ellen alexandra

Forecast Sweater

2008-07-04T13:05:00.002-04:00

Pattern Notes
Pattern: Forecast from Knitty Winter 2005
Yarn: Ella Rae Classic
Needles: US 7 and 9

Modifications:
- 3 stitch instead of 5 stitch bobbles
- longer ribbing on sleeves
- ended sleeves in seed stitch, instead of purl ridges
- I think I shortened the ribbing on bottom of sweater, but I don’t know if I also lengthened the bobbled section

Surprise from a Friend

2008-07-04T12:50:00.003-04:00

The other day in the mail, I got a birthday surprise in the mail from my friend in PA. It was a very generous gift with some sock yarn, lotion, notecards, bath fizz, a decorative dish, craft scissors, and best of all, a scissor point protector that she made herself!

Handmade Cards

2008-06-15T21:15:00.002-04:00

I went to a class taught by Jenn with some co-workers.

WWKIP

2008-06-15T20:44:00.002-04:00

As most knitters know, yesterday was World Wide Knit in Public Day. I spent the majority of the day with some of my new fiber friends at The Whole Nine Yarns in Woodstock, GA, and Only Ewe and Cotton Too in Alpharetta. The first store had sales all day and we occasionally wandered in from the park outside to check them out. Most of the day we spent in the sun.

Katey spinning

the Snarky knitters and the Woodstockians

Woodstockians!

Once the party was over in Woodstock, we headed over to Only Ewe for more knitting and spinning.

Overall it was a nice day out, even with the brief thundershower in the afternoon, and even thought I did more ripping out than knitting.

Atlanta!

2008-06-02T20:49:00.004-04:00

In my last post, I mentioned some new things happening in my life. I left NJ for a new job in the Atlanta area. So far, other than moving away from my family and friends, I love it here.

Since I got here, the weather's been beautiful, and based on what people tell me, it's always beautiful. We have these thunderstorms that are crazy, with thunder like bombs dropping and lightning that completely lights up the sky. They don't last long though and then we are back to beautiful weather.

I love my new place. I finally have space and I even have one entire room (dining room) that is completely empty. Even my living room was almost empty until I got a couch this past weekend. I have a kitchen with lots of counter space, so I may try to get back to cooking (which I hated doing in my tiny NJ apartment). My patio with a little potted herb garden will also help with that. My craft room upstairs is so cute, mostly outfitted with Ikea tabletops and a chair. I also love my little shelves of yarn (which I got from HomeGoods!) all arranged in color order.

my little part of the world

semi-finished craft room

just small portion of my stash

All the neighborhoods (which they call subdivisions around here) are gated communities around this area. This concept is very foreign to me, outside of wildly expensive places that the average person can't afford. Here, this is the norm (at least in the metro suburbs). We have tons of little things that make it great like nature trails, fitness center, pools (yes, plural), beach volleyball, and tons more. A lot of things are within walking distance, both inside and outside the neighborhood, like a brand new library!

pond with geese in my neighborhood

Another new thing in my life is my new kitty. Her name is Honey and she's a two year old calico. The funny thing is that she looks very much like Auntie Em, my first cat when I was a teenager.

honey

My new job is good so far. I am still working in the color science field, but in a completely different industry. My job uses some of my skills from all seven years of college (which my previous job really didn't). The days here are longer, so when I get out of work, usually around 4:30, there is still a whole day ahead of me!

I haven't seen a whole lot of Atlanta yet. Most of Atlanta looks like the suburbs to me, but I guess I am used to seeing cities laid out more like NYC, Chicago, etc. So far, I've been to Ikea in Atlantic Station about 7 times since I've been here. Last weekend I went to the World of Coca-Cola, which is pretty fun with all their vintage ads and a 3D movie, as well as all the Coke products from around the world that you can drink. Across the street is a "food lounge" called Luckie that I happened to stop into because I was starving, and I realized very quickly it would be a cool place to take friends from out of town if we wanted a night out. They have great food, both sushi and "american", huge fish tanks, LED lighting, a dance floor, and a relaxed atmosphere.

