The ends are weaved in (well most of them) and the buttons are finally decided on and sewn on and the sweater is totally finished. (Unless I feel like changing it in the future)....I always give myself permission to change my mind or even re-change my mind. When it comes to a project that I am designing for myself I usually make adjustments as I try it on and even wear it around the house to sort of give it a test wear.
The "Winter Wonderland" cardigan fits perfectly, the sleeves are just the right length and I love it. Although it is spring now so it's turning out to be my Springtime "wear every day" sweater. I have a tendency to wear a piece of clothing frequently if I feel comfortable with it. I'm wearing it right now and it's soft and comfy. I'm sure my friends get tired of seeing me in the same clothes but if I'm comfortable so be it.
They say Albert Einstein wore the exact same clothing every day and his closet was full of the same color clothing. I have a bit of "Einsteinism" in me, I like to buy several of the same pieces of clothing and wear the same thing every day like a uniform for the season.
A sleeveless tank under the sweater is perfect for this time of year's spring weather here in Southern California. I know I will have this sweater for a long time and will get good use out of the work and money I put into it.
The buttons I chose are from a collection of buttons with rhinestones in the middle. They are approximately the same size but each is different color and detail. Picking out the buttons is always kind of a weird exercise for me.
I have a nice and somewhat large collection of buttons, collecting buttons is in my genes. I inherited a big jar of old buttons from my mother. Some buttons are sentimental and some buttons are so beautiful that I don't want to use them. This makes no logical sense at all but it is what it is. This time I was able to enjoy and use buttons from my collection.
Buttons of all shapes and sizes, I love them so much fun to play with. I have so many but I still want more.
In 2006 The YarnHarlot (Stephanie Pearl-McPhee) came up with the Knitting Olympics. Stephanie is just a witty and funny person and a hoot to be around. I got to spend some time with her up at the Sock Summit last summer. I was her "volunteer helper" during her book signing. Sitting behind her and listening to her funny conversations was great. Check out her blog or some of her books and you will see her great sense of humor. The Knitting Olympics idea immediately caught on and knitters from all around the world started knitting. They formed teams, projects were picked very carefully and rules were written.
Eligibility: Any knitter who, embracing the "Citius, Alitius Fortius" ideal, would like to challenge themselves while embracing the Olympic spirit, and is just whacked enough to play along with me.
Concept: You must cast on a project during the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics (Feb 10)- and finish before the Olympic flame goes out (Feb 26). That's 16 days.
Rules: 1. The project must be a challenge for you to complete in 16 days. 2. There are no rules about what a challenge would be. Like the real Olympics, there are many areas to compete in. If you are a new knitter, then a garter stitch baby sweater might do...If you are experienced, well. I've already considered Torino. Use your own conscience. 3. While this is intended to be somewhat difficult (like the Olympics) it is not intended to ruin your life. Don't set yourself up for failure. (Olympic athletes may cry, but they do not whine pitifully, sob and threaten members of their family with pointed sticks because they haven't slept in five days. ) This is intended to (like the Olympics) require some measure of sacrifice, and be difficult, but it should be possible to attain. 4. No casting on before the flame is lit. 5. Finish before the flame goes out. 6. You may swatch before the games. (I consider this "training.")
Medals? The Knitting Olympics has only a gold medal. (There is only do- or do not.) Finishers get a gold medal button for their blog, their name entered into a draw for a chance at a prize from me, and the joy of knowing that they are an Olympic level knitter, no matter how experienced they are. You are only competing against yourself. (Well. And the Olympic schedule.)
During the Winter Olympics this year I took on the challenge. I did not join any teams just on my own started a sweater I call it "Winter Wonderland". I think it was the colors that grabbed me first and it just looked like a perfect project for Winter Olympics Knitting.
The yarn I'm using is "Malabrigo" worsted wool and the color is called "dejavu". I bought the yarn at one of my favorite yarn "dealers" a store in Manhattan Beach, California called Twist. Owned by Cathy Karen, her taste in yarn, fiber and colors is exquisite, her artistic sense is evident all over this small little gem of a store.
The pattern of course is improvised in the "template knitting" top down style. Start at the top and knit like hell until you decide that the raglan sleeve reaches that magic under arm spot. I'm using yarn overs for the increases with an anchor stitch in between.
This is the class I teach and this "template" can be sized up or down. If you want to knit a sweater for Barbie or Big Foot the same formula applies. Start at the top and try it on as you go, the next thing you'll know you have a sweater. And it's easy as that.
ps. As I was binding off the last stitches during the closing ceremonies and jumped up with glee announcing that I DID IT! My son is looking at me like I had finally lost it. I explained the gig to him and he declared himself the judge and immediately started giving me points.
