Last Post for the Year

I can't believe 2006 is over already! It has been a trying year for me in so many ways, but there were a lot of good times too.

And looking back on my resolutions for 2006, this one stuck out...

"2) To design more of my own knits"

I can certainly say that I was not without a secret project or two this year! :) I hope the trend continues, but I also wouldn't mind some free time to knit some things for me this time around!

And finally, we end with a meme - I was tagged by Lis before Christmas, but am just getting around to it.

Five Weird Things About Me (though I don't consider them weird at all - it's just how I am!)

1) I'm not only a sweater designer, but a mechanic too! Don't believe me, here take a look:







This is my 1972 Dodge Dart that I started to refurbish a few years ago. Now it's just sitting in DB's yard crying out for attention. I don't really have too much time for it nowadays. It makes me sad to see it unfinished!

2) Sometimes I think I have slight psychic powers.

3) I eat the same thing for lunch every weekday - a turkey burger with goldfish crackers. This boggles the minds of my co-workers, but it makes my life and shopping list easier!

4) I'm either extremely productive or extremely lazy. There is no middle ground.

5) I picked a fiance who is intrigued with little hampsters that sing "Everyone was Kung Fu Fighting". Ok, that's a cop out, but really, I don't think I'm that interesting or weird!

Happy New Year!

Life Can Be Crazy Sometimes

It seems like with all has been happening lately, it feels like forever since my last post! I don't like to mention personal things here too much, but there have been some major health issues with my fiance's Mom and my Grandfather and Grandmother both fell in the same week. Luckily Grandpa was ok (just a few stitches on the noggin), but Grandma didn't fare as well and had to have a pin put in her hip last week. She is in good spirits, but she'll be in therapy for 6-8 weeks. Just way too much to deal with so close to the holidays!

Then I have my year end rush to get my two maternity knit projects out on time. The first is due January 2nd, the other on January 9th. I would love to get them both off before I leave for Jersey on Friday, but I'm not sure that is going to happen.

And to make up for my spotty posting lately, here's some luscious yarn pics:

I apologize for the slightly blurry pictures, it's the crappy work camera!


Lanas Puras worsted in Margarita - for my next design for One Planet


Lanas Puras fingering in Camoflauge (go to the site for a MUCH better picture - the color is gorgeous!)


Some 2 ply cashmere Lis handdyed

And last but not least:

Some more roving to practice my hand spinning

Happy Holidays everyone!

Sapphire Wrap Revealed

And we have another secret revealed!



Sapphire Wrap
by Melissa Wehrle

Difficulty
Intermediate/Advanced

Size
XS (S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X)

Finished Measurments
Chest: 29.5 (33, 37, 41, 44.5, 52, 56)”
Length: 22 (22.5, 23, 23.5, 24, 25, 26)"

Materials
- Black Pearl Yarns (100% Pure Cashmere, 2 oz, 200 yds), 4 (4, 5, 5, 6, 7, 8) skeins Zen Blue
- 1 pair US size 5 (3.75mm) straight
needles or size needed to obtain gauge
- 1 US size 5 (3.75mm) x 20" or longer
circular needle
- Tapestry needle
- 2 stitch holders
- 2 or 3 yds 1 3/8" wide ribbon (Double sided silk used for sample pictured)

Gauge
21 sts and 31 rows = 4"/10cm in Arrowhead Lace Pattern

Pattern is available for download on the sidebar or at One Planet Yarn and Fiber .

P.S. And that same little birdie says if you need the yarn now, there just might be a discount involved with pattern purchase!

I'm on Kpixie!

I'm sooooooo excited! Kpixie is carrying Black Pearl Cashmere and has decided to pick up the pattern line too! So Georgia is up right now along with 3 other patterns from our other talented designers!

I know it stinks that I can't show you some of my finished sweaters right now, not even in little pieces.....but.....I can show you some goodies I have laying around right now.

First we have some luscious Black Pearl cashmere in Espresso that is waiting for the needles.



