So I finished–except for the collar–my Cropped Cardi. To my dismay, it did kind of come out as a knitted fat suit. I left all of the ends loose after sewing up,  just in case the whole thing needed to be unraveled. And then I put it back in the bag.

I got it out to photograph today–because there’s nothing quite like procrastinating  to quell the anxiety over the amount of work you have due, and hey, I kind of like the darn thing. I think the collar would help it, cause it might just be the neck shape that’s throwing  me off.

I’m not saying it doesn’t make me look fat, but I don’t think it’s entirely the sweater’s fault (here’s looking at you, peanut butter and chocolate). I do still love the way it is constructed and the directions created by the garter stitch lines.  And I can imagine how comfortable this extra squishy layer might be in the midst of Winter. Haha, Winter! Ha, hahahaha!.

Your thoughts? Shall I go for it, or start frogging?

P.S. I think I am going to re-knit the right sleeve, because I forgot a decrease in there. So don’t let that count against it.

The pattern is by LilyGo and it is great, well worth the $6. I worked exclusively from the diagrams, I am sure I would have pulled my hair out if there were none. It was really nice to have a challenging project…this one required a lot of focus and so I worked on it bit by bit. Generally, before dark. And yes, I had to go get my eyes checked due to working this pattern (they’re fine. I need to rest them!).  FYI. I used a size 3.0 mm hook and just one strand of Mountain Colors Winter Lace (love, love love!)–I ended up with just a bit left. The blocking is what really brought this shawl to life, and yes, the 359453 picots were totally worth it. If you are looking for a challenge, go for it! I think the key is to pace  yourself,  alternate between this one and a simple project, and don’t stress about finishing by a certain deadline.

I was working on this project at TNNA, where I met several knitwear designers including Cecily Glowik-Mcdonald (who has an awesome new book, New England Knits, check it out!) and Ysolda Teague. When I got home I decided it was time to cast on for a sweater, because, or so went my thinking, if I can knit a baby blanket, I can knit a sweater. I just so happened to have frogged most of my Market Bag (sorry, but I just wasn’t using it) and saw that one of Ysolda’s patterns, Liesl, was made with the very same yarn. So, crossing my fingers that I had enough- 4 skeins- to hopefully make at least a vest, I cast on for  my first knitted sweater. And six weeks later, here it is!

I did have to rip back a few times when I misplaced a yarn over or decrease, but luckily I have lots of experience with that through fixing other people’s projects at Yarnivore. I can still remember when I first started working at the Bozeman Yarn Shop… I would be so scared to rip back a customer’s work. Now I am a pro! I am very proud of this little vest. It’s a bit short, but I used all of my yarn, so there you go. I would make it again, too–it was quite enjoyable. I think I’ve finally come to realize that I actually need knitting patterns with lacework or stitch patterns of some sort, because stockinette is boring. I’m not sure why it took me that long to notice, but now I know. I’m already thinking about the next one.

Anyway. I am feeling extremely satisfied, and for a minute wondered what I would work on next. But when I got back from teaching my Crochet Layette Class this evening, there was a box of yarn waiting for me. I should really never worry about not having a project!

I hope you all have as much fun for the Fourth of July as this cute little lady seems to be having.  My twitter friend Carrie (also of  This Mama Makes Stuff) sent me this photo to of her daughter wearing an adorable dress she made using the trim pattern from the Seaside Dress in Crochet Adorned.  It affirms my belief that crochet doesn’t have to hit you over the head to be beautiful. And it also doesn’t have to be time consuming–she’s working on another dress for her older daughter to wear on the 4th, too.   I can’t wait to see what she comes up with!

Do you have any special plans (or project plans) for the holiday weekend?

*If I keep saying that, she has to keep it up.

There were so many goodies to look at, and I was fortunate to bring some of them home with me. I’m always excited to find new yarns and get the chance to crochet with them, so I was excited to add these to my collection.

First are some truly lovely fibers from Anzula. I am in love with these and have been petting them for the past week, I’m not sure they need to be made into anything because they are a great stress reliever as is. All I have to do is touch them! The berry colored yarn (colorway: Boysenberry)  is called Cricket, it’s an 80% Superwash Merino, 10% Cashmere and 10% Nylon blend, it’s nice and squishy and the hand-dyed colors are amazing. The bluish yarn (colorway: Emerald) is called Oasis, and it’s a heavenly 70% silk,  30% Camel blend. This yarn is available in local yarn stores and on Anzula’s website.

I also picked a little bit of everything over at the Asland Trends booth. I saw that novelty yarns were coming back a bit at this show and I’ve been curious to try crocheting with them. The truth is, sometimes crocheting with novelties can be a bit of a beast–that’s why I’m glad I can also knit (just in case!).  Shown above (top to bottom) are Royal Alpaca, Bariloche,  Litoral (this will be coming to Yarnivore soon!) and Tango.

