YarnGasm

Episode 35 - Living On the Edge

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:38:28 PST

Episode 35 - 'Living On the Edge'
Listen Here:

Gynx Yarns Giveaway Winner

Big thanks to Laura Jinks of Gynx Yarns for offering up one of her gorgeous skeins for the giveaway and to everyone who entered to win it! Using a random number generator, I'm excited to announce that Ashley_Mann is the winner!!! Please contact me with your info so I can send you your prize.

On and Off the Needles

This past week, I finished knitting a pair of vanilla socks, using Cakewalk Yarns in Weenie.
Since most of my yarn is packed away in a ginormous moving box, I was able to focus on my Audrey in Unst cardigan. I finished knitting the body.
I'm still working my way through chart 2 of the Evenstar Shawl

Stash Bust Army

Cloisonée Mittens by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Aberdeen Mittens by Carol Sunday
April Showers Cowl by Meg Strong

Vogue Knitting Live 2012

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 05:03:38 PST

Yesterday, I went to Vogue Knitting LIVE! in Manhattan. I had never been, so I was pretty excited to find out what was in store! I didn't sign up for any classes or lectures... If anything, I would have liked to take a spinning glass, but they weren't offering any, and nothing else on the schedule really jumped out at me. So, I just got a marketplace pass.

Unlike Rhinebeck, there weren't many indie dyers (not to mention, no livestock!)-- mainly yarn shops from all over the map... There were, however lots of interesting fibers like bison, possum... and for whatever reason fun fur and other novelty yarns. I'm blanking on the name, but Maria (from the Subway Knits Podcast) bought two contrasting yummy skeins of possum-- can't wait to see what she knits up with it. I also ran into Kaystarr from CraftStash, who is super nice!-- Caught her ogling and fondling yarn over at the Woolbearer's booth.

As if the day couldn't get any better, I had another Ysolda Teague sighting! -- and yes, I still behaved like a raving fangirl lunatic... All I could do was gush over her new Narwhal Mittens from her new book Whimsical Little Knits 3 and say... "I love narwhals!"... to which she replid, "I do too!" ::face/palm:: Granted, I was still waking up. I'm sure Maria could tell since I was a few decibels short of a human voice.

Overall, it was a great time. I'm not sure I'd go back next year-- if only, to hang out with knitty peeps and if there's a class or lecture that strikes my fancy. I didn't go too crazy in the market place. I came away with a gorgeous skein of Three Irish Girls Adorn Sock yarn in the Ryan colorway, a delicious tube of lanolin honey lip balm from the Long Island Livestock Company and of course, a copy of Vogue Knitting's latest issue.

In other news, I finished Cakewalk sock and cast on a second. Me and the Mister are driving down to Philly today to visit our niece and nephew so I'll have plenty of time to put a dent in that one. I'm absolutely LOVING the way it's knitting up! Very tempted to order another skein!

Speaking of tempting, I want to thank everyone who entered the Gynx Yarns giveaway and for your wonderful comments! I wanted to reply individually, but I don't want to throw off the entry count. Hopefully I'll get to publish a new episode this week and announce a winner!

Episode 34 - Shooting for Heirloom

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:00:29 PST

Episode 34: Shooting for Heirloom
Listen here:

Gynx Yarns Giveaway!
(ENDED)
To enter the contest, simply comment on this post. I will announce a random winner in the next episode. Good luck!

Gynx Yarns Lemon Berry Parfait

Fiber content: 100% organic merino
Yarn Weight: sock / fingering
437yds / 100g

Thanks to Laura Jinks for donating this gorgeous skein of Gynx Yarns. Check out Laura's Etsy Shop and my interview with her on KnitNook.net!

Vogue Knitting Live 2012
I'll be there Saturday, January 14th, 2012... sometime in the morning. If you see me, say hello! :)

KnitNook.net Update

On the Needles

To help my Velynda Cardigan's loose neckline, Misiula & Nancy suggested I try the Yarn Harlot's crochet reinforcement technique… genius!

Sophie's Slouch by Kirsten Kapur
Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool in Natural Heather

Audrey in Unst by Gudrun Johnston
Knit Picks Gloss DK in Velveteen

Man's Cabled Cardigan by Josh Bennett
(Vogue Knitting Winter 2009/2010)
Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted in Cobblestone

Evenstar Shawl by Susan Pandorf
Madeline Tosh Prairie in Antique Lace

'Round the Twist Podcast with Carin
* My sincere apologies to Carin... I may have referred to her as "Carie" at some point!!!

