Missing The Ocean?

Oh, my gosh -- I think I need these toys. Um, for the kids of course.

I mean, what would a grown up woman need with a toy starfish or orca?
(Goes off to find secret hiding spot for toys...)

Nota Bene

For the record, yarn/WIP should be hidden from 2 1/3 year old persons who are "helping" you with your knitting.

That is all.

More to come when I've detangled the mess.

Where did it go?

My gosh, it's October! I'm still wondering where our summer went, though I suspect that at the time I was obsessively hoping to get the kids back to school. They are busy, busy, busy and it is a *lot* of work to keep them from destroying the house/each other/my sanity. I complained to a friend about the noise level when all three children are home and we decided that it works on the Richter scale. (!) Doesn't help, but it makes me feel better knowing that it's not just me who thinks it.

So: still working on that thing I mentioned last post, but this time when I say soon I really do mean it! Like in the next 24 hours.

In the meantime, I will share with y'all a little bit about the impetus behind Urbanite, my design in the Fall issue of Twist Collective.

(Awe inspiring sketch by Boy-O, mais oui)

My dad is the world's biggest clotheshorse. Seriously: the man must look good at all times.

His basement is like a one guy department store. It's completely amazing.

When we lived in the same city, we were shopping buddies. We often joked that if we had a family motto, it would be "Never pay retail."

Unsurprisingly, with a fellow like Dad for inspiration, the design had to handsome, practical and not too costly to knit. So as I noodled around with a lovely fluffy yarn for a ladies' pullover:

(Harrisville Yarns Orchid with Cashmere)

it occurred to me that this might be a good man's sweater as well. Having borrowed many of my dad's (and these days, my husband's) sweaters over the years, I figured I had a pretty good grasp on what makes a good one: long, lean look, attractive details like saddle shoulders and interesting-to-knit cables that are still understated, and a quiet color that didn't scream "look at me." Luckily for me, Twist's editors agreed.

After conferring with Kate, we decided to make the sweater a crew neck rather than the turtle I'd originally conceived (my husband and pop are both rather warm-blooded, so this made sense to me), and she selected the Soft Brown color in delicious Valley Yarns Amherst. I'd never knitted with this yarn before, but it is lovely. Soft and smooshy (yes, that's a technical term), easy on the hands, yet it shows off complex stitchwork beautifully. I am a big fan of yarns you can knit by touch, and Amherst delivers on that score. It's reasonably priced, too, which rocks my socks.

I can't wait for Urbanite to come back home just so I can wrap myself up in it. Though I may have to fight off the husband -- I think he's got his eye on this one, too.

OMG! OMG!

The new Twist Collective is out! And my sweater looks amazing. The model is super cute in that geeky way that I adore. Yay!!

Er, no.

While I'm following up on old posts, I should also mention my NaKniSweMoDo project:



Yeah, not so much with the completeness.
I was making speedy progress -- too speedy, which set my spidey-senses tingling. So I measured my gauge again, and discovered that I had taken some, how do you say, "creative license" with the numbers. Oy!

We ripped, we're trying again, and hopefully will have it done before the end of this month.

InVesting

Whoops! Forgot that I'd promised to show the sketch for this vest, as it is so different from the version I created for the latest KnitScene.



As you can see, I originally intended a twinset, the inner piece being a lacy turtleneck shrug featuring the same ribbing pattern on the cuffs and collar. I submitted it in very soft yarns from RYC, thinking they individual pieces would be great indoor wear as separates, and as a pair, they'd work for the outdoors in Portland's mild spring.
Lisa (KnitScene's editrix) liked the vest, and came up with the idea of using making it in the very rustic yarn you see in the magazine.

I think it was an interesting choice, though I may (someday, someday) knit this as I originally intended. Perhaps when I'm leading a more glamourous life that doesn't involve a nursing toddler!

At Long (Long) Last

Dudes: 'member this teaser of a post from back in September? (It feels so long ago that I'd nearly forgotten about it). But finally, the new issue of KnitScene has hit the stands and you can see the cuteness that is the Triple Slip Vest! 

(Photo shamelessly stolen from Knitscene's web site. All their rights reserved, etc., etc. Go see the bonus photos there.)