Knitting seems to be a pretty big thing around here. It doesn't rival the knitting scene around NYC, but it probably rivals that of most of the other big cities in the country. There are lots of yarn shops in and around Atlanta. So far I've been to four of them: Only Ewe and Cotton Too is in the town I live in and it's a cute little place with a nice atmosphere, Cast-On Cottage is in the adorable little town of Roswell and has a huge selection (there's also a great Thai restaurant called Rice down the street!), and Why Knot Knit is the most recent shop I've gone to because I heard they were having a going out of business sale. Finally, Knitch is the furthest from me of those I've been to. It's in the Virginia-Highlands area of Atlanta, which is a cute little neighborhood. It has both the atmosphere and the selection. They don't seem to ever have sales though, which is disappointing. Whenever my LYS in NJ was having a good store-wide sale, I would buy a sweater's worth of yarn. They offered me coffee and asked if they could help me both times I was there. There seem to always be people sitting around the farm table knitting and drinking from the pitcher that's always being tended to.

For a few months before I moved here, I got to see my closest friend, Renee, and her family more often than usual, which was awesome, and I am sorry it had to end so soon. It was so nice being around friends, new and old, and family for a while. Renee's son, Anthony, has been the recipient of several of my knits over the last year. I gave Renee the Wild Stripes Blanket at her baby shower and I finally got some pictures of him using it:

wild stripes in action

isn't he the coolest kid?

I've been updating my Ravelry account, including adding my new stash (from my Atlanta yarn shop trips), and updating some of my projects. I still haven't sewn on the buttons or blocked Forecast and I'm half done with the Tomato, so those are the projects in the forefront, as well as the Classy Slip-Up Socks that I've been working on at my knitting group. I am really hoping to get back to one of the lace sweater projects that I started ages ago after those are done.

Well, that's my update in a nutshell. Now that I have real internet access for the first time in over five years, I hope to update my blog a little more often.

2008 Goals Update

2008-05-10T17:20:00.006-04:00

At the end of 2007, I posted about some goals:

Knitting-Related Goals for 2008

Make or finish at least 3 sweaters (since I am in serious sweater-making mode) with these as possibilities:

Ribbed Lace Sweater
Forecast
Dark Victory
Jawbreaker Cardigan
Aran Vest

Design 1 sweater, which I won't even try to start until after my sister's wedding in February

Other Goals/Goings On for 2008

Get a new apartment
Figure out the work situation
Alaine's Wedding, February 29th
Las Vegas trip with friends, January 11th-14th

Well, my knitting goals for 2008 are not going well yet. Much of the reason is because my "other goals" are complete! New apartment (check!), new job (check!), wedding (check!), vegas (check!). And all before the end of April! I'll probably mention more on the new job and apartment soon... I don't have internet at my new place yet, but hopefully when I do, I can start posting more again.

As for my knitting goals, I haven't been a total slacker. I did actually knit a short-sleeved cardigan for my mother and I am almost done with forecast. Hmm... I guess that will be 2 out of 3 - maybe I'm not doing so bad after all! I still want to design something this year though...

My Sister's Wedding

2008-03-24T15:57:00.004-04:00

My sister, Alaine, got married in Stowe, VT on February 29, 2008. It was a very small and beautiful ceremony. Alaine and Keith were married in front of a fireplace at the Green Mountain Inn. At the reception, my brother said a short prayer, we toasted with hot apple cider with cinnamon sticks, there was a hot chocolate bar, and we ate filet mignon and lobster. For dessert: maple creme brulee.

Alaine & Keith

Alaine & Dad

me & Alaine

The Wedding Party

And, for those who read for the knitwear content: the Wrapped in Tradition poncho from Wrap Style. I gave this to my sister on her wedding day.

