I’ve had to put my blog writing on hold. I have goals for what I want to do with this site and I’m not achieving them as quickly as I thought. My day job has had to take precedent lately. Long hours are cyclical  when working at a magazine, plus we’re gearing up for some projects that take a lot of time and energy.

 All this to say, that when I do have free time I’m spending it knitting! (or drawing or running or hanging with my dogs and cats or having a glass of wine with friends.)

 I’ve got a few projects I’m knitting on simultaneously. The newest one is from Interweave Knits Winter 2007 issue: Celtic Tote. I’ve never knit a bag before and I’m having a great time with this one. Cables are so much fun, but I’m not a fan of wearing them, so a bag is perfect. Plus, I’m trying to have more bags for groceries to get away from plastic and this one has a place for a plastic insert on the bottom.

 I’m also working on a tunic sweater from Rebecca’s No 31 book. This one is for my mother  and I’m knitting the final sleeve. We’ve done an initial fitting of the body portion and I needed to rip it down to make the under arm around the rib cage more narrow. I’m hoping that the adjustments I made to the sleeves will fit her on the first go, but if not I’ll just rip back.

 And of course, I’m still working on my leg warmers. They are on hold though since they’ve been a bit of a brain buster and I’ve wanted to just knit.

Tonight I took the time to indulge in knitting to the Academy Awards. (I love theater and movies.) So thrilled Diablo Cody was recognized for Juno and loved her choice to represent herself just as she is: arm tattoo bared, skull and cross-bone earrings, black asymmetrical haircut, leopard print dress, and black nail polish. I wonder if she knits? Also, glad to see the art direction for Sweeny Todd recognized.

I think the coolest moment of the night was when host John Stewart called back out the winner for best song who had not gotten a chance to say thank you. She was an independent musician who clearly was moved to be recognized and had a gracious word to share. That John Stewart thought to bring her back out to speak was a true moment in an evening of scripted teleprompting.

Until my next free moment…

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aka the Frou-Frou Problem

I’ve been making significant progress on the Swashbuckler Leg Warmers. Actually, make that leg warmer. So far only one has been knitted and I finally like the fold-over top (not pictured) which is key to the Swashbuckler feel.

My first attempt at  the top was too frou-frou (pictured below). Too fluffy and girly. It could be heightened by the fact I am knitting in bubble gum pink. Maybe it wouldn’t have seemed as girly-girl if I had knitted a sample in brown.

[Left: First take buttoned-up using my skull buttons. You can see the frou-frou frills on top fold-over. On right you can see it opened with the elastic pocket–the real key to keep the leg warmers from slipping down.]

My decision to use pink was based on two things. One: I wanted to easily see and count my stitches and compare them against my notes. Two: I like the idea of knitting these leg warmers in a color you wouldn’t expect.

I’m basing the design off of those over-the-top boots worn in the sixteenth century by those loud sword carrying flamboyent swordsmen. It’s certainly the romanticized version seen in movies with the likes of Errol Flynn … but in pink! I thought it seemed like an interesting challenge. After I finalize the pattern I will make it in a rich chocolate brown organic cotton I recently snagged.

I will vehemently write that I do not like the frilly nature at all. The pink and ruffles upsets the careful balance of kick-ass-leather boot vs. woolly accessory to keep my legs warm. So, I ripped it out, redesigned the fold-over, reknitted, and kept immaculate notes on each row. Pictures to come very very soon of the new look.

Next step: See if I can knit a matching second using my pattern notes. That’s the real goal; can I actually write a functioning pattern.

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“Tim Burton’s wardrobe department called and they want their clothes back!” — Ryan R.

[In truth, a fairly accurate comment made about my obsession with mixing and matching stripes (head-to-toe) and wearing lots of layers, by a member of my creative team during our morning meeting. I took it as a compliment and I think it was given as one. It made me smile and chuckle inside all week.]

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I’m making some significant progress on my attempt to write a knitting pattern for some leg warmers with a high seas flare I’ve designed. I’ve scribbled tons of notes and made several attempts at coherent pattern. I tend to be an intuitive knitter, so writing down my exact process is unnatural.

I’ve been persistent and knitted one leg warmer a few times trying to get the the pattern and shaping just right. It fits fabulously, but the ends need to be sewn in and buttons attached, then we’ll really see. What’s done is fairly promising though. Pictures to come soon.