10 points for speed, you finished it it record time. 10 points for color way, those are really nice colors. 5 points for landing, the ends are not weaved in.
It's taking me days to try and absorb all the information I learned during the 2 day seminar with Lily Chin. My oh my she has a lot of energy and a wealth of knowledge. I attended a very unique workshop at Newton's Yarn Country last weekend. It was two eight hour days chuck full of knitting information. Lily was teaching, hand knitting, crochet and machine knitting all at the same time! As far as I know I've never heard of any classes in all three at the same time.
It is so logical because many of us practice all three and personally I think of each skill as a tool to get the job done. I've heard remarks like if you machine knit you are cheating or chrocheters are not quite in the same league as hand knitters etc. All silly because I love it all and was grateful to receive instructions in each. I feel I really learned a lot and it's taking me days to think about how to apply all this to my projects.
I love combining felted (shrunk) knitting with regular knitting. The felted area gives the project more body because it's thicker. I've been designing these little project bags and have made several. The bottom is felted so it stands up and the top is knitted. The decoration "curly cues" are needle felted on the bottom, to add a bit of pizazz.
Because I name most of my projects I named this bag Arizona. It just has that South Western flavor to it. Made of wool and the bottom has a bit of detail about 3" of a Moebious then decreases to make the narrow part. When I want it to sit on it's bottom the point tucks in and it sits flat. Perfect for a little sock project on the go. Just the right size to hold a ball of yarn.
My xxx zig zag stitch is added for holding the needles and keeping the stitches safe. (I made a little video demonstrating how to do this stitch here.) The bag is attractive and practical, it turned out well.
I am a member of two knitting guilds in my area, the Sand & Sea the Slipt Stitchers and occasionally I attend a machine knitters group that meets in the San Fernando Valley. The guilds are organized and belonging to a knitting guild or a knitting group has been an enjoyable activity for me. I've learned a lot from other knitters and enjoyed getting together with them. The guilds also offer educational programs, right here locally and at lower cost than other knitting venues.
We have "show and tell" which is really terrific to be able to see all the wonderful projects the members have done. Being able to ask questions about how and what techniques were used perhaps even shown the particular technique has been wonderful.
I am the educational chair person for Sand & Sea Guild and we have two workshops a year, one in the spring and one in the fall. I booked Amy Singer to come and teach us from Knitty.com in April and Anna Zilboorg to teach in October. Very exciting to see them both and I look forward to all the wonderful things we will be learning from them.
If you live in the Los Angeles area and you think you may want to attend these workshops send me an eMail. I will put you on a special list, if we have any spaces left we will accept non guild members to sign up and take the workshop. You might want to become a member of the guild the cost is $25 dollars a year, well worth it. We meet on the second Saturday of the month from 11 am to 1:30 and a pot luck lunch is served.
Location: St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, 11555 National Blvd. Los Angeles 90064
Amy is going to teach "Plug-and-Play shawl design"
In this class, Amy will give you a simple plug-and-play manual that will let you turn sock yarn, or any other fingering-weight yarn, into something gorgeous to wrap around your shoulders. Triangles and rectangular wrap options are offered and the lace patterns are guaranteed easy-but-beautiful.
This class provides the basis for designing your own lace shawls and an afternoo's instruction, feedback and support as you wrok through your ideas.
Who is Amy? Born in New Jersey, Amy R Singer has spent most of her life in Canada and likes it there.
A professional editor and proofreader in the advertising industry since 1986, Amy used to think she was wasting away the Bachelor's degree in Radio & Television Arts she earned at Ryerson University. But in 2006, she quit her day job and is now wasting away her degree with a career in knitting, as a full-time writer, and editor of the online knitting magazine Knitty.
Thanks to the gentle patience of her grandma Lillian, Amy learned to knit when she was 6. She vaguely remembers creating large, shapeless blobs of garter stitch, but has managed to block out the details. Allergic to wool and insanely sensitive to most animal fibers, she has cultivated an intense appreciation for non-wool yarns. If you ask her what she's coveting now, she'll tell you that nothing turns her crank like a skein of hand-dyed silk from Handmaiden.
Just to get in the mood I'm watching one of my favorite Youtube videos. Mongolian Felt Making, I'm not sure why this fascinates me and why I can watch it many times but it amuses me each time. Maybe in a previous life I was a Mongolian felt maker.
Then there is this:
And here are some of my felted projects I finished in the past. All of them well used and enjoyed.
I love color and texture and most of all function. If I can custom make something that is cleverly useful I am satisfied with the project. I've been using this bag from the minute I bound off the stitches and put the last needle felted detail on the bottom.
