SkaMama's Bone Hook

OITF - Local Roots Farm, Carnation, WA 7/20

2008-07-21T12:36:00.001-07:00

OITF - Local Roots Farm, Carnation, WA 7/20, originally uploaded by skamama.

What an amazing experience. Yesterday, SkaDaddy and I were invited to attend the Outstanding in the Field dinner held at Local Roots Farm in Carnation, WA.
Outstanding in the Field is basically a roving restaurant without walls whose purpose it is to reconnect diners to the origins of their food. Diners bring their own plate and sit at a long table set "in the field" of a local farm or winery where dinner is prepared using local ingredients by a local chef.
When we arrived, we were welcomed with a glass of wine, local cherries and some chickens. Once the 130, or so, guests were assembled, the farmers gave us a tour of the farm. Local Roots is a Naturally Grown farm that provides produce for local restaurants, farmers markets, and it's own CSA program.
Next, we were guided to the table, where we spent a few hours and many glasses of wine getting to know the farmers and other diners. Dinner was prepared by Matt Dillon, the Chef and owner of Sitka and Spruce and The Corson Building. The five course meal featured beautiful vegetables,fish, and meat from the local farms. Imagine sitting outside on a beautiful day eating carrots and fennel and baby beets surrounded by the same vegetables in the field waiting for the next harvest.
The food was spectacular and the experience was a culinary adventure.

Books for Sale

2008-07-20T12:01:00.001-07:00

Autographed Copies of Uncommon Crochet and Crochet Away!, signed by me and personalized for you. Available in my etsy shop.

Whoo's out there?

2008-07-17T17:28:00.001-07:00

My almost 9 year old daughter loves owls (and horses and cats and dogs and mermaids and fairies and candy). So, when I saw that a local parks department was offering to take kids and their parent(s) on a trek through the woods at dusk to look for owls I thought it would be perfect for us.
Now, keep in mind that I watch a.lot! of horror movies and I grew up a city girl, so walks through the woods at night tend to scare me a little. The whole reason my dad sent me on that 3-week Outward Bound Adventure in the Sierra's at 15 was because I was more afraid to walk in the woods at night than I was to walk the streets of L.A. Honestly, L.A. should be more frightening considering my dad, my husband, my step mom, and I have each been mugged at either gun point or knife point. But I'm working through my fears, so off to the woods we went.
We tiptoed along a couple of trails with thick, tangled arches made from branches that reminded me of the witch's woods in Hansel and Gretel. Then, we wandered through a meadow where I'm sure Velociraptors were waiting to pluck us down one by one. But, we saw nary an owl. We did see bats and two dead moles that appeared to have been involved in a standoff reminiscent of a Clint Eastwood movie. Yet, no owls. So we went home disappointed.
Apparently, there weren't any owls because they were all in my backyard.
Last night, we heard a strange squeaking sound that was coming from all around the house. We quietly sneaked outside and found four Barred Owls flying over the house and into our trees. Then we watched as they hunted the pesky wittle wabbits that live in my neighbors yard. It was like watching Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, but for real.

In other news, I'm into the half cotton, half wool yarns at the moment. Look at the yummy Cascade Sierra I just recieved. It's intended for my next project. I had no idea that Yarncountry.com was located only 1/2 hour away from me. I was wondering it how it was that I ordered the yarn yesterday then received it this afternoon. Yarncountry.com has great prices and super fast shipping.

The Bittman Bread Project

2008-07-15T12:20:00.001-07:00

By now, bread makers around the world have probably already heard about The Secret to Great Bread, reported by Mark Bittman in The New York Times a few years ago. In the article, Jim Lahey (the bread maker) says that the method is so simple a 4-year old could master it. Mark Bittman responded to that statement with "the method is complicated enough that you would need a very ambitious 8-year-old". So, I put my ambitious 8 year old daughter to the test.

The basic principle to this recipe is that very little kneading and a whole lot of time will result in great bread.

For the test Ally, my 8 1/2 year old, made the bread all on her own.

1. Combine flour, salt, yeast, and water. Cover and let rest for 12-18 hours.

2. 18 hours later: glop dough onto floured surface and fold once or twice. Ally opted to fold four to eight times. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

It was a little loose, so she added more flour....then a little more.

