Closing Ceremony :: 'Finished' Tomten

And so it is done.


The Olympics have come to their end, capped by a most wonderful hockey game that I watched as I sewed in the zipper on the Tomten. It was a fitting way to finish, watching the team I felt compelled to root for win it in overtime. It is not unAmerican, just right. I mean, this country rarely pays attention to the game and me thinks the Canadians deserved the gold in all ways. Oh, Canada. It seems I really do love you.

And I loved that the whole piece itself was knit to be sent to the Great White North, to a little love with a super sparkle in the eye. Cheeky little girl.


(Reluctantly modeled by my cheeky male monkey as I have no little girl to try it on)

There is nothing bad to be said about the knit. It came from EZ and she has her finger on perfected patterns. It is squishy and stretchy and really really generously sized, sure to fit the little one until her third, maybe fourth year. It is bright and warm and I cannot wait to send it on its way.



I feel as if I earned the gold, but it does have a bit of tarnish as I have one little wee bit to finish....one last sleeve to sew up and then just a few ends to weave in. Don't DQ me now...I have done my best.



It was a hell of a few weeks, with too many late nights watching. I am so glad I did it and I love that I used up every bit of Cascade 220 in the stash...the brown came in with just enough to weave in that last sleeve. If you have been waiting and wanting to knit an EZ, do it! I see myself re-visiting the Tomten well before the next Olympic Games.



For now though...playing with this soft cotton blend...

Easter and Birthdays are just around the corner and the boys need something nice.

And if you cannot tell from the pictures of the modeled Tomten :


The boys do not like wool
The boys do not like sweaters


The boys do not like Mama's knits (unless it is in vest form...the better to not touch their delicate bodies).

Oh, the Possibilities

The cool air has settled over our little piece of land and it is breathing energy and dreams and ideas deep into my soul. Summer burned out some of that energy, these gentle temperatures hovering just below 70 are bringing it all back. I feel excited and happy and I cannot stop thinking about all the things I want to do, all the projects and plans and secrets that just might happen.


So, what is in the pool of my mind right now? New yarn projects...the Damson came off the needles during the relatively mild bachelorette party and she is not blocked yet, but she is done. Casting off 500 or so stitches is daunting, especially when I was on the third beer, but she made it out the other side and now a good soak and stretch are in order.

The only thing I am knitting right now is the ever increasing circle of stitches for my aptly named Pinwheel Sweater (free pattern). It is mindless but not mind numbing, and the 100% wool is knitting up to be light enough to guarantee use if the temps stay low. There us just not much to show except a blob-ish shape.

I did take it off the needles to check the fit and I think I will like it. Katie has her finished version blogged here and I loved it so that I cast on immediately, even though a few weeks ago it was in the 100s round here.

This has left me with idle needles begging for something, maybe another owl vest to give the other boy. Maybe a soft and stripey hat. Maybe an Ishbel in an icy blue to wrap gently around the neck of a friend who will need warming soon.


I have all this blue yarn gathered, it is a color I am learning to embrace and love. And with so much to use, the possibilities seem endless.

And then there are these buttons. Oh, I had a fun time during our trip away, digging through dusty tins of buttons, snatching special finds


and some run-of-the-mill strands.

I came away with quite a steal when the kind shop owner dumped them all in a bag for 2 dollars for the lot. A score. I glanced through this book once and found some sweet ideas, but part of me just wants to keep them for fingering through and counting.


These will eventually end up on something special... maybe a little girly dress like this one....hmmmm.

No pictures of this one, but I am the garden keeper at the school and it required some attention last week. I ripped out three huge tomatoes plants and found half a dozen giant horned tomato worms. Ugh. They were so gross, but the kids loved them and kept asking me to touch them. Anyway, the raised beds are just waiting on some amended soil and grubby little seed planting hands. I am thinking lettuce and cabbages, brussel sprouts and sweet peas and chard (always the chard, right?). I like the idea of the kids pulling potatoes out of their hidden depths, but I am not sure if those will grow in the beds. I guess it cannot hurt to try.