Stash Bust Army

Snow Flakes in Starry Skies by Rowan Martindale
HotPinkSocks' Reviews
34th & 8th Mittens by SpillyJane (Brooklyn Tweed's Wool People Vol. 2)
Karise Shawl by Karina Westerman

Episode 33: Smoke Jacketty

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:54:02 PST

Velveteen Audrey in Unst

Episode 33: Smoke Jacketty
Listen Here:

Resolutions for 2012

Learn to spin
Stick to a schedule
Convince Dennis to Get a Dog... not a cat

Updates:

My interview on APlayfulDay's blog
Mamaholmes started a 'Slow Cooker Recipe' thread in the YarnGasm Ravelry group
Round the Twist Podcast with Carin

Off The Needles:

Echo Flowers Shawl Jenny Johnson Johnen
Velynda Cardigan by Bonne Marie Burns
Butterfly Hat by Sofiya Cremin

On the Needles:

Audrey in Unst by Gudrun Johnston
Man's Cable Cardigan by Josh Bennet (Vogue Knitting Winter 2009/2010)

Stash Bust Army

Gespeg by Ariane Caron-Lacoste
Bosc Hat by Robin Ulric
Olive by Diana Hanna
Simple Pleasures Hat by Purl SoHo
135-31 Hat in textured pattern by DROPS Design

Goldilocks Syndrome

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:52:23 PST

This one's a little too big...

Happy Holidays! I hope everyone is staying warm and having a lovely time with family and friends!
I'm back out from under my Yule log with lots of knitty updates! Some good... some not so good. So, let's get the 'not so good' out of the way, shall we?

... and this one's waaay too small...

First up, two weekends ago, I decided to put some elbow grease into my Echo Flowers Shawl. (I've been a slacker KAL buddy and @StitchMistress definitely gave me a metaphorical kick in the tookus when she finished hers!)

Long story short, I totally ignored the fact that there were center stitches and ended up with HALF a triangle! ::head / desk::head / desk::head / desk::head / desk::
How does something like this happen, you ask? Well, between the way my brain works and the way the pattern was written, I didn't realize the border charts 1, 2 and 3 were to be knit consecutively across each row! Also, my stitches were matching up so there were no red flags hinting that something was off... so I kept going.
No doubt, I'm super disappointed. But I'm not giving up! Will revisit this pattern in 2012!

On a happier note, I finished my Velynda Cardigan! Overall, it was a very well-written and enjoyable pattern... However, my only gripe is that I wish Bonne Marie Burns had calculated instructions for a size 32. If I'm lucky, I can get away with a 34... this time, not so much. Regardless, I still like the way it turned out and will be great for layering. (Let's not even talk about the dye lot difference.)

To top things off, I was able to finish my Grandmother's Butterfly Hat just in time for Christmas! Yeah, I know... I vowed no knitted holiday gifts this year, but she asked so sweetly and after all, it's a hat we're talking about! I couldn't say "no!"
Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of her wearing it because she just had her hair done. So here's me! ;)

And this one fits juuust right!

It's the same Malabrigo worsted 'Black Forest' I used to knit my nephew's cardigan and just barely had enough to finish this. So, how's that for stash-busting?

As for YarnGasm, I will be whipping up something shortly! #StayTuned

Comfort Food / Knitting

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 07:35:28 PST

I think it's safe to say my holiday shopping is complete! I know I vowed only to shop online but incidentally, I found most of the gifts on my lunch break! Also, you'll be pleased to hear (or shocked) that I haven't cast on a single knitted gift! I think I've done my fair share of KFO these past few months. I'm ready for some selfish knitting!

Although, my grandmother did ask me (ever so sweetly) to knit her a hat to match her Hanging Garden Stole. I ran out of the Woolen Rabbit yarn I used for it, but the Black Forrest Worsted Malabrigo I used to knit my nephew's Baby Sophisticate cardigan is a very close match! A worsted-weight hat? Now that I can do!

In other news, I'm a very bad KAL buddy, taking my sweet time making progress on my Echo Flowers shawl, while StitchMistress has officially finished hers! (And it's GORGEOUS!) I'm following in her footsteps and using beads instead of nupps, and I just love the way it's turning out. I just wish I had the right mindset to put more umph! into it.

I have to say, this past week has been a crazy one, between the holidays, work, mortgage stuff and that very special time of the month that graces most women, I'm fried! I spent most of this weekend catching up on and listening to new podcasts (like Fluffy Fibers and The Pagan Knitter-- she did an excellent interview with Jane Richmond!) while putting a dent in my Velynda cardigan's sleeve. I'm down to my last skein of wool and definitely going to need another... or two. The vicious KP cycle continues!