Wrapped in Tradition Poncho

Source: Wrap Style (Interweave)
Yarn: 2 skeins Jade Sapphire Silk Cashmere

Color: Latte

Needles: US 6 addi turbos lace

Time: June 2007 - February 2008

Most of this pattern is pretty easy if you are experienced with lace, have good, pointy lace needles, and use lots of stitch markers and "life lines". It would hve only taken me a month or two had I worked on it regularly. The hardest part was the bottom edging. That part is worked flat in a long strip and is "lace on both sides". In other words, there is no resting every other row, which makes it tough if you mess up (which I did a lot on this part). The rest is knit in the round after grafting the ends of the edging together and picking up stitches all the way around.

Spring 2008 Knitty

2008-03-11T22:02:00.005-04:00

The new Knitty is out and I just wanted to make a few notes, more for my own memory than for anyone else's purposes. This is a good issue with several patterns that I could see myself making and at least one I may start on semi-immediately.

Nob Hill is a cute bulky shrug made with Art Fibers yarn. The author notes that it is the same colorway, but two different dye lots that are so drastically different that it looks like she purposely chose a different color for the neck and sleeves. It looks great on the thin model and may not look as great on me, but as she mentions, is a great piece for layering in the changing weather.

Marjorie is a pretty, basic sweater with some nice styling and shaping.

Talia is a very interesting cardigan-vest that I may try to knit up soon. It uses a relatively inexpensive yarn (Lamb's Pride Worsted) and has great shape and details.

Yosemite is a lightweight, cap sleeve sweater with a cable rib design. It has a very nice fitted, sleek look.

Honeycomb is another vest. It's pretty basic with a simple stitch, but the shaping is nice and for some reason I am into vests lately. I never actually wear vests. I used to hate them when I was a kid when those Express (non-knit) buttoned vests were in style. But now, all the cute knit vests look like simple, quick knits. I actually have one that has a fake shirt underneath (I love Macy's INC brand), but none that I have knit myself. So, while this one is not particularly unique (unlike Talia, above), it's cute and is worth a nod.

I love the Spirogyra mitts for some reason. I feel like this is a near-exact same pattern as a famous sock pattern that everyone knits, but they look really nice in the author's handspun yarn.

Jenna Wilson has also written an article on creating/calculating more sizes than the one you designed so that you can publish a multi-size pattern. Note to self: remember to read this.

Lace Wedding Garter

2008-02-26T14:30:00.005-05:00

My sister got married this past weekend (on Leap Day!) in Stowe, VT. I hope to have pictures from the wedding posted soon, but for now, I thought I'd share a pattern for one of the gifts I gave her. It is a heavily modified version of Diane Willett's Knitted Lace Wedding Garter. Basically, it is thinner and with room for only one ribbon. In addition, there are no lace yarnovers at the edges, just very simple increasing and decreasing. I also simplified the finishing process. Originally, I began Willett's pattern as written, and I struggled with it because of my lack of lace needles (read: pointy) in the correct size. In addition, I wanted something simpler because it was getting close to the wedding date.

Lace Wedding Garter

MATERIALS
Yarn: Gloriana Silk (12 strand) using 4 strands at a time
Needle: US 1
Notions: Thin ribbon, sewing thread & needle, small fabric flowers or ribbon, elastic (about 1/4" wide)
Abbreviations: Kf&b = Knit in front and back of the stitch
YO = yarn over
SSK = slip, slip, knit
K2tog = knit 2 sts together

LACE PATTERN
Row 1: K1, Kf&B, K2, Kf&b, K1 (8 sts)
Row 2: Purl across
Row 3: K4, YO, YO, K4 (10 sts)
Row 4: P4, K1, P1, P4
Row 5: K1, SSK, K4, K2tog, K1 (8 sts)
Row 6: Purl across
Row 7: K1, SSK, K2, K2tog, K1 (6 sts)
Row 8: Purl across

INSTRUCTIONS
CO 6 sts.
Repeat 8 lace rows to desired length (approx. circumference of thigh).
BO loosely.

