HaciMade Knits

CouCou Cable Chapeau

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 17:36:00 +0000

Gah! Has it really been that long since we talked?!?! I've missed you and am hoping to get back into the swing of things. Especially since I've released a ton of patterns recently and haven't much of a chance to talk about them! There needs to be more knit-chat in my life.

I'll start with the most recent one: the CouCou Cable Chapeau.

It's worked in two layers. The outer layer is in 100% wool (worsted weight) (Wool of the Andes) and the inner layer is in a brushed alpaca nylon blend (Reverie).

The best part is that the pattern is available for free on the Knit Picks website!!!

I don't know how the model didn't melt wearing such a warm hat in the summer heat,
Joyce

Photo Credit: knitpicks.com

Spring is here

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 13:47:00 +0000

And the air is full of pollen. But I'm okay with that because everything is in bloom! (And I have anti-allergy medicine.)

Happy Spring!
Joyce

Crazy life and the Qboro Cowl

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 22:22:00 +0000

Things are still crazy here, but that's nothing new, right? I would like to say that hopefully they will settle down soon, but I am always hopeful that things will settle down and they rarely do.

I often hear myself say "After the end of the semester," "During this upcoming break in classes," and so on. However, I'm beginning to realize (boo, maturity!) that when that break gets here or the semester ends, there will still be craziness, whether it's from work or it's just me. So I've decided to embrace the crazy. And why not? It certainly makes life more interesting. (This also works if you have a crazy family, but really, don't we all?)

Sometimes, when the crazy gets to be a little too much, I like to take comfort in an oasis of soft, colorful yarn and a simple pattern. It's for that reason that I designed the Qboro Cowl (that's pronounced Q(like in quack)-boro).

It calls for 220 yds of worsted weight yarn. Pictured here in KnitPicks Swish worsted in Wonderland Heather, it would be great for any single skein of worsted that happens to be hanging out in your stash. Plus a cowl would be a fast project to knit for both the guys and girls in your life that you want to keep nice and toasty (cough cough Christmas knitting cough cough). Oh, and did I mention the best part? The pattern is free!!!

Speaking of things that drive me crazy (but are still super cool and awesome), Polly had a birthday last month. She is officially a year old. (Look at that face! No, wait, don't. It will make you want to do things like give it Snausages and Beggin' Strips.)

Don't let the grey beard and old man looks fool you, she's still a crazy youngster. She will often try to persuade me to do what she wants, such as give her my yogurt. Usually it involves this face (and that hair!):

which, I'm only slightly ashamed to admit, I find irresistible.

Don't be silly, Polly doesn't want a cracker (at least, not without cheese),

Joyce

World Wide Knit in Public Day (Week?!?!)

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 12:34:00 +0000

WWKIP day (which I've recently discovered has since expanded into a week) was this past Saturday. The knitting ladies and I usually spend it in Bryant Park at Knitty City's annual celebration.

Gertrude Stein is nice and toasty on a warm June day.

There are usually over 30 knitters that turn out and sometimes there's even live entertainment and snacks. Last year there was a great turnout.

We even had our own designated table and a hand made sign. Pearl from Knitty City makes all fiber crafters feel like old friends. That's why I think Knitty City is the best yarn store in the world.

Our table sign.

We are the Astoria Knitting ladies. (And we really like our sunglasses.)

This year, however, we had to miss the Knitty City gathering to attend a different more awesome event: Brandy's bridal shower! She's getting married in September and her family and friends got together to celebrate. We're super happy for her and her groom.

Brandy in her ribbon bonnet.

And there was, of course, still knitting in public that day. You can't keep a good (obsessed, whatever!) knitter down. There were three shawls, a sweater, and a blanket all being worked on while Brandy opened presents. We heard a lot of' "I should have brought my knitting (crochet, etc.)" as people passed our table, but my favorite was "Oh! You really ARE the knitting group!"

