Wrap it up!

I'm not one to get super hepped up about New Year's resolutions.  They often represent what we wish we were or could do in an ideal world rather than what we should do, or what's good or right for us.  And failure to achieve them (which starts to set in right about this time every year) is depressing. But, I do love making lists and plans and setting goals and cleaning things out and wrapping things up, whether it's my closet, my wallet, the kitchen sink or, OR my UFO pile. 

I'd had a few projects hanging about the apartment for several months now and they'd been getting me down.  Looking at them was making me feel like a greedy, impulsive flake who lacked follow-through, so I decided that before I started a bunch of shiny new projects, I needed to finish a few things, set them free and give them the life they deserve.  My Random Order socks were the first and easiest to finish up, and they gave me the momentum I needed to tackle this bad boy. 

Details:

Pattern: Log Cabin Square, by Sarah Bradberry

Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash

Needles: US 7/4.5mm

Started: February 22, 2010

Finish: February 11, 2011

Around Christmas of 2009, my friend Adrienne had asked if she and her boyfriend could commission a blanket from me.  They'd seen some neat ones while travelling in France earlier in the year, but really liked the idea of having something made by a friend.  Producing a commissioned work is not something I'm completely prepared to do, yet.  My skills need improvement, and I am prone to see a mistake and say "I can live with that."  Not quite the right attitude for work for hire.

At the same time, I was really excited about the idea of making something for the two of them, and so I suggested that if they bought the yarn, I would be happy to do the work. She was down with this idea, and so began our collaboration. 

We started by exchanging emails with lots of photos of knit and crocheted blankets and afghans.  I'd skulk around flickr, mostly, for ideas.  I have to admit that I was kind of hoping she'd pick a crocheted pattern, because it would be faster work, but was also quite willing to make a knit blanket, so when she picked a log cabin pattern, I wasn't disappointed.

The next step was selecting yarn.  I knew she would want wool rather than acrylic, so I decided we had to go superwash (they have a toddler and practicality is key); also Adrienne hates the chemical effects of dry cleaning.  I promoted Cascase 220 Superwash pretty heavily, because it's the superwash I've used the most, is widely available and affordable.  Adrienne and Clayton both have very specific design aesthetics, so I left the color selection up to them.  She then sent me an architect-style rendering of the blanket, which was invaluable to me in working on this.  Some people are too loosey goosey with descriptions, and I'm a word person, so that can make me crazy.  Adrienne's an architect and is quite adept at creating visual representations of ideas.

Once I knew the colors to buy, I ordered the yarn from a couple of different online stores to maximize volume discounts and  free shipping.  I think the total was something around $119 or so.  And then, last February, I started knitting.  I'd forewarned Adrienne that this may take me the better part of a year, and darned if it didn't do just that.

Despite swatching and wet blocking a square in advance, when I wet blocked the actual squares, they grew more than I'd planned. The blanked was supposed to be 4' x 6' and it's probably closer to 5' x 7'.  When I finished piecing it together in January, I realized how completely unfinshed it look.  "Shit!" I thought.  "All this work for something that looks like an oversized dishrag."  Then Sarah from my knitting group suggested I make an applied i-cord border (she is i-cord obsessed, but I can make fun of her no longer).  Perfect!  It totally saved the project.

There are 24 squares in total, but I didn't have any way to photograph them all at once.  I'll be mailing this off to Seattle later this week with a twinge of sadness.  Why?  Because it's so groovy, I kind of want it for myself.  At least I know it's going to a good and loving home.

There are worse things I could do (worse)

I like to knit and I like to talk about knitting, but I don't really enjoy taking pictures of knitting.  I like taking pictures of friends, capturing special moments, but I'm not a gifted photographer and it comes across in my photos.  And that's OK!  I bake better cakes and cookies and brownies than most people I know; I can spot a burgeoning romance a block away; I'm pretty good with languages and I get along really well with uncles and in-laws.  I'm not looking for sympathy; I'm just stating a fact.  A fact that is clear when you see these:

I did not take these.  Jim, the recipient of these tweedy socks, did.  I gave them to him before I had a chance to photograph them so I told him he'd need to take some snaps for me so I'd have documentation of the finished product (he's a professional, you see).  Man, did he pull through. 