I was also craving comfort food and decided to try a new crock pot recipe I found on Food.com: Shredded Chipotle Chicken! Except I used 2 skinless chicken halves. (Apologies in advance to vegetarians) What I really love about my crock pot is the way it cooks meat! I love how when it's ready to eat, it either falls right off the bone or flakes away like a fillet of fish. Anyway, I highly recommend this recipe. It's so incredibly easy.

Episode 32: Greetings from Poang!

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:11:07 PST

Episode 32
Listen Here:

Recipes:

For Thanksgiving, I baked Spicy Cornbread Muffins, from Food Network's Everyday Italian and Pumpcakes.

On The Needles:

Still working on my Velynda cardigan, but the button band is giving me trouble. Almost done knitting the Malabrigo lace Echo Flowers shawl as part of a KAL with @Stitchmistress. I'm also knitting a pair of blue vanilla socks for Dennis.

Off The Needles:

I finally finished my Daybreak shawl, and whipped up a Baby Sophisticate cardigan for my nephew Ezra in 2 days! Both, great patterns!

Stash Bust Army

Persnickety Mittens by Spilly Jane
Corella Beret by Woolly Wormhead
Chartwell Shawl by Sarah Hatton
Assemblage Mitts by Miriam L. Felton
Baby Sophisticate by Linden Down

Review:
Interweave Knits: Jane Austen Knits 2011

KnitNook.Net

Interview with the Sweatshop of Love, Kitman Figueroa, and iMake

Thanksgiving 2011

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 07:59:10 PST

Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone! It's been a very busy (and yummy) past few weeks! Lots of things still on the needles, but one thing off the needles is an itty bitty cardigan I knit for my itty bitty nephew, Ezra!

I was ~~stalking~~ browsing Never Not Knitting's blog and was totally smitten with her version of the Baby Sophisticate Cardigan by Linden Down (pattern link). She knit hers using Malabrigo Worsted, which reminded me of some that I had languishing in an UFO bin. I pulled out the half-knitted Mara Shawl that I had started eons ago, ripped the whole thing out and immediately cast on this adorable cardigan!

It was so quick and easy to knit, that I was done in 2 days! I was a little worried the colorway (Black Forrest) would be too dark, and his parents might think I was trying to channel Robert Smith from The Cure. If it weren't for the über cute light blue buttons, that might have been the case. Not that there's anything wrong with The Cure. I love The Cure! I walked down the isle of my wedding to a Classical rendition of Just Like Heaven... But 'emo-goth baby' wasn't what I was going for.

Thankfully, the buttons brightened it up a bit and his parents (and Ezra) LOVE it! Now all the kid needs is a pipe, a fireplace, some cozy slippers and he'll be all set!

FO: Design-Seeds Daybreak

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 06:52:56 PST

My Daybreak shawl is finally finished! Stephen West wrote an amazing pattern, and I want to knit ten more.
In case you missed my earlier posts about this project, the colors were inspired by a Design-Seeds.com color palette, Autumn Chirp. Overall, I'm in love with the results!

Now that Daybreak is off the needles, I can totally focus on knitting the Echo Flowers shawl, {for the KAL I'm doing with @StitchMistress} using the gorgeous Frank Ocre Malabrigo Lace I purchased at Brooklyn General.

I'll be totally honest here, it got off to a rocky start. First, with the needles. On my first attempt, I cast on using acrylic needles. BAD idea. Acrylic + Malabrigo = Sticky! Next, wood. A little smoother, but could be better. Then I took @StitchMistress' advice and tried metal... success! But now my gauge was too loose. 3 more attempts later, I finally got the gist of the stitches. But once I did, it's been smooth sailing!

In other news, I'm having oodles of fun running KnitNook.net. I don't know what the future holds for it, but I really enjoy sharing with you, the things I like, my ideas and getting to interview amazing knitters. I have some more lined up and can't wait to get to them! I also want to thank everyone who has left positive comments, letting me know how much they are enjoying the blog. Although not always possible, my goal is to update KnitNook at least once a day... Positive feedback, however, definitely keeps me motivated!