I’ve been asked for my hat pattern seen in the previous post, but it’s not written down either. I have plans to document it, so hopefully when I’ve gotten the leg warmers complete I’ll tackle that one. It should be significantly easier.

Knitting | 1 Comment »

It’s New Years Day 2008 and I’m ready for a fresh start.

I’m always energized for a new year as I get pretty run down feeling as the year wears on.

I’m trying something new to me and actually writing a pattern before jumping into the knitting. I often knit from my own designs which have most often started from an established pattern that I’ve modified to my desires. A couple months ago I knit a hat based on a non-knitted one I purchased at a fabulous hat shop on Granville Island, BC. I didn’t write down the pattern (or I’m ashamed to say, knit a guage swatch); I just worked intuitively. Needless to say I did A LOT of frogging, but ended up with a cute hat. I intended to write the pattern after I completed the project, but a few months have passed and it’s still not written down.

[Blue Sky Alpaca chunky weight yarn in a powder blue.]

So, I’m trying something new and writing the pattern ahead of time for a new knitting project I’ve designed based around these super fun buttons I found.

[Handmade skull buttons from NW Handspun in Bellingham, WA. Designer unknown.]

I’m calling it Swashbuckler Leg Warmers. For those of you have written patterns before, you know what I mean when I write, it’s one gigantic word problem. Word problems were never my strength in math class, but my left brain is attacking it relentlessly while my right brain taunts it with thoughts of just getting stitches on the needles and going for it. “Who needs a pattern?!”, it says.

Currently, I have 4 pages of scribbles, sketches, math problems, and several attempts at writing something understandable based on the afore-mentioned scribbles, sketches, and math problems. You would think leg warmers wouldn’t be that complex; however, I’ve decided to do a bit of calf shaping and at the same time create a series of buttonholes. Instead of knitting in the round on dpn’s, these will be knitted flat (from the bottom up) and then buttoned closed. I’m making good progress and hope to cast-on in a couple hours.

Apparently my left brain is having a blast because as I was falling asleep last night, I considered taking the same design and knitting it lengthwise. This would mean that the calf shaping would done with short rows which could look interesting. I’ll finish my initial idea first though.

When my brain needs a break, I just head over to the knitting machine where my mesh nightgown is in progress and I do a few rows there. You can see pictures in the Knitting Gallery.

Happy New Year and I hope you are motivated to tackle some projects in 2008 that expand your abilities and task your current knitting level. Cheers!

Knitting | 4 Comments »

For Christmas my husband got me my very own website to write down my musings on knitting. . . mostly.

So here’s my first attempt at blogging. . .

Members of my extended family joined us for the holidays this week. My mother-in-law in her past life was a professional knitter and being around her is what prompted me to experiment with fiber and pointy sticks 10 years ago. Her visit this holiday introduced me to two new things: a word and a machine.

Apparently all that ripping out I’m so fond of has a name. Frogging! … rip it, rip it, rip it. Here’s an article on Knitty by Theresa Vinson Stenersen about better ways to rip out your hours of well spent knitting. [article on frogging]

[Jess and Nancy setting up the machine (left) closeup of the carriage (right).]

The new machine in my life is actually two classic knitting machines from the 1980’s (a Bond and Brother/Studio Model 328 pictured above) that my mother-in-law used to use. They are in fabulous working order. She and I had a fabulous time together setting one up and for her, getting reacquainted. I have been so excited about the expansion to my repertoire that I was dreaming about how to do a K2tog YO with the machine. This morning I figured out how to do it manually and was thrilled to see a piece of fabric resembling fishnet. This is really going to speed up the task of knitting about 4ft. of a mesh long nightgown found in the book, Sexy Little Knits by Ashley Paige. That’s one experience I don’t need to have by hand.

As a few guys I know have said when I showed them this book, “Finally, a good excuse for my wife’s/girlfriend’s obsessive knitting!” While I disagree that this book and others like it serve to validate our obsession with knitting, I do appreciate their enthusiasm. . . with a smirk.

Back to figuring out the tension on the machine. I’ll post progress on this project and others.

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Merry Christmas Jessica! Here is your very own blog to write down your musings about knitting, art, husbands, and life!

~ Love, Ty and the Pets

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