And look! Handspun!

You Have to See This!

If you don't happen to know of Lolly's blog, and haven't seen this, you really need to go take a look! NPR's ornaments are hilarious!

I finished the KSH maternity sweater! Yay! One down, five to go! Back to work...

P.S. Thanks to everyone who left nice comments about Georgia! You guys are so supportive and I really appreciate it!

Cashmere Reveal

I'm pleased to announce that my first pattern for Black Pearl Yarns is now ready for purchase! You may purchase the instant download pattern on my sidebar or go to One Planet Yarn and Fiber, where they are offering the pattern as both an instant download or hard copy. To buy their beautiful cashmere yarn for this pattern, go here!

Georgia by Melissa Wehrle




Difficulty:
Intermediate

Size:
XS (S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X)

Finished measurements:
Chest: 30 (33, 37, 40, 44, 49, 54)"
Length: 22.5 (23, 23.5, 24, 25, 25.5, 26.5)"

Materials:
- Black Pearl Yarns (100% Pure Cashmere, 2 oz, 200 yds), 3 (4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 7) skeins Ginger Peach
- 1 pair US size 5 (3.75mm)
straight needles or size
needed to obtain gauge
- 1 US size 5 (3.75mm) x 20"
circular needle
- 2 stitch holders
- Tapestry needle
- 2 (2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3) yds 5/8" wide
ribbon

Gauge
24 sts and 30 rows = 4"/10cm in
Stockinette St
24 sts and 32 rows = 4"/10cm in
Eyelet Pattern

P.S. Do you really need and want that yarn now? If you email info@oneplanetyarnandfiber.com, a little birdie told me there just might be a discount code available with pattern purchase.

Relaxing Holiday

Ahhhh, there is nothing like a relaxing holiday to rejuvenate and rest up! Turkey day was good and on Friday night we headed back to the city. Usually, I would spend my time in Jersey, but there were a few things we wanted to do in NYC this time around.

On Saturday we went to the New York Botanical Gardens to see the Holiday Train Show.


(Brooklyn Bridge, St. Patricks Cathedral, Olana, detail shot on Vanderbuilt(?) mansion, one train of many, and DB giving the "yay, fun" thumbs up)

The lines were really long and the adults were a bit pushy (hence the "mission accomplished" shot by DB), but a good time was had by all. I was just in awe over the historic buildings of New York worked up in bark, branches, leaves and flowers.

My favs were the Brooklyn Bridge and Olana. They are both great representations of the original.


Olana Fall 2005


Olana miniature

I've also gotten tons of knitting done on the KSH maternity sweater. The front should be done today. I am so happy this has been going a bit faster than expected. I need to get going on the second one soon!

Today I got to catch up on some of my blog reading (only 895 posts to go!) and DB is watching the Jets game. I'm not a football fan, but man, the Jets really have helped my knitting big time! In fact, my IKEA chair and KSH are calling! Happy knitting!

Quick Note

Just a quick note to say that the One Planet Yarn and Fiber webstore is officially open! I hope to be able to reveal some more secrets soon too!

Also, if you sign up for the mailing list this week, you will receive a discount code good for several brands of yarn and other products, and it's good until Dec 31st!

Happy Knitting! It's back to the KSH for me!

Knit, Knit, Knit

Knit 6 rows on the subway, 2 rows while lunch is cooking, 5 rows while waiting for email to load - this is my life now! Knit a row here, knit a row there. It has seriously paid off too! I have knit 16" in KSH on size 4's in 4 days! I am on a roll and there is no stopping me now. Now if I could only figure out how to sleep and knit - I would be set. There hasn't been much sleeping going around these parts lately.

Luckily a few of my projects have been pushed back, so that gives me a bit more breathing room and less stress for the moment. However, I have picked up another job that I am very very excited about. I am the new Creative Director at One Planet Yarn and Fiber (website coming soon!) - the parent company of Black Pearl Yarns and Yarn Botanika. This is in addition to my full time job + the handknit design, but I'm always up for a challenge! Lis and Jodi are so great to work with and I am so thrilled that they have given me this opportunity to work with their company.