Yes, yes we are,

Joyce

P.S. Brandy isn't the only lady in our group that's getting married this year. (I'd worry that it's contagious except I've been married quite a while now. Which means I'm a carrier!) The other one, however, is getting married on Rhinebeck weekend. Luckily Rhinebeck is two days, so we don't have to make any awkward decisions. (Who am I kidding? We wouldn't dream of missing her wedding! But maybe I should distribute a calendar of important knitting dates next year.)

Catching up - Graduation

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Wed, 07 May 2014 13:24:00 +0000

Yep, you heard me right. I graduated!!! I'm officially a Dr. now! (of the PhD kind, so please don't ask me about your mole. Unless you're just looking for someone to go 'EW!' with you because I can totally do that!) There was cake and everything!

My defense was held on Dec. 21, 2012.

Yes, the day the world was supposed to end. I figured either way it was a win/win situation for me. Either the world would end and I wouldn't have to defend. Or the world would keep on spinning and my defense would be over by the end of the day. Happily the world didn't end and I successfully defended my thesis!!! (If you're wondering, yes, the picture above WAS part of my defense talk. Had to give a shout out to my love of fibery things.)

Gigi came up for my defense and for graduation. She surprised me with a 'congrats on your successful defense' hat with beetles on it. I had already made myself an awesome highlighter scarf out of Madtosh Pashmina to celebrate the occasion. They don't match at all, but they kept me toasty all through winter.

Graduation was great! Gigi, Elle, the twins (TK and KT), and of course Hubbie all came. (There were a limited number of tickets otherwise it would have been a madhouse!) The cap and gown for graduation were pretty ridiculous.

Hubbie joked that I looked like I was doing Harry Potter cosplay. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.) It rained really hard that morning which made me happy. (I love the rain! It also helps that I didn't get soaked. :-D)

Gigi and the twins gave me flowers. Peonies all around. (My favorite! They were SO pretty!!!!) GiGi brought me one from her garden at home.

It still doesn't feel quite real. I've been asked several times if I have a PhD, and a couple of times I've almost said no. But I'm getting there. How can it not be true? There was cake and balloons. They wouldn't lie, right?

I'll try not to let it go to my head,
Dr. Joyce

Dusty... Where did the time go?

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Sat, 26 Apr 2014 17:34:00 +0000

Shew! This blog is covered in dust! Where's my rag? ::wipe, wipe, ACHOO!::
There, that's better.

It's been crazy around here since the last time we talked. Turns out that a lot can happen in a year and a half. I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to tell you all about it over the next few weeks while we catch up. Can't talk much today though 'cause I'm feel a nap coming on after all of that dusting.

Before I go, I absolutely have to share one of the amazing things that happened since we last spoke.

This is Polly Prissypants! (We got a puppy!!!!)

Here she is at 7 weeks...

And now, nearly five months later...

She's Chihuahua/Terrier mix (A cheerier!!!) and about 8.5 lbs right now. And I love love love her! (I'm sure you couldn't tell, right?)

Excuse me while I go give puppy kisses!
Joyce

And we have a winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 17:16:00 +0000

As knitters, aren't we all winners?

Congratulations Lindr! I sent you an email with more details. (Hopefully you got it!) I also love MMario's work. He designs such amazing shawls!

I think that all knitters (crocheters, crafters, artisans, etc.) are amazing and ingenious. Being able to turn something as simple as string into something as complex as fabric still amazes me. I'm surrounded by crafters (in person and online) that have their own unique style and way of producing their craft. I think each and every one is brilliant for trying (whether or not they succeed (because I know that I have at least three things on my list of crafts that I just can't seem to get my brain, or hands, to do)).

As a thank you to everyone who entered (and those that just stopped by) I'm offering 10% off of your entire purchase of the patterns in my Ravelry store for the next week. Just use the coupon code: contest110

Eligible patterns include my latest release: the Quetzal Shawl.