FINISHING
Weave in ends.
Wash and pin out to block.
Sew ends together on WS.
Weave ribbon through eyelets. Sew ribbon together on WS.
Cut elastic to approx. 3/4 length of garter. Weave elastic through eyelets behind ribbon. Sew together on WS.
Sew bow or flowers to front of garter to cover any visible seams.

Life is Changing

2008-02-17T21:11:00.003-05:00

A lot has happened since my last post. Much of my life is drastically different. I've decided not to go too much into that here and now, but eventually I will probably elaborate. Generally though, I am far less stressed, and even somewhat content.

Knitting is still a big part of my life. It seems to play a large part in making new friends and learning new things. I took a class at Stix N Stitches not too long ago, which was the first formal knitting class I've ever taken. I already had a good grasp on the techniques taught, but I knew there was a faster way to do things, and I think I took some useful tips away from the class. Part of the reason for taking it was the social aspect - a bunch of my friends were also taking it. The class was on stranded colorwork, and I made these to hats:

The Loopy Ewe Swap that I participated in was completed recently. I sent my partner, Heather, a bunch of goodies, including the Teosinte Socks from KnitSpot that I knit:

My other partner, Sarah (the one that was knitting for me), completely spoiled me. This is a picture of almost everything she sent me:

The package included some chocolate and a lollipop, a Loopy Ewe bag and tape measure, some stitch markers, two note cards (one blank and one that she very thoughtfully explained everything she sent), some of her own handspun yarn (I was so touched by this), an adorable mug cozy with a hummingbird pin on it, and last but definitely not least, socks knit from Cookie A's Mingus pattern in Numma Numma yarn! She even sent me the leftover yarn for mending. The only thing missing from the picture is Cookie A's German Stocking pattern that she included:

Here's some close-ups of the other goodies:

Aren't they beautiful? Sarah was very good to me. She put all this together, all while working on a couple other swaps (I found out from her blog) and with kids! How does she find the time? Thanks Sarah!

Vogue Knitting ~ Winter 07/08

2008-01-02T20:48:00.000-05:00

I just picked up the newest issue of Vogue Knitting and I just had to post about it. This is by far the best issue in a long time. There are almost 15 patterns in it I may actually knit!

The first section, Ocean View, is all about lacy sea-inspired shawls and wraps, and all are designed by very well-known designers, including Nicky Epstein, Teva Durham, Lily Chin, Norah Gaughan, Cookie A., and Annie Modesitt. They are all beautiful, but I think my favorites are Epstein's Medallion Capelet and Cookie A's Square Shawl. Seeing the close-up swatch on her blog really made this pattern for me.

The next section, Oh... Cables!, also has several great patterns. This is great considering I don't even knit cables regularly and yet, I really want to knit a couple of these. I love the Bramble Stitch Dress (yes, I said dress) which is so cute and would probably be flattering on most people on the thinner side (or at least without my hips). The Cabled Cardigan is also cute, but my favorite is the Cape Collared Jacket.

Built for Tweed has 6 sweater jackets. My favorites are the Shawl Collar Jacket and the Tweed Jacket. The Puff Sleeve Jacket is super-cute and would be great trendy but professional look.

The next section is short with only 3 long sweaters, including one in crochet. Since I have several skeins of Twinkle's Soft Chunky, I may greatly modify the cute (but for skinny people) dress into a shorter sweater since I have had no other ideas so far for the yarn.

The last section is the only disappointing part, and is the section that the cover photo reflects. It's not their worst section ever, but there is really only one pattern that I think is pretty cool, but it's unlikely I'd ever knit it.

An extra bonus in this issue is a page and a half article by Meg Swansen on EZ's Pie Are Square Shawl.