Happy Knitting,
Kristin :)

Episode 31: Knit Nooks

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:15:05 PST

Escaping the NYC Marathon at Brooklyn General with (from left) Ria, Yours Truly, Maria, Sharon and Susie

Last weekend I got to sit and knit with some of my favorite knitting peeps: @RiaKnits, @VenusFueri, @StitchMistress and @KnittingKnoobie at the one and only Brooklyn General! Lots of knitting, laughing, chatting and cookie-eating! All-around great time! I confess I enabled @StitchMistress into getting the same skein of Malabrigo Lace in Frank Ocre! However we agreed to start a KAL and are going to knit the Echo Flowers shawl, a free pattern you can download on Ravelry! All are welcome to join :)

I'm excited to announce my new knitting blog, KnitNook.net!-- a blog where I post about knitting patterns, products, handmade goodies, among many other things! However, my goal is to make it a place for you to come for inspiration for making your own knitting nook functional and unique! Having a personal space to knit and store my yarn is essential, and I'm sure many of you feel the same way... which is also why I'd like to include more interviews with other knitters-- not only to bring attention to their craft, but to inspire other knitters; whether it has to do with podcasting, spinning, dying or blogging.

That being said, if you have a knit nook that you are proud of and want to share a few photos of it, or ideas... or are a knitting podcaster, pattern designer, spinner, or indie dyer and are interested in being featured, interviewed, guest blogging or would like to advertise with KnitNook, I'd love to hear from you! Please contact me by e-mailing me at Voolenvine@gmail.com.

YarnGasm 31: Knit Nooks
Listen Here!

Knitcation!

This week decided to take a 'Knitcation,' in which I learned to respect and master the art of slow-cooking. First up, Chicken Vindaloo!-- turned out amazing! I also mentioned A Year of Slow-Cooking, which has 365 Crock-pot recipes!

On the Needles

On the needles, I'm still working on my Daybreak shawl by Stephen West... I was about to cast off last weekend, when I ran out of yarn. Had to order more and hoping to cast off this weekend. I've also been working on my Velynda Cardigan by Bonne Marie Burns, which I'm convinced I will not have enough yarn to finish either, and Knit Picks won't restock their Grass Green colorway until December... temper-tantrum ensues.

I also managed to get a song by the Courtney Love's band Hole stuck in my head called "Jennifer's Body"... except I replace "Jennifer" with "Velynda".

StashBustArmy Patterns

Brickletown Mitts by BlueBeeStudios

Brickletown Fingerless Mitts, $5.00 / Fingering
Carlina, $4.00 / Fingering
Zig-Zag Mittens, Free / Worsted

Sheep Heid Beret, $4.00 / Fingering
Pine Forest Baby Blanket, Free / Worsted
Moises Baby Blanket, Free / Worsted

Snow Unexpected!

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:58:45 PDT

DayBreak by Stephen West

Snow in October?! Not something that happens very often on the East Coast. Thankfully, me and the Mister didn't have big plans this weekend and so I took advantage of the extra indoor time to do a little cooking and baking... and yes, knitting!
First up, I made Oat Bran Bannana Cranberry Cakey Loaf! (Yes, I totally made that up...because well, that's what it is!) I literally just followed the directions on the back of the Oat Bran box for oat bran muffins, except I mushed up fresh cranberries and 2 sliced and slightly mashed bananas into the mix. Poured into an 8x8 square baking pan, baked it for 10 minutes and voila!

Oat Bran Banana Cranberry Cakey Loaf

Next, I finally found a use for Mr. Pumpkin. While he was happily sitting by the windowsill looking all orange and plump, the weather was getting me down and a nice hot bowl of soup sounded right. So I had my pumpkin and I had an onion, add a couple spices like pepper and cumin and we had ourselves a yummy lunch!

Easy-Peasy Pumpkin Soup Recipe

1 medium-sized pumpkin, peeled & diced
1 large onion, chopped
Carrots, 1 cup chopped (optional)
Water
Olive oil to sautee veggies
Half & half or heavy cream (I used fat free half & half)
1 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste (Never such thing as too much pepper, in my opinion!)

Drizzle medium-height sauce pot with olive oil. Sautee pumpkin, onion and carrots over high heat until onions turn translucent. Fill saucepan only half way to the top with water. Cover and let cook until pumpkin is soft, or you can easily stick a fork through a chunk. Turn stove off. Pour a about a half cup of half & half (I used fat free). Add spices. Pour pot contents into blender and puree to your heart's content! I like mine with a few bits and chunks.

As for Halloween, I didn't have any plans until my friend invited me and the Mister to a party Monday night. I also I didn't have a costume, so I got it into my head to whip up Tiny Owl Knits' Deer with Tiny Antlers Hat. It was such an easy knit!-- I cast it on Friday evening and spent 3 hours Saturday morning finishing the rest!

Fawn in Headlights... or Goat Girl??