Part of my relaxed mission included researching green and organic yarns, and so I was happy to stumble on Mango Moon. While they don’t offer organic yarn, many of Mango Moon’s yarns contain recycled materials, and proceeds from their purchase help support the Nepali Women Empowerment group. I was most excited about Mantra and Chakra. Both are made with 30 % recycled viscose, then plyed with cotton and nylon so that they’re actually enjoyable to work with. I’m currently swatching with these, and they’re also already at Yarnivore. That was quick!

Now let’s look at these two beauties. They were handed to me by Louisa Harding herself, who suggested I try crocheting with them after she flipped through my book. It was lovely to meet her and of course I thought it was pretty awesome of her to recommend which of her yarns worked well for crochet.  The Grace (green above) is a silk/wool blend that now comes in hand-dyed colorways which I was also really attracted to (& the Knitting Fever folks were nice enough to let me take that, too). The Mulberry is also great to work with, plus it hovers between sport and DK weight (more of a sport weight, in my opinion)–personally, I think there’s a bit of a gap in the market as far as high end sport weight yarns go, so I was happy to find this. Crochet looks so lovely in thinner weight yarns, note to yarn industry: sport weight is not just for babies anymore!  The mulberry is 100% silk, but looks like it will wear really well due to the nice twist. I’ve been swatching with both of these yarns this week, fingers crossed that the projects get accepted.

Notions companies also exhibit, and I was happy to meet up with Michele,  a friend of mine from the Adorn days at the Simplicity/Boye booth. She hooked me up (ha, ha ha,  yes I went there) with their new Rosewood collection of hooks and needles. Honestly, I hadn’t been a big fan of wooden hooks before because the ones I’d tried dragged (ie. did not allow my yarn to fly off effortlessly). But, I am happy to report that  I played with these at the hotel and they are nice and smooth around the throat. Plus, I think I’ve become a much more proficient crocheter, so the things that bothered me as a beginner (when I bought most of my hooks) are no longer an issue.  I want to try these with tunisian crochet: because the shaft is a uniform size (no thumb grip)  I’ll be able to put all of the stitches for smaller projects on these, no problem. I love the knitting needles too, they are wonderfully lightweight for their size.  Boye is also introducing a bunch of great new notions, along with a line of fun stuff from Drew Emborsky, The Crochet Dude (who I also got to meet), so I got to see all that, too.   I’m trying to put together a little giveaway with some of their new stuff for next month, so stay tuned!

And that’s my swag roundup. There was lots of other cool stuff, but I couldn’t list it all. And just to be clear, no one paid me to write this post. I did, of course, get the free stuff, and since I like it, I wanted to share my thoughts! Thanks to everyone who gave me samples to play with. I felt a lot of positivity from most companies about crochet (despite my last post), and that was g-r-e-a-t!

Early on I met with Ellen Gormley, aka GoCrochet. Ellen’s crochet designs are in all of the crochet magazines and she even has a top-secret book project coming up. Unfortunately she’d have to kill me if she told me what it was, so I have no further information for you. She writes a great blog about the day-to-day life of a crochet designer, which I like to read just to make sure I’m doing things in a halfway-normal fashion.  Ellen sent me this and the next photo because I took a grand total of about 10 pictures during the four days I was there.

In the Bijou Basin Ranch booth, we bumped into Kristin Omdahl, Marly Bird and Simona Merchant-Dest. You might know Kristin as the crochet expert on Knitting Daily TV, or maybe you’ve seen her books: Wrapped in Crochet
and the upcoming Crochet So Fine: Exquisite Designs with Fine Yarns (I’m very excited about this one!). Earlier I had introduced myself to her on the escalator and nearly caused her to slip (too much coffee/excitement for me) but then by the time we got around to the designer dinner we were laughing so hard that our cheeks hurt (thanks in part to the antics of Shannon Mullet-Bowlsby– ahem, Shannon, those pics got eaten by my camera which is probably best for us all!). I really enjoyed getting to meet Kristin.  Marly is the reason I finally went to TNNA- she hosts her own Podcast (called Yarn Thing) and she had me on the show recently and then encouraged me to go. She’s also the design director for Bijou Basin Ranch and the much-loved coordinator of a dinner for all of the knit and crochet designers (thank you Marly!). Last but not least, Simona creates both knit and crochet designs for several publications. I have admired her designs for their wearability for a long time–I felt a kismet with her right off the bat and later we got a chance to chat about the business & viability of being a designer. Writing this paragraph makes me miss these ladies already!