Ok, so a great issue... packaged inside a horrible cover. This is definately one time when you should definately NOT judge a book by it's cover. This issue makes me want to add (or replace?) a few sweaters on my '08 to-knit list in my last post.

New Year's Update

2007-12-31T16:16:00.000-05:00

This year has been pretty hectic, hence the complete lack of regular posts on my blog. I assure you, my very few regular readers, that if you are still reading my blog, it is not going away. I hope to post more often like I used to, but I don't know exactly when I will be able to start doing that. Much of my time this year has been taken up by actually working, and when not doing that, stressing about work. I am still knitting, although not as often as I'd like. Raveling more than I'd like (it's addicting!). And reading more than last year. In addition, I have been abnormally addicted to Family Guy, specifically Stewie. I also had to get a new car this year for unexpected reasons (I was due for a new one soon anyway though).

The sad news for the year is that mom's cat, Debbie, who I posted about a year ago, died a few months back. She was really old, but always looked like a kitty because of her face and fluffy fur. She is greatly missed.

I joined a new knitting group, to supplement not replace, my first one. Unfortunately, the knitting group I originally joined does not meet as often as I'd like because of other commitments in their lives. Occasionally when we meet up, it is not to knit, but to hang out. But knitting time or not, they are great people to hang out with when the occasion arises. My new knitting group is actually one that meets at an LYS. I never thought I'd do that, but I've found that the large (very large) group that meets at Stix N Stitches in Montclair (NJ) is a wonderful group of regulars and some occasional new people. There are even a couple of people there that I feel comfortable and friendly with, including Monica (who I got the idea for the below FO/UFO lists from).

Other news is that last year's yarn diet resolutions did not work so well. While I successfully "dieted" for about 3 months earlier in the year, I ended up spending more overall for the year. So, I have a new plan for this year, which will include a specific monthly yarn budget carefully tracked in a log which will sit right in front of me on my desk. If I am even close to successful with this plan, I will spend half as much in '08 as I did in '07. On the plus side, I became a Loopy Groupie in '07!

I am hoping to update my 2007 knit gallery sometime soon. I have been putting this off, hoping that Ravelry (many-a-knitter's newest addiction this year since it opened last spring) would be open to the public soon. When Ravelry is open, I will likely just link to my projects within it, so I don't have to double post onto my own site. It looks like Ravelry will stay in beta for a while though.

A few lists for you:

Finished Objects in 2007 (in no particular order)

Calorimery in Crystal Palace Fjord
2x2 Fingerless Mitts, also in Fjord
Fuzzy Feet in Brown Sheep Worsted
Snowflake Stocking #2 in Mnos del Uruguay
Humbug Bag in Garne-Studio Silke-Tweede
Baby Soft Cardigan with Hippo Buttons in Patons Shetland Chunky
Hourglass Sweater in Noro Cash Iroha
Ball Band Dishcloth in Sugar n Cream
Booga Bag in Noro Kureyon
Big Hat in Rowan Big Wool (crochet)
Scoop Neck Tank in Rowan Calmer
Clapotis in Autumn House Farms
Wild Stripes in KnitPicks Merino Style
Outdoor Snuggle in Rowan Wool Cotton

Unfinished Objects for 2007

Wrapped in Tradition
Secret Project
KnitKnot Wrap
Crochet Ripple Blanket
Ribbed Lace Sweater
Diamond Lace Scarf
Anastasia Socks
Silk Lace Top

Knitting-Related Goals for 2008

Make or finish at least 3 sweaters (since I am in serious sweater-making mode) with these as possibilities:

Ribbed Lace Sweater
Forecast
Dark Victory
Jawbreaker Cardigan
Aran Vest

Design 1 sweater, which I won't even try to start until after my sister's wedding in February

Other Goals/Goings On for 2008

Get a new apartment
Figure out the work situation
Alaine's Wedding, February 29th
Las Vegas trip with friends, January 11th-14th

Cute Embroidery

2007-11-20T22:18:00.000-05:00

Take a look at these absolutely adorable embroidered ornaments!!!