If it wasn't for EZ, I may never have figured out how to purl continental style,
Joyce
ETA: EEK! I made a mistake when making the coupon, so it may not of worked for some of you. It should be working now. I've pushed back the expiration date to June 25th. Sorry for the confusion.

P.S. Coupon can only be used once. Expires ~~June 18~~, 2012 at 11:59 Eastern US time zone.

Amazing Ingenuity

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:37:00 +0000

The ingenuity of people never ceases to amaze me. I love seeing the ways that knitters alter and change patterns to suit their own needs and sense of beauty. I'm especially amazed when I see a knitter take a design and turn it into something completely different.

For instance, meet the Omelet Sunbrella.

wyvon54 altered the pattern for Omelet to make it into a parasol (being a girl of the deep south, I understand the need for sun protection and beauty that is represented by the parasol). But how awesome is that name: Sunbrella. I just want to keep saying it over and over (until it stops making sense, then pause, and start saying it again. (You may want to avoid me for a while.))

Incredibly ingenious is EvaWood's Omelet Tunic.

Seriously, she made a sweater out of Omelet! And it turned out gorgeous. It kinda makes me want to make one too (but you know my history with sweaters). I love the way the edging looks around the bottom of the tunic. It also kinda makes me want to design sweaters (but again, I'd have to knit them, and you know how that usually turns out... although if I made it sleeveless...)

On a different note, I have potentially exciting news. I decided to have a contest. When Omelet topped 3000 favorites on Ravelry I was super duper, oh my goodness, ridiculously, beside myself excited (I like to keep my excitement goals modest) and I want to share the excitement with a contest. The prize includes: three skeins of Koigu KPM (100% Merino, 175yds (160m)/50g) 1043 colorway, a $5 coupon from GiGi's Etsy shop (Thanks GiGi!), and a couple of surprises.

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post by June 10th telling me who your favorite ingenious knitter of all time is. I will draw the winner's name and post it Monday the 11th. Good luck!

Can I enter my own contest?
Joyce

Lovely Lace Laundering

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:23:00 +0000

I'm sure I've made no secret of my love of knitting lace. However, thanks to Pinterest, I've recently been reacquainted with my love of other lace (all things lace, really). When my mom took me to look at fabric as kid, I was always drawn to the lace, be it eyelet or Venice style lace.

So, while I was surfing Pinterest and looking at skirts (because I've recently developed a desire to wear a skirt occasionally (this is a shocker to those that see me regularly because I have only worn skirts outside my apartment maybe once or twice a year for the past ten years (and only when visiting GiGi (Dude, this is four nested parentheticals! Score!)))), I rediscovered lace (I think we've talked about this before). Now I want to put lace on everything. I'm not going to (I'm still not sure why not, but GiGi said no), but I've been drooling over it anyway (my poor keyboard).

As a result, I purchased a 2lb assorted grab bag of discontinued or remnant lace from LaceHeaven (Yes, that is where I want to go when I die, why do you ask?) (It was one of only three they were selling, but there are also a lot of lots of lace on Ebay. Go look, I'll wait. Nice, right?) The only drawback to it being leftovers was that much of the lace was stained with age and needed to be laundered. (Don't tell anyone, but my inner fiber geek said "yay!")

So for the past week, whenever I've had a spare moment, I've been washing lace. I've mostly been using Oxyclean because it really does power out the stains.

I'm including a short tutorial in case you also ever have to wash lace.

Note: You'll want to try this on a small piece before you do the entire amount to test how the lace will hold up to cleaning and if you like the final result.

How to launder lace (using Oxyclean)
1) Add Oxyclean to water. I used 3/4 cup to 2 gallons of water. Stir to dissolve completely.

2) Place lace into the water. Stir again to thoroughly soak the lace in the solution. It should get really sudsy.

