What's New?

Last time I wrote about the UK based magazine, KNIT, going under. Since then a new company has bought them out, and KNIT is being re-launched as YARNwise. The new magazine may have its work cut out for them, to re-build trust among subscribers, designers and advertisers, but I wish them all the best.  

Luckily, they were able to get their hands on a number of the knitted samples that had been shipped, and they are interested in publishing my pieces. So yay! 

Watch for a few of my items coming up in future issues.

My Lola’s Top  – which had been published in KNIT -  did not meet such a great fate. I never did get paid for it, and it seems I never will. Le sigh. 

Well at least I can self-publish it (which I have) and make a few bucks that way.

I want to thank the 2 Knit Lit Chicks (Barb and Tracey) who recently sponsored a contest on their podcast. For the prizes, I donated a skein of pretty yarn, 3 of my patterns, and my friend Michele (MicheleStitches) donated a beautiful project bag and stitch markers.  I think the “chicks” did a great job. 

Do check out their podcast if you haven’t already - it's fabulous!  By the way, both of them have knitted my Lydia Shawl, and their versions turned out great!

Here’s a pic of the adorable Elise, in her new sweater.

By the way, at the ripe old age of 2 ½ she has started French lessons, and her accent is wonderful.  

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Now on a serious note.
My sister, who is just 2 years younger than me, has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She lives in Toronto, while I'm in Los Angeles.  I flew up to Toronto to be with her when she had her hysterectomy 3 weeks ago. She is recovering well, and we had some good "quality" time together. 
But I'm home now and I feel so helpless since there's not much I can do for her.

For the knitters out there, I did give her a lace shawl, but it's too hot out right now for it to be of much use.

She will be starting chemo as soon as she's fully recovered from the surgery. That will be difficult, as she lives alone and doesn't have a lot of friends for support.

I did think of one thing I can do: I will donate all proceeds of all my pattern sales for the month of August to the Cancer Society. 
And to sweeten the pot for my customers, they can get 20% off the purchase price using the code AUG20.  It's a small gesture, but it's all I can think of right now.

Take care everyone.

Good News, Bad News

Camp KIP Report 

On Wed April 25, hubby and I got up at 5:00 am, so that I could catch a 7:00 flight to St Louis. Why St Loiuis ? Why indeed. The famous arch (which I haven’t managed to see yet) ? The fabulous pie at Cowan’s? The lovely Cedar Creek hotel and conference center?

It’s the second annual CampKIP –a fun get-together of knitters from all over the country. Call it a knitting retreat. I think the beauty of it, is that there are not a lot of scheduled activities. People can just hang out, knit, talk, compare techniques and admire each other’s knitwear. Most people have busy lives, balancing kids, jobs, pets, and households; for them 3 days without commitments, without a schedule, spent among friends, is like a little bit of heaven.

For me, it was extra special. 

First, I got a chance to meet my swap partner from last year, Julia. We had exchanged lots of notes, and had put together 4 swap packages for each other, but never had a chance to meet face to face. She heard about Camp KIP, registered, and we ended up being roommates. It was so much fun – she is a wonderful lady.

A second highlight was that I took the opportunity to offer a short class on design to the camp attendees. It was well received, and I enjoyed the opportunity to talk about my process and what I’ve learned in the two years I’ve been designing. I wore one of my designs, the Lydia Shawl and it generated a little buzz.

Another exciting thing that happened – one of the knitters there was actually wearing one of my designs! This was quite thrilling for me. She wore the Carole Landis Top and it looked great on her. She knitted in cotton which was perfect.  The little inserts of lace make it cool enough to wear on a warm day.  

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Another recent event was the Yarn Crawl LA. Over 4 days, people were invited to visit as many LYS in LA County as you could (or desired). There were 27 shops participating, and they featured prizes, special deals and discounts during the weekend.  I went to one nearby store on my own (KnitCulture) and visited 3 more with friends. These were stores I hadn’t ever visited so it was good fun. I didn’t buy too much, just a skein of pure silk in a gorgeous ice blue from Twist in Manhattan Beach, and some needles at Needlepoints West, near LAX airport.

In other knitting news, I finished Phoebe’s Sweater for my little granddaughter; it looks great. I’m hoping to get a nice pic of her wearing it to add to my project page, but here’s the photo of the sweater itself.

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A bit of bad news: the UK based magazine called KNIT (formerly known as Yarn Forward) is in bankruptcy. I have published a few designs with them. 

I feel bad for the staff that have lost their jobs.   

Unfortunately they owe me $$$ for 2 designs, one published (Lola's Top), and one in process,  plus they have 2 knitted samples of mine which should be sent back to me.  In all the confusion, who knows if the samples will be found and returned. As for the money, I have little expectation :-(   Sigh.  

Sorry to end on a depressing note everyone. I’ll try to be more upbeat next time.

So much new stuff!

It's been a while since I blogged, but the advantage there is that I actually have a lot to talk about:
several new patterns published, and quite a few "super-secret" projects that I can only hint at.