And here is a little treat for you guys - I can't have a pictureless post! Here is a small peek at the Zen Blue sweater. It was finished up last weekend and I ended up with 3 yards of yarn left over! Ha! Blue sweater, you could not defeat me!



And last but not least - a little yarn porn.


Andrea from making things was kind enough to send me a color card and a sample of yarn from her company Fable Handknits. It is 100% baby alpaca and is so beautiful and soft. When things slow up a bit in the new year, you just might see a pattern for this beautiful yarn soon! And just to be an enabler - you can get it here.

Thanks so much to everyone who left a comment about my Tatami sweater in the last post! So glad you guys like it!

Secret Revealed!

I know you all have been anxiously waiting for some of my secrets to be revealed. Well today, you are in luck!

"Tatami" by Moi for Sundara Yarn



To buy this pattern and for more info, go here.

Weekend Fun

The curse of the 3rd sweater seems to finally be broken! I had to rip out a few more times before I almost lost my patience - then it worked. It was fine. The stitch count was fine. The pattern was fine. What a relief!

So I spent Friday night and Saturday morning working furiously trying to catch up on lost time. I did pretty well for myself and managed to finish the first front last night and should be able to finish up the second half tonight. Then it's off to sleeve land. It might be a race to the finish with the yarn though - see, the sweater might still have one more trick up its sleeve! Luckily, it's not a problem to get more, so hopefully the sweater will just leave me alone!

On Saturday I also visited the Edgar Allan Poe house in Philadelphia. Poe didn't live at this location for too long (1843-1844), but he did write a few of his better known short stories here. Poe has always fascinated me and I learned so many new things about him on our little trip. I hope to visit his cottage in the Bronx someday soon also. The Bronx site is actually furnished and has been restored to it's original appearance. The Philadelphia house looks nice from the outside, but unfortunately, the inside was nothing more than bare plaster and painted over hardwood floors. But the spirit and feeling of the house made up for the appearance of the rooms.



Well, I've wasted enough time on the internet for now. My knitting is never going to get done at this rate! By the way, did anyone out there listen to episode 39 of Cast-On? There is a lovely poem titled, "The Romney" which is a take on "The Raven" by Poe. I just listened to it last night and had a very good laugh!

More Yummy Yarn

Today I received more yummy yarn for my other maternity sweater project for Lark Books. (You guys are so smart! How did you ever guess!)


This would be Sundara Yarn Worsted Weight Merino in a beautiful chocolate brown color she dyed up special for the project. The editor wanted a dark mahogany or chocolately brown color and added one more week to my deadline to accommodate the search for new yarn. Man am I glad to have a hand dyer on my side! Sundara, as always, did a wonderful job.

And in Blue cashmere sweater news: I started one front, then at a major graphing decreasing point, I realized I left my graph paper and sketchbook at work! Luckily I had some stitch holders with me and had just finished a ball of yarn, so I just started the other front, ahem, 3 times. That's better than the first front though, I restarted that at least 5 times. And would you believe I made the exact same mistake in the exact same place in the pattern on both front pieces?

I think that we have a new curse on our hands.

I call it the "Every 3rd Sweater Curse." Every 3rd sweater I design tries it's best to torture me. It doesn't even matter if it's difficult lace or just plain old stockinette - it makes no difference. I've made it out alive and have lived to design again for the others, so hopefully this one will not be any different!

Moving Along

Disaster has been averted, yarn has been received, yarn has been sent and knitting has been done. Whew!


I didn't let the blue sweater get me down. In fact, I bound off stitches for the armholes last night. I don't think this is going to be another 2 week sweater, but I think I can live with that. I'm just happy try number 2 worked out and the gauge behaved this time.