3) Soak for one hour. (I recommend knitting while you wait, but if you've got something else you need to do... I'm sorry.) Check after an hour. If the stains appear to be gone, continue with step 4, otherwise let it soak some more. (If not all of the stains have been removed after a couple of hours of soaking, they may not be coming out. I recommend dyeing. It's also a great deal of fun, plus what are you going to do with all of that white lace.)

4) Rinse thoroughly. I soaked the lace in the bathroom sink, but then used the bathtub to rinse.

5) Wrap in a towel and squeeze to remove the excess water.

6) Long strands can be placed on a hanger to dry, but I recommend placing any appliques on a flat surface to dry. (I used the cardboard cutting board that I block shawls on.)

7) It usually takes about 8-10 hours for them to dry completely (probably less, but I like to be sure it's completely dry).

8) Giggle happily and wrap yourself in the beautiful, clean lace while doing a happy dance. (This step is optional, but I don't know how you'll avoid it.)

The difference between the clean and dirty lace is quite dramatic.

Now to put lace on everything (::whistles:: Here Winnie!),
Joyce

P.S. Song of the week: Somebody that I used to know, Gotye.

Spring flowers

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:43:00 +0000

Spring is fully upon us. Every time I walk anywhere in the city, I try to take the time to enjoy the beautiful flowers in bloom. I recently got the to spend some time in the garden that surrounds the American Museum of Natural History.

The sun was shining.

The flowers were beautiful.

I couldn't ask for a better place to knit.

(Madtosh lace in Fig held double.)

Happy Spring,
Joyce

Crescent City Shawlette

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:29:00 +0000

I grew up in southeast Louisiana in a town close to New Orleans. I've always loved the city for it's culture, music, and historic feel. (But sadly couldn't eat much of the food given that I'm allergic to seafood.) So when I decided to try my hand at designing a crescent shaped shawl I had to name it after the city that will always be close to my heart, the Crescent City.

Meet the Crescent City Shawlette.

Photos above from KnitPicks.com

It is being offered as a kit (!!!) in two colors: red (for red hot jazz) and blue (for rhythm and blues). The pattern is also for sale on its own as a pdf.

It's worked with two strands held together, one strand of Gloss Fingering (red: Cranberry, blue: Winter Night) and one strand of Aloft (red: Cranberry, blue: Celestial.) The Gloss gives it substance while the Aloft gives it a soft, lovely halo.

The crescent shape helps it stay over the shoulders, so it won't keep slipping off when worn. Plus I really love the little curl at the ends.

I made mine in Stroll Tonal Sock in Lullaby and Aloft in Fairy Tale.

Now if only I can keep GiGi from talking me out of it,
Joyce

Purl oriented centered double decrease- tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:26:00 +0000

Recently, while designing a shawl, I realized that I needed a way to do a knit side oriented double decrease but from the purl side (the stitch is worked on the purl side, but the double decrease shows up on the knit side). Happily, I found a blog with a fairly simple explanation (plus a great photo tutorial) of how to do this. Yay!

For many knitters, this might be the end of it, but it got me to wondering. How would a knitter do a double decrease that was purl side oriented?

While fleegle's trick is super cool, on the purl side it look like an elaborate right leaning decrease. I (and possibly you) want to be able to make a double decrease that is centered on the purl side. But, alas, google was not helpful. A search yielded no useful results (if I missed a tutorial for this, please let me know.)

The knitting nerd in me (and that's a large part of me) insisted that I figure it out.

It turns out to be fairly simple to do. All you need to do is: p2tog, s1, psso.

I found slipping the stitch over on the right needle to be a bit tricky, so I moved the the stitches onto the left needle for slipping. The less tricky (for me at least) way is what I've included in the photo tutorial below.

PSO-CDD (in 4 easy-ish steps):

1) Purl two together.

2) Move stitch from right needle to left needle.

3) Pass slipped stitch over.

4) Move stitch back onto right needle.

Purl side view:

Knit side view:

So simple, yet so complex looking (as is much of knitting). I hope this has helped you in your search to become a more nerdy knitter.