This little bag is designed to hold yarn or some sock knitting project to make it portable and pretty. The bottom is crochet & felted in the washing machine. Then stitches are picked up and knit in the round. I finished it off with some needle felting. The iCord is long enough to be able to wear across the shoulders also can be tied shorter to hang on my wrist keeping the yarn handy as I'm knitting.
Love this little bag, I'm making more of these for sure. And yes I added my current favorite stitch the Elongated Zig Zag stitch. It seems to work itself into a lot of my projects. I made a little YouTube video demonstrating it here.
I'm almost finished with my "Goth Socks" see them peeking out? I'll post more about the socks next time.
Giving back to the community, I got a "Citizen Award" last night for my volunteer work. Presented by the Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa. They gave us dinner and said some kind words. And I got another pin to wear.
For the knitters out there wondering, I'm wearing my Moebius. I started this when I attended Cat Bordhi’s “Island Retreat” on the beautiful San Juan Island, Washington. We had a wonderful time visiting and learning from Cat. Of course the Moebious is one of Cat’s brilliant cast on techniques and is an easy knit. Once you make a Moebius you will not be able to make only one because it is a Magical Knit and is so much fun, you will knit several if you are anything like I am about knitting. Cat's book "Treasury of Magical Knitting".
I’m a continental Knitter and I like to knit more than purl, the knit stitch just goes faster. To get the ripple effect I simply turn around and knit one way then use a yo to get rid of the hole and knit the other way. Giving the impression that I knit 4 rows and purl 4 rows, in reality it’s all knit.
When I got home I did not quite know how to wear my Moebius or it was just missing something. My friend Leslie came to visit and she had one of these shoulder warmers on and it clicked. Yes this is what my blue Moebious needs to become. Luckily I had some extra yarn and it all came together. There is a pattern by Sivia Harding "Harmonia's Ring Cowl" Of course I did not follow the pattern exactly but "sort of", it works for me.
For those of you who want to see how cast on a Moebius, Cat made a youTube video:
(Don't tell anybody but I got lost going to the Long Beach Convention Center all 3 days. It's only about a 30 minute ride from Venice Beach.... next time maybe I'll know...)
The National NeedleArts Association
I was hoping to post and report during the weekend but this was a totally unrealistic. There was so much going on so many people to talk to, classes to take and no photos allowed. My reporting ambitions were slashed, if I could not take any pictures so here is a little video from the TNNA.org web site: (caution the volume is a bit on the loud side at least it was on my computer)
I am a TNNA member as a "Teacher".
I love teaching and combining knitting & teaching is as good as it gets for me these days. At a later time I will post more about the places I'm teaching. Right now I am so busy writing a knitting book and preparing lesson plans, making arrangements to travel and oh yes my day job.
This is an article I wrote for Craft Cruises as part of my bio. I thought I would share it with you, it tells my story "How I became a teacher":
I was born in Budapest, Hungary and came to the U.S. to Los Angeles as a teen. We had $30 to start our new life, so I needed to be as self sufficient as possible. If there was a job I could do and I had the time to do it, I was there. I had jobs before school, I had after school jobs and weekend jobs. On my way to high school, I noticed that there was a new business going in on the corner of Chrenshaw Blvd. and West Santa Barbara (now MLK Blvd.) It was a beauty college. This perked my interest as my mother had worked in a beauty shop and my uncle had owned a large salon before the war in Budapest. Hair dressing was in my family. I remember when we were in the refugee camps waiting to come to the U.S. after we escaped Hungary, the hairdressers were able to barter for their services. Camp or no camp, people still wanted their hair done.
I wondered how much would it cost to attend? Was I old enough? I decided to walk in and ask if I could work there after school. They asked what I could do? I was learning how to type and work the mimeograph machine in school, and felt confident that I could do whatever typing they needed. They loved the idea of being able to get this difficult and expensive task done by this eager kid. Back then they did not have Kinko’s and duplicating papers was much more difficult than today. The tuition and the 50 dollar equipment make up case was traded for my services. By the time I graduated high school I had my cosmetologist license and was offered a good job in the Pacific Palisades.
