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My pal Kelley is having a sale, and I think you should know! Perfect for Valentine's Day - all her "Love", "Peace" & "Play" designs - shirts & hoodies - are 20% off!
Dude, they're in ADULT sizes too! I just got this black long sleeve Peace tee, and it's rockin' fun. See more at Kelley Hart!
Girls and BOYS! Look at that kid. Could you die?
Everyone is laughing at me in this picture. Typical, no? I'm laughing at me too. Stephannie had just commented "she keeps taking pictures!". Yes. That's what I do. Everyone who knows me knows this. And yes, be careful, because I will most likely blog about it! No worries Stephannie, how in the world could I possibly blog something bad about something so good?
To say I could not wait for last nights' class would be the understatement of the century. The last two days I've found myself in the biggest funk - totally unmotivated and uninspired to do anything regarding my work. Knitting would have been the fastest and easiest medicine, but I couldn't move forward without support.
Crazy, I know, because my guess about what I needed to do next was correct. So much of this knitting thing is about confidence, and every experienced knitter I talk to tells me that knitting is so forgiving; if you screw up, you rip out. But, I hate to rip out! All that work! All that TIME!
(Yes! I'm still wearing that cowl!) Last night Stephannie taught us about waist/hip shaping, and gave us the calculations to figure it out on our own. It looks convoluted and completely complicated, but I'm sure it isn't. Even better is that most patterns spell out the shaping in decreases, so really, you would only have to calculate if you were knitting something you made up, or veering from the pattern.
Still, we all appreciated Stephannie's one-on-one time with each of us. I've finally joined my pieces and have started the waist (chevron lace) detail. I think I'll be able to chug along for awhile, which is good because we don't meet for 2 weeks. My only regret is that I won't be finished with the sweater by the last class, but I'm hoping I'll be at another critical area - either working on the arms, or picking up the neckline stitches for that detail (I have no confidence in picking up stitches).
The good thing I found out last night is that three of the women in our class are in a local Stitch-n-Bitch group that meets nearby, and Stephannie is one of them. The lifeline continues!
As for my progress, I'm afraid my vacation is coming to an end. I've started cutting into the mass of fabric that has arrived in the last two weeks, and Cathy sold the last bag she had in stock last night! It's back to work for this knitter!
I possibly made it out to seem like there was a big story with the sweater. Mainly, it's the support. And the community. That's huge, you know. I love how you can mention something, and people come to your rescue. I love how the crafting community is so success-oriented; everyone helping everyone else. Besides some really nice emails [thank you], an old family friend happened to read my post and contacted me.
Thea and her family have been friends of my parents for at least 30 years; I babysat her kids eons ago. Thea is a longtime, fabulous, amazing, knitter. She also happens to live 5 minutes away.
She gave me an hour of her time on Thursday, and I'm just so grateful. It turns out, at one point, the pattern is written [I hesitate to put this out there] slightly poorly. It repeats itself, and I don't know if it was done that way for clarification, or it's a mistake, but that's what had me jumbled up. I put the sweater back on the needles, except for the arms, which I kept on the scrap yarn. The pattern has you putting the entire thing back on the needles and then knitting across and taking the arms off. Easier to just not put the arms back on the needles to begin with, and yes, you knit across the whole thing.
(color is a little washed out there - sorry.) Hard to see, but I now, miraculously, have armholes.
There, you can see it. If I wanted to bother taking it off the needles again, I could try it on. I'm not willing to do that right now, but might have to tomorrow night.
In any event, I am now ready to join the sweater at the 'V' and start the chevron lace detail. I'm quite happy about that! Thank you thank you thank you!
Anyway, I'm so thankful to Thea for sitting down with me and reading the pattern through. She got me past a major hurdle, and I'm really glad that to this point, I'm actually reading it all correctly.
As for Thea - what does a lifelong knitter do? They start a business. I know you know how happy this makes me. Not just that there is an independent knitting supplier 5 minutes from my house, but just that someone has taken what they love, and moved forward with it. Thea sells patterns, books, needles, yarn and all sorts of knitting tools on her website, Patchwork Frog - I hope you check it out! It's another indie retailer we have to support!
It is beautiful. I don't have pictures of outside, but take my word for it. It's been cool and crisp and clear, and finally, once again, January weather. I love this.
Thank you for the comments on the sweater issue. I have moved past it and tomorrow I'll tell you what happened. It deserves its' own post. I have another Finished Object that I am just loving.
L-O-V-I-N-G.
I started this cowl just before my sweater class started, and if I had the patience and attention span to just sit in one place for an afternoon, I probably could have cranked it out. Alas, I don't. I didn't. It became my car project, and then yesterday, with the blustery weather [and coming to place I wanted to stop on the sweater until Tuesday night], I cranked it out and finished it.
I used the yarn I bought from Michelle Hoffee at Artistic License in October, which is scrumptous. I had been searching high and low for a project that was deserving of such gorgeous yarn and this fit the bill. The only problem [and really, not a big one] is that because of the variations in the yarn, it's difficult to see the actual lacy fan pattern.
It's a very easy pattern, very easy to follow and I think the stitch looks so much more complicated than it really is. It is also very forgiving, because I know there are mistakes, but the yarn hides them all.
Happily, I learned something new once again, and can now slip a stitch, knit 2 together and then pass the slipped stitch over (sl1, k2tog, psso). That creates the fan pattern.
I finished this yesterday afternoon, slipped it over my head [without blocking - who knows if I ever will] and haven't taken it off, except to go to sleep.
Delicious, this cowl.