My "Le Marais Slouchy Vest" was previously published in Yarn magazine, but is now available for purchase separately. It can be worn open, or wrapped as shown, with a belt or shawl pin.

Looking for something adorable? Check out the Jelly Bean Dress/Jumper. Perfect for spring (with a tshirt underneath) or summer (on its own).
Check out the rest of my designs here on Ravelry.


I've been really busy with a few projects I can't show yet. I did some lacy fingerless mitts for an upcoming book, using some wonderful yarn from YarnLove.

It will have the theme of libraries, librarians, and literature (tentative title is Stitching in the Stacks). There are some gorgeous designs in there and I'm honored to be included. The book comes out later this year. I will keep you posted.

There is a really nice tunic top for Clotheshorse, a new knitting magazine that focuses on more current, fashion-forward designs. I'm pleased and honored to be included in this publication, too.

Also, I just completed some designs for Vogue Knitting!! I know! How exciting is that?

Next up are some pieces for a couple of UK knitting magazines, so I have enough to keep me busy for a while.

Recently I was featured on the lovely Veronica's blog, Yarn on the House.
I sponsored a giveaway of yarn, free patterns, and a project bag supplied by my friend MicheleStitches.
Check out her awesome Etsy shop. Sticks, Stones and String.

Will post more next time!

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Published in Interweave Knits!

I'm very excited to report that I have been published by Interweave Knits, one of my favorite magazines, and one of the most prestigious ones in my opinion. I've always admired their designs as they always have style, and feature unique details that make every design special.

I'd like to introduce the Quixote Scarf. Don Quixote was famous for "tilting at windmills" and this scarf features tilted cables.

It's a garter stitch scarf -- but the cables are tilted to run diagonally across the scarf. The diagonal rectangle is formed by increasing on one side and decreasing on the other.

Knit in squishy warm garter stitch in a worsted weight yarn, this piece features cables that use Lily Chin’s reversible cables technique, so when you wrap the scarf ends around you, they look exactly the same on both sides. A cozy fringe completes the look. It is easy yet a bit of a challenge for the fearless knitter.

I'm pleased to say that there are already 16 projects in progress, and it's been queued over 50 times. One of my favorite podcasts, Barb and Tracie of The 2 Knit Lit Chicks, were kind enough to mention the pattern on their recent podcast episode, and that was much appreciated. Check them out - they are a lot of fun.

Talk to you soon.

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Adventures in Steeking, or When Knitting Attacks

I have been knitting a sweater in the round. You know how patterns say “Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist stitches”?

So of course I double and triple-checked that my stitches were not twisted. And I checked again after a couple of rows.

How then, can it be possible, that they ended up twisted?

What I like to do with sweaters in the round, is slip them onto 2 circs, just as you do for knitting socks on 2 circs. That way you can spread out the stitches, check your gauge, and even try it on. After about 4 inches of knitting, I did just that. To my horror I found out that the sweater I have been knitting is twisted! Aarrgghh!

I don’t want to start over, I’m just lazy that way.
Rather than rip it out, I decided to try steeking it and then grafting or mattress stitching the untwisted ends together.
I could have tried a new design feature like side vents, as suggested by my friend Bronwyn. Genius idea. This is a design for a magazine though, so it sort of has to match the specs.

Worst case, it doesn’t look right and I have to start over -- which is what I would have done anyway - had I not been inspired by Bronwyn’s steeking a sweater that had gotten twisted. So no huge risk, anyway.

So I reinforced it before cutting, held my breath and cut it The I untwisted it and sewed it with mattress stitch, and I sort of tacked down the cut edges on the inside of the sweater.

It looks fine on the front side, but it’s a little extra bulky on the inside from the seam edges. It’s only around 4 inches though. Should be better after blocking.

see the pics here:

Right side:Inside:

Whew!

Next time I will follow some advice I read, to work 2 or 3 rows flat, until you can see your work better; then join in the round. Then you just have a tiny bit to sew up.

Book Review - A Knitting Wrapsody by Kristin Omdahl

This book - A Knitting Wrapsody - focuses on wraps, shawls, and shrugs. It has the innovative feature of including a DVD that illustrates some of the special techniques used in the book. This is a fantastic feature.

Kristin is well known in the crochet world. I'm not a crocheter, so I'm looking at the designs solely from a knitter's point of view. This book is not intended for beginners, as it really requires a good foundation in basic knitting techniques. I'm fairly experienced as a knitter, so I'm attracted to new and different techniques and design effects.

There are eighteen patterns, categorized: scarves, wraps, shawls, and skirts. They go from lacy to quite dense, solid knitting. It's really hard for me to pick a favorite because there are a lot of great ideas in this book.
Overall, the book is well-produced: there are lots of clear photos of each piece; charts and schematics are sharp and usable; the design layout is visually pleasing. The patterns seem easy to follow.

On to the patterns:

Ring of Cables – a very cute shrug with lots of lovely cables. This design is on the cover. This would be adorable on a twenty-something, and it has a really interesting construction. I love the cables! This is the first project I started. I'll be making it for my daughter in law in a wool-silk blend yarn. I’ve done a gauge swatch and I’m on my way!