3. Using a little flour, shape dough into ball and wrap in floured towel. Ally opted to add more flour. Let rest for 2 hours.

4. Preheat oven, bake, then eat.

The result: My 8 year old was indeed able to make and bake a delicious round of bread based on the Simple No Knead Recipe. The only problem was that my kid really likes the kneading part and would prefer a more flour, more knead recipe.

I believe

2008-07-15T11:32:00.001-07:00

fairy lounge chair and umbrella, originally uploaded by skamama.

Some fairies have taken up residence in a tree stump in my mothers back yard. Click the third photo for notes.

Shedding more books

2008-07-15T01:52:00.000-07:00

I am still in declutter mode. This time I am digging into my stash of vintage and retro books and magazines and trying my hand at eBay. If you're interested in old needlework books and magazines take a peek and see if there is something you like.

There are also kids craft booklets along with some old needlework magazines.

Crochet lace vases

2008-07-08T23:18:00.001-07:00

crochet vases, originally uploaded by skamama.

If you were looking to try out a few ideas from my book Uncommon Crochet: Twenty-Five Projects Made From Natural Yarns and Alternative Fibers before buying it, be sure to check out My Lifetime.com. The patterns for the Crocheted Lace Vases were featured in the Home Crafts section today!

The Ah-HA! Moment

2008-07-06T19:28:00.000-07:00

When my blog posts become less frequent it usually means I'm hard at work and my focus is elsewhere. This week, however, it was half because of work and half because a crazy thunderstorm knocked out my computer connection to the rest of the world.

One of the projects that is demanding my attention is a book proposal. Honestly, I had no idea I would have the inclination to attempt another book, but when my new editor sent me a note to introduce herself she signed off with "and when you have an idea for another project let me know". Right then, an idea hit me like a frying pan on the back of the head and I emailed her back. That email was followed up by another email to my husband saying "oops, I did it again" and here I am, putting together samples for the acquisitions committee.

One of the happiest moments in my job as designer is the Ah HA! moment I get when I discover the perfect stitch pattern for a project. I've been struggling with a project idea all week and this morning I woke up knowing exactly what I wanted to do with it. The next step was to make swatches to find the perfect stitch pattern. The only requirements for this particular job were tight knit stitches with a little texture. So a-swatching I did go.

This is my first swatch.

The ridges were supposed to mimic seams but ended up looking more like spokes. I'm not going for the bicycle look so I started over.

This is my second swatch.

I went for texture by alternating the height of the stitches. I didn't get what I wanted with this swatch but I felt I was getting closer.

Here is the third swatch.

I didn't find what I was looking for on the right side, but flip it over to the wrong side and...

Ah-HA!

I've contemplated whether to talk about my book progress at such an early stage but since I've received several emails about how to get a book published, I thought I would share my experience as it goes along. I'm not locked and loaded with a contract yet so you may be watching as my proposal fizzles away but...what the hell.

El Gorgo Contest!

2008-07-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

Shannon Okey, a.k.a. Knitgrrl, is having a contest! Her boyfriend Tamas Jakab just finished issue #1 of El Gorgo!, a comic book magazine that chronicles the adventures of the world's greatest gorilla luchador. Shannon is so proud of her man and his creation, she wants to see El Gorgo and his foe Dagon interpreted through
stitches.

This contest made me think of a gallery exhibit we saw in L.A. in January. It was the Art Tribute to Stan Lee, exhibited at Gallery 1988. We saw some of the most fantastic modern interpretations of Lee's work at the exhibit and not only in paint and glass, but in felt and stitches. A few of the pieces are shown here and here .

Details for the El Gorgo-umi! contest can be found on the Knitgrrl blog and the deadline is Labor Day, September 1st, 2008.

From the Knitgrrl blog:

El Gorgo-rumi! I want to see El Gorgo rendered in knit or crochet, I want you to tell your comic-book-loving significant others about the magnificent glory that is El Gorgo and I want El Gorgo to be the most popular luchador gorilla on earth, yo.

The best El Gorgo in categories knit, crochet and sewn will get prizes — chocolate, signed books, hand-dyed yarn, signed El Gorgo mini-posters…whatever we can cram into a box that’s awesome. You have until Labor Day, ok? Bonus prizes if you make mini Dagons and take photos of them fighting.