Let us hope that the fickle fall here gives me a few more days to revel before it slams us back with the inevitable triple digit Indian Summer. Until then I will be making away at whatever I can get my hands on. I hope fall is inspiring and activating you too. And thank you for all the words of encouragement on the picture taking....you gave me the boost I needed, lovely reading friends.

FO :: Fair Isle Yoke Vest

I find the name of my blog misleading. It is not that I do not knit, I just rarely talk about the process and the projects. I find I post up a picture and sometimes upload to Ravelry, but rarely make an effort to blog about the project itself. Not so with this FO, folks. I am very happy to present the finished Fair Isle for the Ravelry Vestuary project. Just in time too.

I saw Lolly's project last month and though I had absolutely no plans to knit myself a sweater after the mania of Christmas knitting, I could not stop thinking about it. Her version was gorgeous and very practical for my side of the world. Sleeveless and striking and stockinette in the round...I thought, this could be done.

The matter of yarn settled itself quickly, I had 6 skeins of Lion Brand organic cotton languishing for three years plus in the stash cubes. I bought it with the idea of Bean sweaters but it never came to be. My swatch was on gauge with size 6 needles and I knew cotton would work well for the body as I get way too hot in wool. I gathered the leftover Knitpicks Telemark from the myriad of Xmas Gifts and swatched a few colors. I had my yoke yarn at the ready. And then I started to get really excited.

The body went by quickly, cotton is not the easiest on the fingers row after row, but the shaping kept my interest. I did follow the pattern roughly, but I always place my side shaping according to my measurements to better accomodate my, um, shapely middle, shall we call it? And this goes the same for the bust area. Once I reached the yoke I was in knit heaven.

The way the colors blend and unfold and reveal themselves...made it hard to put it down. I found the pattern well written and the chart easy to follow, but I always stumble on the transition between chart rows. I tend to get cocky after a few repeats of the pattern and forget where to stop. Somewhere in the back right shoulder is a line of not so neat colored stitches, but I am figuring they will go mostly unnoticed.

A few things about the pattern. I should have listened to Lolly's recommendation to go down a few needle sizes on the moss stitch edging for the sleeves. They flutter a little too much. But I might thread some elastic through and gather the sleeves for an impromptu ruffle, the sweater seems sweet enough to carry that. Also, I am not too fond of the guts inside.

Weaving ends is the knitter's bane. I admit they are all hiding out still, I took the photos anyway.

I love the way fair isle looks from the inside.

It makes me want to knit something inside out some day, there seems to be such order and flow in the weaving of the colors. And I really love the yoke. Oh, I love the yoke. It is like a beautiful colored necklace and it makes me glad the cotton was a nice neutral, to better set of their jeweled tones. Okay, I have waxed poetic enough.

I am pretty sure the cotton will grow with wear, but I can live with that. Here are the boys who now love to get in front of the camera when I have the self timer going. Something about the beeping.


I hope to have some good Spring time wear out of this sweater, plans for a night out Saturday will give it an opportunity to be seen in public. Glad I made it for the February deadline (it was getting close) but now I am pondering what to knit next.

And, the little birds have taken up residence in my kitchen until I can find just the right fallen branch.

Every time Mace sees them he asks me "Birdie, eats?" and offers them whatever snack in hand. See, this is why I make things.

And L.A.

Sometimes I just love living here. City far enough to stay out of my business, close enough to see. Took this from the driver seat headed down a hill close to our home. Then I saw the CHP officer on the side of the road and hid the camera. If it is illegal to talk on the cell phone, I am sure they frown upon photography from the driver seat.

Happy weekend, all. Hope it is filled with lots of fun weekending stuff.

Throw Caution to The Wind

Ah, it is Friday. How did it come to Friday so quickly? I am so glad it is Friday. Not sure why, nothing special planned, no places to be or things to do or commitments to follow. Maybe that is why I feel so happy.

The week brought lots of rain and about Tuesday I was losing it, stuck with fevering, restless and bored toddlers that just wanted to throw things. So I made them something to throw.