Just me, huh?
Joyce

P.S. I was pretty excited about my status as a nerdy knitter when I figured this out (even though I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only one who has). So I texted TK and told her that I'd figured out how to do a purl side oriented centered double decrease. A short time later I got a text in return that said, "Is it p2tog, s1, psso?" Yep, ego deflated. Tell me again why I hang out with such smart knitters?

The old becomes new again

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:30:00 +0000

I've recently been introduced to the ~~time sink~~ exciting possibilities of Pinterest. If you're not on Pinterest, I'm sorry I did that to you. If you are, how did you manage to pull yourself away long enough to come here?

I've found a lot of recipes for making lotions and lip balms through Pinterest, but my time on the website has had an unexpected side effect.

I've fallen in love with shawls all over again. Anyone who's met me in a knitting store (on the street, in class, at national entomology meetings) knows that I've had an obsession with shawls for several years now. However, I realized this past week that while I love wearing them and designing them, I'd kind of stopped looking at them as the objects of beauty that they really are. Instead, I see them as individual stitches on a large canvas.

But then I saw this picture.

And this one.

All I can say is Wow! Oh, and you should totally google 'vintage lace shawls'. I'll wait.

You probably noticed that they are not knitted shawls, but rather actual lace which is much more time consuming than knitting. (Or so I've heard. I don't know anyone that makes non-knitted lace. I consider this to be a serious gap in my crafting social calendar.) But when I went back to Ravelry, I discovered that I had started seeing the lace again instead of just the stitches. And fell in love all over again.

I lost my heart to lace shawls (sorry, Hubbie),
Joyce

P.S. If you decide to join Pinterest, there's a two to three day waiting period similar to what Ravelry had when they first started. But don't say I didn't warn you.

Jenolan Shawl

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:41:00 +0000

GiGi recently pointed out to me that I had not yet blogged about the pattern that I released in December, the Jenolan Shawl.

I have to admit that it surprised me that I hadn't even mentioned it, but, as I explained to Gigi, there's been a lot of stuff going on around here. What with visiting my sister-in-law, rollerblading, making lotion, and working on my dissertation, poor Jenolan fell to the way side.

She's a lovely winged shawl and (brace yourself!) it's not a triangle. Except for the points made by the edging, Jenolan has a flat bottom in back.

The winged shape keeps it draped nicely around the neck so that it doesn't slip off of the shoulders.

The main body of the shawl is in stockinette leading down to a lacy bottom. The pattern has two versions of the bottom lace edging. Version A is simple enough for beginning knitters to challenge themselves.

And version B, with double yarnovers throughout, is complex enough to keep an experienced knitter interested.

Jenolan is named after the Jenolan Caves in the Blue mountains of Australia. The lace is meant to resemble the limestone formations that help make these caves so beautiful. Hopefully, it does them justice.

Not that I'm much of a spelunker,
Joyce

P.S. Version A is knit in Knit Picks Swish DK in Indigo Heather. Version B is knit in Knit Picks Capra in Regal.

Sitting on dogs

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:17:00 +0000

Okay, so there is no actual sitting on dogs involved with dog sitting; however, the dog Hubbie and I are watching this weekend is the size of a pony, so I think a jockey could comfortably sit on her.

You may remember Bella from the last visit to my sister in law's house.Going to my SIL's house is great for many reasons. When they're here, we get to relax and spend time with family. When they're not here, we get to go wild… and sleep all day and watch tv. Oh, and we occasionally rollerblade in her huge-mongous basement.

In addition to all of the sitting around (and rolling around) this weekend, I learned a new craft. I may not have mentioned this in the past, but before I discovered knitting I was a flighty hobbyist. I would stick with a hobby for a few months, and then move on to something else. They were all perfectly good hobbies, but none of them were "the one". Then I met knitting. And we've been in a happy committed and mostly monogamous relationship for several years now. I'll admit it, I am sometimes led astray by the allure of beading. After all, a girl needs sparkly stitch markers.