Corde Market Bag Completed!

2008-06-29T01:04:00.001-07:00

Corde Market Bag Completed!, originally uploaded by Angela..

People are actually making the patterns! I was so excited to see Angry Knitter's version of the Corde Market Bag.
from my book, Uncommon Crochet. If you don't know her, Angela is a graphic artist who, despite her handle, is totally into crochet. Her illustrations speak to my tween teen girly side. I say this because having a 9 year old girl in the house leads me to read many American Girl books and Angela has illustrated several of them! So cool.

My Yarn Meme

2008-06-26T16:52:00.001-07:00

My Yarn Meme, originally uploaded by skamama.

Cribbed from Robyn, my Flickr Yarn Meme.

Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr search.
Using only the first page, choose an image.
Copy and paste each of the URL’s into the mosaic maker over at FD’s image maker.

What is your first name? Julie
What is your favorite yarn? Cotton
What was the first thing you made with yarn? Baby Sweater
What is your favorite color? Red Poppy
Which crochet or knitting designer do you have a crush on? Erika Knight crochet
Favorite handmade gift you have received? Crochet Roll
Dream project? Uncommon Crochet Book
Favorite notion? Seam Ripper
What will you crochet/ knit next? Chair Seat
What do you love most about yarn? Colors
One word to describe your craft. Construction
Main inspiration to craft. Create

Soap Entrepreneur

2008-06-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Kalispell Farmers Market Soap vendor,

I wanted to tell you how happy my daughter was after she bought some of your handmade soap last weekend. We were visiting Kalispell, MT from Seattle, WA and came to the Farmers Market with her grandmother. My daughter is 8 years old and has been interested in soap making for the past 6 months. This weekend she was thrilled to find your soap booth and bought an Otter soap and a Spanish Tea lotion bar. When we came home we immediately invested in some basic supplies, clear soap base, dye, mold and scent and she set to making melt and pour soap. She made some heart shaped soaps and other soaps using containers we found around the house then she wrapped them in wax paper and other pretty papers and printed her own labels on sticker paper. This morning she set out to sell her soaps door to door. At first we had decided to sell them for $1/ounce to make some money to buy more soap supplies (and cat toys), but she worried that she wouldn't be able to sell them for "so much", so she sold them for $1/soap. She ended up selling all of her stock in only 3 houses. While she didn't make a profit she did make enough to buy more supplies and I think she gained a little more confidence.

Thanks for setting the wheels in motion! She's already talking about a booth at the farmers market someday.

Fair Along '08

2008-06-24T08:29:00.001-07:00

Whew, I'm back and I am definitely warmer. Kalispell, MT was beautiful this weekend. The temps were in the 80's, the fish were biting, and the grass and flowers were blooming. Well, that last part wasn't so good for SkaDaddy-o's allergies, but he suffered through it like a trooper. When we got back we were pleased to find the Seattle area a little warmer than when we left it.

As soon as I was unpacked I got caught up on my blog reading and found that Larissa Brown, author of Knitalong, is organizing Fair Along '08. Fair Along encourages knitters, sewists, crocheters, jam-makers, bakers, table setters, animal raisers, and more "to celebrate their work and show it off". I'm thinking of maybe, possibly, sort of, I don't know, probably, and potentially entering the Puyallup (pew-AL-up) Fair in September. Whaddya think? I am almost finished with a crocheted rag rug and am thinking of a crocheted baby sweater which could be a good candidate. You can read about other people and what they are or have entered on the Fair Along site.

I think my knit and crochet prolific friend Ellen should enter one of her creations into the L.A. County Fair for Textiles. Hell, I think the whole WeHo SnB group should enter the fair. Side note: You must click L.A. Co. Fair to see an ad spot that represents what I was like growing up in L.A. It's sad, but funny. I did end up marrying a guy from the sticks, er, I mean from a small town, so I'm a little more well-rounded, but not by much.

If you're thinking of entering I want to know the details, what fair, when, and what type of item. Then, go join Fair Along '08.

To find your state fair, go here or simply Google your state name and "State Fair". That's what I did and I found a bunch in Washington.