Sensual Knits

2007-11-19T23:27:00.000-05:00

Sensual Knits by Yahaira Ferreira wasn't supposed to come out until January 2008. But I found it at B&N (Paramus, NJ) tonight. I was so excited to see it. (Sensual Crochet was also out, and while I liked looking through it, I knew I couldn't buy two books in one night).

Anyway, I love Sensual Knits (subtitled: Luxurious Yarns Alluring Designs). There are so many patterns in this book that I would knit, and even more that I would knit if I was a little smaller. That is not to say they don't come in my size. I think all but one pattern is calculated for at least my size. But some patterns would just look better on someone less "hippy" (the knit dresses, for example).

The book is broken into five sections after the introduction: Barely There, Sensual Chic, Wrapped in Luxury, Feminine Mystique, and Magic is in the Details. In Barely There, the first three patterns are my favorites, all camisoles. My one complaint (of probably the whole book) is that there are not enough pictures of the backs of the knits. This is especially a problem for the Demeter Camisole since the description reads, "... the low scooped back screams 'siren'". I am already thinking of The Loopy Ewe for much of this section.

The sweaters in the Sensual Chic section of the book are all really nice, but I think my favorites are the Transparency Sweater designed by Veronique Haegeli and the Ramona Sweater by Jared Flood. I think Sheri will need to add Silk Cloud to her Shibui Knits line that she carries... I'll have to ask her about that. The Multiplicity Sweater reminds me a lot of an Express Sweater that I bought a couple years ago - long tunic length basic turtleneck with buttons up the side. Modalura's version has a much more interesting neckline though.

The cardigans and jackets in the next section are beautiful. I pretty much like all of them and love a couple of them, including the cover pattern. The fourth section is all dresses: beautiful, but unlikely I'll knit any of them anytime soon.

The final section includes all the accessories. By far my favorite in this section are the Lily-of-the-Valley Opera Gloves. Gor-GEOUS! and made with Habu!

Overall, I love this book... did I say that already? Well I'll say it again. I love it. The patterns, the writing, and especially the photos. Very well lit and beautiful.

Another tiny favorite is Yahaira's dedication in the beginning: "For the 'pure knitters' who make every day surrounded by yarn seem sane"... she knows us well.

Bay Area

2007-10-07T17:20:00.000-04:00

Last week I had to go to the San Francisco Bay Area on business. I took a few extra days and stayed the weekend after my business was complete because I had never been to California before. On my first free day, I visited Pier 39, where I saw the loud and smelly (but cute) sea lions.

I couldn't believe how close Alcatraz actually was. See it there behind the seagull? I was standing very close to the him. None of the gulls seemed to care about people being right next to them.

I took a boat ride around the bay, under the Golden Gate Bridge, and around Alcatraz. The tours that actually stopped at Alcatraz were full (as I had been warned by some friends), but my boat went pretty close.

After my day by the water, I drove around the city a bit, and went to the two yarn shops that came highly recommended to me: Art Fibers and ImagiKnit. I loved both of these stores for very different reasons. Both had friendly, helpful staff, and a comfortable atmosphere.

Art Fibers spins and dyes all their own yarns. They have almost anything you can think of, even some yarn that looks like rope. I came away with Carizza, Ming, and Sylph.

ImagiKnit is a regular yarn shop, but large, compared to those in the NYC area, and very well-stocked. I couldn't believe the diversity of their yarns and how many lines of each brand they had. I almost bought something that is rare around here, but not rare in general. That is, until I spotted the real rarity. Now, I love Malabrigo yarn normally anyway, so when I picked these skeins up and felt how different they were, I knew I had something special. A glance at the tag made me do a double take: 50% merino wool and 50% silk. Since when does Malabrigo make this? Well, it turns out, only two bags were sent to the US (from Uruguay, of course), and both to ImagiKnit. These were the last two skeins from those only two bags (the owners know each other I was told). In 2008, Malabrigo will be releasing this yarn in the US, but in a different weight. I am so excited to have something this rare in my stash. The picture below does not do the beautiful color justice!