Details:

Pattern: My own

Yarn: Rowan Rowanfleck DK Tweed

Needles: 3.5mm & 3.75mm

Started: January 4

Finished: January 8



Jim is a dear friend with excellent and specific taste.  His style is a little retro, a little modern and a little Scandinavian (perhaps I should have started with Scandinavian and just have been done with it).  He is one of my most adored friends, and I wanted to give him something special for Christmas, but I knew the gift would need to be both useful and tasteful.  Jim is one of those people who is always pairing down, so extras hold little appeal for him.  It wasn't until after the 25th (but before the Epiphany, so still in the Christmas season) that I knew what I would give him: a hand knitted pair of house socks.  What I call house socks are socks that are heavier and denser than usual and warm enough to function as slippers, without the bulky sole.  Perfect for someone who likes to open a window for fresh air, or spend weekends at an underheated Pennsylvania cabin.

I couldn't find a sock pattern that was quite what I was looking for, so I improvised this one after consulting a couple of toe-up sock patterns I'd followed before (for fingering and worsted weight yarns).  I really like to-up construction; I especially like the Magic 8 cast on.  It really is like magic because suddenly you have a toe without seams!  Anyway, I started these knowing only that Jim wears a 9 1/2 or 10 shoe.  Fortunately I have man-sized feet, so I was able to try these on as I knit them to see if they would fit. 

They do! And he loves them.  What's better than that?

So, in closing, I'd say  that there are worse things that I could be worse at than photography.  Right, Rizz?

Little Queen

There are a lot of chic people in New York City, and fall and winter are the chic seasons.  Spring is flirty and summer is sexy, but fall and winter are when style takes center stage.  Sweaters and tights and corduroy and boots and coats and scarves: there are a lot of elements, including textures and colors, to consider when dressing oneself for cold weather.  It's easy to look clownish, which I sometimes do.

Lately I've been finding myself enraged when I see impossibly chic women with gigantic scarves and cowls wrapped round their necks.  I want! I want! I want!  And sometimes, the best gift to give is one that you would like to receive (assuming, of course, that the recipient would enjoy it as well).

Details:

Pattern: Snickerdoodle, by Lindsay Ingram

Yarn: Quince & Co. Puffin

Needles: US 15/10mm

Started: November 22

Finished: November 28

When I saw this pattern, I freaked out a little bit because it was EXACTLY what I'd been wanting, and I also knew it would be perfect for my friend Amy. Initially I planned to use the yarn called for by the pattern (Rowan Cocoon) but in the end I decided to use Quince and Co.'s Puffin, a bulky yarn that comes in a beautiful variety of colors. Peacock is the one I selected.

Working on this was a little tricky, as the recipient is my roommate; I couldn't exactly knit it up while we were sitting on the couch watching 30 Rock.  Fortunately, some friends asked me to house and dog sit while they were away over thanksgiving, so I decamped to their home and knit this linen-like stitch demonically for four days. I was both sneaky and productive.





I was worried about blocking it, but she Amy was called out of town for work and I seized upon the opportunity to wetblock (I always wetblock) the 56" long cowl and dry it on the floor under a fan.  The stitch opened up a bit with blocking, but it didn't grow a tremendous amount, which was a relief, as it was sizable to begin with.  The yarn did soften a bit, though, which was nice.  It's soft and flexible, yet has good body.  There's definitely going to be more Quince & Co. in my future.  Amy's going to Minnesota tomorrow for the Christmas holiday, and since it's been blizzarding out there (I'm not joking; their football stadium collapsed under the weight of the snow), this should prove quite useful.

A few of my knitting pals and I got together on Sunday to say "Bye for now" to one of our ranks who is heading to India for two months.  It was a lovely afternoon and I took advantage of the daylight to snap these photos. I was excited to see the cowl (dubbed Little Queen", another homage to Heart) on women of different heights, sizes and coloring.