I have been meaning to make bean bags for some time, Mace just loves chucking stuff into buckets. My Mama suggested she distract them with beans in cupcake tins while I sewed. It worked...until the first bean bag was finished. Then I started to feel like I was sewing in a sweat shop, the cries of "More, more, more" escalating in the background. I managed to get four done before the pressure was too much. I cut enough to make 8 in total. I need to get back to that. Four is not cutting it, I have to get up too many times in a minute to retrieve them from the bottom of my empty clothes basket...you know, the one that was holding the dirties until they discovered it in my closet.

The week was not very fun, but I consoled myself by looking at this.

This ridiculous amount of yarn was my haul from last Sunday's destash, or in my case, restash. I brought no yarn, but apparently that did not dissuade me from taking all of that. I feel very gluttonous but was assured that it had to go somewhere and no one else was taking, so it fell to me to be responsible and make sure it did not end up back on the shelves of the destasher. Julia mentioned she donated about 120 skeins of yarn to the almighty pile, I think I took 50 of them. Jeez. I just have to point out one of my favorites.

Kat gave me this, it is the same yarn she used for this poncho. Which reminds me, if you are looking for one of the best baby knit books, check out her fun and unique book, Boho Baby Knits. It is as cool as Kat...full of projects that shine. Faerie wings, poet coats, socks and mobiles and ponchos, of course. Me thinks a poncho is in order for a child. I certainly have enough yarn.

Today was awesome, baking and park play and exploring my brother's house. The boys became fascinated with some hardware they found at the house.

I fell in love with the way their little hands repeatedly put the screws in and out of the holes, carefully balancing the plate, carefully placing the screws. I watched a great video on another blog this week, talking about Danger and Kids. Give it a view if you have a minute. It brings up some great issues in regards to our children and what we let them experience in life. Now, I am not running them towards the table saw, not yet. But a hardware box definitely seems to be in order. Maybe that is the project for next week.

Now I think I shall go and enjoy the no longer sick, ready to go, back in action boys. With hair that makes me swoon.




:: The auction is up and you can get there by clicking the link top left corner. Lots of stuff there and more to come.

:: I am participating in a Day in the Life on Flickr. Come play. You have to take pictures of your day, today, Friday and try to get them over there. Fun.

:: Beth, I cannot contact you via your blogger profile. I have some good book recs, email me when you get a chance if you would like to chat.

Happy Weekending to you all!

The Knits are Marching On

I really fell hard for this sweater when I first spotted it in the Ravelry world.

I have missed the mark so many times with knitted sweaters, forgetting to take into account that I have some pretty curvy curves or that 100% baby alpaca will never be worn in Southern California, even when knitted on size 3 needles. I love knitting them, but apparently cannot quite figure out the wearing of them.

Then I knit the February Lady Sweater and my confidence in knitting for self ramped up a bit. I love that sweater and it has seen heavy use in the last few weeks and is still very beloved, despite the tendency of the Venezia to pill. Still, so pretty. If you have not joined the fanatic devotees yet check out Gleek's with mandarin collar. Sexy and restrained. Awesome.

So, I felt optimistic about trying Shalom (rav). Sure, it was with stash yarn in a completely different gauge with a different needle size and the yarn was kinda' fuzzy. I have had this yarn (10 balls) since a Tahoe trip years ago, the first when we were actually monied enough to stay in a condo for a night and ride the lifts all day (with mountain bikes, not snowboards, we were not that monied, people) (Still aren't). I found the yarn in a little shop and spent a few minutes fondling it and not knowing at all what to do with it. There was a test knit cardi in the shop, very staid, not my style, but the yarn made me happy. So I bought it and it sat for a very long time.


I am happy to say I do not regret the purchase,

or my modifications, or knitting it because wearing it has been awesome. It is perfect alone, with a long sleeve, or layered under a down jacket. It is just about my most favorit-est knit ever ever.

I cannot believe the ease of the pattern, designed to adapt to different gauges, easy to wear and really easy to knit. You need the basics: knowledge of increases, of knit/purl, of knitting thru the back loop. And you need this sweater.

It came together in 7 or so days. It has been worn about the same amount so far. I am plotting how I an justify knitting another. It is that good people.


And lest you think I have abandoned the Christmas gifting plan...this little number just came off the needles.