The pattern called for aran weight yarn, but I remembered that I had some KP Wool of The Andes still in my stash, and just doubled the strands, which worked out perfectly! Also, instead of knitting the pink of the ears, I used my new embroidery skills to stitch up some spare pieces of felt. Unfortunately, I didn't get to the antlers, but I'm still very pleased with the results. Maybe I'll just be a 'Fawn in Headlights' or 'Goat Girl'... either is acceptable at this point.

Beginning to LOVE Embroidery!

And finally, I put a big dent in my Daybreak! Every colorchange gets me more and more excited about casting off! I'm also amazed I was able to find colors that are incredibly close to the design-seeeds color palette! I may just cast off this week.

Needless to say, despite the snow it was a very productive and crafty weekend!

YarnGasm: Episode 30 - All About Color

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 05:25:16 PDT

WIP: Velynda Cardigan

Listen Here:

(Apologies in advance for rambling on about Velynda for a while... It had been a long day and couldn't quite get the words out. :-P)

ON THE NEEDLES:Velynda Cardigan
Daybreak Shawl

STASHBUSTARMY

Snowflake Fingerless Gloves by Cailyn Meyer

Roisin by Ysolda Teague

Sundagsvotter by Strikkepanja

Deer with Little Antlers Hat by Tiny Owl Knits

Knitspiration: Color Love

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:23:55 PDT

Design-Seeds - Inspired Yarn

I'm officially on a color-kick! No longer do I avoid pink like the plague... I gravitate towards anything grellow-- no matter how annoyingly trendy it may be. Also, web sites like Design Seed and Pinterest, only encourage this infatuation... and something tells me, I'm not alone.

I'm amazed by how just a few colors extracted from a photo of a bird, a landscape or anything at all, creates a mood! I can't think of a better way to celebrate my favorite palettes than by knitting with them! (Let's face it... redecorating one's apartment can get expensive.)

{On a side note, when it comes to knitting fair isle or intarsia, it helps to be mindful when choosing colors... the right amount of contrast is needed or the pattern will be lost, and / or the colors may not jive as much as you hoped.}

That being said, here are some of my favorite minimalist knitting patterns with interesting construction that I think are great for showing off color:

Clockwise from left: Box The Compass Pullover by Meg Swansen, Daybreak Shawl and Earth and Sky Shawl by Steven West, Color Block Hand Warmers by Purl SoHo, Stripe Study Shawl and Different Lines Shawl by Veera Välimäki

Design-Seeds.com

While browsing Pinterest, I stumbled on this color palette. It's from Design Seeds, and have been longing to knit something using similar colors. Naturally, I ordered some Knit Picks Palette yarn in the colorways Oyster Heather, Conch, Brass Heather, Bittersweet Heather and Sagebush, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to cast on a Daybreak shawl. Stay tuned!

YarnGasm: Episode 29 - Rhinebeck 2011

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 05:05:17 PDT

Me and Maria of the Subway Knits Podcastt

Listen Here!

Costume Change into my Neep Heid!

On The Needles

I recently cast on the Velynda Cardiga n by Bonne Marie Burns (aka The Green Sweater)
I also cast on a pair of Simple Skyp Socks by Adrienne Ku -- like Skype, without the "E!"

Simple Skyp Socks

Flannery Socks

Off the Needles
I finally cast off my Flannery Socks (By SpillyJane) on a trip to and from Finger Lake Cayuga!

More Rhinebeck Photos

Podcasts I'm Currently Listening To:
A PlayFul Day
Miss Elle Bat Knits
Subway Knits
iMake

StashBustArmy
Smooth Edge Cowl
Bandana Cowl
Cobble Shawl
Vine Bolero

Rav Flare

Separated at Birth: Cladonia & Dream Stripes

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 15:21:11 PDT

My Version of Cladonia by Kirsten Kapur

Cladonia by Kirsten Kapur is easily one of my favorite projects! The pattern was so well written, which made the process more than enjoyable!-- Not to mention, I'm in love with the product! However, if you'd like a more budget friendly version, have a look at Dream Stripes by Cailliau Berangere. While it's less "festive", adding a simple looped picot bind off is easily attainable. YouTube.com has oodles of tutorials for this technique!


Dream Stripes by Cailliau Berangere, ©lilofil

Just Call Me Grandma

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:27:50 PDT

Before I forget, I wanted to share this SWEET hard case, cross-stitched granny bag I found at at a Salvation Army up near Lake Cayuga. I swooned when I saw it! Dennis did not. But it's probably the best $10.00 I ever spent at a thrift store! Just think of all the knitty things it could hold!