The links section:
Fair Along '08
Washington State Fairs
Evergreen State Fair Open Class directory
Evergreen State Fair Lace, Knit, and Crochet
Puyallup Fair Exhibit Entries - most are in Home Arts and some in Hobby Hall

Ravelry Groups with Fair Along discussions
Pacific Northwest Ravelers
Reclaiming the Home
Needlework on the Net

Soggy in search of warmth

2008-06-19T00:28:00.000-07:00

The kids are officially done with school and summer can begin. However, since it's still cold in the Pacific Northwest I'm off in search of warmth. It's supposed to be in the 80's in Kalispell, Montana this weekend so that is where you will find me. I plan to soak up as much warmth as possible because despite the fact that Summer is officially on deck, I am doubtful* it will actually come to port in Seattle any time soon. But then again I'm just cold, wet, and bitter. I'm sure I will be in warmer spirits when I return.

Eighteen hours on the road means that there should be some solid crochet time, so hopefully I will have something to show for my adventures when I get back.

Stay warm, people!

*The PNW natives say I shouldn't complain about the persistent cold and rain until the first week of July. Sigh.

and the winner of Super Stitches Crochet is...

2008-06-17T15:04:00.000-07:00

Crochetgurl from one of my hometown's San Diego, Ca! Thank you to everyone who entered and especially those who left a joke or sent me a present (Romi). The stick joke was totally up my alley and I can relate to my poor house getting the short end of the straw. Stay tuned for more book giveaways. I swear my books repopulate like bunnies.

Super Stitches Crochet: Essential Techniques Plus a Dictionary of More Than 180 Stitch Patterns

Book Signing, 6/14 Third Place Books!!

2008-06-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

I will be signing copies of Uncommon Crochet tomorrow night at 6:30 at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, WA. I'll be there with many samples from the book to pet and play with.

Saturday, June 14th 6:30 PM
Uncommon Crochet

Third Place Books
17171 Bothell Way NE
Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
Tel: 206-366-3333

In Uncommon Crochet, Julie Armstrong Holetz takes the simplest crochet to new heights with a totally contemporary approach. She walks the reader through every step with clear instructions, beautiful photographs, and page upon page of inspiration. Her graceful navigation of structure, beauty, and technique is sure to spark every crocheter's imagination. Kim P. Werker, editor of Interweave Crochet Magazine and author of Get Hooked!

Thanks Kim!!

More TNNA recaps!

2008-06-11T21:24:00.000-07:00

Vashti Braha
Stefanie Japel

TNNA

2008-06-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the TNNA show this month, so I'm having a great (slightly jealous) time reading about it from other people. The funniest recap is from Franklin at The Pan-Opticon. I got there via Shannon's recap.

Other recaps thus far:
Amy from The Hook and I
Kim Werker
Robyn Chachula

Super Stitches Crochet Book Giveaway

2008-06-10T09:15:00.000-07:00

Too many books! I have a lot of books and sometimes they produce offspring. So, I found myself with two copies of Super Stitches Crochet: Essential Techniques Plus a Dictionary of More Than 180 Stitch Patterns

This stitchionary includes more than 180 stitch patterns and some (not all) even have stitch diagrams. Although most of these patterns and motifs can be found in more complete guides like the Harmony guides, I like how the colorful, glossy photographs highlight the stitch patterns. The larger photographs show more detail than the Harmony guides giving you a better idea of what the pattern will look like.

To win simply leave a comment (the funnier, the better) by 3 pm Pacific on Tuesday, June 17th. I will pick the winner by random number generator.

This contest is sponsored by the Holetz Family Destash Project, join us and put your home on a diet.

Crochet me a day in the life

2008-06-05T00:17:00.001-07:00

That's me and Contessa when I was 5. My parents told me she was dog napped in the night, but now that I'm a parent, I think that was a parent-certified fib for she passed away.
The (k)nitty and the gritty:

6:55 wake up to hear the shower running.
I must get out of bed when the shower is running or I'll end up yelling at the kids because we're late for school. It's a good thing my husband is a creature of habit. If it were up to me my kids would be going to a school that starts at 11 am (is there such a school?).