The new craft I learned this weekend was how to make lotion and lip balm. (Don't worry, Knitting, you know I'll always come back.) It's surprisingly easy, quick and fun.

As is evidenced by the 28 tubs of lip balm, and three tubs of body lotion that I made (some are already in use, so they didn't make it into the picture.). The hardest part was waiting for them to solidify so I could use them.

Oh, and the sore lips from trying on six varieties of lip balm in an hour,
Joyce

Liana Shawlette

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:29:00 +0000

This past Friday Knit Picks highlighted one of my designs as their Friday Freebie. The Liana Shawlette is named after woody vines found in the tropics. The lace in the edging mimics these vines as the grow throughout the forest.

It combines a self striping yarn for the body (Knit Picks Chroma in Prism) with a solid (and in this case sparkly) yarn for the edging (Knit Picks Glimmer in Potion).

It would look great with any variegated main color for the stockinette body and a solid contrast color for the lacy edge.

It is a winged shawlette which means that it will stay on the shoulders and wraps nicely around the neck for warmth. The pattern can be downloaded for free online here.

And those of us that don't live in the tropics need all of the warmth we can get,
Joyce

Wear a Shawl day

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:34:00 +0000

Tomorrow is the first ever official Wear A Shawl day. There's a Ravelry group that's trying to make the 11th of every month a day when shawl wearers can throw off the concern of the " only old ladies wear shawls" stereotype and wear their shawls proudly, be they 8 years old or 80.

I was born for this day! In honor of such an auspicious occasion, I present to you examples of different ways you can wear a shawl.

The Across The Shoulder (Traditional) Way: This way lets all of the people behind you see how pretty your shawl is, plus it keep your back and shoulders nice and toasty.

The Keep One Shoulder Warm While You Stare At The River Way: Similar to wearing a silk scarf, this way let's you enjoy your shawl, but keeps you from getting too warm. (I recommend a lovely shawl pin to hold the two sides together and keep it from becoming the If This Thing Falls Off One More Time... Way of wearing a shawl.)

The As A Scarf With The Point In Front Way: This is my favorite way to wear my shawls. It keeps my chest nice and toasty and can be worn under a coat. (Plus it doubles nicely as a bib in a pinch. Not that I would ever do that. ::whistles innocently::)

The As A Scarf Way: This way works best with rectangular wraps, but will also work with long thin triangles.

And if you love your shawls, but don't want to wear them on your body (sometimes it's just to hot. Crazy, I know!) you can have your furniture wear them. I haven't met a chair yet that would object to being draped in lovely yarny goodness.

You can also drape your pets in shawls, but keep in mind not all pets will wear shawls. They may not be as open minded as Winnie.

So wear your shawls tomorrow (and every day) and know that there are lots of other people out there wearing shawls too. And none of us are "old ladies" no matter how old we may be.

Happy Wear A Shawl Day,
Joyce

A few of my favorite things

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:37:00 +0000

As I'm sure you know by now, I love knitting. However, you may not be familiar with my love of skating. As with knitting, I had to try it multiple times before I was able to get the hang of it.

However, I got the hang of skating (I was in my 20s) much earlier than knitting (my 30s, I'm nothing if not a late bloomer).

It doesn't hurt that I met Hubbie while skating around the campus of the university we were both attending. He was skating too (he was a roller hockey player).

This weekend I got the oppurtunity to go skating with Hubbie in Flushing Meadows Park (we are having seriously unseasonably warm weather). There he is, the tall guy in the hoodie in front of the globe.

It was sunny and the park has lots of fresh new sidewalk, a boon for skaters.

I came home happy with the world (gotta love those endorphins). Oh, and Pogona kept me nice and toasty all throughout.

The shape is really interesting and it stays on your shoulders.

Plus the color is fantastic. Mad Tosh sure does amazing colors.