It is an improvised design with more stash yarn (this knitting from stash feels awesome). It is loved but I find knitting fair isle with more than two colors a bit tedious due to the yarn tangling issues. And I really have to work in my end of round issues, eek. Still loved though. Check.


Now how many more gifts need knitting? I am almost afraid to look at the board. Good luck in all of your handmade endeavors. The countdown has begun.

Introducing : My first pattern

It is a little nerve wracking to jump into the world of pattern design after reading and befriending some of the most awesome knitter/designers out there. But here I go.

A little background on the pattern. A few months ago I went to Santa Barbara and found a lovely little yarn shop, they have an extensive supply of the Habu yarn line, including the Silk Wrapped stainless steel.

This threadlike yarn intrigued me and I bought a small cone, determined to find a use for it and not really sure what that use would be.

Well, a good sorting of my stash revealed a skein of lovely purple Calmer, almost an exact match in color. And from there I thought of combining the two, the Calmer’s softness and body with the structure the Habu would lend to the knitted fabric.

>

I found a stitch pattern in an old binder of knitting instructions and the result is what I have come to call the Swagged Cowl.

Yes, I have jumped on the cowl bandwagon, they are such useful and simple pieces to knit, a great way to show off a lovely stitch pattern and I think it an interesting yarn combination. I am not sure the Habu lends as much strength as I anticipated, but I do like the finished product.

The end result proved to be a useful and pretty cowl, quick to knit and great for a Christmas gift for those that actually need to wear the things due to inclement weather. The cowl is knit in the round, with a simple slip stitch pattern that I decided to stagger to create some visual interest. This is my first attempt at pattern writing and I would love any feedback, as long as it is nice, (be nice internets) and/or useful.

Without further ado I give you:

A Swagged Cowl

Materials:

= 1 Skein Rowan Calmer (493 Plum)
= 1 Cone Habu Silk wrapped stainless steel (Violet)
= 1 set Size 9 circular needles (16 or 20’)
= 1 Stitch Marker

Holding two yarns together throughout, cast on 100 stitches and join to knit in the round. Place marker to indicate beginning of round.

Beginning Border : Knit 4 rows Moss stitch

Row 1/3 : K1, P1 until last stitch
Row 2/4: P1, K1 until last stitch

Begin Pattern Rows: Pattern consists of six row repeat that is staggered.

Row 1-3: Knit all stitches
Row 4 : *Purl 2 stitches, Slip 3 stitches from left to right needle purlwise with yarn in
front*, repeat * to *until last stitch
Row 5 : Knit all stitches
Row 6 : Repeat Row 4

You will repeat these 6 rows to form the swagged part of the pattern. In order to create a staggered appearance to the swag, follow these directions:

= Once the first repeat is complete (i.e. first 6 rows of pattern):
-Knit Row 1 of next repeat. When you reach the stitch marker, remove it, knit 2 stitches and replace the marker. This is the new beginning of the round for the second repeat.

= Once second repeat is complete,
-Knit Row 1 of next repeat, when you are 2 stitches from marker, slip these 2 stitches off the left needle, remove marker, replace the 2 stitches to left needle, place marker, this is the new beginning of the round for the next repeat.

Alternate the above instructions until piece measures 6 inches from cast on edge.

End Border : Knit 4 rows in Moss stitch as for Beginning Border…or just proceed to next step if you want a rolled edge.

Cast off in purl (I just think this looks better). Wet block, then wear or gift.

I think it looks great with this accessory…a cute baby.

Many thanks to Jeanette, my sister in law/model…and you know the drill: copyright, yadda yadda, personal use, enjoy. Smiles. Now get back to your gift knitting.

ADD: Here is your Ravelry link if you want to queue it!

Weekend :: Part I

I am tackling the weekend in a two part post because it was that epic. I am sitting here and thinking I have to write, despite an aching back screaming for a heating pad and a very tired mind from all of the activity.

We moved (one) of my baby brothers out this weekend, off to UCSB to start his journey as a young fairly independent college student far enough from home to not be able to get back for the night. He was beyond excited, but I could see the apprehension build as the weekend approached.