Here’s another fun photo of  Doris Chan teaching Ellen to crochet broomstick lac. If you look closely you’ll see she’s using a makeup tube instead of a broomstick–clever!  Wasn’t Ellen lucky to get a lesson from the master herself?  If you’re interested in unique lace-making techniques, you should definitely check out Doris’ new book, Crochet Lace Innovations.  These ladies were at the Stitch Coop Party along with lots of  other designers. There I had the chance  to talk to Teva Durham about our shared experience of “working backwards” –ie writing the book, then working at the yarn shop (instead of the other way around), I think she is pretty awesome. Not to go crazy with book suggestions, but have  you seen Teva’s crochet book, Loop-d-Loop Crochet? It was a breath of fresh air for me when it came out in 2007, and frankly, it still is!

Oh, and how could I forget Robyn Chachula? By far one of my favorite designers–she was signing advance copies of her new  book, Baby Blueprint Crochet, so I had to run over to see the samples and show her my Paige Cardigan (from her first book, Blueprint Crochet).  She told me that she had all of the back issues of Adorn magazine…awww, that makes me happy.

And just for the heck of it, here’s Bob-solda. Also known as Ysolda Teague wearing a Bob (ravelry’s doggie mascot) mask. Her colorful, whimsical designs are all the rage in knitting right now. She momentarily donned the mask for the Ravelry Ice Cream Social, and was very sweet in person. I wasn’t shy about introducing myself to anyone…and even though I’m sure many of them had  no idea who I was, they all feigned interest. Heh. Good thing I didn’t think too much, because looking back I think it’s pretty amazing that I got to meet so many people and blatantly promote my book–this post doesn’t even begin to cover the name-dropping that could occur! It really only covers the photos, so be thankful there’s such a small number of them.

Now for the last thing I was introduced to. No, it was not a designer. not even a person, but important nonetheless: Jeni’s Ice Cream. All that I’d read was true, she makes some super delicious unique ice creams. I think it’s safe to say that it was the the best ice cream I’ve ever eaten. Ever. Including Gelato. In Italy. Yum. I waited in line for about 2 hours to get my scoop at the Ice Cream Social and I would even call that worth it! I was talking to passionate yarnies the whole time, so really, how could I complain?

I’ll try to pop in again with some yarn and tool roundups soon. But first to catch up on sleeping and eating.

The radishes are among the only things that seem to be thriving. They’re pretty much coming out of the ground on their own so I pulled this one up just to see what was going on under there. Pretty, and tasty. I mean, WOW tasty. If you think radishes are peppery when you buy them at the store, this is pepper x 100 (almost too much, but not if I mix it in with a salad or something).

The others are probably about ready to be picked too, but I’m leaving for TNNA on Friday. So I’m wondering, should I pick them and refrigerate them, or let them stay in the ground for a few more days? They really do look like they want to be out of there…

Just to update you on the rest of my garden, here’s what’s still growing:

3 scarlet runner bean plants–seem to be shooting up, finally (4th plant eaten by a snail or squirrel. sigh)

3 bush bean plants (4th plant, see above)

2 cucumber plants, still looking pretty tiny

1 tomato plant, looking awesome (other plant looked dreadful and I gave up)

Basil- 4 plants, one of which looks decent

Marigolds

Strawberries (had to re-pot)

There’s other stuff mixed in that’s looking less than great, and the crab grass has started coming up through the sides. But hey, it’s the first planting, and I’m proud of it. I am probably supposed to start thinking about what to plant next at this point, but I’m not there yet.

What is a yarn bowl,  you ask? It’s a bowl made especially for holding yarn. Most of them have a hole that you can thread the yarn through, so that if your yarn ball gets to rolling around, it can do so like a graceful ballerina in the bowl, instead of like a tasmanian yarn dust devil on your floor. Good bowls also have a hook shaped groove that you can thread the yarn through, so that should you want to leave the house with your project (but not the bowl)–or should you want to switch projects–you can easily remove the yarn. I have been wanting to own a yarn bowl for a while, but what can I say, I’m particular. Because I’ve made pottery and because I know so  many potters, I want what I want how I want it, and I’m willing to wait. But when I stumbled upon this yarn bowl, I knew that resistance was futile.


Look at the lovely wavy edge! And the gorgeous icy mint/turquoise glaze! And the cute white birdies at the top! I watched it for a week or so, trying to be good, but I couldn’t help myself. In person, it’s even better than I imagined. I’ve thrown some pots in my day, so I know what goes into a finely crafted specimen (personally, I’m not there yet!). The sides are thin and smooth (not clunky) and the smoothness of the cut yarn groove and hole are equal to anything mass-produced.  I also love the contrast of the hand-formed porcelain birds, which are not as polished as the rest of the bowl–they remind me that someone made this with their two hands. As a person who tries to make my living creatively, I feel it’s important to support other creative businesses, so there was no guilt with this purchase!