Okay - two things: don't forget to come back tomorrow for the sweater story, and thanks for great response to Fabric Carnival! I've added a more fabric in the last few days, so check it out my sewing darlings!
We didn't have class last night (the last two classes have a week in between to give us time to work on our projects), but I was determined to get to the point I am supposed to be by the next meeting. That point is the place where the sweater comes off the needles onto a piece of scrap yarn so it can be tried on, and then later placed back on the needles and the sleeves separated from the body.
Excuse my bathroom. I'm making the medium size, which according to the measurements, will be a little roomy. But, when I tried it on, it looks like the point where the stitch markers are (yellow circle there) will just fit under my arm. After it's placed back on the needles, there are a couple of extra rows to be knitted, but mainly after the sleeves are removed.
(it looks better on Betty) Overachiever that I am, I was hoping to get to this part, be okay with it, and move on. After reading ahead (many times), I'm a little unclear now. The instructions are a bit confusing, and more than anything, I don't want to have to rip anything out. I really want to continue, because I know I'll need help later and I still want to be in the class when I get there.
I'm actually beyond amazed that I even had the correct number of stitches on my needles at this point. I've kept meticulous notes as I've been knitting of which row I'm on and what I did, and that has helped considerably.
I'm especially proud of those increases - a new skill! Knitting into the front and back of a stitch - which had me flummoxed until Stephannie walked me through it 46 times.
If anyone has made this, I'm curious: when it goes back on the needles, and you knit across, and then take the sleeves off and continue - in the next repeats, do you knit across the entire garment? Or just the front?
Any help is appreciated! I'm really enjoying this and would hate to have to take a little hiatus! I'm on a roll you know!
OH! Also - I almost forgot to share my CandyBama! ♥
Once again, it was time for the California Gift Show. I didn't exhibit this go 'round for several reasons: 1. The economy; 2. January is historically slower than July; 3. I don't have my spring line ready yet (and am just now getting in new fabrics & working them!); 4. I'm tired. So very tired.
But, I firmly believe that you have to stay in tune and up to date, and keep your eyes open at all times, so with that, Scott and I went downtown yesterday to walk the walk.
Does he look exicted, or what?
Actually, I think he enjoys it more than I do. While I really just walk the aisles to see who's there (i.e. anyone I know), he slowly jaunts through, cosmically drawn into booths exhibiting the strange & unusual (there are many). He has to touch everything. And he asks a lot of questions.
We walked the main show (kinda slow up there, I wasn't really surprised), and talked to several exhibitors about traffic & attendance, which seemed to be down since July. A few had attended the recent Atlanta show, which is huge by comparision, and for some, that show was fabulous, for others not so. Many returning exhibitors said they were really only writing orders for existing/returning stores, while newer stores are holding off and being more conservative. This wasn't surprising to me at all.
We walked through the zoo they call Cash & Carry - mainly jewelry, and a lot of supplies, and while it appeared to be very busy, I saw my neighbor from the Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair (he makes amazing high quality silver resin jewelry) and he said sales were down considerably.
From there, we hopped on the shuttle and headed over to the LA Mart, where the main gift showrooms are located, as well as the Temporaries. Scott insisted we start at the top and work our way down (*sigh*). I have to admit, walking through those showrooms is inspiring. There's a totally different vibe at the Mart, more polished and upscale.
I ran into my friend Cynthia Berman, of D-lux 57, who as you know, is another apronista! She just returned from Atlanta with the news that it was bustling. This is good, and I'm happy to hear that! I love having friends on the inside! It's just so great to be able to tap into the different experiences, resources and information out there.
We spent about 4-1/2 hours, all together, walking and talking - so worth it. I saw a lot of exhibitors I knew from past shows, and met some really cool new people.
If you are ever considering exhibiting at a trade show, I urge you to do this. You can register as a retailer (which you are, if you are selling), or contact show management for a guest pass (you'll probably have to provide credentials). Talk to people, but be upfront about who you are, to get an idea of traffic and attendance. But keep in mind that these things change from show to show, and year to year. July 2007 was totally different from July 2008.
On the way home, exhausted, I was happy with my decision to sit this one out. It's giving me time to reflect on my line, refine my collection and decide where I want to go with it this year. There's nothing wrong with giving yourself time. It's the cheapest gift.
I could seriously get used to meeting once a week to knit with a group of women. But only at a yarn store, where I am surrounded by beautiful colors and textures and only in the presence of an instructor who will smile and walk over nonchalantly when I start to chant 'emergency emergency emergency' because a stitch fell and I'm paralyzed to move.
We had our second sweater class last night. The homework was to finish our gauge swatch[s], and wash & block them. Admittedly, I only soaked mine in water, but then did the blocking as told.
I have two swatches because my project calls for two different needle sizes. Of course, neither matched the pattern. One was off by one stitch, the other by 5. I'm not really concerned about the smaller needles since they are for the sleeves and I'd rather they were a little looser on my granny arms.
The larger swatch had us a little more concerned, and Stephannie went into this big, long calculation [that I had nothing to do with because it made zero sense to me]. My guess is that when the gauge doesn't match, you have to alter the pattern to fit you (Becki, I'm wondering if this is what happened when you made this sweater). It seems the most important measurement is the bust. If I were to knit the pattern as written, the sweater would swim on me; but if I go down a size, it will be way too small. Weird, huh?
We finally decided that I would knit the size I started with, but at one point (where the sweater joins at the v-neck) I would not knit increases for the bust.
It's all about the bust. Doesn't that just figure?
80 degrees yesterday; and it's no wonder the roses are still doing this.
Of course, the blooms don't last as long, but at least they're there.
Which makes it really hard to do this.
