Love Is All You Knit

Apr 01 2013

Insta-March

March was a busy and music-filled month. We kicked things off with the 35 Denton music festival, where Redwood Studios played host to tons of bands over the course of three days, and the next weekend we went to the SXSW music festival in Austin, where Joey played a showcase with Israel Nash. We were introduced to Laura and Israel’s brand new baby and spent a couple of great nights around a giant fire pit while the guys made some great new music. I went to a fabulous ladies’ champagne and tea party, and knitted a new wooly hat while I was sick in bed with bronchitis for a couple of days. We also saw the first signs of spring with budding trees, blue skies and an Easter celebration, where I tested out my crafty cooking skills by dyeing Easter eggs and baking bread. Next up: I’m looking forward to April’s nice weather, Joey’s birthday and getting back into some knitting!

Tagged 35denton, cooking, dogs, eggs, knitting, march, music, spring, sxsw

Mar 31 2013

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Antics, Cooking, Other Crafty Things

Made by Hand: No Knead Bread

I baked a loaf of artisan bread this weekend using the no-knead bread recipe by Jim Lahey, via NY Times and my new enameled cast iron dutch oven that was a gift from my sister and mom. It smelled amazing while baking and it turned out pretty good, but not perfect. The recipe calls for the dough be left to rise on a flour-coated cotton towel for the last two hours before baking, and then you overturn the loaf into the dutch oven, freeing it from the towel. When I did this move, the loaf was still a little sticky and suck to my towel, mis-shaping it a little and creating a big mess out of my kitchen towel. I think maybe I needed a little more flour in that step, but I’ll certainly look forward to trying this recipe again next weekend.

Mar 30 2013

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Antics, Cooking, Other Crafty Things

Naturally Dyed Eggs For Easter

I made a few more naturally dyed eggs for Easter this year using the same method I used last year. For the purple eggs, I used blueberries and for the orangey-brown I used onion skins and a little added paprika.

Tagged craft, diy, dye, easter, eggs, natural

Mar 28 2013

1 Comment

Antics, bunnies, wool

Bunny Love: A Wool Story

I’ve shared stories before about the cottontail rabbits that live in the area near our house. Joey and I are constantly seeing bunnies in our yard or in our neighbors’ yards, and we get such a kick out of all the bunny sightings. Earlier this week Henry, our disinterested rabbit dog/lazy basset hound was sniffing around out back and he snuffled upon a bunny nest!

About five or so teensy babies were cuddled together in a little burrow covered with dried leaves and grasses and bits of bunny fluff. It has still been pretty cold in our area the past few nights and my heart was melting thinking about these tiny little buns in their nest, when I came up with an idea. I remembered reading (and thoroughly enjoying) the Yarn Harlot’s stories about the wool-thieving squirrel that kept running off with bits of her freshly washed fleece any time she would leave it outside to dry in the sunshine. I thought that if a squirrel appreciated the warmth and comfort wool could provide, that perhaps this mama bun might appreciate a little wool on these chilly nights as well. After scouring my yarn cabinet for a colorful bit of wool roving, I quietly and carefully left it sitting near the nest. All day yesterday while at work I was thinking about the baby bunnies and wondering if mama bun would appreciate the little wooly gift I left for her. As soon as I got home, I snuck a peek:

The wool had been appreciatively snuggled down, insulating the entrance to the bunny burrow. I lifted a leaf that was laying on top and got a glimpse of warm snuggly baby buns and my heart melted again. Fellow wool-lovers, we’re on to something.

Tagged bunny, rabbit, spring, texas, wool, yarn

Mar 26 2013

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Other Crafty Things

Road Blocks

I’ve come across a road block in a knitting design I’m working on and I’m still unsure about what direction I want to take. This has left me without any actual knitting to work on these past few nights and I’ve started to feel frustrated and uncreative.

Fortunately, inspiration struck and although it wasn’t an solution for the knitting design, it was an idea for a fun crafty project for the house that I’ve been wanting to do for a while. A little fabric, a little paint, and a handmade stencil just made everything better. Here’s a little sneak peek as I’m not quite done with this yet, but I’m having such a good time doing something creative after the recent knitting block.

Tagged chevron, fabric, paint, stencil

Mar 20 2013

2 Comments

Antics, Hats, knitting, Yarn

Hofsós Hat

If you haven’t seen Stephen West’s latest KAL collection, Westy’s Besties, you should probably drop what you’re doing and go take a peek. I’ll wait.

Gorgeous, right? Well, it would kind of have to be when its a collaboration of Stephen West designs, Brooklyn Tweed Yarns, Cirilia Rose styling and Jared Flood photography all set to the amazing backdrop that is Iceland.

The pattern I fell in love with the most is the Hofsós Hat, which has really interesting construction and amazing textures. It is knit using three different colors of yarn, with two strands of alternating colors held together throughout. While I didn’t have any LOFT on hand, I did have three shades of Palette in my stash that are similar to the ones used in the pattern, so I went ahead and cast on using those.

The pattern was so addictive because each time I finished a section I couldn’t wait to start the next one and would just keep on going. It even rekindled my love for seed stitch, which is a stitch pattern I love for its look, but hate for its tediousness while knitting. Using two shades of yarn just amplified the textural aspect that I love so much that my mind is now whirling, wondering how I can put this to use in other ways.

As soon as I cast off Joey tried it on and then I tried it on. And even though I made it for Joey, I told him we’d just have to share this one.