I Do - diamond lace scarf, is very pretty, wearable and appealing.

Echo - Mobius - has an original stitch pattern that makes me want to try it.

Infinity cardi-wrap - just breathtaking in its unique design. A figure-8 is knitted for the back, then stitches are picked all around it to make the rest of the sweater. So striking.

Finally, the Warrior wings shawl, with its pretty scalloped edges, is another winner.

I passed the book around at my knitting group, and these patterns got the most ooohs and aaahs.

As for the downside, I couldn't see knitting the Flamenco ruffled skirt, or the Gypsy wrap... Just not wearable for me or people I know.

With the inclusion of a technique DVD, this book is suitable for most knitters, because even if you are a beginner, you can work on the techniques until you have them down, then embark on one of the projects.

All in all, there is a very good proportion of things I do want to make, compared with other knitting books I have. So this book is a winner :-)

Note: I was supplied a copy of the book by the publisher.

Lots of Stuff!

I haven’t yet blogged about my trip to London in May and the fabulous Chelsea Flower Show. And I haven’t blogged about my vacation in the south of France in late August/early September. I will get to those in good time. But first I will talk about recent knitting-related stuff, especially something very exciting that just happened.

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Last weekend I attended Vogue Knitting Live in LA. A knitting conference 3 miles from my house ? I’m there ! I registered for a lecture by Franklin Habit and 2 classes, with Cirilia Rose and Shirley Paden. In addition I signed up to be a volunteer and help out with registration and such. So, I had a very busy 3 days.

I’ll go into detail on all of these, but first I’ll get right to the most exciting part -- one of my designs was shown in a fashion show! My design – up on the catwalk, worn by a real model!
I was super excited and actually got a little choked up afterwards.

It’s a simple cowl and matching fingerless mitts, done in a slip-stitch colorwork design. It will be available as a free pattern by the end of October on the Premier Yarns website. I’ll post the link here and on Ravelry when it comes out. http://www.ravelry.com/projects/goodstuff/super-secret-cowl-and-mitts

So, I thought the conference was really good. There was a huge variety of classes offered, to the point where it was very hard to pick just a couple. The vendor marketplace was large and extensive, lots of yarn stores had nice booths, and a few brand-new yarns were launched. In spite of my large stash, I succumbed to a skein of Rowan Kidsilk Haze, in a new variegated colorway designed by the famous Kaffe Fasset. http://www.knitrowan.com/yarns/kidsilk-haze-stripe
This was one of the new yarns introduced at the conference. I saw some items made from it at the Rowan fashion show and went right to the marketplace to buy some – it was that pretty.
Another one, Polaris by Universal Yarns, was gently variegated in ivory, grey and black with sequins sprinkled through it. I couldn’t resist those sequins, especially at just $10 a skein :-)

There was also a bag of half price Noro Shirakaba in a nice cranberry red semi-solid.
I was hoping to find the famous Signature needles that I had heard so much about -- because I had just about talked myself into buying some – but I wanted to try them first. I wanted to see whether they magically improve my knitting in some way. There are several different lengths and styles to choose from, so it would be best to test them out. But, alas, Signature did not have a booth, and none of the yarn stores represented there had them. I decided to pick up a circular Addi Lace Turbo needle instead. I’ve used it a little and I like it so far.

Now, about the classes.
Franklin Habit was funny, informative, and charming as he talked about his interest in historical knitting patterns and how he goes about doing his research. He showed us some of the items he has made for his regular feature in knitty.com. There were some lovely pieces.
Cirilia Rose taught “Design with Confidence” and she covered a wide ranging set of topics relating to the design process, providing lots of insights into the industry. She is sweet and charming and fun.
The class with Shirley Paden was intense. We had to knit 4 large lace swatches as prep work, then in the 6 hour class we learned about the many styles of lace and the management of shaping lace to fit shapes such as sleeve caps or necklines. We knitted several complicated lace swatches in class to learn the different types of lace. Shirley showed us many beautiful samples of lace that she has used in her designs.

I had a chance to catch a few of the fashion shows. The one done by Rowan was one of the most beautiful; there were many lovely and wearable pieces. Skacel, Universal, and Premier also had good representation. A poncho/wrap that looked like a big tablecloth, and some unfortunate legwarmers that didn’t stay up, were the exceptions.
It was also great fun to chat with people too, like Wendy Bernard (Custom Knits) and Vicki Stiefel (The Laidback Knitter).

Oh, last but not least, there was a beginner’s lounge where you could learn to knit or crochet. I decided to take the plunge and learn to crochet. After 20 minutes of patient coaching I had the hang of single and double crochet. Woo-hoo! And they were nice enough to give me the crochet hook and the yarn I used to take home. My friend Ellen, an avid crocheter, was happy to hear this news, and has offered to help with any further questions I might have.

All in all, VK Live was an exciting, busy and educational time. It’s always nice to be surrounded by other knitters, and the hotel was swarming with them. Where else can you stroke a complete stranger’s shawl, and murmur “nice!” and not get into trouble? ;-)