My Rowan KSH arrived yesterday! There is nothing better than free yarn! Unfortunately, I will not be able to wear the sweater I am making until I am in a more delicate condition. (hint, hint)

And my Sundara Worsted Merino is on it's way over as we speak. I can't wait to see what Sundara came up with! Again, unfortunately the sweater will not be for me, but possibly will be ok at a later time.

When Gauge Swatches LIE!

Had a bit of a stressful day at work and my fiance didn't end up driving up to NYC tonight as I had hoped. So I decided to wind down, go downtown and meet the Spiders. I had a lovely time and got to meet quite a few faces behind some of the NYC blogs on my list. (Sorry if I missed anyone - there were so many of you!)

And now....Why Gauge Swatches Lie:

When I got home, I sat down to knit some more - I was so close to starting the armhole. When I finally reached the correct number of rows, I laid it out for a measuring session. Hmm, 18 inches long - that can't be right!


18 inches long
"Ok, calm down and breathe. Where is my sketch book?"

Hmm, should measure 14 1/2 inches. Find the gauge swatch, recheck gauge. Then I check the gauge on the sweater, here are my findings:

Swatch originally: 5.75 sts x 9.5 rows per inch

Swatch now: 5.75 sts x 8 rows per inch

Sweater: 5.5 sts x 7.75 sts per inch

ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH! I hate it when gauge swatches lie, cheat and steal! The sad thing is, I am so careful. I knit a BIG swatch - at least 6 x 6. I let it settle after I steam it. I wait til the next day to check the gauge and then recheck it again and again. Why, gauge swatch, why?!!!!


So here I am again, back at square one. Luckily I am patient and I realize this is just part of the process sometimes. (Luckily not all the time!) Stuff happens and I'm not going to let it get me down! In fact, on Monday I'll probably be right back in the same place - only it will be the correct place this time! So take that gauge swatch!

And before I go, here is my progress on my lonely Embossed Leaves sock for Socktoberfest. Don't worry little guy, you'll be finished one day!



P.S. Thanks for all the nice B-day wishes everyone!

Please Make Time Stand Still!

I wish time could just stand still, just for a week or two. Is that too much to ask? To have 2 weeks of uninterrupted, glorious knitting time - what I wouldn't give for that! I am also turning 27 today and it feels a bit strange. I wouldn't mind time standing still for a bit longer than 2 weeks either!

On Monday, I was contacted by Lark Books about a submission I sent a few weeks ago. The informed me that they would like to use 2 of my 3 submissions for the book - which was very exciting! Then I came off my high and realized that I need to knit 2 quite substantial sweaters by the first week of January. Not only that, but I was in charge of getting the yarn myself - which meant trying to contact the manufacturers to get it donated or having to buy it myself (which would have really ate into my small payment). Luckily I never erase an email and went back to an email from Rowan from 3 years ago and got the USA contact info. They wrote back right away and I have free Rowan Cracksilk Haze on the way at this very moment. Oh yeah, did I mention that not only is one project quite substantial, but that it is also in Kidsilk - on size 4 needles???

Now you must be thinking to yourself, "Ah, what is she worried about - she has 2 months and she just knit a sweater in 2 weeks!" But this is what you might not realize is going on behind the scenes - I have 3 projects for Black Pearl Yarns to finish, a new Spring pattern for Sundara Yarns, and my SnB project to do! I'm pretty much booked until 2007! Everyone is getting IOU's at Christmas this year!

And not to leave you with a completely pictureless post, here is my progress on sweater number 2 for Black Pearl:



I also have progress to report on my Soctoberfest sock, but I keep forgetting to take a picture. I don't know if I'll be able to finish even one sock before the end of the month, but as Lolly says, there's no deadline - it's for the fun of it! Well, even if I can't finish, it was nice to be able to participate this month!

Blue Means Go

I never thought a blue light would make me so happy:



I haven't seen this beautiful blue light for 3 weeks! Luckily I was correct in my diagnosis - a new power supply unit works wonders! A new Apple is still on the wishlist, but I need to save a few more ducats before that can become a reality.