Pre-Rhinebeck 2011 // 411

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 05:08:03 PDT

Me, Age 4? My love of wool... So close! Yet so far away.

In my book, Rhinebeck is right up there with Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Christmas, and New Years... sans the cooking and family drama, and wicked hangover the next morning-- all of which I can live without. Needless to say, I've been looking forward to Rhinebeck 2011, since we left Rhinebeck 2010! Anywho...

Buttermilk Falls

I'm not sure how this is going to play out on Saturday, but I plan on showing up to the Rhinebeck fairgrounds around noon. Then, I'm going to find Maria (VenusFueri) of the Subway Knits Podcast for an informal podcast meet-up!-- Somewhere near the more formal Ravelry meetup at the main gates from 12pm-1pm ((I hear she'll have a sign!))-- Sooo, if you're in or around the area, please pop by and say hello! We'd love to meet you :D

In other news, I cast off my Flannery Socks! I love them... I had plenty of time to work on them this past weekend when we drove up to Lake Cayuga (one of the Finger Lakes near Ithaca) for a wedding-- which is gorgeous this time of year! We managed to squeeze in some apple and pumpkin picking, wine tasting, even waterfall chasing! (cue TLC) Buttermilk Falls to be exact! ;-)

Unfortunately, I didn't have time (or the light) to take photos of the socks. That I'll do this weekend. In the meantime, please enjoy this childhood photo foreshadowing my yarn-obsessed future. Can't wait for next weekend... YAY!

Apple Picking!

Separated at Birth: Rosebud vs. Molly

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:53:20 PDT

Rosebud, Jared Flood's latest drool-worthy hat pattern shares a striking resemblance to Erin Ruth's FREE Molly pattern. As you know, I'm a sucker for slouchy hats, and Flood's take on "the slouch" with his combo of twists and texture are enough to make me fondle some choice luxury yarn in one hand and a credit card in the other! HOWEVER, being on a self-imposed budget since splurging on sock yarn for Socktober-- I was happy to stumble upon Molly, a free and practical clone of Rosebud! While Jared's boasts humble garter stitch and a sophisticated braided cable, Erin Ruth's has a thermal texture with a simple funnel-like cable.-- to each their own! Regardless, anyone with a stitch-dictionary could probably work out their own texture and cable scheme. (just saying)

Rosebud by Jared Flood, $6.00 US

Molly by Erin Ruth, Free!

Episode 28: Strand Watch 2011

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 12:00:19 PDT

Flannery

Episode 28: Strand Watch 2011
Listen Here:

On the Needles:
Flannery Socks
Off the Needles:
Neep Heid II

#StashBustArmy
Big Snowy Owl
Horai Scarf
Plain and Simple Pullover
Medusa Shawl
Baby Moc-a-Soc

Yarn Acquisitions
Little Red Bicycle
Malabrigo Silky Merino Worsted

Random Mentions
Notorious!
Tandem Bicycle

Wish List: October

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:44:39 PDT

To better organize my knitting-- and prevent an influx of startitus and miscellany yarn splurges I'm going to start up monthly Knitting Wish Lists. The idea is for me to choose 3 projects to focus each month... so here it goes!

1. To knit something using the following color scheme:

I ordered skeins in similar colorways in Knit Picks Palette. (Is it just me or have they jacked their prices up?) Regardless, I've been fawning over this color combo for some time. I must knit with it. I'm thinking a hat. Another Neep Heid is tempting, but for the sake of variety, I'm going to find something else. Suggestion box is open.

2. Knit a green cardigan. I've always wanted a green cardigan. I've searched high and low and have yet to find the perfect one. But why buy one when I can knit one? Pfft! I stumbled upon Velynda by Bonne Marie Burns... seems like a happy medium of complexity and ease--- with cables and raglan sleeves... unless I'm just identifying with the model, since she appears to be going through the same hair transition I'm currently going through... which is attempting to grow out the black hair... just saying. Otherwise, I totally want to knit this. Now to find the perfect shade of green wool.

Velynda Cardigan

3. Knit 5 Pairs of Socks. No joke. I'm going to get it ALL out of my system. There's so much more I want to accomplish knitting-wise that I feel like if I get the sock thing out of my system now, I can focus on learning new techniques -- and still have warm feet during the winter. Plus, Dennis is long overdue for another pair. Along with the KP Palette yarn, I ordered a few skeins of sock yarn. While I wait for those to come, I got a head start and cast on Flannery by Spilly Jane using KP Stroll in my favorite colorway, Basalt Heather-- the first pair I'm knitting of the non-vanilla variety!!! So far so good!