7:00 -7:20 take long, hot shower, then will myself to get out and start the morning routine
I'm sure that I deserve a F on the eco-minded report card for using too much hot water

7:22 - lay on bed in my towel thinking about getting dressed

7:32 finally get dressed

7:35 find almost 6 year old son in the living room watching the Today Show, because he doesn't know how to turn the channel on our super duper extreme remote control thingie, and tell him to go get dressed

7:37 go to almost 9 year old daughters room
SkaMama: (sing song) Ally, time to get up
Little Acorn: (loudly groans)No!
SkaMama: (sing song) It's a beautiful day, let's walk to school.
Little Acorn: (loudly moans)
Pick out clothes for daughter to wear to school while thinking about how the Supernanny would probably chastise me for enabling my daughter to be lazy in the morning, but I mean c'mon the girl can't have coffee yet. I don't know how morning people do it.

7:50 nag kids to eat cereal, pour big cup of coffee

8:00 nag kids to get their shoes on

8:05 nag kids to get their shoes on

8:10 "why don't you have your shoes on?!?!?"

8:15 Thad and I walk Ally to school, it's sunny and already warming toward record temps (finally)!

8:45 back home, arrange for playdate so I can get some editing work done today

9:00 Thad plays on the computer, I get a call from Amy about a tech edit. Then, we chat about book projects both our own and others and her big move. She's stopping in Seattle on the way so we get to have a playdate!
I love when I can actually talk to other crochet designers on the phone rather than through email or blog posts. Except for Chloe, who writes emails with lots of anecdotes, I feel like we're chatting on the phone anyway.

9:30 email my editor that she really needs to contact Amy for a book project; email Mary Beth to confirm spot on Getting Loopy!.

10:00 play football with Thad in the front yard while we wait for his playdate to come pick him up, organic delivery shows up - Yay, radishes from Oregon! Boo, they didn't send the Beechers Mac and Cheese.

10:30 Thad's off, make peanut butter on mini bagel, refill coffee then sit down to work on the final proofs for one of the the best crochet books ever, email Robyn to tell her it's one of the best books ever.

10:32 check email, Ravelry, bloglines

11:00 okay, now get to work on those edits

12:00 lunch: another peanut butter mini bagel and a banana, set up a jar of tea to brew in the sun, a rare treat in the Northwest

1:00-2:00 meet Thad at Trader Joes and finish weekly grocery shopping

2:30 put away some groceries, get distracted and forget to put away the pantry food

2:45 walk to pick up Ally at school, kids are drooping big time in this heat

3:30 snack of frozen pineapple, brie and sourdough bread, finish putting away groceries and produce
Yay! It's Friday, no homework!

4:30 Thad's best friend comes over and they load up the water guns and play in the backyard

4:30-5:45 enjoy a glass of iced sun tea while outlining and sketching ideas for a collaborative book project with another crochet author/designer, take another stab at using the drop spindle - refer to Shannon's book Spin to Knit: The Knitter's Guide to Making Yarn and think I might be actually catching on.

5:45 oops forgot to put sunblock on Thad but now the backyard is shady, must remember sunblock next time, get dinner started: boil pork with oranges and onions

6:00 Thad's friend goes home, dinnertime: shredded pork tacos with soft corn tortillas

7:00 clean up, vacuum, move laundry around in an attempt to keep it from devouring our house

7:30 get kids in jammies and teeth brushed, don't forget to floss!
Don't underestimate the value of flossing your kids teeth. My son just had to have a mini root canal yesterday and now sports 2 shiny metal teeth. He's very proud of them by the way. He thinks he's Metal Man!

8:00 take off for family night at the drive-in for back to back Narnia: Prince Caspian and National Treasure 2, remember to bring blankets since kids will probably fall asleep.

8:05 swatch crochet stitch patterns for my new book idea in the car
What I learned from writing Uncommon Crochet: writing a book is like being pregnant, it's hard labor but once it's in your hands you forget all about the pain.

9:00 watch Narnia: Prince Caspian while snacking on nostalgic candy and popcorn
Hmmm, Bottlecaps and Ju Ju Bees will definitely lead to more silver teeth. No Ju Ju Bees for Metal Man!.