One day we got a request for a hairdresser to make a house call. I was the youngest and least busy, so they sent me. My directions were to go down Sunset Blvd. and turn right on Rockingham Road to Judy Garland’s house! I knew she was a movie star, but I did not realize what a big star she was at the time. But when I walked in and saw this beautiful grand piano, full of beautifully framed photographs, all signed affectionately to Judy, I realized she was a big star. Jack Kennedy was even among other famous faces I recognized! As a cosmetologist I was able to travel all over the world and was lucky enough to meet people I would not have been able to meet only in my dreams or the movies. Then I got married on a television show location “I Spy” in Athens Greece, my life was glamorous. (Oh the 60’s..... we had fun)
By the time the 80’s rolled around, I settled down and became a mother. I thrust myself into this role with pleasure and gusto. When my son started school, I was having separation anxieties, he had no trouble getting used to school. Except for the first couple of days when he cried as I shoved him in to the room with 25 other little scared faces. I volunteered for anything that the school would let me do. If I could be on campus to keep an eye on my little darling, I would do it.
Computers were new at the time but because I liked to type and liked gadgets, I had a computer a brand new Macintosh. (A 128k for those of you who are the “geeky” type) I loved my computer and was more than willing to type up and duplicate papers for my son’s teacher. She was thrilled to have this tedious job done by a parent. Then I joined the PTA and with other parents we were able to create a computer lab for the school. The plan was that each class was scheduled to come to the computer lab once a week for computer related studies. When my son’s class was scheduled to go to the lab, his teacher told me that she had no idea how computers worked thus if I wanted my son to be able to go to the lab, I would have to teach the class. Could I teach 25 kindergarten students how to type and operate Apple II C computers? How hard could this be? I figured if I stayed one step ahead of the students, I could teach this and I did.
By the time my son graduated from the 6th grade, I had run the computer lab and designed the curriculum for all grades Kindergarten through 6th grade. I now had 7 years of teaching experience. A couple of years later I was hired by the Santa Monica School district to teach at Grant Elementary School. They called me a “consultant” rather than a teacher because I did not have formal credentials. I ended up teaching 500 students a week, each class would come to the computer lab once a week for computer lab activities. In these 10 years I learned teaching skills on the job and real time experience.
For various reasons the organizer of the Knit with Color Cruise, Joanne Conklin has postponed the cruise. We are now working with Melissa at CraftCruises.com and it looks like Joanne has now picked the right travel consultants. Melissa is very knowledgeable and has extensive experience in putting Knitting Cruises together.
The dates have not been confirmed as of yet but we will be cruising and Knitting with Color and I will be teaching. Stay tuned.......
If you want details just eMail Melissa she will promptly answer any questions you may have.
I will be attending TNNA this weekend and wanted to spread the word about the upcoming cruise Melissa mailed me post cards in two days it was in the mail. Beautiful large colorful post cards! This is impressive it was over the New Years Eve weekend. She is right on top of things. We are now in good hands, as you may know such an event takes a tremendous amount of organizing. But one thing I know we will have a lot of fun, knitting and cruising!
Here is a screen shot of the back of the post card: Minor detail there is a typo my name is spelled with two n's.
An Andy Rooney quote comes to mind: "Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes."
This year has flown by and over all it was a good year for my family & dogs. We were all healthy and that is the most important part, the rest ..... anything can be done or enjoyed as long as I'm healthy. The goal or "resolution" for 2010 is to stay healthy.
I may even start exercising! (ha ha ha ha ha) Well it could happen.
I am holding my annual "knit or frog" party tomorrow while I watch the Rose Parade. I love the Rose Parade and my favorite is:
KTLA 5's live, high-definition and commercial-free broadcast of the 121st Tournament of Roses Parade begins at 8 a.m. with expert and lively commentary from Bob Eubanks and Stephanie Edwards.
And on the needles: I'm knitting socks at the moment, preparing for a class I'm teaching "Socks the Easy Way".
Basically a toe up sock with short row toe and heel. I like to knit socks on one 9" circular needle and this "recipe" allows me to knit the whole entire sock that way. Starts with a crochet provisional cast on. Lucy Neatby demonstrates this brilliant cast on here.
Then the toe and the heel is done with the same double wrapped short rows.
This is one of the easiest recipes I know for knitting socks. Easy Breezy ideal for the beginner sock knitter and fun for the more advanced.
A few years back my husband gave me a flashlight as a surprise gift and it was so bright it almost reached the moon on a dark night. Ok maybe not the moon but it was really, really bright. I loved my flash light, I used it all the time and showed it to friends and relatives. They all looked at my flash light with amazement! Wow that is really a bright flash light! They would remark, I even took it to my monthly police department meetings to compare it to the cop’s bright flashlight they carry. Oh you should have seen us like little kids comparing our flashlights to see who had the brightest.
One day my son came to me asking to borrow my flashlight, I hesitated. He saw that he needed to up the ante so he started to tell me that he was going fishing and early in the morning when it was still dark sometimes there were Bobcats around and if he had a bright flash light such as the one I had, it could save his life. He would flash the light in the Bobcat’s eyes this would blind it then he could run away. Well in that case here let me get a fresh battery for it and take it, DO NOT FORGET TO TAKE MY FLASHLIGHT!