I suggested that we tag along to help with the move in, not sure how helpful it is to have two toddlers, but I so wanted to be there. I was with my Mama when he came into the world, it felt right to help him move out to start this new chapter.

We had a really great drive up, surprising to me as I anticipated some car melt downs in the two hour time span. I was stunned by his dorm situation. The kid lives a two minute walk from the beach, his building has a balcony overlooking a lagoon and he scored a corner room with light and fresh air that stream in.

It was hard to believe that we were going to leave him there, but it went alright. I even got out of there without crying. And it was a joy to watch my boys run up and down his dorm halls, breaking in the floor to the fact that he might have some very uncool older siblings with two babies crashing on his dorm floor. Well, probably not, Tim and I are too old to crash out on floors now, but the babies were a hit on campus.

And I am in awe that my baby brother will be receiving his college education in the most gorgeous place on earth. I am so happy for him. Now let's just hope he stays focused and spends more time studying than hanging out at the pool steps from his dorm. Yes, I said pool. I ask myself why I went to NYC for school when I could have been here.


After we reluctantly left the campus, we headed into SB proper to do a little walking and window shopping.

I had a slightly devious plan to get Tim and the boys into the downtown area so I could casually direct us to the three yarn stores I looked up on Ravelry before we headed out. Such a bad Mama. But it was not to be, the boys were in full melt mode and we were all a bit out of it.

We ended up parking by the giant famous fig tree and saddling the boys up in the much too small backpacks. After a few pictures, I realized we were not too far from one of the shops I had found, I consulted my sketched out map and everyone was nice enough to come along as I think they thought Mama was close to melting a bit herself.

We ended up on the loveliest of streets, a few down from the unbearably busy State St. It was a quiet cottage lined street and I thought my directions were wrong due to the residential feel. But we came upon the Loop and Leaf and my heart skipped a bit because it was just gorgeous. See?

I promised to not be too long and slipped in, leaving the babies outside with the big boys (Tim and my (other) brother). This place is heaven for knitters and they carry Habu. I just about fainted. And then I heard the babies inside and freaked out because the havoc, oh, the havoc they wreak with my yarn at home. But all was well because in the small room to the side of all the yarny goodness was a comfortable room with a couch, coffee and toys galore.

The boys blissed out on the new toys and I blissed out on the yarn. The owner Celeste was the one to bring the babies in (she has a little one) and we talked about Habu and blogs (so weird how knitting and blogs are completely intertwined, it must sound like a foreign language). And I talked with the other woman working there about twins and yarn and portland, OR. And then it happened...I asked Celeste if I could blog some pictures, she asked my blog, and Brook, who had just rang up my modest purchase (of habu Silk/Stainless steel yarn) said, You are Mamie? Because, get this, a few weeks ago I responded to a great comment and she happened to live in SB and I happened to mention I was heading that way and then we both kinda' had that blogging connection when we were like, we should meet up some time if we get a chance...you all know the initial feeling of "I think I would like this person IRL".

But it just so happened the one shop we made it to, the one I picked randomly, not only held some of the most wonderful yarn, not only had a knitting group going that welcomed my slightly hysterical children and even played with them, it also held a person that I know now I am destined to see again.

Brook, my commenter, was also the same woman I had been talking to about the shop, twins, Portland, etc. We ended up hugging and forgetting to take a picture together (I am such a bad blogger) but I am going to make it a point to get up there again just to sit and talk and knit in that place. And if you are near you should too. It is awesome and they are having a trunk show for Habu yarns next weekend.

Go if you can and say hi to Brook and Celeste, believe me, you want to knit in this place.

We ended the day in dismal L.A. traffic way past the babies bedtime (what is up with L.A. having the crappiest drivers in the world? The whole world..I swear. They brake when the freeway curves. Dorks). You can see the set of SB pictures here. I cannot wait to get back. It is so great to know a place we once loved visiting is now accessible again, babies in tow.

Part II will feature Sunday's party schedule : a baby shower and a baby's 1st birthday party. Now I am out. Gotta' get back to latest knit project...I am loving my fair isle right now.