Photo by: SpillyJane

Of course there are many other things I'd like to add to my plate ((under breath: Dad's sweater, Ysodla's Little Birds Cardigan, finishing my Baby Cables and Big Ones Too Cardigan!)) But there's only so much I can handle. So Let's see how this "agenda" works out.

Color Quest

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 06:25:09 PDT

Grellow Neep Heid

Lately, I find I've been working more and more color into my knitting... breaking away from the neutral muted colors I usually gravitate towards. I'm not sure what brought this on, but I'm really excited about it!
This weekend I cast off my second Neep Heid. I loved knitting the first one so much (which I gifted to my niece) I knit another, using a different color scheme. I've been obsessed with "grellow" -- or yellow, grey combinations as the kids on Pinterest call it. So for this version I used Knit Picks Palette in oyster heather, serpentine, bittersweet heather and cobble stone heather. There are no words. I'm in LOVE. Right now I have it blocking on a dinner plate. More pics to come!

Me and the mister are still hunting for an apartment. Yes, I know...we've been looking FOREVER! If HGTV had a show about us, it would be called House Hunters from Hell! Will Kristin and Dennis finally choose an apartment this season? It would be easy to settle on something, but we really want to make the right choice. While we have our hearts set on staying in Greenpoint / Willimamsburg, we're still keeping an open mind.

DUMBO horses are very friendly and photogenic!

Yesterday we went to an open house near DUMBO-- (an area of Brooklyn Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass). Over the past few years it's become pretty hip. Lots of galleries, art installations, artisans specialty shops and restaurants. The apartment we saw wasn't what we were looking for, but decided to take a walk over to the park. If you live nearby, you've probably read about Jane's Carousel, merry-go-round they restored and relocated by the water. An architect by the name of Jean Nouvel constructed this amazing glass enclosure for it-- the glass they used had to be at least 6" thick! Talk about hurricane proof. (the photos in the article crack me up... You can't help but imagine it's Dr. Evil riding the carousel)

Brooklyn General Yarn Acquisition

And since we were in the area... I kind of, sort of begged Dennis to swing by Brooklyn General. So while he went off to his favorite bakery, I had some time to yarn shop. Of course, by the time he returned with a pecan tart I was still undecided. After he devoured said tart, I settled on some gorgeous Silky Merino Worsted Malabrigo in Raspberry-- how amazing is this color!? Again, this is a total 180 for my taste. I never do pink. I just don't. Except when I saw this colorway-- I jumped on it! The only question that remains is, what does it want to be? I have 300 yards to play with. I'm thinking, definitely a shawl or a scarf. But lace or cables? Hmm... I'll sleep on it.

Last Saturday

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 05:44:26 PDT

My Grandma at Our Wedding

Over the course of 2 months (including my honeymoon) I knit the Hanging Garden Stole by Sivia Harding. I don't think I need to mention how in love I was with this project, given how many times I mentioned it in blog posts and on the podcast-- hand-beaded, knit with Woolen Rabbit lace in the Scottish Heather colorway... it was a labor of love, as these things usually are.
I vowed this was mine. No one was going to take it away from me, no matter how much they begged or pleaded.

This weekend was my niece's 3rd birthday party (actually, she's my cousin by blood but her mom insists on referring to me and Dennis as her aunt and uncle, and we're just fine with that) Anywho, most of my side of the family was there and it was a lovely time despite the weather being overcast and slightly chilly. So naturally, I tagged along my Hanging Garden just in case.

When I finally caught a chill and took it out, of course my mom immediately tried to abduct it!-- as she does with most of my knitted shawls. Over the years, I've given her several shawls and have yet to see her wear one. This time I wised-up. No. Not my Hanging Garden. I love my mom, but this was mine! MINE!

Later my grandmother complained that she was very cold-- of course I let her borrow my shawl. I repeated in my mind, "Borrow!" Regardless, the woman was incredibly grateful and more importantly, warm!

When it was time to leave the party, my Grandmother tried giving the shawl back to me... but I could tell she was reluctant. Naturally, I was already a few glasses of wine in and was feeling very generous. But I could tell she really loved it. It even matched her ensemble. I threw my hand down and told her she could keep it. My Grandmother insisted, "No! It's yours... I don't want to take it away from you."
"Do you like it?" I replied?
"Ja! It's beautiful!"
"Keep it. I want you to have it"

Only when the chardonnay wore off did the reality of what I did sink in. I gave my favorite shawl to my Grandmother! Am I kicking myself? Kind of. Sort of. YES. But I don't regret it. My Grandmother hasn't been in the best of spirits lately. She's led a hard life. She's getting older. Things hurt. She's always cold. I just loved seeing how happy it made her. I couldn't say "No."