I love this vest. As always, I try to design the things I would like to wear. And for me, that means casual, yet feminine pieces you can easily integrate into your wardrobe.

I very much hope y'all like it as well. I can't wait to see it in the wild.

(Next time, I'll show you the original submitted sketch -- v. different from what you're seeing here. But I love this version, too.)

For My Next Trick...

NaKniSweMoDo!

So now I'm going to turn this:

(crap cell pic, sorry. Disco'd colors of KP Sierra, from when it was still Sierra)

...into something resembling a garment. By the end of January. Did I mention that I thrive under pressure?

You Say You Want A Resolution? (2009 Version)

I've got three:

Last month, while fondling a gorgeous skein of Dream In Color Starry (Ravelry link, since DIC doesn't have this on their own site) -- and reluctantly packing it in Mom-O's Christmas gift -- I rashly made a resolution. I'm blessed with an abundance of stash, and it makes zero sense for me to be coveting this (admittedly gorgeous) stuff when I haven't even scratched the surface of what I've already got in my possession. 

I often joke that *my* hobby is yarn collecting -- the knitting is just an adjunct to that. But it's started to feel truer than I'm comfortable with, so I said to the Boy-O that 2009 would be my Year of the Stash.

Of course, when I said that, I didn't realize that the new year was coming up quite so soon. ;-P

But, in for a penny, in for a pound, eh? Therefore, with the obvious exceptions of commissioned projects or sample swatches that I absolutely cannot do with any of the yarn already here in the house, this year's knitting will be from things already in my possession. 

#2) Now that Miss Z's a little bit older, and some of my time can belong to me again, I really, really need to do more submissions. I'm doing so much designing in my head, and it's totally frustrating not to be able to put it out there in the world. My goal is to get something out at least once a month. It's a small goal, but I think it's achievable.

#3) Finally, finally, finally, I am going to start publishing my own stuff. I've been threatening to get on this for months now, and I'm feeling like it's about time I put up or shut up.

So there you have it: the Tom & Bel KnitGoals for 2009. What are your knitting plans for this year?

And, Done.

Think he likes them?

I've got to get better at the embroidery, but hey -- not bad considering (1) the lack of a pattern (2) these are the first mittens I've made in 10 years. 

Actual Knitting

I've been so disgusted with the weather we're having (I live in the NW largely for weather-related reasons) that I refuse to take pictures or indulge in anything resembling acknowledgment of this unforseen, unwanted and most unwelcome snow.
It's made me positively grumpy in a most unpleasant way.

Yesterday, however, I decided to take some positive action:



Know what it is?

(S)watch(wo)men

Prepping submissions for my favorite mags.  

During this process, I talk to myself quite a bit, planning how a design would fit, working through how it should be knit, refining the details, etc. 

Of course, it doesn't always pan out. 

Day 1: I've been thinking about a particular sweater. It's a style I love, and I own several versions thereof. Decide to swatch for one.

Days 2-3: Let the idea percolate for a few days. Knit other swatches, cart baby around to all her activities, think occasionally about how much better life would be with this garment in wardrobe.

Days 4-5: Idea comes more into focus: Garment must be really cozy, but not sloppy; yarn choice is critical. Realize there's that one stitch pattern I always mean to use for something and never do. Resolve to swatch ASAP. 

Days 6-7: Visit yarn shop. Look for yarn, but don't find the one you want. Go back to giant monster stash and find suitable sub.

Day 8: Stay up late knitting swatch. Be very pleased: this will make a very nice garment. 

Day 8.5: Re examine swatch. Still pleased, but realize something is not..quite..right. Put away and go to bed. 

Day 9: Wonder why, with dedicated night owls for parents, babe insists on wakng at crack of dawn. Struggle vainly to sleep in. Give up when babe starts growling like the dog.

Day 9.25: Check magazine stash. Realize "new" idea is essentially same as the cover of issue from two years ago. Sigh dramatically. Rip swatch; try again.    

More True Stories

T (Holding the Mini Masters box): Is there an artist named Luther Van Gogh?

Boy-O & I (Between giggles): Um, no honey, it's Vincent Van Gogh. He was a painter.