Once I received the bowl,  my Garden Path Shawl jumped right into it. The yarn that I am using,  Mountain Colors Winter Lace –made just a few hours away from where I once lived– got a little crazy while I was winding it, so I couldn’t pull it from the center. (One day I will write a book entitled “Zen and the Art of Yarn Winding”.) I know this bowl will be just the thing to tame it.

If you’re in the market for a yarn bowl, or even just some pretty pottery, I highly recommend Darielle’s Clay Art. I am not receiving any compensation to say so, just trying to help another creative person.  And now, I guess I have to get back to my writing!

One of the things that sprung up this week was a pest. Something took down one of my Scarlet Runner Bean plants over a two day period. I asked around and many told me it was probably a squirrel. So, Paul helped me build this cheapo wooden frame, to which we stapled lots of netting. I can still get in and out of there quite easily, and so can the bugs, so I think it will be ok. I’m also using it to tie up my vertical supports, which the three remaining bean plants will be relying on very soon!

Another thing that screams summer to me is our clothesline. I may have mentioned this before, but we’re living in my grandma’s house, which doesn’t have the modern convenience of a clothes dryer, dish washer, or a second bathroom. But I really love it, living small. The Texas sun can dry my clothes as fast as any commercial dryer, and it gets me outside and moving around, which is always a good thing. If you have a clothesline kicking around in your back yard, why not try replacing the wires with plastic clothesline (won’t rust)  and bringing it back into use? Your electricity bill (and mother earth) will thank you.

Meanwhile in crafty news, I’m trying to do some sprucing up around the inside of the house. There is so much work to be done that it’s hard to even want to get started. The perhaps-plan is that eventually we might just move out, get the whole thing remodeled, then move back in. That makes it hard to want to spend too much time fixing things that will eventually get replaced, but, as I’ve moved around a few times in my life, I know that I want my home to nice no matter how long I will be there. So I started off by sewing some new curtains for the kitchen. I used a yard of  fabric I bought at Ikea  which was nowhere near enough, and paired it with solid green and a graphic black and white print. It’s a happy mix of organic yet not overpoweringly girly, so Paul can live with it too. I sewed a smaller set of  curtains to go over the kitchen sink, which was a mess at the time this photograph was taken. Who am I kidding, it is still a mess! Currently the kitchen is a faded buttery yellow with faded minty green cabinets, and black and white appliances, and these curtains are my happy way to tie them together.

And finally, in news not having to do with the house or the yard, I started a new crochet project for myself (ravelry page link). We had a slow day at the store which always gets my brain going about what to make next. I’m hooking Dora Ohrenstein’s Kristy Cardigan from the Spring 2010 issue of Interweave Crochet. I chose Arucania’s Ruca (viscose made from Sugar Cane) and it’s *so* soft and drapey. Word of warning, the yarn is a little splitty, which can get frustrating when you are working the post stitch patterns, but otherwise doesn’t bother me. I chose this light blue color which I almost never work with or wear. I think it’s going to end up looking great, but it was hard to step out of my usual purple palette. I’m hoping to finish it for TNNA. I can’t actually imagine wearing a sweater, even a short sleeved one, in Texas during the summer except maybe in an air-conditioned restaurant. Or maybe next year, when I’ve adjusted.

What’s going on at your house? What are you working on, and what are you looking forward to?

I finally finished it this weekend. I wouldn’t call it hard, I wouldn’t call it easy. It’s simple stockinette, but between the  mohair and the ribbon and my extra wide version…. let’s just say there were a few dropped stitches here and there. (I fixed ‘em!).  I wrote up a freebie pattern with the specs for the shop, but you can try your hand at this one or this one if you’d like something similar.  There’s also some great info on the scribble lace technique in the amazing Mason-Dixon Knitting, a lovely book all around. What I love about this is it can easily be a scarf or a shawl, depending on how scrunched up it is.

I made mine 64″ long by 24″ wide. I’ve been wanting to make a version of this since I worked at the Bozeman Yarn Shop- it’s so satisfying to check it off my list. And I liked the mohair so much that I bought some more and worked up a crochet design. It’ll probably be months before you see it, but, I love it!

I am really excited about this one, even though I know it will take me a while to get around to sewing it up. Our group has had its struggles keeping up and staying involved, but I am thrilled with the blocks that have been sewn so far. It has also been a fun opportunity to sew with lots of fabrics and color combinations that I wouldn’t necessarily choose, and those challenges, of course, encouraged me to “think outside the box.” My main hope was that joining the bee would make me sew something every month, in the midst of other deadlines, and it did help me to do that. I can’t wait to get the rest of the blocks!