I won't lie. These past few days I've asked myself over and over-- "Why did I do that?!"
But I just tell myself, "It's well-loved... and I can always knit another." I only wish I remembered to take a photo of her wearing it. *sigh*

Episode 27: Hexipuff Epidemic

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:02:30 PDT

Purple WIPS

Finally! A new podcast is up. Just a few knitty updates... what's on and off the needles. Also a few patterns perfect for members of the #StashBustArmy! And yes, the ever popular Hexipuff epidemic!

Listen Here:

Episode 27: Hexipuff Epidemic

Summer's Sweater All Blocked & Ready to Go!

Traditional Fair Isle Knitting by Sheila McGregor
Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth ZimmermanPatterns:
Estonian Flamingo Stole
Beekeepers' Quilt
Making Waves Cardigan
Neep Heid Beret Laminaria Triangular Shawl

Outro Music:

"White Elephant" by Ladytron

How To: 3-Needle Bind Off

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 19:36:10 PDT

Another weekend, come and gone. But my niece, Summer's sweater is finally finished! Not sure if you can make them out, but those are hearts! Big hearts and tiny ones too! I think they'll be more visible once I block it. I really hope it fits her-- or likes it! I know I was griping about the color combo, but the beige and burgundy shades kinda grew on me. :)

The chest comes out to 22", but blocked It'll be about 23" - 24" so for a 3-year-old, I should be in the safe zone. If not, I could convert it into a cardigan-- bite the bullet and try some steeking action!
I also didn't realize that for kids, it's recommended that you NOT shape the sleeves. Oops. Oh well. You live and you learn. ;)

Aaand... while I was at it, I figured I'd whip up a little video tutorial on how to do a 3-needle bind off. I hope you find it helpful. Enjoy! :)

How To: 3 Needle Bind Off from Voolenvine on Vimeo.

Weekend Knitting Round-Up: Labor Day

Voolenvine@gmail.com (Voolenvine) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:18:06 PDT

Design Challenge: 2 Arms Down and A Yoke to Go

I hope everyone had a knitty Labor Day Weekend-- or at least enjoying the last days of summer. I'm a little sad, because I love hot weather! On the other hand, I can't wait for it to cool down so I can wear my Harpswell pullover!

Otherwise, lots and lots of knitting this weekend! I put a major dent in my niece's sweater-- and loving the color combination more and more! I'm finally joined the sleeves last night, now for the fun part: fair isle hearts!

I mentioned in the last post that I'm turning this into a sort of design challenge: Knitting up something exciting using an otherwise dull color combination. I started a Ravelry thread in the StashBustArmy group for anyone who wants to join in! There's no time limit, start or end date... it's all in good fun! :)

Laminaria, Madelinetosh Prairie

There were also a few other fiber distractions, like the Lamniaria Shawl I cast on, using the Madelinetosh Prairie I've been gushing over.-- My ballwinder broke AGAIN in the process of winding the cake... I've lost count of how many times I've had to crazy glue the handle back onto that thing. Thankfully, it holds out long enough, not to try my patience. However, I'm considering poking KnitPicks about this.

Rockaway Nature Preserve

And finally, a crochet granny square throw. I'm determined to finish this one, this time, people! I WILL FINISH it! And scary as it is, I'm using crap-du-crilique. Yes, I strolled right into Michaels and willingly purchased 3 skeins of Red Heart Acrylic Super Saver Yarn! I had no shame! Since I'm on a total grellow kick, I opted for the color scheme you see below. If I could justify my need to crochet one of these, dare I say that no home should be without at least one granny square throw. It's a must! So stay tuned for progress on this little gem. ;-P

Granny Square Syndrome Strikes Again!

In other news, it's been a nice long weekend. Dennis and I took a drive over to Rockaway Beach, where we explored a nature preserve. I had no idea there's a nature preserve, out there! It's a nice 2-mile trail where you can see turtles and all sorts of birds like cormorants, egrets, canadian geese, swans-- and more seagulls. Unfortunately, we didn't see any turtles. Then we drove to the beach and walked along the boardwalk, where we got to see some of the damage Hurricane Irene left. Thankfully, it wasn't too bad. However, it was the mosaic whale that I became totally fixated on! From far away, it looks like a scary thing. But up close, it's pretty damn cool!

Rockaway Beach Mosaic Whale