On my second free day, I was more in the mood for a drive in the country than hanging out in the city. So, I crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and headed north.

First stop was the Marin Headlands, a beautiful area consisting of little other than nature. I saw some surfers and people riding horses, as well as a lighthouse that I couldn't get close to because it was closed while I was there (it's very tiny in the picture below).

I started driving (after stopping for lunch in Sausalito) towards wine country. I ended up in the Sonoma area. Downtown Sonoma was having their annual vintage festival, so I stopped by there for a while and tasted some wine. I also happened by a yarn shop, Sonoma Yarns, which I did not expect because I didn't think to look for any on the internet before my drive. It was small, more like some of the NJ shops, and a needle felting class was going on. I was greeted by a cute, scruffy dog, and the owner who was really nice. I just picked up some Crystal Palace kid mohair to possibly make the sideways drop-stitch scarf that I had seen knitted up at Art Fibers.

I stopped again in Sausalito on my way back for dinner. I loved this little historic town. I had no idea that I would find such a cute little place near San Francisco. All the houses in this town are stacked up on hills, and from downtown, on the waterfront, there is a perfect view of San Francisco, Alcatraz, Angel Island, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Bay Bridge. There were lots of sailboats, and a cruise ship both times that I stopped there. I had dinner at Scoma's and it was wonderful. As I was sitting there, and the sun was setting, I kept looking over at Alcatraz. It seems so odd that it is sooo close out there in the bay. It must have been a little freaky for Bay Area people back in the day when the prison was working. I can definately see why some prisoners tried to swim across. It just looks so close!

Here's a view of San Francisco from Sausalito, getting close to sunset:

Going on a Trip

2007-09-20T22:36:00.000-04:00

I have to go to San Francisco on business next week. I have training for 2 days and then am staying for the rest of the weekend on my own. So, my question is (for the very few who might actually still be reading since I have been neglecting my blog), what are the places I can't miss... yarn stores or otherwise. I have never even been to California, so I don't know anything about the area. If anyone has ideas, leave me a comment.

Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts

2007-09-20T21:11:00.001-04:00

I haven't posted in 2 months now. There are various reasons for that but I won't go into them now. I have had lots of things to post about in the last few months but every time I actually get a chance to, it seems like the last post idea was too long ago to bother.

Anyway, I went to 3 different B&N stores tonight looking for a book that I knew was out, because Purl got it in this week. I finally found it.

Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson is such a beautiful book. I knew it would be since both Last Minute Knitted Gifts (also by Hoverson) and Last Minute Fabric Gifts (by Treen & Philippi) were also very beautiful. I was so happy to find out that Hoverson was working on a new book because her first book is a staple in many knitter's libraries. I love visiting both Purl Soho and Purl Patchwork whenever I go into the city. While I am not a big sewer/quilter yet, I did start sewing a little last year, and am hoping to get a bigger house and then a better sewing machine in the near future.

Before I give any more detail, I should mention that since I just bought this book about an hour ago, I have not yet actually read the introduction or the details in the back. I have looked through all projects and read their descriptions. Some of the projects were actually shown on the Purl Bee blog before the book actually came out (and I linked those).

As with the other books, they are divided into chapters by the length of time the projects take to complete. So, they start small with Less than 2 Hour Gifts. The first project is On Pins + Needles. These are small felt needle books. I have actually made a needle book from felt before. What makes these so cute is that they use printable cotton that has been printed with a title and then sewn on the cover. They are sewn into tissue paper for gift giving.