But I know you guys are more interested in how I made out in Rhinebeck, right?

I had a great time! I drove up with Dana and met up with Carolyn, Gwen, Colette, Mia, Sam, and Maritza. We managed to cover most of the vendors and amazingly didn't get pushed around too much. We watched the dog trials and ran into a few other bloggers. I have Dana to thank for that, she has eagle eyes. My excuse is that I was suffering from sensory overload!

And can you believe I almost walked away without buying one single thing! Everything was really nice, but I had a hard time committing to anything. Then just as I was saying my good-byes, I happened to spot a really pretty colored yarn out of the corner of my eye. Then I noticed the booth belonged to Briar Rose Fibers - one of the sponsors for the podcast Cast-On. It was all over from there, I went inside and found this beautiful lace weight alpaca.


This 2500 yards of pretty alpaca goodness will someday become a shawl.
I'll have some more pictures to post later. I brought my camera, but was too lazy to drag the 10 ton thing out for photo ops. (Bad lazy blogger!) Again, I have Dana to thank, she'll be emailing the pictures she took once she gets back on Tuesday.

I heart M & J

Went over to M&J Trims at lunch today to pick up some finishing touches for the cashmere sweater:



It's hand dyed silk! So pretty!

Girl, You'll Be a Sweater Soon

Sorry, no progress photos to report. It would be too easy to guess the style of the sweater for Black Pearl Yarns. But I am very happy to mention that it will hopefully be available very soon! I have been flying through this project with lightning speed. The front was finished Tuesday night and sleeve one was finished last night. I would have had both sleeves finished, but I didn't like the way the cap of the first was fitting so it went the way of the frog pond. Sometimes set in sleeves work the first time, sometimes they don't.

My goal is to have the sweater completely blocked and sewn up by Sunday night. That would make the sweater a two week knit and would beat my previous record of the Olympic Sweater! Then it's off to word processing land to get that puppy all typed up and ready to go to the tech editor.

However, Rhinebeck just might cut into some of that precious seaming time. Oh what a tough life I lead! This is the first time I will be going and I am so excited. I hope to see some of you there for fun times and wooly goodness!

Also, I just joined the Independent Knitwear Designers webring. Be sure to check out some of the other talented indie designers the web has to offer!

Speed Knitter

I've been working on the secret cashmere project for Black Pearl Yarns for 1 week and 1 day and look what I've completed!


I have a finished back and 1/2 of a front!
I don't know how I went from knitting a complete sweater in 6 months to knitting one in about 2-3 weeks, but I'm not complaining one bit. I think it's a combination of adoring the way the cashmere feels running through my fingers and wanting to start my next project. This arrived for me yesterday:


Black Pearl Cashmere in Zen Blue
Is this not the most gorgeous blue color you've ever seen? I am such a lucky girl!

The Difference

If any one ever doubted the difference between being a designer in the industry and a handknit designer - here's some numbers that quite startled me today:

I have worked at KBL for 1 year and 4 months - how many sweaters have I designed or been "inspired by" in that time - get ready - 1,553 sweaters!! That's 97 sweaters a month. That's crazy and I'm still in shock.

How many sweaters have I knit in that same time period? Eight.

*********************

My Embossed Leaves socks are coming along well. I've hit the heel, but am stalled for the moment because of the secret cashmere project. Deadlines always come first, but I'm flying along and hope to at least finish one sock for Socktoberfest.

Sorry for the pictureless post, but my computer at home has been out of commission for the past week. The power supply unit decided to not work anymore and I finally found a replacement on ebay yesterday. Just a word of warning - never buy a Sony Vaio! I've had it for 6 years, but I've had to replace parts constantly starting from year 2 on. My next computer will be a Mac!

Great Day - 4 Down 1 to Go

Today was a great day.

At lunch, I walk into the room and see this:





3 out of the 5 were knitting! 3 out of the 5 that I taught were knitting! I was happy and somehow shocked all at the same time.

