that I have anything against grannies, but where did that come from? Must have been TV. So, I said, “Boys knit too, and I knit everyday and I’m not a granny”.
He giggled and said, “BOYS DON’T KNIT”.
Yes they do! I showed him the pictures of boys knitting from the kids knitting book. It helped my case a lot to see boys knitting, and lots of kids knitting too. He was excited.


The first lesson ended shortly after that when frustration set in, that his sticks weren’t going to be immediately flying through the yarn. He gave it a good try.
I asked him the next day if he wanted to knit. He did but said he wanted to do it "by myself" and when that didn’t work out he ran out of the room.

babette blanket begins

You've seen my stash, now see it at work. The Babette Blanket by Kathy Merrick (available to purchase from the Knitting Daily site) is a perfect pattern for all my Tahki Cotton Classic and Gedifra St. Tropez leftovers. Crocheting around and around is addicting. Just one more square, just one more square….
What will these two colors look like together, and then this one too? What will happen if I combine these together?


An embroidered Spanish shawl guides some choices.




The blanket’s explosion of color compliments my painting of two skunks kissing.


Who am I kidding; it’s pretty psychedelic over here at my house.

tangled sleeve, arctic diamond and stash

Thanks for the encouragement to knit on with the Tangled Yoke. It is such a great pattern and design. I finished most of the five balls, leaving some to transition to the next batch of yarn on order of a different dye lot - 6 more is what I settled on. Hopefully, the colors won’t be too dissimilar.


Progress has been made on the Arctic Diamond as well. I ripped quite a few rows back to the armhole shaping and then went bonkers staying up all night knitting like a person possessed. Here you see my little helper holding up three repeats of the pattern. I think six repeats will be just right to finish and use up what yarn I have on hand.


Speaking of yarn. Something else that kept me busy this weekend. Organizing the old stash. Yikes! What isn’t shown here are the coned yarns, mostly denim and crochet cotton.


Perusing Ravelry the other night I stumbled upon the Babette Blanket. Some of these projects are amazing. And, brilliant for stash busting. It should make a miniscule dent in mine.

more knitting

Apparently, I really can't stop knitting. I finished the Lace Ribbon Scarf last week. Blocked it and sent it on it's way without a taking a picture. No time to do so. So, many pretty finished knits leave without a farewell photo session. I work well with a deadline but always to the last minute. With only one hank of yarn the scarf ended at 57" in length, it's a decent length for wearing with a jacket and not getting all tangled up.

Speaking of tangled up. That green expanse above is my Tangled Yoke Cardigan that I started two nights ago in a frenzy. The yarn is Rowan Scottish Tweed dk and I only have 5 balls. Hmmmmm, will definitely need more, but how much more? I'm guessing 7. Still, I'm waiting until all 5 are knit to place an order. It's a risky move because it means putting the project down and whenever I do that it usually takes me YEARS to finish. I need to work obsessively on one thing until it's done or else it will languish.


Witness, above, the product of a knitting frenzy from last December, it's the Arctic Diamond Stole. Oh, how I love this; but I had to put it away to work on work knitting and this is the first chance I've had to reevaluate it. At some point, I thought it would make a great pullover so I worked some decreases for arm shaping. But, now I'm not so sure because the idea of knitting the rest of this piece, then a front and TWO sleeves does not sound interesting. Better to just frog down to the shaping and continue working it as a stole.

must keep knitting

Impulse yarn purchase left on display for weeks taunting me, turned into an impulse project.


Earlier this week I finished working on several projects that have kept me really busy these last two months. I felt so relieved, and tired, yet also restless. A friend’s birthday is approaching so why not knit something for her? Right now at midnight even though my wrists hurt, I need sleep and there might not be enough time to finish?


Must keep knitting, that’s why.

The pattern is Lace Ribbon by Veronik Avery in the latest issue of Knitty.
Years ago I made a shawl with a variation of this same stitch. The only photo I have of it is ridiculously blurred but I remember loving the stitch and finished shawl.

Hmmm, why not use this sock yarn on display. Yes, it will be pretty.


Little bunny says to the big fish "Happy Easter!"


Weird craft project to do with a four year old: thread together last nights popcorn, sequins and a chick, then hang from orchid.


p.s. meet my new crush: Noro Kureyon Sock yarn #S95