T: How did he faint?

Me: (helpless giggles)

Boy-O: I imagine from blood loss when he cut off his ear.  

You just can't make this stuff up.

******************************

Just so there's some yarn content:

Socks That Rock in Gypsum. 

I love this yarn. It knits up wonderfully, it smells good (yeah, I sniff yarn) and the colors are enchanting. I know many sock people are all about the Koigu - and don't get me wrong, that's good stuff, too - but there's just something about this yarn that makes me a little weak in the knees. 

I'm having far too much fun with it.

Baby's Day OFFF

Ever have one of those days that starts off a little weird but quickly ends with you feeling a bit like it's a ride on the Crazy Train? Such was this year's Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival.

It started, oddly enough, with me trying to convince Boy-O that we didn't have to go. I've been reading The Not So Big Life (particularly the chapter about "nut accumulation") and posited that, perhaps, really, I do have enough yarn. (I know, right? Smack some sense into me - I was attempting to be mature.)
However, the Boy insisted that we go because he knows how much I enjoy the event.

So we get in the car, discover that we are camera-less (gah!) but decide to continue on anyway. (How much do I love this man? He totally offered to go back home and retrieve the camera so that I could get pictures for the blog. What a sweetheart.) I figure, hey, it probably looks about the same as last year, minus the preggo tummy, so no big.

True enough, we arrive and the layout's very nearly the same. I head first to Blue Moon's booth so I can snag some mill ends of STR (I got some lovely skeins that I believe were meant to be Gypsum, and one that I think was Ruby Slippers). Once I've accomplished this mission, I'm happy to wander about willy nilly. We head upstairs to see the prize-winning fleece (fleeces? fleecii?), but that exhibit isn't open yet. (Nuts.)
So we wander around, in a very lax fashion, right up until I realize we've nearly interrupted Debbie New's class. (Whoops.) I am struck speechless by seeing the sight of this awesomely clever lady, and it takes me a moment to recover my wits, stop staring at her fabulous sweater, and sweep the kids out of the space. (Double whoops.)

We decide to check out the barns, and head across the lawn, wandering through the amazing crowd of fiber loving people. This is definitely *the* most laid back fiber event ever. Every one seems so darn happy to be there. Even the non-crafty spouses (spousees? spousii?) of the yarn/roving/spinning folks are smiling and yucking it up.

Just after we've read through the warning signs and told the kids to keep their hands in their pockets, we head into the barn. We get maybe halfway down an aisle when the sheep start making that plaintive sound that they make and baby Z starts giving the same distress call. She will not be soothed, so I take her out to watch a few minutes of the herding dog demo and calm her down a bit. I'm sad to miss the babies (always my favorites), but it's no big deal.

We reconnect with teh family, and after a quick nursing/diaper change/potty break, we decide to get lunch. The Boy-O ducks into the espresso hut and I entertain the kids with tales of the ancient technology called...the phone booth. (Mwaaaa-haha!)
Just then, a blond girl of about 11 or 12 walks by in a very shiny gold lamé outfit with what I think is a black person, but turns out to be a llama with an afro wig and a matching lamé cape.
(Which is where I really regretted not having the camera.)
Honestly, I don't know if she meant any insult (and in truth, it's not necessary that I know) but I certainly found it a strange and off-putting choice. Paticularly since I suspect she's from one of the smaller towns in Oregon where people of color are just a rumor.

At any rate, the rest of the festival was good: I met a couple of the PDX Knitbloggers, I had lamb kabobs (and damn, are those delicious!), and saw lots of stunning spindles and fiber and kicked myself for not being born rich and able to purchase all of it to take home with me.

In a fit of industriousness, I decided to start working on a new pattern I'm hoping to put out in a month of so. I've been pretty excited about this idea for a couple of months, and was sure that the four skeins of STR I got were perfect for this design. Except I opened up my bag for the first time since yesterday and I only have three of those four. (Gah.)
I put in a call to BMFA to check for it, but of course they're still at the festival and I'm not very hopeful that I can get that skein back. Which means I can't do that design as planned. Which means I need to get back to the drawing board on that one to use what I currently possess. So I'm totally thrown off my stride.