I've been slowly teaching my fellow designers how to knit over the past several months, but some have bit a bit slower in keeping the knitting spirit alive. So I was very surprised to come in to eat my lunch and 3 of them were knitting! Then Marcia was interested in learning, so I grabbed an extra pair of needles out of my bag and taught her a few things. The great thing about teaching sweater designers how to knit is that they already understand the terminology. It makes teaching that much easier! They all get a gold star from teacher today and are progressing well.



So I have achieved my goal of having all the designers learn to knit.....almost. David is still holding out on us. He has knit before, but claims he knits too tight and can't change. We'll see about that. I bet by the end of the winter, he won't be able to help himself - or he'll just stop eating lunch with us!

When lunch was over, we asked our boss if he wanted to join us sometime. He didn't seem too interested, but he was interested in what I had in the box:



This would be my cashmere from Black Pearl Yarns in Ginger Peach for my next secret project. I had him take a look and he then remarked that he just wanted to roll around in it. He followed that statement with, "Is that a weird thing to say?" Which we replied, "No, that's pretty much the standard thing to say once you feel cashmere." So there you have it, knitters and non-knitters all agree when it comes to cashmere yarn.

And to top this great day off, it is opening night for the Philadelphia Flyers! Yay! Hockey season is officially back in swing.

Sock History

In the spirit of socktoberfest, I'd like to share a little bit about my history of sock knitting - although it's a been short one!

My first pair of socks were completed about a year ago with the help of my secret pal. I dropped the hint that I wanted to learn and she sent me some great sock yarn and a simple sock pattern from Knitting Pure and Simple. They weren't anything too fancy - basic crew with a heel flap and simple toe knit on DPNs. They fit pretty well, little loose at the top though. I probably should have gone down one needle size.


First Socks

My second socks were intended to be a Christmas gift, but I decided I liked them for myself and didn't know if I would make the deadline. They were the Log Cabin Socks from Handknit Holidays. I wore them all winter long in my very chilly apartment. The Rowan Calmer held up just fine - and so did the rib trim this time!


Log Cabin Socks

For my third pair, I decided to be a little more adverturous and learn how to do a short-row heel and toe. I used Opal self striping yarn, which kept my plain stockinette sock from becoming too boring. In fact, they were far from boring. I was so addicted, I ended up knitting 3 socks. So much for second sock syndrome!


Chameleon socks

My fourth pair were Pomatomus made with Koigu. I had been a Koigu virgin and I have no idea why it took me so long to knit with this wonderful yarn! The colors were beautiful and worked so well with the fish scale like pattern. I've yet to wear this pair yet, since I finished in the summer, but I'm sure the Koigu will hold up just fine.



And now, my current Socktoberfest socks:


Embossed Leaves from Interweave Knits Winter 2005


Slow start

I've been dying to make these socks and only bought this issue because of them. I was also waiting for the right yarn to come along. I think the Mulberry Tree color and the shine of this yarn works perfectly with this pattern. I'm loving the color effect too. It's not stripy like other yarns, it give more of a mottled, almost impressionist kind of effect. It's so pretty!

Even though I've knit a few pairs now, I tend to stick to the same old technique and my trusty DPNs (my favorites are Brittany's 5" long Birch needles). There's so much I need to learn - different heel and toe finishes, knitting with the magic loop method, and of course the holy of all holies - knitting two at the same time!

I love knitting socks for two reasons: portability and they make great small in-between projects. It's easy to just throw a sock in your bag and knit a few rows here and there. And with all the secret projects I've been working on lately, they are a welcome something small to knit when I have a few minutes to myself between projects.

Hope you enjoyed my little "history" and hope everyone has an enjoyable Socktoberfest!

Socktoberfest!

Since I actually had some free time tonight and I don't have any deadlines at the moment (at least til the cashmere arrives), I decided to sign up for Lolly's Socktoberfest.