Tagged brooklyntweed, hofsos, knitting, loft, palette, stephen west, westknits, westy'sbesties, yarn

Mar 06 2013

2 Comments

Antics, Family, travel

Love and Coffee Mugs

Joey and I have amassed a collection of coffee mugs that tell a little story of our lives. It wasn’t an intentional collection, but every time he leaves for a tour he comes back with a little something from whatever fabulous country or city he has visited, and the souvenirs that see the most use are always the mugs. I have a few special ones in the collection too and I was noticing the other day how we tend to pick out certain mugs for each other, and that there may be little unspoken messages behind our selections.

When I’m pouring the coffee I always think something along the lines of “oh he gets the Union Jack cause he’s going to London soon and I’ll take the knitting one because I plan to do tons of knitting today” or “I feel like tea and I’m going to drink it out of my London tea cup and since that one is little, Joey gets the little one from Sweden. He loves Sweden.”

When he pours the coffee, he tends to make mine in the Love Is All You Knit mug and his in either the Amsterdam mug or maybe the Don’t Mess With Texas. Sometimes he’ll bring me coffee in the little mug from Holland with the Dutch girl and boy leaning in for a kiss. And when he is on tour, I tend to drink from a mug that is geographically close to wherever he is traveling. Yes, there has been an “oh he’s in Spain, so I’m drinking from Barcelona today,” and I’ve even drank from his J- initial cup to feel extra close while he was away.

Our subconscious mug-selection habits may be a little silly, but one thing is for sure: our cups are always filled with love.

Tagged amsterdam, barcelona, coffee, holland, london, love, mugs, spain, sweden, tea, texas, travel

Feb 28 2013

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Antics, designing, Dogs, Family, knitting, Music, Texas, writing

Insta February

February was a month where Joey and I both found ourselves working hard. He has spent lots of time working at Redwood Studio- recording music and in the down time finishing some of their last bits of studio construction. They are putting the final touches on the “apartment” side of the studio, so that out of town musicians can have a place to stay when they record an album there. They held a grand opening event, with two of the artists they have been working with performing live for a small crowd. The night had a magical energy about it and it was so good to get to finally share the fruits of our labor with others and see them enjoy it so much.

I’ve been working on drafting patterns for a few of my latest designs and also making a big office move that has sapped lots of my nightly knitting energy. (Hello, exhausted 9pm bedtimes and doggie snuggles!) I celebrated a birthday and also celebrated the release of my pattern and article in Pom Pom. We’ve had some house guests the past week- a good friend from our NYC days who has since moved to CA, and a new friend from England, who are both in town to record at Redwood.

Things are good. Things are good.

Feb 26 2013

Test Knit: Zip-N-Zag Bag

I’m looking for a couple of people to test knit an upcoming design I’ve been working on, the Zip-n-Zag Bag.

Details:

I’m looking for two testers that can complete the item and provide feedback to me by 3/15/13.

Skill level: Intermediate.

Skills required are: knitting stranded color work in the round (only two colors are used), provisional cast on, knitting, purling, basic bind off, three needle bind off, sewing in a zipper and fabric lining by hand, making a tassel.

Experience: Experience using stranded color work is preferred, but not required.

Finished size: 9.25” wide by 6.25” tall

Gauge: 22 stitches and 25 rounds = 4”/10cm in stranded colorwork pattern, worked in the round. Gauge is important to this project to ensure that your zipper will fit into the finished pouch.

Materials:

Yarn requirements: 300 yards/275 meters of worsted weight yarn in two contrasting colors (150 yards/137 meters of each color). Sample was knit using 2 skeins of Berroco Vintage Worsted in Cast Iron (#5145) and Butter Cream (#5102). Other brands and colors of yarn can be used, but I would prefer you stick to a worsted weight.

Needle sizes: Needle A: One 16” circular in size needed to obtain gauge (Suggested size US 8/5.0 mm), and Needle B: One 16” circular three sizes smaller than Needle A (Suggested size US 5/3.75 mm)

9” plastic zipper

Fabric for lining, cut to 9.5” wide x 12.5” long

Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch marker, sewing needle and thread for zipper and lining, pins.

Any questions you encounter as you are knitting, please feel free to email to me. I would like feedback at the end of the project regarding your gauge, what size needles you used to obtain gauge, finished size, and your thoughts on sewing in the zipper and lining.

Compensation:

A copy of the final tech-edited pattern will be provided as compensation.

If you’d like to test knit this, please leave a comment below letting me know and I will be in touch via email!

Tagged bag, black and white, chevron, knit, knitting, pouch, tassel, yarn, zig zag, zigzag, zippered pouch

Feb 17 2013

1 Comment

Antics, crochet, knitting, Texas

Knit Spotting

Joey and I went wandering around town after brunch yesterday and happened upon a vintage shop that had tons of knitwear. Here are a few of the pieces that caught my eye.

As a child of the 80s, I can’t see this sweater and not think of Nintendo’s Duck Hunt game. I think you could have a lot of fun with this sweater vest if you had enough moxie to pull it off, though I’m not sure I would be confident enough to do it.

This sweater caught my eye because of the bold graphic diamond and zig zag patterning. I’m not so sure about what the checkered finish line and puppy dogs have to do with anything, but there they are. This one was rightly tagged as a “fun Cosby sweater.”

I love the red and grey and white combo and the nice slim silhouette of this sweater. Its a vintage University of Alabama sweater. (definitely had to google that.)

Off the wall? Off the planet more like. The label reads “Expressions by Campus” which is a fashion label from the late 60s early 70s and it seems they had a lot of interesting knit and crochet sweaters.