Now if only I could knit while I skate,
Joyce

A Frog's Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:22:00 +0000

Once upon a time there was a Happy Frog, but he was sad. It was his birthday, but he had to work all day and wasn't going to get to see his friends or family.

But when he got home all of his friends and family were there!

Surprise Happy Frog! Happy Birthday!!

There was cake!

And lots of presents!

That night, as he went to sleep, Happy Frog couldn't stop smiling.

Because he knew that, while cake and presents are nice, it's really the people in your life that make every day great.

And I totally agree,
Joyce

P.S. I would like to thank my niece, Natasha, for the inspiration (and some of the pictures) for this blog post. She'd begged me for over a year for a happy frog (I know, I'm a bad crafty aunt). When I finally made it for her, she thanked me by sending me awesome pictures of him. He's knit in Knit Picks Chroma fingering weight in Prism.

To all the ships at sea... Look for the fog

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:17:00 +0000

I recently went through a spurt of simple knitting. Nearly everything I knit was entirely garter stitch or stockinette. One of the projects I made during the spurt was a sweater to wear when I'm at work in the lab. It gets really cold in the office, particularly during the transitional months when the air conditioner is still on despite the weather being cold outside. (April and October, I'm talking about you.)

The sweater is the Lighthouse Keeper's Wife. Worked almost entirely in stockinette, it's knit in worsted weight using size 13 needles.

(Note to self: no more upward angled photos because they are seriously not flattering)

I made it in Lion Brand Wool Ease in Pines. The variegation of the yarn is causing a nice striped effect on the sleeves.

It should have been a very fast knit, but... as with Tempest, I stalled on the sleeves. Happily the stall didn't last long and now I have a toasty sweater to keep me warm (if only I could remember to bring it to the office).

These pictures were taken outside in 29 degree (F, not C) weather. When the wind wasn't blowing, (and with long sleeved shirts underneath) I was almost not cold.

Almost,
Joyce

P.S. The title is a quote from the movie The Fog. It was one of my favorite movies in childhood and remains so till this day (just don't ask me about the remake).

Gifts and Relaxation

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:22:00 +0000

This past week, the knitting group had it's biannual white elephant gift exchange. The gifts are knitting based (what else would you expect from a knitting group). It can be yarn, notions, project bags, books, you name it. Stitch markers and pretty project bags are particularly coveted and fought over in the fray. During the gift exchange, stealing gifts from others is not only condoned, it's encouraged. But everyone goes home with a gift and usually everyone goes home happy.

I managed to get (I stole it from Lana after the gift I opened was stolen from me) a great gift of beautiful blue Mad Tosh sport weight in Lapis. (which is the reason I stole it because GiGi loves that color), a project bag with sheep on it (so cute! It's from Blue Tulips' Etsy Shop), and some adorable Lantern Moon crocheted sheep stitch markers.

On top of a great gift exchange, Hubbie and I got to spend the weekend at his sister Kerri's house in Pennsylvania. "The Hotel" (Did I mention that her place is huge?) is a great place to relax and knit (and read papers and write dissertation chapters). We spent a lot of time in front of the fire reading and knitting. (Well, I knit, Hubbie's not so fond of it. I've decided to let this one slide.)

I've been working on Stephen West's Pogona for the past few days. I wanted to knit with some lovely Tosh Merino Light (Rhubarb colorway) I got in November. Pogona is a simple design that works well with highly variagated yarn.

When I get tired the stockinette shawlette, I switch to the monster lace project that I've been alternately knitting on and avoiding for the past few months (in Jaggerspun Zephyr in Garnet). This relationship is likely to continue for quite some time because this is just the test knit. The full size shawl will be circular. I'll keep you posted.

Winnie got to spend some time with his Weimaraner cousin Bella. They played, ate, went on lots of walks, and then finally crashed. They sure do love the fireplace!

Such a tough life they lead,
Joyce

Knitty City turned 6 this weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:20:00 +0000

The best yarn store in the world (sorry other yarn stores) turned 6 this weekend. They had a sale and cake.