11:45 longest movie ever and it was kinda boring, Thad's asleep and Ally is struggling to stay awake so we decide to skip the second movie and make our way home.

12:00 carry sleeping kids into their beds

12:10 fall asleep and dream in swatches

For more Day in the Life of Crochet Insiders, check out these posts

Annie Modesitt, Modeknit, June 2nd, Monday
Kristin Omdahl, Styled By Kristin, June 3rd, Tuesday
Brett Bara, Manhattan Craft Room , June 4th, Wednesday
Annette Patavy, Mots et Mailles, June 6th, Friday

I {heart} Crochet Bags

2008-06-03T01:54:00.001-07:00

Crochet Bags, originally uploaded by skamama.

Some of my favorite crocheted bag photos from Crochet Bags Flickr group.

Slow it down!

2008-06-02T19:45:00.000-07:00

Wow. I talk way too fast.

Mary Beth is a great host and that was a lot of fun.

Getting Loopy!

2008-06-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

First T.V., then the newspaper, next Radio!

Getting Loopy! with Mary Beth Temple is a fantastic internet radio show that features a guest host from the crochet world along with engaging discussions on all things crochet. I've learned so much from this show. One of my favorites featured Amy Houk (4/22) where she discussed how fibers are processed and why it's good to look for local or organic fibers in favor of those that are chemically treated with a harmful impact on the earth.

Tune in tonight where me, myself, and I will be a guest host on Getting Loopy! with Mary Beth Temple. If you sign up for Blog Radio you can join everyone in the chat room where you are free to ask questions that will be answered live on the air. You can also call in and talk to us directly.

The show begins at 9 pm Eastern/6 pm Pacific.

See you, er, hear you then!

Me me me Meme

2008-05-29T22:53:00.000-07:00

Yay, Me Meme. Tagged by Samantha over at Knit Quest.

The rules; Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

Ten years ago I was a book buyer for Borders, living in Ann Arbor, MI. I had no kids and so I spent all of my free time going to R rated movies, riding my mountain bike in the woods, having dinner parties, and reading books with no pictures.

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order)?

Unfortunately, my mother did not pass her list-making genes on to me.
1. Drink coffee - must top the list in order for the list to even get started.
2. Try to get kid to school on time, hopefully with a belly full of breakfast and without wasting precious valuable fuel.
3. Find boy child a new-to-me bike that will take him to the next level of bicycling without training wheels.
4. Teach a little girl how to use a spool knitter. I couldn't find my spool knitter so I made one using a sturdy cardboard tube, popsicle sticks, glue and duct tape and I am very proud of myself.
5. Take kids to gymnastics during which I will finish tech editing Amy's knitting patterns - yes, I really am breaking free from editing patterns that only involve a hook!

3. Snacks I enjoy.
salted edamame
brie and baguette
coffee
buttered toast and plain yogurt with honey and fruit (hmmm I think I'll have some now)
hummus and pita with olive oil and paprika.

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire.
Hire someone to do all of my housework
Hire someone to manage my money
Open my own kids arts studio.
Travel.

5. Places I have lived.
Sacramento, CA
San Diego, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Ypsilanti, MI
Redmond, WA

6. Jobs I've had.
L.A.Farmers Market Shopgirl - DuPars, Littlejohn's Fudge Shop, Theno's Bakery
Store Manager, Waldenbooks
Book Buyer, Borders
Allocator, Eddie Bauer
Tech editor, Interweave Crochet

7. Peeps I want to know more about:

The Crabby Crafter - she's due with child any moment now but hopefully she will indulge us with a little me me me meme.

Crochet Codex - amazing crochet artist with a penchant for crocheted fairisle.

Gleeful Things - she shares my name and likes crochet, why wouldn't I want to know more about her?

Cosymakes - author, fiber artist, recycler, dyer, spinner, teacher, Etsy seller, all around interesting person so I must know more.

The Hook and I - author, knit and crochet designer, teacher, soon to be resident of a very isolated community with easy access to Qiviut yarn

Poll

2008-05-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

This week I'm in tech editing mode as I wrap up final reviews of a few projects from some of my favorite designers and magazines.

In the meantime, feel free to vote for your favorite stitch dictionary in the poll on the sidebar.