He was happy, I said good bye to my favorite flashlight. I missed my flashlight so much and it was almost Mother’s day, my son came to me asking me what I wanted as a mother’s day present. I immediately said a new flashlight. He was so happy to buy me something I really wanted. I got a new flashlight, it was a different color but still very bright and my flashlight and I lived happily ever after. ….. Not so fast…. Soon after Mother’s day my son comes to me with sad news he has “misplaced” the original flashlight and now he was in danger again remember those Bobcats? Oh yes honey here take this new flashlight, but I want it back!
As you probably have guessed that flashlight got misplaced and then my birthday was coming up and I got a new flashlight. I don’t know how many times we have repeated this dance, once I misplaced the flashlight myself then my husband borrowed my flashlight so to make a long story short here is my brand new flashlight I got for Christmas. The only difference is this flashlight is MINE! Do not ask to borrow it because it will only work in my hands!
I am knitting Moebii, that may not be the proper name for plural of Moebius but that is what I'm calling it, because it's like potato chips I can't just make one. It's such a fun knit and like Cat Bordhi says it is truly Magical. Cat has written a couple of books on the Moebius and if you have ever met Cat she is ... well to quote Stephanie Pearl-McPhee the "Yarnharlot" :
...I've met a whole bunch of people that have met or spoken to Cat Bordhi, and not one of them was lead to believe that the woman was a danger to herself or others, and no one has suggested that she is the adult child of an alien experiment, no one used the phrase "one skein short of a sweater" and nobody even vaguely suggested that we should form a petition to take her pointy sticks from her.
That's why, having started Cat's thrummed mobius Wednesday night, I am surprised to discover that Cat is absolutely out of her ever-loving mind. Brilliant, clever, genius likely....but make no mistake. That woman does not think like an ordinary person. I think she melted a small part of my brain with her pattern......
Yes knitting a Mobius is catchy, now I'm coming up with all kinds of new ways to knit this clever and fun project. I'm teaching a class tonight and will be teaching it on the Knit with Color Cruise next October. Here is the class description:
Introduction to the Magical World of Moebius knitting. Once you create one you will want to do it again and again. You’ll be able to step outside the box and let your imagination soar. In this class Ana teaches how to cast on a Moebius project without the tedious chores of knitting a gauge or counting stitches. Ana will teach her simple but clever way to cast on and also take the mystery out of how big will my finished circle be?
Yes NO GAUGE SWATCH or NO COUNTING STITCHES! What a relief to cast on and just be able to knit for the pleasure of knitting while creating something that is truly your own original design. “Stitch Bingo” is what Ana calls it. It It is a fun way to make up your own stitches and patterns. No more following instructions or charts line by line. You will be able to let yourself enjoy the process and enter the magical "knitting zone”, or being in the "flow" a form of meditation.
Flow is the mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity. Proposed by Mihály CsÃkszentmihályi, the positive psychology concept has been widely referenced across a variety of fields.[1] According to CsÃkszentmihályi, flow is completely focused motivation. It is a single-minded immersion and represents perhaps the ultimate in harnessing the emotions in the service of performing and learning. In flow the emotions are not just contained and channeled, but positive, energized, and aligned with the task at hand. To be caught in the ennui of depression or the agitation of anxiety is to be barred from flow. It is the same mindfulness as ecstatic lovemaking, the merging of two into a fluidly harmonious one. The hallmark of flow is a feeling of spontaneous joy, even rapture, while performing a task.[2]
Trying to do a favor for my DH so he would not be bored on Sunday because I was busy teaching a knitting class. I usually do not schedule things for Sundays but it could not be helped or at least I was not willing to change this exciting new class I'm teaching.
I made up a nice short list of things he could fix for me around the house. He loves to tinker and he loves to fix things and he is very handy. I decided that I needed and extra automatic light for the path to the garage. No problem he said and took off for our local Home Depot for parts.
I came home and I did not see a new light but my bicycle was missing. Honey what happened to the new light and where is my bicycle?
Very proudly he points to the ceiling and there is my bicycle hanging way up towards the ceiling of the garage. He built a very complex hoist to get my bicycle out of the way. Oh the light? Are you sure you need a new light?
if I'm comfortable so be it.
The buttons I chose are from a collection of buttons with rhinestones in the middle. They are approximately the same size but each is different color and detail. Picking out the buttons is always kind of a weird exercise for me.
This time I was able to enjoy and use buttons from my collection.