Thank you to all of my sporting models. And good luck with your holiday knitting!

On presents and scarves and 70s rock legends

I'm not a crazy Christmas nut, and I deplore much of the excess of the season, but I do really enjoy selecting gifts for people. Mind you, I don't give gifts to a ton of people, as that's not fun and makes each gift less special, but I enjoy the process of thinking about a person and what would make a nice present for them.  I like it so much that I considered working as a personal shopper at one time.  But that's another story. 

The key to picking a good gift is obvious, but often overlooked: what's important is the recipient, not the giver.  It's inevitable that the gift that I give will say something about me, but first and foremost it should be something of use to, needed by or desired by the recipient.  Or maybe something which the recipient has never seen, but which is so totally them that when they unwrap it, they can hardly stop marvelling at it. You know, cashmere mittens are luxurious and wonderful, but I would never give a pair to my Uncle Roger, a dairy farmer.  He'd smile and appreciate them and then they would sit on a shelf in his closet, never used.  Buy him a Thinsulate lined wool cap that would be useful in the barn during a Minnesota winter and he'd brag on that gift for weeks. 

Since this will be my last Christmas in New York, I've been giving a lot of thought to my friends and their presents.  This year's gifts will be equal measure Merry Christmas, I love you and I'll miss you. I've been busy making stuff, but I've purchased a few items as well, because while knitting brings me endless joy, there are only so many hats with which I can surprise someone. One of the most exciting gifts I've purchased so far is a flower pin from Emerson Made.  So festive, so femme and so her.  I'd love to have one myself  to jazz up my many all black, I've-lived-in-New York-since-1995 outfits. Someday.

I also received a package this weekend from Brooklyn based natural skin product maker, Soapwalla Kitchen.  I've been eyeballing her products for about a year now, and this holiday proved the perfect excuse to place an order for a couple of friends who, like me, worry about the preservatives and petrochemicals contained in so many bath and beauty products.  The woman behind Soapwalla Kitchen has Lupus (an autoimmune disease) and started making things out of her own need for healthier skincare products.  Right on, I say.  If you can't find what you want, make it yourself!

In addition to prezzies, I've been busy shopping for holiday cards.  Some years I make my own, but last year and this, I decided to hand the reins over to talented letterpress artisans so that I can focus on under-the-tree items.  I won't give away this year's designs, but last year I ordered sweet New Year's cards from Ink and Iron, and some Christmas cards from Ruby Press.  I'm rather particular when it comes to stationery and I like to write, and receive, letters, and I like my holiday cards to express this (this is one part of my holiday season that's almost entirely about me).

One might get the impression that with all of this shopping, I've been left with little time for knitting, but that's not the case;  I've managed to work up a gift or two, including this:

Details:

Pattern: Quick, Easy-Peasy Scarf, by Nicole Okun

Yarn: Berroco Peruvia Quick

Needles: US 17/12.75mm

Started: November 20

Finished: November 21

Quick and easy is right.  I knit this giant in 2 days, and I'm not a particularly fast knitter.  The pattern as written called for a lopi style yarn and US 11/8.0mm needles, but I decided to follow Terezka's mods and use heavier yarn (held double), bigger needles and add fringe.  I wanted a warm and dramatic scarf for a tall and lovely friend who lives in Paris, and I could not be happier with the results. 



Thanks Amy for modelling!



I call it Barracuda, a wee homage to the Wilson sisters, Ann and Nancy, aka Heart. I don't "heart" heart, I love them.   Powerful, sexy, dramatic, talented rock and rollers. I mean, look at them!

I know they've rocked their fair share of loooonnnng scarves in their day, so the name seemed appropriate.

When Barracuda was finished, I decided I had to have something similar for myself, and while it was a fast knit, I couldn't stomach the idea of working that 2 row stitch pattern again so soon, so I went in search of scarves with similar vibage, and came up with this:

Details:

Pattern: Chunky Alpaca Scarf by Jane Richmond

Yarn: Malabrigo Chunky

Needles: US 9/5.5mm

Started: November 28

Finished: December 2

Your basic feather and fan stitch pattern got me what I wanted:  a cozy scarf that would fold and scrunch nicely around my neck while looking a bit more feminine than garter stitch.  This took exactly four skein of Malabrigo Chunky (colorway Glazed Carrot, although one friend labeled it Persimmon).