Next are Quilted Coasters, Simple Pillowcases, Bird Ornaments, and a Made-By Patch (also using printable cotton- I'll have to try this stuff!). Next are Scrapbooks. I love this project. They begin with Moleskine Cahier notebooks and scrap fabrics are randomly sewn through the covers. Useful and beautiful!

Next are the 2-4 Hour Gifts, beginning with the Flannel Baby Blanket and Pierced Pillows. I love the Simple Bag, which really is simple. I have many bags that are similar to this from sales at Old Navy that I often use for knitting projects, but this project uses cute Amy Butler fabrics in contrasting colors. Next is the Super Quick + Easy Baby Quilt and Kelly's Pincushions. These pincushions are also very similar to the pincushion I made around the same time as the needle book. The difference here is that all different fabrics are used for the "pumpkin" pieces, instead of having only one fabric. They are done beautifully in vibrant primary colors.

The Colored Pencil Roll is one of my favorite projects in this book. I've always wanted one of these things when I have seen them in art stores, but I don't draw, so I could never justify buying one. The special thing about this one is the rainbow of fabrics on the inside and the interesting stitch pattern.

In the 4-8 Hour Gift section is the Puzzle Ball (it sounds like Joelle had some fun figuring out how to make this one!), the Happy Birthday Pillow (so bright and cheery!), the Patchwork Tablecloth + Napkins, the Pinwheel Duvet Cover, the Sweet Dreams Sailboat, and Peanut the Wee Elephant. Peanut is my favorite in this section. She is so sweet and was designed by Hillary Lang of Wee Wonderfuls.

The 8-12 Hour Gifts section includes Six of One Half-Dozen of the Other, Just Sweet Enough, and Cutting Corners. The next three quilts are great. First is Little Bits which uses chocolate brown fabric with a strip of randomized blue squares towards the bottom. It is so modern-looking and could be used in either an adult's or child's room. Next is Summer Breeze, which is just pretty and feminine. Stacked Coins is brown with simple diamond quilting and strips of brightly colors complementary fabric that is unevenly cut - another modern-looking quilt.

In the More Than 12 Hour Gift section are more of my favorites from the book. Follow-the-Lines Baby Quilt is floral fabric than has been hand-quilted to outline all the flowers! This looks very labor-intensive... but since I don't have a good sewing machine right now, this might be one of the more feasible projects for me right now.

Next is the Color-Wheel Quilt. Since I am a Color Scientist for a living, this quilt especially speaks to me. It reminds me of a wall hanging of a color wheel that Dorothy Nickerson (famous female color scientist) put together and which hangs in the Munsell Color Science Lab at RIT (where I went to school).

Someone to Watch Over You is just an interesting wall hanging. The (Sort Of) Crazy Quilt is beautiful with vibrant orange-dominant colors and intricate hand-stitching. Also in this section is the Washed Silk Quilt and the Log Cabin Quilt (which Joelle says a quilting book could not be without).

The beautiful, small depth-of-field images are vibrant, and amazingly lit. I can't wait to make some of these projects and even just reading the rest of the book is getting me excited. Even though I rarely sew and don't have a working sewing machine, I have a small fabric stash that I can't wait to work through so I can justify visiting Purl Patchwork sometime soon. The last major thing I made was the Simple Leather-Handled Shoulder Bag from Amy Butler's In Stitches. I loved making this and still use it.

Now if I could just get my sewing machine to work...

Placemat Purse

2007-07-15T00:50:00.000-04:00

Note to self:

Make youself one of these adorable placemat purses, via Crafty Daisies.

Perfect Socks?

2007-06-16T22:48:00.000-04:00

Note to self- check out Brenda's formula for the perfect sock:

Finally, after years of searching, I have found it: This toe + this heel + calf shaping (easily achieved by switching needle sizes) - stupid unnecessary ribbing + incredible I-cord Bind Off = The Perfect Sock.

Also, clean grandma's lace using Martha's instructions.