I've had some absolutely gorgeous yarn staring at me everyday when I sit down at my computer and I want to use it NOW! So I figure joining Socktoberfest will give me that much needed push to get something knit for myself this month.



Unfortunately, with the arrival of fall comes bad picture taking light. The color of this yarn is to dye for in person. Sorry for the corny pun! It's Superwash Merino & Tencel from Yarn Botanika. It was a little present for signing on to design with Black Pearl Yarns. Here's a little better look at the color: Mulberry Tree.

There are plenty of deadlines on the horizon though. Tonight is almost a calm before the storm. I have a few secret cashmere things coming up and drumroll please.......

After much anticipation and waiting, last Friday I was notified that one of my designs was accepted to be in Debbie Stoller's next Stitch N Bitch book! Yay! I'm so excited! There was much jumping up and down right before I caught my train back to Jersey that night. It was a surprising end to a crazy, but fun week.

Now off to wind up that beautiful sock yarn! Can't lose any more time!

On a Roll

I'm on a roll with the book signings this week!

Last night I ventured up to Borders again to see Mel Clark and Tracey Ullman talk about their new knitting book Knit 2 Together. The audience was a bit sparse and only a few people had their knitting out, which was odd. I'm used to Yarn Harlot or SnB events I guess. The other odd thing was that the audience seemed to be filled with slightly creepy older men who were just there to see Tracey Ullman. They bought the book to have her sign and everything!

I felt really bad for Mel though. Most of the audience didn't pay her any mind and were a bit rude to her once they went up to get their books signed. The guy in front on me just wanted to talk to Tracey about how his friend is on the PTA with her and blah, blah, blah. Mel was obviously a bit perturbed, not to mention he's holding up the line. So she asked him if he knit. He kept talking to Tracey then answered, "Yes." Blah, blah, blah. Then she asks him, "When did you learn?" Blah, blah, blah, "When I was four." So Rude!!! So if anyone decided to go see them in Union Square B&N tonight at 7pm, make sure you give Mel some love!

Luckily, because of the rude blah blah guy, I was able to chat with Mel a little bit about designing and such. Apparently she had her own line, freelanced for LL Bean, and when she got burnt out from that, decided to open her own yarn store. She was an inspiration to me and I just wish I could have talked to her longer. I think it's time to get that SBA loan application in the works.......

Confession

I feel like I've done a bad thing. I cheated on my SnB group last night.

It all started out innocently enough. I saw that Tracy Ullman is coming to Borders on Thursday night to talk about her new book Knit 2 Together. So I clicked on the link to get some more info and I see that Al Franken is speaking. Al Franken! I love him and his books, so I chose Al Franken over my knitting group. I'm sure they'll forgive me after a proper lashing. :)

It was pretty cool to meet him in person and talk a little about the dire condition in Washington nowadays. Most Americans are so angry, frustrated and distraught and don't know what to do about it and how to make things better. So he offered a solution: send money to the candidates, get involved - volunteer, and most importantly: VOTE! Get out there on Nov. 7th and let them know we aren't going to take it anymore!

If you need some good reading material (that's written in a more serious tone than Franken's books) to get you even more fired up (whether you are a liberal or conservative) I suggest picking up a copy of John Dean's book Conservatives without Conscience. And if you are a conservative - before you say, "hey that title sounds like you're putting us down", just trust me on this one. Dean has been a life long conservative and has been involved in the government for many years dating back to the Nixon administration. He makes some very good points and is very concerned where the "authoritarian conservatives" have taken our country.

Ok, I'm stepping off my soap box now.

I have been knitting, but unfortunately I can't show what's going on. It really puts a damper on this whole knitting blog thing!

Knit Out + Yarn Harlot = Fun!

So I headed down to the Knit Out with Mia and Gwen (both blogless) today. It was an experiment of knitters behavior when tempted with free things very interesting. I've never seen so many people pushing and shoving just to get a goody bag from Red Heart! Let me tell ya, those grannies can be vicious! It's amazing what a bit of free yarn, needles, magazines and literature can do to otherwise sane knitters. Wait, check that, are we ever sane?