I wanted the scarf to be as long as possible, but I also knew that I wanted fringe, so when I finished knitting the third skein, I made fringe with the fourth skein, attached them to the cast on edge, made the same number of fringe (fringes?) for the other end then knit with the remaining yarn until I ran out.  Easy and stress free.  I call her Bebe Le Strange.

We look nothing alike, and yet

And yet I know this scarf will be brilliant on me. I know it! In just these colors.

Simple, pretty, bright.

I think it's because we both have yellow undertones to our skin. My friend Yukiko is Japanese American and while we look nothing alike, we share the same color palate to a T. When she still lived in New York, we could always share lipstick and often clothing (tops only, as I have about 6 inches on her in the height department). It's fun having a palate-twin, kind of like being blood sisters when you're 9 years old.

Here we are a week from Christmas and I'm fantasizing about what I want and what will look good on me. Hmm. I'm not a greedy person, nor am I a narcissist. I think I've been so consumed with holiday knitting that I'm fantasizing about what I'll do for myself when the season is finished as a little mental escape. If I'm being honest, I have to admit that all of this crafting truly is for me, since it makes me happy and proud to make these things for my loved ones. Still, there are a lot of amazing patterns out there which I feel are watermarked with my name, and my chubby fingers are itching to get started!

And the scarf? I found it at Garn, a Danish on-line yarn store to which I'll be returning. Oh, yes, I shall return. Mwwa aaa aaa aaaa!

FORE!

Golf club covers, people! One of the secret gifts I've been working on recently.


I first had the notion to make these last year, when I stumbled across some patterns on Ravelry, but somehow never got around to actually wrapping the yarn around the needle. That is, until last week, when panic struck. They're a birthday present for a dear friend, and although her birthday isn't for another 4 weeks, I started to feel the pressure of time (as in not enough to do all I plan) bearing down on me. I stress out A LOT about things like gifts and packing, so I decided that unless I favored sleepless nights in my future, I'd better get in gear and start working on a present.

Since I'd had the club covers in my mind for a while, the main issue was picking colors. This sporty friend is rather preppy and owns more than one Lily Pulitzer garment, so I decided to go with uber-preppy country club colors: pink, green and bright blue. I had the pink and blue already, so only had to buy the green and white. Then, I decided on a couple of patterns, and we were off, as it were.

Details:
Pattern: Striped Golf Club Cover, by Lauren Nell Roy
Holey Hexagon Golf Club Covers, by Sarah Wilson
Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver Solids (pink)
Caron Simply Soft Brites (blue and green)
Lion Brand Vanna's Choice Baby (white)
Needles: US7s/4.5mm
Started: September 9
Finished: September 16

I knit the pink cover in the round with bamboo DPNs, and that was a mistake. The Red Heart yarn is sticky and the saddle joint of my thumb was really sore by the time I'd bound off, so despite my ambivalence towards seaming, I knit the other two covers flat. For those, I used my Denise interchangeable needles, which are plastic and glide much more smoothly through the yarn. Also, the Vanna's Choice and Caron are both much softer yarns, and so were easier on my hands. Knitting the second two covers was such a breeze, I didn't mind seaming them a bit. In fact, it was kind of fun. What I did mind, however, was the duplicate stitch I used to faux-argyle the green cover. It came out kind of messy and amateurish, but there really wasn't much I could do. Lesson learned: duplicate stitch = not for me.

These covers are kind of a continuation on a birthday theme for this friend; several years I needlepointed a case for her golf tees. I'm nothing if not consistent.

Side note: Michael Kors and some other designers showed a lot of neon bright accent pieces in their Fall '09 collections (see this, and this and this), and I'm thinking that Caron Brites might be the perfect yarn out of which to craft a cozy and shocking cowl (yarn held doubled or tripled, of course).