Both real cake:

And knit cake:

I've heard that yarn cake has more fiber, but I think that real cake has more flavor. (Which is probably why the yarn cake went unsliced. Poor thing, unable to fulfill its cakely duties.)

Lots of knitters came in to browse and partake the fibery goodness that Knitty City offers.

TK and I went by to join in the fibery fun, have cake, and bond with our fellow Knitty City lovers. Oh, and I went to pick up my birthday yarn. I've been saving my pennies for a particular basket of Tomatoes (in Madeline Tosh Merino Light) since September. And it finally came in last week!!! (Apparently TML is a very popular weight and it takes a while to get special orders made.)

Totally worth the wait. I plan to make Ann Weaver's The Whiteness of the Whale with it. But I've been informed (Thanks GiGi and TK, sigh) that it would be best if I don't start a new sweater until I finish the last one. So back to Idylewylde I go. On a positive note, all I have left to do on Idylewylde are the button bands.

That's what? Two, three months tops.

Right?
Joyce

Wishing you all :

Happy New Year!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:32:00 +0000

Christmas has come and gone and a new year is upon us. The only new year's resolution I made is to graduate. Let's hope I stick to this one.

Christmas was a quiet affair in my house. It was celebrated a few days early because Hubbie was going to Louisiana to spend Christmas with his dad and siblings. I had to stay in NYC to write (that whole graduating thing), but KT and I celebrated the day with a movie and dinner (and knitting, of course).

Hubbie, the pets, and I all got great gifts this year.

Winnie got a tub of Jerky Treats. He loves those things. And then he got to ride in the car (he loves that too) all the way to Louisiana to visit the family.

The Kitties got a tall tower to play on. And by tall, I mean taller than me. Some would say that's not such a big feat, but you know what I have to say to those people.

Tea was not happy about being woken from his nap. I apologized profusely and gave him kitty treats. I'll let you know if he's forgiven me.

Hubbie got a super awesome (if I do say so myself, which I should because I made them) pair of flip-top mittens. These are the "Soldier's Glomitt" by Beverly Quivey. The pattern is free, well written, and easy to follow. I measured Hubbie's (quite large, considering he is 6'5) hands, but was pleased that I only had to increase the length a little bit. Otherwise the large size fits perfectly.

I used Knit Picks Swish Worsted in Merlot Heather. They took about 2 1/2 balls.

And I got Tomatoes!!! Lace weight Tomatoes to be exact. Yummy!!!

I also got an exercise bike, but it's not nearly as photogenic. I love it. I can exercise and I don't have to go out into the unseasonably warm, but still pretty darned cold, weather. (I don't love it nearly as much as the tomatoes, of course. I'm not that crazy!)

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and have a rip-roaringly spectacular new year.

Me? Obsessed? I have no idea what you're talking about! (Deny, deny, deny),
Joyce

Holiday Cookie Baking

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 19:37:00 +0000

Every year, in honor of the holiday season, the twins, TK and KT, host cookie baking weekend. It's a weekend where a bunch of us get together to, you guessed it, bake cookies.

It is a 2 1/2 day cookie creation extravaganza where hundreds of cookies in over a dozen different varieties are made.

We're talking everything from raspberry thumbprints,

to cherry cookies,

to rainbow cookies,

to rugelach,

to the classic chocolate chip,

and several varieties of truffles.

Everyone takes turns mixing, scooping, baking, cooling, and wrapping cookies. There might also have been some smooshing and icing involved along the way. (I'll never tell, but here are some pictures of what that might look like. :-D )

By the end of the weekend, I didn't want to ever see another......

Who am I trying to kid? I love cookies!

I can't wait for next year,
Joyce

Singing Hedgehogs

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce F.) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:39:00 +0000

This was too cute and I had to share it.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

May the year ahead be filled with fibery goodness for us all,
Joyce