Here's a look at the crowd:



The fashion show was cute - at least the dogs and kids. These models were so darn cute! The one in the pink skirt was shakn' those hips like a professional! Absolutely adorable!



The women's clothing was well, kinda scary. There were a few nice pieces, but the majority didn't really strike my fancy. There was a very nice bag and belt made out of Patons and a nice peplum cardigan made out of Lion Brand Cashmere something or other. There was also an awesome coat made out of Koigu, but the Yarn Harlot pointed that out (she was the co-MC) and the announcer didn't really push that too much (I believe this is mainly a Patons, Red Heart, Lion Brand sponsored event). I don't know why I didn't take pics of what I liked, I think I was just too blinded by the fluorescent scarf and shawl.

After the Knit Out, I ventured uptown to meet the Yarn Harlot at Knitty City. It was a fairly small group and was a pretty informal Q&A session instead of the usual reading. She was so nice and very funny. It was nice just knitting away and having a chat as a group.

Afterwards, she graciously signed our books and participated in photographs. Here I am holding the stash weasel and of course Stephanie has the famous traveling sock.



Overall, it was a great day. It was a little hot and I got a bit sunburnt, but it was worth it!

I Love Cables

I have a new found love for cables.



They are just so pretty and so interesting to knit. This is a swatch for one of my upcoming secret deals, so I can't say too much, but it's going to be a fun knit for sure!

I'm thinking about going to the Knit Out in Washington Square Park Union Square Park on Sunday. Any other NYC knitters going?

Black Pearl Yarns

I am pleased to announce that I have been selected to be a designer for Black Pearl Yarns!

I have one word for you guys: CASHMERE!

Sorry to say this means I've added more secret knitting to my list. I know no one likes a tease, but you must accept my sincere apologies! :)

Everything has been such a wirlwind around neoknits these last few months! I can't wait til everything is revealed, it's all so exciting!

Remember this?

Remember my finished Butterfly from January?



Remember when I completed Butterfly and promised to show a modeled picture soon, but just needed to get a slip? Well, I finally got one about 3 weeks ago and it's perfect! I need to take it in a little bit in the bust, but other than that, it works well. Plus it didn't cost me an arm and a leg to buy. The key is not to shop in NYC!



Sorry for the bad pic, I didn't intend to go headless for this shot!

Update on Annabelle

Just wanted to let you guys know that Annabelle is now available for purchase outright at Hipknits. I know a few of you were wondering if it would be, since at first it was only offered free with yarn purchase.

Details for Annabelle can be found here.

Did You Know?

I received an email today at work with some "fun" facts about merino wool. The little video is a bit strange though. Do they really think that techno music makes everything better?

They talk about merino being sexy. (They even mention underwear?) The video is on this page, click "see sexy merino."

It's now machine washable. (A chemical is added, but hey, who's checking.)

It's good for sportswear. (Removes unpleasant odors? Ok.)

It's a renewable resource. (No way!)

And last but not least, it's a UV protectant.

If you ask me, they could have done a little bit better on the marketing. "Hey, come make sweaters with merino! It makes you less stinky and more pleasant to be around" just doesn't sound too appealing to me.

Sorry for the somewhat boring post. Not much knitting going on. I've mainly been focused on getting out the pattern for the sweater I teased you guys with the other day. It's been a bit of a nightmare because I've been very tired and there are so many parts. For such an easy sweater, this one has really tested my patience over and over! If or when I make it through, I hope it does well!

Another Secret Done

Another secret done, or at least almost done! I just need to sew in the sleeves and the buttons and I've got another FO! Yay!



As you can see, it's sitting across the room with the sleeve all ready to be sewn on. Crappy pic you say? You want more details? Sorry, not for at least another 2-3 weeks!

And last but not least, here is Valerie, another test knitter for the secret Sundara yarn project! She only has 31 rows to go!