Preview

Coming soon(ish) to a mag near you. Sorry, that's all you get. Now back to work for me!

Now With Actual Kntting Content!

Now that I'm done with submissions for a little while, my knitting time is free for playing around with some ideas.



This lovely pink yarn is a cone of 100% cotton I mixed up at Yarnia (3 strands pink, 3 strands orange). I'd tossed it up on the shelf in our bedroom closet and nearly forgotten about it in all the busy-ness of our little house, but every so often I'd look up and mentally remind myself that I've been saving it to make something especially for little miss Z.



I decided on a simple round yoked cardigan, and yarnover increases to add a tiny touch of femininity. I threw in the rounds of garter st just so I wouldn't get bored. The cardi's somewhat slow going - it's a sport weight, and my achy hands much prefer soft wool to crunchy cotton - but I suspect that has much to do with my cranky, newly locomoting babe. What you see here is about 2.5 weeks of work.

I popped in to Dublin Bay the other day, and picked some stunning Fleece Artist merino:


Seriously. This yarn demanded that I take it home. I mean, look at it:

And once again, I'm adding to the sock yarn stash despite the fact that I refuse to actually knit socks. But this yarn is so lovely, I'm sure I'll come up with a use for it soon.

Over Hill, Over Dale, Over Dye

These days, when I'm not swatching for things I can't show you, I'm dyeing. I am absolutely entranced by the process, and am thrilled to discover what I can do with drink mix and food coloring.
I would love to explore acid dyes in a serious way, but since I'm doing it all in my kitchen, at the moment, I need everything to be food safe. Someday I think I will -- perhaps when we are child free.
But there is much to learn, and surprisingly sophisticated effects can be had with these materials, so I've no cause for complaint. It does mean, however, that no skein is safe in my clutches.
(MWAahahahaha!)

Ably assisted by my sidekick:


I took this:


And did this:


While my assistant enjoyed the fruits of her labors:

Mmmm. Tasty, tasty paper. Much more fun than winding yarn into skeins, I'm sure.

Later, I also did this:

Which didn't have the result I wanted. I'd added a good deal of black to the recipe, in order to deepen the color. Black dyes, I've learned, tend to 'break' - separate into their component colors and it did, but the results weren't quite what I was going for.
So I went back to the dyepot:



Overdyed my overdye, and came up with this:


I'm pretty pleased.

Azul Es El Color

Another dyeing experiment produced this:


Approximately 12 drops of food coloring, 2 oz. vinegar and 4 c. water.

I'm liking it. It's much more variegated than the Kool Aid colors, and the blue reminds me of gorgeous azure skies.

Gotta hustle - I'm off to the Catherine Lowe lecture.

We Are So Kool

It's been a crafty weekend around these parts. On Saturday, we stopped at the Crack...er, Craft Warehouse to pick up some beads and string for Miss N to make herself an eyeglass chain. It is a thing of 9 year old glory (including a giant sparkly snowflake bead that is almost as big as her head). She's giving it a wear test today before tomorrow's big debut at school. Pictures to come.

While we were there, Mr. T and I picked up some supercheap bulky wool yarn to play with. Below is his first attempt at Kool Aid dyeing:


Turned out pretty good, eh? I helped a bit (COUGH*alot*COUGH), but he chose the colors, stirred it up and mushed it about. I was in charge of the microwaving and handling the hot yarn.



I am in love with these colors. I think they suit him (pardon the pun) to a T.
So much so, in fact, that later that afternoon I picked up more discount yarn (some blah colored wool from Twisted's sale bin) with which to experiment.

And don't think little Miss Z was left out of the crafty goodness:


Her project? Devising ever sweeter smiles to convince Mama to pick her up right away. ;-D

Streamlined: Details

Thought I'd share a couple of detail shots for my new Streamlined sweater. Boy-O is a far better photographer than me, but was busy, so you get what I can manage as far as photo quality.


Tubular cast on, ribbed sides, side vents


Ribbing integrated into the V Neck

Incidentally, in working on this sweater I've finally discovered the perfect use for the connectors in my KP Options set. If you have two 24" cables, put a needle tip on one end and a stopper on the other. They are wonderfully flexible for working a neckline.